James Williams (Revolutionary War)

James Henderson Williams
Born	November 10, 1740 Hanover County, Virginia Colony
Died	October 7, 1780 (aged 39–40) Kings Mountain battlefield
Place of burial	Gaffney, South Carolina
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	South Carolina militia
Years of service	1773-1780
Rank	Colonel

James Williams (November 10, 1740 – October 7, 1780) was an American pioneer, farmer, and miller from Ninety-Six District in South Carolina. In 1775 and 1776, Williams was a member of the state's Provisional Assembly. During the War of Independence, he held a colonel's rank in the South Carolina militia. He was killed at the decisive Battle of Kings Mountain.

Williams was born in Hanover County, Virginia and orphaned the week after his 17th birthday.. He moved into the home of his brother, John, in Granville County, North Carolina. John, being a lawyer, gave him a basic education before James set out on his own. He settled on the Little River in South Carolina.

By 1773, Williams had started a farm and built a mill in Ninety-Six District on the South Carolina western frontier (in what is modern Laurens County, South Carolina), and was an officer in the local militia. Tensions rose before the revolution, as many of his neighbors took Loyalist positions. Williams supported the American cause. He joined the local Committee of Safety, and was elected to the state's Provincial Congress in 1775 and again in 1776.

In 1776, the Ninety-Six District militia split into Loyalist and Patriot factions. Williams was made a lieutenant colonel of a regiment, but he had to recruit and train the new men. He succeeded in organizing a militia group, but pressure from Britain and her Indian allies meant that Williams always had to leave some troops behind for home defense. Williams led forces of local men into action at nearby Briar Creek and Stone Ferry, and as far afield as the expedition to the Second Battle of Savannah.

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