I23386: Catherine Elizabeth ADAM (9 Aug 1870

Notes

Colonel Benjamin Cleveland (1738-1806) m. Mary Graves, d/o of James Graves of Culpeper Virginia.

"The mountain men who lived in the Blue Ridge area were mostly isolated and kept to themselves, but a threat to their own moved them to action. A call to arms went out and they gathered at Sycamore Shoals. On September 25, Colonels William Campbell, Charles McDowell, John Sevier and Isaac Shelby left Sycamore Shoals in pursuit of Ferguson. Shelby and Elijah Clarke had previously skirmished with Ferguson on August 8 at Cedar Springs.

On September 30, they were joined by Colonel Benjamin Cleveland and Colonel Joseph Winston. When they reached Gilbert Town, Major Ferguson was gone. Sometime after this, the seven colonels had to decide on a chain of command until a Continental Army general officer arrived. They chose the youngest of them all, Colonel William Campbell to act as overall commander."
http://www.patriotresource.com/battles/kingsmtn/page1.html

"Capture and Rescue of Benjamin Cleveland

Benjamin Cleveland was captured on the 22nd day of April, 1781, while on a visit to his tenant, Jesse Duncan, at the lower end of the Old Fields -- probably the very spot at which the late Nathan Waugh lived and died. Captain William Riddle was the leader of the gang which captured him, they having stolen his horses from Duncan's barn the night before and led them up south fork of New River into a laurel thicket just above te house then occupied by Joseph and Timothy Perkins, about one mile distant.

There were six or eight men with Riddle, and when they reached Benjamin Cutbirth's home the day before, four miles above Duncan's home, and failed to get any information from him, they abused him shamefully and left him under guard. Cleveland ran into the ambush and was taken into the Perkins house, which stool on the site of the house in which Nathan Waugh's son, Charles, now resides. (1915) The photo shows the present house and apple tree in its front under which it is said Cleveland was sitting when captured. Into this house, Zachariah Wells followed Cleveland and attempted to shoot him, but that brave (?) man seized Abigail Walters, who was present, and kept her between him and his would-be assassin.

Cleveland was then taken up New River to the mouth of Elk Creek, and thence to "what has since been known as Riddle's Knob." This is some fourteen from Old Fields and in Watauga County. Here they camped for the night. But they had been followed by young Daniel Cutbirth and a youth named Walters, Jesse Duncan, John Shirley, William Calloway, Samuel McQueen and Benjamin Greer, while Joseph Calloway mounted a horse and hastened to notify Captain Robert Cleveland, Ben's brother, on Lewis' Fork of the Yadkin. Five of these in Robert's advance party fired on Riddle's gang at the Wolf's Den early the next morning, and Cleveland dropped behind the log on which he had been sitting slowly writing passes for the Tories, fearing that when he should finish doing so he would be killed. Only Wells was wounded, the rest escaping, including Riddle's wife. As it was thought that Wells would die from his wound, he was left on the ground to meet his fate alone. But he survived.

There is still a tradition in the neighborhood of the Wolf's Den that Ben Greer killed or wounded Riddle at that place soon after Cleveland's rescue, one version saying that Riddle was only wounded and then taken to Wilkes and hanged. Indeed, the place in the gap between Pine Orchard and Huckleberry Knob, through which the wagon road from Todd to Riddle's Fork of Meat Camp Creek now runs, is still pointed out as that at which Greer and his men camped in the cold and wind, without fire or tent, till they saw the campfire on Riddle's Knob flame up, after which they crept up to that lonely spot and either killed or wounded the redoubtable Tory.

Cleveland Hangs Riddle

Soon after Cleveland's rescue Riddle and his men made a night raid into the Yadkin Valley, where, on King's Creek, they captured two of Cleveland's soldiers, David and John Witherspoon, and "spirited them away into the mountain region on the Watauga River in what is now Watauga County," where they both were sentenced to be shot, when it was proposed that if they would take the oath of allegiance to the king, repair to their home and speedily return with the O'Neal mare - a noble animal - and join the Tory band, their lives would be spared. This the Witherspoons agreed to, and returned with not only the mare, but with Col. Ben Herndon and a party also, when they captured Riddle, Reeves and Goss, "killing and dispersing the others."

These were taken to Wilkesboro, court martialed and executed" on the hill adjoining the village, "on a stately oak, which is yet (1881) standing and pointed out to strangers at Wilkesboro." Well, too, was captured and taken to Hughes' Bottom, one mile below Cleveland's Round About home-place, and hanged by plow lines from a tree on the river bank, without trial and in spite of the protestations of James Gwyn, a lad of thirteen, whose noble nature revolted at such barbarity. But Cleveland's cruelty was too well known to need further comment, for it is recorded of him that he once forced an alleged horse-thief to cut off his own ears with a dull case knife to escape death by hanging - all without trial or evidence.

Cleveland moved to South Carolina at the close of the Revolutionary War, where he died while sitting at the breakfast table, in October, 1806, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. Cleveland County in this State was named in his honor. He was buried in the forks of the Tugalo and Chauga, Oconee County, South Carolina, but his grave with a stone marking it is in the churchyard of New Hope Baptist Church, near Stauntion, Wilkes County, North Carolina, according to several recent statements of Col. J. H. Taylor, the father of Mrs. John Stansbury of Boone. However, some claim that this is Robert Cleveland's grave stone. So much for two versions of Riddle's death.

But there is yet another version, for Col. W. W. Presnell, for many years register of deeds for Watauga County and a brave one-armed Confederate soldier, still points out at the foot of a ridge north of James Blair's residence, on Brushy Fork Creek, two low rock cliffs, between which and the hollow just east of them stood until recently a large white-thorn tree upon which W. H. Dugger and other reputable citizens of a past day said Cleveland had hanged Riddle and three of his companions. Certain it is, according to Dr. Draper, that "Colonel Cleveland was active at this period in sending our strong scouting parties to scour the mountain regions, and if possible, utterly break up the Tory bands still infesting the frontiers." Others say that two of these men were named Sneed and the third was named Warren."
http://www.fmoran.com/wilkes/clevben.html

"Somewhat later, Benjamin Cleveland (afterward famous in the Revolution), attended by four companions, set out from his home on the upper Yadkin to explore the Kentucky wilderness. After passing through Cumberland Gap, they encountered a band of Cherokees who plundered them of everything they had, even to their hats and shoes, and ordered them to leave the Indian hunting-grounds. On their return journey they almost starved, and Cleveland, who was reluctantly forced to kill his faithful little hunting-dog, was wont to declare in after years that it was the sweetest meat he ever ate."
http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/lit/historical/TheCo nquestoftheOldSouthwest/chap8.html

Notes

"Upon the breaking out of the war of 1812, he recruited a camp of volunteers at Chinquain Church, Amelia County, Va., of which camp he was commissioned captain, and after the battle of Norfolk, Va., was promoted to be major. Soon after the close of the war, in 1816, he removed with his family to Green County, Ky., and bought some 700 acres of land, upon which he resided until his death November 20, 1842. He owned a large number of slaves in addition to his real estate; but suffered severe financial losses by endorsing too freely for his friends. For many years he was colonel in the old State militia."

1820 Federal Census: Anderson Jeter
Township: Greensburgh County: Green State: Kentucky Year: 1820
Roll: M33_20 Page: 56 Image Number: 63

Josiah MITCHELL and Mary R JETER bond 31 Dec 1836. Josiah MITCHELL and Anderson JETER security.

Notes

Children:
2 Emily J. NANCE b: about 1836 + Isaiah T. WALLACE
3 Isaiah T. WALLACE JR.
2 Amanda F. NANCE b: January 1834 + Peter C. WILLS b: about 1830 d: before 1900 ^[S2728]

Notes

"CLINTON FAMILY: The family of Clinton is of Norman origin, and settled in England at the Conquest. They took their name from the lordship of Climpton, in Oxfordshire.

Roger Climpton or Clinton was Bishop of Coventry from 1228 to 1249.
John de Clinton was summoned to Parliament at the first of Edward I, by the title of Baron Clinton of Marstock.

His second son, William, was Lord High Admiral of England in 1333, and created Earl of Huntingdon in 1337.

The 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Lords of Clinton distinguished themselves in the wars of Edward III and Henry V and VI.

Edward, the ninth Lord Clinton, Lord High Admiral of England, was created Earl of Lincoln in 1572. His successor, Henry, second Earl of Lincoln, was one of the commissioners on the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. Src: White's Directory of Nottinghamshire 1853"

^[S1877]

Notes

Moved from Reeds Valley, VA to Carter Co., Ky some time after 1860 to get out of the path of the Civil War. Of his sixteen children, only two married daughters, Margaret and Malissa, remained in Virginia.

My Southern Family

Catherine Elizabeth ADAM

9 Aug 1870 - 19 Nov 1956

ID Number: I23386

Sources

Judith E. ALVIS

ABT 1845 - ____

ID Number: I8855

Sources

Rachel BALCH

ABT 1760 - ____

ID Number: I94140

Sources

Col. Benjamin CLEVELAND

26 May 1738 - 15 Oct 1806

ID Number: I38924

Notes

Sources

Nunie COMPTON

ABT 1880 - ____

ID Number: I46161

Sources

DAY

ABT 1830 - ____

ID Number: I32669

Sources

Anderson JETER

11 Sep 1786 - 20 Nov 1842

ID Number: I103239

Notes

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William J. NANCE

ABT 1800 - 13 Jan 1837

ID Number: I71365

Notes

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Mary PENN

ABT 1747 - 1800

ID Number: I10782

Sources

Christopher Edwin SMITH

1860 - 1912

ID Number: I42840

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Mary STONEY

ABT 1640 - ABT 1718

ID Number: I86903

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WILLIAM de TANKERVILLE

1035 - ____

ID Number: I79990

Notes

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Rev. John THOMPSON

ABT 1780 - ____

ID Number: I99507

Notes

Sources