Excellent point and a logical explanation.

Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FUGA, FVGS
PO Box 1273
Orange, VA 22960

540-832-3473
[log in to unmask]

CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used
under license by board-certified genealogists after periodic evaluation; the board name is
registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

On 8/18/2017 10:41 AM, sheri huerta wrote:
> Eric,
>
> Is there a chance that Wills served as a local [slave] patroller? I've
> studied patrol records from 1800 to 1860 in northern Virginia and county
> patrol appointments would designate a "Captain" and sometimes list a group
> of men to serve under the patrol captain (listed as Privates). Patrollers
> typically were assigned from men already listed in the local militia rolls.
> If patrol appointments are not available in county records, check the
> annual county levy for payments made to patrollers or court loose papers
> for the actual patrol records listing time served and / or payments
> received.
>
> Depending on the time and place, a captain might be paid at a higher rate
> per tour / hour than the privates and the difference in payments for the
> same number of tours served can help differentiate the ranks. County court
> minutes might also include the names of men ordered to serve as patrollers
> for a specified term or persons authorized to form a patrol. If Wills was
> in Richmond by 1800, he could have served in some patrol or militia
> capacity during the Gabriel uprising, thus establishing his leadership or
> militia service in the local area. If he served as a patroller and rose
> through the ranks to the position of an appointed captain, this could also
> help explain the local origins for his title of Captain.
>
> Sheri Huerta, PhD
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 12:27 AM, Eric Huffstutler <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> Barbara, thank you for the additional information. My problem is that,
>> Charles Wills was a prominent citizen who owned property, businesses,
>> houses including a mansion, and up to at least 12 slaves but, died around
>> age 44 without a known registered will. I did run across his probate
>> inventory and the children fought over property so, the estate was not
>> completely settled until 9 years after his death Even so, I have yet to
>> locate any kind of death notice for him. Also, he and his family attended
>> St. John's Church about 3 blocks away from the main house (which we own
>> built 1809), but there was vandalism concerning their cemetery burial book
>> that covers the years he would have been buried (1820) and, many older
>> headstones were destroyed years ago due to the church having been abandoned
>> at one time. The only records I have run across for him are tax records
>> starting in 1801 here in Richmond. deeds, his property inventory. Then, the
>> wedding announcements for two of his three daughters (he also had 2 sons
>> who were prominent in their own right, and had portraits of them done by
>> James Westhall Ford), which in 1820 and another after death 1828 mentions
>> him as Captain.
>>
>> Was it common practice for people to willie nillie assign people ranks in
>> local militias? I suspect he may have been in Camp Holly Springs or the
>> Richmond City militia?
>>
>> Eric
>>
>>> On August 17, 2017 at 10:08 PM Barbara Vines Little <
>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Don Wilson mentioned the appointment of militia officers. There are
>>> occasional record books that are found in various county records or in
>>> archives; however, these are random examples. Militia records were
>>> normally not placed with the county clerk for safekeeping. It is
>>> possible that a petition or letter might be found in the governor's
>>> papers, but this would be extremely rare. You might try a local
>>> newspaper if one exists. Barring the absence of a record showing a
>>> militia appointment, I would assume that it was an honorary title.
>>> However, unless you can provide the information on when and where (the
>>> specific record) you located the information that he was addressed as a
>>> Capt., anything anyone provides is simply a guess.
>>>
>>> Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FUGA, FVGS
>>> PO Box 1273
>>> Orange, VA 22960
>>>
>>> 540-832-3473
>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>
>>> CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for
>> Certification of Genealogists, used
>>> under license by board-certified genealogists after periodic evaluation;
>> the board name is
>>> registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.
>>>
>>> On 8/17/2017 11:20 AM, Eric Huffstutler wrote:
>>>> Barbara... someone mentioned that there are records of peacetime
>> militia in Virginia that may give some insight? His title seems to show up
>> by the time he died in 1820 as one daughter married that year and mentions
>> "Capt" Charles Wills and another daughter in 1828 that mentions 'the late'
>> Capt Charles Wills.
>>>>
>>>> Eric
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On August 17, 2017 at 11:10 AM Barbara Vines Little <
>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>>> I suspect that this was a honorary title appended primarily because of
>>>>> age and local social standing.
>>>>>
>>>>> Barbara Vines Little, CG, FNGS, FUGA, FVGS
>>>>> PO Box 1273
>>>>> Orange, VA 22960
>>>>>
>>>>> 540-832-3473
>>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>>>
>>>>> CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for
>> Certification of Genealogists, used
>>>>> under license by board-certified genealogists after periodic
>> evaluation; the board name is
>>>>> registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 8/17/2017 10:52 AM, Wilson, Donald L wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Eric - I see the militia records you cite. I don't see a record of
>> him as captain. Could you tell us exactly where you find him with that
>> appellation?
>>>>>> If he were captain of a local militia company, there should be a
>> record of his appointment/commission among the court orders of his county
>> or city. If he were a sea captain, we would expect him to have spent many
>> years at sea, rising through the ranks, before he would be commissioned. He
>> would have a much higher status than a militia captain. A list of naval
>> captains during the War of 1812 (until Feb. 1815) can be found at
>> https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/organization-
>> and-administration/historical-leadership/naval-officers-of-
>> the-war-of-1812/captains-of-the-war-of-1812.html. No one named Wills
>> there.
>>>>>> Donald L. Wilson, Virginiana Librarian
>>>>>> The Ruth E. Lloyd Information Center
>>>>>> for Genealogy and Local History (RELIC)
>>>>>> Prince William Public Library System
>>>>>> Bull Run Regional Library
>>>>>> 8051 Ashton Avenue, Manassas, VA 20109-2892
>>>>>> 703-792-4540
>>>>>> www.pwcgov.org/library/RELIC
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eric Huffstutler
>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 11:24 PM
>>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>> Subject: Capt. Charles Wills - War 1812 question
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sending the below query for help again since I received no
>> responses... thank you!
>>>>>> "Capt" Charles Wills - War 1812 question
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have a bit of a puzzle that someone here may be able to help with
>> or, have access to various databases on those who served in the War of 1812.
>>>>>> Charles Wills, born c.1776 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia and
>> died 1820 in Richmond, Virginia. I see what appears to be him entered and
>> left as rank "Private" in both COMPANY: 2 REG'T (BALLOWE'S) VIRGINIA
>> MILITIA. and COMPANY: 19 REGIMENT (AMBLER'S) VIRGINIA MILITIA.
>>>>>> The problem is that he is later seen as "Captain" Charles Wills by
>> the time he died. I am seeking when or where this occurred? I know there
>> were local militias such as Camp Holly Springs and Richmond City Militia
>> but unaware if he served in them post war? A few people believe he may have
>> been a ship captain?
>>>>>> Any help greatly appreciated!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Eric
>>>>>>
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