B. 2 Jun 1729 in Boston, Massachusetts
M. about 1759 in (probably) Virginia
Wife: Phoebe (maybe) Parker
D. about 1818 in Burke County, North Carolina
Early in the military career of George Washington, he led a few hundred men into the frontier of the American colonies, and John Franklin was one of them. The events John experienced firsthand were an important part of history — a precursor to the American Revolution.
John was born on June 2, 1729 in a place far from his later adventures: Boston, Massachusetts. His parents were David Franklin and Elizabeth Ayers and he was the seventh of their eight children. The obvious question is: Was he related to Benjamin Franklin, also born in Boston a generation earlier? And the answer is no — at least not on this side of the Atlantic. David Franklin was a sailor working in the Boston harbor, and when John came of age, he followed his father in this line of work.
In early 1754, John was in Prince William County, Virginia, perhaps lying over for the winter. At the age of 25, John seemed to have had enough of working on ships, and on February 11th, he enlisted in a military unit to serve on the frontier. The colony of Virginia wanted to secure their claims on the Ohio River Valley, which was being encroached upon by the French. So orders were given to recruit a force of 300 men, with a 22-year-old lieutenant to lead them named George Washington. Their mission was to build a fort at “the source of the Ohio,” and to defend it from attackers.
The record of John’s enlistment described him as being five feet six inches tall, with brown hair, and “large eyebrows.” He was also said to be “well-made,” and a sailor from New England. His experience on ships was probably good preparation for the stamina he’d need during the next few years of his life.
The military force led by Washington had no idea what they were getting into. The future of the western frontier was at stake, and all these men knew was that they had to drive the French away from the Ohio River Valley. Getting there wasn’t easy; roads didn’t exist, and since they were crossing the Appalachians, there was no waterway that went directly there. Rain hampered their march, and the terrain was said to be so rough that they sometimes only made three miles a day. As they marched, they cleared enough vegetation to make a sort of road where others could follow, so perhaps this slowed them down, too.
The French were waiting for them in the area, but under orders not to attack unless the Virginians attacked first, which is what Lieutenant Washington did in a small skirmish on May 28th. This was a strategic mistake, and left the Virginians scrambling to prepare for the battle they knew was coming. In a field in present-day Fayette County, Pennsylvania, the men built a makeshift structure which was dubbed Fort Necessity, little more than a crude cabin for their arsenal, surrounded by a stockade. On July 3rd, the French showed up with their Indian allies, quickly outnumbering Washington’s men, and after a short battle, the Virginians abandoned the fort to the French. It was the only time in Washington’s career that he ever surrendered to the enemy.
What made this event so historical wasn’t just the learning experience Washington gained as a military leader. This was the first confrontation of the French and Indian War, a 7-year conflict which England ultimately won. And in the aftermath, the leaders in England tried to get the American colonists to pay for the war, which of course led to the American Revolution.
As for John, his service continued. He seems to have deserted his company for a time along with many others; this happened after the Battle of Fort Necessity, but he was likely rounded up and brought back. Washington’s force participated in the Battle of Monongahela in July 1755, and John was likely involved; this was an attempt to capture Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh), and the Virginians were in support of a British Army force — and the French roundly defeated them.
The rest of John’s service was under Captain Thomas Waggoner, and his company’s duty was to secure a series of forts along the South Branch of the Potomac, an area that extended into present-day West Virginia. Some records for Waggoner’s Company are missing, but circumstantial evidence points to the fact John served there until end of the war in 1763. Apparently this was where John found a wife, a woman named Phoebe (last name said to be Parker, but this is uncertain). Their oldest son later testified that he had been born at a place called “Fort Stump, Virginia,” and researchers have determined that Stump was the last name of a landowner near one of the South Branch forts — Fort George — and that “Fort Stump” may have been an alternate name for the stockade.
With the war’s end, many of the men who served as soldiers were awarded “bounty land,” an easy way to pay them because land was plentiful. There’s no hard evidence that John received any land, but a note written by Washington listed him among 88 men who were being charged for surveying costs, an indicator that this was in relation to bounty land. What is known is that after his military days were over, he joined a migration to the south — to Burke County, North Carolina — and this was where he spent the rest of his life.
John and Phoebe had a large family that included at least 11 children; the oldest was John, born at Fort Stump in about 1760, with most of the rest born in Burke County. John was past 60-years-old when his youngest child was born in 1790. The Franklin family settled near the head of Silver Creek in what was Rowan County, then moved to near Lower Creek in Burke County. At Lower Creek, John was shown to have owned 700 or more acres. Census records indicate that he had no slaves.
On June 4, 1813, John made out his will naming all eleven of his children. He lived about another six years, with the will being probated in 1819. His wife Phoebe survived him, and she died in about 1821.
Children:
1. John Franklin — B. about 1760, Hardy County, Virginia; D. 30 Sep 1837, Burke County, North Carolina; M. Nancy Wallace (?-~1853), 12 Jul 1817, Burke County, North Carolina
2. David Franklin — B. about 1762, (probably) Virginia; D. after Dec 1820
3. Moses Franklin — B. about 1765, (probably) Rowan County, North Carolina; D. about Feb 1830, Franklin County, Tennessee; M. Elizabeth ______, Burke County, North Carolina
4. Jemima Franklin — B. Oct 1767, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 7 Jun 1854, Franklin County, Tennessee; M. (1) Daniel McCoy; (2) William Griffin, 8 Feb 1805, Pulaski County, Kentucky; (3) Thomas Wakefield, 1825, Franklin County, Tennessee
5. Mary Franklin — B. about 1770, Burke County, North Carolina; D. before 1 Jun 1830, (probably) Putnam County, Indiana; M. William Sutherland (~1770-?), 1787, Lincoln County, Kentucky
6. Jonathan Franklin — B. about 1773, Rowan County, North Carolina; D. after 1870, Owen County, Indiana; M. (1) Rachel ______ (?-~1803); (2) Jennie Hood (?-1826), about 1805; (3) Mary Johnson (1787-?)
7. Lydia Franklin — B. 26 Aug 1774, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 18 Sep 1869, Putnam County, Indiana; M. Fendall Sutherlin (1767-1834), before 1791, (probably) Burke County, North Carolina
8. Samuel Franklin — B. about 1780, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 12 Jul 1857, Linville Falls, North Carolina; M. Dorcas Burns, 6 Aug 1800, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
9. Phoebe Franklin — B. about 1781, Burke County, North Carolina; D. after 9 Nov 1821; M. Thomas Brown, 1795
10. Anna Franklin — B. about 1784, Burke County, North Carolina
11. Rachel B. Franklin – B. 4 Feb 1790, Burke County, North Carolina; D. 12 Apr 1851, Franklin County, Tennessee; M. George Tipps (~1782-~1881), about 1805, Burke County, North Carolina
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