Micahah BROOKS updated timeline
I updated Micajah's Timeline to invite comparison with previously printed histories and included a transcription of his pension application because the locations he names are dates in American Rev. War history.For instance, I read that he went to war in 1780... not so.He is recorded at the Battle of Kettle Creek in Feb. 1779.He didn't move to GA and begin service... he was in North Carolina, etc. etc.
MICAJAH BROOKS, b. 25 Dec 1761, Orange (now Chatham) County, North Carolina; d. 15 Jun 1862, Paulding County, Georgia (Polk); m. (1) MARY HUNTER, Abt. 1784, Chatham County, North Carolina; b. Abt. 1761, Chatham County, North Carolina; d. Abt. 1838, Polk County, Georgia Hubbard-BROOKS Cemetery; m. (2) MARGARET T. CARTER, 27 Jun 1839, Paulding County, Georgia; b. 1808, Georgia; d. Aft. 1887, Cherokee County, Alabama.
TIMELINE MICAJAH BROOKS
By The Rev. Cynthia Forde, D. Min. 2005
25 December 1761 Birth - Orange (now Chatham County, North Carolina
1775: "He was an orphan boy age 14 yearsaccording to my mother…”
1776-1778 Estimated date of enlistment based on pension application,
“State of Georgia - Served as a Scout under Few in Wilkes, now Warren. "fites"
Chased Indians who were stealing horses near Joe's Creek. Entered service under George Barber, Elijah Clarke was second in command. Clarke sent Barber and Thomas Ramsey as spies to ascertain the number of Tories, they went and returned to the main body and reported that there were seven or eight hundred Tories and after hearing the probable number Col. Elijah Clark after haltingfor sometimeonaccount of the number of Tories he thensaidCol. Clarkfollowed on after them and came up on them (after darkin the first part of the night) where Kettle Creek and LittleRiver runtogether and after coming on them, Col. Clark firedonthe Tory Sentinels and they run off in every direction and left their horses provisions and plunder in the hands of Col. Clark andhis men during the time, there were three Tories killed and they shot backand killed a Captain belonging to Col. Clark'scommandby thenameof Anderson from South Carolina he thinksthoughnot certainas to his name or place from whence he was;Anderson from South Carolina was killed.
PENSION TRANSCRIPTION
Transcribed by The Rev. Cynthia Forde, D. Min, 2004:
BROOKS, Micajah
Margaret T.
Service: Georgia
South Carolina
Born in North Carolina
# W.27, 694
Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Application Files.
State of Georgia
County of Paulding
On this nineteenth day of August in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and fifty personally appeared in open court before the Inferior Court of Paulding County and State of Georgia, now sitting Micajah BROOKS, Sr., a resident of the County of Paulding, and State of Georgia, in the County of Paulding and State of Georgia aged eighty-nine years who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7 1832:
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.That he was an orphan boy (and his mother said was in his fourteenth year of age) and was hired out to widow woman by the name of Locklin (sic)in the State of North Carolina and was sent by her to Ramsour's Mill and while he was at the mill Benjamin Few came then in company with twenty or thirty others, and came to him, and slapped him on his head, and said to him (? my "brick or buck" don't you want to go with me and serve your country and he answered gladly if he had the chance and then told the said Few his situation, said Few then got the MILLER to send the horse and bug. back to the widow Locklin and he then came on with Few to the State of Georgia and served under the said Few as a scout for a considerable length of time, but does not now know orrecollect how long on the frontiers of Georgia and was sometimes in fites (sic) that while he served as a scout under said Few in formerly Wilkes, but now Warren County in said State of Georgia,they got after some Tories, who had been stealing horses and clothing and they had a spyor head of the main body of scouts after the Tories by the name of Mclarty, who overtook them upon the waters of Joes Creek, then were two Tories and when the rest of the scouts came up with Mclarty he had killed both of the Tories, the Tories had stopped. (?Came then had been a vain)? and even drying them when Mclarty overtook them.
After he leftFew he entered the service, but does not recollectat the time he entered nor the time he left the services, that he never had received any education; he was a young and wild boy and never paid any attention to dates.
Next, he entered the service under George Barber Captain and Elijah Clark was second in command.He entered the service in the County of Wilkes in the State of Georgia as a volunteer, that while he was under the last mentioned officers in said County of Wilkes they got in pursuit of some Tories and said Clarke sent Captain George Barber and Thomas Ramsey as spies to ascertain the number of Tories, they went and returned to the main body and reported that there were seven or eight hundred Tories and after hearing the probable number Col. Elijah Clark after haltingfor sometimeonaccount of the number of Tories he thensaidCol. Clarkfollowed on after them and came up on them (after darkin the first part of the night) where Kettle Creek and LittleRiver runtogether and after coming on them, Col. Clark firedonthe Tory Sentinels and they run off in every direction and left their horses provisions and plunder in the hands of Col. Clark andhis men during the time, there were three Tories killed and they shot backand killed a Captain belonging to Col. Clark'scommandby thenameof Anderson from South Carolina he thinksthoughnot certainas to his name or place from whence he was;
After he entered the service under the above named officers hemarched from Tugaloe River to the mouth of Kettle and Little River in the saidCountyof Wilkes and from there to Newsom's Fortinnow WarrenCounty said State of Georgia and after remainingtwo or three weeks at said Fort, he was discharged.
After his said discharge from under said officers he went to the State of South Carolina with the intention of returning to his Mother in North Carolina and while in the State of South Carolina in Edgefield District Stephanis Creek, Abraham Redick was drafted, and he the said Micajah BROOKS entered the service as a substitute for the said Abraham Redick does not recollect the day nor the year, but it was in the month of March, he entered the service as such a substitute three months, he entered as such a substitute under the following named officers To Wit, Bartley Martin was his Captain, Nobles was his Major does not recollect said Nobles Christian name and Leroy Hammons was his Colonel, they marched from Stephanis Creek in Edgefield District South Carolina to Orangeburg (Orangeburg, SC, May 11, 1781) in Edish River and remained there for several days and there were joined by Robucks and Fane with two companies, they then marched to General Greens camp on Podyister River twenty two miles from Charleston in said State of South Carolina belonging to General Greens Army at that time were General Lee and Colonel Washington, he remained there with General Greens Army until the expiration of the three months and was discharged.
At that time, then he was with General Greens Army he understood that British were in possession of Charleston in South Carolina and Sullivan Island after he was discharged out of Captain Martin's Company, he the said Micajah BROOKS returned to Wilkes county in the State of Georgia he there joined Captain John Hills Company, who were in possession of Hills Fort on Long Creek then Wilkes County but now Warren County in the State of Georgia.Does not recollect the day, month, or year that he joined Captain John Hills Company after joining said last mentioned company, he remained in said fort for some length of time and said Captain John Hill resigned and Joseph Mimms succeeded him in the command of said company, he then remained in said Fort under Captain Joseph Mimms for some time, does not recollect how long, and Captain Mimms started out of the Fort to get his horse to go to Colony.Samuel Alexander who was stationed on the head waters of Oguche River in Wilkes County in said State for the purpose of getting some ammunition, and said Captain Mimms went out of said fort and got his horse and so wore (sic) as he the said Captain Mimms got his horse and the Indians rose up between the said Captain Mimms and the Fort and ran him a little around the fort and shot and killed him and scalped him.
He saw Captain Martins (sic) shortly after the death of said Captain Mimms, Captain John Wilson came by said Fort with a draged company on his way to join Col. Elijah Clark of the State of Georgia and General Andrew Pickins of the State of South Carolina at Washington Wilkes County in the State of Georgia and when said Captain John Wilson came to said last mentioned fort there was a man in his company by the name of Dempsey Toler, who was very much opposed to going on with Captain John Wilson and by the amount of said Captain Wilson he the said Toler took place of him the said Micajah BROOKS and the said Micajah BROOKS went on with said Captain Wilson and at now-Washington- in said Wilkes County in said State joined said Colonel Clark and said General Pickins and marched thence through the Cherokee Country in the State of Georgia and marched as far as Tennessee River and up and down said river and through said nation of Indians and burnt all most all of their houses and towns and got a great deal of property such as Negroes, horses, blankets and killed all the cows they saw, killed five Indians and three white men and brought back a good many prisoners; after marching through said Nation of Indians they returned to Gernel's (?_) fort on Sandy Creek in said State of Georgia, there General Pickins left with his Command for South Carolina and Captain John Wilson marched to Columbia County in the State of Georgia and there discharged his company.They were all mounted men that went as above stated through Cherokee Nation.
After the said Micajah BROOKS was discharged in Columbia County from the said Captain John Wilson and company, he the said Micajah returned back to Hills Fort in the said County of Wilkes and then resumed his place in said fort and discharged the said Dempsey Toler, Stephen Bishop was then Captain in (voine ?) of the said Joseph Mimms.
After his return to said fort he the said Micajah went to the siege of Augusta under the command of Samuel Beckam as Captain.Augusta in the State of Georgia was then in possession of the British (sic) commanded by General Grierson (sic) and Colonel Brown, after he the said Micajah went to the siege of Augusta he was called off to go into the upper part of Wilkes County in the state of Georgia to take care of women and children and collect them together at Robert Harpress(sic) in said county, he remained as said Harpress until just before the surrender of Augusta and returned just before the surrender of Augusta in the state of Georgia and was there at the surrender, the British marched out after the surrender and left the Tories in the hands of the Whigs who slaughtered them without mercy.
He there saw the Brittish General Greeson killed, he was shot in the upper part of a loghouse in a place something like a balcony by a Whig whose name was James Alexander, who had been a prisoner of General Grierson and during his imprisonment mistreated by him, said James Alexander was in disguise when he shot General Grierson.
After the surrender of Augusta Micajah remained in Augusta for a considerable length of time as a guard under Captain David MILLER and Major Collins ( not not recollect his given name_.
In answer to the interrogatories proposed by the Justices of the Inferior Court.
To the First Interrogatory, Micajah BROOKS answers that he was born in Chatham County in the State of North Carolina.
To the Second Interrogatory,he answers that he has no Record of his age, his mother told him that it was burnt up with his grandfather's house and she informed him that he was born on the same day that Dennis (sic) Mc Sevin was born and in the same settlement and that if he could see him he could tell him his age,He saw him and from what said Dennis Mc Sevin told him he will be eighty nine years old the twenty fifth of next December.
To the Third Interrogatory, he answers that he was living in Chatham County North Carolina when he entered the service of the United States.After he left the service of the United Stated he lived three years in the State of North Carolina since which time he has lived in the State of Georgia in various counties.That he is now a resident of Paulding County in the State of Georgia.
The answer to the Fourth Interrogatory, he has answered in the foregoing declaration - and also he has answered the Fifth in the foregoing.
In answer to the Sixth he states that he was always a private soldier.
To the Seventh Interrogatory, he answers that Augusta Young, Silas Mccrady, John Strong, Wilson Whatley, BROOKS M. Willingham, Joseph Morgan, Sr.,Woodson Hubbard, Barnaby Pace, David Griffin and Elias P Hightower.(?)
To the best of his recollection he the said Micajah states the he served doing the Revolutionary War in the service of the United States at least two years but cannot as before stated being an illiterate man recollect the dates he served, the dates he left the service, but whilst he was in the service of the United States the British had possession of Charleston in the State of South Carolina and Savannah and Augusta in the State of Georgia .He also states that he has not documentary evidence to establish his claim.The certificate of the comptroller General of the State of Carolina of his having received pay for his time of service whilst a substitute for Abraham Redick in the United Statesservice in said State of South Carolina as before stated and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity, except this present and disclaims that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state,
Sworn and subscribed to me by this day and year aforesaid, Micajah X BROOKS. Source: Heritage Consulting, Salt Lake City, UT, copy in possession of Cynthia Forde.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
[Editor’s Note: I used Micajah's miltary documentation to create a timeline for the unknown whereabouts of John Brooks, Jr. and Jane May Brooks for the years 1776-1785. CForde]
Last recorded Chatham County, North Carolina records for John Brooks, Jr.:
16 MAY, 1771Battle of Alamance, (Alamance Creek) John BROOKS, Jr. survived.
John BROOKS, Jr. returned from the Battle of Alamance to Orange or Chatham County where he was a member of Capt. Willliam Burney’s regiment of Orange County Regulators, as were his brothers, Isaac and Lieut. James BROOKS.
2 October, 1771John BROOKS, Jr. and Jane MAY land sale, Chatham County, North Carolina, Pg. 78,John BROOKS and Jane, his wife, sell to Balsam (should be Baalam) Thompson200 acres on Middle Branch, joining John BROOKS, Sr., part of a grant that John BROOKS Sr., got from Lord Granville agents, on 23 MAY 1758 and sold to John BROOKS Sr. and then to John BROOKS Jr. 6 March 1764.
NO DOCUMENTATION UNTIL:
1785 Will of John May, Richmond County, Georgia
1788 Survey was ordered in for Jean BROOKS on a 250 acres tract of land in Wilkes County, Georgia on the Headright of Micajah BROOKS.She was on the 1791 & 1793 tax list of Wilkes County, Georgia.In 1793, she was taxed on 200 acres of land on Brier Creek.
READ MICAJAH’S PENSION APPLICATION CAREFULLY (HIS LOCATIONS CAN BE DATED)
1.) “I was in my fourteenth year (my mother told me)”December 25, 1761 Birthdate(probably enlistment was bet. Dec. 17761777could have been 1778)
2.)”He was an orphan boy”(John Brooks, Jr. was dead)
3.)”He was hired out to widow woman by the name of Locklin (sic)in the State of North Carolina and was sent by her to Ramsour's Mill”
(Ramsour’s Mill was in a part of Tyron County that became Lincoln County)a long ways from Chatham County. Where is Jane?
4.) “While he was at the mill Benjamin Few came then in company with twenty or thirty others, and came to him, and slapped him on his head, and said to him (? my "brick or buck" don't you want to go with me and serve your country?”(Few was recruitingas Few”s biography states,” in NC”)
5.) “Few then got the miller to send the horse and buggy back to the widow Locklin and he then came on with Few to the State of Georgia and served under the said Few as a scout for a considerable length of time, but does not now know or recollect how long on the frontiers of Georgia and was sometimes in fites (sic) that while he served as a scout under said Few in formerly Wilkes, but now Warren County.”
DATED LOCATIONS
Feb. 1779 Battle of Kettle Creek (Micajah is a recognized RWS participant).Why is this date important?Because this tells us that Micajah was in the service “for a considerable length of time” prior to Kettle Creek; this date also tells us that Micajah was not recruited at the Skirmish of Ramsour’s Mill which happened one year after Kettle Creek in 1780.
In between the Battle of Kettle Creek and the Battle of Orangeburg, SC Micajah went to SC, “with the intention of seeing my mother in North Carolina.”He did not get to North Carolina so we know he did not fight at the skirmish of Ramsour’s Mill in 1780, but instead, went to fight with Pickens and “Lighthorse” Harry Lee and moved with them to fight at Orangeburg:
5 May 1781Battle of Orangeburg SC (Micajah Participated) and returned to Georgia where he witnessed the death of Grierson near Charles Town.
Micajah told his children and grandchildren, “I did not return for seven years, they (his family of origin) thought I was dead.”
Summary Analysis, When I read the pension application,I found evidence of Jane May BROOKS location during the silent years 1771-1785.Applying logic and connecting dates to Micajah’s military history I offer the following:
1.) It is not probable (to me) that Jane Brooks moved to Georgia (then considered another country) in 1775 and left a 14 year old son, Micajah, in North Carolina.
2.) It is not probable (to me) that Micajah spent seven years (mostly in GA) and did not see Jane Brooks if she lived in Georgia.
3) There is a good possibility that Jane and John Brooks, Jr.or Jane and family moved to Tyron, County, now Lincoln County,near Ramsour’s Mill because we find Micajah there… “hired out to the Widow Locklin.”
4.) I don’t accept the traditional account, “Jane Brooks and Micajah moved to Georgia about 1775 where Micajah entered the service and was gone for seven years.”His pension application clearly tells us he was in Georgia.If Jane Brooks had moved to Georgia and was one of the 400 women moved to the Watauga Valley of North Carolina about 1780, Micajah would have said his mother was moved there because of the Georgia events.
1820 U.S. Federal Census Jasper County, Georgia - Monticello township - Pages 204-205
Micago [sic] (Micajah) BROOKS, head of household
1 male over 45 years old - Micajah
3 females 10-16 years old - Temperance, Laney & ?
1 female 16-26 years old -
1 female over 45 years old - Mary
1 engaged in agriculture
From Ancestry.com's Georgia Land Lottery, 1827 database, the following excerpt:
REPRINT of OFFICIAL REGISTER of LAND LOTTERY OF GEORGIA 1827
12TH DAY'S DRAWING-March 20.
HENRY.
page 34
Fortunate Drawers: Micajah BROOKS, R. S.,
Captains District: Allens
Number: 26
District: 24
County: Muscogee County
1830 U.S. Federal Census - Henry County, Georgia - Page 216
Micajah BROOKS, head of household
1 male 60-70 years old - Micajah
1 female 15-20 years old -Laney?
1 female 60-70 years old - Mary
From Whites Among the Cherokee; Georgia 1828-1838, collected and edited by Mary B. Warren and Eve B. Weeks, 1987, page 198:
Paulding County, Georgia Census, certified 6 November 1837, Micajah BROOKS listed with 2 living in household (listed just above his son, Elisha).
From Ancestry.com's Georgia Marriages to 1850 database, the following excerpt:
Georgia
Paulding County
BROOKS Carter, Micajah Margaret
Spouse: BROOKS, Micajah
Carter, MargaretMarriage Date: 27 Jun 1839
1850 U.S. Federal CensusPaulding County, Georgia - 950th District - Page 61August 26, 1850
Micajah BROOKS 85 (s/b 88) Farmer & (couldn't read) $851 North Carolina
Margaret BROOKS 42 Georgia
Carter BROOKS 7 Georgia
Green L. BROOKS 5 Georgia
1860 U.S. Federal CensusPolk County, Georgia - Yellowstone township - Page 209 July 14, 1860
Micajah BROOKS 104 (s/b 98) Infirm $1800 $200 North Carolina
Margaret BROOKS 53 Domestic Georgia
Carter BROOKS 17 Farmer Georgia
Green Lee BROOKS 14 Georgia
From Ancestry.com's American Revolutionary War Rejected Pensions database, the following excerpt:
Name:Micajah BROOKS
State:Georgia
Location:Van Wert, Paulding
Reason:For period, length and grade of service, and names of company and field officers, and a report from the records of the State under whose authority he served.
From the website ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ga/polk/cemeteries/
brooks.txt, the following tombstone inscription:
12/25/1761-6/15/1863 BROOKS, Micajah. Georgia & South Carolina lines -Revolutionary War the only known Rev War Vet buried in Polk County (new marker on grave, placed there in 1950 & then again around 1970 by the Wm Witcher Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution.)
Notes for MARGARET T. CARTER:
[Micajah BROOKS by Norris-Verbois.FTW]
Per email from Tom Thompson to Lisa Atkins and copied to me:
"Hi Lisa,
Margaret was still receiving a pension for Micajah's Rev War service in 1887 filed in Cherokee Co. Alabama."
More Replies:
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Re: Micahah BROOKS updated timeline
Cynthia Forde 4/23/05