The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
He signed the Georgia Declaration of Independence on August 5, 1777 in Wilkes County. He served as a Major in the Georgia Troops and fought at the Siege of Augusta where he was captured, but later escaped. In 1782, he was a Justice of the Peace and was certified as a Revolutionary War Soldier by General Elijah Clarke. He received bounty land for his services and settled on land six miles below Cribbs Mills on the Beaverdam of Richland Creek, 10 or 11 miles below Greensboro.
See:
(1) Georgia Citizens and Soldiers of the American Revolution, p. 27, 50.
(2) Georgia Pioneers and Their Times, p. 76.
(3) Georgia's Roster of the Revolution, p. 98, 286.
(4) Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, p. 87.
Source:
Arnold, Ross & Burnham, Hank. Georgia Revolutionary Soldiers & Sailors, Patriots & Pioneers. Vol.1. Athens, GA: Georgia Society SAR, 2001. A Georgia County-by-County compilation of Revolutionary War Patriots who made Georgia their permanent home and died here, including information on service history, birth dates, death dates and places of burial with an index.
Author: Timothy F Bassett
Maj. Barnard Heard
Bernard Heard was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, about 1739 to Bridgett Carroll and John Heard Jr. (Heard's paternal grandfather, John Sr., had arrived in America from Ireland about 1720). Not much is known about the Heard family history in Virginia, but it is known that the family moved to St. Paul’s Parish sometime before 1773. This area would later become Wilkes County, Georgia.
This move was because the family received land grants for their service during the French and Indian War. The land grant included some 150 acres of land that was located fourteen miles from the mouth of the Little River in Wilkes County. Due to the fact that this area had not yet been secured from the Creek and Cherokee Indians, Barnard, Stephen and their father, John, immediately upon their arrival began building a Fort to serve as a refuge for the local inhabitants. The fort was constructed approximately eight miles from the present town of Washington on Fishing Creek and was completed in early 1774. The fort would serve an important role during the Revolutionary War and would become known as “Heard’s Fort”.
After the fall of Savannah in 1778 to the British, Georgia’s capital was moved to Augusta. However, the British soon overran Augusta, so on February 3, 1780, “Heard’s Fort” was designated as the seat of government by the Executive Council. Barnard’s brother Stephen was appointed President of the Council on February 18, 1780, and the fort served as his Capital until mid-1781.
On February 14, 1779, Barnard fought alongside his brother Stephen at the Battle of Kettle Creek, which proved to be a decisive victory for the colonist. It was soon after this that Barnard was captured and was carried in irons to Augusta and imprisoned in Fort Cornwallis, but he escaped in time to participate in the siege of Augusta in May of 1781. It was during this siege and the subsequent fall of Fort Cornwallis that Barnard found that his father John had been imprisoned there and was able to free him and carry home to Wilkes County.
Barnard earned the Military rank of Major and on February 25, 1784, he received his certificate as a soldier from Col. Elijah Clark. On August 19, 1784 Barnard received 250 acres as a bounty for his service during the revolution per his certificate from Col. Elijah Clark.
Besides his Military endeavors, Barnard served as "Registrar of Probates" in Wilkes County, Georgia from 1776 – 1784 and as a Grand Juror in the first court held north of Augusta on August 25, 1779. Thanks to Barnard the records of Wilkes County are some the most complete in the State.
Barnard was married to Nancy Germany, a sister to his brother Stephen’s wife. The exact date of Barnard’s death is not known but according to records from the county and the division of his estate and property, it occurred sometime in early 1785. Barnard left a will but unfortunately it was destroyed in a fire. To date, his only documented heir is his son John Germany Heard.
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