The story that John Gaulden, Jr. died of smallpox at Eutaw Springs may be a myth
- Catherine Gauldin
- Jun 23
- 9 min read
John Gaulden, Jr., the son of Matthew "John II" Gaulding and Elizabeth was born in about 1742 in Briery Creek, Prince Edward County, Virginia and he died on 18 April 1782 of Smallpox in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. In 1759 he married Susannah Brumfield (1740-1810), the daughter of Patriot John Watson Brumfield (1720-1781) and Elizabeth Patton (1720-1790) and they had nine children. They were: (1)
1. James Gaulden – He was born about 1761 in Briery Creek, Prince Edward County, Virginia and he died on January 17, 1827 in Abbeville, South Carolina. He served in the Revolutionary War under General Nathaniel Green and may have been with General Marion. See Gaulding Origins, The Military Record of John Brumfield, Jr., the son of John Watson Brumfield
2. William Geers Gaulden – He was born about 1764, probably in Prince Edward County and he died in 1839 in New Orleans, Jefferson County, Louisiana.
3. Martha "Patsy" Gaulden – Martha was born on November 26, 1765 after the family moved to South Carolina. She died on July 12, 1832 in Wilkinson County, Mississippi. She married Francis “Frank” Richardson. She went with the Richardson Family to Mississippi. See Gaulding Origins, John Gaulden Richardson and the Migration of the Richardson Family
4. Dempsey Gaulden – He was born about 1767 in Sumter County, South Carolina and he died in 1840 in York County, South Carolina.
5. Zachariah Brumfield Gaulden – He was born about 1767 in Orange County, North Carolina and he died in July 1821 in Amite, Mississippi. He married Elizabeth Moore.
6. Elizabeth Gaulden – She was born about 1765 and she died in 1838. She married John Boatner.
7. Rev. Jonathan Gaulden – He was born about 1776 in Camden District, Kershaw, South Carolina and he died in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia. See Gaulding Origins, A Baptist Legacy: The Descendants of Rev. Jonathan Gaulden and Rhoda Paisley
8. Sarah Gaulden – She was born about 1778 in Sumter District, South Carolina and she died in 1856 in Montgomery County, Alabama. She married Eli Freeman.
9. Keren Happuck Gaulden 1780–1823
See Gaulding Origins, The Migration of the eight children of John “Matthew” Gaulding
After the death of his father Matthew “John II” Gaulding, John and his siblings received a share in the land in Prince Edward County, and most of them chose to move elsewhere. (2)
Alexander – He stayed in Prince Edward County and was the only heir who remained.
Judith - ? where she went. She married Henry Roberts.
William – He went to Campbell County. He sold his share.
John, Jr. – He sold his share to his sister’s husband Francis Spauling and moved to South Carolina.
Jacob – He was the executor of his father’s will. He moved to Cumberland County.
Jesse – He migrated with his brother Jacob and sister Nancy to Cumberland County.
Nancy (Elizabeth) – She was the wife of Francis Spaulding. Her brother John sold his share to Francis before moving to South Carolina.
Joseph “Josiah” – He left Prince Edward County.
Why John Gaulden Left Virginia for South Carolina
When John Gaulden sold his inherited share of his father’s Prince Edward County land to Francis Spaulding, he joined a massive wave of Virginians who were leaving the increasingly crowded Piedmont for the open frontier of South Carolina’s backcountry. (4) His decision was not unusual; it was part of one of the largest internal migrations in colonial America. The forces drawing him southward were powerful, practical, and well‑documented.
By the 1750s, South Carolina was aggressively recruiting settlers to occupy its newly opened interior. Through a series of treaties—most notably the Cherokee cessions (5) of 1755, 1761, and 1770—millions of acres of fertile land became available. To populate this frontier, the colony offered extraordinary incentives: free or nearly free land, generous headright grants, (6) no quitrents, and minimal taxation. For a man like John, who had just liquidated his modest Virginia inheritance, South Carolina offered the chance to acquire hundreds of acres for the price of relocation.
Virginia, by contrast, was tightening. The best lands in Prince Edward, Amelia, and Goochland were already claimed, and the colony imposed higher taxes, parish levies, and stricter land inheritance patterns. South Carolina’s backcountry, with its looser regulations and booming agricultural economy, promised a fresh start and upward mobility.
Migration was also made easier by the development of the Great Wagon Road (7), which connected Prince Edward County directly to the Camden District of South Carolina. (8) Families could travel the entire route by wagon, and many of John’s neighbors and kin—including allied families such as the Brumfields, Spauldings, and related Gaulding lines—were already moving south along the same corridor. John’s relocation fits squarely within this cluster migration pattern.
Economic opportunity was another powerful draw. South Carolina’s backcountry (9) was thriving, fueled by indigo subsidies, expanding trade with Charleston, and abundant natural resources. For a young family seeking land, independence, and economic growth, the region offered far more than Virginia could.
Taken together, these factors make the most historically supported conclusion clear:
John Gaulden left Prince Edward County because South Carolina offered more land, lower taxes, greater opportunity, and a well‑traveled migration route—conditions that attracted thousands of Virginians during the same period.
Did John Gaulden really die of smallpox?
For generations, the story of John Gaulden has been wrapped in layers of legend—tales of heroic sacrifice, battlefield service, and a tragic death from smallpox while aiding troops at the Battle of Eutaw Springs. These accounts, repeated in early family histories and copied into countless online trees, have given him a dramatic Revolutionary‑era narrative. But when the surviving records are examined closely, a very different and far more accurate picture emerges.
No document—military, civil, medical, or local—connects John Gaulden to the Battle of Eutaw Springs, to troop provisioning, or to smallpox. His will was written in January 1781, months before the battle occurred, and his probate was recorded in January 1782, placing his death sometime in that interval. Nothing in the probate file hints at military involvement or disease. Likewise, no Revolutionary War service record, militia roll, or supply voucher bears his name.
Here’s what the DAR says about John Gaulden
The DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) recognizes one man named John Gaulden/Gaulding as a Patriot:
Patriot: John Gaulden (A044019)
Service Type: Civil Service
Location: South Carolina
Spouse: Susannah (no maiden name listed)
Death: Before January 1782, Camden District, South Carolina
That’s it — the DAR does not credit him with military service, troop support, or anything related to the Battle of Eutaw Springs. His service category is strictly Civil Service, which is one of the DAR’s non‑military patriot classifications. It’s important not to confuse what has come down through the years as a family story with what can be proved in the records. John Gaulden’s appearance on a Petit Jury list in the Camden District, South Carolina (1778–1779) is published in
Hendrix & Lindsey, Jury Lists of South Carolina, 1778–1779 (Camden District section) and that is the only documented service the DAR uses for him, therefore everything else — the smallpox story, the Eutaw Springs claim, the troop‑support legend — is later family tradition and not part of the DAR record.
Therefore the only verified public role he held during the Revolutionary period is the one recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution: service as a petit juror in the Camden District, which qualifies as Civil Service, not military duty. This single, well‑documented civic act—not battlefield heroics—is the basis for his DAR Patriot status.
The smallpox story and the Eutaw Springs connection appear to have arisen from later family tradition, and they should remain as such. The historical record tells a quieter but no less meaningful story about him. John Gaulden was a South Carolina householder, a husband, a father, and a man trusted by his community to serve on a Revolutionary‑era jury. His real legacy comes down to us in the documented life he lived and the family he provided for—preserved in the will he wrote with care in 1781.
The Will of John Gaulden
In January of 1781, as the Revolutionary War raged across the South, John Gaulden of South Carolina found himself physically weakened but still clear‑minded and determined to provide for his family. Aware of life’s uncertainty, he set down his wishes in a will that reveals both his affection for his wife Susannah and his desire to protect the future of their children. John directed that all of his property—both land and personal goods—remain intact for eight years following the date of the will. Nothing was to be divided or dispersed during that period. He clearly intended to preserve the estate long enough for his children to grow and for the family to maintain stability during turbulent times.
At the end of those eight years, John ordered that the estate be divided. His wife Susannah was to receive a double share, equal to the portions of two children, a generous provision that ensured her security. The remainder of the estate was to be equally divided among all of their children, specifically those “born of her body,” meaning the children he and Susannah shared together. Any child who had already reached adulthood at the time of the division would receive their share immediately, while younger children would receive theirs upon coming of age. Of his nine children, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Sarah and Keren would have been minors. John also made clear that Susannah’s support was meant to last only for her lifetime. Upon her death, the portion she had received was to return to the estate and be redistributed equally among their children, ensuring that the family’s property ultimately remained with the next generation.
Finally, John appointed Susannah Gaulden as the executrix of his will, entrusting her with the responsibility of carrying out his wishes and managing the estate during the eight‑year holding period. Notably, he did not list the names of their children, a common practice in wills of the era, but his instructions make it clear that he intended all of them to benefit equally.
THE WILL OF JOHN GAULDEN OF SOUTH CAROLINA (13)
In the name of God Amen. I John Gaulden of South Carolina being weak of body but of Sount and perfect memory have called to mind a future State and the uncertainty of Life have though fit to dispose of what worldly goods the Lord has been pleased to Bless me with as follows. First it is my will and desire that my Estate both real and personal Should be kept and Remained together Eight years from the date hereof one thousand Seven hundred and Eighty one at which Time my will and desire is that then my beloved wife Susannah Golding Shall then have the part of two Children out of the Estate the remainder to be Equally divided among my Children born of her body to be delivered to them that are of age and as the Rest come to age to receive their part also my will is that at the death of my wife her part of the Estate return to my Children to be equally divided among them. Also I Constitute and appoint my wife Susannah Golding Executrix of this my Last will and testament as witness my hand and Seal this the 15th day of January 1781.
John Gaulden (seal)
Samuel Tynes
John Brumfied
James Golden (his X mark)
Conclusion
Researching families who lived in the South Carolina backcountry during the Revolutionary War is always challenging. The Camden District, like much of the region, suffered heavy record loss, and only fragments of civil and probate documents survive from the period. Because of this, the historical picture is often incomplete, and family stories have filled the gaps for generations. These traditions matter—they preserve the memories families carried forward when written records were scarce—but in genealogical research, only documented evidence can establish proof, especially when evaluating claims of military service or wartime death.
The long‑told story that John Gaulden died of smallpox while serving troops at the Battle of Eutaw Springs is an important part of Gaulden family lore. Gaulding Origins does not dismiss this tradition; it simply recognizes that no surviving record supports the claim. His will, probate timeline, and the absence of any military or medical documentation leave the story without historical foundation. For now, it must remain what it has always been: a family legend, meaningful but unproven.
There is, however, evidence suggesting that John’s son, James Gaulden, was present in the camp of General Francis Marion, based on the testimony of Abbott. This documented connection places the Gaulden family within the broader Revolutionary landscape, even if John himself cannot be tied to military service.
By distinguishing legend from evidence, we honor both the stories our ancestors passed down and the historical truth their records reveal.
Works Cited
1. John Gaulden, Jr. . Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71841321/john-gaulden.
2. Gauldin, Catherine L. The Migration of the eight children of John “Matthew” Gaulding. Gaulding Origins. [Online] https://www.gauldingorigins.com/post/the-migration-of-the-eight-children-of-john-matthew-gaulding.
3. Virginia Society Quarterly, Volume 32, Number 3. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6131/images/VGS_1994_01_01_0242?pId=521176306.
4. Weir, Robert M. Colonial South Carolina: A History. s.l. : KTO Press, 1983.
5. Anderson, William L. Cherokee Removal: Before and After. s.l. : University of Georgia Press, 1991.
6. Sirmans, M. Eugene. Colonial South Carolina: A Political History, 1663–1763. 1966 : University of North Carolina Press. Information about South Carolina Land Incentives & Headright System.
7. Blevins, Brooks. The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South. s.l. : University of Arkansas Press, 2022.
8. U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 . ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3572/records/28943085?tid=163174124&pid=422121228675&ssrc=pt. John Gaulden was in the Camden District, SC in 1780.
9. Moore, John Hammond. The South Carolina Backcountry, 1740–1800. s.l. : University of South Carolina Press, 1985.
10. U.S., Family History Books. ancestry.com. [Online] Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine-V 36, No 5 May 1910. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62282/images/382070_fl3738573_1653049-00082?pId=4489234538.
11. South Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980. ancestry.com. [Online] Kershaw, Index and Will, Vol 1, Books C, A1, 1770-1841. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9080/images/007649565_00496?pId=602490.
12. U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980. ancestry.com. [Online] https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9080/images/007649565_00502?pId=602490.
13. The spelling in the transcription of the Will of John Gaulden has been corrected for better readability. Transcribed by Catherine L. Gauldin, 2026.
14. All South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 1-20 . ancestry.com. [Online] http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=angs-d&gsfn=Capt+John&gsln=Goldinge&msbdy=1740&msbpn__ftp=Prince+Edward%2c+Virginia%2c+United+States&msddy=1782&msdpn__ftp=Camden%2c+Kershaw%2c+South+Carolina%2c+.
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