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Friday, July 2, 2010

Captain Ralph Stewart (1752-1835)


From "West Virginians in the Revolution" on page 274 :
Stewart, Ralph(Captain) Va. No. 23949 No. W. 6168
Service-Virginia

Born in Augusta County, Virginia, 1752, later removed to Giles and Montgomery County, and died in Logan County, November 17, 1835. About 1800,
he had a cabin on Clear Creek in what is now Wyoming County, West Virginia.
His wife; Mary Clay, was the daughter of Mitchell Clay, first settler of Mercer Coutny, Va., and their marriage bond dated June 25, 1877, is filed in Montgomery County, Va. They were married by the Reverend Edward Morgan.

Was commissioned captain in 1773, by Lord Dunmor, Governor of VA, and served
as a ranger. Was at Point Pleasant under General Lewis in the battle ub
1774. In 1778, his commission was renewed by Patrick Henry, then Governor
of Virginia, was ordered with his company to South Carolina to join the the
army under General Green, and ws attached to the regiment commanded by
Colonel Robert McCleary and Major Smith. Fought at Guilford Courthouse, Hot
Water, Ground Squirrell, Charlottesville, and Yorktown. He was wounded in
the right arm by a sabre cut from one of the "Butcher" Talereton's men and
was on the invalid roll for the state of Virginia. According to his pension application, When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Gen. Washington made Ralph one of the guard that kept the English commander a prisoner of war. His commission and discharge, left with Colonel George Pearis for safe-keeping, were lost or stolen when the latter's home was plundered.

Soldier received pension in 1834 and his widow received pension in 1846 at
which time she was 74 years old. Supporting date ws submitted in this case
by Edward Burgess, Patience Chapman, Mitchell Clay, Francis Hedrick, Charles
L. Clay, and the Reverend Richard Brooks.