William Cross Research Log - Summary of David L. Cross data

William Cross's application for a Revolutionary War pension mentioned two other men with the Cross surname, but the pension application did not identify William's relationship to either of the two men. In particular, Abraham Cross and Edward Cox filed an affidavit in support of William's pension application, and their affidavit was filed "At the Insistence & request of David Cross of Sullivan County, Tennessee".

The pension application identified Edward Cox as William Cross's sergeant, and it identified Abraham Cross as being on the roles of the same agency as William and as Edward Cox.

There is nothing else that can be determined about William's relationship to Abraham from the pension application alone. For the moment, I will suggest that William and Abraham were probably brothers, and I will make the suggestion without citing any evidence in its support. I'm doubtful that there is any smoking gun kind of evidence that provides absolute proof that they were brothers, but suggesting that they were probably brothers will suffice for the moment.

The pension application makes clear that David Cross was a strong advocate for William. The respective ages of the two men were such that they could have been son and father. There is nothing in the pension application that confirms this relationship, but there is other evidence that does confirm this relationship. In particular, the relationship is confirmed by the will of David L. Cross.

There were actually two wills for David L. Cross. His will of 1878 was joint with his wife, and his will of 1879 was for himself alone.

The 1878 will includes the following text:

• Our son Elijah Cross who now lives in Anderson County, Tennessee has at several times done jobs of work upon the place which we expect to make him ample compensation and we herein include a just and equitable account of said work done and compensation rendered him at several times as follows.
• the Testators are willing to do him ample justice and to more than compensated him for any services done. We therefore will and bequeath to Elijah Cross the share of land belonging to David L. Cross as an inheritance from his fathers estate, also one other interest in land purchased with the said David L Cross mentioned - It is intended by the testators to convey by this will all lands that they are seized of or have a right to in Anderson County Tennessee.

The 1879 will includes the following text:

• The land interest I owned in Anderson county I desire my son Elijah, who now resides in on said county should I yet retain the legal interest in said lands. But should the statute of limitation pays such interest out of my hands then I hereby confirm his interest thereto should my title still be adjudged legal to said land interests: then I desire all my right title, interests, etc forever to the said Elijah.

The language from the two wills is a bit awkward, but taken as a whole the meaning is clear. David L. Cross inherited an interest in land in Anderson County from his father who is unnamed in either of David's wills. David intends that his interest in that land be bequeathed to his son Elijah Cross who was presently living in Anderson County.

David L. Cross was born about 1798, and the only man with the Cross surname who had owned land in Anderson County and who was old enough to have been David's father was William Cross. The conclusion that William was David's father is also consistent with the portion of William's pension application where Edward Cox and Abraham Cross filed an affidavit for William "At the Insistence & request of David Cross of Sullivan County, Tennessee".

Additionally, we shall see later that Elijah Cross was paying taxes on the land from the 1888 lawsuit in Anderson County shortly before the lawsuit was filed, and we shall see that Elijah Cross was one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

We can therefore begin putting together the list of William Cross and his children as follows.

• William Cross, 1762 - 1844
  • David L. Cross, 1798 - 1879