Samuel Cochran
Rev. War Pension Applicatation

Contributed by Bob Foster
©1999

COCHRAN, Samuel (Sarah) W.280

14 August 1832. Sumner County, Tennessee. Samuel COCHRAN of said county, aged 72 on 24 April 1832, declares he enlisted 14 January 1777 under Henry or Harry Conway in Henry County, Virginia, and was attached to the 14th Virginia Regiment of Col. Charles LEWIS. He resided in Henry County and enlisted for three years. The 14th Virginia Regiment was attached to Gen. WEEDON'S brigade. In March they marched to Alexandria, Virginia and went through the operation of the small pox. They marched to Baltimore, passed Wilmington into Delaware, and went to Philadelphia about June 1777. They crossed the Delaware to Trenton and passed Princeton, N. J., and Brunswick, passed the Raritan River and joined headquarters at Middlebrook, N. J. In a few days they took up the line of march with Gen. WASHINGTON'S army and proceeded to the high lands of New York. There arrived an express that the enemy was about to land at the head of Elk and they made a march upon Philadelphia. Gen. WASHINGTON retraced his steps to prevent Philadelphia falling into the hands of the enemy. They met the enemy at Brandywine and fought a hard fight. The enemy took possession of Philadelphia a few days after the battle which was in Sept. 1777. On 4 Oct. 1777 they again met the enemy and fought the battle of Germantown. Gen. WASHINGTON took up headquarters at Valley Forge. He continued with the army that winter and in June 1778 the enemy left Philadelphia and made a march on New York. They overtook them at Monmouth Court House and had a hard battle. They went into winter quarters on a mountain in sight of Middlebrook. After the winter broke they were engaged during 1779 in scouting parties and went into winter quarters in Morristown, N. J. His three years was drawing to a close and the 14th Regiment was broken up and Gen. WASHINGTON sent him and others to Philadelphia to take charge of 500 prisoners and take them to Frederick Town, Md. He was discharged in the summer of 1780.

In February 1781 he volunteered in Col. LINCH'S regiment in Bedford County, Virginia. A short time afterward they were attached to Col. William WASHINGTON'S regiment of dragoons. He was in the battle of Guilford Court House, after which he was discharged. In Sept. 1781 he volunteered in Col. CALLAWAY'S regiment in Bedford County, Virginia, and besieged Lord Cornwallis in Little York in Oct. 1781. After this he was discharged in Virginia.

He served as a private about one year. Col. LEWIS having resigned Col. DAVIS was appointed to take command of the 14th Regiment. He appointed him 1st corporal in 1778 and served in that capacity until 1779 and was then promoted by Col. DAVIS to 2nd sergeant, in which capacity he served until discharged in the summer of 1780 by Col. WEBB who had command of that detachment.

[He is referred to as Major Samuel COCHRAN in 1832.]

22 January 1883. Sumner County, Tennessee. Samuel COCHRAN declares he served one year as private, one year as corporal and one year as 2nd sergeant.

10 May 1844. Sumner County, Tennessee. Sarah (X) COCHRAN of said county, aged 78, declares she is widow of Samuel COCHRAN. She was married 10 August 1784 in Franklin County, Virginia, and her husband died 7 January 1842. She filed a record taken from the Bible:

[Portion cut from Bible:]
"Samuel Cochran Son of Wm. & Jemima Cochran & Sarah NORCUTT was Married August the 10th 1784.
William B. Cochran & Rhoda PASLEY was Married
Sarah Cochran
Ann Cochran Daughter of Samuel & Sarah Cochran was born March 5th 1785."

15 May 1844. Sumner Co., Tennessee. Aaron HODGES declares he has been acquainted with Samuel COCHRAN and Sarah his wife for the last 50-odd years in Virginia and Tennessee.

11 Sept. 1845 Franklin Co., Va. Rhoda CHITWOOD declares she knows Samuel COCHRAN and Sarah NORTHCUTT went to a preacher by the name of SIMMONS who married all the people that came to him. Sarah NORTHCUTT lived at Rhoda's father's and Cochran came there and they went to the parson's with many persons and returned to her father's where the wedding was.

1 April 1846. Sumner Co., Tenn. Barnett (X) BLANKINSHIP, aged 78, declares he was born 12 July 1768 and was acquainted with Samuel COCHRAN and Sarah NORTHCUTT before and after their marriage. He lived one and a half or two miles from Cochran. Sarah NORTHCUTT lived about three miles from him. He was not at the wedding but he believes his older brother and some of the family now deceased were. Samuel COCHRAN and Sarah NORTHCUTT were married in Bedford County, Va. in 1784. He had returned from the war three or four years before he was married and Miss NORTHCUTT was a frequent visitor at his father's house before her marriage. She and Rosa CHITWOOD were cousins. They both moved to Tennessee in 1818 and COCHRAN settled in Sumner County and he in Smith County, now Macon. COCHRAN lived at the time of marriage near the bank of Blackwater River, and Miss NORTHCUTT lived on the Henry side and the marriage might have been on that side of the river.

17 April 1846. Sumner Co., Tenn. Sarah (X) COCHRAN declares she was married to Samuel COCRHAN in 1784. She is now old and blind. [Sworn before John B. BRIZINDINE, J. P.]

25 Jan. 1848. Macon Co., Tenn. Barnet (X) BLANKENSHIP declares he was born 12 July 1768. In 1784, the date of the marriage of Samuel COCHRAN to Sarah NORTHCUTT, he was about 16 years of age. He lived on the south side of Blackwater in Henry County and a mile from the river. Cochran lived on the Bedford County side of the river, making only about two miles between them. Cochran was older than he but they were much together before he served in the war and when he came back Cochran was frequently at his father's house. Sarah Northcutt about one or two years before her marriage came on a visit from some of the lower counties in Virginia to a relation of hers named SHARP and finally lived there previous to her marriage. SIMMONS, the preacher who married them, was a Protestant or high churchman, as they were then called. SHARP lived on the Henry side of the river, not more than two miles from affiant's father. The young couple had to go over Blackwater to the Bedford side of the river to meet the preacher. After they were married they at no time lived more than three miles from him until they both moved to Tennessee in 1818. Cochran and his wife had a large family, most of them married before coming to Tennessee.

31 May 1848. Macon Co., Tenn. Rhoda (X) BLANKENSHIP, widow of Hezekiah BLANKENSHIP who was brother to Barrett BLANKENSHIP, declares she is 78 years of age. She married Hezekiah BLANKENSHIP 4 March 1791 and shortly after moved within three miles of Samuel and Sarah COCHRAN. They were living in Franklin Co., Va.., Blackwater River, and had been married several years and had children Nancy or Ann, Jemima, Sally and William, all born before 1791. She and her husband lived close to neighbors within three miles to Sarah and Samuel COCHRAN from 1791 to 1811 when she moved to Tennessee.

10 June 1848. Sumner Co., Tenn. Meredith HODGES, aged 54, declares he became acquainted with the family of Samuel and Sarah COCHRAN from his earliest recollection. His father and Samuel CORHRAN lived near neighbors, which acquaintance was kept until the death of Samuel and Sarah.

He was then a resident of Franklin Co., Va. His father moved to Sumner Co., Tenn., in 1812 and a few years after Samuel COCHRAN moved and settled in the same neighborhood. He was acquainted with all the family of Samuel COCHRAN except one child which died in infancy whose name was Milly. The family Bible of Samuel Cochran records the births: Ann, born 5 March 1785; Jimima, 26 Sept. 1786; Sarah, 4 Nov. 1788; William, 24 April 1791; Daniel, 7 July 1793; Polly, 22 Feb., 1796; Milly, 17 Aug., 1798; Betsy, 10 March 1801; Samuel, 29 May 1804. He went to school with Daniel, Polly, Elizabeth and Samuel in 1810 and 1811.

10 June 1848. Sumner Co., Tenn. John B.. BRIZINDINE, aged 56, declares he became acquainted with the family of Samuel and Sarah COCHRAN in 1804 in Franklin Co., Va. His father lived within two miles of them. They had eight children living at that time and another had dire previously. He went to school with four of the youngest after 1804. There were three that were fully grown and had quit school before he became acquainted with them. The oldest, Ann, was at that date about 19; Jemima, about 17; Sarah was about 15. William was the first he went to school with. William was born in 1791 and affiant was born in Dec. 1792. The next children were Daniel, born 7 July 179;. Polly, born 22 feb. 1796; Milley, born Aug. 1798; Elizabeth, born 10 March 1801; and the last child was Samuel, born 29 May 1804.

26 Oct. 1849. Macon Co., Tenn. Daniel CLAIRBORNE (signed Cliborn) of said county, aged 80 last May, declares Samuel COCHRAN Lived formerly in Franklin Co., Va. Cochran was understood to have served in the Revolutionary War. He saw several scars, one particularly on his head, a severe cut. He moved to Tennessee.

1 July 1850. Sumner Co., Tenn. John B. BRIZINDINE of said county declares he is executor of the last will and testament of Samuel COCHRAN and also heir-at-law, having married Elizabeth COCHRAN, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah COCHRAN. After the death of Sarah COCHRAN he was appointed administrator of Sarah COCHRAN.

21 Nov. 1818. Franklin Co., Va. Deed from Samuel COCHRAN and Sarah his wife to John M. HOLLAND was acknowledged by Samuel COCHRAN. Sarah COCHRAN relinquished her dower 4 Nov. 1818.

Samuel COCHRAN of Sumner Co., Tenn., sergeant and captain in the company of Capt. CONWAY in the regiment of Col. Lewis in the Virginia line for one year as sergeant and one year as captain, was placed on the Tennessee pension roll at $104 per annum under the Act of 1832. Certificate 6314 was issued 28 Feb. 1833.

Sarah COCHRAN, widow of Samuel COCHRAN who died 7 Jan. 1842, sergeant and captain in the regiment of Col. LEWIS of Virginia, was placed on the Nashville, Tenn., pension roll at $104 per annum. Certificate 8462 under the Acts of 1843 and 1844 was issued 15 Jan. 1849.

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