Pension Application of James Gilmour (Gilmore): S30432

                        Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris

State of Kentucky – Christian County S.S

            On this 3 day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Justices of the Christian County Court now sitting James Gilmour a resident of said County & State – aged eighty seven years the 17^th January 1832 – 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 7^th 1832  That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated —

That agreeably to his Fathers family register he was born on the 17^th January 1745. in the State of Pensylvania and when quite a Child was removed to now Virginia Augusta County where he resided until he was grown — The first military service he was performed for his Country was before he was of age to be inrolled – he Substituted and served a tour at fort fummert[?] on the head of the Bull pasture River in Augusta County Va. [in present Highland County VA] — March 1764 was Drafted and went to Dickensons fort on the Cow pasture Agusta County Va [present Highland or Bath County] where he served a tour. – The same fall he served a Volunteer Company under the Command of Col McNeill — We marched to Pittsburgh where we joined Col Bogent[?] – crossed the River there & marched down the River 130 miles & held a treaty with the Indians – he continued to reside on the frontier of Virginia until the Spring of 1775 when he came to Kentucky – and planted corn the same Summer at Boonsborough [sic: Boonesborough] on the Kentucky River — In the Spring of 1776 he returned to Holston and met the men going to muster to be Drafted as the Traders had come in and given information that the whole Cherokee nation were comming against them in that settlement on Holston River and that daybreak the same men had a Battle with Indians near the long Island on Holston River [at present Kingsport TN] — the Monday following myself & Isaac Bullin were appointed spies for Bryan fort on Holston River near where the South and Middle forks intersect – under the command of Capt Gray – We entered the service in May to the best of my recollection – the Friday after I entered the service Bullin & myself  heard a party of Indians around farm Houses that they had plundered the same day – and threwout their camp – in the evening gave information at the fort and Capt Gray attacked them the next morning before day and killed six & was on this engagement & continued to spy from the same fort until the fall of the same year when Col Christy [William Christian] commanded a Regiment of men and marched against the Cherokee towns — He chose me as a spy for his army and I continued in the service until he marched to their Towns and held a treaty with them and returned in November to the best of my recollection – that ended my spying services — In the year 1780 removed to Montgomery County Va where I was Drafted some time in the year 1781 under the command of Col [William] Preston to go a tour against Cornwallis [sic: Cornwallace]  We marched to North Carolina where we had a skirmish with the British army on Haw River [at Wetzel’s Mill, 6 March 1781] about eight days before the Battle of Guilford [Guilford Courthouse, 15 March] — Col Prestons Regt. got so dispersed that he could not get them collected in time to join the american army before the Battle of Guilford — I have no recollection of the length of this tour nor do I recollect the names of the Commandants of Companies to which I belonged — Col Preston had eight killed in that engagement — I removed to Kentucky in the fall of 1782 and settled in Lincoln County where I resided until the year 1815 when I removed to Christian County Kentucky where I now & have ever since resided —

            My wages as a spy was five shillings per day and I served in that capacity from some time in May until in November of the same year — I have in my Declaration above omitted stating in its proper place one other tour of service – I performed from the frontier of Va under Col Christy in the capacity of Sergeant  Col [Andrew] Lewis was Commander in Chief and had a Battle with the Indians at the Point between the Kenhaway and the Ohio River [sic: Battle of Point Pleasant at the junction of Kanawha and Ohio rivers, 10 Oct 1774]  I was not in the engagement but was left at the levels of Greenbriar to take care of the Magazines and the Invallid until the Army should return — he never Rec’d any written Discharge — he is certain that his whole service was more than two years as herein stated —

That he is now very infirm and not able to labour — he has herein stated all that he now recollects and returns this declaration as a full answer to all the Interogatories put by the Department —

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever 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 in the United States —

Sworn to and subscribed the day & year aforesaid –             James hisXmark Gilmour