Chapter IV#

The British Are Coming (The Revolutionary War)#

As I begin writing this chapter, it is not known the name of the BERRY ancestor, if any, who fought to gain Independence for America from England.

To determine the name of the ancestor who did fight, if any did, we need to use the contents of two wills (given in Family Group Record) and conclude that Robert Berry was the Father of William C. Berry. It will also be easier to determine the Patriot if we conclude that Thomas Berry, listed on page 9, was our BERRY ancestor who came across the Atlantic Ocean in 1718, age 17. He was born in 1701 in England, or at any rate, The British Isles. He probably got married 1725-1730 and had children born until @1750-1760. (He died 1761) During this time (1730-1750) a son could be born who could become the Father of Robert Berry (1760-65). Robert Berry would become the Father of William C. Berry. The lineage could possibly look like this:

The original Thomas Berry, who immigrated from England in 1718, did not live until the Revolutionary War. His will indicates he died in 1761. It is very likely that he had one or more sons who did fight. His will indicates he had sons named James; Thomas, Jr; Benjamin; & William (deceased by 1761).

By the time the French & Indian War was over in 1763, England had become a great world power, but was badly in debt. The King & Parliament looked to the colonies for money to help pay these debts. The new policy adopted toward the colonies made them angry.

This policy included enforcing trade and shipping laws which made the colonist trade only with England and pay taxes on goods brought into or out of England and her colonies. Americans might not manufacture for export, goods being made in England. To avoid obeying these laws, the colonists smuggled goods from other countries and made many of the things they needed. To enforce these laws, Parliament sent troops to America and demanded that the colonists stand part of the expense of feeding and housing the soldiers.

The new policy also included direct taxes upon the Americans, such as a tax on tea, glass & paint. The colonists believed taxes should be set only by their own representatives. Since they had no representatives in Parliament, they argued that it was wrong for Parliament to tax them. Each time a new tax was put upon them, the colonists stopped buying British goods. The suffering merchants then persuaded Parliament to repeal the hated tax.

Finally, the King & Parliament decided they would listen no more to the colonists complaints that their rights as Englishmen were being taken away. Warships & troops were sent to America to enforce the British laws. The Americans rebelled and by 1775 had begun talk about being an independent part of the British Empire. (XIII; p.122)

…On the night of April 18, 1775, when about 800 British troops moved out of Boston toward Concord, two horsemen rode out of Boston, each in different directions. One was William Dawes, the other was Paul Revere; their mission, to arouse the countryside and warn the people of the British move.

The cry, “The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!” echoed through the night from door to door, from farm to farm…In the early dawn of April 19, the British marched into the village of Lexington…The reports of what happened next differ…A shot or shots rang out, whether American or British we shall…never know. The British charged. Then, leaving eight Americans dead and ten wounded, they marched on to Concord… (XIII; pp.125-127) The Revolutionary War began.

Fighting lasted for six years. Although the military operations began in New England, the British offensive headed South and the war was necessarily fought by a unification of soldiers from the Southern & Middle states as well. The war finally ended on 19 October, 1781, at Yorktown, Virginia, where General Cornwallis surrendered his British Army. In the Treaty of Paris, signed 3 September, 1783, England acknowledged the thirteen states as free & independent… (III; p.67)

The procedure used in constructing the following list of BERRY Patriots was to use information in a previous chapter as a basis. This writer personally believes that Thomas Berry, listed on page #9, to be the ancestor who immigrated from England to America. He landed in Carolina in 1718, and from all indications of William C. Berry & his Father Robert Berry, the Berry lineage stayed in North Carolina until William C. Berry came to Alabama in the mid 1830’s. It is assumed that Thomas’ son or grandson was born in and stayed in and fought in North Carolina. The following list gives only those BERRY’S from Carolina & Georgia as being possible sons or grandsons of Thomas Berry and the Father of Robert Berry:

• Enoch Berry — birth 11 December, 1763; death unknown; soldier in a North Carolina unit; married Barbara ______; pension app. #8128 submitted by widow; received bounty-land warrant app. #26820 for 160 acres
• Hudson Berry — born 10 September, 1752; died 13 January, 1840; soldier in North Carolina unit; married Sarah Anthony
• John Berry — born 1762, died 1817; private in a Georgia unit; married Mary Reisser
• John Berry — born 1759, died 13 February, 1833; soldier; did patriotic service in a North Carolina unit; married Francis Baird
• Robert Berry — birth & death unknown; soldier in North Carolina unit; married Nancy ______; pension app. #5795 submitted by widow
• Sanford Berry — birth & death unknown; soldier in a South Carolina unit; pension app. #1638 submitted by himself (III; pp.68-80)