| Home Surname List Name Index Sources Email Us | Third Generation35. Benjamin Cleveland78 was born on 26 May 1738 in Prince William Co., VA.28,79 In September 1775 he was appointed an ensign in the 2d in North Carolina.80 He made his will on 10 September 1806 in Pickens Co., SC. I Benjamin Cleveland be weak in body but of perfect mind and memory. I desire my body decently buried & to pay all my lawful debts. I give to my son Ablasom Cleveland the tract of land whereon I now live (except a part lying below a branch which runs into the river below Chauga) with all the land on either side of Tugalo River adj. each other. With negroes Jim, Lucy, Venus, Bess, Tom with half of all my live stock & half of my ready cash, after my debts are paid. I will to my grandson John Cleveland (son of Absalom) one negro boy named Prime. I will to Betsey Smith dtr of Absalom my cupboard with all furniture with it. I will to Benjamin Cleveland, son of John Cleveland decd. after my death two negroes Tom & Charles with one feather bed & furniture. I will to Charley R. Welborn one negro woman named Charlotte with her children, with one feather bed & furniture. I give to my grandson Absalom Fauche Cleveland son of John Cleveland decd. two negroes boys---- & Joe with one feather bed & furniture. I will to Betsey Cleveland dtr of John Cleveland decd. two negroes viz. Aquilla & Liza with one feather bed & furniture. I will to Patsey Cleveland dtr. of John Cleveland decd. Two negroes viz. Jane & Ned with one feather bed & furniture. I will to Beatey Franklin one negro fellow named Jack. I further give to my son Absalom my smith tools. The residue of my property to be sold and divided among the children of Absalom Cleveland. Except one iron gray stud horse called Talamachirs now in possession of Jesse Coffee, which horse I will to Jesse Coffee he being my friend & relation. My executors may sell old York & Dinah in whatever manner they think best that they may be taken care of. I appoint Absalom Cleveland, Jesse Coffee & Beatey Franklin my executors. Dated this 10 Sept. 1806. Signed Benjamin Cleveland Wit: Wm Hawkins, Daniel Cleveland, Nimrod Leather. Benjamin died on 15 October 1806 at the age of 68 in Tugalo Valley, Oconee, Co., SC and was buried at Cleveland Plantation Family Cemetery in Westminster, Oconee Co., SC.81 The following from New River Notes See http://www.ls.net/~newriver/nc/clevben.htm for the rest of the story: "Cleveland moved to South Carolina at the close of the Revolutionary War, where he died while sitting at the breakfast table, in October, 1806, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. Cleveland County in this State was named in his honor. He was buried in the forks of the Tugalo and Chauga, Oconee County, South Carolina, but his grave with a stone marking it is in the churchyard of New Hope Baptist Church, near Stauntion, Wilkes County, North Carolina, according to several recent statements of Col. J. H. Taylor, the father of Mrs. John Stansbury of Boone. However, some claim that this is Robert Cleveland's grave stone The Cleveland Plantation cemetery is also known as the Wilkerson Plantation cemetery. Benjamin's son Absalom and his wife are thought to be buried here as well as Mary Graves Cleveland. No stones have been found for these three family members." An article in the Keowee Courier, Pickens Court House, SC, dated Aug. 31, 1921, Page 8, reads: "Col. Benjamin Cleveland - Buried at Fort Madison; imposing monument erected by descendants." "Benjamin Cleveland was a Col. in the American Revolution. Eli Coffey and other Coffey men served under Col. Cleveland. Col. Cleveland was known as the 'Hero of the Battle of King's Mountain', and Cleveland Co., North Carolina was named for him. on July 28, 1887 many distinguished people attended the unveiling of a monument in his honor at Fort Madison, South Carolina. Cleveland was a close friend of Daniel Boone and was enticed by Boone's tales of the West to see the territory for himself. After the war he settled in the Tugalo River valley of South Carolina where he served as a judge for many years, along with Andrew Pickens for whom Pickens Co., Georgia was named. Marvin Coffey wrote that Benjamin was 'probably the oldest son', and that he 'spent some time in Pittsylvania co., VA where he became known as a mighty hunter.' The family moved to NC in about 1768, first to Surry Co (created from Rowan Co. in 1770), and settled on the upper Yadkin River in Wilkes Co." The following from New River Notes See http://www.ls.net/~newriver/nc/clevben.htm for the rest of the story: "Benjamin Cleveland was captured on the 22nd day of April, 1781, while on a visit to his tenant, Jesse Duncan, at the lower end of the Old Fields -- probably the very spot at which the late Nathan Waugh lived and died. Captain William Riddle was the leader of the gang which captured him, they having stolen his horses from Duncan's barn the night before and led them up south fork of New River into a laurel thicket just above the house then occupied by Joseph and Timothy Perkins, about one mile distant." A Biography, Deeds of Glory: A Biography of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, Vikki L. Jeanne Cleveland, can be found at: http://www.angelfire.com/il/ClevelandFamilyChron/ColBen.html See also Biographical History of North Carolina, 1906, Ashe, Samuel, pp69-72 See also Historical Sketches of Wilkes County, published Wilkesboro, NC, 1902, John Crouch From Kings Mountain Men; Gen. Pub. Co., Baltimore, 1977, p159, K. K. (Katherine Keogh) White: "Benjamin Cleveland was born in Prince William county, Virginia in 1738, married Mary Graves (from a wealthy influential family). At King's Mountain he commanded men from Surry and Wilkes county, NC." Larkin, a brother of Benjamin, was wounded at Loveday Shoals. Robert, also a brother, was captain of infantry at King's Mountain and died at Wilkes county in 1812. John Cleveland, son of Benjamin, was born in Virginia 1760; was Lt. under Shelby at attack on Augusta in 1780; led a company at King's Mountain as was in fight at Raft Swamp in 1781. He died on the Tugalo in 1810*. His son, Benjamin was a prominent citizen of Habersham county, GA. *John died before his father. He is referred to in Benjamin's 1806 will as "John Cleveland decd." Ezekiel was in the engagement at Kettle Creek, Wofford's Iron Works, Musgrove's Mill, Fishdam Ford, Lone Cane Creek and King's Mountain. For service at Augusta in 1780 he was given a grant of land from Georgia. His wife was Elizabeth Harmen. Their daughter, Nancy Cleveland, married William Henry Hardin, son of a Revolutionary War soldier. Benjamin Cleveland CLEVELAND, Benjamin, soldier, born on Bull Run, Prince William County, Virginia, 26 May, 1738; died in October, 1806. His education was very limited, and he became a hunter and led a shiftless life for several years. About 1769 he removed to the Upper Yadkin, in North Carolina, where he acquired a reputation for industry and good habits. Learning from Daniel Boone of the promising country of Kentucky, he formed a party and departed to visit that charming E1 Dorado; but, after passing Cumberland Gap, they were robbed by a band of Cherokee hunters, and returned to the settlements well nigh famished. Cleveland was made an ensign in 1775, and promoted to a captaincy the following year, serving against the Tories in the Wake Forest region, and in the autumn of that year he led his company in Rutherford's campaign against the Cherokees. In 1777 he served at Carter's Fort and the Long Island of Holston, in East Tennessee. In 1778 he was made a justice of the peace of the new county of Wilkes, and colonel of the militia. In June, 1780, he aided in driving the Tories, who had assembled at Ramsour's Mills. From the country; and next performed the great service of his life at the battle of King's Mountain. He was a terror to the Tories ; but once, in 1781, they got the better of him for a brief period, capturing and conveying him to the woods. They were soon overtaken, however, by Cleveland's friends, who routed the marauders and rescued their leader. He subsequently removed to the Ingals country, on the western border of South Carolina, where he became judge of the court. He grew to enormous proportions, reaching the weight of 450 pounds, and died in his chair. On 29 July, 1887, a monument to his memory was dedicated at Fort Madison, South Carolina. (From Virtual American Biographies found at http://www.famousamericans.net/benjamincleveland/) "Cleveland, Benjamin, born near Bull Run, in Orange county, Virginia, March 26, 1738, son of John Cleveland. He came of an old and fine English family, whose tract, named Cleveland, lay in North Riding of Yorkshire, England. His grandfather, Alexander, migrated to the famous Bull Run, Virginia. His father, John Cleveland, married Martha Coffee [sic]. Averse to farm work, Benjamin became a hunter for pelts, and was fond of horse-racing. He married Mary Graves, of a well-to-do family, and fought in the French and Indian was. About 1769 he removed with his wife's father to North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge, on Roaring Creek, an arm of the Yadkin, in Rowan, then Surry (now Wilkes) county, and later removed to "Round-About," fifteen miles below Wilkesboro. From Daniel Boone he learned of the Kentucky hunting grounds, and in 1771 went there, but the Cherokees drove him back without horses, and he ate dog meat to escape starving. When the revolution began in 1775, refusing to be ensign, he served in the militia. In February, 1776, as Capt. Cleveland, with riflemen he broke up the Highland Tories and did good service against them and the Indians. In 1777 he was active in forming the new Wilkes county, and in 1778 was head of the justices' commission, militia colonel, commissioner of confiscated estates, election superintendent, county ranger, or stray master, and member of the house of commons. In 1778-79 his regiment shared in the campaign in Georgia, and on his return he was elected state senator. In 1780 he fought tories constantly. His next service, now historic, as settling the revolution in the South in spite of English successes, was his vital part in the fateful victory of King's Mountain. The British had 1,103 men under Ferguson, and the Americans 923, mostly Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. The ground of the battle is 600 yards long, 250 wife at base, 60 to 120 wide on top, and 60 feet above the country level. The English held the eminence. The Americans were in two columns, two men deep on the right of the mountain, under Campbell and Servier, and two on the left under Cleveland and Shelby. Cleveland made a ringing appeal, and the attack was begun with yells. The battle rages all around the mountain; Cleveland's horse was disabled, but he fought on foot until remounted. Several times the Americans were forced down the ascent, only to rally and gamely retrace their steps. Ferguson tried to break through, but fell with eight wounds. The British finally surrendered, having lost 157 killed, 153 wounded and 706 prisoners, and over 1,200 arms. The Americans had 28 killed and 62 wounded. It was a complete victory, and crushed the English cause in the South. It withdrew the Carolinas from Tory domination, and was the forerunner of Cowpens, Guilford, Eutaw, Yorktown and Independence. For this, his greatest life service, Cleveland has been immortalized. One of Ferguson's war horses was assigned him by common consent, and he treasured a drum as a trophy. His riflemen became famous as "Cleveland's Heroes," "Cleveland's Bull Dogs," and by the tories as "Cleveland's Devils." He was called "Old Round About" and was noted for his warm heart, sound sense and firm will. Gov. Perry says he was a great man by nature. At the close of the war, losing his "Round-About" plantation, he moved to the Tugalo valley. He was many years judge in old Pendleton county. His weight increased to 450 pounds, and he died from dropsy, in his sixty-sixth year. The Clevelands have become illustrious. One of Ben's granddaughters married Senator Thomas J. Rush, and another Gov. C. J. McDonald of Georgia, and a great-niece, Judge Underwood of Rome, Georgia. His sister's son was Gov. Franklin, of North Carolina. His brother's son, Jerry, was a the patriarch of Greenville, and another, Jesse, of Spartanburg. North Carolina named a county after him, and a monument to the memory of him and the other heroes stands on the historic King's Mountain, consecrated by patriotic valor, while his family have erected one at Ben Cleveland, Oconee county, South Carolina. He died in Tugalo valley, Oconee, South Carolina, October, 1806." Benjamin Cleveland and Mary Graves82 were married circa 1761.83 Children are arranged here in same order as given in the Coffey book. Mary Graves was born in 1738 in Orange Co., VA. Mary died in South Carolina in 1800 and was buried at Cleveland Plantation Family Cemetery in Westminster, Oconee Co., SC in 1800 .84 Benjamin Cleveland and Mary Graves had the following children:
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