Capt. James Dillard

James Dillard, son of John and Sophia Dillard, was born in Culpeper County, South Carolina.
He married 1) Mary Ramage; 7 children.
2) Mary Puckett, widow Murrell; 7 children.

He reached the rank of major in the American Revolutionary War, but is most often referred to as “Captain,” to reduce confusion with another Major Dillard.

DILLARD, JAMES Ancestor #: A036017
Notice: PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED WITH AT LEAST ONE PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED PAPER - SEE ANCESTOR’S FULL RECORD (WHY?)
Service: SOUTH CAROLINA Rank(s): CAPTAIN
Birth: 12-4-1755 CULPEPER CO VIRGINIA
Death: 12-4-1836 LAURENS DIST SOUTH CAROLINA
Pension Number: *S6797
Service Source: *S6797
Service Description: 1) ALSO PVT, SGTMAJ, LT; CAPTS PERINHOFF, BROWN,
2) GREEN, MCCRARY; COLS THOMPSON

COMMENTS (Overview)

• Created: 2011-03-21 14:12:26.573, Updated: 2022-08-22 16:09:14.0, By: 1503727 1) EL - JOHN WAS NOT THE CHILD OF JAMES & MARY RAMAGE DILLARD. HE WAS THE SON OF
• Created: 2011-03-21 14:13:03.82, Updated: 2022-08-22 16:09:40.0, By: 1503727 2) JAMES'S BROTHER SAMUEL & GRANDSON OF GEORGE DILLARD A036008.
• Created: 2020-01-09 15:28:12.113, Updated: 2022-08-22 16:12:39.0, By: 1503727 3) FAMPCL - FUTURE APPLICANTS MUST PROVE THAT MARY RAMAGE WAS THE MOTHER OF
• Created: 2020-01-09 15:28:12.113, Updated: 2022-08-22 16:12:46.0, By: 1503727 4) SAMUEL BORN 1794. SEE DATACF. 1/2020

RESIDENCE
1) District: NINETY SIX DIST - State: SOUTH CAROLINA

SPOUSE
Number Name
1) MARY RAMAGE
2) MARY PUCKETT

Child [Spouse #] Spouse

1. JAMES H [1] MARGARET PARK
2. NARCISSA [1] THOMAS DUCKETT
3. ELIZABETH [1] NATHAN HARRIS
4. PRISCILLA RAMAGE [1] JOSEPH GARRETT
5. EL JOHN [1] ELIZABETH PEARSON (SEE COMMENT)
6. SARAH EMILY [1] WILLIAM DOWNS BYRD [2] WILLIAM DOWNS BYRD
7. JANE JENNIE [1] JAMES BURK
8. SAMUEL [1] LYDIA DUCKETT

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Pension Number: *S6797

• From http://www.scssar.org/PDF/Patriot_Grave_Stones_How_To_2.pdf

Maj. James Dillard 1755 – 1836, in addition to accepting the guardianship of SUPER SPY Kerr, he also served as the Brigade Major between Maj. Gen. Andrew Pickens’ Division and The local Brigade under Brig. Gen. James Williams. He bravely led troops at the battles of Fort Moultrie (Sullivans Island), the Florida Expedition, the Cherokee Expedition, Musgrove’s Mill, King;’s Mountain, Hammond’s Store, Fort Williams, Blackstock’s Plantation, Cowpens, the Siege of the Star Fort at NinetySix, and the Battle of the Edisto. He was twice sabred from his horse.

From the Find A Grave bio by J. Dillard:

James Dillard, son of John and Sophia Dillard, born in Culpeper County, South Carolina. He reached the rank of Major but is most often referred to as Captain to reduce confusion with another Major Dillard.

James Dillard was in the American Revolutionary War from first to last, even after the Peace of Paris in 1783; and his first wife, Mary Ramage, a Revolutionary War heroine, made an all-night ride to warn her husband's company that the British and Tories planned a surprise dawn attack. James Dillard was one of the South Carolina militia who marched into Charles Town (later Charleston) at dawn in June 1776 and then defended the half-completed palmetto log fort on Sullivan's Island (later Fort Moultrie) with such deadly result that the English fleet of twenty ships sailed away to repair itself, taking with it the last English governor of South Carolina. This was one of the bloodiest sea battles of all time. It took place six days before the Declaration of Independence was signed, 4 July 1776. He also fought in the Battle of King's Mountain on 7 October 1780, said to be the turning point in the war, as well as other battles and skirmishes. (James Dillard's pension application; DAR Magazine LXX:9, pp 933-934; Fort Sullivan Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Battle of Fort Sullivan: Events Leading to First Decisive Victory.)

Descendants

• Legal: Pension Application of Captain James Dilard, 11 Jul 1833, Laurens District, South Carolina, USA. 975 Nine surviving Children named:
Samuel Dillard deceased in 1854 Charles H. Dillard James H. Dillard in 1856, a physician of Laurens District, South Carolina May Garrett Priscilla Garrett deceased in 1854/1864 Jane Burke deceased in 1854/1864 Nancy E. Boyce Narcissa Duckett Sarah E. Byrd

James H. and Samuel Dillard, Executors of Capt. James Dillard's Will

From the “Pension application of James Dillard S6797” < document attached >

[fn p. 9] State of South Carolina District of Laurens

It is hereby certified that satisfactory evidence has been exhibited before me WD Watts Judge of the Court of Ordinary which court is a Court of record that Captain James Dillard was a Revolutionary Pensioner of the United States at the rate of $160 per annum and that he has died on the 4th day of October 1836 leaving surviving the following children to wit: Samuel Dillard; Charles H. Dillard, James H. Dillard, May Garrett, Priscilla Garrett, Jane Burke, Nancy E. Boyce, Narcissa Duckett & Sarah E. Byrd and that Jane Burke, Priscilla Garritt, & Samuel Dillard have since died. He also left a widow who died sometime in the year 1840 the only surviving children of the aforesaid Captain James Dillard and over 21 years of age.

That Captain James Dillard left a well and that James H. Dillard & Samuel Dillard was named as his Executors & both qualified to execute the Trust.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal of office the 13th day of December 1854 at Laurens Court house in open Court.
S/ W. D. Watts, Judge

The picture of these lusty farmers rushing away from home to join the army for one battle typifies the American spirit. --John Hyde Preston, "A Short History of the American Revolution"

James Dillard, however, was in the War from first to last, even after the Peace of Paris in 1783; and his first wife, Mary Ramage, a Revolutionary War heroine, made an all-night ride to warn her husband's company that the British and Tories planned a surprise dawn attack. James Dillard was one of the South Carolina militia who marched into Charles Town (later Charleston) at dawn in June 1776 and then defended the half-completed palmetto log fort on Sullivan's Island (later Fort Moultrie) with such deadly result that the English fleet of twenty ships sailed away to repair itself, taking with it the last English governor of South Carolina. This was one of the bloodiest sea battles of all time. It took place six days before the Declaration of Independence was signed, 4 July 1776. He also fought in the Battle of King's Mountain on 7 October 1780, said to be the turning point in the war, as well as other battles and skirmishes. (James Dillard's pension application; DAR Magazine LXX:9, pp 933-934; Fort Sullivan Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Battle of Fort Sullivan: Events Leading to First Decisive Victory.)

James Dillard was born in Culpeper County in 1755 or 1756 and died 4 December 1836. He was said to have gone to Ninety-Six District, later Laurens County, in up-state South Carolina when he was 17. In 1773 he witnessed a will in Loundoun County, created in 1757 from Fairfax County, before he left Virginia. From 1775 until 1785 he fought in many of the battles of the Revolutionary War, this last post-Revolutionary War battle against the Cherokees in northeastern Georgia. In South Carolina he married (1) Mary Ramage and (2) Mary Puckett and had seven children by each wife. In 1833 he was awarded a Revolutionary War pension.

He reached the rank of Major, however, he is most often referred to as "Captain" Dillard because of another James Dillard born in the area and whose first name was Major. Captain James Dillard helps to reduce some of the confusion.

References

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jun 10 2022, 21:51:20 UTC
• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Dec 24 2022, 8:38:54 UTC
• http://www.sarrettsofgeorgia.com/dillardhistory.html
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/o/w/Lisa-Bowes-1/WEBSI...
• Find A Grave Memorial# 9721470
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stevestevens/all/5184.htm

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• Military service: 1775 -  Private in the defense of Charleston.
• Military service: Revolutionary War - enlisted under Capt Perinhoff - Sep 1775 South Carolina, USA
• Military service: Feb 3 1777 -  2nd Lieutenant 10th Virginia, Continental Army
• Military service: Revolutionary War - promoted to Corporal - Apr 20 1777 South Carolina, USA
• Military service: Jan 2 1778 -  1st Lieutenant Continental Army
• Military service: May 30 1778 -  Resigned the Continental Army
• Military service: Revolutionary War - Sergeant Major under Capt Josiah Greer and Col - Sep 1778 Florida, USA
• Military service: Revolutionary War - Captain - Aug 1 1780 South Carolina, USA
• Military service: Oct 1780 -  Captain Virginia Militia at King's Mountain
• Military service: 1781 -  Major in South Carolina Militia
• Military service: Revolutionary War - Major, Discharged - 1783 South Carolina, USA
• Updated from MyHeritage Match via daughter Mary Polly Dillard by SmartCopy: Sep 12 2014, 4:09:14 UTC

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• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 28 2020, 2:39:11 UTC
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9721470/james-dillard
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dillard-267 shows wrong parents