First, however, I'd like to say that I've been to 3 Rev. War battlefields. First was Cowpens, which was a field with woods on one end. Relying on my memory, the Patriots hid in the trees, while the British walked in plain sight down the road towards them. The British had been trained to form a line and fire. If I remember correctly, I believe learning that day, that this was the first battle the American people had decided to NOT do the same thing as the British. They hid in the trees, behind the trees, and all spread out. They fired and retreated, fired and retreated...all while the British troops kept to their line and just kept walking. Thus resulting in a Patriot victory...and a turning point in the War. It was almost eery to walk by those woods, even though it was well than 200 years later. The Battle of Cowpens took place on January 17, 1781.
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| Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina January 17, 1781 photo taken from National Park website |
The next battlefield we went to (this was part of a family vacation in either the late 90's or 2000) was King's Mountain. This was total opposite of Cowpens. It was literally fought on the mountainside. The terrain was terrible, and I don't think they really knew who was coming and who was going. The British and Loyalists had been at the top of the ridge, unaware the Patriots had caught up to them. The Loyalists suffered the most casualties in this battle. And I have to say that this place felt pretty creepy, all on it's own. Walking up the ridge, surrounded by trees and paths that led to graves.
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| Battle of King's Mountain, South Carolina October 7, 1780 photo taken from National Park website |
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| Battle of Old Ninety-Six, South Carolina May 22 - June 9, 1781 photo taken from internet |
Now...on with the ancestors! The following lists are my ancestors who were alive during the Revolutionary War, but there are no clear records on them having fought in it.
4th Great-Grandparents
Smith Bonham: 1782 Virginia - 1835 Ohio
wife: Anne Cleavenger
The Bonham's are part of the Rosan line.
Cornelius Atkins: 1771 Kentucky - 1841 Illinois
wife: Sarah Johnston
The Atkin/Adkins are part of the Rosan line.
James Carlisle: possibly born in Kentucky
As you can see, I really know nothing of him, other than where he was born and where he died. He would be around the right age to have fought. There is a James Carlisle in the DAR database that died in Kentucky and at around the right time...but I do not have proof it's the same guy.
James Ellis: North Carolina
The Ellis' are part of the Carlisle line, and not much is known about them yet. There are several James Ellis' listed as having fought in the Revolution, but I have no way of knowing if any of them are our guy.
Luder Doescher: 1775 Germany - 1819 Germany
The Doescher's are part of the Offerman line. None of them were in America until much later. But you might wonder if they may have known of any of the men in the Hessian Army that fought during the Revolution.
Claus Scheel: 1775 Germany
wife: Catharine Eybs, 1775 Germany
The Scheel's are part of the Offerman line, and just like the Doescher's, were in Germany during the War.
5th Great-Grandparents
Benjamin Bonham: 1742 New Jersey - 1810 Virginia
wife: Phoebe Oney, 1745 Virginia
The Bonham's are part of the Rosan line. There is a Benjamin Bonham listed in war records, but I do not know if it's the same guy.
Govey Trippet: 1751 Deleware - 1844 Virginia (now West Virginia)
The Trippet's are part of the Carlisle line.
James Miles: 1776 Virginia - 1845 Ohio
wife: Catherine Miksel, 1782 Virginia - 1854 Ohio
The Miles' are part of the Carlisle line. James was born right at the end of the Revolution.
Alpheus Gustin, Jr.: 1756 Connecticut - 1814 Virginia (now West Virginia)
wife: Margaret Strange
There are a few Gustin's listed in the DAR database, and all born in Connecticut. I'm guessing they are possible brothers or cousins of our Alpheus. The Gustin's are part of the Carlisle line.
Robert Hicks, Sr.: 1713 New York - 1788 North Carolina
wife: Sarah Reeves
The Hicks' are part of the Carlisle line.
Thomas Hines: 1726 Virginia - 1897 North Carlolina
The Hines' are part of the Carlisle line. Thomas Hines served as a Representative for the state of North Carolina.
William Shewmaker/Shoemaker: 1756 Virginia - 1827 Kentucky
wife: Elizabeth Hogg, 1761 - 1817
The Shewmaker's are part of the Carlisle line.
John Offermann: 1750 Germany -
wife: Anna Fickbohm, 1750 Germany
Luder Doescher: died 1806 Germany
wife: Gescha Joost
Part of the Offermann line.
Johann Otten: 1761 Germany -
wife: Anna Papen, 1769 Germany
The Otten's are part of the Offerman line.
Henry Bayne:
wife: Sophia Duvall, 1755 Maryland -
The Bayne's are part of the Carlisle line.
6th Great-Grandparents
Waitman Trippet: died 1789 Deleware
The Trippet's are part of the Carlisle line.
Rev. Alpheus Gustin: 1722 - 1814 Maryland
wife: Mary Aberdy
Part of the Carlisle line.
Samuel Miles: 1740 - 1811 Kentucky
wife: Sarah James, 1746 Pennsylvania -
Part of the Carlisle line. I have read that Sarah James was an Aunt of Betsy Ross (Betsy's mom was a James). If this is true, then Betsy Ross is my cousin. :)
John Miksell: 1752 Pennsylvania - 1827 Ohio
wife: Ann Eller, 1759 Maryland -
Part of the Carlisle line.
Ebsworth Bayne: 1719 Maryland - 1793 Maryland
wife: Susanna Middleton, 1720 Maryland - 1784 Maryland
Part of the Carlisle line.
William Duvall: 1723 - 1810 Maryland
wife: Priscilla Prewitt, died 1798 Maryland
Part of the Carlisle line.
7th Great-Grandparents
Andrew Miksell: 1721 Pennsylvania - 1796 Pennsylvania
Part of the Carlisle line.
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Now...that concludes the ancestors that did not serve in the Revolution (or at least it's unknown to me). Moving on, I'll begin telling you about the ones who DID serve.
John Lively: 1760 South Carolina - 1828 Illinois
wife: Molly Robinson, 1762 South Carolina - 1805 South Carolina
4th Great-Grandparents
Part of the Rosan line.
"Old" John (as he was called in IL) fought for the Loyalist cause, alongside his father and brothers. I find this interesting. I wish I could uncover some long lost family diary that would give me a clue as to why they felt loyal to the British. I figure it could be any number of things. Perhaps the British supplied them with money or supplies, in return for their crops...fighting against them would be taking away their source of income. Perhaps they feared the Indians would try to take over again if the British were out of the way. Maybe everyone in their church was a Loyalist and they just didn't want to upset the neighbors. Perhaps they just didn't like the idea of such a big change, so early on in the American way of life. It's all speculation....which drives me nuts, of course.
At any rate, the Lively family fought on the British side of the war. The only battle that I know for sure about him fighting in, was the Battle of Old Ninety-Six. Somehow, John managed to remain in South Carolina after the war. His brother Reuben was sent to live in Nova Scotia, essentially banished from America. Another brother, Thomas served as a Loyalist, as well, but I don't know what happened to him after the war. John's wife Molly died in 1805. Shortly after that, John remarried to Margery Anderson in 1808. Her father was Joseph Anderson, who had ridden with George Rogers Clark in his expeditions to Kaskaskia and Vincennes, aiding in making the Illinois Territory open to settlers.
Mark Lively: 1730 Virginia - 1781 South Carolina
5th Great-Grandparent
Part of the Rosan line.
Mark was the father of John, Thomas and Reuben Lively. All four of them fought in the Battle of Old Ninety-Six, as Loyalists. Mark, however, died in that battle. He was one of 27 on the British side that died that day.
Isaac Hicks: 1758 North Carolina - 1826 Georgia
wife: Elizabeth Hines, 1763 North Carolina - 1835
4th Great-Grandparents
Part of the Carlisle line.
Isaac is the son of Robert, who was previously mentioned. Elizabeth is the daughter of Thomas, previously mentioned.
Isaac enlisted in North Carolina on April 16, 1776. He was a Private in Capt. John Dickerson's Company, Col. Archibald Lyttle's NC Regiment. He participated in some skirmishes, but later worked worked at repairing arms for the army. He was discharged on October 15, 1778. He was allowed a pension on an application dated June 21, 1824. He had also received 228 acres of land for his service. In a letter posted by another descendant's (from another branch), it was written about Isaac and Elizabeth... "She met a poor man and loved and eloped with him. For that her father never forgave."
President George Washington: 1732 Virginia - 1799 Virginia
wife: Martha Dandridge Custis, 1731 - 1802
6th Cousins, 7 times removed
Yes. THE George Washington. :) I do not need to give a history of everything he did, obviously. The Washington's are part of the Carlisle line. My 11th Great-Grandmother was Mary Washington. She was born in 1544 and died in 1621 in England. She had a brother, Robert Washington. This Robert is the 4th Great-Grandfather of George Washington.
This concludes today's history lesson. :) I hope you have enjoyed reading this...and possibly even learned a thing or two...
Happy 4th of July!
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