Author: Jerald Marshall Cope
Obediah Hammond was born Dec 05, 1756 in Prince William Co., Virginia. He died June 1, 1849 in Calebs Creek, Knox Co., Kentucky. He is the first born son of Thomas James Obediah Hammond and Elizabeth Pullen. He married Elizabeth Betsy Skaggs June 23, 1787 in Greenbriar Baptist Church, Greenbriar Co., Kentucky. Betsy was born cir 1760 in Wolf Creek, Augusta Co., Virginia and died cir 1840 in Calebs Creek, Knox Co., Kentucky. She was the daughter of Thomas Skaggs and Ann Wollard.
Obediah was drafted in the militia of Rowan Co., North Carolina for a tour of three months under Capt. Richmond Pierson but was transferred to Capt. Richard Dowell of the Light Horse Brigade, both under Col. Francis Locke. During this tour, he engaged in a campaign of disarming suspected persons and providing order in the state of North Carolina. They were constantly moving and was in the Salisbury District at the mouth of the Rocky River. He was discharged in Rowan County near Salisbury and got his discharge from Capt. Dowell for his service.
Later Obediah was drafted under Capt. Gibson Wooldridge of the Surry County Regiment and served under Col. Joseph Williams and General William Lee Davidson, of North Carolina Militia. He received a discharge from Capt. Wooldridge at the old trading fort seven miles from Salisbury. Obediah volunteered for a second tour under Capt. Wooldridge. The object of this tour was to fight the Tories who had assembled on the Shallow Ford of the Yadkin River.
After the close of his service tours, it was ordered that two men out of every company should be balloted for nine months. Odediah and Charles Hunter were balloted for their company. At first, they were under Capt. Richmond Pierson, but shortly afterwards were transferred to Capt. Holston’s company. Their object was to down and disarm the Tories in North Carolina. They were constantly traveling around the state.
Known battles Obediah took part in were “Ramseur’s Mill” June 20. 1780; “Little Lynches Creek” August 11, 1780; “Camden” August 16, 1780; “Richmond Town” October 8, 1780; “Shallow Ford” October 14, 1780.
In the battle of “Eutaw Springs” on September 08, 1781, Brigadier General Francis Marion’s Militia units fired seventeen rounds - near the limit of their flintlocks endurance. Then, with ammunition exhausted, they retired in good order, leaving the fighting to Brigadier General Jethro Sumner’s Continentals. Marion later wrote to Lt. Col. Peter Horry, “My Brigade behaved well”.
Major General Nathaniel Greene later reported to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, “The fire redoubled, our officers behaved with the greatest bravery, and the militia gained much honor by their firmness”. To Major General Baron von Steuben, he wrote that, “such conduct would have graced the veterans of the Great King of Prussia”.