Biographical Sketch of Edward Hall 1757-1838, Revolutionary War Soldier

Biographical Sketch of Edward Hall 1757-1838
Revolutionary War Soldier
Compiled by Sue VonderBrink (updated February 25, 2004)

On Christmas Day in 1757, Edward Hall was born in Prince William County, Virginia. The French and Indian War ended in 1763 when Edward was six years old.

In the Spring of 1779, the Hall brothers traveled to what is now present day Kentucky. There were two main routes into Kentucky. From (Limestone) Maysville, Kentucky which is located on the Ohio River. The main route to Kentucky was Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Road. The Hall’s likely route was through the Cumberland Gap by way of the Wilderness Road and they probably were with other travelers. The lure of abundance of game and fertile land must have called Edward and his brothers. Edward Hall was age twenty-two and grew up during the bloody Indian border wars which prepared him for the journey to the paradise and dangers of Kentucky.

All free males aged 18 to 50 were enrolled into the militia by Virginia law with few exceptions. Each private had to furnish himself with a rifle and a half-pound of powder and a pound of lead. The early militia were recruited from the most western lands of Virginia for the defense of Kentucky.

Edward Hall would have been living in the western part of Virginia and my best guess would be Fauquier County. This is based on following the Prince William county-line and the date of Edward’s birth. Fauquier County was formed from Prince William County, Virginia in 1759. Many of the early Kentucky pioneers were from Fauquier County. After 1760 the boundaries of Prince William County, Virginia are about the same as today.

Edward Hall states in his Revolutionary War pension statement that “he came to Kentucky in April of 1779.” Brother Thomas Hall’s pension statement says that it was ‘late March or early Spring of 1779.”

Ralph Morgan and others (Halls not mentioned) made their journey from Virginia and arrived at Fort Boonesbourgh in early April of 1779. During the same time period, Capt. Starnes and party left Boonesbourgh and all were killed by Indians except Jacob Starnes.

From the pension statements of Edward and Thomas Hall, they took the oath of office from Col. Richard Calloway in the Spring of 1779. The brothers served as privates, scouts, and guards under John Holder, Benjamin Logan, and George Rogers Clark. Brother William Hall was killed during the Revolutionary War and died at Boonesborough.

On April 15, 1779, the Association of Settlers of Boonesbourgh signed a compact for the making of a Crop of Corn. Some of the names included on the compact were William, Edward, and Thomas Hall. Directors were elected and some tended the corn crop while others guarded the workers.

Edward Hall claimed land in the summer of 1779 and received a furlough to bring his father’s family to Kentucky in the Fall of 1779. Mathis Horn (husband of Susannah Hall Horn) and Joseph Proctor made statements that “Edward Hall received a furlough in the Fall of 1779 to bring his father’s family to Kentucky which he did and continued to do garrison duty at Boonesbourgh, Strode’s Station, and Bryan Station. When at Strode’s Station, he was was under Capt. Constant. While doing duty at the different forts and stations, the said Hall was on frequent scouting parties until peace was made. They think that Edward Hall served about four years.”

The Hard Winter of 1779-1780 brought heavy snow, ice, and frozen streams. People and animals died from lack of food. After the Hard Winter was endured troubles began with Ruddle’s Station destroyed by British and Indians. On June 24, 1780 Martin’s Station is surrendered to the British and Indians.

Edward Hall was on the payroll of Capt. David Goss’s Company under the Command of Col. John Bowman from September 6 until October 21, 1780. [GRC excerpt of pages 74-75]

Captain James Estill’s Defeat occurred in the Spring of 1782 at Estill’s Station.
Thomas Hall, brother of Edward, was on the payroll of Capt. Nathaniel Hart on a tour of duty to build a fort at the falls of the Ohio, under the command of Col. Benjamin Logan from June 27, 1782 to July 15, 1782. Fort Nelson was located in present day Louisville, Kentucky. [GRC excerpt of pages 131-132 with notes of referenced fort by SV]

July 18, 1782 - August 31, 1782, Edward Hall is on the payroll of Elisha Clary’s company guarding Ashton’s Station ( same as Estill’s Station) 1/4 pay, certified by Benjamin Logan. [GRC excerpt of pages 135-136 with notes by SV to explain the location of the fort]

Col. John Holder’s Defeat occurred on August 2, 1782 . The Siege of Bryan’s Station
August 15-17, 1782. These battles led up to the Battle of Blue Licks on August 19, 1782.

Thomas Hall, brother of Edward mentions a battle on the “upper Blue Licks where we had a pretty severe engagement with the Indians from there we were marched back to Boonesbough, where we were stationed principally until the termination of the War. Engaged during the whole period in occasional and frequent scouting along the frontier settlements. In fact, our whole service partook as good deal of the nature of a frontier guard.” It seems likely that Thomas Hall was in the Battle of Blue Licks. Edward Hall makes no mention of a Battle at Blue Licks, he may have been with Benjamin Logan’s army that arrived after the battle.

October 11, 1782 - November 11, 1782, Edward Hall was on the payroll of Lieutenant John South guarding the frontier of Fayette County. Others included on the payroll were Mathis Horn (husband of Susan Hall) and Garrett Townsend who married Edward’s sister. [GRC excerpt page 160 with family notes by SV]

Serving John South would have been during the campaign of George Rogers Clark against the Shawnee villages along the Miami River. Clark’s army destroyed Chillicothe, Piqua, and Wills Town. Captain William McCracken was riding beside Simon Kenton when he was shot. Captain McCracken died and was buried where the army first assembled near the Ohio, River (present day Cincinnati, Ohio). Clark’s army disbanded after Captain McCracken was buried. Edward Hall mentioned the death of Captain McCracken in his Revolutionary war statement.

In the affidavit of Frances F. Jackson September 25,1843, states that “she is acquainted with Milly Hall, that she knows when Milly married; that she was living in the house of Col. Holder in the year of 1783 or 1789 and was married the year that we moved into the house. I know it was one of the above named years. I am certain it was before 1794. I have been acquainted with her since her marriage and she resides part of the time with her daughter in Clark County and the balance of her time in Estill County.” Col. John Holder lived at Holder’s Station in Clark County, Kentucky during the time referenced. Frances F. Jackson was of the Jackson Ferry on the Kentucky River. Milly Hall lived with her daughter Elizabeth Hall Welch in Clark County and with her son Bryant Hall in Estill County.

Parson Andrew Trimble, a Baptist minister, married Edward Hall and Milly (unknown) on June 9, 1786. The marriage records are lost because the early Fayette County, Kentucky courthouse burned.

“In Clark County, Kentucky on June 28, 1843, personally appeared, Milly Hall widow of said Edward Hall, age 75 years on the 16th Oct. 1843. She states he was from Va. She does not know the county. She states she was married to Edward Hall, June 9, 1786 in Fayette Co., Ky.; that her husband, the aforesaid Edward Hall died on the 13th July 1838 in Estill county, Ky.; that she was not married to him prior to his leaving the services, but that she has had 9 children. The oldest living is 52; that her oldest child is dead and that she was married 17 months when her first child was born. Garret Hall, her oldest, is living in Indiana. She was married by Parson Andrew Tribble and that the office is burned where the license were issued when they married.”

Garrett Hall, son of Edward and Milly Hall, was born in 1792 and died in 1880. Garrett Hall is buried in the Providence Cemetery, Orange County, Indiana. Garrett Hall served in the War of 1812 and received a land bounty for his service.

Research Sources:
Revolutionary War pension statements.
The Descendants of Edward Hall, Kentucky Families (Hall chapter) by Wilson.
Military information during George Rogers Clark’s campaigns:
George Rogers Clark and His Men Military Records, 1778-1784 compiled by Margery Heberling Harding. (GRC) Pages 74, 75, 131, 132, 135,136, and 160.
For more information on Garrett Townsend see pages 92, 160. and 187.
(SV) notes by Sue VonderBrink. For example: notes were added to explain that the fort referenced would have been Fort Nelson and that Ashton’s Station was the same as Estill’s Station.

Suggested Reading:
Benjamin Logan: Kentucky Frontiersman by Charles Gano Talbert.
Boonesborough by George W. Ranck.
Background to Glory, The Life of George Rogers Clark by John Bakeless
The Conquest of the Illinois by George Rogers Clark.
Col. George Rogers Clark’s Sketch of his Campaign in the Illinois in 1778-9 with an introduction by Hon. Henry Pirtle.
George Rogers Clark, His Life and Public Services by Temple Brody.
George Rogers Clark and the War in the West by Lowell H. Harrison.
George Rogers Clark and His Men Military Records, 1778-1784 compiled by Margery Heberling Harding with an introduction by Lowell H. Harrison.
The Wilderness Road by Robert L. Kincaid.
The Hunters of Kentucky by Ted Franklin Belue. Chapter 7, To Earn One’s Freedom:
Gives a detailed account of how Monk Estill, slave of James Estill, earned his freedom during Capt. James Estill’s Defeat.
In Search of Morgan’s Station and the Last Indian Raid in Kentucky by Harry G. Enoch, Edward Hall is mentioned on pages 14 and 183. Thomas and William Hall are mentioned on page 183.
The Voice of the Frontier, John Bradford’s Notes on Kentucky - Thomas Clark, Editor.
Westward into Kentucky, The Narrative of Daniel Trabue - Edited by Chester Raymond Young.