From the information given on the various censuses of Granville Co., N.C., (1800-1830), we estimate that Benjamin Wheeler was born about 1755, probably in Granville Co. He married Winifred Turner on 14 Dec 1781 in Granville Co.
Without doubt, the search for affirmation that our Benjamin was a Revolutionary War Veteran was the most challenging, time-consuming, and intriguing one issue of this entire genealogy. Somehow it seemed terribly unreasonable to assume that a young Granville County, N.C. farmer, in the prime of life, in the middle of the conflict, would not have served. But it was not going to be so easy to prove.
At this point, I am going to deviate from my format and insert the notes I used to prove "our" Benjamin Wheeler's Revolutionary War service. In doing this, I hope to save others from years of research and disprove the theory that kept me from being able to say with authority that this is right.
Early on, several pieces of documentary evidence were obtained, all bearing the name "Benjamin Wheeler". However, none pointed a definitive finger at this Benjamin. In fact, in most instances, they seemed to point away from him.
Also complicating this search was a quirk of military history initiated against the N.C. Militia by General Nathanael Greene. There was also a serious inadequacy in the record keeping on the N.C. Revoutionary War veterans, both of the State Militia and of the "Continental Line". The term "Continental Line" more or less referred to the regular army.
Some of the problems are partially explained by the following excerpts taken from an article by Stephen A. Ralls, D.D.S., Ed.D., M.S.D., in his "A Case Study of the Tenth Regiment, N.C. Continental Line", in the May 1992 "North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal" Dr. Ralls' research reveals some intriguing insights into the records of the N.C. Revolutionary Soldier and may offer some explanations for part of our problems with Benjamin Wheeler.
"Editor's Introduction: In 1791 a "Register of the N.C. Continental Line": was compiled from military muster rolls and pay rolls. The compilers made a grave error, however, in grouping 'all rolls without regimental designation together' ...
Military records, aside from their obvious genealogical value, provide an important historical perspective to our research. Unfortunately, errors have occasionally been introduced leaving a legacy of misinformation and inaccuracy. Such is the case with the records of approximately five hundred soldiers who served during the closing years of the Revolutionary War and were erroneously listed in the Tenth Regiment of the North Carolina Continental Line. This complication became obvious early in my research of one soldier [James Ralls].
Review of Relevant History
1780, 12 May -- Virtually the entire N.C. Continental Line was captured at Charleston, S.C.
1781, 15 March -- The Battle of Guilford Courthouse was fought pitting General Nathanael Greene and the Southern Department of the American Army against Lord Charles Cornwallis and the British. The first line of the Americans consisted of 1,060 N.C. militia--besides officers. At least 600 of the militia enrolled for only six weeks which included their march to and from the field. Early into the fight, about 500 N.C. militia reportedly withdrew prematurely from their positions:
When the British were within rifle shot, the [North] Carolinians commenced a desultory fire
upon them. The British pressed steadily forward, when at a proper distance, they discharged their
guns, and with a loud shout rushed forward to a bayonet charge. The North Carolinians wheeled
and fled in great confusion, though not a man had been killed, or even wounded. Only a few of
General Eaton's men were exempt from the panic, and these, falling back upon Lee's legion and
Campbell's riflemen, maintained their ground well. Butler and Eaton, with Colonel Davie, the
commissary general, endeavored, but in vain, to rally the fugitives. Throwing away their muskets,
knapsacks, and even canteens, they rushed through the woods like frightened deer, until far
beyond the point of danger.
Six of the N.C. militia were killed, three were wounded, and 552 were missing. The missing militia, 'as is always the case with militia after a battle,' according to ['Lighthorse Harry'] Lee, might be found 'safe at their own firesides'. General Greene thereafter held the militia responsible for the loss of the battle. Thomas Baker presents a differing view:
Perhaps if Greene had been present during the first stage of the fighting he would have tempered
his judgement of the militia's performance. There were numerous testimonials to the North Carolinians'
effective resistance by participants who had been close to the scene.
British officers such as Sir Thomas Saumarez - ('The regiment marched to the attack under a most
galling and destructive fire ...') attested to the harsh receptions their regiments received from the
Americans, who also had praise for their first line militia. Samuel Houston recounted that some of the
Carolinians remained in position long enough to fire three rounds at the enemy before retiring. This
was truly service above and beyond the call of duty, for General Greene's orders directed the militia
to fire only two volleys before withdrawing. ...
... the North Carolina militia probably performed as well as could reasonably have been expected. As
Capt. Anthony Singleton, a Continental officer who observed a good deal of the first line fighting,
concluded, 'The militia, contrary to custom, behaved well for militia.' ... this harsh analysis [by Greene]
smacks of a well-known antimilitia prejudice that Green shared with many other Continental officers.
Green should have known the immediate cause of the American defeat at Guilford Courthouse. ... the
American withdrawal was occasioned by the precipitate flight of the 2nd Maryland Regiment.
While not professional soldiers, the militia could hardly be called wimpish. One characterization by Major George Hanger, Tarleton's second in command, described the Carolina back- woodsmen as more savage than Indians and possessing all of their vices but none of their virtues. The exact circumstances surrounding the performance of the militia at Guilford Courthouse are unresolved. Regardless, the outcome prompted government intervention to remedy the shortage of regulars caused by the earlier loss of the line at Charleston:
It was statute law and not persuasive powers of recruiting officers that solved the manpower problem
for North Carolina. Because Nathanael Green had complained so bitterly that the flight of the North
Carolina militia was responsible for the loss of the battle of Guilford Courthouse, the assembly passed a
bill drafting them into the Continental Line. Their term of service was to be twelve months. Their punish-
ment went beyond forced military duty, for these draftees were given no bounty [land], they were
issued no clothing, and the state was not required to furnish support to their families while they were in
the army.
After the battle, General Greene followed Lord Cornwallis to Ramsey's Mill, North Carolina, then directed his attention to South Carolina. Along the way his army was augmented with the new Continental soldiers:
On his march [to South Carolina] he [General Greene] was joined by about 500 North Carolina
Continentals, composed of the militia whom the Council Extraordinary, by a curious order, had
'sentenced to twelve months' duty as Continentals,' because of their precipitate flight at
Guilford Courthouse. Disciplined, trained, equipped, and skilfully led, these men on many hard-fought field in South Carolina demonstrated that their conduct at Guilford was chargeble to other causes than cowardice.
1781, 29 June -- General Greene ordered General Jethro Sumner at Harrisburg [later apparently Oxford], Granville Co., NC, to join the Southern Army. General Sumner was at Salisbury forming the nucleus of the Second Regiment, and two days later sent his worn command of "delinquent & old Continental Soldiers' southward by way of Hillsborough and Salisbury.
1781, 8 September -- The Battle of Eutaw Springs was fought in South Carolina and has been described in detail. The Americans had two battle lines. The front line, under command of General Francis Marion, was composed of four battalions of militia, two from North Carolina and two from South Carolina. The second line, under the command of General Jethro Sumner, consisted of three brigades of Continental troops; one of North Carolina, one of Virginia, and one of Maryland. The North Carolina Brigade was on the right wing, and was in turn composed of three small battalions [regiments] under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ashe and Majors Armstrong and Blount. This account is given:
At Eutaw Springs, September 8, about half of Green's army of 2,300 men were North Carolinians. A
few militia, the rest, brigaded under General Jethro Sumner, were the 'Guilford runaways', now serving
on the continental establishment. Discipline and training had turned them into excellent soldiers and at
Eutaw Springs they completely recovered the prestige which they had lost at Guilford Court House.
The North Carolina militia forming the center of Green's front line, after fighting gallantly, fell back
before the charge of the British regulars. As they retired, Sumner's Continentals rushed forward in a
charge which Greene himself declared 'would have graced the veterans of the great King of Prussia',
and restored the line. 'I was at a loss which to admire most,' said Greene, 'the gallantry of the
officers or the good conduct of the men.'
Revolutionary War service and pay records for some soldiers will obviously have more complete documention and others less. Inspection of these records emphasizes their lack of explicit information; reliance on deduction and logical inference is increased by necessity ...
As previously referenced, those soldiers who served for a year in the Continental Line because of their 'conduct' at Guilford Courthouse were not eligible for bounty land. In any event, a soldier was not eligible for bounty lands from North Carolina unless he served a minimum of two years. Even if he were eligible for a federal bounty land warrant, many of the early warrants and applications were destroyed. ... "
This ends Dr. Ralls' excerpts.
Where then does this leave us in the search to confirm that "our" Benjamin Wheeler was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War? Certainly it would be an issue of pride for his descendents if he were. But at this point, since I could find no record of a pension, bounty land or any record for a Benjamin Wheeler "of Granville Co.", I was almost convinced that Benjamin must have been one of the so called "Guilford Runaways". Letters of inquiry to the National Archives and queries in all other directions failed to establish that this Benjamin had been in the war. There was no record of a Benjamin Wheeler of Granville County, where he had lived all his life, and for that matter there were only a very few references to any other Benjamin Wheeler of N.C. Actually the few pieces of documented evidence seemed to point away from this Benjamin, rather than toward him.
There was however, a record of a Benjamin of Virginia. Strangely, the state of residence for this soldier "of the Continental Line" had first indicated N.C., but N.C. had been crossed out and Va. written in. This created some mystery about when and why it had been done but it did not answer any questions. There was also a record of a military pay voucher dated 1782 to a Benjamin Wheeler of Orange County, Granville's neighbor, for the sum of 16 pounds 12 shillings and no pence. There was a petition for a pension from a Benjamin of Orange County in 1819. It was granted but he was dropped May 1, l820. Apparently this same Benjamin Wheeler had to submit an affidavit to show he was in need of the pension. It was submitted the 14th of May l819. There was also a letter, dated 18 May 1781, that contained the name of a Benjamin Wheeler of N.C. on a list of militia prisoners held on the British prison ship "Torbay", thought to have been taken at the battle of Camden, S.C. All other researchers have just assumed that there was only one Benjamin Wheeler. After much research it was found that this Benjamin Wheeler on the "Torbay" was actually a resident of Charleston, S.C. and was taken prisioner on 27 Aug 1780 when he refused to swear allegience to England.
Additionally, there was a copy of a letter from a woman in 1926 to the Bureau of Pensions claiming that her ancestor Benjamin Wheeler, born in Culpepper County, Va., had lived in Orange County, N.C. for a while, and then had moved to Wheeler's Gap, Tennessee. But while in Orange County, she maintained, he had filed for a veteran's pension. However, closer scrutiny revealed that her ancestor was in Tennessee by 1797, considerably before the petition for a pension was filed in Orange County. It may be suspected that she had found the same petition on record and since she had an ancestor named Benjamin Wheeler, she claimed him to prove her point, which was to gain admission to the DAR. At any rate, her Benjamin was eliminated.
No record of a veteran from Granville County - not even a hint of a Granville County veteran named Benjamin Wheeler - put in an appearance in all the research. But somehow it was almost beyond belief that a young Granville County farmer, in the prime of life, would not have gone to war during those years. 10,000 other North Carolinians, including the young and old, and even the disabled did. Granville County was a hotbed of revolution.
There is no question that Benjamin was a lifelong resident of Granville County. After the war he would become a successful farmer and solid citizen of the area. He would not have been a Tory; there would not have been a place for him in Granville after the war.
Suddenly, on the brink of having to say there was no conclusive evidence to say that this Benjamin Wheeler was a Revolutionary War Veteran, I realized the evidence had been there all along. Benjamin Wheeler had lived in Granville County all his life. After the war he was living in the Dutch (taxing) District of Granville County. But, and here is the "but" that broke the code: In 1790, North Carolina was divided into eight superior court districts. Benjamin Wheeler lived in the Hillsborough Superior Court District jurisdiction. The seat of the Hillsborough District was in Orange County. All official correspondence between him and the War Department would have gone through, and returns made, to the Superior Court in Orange County, thereby showing him to be a veteran of Orange County [part of which is now Durham County].
At that point the scramble for supporting evidence began. It was found in the names of the witnesses to the deposition made to obtain Benjamin's pension. They were found on the censuses of 1800 and 1820 and they lived in Granville County. It was no coincidence. They were our Benjamin's neighbors. But the last piece of evidence was that one of the people who had "endorsed" the pay voucher mentioned above was "A. Tatom", another close neighbor of Benjamin's. There is no doubt that this Benjamin was the Orange County Veteran of the American Revolutionary War.
Now came the search to try and determine exactly what Benjamin had done in the service of his country. The clue to that came from his affidavit for pension. He stated he had served in the 1st Va. Artillery, in Capt. Anthony Singleton's Co., in Col. Harrison's Regiment. A request to the National Archives for a service record had proved fruitless. The answer, or as near to an answer as I have been able to obtain, was found, by sheer luck, in a book at the local county library.
"In April 1780 Gen. George Washington ordered two Maryland Line regiments and the Delaware Line regiment supported by the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment with eighteen guns to the threatened southern theater of war. Major Gen. the Baron Johann de Kalb was given command. ...
The reinforcements sent by Washington ... arrived in the South too late to save Charleston, so Gen. de Kalb remained with his troops at Gen. Person's plantation in Granville Co., N.C. It was hoped that the presence in the area of these well- trained and reasonably well-equipped Continentals would act as a spur to American morale and entice recruitment ... "
As Gen. Person's plantation was only about 20-25 miles from where Benjamin lived, he was one of those "enticed to enlist". It was here he became a soldier of the Continental Line and was probably assigned the task of a matross. The matrosses were the ones who cleaned & loaded the cannons. The army set off on a march which eventually brought them to Camden, S.C.
On the 16th of August, the American forces encountered the British who were led by Gen. Cornwallis. "In the very early morning, Col. Otho Williams, riding along the waiting American line, saw the British advancing up the road. He summoned Capt. Singleton of the artillery, ... ordered him to open fire, and Singleton did. ..." The battle raged back and forth with the Americans suffering a terrible defeat and the loss of Gen de Kalb who died of his wounds three days after the battle. Benjamin was lucky to have escaped with his life.
Nathanael Greene was then given command of the southern army. He regrouped, led his army back into North Carolina and by the 14 March 1781, was preparing to engage the British at Guilford Courthouse. "Nathanael Greene had chosen his position well at Guilford Courthouse, ... his battle plan obviously modeled on Daniel Morgan's at Cowpens. As Henry Lee, who fought there, wrote, the Guilford Court House itself was situated on the brow of a long, low hill, near the major state road to Salisbury. The slope descended for about half a mile, ending in a small valley with a brook running along the base, and Greene formed his battle lines up the slope, astride the road to Salisbury. Captain Anthony Singleton with two 6-pound- ers [along with Benjamin] was stationed slightly in advance of the first line on the approach road the enemy must use, under orders to maintain his position until the fight became close then withdraw promptly. ... [it goes on to describe where all the units were placed]
In the rear of the American Continentals were placed two 6-pounders under Capt. Samuel Finley; these plus Singleton's two advanced 6-pounders at the base of the slope composed the entire American artillery.
As soon as the approaching British came within range, Singleton opened fire as ordered on the head of the column with his two field pieces. This was answered promptly by the Royal Artillery ... With the battle line formed, the British pressed steadily forward and up the slope without firing. ... At about 140 yards ... the Americans delivered their first volley and then maintained a hot running fire up and down the line. The British continued a steady, cool advance without faltering. When Cornwallis's infantry came within point-blank range, the troops halted on command, delivered a smashing volley, and charged. ... Except for a few brave individuals of Eaton's brigade who fell back, fighting, ... the N.C. militia suddenly panicked and fled the field. ... the battle had resolved itself into a series of almost separate engagements, but the British ... pushed steadly up the slope.
As the British advanced ... the 2nd Maryland Regiment suddenly broke and retreated ... losing in the process Singleton's two 6-pounders which had been withdrawn success- fully from their advanced position early in the battle." The 1st Maryland later recaptured the two pieces of artillery, then lost them, plus two ammunition wagons and two additional 6-pounders to the British. The Battle of Guilford Court House lasted just an hour and a half. It was another defeat for the
Americans but the victory was very costly for the British.
After his victory at Guilford Court House, Cornwallis marched to the coast where a British garrison held the port of Wilmington. Instead of marching to counter Cornwallis' move, as the general had probably hoped, Nathanael Greene decided to move his operations back to S.C. During late April of 1781, Greene marched south from Deep River, N.C. He engaged the British again at a place called Hobkirk's Hill. This time the artillery was commanded by Col. Charles Harrison.
From Hobkirk's Hill, they marched to Quinby's Bridge, arriving after the battle was over. For Benjamin Wheeler, the fighting was over although the war lasted another two years. He was discharged at Ashley Hill, which was located on the headwaters of the Ashley River, in S.C., and made his way back home to Granville Co. His company of artillery, under Capt. Anthony Singleton, had been at the forefront of most of the major battles in South Carolina and at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina.
After the war, things returned to normal and Benjamin took up his responsibilities as a husband, father and member of his community.
At the February 1787 term of the Granville County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, on Friday the 9th, he was among others named to "keep up" the Tarborough Road from the "Jefferies Tract to the Ledge of Rock Creek". He was also appointed to a jury pool for this term of court but was not called upon to serve. He was also appointed to the Grand Jury.
It was at this time that he began acquiring property when he bought 340 acres of land on the west side of the Ledge of Rock Creek. He bought this land from John Tatom. This John Tatom was probably the father of A. [Abner] Tatom who signed Benjamin's Rev. War pay voucher. The deed for this property mentions that it was next to McCullohs, Clarks, Banks and Grants property. In 1796, for eight pounds, Benjamin bought another 55 acres on Little Ledge of Rock Creek from a Thomas Grant who had moved to Ga. This was also on "McCulloh's line", "Benjamin Wheeler's own corner", "Tatom's and Ann Wheeler's corner". One of the witnesses to this deed was a Charles Turner who appears to have been the father of Winifred Turner. On the 6th of January 1802, Benjamin paid 135 pounds to George Wright for some land, but the number of acres he bought was not stated on the deed. About 100 acres of this particular piece of property is still in the family. This deed also mentioned Martin Wheeler's line as well as Tatom's line.
Not much else is known about Benjamin Wheeler. We have nothing that names all of his children so we can't say for sure how many children he and Winifred had. The only three children we can be sure were theirs were Dicy, who married Moses Jones, Wilie (sometime spelled Willie or Wiley) E., who married his first cousin Mary "Polly" Wheeler and Benjamin, Jr., whose descendants still own part of the property bought by his father in 1802. The others listed as being their children are speculation by a number of researchers but probably are theirs.
Benjamin Wheeler was listed on the Federal Censuses and on the Granville County tax rolls from 1782 until 1825. The last time Benjamin Wheeler, Sr. was listed as paying taxes in Granville Co. was in 1825 when he was credited with having 246 1/4 acres of land, in the Dutch District, valued at $2 per acre. The taxes paid were not property taxes but "poll", or head, taxes. In that year Benjamin paid a tax of $1.08. The tax list for that district, unfortunately, was alphabetized so we can't tell who his neighbors were, but Wiley, America, Benjamin, Jr., and Moses Wheeler were all living in this district.
Then in 1828 the following deed of gift was recorded in Granville Co. Deed Book 4, p. 4:
B. Wheeler To all persons unto whom these presents
to shall come, I, Benjamin Wheeler, Senr.
M. Jones of the County of Granville and State of
North Carolina send you greetings. Know
ye that I the said Benjamin Wheeler for and in consideration of the natural love and affection
which I have and bare unto my beloved son-in-law Moses Jones *** hereunto moved have
given and granted and by these presents do give and grant unto said Moses Jones all and
singular my goods and chattles following, seven head of cows, twelve head of hogs, one horse,
three beds and furniture, seven head of sheep, one ***, one gun and all my working tools with
all my household and kitchen furniture too tedious to mention and crop corn, wheat, potatoes &
fodder, to have and to hold and enjoy ***. In witness whereof I have set my hand and seal this
18th day of August in the presents of
Henry Byner Benjamin Wheeler
Thomas Culverhouse
Then on page 7 of Deed Book 4 another document is recorded where Benjamin gives Moses Jones all of his real estate. On the 13th of November 1828, Moses Jones turned around and sold to his brother-in-law, Benjamin Wheeler, Jr. "... a certain parcel of land lying in the county of Granville and being between the big and little Ledge of Rock Creek, where Benjamin Wheeler, Sr. formerly lived and conveyed to the said Moses Jones by a deed of gift ... containing by estimation two hundred forty-five and 3/4 acres ...".
When the U.S. Census was taken in 1830 there were five people living in the household of Moses Jones. Two of themwere a 70-80 year old male, and a 60-70 year old female who probably were Benjamin and Winifred Wheeler. Benjamin had apparently given all his worldly goods to his son-in-law, Moses Jones and his wife, Dicy, which is why we find no record of a will for Benjamin Wheeler. Benjamin and Winifred Wheeler must have died sometime after the 1830 census and about 1835-38. About that time, some of their children left Granville County and moved to Middle Tennessee where their daughter, Mildred "Milly" Wheeler Glimp, and son James Wheeler were already living.
Benjamin married 1 Winifred Turner daughter of Charles Turner and Mrs. Charles Turner on 14 Dec 1781 in Granville Co., North Carolina. Winifred was born about 1755. She died about 1832 in Granville Co., North Carolina.
They had the following children:
+ 72 F i Mildred 'Milly' Wheeler + 73 F ii Dicy Wheeler + 74 M iii James Henry Wheeler + 75 M iv Jesse Wheeler + 76 M v Ezekiel Wheeler + 77 M vi Wiley E. Wheeler + 78 F vii Winifred Wheeler + 79 M viii Benjamin (Franklin?) Wheeler Jr. + 80 F ix Edy Wheeler
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