William Pace

Notes:

Bruce Howard believes that "he married in the year 1770, in Edgecombe County, and shortly thereafter purchased a farm in the Southwestern portion of the county near Turkey Creek in what would later become Nash County, next to the farm of his brother in law, Solomon Strickland....in about the year 1788, he and his family left the Turkey Creek farm and moved a few miles to the west into Franklin County where they apparently lived on a rented farm.. (p 141). Howard believe's he is the William with six sons under the age of 16 residing his household on the 1790 census.

In about the year 1794, no doubt in company with others, he moved his family to the State of Georgia and settled in Oglethorp county. He and his family did not remain in Oglethorp but a short time. By 1798 they were residing in the southern portion of Jackson County, as it was then situated. He located, it is my belief, a few miles below his brother-in-law and the other members of the Strickland family. He did not own any land at this time, but farmed and opened a road tavern inthe southern part of the county (pps 142-143). By the year 1804, his son's James, William, Wilson and Drury began buying up land along Shoal Creek. William Jr purchased the same land that his uncle Solomon Strickland had formerly owned....In the year 1805, William and some of his sons were included in the land lottery of that year, but were unsuccessful...by the late fall of the year 1808, William and some of his children had had enough of Georgia. They packed up and left the State, going to a new home in Rutherford County, Tennessee...he sold some land he had received as a result of the 1807 land lottery. His agent was Robert H. Higenbotham, (believed to be) the husband of his niece, Milly Strickland. William and his family remained in Tennessee for the remainder of their lives and there are today still descendants of this family in that state. (p 144).

Additional information about William Pace can be found in: THE BELLOMY/BELLAMY AND PACE FAMILIES AT A PLACE CALLED DOVER Written and Illustrated by William and Martha Bellomy, Copryright 1999, (address given), email billbellamy@home.com

William Pace was born October 10, 1745, and was the son of John Pace and Susanna Hutchins (Hutchings/Houchins) Pace.

MILITARY CAREER OF WILLIAM PACE If you are a descendent of William Pace, you are going to be very proud to have him as your ancestor. He enlisted in the 14th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel Lewis on January 23, 1777. Because of his outstanding performance and character, Pace was recommended for assignment to George Washington's Commander-in-Chief's Guard.

Each regiment from Virginia sent four men that were to be interviewed by George Washington himself for the Guard. They were not to appear in uniform as George Washington wanted to see what they looked like in everyday clothes. The candidates had to be between 5 ft. 9" and 5 ft. l0" tall. Additional requirements included neatness of appearance, good character, married, a land-owner, and a sober man with good character. In May of 1777, William Pace was transferred from the 14th Virginia Regiment to the Commander-in-Chief's Guard. William Pace's enlistment was up six weeks after Valley Forge where he spent that terrible winter. However, he reenlisted for the duration of the War. William Pace remained in the army after the Battle of Yorktown in October, 1781, until he was discharged in Newburgh, New York, in November of l783. Although he was furloughed home after the Paris Peace Treaty on June 5th, 1783, he and the other troops would have returned if the British had tried to start the war again. There is much evidence to support the fact that the British were plotting to retake the Colonies.

Several documents from the United States Archives show information through monthly Company Muster Rolls and other documentation. Another good source for this information about William Pace is the 100-year-old book by Carlos E. Godfrey entitled Commander-in-Chief's Guard. William Pace's battles are enumerated in Mr. Godfrey's book, and also on p. 332 of the Casey book. The battles he participated in are as follows:

Morristown, New Jersey, May 6, 1777

Sick in Hospital, June and July, 1777

Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777

Battle of Germantown, Pa., October 4, 1777

Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, June 28, 1778

Reenlisted and furloughed one hundred and ten days, January 18, 1779

Rejoined September 1, 1779

Battle of Connecticut Farms, New Jersey, June 7, 1780

Skirmish of King's Bridge, New York, July 3, 1781

Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781

Promoted to Sergeant, June 4, 1783

Furloughed Newburgh, New York, June 6, 1783 until the ratification of the definite Treaty of Peace

Discharged November 3, 1783


A biography of George Washington in THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA lists the battles of George Washington during the Revolution, and every battle that George Washington was in after William Pace joined the Guard, William Pace was there, also.

Washington's Guards not only guarded George Washington's person and his papers, but they also fought in the battles, many times on the front lines.

======================= Roy Johnson ==== PACE Mailing List ====

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Isabella Falkenberry. Isabella was born about 1771; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Served in the volunteer army during the War of 1812, as a captain of Mounted Gunmen and was with General Andrew Jackson's Army at the Battle of New Orleans where he was killed charging the enemy (Howard, p 145).

James married Mary Ann Loving on 2 Dec 1796 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Mary was born after 1773; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also served in General Jackson's Army during the War. He died in Hickmon County, Tennessee. (Howard, p 145).

Jeremiah married Elizabeth Hails on 16 Jul 1807. Elizabeth was born before 1791; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Also a soldier in the War of 1812 from Tennessee. (Howard, p 146).

Notes:

Said by Bruce Howard to have married Rachel COSBY on 29 Oct 1827.

Notes:

Said to have married, on 20 Nov 1817, James CAMPBELL. (Source: Bruce Howard).