James Cunningham was born in January 1756 in Augusta Co., Virginia.
in August 1775 that he entered the service as a volunteer in a Virginia Militia Company commanded by Capt. Russel guarding the western frontier from the Indians. He fought in the battle of Long Island on Houlston River. In 1780 he agin inlisted in a detachement of militia where he was a waggoner hauling lead to General Green in North Carolina.
On 22 March, 1781 he married Elizabeth Gillespie in Washington Co., Virginia
In 1802 he received Spanish Land Grant No. 829 just 3 miles north of Farmington. There he and Elizabeth raised a large fmily of possibly fifteen children.
In 1832 he applied for, and received a pension for his service in the American Revolution. When reading the 1840 US Census for St. Francois County, Missouri, researchers will find he was the lone Rev. War Pensioner listed. Left Page - Right Page
The following is a transcript of the declaration he made in the St. Francois County Court when he applied for his Revolutionary War Pension.

State of Missouri

County of St. Francois

In the County Court, May term, May 7, 1833
On the seventh day of May in the year 1833 in the year 1833 at aforesaid personally appeared in court Said James Cunningham a resident of the county and state aforesaid before William Murphy Presiding Justice and Thomas Hale & George W Robinson Justices holding said court. Said Cunningham aged seventy seven years last January who being duly sworn according to law does on his oath make the following declaration to ontain the benefit of the act of congress passed June 7th 1832 to wit That in August 1775 that he entered the service as a volunteer in a Militia Company commanded by Capt. Russel and Lieutenant Bowen and continued therein about five months guarding the western frontier of Virginia agaist the Indians and that in May the following year he was called into service to guard said frontier and continued to serve in a malitia company commanded by Captain John Campbell and Lieutenant Arthus Bowen about sevn months that with which time the militia had an engagement with the Indians at long Island on Holston River in which the Indians were defeated. Sometime in the latter part of said year he belonged to a detachment of militia commanded by Col. William Chesley served in a company of which Daniel Smith was captain William Bowen was lieutenant and further that in the fall of 1780 he was employed as a waggoner by a militia officer whose name nor title is not now recollected to haul lead from Chissels Mines in Virginia to General Greens army then stationed in North Carolina that said lead was delivered by him to Joseph Marberry Depty Indian Warden General at Sallsbury in said state that carried? to the lead not being ready when appliedfor he was about five months in compleating said service for which he never received any compensation. And the said Cunningham does hereby relinquish any claim whatsoever to a pension or annuity except the present and declairs that his name is not on the pension roll of the office of any state subscribed and sworn to in open court May 7, 1833.

James Cunningham


The links below will take you to each page of James Cunninhams' complete Revolutionary War Pension File
Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Page 6 - Page 7 - Page 8 - Page 9
Page 10 - Page 11 - Page 12 - Page 13 - Page 14 - Page 15 - Page 16 - Page 17 - Page 18
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Husband James Cunningham
B: Jan 1756 , Augusta, Virginia, USA D: 12 Apr 1844 , St Francois, Missouri, USA
Marriage: 22 Mar 1781 Washington, Virginia, USA
Parents Jacob Cunningham 1730 - 1760 & Unknown
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Wife Elizabeth Gillespie  
B: 1763 , Virginia, USA D:1835 McMinn, Tennessee, USA
Parents William Gillespie 1720 - 1800 7 & Mary Clendenning 1725 - 1798
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Children

#1 Martha Cunningham B: M: Who: D:

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#2 Ross Cunningham B: M: Who: D:

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#3 Isaac Cunningham B: 1786 Tennessee, USA M: Who: D: 7 Jul 1861 Farmington, St Francois, Missouri, USA

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#4 James Cunningham B: 1790 Tennessee, USA M: Who: D: 4 Feb 1873 St Francois, Missouri, USA

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#5 Matthew G Cunningham B: 1791 Tennessee, USA M: Who: D:

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#6 Moses Cunningham B: 1794 , Tennessee, USA M: Who: D:

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#7 Nancy Cunningham B: 1795 , , Tennessee, USA M: Who: D:

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#8 John Cunningham B: 1796 M: Who: D: , Tennessee, USA

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#9 Charles B Cunningham B: 1798 , Tennessee, USA M: Who: D: 1880, St Francois, Missouri, USA

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#10 Moses Cunningham B: 18 Jan 1800 , Tennessee, USA M: Who: D: 1 Jul 1884

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#11 Jacob Cunningham B: 1800 , , Tennessee, USA M: Who: D:

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#12 Mary Ann Cunningham B: 1801, , Tennessee, USA M: Who: D: 8 Sep 1849 Missouri, USA

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#13 Lilian "Lilly" Cunninghsm B ca 1801-1807 Tennessee
(proposed daughter of James) M: William Campbell of Washington Co., Mo D: ca 1885 Iron Co., Missouri

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#14 Amanda Cunningham B: 1805 M: Who: D:

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#15 Corina M Cunningham B: 1809 M: Who: D:

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