In recognition of the upcoming 250th celebration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the DAR America 250! Committee of the Botetourt County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is placing a spotlight on its members’ Patriot ancestors who helped the country achieve American Independence.
Samuel Cochran was born July 24, 1750 in Chester County, Pa., and moved to Cumberland County as a young man, where he purchased land for farming. After the Revolutionary War began, he joined the company of Captain Samuel Hay, 6th Pennsylvania Battalion, enlisting on February12, 1776. The unit consisted largely of men recruited in Cumberland County. He fought in the battle of the Three Rivers in Canada where his brother, James Cochran, was killed.
Sgt. Samuel Cochran re-enlisted the following year, serving in the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, an infantry unit under the command of General Anthony Wayne. He fought in the battles of Paoli, Brandywine, and Germantown, fought with Washington’s Army and encamped in Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778.
After the war, he returned to farming, was active in the Presbyterian Church, participated in local politics and was known as a man with a deep sense of social responsibility. He donated the land on which the first school in his community was built. He married Esther John, a Quaker from Chambersburg, Pa. In 1781 they moved to a farm in western Pennsylvania in Fayette County. He had eight children, most who remained in Fayette County. His son Mordecai established a very successful coke manufacturing industry, which figured in the growth of the steel industry in nearby Pittsburgh.
The Cochran name is still found in the region where homes, churches, businesses and a Masonic Lodge built by his descendants can still be seen. Samuel died in 1837 and is buried in the Cochran Cemetery outside of Dawson, Pa.
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit, non-political organization open to any woman who has lineage to a Patriot who contributed to the success of the American Revolution. Founded over 125 years ago, it is focused on service to the community and fosters Patriotism, Education and Service.
If you are interested or have questions about joining the Botetourt chapter, contact Membership Chair Emily Talbot-Guillote via email at eptg1019@gmail.com or Regent Betty Holt, betty4658@gmail.com.
~ Botetourt County DAR
