I have a well documented family history back to Ignatious Butler (my fourth Great Grandfather) born October 2, 1755 and died in what was then Montgomery County (Now Bath County) Kentucky in May 1810. Ignatious was literate and left detailed family information in a "Little Brown Book" that allegedly is still in the hands of descendants. I have a manuscript copy of that book, but I have not seen a copy of the original. According to the "Little Brown Book", Ignatious had three brothers Robert, Clifford, and John. Unfortunately, Ignatious did not see fit to record where he or they were born or who his father was! Hence the mystery, I hope the DNA will help in solving.
Ignatious first appeared in the Virginia records with a farm on the Cheat River (now West Virginia) in 1777. He had three sons; Jesse, Nathan and George. I descended from Nathan Butler. It is possible that he is the Revolutionary War veteran Ignatious Butler listed as being a Artillery ammo bearer in the Virginia line. However, I doubt that Washington's subordinate officers would have wasted a literate man as a mere ammunition bearer. In the DAR records there is an oath of allegiance signed by Ignatious Butler as a scout on the Pennsylvania Frontier. I really think there were two Ignatious Butler's at the time of the Revolutionary War.