Author: Danny G. Crouse
Birth: Apr. 3, 1759 Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA
Death: Nov. 12, 1835 Wilkes County North Carolina, USA

Jasper Billings

The "other" Jasper Billings who was in Wilkes Co in 1810 is said to have been born on 4/3/1759 and died on 11/12/1835.

He married Elizabeth Richardson on 6/14/1795.

He owned land in the Reddies River area, as well as at his homeplace in Dockery. He built a grist mill on Roaring River in 1792 and was in Capt. Judd's District in 1797. It is possible that some census information actually refers to him and not the other Jasper

This is a transcription from: The Heritage of Wilkes County 1982. Wilkes Genealogical Society Inc. Hunter Publishing ISBN: 0-89459-189-4 Library of Congress Card: 82-83538 Page 100 or Family#350
Contributed by Naomi Gordon:

Jasper Billings was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving as a Private in the N. C. Militia.

He was born April 3, 1759 in Pittsylvania Co., VA., but moved to N.C. with his father when he was 15 years old, and in Aug. 1776 while still a teen enlisted as a volunteer under Lt. Martin Davenport to fight the Cherokee Indians, who were troublesome at that time.
He served about 6 weeks, and again in the fall of 1780 he volunteered for 3-months service under Capt. William Hewlett and Lt. John Parker, most of which time he spent guarding prisoners taken at the Battle of King's Mountain. During his third tour of duty, beginning July 1871 for 3 months, he was under Capt. Alexander Gordon and participated in the battle of Eutaw Springs in S. C.
He mentioned Thomas Joines as being in his group in this last service, and gave James Bauguess as reference in his application for pension.

Jasper was a large land owner, holding land in the Reddies River area as well as the homeplace in Dockery.
He is listed in Capt. Judd's district in the 1797 Taxables with 390 acres of land, and Elisha Richardson is also listed in this same group.
An order dated July 30, 1792 gave "him leave to build a grist mill on Roaring River at the place where Thomas Billings formerly had a grist mill."
On June 14, 1795 he was married in Wilkes County, N. C., Where he had returned to live after the Revolutionary War to Elizabeth Richardson who was born around 1774.
Elisha Richardson is given as surety on their marriage bond, so it appears he was probably related to Jasper's wife.

Jasper and Elizabeth Richardson Billings had several children.
In the 1820 Census he was listed with 6 males under 20 and 3 females, but only 4 children have been definitely identified: Elisha, Thomas, Hiram and Abel.
Alpha and Bethane are possible children of his.

Of his four children, Elisha was born around 1804, married first on Nov. 4, 1831 to Nancy Hawkins, married second on Nov. 9, 1837 to Malinda McCrary, and married third to Susan Sabrina Wheatley.
He had at least 16 children.
Hiram, born 1805, married on March 20, 1828 to Rosannah Minton, born about 1810. They had 10 children Thomas, born 1815, married 1, Sept. 26, 1845, to Nancy Wiles, dau, of Abraham Wiles and Winnie Aubrey, married second on Sept. 16, 1864 to Frances Bowers and married third on Jan. 28, 1867 to Sarah Ellis. At least 14 children were born to him and his wives.
Able, the last child, born to Jasper and Elizabeth, was born on May 10, 1825.
He married Keziah Blevins and they had 8 children. Able died on Feb. 12, 1917.

Jasper Billings died on Nov. 12 1835 and is buried with other members of his family in a family plot on land now owned by Alice Billings in the Dockery community.
The peak just above this graveyard bears his name, Jasper's Knob


REV WAR PENSION
State of North Carolina
County of Wilkes

On this 22d day of October 1832, personally appeared before me John Gambill, one of the acting Justices of the Peace for the County & State aforesaid, Jasper Billings, a resident of the County of Wilkes & State of North Carolina, aged seventy three years, 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 was born on the 3d day of April 1759 in the County of Pittsylvania & State of Virginia, (the record of which was entered by his father in a bible now in the possession of the family of his brother) where he continued to reside until he was about fifteen years of age, when he removed with his father to the County of Surry (now Wilkes) in the State of North Carolina, where he lived until he entered the service of the United States about the month of August 1776 as a volunteer under Lieutenant Martin Davenport, and rendezvoused on Roaring River in the said County of Wilkes, and marched immediately to the North Western side of the Blue Ridge against the Cherokee Indians, who at that time were very troublesome. When they had proceeded as far as the Grandfather Mountain they halted and struck up camp, and after detailing a portion of the company to guard the camp, they [sic] remainder divided themselves into scouting parties and were employed during their stay at that place in scouring the country round about after the Indians. After about a month or six weeks employed in this manner, and without meeting with any of the Indians, they concluded that they had abandoned the country--and therefore there was no longer any necessity for their services. They accordingly set out for home, and when they had reached the County of Wilkes, they were discharged by Lieutenant Davenport, and each man repaired to his home. Soon after the return home of this deponent, he removed with his father back to Pittsylvania County Virginia, where he lived for about three years & again returned to North Carolina in the fall of the year 1780. In the month of October of that year, this deponent again volunteered himself for three months, and joined a company of volunteers commanded by Capt William Hewlit, [probably Hewlett] & Lieutenant John Harper or Parker, and rendezvoused at Surry Old C. H. where they remained for a few days until they were properly organized, and thence marched direct to Salisbury, where they were stationed in conjunction with other troops for nearly three months guarding a portion of the prisoners which had been taken at the battle of Kings Mountain (this deponent believes that the troops at that place during the time aforesaid were under the command of Col Washington, but of this fact he is not certain). [NOTE: This was Lieutenant Col. William Washington (1752-1810), cousin of George Washington, who was wounded and taken prisoner during the battle of Eutaw Springs.] Some time in the month of January 1781, information was received at Salisbury that Lord Cornwallis was approaching the State from South Carolina, when the prisoners aforesaid were immediately put in preparation and marched off under the guard aforesaid to the State of Virginia. And when they had proceeded as far as the Horse Pasture Creek in Patrick County, the term of service of Capt. Hewlits company having expired, they were relieved by the substitution of some other troops, and were discharged and sent home. In the month of July following, this deponent again volunteered himself for three months, and joined the company of Capt Alexander Gordon at Hamblins old store, in the said County of Wilkes, and very soon thereafter marched direct to Camden in South Carolina, where they joined the army under Genl [Nathanael] Greene [1742-1786]. Immediately after joining the main army, Genl Greene set out upon his march crossing the Wateree, and Congaree, to Thompsons Fort. After remaining at that place for about a week, they marched direct for the Eutaw Springs, and after a hard march for a day and night, they arrived within a few miles of the Eutaw Springs where the British had taken post. As soon as the necessary arrangements for an attack could be made, Genl Greene moved forward with the army, and when they arrived within about three miles of the British army, they came upon their advance guard (who were getting potatoes) whom they attacked, and who immediately retreated, but who were very soon surrounded by the American Light Horse, and the whole party taken prisoners. Genl Greene then pushed forward with all possible speed, until the general action at that place commenced, and after a hard fought battle of about two hours, the Americans retired, having taken a great many prisoners, and left a great many dead upon the field.

Soon after the engagement, the prisoners which were taken, were given n charge to the North Carolina militia who guarded them on their march back until they reached Salisbury, where they were stationed for about three weeks when their term of service of this deponent expired, and he received his discharge and returned home, having been in service about three months and two weeks. This last tour closed the services performed by this deponent during the revolutionary War. This deponent has lived in the County of Wilkes ever since the revolutionary War, and resides there at this time.

He received discharges from Captains Hewlit & Gordon under whom he served, for both his three months tours, but which have been lost or mislaid for many years. He has no documentary evidence to prove his service, nor does he know of any person living whose testimony he could procure, who can testify to his services, except Thomas Jines [Joines] who served with him during the last tour to the Eutaw Springs, and whose affidavit is hereto annexed, and to which he refers for proof of that tour, for the remaining part of his services he refers to James Baugus and the aforesaid Thomas Jines as persons to whom he has been long known in his neighborhood and who can testify as to his character for veracity and their belief of his services as a soldier of the revolution.

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.

Sworn to & Subscribed, the day and year aforesaid.
test [smudge] Jasper Billings
Jno Gambill JP [name written not his mark]

On the day and year aforesaid, personally appeared before me John Gambill an acting Justice of the Peace for the County & State aforesaid, Thomas Jines, who being first duly sworn according to law, deposeth and saith that he served with Jasper Billings the above applicant during the three months tour mentioned in the foregoing declaration as having been performed under Capt. Alexander Gordon to Camden, where they joined Genl Greene, and thence by Thompsons Fort to the Eutaw Springs, where the engagement was fought, and from thence to Salisbury N.C. guarding the prisoners taken at the Eutaw Springs, and where they were discharged. And further that the services set forth and specified in the said declaration as having been performed by the said Jasper Billlings during the three months tour aforesaid, were performed by him.

Sworn to & Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
test
his
Thomas X Jines
Jno Gambill JP
mark

We James Baugus & Thomas Jines residents of the County of Wilkes & State of North Carolina do hereby certify that we are well acquainted with Jasper Billings who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration, that we believe him to be seventy three years of age, that he is reputed & believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the revolution, and that we concur in that opinion.
Sworn to & Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
his
James [mark like a backward E] Baugus
test
mark
Jno Gambill JP
his
Thomas X Jines
mark


I John Gambill Justice of the Peace as aforesaid, do hereby declare my opinion, after the investigation of the matter, and after putting the interrogatories prescribed by the War Department, that the above named applicant was a revolutionary soldier, and served as he states. And I further certify that I am well acquainted with James Baugus & Thomas Jines who have signed the preceding certificate, that they are both residents of the County of Wilkes & State of North Carolina, and are credible persons, and that their statement is entitled to credit. I further certify that I am well acquainted with Jasper Billings the above applicant, and that he has been for near six months past confined to his house by the dislocation of his hip joint, and that he is in a very helpless condition, & entirely unable from the circumstance aforesaid, to attend a court of record to make the application for a pension aforesaid.

Given under my hand the day & year aforesaid
Jno Gambill JP [Seal]
State of North Carolina

County of Wilkes

I Robert Martin Clerk of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions of the County of Wilkes & State of North Carolina, do hereby certify that John Gambill Esqr (remainder illegible)

COPYRIGHT AND NOTES
©2010 by Joyce Joines Newman, Nola Duffy, for the NCGenWeb Project. No portion of any document appearing on this site is to be used for other than personal research. Any republication or reposting is expressly forbidden without the written consent of the owner. Last updated 04/29/2011

Family links:
Spouse:
Nancy Richardson Billings (1774 - 1828)*

Children:
Abraham Billings (1825 - 1917)*

*Calculated relationship

Inscription:
Head Stone was recovered 9-2015. Found broken off almost completely underground... Head Stone is readable and made of soap stone. Also recovered was Jasper's wife tombstone also readable.. Also recovered was aproximatly 20 old creek stone head stones in Jasper's Knob Cemetery.

Burial:
Jasper Billings Family Cemetery at Jasper's Knob a
Dockery
Wilkes County
North Carolina, USA
GPS (lat/lon): 36.30998, -81.08548

Created by: Carole Conrad
Record added: Apr 12, 2014
Find A Grave Memorial# 127871459