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Facts and Events
John McComas was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
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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. :
McComas, John - born 10/15/1757 in North Carolina; entered service 1778 in Augusta County, Virginia, where he resided; entered service 1780 in Rockingham County, Virginia where he resided; moved after Revolutionary War to Montgomery County, Virginia, then to Kanawha County (area later Cabell County), Virginia; granted Pension in 1832 in latter County when resided on Guyandotte River for 35 years; died 3/31/1837; married 2/1786 to Catharine, daughter of Andrew Hatfield (Marriage Bond 2/21/1786 signed by Isaac Hatfield), Montgomery County, Virginia; widow granted Pension age 81 in Cabell County, Virginia in 1840; soldier's sister Catherine McComas made affidavit then there she was born 4/7/1772 in Shenandoah County, Virginia; soldier's brother Jesse made affidavit then there that soldier's eldest child was Isaac abt. age 53 in 12/1839. F-W18496, R1670.
Notes
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=hagerj&id=I34039
- •Name: John McComas
- •Given Name: John
- •Surname: McComas
- •Sex: M
- •Birth: 15 Oct 1757 in North Carolina
- •Death: 31 Mar 1837 in Cabell County, (West) Virginia
- Note: Excerpt from History of West Virginia in Two Parts, By Virgil A. Lewis (Corresponding Member of the Virginia Historical Society), Published 1889, Philadelphia, by Hubbard Brothers, pp. 730-733, LINCOLN COUNTY Pioneers. The first settlement within the county the date of which can be ascertained was that made by Jesse McComas, John McComas, David McComas, William and Moses McComas, all of whom came in the year 1799. In the summer of that year they cultivated twenty acres of corn, probably the first ever grown in the Upper Guyandotte Valley. In the autumn they returned east of the mountains and brought their families. Near them other cabins were soon reared by John Lucas, William Hinch and John Johnson. About the year 1800, Isaac Hatfield settled on Ranger's branch, a tributary of Ten-mile creek, and James Hatfield, William Smith and John L. Baker soon came to reside in the same vicinity. In 1807, Luke Adkins found a home near the mouth of Slash creek, on Mud river, twelve miles southeast of the present site of Hamlin. Near him other cabins were reared by his brothers, John and Mark, William and Richard Lovejoy, William Cummins, Mathias Plumley, Silas Cooper, Hamilton Adkins, Peter Holstein, William Smith and William Cooper. In 1801, John Tackett removed his family to a cabin on Trace-fork creek. Other early settlers along the same stream were James Wells, Jonathan Williams, Joseph Holley, James Alford, Reuben Cremeans, Abraham Smith and George Alford. In 1811, Richard Parsons led the way into the wilderness and settled at the mouth of Cobb's creek. Those who came to reside near him on the stream were Eli Parsons, Samuel M. Midkiff, and James Lively.
- Father: David McComas b: 2 Mar 1724 in Hartford County, Maryland
- Mother: Catherine Burk b: Abt 1737 in Augusta County, Virginia
- Marriage 1 Nancy Catherine Hatfield b: 25 Oct 1760 in Loudoun County, Virginia
- •Married: 21 Feb 1786 in Montgomery County, Virginia
- Children
- 1. Isaac McComas b: Abt 1786 in Montgomery County, Virginia
- 2. Nancy McComas b: Abt 1786 in Montgomery County, Virginia
- 3. John McComas b: Abt 1789 in Virginia
- 4. William 'Billy 9 Mile' McComas b: Abt 1791 in Virginia
- 5. Jesse McComas b: Abt 1794 in Tennessee
- 6. Christina McComas b: Abt 1796 in Virginia
- 7. David Hatfield McComas b: Abt 1798 in Tennessee
- 8. Andrew McComas b: Abt 1799 in Tennessee
- 9. Armeta Julia McComas b: Abt 1800
- 10. Elizabeth 'Eliza' McComas b: Abt 1805 in Kanawha County, (West) Virginia
References
- Graves, William T. Southern Campaign Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters.
Pension Application of John McComas W18496 Catharine McComas VA
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris. Revised 4 Apr 2015.
[From Library of Virginia Legislative Petitions Digital Collection/ Cabell County]
To the honourable Speaker of the General Assembly of Virginia at Richmond.
Your Petitioner John McComas of the County of Cabell and Commonwealth of Virginia
humbly beg leave to State that in the year 1778 he volenteered as a Soldier under the command of Robert Cravins [sic: Robert Craven] who commanded as a Capt in the revolutionary war and served a tour of duty of six months and was stationd upon the west fork of the Mongahala river [sic: Monongahela River] for the purpose of guarding the frontier settlements of Virginia from the depredations of the Savage, and your Pettitioner further States that about the years eighty or Eighty one he was again drafted for a three months tour of duty and marched from Rockinham [sic: Rockingham] County Va immediately to the City of Richmond, to repulse the Brittish who had just before that time, Burnt down the city of Richmond [5-7 Jan 1781], and served under Mikiel Coogar [sic: Michael Coger] as my Capt Guy hambleton [sic: Gawen Hamilton] Major and William Nool [sic: William Nall] Col. and your Petitioner further states that for all the forgoing servises he never has received one cent and further that he is a very old man and destitute of the comforts of life and has never before this time obtruded his claim upon his country. he therefore prays your honourable body would pass a law for his relief and grant him a small pention for his support and in doing so you will do an act of kindness never to be forgoten by one of the last surviving Soldiers of the Revolution and as in duty bound your Petitioner will ever pray &c
John McComas
Cabell County
To This day personally appears John McComas of the County of Cabell before me the undersigned Justice of the peace and made oath that all the facts stated in the above Petition are correct and true to the best of his knowledge given under my hand this 16 day of November 1829
Elisha McComas
The affidavit of Felty Blow of Lawfull age taken before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for the County of Cabell Va. and sayeth that he was acquainted with John McComas in the Revolutionary War and that he served as a Soldier a Tour of duty under the Command of Capt Robert Cravens in the year 1778 and he also knew of him serving a Tour of duty in the year of 1780 under the command of Michael Cogar & of his returning home in the year 1781 sworn to before me this 7th day of November 1829
[signature undeciphered]
Cabell County To wit
This day personally appeared Moses McComas before me the undersigned Justice of the peace for said County and made oath that he is personally acquainted with John McComas and knows that he served a tour of six months in the time of the Revolution, and was stationed upon the west fork of the Mononghala River also from report that he was again drafted three months and marched from Rockinham County towards the City of Richmond given under my hand this 12th day of November 1829
Andrew Barrett
The affidavit of Jesse McComas of lawful age taken before me the undersigned a Justice of the peace in and for the County of Cabell and sayeth that he knew[?] of John McComas volenteering as a soldier in the revolutionary war under the command of Capt Cravins he being very young at that time does not recollect the exact time of service but recollects that he started in the Spring of 1778 [several undeciphered words] Return till cold weather the next fall or winter he also says that his Father lived in Rockingham County Va. at that time and that in the year 1780 his Father moved to Greenbrier County and that the s’d. J McComas helped his Father to move and returned to Rockingham County and as he understood was drafted and went and served a three months tower and that verry well recollects of his returning home after he was discharged
Given under my hand this 21st day of Nov’r[?] 1829
Elisha McComas J.P for C.C’y
Dec’r. 15th 1829 ref’d to Claims/ Rejected 16th Jan’y 1830
The Honorable the Speaker and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives in Richmond Assembled.
The Petition of John McComas of the County of Cabell and State of Virginia Humbly represents to your Honorable body (who he is informed his power to afford him that redress which Justice requires and which his present circumstances calles for) your Petitioner enlisted in the revolutionary service about 1779 under Capt. Rob’t. Cravans to guard the frontier on the waters of monangahalia and served six or seven months without any pay. and in the year 1780 was again Drafted in the Service and went to the present seat of government (Richmond) and thence down the James River towards Norfolk and North Carolina till the year 1781 and still for all those services rec’d. no compensation your Petitioner then under a belief he never would have to solicit the cold hand of charity or to see any reward of a generous republic which he was then labouring to establish has failed to procure the necessary papers of his service and discharge, your Petitioner having passed through the toils of the revolution and a happy peace being restored returned to the circle of his friends and connection and thence married and has since become the father of nine legitimate children five sons and four daughters all of which has now left him and now being in the 74th year of his age and in a declining state unable to perform any labour for twelve months past, now calls for the liberality of a generous republic in which he spent the prime of his life to obtain and now in the eve of life hopes to enjoy according to the ordinary course of nature his time of departure is at hand he asks for a small pittance to soothe the eve of life and lay him with his ancestors – he wants but that little nor that little long Grant the prayer of your petitioner and as in duty bound he will ever pray John McComas/ 15th Nov. 1830
Virginia Cabell County towit:
The affidavit of Valentine Bloss [pension application S9102] of lawful age deposeth and saith that he recollects of the above named John McComas performing the two tours of service spoken of in the above petition Given under my hand this 15th Nov 1830
Valentine [his X mark] Bloss
Dec’r 13th 1830 ref’d to Rev’y Claims
Rejected 4th Ja’y 1831
[The following are from the federal pension file.]
Cabell County }
Virginia }
On this 28th day of October 1833 personally appeared before the County Court of said County now in Session John McComas a resident of said County aged seventy six years the 15th instant who being first duly Sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision of made by act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832
That he entered in to the Service of the united states as a private soldier in the Malitia in the year 1778 under the command of Capt. Robert Cravens and in the month of aprile we marched from the County of Augusta to westfalls fort now in the County of Randolph [¼ mi S of Beverly] from thence we marched to a fort on Buck Hannon [sic: Buckhannon] river, from thence to Nutters fort [in present Clarksburg] from thence to powers fort [on Simpson Creek in Harrison County] from thence to Koons Station [on West Fork River in Harrison County] which had been set on fire by the Indians a few hours before we arrived. from thence returned to Nutters Fort from thence we returned to the County of Augusta and was discharged. this declarent further states that his tour of duty was eight months Though he only volenteered for six months but was compelled to serve two months longer by his Commanding officers. This declarent further states that he again entered into the service of the united states as a private soldier in the Malitia in the month of december 1780 and marched from the County of Rockingham under the command of Capt McKeil Coger across the blue ridge to Richmond, which had been burnt up some few days before our arrival. from thence down James River below Williamsburgh [sic: Williamsburg] and then we crossed to the south side of James River from thence down the same to Mackyes Mills which had been set on fire some time before our arrival there from thence we marched to Genl. Gregery’s [Isaac Gregory’s, pension application S38771] camp in North Carolina at which time and place we were all discharged having served a tour of three months.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatsoever to a pension or anuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state
John [his X mark] McComas
Questions by the court:
1 Where and in what year was born?
Answer I was born in the state of North Carolina as I was told by my Parents on the 15th day of October 1757.
2nd Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?
Answer My age was recorded in my fathers bible but what has become of it I know not
3 Where were you liveing when called into service Where have you lived since the revolutionary war and where do now live?
Answer when I served my first tour of duty I lived in the County of Augusta the second tour I lived at the same place but it was Rockingham County which was taken from Augusta Since the war I moved to the County of Greenbrier then to the County of Montgomery from thence I moved to Kanawha County and have resided on the river of Guyandotte for thirty five years and now reside in the County of Cabell formed out of part of Kanawha
4 How were you called into service; were you drafted, did you volenteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom?
Answer The first tour I served I volenteered the 2nd tour I was drafted
5 State the names of some of the regular officer who were with the troops where you served such continental and malita regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your sevice
Answer my first tour of duty I was under the command of Col. Sampson Matthews [sic: Sampson Mathews] Capt Robert cravens Leut. Mikiel Trout [sic: Michael Trout] Ensign George Mollow [sic: George Mallow S2735] The second tour I was commanded by Col William Noll Major Guy Hamilton Capt Mikiel Cogar Leutenant Mikiel Roruck [sic: Michael Rorick] Ensign George Mill
Did you ever recieve a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given
Answer the first tour of duty I served my discharge was verbal and the 2nd I received a writen discharge of Col Noll but has since lost it
7 State the names of persons to whom you are known in your Neighbourhood and who can testify as to your veracity and their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution.
Answer Andrew Barrett Esq Andrew Hatfield Esq and John Samuels clerk of Cabell County
[The following report is by US District Attorney Washington G. Singleton who investigated hundreds of pensioners from present West Virginia. For details see my appendix to the pension application of David W. Sleeth S6111.]
John McComas – alledges in his Declaration that he served 11 mo. in the Va. Militia under Capt Cravens & Col. Matthews &c. – So says the abstract –
I the undersigned John McComas in pursuance of the requisition of the Secretary of War, make the following re-declaration of my Revolutionary services. To wit – I am a native of North Carolina. was born October 15th 1757. I lived in the county of Rockingham during the war of the Revolution – on the 3d. day of April 1778 I volunteered in Rockingham County Va. for six months and marched from there to Taggarts Vally [sic: Tygart Valley] under Capt. Robert Cravens whose company consisted of some fifty or sixty men, on getting to Taggarts vally Capt Cravens left 15 of us includeing my self under Lieuftenant Michael Trout – with the remainder he the Capt returned filled up his company & then went on and joined Genl. McIntosh’s campaign – one party left at the vally as before stated marched to Coons Station then to the Monongalia then through the little levels in (now) Pocahontas County, then to the head of the vally and then to Nutters Fort – at the latter place my time of six months expired and we started home but was immediately pursued by an express who informed us that some children had been killed in that vicinity by a party of Indians and urged us to return to the relief of the settlement – then Lieuftenant with 10 or 12 of us did accordingly return to Nutters Fort and remained there & in the vicinity in actual service defending the settlement from Indian invasion until about the first of December of the same year, I got home on the 25 Decr. I drew rations when they were to be had but was generally billeted on some one or other of the settlers – I received no pay – I was in actual service all the time – I think it was in the fall of 1780 – it was at all events the same in which the British fired the city of Richmond, I was drafted for 3 months marched from Rockingham County under Capt. Coger. Several Regts. went from Rockingham, Augusty, Rockbridge, Bedford, Greenbrier & perhaps other counties at same time. Cols. All Bowyer [William Bowyer VAS1811] Meriweather [Thomas Meriwether] & Matthews were along. We marched to Richmond and thence down the James River served out our term and returned home & thus ended my services. The Honbl. Wm McComas wrote my Declaration the statement here given is in substance the same as given to him August 26, 1835.
Witness James M. McComas John hisXmark McComas
a copy W. G Singleton
this mans character is good W. G Singleton.
NOTE: On 26 Oct 1840 Catharine McComas, 81, applied for a pension stating that she married John McComas in Feb 1786, and he died on 31 Mar 1837. On 5 Oct 1840 in Logan County Catharine McComas, sister of John McComas, deposed that she was born 7 Apr 1772 in Shenandoah County VA and was present at her brother’s marriage which was performed in a Baptist church in Montgomery County VA. In the file is a copy of a bond signed 21 Feb 1786 by John McComas and Isaac Hatfield for the marriage of McComas to Catharine Hatfield, daughter of Andrew Hatfield of Montgomery County.
http://revwarapps.org/w18496.pdf
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