Capt. William Prince

A Patriot of the American Revolution for SOUTH CAROLINA with the rank of CAPTAIN. DAR Ancestor #: A093274

Captain William Prince. He served as a Capt. in Col. Benjamin Roebuck's Spartan Regt, in SC and was at the Battle of Cowpens.

Note: I have included several URLs at the bottom of this page pertinent to his military activities during the Revolutionary War. He is on the Roster of people who fought; however his role was not defined.

William Prince (1752-1810) was born in Virginia; however he moved with his father, John Prince, Esq. to Spartanburg, SC in 1768.

In the Spring of 1782, a recently discharged Veteran of the Revolutionary War, Capt. William Prince led a party west through the Cumberland Gap into the Red River Valley (a branch of the Cumberland River that is now located in Montgomery County, in the vicinity of Clarksville). This party included his wife, Dulcinea Barry Prince & their seven children, as well as his 2 brothers, Enoch and Robert Prince plus others unknown.

Dulcinia died soon after in 1784-1785; leaving William widowed with 7 children. William returned to SC, leaving his children with friends & trusted slaves to care for the children in his absence. He conducted a 2nd party which included William's 2nd wife, Elizabeth Ford and her sons Phillip, James & Richard. William established Prince's Fort, located near today's Port Royal, TN in Montgomery County, a suburb of Nashville.

Note: For the then & now of Port Royal, TN see following URL:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/tennessee/port-royal-state-historic...

In 1791, the Governor of TN appointed William Prince, Coroner of the County.

In the winter of 1798, a party led by William Prince surveyed land in what was to become Caldwell County, KY. They surveyed 200 acre tracts along the fertile land of upper Eddy Creek. They liked the area so well they decided to move there.

William built the Shandy Hall Tavern at the Big Spring (where the Dollar Store now stands). His widow later gave 50 acres to build a court house. The community was named Princeton in his honor.

Sources:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78632136/william-prince

https://historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HM2BPE_william-prince-1...

https://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/01/history-of-princeton-kent...

https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/patriot_militia_sc_roebucks_...

DAR Database