My Patriot Ancestor
Last week we mentioned the hardships soldiers faced in the American Revolution and nowhere are those hardships more evident than in December of 1777 when George Washington moved the Continental Army to Valley Forge. The army camped at Valley Forge consisted of as many as 12,000 Continentals, as well as smaller numbers of African Americans and Native American soldiers. A number of women and children, including officers’ wives, were also present at Valley Forge, having joined their husbands or family members in the encampment. Soldiers worked together to build huts for shelter, but unsanitary conditions, and shortages of food, shoes, clothes and blankets contributed to the disease and exhaustion which continually plagued the camp.
Joshua Tasherway Tuggle fought in the Revolutionary War and was among the troops that spent the winter at Valley Forge. Tuggle is the Patriot Ancestor of DAR member Beth Wood Witt.
According to Virginia and Lewis Pedigo’s book, History of Patrick and Henry Counties, Virginia, written in 1933, “the Tuggles first emigrated to the colonies in 1614, only seven years after the founding of Jamestown Colony. The Tuggle men were listed as lawyers, planters, teachers, preachers and surveyors.” Joshua Tuggle and his cousins, father and son, John and Reverend Henry Tuggle arrived in Patrick County after the Revolutionary War. Joshua was in Captain Samuel Cabell’s Company of 6th Virginia Reg. of Foot, commanded by Lt. Col. James Hendricks. Lt. Col. and Deputy General, Samuel Cabell writes of Tuggle, “I do certify that Joshua Tuggle served as a soldier in the 6th and 19th Virginia Regiments from March 4, 1776 to November 23, 1779, during which time he acted as a brave, faithful and intrepid soldier,…”
Joshua married Elizabeth Pace at St James Northam Parish in Goochland County in 1780. They had at least twelve children. They lived in several counties of Virginia during their marriage: Fluvana, Louisa, and Albemarle. In 1807 they moved their family to Patrick County where they had purchased four hundred acres on Rock Castle Creek from his cousin Reverend Henry Tuggle. Elizabeth died “after 1810” and Joshua died in 1818. They are believed to be buried on what was the family’s property at the time in Patrick County.
Information for this article is from ”History of Patrick and Henry Counties, Virginia,” the Library of Virginia, DAR Records, Wikipedia and the authors’ records.
Everyone has a story. Let us help you tell yours. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. NSDAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization. Help researching and proving your lineage can be provided by the Colonel Abram Penn Chapter by contacting Ann Robertson McConnell at [email protected].
Members of the Colonel Abram Penn Chapter will be at the Patrick County Library each Thursday in August from 4 to 5 p.m. to help with genealogy searches.
