Henry Trolinger 1763-1844Henry Trolinger, Revolutionary War Soldier
Henry Trolinger 1763-1844, RevolutionaryWar Soldier
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Henry Trolinger, born 2 March 1763 toJacob Henry Trolinger and Barbara McCoy
in Trolinger's Ford (now Haw River) NorthCarolina served as a volunteer threetimes during the Revolutionary war, worked his fathers saltpeter mine inVirginia to make gunpowder between tours, and was father of ten children of hiswife Mary Thomas.
Henry's revolutionary war service is toldin his own words as recorded in a court record of Orange County North Carolinain September of 1832. Although he wasborn and died in North Carolina, acording to his testimony and his Gravestone[cem]
his father moved them to Virginia sometimein 1776 where they manufactured
gun powder for the revolutionary wareffort.
In the summer of 1779 he was drafted intothe Montgomery County, Virginia Militia
under Captain Abraham Trigg. This tour was one of searching for suppliesincluding "to find gun, horse & ammunition." Marching on foot they joined with ColCampbell mounted militia and all "about 400 in number" marched to theWestern part of North Carolina. Headquarters was established in the Monravian Towns and and from thereexcursions were made where they encountered tories, "some of whom theywhiped, others they hanged."
Towards the end of this three month tourthey marched to Mongauton, and this
mission acomplished Col Campbell and hismounted militia seperated. The the
Montgomery Militia returned to Virginia,probably in October, and were released
from this tour of duty a few days afterarriving home.
Throughout the winter of 1779-1780 Henrymanufactured 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 HenryTrolinger "in his own words"
is a clear account of his service in andfor the state of Virginia,
Montgomery County, militia.
Henry Trolinger is buried at the TrolingerCemetery 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 Judgeof the Superior Court of Law & Equity in & for said County in openCourt now sitting, Henry Trolinger of the said County & State aged betweensixty nine and seventy years; who being first duly sworn according to Law dothon his oath make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit ofthe act of Congress entered
the 7th June 1832._ That according to hisinformation, upon which he entirely relies, He was born in Orange County NorthCarolina on the 2nd March 1763 that his father emigrated to the western part ofVirginia Montgomery County where he owned ..a valuable salt petre cave, in theyear 1776 where this declarant was engaged under his father in the manufactureof gun powder, until the summer of 1779 when he was
drafted as a militia man for a three monthtour, & to find gun, horse & ammunition.
Hewent into service under the command of Captain Abraham Trigg, and Joseph Boydas Major there was another company in this detachment commanded by
Captain Parris. Montgomery was then a frontier County in mountain Country in theWestern part of Virgina.
_
This decarant in the tour marched througha mountainous country in a south west direction for some time and joined ColCampbell who had a small number of mounted militia under him. He took commandof the whole, being about 400 strong marched through the western part of NorthCarolina then to the Moravian Towns in said state, where head quarters wereestablished, making excursion from that point after the tories, some of whomthey whiped, others they hanged From the Moravian Town they marched outwardlytoward Mongauton, where they left Col Campbell’s command.
and the declarant with his detachmentreturns home, where he was discharged a few days after the expiration of histhree month tour_ The date of his discharge not recollected precisely. It wasfrosty weather & he thinks about the lastweek of October
This declarant then resumed his former... of manufacturing powderfor the army until the succeeding spring_ In the month of April 1780 thisdeclarant was called on to serve against the Indians who were then doing muchinjury on the frontier of the settler had taken refuge_ The service of thedeclarant with ten others, was to guard the fort, & to keep watch for theenemy around & about the plantation while the
hands were cultivating the crop. After thecrop was sufficenntly cultivated, Captain Parris discharged this declarant inthe early part of July. His tour was something
more than three months & the dutyperformed inlercly on foot.
This declarant after returning home in a few days was again calledinto service under his former Captain Abraham Trigg, under whom he had Marchedinto Carolina the preceeding year. He cannot now distinctly recollect whetherhe went by draft or as a volunteer_ (note above) The troops on this tour wereto 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 commandof Captain Parris & Trigg consisting of nearly 200 men, performed a mostfatiguing 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 ColCampbell sent but could not form effect a junction before the battle of KingsMountain. We were ordered to intercept a force
supposed to be nearly 400 strong ofBritish & Tories whom we met not far from the Yadkin River on what was calledthe Shallow Ford road. We met unexpectedly hastily formed the ... in numbersmuch 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 gonethrough 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 theslain officer was a valuable one & was given to Captain Parris, he beingconsidered the best marksman in the engagement. We
ranged about a few days chastining thetories, and then returned home & were discharged sometime in the month ofNovember.
This declarant cannot remember the precise length of the lasttour_ Though his imferetion & belief is that his active service in thethree tours amounted to nine months & he thinks upward.
He resumed busines of making powder, at which He sustained considerable lossby reason of receiving in payment Continental money which turned out to be oflittle or no value_ In the spring of the year 1782 he returned to the County ofOrange 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-252041 120 NdRcd
1810 TROLINGER Henry M-252041 124 NdRcd
1820 TROLINGER Henry M-33082 366 NdRcd
1820 TROLINGER Jacob M-33082 358 NdRcd
1830 KOLINGER JACOB M-19123 316 NORTH DISTRICT
1830 TROLINGER Henry JR. M-19123 336 NORTH DISTRICT
1830 TROLINGER Henry SR. M-19123 309 NORTH DISTRICT
1840 TROLLINGER Henry M-704367 175 NORTHERN DIVISION
1840 TROLLINGER Henry M-704367 199 NORTHERN DIVISION
1840 TROLLINGER Henry Jr. M-704367 175 NORTHERN DIVISION
Transcribed by Paul R. Sarrett, Jr.
------- History Book Account ---------
News of the victory at Shallow Ford spreadquickly, and greatly encouraged the
Patriots. After the defeat at KingsMountain, Lord Cornwallis retreated from
Charlotte. The victory at Shallow Forddispersed the Tory force that had formed in
Surry County, and they never againgathered in such numbers.
The Battle of Shallow Ford has long beenoverlooked by historians. Recent research
shows that, at the time, it was asignificant victory for the Patriot forces. Occurring
exactly a week after Kings Mountain, thesetwo battles turned the tide of the War for
Independence in North Carolina to thePatriots' advantage.
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Posted by: Rick Brown of Christiansburg VA
I found this interesting while searchingabout the BRown Family in Montgomery and Pulaski County Virginia, nearBelspring.
In a Book about Hercules ~ the Making of aCompany, it gives a short referance to the location of the Army's AmmunitionPlant being chosen on the New River in Virginia and Dublin around the samelocal that Powder for the Revolutionary Stores was first manufactured.. I foundthat interesting but never knew where they were talking about untilyesterday...
I found this excert from a book entitled
"The Land That is PulaskiCounty" by Conway Howard Smith
Chapter 24
Henry Jacob Trolinger, Powder ManufacturerRadford Arsenal not the Area's first Powder Plant.
Those living in Pulaski County beforeWorld War II will remember the excitement caused by the building (by Hercules)of the Radford Arsenol ~the "bullet-factory", as it was called bysome. The huge powder plant,Straddling New River at the Lower Horseshoe, is thelargest Plant ever built in this area. Most Pulaski County folks thought Powdermaking was something new in these parts. This was not so. A Powder plant, nearpresent Dublin, was producing Powder during the Revolution. But instead ofemploying thousands, it was a two man operation.
A German Powder Maker of the Revolution
Atthe beginning of the Revolution a German powder maker came into the New RiverValley. Henry Jacob Trolinger, born in Germany in the early 1700's, came herefrom North Carolina. He acuired land near present Dublin, where a"saltpetre" (potassium Nitrite) cave lay beneath a limestone ledge ona hillside. Saltpetre, the main ingredient (oxidizer) of gunpowder, was whatthe old powder maker sought. (He found it in a natural occurring state insteadof having to Produce it.) Here Henry Jacob Trolinger settled, and assisted by hisolder 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 PotassiumNitrites in powder form and packaged that for transport.)
Trolinger's product was much in demandduring the Revolution. he prospered and aquired much land in the area ( whichwas then Montgomery County). After the Revolution Henry Jacob Trolinger's olderson, moved back to North Carolina. The old Powder maker taught the craft toJohn Trolinger, his youngest son. John following his father's footsteps,continued to manufacture gunpowder at the old saltpetre cave for some yearsafter the Revolution. Many descendants of Henry Jacob Trolinger are among thecitizens of today's Pulaski County.
(**Also The Trolinger Family can andshould be able to qualify for SAR and DAR
status based on the fact that Henry gave aid to the American Revolutioncause as a Patriot.**)
The Old Saltpetre Cave The Old Saltpetrecave lies among the rolling hills northeast of the town of Dublin. In timespast an ancient oak has fallen in front of the cave's entrance. It's skeletonlimbs, whitened by wind and rain, reach high over the limestone ledge above thecave's mouth. Scrambling over the skeletons oak, one can walk upright into thesilent darkness of the mine - and peer into the past. Two centuries ago the OldSaltpetre Cave was not always dark and silent. The scrape of shoves soundedthrough the cave as the old powder maker and his son worked by candlelight collectingsaltpetre from the cave's floor. Black Powder The gunpowder of Revolutionarydays ( and for Black powder Re-Loadersof 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 havehad its advantages. After firing a volley militiamen were temporarily hiddenbehind smoke screen.
Henry Jacb Trolinger's black Powder playedits part in the Revolution. But it was a far cry from the high powered rocketPropellent being manufatured today by Alliant Techsystems at the nearby RadfordAsenal. www.atk.com
I hope this proves interesting .. Itsenjoyable to me to know that I live in an area that has been doing relativelythe same thing for nearly over 200 years...i was glad to share this with theTrolinger Family.
I you have not done so. you should applyfor Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolutionstatus, based on the facts presented here and the research that willundoubtedly turn up fruitful...
from : Dan Trollinger 2/14/2002
The book you mentioned is "The LandThat Is Pulaski County" by Conway Howard Smith. Jacob Henry Trolinger, hissons Henry and John did manufacture gun powder using the salt petre mined inthe cave, and mixed it wit the appropriate amounts of sulfer, and chaecoal. Itwas sold not only to the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War, buttraded 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 CivilWar.
This book can be purchased at the PublicLibrary in Dublin.
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Henry Trolinger is Buried at the TrolingerCemetery 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.
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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.
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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 AlamanceCounty 1849 - 1949" by Walter Whitaker
HAW RIVER
Adam Trollinger, a German by birth, cameto this section of the country
and settled on the Haw River in 1747. Hisson, Jacob Trollinger, built
a grist mill at the site, and for many yearsthe settlement was known
as Trollinger's Ford. During theRevolutionary War it served as an important
crossing.
Lord Cornwallis passed by the settlementen route to the Battle of Guilford
Courthouse in the last days of theRevolution, 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 takenhis grain from the mill, and boldly
expressed his opinion of this act to theGeneral. Cornwallis ordered Trollinger
seized, and had him tied to a tree, with abridle bit in his mouth, so that he
could neither speak nor extricate himself.A neighbor discovered the helpless
miller several hours later and releasedhim.
The "Trollinger Tree" is stillpointed out as a land mark of Haw River.
created: Feby 2001, updated: March, 2002
©1545-2002 Copyright John D. Trolinger