Samuel Isaacs in America, 1685+

Samuel Isaacs in America, 1685+

It's hard to say who went first to North Carolina. There was a problem between the earlier coastal planters of large plantation type estates and late comers occupying the Piedmont area and the Western Mountain areas. Definitely, Elijah (I) went before brother Godfrey but maybe Uncle Elisha Isaacs went first. There were a lot of things going on in Western Virginia. The FreeMasons were organizing everywhere. There was a war in the West between British and The French and Indians. The Regulators in Coastal Carolina wanted to control everything and settlers in the Western Mountains and "Over The Mountain" Settlers (Tennessee and beyond)were demanding more say so in government. The route taken those days was the Shenandoah Valley roughly along todays Interstate 81 from Knoxville, TN to Pennsylvania. Virginia was not as popular with new settlers in America. Philadelphia and New York were quickly becoming the port of entry for new American settlers from Europe. General Braddock had blazed a trail for his army to march to Pittsburgh to fight the French and their Indian allies. It is today US HWY Route 40 or The National Highway. Not many had discovered that yet. When they did most would follow that early road and find The Ohio River and sail downstream, bypassing the rugged mountains fort settling. The Shenandoah Valley route took them to the Cumberland Gap or onto The Tennessee River and also a route to The Ohio River at modern day Paducah, KY or The Cumberland River to near the same destination.

The Isaacs of Samuel (I) and (II) through several of their children moved into Western North Carolina. It looks, to the casual observer, that they lived in several different counties but it seems they mostly settled into the large western county which was divided a few times. Eventually, those big counties became Ashe County, NC. After the American Revolutionary War there was a movement to organize a new country named Franklin but that eventually did not gain traction to survive. Franklin would have been part of Western North Carolina in the Mountains and Tennessee to modern day Knoxvills or Nashville, TN. Isaacs found their way into everything. They were exciting times. Samuel(III), son of Colonel Elijah was an early Indian Scout and spent most of the early years of the Am Rev Way in Western NC and TN down to modern day Western South Carolina with The Cherokees. He spent a couple of three month enlistments with The North Carolina Militia fighting British Sympathizers called TORIES in Western, NC near Quaker Meadows, NC. Most settlers had been sympathetic to the British Crown in the mountains. Elisha Isaacs and his nephew Colonel Elijah Isaacs had served in the North Carolina Legistlative Branch of State government. Interestingly, on items that both houses of the Bi-cameral government body discussed or voted on, Elisha had a calm demeanor and very personable disposition. Colonel Elijah was just the opposite and was known to be quite firey and obstinate. He did not like Tories and made no secret for where he felt they should go as soon as he could dispose of them. He brought the same disposition to his military commission and was known to deal quite harshly with Tories and their families. Some accounts say he was captured and held prisoner by the British and other accounts say Samuel(III) was captured by the British and held for a year and exchanged for a high value British Officer who had been captured by the Colonial Army. Ether way, Coilonel Elijah fought in modern day North and South Carolina. Sam (III) fought with Francis(The Swamp Fox)Marion in South Carolina. It has not become apparent where Colonel Elisha Isaacs fought but he was also a Colonel. Godfrey fought likewise but he was a Captain in the NC Militia. They apparently met a young boy of 12-15 who was held by The British named Andrew Jackson from Tennessee and eventuallly the seventh President of these United States from about 1828-1836. Those years are significant because many states were formed and Old Hickory, as he was called, was a man with a very long memory. After The War, Samuel(III) met up with Jackson in Eastern Tennessee where he introduced Isaacs to Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and they joiuned Jackson in the conquest of Alabama, Mississippi, Northwest Florida and eventually The Battle of New Orleans in January 1815 at the very end of The War of 1812. Samuel(III) received a land grant in modern day Moore County, Tennessee with some of the best water for distilling whiskey that has ever been known. Eventually he sold the business to a man named Jack Daniels who carried on and further developed the business but everyone knew it was the water that made the spirits so tasty and appealing.

Follow the bouncing Isaacs to: NC, SC, KY, TN and beyond

There is one thing we notice with Isaacs: there are a lot of women and twins. Old Samuel I lived until about 1750 or so and had sons: Sam II and Elisha. Sam II died long about 1760 and his son Elijah I (Later Col Elijah of NC Militia fame in Am Rev War) executed the estate and his brother Godfrey stayed in Virginia while Elijah I and his Uncle Elisha I took off for NC. John had gone off to Kentucky about 1756 or so and liked it a lot. (That is when it was bloody Kentucky and was still a part of Colonial Virginia. In that day and age the French were stirring up Indians and The French and Indian War ensued. There is some history to suggest that John actually crossed over The Mighty Ohio River into Indiana and Illinois scouting for the British under Young George Washington's group. Washington was from the same area of Virginia and he bought 'Corn' from the Isaacs family back there.

Corn Whiskey was used as a medium of exchange and was traded with more constant value than any currency from anywhere. Washington was known to carry some for trade or medicinal purposes only. Later on upon John's return to Virginia, Godfrey was seeing a lady whose father made whiskey. It seems she had a thing with a Ferry Operator and 'Corn' purveyor got crossways with Washington for selling him bad (Rot Gut) Whiskey. Several of Washingtons finest soldiers got sick and some might have died. Gentle George never had that problem with Isaacs 'Corn.' Godfrey eventually married the girl and she became the Matriarch of Virginia Isaacs after the war in Southwest Virginia. Eastern Kentucky is populated with Godfrey and her offspring as is that county on the Clinch River in Virginia.

This man Samuel Isaacs

Little is known about Samuel Isaacs who was born in 1685. He came to The Colonies. Some say from Wales, Others say Scotland. DNA suggests there was Irish influence, also.

Many people seem sure of their story but true verifiable facts are hard to come by. We do know he raised Tobacco and made whiskey in or near Winchester, Virginia. Some spell the name Isaacks while other spell it the more traditional way, Isaacs. There is strong suggestions that he made 'Corn' for a gentleman named George Washington. He had children but the Mother is hard to pin down.

Isaacs was a Biblical Patriarchal name and many people assumed it with or without Jewish roots.
This blog is to investigate and inform. Hopefully it can become an accepted clearing house for Isaacs of all persuasions.

One thing is sure: Isaacs had a way of making friends with a lot of powerful people and never seem to have avoided war in America and always succeeded in serving Patriotism. There is little written directly about Isaacs but Isaacs are always around close to the action. Example: We rarely find Colonel Elijah Isaacs written about in American Revolutionary War battles but the files are full of Patriots who claim to have served with or for him and seek his endorsement in persuing Veterans Benefits after that war. There is little written about Isaacks in The Republic of Texas battles in the early days of the Republic. Still more than a dozen applied for pensions and had their service confirmed. Nothing is revealed involving Isaacs in The War of 1812 but look closely and one can find Elijah and presumably son Samuel marching off with Mississippi Volunteers as soldiers.

Isaacs named their children after Andrew Jackson and any number of American History Icons.
There are so many Samuels, Elijahs, Elishas that I use Roman Numerals to distinguish one from another. There's a "Wanderlust" gene in the family DNA somewhere. Only through the advances in DNA have we been able to match one Isaacs or Isaacks as descending from Samuel I. Anyone can have the name Isaacs but only the DNA tracks back to Winchester, Virginia. Equally enlightening, Not everyone with that DNA 'Y' string is named Isaacs. I like talking to different Isaacs around the country and learn what has been passed down over the centuries.

Isaacs made 'Corn Whiskey' as is common in Wales. Many Isaacs settled in Kentucky and Kentucky is famous for Bourbon. Bourbon distilling uses the same formula as is used in Wales for 'Corn Whiskey.' If you go to Tennessee and look at 'Sour Mash Whiskey' it is a different formula than Bourbon or 'Corn Whiskey' in Wales. I'll drink to that but I don't remember why.

There are pockets of Isaacs in Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina. In Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama. Mississippi was an early destination and led to Louisiana and The Republic of Texas. Samuel Isaacs is listed in, Stephen F Austin's Old 300 Anglo Settlers in Texas

Isaacs used rivers to get to Indiana and Illinois for early settlement. They then moved on to Missouri and through Arkansas to Northern Texas. Califirnia holds many Isaacs who share that common Samuel I gene pool. It's going to be exciting to explore it all.