Perhaps one of the oldest Harlan County citizens living through five wars was Ephriam Ozborn, Jr., who died at the age of 112. He was born in Virginia September. 14, 1754 and died in Harlan County Oct. 10, 1866. He is buried in a Layman cemetery on the hill.

When Ozborn entered the Revolutionary War, he was a young man living in Virginia. The five conflicts which terminated in his life time were the French and Indiana, Revolutionary, War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War.

During his Revolutionary War days he volunteered at "Ozborn Fort" and served six months in Capt. Enoch Ozborn's company in the expedition against the Cherokee Indians.

Sent On Scounting Parties

Many times he was sent on "scounting parties after the Tories." The many months he spent serving under Capt. Abram Bletcher, Colonel Christy, and Capt. Frederick Edwards, should have been sufficient to allow pension benefits.

When he became 80 years of age, he felt that he was due a few benefits. On Sept. 8, 1834 he applied but the records in Montgomery County, Va., were not available and therefore he was turned down for compensation. His life history as a Revolution War soldier has been preserved through records and accounts by members of his family and handed down from one to another.

During the war and oath of allegiance was made by Capt. Ozborn's company. The "muster roll" which was signed by James McCorkle, 5 Dec. 1777, has also been perserved.

The allegiance in part reads: "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 and successors, and that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Commonwealth of Virginia as a free and independent State and I will not at any time do our cause to be done any matter or thing that will be prejudical or injurious to the freedom and independence thereof and also that I will discover and make known to some one Justice of the Peace for the said state all treasons which I now or hereafter know to be formed against this or any of the United States of America."

List Of Soldiers

A list of persons who have sworn allegiance to the State 1777 in Capt. Ozborn's company were Ezekial young, Frances Stegil, Jermiah Ozborn, William Landreth, Robert Baker, John Medly, Isaac Weaver, William hash, Stephen Ozborn, Jr., Joshua Pennington, James Ward, Ephriam Ozborn, Jr., Timothy Roark, George Ewing, Jr., Henry Long, Josiah Ramsey and Samuel Newberry.

A few names from Coxe's Company refused to sign. Next to one of the refusers name was written "an old inoffensive ignorant man." Could be that our expression of "Coxe's Army" could have originated here.

picture....HAPPY DAYS---This picture was among the possessions of the late Judge J. R. Sampson, grandfather of Atty. Kent Sampson and father of Atty. James Sampson. Homes similar to this one were typical in pioneer days. The hoe at the right indicates a garden was in the making.

Sunday April 25, 1954

Volume 53 Number 96

Pages 1 & 4

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