52 Ancestors: #32 - Angus RUCKER

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small has issued a challenge:  write one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor.  It can be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem – anything that focuses on one ancestor.

Angus RUCKER is my four times great-grandfather.  He was the oldest son of the eight children born to Ephraim and Margaret Vawter RUCKER about 1746 in Culpeper County, Virginia.    In 1770, at age 24, Angus married 15-year old Jane Allen.  Such an age difference was fairly typical of the time.

It was also typical for all able-bodied men to serve their community not just by paying taxes but also by keeping up the roads and helping to preserve order.  Angus was typical in that way too.  

In 1774, Angus served on the Committee of Safety for Culpeper.  Such committees, referred to as “shadow government” or “counter-government,” were established throughout the 13 colonies as anti-British sentiment spread and royal officials became unreliable.  Committees of Safety called for independence.  They eventually controlled the politics and militia in their communities. 

Statue of the Minuteman with plow and rifle

All tithables, in other words men age 16 and older, were required to serve in the militia.  While communities were expected to meet several times a year to train, militia were not issued uniforms or weapons.  Most provided their own muskets and wore their farm clothes.  So Angus put down his plow and picked up arms.  In fact, he was among the Minutemen, a group of well-trained militia who were the first to fight in the American Revolutionary War.  Minutemen were enlisted to form small companies of about 50 men who could move in a moment’s notice. 

In 1775 Angus enlisted in the Continental Army in Culpeper County, and in 1776 he was made Commissary to the Marines.  In that role he procured food and supplies.

In January 1777 Angus was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant under Captain John Nicholas and Colonel George Gibson.  After he raised his full quota of men, they marched to Williamsburg to join Col. Gibson’s Regiment.  They then marched to Pennsylvania to join General George Washington.   Angus had the dubious pleasure of saying he was at Valley Forge with George Washington.  Fortunately, Angus spent the summer there, so he missed that terrible winter when nearly 2500 men died from disease, starvation, and exposure. 

Between 1778 and 1779, Angus led commands in a number of camps in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.  How much fighting he saw, I don’t know, but he was paid for service in Middlebrook, Brunswick, Ramapo Clove, White Plains, West Point, and Philadelphia.

Chesterfield Court House that was once used
as a hospital during the Revolutionary War
"Chesterfield Historic Courthouse" by James Shelton32
Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons
Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

In 1780, Angus was made Captain and returned to Virginia.  When it was discovered that there were too many officers, he was declared a Supernumerary.  Ever the patriot, Angus took it well and vowed to serve his country in whatever capacity needed.

The next year he was called on to supervise the hospital in the converted courthouse in Chesterfield. Since his service records indicate he served there until the siege at Yorktown, it is likely Angus was right there in April of 1781 when the hospital was burned by British troops. 

Looking back on the life of Angus Rucker, I see my ancestor as an ordinary man doing a brave thing.  In his pension application of February 1830 are many letters from officers and soldiers who wrote eloquently about the “faithful and meritorious” service of Captain Rucker.

Angus Rucker died in 1836 and is buried in Madison County, Virginia.  The inscription on his tombstone reads

Departed this life on Sept. 21, 1836

in the 89th year of his age

an officer of the Revolution

and for many years

a soldier of the cross.

 THREE GENERATIONS:

Angus RUCKER ( 1746 Culpeper Co, VA - 21 Sep 1836 Madison Co, VA) & m1) Jane ALLEN (1755 – 1830 Madison Co, VA)  Abt. 1770  Culpeper Co, VA ; & m2) Mary Susannah GRAVES (02 Aug 1758 – ) 24 Aug 1806 Madison Co, VA

Angus and Jane had the following children:

1. Sarah Allen “Sallie” RUCKER ( 20 Jun 1782 Madison Co, VA – 31 Aug 1858 Fayette Co, IN) & William M. GAINES (Jan 1771 – 18 Nov 1836 Fayette Co, IN)  04 Oct 1804 Madison Co, VA

• Augustus B. GAINES ( 1805 Madison Co, VA – 23 Jul 1865 Holt, Clinton, MO)
• Henry Thomas GAINES ( 12 Sep 1810 Madison Co, VA – 20 Feb 1897 Shelby, IN) &  Matilda Willis CORNELIUS (03 Sep 1818 Boone, KY – 04 Dec 1900 Shelby, IN)  09 Aug 1836 Shelby, IN
• Mary Jane GAINES ( 20 Apr 1814 Boone Co, KY – 20 Jan 1894 Fayette Co, IN) & Benjamin F. CONNOR (17 Jul 1817 Boone, KY – 12 Oct 1910 Fayette, IN) 03 Oct 1837
• Richard George GAINES ( 20 Apr 1814 Boone Co, KY – 20 Jan 1883 Shelby, IN) & m1) Margaret Jane STRATTON 04 Sep 1837 Crawford, IL ; & m2) Sarah WOODWARD about 1842
• Benjamin A. GAINES ( 05 Sep 1821 Boone Co, KY – 1895 Vincennes, Knox, IN) &  Edna Ann CORNELIUS (1820 – 1878) 03 Aug 1845 Kentucky
• Susan GAINES ( 29 May 1823 – 1861) & John V. HACKLEMAN before 1846 Indiana 

2. Catherine RUCKER ( 27 Oct 1786 Madison Co, VA – After 1860 Madison Co, VA) & William EARLY (20 Oct 1773 Culpeper Co, VA – 25 Aug 1839 Madison Co, VA)  02 Feb 1804 Madison Co, VA

• William EARLY JR.
• Jane Rucker EARLY ( 1804 Virginia  – 1880 Texas ) & Brightberry GARTH (1799 –1880 Texas )
• Joseph A. EARLY ( 1805 Virginia – 1865 )
• Howard A. EARLY ( 1806 Virginia – After 1880 Owen, KY ) & Tabitha LEWIS (1809 Virginia – 1864 )
• Elizabeth S. EARLY ( 1811 Virginia – 24 Apr 1866 Madison Co, VA ) & William T. GARTH (1811 Madison Co, VA – 1863 Madison Co, VA ) 05 Dec 1835 Albemarle Co, VA 

3. Jane RUCKER  (About 1791 Madison Co, VA – After 1870 Boone Co, KY) & Elliott MINOR (About 1777 Madison Co, VA - After 1860 Boone Co, KY) 20 Sep 1808 Madison Co, VA

• George Allen MINOR ( 1809 Kentucky – After 1870 )  & Ann UNKNOWN (1820 Kentucky – )
• Margaret MINOR ( 1811 Kentucky – )
• John Rucker “Jack” MINOR ( 22 Feb 1814 Kentucky – 11 Mar 1886 Clinton Co, MO ) & Katherine Paulina NAVE  (1818 – 1913 Clinton Co, MO )  19 Nov 1842
• Owen MINOR ( 28 May 1816 Kentucky – 28 Feb 1885 Boone, KY  ) & Nancy NAVE (02 Nov 1815 – 28 Jun 1889 Boone, KY )  01 Dec 1844 Kentucky
• Dalton MINOR ( 20 Apr 1818 Kentucky – 30 Oct 1839 Boone Co, KY )
• Gabriel Oren MINOR ( 06 May 1820 Kentucky – 06 Jun 1881 Kentucky ) & Ann E. CASON (24 Oct 1838 Scott, KY – 19 Apr 1929 Harrison, KY)  24 Dec 1854 Harrison, KY
• William M. MINOR ( 30 Dec 1822 Kentucky – )
• James G. T. MINOR ( 10 Jul 1824 Kentucky –  )
• Julie Ann MINOR ( 28 Sep 1828 Kentucky – )
• Richard C. MINOR ( 28 Sep 1828 Kentucky – )
• Amanda Melvina MINOR ( 1831 Kentucky –  08 Nov 1905 Pettersburg, KY ) & Henry D. MALLORY (03 Sep 1825 Ohio – 24 Sep 1903 Kentucky )  14 Nov 1852 Boone, KY

4. Margaret RUCKER ( 1793 Madison Co, VA – 03 Aug 1888 Missouri ) & James BLAKEY (25 Dec 1794 Madison Co, VA – 30 Mar 1847 Madison Co, VA) 19 Nov 1813 Madison County, VA

• Angus Rucker BLAKEY ( 30 Sep 1816 in Madison Co, VA – 02 Feb 1896 ) & Jane Elizabeth JOHNSTON  ( 1812 – 1880 )
• Sarah Catherine BLAKEY ( 15 Apr 1819 Madison Co, VA – 30 Mar 1862 )
• Marcus Denison BLAKEY ( 28 Mar 1822 Madison Co, VA – 03 Jan 1873 Monroe, MO ) & Patsy Julia BUCKNER (19 Feb 1820 – 07 Nov 1870 Monroe, MO )
• Jane Allen BLAKEY ( 31 Mar 1829 Madison Co, VA – 21 Jan 1892 Louisville, KY ) & Alfred Dismukes ALLMOND 13 Jan 1848 Rockingham Co, VA

5. John Frank RUCKER ( 1794 Madison County, VA – 15 Dec 1839 Rockingham Co, VA) & Mary P. JARRELL (1791 Madison Co, VA – Sep 1871 Rockingham Co, VA) Feb 1816 Madison County, VA

• Sarah Jane RUCKER ( 11 Apr 1819 – 01 May 1897 Rockingham Co, VA ) & James H. FRAZIER ( 1824 – 03 Apr 1897 )  23 Dec 1838 Albemarle, VA
• Franklin RUCKER ( 1824 – 05 Nov 1880 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Sarah A. HERNDON ( 1832 Rockingham Co, Va – 19 Mar 1893 Rockingham Co, VA )  15 Sep 1851
• Onslow RUCKER ( 1826 – Dec 1851 )
• Angeline “Anna” RUCKER ( About 1827 – 23 Jul 1900 Rockingham Co, VA ) & Mickelberry ROACH ( About 1821 Greene Co, VA  – Oct 1893 Rockingham Co, VA )  31 Jan 1840 Rockingham Co, VA
• Eliza F. RUCKER ( 1829 Rockingham Co, VA – 08 Feb 1900 Beldor, Rockingham Co, VA ) & Asa Samuel BAUGHER (13 Feb 1819 Rockingham Co, VA –  24 May 1895 Rockingham Co, VA ) 11 Mar 1842 Rockingham Co, VA

6. George Allen RUCKER ( 1798 Madison Co, VA – Oct 1844 Saline Co, MO ) & Anne Marie VAWTER ( 1800 – 21 Sep 1844 Saline Co, MO)  07 Jul 1821 Madison Co, VA

• George Allen RUCKER JR. ( 1827 Madison Co, VA  – 18 Aug 1856 Saline, MO )
• Angus Alexander RUCKER ( 1829 Madison Co, VA  – 1865 Saline Co, MO ) & Leah White FRY (04 Jul 1828 – 30 Jul 1871 Saline, MO )  18 May 1848 Howard, MO
• John F. RUCKER ( 1831 Madison Co, VA  – 1867 Rocheport, Boone, MO ) & Jane COWDEN (14 Aug 1829 – 12 Feb 1912 Polk, MO )
• Anne Marie RUCKER ( 1833 Madison Co, VA – 1865 Saline, MO ) & Franklin Seldon ROBERTSON  (27 Mar 1828 Cumberland, KY –  10 Feb 1886 Saline, MO )  20 Sep 1853 Saline, MO

© 2014, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.