Guilford-Randolph County NcArchives Military Records.....Dougan, James Revwar - Pension ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Poquette npoq@hotmail.com June 18, 2006, 1:56 pm Constructed History Of Major James Dougan JAMES DOUGAN filed his own pension claim, shown on page 115, but these tidbits shed additional light on his militia tours. From the pension application of GEORGE CLARK-Attached was a statement from JAMES and ROBERT DOUGAN, which contained an item of interest: “Being informed a few years ago that a story was put in circulation that said GEORGE CLARK was a Tory, and was with Col. FANNING, a Tory, I hereby an oath, certify that said report is false as circulated, that said GEORGE CLARK was not with Col. FANNING at the killing of Colonel BEDFORD [Probably BALFOUR] and Captain JOHN BRYANT, being that night and morning in my company and my brother ROBERT DOUGAN and others. And that said CLARK was true friend to the country during the whole struggle foe our independence…etc, JAMES DOUGAN” “ROBERT DOUGAN being next examined on oath, saith that the night that Col. BEDFORD and Captain JOHN BRYANT above alluded to was killed by Col. FANNING, the said GEORGE CLARK was most part of the night on duty with him, watching the Tories, and he and said CLARK frequently met during said night and exchanged salutes and gave information to each other of what passed, and that he, CLARK, remained in company next morning and traveled with me about four miles on my way home, etc, etc. ROBERT DOUGAN.” WILBOURNE GIBSON, a resident of Ripley County, IN, aged seventy-five: “I was drafted into the service of the United States in Randolph County, North Carolina in the spring of 1781. The precise month and day I do not recollect, and served for and during the term of three months. The captain of the company in which I served was John KNIGHT, Colonel [THOMAS] DOUGAN, Major [JAMES] DOUGAN, brothers. Names of the sergeants and corporals not now remembered. When my term of service was ended, I received from Captain JOHN KNIGHT, a regular discharge and considering it as no value or importance whatever, and being totally unlearned, it has long ago been lost and destroyed.” “Under the command of the aforesaid officers, I was out on scouting expedition most of the time in and through the counties of Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes and Guilford, and was in several skirmishes with the Tories, but no general engagement. Colonel FANNING, as he was called, was the Tory that we were after most of the time, as he was constantly destroying of property, burning of houses, etc.” “I recollect on one evening we were in a little town called Hillsborough, and were compelled to leave it for the want of provision, and on that very night, this Tory, FANNING took the town and all the inhabitants were made prisoners, and one gen’l, General TYRON, among the rest, and on that same night our company formed behind a fence along the road to take them by surprise, but we were afraid to fire for fear of killing our own friends who were prisoners, and so we mounted our horses which had been hitched back in the edge of the woods and retreated, and on the next day we had a skirmish at Mendenhall’s Mill, in which we were defeated, but Colonel FANNING got his arm broke, etc…” “The houses of John KNIGHT and Col. and Major DOUGAN, and many? other houses were destroyed by this same FANNING.” JOHN MERRILL- “That in the year 1781, he volunteered at the courthouse in Randolph County in the light horse under the command of Captain THOMAS DOUGAN, Major JAMES DOUGAN, and Colonel JOHN COLLIER. That they ranged about the country. That at that time the company with whom he served had a rencounter with Tories in the County of Guilford on the 15th day of April 1781, where he received a severe wound with a sword on his head, the marks of which are now to be seen. His brother’s [BENJAMIN MERRILL] horse was shot under him, and his captain, then JOHN KNIGHT, received two balls in his head. About the 30th of July, 1781, he received his discharge as may appear by the discharge herewith filed, marked B.” “After that time, he never was regularly in the service, tho’ scouting parties and some rencounters with the Tories…I know no one who can testify to my services but my brother BENJAMIN MERRILL, who was with me on my tours, but he is now sick and unable to come here.” WILLIAM GRAY-“That the said JOSEPH NATION served a six months tour of duty as a volunteer in a company of mounted men or cavalry in the War of the Revolution in the North Carolina militia. That this deponent was captain of said company and commanded as such during said tour…and during said tour furnished his own horse and arms…and during said tour were attached to the Randolph regiment of North Carolina militia and were first commanded by Colonel JOHN COLLIER and after him, by Colonel JAMES DOUGAN. Deponent…thinks it was in 1779 or 1780…” JACKSON, SAMUEL-lived in Guilford County at enlistment, served under Col. DOUGAN, Capt. JAMES BELL, Capt. COLLIER. Widow was able to provide few details. Was in the Battle of Guilford, and was a guard protecting the baggage wagon. Additional Comments: Constructed History is my term for a soldier who did not file for a pension himself, but about whom there is enough evidence from other soldiers to form an equivalent to a pension application. Most of the testimony comes from other men mentioning the officer or non-comm. officer, but in some cases, the actual soldier himself testified on behalf of other men, thus revealing his own history. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/guilford/military/revwar/pensions/dougan311gmt.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb