From Bridges to The Past
by Mrs. Ernest Newton, Ellenboro, N.C.
And Roy B Coks, Forest City, N.C.
August 12, 1970

William Brooks was born in "a place called Yellowbritches" Pennsylvania, in the year 1745. Sometime later, he migrated to Frederick, Maryland. There he enlisted in the Revolutionary Army in February of 1776 with a Captain Sims and served in the Regiment of Colonel Smallwood. He enlisted for a term of 12 months and was 31 years old when he enlisted.

He first marched to Annapolis and from there to New York, and was in the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776. He then went back to New York, and from there marched to "the White Plains where they had a battle" command by General McDougal which took place in the latter part of November. It was in this battle that he "got his right leg broke". And was sent to the hospital. He was discharged from the hospital at the expiration of his year's service and arrived home in the month of March, 1777.

He then migrated to Guilford County, N.C. where he was drafted for three months additional service in December of 1779, serving under Colonel Little. He was marched to Charleston, S.C., where General Lincoln commanded. In April, 1780 "we made ditches from the heads of different swamps, and dug deep holes in short distances of each other. We also threw us brestworks to keep the British from landing." "On the 15th or 16th, (of April), we made camp at a place called Monk's Corner, to keep up the communications between the towns and the country, but the militia was routed by the enemy. About this time, the British killed a great number of Horsement on Santee River." His pension application further states that "he believes General Lincoln surrendered to Lord Cornwallis between the 10th and the 15th of May in 1780." When his three month term was ended, he volunteered under the same officers for 3 additional months service. He was in the service 6 months and 10 days from the time he was drafted until he arrived home in Guilford County, N.C.

In the month of June, 1781, he was again drafted for three months under Captain Conner and Lt. Col. Palsey (?) And took a town on Deep River. After this he was in no general engagements but he had several skirmishes. When his "draft was out", he again volunteered for three months more under Captain Moore and Lt. Barnes, in Colonel Palsey's (?) Regiment.

He returned to his home in Guilford County and sometime thereafter moved to the Sandy Run Creek Section in what was then Rutherford (later Cleveland) County, N.C.

In attempting to verify his age and place of birth, his application for pension states that the place and year were told him "by the man who raised me", indicating that he was either an orphan, or, he was bound out as an apprentice at an early age.
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BROOKS CEMETERY, Cleveland County, NC

Thanks to Roy Brooks for the use of this survey. This cemetery is located in Crawley Gin area of Cleveland County, NC. It is a couple of hundred feet off the east side of the Crawley Gin Road, SR 1330. The Crawley Gin is gone now. This cemetery only has one readable marker.

Brooks, William
Co. B 34 NC Inf. CSA No Dates
(NOTE: This is not the William Brooks in this Memorial. It is possible that this is Willam M. Brooks, born 1840.)