D:\FREEPA~1\CIVIL-~2\JAMES-~2.HTM

 

Robert Ellis, Sr.
A
Revolutionary War Hero
©By Kinfolk's Family Files
min-man-soldier-l.gif (9005 bytes)   dont-tread-onme-snak.gif (2098 bytes)   min-man-soldier-r.gif (9040 bytes)

 civil-dixie-bar.gif (4401 bytes)

"the body of Robert Ellis, is removed from his original grave"

Revolutionary War pension Claim # S32244
ROBERT ELLIS, Sr.

Following are the words of our first known Ellis ancestor as he begins his long fight to gain his pension for having served in the Revolutionary War.

On this 10th day of November 1838, personally appeared before me, Jesse Triplett a justice of the peace for the County of Morgan aforesaid Robert Ellis a resident citizen of the County of Morgan, State of Tennessee aged (78) seventy-eight years being born in the state of Virginia in Buckingham County in the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty, as he believes from information, having no record of his age but from calculation, he is certain it must have been in 1759 or 1760 but is most inclined to think it was in 1760, and being duly sworn for that purpose on this oath makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed the 7th of June 1832.

He states that he volunteered and entered the service of the United States in Abbevill District in South Carolina under William Conaway with John Prater, William Prater, James Mucklewell, Thomas Lacy, Andrew Miller as privates and went after the Cherokee Indians, and marched to many places on the frontiers crossing Little River and going zigzag through the Nation. Started sometime in the fall of 1780, the days nor month not recollected, during said tour never stayed long at one place. Maybe a night or two at the home of John Fox, a faithful soldier from character, and was at many white peoples residence who had left their homes through fear of the Indians and was finally marched to a little creek called Generosity, and had there a skirmish with the Indians and there was seven white man that was hurt, he was connived home to his residence being unable to serve for two or three months; after the, applicant, served about one month at lease this tour, not being able to say certain how long but agreeable to his best recollection he served at lease one month having been wounded in the heel and went home.

He again volunteered for a second time as a private soldier under Captain Joseph Pickens and Colonel McCall and entered service as well, as now recollected about the first of January 1781, and joined General Pickens and was marched to the Cowpens and was in the Battle at Cowpens and marched off from said place under General Pickens and went to a camp ground in North Carolina Stationed there about one week and thence crossing the Saluda and Broaiver at different places and thence to Reids Mill about eight miles from home, had a written discharge from Captain Joseph Pickens for two month's service.

He again volunteered for a third time, out of Captain John Willson's Company and entered service a short time before the Siege of Ninety Six and served under Captain Joseph Pickens including during the siege, he said Captain Pickens was shot and killed in the siege, after the siege he had a written discharge from General Pickens, having served this tour one month (one of two lines missing) . . . . . . able to his best recollection, and he returned home.

He volunteered for a fourth time and entered the services in a short time thereafter under Captain Little he believes his first name was Moses, though he is not certain, and went on to the Battle of Eutaw Springs under General Green and Pickens and Colonel Malbdee, was marched off from the battle under Captain Frost went with some of the wounded to Fridays Ferry on the Congoree, having served nine weeks this tour, had a written discharge from Captain Little.

He again volunteered for a fifth time a short time after his discharge and was at the instance of Captain Wilson placed as guard over Colonel Reids Mill in Abbeville District and served with James C. Wright, John Discon, William Discon, James Hawthorne, John Prater, Nathaniel Bailey and guarded said Mill nine weeks and received a written discharge from Captain John Wilson for the same.

He again volunteered for a sixth time serving under Captain Robert Maxwell in the fall of 1781 to serve three months under Colonel Anderson and was marched on to Kettle Creek and Little Brasstown under General Pickens and was in several skirmishes. Joe Chapman was wounded and several Indians killed, was in on general engagements. Fired at the Indians when running on different occasions, discharged by said Captain Maxwell a written discharge never recorded having served two months.

He again volunteered for a seventh and last time to range the frontiers for 12 months, entered the service about the first day of March or there about, and in the spring of 1782 under Captain John Norwood, Hugh Reid, Lieutenant and sergeant Hunt, privates, John Miller, Harbison, James Thompson, Thomas Lacy, John Lindsay, James Hathhorn, Andrew Weeb, Isaac Thacker, Martin Miller, Andrew Watt, Samuel McMustre, Thomas Watt, John Carson, William Perry, John Fox Senior, and his son John Fox, William Pratt, Samuel Lindsey, James Lindsey, Ephraim Lindsey and Nathaniel Bailey. Stationed at John Miller's all the time except when ranging, would march all through the frontiers on Little River the head of Longcane, Big Hog Skin, Diamond Hill and the Golden Grove, and would be gone many days and return to the station and go again the same routes or much so during the whole year, killed none of the Indians. Killed two Tories to wit: John Mc Masterson, Thomas Niel, Andrew Neil, John McCarreys life we spared he being young and after serving out 12 months, had a written discharge from said Captain John Norwood early in the spring of 1783.

The applicant continued to live in Abbeville District South Carolina a little upwards of one year after the last period of his service aforesaid and moved to the state of Georgia Elbert County lived at different places in Georgia about thirteen years, thence to Knox County Tennessee staid there about six years, thence to Campbell County Tennessee, staid there thirty years, thence to Morgan County Tennessee, staid there five years, thence to Greene County Indiana, was done by Lawyer Livingston. Returned for amendment his lawyer neglected. The same applicant wrote to John W. Davis in Congress about the matter, he does not know the true situation of his case at this time, being only informed by a careless lawyer. He states he has no record nor documentary evidence of his service and knows no person by whom he can prove his service except James Blevins of Greene County Indiana by whom he could prove part of his said service if he could get the matter attended to. He believes he can prove by many of his intimate acquaintances in his neighborhood both in Campbell County and in Morgan County in Tennessee with whom he has been acquainted with between thirty and forty years that he has always been reputed and called a Revolutionary Soldier by his intimate acquaintances.  Generally he will name some of them. Mrs. Ester Sexton with whom he has been acquainted about fifty-one years or some over, and Timothy Sexton and John Reid, Ezekiel Newport, Esquire Aaron Whitecotton, Thomas Chambers, Esquire Allen McDainel, Esquire John Chesney and he really believes his acquaintance, generally both in Morgan and Campbell Counties Tennessee. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pensioner or annuity except the present and declares his name is not the Pension Roll of the Agency of any State. He States his discharge was burned when his house was burned. He further states that owing to the great length of time since his said service he cannot state with further certainty that herein stated, as to the precise time of beginning, and quitting each tour of duty, nor can he state with positive certainty the length of some of said tours but the served the full length of the time set forth in the foregoing, at least.
Sign in ink)
Robert Ellis
sworn & subscribed this 10th
day of November 1838 before me
Jesse Triplett
J.P.

We Ester Sexton and Timothy Sexton residing in the County of Morgan State of Tennessee certify that we have been acquainted with Robert Ellis the foregoing named applicant for a pension for fifty years or more. That he was reputed believed and understood to be a Revolutionary Soldier in the State of Georgia and Campbell and Morgan .... (line ends.)

Robert Ellis was 78 years old when the above affidavit was taken in 1838, he lived on and received a pension. He died on Christmas day of 1849 at the age of almost 90 years old. He was for the times a very old man, few if any lived to be his age and had his record of service in the revolutionary war with England in 1776. Old King George would of liked it he had not been there. It was men such as Robert Ellis that won the war for the young country of America. 

On July 4, 1928 the Federal Government, the of the United States had the body of Robert Ellis, removed from his original grave in the nearby Moss Cemetery and Robert was reburied in the Samaria Church Yard Cemetery, in the town of Linton, Green County Indiana.  He was a Master Mason, in 1928 the Federal Government erected a monument in his honor at his resting place in the Samaria Cemetery, several hundred members of the Ellis Clan were in attendance for this impressive ceremony. This monument was dedicated on July 4, 1928 with a impressive ceremony and a reunion of the Ellis clan.

©Story Research By: Brenda C. Ellis JONES
 
     Back to Kinfolk's®