Col. Ebenezer A. Folsom, State Sen of NC

From The History of North Carolina by John H. Wheeler Vol. 1, page 128:

Cumberland County, the fields of fixers appointed by the state in 1775 for Cumberland County. Ebenezer Folsom Lieutenant Colonel...The character of Colonel Folsom was that of a daring and chivalric man. He seized all persons suspected of imnity to the cause of liberty and brought them to jsutice. Mr. Miles O. Sherrill stated that Ebenezer Folsom was made Colonel on May 7, 1776, and that his name appears on 73 different pages in about 10 volumes of North Carolina Colonial and state records. Ebenezer Folsom made his will on 8/18/1788 and probably died shortly thereafter(Cumberland County records in the Historical Library, Raliegh, North Carolina; Wills 1757-1869 Vol. 3) *Ebenezer was married three times, first wife is unknown. Ebenezer's first wife is unknown. She likely died in childbirth with Ebenezer's first child. Ebenezer's second wife was Elizabeth Daniel, daughter of Thomas Daniel and Elizabeth Lanier. Ebenezer's third wife was Elizabeth Smith, widow of Patriot N. Bryan. The widow's daughter married Capt. Israel Folsom , son of Ebenezer. (notes from Harry Folsom). Therefore, spouses numbered 3. Wfe 1 died in childbirth, 2 was a /Daniel. 3. Edith Smith (no children by the Col but she already had children). and Partner/Consort was Elizabeth Lanier, who with Col Ebenezer Folsom had his illegitimate son named Capt Isreal Folsom who purchased his father's estate at auction, as the highest bidder, on record, then; Capt Isreal also paid the debt that his father incurred in the the Rev War effort for obtaining a loan against his estate. Ebenezer was baptized in Ashford, Windham County, Ct. May 16, 1730 in Congregation Church.. He applied for a marriage liscense to wed E. Daniel in N.C. August 31, 1756. He served as an officer in the military in Cumberland Co., N.C. , 1776. (notes from Harry Folsom)

[Jacob Chapmam, AM., A Genealogy of the Folsome Family: John Folsom and his Descendants, 1615-1882 (The Republican Press Association, Concord, N. H., 1882), page 22] https://archive.org/stream/genealogyoffolso00chap#page/22/mode/1up Moore's Creek Battlefield was the site of where Col. Ebenezer Folsom (a Capitan at the time) led the attack against the Tories rear position. https://www.nps.gov/mocr/contacts.htm Here's the history: https://www.nps.gov/mocr/learn/historyculture/index.htm

DAR A 040252, Civil service, House of Commons; Colonel, Cumberland County Militia, NC.

Baptism Notes: Congregational Church

Burial Notes: A. M. Shaw, Registrar Of Deeds Lillington, N. C. on April 4, 1914, wrote to Mrs. M. C. McCanless, of Morristown Tenn.: "A Colonel Folsom of the War Of the Revolution of the Patriot Army lived and died on the North Bank of Cape Fear River near the town of Lillington, and I have been to the old graveyard. There are headstones, just the old people know of it handed down. This was before Harnett County was made" (out of Cumberland County).

General Notes: Ebenezer Folsom, no doubt, went to North Carolina with his brother Nathaniel (See Descendants of Nathaniel Folsom of Rowan County, N. C.), who also had grants of land in Edgecomb Co., N. C.

No family records were required or kept by the southern towns until very recent years. The incomplete data, of these first families was furnished by Mrs. Caroline C. Boyd, of Valdosta, Ga. Research was made in Old's North Carolina Wills, Grimes' Abstracts of North Carolina Wills, and all wills in the four volumes of Hathaway's Historical and Genealogical Register, and the only wills found were those of Ebenezer Folsom, 1788, and of his widow, Edith Folsom, 1791. Abstracts of all the Folsom deeds in Cumberland County and the land grants recorded in Raleigh, N. C. were made by Mr. and Mrs. Wendell B. Folsom.

Noted events in his life were':

He served in the military in 1776 in Cumberland Co., NC.13 Rev War - Colonel The Field officers appointed by the state in 1775 for Cumberland,--Ebenezer Folsom, Lieut. Col. . . . The character of Col. Folsom was that of a daring and chivalric man. He seized all persons suspected of enmity to the cause of liberty and brought them to justice." Mr. Miles O. Sherrill stated that Ebenezer Folsom was made Colonel on May 7, 1776, and that his name appears on 73 different pages in about ten volumes of North Carolina Colonial and State Records.

He was elected to office in 1778-1781 in Cumberland Co., NC. State Senator
He owned land on 28 Feb 1760 in Beaufort Co., NC.14 The first record we find of Ebenezer Folsom in North Carolina is in 1760, when on Feb. 28th he was granted 458 acres of land in Beaufort County
He owned land on 4 Mar 1761 in Beaufort Co., NC.14 On Mar. 4, 1861, he was granted 700 acres
He owned land on 8 Aug 1761 in Edgecomb Co., NC.14 On Aug. 8, 1761 he was granted 600 acres in Edgecomb County and on Aug. 9th another grant of 497 acres in latter county.
Land contract-purchase or sale: 6 Jul 1772, Cumberland Co., NC. The following extracts of deeds in Cumberland County Court House, Fayetteville, N. C. were made by Mr. and Mrs. Wendell B. Folsom, April 1927. Ebenezer Folsom was living in Edge- comb Co. July 6, 1772 when he bought of John McLarren, of Cumberland Co. for £300, "Proclamation money, . : ."all that tract or parcel of land in the County of Cumberland in the River," . . . "on the north east side of the north west Prong of Cape Fear River above the mouth of McNeill's creek," . . .· 358 acres, messuage or tenement and all premises. This tract of 358 acres was included in his estate after his decease and sold at public auction 6 Dec. 1799 bought by his son Israel with other pieces of land, Israel the highest bidder.
Land contract-purchase or sale: 26 Jul 1774, Cumberland Co., NC. On July 26, 1774, Ebenezer Folsom of Cumberland Co. bought 200 acres "lying on both sides of Dugal McPhail's Creek."
Land contract-purchase or sale: 3 Aug 1774, Cumberland Co., NC. He bought 200 acres with buildings "on head of Lick Creek."
Land contract-purchase or sale: 22 Jan 1778, Cumberland Co., NC. He bought land on north east side of Cape Fear River on the upper side of Malcolm Buoy's (Buie's) Creek," sons Nathaniel and Israel, witnesses.
Land contract-purchase or sale: 29 Jan 1778, Cumberland Co., NC. He bought from the State of North Carolina for 60 shillings, 600 acres in Cumberland Co. on Cape Fear River including Houses and plantation whereon he lives." This was recorded at Raleigh, Apr. 1798.
Land contract-purchase or sale: 29 Sep 1778, Cumberland Co., NC. He was granted by the State, for 50 shillings, 173 acres in Cumberland Co. "on the waters of the dry creek." This was recorded at Raleigh, 5 Apr. 1798.
He owned land on 24 Dec 1783 in Cumberland Co., NC. The State, for £10 granted him 273 acres "on both sides of the Creek joining Stevens and his own lines." Recorded 5 Apr. 1798.
He owned land in 1784 in Cumberland Co., NC. For 50 shillings paid into the Treasury he was granted 42 acres on the south side of Cape Fear River including the Island opposite to the plantation he bought of Mark Wyatt Aug. 1, 1783.
He signed a will on 17 Aug 1788 in Cumberland Co., NC. Ebenezer Folsom made his will the 17th of August 1788, and Probably died soon after. From the Cumberland County Records, in Historical Library, Raleigh, N. C. Wills, 1757-1869, Vol. 3.
WILL OF EBINEZER FOLS0M

In the name of God Amen. I Ebenezer Folsom of Cumberland County and State of North Carolina, being weak of body but of perfect mind and memory do make and ordain this my last will and testament, hereby revok- ing and utterly annuling all and every other testament and will by me made ------- ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. After payment of all my just debts and funeral charges I will and bequeath unto my beloved wife Edith, one negro fellow Faw, and also one wench Filles at her own disposal but the first child that Filles has I give to Andy Bryan, and also I give to my wife one third of all my pewter and one chair and two pots and five cows and calves, also two beds and furniture and likewise five hundred weight of meat, and twenty barrels of corn, and twenty bushels of wheat and I like- wise give her one bay mare Janus and I lend to her during her natural life three hundred acres of land in Johnson County joining William Bryants, and after her death I give it to Needham Bryant his son, and I lend her negro boy called Will during her natural life and after her death to be equally divided as my other estate and my ----------- to build a house on said land twenty by sixteen frame and plank floor and clear ten acres of land on the ---------, and build a smoke house and milk house and is not to move from the Manner plantation until it is completed, and I give and bequeath unto my son Israel one negro fellow Simon and forty pounds, and I give to my son Nathaniel one fellow Guep and fifty pounds. 1 give to my son Ebenezer forty pounds, to my sons George and Thomas I give fifty pounds each for their schooling, and the remaining part of my real and personal estate I leave and give to my seven children to be equally divided by my executor at there ----------- and according to there ------------ and lastly I hereby constitute make and appoint and ordain my three sons Israel, Nathaniel and William my executors of this my last will and testament whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the seveenth (seventeenth) day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight.

Signed and delivered in the presence of

John Bohammont

X his mark

Henry Stephenson Ebenezer Folsom (Seal)

Stephen Smith

I hereby certify that I am satisfied and contented with the

contents of within will.

Edith, Her X mark, Folsom (Copy made by Miss Lottie Conlan sent to Mrs. Wendell B. Folsom by Mrs. Czarina C. Conlan, 1936.)

? He had an estate probated on 6 Dec 1799 in Cumberland Co., NC. On 6 Dec. 1799, five various tracts of land in the estate of Ebenezer Folsom amounting to 1444 acres, were sold at auction to satisfy a claim of £166.15.6, with interest, and Israel Folsom was the highest bidder paying £325 for the land with "the appurtenances." (Cumberland County Records, Vol. 18, p. 99.)

From The History of North Carolina by John H. Wheeler Vol. 1, page 128:

Cumberland County, the fields of fixers appointed by the state in 1775 for Cumberland County. Ebenezer Folsom Lieutenant Colonel...The character of Colonel Folsom was that of a daring and chivalric man. He seized all persons suspected of imnity to the cause of liberty and brought them to jsutice. Mr. Miles O. Sherrill stated that Ebenezer Folsom was made Colonel on May 7, 1776, and that his name appears on 73 different pages in about 10 volumes of North Carolina Colonial and state records. Ebenezer Folsom made his will on 8/18/1788 and probably died shortly thereafter(Cumberland County records in the Historical Library, Raliegh, North Carolina; Wills 1757-1869 Vol. 3) *Ebenezer was married three times, first wife is unknown.

Ebenezer's first wife is unknown. She likely died in childbirth with Ebenezer's

first child. Ebenezer's second wife was Elizabeth Daniel, daughter of Thomas

Daniel and Elizabeth Lanier. Ebenezer's third wife was Elizabeth Smith, widow of

Gen. William Bryan. The widow's daughter married Israel Folsom , son of Ebenezer. (notes from Harry Folsom)

Ebenezer was baptized in Ashford, Windham County, Ct. May 16, 1730 religion unknown. He applied for a marriage liscense to wed E. Daniel in N.C. august 31, 1756. He served as an officer in the military in Cumberland Co., N.C. , 1776.

(notes from Harry Folsom)

Here's the history: https://www.nps.gov/mocr/learn/historyculture/index.htm