John Stuart (Virginia settler) facts for kids

Colonel John Stuart (born March 17, 1749, in Augusta County, Virginia – died August 18, 1823, in Greenbrier County, Virginia) was an important leader during the American Revolutionary War. He was also a pioneer who helped settle western Virginia.

Stuart fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. He explored and helped settle the Greenbrier Valley area. Because of his work, many people call him the "Father of Greenbrier County." He also wrote a book called Memoir of Indian Wars and Other Occurrences in 1799. This book is a very important record of the early history of southern West Virginia.

Biography of John Stuart

Early Life and Family Background

John Stuart's father, David Stuart, was from Scotland. He supported a Scottish prince named Charles Edward Stuart, also known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie," who wanted to be king of Great Britain. After the prince's cause failed at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, David Stuart had to move to America. He settled in Augusta County, Virginia, near the Shenandoah River, not far from the town of Staunton.

Exploring and Settling Greenbrier Valley

When John Stuart was twenty years old, in 1769, he joined a group from Augusta County, Virginia. They explored the wild Greenbrier Valley to the west. This exploration helped prepare the land for European settlers. The next year, in 1770, Stuart built the first mill in what is now Greenbrier County, near Frankford.

Military Service and Key Battles

In 1774, John Stuart led a group of soldiers from Greenbrier in the Battle of Point Pleasant. This battle took place where the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers meet.

On November 18, 1776, he married Agatha Lewis (1753-1836). Her father, Thomas Lewis, was a lawyer and surveyor who also helped settle Virginia.

In 1777, Stuart was at Fort Randolph, which was built where the Battle of Point Pleasant happened. While there, he saw a sad event where four Native Americans were killed. One of them was Shawnee Chief Cornstalk. Chief Cornstalk had come to explain his people's views on the British and Americans. He wanted peace, but some younger Shawnee warriors wanted war. Important leaders like Patrick Henry and the Continental Congress spoke out against these killings.

Community Leadership and Contributions

In 1778, Stuart was in charge of troops when Native Americans attacked Fort Donnally. This fort was near Lewis Spring, which is now Lewisburg. Lewisburg was named after Agatha's uncle, Andrew Lewis.

John Stuart was one of the first people to help manage the city of Lewisburg. In 1780, he became the county's first clerk. He kept many important historical records. His first office in Lewisburg, which was in his own yard, is still standing today.

In 1788, Stuart attended the Virginia Ratifying Convention. He supported the idea of approving the U.S. Constitution. In 1789, he built a large stone house called "Stuart Manor" near Fort Spring. He ended up commanding Fort Spring, which was later called Fort Stuart. Stuart also gave the land where the first county courthouse and the Old Stone Church in Lewisburg are located.

Scientific Discoveries and Legacy

John Stuart wrote letters to Thomas Jefferson, who later became president. In 1796, Stuart sent Jefferson some fossil bones. He found these bones in a cave about five miles from his home. These fossils greatly interested Jefferson. Scientists later found out that they were tens of thousands of years old. They belonged to a giant ground sloth called Megalonyx jeffersonii, or Jefferson's Ground Sloth. Because Jefferson wrote about these fossils, he is seen as starting the study of vertebrate paleontology (the study of ancient backboned animals) in the United States.

In 1797, John Stuart was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a very old and respected group that promotes knowledge.

John Stuart passed away in 1823. He is buried with his wife in the family cemetery at "Stuart Manor."

Works

• Stuart, John (1799; first published in 1833), Memoir of Indian Wars and Other Occurrences by the Late Colonel Stuart of Greenbrier. This book tells about the Battle of Point Pleasant and the killing of Chief Cornstalk. It was reprinted in 1970.