Author: James Arthur DeGroff Jr.
During t h e R e v o l u t i o n a r y W a r Josiah Jackson enlisted in t h e a r m y f r o m his h o me c o u n t y and served in 1 7 8 0 , Capt Lewis Ford's Co, g u a r d i n g t h e James River crossings t o p r e v e n t t h e ruthless cavalry leader Col B a n a s t r e T a r l e t o n f r om
advancing o n R i c h m o n d . In 1 7 8 1 Josiah's second t o u r o f d u t y , h e w a s a W a g o n e er under w a g o n m a s t e r A n t h o n y H u n l e y , t r a n s p o r t i n g provisions a n d baggage m u n i t i o n s , located o n t h e o p p o s i t e side o f t h e James River. A t t h e t i m e Josiah was
n o t in service, he lost t w o o f his w a g o n s and eight horses w h o died o f t h e ir injuries in service f o r t h e a r m y , h o w e v e r he n e v e r received r e m u n e r a t i o n . He also hired t w o m e n as s u b s t i t u t e s t o each serve 3 m o n t h t o u r s o f d u t y . He gave $ 5 00
f o r a gill o f gin, British u n i t o f m e a s u r i n g liquids-a gill is a % o f a p i n t , b u y i n g gin f o r t h e militia. Josiah applied f o r p e n s i o n Jan 7 , 1 8 3 2 , he had been blind f o r several years and w a s i n f i r m . Judge Richard French r e c o r d e d his d e p o s i t i o n in Clark Co KY.
Josiah, b o r n 1 7 4 6 A m e l i a VA, is t h e s/o Francis Jackson 1 7 1 5 - 1 7 7 6 Flat Creek A m e l i a VA, a cabinet m a k e r and Elizabeth Jackson 1 7 2 6 - u n k . Josiah m a r r i ed D o r t h a " D o l l y " A s h u r s t d/o Jacob A s h u r s t and A n n F l o u r n o y ; g r d / o R o b e r t A s h u r st
1680 W i g a n Lancashire England-1747 C h e s t e r f i e l d V A and Jeanne Francois F l o u r n o y 1685 Berlin G e r m a n y - 1 7 1 7 H e n r i c o VA. T h e H u g u e n o t , F l o u r n o y Family p r o g e n i t o r , Jean-Jacques F l o u r n o y , e m i g r a t e d f r o m Geneva S w i t z e r l a n d a r r i v i n g in
Virginia. Jacob A s h u r s t , r e l a t e d t o Lord A s h u r s t , w a s c o m m i s s i o n e d as Capt o f his Co t h a t he b r o u g h t f r o m England, was m a g i s t r a t e , and s u r v e y o r , laying o u t Chesterfield, P o w h a t t a n and P o c a h o n t a s c o u n t i e s , m a k i n g his h o m e in
Chesterfield Co VA.
Josiah and Dolly's k n o w n c h i l d r e n ; Edah 1772 A m e l i a V A - u n k m I . E n o c h V a u g hn 2.unk Holder, Patsv 1 7 7 4 V A - 1 8 6 4 M O m Enos V a u g h n , Francis F l o u r n o v 1777VA- 1861KY m Sarah "Sally" G r a n t , D o r t h a 1 7 8 1 V A - 1 8 6 0 K Y m Elijah V a u g h n 1776VA-
1849KY, Nancy 1784KY-unk m T h o m a s V a u g h n 1782VA-1835KY.
Josiah w a s a f a r m e r and D o r t h a ' s f a m i l y w a s in t h e m e r c a n t i l e business. Josiah w e n t t o dealing in t o b a c c o and lost his i n v e s t m e n t . T h e f i r s t f a m i l i e s o f Virginia w e r e t h e n tobacco planters, Josiah w a s t h e class raising t o b a c c o o n r e n t e d land.
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In 1 7 8 5 Josiah s t a r t e d f o r K e n t u c k y going via P i t t s b u r g h , t h e carriage b r o k e d o w n , and he w a s persuaded t o t u r n t h e course a n d go t o R i c h m o n d and stay u n t i l fall. W h e n fall c a m e all w e r e t a k e n ill a n d t h e y had t o r e m a i n u n t i l t h e spring o f 1 7 8 6.
Josiah w o r k e d as a n o v e r s e e r , h a v i n g a s h a r e in t h e crop. In 1 7 8 6 Josiah and his f a m i l y m o v e d t o K e n t u c k y o n t h e W i l d e r n e s s Trace, a n old b u f f a l o t r a i l , w h e r e t h e r e w a s n o a t t e m p t t o m a k e a r o a d , n e i t h e r cane, saplings,
nor a n y t h i n g else had been cut o f f t h e r o a d w a y . A r r i v i n g a t J o h n M a r t i n ' s S t a t i o n , Josiah heard o f a c o m p a n y t h a t had g o n e o u t , a n d w a s d e f e a t e d o n t h e W i l d e r n e s s Trace, near Raccoon Springs. W h e n Josiah g o t t h e r e t h e tick had been
ripped o p e n , a n d f o r )4 m i l e t h e f e a t h e r s , w h i c h had b e e n s t r e w n o u t , m a d e it light like s n o w .
Josiah's f a m i l y c a m e u p o n Rock-Castle, t h e p a t h w a s n a r r o w , a n d a l o n g a precipice. T h e i r c l o t h e s w e r e in a bag f a s t e n e d across t h e back o f t h e i r h o r s e , w h i c h r u b b e d against a sapling t h u s pitching h i m o v e r t h e precipice i n t o t h e river,
t h e clothes w e r e lost. T h e y camped a b o u t 5 m i l e s f u r t h e r up t h e p a t h a n d w e re going t o r e t u r n t o r e t r i e v e t h e c l o t h e s t h e n e x t day h o w e v e r t h e y m e t up w i th Jacob D o o l e y a n d Capt Philip Bush, D o o l e y had m a r r i e d Bush's sister. T h e y s aw
Hogan at t h e m o u t h o f H i c k m a n , w h e n t h e y a r r i v e d , h e had j u s t g o t t e n back f r om Lexington, h a v i n g gained suit f o r his f e r r y .
Josiah had a b o n d f o r 1 0 0 acres o f land o n M u d d y Creek a n d l a t e r lost t h e land in 1800, s u r v e y i n g discrepancy. He w e n t t o t h e m o u t h o f M u d d y Creek in 1 7 92 w h e r e he had a f e r r y a n d l e a r n e d t o b u r n t a r , sold 2 0 gallons f o r $ 0 . 5 0 .
Josiah Jackson died A u g 5 1 8 3 6 a n d D o r t h a " D o l l y " A s h u r s t died 1 8 0 6 , b o t h Clark Co KY. Josiah's second w i f e Sally Ray (Strupes) Jackson, 85 y e a r s o l d , applied f or w i d o w ' s p e n s i o n Sep 8 , 1 8 5 7 Clark Co KY; W 9 3 3 2 , b i w 7 3 5 4 3 1 6 0 5 5 . T h e Old Jackson G r a v e y a r d has been e n c r o a c h e d u p o n by f a r m i n g a n d n o s t o n es may be f o u n d t o d a y , a n o l d e a r l y p h o t o o f t h e g r a v e s t o n e s included b e l o w.
source: Will of Josiah Jackson Clark Co KY; Draper MSS 15CCS-12 State Historical Society of Wisconsin 1856; www.dar.org; The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin of the Colony of Virginia; Where In the World
photo of gravestone before destroyed; www.fold3.com pension app; Encyclopedia Britannica definition of a gill