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Isaac Carter: Distinguishing the Identity of Same Name Rev War Soldiers, Part 7

 I feel like the last post took us on a circuitous route that has left me a little breathless. Boiling it down, my next move is to look at commanding officers, locations, and dates:
  1. Major John Tillman, Craven County Regiment of Militia,
  2. Captain Silas Stevenson, 10th North Carolina Regiment,
  3. Captain Clement Hall, 2nd North Carolina Regiment, and
  4. Captain Robert Fenner, 2nd North Carolina Regiment.
I decided to work on them in this order because of the timeline of the regiments coming out of Craven County, North Carolina. For that, we'll have to look at a bit of North Carolina military history.

NC Patriots 1775-1783, Their Own Words



One of the best sources for regimental history is this book series by J.D. Lewis. The three-volume series is from part of his website, Carolana.com, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary (2004-2024)! It is searchable by the headings, The Patriots and their Forces; Known Battles & Skirmishes; Forts, Maps, etc. So, let's get started.

Major John Tillman (Tilman, Tilghman)

Looking at the North Carolina Patriot Majors table we see that Major John Tilman served as a Major from 1776-1778. 
  • April 22, 1776, under Colonel John Bryan
  • May 11, 1776, under Colonel Thomas Brown, 1st Battalion Militia (disbanded August 13, 1776)
  • December 5, 1777, a known Major
From there, I followed the trail to North Carolina Military Units, starting with the Militia. 
The Craven County Militia was established on September 9, 1775, with five known Colonels: Col. Joseph Leech, Col. John Bryan Sr., Col. Christopher Neale, Col. John Sitgreaves, and Col. John Tillman. 

From Colonel Tillman's bio, we find his assignment in the second half of his military career:
  • 4th Quarter 1778, 2nd Colonel, Craven County Militia
  • June 30, 1779-1783, Colonel Craven, County Militia.
Remembering the entries from the Army Accounts, those Harlowe names were:
  • Joshua Carter,
  • Isaac Carter,
  • Martin Black,
  • Isaac Perkins,
  • William Dove, and
  • Mingo Stringer.
On the Craven County Regiment of Militia page, the name of one Captain stands out.

Captain Silas Stevenson (Stephenson)

Captain Silas Stevenson's service is listed as follows in the North Carolina Patriot Captains table:
  • 1776, Craven County Regiment [of Militia] under Colonel John Bryan,
  • on November 28, 1776, Lieutenant, North Carolina Continental Line,
  • April 19, 1777, Captain under Colonel Abraham Sheppard, 10th North Carolina Regiment, and
  • 1779, Captain in the North Carolina Militia under Colonel John Sitgreaves,
and he fought at the Battle of Briar Creek (1779).

On the Craven County Militia page, among the Known Privates, Drummers & Fifers, etc., we find the following names:
  • Isaac Carter,
  • William Dove,
  • Isaac Perkins,
  • Martin Black.
Because these names appear together and are known neighbors of the Harlowe community, depending on their times of service, they could have served in either the Craven County Regiment of Militia in 1776 or 1779, and/or the 10th North Carolina Regiment, 1777-1778. 

Captain Clement Hall

On the North Carolina Patriot Captains table, Captain Clement Hall's service is listed as follows:
  • 1777, Lieutenant,
  • April 18, 1777, Captain,
  • mid-1781, Captain under Major John Armstrong, 3rd North Carolina Regiment,
  • February 6, 1782, 2nd North Carolina Regiment,
  • September 30, 1783, Brevet Major, 2nd North Carolina Regiment,
and he fought in the Battle of Brandywine Creek (1777), the Battle of Germantown (1777), the Battle of Monmouth (1778), a Siege Near West Point (1778), the Storming of Stony Point (1779), and the Battle of Eutaw Springs (1781).

The September 9, 1778 muster roll at White Plains listed the names of Privates Isaac Perkins, Martin Black, Isaac Carter, and John Carter and we have yet to determine if it's the same Isaac Carter who appeared with them on the list of known Craven County Militiamen. 

Captain Robert Fenner

Fenner served from 1777 to 1783 in the 2nd North Carolina Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel John Patten. He fought at the Battle of Brandywine Creek (1777), the Battle of Germantown (1777),  the Battle of Monmouth (1778), and the Siege of Charleston (1780), where he was taken prisoner and exchanged before January 24, 1782.

The only familiar name on his company's White Plains muster roll was that of Private Isaac Carter. None other. 

Next Steps

Now it's time to step back. Clear the mind. And refocus.







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