Peter B F Adams (1759 - 1845)

Born 11 Mar 1759 in Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 Jun 1845 at age 86 in Springfield, Washington, Kentucky, United States

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Biography

Private Peter Adams served with Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Peter Adams is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A000711.

Peter was born in Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. on March 11th, 1759. He served as a Private in Virginia with Captain Hays, Colonel Logan and General George Rogers Clark. His wife was Jerusha Barlow. His son Elisha Barlow Adams married Nancy Duncan Myers. His Pension Number: *S30814. ^[1]

Peter Beech Fork Adams. There is extensive source information available on Peter in his Revolutionary War Pension. ^[2]

He had a brother named John Adams Jr.

Upon the death of his father and mother, Peter Adams was “bound-out,” or apprenticed by the courts under a contract of indenture to a blacksmith who agreed to teach him the trade of blacksmithing and help him engage in a business for himself at the end of the apprenticeship. This contract was executed with the consent of his half-brother John Adams Jr.

Soon after Peter was bound to the blacksmith, his master was drafted into the Continental Army to fight the British and had to report for military service. Because of this, Peter was allowed to remain with his family and void out his contract.

His brother John offered him a horse and suit if he would work for him until his twenty-first birthday. Peter was reluctant to accept, so John offered to give him the horse if he would stay just one year instead. However, at the end of the year John refused to give him the horse, demanding additional time, and Peter left his home without compensation for his year of labor. ^[3]

Peter and his family were acquainted with one of Rowan County’s most famous residents—Daniel Boone. In 1773, Daniel Boone had led a group of immigrants to establish the first permanent settlement in Kentucky, and in 1775 blazed a trail known as the Wilderness Road leading to Kentucky, opening the way for further settlement. When the Revolutionary War broke out, the Indians living in Kentucky allied with the British, and war parties were sent out to raid the Kentucky settlements. In 1778, Boone was captured by Shawnees, and eventually adopted into the tribe. His wife and children, presuming him dead, returned to their home in North Carolina. Learning that the Shawnees intended to resume their attack on the Kentucky settlements, he escaped and warned the settlement, allowing them to mount a successful defense. He returned to North Carolina to reunite with his family in 1779.

In the autumn of 1779, Boone sold his North Carolina farm and made his last journey to Kentucky with a party of emigrants. Peter Adams, now 20 years old and unemployed, along with his uncle Jacob Hunter and cousin John Hunter, joined the expedition. Some of Abraham Lincoln’s ancestors are said to have also been present on this journey.

When they arrived in Kentucky, the war was still raging, so they settled at a new fortified settlement named Boone’s Station. Peter volunteered for the Kentucky militia under Captain Hays, Daniel Boone’s son-in-law, who was now serving under General George Rogers Clark. In 1780, his regiment launched a raid against the Shawnee Indians, fighting a significant battle at the Mad River. After defeating the enemy, they set about destroying their towns and cutting down their corn, after which they returned to Boone’s Station. During the remainder of the year he was sent out to various frontier stations on garrison duty.

In 1782 he was ordered to garrison duty at Bryant’s Station, which was besieged by Indians and British loyalists, but the siege was broken by reinforcing militiamen after three days. A force was quickly assembled to launch a counter-attack. The unit, led by Daniel Boone, went out in pursuit of the Indians but Peter did not join the expedition, saying that he could not procure a horse in time. This was fortunate for the young Peter, as the 182 militiamen who set out on the expedition were ambushed by 300 Indians and 50 British loyalists in the disastrous battle of the Blue Licks in which nearly half of the Kentucky militiamen were killed, including Daniel Boone’s son, Israel. Peter was sent out after the battle to help bury the dead. This was one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War.

A new campaign was formed to strike out into the Indian territory. Peter was part of Colonel Logan’s regiment, and Daniel Boone was also present. The army encountered no significant resistance during its march, and took 300 women and children prisoner, destroying the towns and crops of the Indians as they went. This was the last major military campaign of the Revolutionary War.

Following his return, Peter continued to serve in the militia throughout 1783, which was mostly peaceful (peace negotiations were underway with Great Britian) and left military service when the war concluded that September. ^[4]

After the war, life settled back into a more normal routine. The threat of Indian attack on the settlements had dissipated, and the settlers began to stretch out across the countryside, occupying choice farmland throughout Kentucky.

Peter married Jerusha Barlow, daughter of Christopher Barlow and Anna Barbara Moyer (both of German descent) on November 16, 1787 in Harrodsburg, Mercer County, Kentucky. Peter lacked any formal education. He joined the Salt Creek Baptist Church in Mercer County. ^[5] He and his wife settled on the banks of the Beech Fork river in Washington County, Kentucky, in 1795.

Adams family lore shares a story about his “Beech Fork” middle name. Apparently, when he settled in Washington County he was purchasing supplies in Springfield, where he had a credit account. Another man named Peter Adams had a credit account at the same store and this man left the area, and the merchant insisted that Peter pay this bill. Subsequently, until the time of his death, he used the title Peter “Beech Fork” Adams to distinguish himself from any other Peter Adams’ who might live in the area.

Peter joined the Hillsboro Baptist Church in 1817 and served this community as a lay preacher. He had a large family, including daughters Sarah “Sally” and Mary Adams.

Peter Beech Fork Adams died on the around 1852 in Washington County, Kentucky. His estate settlement dated 1852 ^[6] records Charles Baker, Thomas Llewellyn, and Sarah Janes—his sons-in-law and daughter, respectively—among his heirs. His estate inventory lists seven slaves, 83 hogs, 18 head of sheep, one bull, two heifers, two bay horses, and a wide variety of farming implements. He was buried in the Adams family cemetery, likely somewhere on his old property. His tombstone is probably still present, as it is mentioned in online gravesite databases, although a specific location isn’t given.

Sources

1. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 8 Dec 2023), "Record of Peter B F Adams", Ancestor # A000711.Meehan-411
2. ↑ A. W. Burns, Records of Revolutionary War Pensions of Soldiers who settled in Fayette County Kentucky, Washington DC, 1936.
3. ↑ T. Marie-Dunn, "Our Many Family Branches: Information about Peter Beech Fork Adams," [Online]. Available: He married Jerusha Barlow, daughter of Christopher Barlow and Anna Barbara Moyer on November 16, 1787.
4. ↑ A. W. Burns, Records of Revolutionary War Pensions of Soldiers who settled in Fayette County Kentucky, Washington DC, 1936.
5. ↑ T. Marie-Dunn, "Our Many Family Branches: Information about Peter Beech Fork Adams," [Online]
6. ↑ Washington County Probate Records, 1852.