Military Service
- Few of his records have survived, but the Compleat List of the Quit Rents of the Land in Nansemond County enters his name as “Capt. William Hunter.” This may imply that he was a captain of a militia company.
- For Isaac of Chowan, son of William of Nansemond, there are no known records of military service. It can be assumed that like all able-bodied males he served in the community militia. A roll dated 1754 states that his sons Elisha and Jesse served in Capt. John Sumner’s company of the Chowan militia.
- The name of Isaac Hunter appears in column six of the “North Carolina Perquimans County an Exact Muster Roll of the Regiment of sd. County / Commanded by Lieut. Col. John Harvey.” Isaac served as a private in Capt. Miles Harvey’s Company of the regiment. The document (TR 1-49 in the Military Collection, North Carolina Archives) is dated 1754, one year after the death of Isaac’s father Isaac.
- On 15 February 1771 Isaac was commissioned as a militia captain: “Cap’t John Hawkins Jun’r, Cap’t Isaac Hunter, Cap’t John Bradley, Christopher Foster Lieut & Joseph Shearin Lieut each of them produced a commission from under the hand of his Excellency the Governor, took the oaths appointed to be taken by publick officers, repeated & subscribed to the Test [Act] &c” (Bute Co., N. C., Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, 1767-1779).
- Solomon, son of Isaac Hunter of Bute/Warren County, served under Robert Temple in the North Carolina Continental Line. His military papers are on microfilm at the North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, N. C. The enlistment roster of Bute County soldiers, filed as “Military Troop Returns” / Box 4, folder 35 / Bute County / Drafts and Endorsements, 1778,” states the following:
“Halifax, Sept ye 3rd 1778 / State of North Carolina / Bute
“We the Subscribers Balloted Men and Volunteers from the county of Bute do hereby bind and Oblige ourselves to Serve as Continental Soldiers for the term of Nine Months after the first day of March Inst., and do Each of us bind and Oblige ourselves to Meet Our Officers at whatever place in the said State May be appointed for our Rendesvous on the aforesaid first day of March Next, and in Case we or Either of we do fail to appear at said place of rendesvous on the said first day of March next Sickness or Other Accidents as May be deemed Sufficient by a board of Officers Excepted, we each of us so failing do Oblige Ourselves to Serve as Continental Soldiers for the term of three years from the date hereof or during the present war and as Such to obey the lawfull Commands of the Officers that May be placed over us and in all things to demean ourselves ad good and faithfull Soldiers.”
“Name: Solomon Hunter Sergeant / Place of Abode: Bute / Where Born: No. Caro. / Height 5ft 10 / Age 17 / Hair Light / Eyes Grey”
Two surnames significant in Solomon’s history appear on this roster of Bute soldiers: Jeremiah Walker (Bute/ born in Virginia, 5 ft. 6 , aged 16, hair light, eyes light) and John Dickerson (Bute, born in North Carolina, 5 ft. 7, aged 18, hair light, eyes grey). Walker, who had a sister named Ann, appears to be the brother of the Ann Walker who married Solomon’s brother James Alston Hunter. Walker became a notable Baptist preacher in Bute and later in Georgia. Dickerson possibly is a brother of Stephen Dickerson (sometimes Dickinson), the first husband of Jane Mahan, whom Solomon Hunter married in Liberty County, Ga., in 1785.
“Treasurers and Comptrollers Papers”
Vol. III, pp. 66, 1 (Reel # 57)
#91 Solomon Hunter / S[gt.] / 73 / 11 / 16 / 51 / 156 / 50 [probably his pay]
Vol. XIX, p. 142 (Reel # 57)
Hunter, Solomon / 156, 49 3/4 [his pay]
Vol. XXVIII, p. 142 (Reel # 62)
No. 691 / Name & Rank Solomon Hunter / Amount 62.12.5 / By Whom Received Wm. Sanders
Vol. IX, pp. 99, 3 (Reel # 60)
“Hillsborough Treasury Office”
“Thomas Turner Sff Warren County”
No. 73 / Solomon Hunter / 13.10 [his pay]
No. 75 / James Alston / 9 / 178.18.8 [This is either Solomon’s uncle or his cousin.]
Vol. X, pp. 33, 3 (Reel # 60)
535 / Solomon Hunter / 18.15 [his pay]
Vol. VII , pp. 105,1 (Reel #59)
Solomon Hunter / 62.12.5 / 15.13.1 / 46.19.4 [his pay]
(Reel #101, frame #798-799)
“North Carolina. / No. 454
“Agreeable to Act of Assembly, passed in May, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, the state of North Carolina is indebted to Solomon Hunter Sgt. of the Continential line of this state Forty six pounds nineteen shillings & four pence specie, on account of his pay [illegible] August 1779 with six per cent interest from the first of August, 1783. Dated Halifax, the first of September, 1784. B MCullock / HMontfort – Commissioners / £46.19.4″ [Endorsement]: “Presented on the 30th day of September 1791 on Loan to the United States and Since Rejected / WSkinner, Comiss / Interest to Jany 1788″
(Reel #101, frame 796-797)
“No. 9410 North Carolina, Halifax Dist. / This may certify that Solomon Hunter of Warren county, is allowed the sum of Thirteen pounds Ten shillings specie, as by report of the board of auditors. Dated this 9th December [year blotted] J Bradford / JB[illegible] – Dist. Aud. [Endorsement]: 73 / Ja Turner / £13.:10″
(Reel #101, frame #794-795)
“No 1714 North Carolina Halifax District / This is to certify that Solomon Hunter was allowed Eighteen pounds fifteen shillings Specie as by Report of the Board of Auditors Sept [day illegible] 1791 Wm Green / J Mason[?] / £10.15 [Endorsement] [illegible] of / James Moore – Hiram [?] £18.15 / Jas Moore Part £[illegible] / E. Moore 8.18.2 16:19:18 owe 1.15.4 / Lewis Merideth / to / J. Brown £18.15 / No. 535 / £18.15″
- James Hunter, aged seventeen, enlisted in the company of Captain Peter Bayard Roger, a unit in the regiment of light infantry militia commanded by Colonel William Youngblood of Edgefield (“Alphabetical Roster of Soldiers in War of 1812,” National Archives M652, He-L, roll 4). He volunteered either at Longmires or Double Bridges. An 1813-14 payroll roster of the Peter Roger Company includes the name of James Hunter, a private. His pay is recorded as $8 / $8 / 53½¢ (Military Department, War of 1812, Accounts, Company of Capt. Peter Roger. Location 233E05, South Carolina Department of Archives and History). Captain Roger and most of the other soldiers enumerated in this company were from the Hillsborough communities along Long Cane Creek. Three muster stubs detailing dates and James Hunter’s activities are preserved in his file in the National Archives. The earliest states that his pay commenced on 10 December 1814 and continued through 10 January 1814. For this period he received $8.53½. The 53½¢ is “2 days pay from home to rendezvous.” Another stub, showing his activity from 10 January to 15 March 1814, states his enlistment was for three months. “Remark: From place of discharge to place of Company rendezvous, 165 miles.” The third stub dates the expiration of his service as 15 March 1814 and his term of enlistment as two months, five days, with pay at $8 per month. His total pay was $20.26. “Remarks: $2.93 for 11 Days pay from pl. Discharge to Com. Rendez 165 miles.”
War of 1812 Claim of Widow for Pension, under the Provisions of Sections 4736 to 4740 inclusive Revised Statutes, and the Act of March 9, 1878.
State of Mississippi )
) ss.
County of Sumner )
On this 6th day of January, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and 79 personally appeared before me, Tom M. Gore Chancery Clerk, the same being a Court of Record within and for the county and State aforesaid, (1) Martha Hunter aged 74 years, a resident of Sumner County in the state of Mississippi, who, being duly sworn according to law, declares that she is a widow of (2) James A. Hunter deceased, who was the identical (3) James A. Hunter, who served under the name of (4) James Hunter as a (5) private in the company commanded by Captain Peter R. Rogers, in the regiment of Infantry, commanded by Col. Youngblood in the war of 1812; that her said husband (6) volunteered at Double Bridges or Long Mires on or about the 15th day of Oct., A. D. 1813, for the term of 3 months and continued in actual service in said war for the term of (7) 3 months, and whose services terminated, by reason of (8) an honorable discharge at Double Bridges or Long Myres, on the last day of January, A. D. 1815. She further states that the following is a full description of her said husband at the time of his enlistment, viz: (9) the said J. A. Hunter aged 17 years, born in Abbeville Dist. South Carolina Height 6 ft Hair dark eyes Grey – Complexion fair a farmer boy. She futher states that she was married to the said James A. Hunter, at the city (or town) of [blank], in the county of Jones, and in the State of Georgia, on the 10 day of January A. D. 1822, by one (10) Benjamin Weatherby, who was a (11) a Minister of the Gospel. and that her name before her said marriage was Martha Harris; and she further states that (12) She has not remarried since the death of said Jas. A. Hunter and that neither has nor her said husband had been married previously to their intermarriage and that her said husband (13) James A. Hunter, died at Choctaw County, in the State of Mississippi on the 20 day of May, A. D. 1844, and she further declares that the following have been the places of residence of herself and her said husband since the date of his discharge from the Army, viz: (14) Said Jas. A. Hunter resided about Abbeville in S. Carolina until about A. D. 1821 moved to Georgia to Baldwin County we married 1822 in Jones County resided in Baldwin 1823 to 1826 in Crawford 1826 to 1828 – in Talbot to 1831, in Meriwether to 1836 thereafter to Choctaw County Miss until the present She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining the pension to which she may be entitled under the provisions of Sections 4736 to 4740 inclusive Revised Statutes, and the Act of March 9, 1878, and hereby constitutes and appoints with full powers of substitution and revocation William Conard & Co. Of Washington, C. C., her true and lawful attorneys, to prosecute her claim, and she further declares that she has heretofore made her application (15) for bounty land and received a land warrant about the year 1860 as well as she recollects and that her residence is No. blank, street, city (or town) of blank county of Sumner, State of Mississippi, and that her post-office address is Cumberland Sumner County (formerly Choctaw) Mississippi
Claimant’s Signature Martha Hunter
Attest: Nancy H. Womack
Samuel H. Scott [illegible word follows]
- On 13 March 1862, Silvanus enlisted in the Confederate army at Persimmon Springs, Miss., for a period of “3 years or war,” serving in Company H, 31st Mississippi Regiment of Volunteers under Lt. Col. J. A. Orr. In family legend Silvanus’s slave George Hunter served with him throughout the war.
- This second son of James Alston Hunter served as a private under Captain McManus in Co. E., 1st Mississippi Regiment. He enlisted at Vicksburg for a period of twelve months. At roll call 6 June to 30 September 1846 he was declared absent, with this remark following: “Left at Carmargo, sick, Sept. 7/46.” The roll for 30 September to 31 October 1846 declared him absent with this remark: “Left at Carmargo, sick Sept/46.” The roll of January and February 1847 included only “remarks”: “Left sick in Gen’l Hosptl. at Carmargo, Sept. 7/46.” The final roll listed “Jas. W. Hunter,” Pvt. Co. E., 1 Reg’t Mississippi Inf. Mexican War / Appears on Co. Muster-out Roll, dated New Orleans, La., June 11, 1847. Last paid to October 31, 184- Am’t for cloth’g in kind or money adv’ed $42. Due U. S. for arms, equipments, &c $2 99/100 Remarks: Stop for 1 blanket. Left sick at Seralvo, Sept. 7.” James W. Hunter never came home. His records are on microfilm at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
William Hunter of Nansemond Co., Va., Militia
Isaac Hunter of Chowan Co., N. C., Militia
Isaac Hunter of Bute/Warren Co., N. C., Militia
Solomon Alston Hunter, Revolutionary War
James Alston Hunter, son of Solomon Alston Hunter, War of 1812
Silvanus Gardner Hunter, son of James Alston Hunter, Confederacy, Civil War
James W. Hunter (1824 – 1847), Mexican War
- Silvanus Gardner Hunter
(1823-1900)
Co. H, 31st Mississippi Infantry, Orr’s Regiment
Sergeant
- Leonidas W. Hunter
(1828-1863)
Co. B, 29th Mississippi Infantry
Corporal
Killed in at the Battle of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., 24 November 1863, aged 35
- Marcilus Samuel Hunter
(1830-1888)
Co. G, 17th Louisiana Infantry
3rd Lieutenant
1st Sergeant
Taken prisoner at Vicksburg on 4 July 1863
Paroled as exchange prisoner at Enterprise, Mississippi, on 8 November 1863
- Gregory Turner Hunter
(1834-1902)
Co. H, 31st Mississippi Infantry
Sergeant
- Henry Saunders Hunter
(1838-1886)
Co. B, 15th Mississippi Infantry
“Winona Stars of Carroll County”
Corporal
Wounded in 1864
- Pinson Calvin Hunter
(1841-1910)
Co. B,15th Mississippi Infantry
Winona Stars of Carroll County”
Private
Wounded at Shiloh
- Baldwin Whitson Hunter
(1843-1862)
Co. B, 15th Mississippi Infantry
“Winona Stars of Carroll County”
Private
Died in Tennessee on 16 August 1862, aged 19
Confederate Service of Hunter brothers, sons of James Alston Hunter:
Records of all brothers except Marcilus Samuel Hunter are on microfilm at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi