Joseph Hacker, Our Ancestor, Part I

We can finally talk about our direct ancestor, Joseph Hacker.  He was the fourth son of Julius and Martha Beeler Hacker, and was born in 1775.  We know this birth year is certain because he is listed as being 75 years old on his 1850 Federal Census record.  The census record showed that he was living in Roane County, Tennessee, and that he was born in North Carolina.  His age of 75 in 1850 tells us that he was born in 1775.  His place of birth in North Carolina suggests that his family had moved to the area that became Washington County, North Carolina Colony by then.  

It is likely that his younger sisters, Susan and Catherine, were also born in Washington County.  The family moved to the area around the same time that members of the Beeler family were settling there.  Joseph would have known his Beeler uncles and cousins, since his father, Julius, obtained a grant in 1784 for 640 acres on Beaver Creek in Sullivan County.  This tract was located near land owned by Beeler family members.

The Julius Hacker family was named as one of the families that took refuge in Shelby’s Fort in 1780 while the men of the community went off to fight a battle at King’s Mountain, South Carolina.  This battle took place in September of 1780 when Joseph was five years old. It was necessary for families to live in the fort for safety while the men of Sullivan County were away because Cherokee Indians living in the vicinity frequently attacked unprotected families.

We know nothing about the childhood and teenage years of Joseph.  Presumably, he lived with his family on the 640 acre farm, and he probably worked with his father and brothers on that land.  The area was originally part of North Carolina Colony, and the Julius Hacker land grant was awarded under North Carolina’s authority.  Washington County was organized around 1775.  But in 1779, a portion of that county was broken off to form Sullivan County.  Around 1790, North Carolina relinquished control of this area and it became part of the Virginia Colony.  Then, in 1796 Washington and Sullivan Counties were included in land that became the State of Tennessee. 

Sullivan County, Tennessee published its first Tax list in 1796.  Julius Hacker, Julius Hacker Jr. and John Hacker are listed on it.  Julius Hacker (the father) was taxed for 640 acres of land.  Julius Jr. and John did not own land, but were taxed for one white poll each.  The white poll was assessed on male citizens aged 21-50, and gave them the right to vote.  Joseph’s name is absent from this tax list, indicating that he was no longer living in his father’s house.  He was about 21 years of age so would have been taxed if he had lived in Sullivan County..

So where was he?  We know that his brother Jacob was married and living in Greene County,  Tennessee.  But we don’t know where he was.  In 1798 his father, Julius Hacker, sold his 640 acre farm and moved to an area on the Clinch River.  This area eventually became Roane County, Tennessee.  It appears that Julius Jr. moved to Roane County with him, but John was married about then and might have moved to Grainger County with his new wife. 

The next record we have for Joseph Hacker is a marriage bond dated dated 8 June 1802, and issued in Roane County.  His bride was to be Priscilla Haggerty.  However, the marriage bond is part of a strange story that we cannot completely tell.  You see, there was a second marriage bond for Joseph Hacker and Priscilla Haggerty filed in 14 July 1810 also in Roane County.  So, did they get married in 1802, and then again in 1810?  We don’t know.  The filing of a marriage bond does not mean that the marriage actually took place; it just serves as a surety to be used if something goes wrong with the wedding plans.  Now, it would be simple enough to say that they did not get married in 1802, but did remain involved with each other and got married in 1810.  The thing wrong with that theory is that there were two sons born during the eight years between those bonds.  John Hacker was born in 1806 and Julius C. Hacker was born in 1808. Were they born out of wedlock?  We don’t know. But we know that  Joseph and Priscilla were married for sure in 1810.  They soon had more children.

I should note that there is no documentation for the birth of these two sons.  We know about them, their age and their parentage, from later records that have been found.  Their identity as sons of Joseph Hacker was finally proven through litigation that took place over Joseph Hacker’s estate after he died.  I will discuss that litigation .in another post

Hacker researcher Alexis Scholz, who is descended from Joseph, has found evidence that he might have been living in Russell County, Virginia (an area that had originally been in Washington County) around 1806-1807.  If so, he was probably living near his sister Catherine who had married Jacob Peters.  Jacob had purchased land that, according to the deed, was formerly owned by Joseph Hacker.  However, a deed record for his purchase of the land has not been found.  This information serves to show where Joseph might have been at that time.

The families of John and Julius Hacker, the sons, were both listed in the 1830 census for Claiborne County, Tennessee.  John had a daughter between five and 10 years old and a wife.  Julius had a  son under five years old and a wife.  The two households were listed at the bottom of P. 38 of the census record.  The household of Daniel Beeler was listed at the top of P. 40.  The intervening page is blank.

Daniel Beeler, son of Jacob Beeler (1750-1843), was the father of Cyntha Ann and Elizabeth, the sisters who married John and Julius Hacker in approximately 1827.  Jacob Beeler was named as a probable son of Ulrich and Maria Elizabeth Buehler for many years.  Recently, however, one Beeler researcher has asserted that there was no proof of his being a son of Ulrich and has questioned the whole relationship.  Actually, four of the children attributed to Ulrich Buehler have no documentation; they are George, Martha, Jacob and Ulrich.  The older children of Ulrich and Maria Elizabeth were baptized in Lutheran churches in Pennsaylvania, and can be proven to be his offspring.  They are John Valentine, Maria Elizabeth Susannah, and Joseph.

If Jacob Beeler is a son of Ulrich Buehler, he would also be a brother of Martha Beeler, wife of Julius Hacker.  Martha was the grandmother of John and Julius Hacker; she would be the great aunt of Cyntha and Elizabeth Beeler if she is Jacob's sister.  We will cover details about these two families in our next installment. 

The Beeler story is fascinating, but it should be fully told in its own blog post. 

Getting back to Joseph, he and Priscilla were married for sure on July 4, 1810 in Roane County, Tennessee. Joseph’s father lived on a farm located on the Clinch River; the date of his death is uncertain, but he was listed on tax records until 1808.  Joseph’s brother, Julius Jr. had married Sarah Haggerty, Priscilla’s sister in 1809, and they were living in Roane County.  In addition to John and Julius C. Joseph and Priscilla had the following children: 

• George Washington, b. 1811 d. 1844
• Joel, b. 1815 d. 1865
• An unknown son, b. 1817
• Margaret, b. 1818
• Elizabeth, b. 1825

Joseph did serve in the military during the War of 1812.  He was enlisted as a private in Brown’s Regiment, Tennessee Volunteers.

Joseph Hacker received a land grant for 100 acres from Roane County, Tennessee in 1827.  He applied for it on January 2, 1824, and the grant was registered on January 23, 1827.   He must have purchased 75 acres at an earlier date because he is taxed for two tracts—75 acres and 100 acres respectively—in 1837.  He apparently sold this 75-acre tract to his son, Joel, at a later date.

Joseph Hacker is listed on the 1830 Roane County Federal Census with the following household members:

1. one son between 10-15, 
2. two sons between 15-20, 
3. an adult male between 50-60 (which would be Joseph, himself), 
4. a daughter between 10-15, 
5. a daughter between 15-20, 
6. an adult woman between 50-60 (which would be wife Priscilla), 
7. two adult women between 80-90.  With regard to the elderly women, I do not know for sure who they were, but it is possible that they were the mothers of Joseph and Priscilla—Martha Beeler Hacker, and the mother of Priscilla and Sarah Haggerty.  

The children listed above can easily be matched to the age ranges of children shown on the census record.   In 1830, George Washington Hacker was the oldest son still living at home.

Joseph Hacker appears on the 1837 Roane County Tax List.  He was taxed on 75 acres (worth $350), and 100 acres (worth $150).  His son Joel is listed under him but he did not own land.  This tax list did not show the poll tax for anyone on it.  I should explain that Joel Hacker was the one son who stayed close to his father, and is shown as living next to him on subsequent tax lists.  George Washington is not listed on the tax list.  Since he was married in 1838 in Grainger County, Tennessee, he had probably left his father/s home by 1837 and was living near his brother Julius Hacker and family, who had moved to Grainger County by then.

Joseph Hacker next appears on the 1840 Roane County Federal Census.  Some changes had occurred in the intervening 10 years.  Priscilla had evidently died because there is no woman of her age on the record.  None of Joseph’s sons were left in the home.  The two daughters were still there, and were 10 years older.  Then, we find that seven females—80-90—were living in the home.  I do not know who these women were, but they were not the two women who were living there in 1830.  Those two women would have been 90-100 years old if they were still living.

Joseph’s son Joel Hacker is listed just under him on the census record.  He is living with a young wife, and a small female child.  At some point, Joseph sold Joel 75 acres of land—the 75 acres shown on the 1837 tax record—and Joel established his own household.  He probably worked with his father, however, as they continued to farm the land.  Joseph did not own slaves and also did not have farm laborers living with him.  He would need the help of his son if he continued to farm.

For the first time in 1850, Federal Census Records listed all members of a household by name, age, and place of birth.  As I said above, Joseph Hacker is listed in 1850 as being 75 years old, born in North Carolina.  Joseph’s daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth are also listed in the household.  Margaret is 33 and Elizabeth is 25.  In addition, some children are living there which have not been fully explained.

I am going to stop at this point, although there is much more information about Joseph to talk about.  But there is too much for one post, so I am dividing it into two.  I will post the second part of the Joseph Hacker story within a few weeks.