Colonel John Gannaway, Jr.

GEDCOM Note

COLONEL JOHN & MARY (MacGREGOR) GANNAWAY JR.

John Gannaway Jr. was born on August 2, 1720 in New Kent County, Virginia. Mary (MacGregor) Gannaway was born in 1731 at Aberdeen, Scotland.

John & Mary (MacGregor) Gannaway Jr. were married in 1746 at New Kent County, Virginia. Fourteen (14) children born of their union: William Gannaway born on April 26, 1747, died on May 30, 1800, Captain John E. Gannaway III born on April 11, 1748, died in 1798, Catherine (Gannaway) Sanders born on January 4, 1750, died in 1808, Thomas Gannaway born on May 8, 1751, died in 1819, Gregory Gannaway born on May 8, 1753, died on August 24, 1804, Mary (Gannaway) Johns born on May 18, 1754, died on March 2, 1845, Robert Gannaway born on September 7, 1756, died in April 1804, Frances (Gannaway) Morgan born on March 6, 1759, died in 1793, Edmund “Money” Gannaway born on June 6, 1760, died in 1822, Sally (Gannaway) Walker born on July 19, 1761, Elizabeth (Gannaway) Seay born on September 24, 1764, Susannah (Gannaway) Walker born on February 9, 1768, Marmaduke Gannaway born on January 1, 1770, and Fergus Gannaway born on November 1, 1771. All of the Gannaway children were born at New Kent County, Virginia.

Colonel John Gannaway Jr. served as the Commander of the Buckingham Provincial Militia during the French & Indian War.

On October 25, 1756, John, along with his father, John Gannaway Sr., and their neighbor, Roger Williams, were the witnesses and signatories of his uncle by marriage, Thomas Anderson’s will at Albemarle County - Agnus (Gannaway) Anderson was his paternal aunt. John’s father also posted the security bond to insure that Thomas & Agnus’ sons, Charles Anderson, Gideon Anderson, and William Anderson perform their duties as executors of Thomas’ estate. John Jr. & Mary’s son, William Gannaway married Elizabeth (Wright) Gannaway, the daughter of George & Elizabeth (Shepard) Wright, in 1774 at Cumberland County, Virginia. Twelve (12) children were born of their union: Mary (Gannaway) Williams born in 1775, died in 1839, Betsy (Gannaway) Love born about 1776, died in 1813, who married Judge William Love, Sally (Gannaway) Gannaway born on March 10, 1780, died on August 12, 1881, who in 1801 married a cousin, Reverend Robertson Gannaway, (the son of Private Gregory & Rhoda (Robertson) Gannaway), Catherine (Gannaway) Brownloe born in December 1780, died in 1817, Susanna (Gannaway) Atkins who married Joseph Atkins, Patty (Gannaway) Rigers, John Gannaway who died in 1850 at Wythe County, Virginia, and who married (---) (Barringer) Gannaway, Captain William Gannaway II born on December 21, 1783, died in 1814, Seymor Gannaway, Thomas Gannaway, Patty (Gannaway) Rigers, Frances (Gannaway) Atkins, and Nancy (Gannaway) Hamilton who on August 21, 1795 married Henry Hamilton.

William & Elizabeth’s daughter, Mary (Gannaway) Williams married Captain William Ligon Williams, the son of Samuel Williams, in 1792 at Cumberland County, Virginia becoming the parents of at least one (1) daughter, Elizabeth (Williams) Gannaway who married a cousin, John Gannaway, the son of Private Gregory & Rhoda (Robertson) Gannaway. Captain Williams served as a Company Commander during the War of 1812. By 1810 Mary & William had removed to Wythe County, Kentucky.

William & Elizabeth’s daughter, Catherine (Gannaway) Brownloe married Joseph Brownloe, the son of James & Catherine (---) Brownloe of County, Atrium, Ireland. Catherine & Joseph’s eldest son, William Gannaway “Parson Brownloe” Brownloe, born on August 29, 1805, died on April 29, 1877, authored Sketches of the Rise Progress and Declines of Secession in 1862, and who in 1865 was elected Governor of Tennessee.

William & Elizabeth’s son, William Gannaway married a cousin, Sallie (Gannaway) Gannaway the daughter of Gregory & Rhoda (Robertson) Gannaway on September 25, 1804 becoming the parents of six (6) children: Finetta (Gannaway) Williams, Jeffery Gannaway, Sally Robertson (Gannaway) Seedham, Robertson Gannaway, William Woodson Gannaway, and John Gannaway.

Captain William Gannaway II served in the War of 1812 as Commander of a Militia Company.

John Jr. & Mary’s son, Captain John E. Gannaway III served as a Company commander with the Buckingham Regiment – Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War. Captain John E. Gannaway’s DAR registration number is No. 236,557. Captain John E. & Martha “Patsy” (Walker) Gannaway, the daughter of William & Drucilla (Woodson) Walker, were married on April 11, 1773 at Cumberland County, Virginia becoming the parents of seven (7) children: Marmaduke Gannaway who married Drucilla (---) Gannaway, Theodorick Carter Gannaway, Burwell Gannaway who died in 1853, and who married Sallie (Beatty) Gannaway, Francis (Gannaway) Molloy who married Gilliam Molloy, Thomas A. Gannaway, Elizabeth (Gannaway) Binford who married William Binford, and Captain John E. Gannaway (IV), died on September 12, 1855.

John III & Martha’s son, Theodorick Carter Gannaway married Judith (Lancaster) Gills-Gannaway on December 27, 1824 becoming the parents of three (3) children: Pattie Woodson (Gannaway) Newman who married John Newman, John Lancaster Gannaway, and Catherine (Gannaway) Trent who married Thomas Woodson Trent becoming the parents of one (1) known child.

John III & Martha’s son, Thomas A. Gannaway married Judith (Woodson ) Gannaway, a cousin of his mother. The Gannaways lived in Missouri.

John III & Martha’s son, Captain John E. Gannaway (IV), served in the War of 1812 as a Company Commander of the 8th Regiment, Virginia Militia from August 29, 1814 to February 24, 1815. He was stationed at Camp Carter, near Richmond, Virginia. Captain John E. Gannaway married Catherine (Evans) Gannaway in 1778 becoming the parents of one (1) known child: Richard Woodson Gannaway born in 1822, died on December 12, 1885, who married Mary C. (Molloy) Gannaway becoming the parents of three (3) known children.

John Jr. & Mary’s son, Gregory Gannaway served as a Private with Bates’ Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War; his gun warrant issued on January 9, 1777 reads in part, “…one gun for Captain Bates Company of Militia.” Gregory & Rhoda (Robertson) Gannaway were married on September 22, 1779 becoming the parents of thirteen (13) children: Reverend Robertson Gannaway born on July 7, 1780, who on December 24, 1801 married his cousin, Sally (Gannaway) Gannaway, the daughter of William & Elizabeth (Wright) Gannaway, Jeffrey Gannaway born on October 31, 1784, Polly (Gannaway) Ligon born on August 12, 1785, Sallie (Gannaway) Gannaway born on March 8, 1786, died on August 12, 1881 at Pleasant Grove, Des Moines County, Iowa, Catherine Gannaway born on May 15, 1788, John Gannaway born in 1789, who married Elizabeth (Williams) Gannaway, Judith (Gannaway) Winniford born on September 16, 1791, who married Gregory Winniford, Norville Gannaway born on May 3, 1794, Edmund Gannaway born on June 6, 1795, who married Frances (McDearmon) Gannaway, William Gannaway born on October 31, 1796, who about 1818 married Martha (Ayers) Gannaway, Pamela (Gannaway) Rader born on August 3, 1798, Thomas Gannaway born on June 18, 1800, whose first wife was Mary (Brown) Gannaway, his second wife, Rebecca (Johnston) Gannaway, and Martha Patsy (Gannaway) McDearmon born on March 30, 1802 who married James R. McDearmon, the brother of Frances (McDearmon) Gannaway.

John Jr. & Mary’s son, Robert Gannaway served three enlistment tours during the Revolutionary War. His first tour of duty was with the Buckingham Militia where he fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill & Breed’s Hill on June 17, 1775.

By the middle of May 1775, the British commander at Boston, General Thomas Gage was surrounded. The rebel army encircling the city was growing ever larger as new recruits continued to arrive. As a practical matter Gage’s Army in Boston was under siege. General Gage asked for more men; instead he was sent three major generals, John Burgoyne, Henry Clinton, and William Howe, all of whom arrived on May 25, 1775. A plan was developed to break out of Boston, but it was impossible to maintain any kind of secrecy in Boston, where hundreds of solid citizens with ample cause to hate the British reported every troop movement to their American compatriots.

Warned that the British were preparing to march, the Americans ordered the fortification of Bunker Hill, but for some reason the militiamen set to work on adjacent Breed’s Hill. Both hills were on the Charlestown peninsula approached by a narrow neck of land; Bunker Hill was the higher of the two and overlooked Breed’s Hill. General Gage decided against a siege and elected, instead, to mount a full frontal assault on the American position; believing that green troops fresh from the farms would break and run in the face of the superior discipline of the professional British soldiers

The British army was trained according to a theory of warfare, which relied upon developing forces of sufficient numbers and discipline able to absorb volley after volley of enemy fire and still advance as a unit. The assault would continue until the enemy position was overwhelmed.

British marksmanship was less important than the ability to accomplish the time-consuming task of loading, firing, and reloading weapons in unison, so as not to slow down or interrupt the momentum of the advance. The forces would eventually approach closely enough so that some of their bullets could not help but inflict damage on the enemy’s side. The battle would end in hand-to-hand combat, in which the bayonet formed the most useful part of the British soldier’s gun.

On the other hand, the Americans knew very little about military theory and discipline. To the hardworking and thrifty patriot farmers who manned Breed’s Hill, wasting anything was unthinkable. Wasting anything as valuable and hard to come by as ammunition was unbelievable. For years their lives had depended upon the ability to hit what they aimed at, whether it was game for the dinner table, or French and Indian raiding parties. Some of them had discovered that a musket ball seated in a piece of greased paper and rammed into a grooved or rifled gun barrel developed a spin, which increased both its accuracy and range. Very few of the American troops, if any, possessed a bayonet.

Colonel William Prescott of Massachusetts commanded the American forces on the Hill, which initially consisted of about 1,000 men, most or all of whom were from Massachusetts. Prescott’s men were reinforced by a group from New Hampshire led by John Stark, some detachments from Connecticut led by Israel Putnam, and a few militiamen from Virginia – bringing the total to about 1,500 Americans.

On the morning of June 17, 1775, the British ships opened fire. Charlestown was set ablaze; its inhabitants forced to flee. The Americans continued to dig trenches and pile up brush along a fence running from the main fortification to the water’s edge. The main British force landed at high tide and, led by Major General William Howe, commenced their attack at about 1:00 in the afternoon.

Because of the shortage of ammunition the Americans were under strict orders to aim at the waistcoats of the British soldiers, but to hold their fire until ordered otherwise. As the British continued their steady advance up the hill, they could see the Americans inexplicably silent behind the fence. Then, suddenly, as the advancing British reached a point about fifty yards from the American line, a furious and continual firing erupted; whose deadly accuracy was impossible to withstand. The British were forced to fall back.

In ordering a frontal assault, Gage had risked the reputation of the British army on their ability to break the American line. He could no longer afford to settle for a siege; a third assault was ordered.

As they started up the hill for the third time, marching forward over the bodies of their dead and wounded comrades, the British soldiers had no way of knowing that the Americans had used up just about all of their ammunition. As the British closed in, only a few shots were fired. The American ammunition was exhausted, but the Americans continued their resistance. Using their muskets as clubs to ward off the British bayonets, they forced the British to fight for every inch of ground. The American retreat was orderly, not the rout the British had expected when the day began.

The Americans suffered 453 casualties, mostly in the retreat; 139 killed, 278 wounded, and 36 missing, about thirty percent of the overall force. The British lost approximately 1,150; 226 killed and 924 wounded; about forty-five percent of the men engaged. General Henry Clinton is reported to have said in a dispatch, ”A dear bought victory, another such would have ruined us.”

During his second tour of duty Robert Gannaway participated in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, Guilford, North Carolina while under the command of Captain Charles Ballew, and the Battle of Camden, South Carolina in April 1781. During his third enlistment, Robert participated in the Battle of Yorktown, where he witnessed the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. Robert Gannaway married Lucy (Walker) Gannaway, the daughter of William & Drucilla (Woodson) Walker becoming the parents of two known (2) children: William G. Gannaway born August 17, 1779, and Woodson Gannaway born on September 11, 1782.

Robert Gannaway’s Revolutionary War service records are listed in Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia, Virginia State Library, Richmond.

John Jr. & Mary’s daughter, Frances (Gannaway) Morgan married John Morgan at Cumberland County, Virginia.

John Jr. & Mary’s son, Thomas Gannaway & his wife Sally (---) became the parents of nine (9) children: William Gannaway born on September 6, 1780, died after 1850, who married Lucy (Stone) Gannaway - becoming the parents of five (5) children, Mary (Gannaway) Gregory born on December 10, 1783, Issac Gannaway born on August 21, 1784, Martha Gannaway born on February 20, 1785, Martin Gannaway born on March 13, 1787 at Wythe County, Virginia, who about 1820 married Matilda (Cox) Gannaway at Hardin County, Kentucky - becoming the parents of four (4) children, Elizabeth (Gannaway) Giles born on March 1, 1790, who married Harvey Giles at Grayson County, Kentucky - becoming the parents of two (2) known children, Sally (Gannaway) Walker born on January 16, 1791, who married Issac Love at Hardin County, Kentucky, John Gannaway born and died in 1793, and Ann Gannaway born on July 18, 1797.

John Jr. & Mary’s daughter, Sally (Gannaway) Woodson married John Woodson, the son of William & Drucilla (Woodson) Walker at Cumberland County, Virginia.

John Jr. & Mary’s daughter, Elizabeth (Gannaway) Seay married Reubin Seay at Cumberland County, Virginia.

John Jr. & Mary’s son, Edmund “Money” & Drucilla Woodson (Walker) Gannaway were married on November 22, 1788 at Cumberland County, Virginia. Their descendants are discussed at length in Chapter 9.

Mary (MacGregor) Gannaway embroidered all of her children’s names and dates of birth on a sampler, which also contained the phrases “Be wise in time” and “A prudent wife is from the Lord.”

John Jr. received several grants of land in partnership with his father, John Gannaway Sr.: 300 acres at Goochland County on June 29, 1739, and 1,023 acres at Cumberland County, on June 6, 1759. John Jr. received the following land grants: 300 acres at Buckingham County on March 1, 1762 and 1,666 acres at Albemarle County on May 15, 1775. In addition, numerous adjoining parcels of land were acquired by direct purchase, in all, over 4,500 acres.

John Gannaway Jr. died and was buried about 1775 at Buckingham County, Virginia. At the time of his death, his estate was valued at £10,000. John Jr. also held a large number of slaves.

Mary (MacGregor) Gannaway died and was buried on November 11, 1793 at Buckingham County, Virginia.

Sources

• "Family trails across America: Higday, Ridgeway, Gannaway, Benefield, Van Slyck, Warren, Robertson and allied lines". Page 66. < Archive.Org >; page 69. < Archive.Org >
• http://genforum.genealogy.com/gannaway/messages/53.html
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=78007794
• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jan 20 2017, 15:06:57 UTC
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Feb 25 2019, 2:34:08 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

Source: The Compendium of American Genealogy-First Families of America, Vol II, page 33.
Source: William and Mary Quarterly, Part III, Gannaway Family
Source: Gannaway Family: Robertosn Gannaway (1839-1928); Civil War Veteran of Iowa; His descendants and some of his Ancestors, page 65-68.

John Gannaway II was evidently born in VA, as his father purchased land in King William Co, VA from William Johnson, 5 Nov 1721 (Deed book 8, pg 341).
He married Mary MacGregor of Aberdeen, Scotland in 1746.
An old Sampler records the names of their 14 children between the warning words: "Be wise in time." "A prudent wife is from the Lord."
John and his father (John) received a grant of land in Goochland Co in 1759; 300 acres in Buckingham Co. In 1762 he received 166 acres in Albemarle Co in 1775.

Source: Higday, page 66-67:
"John (b. August 2, 1720) was evidently born in Virginia, as his father purchased land in King William County, Va., from William Johnson, Nov. 5 1721. (Deed Book 8, p. 341).
... This John married Mary MacGregor of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1746. An old sampler records the names of their fourteen children between the warming words, "Be wise in time," and the thankful words, "A prudent wife is from the Lord."
... John the emigrant, and his son John, received a grant of land in Goochland county, Va., in 1739, of 300 acres; of 1023 acres in Cumberland county in 1759; 300 acres in Buckingham county, in 1762, the year after the formation of the county from Goochland; and 166 acres in Albemarle county in 1775."