For Services Rendered

Nashville, Tennessee, Area

An excerpt from Flowering of the Cumberland...by Harriette Simpson Arnow:

North Carolina had used land (she had no cash) to pay her officers and soldiers for their services in the Revolution...

Yet, none of the men out of the Revolution, no matter how great their sufferings during the rebellion or from Indians after settlement, had known the losses in blood, money, and time, or endured the hardships of the first settlers on the Cumberland. These had come away back in the winter of 1779-1780.... .

John Clendennin was one of those North Carolina officers.

Boone And Ammunition

From DANIEL BOONE by John Bakeless (1939):

Mentioned in the Daniel Boone book was a CLENDENIN, which was the name of Fannie (Clendenin) Trousdale's first husband*. The book refers to a Colonel William [or George] Clendenin who complained (on May 26, 1792) that Daniel Boone, in his capacity as "quartermaster" for the Kanawha County (now WVa) militia, failed to deliver powder and he (Clendenin, who was also a representative in the Assembly) had to buy it at his own expense.

*(Mary) Fannie Clendennin's 1st husband was a Lieutenant from North Carolina who moved to Tennessee; don't know if there was any relationship to the West Virginia Clendennins.  I'm her descendant from her 2nd marriage

More about the West Virginia Clendennins:

Source

From this source:

While this disaster was occurring, Boone was again sitting in the legislature at Richmond, where he represented Kanawha County from October 17th to December 20th. It was voted to send ammunition for the militia on the Monongahela and the Kanawha, who were to be called out for the defense of the frontier.
Before leaving Richmond, Boone wrote as follows to the governor:

"Monday 13th Dec 1791
" Sir as sum purson Must Carry out the armantstion [ammunition] to Red Stone [Brownsville, Pa.,] if your Exclency should have thought me a proper purson I would undertake it on conditions I have the apintment to vitel the company at Kanhowway [Kanawha] so that I Could take Down the flowre as I paste that place I am your Excelenceys most obedent omble servant   "Da l Boone." 

Five days later the contract was awarded to him; and we find among his papers receipts, obtained at several places on his way home, for the lead and flints which he was to deliver to the various military centers.
But the following May, Colonel George Clendennin sharply complains to the governor that the ammunition and rations which Boone was to have supplied to Captain Caperton's rangers had not yet been delivered, and that Clendennin was forced to purchase these supplies from others. It does not appear from the records how this matter was settled; but as there seems to have been no official inquiry, the non-delivery was probably the result of a misunderstanding.

Bledsoes In Tennessee

Flowering of the Cumberland - Part II, by Harriette Simpson Arnow, mentioned the Bledsoes.

There was a connection between the Clendennins and the Bledsoes.  My 5th great-grandmother's first husband was John Clendenin.

The Bledsoe brothers, Isaac and Anthony, who had with several others helped survey the line, had also settled. Isaac, not to be killed until 1793, now lived at his station near present day Castalian Springs, while Anthony, already shot from ambush, had built on Greenfield’s Grant where his widow and family still lived.

This 1859 history book, History of middle Tennessee: or, Life and times of Gen. James Robertson, corroborated what was found in Ms. Arnow's book.

Fort Reconstruction In TN 

 On the night of 20th July 1788, a number of Indians approached and placed themselves in ambush... .  As he [Col. Anthony Bledsoe] opened it [the gate] he was shot down ... .  The Colonel did not expire immediately but was carried into the house while preparation were made for defense... .

The wife of Isaac Bledsoe suggested to her husband and then to her brother-in-law in view of the near approach of death that he should by will make provision for his seven daughters.  He had surveyed large tracts of land and secured grants for several thousand acres. The law of North Carolina then gave all lands to the sons to the exclusion of daughters.  Mr Clendening wrote the will; Col. Isaac Bledsoe supported his dying brother while he affixed his signature, and thus were all his children left to share in his landed estate.

But the devoted wife, whose name this providence had changed to widow, had yet to suffer from savage cruelty.

Ask A Librarian & See What Happens

While searching for Lt. John Clendenin, I got a "hit" in the book shown below. However, only a "snippet" view of the book was available online. It occurred to me to send an e-mail to the Library of Virginia (after checking to make sure that book was part of their inventory) and voila! A reference librarian sent a copy of the page that mentioned Lt. Clendenin to me.

[Click image(s) to enlarge]

The e-mail I sent:

I would like the information regarding Lt. John Clendenin
contained in this book:
The Orderly Book of Captain Benjamin Taliaferro, 2d Virginia
Detachment, Charleston, South Carolina, 1780:
2d Virginia Detachment Charleston, South Carolina, 1780.
By Virginia Infantry 2d Regt., 1776-1783, Benjamin Taliaferro,
Lee A. Wallace Published by Virginia State Library, 1979

According to GOOGLE, Clendenin is referred to on paged 47 & n. 21

The response I received via e-mail:
refdesk@lva.virginia.gov

Dear Mrs. Palm: Note 21 on page 47 states that "Captain James Powers and John Clendenin, a first lieutenant, were both of the 3d North Carolina." The information on page 47 consists mainly of a Barrack Order dated February 1, 1780. It is too lengthy to be emailed, but I will send you a copy of the page by "snail mail.".

D. F., Reference Librarian

Don't forget to ask a reference librarian for specific items. I've asked librarians to look in city directories for a specific name in a specific year and they have always come through for me. Reference Librarians are a tremendous resource.