Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of William Markham

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Descendants of William Markham

Generation No. 2

2. JOSIAH SILAS² MARCUM (WILLIAM¹ MARKHAM) was born May 02, 1759 in Chesterfield County, Virginia ¹, and died March 1846. He married (1) EDA MCDONALD. She died Unknown. He married (2) POLLY BELCHER. She died Unknown.

Notes for JOSIAH SILAS MARCUM:
A Highway sign is planned to commemorrate Josiah Marcum. The sign reads:
Rev. War Soldier's Grave
Nearby is the grave of Josiah Marcum (1759-1846?). Enlisting from Bedford County, he served: in Col. Campbell's Virginia Militia Reg., 1780-81, as a wagon guard at Gen. Gates's retreat, and as a drummer at the Battle of Guiford Crt. House, North Carolina. Early settler in Tug River Valley, a gunsmith and blacksmith, he later lived in Kentucky and Ohio and was the progenitor of the area Marcum family.

In Bedford County, Josiah Markham was bound to Thomas Markham for apprenticeship.

Josiah Marcum
State of Kentucky
Lawrence County

Josiah Marcum, as a Revolutionary soldier, this day comes into court and produced his declaration, which was sworn to in open court and ordered to be recorded and certified to the Secretary of War, which is in the words and figures following, to wit:
On the 13th day of July 1829 personally appeared in open court of record for the county of Lawrence, aforesaid, JOSIAH MARCUM, resident of said county, aged about 75 years, who, being first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the pension made by the Act of Congress of the 18th of March 1818 and the 1st of May 1820; that the said Josiah Marcum enlisted for the term of one year on the ? day of January, 1780, in the state of Virginia, in the company commanded by Capt. Boyes (Boyer?) and the regiment commanded by Col. Campbell in the line of the state of Virginia, in the Infantry Continental establishment, that he continued to serve in said corps until the month of May 1781 (being about three months over the time of his enlistment) when he was discharged from the service in Crowell County, State of North Carolina. That he hereby relinquishes all claims to a pension except the present, that his name is not on the role of any other state except Kentucky, and the following are the reasons for his not having made an earlier application for a pension, to wit:
He never until a few weeks since was able to find anyone with whom he served and by whom he could prove his service; that for may years past he has been infirm and pennyless (sic), from which cause he was unable to travel to such place as it was to him most probable he could procure evidence of his services and it was quite lately that he was able to procure such evidence.
And, in pursuance of the Act of Congress of thy 1st of May 1820, I do solemnly swear that I was a resident of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift, sale or in any manner disposed of my property, or any part thereof, with intent hereby to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the U.S. in the Revolutionary War," passed on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not, nor has any body in trust for me, any property or securities, contracts, or debts due me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto answered by me. Described, to wit: One rifle gun worth about $10, one heifer worth $4 and one bed and furniture worth about $10.
                              JOSIAH X MARCUM
                              his mark

The following changes has taken place since the year 1818: at that time I had one horse worth about $30, and two cows and calves worth then about $10 each, and some little household furniture of but small value, not exceeding the sum of $5. The horse I swaped (sic) and the one I swaped for is since dead; the cows and calves I have since disposed of for necessary support, and have been chiefly dependent upon the charity of my countrymen. I have no family except my wife Polly. My occupation has been that of a gunsmith but from age, infirmity and loss of sight I have for some years past been totally unable to pursue it.
                              JOSIAH X MARCUM
                              his mark

Sworn to and declared in open court this 13th day of July 1829 before us, the subscribed Justices of the Peace for the county court of Lawrence County, and we do certify that it is the opinion of the court, from the evidence before us, that the said Josiah Marcum has rendered the services to his country as in declaration set forth and that we are of the opinion that the stated value of the property set forth in his said delcaration does not exceed the sum of $24. And that it is the further opinion of this court that from the indigent circumstances of the said applicant, he does stand in need of assistance of his country for support.
                              J.P
                              RICHARD CHAMBERS
                              HENRY GUYZER (Geiger)
                              ISAAC BOLT
                              LEWIS RIGLESBY

Josiah Marcum was a drummer at the Battle of Guiford Courthouse, March 15, 1781. This was a strategic victory for the Americans in North Carolina over the British in that, soon afterwards, the British were obliged to virtually abandon control of the Carolinas.
After the Battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781), the American commander Nathanael Greene united both wings of his 4,400-man southern army at Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina. There Lord Cornwallis, with a force of 1,900 British veterans, caught up with the Americans, and a battle ensued. American casualties were light; British casualties were heavy. Wishing to avoid another defeat such as the one suffered by General Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, the previous August, Greene withdrew his forces intact.
Declining to pursue the Americans into the backcountry, Cornwallis temporarily retired to Hillsboro, North Carolina. Acknowledging his failure to destroy patriot resistance in the South, Cornwallis abandoned the heart of the state a few weeks later and marched to the coast at Wilmington to recruit and refit his command.

More About JOSIAH SILAS MARCUM:
Burial: Unknown, Grave is found on the Stonecoal road off of Rt. 52 between Kermit and Crum, West Virginia. It is about 5-6 miles up the road to the right. Walk 20 yards into a cornfield before you spot it.
Military service: Drummer at the Battle of Guilford Crt. House, North Carolina ²
Property: June 19, 1784, Purchased 125 acrews in Henry County, Virginia from John Marcum ³

Children of JOSIAH MARCUM and EDA MCDONALD are:

3.	i.	JACOB³ MARCUM, b. February 24, 1780, Washington County, Virginia; d. January 29, 1872, Wayne County, Virginia.
4.	ii.	MOSES MARCUM, b. Bet. 1781 - 1790; d. Unknown.
5.	iii.	STEPHEN F. MARCUM, b. January 31, 1783, Washington County, Virginia; d. May 06, 1838, Lawrence County, Kentucky.
6.	iv.	WILLIAM HURLEY MARCUM, b. 1784; d. Unknown.
7.	v.	JAMES MARCUM, b. Abt. 1792, Virginia; d. Unknown.

Children of JOSIAH MARCUM and POLLY BELCHER are:

vi.

RANDALL³ MARCUM, d. Unknown; m. ANNY SUTHERLAND; d. Unknown.

Marriage Notes for RANDALL MARCUM and ANNY SUTHERLAND:
Randall traded Anny for a barrell of whiskey to William Artrip. As Anny was riding away on Mr. Artrip's horse she made a curse and stated that she hoped that Randall died when he finished drinking the barrell of whiskey. As the story goes, he fell over right afterward.

8.	vii.	JOHN C. MARCUM, b. Abt. 1798, Virginia; d. Unknown.
	viii.	REBECCA MARCUM, d. Unknown.
	ix.	CLARA MARCUM, d. Unknown.

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