OUR FAMILY MILITARY HISTORY
Researching family history on the internet is like playing slot machines. I can search the internet for weeks, seeking information on a great-great ancestor, without any luck (like feeding the slot machine with no pay-off). Then one magic day, I followed a lead and hit the story of the Great Bridge (THANK YOU GOOGEL).
The story included my great,g,g,g, grandfather James Anderson. He turned out to be an officer in the Revolutionary War. The war, 1775-1783, was known as the American War of Independence between Great Britain and the 13 British Colonies on the North American continent.
As the story goes….. at the time of the American Revolution, there was a warehouse above the ridge of Taylor Ferry, in Virginia. The warehouse was used to accumulate military stores for use by the American southern colonies (serving much the same purpose as West Point did for the Northern forces).
Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson ordered that no Virginia wagons could cross south of the Roanoke at Taylor Ferry. He was concerned that the wagons may not be returned. General Gates was ordered South to replace the Revolutionary forces who had been captured at Charleston and Savannah When he arrived at Taylor Ferry, he found out that none of the ferry boats had sufficient capacity to carry the cannons that he had brought from New Jersey. So the cannons were built into a fortification on the northern banks of Taylor Ferry.
Examination of British correspondence of the Revolutionary period, indicates that Generals Cornwallis and Tarleton exchanged letters discussing the advisability of the British capturing Taylor Ferry, but decided in the end that it was two well defended by the Mecklenburg Militia, to be worth the effort and risk, The Mecklenburg Militia was under the Command of our Major James Anderson! ( Jack-pot!)
Major James Anderson was the son of Thomas Anderson, my great gggg grandfather , who had also seen action as company commander of the Mecklenberg Militia. His Militia responded when it was one of three companies called to Williamsburg, Virginia, by Patrick Henry, in response to a “gunpowder incident”.
Another battle Major James Anderson participated in was outside Norfolk, Virginia. It was fought in the early era of the American Revolution. Major James Anderson was in command of the Mecklenburg Militia that cut down the British in the battle of GREAT BRIDGE, outside Norfolk. It was significant as it gave the Americans an open road to Norfolk, which the British abandon after shelling and destroying the town. ( Wikipedia). Major James Anderson would be our gg grandfather, Henry M. Anderson’s father.
ARTIST DRAWING OF THE GREAT BRIDGE
Discovering James and Thomas Anderson on the internet, added to our list of Anderson and Guernsey relatives who served in each of our nations major wars. (Wish I had more military pictures of the Powers, Guernseys, Caffeys, Higgins and Innes to include…….send me your pictures and I will add them to this story).
American Revolutionary War….Thomas and Major James Anderson
Civil War……………. .Henry M. Anderson and his sons Albert, Mitchell, John Henry William Walter, and James Anderson.
Private Albert James Anderson, served in Civil War and later a Texas Ranger.
World War 1………..Orren Anderson, Curt Guernsey, Lee Caffey, Virgil Anderson.
Privates Lee Caffey (bottom) and Orren Anderson.
World War II………Mike Guernsey, Curt Guernsey Jr. , Bobby Higgins, Powell Powers, Raymond Powers, Jack Powers, and Bill Caffey.
Seabee Mike Guernsey, fought in many of the South Pacific battles.
Korean War……Billy Don Anderson, John Innes, George Innes Jim Lee Anderson.
Major Jim L. Anderson, Okinawa Aircraft Control and Warning site.
Viet Nam War……..Mark “Buz” Masters, Paul Erwin, Jan Jan Caffey.
Major Mark Masters, member of the famous Thunderbirds.
Who is my granddaddy? 
Great post Papa Jim!
On Sat, Jul 29, 2017 at 1:51 PM, Who is my granddaddy? wrote:
> Empty Nest Notes posted: ” OUR FAMILY MILITARY > HISTORY Researching family history on the internet is like playing slot > machines. I can search the internet for weeks, seeking information on a > great-great ancestor, without any luck (like feeding the slot mac” >
It was not easy to find, but I have confirmed that Betsy or Betty Harlan, who married/partnered with Henry Anderson was in fact Nancy Ward’s daughter with Bryant Ward. She was born between 1757 and 1760 in the East Cherokee Nation. She had children with at least two white men besides her husband Joseph Martin…a man named Anderson and a man named Hughes. She is referred to as Betty or Betsy in different history books and a lot of her story is missing or vague in everything I have read.
The most extensive Harlan family history states that Ellis Harlan married “Catherine Kingfisher, daughter of Kingfisher, a famous Chief, and Chigau”. Chigau is better known as Nancy Ward, from her marriage to a second husband Bryan Ward. This is the same Nancy Ward who was a friend to the whites, and aided the escape of Ezekiel Buffington from Cherokee upper town.
Catherine Kingfisher was not married to Harlan, because it was actually Elizabeth Ward. Because Elizabeth was estranged from her father, since Bryant abandoned her and her mother Nancy to return home to his white wife in South Carolina after the revolutionary war, so she claimed to be a full-blood Cherokee. This is likely why she may have been confused with her half-sister Catherine when the Harlan family later tried to piece together her heritage at the time of her marriage to Ellis Harlan in Tennessee. She was a half blood Cherokee. She married Ellis Harlan a white man. Betsy or Betty had at least 3 husbands. Her mother Nanyehi (Nancy) had somewhere between 7 and a dozen depending on the source. Betty and Henry’s son James was likely raised by another (white) wife of Henry’s which is where the heritage became most lost and confused for the future generations. This is what I have gathered so far, after years of research. I hope this helps!
Note:
“HISTORY OF THE CHEROKEE INDIANS”, Dr. Emmet Starr, Hoffman Printing Co., Muskogee, 1984