In Black and White: Cross-Cultural Genealogy

 In the first post in this series,  Private Aaron Spelmore (Spellman), Part 1 , I focused on two things: determining the commander of Captain Anthony Sharpe's company and gathering information regarding a possible skirmish at Bacon's Bridge across the Ashley River near the village of Dorchester, South Carolina (now Summerville).  Today I'll examine his claims of participating in the Siege of Ninety Six and the Battle of Eutaw Springs. The Siege of Ninety Six: May 22 to June 18, 1781 The village of Ninety Six got its name from early 18th-century traders in Charleston who estimated the miles from that location to the Cherokee village of Keowee and Fort George on the Keowee River. I struggled to find sources for this battle that included details about the North Carolina Continentals, though the National Park Service's brief article lists twenty-eight sources.[1][2]  Keeping the objective in mind, we will only focus on the siege portions involving the North Carolina Contine

Image 6 of 8 Aaron Spelmore's Declaration claims that he enlisted on May 5, 1781 in the state of North Carolina in the company commanded by Captain Sharpe in the 10th North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel [blank] in the line of the Continental Establishment and served until April 5, 1782 when he was discharged at Wilmington. It also states that he served at: the Battle of Bacon's Bridge (?), the Siege of Ninety Six (May 21 -June 19, 1781) and the Battle of Eutaw Springs (September 8, 1781). So, now we begin the task of identifying Image 7 of 8 officers, their service assignments, and researching the battles. The officers, 1781-1782 Captain Anthony Sharpe On June 1, 1778, Captain Anthony Sharpe was transferred to the 1st North Carolina Regiment.[1] The Commanders The known commanders for the 1st North Carolina Regiment were: Col. James Moore, Col. Francis Nash, Col. Thomas Clark, and Lt. Col. William Lee Davidson.[2] Colonel Francis Nash & Colonel James Moore Nash wa

Maria Williams-Cole, SAR Grave Memorial Service, 2014 In 2014 at the culmination of my research for the North Carolina Society Sons of the American Revolution (NCSSAR), I wrote a post entitled, Private John Carter: Revolutionary War Pension File (R1749)  He was honored on March 16th of that year at the Grave Memorial Ceremony at Harlowe Community Center in North Harlowe, North Carolina--in the community where my father-in-law, Chester Carter Sr., was born and raised.  Vetting Sources When I worked with the NCSSAR, I not only researched the list of Patriots names the group supplied me with, but I gave them my database of over 2,500 descendants of Paul and Hannah Carter and Peter and Joan George, the progenitors of the Carter and George families in North Harlowe, along with the intertwined branches of that tree, including the familiar surnames of those still living in the community: Anderson Andrews Bannister Battle Becton Bell

Transcription 3749 Image 2 of 12 North Carolina Martin Black, Private, North Carolina line In the army of the United States during the Revolutionary War Inscribed on the Roll of North Carolina at the rate of Eight Dollars per month, to commence on  the 22nd of April 1818-- Certificate of Pension issued the 20th of October 1818 and Sent to John Lewis Tayler Esq. Judge Newbern Arrears of 4th of Sept 1818.....                                 35:47 Semi-anl. all'ce ending 4th March 1819.....     40:--                                                                                                  $83:47 Revolutionary claim, Act 18th March, 1818 Three Years Continued Newbern, Craven Co. Declaration  United States of America Image 3 of 12 State of North Carolina             Martin Black maketh Oath that he is at this time and always has been a resident citizen of the State of North Carolina. He enlisted as a Soldier in the Continental line of the State of North Carolina during the War