James Hayden was born on 25 December 1763 or 1766 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia,^1,2 and he was the son of William Hayden and Ann Ballard.³ In James’ pension application, he states in one court document that he was born in 1763 and in another document that he was born in 1766.

James describes his service in two open court hearings in Franklin County, Kentucky. Some of the dates differ, but the actual service is the same. The following is information taken from the open court hearings. James entered the Revolutionary War as a volunteer for each campaign he participated in. He first enlisted in Fayette County, Virginia, as a spy in the company of Captain Robert Patterson under Colonel John Todd's command for five months. The campaign left Lexington in pursuit of Native American warriors who had captured horses and killed a spy by the name of Isaac Wimer. James completed a different tour of three months under General George Rogers Clark in which his unit marched towards the Piqua towns in Ohio to burn villages of Native American warriors and their families, and crops. In the spring of 1782, he enlisted for a five-month tour under Captain Robert Patterson under Colonel John Todd. On this tour, he returned to Fort Lexington when news reached that Native Americans and British soldiers were besieging Bryan’s Station. Lieutenant McMullen commanded a party that included James as a relief effort for the station. The party advanced to the station under significant risk of attack by the enemy and with the loss of a soldier shot and killed named James McConnell. After arriving at Bryan’s Station, an engagement took place that lasted about a day and a half in which two men were killed inside the station and one wounded. The two men killed were John Adkins and Frederick Mitchell, and the one man wounded was Nicholas Tomblin. After failing to take the station, the enemy would make their way, and an engagement called the Battle of the Blue Licks would occur. James states that “upwards of eighty of our men” would be killed in the battle along with Colonel John Todd, which took place on 19 August 1782. [James does not mention whether he engaged in the Battle of the Blue Licks in his statement.] General Clark gave Colonel Levi Todd command after the death of Colonel John Todd, and in September 1782, James and the company left Lexington for the Chillicothe Campaign, joining General Clark’s regiment for two months. The combined unit crossed the Ohio River where modern-day Cincinnati is to Chillicothe to Piqua towns, destroying Native American dwellings and corn. In March 1783, James was sent by Colonel Levi Todd on a spy mission, engaging in skirmishes and experiencing frequent hunger until October of the same year. ²

In 1784, after the Revolutionary War, James enlisted under Captain William Steele under the command of General George Rogers Clark against the Native Americans in Vincennes for two months. He lost a horse worth $80, he states, in this campaign. In 1790, he was employed as a spy between his father’s station near Lexington, the Ohio River, and Frankfort. He suffered hardships, hazards, and many expenses throughout his military career.²

James married Susannah Gore on 14 June 1792 in Woodford County, Kentucky. Susannah was born on 01 July 1775. [birth location not recorded] They had the following children:^1,2,4

• Fountain T. was born in 1816 and married Elizabeth Duvall.
• Thomas H. was born in 1795 and married Sarah Hawkins.
• Sarah was born in 1812 and married Benjamin Harrod.
• John Gore was born in 1804 and married America Vinegard.
• William G. was born in 1793.
• Benjamin was born in 1797.
• Nancy was born in 1808.
• Susan Ann was born in 1816.
• James was born in 1799.
• Mary was born in 1802.
• Goar was born in 1806.
• Elizabeth was born in 1810.
• Blan was born in 182?

James’ Last Will and Testament was written on 8 April 1840 in the Franklin County, Kentucky Will Book 2.⁵ He died on 13 April 1840 in Franklin County, Kentucky, and is buried in the Frankfort Cemetery in Franklin County, Kentucky.⁶ Susannah died on 3 September 1847 in Franklin County, Kentucky.

Sources:

1. James Hayden, NSSAR Patriot #: P-178116.
2. James Hayden’s Pension *S30466
3. William Hayden, NSDAR Ancestor #: A028439.
4. James Hayden, NSDAR Ancestor #: A052523.
5. Franklin County, Kentucky Wills 2, 1824-1854, page 114.
6. Find-a-Grave Memorial ID: 239144671, Cemetery ID: 169757.