John Duvall Denune

Biography

On March 1, 1780, John Duvall Denune, then 13, claimed to be born in 1765, making him 15, the minimum age of enlistment, and joined the Continental Army, 6th Maryland Regiment as a musician. He played the drum and fife, under Captain Henry Dodson. Young and fearless, John became an expert horseman, and could ride a galloping horse with neither saddle or bridle. John had many close calls, sometimes with the English, other times with the Indians. An account of John escaping from the Indians was published in an early reader. Lucy Washington (Denune) Agler, a daughter of John, gave this reader to her daughter Livinia (Agler) Cornwall, who treasured it for many years.

After the Regiment had been decimated at the Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), the surviving members were formed into a company of the 2nd Maryland Brigade and attached to Colonel Williams' Regiment of infantry. He was discharged November 1, 1780, but continued to fight in the Southern Campaign. He fought at the Battles of Guilford Courthouse (March 15, 1781), The Siege of Ninty-Six (May 22 – June 18, 1781), and Eutaw Springs (September 8, 1781) where Captain Dodson was killed and his lieutenant, John Lynn was wounded. After the battle his company retired to the hills of Santee where he received a furlough. On January 1, 1782, a month or two after returning home he enlisted as a fifer in the 1st company, 2nd Battalion, commanded by Captain Edward Trueman, Lieutenant Jacob Crawford, and Ensign Charles Skirvins. He was later assigned to the company of Captain Edward Spurrier with Lieutenants Joshua Rutledge and Robert Halkerson. He was stationed at Baltimore, and with several companies, his outfit marched under Major Lansdale to Newburg where General Washington was in command. He was discharged June 1783 at Baltimore. After the war he returned to Prince Georges County, and on January 17, 1798 he secured license to marry Sarah Burrell. The first three children were born in Maryland, but about 1806 he and his young family migrated westward, and ultimately settled in Franklin County, Ohio, now a part of the City of Columbus. Injured in the war, and with many children to feed, he was a poor farmer with more debts than assets. In 1818, at the age of 52, he applied for, and received a pension for his military service.

Charles County Gentry incorrectly states that John has an impressive monument at Riverside Cemetery, Mifflin Township, Franklin County, Ohio. The impressive monument is that of his son, A. B. Denune. John is buried at Riverside, but the Cemetery has lost track of the location of his grave, however there is a plaque honoring John and other veterans.
http://revwarapps.org/s44133.pdf