American Revolution Ancestor of Michael Letsinger

Ben Duncan is recognized by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and others as a soldier in George Washington’s Army. See Revolutionary Pension Record (NARA-Ft Worth) M804 Reel # 863. From this file it appears definite proof that Ben was at the famous and important Battle of Kings Mountain on 07 Oct 1780 in South Carolina.

Benjamin Duncan helped General Washington build rafts made of logs to get across the lake and get away from the English Army of oppressors”. We know that Ben and his wife moved from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Bell County, Kentucky after the American Revolution.

In a vast wilderness without maps or friends, Ben and his wife “Betsy” were surrounded by savage Indians and dangerous wild bears and mountains lions without any shelter having just walked over the mountains from North Carolina. As they sat side by side on a log and not knowing what was going to happen to them at the next moment, they talked about what they were going to do, keep going over the next mountain through Boone’s Gap or stop here at the foot of the mountain and build their family here. They agreed to stay put even as they acknowledged they had nothing but the rifle Ben carried in the war, and “pluck” (hard work) and some venison Ben had shot that morning but no bread.. Ben said he would make friends with the Indians and did. He got some Indian corn and made hominy and beat the corn into meal which he and Betsy made into ash-cakes and Johnny-cakes. Next they built their cabin with their bar hands and hard work.

So it was with Benjamin Duncan. When he was young he waded creeks, and swamps and went half-naked but he was a true American Patriot and an honest to goodness frontier settler who carved a living out of the wilderness and raised his family by his hard work.