#68: The Continental Blue—Moses Epps and the Revolution

Halifax Hues #3: The Continental Blue—Moses Epps and the Revolution

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.

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).

#63: Layering the Pigment—The Widow’s Tax and Brotherly Bonds

Halifax Hues #2: Layering the Pigment—The Widow’s Tax and Brotherly Bonds

In my last post, I shared my "Theory in Progress": the hunch that my wife’s ancestor, Daniel Epps, was the brother of William Epps, making them both sons of the Revolutionary War veteran Moses Epps. Proving a connection in early 19th-century Virginia often requires looking at who lived next door to whom. Since I lacked a birth register entry, I turned to the Halifax County Tax Lists and Census Records to see if these men occupied the same physical and legal space.

#59: The Faded Sketch—A Grandmother’s Roadmap

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2026-04)

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. The prompt for Week 4 is "A Theory in Progress." What started as a simple attempt to bridge a gap in my wife's family tree quickly took on a life of its own. As I began to dig, the "theory" didn't just find proof—it found color. This has grown into a five-part series I'm calling Halifax Hues, where we move from a faded sketch to a vibrant, multi-generational portrait of this particular branch of the Epps family.

Every family has that one document—a hand-scribbled note, a faded letter, or a carefully typed list of names—that serves as the unofficial map of their history. For me, that map was a multi-page document titled "Ancestry of Charles Arthur Epps." It came to me from my wife’s grandmother, whom we called Grancie (Sarah Rogers Davidson). While the document was likely compiled by one of Charles’ children—one of Grancie's cousins—it functioned as the original, uncolored outline of our family tree.

(Note: Click here to view the original document)