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Daniel E. Witherington War of 1812 Soldier - Private - Lousiana Militia

 

 

Daniel E. Witherington

 

Daniel E. Witherington was born July 5, 1795 in Darlington District, South Carolina. He was the eldest son of Ensign William Witherington, Jr. and Sarah ‘Sally’ Standley, whose graves were honored earlier today at Ward-Witherington Cemetery. Daniel had migrated from Darlington to Feliciana Parish with his parents as a youth about 1810.

 

Daniel Witherington served as a Private in the Louisiana State Militia and was at the ‘Battle of New Orleans’ with General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812. A report from the office of Third Auditor, Dept. of the Treasury shows that he enlisted on Dec. 25, 1814 and served to March 22, 1815 as a private in Captain John Bill's Infantry Company, 10th Regiment of Louisiana Militia.

 

Daniel migrated from Feliciana Parish, LA to the Fork Sepulga area of Conecuh County in 1819, at the age of twenty-four, along with his parents.

 

Here, he married Melissa King, the daughter of William and Elizabeth King, on January 28, 1825. Ten children were a result of their 35 year marriage. Melissa’s grave lies here beside the grave of Daniel.

 

Daniel Witherington's first land acquisition was recorded on October 10, 1840 in Section 22, here in Conecuh County. The recorded land document bears the signature of Martin Van Buren, President of the United States.

 

Daniel died of a heart attack at the age of 65 on August 20, 1860 here in Conecuh County.  He was the first burial here at Witherington Cemetery, at the site that he had earlier selected for himself.

 

Daniel’s obit appearing in an 1860 newspaper article, which was found in an early family bible, reads:

 

 

"DANIEL WITHERINGTON died very suddenly at his residence in Conecuh County, Alabama. Mr. Witherington was a soldier under General Jackson and he helped to gain the noble victory at the Battle of New Orleans. He was one of the first settlers of Conecuh County, and was much respected by all who knew him; but the Angel of Death visited him while he was slumbering, in his usual health, and carried him away from time to eternity, without even a struggle. So an old soldier, a good citizen, a kind husband and an affectionate father is no more.”

 

 

Later, his widow, Melissa King Witherington, stated in a widow’s pension application that he enlisted in Feliciana Parish and was discharged at New Orleans.  It was not stated that the veteran was wounded. Pension for the widow, Melissa King Witherington, was approved on May 21, 1879 at the rate of $8 per month.

 

A large number of the descendants and friends of the family are here today to honor the military service of Daniel E. Witherington and to share this dedication of the graves of both Daniel and his beloved wife, Melissa King Witherington.

 

 

Source: This is from the dedication of the Ward-Witherington Cemetery in Conecuh Co., Alabama in November 2005. It was supplied by Bill King, a decendent of the Witherington family.

 

 

 

Relationships to Daniel E. Witherington and Melissa King Witherington

 

 

Submitted by Bill King

 

 

Early 1850 Land Records of Conecuh County, AL

War of 1812 Bounty Land Patents

Daniel E. Witherington

 

 

UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
GENERAL LAND OFFICE, WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

 

Feb 3, 1944
Mrs. Amos P. Kidwell
1822 West Noble, Guthrie, Oklahoma

 

 

My dear Mrs. Kidwell:

 

     Reply is made to your letter of January 8, 1944.  Our records show that on April 15, 1856, patent issued to Daniel Witherington,a private in Captain Petty and Bills Company, Louisiana Militia, War of 1812 based upon location of military bounty land warrant No. 38497, 40 Acres, act of September 28, 1850, covering the SW ¼ of the NW ¼, Sec. 4, T. 6N., R. 11E., St. Stephens Meridian, Alabama.

 

     Our records also show that military bounty land warrant No. 86453, 120 acres, act of March 3, 1855 issued October 10, 1856 to Daniel Witherington, for service as a private in Captain Bills Company, Louisiana Militia, War of 1812; who, on January 1, 1857 assigned the warrant to Samuel M. Tucker, of Jasper County, Mississippi. There is no information of a personal nature filed with either of these records

 

                               Very truly yours,

                               R. S. Clinton

                               Chief, Patents Division

 

 

 

Source: From early research of Mrs. Amos P. Kidwell of Guthrie, Oklahoma

 

Submitted by Bill King