We have many ancestors who performed military service during the Revolutionary War. Most fought on the side of secession from England, one was neutral, and two were Loyalists to the Crown.
Patriots
Colonists who lived in coastal areas and earned their living from maritime commerce tended to support independence from Britain because of the burden of English taxes on trade. Among these were three Virginians who were our direct ancestors:
- John Hawkins served as Commissary for Virginian troops. His work and experience with the new smallpox inoculation are the subject of Smallpox Vaccination During the American Revolution.
- George Walker served as an officer in the Colonial Army from 1770 until at least 1781, when he was promoted to Colonel. More detail can be found in Patriots in Prince Edward County, Virginia.
- John Holombe was a Captain in the Virginia Militia from 1770 on, was wounded in the Battle of Germantown in 1777 but continued his service to the end of the war. Read more detail in Patriots in Prince Edward County, Virginia.
Two of our ancestors lived in the Piedmont region of North Carolina and were ardent Patriots. Both were on the Colonial Army payroll:
- Patrick Mullins fought in The Battle of Alamance in 1771”
- “Rev. Thomas Mullins left extensive records of his Baptist ministry as well as his service during the Revolution.
Loyalists
Southern colonists who lived inland relied on the British Army for protection from Indians and were more likely to be Loyalists. Among these was our ancestor:
- Rev. Joseph Camp was an anabaptist minister in South Carolina who preached neutrality -two of his brothers fought for the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain.
2 of our Bonner ancestors were Loyalists in the Revolution:
- Benjamin Willson in New Jersey
- Anna (Hannah Sr.) Schauer Sypes in Pennsylvania
After the war, Britain offered Loyalists land grants in Canada. Because Loyalists faced persecution in the new United States, the move to Canada was an attractive option. The Willson and Sypes families permanently resettled to Canada in the Niagara Falls area.
Genealogical Societies
See the biographies of Rev. Thomas Mullins, Col. George Walker, Commissary John Hawkins, Capt. John Holcombe, and Philemone Holcombe for more about their lives, and proof of lineage for our family’s membership in the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution.
Also check out the biographies of Benjamin Willson and Anna (Hannah Sr.) Schauer Sypes for more about these Loyalists who sacrificed so much for their beliefs, and for proof of lineage for our family’s membership in the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada.
© 2013 W. Mullins