James Lee's Military Service

State of North Carolina, New Hanover County: :Superior Court of Law Fall Term 1832

On this the 31st day of October A.D. 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Honorable Robert Strange one of the Judges of the Superior Courts of Law & Equity in and for the State aforesaid now sitting and presiding in the Superior Court of Law for the County of New Hanover James Lee a resident of said County of New Hanover and State of North Carolina aged about seventy-two 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.

1st That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated. Under the command of Captain John Devane, Thomas Devane Lieutenant, Archibald Sellars Ensign in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Lillington [John Alexander Lillington], that he does not recollect or cannot pretend to say with certainty what month he entered the service, but it was not very long before the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge [February 27, 1776]^[1] and this applicant supposes it was the last of the year 1775, that he does not remember what time or what month he left this service, but he thinks he engaged for six months and served out his service, that he was a minute man and he supposes a volunteer, that he was in the battle at Moore's Creek Bridge, where he enemy were defeated and Colonel McLeod [Donald McLeod] and a Captain Campbell [John Campbell] were killed, that he rendezvoused at Black River Chapel and marched from thence to Wilmington, from thence to Rockfish Creek about seven miles below Fayetteville then called Cross Creek, from thence back as far as Elizabeth Town [Elizabethtown] in Bladen County, that there he embarked on board a boat and went down Cape Fear to the mouth of Black River, thence up Black River to the mouth of Bear Branch and of Bear Branch a short distance where he landed and marched to Long Creek bridge from thence to Moore's Creek bridge where he was employed in making entrenchments, and after the battle at Moore's Creek bridge he was furloughed a few days and went home, that he again rendezvoused in Wilmington and marched over into Brunswick County and encamped at Orton's Mills from thence to Lockwood's folly and from thence to Wilmington, from Wilmington and he took excursions occasionally down along the River, where the enemy had ships of war at that time, that he served with some Continental troops at Rockfish Creek in Cumberland County under General Moore that the same troops were afterwards in Wilmington, this applicant thinks he was discharged in Wilmington, but whether he received a written discharge or not he cannot remember, and if he did, he has lost it.

2nd This applicant entered another term of service in Duplin County having been sent thither to go to school that he was drafted for one month and served it out that he cannot recollect the time of entering this month's service neither can he recollect his officers, that he was in no battle, but he marched from Duplin to Jumping Run, about two miles from Wilmington where he encamped and remained till the month for which he was drafted was expired and was then discharged.

3rd That he entered another term of service under Captain Benjamin Jarrell in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Oree [Peter Horry] and Major Mayum [Hezekiah Maham], that he cannot recollect his other officers, neither can he recollect the time of entering and leaving this term of service, that when he entered this tour of service, he resided in South Carolina on Little Pedee [River], that he was drafted for one month and served it out, that he was in no battle during this month's tour, that he embodied at or near Captain Jarrell's residence & marched to Seawee Bay, encamped there where he remained till his term was out and was discharged.

4th That he entered another term of service under Captain James Foy – Murry Lieutenant, that he cannot remember who commanded the Regiment to which his company belonged but John Treadwell was Major, that he entered this tour he thinks in June 1780 and left the service in December 1780 as well as applicant can ascertain, that when he entered this term of service he resided in New Hanover County on South River, that he was drafted he thinks for six months, that he was in the battle [Battle of Fishing Creek, August 18, 1780]^[2] in which General Sumpter [sic, Thomas Sumter] was defeated which was this applicant believes two days after Gates' defeat [Battle of Camden, August 15-16, 1780],^[3] that he rendezvoused on Cape Fear River near Fayetteville then called Cross Creek, passed over Cape Fear some distance above Cross Creek and marched on and joined in with General Gates' Army in their march to South Carolina, that he marched on with Gates' Army near to Camden, that the day before the battle in which General Gates was defeated he was detached to join General Sumter's corps but he was placed under other officers and marched up the River, halted to get provisions and was there surprised and defeated by the enemy, from thence he marched to Salisbury and from thence to Hillsborough where he received a furlough and came home, that he then returned to South Carolina and joined a Regiment or brigade at Cheraw Hills under General Harrington, that he was by order of General Harrington [presumably Henry William Harrington] put under the command of Captain James Devane^[4] and from thence went in a detachment under Captain Devane to guard some Tories to New Bern as far as the Cross Roads in Duplin County at which place he was discharged having served out his tour of six months.

5th That he entered another tour of service under Captain John Devane, Jr.,^[5] Peter Portivent Lieutenant, John Bluford Ensign in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Bludworth [also spelled Thomas Bloodworth] in August 1781 and left this term of service after the British evacuated Wilmington this applicant thinks in December 1781, that he resided in New Hanover County when he entered the term of service, that he was a volunteer, but did not engage to serve for any particular length of time, but served this applicant believes as much as five months, that he was in no battle, that his marches were for the most part confined within the limits of New Hanover County, that his business was to keep the enemy who at that time had possession of Wilmington from injuring the inhabitants.

6th Before he performed the last mentioned service he entered a term under Captain James Devane, John Bludworth Lieutenant, in the first of the spring of 1781 that he served under Captain James Devane about a fortnight at Half Way Bluff on Long Creek, that from thence, he was detached under the command of Captain Moore to carry some pieces of artillery to Kingston [sic, Kinston] on Neuse [River], that at Kingston he was discharged and on his return from thence he met some of Cornwallis's Army which took some of our men prisoners, but soon released them, he thinks this service amounted to more than a month but is content to claim for that period.

7th He entered another term of service as a Continental soldier, Enlisted in the Army of the United States in the year 1782 having been hired by several men who were required by law to furnish a soldier or stand a draft, that he served in the __ Regiment of the North Carolina line under the following named officers: General Greene, Colonel Archibald Lytle, Major Blount [Redding or Reading Blount], Captain Raiford [Robert Raiford], __ Campaine^[6] 1st Lieutenant, __ Fenner [probably Richard Fenner] 2nd Lieutenant that he left the service in July 1783, that he engaged for 18 months, and continued in service about 11 months, that he was in no battle; that he rendezvoused in Wilmington and marched from thence to Ashley River in South Carolina where he joined General Greene's Army, that he remained there till the British left Charleston, that he thereupon marched into Charleston, from thence to James Island where he took up winter quarters, from thence to Hadley's Point [sic, Haddrell's Point] or Fort Moultrie near Charleston, that he was there furloughed to Wilmington and was there discharged in July 1783. He served with the 1st Regiment of the North Carolina line under General Moore, and with General Greene's Army near Charleston, also with Continental troops under General Gates & Sumter, the regular officers he knew were General Moore, General Greene, General Gates, General Sumter, Colonel Lytle, Major Blount, Captain Clement Hall, Captain Joseph Rhodes, Captain Barcoats,^[7] Curtis Ivey, Lieutenant or Ensign, Captain Hardy Holmes, Captain William Lytle, Lieutenants Campaine & Fenner whom he now recollects, that he has no documentary evidence but that he can prove a good part of his services by Captain James Devane.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever 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.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

The aforesaid applicant served a while under Captain Thomas Devane in Wilmington before he performed the month's service for which he was drafted in Duplin, but cannot pretend to say what was the length of the service but does not think it exceeded one month, that he had almost entirely forgotten this service till reminded of one circumstance that transpired in the time by Captain James Devane.

S/ James Lee

State of North Carolina, New Hanover County: Superior Court of Law Fall Term 1832

On this the 31st day of October A.D. 1832 personally appeared before the Honorable Robert Strange one of the Judges of the Superior Courts of Law & Equity for the State aforesaid now sitting and presiding in the Superior Court of Law for the County of New Hanover aforesaid James Devane, a resident of the said County of New Hanover, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath depose and say that he is well acquainted with James Lee the aforesaid applicant, that he knew the said applicant before the Revolutionary war and served with him in a six months tour of duty as a minute man under Captain John Devane Sr., Thomas Devane Lieutenant, Archibald Sellars, Ensign in a Regiment under the command of Colonel Lillington, in the last of 1775 and first of 1776; that this deponent and the aforesaid applicant were at the battle at Moore's Creek bridge that their marches were from their place of rendezvous at Black River Chapel to Wilmington from thence to Rockfish Creek in Cumberland County, from thence to Elizabeth Town in Bladen County from thence down Cape Fear and up Black River by water to Bear Branch where they disembarked and marched to Long Creek, thence to Moore's Creek bridge, thence to Colvin's Creek and back to Moore's Creek bridge, whereupon the battle took place. After the battle he was furloughed a few days & rendezvoused again in Wilmington and marched thence to Orton's Mills in Brunswick County where this deponent left the service and entered into service in the public gun works.

This deponent further maketh oath & says that he knew that the said applicant served a short time under this applicant, that he was also in service under Captain John Devane Jr., while the British had possession of Wilmington, and that the said applicant came to General Harrington's Army encamped on Pedee [River] opposite Cheraw Hills and the said James Lee was by order of General Harrington put under the command of this deponent, and this deponent procured a discharge for the said applicant from General Harrington for a six months tour of service, which the said applicant made appear to General Harrington he had served under other officers, and this deponent believes that the said applicant performed the other services stated in his declaration.

Sworn & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

S/ James Devane

Answers to questions by the Court to James Lee the aforesaid applicant 1. I was born as near as I can ascertain in 1760 in New Hanover County on Black River 2. I have no record of my age. 3. I lived when I entered my respective terms of service as stated in my declaration. 4. Sometimes drafted & sometimes volunteered as I have stated. 5. -- __ 6. -- __ 7. Enoch Herring, Robert Murphy, Bailey Sutton, George Fennell, George Bannerman, John Kerr & others I could name. [Owen Fennell and Thomas Devane gave the standard supporting affidavit.

1. ↑ https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_moores_creek.html
2. ↑ https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_fishing_creek.html
3. ↑ https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution revolution_battle_of_camden.html
4. ↑ http://revwarapps.org/s8317.pdf
5. ↑ http://revwarapps.org/w3961.pdf
6. ↑ Probably James Campen. Babits and Howard, “Fortitude and Forbearance”: The North Carolina Continental Line in the Revolutionary War: 1775-1783
7. ↑ Sic, probably a reference to Captain Peter Bacot.