NSDAR Patriot Ancestor #5: Thomas Dunn #A132948

Thorn Spring and Crab Creek were Dunn locations

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Grandma Mary’s pioneer ancestors flourished in southwestern Virginia. I wonder if she had any inkling how deep and firm her roots grew there. This time it’s 5x great-grandfather, Thomas Dunn: Me > Verne Troutman > Mary Waggoner > Eli P. Waggoner > Anna F. Harman > Henry Harman > Mary “Polly” Dunn > Thomas Dunn.

Thomas Dunn was born before 1745, place is uncertain. Some researchers think he was born in Ireland, others think it was northern Virginia. I haven’t found proof of either place.  Numerous men named Thomas Dunn in Virginia make it difficult to pinpoint his parents. Some Ancestry trees connect him to Thomas Dunn and Lucy, but this man’s will does not include a son named Thomas.1 

Our Thomas married Mary Fickle, daughter of Michael and Margaret Fickle.2 To them were born seven known children: Thomas Dunn II, Mary Polly (my ancestor), Rachel, Elizabeth, Esther, John, and Margaret.3

The Dunn, Harman, and Thompson families were closely associated. Their children and grandchildren intermarried.

In 1755, when Shawnee attacked the Ingles family killing Colonel Patton and others, and capturing Mary Draper Ingles among others, family lore claims Thomas Dunn to have been among the men who set out to track the kidnappers.

In March 1769, William Preston surveyed 320 acres of land for Thomas Dunn on “Macks Run, corner Col. Patton.”4 Thomas Dunn also received a deed for land on a branch of Crab Creek.5 In addition, he bought land on Thorn Spring, which was in court in dispute, years later.6

During the Revolution, Dunn served in the Montgomery County militia in Thomas Ingles’ Company and later as a juror.7 During that time, jurors had much more responsibilities than they do today, including questioning the defendant and doing their own research, even questioning the lawyers and judges.8

When he died, Thomas Dunn owned a sizeable estate of 2,115 acres to be divided among his seven children.9

My supplemental application for Thomas Dunn has been submitted but not yet verified. So we’ll see if I provided sufficient proof of lineage. It’s always a challenge.

Interested in learning how to join Daughters of the American Revolution? Send me a message. It's a great service organization.

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1 Alabama Surname Files, Expanded, 1702-1981, n.p., Thomas Dunn, Jr., Ancestry.

2 Frederick County, Maryland, Probate Administration Accounts Liber A-1 folio 385: Will of Michael Fickle, written 20 Nov 1770, probated 3 Jan 1771.

3 Mary B. Kegley and F. B. Kegley, Early Adventurers on the Western Waters, abstract of Wythe County Deeds, 1809: Partition Deed of 7 parts to heirs of Thomas Dunn.

4 Kegley and Kegley, p. 41-42.

 5 Ibid, p. 183. This deed resulted in a lawsuit years later regarding the rightful owner of the land.

 6 August County, Virginia, Chancery Records, transcribed by Eric D. Ausmus, posted on Ancestry, 22 Dec 2012. 

 7 Summers, Annals of Southwest Virginia, Vol. 1, p. 734; Virginia Magazine of History & Biography, Vol. 47, p. 35. Sources listed on DAR.org > GRS > Thomas Dunn #A132948.

8 David Barton, "Courts of Justice," The Founders Bible (Newberry Park, CA: Shiloh Road Publishers, 2012) p.330.

9 Augusta County, Virginia, Chancery Records.

NSDAR Patriot Ancestor #4: Adam Waggoner #A133663

Purported to be Adam Waggoner, c. 1790.*

Another of my paternal grandma Mary’s pioneer ancestors is 5^x great-grandfather, Adam Waggoner: Me > Verne Troutman > Mary Waggoner > Eli P. Waggoner > Jacob Waggoner > Elias Waggoner > George Waggoner > Adam Waggoner, probably born before 1730 in Germany. Name spellings vary from Waggoner/Wagoner/Wagner/Waganer/Wegener, and probably more. It’s spelled Adam Wagner in the DAR database. My grandmother used the Waggoner spelling, so that’s what I prefer.

 

But it’s Adam Waganer on a list of Palatines arriving in Philadelphia on the ship Nancy, on September 14, 1754.[1] Following that is a list of signers of an oath to the British Crown, which includes the name Johann Adam Wagner: same ship, same day, same man, two name versions. He is said to have arrived with a wife, name unknown, and two sons, Jacob and George. [2]  Children born in America were Margaret, Daniel, David, Christina, Sarah, Rebecca, Elizabeth and Mary. Later to wife #2, known only as Jane, were born Anne and Susannah.  All but Margaret, Elizabeth, and Mary were named in his 1785 will.[3] The date of his exit from Germany coincided with an exodus of Moravians escaping persecution, but whether he was Moravian or not is uncertain. Later his children affiliated with the Methodists.[4]

 

Adam’s whereabouts and activities are unknown until his name appears in a land record in Augusta County, Virginia on 18 December 1769. To get there, he had surely followed the Great Road through the Valley of Virginia. He purchased several properties in and around the area and lived in Montgomery County during the American Revolution. Records indicate that he was educated, and in his will he left provision for his minor children to be “schooled.” When he died in March 1796, he left substantial land holdings to his children. [5]

 

As patriotic service, he supplied certain items needed by the colonial army.  When the military confiscated people’s property for military use, the owners were given a voucher to turn in later to be reimbursed. Adam submitted his voucher, and it was duly recorded.[6] He claimed the Washington County militia took one steer valued at £3. Also, he “provided 13 diets at 13/, pasturage for 11 horses of the Montgomery County militia at 19/, and a mutton, the total being £5.12.10.”[7] Whether he ever received compensation for his losses is unknown. Also, in Montgomery County, he took the oath of allegiance and is listed on a militia company roster led by Captain McCorkle.[8]

 

*Posted on Ancestry, this appears to be a photo taken of a portrait, as there was no photography in 1790. An attempt was made to contact the person who originally posted it to authenticate it, but no reply. So if JeanRoot97 sees it here and objects to my using it, just let me know and I will remove it. Comparing to photos of two of A. W.'s great-grandsons, sons of Elias, the likeness is striking.

 

David N. Waggoner, H. & N. p. 14.

Adam E. Waggoner, H & N, p. 43.

 

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[1] Ralph Berger Strassberger, Pennsylvania German Pioneers: A Publication of the Original Lists of Arrivals in the Port of Philadelphia from 1727 to 1808 (Norristown [PA]: Pennsylvania German Society, 1934), Vol. 1, p. 591, 593. Can be viewed on Hathi Trust.

[2] Thomas C. Hatcher and Nancy Nash, The Adam Waggoner Family of Tazewell and Montgomery Counties Virginia, 1750-1996 (place n/a: publisher n/a, 1996) p. ii, 1.

[3] Virginia, Montgomery County, Will Book B (1720ca-1786ca), p. 80, will of Adam Waggoner

[4] Hatcher and Nash, pp. 190-196.

[5] Hatcher and Nash, p. 176.

[6] Abercrombie & Slatten, VA Rev Pub Claims, Vol. 2, pp. 685, 687.

[7] Hatcher and Nash, p. 346, as qtd. from Early Adventures on the Western Waters, by Mary B. Kegley, p. 764).

[8] Ibid., p. 1.

NSDAR Patriot Ancestor #3: Andrew Thompson #A113833

 

Point Pleasant rail bridge over Kanawha River, 2014.

 

My 4^x great-grandfather, Andrew Thompson, is another of my paternal grandma Mary’s pioneer ancestors: Me > Verne Troutman > Mary Waggoner > Rachel Havens > Mary Jane Thompson > Bryant Thompson > Andrew Thompson.

 

Census records suggest that Andrew Thompson was born between 1751 and 1760.[1] A Bible record says he died in 1840 at age 90.[2] Some claims on Ancestry give his middle name, his parents’ names, and his birthplace in Ireland, but I haven’t seen proof of any of it, so if my readers have sources, please share your bounty. About 1774, Andrew married Nancy Anna (possibly Reed, but not proven that I know of). An 1849 deed recorded in Wythe County, Virginia made by John, Andrew, Amos, and Bryant Thompson of Wythe County, Virginia, and Francis Thompson of Lee County refers to land inherited from their father, Andrew Thompson, Sr. In addition to the sons named above, his estate settlement names daughters  Mary Helvey, deceased, to her children, and Nancy, who married Charles Havens.[3]

 

During the American Revolution, Andrew lived in Montgomery County, Virginia. His service during the war included the rank of ensign in the Battle of Point Pleasant and appointment as a Justice of the Peace in Montgomery County.[4]

 

In the western regions of the colonies, where Andrew Thompson lived, the American Revolution often centered on battles with Indians resulting from unrest in the east and unresolved issues from the French and Indian War (or Seven Years War). Summers notes John Adams’ assertion that the Revolution actually started in 1760 when the Britain imposed taxes that the colonists deemed unfair and lacked their representation. In 1764 they organized against this oppression in Boston (and in North Carolina, I might add; see my previous post). In 1765, the Stamp Act was passed and the Sons of Liberty organized against it. In 1766 the Brits taxed tea; in 1768 they sent troops to Boston. About that time, Virginians passed an agreement not to import. In 1770 the Boston Massacre happened. In England, parliament remained determined to thwart all opposition to taxation in the colonies, which set colonists’ minds to further resistance.[5] 

 

In order to distract colonists from problems in the east, the British promised the Shawnee that if they allied with them against the colonists in western settlements, the King would keep the colonists from crossing the mountains into Indian territories. This action, the Brits contended, would also impress the colonists with their need to depend on the Redcoats to protect them from attacks on their settlements. So at the same time the Brits allied with the Indians against the colonists, they were attempting to convince the colonists that they were their protectors against Indian attacks.

 

Dunmore’s War and the Battle of Point Pleasant was an example of this duplicity.[6] In short, Governor Dunmore commanded Colonel Andrew Lewis to raise an army of 1000 men from the western counties of Virginia to fight against a huge Shawnee force led by Cornstalk gathering on the Kanawha River at Point Pleasant. Meanwhile, he told Lewis that he would take a contingent of British regulars from northern Virginia to meet up with him and assist in the battle. Dunmore dawdled and delayed and never arrived, leaving Lewis’ outnumbered colonists to wage the battle on their own. After a hard fight with many killed on both sides, including several of Lewis’ officers and his brother, the battle ended at nightfall with the colonists holding the field. Cornstalk and his men left.

 

Summers asserts that the underrated Battle at Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774 was the first full-scale battle of the war. It greatly reduced the threat of Indian attacks on the western frontier and allowed the colonists to focus their fight against the British army in the east.

 

Thankfully, Andrew Thompson survived or I wouldn’t be here today.

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[1] 1830 U.S. census, Wythe Co, VA, p. 360, line 5, Andrew Thompson Sr.; NARA series M19, roll 200. Also, 1840 U.S. census, Wythe Co, VA, p. 118, line 20, Andrew Thompson; NARA series M(n/a), roll 579.

[2] Records taken from Thompson Family Bible, notarized 15 Sep 1831, J. E. Wagner, Notary Public, Mercer County, WV.

[3] Wythe County, Virginia Will Book #6, pp. 69-70, 373-376; Office of the Clerk, Courthouse, Wytheville.

[4] Livia Simpson-Poffenbarger, Battle of Point Pleasant (Point Pleasant, VA: The State Gazette, 1909) p. 94. Also, L. P. Summers, Annals of Southwest Virginia (Abingdon, VA: L. P. Summers, 1929), vol. 1, p. 683. The DAR recognizes four levels of service to qualify someone as a patriot ancestor: military, public, civil, and oath of allegiance. Thompson’s service was both military and civil. The full text of these sources can be found on Hathi Trust (hathitrust.org).

[5] Simpson-Poffenbarger, p. 12, 18.

[6] Ibid., p. 13.

NSDAR Revolutionary War Patriot Ancestor #2: Melchior Trautman A202410

 

At the same time my 5x great-grandfather Henry Harman lived in Rowan County, North Carolina and served on the Committee of Safety (1774-1775), my 3x great-grandfather, Melchior Trautman lived there, too. I wonder if they were acquainted.

 

This is Melchior’s story. He is my father’s direct line male ancestor: Dad Verne Troutman > Grandpa Clint Troutman > G-grandpa Daniel A. Troutman > GG-grandpa Henry Troutman > GGG-grandpa Jacob Troutman > GGGG-grandpa Melchior Trautman.

 

After the death of his father, Adam Trautman, a tailor in a Bavarian village called Gross Gumpen, Melchior immigrated to America in 1751 with his mother, Anna Margaretha (Hartmann) Trautman and his half-brother Peter Trautman and Peter’s young family on the ship Neptune. On arriving in American, the Trautman men and all German immigrants were required to take an oath of allegiance to the British monarch. Melchior’s name is found on a list of oath takers “at the Court House of Philadelphia” dated 24 September 1751. He signed with an X.[1]

 

Either on the ship or shortly after arriving Melchior married a woman named Anna. No record remains of this marriage, but family tradition says her surname was Heist; the Neptune ship’s manifest lists several Heist men. Not until years later were women and children named. The 1767 baptismal record of a Lutheran Church in Northampton County, Pennsylvania of their son, Jacob, names his parents “Melcher Troutman [and] Anna” and provides evidence of their residence and religious affiliation.[2]

 

After about twenty years in Pennsylvania, Melchior and Peter moved their families, probably via the Great Road through the Valley of Virginia, to Rowan County, North Carolina. The Great Road, sometimes called the Great Wagon Road, wasn’t so great for wagons. It was a narrow footpath indigenous peoples had trod, probably following buffalo trails through the valley. That’s how the Harman family found it in 1745. By the time the Trautman family came after 1770, it hadn’t improved much. The additions were that more settlements along the way warranted organized efforts to keep the path cleared. Certain landowners were designated “overseers of the road” for the section passing their property. Nonetheless, only packhorses and folks on foot or horseback could navigate the path, not wagons, not yet. An important stopover place along the way was Fort Chiswell in Wythe County, Virginia. From there, some folks headed westward on the Wilderness Trail and some turned south over the mountains into North Carolina. [3] The Troutman families turned south. It was a long and tiring journey.

 

During the 1760s as conflict with the British arose over taxation in New England, so it did in North Carolina. The southerners also were soon divided into pro- and anti-British camps. In the outlying regions of North Carolina a contingent of men dubbed “Regulators” objected to excessive fees and taxes and corrupt government officials. The conflict lasted from 1764-1771 when the Regulators were defeated and sent packing. Interestingly, the men who fought against the Regulators later became loyal to the patriot cause and most of the Regulators became Tories.[4]

 

Henry Harman was surely aware of it all, but where he stood is unknown. Melchior Trautman and family arrived in the aftermath, in time for the start of the Revolutionary War. Having taken an oath of Allegiance to the British crown when they arrived in Philadelphia in 1751, it’s probable that Melchior and Peter Trautman were conflicted over what they should do. As the Committee of Safety (see last week’s post) took control of governing Rowan County, Salisbury’s jail became the place to confine Tories and British prisoners of war. Melchior and Peter’s son, also named Melchior, served the patriot cause by guard duty at the Salisbury Jail.[5]

 

The town certainly became the center of action after the Battle of Cowpens in early 1781 when Brigadier General Daniel Morgan’s Continentals marched through with hundreds of prisoners. Morgan was soon followed by General Cornwallis and his Redcoats, who camped about the town. You can read more about this excitement here: https://amrevnc.com/salisbury/ . For history lovers, Salisbury is a great place to see the sites and learn about events of the Revolutionary War in North Carolina (also the Civil War).

 

Melchior, however, didn’t live to witness these events. He died 9 November 1778 and was buried south of Salisbury in the cemetery at Organ Lutheran Church where he was a member; his grave is unmarked. 

And about that spelling problem, the first descendant of Melchior's to submit a DAR application spelled the name Melchoir, so that's what he gets in the DAR database. Sort of makes me grit my teeth. Clearly, his early records spelled it "Melchior."

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[1] Ralph Beaver Strassburger and William John Hinke, Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Vol. 2, ( Norristown, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1934) p. 551. This book can be found full text on Hathi Trust.

[2] St. Paul’s [Blue] Church, Church Records (Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, PA, transcribed from a copy in Easton Library, 1948), p. 30. This church was and is Lutheran.

[3] See Mary B. Kegley, Finding Their Way From the Great Road to the Wilderness Road, 1745-1796, (Wytheville, VA: Kegley Books, 2008), pp. 7-12.

[4] Regulators of North Carolina, United States History, Britannica; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Regulators-of-North-Carolina

[5] North Carolina: Digital Collections, Home > Troop Returns > Guards of Salisbury Jail [1]; MilColl_Troop_Returns_B5F21_Guards_of_Salisbury_Jail_1779_09;  https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll26/id/767.