Jeremiah Robinson: Revolutionary War Soldier
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Revolutionary War veteran Jeremiah Robinson served in Virginia, later helped lay out an early Madison County road, died in 1836, and his exact burial site remains unknown.
Teri Moss, Contributing Writer
This is the third in a series of stories regarding Revolutionary War Patriots who came to Madison County after the war.
Jeremiah Robinson moved to Madison County, Missouri, from Virginia in the fall of 1810. He applied for a pension on 27 Aug 1833, for payment for his part in the Revolutionary War. At the time of his application, he was living in St. Michael Township in Madison County.
His statement in the application began with his birth information. “I was born in Bedford County, State of Virginia, in the year 1757. (This area was just east of Roanoke, Virginia.) I have no record of my age myself, but my sister, living in the State of Kentucky, Boone County, has a record of my age in a Prayer Book which belonged to my father in his lifetime and as registered by my father as I have understood.”
His pension application goes on to state that he volunteered as a private to supply a militia draft or call for a draft made on the Militia of that county for six months and was first mustered into service at Bedford County Court House in the company commanded by Captain James Dickson. The said company marched from Bedford Court House to the Rye Cove Fort, near the head of Cloud River, where they were stationed for three months. After that, they marched to Long Island on the Halidon River to provision the fort.
In 1778, Jeremiah Robinson again volunteered as a private for six months and mustered into service at the Bedford Court House. Col. Charles Lynch ordered the troops to Chiswell’s Mines and went with them there. Robinson was asked to hunt for venison to supply the troops at times. He was considered an experienced woodsman, so they chose him for this task.
The Chiswell mines were a major producer of ammunition and state-sponsored enslavement during the American Revolution (1775-1783). John Chiswell discovered lead deposits on Cherokee land near the New River west of the Blue Ridge Mountains sometime in the 1750s. In 1775, the Virginia Provincial Convention leased the mines to supply lead shot to the Patriot militia and later the Continental Army. By 1776, Thomas Jefferson considered the value of Chiswell’s mines as inestimable and saw them as “perhaps the sole means of supporting the American cause.”
In 1821, when Missouri became a state, and Madison County had been in existence for only a few short years, the Madison County court presented a petition in February asking that a road be located south of Fredericktown toward Greenville. The court appointed Theodore Tong, Thomas Gholson, and George Nifong to view this territory and to lay out a road as far as the Wayne County line in the direction of Greenville. Jeremiah Robinson became the Supervisor of that part from Fredericktown to Upper Twelve Mile, and John Clemmons supervised the remainder. Under their direction, the right-of-way was cleared in June and July of 1821.
In an article published in the Democrat News of 15 Sep 1921, entitled “Madison County – A Century Ago,” it lists Jeremiah Robinson as once living on the current (at that time) J. W. Banes place. At the time of Banes’ death, he was living on the corner of South Wood and West Marvin in Fredericktown, and his estate sale was held at that location in 1944. During this time, this area was farmland.
Robinson died sometime in 1836. The site of his burial is unknown. His will, dated 28 Aug 1835, lists his wife and nine children. He left his plantation where they lived and their house to his wife, plus all outhouses, all family utensils and implements of husbandry, household and kitchen furniture, and stock of horses, cattle, and hogs, and his Negro girl called Nancy and his Negro boy called Jefferson. The will states his wife is to have and to hold and enjoy these things during her natural life.
The will goes on to list his daughter, Elizabeth Terry, deceased; John L. Robinson; Drusilla Tong; Milly Hudspeth; Margery Griggs; deceased daughter, Joana Hedspeth; Emily Campbell; Hethy Holbert; and Harriet Robinson. Within the will, the slaves, Anthony, Rosetta, Mary, Nicey, and Charles were given to his children. The value of his estate totaled $3,074.00.
At the time of Robinson’s death, it appears he had gone to Crawford County to possibly stay with his daughter and son-in-law, Milly and William Hudspeth. Hudspeth requested payment for the following:
1) Moving Jeremiah Robinson and family from Madison County to Crawford County with wagon and team (8 days x $3 per day) = $24
2) Attention in first sickness from which he recovered in 2 weeks = $14.00
3) Attention and waiting on in last illness 9 days = $9.00
4) Coffin and Box = $9.00
5) To handle deceased probate = $3.10
6) Take up corpse and move the same 50 miles to Madison County = $50.00
7) Move corpse two miles and bury the same = $6.00
8) Taking negroes from Crawford to Madison County = $15.00
Based on this information, it could be possible that Robinson was buried on his family farm. He was at least buried within city limits or just a short distance outside. If anyone knows the location of his burial, please contact The Democrat News office.
