Person:James Greenlee (3)

James Greenlee was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

Contents 1 Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA 2 Records in Virginia 3 Records in Botetourt County, VA 4 Land Acquisitions in NC 5 Notes		Welcome to Old Augusta Early Settlers Beverley Manor Borden's Grant Register Data Maps Places Library History Index
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Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA

Acquisition of Land in Virginia:

• Page 205 - James Greenlee, 408 acres, (It being part of a tract of land containing 92,100 acres granted to Benjamin Burdin (Borden) by patent the 6th of November, 1739) which became the property of Jacob Grey and by adjudgement of the General Court on ye 27th of October, 1772 for non-payment of quitrents, was adjudged to the said Greenlee. Adjoining Rev. John Brown, John Huston. April 27, 1773. [Abstract of Land Grant Surveys, 1761-1791, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Virginia, by Peter Cline Kaylor, pg. 74].

Records in Virginia

• 1768, Nov 18 - James Greenlee (Augusta) v. Jacob Gray (Augusta). This is a petn. for 250 acres on the head of mill creek one of the waters of James river, being part of a tract of 92100 acres patd. by Benjamin Borden senr. Nov. 6. 1739. The pl. entered the petn. and paid 2/6 but took out no Summs. Take out Summs. and inclose it to Mich. Bowyer. Documents of Thomas Jefferson

Records in Botetourt County, VA

• At a court continued and held for Botetourt County the 12th March, 1773.

James Greenlee Plff. )

agst. )

James Ritchey and ) In Debt

Wm. Simpson Defts )

This day came the parties by their attornies & thereupon came also a jury, towit: John Floyd, David May, James Cain, George Patterson, William Wills, John McRoberts, Philip Watkins, John Stewart, James Scott, Charles Gatliff, James Allcock & John Howard, who retd. a verdt. in favor of the plff. Judgt. accdgly and damages of fifty pounds & costs. USGenWeb Archives

Land Acquisitions in NC

• 29 Jan 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 39. James Greenlee, John Bowman and David Greenlee enters in Burke County six hundred and forty acres of Land, on Swanens River Joining George Catheys Entry below including both sides of the river and extending down said river for Complement Jan'ry 29th 1778. [Signed] James Greenlee, Jno. Bowman, D. Greenlee.

• 29 Jan 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 40. James Greenlee, John Bowman and David Greenlee enters in Burke County six hundred and forty acres of Land, Lyeing in the fork of Ivy Creek River where the path Crosses that leads from Nollachughets in Tryon County, the path Crosses the further or No. forks including both sides of the forks and laking? in a large Camp that leeg? in teh forks. Jan'ry 29th 1778. [Signed] James Greenlee, Jno. Bowman, D. Greenlee.

• 29 Jan 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 41. James Greenlee enters in Burke County Six hundred and forty acres of Land in Joining land of John Mackey's formerly Joseph Scotts & Josiah Blacks, and the land of said Greenlees intending toward Hardons waggon road for Complement. Jan'ry. 29th 1778. [Signed] James Greenlee. [Note in left column: "Caveated by Joseph Morgan"]

• 6 Feb 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 141. James Greenlee enters in Burke County, 100 Acres of Land on the North Side of the Cotoba River joining lines with the Swan Ponds including a branch that enters into the river above the corner of sd. Swan ponds place and running up sd. River & branch for Quantity Entered the 6th of Febuary 1778. [Note in left column is written: "Discontinued"].

• 10 Feb 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 201. James Greenlee enters in Burke County, 500 acres of land on North Pactate? River about two miles above Spriggs Land and is known by the name of the old Town house and the place where John Moore had an old improvement Begining one quarter of a Mile above the old Town house and running down both sides of the River for compliments. Entered the 20th Feby. 1778. [Signed] Charles McDowell.

• 10 Feb 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 202. James Greenlee and John Bowman enters in Burke County, Six hundred & forth acres of Land in the lower cove of Green River Including Miles Harts Improvements and taking in the Marether? of the three cove creeks for complement. Entd. Feby. 10th 1778. [Signed] James Greenlee & Jno. Bowman.

• 10 Feb 1778; Land Entry Book, Burke County, NC: No. 203. James Greenlee and John Bowman enters in Burke County, four Hundred Acres of Land lying on fourte? Creek a branch of French Broad River implying thereof into the North side of Said River Begining about half a mile above an old Indian forte on Laid? Creek and coming down both sides of said Creek for quantity Emtd. 10th Feby. 1778. [Signed] Jas. Greenlee & Jno. Bowman.

Notes

http://www.burkesheriff.org/Greenlee.htm

James Greenlee Jr., would later become Burke County's second sheriff and one of the largest land owners in Western NC and Tennessee. James Greenlee was born October 19th, 1740 in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, now Rockbridge County, Virginia. He married Mary Elizabeth Mitchell Greenlee, his first cousin and daughter of James Mitchell and Margaret McDowell, on June 10th, 1770 in Charleston, South Carolina, at Ten-Mile House (tavern).

They had eight children, all born in Morganton, NC:

James M. Greenlee III - b. March 29, 1771 who married Mary Poteat; and Sarah Hoard Hunter (2nd wife)

Daughter who died at a young age

John Mitchell - born June 25th, 1775 and married his cousin, Mary Greenlee of Virginia

Margaret Greenlee - born January 14th 1778 and died young

William M. Greenlee - born May 19th, 1779 and died young

Samuel Greenlee*** - born January 26th, 1782-84 and married Minerva Keziah Sackett, d. 5-5-1848

Ephraim McDowell Greenlee - born February 22, 1787 and married to first wife Sarah Carr Shaw; and second wife Sarah Hallingsworth Brown; Justice of Burke Co. Court (1827)

David Washington Greenlee - born January 28th, 1787, married Mary Howard McIntire, and purchased 'The Glades' in Marion, North Carolina, built in 1770.

Note: James first wife, Mary Mitchell, died when her last son was six days old, and James was remarried to a Mrs. Ruth Howard Greenlee who died January 22, 1812

As a child, James Greenlee, Jr. lived in cabins in the great wilderness with other settlers, teeming with bears, wolves, deer and bands of hostile Indians. James, Jr. would have been about 15 years old when the French and Indian Wars erupted. While many families abandoned their homes in search of safety, the Greenlee's and McDowell's stayed, and suffered greatly. James Jr.'s uncle, Col. John McDowell (his Mother's brother) was killed by Indians on Christmas Day. Another member of his family, Mrs. Estil was captured and carried away by Indians, only to be rescued by her brother, Col. Moffet. Communication between settlers was done by horse-back and merchandise was hauled hundred of miles in wagons.

Despite these circumstances, James Jr., and his siblings were schooled by the first school of high grade, west of the Blue Ridge, known as Augusta Academy. He began his education under Robert Alexander who was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland. Alexander was succeeded by Rev. John Brown, a Princeton graduate, who taught for twenty years. Washington and Lee University later became an outgrowth of the Augusta Academy.

Around 1774-1778, James Greenlee Jr., along with his sister (Grace Greenlee Bowman) and her husband, John Bowman (please see Sheriff John Bowman for more information) and an unknown amount of others, left for North Carolina on the Old Wagon Road south. The group reached Moravian settlements at Salem and were informed that Cherokee Indians were on a war path in the upper Catawba settlements (it is very probable that at the time they were deferred from directly coming to Burke County, the Cherokees were raiding the Catawba Valley during the summer of 1776, in which they crossed the Blue Ridge and murdered and scalped 37 people.)

Upon learning of this information, the Greenlee's and Bowman's went first to the homes of their relatives (Margaret McDowell Mitchell, Mary Greenlee's sister) in South Carolina. It is most likely on this trip to S.C. that James Greenlee wooed and won his cousin, Mary Mitchell, to whom he was married. After learning that the Rowan militia had driven the Cherokees back, the Greenlee's and Bowman's made their way to Burke County. (Exact dates are unknown but it was around the time of the battle of Point Pleasant 1774-1778. Most likely their arrival was during or after 1776 since records indicate that Grace Greenlee married John Bowman in Virginia in 1776, as well as numerous entries of land by James Greenlee and John Bowman.)

It is also written that James may have purchased a farm on the Dan River but sold it before he arrived in Morganton. It should be noted that James and his sister were the first Greenlee's to settle in Burke County. On arrival to Burke County, James Greenlee and John Bowman were entertained by relatives (McDowell' at Quaker Meadow's), and upon learning of their desire to settle in Burke, Gen. Charles McDowell took both men to see "a fine tract of land embracing the lower valley of Canoe Creek and fronting the Catawba River at the mouth of that stream." Both men fell in love with the land and at the suggestion of Joseph McDowell, Sr., the question of was to be settled by a wrestling match, which James Greenlee won. His land on Canoe Creek (near the Walton residence at "Brookwood") remained in possession of his heirs for hundreds of years, and is now occupied by the Mimosa Hills Country Club.

James Greenlee's land acquirement; however, did not stop there. A little hamlet called "Alder Springs" sprung up on the hills south of the Catawba in full view of the Quaker Meadows home. The 230 acre land embraced within the limits of the embryo town had been purchased from James Greenlee, John Stringfield, James Jewell, Joseph Morgan and Robert Brank on September 20, 1779. This "Alder Springs" later became the town of "Morgansborough," and is now the site where Morganton now stands. James Greenlee owned all of the best lands about Morganton as well as lands in Yancey County, Mitchell, Rutherford, McDowell County, and Memphis, Tennessee.

His lands in Memphis were awarded to him for his services in the Revolutionary War. He also owned farms in Turkey Cove and land on Catawba River, where his youngest son, David Washington Greenlee settled, and became owner of a large plantation. This land later became five farms. According to Col. Thomas George Walton, "He [James Greenlee], by this thrift, foresight, and industry, was possessed of large and valuable bodies of land in North Carolina and Tennessee…He was regarded as the wealthiest man in the county." (pg 8) He raised cattle and sold in Philadelphia and Charleston, and was the owner of many slaves.

During the Revolutionary War, as he fought with McDowell's army at King's Mountain and Cowpens, the Torries, under Gen. Patrick Ferguson, robbed him of his stock and grain and took off with a slave. Throughout the Revolution he also furnished supplies and wagons to Colonel Charles McDowell and General Griffith Rutherford's militia forces. During some expeditions from the Salisbury District, Greenlee acted as quartermaster (chief supply officer and wagonmaster.)

He was a well known businessman and land inspector in NC, and when the Morgan District was created in 1782 (which would later become Morganton), Greenlee was selected as one of the military auditors who was in charge of settling all debts that occurred during the war. During and after the Revolutionary period, Greenlee acquired hundreds of acres of land in Burke and Buncombe Counties, where he continued to be a cattle raiser and slave owner.

When Burke was established in 1777, the governing body of the County was manned by the Justice of the Peace, and around 1792, James Greenlee was appointed to this position. He also became Coroner of the county at the time of its creation and held that position for nineteen years. However, his duties did not cease there. He was a member of the NC Convention in 1788, which rejected the U.S. Constitution. (He did not serve in the second Constitutional Assembly the following year, which accepted.) He also served as Burke County's High Sheriff from 1780-1783.

He was known to be a Whig in politics, which identified his as a supporter of the Revolution, as well as an elder in the Quaker Meadows Presbyterian Church. James was listed as a trustee of the Morgan Academy which was the first formal educational institution in the County. James Greenlee died on November 8, 1813 (according to Bible Records) and is buried at the Quaker Meadows Cemetery in Morganton, NC; along side his sister and many other relatives. His tombstone reads: "Here Lies All That's Mortal of James Greenlee Who departed this life 8 Nov 1813 Aged 73 Years."