Franklin County NcArchives Military Records.....County, Franklin Warof1812 Various sources ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sam West sam.west.1@gmail.com March 3, 2013, 11:22 am THE WAR OF 1812, Part I. Franklin County and her participation in the war. The War of 1812 was the second war the United States fought with Great Britain. The causes were two fold. Great Britain was boarding and searching American ships at sea greatly affecting the American shipping trade, and they were also causing problems with the Indians along the nation’s border. These and other depredations led to the Declaration of War by the United States Congress on June 18th, 1812. In the beginning military engagements were confined to the high seas and along the border with Canada. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1814 thousands of British troops were then sent to the battlefields here in America. At that time the American scene of the war was divided into two scenes, the mid Altantic, and also to the Gulf of Mexico. In August 1814 the British invaded the Chesapeake Bay area, and attacks were made on the cities of Baltimore and Bladensburg in Maryland, and then on to Washington, D.C. Upon the attacks on the nation’s capital, North Carolina reacted by calling for seven thousand troops for the defense of Norfolk, Virginia, which was located at the northeastern border of the state. Franklin County enters the war Franklin County was among those counties included in the Detached Militia of 1814, who were called into service at Norfolk, Virginia. There were two groups of men who were organized and Mustered into service from Franklin County, North Carolina. These troops were as now follows. Franklin County Soldiers in the Third Regiment, detached from the 5th Brigade The Third Regiment, was detached from the 5th Brigade and was under the leadership of Jeremiah Slade, Lieutenant Colonel Commandant; James J. Hill, First Major; and Andrew Joyner, Second Major. From this Regiment, the Eighth Company, was detached from the Franklin County Regiment. The men of this Franklin County Company were: Captain Marmaduke N. Jeffries, First Sergeant Reddick Nellsmall, Lieutenant Benjamin Stewart [also Captain], Second Lieutenant Nathaniel Hunt, Ensign James Harrison [also served as a Lieutenant]; and the following Privates: Malcomb Alfred [Alford], Julius Alford, William Alford, Thomas B. Arendel, John Baker, William Baker, Guilford Bass, James Barrow, William Bird, Kinchen Boon, James Bridges [also served as a Sergeant], Newsome Bridges, Alexander Carson, Miles Cary, David Collins, Jesse Collins, Willis Cook, Winson Cook, Stephen Davis, Thomas Davis, Willie O. Davis, William Debnam, William T. Dent, Drury Denton, Dabney M. Duke, Joseph B. Flemming, Eaton Freeman, Ignatius Goldsberry [also served as a Corporal, name also spelled Goldsbury], Joseph C. Harris, Reddick Haswell, Thomas Haswell [also served as a Sergeant], Hugh Hayes, Nathaniel Hayes, Willie Hight, John Hill, Julius Hill, Green D. House [also served as a Corporal], James Hunt, Elijah Izzard, Simeon Jenkins, John Jones, William D. Jones, John J. Lancaster [also served as a Sergeant], Benjamin Lanier, Guilford Lewis, Duncan McLean, John Mullins, Martin Murphray, James Murphy, James Nelms, Albert Perry, Bennett Perry, John C. Perry, William C. Perry, Breedlove Pippen, John Prince, Benjamin G. Richards, John M. Sherod, William Simmons, Dilworth Sledge, Izekiah [Ezekiel] Stephens, Joseph Stevens, Thomas Tharington [or Sharrington], Robert Thomas, James Vincent, Matthew Walker, John Wichidht, Green Wood, Richard Wright, Alsey Young, and John Young [who also served as a Corporal]. Franklin County Soldier in the Fourth Regiment Another Detached Militia which was organized in August 1814 under Brigadier Generals were Jeremiah Slade and Jesse A. Pearson. The Fourth Regiment which was from Franklin County was under the leadership of Richard Atkerson, Lieutenant Colonel commandant; Maurice Smith, Lieutenant Colonel; John C. Wyatt, First Major; and Benjamin Chambers, Second Major. The following men from Franklin County mustered into service were: Captain Jones Cook, Lieutenant Sherrod Sanders, Benjamin Carpenter, Ensign William Asque, and Privates - William Bailey, Jr., Ransom Brogdon, William Browning, Richard Caisar, John Cochran, David Cook, Charles Coppage, Micajah T. Cotton, John B. Debnam, Peter Denton, William Denton, William Duke, Needham Eddins, Colin Evans, Arthur Fassel, Thomas Gay, John H. German, Charles Hines, Samuel Johnson, James Langon, Enock Little, William McDonald, Levi Medor, Isaac Morce, Ashur Myres, Reuben Neale, John Nelms, Nathaniel Nickolson, Nathan Patterson, Willis Peale, Solomon Perry, Benjamin Priddie, William Rivers, Robert Robertson, Jeremiah Solomon, Jones Walker, Jesse Winston and Hicks Wynne. Other Franklin County Soldiers In addition to the above soldiers the old tattered records in Raleigh yield the names of twenty-four other men from Franklin County that were soldiers in this war. The additional men who served from Franklin County as Privates: - Charles Abernathy, Jacob Alford, James Barrow, James Bartholomew, Joel Conyers, Benjamin Cooke, Vincent Cook, George Davis, Thomas Davis, Sr., Thomas Davis, Jr., Eaton Freeman, Braswell Harris, Reddon Haswell, Reddick Hilsman [later served as a Sergeant], Nathan Hunt [later served as a Ensign], John Y. Jones [served as a Corporal], Fielding Kittrell, Jordan Perry [served as a Fifer], Henry R. Thomas, Julius Timberlake, Elisha Uzzel, John Wilhill, John Williams, and Isaac Winston. THE WAR OF 1812, PART II Franklin County Survivors and Widows of the War of 1812 Many Franklin County men survived the war, and with the turning of each upcoming decade thereafter more and more of these men began to pass from the scenes. In 1851 and 1855 there were acts passed which provided Bounty Land for those men who had served as soldiers in the war of 1812. A little better than fifteen years later, the first Act passed by Congress establishing pensions by the Acts of 1871, and of 1878. We find that at least twelve Franklin County Soldiers and Widows made applications for pensions under these acts of congress. These known applicants were: Eli Alford served as a Private in Captain John Pell’s North Carolina Militia. After the war he was married in Rolesville, in Franklin County in 1821 to Elizabeth (Mitchell) Alford. He later lived in Franklinton, Franklin County. Willis Cook served in E. J. Leigh’s and also Villard’s Companies in the 10th United States Infantry, also as well as in Hight’s and Hall’s Companies in the United States Artillery Corps. He was married to Elizabeth (Dent) Browning, a widow, in 1820 in Franklin County. He later removed to Weakley County, Tennessee where he died on April 24th, 1870 in Weakley County, Tennessee. John B. Debnam in addition to serving as a Private in Captain John Cooks Franklin County Company of the North Carolina, he was also listed as having served as a Private in Captain Isaac Watkins Company as well. He married Damrel V. (Coghill) Debnam in 1826 in Granville County. He died on November 13, 1877. William T. Dent served as a Private in Captain John Young’s Company in the North Carolina Militia. He was married in 1818 to Martha (Barron) Dent. In 1872 he was listed as being a resident of Pacific in Franklin County. He died on March 29, 1884. Eaton Freeman served as a Private in Captain Benjamin Stuart’s Company in the North Carolina Militia. He resided in the Pacific community of Freeman’s Township in Franklin County. William Griffin was a Private in Captain Pasten’s Company of the North Carolina Militia. He resided in Wake County where he died on November 27, 1855. His widow Catharine (Bunch) Griffin moved to Franklin County, and lived in Franklinton. Reddick Hilsman served as a Private in Captain Benjamin Stuart’s Company in the North Carolina Militia. He was married to Mary Arendell. The family left Franklin County and migrated to what is now Carroll County, Tennessee where he died in the 1850’s. His widow remained there and later applied for a pension based on her husband’s services. Captain Marmaduke Jeffries survived the war. His widow Hannah L. Jeffries later applied for a pension for his services during the war. Owen Francis Myrick served as a Sergeant and also an Ensign in Captain Charles Allen’s and also Captain Laughter’s Companies in the North Carolina Militia. He came to Franklin County after the war, and settled in Laurel, Franklin County. Judy M. Peace, a surviving widow of Franklinton, applied and was granted a pension for her husband’s service in the war. Paschal Pearson served in Captain W. Gregg’s Company of the Virginia Militia, prior to removing to Franklin County, North Carolina. Renny/Rena Perry of the community of Pacific in southwest Franklin County was also a pensioner of this war. Mary Ann Russ/Rust of Franklinton was also a widow who made application for a pension for her deceased husband’s services. As a result of a resolution passed in the United States Senate on December 8th, 1882, we have a list of the following survivors and widows of the War of 1812, which were listed as residing in Franklin County. North Carolina as of January 1, 1883. These men and women were as now follows, and are listed in accordance to the Franklin County towns and communities in which they resided: At Franklinton: Eli Alford, a surviving soldier; and the widows -Catherine (Bunch) Griffin, Judy M. Peace, and Mary Ann Rust. At Laurel: Owen F. Myrick, a surviving soldier. At Louisburg[h]: Paschal Pearson, a surviving soldier. At Pacific: William T. Dent, a surviving soldier; and Renny Perry, a widow. All totaled there were eight surving soldiers and widows residing within the bounds of Franklin County as of January 1, 1883. There were perhaps others were the last known survivors, and widows of soldiers who lived in Franklin County, North Carolina. With the demise of these last soldiers and widows, the chapter of Franklin County and her participation in the War of 1812 then came to an end. Additional Comments: Sources: Muster Rolls, Pay Vouchers, Pension applications, Pensioners as of 01/01/1883. 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