My Corner Online
Isaac Rutledge and ? | William Rutledge and Chloe Johnson | James Rutledge Sr. & Frances Skaggs | George Rutledge and Rose Boyer | James Bernard Rutledge and Nancy Estes | James William Rutledge and Rubina Wright | Wilson Alvin, Sr. and Jessie Mae Wright (Wilson's WWII page)
Daughters of the Revolutionary War lineage:
Nancy Estes's parents (John D. Estes and Catherine Jane Kirkpatrick) (John's parents unknown)
Catherine Kirkpatrick's parents (Joseph Marion Kirkpatrick and Martha Patsy Ross)
Martha Patsy Ross's parents William Ross and Eliza Jane Allen | William Hugh Ross, Jr. and Mary Griffin
Other Ancestors:
Frances Skaggs parents: James Skaggs and Frances Beeler |
Joseph Kirkpatrick's parents ( David Sevier Kirkpatrick and Catherine White) | John Hugh Kirkpatrick and Margaret "Jane" Wilkins (possible Revoluntary War; there are 2 John Hugh Kirkpatricks)
Catherine White's parents (Joseph White and Janet Mebane)
Rutledge DNA Connection: Edward Gent Rutledge | James Enos Rutledge | William Richard Rutledge | Richard William Rutledge | Harry Milton Rutledge | Edgar Rutledge Taylor | (This line is connected by DNA, but we have not yet put together the puzzle pieces)
THIS IS MY WORKING GENEALOGY BIOGRAPHIES, PLEASE DO NOT COPY AS FACT. Some photos are personal and are not to be copied and republished; other images are okay. Documentation I collected as proof to support facts (i.e. dates, relationships, etc.) are available for your use. I share freely, but please do not abuse copyright or perpetuate any information without supporting facts that may or may not be in error. I try to mark in red my questions or documents I need to look for, so your assistance in making this a complete collection is always appreciated.
William Rutledge and Chloe Johnson
THIS IS A WORKING BIOGRAPHY in that I have a theory based on quite a few DNA matches to siblings JANE, SAMUEL, MARTHA, AND MAHALA that William Rutledge is the father of my brick wall, James Rutledge born 1790 in North Carolina. I removed from other trees the James Rutledge born in 1785 as I have a theory that his parents are someone else. Trees have James (1785) married to Nancy Armstrong and later Sarah Brandy. The census has this family living in Tennessee at the same time my James Rutledge (1790) is living in Missouri, so these two men have to be separate individuals of the same generation. I believe long ago folks assumed that William's son James was that of James (1785) because he was living in the same State of Tennessee. My theory could be wrong, but I am testing the theory by working the paperwork here in this biography and getting to know this family. Is there anyone who can connect other Rutledge DNA to James (1785)? Ancestry reads, "suggest that you may be related to 40 DNA matches through William Rutledge," but 30 are through my James Rutledge born 1790, so that leave 10 that match James's siblings.
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William Rutledge was born June 1756 near the town of Carlisle, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. (Pension application dated June 7, 1832, state he is 76 years old; also states he is 76 "since last June;" and he states year and location in the questions.) As indicated by the guardian documents below, William has a brother, James. [DNA note: A possibility might be that the matching DNA goes to William's brother, James, instead of William, so I need to look into William's siblings.]
Chloe Johnson was born in 1760 ( where?) to Jeffrey Johnson and Rachel Irene Walker. [NOTE: Find source & verify]
I made this map to show the migration which William Rutledge took in his life, from Cumberland County, PA, to Rowan County, NC, to Wilkes County, NC, to Williamson County, TN, to Maury County, TN, to Wayne County, TN.
On September 12, 1774, William's father, Isaac Rutledge, dies. William is 18 years old. [NOTE: Find source & verify]
On August 2, 1775, William is 19 years old when a Guardianship Bond is entered into in probate court in Rowan County, North Caronlina. (Estate File 1775 Isaac Rutledge, Rowan County Probate). This document indicates that both James and William are minors and orphans. William was born June 1756 would have become 18 in June 1774. William would have been 19 on August 2, 1775. He turned 21 in June 1777. Under British common law, the legal age of majority (emancipated adult) was 21 in the 1700's, and anyone under 21 was legally an infant. (NOTE: look for an accounting of the guardianships in 1777 when William is 21 years old.)(NOTE: How old is James?) William and James's father is Isaac Rutledge. David Caldwell and and Samuel Luckey agree to be guardians of the boys.
It is said that Isaac's father (William & James' grandfather) is John Rutledge born 1711 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and John's wife is Eleanor Jane Caldwell. I transcribed John's Will. His wife is Eleanor and it does mention an Isaac, but it gives no relationship of John to Isaac. (NOTE: Find proof of John and Eleanor's marriage for her maiden name. How is David Caldwell related to Eleanor?; is Samuel Luckey related?)
1778 served in the Revolutionary War. (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File) [Find more documents of where specifically he lived in Rowan County from 1778 to 1880]
FIRST 3 MONTHS SERVICE: He volunteered for service in Rowan County, North Carolina under the command of Captain David Caldwell, in General Griffith Rutherford's Brigage.
His tour took him to Cross Creek, North Carolina to keep down the Scotch Tories. After 3 months he was discharged by Captain Caldwell.
SECOND 3 MONTHS SERVICE: He volunteered for an additional three months in Rowan County, North Carolina.
His tour took him thru Burke County crossing over the mountains to the head of the Catawba River.
Next he went to the head of the Tennessee River, under the command of Captain Joseph Dickson, in General Rutherford's Brigade, where he fought against the Cherokee Indians. They drove the Indians from their settlements and towns, burnt their towns, huts, and wigwams, and destroyed everything before them.
He was "under Gen. Rutherford at the battle fought at Ramsour Mill (2nd link), where Capt. Gillespie was killed. Where the United States troops & the Tories had a very considerable engagement. A number were slain on both sides, but the Tories were completely routed--some taken prisoners & the rest driven from the field." The Battle of Ramsour Mill took place on June 20, 1780, in present-day Lincolnton, North Carolina.
He went back to Rowan County and was discharged by Captain Dickson.
THIRD 3 MONTHS SERVICE: He next served under Captain Joseph Dickson and went to Pinetree, South Carolina to quell and keep the Tories down. [Camden, South Carolina was originally known as Pine Tree Hill when it was founded in the 1730s by English settlers. The area was settled around the Pine Tree Hill trading post in the 1750s. The name was changed to Camden in 1768 in honor of Charles Pratt, Lord Camden, a British supporter of the American colonists' rights.] He was discharged by Captain Dickson, again at home in Rowan County, North Carolina.
In about 1780, William Rutledge moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina. Wilkes County was formed from Surry County in 1777.
14 DAYS SERVICE: William volunteered in Wilkes County, North Carolina under Major Micajah Lewis.
His tour took him to Haw River about 13 or 14 miles from Guildford Courthouse. They defeated the Tories under the command of Col. Piles. They killed all Tories in the action and took no prisoners. Col Pickins was the General for the United States troops. Col Lee was also in this engagement.
His was sent to the company with Captain Robert Cleveland "wit h an express" from the Moravian towns [The Moravians were a Protestant Christian denomination. Bethabara, Bethania, and Salem (now Winston-Salem) were the first Moravian settlements in North Carolina in the early 1750s.] to General Green at Guilford Courthouse to inform him that the British were at the shallow ford on the Yadkin River, advancing towards him.
"He also states that the said Maj. Lewis was mortally wounded in the engagement at Weitzel Mill on Rudee fork of Haw River & that he was carried off the field, & died the next day." The battle of Weitzel Mill was on March 6, 1781.
He was discharged by Major Micajah Lewis.
On April 3, 1782, William Rutledge and Chloe Johnson are married as show in the Marriage Bond Abstracts for Wilkes County North Carolina. The Bond # is 000167234 and the Bondsman is Jeffery Johnson and the Witness is G. Wheatley. [Note: Find original bond (not abstract)]
On April 3, 1782, William & Chloe have a daughter, Jane Ferilla Rutledge. [NOTE: Find source & confirm] She would marry William Bell Dooley and have __ children. [Note: I have 3 DNA matches to the descendants of Jane; Uncle has 2.]
in 1784, William & Chloe have a son, Samuel Johnson Rutledge [NOTE: Find source & confirm] He would marry Bethia Carter and have ___ children. [Note: I have 4 DNA matches to the descendants of Samuel; Uncle has 4.]
In 1789 thre is a Margaret Matilda Rutledge which is currently in my tree under a William Rutledge Sr. & a Matilda King as parents. Some trees have William marrying Chloe and some have him marrying Matilda. I think trees are messed up and hopefully DNA can help solve this problem. [NOTE: Find source & confirm] [Note: I have 1 DNA match to the descendants of Margaret; Uncle has 6; Margaret is noted as a half-sibling, so the DNA is a further distance.]
In 1790 (or 1785 depending on which is the real child) William & Chloe have a son, James Rutledge. [NOTE: Find source & confirm]
In the 1790 Census for Wilkes County, North Carolina, Wm Rutledge is listed and in his family are 8 members which include 1 white male over the age of 16 (which would be William himself), 2 white females (no age), 3 white males under age 16, and 2 slaves. They are listed in the 11th company section. Is that a location? [It is tax “company” that the person lived in; A judge or some person of stature in a county and district would be appointed or elected to be responsible for the tallying of the taxes and taxpayers, and they were given a company. Maybe check with the courthouse of that county for a list.
About 1792 William and Chloe move from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Williamson County, Tennessee. (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
In 1794, William and Chloe have a daughter, Martha C. "Pasty" Rutledge. [NOTE: Find source & confirm] She would marry John D Caldwell and have __ children. Her second marriage was to Eastham Ballinger "Esom" Dooley and have __ children. [Note: I have 2 DNA matches to the descendants of Martha "Patsy;" Uncle has 4;]
In 1800, William's mother, Mary Mnu Rutledge, dies. William is 44 years old. [NOTE: Find source & confirm]
In 1805, William Rutledge is listed on the Williamson County, Tennessee tax list (unless it is instead the William Rutledge who died in 1807 listed in the below notes.) Under "free poll" William is listed as one and under the slave column it is zero. Poll taxes were a fixed sum paid by every able-bodied male over the age of 21, and are sometimes called a "head tax," and if an individual could not pay his tax, he could not vote.
[PROBABLY NOT RIGHT] In the 1810 Census for Surry County, North Carolina, William Rutledge is listed and in his family are 7 members which include 1 white male age 26 thru 44 (William himself), 1 white male age 10 thru 15, 3 white males under 10, 1 white female age 26 thru 44, 1 white female under age 10. I note that there are no slaves listed. [Note: this may be a different William Rutledge as he has moved to Tennessee already; look for 1810 census in Tennessee.]
When? William moved to Maury County, Tennessee. (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
In 1807, William and Chloe have a daughter, Mahala Williamson Rutledge. [NOTE: Find source & confirm] She would marry Samuel Shanklin Rayburn and have ___ children.
On December 21, 1814, William M. Rutledge married Margaret C. Reid. The marriage bond was registered in Maury County, Tennessee. I note the middle initial of "M." The bond is between William and Pleasant Nelson. A $1,250 bond was paid, which is in print so it must have been the standard rate.
In the 1820 Census for Maury County, Tennessee, William is listed and in his family are 11 members (7 white & 4 slaves) which include 1 white male over 45 years, 2 white males ages 16 thru 25, 2 white males under 10, 1 white female over 45 years, 1 white female age 16 thru 25, 2 male slaves ages 14 thru 25, 1 female slave age 14 thru 25, and 1 female slave under 14.
In 1825 Chloe Johnson Rutledge dies and she is buried in Dooley Cemetery, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee. [NOTE: Find source & confirm; did they divorce? Why does she die after he is married to Martha?]
In 1829, his wife Margaret dies. [NOTE: Find source & confirm]
In 1829, moved to Wayne County, Tennessee. (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
In the 1830 Census for Wayne County, Tennessee, William is listed and in his family are 3 members which include 1 white male age 60 to 69, 1 white female age 20 thru 29, and 1 female slave age 10 thru 23. William and his wife were in a household alone with 1 female slave.
June 7, 1832 an Act was passed to allow for Revolutionary War pensions. (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
On September 25, 1832, William Rutledge made an oath a declaration regarding his Revolutionary War service for the purposes of his Survivor's Application for Pension benefits (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
On March 11, 1834 William Rutledge made an oath regarding his Revolutionary War service for the purposes of his Survivor's Application for Pension benefits (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
On February 8, 1836, Ebenezer J. Shields a member in Congress from the 10th Congressional certifies William Rutledge's Application in "Washington City District of Columbia."
February 25/26, 1836 a Certificate of Pension to receive $20.00 per annum for 6 months service; Therefore, William Rutledge received $100 ($90 for 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, and $10 for1836 as the pension ended March 4, 1836. [Why was he alloted 6 months of service, when his service was 9 month and 14 days?] (Source Transcribed: William Rutledge's Survivor's Pension Application File)
On March 4, 1836, William Rutledge died at the age of 79 years in Wayne County, Tennessee, as indicated by the ending date of his pension.
------------OTHER NOTES
There is a probate file for a William Rutledge in Williamson County, Tennessee dated January 7, 1807. Alexander Rutledge is the administrator of the probate. Although the above William Rutledge was living in the same county during that year, he is not the same William Rutledge as he is not deceased until 1836.