historical
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Revolutionary War Veterans in Pike County: William Wicker
William Wicker was among the more than 1,200 individuals who served in the Revolutionary War and later had ties to Alabama. Wicker was born in 1760 in Hanover, Virginia. When he was about five, his family moved to North Carolina. His family later moved to Chesterfield, South Carolina, where he lived until he…
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Revolutionary War Veterans in Pike County: Jim Capers
Pike County is notable for being the site of the first documented burial of an African American Revolutionary War soldier in Alabama. Jim Capers was an extraordinary Patriot who served for more than seven years as a Drum Major in the 4th South Carolina Regiment. Born into slavery in 1742 in South Carolina.…
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Explore the American Revolution Through the Voices of Today’s Historians
As part of our ongoing effort to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we’re pleased to share a collection of podcast interviews from Dave “Doc” Kirby’s “On the Bookshelf” podcast. In these engaging conversations, Doc Kirby interviews leading historians and authors whose books explore the people, events, and ideas that…
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Revolutionary War Veterans in Pike County: Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams was born in 1764 in the colony of Connecticut. He wasapprenticed to a mechanic, but in 1778, he ran away and made his way to Danbury,Connecticut. There, he enlisted in Colonel Beardsley’s regiment of the ColonialArmy.Williams served in the Patriot forces until the end of the war. He served largelyin the South with…
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Reflections on our Bicentennial in Troy and America
Hardly seems possible that the Bicentennial Celebration was fifty years ago! I was 23,newly hired as a fulltime staff member at WTBF-AM, married just a year and a half toTroy native Becky Griffin Kirby. We were so excited to observe this momentousoccasion, and Troy was pulling out all the stops!Dr. David Dye, chair of the…