The first installment, "Billy Crockett's Revolutionary War Bones: Part 1," is located here.
Someone asked, how many Revolutionary War patriots are buried in Iowa? The answer's a little complicated --- no one really knows. The Annals of Iowa, back in 1901, speculated that there were "at least five." A monument on the state Capitol grounds in Des Moines (left), dedicated on Veterans Day 2002 by Iowa's Sons of the American Revolution, listed the names of 39. Today, the number apparently stands somewhere in the neighborhood of 43. The total is a moving target as researchers continue to beaver away.
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At the top here is the 1850 Lucas County census page where the Crockett family's presence is recorded. William Crockett, age 97, born in Virginia, is included in the household headed by his bachelor son, William Jr., age 40, that also includes his spinster daughter, Susannah, age 50, and Nancy Crockett, age 27. Nancy's relationship is unclear. Personally, I think she was a granddaughter, but this is not my family and some of Nancy's descendants have concluded that she actually was a daughter of old William himself, born when he was in the neighborhood of 70 and perhaps married to a much younger second wife.
The earliest published account of Crockett family movements that I've found states that they had arrived in Monroe County from Indiana during the fall of 1849, rented a cabin in which to spend the winter and then moved on to Lucas County in the spring. Of course that account also states that William died during the spring of 1850 in Monroe County and that, obviously, was not he case.
The Crocketts were living in 1850 next to the family of the senior William's nephew, Beresford Robinson, his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Elijah K. Robinson and his family. Living elsewhere in Cedar Township during 1850 was James G. Robinson, another of Beresford's and Elizabeth's sons.
The Robinsons reportedly had arrived in Lucas County during 1848 or 1849 and it may have been their suggestion that brought the Crocketts west from Monroe County during spring of the census year. All three Robinson men were among the voters in Lucas County's first election, held on Aug. 6, 1849, at the cabin of William McDermott, also enumerated on this page. Beresford Robinson served as an election judge; James G. not only served as election clerk but also was elected one of the county's first three commissioners; and Elijah was elected one of Lucas County's first two justices of the peace.
To clarify the relationship a little further --- William Crockett Sr., the revolutionary, and Mary Robinson --- late mother of William Jr. and Susanna --- had married during January of 1793 in Mercer County, Kentucky (the date of bond is Jan. 19 although the marriage date itself was not recorded). Beresford was a son of Mary's brother, William (1773-1845), and his wife, Mary E. (Kennedy) Robinson. Many of these people had moved from Kentucky into Indiana and then on to Iowa.
So --- If William Crockett Sr. did not die in 1849, as his evolving backstory now holds, or during the spring of 1850, as the original version of that story states --- when did he die and how did he end up buried in an abandoned graveyard south of Albia?
We may never know the answer to either part of that question. But during 1850 William Sr. had another daughter, Mary, who was living in Monroe County and might well have taken him in during his final illness. Mary was married to John Robinson, brother of Beresford.
Mary and John Robinson and their family left Monroe County behind and resettled in Decatur County at about the same time, ca. 1854, that William Jr., Susanna and Nancy Crockett left Lucas County behind and settled there, too. The Beresford Robinsons eventually ended up in Cloud County, Kansas; Elijah K. Robinson, farther west; and James G. Robinson, ca. 1872, in Calhoun County, Iowa.
So far as I've been able to figure out, Monroe Countyans in general were unaware that they were sitting on the bones of a Revolutionary War patriot until July 5, 1906, when a grandnephew of William Crockett Sr., George Rogers Robinson (1832-1919), shared his story in an essay published on the front page of The Monroe County News. Although the information he shared evolved as the years passed, this remains a definitive account.
George R. Robinson, an honored veteran himself of the Civil War, actually was doubly a nephew of the Revolutionary War patriot. His father, Ezekiel K. Robinson (1810-1907), was a brother of Beresford and son of Mary (Robinson) Crockett's brother, William, who married Mary E. Kennedy. His mother was Ezekiel's first-cousin, Elizabeth Robinson (1808-1870), daughter of another of Mary (Robinson) Crockett's brothers, also George Rogers Robinson, born 1780, killed in combat during the Battle of the River Raisin (or Frenchtown), Jan. 18-23, 1813, in Michigan Territory.
Here's George R. Robinson's story; the story that sets the stage for much that has evolved since:
The earliest published account of Crockett family movements that I've found states that they had arrived in Monroe County from Indiana during the fall of 1849, rented a cabin in which to spend the winter and then moved on to Lucas County in the spring. Of course that account also states that William died during the spring of 1850 in Monroe County and that, obviously, was not he case.
The Crocketts were living in 1850 next to the family of the senior William's nephew, Beresford Robinson, his wife, Elizabeth, and their son, Elijah K. Robinson and his family. Living elsewhere in Cedar Township during 1850 was James G. Robinson, another of Beresford's and Elizabeth's sons.
The Robinsons reportedly had arrived in Lucas County during 1848 or 1849 and it may have been their suggestion that brought the Crocketts west from Monroe County during spring of the census year. All three Robinson men were among the voters in Lucas County's first election, held on Aug. 6, 1849, at the cabin of William McDermott, also enumerated on this page. Beresford Robinson served as an election judge; James G. not only served as election clerk but also was elected one of the county's first three commissioners; and Elijah was elected one of Lucas County's first two justices of the peace.
To clarify the relationship a little further --- William Crockett Sr., the revolutionary, and Mary Robinson --- late mother of William Jr. and Susanna --- had married during January of 1793 in Mercer County, Kentucky (the date of bond is Jan. 19 although the marriage date itself was not recorded). Beresford was a son of Mary's brother, William (1773-1845), and his wife, Mary E. (Kennedy) Robinson. Many of these people had moved from Kentucky into Indiana and then on to Iowa.
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So --- If William Crockett Sr. did not die in 1849, as his evolving backstory now holds, or during the spring of 1850, as the original version of that story states --- when did he die and how did he end up buried in an abandoned graveyard south of Albia?
We may never know the answer to either part of that question. But during 1850 William Sr. had another daughter, Mary, who was living in Monroe County and might well have taken him in during his final illness. Mary was married to John Robinson, brother of Beresford.
Mary and John Robinson and their family left Monroe County behind and resettled in Decatur County at about the same time, ca. 1854, that William Jr., Susanna and Nancy Crockett left Lucas County behind and settled there, too. The Beresford Robinsons eventually ended up in Cloud County, Kansas; Elijah K. Robinson, farther west; and James G. Robinson, ca. 1872, in Calhoun County, Iowa.
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So far as I've been able to figure out, Monroe Countyans in general were unaware that they were sitting on the bones of a Revolutionary War patriot until July 5, 1906, when a grandnephew of William Crockett Sr., George Rogers Robinson (1832-1919), shared his story in an essay published on the front page of The Monroe County News. Although the information he shared evolved as the years passed, this remains a definitive account.
George R. Robinson, an honored veteran himself of the Civil War, actually was doubly a nephew of the Revolutionary War patriot. His father, Ezekiel K. Robinson (1810-1907), was a brother of Beresford and son of Mary (Robinson) Crockett's brother, William, who married Mary E. Kennedy. His mother was Ezekiel's first-cousin, Elizabeth Robinson (1808-1870), daughter of another of Mary (Robinson) Crockett's brothers, also George Rogers Robinson, born 1780, killed in combat during the Battle of the River Raisin (or Frenchtown), Jan. 18-23, 1813, in Michigan Territory.
Here's George R. Robinson's story; the story that sets the stage for much that has evolved since:
REMINISCENCES
A Three-War Veteran in an Obscure Grave in Monroe County
Among the early settlers of Kishkekosh, now Monroe county, Iowa, came Wm. Crockett, his son and two elderly daughters.
This was the autumn of 1849. They rented the Bill Gordon cabin to winter in, which was located three miles south of Albia on the farm now owned by M.W. Hickenlooper.
The following spring, Wm. Crockett, Sr., died and was buried in the grove, south of the then David Rowles home. I think Mrs. D. Rowles and some of the Elswicks were interred there.
Recently I visited the place, found a few neglected graves, but could not identify Mr. Crockett's. Perhaps O.P. or A.T. Rowles, or John N.Massey could point out the place.
Capt. Crockett was born in Virginia, in 1755, served a few campaigns during the Revolutionary struggle. Shared with Col. Boone the hardships of the early settlement of Kentucky. Served in the Indian wars in northwest Ohio. In Aug. 1794, Gen. Wayne found the Indians securely lodged in a tract of timber that had been felled by a tornado. The advance was cautiously made.
Maj. Price in command of brigade, asked, not commanded, Billy Crockett and Jack Montgomery to advance 100 paces, the enemy opened with a deadly lite of musketry --- mowing down the advancing columns. A bayonet charge was made, which soon ended in the complete rout of the enemy.
This engagement is known as the "Battle of fallen timbers."
Uncle Billy gave seven years service to his country in the regular army and did active service in the war of 1812-15.
The writer had seven grand uncles and both grand fathers in the volunteer infantry in 1812-15. Mother's father was killed at the battle of River Raisin, Jan. 22, 1813.
James and Robert Robinson, brothers-in-law to Capt. Crockett, served under Gen. Harrison, and participated in Tippecanoe. James settled near Selection, in 1847; Robert located on Soap creek. He was the first white male child born in the territory of Kentucky. He sleeps in the Enon (could this be Enix?) cemetery in Urbana township.
Geo. R. Robinson,
Brompton, Ia. June 1906
George R. Robinson died during 1919, but his story had caught the attention of Judge Daniel M. Anderson Jr. (1861-1938), who apparently constructed the narrative about Crockett most widely accepted now in cooperation with the Betty Zane Chapter, D.A.R., organized during 1910. More about that another time.
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George R. Robinson died during 1919, but his story had caught the attention of Judge Daniel M. Anderson Jr. (1861-1938), who apparently constructed the narrative about Crockett most widely accepted now in cooperation with the Betty Zane Chapter, D.A.R., organized during 1910. More about that another time.
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