FRANKLIN COUNTY, GA - BIOS Stephen Westbrook 1756-1820 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Tricia Westbrook" Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/franklin.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm Stephen Westbrook of Wilkes County and His Revolutionary War Service By William A. Bell INTRODUCTION This account traces the life and military service in the Revolutionary War of Stephen Westbrook, an officer in the militia in Wilkes County, GA. He came with his parents and younger brothers to the Ceded Lands of Georgia in 1773 on Coody’s Creek, which fed into Broad River just upstream from the Savannah River. At the intersection of the Savannah and Broad Rivers was a delta of land, which held Fort James. It was in and around this backcountry that Stephen lived during the Revolution. Based on his bounty grants given for service in the Revolutionary War, Stephen served as Lieutenant and Captain in the militia and Captain in the Georgia Line. Being a resident of Wilkes County and serving in the militia, he fought with Col. John Dooly and Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke at Kettle Creek. With the defeat of the patriots at Augusta and Brier Creek, he probably fled the area with Col. Clarke to become an over mountain man. Based on the record of the militia of Wilkes County, Stephen would have served under Clarke in South Carolina and North Carolina. As a result of this service, he probably fought at King’s Mountain, Blackstock’s Farm, Cowpens, Musgrove Mill, and Beattie’s Farm, before participating in the siege and recapture of Augusta. During the later stages of the war and after, Stephen continued in the militia to defend from the Indians his community, his family, and the land that he won as bounty for his service in the War. The objective of this biosketch is to document the service of Stephen Westbrook from available information pertaining to him and the region before, during, and after the Revolutionary War. In particular, this report shows, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he served a Kettle Creek. EVIDENCE As noted historians of the American Revolution in the South point out, “Of Georgia’s back-country war there are few written records, but it gave rise to a treasure trove of legends.”[1] The goal here is to take limited information from various sources and fit these pieces together in the most likely way to create an overall picture. This approach is similar to solving a puzzle. Each piece may not contain a lot of information individually, but when assembled each makes a significant contribution to the whole. Formally, this approach is known as evidential reasoning, where individual pieces of evidence combine to create the overall picture. Another approach commonly used relies on recorded documents of military service, such as a first hand account, pension application, or will. When this documentation exists, this approach is the most reliable. But with limited information this approach leads to problems. For example, a proven list of participants at Kettle Creek demands either direct records or compelling second hand accounts. However, this information was unavailable for practically all militia, especially in the backcountry of Wilkes County, where Stephen Westbrook called home. Less than 50 troops have been “proven” to be in the battle through direct or secondary accounts. Only 30 have first hand accounts. Of the 400 Whig combatants, this technique includes only 12% of the participants, at most. Insights into the services of the other 88% are completely ignored. This approach excludes most of the participants from the recognition due them for taking part in this important battle. Again using Kettle Creek as an example, evidential reasoning takes the existing evidence and measures the probability of a given soldier’s presence at the battle. There were 100 to 140 men serving in the militia from Wilkes County reported to be at Kettle Creek from various histories of the war. In a list prepared for British Col. Cruger, the British identified 140 men with the Wilkes County militia under Elijah Clarke. The best estimates favor 100 taking part in Kettle Creek. Thus, there is a 71% chance (100 out of 140) that any soldier in Wilkes County militia was at the battle. Rather than being listed as “unknown,” evidential reasoning can give an estimated probability that a militia member served in the battle with no other documentation. Although this method lacks the formal rigor of the first hand documentation demanded by historians, evidential reasoning better supports the goals of the DAR and SAR, which is to preserve our heritage through recognition of service in the Revolutionary War. When used with additional pieces of information, evidential reasoning shows beyond a reasonable doubt that Stephen Westbrook served at Kettle Creek, in the sieges of Augusta, and in engagements with Tories and Indians. SCOPE The scope of this work consists of three parts. The first shows that Stephen Westbrook was a resident of Wilkes County, through deeds and land grants. It also documents family ties, friends, and neighbors, which will later support evidence of his role in the Revolution. The second section establishes his service under Cols. John Dooly and Elijah Clarke, which provides insight into the action that he saw during his service. This section also studies his bounty claims to verify his service through the amount of land awarded, promotions, and the witnesses to his claims. The final section uses social and marital ties along with public records to track his activities after the Revolution. EARLY YEARS AND MOVE TO WILKES COUNTY Stephen Westbrook was born in Virginia on October 18, 1756,[2] the first born son of John Westbrook, Sr. and Barbara Richardson. The Bristol Parish Register in Virginia lists a John Westbrook as the son of William and Sarah Westbrook, who was born on 4th of May 1733 and baptized on July 15th. Over the period from 1718 to 1739, John’s father, William Westbrook, received several land patents for over two thousand acres in Prince George[3], Amelia[4] and Mecklenburg[5] County, Virginia. By 1764 a John Westbrook appeared on the list of tithables for St. James Parish in Virginia. He, John Oliver, and George Tureman were overseers of the Estate of Mr. Armistead Burwell.[6] John Westbrook was assessed 15 tithes for his share of the 3003-acre estate. On March 15, 1765, John witnessed a deed which conveyed 407 acres on both sides of Butler’s Creek in Mecklenburg County, Virginia from Joseph Freeman of Mecklenburg County to Holman Freeman of Amelia County for 200 pounds. The land was part of a larger tract granted to Joseph by patent. Joseph and Holman Freeman would remain neighbors with the Westbrooks for the next 20 years. In the winter of 1773, the Creek and Cherokee Indians in northeast Georgia incurred a large debt to the local traders in the area, “far exceeding $100,000.” In a congress held in Augusta in May 1773, the Indian nations formally ceded over two million acres of land to the Crown for $200,000. The Crown paid the debt owed to the traders by the Creek and Cherokee nations. Known as the Ceded Lands, tracts were opened for settlement. In 1777, the Ceded Lands were formally designated as Wilkes County by the state constitution. The town of Dartmouth arose near the intersection of the Broad and Savannah Rivers, which later became the town of Petersburg.[7] For protection, a fort known as Fort James was erected. The land court at Dartmouth assisted in selling tracts to settlers from September 1773 through June 1775.[8] On October 12, 1773, John Westbrook received 100 acres within the Ceded Lands on Coody’s Creek for 5 pounds in cash. On September 27, 1773, Holman Freeman obtained 400 acres for 5 pounds 15 shillings along Chickasaw Creek, and Joseph Freeman went into debt for 4 pounds to acquire 200 acres. Two other recipients of land who would have a profound impact on the Westbrooks were Elijah Clarke, who received 150 acres, and John Dooly, who paid 13 pounds for 500 acres.[9] Clarke and Dooly would go onto to become Revolutionary War leaders and heroes of the Wilkes County militia. According to the early records of Georgia, John Westbrook arrived from Mecklenburg County, Virginia with his wife, three sons, and four daughters from 2 to 20 years old. Their 100 acres was about two miles above Joseph Freeman on Coody’s Creek, which fed into the Broad River not far from where the Broad meets the Savannah River.[10] The land of Holman Freeman, Sr. on Chickasaw Creek joined the Broad River further upstream from Coody’s Creek and the Westbrook property. While the Indians signed treaties giving up the land, many continued to use the ancient hunting grounds. Historians write, “In addition to the hazards imposed by nature, the earliest settlers faced the constant danger of the loss of lives and chattels at the hands of marauding Indian tribes. In their isolated log cabins, remote from their nearest neighbor and often miles distant from a fort or blockhouse, the hardy settlers were constantly at risk.” For many years the early Protestant missionary evangelists called the area the Distressed Territories.[11] REVOLUTIONARY WAR On the frontiers of Georgia, the backwoodsmen formed a militia for protection from the Indians. There were also the natural dangers of exposure, starvation, venomous snakes, and panthers.9 The frontiersmen relied on the accuracy of their rifles for hunting game, which was an important food source for their families. This accuracy served as a lethal deterrent against hostile Indians and, later, British regulars. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War Wilkes County was far removed from the battles in the southern theater, which took place near the coast. The British concentrated most of their efforts in the northern colonies. On July 22, 1776, Holman Freeman, Sr. was one of the appraisers of the value of cornfields surrounding Ft. James.[12] The appraisal listed Col. Coleman, “Wesbrook and Colson,” and Evan Raglens among those either receiving corn for the militia stationed there. Stephen Westbrook and his family lived near Fort James, which in the spring of 1776 was manned by 50 well-mounted and equipped rangers. The accoutrements of each ranger consisted of a rifle, two pistols, a hangar, powder horn, a shot pouch, and a tomahawk. This foursquare stockade stood at what is now known as “The Point,” where the Broad and Savannah Rivers unite forming a neck of land roughly resembling an arrow point.[13] United States Army records indicate that South Carolina and Georgia each raised mounted ranger units in 1775-1776, but when they became part of the Continental Army during the summer of 1776 they transformed into mounted infantry.[14] Major George Hangar, second in command to the British General Banastre Tarleton reported, “The crackers and militia in those parts of America were all mounted on horse-back, which renders it totally impossible to force them to an engagement with infantry only. When they choose to fight, they dismount, and fasten their horses to the fences and rails, but if not very confident in the superiority of their numbers, they remain on horse-back, give their fire, and retreat, which renders it useless to attack them without cavalry: for though you repulse them, and drive them from the field, you never can improve the advantage.”[15] The “Wesbrook” on the appraisal for Fort James was Stephen Westbrook. One of his neighbors who served in the Revolutionary War was Jesse Hooper, “who lived in Wilkes County Georgia on Broad river about one mile above the mouth.” Hooper enlisted in March 1776 for one year in the Georgia Line under Colonel Habersham and General L. MacIntosh in Captain Jacob Colson’s Company.[16] Since Colson and Westbrook were listed together on the appraisal, both were probably captains at that time in the Georgia Line, which is consistent with Stephen Westbrook’s bounty land claim. Jesse Hooper reenlisted for one year starting in 1777 under Colonel John Coleman, who is also on the appraisal and who had moved to the Ceded Lands from Virginia with his wife, four sons, and two daughters in 1773 on 1000 acres along the Broad River near the Westbrooks.29 Hooper reported that sixteen days before “his year was out,” Colonel Coleman “took sick and died.”16 Stephen Westbrook served in the Wilkes County militia and Georgia Line, according to his land bounty grants that he received for his service after the war. Holman Freeman, Jr. signed for Stephen and listed him as a Lieutenant.[17] The amount of land in the bounty totaled 500 acres, which was increased by 15% to 575 acres later by the Georgia legislature. This acreage indicated a rank of Captain in the militia.[18] The State government in executive session raised Stephen’s bounty still further to 690 acres, which was the amount awarded a Captain of the Georgia Line.[19] The difference between militia and line service was in time served, with line being reserved for long-term service.[20] Therefore, based on his land allotment for service during the American Revolution, Stephen was an officer in the Georgia militia and line, starting out as lieutenant and rising to the status as captain during the war. His brother and father, John Westbrook Jr. and Sr., also received land for their service, 287.5 acres, which indicated a rank of private or patriotic service during the war.[21] Frontier life in the early days of the war in the Ceded Lands, before the British invasion of Savannah in 1778, involved Indian raids, clashes between citizens loyal to the Crown and those opposed, and occasional raids by the Florida rangers. The Crown obtained Florida from Spain in 1763, and the colony was a haven for loyalists, renegades, and escaped slaves. The British assumed that the plantation owners in the south would be loyal because of lucrative trade with the British Commonwealth. However, the frontiersmen in the Ceded Lands were necessarily independent and less likely to embrace the edicts of the Crown. Those loyal to the Crown, called Loyalists or Tories, often had open conflict with those who favored a separate nation, the Whigs. All accounts of the Revolutionary War in Georgia mention high tension and outright hostility between the Tories and the Whigs. Some historians claim that no other colony had higher internal strife than Georgia did, with fathers against sons and brother against brother.[22] THE HORNET’S NEST Wilkes County remained a stronghold of Whigs and their supporters throughout the war. Recognizing the combined opposition of Whig sympathizers and the militia under Col. Elijah Clarke and John Dooly, the British and Tories referred to Wilkes County as the Hornet’s Nest. Within the familiar forests and streams of their homes in the backcountry, these frontiersmen “were magnificent.”22 The exploits of residents such as Nancy Hart, Elijah and Hannah Clarke, John Dooly, and Holman Freeman and his sons made them local folk heroes during and after the American Revolution. The service records of Stephen Westbrook in the militia or line have not been found, if they ever existed at all. Being a resident of Wilkes County, his local militia fell under the leadership of Col. John Dooly and Col. Elijah Clarke by 1778.[23] Another leader often mentioned was John Twiggs, who headed the militia in Richmond County. Being single and in his early twenties during the war, Stephen was a prime candidate for service. As an officer in the militia, Stephen would have led troops under Dooly and Clarke, and so his activities in the war would mirror those of the Wilkes County militia. Before the British return to the southern colonies in December 1778, Georgia troops were part of invasions into Florida. Since Florida was under British rule and its residents were Loyalists, Florida rangers raided the western frontier of Georgia as far north as northern Wilkes County. Two expeditions into Florida by Georgia troops under MacIntosh in 1776 and Houstoun in 1777 failed to quell the raids of the Florida rangers. In 1778, Elijah Clarke and the Wilkes County militia united with Georgia troops under Governor John Houstoun in an expedition against Florida. They teamed with Georgia and South Carolina continentals under the overall command of General Howe and traveled toward St. Augustine.23 According to one of the pension files,[24] after crossing the St. Mary’s River, “The march continued some further, and we had several skirmishes in one of which Col. Clark was wounded in the leg.” The action of the Wilkes County militia appears on a historic marker near Alligator Creek in Florida. “[On] June 30, 1778, a force of 300 American Cavalry commanded by Colonel Elijah Clarke, participating in General Robert Howe's invasion of Florida, attacked a column of British at this place (Alligator Creek Bridge), but were unable to penetrate the nearby entrenchments of 450 British Regulars and South Carolina Royalists under the command of Major James Marc Prevost. In this skirmish, Colonel Clarke was wounded and the Americans withdrew. The next day, the British retired in the direction of the St. Johns River.” The skirmish resulted in 13 American and 9 British casualties. The engagement took place on the north side of what is now Callahan, FL where U.S. Highway 301 joins with U.S. Highway 1.[25] The troops under Houstoun withdrew to Savannah. Houstoun later signed Stephen Westbrook’s claim for 690 acres as bounty for war service.[26] The British sailed from New York under Gen. Clinton and arrived off of Tybee Island near Savannah on December 23, 1778. Their plan was to again bring Georgia and the Carolinas under British rule. With the southern colonies within the fold, they would surround the unruly northern colonies along their northern and southern borders. The Tories and regulars gathered from the southern colonies would attack from the south and troops from New England and Canada would press the northern border.[27] On December 29, 1778 the British troops marched unopposed into Savannah. On January 14, 1779, the British invited Georgians to take an oath of loyalty to the King and receive pardon for any past disloyalty. However, by mid-February it was obvious that Wilkes County and the Georgia backcountry would not submit. To crush these frontiersmen, the British moved toward Augusta and the backcountry, enlisting Tories and Indians for the planned attacks on the rebel militia.[28] KETTLE CREEK With a major thrust by the British to capture Augusta, every able-bodied member of the militia in Wilkes County was called into active service, based on the pension records of veterans from that area. Available evidence indicates that Steve Westbrook took part in the Battle of Kettle Creek. Based on the best existing information, there was at least 70 percent probability that Stephen was there by virtue of being a member of the Wilkes County militia. Given that he was single and early twenties, the probability increases to 80 percent. The fact that he was an officer denied him the opportunity to return home whenever he desired. Thus, there is only evidence to support his participation at Kettle Creek, and none to refute it. Although the proof of military service through bounty grants has been questioned,18 in Stephen’s case the overwhelming evidence shows that he indeed served. Holman Freeman, Jr. signed for him and Elijah Clarke approved Stephen’s bounty. Freeman’s father was an ardent Whig who knew Stephen’s father since their business dealings in Amelia County, Virginia over a decade before. When Holman Sr. was imprisoned by the Tories for his stance against the British, upon his release one of his sons rode to the farm of one of the Tories who instigated the capture and shot him dead in front of the Tory’s son.[29] Given the patriotic fervor of the Freeman family during the Revolution, Holman would have signed only if the claim of service was valid. Later, Stephen Westbrook applied for and received an increase to 690 acres, which was approved by Gov. Houstoun, one of the original Liberty Boys. Since Houstoun was a leader of the Georgia militia in the 1778 Florida campaign, he could have known Stephen from that affair, which included militia under Col. Clarke from Wilkes County. The bounty certificate was also signed by William Freeman, another son of Holman, Sr.26 These two authorities give further, independent proof of Stephen’s Revolutionary War service and showed that he attained the rank of captain in the Georgia Line. During the early stages of the war, Stephen was probably a lieutenant, as Holman Freeman, Jr. attested to on the initial application for land bounty after the war. As an officer in the militia, Stephen would have been responsible for recruiting, assembling, and leading troops comprised of local citizens. Being a resident of Wilkes County, he served under Col. Dooly and Col. Clarke. Stephen’s promotion to captain probably occurred later on in the war. By analogy, Stephen’s future father-in-law, Cuthbert Hudson, remained a captain in the militia for over a decade before his wartime promotion to major in 1778.[30] Maj. Hudson was among the North Carolina troops under Gen. Ashe that had amassed across the Savannah River from Augusta to face the British in February 1779.[31] Coleman23 cites a list given to British commander Cornwallis in a letter from Colonel Cruger. The list shows 723 males from the Ceded Lands of which 49 were notorious rebels hiding from the British and 140 were under Elijah Clarke. This number agrees with population estimates of the time. In 1773, the population of Georgia included 18,000 whites. Partitioning the population based on area, Wilkes County would have 1/5 of the population. Adjusting for the fact that the county was not as populated as the other more established counties in Georgia, Wilkes County had about 3000 white settlers. Of these, assume approximately half were women, leaving 1500 males. Assuming half of the males were adults of fighting age, then that would leave 750 able- bodied men, which agrees with the 723 on the list given to Cornwallis. Of the 750, assume half were Tories, which leaves 375. On other lists, only about half were in the military service, so this leaves 188 in the militia or actively opposing British rule. This number supports the 189 that the British listed as active rebels. Since 140 were with Clarke and since Stephen Westbrook was in the militia, he must have been among the 140 who served under Clarke and Dooly during this time. The best estimates for the number of men serving under Col. Dooly and Lt. Col. Clarke at Kettle Creek is 100.[32] Since there were 140 in the Wilkes County militia under Clarke, there is at least a 70% chance that Stephen was with the militia at Kettle Creek. Assuming that 10%, say 15, were left behind to man the forts and guard the families, this would leave 125 available for service at Augusta. Since Stephen was a single male in his early twenties, it is highly unlikely that he would have been left behind to guard married women and their children. He had two brothers and four sisters who could help with his own family, so he wasn’t required there. Note also that John Westbrook Sr. and Jr. received land grants, probably for patriotic service during war. John, Jr. was too young[33] and Sr. too old for fighting, so they likely stayed at home to help against Indians and Tories. Given the temper of the times, this civil service could have been more dangerous than the militia duty. Assuming about 20% attrition in the troops between Wilkes County and Kettle Creek, this would account for the 100 troops available for battle. The 20% attrition is based on the fact that of the 10 pension records from veterans listed in 1901 by the Wilkes County DAR as serving at Kettle Creek, 2 definitely did not take part in the affair, which is a 20% absence rate. The reasons ranged from returning home after expiration of service[34] to being recruited after the battle.[35] However, those pensioners who did not participate were privates. Stephen was at least a lieutenant, and, as an officer, would have been expected to be with his troops at Kettle Creek. Also, Jesse Hooper and Charles Gent, two pensioners who lived near Stephen, were there attesting that the “said battle was warmly contested.”16 Again, based on pension statements, it is virtually certain that his unit was in the area of Augusta, along with almost all other units of the militias from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Pensioners for Wilkes County militia all list being activated during the British march to Augusta. So, Stephen was at least in the area or on his way. Though Stephen was a resident of Wilkes County, he could have crossed the Savannah River and joined the South Carolina troops. Even so, he would have served under Pickens, which again would have placed him at Kettle Creek. However, the land grants indicate Georgia service for Stephen. If he had served out of state, his bounty would have been considerably less. For example, Stephen’s father-in-law, Major Cuthbert Hudson, received 250 acres for his North Carolina service,[36] which was nowhere near Stephen’s allocation as a captain in the Georgia Line. The probable reason that Stephen does not appear on any of the lists of Kettle Creek participants is that the DAR list was based primarily on “family tradition” and second hand information from occupants of Elbert and Wilkes County after the war. Since Stephen moved to Franklin County, he was unavailable to make a claim one way or another. Thus, he was not listed, but should have been, according to the foregoing data gathered from several independent sources. The backwoodsmen challenged the British Army in Georgia. Colonel James(?) Boyd gathered 700 loyalists and marched toward Wilkes County to quash the militia there and suppress the rebels. On February 11,1779, 100 Patriots, in spite of being outnumbered, attacked while the British crossed Van(n)'s Creek.32 The skirmish alerted Colonels John Dooly and Andrew Pickens to the Loyalists’ presence in Wilkes County. On February 14, 1779, the British set up camp along Kettle Creek. As was the custom, the Loyalists sent scavengers for food. That morning about 150 men were out searching for food when Pickens attacked.[37] With a combined total of 340 to 400 men, the Patriots struck in three columns, Col. Dooly on the right, Pickens in the middle and Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke, Dooly's second in command on the left. A small advance guard was sent in front of the columns to scout the enemy. Col. Pickens’ scouts were surprised by Boyd's Loyalist sentries and opened fire. Alerted to the attack by the sound of gunfire, Boyd rallied his men and advanced with a small group to the top of a nearby hill, where they waited behind rocks and fallen trees for the Patriots. To the left and right the men under command of Dooly and Clarke were slowed by the cane breaks and the high water of the creek and nearby swamps. Pickens continued his advance to the fence on top of a hill where Boyd's men awaited the Americans and opened fire. The ambush killed or wounded several of Pickens’ troops, and the battle seemed to turn in favor of the Loyalists. Clarke and Dooly, unable to advance quickly through the cane swamp, were helpless. After the successful ambush, Boyd ordered his men to retreat to the camp by Kettle Creek. Three of Pickens’ men were separated from the rest of the Americans when they found themselves near Boyd’s Loyalists. All three fired on Boyd, and, as he lay mortally wounded, his troops panicked and an orderly withdrawal became a nightmare for the 700 men under his command. Pickens rallied and advanced his men towards the Loyalist camp. At the same time Dooly's men emerged from the swamp. Surrounded on three fronts, with the creek to their back, about 450 Tories followed Boyd's second in command, Major Spurgen, across Kettle Creek. While crossing the creek, Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke emerged on the other side and charged with 50 men. The Loyalists fled, with losses totaling 40 to 70 dead and 70 captured, compared with the patriots’ 9 dead and 23 wounded. Of the 700 Loyalists under Boyd, only 270 reached British forces between Savannah and Augusta. In addition, the patriots gained 600 horses and considerable baggage from the battle at Kettle Creek. Pickens, who became famous for his many battles in the Revolution, would later write that Kettle Creek was the "severest chastisement" for the Loyalists in South Carolina and Georgia.32,37 With the victory at Kettle Creek, North Carolina troops under the command of General John Ashe pursued loyalists under Campbell. Unknown to Ashe, Campbell was reinforced with men from Savannah under the command of General Augustine Prevost. Together the British forces totaled 2,300 men. Camping at the confluence of Brier Creek and the Savannah River, Ashe's patriots were surprised by hundreds of British soldiers and loyalist militia on March 3, 1779. Ashe and his men from North Carolina fled the scene of the battle. Only Colonel Samuel Elbert and his Georgia militia remained. Outnumbered and overpowered, the men defended their camp until almost all were dead. The late afternoon action ended at sunset, with the rebel forces suffering a humiliating defeat. Almost 400 Americans died or were captured, while the British lost only 5 men. Elbert, who was eventually elected governor of Georgia, was captured and served time in a British prison until his release in 1781.37 THE STRUGGLE AT HOME Led by Elijah Clarke, John Dooly and others, Wilkes County soldiers fought all over the Southern theater of operations during the rest of the war, from King’s Mountain and Cowpens to the sieges of Augusta. British-led loyalist activity was particularly heavy in the backcountry of Georgia and violence was commonplace, sometimes within communities and even families.[38] From the battle of Kettle Creek to the fall of Augusta in May of 1780, the Wilkes County militia served on several fronts, primarily against Tories and Indians and assisting with the siege of Savannah. For example, one Wilkes County minuteman fought in “an engagement with said Indians. Killed nine of them, rescued considerable plunder they were taking off from the whites. That about the 1st of April 1779 he again entered the service of the U. States as a militia man, in the Settlement of Long Cane in the state of South Carolina (whither he and others had fled for refuge from the hostile Indians) under Captain John Cowen (Major not recollected) and Col. Andrew Pickens, and served four months to about the first week in August, during which tour he was at the Battle of Stono under the command of General Lincoln. That about the first of September of the same year he again entered the service of the United States against Great Britain in the said Settlement of Long Cane in the State of South Carolina under the said Captain Cowen who led his company immediately into Georgia, joined the Georgia troops, commanded by Colonel Dooly aforesaid & marched to the Siege of Savannah under his command where they joined the American army under General Lincoln, who was aided by & associated with General Pulaski who was killed at said Siege; the Count d’Estaing was also there & was wounded, perhaps in the arm. After the expiration of said siege the company to which he was attached returned to South Carolina & were discharged from the service about the 25th of December 1779.[39]” After the failed siege by the combined French and American forces, one veteran “continued to serve in various small affairs against the Tories until he marched in the expedition against the Cherokee Nation commanded by Genls. Pickens, Clark & Anderson. … In this expedition we burned several Indian Towns and had various skirmishes in one which he was shot through the wrist of his left arm.[40]” Based on the limited number of pension files consulted, Stephen and his comrades in the Wilkes County militia definitely fought the Indians or Tories at home and probably took part in the siege of Savannah under Dooly. General Prevost, in charge of the British troops, expanded control of Georgia to Augusta and Sunbury, and with Cherokee support in northwest Georgia he effectively controlled all of the state. Tory troops under Colonels Thomas “Notorious” Brown and James Grierson took possession of Augusta in May of 1780. Now completely under British control the radical patriots were forced to hide. Many left for areas that were still controlled by patriots. Georgia was the only colony to fall completely under the control of the British government. It was in the backcountry of Georgia that men like Elijah Clark and John Dooly waged guerrilla warfare for the first time. The British retaliated against Dooly by sending six regulars to brutally murder the hero of Kettle Creek in front of his family during the summer of 1780. By July 1780 the British reported that most of the upcountry had submitted to British rule except for 800 to 900 Wilkes County frontiersmen.28 Since Stephen lived on the frontier, he was probably among this number. One of Stephen’s neighbors, John Freeman, was among those with Clarke.41 During July of 1780, Col. Clarke and his band of militia left Georgia for North Carolina and joined forces with Col. Isaac Shelby. There they fought six or seven hundred British at Cedar Spring, where they took a number of prisoners and inflicted considerable losses. The appearance of British Colonel Ferguson with a large body of troops forced the patriots to hastily retreat.[41] On August 18, 1780 Clarke and Shelby again met the British at the Battle of Musgrove Mill. The Historic marker there notes the “location of a Revolutionary War battle fought in August 1780. Although they were outnumbered two to one, Patriots surprised and routed a group of Tories and British, inflicting heavy losses during the two-day fight.”[42] If Stephen was with Clarke, who was now the only commander of the Wilkes County militia, he participated in these battles. Based on limited pension records and his service under Clarke, Stephen Westbrook took part in the next major move against the British, the siege of Augusta. With the murder of Col. Dooly, Elijah Clarke had assumed command of the Wilkes County militia. In September 1780, he mustered a group of 300 to attempt to retake Augusta. Almost all pension files reviewed for Wilkes County troops mentioned service at the first siege of Augusta. Before Thomas Brown and his Tories were forced to surrender, Colonel Cruger arrived with British reinforcements from Ninety Six in South Carolina, and Clarke’s men had to quickly withdraw, leaving behind their wounded. The Notorious Brown had twelve or thirteen of them hung from a stairway banister so that he could watch their death throes from his bed as he recovered from wounds received at the siege.28 THE OVERMOUNTAIN JOURNEY AND BACK After the siege of Augusta, Clarke and a band of settlers from Wilkes County fled with their families towards the safety of settlements along the Nolachucky and Watauga Rivers, known as the overmountain region, in what is now Tennessee.41 Major Patrick Ferguson and his British forces “lay at James Steps with an expectation of intercepting Col. Clarke on his return to the mountains: but he was prudent enough to take another route.”27 Clarke was informed that Ferguson had positioned himself atop King’s Mountain in South Carolina after he failed to intercept his band of Wilkes County families. Men from Clarke’s militia joined the local militia forces amassing to attack Ferguson. The Battle of King’s Mountain on October 7, 1780 resulted in Ferguson’s death and the loss to the British of one-third of their army. The likelihood of Stephen Westbrook’s participation in this battle is better than 50%, since he would have been among the troops at Augusta under Clarke. He had little choice but to travel with his family to the relative safety of the overmountain settlements. On November 20, 1780, the militia under Clarke engaged in another significant revolutionary war battle.27 “Banastre Tarleton, pursuing the [troops under] Thomas Sumter [retreating from Fishdam Ford on the Broad River], pushed forward with his cavalry and mounted infantry, leaving his slower infantry and artillery to follow at their best speed. Sumter meanwhile had determined to make a stand at the farm of William Blackstock overlooking the Tyger River. Tarleton with an inferior force [270] frontally attacked [900-1,000] strongly posted Americans and was beaten back with heavy casualties [92 killed, 100 wounded]. The Americans lost only 3 killed and 4 wounded but among the latter was Thomas Sumter. Colonel John Twiggs of Georgia assumed command of the Americans and retreated that night with his little army across the Tyger leaving the field to Tarleton, who claimed victory. The battle of Cowpens, where Tarleton was to experience his greatest defeat, occurred less than two months later on 17 January 1781. The importance of the battle of Blackstock's lay in the fact that the dreaded “Bloody Ban” Tarleton had been fought and checked by American militia, a fact that was to influence markedly the future course of the war in the South. Thomas Sumter survived his serious wound and took the field again in a few months.”[43] Colonel Clarke and Lt.-Col. McCall went to Long Cane near Ninety Six in South Carolina for recruits. On Sunday, December 10, 1780, the British commander at Ninety Six, Colonel Cruger, dispatched 200 regular troops, 200 Loyalists, and 50 dragoons under Lt. Colonel Allen. The patriots under Clarke, McCall, and Major Lindsay were ordered to start and sustain the action until the main body of troops under Colonel Benjamin Few arrived. Although the action started, no help came from Few. Badly outnumbered, the militia was forced to retreat after all of their commanders received severe wounds. The Americans lost 14 killed. Elijah Clarke escaped to recover from a near-fatal wound in the shoulder.[44] Although unable to participate in the Battle of Cowpens, Clarke sent three companies of his Wilkes County militia under the command of Major Cunningham and Captains Richard Heard, George Walton, and Joshua Inman. They were part of the skirmish line that began the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781. Under the direction of General Daniel Morgan, the militia units from Georgia and the Carolinas gave the British troops under Banastre Tarleton “a devil of a whipping.”20,27 After Cowpens, according to a member of the Wilkes County militia, “General Morgan called on Col. Clark for assistance to take charge of his prisoners which he had taken at the Battle of the Cowpens. Maj. Saml Taylor of So. Carolina & Maj. John Cunningham of Georgia & Captain George Walton of Georgia & his Company were deputed to take charge of & march the prisoners through the upper part of North Carolina. Crossing the Catawby River high up & marched down on the East Side to the place here General Morgan appointed to meet & take charge again. This was about the last of January 1781. We then turned back to the command of Col. Clark & scouted through North and So. Carolina until about the first of April 1781. Shortly after this we attacked Maj. Dunlap on Little River in So. Carolina. Took him & about 30 prisoners & marched them on to Gilford Town in North Carolina and delivered them to command stationed there. We then recruited there a few days & marched & scouted through the upper part of So. Carolina back to Wilkes County Georgia.”[45] The attack on March 21, 1781 against Major Dunlap was known as the Battle of Beattie’s Mill. Pickens detached Clarke and McCall to attack the British. They surprised Maj. Dunlap and his troops, killing 34 and taking 42 prisoners, including Maj. Dunlap, who was wounded in the battle.44 Loyalist and British continued to condemn captured patriots to death. For example, the Battle of Wiggin's Hill on January 12th-13th, 1781, lasted less than half an hour when Rebel Commander Harden retreated from Loyalist Colonel Brown who commanded a superior force of 170 men and 500 Indians. Colonel Harden only had 76 rangers. During the battle seven of the rangers were killed, eleven were wounded, and five men were captured. Brown put the prisoners in a pen, where they were condemned as traitors to the Royal Crown and were sentenced to the gallows. The mother of one of the prisoners came to the camp and begged Colonel Brown to spare her son, but to no avail. The five prisoners were hanged until nearly dead, then their bodies were cut down and delivered over to the Indians in Brown’s group, who scalped the bodies and otherwise mutilated them in their accustomed manner. Brown then turned his fury on Granville District of South Carolina burning homes, stealing livestock, food, and horses.[46] In April 1781 Colonel Clarke and his militia joined with General Pickens and kept watch over Augusta to prevent reinforcement of the Loyalists there under command of the notorious Colonel Brown. On the 20th of May, Colonel Henry Lee joined Clarke and Pickens and proceeded to invest the fort at Augusta. Fort Galphin, twelve miles below Augusta, fell on the 21st of May, and then an officer was sent to demand the surrender of the main fort, Fort Cornwallis in the center of town. Colonel Brown, one of the cruelest of the Tories of that region, refused to surrender, so a regular siege began. Colonel Lee built a tower 30 feet high so his troops could effectively shell the Loyalists within the main fort. Brown failed to destroy the tower. The patriots were about to make a general assault on the 4th of June, when Brown proposed terms of surrender, negotiating only with Lee and Pickens, since he knew Clarke’s men would exact vengeance for past tortures and killings. In the siege the Americans lost fifty-one killed and wounded, the British suffered fifty-two casualties, and over three hundred were taken prisoner. After the devastating loss of Augusta, the distraught Royal Governor of Georgia at Savannah reported that the British and Loyalists in the state were “now in a Most wretched situation.”22 By August 1781 a State Assembly met in Augusta and elected Nathan Brownson as governor. He immediately took steps to neutralize the Cherokee and Creek Indians who were instrumental in helping the British conquer and control the state.22 According to one Wilkes County minuteman, after the recapture of Augusta “we scouted the frontier of Georgia again under the command of Lieutenant George Barber until May 1782. During which time we had a Battle with the Creek Indians on the frontier of Wilkes County. …[H]e remained in the service of his country scouting against the British and Tories until the war finally closed.”45 A fellow member of the militia from Wilkes County also declared that he “continued until the close of the war to do duty in various scouting and ranging parties against Tories and Indians.”40 In January 1782, when General “Mad” Anthony Wayne arrived in Georgia to retake Savannah, as late as February 6 no Georgia militia had joined Wayne because of the campaign of Elijah Clarke against the Cherokees.23 Stephen Westbrook claimed that in 1783 the Creek Indians stole a horse from him and that as of October 23, 1802 he had yet to receive compensation for the stolen animal. With the help of his attorney Clement Wilkins and an affidavit from his brother John, Stephen sought payment for the loss of the steed, which was valued at $75.00.[47] SUMMARY OF WAR SERVICE OF THE WILKES COUNTY MILITIA The Wilkes County militia played an active role in several crucial battles of the American Revolution. Both as a resident of Wilkes County and a member of the militia, Stephen Westbrook fought the British, Tories, and Indians from 1776 to 1783. Based on the record of engagements of this militia, Stephen began his service around 1776 in support of the troops at Fort James. From 1776 to 1778, along the frontier he would have helped defend his community against raids from the Florida Rangers, Creek and Cherokee Indians, and militant Loyalists. Upon the British capture of Savannah and their march to Augusta in 1779, Stephen, along with every other able-bodied member of the Wilkes County militia, was called to serve. As an unmarried officer, available evidence supports his participation in the Battle of Kettle Creek. Until the fall of Augusta in May 1780, the Georgians under Clarke scouted and engaged Loyalists and Indians and assisted at the siege of Savannah. Following Clarke and his neighbors, Stephen was at the first siege of Augusta and went with them in their subsequent flight, which brought on the Battle of King’s Mountain. The Wilkes County militia under Clarke inflicted heavy losses to the dragoons of Banastre Tarleton at Blackstock’s Farm and withdrew against overwhelming odds at Long Cane. General Morgan at Cowpens brilliantly combined Continental troops with the Georgia, North and South Carolina militia to give Tarleton and the British a stunning defeat. Clarke and his militia then fought at Beattie’s Mill and captured the British Major Dunlap. After retaking Augusta, the Wilkes County militia subdued the hostilities of the Cherokee and Creek Indians and the Loyalists until the war’s end. In the darkest days of the Revolution, when the Continental army in the South suffered a series of defeats, these rough frontiersmen from Wilkes County and throughout the south held the last flicker of the light of liberty. Outmanned and outgunned, they stood with the regulars against the mightiest nation of their time, and prevailed. RAISING A FAMILY ON THE FRONTIER In 1783[48] Stephen Westbrook married Anphiladay Hudson,[49] the daughter of Major Cuthbert Hudson[50] of the North Carolina militia. Although there are many spellings for her name, Anphiladay appears in her fathers will and that spelling will be used here. Since she was brought up on the frontier in a military setting, she had developed the skills to work with Stephen and forge a home for their family out of the wilderness. Sometime around this time they acquired 136 acres on Beaver Dam Creek in what is now Elbert County. On August 30, 1784, their firstborn John Thomas arrived. He was followed by William L. on February 05, 1786, Elizabeth Allen on April 02, 1787, Hudson on July 28, 1788, Joshua on July 10, 1790, Mary on March 26, 1792, Thomas B. on February 11, 1793, Martha on January 20, 1797, Bathsheba on August 06, 1799, Rhoda on August 22, 1800, and Stephen Bartley on September 13, 1801. Shortly after her last child Anphiladay died.2 For his service in the Revolution, Stephen received a headright grant and bounty grant for 690 acres in Franklin County on September 30, 1784, one month after the birth of his first child. It was adjacent to land “north westwardly” of John Tureman.26,[51] Stephen’s father had shared duties as overseer in Virginia with a George Tureman, so Stephen had something to talk about with his neighbor. Stephen’s land was bordered on the southeast by Joseph Nail’s land, who gave his name to Nail’s Creek, which is still a well-known landmark in Franklin County. According to an article in the Lavonia Times in 1907 by Rev. Groves Cartledge, “Soon after the organization of Franklin County, three Revolutionary soldiers set out together on horseback from North Carolina to select land and locate their soldier's bounty warrants in the new county. They were Henry Parks, father of the late Rev. Wm. J. Parks, Stephen Westbrook, father of our worthy fellow citizen Bartley Westbrook, and a Mr. [Cuthbert] Hudson, father of the late Col. Joshua Hudson. There were no roads, and few settlers in the middle and western parts of the county, but following the Indian trails and deer paths, they reached a creek about a mile below the spot upon which Carnesville now stands. There was no ford and the banks were very steep and slippery and as the horse of Stephen Westbrook went down the steep banks, the animal slipped and fell and plunged his rider head and ears into the creek. From this mishap they called the stream Stephen's Creek, and it bears the name to this day. Stephen Westbrook lived and died on Crocketts Creek. Henry Parks settled and died on Hudson and so did Mr. Hudson, and gave his name to the stream… Ebenezer church in Franklin at first bore the name of Westbrooks Chapel. In the early days of Franklin County nearly every settlement or neighborhood had its stockade fort and cabin for the family inside the fort. When there was any alarm of Indians the several families would leave their homes, and flee for safety to their fort. He who first saw the danger, was found to give the alarm to others and they to others still, until the whole settlement had been duly apprised of the danger.”[52] However, clearing a plantation out of the wilderness of the frontier took time. In the interim, Stephen owned 287 acres in Wilkes County so that Anphiladay could keep house for their growing family.[53] Tragedy struck toward the end of 1790 when Stephen’s father died, and Stephen assumed the role of executor of his estate.53 His friend Holman Freeman, Jr. signed the appraisal for his father’s property on November 16, 1790, which gave Stephen’s stepmother, Barbara Richardson Westbrook one third of the some 650 acres of property.[54] After remarrying her neighbor and becoming Barbara Moss, she sold her share of the estate, 150 acres, for 100 pounds.[55] The tax roles of Wilkes County listed Stephen Westbrook for the years 1785 through 1790. Although he didn’t have time to be an officer with family duties and land affairs, he and brother John served as privates in the Wilkes County militia during the Frontier Wars from July 25 to August 13, 1793.[56] They were in a detachment headed by Lieutenant Samuel Wilkerson of the Second Battalion of the First Regiment commanded by Colonel William Triplett. On January 28 1794, Stephen and brothers John and Thomas sold 450 acres of their father’s land in Wilkes County to Denis McClendon for 100 pounds.[57] Stephen bought an additional 100 acres of land for 10 pounds on November 10, 1789 from Lewis Davis and Sarah, his wife.[58] In 1791, Elbert County was created from part of Wilkes County and so Stephen’s property fell within its borders from that time on. When Lewis died in 1791, Stephen was an appraiser for his estate.[59] On September 5, 1791, he acquired 114 acres from the Land Court, which existed “for the better strengthening of this State.”59 In Franklin County, Stephen and Anphiladay sold 50 of their 690 acres of land to Moses Tremble.[60] When the plantation in Franklin County finally was ready for their growing family, they sold 136 acres of their Elbert County property on September 10, 1796 for 100 pounds, “being part of a tract Stephen Wesbrook formerly lived on.” Stephen’s father-in-law, Cuthbert Hudson and his son Joakin witnessed the deed.[61] Other land deals included the sale of 11 acres of his original 690 to William Gober on December 25, 1797 and 23 acres to Esaias Harbour for 85 dollars on December 26, 1797.[62] Civic affairs for Stephen included serving on the Grand Jury during the April term of 1800.[63] Stephen served as an appraiser for the estate of Conmack Haggins on August 25, 1801 and for Shardick Chandler on July 31, 1812.[64] After the death of Anphiladay, Stephen remarried Mary Polly Haygood (Hagwood) around 1808.[65] His children from this marriage were Reuben W. born on November 15, 1809, Milton born October 29, 1813, Wiley F. born March 29, 1816, and Thompson September 25, 1818. Stephen died at 3:00 p.m. on March 3, 1820, and he left a will dated November 24, 1819.2 He left an estate valued at over $4434.[66] In the rolling hills of what was once the Ceded Lands, Stephen and his wives Anphiladay Hudson and Mary Haygood raised a total of 15 children. Their legacy lives on through their many descendants throughout the United States. --------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------RESOURCES AND REFERENCES: [1] Ronald G. Killion and Charles T. Waller, Georgia and the Revolution, Cherokee Publishing, 1975, page 76. [2] Bible records of Haygood family, copy of Beth Sauceman, LaFayette, Georgia. Jeff Westbrook, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WestbrookGenealogy/files/ SouthernLines/stephenwest.txt.doc [3] Benjamin B. Weisiger III, Prince George County Wills and Deeds 1713-1728, 1973. [4] Cavaliers and Pioneers, Volume IV, 1732-1741, Patent Book 17 page 307 and 18 page 618. [5] Katherine B. Elliott, Early Settlers of Mecklenburg County Virginia, Volume I, 1964, Patent Book 17, page 285. [6] Landon C. Bell, Sunlight on the Southside, List of Tithes, Lunenburg County, Virguinia, 1748-1783, 1931, George S. Ferguson Co., Philadelphia, page 261. [7] Ellis Merton Coulter, Old Petersburg and the Broad River Valley of Georgia, University of Georgia Press, 1965. See first Chapter for origins of the towns of Dartmouth and Petersburg. [8] Eliza A. Bowen, The Story of Wilkes County Georgia, Continental Book Co., 1950, pages 10-12 [9] Robert Scott Davis, The Wilkes County Papers 1773-1833, pages 7, 8, 10. Locations of Coodys Creek and Chickasaw Creek, see 1818 Sturgess Map of Georgia, Atlanta Public Library has a copy. [10] Grace Davidson, Early Records of Georgia, Wilkes County, June 1967, page 12. [11] Eliza A. Bowen, The Story of Wilkes County Georgia, Continental Book Co., 1950 [12] Robert S. Davis, Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution, Southern Historical Press, 1979, pages 29- 30 [13] Eliza A. Bowen, The Story of Wilkes County Georgia, Continental Book Co., 1950, page 11 [14] http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/documents/revwar/revra.htm [15] Lawrence E. Babits, A Devil of a Whipping, The Battle of Cowpens, University of North Carolina Press, 1998, page 19 [16] Jesse Hooper, S1913, Revolutionary War Pension Application. [17] Ruth Blair, Revolutionary Soldiers’ Receipts for Georgia Bounty Grants, Foote and Davies, 1928, Nos. 797 and 976 [18] Alex M. Hitz, “Georgia Bounty Land Grants”, Georgia Historical Quarterly, Volume 38, Number 4, reprinted at http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/rs/gblg.htm [19] Allen D. Candler, The Revolutionary Records of the State of Georgia, Volume II, Franklin-Turner, 1908, page 717. [20] Lawrence E. Babits, A Devil of a Whipping, The Battle of Cowpens, University of North Carolina Press, 1998, page 29. According to Babits information, Stephen probably volunteered. [21] Nicole M. O’Kelley and Mary Bondurant Warren, Georgia Revolutionary Bounty Land Records, Heritage Papers, 1992, pages 36, 42, 75, 123, 186, 208. [22] Ronald G. Killion and Charles T. Waller, Georgia and the Revolution, Cherokee Publishing, 1975, Part I. [23] Kenneth Coleman, The American Revolution in Georgia, University of Georgia Press, 1958, Chapters 7 and 8. [24] Britton Willis, Revolutionary War Pension File S1270. [25] http://www.flssar.org/flarevol.htm [26] Georgia State Archives, Records of the Surveyor General, Franklin County, 30 September, 1784, Land Bounty Certificate for Stephen Westbrook. [27] John Buchanan, The Road to Guilford Courthouse, John Wiley, 1997. [28] Kenneth Coleman, A History of Georgia, 2nd Edition, University of Georgia Press, 1991, Chapter VII. [29] Grace Gillam Davidson, Early Records of Georgia, Wilkes County, Southern Historical Press, 1932 [30] Thomas McAdory Owen, History and Genealogies of Old Granville County, North Carolina, 1746-1800, Southern Historical Press, 1993, pages 156-158. [31] “Pension application of Pleasant Henderson”, Colonial Records of North Carolina, Volume 22, pages 128-131. [32] Robert S. Davis and Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., Kettle Creek: The Battle of the Cane Breaks, State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 1975. [33] Wilkes County Tax List, 1785. [34] Jacob Mercer, Revolutionary War Pension File S31862. [35] George Darden, Revolutionary War Pension File S16757. [36] Ruth Blair, Revolutionary Soldiers’ Receipts for Georgia Bounty Grants, Foote and Davies, 1928, No. 945. [37] http://ngeorgia.com/revolution/amrev11.html [38] http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/localhst.htm [39] George Darden, S16757, Revolutionary War Pension File [40] Britton Willis, S1270, Revolutionary War Pension File [41] Lyman C. Draper, King’s Mountain and Its Heroes, 1881, Reprinted by Overmountain Press 1996, pages 79-122. [42] http://www.laurenscounty.org/history/mmill.html [43] Lumpkin, H., 1981, From Savannah to Yorktown: The American revolution in the South, New York: Paragon House Publishers, page 115. [44] Rev. J. D. Bailey, Some Heroes of the American Revolution, Reprint of 1924 edition, Southern Historical Press, 1976, pages 180-182. [45] Ezekiel Cloud, W6920, Revolutionary War Pension File [46] Faye L. Dyess, “Bonaventure Plantation,” http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/5369/history.html [47] Donna B. Thaxton, Georgia Indian Depredation Claims, The Thaxton Company, Americus Georgia, pages 87, 88, 745. [48] Marriage date estimated from birth of first born child. [49] Martha Walters Acker, Index to Deeds of Franklin County, 1784-1860, Self-Published, 1979, page 304. [50] Mrs. Howard H. McCall, Roster of the Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, Genealogical Publishing, 1966, page 94. [51] Drawer 51, Box 22, Book N, page 158, No. 287, Georgia Surveyor General Plats, Georgia State Archives, Microfilm [52] Franklin County Historical Society, History of Franklin County, Georgia., 1986, WH Wolfe, Appendix I [53] Frank Parker Hudson, Wilkes County, Georgia Tax Records, 1785-1805, Volume One, see index for Stephen Westbrook and go to listings. [54] Wilkes County Ordinary Court, Loose Estate Records, Georgia State Archives, Drawer 242, Box 17, Record 1951. Wilkes County Will Book DD, Folio 204. [55] Deed Book UU, Wilkes County, Georgia, 12 April 1800, page 286. [56] Murtie June Clark, American Militia in the Frontier Wars 1790-1796, Genealogical Publishing, page 228. [57] Deed Book RR, Wilkes County, Georgia, 28 January 1794, page 218. [58] Deed Book A, Elbert County, Georgia, 10 November 1789, page 31. [59] Grace Gillam Davidson, Historical Collections of the Georgia Chapters, Daughters of the American Revolution, Volume III, Stein Printing, 1939, pages 57, 216. [60] Deed Book K, Franklin County, Georgia, 19 April 1792, page 48. [61] Deed Book G, Elbert County, Georgia, 10 September 1796, page 68. [62] Deed Book M, Franklin County, Georgia, 25 and 26 December 1797, pages 8-10. [63] The Augusta Chronicle and Gazette of the State, Franklin County, 1800. [64] Historical Collections of the Georgia Chapters, Daughters of the American Revolution, Atlanta, 1926, page 337. [65] Estimated from birth date of first born. [66] Stephen Westbrook, Will 24 November 1891 and Appraisement 26 February 1820, Franklin County, Georgia, Available on microfilm at the Georgia State Archives, Franklin County Loose Papers.