Captain James Gaines, (1743-1829). He was a Captain of the Culpepper County, Virginia, Minute Men (in which also served his cousins, Henry and Nathaniel Pendleton, Jr.) He was also a Member of the Convention of North Carolina for the Ratification of the Constitution of the United States and of the North Carolina Legislature. Captain James Gaines was one of the two favorite nephews of Judge Edmund Pendleton, to whom the latter left most of his property, consisting of an estate of six thousand acres of land, most of which is now in Sullivan County, Tennessee, and thirty slaves. Captain James Gaines moved in 1788 and settled upon this estate; he was twice married; firstly, in 1762, to a Miss White; and, secondly in 1766, to Elizabeth Strother, daughter of Francis and Susannah Dabney Strother and sister to his brother's wife, Susannah Strother By the first marriage he had one daughter, Margaret Gaines who married Samuel Edgeman.
"James, twin of his sister Anne, was a Captain in the Revolutionary War, and was with Washington on the Delaware. He was wounded at Guilford Court House. Served with his two cousins Henry and Nathaniel Pendleton Jr. in the Culpeper County, Virginia, Minute Men. Judge Edmund Pendleton left most of his estate which consisted of six thousand acres of land and thirty slaves in Sullivan County, Tennessee to Captain Gaines. Captain Gaines moved there in 1788. He was a member of the Convention of North Carolina for the Ratification of the Constitution of the United States and of the North Carolina Legislature."
Residence: 1779 Surry Co, NC; abt. 1793 Sullivan Co, Tennessee.
Captain of a company of North Carolina Volunteers; may have been born 1743; may have died in 1829
In command (Captain) of a company of North Carolina Volunteers, he distinguished himself in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, March 15, 1781, leading his company to the satisfaction of his superior officers throughout the engagement.
From DAR Application: In command of a company of North Carolina Volunteers, he distinguished himself in the battle of Guildford Court House March 15, 1781, leading his company to the satisfaction of his superiour officers throughout the engagement.
Partly because of his gallantry as a soldier, he was elected subsequently as a member of the Convention of the United States.
When I first discovered this gravesite of Captain Gaines about ten years ago, the cemetery here was very overgrown. Now that the apartments have been built on the adjacent property this East end is maintained. It took a little more effort then to research the genealogy of Captain Gaines, today I found some more information on the find a grave website.
"He was the son of William Henry Gaines and Isabella Pendleton. He married Elizabeth Strother between 1769 and 1776; they had at least 12 children. During the Revolutionary War, he served in a Virginia militia unit. He later immigrated to North Carolina and commanded a North Carolina company at Cowpens Battlefield and at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. He was injured at the latter. About 1788, he immigrated to Sullivan County, Tennessee, settling onto land bequested to him by his uncle, Judge Edmund Pendleton. Here he became a properous farmer.
Groseclose Cemetery is a small place of about 4-6 graves inside a chain link fence. Around it or next to it are about 20-30 graves, most of which are not marked, but can be seen by the regular depressed areas. Captain Gaines does not have a depressed area, where the marker is, so it is believed his actual remains are somewhere nearby to the marker."
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Note*
Because of the semi- or non-permanent nature of these markers, many of these markers erode or corrode away. Waymarking them is a way of recording their existance and sharing these tributes for the future. In no way was this Waymark intended as part of a game, but for historic and genealogical purposes only.