Willis (Charpentier) Carpenter (bef. 1800 - abt. 1878)

Born before 1800 in Warren County, North Carolina, United States

Husband of Elizabeth (Ross) Carpenter — married 1 May 1814 in Grainger County Tennessee

Descendants

Died about 1878 after about age 78 in Alabama, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Larry Carpenter [send private message] and Bill Carpenter [send private message]

All males in this line are YDNA tested thru familytree.com/carpentercousinsy-dnaproject.

We believe our line is french. Carpenter in french is pronounced 'Char 'Poin 'tee 'ayee

Sources

• War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 [[1]]

• "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZWX-Z4F : 17 October 2017), O Willis Charpenter and Elizabeth Ross, 01 May 1814; citing Grainger, Tennessee, United States, Marriage, p. , Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville and county clerk offices from various counties; FHL microfilm 1,358,478.

• 1830 Madison County, Tennessee Census Is this Willis Carpenter?^[1]

• 1840 United Stated Federal Census [[2]]

• 1850 United States Federal Census [[3]]

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHD2-76G : 18 March 2020), Willis Carpenter, 1860. "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHD2-76G : accessed 8 April 2015), Willis Carpenter, The South Eastern Division, Madison, Alabama, United States; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing p. 45, household ID 300, NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 803,015.

Biography

THE WILLIS CARPENTER & ELIZABETH “BETSY" ROSS FAMILY OF NORTH ALABAMA a family history By Larry D. Carpenter

John Carpenter born mid 1700's Virginia or North Carolina The information passed down says his wife was Jane Tucker, Re: Pauline J. Gandrud & Bobbie J. McLanes "Alabama Soldiers", from a letter written to Pauline in Oct. 1955 by Hester (Carpenter) Vann. Their children: 1. John 2. Robert (Bob) 3. Dempsey 4. Willis born abt 1789 in Warren County North Carolina 5. Diana.

The names John & Willis frequently used in grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc. Willis & Betsy named one of their daughters Diana "Dicey"

Looking for information on this family. We only have found our ancestor Willis Carpenter born around 1782-1787. Our family is now on Findagrave.com - Geni.com - Wikitree.com & Morethanjustacemetery.com a distant relative of the carpenters thru the Ross side website. The info on our family has documents that the other sited don't. It like everything is a work in progress & family members are being added as it becomes available...

Thanks to Elizabeth Carpenter (New Hope Library) for her work on the Carpenter family of North Alabama. She as we all make mistakes, some of the information etc. Elizabeth like a lot of people wanted to make their ancestors more than they were. She claimed that our Carpenter line was related the the Dr. James Aussie Carpenter line (Kentucky line) was the same as ours. They were not! This was merely an effort to connect our family to a more prominent family. After more than 40 years of research on our family plus DNA evidence proves that she was wrong. She falsely claimed that Willis was a land surveyor, he was not! He was a private in the army, his service records verify this. Willis & Betsy like a lot of people during that time could not read or wright.

Three of Willis Carpenter's male descendants, 4 generations removed from Willis, male descendant thru Thomas Carpenter, male descendant thr Shadrach Meshach Carpenter, male descendant thru Willis C. Carpenter have taken the Y-DNA test & participated in "The Carpenter Cousins Y-DNA Project thru Family DNA and are a 100% match.

We know that Willis enlisted in the War of 1812, at Rutledge Tennessee (Grainger County) 10-14-1813. He served in the 2nd Regiment East Tennessee Volunteer Militia in Captains Thomas Sharps’ Company commanded by Col Lillard during the Creek Indian War. He enlisted for a period of 90 days. This regiment of about 700 men was assigned to fill the ranks at Fort Strother for Andrew Jackson after the December 1813 “mutiny” of his army. This regiment was used to keep the lines of communication open and to guard supply lines. http://www.tenessee.gov/tsla/history/military/1812reg.htm He joined his company at Fudge Plains, marched from there to Campbell’s Station, from there to Fort Armstrong and from there to Fort Strother on the Coosa River, (what is present day Ohatchee, Alabama). He remained at Fort Strother until about the 20th day of April 1814 then marched back to Knoxville Tennessee and remained at Knoxville until he received his discharge June 1814. (This information taken from pension application records.)

The story about him helping blaze a trail for Andrew Jackson, that later became Old Gurley Pike is probably true as he cleared land & squatted near the trial after the war; but not the story that he served in the Battle of New Orleans. The New Orleans Campaign didn’t begin until December 1814, Willis was already discharged. In early 1813 Andrew Jackson and his 2,500 men marched to Huntsville Alabama, crossed the Tennessee River at Ditto’s Landing and established a supply base nearby named Fort Deposit. They next penetrated the rugged terrain of enemy territory and began construction of Fort Strother on the Coosa River at a spot known as Ten Islands. Fort Strother became the main rendezvous point for the American armies during the Creek Indian War. Willis served with the same regiment as Maston Ross, Elizabeth’s brother. They enlisted together & served together. Evidence points to the families knowing each other. Willis & Elizabeth were married in Grainger County Tennessee 5-1-1814. Their first two sons were born in Tennessee. They traveled by covered wagon & by flatboat down the Tennessee River. A third infant child - Katie - died during the move to Alabama & is likely buried somewhere on the Tennessee River bank. They were early settlers in Madison County, living on a farm adjacent to “The Trail" ,Old Gurley Pike, as squatters. They bought 40 & 18/100 acres tract of land in New Hope 11-8-1838, known by various names in the early 19th century to include Clouds Town and Vienna from George Russell so that the younger children could attend public school. They sold this tract of land to Stephens Hastings January 6, 1847. They received a land grant from the government, Paten United States Certificate # 602 dated August 4, 1850. On March 5, 1855 Willis applied for and received bounty land under The Bounty Land Act Of 1855. (According to deed book CC-P 403-Madison County Court House Records he and Elizabeth sold 40-18/100 acres to Thomas Carpenter for $450.00, 1-11-1860). On June 13, 1871 he applied for a pension under the Act of February 14, 1871. (See attached)

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch ( : accessed 27 December 2015), Wlhs Carpenter, Range 5, Madison, Alabama, United States; citing 153, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 4; FHL microfilm 2,331.

• Find A Grave# 43823217