James Carlile, son of the immigrant, was only six years old when his family came to America. He was born May 23, 1763 in Tarnaneal, County Monaghan, Ireland. At age 17, he was drafted into the South Carolina militia as a private, reporting to Grindal Shoals Dec 25, 1780. He was placed under his brother, Lt. Francis Carlile, Capt. James Caldwell, Col. Andrew Pickins, and Gen. Morgan. Three weeks later James fought in what has been called the greatest tactical victory ever won on American soil, the Battle of Cowpens in upper South Carolina. The fighting began Jan 17, 1781 near Spartanburg. James was assigned to guard prisoners as they headed toward the mountains. After releasing the prisoners to the Virginians, he returned with Col. Pickens to harry the Tories and cut off British supplies. James also was in the siege of Ninety Six.

The patriotic young Carliles probably found themselves in the minority at the onset of the war. While many South Carolina upcountry citizens expressed little interest in the causes for the conflict, others actively opposed it, and Long Cane experienced bitter rivalries among neighbors and even families. Violence erupted and South Carolina endured an internal civil war.


Military Service in American Revolution

The role of Ulster Presbyterians like Francis and James in the American Revolution, with their blend of evangelism and ferocious self-reliance, far outweighed their numbers. As one British officer put it, "call this war by whatever name you may, but call it not an American rebellion; it is nothing more or less than an Scotch-Irish Presbyterian rebellion."

Our uncle, Captain Francis Carlile, served in several other notable battles including the Battle of Kettle Creek near Washington, GA where he suffered a thigh wound. It was at Kettle Creek, Feb 14, 1779, that Col. John Dooly, Col. Elijah Clark, and Col. Andrew Pickens defeated overwhelmingly a superior number of Tory forces. The Patriot victory helped to prevent total British control of Georgia for at least another year, and was the only significant check of a British invasion of the colony. The battle was the only major Patriot victory in Georgia during the Revolution War, and one of the most important battles fought in the state prior to the Civil War.

James was eventually sent to guard the frontier, and spent the rest of war as a prison and border guard. After the war, James returned to Abbeville District SC where he married Margaret Boles on Oct 15, 1783. Margaret Boles was born Jun 27, 1762, in South Carolina, the daughter of John Boles and Anne Ramsey. John Boles and Anne Ramsey married in Abbeville, SC about 1760. John also fought in the Battle of Kettle Creek where Uncle Francis was wounded. John Boles died about 1795 and Anne about 1801, both in South Carolina.

A House of Hewn Logs

Around 1790 James built a house of hewn logs just northwest of Lowndesville, SC on land granted to him for his service during the Revolutionary War. The property remains in the family to this day. James and Margaret raised their family, farmed, and lived there for the rest of their lives. The house has been added onto

over the years, but the original log house still stands, and the graves of James and Margaret in the field approximately 200 yards behind it have only recently been marked. About 60 people are buried there in the Carlile Family Cemetery including James and Margaret's eldest son, John, and his wife, Frances Tucker. A descendant of John and Frances currently owns the property where the old home and cemetery are located.

John's wife, Frances Tucker, was the granddaughter of "Old Dan Tucker," the mean old man immortalized in song. Interestingly enough, a connection to Old Dan Tucker is also mentioned on our Pittard side.

James Carlile died on Apr 9, 1842, and Margaret passed away Aug 13, 1857. On Mar 18, 1857, shortly before her death at age 95, Margaret applied for land from the federal government based on James' military service. In the application, Margaret included information taken from the family bible. Published dates about the family come from the application which was discovered during the 1960s at the National Archives in Washington DC.

The following obituary for Margaret appeared in the Oct 9, 1857 issue of the Due West Telescope, the newspaper published with the blessing of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of South Carolina. Research shows that the Rev. Irwin mentioned in the obit became pastor in 1800 and died in 1823. This indicates that Margaret affiliated with the church sometime during that period.

Margaret Carlile Obituary

Died, at her residence, in the upper part of Abbeville District, S.C., about the 13th of August last, Mrs. Margaret Carlile. The deceased was about Ninety-five years of age, and had been a zealous and confident member of the Associate Reformed Church at Little Generostee, under the successive pastorates of Revs. Robert Irwin, Ebenezer E. Pressley, D.D., and James C. Chalmers. Her zeal for the glory of God, in attending the public ordinances of this house, was not perceived to experience any diminuities until utterly incapacited by the infirmaties of old age. How forceably does her case illustrate the Scripture truth: "Thou shall come to thy grave in a full age, like a shock of corn cometh in this season." Job v:26.