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William (1James) McPherson, Sr. (Conjecture)
Note: Evidence for the existence of a William McPherson, Senior and Junior, comes from the 1810 Laurens Co SC Census. Without the certainty of baptisms, wills, or probate proceedings, censuses and tax lists provide our primary documentation. |
William McPherson was probably born in Ulster, Ireland circa 1750. He migrated to South Carolina in the company of his parents by 1766. And, he married an unknown spouse by 1779.
To date there is no record of members of the McPherson Family serving in the Revolutionary War. However, Laurens, Abbeville, and the other western counties of South Carolina were noted as hotbeds of revolution. One particular battle at Long Canes involved local militia who were called out like the noted Minuteman of New England. Although the Patriots effectively lost the battle, this and other encounters with the British Army of the South sealed the Back Country of the Carolinas off from the British, extending the fight into the future. As we now know, protracting the fight eventually caused the British to lose the will to fight and was a winning strategy for the new American nation.
The Skirmish at Long Canes, 12 December, 1780 (McCormick Co SC)
After Col. Elijah Clark had brought many of the whig families of upper Georgia to the sanctuary of the Watauga settlements, he and his men (a number of whom were at King’s Mountain and Blackstocks) returned to Georgia. Sometime in December he was again in the field and with Colonel Benjamin Few, Few having seniority over Clark. With their combined force of 500 Georgia and South Carolina militia, (the South Carolinians under Lieut. Col. James McCall and Maj. Samuel Hammond, who were with Clark), they advanced on the Long Canes Creek settlement just southwest of Ninety-Six. Many, if not most, of their men were mounted. Upon their arrival at Long Canes they sought to enlist recruits from the settlement which had a strong whig leaning. Brig. Gen. Robert Cunningham, the loyalist commander in the area, sent to Cruger for support. Cruger dispatched Lieut. Col. Isaac Allen with 200 New Jersey Volunteers, 200 loyalist militia, and 50 dragoons. It is not clear how many Cunningham himself had prior to the reinforcement, so that his original numbers then may have been negligible. Initially, the loyalists were forced to retreat in the face of an attack by Clark and McCall with about 100 whigs. Clark, who was wounded, then called to Few to support him, but Few refused or was unable to do so, nor did he tell Clark he had decided to withdraw. As a result Clark and McCall were driven back by four times their number. Few and Clark were subsequently pursued by Allen. Clark’s casualties in both the skirmish and the pursuit were about 21 killed and wounded (14 of these in the actual engagement), while the Loyalists lost 3. Clark’s wound, which was at first thought mortal, kept him from further fighting till early March 1781 when he joined Pickens in North Carolina. During the period of his recuperation, his men were commanded by Maj. John Cunningham.
William Thomas Sherman, Calendar and Record of the Revolutionary War in the South: 1780 - 1781, 3 April 2004, Document History of the Battle of Camden, 16 August 1780, 13 October 2002 <http://www.americanrevolution.org/south.pdf> 7 October 2004.
The William McPherson Family is enumerated in the 1790 and 1800 Laurens Co SC Census. The family is enumerated as William McFearson, Sr. in the 1810 Laurens Co SC Census. William is believed to have died before 1820; as there is no longer a distinction between William Senior and Junior.
Born c. 1745 in Ulster, Ireland
Immigrated 7/28/1764 with parents aboard the ship John to New York
Migrated before 1766 with parents to Laurens Co SC
Married c. 1770 in South Carolina to an unknown spouse b. c. 1750
1790 Laurens Co SC Census
Males | Born After |
# | McPherson | Females | # | McPherson |
18+ | 1 | William |
All |
5 | Mom McFerson Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown |
|
17- | 1778 | 3 | William James Unknown |
1800 Laurens Co SC Census
Males | Born After |
# | McFearson | Females | Born After |
# | McFearson |
45+ | 1 | William | 45+ | 1 | Mom McPherson | ||
25-44 | 1755 | 0 | 25-44 | 1755 | 0 | ||
18-25 | 1775 | 3 | William James Unknown |
18-25 | 1775 | 0 | |
10-15 | 1785 | 0 | 10-15 | 1785 | 1 | Unknown | |
to-10 | 1790 | 0 | to-10 | 1790 | 3 | Unknown Unknown Unknown |
1810 Laurens Co SC Census
Males | Born After |
# | McFearson | Females | Born After |
# | McFearson |
45+ | 1 | William, Sr. | 45+ | 1 | Mom McFearson | ||
25-44 | 1765 | 0 | 25-44 | 1765 | 1 | Unknown | |
18-25 | 1785 | 0 | 18-25 | 1785 | 2 | Unknown Unknown |
|
10-15 | 1795 | 0 | 10-15 | 1795 | 0 | ||
to-10 | 1800 | 0 | to-10 | 1800 | 1 | Unknown |
Died before 1820 Laurens Co SC
1. William McPherson, Jr. b. c. 1770 Laurens Co SC
2. James McPherson (Ancestor of Brenda McPherson Compton)
Born 1783 Laurens Co SC
Married c. 1805 in Laurens Co SC to Rachael Forgy b. c. 1785 in South Carolina
1816 Laurens Co SC Probate
Died before 2/1830 Laurens Co SC
Correspondence 3/3/2004 from Brenda McPherson Compton: |
Believed to be buried in the McPherson/Forgy Family Cemetery, Laurens Co SC
1858 Laurens Co SC Deed
Laurens Co SC Deed Book Q, p. 219: 1858, E.G. Nelson sold 149 acres to Sam R. Todd in Rabon Cr. watershed. Bordering property owners were Sam R. Todd and George Shirley. Part of tract formerly James McPherson, dec. Granted to Patrick Cunningham. Now known as part of the McPherson tract. |
3 - 7: One unknown son and four unknown daughters