David Haggard (1764 – 1844)

            David Haggard’s family tree is extensive and largely documented. David is a descent of Sir Andrew Ogard, a Knight of Bradenham Castle in County Norfolk, which lies on the east side of England along the North Sea.  Sir Andrew Ogard was from a distinguished family in Denmark and was naturalized by King Henry VI of England in 1433.  The first Haggard family member to arrive in America was David Haggard’s grandfather, James Haggard. He left England in about 1698 and arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, where he became a school teacher.

            David Haggard was born on February 4^th, 1764 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was born to Nathaniel Haggard and Elizabeth Gentry Haggard.  They had ten children: Henry, Martin, Elizabeth, John, Mary, James, Jane, David and Bartlett, who were twins, and Nathaniel. In 1788, Nathaniel and Elizabeth, along with most of their children settled in Clark County, Kentucky between the towns of Winchester and Boonsborough, which was then a wilderness.  There Nathaniel built a house made of hewn cherry logs with port-holes for defense against Indians, who were troublesome at the time.[1]

David Haggard is most known for being a soldier in the American Revolutionary War. In 1779, at the age of 16, he enlisted at Moppen Hills, eighteen miles south of Richmond and served in the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War for at least six months.  He was a private under Captains Harris, Martin and Fry and Colonels Richardson and Matthews. According to family tradition, while David was in the military, his twin brother, Bartlett, who was not enlisted, would sneak into the camp and change clothes with David.  David was then free to go home and visit his family and “no one would be the wiser.”[2] During his time in the army, David was present during the Battle of Yorktown on October 14^th, 1781.  The surrender of the British at Yorktown was a pivotal moment of the War for Independence, ending the fighting in what would become the United States. George Washington surrounded Cornwallis, exhausting British supplies, forcing Cornwallis to unconditionally surrender on October 19^th, 1781.  After these events, he was put on duty as guardian of the British prisoners of war, until he was discharged in November 1781.[3] David’s brothers, Henry and James, were also a part of the Virginia Militia. 

In 1779, David Haggard married Nancy Dawson, the daughter of Reverend Martin Dawson, a Baptist Minister. They had two sons and eight daughters: Elizabeth, Dawson, Martha, John, Sally, Melvina, Cynthia, Mahalla, and Louesa and Louisa, who were twins. The first child, Elizabeth, was born in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1791.  The remaining nine children were all born after 1792 once they moved to Clark County, Kentucky.

During Haggard’s early life, he also worked as a carpenter. He lived near President Thomas Jefferson and at times he was employed by the President to fix and make alterations to his home at Monticello.

In 1823, the Haggard’s moved to Trigg County, Kentucky. Then in 1836, they moved to Bloomington, Illinois, residing at 319 South Center Street. The population in Bloomington at this time was a mere 450 inhabitants. Haggard would spend the rest of his life in Bloomington.

In Bloomington, Haggard was an active agent in organizing the First Baptist Church. Towards the end of his life, he applied for a military pension for his service during the Revolutionary War. However, his request was denied on March 4^th, 1841, because he failed to supply enough proof of serving at least six months as required by the pension law passed by Congress in 1832.

On April 15^th, 1844, Haggard died at the age of 80 and was buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, Illinois.  He is considered to be the only known soldier of the Revolutionary War to be buried in Bloomington, Illinois.  His wife, Nancy, died sometime between 1850 and 1860.  In 1913, David’s name was included the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Miller Park erected by McLean County.  Then in 1926, Haggard’s grave was marked by the Letitia Green Stevenson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Compiled by: Lisa Dretske

September 15, 2009