Person:James Mayes (10)

Military Service

American Revolutionary War Veteran

Revolutionary War Pension Information

Information from “Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Data from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Records”, Vol. 3, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :

Maze, James - born 1764 in Albemarle County, Virginia; entered service 1782 as Indian Spy, Greenbrier County, Virginia, where he resided; applied for Pension 1833 in Lewis County, Virginia & Pension Application rejected, service not as Revolutionary War soldier. F-R7066, R1661.

1.   Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.

   Pension Application of James Maze R7066
   Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
   
   State of Virginia }
   Lewis County SS }
   On this 2 day of November AD 1833 Personally appeared Before me the Subscriber a Justice of
   the peace in and for the said County of Lewis and state of Virginia James Maze Sen’r a resident of the County and State aforesaid aged sixty nine 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 of passed June 7th 1832 That he entered the service of the united states in the year 1782 and served under the following named officers as herein stated that about 4 day of April in the year aforesaid declarrant volunteered his service for a tour of 6 months as a private soldier as an Indian Spy in the County of Greenbriar [sic: Greenbrier] and State of Virginia and was placed under the command of Lieutenant Zera Combs who commanded a detachment of Indian Spies twenty in number that belonged to a company of 64 Indian Spies Commanded By Capt Moses Mann Lieutenant Combs detachment of which declarrant was one was marched from Sinking Creek in Greenbriar County Virginia to Lanes Bottom on Gauly [sic: Gauley] River in Virginia declarrant states that in obediance to orders received from his said Lieutenant Zera Combs he was Engaged in Spying and defending the frontiers of western Virginia to wit the waters of gauly river Elk river the great Kanhawa [sic: Kanawha] River Birch River declarrant further states that he spied on all the rivers above stated declarrant further states that the Indians were Constantly making incursions into western virginia and murdering the Inhabitants more particularly during the Summer months declarrant further states that he was marched By Lieutenant Combs from Lanes Bottom on gauly river aforesaid to Buckhannan fort on Buckhannan River [now at the town of Buckhannon in Upshur County WV] and stationed there to guard said fort untill his term of service Expired which was on the 5 day of October in the year 1782 when he was discharged by his said Lieutenant Zera Combs after having served six months a private soldier as Indian Spy declarrant he then returned to his home on Sinking Creek Greenbriar County Virginia where he remained untill the first day of March 1782 at which time in the Greenbriar County Virginia he again volunteered his service for a tour of six months as an Indian Spy as a private soldier and was placed under the Command of Capt Moses Mann Lieutenant Zera Combs Ensign James Van Bibber and was marched by his said oficers from Greenbriar County Virginia aforesaid to the mouth of new river from thence down the Great Kanhawa River to the garrison at the mouth of said river [at Point Pleasant] declarrant states he was stationed at said garrison for about three months and engaged in Guarding said Garrison and Spying the Country ajacent thereto and across the Ohio River as far as the waters of Little Sciota [sic: Scioto] River Shalle[?] River Oh[?] declarrant further states he was then marched By Ensign James Van Bibber to Bellville Station on the Ohio River above the Great Kanhawa [probably at present Belleville WV] declarrant states that he guarded Bellville in Company with others to wit Ensign James Van Bibber and 12 other Spies 2 months or about that time Declarant states that at Bellville news came that 20 or 30 Indian warriors had crossed the Ohio River at or near the mouth of Big Sandy River and it was supposed they were making their way into the settlements of Greenbriar or those of the West fork of the Monongahalia River [now West Fork River, a tributary of Monongahela River] declarrant further states that he was then marched By Ensign James Van Bibber in Company with other spies to the Garrison at the mouth of the Great Kanhawa River where he staid a few days only declarrant further states that Capt Moses Mann ordered Ensign Van Bibber and 34 other Spies of which declarrant states he was one to march in pursuit of said Indians declarrant states that marched from said garrison across the Country to the forks of Big Sandy River and from thence through a wilderness Country to the mouth of New River and from thence to Donlys fort [sic: Fort Donnally at present Frankford WV] in Greenbrier County Virginia declarant state they made no discovery of the Indians declarrant states he remained at Donlys fort aforesaid untill his term of Service Expired which was about the first day of September in the year 1783 he was discharged at Donlys fort aforesaid By his said Ensign James Van Bibber after having served six months as a private soldier as an Indian Spy declarrant he has no documentary of his services he hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and he declares his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State Sworn to and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
   [signed] James Maze
   
   to the several Interrogatories prescribed by the war department declarrant answereth as follows:
   1 I was born in Albemarle County Virginia in the year 1764
   2 I have no record of my age Except that of my fathers Bible which states I was born in the year aforesaid
   3 I was living in Greenbriar County Virginia when called into service I have lived since the revolutionary war in Greenbriar and Kanhawa Counties Virginia and I now reside in Lewis County Virginia
   4 All my services were those of a volunteer indian spy as Private Soldier and I served as such
   5 I did not know any regular officers that I can recollect their names I knew Capt Moses Mann I do not recollect the number of any regiments whatever I was an Indian Spy and marched as stated in my declaration as well as I recollect
   6 If I ever received a discharge and I am confident I did from officers under whom I served I have Lost or mislaid the same
   7 I am known to Archibald C Dewese and Benaiah Depue who can testify as to my age my Character and their belief of my having been a soldier of the revolution
   Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid
   [signed] James Maze
   
   [The following report is by District Attorney Washington G. Singleton who investigated many pensioners and applicants from Lewis and other counties of present West Virginia. For details, see the pension application of David W. Sleeth (pension application S6111). On the cover of this report Singleton wrote, “Jackson Cty – Hails from Lewis County — Not Entitled.”]
   
   James Maze Applicant
   I the undersigned James Maze in pursuance of the requisition of the Secretary of War, give the following statement of my age & Indian Service to wit. I cant exactly tell my age. I had a record of it but it was burnt with my house many years since but I don’t think I am sixty years old. I am some where between fifty & sixty. I was rased in the county of Greenbriar – in my 18 year of age as well I can now recollect I was spying in Kenhawa County & Randolph County. was in this [illegible word] service not more than 8 or 9 months. Wm L Mitchell wrote my Declaration to whom I gave the same statement I now give. I swore to the Declaration written for them before Squire Maze of Lewis County fifteen miles from my residence. I then [three illegible words] in Jackson County and was able at the time and have been ever since to go to the County Seat of Jackson. – I agreed to give Mitchell one years pay. In witness of all which I hereto subscribe my name.
   December 26 1834
   Witness J. M. Sted.
   [Signed] James [his X mark] Maze
   A Copy W. G. Singleton Jany 1, 1835
   
   https://revwarapps.org/r7066.pdf

2.   RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project.

   From "Pioneers in Roane Co, WV, On Early Settlement of Reedy Valley & Pioneers of Spring Creek &the West Fork" by John A. House @1906 as quoted in the 1820 Kanawha Co, VA annotated Census, pg30:
   
   pg16: James Maze resided in Greenbrier Co, VA with his brother Benniah. Both moved to what is now Calhoun Co. James settled on the Little Kanawha River in 1814 and later moved to Spring Creek, below Spencer in 1830 and erected a sawmill, first in Spring Creek District, Wirt Co. He married Charity Stout in Greenbrier Co.
   ......
   1820 Kanawha Co, VA census: 3 males 16-18; 1 female 26-45; and 0 slaves.
   
   https://sites.rootsweb.com/~maudenna/f2565.htm