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James Davenport
STATE OF KENTUCKY: COUNTY OF FAYETTE. On this 13th day of August 1832, personally appeared the above soldier, aged 90 (sic), who states that he was born in Louisa County Virginia and is now age 80 (sic); that he had a record of his age in an old pocket book, which he lost not long since while living on Eagle Creek; that he resided in Spottsylvania Co, Va, at one time when he was called into the service and not nearly all of his tours he went from that county, also once from Hanover County, that since the revolution he has resided in Kentucky where he now lives in Fayette County.
He states he entered the service from Spottsylvania County as a volunteer Minute Man in 1775, and marched to Rappahannock, seven miles below Fredericksburg. Col William Washington, he thinks was there. He served two months then. He served a tour of 3 months under Capt Crain at Williamsburg and afterwards, a six months tour, commanded by col. Mathews, during which time, he was in a skirmish with the British Guard. Major Armstead beat us for 100 volunteers for that purpose and he was one - we had two men killed and one wounded and he believes the British lost seven or eight killed. This was as he thinks in 1776. In 1777 and 1778 he served eight months, part of the time under Col. Dandridge in Capt. Anderson's company from Hanover. They were called the relief men and were relieved every forty days. He served two tours at a time and all together, 3 or 4 tours. He served also at Norfolk and Portsmouth, under Captain Dazel, of Hanover during that time. In the year in which Gates was defeated at Camden. S.C. he marched from Spottsylvania in Captain Thomas Minor's company who resigned at Hillsboro, N.C. and returned home. Captain John Holloway took command. The company was in Col George Stubblefield's regiment and crossed James River at Richmond and marched to the south and was in Gate's defeat in which his Captain Holloday was killed. He returned home he thinks in about October of that year.
In 1781, he served a tour of 3 months at Williamsburg and after returning home, he thinks, about June he joined General Lafayette's army under Captain Minor. And marched under his command until finally it arrived before York where he remained in service until the surrender of the British Army which was on the 17th October 1781. He served in all about two years and eleven months. In all his services he was either a volunteer or draft and never received a discharge nor has he any documents to prove his service, nor does he know of any living witnesses who are within reach, except the testimony of John and James Graves or Groves? annexed hereto. For his character and etc. he refers to William Fisher, Henry James, and Martin Sidnor his neighbors. He knew General Washington, LaFayette, Col Dark Ball, Gaskins, Innis, General Gates and etc.
Affidavit of John Graves, who personally appeared in Fayette County, who says he was a resident of Spotsylvania Co, Va, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, that James Davenport, who is now applying for a pension from the government, said Davenport and this deponent served together in the same company after that tour of duty which they served out together, this deponent left the county and was not again a citizen of that county. the affidavit was made Aug-8-1832.
Affidavit of James Graves also knew Davenport in Virginia and states that he knew he served under Captain Craig, from Spottsylvania in 1776 for he saw him at his, the deponent's father's preparing to march in company with John Graves, deponent's brother. This affidavit dated 1832, August 8th.
Source: Records of Revolutionary War Pensions of Soldiers who Settled in Fayette County Kentucky Annie Walker Burns, compiler, Washington DC, 1936 Copy held by the Kentucky Room, Lexington Public Library Call number: R976.947 B4128r KY1936 |