The Heritage of Daniel Haston

 

Notes From Revolutionary War Documents
Collected From Knox County, TN McClung Historical Collection by Wayne & Sharon Haston
September 2000

Background Information
On September 29, 1785, a "Daniel Haston" was granted 640 acres in what is now Middle Tennessee for his service as a private in the North Carolina Continental Army (see Daniel's timeline). He transferred that grant to Thomas Hays on the very next day. The NC military land grant process was deeply infected by fraudulent activity, now know as the Glasgow Land Frauds. Land grant officers found a variety of ways to use the system for self gain. One such officer was William Faircloth, who assigned Daniel's grant. Glasgow Land Frauds investigators seem to have established that Daniel's grant was legitimate.

On the day that the "Daniel Haston" Revolutionary War land warrant #2344 was issued, William Faircloth was involved in issuing 51 warrants.  Many of those were mentioned in the Glasgow Land Fraud investigation, meaning that there was at least suspicion of fraud involved in those transfers.

Read the thesis, "An Angel Has Fallen," by Russell Koonts and his article on "The Warrenton Pay Frauds."  These are very informative documents that provide a good overview of the fraudulent activity that occurred in North Carolina during and after the Revolutionary War.

TN Land Entries: Military Bounty Land, Vols. 1-3 by Dr. A.B. Pruitt (ISBN #0-944992-61-7)

Note:  I only have copies of 22 pages that I selected from the main document.

Some of the Military Acts passed by NC Assembly:
Note:  I’ve only abstracted the basic info from each act.  There is much more detail associated with each act.

  • 1780 Act -- to boost enlistment failed because it was too ambitious and not well thought through (lack of sufficient land in designated land grant area)

  • 1782 Act – partly to compensate for the depreciation of the continental dollar being used to pay solders; issued for soldiers who served the entire war, wounded, or died in war

  • 1783 Act – Martin Armstrong would operate a land office in Nashville and he would hire deputy surveyors; Armstrong would start issuing warrants on Oct. 1, 1784, based on final rank and length of service; soldiers would have three years to locate land; land was in North central TN; only soldiers and those with preemption rights (already living there) could claim this land; eligibility requirements broadened to include anyone who served two or more years or who were released because the size of the corps were reduced; serving for the entire war [seems to mean they served until the end of the war, regardless of when they were mustered] was equal to seven years of service; surveys were to be square or oblong and not cross rivers (if 1,000 acres or less); no settlement was to be made with men who deserted or did not join the army; claims by soldiers were to be certified by a captain or commissioned officer and countersigned by a field officer who served to the end of the war

  • 1785 – allowed surveyors an additional 18 months to complete surveys after warrant was issued

  • 1797 – Assembly suspended land grant activity (to review warrants from John Armstrong’s office)

  • 1799 Act – reopen the Nashville land office but to issue warrants only to men who appeared on the muster roll [not just certified by an officer]; Martin Armstrong was replaced by William Christmas; Christmas made comments on the back of many warrants; “these comments indicate if the soldier was on the muster roll, how long he served, if he deserted or was omitted from the corresponding number of months”

  • 1802 – William Christmas closed the office

 General Notes on the Glasgow land fraud:

  • “If the soldier desired, he could endorse the back of the warrant (like one would do with a modern day check) and sell (or assign) his rights to anyone.  Sometimes, the warrant was assigned three or four times before a survey was made.  The land law didn’t require Martin Armstrong to verify, warrant assignments prior to the survey.  Even during the survey, the ‘interest in the land’ could change hands, and this exchange wasn’t reviewed either.  The Secretary wasn’t required to review the warrant or survey before the grant issued.  This lack of review left the door open for fraud.”

  • The fraud began almost as soon as the warrants were issued.

  • On January 18, 1798 some men broke into the Comptroller’s office, threw out William Terrell’s trunk, a trunk belonging to Gov. Glasgow, and tried to set a fire. A slave reported the activity and it was halted. The thieves escaped, except for a slave of William Terrell, who was captured and hanged.

  • “Shortly before the fraud related to military bounty warrants, fraud was also discovered in the way Revolutionary War certificates (for payroll payments) were handled by the Warrenton (NC) office.”  

 Note: The material above comes from pages i-xiii.

 Military Bounty Land, Part 2 (Locations)

  • 2908, warrant 4614:  Mar. 27, 1797 Wm Tyrrell “of” Carter Hasters’s heirs 640 acres in Montgomery County. (Carter Haslen’s [author says “or Hasten”] heirs had assigned the land to William Tyrrell)  p. 250

Note: I have left some location details out of this particular abstract.

  • 6025. Sept. 29, 1785 warrant 2344 Pvt. Daniel Haston 640 ac delivered to Wm Faircloth; 84 months; file #10; grant to Thos Archer; [for grant see file #201 in Tennessee Co; MARS 12.14.19.200; warrant not mentioned in Glasgow land fraud].
    Note: typed exactly as it appears in the book.  (p. 573)

Note: The grant just above Daniel’s (warrant 2343) was to a “Roddy” Hannah.  It also was not mentioned in the land fraud.  Question:  Was he a relative of the Roddys of the Knox County. area later?  According to the 1790 Federal Census, he lived in Guilford County, NC.  Phillip Roddy, who married Mary McComisky (parents of Moses, Rosannah, Elinor, Sarah, et. al.) lived in Randolph County, NC in 1790.  The two counties were adjacent to each other.

  • Warrants 2345 (Pvt. Peter “Jarmany”), 2346 (Pvt. Dempsey “Wiggle”), & 2347 (Fifer John Grogan…he mustered and deserted) (these are the three immediately following Daniel’s warrant) were all three “mentioned in the Glasgow land fraud”, but the text says in each case, “this warrant was from John Armstrong’s office not a military warrant.”  [I’m not sure what that means.]  Pages 573-574.
    Note: If no comment is given, the text says that it means that they were never mustered.

It appears that Wm. Faircloth’s method of fraud was to forge signatures.  References to acts of forgery are repeated throughout the list of warrants that he assigned.  Sometimes it is specifically indicated that Faircloth forged the signatures.

Glasgow Land Fraud Papers, Vol. 2 by A.B. Pruitt (ISBN #944992-49-8)

  • John G and Thomas Blount received grants in TN which exceeded 369,000 acres. John G Blount was found not guilty and the jury didn’t even retire to find Thomas Blount not guilty.

  • William Faircloth received 2,200 acres.

  • In a list (p. 21) of land speculators who received large quantities of land in TN by NC grants, Thomas Archer is not mentioned.

  • The material in Part 4 is found in a box in the NC Archives numbered SS 756 and a book numbered SS 756.1  Information on William Faircloth’s warrants are on pages 13 – 15 of that book. 
    (p. 28)

TN Land Entries, Vols. 4-6 by A.B. Pruitt (976.802 Pruitt)

  • 6689. Sept. 30, 1785 warrant 3008 [no names] heirs of [Pvt.] Oliver Hasten 640 ac delivered to Thos Butcher; 84 months; file #32; grant to John May; [for grant see file #2038 in Davidson Co; MARS 12.14.2.2292; warrant not mentioned in Glasgow land fraud].
    (typed exactly as it appeared in the book) p. 644

Note: By September 30, 1785, Oliver Hasten was already deceased.
The war had been over for four years (1781).  He could have died in the war or in the four-year interval since the war or he may have died in the war.

Note: Who was Thomas Butcher?  Was he an officer in the NC Continental Army?  If so, which regiment did he serve in?  Did Oliver Hastin serve under him?  Was it the 10th NC Regiment?  Oliver appears on a payroll list under Wm. Faircloth.

Note: Thomas Butcher was involved in the Glasgow land fraud cases.

  • On page 707, Oliver Hastings 640 ac #3008 grant is listed in a footnote as belonging to “Williby” Williams and entered on the books of the office in Nashville.

  • On page 783, this phrase in a footnote:  “4614 (warrant #) valid to warrantee heirs of Hastin”  (This would be Pvt. Carter Hastin / Haslen.) See page 849.

  • On page 849:

    8297. Feb. 9, 1797 warrant 4614 [no names] heirs of Pvt. Carter Haslen [or Hastin] 640 ac delivered to Wm “Terril”; 84 months; file and grant [blank]; [warrant in Tennessee Revolutionary War warrants (roll 8), assigned (no date) by Zebulen Haslen to Sterling Brewer…
    Note: an entire paragraph of other assignments, etc. follows, which I have skipped...
    Warrant mentioned in part 3 p. 13 of Glasgow land fraud; soldier mustered for only 18 months, warrant assignment forged.
     

  • It would appear that Zebulen Haslen/Hastin was the heir of Carter Haslen/Hastin.

Glasgow Land Fraud Papers, 1783 – 1800; North Carolina Revolutionary War Bounty Land in TN by A.B. Pruitt (ISBN #0-944992-14-5)

  • This book contains the info in five “books” (call numbers SS 752, 754, 755, 756, & 756.1 in the NC Archives).
  • Parts 2, 3, & 4 contain lists of warrants the Commissioners found to be suspect or fraudulent
  • Part 4 contains some material relating to the trial in 1800 of some of the accused.
  • In January of 1988, the individual packets (containing warrants and surveys) were closed to researchers.  They were restored, laminated, and microfilmed.  In the "future" they were to be housed in the Archives rather than the Land Grant Office.
  • As per an October 2003 email from an archivist at the NC Office of Archives and History:

My understanding is that these records are indeed now merged with land grant materials and are indexed in our catalog for the respective county in Tennessee at the time of creation of the document.  You can search these records using our old MARS system.  From our webpage click on MARS and from the new MARS click on the link to the old MARS.

Note:  I have pages 13-15, on which Wm. Faircloth’s suspect warrants are mentioned.

  • The text says: “The soldier in all cases is not mustered unless the contrary be expressed in the remarks by the Commissioners.”

  • “forged by Wm Faircloth” appears several times.

  • From the (p. 125 index) it appears that 92 warrants from Wm. Faircloth were investigated.

N.C. Genealogical Society Journal, Vol. XIV, No. 3: Aug. 1988

(This came via. an email attachment from Glorianne Gfahs@aol.com and appears on some web site, I think.)

This article is an abstraction from A.B. Pruitt’s book, Glasgow Land Fraud Papers. (see above)

  • While many were accused, only six men were indicted and the court convicted only three of those.  William Faircloth was convicted of pay fraud, but died prior to the land grand fraud trials.

  • Just because the Commissioners indicate a man did not muster does not mean he did not support the war effort.  He may have served in the militia or given support to the State.

The Hidden Revolutionary War Land Grants in the TN Military Reservation by Shirley Hollis Rice; c. 1992 and published by the Family Tree Press in Lawrenceburg, TN.

  • Includes over 3000 Rev War military warrants assigned and deeded to someone other than the veteran.

  • On page 50:  Warrant #2344; Grantee: Daniel Harton; Assigned to: Thomas Archer;  Book/Page: A 510  

    Note:  The author says that she tried to remain true to the original spellings in the book.

  • On page 56:  Warrant #2245: Grantee: Willis Hasten; Assigned to: Joshua Davis;
    Book/Page: C 470

Both of these were in Montgomery County, TN (Clarksville, TN area)

NC Revolutionary War Accounts (Payroll Accounts)

  • Vols. I, Book 4 -- page 223:  Joseph Haston, granted by Williams & Carter on August 15, 1782

  • Vol. V, Book 178 – page 454:  Joseph Haston still owed money in May of 1790

  • Vol. VII, Part V – page 652:
    Note: This section called “NC Rev War Army Accounts: “Register of the Settlements of Army Accounts at Warrenton in the Year 1786”
    Oliver Haslin owed money for service from January 1, 1777 to January 1, 1782 ($466.53 in one column and $116.58 in another column);  In the Remarks column: “never appears on Muster”  (it seems that all of the people in this section didn’t appear on muster roll or died, etc.)

  • Vol. XI, Book A M No. 15 (Part X) – page 1371:  James Hasten on a list of soldiers paid certificates by William Moore, Commissioner for Hillsborough District

  • Vol. XI, Book A M No. 16 (Part X) – page 1403: John Hastin on a list of certificates paid by Green Hill, treasurer for Halifax District

  • Vol. XII, Book A (Part III) – page 1552: Andrew Hastin paid for provisions (The US of A to the State of NC…“for sundries furnished and cash paid the militia of NC, VA, SC as allowed by a Committee of Claims dated April 1780)

    Note:  I’m guessing this guy was a civilian who sold provisions to the army.

  • Vol. XV – page 2018: Daniel Huston, heir of Niell Huston (Private) issued 640 acres by Captain Cole

  • Vol. XV  -- page 2063: Daniel Haston. Privt. Granted 640 acres for 84 months of service by Wm. Faircloth.

  • Vol. XV – page 2077: The heirs of Oliver Hasten granted 640 acres for 84 months by Thomas Butcher.

Roster of NC Soldiers in the Revolutionary War (973.3456 Roster)

  • Page 280: Grant # 2345. Daniel Haston, Privt. 640 acres 84 months; September 29, 1785 by Wm. Faircloth

    Note: Based on the Law, 1783, Oct. 14

  • Page 293: Grant # 3008. The heirs of Oliver Hastin 640 acres 84 months; September 30 (no year mentioned) by Thos. Butcher

    Note: Based on the Law, 1783, Oct. 14

  • Page 458: William Hastin, Private received $84.00 for service in the VA. Continental line; commencement of pension, March 4, 1831; age 75

  • Page 577: William Hastin, Private mentioned

Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants (973.34 Bockstruck) by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck

  • Carter Hastin. NC. Private. February 9, 1796. 640 acres to heirs.

  • Oliver Hastin. NC. Private. September 30, 1785. 640 acres to heirs.

  • Thomas Hastings. VA. Seaman. December 9, 1833. 100 acres.

  • Willis Hastings. NC. Private. September 30, 1785. 640 acres.

  • Daniel Haston. NC. Private. September 29, 1785. 640 acres.

Note: Oliver, Willis, & Daniel received their grants within two days of each other.

Index to Rev War Service Records, Vol. II: E-K (973.34 White)

From pages 1223-1224.

This list includes over 100 “Hast-“ names of Rev War soldiers.  Lots of these are from New England colonies.  Here are some of the entries that might be of interest:

  • John Hasten – Pvt. In the 1st VA Regiment

  • Several “Hastey” and “Hasty” entries from VA

  • Couple of Hastin entries from New England: NH & MA

  • John Hastin from VA

  • Daniel Hasting of MA (two different entries)

  • Lots of Hastings names

  • Willis Hastings, served in the 2nd NC Regiment

    Note: This is the only NC entry in this section of Hast- names.

  • No entry for Daniel Hast- or Oliver Hast- from NC

  • This list includes militias also

  • I only see one NC entry on these two pages, i.e. even outside of the Hast- names.  Thus…

    • The number of NC soldiers was very small compared to those of other colonies and/or...

    • The NC regiments didn't keep good records and/or...

    • For some reason the compiler of this book didn't have access to most of the NC records and/or...

    • All or some combination of the above

Genealogical Abstracts of Rev War Pension Files: Vol. II, F-M by Virgil D White (973.34 White)

Page 1557

  • Absalom Hastin (wife = Martha “Patsy” Wade) of VA line was born on May 1, 1761 in Amelia Co., VA.  He moved at age 5 to Mecklenburg Co., NC (says NC but should this be VA?) and lived there at enlistment.  He lived in Spartanburg, SC in March 7 of 1833 when he applied for the pension. His will was administered by William Rhodes in Henderson County, TN on August 15, 1853.  His children:

    William Hastin
    Margaret Wade
    Martha Warford
    Sarah H. Rhodes
    Absalom Hastin
    Rebecca B. Rhodes
    Jacob H. Hastin
    John Hastin
    More information is given regarding children, etc.
     

  • William Hastin (wife – Amey) of VA line born (1759) and married in Amelia County, VA (Sutton Hastin signed the marriage bond for him on October 26, 1786) and lived in Mecklenburg County, VA at enlistment and for 16 years after the war.  He moved to Rutherford County, NC and applied for pension on July 8, 1833.  His  widow applied for pension on January 24, 1848 in Cleaveland County, NC at the age of 82.

The NC Continentals (Univ. of NC Press) (973.3456)

Note: I copied pages from this book that discuss the NC 10th Regiment.  This was the regiment in which William Faircloth (who granted Daniel Haston’s land grant) served.

  • The NC General Assembly created the 10th Regiment in the spring of 1777.  It was led by Col. Abraham Sheppard, who had been in command of a volunteer militia regiment in SC.  He was from Dobbs County, NC.

  • Sheppard experienced great difficulty in recruiting his army, despite the fact that an enlistment bounty of $30, a suit of clothes, and 100 acres of land was given to those who enlisted for three years.  He was told to enlist only the cream of the younger generation as privates.

  • Sheppard was allowed to appoint his own officers and to give a bonus of 20 shillings to every officer for a private he enlisted.

  • By June 12, 1777 the 10th Regiment had been placed on the Continental establishment.  Sheppard was ordered to march forward to meet Washington as soon as he had enlisted 300 men.

  • By early August of 1777, the 10th Regiment was being assembled and organized at Kinston, NC.  (This is about 50 miles NE of Fayetteville, NC in SE part of NC.)  328 men had been enlisted, but they were the “sickly offscourings of the back country.”

  • Sheppard’s record-keeping was so sloppy that it was not only difficult to determine just how many men had been enlisted but equally hard to ascertain the actual number in camp with him.

Note: If Daniel Haston had been in this regiment, this would explain why there are no records of his service, other than the land grant.

  • On September 15, Governor Caswell ordered Sheppard to march northward.  By October 6, he had moved no farther than the Roanoke Rive, two miles from Halifax.

  • Sheppard, for some unexplained reason, left his troops encamped at the Roanoke River and returned home to Dobbs County, NC.  The governor ordered him back.  When he returned bread was scarce and the men were “near naked.”  The men were grumbling and accusing the officers of “breach of promise.”

  • Correspondence between Col. Sheppard and Governor Caswell exists in the Governor’s papers in the NC Department of Archives and History in Raleigh, NC.  Included, among other things, is a “list of men left behind belonging to the 10th.”

  • A committee was appointed to investigate the conduct of the officers of the 10th Regiment.  Sheppard and his officers were charged with reluctance to move north to join the Grand Army.

  • Benjamin Sheppard (a man by this name was associated with several of Wm. Faircloth’s fraudulent land grants), paymaster of the 10th and Andrew Outlaw (yep, that was his name) were declared worthy of holding office when they were suspected of counterfeiting.  There had also been irregularities in the recruiting business.

  • The conclusion of the committee was that “Colonel Sheppard and the officers under his command have disobeyed orders on frivolous and insufficient reasons.”  Caswell ordered Sheppard to march immediately.

  • By mid-February, the 10th Regiment was no farther north than Tottopomey Creek in Hanover County, VA.  By this time it was little more than a skeleton unit.  In addition to the 47 men left behind at the beginning of the march, 118 men had deserted along the way (avg. of almost one per mile).  A large number had fallen ill and were buried in shallow graves along the way.  A large number died of the measles epidemic that swept through the camp.

  • To many observers it was clear that “Sheppard’s 10th Regiment would be more of a hindrance than any great aid to the war effort. The unit was soon to fade into obscurity as a result of continued desertions.  The pitiful few who finally reached Valley Forge were disbanded and attached to the First and Second Regiments.

  • Washington had finally become tired of waiting for Abraham Sheppard’s 10th Regiment and had sent an officer to hurry it on.  And once it arrived, inasmuch as Sheppard had not filled his regiment, his men were distributed among the older regiments.

  • Abraham Sheppard:  “A man whose enthusiasm was boundless, but whose efforts bordered on the inept, and who somehow managed to see his command melt away before it reached a war zone.

TN Land Grants, Vols. 7, 7A, 7B by Dr. A.B. Pruitt (976.802 Pruitt)

Note:  This information was once thought to be lost, but was found.  It contains abstracts of locations recorded in the military bounty land office in Nashville.  John Willis and Francis Locke, “commissioners” from NC, created these abstracts.  The original books haven’t been found.

  • 12142. warrant 2344; location 1907; Jan. 10, 1786 Thos Archer of Thos Hays of Danl Haston 640 ac on S side of Cumberland R and on Dry fork of Yellow Cr; includes a tree marked “S M”; Thos Martin

  • The index indicates that this book also has entries for:

    Carter Hastin/Haslen/Hasters
    Joshua Hastin/Haslon
    Oliver Hastin/Hasten/Hastings
    Zebulen Hastin/Haslen

NC Revolutionary Army Accounts: Vols. III, IV, Part III

  • From Vol. III, Book C:  Oliver Hastin is mentioned on a payroll list but there is this comment:  “never appears on muster”

  • There is also an Aaron Mastin and a Jesse Hasden

  • From Vol. III, Book BB:  Olliver Hastin appears on a payroll list

NC Revolutionary War Accounts Secretary of State Treasurer’s & Comptroller’s Papers, Vols. I & II, Part II (975.602)

  • David Hauton? (Hasiston?) appears on payroll list

  • Jos: Haston appears on payroll list

  • From Vol. III, Book C:  Oliver Hastin is mentioned on a payroll list but there is this comment:  “never appears on muster”

  • There is also an Aaron Mastin and a Jesse Hasden

  • From Vol. III, Book BB:  Accounts drawn by William Faircloth

  • Olliver Hastin’s name appears on the payroll list

    Note:  Most of these accounts of Wm. Faircloth were later determined to be fraudulent and Faircloth was convicted and imprisoned.

NC Rev War Army Accounts # 4 – 7

Accounts sent to US Commissioners at NY by NC to seek repayment for funds NC had paid to Rev War soldiers.

Some names mentioned:
Page 518:

  • J. Haston

  • James Huston

  • Daniel Huston

Page 855:

  • James Houston

  • James Huston

  • Daniel Houston

NC Rev Army Accounts # 8 – 10

From page 1160 of Part IX:

This document is a copy of a register showing the names, rank, and commissions and enlistment periods of service and occurrences, taken from the original muster and pay rolls of the NC line of the late Army of the US.

  • Wm. Faircloth, Lt. mentioned as an officer in Shepards 10th Regiment.  He was commissioned on January 20, 1778.  Under the column of “Occurrencies” there is this notation: “Omitted June 1778”

  • In this “Occurrencies” column, for other soldiers, there are these kinds of entries:  “died and date of death”  “Dischgd and date”  “Killed and date”  etc.

From page 1371 of Part X:

  • James Hasten is mentioned on a payroll account.

  • Aron Hasting is mentioned…

From page 1403 on Part X:

  • John Hastin is mentioned.

NC Rev Army Accounts # 11 – 13 by Haun

  • Danl. Houston on a payroll list, funds granted by Wilson and Cathey.

  • Andrew Hastin paid for provisions (possibly a civilian who sold some provisions).

  • Daniel Hueston paid for a horse.

NC Rev War Army Accounts Military Land Warrant Book, 1783 -1841

Another book listing the military land grants:

  • 2344 HASTON Daniel Privt.  640 acres  84 months by Wm. Faircloth

  • 3008 HASTEN Oliver The Heirs of  640 acres 84 months by Thos. Butcher
2007 Correspondence Between Wayne Haston & Dr. A.B. (Albert Bruce) Pruitt
-----Original Message-----
From: WayneH37@aol.com
Sent: Nov 26, 2007 9:41 PM
To: abpruitt@earthlink.net
Subject: Rev War landgrant question

 
Dr. Pruitt...
 
You may or not have received the check that I mailed to you last week.  I'm looking forward to using your Glasgow Land Grant books for my research.
 
My purpose for this email is to ask a favor of you.  On the following web page is a copy of an index file card that indicates that my ancestor, Daniel Hastings/Hastin/Haston died prior to an 1830 mortality list compiled from a survey of Rev. War veterans for pensions reasons.
 
 
Could you possibly help me with two questions:
 
1. Do you know of an 1830 mortality list for pensioners such as the one copied on the following page?  The first census that asked a question regarding military pensioners was in 1840.
 
2. There is a reference on this index card to him receiving North Carolina Landgrant # 1491, but the number of his land grant was # 2344.  See: http://www.danielhaston.com/daniel/landgrant01.htm 
 
Were two different numbering systems used?  If not, who received landgrant # 1491?
 
Thanks.
Wayne
 
Wayne Haston
 
In a message dated 11/27/2007 8:03:01 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, abpruitt@earthlink.net writes:

Dear Mr. Haston,

     I am aware that the National Archives has several files about pensions for Revolutionary War soldiers.  There are the pension applications, which many people consult.  There are also pension payment files and sometimes an indication when the last payment was made and to whom it was delivered.  I haven't done much research in the payment files, but I have heard one or two speakers talk about various things found in them.  I don't remember anyone mentioning a mortality file.  As you mention, there is the 1840 census which lists Revolutionary War soldiers by name.  The National Archives may have a mortality file, I just haven't heard of it.

      There appears to be some confusion with warrant issued to Daniel Haston.  The warrant gave Daniel the right to look for a certain number of acres of land in North central Tennessee (the military district);.  Since Daniel wasn't interested in acquiring the land, he sold the warrant to Mr. Hays who later sold the warrant to Thomas Archer.  Then Archer used the warrant to "locate" a tract of land which was surveyed.  The survey and warrant were returned to North Carolina, and a grant was issued to Archer.  A number was assigned to each warrant.  That appears to be what is on the "grant" page.  When the grant was issued, a different number was assigned to the grant.  When the loose papers in the Secretary's office were put in envelopes (or shucks), a third number was assigned to the shuck containing the warrant (originally issued to Daniel) and the survey (for land to T Archer).  When I published my book on bounty warrants, each paragraph about a warrant was assigned a number.  SO, there are multiple numbers associated with the different steps in the process.  BUT, there should be only one number on the original bounty warrant and (usually) a different number on the grant (if one was issued); we just need to remember if we are talking about warrants, grants, files in the Secretary's office, or items in my book; so we are all talking about the same piece of paper or packet of papers.

     Your check did arrive, and the books were mailed yesterday (Monday).  They may arrive at your address in about a week (hopefully).

-----Original Message-----
From: WayneH37@aol.com
Sent: Dec 4, 2007 9:09 PM
To: abpruitt@earthlink.net
Cc: WayneH37@aol.com
Subject: Glasgow Land Fraud books

 
Dr. Pruitt...
 
I received the second package of Glasgow Land Fraud books.  I'm finding them very helpful for my research.
 
I do have a question:
 
If I understand the following paragraph correctly...
 
 
They first tried to determine if the soldier or officer had mustered into the Continental Line and had served the required minimum time for the land granted.  In their reports, the Commissioner did not always mention if the soldier mustered or not.  Perhaps this is partly because they were so busy making remarks about other fraud for a particular warrant, and they forgot or didn't have room to indicate "mustered" or "not mustered."  This review was hampered because the early certificates (numbers 1 through 3723) had been sent (in Jan. 1790) to Philadelphia so national government could settle its war debt with North Carolina.  The complete list was later printed in State Records of North Carolina vol. 16 p. 1002-1197.

 

1. If a soldier (ex. Daniel Haston) named on a NC Rev War bounty land warrant was not named in the Glasgow Land Fraud, then the commissioners had located his name on a muster list.
 
And...
 
2. His name should appear on the list printed in Volume 16 of State Records of North Carolina.
 
Would those be correct assumptions?
 
Thanks!
Wayne Haston
 
P.S. Is that volume available somewhere for purchase?


In a message dated 12/5/2007 11:07:28 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, abpruitt@earthlink.net writes:

Dear Mr. Haston,

     The person mentioned on the front of the warrant was "supposed" to be a former member of the continental line from North Carolina (one of 10 regiments).  BUT that does NOT mean the person really served.  Officers could submit names to the Secretary, and the Secretary would issue warrants based on the officer's list regardless of what is in the "official" roster.

     If the warrant is not mentioned in the land fraud papers, then that means the commissioners didn't mention that warrant.  MOST Of the time that means the commissioners did not think there was fraud involved in the warrant.  The commissioners should" have located the man's name on the roster, but they didn't have to mention where they found it.

     The "official" roster in the vol. 16 of the Colonial & State Records in North Carolina.  About the first of next year, the North Carolina Collection as the University Of North Carolina claims they will have all that on line.  I didn't find Daniel Haston on a Xerox copy of the list that I have.  But I'll have to look, this weekend, an an index to the records to see if Daniel is mentioned somewhere else.

In a message dated 12/8/2007 9:46:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, abpruitt@earthlink.net writes:

Dear Mr. Haston,

     I checked the index to the Colonial & State Records, but David [sic: should read "Daniel"] Haston wasn't found.  That means he wasn't mentioned on the roster in vol. 16 and he wasn't mentioned on any of the other smaller lists scattered in other volumes of this series. 

     I also check another published list of Revolutionary War soldiers compiled from the Colonial & Sate Records, and David Haston wasn't mentioned.

     I checked the index to the federal pensions issued for Revolutionary War service.  David Haston wasn't there.  There were Absalom & William Haslin from Virginia and David Hastings of Massachusetts.

     I checked the first DAR Patriot list and found only Oliver & Wm Hastin from North Carolina.

     I checked the Revolutionary War Army Accounts (North Carolina) because these sometimes mention payments to soldiers or ordinary people.  There were John & Oliver Haston and Aaron, Carter, & Henry Hasting..

     I also looked at the 1790 census and found Thomas & Elizabeth Haslin in Craven County..

     So warrant 2344 was issued with David Haston's name on it.  I don't know why that warrant was issued.  Perhaps some officer told the Secretary that David had served.  But if that was in writing, it has been lost.  It is not unusual for a bounty warrant to issue and we can't find the name on a roster or list.  So, I don't know if the DAR will accept David Haston as an ancestor with no indication of where he served.

     So, you may be left with trying to find the 1840 mortality list of pensioners mentioned on the web site.  You may have to write the National Archives to ask for help in locating the list, or you may have to hire someone who works with the pension files to locate this list.

     Sorry I wasn't able to locate a list with David [sic: should read "Daniel"] Haston on it.

-----Original Message-----
From: WayneH37@aol.com
Sent: Dec 8, 2007 10:06 PM
To: abpruitt@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: Glasgow Land Fraud books

 
Thanks, very much, for you work on this.
 
Would it correct to assume that the Glasgow Land Fraud Commission had some reason...at that time...to assume that Daniel Haston had mustered, even though his name can't be found on some existing list?
 
Also, would the fact that William Faircloth delivered warrant #2344 suggest that Daniel Haston might have served in the 10th Regiment of the NC Continental Army?  You may recall that Wm. Faircloth was a lieutenant in the 10th Regiment under Abraham Sheppard.

In a message dated 12/13/2007 8:17:56 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, abpruitt@earthlink.net writes:

Dear Mr. Haston,

      From my reading, I find no standards used by either of the 2 committees (or boards) what reviewed the military bounty warrants.  There is no explanation as to why some warrants aren't mentioned.  I wonder why they sometimes mention fraud in buying  & selling one warrant but not another warrant.  And there is no way to know what they found or didn't find when they don't mention a man's service or lack of service in the continental line.  I think in the end the report was very long, most people (even attorneys) didn't want to read the whole thing, and a member of the committee was usually found to search the report for names or warrants.

     Usually, if a man isn't on the muster list in the Colonial & State Records, he is found on a list handed to the Secretary by the person who received the warrant.  But there may have been more than one list if William Faircloth received about 100 warrants on the same day.  Some of those lists are in the state archives.  I searched what is supposed to be an index of the names, but Daniel Haston isn't in the index.  So maybe the list with his name on it is missing.
 
Where was Daniel Hiestand/Haston on September 30, 1785?
September 30, 1785 would fall in the period between when Daniel Hiestand/Haston left Shenandoah County, VA (probably late 1783, no later than early 1785) and August 18, 1786, when he is known to have appeared in what is now East Tennessee (Jonesborough, NC/TN).

The facts that...

  • Daniel Haston was geographically unaccounted for on September 30, 1785 when a NC Revolutionary War land grant was assigned to the name "Daniel Haston" ...
  • To a man who lived in Guilford County, NC AND other Guilford County, NC names are associated with the grant, AND ...
  • At least two key families that we know to later be closely associated with Daniel Haston (James Ryan and Phillip Roddy) lived in Guilford County, NC at this time ...

Would seem to lend credence to the idea that "our" Daniel Haston (son of Henry Hiestand) was the legitimate recipient of NC Revolutionary War land grant # 2344, even though there is no evidence to indicate that he left Shenandoah County, VA during the Revolutionary War.*  At least one of his known children (David - March 6, 1777), is known to have been born in Virginia during the Revolutionary War.  And other records (see the Daniel Haston timeline) seem to position him in Virginia at various points during the war.

BUT, there is another possible explanation. 

  1. There is a shroud of possible corruption that surrounds this land grant.  Many similar NC land grants (especially those assigned by William Faircloth) were later proven to be fraudulently assigned.
  2. But IF NC grant # 2344 was fraudulently assigned to someone other than the person whose name ("Daniel Haston") appears on the grant as the assignee - THEN how did the assigner (William Faircloth) come up with the very uncommon name of "Daniel Haston" - IF he never met or heard of Daniel Haston?  This is a question Daniel Haston researchers have asked.
  3. But IF "our" Daniel Haston visited (or briefly lived in) Guilford County, NC in or just before 1785, William Faircloth might have come in contact with Daniel in some way, perhaps just enough to "harvest" his name for a fraudulent assignment to grant # 2344.
  4. This line of evidence, may indicate that Daniel Haston did spend some time in Guilford County, NC on his journey from Shenandoah County, VA to what is now East Tennessee.

-----------------------

*NOTE that the name "Abraham Haston" [brother and close-neighbor of Daniel Hiestand, in Powell's Fort Valley] does appear on military list under the command of Capt. Joseph Bowman for the lower district of Dunmore (Shenandoah) County, VA but the name "Daniel Haston" does not appear on the list.  At least some of the men on this list lived in Powell's Fort Valley, near where Abraham and Daniel lived.  Does this mean that Daniel Hiestand/Haston was away from his Powell Fort Valley (Dunmore/Shenandoah County, VA) home at that time?  The date of this military listing, apparently, was 1775.

Source:  Page 604 of Revolutionary War Records - Virginia by Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh (reprinted in 2008 by the Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, MD).