Rob's Genealogy

Person Page 57

John McDill1,2,3,4

born 1762, died 3 November 1848

Family: Mary Brown (born 1771, died 2 December 1832)

Facts and Notes

  • Birth: 1762; IrelandBGO; In an answer during the interrogatory portion of testimony he gave for his Revolutionary War Pension, John McDill states unequivocally that he was born in Ireland during 17625,1,6,2,3
  • Arrival: 1772; Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 10. During the interrogatory portion of the testimony he gave for his Revolutionary War Pension, John McDill confirms that he immigrated to Charleston in 1772, then moved to Chester District immediately thereafter.3
  • Military: Between 1778 and 1782; Age: 16-20; See person note5,1,3
  • Marriage: Before 1790; Mary Brown; South Carolina, USABGO5,7,2
  • Residence: 1790; Chester County, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 28. He is residing with one female (his wife Mary) and an unidentified "free person" on the property adjacent to his father (Thomas McDill). He does not own any slaves8
  • Will: 20 November 1794; Chester, South Carolina, USABGO; Named benificiary and executor in Thomas H McDill's Last Will and Testament9
  • Residence: 1800; Chester District, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 38. He is residing with his wife (age 26-44), three daughters (age 0-9), one son (age 0-9) and one unidentified white male (age 10-15). He does not own any slaves.10
  • Residence: 1810; Chester District, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 48. He is residing with his wife (age 45+), four daughters (age 0-9), one daughter (age 10-15), one daughter (age 16-25), one son (age 10-15), and one son (age 0-9). He does not own any slaves.11
  • Residence: 1820; Chester District, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 58. He is residing with his wife (age 45+), four daughters (age 0-9), one daughter (age 10-15), one daughter (age 16-25), one son (age 10-15), and one son (age 0-9). He does not own any slaves.12
  • Residence: 1830; Chester County, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 68. He is residing with his wife (age 50-59), two daughters (age 15-19), one son (age 10-15), one daughter (age 16-25), one son and one unidentified male (age 20-29), and one unidentified male (age 50-59). He does not own any slaves.13
  • Residence: Between 1831 and 1848; South Carolina, USABGO4
  • Residence: 1833; Chester District, South Carolina, USABGO3
  • Residence: 1840; Chester County, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 78; he is residing in his son James' household6
  • Residence: 1840; Chester District, South Carolina, USABGO; Age: 78. No Twnshp Listed14
  • Death: 3 November 1848; Chester County, South Carolina, USABGO5,1
  • Burial: After 3 November 1848; Moffatt-Strong-McDill Cemetery, Chester County, South Carolina, USABG5,1
  • Note: On 2 April 1833, John McDill, who was 71 years old at the time, provided testimony to the Court of General Sessions and Common Pleas, Chester District, South Carolina, about his Revolutionary War service between 1778 and 1782. The details of his service are as follows:

    John McDill was first drafted and called into service under the command of Capt. Alexander Turner and Maj. Brown and marched towards Moncks Corner about 1 December 1778, where they were put under the command of Brig. Gen. Richardson. They stayed at that location for “some time,” then marched to within 7 miles of Charleston, before marching through Jacksonboro and Pocotaligo to Purrysburgh. They were placed under the command of Gen. Lincoln while at Purrysburgh, and remained there until their time of service had expired.

    John remained at home a short time, but was called out again on or about 18 March 1779. Under the command of Capt. John Nixon, he crossed the Broad and Saluda Rivers and marched to near Augusta in Georgia, where his unit encamped and remained for almost six weeks. He recalls that his field officers were Col. John Winn and Brig. Gen. Williamson, and that there were two captains of the regular army at that encampment whose names were Moore and Miles. After breaking camp, the unit crossed the Savannah River into Georgia and marched towards the city of Savannah, before re-crossing the Savannah River back into South Carolina and marching rapidly towards Charleston. On the march to Charleston they crossed the Edisto River and arrived at Bacon's Bridge, where John obtained a permit to go home because his father's family were “nearly all sick”; he arrived home on or about 27 May.

    Following the fall of Charleston on 12 May 1780, when the country was “overrun by British troops and Tories [John’s emphasis],” John joined General Sumter troops and was placed under the command of Capt. Samuel Adams and Col. Lacy. He marched to the “Congaree Fort” [probably Fort Granby on the Congaree River, which was besieged by General Sumter in February 1781; Capt. Samuel Adams was a known participant] and besieged it for some time. The Americans were eventually forced away and the soldiers were marched towards Charleston. On their way to Charleston, John’s unit encountered and attacked a party of British troops, killing nearly the whole party and capturing a number of wagons. Afterwards, they crossed the Santee River and attacked a troop of British soldiers, but his unit was forced to retreat after a number of soldiers were killed, wounded, and taken prisoner; John lost his horse, saddle, and bridle during his escape. Those of his party that escaped, marched to Kingstree on the Black River and he was sent home from there.

    In May 1781, John again joined Capt. Adams’ unit. They scouted on the Wateree River and procured provisions for General Green's army. Later they were ordered to the previously mentioned Congaree Fort [Fort Granby], which surrendered to Col. Lee on 15 May 1781, after which they were dismissed and he returned home.

    He was ordered out again in June 1781, and placed under the command of Capt. Adams and Col. Lacy, who had just been exchanged. They joined Gen. Green's army and marched to Orangeburg, where they were transferred to Gen. Sumter’s command. Gen. Sumter ordered his troops to attack the British garrison at Biggins Church, which the British were using as a storage and ammunition depot, but the British burned the church and began retreating before Sumter’s men could arrive. John and a party from his unit destroyed a nearby bridge in an attempt to prevent the British from escaping. Shortly thereafter they were attacked by a British Dragoons, but John’s party managed to drive them off after they “killed two or three and took seven of them prisoners.” During the pursuit of the British forces, John indicated that American advance units took about 60 prisoners. The British took shelter in a range of houses, and “when we attacked them, we had no cannon and could not dislodge them [and] a number of our men were killed and wounded.”

    He was drafted for the final time around February 1782, and placed under the command of Capt. Cooper, Maj. Wallis, and Gen. Henderson. They marched to Orangeburg, where they were ordered to guard the jail, which contained a large number of prisoners. He could not recall how long he remained at Orangeburg, but it “was the last day of [his] Revolutionary services.”

Citations

  1. [S362] Online database, Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=55345833, John McDill memorial page, number 55345833, created by Janine McQuiston, 23 Jul 2010; citing gravestone in Moffatt-Strong-McDill Cemetery, Chester, Chester County, South Carolina, USA. (https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=55345833: accessed 31 January 2017)
  2. [S425] Yates Publishing, U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=WorldMarr_ga&h=163272&indiv=try, Source number: 10051.001; Source type: Pedigree chart; Number of Pages: 1, Record for Mary Brown
  3. [S700] Ancestry.com, U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=RevWarPBountyLandGrants&h=38915&indiv=try, Record for John Mcdill
  4. [S702] Ancestry.com, U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=Pensioner1818&h=32370&indiv=try, The National Archives; Washington, D.C.; Ledgers of Payments, 1818-1872, to U.S. Pensioners Under Acts of 1818 Through 1858 From Records of the Office of the Third Auditor of the Treasury; Record Group Title: Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury; Record Group Number: 217; Series Number: T718; Roll Number: 8, Record for John Mcdill
  5. [S260] Robert McDill Woods and Iva Godfrey Woods, McDills in America: A History of the Descendents of John McDill and Janet Leslie of County Antrim, Ireland, page 5
  6. [S384] Ancestry.com, 1840 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1840usfedcenancestry&h=3154414&indiv=try, Year: 1840; Census Place: Chester, South Carolina; Roll: 510; Page: 284; Image: 1183; Family History Library Film: 0022508, Record for James McDill
  7. [S519] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=FindAGraveUS&h=9216328&indiv=try, Record for Mary McDill
  8. [S546] Ancestry.com, 1790 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1790usfedcen&h=380247&indiv=try, Year: 1790; Census Place: Chester, South Carolina; Series: M637; Roll: 11; Page: 185; Image: 120; Family History Library Film: 0568151, Record for John Mcdill
  9. [S553] Ancestry.com, South Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=9080&h=1031980&indiv=try, South Carolina Will Transcripts, 1782-1868; Author: Wates, Wylma Anne; Probate Place: Chester, South Carolina, Record for Thomas McDill
  10. [S660] Ancestry.com, 1800 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1800usfedcenancestry&h=483963&indiv=try, Year: 1800; Census Place: Chester, South Carolina; Series: M32; Roll: 47; Page: 74; Image: 149; Family History Library Film: 181422, Record for John Mcdill
  11. [S442] Ancestry.com, 1810 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1810usfedcenancestry&h=576935&indiv=try, Year: 1810; Census Place: Chester, Chester, South Carolina; Roll: 60; Page: 500; Image: 00281; Family History Library Film: 0181419, Record for John McDill
  12. [S443] Ancestry.com, 1820 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1820usfedcenancestry&h=967112&indiv=try, 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Chester, Chester, South Carolina; Page: 4; NARA Roll: M33_120; Image: 90, Record for John Mcdill
  13. [S371] Ancestry.com, 1830 United States Federal Census, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1830usfedcenancestry&h=633124&indiv=try, 1830; Census Place: Chester, South Carolina; Series: M19; Roll: 169; Page: 330; Family History Library Film: 0022503, Record for M Mc Dill
  14. [S701] Ancestry.com, South Carolina, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890, http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=sccen&h=28983123&indiv=try, Record for John McDill