Currently, the information that I have collected on Sgt. Elijah and his family is not significant: A few records and a lot of speculation by myself and others so please do not take what I have written here as completely accurate.
We do know that Elijah was the son of Moses based on a land record in 1836 where Elijah V. Hollis conveyed land that was a part of a grant to Moses Hollis in 1768 "who then conveyed it to his son Elijah V. Hollis who then conveyed it to me Elijah V. Hollis, his son". This land was adjacent to lands of John Hollis and land formerly owned by Nottley Hollis.
It would appear that Elijah was born in 1763 and his middle initial was V which other researchers claim stood for Vinson/Venson. We have a document where he is noted as E.V. Hollis Sr. and his son is E.V. Hollis, Jr. Elijah is said to have married Alsey Knighton and it is likely that Alsey was the cousin of Nancy Knighton (married Capt. John Hollis) and Mary Knighton (married Moses Hollis, Jr.). [1]
Elijah and Alsey both died without leaving a Will (or no Will has survived) and there do not seem to be any estate documents for either of them. Therefore, the total number of children and their names is not known with any certainty leaving the door open for speculation. Most of the information below is based on extrapolating from other documents.
We have several records that prove that he was the younger brother of Captain John Hollis and that they both served in the Revolutionary War.
The website www.revwarapps.org has a large file on Elijah and his brother John - It can be found by visiting that website or clicking here.
Revolutionary War service record proof
There are also a few pay records held at the SC Archives:
Note the following document from the SC Archives where Elijah V. Hollis (not known if Sr. or Jr.) was part of a Grand Jury in 1816 that had an opinion on slavery that may not have been very popular at the time[2]:
"To the benevolent and considerate mind, the introduction of negroe slaves into this state is a subject truly disturbing. If it does not threaten the purity of our Republican _ situations; it is no less afflicting to humanity and Religion. We recommend an interference therein, for the honor, safety & prosperity of the State"
Potential children of Sergeant Elijah V. Hollis:
1. Reuben Hollis (b. about 1780; d. Unknown)
2. Elijah V. Hollis Jr. (b. 1787; d. 1865)
3. Isaac Knighton Hollis (b. 1790; d. 1879)
4. Daniel W. or H. Hollis (b. about 1805; d. Unknown)
5. John Hollis (b. about 1785; d. Unknown) married Mary (Elizabeth?) Brown
6. Moses (b. about 1783; d. Unknown)
7. Sarah Hollis (b. Unknown; d. Unknown)
On the 1790 census for Fairfield District, SC, Elijah is shown with 3 males under 16 which seemingly is a discrepancy with the known sons ages (Reuben, Elijah, John and Moses) but most of the birth dates are approximations. For instance, very little is known about Reuben, Moses or John or that they are even his sons. Reuben may have been older and already out of the house at this point but if this is the case why is he not shown on the 1790 or 1800 census? On the 1800 census he lists 4 males with none older than 25. I think it is likely that Reuben, Isaac, Elijah and Daniel are his sons; John and Moses are possibilities but likely one of them is not his son based on the 1790 & 1800 censuses. Again, without any documents, it is hard to prove exactly how many sons he had and their names.
There is a strong likelihood that Rufus Hollis is a descendant of Sgt. Elijah V. Hollis.
-------------------
[1] See the letter from Peter T. Hollis to Marie Bankhead Owen. where he states that Capt. John and Moses, Jr. married Knighton sisters.
[2] Note that E.V. Hollis, Jr. lost several sons in the Civil War - might this record show that EV, like most southerners at the time, were against slavery yet were for secession?
(This page was updated on 12/8/2022)