Richard B. Ledbetter III (1738 - 1841)

Born 1738 in Brunswick , Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 22 Jan 1841 at about age 103 in Lumpkin, Georgia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Stephanie Ross [send private message]

Richard Ledbetter III is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A067920.

Biography

Richard B. Ledbetter was born about 1738 in Brunswick, Virginia.

He married Nancy Ann Johnson about 1773 or 1774 in Brunswick, Virginia. They had approximately thirteen children.

Richard B. Ledbetter was a veteran of the Revolutionary War.^[1][2][3][4]

He married Elizabeth Berry in 1822 at his daughter, Martha Ledbetter Ward's, house in Rutherford North Carolina.^[5]

He and Elizabeth moved to Lumpkin County about 1838, living with his son Johnson. He died there in 1841.^[6]

Death

Date: 22 Jan 1841

Place: Lumpkin, Georgia, USA^[6]

Richard Ledbetter, III, has a government cenotaph at Mt. Hope Cemetery near downtown Dahlonega, Georgia. He is not interred there. The "Dahlonega Nugget" for Oct. 18, 1929 reported that two unmarked graves were discovered at the Methodist Church on Park St. Some unidentified person assumed one of the graves was Richard Ledbetter. Strange since these Ledbetters were Baptist.

Biographical Sketch

Much of the life of Richard Ledbetter comes from his testimony in his Rev. War pension application W26204. He was born 1738 in Brunswick Co. VA., though the volume "Ledbetters Revisited", by Haughton & Huddleston estimate his birth as c1743 as implied in the will of his mother Mary (Walton) Ledbetter. Richard Ledbetter had moved to Tryon Co. NC by 1778 according to his mother's will plus he was co-administrator there for his deceased brother-in-law John Bradley. This area became Rutherford Co. NC in 1779. On Jan. 25, 1780 Wm. Gilbert sold to Richard Ledbetter 200 ac. on Cedar Creek at N. side of Young Mt. In 1784 Richard Ledbetter was charged with being a Tory during the war. The Sheriff confiscated Richard's 200 ac. and gave it to a Henry Holland. But, Richard was later cleared of the false charge. Richard Ledbetter many years later said in his veterans pension application, "...the Indians broke into the settlement and killed two of my little daughters and scalped them and a negro girl about 10 years of age. My wife with a child at her breast made her escape, they (the Indians) was immediately pursued...Shortly after, I think in the year 1780, I took the balance of my family and moved back to Virginia. I was immediately numbered and placed on the muster roll under Capt. Vaugn of Brunswick County, State of Virginia...I was in company in many chase after the Indians and Tories, and been closely pursued by them...I was in pursuit after Cornwallis...I was at Little York where Cornwallis was taken...about the year 1790 I moved back to the place where I first settled in Mumford Cove then Rutherford County, N. Carolina. I well know I served my Country faithfully, lost nearly all I had and three of my family killed by the Indians when I was in the service where I was called for the cause of liberty"---Richard Ledbetter III. His application was approved. In his pension Richard mentioned he served also under a Capt. Potts. Potts Fort was near the confluence of Grassy Branch and Cedar Creek. In 1988 the site was the Wade Conner place and this writer saw some of the forts remaining stone foundation. Richard's first land tract was on Cedar Creek at Grassy Branch, according to Rutherford Co. NC Deed Books A-D & 36. This would have been the area where the Ledbetter girls and the little black girl were murdered. Richard Ledbetter and wife (Nancy Ann Johnson) later lived at the confluence of Cedar Creek and Cove Creek(both sides), according to Rutherford Co. NC Deed Book 20-21(microfilm). Nancy Ann died about 1821 and Richard married an Elizabeth Berry in 1822. About 1838 Richard and Elizabeth moved with his son Johnson Ledbetter and his family to Lumpkin(now Dawson)Co. GA. According to testimony given in the pension file by 1841 ancient Richard Ledbetter wanted to move back to Rutherford Co. NC but no one would take him. So, he dispatched his wife Elizabeth to travel to NC to get someone to come and get him, and she went ! It being a distance of about 200 miles. While she was gone he somehow fell into the river but no further details. He seems to have died while his wife was enroute to NC. The surviving children of Richard Ledbetter and wife Nancy Ann (Johnson) were according to Rutherford Co. NC Deed Books 20--21, 24, 36, 37, & 41--42, John Ledbetter, Johnson Ledbetter, Isaac Ledbetter, Jonathan Ledbetter, Martha Ward, and Polly Harris. See also, "Rutherford County(NC)Marriages 1779--1868", by Holcomb. There were no children by the 2nd marriage.^[7]

The Ledbetters lived in a part of Lumpkin Co. GA. that is now Dawson Co. GA. The Ledbetter Family graveyard later became known as Kelly Cemetery located near the dead-end of "Old Kelly Farm Road", just across the Etowah River (then called Hightower River) from Mt. Vernon Bap. Church. The place is now private property owned by E. Sam Jones, Jr. I visited him in 2008. In a letter dated Dec. 17, 1931 from Ella Hill to Rev. A.W. Ledbetter, she writes in part, "...their grandfathers name was Britt Ledbetter...and he was buried about 6 miles from here in a family graveyard. He fought in the Revolutionary War...great grandfather Britt Ledbetter was 113 years old when he died (actually his pension file indicates he was 103 at time of death)." The letter was signed, "your cousins, Ella and Herman Hill". Herman was a female and sister of Ella. Old Richard Ledbetter was called "Britt" Ledbetter because he specialized in making a wine called, "Britt Brandy". Flora Barrett of Moore, OK, researched Mary Ella Hill who was born 1886 in Dawson Co. GA. Ella was also a Ledbetter descendant. She never married. Ella died in 1958 and was buried in Crest Lawn Cemetery, Atlanta, GA. She has a flat block granite grave marker. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Pension Payment Ledgers, 1818-1872," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24Q-25YV : accessed 5 March 2023), Richard Ledbitter, 04 Mar 1831; citing North Carolina, United States, NARA microfilm publication T718 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1962), roll 5; FHL microfilm 1,319,385.
2. ↑ "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG2M-HLKN : 1 March 2021), Richard Ledbetter, 04 Mar 1831; citing Military Service, , Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 102229235.
3. ↑ "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP8K-F5ZS : 1 March 2021), Richard Ledbetter, 1 Jun 1840; citing Military Service, Lumpkin, Georgia, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 005732444.
4. ↑ "United States Rosters of Revolutionary War Soldiers and Sailors, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGYD-FTS9 : 1 March 2021), Richard Ledbetter, 1 Jun 1840; citing Military Service, Lumpkin, Georgia, United States, Citing various published state rosters, United States; FHL microfilm 103140737.
5. ↑ "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28R-J7CG : 22 July 2021), Richard Ledbetter and Elizabeth Berry, 18 Apr 1822; citing Rutherford, North Carolina, United States, p. , North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm 2,447,755.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Find A Grave: Memorial #219173447
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Added by Dennis Stewart

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBN-6RC : 10 June 2022), Richard Ledbetter, District 1022, Lumpkin, Georgia, United States; citing p. 262, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .

See also:

• https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/292942-redirect#page=8&viewer=picture&o=&n=0&q=
• Book, "Ledbetters Revisited", by Haughton & Huddleston, p. 578(Ella Hill letter).
• Flora Barrett, of Moore, Oklahoma, Jul. 2021, Ledbetter Historian. *Will of Mary(Walton)Ledbetter, 1778, Brunswick Co. VA.

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Scott Ledbetter for creating WikiTree profile Ledbetter-316 through the import of 3112910.ged on Jun 7, 2013.