Author: James L. Lockhart
Capt. James Archer was born in 1747 in Virginia. He died in 1830 in Monroe Co., OH. He was buried in Catholic Cemetery, Beaver Township, Noble County, Ohio. James’ grave has no marker. Information from M. B. Archer’s Book. He served in the military 1776 to 1794 in American Revolutionary War.

Capt. James Archer’s military service of 18 years was in and around Fort Jackson which is now Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. In 1776 James enlisted as Ensign in Capt. Davis Owens Company of Frontier Rangers. David Owens went to Kentucky and James Archer was elected Captain of Fort Jackson. In the fall of 1776, Capt. Archer received orders from a military superior whose headquarters were at “Catfish,” now Washington, Pennsylvania, to send an officer with ten men to the flats of Grave Creek, where another squad with supplies would join them. The destination was the mouth of Fish Creek. They were to erect a block house, and keep scouts along the river to watch the movements of the Indians, so that the settlers might be able to gather their fall crops and seeding without being attacked by hostile Indians. Capt. Archer selected himself and ten men, and one of the men was Thomas Smith.

In 1782 James was Captain of the 1st Battalion, 5th Company, Washington Co., Pennsylvania Militia and he had three brothers serving under him: Joseph Archer, Michael Archer, and Simon Archer. On 7 Jul 1784, James was Capt. of a Company in 2nd Battalion that was under the command of Col. Henry Enochs, and Maj. James Carmichael. 1786 he was Capt. Of the 3rd Co., 4th Battalion. Under him was Lt. James Seals, Ensign William Hathaway and 78 privates. Lt. Col. William Crawford and Maj Joseph Vanmetere commanded the Battalion.

From 7th of May 1793 to 12 Dec 1793 he served in Capt William Crawford’s Co., as a private. His monthly pay was at the rate of $6.67 per month for a period of 220 days, for a total pay of $48.02 ½. Starting 1 Apr 1794 he served under Capt James Seals for frontier defense as a Private for 253 days. On the 24th of March 1795 James Archer Sr. received $49.73 for services in the Washington Co., Pennsylvania Militia and $2.00 for the use of his gun.