Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 16751, James Davis, Va. Served In 1774
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SERVICE NUMBER
Va. Davis, James S. 16751
Served in 1774
carded
CONTENTS
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Missouri (19.817
James Davis
of Randolph Co in the State of Missouri
who was a Sergeant in the Comp commanded by Captain - of the Regt. commanded by Col. Campbell in the Virginia line for Full Term
Inscribed on the Roll of Missouri
at the rate of 120 Dollars - Cents per annum, to commence on the 4th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 18 day of Sep. 1833- and sent to S. Moore
Huntsville
Arrears to the 4th of Sep '33 $300
Semi-anl. allowance ending 4 Nov '34 60
$360
Revolutionary Claim, Act June 7, 1832.
Recorded by Go. C. Stiles Clerk,
Book E. Vol. 8. Page 80
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James Davis Senr
Randolph County
Missouri
Return 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16
5
15.15 Serg.
Adm 2 years Serg.-
Saml Moore
Huntsville
Missouri
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20.949
BRIEF in the case of James Davis Senr.
County of Randolph in the State of Missouri
(Act 7th June, 1832.)
1. Was the declaration made before a Court or a Judge? Circuit Court
2. If before a Judge, does it appear that the applicant is disabled by bodily infirmity?
3. How old is he? 79 years
4. State his service, as directed in the form annexed.
Period. 
1st June in 1774
1st April 1775
1 Octr. 1776 till the fall of 1780
1780 till spring of 1781
Duration of Service. Years, Months, Days.
not stated
do
do
do
Rank. As a
Spy
Sergt
Spy or Sergt
O. sergt
Names of General and Field Officers under whom he served.
Colo A. Campbell Rg, Major Js. Montgomery
Colo A. Campbell Reg
Colo Christian
Campbell & Services Campaign
Virginia line volunteer
Va
Va
VA
5. In what battles was he engaged? "Middle forks" - Holstein River
6. Where did he reside when he entered the service? Abbingdon - Virga
7. Is his statement supported by living witnesses, by documentary proof, by traditionary evidence, by incidental evidence, or by the rolls? only the traditionary evidence of two Witnesses - Certified aby the Court to be credible persons
8. Are the papers defective as to form or authentication? and if so, in what respect?
2 not attached according to the regulations & the Clerk's Private Seal attached
I Certify that the foregoing statement and the answers agree with the evidence in the case above mentioned.
E. Stephens
Examining Clerk.
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[page 1]

State of Missouri
County of Randolph sct.

On this 30th day of October in the year of our Lord 1832, personally appeared before the circuit Court of the county of Randolph & state of Missouri now sitting James Davis Senr, a resident of Prairie Township in the County of Randolph & state of Missouri, aged seventy ni?? 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 7, 1832 -

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers - Ensign John Davis, Lieutenant, Wm Willoby [William Willoughby], Captain Robert Craig - Major James Montgomery - Colonel Arthur Campbell

The said James Davis Senr entered the service under the said officers, a Spy commissioned by the Governor of Virginia [John Murray, Lord Dunmore] in the service of the United States in the first part of June in the year of 1774 and 
left in the last part of November in the year aforesaid receiving [illegible] 4 months pay for his services- 

He resided in  the Town of Abingdon Washington County = State of Virginia & that he was a volunteer in the Service aforesaid - that he was in no battle in that period - that he marched thro [through] Washington County only in the state aforesaid- 

That he entered the service again in the year of 1775 first days of Aprile  [April]
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[page 4]

discharge at the Town of Abingdon in the state of Virginia aforesaid - And that he has no documentary evidence of his service & that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service - that he has lost his dischare [discharge]

that he had lived in the state of Virginia where he was born till the year of 1827 when he removed to the State of Missouri & shortly after to the county of Randolph afd [aforesaid] 

he was living when he entered the service in the state of Virginia - he received his discharge from the service given by Capt. [Robert] Craig aforesaid That he served thirteen months as a spy & all the other time as a Sergeant.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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
James Davis Senior

Sworn to &  subscribed the day & year aforesaid in open court before me Robert Wilson Clerk of said Court residing in the County of Randolph & state of Missouri and mr William Fort & Hancock Jackson residing in the county & state foresaid [aforesaid] hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Davis Senr [Senior] who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be 79 years of age- that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion
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[page 3] 
Indians sued for peace.

from the fall of 1776 till the fall of 1780 under the same field officers, he was engaged in guarding the frontiers of Russell & Lee counties [both in Virginia] either with the command of Sergeant or as a spy the whole time-

in the year 1780 he was in [William] Campbell & [John] Seviers Campaign, 
acted as orderly sergeant- during the said Campaign - crossed Litt. [Little] Tennessee river opposite an Indian village called Toker [Toqua] on said river - the Indians fled- their towns were all burned up  except their town called Chota where they held their council - took 35 prisoners of the Indians, men women & boys- 

then a detachment of [illegible] men were sent about 40 miles to a river called Hiwassee [in Tennessee] with two Indian Towns on it 12 miles apart- one of which was called Chesterway-
The Indians fled in there canoes & otherwise on the approach of the army

That he never left the service of the U States [United States] from 1775 till the Spring of 1781- was all his time during his service from his first entering it till he left it either as Spy or held the office of Sergeant- That he was a volunteer during the whole time he served in the Continental (militia) army of the line of Virginia- and received his
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[page 2]

in said year with the command of Sergeant - in a company commanded by Captain Isaac Shelby of which company James Shelby was lietenant [lieutenant] - regiment perhaps of the number of thirty- commanded by Colonel Arthur Campbell under whom James Montgomery held the commission of a Major - 

which said regiment belonged to the brigade of Gen. Evan Shelby of the Virginia line of Continentals. That he resided in or near the Town of Abingdon in the County & state [Virginia] aforesaid - that he knew Col. Wm [William] Campbell a regular officer in the U. States [United States] service with himself at the period afd [aforesaid] -

That he marched against the tories in Washington County Tennessee then a part of N. Carolina [North Carolina] - he marched thro [through] Sullivan County in the State of Tennessee afd [aforesaid] in going to said Sullivan County (Washington Co.)- in no battle - the tories surrendered & were sent home on parole - this last occurrence was in the spring of 1776-

was confined to the protection of the frontiers of Washington County till the middle of July in said year [1776] when he was in the battle of the middle fork Holstein [Holston] river [Battle of Island Flats, also known as of Battle of Long Island of the Holston, near now today Kingsport, Tennessee, July 20 1776] in which he killed to his own knowledge one Indian-

then about the first of October 1776 he went into the Cherokee Campaign in then N. Carolina, but now Tennessee, in wich [which] said Campaign he was under Col. [William] Christian- the detachment he was with destroyed the towns of the Cherokees which were situated on little Tennessee river and the
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discharge at the town of [illegible] in the State of Virginia aforesaid - And that he has no documentary evidence of his service & that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service - that he has lost his discharge - that he has lived in the state of Virginia where he was born till the year 1827 when he removed to the state of Missouri & shortly after to the County of Randolph afd. - he was living when he entered the service in the State of Virginia - he received his discharge from the service given by Capt. Craig aforesaid - That he served thirteen months as a spy & all the other times as a sergeant.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not not on the pension roll of the agency of any state
James Davis senior
Sworn to & subscribed, the day & year aforesaid in open Court before me Robert Wilson Clerk of said Court
residing in the County of Randolph & state of Missouri and we William Fort & Hanover Jackson residing in the county & state aforesaid hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Davis senr. who has subscribed & sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be 79 years of age - that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion
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State of Missouri
County of Randolph sct
On this 30th day of October in the year of Our Lord 1832, personally appeared before the Circuit Court of the County of Randolph & state of Missouri now sitting James Davis senr, a resident of Prarie Township in the County of Randolph & state of Missouri, aged seventy 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 7, 1832-
That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers - Ensign John Davis Lieutenant Wm Willaby - Captain Robert Craige - Major James Montgomery - Colonel Arthur Campbell - The said James Davis senr entered the service under the said officers, a spy commissioned by the governor of Virginia in the service of the United States, in the first hour of the month of June in the year of 1774 and left in the last hour of November in the year aforesaid receiving 24 months pay for his services - He resided in the Town of Abingdon Washington County State of Virginia - that he was a volunteer in the service aforesaid - that he was in no battle in this period - that he marched thro' Washington County only in the State aforesaid - That he entered the service again in the year of 1775, first day of April
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(1st page of the Amendment)

In addition to his original declaration to which this is attached, the applicant for a pension under the act of the 7th June 1832, James Davis senr [senior] further states deposeth & says that on his first tour of duty as stated in said declaration he was an Indian Spy the whole tour & served five months in said tour before he left the actual service & in the field the whole tour -

And on his second tour as therein  mentioned he further deposeth and saith that he held & exercised the rank & office of sergeant for the whole of said 2nd tour, which was of fifteen & a half months in Length that he was in the field the whole of said tour 

and his third tour of duty as therein mentioned he the said [illegible] further deposeth & saith that he held the rank & office of a sergeant in said service for the whole of said third tour
during the whole of the time said - but at times was chosen by the [illegible] he was with for one of their spies and that on this third tour he served in the field for the full period & term of four years

And on his third tour he the said Jas Davis [James Davis] served further deposeth & said to the he served for the full term & saith that he served for the full term & period of four months & for all which said time he bore the rank & office of a Sergeant 

The said Jas. Davis senr [James Davis Senior] further deposeth & saith that the reason he has not produced the affidavit of aa clergyman as to his age credibility - and his being reputed to have been a soldier of the revolution & is in part that as the original directions did not make it indispensable, he thought the certificate of a representative to be
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State legislative & of the sheriff of the County supplicant whose certificates he had to his original declaration - and as a further reason why he did not obtain the certificate of a clergyman he deposeth & saith that he is a new comer to the County & as there was no Clergyman in his immediate neighborhood of any denomination & as there was none in the County of his own sect (Old side Presbyterian) he had not an opportunity to become very well acquainted with one - and as a further reason because all the clergymen who were at court when the certificate was produced had gone home or out of the vicinity before there was an opportunity to produce them to the court - as in his original declaration he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present & declares that his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any state - (signed) James Davis senr
Sworn & subscribed the day &
year aforesaid. Rbert Wilson clk
We James Ratliff a Clergyman residing in the County of Randolph Mo. and Wm. Walker residing in the same hereby certify that we are well acquainted with James Davis senr the declarant who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration - that we believe him to be now 80 years of age (79 when he made his original declaration) that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution & that we concur in that opinion
(Signed) James Ratliff
W,, W, Walker
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dier of the revolution and that we concur in that opinion Wm Fort
Hancock Jackson
Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid before me the clerk of the County Court of Randolph County Robert Wilson clk 
and the said Court does hereby declare his opinion after the investigation of the matter and after putting the interrogatories 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 the said William Fort who signed the preceding Certificate is a resident of Randolph County state afd. & that the said Hancock Jackson who has also signed the same is a resident of the County of Randolph & state of Missouri, and are both credible persons & that their statement is entitled to credit
John F. Ryland. Circuit
Judge of Randolph County
I Robt. Wilson Clerk of the Circuit Court of Randolph County afd. do hereby Certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of James Davis senr for a pension-
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand & private seal there being no seal of office now 
this 5th day of Octr 1832-
Robert Wilkson Clk
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Rev. & 1812
Wars Section
MCS/eel
June 25, 1929
Honorable Harry B. Hawes
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.
My dear Senator:
In response to your letter of June 22, 1929, I have the honor to advise you that from the papers in the Revolutionary War pension claim, S. 16751, it appears that James Davis was born in Virginia, date not given.
While a resident of Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia, he enlisted and served with the Virginia Troops as follows:
From early in June, 1774, until late in November, 1774, as an Indian Spy under Captain Robert Craig and Colonel Arthur Campbell; from early in April, 1775, fifteen and one-half months as sergeant under Captain Isaac Shelby and Colonel Arthur Campbell and was in a battle on the Middle Fork of the Holston see atlas for this, Holston not HalstenRiver; from about October 1, 1776, until the spring of 1781, as a sergeant under Colonel Christian, and aided in destroying the Cherokee and other Indian towns.
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He was allowed pension on his application executed October 30, 1832, at which time he was seventy-nine years of age and was a resident of Prairie Township, Randolph County, Missouri, and at that time he was referred to as James Davis, Senior.
He stated that he moved to Missouri in 1827, and to Randolph County, soon afterward.
It was not stated whether he was ever married. 
In order to obtain the date of last payment of pension, the name and address of person paid and possibly the date of death of the Revolutionary War pensioner, James Davis (S.16751), you should address the Comptroller General, General Accounting Office, Records Division, Washington, D.C., citing the following data:
James Davis, Certificate No. 19317, issued September 18, 1833, rate $120 per annum, commenced March 4, 1831, Act of June 7, 1832, Missouri Agency.
The place of burial of said soldier is not given in the pension claim.
Very truly yours,
EARL D. CHURCH
Commissioner.
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State of Missouri
County of Randolph sct.
On this 20th day of May 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Hon. Jno Viley, Jno. Dysart & A. Shoemaker composing the County Court of the County of Randolph now sitting James Davis senr. resident of Prairie Township in the County of Randolph & state of Missouri afd. aged 80 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-
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Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid-
Robert Wilson clk
And the said Court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter & after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the war Department that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier & served as he states - And the court further certifies that it appears to them that James Ratliff who has signed the preceding Certificate is a clergyman & resident in Randolph Co. Mo. afd. And that Wm. Walker M.D. who has also signed the same is a resident in the County of Randolph aforesaid and is a creditable person & that their statement is entitled to credit (signed) John Dysart J.R.C.C.
May 20th 1833 Archd. Shoemaker J.R.C.C.
Jno Wiley JRCC
I Robt. Wilson Clerk of the County Court of Randolph County do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said Court in the matter of the application of James Davis senr. for a pension - And that all the papers hereunto attached - whether original or additional are first sent on then be evidence of the proceedings of the Courts (Circuit and County, of both which I am Clerk) - In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my and and affixed the seal of said Court at office this 22nd day of May eighteen hundred and thirty three
Robert Wilson Clerk
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[left hand page]

16751
INVALID.
File No. 16751
James Davis
Serg [Sergeant] Rev War
Act: June 7th 32 [1832]
Index :- Vol. 1, Page 428

[Arrangement of 1870.]

[right hand page]

1929, June 25 hist to Hon. Harry B. Hawes
Letter in case Bennet Tilley 
S. 17151
W.C.S.