In last week鈥檚 article we listed the veterans of our American Revolution who have been laid to rest in our own Trousdale County.
It shouldn鈥檛 surprise us that the number of former soldiers buried beneath Middle Tennessee sod is quite high鈥he soldiers of the North Carolina army were given large land grants here in lieu of actual money for their time served.
A soldier who had enlisted for the entire seven years of the American Revolution was entitled to 640 acres鈥ne square mile of virgin territory.
Our Historical Society is compiling a list of these men to keep on record in our county archives.
Each soldier, as in any war, had their own individual stories.
Bartholomew Stovall, 1759-1841, moved here from Virginia. He fought in the Battle of King鈥檚 Mountain, perhaps the most significant battle of the war fought in the southern colonies. Buried in the Willow Grove Cemetery.
William Corley, 1752-1853, was born in England and was sent to the colonies to preach. William鈥檚 unit engaged Lord Cornwallis in the Battle of Green Springs Plantation, where they were joined up with soldiers under General La Fayette. William moved to Middle Tennessee in 1812. He lived to be 101.
Captain William Alexander, 1746-1830. Born in Maryland, his family moved to North Carolina. He was a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which declared their independence from England a year before our nation did! He was wounded scouting hostile Indians which left him with a limp for the rest of his life. He moved to Middle Tennessee in 1796, building a home close to East Main Street. He raced horses and was close friends with Andrew Jackson. Today, a roadside plaque recognizes his accomplishments.
David Henry, 1751-1816, was a captain in the war, moved his family here from North Carolina in the early 1800s. His son, William, married Nancy Keesee, whose obituary noted that she had moved here from North Carolina when she was ten years old, walked the whole distance while driving the family hogs.
Marcus Rickman, 1762-1805, joined the North Carolina militia at age 13. One of our first settlers. Sources are conflicted with one saying he was here by 1788. Family histories have him purchasing his farm in 1800. The ancestor of all the Trousdale County Rickmans. The family dog trot log cabin has been restored by descendants and sits proudly in the Willow Grove community.
Hallery Malone, 1758-1854, born near Petersburg, Virginia. He served under George Washington, crossing the freezing Delaware River with him in the Battle of Trenton, NJ. He was wounded in that battle. He famously declined to apply for a pension, saying 鈥渆very man owed service to his country!鈥
Skelton Smith, 1762-1838, signing up to fight at the early age of 15, and given the task of guarding British prisoners. Moved to Middle Tennessee around 1811 and settled on a farm adjacent to the old Gallatin Pike. Skelton showed his affection for our first president by naming his son, 鈥淏ushrod Washington Smith.鈥
More soldiers in next week鈥檚 article.
John Oliver is the Trousdale County historian.
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