Captain Andrew Thompson, B.1750

Military: Revolutionary War (marker placed by Count Pulaski DAR).

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 25 2017, 9:43:20 UTC

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• ID: I87333
• Name: Andrew THOMPSON Patriot
• Sex: M
• Birth: 1750 in County Donegal, Ireland 1
• Burial: Hoge's Chapel Cemetery, Bland County, Virginia
• Reference Number: 90328
• Event: Military Patriot, American Revolution Civil Service, Virginia
• Event: Fact Deputy County Clerk of the Court
• Death: 1843 in Evensham, Walker Valley, Wythe County, Virginia 1
• Name: Andrew THOMPSON
• Birth: ABT 1760 in Ireland
• Event: Military DEC 1776 Sergeant, 1st New Jersey
• Event: Military 03 APR 1777 Ensign, 1st New Jersey, Col. Oliver Spencer's Regiment, Continental Troops
• Event: Military 11 SEP 1777 Taken POW at Brandywine, Pennsylvania.
• Event: Military 17 DEC 1780 Prisoner exchange, Long Island, NY
• Event: Military 01 JAN 1781 Retired with rank of Lieutenant.
• Event: Fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant.. Military 10 OCT 1774
• Event: Married Rebecca McCorkle, daughter of Wm. & Martha McCorkle, at Montgomery Co., Virginia. Fact 11 MAY 1801 2

Note: On 10 October 1774 Ensign Andrew Thompson fought in Lord Dunmore's War at the Battle of Point Pleasant (also known as the Battle of Kanawha), the only major battle of Dunmore's War primarily between Virginia militia and American Indians from the Shawnee and Mingo tribes. Along the Ohio River near modern Point Pleasant, West Virginia, American Indians under the Shawnee Chief Cornstalk attacked Virginia militia under Andrew Lewis, hoping to halt Lewis's advance into the Ohio Country. After a long and furious battle, Cornstalk retreated. After the battle, the Virginians, along with a second force led by Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, marched into the Ohio Country and compelled Cornstalk to agree to a treaty, ending the war.

Cornstalk's forces attacked Lewis's camp where the Kanawha River flows into the Ohio River, hoping to trap him along a bluff. The battle lasted for hours and was extremely intense; the fighting eventually became hand-to-hand. Cornstalk's voice was reportedly heard over the din of the battle, repeatedly urging his warriors to "be strong." Lewis sent several companies along the Kanawha and up a nearby creek in order to attack the Indians from the rear, reducing the intensity of the Shawnee offensive. At nightfall, the Shawnees silently withdrew back across the Ohio. The Virginians had held their ground, and so are considered to have won the day. In fact the loss was a ratio of 5 to 1 in favor of the Shawnees. Cornstalk withdrew because he was informed by runners that reinforcements were being sent down the Ohio river and would arrive in 3 hours giving him just enough time to safely withdraw.

The Virginians suffered about 75 killed and 150 wounded. The Shawnee are supposed to have had 33 killed. The Shawnees killed in battle were carried to canoes to cross the Ohio river and were taken with them after the retreat. No bodies were left on the battle field. Among the dead was Pucksinwah, the father of Chief Tecumseh.

The outcome of the Battle of Point Pleasant forced Cornstalk to make peace with Dunmore at the Treaty of Camp Charlotte, ceding Shawnee land claims south of the Ohio (modern Kentucky) to Virginia.

Battle of Point Pleasant: Robert Doak's Company of Militia Sergeant Andrew Thompson At the Upper Station , Big Crab Orchard Fort William Thompson Captain Henry Paulings Botetourt William Thompson At Glade Hollow Fort Richard Thomspon

MILITARY-Revolutionary War: Sergeant 1st NJ, Dec. 1776; Ensign 1st NJ, 3 Apr 1777, Col. Oliver Spencer's Regiment, Continental Troops; Taken prisoner at Brandywine Creek, PA, 11 Sep 1777; exchanged 17 Dec 1780 from Long Island, NY; retired with rank of Lieutenant, 1 Jan 1781.

In A History of Rockbridge County, Virginia, Oren Morton writes that a James McCorkle came from Ulster to Staunton, Augusta Co., Virginia in 1770 and then moved to Montgomery Co. a few years later. James also spent time in Fincastle Co., Virginia, which at one time encompassed the entire area that is now Kentucky. In 1774, James McCorkle and James Dysart were sureties for a John McCorkle in a court case. This is a very intriguing fact, but I have not been able to develop anything more about this John McCorkle. James was Montgomery County sheriff in 1778 and a trustee of Liberty Hall Academy in 1783. He had a brother William, whose daughters were Margaret, Martha and Rebecca. James died in 1794.

The will of the abovementioned James McCorkle of Montgomery Co. gave his considerable land holdings in Kentucky to his three nieces. Niece Margaret got most of 1000 acres (deed dated Aug 16 1784) on Sinking Creek, a branch of the Green River in what became Green Co., Kentucky. On Oct 10, 1803, this land was identified as "James McCorkle's thousand acre survey and now known as William Adams land". In about 1800, Samuel and John, sons of Samuel and Sarah Buchanan McCorkle, settled in this exact location.

In the transcription of the James' will (dated Feb 2, 1794; proved May, 1794 in Montgomery Co., Virginia) and subsequent proceedings, his partner of 1775, William Christian is named. James and William co-owned a store in Dunkard’s Bottom and, in January, 1785, James was appointed the administrator of the estate of Israel Christian, the father of William. James' nieces, daughters of his deceased brother William, were the only heirs mentioned in his will. The nieces were Margaret, wife of William Adams (married Aug 9, 1793 in Montgomery Co.), Rebecca, wife of Andrew Thompson (married May 11, 1801 in Montgomery Co.) and Martha. William's widow Martha is also mentioned.

On Feb 15, 1797, William Adams was named as an administrator of the estate of Samuel McCorkle of Green Co., KY. This Samuel is a complete mystery, but was probably the brother of James and William above. Margaret Adams was enumerated in the 1850 Taylor Co., Kentucky census as 75 years old and born in Ireland. So it would seem that James, William and Samuel came to the Colonies from Ireland about 1770 and, although most likely related, were not directly connected to Samuel Sr. of Augusta Co., VA.

On Oct 18, 1810 a Martha McCorkle married Samuel Compton in Green Co., Kentucky. Martha's mother, Martha, gave her consent. A witness was William Adams. These were surely the same individuals mentioned in the settlement of James McCorkle's estate in Montgomery Co., Virginia.

Christian Co., Kentucky was named for William Christian. In 1764, Capt. Christian raised a company of men to help with the protection of the frontier. A James and Patrick McCorkle were part of Christian’s force. On October 7, 1774, Christian was under the command of Colonel Andrew Lewis at the Battle of Kanawha (better know to me as the Battle of Point Pleasant). Andrew, John and William McCorkle were soldiers in the Army of Colonel Lewis. Many historians consider this battle to be the beginning of the American Revolution. The first explorers and surveyors of western Kentucky were William Christian, James Davis and John Montgomery from Augusta Co., Virginia. On April 9, 1786, at age 43, William Christian died from wounds received in a skirmish with Indians. He was buried on the Oxmoor estate on Bear Grass Creek in Jefferson Co., Kentucky. This Capt. Christian was surely the same person mentioned in the will of James McCorkle of Montgomery, Co., Virginia. In 1784 and 1785 Christian sold land to James McCorkle, so it is likely that James obtained his 1000 acre parcel in Kentucky from land acquired by Christian.

To try and avoid some confusion, I will mention that another James McCorkle, son of Robert, son of Samuel and Sarah McCorkle of Augusta Co., lived in Montgomery Co., Virginia in the early 1800s. He was in the 1810 Blacksburg, Montgomery Co. census and he also married Perlina Carty there, Jan 1, 1812. The 1820 census shows that two of their sons were born in Montgomery Co., before James followed his father Robert to Lawrence Co., Ohio.

Addendum: The above information was assembled from several sources. Since creating this page, I have read the James McCorkle biography in Early Adventures on Western Waters, Vol. 1, by F. B. & Mary B. Kegley. This sketch concerns the life of James in Montgomery Co., Virginia, but does not make the connection to Green Co., Kentucky.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/dwoody/mccorkle/willj amessam.htm

Name: Andrew Thompson Cemetery: Bird Cem Location: Bland Co VA 62 Reference: Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, Vol.4, p. Serial: 12556; Volume: 7.

Father: William J. THOMPSON b: 1718 in County Donegal, Ireland Mother: Mary PATTON b: 1728 in County Londonderry, Ireland

Marriage 1 Anne NANCY b: BEF 1757 in England Married: 1775 in Lee County, Virginia, USA Married: 1775 in Wythe, Virginia, USA Children Has No Children Joseph THOMPSON Has No Children Mary THOMPSON Has Children Nancy THOMPSON b: 1786 Has Children John THOMPSON b: 1776 in Evensham, Walker Valley, Wythe County, Virginia Has Children Andrew THOMPSON Jr. b: 1780 in Evensham, Wythe County, Virginia Has No Children Francis THOMPSON b: BET 1781 AND 1784 in Evensham, Wythe County, Virginia Has Children Amos THOMPSON b: 1786 in Evensham, Wythe County, Virginia Has Children Bryant THOMPSON b: 1797 in Wallker Valley, Wythe County, Virginia

Marriage 2 Rebecca MCCORKLE Married: 11 MAY 1801

Sources: Title: D.A.R. Patriot Index, Centennial Edition Author: Oren Morton Title: A History of Rockridge County, Virginia