Parents: William James Adams and Lydia Martin
Birth: 1733, County Antrim, Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Death: November 27, 1799, York County, South Carolina, USA
Wife: Margaret Ewart
Parents: Robert Ewart and Catherine Catherwood
Birth: 1746
Married: North Carolina 1765
Death: 1824
Children: Francis Adams, Kathrine Adams (Carrigan), Jean H. Adams (Campbell),
Robert E. Adams, James S. Adams, William Adams, Jr., Rachel Adams,
(Barnett), Margaret Adams (Watson), Joseph R. Adams, Elizabeth Adams,
John B. Adams
In 1740 William Adams age 7 moved with his family from Ireland to the American Colonies. They were part of the waves of Presbyterian Scots-Irish immigrants moving to America. These Scots-Irish immigrants were seeking religious freedom from taxation by the British Government for support of the established Anglican Church of England and the liberty to allow them to practice their Presbyterianism. This Scots-Irish migration of nearly 500,000 to the American Colonies, by the time of the American Revolution, would become a major part of its military core. Unoccupied prior to 1730, the Virginia and Carolina Piedmont areas were settled by these people as they began to come down the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road from Pennsylvania and other parts of America . By 1750 they had moved into North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
William’s family at first settled in the New Castle area of Pennsylvania but quickly moved to the west relocating to Cumberland County, Pennsylvania near the Gettysburg/Harrisburg area. In 1752 William’s father, William James Adams, died and in 1756 William, then age 24, moved 500 miles south to the Carolinas along with other Scots-Irish settlers. There he settled on land along the upper section of Crowder’s Creek near present day York County, South Carolina. In 1765 William, now age 32, married Margaret Ewart the daughter of Robert Ewart and Catherine Catherwood in North Carolina. They then returned to the land that William owned in South Carolina and began raising a family of 11 Children (5 boys and 6 girls). When the Scots-Irish settlers of the Carolinas learned of the 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord they rallied to the American Cause and filled the ranks of the Colonial Army and State Militias. Being skilled in the use of the rifle and fighting Indians, they were very adept fighters. William at age 43 joined the 5th Carolina Regiment (First Rifle Regiment) that was formed on February 22, 1776 and became part of the South Carolina Continental Line. William served under Col. Isaac Huger for three years and fought at the Siege of Savannah in 1779. On February 11, 1780 the 5th was merged with the 1st South Carolina Regiment and William whose enlistment was up returned home.
It was not long before William was once again fighting for American freedom. In October of 1780, the call went out for volunteers to rally and stop British and Loyalist Militias of British General Charles Lord Cornwallis who in order to protect his left flank, were marching into North Carolina. These British Troops were led by one of Gen. Cornwallis’ most able commanders British Major Patrick Ferguson of the 71st Foot. William Adams joined his Scots-Irish neighbors in responding to this call. As many of these Patriots came from the western part of the Carolinas and the present state of Tennessee they were generally known as "Overmountain Men." On October 7, 1780 at the Battle of Kings Mountain South Carolina, the American Patriots surrounded and soundly defeated Maj. Fergusons force. He was killed attempting to rally his men on horseback and his entire command was either killed or captured. The loss of Ferguson's force caused Gen. Cornwallis to abandon his offensive in North Carolina and permanently shifted the initiative to the Americans in the South. British Commander-in-Chief Sir Henry Clinton was later quoted as saying that the Battle of Kings Mountain was "the first link in a chain of evils that followed each other in regular succession until they at last ended in the total loss of America." After the Battle of Kings Mountain William Adams returned to his home and continued raising his family and farming. On November 27, 1799 at age 66 William Adams passed away at York County, South Carolina, USA.
It is interesting to note that one of William’s sons, Robert Ewart Adams (my 3rd Great Grandfather) married Jane Barber, daughter of Captain John Barber and Sarah Martin of North Carolina. Captain Barber also fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Both Captain Barber and William Adams are buried and commemorated on a monument to Patriots and Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War who are buried at Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery in Clover South Carolina.
(By James Murph Adams 4th Great Grandson of William Adams)
Patriot Ancestor of James M. (Jim) Adams
