Lieut John Michael Mahan

DAR Ancestor #A073145

MAHAN, JOHN Ancestor #: A073145
Service: VIRGINIA Rank(s): PRIVATE
Birth: 1750 FREDERICK CO VIRGINIA
Death: 4-7-1820 CAHAWBA CO ALABAMA
Service Source: NARA, M881, COMP MIL SERV RECS, ROLL #1079; SANCHEZ-SAAVEDRA, A GUIDE TO VA MIL ORGS IN THE AM REV, P 69
Service Description: 1) CAPT DAVID SCOTT, 13TH VA REGT, CONTINENTAL LINE

RESIDENCE
1) City: MONONGAHELA VALLEY - County: MONONGALIA CO - State: VIRGINIA

SPOUSE
Number Name
1) MARY SCOTT

Child [Spouse #] Spouse
ARCHIMEDES M [1] MARY BENNETT
EDWARD [1] RACHEL REAGAN [3] MARY POLLY A WARD
JAMES [1] MARY X
JOHN [1] REBECCA X
CHRISTIAN [1] OBEDIAH LOVELADY

One source says he was born in Ireland

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Notes for Major John Mahan:

According to family stories, three Mahan brothers of Iris h descent, served in the Revolutionary War. One of the brot hers, John Mahan, served as an officer in that war. He marr ied Mary Scott, the daughter of Henry Scott, who was a clos e relative of General Winfield Scott. After the Revolutiona ry War, John Mahan, in the company whith his family, move d to East Tennessee and while living in Sevier County Tenne ssee to old Cahawba County (now Bibb Couty) AL. They buil t their first log cabin near the site of the old Smith Ceme tery (where John and his wife Mary Scott Mahan and their so ns Edward, James, and John lie buried). Their sons, Edwar d and James, lived and died on the creek which bears the fa mily name. John moved to Talladega Co., and built the firs t house above the big spring. Archimedes moved to Perry Co. , AL. After the death of John Mahan, his widow Mary Mahan , moved to Perry Co., AL, to make her home with her son, Ar chimedes. (from family letters by Adelaide E. Mahan of Brie rfield, AL, and Mrs Charles Clark, Waldo, AR.)

John and Mary Mahan were buried in Smith Cemetery which i s near the spot where the Mahans built thir first log cavin s. It is located on the new State Highway 25, five miles so uthwest of Montevallo and fifteen miles northeast of Ceterv ille, and may be seen from the highway. The marble slab wit h the inscription that was on Mary Scott Mahan's grave ha s disappeared, but the inscription on Majoh John Mahan's gr ave reads as follows: "Sacred to the memory of Major John M ahan, ESQ. who died April 7, 1820, age 70 years"(from state ment by Adelaide E. Mahan, great-grand-daughter of Major Jo hn Mahan.)

John Mahan was born in 1750 and it seems probable that hi s birth was in Fredrick Co., VA. One reference (court recor ds of Hampshire) lists the surnames Mahan, Mahon, McMahan a s interchangable. It is evident that there were several me n of this same name appearing under various spellings in Au agusta and Fredrick Counties. It is assumed that there wer e several branches of possible related families settling i n the Territory at an early date and that the given name Jo hn was used in them all. It is certain that men of this nam e remained in the Territory of Augusta after John and Jame s were in Monongahela Valley region and later in North Caro line. In "Abstracts from Augusta County, Virginia," Ghalke y B2, page 120, it is shown that a John Mahon settled in th at part which was taken off into Monongalia and which in 17 84 became Harrison County. Monongalia was formed from distr ict west of Augusta in 1776.

According to Gwathmey's "rigister of Virginians in the Revo lution", page 494, John Mahan served as Lieutenant from Jan uary 1977 to September 1778.

James Mahan and James Mahan appear in Green County, Tenness ee together in 1787 and while in Tennessee the family of Jo hn Mahan of lthis lineage continues in this general localit y. Jefferson and Knox Counties are the localities in whic h John Mahan of this lineage appeared later. He had land i n Sevier which borders on Knox County. In 1790 this part o f "Tennessee was regarded as North Carolina and we find Joh n Mahan serving as Captain in North Carolina (now Green Cou nty, Tennessee) in the campaign against the Chickamauga Ind ians." Payment for this service was made 28 May 1790, but i t had no doubt been rendered in 1788. See information regar ding Chickamauga Indians and the fact that a quota of the t roops were drawn from Greene County, then considered unde r North Carolina, as given on page 208 "History of the los t state of Franklin" by Williams. [all the above from summa ry of record filed in D.A.R. Library, Washington, D.C.]

John Mahan was issued a land grant in Sevier County in 181 0 for 344 acres; this land, quoting from sais grant was "bo unded by Flayl Nichols contional (Unknown-LLM) line and th e west fork of Little Pigeon river on the North by Samuel W ear and said river on the South by Alexander Mongomery an d on the East and vacant land on the West. This Mahan trac t was surveyed in 1807, and like all such early grants wa s issued on an "occupancy" claim which indicates that Joh n Mahan was a early setter- perhaps as early as 1790. [fro m Letter by J.A. Sharp]

John Mahn and his wife Mary Scott Mahan moved with their fa mily to Cahaba County, Alabama (now Bibb County) in the yea r 1816 from Gannett's Cove, Sevier County, Tennessee. Thei r sons, Edward and James, lived and died on the creek whic h bears the family name. John Moved to Talledega County an d built the first house above the big spring. Archimedes mo ved to Perry County, Alabama. [from notarized statement b y Adelaide E. Mahan]

Major John Mahan, branch of service not known. Traveled fro m Pennsylvania to Alabama to fight the Indians with Andre w Jackson. On the way home he discovered coal and iron or e in Alabama. He left some of this men at the location an d went back to Pennsylvania to get his family. He returne d to Alabama with his family and built a foundry. He provid ed coal and iron ore for the civil war, but the foundry wa s destoyed during the war. It was been rebuilt and is now p art of family museum. [from an unknown source]

buried in Bibb, Alabama?

The name Mahan is of Irish origin. They descended from on e of the earliest Munster's families in Ireland.

John Mahan lived in Frederick County, Virginia and worked w ith his parents until his marriage.

Family traditions say that John Mahan served as an office r in the Revolutionary War. We find that he was listed a s a Lietenant in the 13th Virginia Regiment of the Continen tal Line in 1777. He served as Lieutenant from Wednesday , 1 January 1777 to Wednesday, 23 September 1778. It is als o indicated that 'there is no proof of his title to bount y land.' Evidently he didn't apply for bounty land at the c lose of Revolutionary War. That he was in Greene County, No rth Carolina (now Tennessee) very early may be the reason.

Sometime before 1783, John Mahan and his family migrated fr om Virginia to Greene County, North Carolina (now Tennessee ).

On Thursday, 20 September 1787, he was issued a grant for 3 00 acres of land in Greene County, North Carolina (now Tenn essee). This land was located on 'both sides of Lick Cree k in Green County.'

John Mahan served as a Captain from Greene County in the Mi litary campaign against Chickamauga Indians in 1788. On Fri day, 28 May 1790, the State of North Carolina paid him fo r this service.

On Wednesday, 8 February 1792, he sold 300 acres of land t o James Gray 'of Green County and Territory of the United S tates of America South of the River Ohio' for 200 Pounds. T his was the 300 acres of land granted in 1787.

Sometime during the period of 1792, John Mahan and his fami ly moved to Jefferson County (now Sevier County) in aforesa id territory from Greene County. They settled in the area o f the West Fork of Little Pigeon River, just three or fou r miles south of Sevierville, the county seat of Sevier Cou nty, Tennessee. Their land joined Alexander Montgomery, Fla yl Nicholas, Samuel Wear and vacant lands.

He signed his name as witness to the will of Marshall Lovel ady on Tuesday, 10 April 1792 in Jefferson County (now Sevi er County) in the aforesaid territory. This will is on fil e at the County Clerk's office in Dandridge, Jefferson Coun ty, Tennessee.

During the month of August 1793, John Mahan had attended th e sale for the estate of Joshua Tipton. It is noted that h e purchased one particular item... 'clothes' from this esta te and paid two Pounds, two Shillings for them. This intest ate record for Joshua Tipton's estate is also on file at th e County Clerk's office in Dandridge, Jefferson County, Ten nessee.

On Thursday, 4 April 1799, Governor John Sevier appointed J ohn Mahan as a Captain of Sevier County regiment during hi s good behavior. Then, on Saturday, 3 May 1800, Governor Se vier promoted him to 2nd Major of aforesaid regiment durin g his good behavior.

Land records in Sevier County, Tennessee show that he owne d lands by right of occupancy. He received a land grant fo r 344 acres, 40 poles on Thursday, 1 February 1810 from th e State of Tennessee.

John Mahan signed the 1813 sundry petition to Tennessee Gen eral Assembly form 'South of French Broad and Holston' coun try. This petition asked for redress on the land titles the re.

Although he was too old to serve in the War of 1812, all hi s sons, Edward Mahan, John Mahan Jr., and Archimedes Maha n served from Sevier County, Tennessee.

After U.S. Congress established the Alabama Territory in 18 16 from Creek Indian lands, John Mahan and his wife Mary Sc ott migrated for the last time to Cahaba County (now Bibb C ounty), Alabama. They settled near their children and ther e they lived the remainder of their days.

John Mahan died without a will. The Orphans Court for Cahab a County appointed Edward and Archimedes Mahan as the admin istrators of their father's estate on Monday, 26 June 1820 . The account of settlement on the estate of John Mahan lis ted the heirs, 'Mary Mahan, widow of deceased in lieu of do wer; James Mahan, one fo the heirs at law; Obed Lovelady, o ne of the heirs at law in right of his wife Christian; Elij hah Thomas, one of the heirs at law in right of his wife po lly; Edward Mahan; and Archimedes Mahan.'

John Mahan was buried in the Smith-Mahan Cemetery.

Children

Edward Mahan b: 1772 in Virginia

Christian Mahan b: 1780 in North Carolina
Jonathan Mahan b: 8 Aug 1781 in Virginia
James Mahan b: 1782 in North Carolina
Mary Mahan b: 1790
Archimedes M. Mahan b: 1797 in Tennessee

This cemetery was originally named the Smith-Mahan Cemetery. It has been renamed Community Baptist Church Cemetery, located near Brierfield in Bibb County, Alabama.

∼This is a memorial rather than a grave. John's grave is #53856320 and is in the Smith-Mahan Cemetery in or near Centreville in Bibb Co.

Served in the Revolutionary War and moved to this area after the War of 1812. A memorial to his wife, Mary (Scott) Mahan also exists in this cemetery.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 29 2022, 8:59:09 UTC

This cemetery was originally named the Smith-Mahan Cemetery. It has been renamed Community Baptist Church Cemetery, located near Brierfield in Bibb County, Alabama.

∼This is a memorial rather than a grave. John's grave is #53856320 and is in the Smith-Mahan Cemetery in or near Centreville in Bibb Co.

Served in the Revolutionary War and moved to this area after the War of 1812. A memorial to his wife, Mary (Scott) Mahan also exists in this cemetery.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 5 2023, 16:52:23 UTC