In This Article
His Story
When William Aaron appeared before the Superior Court of Franklin County, Georgia, on October 9, 1832, he was an elderly man looking back across more than half a century to his service in the American Revolution.
He estimated his age at seventy-nine or eighty years. His memories carried him from Amherst County, Virginia, where he had enlisted in the Continental Army, to military encampments in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and to hospitals where he struggled with an illness that repeatedly interrupted his service.
Unlike many Revolutionary War pension accounts, Aaron’s surviving testimony does not center upon a dramatic charge, a battlefield wound, or a celebrated victory. Instead, it describes the experience of a soldier whose military career was repeatedly disrupted by measles and declining health.
He remembered joining the army near Bound Brook, New Jersey, only to become sick and be sent away for treatment. When he recovered and rejoined headquarters at Germantown, Pennsylvania, his illness returned.
He passed through a succession of military hospitals and temporary stations before reaching Valley Forge, where General Peter Muhlenberg authorized a furlough intended to allow him to recover.
Even after returning to military authorities, Aaron was found unfit for further service.
His testimony offers a different perspective on the Continental Army. The American struggle for independence was not experienced solely through battles. It was also shaped by illness, hospital care, transportation difficulties, shortages, and the physical demands placed upon men who served far from home.
Two surviving military documents add important detail to Aaron’s account, but they also reveal discrepancies in his memory. He recalled enlisting in early 1777 with the 10th Virginia Regiment. An enlistment certificate attributed to Clough Shelton instead places the beginning of his service in November 1776 and identifies the 6th Virginia Regiment.
Similarly, Aaron remembered being discharged under General Muhlenberg’s authority, while a surviving discharge document bears the signature of Colonel William Davies and the date February 25, 1781.
These differences do not erase his military story. They demonstrate the importance of examining contemporary records alongside recollections recorded more than fifty years after the Revolution.
Aaron survived the war and eventually settled in Georgia. He married Rebecca Rudd in 1829 and died near Carnesville in October 1841, according to his widow’s later statements.
His family history, however, remains considerably less certain. A collaborative FamilySearch profile identifies proposed parents, an earlier wife, and several children, but contains conflicting accounts of his marriages and descendants.
These contradictions are preserved in this biography because they may offer valuable clues to descendants researching the Aaron family.
William Aaron’s life illustrates a frequently overlooked dimension of Revolutionary War service: the long struggle of an ordinary Continental soldier whose greatest obstacle was not an enemy formation but the recurring illness that prevented him from remaining with his regiment.
Early Life
William Aaron’s Virginia Origins
William Aaron was born during the middle of the eighteenth century, although his precise birth date and family origins remain uncertain.
When he applied for a Revolutionary War pension on October 9, 1832, he stated that he was approximately seventy-nine or eighty years old. That places his estimated birth around 1752 or 1753.
A collaborative family tree maintained on FamilySearch, however, identifies his birth year as 1751 and associates him with Amherst County, Virginia. This date is close to the age he reported in 1832, but the two accounts are not identical.
The difference may reflect an elderly man’s imperfect recollection of his age, an approximate birth date entered by later researchers, or an error in one of the records. No independently verified birth record or contemporary family Bible entry has been examined to settle the question.
Possible Parents: Richard Daniel Aaron and Anne Snyder
The FamilySearch profile for William Aaron, identification number LXWM-JXG, lists his parents as Richard Daniel Aaron (1725–1765) and Anne Snyder (1727–1781).
If this relationship is correct, William would have been approximately fourteen years old when his father died in 1765.
However, William’s Revolutionary War pension testimony does not identify either parent, and the materials examined for this biography do not include a will, probate record, land transaction, or other original document independently establishing his parentage.
The names Richard Daniel Aaron and Anne Snyder are therefore presented as proposed parental relationships recorded in a collaborative family tree, not as proven genealogical facts.
FamilySearch also displays a sibling with the surname Aaron and the dates 1750–1750, without a complete given name visible in the reviewed profile. This entry likewise requires independent documentation before it can be accepted as a confirmed sibling.
Growing Up in Colonial Virginia
Amherst County was established in 1761 from part of Albemarle County. Both counties were located in central Virginia, where settlement expanded through agricultural communities, river valleys, and the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
William’s pension declaration places his enlistment in Amherst County, while a separate military discharge copy describes him as a soldier from Albemarle County.
These two county references are not necessarily contradictory. Because Amherst had been formed from Albemarle, the Aaron family could have been associated with both areas at different times. Nevertheless, the surviving records do not establish William’s precise residence during childhood or explain the difference between the military documents.
His pension testimony independently confirms that he enlisted in Virginia, although it preserves conflicting information concerning his regiment and enlistment date.
An Unresolved Early Marriage
FamilySearch lists a marriage between William Aaron and Hannah Elizabeth Herrin (1753–1811) in Amherst County, Virginia, in 1774.
That relationship would place William’s marriage approximately two or three years before his Continental Army enlistment.
However, the same FamilySearch profile contains a biographical statement identifying a woman named Rosanna Elizabeth Lively as William’s wife and the mother of nine children.
The family tree and the written biography therefore identify different women in what appears to be the same early family relationship.
William’s surviving pension testimony does not identify an early wife. His later marriage to Rebecca Rudd in 1829 is documented separately in his widow’s pension papers.
Until original marriage, probate, church, or family records are examined, neither Hannah Elizabeth Herrin nor Rosanna Elizabeth Lively can be confidently identified as William Aaron’s first wife.
This conflict is particularly important because an incorrect marriage can lead to an entire group of children being attached to the wrong family.
Revolutionary War Service
Enlistment in the Virginia Line
In his 1832 declaration, Aaron stated that he enlisted in Amherst County, Virginia, in January or February 1777.
He identified Lieutenant Clough Shelton and Captain James Franklin as his officers and stated that he served in the 10th Virginia Regiment, commanded by Colonel Edward Stevens.
The Virginia Continental Line formed an important component of George Washington’s army. Its regiments were raised to serve beyond Virginia’s borders and participated in campaigns throughout the middle states.
Enlistment in the Continental Army required soldiers to leave their home communities and submit to a military system that was still developing its supply, transportation, medical, and administrative arrangements.
For a Virginia recruit, service in the northern theater could involve long marches through unfamiliar country, difficult winter conditions, and exposure to diseases that spread readily through crowded encampments.
The Conflicting Enlistment Certificate
A separate document preserved in Virginia bounty-land records gives a different account of Aaron’s enlistment.
In a certificate attributed to Clough Shelton, Aaron’s three-year Continental Army enlistment is dated November 1776.
The copied record also refers to the 6th Virginia Regiment rather than the 10th Virginia Regiment.
These differences are important. The November 1776 date precedes Aaron’s remembered enlistment by approximately two or three months, and the regiment numbers are not interchangeable.
Without additional muster rolls, pay records, or company records, it is not possible to determine whether the differences reflect a transfer, a mistake in the copied certificate, or an error in Aaron’s recollection.
Both versions must therefore remain part of his documented military history.
Joining the Army at Bound Brook
According to Aaron’s pension testimony, he marched north after enlisting and joined the army’s headquarters at Bound Brook, New Jersey.
Bound Brook lay within the region where Continental and British forces maneuvered during the New Jersey campaign.
In the months following Washington’s victories at Trenton and Princeton, the American army sought to preserve its strength while contesting British control of important roads and settlements.
Aaron did not provide a precise arrival date at Bound Brook. His testimony nevertheless places him within the northern theater during a period of considerable military activity.
Measles and the First Hospitalization
After joining the army, Aaron recalled being marched across mountainous country before becoming ill with measles.
He was sent to a hospital at a place he called Mendon, which the pension transcriber identifies as probably Mendham, New Jersey.
The distinction between Aaron’s remembered spelling and the modern geographic identification is worth preserving. The identification is plausible, but it remains an editorial interpretation rather than an exact place name supplied by Aaron.
Measles was a serious threat in eighteenth-century military camps, particularly among soldiers who had not previously acquired immunity.
Continental Army medical facilities faced recurring difficulties involving crowded quarters, sanitation, supplies, staffing, and the movement of sick men between temporary hospitals.
For Aaron, the disease was not a brief interruption. His testimony indicates that it began a prolonged cycle of recovery, relapse, and removal from active duty.
A Relapse at Germantown
After recovering sufficiently to leave the first hospital, Aaron stated that he rejoined army headquarters at Germantown, Pennsylvania.
There he suffered a relapse and was sent to another medical facility, which he identified as the White House Hospital near Philadelphia.
His reference to Germantown is historically significant because the area became a major center of military operations during the Philadelphia campaign.
However, Aaron did not state that he fought in the Battle of Germantown. His testimony identifies the location as a place where he rejoined the army and became ill again.
Moving Through Military Hospitals
Aaron described being moved from the White House Hospital to another location he called Peek Hill, in the neighborhood of Philadelphia.
He was subsequently transferred to Burlington, New Jersey, where he referred to being on the Bullet Guard, and then to Princeton.
Some of these place names and expressions are uncertain in the surviving transcription. They should not be converted into more precise geographic or military identifications without additional evidence.
The sequence nevertheless reveals that Aaron spent substantial time away from ordinary regimental duties while military authorities attempted to manage his illness.
Movement between hospitals could be especially burdensome for weakened soldiers. Transportation depended upon available roads, wagons, boats, personnel, and changing military conditions.
The pension testimony does not identify his attending physicians, specific treatments, or the exact duration of each hospitalization.
Valley Forge and General Muhlenberg
Aaron eventually reached army headquarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
He stated that General Peter Muhlenberg authorized a furlough allowing him to remain absent until his health recovered, unless he was called back sooner.
Muhlenberg, a Virginia officer in the Continental Army, commanded troops during the northern campaigns and was associated with Washington’s army during the Valley Forge period.
The furlough described by Aaron suggests that military authorities recognized his continuing inability to perform ordinary service.
His testimony does not establish the exact day he arrived at Valley Forge or the length of his stay.
It also does not prove that he spent the entire winter encampment there. His medical history makes such a claim particularly uncertain.
Returning to Military Authorities
Aaron remembered eventually being called back and reporting to General Muhlenberg at a place he identified as Rocky Ridge.
He stated that his three-year enlistment had expired, but that he nevertheless underwent an examination by an inspector.
The inspector found him unfit for continued service.
According to Aaron’s recollection, General Muhlenberg then discharged him.
He also recalled hearing that Captain James Franklin had been cashiered and finding Lieutenant Shelton in command of the company. The pension transcription contains an editorial annotation associating this change with September 1778.
Aaron’s report about Franklin was explicitly based on what he heard upon returning to camp. It should not be treated as independently verified disciplinary history without supporting military records.
Battles and Campaigns
The New Jersey Campaign and Bound Brook
1777 — Bound Brook and central New Jersey
Following the American victories at Trenton and Princeton, George Washington’s army remained active in New Jersey, where British forces sought to maintain communications and protect important military positions.
American troops used the region’s roads, hills, and settlements to maneuver against British detachments while avoiding unnecessary destruction of the Continental Army.
Bound Brook occupied a strategically useful position near the Raritan River. Its roads connected the surrounding countryside with larger settlements and military routes.
In April 1777, British forces launched an attack against American troops stationed at Bound Brook. The action demonstrated the vulnerability of exposed positions and the continuing danger of British operations in New Jersey.
William Aaron’s connection: Aaron personally recalled joining army headquarters at Bound Brook, but he did not identify a specific battle in which he participated.
His arrival date is not precise enough to establish that he was present during the April engagement.
Participation classification: Personally reported presence in the campaign region; participation in the Battle of Bound Brook unverified.
The Philadelphia Campaign
1777 — Pennsylvania and New Jersey
In 1777, British commander General Sir William Howe directed a major campaign against Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress.
Washington attempted to defend the city while preserving the Continental Army as an effective fighting force.
The campaign included the Battle of Brandywine in September, the British occupation of Philadelphia, and the American attack at Germantown in October.
Although the British captured Philadelphia, the Continental Army remained in the field and continued to threaten British communications and positions.
The campaign involved considerable movement through Pennsylvania and neighboring New Jersey. Soldiers faced long marches, changing weather, supply difficulties, and widespread illness.
William Aaron’s connection: Aaron’s testimony places him at Germantown after an earlier hospitalization. He recalled suffering a relapse and being sent to the White House Hospital near Philadelphia.
He did not describe fighting at Brandywine, Germantown, or another named engagement.
Participation classification: Personally reported presence in the campaign region; named battle participation unverified.
The Battle of Germantown
October 4, 1777 — Germantown, Pennsylvania
The Battle of Germantown occurred when Washington attempted to strike British forces occupying positions outside Philadelphia.
The American plan called for several columns to approach the British from different directions in the early morning.
Initial American advances achieved some success, but fog, difficult coordination, and confusion among attacking units complicated the operation.
Fighting around the fortified Chew House delayed American troops, while other parts of the attack lost momentum.
The British ultimately repelled the assault, and Washington withdrew his army.
Although Germantown was an American defeat, the Continental Army’s willingness to attack British forces near Philadelphia demonstrated that it remained capable of offensive operations.
William Aaron’s connection: Aaron named Germantown as a place where he rejoined headquarters and suffered a relapse of illness.
He did not say that he fought in the battle, nor does the reviewed transcription establish that he was present on October 4.
Participation classification: Personally reported presence at Germantown at an unspecified time; battle participation unverified.
The Valley Forge Encampment
December 1777–June 1778 — Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
After the Philadelphia campaign, Washington established winter quarters at Valley Forge, approximately twenty miles northwest of British-occupied Philadelphia.
The encampment became one of the most significant episodes in the Continental Army’s history.
Soldiers endured inadequate clothing, food shortages, exposure, and recurring disease. The army also struggled with problems in transportation, procurement, and military administration.
During the encampment, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben helped introduce systematic military training that improved the army’s discipline and battlefield coordination.
Valley Forge was not itself a battle. It was a prolonged military encampment in which disease, supply problems, and organizational reform shaped the army’s future.
William Aaron’s connection: Aaron specifically remembered being transferred to Valley Forge headquarters after several hospital stays.
He stated that General Muhlenberg authorized a furlough so that he could recover his health.
His testimony does not establish how long he remained at Valley Forge or whether he was present throughout the winter.
Participation classification: Personally reported presence at Valley Forge and medical furlough; precise dates unverified.
Original Military Records
Clough Shelton’s Enlistment Certificate
Among the documents associated with Aaron’s Virginia bounty-land records is a certificate attributed to Clough Shelton.
The certificate states that Aaron enlisted with Shelton for three years in the Continental Army beginning in November 1776.
The copied document identifies the 6th Virginia Regiment.
This conflicts with Aaron’s later pension declaration, which gives January or February 1777 and the 10th Virginia Regiment.
The certificate is particularly valuable because it preserves an enlistment statement attributed to an officer associated with Aaron’s service.
However, the text reproduced in the pension transcription is itself a copy of an earlier document, not a newly examined original manuscript.
The February 25, 1781 Discharge
A second document states that William Aaron, described as a soldier from Albemarle County, was entirely unfit for service and was discharged from the army.
The document is dated February 25, 1781, at Chesterfield, Virginia, and signed by Colonel William Davies, commandant.
This record provides specific documentary support for Aaron’s separation from military service on medical grounds.
It differs from Aaron’s later recollection that General Muhlenberg discharged him following an examination.
The two statements might describe different stages of the discharge process, but the reviewed evidence does not establish that explanation.
The safest conclusion is that Aaron remembered a medical discharge associated with Muhlenberg, while a surviving written discharge copy identifies Davies as the officer who signed the formal document.
The Bounty-Land Certificate Request
The transcription also includes a brief request signed in Aaron’s name asking that Colonel William Cabell receive a certificate concerning his claim for land.
This document shows Aaron pursuing recognition of a land claim connected with military service.
It does not establish that he ultimately received a particular tract, warrant, or acreage.
Further research in Virginia land-office and military bounty-land records would be needed to determine the outcome.
Revolutionary War Pension
The October 9, 1832 Declaration
William Aaron appeared before the Superior Court of Franklin County, Georgia, on October 9, 1832.
He was a resident of Captain Freeman’s District and stated that he was seventy-nine or eighty years old.
His declaration sought the benefit of the federal pension law enacted June 7, 1832.
That legislation expanded pension eligibility for surviving Revolutionary War veterans whose service met the statutory requirements.
Aaron recounted his enlistment, officers, regiment, marches, repeated hospitalizations, furlough, and eventual medical discharge.
His testimony was intended to establish the nature and duration of his Revolutionary War service.
He also declared that, to his knowledge, his name was not already on another pension roll and that he relinquished other pension claims in favor of the application then before the court.
The reviewed transcription does not provide a confirmed pension payment amount or a complete administrative history of the claim.
Rebecca Aaron’s Later Applications
After William’s death, his widow Rebecca sought benefits based upon his Revolutionary War service.
On May 28, 1857, she applied for bounty land.
On April 14, 1859, she applied for a widow’s pension in Whitfield County, Georgia, stating that she was seventy-one years old.
Her application identified her marriage to William on November 3, 1829, and his death in the fall of 1841.
A copy of a minister’s return attributed to the Reverend Thomas King identified her maiden name as Rebecca Rudd and located the marriage in Franklin County, Georgia.
Because William and Rebecca married in 1829, her claim would have been evaluated under the widow-benefit rules applicable to that marriage date.
The reviewed transcription does not establish the final decision or payment amount on Rebecca’s pension application.
Original Testimony
His Enlistment
Aaron stated that he enlisted in Amherst County, Virginia, in January or February 1777, serving under Lieutenant Clough Shelton and Captain James Franklin in the Virginia Continental Line.
He identified Colonel Edward Stevens as the regiment’s commander.
Source: William Aaron’s pension declaration, October 9, 1832, W10287. Paraphrased from the published transcription.
The First Illness
He remembered joining headquarters at Bound Brook, New Jersey, before becoming ill with measles and being sent to a hospital at a place he called Mendon.
The published transcription suggests Mendham, New Jersey, as the probable location.
Source: Pension declaration, October 9, 1832. Place identification remains qualified.
His Relapse Near Philadelphia
After recovering, Aaron reported returning to headquarters at Germantown, Pennsylvania. His illness returned, and he was sent to the White House Hospital near Philadelphia.
He then described additional transfers through several locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Source: Pension declaration, October 9, 1832. Paraphrased.
The Valley Forge Furlough
Aaron recalled reaching Valley Forge headquarters and receiving permission from General Peter Muhlenberg to remain away until his health recovered, unless ordered back sooner.
He later reported to Muhlenberg and underwent a medical examination that found him unfit for service.
Source: Pension declaration, October 9, 1832. Paraphrased.
The Surviving Discharge
A copied discharge dated February 25, 1781, at Chesterfield, Virginia, identifies Aaron as a soldier from Albemarle County who was medically unfit for further service.
The document bears the name of Colonel William Davies.
Source: Virginia bounty-land discharge copy reproduced in the W10287 transcription.
Rebecca Rudd Aaron’s Widow Statements
Rebecca stated that she married William on November 3, 1829, and that he died in the fall of 1841.
In her 1857 application, she located his death near Carnesville, Franklin County, Georgia, in October 1841.
Source: Widow’s pension and bounty-land application summaries, W10287.
Military Service Record
| Soldier | William Aaron |
| State | Virginia |
| Service | Continental Army, Virginia Line |
| Rank | Not established in reviewed documents |
| Enlistment Location | Amherst County, Virginia, according to pension testimony |
| Other County Identification | Albemarle County, Virginia, according to discharge copy |
| Enlistment Date | November 1776 in Shelton’s certificate; January or February 1777 in Aaron’s recollection |
| Regiment | 6th Virginia Regiment in copied certificate; 10th Virginia Regiment in pension declaration |
| Company Officers | Captain James Franklin and Lieutenant Clough Shelton |
| Regimental Commander | Colonel Edward Stevens, according to Aaron |
| Other Officer | General Peter Muhlenberg, associated with furlough and recalled discharge |
| Discharging Officer | Colonel William Davies, according to February 25, 1781 document |
| Reported Locations | Bound Brook, Mendon/Mendham, Germantown, Philadelphia area, Burlington, Princeton, Valley Forge, Rocky Ridge |
| Named Battles Documented | None established by reviewed testimony |
| Medical History | Measles, relapse, repeated hospitalizations, medical unfitness |
| Discharge | February 25, 1781, Chesterfield, Virginia |
| Pension Application | October 9, 1832, Franklin County, Georgia |
| Pension File | W10287 |
| Documented Wife | Rebecca Rudd Aaron |
| Marriage | November 3, 1829 |
| Death | October 1841; FamilySearch reports October 24 |
| Burial | Not verified |
Later Life and Burial
From Virginia to Georgia
William Aaron eventually left Virginia and settled in Georgia, where he spent the later years of his life.
His Revolutionary War pension declaration establishes that he was living in Franklin County, Georgia, by October 1832.
A biographical statement attached to his FamilySearch profile offers a more detailed migration account. It states that Aaron moved to Wilkes County, Georgia, around 1785, possibly in connection with land grants, and later settled in Franklin County around 1805.
This proposed migration is historically plausible, but the reviewed pension transcription does not independently establish either date.
Nor have the specific land grants or deeds mentioned in the FamilySearch biography been examined to confirm that they belonged to the same William Aaron.
The distinction matters because Revolutionary War veterans sometimes received land claims or moved to frontier communities after military service, but the general historical pattern cannot establish an individual soldier’s movements.
For now, the reported moves to Wilkes County around 1785 and Franklin County around 1805 should be treated as genealogical leads requiring verification.
A Longtime Franklin County Resident
By the time Aaron appeared before the Superior Court of Franklin County in 1832, he was an elderly resident of Captain Freeman’s District.
The FamilySearch profile also attaches a record identified as the 1830 United States Census for Franklin County, Georgia.
If the census entry can be independently connected to the pension applicant, it could help reconstruct his household shortly after his marriage to Rebecca Rudd.
However, an early federal census generally identifies only the head of household by name, with other residents recorded in age and sex categories. It cannot, by itself, establish the identities or relationships of every person living in the household.
Further examination of the original census image, neighboring households, and related property records would be needed before drawing conclusions about his family structure.
His Marriage to Rebecca Rudd
On November 3, 1829, William Aaron married Rebecca Rudd in Franklin County, Georgia.
This marriage is supported by the later widow’s pension documentation, which refers to a minister’s return attributed to Reverend Thomas King.
Rebecca’s relationship to William is therefore more securely documented than the earlier marriages proposed in the FamilySearch family tree.
Because William was approximately in his late seventies when the marriage occurred, it is possible that he had previously been married and raised a family. The FamilySearch profile proposes such a family, but its conflicting spouse information prevents the details from being accepted without further evidence.
Death in October 1841
Rebecca Aaron stated in her 1857 bounty-land application that William died near Carnesville, Franklin County, Georgia, in October 1841.
Her 1859 widow’s pension application described his death as occurring in the fall of that year.
The FamilySearch profile gives a more precise date: October 24, 1841.
This date falls within the period identified by Rebecca and is therefore consistent with her testimony. Nevertheless, the reviewed pension transcription does not supply the exact day.
October 24 should consequently be regarded as a reported date from the FamilySearch profile until it can be supported by an original death record, family Bible, cemetery inscription, probate document, or another independently verifiable source.
Memorials and Burial
The FamilySearch profile includes photographs of memorial plaques associated with William Aaron and his Revolutionary War service.
These images suggest that his military service has been commemorated by later generations or historical organizations.
However, a commemorative marker is not necessarily located at the burial site of the person it honors.
The photographs reviewed do not establish the precise location of William Aaron’s grave or prove that his remains are buried beneath a particular marker.
Burial location: Not independently verified.
Identifying the inscriptions, locations, dedication records, and sponsoring organizations associated with the memorials may provide additional clues about his family and death.
Family History
William Aaron’s family history is considerably more complicated than his military pension alone would suggest.
His pension file securely identifies his wife Rebecca Rudd and documents their marriage in 1829. A collaborative FamilySearch profile, however, proposes an earlier family that includes named parents, an earlier wife, and numerous children.
The difficulty is that the FamilySearch profile contains conflicting accounts of William’s marriages and the number of children attributed to him.
Rather than choosing one version without sufficient evidence, The Yost Post preserves these competing claims so that descendants and researchers can evaluate them.
Proposed Father: Richard Daniel Aaron (1725–1765)
FamilySearch identifies Richard Daniel Aaron as William’s father.
The relationship has not been independently verified through the reviewed pension or military documents.
A probate record naming William as a son, a family Bible entry, or a documented chain of land transactions could help determine whether the connection is correct.
Proposed Mother: Anne Snyder (1727–1781)
FamilySearch identifies Anne Snyder as William’s mother and associates her with Richard Daniel Aaron.
No original record establishing this relationship has yet been examined for this biography.
Her name and dates are retained as a research lead rather than an established parental identification.
Hannah Elizabeth Herrin (1753–1811) — Proposed First Wife
The FamilySearch family tree identifies Hannah Elizabeth Herrin as William Aaron’s wife, with a marriage in Amherst County, Virginia, in 1774.
The tree places seven named children under this marriage in the screenshots reviewed.
However, the profile’s written biographical account identifies a different woman, Rosanna Elizabeth Lively, as William’s wife.
It is possible that the tree contains a mistaken relationship, that two individuals have been combined, or that the written account reflects a different genealogical interpretation.
The available evidence does not establish which explanation is correct.
Rosanna Elizabeth Lively — Conflicting Spouse Identification
The written life history on William Aaron’s FamilySearch profile states that William and Rosanna Elizabeth Lively had nine children.
The statement specifically objects to another version of the family tree that reportedly assigns seventeen children to the couple.
Yet the visible FamilySearch family tree identifies Hannah Elizabeth Herrin, not Rosanna Elizabeth Lively, as William’s wife.
These are two distinct conflicts: the identity of the proposed spouse and the number of children.
The profile’s written biography claims nine children, the visible tree lists seven under Hannah, and the written statement refers to an even larger disputed total of seventeen.
Without independent documentation, there is no reliable basis for selecting one child count as correct.
Nor can it be assumed that Hannah Elizabeth Herrin and Rosanna Elizabeth Lively were alternate names for the same woman.
Additional marriage, probate, and family records are needed to determine whether these names represent separate women, incorrect attachments, or information drawn from different Aaron families.
Rebecca Rudd Aaron — Documented Wife
Rebecca Rudd married William Aaron on November 3, 1829, in Franklin County, Georgia.
Unlike the earlier proposed marriages, this relationship is documented in the pension materials through Rebecca’s widow applications and a copy of the marriage return attributed to Reverend Thomas King.
Rebecca applied for bounty land on May 28, 1857, and for a widow’s pension on April 14, 1859.
In the latter application, filed in Whitfield County, Georgia, she stated that she was seventy-one years old.
Her testimony also provides the principal pension-file evidence for William’s death in October 1841.
Rebecca’s own parents, death date, and burial location remain unverified in the reviewed records.
Children Attributed to William Aaron
The FamilySearch tree displays seven children under the proposed marriage to Hannah Elizabeth Herrin.
These individuals are listed below as represented in the reviewed screenshots, but their relationships to the Revolutionary War pensioner have not been independently established.
| Proposed Child | Dates Reported by FamilySearch |
|---|---|
| John Aaron | 1775–1826 |
| Rosana Mary Aaron | 1777–1867 |
| William George Aaron | 1779–1808 |
| Daniel Aaron | 1780–1832 |
| Thomas John Aaron | 1794–1864 |
| Charles “Charly” Aaron | 1796–1860 |
| Jesse Aaron | 1799–1850 |
The dates shown are genealogical assertions from the collaborative tree, not independently verified birth and death records.
The chronological pattern is not inherently impossible: the proposed children span approximately twenty-four years. However, that does not establish that all seven belonged to the same parents.
Particular care is needed because the written FamilySearch biography identifies Rosanna Elizabeth Lively as the mother of nine children, while the visible tree associates the seven named children with Hannah Elizabeth Herrin.
It is possible that some of these children have been attached to the wrong parents or that records from more than one Aaron family have been combined.
Further examination of the children’s marriage records, death records, probate documents, and family relationships may help establish which individuals belonged to William Aaron’s household.
Why the Family Records Conflict
FamilySearch maintains a collaborative family tree that can be edited by multiple contributors. This makes it a valuable research resource, but it also means that a person’s profile may contain information submitted by different researchers working from different sources.
In William Aaron’s case, the visible family tree and its written life history do not agree about the identity of his earlier wife.
The profile also contains competing claims concerning the number of children.
Several explanations are possible:
- Two or more men named William Aaron may have been combined into one family-tree profile.
- Children may have been attached to the wrong parents.
- A researcher may have entered a spouse or relationship based on an incorrect interpretation of a historical record.
- The written biography may preserve an older genealogical theory that was never reconciled with later changes to the family tree.
- Some names or dates may have been copied from unsourced family histories.
These are possibilities, not findings. Determining the correct family relationships requires examination of the original documents behind the claims.
Can the FamilySearch Profile Be the Same William Aaron?
There are several reasons to investigate the FamilySearch profile as a possible match for the Revolutionary War pensioner.
Both accounts concern a William Aaron who lived during the Revolutionary era, served in the Virginia Continental Line, and died in 1841.
The FamilySearch profile also places him in Franklin County, Georgia, consistent with the location of the pension declaration.
These similarities make the connection promising.
However, the profile’s birth year differs slightly from the age Aaron gave in 1832, and the proposed early marriages and children are not established in his pension file.
The most important task is to identify documents that independently connect the FamilySearch family group to the specific soldier who applied for pension W10287.
An Invitation to Aaron Family Researchers
Help Resolve the William Aaron Family History
The Yost Post welcomes documented corrections and additional information concerning William Aaron, the Virginia Continental soldier who later lived in Franklin County, Georgia.
We are particularly interested in evidence identifying his parents, confirming whether Hannah Elizabeth Herrin or Rosanna Elizabeth Lively was an earlier wife, establishing the identities of his children, and documenting his precise birth and death dates.
Family Bible entries, marriage records, wills, estate settlements, deeds, church registers, cemetery records, and historical correspondence may help resolve these questions.
Researchers are encouraged to include the source and location of any documents they share so that competing claims can be evaluated fairly.
The purpose of documenting these discrepancies is not to dismiss family traditions, but to preserve them alongside the historical evidence until a clearer picture emerges.
Original Sources
- William Aaron, Revolutionary War Pension Application W10287. Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris, revised June 10, 2014. Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters. Read the published pension transcription.
- William Aaron, pension declaration, October 9, 1832. Superior Court of Franklin County, Georgia. Reproduced in W10287. Records Aaron’s enlistment recollections, officers, movements, illness, and discharge account.
- Clough Shelton, enlistment certificate. Copied from Virginia bounty-land records and reproduced in W10287. Gives November 1776 and identifies the 6th Virginia Regiment.
- William Davies, discharge of William Aaron, February 25, 1781. Chesterfield, Virginia. Copied from Virginia bounty-land records and reproduced in W10287.
- William Aaron, request concerning a military land certificate. Reproduced in W10287. Documents a request related to a land claim without establishing final receipt of land.
- Rebecca Aaron, bounty-land application, May 28, 1857. Summarized in W10287. Identifies William’s death near Carnesville in October 1841.
- Rebecca Aaron, widow’s pension application, April 14, 1859. Whitfield County, Georgia. Summarized in W10287.
- Marriage return attributed to Reverend Thomas King. Cited in Rebecca Aaron’s widow documentation. Identifies her maiden name as Rudd and the marriage location as Franklin County, Georgia.
- FamilySearch, William Aaron (1751–1841), profile LXWM-JXG. Collaborative tree listing proposed parents, spouses, children, migration, and death details. View FamilySearch profile. Reviewed November 5, 2026.
- FamilySearch, Brief Life History and Family Relationships. The written biography identifies Rosanna Elizabeth Lively and nine children, while the visible family tree identifies Hannah Elizabeth Herrin and seven children.
Historical Research Note
Source basis: This biography is based primarily on the published transcription of Revolutionary War pension file W10287, prepared and annotated by C. Leon Harris and revised June 10, 2014. The transcription also reproduces copied Virginia military documents and summarizes Rebecca Aaron’s later applications. The underlying manuscript images have not all been independently compared with the published transcription.
Enlistment contradiction: Aaron’s 1832 declaration identifies January or February 1777 and the 10th Virginia Regiment. Clough Shelton’s separate certificate identifies November 1776 and the 6th Virginia Regiment. Neither version has been silently substituted for the other.
County discrepancy: Aaron remembered enlisting in Amherst County. The discharge copy describes him as a soldier from Albemarle County. Both locations are preserved because the evidence does not explain the difference.
Discharge discrepancy: Aaron recalled being discharged under General Peter Muhlenberg after a medical examination. A separate discharge copy is dated February 25, 1781, and signed by Colonel William Davies. The documents may describe different administrative stages, but that interpretation remains unverified.
Medical history: Aaron personally described measles, relapse, hospital transfers, and medical unfitness. These claims are supported in part by the discharge copy, but the surviving evidence does not establish the full medical course or any lifelong effects.
Battle participation: Aaron reported presence at Bound Brook, Germantown, and Valley Forge, but he did not identify a specific battle in which he personally fought. No battlefield participation has been inferred merely from his regiment or geographic location.
Place names: The pension declaration includes uncertain or archaic names, including Mendon and Peek Hill. Modern identifications remain tentative.
Birth: His approximate birth year is calculated from the age he reported in October 1832. FamilySearch reports 1751, but no independent birth record has been verified.
Pension: The file identifies an application under the Act of June 7, 1832. The reviewed transcription does not establish an exact annual pension amount or the final disposition of Rebecca Aaron’s later widow claim.
Conflicting genealogical information: FamilySearch profile LXWM-JXG proposes parents Richard Daniel Aaron and Anne Snyder, an earlier marriage to Hannah Elizabeth Herrin, seven listed children, and a death date of October 24, 1841. However, its written biography identifies Rosanna Elizabeth Lively as William’s wife and claims nine children, while also disputing an attribution of seventeen children. These discrepancies remain unresolved. The pension file independently documents William’s marriage to Rebecca Rudd in 1829 and his death in October 1841. The FamilySearch relationships are included as research leads, not established genealogical conclusions.
Burial: Rebecca located William’s death near Carnesville, Georgia, in October 1841. FamilySearch includes memorial photographs, but no verified burial location has been established from the reviewed materials.
Portrait: The accompanying portrait is a modern AI-generated artistic interpretation. It is not an authenticated likeness of William Aaron. His actual appearance, clothing, and equipment are unknown.
Further research: Original pension manuscript images, Virginia Continental Line muster rolls, military bounty-land records, Amherst and Albemarle County records, Franklin County probate materials, and the documents attached to FamilySearch profile LXWM-JXG may clarify his enlistment, discharge, family relationships, migration, and burial.