Thomas McAdory Owen's Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y
|
EARLE, SAMUEL, aged 75, and a resident of Washington County; private, Virginia Continental Line; enrolled on January 5, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832 payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance. $80; sums received to date of publication of list, $200.—Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., 1st sess., 1833-34.
EDDINS, BENJAMIN. "The subject of this sketch was a native of Virginia, and moved to South Carolina, many years previous to the American Revolution. He settled with his family in the upper part of the State, near Cambridge, or 'Old Ninety-Six.' By industry, prudence and economy, he has accumulated a handsome property and was living in great comfort and independence, when the war of the Revolution commenced. The ease and comfort of a home, however, with all of the luxuries of wealth, were as nothing to Mr. Eddins when compared with the cause in which he found his country struggling.
"After the glorious repulse of Sir Peter Parker and Henry Clinton in their attack upon Fort Moultrie, in 1776, the citizens of South Carolina were suffered to live in peace until the fall of Charleston in 1780. Immediately after this unfortunate event, the whole South fell under the military Government of Great Britain. The inhabitants, in almost every part of the country had to seek protection from such a source. They preferred dying with the liberties of their country, rather than to survive only to witness her degradation and subjection. Among these gallant spirits, whose names deserve being held in everlasting remembrance, was Benjamin Eddins. He attached himself to a small band of patriots, who stood out in defiance of the Royal Government, in old Ninety-Six district. Whilst bravely fighting under the standard of liberty, borne by his patriot band he was captured, and sent a prisoner of war to the British station at Ninety-Six, then under the command of Col. Cruger. "Shortly after the capture of and imprisonment of Mr. Eddins a scouting
party of the Tories went to his home, and after appropriating everything
movable which they could find, they demanded of Mrs. Eddins her hidden
treasures of money, and other articles of value. Making a virtue of necessity
she yielded everything of the kind which she possessed. But the plunderers
were not satisfied and insisted that all had not been given up, and thereupon
proceeded to abuse her shamefully and mistreat Mrs. Eddins.
"An officer
was guilty of the dastardly brutality of inflicting upon her a wound with
his sword which she carried to her grave. They then set fire to the dwelling
house and outhouses, and in a few minutes, the whole were wrapped in flames.
"The news of the destruction of the property, and the mistreatment
of the family, was carried to Mr. Eddins, whilst immured in the prison
vaults. He received the information with the philosophy and calm resignation
of a Christian and a patriot. The fruits of his labor and industry, during
a well spent life, were gone; but they had been sacrificed by his unflinching
devotion to his country, and this was consolation enough for a spirit like
his.
"After remaining some time in prison, unnoticed and perhaps unthought of,
by those in whose custody he was, it was his good fortune to receive a
visit from Col. Cruger, the Commander of the station. The object of this
visit was to employ Eddins as a pilot for the foraging parties of the British
arms. He had a great while been living in that part of the country, and
was better acquainted with its locality than almost any other person. Hence,
his services would have been a matter of considerable importance to the
British army. In order to secure him in such service, Col. Cruger offered
him his liberty and liberal wages. They were instantly rejected with scorn
and indignation. A commission in the British army was then tendered him,
with a promise of indemnity for the property which he had lost. These tempting
offers were likewise spurned. Threats were now resorted to, and in reply
to these, Eddins said, I am, sir, your prisoner, and consequently completely
in your power. You may, if you see proper, inflict any cruelty your imagination
can invent. If it suits your love of torture, you may hitch a horse to
each of my limbs and tear my body into four pieces: Or you can,' unfolding
his naked bosom to the Colonel, 'cut out my heart and drain it of its last
drop of blood; but, sir, my services belong to my country, vend you never
can command them.' The boldness and the patriotic devotion of this high
and noble expression—an expression worthy of the most illustrious hero
that ever lived— touched the heart of the British officer, who was an accomplished
gentleman, and a generous soldier and feeling alive to all of the noble
impulses of our nature. 'You infatuated rebel,' replied the Colonel, 'You
possess too bold a spirit and too honest a heart to linger out your days
in prison. You are at liberty to go where you please, and dispose of your
services as you may see proper.'
"Mr. Eddins was immediatetly released, and soon after joined the
American army under General Pickens, where he continued to serve till the
end of the war. He lived to a good old age, and died in Alabama, not many
years since. He witnessed his country enjoying that liberty and independence,
for which he had fought so manfully in his younger days.
"The above was given by a revolutionary soldier, who was in prison with Mr. Eddins, when visited by Col. Cruger."— "Revolutionary Incidents, No. 14," by Benjamin F. Perry in The Greenville Mountaineer, Greenville, S. C., Saturday, May 16, 1835.
EDDINS, WILLIAM, aged 70, and a resident of Madison County; dragoon, Virginia Militia; enrolled on August 12, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowances $100; sums received to date of publication of list, $200.—Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., lst sess. 1833-34.
The Greenville Mountaineer, Greenville. S. C., June 27, 1835,
has an interesting sketch of the services of Mr. Eddins. It was written
by Gov. Benjamin F. Perry, a distinguished lawyer and political leader
of South Carolina, and who devoted much time to local antiquarian and historical
studies. The sketch is given in full:
"For The Mountaineer.
REVOLUTIONARY INCIDENTS. NO. 20. WILLIAMS EDDINS, SEN.
"In a previous number of these incidents, the writer gave a brief
sketch of the life, character and services of BENJAMIN EDDINS, a
brave and gallant old spirit of the Revolution, who said to Col. Cruger,
whilst a prisoner of war in a British garrison, 'I scorn your threats—you
may take my life, or inflict on my person any cruelty your imagination
can suggest— but my services belong to my country, and you can never command
them.' Never was there a nobler sentiment uttered by the mouth of man.
The far-famed reply of General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney to the French
Ministry—'Millions for defense, but not a cent for tribute,' does not surpass
it.
"The object of the present number, is to give some account of the
Revolutionary services of Williams Eddins, the worthy son of this fearless
and disinterested old patriot, and endowed with all of his father's devotion
to his country, united with the natural ardor and enthusiasm of youth.
At the age of sixteen, before most boys have left the leading strings of
their mother, he shouldered his rifle, and marched forth to meet the enemy
of his country, ready to 'sink or swim, live or die,' with the cause which
his youthful heart had espoused. Not long after he had entered the service
of his country, he was captured by the enemy, and started with other prisoners
to the British fort at Ninety-Six. His arms were taken from him, as a matter
of course and his horse appropriated by one of the guards. Whilst they
were thus marching on to Cambridge, the soldier who had taken possession
of Eddins' horse, stopped to take a little American whiskey which he had
also captured, dismounted, and laid his musket against a tree. Eddins was
likewise suffered to halt, whilst the other prisoners, among whom was his
father, continued their march. It is often said, that one drink with a
veteran in the school of Bacchus, begets a thirst for another, and so it
happened with the British soldier on the present occasion. He drank and
loitered until the guard had got some distance ahead of him, and in the
meantime, became rather careless of horse, gun and prisoner. A drunken
man is very much inclined to be liberal and unsuspecting, but the veteran
of Mars, as well of Bacchus did not for a moment apprehend an attempt at
escape, from a lad of Eddins' age and apearance. He was, however, mistaken
for once, and the young prisoner, watching his opportunity, seized hold
of the soldier's musket, mounted his own horse, and rode off rather too
fleetly to be overtaken.
"In this manner, William Eddins made his escape from a long and loathsome
confinement, which befell the other prisoners. He made direct for home,
to inform his mother of the capture and imprisonment of his father. The
night that he reached home, he took the precaution to hide his gun in an
old hollow log, secure from the weather as well as the search of the Tories.
He had not been long in bed with a younger brother when the house received
a visit from the Tories. William and his brother secreted themselves between
the bed and the wall, but not so as to elude the search of the Tories.
After rummaging and looking about for some time, they discovered the feet
of the two boys, and were in the act of pulling William out by the heel,
when his mother said to them,—'do let the children alone.' They inferred
from this expression and the appearance of the boys covered up in part
by the bed that they were much younger and smaller than they actually were.
In a short time the Tories left, and as they were going off, William, who
was ever ready for an adventure, no matter how hazardous, determined to
get up, take his gun from the hollow log. and give them a shot as they
were going around the swamp not far off. His mother and brother did all
they could to dissuade him, but in vain. He did as he had determined, and
made his escape in safety, what effect his fire had is not known.
"In a few days after this, William joined Gen. Pickens, and marched
with him into the Cherokee nation. They came very near the Indian town,
and sent a couple of spies to reconnoitre. They returned and reported that
the town was deserted. William Eddins was one of these selected for this
purpose. Gen. Pickens then ordered thirteen of his soldiers to go and burn
the houses. They crossed a little river, which separated the army under
Pickens from the Indian town, and were marching carelessly on the summit
of the hill, on which the town stood, when they received a shot fire from
the Indians. 'It appeared,' said one of the company, 'as if the point of
the hill was a blaze of fire.' Two young men, who were some distance ahead
of the others, fell from their horses. The detachment then retreated and
formed for the purpose of resisting until assistance could come from the
opposite side of the river. The horses of the two young men who fell, ran
to the river, and there remained. There was a constant firing kept up between
the Indians and the Whites. In the midst of this firing, Eddins saw the
young men who were wounded rise up, and remain in a sitting posture. He
knew from that they were not so badly wounded as it was supposed, and immediately
requested permission of Capt. Maxwell to attempt their rescue from danger.
The Captain pointed out to him the peril of the enterprise, but consented
for him to go, if he saw proper to do so. Instantly he caught their horses,
rode to where they were, and assisted them in mounting, which they were
able to do. The three then made their escape to the little detachment,
which was by this time reinforced by the greater part of Gen. Pickens'
army. As they got on their horses, one of the young men received two balls
through the back of his coat but sustained no injury. The Indians were
immediately routed and the town laid in ashes.
"William Eddins continued with Gen. Pickens until the close of the war, and he was left pennyless, and so was his father. During the ravages of the Revolution he endured much of the suffering and hardships of the American Revolution. When the country was restored to peace, he commenced farming, and made a crop of tobacco, which the old man often tells, without a horse. He is yet living near Huntsville, Alabama, upwards of seventy years of age, and has been a Baptist preacher, more than forty years. With the same zeal, sincerity, and boldness, with which he served his country in his younger days has he served his God in his old age and riper manhood."—B. F. P.
EDWARDS. JOHN, aged 82, and a resident of Perry County; private, N.C. Militia; enrolled on September 26, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance, $75; sums received to date of publication of list, $225.—Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., 1st sess., 1833-34.
ELETT, JARVIS, aged 75, resided in Lawrence County, June 1, 1840, with Jon. Wilson. Census of Pensioners, 1841, p. 148. ELLIDGE, ABRAHAM, aged 74, and a resident of Lawrence County; private, S.C. Militia; enrolled on October 19, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832 ,payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance, $30; sums received to date of publication of list, $90.—Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., 1st sess., 1833-34. He resided in Lawrence County, June 1, 1840, aged 80. Census of Pensioners, 1841, p. 148. ELLIOTT, ELIZABETH KNOX, (1750-1852), a patriot (in S.C.) during the Revolution, molded bullets, provided clothing and carried messages for the soldiers. She was born in Ireland; died in (Moundville), Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.--D.A.R. Lineage Book, Vol. 126, page 65. ELLIOTT, JOHN, aged 79, and a resident of Morgan County; private, N.C. Militia; enrolled on July 10, 1834, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance, $80.—Revolutionary Pension ROII, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., 1st sess., 1833-34.
ELMORE, JOHN ARCHER. Elmore County was named in honor of Gen. Elmore. He was deservedly popular for his "candor, good sense and sociability."
He was buried in the old family burying ground at the old homestead,
"Huntington," in Elmore County. The following inscription is upon his tombstone:
IN
Memory of
GEN. JOHN ARCHER ELMORE,
who was born in
Prince Edward County, Va.,
August the 21st, 1762,
and died in
Autauga County, Ala.,
April 24th, 1834,
aged 71 yrs. 8 mos. & 3 days.
He was a soldier of the Revolution
in the Virginia Line
and afterwards a member of the Legislature
of So. Ca., and a General in
the militia.
He was a member of the Legislature of
Alabama
and filled various other offices of Honor and Trust
in both States.
He was an affectionate husband,
a kind and indulgent father,
a humane master,
A devoted friend, and a
patriotic citizen.>
"General John Archer Elmore was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia,
Aug. 21, 1762, and died in Autauga County, Alabama, April 24, 1834. He
entered the Revolutionary service, a mere lad, in Greene's command in the
Virginia line; was with him in his tour through the Carolinas, and with
him at the surrender at Yorktown. This is shown by the archives in Washington;
O'Neal's Bench and Bar of South Carolina, vol. ii, pp. 85, 88, and
Brewer's Alabama, p. 109. After the Revolution he settled in Laurens
district, South Carolina, and resided there many years, during which time
he was often a member of the legislature. He moved to Autauga County, Alabama,
in 1819 and served one term in the house of representatives from this County.
His first wife was Miss Saxon, by whom he had two sons: Hon. Franklin
H. Elmore, of South Carolina, who succeeded Mr. Calhoun in the United States
Senate, and Benjamin F. Elmore, treasurer of South Carolina. His second
wife, Miss Ann Martin, was a member of the famous Martin family of South
Carolina, and descended also from the Marshall family of Virginia, and
from Lieutenant Nathaniel Terry, of Virginia. By this second marriage there
were five sons and several daughters. One of the daughters married Gov.
Benj. Fitzpatrick, another married Hon. Dixon H. Lewis of Lowndes; another
married Dr. J. T, Hearne, of Lowndes, and she is still (1904) living in
Montgomery. The sons were Hon. John A. Elmore, a distinguished lawyer in
Montgomery; William A. Elmore, a lawyer in New Orleans since 1835, superintendent
of the mint until the outbreak of the war, and who died in Philadelphia
in 1891; Capt. Rush Elmore, who commanded a company in the Mexican war
and was territorial judge of Kansas; Henry Elmore, who was probate judge
of Macon County prior to the war, and who afterwards moved to Texas; Albert
Elmore, of Montgomery, Secretary of State in 1865 and collector of customs
in Mobile under President Johnson."—Mrs. P. H. Mell in Transactions,
of the Alabama Historical Society, Vol. iv, pp. 541-2.
EMBREY, JOSEPH—Born 1753 in South Carolina and died after 1850 in Coosa County, Ala. The name of Joseph Embie appears on the February 3, 1804, Oglethorpe County, Ga., lottery list as a Revolutionary soldier. This list is in the Ordinary's office of the county. The name of Joseph Embrey, R.S., appears on the Land Lottery List, 1827, as residing in Holloway's District, Oglethorpe County, Ga. The Talladega County, Ala., census of 1840 lists him as having in his household only himself, aged between eighty and ninety. The Coosa County, Ala., census of 1850 lists him as age ninety-seven, born in South Carolina, and in the household of Joseph Tuck, age forty-six, born in Virginia, and Safrah Tuck, aged forty, born in Georgia. The inference to be drawn is that Joseph Embry was the father of Sarah Tuck. In the old Shiloh Baptist Churchyard Cemetery, about eight miles west of Alexander City, on the old Alexander City-Nixburg road we find the following inscriptions:
Sacred to the Memory of Sarah Consort of Joseph Tuck and mother of Mary S. Thoma s who was born January 17, 1810 and died August 31, 1857; and Sacred to the Memory of Mary S. Consort of A. J. Thomas, and daughter of Joseph and Sarah Tuck who was born March 8, 1828 and died June 18, 1863.
There is no monument over Joseph Tuck. In the same rock wall inclosure there is another grave with native stones stacked rooflife which is probably the grave of Joseph Embrey.—Information from Leon A. Nolen, Birmingham, Ala.
ENGLAND, WILLIAM, a resident of Perry County and later of Dallas; private, particular service not shown; enrolled on March 16, 1835, under act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from March 4, 1831; annual allowance, $30.—Pension Book, State Branch Bank, Mobile.
EVANS, ROBERT (1744-1848) enlisted, 1776, in Col. Edward Stevens' 10th Virginia regiment. He died in Alabama.-- D.A.R. Lineage Book, Vol.102, page 24.
EVANS, ROBERT. Born in 1744, resided in Virginia during the Revolution, died at the age of 104, in 1848. In Virginia Regiment in Capt. Richard Steven's Company. His grave was marked in 1929 by the Cherokee Chapter of Selma.--Military Records War Dept. 216-1-5, Vol. 2, p. 105; also O Vol. 4, p. 171; Vol. S, 1, p. 157.
EVANS, OWEN, aged 78, and a resident of
Morgan County; corporal, S.C. Continental Line; enrolled on September 17,
1825, under act of Congress of March 18, 1818; payment to date from November
4, 1825; annual allowance, $96; sums received to date of publication of
list, $128.—Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514, 23rd
Cong., 1st sess.,1833-34. Return to Revolutionary Soldiers in Alabama mainpage
Updated: January 21, 2011 http://www.archives.alabama.gov/al_sldrs/e_list.html |
