|
REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS
in ALABAMA
Source: Revolutionary Soldiers in
Alabama
Being a List of Names, Compiled from Authentic
Sources, of Soldiers of the
American Revolution, Who Resided in
The State of Alabama
Montgomery, Ala.
The Brown Printing Company
Printers and Binders,
1911
SAMUEL EARLE, aged
75, and a resident of Washington county; private Virginia
Continental Line; enrolled on Jan. 5, 1833, under act of
Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from Mar. 4, 1831;
annual allowance, $80; sums received to date of publication of
list, $200.
- Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514,
23r Cong., 125 sess., 1833-34 |
BENJAMIN EDDINS.
"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 east 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
out-houses, 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
of the station. The object of this visit was, to employ
Eddins as a pilot for the foraging parties of the British
army. He had a great while been living in that part of the
county, 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, and 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 officers, 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 immediately 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. |
WILLIAM EDDINS,
aged 70, and a resident of Madison county; dragoon Virginia
Militia; enrolled on Aug. 12, 1833, under act of Congress of
June 7, 1832, payment to date from Mar. 4, 1831; annual
allowance, $100; sums received to date of publication of list,
$200. - Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen.
Doc. 514, 23rd Cong., 1st sess. 1833-1834.
The Greenville Mountaineer, Greenville, S. C.,
June 27, 1835, has an interesting sketch of the services of
Mr. Eddins. It wa 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 appearance. He was, however, mistaken for once, and
the young prisoner, watching his opportunity, seized hold of the
soldier's musket, mountetd 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 befel 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 rumaging 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, Williams, 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
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. |
JOHN EDWARDS, aged
82, and a resident of Perry county; private N. C. Militia;
enrolled on Sept. 26, 1833, under act of Congress of June 7,
1832, payment to date from Mar. 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. |
JARVIS ELLETT, aged
75, resided in Lawrence county, June 1, 1840, with Jon.
Wilson.
- Census of Pensioners, 1841, p. 148. |
ABRAHAM ELLIDGE,
aged 74, and a resident of Lawrence county; private S. C.
Militia; enrolled on Oct. 19, 1833, under act of Congress of
June 7, 1832, payment to date from Mar. 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. |
JOHN ELLIOTT, 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 Mar. 4, 1831; annual allowance, $80.
- Revolutionary Pension Roll, in Vol. xiv, Sen. Doc. 514,
23rd Cong., 1st sess., 1833-34. |
JOHN ARCHER ELMORE.
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,
17962,
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
Brewers 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 his second marriage
there 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 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 |
WILLIAM ENGLAND, a
resident of Perry county and later of Dallas; private,
particular service not shown; enrolled on Mar. 16, 1835, under
act of Congress of June 7, 1832, payment to date from Mar. 4,
1831; annual allowance, $30.
- Pension Book, State Branch Bank, Mobile. |
OWEN EVANS, aged
78, and a resident of Morgan county; corporal S. C. Continental
Line; enrolled in September 17, 1825, under act of Congress of
Mar. 8, 1818; payment to date from Nov. 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. |
|
