This diary, kept by James Smith Talbot, was published in The Talbots, Centuries of Service, by Virgil Talbot in 1983

This diary, kept by James Smith Talbot, was published in The Talbots, Centuries of Service, by Virgil Talbot in 1983 This diary, written by James Smith Talbot, was published in The Talbots, Centuries of Service, by Virgil Talbot in 1983. It is reprinted here exactly as it appeared in that publication.

Revolutinary Diary

Myself, James S. Talbot, was born the 24^th day of May 1763 and on the 10^th day of June 1779 [1780] I was drafted for three months in the service of my country. We marched the first of July under Capt. Thomas Leftwich to Hilebourough [Hillsboro] in North Carolina where we joined the brigade which was commanded by General Stephens. We was put under Colo’s Hubelfield and Spencer and marched toward Charlestown in South Carolina and joined the main army under Gen. Gates the 14^th day of August at Rugeleys Mill 12 miles from Campdon [Camden]. We marched that night at 10 o’clock and marched on the roads leading to Campden. About halfway between the former and the latter places we met the british Army under Lord Cornwallace and there was some skirmishing in the night and about that place we were formed in line of Battle and all the morning the 15^th of August 1779 [1780]. we were attacked and defeated by the British troops. I remained in the Army until November following when I was discharged from that tower[tour] of duty.

In the fall of the same year Gen. Greene was appointed to command the Southern Army and in the course of the winter 1780 there was some fighting with detachments from Gen. Greene’s Army & Cornwallace’s, in the course of the winter Gen. Greene had to retreat toward Virginia.

In March I was one of 600 Vollinteers under Colo. Charles Lynch. I was in Capt. Archibald Moons Company. We marched early in March and joined Gen. Greene in North Carolina near Dicksferry on Don River and about the 15^th of the month the army joined near Giltford [Guilford] Court House. We left the British in possession of the field of battle. Cornwallace retreated towards Wilmington [NC] and the Vollinteers were discharged.

The next we heard of Cornwallace he was in Virginia. I immediately Vollinteered in Capt. Elexander Cummin’s Company in Collo. Jno. Holcomb Redgm. Lajson [Liasion?] under Gen. Lafaitte [Lafayette]. We seemed to be treading in the british tracks for some time without any fighting until we were near Williamsburge where my tower of duty ended. I was discharged and sent home.

In about two weeks we heard of the Great [George] Washington coming with an Army to try his hand with the british Gen. I felt that we should then make a finish of Cornwallace. I Vollinteered in Capt. Charles Calloways Company under Collo’s William Trig and William Calloway, by the time we joined Great Washington, Cornwallace had fortifyed himself in Yorktown 12 miles below Williamsburg where he was taken. I was discharged and with it ended my service in the Revolution War.

Virgil Talbot’s note:
(Typewritten copy probably copied by J. Turner Hood in the late 1920s. It is not known where the original is.]

James Smith Talbot was the second son of James Talbot and the grandson of Matthew (I) Talbot. His father died in 1777 and James S. Talbot would have been 16 or 17 years old when the events described above occurred. We do not vouch for the authenticity of the diary.[FWW]