Adam Sharp (abt. 1764 - 1846)

Born about 12 Feb 1764 in Orange, North Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Whitesides) Sharp — married 15 Oct 1789 in Orange County, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 1846 at about age 81 in Rockingham, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Scott Dodd [send private message]

Biography

Adam Sharp was born on 12 February 1764 in Orange, North Carolina, the son of John George Sharp and Anna Maria Loy (citation needed). He fought in the Revolutionary War as a Private in the North Carolina Militia.

In 1789 Adam married Mary Whitesides in Orange, North Carolina. They lived in Rockingham County in 1820, 1830 and 1840 on a farm, with slaves engaged in agriculture.

In 1825 Adam received a land grant in Rockingham County. In 1831 he filed a War Survivor’s Pension Application and was granted 70.00 yearly.

Adam died in 1846 in Rockingham, North Carolina at age 82 and was buried in North Carolina. A Memorial Stone in his honor was also placed in the Cantrell Gilliand Memorial Garden in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with the words, “May this memorial serve as an expression of the gratitude we owe him for risking his life and braving the unknown to help build a new country: our America”.

Military Information

On October 7, 1780, the foundation that would forever change the world was established. Fewer than one thousand American Heroes, through skill, luck and the leadership of cunning strategists, defeated Patrick Ferguson, a brilliant star of the British military might. Adam Sharp was one of those Heroes.

His participation in the Battle of King's Mountain was documented by his Application for Revolutionary War Pension, S7496.

Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements Pension application of Adam Sharp S7496 fn20NC

Transcribed by Will Graves rev'd 2/7/11

N. Carolina, Rockingham County

On the 10 day of January 18331 (sic) personally appeared before me Alexr S Martin one of the Judges of the peace of said County Adam Sharp a resident of Rockingham County N. Carolina aged Sixty eight years the 12th day of January Inst., who being duly sworn according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed 7th June 1832.

“—that he enlisted in the service of the United States in the Revolutionary War, under the following named Officers, and served as herein stated; that on the first of February 1780 in the County of Rutherford N. Carolina at the age of 16 or thereabouts he entered the Service as a Militia man under Captain Thomas Roberson [sic, Thomas Robertson?] of the N. Carolina militia, Commanded by Col McDowel [sic, probably Joseph McDowell, but could be Charles McDowell] of Burke County N. Carolina, that in this service he joined the troops at Rutherford Court House and remained some time in that part of the State, when he was marched in[to] South Carolina where their force was recruited by troops as he understood [who] came from beyond the Mountains, he thinks they were under the command of Col Campbell [William Campbell],

“—that about a month before the battle of King's Mountain he was marched back to the County of Lyncoln [Lincoln], where he with Twenty nine other soldiers was detained under the command of Captain Edward Calahan [Edward Callahan?] to guard the Baggage Wagons, that in this service the public wagons to which he was attached were ordered to Ramsour's Mill for the purpose of procuring flour where they were detained by high Water and other causes for eight or ten days, they then joined the troops and were marched to Whestenhunts [?] near the South fork of the Catawba [River] where the troops were encamped for about one week, from this point the forces were marched upon their return to Rutherford and deponent was admitted [sic, permitted] to leave the troops, and went to his parents living in Rutherford County, he thinks this was in the month of September 1780, on the first or second night after his return home he and his Father were taken prisoners by the Tories and carried them to farguson [sic, Patrick Ferguson's] Camp the commander of the British forces then stationed at a place called Gilbert Town on the Waters called Second Broad River, in the County of Rutherford, that he was detained a prisoner until the battle of King's Mountain which was in the following Month, when upon the defeat of the British and Tories he was relieved when he joined the Army again under Robertson his first Captain – after the battle the principal part of the forces that achieved that important victory marched to a place about six miles from Rutherford Court house where the military trial of sundry Tories [who] had been taken prisoners was held and nine of them condemned and executed,

“—that being a prisoner and under guard during the battle he had no opportunity of observing any incidents of the day, he well knows however that Shelby [Isaac Shelby], Campbell [William Campbell] and Cleveland [Benjamin Cleveland] were their officers and he thinks that all of them were at the subsequent encampment where the Tories were tried and hung. That they marched from thence to Burke County crossing the Catawba at McDowell's Ford, from whence they were marched to the Shallow Ford of the Yadkin River in Surry County, and from thence to the old Moravian Town, where he was discharged after remaining there ten days, in the march from Burke the whole Army was not along only that portion necessary to take care of prisoners were; he was discharged the last of November 1780 – that he then received a written discharge but cannot say by whom it was written or signed, that it is lost or mislaid so that he cannot obtain the same, and that he served nine months in this Campaign.

“—that on or about the first day of February 1781 he was again drafted, and entered into the Militia service as a private under Captain William Whitsitt [or Whitsell], Richard Singleton Major, and was marched to said better station in Montford's Cove either in or near the borders of Rutherford County, that he remained there under Captain Watson to guard that portion of the State from the incursions and depredations of the Indians and after about three months he was marched to one Williams or Good-bread station, where he remained three months in the same Service, when he was marched to Grant's station four miles above where he remained until November making in all nine months which this deponent well recollects, when he was discharged in writing by Captain Whitsitt, under whom [he] was drafted, that he has lost this discharge or mislaid it so that it [sic, he] cannot obtain the same,

“—that about the year 1782 he was again drafted as a Militia man for three months under the aforesaid Captain Whitsitt and was marched to Rutherford Court house after remaining there are several weeks he was by order of his officers required to make flower [sic, flour] Barrels for the use of the Army, in this service he remained employed to the end of this three months for which he had been drafted, when he was discharged in writing by his Captain – which discharge is lost or mislaid so that same cannot be obtained, that he has no evidence to prove the discharges that he knows of and this deponent further states that he well recollects that he served twenty one months in all during the Revolutionary War.

“In answer to the Interrogatories he states he was born in Orange County N. Carolina on the 12th January 1764, that he has a record or a written memorandum of his age in a family Bible, that he lived in the County of Rutherford State of N. Carolina at the time he was called into service, and that he now lives and has for upwards of 25 years resided in the County of Rockingham N. Carolina. Being requested to refer to and state the names of some of his neighbors, who will sustain his character and veracity, and their belief in Revolutionary Service, he refers to and mentions Thomas Searcy Lewis Bradfield who will testify to the same. He relinquishes all claim to any pension or annuity, but the same and declares that his name is not on the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State or Territory whatever.

“Sworn to and subscribed or me the 10th day of January 1833. S/ A. S. Martin, P. S/ Adam Sharp

“[Thomas Searcy and Lewis Bradfield gave the standard supporting affidavit.] [Bird Loine ?, a clergyman also gave a standard supporting affidavit.]

“[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $70 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for 21 months service as a private in the North Carolina militia].

“The actual burial site for Adam Sharp remains unknown: he died in North Carolina, so was buried there. Nevertheless, we have placed a Memorial Stone in his honor in the Cantrell Gilliand Memorial Garden. May this memorial serve as an expression of the gratitude we owe him for risking his life and braving the unknown to help build a new country: our America”.

Notes

Have wondered why Adam was buried in Spartanburg, South Carolina with no apparent ties to this place. Sometime in the mid 1840s Adam’s daughter Margaret Sharp Martin moved from Rockingham, North Carolina to Holmes, Mississippi. Adam was probably close to Margaret and her family as it appears he moved from Orange County to Rockingham County sometime after Margaret married and moved there. It was Margaret’s husband Alexander Strong Martin who wrote out Adam’s War Survivor’s Pension Application. The large group of related families that Alexander Strong Martin led to Mississippi included Adam’s son Thomas L. Sharp, daughter Celia Sharp Dodd and their families. It’s possible that 82-year-old Adam went with them but died as they traveled through Spartanburg and was buried there.

Sources

Adam Sharp, "North Carolina, Marriages, 1759-1979”, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8YT-C32), Adam Sharp and Mary Whitsides, 15 Oct 1789; citing Orange, North Carolina, reference ; FHL microfilm 6,330,319.

1820 U S Census; Census Place: Rockingham, North Carolina; Page: 582; NARA Roll: M33_82; Image: 323. (needs website reference).

"United States Census, 1840", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBQ-9CS), Entry for Adam Sharp, 1840.

United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP8X-7D2J)

"Find A Grave Index", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1N-7PCN, Adam Sharp, 1846; Burial; citing record ID: 244758154 (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/244758154/adam-sharp)

The following Ancestry Sources Require a Paid Membership with Ancestry.com to access:

Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Land Grant Files, 1693-1960 [database online ], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016. Microfilm publication, 770 rolls. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Dept of Veterans Affairs, Record Grp 15. Natl Archives, Washington, D.C.

Ancestry.com. U.S., The Pension Roll of 1835 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. United States Senate. The Pension Roll of 1835.4 vols. 1968 Reprint, with index. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1992.

1820 United States Federal Census [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. Natl Archives, Washington, D.C.

1830 U S Census; Rockingham, North Carolina; Series: M19; Roll: 124; Page 327; Family History Library Film: 0018090. Ancestry.com [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

1840; Census Place: Rockingham, North Carolina; Page 159; Family History Library Film: 0018097. Source Information;Ancestry.com [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.