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Note: Benjamin Coffey was born in 1747 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. He was a resident of Wilkes County, North Carolina for nearly thirty years. Benjamin's parents were Jane Graves and John Coffey. John died in Albemarle County, Virginia before March 1775, after his death Jane lived near her children in Wilkes County. Benjamin's grandparents were Ann Powell and Edward Coffey of Essex County, Virginia. Edward died in 1716 and Ann died in 1726. Benjamin first served the Revolutionary cause for five months from Burke County in 1776. He volunteered and was sent to the frontier, scouting and helping to build Crider's Fort because of "mischief being done by the Cherokee Indians." He married Polly hayes and moved over to Wilkes County where in 1780 he volunteered again. Benjamin was at the Battle of Kings Mountain as were several of his kinfolk. He did not actually do any fighting in this battle. As a result of losing his horse the evening before, he had to join the foot soldiers, the fighting was over by the time the foot soldiers got there. He was sent to guard the prisoners on the march to Moravian Town, whereby he developed "pains in his ankles." He was furloughed home for the duration of the war. Benjamin Coffey with his family moved to Hawkins County, Tennessee and bought two hundred acres of land on the north side of Clinch Mountain on Big War Creek on March 24, 1809. In September 1833, when Benjamin gave his declaration for a pension, he was eighty-six years old and so old and infirm for the last four or five years that he had not been able to attend the Baptist Church where he was a member. He died January 4, 1834 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. While still living in Wilkes County, Benjamin and Polly's son, John Coffey (Oct. 15, 1776 - Mar. 15, 1845) married March 1, 1804 to Elizabeth Rucker (Jan. 6, 1787 - Mar. 22, 1855): she was the daughter of Sarah Roberts and Colby Rucker. Elizabeth and John were living in Grainger County in 1810, he served in the War of 1812 from Tennessee. The list of their children is not complete: Ausburn (Jan. 14, 1805 - Dec. 31, 1876)(married Matilda Dalton); Benjamin (Feb. 8, 1808 - May 8, 1867) (married Nancy Hayes); Nancy unmarried; John Jackson (Jan. 12, 1812 - pct. 15, 1877) (married Alicia Nash); Margaret (married Issac Bullen); William born Oct. 31, 1828 (married Ellen Nash); Catherine born Aug. 10, 1834; Sarah Lucinda (married William Coffey, a first double cousin) and Jesse. Elizabeth and John's oldest son, Ausbon (family spelling), was a blacksmith. After the Civil War, when his brothers, Benjamin and John, and some of their children moved to Rockcastle County, Kentucky, Ausbon and Matilda loaded their wagon, tied the old cow and hound dog to it and moved also. The trip took about a week, two weeks later the old hound dog was waiting at the door to the blacksmith shop in Thorn Hill. Ausbon and Matilda did not stay in Wildie, they returned to Tennessee. Ausbon is buried in the Rucker Family Cemetery northeast of Thorn Hill on the Road to Coffey's Chapel Cemetery. Benjamin didn't live long after moving to Kentucky, he and Nancy (Hayes) are buried in The Marte Cemetery near Wildie. Through their son, Ransome, there are seven generations of Coffeys buried in the Maret Cemetery. Nancy and Benjamin had nine sons: John; William; Richardson (married Serene Coffey); Ransome (married Delphia Cox and Mary Jane Coffey Wolfe); Calvin; Calton (married Martha Campbell); Perry; Marvel (married Abigail Jordan); Ausbon (married Nancy Ann Phillips Barnett on Feb. 20, 1869); and one daughter, Elizabeth (married Caserll Coffey). At least six of their sons served the Confederate States of America: Richardson, Calvin, Calton, Marvel, Perry, and Ausbon. Ausbon was only seventeen when he joined after becoming angry over Federal troops destroying their spring beet crop. Calvin, Perry and Richardson died before the end of the war. Their cousins, William W. and Simeon, also died as results of wounds received in battle. After his twin, Calvin, died Calton was wounded and deserted. Marvel was there when Calton was told to walk slowly and get his leg wound seen about. Marvel said that was the last the family heard of Calton until he was living in Oklahoma nearly forty years later, via Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. Ransome and his cousins that were living in Kentucky when the war began fought on the Union side. Ausbon's wife, Nancy, (part Cherokee Indian, passed as Black Dutch) was born in Laurel County, Kentucky. She moved to Missouri with her first husband, who died there. She walked back to Wildie with her small son, Andrew J. Barnett. Nancy and Ausbon's oldest son, William Ransome Shardick Coffey (Rance) (Dec. 20, 1869 - Dec. 20, 1932) on May 3, 1889 married Lou Mina Jane Clark (May 24, 1869 - May 1, 1939). Their youngest son, Thomas Calvin (Tom) (Dec. 8, 1877 - Feb. 14, 1962) on April 18, 1901 married Mary McGuire. Mary was a cousin to the Mary McGuire that was Andrew Barnett's first wife; Joan Shouse was Andrew's second wife. In September 1903, Lou Mina and Rance with their six surviving children moved to Red Fork, Indian Territory. Tom helped them to cross the mountain by horse bak to board a train in Wildie. Mary and Tom also moved to Oklahoma in 1904 and lived for twenty years, where most of their ten children were born. Gracy, Arch, Luther, Athel, Lawrence, and Roise Mae lived to be adults. Their return trip to Kentucky begain Oct. 1923 by wagon took six months. They worked and camped out along the way, arriving in Wildie in April 1924. Lou Mina and Rance had twelve children: McClellan; Wallace Ausbon; Celia T. (married S.R. Cross); Nancy Ann; Mary Elizabeth (married A. J. Self); Martha Susan (married J. H. Smith); Flora Mae (married H. K. Sorrels); Teddy B. (married A. L. Rose Capehart); Julius Walter (married E. Harris Holland); Richard Leslie; Lena Jane; and William Benjamin (married Lou Ellen Simcox of Kiowa, Oklahoma). Sources: Census, court house, military and family records, cemetery markers and Bible records John and Jane's youngest son, Benjamin, was born in Spottslvania County, Virginia in 1747. We first find him in the records of Albemarle County, Virginia in 1772 when he purchased 211 acres. He sold this in 1774 to John Coffey, either his father or brother. The same land was sold again to James Garland Jr. in 1780. Why or how this land came back to Benjamin so that it could be sold again is not known. Sometime during this period Benjamin moved North Carolina, initially settling on land that would part of Burke County, but was at that time a part of Rowan County. He was there somewhat earlier and married Polly Hayes in North Carolina. there does not seem to be any Coffey's in the records of Rowan County for that time period. The Hayes family lived in Albemarle County, Virginia at the time the Coffey's did and at least some of them came to North Carolina in 1770s and 1780s. I think it more logical to believe that Benjamin married Polly in Albemarle County than moved to North Carolina. Since Albemarle County marriage records for that time are not extant we have no way of proving it one way or another. Benjamin served five months in 1776 in the Revolutionary War, mostly fighting Cherokee Indians on the frontier of Burke County. In December 1778, Benjamin had four land entries on Blair;s Fork of Lower Creek in Burke County, presumably this was land he had been living on for some time. It was located just over the ridge from Wilkes County and bounded land of John Coffey ( probably his brother) and Nebuzaradan Coffey, and not far from his brother James Coffey's land in Wilkes County, NC. In March 1780 he bought land in Wilkes County, and moved there, residing in that county until the early 1800's. The first of April, 1780 he again volunteered for Revolutionary War service, being assigned to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Benjamin Cleveland. Later that year they marched to Kings Mountain, but Benjamin missed the famous battle due to losing his horse the night before. Because of "pains in his ankles" he was Furlow home the first of November. A list of Benjamin and Polly's children has not been found but must have included at least 5 sons and 4 daughters. The best known of these is John, born October 15, 1776. It is logical that he should be the oldest. Revolutionary War Pension Records Coffey, Benjamin esf 1776 Burke Co. NC; esf 1780 Wilkes Co. NC; b. 1747 Spotsylvania Co. VA; Pension 1833 Hawkins Co. TN. Pension record # R594 John and Jane's youngest son, Benjamin, was born in Spottslvania County, Virginia in 1747. We first find him in the records of Albemarle County, Virginia in 1772 when he purchased 211 acres. He sold this in 1774 to John Coffey, either his father or brother. The same land was sold again to James Garland Jr. in 1780. Why or how this land came back to Benjamin so that it could be sold again is not known. Sometime during this period Benjamin moved North Carolina, initially settling on land that would part of Burke County, but was at that time a part of Rowan County. He was there somewhat earlier and married Polly Hayes in North Carolina. there does not seem to be any Coffey's in the records of Rowan County for that time period. The Hayes family lived in Albemarle County, Virginia at the time the Coffey's did and at least some of them came to North Carolina in 1770s and 1780s. I think it more logical to believe that Benjamin married Polly in Albemarle County than moved to North Carolina. Since Albemarle County marriage records for that time are not extant we have no way of proving it one way or another. Benjamin served five months in 1776 in the Revolutionary War, mostly fighting Cherokee Indians on the frontier of Burke County. In December 1778, Benjamin had four land entries on Blair;s Fork of Lower Creek in Burke County, presumably this was land he had been living on for some time. It was located just over the ridge from Wilkes County and bounded land of John Coffey ( probably his brother) and Nebuzaradan Coffey, and not far from his brother James Coffey's land in Wilkes County, NC. In March 1780 he bought land in Wilkes County, and moved there, residing in that county until the early 1800's. The first of April, 1780 he again volunteered for Revolutionary War service, being assigned to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Benjamin Cleveland. Later that year they marched to Kings Mountain, but Benjamin missed the famous battle due to losing his horse the night before. Because of "pains in his ankles" he was Furlow home the first of November. A list of Benjamin and Polly's children has not been found but must have included at least 5 sons and 4 daughters. The best known of these is John, born October 15, 1776. It is logical that he should be the oldest. Revolutionary War Pension Records Coffey, Benjamin esf 1776 Burke Co. NC; esf 1780 Wilkes Co. NC; b. 1747 Spotsylvania Co. VA; Pension 1833 Hawkins Co. TN. Pension record # R594
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