Author: William Joseph Tankersley
From William J Tankersley: John Tankersley was born about 1750 in (probably) Caroline Co., VA, and died 1807 in Columbia Co., GA. He married (1) Unknown about 1770 in Virginia. She was born in probably Virginia, and died abt. 1780 in probably Spotsylvania Co., VA. He married (2) Susannah Cammack abt. 1780 in Spotsylvania Co., VA. She was born between 1750 - 1760 in probably Spotsylvania Co., VA, and died after 1812 in probably Columbia Co., GA.

John was the leader of the Tankersley migration from Virginia to Columbia County, Georgia. His branch of the Tankersleys can be traced from Caroline County, Virginia and later to Spotsylvania County where several members of his family moved. John was apparently a son of Joseph Tankersley, Sr. of Caroline and Spotsylvania Counties, with the two men linked together in court transactions when John was appointed guardian of two of Joseph's children, Lucy and Betsy, in 1778, by their choice. (As a side note, John’s younger brother, Joseph Tankersley, Jr., served as a dragoon in Captain James Armstrong’s Company of Henry “Lighthorse Harry” Lee’s Legion. Joseph, Jr. is SAR patriot P-330652. Joseph and his wife, Catherine, also moved to Columbia County, GA, after the Revolutionary War.)

Since John had already bought his own land in Spotsylvania Co., VA in 1776 and served as a Captain in the Spotsylvania Militia during the Revolution, we assume that he was born around 1750. He resigned from the militia in Spotsylvania in 1781 after the British surrender at Yorktown. Although John died in 1807, well before Revolutionary War pensions were available, several of the men that served under him successfully applied for pensions and their statements reveal details about their activities in the war. The pension application of Patriot Francis Turnley of Spotsylvania County (http://revwarapps.org/s6281.pdf) states that Turnley was “drafted under Captain Tankersley and marched down the seaboard through Hanover, James City, and the James River Country. He was at the fight as Osborne’s (Landing) and also at the surrender of Yorktown.” The pension statement of Patriot James Williams (http://revwarapps.org/w6515.pdf) states that Williams was “ordered out under Captain John Tankersley to go to the Siege of York - they marched from Fredericksburg to Williamsburg and from Williamsburg to Spring Camp in Springfield where he remained about three weeks from there they marched down to York.” Similar statements were given by several more men who served under John Tankersley.

After the war, and while still living in Virginia, John owned over 400 acres and 15 slaves in 1783 and grew tobacco and cotton. He and Susannah sold 422 acres in Spotsylvania in 1784 and moved to the Georgia frontier in 1785.

In 1801, John made the following announcement in the Augusta (GA) Chronicle newspaper that his stud horse, Independence, was available for service: “INDEPENDENCE, will stand at the subscriber’s, in Columbia County, near the mouth of the Little River, this season, at the low price of twelve dollars per mare. He was got by the old imported horse Baylor’s Fearnought, out of a full bred Janus mare, and was bred by Col. Chas. Dabney, of Hanover County, Virginia. He is upward of 16 hands high, remarkably lengthy, and of fine figure; he is remarkably sure, and scarcely a mare went by the last season, though he went to a large number. His colts are uncommonly large and very valuable. Good care will be taken of such mares, but I will not be answerable for accidents. He may be either purchased or had for the fall season. John Tankersley”


When John died in 1807, he owned several tracts of land which were sold. In the Augusta Chronicle of March 26, 1808, the sale was advertised as the real estate of John Tankersley, late of the county deceased being in the counties of Columbia and Hancock, alias Baldwin. In 1803 Baldwin County had been formed adjacent to Hancock with the Oconee River running in between. From all this evidence, we may conclude that John maintained at least part of his original Georgia land. There is an area of Baldwin that borders Hancock and Washington Counties with the Oconee running through it, close to the present town of Milledgeville, Georgia. The Tankersley land could have been in this area. At the time of his death, John also owned 290 acres on Little River as well as 348-acre and 500-acre tracts on Keg Creek in Columbia County, Georgia. He was living on the second Keg Creek tract when he died in 1807. An inventory of John's personal estate was registered on June 28, 1808, showing 38 slaves, horses, oxen, cattle, pigs, sheep, geese, beehives, cotton, corn, potatoes, and tobacco as well as household items and tools. All of these personal items totaled $14,367 in value.

Sources:

1. Our Tankersley Ancestors: Georgia and South Carolina Descendants of Joseph Tankersley, Sr, by Melodey Mozeley Hauch and Joseph Jordan Tankersley, 2003. Additional sources listed in this manuscript.

2. Augusta Chronicle newspaper, 1801 and 1808


FROM William Tankersley, 186756: John Tankersley was born abt. 1750 in probably Caroline Co., VA, and died 1807 in Columbia Co., GA. He married (1) Unknown Abt. 1770 in Virginia. She was born in probably Virginia, and died abt. 1780 in probably Spotsylvania Co., VA. He married (2) Susannah Cammack abt. 1780 in Spotsylvania Co., VA. She was born Bet. 1750 - 1760 in probably Spotsylvania Co., VA, and died Aft. 1812 in probably Columbia Co., GA.

John Tankersley was the leader of the Tankersley migration from Virginia to Columbia County, Georgia. His branch of the Tankersleys can be traced from Caroline County, Virginia and later to Spotsylvania County where several members of his family moved. John was apparently a son of Joseph Tankersley of Caroline and Spotsylvania Counties, with the two men linked together in court transactions when John was appointed guardian of two of Joseph's children, Lucy and Betsy, in 1778, by their choice.

Since John had already bought his own land in Spotsylvania Co., VA in 1776 and served as a Captain in the Spotsylvania Militia during the Revolution, we assume that he was born around 1750. He resigned from the militia in Spotsylvania in 1781.

John owned over 400 acres and 15 slaves in 1783 and grew tobacco and cotton. He and Susannah sold 422 acres in Spotsylvania in 1784 and moved to the Georgia frontier in 1785.

When John died in 1807, he owned several tracts of land which were sold. In the Augusta Chronicle of March 26, 1808, the sale was advertised as the real estate of John Tankersley, late of the county deceased being in the counties of Columbia and Hancock, alias Baldwin. In 1803 Baldwin County had been formed adjacent to Hancock with the Oconee River running in between. From all this evidence, we may conclude that John maintained at least part of his original Georgia land. There is an area of Baldwin that borders Hancock and Washington Counties with the Oconee running through it, close to the present town of Milledgeville, Georgia. The Tankersley land could have been in this area. At the time of his death, John also owned 290 acres on Little River as well as 348-acre and 500-acre tracts on Keg Creek in Columbia County, Georgia. He was living on the second Keg Creek tract when he died in 1807. An inventory of John's personal estate was registered on June 28, 1808, showing 38 slaves, horses, oxen, cattle, pigs, sheep, geese, beehives, cotton, corn, potatoes, and tobacco as well as household items and tools. All of these personal items totaled $14,367 in value.

Source: Our Tankersley Ancestors: Georgia and South Carolina Descendants of Joseph Tankersley, Sr, by Melodey Mozeley Hauch and Joseph Jordan Tankersley, 2003.