Pension Application of James Ward: W1105
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Kentucky}
Lawrence County} SS
On this 14th day of March 1834 personally appeared before the undersigned a justice of the peace for the county aforesaid now sitting James Ward resident in the county of Lawrence and State of Kentucky aged seventy five years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated — He volenteered at Fort Chisel Hill in Montgomery County Virginia (sic: Fort Chiswell now in Wythe County) for six months June 12th 1776 under Col. Christy [sic: William Christian], Capt. Magavick[?] afterwards he served under Capt. McClanahan Capt Newell this was to go against the Cherokee Indians in their nation. Col. Sayers was when at home his immediate millitia Col. he was marched in a South western dirrection to Abingdon [in Washington County VA] and to the Town house on the head of Holstein from there to indian nation at the Long Islands of that river [sic: Long Island of the Holston River at present Kingsport TN] the army halted for a few days as the boats were not all ready and the millitia had not yet all arrived. he descended the river, he crossed French Broad we arrived in the indian nation and was re-enforced by the State of North Carolina consisting of two thousand men after which the joint army burnt all the indian towns and most or all their corn. When [Col. Andrew] Williamsons men & the Georgia troops defeated the Indians down further in the nation [at Tamassy SC, 12 Aug 1776] the indians all fled and crossed the hiwasey [sic: Hiwassee River], and left their country the North Carolina and Virginia troops all returned home. he marched to the long Islands which was about the 20th of October 1776. he was dispatched with expresses and orders from this place to Powells valley, and the Clinch forts as they were burned. After going to Powells river he returned up Clinch river to the forts, and delivered the orders. there was a Sergant and a file of men along he went to Blackamors fort and then went to Hustons fort off of the river on a creek, thence to Cowans fort at Castlers woods. from there he was marched to Abington thence to the Town house. and there remained except about two weeks in November when he went to the Islands until the 23d day of December 1776 he was discharged and McClanahan gave it to him few incidents occured during this Tour. he was in no battles
1778 February the day he has forgotten but thinks it was the 23rd day he engaged for one year unless sooner discharged in Washington County Virginia under Col. Russell, Capt. Smith as an indian spie against the Shawny [sic: Shawnee] indians, that he thinks was in 1777. The Shawny indians had two ways in coming to the Clinch settlements one way up Sandy river the other way up Kentucky river early in March (1778) he was marched to the frontier, and he was marched down Cumberland Gap where he scouted until June 1778 without having any engagement with the indians, one morning in June the company of scouts in which he was was fired on about day light near the Gap at the first onset a man by the name of Taylor was shot the company retreated up to the Top being then on a bench of the mountain, he (Ward) endeavored to bring Taylor off and after remaining with him, he was killed scalped by the indians the company at length regained the Top, and the indians came up, here the Company made a halt and maintained their position for an half hour but at length were compeled to retreat which was done with great difficulty several of the scouts were killed, William Stunett[?] & his Bro. Isaac were among the slain. the company retreated to the settlements and went to the rye cove here Robinson & Snodys scouts joined us and we returned to the battle ground and buried those who had fallen. the indians had by this time left and had gone higher up on Clinch and had killed several persons. he arrived at Cowans fort in the month of November (1778) and was there discharged on the last day then of 1778. the services of the spies and scouts not longer being necessary as the indians had all gone home & had ceased to anoy the settlements from the 17th Oct’r. 1778 when the killed a boy by the name of Garten near the fort— The country through which he marched was the country where Lee Scott and Russell Counties now are situated. sometimes he was a far down as where the Gap as before mentioned there were no occurences worth relating during this year. he served with no Continental Officer or Regiment or Companies and the circumstances of his service are as above stated. he states that he received his discharge from Henry Smith. One circumstance that occured this last year he will mention is that the Shawny Indian Chief “Big [illegible but typed summary says “Aacorn”] was killed in the fight afs’d and he thinks that he killed him but he certainly does not know it is a fact, but knows he hit him, as he he had more than one bullet in him he does not pretend to say his killed him certainly.
The next year he went to the district of Kentucky. he arrived there in May 1779 with thout being disturbed by the indians he arrived at Boonsboro [sic: Boonesboro] he found it impossible to farm to enjoy the land in Kentucky and resolved to go back to Va. Col. Boon [sic: Daniel Boone] was taken by the indians, and most of the settlers were about abandoning the country and going back but it was impossible to return being now summertime. he therefore July 1779 about the middle [word illegible] he enlisted for two years as many did under Col. Bomar (the commander of the Virginia troops that had come some time before as relief to Kentucky & under Capt Hays of Kentucky. he was afterwards placed under the command of Capt Drake. he was promised six hundred acres of land for his enlistment. the first place he was marched to was after the Shawneese indians over the Ohio river. Col. Bomar who took about two hundred men along commanded he was marched across the Ohio to Old Chilacothy [sic: Chillicothe] the attack was made the whites in the night and after a long fight with the indians, we were forced to retreat. the indians greatly outnumbered us and had been aware of our aproach. they pursued us and they continued to follow us until the Harodsburg [sic: Harrodsburgh KY] troops met us. and the indians had to retreat themselves. at this time the indians contended long before they would give up. from this place the troops were marched back to Harodsburg in Kentucky and here he states he remained in the fort until the Spring following 1780. in April he was marched to Lexington and remained here and some times scouted until July 1780. the indians prevented the settlers from making salt two or three atempts being made they [word illegible] killed, about this time for he cannot state the dates of the month acurately. the settlers on Licking were all taken and Riddles fort [sic: Ruddles Station] torn down & taken by the indians from [word(s) illegible] and the french[?] with them. Gen Clarke [sic: George Rogers Clark] ordered all that could bear arms to be ready to go, and everyone capable of rendering service turned out troops and all, and marched fourth after the indians which the army overtook at one of their towns call Pickawa [sic: Piqua in Ohio]. This town was burnt, and about thirty or forty indians killed in the battle he was marched back by Boonsboro and chiefly all of Bomar men were discharged and sent home. in October he went to Col Logans fort where he remained some time the length thereof he cannot now asertain. he returned in December the same year to Harodsburg he was commanded by Major Hugh McGairy who lived at the Spring. there was not indian disturbance this winter. it was exceeding cold and many of the cattle died with cold. in the beginning of the Spring 1781 he was removed to Boonsboro where he remained on duty until June when he guarded some men to the Crab Orchard. from there he came back to Harodsburg and in July or August 1781 he recv’d his discharge for two years. this discharge he sent to Richmond by two men who were buying up discharges from soldiers about 27 years ago and they never returned it to him. in the year 1780 Capt Drake was killed by the indians.
He remained in Kentucky the winter and all next year 1782 and determined to live in the cuntry and little or no damage took place in the corse of the next year 1783 the indians broke out and in May 1783 he volenteered for three months the indians invaded the cuntry during that summer and all the people forted, the attacked most all of the forts. he was in Briants fort [Bryan’s Station] when the indians attacked that place. this was close to Lexington, the indians, however, did not take the fort. and the forts all marched out against the indians, and overtook them the second day after he started at the Blue Licks. he was commanded by Col. Tood [sic: John Todd] a lawyer who lived near Lexington, perhaps at the place [The Battle of Blue Licks occurred on 19 Aug 1782.] he states that he had no Captain particular during this battle, Col Tood was killed he fell in fifteen feet of this applicant sixteen others were killed under Col Tood on the way back to Lexington the remains of what were left were met by Col. Ben Logan in the retreat he (Ward), got a fall which has injured him from this day to this. the troops went back and buried them that were killed he did not go. he was taken back to the fort and discharged. He has no documentary evidence in his favor, but believes he can make proof of his services by some served with him during the revolution. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state– sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid.
James his X mark Ward
Questions
1 Where and in what year were you born?
Ans. He was born in the
2. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it
Ans. I have not. & only know it by my mothers acount[?]
3 Where were you living when called into service, where have lived since the revolutionary war, and where do you now live–
Ans I lived in Mongomery [sic:
How were you called into service were you drafted did you volenteer or were you a substitute, and if a substitute for whom
Ans. the first time he volenteered, for six mo. the second time he enlisted for one year and served not quite nine months. the 3rd time he enlisted for two years. the 4th time he volenteered for three months.
5. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such continental and millitia regiments as you can recollect and the General circumstances of your service
Ans it is hard to remember officers names so long ago. but he knew Gen. Clarke in Ky. Col. Christy Col [William] Preston Col Pickens Col Locke Col Russell Capt. Preston Major King Captain Smith, Col Wilson, Major Johnson, Capt Taylor, Capt Dickson, Col Harlan, Col. Bomar, Capt. Holden, Capt Evans, Capt McClanahan Col Andy Sayers, Lieutenant Robertson Capt Cowan Capt Watson Sergant Ventors
He served a six months tour in 76 against the Cherokees. He served near nine months as an indian spie, he served in one term of enlistment two years in Kentucky before the state was laid off, he was in on several fights during the time afs’d. he was also in the battle of Chilacothy under Bomar. he was in Briant Station when the indians attacked it, he entered as a volenteer and served a three months tour at the battle of the Blue Licks. he was in the service four different times during the revolution
6. Did you ever receive a discharge from the service, and if so by whom was it given and what has become of it
Ans He rec’d four discharges. one he lost. the other he sent to Richmond. the other he left in Virginia and does not know what became of it. the other he knows he was discharged but has no recollection what has become of them–
7. State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of you service as a soldier of the revolution
Ans. The Rev’d. Thomas Kirk, Nathan R Mullett, Aulden Williamson, Levi Blevins, Jurdan Clay, Benj Porter, William Porter, George Orton Jr, James Delong Ruben Crem[?], Adam Crem, James Kirk Ben. Burchett, Joshua Jones.
NOTE: The file includes an application for a pension by Elizabeth Ward, aged 61, in Lawrence County KY, stating that she was the widow of James Ward, who died in that county on 15 July 1848. It also includes her application for bounty land filed in Johnson County KY on 23 April 1856 stating that as Elizabeth Williamson she married him in Floyd County KY.