Henry Trolinger 1763-1844, Revolutionary
War Soldier
--------------------------------------
Henry Trolinger, born 2 March 1763 to
Jacob Henry Trolinger and Barbara McCoy
in Trolinger's Ford (now Haw River) North
Carolina served as a volunteer three
times during the Revolutionary war, worked his fathers saltpeter mine in
Virginia to make gunpowder between tours, and was father of ten children of his
wife Mary Thomas.
Henry's revolutionary war service is told
in his own words as recorded in a court record of Orange County North Carolina
in September of 1832. Although he was
born and died in North Carolina, acording to his testimony and his Gravestone
[cem]
his father moved them to Virginia sometime
in 1776 where they manufactured
gun powder for the revolutionary war
effort.
In the summer of 1779 he was drafted into
the Montgomery County, Virginia Militia
under Captain Abraham Trigg. This tour was one of searching for supplies
including "to find gun, horse & ammunition." Marching on foot they joined with Col
Campbell mounted militia and all "about 400 in number" marched to the
Western part of North Carolina.
Headquarters was established in the Monravian Towns and and from there
excursions were made where they encountered tories, "some of whom they
whiped, others they hanged."
Towards the end of this three month tour
they marched to Mongauton, and this
mission acomplished Col Campbell and his
mounted militia seperated. The the
Montgomery Militia returned to Virginia,
probably in October, and were released
from this tour of duty a few days after
arriving home.
Throughout the winter of 1779-1780 Henry
manufactured gunpowder with
his father and possibly his brother John.
Revolutionary War Service;
1st tour 1779: Search and aquire supplies,
whipped and hung tories
2nd tour 1780: Indian uprising protection
3rd tour 1780: Battle of the Shallow Ford,
shot and whipped tories
As told in 1832 court records by Henry
Trolinger "in his own words"
is a clear account of his service in and
for the state of Virginia,
Montgomery County, militia.
Henry Trolinger is buried at the Trolinger
Cemetery at Trolinger's
Ford (now Haw River) North Carolina.
;
State of North Carolina
Orange County
On the 16th day of September 1832. Personally appeared before the Judge
of the Superior Court of Law & Equity in & for said County in open
Court now sitting, Henry Trolinger of the said County & State aged between
sixty nine and seventy years; who being first duly sworn according to Law doth
on his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of
the act of Congress entered
the 7th June 1832._ That according to his
information, upon which he entirely relies, He was born in Orange County North
Carolina on the 2nd March 1763 that his father emigrated to the western part of
Virginia Montgomery County where he owned ..a valuable salt petre cave, in the
year 1776 where this declarant was engaged under his father in the manufacture
of gun powder, until the summer of 1779 when he was
drafted as a militia man for a three month
tour, & to find gun, horse & ammunition.
He
went into service under the command of Captain Abraham Trigg, and Joseph Boyd
as Major there was another company in this detachment commanded by
Captain Parris. Montgomery was then a frontier County in mountain Country in the
Western part of Virgina.
_
This decarant in the tour marched through
a mountainous country in a south west direction for some time and joined Col
Campbell who had a small number of mounted militia under him. He took command
of the whole, being about 400 strong marched through the western part of North
Carolina then to the Moravian Towns in said state, where head quarters were
established, making excursion from that point after the tories, some of whom
they whiped, others they hanged From the Moravian Town they marched outwardly
toward Mongauton, where they left Col Campbell’s command.
and the declarant with his detachment
returns home, where he was discharged a few days after the expiration of his
three month tour_ The date of his discharge not recollected precisely. It was
frosty weather & he thinks about the lastweek of October
This declarant then resumed his former... of manufacturing powder
for the army until the succeeding spring_ In the month of April 1780 this
declarant was called on to serve against the Indians who were then doing much
injury on the frontier of the settler had taken refuge_ The service of the
declarant with ten others, was to guard the fort, & to keep watch for the
enemy around & about the plantation while the
hands were cultivating the crop. After the
crop was sufficenntly cultivated, Captain Parris discharged this declarant in
the early part of July. His tour was something
more than three months & the duty
performed inlercly on foot.
This declarant after returning home in a few days was again called
into service under his former Captain Abraham Trigg, under whom he had Marched
into Carolina the preceeding year. He cannot now distinctly recollect whether
he went by draft or as a volunteer_ (note above) The troops on this tour were
to act against the British & Tories. The place of Rendezvous for some day,
was at the head mines in Wythe County Va. Two companies on foot under the command
of Captain Parris & Trigg consisting of nearly 200 men, performed a most
fatiguing march up the New River nearly to it's source through a most rugged
& mountainous country with the purpose of joining the
residue of our regiment Commanded by Col
Campbell sent but could not form effect a junction before the battle of Kings
Mountain. We were ordered to intercept a force
supposed to be nearly 400 strong of
British & Tories whom we met not far from the Yadkin River on what was called
the Shallow Ford road. We met unexpectedly hastily formed the ... in numbers
much again us, but having some a perfect marksman as any perhaps in the world,
The commander of the enemy was immediatily killed, five rifle balls having gone
through him & his horse_. The enemy fell back & formed again
after several rounds the enemy fled &
as this declarant understood dispersed, leaving sixteen dead on the ground
& 10 or 12 badly wounded_ On our side we had but one
killed & 5 wounded_ The sword of the
slain officer was a valuable one & was given to Captain Parris, he being
considered the best marksman in the engagement. We
ranged about a few days chastining the
tories, and then returned home & were discharged sometime in the month of
November.
This declarant cannot remember the precise length of the last
tour_ Though his imferetion & belief is that his active service in the
three tours amounted to nine months & he thinks upward.
He resumed busines of making powder, at which He sustained considerable loss
by reason of receiving in payment Continental money which turned out to be of
little or no value_ In the spring of the year 1782 he returned to the County of
Orange North Carolina.
====census=====
1779 DROLLINGER Henry
N/A N/A N/A Tax Roll
1800 TROLINGER Henry
M-32 034 601
21010-20011-01
1810 TROLINGER Henry M-252
041 120 NdRcd
1810 TROLINGER Henry M-252
041 124 NdRcd
1820 TROLINGER Henry M-33
082 366 NdRcd
1820 TROLINGER Jacob M-33
082 358 NdRcd
1830 KOLINGER JACOB M-19
123 316 NORTH DISTRICT
1830 TROLINGER Henry JR. M-19
123 336 NORTH DISTRICT
1830 TROLINGER Henry SR. M-19
123 309 NORTH DISTRICT
1840 TROLLINGER Henry M-704
367 175 NORTHERN DIVISION
1840 TROLLINGER Henry M-704
367 199 NORTHERN DIVISION
1840 TROLLINGER Henry Jr. M-704
367 175 NORTHERN DIVISION
Transcribed by Paul R. Sarrett, Jr.
------- History Book Account ---------
News of the victory at Shallow Ford spread
quickly, and greatly encouraged the
Patriots. After the defeat at Kings
Mountain, Lord Cornwallis retreated from
Charlotte. The victory at Shallow Ford
dispersed the Tory force that had formed in
Surry County, and they never again
gathered in such numbers.
The Battle of Shallow Ford has long been
overlooked by historians. Recent research
shows that, at the time, it was a
significant victory for the Patriot forces. Occurring
exactly a week after Kings Mountain, these
two battles turned the tide of the War for
Independence in North Carolina to the
Patriots' advantage.
------- -----------------------------
Posted by: Rick Brown of Christiansburg VA
I found this interesting while searching
about the BRown Family in Montgomery and Pulaski County Virginia, near
Belspring.
In a Book about Hercules ~ the Making of a
Company, it gives a short referance to the location of the Army's Ammunition
Plant being chosen on the New River in Virginia and Dublin around the same
local that Powder for the Revolutionary Stores was first manufactured.. I found
that interesting but never knew where they were talking about until
yesterday...
I found this excert from a book entitled
"The Land That is Pulaski
County" by Conway Howard Smith
Chapter 24
Henry Jacob Trolinger, Powder Manufacturer
Radford Arsenal not the Area's first Powder Plant.
Those living in Pulaski County before
World War II will remember the excitement caused by the building (by Hercules)
of the Radford Arsenol ~the "bullet-factory", as it was called by
some. The huge powder plant,Straddling New River at the Lower Horseshoe, is the
largest Plant ever built in this area. Most Pulaski County folks thought Powder
making was something new in these parts. This was not so. A Powder plant, near
present Dublin, was producing Powder during the Revolution. But instead of
employing thousands, it was a two man operation.
A German Powder Maker of the Revolution
At
the beginning of the Revolution a German powder maker came into the New River
Valley. Henry Jacob Trolinger, born in Germany in the early 1700's, came here
from North Carolina. He acuired land near present Dublin, where a
"saltpetre" (potassium Nitrite) cave lay beneath a limestone ledge on
a hillside. Saltpetre, the main ingredient (oxidizer) of gunpowder, was what
the old powder maker sought. (He found it in a natural occurring state instead
of having to Produce it.) Here Henry Jacob Trolinger settled, and assisted by his
older son Henry, mined "saltpetre" and made Powder. ( It is not clear if he actually made the
"black" powder mix or if he just made the main ingredient mix of Potassium
Nitrites in powder form and packaged that for transport.)
Trolinger's product was much in demand
during the Revolution. he prospered and aquired much land in the area ( which
was then Montgomery County). After the Revolution Henry Jacob Trolinger's older
son, moved back to North Carolina. The old Powder maker taught the craft to
John Trolinger, his youngest son. John following his father's footsteps,
continued to manufacture gunpowder at the old saltpetre cave for some years
after the Revolution. Many descendants of Henry Jacob Trolinger are among the
citizens of today's Pulaski County.
(**Also The Trolinger Family can and
should be able to qualify for SAR and DAR
status based on the fact that Henry gave aid to the American Revolution
cause as a Patriot.**)
The Old Saltpetre Cave The Old Saltpetre
cave lies among the rolling hills northeast of the town of Dublin. In times
past an ancient oak has fallen in front of the cave's entrance. It's skeleton
limbs, whitened by wind and rain, reach high over the limestone ledge above the
cave's mouth. Scrambling over the skeletons oak, one can walk upright into the
silent darkness of the mine - and peer into the past. Two centuries ago the Old
Saltpetre Cave was not always dark and silent. The scrape of shoves sounded
through the cave as the old powder maker and his son worked by candlelight collecting
saltpetre from the cave's floor. Black Powder The gunpowder of Revolutionary
days ( and for Black powder Re-Loaders
of today ) was/is Black Powder ~ made from Saltpetre, Charcoal, and sulphur.
Smoke from this Powder billowed up on the firing of a flintlock. This may have
had its advantages. After firing a volley militiamen were temporarily hidden
behind smoke screen.
Henry Jacb Trolinger's black Powder played
its part in the Revolution. But it was a far cry from the high powered rocket
Propellent being manufatured today by Alliant Techsystems at the nearby Radford
Asenal. www.atk.com
I hope this proves interesting .. Its
enjoyable to me to know that I live in an area that has been doing relatively
the same thing for nearly over 200 years...i was glad to share this with the
Trolinger Family.
I you have not done so. you should apply
for Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution
status, based on the facts presented here and the research that will
undoubtedly turn up fruitful...
from : Dan Trollinger 2/14/2002
The book you mentioned is "The Land
That Is Pulaski County" by Conway Howard Smith. Jacob Henry Trolinger, his
sons Henry and John did manufacture gun powder using the salt petre mined in
the cave, and mixed it wit the appropriate amounts of sulfer, and chaecoal. It
was sold not only to the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War, but
traded at the local store for about 25¢ a pound. John's grandson, Lt. James T.
Trolinger, CSA, also mined the salt petre and made gunpowder during the Civil
War.
This book can be purchased at the Public
Library in Dublin.
------------------------------
Henry Trolinger is Buried at the Trolinger
Cemetery overlooking the Haw River in North Carolina
Erected in memory of
Adam Trolinger
Who was born near the Rhine
in Germany in 1681.
migrated to Pennsylvania in 1737
and thence to this vicinity in 1745
Died A.D. 1776 aged 85 years.
---------
Jacob Henry.
Eldest son of Adam Trolinger
was born in Germany in 1718.
came with his father to Pa. in 1737
and thence to N.C. in 1745.
Died August 1798 aged 80 years.
---------
Henry
Eldest son of Jacob Henry Trolinger
was born March 1762 served three
times a volunteer in the Revolu
tionary war and recieved a pension
from 1831 up to his death
Died Feby, 29th, 1844, Aged 83 years.
Henry Trolinger dec. 29 February 1844
a. 83 <----
S.A.R 1775 Marker on ground below headstone, appears recently polished,
Jan 2001
Mary Trolinger dec.
1 October 1851 a. 82
Listing of Cemetery
"Centennial History of Alamance
County 1849 - 1949" by Walter Whitaker
HAW RIVER
Adam Trollinger, a German by birth, came
to this section of the country
and settled on the Haw River in 1747. His
son, Jacob Trollinger, built
a grist mill at the site, and for many years
the settlement was known
as Trollinger's Ford. During the
Revolutionary War it served as an important
crossing.
Lord Cornwallis passed by the settlement
en route to the Battle of Guilford
Courthouse in the last days of the
Revolution, and camped over night on the
Trollinger farm. Jacob Henry Trollinger,
the son of Adam, became very angry
when he learned that the British had taken
his grain from the mill, and boldly
expressed his opinion of this act to the
General. Cornwallis ordered Trollinger
seized, and had him tied to a tree, with a
bridle bit in his mouth, so that he
could neither speak nor extricate himself.
A neighbor discovered the helpless
miller several hours later and released
him.
The "Trollinger Tree" is still
pointed out as a land mark of Haw River.
created: Feby 2001, updated: March, 2002
©1545-2002 Copyright John D. Trolinger