By Charles Edgar GILLIAM
Updated November 24, 2022
Background
The following article, was published in the William and Mary Quarterly by Charles Edgar GILLIAM to correct a misidentification of Lt. John GILLIAM. Images of the Warrants mentioned below.
This monograph does not purport to cover references to every person of the same name living in Virginia at the same time.1 Nor is any claim made that no other Virginian of the same name served as an officer in the Continental Army or the State of Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War.2
There were at least seven contemporary persons, each named John GILLIAM (sic), resident of Virginia during the period covered.1 The records of the War Department are bare military papers and give little or no data from which the exact identity of any person listed therein can be established.3 These records have been collected from various sources and published in various lists. Often the information in one list differs from that in others in a manner to seem to warrant at least a casual assumption that several individuals of the same name were officers.4
A casual reading of such published lists might indicate that at least four individual Virginians, each named John GILLIAM (sic), served as officers in the Continental Army, viz.:
(i) John GILLIAM (Lt.) Heitman, 191, C. J., 1776-7, 126.5
(ii) John Gilham, Lt., Cont'l Line, 2666-2/3 acres, 30 June, 1791.6
(iii) John GILLIAM, (4526) Lieu. War (Hincha GILLIAM, heir at law).7
(iv) John GILLIAM, (Lt.) 14 March, 1776, Warrant No. 9938.8
As a matter of extant record fact these four references to service are different records of the service as an officer in the Continental Army of the same man.9
This man was JOHN GILLIAM, date of birth uncertain,10 died at Portsmouth, Virginia, 3 December 1776, of Sussex County, Virginia.11 He was the son of Hinchea and Amey GILLIAM of the same county.12 He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Fourth Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army on 4th March 1776. Later he held the rank of First Lieutenant in the same regiment,13 He left a will in which he mentions neither wife nor children, but leaves all of his estate to his brothers.14This raises the presumption that he never married and died without issue.15
Other records show that LT. JOHN GILLIAM was survived by two brothers and one sister: William GILLIAM, Amey Chappell (wife of James Chappell of Sussex County) and Hincha GILLIAM.16 Upon the death of William GILLIAM, his brother, Hincha GILLIAM, became his sole heir at law.17
As heir at law, Hincha GILLIAM (and his administrator) prosecuted claims for land for the services of LT. JOHN GILLIAM, which resulted in creating three of the four different records of his service, cited above in the third paragraph of this monograph.18
End Notes
1. Records Too Numerous to Cite: (1) John GILLIAM, d. s, p, 1776, of Sussex. Co.; (2) John GILLIAM, 1743-1801, of Spring Hill, Prince George Co.; (3) John GILLIAM. d. 1790, the Younger, of Prince George Co.; (4) John GILLIAM, 1761-1823, of Mitchell's, Prince George Co.; (5) John GILLIAM. d. s. p. 1819 of Weston, Prince George Co.; (6) John GILLIAM (alive 1782) of Amelia Co.; (7) John GILLIAM (alive 1782) of Albemarle Co.; and no doubt others.—C E. G. See Note' 19, infra.
2. Nor is service in enlisted personnel in various published rosters of which several persons named John GILLIAM appear covered.—C. E. G.
3. Records of War Department, Washington, as reported by E. S. Adams (by H. H.), The Adjutant General, 20 August, 1938, In reply A. G. 201, Refer to GILLIAM, John (3-3-38) ORD (Letter to compiler.)
4. Conclusion of Compiler from examination of lists and knowledge of assumptions by many persons.—C. E. G.
5. Revolutionary Soldiers of Virginia, Vol. I, Part I, p, 180, in Archives Division, Virginia State Library at Richmond.
6. Revolutionary Records. Brunbraugh, Vol. I, pp. 341, 437, 998, in the McKenney Library at Petersburg, Virginia.
7. Note 6. supra.
8. A List of Captains, Etc., American Archives, 5th Series, Vol. II. 1776, p. 122, in Archives Division of Virginia State Library at Richmond.
9. Notes 5, 6, 7 and 8, supra. Records of War Department (cited Note 1, supra) show (i) Lt. John GILLIAM commissioned 4 March, 1776, died 3 December, 1776. The date of commission and death is same as (iii) Lt. John GILLIAM. Ergo (i) and (iii) refer to the same man. Records of General Land Office, Washington, as reported by Antoinette Funk, Asst. Comm'r., 13 September, 1938. In reply please refer to 1737711 "K" JAR, (Letter to compiler) show Warrant No. 4526, dated 30 June, 1791, for 2666 acres on west fork of Scioto Creek in Franklin County, Virginia Military District, Ohio, Surveys Nos. 3010 to 3014, incl., issued to Hincha GILLIAM heir of John GILLIAM. Ergo (i), (ii) and (iii) refer to same man. John K. Martin Pension Papers, letter from Wm. I. Baker, 8 September, 1878 (In Archives Division of Virginia State Library) show Script No. 9938 erroneously issued to Hincha GILLIAM's adm'r for services of Lt. John GILLIAM from 14 March, 1776, to 3 November, 1783. It is certain that John K. Martin, Norfolk, Va., attorney, believed Warrant 9938 belonged to Lt. John GILLIAM (ii and iii). Ergo (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) are different references to the same man.—C E. G. But this last evidence raises the possibility that at one time records showed another John GILLIAM served as Lt. in the Continental Army from 14 March, 1776, to 3 November. 1783. The compiler has failed to locate any such record.—C E. G,
10. Compiler knows of no public record of date of his birth.—C. E. G.
11. Sussex Co. Will Book C, p. 235, The Last will And Testament of John GILLIAM, Esq., an Officer in the Continental Army, dated 23 September, 1776, probated 20 March, 1777.
12. Sussex Co. Will Book B, p. 200, Will of Hinchea GILLIAM, dated 12 December, 1768, probated 18 August, 1769. Idem C. p. I, Will of Amey GILLIAM (widow) dated 13 May, 1772, probated 17 July, 1772,
13. Note 3, supra. Date 1st. Lt. not shown in records.
14. Note 13, Supra.
15. It is certain no issue survived on 30 June, 1791, the date his brother, Hincha GILLIAM, as his heir at law, received Warrant 4526.—C E. G.
16. Note 12, supra.
17. Note 11, supra.
18. Had he lived and the five surveys been granted to him as John GILLIAM (sic) the identification of the references as to one man might have been more difficult. Compiled from sources cited and other researches by Chas. Edgar GILLIAM, Petersburg, Virginia, between 1st. December 1935, and 15 September, 1938
19. Since this monograph went to press two others have come to the compiler's attention: (8) John GILLIAM (will 1794) of Goochland Co.; and (9) John GILLIAM (alive 1782) of Hanover Co. The latter may have been the same man as (2) John GILLIAM, 1743-1801, Note 1, supra. 11 January, 1939.—C. E. G.
Sources
- GILLIAM, Charles Edgar. "John GILLIAM, Continental Line." William & Mary Quarterly.