Arthur Middleton Belt (1788 - 1815)

Born 25 May 1788 in Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca (Gibson) Baskin — married 11 Aug 1807 in Wilson, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 4 Feb 1815 at age 26 in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

This profile is part of the Belt Name Study.

Arthur Middleton Belt was born on May 5, 1788 in the newly created Iredell County, North Carolina. He died from wounds he received in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812.

Parents: Benjamin Belt 1761 - 1836 and Sabina (Summers) Belt 1765 - 1830.

Spouse: Rebecca Gibson Belt Baskin 1789 - 1865.

Children:

1. Jeremiah Jacob "Jerry" Belt 1808 - 1899

• Married Mantania Jacobs 1810 - 1839
• Married Mary Davis Reed 1826 - 1902
• Findagrave #12935995 (pic. on page)

2. Dotson Belt 1810 - 1866

• Married Penelope Laster 1810 - 1863
• Findagrave #14242441

3. William Franklin Belt 1813 - 1870

• Married Matilda Campbell 1813 - 1875
• Findagrave #10850566

His sons, William and Dotson moved into Arkansas by the 1840's and spread many Belt's in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Middleton descended from Humphrey Belt, who arived in Jamestown Virginia in 1635.

Military Service

They took (he and other soldiers) took flat boats from Nashville TN, down the Mississippi to Baton Rouge, marched to New Orleans by December 26, 1815. They went to Rodriguez Canal to dig out and fortify mud ramparts behind the canals. NOTE: Middleton had already died December 4, 1815, so he did not take part of this portion of the war. They set the cannons on top of cotton bales to keep them from sinking in the mud after firing. They lined the men up in a line along the canal had them count off by 1-2-3 so that #1 would fire their rifles and step back to reload while #2 stepped up to fire etc., It was a wall of fire that the British were walking into Jackson had the band play Yankee Doodle during the entire battle.

Middleton Belt was in General Carrol's group. All the wounded were carried to a barrack. Jackson did not release his troops until 1815. The battle was fought on a sugar cane field. The canes had been cut so the stalks were 6 - 7" high. The British tied the stalks, placed them in front of them and were going to use them to fill the canal. Their ladders to go up the rampart and across the canal never arrived. 2000 British soldiers died in less than 2 hours. This battle was fought January 8, 1815.

Sources

• Arthur is buried at the Saint Louis Cemetery Number 1 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA. His page lists and has links to his parents, 1 sibling, spouse, 3 children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11038949/middleton-belt

• Pvt. Arthur Middleton Belt: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KLW5-TT2 Lists his parents, siblings, spouse, 3 children, 7 sources/notes

• 1790 Census: Iredell, North Carolina. Living with Father.

• 1800 Census: Iredell, North Carolina. Living with Father.

• Andrew Jackson & The Cowes Of The American Empire. 1767 - 1821. By Robert V. Remini. Note: Middleton Belt's trip to New Orleans and the Battle.

• Family Group Record for Arthur Middleton Belt. Lists his parents, spouse: http://genealogy.kathihill.com/Person/family_group/374379