JOSIAH HOARD BRANDON

Reverend Brandon was born in Burke County, North Carolina in 1761. Josiah, between fifteen and sixteen years old enlisted under Captain Samuel Davidson to fight the Cherokee Indians. He participated in the building of “Old Fort” and in 1779 joined in pursuit of Captain Cunningham serving in Captain Boykin’s Company of Light Horse Cavalry as a Private and Light Horseman. He served some three years total.

He enlisted again in 1780 to fight the Cherokees who had butchered the John Davidson family, close neighbor of the Brandon’s. During the battle at King’s Mountain Josiah’s father was killed and Josiah was captured, though released shortly afterwards by Major McDowell. Shortly after, he re-enlisted under Captain Boykin to march against Captain Cunningham who was marauding the settled areas of South Carolina near Ninety-Six.

Shortly after King’s Mountain Josiah married Rachel Brown, a childhood friend and neighbor and daughter of Thomas Brown, a noted Quaker in western North Carolina. She was fifteen when they married and lived to eighty years of age after giving birth to some fifteen children. Rachael died in 1847 in Lincoln County, Tennessee. They were married 8 March 1781 in Burke County, North Carolina.

Josiah became a Methodist minister and about 1805 moved to Lincoln County, Tennessee where he lived until his death in 1842. He and his wife are buried opposite his church, Brandon Chapel, near Lynchburg, Tennessee.

Josiah is my GGG Grandfather on my Father’s side. My Grandfather William Riddle married Cora Brandon in 1900 in Tennessee.

Submitted by: Frances L. Riddle Baker-Spuler