Life and Times of Henry Hull (P-187619)

Henry Hull’s parents were Peter Thomas Hull/Hohl and Susannah Margaretha Dieffenbach.[i]^,[ii]  Peter Thomas Hull was born about 1706 at the Palatine Region in what is now Germany.  He left Palatine with two sons following the death of his first wife and arrived at Philadelphia 30 May 1741, from Rotterdam on the ship Francis and Ann.[iii] Peter Thomas Hull initially settled at Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and plied his trade as a miller on the Susquehanna River.  While there, he met his second wife, Susannah, and they were married at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, 25 November 1750.[iv]

Like many new immigrants of the time, Peter Hull moved south into the Valley of Virginia.  On 2 July 1752, he settled upon 230 acres on the Shenandoah River purchased from Christophel Francisco.[v]  Henry Hull, was born 1 April 1760, most likely on this property, which was located near Harrisonburg at what is now Rockingham County.[vi], [vii] Henry Hull would have been sixteen years of age when his father passed away.  His mother and half-brother, Peter, became executors and charged with educating the minor children.[viii]

Henry Hull enlisted (he states drafted) for a period of 18 months in Captain Wilson’s Virginia Company at Augusta County in 1780.[ix]  In actuality, under Virginia Militia Law, he already had a militia service obligation.  His activation was undoubtedly due to the 12 May 1780 capture of the Southern Army by the British at Charleston and General Gate’s catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Camden, 16 August 1780.  General Nathanael Green assumed command and immediately called for more men and supplies.

Henry Hull describes his military service in his pension application statement made 30 July 1832: He marched from Staunton under Captain Wilson direct to Guilford in North Carolina.  He arrived there a short time before the battle where Captain Wilson lost his life while standing beside Henry.  After the battle, he served in Captain Stribling’s Company, 2nd Virginia Regiment.  They marched to Camden, South Carolina, and served in that battle.  (This second battle at Camden is also known as the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill and took place 25 April 1781).  From there, he marched to Charlestown and after several days marched to the town of Ninety-Six. 

The battle at Ninety-Six was a siege that lasted from 22 May to 18 June 1780.  General Green’s object was to capture a British garrison consisting of a Star Fort and a smaller Stockade Fort both occupied almost entirely by Loyalists.  Green’s forces managed briefly to capture both forts. 18 June but lifted the siege in the face of stubborn resistance and the approach of a relief force from Charleston.  While a tactical defeat, it was another strategic victory for General Green as the British determined the site was too exposed and abandoned the place shortly after.[x]

Henry Hull received two wounds during this battle, one in the thigh and one in the side (the ball from the latter lodging next to his backbone).  Henry Hull recuperated at Charlotte, North Carolina.  The war ended soon after he returned to the Army in South Carolina.  His unit then marched to Salisbury where he was discharged having served 18 months.  Henry states he had the ball removed from beside his backbone some twelve years later.[xi]

It is not clear when Henry Hull married is first wife, Elizabeth Keister, a daughter of Frederick Keister and Hannah Dyer.  His first son, John, was born at Augusta County 10 April 1788.[xii]

At about the turn of the century, Henry Hull moved his family to what is now Monroe County, West Virginia (presumably, after he had the ball removed from his back).  He bought land near Cashmere (north of Peterstown (now West Virginia) and lived there until 1830.[xiii]  On 18 February 1801, he and Elizabeth sold 100 acres on Blue Lick Creek for $100.00.  Blue Lick Creek is northeast of Cashmere.[xiv]  He continued to farm and acquired land through grants and direct purchase over the years while selling off other tracts.  

The exact death date for Elizabeth, Henry Hull’s first wife, could not be determined from available records.  However, analysis suggests she passed away after 21 December 1819 and before Henry married his second wife.  On 21 December 1819, Elizabeth released her right of dower on two property transactions.  The first tract sale was of 90 acres on Second Creek on the road between Union and Sweet Springs for one dollar to John Hawkins.[xv]  The second sale was for three tracts of land near Second Creek for a total of 84 acres also for one dollar and to John Hawkins.[xvi]  (The favorable land-sale terms given by Henry to John Hawkins suggests close ties between the two families.)  A female of Elizabeth’s age appears on the 1820 census taken in Peterstown, 7 August, suggesting she was still alive, 7 August 1820.[xvii]

Soon after the passing of Elizabeth, Henry married Elizabeth Hawkins at Monroe County, 11 September 1821. [xviii]    On 18 April 1822,  Elizabeth, agreed to the sale for one dollar to Henry Hull Jr. of 200 acres on Bush Creek, a branch of Rich Creek adjoining Henry Hull and Samuel Pack’s land.[xix]

In 1830, Henry and Elizabeth moved from their former home near Cashmere one and a half miles south of Peterstown at what is now Giles County, Virginia.[xx]  On 14 November 1832, Henry Hull received a pension of $60.00 per year based upon his pension application of 4 March 1831.[xxi]

Henry Hull, “being of low health,” wrote his last will and testament, 5 August 1835.  Henry Hull passed away 16 September 1835.[xxii]   Henry names his wife and all of his children in his will.

Initially, the family buried Henry Hull at the family cemetery on his farm.  However, ninety-five years later, the family, the DAR and others removed his remains to the cemetery at Peterstown.  The reason was to assist the marking of the graves of two Revolutionary War veterans, Henry Hull and Christian Peters.[xxiii]

Elizabeth Hull received approval for two half-annual pension payments of $30.00, 3 February 1853.  The payments began the following month and continued to her death.  The Treasury Department made the last payment March 1858.[xxiv]  Before that, 9 April 1855, Elizabeth Hull submitted a Declaration for Widow, Who has never received Bounty Land.  The results of the application are not contained within the pension file.[xxv]

Henry Hull appears to have listed his children in his will by age, with the oldest appearing first.  This enables us to verify the mothers of the children.  The children of Henry Hull and Elizabeth Keister Hull are:

1.  John Hull born 10 April 1788 at Augusta County, Virginia married Sophie Derieux 22 April 1811, Granville, North Carolina.[xxvi]  John Hull died 28 May 1857 at Monroe County, Virginia.[xxvii]
2. Henry “Hull” Hull born about 5 April 1796[xxviii], at Augusta County; married Amelia Derioux White 16 September 1817, Monroe County, Virginia.[xxix]  He died 28 May 1857 at Raleigh County.[xxx]  The 1850 U.S. Federal Census indicates he was a farmer working land near his sister, Mary “Polly” Baker.[xxxi]
3. Mary “Polly” Hull was born at Augusta County, Virginia.  She married Jacob Baker 1 April 1811 atMonroe County, Virginia.[xxxii]  She passed away after the 1860 census, most likely on the family farm at Sweet Springs, Monroe County.[xxxiii]
4. Elizabeth Hull was born at Augusta County, Virginia.  She married Mathew Taylor 25 September 1820 at Monroe County, Virginia[xxxiv] According to the 1850 census, she was working a farm alone at Monroe County, and caring for two children.[xxxv]
5. Susannah Hull was born at Augusta County.  She married Isaac Wiseman 11 September 1817 at Monroe County, Virginia.  In 1850, she and her family were working a farm at Washington, Hancock County, Ohio.[xxxvi]  She passed away July 1874, at Hancock County, Ohio.[xxxvii]
6. Sally “Dolly” Hull was born about 1798 at Giles County (Augusta County in 1798), Virginia, and died 10 June 1858 at New River, Monroe County, Virginia[xxxviii]

Henry Hull’s children by Elizabeth Hawkins

1. Anderson Hull was born about 1822 at Monroe County, married Nancy Jane Nettle 4 July 1851 at Monroe County, Virginia.[xxxix]^{, [xl]}  He passed away 08 July 1899 at Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.[xli]
2. Sarah Francis “Fanny” Hull was born about 1823, married John L. Wills, 2 November 1847 at Giles County, Virginia.[xlii]
3. Melvina E. “Vina” Hull was born about 1827; married Anderson P. Meadows 16 March 1850 at Monroe County, Virginia.[xliii] She passed away 5 September 1897, at Foss, Summers County, West Virginia.[xliv]