Family story relates James Christy was born on a ship coming from Ireland in 1750.  Born in the Cape of Delaware, although not born on American soil, was born in American waters and was an American by birth.  His father and mother settled down on a farm in Philadelphia that is now the corner of 4th and Poplar.  When the Revolutionary War erupted James joined the 4th New Jersey Regiment.  Family stories state that James' father joined the same regiment but no record of another Christy can be found in that regiment.  The younger man being the better shot took the flintlock rifle and James' father served as a teamster.  No mention of James' fathers name.  In 1776 the New Jersey Regiments suffered severe losses and a smallpox epidemic and retreated to Fort Ticonderoga, where they learned that their homes to the south faced enemy invasion.  Many men refused to remain with their regiments and returned to their homes and by March 1777 many of the men had gone home.  New Jersey was struggling to achieve their enlistment quotas. Desperate for men, New Jersey relaxed their regulations and would accept any able bodied man and offered an enlistment bounty.  A variety of men answered the call including foreigners, drifters, runaway servants, and slaves.  In 1777 the 4th regiment’s quota was 2,720 and only enlisted 1,408.  Over half of the new recruits had no evidence of ever living in New Jersey,  and half of the New Jersey troops were no more than twenty-two years of age and a large number of them were in their teens.  James Christy was one of these recruits.  In 1777 the desertion rate was 42% but James Christy remained.  The French labeled them as a ragged lot, with no available uniforms at the time.  In 1777 they fought well at Brandywine and Germantown with George Washington but failed and Philadelphia was occupied by the British.  James Christy served the last part of 1777 and early 1778 in the hospital.  No record if the reason was for sickness or injury.  In 1778, fighting resumed at Monmouth after the winter at Valley Forge.  In 1779 they accompanied Gen. John Sullivan's expedition against the Iroquois in Western New York.  Sullivan specifically requested the New Jersey regiments and they served him well.  Col. Spencer's men helped clear the path for the army as an advance party; another detachment under Col. Israel Shreve, of the second New Jersey, guarded the expedition's base of supplies.  The brigade then returned to Morristown for the winter, and in 1780 fought skillfully beside the state militia to help turn back the last major enemy incursion into their state at Springfield.  The final year of campaigning began in disgrace and ended in glory.  In Jan 1781, some of the Jerseymen followed the Pennsylvania Line into mutiny when they could no longer endure the trials of poor supply, late pay, and the cold of one of the worst winters of the war.  The mutiny was crushed and two ringleaders executed.  The mutiny did not destroy their willingness to fight.  In Feb 1781, the marquis de Lafayette took 160 Jersey Light Infantry (James Christy was one of these)-selected from all of the regiments for their physical fitness and military skill-with him on his expedition to Virginia, where a royal force led by turncoat Benedict Arnold had been raiding.  Unable to stop Arnold, Lafayette was nonetheless, pleased with the conduct of the Jerseymen, who remained near Williamsburg until Sept. 1781.  There the rest of the Jersey brigade met them and traveled south with George Washington to trap Gen. Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown.  The entire brigade actively participated in the final siege of the war.  They scheduled the operation for the night of October 15th, with the Jersey Light Infantry as the first assault group.  Placing the Jerseymen in the lead doubtless expressed Washington's confidence in their ability and loyalty.  In a last minute change of plans, Lt Col. Alexander Hamilton claimed the forward position.  Advancing behind Hamilton's men, The New Jersymen stormed the redoubt at the height of the attack.  Cornwallis surrendered on October 19th.  George Washington created the "Badge of Merit" service award to recognize soldiers for bravery, fidelity, and good conduct, which James Christy earned.  He also earned 2 stripes on his left sleeve for 6 years of service and was promoted to Corporal just before he was discharged.  

James served a total of 6 years 2 months.  Family heirlooms include a soup tureen, said to have served George Washington while visiting the family home which now resides in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a silver pocket watch that was carried by James during the war, now in the possession of Graceland College Museum Dept., and a page of a newspaper with the Declaration of Independence printed on it, and a photograph of his revolutionary war discharge, in the possession of David E Christy, a great great great great grandson.  While enlisted in the war, James took a half-day furlough to visit his home and found the family assembled there, with his bride to be.  He announced to the family that when the war was over, they would marry.  They married about 1783.  His first wife, name unknown (possibly French or Tench), died about 1796, leaving James with his children, George, Mary, and James Jr to raise.  James re-married a war widow, Christiana or Christina Pope Snellhart.  She had 2 children from her previous marriage.  Together James and Christiana had 2 more children, William C., and Sarah.  The will states the eminent arrival of another child to be named Claudius or Christiana.  No other record of that child can be found.  City directory’s indicated James was a grocer in Northern Liberties Philadelphia.  He died of consumption at the age of 60 years and 3 months