I have been interested in the Revolutionary Soldiers of Jessamine County for a great many years. I thought others would enjoy reading about these remarkable men. I will start with the data on each and end with a list of the ones I have discovered in this county. Clyde Bunch

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER/PENSIONER - Lord Cornwallis surrendered the British Army to the Americans at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. This would be the decisive and last major battle of the Revolutionary War. It is said that the American band played one of their favorite songs, "Yankee Doodle Dandy". The British band played an Old English lullaby called "The World Turned Upside Down". One might wonder what the Old Revolutionary Soldier would think if he saw his world today? Would he be proud of what he saw? Could he even comprehend what has taken place? Or would he truly think that his world too had been Turned Upside Down. After the close of the Revolutionary War, Kentucky saw a great influx of veterans migrate into the state. Jessamine County received more than its share of these old soldiers. Many of them took up land and became farmers. Others acquired trades that sustained them quite well. A few were not so fortunate. Some became discontented and moved on to new territories. Some even turned to alcohol to relieve their problems. In 1818 Congress passed an act in the form of a pension to relieve some of the suffering these old soldiers were facing. This gesture was a good one, although, it did have several drawbacks. The money offered was a measly sum, even for those days. It also only benefited those who could prove that they were destitute or in dire need of assistance. Some of the Pension Applications were read aloud and then entered into the Jessamine County Court Records. One can but imagine the mixed emotions these old soldiers must have felt at the time. He was extremely proud of the part he had played in the War that won the freedom of his country. But, on the other hand, he had to admit that his life had been something of a failure. Even though many years had passed, the memories of the war were so etched in his mind he could name most of the battles in which he had served. He sometimes became a bit confused about the dates, but never about the battles or officers he had served under. If he had been wounded in battle and he mentioned this, it was only as a matter of pride and not to gain sympathy. In 1832 congress revised this Pension Act and lessened the restrictions to the applicant. This enabled some of the soldiers and widows to apply that did not qualify for the 1818 Pension Act. As so often is with the government, it was too little too late. Most of the old soldiers, by this time, had passed into another world. Only a handful remained behind to benefit. On the following page you will find a list of Revolutionary Soldiers who chose Jessamine County as their home. Following this, you will find extracts of pension papers taken from either the Court Order Books in the Jessamine County Courthouse or the Archives in Washington D.C. I am quite certain that this list consists of only a small portion of the Revolutionary soldiers who lived and died in Jessamine County. With the exception of a small plaque placed in the courthouse yard, no other tribute was ever paid to these old soldiers in Jessamine County. The small family graveyards where many of them are buried, are slowly being destroyed, either through neglect or to make way for new developments. I sincerely think that some attempt should be made to identify as many of these gravesites as possible. We could pay no greater tribute to these Revolutionary Soldiers and what they stand for, than to protect their last resting-places.

Clyde N. Bunch ©2002