WAR OF 1812 SOLDIERS GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE

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1 1 WAR OF 1812 SOLDIERS GREENE COUNTY, TENNESSEE SOURCES 1. Information from War 1812 Pension and Land Warrant Files, Fold3.com. NOTE: No Pension records are available on Fold3.com after the Moore surname, and no Bounty Land Applications are available on Fold3.com after surnames beginning with "L"; thus, information on these soldiers may be brief and prevents absolute confirmation. 2. Fold3.com Enlistments 3. Soldiers who are buried in Old Harmony Graveyard, compiled by Sherry Lynn Britton [Greene County Pioneer Volume 28 Number 2, pages ]. 4. Soldiers who are buried in Old Mt. Bethel Cemetery, compiled by Stevie Hughes. 5. Captain Robert Maloney Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives [Greene County Pioneer Volume 21 Number 2] 6. Captain James Penny Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives [Greene County Pioneer Volume 3 Number 3] 7. Captain Jacob Hoyal Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives [Greene County Pioneer Volume 3 Number 3] 8. Captain Joseph Hale Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 9. Captain Jacob Dyke Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 10. Captain Robert McAlpin/McCalpin Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 11. Captain Francis Register Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 12. Captain Henry Bowman Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 13. Captain Joseph Kirk Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 14. Captain Thomas Wilson Company War of 1812 Roster, TN State Archives 15. Various Greene County men known to have served in other Companies, including the U. S. Army and Navy 16. The Greene County Pioneer, as referenced. OVERVIEW By 1812, Greene County had been divided into 14 districts. Each District had a "Captain": Daniel Coffman; Walter Clark; Abraham Fellers; William Guin; Jacob Hoyle; William Kelly; John Kilgore; Joseph Kirk; Thomas McSpaddin; John Olinger; Francis Register; Thomas Smith; Joseph Hale; Thomas Wilson. In 1813, the District Captains were: Henry Bowman; Daniel Coffman; Abraham GFeller; Jacob Hoyal; Joseph Hale; William Kelly; Joseph Kirk; John Kilgore; Thomas McSpaddin; Robert McCalpin; John Olinger; Francis Register; Thomas Smith; Thomas Wilson. Based on the Pay Roster of the Captain Robert Maloney Company, pay rates were: Captain $153.54; 1st Lt. $115; 2nd Lt. $96; Ensign $76.77; Sergt. $42.22; Corpl. $38.38; and Private $30.70, (for those who served the entire enlistment period.)

2 2 RESEARCH CRITERIA Property owners and men "of age" were shown in the annual tax rosters, by District. Creeks were often named to identify the location of real property owned and subject to the annual tax. This information was compiled and published in book form, Greene County Tax Digests , by Goldene Fillers Burgner in 1986 by Southern Historical Press, Inc. By cross-referencing the Tax Digest to the Greene County Creeks Map shown on the following pages, one can get a general idea as to where the property was located, and hence, where in Greene County the men who served in the War of 1812 lived. Men in these Districts volunteered or were drafted for military service. BOUNTY LAND AND PENSION ACTS PASSED BY CONGRESS Invalid Pension Act April 24, 1816 Bounty Land Act, September 28, 1850 Invalid Pension Act March 3, 1853 [For Soldiers wounded or disabled while in Service] Bounty Land Act, March 3, 1853 Bounty Land Act, May 14, 1856 Prior to the Pension Act passed in 1871, disabled soldiers applied for Pension through their Congressional Representative. Greene County's men applied through Congressman Andrew Johnson. These pensions were approved or denied on a case-by-case basis as approved by Congress. [The Pension awarded to John Kerbaugh in 1845 is but one example.] Surviving Soldier Pension Act February 14, 1871 Widow Pension Act March 9, 1878 [There may be additional Acts, e.g., John France, a pensioned Soldier in Captain Hoyal's Company, was awarded reimbursement of his burial expenses ($30.15) in 1880.] LOCAL MILITIA COMPANIES [REGIMENTAL HISTORIES OF TENNESSEE UNITS DURING THE WAR OF 1812] Tennessee State Library and Archives Excerpted for Regiments with Greene County Men COLONEL EWEN ALLISON 1st Regiment of East Tennessee Militia January May 1814 Men mostly from Greene, Sullivan, Washington, Carter and Hawkins Counties Captains: Joseph Everett, John Hampton, Jacob Hoyal (Chuckey and Tusculum areas), William King, Jonas Loughmiller, Henry McCrary, Thomas Wilson (South Greene County including Camp Creek, Cove Creek, Cedar Creek, Flag Branch, etc), Adam Winsell

3 3 COLONEL SAMUEL BAYLESS 4th Regiment of East Tennessee Militia November May 1815 Men mostly from Washington, Jefferson, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, and Sullivan Counties Captains: Joseph Bacon, John Brock, James Churchman, Joseph Goodson, Joseph Hale (Midway, Mohawk and Warrensburg areas), Solomon Hendricks, Branch Jones (Cocke County), James Landen, Joseph Rich, Jonathan Waddle (Washington County) COLONEL SAMUEL BUNCH 1st Regiment of Volunteer Mounted Infantry October January 1814 Men mostly from Claiborne, Grainger, Cocke, Greene, Hawkins, Jefferson and Washington Counties Captains: James Cumming, William Houston (Huston), John Inman, William Jobe, Thomas Mann, James Penny (107 Cut-Off area, 11E to Asheville Hwy.), Henry Stephens, David G. Vance (Washington Co.) COLONEL WILLIAM JOHNSON 3rd Regiment East Tennessee Militia September May 1815 Men mostly from Knox, Claiborne, Greene, Jefferson, Anderson, Blount, Carter, Cocke, Grainger, Hawkins, Rhea, Roane, and Sevier Counties Captains: Christopher Cook, Henry Hunter, Joseph Kirk (West Greene, Waters of Lick Creek and Meadow Creek areas), Andrew Lawson, Elihu Milikin (Jefferson), David McKamy, Benjamin Powell, James R. Rogers, Joseph Scott, James Stewart, James Tunnell (Hawkins) COLONEL WILLIAM LILLARD 2nd Regiment East Tennessee Volunteer Militia October February 1814 Men from Greene, Jefferson, Sullivan, Cocke, Grainger, Hawkins, and Washington Counties Captains: George Argenbright, Zacheus Copeland, Jacob Dyke (Greeneville, Little and Big Chucky, and Richland Creek areas), William Gillenwater (Hawkins), Abraham Gregg (Sullivan), William Hamilton, Jacob Hartsell, George Keys, Benjamin H. Kings, James Lillard, Robert Maloney (North Greene, Baileyton Road to Rogersville Road), Hugh Martin, Robert McAlpin/McCalpin (Little and Big Chucky, Richland Creek, Sinking Creek and Pigeon Creek areas); Thomas McCuiston, William McLinn, John Neatherton, John Roper, Thomas Sharpe

4 4 Omitted from these rosters is Captain Francis Register (Limestone and 107 Cut- Off areas) who appears as Captain of a Greene County Militia District in 1813 and 1814, and who is named in several pension applications and/or land warrant applications filed by Greene County men. In 1814, one of the District Captains, Henry Bowman (Widely dispersed areas from Roaring Fork (North Greene) to Camp Creek (107 Cut-Off area), reported the men in his district who were "in the Service of the U.S.": Isaac Babb, Zachariah Casteel, Samuel Crumbley, Walter Clark, William Baley, Isaac Davis, William Gobels, Jacob Houtz, Samuel Runels. Most of the local Militia Companies never engaged the British, but were in the Creek Indian War, considered to be part of the War of Because of the abysmal weather conditions, inadequate clothing and food supplies, and disease, several Greene County men did not return home. They were buried were they died, some at Lookout Mountain. Others were engaged in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend or died on the return march to their homes. Their remains were reinterred to Fort Williams Military Memorial Cemetery in Fayetteville, Alabama. Some of the Greene County men were with Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans, as documented in their War of 1812 Pension Applications.

5 5 In addition to the local Militia Companies, some Greene County men, such as John Kerbaugh, enlisted or were drafted into service with the United States Army or Navy. He sent his Application for Pension to Andrew Johnson in 1845, which was approved by Act of Congress: State of Tennessee Greene County January 1845 Declaration to obtain a pension under the various acts of Congress of the U. S. allowing pensions to persons who were wounded or disabled while in the service of the United States during the War of 1812 with Great Britton. This day personally appeared John Kerbaugh the declarant before me Charles Gass Esquire an acting justice of the peace for the county of Greene aforesaid who being first duly sworn upon the holy evangelists of almighty God deposes and states as follows to wit That to the best of his recollection he enlisted in the army of the U. S. in the town of Greeneville in the state of Tennessee about the 25 day of July 1813 under Lieutenant David Guinn. That he was marched immediately to Knoxville where he was mustered into the service of the U. S. under Col. Anderson of the 24 Regiment light infantry and remained there about one month, thence we took up our line of march for the Canady (Canada) frontier by way of Cumberland Gap, Sixinyton (?) Chilacothe, and the mouth of Carrion river to Ft. Malden, and Detroit where we met Gen. Harrison s army just after they had whipped Procter and had captured his army. From Detroit we went with Harrison down to Bufalo and Black-rock, and to Ft. Niagari, where this declarant with others were stationed by Gen. Harrison under Capt. Leonard to guard that fort. We remained there about two weeks when the fort was taken by the British and this declarant with others was taken prisoner by the British. And on next morning they were taken by the British across to Fort George on the Canady side. The weather was severly cold and when they went to shove off the boat it was found to be frozen to the banks. This declarant was ordered to shove it off. He made several efforts but could not do it. He was then knocked down by a non commissioned officer or soldier and fell against the gunwall of the boat and mashed and injured his hip very much. The commanding officer happening to see it, stepped up and appeared to be very angry and drew his sword and said to the man that had struck this affiant if he ever saw him so treat a prisoner of war again he would split him down. The weather was so sever that this affiant caught cold in his hip and wound and was compelled to lie in the hospital from that time until he was exchanged which was about five months. He was hauled to the river in a ship as after he was exchanged, and when he reached Plattsburge he lay in the hospital six weeks under the care and supervielance of Doctor Grove. He then got so he could walk a little, and obtained a furlough and started home, and after a long time, and with frequent stops; some times as long as six weeks at a time, and with much pain he reached home, by the assistance of waggoners and other benevolent and kind hearted travellers. And after this affiant got home he was confined for two months or something like it before he was able to meet the troops again, and before this affiant was able and fit for service peace was made, and he having enlisted for and during the war only, before the news of peace reaching his county his officers discharged him. He was then however wholy unable to do duty. This affiant was wholy unfit for any kind of business for a long time. He did finally so far recover however, as to be able to do a little common plantation work, but suffered much pain, and at times was

6 6 unable to do any thing. And as he grows older he gets worse. He is now 62 years of age and is almost totally disabled from doing any thing for a support. He is with all quite poor and needs much the assistance of his Country. John Kerbaugh, 25th day of Jan POST WAR Many of the soldiers who served in the War of 1812 were sons of Revolutionary War Soldiers. None of these men ever envisioned just fifty years later the Country would be ripped apart by the great Civil War. A sad footnote to history is the, now old men, of the War of 1812 would be casualties of the Reconstruction Era. For those who were approved for Pension prior to the 1871 Pension Act, some would have their pensions suspended or even revoked because of allegedly supporting the Confederate cause. In one documented case of a Greene County man, Samuel Metheny was required to repay the U. S. Government one half of the Pension monies he had received. He died at the age of 85 in At a minimum, the War of 1812 soldiers would have been in their seventies, and some well into their eighties at this time. It is difficult to imagine these old men could have caused much harm. The War of 1812 Soldiers who applied for Pension under the 1871 Act were required to provide Affidavits attesting to their loyalty. Some were required to sign a Loyalty Oath. It appears that because of the Reconstruction Era policies, some men did not even bother to apply for Pension under the 1871 Pension Act. One such man was Captain Joseph Hale who died in 1873, well after the passage of the 1871 Act. There is no record at Fold3 that he or his widow ever applied for Pension.

7 7 [ EAST TENNESSEE Washington County Organized 1777 From State of North Carolina Sullivan County Organized 1779 From Washington County Greene County Organized 1783 From Washington County Hawkins County Organized 1786 From Sullivan County MIDDLE TENNESSEE Davidson County Organized 1783 From Washington County Sumner County Organized 1786 From Davidson County

8 8 [ EAST TENNESSEE Jefferson County Organized 1792 From Greene & Hawkins Knox County Organized 1792 From Greene & Hawkins Sevier County Organized 1794 From Jefferson Blount County Organized 1795 From Knox County Granger County Organized 1796 From Hawkins & Knox Cocke County Organized 1797 From Jefferson

9 9 [ EAST TENNESSEE Claiborne County Organized 1801 From Grainger & Hawkins Anderson County Organized 1801 From Knox & Granger Roane County Organized 1801 From Knox & Indian Lands East Tennessee 1814

10 MAP OF GREENE COUNTY RIVER AND CREEKS 10

11 (Author Unknown, Courtesy T. Elmer Cox Historical and Genealogical Library) 11

12 12 [Courtesy Olden Times in Greene County, Volume I, by Harry Borden Roberts] 1836 CIVIL DISTRICT MAP

13 Prior to 1836, geographic areas were divided into sections. A 'Captain' was appointed for each section for tax and militia purposes. In 1836, 17 Civil Districts were created. As time passed and the population increased, the original 17 Districts were later divided, increasing the number of Civil Districts. Today, the Town of Greeneville still remains in Civil District Number