On October 7, 1780, the foundation that would forever change the world was established. Fewer than one thousand American Heroes, through skill, luck, and the leadership of cunning strategists, defeated Patrick Ferguson, a brilliant star of the British military might. James Corry was one of those Heroes.

The participation of James Corry, alternately identified as James Curry, in the Battle of King's Mountain was documented by W8646, the Application for Revolutionary War Pension, his sister, Ann Corry Curry, submitted. C. Leon Harris transcribed the application.

A note of explanation:

On February 25, 1778, Ann Corry married James "Irish Jimmy" Curry, a soldier in the American Revolution. He served under General George Rogers Clark and it was his service for which Ann Curry filed the application for RW pension.

In the application, Ann testified that she had at five brothers who fought in the America Revolution and two were killed in action. William Corry was killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant (October 10, 1774) and James Corry was killed at the Battle of King's Mountain.

Southern Campaign American Revolution

Pension Statements & Rosters

Pension Application of James Curry

W8646 Ann Curry VA

Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris.

State of Kentucky } Sct Mercer County }

Be it remembered that on this 17th day of January in the year 1837 personally appeared before me Isaac Gray one of the Justices of the peace for s'd County and one of the Judges of the Mercer County Court Ann Curry Widow of James Curry dec'd who was a Revolutionary soldier, aged Eighty two years, who being by me first duly sworn according to Law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benifit of the provision made by the act of Congress pass'd. July 4th 1836.

That she is the widow of said James Curry who was a private in the Illinois Regt. of the army of the Revolution Commanded by Col. Geo. R. Clark [George Rogers Clark]. Her said husband joined s'd Regt. as well as she can now remember in the year 1779 or 1780 and marched to the falls of Ohio now Louisville where they remained some time, and from thence to a place called the O Post and took Gov'r. Hambleton prisoner [sic: Henry Hamilton, 25 Feb 1779], with the whole of his forces, from that time he remained with Clark in all all his Campaigns agst the Indians and British untill the battle of the Blue Licks [19 Aug 1782],

the length of time in actual service she cannot remember being very old and entirely blind and refers your honor to the service performed by Clark, [George] Slaughter & others in the early settling of this Country, he her said husband was with them all the while, she also refers you to the rolls of the s'd Regt. for proof her s'd husband was promised land & has never rec'd. one acre, her portion of which if any be due she would like to recieve as she cannot live long to enjoy it.

She further states that she was married to the s'd James Curry in Rockingham County Virginia on the 25th of February in the year 1778, by a Baptist Preacher his name she does not remember, her oldest child is fifty eight years old, Her s'd Husband James Curry departed this life on the 11th of February 1828, and that she has remained a widow ever since that period as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. all of which is respectfully submitted.

Sworn and subscribed the day & year first above written

Ann Curry X her mark

State of Kentucky } Sct Mercer County }

The farther declaration or affidavit of Mrs. Ann Curry now about 82 years old, widow of James Curry dec'd who was a soldier in the army of the Revolution, taken subscribed and sworn to at her own house in Mercer County, Ky. this 31st day of August 1837.

She states that the statements made by her in her former declaration in regard to her marriage and the service of her husband in the War of the revolution are strictly true and she knows that he was in the service in virginia before they were married and was at the battle of the Long bridge [Great Bridge, 9 Dec 1775] but how long he was in actual service then she has no distinct recollection. She knows that he was with Clarke in all his Campaigns in this Country after they were married.

She farther states that her maiden name was Ann Curry and was married to James Curry now dec'd at the time set forth in her former declaration. She has no documentary evidence of their marriage unless it can be found on the records of the Rockingham County Court Virginia that she knows of – her oldest child was born in Virginia and died in two or three years after his birth and she has no record of his age. The ages of the ballance of her children she finds recorded in an old Bible the leaf is herewith forwarded and made a part of this affidavit

She farther states that her brother William Curry was killed at the battle of the point [Battle of Point Pleasant, 10 Oct 1774], and her brother James Curry was kill'd in the battle of Kings Mountain [7 Oct 1780]. She had five brothers all were in the struggle for Independance and two of them lost their lives in battles – in Conclusion she states that she knows of no person now living that saw them married, but god knows that her and her husband done their parts faithfully in the war of the revolution

Ann Curry X her mark

James Corry married Mary Copeland on April 3, 1772. Family trees on ancestry.com listed their children as:

John Corry

Ann Corry

William Corry

James Corry

The dates of birth for the Corry couple were guesstimated. James and Mary Corry were not old when he was killed in 1780. It was natural, then, for Mary Corry to remarry. On October 19, 1786, she married Captain John Davis, another Hero who fought at the Battle of King's Mountain. Captain Davis was a widower who had been married to the former Mary Allison and fathered at least six children with her:

Mary Davis married William Gray

Hannah Davis married Thomas Snoddy

Isabella Davis married John Moffett

Nathaniel Davis

John Davis

Sarah Davis

Mary Allison Davis died in 1784 and the captain married the widow Corry. They had two additional children:

Elizabeth Davis

Nancy Davis

James Corry was killed in the line of duty. May this memorial serve to honor James Corry with the respect and gratitude we owe him for making the ultimate sacrifice so that others could continue to build a new country: our America.

From the Virginia, Biographical Encyclopedia:

"The British had 1,103 men under Ferguson, and the Americans 923, mostly Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. The ground of the battle is 600 yards long, 250 wide at base, 60 to 120 wide on top, and 60 feet above the country level. The English held the eminence. The Americans were in two columns, two men deep on the right of the mountain, under Campbell and Servier, and two on the left under Cleveland and Shelby. Cleveland made a ringing appeal, and the attack was begun with yells. The battle raged all around the mountain; Cleveland's horse was disabled, but he fought on foot until remounted. Several times the Americans were forced down the ascent, only to rally and gamely retrace their steps. Ferguson tried to break through but fell with eight wounds. The British finally surrendered, having lost 157 killed, 153 wounded and 706 prisoners, and over 1,200 arms. The Americans had 28 killed and 62 wounded. It was a complete victory and crushed the English cause in the South. It withdrew the Carolinas from Tory domination, and was the forerunner of Cowpens, Guilford, Eutaw, Yorktown and Independence."