In my last post, we used census records, tax records, and estate sales to bridge the gap between my wife's ancestor Daniel Epps and his brother William. By applying the principle of genealogical proof by close association, we didn't just find a father; we found a hero.
If the story of our family began as a faded sketch, the most vibrant stroke of color was added in the spring of 1781. In the world of the American Revolution, "Continental Blue" was more than just a uniform color; it was the hue of a new identity. While many Halifax militiamen like Moses Epps fought in their everyday linen hunting shirts, they stood under the banner of the Blue and Buff.
Moses didn't just witness history; he marched directly into the smoke of the The Seige of Yorktown. In this post, we look at the "Blue" in our family palette—the service of a man who risked his life for a nation that was still just a theory on parchment.
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| Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781, marking the capture of more than 7,000 British and Hessian troops; copy of a lithograph by James Baillie, ca. 1845. Courtesy of the National Archives (National Archives Identifier 532883). |
A Soldier’s Journey
Moses Epps was born around 1757 in Halifax County, Virginia. Like many young men of his time, the Revolutionary War redefined his young adulthood. His own sworn pension testimony from 1833 (Pension S.6822) paints an even more remarkable picture: Moses was a witness to the very end of the British Empire in America.
According to his own declarations, Moses stepped out of the tobacco fields and served two distinct tours of duty that placed him at the heart of the war's conclusion:
- The Defense of the Coast: In his first tour, Moses served as a Private under Captain Richard Gaines. He marched to Cabin Point on the James River, a strategic location near the coast where American forces under General Muhlenberg were stationed to prevent British incursions into the Virginia interior.
- The Siege of Yorktown: For his second tour, Moses served under Captain John Faulkner in a unit commanded by Colonel Peter Rogers. This march took him directly to the trenches of "Little York" (Yorktown). He didn't just hear about the victory; he was physically there as part of the siege that broke the British back.
- Witness to Surrender: Most poignantly, Moses testified that he served until October 28, 1781—meaning he was present on the field just nine days earlier, on October 19, to witness the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He stood among the "Blue and Buff" as the British laid down their arms, effectively winning the independence of the nation.
After the war, Moses returned to Halifax County to build a life. He married Ruth Worsham and raised a large family, including our ancestor Daniel and his brother William.
Note on Research: While the exact date of their wedding remains unrecorded, we can place the start of their life together in the early 1780s. Following the "Genealogical Rule of Thumb," we look to the end of his military service in 1781 and the arrival of the next generation.
Ruth Worsham is the "traditionally accepted" wife found in the SAR application and databases like WikiTree and FamilySearch. While I haven't yet found a primary source—such as a marriage bond or deed—that explicitly names her, I am using this name as a placeholder for a history still being uncovered.
One of the most poignant records of his later life is his Pension Application. In the 1830s, the aging veteran appeared before a court to recount his service to prove he was eligible for government support. He wasn't just a name on a ledger; he was a living witness to the birth of a nation.
Moses Epps lived to be roughly 85 years old—a remarkable age for the 19th century. While many records cite November 5, 1842, as his specific date of death, the primary records in Halifax County tell a more nuanced story.
On that very day, court-appointed appraisers were already at the Epps farm, penning an inventory of his worldly goods. Since an estate inventory typically happens shortly after a passing, we can deduce that Moses likely died in the final days of October or the very beginning of November. Whether the 5th was his final breath or simply the day the law began to settle his affairs, it marks the end of a long, storied life.
Finding Moses isn't just about "checking a box" for a lineage society or breaking through a brick wall. It’s about realizing that the traits we admire—resilience, service, and a commitment to family—have been part of the Epps DNA since the founding of this country.
Next Time: In our penultimate post, we go even further back to the colonial frontier of the 1700s to meet Moses’s father, Joshua Epps, and see how this family first carved a home out of the Virginia wilderness.
- Source: “Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800 - ca. 1912," database with images, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54521129 : accessed 2 January 2026, Moses Epps (Virginia), Pension S.6822; citing Record Group 15: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773 - 2007; National Archives Identifier 54521129.
- Source: SAR Application for: Proven lineage for the Revolutionary soldier through his son William Epps and wife Lucy Petty Cole. SAR Link: https://sarpatriots.sar.org/patriot/display/155100
Follow along as we add color to the Epps family line. New installments will be linked as they are published.
- ✅ Post 1: The Faded Sketch — A Grandmother’s Roadmap
- ✅ Post 2: Layering the Pigment — The Widow’s Tax and Brotherly Bonds
- ✅ Post 3: The Continental Blue — Moses Epps and the Revolution (current)
- [ ] Post 4: The Deep Roots of Indigo — Joshua Epps and the Colonial Foundation (Apr 8)
- [ ] Post 5: A Spectrum of Service — The Multi-Generational Military Web (May 13)
👉 View the full "Halifax Hues" Collection here
What an interesting family line.
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