James W Williams II (1763 - 1851)

Born 3 May 1763 in Sullivan, Stafford, Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 2 May 1851 at age 87 in Washington, Hempstead, Arkansas, United States

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Biography

James Williams was a private during the Revolutionary War. ^[1] He was living in Sullivan County, Virginia when he volunteered and fought in the company commanded by Captain Turney of the regiment commanded by Colonel Severe in 1778. ^[2] He lived in Sullivan County until 1802 when he moved to Cumberland County, Kentucky where he was living in 1832 when he applied for and began receiving his military pension. ^[2] He transferred his pension to Arkansas on 8 August 1838 when he moved there to live near "most" of his children. ^[2] His pension records mention children, John W. Williams and Keziah Perdue (wife of Daniel) as the only surviving children on 23 July 1855 when the arrears from James' pension were finally paid. ^[2]

James' great-grandson, James W. Ellis, remembered his great-grandfather in this letter to the editor of the Nashville (Arkansas) News, published in 1911: ^[3]

Saratoga, (Arkansas), June 9.—I notice what purports to be a list of Revolutionary soldiers who fought for and gained our independence in the eight years of war, beginning in 1775 and ending with the conclusion of peace between the United States and Great Britain in 1783, published in your last issue. This article gives the name of "James Williams, aged 78, who lived with his son, J. W. Williams." Now, I was present at the military funeral of my great-grandfather, James Williams, in 1851, when he was buried in the old cemetery at Washington, Ark. He was born in South Carolina in 1764 and was in his 89th year at his death. He was the grandfather of Judge Brice Williams, late of Washington, Ark., and the grandfather of my father, Lawson Ellis, who died in Texas in 1901, aged 94 years. The dear old soldier served nine campaigns in the Revolutionary war and the Indian Wars, and when the war of 1812, with England, began he and two of his sons volunteered and were in the battle of Lundy's Lane and the Thames where Tecumsa (sic) was killed. He died at his son's home, Capt. John W. Williams. For two years or more before his demise he made his home at my father's and was at his son's on a visit when his last illness came on.

In my boyhood I have sat up many a time until midnight listening to him tell of the fearful times the lonely settlers of East Tennessee and East Kentucky had with the hostile Indians and the Tories.

"Grandaddy Williams," as his numerous offspring affectionately called him, was a remarkable man. He could ride horseback and go to town when past four score years up to within a short time of his death.

I write this to correct the error in regard to my great-grandfather, James Williams, for whom I was named by my father, who loved his grandfather as if he were his own parent. I know where his grave is in the old graveyard under the hill at Washington, Ark. The last time I was there the brick wall around the grave had crumbled down and the marble slab was broken. The military company at Washington, a portion of whom had served in the Mexican War, were the guard of honor and fired the farewell shot over the grave of the old hero of the Revolutionary war. Yours truly, James W. Ellis

The 1850 Census shows James Williams living with his son, John W. Williams, a farmer in Red Land Township, Hempstead County, Arkansas. James was 87 years old, born in South Carolina. He was living with his son in 1840, as well.

The original gravestone for James in the Pioneer Cemetery in Washington, Arkansas, is probably gone. The current gravestone, which was placed in 1931, reads "James Williams, Chiles' Co., Sevier's Regt., Rev. War." ^{[4] [5]}

Birth

James Williams was born in Sullivan County, Virginia in 1763. ^[2]

Death

James Williams died 2 May 1851. ^[2]

James Williams was buried in the old cemetery in Washington, Hempstead County, Arkansas. ^{[6] [2] [7]}

Marriage

In 1783 James Williams was married to Keziah Wilson in Tennessee. They were both born in 1763. ^[8]

Military

Entered service: Sullivan County, Virginia.

1778 3 mo. private Colonel William Campbell and John Luny as a volunteer from Cumberland County, Kentucky. Was well acquainted with Colonel William Campbell and Colonel Cleaveland.

1778 3 mo. private Colonel Sevier, Captain Henry Turney

1779 3 mo. private Colonel, Captain Chile

1779 3 mo. private Col Severe???, Cap Chill

1779 3 mo. private same officers Turney

1779 3 mo. private same officers

1780 3 months private same officers

1780 4 months appointed ranger same officers

1813 he served with the "glorious" Shelly in Canada

Sources

1. ↑ Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M246, 138 rolls); War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, Record Group 93; National Archives, Washington. D.C. (Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010). Name: James Williams; Pension Year: 1833; Application State: Arkansas; Applicant Designation: Survivor's Pension Application File; Archive Publication Number: M804: Archive Roll Number: 2589; Total Pages in Packet: 68.
3. ↑ "Hon. Jas. W. Ellis Furnishes Sketch of Revolutionary Soldier," The Nashville News (Nashville, Arkansas) , 14 June 1911, page 2. Newspapers.com
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #5839101
5. ↑ U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963. Ancestry.com
6. ↑ Patricia Law Hatcher. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Vol. 1-4. Dallas, Texas: Pioneer Heritage Press, 1987. (Patricia Law Hatcher. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999). Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots; Volume: 4; Serial: 6924; Volume: 14.
7. ↑ Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941. Microfilm publication M1916, 134 rolls. ARC ID: 596118. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92. National Archives at Washington, D.C. (Ancestry.com. U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012).
8. ↑ This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived from an array of materials including pedigree charts, family history articles, querie. (Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004). Source number: 241.050; Source type: Family group sheet (from "Gleanings"), listed as parents; Number of Pages: 1.

• Ron V. Jackson, Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Arkansas Census, 1819-1870. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes. (Ancestry.com. Arkansas, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1819-1870 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999). Name: James Williams; State: AR; County: Hempstead County; Township: Age 78 No Township Listed; Year: 1840; Page: 191; Database: AR 1840 Pensioners List.
• Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury, 1818-1872. NARA microform publication T718. 23 rolls. Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, 1775-1978, Record Group 217. National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007). The National Archives; Washington, D.C.; Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury; Record Group Title: Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury; Record Group Number: 217; Series Number: T718; Roll Number: 7.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #5839101 Retrieved 5 August 2017.