Archibald Gillison volunteered as a backcountry Virginia (VA) militiaman during 21 Aug 1760 as a resident at Caroline County (Co.). He migrated to resettle permanently prior to Mar 1772 at a 100-acre tract set along Turkey Creek, Saluda River near the frontier stockade fort and village, that became Town of Ninety-Six, South Carolina (SC)

SAR Patriot #: P-329086

Little information was found by this writer, that documented Archibald Gillison’s colonial Virginia (VA) parents latently, named Archibald or James Gillison. However, documentation aplenty was mined from Fauquier and Culpeper [County (Co.) VA, formed 1749 from Orange Co., and earlier still, from Spotsylvania Co.] that related after age 21, during 1750 Archibald married Jean (aka Jane) Harrison (1735-28 Nov 1796) a dau., of Thomas Harrison and wife (w.) Anne Grayson Quarles (1710-1774); sources, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Ancestor Search  of Ancestor #: A044966; Marriage Returns might need additional research at Fauquier Co., formed 1758 from Prince William Co., formed 1730 from Stafford Co., where Find A Grave Memorial# 74802936 identified a fascinating and historical burial for Archibald’s father-in-law, Thomas Harrison.

A canvass of the Nat’l. Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Patriot Research System, SAR Patriot #: P-329086 revealed, Archibald was born (b.) in colonial Virginia during 1728 and died at age 64 on 3 Mar 1792 at Abbeville, South Carolina (SC); source, Pendleton District, SC Deeds, 1790-1806, Compiled by Betty Willie.  Conveyance Book B, Pgs 63-64.

Writer and publisher Raleigh Travers Green compiled and publ., Genealogical and Historical Notes on Culpeper County, Virginia -St. Marks Parish, Copyright 1900: see, Part II, pgs 3, 4 and will 49. Green wrote that James Gillison, Feb. 5, 1759, will (Culpeper) left all his property to his brothers, (sic) John Gillison and Archibald, of (neighboring) Caroline…, Aug. 21, 1760. John was identified by Green on pgs 3 and 4. The writing advised that the 1^st Minutemen companies raised in Virginia, included 150 men from Culpeper; 100 from neighboring Orange and 100 from Fauquier. Companies were ordered by Patrick Henry, Commander of Colonial VA Troops, to rendezvous, organize, march and encamp in John S. Barbour’s field ½ a mile west of the village of [Fairfax, (later made the Town of Culpeper)] immediately after the outbreak of War on 19 Apr 1775 at Concord and Lexington, Green, Massachusetts (MA).  Green wrote, that in the course of the war, 8 companies of 84 men each were formed in Culpeper for integration with the Continental Line (Infantry) service. Among the commissioned captains were John Green, later promoted to Colonel; John Thornton; Geo. Slaughter; Gabriel Long (promoted major), John Gillison, who led his company on 11 Sep 1777 to attack British Regulars at Brandywine Creek near Chadds Ford, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania (PA). Captain Gillison was wounded miraculously, by an undercharged powder and ball that struck Gillison’s forehead while he was defending against a British assault made upon his associate, Captain Gabriel Long’s company. The surgeon examined Gillison, removed the fragment and the wound soon healed and left an impressionable scar in the middle of his forehead. No permanent harm was done, the surgeon noted, and he advised, Gillison’s company that any (surviving) soldier might be proud of that scar!

Archibald’s surviving family was identified as James,** logically a brother, and John Gillison, Archibald’s son. Both were variously recorded as Virginia (VA) colonial militiamen; sources, An 18^th Century Perspective: Culpeper County publ., by the Culpeper Historical Society, Inc., 1976, captioned, Colonial Militia -Foot Soldiers, John Wilhoit, James Gillison, Lewis Fisher, Nicholas Yager and William Twyman, et al., pgs 35 and (John Gillison, as a Revolutionary War, officer) 36.

Archibald Gillison was characterized as a backcountry Virginia (VA) militiaman during 21 Aug 1760 as a resident at Caroline County (Co.). He migrated to resettle permanently prior to Mar 1772 at a 100-acre tract set along Turkey Creek, Saluda River near the frontier stockade fort and village, that became Town of Ninety-Six, South Carolina (SC); source, American Migrations, 1765-1799, South Carolina, pg 706, i.e., image frame 722, paragraph captioned, “King, Richard of Ninety-Six Dist. Memorial 1786. Richard King was a resident in SC from 1763 to 1782 and acquired an estate there worth more than £1,000 (Pounds) sterling. At the start of the RevWar King retired to a remote part of the Carolinas to avoid being drawn into hostility, mapped as “Ninety Six” on the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Nat’l. Park Service 2009 Government Printing Office (GPO) reprint of a pamphlet entitled: Ninety Six which characterized the hamlet as a vital political and economic trade center in the SC backcountry, garrisoned by 550 American-British loyalists led by LieutCol. John Cruger during 1780. The result of the loyalist fortification led to establishment of a twelve (12) foot-thick earthen and timber wall, Star Fort west of the village, Ninety-Six. Gen’l. Nathanael Greene’s Continental Line (Infantry) arrived during late May, 1781 and led a 2-week siege beginning on 1 Jun. The British Army ordered a rescue approach to save the defenders of the Star Fort after the Jun 18^th attack led by Continental Line Light-Horse Dragoon Commander Harry Lee.  Lee’s American Dragoons were repulsed, and slipped away crossing the Saluda River before loyalists could give chase. Although Greene lost the siege of Star Fort, his offensive weakened the loyalist defenders in the backcountry, and loyalist abandoned Ninety-Six to encamp near the SC Coast using a British Coastal Fleet for defense.

Archibald Gillison’s Turkey Run tract along the Saluda was apparently sold and Archibald and w., Jean (Jane) Harrison Gillison family with at least one dau., Karen Happuch Gillison (1770-1835) resettled to Pendleton, SC after the close of the Revolutionary War. Record of a private family burial ground may be Old Emerson Family Cemetery at Anderson, Anderson County, SC, as given by findagrave.com at Memorial 131893814, which appears to be Jean (Jane) Harrison Gillison.  There may be additional graves that are undocumented at present.

**Archibald's brother is identical to James Gillison (1750-1813). He was recorded at Court held in Pickens District, SC, to have died during business travel to Maryland near Annapolis in 1813.

Jane, captioned above, was recorded as James GILLISON'S spouse married (1779) before the close of the RevWar at Ninety Six District, SC.

Jane's death was determined to have occurred on 15 Mar 1847, according to Court hearing and Pension records at District of Pickens, SC, dated Jun 1847.