James McMillan
State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
The declaration of James McMillan in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress 7 June 1832.
Personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Josiah J. Evans in the Court of Common Pleas for the said district on the 4th day of March Anno Domini 1834 James McMillan who being duly sworn saith that he was born in Scotland in the Kingdom of Great Britain on the 10th day of February Anno Domini 1753. He came to the United States about seven years before the destruction of the Tea at Boston, whilst he was still a boy. He landed at Wilmington in the State of North Carolina and resided in Cumberland County in that State until after the Revolutionary War had commenced. From thence he removed and settled near the state line in Anson County North Carolina. Soon after this he was drafted in the militia and was at Gates defeat near Camden under the command of Captain James Farr. From thence he removed across the line into Chesterfield District in the State of South Carolina where he has resided ever since. Soon after his removal unto South Carolina but at which particular time he is unable here to recollect, he enlisted under Capt. White as a private in Col. Peter Horry’s Cavalry for the term of two years and a half in the State Troops. He remained in the service during the whole period of his enlistment under the command of General Marion and was discharged at Bacon’s Bridge near Charleston by a written discharge which he preserved for many years but it was lost about 10 years ago. This discharge was placed in a bundle of land papers which were delivered to a surveyor to locate a tract of land then in dispute and never returned nor has he been ever able to get possession of either his land papers or his discharge. Since during the period of his enlistment as aforesaid he was at the battle of Eutaw under the command of Marion and Horry and received a bayonet wound through the thigh. He has no record of his age nor has he any other knowledge of it except that according to the account given him many years ago by his parents, he was eighty one years old on the 10th of February last.
He is illiterate and unable to read writing so as to distinguish one paper from another. For reason the whole bundle of his valuable papers was delivered to the surveyor to select out of them such as he wanted. He has no recollection of any officers of the Continental Army nor does he recollect having served with any of them except at Eutaw where General Green Commanded except stated under Gates. In ??? to his great age he has been for several years afflicted with palsy which has so impaired his memory that his recollection of dates is almost wholly destroyed. He is therefore unable to state other the time of his enlistment or the period of his discharge or the names of the subordinate officers of the corps to which he belonged and your petitioner hereby relinquishes all claim 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.
Sworn to in open Court 4th March 1834 } His
John Craig CCC Pleas } James X McMillan
Mark
We Joseph Ellerbe, Aaron Copeland, James Ellerbe, all citizens of Chesterfield District aforesaid do certify that we are well acquainted with James McMillan who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be eighty one years of age that he is reputed and believed in his neighborhood to have been a soldier of the revolution and we concur in that opinion and we further bear witness that he has always sustained the Character of an honest man and good citizen.
Sworn to and subscribed the 4 March 1834 } Joseph Ellerbe
John Craig CCR } Aaron Copeland
James Ellerbe
(Following this is a statement given by Josiah J. Evans that he believes the above statements to be true and Joseph Ellerbe, Aaron Copeland and James Ellerbe word should be given credit. He followed with a statement that he himself had heard the same statement regarding the loss of the discharge prior to the declaration given by James McMillan.)
The State of South Carolina }
Cheraw District }
On this the seventeenth day of February one thousand eight hundred and forty seven personally appeared before me David S. Harllee Commissioner in Equity in and for the District aforesaid, Sarah Purvis, daughter of James and Racheal McMillan, late of Chesterfield District in the State aforesaid deceased, a resident of the District last aforesaid aged above sixty years who being duly sworn doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of Congress passed 7th July 1838 entitled “An Act Granting Half Pay and Pensions to Certain Widows” also the benefit of the Acts of 3rd March 1843 and 17th June 1844.
That this declaration the aforesaid Sarah Purvis in behalf of herself and of Mary Owens wife of Bryant Owens, John McMillan and James McMillan children of the aforesaid James McMillan and Rachael McMillan deceased, states that James McMillan husband of Rachael McMillan was a private soldier in the War of the Revolution as the children understand and as such he served the United States against the common enemy and was allowed a pension under the Act of 7th June 1832 at the rate of One hundred dollars per annum; that the aforesaid James McMillan was married to Rachael Chisholm in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty _____ and as husband and wife they lived together until the death of the said James McMillan who departed this life in Chesterfield District South Carolina on the eighteenth day of August one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven (1837) and his widow the aforesaid Rachael McMillan departed this life in Chesterfield District South Carolina on the twenty fifth day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty four never having again married after the decease of her husband the aforesaid James McMillan.
The declarant further on oath states that there was no family record kept by the said James and Rachael McMillan of their intermarriage or of the birth of their children.
This declarant further on oath states that there were three children the issue of the marriage of the said James and Rachael McMillan older than her, this declarant all of which three said children departed this life before the decease of the said James and Rachael McMillan and that this declarant and the aforesaid Mary Owens, John McMillan and James McMillan are the only survivors children of the said James and Rachael McMillan.
Sworn to before me this seventh } Her
day of February AD 1847 } Sarah X Purvis
D. S. Harllee CECD } Mark
And I the said David S. Harlee Commissioner in Equity in and for Cheraw District aforesaid do hereby certify that it was shown in evidence to my satisfaction that James McMillan named in the forgoing declaration died at his late residence in Chesterfield District South Carolina on the eighteenth day of August one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven (1837) and that his widow Rachael McMillan died in the said District on the twenty fifth day of October one thousand eight hundred and forty four (1844) leaving the following children her surviving, viz, Sarah Purvis wife of John Purvis, Mary Owens wife of Bryant Owens, John McMillan and James McMillan all of lawful age and that the said Sarah Purvis the declarant is a person to whose statements full faith and credit are due. February 20th 1847
- S. Harllee CECD
The State of South Carolina }
Chesterfield District }
ON this fourth day of April Anno Domino one thousand eight hundred and fifty four before me Kenan Thorgan a justice of the Peace authorized to administer oaths in and for the District and State aforesaid comes John Gulledge and his wife Ann, John Adkinson and his wife Rachel, Mary Thompson, Sarah Thompson, James Thompson, Samuel Thompson and say on oath that they are all with the exception of the said John Gulledge and John Adkinson the children lawfully begotten by Samuel Thompson on the body of Isabella McMillan the daughter of James McMillan who was a Soldier in the Revolutionary War and for whose services therein his children John and James McMillan and Sarah who is intermarried with John Purvis and Mary who is intermarried with Bryan Owens have already received from the United States Government their proportion of his pay or other bounty, but the heirs of his deceased son Alexander, and his daughter Nancy who intermarried with one Colin McMurphy with the parents of these deponents have yet received anything or made any application therefore. These deponents further say that the said Isabella McMillan the wife of the said Samuel Thompson departed this life about the eighteenth day of January in the year 1838, that their Father Samuel Thompson is still alive and with all of these resident in the District and State aforesaid and will unite in this application that the only heir of Alexander McMillan lives in Florida if alive at all and Nancy McMurphy if still alive is in Alabama. These deponents further say that the children of the Revolutionary Soldier James McMillan who received bounty from Government received it upon an application in their own names as deponents suppose because they were then all alive.
Deponents further say that they are the only children of said Isabella McMillan deceased.
They make this application for the purpose of obtaining the bounty, pay, extra pay and such other benefit as may be due to them by the government in consideration of the services of the said James McMillan their grandfather.
John his X mark Gulledge
Ann Gulledge
Bryan his X mark Adkinson
Rachael her X mark Adkinson
James his X mark Thompson
Mary her X mark Thompson
Samuel his X mark Thompson
Sarah her X mark Thompson
Sworn to and subscribed before me I having no interest in the said claim or its prosecution.
K. L. Morgan, magistrate
We have read the above application and certify on oath that so far as the heirship of deponents is concerned it is strictly true. Alexander Linton
- T. Morgan mgt. Alexander Bevill
(Editors Note: also included is Samuel Thompson’s consent to his children’s application; the children’s Power of Attorney to Richard H. Clarke Esq. of Washington City District of Columbia dated April 4, 1854; James W. Burns oath confirming the death dates of James and Racheal McMillan dated October 25 1844.)