Smith County Revolutionary War Soldiers
From "Tennessee Cousins"
by Worth S. Ray Originally published 1950. Last reprint Genealogy Publishing Co, Inc.
Library of Congress Catalog #68-24689-5.
Read the book for further details about these Smith County Soldiers.
Transcribed by Catherine
Trumm
When North Carolina opened up lands for it’s revolutionary soldiers, practically all of what is now Smith, Sumner and adjoining counties, save the pre-empted tracts, were included. A great flock of revolutionary patriots from North Carolina and East Tennessee poured in, and among them were the following, some of whom may have lived in Smith County, but some in Trousdale and adjoining areas that for a while was part of Smith, and perhaps before that their original settlement had been actually in Sumner, from which Smith had been taken. The following list of revolutionary soldiers, however, are believed to have been buried within the original boundaries of Smith County, after much of its territory had been given to make up the larger counties taken from it: We “borrowed” this fine list from Mrs. Garrett’s, published in Mrs. Acklens’s Bible records p. 465, and have added information, where we had it, about some of them: All are numbered, so that they may be referred to in later notes:
1. Capt. William Alexander. He was one of the Rowan and Mecklenburg County Alexanders. He died in 1830 at the age of 84 years. His wife Mary died in 1834 at the age of 86. She was Mary Brandon, of Rowan Co, North Carolina. He is buried near or in the town of Hartsville, the county seat of Trousdale County. Capt. Alexander, like all of the other Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Alexanders, was born in Cecil County, Maryland.
2. Capt. Grant Allen was born in Granville Co, North Carolina and was the son of William Hunt Allen and his second wife, who was Mary (Hunt) Minge, the widow of Robert Minge. Grant Allen, revolutionary soldier, of Smith Co, Tennessee was therefore a nephew of Tabitha Minge who married the Hutchins Burton of Granville Co. Grant Allen married Tabitha Marshall of the Marshalls of Henrico, one of whom married into either the Burtons or Allens.
3. Richard Banks, of Wake County, North Carolina, died September 1814. He also, was one of the first members of the Old Baptist Church on Dixon Creek, together with a brother, Thomas Banks. The same Banks family as Ralph who m. into Hendersons.
4. John Barkley (or Barclay) died in 1831. His wife was Margaret. He was from the Virginia family and was a native of that state.
5. Jacob Benton. Probably fits into the Thomas Hart Benton family. He is listed as a revolutionary soldier, buried in Smith County.
6. Anthony Bledsoe was born about 1735 and died in 1793. Buried near site of Fort Bledsoe, on the hill near the old academy, Smith County.
7. Isaac Bledsoe was born about 1700 and was one of the older set, probably in Essex Co, Virginia, or possibly Richmond. He died in 1788, perhaps in Sumner County, long before Smith County was established. The note says “Buried by his brother.” The brother referred to may have been Anthony, but not the one above who would have been born 55 years later.
8. Capt. James Bradley was born in N. Carolina. Buried on a hill near the old brick home he built in Smith County.
9. William Brandon, born in 1748 and d. in 1836 in Smith County. He came from Rowan County, North Carolina and was a close relative of Capt. William Alexander, and probably came from the lower part of Iredell Co, NC (then in Rowan Co). He was a “next door neighbor” so to speak of the Brevard Family in that section.
10. John Brevard, The date of his birth is unknown, and it is only known that he deceased in 1828. He is interred on his original grant location on Goose Creek in Macon County which was detached and made a separate county out of lands taken jointly from Smith and Sumner. In 1842, long after he died, this John Brevard was father in law of General William Lee Davidson, who married his daughter Mary, who with her children, after the revolution settled on lands granted for her husband’s service in that conflict.
11. Jacob Burres, revolutionary soldier who died in 1832. Born perhaps in Pittsylvania Co, Virginia and is buried in the William martin Cemetery.
12. Daniel Campbell, Mrs. Garrett reports that this man is listed as a revolutionary soldier, who lived in Smith County.
13. Caleb Carmen. His grave is believed to be located in the Harris Graveyard in the present Trousdale County, though he died abt 1831, or ten years before that county was established out of Smith and Trousdale. Persons of the name still live in the county.
14. Walter Carruth. On the oldest list of revolutionary soldiers who resided in Smith County. Beyond the slightest doubt he came from the Rowan and Iredell County Carruths one of whom married into the Hendersons, and who are mentioned in the Journal of Rev. McAden away back in 1755, in North Carolina.
15. William Carter (1760-1847) revolutionary soldier. Buried on the old Pryor Carter place on Carter Branch, West side of Goose Creek in Smith County. Who was he?
16. David Cockran (Cochran). No other information
17. William Collee. Exact place of his burial unknown, but believed to be in Smith County.
18. Maj. William Cunningham (1741-1806) from Cumberland Co, Virginia. His wife was Elizabeth Watkins. He is buried in the old graveyard of William Saunders on the Rome Road to Dixon Springs. There is no sign of the graves there now, and the old wall, formerly surrounding the graveyard has been long since removed, and cattle run over the plot. The writer visited the place some ten years ago.
19. Phillip Day. His markers are long since gone. Believed to have been buried on Lick Creek, now in the County of Trousdale.
20. Major Tillman Dixon. One of the earliest settlers of Smith County.
21. Charles Donoho. Buried on Goose Creek. Family still owns the land.
22. John Furguson, buried a short distance northeast of the town of Riddleton, Smith County.
23. John Gammons, Buried on Dry Branch of Goose Creek in Smith County.
24. William Goodall. Died 1815. Probably buried at Hartsville, Trousdale County.
25. Andrew Greer, son of the earliest settler in the Wautauga Valley and a brother of Alexander Greer, is buried on Goose Creek in Smith County, Tennessee. He was born in March 1763 and died February 17, 1819. His wife was named Sarah, and she was born August 15, 1775, and died Mar 15, 1851. They had a son Andrew Wiley Greer, who was born 1805 and died in 1852. Their daughter Sarah Greer married William L. Martin, and she died in 1842. A son Thomas L. Martin, and another Hal Green Martin were grandchildren of Andrew Greer and his wife Sarah. This William Martin who married Sarah Greer was the son of Gen. Joseph Martin of early Tennessee History. Mary Martin a sister of William Martin and a daughter of Gen Joseph Martin is also buried here, and she is married a Daniel hammock, who died in 1829. Col Brice Martin another son of Gen joseph Martin is buried in this old graveyard on Goose Creek in Smith County, and his wife Malinda along with him.
26. Harris Grisham, who died about 1830 is buried South of the Cumberland on the old Tom Walker place, opposite the original home of William Saunders.
27. Daniel Hammock (1862-1829) buried on the Martin Place, and a son in law of Gen. Joseph Martin.
28. John Hargis. This man was a revolutionary soldier, and his family has always lived on “The Ridge” in Macon County, a few miles from the Kentucky line. An old lady living back some years ago, at the age of 91 years stated that there are old soldiers buried on the Hargis place, which is about a half mile from Lafayette, on the Brattontown Road, and that a among them she thought was the grave of this Hohn Hargis. The Hargis Family appears on the records of Orange County, North Carolina, long before the revolution, and it is believed that John Hargis is of this same family.
29. John Harris, revolutionary soldier is buried in the Harris Graveyard at Shady Grove in Smith County.
30. James Hart. Revolutionary soldier is buried at Hartsville, the county seat of Trousdale County taken from Smith and other Cos.
31. William Haynie, revolutionary soldier, died in 1849 on Peyton’s Creek, on the place he settled in 1799, the year Smith County was established, and where he resided for fifty years or more.
32. William Herod, also settled down on Peyton’s Creek. He was born in 1748 and died in 1836. He is buried on the place.
33. James Hibbetts, born in 1760 and died 1821. He is buried on Carter Branch of Goose Creek near the house he built.
34. Andrew Hoover, Probably a descendant of Jacob Hoover of Randolph County, North Carolina.
35. Patrick Lankford settled on Brush of the Goose Creek neighborhood, and there are several old Lankford graves.
36. William Ligon, settled originally on Dixon’s Creek, where it is thought he is buried. He was born in Virginia and died 1828 or 1829 in Smith County. He was of the well known Ligon family of Henrico and Amelia Counties in Virginia, who were related to the Harris tribe.
37. John Lovelady lived on Peyton’s Creek near the head of Dixon’s Creek. He was a revolutionary soldier and his wife molded bullets during the war.
38. Charles McMurray died in 1820. On the revolutionary soldiers list. Buried in Trousdale County near Monglis Gap. He probably came from Guilford or Caswell County, North Carolina.
39. Champ. Madden, probably buried on Madden’s place one Goose Creek.
40. Rev. John McGee. He had a brother William. John McGee and the Rev. McGready, and others were said to have started the great revivals in 1799, in which the phenomenal “jerks” prevailed to so great an extent. Rev. John McGee is listed as a revolutionary soldier, and was the First Methodist minister in Smith County.
41. James Martin, died in 1853. He is buried on the place he resided at Cage’s Bend in Smith County. It was on this land that the town of Livingston was planned. The writer has been unable Offhand, to identify his family. (Note**The transcriber has)
42. Col. William Martin, See notes under Andrew Greer. He is buried on Dixon’s Creek, and was born in Henry County, Virginia.
43. Daniel Mongle. He died before 1809 and was one of the “long hunters”. He was also a signer of the Cumberland Compact. He settled on Glasgow Branch of Goose Creek and built a home that is still standing. He is buried at the McMurray graveyard with some of the Pipers. Mongles Gap is named for him.
44. Francis Moore. No further data furnished by Mrs. Garrett
45. Col. William Moore who settled in Smith County and died in 1828 at the town of Carthage, where he is buried in on of the oldest of the local cemeteries.
46. John Oakley. On the list of revolutionary soldiers with the others.
47. Joseph Payne. Left a will in Smith County in 1828, and was living on his originaol home place in Payne’s Bend on the South side of the Cumberland, at the time of his death. He is thought to have been buried there. He is one of the Payne’s of Goochland County, Virginia, who is supposed to have settled in Sumner County, which he did, but the place was later in Smith County.
48. William Roper is buried on the old Roper Place not far from Hartsville in Trousdale County.
49. Johann Roseby Nothing about him except he fought in the revolution according to the old list.
50. Obediah Sanders was living in Smith County in 1806.
51. Capt. William Saunders was born 1759 in North Carolina, and died 1803 in Smith County, Tennessee. (I think he was probably born somewhere in Virginia, however). He is buried in the graveyard near the home of Charles Alexander, at the original site of old Bledsoeborough.
52. Capt. Edward Settle, died in 1850. Buried on Peyton’s Creek near old Fort Blount Road.
53. Hugh Shaw, is buried near Chestnut Mound.
54. Nicholas Shrum, buried on the Dry Fork of Goose Creek.
55. John Shelton built a rock house on his place before the year 1796 about halfway between Hartsville and Dixon Springs. One of his grand nephews is authority for the statement that he settled in Maury or Giles County in the 1850s.
56. Shelton Smith, Revolutionary soldier of Smith County
57. William Stalcup, settled on what was afterwards known as Stalcup’s Hill between Hartsville and Dixon Springs. He is buried on the same place.
58. Frances Surles, An inventory of his estate in Smith County shows that he died by 1835.
59. Thomas Talbot. No further data.
60. William Thompson. Nothing further
61. Frederick Turner. Nothing Further
62. Peter Turney. Died by 1804-5. He was one of the earliest settlers of Smith County. Buried on the place where he originally settled. Grave not marked but an old mulberry tree in the graveyard is said to mark his last resting place. He was the grandfather of Governor Turney.
Note: Peter Turney is buried in the MARTIN, ROYSTER, & BRIDGEWATER CEMETERY Young BranchAt some point after publication a federal marker was erected in his honor.
View the picture here: Go To The MARTIN, ROYSTER, & BRIDGEWATER CEMETERY Pictures
63. Warren Walker. Nothing known of him but one person of the name was living in Smith County in 1848.
64. Col. William Walton was born 1760, in North Carolina, and died Mar 6, 1818. Buried on his original place on the North side of the Cumberland River at the mouth of Caney Fork, where the highway he built across the mountains from East Tennessee crossed the river.
65. Phillip Watson died in Smith County before May 1816.
66. Sampson Williams died about 1840 on the place he lived and died on after coming to Middle Tennessee, near old Fort Blount.
67. James Wilson is thought to have been buried on the Dry Fork of Goose Creek.
68. Robert Wright was born in Virginia in 1759, and died in Smith County in 1831. Buried near Brattontown in Macon County on the road Tompkinsville, Monroe Co, Ky.
69. William Young, believed to have died en route from Nashville or New Orleans to his home on Peyton’s Creek and was buried on Tillman Dixon’s land.
70. William Cage, born 1745 and died 1811 and was a Major in the revolution. Came to this county from Hawkins County, Tennessee, where he first settled. He is buried in what is called Cage’s Bend in Sumner County.
71. Edward Douglas, born in 1713, died 1795, married Sarah Cage, daughter of William Cage and is buried in the Cage graveyard.
72. Andrew Alexander is buried on the Dan Carr place on middle fork of Goose Creek.
73. Isham Beasley is buried in Sullivan’s Bend in Smith County.
74. Francis Corley is buried in the old Corley graveyard on the Corley place between the John Shelton rock house and the old Grant Allen place in Trousdale County.
75. Jeremiah Dixon lived and is believed to have been buried at the head of the middle fork of Goose Creek.
76. Jacob Fites is buried in Alexandria Dekalb County Cemetery.
77. Bryan Gregory settled and died on Tow Town Branch of Peyton’s Creek. He was from North Carolina.
78. Bray Gregory is buried at the old Piper Place in Smith County. He also from North Carolina.
79. Thomas Gregory was the father of Berry Gregory and William Gregory and is also buried somewhere in the Peyton Creek settlement.
80. William Gregory is buried on the William Nixon place on Peyton’s Creek.
81. John Hill is buried in the Willow Grove Cemetery.
82. Jonathan Key is buried near Monoville in Smith County.
83. Green B. Lowe is buried in the graveyard on the original Lowe settlement on the South side of the Cumberland at Hart’s Ferry.
84. Capt. Job Morgan, buried on Spring Creek now in Putnam County.