Person Page 134

From John Elswick's findagrave:

John Elswick III was born to John and Lydia (Ratliff) Elswick September 20, 1745 in Virginia. John and Susannah Radcliff married about 1765 in Virginia. They had the following children:

Mary Susan "Polly" Elswick m. James Lester
Elizabeth "Betty" Rebecca Elswick m. Abijah Whitt
Jonathan Paris Elswick m. Agnes B.
Nancy Elswick m. Michael Cline
Patsy Elswick m. unknown
John Elswick m. Martha Unknown
Edmond Elswick m. Mary Meredith
William Radcliff Elswick m. unknown

Bradley Elswick m. Catherine Radcliff
Joseph Elswick m. Lucinda "Lucy" Childers

John Elswick was also known as War John. He served as a Sergeant in Captain Daniel Trigg's Montgomery County, Virginia Militia 31 Mar 1781 . He, and his brother Jonathan, are listed in Fincastle & Montgomery Co VA Rev. War Records pages 47 & 48. The story of their service is told in Be Safe and Keep Your Powder Dry written by Daryl Skaggs. His DAR patriot number is A132394.

John died February 20, 1837. His place of burial is unknown.

In some trees, she is called Mary J Howell Ratliff, so her maiden name may be Howell and she marrierd first a Ratliff. She was in her 40s when she married Nathanial Childers.

Some people say she is Elizabeth Clark.

This is the second John Ratliff who was assigned to have died in Jackson County, Mississippi, or is it Jackson County, Missouri... This reduces the import of it believing to be the father of our John Ratliff who died in Missouri...

Not much seems to be known about him or his children. He was apparently in the War of 1812. Married Frances "Fanny" Hancock (1771-1820) and, apparently, Nancy Anne Pinson? (1779-1870). Children seem to be Mary, John, James, Lewis and with 2nd wife, William.

Some people have Abraham Childrers (1750-1849) as a child of someone else, but if that is the case, why would Abraham name a child Goldsby ("Goolsby")(1805-1872). Or at least that's what findagrave says...

But he would have been born before the guestimate for marriage for his parents.

Goolsby Childers, born 1 January 1757 in Virginia, was married to Nancy Sweeney in Amherst County, 28 February 1782 by the Baptist minister, Reverend Benjamin Coleman. He owned land on the Blue Ridge adjacent to that of Henry and Susanna (Goolsby) Childers. Between 1790 and 1799, he moved to what is now Garrard County, Kentucky. He is believed to be a son of Henry and Susanna and a brother of Robert who married Nancy Pryor. Moses Swinney also had land adjacent to Henry Childers on the Blue Ridge, and Goolsby married his daughter, Nancy Swinney, born circa 1762 in VA. Goolsby Childers was a Revolutionary War veteran, and in his pension deposition declared that he had thirteen children, ten of whom grew to adulthood.

*Battle of Point Pleasant, 10 Oct 1774, Col. Andrew Lewis was leading 800 men and they were attacked by Shawnee Indians under the direction of the British at Point Pleasant where the Kanawha and Ohio rivers meet (in present-day West Virginia). file lists his name as Goolsberry Childers.

State of Kentucky, Lincoln County, and Circuit Court
Be it remembered on the 11 day of August 1818, and on the second day of the August Term of the Lincoln County Circuit Court, Goldsby Childers came personally into Court before Thomas Montgomery, Circuit Judge presiding in the said Court, stated the following facts on oath, Viz: That he the said Goldsby Childers did enlist for the term of two years in October or November 1776, in the Company commanded by Captain William McKee, now deceased, and attached to the 12th Virginia Regiment on Continental establishment, that he marched under his said Captain in March 1777 to Point Pleasant, Virginia where he remained in the service until the fall of the year 1778. He then returned to the interior of the country and was duly and regularly discharged after the expiration of his two years service. He further states that after the conclusion of the war he did not regard his discharge as a paper of any consequence to him and he cannot now account for it otherwise than by saying just he was discharged and that he cannot now find his discharge among his papers; he further states that he has been an industrious man and a temperate man all his life, he has had by his wife thirteen children, ten of whom were raised to be men and women; they have now all left him but one son who is eleven years old last April. This despondent has no other person to help him to make a living but his son, he is himself sixty-one years old the first day of last January and is now unable to do much work. This despondent has a small farm of about ninety-six acres of land, considerably out of repair and would not in his opinion rent for enough to support his old woman in the manner she has been accustomed to live, he therefore says that he stands in need of assistance from his country.
District of Kentucky. On this 22nd day of August 1820, personally appeared in open court (a) being a court of Record (b) for the said district, being the county court of Garrard County. Goolsberry Childers, aged 64 years, resident in Garrard in 2nd district, when being first duly sworn, according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary War as follows: (c) He enlisted in the Revolutionary War in the fall of 1776 under Captain William McKee in the 12th Virginia Regiment of the Continental establishment, under the command of Col. James Wood--for two years--and served out his time and got a discharge. He is placed on the pension list under Act of Congress of 1818.
And I do solemnly swear that I was a resident citizen of the United States; on the 8th day of March 1818, and that I have not since that time, by gift, sale, or in any manner, disposed of my property or any part thereof, with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring myself within the provisions of an Act of Congress, entitled "An Act to Provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War," passed on the 18th day of March 1818, and that I have not, nor has any person in trust for me, any property, or securities, contracts, or debts due to me, nor have I any income other than what is contained in the schedule hereto annexed, and by me subscribed, Viz:
15 acres of land in the value of $800. One Negro girl 15 years old worth $300. Three head of horses of the value of $100. 20 head of hogs of the value of $20. 10 head of cattle of the value of $50. 13 head of sheep of the value of $13. Household furniture of the value of $30. For a total of $1,313. He owes $150. He has a wife, age 56 years old, and two children living with him--a daughter 19 years old, and a son aged 14 years. No occupation, not able to work. Signed: Goolsberry Childers.

Another Revolutionary Soldier Gone.--Departed this life on Wednesday, the 25th day of May, 1842, between the hours of 6 and 7 o'clock, GOLDSBERRY CHILDERS, of Garrard county, Ky.,--aged 87 years. The deceased was one of the soldiers under Col. Lewis, anterior to the war of the Revolution, and was in the battle of the Point*. He afterwards served in the Virginia line in the arms of the Revolution, and was distinguished for his coolness, promptness, and bravery. At the battle of the Point he was attached to the company commanded by Capt. Wm. McKee, the father of the late Samuel McKee, and a better soldier or more honest man never lived. As a friend, he was warm and faithful, and as a Christian, true and devoted. His whole life was an example of modesty, honesty, cheerfulness, industry, patriotism and piety. --The Commonwealth (Frankfort, Kentucky); 14 Jun 1842
-findagrave.

Mosby died on August 03,1843, in Hancock County, Indiana at the age of eighty-four (84) years. He was well remembered by his descendents in family lore for being a kind and gentle person, who told “wonderful” stories about his family members, the war, and his life.

Mosby had traveled to Indiana with his family, in a wagon train. The wagons were more like carts with all of their belongings packed inside and the baby on top. The following excerpt describes Mosby’s son-in-law, Seth Walker, with whom Mosby lived.

-- Mosby Childers - Our Revolutionary Grandfather.