My Ancestors in the American Revolutionary War: ALBERT CAMPBELL, 2nd New York Militia, of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York

ALBERT CAMPBELL was born about 1748 in Clarkstown, Orange County, New York, the son of WILLIAM CAMPBELL II and GEERTJE STEPHENSEN.  WILLIAM was the son of an immigrant from the Isle of Man; both men married wives who were descended from  early Dutch settlers in the colony of New York. Orange County would later be known as Rockland County by 1798.  Because the family lived in an area with many Dutch settlers, their  surname was often phonetically spelled "CAMMEL" in records.  

ALBERT married, in about 1772, CATHARINA VAN HOUTEN.  The births & baptisms of their five children can be found in the records of the Tappan and also Clarkstown Dutch Reformed churches. 

During the Revolutionary War, ALBERT CAMPBELL/CAMMEL served as a Private in the 2nd Orange County Militia, in GILBERT COOPER's Regiment, under Captain ONDERDONK, and also in HAYS Regiment under Captain JOHANNES BELL.  The 2nd Militia was actively involved in defending the Hudson River against British incursions  with frequent skirmishes at Haverstraw, Nyak and Piermont.  ALBERT's  three brothers, WILLIAM (III), STEPHEN & LUKAS CAMPBELL/CAMMEL also served in the same regiment(s).  ALBERT's last recorded paydate for the Militia was 23 February 1786. 

By the 1790 census, ALBERT CAMPBELL/CAMMEL was living in Haverstraw, Orange County, New York, near his three brothers, and his father.

On the 12 August 1794 his father WILLIAM CAMPBELL/CAMMEL II wrote his will; he lists his children as WILLIAM, STEPHEN, ALBERT, LUKAS and MARY KEMPE.  ALBERT CAMPBELL was listed in the will as his executor.  The will was brought to court 4 January 1799.

That is the last known record found for ALBERT CAMPBELL/CAMMEL.  He was not listed in the 1800 census.  His brother WILLIAM  CAMPBELL (III) is listed in the 1831 Revolutionary War Pension roll for Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, 4 March 1831.  

ALBERT CAMPBELL/ CAMMEL likely died before 1800 in Orange County, New York. 

ALBERT CAMPBELL/CAMMELL is in the lineage of my maternal grandfather RB MARTINE.

 **ALBERT CAMPBELL of Clarkstown is NOT the same person as " ALBERT OLIVER CAMPBELL", a Loyalist, who emigrated to Nova Scotia Canada in 1783 from NYC, lived Shelburne, Nova Scotia  on May 2, 1784, and migrated to Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1796. See my blogpost here for documentation. **

Sources:

-New York in the Revolution by Berthold Fernow p 338

-History of Rockland County, New York by Rev David Cole p 64

-Abstracts of Wills of Rockland County by Minnie Cowen p 13

-1790 Census of Haverstraw, Orange New York

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas 2026

My Ancestors in the American Revolutionary War: 1st Lieutenant THOMAS MILLER, of Goochland County Virginia

LaVallee Plantation, Goochland County, Virginia

THOMAS MILLER  was born 20 March 1754 in Goochland County, Virginia.  He was the son of WILLIAM MILLER and MARY HEATH, who were wed 16 January 1741 in Northumberland County, Virginia, at her parents' home, and settled in Goochland County.  WILLIAM MILLER was appointed sheriff of Goochland in 1741.

THOMAS would follow in his father's footsteps; he also became deputy sheriff, then sheriff of Goochland County. Eventually he became an attorney, and also was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He was a very wealthy and well-educated man. By the end of his life he owned numerous plantations in Goochland, Spotsylvania, and King William County.  The Library of Virginia holds a large collection of THOMAS MILLER's papers.

During the Revolutionary War, at age 23, THOMAS MILLER served in the 1st Division of the Virginia Militia, Goochland County,  from 1777 until 1781, with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. I was unable to find out whether he ever saw battle. 

After the war-- and likely after receiving his education--THOMAS MILLER married CONSTANCE MASSIE on 28 December 1786 in Goochland. She was the daughter of Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE and ELIZABETH "BETSEY" WATKINS (see previous post). THOMAS and CONSTANCE settled on a plantation in Goochland and called it "LaVallee".   He was frequently referred to as "Mr THOMAS MILLER" or "THOMAS MILLER, gentleman" in records.  By the end of his life he owned numerous plantations besides LaVallee, according to his estate inventory: Woodville,  Slab City (?) and Byrd, all in Goochland; Wormley House and Manskin Lodge in King William County, and Prospect Hill in Spotsylvania County. 

In 2010, when I finally found a way to enlarge all the pages of his estate inventory so that I could read them, I was shocked to find that at the end of his life, THOMAS MILLER owned 159 slaves, all listed by name in the inventory, along with the plantations that they lived upon--which  I transcribed  in  a blog post. You can read their names here. 

THOMAS MILLER wrote his will on the 23 of April 1819.  In it, he states that all of his plantations should be sold, with the exception of Woodville and LaVallee. No slaves were mentioned in the will, but were named in the estate inventory.

THOMAS MILLER, gentleman, died 7 May 1819, at LaVallee Plantation, and was buried there. His wife CONSTANCE was alive and enumerated in the 1820 census.  While I do not have her exact death date, she likely is buried at LaVallee.

1st Lieutenant THOMAS MILLER is in the lineage of my maternal grandfather RB MARTINE.

Sources:

-DAR Patriot Index + website

-The Douglas Register

-Virginia Militia in the Revolutionary War by Joseph Thomas McAllister

-Library of Virginia

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas 2026

My Ancestors in the American Revolutionary War: Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr of Goochland County, Virginia

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr was born 02 August 1727 in New Kent County, Virginia.  He was the son of CHARLES MASSIE and ANN MACON of New Kent County.  While I have not yet ascertained exactly when he moved to Goochland County, it was likely shortly after 1756, when he married his first wife, whose name is unknown.  His parents remained in New Kent County. 

NATHANIEL was living in Goochland County when he married as his 2nd wife ELIZABETH "BETSY" WATKINS on 2 January 1772, as per The Douglas Register marriage records.  She died before August 1776, when NATHANIEL married his 3rd wife, ANN CLARK, on 24 August 1776.  He had children with all three of his wives.

During the Revolutionary War NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr served in the 1st Division,Virginia Militia, Goochland County, from  18 Dec 1776 until 22 Sept 1777, with a rank of Captain, as per a pay voucher.  Some sources show him with a rank of Major, but DAR website only lists the above mentioned period of service, and rank of Captain. I could not find any evidence that he ever saw any type of battle during his time with the 1st Division of the Virginia Militia. After the war, he received a Revolutionary War Land Bounty Grant, and acquired lands in Kentucky, which he bequeathed to his sons THOMAS and NATHANIEL Jr. 

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr's eldest son NATHANIEL MASSIE Jr also fought in the Revolutionary war; he was sent at age 17 to serve as a substitute for either his father or another family member,  likely in the 1st Virginia Militia, with rank of Private.  NATHANIEL MASSIE Jr later settled in Kentucky, on the  lands his father had bequeathed to him, and went from there to Ohio, where he founded the settlement of Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio. In some sources he is listed as "General" NATHANIEL MASSIE Jr--although I could not find any records at all to explain this rank!  It was certainly not bestowed upon him during his service in the Revolutionary War. 

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr wrote his will on 16 December 1801 in Goochland County, Virginia.  In it he names his sons NATHANIEL & THOMAS " all my lands in Kentucky"; daughters MARY ROBARDS,  ELIZABETH MASSIE, CONSTANCE MILLER; son GIDEON; with bequests to his six youngest daughters "I had by my last wife": REBECKY, NANCY, SARAH, PATSY, CHARLOTTE and GINNEY MASSIE. 

Unfortunately I don't have an actual copy of the will.  NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr was a very wealthy plantation owner, and likely owned many slaves.  Their names are not included in the abstracted version of the will. 

Captain NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr died before  19 July 1802, when his will was proved in court.

I have not been able to find his gravesite or the name of his plantation in Goochland.

Capt NATHANIEL MASSIE Sr is in the lineage of my maternal grandfather R B MARTINE

Sources:

-DAR Patriot Index + website

-A Massie Family History by Evelyn Hepworth Massie

-A Catalog of the Descendants of Thomas Watkins of Chickohomony VA by Francis Nathaniel Watkins

-St Peter's Parish Register, New Kent County Virgina

-The Douglas Register (Goochland County)

-Virginia Militia in The Revolutionary War by Joseph Thompson McAllister

-Biographical Sketches of  "General" Nathaniel Massie Jr by John McDonald

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas 2026

My Ancestors in the American Revolutionary War: Pvt JOHN WOFFORD Sr of Spartanburg, South Carolina: The Third Florida Expedition & The Skirmish at Alligator Creek Bridge

JOHN WOFFORD Sr was born about 1731 in Prince Georges County, Maryland, the son of ABSOLOM WOFFORD & SARAH HOSEY/HUSSEY. They were said to have had five sons who migrated from Maryland through Virginia and North Carolina,  to eventually settle in the mid-1700s in Anson/Tryon County, North Carolina,  which part eventually became the 96th District of South Carolina and then, in 1785, Spartanburg, South Carolina. 

The portion of Prince George's County, Maryland where the WOFFORDs lived became part of Frederick County in 1748, and JOHN WOFFORD Sr can be found in tax lists, courts records and land deeds in that location. After 20 years of searching, I have yet to find any records at all for his parents, who, according to family legend,  died in Rock Creek, Frederick County, Maryland. 

JOHN WOFFORD Sr  married ELEANOR in about 1760 in Frederick County, Maryland.  It has been postulated that her surname was BUSHROD--but there is really no evidence of any kind to support this as her  maiden name.

By 1770, one of JOHN's four brothers, WILLIAM WOFFORD,  had migrated to Anson/Tryon County, North Carolina, and another brother, JOSEPH WOFFORD, can be found in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. More research needs to be done, but it seems highly likely JOHN followed the same path. 

While I do not have an exact date for JOHN's arrival in the area that would become Spartanburg, South Carolina,  it is known that he purchased 300 acres of  land from JEREMIAH BENNETT on 8 July 1774, a transaction which is referenced in  land deeds from Spartanburg, dated 1797. 

JOHN WOFFORD Sr served as an enlisted man, rank of Pvt,  in the 6th Carolina Regiment (SC) of the Continental Army. He enlisted for a three month period,  June 1, 1778-Sept 11, 1778,  serving in Capt JOHN BUCHANAN's Company of Lt Col  WILLIAM HENDERSON's Regiment,  during  the ill-fated Third Florida Expedition. JOHN's brother  WILLIAM WOFFORD and one of his nephews ABSOLOM WOFFORD also served in the 6th Carolina (SC) under Lt Col WILLIAM HENDERSON, during the Third  Florida Expedition. WILLIAM WOFFORD later attained the rank of Lt Colonel in the Continental Army.   JOHN's brothers Capt JAMES WOFFORD and Capt JOSEPH WOFFORD also served in the Revolutionary War, but in different regiments and companies.  A fourth brother,  BENJAMIN WOFFORD, was a Tory and did not join the rebellion. 

The Florida Expedition was a series of attempts by the Continental Army to invade British East Florida and capture St Augustine. The expedition on 30 June 1778, under General Howe,  was the third attempt--which failed after a skirmish at Alligator Creek Bridge. British control of Florida remained intact throughout the remainder of the war.

JOHN WOFFORD did not re-enlist, and returned to civilian life in Spartanburg. He can be found on many court records, often listed as a juror in the 1780s & 1790s. He may have served as a Constable in Spartanburg sometime before 1800 (unverified by me).  

According to "The History of Spartanburg, South Carolina" by Dr J B O Landrum, JOHN WOFFORD Sr & ELEANOR had eleven children, five sons and six daughters.  His will, written in 1808 in Spartanburg, names only his youngest sons ISAAC & WILLIAM, and two slaves CYRUS & TEMPEY.  The will goes on to state:   "And in respect of the rest of my children, I have given them and each of them in my lifetime what I designed to give them." 

JOHN WOFFORD Sr died in 1813 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I have not been able to find his gravestone.

JOHN WOFFORD Sr is in the lineage of my paternal grandmother MINTTIE MAE BRUTON HUBER

Sources:

-DAR Patriot Index

-The History of Spartanburg, South Carolina by Dr JBO Landrum

-Spartanburg South Carolina Minutes of the County Court 1785-1799 by Brent Holcomb

-Spartanburg County/District South Carolina Deed Abstracts Books A-T 1785-1827 by Albert Bruce Pruitt

-This Was the Life: Excerpts From Judgement Records of Frederick Co Maryland 1748-1765 by Millard Milburn Rice

Have a great day--And Happy New Year!

Betty

© Betty Tartas 2026