BIOGRAPHY: John Johnston Webster born 1743 Revolutionary War Soldier

BIOGRAPHY and GENEALOGY

Revolutionary War Soldier

(1743 Virginia d. 1839 Alabama)

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

John Webster was born in Caroline county, Virginia., in 1743. Early in the struggle for independence he enlisted in the Continental army and served under General Washington He was with the American army at Yorktown, and witnessed the surrender, of Cornwallis. In 1817 he came to Alabama and during the last ten years of his life he lived in Tuscaloosa with his son, John J. Webster. He died in Tuscaloosa, September 6, 1839, in the 97th year of his age.—(See Tuscaloosa Flag of the Union, September 14, 1839)

It is shown by the records in Washington, D. C., that one John Webster served as a private in Captain Alexander S. Dandrige’s troop, 1st regiment of Light Dragoons, commanded by Colonel Bland Continental troops, Revolutionary War. He was “appointed” July 20, 1777, to serve until December 1, 1778, and his name last appears on a pay roll for the month of November 1778. It is also shown by the records that one John Webster served as a private in Captain Thomas Pry’s company in a regiment of foot commanded by Colonel Moses Hazen, Continental troops, Revolutionary War. He enlisted April 16, 1777, to serve during the war; joined the company June 17, 1777, and his name last appears on an account covering the period from June 1 to July 31, 1779.

It is further shown by the records that one John Webster served as a carpenter in Captain Low’s company, Corps of Artificers, Continental troops, Revolutionary War. He enlisted April 3, 1777, to serve to January 1, 1778, and his name last appears as that of a clerk on the roll for the period from August 3 to November 27, 1778, with remark, “Appointed September 1, 1778.” It is hardly probable that these are one and the same individual.

John Webster’s son, John Johnston Webster was born ca. 1796 in Virginia. John J. Webster was a trustee at the Alabama Female Institute in Tuscaloosa in 1833.ⁱ He was an architect and moved to Leigh, Texas, around 1840 (then the Republic of Texas) with his wife Miriam (Brown) Webster and their children. He built Mimosa Hall in 1844. It was the first brick house in Harrison County, sitting on 7000 acres of land. All the bricks were made on the plantation, and the lumber was cut on the property by the slaves. The plantation was primarily used for planting. The family cemetery was on the property adjoining the house. The original family were buried there and the cemetery is still maintained by descendants. Today, the house sits in the middle of 150 acres and is a private residence on the National Register of Historic Places, along with its sister home in nearby Karnack, Texas, which was the birthplace of Lady Bird Johnson.ⁱⁱ Webster’s son-in-law, Rev. George F. Heard, became the first person to be buried in the cemetery at Mimosa Hall Plantation. He was followed by Mrs. Miriam (Brown) Webster. Other notable graves include those of the Rev. William Moore Steele and five Webster slaves or ex-slaves.

John Johnston Webster had at least one known daughter, Jane E. Webster born 1826 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She married William W. Buckley oct 15, 1838 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They moved to Mobile, Alabama by 1850 where Jane died in Feb. 20, 1866. William W. Buckley was a Steamship Captain born probably in New York and died August 31, 1865 on Lake Ponchartrain, Louisiana, USA. He had a brother names Horace Buckley.

William and Jane E. (Webster) Buckley had the following children:

1.Virginia R. Buckley (1844-1940)

2.Horace B. Buckley (1848-UNK)

3.John T. Smith Buckley (1850-1924)

4.George W. Buckley (1853)

5.Franklin Ross Buckley (1855-1890)

6.Archy D. Buckley (1858-1859)

7. InfantBuckley (1860)

8.Infant Buckley (1861)

9.Infant Buckley (1862)

10.Infant Buckley (1863)

SOURCES

1. Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Alabama By Annie R. White Mell

2. History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography  By Thomas McAdory Owen, Marie Bankhead Owen

3. Wikipedia – Mimosa Hall