SIMON HAGER was born at Hager's Ferry, Tryon (later Lincoln) County, North Carolina in approximately 1763. Simon was the son of George Hager, who was born about 1733 in Germany and came to America in approximately 1748, arriving in North Carolina, and Crate Killian, born about 1730 and the daughter of Andres Killian. George and his wife, Crate, were married sometime before 1754 in North Carolina. Simon Hager's siblings (including himself) consisted of the following:

It it very important to note that there were ​​​​​​(at the very least) ​two Simon Hagers who lived at approximately the same time, both of whom served in the Revolutionary War and both from Lincoln County, North Carolina. To confuse matters further, they both may have married women with the surname, Lawing. The two men were more than likely related as our Simon and "Big" Simon (as he was called) were possibly first cousins ("Big" Simon being the son of William Hager, likely brother to George).

Simon was a very common name in the Hager family and the Lawing name was also prevalent in Lincoln County. In order to distinguish the two Simon Hagers, one only needs to compare Wills, which both men left in which they name their wives and heirs, as well as pension records, battles engaged in and burial locations and dates. Records for both Simon Hagers are often combined, including in the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) files, allowing for additional opportunities for confusion.

Having made the comparisons, the two (likely) cousins named Simon are clearly distinguishable.A Brief Historical Sketch of the Hager Family of Lincoln County, North Carolina, was written in 1902 by A. Nixon, a direct descendent of the original pioneer Hagers. As he lived in the region and at a time when he had access to individuals who had primary knowledge of the people in question, his work is essential in detangling the Simon Hager knot.

Of our ancestor, Simon Hager, the son of George Hager, Nixon states:

About Simon, the son of William (and likely a cousin to our ancestor), Nixon states:

Elizabeth Lawing was born sometime between 1756 and 1766 in North Carolina. She and Simon Hager were married in approximately 1780 in North Carolina. The more plausible date, considering the age she would be at the time of her marriage, was 1756. She was possibly the daughter of William Lawing and Jean Killian Richards Lawing. There is also the possibility that she is the daughter of a different Lawing. If she is the child of Jean Killian Richards Lawing, however, then this suggests that Elizabeth Lawing's mother and Simon Hager's mother were sisters, making Simon and his wife first cousins. The publication "The History of the Killian Family in North Carolina," from the Association of the Descendants of Pioneer Andreas Killian, states the following:

Online family trees occasionally refer to Elizabeth as Simon's "first" wife. However, the likelihood is that they are, once again, confusing the two Simons. We know from ​​​​"A Brief Historical Sketch of the Hager Family of Lincoln County, North Carolina" by A. Nixon (1902) that "Big" Simon Hager did, indeed, have more than one wife. To confuse matters further, it seems that the maiden name of his first was was Lawing, the same as our Simon's wife. "Big" Simon's second wife was a woman by the name of Nellie Eaton.

The information below regarding the identity of the children of Simon Hager and Elizabeth Lawing was taken directly from original documentation, including Simon Hager's Will and other probate documents. Documentation shows that Simon and Elizabeth had seven children, four daughters and three sons. It is possible that they had additional children who did not survive infancy or were no longer living at the time of Simon's will and subsequent probate.

Simon and Elizabeth's daughter, Katherine, was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Marriage Bonds 1779-1867, on  January 13, 1831, Katherine married David Smith in Lincoln County. Their bondsman was Allan Baker and their witness was L. M. McBee. The year of Katherine's death is currently unknown, as well as whether or not she and her husband had any children.

Sarah Hager, called Sally, was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina. She married James Frost on May 15, 1806 in Lincoln County. William Featherston was their bondsman and Leon Henderson witnessed their marriage. Sarah's death date, as well as whether or not she and her husband had children, is currently unknown.

Mary Elizabeth Hager, born in Lincoln County, North Carolina about 1787, married John Rudesil on December 20, 1815 in Lincoln County. John Hill was their bondsman and V. McBee witnessed their marriage. It appears that Mary Elizabeth was John's second wife. He married his first wife, Susana Saine, on August 5, 1812. Leon Henderson, the same person who witnessed Sarah (Sally) Hager's marriage to James Frost, witnessed John Rudsdil's first marriage.

Some online public family trees imply that Mary Elizabeth died in Perry County, Missouri. This is contradicted by her name on a list of individuals, including her husband, John Rudisel, buried in the "Rudisill Graveyard" in Gaston County, North Carolina. The abandoned graveyard contains only 10 graves, all between 1828 and 1864 and all unmarked. It is listed in a booklet entitled "Old Grave Sites Revisited in Gaston and Lincoln County, North Carolina." Directions to the cemetery are included: ​​​​"from Crouse, take St. Mark's Church Road (SR 1172) and go 1 mile; the cemetery is in the field to the left."

In addition, there is a Mary Rudesil listed in the 1860 census, age 63 (which could be inaccurate) living on a farm in Gaston County, North Carolina. North Carolina Wills and Probate Records contains a probate packet for Mary Rudesil with Christian Eaker, administrator of the estate, that is dated November 14, 1864, one week after the death given in the cemetery records.

William J. Hager's birth and death information is currently unknown. We know through his efforts to secure funds from his father's Revolutionary War pension that he was living still living in Lincoln County, North Carolina, in December of 1845.

Online public family trees, as well as "findagrave.com" list him as the brother of John Jackson Hager, who moved to Ripley County, Missouri. These, once again, are inaccurate, as that William was the son of "Big" Simon Hager, who married Elizabeth Hager and died in 1870. The two Williams were, most likely, cousins.

John Hager's birth and death information is also currently unknown. Online sources often confuse him with John Jackson Hager, the son of "Big" Simon Hager. Several individuals have attempted to trace their lineage back to "our" Simon Hager ancestor for their admission into the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) by using John Jackson Hager. Each of these admissions has been labeled as "EL," or "error in lineage." Notations state that John Jackson Hager is NOT the son of (our) Simon Hager and they would be correct.

Barbara Hager married John Elders, probably in Lincoln County, North Carolina. We do not have a record of their marriage, but it was likely before 1820. There is a record of John Elders, along with a man named William Jenkens, who purchased 41 acres on the Muddy Fork in Lincoln County, North Carolina in November of 1817.

The 1820 census recorded John Elders living in Lincoln County, west of the South Fork of the Catawba River. He appeared to be married by this time, probably to Barbara Hager. There are two adults living in the household along with five male children between the ages of zero and 15 years. There are also 5 slaves listed.

Barbara is listed in the 1828 will of her father, Simon Hager, as well as the pension affidavit document from December of 1845 presented by her brother, William Hager, to the Court of Pleas and Quarters in Lincoln County. 

Frederick Hager, our direct ancestor, was born in 1800 or 1801 at Hager's Ferry, Lincoln County, North Carolina. On November 27, 1818, Frederick married Margaret Hinkle in Lincoln County. John Petree was bondman and James T. Alexander witnessed the marriage.

Although there is a Fred Hager, east of the South Fork of the Catawba River, listed in the 1820 census for Lincoln County, the number and age of individuals in the household does not lead one to believe that this is the same Frederick Hager.

In Simon's will, dated 1828, Simon leaves land, previously promised to Frederick, to his other sons, John and William, with the understanding that they will pay Frederick $20 for the land. This implies that Frederick had already left the area by this time. On the 1830 Federal Census for Perry County, Missouri, Frederick Hager was listed as the head of the household.

Frederick Hager died on October 29, 1862 at 62 years of age. His wife, Margaret Hinkle Hager followed him in death three years later on October 17, 1863. At this time, their burial locations are unknown.​

Simon Hager was a patriot who served in the Revolutionary War and participated in several battles. We are very fortunate to have detailed accounts of Simon's service, including the specific months in which he served, the battles in which he fought, and the commanders with whom he served under.

In October, 1832, Simon Hager appeared before the Court of Pleas and Quarters in Lincoln County, North Carolina. His intent was to prove his service in the cause of the Revolution in order to secure his due pension, granted to him by the Revolutionary Claim Act, passed on June 7, 1832, which states:

Unfortunately for Simon (but fortuitous for us), his original discharge papers, contained in the pocket of a pair of his trousers, were destroyed when those trousers were washed. Consequently, Simon was required to produce documentation regarding his service, including letters from his commanding officers detailing time and locations in which he served. These documents have survived the years and not only give us proof that Simon did, indeed, serve in the Revolutionary War, but also clearly distinguish him from the "other" Simon (Big Simon) who also completed military service in the War of the Revolution.

It appears that Simon Hager's pension application was granted while he was alive as evidenced by the first two payment documents below. The certificate of pension was issued on April 10, 1833 for the amount of $33.33 per year for 10 months of service under Col. Polk. The pension was to commence on the 4th day of March, 1834. He received arrears dating back to March 4, 1833. The final pay voucher is further evidence that he did, indeed, receive his due pension.​

After Simon's death, however, the family had difficulty obtaining pension monies owed to their widowed mother and themselves. The claim of Elizabeth Hager (Simon's widow) was rejected, with the reason being that the magistrate that administered the oaths did not certify the credibility of the witnesses. 

Many documents that have been preserved exist that show the Hager family's attempts to secure Simon Hager's pension, including sworn affidavits from some of Simon's commanding officers. Several of these documents can be seen by following the "Military Documents" link at the bottom of this page.

One of the most significant documents was a sworn statement by William Hager, Simon and Elizabeth's son. In this document we learn much information about his parents, including when they married and when each of them died. We also are given a primary source account of the names of the children of Simon Hager, including the names of his daughter's spouses. These names align with those mentioned in Simon Hager's Last Will and Testament (see below), offering additional evidence of his identity.

Numerous other affidavits were filed by individuals familiar with the Simon Hager family swearing as to when they were married, had children, participated in the war, etc. (see Military Documents link below). What must have been an incredible legal nightmare for the Hager family is a boon for us in that through these documents we can clearly ascertain Simon Hager's service in the war and relationships to his heirs so specifically that there can be no doubt which Simon he was, nor that he was our ancestor (through his son, Frederick Hager).​ Unfortunately, there is no definitive resolution to the issue that is apparent through examination of the documentation. One can only hope that the family of Simon Hager did, indeed, receive the remainder of his duly earned pension.

We are extremely fortunate to have Simon's Last Will and Testament (transcribed below). Simon composed his will on April 7, 1828, seven years before his death. This was somewhat unusual as that most wills of the time seem to be written quite close to the time of death. One wonders if Simon was in poor health during the latter part of his life, leading him to believe that he would died much earlier than he did.

Simon Hager died on January 28, 1835. At the time of his death he was approximately 72 years old. It is possible that he is buried, along with his wife, Elizabeth, in the Stroup-Hager Family Cemetery in Bessemer City, Gaston County, North Carolina. The small cemetery lies among a group of cedar trees approximately 300 yards off the side of the road.

Last Will and Testament of Simon Hager

Composed April 7, 1828

Elizabeth Hager died on March 1, 1842, seven years after the death of her husband. At the time of her death, she was 86 years old. There is some confusion regarding her birth date and age, based on examination of her tombstone and the information given at ​​​findagrave.com. The stone clearly states that she was 86 at the time of her death, but the death year appears to be 1849. We know this cannot be accurate because, in the year 1845, her son, William, swore in the Court of Pleas and Quarters in Lincoln County, North Carolina, that his mother was married in 1780 and died in 1842. It would not be possible for him to swear this in court in 1845 if his mother were still alive until 1849. In addition, if she had been born in 1766, as some online genealogies claim, she would have been only 14 at the time of her marriage.

There is an (albeit slight) possibility that the almost identical stones (shown below) for Simon and his wife, whose deaths were separated by seven years, may actually be cenotaphs (or memorial stones) and not the actual graves of Simon and Elizabeth. Both stones say "In memory of" and there are several other stones in the same cemetery that have identical shape and size and are also inscribed "In memory of"  while other stones in the same cemetery have different shapes and sizes. One could also speculate that the original markers were possibly wooden crosses that have long since decayed and, at a later time, were replaced by the several identical stone markers. This could offer a valid explanation for the error on Elizabeth's gravestone.