On October 7, 1780 the foundation that would forever change the world was established. Fewer than one thousand American Heroes, through skill, luck, and the leadership of cunning strategists, defeated a brilliant star of the British military might. Chapman Gordon was one of those Heroes.

Private Gordon was the son of Charles Gordon, DAR Ancestor Number A045993, and Mary Boswell Herndon, widow of Joseph Herndon. When Joseph Herndon died, he left Mary with six young children:

Joseph Herndon
Stephen Herndon
Philadelphia Herndon
Benjamin Herndon
Mary Ann Herndon
Sarah Herndon

Mary remarried to Charles Gordon, Sr. Gordon adopted the Herndon clan and then he and Mary added three sons to the brood:

Charles Gordon
Chapman Gordon
Nathaniel Gordon

Chapman Gordon, named in honor of his paternal grandmother, Mary Sarah Chapman, married Charity Pennington King. She was the daughter of Charles King and Charity Pennington. The Gordon's had several children, including (and there may have been others):

Charles Pendleton Gordon
James Harvey Gordon
Zachariah Herndon Gordon
Sarah Chapman Gordon
George Washington Gordon

Taken from GORDONS OF SPOTSVYLVANIA VIRGINIA page 12-13 by Frances Hodges
"From Publications of Southern History Association, Vo. IX, May 1905, No. 3, Page 183, 'Lenoir's Rangers, a N. C. Revolutionary Company':

In 1775 Surry County, N. C. included Wilkes, Stokes and Surry and being a frontier County was supposed to extend to the Mississippi River. At that time the inhabitants were much annoyed by the depredations of Indians; Wm. Lenoir was selected by the Colonel of the County to raise a Company of Rangers for the protection of the frontier settlements. Wm. Lenoir had previously belonged to a Company of 'Minute Men' commanded by Capt. Jesse Walton, but he was Captain of this Company of Rangers. .

The Rangers went on several expeditions against the Indians and Tories and endured much hardship and many dangers. On the 1st of July, 1780, this Company of Capt. Lenoir's was enlisted into public service. Nathaniel Gordon was Lieutenant and Chas. Crenshaw was Ensign. .

The following papers are correct copies of manuscripts found at the 'The Fort' - (Fort Defiance near Lenoir, N. C., the home of Gen. Wm. Lenoir) - among Gen. Lenoir's papers, which he had packed away in some drawers of a desk and were left in these drawers for sixty years. These lists were made in his own handwriting. He stated that he made these lists of his men so that if he fell in battle or anything happened to him, the men could prove their service. (The Association is indebted to Mrs, P. H. Mell,
Clemson College, S. C., for this material.).


List of men who went in Capt. Lenoir's Company of Light Horse to Creswell Mines, June 15, 1780 (list in Wm. Lenoir1s handwriting):.

Capt. Wm. Lenoir's Company July 1, 1780.
William Lenoir, Captain.
Nathaniel Gordon, Lieutenant.
Chas. Crenshaw, Ensign.
Among others-Chapman Gordon, Wm. Jones, Devereux Ballard, James Sheappard, Tom Jones, Joel Chandler, Benj. Brown..

A list of my company that went to the Old Store and to Catawba, exclusive of those that went down with Capt. Herndon.
John Parks, Lt..

Devereux Ballard, Sergt.
Among others were Chapman Gordon, George Gordon, etc., this expedition was in Feb. 1781..

Nathaniel Gordon, with an older brother, Charles Gordon and a younger brother, Chapman Gordon, fought in the Battle of King's Mountain and thru the entire Revolutionary War. Fought under Generals Sumter and Marion in South Carolina. (Printed letter of Mrs. Sallie Chapman (Gordon) Law of Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 29, 1893.) Their names appear on the monument erected to the memory of men who fought at King's Mountain. Enlisted June 26, 1777, as a private in Capt. John Buchanan's Company, 6th South Carolina Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Wm. Henderson; was transferred to the 5th Company, 1st South Carolina Regiment in February, 1780, and his pay from June 26, 1777 to June 15, 1781, was settled December 19, 1793, record of which is on file with the State Historical Commission of Columbia, S C."

Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots about Chapman Gordon notes:

Name:
Chapman Gordon
Cemetery:
Under sanctuary
Location:
N Wilkesboro Pres Ch, Wilkes Co NC 73