Our American Family - Person Sheet
Our American Family - Person Sheet
NameWilliam Bassett HURT 26
Birth Date16 Sep 1757
Birth PlaceBedford County, Virginia
Death Date12 Nov 1842 Age: 85
Death PlaceAdair County, Kentucky
Burial PlaceWilliam Hurt Cemetery
OccupationRW Soldier, VA Continentals, 14th Regiment, Valley Forge,
FatherMoses HURT (~1718-<1806)
MotherRuth TURNER (~1732->1806)
Spouses
Birth Date?
Family ID4733
Marr Date17 Feb 1787
Marr PlaceMontgomery, Virginia
Notes for William Bassett HURT
In RW William fought in the battles at the Monmouth Courthouse and the Guilford Courthouse and at Valley Forge.

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William was born in Bedford County, Va. in 1757 and died in Adair County, Ky. in 1842. His wife was Sara Hurt in 1790. He was living in Green County, Ky. in 1800 according to the U.S. Census of that year. He was a Revolutionary War soldier. His will is said to be on record in Adair County, Ky. (415)
Children: William White
Children: Burgess William “Bird” White
Children: Amanda Melvina http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.hurt/1284.1/mb.ashx

Posted on Ancestry by DurkeeBurgoyne.

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Battle of Monmouth Courthouse

On a hot and humid June 28, 1778, General George Washington and his subordinate, General Charles Lee, attacked rearguard elements of General Sir Henry Clinton’s British Army.

Although the American army outnumbered its foe two-to-one and had undergone extensive training in the art of war during its winter encampment at Valley Forge, Lee, who launched the initial attack, lacked confidence in the ability of the Continental soldiers under his command. In failing to press his advantage, Lee ceded the initiative to his British counterpart, General Charles Lord Cornwallis, who commanded the rear elements of Clinton’s army.

What began as a promising opportunity devolved into a potential disaster. As Washington approached the fighting, he encountered panic stricken troops fleeing the enemy. Enraged, he galloped ahead of his wing, In an angry confrontation on the field of battle, Washington removed Lee from command.

Rallying what troops he had, Washington continued the assault on the Britsh. The commanding general’s delaying action gave time for the rest of the Continental Army to come up and join the battle.

Washington placed General Nathanael Greene’s division on the right and the division of General William Alexander, “Lord” Stirling, on the left. Lee’s men were turned over to the Marquis de Lafayette, who kept those troops in reserve. General “Mad” Anthony Wayne assumed command over other elements of Lee’s force and manned Lafayette’s front. Artillery was placed on both flanks, with the guns on the right positioned to rain enfilading fire on the British.

An American counterattack on the British right forced the Redcoats to fall back and reorganize. Cornwallis then led his men in attack on Greene’s division. Supported by artillery, Greene’s men stiffened their line and repulsed Cornwallis and his troops.

The fighting see-sawed back and forth under the brutal June sun for several hours. By 6:00 P.M., however, the British had had enough. While Wayne wanted to press the attack, Washington demurred, believing that his men were “beat out and with heat and fatigue.”

The British did not give Washington a chance to renew the fight in the morning, slipping away under the cover of darkness and resuming their withdrawal to New York City.

From https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/monmouth

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Battle of Guilford Courthouse

On March 15, 1781, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis’s army of 2,100 men engaged a Continental army under Major General Nathanael Greene at Guilford Court House, near present day Greensboro, North Carolina.

Adopting a tactic utitlized by Daniel Mogran at the Battle of Cowpens, Greene formed his roughly 4,500 men into three lines. The first line was held by North Carolina militia. In the second line Greene positioned militia from Virginia. Continental Regulars composed Greene’s third and most formidable line. The concept, known as a defense in depth, was for the first two lines to exhaust the enemy's advance and inflict as many casualties as possible in the hopes of delivering a decisive blow at the third line.

Forming his men on both sides of the Great Salisbury Road, Cornwallis sent his men forward at 1:30 p.m. When the British got within 150 yards of Greene’s men, the Americans opened fire. The British pressed on, returning fire only when they got within range. On command, the British surged forward. The North Carolinians fired one more time and then retreated into the woods to their rear, abandoning their equipment as they fled.

Cornwallis then encountered stiff resistance from the Virginians, positioned about 400 yards behind the first line. North of the road, the 23rd Regiment of Foot, the 2nd Guards Battalion and the Guards Grenadiers engaged militia under Robert Lawson. Below the thoroughfare, the 2nd Battalion, 71st Regiment and elements from the 2nd Guards engaged Edward Stevens. The Virginians put up a stiff fight but with British infantry engaging their left, center and right, they were forced to retreat. Although Cornwallis had punched through two lines of American infantry, the British ranks had lost cohesion. A disjointed advance now approached some of Greene's best units.

The first British unit to reach the third line was the 33rd Regiment. There, the regiment engaged Continentals from Virginia and Maryland and were driven back. The 2nd Guards, however, managed to turn the 2nd Maryland's right but were stopped in a counterattack by Lt. Colonel William Washington’s Light Dragoons and the 1st Maryland. With additional British infantry finally arriving on the scene from their fight on the second line, Greene prudently disengaged and withdrew.

Guilford Courthouse was a pyrrhic victory for Cornwallis. Despite besting the American army, he had lost 25% of his men and was in no position to pursue Greene. Cornwallis decided to withdraw to his supply base at Wilmington to rest and refit. With his army still not in condition to engage Greene by the middle of April, Cornwallis decided to shift his operations to Virginia, a decision that would contribute to the independence of the United States.

From: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-w...guilford-court-house

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(1) FHL# 0034425 item 13, Typescript of unpublished notes mostly concerning Hurts in Tidewater VA.
(2) Bedford Co. Will Book 3, pg. 121, Father's Will dated 1 Feb 1802, probated 28 Jul 1806.
(3) The Early Hurt Family of VA, Oscar H. Hurt, pgs. 91, 64, FHL# 854152-4.
(4) Revolutionary War Veteran, D.A.R. No. 131489.

(5) Jun 2001: Pedigree Resource File CD 15 submitted by Daniel G. Bowling, 54 Artillery Dr., Columbus, Georgia 31903-4124 phone: 706-685-1405 date submitted: 20 May 2000

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Early Hurt History
http://www.karenfurst.com/genealogy/hurt/earlyhurts2.htm
THE HURT FAMILY HISTORY
Copied from Rollin HURT's notebook written in the year of 1907 by him and loaned to Ruby TAYLOR in 1962 by Mrs. Ralph HURT.
(Ruby TAYLOR's notes are in ITALICS)

Many thanks to Carl Johnson byuguy@iamerica.net for this submission.

The family was originally of Welsh extraction and the name was originally spelled "Hurtte," instead of the HURT. My great-grand fathers name was Moses HURT and his wife's maiden name was TURNER. My grandfather was William HURT born in 1757 but it is not certainly known whether he was born in Virginia or Wales. I have been told that he spoke English with a brogue, which would seem to indicate that he was foreign born, though not necessarily so. At the first authentic history of him, he was residing in Bedford County, Virginia. He is the ancestor of all the HURTs who reside in this county. He enlisted as a soldier in the 14th Regiment of Virginia Continentals. He spent the winter at Valley Forge where his feet were severely frost-bitten and he did not entirely recover from the effects of his exposure there during his entire life.

Shortly after the Revolution ended he came out to Kentucky and resided in Bourbon County. On making a journey to his old home in Va. he spent a night or nights in the house of John FIELDS (Moths ate the rest of the first page.) -------- acquainted in this way, they very shortly thereafter married and she returned to Kentucky with him. John FIELDS, mentioned here, became in after years very prominent as a merchant in Columbia, Kentucky and was the father of Dr. Samuel B. FIELDS. Mrs. Sarah FIELDS, who married William HURT, was formerly a Miss WHITE and the sister of Capt. Thomas WHITE, who died at the place where Mr. Junius Willis now lives (Mack's father) (now Jack Smith's) WHITE was an old Revolutionary War Captain (------ moths-----) through John P, Anderson in fact. The deed which is of record in the Adair County Courts clerks office shows that he (William HURT) purchased at this time 540 acres of land for the sum of one hundred pounds and Anderson made acknowledgment of the deed before the Fayette County court. (------ moths -----) accounts kept by him and which I now have in my possession contain a long list of names of his customers and which names are not familiar in this County. He spells the word Kentucky, at that time, 1792, as follows viz.; "Cantucky." After he purchased the land above mentioned he came to live upon it bringing with him his stepson, John FIELDS, and two Negroes whose names were Thomas and Rebecca ------ moths ----- The first clearing made upon the farm was upon the hill between the lane and the bluff near the sinking branch and upon the right hand as you go from the Crocus road to the dwelling house. At this point, in the fall of the year 1793, my grandfather, with the assistance of John FIELDS and the Negro Thomas, cleared a patch of land and erected a cabin. In the winter of 1793 or 1794, my grandfather returned to Bourbon County to bring his family and his household effects, leaving John FIELDS and the Negroes to continue the work (account of Mrs. CASEY mending FIELD's britches). In the spring of 1794 my grandfather returned from Bourbon with his family and a cart drawn by a yoke of oxen. This was the first wheeled vehicle used or brought into the county and he was the first man to open and live on a farm unprotected by a stockade or blockhouse in Adair County. His only and nearest neighbor was Colonel William CASEY. His journey from Bourbon County was made by way of Greensburg, where at that time, there was a frontier fort. A party accompanied him as far as Greensburg to assist in opening the way for the cart, as well as to protect him from the Indians. At this point he was met by Captain John BUTLER, Champ FARRIS, Samuel WHITE and others who were then residents of Adair County and the persons accompanying him then turned back. When they camped for the night my grandfather told the men that in the bottom of the cart was several pieces of bacon and a keg of whiskey. The men had not tasted bacon in several years, they having lived during that time on wild meat of the forests, they unloaded the cart, drank the whiskey and ate the bacon without cooking it, so keen was their desire to again taste the food of civilized life. The result was that all became intoxicated and while in this conditions party of Indians falling upon them, killed FARRIS and dispersed the others. They escaped with difficulty and had a severe bout in driving the Indians off. The men then escorted HURT and family to their farm.

After this beginning settlers came fast and in a very few years a great many had come. Among those who came and resided near to him were Capt. Thomas WHITE, Jesse WHITE, John C. WHITE and Garnett CONOVER, the last named was then called Garnett GOVENHOFER.

In those early days, the buffaloes sometimes came up with his cattle (here was the story of Indians stealing his horses which we have in print). He seems to have been a very prosperous man and in a few years was the owner of twenty or more slaves ( ---moths --- ) He was a wheelwright, which in that time was a very lucrative employment. He was also a distiller of whiskey and brandy and I have a great many times seen the old stone walls of his distillery, which stood west of the dwelling house upon his farm about 250 yards from the house and just beside where the Crocus road was formerly located. An old neighbor of his in Bourbon County by the name of CONOVER apprenticed two of his sons to him that they might learn ( --- moths --- ) about the year 1802 or 1803, he removed to the town of Columbia, where he kept a hotel.
In the year 1810 William HURT built a grist mill upon Petitts Fork just below the Cedar Cliff. When I was a boy a small portion of the old dam still remained.

About the year 1803 or 04 he erected a dwelling house upon the site of the present dwelling house upon said farm. It stood where the kitchen and dining room is now located. It was a two story, house of logs, sealed and weather-boarded and had a cellar underneath ( --- moths--- ) planks were sawed out from the logs with whipsaws. My mothers uncle, Cyrus MONTGOMERY has told me that when he was a boy, this house was the talk of the neighborhood-being regarded as a very fine house. This house had a very large log kitchen, which according to the custom of the times, was situated some distance from the house, and between it and the spring. (My father recovered both of these buildings about 1867 or 1868) (--- moths---) The front of this house when first erected was to the West. Afterward when the-I Crocus road was changed to its present location, the front of the house was changed to the East and my father between 1850 and 60 erected the frame portion of said house. This farm was owned continuously by members of the family from the year 1793 until 1904.
At the time of my first recollection on the north side of the dwelling house and between it and the bluffs of the Sinking branch was an apple orchard of very large trees. All of these trees have long since disappeared.

The first cucumber known to have been grown in the neighborhood was grown near the spring in the Roper field upon said farm. My Uncle Alban HURT was then a small boy and had received very explicit directions not to pull the cucumber. Shortly, however, the cucumber was observed to be missing. Alban was suspicioned as being the thief, and being pressed confessed his guilt. He, however confidently relied upon escaping punishment, by insisting he had only been warned not to pull the cucumber and that he had not done so - that he had lain down and eaten it from the vine. My grandfather was a very partisan Democrat in politics and in the year, 1800, rode from his home to Greensburg, a distance of 20 miles, to cast his vote for the electors for Mr. JEFFERSON, in his first race for President.

In religion my grandfather was a Baptist, until the coming of the Church of the Disciples or Reformed Church, when in his old age he attached himself to this Church.

His first wife died in the year 1814 and in the year 1817 he married a second time. His second wife was Elizabeth MCMURRAY, who at the time of their marriage resided in Barren County where ( --- moths---) (account of settlement between Cyrus MONTGOMERY and William HURT we have this in print.) Fisticuff fights were the custom of that day. John C. WHITE, a neighbor, was a great and successful fighter and had never been bested by any one in the County. My grandfather sent to Virginia for Hugh DOUGLAS (a man of this name, married Mildred HURT, a daughter of William HURT. Probably the same man.) who was a renowned pugilist and offered him the sum of $500 which was a large sum of money at that time, if he would come out to Kentucky and whip WHITE. DOUGLAS came and he and my grandfather went to where WHITE was engaged with the other neighbors in building a house at the place where Richard DOHONEY now lives (on the hill).The challenge to fight was accepted and both men stripped to the waist. WHITE with his first blow knocked DOUGLAS to the ground but he recovered aria #a gave WHITE a severe beating. My grandfather then paid DOUGLAS the $500 and he returned to Virginia. It is related that when DOUGLAS fell at WHITE's first blow, my grandfather said, "Tutt, tutt you scoundrel, I will not pay you a cent."604

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Last Modified 25 Aug 2020Created 10 Feb 2024 using Reunion on a Macintosh


Created 10 Feb 2024.
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