The gathering of records pertaining to all Dillard families has been a delightful obsession of mine for forty or more years. Every now and then I find a record, unknown previously by researchers, that makes me say "Oops!" This year I cried "Oops" several times.
Over in Laurens County, South Carolina, resided a Capt. James Dillard whose Revolutionary War pension application clearly states that he was born in 1755 or 1756 in Culpeper County Virginia, and that he joined the South Carolina State Troops in September 1775 at Ninety-Six (District). How, when and why he arrived in South Carolina is still a mystery. The names of his parents are not given. (In an 1873 letter, his daughter wrote he moved there when he was "about" 17 years of age. This places him there about 1773).
Up in Culpeper County, Virginia there is a 1790 will of George Dillard in which he names his sons James and Samuel, among others. Samuel migrated to Laurens County, South Carolina after the Revolutionary War in the mid 1780's. Various records have definitely proven the Samuel in Laurens County was a son of George, so, researchers speculated Samuel and Capt. James were brothers. No record had been found to prove or
There definitely was a James Dillard in Culpeper County in 1781 whose record appears in the Culpeper County Public Claims book compiled by Abercrombie. As more records are compiled and published, more light is shed on old questions. This was "Oops" number one.
"Oops" number two occurred when I found Charles and Elizabeth (Dillard) Hutchins had immigrated to Laurens County, South Carolina. She was the daughter of Thomas Dillard, Jr. in whose household Lt. John Dillard of Rabun County, Georgia, was raised. Charles Hutchins was the brother of Samuel Dillard's wife. Capt. James Dillard was a witness to the Laurens County Deeds of Charles Hutchins (who finally settled in White County, Tennessee).
When Dr. Andrew Jackson Ritchie, a noted educator and a descendant of Lt. John Dillard, of Dillard, Georgia, wrote the book Sketches Of Rabun County (GA.) History, he went to great lengths in discussing Capt. James Dillard of Laurens County, South Carolina. Much of Ritchie's "speculation" concerning Capt. James has been proven to be in error, but the very fact that Ritchie went to such lengths to include Capt. James in a book written about Rabun County leads me to believe Ritchie knew there was a kinship between Capt. James and Lt. John Dillard. In fact, on page 26 of the book, Ritchie wrote, "How the two men were related to each other is not clear." Finding Charles and Elizabeth (Dillard) Hutchins in Laurens County, South Carolina, proves the Lt. John Dillard family was quite aware of Capt. James, especially since he witnessed the Hutchins' deeds.
Are you confused enough? No? Well read this!
As you know, Lt. John Dillard of Rabun County, Georgia, was also born 1755 in Culpeper County, Virginia. He is ancestor of all the Rabun County Dillards, as well as many others, including me. One of the Rabun County descendants is John Marshall Dillard of Greenville, South Carolina, yes, the editor of this Dillard Annual. This year, I sent him a copy of Capt. James Dillard's Revolutionary War pension application. I was stunned when, much to my dismay, he wrote me back that one of the men named in the application as a character reference by Capt. James Dillard, was Golding Tinsley who just so happened to be the husband of a daughter of one of John M. Dillard's ancestors, Anthony Foster. Doesn't that beat all?
I know only four facts pertaining to Capt. James Dillard's background. (1) He was born 1755 or 1756, (2) in Culpeper County, Virginia. (3) He had a brother named William who was killed at the Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, in 1781, and whose heirs are noticeably absent in George Dillard's Will. (4) In 1775 his place of residence was Ninety-Six District, South Carolina.