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Most of the information for James comes from pension
records for his service in the Revolutionary War. The records hold many pages
and include 3 different appeals. James makes an appeal for himself in 1818 and
again in 1821. Later, in 1855, his eldest daughter Judith (Weaver) Clark is
acting as the main applicant, trying to receive her father's pension, which she
claimed her mother had not drawn from. There are several pages from the 1855
claim, many of them to prove that Judith is indeed the daughter of James and
Nancy Weaver, that James and Nancy were married, that Nancy never remarried,
etc. The file includes many names and dates, including the birth and death
dates of James, the death of Nancy, their marriage and the birthdays of all of
their children – in other words, a genealogy gold mine!
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| James Weaver Pension File |
James was born c. 1745 (he was 73 in 1818) and he died on
January 21, 1825 in Lee, Virginia. James and Nancy were married in July 1767 in
Charlotte, Virginia by Parson Johnson of the High Church of England. Nancy
outlived James by 13 years, dying on July 18, 1838. The couple had 9 children,
including my 5xs great grandfather, William Weaver.
James Weaver’s
Revolutionary War Service
James enlisted for 18 months around July 1, 1780 and was
in Captain J Anderson's company. He marched to Petersburg, Virginia and joined
the 2nd Regiment of Virginia under the command of Colonel Hawes. In the spring
of 1781 he marched south and joined with the army under the command of General
Greene. It was here that he fought in the Battle of Guilford, a battle that
took place in North Carolina in March of 1781 and is thought of as a critical
victory as it prevented the British troops from gaining control in the south.
He also participated in later battles in South Carolina, including the Battle
of Eutaw Springs, the second Battle of Camden, and the siege of Ninety-Six. He
was honorably discharged from service at Salsbury, NC on January 17, 1782.
His discharge papers read as follows: "The bearer
hereof James Weaver soldier in the second Virginia detachment and Captain
Anderson's company having served til the last day of December 1781 the time for
which he engaged is hereby discharged from the service and we do certify that
he had behaved as a brave and faithful soldier. Given at Salisbury the 17th of
January 1782."
James’ Pension
Appeal
In 1818 and again in August of 1821, James appears before
the court in regards to his pension, claiming a poor state of living. He says
that he has worked as a farmer, but he was "now so old and infirm as to be
totally unable to labor." He states his wife was also infirm and there are
no other family members living with them to assist them and in view of his
"reduced circumstances in life, he stands in need of assistance of his
Country for his support." As proof of the state of his affairs, James
provided the court with an inventory of his belongings. They included: one cow,
seven small hogs, one flax wheel, four chairs, one pot, one --, one pair of pot
hooks, two “piggins,” one washing tub, one churn, two tin cups, three earthen
plates, two pewter plates, two mugs, one crock, one axe, one hoe, one pewter
dish, two tin pans, two spoons and one tin bucket. The US Pensioners list shows James receiving
$8 per month, starting in 1818 and continuing until his death.
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