Abraham Sheppard
American politician
Abraham Sheppard was a merchant-planter, sheriff, legislator, and officer during the American Revolutionary War from North Carolina. He lived in Dobbs County, North Carolina on a plantation called Contentnea.[1][2]
Civilian career
Abraham's ancestors were from Surry County, Virginia, where he may have been born. The date of his birth is not known for sure but could be about 1730. Abraham Sheppard was a merchant-planter and owned a plantation, Contentnea, in Dobbs County, North Carolina. He had at least three sons (Benjamin, Abraham Jr., and John), and four daughters, one of whom (Pherebe or Phoebe Sheppard) married Colonel James Glasgow, a fellow colonel in the North Carolina militia. Abraham became a widower with three small daughters by his first wife and married the sister of James Glasgow, Martha Jones Glasgow. They had a large family. Abraham died in or after 1790.[2][3]
His civilian career included the following offices:[1]
Military service
Sheppard served during the American Revolution:[4][2]
- 1777-1778, Dobbs County Regiment
- September 9, 1775, promoted to Colonel in the North Carolina Militia.
- November 23, 1776, Colonel/ Commandant of the newly created 1st Battalion of Volunteers, which was disbanded on 4/10/1777.
- April 17, 1777, Colonel/ Commandant of the 10th North Carolina Regiment
- June 1, 1778, retired from military service
His son, John Sheppard, served with him as a Captain, Major and Lieutenant Colonel in the Dobbs County regiment and as Major in the 10th North Carolina Regiment. He was given the command as colonel of the Wayne County Regiment established in 1779. His son Abraham Sheppard Jr. also served with him in the 10th North Carolina Regiment as a Captain.[5]
References
Bibliography
- Fred A. Berg, Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units (1972)
- John L. Cheney Jr., ed., North Carolina Government, 1585–1974 (1975).
- Walter Clark, ed., State Records of North Carolina, vols. 11–13, 16, 22 (1896–1907).
- Talmage Johnson and Charles R. Holloman, The Story of Kinston and Lenoir County (1954).
- Military Collections (North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh).
- Hugh F. Rankin, North Carolina Continentals (1971).
- Phillips Russell, North Carolina in the Revolutionary War (1965).
- William L. Saunders, ed., Colonial Records of North Carolina, vols. 8–10 (1890).
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