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My DAR Patriot is Peyton (Paten) Brown, my great grandfather; he served as a private for the Virginia State Artillery Regiment during the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War formally began on April 19, 1775, at Lexington, Massachusetts. Colonists felt they were being unfairly taxed by Britain, and when negotiations did not produce a solution, a militia gathered to fend off an arms seizure by British troops at Lexington and Concord. Within a few months, George Washington took command of the Continental Army, and the conflict spread from North Carolina and Charleston in the south to Canada in the North. The Revolutionary War lasted eight years, during which the colonies would unite under the Declaration of Independence as the United States of America. The war ended on September 3, 1783, when Great Britain signed the Treaty of Paris and recognized the independence of the United States.

Paten Brown enlisted for a term of three years in the State of Virginia where he served in the Company commanded by Capt. John Mazzeret in the regiment commanded by Col. Elias Edmonds in the line of the State of Virginia on the Continental establishment. He continued to serve in the Corps until his term of three years was completely expired, then he was discharged from his service at Richmond Virginia. 

Peyton Brown was born 12 April 1764 in Culpepper County, Virginia to the union of Samuel Brown, Sr and Isabella Gaines who had married in 1765. Peyton was married in 1786 to Elizabeth Slatten in Culpepper, Virginia and for part of his life was a carpenter. Peyton Brown died on September 20, 1823, and is buried in Brown Cemetery in Huntsville, Butler County, Kentucky. Austin Brown, my 3rd great grandfather was born in November of 1786 in Campbell County, Virginia. He then moved to what was Logan County, Kentucky, where in December of 1808 he married Isabella Barnes, daughter of Thomas Barnes. They had Nancy Ann Brown, my 2nd great grandmother, in December of 1814 in Butler County, Kentucky. In August of 1838 Nancy Brown married Reverend Amos Russ in Butler County, Kentucky. They eventually made their home on the south side of the Green River near the Huntsville, Rochester area. The Russ’s gave birth in December of 1852 to my great grandmother Martha Russ. Martha then married Enoch Starling Hammers in February of 1877 in Butler County, after which Herman Hammers, my grandfather, was born in May of 1887 in Rochester, Kentucky. Herman married my grandmother Mary Ann Johnson daughter of Daniel Boone and Hannah Elizabeth Johnson in October of 1916 in Butler County. Then on March 16 of 1918 Mary gave birth to Nyla Margaret Hammers, my mother, one of three children born to their union. 

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As part of America 250, the Butler County Chapter NSDAR members will be continuing our series of articles about our Patriots of the American Revolution. If you have a Revolutionary Patriot in your family line and are interested in possibly joining our chapter please contact the Regent, Lynda O’Driscoll at 270.734.5137 or any chapter member.