Posted on 01/07/2022 4:16:26 PM PST by Openurmind
Thank you...
I am a SAR but not a member. My great x3 grandfather lived near Patrick Henry and heard him give this speech. He and his 4 brothers all immediately signed up to fight in the war - more than any other family in Hanover County, VA.
I have a copy of his Rev. War record, his 1832 legal verification of service Application for Pension - $40/yr. - and who he served under. He guarded prisoners for Lafayette.
In 1802 the Fed. gov. offered 2,000 acre land grants to all who served if they would move to the western territories. Benjamin packed up his family and 2 oxen and headed west. One ox died on Long Creek in then Sumpter County, TN and there he took his 2,000 acres. He is buried there and I’ve been to his gravesite & have pics of his memorial gravestone placed by the Veterans Admin. My father was born there on the original farm. 700 acres of the original 2,000 is still in our family.
Do I love telling this story? or what?
For brevity & privacy I had to leave out most of the interesting details........
This film also invokes much thought in me at around the 32:00 minute mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4u_RZh9tc4
Great history! Thx!
I resemble that.
My immediate family knew none of this before 1978 when my fathers aunt started doing genealogical research - long before the internet.
She found the archived 1932 Pension Application of my great x3 grandfather in Fed. gov. records....much of his life’s story.
Until 1978, we could not trace our family back past 1802 in now Macon County, TN where my dad was born. Dead end. We knew nothing. Then BANG! It all came to light back to my family coming from Essex England in the mid-1600’s and settling in Hanover County, VA. We did not know our family came from Virginia.
I’m envious.
I’ve been doing serious genealogy for more than a decade.
I cannot get earlier than a Scot ancestor that emigrated to New Jersey and then to Western PA.
Pretty cool story, thank you. :)
“I cannot get earlier than a Scot ancestor that emigrated to New Jersey and then to Western PA.”
Same here, Mine came from Scotland through Ireland to Texas as an orphan 7 years old. No verifiable connections before that in the old country at all.
Well, gotta tell you the best part to cap it off.
I grew up a long way from where I live, and after college moved all around the country. Never felt at home anywhere - even where I grew up.
Passing through the area in ‘72, met my wife and I’ve been here ever since. When I came here I felt like I was coming home.
I live less than 20 miles from Patrick Henry’s home Scotchtown.
Cool how things work out like that... :)
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