The Revolutionary War between the British and the New England States began on April 19th, 1775 with the first armed conflict at Lexington-Concord, Massachusetts. The war ended on Oct 19, 1781 with Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Illinois became a Territory in 1809 and become a State in 1818. Although there were no soldiers that actually enlisted from Illinois, at least eleven soldiers moved to Clinton County, Illinois after the war and lived here until they died. Others lived here for a time and then moved onward. Some of the ages below do not compute when different articles were combined. Additional Revolutionary War Related Links are provided below.
- John CARRIGAN served in the war from Georgia, he was a native of Ireland. He settled in Crooked Creek six miles east of Carlyle, Clinton County, in 1817. He was appointed a Trustee for Township 1, Range 2 on March 8, 1825 for establishing the common school system in the county. He died and is buried on the land where he lived. His sons Robert and James settled in Carrigan Township, named after the family, in Marion County. "Clinton County History."
- Elias CHAFIN born in 1760, was a native of South Carolina, where he served as a Private in the militia. He came to Illinois before 1825, settling in the Sugar Creek precinct of Clinton County. He served on the grand jury in 1825. Elias qualified for a pension under the Jun 7, 1832 Act of Congress. He was placed on the pension rolls on April 21, 1834 with pension retroactive to Mar 4, 1831. He received a yearly pension of $20.00 for three years, for a total of $60.00. He died at the age of 71 in 1831.
- John DUNCAN served in the war from Virginia. After the war, he moved to Kentucky where he probably received a Bounty Land Grant of 100 acres on March 19, 1783. From there, he moved to and settled in the Sugar Creek precinct in the southwest part of Clinton County in 1818. He lived there several years and then moved down to a place one mile north of where Damiansville is now, and then moved on the west side of the creek, purchased a farm, built a home and lived there until his death in 1842. He was pensioned. His family consisted of four children, of which only one son, born in 1829, was still living, in New Memphis, in 1881, name not mentioned.
- John KING served in the war as a Private from South Carolina. He was born in 1765 in Warren County, North Carolina. He lived in Lancaster County, South Carolina at the time of his enlistment. In 1806, he moved to Kentucky. He came to Illinois in 1810, settling in the Shoal Creek precinct of Clinton County. John qualified for a pension under the June 7, 1832 Act of Congress. He was placed on the pension rolls Feb 25, 1834, #S32366, and received $23.83 yearly pension, which amounted to about six cents per day. His pension began Mar 4, 1831 and he received a total of $71.64 pension, which equates to three years. He died at age 67. In 1850, his widow was still living and filed a claim, but she was not named.
- Hugh JOHNSON served in the war from North Carolina under Captain Alexander. He was born of Scotch ancestry in North Carolina. After the war he moved to two miles of Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky. He next moved to Clinton County and then about 1812, he moved to New Madrid County, Missouri where he lived at the time of the celebrated earthquake there. He then returned to Clinton County, Illinois, settling in the Sugar Creek precinct, about three miles south of Trenton, where he owned a cotton gin. He was married to Winnie Flaherty, of Irish descent. The first regular appointment of a preaching place was at his home, established in 1817 or earlier. About 1825, a log church was built there and called Sharon. It was the first Methodist house of worship in the county. He died at his home, aged 85 years. "North Carolina Records and Clinton County History." Dr. Donald Worley, a descendant, arranged for a new tombstone from the Veterans Administration to be erected at the probable burial site, the abandoned Sharon Cemetery southeast of Trenton on Rocky Ford Road. The Sons of the American Revolution marked the stone with an honor guard from Scott Air Force Base. Dr. Worley's son, Kent, directed an Eagle Scout project to clean up the cemetery in the early 1970s. This is the only known marker of these eleven men, as researched by Harold Gentz of the Clinton County Historical Society in the 1990's. For further information on Mr. Johnson's descendants, you may contact
- Moses LAND served as a Private in the Virginia Continentals. When he came to Illinois, he resided for a time in St. Clair County, and then moved to Clinton County. Moses qualified for a pension under the March 18, 1818 Act of Congress. He was placed on the pension rolls on May 15, 1820 effective Mar 10, 1820. He received a yearly allowance in Illinois of $96.00 for a total of $334.66, or almost three and a half years. Moses then received the pension through Kentucky until he was an old man even though he still lived in Illinois. He lived on the Clinton-St. Clair Counties borderline and is probably buried on the St. Clair side.
- Thomas L. MOORE served with George Rogers Clark as a sergeant in Capt. Uriah Springer's company of Virginia troops. He came to Clinton County, Illinois, where he applied for a pension. He received a grant of land for his service in the war. "Virginia Records."
- William MYERS or William MYRES, served in the Maryland Line and the Pennsylvania Sea. Srv. He was born January 11, 1756 in Kent County, Maryland and he lived there at his enlistment. He later moved to Monongalia County County, Virginia, and then to the Missouri Territory, and then to Clinton County, Illinois. He was granted a tract of land at one of the locations for his war service. "Virginia Records." He applied for a pension on December 2, 1833, from Clinton County. It was approved, #R7545.
- Peter OUTHOUSE enlisted in Fredericktown, Maryland, in the Seventh Regiment, serving as a private in the Maryland Line from August, 1780; then re-enlisted on October 26, 1780. Both enlistments were under Lieut. Wm. Lamar and Capt. Lloyd Beall, in the Ninth Company. He served until November, 1783, when he was discharged. After the war, he moved to Oldham County, Kentucky, and in 1818 came to Clinton County, Illinois, and settled in the southwest part of the county. He entered land in Lookingglass Township, section 13, township 1 north, range 5 west in July 1818. At one of the locations, he received a Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grant of 50 acres. Peter qualified for a pension under a May 15, 1828 Act of Congress. He applied for the pension on June 28, 1828 in Oldham County, Kentucky. He was placed on the pension rolls on Aug 13, 1828, #S46400, with a pension retroactive to Mar 3, 1826. He received a yearly allowance of $80.00 for five and a half years, total $440.00. He moved to Clinton County and transferred his pension to his new address. He died in Clinton County, probably around February 1834. His assignee was George Ponosby.
- Jacob SEAGRAVES enlisted in Granville County, North Carolina in 1778, serving two and one-half years as a private in the North Carolina Continentals under Capt. Joseph Rhodes and Col. Dixon. He was in the battle of Eutaw Springs and several skirmishes. After the war, he moved to West Tennessee. Jacob qualified for a pension under a March 18, 1818 Act of Congress. He applied on April 22, 1822 from Maury County, Tennessee at the age of 59. At that point, he referred to his second wife, her name wasn't required, age about 40. His children at home were William 15, Jincy 14, Jourdan 12, Henry 11, Polly 9, Andrew Jackson 7, Melinda 4, John 1.5. He was placed on the pension rolls Jun 18, 1822, #S39067, retroactive two months to April 22, 1822. He received $96.00 yearly pension for a total of $1,043.20, or a little less than fourteen years. He moved to Clinton County in 1828 to be with his children, not named. He died at home at the age of 81 on June 7, 1835. By 1851, his daughter Melinda was the wife of John L. Dorsey of Alton, IL.
- Michael TEDRICH was from North Carolina. He was born at sea May 10, 1752 as his parents were coming from Germany to America. He enlisted in Anson County, North Carolina, serving three different times as a Private in the Calvary, three times each with Capts. William Hay, Solomon Wood and Robert High, under Col. Francis Malmedy. After the war, he lived about 16 miles from Raleigh, in Wake County, North Carolina. In 1816, he moved to Tennessee. In November 1830, at the age of 78, he moved to Clinton County, Illinois. Michael qualified for a pension under the June 7, 1832 Act of Congress. He applied for the pension in September 1833. He was placed on the pension rolls Feb 25, 1834, #S32242, with the pension effective date retroactive to March 4, 1831, for a total of $32.50 yearly allowance for a grand total of $95.66, which works out to about three years. His recorded date of death is February 10, 1834, about two weeks before he was approved for the pension but it was paid to his heirs.