Anthony Hall (1752-1846) was the earliest Hall ancestor whom I have found, who I can definitely call my own. He may have lived in Pittsylvania County Virginia prior to the American Revolutionary War. Edward Polley, who testified on behalf of Hall's application for pension in 1825, stated that he had known Hall before the war. Polley stated that he,himself was born in Pittsylvania County. Hall's statements in support of he application do not establish his birthplace or residence before 1777. Tax lists of Virginia for 1783 do not include his name. John Hall a pensioner who lived in Floyd and Perry Counties in Kentucky at the same time that Anthony Hall lived there, lists his origin as Pittsylvania County Virginia. John Hall was five years Anthony's junior.

The first definitive statement of Anthony's whereabouts lists his enlistment in the 7th Virginia Continental Line unit commanded by Colonel William Campbell and a Captain Bowyers. Hall enlisted at Halifax County Virginia on June 10, 1777 for the term of one year. He stayed with that outfit and was reportedly discharged while in Caswell County North Carolina on June 9, 1778. He enlisted immediately for a term of three years in a unit commanded by Lt. Colonel Archibald Lytle and Captain John Donoho. Hall remembers this as the 2nd Regiment N.C. Continental Line. The records of muster rolls and a major source on the troops of North Carolina list Lytle as a Militia Colonel in 1778 assigned to the Hillsborough District. At about that time Colonel Lytle indeed raised a regiment in Caswell county and later the militia were called to continental line duty. I could not find Anthony Hall's name of any list of North Carolina units or in the list of Lytle's Caswell County levies. Hall stated that he stayed in this regiment until it was surrendered along with the remainder of the southern troops at Charleston, South Carolina on May 10, 1780. He further states that he was neither exchanged or paroled until the end of the war. Other sources indicate that the remaining prisoners, those who did not die, were exchanged for other prisoners or those paroled (militia were sent home on a gentleman's agreement not to fight again in the war), were released upon repeated negotiations by General Nathaniel Greene. These remaining prisoners were reportedly freed at Jamestown, Virginia on June 10, 1781.

In the application for pension of Edward Polley in Perry County Kentucky Circuit Court Anthony Hall stated that he "knows of Edward Polly performing a tour of eighteen months in the regular army on the line of the continental establishment under the command of General Nathaniel Greene, that he himself was a regular solder in said army and knew said Polly previous to his enlistment and during his own term of service. It is the same Edward Polly who has this day filed his declaration in writing for a pension in this court."...November 19, 1825. A friend, Edward Polly died on May 19, 1845 while a resident of Letcher County, Kentucky. He left a widow, Mary (Polly) Mullins Polly and eleven children; viz., Sally, Andrew, Polly, Agnes, Raney, Joseph, Edward, Vina, Nancy, Susannah and David.

A second witness for Anthony Hall was Silas P. Wooten, who said that he was "well acquainted with Anthony Hall as a revolutionary war soldier. I do swear that the said Anthony Hall and myself both enlisted in the same company which was commanded by Captain Bowyer in the 7th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel Campbell in Virginia line on Continental Establishment, that we both enlisted for the term of one year, that I do know that the said Anthony Hall did serve out his full term of enlistment and was honorably discharged at Caswell County in the state of North Carolina after serving out his full term of enlistment which was one year under the same enlistment , that I do know that the said Anthony Hall did then immediately enlist again into the service of the United States in Colonel Lytle's 2nd North Carolina Regiment in a company commanded by a Captain Donoho for the term of three years and I do know that the said Hall did serve in said regiment until the seige at Charlestown in South Carolina and I know that the said Anthony Hall was then taken a prisoner of war by the British and was afterwards (not) parolled by them and was not exchanged until peace was made."...November 16, 1825 Perry County Kentucky

Silas Wooten was supported in his application for pension by Anthony Hall and Thomas Lovelady. Lovelady stated that "Wooten enlisted in Halifax County Virginia under Captain Bowyers and Colonel Campbell ,that ...Wooten served out his full term of enlistment and that he served about two or three months longer and that the said Wooten was in the Battle at Guilford in March,1781. Wooten stated that he enlisted in January, 1780. That he served honorably through the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and was discharged by Colonel Campbell on April 1, 1781 in Caswell County North Carolina. Silas listed his occupation as schoolteacher.

Silas was listed as one of the early settlers of Greenup County, as he was on the 1811 tax list. The following appears in the book, Pioneer Families of Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky. "Early settlers, probably the first, of Greenup County and settlement of Greenupsburg (Greenup) as shown by the following excerpts from a manuscript prepared by Rev. James Gilruth, a resident of the locale in his youth, and publishe in an Ironton, Ohio newspaper about 1879..."Near the hill on the back of Hood's Run, in a rough log cabin built for the purpose, was kept the first school between Big Sandy and Tygart's Creek; and I am certain it was the first in Greenup County. The school ws made up of scholars from both sides of the river and was kept by Silas Wooten. His wife's name was Theba (sic). They had two children, Rhoda and William. Wooten was a teacher of the true backwoods type as to literary qualification. Some years later he moved back on the waters of East Fork of Little Sandy; became a Methodist and sustained a good character as a citizen."

Silas lived in Floyd County , Kentucky soon thereafter, as his name appears in the Annal of Floyd County on several occaions. At one time he was a constable in the area. Silas was transferred to the Ohio pension roll on September 4, 1844. His wife was Phebe (Phoebe). Silas died on February 25, 1846 in Ohio.

The 1790 North Carlolina Census reports only one person named Anthony Hall living in the State. He resided in Montgomery County and had no other people in the house. A marriage bond, entered in Caswell County, North Carolina, for a marriage between an Anthony Hall and Winney Harrell is listed in the Latter Day Saints IGI as having occurred in 1793. This person was likely to have been the same Anthony Hall who lived in Montgomery County in 1790, although I have no proof. I have not yet contacted Caswell County to see if a return was sent from a minister, which would indicate that a marriage took place. I have found no record of children of this marriage. The pension record of my ancestor doesn't include any information about this marriage.

My next record of Anthony Hall shows that he and Richard Hall entered into a marriage bond on December 23, 1794 in Caswell County, North Carolina. Surety was given to the then Governor Richard D. Sleight for 500 pounds condition on to marriage with Ruthy Butler. They were married by the Reverend Nathan Holliday at the home of George Butler, the father of Ruth. Nathan was a baptist minister. Ruth and Anthony had "as many as three children born prior to the year 1800." According to census records these three children, William, James and David Hall were born in Virginia. The three other children listed in the pension files were born in Kentucky; viz., Alexander b. 1808, John, b. 1810 and Samuel b. 1812.

Sometime between 1800 and 1808 Anthony and Ruth Hall moved through Southwestern Virginia, through Pound Gap and into Knox County, Kentucky. Anthony was listed on 1810 tax lists as one of the early settlers of Knox County. By 1816 whether by county line changes of slight movement north and eastward, Anthony was living in Floyd County, Kentucky. He applied for pension as a revolutionary was veteran on May 18, 1818 in Floyd County. He was unsuccessful "for want of proof of service." He reported that his assets consisted of "one old mare, worth $30 and one cow and calf, worth $10." He reported his occupation as that of a farmer, but "from age and infirmity" he was unable to pursue it.

According the Floyd County Court books, his son William Hall posted bond along with Patrick Johnson on June 24, 1816 for a marriage to occur shortly between William Hall and Margaret Johnson. The marriage occurred on July 4, 1816. Court book three, page 186, indicated the "Anthony Hall is appointed Surveyor of the road from Rockhouse ( Fork of the Kentucky River) into the road above Patrick Johnson's." This places Anthony Hall as a neightbor to Patrick Johnson at the junction of what are now Knott, Perry and Letcher Counties.

Anthony applied for pension while a resident of Perry County, Kentucky on November 16, 1825. As was stated he was supported in his application by Silas P. Wooten and Edward Polly . His application was approved as of December 14, 1825 and payment of $8 per month was ordered in arrears to November 17, 1825. Anthony Hall was listed on the 1830 Perry County, Kentucky census as being 70-80 years old. Ruth was 50-60 years old. One male child, listed as 10-15 years old was still living at home. This child may have been Samuel or Everett Hall, who was next door to Anthony in the 1840 census of Floyd County, Kentucky and was 20-30 years old.

Interestingly, three houses away from Anthony lived Elias Mitchel (age 24-36), his wife (age 24-36) and 3 male children, one of the few "free colored persons" in Floyd County in the 1840 census. Letcher County was formed in 1842 and this apparently divided some of the family and put them in different counties. Anthony died at his home in Letcher County on December 14, 1846.

Ruth continued to live in Letcher County and was listed in the 1850 census at the home (#73) of John W. Hall (b. 1808), her son. Ruth stated her age at that time as 86 years. At the next house (#74) lived Alexander Hall (b. 1811) and his wife Susanna Morgan Hall. This was also Ruth's son. James Hall and his wife Sarah Johnson (daughter of Patrick Johnson) lived three residences (#70) away. My great great grandfather lived two houses (#71) from Ruth Hall in this census.

Ruth applied for bounty land in 1855 under a new congressional act which further loosened requirements. She received bounty land warrant #26425, which was issued on May 23, 1856. This warrant was for 160 acres. I do not know whether this warrant was sold or was used by the family to patent land. Ruth died some time before 1860.