THOMAS JAMES
Submitted By: Bela James
Name:
Thomas JAMES1,2
Sex:
Male
Individual
Facts
Birth
1757
England?3
Military
bet 1776-1778 (age 19)
Revolutionary War4
Military
bet 1792-1794 (age 35)
Northwest Campaign of Wayne's Indian Wars
1,5,6
Will
15 Dec 1831 (age 74)
Henry Co., KY7
Death
17 Apr 1836 (age 79)
KY8,9,10
Marriages/Children
1.
Sarah CLARK
Marriage
5 Feb 1795 (age 38)
Mercer Co. KY11,12,13,14
Children
John JAMES (19 Dec 1795 - 3 Mar 1875)
Thomas James (abt 1797 - )
William James (abt
1798 - )
David James ( - )
Joseph James (abt 1805 - abt 1878)
Charles James ( - )
Jonathan James ( - )
Daniel James ( - Apr 1824)
Sarah James ( - )
Mary James ( - )
Notes (Individual)
Death:
The date of his death is not well documented. His will was probated
in
June 1836, but in affidavits in 1850 Sarah (his wife) said
he died on 17 April 1836 and in 1857 she said 20 April 1837.
General:
Thomas James, in his later years, resided in the Six-Mile Creek area, East
of
Bethlehem, KY. Thomas James was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and the
North
West Indian Wars of 1792-1794. Not much is known, at this time, about his
Revolutionary War service, but there are several documents that chronicle
his
service in the Indian wars. These documents exist as affidavits that were
collected in the attempt to have his pension reinstated and to qualify
Sarah
(his wife) to receive a pension after his death. The pension was
reinstated.
Thomas served as a private
in Whitaker's Battalion of the Kentucky Militia (or Kentucky Volunteers)
during
several Indian War campaigns in the Ohio Valley under General Anthony
Wayne in
the 1790's (also known as Wayne's Wars). Thomas served under Captain
Adair, who
later became Governor of Kentucky (William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark
Expedition, also fought in these campaigns). In a skirmish on 6 Nov 1792
the
Indians scalped Thomas;. There is some information that he served through
1794:
However , in 1795, Timothy Pickering , Secretary of War, said
he was discharged with a one third disability on 25 July 1793,
and
he received a pension of one and two-thirds dollars per month.
On 7 November 1827 he was declared two-thirds disable and his
pension was
increased to five and one-third dollars per month, and on 3 Nov 1829
increased
to $8 per month. He died on
or
about 17 April 1836 from an inflammation of his scalp wound.
Below is part of an
affidavit by Rich Taylor, 10 September 1821
"I served with him in the northwestern campaign in 1792.
Was present in the action of the 6th of November in that year at Fort St.
Clair,
where I was myself severely wounded, and where he was knocked down with a
war
club in personal conflict with the Indians & scalped. I do not
hesitate to
say that on that occasion he acted bravely - that he was a good soldier -
and is
a respectable man. Such is the general belief of those who know him, and I
can
not but be grateful to find him thus spoken of by Gen. Ray and Governor
Adair,
the both of whom was his commander and whose observing mind could not have
been
deceived. He also served with me in Gen. Scott's campaign in 1792 and
under Gen.
Wayne in 1794 and on all occasions found him in the line of duty and at
the
front of danger."
In a newspaper article in
THE SHELBY NEWS, Shelbyville, Ky of 7 May 1903, G.W. Demaree wrote the
following
about "Some Early History of Six-Mile Creek" :
"Among the first
settlers on Six-Mile Creek were three soldiers of the Revolution, Dan
Pierson,
Tom Sell, and John James (This and the following should be Thomas
James
not John James).......... John James, the third old soldier,
located on
lower Six-Mile in a very early period in the history of the early
settlers. He
was known as "old" John James - pronounced "Jeems" in
those
days - because he had a son named John, who was advancing in age. Old John
James
was more widely known than either Pierson or Bell, on account of the
misfortune
he had met at the hands of the red skins, having been scalped by them. I
remember when a small boy the old soldier was at my father's house, and he
removed the cap he wore under his broad brimmed hat, and exhibited his
marked
scalp. It presented the appearance of a dried raw hide, It used to be said
that
few people survived many years after being scalped, but John James lived
to be
an exceedingly old man and was the father of a large family. Giving him
due
credit, for the times and disadvantages he labored under, he was a
successful
man."
Notes (Family #1)
Marriage:
Marriage license dated 5 February 1795. Sarah , in an affidavit for
Revolutionary War pension gave wedding date as 14 Feb 1795. The consent
for
marriage was given by Charles Clark
Sources
1.
Statement of Rick Taylor made in Frankfort
10 Sept 1821 certifying that he had served with Thomas James In the
Indian Wars and was present when Thomas was scalped on 6 Nov 1792. Copy on
file
with Bela James.
2.
G.W. Demaree. Some Early History of Six-Mile Creek. The Shelby News, Shelbyville, KY. May 7, 1903.
3.
Jerretta Followell.
Letter
and descendant chart. 235 Les
Lee
Dr.
Paducah, KY 42001.
4.
National Archives,.
Pension
Application File - Thomas James.
Old
War Series, File # 21061.
5.
Clark, Murtie June.
Lists
significant military events (Attack on Col John Adair's pack Train, 6 Nov
1992 is
listed) and roster on the pay roll.
Page
81-83 lists Pvt. Thomas James.
Genealogical
Publishing Co., Inc. Page
81-83.Thomas James on Payroll in 1974.
6.
Perrin, W.H., Battle, J.M., and Kniffin, G.C..
Description of the 6 November 1792 Indian attack on Capt. John
Adair and
his 100 mounted Kentuckians. Thomas James was scalped in the attack.
F.A. (Field Artillery) Battery and Co. , 1888, Eight Edition.
Describes 6 Nov 1792 Indian Attack.
7.
Thomas James' Will dated 15 Dec 1831 and an affidavit dated 1836 by
the
will's witnesses stating that Thomas James was dead and the will had been
witnessed by them. The will names his wife Sarah and the following
children:
John, Thomas, William, David, Joseph, Charles, Jonathan, Daniel, Sarah,
&
Mary. Copy on file with Bela James.
Henry
Co Ky Will Book 6, Page 149.
8.
Ibid. Will probated
in
June 1836.
9.
Sarah gave her sworn statement in order to obtain Revolutionary War
widow
benefits passed by Congress in July 1848. Sarah stated she and Thomas were
married in Feb 1794, the first of her fourteen children was born on 19 Dec
1795,
and Thomas died 17 April 1836. (Marriage license is dated 1795 not 1794).
Copy
on file with Bela James.
10.
Sarah (age 79) made a sworn statement to obtain benefits passed by
Congress on 3 Feb 1853. John Smith (a Justice of the Peace) swore that
Sarah
James swore before him that (1) Thomas was a private under the company Commander Capt
John Adair in the Wayne's Wars of 1792-94, (2)
that she was married to Thomas on or about 14 Feb 1795 by Scott, a
preacher, (3) Thomas died on 20 April 1837 of a wound received in the war
(scalped by Indians or savages) , (4) he
was pensioned at 250 cents per month, (5) he died of inflammation of the
scalp.
(Because Thomas' will was probated in 1836, the above date of death
probably
should be 1836 not 1837). Copy of document ion file with Bela James.
11.
Thomas James/ Sarah Clark Marriage Bond, 5 Feb 1795. Copy on File
with
Bela James.
12.
Mercer Co. KY; Marriage Bonds 1786-1797.
Thomas James/ Sarah Clark Marriage License, 5 Feb 1995.
License
dated 5 Feb 1795.
13.
Sarah (age 79) made a sworn statement to obtain benefits passed by
Congress on 3 Feb 1853. John Smith (a Justice of the Peace) swore that
Sarah
James swore before him that (1) Thomas was a private under the company Commander Capt
John Adair in the Wayne's Wars of 1792-94, (2)
that she was married to Thomas on or about 14 Feb 1795 by Scott, a
preacher, (3) Thomas died on 20 April 1837 of a wound received in the war
(scalped by Indians or savages) , (4) he
was pensioned at 250 cents per month, (5) he died of inflammation of the
scalp.
(Because Thomas' will was probated in 1836, the above date of death
probably
should be 1836 not 1837). Copy of document ion file with Bela James.
Sarah states 14 Feb 1795.
14.
Book 1 page 34 gives Marriage of Thomas James to Sarah Clark and witnessed
by Charles Clark.
5 February 1795.
I also have three documents that provide some information on his service records
Order book 8 Henry County KY
Pension Bureau, Washington DC
Ky pension Roll Sec of War, 1835, page 9----
Private---
Kentucky Volunteers, May 19, 1795
Commissioner of Pension from Pennsylvania, July 25, 1795
National Archives
File No 21061
Sol. Served in Rev.War