James Amberson (1757 - 1812)

Born Jul 1757 in Salem, New Jersey

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 26 May 1812 at age 54 in Connoquenessing, Butler, Pennsylvania, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chris Douglas [send private message]

Biography

Private James Amberson served with 9th Virginia Regiment (1779), Continental Army during the American Revolution.

James Amberson was born at Salem, New Jersey, a son of William Amberson, and 1 of 3 brothers, the others being William and John.^[1]

The Historical Society of Wisconsin gives a bio: "James Amberson was born at Salem, N. J., in July, 1757. At an early age he removed West and in the first years of the Revolution volunteered in James O'Hara's company of regulars. He was a good woodsman and hunter, and accompanied Captain Brady on many of his scouts. In 1782 he was sent by General Irvine as a messenger to General Clark in Kentucky. After the close of the war he acted as packer across the mountains. He settled first east of Pittsburgh, then on Conequonessing Creek in Butler County. His death occurred at the latter place, May 26, 1812. See interview with his son in Draper Mss., 4S1."^[2]

He was a Private in Capt James O'Hara's Independent Company of Volunteers during the Revolutionary War, enlisting 30 Sept. 1777 at Fort Pitt, where the company stayed until 1778. The unit saw service in the Illinois Campaign and was mostly stationed at Fort Kanawha during the years of 1778 and 1779, and in June 1779, he and his unit were annexed by the 9th Virginia Regt. (formally the 13th Virginia) because of heavy losses the company had taken since its initial formation.^[3][4][5] It was later re-designated the 7th Virginia Regiment on 1 January 1781. It was disbanded at Fort Pitt on 1 January 1783. He also fought Indians under Capt. Sam Brady, and made Major in 1798. In 1790 he was living in Pitt, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States, and in 1800 he was living in Connoquenessing, Butler, Pennsylvania, United States.

Enlisted = Sep. 30, 1777, Mustered Out = after 1 April 1782; Regiment(s) = Capt. James O'Hara's Independent Company of Volunteers, 9th Virginia Regiment (1779), and the 7th Virginia Regiment (1781), which were previously known as the 13th Virginia Regiment.

He was a Lieutenant and Captain in the Westmoreland and Allegheny County Militias after the Revolutionary War.^[6][7]

He was the Captain of the Rifle Company of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment, Allegheny County Militia of Pennsylvania, and was paid for service from 28 Sept. 1793 to 7 Oct. 1793.^[8]

"A Malachi Powell had land near Pittsburg (Pitt Township (the part that was later called Wilkins Township), Westmoreland County (now Allegheny County))in the 1780s. (Malachia Powell):111 acres; Warrant dated March 8, 1786; Order of the Board of Property dated November 5, 1787; Survey dated August 27, 1789; Patent dated April 26, 1796 (to James Amberson).(Source:The Warrantee Atlas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (with a new Introduction by Joel Fishman; published by Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, 1982; originally published by Pennsylvania State Land Office, Harrisburg, 1914).Map shows adjoining property of a William Powell."^[9]

He had land in what would become McCandless Township, Alleghany County, Pennsylvania.^[10]

He was a trustee of Butler County, PA, in 1800.^[11]

"Oct. 7, 1803. Paid James Amberson, Moses Bolton, Daniel, McMichaels, Samuel Cochran, Barnet Gilliland, election clerks, etc 11 90."^[12]

He had 6 sons, George, William, James, John, Enoch, and Silas, and 1 daughter, Julianne.

Christopher Douglas could not find the grave where he was buried. It is probably unmarked.

Letter

This is a letter from General Irvine to General Clark which names James Amberson.^[13]

Fort Pitt, Octoler 3, 1782. Sir:— Since I dispatched Mr. Floyd, sundry obstacles have intervened to prevent my moving at the time proposed. I have therefore thought proper to send this express as well to inform you of the causes of my detention that you may know what to depend on, as of my present expectations and views. If he cannot arrive at the Falls [Louisville] in time, I flatter myself he will meet you and perhaps at such a place as it may be no great inconvenience for you to halt a few days, in case that step should appear expedient on his account of my intentions. I cannot be more explicit for reasons I mentioned in my former letter, and must refer you to the bearer or his companions— Mr. Tate and James Amberson. You may credit what they inform you for me. I have promised them you will give them provision while they remain and assist them to return if necessary. I presume much will depend on keeping good time; — I mean that one should not be long before the other.

Sources

1. ↑ Draper Manuscript, "Notes Of Border History" - Interview with Silas Amberson, Esq., son of James Amberson, 1850, Pg. 1
2. ↑ Kellogg, Louise Phelps, Collections of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Vol. 23: Frontier Advance On The Upper Ohio, 1778-1789, The Society Madison, 1916, pg. 378 https://archive.org/stream/collectionsstate23stat#page/378/mode/2up
3. ↑ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/1pa/1picts/darlington/fp4.html FORT PITT AND LETTERS FROM THE FRONTIER Mary C. Darlington, Editor. Pittsburgh, J. R. Weldon & Co., 1892.
4. ↑ http://bowershomestead.com/peirsol.html
5. ↑ "United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XP9B-D2H : 5 December 2014), James Amberson, ; from "Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War," database, Fold3.com citing military unit Seventh Regiment, NARA microfilm publication M881 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1976), roll 1019.
6. ↑ Foreman, Harry E. Conococheague Headwaters of Amberson Valley. Chambersburg, Penna.: Author, 1968. 15. Print.
7. ↑ http://www.wilkinstownship.com/PDF/Wilkins%20Township%20History.pdf
8. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=N6EMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=James+Amberson+militia&source=bl&ots=urZ02jsjz3&sig=ACfU3U1T94FQomBjnilY2SlQj57HHF8yqA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiJt9Wvo-nzAhUxlmoFHRAjDdYQ6AF6BAgQEAM#v=onepage&q=James%20Amberson%20militia&f=false
9. ↑ https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/powell/12804/
10. ↑ Cushing, T., Warner, A. (1889). History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Including its early settlement and progress to the present time; a description of its historic and interesting localities; its cities, towns and villages; religious, educational, social and military history; mining, manufacturing and commercial interests, improvements, resources, statistics, etc. Also ... biographies of many of its representative citizens. Chicago, Ill.: A. Warner & co.. pg. 172
11. ↑ History of Butler County Pennsylvania, 1895
12. ↑ https://genealogytrails.com/penn/butler/history/butler_co_pa_history_p2.html
13. ↑ Butterfield, C. W., Washington, G., & Irvine, W. (1882). Washington-Irvine correspondence: The official letters which passed between Washington and Brig-Gen. William Irvine and between Irvine and others concerning military affairs in the West from 1781 to 1783 ; arranged and annotated, with an introduction containing an outline of events occurring previously in the Trans-Alleghany country. Madison, Wis: David Atwood. Pg. 398, 399

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLK-BNGT : 13 December 2015), James Amberson, 1812; Burial, , Butler, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Old Union Presbyterian Church; citing record ID 100707217, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100707217/james-amberson
• CAPT. JAMES O’HARA’S VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT COMPANY OF REGULARS AT FORT PITT, 16 SEP 1777, 1 OCT 1777, 28 DEC 1777, 17 MARCH 1778,http://revwarapps.org/b135.pdf
• Wright, Robert K., Jr. (1983). The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. p. 291. CMH Publication 60-4-1.
• Revolutionary War Service Records, https://www.fold3.com
• "United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XP9B-D2H : 5 December 2014), James Amberson, ; from "Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War," database, Fold3.com citing military unit Seventh Regiment, NARA microfilm publication M881 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1976), roll 1019.
• "United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XPS7-MYS : 5 December 2014), James Amberson, ; from "Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War," database, Fold3.com citing military unit Ninth Regiment, NARA microfilm publication M881 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1976), roll 1055.
• "United States Revolutionary War Compiled Service Records, 1775-1783," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XPS8-D6G : 5 December 2014), James Amberson, ; from "Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War," database, Fold3.com citing military unit Captain O'Hara's Independent Company, NARA microfilm publication M881 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1976), roll 1089.
• Kellogg, Louise Phelps, Frontier Retreat On The Upper Ohio, 1779-1781 https://archive.org/stream/frontierretreato00kellrich#page/492/mode/2up
• "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR4-ZKP : accessed 25 January 2017), James Amberson, Cannaughquenessung, Butler, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 339, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 36; FHL microfilm 363,339.
• "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHK5-BZQ : accessed 25 January 2017), James Amberson, Pitt, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 130, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 9; FHL microfilm 568,149.
• Foreman, Harry E. Conococheague Headwaters of Amberson Valley. Chambersburg, Penna.: Author, 1968. 5, 15-16, Print.
• Sipe, C. Hale. Fort Ligonier and its times : a history of the first English fort west of the Allegheny Mountains, and an account of many thrilling, tragic, romantic, important but little known colonial and revolutionary events in the region where the winning of the West began : based primarily on the Pennsylvania archives and colonial records. Harrisburg, Pa.: Telegraph Press, 1932, c1933., pg 660
• Septennial Census Returns, 1779–1863. Box 1026, microfilm, 14 rolls. Records of the House of Representatives. Records of the General Assembly, Record Group 7. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, PA.
• Butler County Revisited By Larry D. Parisi
• https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;cc=wiarchives;view=text;rgn=main;didno=uw-whs-draper00e
• http://www.eastlibertychamber.org/UserFiles/File/EAST%20ENDER%20Fall%202019%20(2).pdf
• Journal, Volume 36, Part 1 By Pennsylvania. General Assembly. House of Representatives
• https://garyr50.tripod.com/Conococheague.pdf

DNA

Attempting to prove relationships using DNA.

There is a match on MyHeritage between Dorothy (Driscoll) Douglas and Cynthia (Chandler) Skaggs sharing 28.1 cM on Chromosome 12. Predicted relationship is 3rd to 5th cousin. Most recent common ancestors are James Amberson and Martha Powell, and they are genealogically 5th cousins.

• • • Attempting to find genetic connection. A MyHeritage test match exists between Robert Hanisee, Henry Daigle Jr., Cythia (Chandler) Skaggs, and Dorothy (Driscoll) Douglas, who share a 12.5 cM segment on Chromosome 12.