Absalom Hooper Sr. (abt. 1763 - 1845)

Born about 1763 in Colony of South Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Salers) Hooper — married Jul 1782 in Pistol Creek, Elbert, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 9 Dec 1845 at about age 82 in East Laport, Jackson County, North Carolina, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Doug Tabor [send private message], Donnie Blackstone [send private message], Jason Lee Edwards [send private message], Dana Powers [send private message], Eric Allen [send private message], Matthew Hooper [send private message], and April Renee Carney [send private message]

Biography

Absalom Hooper Sr. served with 6th South Carolina Regiment, Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Absalom Hooper Sr. was a Prisoner of War twice during the American Revolution.

Absalom Hooper Sr. is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-184452
Rank: Private

Absalom Hooper Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A057725.

Youth and War

Absolom is known to have enlisted in 1776.^[1] Neither his date of birth, nor his parents, are noted in the War Archives although it is mentioned that he was young when he ran away from home to enlist and was illiterate.

The same record indicates he was born on the main Broad River, South Carolina, near the mouth of Green River, and that he ran away from his widowed mother to join the South Carolina Regiment and implies that his mother was a loyalist and thus the reason he ran away.

His military record was later investigated and provided at the same source^[2] This supported the statements made by Absolom in his claim for pension.

His claim states that he was 12 or 13 when he enlisted. His statement, for pension, suggests he was 68 when he applied on 1 January 1883, thus born in 1764. There is conjecture regarding the date of birth. There is evidence, tombstone^[3], to suggest that he was born in 1757, although it is noted that this is a new marker, replacing an older one that did not have his date of birth on it.

Service

His record of service^[4] indicates that he enlisted in 1776 and served in Captains Richard Doggett's and Jesse Baker's companies in Colonel William Henderson's South Carolina regiment. Although the War Archives do not specify which Regiment this was he is noted on the Muster Roll of the 6th South Carolina Regiment^[5]

He is stated to have been "in an engagement [sic] on Sullivan's Island". This the Battle of Sullivan's Island on June 28, 1776. He is stated as being at "the attack on Stone Fort", the location of which is not clear.

He is stated as being wounded by "a musket ball wound in the right arm at the siege of Savannah"

He was again wounded at the siege of Charleston where he received a musket ball wound in the left thigh and was taken prisoner. He was to spend 5 months in hospital as a result of his wounds.

He escaped from the hospital and fled to the home of his uncle (name not given in the War Archives) on the frontier of Georgia. He was captured but released after being confined for five days.

He then enlisted in Captain Daniel Gunnal's company in Colonel Clark's Georgia regiment; he was in a battle with the Cherokee Indians at Long Swamp on the Hightower River and served until peace was declared. He is noticed in Lucian Knight's work "Georgia's roster of the revolution" under Soldiers Grants.^[6]

After the war

After peace was declared, he lived first in Georgia, then in upper South Carolina and finally in Haywood (now Jackson ) Co, North Carolina.

After the nationalisation of the war pension scheme he was allowed a national pension on his application executed January 30, 1833, at which time he was a resident of Haywood County, North Carolina, stated as aged sixty-eight years.^[7]

The same investigation provided that "Absalom Hooper died December 9, 1845, in Haywood County, North Carolina."^[8]

Daughters of the American Revolution

• HOOPER, ABSALOM Ancestor #: A057725
• Service: SOUTH CAROLINA - GEORGIA Rank(s): PRIVATE
• Birth: CIRCA 1763 ON THE BROAD RIVER SOUTH CAROLINA
• Death: 12-9-1845 HAYWOOD CO NORTH CAROLINA
• Service Description: 1) CAPTS RICHARD DOGGETT, JESSE BAKER, 2) DANIEL GUNNAL; COLS HENDERSON, CLARK
• RESIDENCE: 1) City: CHARLESTON-ENL - District: CHARLESTON DIST - State: SOUTH CAROLINA. 2) County: WILKES CO - State: GEORGIA
• SPOUSE: 1) SARAH SILERS

Family

Absolom Hooper married, at the home of his uncle (name not given) after his escape after Charleston, near Pistol Creek in Elbert County, Georgia, in July, 1782, or in 1783, or in September 1788, Sarah Salers or Silers.^[9] The source is uncertain of the date. It seems unlikely that he married immediately after his escape or release (which would have been end of 1780/start of 1781) as he rejoins the cause. It seems more likely he married after the war, thus making the 1788 the most likely choice.

Sarah, as the widow of Absalom Hooper, was allowed a pension on her application executed February 14, 1847, at which time she stated that she was eighty-two years of age and a resident of Haywood County, North Carolina. She stated that she moved to South Carolina about ten years after her marriage, to a place called Table Rock where she and her husband lived for twelve years and that about 1810 they moved to Haywood County, North Carolina.^[10]

Sarah Hooper applied for bounty land on May 8, 1855, at which time she was living in Jackson County, North Carolina, and at this time she stated she was about ninety-three years of age. She received Warrant # 191510 for 160 acres under the Act of March 3, 1855.^[11]

The same source suggests that Absolom and Sarah had twelve children and named some:

1. James Hooper (1782 - 1871), stated as the eldest. In 1848 he was living in Macon County, North Carolina, and stated that he was about 59, thus born 1789. These dates support a marriage of his parents in 1788.
2. Elizabeth Hooper Moss (1786 - 1874)
3. Eleanor Hooper.
4. Andrew Hooper (1792 - 1849)
5. Sarah Hooper Shelton (1795 - 1851)
6. Kizziah Hooper Brown (1796 - 1880)
7. Mary Hooper Brown (1800 - 1889)
8. Nancy Hooper Chastain (1797 - 1877)
9. Margaret Hooper. She married --- Bell.
10. Absolom Hooper (1799 - 1862)
11. Cassa Hooper.
12. Enos McHenry Hooper (1805 - 1882)
13. Isaac Hooper (1810 - 1894)
14. Edward Chastain Hooper (1818 - 1885)
15. William Hooper (1807 - 1893)* He is stated as living in Haywood County, North Carolina in 1851 and then stated he was 45.^[12]

In 1855 the report suggests there was a William Hooper living in Jackson County, North Carolina, but was not clear whether he is identical with Absolom's son, William.

The same report indicates that he had a brother "in 1852, Clemmons Hooper, aged about eighty-two years, stated that he was the younger brother of the soldier."^[13]

Additional Military Service Information

From the United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers:

1845, December 9 (death date) in Ashevill, Buncombe, North Carolina, United States paid to Sarah Hooper.^[14]

• Source: S53602833 Repository: #R50216592 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Ancestry Family Tree https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/104021607/family
• Repository: R50216592 Ancestry.com
• D.A.R. records
• Conferederate Prisoner of War Record 1861-65
• US Military Headstone application
• Us Revolutionary War Pension
• ^[15]

Sources

* Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed March 23, 2016), "Record of Absalom Hooper", Ancestor # A057725.

• Jackson-Haywood-Cherokee County NcArchives Military Records.....Hooper, Absolom 1832-1854 Revwar - Pension Henderson's South Carolina Regiment. Details available on line

• A Glimpse Into The Past of Hooper and Related Families ( 1763-1993 ) Before Absalom died he made a will and gave William most of his Land Absalom Hooper is my 5TH GREAT GRANDFATHER William Deaver Hooper is my 4th great grandfather, Capt. Andrew Dillard "Deaver" Hooper is my 3rd great grandfather Michael "Mike" Hooper is my 2nd great grandfather, Donald Welborn Hooper is my great grandfather, He is Buried in Piedmont Rose Hill Cemetery as David "Webb" Hooper worked in Piedmont Manufacturing Company lived in Piedmont, Greenville County, South Carolina.

Military Service saw him in many places during the war, He was under the command of General Howe at Sullivan's Island in South Carolina. But the British General Sir Henry Clinton Conquered the Island and Howe and his forces at the St. Mary's River, From there Charleston, to Purrsourg, South Carolina. and finally Georgia. He was in the attack against the British at Stono Fort on the Edisto River. His Regiment than went to Beaufort Island, Back to Savannah he was wounded in the right arm. From there they returned to Charleston where Absolom received another wound, that time in his left thigh, He was imprisoned and was in the enemy prison hospital until he somewhat recovered. He escaped and went to Georgia to find refuge in his Uncle's frontier home. The Tories captured him, held him five days and brought him to trial, but released him.

• HOOPER 101, [[1]]

• East Laporte Cemetery

• The 1763 birth year is listed with the DAR other records list birth as 1757.

• Names of all twelve children & some spouses found in Enos Hooper & Others v. William Hooper & Isaac Hooper -1853, Equity Court - Jackson County, North Carolina; Equity minute docket (Jackson County, North Carolina), 1853-1864; Equity minute docket (1 unlabeled volume) 1853-1864

Sources

1. ↑ Pension application under Henderson's South Carolina Regiment. Details available on line noted under the statement provided on 1 January 1883
2. ↑ Pension application under Henderson's South Carolina Regiment. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
3. ↑ Photograph of his, and wife's, tombstone.
4. ↑ Pension application under Henderson's South Carolina Regiment. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
5. ↑ Muster Rolls of the 6th South Carolina Regiment
6. ↑ Georgia's roster of the revolution, containing a list of the states defenders; officers and men; soldiers and sailors; partisans and regulars; whether enlisted from Georgia or settled in Georgia after the close of hostilities; Knight; page 400
7. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
8. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
9. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
10. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
11. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
12. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
13. ↑ Investigation of service. Details available on line noted under the statement provided by A.D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator on 31 January 1940
14. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24Q-RZBJ : accessed 7 August 2017), Sarah Hooper, 09 Dec 1845; citing Asheville, Buncombe, North Carolina, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 18; FHL microfilm 1,319,398.
15. ↑ [( United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers: )]

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24169682/absalom-hooper: accessed 15 June 2023), memorial page for Absalom Hooper Sr. (1763–9 Dec 1845), Find a Grave Memorial ID 24169682, citing East LaPorte Cemetery, East Laport, Jackson County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by mike daniel (contributor 46966041).