Capt. James Dillard was born 4 February 1755 in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States to John Dillard (1720-1794) and Sophia Dillard (1738-1758) and died 17 December 1846 Laurens County, South Carolina, United States of unspecified causes. He married Mary Ramage (1757-1795) 1774 in Laurens County, South Carolina. He married Mary Elizabeth Puckett (1775-1842) 22 October 1798 in Laurens County, South Carolina.
James Dillard, however, was in the War from first to last, even after the Peace of Paris in 1783; and his first wife, Mary Ramage, a Revolutionary War heroine, made an all-night ride to warn her husband's company that the British and Tories planned a surprise dawn attack. James Dillard was one of the South Carolina militia who marched into Charles Town (later Charleston) at dawn in June 1776 and then defended the half-completed palmetto log fort on Sullivan's Island (later Fort Moultrie) with such deadly result that the English fleet of twenty ships sailed away to repair itself, taking with it the last English governor of South Carolina. This was one of the bloodiest sea battles of all time. It took place six days before the Declaration of Independence was signed, 4 July 1776. He also fought in the Battle of King's Mountain on 7 October 1780, said to be the turning point in the war, as well as other battles and skirmishes. (James Dillard's pension application; DAR Magazine LXX:9, pp 933-934; Fort Sullivan Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Battle of Fort Sullivan: Events Leading to First Decisive Victory.)
James Dillard was born in Culpeper County in 1755 or 1756 and died 4 December 1836. He was said to have gone to Ninety-Six District, later Laurens County, in up-state South Carolina when he was 17. In 1773 he witnessed a will in Loundoun County, created in 1757 from Fairfax County, before he left Virginia. From 1775 until 1785 he fought in many of the battles of the Revolutionary War, this last post-Revolutionary War battle against the Cherokees in northeastern Georgia. In South Carolina he married (1) Mary Ramage and (2) Mary Puckett and had seven children by each wife. In 1833 he was awarded a Revolutionary War pension.
He reached the rank of Major, however, he is most often referred to as "Captain" Dillard because of another James Dillard born in the area and whose first name was Major. Captain James Dillard helps to reduce some of the confusion.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Dillard (1776-1823) | |||
| Priscilla Ramage Dillard (1783-1856) | |||
| Jane Dillard (1786-1849) | |||
| Elizabeth Dillard (1787-1836) | |||
| George Washington Dillard (1789-1846) | |||
| Mary Polly Dillard (1794-1859) | |||
| Samuel Hutchins Dillard (1794-1842) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Narcissa Dillard (1799-1881) | |||
| Eliza Dillard (1801-1828) | |||
| Thomas Jefferson Dillard (1804-1836) | |||
| James Henry Dillard (1807-1859) | |||
| Talliaferro Dillard (1809-1862) | |||
| Sarah Dillard (1812-) | |||
| Sarah Elizabeth Dillard (1815-1911) | |||
| Charles Dillard (1815-) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Elizabeth Dillard (1734-1842) | |||
| Major Dillard (1741-) | |||
| Ann Dillard (1742-) | |||
| John Dillard (1743-1808) | |||
| Elizabeth Dillard (1747-1802) | |||
| William Dillard (1750-1781) | 1750 Culpeper County, Virginia, United States | 7 September 1781 Eutaw Springs, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States | Mary Norman (1749-1815) |
| Sarah Dillard (1750-) | |||
| William Dillard (1753-1781) | |||
| James Dillard (1755-1836) | 4 February 1755 Culpeper County, Virginia, United States | 17 December 1846 Laurens County, South Carolina, United States | Mary Ramage (1757-1795) Mary Elizabeth Puckett (1775-1842) |
Residences
Vital Records
= US Census
- Laurens County, South Carolina/1790 US Census / 2 / 2 / 3 / - / 3 /
Pleasant Hill Gravestone
- Location: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, South Carolina
See Also
- James Dillard
- Capt James Dillard at Find A Grave #9721470