Benjamin COPLIN (COPELAND)
1752 - 1834 (82 years)
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Name Benjamin COPLIN (COPELAND) Born 28 Mar 1752 Augusta Co (now Rockingham Co), VA 
[1] Gender Male Military scout and spy, Revolutionary War [2] - From Harrison County, Virginia, Revolutionary War pension application, dated 18 Jun 1833: Benjamin Coplin was born 28 Mar 1752 in Rockingham County, Virginia. He lived at Nutters Fort when he entered the Revolutionary War in a Company commanded by Capt. William Lowther. He was stationed at Nutters Fort and employed in scouting from the Monongahela River to the Ohio River. He served for six months and was discharged in the fall of 1776. Then in the spring of 1777, he volunteered again in the same Company and was stationed at Powers Fort on Simpson Creek, Harrison County. He was again employed as a scout for a term of six months. In the spring of 1778, he served as a scout another six months at Powers Fort under the same command. In the spring of 1779, he volunteered under Captain Lowther again at Powers Fort. In the spring of 1780, he volunteered again and was stationed at the Blockhouse on Elk Creek, where Clarksburg now stands. He was employed for six months as a scout. In the spring of 1781, he volunteered under a Company commanded by Capt. George Jackson, because Lowther had been promoted to Major. He served another six months. In the spring of 1782, he volunteered under Capt. Christopher Carpenter for six months. All the above-named officers were commissioned by the state of Virginia and were employed to guard the frontier settlement from the depredation of the Indians.
Although Benjamin Coplin is reported by some researchers as being a Captain in the Revolutionary War, and his headstone states his rank as Colonel, nothing in his pension application indicates that. Rather, he was employed as a scout and spy, and was not attached to any regiment. He was involved in several skirmishes with the Indians and at one engagement killed an Indian. In the year 1776, he was stationed at Powers Fort when news reached the Fort that a parcel of Indians were at Middle Island, in western part of Harrison County (this would be present-day Doddridge County). He and about 20 others went in pursuit of them and was gone for four days.
http://www.revwarapps.org/s10464.pdf
(Transcribed from original documents on file at the U.S. National Archives and viewable online at www.fold3.com)
Died 5 Sep 1834 Harrison Co, (W)VA [1] Buried Bridgeport Cemetery, Bridgeport, Harrison Co, WV [3, 4] Person ID I16157 Doddridge County Roots Last Modified 30 Jun 2016
Father Benjamin COPLIN (COPELAND), b. CA 1720, Rockingham Co, VA , d. Aft 1781 (Age ~ 62 years) Mother Deborah ___, d. Aft 1781 Family ID F5784 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Deborah SHINN, b. Harrison Co, (W)VA [3] Children + 1. Isaac COPLIN, b. 1780, d. 1826 (Age 46 years) Family ID F5787 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- From Harrison County, Virginia, Revolutionary War pension application, dated 18 Jun 1833: Benjamin Coplin was born 28 Mar 1752 in Rockingham County, Virginia. He lived at Nutters Fort when he entered the Revolutionary War in a Company commanded by Capt. William Lowther. He was stationed at Nutters Fort and employed in scouting from the Monongahela River to the Ohio River. He served for six months and was discharged in the fall of 1776. Then in the spring of 1777, he volunteered again in the same Company and was stationed at Powers Fort on Simpson Creek, Harrison County. He was again employed as a scout for a term of six months. In the spring of 1778, he served as a scout another six months at Powers Fort under the same command. In the spring of 1779, he volunteered under Captain Lowther again at Powers Fort. In the spring of 1780, he volunteered again and was stationed at the Blockhouse on Elk Creek, where Clarksburg now stands. He was employed for six months as a scout. In the spring of 1781, he volunteered under a Company commanded by Capt. George Jackson, because Lowther had been promoted to Major. He served another six months. In the spring of 1782, he volunteered under Capt. Christopher Carpenter for six months. All the above-named officers were commissioned by the state of Virginia and were employed to guard the frontier settlement from the depredation of the Indians.
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Documents 
16157_History-of-Coplin-Family.jpg
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Sources - [S37] Historical Military Records, (www.fold3.com).
- [S444] The Davissons - A History and Genealogy, Russell Lee Davisson, (McClain Printing Co, Parsons, WV (1993)), p. 160.
- [S2194] History of Harrison County West Virginia, Henry Haymond, (Acme Publishing Company, Morgantown, WV (1910)).
- [S934] Findagrave.com, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=109049926.
- [S37] Historical Military Records, (www.fold3.com).