Heathcock Genealogy Database - Person Sheet
Heathcock Genealogy Database - Person Sheet
NameJoshua Hadley 
970
970Death1830, Williamson Co TN
FatherThomas Hadley (ca1728-1781)
MotherMary Thompson
Notes for Joshua Hadley
Following from “The Quaker Family Hadley:”970
Joshua, the eldest son (of Thomas Hadley and Mary Thomoson), was one of fifty-two citizens who formed the Association of the Sons of Liberty in 1775 at Liberty Point in Fayetteville. He entered the Continenal Army as Ensign of Captain Jean Baptiste Ashe's company of General Abner Nash's brigade. He was appointed an officer by the United States Congress, first as Ensign in 1776, then as Lieutenant in 1777, and in 1779 as Captain. He went north with the brigade and was at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. Through the failure of an aide to carry the orders, General Abner Nash was killed at Germantown and his brigade almost annihilated. The young officers who survived were returned to duty in North Carolina and Captain Hadley was very efficient in restoring order to that disturbed section.
The Scotch Tories were very numerous in Cumberland and the adjoining counties and greatly hindered the cause of the Whigs. Their leaders, Colonel David Fannin and Colonel Hector McNeill, started a campaign of terror that continued long after the surrender at Yorktown. Both men and women were killed. Philip Alston, the confrere of Thomas Hadley in the Constitutional Congress, was among those who were murdered.
Captain Patrick Travis, who had married Jane Hadley, the daughter of Thomas Hadley, was appointed one of the Commissioners of Confiscation and in the discharge of his duties drew on the Hadley family, with the exception of John, the batred of the entire Tory community of Scotch. Both Thomas and his younger son, Simon--the latter a mere boy--were captains of Light Horse troops.
Cross Creek was captured by the Tories in August, 1781, and the Whig families had to seek refuge elsewhere. Captain Thomas Hadley was at the battle of Cane Creek and his family were staying at the old home on the banks of the Cape Fear River, eleven miles from town-the house is still standingand here Captain Hadley came alone to see his family.
The Scotch Tories learned that he was alone at home and rode up the river road on a dark night and surrounded the house. As he had done before, he leaned out of an upper window to call his men as a ruse to frighten off the Tories. One of them fired at the voice and instantly killed him. The Scotch were led by a desperate character, Colonel Hector McNeill. The house was entered and all the silverware was carried off except one pair of sugar tongs, which were dropped. The daughter, Mary Hadley, picked these up and they are now owned by Thomas Hadley Tyson, a descendant.
One of the younger sons, Benjamin Hadley, was caught and carried to an island a few miles distant and was tied to a tree for the insects to feed on, but he worked free from his bonds and escaped. The island is now called Hadley's Island.
Captain Joshua Hadley remained in the army until 1787.
He was appointed by General Sumner, at the recommendation of Colonel McCrie, to command the Wilmington District in 1782. His company was ordered to the West as far as Tennessee to quell the Indian outrages in 1787. He remained there until the following November when he returned to attend the State Assembly and to marry. His wife was Hannah Holmes, the accomplished daughter of Archibald Holmes of Cumberland County. She was the niece of Governor Gabriel Holmes of North Carolina (Gen. Theophilus Holmes was a son of Governor Gabriel Holmes and was in the Confederate Army). Captain Joshua Hadley was given 7,500 acres of land, the regular allotment to officers of the Revolution, for his services in the war, and he settled on this land which was in Sumner and Williamson counties, Tennessee. Captain Joshua Hadley lived there and died at the home of his son, Captain Denny Poterfield Hadley, in Williamson County in 1830. The house is occupied by the son of the latter, Captain James Alexander Hadley. Captain Joshua Hadley was a member of the North Carolina Cincinnati and his grandson, Captain James A. Hadley, is the family representative in this order.
John Hadley, the second son of Captain Thomas Hadley, married Margaret Livingston, whose mother married the second time, Archibald Holmes. John Hadley was regarded by the Scotch Tories as a gentleman, as he never took any part in the Revolutionary War. He was quite wealthy and there was but one child-a son, John Livingston Hadley-who went first to the University of North Carolina and then to the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. John Livingston Hadley served in the Mexican War for a time, but never practiced his profession
Joshua, the eldest son (of Thomas Hadley and Mary Thomoson), was one of fifty-two citizens who formed the Association of the Sons of Liberty in 1775 at Liberty Point in Fayetteville. He entered the Continenal Army as Ensign of Captain Jean Baptiste Ashe's company of General Abner Nash's brigade. He was appointed an officer by the United States Congress, first as Ensign in 1776, then as Lieutenant in 1777, and in 1779 as Captain. He went north with the brigade and was at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. Through the failure of an aide to carry the orders, General Abner Nash was killed at Germantown and his brigade almost annihilated. The young officers who survived were returned to duty in North Carolina and Captain Hadley was very efficient in restoring order to that disturbed section.
The Scotch Tories were very numerous in Cumberland and the adjoining counties and greatly hindered the cause of the Whigs. Their leaders, Colonel David Fannin and Colonel Hector McNeill, started a campaign of terror that continued long after the surrender at Yorktown. Both men and women were killed. Philip Alston, the confrere of Thomas Hadley in the Constitutional Congress, was among those who were murdered.
Captain Patrick Travis, who had married Jane Hadley, the daughter of Thomas Hadley, was appointed one of the Commissioners of Confiscation and in the discharge of his duties drew on the Hadley family, with the exception of John, the batred of the entire Tory community of Scotch. Both Thomas and his younger son, Simon--the latter a mere boy--were captains of Light Horse troops.
Cross Creek was captured by the Tories in August, 1781, and the Whig families had to seek refuge elsewhere. Captain Thomas Hadley was at the battle of Cane Creek and his family were staying at the old home on the banks of the Cape Fear River, eleven miles from town-the house is still standingand here Captain Hadley came alone to see his family.
The Scotch Tories learned that he was alone at home and rode up the river road on a dark night and surrounded the house. As he had done before, he leaned out of an upper window to call his men as a ruse to frighten off the Tories. One of them fired at the voice and instantly killed him. The Scotch were led by a desperate character, Colonel Hector McNeill. The house was entered and all the silverware was carried off except one pair of sugar tongs, which were dropped. The daughter, Mary Hadley, picked these up and they are now owned by Thomas Hadley Tyson, a descendant.
One of the younger sons, Benjamin Hadley, was caught and carried to an island a few miles distant and was tied to a tree for the insects to feed on, but he worked free from his bonds and escaped. The island is now called Hadley's Island.
Captain Joshua Hadley remained in the army until 1787.
He was appointed by General Sumner, at the recommendation of Colonel McCrie, to command the Wilmington District in 1782. His company was ordered to the West as far as Tennessee to quell the Indian outrages in 1787. He remained there until the following November when he returned to attend the State Assembly and to marry. His wife was Hannah Holmes, the accomplished daughter of Archibald Holmes of Cumberland County. She was the niece of Governor Gabriel Holmes of North Carolina (Gen. Theophilus Holmes was a son of Governor Gabriel Holmes and was in the Confederate Army). Captain Joshua Hadley was given 7,500 acres of land, the regular allotment to officers of the Revolution, for his services in the war, and he settled on this land which was in Sumner and Williamson counties, Tennessee. Captain Joshua Hadley lived there and died at the home of his son, Captain Denny Poterfield Hadley, in Williamson County in 1830. The house is occupied by the son of the latter, Captain James Alexander Hadley. Captain Joshua Hadley was a member of the North Carolina Cincinnati and his grandson, Captain James A. Hadley, is the family representative in this order.
John Hadley, the second son of Captain Thomas Hadley, married Margaret Livingston, whose mother married the second time, Archibald Holmes. John Hadley was regarded by the Scotch Tories as a gentleman, as he never took any part in the Revolutionary War. He was quite wealthy and there was but one child-a son, John Livingston Hadley-who went first to the University of North Carolina and then to the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania. John Livingston Hadley served in the Mexican War for a time, but never practiced his profession
Notes for Joshua Hadley
From the Cane Creek Minutes filed in the Graham (N. C.) court house was taken the following: "smo. 7, 1779. The preparative meeting enters a complaint against Simon and Joshua Hadley, sons of Thomas Hadley, in that they have joined in the present commotion, so far as to appear in a warlike manner (i.e., a military uniform) which is contrary to Friends' principles. This meeting agrees to show their disunity with them in their disorderly proceedings and here-by minutes them no members of our Society until they reform and suitably condemn the same, which is our desire they may. The Clerk is appointed to send them a copy of this minute and sign it on behalf of this meeting."970