| JOHN CAUGHEY
(Pages 385-386) John Caughey was born in 1752, son of Francis Caughey and Jean Scott. John married Elizabeth Kerr, who was born in 1765. John and Elizabeth were parents to nine children including Martha, born on October 16, 1784; Jane, born on March 7, 1786; Elizabeth, born on December 11, 1788; John, Jr., born on September 10, 1790; Francis, born on
December 11, 1793; Rachel, born on March 22, 1795; James Kerr, born on March 6, 1797; Mary, born on July 9, 1799; and Ann, born June 12, 1804. John Caughey and his wife Elizabeth Kerr were large landholders in Bart Township, located adjacent to Colerain and Little Britain Townships. True to their Scottish heritage, the Caughey and Johnson families had a strong personal commitment to their God and country and belief in freedom. Members of both families heeded the call to
arms in the Revolutionary War. The Johnsons and Caugheys are listed among the combatants of the Battle of Brandywine. The male members of these families united with other men and boys of the area to form the local branch of the state militia. John and Andrew Caughey, sons of Francis, were quick to answer the call. John Johnson earned the rank of captain and was the commanding officer of the 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion of the Lancaster County Militia. Captain Johnson recruited and organized his company of troops from Little Britain Township. Robert Johnson, oldest son of John Johnson, was an ensign in the 6thCompany of the 2nd Battalion of the Lancaster County Militia.
The militias of about 6,500 members from the local counties joined General Washington's 2,500 regulars to form a fighting force of about 9,000 men to face the British forces of 18,000 on September 11, 1777, the day of the battle. The Americans offered a gallant resistance to a force twice their size but the bloody battle took a heavy toll on the patriots. Although the patriots under General Washington suffered a tragic defeat, the strong defense they mounted dissuaded the
British forces from ever trying to capture the heartland of Pennsylvania. The offspring of these courageous men followed in their ancestors' footsteps during the War of 1812. John Caughey and Francis Caughey, the sons of John Caughey and grandsons of Francis Caughey, answered the call when their country beckoned. Robert Johnson, son of Robert Johnson and grandson of John Johnson, was a private in Captain Thomas Huston's Company of the Second Regiment, Second Brigade of the
Pennsylvania Militia. This Chapter: |
