Kimbrough Tinsley Ogilvie, Sr. was born January 14, 1763 in Granville County, North Carolina. He was the third child born to William and Mary Harris Ogilvie. Even as Kimbrough played about his father's plantation in northern North Carolina, there were rumors of a coming war for independence from England. In February, 1781, just barely passed his 18th birthday, Kimbrough volunteered for duty.

        In October, 1832, Kimbrough filed for a pension for his services during the Revolutionary War. This rare document was located in the War Department records and a copy of the original hand-written application gives the following information from Kimbrough's own statement.

        "Kimbrough Ogilvie states, that he was born in Granville County, state of North Carolina, January 14, 1763; has a record of his age transcribed from his father's register---. In February, 1781, he volunteered under Capt. William Hicks in Granville County; his major was Harrison; his colonel was Joseph Taylor and his brigade general was Gen. Butler. After the rendezvous in Granville, was marched for General Greene's army and joined the same near Guilford Courthouse. He was still kept in Col. Taylor's Regiment and under him he fought at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. After the battle removed a short distance from the British army, and when they took up the line of march, the Americans pursued until low down in Randolph County, where he (Kimbrough Ogilvie) was discharged. He was absent on this tour something more than three months, but it was only counted a three-month tour.

        "In the month of September following, he again volunteered under Capt. Hicks --- his major was the same, Harrison, and the same Col. Joseph Taylor. Here he filled the station of an orderly sergeant and was marched from the County of Granville to McLanes Bluff, within two miles of Wilmington, North Carolina. Whilst at McLane's Bluff, heard that Cornwallis had surrendered and by the order of Gen. Butler, was discharged. He (Kimbrough) received his discharge, but has forgotten who signed his first one, but Ephraim Washington signed the last one. Having lost or mislaid them both, he has to rely on his memory alone. This tour was for three months also."

        The pension request also gives some additional insights into the movements of Kimbrough Ogilvie. It continues:

        "From Granville County, NC, in the year 1795, Kimbrough Ogilvie moved to Williamson County, in the state of Tennessee. There he resided 15 years. Thence to Bedford County in the same state of Tennessee, where he resided 20 years. Two years since, he moved to his present residence. Andrew Andrews, Robert Ragsdale and John Ragsdale knew him in the aforesaid counties and will testify as to his general character for varacity and that he was a soldier in the revolution. Mr. Ogilvie further states that when he entered the service as a soldier he was entitled to nine pounds, two shillings North Carolina currency per month for service; and as a sergeant was promised 14 pounds, twelve shillings per month .... not one cent of which did he ever receive .... "

        Guilford Courthouse is now a National Military Park and in an effort to learn more about Kimbrough's military service, this writer contacted the park historian in 1977. His answer, in part, stated:

        "The exact location of Col. Taylor's regiment of North Carolina militia is unknown  but we do know that Butler's brigade occupied the left of the American first line and contained about 500 men from Orange, Granville and Guilford counties. This brigade, with a small exception, yielded their position freely to the British. Whether Taylor's men stood or ran is somewhat lost to history."

(signed) Donald Long

        Whatever his experience, Kimbrough survived the bloody battle and volunteered for another tour of duty. He was only 18 years of age during both actions.

        After the war, Kimbrough returned home and on Sept. 25, 1782 posted a marriage bond in Granville County, N.C. to become the husband of Nancy Harris. Nancy was the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Harris of Granville County. She was born in 1764. It is believed that Nancy's middle name was Ann, because she often signed legal papers thusly.

        Kimbrough (sometimes recorded "Kimbro") and Nancy purchased land in Granville County during the 1780s and also owned slaves. The first purchase of a boy slave appears in Book 2, page 2 of county estate record when Kimbrough bought a Negro from Robert Harris for 100 pds. Kimbrough served on grand jury panels in 1788 and 1793.

        Kimbrough and Nancy appears on the North Carolina state census of 1786. Living in the Dutch District, the family consisted of one while male (Kimbrough), three white females, and one black slave. Although this writer has more file information on Kimbrough than any other Ogilvie from this era, a complete list of his children has never been verified.

       In 1795, Kimbrough and family crossed the mountains and settled in Middle Tennessee. Thus, according to his pension application, Williamson County became his home until 1810 when he moved his family to Bedford County, adjoining Williamson County. Records do indicate the birth of a son in Williamson County. Lemuel Harris Ogilvie was born July 29, 1797.

        The U.S. Census of 1820 lists Kimbrough Ogilvie as "Kimbro Ogleby" living in Bedford County, TN. Listing one white male under 10 years of age; two white males between 16-26 years; one male over 45 year; one female between 16-26; five slaves (two males, three females), it appears that Nancy, at age 56, was omitted.

        On December 1, 1808, Kimbrough Tinsley Ogilvie, (Jr.) was born in Williamson County, TN. There is every reason to believe he was the son of Kimbrough and Nancy Ogilvie, but research has yet to prove it. Only once has this writer found Kimbrough's signature followed by "Sr." This appears on a real estate sale document located in Kentucky.

        Kimbrough T. Ogilvie "Jr." was certainly close enough to "Sr."
to be a son. However, Kimbrough and Nancy were in their mid-40s when he was born. Uncommon in present day, but perhaps not then. Kimbrough "Jr." eventually settled in Arkansas and a more complete story about his family will be published later.

        Lemuel Harris Ogilvie grew up in the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee. On March 27, 1823, he married Martha Patricia Winstead in Williamson County. Martha was from an old established family, highly respected in Middle Tennessee. According to reports, Martha had first married a man named Moses and had two children, Frank and Elizabeth Moses. If this be true, there is no information available concerning the children or what happened to the first husband.

        Kimbrough and Nancy were still residing in Bedford County, TN when the 1830 U.S. Census was made and their son, Lemuel and Martha were living in Williamson County. But, in November of 1830, both families packed and moved to Calloway County, KY. Kimbrough "Jr." and his wife, Elizabeth Rainey "Betsy" Wilson (she was related to the Winstead family) either made the trip at the same time or followed soon afterwards.

        Kimbrough filed for his Revolutionary War pension in 1832 and it was approved. He relinquished all claims for military payments not received during the war and was awarded a pension of $20 per year. Kimbrough died November 14, 1842, and Nancy died the following Dec. 5. It is believed they were buried in Calloway County, KY, but a cemetery survey of that county fails to list them. They probably had no marker. A notice of death was filed with the War Department from a court clerk at Waidsboro, the former county seat of Calloway County, stating: "Sir: Mr. Ogilvie and his wife are dead. His children are numerous and no prospect of their applying for the (benefits)."

        If their children were "numerous" as stated, there is no indication of it in other documents, including Kimbrough's will, filed Nov. 29, 1841. The will gives everything to Nancy and a grandson, James Benton Ogilvie. They are the only members of the family mentioned.

        LEMUEL HARRIS OGILVIE and Martha P. Winstead Ogilvie had 10 children, nine of which reached adulthood. Martha was born in 1804 in Williamson County. After moving to Calloway County in 1830, they eventually moved to Paducah in McCracken County. There, Lemuel Harris Ogilvie died on March 12, 1857. Martha died on Nov. 15, 1863. According to family stories, they were buried in "Walton Cemetery" near Paducah. A cemetery by that name apparently does not exist in that area today. Lemuel and Martha's children were:

        1. James Benton Ogilvie, born about 1824 in Williamson County, TN. First married Elizabeth [W]ood of Indiana and they had a son, John S. Ogilvie, born in 1847. Second wife was [Henrietta] Etta Purdy and their children were William, Purdy, Frank, Mollie and Linnie.

        2. John Winstead Ogilvie, Sr., born Dec. 28, 1825 in Williamson County, TN. First married Margaret A. Griffith and their children were Martha V., William H., Nannie L., Lemuel B., John W., Jr., and Benjamin T. His second wife was Barbara Caroline "Carrie" Bell and their children were David Bell Ogilvie and Alpheus Hume Ogilvie. John W., Sr. died Feb. 8, 1900.

        3. Samuel Ogilvie, born about 1830 in Williamson County, TN. First married Sally McElmurry and their children were Agnes, Jack, William, and Thomas. Second wife was Mary McElmurry and their children were Fred, Roy, Kimbrough, and Laura.

        4. Andrew Jackson Ogilvie, born March 11, 1832 in Kentucky. Married Jeanette Faree Young on Feb. 14, 1858. She was born August 20, 1841, the daughter of Thomas H. and Lucinda Jones Young. Andrew died July 9, 1896 and Jeanette died Dec. 28, 1896. They are buried in the Bayou Creek Cemetery on the Woodville Road, south of Paducah. Their children were: Thomas L., Capitola M., Mary Louise "Molly", Lucinda J., Samuel, J. Francis, Elijah "Lige" Y., John Witt, Jeanette B., Steven J., Gertrude, Benjamin H., and Robert Winstead Ogilvie.

        5. Martha S. Ogilvie, born about 1835 in Kentucky. Married Jim Wiley of Woodville, Kentucky and they had two sons, Stephen and Jim.

        6. Napoleon [J] Ogilvie, born in 1837 in Kentucky. Married Love [Turner] Burnley on June 15, 1857 and their children were: Annie, Lulu, Bertie and William. (Bertie Ogilvie Glover was accepted into the DAR because of her direct line to K.T. Ogilvie.)

        7. Maria Louise Ogilvie, born about 1839 in Kentucky. Married R.G. McElya on June 6, 1855 and their children were: Alice, Mattie, E.W., and James.

        8. William H. Ogilvie, born in 1841 in Kentucky. First married Julia Crawford on Jan. 27, 1864 and their children were Mattie and Flora. His second wife was Alice Crawford and their children were Laura and Lillian.

        9. Elijah W. Ogilvie, born about 1842 in Kentucky. First married Emma Overstreet and they had one son, Elmer. His second wife was Elizabeth Ford, and they had no children. Elmer Ogilvie married Erma Humphries and their Children were Elmer, Jr., and Emma.

        Lemuel's will left all property to his wife, Martha. It also
set aside money for the "common education" of his three youngest sons. It called for a division of property inside the city of Paducah to the three young sons after Martha's death. The property was on Oak Street "where I now reside." Lemuel had already given property to his older children and apparently some of it was rural farmland. We know that Andrew and John Winstead Ogilvie both resided on farms, at least part of their lives. About the time of the Civil War, several of the above mentioned moved away to settle in Indiana, Missouri and other states.

        This writer is descended from Kimbrough and Nancy Ogilvie through Andrew J. and Jeanette Faree Ogilvie and John Witt Ogilvie, who was my grandfather. Because of this, there is more information on this line than the others. Hopefully, my cousins will bear with me until space allows publication of more data on Kimbrough and Nancy's descendants.

..... By Craig Ogilvie

Oak Grove Cemetery in Paducah, KY is the final resting place of some of the Ogilvies mentioned in the above information.

*This article is reprinted from the Ogilvie "kith and 'kin, Volume 2, number 2, December, 1983.