Pension Application of James Howard: S31139
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Kentucky}
County of Perry} SS
On this 27th day of december 1833. personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace for said county James Howard a resident of Kentucky in the County of Floyd and State of Kentucky aged eighty one 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. That in the month of June 1777 he enlisted for six months in Montgomery County Virginia, under Captain McClanahan at Fort Chiselhill [sic: Fort Chiswell in present Wythe County VA] Lieutenant Edwards to go against the Cheroke Indians, he was, however amediately placed under the command of Capt Buchanan, Joseph Drake Leut. Col. Bomar, Major Bomar, Ensign Drake (the Capt. and Leut were Brothers – Gen Christy [sic: William Christian] commanded. We marched to Abingdon and from there to the Long Islands of Holstein [sic: Holston River at present Kingsport TN], from there to the Cherokee cuntry crossing “French broad” at the mouth of a creek called Dumplin. Gen Clark from the south was endeavoring to form a Junction with the army from Virginia. the Indians here sent the army a flag for peace which was not accepted. the army then destroyed an Indian Town called Ternolily, and another, called Big Island Town and then the army marched back, a part went to Eatons fort and some went to a fort on Clinch river know as Blackamores fort at which place this applicant remained until after the treaty was made with the Cherokees at the Islands [Treaty of Long Island, 20 July 1777] and in January 1778. he rec’d a discharge and left the service –
In the month of June in 1778. he enlisted for three [word illegible] to go against the Indians in Kentucky and on the Wabash river Col John Montgomery, Capt. Jesse Evans. Lut Crockett, the army rendesvuzed at the Long Islands and there we all took boats and decended the river to Tennessee river, from there to the mouth of Ohio river up it to the Mississippi river, up it to the Illinois up this river to an old town settled by the French on the Kaskascia [sic: Kaskaskia] river about three miles up the same. After arving at this point the whole army was commanded by Gen George R Clarke. after remaining there some time we all marched to Vincennes on the Wabash river. after remaining here for some time, this applicant was marched back to the Illinois river and remained there till April 1779 he was then with army transported in the same way he came to the mouth of Ohio on the Mississippi river, (above 4 miles below) he remained here at a little fort [probably Fort Jefferson] at the Yellow banks for some time but in August he ascended the river a part of the way and part he marched to the falls of Ohio where Gen Clark had gone with the most of the army, the army had got back from the Illinois, where the Indians had surrendered or yielded to the american forces. he then was marched to the Kentucky to Bonsboro [sic: Boonesborough], and there helpt to guard the fort. this year 1780 the inhabitants were much anoyed by the indians and this year I again was marched back to the falls directly after the french came from Cannidy and the Indians had took Martins and Riddles station, in it was in this summer that General Clarke marched against the Indians over the Ohio on the Miamis at Peccays plains, and here we had a battle with them, not far from where the Indians had compelled the Kaskaskians to retreat the year before 1779. [See note below.] After this engage the Shawneeses did not venture out much. he then returned with the army to the falls from there after staying there that winter 1780. in April 1781 two companies marched to the mouth of Licking river and built a block house, after this, he having served out his time 1781. in June he rec’d his discharge; for three years service, he was promised land which he never got – during his service he suffered much both from hunger and cold. he came by the way of Harodsburg [sic: Harrodsburg KY] and came home to Va they army had several skirmishes during his service, but not to be denominated battles – he has no documentary evidence of his service but believes he can establish his services by one of his brothers who served the last three years with him and in the company and enlisted at the same time and one, Enoch Martin, John Porter and Jas Patrick. He know no continental Regts or Officers, that he now remembers. he however knew Gen Christy Col Russell (of Va) he saw Col. [Daniel] Boone directly after he got away from the Indians [at Detroit, Feb-Sep 1778. Col Todd and Col Trigg. Col Harod. Let Holden, and many that this applicant could mention. 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 –
1st
Where and in what year were you born?
Ans. I was born in Georgia in the year 1752 in the section of cuntry where Wilkes County now stands, as he was informed by his father. I was born in the month of September the 13th day thereof–
2d
Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
An I have none and only know my name by tradition, and the age of the rest of the children and what my mother told me–
3rd
Where were you living when called into service; where have you lived since the Revolutionary war, and where do you now live?
Ans. In Montgomery County Virginia, Then lived there about thirty years. since the Revolution, I lived about seven years on Cumberland River in Knox County Kentucky and then moved to Floyd County until 1821 when Perry County was constituted, and the place where I now live (Perry County, Kentucky) was cut off in it–
4.
How were you called into service were you drafted, did you volunteer or were you a substitute, and if a substitute for whom
Ans I was enlisted or drafted as it was termed, two times one for six months, the second time for 3 years to go to Kentucky which then belonged to our State Virginia
5
State the names of the of some of the Regular Officers who were with the troops where yo served such Continental and Millitia Regiments as you can recollect, and the general circumstances of your service?
Ans. I cannot state who were regular officers precisely. many were called Col Maijers &c who never had a commission in their lives. Col. Crockett was a Regular officer in Ranks and so was Bomar, and Gen Clarke, in the Va State troops but not belonging to the continentall line as he knows of. he saw Col. Logun, Col Boone, Col Trig, Capt Hardin, and Capt Ashton men at Harodsburg and a Gen Cannaday, Col Mongomery was a millitia Col in the Va service, and as to Continental Regiments he has no recolection of the names or whether in fact any served with the troops. time had defaced many things from my recolection, and having lost in a great degree my hearing and being very old and infirm, and fact is that the intercourse between a soldier and Officers was with that no great information were to be derived from them. it frequently was the case that the soldiers were altogether unacquainted one day what was to be done the next– The general circumstances of my services during the Revolution was these, I first enlisted against the Cherokees for six months and went and served out my time under Buchanan and Drake, marched to the Cherokee cuntry to French broad, and destroyed Ternilily and Big Island Town in the Cherokee nation down the Tennessee. he rec’d his discharge. after coming back to blackamores fort, and was discharged – After this I enlisted for three years and marched under Col Mongomery and Captain Evins to go to the Western country. we rendesvuzed at the Islands of Holstein, and descended that river to Tennessee river. from there to the Mississippi [word illegible] it to Illinois and to Kaskascia from there to Vincennes next year he was sent down to the mouth of Ohio and remained there for a few months and went up to head quarters at the Falls of Ohio. from this place after staying there for some time, he went to Bonsboro and there returned. he was in the battle at Peccaway with Indians, then marched back to the Falls and then some time afterwards went up to Licking and built a blockhouse, and rec’d his discharge, and returned to Virginia just before Cornwallius surrenderd at York [sic: Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on 19 Oct 1781] during the year 1780 many murders were commited by the Indians in Kentucky by the Shawnees and delawares–
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 I rec’d two. one from Buchanan for six months. I have no recollection of what I done with this. I rec’d a discharge from Col Bomar under whose command I was in Kentucky I never could read and therefore am not certain who wrote it. I sent this discharge to Col Sayers of Virginia by Hugh McGarick[?] to get my land for me in 1791. I never saw it since. I never got my land.
7
State the names of persons to whom you are known in your neighborhood who can testify as to your character for veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution
Ans. to Alexander Patrick, to Andrew Willson Jr and Maijer John A Duff, Henry Duff
NOTES:
The events described by Howard after “the french came from Cannidy” are as follows: In 1780 an army of mostly Indians and possibly some French Canadians under British Col. Alexander McKee came from Detroit and attacked the Kentucky settlements. In the same year Col. William Byrd, a Loyalist from Virginia, led a force of Wyandotte and Shawnee Indians that captured Martin’s and Ruddle’s Stations. In response Gen. George Rogers Clark raised an army in Kentucky and destroyed many Indian towns, including Piqua on the Great Miami River in Ohio on 8 Aug 1780.
Compare the application of James Howard’s brother, Thomas (S45796).