Keader Keaton

Keader Keaton (1734 - 1797) was a colonial American officer in the Revolutionary War, and a founder of Richmond County, North Carolina. He was probably born in North Carolina in 1734 and died in Warren County, Georgia. He is best known for serving as a sergeant in the Cherokee Expedition from October 11, 1759 to January 15, 1760.

Early Life
Keader Keaton was born in 1734, in North Carolina. His parents are not documented, but it is believed that he came from the Keatons in the Albemarle Sound area. Keatons are found in Pasquotank county, Gates County, and Duplin County to name a few. Some genealogist believe that Keader's father was a Richard Keaton found in Duplin County and in Georgia as early as 1765. Some of the earliest Keatons in America arrived around 1676.

War Record
The Cherokee Expedition

In the 1750's, Keader was living in the interior area of North Carolina (Craven County area of St. David's Parish). The influx of settlers into the South Carolina high country caused the relations between the settlers and the Cherokees to deteriorate, finally breaking down in the spring of 1751 when a theft of 331 deerskins from a Cherokee hunting camp by white raiders went unpunished by the magistrate at Ninety Six, South Carolina. By summer, retaliatory Indian raids became a constant threat.

Following the deaths of several white settlers along the frontier, peace was restored for a brief period in 1753 when the British agreed to pay for the stolen deerskins and to help protect the Cherokee from their Indian enemies by building Fort Prince George at Keowee. Ninety Six then became a supply station and rest stop for those traveling to the Keowee fort. Construction of another fort, Fort Loudoun, among the Overhill Cherokee in eastern Tennessee was subsequently begun in April of 1757 following negotiations two years earlier in which the Cherokee promised assistance to the British in fighting the French and their Indian allies in their most recently begun military campaign for North American territories the French and Indian War (1754-1763). British military success and the promise to aid in the war against the French, however, did not prevent some Cherokee from accepting overtures from their supposed enemies and switching alliances to attack British settlers in the Carolinas and Georgia in 1759.

To counter the threat of additional Cherokee attacks, William Henry Lyttelton, who had succeeded James Glen as Governor of South Carolina in 1755, promptly proceeded with reinforcements of over 1300 men to Fort Prince George. Keader was a one of these man. He server as a Sergeant under Captain Thomas Conner in the South Carolina Militia.

The American Revolution

Keader, in 1768 at Charles Bedingfields, voted in the General Assembly of the Province of South Carolina, to establish St. David's Parish to serve both the religious and civic needs of a growing population. The parish included the lands that later became Chesterfield County, Marlboro County, and Darlington Counties and portions of Florence County and Lee County.

Cheraw sits at the last navigable point north on the Great Pee Dee River. During the era when river traffic ruled, Cheraw became an important area market city and shipping center for cotton, tobacco, and other products.

Joseph and Eli Kershaw planned the layout of the town. That original layout is now part of a 213-acre district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was also the year that Saint David’s Parish was established. Saint David’s was the last state-church parish established under King George III. The Anglican Church (later called the Episcopal in the US), as a state-established agency, was responsible for civic as well as religious affairs. It was thought the establishment of the parish would bring order to what the British considered a rowdy area. In naming the parish "St. David’s," in honor of David, the Patron Saint of Wales, the British aimed to appease the many Welsh residents of the area. Old St. David’s Church building was constructed as a result of the parish being established. The building was in use by 1772, though it wasn’t completed until 1774.

Cheraw was considered strategically important by both sides during the American Revolution. The church building ended up being used by both sides. The South Carolina Militia used the church for quarters several times and the Seventy-first Highlanders used the church as quarters and hospital during the summer of 1780. Keader provided material aid to soldiers as documented in the 1931 DAR application.

Richmond County
In 1777 a petition was signed by Anson County residents living on the East side of the Pee Dee River. This was because of the difficulty cross the Pee Dee River to get to Anson's county seat. The petition requested the General Assembly of North Carolina to cut off that part of Anson County to the East of the Pee Dee River and to form a new county named Richmond. In 1779, Keader Keaton and the General Assembly voted to form the new county of Richmond. The new county was named in honor of Charles Lennox, the Duke of Richmond and friend of the American colonies.

Later Years

On September 4, 1786 Keader and Hester had their last child William. By March 4, 1787 Keader had sold all of his land and was living on land Darby Henagan owned. We know this because of a deed transferring land from Darby Henagan, Esq. of Richmond County, North Carolina to Henry Easterling, Sr. of Marlborough in Cheraw District, South Carolina. This land was originally granted to Darby in 1771.

The Move to Georgia
The next record we find of Keader is in 1794. He is paying taxes on 800 acres of land in Warren County Georgia. Warren County was established on December 19, 1793 by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, and was created from parts of Columbia, Washington, and Wilkes counties. Georgia's 20th county was named for Revolutionary War hero, General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

On December 28, 1797 Keader deeded all of his land to some of his sons. Attached is one of the orginal deeds to him son Keader Keaton Junior. It is for 170 acres in Warren County, Georgia. This is the last record of Keader Keaton. March 5, 1803 his wife Hester is documented with Jacob Giles stating that he saw Keader execute a deed.
Children

#Celia Keaton, April 10, 1761 married Paul Johnson
#John Keaton, February 22, 1764
#Elizabeth Keaton, July 12, 1766
#Keader Keaton Jr., February 9, 1769 married Sarah Peacock
#Ann Keaton, October 2, 1771
#Jesse Keaton, November 15, 1772
#Charles Keaton, May 18, 1775 married Catherine Peacock
#Benjamin Keaton, February 21, 1777
#Mary Keaton, January 26, 1781 married Benjamin Gates
#Samuel Keaton, December 25, 1783
#William Keaton, September 4, 1786

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