Family Ties to the American Revolutionary War
Military service has been the foundation of our country. The United States has a distinct personality with a set of evolving values. The American Revolutionary War gave us a hard fought independence. Americans tend to be generous in heart and spirit. It’s in our nature to strive for excellency. We have the mindset that we can achieve anything. For this week’s theme on the military, I am exploring family ties to the American Revolutionary War.
Joseph Hanslap Watkins (1788 – 1870) and Margaret McElroy (1793 – 1878) were married on November 18, 1814. (Joseph and Margaret had a son, Samuel; Samuel and Susannah had a son, John Calvin; John and Lavina had a son, Donald; Donald and Fanny had a son, Billy Dean who was my father.) Joseph and Margaret’s fathers both enlisted in the American Revolutionary War.
Joseph’s father was Stephen Watkins (1763 – 1839). Stephen enlisted as a private in Captain Jonathan Sellman’s Company, Colonels Smith’s and Hall’s 4th Maryland Regiment in May, 1776 in Anne Arundel, Maryland. He fought in the Revolutionary War battles of Long Island, White Plains, and Monmouth. He was discharged at West Point on May 20, 1780.
According to https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Order_of_battle_of_the_Battle_of_Long_Island, “the Battle of Long Island (sometimes called the Battle of Brooklyn) was a decisive British victory early in the American Revolutionary War over American forces under the command of Major General George Washington, and was the opening battle in a successful British campaign to gain control of New York City in 1776.”
Margaret’s father, Thomas McElroy, was born in Drummore, County Down, Ireland in 1751. He immigrated to America in 1773 and settled in Drumore, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. (According to https://www.littlebritain.org/a-history, “the majority of townships in Lancaster had been given names reflective of the original roots of their citizens, such as Caernarvon (Welsh), Conestoga (Native American), Sadsbury (English) & Drumore (Irish). Most landowners in this newly formed township of Little Britain were of Scots-Irish descent.” Thomas enlisted in the American Revolutionary Army in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1776.
Thomas served as a wagoner or wagon driver. The American colonies at the beginning of the Revolutionary War were mostly rural. Much of the land consisted of forests, marshes, and swamps. The terrain was extremely rugged. Existing roads were inadequate. Travel was slow. “It took Washington ten days to travel from Philadelphia to Cambridge to take command of the Continental Army.” http://webdoc.sub.gwdg.de/ebook/p/2005/CMH_2/www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/revwar/risch/chpt-3.htm Because of these issues it became policy to hire wagons and drivers to provide transportation for the troops and supplies. Sometimes local people were hired for this duty while at other times, soldiers were given this responsibility.
After the war, Stephen’s 3rd wife, Sarah, applied and received his Revolutionary War pension. Thomas, however, applied for his Revolutionary War pension but was denied. His pension was rejected because he was a wagoner which was not considered military service.
(One of my goals as I continue my research is to explore membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. It has been challenging to obtain primary source documentation on various ancestors. Some researchers confuse Stephen Watkins with his father and add information indiscriminately without ensuring that the right Stephen is involved. Stephen Watkins II also has a nephew named Stephen Watkins. Additionally, there are many, many men named Stephen Watkins who are not related to our branch. Then there is the spelling of Hanslap, Hanslep, Hanslip, Hanstep, or Hanslape. Add to that Frances (female) or Francis (male) Warman or Warmen or even Norman who are on two sides of the family. And the challenge continues…)