THE GEORGIA REFUGEES
Biographical Information
Original Members
The following is a small listing of Wilkes County and Georgia Refugee
militiamen (and associated women) and some information about them, gathered
from various sources on the Internet.
Obviously, there were many more who served who are not listed here, so
if you know of any additional members (serving from the years 1775-1783)
who should be listed, please contact THE GEORGIA REFUGEES at atoglesb@bellsouth.net. Please provide a web address to get us to
the information, or send the information in your email. PLEASE NOTE, we are relying upon the
individual researchers to insure the accuracy of this list, so if any mistakes are
noted, use the reference link to contact the source to let them know of any
corrections, and drop us a line, too, so that we can make our own
corrections.
Also note that the listing includes members of the militia from all over
Wilkes County, not just Cunningham’s Company or Dooly’s Regiment. Many are listed as having served with Elijah
Clarke.
Clarke’s certifications of various men as having served under him has
come under some scrutiny among scholars, along with some of the land claims in
which he was involved. This is due in
part to the possibility of fraud in parceling out land warrants and lottery
lands, and due to some confusion regarding to whom land could be granted. A citizen with no military service could be
awarded a land grant basically for not hindering the troops or other rebel
enterprises. There are many such
applications certified by Clarke, but simply because he certified them does not
mean that person was a soldier.
Further, soldiers from outside of Georgia who served under Clarke were
awarded land. Therefore, there may be
some questions about whether the men listed as having served with him actually
did. We have decided to go ahead and
include them on this list if the source states they were Georgia soldiers or
serving in the Georgia militia, until such time as their service can be
disproved.
Thanks to all for your assistance,
Terry Oglesby, Adjutant
Last Updated January 29, 2002
Alexander
(?-?) and John Awtrey
(?-January 2, 1788)—Officers in the Wilkes County Militia under Clarke. (This Alexander and John are probably the same persons as John and Alex Owtry
listed in the muster roll further below.)
http://www.pone.com/ts/rw002.htm
Richard
Aycock (1739?-1786?)—Wilkes
County survey chain carrier, magistrate, justice of the peace, sheriff, married
the widow of Dempsey Hinton, and was present at the Battle of Kettle Creek.
http://www.familyhistoryhouse.com/Research/Research%20A-G/Aycock/richard.htm
George
Barber (1737?-1822)—Lieutenant
and later captain in Wilkes County Militia under Clarke.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~dmorgan/revol.html
Andrew
Bankston (1754-18?)—Private under
Clarke and Williamson.
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~gormleym/bankston/d175.htm#P175
William Black—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Richard
Burton (1735-1800)—Served under
Clarke in Georgia. No mention of wife’s
violet eyes.
http://dubbie.tripod.com/wonder/dar1.html
Micajah Brooks—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Isham Burke—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Robert Carr (1745?-March? 1779)—Captain under Dooly. Killed by Indians near Beaver Dam Creek while
on furlough.
http://www.gnbi.com/REGAN/maillist/Msg317.htm
Elijah Clarke (1733-December 15, 1799)—Nice capsule history of Clarke,
including a short bit on his postbellum establishment of the independent
Republic of Georgia (Trans-Oconee Republic).
http://home.earthlink.net/~cajunboy/ThePatriot/people/clarke.html
Hannah Harrington Clarke—The Heroine of the Hornet’s
Nest. Nice article about the life of
Elijah Clarke’s wife by Beverly
L. Pack.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nwa/Clarke.html
Francis Coleman—Served under Clarke in Georgia.
http://dubbie.tripod.com/wonder/dar1.html
Thomas Connell, Sr. (1743?-1838?)—Served in the North Carolina Continental
Line, emigrated to Wilkes County and served in Captain James Hawkins
company. Participated in the sieges of
Augusta and Savannah.
http://www1.iwvisp.com/cmwood/CONSOUTH.htm
John Crutchfield of
Fortunatus, b. 2-17-1748 in Hanover County, Va., died 4-3-1811, in Green
County, Ga.—His name, along with Wm. Crutchfield (a brother or cousin) appears
in the Wilkes County, Georgia Court Minutes in 1779, in a service related
matter. It seems Cols. Dooly & Pickins dispatched John and William
into the British camp as spies, whereupon they were captured and had some
explaining to do. Contributed to
Susan Gay-Peterson’s Glynn County, GA Website by Richard
Crotwell a
Crutchfield descendant. http://petersnn.org/petersnn/revwar.htm
William Crutchfield—All
information points to this as being the man who was tried for treason at the
Aug. 1779 Term of Wilkes County, Georgia Court, found guilty, and sentenced to
be hanged Sept. 6, 1779. John was apparently acquitted. From
Susan Gay-Peterson’s Glynn County, GA Website, http://petersnn.org/petersnn/revwar.htm
John Cunningham—The second namesake of our
group, and again a person for whom little is listed on the Internet. Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
James Combs—Third Company of Wilkes County Militia (this is possibly a
post war listing—clarifications would be greatly appreciated-the Adj.)
http://www.combs-families.org/combs/records/ga-wilk.htm#earliest
Austin
Dabney—Learn about a gambler,
horse breeder, free man of colour, and Georgia Refugee in this great article by
Carole E. Scott. Also read a bit about
one of his contemporaries, Mammy Kate.
http://www.westga.edu/~cscott/dabney.html
William Daniell—Appears to have been in service in Wilkes County
as a private under Clarke.
http://northernwinds.freeservers.com/daniell.html
John Dooly—The namesake of our recreated group,
but for whom little is available on the Internet. Listed on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
William
Evans (1746-1806)—Served under
Clarke as a lieutenant.
http://www.combs-families.org/combs/marriage/dar-100.htm
Ebenezer
Fain (August 27, 1762-December
29, 1842)—Born in Pennsylvania, fought in Virginia, South Carolina, and finally
with Captain Cunningham’s Company. Good
information.
http://128.192.6.113/MyTestPage/faindocs.htm
William
Fitzpatrick (1744-1823)—Served as
a lieutenant under Clarke.
http://users.erols.com/someday/Fitzpatrick.html
Owen Fluker—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
William Freeman—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Charles,
William, and Benjamin Geeslin—Names
only, with the information that they served in the Wilkes County Militia. We are awaiting more word from Mattie Thomas,
the person who submitted the names (and possibly a distant cousin—she has an
Oglesby in her lineage).
Charles Gent—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Jesse
Gordon (October 3, 1755-August
27, 1850)—Detailed letter to an U.S. Senator from Illinois noting Gordon
enlisted and fought under several different officers, including Gunnell.
http://www.iltrails.org/jackson/gordltr.htm
Daniel
Gunnell(s) (1740?-1806)—Listed as
Capt. 2nd Co. 4th Battalion, Wilkes County, 28 Oct 1777. Fought at Kettle Creek, Feb 14 1779. Listed as Wilkes Co Regiment,
Ga. Militia (140 men), Wilkes Dragoons—Captain Daniel Gunnell.
http://www.uftree.com/UFT/WebPages/JamesFGunnells/GUNNELLS/d0/i0000026.htm
Robert Hamilton (?-1810)—Submitted by descendant Carol
Whitehead; was a member of
the Georgia assembly and a Colonel in the Sons of Liberty. He was one of the
leaders in the tarring and feathering of the Colonial Governor Brown. He lived
in Wilkes and Morgan County (AL) after the war and died in 1810 in Morgan Co.
William Hammett—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Nancy Morgan Hart—aka Wahatchee, the War Woman. Large webpage devoted to another of the
larger-than-life women of Wilkes County. (They all seem to have been
giantesses!)
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/6651/
James Hays—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Jesse Faulkner Heard (1749 Virginia-1803 Wilkes Co).—Fought with
Elijah Clarke as a rifleman.
http://familyclan.net/hunterjessei.htm
Dempsey Hinton (?-1779)—Died defending a fort near Kettle Creek
http://www.familyhistoryhouse.com/Research/Research%20A-G/Aycock/richard.htm
Absalom Hooper—Originally enrolled in the South Carolina Continental Line, captured
at Charleston, escaped and fled to Georgia to fight under Clarke in Gunnell’s
company.
http://www.fscompass.com/hooper/ahfdpnsn.html
Jesse Hooper—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Lambeth Hopkins (1741?-1798)—Believed by some to be a brother of the elder Dennis,
and who had been a sworn chain carrier in the 1756 survey for a Granville Grant
of 200 acres to John Hopkins. Later he was in Montgomery County, NC. Still
later, covering at least some of the Revolution years (1776-1783) he was in
Wilkes County, GA, and served during the war in a company of Georgia Militia.
He received several land grants -- some for his Revolutionary service -- and
acquired fairly large landholdings.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jvoran/hopkins/lambeth.htm
There is also a listing at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~ahopkins/ga-Clarke1.htm
which contains a copy of the muster roll of Captain Carr’s Company from 15
September to 15 October, 1778, in which Hopkins and many more men are
listed. This list was found in the book
Georgia’s
Roster of the Revolution by Lucian L. Knight. If any of you have any information about these men, please
contact us:
John Owtry, first Lieut
George Runnels, second Lieut
Zachariah Henderson, Sargt
Lambert Hopkins
Robert Trapp
Saunders Walker
John Coats
Black Sanger
Alix Owtry, Ser
William Hopkins
Tunstall Roan
Wm. Jackson
Henry Summerill
Moses Trapp
Luke John Morgan
Asa Morgan
John F. Fling
Robert Hammott, Ser
Robert Hammot jr.
Wm. Phillips
Wm. Ellis
Fredrick Ellis
Edwd Hammett
Jacob Owtry
Jacob Williams
Isaac Williams
Dennis Maddod (sic)
George Bagby
Jonathon Higgin
Robert McNaon (sic)
Thomas Norton
Alex Owtry
John Phillips, Ser
Benjamin Phillips
Wm Young
Daniel Young
On January 26, 2002 we received a very
nice e-mail from one of Lambeth’s relatives, Mr. Harold Hopkins. With his kind permission, we post the
following information. This was taken
directly from his e-mail and has been edited only slightly for content.
“I've read your paper on
the Georgia Refugees. I'm going to list below the website of Judy Voran, a
descendant of Lambeth. Here's the URL
for the Index of Hopkins, which includes other links to other members of the family
or families to which she is connected. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jvoran/hopkins/hopkinsfr.htm
If the John Hopkins in Orange Co. NC was a Quaker
when the county was formed in 1752, he may have been the last, because Lambeth
served in the Georgia militia unit in Wilkes Co. and his wife (Priscilla
Bankston) was a charter member of a Baptist church (Mars Hills Baptist Church
in Clarke Co. GA -- now Oconee Co.). Lambeth's presumed brother Dennis Hopkins
took an oath of fidelity to the NC colony, provided information for his
taxables, sold provisions (on credit) to the NC militias, and had a son who
served in a militia unit (and whose Quaker wife was excommunicated by the
Quakers for marrying a non-Quaker; i.e., marrying out of unity.)
The John Hopkins documented in Talbot Co. MD and
the John documented in Orange Co. NC were both illiterate, as was the NC John's
presumed son Dennis Hopkins (my ancestor), believed to be Lambeth's brother,
Dennis, but not Lambeth.
Lambeth and his eldest son William Hopkins (b.
1764) were serving together in Dooley's militia unit in 1778. when they
apparently were overrun by the British Army and fled, presumably with all or
most of the other members of the company. I believe that Lambeth probably
returned to Anson Co., NC. The area of Anson to which he returned had now
become Montgomery Co., NC. He was on a Montgomery Co. NC list of taxpayers in 1780,
I believe, but had returned to Georgia about 1785/86.
Several members of Dooley's outfit had been in
Anson County in the late 1760s and early 1770s before migrating into Wilkes Co.
GA. I suspect that some of them, including Lambeth, simply returned to
Montgomery Co. NC, which had earlier been part of Anson (Lambeth had been on an
earlier list of petitioners asking that a new county be formed from part of Anson,
and that's what happened).
Serving with Lambeth were William, his oldest son,
at about age 14; also several Owtrys (Autreys), including Alexander Autrey,
whose daughter Elizabeth married one of Lambeth Hopkins's older sons, John
Hopkins, b. 1769. The Autrey families were later members of the Mars Hill
Baptist Church in Clarke Co. This John Hopkins is Judy Voran's direct ancestor.
Around 1800 this John moved from Greene/Jackson/Clarke Co. GA to Shelbyville in
Bedford Co., Tennessee and c. 1813 bled to death from an arrow wound received
in the War of 1812.
I believe that
such people as the Autreys and others in the Dooley militia probably also
returned to Anson/Montgomery Co. NC at the same time Lambeth did, and they
probably corroborated each others' reports about continuing to fight the British armies from NC, qualifying
them for land bounties in GA. I suspect they took their families with them when
they fled. Since William was only 14 years old I don't know how much service he
could have provided in a guerilla type unit, but I believe he received a bounty
grant in 1789, Lambeth having received one earlier, in 1786, both in Washington
County. (one must be careful to distinguish this William Hopkins from another
William Hopkins 1773-1815 in Wilkes Co.). Lambeth's son William was in
Washington Co. and then Greene and Jackson and Clarke Counties and was a fairly
large land speculator and co-owner of a store, and died about 1847 in
Mississippi where he had migrated and was living with one of his sons (named
Dennis).
Well, I think the point
I wanted to make is that I believe Lambeth fled to Montgomery Co. NC (he may
have still owned land there) and that others formerly from this part of NC may
have fled with him. Dooley's list could be compared with a list of Georgia
bounties. South Carolina is, of course, a possibility, but if he took his family,
it would have been much more convenient to carry on his operations against the British
from his former place of residence.
Harold Hopkins”
Our profound thanks Mr.
Hopkins!
James Johnston—Possibly served under Clarke as a
sergeant.
http://www.geneoakes.com/genesancestry53.htm
Dr. Thomas Johnson (?-September 5, 1805)—Served at a
lieutenant under Clarke.
http://hometown.aol.com/hollwd/Betty.htm
Charles Jordan, II—Captain commandant of Fort Wells and
Fort Rogers, died at Augusta during second British attack. Sons Samuel, Dempsey and Charles III. http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/kettle/dempsey_and_samuel_jordan.htm
Charles Jordan, III (1764-August 1832)—Enrolled in Wilkes
County militia in 1780, son of Charles Jordan II, brother of Dempsey and Samuel
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/kettle/dempsey_and_samuel_jordan.htm
Dempsey Jordan (December 6, 1754-November 3,
1833)—Son of Charles Jordan, II and brother of Charles III and Samuel. Served under John McIntosh at Savannah,
1776-1778, then reenlisted with Elijah Clarke at Augusta.
http://www.orrellfamily.com/Members/BOB/BobALL/pafn97.htm and at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/kettle/dempsey_and_samuel_jordan.htm
Samuel Jordan (August 18, 1749-1835)—Son of Charles
Jordan, II and brother of Dempsey and Charles III, served at Fort Wells
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/kettle/dempsey_and_samuel_jordan.htm
Mammy Kate—Here is another, longer, article about Kate’s exploits from Beverly
L. Pack.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nwa/mammy.html
William Killgore, Sr. (?-1790)—Served
under Elijah Clarke
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~allenatk/kilgen.htm
Shadrack Kimbrough (many spelling variations) (176?-184?)—Served from the fall of Augusta to the
end of the war.
http://home.earthlink.net/~sks6/ga/shadk.html
John Lankford (1763?-184?)—Enlisted in the company of Captain Elijah Clarke, in the
Wilkes County Militia. On 7 April 1784
he was certified by General Clarke as a Revolutionary soldier entitled to
bounty land. On 11 December 1784 he received pay from the U.S. Government for
his services on an earlier expedition against the British in East Florida.
http://www.gate.net/~glang/johnlang.html
Fredrick Lawrence (?-1779)—Died some time after fighting at Kettle
Creek.
http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/users/l/a/w/Henry-H-Lawrence/?Welcome=983479796
Thomas Leverett (May 12, 1755-June 8, 1834)—A Baptist preacher, born in Wilkes County, served first as a Ranger, and in 1780, joined Captain John Clarke's Company at Columbia Court House. He served 18 months under Colonel Elijah Clarke, Josiah Dunn, and Samuel Alexander. He was honorably discharged. In 1781, he enlisted in the Georgia Continental Line, where he served for 3 years, until the close of the War. Also had nine brothers who also served.
http://familyclan.net/leverittthomas.htm
James Little—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
David Madden—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Jacob Mercer—(April 12, 1753-August 6, 1837)—Heard’s Company, Dooly’s Regiment
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/kettle/jacob_mercer.htm
Joseph Nail, Sr. —Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Joseph Nail, Jr.—Listed on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Benijah Noridyke—Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Dionysius Oliver (1735-1808)—Site states he served as captain of a
privateer, and fought at Kettle Creek and at King’s Mountain, later captured by
the British. After the war, founded the
town of Petersbourough. Hmm. Busy fellow.
http://www.flash.net/~johnsonl/edoliver.htm
William Thomas Riddle—Tory or patriot?
Good article from a Riddle family researcher. Included here because it is a good example of someone trying to
figure out history though very muddy glasses.
http://www.jimcal.com/v03is01.htm
Drury and Reuben Rogers—Brothers serving in Wilkes County under Clarke
http://home.att.net/~jemjr/i262.htm
Archibald Simpson—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Burnwell Smith—Major, Listed on the Kettle
Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
James (1725?-1799)
and Nathan (1751-1816) Smith—Father and son who served with
Elijah Clarke in Wilkes County. Thanks
to descendant Barron T. Smith for providing the names.
Peter Strozier—A
compelling court account given by his widow, Margaret in applying for a
pension. Mentions that her husband
fought at Kettle Creek, King’s Mountain, and other actions. Very interesting read.
http://www.genealogy.com/users/p/l/a/Jonathan-Plant/FILE/0008text.txt Also another portion of information can be
found at http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/kettle/strozier.htm
James and Phillip Summerhill—Brothers who came to Georgia as members of the Maryland Militia and
served under General Elijah Clarke (the particular battle is not listed) Also granted a land warrant, which was sold
to Clarke, and the brothers returned to Maryland. Note that there is also a Henry Summerill in the muster roll
above.
http://members.aol.com/ASRogers2/RevWar.html
Alexander Thompson (1739-1815)—A Refugee to Georgia serving under
Clarke at King’s Mountain.
http://dubbie.tripod.com/wonder/dar1.html
Benjamin Thompson—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
David H. Thurmond—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
George Tucker—Ranger with John Dooly, later spy and
soldier under Clarke’s command.
http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/users/j/o/h/Addie-Johnson/?Welcome=982964610
Levin Watson—A very full and complete pension
application given in 1833 detailing his service in Wilkes County, Georgia and
in South Carolina, and his affiliations with various commanders.
http://www.inct.net/~german/revwar/watson.htm
John Webb—Listed
on the Kettle Creek monument.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawilkes/roster.htm
Jacob Williams—Definitely NOT a Georgia
Refugee, but rather one of their prisoners.
The following witness can be found on The On-Line Institute for Advanced
Loyalist Studies (man, them Tories is a verbose bunch!) website:
“I do Certify that Some time in August
or beginning of September 1778 I heard that one Jacob WILLIAMS was taken
Prisoner Passing thro’ the upper parts of Georgia towards North Carolina, and
carried before one Colo. John Dooly, who had him Searched, and found him to be
an Officer in the Florida scout, which appeared by a Commission in his
possession.
Some days after I went to the Fort
w[h]ere he was confin’d and there saw him in Irons. I spoke with him &
advised him what was first to be done and in a few days after I heard he had
made his escape.
Thos. WATERS St. Augustine 14th May
1784”
http://www.royalprovincial.com/military/mems/nc/clmwilliams2.htm
James Williams—(1757-18?) Fought under Elijah Clarke at Kettle Creek.
http://www.familyorigins.com/users/m/c/l/Linda-Lee-Mclinn/FAMO1-0001/d134.htm
Micajah Williamson—Brief mention, with the notation that he fought
under Elijah Clarke (the nomenclature of the unit seems odd, so this may be a
bit inaccurate-the Adj.)
http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/kemp/v881.html
James Yarbrough—Served under a Colonel Samuel Jack and under Clarke. Many land grant records.
http://pages.prodigy.net/blankenstein/james.htm