Col Thomas Marshall Rev. War to Survey General

Source – Entry #16 in Paxton’s Marshall Family (written circa. 1885)

( b) When the war broke out, Col. Marshall was already pre­pared for it. He was one of that band of early patriots which had resolved to resist the encroachments of the British Crown, at ‘the hazard of all that is dear to man. Their heroic spirit manifested itself in raising a patriotic company known as the Culpepper Minute Men. This was the earliest organization in the cause of freedom.

When formed into a regiment under command of Col. Woodford, Capt. Marshall became Major. Major Marshall’s esteem for his superior officer was afterwards shown, and his influence manifested, by the County of his residence, in Kentucky, being called Woodford. Major Marshall distinguished himself at the battle of the Great Bridge-the first engagement on Virginia’s soil. He was frequently elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, and was a member of the convention· that declared the colony independent. He was at Valley Forge, with his sons, John and Thomas. At the battle of Germantown, when Gen. Mercer was killed, he succeeded to the command.

A horse was killed under him at Brandywine. Referring to this occasion, Campbell in his history of Virginia writes :

( o) “The Third Virginia Regiment, under command of Col. Thomas Marshall, which had performed severe duty in 1776, was placed in a wood on the right, and in front of Woodford’s Brigade and Stephen’s Division. Though attacked by superior numbers, the regiment maintained its position until both its flanks were turned, its ammunition nearly expended, and more than half its officers, and one third of the soldiers were killed or wounded. Col. Marshall, whose horse had received two balls, then retired to assume his position on the right of his division, but it had already retreated. Among the wounded in the battle, were Lafayette and Woodford. The enemy passed the night on the field of battle. On the 26th of September 1777, the British entered Philadelphia.”

It has been said that at Brandywine, Col. Marshall saved the patriot army from destruction. For such distinguished services, the House of Burgesses through their speaker, Edmund Randolph, presented him a sword. This heirloom descended to his son Capt. Thomas MarshaJl ( 56), who by his will bestowed it on his son, Gen. Thomas Marshall, ( 176 ). The latter left no male issue, and, on his death, his daughter, Mrs. Bland (682), presented it to• the Mays­ville, Kentucky Historical Society, which preserves it with care.

d. In 1779 Col. Marshall, with his Third Regiment, was sent to reinforce Gen. Lincoln, in South Carolina. He joined Lincoln just in time to be shut up with him in Charleston and to share in the surrender of that city to the British. But having been paroled, Col. Marshall, with other officers, visited Kentucky in 1780, trav­eling on horseback through the wilderness. On that trip, he located his beautiful farm of ”Buckpond,” near Versailles.