Greenbrier County, West Virginia    Biography: Colonel John STUART

**************************************************************************
USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, 
as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is 
obtained from the contributor of the file.

These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation 
by other organizations.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this 
material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of 
the contributor.

Transcribed and submitted by Valerie Crook, <vfcrook @earthlink.net>, 1998.
**************************************************************************

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 625-626

    COLONEL JOHN STUART was the most famous pioneer of Greenbrier County, 
the founder of a family of conspicuous citizenship there, and his 
descendants are still represented in that section of the state.
    His father, David Stuart, was born in Scotland a connection of the 
House of Stuarts, and participants in the movement to place Charles Edward
Stuart on the English throne, a movement that culminated in failure at
the battle of Culloden in 1746. David Stuart came to America soon after
that battle, settling on the Shenandoah River in August County, Virginia.
He was a personal friend of Governor Robert Dinwiddie, who appointed him
in 1755 county lieutenant of Augusts County, with the rank of colonel. He
was well qualified to serve this important office. David Stuart died in 
1767, having been drowned while crossing a branch of the Shenandoah River.
His wife was Margaret Lynn Paul, widow of John Paul, a granddaughter of 
the Laird of Loch Lynn, Scotland, a niece of Margaret Lynn, wife of Col. 
John Lewis and the mother of General Andrew and Col. Charles Lewis, heroes
of the Battle of Point Pleasant.
    Col. John Stuart was the only son of David and Margaret Lynn Stuart, 
and was born at Hebron in Augusta County, March 17, 1749. He exhibited at
an early age extraordinary vigor both in body and mind. By the time he was
seventeen years of age he was said to have acquired an excellent education
both from books and the affairs of life. While young he participated in a
number of surveying and prospecting expeditions to the west and north of 
the then permanent settlements in August County, which brought him into 
contact with men of various classes and character. On these expeditions 
he saw much of Indian life.
    All of the attempted settlements in Greenbrier having failed prior to 
that time, in the year 1769 an expedition was organized by citizens of 
Augusta and adjoining counties, having for its purpose a permanent 
settlement in that beautiful and inviting country afterwards called 
Greenbrier County. Of this company John Stuart, then only twenty years
of age, was a member. These pioneers came to Greenbrier in the spring of
1769. After arriving in this wild country the settlers found it necessary
to organize for definite course of action, on account of developments to
be made in their new home, for protection against the Indians and the many
dangers by which they were surrounded. John Stuart was chosen their chief
adviser and first officer.
    He first located near where the town of Frankford now stands, where he
built his first home, overlooking a beautiful view towards the east. This 
place he called "Grunble Thorp." Here he erected the first mill built in 
Greenbrier, which was propelled by a subterranean stream of considerable 
volume dowing through a channel cut out by the Indians, to which they had
access through the mouth of a large cave. The dam, a large part of which 
is still standing, was built of stone, and located about 200 feet from
the entrance to the cave. The mill itself stood just outside of the mouth
of the cave.
    He soon moved from his first residence to what is now known as the 
"Old Stuart Place," about four miles below Lewisburg on the Fort Spring road.
Here he first erected a log house, in which he lived until the year 1789,
when he built a large stone house of the old English style, which is now
the oldest house in the country. This building is still in a state of good
preservation and is at this time the residence of his great-grandson, 
Samuel Lewis Price.  Here John Stuart lived for many years, leading an 
active, busy life, engaged in vanona occupations and acting for the 
settlers as adviser and chief defender against the Indians.
    Within a quarter of a mile from the place where the stone house was 
afterwards built there was erected what was first known as "Fort Stuart"
and afterwards called "Fort Spring," at the spot where the old Fort Spring
Church now stands, which was placed under the command and supervision of 
Colonel Stuart. At the time this fort was built a large number of settlers 
of Greenbrier County lived near and it was used as a refuge during several 
Indian attacks, of which no mention is made in history.
    Colonel John Stuart commanded one of the companies from Greenbrier 
County in the expedition commanded by General Andrew Lewis at the battle 
of Point Pleasant in 1774. After that battle, on account of the heavy loss
of officers, he was put in command of a large portion of the army. The last
of the desperate attacks made by the Indians upon the settlers of Greenbrier
occurred in 1778, when a band of Indians crossed over from beyond the Ohio
River, surprised and surrounded the settlers of Fort Donally, in what is 
now known as Radus Valley. The fort was located about eight miles northwest
of Ft. Union, where Lewisburg now stands. Colonel Stuart led the enforcement
from Ft. Union, raised the siege and drove the Indians off. Within a few 
days after this attack he was able to raise a sufficient force to drive 
and frighten the Indians out of the country.
    Colonel John Stuart waa appointed clerk of the County of Greenbrier,
which was organized in 1776. He was appointed in 1780. He was a member of 
the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1788, and was a strong advocate 
for the ratification of the Federal constitution. He was appointed colonel
of the Seventy-ninth Regiment of Militia in 1793. He and his wife, Agatha, 
were large contributors for the building of the old stone church at Lewisburg
in 1796. Col. John Stuart possessed a large library for a pioneer, was a man
of splendid literary attainments and a finished scholar, was a member of the
American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, and in 1797 he wrote 
"Memoirs of Indian Wars and other Occurrences," which remained in manuscript
until published in 1833 by the Virginia Historical Society. This is one of 
the important sources of history for everything connected with the early 
settlement of the Greenbrier. He also left another historical work, entitled
"A Narrative," also descriptive of conditions in Greenbrier and the great 
Kanawha Valley. Colonel Stuart possessed great executive and financial 
ability, and amassed a large fortune for his time. Some of the lands he 
acquired are still owned by his descendants. He resigned his post as clerk
of the County Court December 22, 1807. The first clerk's office was built 
by him in his own yard, and that building is still standing. He also gave
the site upon which the first Court House was erected. Col. John Stuart 
died August 18, 1823, in his seventy-fifth year.
    November 18, 1776, he married Mrs. Agatha Frogg, widow of Col. William 
Frogg, who was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant. She was a granddaughter
of Col. John Lewis, and a daughter of Thomas Lewis, who was a brother of 
General Andrew and Col. Charles Lewis. The four children of Col. John Stuart
and wife were: Margaret Lynn, born December 31, 1777, and married Andrew Lewis;
Jane Lewis Stuart, born February 16, 1780, married Robert Crockett; 
Charles Augustus Stuart, born April 23, 1782, married Elizabeth Robinson;
and Lewis Stuart, born May 14, 1784.
    Lewis Stuart, second son of Col. John Stuart, succeeded to the possession
of the old Stuart home place, and lived there all his life. He served as clerk
of the County Court as successor to his father from September 22, 1807, until
June 1, 1830. He was commissioned the first clerk of the Superior Court of 
Law and Chancery of Greenbrier County, April 17, 1809, and held that office 
until 1831. Aside from his official duties he maintained a generous home, 
was fond of good horses, had a genius for friendship and is said to have 
been one of the best loved men in the whole Greenbrier country.
    October 15, 1807, he married Sarah Lewis, daughter of Col. John Lewis of 
Bath County, and granddaughter of Col. Charles Lewis, who was killed at Point 
Pleasant. To their marriage were born five sons and five danghters: John,
born July 26, 1814 Charles A., born June 5, 1818, Lewis, born September 7, 
1820, all of whom went West where John died February 19, 1838, Charles, 
July 4, 1888, and Lewis, December 19, 1860. Henry Stuart born October 31, 
1824, lived on a farm at Richlands Greenbrier County, and died September 5,
1902.  He married, July 12, 1871, Nannie Watkins. Andrew Stuart born March 12, 
1827, lived at the old Stuart place near Fort Spring Church, and died in 1892.
He married Sallie Cabell. Elizabeth Stuart, born January 13, 1809, died August 9, 
1819. Rachel Stuart, born May 30, 1816, became the wife of A. W. G. Davis, and
they lived near Fort Spring Station. Agnes Stuart, born September 2, 1812,
died January 15, 1899. She married Charles S. Peyton, and they lived at Richlands.
Margaret Stuart, born September 15, 1822, and died in 1903, married Col. James W. 
Davis, and they lived on a farm half a mile below the old Stuart place. Jane 
Stuart, born September 17, 1810, was married February 6, 1837, to Governor 
Samuel Price. She was woman of remarkable intellect and great personal charm. 
She died August 14, 1873.
    After Lewis Stuart's death Beau Desert and the large estate connected with
it remained in the possession and under the management of his widow Sarah Lewis
Stuart, until after her death, which occurred March 5, 1853. She was born in 
February, 1790. She was a famous beauty, and until her death was noted for her
striking personal appearance. She was fond of the social side of life, and
maintained as a widow the hospitality which had characterized the home during
the life of her husband. She was also a woman of remarkable strength of character, 
of a cultivated, forceful and vigorous mind, and she displayed remarkable executive
ability in the management of the estate.