Semiquincentennial - - Revolutionary War - - William Stark Kelly

- 1st in a series of posts about our family's Revolutionary War soldiers -

250 Years; 1776 - 2026

Our Family was there, from the Beginning

Our family had many branches living in the American Colonies, before the United States were formed. In Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina my great grandfathers & great uncles left their farms and their families to break away from British rule. They were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. We can proudly know that our family was there in those early days to help ensure our independence. 

 

 

William Stark Kelly

17 March 1739 Ireland - 13 December 1826 TN

Husband of Mary F Durham

My 5x great grandfather 

Private in the North Carolina Militia

William Stark Kelly was a Revolutionary War soldier. It is because of the files of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution that we know about William, his wife and his descendants. Many people have laid claim to William as their ancestor to become members of these organizations and have, therefore, submitted details of their links to him. Piecing together this data forms a reliable Kelly family tree. According to those sources William was born on 17 March 1739 in Ireland, came to the American Colonies in 1755 and settled in Wake County, North Carolina.[i], [ii]

            Currently, the names of William’s parents, siblings and his birthplace in Ireland are unknown. In the future we may be able to learn more.

            William Kelly was a private in the Revolutionary War, serving in the North Carolina Militia.[iii], [iv]

 

[He] Served as a private in Capt. Brown's Company, Col. Thomas Clark's Regiment (first) North Carolina Continental Line 1777; also in Capt. Brinkley's Company of 1st Regiment of North Carolina Militia.[v]

North Carolina’s First Regiment was active during the war.[vi]

 

The 1st North Carolina Regiment was raised on 1 September 1775, at Wilmington, North Carolina, for service with the Continental Army. In January 1776 the organization contained eight companies. … The regiment was present at the defense of Charleston in 1776. It transferred from the Southern Department to George Washington's main army in February 1777. At that time, Thomas Clark became colonel of the 1st Regiment. The unit became part of Nash's North Carolina Brigade in July. … In 1777 the 1st North Carolina saw action at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and it was present at White Marsh. Still led by Clark, it fought at Monmouth in June 1778. The North Carolina Brigade marched south under the command of James Hogun and arrived at Charlestown, South Carolina in March 1780. The 1^st Regiment was captured by the British army at the Siege of Charleston on 12 May 1780. Clark and 287 men became prisoners. The regiment was reformed in the summer of 1781 and fought well in Jethro Sumner's brigade at Eutaw Springs in September that year. The 1st North Carolina was furloughed on 23 April 1783 at James Island, South Carolina and disbanded on 15 November 1783.[vii]

 

            William married Mary Frances (Durham) Kelly[viii], daughter of William Durham and Margaret (Colough) Durham.[ix] Fortunately William’s Will lists the names of their children. 

            When writing about William’s great grandson, Richard Bussey Kelly, Joel Campbell DuBose briefly explained William’s travels.

 

William S. Kelly, “an Irish lad, tiring of the oppression of England, decided to come to America, where men enjoyed the privilege of political and religious freedom. This Irish lad, William Kelly, settled in Wake County, N. C., where his son, Sims Kelly, was born in 1784. Sims Kelly loving liberty like his father, became one of the combatants when war was declared against England in 1812.

 

            In 1800 William and family were living in York District, South Carolina.[x] During the War of 1812 William and Mary’s sons, William Durham Kelly and Sims Kelly served as volunteers from Tennessee. They enlisted in September 1814 which tells us the family was living in that state at the time.[xi] In 1820 William Kelly and his wife were living in Franklin, Tennessee.[xii]

It would be interesting to have more details on William’s movements from Ireland (1739), to the Colonies (1755), to North Carolina (1777), to South Carolina (1800) and on to Tennessee (1814). Unfortunately, we do not have that information.

            William Stark Kelly died 13 December 1826 in Tennessee.[xiii]

 

William’s sons, William Durham Kelly and Sims Kelly, fought in the War of 1812. William’s grandson and son of Sims Kelly, Samuel Camp Kelly, fought in both the Mexican – American War and the Civil War.

 

Revolutionary War Series:

#1  William Stark Kelly, Private in the North Carolina Militia

#2 Captain John Kennington, Camden District Regiment, South Carolina Militia 

#3 Sergeant John Brumfield, Patriot & Spy South Carolina Militia 

#4 Charles Brumfield, Gave Patriotic Service

#5 Captain Johannes Ritter, Sr., Northampton Co., PA Militia

#6 Sgt. David Faulkenberruy, SC Militia 

#7 Lt. Moses Hollis, Lieutenant in the South Carolina Militia

#8 Pvt. Jeremiah Smith

#9 Richard Dillon, NC Militia 

#10 Captain Jacob Ott II, SC Militia

#11 Lt. Johann Jonas Wolf, York Co. Militia, PA

#12 Captain John Hollis, SC Militia

#13 Pvt. William Hollis, SC Militia

---

 

Read more about our family's pioneers & patriots.

This is my newest book, published in late 2024. It includes chapters on these families:

Alford, Ashely, Brown, Brumfield,

Fortenberry, Hollis, Kelly, Kennington,

Lawrence, Ott, Smith & Spurlock

Buy from me: Price: $95.00 + $10 shipping & packaging. No credit cards.

OR: use credit card & purchase through Troy Book Makers.

 

[i] Sons of the American Revolution, Membership Applications, 1889 – 1970; Louisville, Kentucky; National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, microfilm; William Kelly.

[ii] Russey, George S., The Russey Family in America: A Genealogy of James Russey (1970) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed January 2020) 79.

[iii][iii] Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War; NARA catalog 570710, Record Group 93; digital image, Fold3 (fold3.com: accessed January 2020) William Kelley.

[iv] Revolutionary War Soldiers for NC and SC; digital image (ourfamtree.org: accessed January 2020) William Kelly/Kelley.

[v] Sons of the American Revolution, Membership Applications, 1889 – 1970; Louisville, Kentucky; National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, microfilm; William Kelly.

[vi] J. D. Lewis, 1^st North Carolina Regiment, The American Revolution in North Carolina; digital image (carolana.com: accessed January 2020).

[vii] Wikipedia. 1^st North Carolina Regiment; digital image (en. wikipedia.org: accessed January 2020).

[viii] US and International Marriage Records, 1560 – 1900; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed January 2020) William S. Kelly and Mary Frances Durham, m. in NC.

[ix] Russey, George S., The Russey Family in America: A Genealogy of James Russey (1970) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed January 2020) 79.

[x] 1800 US Census, SC, York; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed May 20200 Wm Kelly.

[xi] Tennessee Secretary of State, History & Genealogy/War of1812, Regimental Histories of Tennessee Units During the War of 1812; digital image (sos.tn.gov: accessed June 2020) Major William Russell.

[xii][xii] 1820 US Census, TN, Franklin; digital image, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed January 2020) William S Kelly.

[xiii] Russey, George S., The Russey Family in America: A Genealogy of James Russey (1970) Genealogy Gophers (gengophers.com: accessed January 2020) 79.

Forget Me Not: James Sims Kelly, 1905 AL

 Newspapers.com is a favorite of mine for research. I feel that newspapers reports can add details to basic genealogy research. I was looking for anything to tell me more about James Sims Kelly. I found these articles.

James Sims Kelly

Sep 1828 TN – 1 August 1905 AL

Son of Sims Kelly & Mary Camp

My 1st cousin, 5x removed

Executive Appointments

The Governor yesterday made the following executive appointments:

James S. Kelly, notary public and justice of the peace, Oxford.

Source: Executive Appointments. (Montgomery, AL, The Montgomery Advertiser, 3 Sept. 1887) 8; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed July 2020).

J. S. Kelly Dead. An Honored Citizen of Oxford Goes to His Reward.

Anniston. Aug. 1 – Although not unexpected the death of James S. Kelly of Oxford came as a great shock to the entire community. This morning Mr. Kelly awakened feeling unusually bright and cheerful and went to breakfast. In a few moments he complained, walked to the door and in a moment fell from the porch. Before he could be lifted up he was dead.

James S. Kelly was born in Franklin county, Tenn. Sept. 2^nd, 1828 and was nearly 77 years of age. He was twice married, his first wife being Miss Elizabeth Kelly. They had two children. One died when only a child, the other, Alfred Kelly, is a successful traveling man. His second wife was Miss Emily Goodlett, who survives him. From early manhood Mr. Kelly was an earnest, consistent member of the Baptist Church and true and loyal member to all its teachings. He was a writer of considerable power and in his articles  contributed to the Hot Blast over the non de plume of Sam Slim. He wrote entertainingly of the matters of current interest. He was a philosopher, a keen judge of human nature and possessing of a great heart that beat in sympathy with all of God’s creatures. He will be sorely missed by everyone.

Arrangements for the funeral have not been completed, awaiting news from his son, Alfred, whose whereabouts are uncertain. The services will be at the Baptist probably at 3 o’clock tomorrow afternoon with interment in Oxford cemetery.

Source: J. S. Kelly Dead. (Montgomery, AL, The Montgomery Advertiser, 2 August 1905) 9; digital image, Newspapers.com: accessed July 2020).

Funeral of James Kelly.The funeral of James S. Kelly took place at the Baptist church at 3 o’clock this afternoon, conducted by Rev. W. R. Ivey. The church could not hold the large crowd of friends that gathered. The services were solemn and impressive. The following acted as pallbearers: J. D. Wright, D. C. Cooper, W. S. Aderhold, T. A. Howle, W. F. Hanna and T. M. Draper. 

Source: Funeral of James Kelly. (Birmingham, AL: The Birmingham News, 3 Aug. 1905) 16; digital image, Newspaper.com: accessed June 2020).

Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pensions

Recently in his blog, Carolina Family Roots, my friend, Charles Purvis wrote about the

website with Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements &Rosters. He recommended we take a look at the records available here. I did and found ancestors very quickly. Thanks, Charlie! Give it a try and you'll soon be thanking Charlie too.

Pension statements are listed alphabetically by surname. I went to ‘F’ & looked for Faulkenberry/ Fortenberry soldiers. I quickly found David Faulkenberry [b c 1746 – 1841 TN], my 4^th great grand uncle. He was the son of Jacob Faulkenberry [b c 1715]. David was living in South Carolina at the time of his service. At the time David made the following statement concerning his role in the Revolutionary War he was 85 or 86 years old, infirm and could remember very little details. His son, Jacob, added information from stories told to him by his father in years past.

PensionApplication of David Faulkenberry: S3350;

 [State of Tennessee; Rutherford County]; 

Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

On this 6 day of September 1832 personally appeared before me John W. Conly Esquire, then acting Justice of the peace for the County of Rutherford and State of Tennessee, David Faulkenberry, aged, as he thinks, eighty five or eighty six years, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth, on his oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June the 7 1832. He then said David being a resident of the county of Rutherford aforesaid. That he entered the service in behalf of the United States some time before the engagement took place at the Hanging rock in South Carolina, but he cannot state in what year or month [see note below]. At the time he entered the service, he lived in Cashaw [sic: Kershaw] County South Carolina. He was a drafted militia man, and entered the service in Captain John Caneston’s company, but he cannot remember the names of any of the other of his company officers. He belonged to the regiment of Militia commanded by Col. Joseph Cashaw [sic: Kershaw], and he thinks Gen. Williamson had the command of the troops to which he belonged. He was in the engagement at the Hanging rock, but he cannot remember any of the particulars of his service, or through what country he marched. He served he thinks five or six months during this tour, and was then discharged and returned home. How long he remained at home, he cannot state, but after some time he was again drafted, and served another tour of five or six months. On this tour he was under the same Captain as in the first tour and he thinks Col. Cashaw again commanded his regiment. He cannot remember anything about his other officers, except as to the General commanding officer, and he cannot remember distinctly about that. He has some recollection that during some part of his services he was in General Sumter’s army, but at what period, he cannot undertake to state positively. He was in the army at Gates’ defeat [Battle of Camden SC, 16 Aug 1780 where Gen. Horatio Gates was defeated] but cannot remember which tour of his service it was He was not directly engaged in the battle, but was detailed as a guard to take care of the baggage wagons, and was Searjant of said guard. He does not remember at what time he was discharged, but thinks he received a written discharge both tours he served. His discharges he has lost long since; he thinks he lost them both at the same time.

He does not know when he was born, nor has he any record of his age. When he entered the service, he lived as already stated in Cashaw County South Carolina, and continued to live there eighteen or twenty years after the war; he then removed to & lived several years in Clark County Georgia, from whence he removed to Rutherford County Ten. where he now resides and has resided since the year 1808. He cannot state the names of any of the officers in the regular service, or anything about any continental or militia regiments, except the one to which he belonged.

He is acquainted with William Pau, Randolph B. Hall, David Hall, Samuel Fulks and others in his neighborhood, who he believes will testify as to his character for viscity [sic: veracity], and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.

He has no documentary evidence of his services and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure to prove his services.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity, except the present, and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.

David hisXmark Faulkenberry

This 6 day of September 1832 personally appeared before me John W. Conly an acting Justice of the peace for the County of Rutherford and State of Tennessee, Jacob Faulkenberry, aged about Sixty-two years, who being first sworn according to law, doth upon his oath state that he is the son of David Faulkenberry, the applicant in the foregoing declaration, that the services of his father as a soldier in the revolutionary war are connected with his earliest recollections, that he has always understood from his father & others that he did serve as a soldier, and he has heard him, when in the full vigor and perfect exercise of his memory, give a circumstantial detail of his services. He has a personal recollection that after Gates’ defeat, his father was ordered as he supposes to collect all the public property that could be found scattered through the country by the retreating army, and that he did collect and bring guns, baggage &c. and bring in, in considerable quantities to be disposed of according to such directions as might be given by the authorities of the United States. His father is very old, and extremely infirm. His recollection has so much failed that he can scarcely remember events now passing around him an hour after they have taken place. And his recollection of his services has become exceedingly imperfect, so much so, that at times he cannot remember anything about it until some particular circumstance in relation to them is mentioned. He is a cripple in both his hands, which affiant has a recollection was produced at his own house by the Tories, on account of his attachment to the Whigs, by cutting him to pieces with their swords. He was also wounded by a ball at the same time, which is now in his arm. 

Jacob his X mark Faulkenberry

NOTE: There were two engagements near or at Hanging Rock in present Lancaster County SC. On 30 July 1780 Maj. William Richardson Davie led North Carolina partisans on a diversionary attack on Loyalists near Hanging Rock. On 6 Aug 1780 Gen. Thomas Sumter led troops including South Carolina militiamen in an attack on Loyalists at Hanging Rock. I could not identify a Capt. Caneston or a Gen. Williamson.