American Revolution Veterans in West TN (part two)

West Tennessee has a rich historical and genealogical heritage.  In my previous article, I shared information about American Revolutionary War veterans and patriots who lived in the West Tennessee area.  We will finish that discussion today.

Many veterans and patriots from the American Revolution and the War of 1812 moved to this area with land grants.  Online websites, libraries, and county archives will provide names of people who served in the military for the American cause.  Pension records are available for many veterans.  There were also patriots who supported the cause through non-military efforts.  All of their stories are interesting and should be shared.

Research your family history.  If you have veterans and patriots from an American war, you should honor the memory of those heroes by submitting genealogical information and legal documents as proof to a lineage society.  The following people have been proven as veterans and patriots through the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  They are listed as having died in a West Tennessee county.

Veterans who served as privates and resided in Decatur County in their last years were Edward Box, George Finley, and William Kendall.

John Dugan was born in Ireland, served as a private in South Carolina, and made Dyer County his final home where he died in 1825.  Other privates who died in Dyer County were John Gwinn, William Nash, and William Thomas.

Gibson County was home to Veterans John Crisp, John Dodd, Thomas Frazier, James Givens, David Hamilton, Landon Key, Thomas May, Jeremiah/Jesse McWhorter, Robert Patten, Isaiah Reed, Benjamin Toler, and Jacob Trout.

Veterans Joel Crane, William Crane, Jeremiah Doxey, Samuel Harper, Jonathan Joyner, Ezekiel Polk, and Patriot Robert Rivers Jr. resided in Hardeman County when they died.

Stephen Austin’s gave in the Hollands Creek Cemetery in Hardin County has been marked by NSDAR and NSSAR.  Other veterans who died in Hardin County were Samuel Kelsey Jr., Francis Kincannon Jr., James King, John Nichols, James Orr, George Ross, and John Wilson.  Patriot Jonathan Pickens is remembered, because he provided beef to the American troops.

Haywood County was home to Veterans Thomas Conyers, James Curry Jr., Herndon Harrelson, Robert Kinney, Jacob McFarland, and Patriot Brittain Adams.  Adams and his wife are buried in either Spring Hill United Methodist Cemetery or Moore Cemetery in Haywood County.  They have tombstones in both cemeteries with the same dates.

After serving as a private in North Carolina, my 5^th great-grandfather Daniel Murphy moved to his son’s home in Henderson County where Justice of the Peace Charles Austin, one of the first settlers in the Scotts Hill area, assisted him in transferring his pension from Fayetteville, NC to Jackson, TN.  Henderson County was also the final home for other privates; such as, George Anderson, Athelston Andrews, Philip Anthony, John Greider, George Grimsley, Archibald McCorkle, and Samuel Moore.  Greider was an Indian spy.

Veterans Matthew Alexander, Lewis Atkins, John Babb, Elias Bowden, John Brooks, Joshua Dinkins, James Dinwiddie, Thomas Flippen, Edmund Hogan, David James, James Lawson, William McGowen, Mathew Merrick, Martin Nease, John Palmer, William Potts, Robert Ramsay, Joseph Ruth, Thomas Crandall Wills, and William Young traveled to Tennessee to make Henry County their final home.  McGowen was also an Indian spy.

America declared war on Great Britain in June of 1812, but the northwest corner of Tennessee was experiencing its own tragedy with a series of earthquakes beginning in December 1811.  In February 1812, Reelfoot Lake was formed by a powerful earthquake.  Lake County was not formed until 1870.

Lauderdale County was created in 1835 and named for Lieutenant Colonel James Lauderdale who was killed in the War of 1812 in the Battle of New Orleans.

A few veterans who lived in Madison County in their final years were William Betts, Jonas Clark, John Dillard, Richard Fenner, Champness Madden, James Noland, John Robertson, and William Stewart.

Jesse Hodges, my 5^th great-grandfather, was a soldier for Virginia.  He used his personal wagon in the war efforts and moved to McNairy County after the war.  His mother-in-law, Mary Cason Collins, is an approved patriot with NSDAR; because she provided her pasture for the American troops.  She did not move to McNairy County.  Jesse’s son, James C. Hodges of Wilson County, died in the War of 1812.  Other veterans who lived in McNairy County were David Campbell, Christopher Choate, Gilbert Coombs, James Cotton, Javan Cox, John Ham, David Herron, Daniel Hill, Archibald Houston, Robert Lowrey, Alexander McCullar, Allegany McGuire, Robert Rankin, Hamilton Reynolds, James Robinson, and James Rowland.

William Whiteside served as a private for South Carolina and died in Obion County in 1850.

Shelby County was home to Veterans John Bolton, Robert Edmondson Jr., Elijah Griffin, William Hope, Clement McDaniel, and Ithamar Olney.

Caleb Owens served in the third regiment for South Carolina, and Henry Yarborough had cavalry duty as a private for North Carolina.  They died in 1842 and 1843 respectively in Tipton County.

Weakley County was the last home for Veterans Benjamin Merrill, Luke Tipton, and Alexander Whitley.  Tipton served as a spy with the rank of private.  Ozias Vincent is recognized as a patriot for his civil service as a constable in 1782.

West Tennessee was home for many veterans and patriots of the American Revolutionary War, and not all of them are mentioned in this article.  As you travel the country roads and highways of West Tennessee, take the time to think about the pioneers, veterans, and patriots who made this a better place for us.  Search for their graves.  Remove the weeds and fallen branches and decorate their graves with flowers and American flags.  Take photos and keep their memory alive by sharing their stories.  Teach your children and grandchildren to be respectful of cemeteries.  A hundred years from now, we hope our descendants will do the same for our generation.