Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
Found below info on NC Genweb re: their Rev War service together...(correlates with James and Thomas' Rev War pension declarations)...data seems to indicate they may have lived in/near Bladen Co NC at outbreak of Rev War...there was a Joseph Carothers early pioneer also in Bladen by ca 1750s...maybe some relationship? Worth checking out other names listed with them to see if any ties.
Bladen County, NC - The McRee Family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The McRee Family
By Jerome Tew
Captain Griffith John McRee was a Continental Officer from 1776 to 1798.
After the 1777 winter at Valley Forge and nine months as a POW in SC and
after the Battle Guilford CH and the Battle of Eutaw Springs, McRee was
promoted in rank to major at age 23.
His father was Samuel McRee. Samuel was the son of William Sr. and Dinah
McRee; he died in 1751 in Duplin and posted one of the first Duplin Wills.
William Sr. patented land in the Goshen area of New Hanover Co. NC in 1741.
This area was in Duplin Co. in 1750. William Jr. was a J. P. and was
elected Sheriff of Duplin Co. by 1753 and was perhaps the youngest sheriff
in North Carolina history.
William Jr. was born about 1727 in Ireland. He was a Captain in the militia
in 1754 and married Margaret Jones about 1755. William Jr. was an executor
for the will of his father; however, most everything was given to Samuel
McRee, who likely was the youngest of the children and born about 1730.
William Jr. sold land in Duplin in 1755 and 1776. I think Samuel, Robert,
and William moved to Bladen Co. about 1755 and likely at the time of their
marriage. All children in that family were born before 1741 when head-rights
listed 8 children in the family of William Sr. Other sons of William McRee
Sr. that drew RW pay vouchers were Robert and James McRee. These are also
in his will. William Jr. and William III drew 38 and Samuel and Griffith
John McRee drew over 50 RW pay vouchers.
Samuel’s son Griffith John McRee was born in Bladen Co. on 1 Feb 1758.
William Jr. continued in politics and was elected to the NC General Assembly
from 1773 to 1779. They then met in New Bern NC. William’s son was William
McRee III; he was High Sheriff of Bladen Co. NC from about 1786 to 1798.
This son was likely born about 1756. Samuel McRee was a Magistrate in Bladen.
Both Griffith John and William McRee III got schooling in Bladen as they
grew up. When Griffith was 18 the war started in North Carolina with the
Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge and at the plantation of widow Amy Moore.
The location then was in New Hanover Co., but now in Pender Co. and ten
miles from Duplin and now Sampson Co. NC. That battle was located just four
miles from Bladen County.
Documentation for placement of these two young men at the Moore’s Creek
Bridge is not found, 1000 colonial forces had assembled there to stop 1600
Tories from getting to Wilmington and joining the British Army as it entered
NC. The result was that the Tories received one of the worst defeats in
warfare history. Only John Grady of Duplin was lost on the Patriot side and
nearly 900 of the Tories were captured with 30 killed including leaders.
This battle on 26 Feb 1776 brought peace to NC for about four years.
Griffith John McRee was now 18 and with some education and connections from
his father and uncle, was appointed Captain on 16 April 1776 and assigned to
the 6th NC Battalion.
In 1777 he was assigned to Elizabethtown to recruit for the 6th NC Battalion
along the Cape Fear River. He soon learned that most of the young men had
already seen action and did not want to enlist for a year or three in the
army. He came up with a plan, since most of these men could not read and
write, he would recruit them for six months but post them for 3 years or
length of the war. His recruitment goals were met with ease.
However, when six months had expired, these men came looking for their
release from the army. They were told that there was no such term of duty
for six months in the regular army. Some men deserted and some complained to
the NC Assembly. Captain Griffith McRee was posted for court martial but no
record seen shows that it happened. However, he was moved north with the NC
army and was at Valley Forge PA by 8 September 1777. Captain Griffith John
McRee is listed in the published Papers of General George Washington.
Those listed in Captain McRee’s unit were Jesse Allen, Thomas Bellsire,
Nicholas Blanks, James Bradley, James Caruthers, Thomas Caruthers, John
Clark, John Cominger, Sgt. George Cummings, William Dennis, John Dixon, John
Donaldly, David Flynn, Marmaduke Hedgepeth, James King, John Lollord, Levi
Mallery, Joshua Martin, Abraham Meadows, Jonathan Melton, Abraham Mitchell,
Robert Nelson, William Norton, John Oyler, Joseph Reynolds, George Tradders,
Henry Vize, John Ward, Major Willard, and George Williamson. The above George
Cummings was listed as wounded and David Flynn as deserted. Captain McRee and
his men were in the Battle of Brandywine 9-11-77 and Germantown PA 10-4-77
and Monmouth NJ in 1778.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:No followups yet |
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/carothers/messages/829.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|