Revolution is in our Blood

In honor of Independence Day, I thought I'd write about some of our revolutionary ancestors. First comes David Peffley, a great-something-grandfather on Mother's side, who was born in 1761 in Pennsylvania.

From The Peffley -- Peffly -- Pefley Families in America:

REVOLUTIONARY WAR RECORD OF DAVID PEFFLEY

"David Peffley Jr. 8th class Penna. Militia sworn and subscribed before me the 9th day of July 1782. Signed John Gloninger, Sub. Lt. L Co." (Penna. Arch. Ser. 5, vol. 7, page 1720.
"David Peffley Jr. 8th class Lancster Co. Militia 1783 to 1790 (See Penna Arch. Ser. 6 vol 3, page 468)
"David Peffley Jr. 8th class 1784, Capt. Jacob Meily's Co." (see Penna. Arch. Ser. 6 vol 3, page 368)
(Note -- This David Peffley was carried on the Militia Rolls as David Peffley Jr. to distinguish him from his uncle David Peffley, who was listed on the rolls as "David Peffley Sr.")

Another rebellious ancestor on Mother's side was John Andrew Bryan:

John Andrew Bryan - b. 1717 M . Mary Morrison and moved to Burden Co., near Fairfield, Rockbridge Co., VA After living a few years in Borden Colony, they and their families proceeded to the Staunton River, where he became owner of land upon a part of which Salem is now situated. He left the Staunton River trading his land for "a pair of Cart-wheels" and moved with his family to Campbell County, VA. Here he bought 329 acres of Richard and 439 acres of Benjamin Arnold. On the last named tract he at once erected a bark hut, he later built a house farther down on Molly's Creek. A lot of this place was used as a muster ground for many years after the Revolution.
He inlisted in Capt. Thos. Merriweather's Co., Va. State Troops - private, March 1777 to serve 3 years. Rev . War. War Dept. Records. Col. Familiesof U.S., Vol VI. Mac Kinzie Pg. 105.
( Any ladies decended from John Andrew's Grandson Andrew Bryan of Chillicothe MO, (who m. Isabelle Ross,) are entitled to become members of the D.A.R.)

Yet another ancestor of hers, Hugh Currin, was killed in the woods in Granville County, NC, during the Revolutionary War. Hugh's brother James served as a captain of militia there, and James's two sons also served.

Daddy's side of the family has handed down a story about an ancestor who joined in the Boston Tea Party. Joseph Hastings Hobbs was born in Princeton, Massachusetts in 1794, so it is possible that his father Jonas or unknown grandfather might have been the individual in question. Obviously we have no documentation of this. Daddy's Stubbs ancestors were in America at the time, and William Stubbs, born in 1748 in North Carolina, could have enlisted in the militia, but so far I have found no evidence of it.

On Lee's side of the family, one of his ancestors, Meredith Darlington, was listed on the roll of the Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Militia in 1783 (Source: Muster and Pay Rolls, Pa. Militia, 1790-1800,p.185). Another, Joseph Essig, served as an "Indian Spy" in North Carolina (Pierce's Register [p.313] VOUCHERS page 429).

Maybe our ancestry goes some way toward explaining why we are such independent cusses.