McCoy Generations

We have not been able to determine the origins of the McCoy generations before Westmoreland County Virginia. It appears that there may have been some connection to Pennsylvania and thus possibility of freedom from therein where Quakers in the early 18th century were encouraging fellow Quakers to free their slaves.

Cumberland County was first settled by a majority of Scots-Irish immigrants who arrived in this area about 1730. English and German settlers constituted about ten percent of the early population. The settlers originally mostly devoted the area to farming and later developed other trades. We have not been able to determine the names of mother and father to Hugh McCoy listed below.

So said, the possibility exist that father and mother of the McCoy brothers apparently relocated from Allegheny County to Westmoreland County Virginia sometime after the French and Indian War ended in 1763, wherein the brothers later served in the 1775-1783 Revolutionary forces commanded by General George Washington.

McCoy Generations relative to existence of Mary Hughes McCoy, born abt 1812 the wife of Madison Hemings Jefferson, born 1805 apparently lived in Fayette County Ohio prior to his and her relocation therein as told in the Madison Hemings' Story. We think it was much more than a mere coincidence that Madison and Mary moved when and where they did. And, it is not unlikely the American Revolutionary War and compensation via newly acquired land as partial payment of war debts to veterans had a lot to do with making it possible, and the early migrations and settlements in Ohio.

The Ross County-Fayette County region is an excellent example attesting to questions as to how goodness comes into existence via revolutionary beliefs and ever-lasting lives spanning locations and generations, with reasoning joined to faith. While we do not have exacting information as to their reasoning, we are assured by the names given to their offspring such as James McCoy Hemings Jefferson, born 1849 was joined to the beliefs and faith of parents who believed they were part of a continuum greater than themselves.

Mary Elizabeth McCoy Hemings Butler Lee, born 1863 most certainly believed so. I would have loved to ask my Grandma did you know that your great grandfather James McCoy, abt 1757 likely knew and served with William Lee, born abt 1756 great grandfather to my Grandpa Lee. Bloomingburg Cemetery offers some insight to who these migrants were and allows an analysis as to possibility that some or all were related in life and in Christ. However, the challenge for me is to believe what has been seen and heard about Christ.

More research is required and pending but it appears quite possible that if Mary's father was Alexander McCoy perhaps born about 1790, 22 years before her birth in year 1812, one could reason that he may have been the son of James McCoy or one of his brothers born in the 1750s. Whatever the facts may be, it appears the McCoy brothers did as literally thousands of African heritage youth did in the post revolutionary war era. Those who could pass for White did so regularly and exactly as Thomas Jefferson had urged his son Beverly Hemings Jefferson to do and presumably Madison and Eston who migrated to Ohio, and lived and worked therein as White men. And, apparently all their sons (excepting William Hemings) served in the Union Army during the Civil War as White men.

William volunteered and served in the U.S. Army Colored Troops Regiments, perhaps because he inherited his skin coloring from genes of great-grand-parents. Ante-bellum Virginia, after nearly two centuries of African and Native American heritage residents, sought to identify and classify non-Whites not in chattel slavery status by requiring all such heads of households to either leave the State of Virginia or annually register names and addresses with the State courts to be counted, classified and duly charged a fee for costs of court and related expenses. It is reasonable to assume that many or most persons of African or Native American heritage who were able to pass as White, thus did so.

The McCoy and Hemings offspring are examples of revolutionary minded fathers that raised and indoctrinated offspring generations of rebels against race-based classifications and chattel slavery. Many of the White enlistments during President Lincoln's first call in 1861 for 75,000 Union volunteers in came from far-away Canada and states like Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Vermont with personal prejudices. The fallacy of the consequent to 19th century ante-bellum thinkers, movers and shakers is the same spirit of revolutionary rebellion evidenced by many revolutionary war veterans and that flowed in their veins as rebels like Robert E. Lee often also existed in the men who rebelled against them and their peculiar institution of chattel slavery, Frederick Douglass being the most evident example.

The Virginia Census, separate and apart from the U.S. Census was designed to insure that potential rebels either submit to ante-bellum rule, or leave the state.

The above listing indicates that both Bennett and James, along with other relatives as heads of households living in Westmoreland County. It is not known if all relocated out of Virginia.

As originally established by the House of Burgesses from Northumberland County in 1653, the territory of Westmoreland County encompassed much of what later became the various counties and cities of Northern Virginia, including the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, and Prince William County.

These were part of Westmoreland until 1664, when Stafford County was formed. Westmoreland County was the birthplace of George Washington, the first President of the United States (at the former settlement of Bridges Creek, Virginia);^[3] of James Monroe, the fifth President; and of General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate armies.

The county was the place of residence for Colonel Nicholas Spencer (1633-1689), who patented the land at Mount Vernon in 1674 with his friend Lt. Col. John Washington, ancestor of George Washington. Spencer, who served as President of the Council and acting Governor of the Colony of Virginia, was the cousin of and agent for the Barons Colepeper, proprietors of the Northern Neck. He lived at his plantation Nomini, which his descendants later sold to Robert Carter I. Robert Carter's grandson, Robert Carter III, voluntarily freed almost 500 slaves from Nomini Hall beginning in 1791 and settled many on lands he gave them. His manumission is the largest known release of slaves in North America prior to the American Civil War and the largest number ever manumitted by an individual in the U.S.^[4

While it is relatively easy to document the existence of Bennett and James McCoy who proclaimed themselves as brothers in the revolutionary war, it is more challenging to identify their origins as free men and of course their father and mother. It is also a challenge to interpret and understand McCoy offspring that were born and raised in Fayette County, Ohio.

We do not seek to find "goodness" among the dead but believe it is important to recognize that places like Bloomingburg Cemetery are also part of many untold stories that matter for writers seeking to comprehend and understand how "goodness" comes into existence and for those who are also believers: the realties in the minds of many about how and why they believed in the promise of "everlasting life."