James Hamar was born on June 1, 1764, in Shrewsbury, Monmouth, New Jersey. I believe his parents were Fuller and Jamima Hamar (I am still trying to confirm.) His birth information was in his military records.
James fought as a Private in First New Jersey Regiment commanded by Col. Mathias Ogden during the Revolutionary War. In 1783, he fought in the final battle of the war at Yorktown, Virgina, where British General Cornwallis surrendered to end the war. According to his pension application, he was wounded during that battle.
After the war, James moved to the frontier and settled in Kentucky. He married Mary Ann Helm on June 22, 1791, in Mason County, Kentucky.
James and Mary had eight children: Mary, David, Elizabeth, Achaia, William, Thomas, Horace, and James Jr. Mary died in 1819 in Mason County, Kentucky, when their youngest child was about nine years old.
After Mary's death, James moved at Cincinnati, Ohio. There are indications that he married again but I haven't found any records to confirm that.
He later moved to Fayette County, Indiana, to be closer to some of his children. He died at age 73 on July 5, 1837, in Everton, Fayette, Indiana. He is buried in the Union Chapel Cemetery in Connersville, Fayette, Indiana. A military marker denoting his military service has been added to the gravesite.