Captain William McCormick

Captain William McCormick was born about 1765 in Virginia, and it's possible he was a grandson of Dr. John McCormick of Summit Point, Frederick County, Virginia (now West Virginia), by way of Ulster, North Ireland. A Scotsman by birth, Dr. John settled on land located on the Bullskin Spring. This is the first known piece of land that George Washington surveyed.

William served in the Revolutionary War as a volunteer from Berkeley County, VA. He was given the rank of lieutenant under Col. Darke and fought with his volunteers in six or seven small skirmishes. One of those skirmishes was in New Jersey, and another battle took place at Fort Pitt with the British and the Indians. About 1779 William helped settle the Cumberland in Tennessee, but he soon returned to Sullivan Co in East TN where he remained until the Battle of Kings Mountain. His name is on the roll of those who fought at the monument that stands there now. After the battle, he returned home to Berkeley Co, VA, and from there he volunteered under Col. Morgan and was present at the taking of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

William married Nancy Hendricks on 14 Ferbuary 1782. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. John McKnight, a rather prominent Presbyterian minister of VA. William continued to serve as a volunteer until the end of the War, and after about 3 years of marriage, William and Nancy moved to Sullivan Co, TN.

In 1791 William was appointed Captain in Sullivan Co in the Indian Wars where he served in the St. Clair Campaign. In 1790 Governor William Blount appointed him deputy sheriff of Sullivan Co, and he remained in that position until 1792 when he was elected sheriff, a position he held for 2 years.

In 1795 William joined Michael Montgomery in leasing the old Publick House at Kingsport, and they operated this establishment until 1800, when William's wandering ways cropped up again, and he moved his family to Blount Co, TN. By 1804 William was on the move again, and his feet landed in Green Co, TN. From there, his restless heart took his family to Wythe Co, VA, to Burke Co, NC, and to Overton Co, TN. His many careers included trader, surveyor, inn keeper, soldier, and possibly even farmer.

In 1818 William left Overton Co to visit his daughter in North Alabama. From there he traveled to Fort Massac, IL, to visit another daughter. He started south with a load of mules when he was taken ill of a fever and died somewhere along the Mississippi River. His burial site was lost long ago. He left behind his wife Nancy and 9 known children.

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