General Notes

James served in Revolutionary War from N. Carolina. He moved to
Lexington, Kentucky about 1780.
He fought with George Rogers Clark. He drew a pension for his service in
Rev. War. In "Virginians in the Revolution", he was shown to have been a
spy in Clark's Illinois Regiment. -from purporting to be all of the
manuscripts in the State Library (Virginia) pertaining to George Rogers
Clark, photostated and bound, but not indexed, serial letters, volume
numbers given. GV1P179=Serial G, Volume 1, p 179.
He was guardian of his younger brothers and sisters from 1794 - 1803. He
wore frontier clothing long after most men stopped.
"Virginians in the Revolution" states that James was a spy in Clark's
Regiment.
Birth: Application for Revolutionary War Pension. (National Archives).
Marriage: Application of Margaret Masterson for a widow's pension.
Death: Application for Revolutionary War Pension. (National Archives).
Obituary appears in Lexington Gazette as well.
His birth place was between Georgetown and Alexandria.
From Masterson family newsletter: Rev. War service included:
1775 6 mos Pvt. under Capt. Keys Col NC
1775 3 mos Pvt. under Capt. Caswell NC
1778 3 mos Ensign under Capt. Fellows NC
1778 2 1/2 mos Ensign under Capt. Whitley & Col William Caswell NC
1780 to End, Indian spy under Capt. Robert Patterson & John Todd on
frontier.
Regina Barry, a descendant of James says, "In 1779, he removed to
Kentucky where he resided during the rest of the Revolution and has
continued near the town of Lexington.
"Declaration..." "He (James) returned home in February, 1779. About the
month of May in that year he came to Kentucky, and arrived at
Boonesborough, whence he went to Bryant's Station & then to Lexington,
where at that time there were only one block house & two cabins and only
one white woman in the place. He remianed there until fall, when he
returned to North Carolina. When returning soon after to Kentucky, he was
overtaken by the hard winter in Powell's Valley, where he remained
encamped until spring 1780, when he returned to Lexington.
James served under George Rogers Clark in the Shawnee Expedition, the
siege of Bryant's Station, the Battle of the Upper Blue Licks. He built
the first hewn log cabin in Lexington and lived there from 1780 until his
death 15 Dec 1838.
He was killed by Indiana near Lexington, Kentucky.
"On Saturday, the 15th Inst, Capt. James Masterson, a Revolutionary
Soldier and perhaps the oldest citizen of Fayette County, in the 87th
year of his age. The body of Capt. M. was deposited on Sunday, with
Military Honors, attended by the Uniform Companies, and an immence
concourse of citizens, who had known and appreciated his worth."
Published 15 Dec 1838 Lexington, Ky.
James had an unidentified daughter who married an Ogden, who drew a
"Black Bean: in the Mier expedition in Mexico.