James S. Ferrell was born on April 24, 1763, in the part of colonial Virginia he described as Berkeley County, essentially the same area that is now Winchester—a place familiar to me today. His likely parents were Robert Ferrell (whom he named a son after) and Hannah, surname unknown. Monongalia County records suggest he had several siblings, including Robert Ferrell Jr., Jane Ferrell, Rebecca Ferrell, Susanna Ferrell, and Hannah Ferrell. He likely married Rebecca Bunner, daughter of John and Martha Bunner, who appear to have had at least five children: Robert Ferrell, John B. Ferrell, James S. Ferrell Jr., Eli (or Elisha) C. Ferrell, and Martha Elizabeth Rebecca Ferrell.
I was able to reconstruct James’ family using Monongalia County records that mention the Ferrells and Bunners. The only direct statement is an 1818 court entry naming Robert Ferrell as “son of James,” which anchors James’ household. Other likely children and siblings—especially Hannah Ferrell, who appears in an 1819 court recognizance (a legal bond requiring someone to appear or keep the peace) with members of the Bunner family—fit through age, naming patterns, and close interaction with James. The older couple Robert Ferrell Sr. and his wife Hannah, documented in Monongalia deeds, match the right generation and location to be James’ parents.
Because the available records do not provide a complete picture of his family, this sketch centers on James’ military service. He grew up on the dangerous western frontier near present‑day Morgantown in Monongalia County, and it was from this rugged landscape that he entered Revolutionary War service as a teenager.
His recollections—given 55 years after his service—were remarkably detailed. James entered the war “being a little upward of sixteen years of age.” In May 1779, he volunteered in Captain David Scott’s Virginia militia company under Colonel David McIntosh. He helped build Fort McIntosh on the Ohio River and later garrisoned Wheeling Fort, defending frontier settlements during months of intense Indian activity. His three‑month enlistment stretched into eight, a common reality for militia on the western line.
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Header page from James’ Revolutionary War pension file, noting his service as a private in Captain Scott’s company under Colonel McIntosh in the Virginia militia |
He returned to service in 1780 or 1781 in the company commanded by his father, Captain Robert Ferrell, serving under General George Rogers Clark, the famed frontier commander whose campaigns secured the Ohio Valley for the United States. James served at Fort Defiance near the Falls of the Ohio, where Indian attacks were constant. He recalled one day when a man hitched his horse near the fort and was immediately shot through the ear by hidden attackers. Another attack killed six men in a boat at the mouth of Beargrass Creek, including Captain Lipton. James and his father led relief missions to evacuate isolated settlers and break up exposed forts.
His final and most harrowing service came in 1782, again under Captain Ferrell, when he joined Colonel William Crawford’s Sandusky campaign. The expedition collapsed into chaos after a devastating Indian attack. James gave a vivid firsthand account, preserved in his pension file. He testified that just before dawn, his father—officer of the day—rode into camp and warned Crawford: “The encampment is surrounded by Indians… every man for himself, and God for us all.”
Moments later the Indians opened fire from all sides, and the army broke in confusion. James attempted to escape on horseback, but his horse was shot out from under him, throwing him to the ground. He fled on foot through the darkness until he found another horse, mounted it, and continued the desperate retreat. He traveled for days with a small group of survivors, living on whatever game they could catch, and after weeks of hardship they reached Fort Pitt. James finally returned home in September 1782.
After the war, James continued to appear in Monongalia County records. In 1796, he was appointed Ensign in the county militia, serving under Captain Daniel Sayre after his father resigned his commission. By 1811, he was still living in Monongalia County, where he appeared as surety in a felony recognizance for Robert Ferrell Jr., likely his brother. He remained in the county through at least 1819, when multiple executions were issued against him and Samuel Grubb.
Around 1827, James moved west to Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, settling near the Longwell family. Militia records show he returned briefly to Monongalia County by May 1831, when he resigned a second militia commission as Ensign in Captain William Hayhurst’s company. By 1837, he was again living in Monroe County, where neighbors—including Robert Longwell, his future son‑in‑law—supported his pension application. In 1838, James relocated to Tyler County, Virginia, joining his daughter Martha, who had married into the Longwell family. Although his pension was later suspended after conflicting testimony, the federal government ultimately recognized his Revolutionary War service.
James’ pension was granted at a rate of $30 per year, beginning March 4, 1831. His certificate was issued on November 4, 1838, through the Woodsfield, Ohio office, with arrears totaling $225 and a semi‑annual allowance of $15.
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Excerpt from James’ Revolutionary War pension file showing his certificate issued November 14, 1838, through the Woodsfield, Ohio office, with arrears of $225 and a semi‑annual allowance of $15 |
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Excerpt from the Wheeling pension ledger showing James’ payments, including arrears issued through the Woodsfield, Ohio office in 1838 |
In July 1838, the Monroe County Court appointed James as surveyor of a newly established road running from the meeting house above John Meadows’ place, connecting Grahams Ferry to the mouth of the Greenbrier River and then across to Bradshaw’s Run Road. As surveyor, he was responsible for directing the hands listed on Isaac Milburn’s subscription paper to clear, finish, and maintain the road—an important civic duty during the same period he was pursuing his pension. The following year, on October 7, 1839, he purchased a 12‑acre tract on the north side of the Greenbrier River from James and Jane Graham of Schuyler County, Illinois. The deed describes the parcel as adjoining land already owned by James and the heirs of David Graham, confirming his established presence along the river and his continued involvement in local land transactions.
James’ exact death date is unknown, but the surviving records establish a clear window. His pension payments appear regularly through 1840, after which the Wheeling pension ledger stops listing him. Tyler County court records prove he lived beyond that point: he appeared in person on March 4, 1841 to take the benefit of the Insolvent Act, a legal process that allowed debtors to declare insolvency and avoid imprisonment, and he is named again in multiple executions issued in early 1842. The latest of these is dated March 21, 1842, making this his final confirmed appearance. He therefore died sometime after that date.
James’ recollections preserve a vivid frontier account of his Revolutionary War experience, and the records that follow his life afterward trace the steady path of a man who served, endured, and remained rooted in the communities he helped defend.
References
- Execution Book, 1815–1846, Tyler County, Virginia: Tyler. Court Records 1815–1846, images 152 and 162, FamilySearch.
- James S. Ferrell Sr., Virginia, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1800–1890.
- James S. Ferrell, U.S., Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1801-1815, 1818-1872.
- James S. Ferrell, US, Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800–1900.
- John Bunner, West Virginia, Wills and Probate Records, 1724–1978.
- Monongalia County, West Virginia, Guardianship Records 1807–1820, Land Records 1807–1820, Military Records 1807–1820, Probate Records 1807–1820, Public Records 1807–1820, School Records 1807–1820, Tax Records 1807–1820, Government Records 1807–1820, Court Records 1807–1820, Citizenship Records 1807–1820, image 227, FamilySearch.
- Monroe County, West Virginia, Court Records 1834–1841, 1843–1846, image 571, FamilySearch.
- Monroe County, West Virginia, Deed Books 1840–1846, image 185, FamilySearch.
- Revolutionary War Payment Ledger, Wheeling, West Virginia.
- U.S. Federal Census, District 106, Ohio Township, Monroe County, Ohio, 1850.
- U.S. Federal Census, Sardis, Monroe County, Ohio, 1860.
- U.S. Federal Census, Tyler County, Virginia, 1840.
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