Skaggs Genealogy

Richard Skaggs: The Long Hunter and Morgan's Rifleman (c. 1744–1821) Richard Skaggs, a daring long hunter and elite rifleman in Daniel Morgan's Provisional Rifle Corps during the Revolutionary War , embodied the rugged individualism of America's frontier expansion, blending marksmanship with perilous settlement and family establishment. Born circa 1744 in Augusta County, Virginia (later Botetourt and Fincastle Counties) to Scotch-Irish parents James Skaggs Sr. (ca. 1700–bef. 1781) and Rachel (surname unknown, possibly Moredock or Thompson), Richard grew up in the New River Valley amid Native American conflicts and colonial land rushes. His life, documented through militia rolls, land grants, tax lists, tithables, court orders, debt suits, and his 1818 will, reveals a trajectory of exploratory hunts, military valor, persistent legal entanglements—including a dramatic 1820 felony indictment—and adaptive migration to Kentucky . Married to Elizabeth (surname unknown; no form...

Moses Skaggs: The Frontier Militiaman and Civic Leader (c. 1733–c. 1796) Moses Skaggs, a steadfast frontier militiaman, road surveyor, and local judge, represented the resilient backbone of early American settlement in Virginia and Kentucky. Born around 1733–1736 in Augusta County, Virginia (later Botetourt and Fincastle Counties) to Scotch-Irish parents James Skaggs Sr. (ca. 1700–bef. 1781) and Rachel (surname unknown), Moses grew up in the New River Valley , where his family pioneered settlements amid Native American conflicts and colonial expansion. His life, documented through tax lists, tithables, militia rolls, court orders, and estate records, reveals a man of duty, economic stability, and community involvement, who contributed to frontier defense and governance but left no direct heirs—consistent with the absence of any personal marriage record in "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1786-1965" (FamilySearch database with images)—with his legacy preserved through family net...

When spending time with legal documents such as wills, court cases and deeds it is useful to be aware of the legal age required of the participants.  Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet provides a good summary of the legal age for actions in colonial times.

Charles "Long Hunter" Skaggs: The Frontier Explorer (b. c. 1737 – d. 1815)  Charles "Long Hunter" Skaggs, a renowned frontiersman and explorer, epitomized the adventurous ethos of the 18th-century American backcountry, combining skillful hunting with pioneering settlement amid Native American territories and colonial expansion. Born around 1737 in the western parts of Augusta County, Virginia , to Scotch-Irish parents James Skaggs Sr. (d. c. 1781) and Rachel (surname unknown), Charles grew up in the New River Valley , where his family forged early footholds in the wilderness. His life, chronicled through land deeds, militia rolls, pension applications, family journals, estate records, wills, tithable lists, court orders, appraisals, tax records, contemporary accusations, recognizances, property assignments, and powers of attorney, portrays a resilient family man and long hunter who contributed to the opening of Kentucky but whose story is grounded in practical fron...

James "Longman" Skaggs: The Pioneer Baptist Preacher (b. c. 1734 – d. aft. 1793) James "Longman" Skaggs, a pioneering Baptist preacher and long hunter , embodied the spirit of the American frontier, blending spiritual leadership with the rugged demands of exploration and settlement. Born around 1734 in the Virginia backcountry to Scotch-Irish parents James Skaggs Sr. (d. c.1781) and Rachel (surname unknown), James grew up in the New River Valley , where his family established early settlements amid Native American conflicts and colonial expansion. His life, documented through land deeds, court records, tax lists, tithables, militia rolls, and historical accounts, reveals a man of faith, resilience, and family devotion, who played a key role in the Baptist movement in Kentucky but whose legacy is marked by a scandal that led to his disappearance. James’ story centers on his ministry, frontier settlement, and controversial later years.

Henry Skaggs: The Long Hunter (b. aft. 1730 – d. 1810) Henry Skaggs , a quintessential figure of the American frontier, embodied the spirit of the " Long Hunters"—adventurers who ventured deep into the uncharted wilderness of Kentucky and Tennessee for months at a time, hunting game, mapping terrain, and paving the way for colonial settlement. Born after 1730, likely in the Carolinas or Virginia to Scotch-Irish parents James Skaggs Sr. and Rachel, Henry grew up in the New River Valley , where his family established a 440-acre tract on the Middle River in Augusta County, Virginia . His life, spanning the mid-18th to early 19th century, is illuminated through primary sources such as land deeds, court records, tax lists, militia rolls, marriage records, and estate documents, revealing a man of resilience, land acumen, and family devotion amid the perils of the frontier. Distinct from "Hunting" Henry Skaggs (son of Aaron Sr.), this Henry’s legacy centers on his Long ...

William Skaggs, the eldest son of James Skaggs and grandson of James and Rachel Skaggs of the New River Valley in Virginia applied for a Revolutionary War pension.  I used Grok to create a summary of the pension attestation.  This summary organizes the key events, service details, and post-service developments described in William Skaggs' Revolutionary War pension file (W2182) in chronological order, based on the dates explicitly mentioned or inferred from the attestation, amendments, and related affidavits.

The Skaggs family played a significant role in the Fincastle County militia during Lord Dunmore's War, a conflict driven by frontier tensions with Shawnee and Mingo forces, culminating in the Battle of Point Pleasant (October 10, 1774). Drawn from the extinct Fincastle County (now parts of West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky), the Skaggs, many of whom were "Long Hunters" with frontier expertise, contributed across multiple militia companies. Their service ranged from short-term patrols to full campaign participation, with pay typically at 0.6 shillings per day for privates, plus extras for provisions or rank.

Henry Skaggs' pension application (S30701) was transcribed from original Revolutionary War records and details his life and military service. Below is a chronological summary based on his sworn declaration on September 24, 1832, in Grayson County, Kentucky, before the County Court, when he was 73 years old.

Archibald Skaggs' pension application (S31367) was transcribed from original Revolutionary War records and details his life and military service. Below is a chronological summary based on his sworn declaration on September 7, 1832, in Adair County, Kentucky, when he was 72 years old (last January), seeking benefits under the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832.

During the American Revolution the Virginia legislature passed laws that required an oath of allegiance to the State. Free men above the age of 16 were required to make the following oath by 10 October 1777: "We whose names are hereunto subscribed do swear or affirm that we renounce and refuse all allegiance to George third King of Great Britain, his heirs successors and that, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Commonwealth of Virginia as a free and independent State and that I will not at any time do or Cause to be done any matter or thing that will be make known to some one Justice of the Peace for the said State all treasons or traitorous Conspiracies which I now or hereafter shall known to be formed against this or any of the United States of America." In 1777 Montgomery County mustered the militia and required the oath. The result is an interesting list of declared revolutionaries that is useful to family historians.

On 31 March 1781 a muster roll was created for Daniel Trigg's militia in Montgomery County, Virginia.  This muster roll has been transcribed twice by independent researchers: 1) Combs researchers Barbara Stacy Mathews & Carole Hammett and 2)  researcher   George Baumbach   from "Montgomery County, Virginia, The First Hundred Years," C. W. Crush & F. T. Ingelmire, Iberian Publishing Company, Athens, Georgia.  I provided both muster roll transcriptions to Grok and asked for transcription followed by analysis of the Skaggs entries in the context of the Skaggs information we have previously collected.

Richard Skaggs from the "Long Hunter" Skaggs family died ca. 1821 in Barren County, Kentucky with a  will .  Once again, I had Grok read the will and incorporate the relevant genealogical information into our description of the "Long Hunter" Skaggs family. Based on the analysis of the provided documents—the 1769 land deeds from Augusta County, Virginia; the 1783/1784 land survey for Rachel Skaggs in Montgomery County, Virginia; the Archibald Thompson Journal (transcribed 2020); the Moses Skaggs estate papers (Green County, Kentucky, 1836); and Henry's, Charles' and Richard's wills—here is a detailed summary of the family.