Hinkles and Hanrahans

Job Hamblen, brother to Pierce Dant Hamblen, was born July 14, 1762, place undetermined, but most probably in Worcester County, Maryland. A. Porter Hamblen also leaves open the possibility that he was born at some point between Worcester County and Charlotte County, Virginia, or even in Charlotte County. It is certain, however, that at the age of fourteen years, he was living with his parents and siblings eighteen miles south of Charlotte Court House, Charlotte County, Virginia.

At this time the Revolutionary War was in progress. The battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill had been fought. Patriotism had stirred the Hamblen home. The older brother Pierce Dant Hamblen had already joined the colors. The boy Job no doubt was attending muster days only waiting and wishing for the day when he might be old enough to join the ranks.

His day came, on March 1779. He enlisted as a private in company of Captain John Tabbs’ Virginia State Militia, which later formed a company in Colonel Charles Dabney’s regiment. Virginia could see her day coming in the war for the British had already transferred their operations to the southern states and were headed toward her borders.

Job was at Yorktown when the British Army under Cornwallis surrendered his army to General Washington, thus ending the Revolutionary War and giving us our independence. Imagine the trill of this young Hamblen as he watched the British surrender about 7,000 soldiers and 1,500 seamen. Artillery consisting of 75 brass cannons and 69 iron cannons, howitzers and mortars and a large amount of other arms, ammunition and stores. The British losses had been about 550 men killed, wounded and prisoners. The American losses during the siege amounted to about 300 killed and wounded.