Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of John Harden

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Descendants of John Harden

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN³ HARDEN (JOSEPH², BENJAMIN¹) was born December 9, 1756 in Anson Co., NC ¹, and died July 14, 1808 in Orange Co., NC ². He married SARAH HOLT December 14, 1783 in Orange Co., NC ³, daughter of MICHAEL HOLT and JEAN LOCKHART. She was born 1769 in Orange Co., NC ⁴, and died October 24, 1814 in Orange Co., NC ⁵.

Notes for JOHN HARDEN:
Member safety comittee Rowan Co, NC 20 Sep 1775
Cpt Tryon Co Troops. Fought at Battle of Ramseur's Mill, NC
Member of Provisional Council, Hillsboro, NC 20 Aug 1775
Moved to Orange Co in 1783. Woll probated there. Buried near Graham.
Served as Post Revolution Militia Colonel

There is some confusion as to where he was born. The confusion comes
from the forming of the western counties. My theory is that he was born in
the part of Anson that became Tryon that became rutherford. He served in
both Rowan and Tryon Counties. Joseph Harden, who I suspect is his
father, lived in Rutherford county, after the Revolution. He was paid his
last pay voucher in August of 1783, in Morgan district. It was shortly after
this he made his way to Orange County where he married Sarah Holt.

The following came from Raymond Donnell:

Records of John Harden wi11 a1so be found with the surname spelled Hardin.
He was one of the 184 delegates called to meet at Hillsboro, NC August 20, 1775
as the Colonial Congress. Their purpose was to establish law and order within
the state as the Machinery of State was without direction. A Council of State was
appointed, Committees of Safety for each county agreed to, and Militia Officers
provided for.

On October 15, 1775 John was named to the Committee of Safety, Rowan County,
in a meeting held at the county seat, Salisbury.

On November 17, 1775 John was nominated to rank of Captain in the North Carolina
Militia, Rowan County. The list of recommended officer commissions was sent to
the Provincial congress for approval and commission authority.

In October of 1776 the Rowan County Committee of Safety dispatched John and his
militia company to join General Griffeth Rutherford and his operational commander
Colonel Christian, to clear the area east of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the marauding
Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee were supported by the British. General Rutherford
led the foray into Indian Country which included Captain John Hardens Company,
Captain William Moore and his troops, and a unit of 100 Light Horse troops of Tryon
Countv, N. C. Other companies were provided from neighboring counties such as units
from the 2 nd Regiment, Guilford County.

Troops left Old Fort, North Carolina for Catheys Fort which they cleared October 29,
pursuing Indians through the villages in the Cowee Mountain group, across the
Soco Creek and into the Richland Mountain group. An earthquake caused some delay.
They returned to the Pigeon River.

John was present at the Battle of Ramseur's Mill. Family history states he was also
present and accounted at the momentous Battle of Kings Mountain. A review of the
book Kings Mountain and Its Heros by Lyman D. Draper,LL.D.
printed by the Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1978 printing, did not find his name
included.

John was credited with 30 months service in the NC Continental Line. No record
exists indicating he was a land holder in Rowan Co. However he may have been living
with landholders either Alexander Harden and wife Anne Bishop who were married
under Marriage Bond of July 16, 1773, or Robert Harden and wife Jane who were most
likely kin. He was involved in Rowan County affairs during the Revolutionary War.
In Wills and Probate records, Rowan Co., Book A:183 John was named one of three
executors of the will of Joseph Brittain. By 1783 he had removed to Orange county.

For his services it appears that John was awarded 1,000 acres of land on the east
side of the Tennessee River on Swift Creek, Middle Tennessee. Action #2817.
The surname for this action is spelled Hardin. We have also found land awarded to
a John Harden in Greene Co., TN for 200 acres on the South side of the Holston River,
and for 228 acres on Blooming Grove Creek in Davidson Co., TN. We do not believe
these later two awards to have been for John of Rowan/Orange Counties, NC.

John became a landholder in Orange County, NC. Because of deeds he witnessed
and deed actions he proved in Open Court it is believed records of his earliest holdings
may have been part of the Orange County Records lost from the Courthouse at Hilllsboro
during the trouble with the British. It is also possible that he may not have established
residence in Orange County until just before his marriage with Sarah Holt.

The earliest land action for John Harden will be found in Orange County Deed Book 3:140
wherein Michael Holt [II] and wife Jean sold to John Hardin for 5 pounds, 105 acres on the
waters of Little Alamance (Creek). A corner and line were common with that of John Powel I.
The deed was proved at the August Term of Court 1786, by Joshua Holt.

According to a newspaper account ca 1935, a ceremony by the Gui1ford County Battle
Chapter, D. A. R. of Greensboro,
NC was held at the farm cemetery. The tombstone for John was marked with a historical
marker. Mesdames E. E. Gillispie then Chapter Regent, W. C. Tucker, and Cora Cox Lucas
were the ceremony principles, Mrs. Cora Emaline Henderson, descendant, made the
presentation for the family.

In 1995 when last viewed, the cemetery was found in a thicket, severely vandalized.
The land had been rezoned for residential use and the survey team found the cemetery
while running a line. The stone for John was in poor condition and the D.A.R. marker was
missing. The stone for his wife was missing. The legend for John's marker reads:

CAPTAIN
JOHN HAPDEN
Of THE
AMERICAN
REVOLUTION

MARRIED SARAH
HOLT DEC. 14,1783

DIED JULY 14,1808

An article concerning the Michael Holt II cemetery was published in the
Greensboro Dai1y News newspaper, section B, page 2, issue dated
October 9, 1995.

A photograph of John's tombstone as above was included in the article.

served in the post Revolutionary War Militia, Orange Co., NC with rank
of Colonel.

Sources:
North Carolina Colonial Records, Vol. 6, pg 1025; Vol. 10 pgs. 186, 252,
320, 423, 895, 896, 897, and 898.

Sketches of Western North Carolina by C. L. Hunter, 1877.
NC Booklet Ramseur's Mill. [long out of print]
North Carolina Land Grants in Temessee 1778-1791.
Compiled by Goldene Fillers Burger.
Reprint of 1990, southern Historical Press, Inc. Greenville, SC.

D.A.R. applicationof Mrs. Oria Jayet Yates Barnett, Suffolk, VA,
December 30, 1937.

Orange County, NC extant Marriage Bonds, Office of Register of Deeds,
and originals
at the NC Archives, Raleigh.

Unpubl ished manuscript, THE HOLTS OF ALAMANCE CO., N.C., compiled
by Robert 0. Holt.

Raymond D. Donnell
Burlington, NC

October 1998
Revised 3/99

More About JOHN HARDEN:
Burial: 1808, Graveyard on Rauhut place nr Graham
Military service: Bet. 1776 - 1781, Cpt NC Militia ⁶
Occupation: farmer

Notes for SARAH HOLT:
WILL PROBATED IN ORANGE COUNTY.

More About SARAH HOLT:
Burial: Graveyard on Rauhut place nr Graham
Occupation: Housewife

Children of JOHN HARDEN and SARAH HOLT are:

	i.	JEAN⁴ HARDEN, b. Orange Co., NC ⁷; m. ? WHITEHEAD.
	ii.	MARY HARDEN, b. Orange Co., NC; m. JOHN PRATHER, October 12, 1812, Orange Co., NC ⁸.
	iii.	GEORGE HARDEN, b. 1784, Orange Co., NC⁸; m. (1) ? MC RAE; m. (2) ? TURRENTINE.
2.	iv.	JOHN HARDEN, b. September 28, 1790, Orange Co., NC; d. August 11, 1868, Alamance Co., NC.
	v.	SARAH HARDEN, b. March 4, 1797, Orange Co., NC; m. JAMES CLAY WRENN.
	vi.	ELIZABETH HARDEN, b. April 22, 1799, Orange Co., NC ⁹; d. June 19, 1825⁹; m. (1) LEWIS BROWN HOLT, September 24, 1816, Orange Co., NC ¹⁰; b. July 10, 1791, Orange Co., NC ¹¹; d. July 11, 1819, Orange Co., NC¹¹; m. (2) WILLIAM HOLT, February 12, 1822, Orange Co., NC ¹²; b. August 7, 1785, Alamance Co., NC¹²; d. August 6, 1866, Clay Co., MO¹².

Notes for LEWIS BROWN HOLT:
Henley Marriage & Obituary Database: CATALOG CARD
NEWSPAPER Virginia patriot, and Richmond daily mercantile advertiser

ENTRY Died- In Orange County, N.C. on July 11th, Mr. Lewis Holt,
aged 26 years and one day, killed by lightning. (p. 3, c. 1)
DATE OF PUB. Thursday, August 12, 1819.
FILM NO. Available on microfilm (Library of Virginia Film 320).
NOTE From the marriage and obituary citations compiled by Bernard J.
Henley from Virginia newspapers on microfilm at the Library of
Virginia.
SUBJECT Obituaries -- Virginia.
SUBJECT Richmond (Va.)
ADDED ENTRY Henley, Bernard J. (Bernard John)
COLLECTION Bernard J. Henley papers.

VTLS Web Gateway - Copyright (c) 1998, VTLS, Inc.

Struck by lightning.

Notes for WILLIAM HOLT:
Went to Missouri

vii.

MARGARET HARDEN, b. 1807, Orange Co., NC; d. Bef. 1870.

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