Excepts from: 
The Illustrated Life of The Fleharty's

by George Fleharty

     John Fleharty came to the America in the year 1702, from
Galway, Province of Connaught, Ireland.  This John had
a son named Stephen, who had a son named John; and his son,
(stephen), enlisted in the Revolutionary War.  The Flehartys 
landed at Baltimore, and later settled in Dorchester County,
Maryland.  A nephew named Michael, came with John Fleharty, and a
brother, Andrew, came later-about 1732.  It is reported that John 
and his nephew were so elated at the sight of land, they took a
bottle whisky and jumped overboard, swam two miles to shore, and
landed before the vessel cast anchor.
     The early records of land transfer in the county of Dorchester,
were destroyed by fire and we are at a loss therefore, to give
a more detailed account of any earlier transactions than when
we come to a later period.  The records show that John Fluharty, 
father of Stephen was killed in a school house fight in 1764,
by one Banning.  John's wifes name was Julia Culen. Stephen was
born on October 28, 1743, and married Sarah Jane Morgan, April 4,
1764.  To this union were born two boys and two girls.  Their
names were:
  
John, born March 24, 1768; 
William, born December 4, 1771;
Ann, born May 15, 1773;
Mardilla, born September 5, 1775.

Stephen enlisted in the begining of the Revolutionary War
in the First Maryland Regiment under Colonel Smallwood, in the
ninth company under Captain George Striker.  He enlisted, and
served December 10, 1775, and served three years as corporal of
his company and was honorably discharged December 27, 1779.

He again enlisted December 27, 1779, in the seventh Maryland
Calvary, commanded by John Stone.  He served in this regiment
as sergeant until the close of the war, 1783.  He was engaged
in the battles of Long Island, White Plans, Gulford, Eutaw Springs,
Cowpens, and the Siege of Ninety-Six.

Stephen Fleharty's residence was in Caroline County, Maryland,
and after the war was over, he moved to Winchester County,
Virginia.  Stephen's wife died January 7, 1996, at the age
of sixt years.  He lived alone for a number of years amd died
in 1822, aged seventy-nine years. The following is a copy
of the first census taken in Maryland in 1790;

     John Fleharty, son of Stephen was born March 21, 1768 and married
Ester Hopkins in 1790. She was called the most beautiful woman in
America; she only lived three short years after the marriage, and
died April 2, 1793.

William the second son of Stephen, was born December 4, 1771, and 
married Margaret Withgot, December 24, 1795.  Seven children were
born to them:

Heneretta, born November 5, 1797 died March 3, 1822 age 24 years
Stephen, born March 3, 1799
William L, born March 3, 1802
Govert, born February 23, 1805
Denwood, born February 20, 1808
Bennet, born April 27, 1809
Ann, born April 27, 1809

William Fleharty, son of Stephen and Sarah, died December 18,
1842, age 71 years  His wife died April 17, 1851, age 76 years.
Stephen, William L, Govert and Bennet were born in Maryland.

Denwood died in infancy. Sarah, at the birth of Govert was in such 
poor health that she was unable to nurse him, so he was nursed by a
negro mammy.

Ann Fleharty, daughter of William Fleharty, married Curtis Jones.
They had one daughter, and we have no father record of her.

William Fleharty left Maryland about the year 1811, and moved
overland in wagons, going west into Ohio, where they settled in
a place near Chillicothe, called Dry Run, in Scioto County.

In 1824 William moved from Ohio to Sangamon County, Illinois, where 
his son, Willaim L Fleharty, taught several terms of school. After living
there for two years, they moved to Henry County, where they
bought land in 1826.