Anna Baker

  General Notes:

Ann COATS was 73 years old and a resident of Smith County, Tennessee when she
made an affidavit on 24 April 1855 to apply for bounty land based on her
husband's military service.

She stated that she was the widow of Benjamin COATS, that they were married in
Robertson County, Tennessee on 14 February 1799 by Nathan ARNOTT - a licensed
minister of the Gospel, that her name before marriage was Ann BAKER, and that
her husband died in Smith County, Tennessee on 11 June 1850. I doubt that you
will find any other record of her marriage since she said in 1855 "that she
knows of no public record of her said marriage and that there is no private or
family record of the same". Lewis WASHBURN and James M. WASHBURN, residents of Smith County, Tennessee, testified as to the identity of Ann COATS and "that
they know the aforesaid Benjamin Coats deceased & Ann Coats in his lifetime to
cohabit together as husband and wife and were generally reputed as such".

Ann COATS signed her name (not an X).

She filed the claim for bounty land based on Benjamin COATS' service as a
private in the militia (unit and captain not named) in the war against the
confederated Indians at the Battle of Nickajack. She stated that her husband
volunteered in Robertson County, Tennessee (on the document East Tennessee was
written first, but this was crossed out and then Robertson County, Tennessee was
inserted). The date he volunteered was left blank. He served for 14 days and was
honorably discharged at Buchannan's Fort in Tennessee (East was crossed out).

Source:
original document on file at National Archives in Record Group 15 (Veterans
Administration) Bounty Land Warrant Application Files 1812 - 1855
case number 1855 - Rejected - 143737
Benjamin Coats, Ann Coats (widow)

The claim was rejected because the act passed by Congress in 1855 authorizing
bounty land was only for soldiers (or their widows or minor children) who had
served in the War of 1812 through the Mexican War, including various Indian wars
in the time period between these two wars. The Battle of Nickajack was in 1794
and thus not covered by the time period of these land grants. for more
information about the Battle of Nickajack see:
<https://sites.rootsweb.com/~tnsumner/early38.htm>

Could Benjamin and Ann COATS be the ancestors of some of the Middle Tennessee
Coats families?

**************************
1860 census
16 608 608 Coats Ann 78 F Farmer 3,260 1,700 Va
17 608 608 Coats Polly 45 F Tennessee

  Research Notes:

probably born in Stafford County VA - father probably John Baker, Wilson County TN died there in 1844, brother Jeremiah Baker, sister Nancy Baker

Anna married Benjamin Coats, son of William Coats Sr and Frances, on 14 Feb 1799 in Robertson, TN. (Benjamin Coats was born circa 1777 in Newberry, SC, died on 11 Jun 1850 in Smith, TN and was buried in Jun 1850 in Smith, TN.)