Moses Sweeney

Not the same as Moses Swinney (Sweeney), Sr.. Not the husband of Elizabeth Eve

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA. DAR Ancestor # A111749

Moses was born near Belfast, Ireland. He came to America with his father, Charles (c. 1754¬ -1766), when he was about four years old. He married Elizabeth Johnson who was from Antrim, Ireland, or from New Jersey. Her family is said to be cousins of Richard M. Johnson, Vice President of the United States under President Martin Van Buren. There is some evidence that they settled in Virginia, and built a mill along the Slate River (now Buckingham Co, VA), had several children there and then relocated to what is now Lincoln County, Kentucky.

It is a fact that Moses Sweeney's name is on a Lincoln County, Kentucky Revolutionary War dedication plaque at Stanford, Kentucky Court House. Moses also served under Gen. Clark with Daniel Boone in 1787 against the Wabash Indians. Also, Moses was a guard at a prisoner of war camp at Charlottesville, Virginia between 1779-1781 which was not far from his Virginia home in Amherst County.

Moses, with his grown seven sons and six daughters and spouses, slaves and others, traveled through Cumberland Gap, and was more than likely led by Daniel Boone, whom was said to be his friend, into now what is the State of Kentucky and Lincoln County. The Cumberland Gap is a sizable natural break in the Appalachian Mountains. The gap was long used by Native Americans, as many species of migratory animals passed through it from north to south each year. It was fertile hunting territory and the only easy cut through the mountains from the southern wintering grounds of wild deer and buffalo to their northern summer range. Starting around 1775, the Gap became the primary route of transit for American settlers moving west into Kentucky; between 1775 and 1810 as many as 300,000 settlers may have used the Gap. Moses built a log home in 1787, where his family lived until his death.

Moses died June 17, 1813 and was buried on the farm not far from the cabin. Sometime in later years, a road was constructed between Moses cabin and his burial plot on the farm.

In 1787, Moses bought a tract of 106 acres along Hanging Fork River in Lincoln County, Kentucky, from the original paten tee, Daniel Bulger. That same year he built his first cabin on that tract, a single room downstairs with a sleeping loft above. In 1811 he built an identical cabin directly south of the first, with a "dog-run" (breezeway) between. Those cabins were still in use in 1985.

Moses and Elizabeth had twin babies (Joseph and Mary) before Elizabeth was 16 years old. Joseph lost a leg at the age of 45 and his sister Mary, lost both her legs at the age of 75. Their misfortune made them known in the community as "the twin Sweeney's with but one leg between them." One of the Sweeney's became a Camelite preacher of considerable note. possible that the first coal-oil found in Kentucky was on Moses Sweeney's land on Green River in Casey County.

Moses Sweeney may have built his first cabin in Kentucky in 1785 and his additional cabin added on in 1811, as his last son John Sweeney in 1850 census says he was born in Kentucky on September 15, 1785. It has also been stated that Moses daughter Mary, who married Tyre Slatten, sold their Virginia farm in fall of 1784 (fact) and moved to Lincoln Co. , KY in the spring of 1785 with her parents.

Moses' cabin was lived in for many years. In the middle 1980's, the Hubbard's were still living there and one slave house was still standing. The property was sold and the cabin was torn down in the winter of 1995 but as of spring 1996, the slave house still remained. So the original cabin stood and was lived in for over 200 years.

In October 2003 the cabin was gone, but fortunately, all the logs and stones were finally purchased by Don Sweeney of Liberty, Casey Co., KY to keep in the Sweeney family and on Sweeney land.

Will of Moses Sweeney 27 May 1813 Stanford , Lincoln Co, KY

In the name of God, Amen. I, Moses Sweeney of the County of Lincoln and state of Kentucky, being of sound mind and knowing it is appointed once for a man to die, I do make this my last will and Testament.

I leave my beloved wife, Elizabeth Sweeney my tract of land whereon I now live during her life and widowhood and at her death descend and go to John Sweeney. I leave my beloved wife Elizabeth Sweeney two Negroes (towit) Creas and Dick during her life or widowhood and then to be divided am ongst all my children except Charles and Joseph Sweeney. I leave my wife Elizabeth Sweeney two horses of her own choice also two cows and calves and six sheep, also my stock of hogs also one ? furniture, as much of my household furniture and farming tools as she pleases to keep.

I also leave my son John Sweeney one negro man George as his part of my negroes. I also leave all the rest of my negroes to be equally divided among all the rest of my children as to keep them among themselves except my three sons Joseph and Charles and John Sweeney and all the rest of my personal property to be sold and equally divided among all my children except Edmund Sweeney which is in debt to me sixty dollars which he is to be charged with and then he is to share equally with the rest of my children.

I also appoint Charles Sweeney and John Thomas Executors. Witness my hand and seal this 27th day of May 1813.

On Monday, Nov. 12, 1934, William and Mary Sweeney located the grave of Moses Sweeney. "Going from Danville, to Liberty, turn east at Milledgeville and drive about 2 1/2 miles to the home of George Hubbard. The old graveyard is just across the road. Only one stone had any inscription; four graves had plain markers. They are of native stone and the letters done as if with an ice pick." Moses' inscription, worn at that time, was "In Memory of Moses Sweeney who departed this life June 13, 1813. Aged 79 years." His wife Elizabeth is buried beside him.

The John Sweeney Bible, since destroyed by fire, gave this information, "Moses Sweeney, father of John Sweeney died June 17, 1813." The inscription on Moses Sweeney's gravestone was illegible by 1951 and on July 5 of that year, William and Mary Sweeney and Nettie and Elsie, children of Zach Sweeney placed a new marker with a duplicate inscription at the foot of the grave.

Family

1. MOSES2 SWEENEY (CHARLES1)1 was born May 1734 in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland, and died 17 Jun 1813 in Lincoln, Kentucky. He married ELIZABETH JOHNSON Abt. 1759 in Virginia, [NOT] the daughter of WILLIAM JOHNSON and ELIZABETH CAVE. She was born Abt. 1738 [NOT] in Orange, Virginia, and died 27 Oct 1832 in Mackville, Washington, Kentucky.

Children of MOSES SWEENEY and ELIZABETH JOHNSON are:

• 2. i. DANIE3 SWEENEY, b. 23 Nov 1776, Amherst, Virginia; d. 26 Oct 1851, Boone, Missouri.
• ii. JOSEPH SWEENEY, b. 28 Feb 1760.
• iii. MARY SWEENEY, b. 28 Feb 1760.
• iv. HENRY SWEENEY, b. 1762.
• v. NANCY SWEENEY, b. May 1764.
• vi. CHARLES WELBY SWEENEY, b. 26 Aug 1766.
• vii. EDMUND SWEENEY, b. 29 Aug 1768.
• viii. PATSY SWEENEY, b. 1771.
• xi. SHEPHERD SWEENEY, b. 1773.
• xii. MILLICENT SWEENEY, b. 22 Dec 1774.
• xiii. JOB SWEENEY, b. Abt. 1778.
• xiv. CELAH SWEENEY, b. 02 Jun 1780.
• xv. ELIZABETH SWEENEY, b. Abt. 1783.
• xvi. JOHN SWEENEY, b. 15 Sep 1785

References

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=104207736&ref...
• https://kentuckykindredgenealogy.com/2020/09/22/moses-sweeney-early...