CT^D^ GlC> THREE REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS Capt.-Lieut. William F., Capt. James and "Private" James Gaines. {Banner, October 20, 1920.) '/• Historians and descendants of "Capt. James Gaines" (Virginia and Tennes- see) and "Capt.-Lieut. William Fleming Gaines" (Virginia), soldiers of the Rev- olutionary War, have confused, it seems to appear, the military "records" of the tvi'o men, caused largely, if not entirely, by both being designated "captain," born in Virginia, and in the same war. "Captain" James Gaines (born in Cul- pepper County) led the Virginia militia (Volunteers), was wounded at the bat- tle of Guilford Courthouse in March, 1781. (See War Department, and Heit- man Histories, he an expert of that de- partment.) There appears to be no "record" show- ing that "Captain" James was in the "artillery," but the "records" and his- tory clearly show "Capt.-Lieut" William P. Gaines was in the "Continental Ar- tillery" and for "six years" under Capt. Charley Harrison with General Wash- ington in the East. (See Heitman's Books and Virginia Military Land War- rant No. 456 to "William Fleming Gaines, Captain-Lieutenant, artillery term, six years, issued April 28, 1783," and Kentucky Land Office records. War Department, and Lossing's Pict. Field Book of Revolution, pages 434-5, where he is indexed, "Gaines, Captain, at Eu- taw Springs;" Gibb's Histoi-y of Amer- ican Revolution, 146; McGrady's "South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783.") Each of these historians speak of the brilliant work "Captain" and "Captain- Lieutenant William Fleming Gaines" did with his "artillery" at the battle of Eu- taw Springs. A few quotations follow: "Battle of Eutaw Springs: "At the commeiu- nient two three- pc'.:!ders under C;iut-Licut. Gaines ad- vanced with the fron'J"TlTi'o. . ".'"■. Tile enemy's cannon swept the road with de- structive fire and until Colonel Williams brought up the artillery of Gaines in full gallop and returned their fire with se- vere effect." "The British attack soon yielded and fell back to their lines, dividing right and left and taking position on the flanks. At this moment one of the Brit- ish pieces was disabled, and both of Gaines' three-pounders were dismounted . . . A great number fell, and the re- mainder were thrown into confusion. Majorbanks perceived this, sallied out, seized the two pieces, and ran them un- der the window of the house. One of these was soon rescued by Lieutenant Gaines, and remained with the Ameri- cans a trophy of victory." Lossing, supra, indexed (as stated) "Gaines, Cap- tain, at Eutaw Springs." Gibbs says: "The three-pounders un- der Capt.-Lieut. Gaines moved in the road with the first line, which was equally distant to the right and left of it." . . . McGrady, at page 448, states: "Two three-pounders under Captain Gaines moved in the road with the first line equally distant to the right and left," and is indexed thus: "Gaines, Capt. Wilham Fleming Gaines, of Virginia takes part in the battle of Eutaw Springs." In the "Life, Letters, and Papers of Gen. Nathaniel Greene," his nephew, G. W. Green, speaks of the "artillery" work, at the battle of Eutaw Springs, of Captain-Lieutenant Gaines (if the writer hereof mistakes not). In no known "record" does it appear that "Captain Gaines" or "Capt. James Gaines" and his "volunteer militia" (or without them) was in this great Eutaw Springs battle, fQu^ht September, 1781. General Gi'tSn'J 'laJt']3sed^tb~~"'tToIuiiel Charles Harrison, Continental Army" (under whom Capt.-Lieut. William F. Gaines served) a letter from "High Hills of Santee" (Eutaw Section), and speaks of "Captain Gaines' 'artillery' work and 'Captain Ragsdale, of Harrison's artil- lery.' " This letter, by using the term "Cap- tain Gaines," has caused descendants of "Capt. James Gaines" to claim that he was the "Captain Gaines" to whom Gen- eral Greene refers in this letter. Virginia Magazine of History and Genealogy (12-'203-4) reads as follows: "Capt. James Gaines was a soldier and a statesman, much honored in North Carolina, where he settled (Surry County) soon after the Revolution, and died in Sullivan County, Tenn." "He was a nephew of Jud-r; Edmund Pendleton. His father, WillN'^.i Gaines, married Isabella Pendleton (and Mary, her sister, married James Gaines, a brother of William). Gen. Edmund P. Gaines was the son of this Capt. James Gaines, who (says 'Daring Deeds of American Generals'), in the latter p^art, of the Revolution, commanded a com- pany of volunteers and did a good serv- ice in that capacity. At the close of the war he (Capt. James Gaines) removed to the northwest border of North Caro- lina. He represented the county (Surry) in which he resided in the Legislature of that State, and was afterwards a member of the convention which rejected the Federal Constitution. Like many of the most patriotic citizens of Virginia, North Carolina, and other States, he ,..-.-'Hs at fir?^,;«,7pose(i to that i' ' oy the adoption of tnir mh ,n iil,..l. , voted in its favor." He died in 1810, says Heitman; but others, some of his descendants, say he died at a later date, and that his re- mains were buried at Newport, Tenn. "Private" James Gaines (Virginia and North Carolina). It also appears that the military "record" in the independ- ence war of another "James Gaines," of Culpepper, father, Henry, a "private" all the time, is also mixed with the rec- ord of "Capt." James Gaines, of Culpep- ?,1*'- J^^ "records" (Pension Office, War Department, and North Carolina records) show that he was with Wash- ington on the Delaware and with Lafay- ette in the South and at Yorktown, and alter the war ended moved to North Carolina, and there married Gary Kidd (evidently second marriage), was pen- sioned, and died (1852) in Moore County N. C; and that "three of his older broth- ers, with him at Yorktown, had long since gone West." "Capt." James Gaines died many years before. His last wife was a Strother. ^ Thus, plainly, without more, it appears Private" James, of Culpepper County, Va., and Moore County, N. C, and Capt. James Gaines," of Culpepper County, Va.; Surry County, N. C; and huUivan County, Tenn., were two dif- ferent men, and that "Capt. and Capt.- Lieut. William Fleming Gaines" was a third man. John W. Gaines. .ivi ^ ..i^-'^'-j. iLSn^' ""^ CONGRESS P l|l [ill IW||*l|l|l|l||»i|<|irn|ii,,,,~,,,, II w Hi \i III nil nil I III II 011 698 431 3 * LIBRARY OF CONGRESS I lll