James James
The State of South Carolina
On this the Twenty Seventh day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court James James before me Baylis J. Earle one of the Circuit Judges in the Court of Common Pleas in and for the District of Chesterfield and State aforesaid who being first duly sworn according to Law, maketh oath to the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed on the 7th day of June 1832 – That he was born on the 10th of October 1748 in Cumberland County in the State of North Carolina. That in the State of North Carolina where he lived until about 40 years ago, when he removed to Darlington District in the State of South Carolina and lived about 25 years and about fifteen years ago removed to the Chesterfield District in the State last aforesaid where he has ever since and still does reside – That he has no record or memorandum in writing by which he can refer to particular dates and an not from memory state any precision at which he was called on or volunteered his services in the Revolutionary War, but that during the War he whilst he resided in Richmond County aforesaid was drafted to march with the militia to Wilmington in North Carolina that he does not recollect for what length of time he was then drafted but that he employed on William Scott as a substitute who went to Wilmington aforesaid and served the time required in his stead under Capt. John Hawthorn, commanded by Col. Charles Medlock – This deponent further states that at another time he volunteered his services and served with the militia of the said Richmond County against the Tories in small detachments on various excursions in the counties of Richmond and Robeson in North Carolina under Capt. William Wall but was in no particular engagement under Capt. Wall that he now recollects except a small skirmish near Ashpol in Robeson County in which a small squad of Tories were surprised by Capt. Walls Company in an old home and one by the name of Isham Hagins wounded and taken prisoner. This deponent further states that he at another time volunteered his services and served on various excursions against the Tories under Capt. John Speed in Robeson and Richmond counties aforesaid that the only engagement in which he was whilst under Capt. Speed was at Beattys Bridge on Drowning Creek in which the Americans was defeated by the Tories after a short battle in which several men killed and wounded on both sides. That Col. Thomas Crawford accompanied by Col. Thomas Wade commanded the detachment of Americans and Col’s Fanning and McNeill the Tories –
This deponent further states that he at another time volunteered his services and was out in small detachment under Capt. William Easterling frequently against the Tories in the said County of Richmond but does not recollect that he was in any particular engagement under Capt. Easterling – Said deponent further states that he at one time contributed four pounds and at another time six pounds with several other citizens to the procurement of two different men to serve in the continental service, then one for the term of twelve months and the other for the term of eighteen months but that he cannot now recollect or explain the causes or the particulars regulation by which the said contributions were made nor the names of the men who were employed as above but he is satisfied that he paid the above sums of money to the employment of two men who served in consequence thereof in the continental service and believes that he this deponent and all those who so contributed with him were thereby exempted from serving in the continental service during the time of their substitutes as aforesaid, but he states that during the said term of service of those whom they had employed as above, he this deponent, not withstanding served as a volunteer on varying occasions and at sundry times against the Tories and in protecting the citizens of Robeson and Richmond Counties as aforesaid. This deponent further states that he is unable to fix with exactness the whole period or length of time which he served in the whole War having served consequently without keeping any account of time, but states that he served invariably when he deemed his services necessary from the time of the first acts of hostility between the Whigs and Tories in his section of Country to the close of the War and he does verily believe that inclusive of the service of substitutes by his procurement he served more than two years. This deponent further states that he does not know that any of his companions in arms are now alive except his brother Phillip James now resides on Dog ? River in the Territory of Florida and the aforementioned Capt. William Easterling who lives in the District of Marlborough and State of South Carolina.
The said deponent hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State whatsoever.
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year above stated B.J. Earle, presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and Sessions at Chesterfield Courthouse in the State and District aforesaid in open Court.
James James
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the interrogation of the matter and after putting the interrogation prescribed by the War Department that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states and the Court further certifies that it appears to them that Vincent Belk and William Easterling who have signed the two succeeding certificates are residents in the District of Chesterfield and State of South Carolina that they are respectable persons and are worthy of full and implicit confidence and credit.
B.J. Earle
Presiding Judge in
Open Court