Mary Gist was a daughter of the American Revolution. She was born to Benjamin Gist and Mary Jarrett. Benjamin Gist was a soldier in the American Revolution. The DAR designated him DAR Ancestor Number A045394, citing his Service Description as Washington County Militia; Justice of the Peace; Commissioner of Public Buildings, as documented by the State Records of NC, Vol 12, P597; and the Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution P 186. The DAR also honored two of her brothers:
that organization designated her brother, Joseph Gist, as DAR Ancestor Number A045429 and her brother, Thomas Gist, as DAR Ancestor Number A045447.

Circa 1777, Mary Gist married James Stevenson, also known as James Stinson, "Stinson" being a Scottish rendition of "Stevenson". Stevenson was also a soldier in the American Revolution: the DAR designated him as DAR Ancestor Number A109230. The couple had several children documented by the DAR (and there may have been others):

James married Mary Howard
John married Elizabeth Sims
Mary married Edmund Harrison
Amy married Thomas Alexander
Narcissa married Robert Boyd

NOTE: Mrs. Stevenson's father was not the Benjamin Gist who fought at the Battle of King's Mountain. That Hero was Captain Benjamin Gist. Nor did her brothers, Joseph and Thomas Gist, participate in that battle even though some added their names to a roster. In his Application for Revolutionary War Pension, W7517, Joseph Gist testified that he served "under Colonel John Sevier, Jesse Walton & Jonathan Tipton Majors and Captain James Stinson we marched into the Cherokee nation for three months in each year", but made no claim that he fought at King's Mountain. Likewise, his brother, Thomas Gist, in his Application, testified that he served under the same officers and that "he was in the battle of Boyd's Creek" (December 16, 1780), but made no claim that he fought at King's Mountain.

Katherine Keogh White may have started the confusion in her book, "The King's Mountain Men". She confused the two gentlemen named Benjamin Gist and compounded the confusion by making the sweeping statement, "Joseph and Joshua were in the border wars and were undoubtedly at King's Mountain", thus were born family myths. Ms. White obviously did not mean to deceive and her work was written in an earnest attempt to record an event that proved to be a crucial moment in American history. As more information became available to researchers, those researchers realized the glaring mistakes that White made: mistakes that have perpetuated misinformation.

Captain James Stevenson's service in the American Revolution has been confused with that of other Patriots named James Stevenson. There were several Patriots named James Stevenson / Stephenson. The one most often confused with Mary Stevenson's husband, Captain James Stevenson, was James Stevenson born 1746 in Ireland, DAR Ancestor Number A109228, brother to William Stevenson, DAR Ancestor Number A109321. The confusion regarding the service of these two Patriots named James Stevenson can be traced directly to "The Stephenson Family" by J.C. Stephenson (1906), Nashville. Succinctly, Stephenson confused the service of the two Patriots, not realizing that the Captain James Stephenson who served under Colonel John Sevier was the Stevenson born in 1754 as his Application for RW Pension documents. The myth was perpetuated until recently when researchers realized the misidentification.

Because the research of J.C. Stephenson has proven faulty, the DAR published the following caveat regarding James Stevenson: The proof of service used to establish this person as a patriot is no longer valid. Subsequent evaluation of the proof of service may have determined that the proof is not acceptable under today’s standards (examples: tombstone, obituary, undocumented genealogy or county history, family tradition); the service belongs to another person of the same name; the residence of this person during the Revolution is inconsistent with the service, or multiple people have claimed the same service. Future applicants must provide proof of service (and possibly residence) that meets current standards.



Southern Campaign American Revolution
Pension Statements & Rosters
Pension application of James Stevenson
(Stephenson) S4009 fn79NC

Transcribed by Will Graves 3/11/11
[Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database. Also, the handwriting of the original scribes often lends itself to varying interpretations. Users of this database are urged to view the original and to make their own decision as to how to decipher what the original scribe actually wrote. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original. Folks are free to make non-commercial use this transcript in any manner they may see fit, but please extend the courtesy of acknowledging the transcriber — besides, if it turns out the transcript contains mistakes, the resulting embarrassment will fall on the transcriber. I use speech recognition software to make all my transcriptions. Such software misinterprets my southern accent with unfortunate regularity and my poor proofreading fails to catch all misinterpretations. I welcome and encourage folks to call those and any other errors to my attention.]


State of Indiana
Fayette County: SS :
Fayette Circuit Court
September Term 1832

On this 10th day of September 1832 personally appeared in open court before the Honorable Charles H Test the president Judge thereof and Edward Webb and William Miller Esquires, his Associates Judges of the circuit Court of the said County of Fayette now sitting James Stevenson (now residing in the County of Fayette and State of Indiana) aged seventyseven years and nine months 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 passed June 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated – That between the first and 15th day of June in the year 1776 he in what is now called Washington County East Tennessee then the Western Frontiers of North Carolina volunteered for an indefinite period of time in a company of Rangers commanded by Captain Jacob Warmack [sic, Jacob Womack?] during his service his company built a Fort near Choates ford on Holston River and was generally employed as a Ranger in guarding that Fort and the frontiers and was discharged about the 10th of October following –

And on the 15th day of October in the year 1776 he again volunteered for an indefinite period of time in a company commanded by Captain James Shelby and was attached to the Virginia troops commanded by Colonel Christie [sic, William Christian] in the campaign against the Cherokee Indians conducted by the Virginia and North Carolina troops under Colonel William Christie & was generally known by the name of Christie's campaign Colonel Christie being the commander – Having assembled at Long Island on Holston they were marched to the Cherokee towns on the Tennessee River, where we succeeded in destroying a number of their towns, a quantity of their corn provisions etc. – during this tour he served for three months and in the capacity of first Sergeant –

That again sometime about the 10th of March in the year 1777 he at the same County for an indefinite period entered a company commanded by Captain Joseph Wilson which was a company of Rangers in Colonel John Carter's Regiment, that immediately after becoming organized we collected the neighboring families together to a spot about five miles below where Jonesboro in Tennessee now stands and there erected a Fort which was known by the name of Wilson's Fort, after the families were safely secured in the Fort this applicant was appointed one of 4 spies by Captain Wilson and served in that capacity until about the first of September following, there having been a talk with the Indians & a prospect of peace the company was discharged & he returned home –

That sometime in the month of May or June in the year 1778 he entered as a Lieutenant in a company of militia commanded by Captain Benjamin Gess in Colonel Carter's North Carolina Regiment, and served as a Lieutenant in ranging the frontiers against the Indians and Tories for 4 or 5 months during the year 1778 –

And afterwards sometime in the month of November in the year 1779 he was commissioned as a Captain by the State of North Carolina and by the orders of Colonel John Sevier (who succeeded Colonel Carter in command) he organized and took command of a company in the Regiment commanded by said Colonel Sevier which company he classed according to the military laws of the State of North Carolina at that time.

That in the spring of 1780 the Indians again commenced depredations on the frontier inhabitants, and about the 10th of April of that year this applicant and a part of his company entered into service and built Crawford's Fort on Richland Creek in what is now called Green County Tennessee, where we were forted as a guard of the frontier until sometime about the first of September following when he was ordered by Colonel Sevier to raise a volunteer company of mounted riflemen, which company he raised and was the Captain thereof and some time in the latter part of November following he joined his Regiment under Colonel Sevier at the first crossing of the War trace on Long Creek from whence a few days after having received information from the spies we got information from the spies that a large body of Indians were making their way into the settlements & immediately we commenced our march to meet them and fell in with them the second day of our march about 10 o'clock at the Blue Springs on Boyd's Creek a branch of French Broad River, where we had a battle with, and defeated them having killed 17 warriors and losing none killed ourselves.

After this engagement we encamped near the Blue Springs and awaited the arrival of Colonel Arthur Campbell's Regiment which joined us in a few days, and in conjunction with that Regiment we commenced our march for the Indian towns and about the third days march brought us to the Big Chota Town on the South side of the Tennessee River which we destroyed about sundown & encamped there for the night. The next morning this applicant being sent out with his company to reconnoiter the country around about the camp, fell in with a small party of the Indians, killed one & captured 10 or 12 pack horses loaded with provisions, and on our return to camp killed 2 other Indians –

On the morning after we marched to the New Telakoo [Tellico?] town on Telakoo river [sic, Tugaloo River or Tellico Creek?] which empties into the Tennessee which town without a battle we entered and destroyed, from thence we passed from town to town and destroyed all that we found, sometimes killing some straggling Indians, but had no engagement after the affair at Boyd's Creek. After having scoured the Indian Country & destroyed their towns and property we took up our line of march for the settlements and arrived at them and were discharged about the middle of January following.

That sometime in the middle of April in 1781 he marched with his company of Rangers by order of Colonel Sevier to the Frontiers of French Broad River and there built a Fort for the protection of the inhabitants at which Fort he was stationed with his company until sometime in the month of July he received orders to return home with what men could be spared from the Fort to join an expedition to reinforce General Greene in South Carolina. He returned from the Fort with a part of his command & left the remainder under the command of Lieutenant Nave. On his return his company was filled with drafts & volunteers and in August rendezvoused with his Regiment under Colonel Sevier at Jonesboro from thence we took up our line of march across the Iron Mountains, passed through Morganton, in Burke County North Carolina thence through Lincoln County and crossed the Catawba [River] at Tuckey Siege ford [sic, Tuckaseegee Ford] thence through Charlotte in Mecklenburg County North Carolina thence passed the waxsaws [Waxhaws] into the State of South Carolina marching by Gates Battle ground near Roosleys mill [Rugeley's mill] through Camden, after passing Camden some distance we met wagons loaded with the wounded from the battle of Eutaw Springs which was the first information we had received of that battle –

we then proceeded and joined General Greene at the High Hills of Santee River. After joining the Army his Regiment was ordered to marched down the Santee and encamp at a convenient distance to reinforce General Marion if necessary where we remained until sometime I think in the month of November when information coming of the surrender of Cornwallis we were discharged and marched home arriving there about the last of December.

This Applicant further states that on the 16th of October in the year 1803 from a disease in his head he became totally blind and has so remained ever since, during all which time he has been unable to refresh his recollection of his Services by reading or having any recourse to any documents whatever. That it is possible from that encumbrance he may be mistaken in some of the dates above but of this fact he is certain, viz. – that we performed the services –

That in the year 1796 he received from Colonel Sevier who was then Governor of Tennessee a commission of Captain of Cavalry, which commission he yet has. That he has no documentary evidence to prove his services. That in 1819 he applied to General Noble then a Senator in Congress to obtain for him a pension and sent one of the commissions he had received from the State of North Carolina (he thinks his commission as Captain) by General Jona. McCarty1 to him to produce at Washington as evidence of his services but owing as he supposes to his services being in the militia he did not succeed, and what ever became of the commission he does not know he never heard of it after General Noble got it and he being now dead it is he thinks lost. His other commission of Lieutenant was destroyed with many other papers in 1785 when applicant had the misfortune to have his house burnt –

During the last year this Applicant applied to General Jona. McCarty the representative in Congress from this district to endeavor to procure for him a pension from Congress, That in order to strengthen his claim he procured the deposition of Christopher Bundy2 who was a companion in arms with him during a part of his service, which deposition was taken before William M Durham Esquire a Justice of the peace of Wayne County in this State and which is regularly certified by the clerk of the Circuit Court of that County. That he endeavor to procure the personal attendance at this court of the said Christopher but was told by him that his personal attendance would be doubtful as it was his expectation to shortly removed into a distant part of the State, & this applicant expects said Christopher has so removed or that some other cause has prevented his attendance, –

That he also went about to apply to Congress as aforesaid procured the deposition of Archibald Reid of Fayette County Indiana, being the only person who could testify to his services except the said Bundy that he yet has Mr. Reids deposition, but since the said Reid gave his deposition he deceased Applicant believes in March last, That this applicant knows of no other persons
Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid Attest S/ William Caldwell, Clerk
S/ James Stevenson


The Court now hereunder oath propounded to the Said Applicant the following interrogatories and answers thereto are as follows to wit:

Question 1. Where and in what year were you born? Ans. I was born in Lancaster County Pennsylvania on the 10th of December 1754.

Question 2 – Have you any record of your age & if so where is it? Ans. I have none I took a copy of it from my parents record, but in 1785 my house was burned & with it a great part of my papers among which was the copy of the record I head of my age from having often seen my parents record of it.

Question 3. Where were you living when called into service where have you lived since the revolutionary war and where do you now live? Answer. When I entered the service I lived in what is now Washington County Tennessee, it was then the frontiers of North Carolina, after the war I lived in Newby [?] Tennessee until 1810, when I removed to White County West Tennessee where I resided until 1815 when I emigrated to Indiana, settled in Franklin County & removed to Fayette in 1819 to Wayne in 1820 lived there until the death of my wife in 1822 & have since no settled residents but living among my children in Wayne, Henry & Fayette counties.

Question 4 How were you called into service were you drafted did you volunteer or were you a substitute and if a substitute for whom? Answer. In all my services I was a volunteer

Question 5. State the names of some of the regular officers who were with the troops where you served, such Continental and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your Service Answer – I having never served with any regular troops except when marched to join General Green, and having but a day with him having marched down the River Santee near General Marion I had but little opportunity of forming any acquaintances & having returned home as soon as the news of Cornwallis' surrender arrived – I however remember seeing General Green – I remember Colonel Christie's Regiment of Virginia troops, Colonel Williams Regiment of North Carolina militia Colonel. A Campbell's and Colonel William Campbell's regiments of Virginia militia and Colonel Sevier & Major Shelby's commands. As to the general circumstances of my service I have given them above. My services were generally rendered against the Cherokees and Tories, on the Western frontiers of North Carolina, they having kept up and almost continued warfare upon the inhabitants of that section of country during the whole revolutionary war & for several years thereafter, I was after the war in the battle of Hiwassee towns under Colonel Sevier and with General Martin at the battle of the lookout Mountain near the Chickamauga what towns.

Question 6th Did you ever receive a discharge from the service and if so by whom was it given
& what has become of it. Answer. I never received a discharge Did you receive a commission, and if so by whom was it signed and what has become of it Western Mark Answer. I received a commission as Lieutenant in 1778 and in 1779 a commission of Captain both of which were signed by Governor Caswell of North Carolina. In 1785 my house was burned and with it one of my commissions was destroyed as I believe, and I think it was my commission of Lieutenant that was destroyed. My commission of Captain I brought to Indiana with me and in 1819 send it to General Noble as I have above stated & have never since seen or heard of it – It is lost I presume.

7. State the names of persons in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity & their belief of your services as a soldier of the revolution. I have now no living witnesses by whom I can prove my services except the said Christopher Bundy, Archibald Reid having died. I name the Reverend John Beard and the Reverend Lemuel Boyd who reside in the neighborhood where I do when I lived in Wayne, I named John Tate recorder of Fayette County, and Martin M. Ray a Esquire an attorney of this County to testify as to my character for veracity & their belief of my services in the revolutionary war

[John Beard and Lemuel Boyd, a clergyman, gave the standard supporting affidavit.]

State of Indiana
Wayne County: SS

Be it remembered that on this 29th day of October 1831, there personally came & appeared before me William M. Dunham Justice of the peace in and for the said County of Wayne Christopher Bundy a man of lawful age who after being by me duly cautioned & sworn says that he has been acquainted with James Stevenson ever since the year A.D. 1782, That he & the said James Stephenson [sic] were in the revolutionary war & Army together in the same Regiment in the year 1782. That they served together in the Regiment commanded by Colonel John Sevier of the North Carolina militia which was called out in that year to reinforce General Green who was quartered at the High Hills of Santee in South Carolina where this deponent the said Stephenson and the said Regiment joined General Green. That the said Stephenson was a Captain & commanded a company of said Regiment & was in the revolutionary war Continental service in that campaign to this deponent's knowledge about 6 months during all which time he commanded a company in said Regiment and commanded his company with much satisfaction to his fellow officers & soldiers in arms. And with much honor to himself.

And further that the said Stephen [sic] was always accounted by his fellow officers & soldiers a brave and indefatigable officer in the revolutionary services – that a short time after said Regiment joined General Green they received orders to repair down the County and Joined General Marion was then Stationed on the Santee River where they in the said Regiment did marched and joined General Marion and where they remained in said service until after the defeat and capture of Cornwallis at which time with the said Regiment was honorably discharged. That the said Stephenson is now about 76 years old is totally blind & destitute of sight or property or the means by which to make a subsistence & further says not – Sworn to and subscribed before me the undersigned justice of the peace.

Connersville Fayette County Indiana

I Archibald Reid do hereby certify that James Stevenson of Tennessee now Indiana in the time of my youth I lived in the same County that Mr. Stenson [sic] then Resided and that the said Stephenson was one of the most active & Vigilant Soldiers and officers in that part of Tennessee of any other man in that County being about the year 1780 in detecting the Outrages of Indians, British & Tories. He the said Captain Stevenson commanded a Company of Colonel Sevier's Regiment then North Carolina now Tennessee the officers and soldiers in that part of the County gave captains Stevenson as good a character as a true Republican and special Friend to his County in being always first and the most active in the Defense of Frontiers and county as any man in the Western County and one of the most deserving of men.

A/Archibald Reid

1 McCARTY, Johnathan, a Representative from Indiana; born in Culpeper County, Va., August 3, 1795; attended the public schools; moved to Indiana in 1803 with his father, who settled in Franklin County; engaged in mercantile pursuits; member of the State house of representatives in 1818; moved to Connersville, Fayette County, Ind.; clerk of the county court 1819-1827; elected as a Jacksonian to the Twenty-second and Twenty-third Congresses and reelected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1831-March 3, 1837); unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1836 to the Twenty-fifth Congress; presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1840; moved to Keokuk, Iowa, where he died March 30, 1852; interment in Oakland Cemetery. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000320

2 Christopher Bundy S17309
except the above by whom he can prove his services, and their testimony goes but to prove a part of them – That he makes the depositions of the said Bundy & Reid accompanying touches with this application. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.

[Veteran was pensioned at the rate of $439.99 per annum commencing March 4th, 1831, for twoyear service as a private