Introduction: America 250 Celebration – Melissa Davenport Berry writes more about Revolutionary War soldiers’ children who were still alive in the 1900s to tell their fathers’ stories! Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

To honor the historic 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I searched GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives and uncovered genealogical treasures honoring the patriots – and their children – who helped secure our nation’s freedom.

These are the stories of the “Actual Sons and Real Daughters,” part 2. (See Honoring Patriots and Their Children (part 1) for more stories.)

Real Daughter Celebrates 100th Birthday

Drusilla (Hall) Johnson (1805-1905), daughter of patriot Aaron Hall and Sarah (Richardson) Hall and wife of Alfred Johnson, descends on her maternal side from patriot Capt. John Richardson, son of Caleb Richardson and Elizabeth (Watts) Richardson.

A “unique celebration” in Northampton, Massachusetts, was planned for Drusilla when she reached her 100th birthday, which was covered by the press.

This article reports:

A special service in honor of the old lady will be held at the Edwards Church in the morning, and the sermon will be preached by her grandson, the Rev. Walter D. Johnson [son of Myron Alfred Johnson and Frances Adelaide (Mitchell) Johnson] of Wilkesbarre, Penn. Mrs. Johnson will attend the church, surrounded by her four children and a progeny of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. [On] Monday, Mrs. Johnson will attend a reunion of the Johnson family.

Her father left Harvard to enlist in the Revolution, and served six years, and her grandfather, as well, was a famous patriot and soldier. Mrs. Johnson has lately grown very deaf, but still retains much of her old-time vivacity and keenness of wit.

As a schoolteacher in Westhampton, she once boarded with the pastor of the Congregational Church, grandfather of Dr. Edward Everett Hale. She recalls the mischievous pranks of Edward during visits to his grandfather more than seventy-five years ago, and also remembers the advice given to her by the grandfather. He was counseling her about religious matters, and warned her most earnestly not to be led away by the “new heresy,” referring to Unitarianism, of which the grandson has since become a leading exponent.

The Boston Journal article also included this portrait of Drusilla.

According to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) lineage book, Drusilla’s father served in the Paymaster’s Department during the Revolutionary War. In 1781 he sailed from Salem, Massachusetts, on a privateer, was captured, imprisoned at St. Johns, and was exchanged after the surrender of Cornwallis. He was placed on the pension roll in 1832 for six years’ service.

Her grandfather Capt. Richardson served as a captain during the war and was at Bunker Hill and the taking of Fort Ticonderoga. He was a member of the General Court and of the Convention that framed the Massachusetts State Constitution.

Below is a photo of Drusilla, who was a member of the Betty Allen Chapter, DAR, Northampton.

Captain Ford, a ‘Real Son of the Revolution’

Captain George Arvin Ford (1826-1906) is the youngest of the 13 children of patriot Captain Augustus Ford and Demerius (Rice) Ford. His father was just a young lad when he served in the Revolutionary War, but no less important.

The Grand Rapids Press featured the father and son in this newsclip.

This article reports:

There lives in this city [Cleveland] a “Son of the American Revolution” who is actually the son of a soldier in the war of 1776-1783.

It is doubtful whether there lives another man with a similar claim to fame. When it is considered that peace was declared in the war for American independence more than 121years ago, it can be seen that there cannot be many men of like distinction.

Capt. George A. Ford is the Clevelander in question, and his father was Capt. Augustus Ford, U. S. N. The elder Ford was born at Providence, R. I., in 1772. At the age of 9 Augustus ran away to sea and shipped as powder boy aboard a privateer fitted out to prey on British commerce. On this ship he served until the end of the war, two years later.

The Grand Rapids Press article featured these portraits of the father and son.

George’s grandfather Abijah Ford served as a soldier in the War of Independence. He is buried at Olden-Barneveld Cemetery in Barneveld, Oneida County, New York.

California Judge the Last ‘Real Son of the American Revolution’

In 1922 Judge Lewis Patrick Phillips (1831-1926) was reported to be “the only living real son of the American Revolution.”

He may be a candidate for “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” too. He was born in 1831, which means his patriot father was 72 when Lewis was conceived! Judge Phillips is the son of John Phillips (1759-1839) and his second wife, Mary “Polly” (Thompson) Phillips.

Lewis was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and often made the headlines regarding his status as one of the last sons of a Continental Army soldier.

According to this news clip from the Los Angeles Evening Express, Lewis’ father, John Phillips, lived in South Carolina. In 1775 he enlisted in Colonial Powell’s regiment and served until 1781, participating in several campaigns and in the battles of Brier Creek, Cowpens and Guilford.

There is a book on the family genealogy entitled John Phillips Sr. of Johnston County, North Carolina, and Some of His Descendants, written by a descendant, Raymond Douglas Phillips.

In 1921 a reporter, Burton L. Smith, visited the home of Judge Phillips who was at the time 90 years old, but still very much a vibrant, lively fellow. Judge Phillips told Smith that although he was but eight years old when his father died, he retains a clear mental picture of the sturdy patriot who aided in making a reality of the dream of the Declaration of Independence.

Here are some photos of Smith’s visit to Judge Phillips in 1921.

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Note on the header image: America’s 250th Anniversary. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html

Related Articles:

• Honoring Patriots and Their Children (part 1)
• Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (part 1)
• Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (part 2)
• Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (part 3)
• Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War (part 4)
• Deborah Sampson: Revolutionary War Soldier Disguised as a Man
• Patriot James Lemmon Honored on the Fourth of July