Skip to main content

Incorporating Military Histories to Piece Together Overlapping Service

Available at Amazon.com

As I read military histories about the skirmishes and battles in which our ancestors fought, I try to look for specific information about their regiments so I can piece together the movements and experiences they might have had. For instance, I am currently reading the book, Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The last great battle in the North, by Brendan Morrissey.

From our last post, you'll note that we found the names of Isaac Perkins' commanding officers: Captain Stevenson and Colonel Sheppard (North Carolina Militia), and Captain Clement Hall and Colonel John Patten (2nd North Carolina Regiment). According to Morrissey, Col. John Patten and the 2nd North Carolina were part of the main body of General George Washington's troops, serving in the right wing under Major General Nathanael Green (p. 86). There were seven Brigadier Generals commanding the right wing:

  1. Brigadier General William Woodford (Virginia), 
  2. vice Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh (North Carolina), 
  3. Brigadier General Enoch Poor (New Hampshire and New York), 
  4. Brigadker General Jedediah Huntington (Connecticut), 
  5. Brigadier General William Smallwood (Maryland and Delaware), 
  6. Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg (Virginia and German Battalion), and 
  7. vice Brigadier General George Weedon (Virginia).
McIntosh's troops were made up of the 1st North Carolina (Colonel Thomas Clark) and 2nd North Carolina (Colonel John Patten). 

Additional information about Asa Spelmore/Spelman
In looking back at Asa Spemore's Pension Application File, it was stated that he was a 
Private in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Davidson of the N. Carolina line....[that] he enlisted in the company commanded by Captain Quinn in the Tenth North Carolina Regiment Continental Establishment Commanded by Colonel Davidson.
It appears, however, that Asa Spelman possibly made an error in his recollections as Captain Michael Quinn was associated with the 8th and the 3rd North Carolina Regiments; and, Asa Spelman appears on the roll of the 8th NC Regiment. Note also that Quinn resigned his commission 14 Dec 1779 and became a traitor for the British cause, was captured in Edenton, NC in 1781 and was executed. Following his resignation, the remains of the 8th Regiment were added to the 2nd North Carolina Regiment.

According to the list of Lt. Colonels on The American Revolution in North Carolina website, Lt. Colonel William Lee Davidson changed regiments several times in his career. Starting out in the 4th North Carolina Regiment as a Major, he received a promotion to Lt. Colonel and transferred to the 5th, the 7th, 3rd, and then the 1st, all between the years of 1777 and 1779. It was noted that he served at the Battle of Monmouth as well. So while Isaac Perkins swore that he saw Asa Spelman while on duty in White Plains, they were both at Monmouth as well.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Honoring our Ancestors: Free Black Patriots of the Revolutionary War

When I was first contacted last October to assist in some research for a member of the DAR who was looking for the burial ground of her ancestor, Isaac Carter, I had no idea it would lead to such a wonderful tribute--with full honors--to our free black ancestors of Craven County, North Carolina. Nor would I have guessed that I would be meeting together with Ms. Maria William Cole, National Vice Chairman Insignia, of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and a host of other dignitaries, from the highest officials of the SAR to state and local political and community service leaders, to pay tribute to these patriots. The turnout exceeded my expectation when this event proceeded on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon, with close to a hundred and fifty people or more, seated on folding chairs under three canopy tents. The microphone cable lay along the wet grass and soon died out, and we, the speakers, were asked to use our "mother's voices" to make o
7 comments
Read more

How Family History Writing Forces Us to Dig DEEPER

February is Family History Writing Month During the month of February, I went on hiatus from the Civil War Pension File of Isaac Carter in order to participate in the Family History Writing Challenge. My goal was quite ambitious, but I did succeed in setting up the framework of the family history memoir, and wrote a rough draft of the opening scenes. The memoir focuses on a promise I had made to our Cousin Hattie Carter Becton in an interview, following the the 2009 George Family Reunion in North Harlowe, North Carolina. In case you missed the Challenge, you can find the posts here . The site was developed especially for writing challenges, beginning with this year's; so, you may want to go back to the first posts in the archive. March was memoir reading, research & development month Last month I continued working on the writing, but also began focusing on webinars and YouTube videos related to writing memoir. Two really great sites are National Association of Memoir Writ
8 comments
Read more

Those Places Thursday -- Robert Livingston House, Little River, SC

In July of 2008 we attended the Prince Livingston Family Reunion in Wampee, Horry County, South Carolina (my husband's maternal family). During our down time we decided to take a drive through Little River where the plantation owner, Robert Livingston, had once lived.  We inquired at the Visitor Center, and learned that the Robert Livingston House had been preserved as an historical landmark. The brochure we received listed several different sites that interested us, but the Livingston House was our first destination.  We drove along Highway 17S and drove past the turn off for Lakeside Drive. At the next light we turned around and headed back down the highway until we came to the street. About two-thirds of the way down the road we saw a sign along the roadside: 19th Century Victorian Home for Sale. Was that the house? The number on the mail box was 4441. That's it! We got out of the car and looked around only to find that the owner was at home, and he was in the process
Post a Comment
Read more