Perfect is the enemy of progress. There is much information out there, in my own backyard even, to be had about my Moon family. There’s more than enough on my desk right now to get started though. And I really, really, really need to clean off this desk.

My 4x great grandfather, Thomas Pleasant Martin, of Martin’s Mill in Abbeville, South Carolina has consumed much of my attention and research time. The wealth and story he and his wife built on the futile ground of a new republic’s frontier is interesting, but it is itself a product of what was made and what was lost by the generation before. Foundations are hard-built and Thomas’ maternal family set those stones with blood.

Thomas’ parents were Charles Martin and Martha (Patsy or Patty) Moon, both born in Albemarle, Virginia in the middle of the eighteenth century. His middle name (Pleasant) was passed down from his mother’s brother. The name of another Martin boy (Thomas’ brother) is a full homage to Mom Patsy’s family — Jacob Moon Martin. Providing additional evidence is the 1790 census of South Carolina’s Edgefield district. Charles Martin’s household is listed directly adjacent to one headed by a Jacob Moon. Certainly (at least in my mind) Patsy’s father, Jacob was living by himself with five slaves. There were no other Moon families in the area at that time to account for a coincidence.

So let’s discuss this Moon family.

Patsy’s parents were Jacob Moon and Mildred Cobb, both born about 1717 in New Kent, Virginia. Patsy seems to have had two sisters, Susannah and Sarah (Sally). Her brothers left the best paper trail. Their names were William, Jacob, Pleasant, Jesse, and Archelaus. Closest in age to Patsy were Jacob and Pleasant.

Jacob Moon (Jr) was born about 1754 and enlisted July 1776 in Bedford County, Virginia. He was serving in the 14th Virginia Regiment as Paymaster on March 15, 1781 when he sustained mortal wounds at battle of  Guilford Court House in North Carolina. Prior to his death, he married Ann (possibly Sarah Ann) Ammon and had two children, Christopher and another who died in infancy. His widow later married Samuel Hancock, a veteran himself of the American Revolution. Samuel Hancock, upon taking the place of his ill brother in service, marched under Jacob’s brother Lt. Archelaus Moon to meet the Northern Army.

Abstracts of Bedford County, Virginia Wills, Inventories and Accounts
1754 – 1787
Miss Joida Whitten

JACOB MOON, Junior. Will.
Dated: 2 March 1781
To my son Christopher the tract of land I now lie. To the child my wife is now pregnant with a tract of land lying in Albemarle containing 200 acres and joining the Old Furnace.
To my wife a riding chair and one choice horse.
The remainder of my estate both real and personal I give to my wife and two children before mentioned to be equally divided.
Executors: my brothers William and Archaleus and my wife.
Witnesses: Benjamin Rice, George Rucker, James Mitchell, William Whitten
Proven: 28 May 1781 by oaths of Benjamin Rice and George Rucker.
Executrix named in the said Will to join in the probate thereof when she shall think fit.

Pleasant Moon was appointed to military service 23 December 1776 and by 28 April 1777 was serving as a sergeant in Capt. George Lambert’s Company of Continental Regulars of the 14th Battalion of Virginia Forces, commanded by Col. Charles Lewis at a pay rate of $8.33 per month. He is listed on the regiment muster roll of August 1777 as “Sick at Cross [or Gross] Road.” He died 4 September 1777 in service, Philadelphia Campaign, per 14th Virginia regiment muster roll. It is important to remember how many revolutionaries died of small pox and dysentery before they had the chance to meet the end of bayonets or cannon fire. If he ever married or had children, I have no record of it.

Archelaus (Archaelus, Archaleus, Archer) Moon was appointed to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the 14th Virginia Regiment from 23 Dec 1776 until his resignation on 13 November 1777. I do not know when he first enlisted, only the start date of his last position. His pay was 27 dollars per month while serving as first lieutenant. Archelaus married Martha Morton in 1778 in Charlotte County, Virginia. He lived to see the end of the war, but lost his first wife in 1784,  marrying Ann Anderson at the end of 1784 with Robert Anderson providing surety as recorded in Quaker records. The family seems to have kept one foot in the world of their pacifist Quaker community and the other fighting for the nation that afforded them relative freedom to practice that faith. He died in 1796, Fayette County, Kentucky. Wife Ann outlived him by several decades and made it with that line of the Moon family to Howard County, Missouri.

Jesse Moon, born 1750 in Albemarle County, Virginia according to Muster and payrolls of the Rev. War, 1775-1783. While I do not have information on rank or station, it’s safe to assume from inclusion in that volume that he served and most probably died as a result. His Will, below, was dated 1780, making him about 30 years old. No known descendants.

Abstracts of Bedford County, Virginia Wills, Inventories and Accounts
1754 – 1787
Miss Joida Whitten

JESSE MOON. Will.
Dated: 24 September 1780
“… of Russel Parish in Bedford County…”
I so will and require my father Jacob Moon to have all all my estate real and personal and especially that my brother William Moon do make to my father a lawful right to the 133 acres of land which I gave my negro boy Tim to the said William Moon for, also I do will and desire my Father to pay all my just debts.
Witnesses: W. Mead, Jacob Moon, Jr., Michiel Gilbert
Proven: 23 October 1780 by oaths of William Mead, Jacob Moon and Michael Gilbert. “There being no Executor named in the said Will, Jacob Moon Senior granted Letters of Administration with the Will annoxed”… Security: Michael Gilbert and Jacob Moon, Junior.

Sally Moon, born about 1760 and married first to Silas Moorman, then Michael Gilbert. Her first three children (all with Silas) are named Pleasant, Martha, and Jacob. She then had several more with Silas, but it seems they switched to a Moorman naming system at that point. Sally died in Colorado, Texas in 1841.

Various entries from Abstracts of Bedford County, Virginia Wills, Inventories and Accounts
1754 – 1787
Miss Joida Whitten

SILAS MOORMAN
Dated: 2 November 1776
Lend and bequeath unto my well beloved wife Salley Moorman my land and plantation whereon I now lie containing “of one Hundred acres” and bequeathed Cuff, Tamer, Jenney and Joe. Also stock of all kinds, three beds and all other household furniture her widowhood or till my children come of age and if she marries then the whole above mentioned articles to be divided amongst my wife and three children Martha Moorman, Jacob Moorman and Pleasant Moorman land excepted. Unto my son Jacob Moorman 100 acres of land with the plantation whereon I now live which if my wife do not marry while my three children comes of age then the whole estate to be equally divided except the land.
Executors: brother Charles Moorman, Jacob Moon, Jr. and my brother Andrew Moorman
Witness: Archer Moon, Salem Bocock, Lodwick Cook
Proven: 24 February 1777 by oath of Archer Moon and Court of 24 March 1777 by the affirmation of Salem Bocock.
Executors: Charles Moorman, Jacob Moon, Junr. and Andrew Moorman
Security: Nicholas Mead and William Moon.

SILAS MOORMAN. Inventory and Appraisement.
Dated: 31 March 1777
Negroes Cuff, Joe, Tamer, Jenny.
Listed: household furnishings, livestock, tools, no real farm equipment
Appraisers: Aqa. Gilbert, Adam Clement, John Robinson
Returned: 24 April 1777

SILAS MOORMAN. Allotment.
“Agreeable to an order of Bedford Court Loted to Sally Gilbert Widow of Silas Moorman Deceased…”
Allotment: Negro Jinny, woman’s saddle, 1 brass kettle
Date signed: 8 March 1779
Signed: Saml. Hairston, John Patrick, John Warde
Returned: 28 June 1779

Susannah Moon I would like to find more reliable information on before I post anything.

Martha “Patsy” Moon And at last we get to my 5x great grandmother. You know… I’ll try and write a separate post for Patsy. Later.  😂