Re: Revolutionary soldiers from Midway

["John S. Quarterman" <jsq@quarterman.org>]

>I have seen a picture of a William Baker on a rearing horse and his sword in 
>his hand that he was a famous Revolutionary Soldier from Georgia, any idea 
>who this William might be.  thank you for the information, it certainly was 
>interesting.
>Myrtle Joyce Longcoy

There was a Major William Baker (c. 1738-1781).
--Quarterman Family..., p. 489, person 2.

Thanks for reminding me of the discussion back in May
regarding who he is related to and how:
 http://www.quarterman.org/book/archive/msg00329.html

See also
 http://www.quarterman.org/chart/baker/majorwb.html

We need to finish up that discussion and update the database.

This William Baker could be the one in this British list of traitors
of 30 May 1780, after the British took back Savannah:
 http://www.rootsweb.com/~gataylor/traitor.htm

That list also includes other names we know, such as Lachlan McIntosh,
George Walton, Benjamin Andrews, William LeConte, Lyman Hall, etc.
Here's the complete list of names:

``William Obryan, Nehemiah Wade, *John Houston, *John Adam Truetlin,
*John Glenn, Richard Wylly, *Lachlan McIntosh, *George Walton, *William
Stephens, *Joseph Habersham, *John Habersham, John McLuer, Raymond Demere,
*John Milledge, *Joseph Clay, *Noble Wimberly Jones, Mordecai Shefftall,
Levi Shefftall, [----] Delyon, a Jew; *Jonathan Bryan, Joseph Reynolds,
John Spencer, *John Wereat, The Rev. John Holmes, *Edward Langworthy,
Rudolph Stroager, *William Gibbons, Philip Minis, Edward Davis,
*Samuel Elbert, Benjamin Lloyd, Robert Hamilton, Shefftall Shefftall,
James Alexander, John Stirk, *Samuel Stirk, Henry Cuyler, *John Martin,
Joseph Gibbons, Seth John Cuthbert, Matthew Griffin, William Holzendorff,
Chas. Odingsell, Edward Howley, *Joseph Wood Senr., Joseph Wood Junrr.,
a Doctor Wood, Daniel Roberts, Lewis Cope, Charles Cope, William Leconte,
Charles Francis Chevalier, Fowler Brisbane, Shem Butler, Thomas Stone,
William Gibbons Junr., *Benjamin Andrews, *John Baker Senr., William
Baker, John Hardy, John Braddock, Samuel Miller, Joseph Woodruff,
Charles Spencer, Peter Tarling, John Winn, Samuel West, *Oliver Bowen,
*Lyman Hall, Abraham Revor, A Capt. & A Major Howell, Samuel Spencer,
James Goldwire, Robert Hudson Senr., Robert Hudson Junr., Samuel Hudson,
Edward Hudson, John Green, a Burton Tavernkeeper.''

``23 of the 79 men [--denoted by *--] listed have biographies in the
first volume of Men of Mark in Georgia. Ten on the list had been or
became chief executives of the new state of Georgia. Two were among
Georgia's three signers of the Declaration of Independence.''

Those last two were George Walton and Lyman Hall.

The text of the document says in part:
``Shall be and they the said several Persons above named and each and
every of them is and are hereby Attainted of High Treason and is and are
declared to be subject to all the pains penalties and forfeitures by Law
inflicted on Persons guilty of High Treason to all Intents Construction  and
purposes whatsoever as if they the several persons above named were and each
and every of them was convicted and attainted of High Treason in a Court of
Justice having  jurisdiction  therein according to the Law of the Land.''

This is a good example of why treason is defined in the U.S. Constitution,
and a very high bar is set for it.

There wre actually two lists of names, the second dated July 1st 1780,
and including for each person a brief description of their office,
rank, or what they did.  Two lines from that list are:
 John Baker, Senior late of the same Rebel Colonel,
 William Baker late of the same Rebel Officer,

I'd guess the latter is the aforementioned Major Baker.

There are many more Midway names in that list, such as
 Benjamin Andrew late of the same [this province] President of the Rebel Council, 

This is the Benjamin Andrew (1713-1790), of whom Stacy says in his History:
``I first mention Hon. Benjamin Andrew, one of the original colony
from Carolina, president of the first Executive Council, convened
upon the election of John Adam Treutlin governor of Georgia in
1777, and three years afterwards elected a member of the
Continental Congress, of whose home Bartram, in his travels,
speaks of as `the seat of virture, where hospitality, piety and
philosophy formed the happy family, where the weary traveler and
stranger found a hearty welcome, and from whence, it must be his
own fault, if he departed without being greatly benefited.' ''

Meanwhile, recall that Midway Church had burned on Nov 27 1778,
after which many of the Midway people returned to South Carolina.
On 13 April 1780, British Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton led cavalry
up the Ashley River and captured Dorchester.  So at the time these
lists were made, many of our ancestors were hiding out in S.C. swamps
with the Swamp Fox, or perhaps in the swamps around Midway.

So these are not lists of captured rebels.
I suppose you could think of these lists as Most Wanted Lists.

They're interesting reading.  See which of your ancestors were on them.

John S. Quarterman <jsq@quarterman.org>
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