On the dividing line between Anderson and Oconee counties is an old grave. It lies half in each county; in it rests William Grant. He was a brave soldier of the Revolution, fought at Cowpens, Guilford Court House, Eutaw Springs, and several other places.


State of South Carolina, Anderson District

On this [blank] day of March 1835 personally appeared in open
court in the Court of Sessions & Common Pleas, before one of the
Associate Judges of the said State, William Grant, a resident in
the District of Anderson and State aforesaid, aged seventy-three
years on the 3rd August last, 1834, who being first duly sworn
according to law doth, making oath, make the following declaration
in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the Act of
Congress passed June 7th 1832 --

That he entered the Army of the United States in the month of
November in the year 1779 as a private as a volunteer in what was
called the Minute Service, in the Spartan Regiment as it was
called, in what is now called Union District, under command of
Capt. Joseph McJunkin, Lieut. Col. Stein, of Col. Brandon's
Regiment, to go to Charleston against the British, and was marched
to the branch ten miles form Charleston and stationed there until
the 10th March 1780. He was called out for 3 mo. but it was about
upwards of 4 mo. before relieved by the N.C. troops.

2nd) Being still in the Minute Service in November 1780 he
was called on again and entered the service under Capt. William
Grant, Major Joseph McJunkin, Col. Thomas Brandon, by order of
General Sumpter to go to Fosses' Ford. They were pursued by Col.
Tarleton to Blackstock's where there was an engagement and in which
Gen'l Sumpter was wounded & left the field that night, and they
scattered and went home having been out not less than one month.

3rd) He was in November 1780 appointed 1st Lieutenant in
Capt. William Grant's company by Col. Thomas Brandon, who commanded
the Regiment, and was ordered to collect provisions for General
Morgan's Army before it should arrive at Grindal's Shoals on
Pacolet River. He joined General Morgan's Army when it arrived
there & attacked the Tories at Hammond's Old Store & defeated them
there under the Bloody William Cunningham & took two wagons loaded
with arms & a good many prisoners and returned to Grindal's Shoals
& joined Morgan's Army -- & marched to the Cowpens and was in the
Battle there on the 17th January 1781, and in the battle did
command as a Lieut. under Capt. William Grant. After the Battle a
call was made for volunteers to guard the prisoners to Sherrell's
Ford on the Catawba River. He went by Rutherford, Sherrell's Ford
and nearly to the Yadkin River, as the British were pursuing. He
was out that time not less than three months as a First Lieutenant
and as a volunteer.

4th) In the Spring of 1781 Gen'l Sumpter called out the
minute men and, Capt Grant being already at Neal's Mill, Col.
Brandon ordered this applicant, being 1st Lieut., to collect the
volunteers and to go with him, the Col., to join General Greene at
the Congaree Fort. Applicant did collect his men and went, under
Col. Brandon, to Congaree Fort. Sometime after their arrival,
Gen'l Greene ordered General Sumpter to take Col. Brandon's Reg't
and attack the Fort at Orangeburg. Applicant went with Brandon &
Sumpter & they took the Fort (the Old Jail) and 80 Tories & some
British prisoners, commanded by Col. Fisher. About this time Gen'l
Marion had taken Wright's Bluff -- Greene the Congaree Fort. They
were then sent home to collect more men and ordered to meet at 96,
where Gen'l Greene intended to besiege that Fort and drive the
enemy from the back country. He did raise some men, joined Major
Jolley of Col. Brandon's Regiment, went to the siege at 96 &
remained there until the siege was raised, when he returned home
and was required to guard Col. Brandon's Bull Pen, as it was
called. He was out as Lieut. not less than one month to Congaree
& Orangeburg, and not less than one month [to the] siege of 96.

5th) About the month of August or Sept. 1781 he was called
upon as 1st Lieut. commanding a company to raise men and join
General Greene at McCord's Ferry. He immediately turned out and
went on to Ancrum Old Place where they joined Col. Lee's Corps of
horse and went on to McCord's Ferry with him, under Major Jolley.
[He] was there taken sick and was appointed Officer of the Sick and
left there with a promise of support & assistance. After remaining
there some time and obtaining no support, the applicant discharged
all the sick who were living and all that could went home. He went
home & was sick all the next winter. [He] was out not less than
two & a half months.

6th) In the Spring of 1782, being in commission, he was
called on to take his men & guard Orangeburg & he turned out as
Lieut. under Maj. or Lieut. Col. Fair, went with him to Orangeburg,
was with him there on duty not less than two months & was relieved
or discharged & returned.

7th) About the 1st of July 1782 he volunteered as a Lieut.
with part of Grant's Company under the same Major Jolley and went
with him to Bacon's Bridge, by order of General Pickens, was there
for some time not less than two months, when they were dismissed
and Major Jolley died soon after his return.

He served as a Private 1st tour: 4 months
2nd tour: 1 month
---------
5 months, Private

He served as a 1st Lieut. 1st tour: 3 mo.
2nd tour: 2 mo.
3rd tour: 2 1/2 mo.
4th tour: 2 mo.
5th tour: 2 mo.
--------------------
11 1/2 mo. as Lieut.

He refers to the affidavit of Major Joseph McJunkin, who was
Capt. when he first turned out volunteer & lived near & knew well
of his service & would have said more or stated the service more
fully, but the Magistrate was of opinion he had stated full enough
(he not knowing). If he can procure an other witnesses he will
also furnish them. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to
a pension or annuity except the present, and he declares his name
is not on the Pension Roll of any Agency in any State.

And he makes the following answers to the Interrogatories
required by the War Department to be put to the applicant --

And to the 1st he answers & says he was born in Augusta County
Va. 3d Aug. 1761.
2nd He has the record of his age now in his possession in
Anderson District in his father's Old Prayer Book.
3rd He lived on Pacolet River near to Pinckneyville in what
is now Union District.
4th He was always a Volunteer.
5th He was with Generals Morgan, Greene and Henderson of the
Regular Army, and with Cols. Howard, Lee & Washington of the same,
and with the Militia officers above named.
6th He never received a written discharge. He had a
Commission written & signed by Col. Brandon [and] states the
British had at that time control of the State & he does not know
that any other kind of Commissions were issued.
7th He lives near & is acquainted with John Harris, Esq., the
Judge of the Court of Ordinary of the District, and Col. John C.
Kilpatrick, Revolutionary Soldier, and Capt. John Maxwell, member
of the Legislature, Col. Robert Anderson, Clerk, H. Reps. He can
refer to them and all who know him for an honest character.

Sworn to and subscribed his
the day and year aforesaid William X Grant
in open court. mark


Lt William Grant was the second son of William Grant and Keturah Barrett or Donnally. Donnally family researchers
They had 9 children:

William Grant married first Mary Polly Portman 1784 in Greenville SC they had 5 children. Mary died in 1802 or 1803. William next married Mary Burchfield in 1804 and had 7 more children with her.

He became prosperous man after the war and was sometimes a moneylender. He was a rough old fellow who owned a two story house near the Anderson-Oconee County line and loved to go barefooted.

He was well loved by all his family. His relatives wanted him buried in their respected counties so Grant ordered that his grave be located on the county line with an unobstructed view of his house where he could watch his wife sell corn to passing travelers.

There are many more stories but not enough room. Thank you to Willie Walker for all the hard work and research on the Grant-Walker line.






∼-Born at Shepherdstown, Virginia in 1761 to William M Grant Sr and his wife, Keturah. Moving to the District of Anderson a few years later, he begrudgingly applied for a pension into the Revolutionary army at age of 74 (1835) after he was accused of being Tory.
-Grant was first stationed at Charleston SC in the Minute Service to repel any possible British attack. He was then called out in March of 1780 to his father's company and given the rank of 1st Lieutenant.
-During the war he fought in the battles of Kings Mountain, Cowpens, Guilford Court House, Eutaw Springs, the Siege of 96, among others. He was with Generals Morgan, Greene and Henderson of the Regular Army and with Cols Brandon, Howard, Lee and Washington of the same.
-After the Revolutionary War, Grant settled down with his wife, Mary Portman, at Coneross Creek in 1784 and had five children.
-As a money lender, he apparently lived a prosperous life until his death. He was of an austere disposition, strong prejudice, and doubtless a terror to the Tories.
-It was by his order that his grave was located within unobstructed view of his home. Grant said that when he arose, he wanted the first object his eyes encountered to be his own house. Moreover, he wanted to watch his wife sell corn to passing travelers.
-Although the house remained until 1955, Grant's grave still faces his home (near the top of the hill) to this day. English Ivy and Poison Ivy now cover the foundation/cellar.
--Tombstone markings: GRANT, William (Jr), b 3-Aug-1761, d 28-Aug-1851, 3' high slab stone wall surrounds grave, DAR memorial marker erected 14-aug-1909 saying "brandon's sc mil. rev. war soldier".