JAMES McELROY

From Record of Pension Papers Granted to Revolutionary War Soldier Who Settled in Allen County in the State of Kentucky

Compiled by Annie Walker Burns Bell © 1935 pg25
contributed by Sharon Tabor

Allen County, 23 August 1832. In open court, JAMES McELROY aged 73, deposes that in 1776 about Sept. 1, he volunteered to fight against Indians under Captain JOHN GOWAN.

He then lived in Spartanburg Co., S.C. This service about 15 months. Then he was drafted under Lt. EDWARD HAMPTON and was at the Attack of Savannah. On many other occasions he was called on to fight the Tories and the British. Thinks he served about four years from 1 Sept. 1776.

BENJ. BAILEY, clergyman and WALTER THOMAS are neighborhood witnesses.

Covering Jacket: Kentucky ------- 22,223. James McElroy, Allen County, Private in Company of Captain Gowan regiment of Col. Thomas in S.C. line for 2 years. Inscribed on Ky. Roll at $80 per year to begin 4 March 1831. Certificate of pension issued 18 Oct. 1833.

Revolutionary War Pension Application of James McElroy  

State of Kentucky
   County of Allen
On this 23rd day of August 1832 personally appeared in open court before Asher H. Graham Judge of the Circuit Court of Allen County in the state of Kentucky now sitting James McElroy a resident of Allen County and the State of Kentucky, aged seventy three 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 in the year seventeen hundred and seventy six about the first of September he enlisted to fight against the Cherokee Indians under Captain John Gowan and served about a month or six weeks ... That he then resided in Spartanburg County, South Carolina,  That he volunteered under Captain Gowan, the Indians broke out on the 4th of July 1776 and were committing depredations on the borders of said state and on the Georgia line. The name of the colonel of our regiment was Jno Thomas and the general was by the name of Williamson. During our service under said officers and on said expedition we had a battle at Seneca in which there several Indians killed and but one of the Whites as the applicant now thinks and his name was Salidore, and they also had a battle with the Indians at Keewee Town or fort Keewee.  There were several Indians killed here also and many scalps taken and some whites were killed but he can not recollect.  After the battle of Keewee we returned to our homes or rather to Fort Gowan where this applicant remained about fifteen months under Captain Gowan who staid at said Fort with men to guard and protect the line the country and occasionally reconnoitering the country.  There were several skirmishes during this period.  The applicant further states that about the lapse of fifteen months he was drafter under Lieutenant Edward Hampton the Lieutenant to Captain Gowan to go to Savannah.  When General Lincoln came from the Northwest and was about to besiege it, he went accordingly to Savannah and staid about six weeks.  The British were in possession of Savannah and had it well fortified.  The Americans under commanded by General Lincoln and the French under command of Count Pulaski made an attack on Savannah and continued storming the fort six weeks and were finally unsuccessful.  The French having left the Americans General Lincoln concluded to relinquish the project and dismissed the militia and march off his regulars. Had they remained three days longer they would have succeeded as the British were nearly starved and were entirely without provisions. From Savannah after we were dismissed we went home.  The applicant further notes that he was on many occasions to fight against the Tories and the British many of which he cannot now recollect but the country was in a very unsafe and unsettled condition for a long time but the one occasion he recollects that himself and one or two others voluntarily joined General Green in an attack on a Fort the British called 96 which was very strongly garrisoned.  General Green was here successful and got possession of the fort. From the accounts we received from prisoners there must have been many of the British killed.  They finally deserted said fort in the middle of the night and General Green took possession of the fort.  The applicant he must have been engaged in the service of his country about four years, from the 1st of September 1776.  The applicant has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service and has lost his discharge; that he was born the 21st day of September 1759 near Cape Fear in North Carolina