Capt. Isaac Ross, of Prospect Hill

Isaac Ross is a DAR Patriot Ancestor A098428

Captain Isaac Ross served with 2nd Regiment of State Dragoons, South Carolina State Troops during the American Revolution.

Isaac Ross is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor. NSSAR Ancestor #: 282042 Rank: Captain

Biography

Capt. Isaac Ross was born January 5, 1760. He was the youngest child of Isaac Ross and Jean Brown Ross. When he was a small child his father died and his mother, after remaining a widow only a few years, married Aaron Alexander. John Brown Alexander, the child of this last union, being near the age of his half brother Isaac, was his companion during the years of childhood. Soon the death of their mother occurred, followed by the second marriage of Aaron Alexander. It was possibly about this time that Isaac Ross, as a young man, went to seek his fortune further down the Wateree river in what was then Orangeburg County, S. C.

In Orangeburg County there had already settled "Stony Hill" Isaac Ross, who in 1765 was "Collector" for Saxa-Gotha township and the fork between the Congaree and Wateree rivers and adjacent places. (Statistics of S. C, Vol. IV. , page 217. ) This part of Orangeburg County afterward became Richland and Kershaw Counties. During the years 1864-65 the position of Assessor for this same district was held by Andrew Allison. It was possibly here that Capt. Isaac Ross first met Jane Allison, the daughter of Andrew and Margaret Allison, whom he afterward married. *The Allisons were trom the north of Ire land, and were wealthy land owners there, but were forced to flee to America in pursuit of religious freedom.

Family

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Ross_(planter)

Ross married Jane Allison (1762-1829).[1][2] They had two sons and three daughters:

1. Margaret Allison Ross Reed (1787-1838). Her second husband was Thomas Buck Reed (1787–1829), who served as United States Senator from Mississippi from January 28, 1826, to March 4, 1827, and again from March 4, 1829, to November 26, 1829.
2. Martha B. Ross (1793-1818).[1]
3. Jane Brown Ross Wade (1786-1851). Mother of Issac Ross Wade.[1]
4. Isaac Ross (1796-1852).[1]
5. Arthur Alison Ross (1801-1834). He married Octavia Van Dorn, daughter of Earl Van Dorn (1820–1863), an officer who served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War of 1861–1865. Widowed when her husband Alison died, in 1837 Octavia married Dr Vans Murray Sulivane (1810-1840); they had a son, Clement Sullivane (1838-1920), who served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. He was later elected as a member of the Maryland Senate.

Ross was widowed in 1829. Around the same period that he lost his wife, their daughter and a son-in-law, and two Ross sons also died.[2]

By reference to the map showing the lands owned by the Ross family in South Carolina, we see that the lands of Isaac Ross and his brothers were near enough for frequent visits. The diary of A. B. Ross mentions these visits. Issac Ross was captain of a company under Sumpter during the Revolution. He was a member of the Continental Association in 1770, and was a staunch supporter of the Whig party and one of the party leaders. Capt. Ross did not come to Mississippi with the large company of relatives who came in 1805, but remained in South Carolina till 1808, which was two years after the death of the brother, A. B. Ross. He settled at Prospect Hill, in Jefferson County, Mississippi, where he built the first Prospect Hill house, which was burned by his slaves after his death. (See account of burning.) He patented a large tract of land, as shown by the records in Claiborne County. The following is taken from the book of original entries: 97 acres, 626 acres, 138, 158, 158, 159, 159, 626, 553, 535, 158 acres were patented between the time that he came to Mississippi and 1832. Captain Ross owned hundreds of slaves and amassed a large fortune. The view from the Prospect Hill house is one of gran deur. The house is built on a high hill surrounded by sloping meadows and hills of great size. It was over this expanse that Captain Ross could survey hiB abundant harvests, for as far as the eye could reach his possessions lay. In the Prospect Hill house there now hang portraits of Captain Ross and his wife, Jane Allison Ross. The portrait of Captain Ross has suffered the loss of one eye; the expression of the face, however, is not much changed thereby, and shows a man of middle age, with blue eyes, dark hair and florid complexion, a man one would judge possessed a strong will and steadfastness of purpose. He was of a deeply religious nature. •(This and other causes led to the liberation of his slaves.

After the death of his daughter, Captain Ross was so overcome with grief, he left the familiar scenes and went with his nephew, John B. Conger, through the then wild Indian country to Mobile, where he took a boat for the North. He visited Princeton, where his son was at school, but not wishing to burden him with grief, he did not even call on him. On his return, by way of the West, he was taken ill in the Indian country and was found by some hunters, who took care of him and sent word to his family. His son-in-law, John I. W. Ross, and nephew, John B. Conger, went to his assistance and brought him home, where he died Jan. 19th, 1836. His grave at Prospect Hill is marked by one of the finest private monuments in Mississippi. His desire was that a simple box tomb should be put over his grave; however, the American Colonization Society did not accede to his wish, and bought the monument with money from the estate of Captain Ross.

The will of Captain Isaac Ross (see Claiborne's History of Mississippi) was a very unusual one, but for the great length of the document, it would have been given here. He provided that his slaves be given freedom, sent to Liberia and an institution of learning established there. There were special bequests of slaves, etc., but the heirs were not pleased because the wealth that was theirs by inheritance should be disposed of in this way.

The American Colonization Society was given charge of the slaves, but while awaiting the decision of the courts they were held by *Judge Isaac Ross Wade, executor of the will and a grandson of Captain Ross. The courts decided, after a long litigation conducted by the ablest lawyers in the State, that a man can dispose of his slaves while living or by will, and can manumit them after trans porting them to another country. (Freeman's Chancery Report, 587.) Claiborne states (History of Mississippi, page 391): exposition of the laws of Mississippi on the subject of slaves and the power of enfranchisement, and but for the mischievous interference and menace of North ern politicians and clergymen in pursuit of pelf and power, many slaves, after this decision, would have been transported to Africa from the South." The estate of Captain Ross was valued at about $100,000.00, besides about 200 negroes. Very little of this wealth was left to his descendants. The law yers' fees consumed a large amount and the American Colonization Society was entrusted with the balance. Judge Wade, who was the executor and a grandson, received only his per cent for managing and settling the estate. He bought the Prospect Hill house and some lands with the amount he received, and in that way the old home has remained in the family. Prospect Hill is now the prop erty of Mr. Battaille Wade, a great grandson of Captain Ross. He keeps the old cemetery in perfect condition, and is ever ready with a hearty welcome to show the points of interest to visitors to the home.

A RECORD OF THE DESCENDANTS ISAAC ROSS and JEAN BROWN, Compiled by Anne Mims Wright, Jackson, MS, 1911, p. 18, 69-71

CAPTAIN ISAAC ROSS' COMPANY, REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

Roll of Capt. Isaac Ross' Troop in the Second Regiment, State Dragoons, commanded by Colonel Charles Myddelton, April 18th, 1782. (Taken from Documents relating to the History of South Carolina during the Revolutionary War, by Salley.)

Isaac Ross, Captain; Wm. Akins, First Lieutenant; Thos. Jackson, Second Lieutenant; John Whitaker, Second Lieutenant; James Bell, Sergeant; George Campbell, Sergeant; James Hayes, Sergeant; Lodwk. Hill, Sergeant; Samuel Hatfield, Sergeant; Wm. Pullan, Sergeant; Jesse Bisto, Sergeant.

Privates—Britton Jones, John White, Wm. Wilkinson, John Wilkinson, Thomas Wilkinson, James Miss. Kelly, Thomas Watts, Shadr. Jenkins, John Hardgrove, John Flint, John Tapley, Thomas Gregory, Wm. Boyce, John Boyders, Kinchin Pennington, John Ezell, Samuel McWaters, Daniel Brannan, Aorm Miller, Stephen Sweatman, Burrel Cooke, John Carter, Martin Martin, John Jackson, Leo. Duggin, John Griffin, Mason Harris, Griffin Harris, Edward Harris, David Pone, Jonathon Outson, William Ware, Matt Laws, Andrew Howser, Adam Carick, John Dash, Martin Kitts, John Gapam, William Pawling, William McGrew, Hance Kerr, Alex. Grehan, Thos. Yates, Henry James, Henry Smith, Jesse Henson, William Murchey, James Winingham, Martin Irish, James Sellers, Richard Boyd.

(Signed) " ISAAC ROSS, Captain. Sworn before me this 18th April, 1682. RICHARD BROWN, J. P., Camden District.

References

1. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/mississippi/prospect-hill-plantatio...
2. Wikipedia contributors, "Isaac Ross (planter)," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia < [ https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Isaac_Ross_(planter)&old... link] > accessed February 5, 2024).
3. http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full...
4. WikiTree contributors, "Isaac Ross (1760-1836)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Ross-3175 : accessed 05 February 2024).
5. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38039910/isaac-ross
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38042646/jane-ross