Capt. Abraham Kuykendall

A Patriot of the American Revolution for NORTH CAROLINA with the rank of Captain. DAR Ancestor # A067605

• .findagrave... ; Facts on Abraham Kuykendall blend with folklore for a fascinating tale.. ;

Abraham Kuykendall Corp Corbin's N.C. Troops Rev War Pioneer from NY to PA to NC.

Capt. Abraham Kuykendall "Sr" [Parents] was born on 18 Oct 1719 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. He was christened on 18 Oct 1719 in Probably, Deerpark Church, New York. He died on 1 Apr 1812 in Flat Rock, Hendersonville, Henderson, North Carolina. He was buried in Mud Creek Baptist Church Cem., Flat Rock, Henderson, n. C.. He married Elizabeth Burleson in 1743 in , Anson, North Carolina .

Other marriages:

Bathsheba  Barrett Oxford

[Notes]

Elizabeth Burleson was born on 16 Jan 1728 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. She was christened on 16 Jan 1728 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. She died in 1801 in , Buncombe, North Carolina. She married Capt. Abraham Kuykendall "Sr" in 1743 in , Anson, North Carolina .

Other marriages:

[Notes]

They had the following children:

1. M i Isaac Kuykendall was born in 1746 in , , North Carolina .
   
2. M ii Solomon Kuykendall was born in 1747 in , , North Carolina .
   
3. F iii Pobena Kuykendall was born in 1748.
   
4. F iv Sarah Kuykendall
   
5. F v Jane Kuykendall
   
6. M vi Jonathan "John" Kuykendall
   
7. F vii Esther Kuykendall
   
8. M viii James Kuykendall "Sr"
   
9. M ix Matthew Kuykendall "Sr"
   

>#       		M 	x 	Simon Kuykendall "Sr"

# M xi Abraham Kuykendall "Jr"

1. F xii Rebecca Elizabeth Kuykendall
   
2. F xiii Kuykendall
   
3. M xiv Peter Kuykendall
   
4. M xv Jacob Kuykendall
   
5. F xvi Elizabeth Kuykendall was born in 1778 in Kingston, Ulster, New York . [Notes]
   
6. F xvii Sarah Elizabeth Kuykendall
   
7. M xviii Jesse Kuykendall
   
8. M xix Samuel Kuykendall.[Notes]
   
9. M xx Joseph Kuykendall
   

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Abraham , Sr. KUYKENDALL (Cornelius VAN KUYKENDALL , Luur Jacobsen VAN KUYKENDAAL , Jacob Luursen VAN KUYKENDALL , ) Abraham was born Oct 18 1719 in Kingston UL. Co. NY. He died 1812 in Buncombe Co., North Carolina.

Abraham married (1) Elizabeth BURLSON about 1743 in Anson Co., North Carolina. Elizabeth was born after Jan 16 1729/1730 in Buncombe Co., NC. She died about 1800 in Buncombe County, N C.

They had the following children:

     	90 	M 	i 	

Solomon KUYKENDALL.
91 M ii
Isaac KUYKENDALL.
+ 92 F iii Jane KUYKENDALL was born 1751.
93 M iv
John KUYKENDALL was born about 1754.
John married Nancy HAGGERTY on Jan 19 1779 in Lincoln County, N C.
+ 94 M v James KUYKENDALL was born about 1755 and died 1832.
95 F vi
Ester KUYKENDALL was born 1755.
Ester married Cornelius CAPPS.
+ 96 M vii Mathew KUYKENDALL was born Oct 24 1758 and died Aug 15 1845.
+ 97 M viii Simon KUYKENDALL was born about 1766 and died about 1825.
98 M ix
Peter KUYKENDALL was born 1766. He died before 1800 in Cullman Co., Alabama.
99 M x
Abraham , Jr. KUYKENDALL was born 1770 in Lincoln Co., NC. He died after 1831.
100 F xi
Rebecca Elizabeth KUYKENDALL was born 1772. She died 1854.
101 M xii
Jacob KUYKENDALL was born about 1774. He died before 1828.
Jacob married Nancy THOMAS about 1793. Nancy was born 1781 in N C. She died after 1850 in Henderson County, N C.
102 F xiii
Sarah KUYKENDALL was born about 1780.
103 M xiv
Jesse KUYKENDALL was born 1792.
Jesse married Elizabeth KUYKENDALL. Elizabeth was born 1780 in Beaufort, Carteret, NC.
Abraham also married (2) BATHSHEBA after 1803 in Henderson Co., North Carolina. BATHSHEBA was born about 1765.

They had the following children:

     	104 	M 	xv 	

Joseph Harden KUYKENDALL was born 1800 in Buncombe Co., NC.
105 M xvi
Unknown KUYKENDALL was born before 1810.
106 M xvii
Unknown KUYKENDALL was born before 1810.
107 M xviii
Unknown KUYKENDALL was born before 1810.

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Capt. Abraham Kuykendall "Sr" [Parents] was born on 18 Oct 1719 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. He was christened on 18 Oct 1719 in Probably, Deerpark Church, New York. He died on 1 Apr 1812 in Flat Rock, Hendersonville, Henderson, North Carolina. He was buried in Mud Creek Baptist Church Cem., Flat Rock, Henderson, n. C.. He married Elizabeth Burleson in 1743 in , Anson, North Carolina .

   Other marriages:

[Notes]
Elizabeth Burleson was born on 16 Jan 1728 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. She was christened on 16 Jan 1728 in Kingston, Ulster, New York. She died in 1801 in , Buncombe, North Carolina. . She married Capt. Abraham Kuykendall "Sr" in 1743 in , Anson, North Carolina .

   Other marriages:

[Notes]
They had the following children:

     		M 	i 	Isaac Kuykendall was born in 1746 in , , North Carolina .

M ii Solomon Kuykendall was born in 1747 in , , North Carolina .
F iii Pobena Kuykendall was born in 1748.
F iv Sarah Kuykendall
F v Jane Kuykendall
M vi Jonathan "John" Kuykendall
F vii Esther Kuykendall
M viii James Kuykendall "Sr"
M ix Matthew Kuykendall "Sr"
M x Simon Kuykendall "Sr"
M xi Abraham Kuykendall "Jr"
F xii Rebecca Elizabeth Kuykendall
F xiii Kuykendall
M xiv Peter Kuykendall
M xv Jacob Kuykendall
F xvi Elizabeth Kuykendall was born in 1778 in Kingston, Ulster, New York . [Notes]
F xvii Sarah Elizabeth Kuykendall
M xviii Jesse Kuykendall
M xix Samuel Kuykendall.[Notes]
M xx Joseph Kuykendall
Notes:

   1. Alternate place of birth for Abraham: Minisink Valley, Deerpark, Suffolk, Orange County, New York, but since he was christioned at Kingston it is more likely he was born at Kingston too.

2. Revolutionary Service of Abraham Kuykendall has been accepted by the D.A.R. as Civil Service rather than Military Service. As a civil servant, Abraham was a member of the Safety Committe ofr Tyron County, formed 26 Jul 1775 (See Colonial Records of North Carolina, Vol. 10, Page 120; also see Vol 22, page 820. Shortly after the Revolutionary Ward began, Abraham was appointed as a Commissioner of Tryon County to build a Court House, Prison, Stocks, and to establish a boundary line betweenTyron and Mecklenburg Counties by authority of Laws of North Carolina, Vo. 20, Cap. 12, Page 964. He also served as Justice of The Peace, Tryon County 17 Dec 1778. The History of Old Tryon and Rutherford Counties by, C. W. Griffin on page 10 says that he was a Captain of the Militia for Tryon County, and pges 31, 32, & 33 of this History shows Captain Kuykendall on duty as a Captain on and after July 1776.
3. On an undated list of Petitioners published in the Bulletin Genealogical Society of Old Tryon Co., NC Vol. XXIV November 1996 Number 4 Titled "We are all Become One People Again" from N C General Assembly Session Records, November-December 1796. The Petition is a number of inhabitants of Rutherford County for the purpose of repealing a British Law which was in existance prior to the Revolution, as a means of peace and harmony in the County. It includes a number of Old Abraham Kuykendall's sons and son-in-law and grandsons. Listed as such known by me ar the following: Jacob Kuykendall, Abraham McMinn, Robert McMinn, Abraham Kuykendall, James Kuykendall, JNO Kuykendall, Capt. Peter Kuykendall, and others known by me to be related to the Kuykendall families are Samuel Young (wife Elizabeth Kuykendall) son-in-law of Abraham Kuykendall's brother Peter Kuykendall, Isaac Vinzan, brother-in-law of Abraham Kuykendall, Jr. {Posted by Betty Kuykendall Price}
3. Alternate place of death: Buncombe County, North Carolina, and buried in the Mud Creek Cemetery...per Wanda H. Arnold, 3409 58th, Lubbock, TX 79413, Family Group Sheet dated 1994.
4. In the 1803 Census Abraham was listed living alone (widower) with (7-8) slaves.
5. Since Abraham & Elizabeth married in 1843 some seven years prior to the first known child, it is now speculated that there were other children that may have been born and died from any number of things such as Indian raids & etc.

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THE MYSTERY OF THE BURIED GOLD - THE DUTCHMAN'S TREASURE

This story about Opa Abraham Kuykendall, a Dutchman, born in Kingston New York who had married, then lived in New York and perhaps New Jersey and Pennsylvania for awhile before moving down south to what is now Henderson County North Carolina before the year 1770. Now Opa Abraham was considered to be a wealthy man and many were sure that he had a big pot of gold ! It is said that Opa Abe buried that pot of gold and it has never been found.

The records show that Opa Abe protected his neighborhood from hostile Indians by joining the North Carolina Militia by 1770 and that he served with the North Carolina troops commanded by Captain Corbin during the Revolution, and was even made a militia Captain himself. As a veteran of the Revolution, the State of North Carolina rewarded him with a large grant of land (600 acres or more) lying between Flat Rock Road and the Greenville Highway, across to the bottom lands along Mud Creek which included all the lands which is Flat Rock, North Carolina today. The land was located along Old State Road which was used by drovers driving their herds from Kentucky and Tennessee into South Carolina and Georgia. Travelers on foot or horseback, in carriages, wagons and ox carts used this old road because it was one of the few roads which linked the Appalachian mountains to the rest of the world.

After Opa Abe got this large homeplace, he built a tavern and inn on the land at a good place along the Old State Road so that thirsty and hungry travelers could stop in and rest. He built strong pens to hold the animals when the drovers stopped at night. It is told that he set a well loaded table of good food for his guests and that the drinks he served to wash down the food were strong, potent, raw whiskey made at his own still nearby. No traces of the old tavern remain today, as time and the weather have taken it away.

Now Opa Abe at this time had a young and beautiful wife who helped him run the tavern. She may have been his second or even third wife, this is not known. She liked to dress in pretty colors and to wear lots of jewelry such as rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Because he ran a good tavern and was a shrewd and a good trader, his business prospered. His guests were required to pay for their accommodations in hard money, gold or silver coins. Then, as the years began to weigh heavily upon him, he sold a large tract of land for a large sum of gold. By this time Opa Abe had accumulated a quite large sum of money, all in gold and silver coins. This was in the days before there were any banks. Money was kept in what were called “strong-boxes”, large trunk-like affairs made of thick, heavy, well seasoned white oak timber. These strong-boxes were bound with strips of wrought iron, riveted with hand forged wrought iron bolts and locked with large cumbersome padlocks.

So Opa Abe begun to worry about whether his young pretty wife would spend all his money on jewelry or else some thief might try to steal his gold and silver fortune. One dark night, when the guests of the tavern had retired and quietness had settled over the inn, he stealthily opened his treasure box and transferred the gold and silver to a large black iron wash pot. When all the coins were in the wash pot he awoke two of his slaves who were young men and very strong. He blindfolded both of them and ordered them to pick up the pot. The old man led them down the road and through the forest in the dead of night, his way was lighted only by the flare of a rich pine knot torch. There in the middle of the dense forest he took the blinds off the slaves and led them back to their quarters. On pain of death, he warned them never to tell a soul or breathe a word of what had taken place that night.

Time passed whether it was years or months no one remembers now. Opa Abe, although very old, decided he needed part of his buried money to make a trade. Taking a shovel, he set out to unearth his buried treasure. That was the last time he was seen alive.

Next day he was found be some neighbors, lying by a clear, sparkling, rippling mountain stream that flowed through the virgin forest. It was determined that he had fallen, probably tripping over a root or a stone, which was very natural with him being feeble and unsure of his step as he was then about one hundred and four years of age.

It was only after his death was known that people learned that he had buried the pot of gold. The two frightened slaves who had been blindfolded told his family. But they couldn’t help much with where the treasure was buried. All they knew was that it was at the foot of a big white oak tree. The people began a search for the pot of gold and silver that very day and the search continues to this very day. It has never been found.

There is a grave in the old cemetery at Flat Rock which marks the spot where Opa Abe now rests, no longer worried about his treasure. The grave has a simple headstone with the inscription, “Abraham Kuykendall, Corporal -- Corbin’s North Carolina Troops -- Revolutionary War.

Note: Adapted, from From the Banks of the Ocklawaha , by Frank L. FitzSimons, Golden Glow Publishing Co, 1976

The said Abraham Kuykendall who resided during the American Revolution at Tryon County, North Carolina assisted in establishing American Independence, while acting in the capacity of Civil Servant & Patriotic Service, NC.

Vol XX, Laws of North Carolina, Chapter XII, page 964, Abraham Kuykendall appointed as commissioner for building Courthouse, prison, and stocks for the county of Tryon and for establishing a boundary between the counties of Tryon and Mecklenburg. Also in 1778 after the first appointment was sidetracked, 26 Jul 1775 Abraham served on a safety committee for Captain John Kuykendall in Tryon County, NC and also as Justice of the Peace.

Reference: The Colonial records of NC Vol X, p 247

Griffins History of Old Tryon and Rutherford Co p 44, 45

THE LEGEND OF

ABRAHAM KUYKENDALL

“When Pheasant Branch gleams,

In the morn’s first beams

and the watch-stars shine overhead,

Or in the misty twilight gray

at the close of day,

He comes with a determined tread.

“And the good folk hear

with a thrill of fear,

The plash of his trailing shovel,

Or the ghostly beat

of his sodden feet

as he roams past a woodland hovel.

“ ‘Tis a shadow dim

of an Innkeeper grim,

Returned, from the days of old,

and he knows no rest

From his fruitless guest

For his long-lost pot of gold.

                Joe A Cowart

829 Indian River Dr
Cocoa, FL 32922-7530
Copyright

Kuykendall Tavern was located in what is now the historic village of Flat Rock, NC. While Kuykendall Tavern was relatively close to what is now Little River Road, in reality, family and local tradition state that it was located along the short and very historic and scenic stretch of Rutledge Drive between the current St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church and the Mud Creek Baptist Church. At the time of its existence (in the late 1700s and early 1800s), this was part of the Old State Road. The current Little River Road (about a 1/2 mile away) did not exist until a later date.

Captain Abraham Kuykendall was an important man in early North Carolina. He had served as a member of Samuel Adams’ Committee of Correspondence, considered to be the cadre of the American Revolution. Beginning in 1775, he served as a Captain of a Safety Committee, which governed old Tryon County. Abraham served as a Captain in the North Carolina Militia from 1770 – 1783. Captain Kuykendall also served as Justice of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions and Justice of the Peace for the area that eventually became Rutherford County.

Old military records show that Captain Kuykendall led expeditions into the Blue Ridge Mountains, which were closed to settlers, in search of Tories and Indians. The Tories and Indians were a constant threat to the settlers in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge. Captain Kuykendall apparently discovered and fell in love with Flat Rock during one of those expeditions, since on October 10, 1779, several years before the area was open for settlement, he entered a request for a land grant along the banks of Mud Creek in the current vicinity of Mud Creek Church.

Captain Kuykendall died in 1812. His grave is marked by a 10 foot tall marble obelisk. The obelisk is accentuated by quite a bit of historical information about this pioneer and patriot. In addition, it is decorated with several bronze plaques and markers, including one from the Abraham Kuykendall Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.

In addition, the old tavern is the locale for a number of ghost stories, and lost/buried treasure stories.

Contributed by Charles L. Kuykendall (Abraham’s grandson)

(Feb 22, 2006)

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Note: Possibly the son of Mattheus' brother Cornelis. The name Matthew is used among Abraham's descendants, however.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:992326&i...

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Abraham Kuykendall (b. October 18, 1719, d. Abt. 1812)

Abraham Kuykendall (son of Cornelius Kuykendall and Maritje Westvael) was born October 18, 1719 in Kingston, New York, and died Abt. 1812 in Buncombe Co., NC. He married Elizabeth Burleson on 1743 in Rutherford, North Carolina, daughter of Aaron Burleson.

Notes for Abraham Kuykendall:

Abraham Kuykendall lived in the upper Potomac Valley and lower Shenandoah before settling in the vicinity of Dutchman's Creek near the present site of Mount Holly, North Carolina. That area, in the early 1750's was in Anson County. It became part of Mecklenburg County in 1762 and Tryon County in 1769. Tryon County was abolished in 1779 and recreated as Lincoln County and Rutherford County. Abraham was a Corporal in Captain Coborn's Company of Anson Militia in 1750's. He was commissioned to establish the Tryon County boundary line. He was Captain of a militia company, 1770, and on duty as a Captain during and after 1776. He was commissioned to build the courthouse 1774 and was authorized to levy taxes. He was a Justice of the Peace. Abraham was elected Captain of a company of the Public Safety committee 1775. When the Colonial Assembly approved the abolition of Tryon County 1778 he was appointed to survey the site for the county courthouse, jail and stocks for the new county. He received state grants for land in Buncombe County in 1792. In the January 1794 session of court he was selected on a road commission to survey a road from the Cane Creek ford to Flat Rock on the Blue Ridge along the ridge above Mill Creek. Christian names of Kuykendall wives appeared on deeds. In 1754 Abraham and his wife Elizabeth sold land in Anson county to William Adear. It is said that late in life Abraham married a young woman. On the 1800 census only an elderly female and a male about age twenty lived with Abraham. By 1810 a younger female and a male under age ten resided in his household. In 1805 Wilson McKinney purchased land from Abraham and his wife Bathsheba. The exact time of Abraham's death is unknown. His last deed was dated July 25, 1816. He sold land on Mud Creek, including his grist mill, to Edmund McGuffie.

More About Abraham Kuykendall and Elizabeth Burleson: Marriage: 1743, Rutherford, North Carolina.

Children of Abraham Kuykendall and Elizabeth Burleson are: +Rebecca Elizabeth Kuykendall, b. Abt. 1772, North Carolina, d. date unknown.

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A Patriot of the American Revolution for NORTH CAROLINA with the rank of Captain. DAR Ancestor # A067605

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GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

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1,60525::3140744

GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

GEDCOM Source

1,60525::3140744

GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

GEDCOM Source

1,60525::3140744

GEDCOM Source

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1700s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

GEDCOM Source

1,60525::3140744

GEDCOM Source

GEDCOM Source

Ancestry Family Trees http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=46142935&pid...

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• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Apr 30 2017, 23:58:07 UTC

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GEDCOM Source

Public Member Trees Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Family trees submitted by Ancestry members.

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http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=0&pid=961

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'Abraham and his 2nd wife Bathsheba, operated an inn for travelers and drovers passing from western North Carolina down the mountain into upstate South Carolina. (present day Flat Rock, near Asheville). Abraham took most of the traveler’s payments in gold and by one point he had quite a large accumulation of gold coins. He was becoming concerned that his much younger wife was spending the money at an alarming rate on fancy dresses, jewelry, etc., so one dark night, he blindfolded 2 of his slaves, and had them carry a chest of gold far away from the inn. He had them bury the chest of gold under a large oak tree, and then re-blindfolded them for the trip back home. So the slaves never knew where they’d gone. Some months later, Abraham went out to retrieve some of it, tripped and fell, and died out in the woods. His family later found HIM, but never the gold, because the slaves didn't know where it was. No one has ever found the buried treasure, but it is thought to be somewhere along a Pheasant Creek, near Flat Rock, North Carolina.

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• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Jun 21 2023, 22:36:36 UTC

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• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jun 22 2023, 1:11:35 UTC