October 10, 1829, John’s age was reported as 77 years old, in which case he was born between October 10, 1751, and October 9, 1752. There are no surviving documents the clearly identify his parents, but DNA evidence shows he must be the son of Freeman Runyon and Mary Stout (because his descendants share DNA segments with descendants of the various ancestors of both Freeman and Mary.)
It is said he was born in Somerset County, New Jersey, and the 1753 New Jersey census records his father Freeman Runyon living in that location. His father is mentioned in 1756 as a resident of Somerset County’s Hillsborough Township and is noted for returning stray animals to their owners. As a young man John moved to Virginia, where he met Susannah Stanton. They were married around 1772 and established their home in Bedford County, which was in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Three children were born to them there: Mary (1773), Elizabeth (1774), and Joseph (1776).
Around 1779, John joined the war for American Independence by enlisting in the “provisional” 2nd Virginia regiment of the Continental Army, known as “Lynch’s Regiment,” after its commanding colonel, Judge Charles Lynch, who is also the source of the terms “lynching” and “lynch law.” . He did not leave his family alone on the frontier but arranged for his wife’s sister Nancy (Stanton) Shepherd to stay with them, along with her newlywed husband Thomas Shepherd. Thomas had younger sisters Mary and Elizabeth Shepherd, born 1773 and 1774, who were later married to John’s oldest son Joseph. During John’s two years of military service, the Bedford County council provided Susannah’s family with grain.
John’s regiment was stationed at Charleston and participated in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah from September 16 to October 18, 1779. On April 1, 1780, the British laid siege to Charleston, and the American forces surrendered on May 12, being the greatest American loss of the war, but John’s regiment was outside the city at the time. Later his regiment participated in the siege of Yorktown, beginning September 28, 1781, ending with the British surrender on October 19, 1781. Afterwards John was discharged and came home to his family.
At the start of the war, Thomas Shepherd’s parents and siblings had moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina, where his father John Shepherd had been a supplier for the war effort. Now that the war was over, both the Thomas Shepherd and John Runnion families moved to Wilkes County. Among other things this enabled their wives, the sisters Nancy and Susannah (Stanton), to stay together.
In Wilkes County John and Susannah had six more children: Thomas (abt 1784), Abraham (abt 1788), Nancy (abt 1790), unknown daughter, Margaret (abt 1793), and James (abt 1794, in Wilkesboro), who became a Baptist minister. In 1795 John and Susannah moved to Buncombe County, as indicated in records there from that date on, including the 1810 census.
In 1808 the western part of Buncombe County was split off as Haywood County (including what is now Macon County). Some of their children were living in Haywood County, and John and Susannah later moved there. Presumably Runyon Creek is named after them or one of their children. It runs down from “Runyon Ridge” near the Tennessee border, past “Runyon Gap” and into the Pigeon River, at mile 2.5 on Interstate 40. Currently this location is part of the Pisgah National Forest. (See Google terrain map.)
On October 10, 1829, John applied in in Haywood County for a pension, based on his service in the Revolutionary War. This testimony was recorded in the court record:
“On this tenth day of October 1829 personally appeared in open court, being a court of record for said County of Haywood in the sixth judicial district of North Carolina, John Runyan, aged seventy seven years, and being a resident of said Haywood County, who first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary war, that he was enlisted by Captain Thomas Arthur for eighteen months, that he belonged, and was attached to the 24th [a misreading of 2nd] Regiment of the Virginia Continental Line, that he rendezvoused at Petersburgh, and while there, his Colonel was Colonel Alexander Parker, and his Captain was Thomas Arthur, that he was at the siege of Savannah and at the battle of Little York, and was regularly discharged at the close of the war at Petersburg by General Mulenburg … and by the affirmation and oath of Thomas Shepard and Nancy Shepard, who remained with his family while he was absent in the service of the United Confederated States, that he is incapable of supporting himself, that he has no family with him but his wife, his children having married and gone off in different parts of the United States, that some are still remaining in this county and that he lives first with one and then another, that he has no property of any account, not even of the value of ten dollars, saving his wearing apparel, and his bed and furniture.”
This testimony was affirmed under oath by both John “Runyan” (as spelled in the document) and by Thomas “Shepard” and was accepted by the court. However, there is no record in Washington, DC, of the pension application being processed, so it is generally presumed that John and Susannah died in Haywood County soon after this application was made. After all, they were quite old for people of those days, when there were few medical options. On the other hand, pension records for the Revolutionary War are incomplete, and few records remain for soldiers of John’s regiment, so it could be possible that John and Susannah lived on for a while in the home of one of their children. In the 1830 census, their daughter Elizabeth Keith and son James Runnion were both living in Buncombe County, but John and Susannah were not counted as living with them, nor were they living with their son Joseph in Tennessee. On the other hand, their daughters Nancy Robinson and Margaret Banks were evidently living nearby in Madison County, while their sons Thomas and Abraham were evidently living in Tennessee and Virginia, and none of these families have been found in the 1830 census. So there remains a small possibility that John and Susannah lived past 1829 in the home of one of these children.
It is said he was born in Somerset County, New Jersey, and the 1753 New Jersey census records his father Freeman Runyon living in that location. His father is mentioned in 1756 as a resident of Somerset County’s Hillsborough Township and is noted for returning stray animals to their owners. As a young man John moved to Virginia, where he met Susannah Stanton. They were married around 1772 and established their home in Bedford County, which was in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Three children were born to them there: Mary (1773), Elizabeth (1774), and Joseph (1776).
Around 1779, John joined the war for American Independence by enlisting in the “provisional” 2nd Virginia regiment of the Continental Army, known as “Lynch’s Regiment,” after its commanding colonel, Judge Charles Lynch, who is also the source of the terms “lynching” and “lynch law.” . He did not leave his family alone on the frontier but arranged for his wife’s sister Nancy (Stanton) Shepherd to stay with them, along with her newlywed husband Thomas Shepherd. Thomas had younger sisters Mary and Elizabeth Shepherd, born 1773 and 1774, who were later married to John’s oldest son Joseph. During John’s two years of military service, the Bedford County council provided Susannah’s family with grain.
John’s regiment was stationed at Charleston and participated in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah from September 16 to October 18, 1779. On April 1, 1780, the British laid siege to Charleston, and the American forces surrendered on May 12, being the greatest American loss of the war, but John’s regiment was outside the city at the time. Later his regiment participated in the siege of Yorktown, beginning September 28, 1781, ending with the British surrender on October 19, 1781. Afterwards John was discharged and came home to his family.
At the start of the war, Thomas Shepherd’s parents and siblings had moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina, where his father John Shepherd had been a supplier for the war effort. Now that the war was over, both the Thomas Shepherd and John Runnion families moved to Wilkes County. Among other things this enabled their wives, the sisters Nancy and Susannah (Stanton), to stay together.
In Wilkes County John and Susannah had six more children: Thomas (abt 1784), Abraham (abt 1788), Nancy (abt 1790), unknown daughter, Margaret (abt 1793), and James (abt 1794, in Wilkesboro), who became a Baptist minister. In 1795 John and Susannah moved to Buncombe County, as indicated in records there from that date on, including the 1810 census.
In 1808 the western part of Buncombe County was split off as Haywood County (including what is now Macon County). Some of their children were living in Haywood County, and John and Susannah later moved there. Presumably Runyon Creek is named after them or one of their children. It runs down from “Runyon Ridge” near the Tennessee border, past “Runyon Gap” and into the Pigeon River, at mile 2.5 on Interstate 40. Currently this location is part of the Pisgah National Forest. (See Google terrain map.)
On October 10, 1829, John applied in in Haywood County for a pension, based on his service in the Revolutionary War. This testimony was recorded in the court record:
“On this tenth day of October 1829 personally appeared in open court, being a court of record for said County of Haywood in the sixth judicial district of North Carolina, John Runyan, aged seventy seven years, and being a resident of said Haywood County, who first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary war, that he was enlisted by Captain Thomas Arthur for eighteen months, that he belonged, and was attached to the 24th [a misreading of 2nd] Regiment of the Virginia Continental Line, that he rendezvoused at Petersburgh, and while there, his Colonel was Colonel Alexander Parker, and his Captain was Thomas Arthur, that he was at the siege of Savannah and at the battle of Little York, and was regularly discharged at the close of the war at Petersburg by General Mulenburg … and by the affirmation and oath of Thomas Shepard and Nancy Shepard, who remained with his family while he was absent in the service of the United Confederated States, that he is incapable of supporting himself, that he has no family with him but his wife, his children having married and gone off in different parts of the United States, that some are still remaining in this county and that he lives first with one and then another, that he has no property of any account, not even of the value of ten dollars, saving his wearing apparel, and his bed and furniture.”
This testimony was affirmed under oath by both John “Runyan” (as spelled in the document) and by Thomas “Shepard” and was accepted by the court. However, there is no record in Washington, DC, of the pension application being processed, so it is generally presumed that John and Susannah died in Haywood County soon after this application was made. After all, they were quite old for people of those days, when there were few medical options. On the other hand, pension records for the Revolutionary War are incomplete, and few records remain for soldiers of John’s regiment, so it could be possible that John and Susannah lived on for a while in the home of one of their children. In the 1830 census, their daughter Elizabeth Keith and son James Runnion were both living in Buncombe County, but John and Susannah were not counted as living with them, nor were they living with their son Joseph in Tennessee. On the other hand, their daughters Nancy Robinson and Margaret Banks were evidently living nearby in Madison County, while their sons Thomas and Abraham were evidently living in Tennessee and Virginia, and none of these families have been found in the 1830 census. So there remains a small possibility that John and Susannah lived past 1829 in the home of one of these children.
October 10, 1829, John’s age was reported as 77 years old, in which case he was born between October 10, 1751, and October 9, 1752. There are no surviving documents the clearly identify his parents, but DNA evidence shows he must be the son of Freeman Runyon and Mary Stout (because his descendants share DNA segments with descendants of the various ancestors of both Freeman and Mary.)
It is said he was born in Somerset County, New Jersey, and the 1753 New Jersey census records his father Freeman Runyon living in that location. His father is mentioned in 1756 as a resident of Somerset County’s Hillsborough Township and is noted for returning stray animals to their owners. As a young man John moved to Virginia, where he met Susannah Stanton. They were married around 1772 and established their home in Bedford County, which was in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Three children were born to them there: Mary (1773), Elizabeth (1774), and Joseph (1776).
Around 1779, John joined the war for American Independence by enlisting in the “provisional” 2nd Virginia regiment of the Continental Army, known as “Lynch’s Regiment,” after its commanding colonel, Judge Charles Lynch, who is also the source of the terms “lynching” and “lynch law.” . He did not leave his family alone on the frontier but arranged for his wife’s sister Nancy (Stanton) Shepherd to stay with them, along with her newlywed husband Thomas Shepherd. Thomas had younger sisters Mary and Elizabeth Shepherd, born 1773 and 1774, who were later married to John’s oldest son Joseph. During John’s two years of military service, the Bedford County council provided Susannah’s family with grain.
John’s regiment was stationed at Charleston and participated in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah from September 16 to October 18, 1779. On April 1, 1780, the British laid siege to Charleston, and the American forces surrendered on May 12, being the greatest American loss of the war, but John’s regiment was outside the city at the time. Later his regiment participated in the siege of Yorktown, beginning September 28, 1781, ending with the British surrender on October 19, 1781. Afterwards John was discharged and came home to his family.
At the start of the war, Thomas Shepherd’s parents and siblings had moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina, where his father John Shepherd had been a supplier for the war effort. Now that the war was over, both the Thomas Shepherd and John Runnion families moved to Wilkes County. Among other things this enabled their wives, the sisters Nancy and Susannah (Stanton), to stay together.
In Wilkes County John and Susannah had six more children: Thomas (abt 1784), Abraham (abt 1788), Nancy (abt 1790), unknown daughter, Margaret (abt 1793), and James (abt 1794, in Wilkesboro), who became a Baptist minister. In 1795 John and Susannah moved to Buncombe County, as indicated in records there from that date on, including the 1810 census.
In 1808 the western part of Buncombe County was split off as Haywood County (including what is now Macon County). Some of their children were living in Haywood County, and John and Susannah later moved there. Presumably Runyon Creek is named after them or one of their children. It runs down from “Runyon Ridge” near the Tennessee border, past “Runyon Gap” and into the Pigeon River, at mile 2.5 on Interstate 40. Currently this location is part of the Pisgah National Forest. (See Google terrain map.)
On October 10, 1829, John applied in in Haywood County for a pension, based on his service in the Revolutionary War. This testimony was recorded in the court record:
“On this tenth day of October 1829 personally appeared in open court, being a court of record for said County of Haywood in the sixth judicial district of North Carolina, John Runyan, aged seventy seven years, and being a resident of said Haywood County, who first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary war, that he was enlisted by Captain Thomas Arthur for eighteen months, that he belonged, and was attached to the 24th [a misreading of 2nd] Regiment of the Virginia Continental Line, that he rendezvoused at Petersburgh, and while there, his Colonel was Colonel Alexander Parker, and his Captain was Thomas Arthur, that he was at the siege of Savannah and at the battle of Little York, and was regularly discharged at the close of the war at Petersburg by General Mulenburg … and by the affirmation and oath of Thomas Shepard and Nancy Shepard, who remained with his family while he was absent in the service of the United Confederated States, that he is incapable of supporting himself, that he has no family with him but his wife, his children having married and gone off in different parts of the United States, that some are still remaining in this county and that he lives first with one and then another, that he has no property of any account, not even of the value of ten dollars, saving his wearing apparel, and his bed and furniture.”
This testimony was affirmed under oath by both John “Runyan” (as spelled in the document) and by Thomas “Shepard” and was accepted by the court. However, there is no record in Washington, DC, of the pension application being processed, so it is generally presumed that John and Susannah died in Haywood County soon after this application was made. After all, they were quite old for people of those days, when there were few medical options. On the other hand, pension records for the Revolutionary War are incomplete, and few records remain for soldiers of John’s regiment, so it could be possible that John and Susannah lived on for a while in the home of one of their children. In the 1830 census, their daughter Elizabeth Keith and son James Runnion were both living in Buncombe County, but John and Susannah were not counted as living with them, nor were they living with their son Joseph in Tennessee. On the other hand, their daughters Nancy Robinson and Margaret Banks were evidently living nearby in Madison County, while their sons Thomas and Abraham were evidently living in Tennessee and Virginia, and none of these families have been found in the 1830 census. So there remains a small possibility that John and Susannah lived past 1829 in the home of one of these children.
It is said he was born in Somerset County, New Jersey, and the 1753 New Jersey census records his father Freeman Runyon living in that location. His father is mentioned in 1756 as a resident of Somerset County’s Hillsborough Township and is noted for returning stray animals to their owners. As a young man John moved to Virginia, where he met Susannah Stanton. They were married around 1772 and established their home in Bedford County, which was in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Three children were born to them there: Mary (1773), Elizabeth (1774), and Joseph (1776).
Around 1779, John joined the war for American Independence by enlisting in the “provisional” 2nd Virginia regiment of the Continental Army, known as “Lynch’s Regiment,” after its commanding colonel, Judge Charles Lynch, who is also the source of the terms “lynching” and “lynch law.” . He did not leave his family alone on the frontier but arranged for his wife’s sister Nancy (Stanton) Shepherd to stay with them, along with her newlywed husband Thomas Shepherd. Thomas had younger sisters Mary and Elizabeth Shepherd, born 1773 and 1774, who were later married to John’s oldest son Joseph. During John’s two years of military service, the Bedford County council provided Susannah’s family with grain.
John’s regiment was stationed at Charleston and participated in the unsuccessful siege of Savannah from September 16 to October 18, 1779. On April 1, 1780, the British laid siege to Charleston, and the American forces surrendered on May 12, being the greatest American loss of the war, but John’s regiment was outside the city at the time. Later his regiment participated in the siege of Yorktown, beginning September 28, 1781, ending with the British surrender on October 19, 1781. Afterwards John was discharged and came home to his family.
At the start of the war, Thomas Shepherd’s parents and siblings had moved to Wilkes County, North Carolina, where his father John Shepherd had been a supplier for the war effort. Now that the war was over, both the Thomas Shepherd and John Runnion families moved to Wilkes County. Among other things this enabled their wives, the sisters Nancy and Susannah (Stanton), to stay together.
In Wilkes County John and Susannah had six more children: Thomas (abt 1784), Abraham (abt 1788), Nancy (abt 1790), unknown daughter, Margaret (abt 1793), and James (abt 1794, in Wilkesboro), who became a Baptist minister. In 1795 John and Susannah moved to Buncombe County, as indicated in records there from that date on, including the 1810 census.
In 1808 the western part of Buncombe County was split off as Haywood County (including what is now Macon County). Some of their children were living in Haywood County, and John and Susannah later moved there. Presumably Runyon Creek is named after them or one of their children. It runs down from “Runyon Ridge” near the Tennessee border, past “Runyon Gap” and into the Pigeon River, at mile 2.5 on Interstate 40. Currently this location is part of the Pisgah National Forest. (See Google terrain map.)
On October 10, 1829, John applied in in Haywood County for a pension, based on his service in the Revolutionary War. This testimony was recorded in the court record:
“On this tenth day of October 1829 personally appeared in open court, being a court of record for said County of Haywood in the sixth judicial district of North Carolina, John Runyan, aged seventy seven years, and being a resident of said Haywood County, who first duly sworn according to law, doth on his oath declare that he served in the Revolutionary war, that he was enlisted by Captain Thomas Arthur for eighteen months, that he belonged, and was attached to the 24th [a misreading of 2nd] Regiment of the Virginia Continental Line, that he rendezvoused at Petersburgh, and while there, his Colonel was Colonel Alexander Parker, and his Captain was Thomas Arthur, that he was at the siege of Savannah and at the battle of Little York, and was regularly discharged at the close of the war at Petersburg by General Mulenburg … and by the affirmation and oath of Thomas Shepard and Nancy Shepard, who remained with his family while he was absent in the service of the United Confederated States, that he is incapable of supporting himself, that he has no family with him but his wife, his children having married and gone off in different parts of the United States, that some are still remaining in this county and that he lives first with one and then another, that he has no property of any account, not even of the value of ten dollars, saving his wearing apparel, and his bed and furniture.”
This testimony was affirmed under oath by both John “Runyan” (as spelled in the document) and by Thomas “Shepard” and was accepted by the court. However, there is no record in Washington, DC, of the pension application being processed, so it is generally presumed that John and Susannah died in Haywood County soon after this application was made. After all, they were quite old for people of those days, when there were few medical options. On the other hand, pension records for the Revolutionary War are incomplete, and few records remain for soldiers of John’s regiment, so it could be possible that John and Susannah lived on for a while in the home of one of their children. In the 1830 census, their daughter Elizabeth Keith and son James Runnion were both living in Buncombe County, but John and Susannah were not counted as living with them, nor were they living with their son Joseph in Tennessee. On the other hand, their daughters Nancy Robinson and Margaret Banks were evidently living nearby in Madison County, while their sons Thomas and Abraham were evidently living in Tennessee and Virginia, and none of these families have been found in the 1830 census. So there remains a small possibility that John and Susannah lived past 1829 in the home of one of these children.
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