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Facts and Events
James Shields was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
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- 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. 5, compiled by Patrick G. Wardell, Lt. Col. U.S. Army Ret. :
Shields, James - entered service 1777 in Virginia regiment; died 12/2/1801; married 3/10/1786 to Rachel Anderson, Augusta County, Virginia; widow granted Pension there in 1845 at age 82, per County Justice of the Peace John Newton; William McCutcheon made affidavit there then that he was a waggoner in Revolutionary War service & saw soldier in Virginia regiment in Revolutionary War in New Jersey 1778 per Court Clerk Jefferson Kinney. F-W6027, R2175.
Will of James Shields
- Page 195.--16th November, 1801. James Shields' will--To wife, Rachel; to eldest daughter. Ally Shields; to youngest daughters, Margaret Shields; to son, James. Executors, wife Rachel and Samuel Torbit. Teste: Joseph Coalter, Wm. Shields. Proved, 22d February, 1802. Executors qualify.
Records of James Shields in Augusta County, VA
From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records: (appears to be this James Shields?)
- Vol. 1 - SINGLE PAPER. - Returns of an election held by John Boyd and James Mitchel, Lieutenants, show that James Shields beat Ensign Wilson by two votes--15th December 1783. Thomas and Robert Tate, Windel Grove, and George Shoultz write under date of December 12, 1783, that they belong to the Company formerly Captain Tate's, and being abroad and so unable to vote at the last election for Captain, now desire Ensign Wilson should be promoted.
- Vol. 1 - DECEMBER 16, 1783 - (169) James Shields recommended Captain, vice William Tate, removed. 170, qualified.
- Vol. 2 - McCullogh vs. Love--O. S. 224; N. S. 79--Bill, 1808. Complainants are, viz: John McCullock and Rachel Shields; John, Patsy, Joseph, Sally, William Shields; Polly and John Sloan, heirs of James Shields, deceased. In 1792 John McCullock and James Shields become surety for Thomas Love on his administrator bond of his father, James Love, deceased, who bequeathed personally to his granddaughter, Susannah Love. Will of James Love of Rockbridge, 26th September, 1791. Granddaughter, Margaret; granddaughter, Susannah; son, Thomas Love. Recorded in Rockbridge, 5th June, 1792. (Note: this record proves that Mary 'Polly' Shields was a daughter of James Shields and Rachel Anderson)
References
- Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.
Pension Application of James Shields W6027
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
State of Virginia }
County of Augusta } SS.
On this the first day of October 1845 personally appeared before the subscriber one of the Commonwealth Justices of the Peace for the said County of Augusta, Rachel Shields a resident of said County aged about eighty two years, who, being first duly sworn, according to law, doth, on her oath, make the following declaration, in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress, passed July 7, 1838, entitled “an act granting half pay and pensions to certain widows:” That she is the widow of James Shields who was a private in the Virginia Line on Continental establishment, in the war of the revolution, that she has no personal knowledge of the service performed by the said James Shields, but from information derived from him, and from other sources, she verily believes, that the said James Shields enlisted with Captain Thomas Bell of Col Wm. Graysons [William Grayson’s] Regment of the Virginia Continental Line in the spring of 1777 to serve for the period of three years and that he performed the service he engaged for, that she has always understood and believes, that he was with the american army in New Jersey in the year 1778, and was present and cooperated with said army, in the attack made on Stony Point [NY] in the year 1779 [15 July].
She farther declares that she was married to the said James Shields on the 10th day of March 1786 by the Revd Archibald Scott, that her husband, the aforesaid James Shields died on the 2 day of December 1801; that she was not married t nd o him prior to his leaving the service, but the marriage took place previous to the first day of January, seventeen hundred and ninety four, viz, at the time above stated.
(Signed) Rachel [her X mark] Shields
I do certify that the persons whose names are mentioned in the accts enclosed were
enlisted by me (viz: David Chambers on the 17th James Shields & James Wilson on the 28th of March 1777) to serve for the term of three years in the Regt. of Infantry commanded by Colo. Wm Grayson.
I do farther certify that the deficiency of pay mentioned in their discharge (enclosed) was nothing more than the nominal sums in paper money, as credited in their accounts.
Given under my hand this 8th of May 1783. Tho. Bell, Capt. Colo. Grayson’s Reg’t.
[A copy.]
Virginia } This day William McCutchen [pension application W1888] a
Augusta County. SS } resident of the County of Augusta appeared before me a Justice of the peace in and for the County aforesaid, and after being duly sworn according to law, doth on oath say, that he was personally acquainted with James Shields the husband of Rachel Shields of Augusta County, during the war of the revolution, that he saw the said James Shields in the American Army in the year 1778 in the state of New Jersey at a place called Middlebrook, where the Regt to which the said Shields (which was a Virginia Regt.) was stationed, that the said Shields was at the taking of the fort called Stony point, and under the command, as well as he now recollects, of Capt. Thomas Bell of the Virginia Continental Line, but to what Regt. he was attached he cannot say. that he knows the said James Shields was in the service before he the said McCutchen was (who served as a waggoner one year) and that the said James Shields did not return to his residence in the County of Augusta for a year or more after he the said McCutchen returned, and that he is certain the said James Shields was an enlisted soldier, and he believes for three years. That the said James Shields after his return from the army married as he has always understood and believed with Rachel Anderson, now Rachel Shields, his widow residing in Augusta County, that the said James Shields departed this life as near as he can recollect in the year 1801 that he is not able to say in whose or what the number of the Regt. was in which said James Shields served. Given under my hand this 4th day of October 1845.
(Signed) William McCutchen X
http://revwarapps.org/w6027.pdf
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