Ralph Stewart Sr (1749 - 1835)

Born 17 Dec 1749 in Cow Pasture, Augusta, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Ann (Elliot) Stewart — married 27 Apr 1767 in Augusta Co Virginia

Husband of Mary Obedience (Clay) Stewart — married 25 Jun 1788 in Montgomery, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 17 Nov 1835 at age 85 in Logan, Virginia, United States

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Genealogically Defined

Biography

Ralph Stewart Sr is a member of Clan Stewart.

Captain Ralph Stewart Sr served with Augusta County Militia, Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Ralph Stewart Sr is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A109605.

Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed June 30, 2016), "Record of Ralph Stewart", Ancestor # A109605. SAR Plaque place on his gravesite on July 4. 2013

RALPH STEWART was born, as the best verifiable records can point, January 17, 1747, on Stuart's Run of the Cowpasture River in the Shenandoah Valley of August County, Virginia. This is the birthdate etched on his headstone,^[1] although by his own account in a later pension application, he sets the year as 1752.^[2] His parents, James Stuart and his wife Anne Lafferty-Stuart, named Ralph after his uncle, Anne's brother Ralph Lafferty.

In 1757, when he was a boy about 10 years of age, Ralph's father was captured by Shawnees in an Indian raid and burned at the stake in the Shenandoah Valley.^[3] Ralph’s brother James, Jr., who also was carried away, but later managed to escape to recount the tale, witnessed the fiery death. Their elder brother Robert continued to operate the family farm while the widow Anne Stuart remarried to Lt. Thomas Armstrong of Augusta County. On February 17, 1762, records in the Orphans Court show that "15-year-old Ralph Stuart, Jr. orphan of James Stuart" chose his brother Robert as guardian, with John Hamilton – who had married his aunt Mary – as Robert’s bondsman. This record further proves Ralph's birth year as 1747.^[4]

The ghosts of survivors guilt resulting from his father's death haunted Ralph all his life. The anger that burned inside him led him to take up arms against the Indians from an early age, some claim as young as fourteen. In a romanticized but unsourced story often repeated by his descendants, teenagers Ralph and James Stewart, during a time of peace with the natives, went on a prolonged hunting and trapping trip. Ralph, while alone in camp was set upon by Indians who hung around-for some time, amusing themselves by threatening and abusing him. When James returned, they captured him also. The Indians pillaged the camp supplies, then took away the furs and pelts. After the Indians left, Ralph and James managed to free themselves and the following night followed the trail of the Indians to their camp and slipped upon them and killed 5 Indians. This act was no doubt a lot of satisfaction for them, but was a violation of the law after the Declaration of Peace and made them liable for murder. Later Ralph told a friend who later became a rival for the affection of a young lady. The friend swore out a murder warrant for Ralph's arrest. The Stewart family left the community and moved to a place on new River where they remained for 18 months. At length the Governor of Virginia pardoned him.^[5]

Ralph took for his wife one miss Mary Elliott of Augusta County with an unsourced but approximated marriage date of April 27, 1767, and several children were born to them in the following years.^[6]

By 1772, in that somewhat remote part of Augusta County, during the quiet before the storm that was to break as the Revolution, Ralph and his brothers James and John, decided to go west. Undeterred by the memory of the death of their father, they purchased land along Tygart’s Valley River of the Monongahela, unsettled since the Indians almost twenty years before had broken the first effort of English-speaking farmers to open up the wilderness in what is now Randolph County, West Virginia. James, the elder of the three brothers, took charge of the farm on a branch still called Stuart’s Run in memory of their Bath County home. Hardly had he moved into his cabin before the Indians raided the tiny settlement and killed him. But this time, his fellow frontiersmen stuck it out – the first permanent settlement had been achieved. Ralph and others became famous for taking a small force and attacking 96 Indians and rescuing six white captives though greatly outnumbered. The farm was taken over by the brother John Stewart who ran it with the occasional help from Ralph.

In 1773, news of Ralph's woodsmanship and fighting skills reached the ears of Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia. Dunmore commissioned Ralph as captain of a company of Rangers raised to protect the defenseless frontier of Virginia.^[7][8] Although he was undoubtedly there earlier, the first reference found to Ralph in what is now Randolph County was in an Augusta County court order March 17, 1774, that Ralph Stuart, Richard Elliott (his brother-in-law) and Jacob and John Warwick were to view a road from Joseph Gregory’s to William Hamilton’s farm on the Monongahela of which Tygart’s Valley River is a tributary. Ralph Stuart and Elliott were exempted from working on the road until it was completed, probably because of militia duties. This was one of a network of new roads to connect the Monongahela and Greenbriar settlements with the Cowpasture, Staunton and Borden’s Tract. In his application for a Revolutionary War pension, Ralph stated he marched to the headwaters of the Monongahela River and then to Tygart’s Valley, where his company was stationed for a short time prior to the Battle of Point Pleasant at which place they joined the army under Col. Charles Lewis, commander at Fort Lewis on the Cowpasture, and participated in the battle on October 10, 1774.

Colonel Andrew Lewis, in command of about 1,000 men, was part of a planned two-pronged Virginian invasion of the Ohio Valley. As Lewis's force made its way down the Kanawha River, guided by pioneering hunter/trapper Matthew Arbuckle Sr., Lewis anticipated linking up with another force commanded by Lord Dunmore, who was marching west from Fort Pitt, then known as Fort Dunmore. Dunmore's plan was to march into the Ohio Valley and force the indigenous inhabitants to accept Ohio River boundary which had been negotiated with the Iroquois in the 1768 Treaty of Fort Stanwix.

The Shawnee, however, had not been consulted in the treaty and many were not willing to surrender their lands south of the Ohio River without a fight. Officials of the British Indian Department, led by Sir William Johnson until his death in July 1774, worked to diplomatically isolate the Shawnee from their neighbors. As a result, when the war began, the Shawnees had few allies other than some Mingos. Cornstalk, the Shawnee leader, moved to intercept Lewis's army, hoping to prevent the Virginians from joining forces. Estimates of the size of Cornstalk's force have varied, but scholars now believe Cornstalk was probably outnumbered at least 2 to 1, having between 300 and 500 warriors.

Cornstalk's forces attacked Lewis's camp where the Kanawha River joins the Ohio River, hoping to trap him along a bluff. The battle lasted for hours and the fighting eventually became hand-to-hand. Cornstalk's voice was reportedly heard over the din of the battle, urging his warriors to "be strong." Lewis sent several companies along the Kanawha and up a nearby creek to attack the warriors from the rear, which reduced the intensity of the Shawnee offensive. Captain George Mathews was credited with a flanking maneuver that initiated Cornstalk's retreat. At nightfall, the Shawnees quietly withdrew back across the Ohio. The Virginians had held their ground, and thus are considered to have won.

About 75 Virginians were killed, including Col. Charles Lewis, and 140 wounded. The Shawnee's losses could not be determined, since they carried away their wounded and threw many of the dead into the river. The next morning, Colonel Christian, who had arrived shortly after the battle, marched his men over the battlefield. They found twenty-one dead warriors in the open, and twelve more were discovered hastily covered with brush and old logs. Among those killed was Pucksinwah, the father of Tecumseh.

Besides scalps, the Virginians reportedly captured 40 guns, many tomahawks and some plunder which was later sold at auction for 74£ 4s 6d.

The Battle of Point Pleasant forced Cornstalk to make peace in the Treaty of Camp Charlotte, ceding to Virginia the Shawnee claims to all lands south of the Ohio River (today's states of Kentucky and West Virginia). The Shawnee were also obligated in the Treaty of Camp Charlotte to return all white captives and stop attacking barges of immigrants traveling on the Ohio River. The victory at Point Pleasant is considered by many historians to be the first battle of the American Revolution.

John Stewart and and his brother Ralph continued to manage the farm at Stuart's Run until John, too, was killed by Indians in 1777. Ralph remained on guard in Tygart’s Valley until 1778, when his commission was renewed by Gov. Patrick Henry. In 1779, he was appointed sheriff of Augusta County. He also joined Washington's Army under Gen. Nathaniel Greene.

In Greene’s army, under Col. Robert McCrary and Major Smith, Ralph participated in the Battles of Guilford Courthouse (March 15, 1781), Hotwater/Spencer’s Ordinary (June 26, 1781), Groundsquirrel Ridge and Charlottesville. He was severely wounded in the right arm by a cut from a sabre in the hands of Butcher Tarleton, a British cavalryman, and after recuperating at home, rejoined his regiment and proceeded to the Siege of Yorktown. By Ralph's own account of Lord Cornwallis' surrender, General Washington assigned him to guard the defeated Cornwallis in a cave.^[9][10] Ralph then aided in marching British prisoners to Winchester Barracks, where he was discharged, his certificate being signed by an aide of Gen. LaFayette. At the time, he refused to take his pay in depreciated Continental currency and received nothing for his service.

Ralph Stewart appears in the records of the modern-day Randolph County portion of Augusta until 1782, when he began to scout for new land further west. He looked over the New River country where Ralph Lafferty’s sons had settled in 1774, and on June 28, 1785, he surveyed 100 acres on the north side of New River, Joining Mitchell Clay’s lines. Ralph’s wife Mary, sister of Richard Elliott, had died during or soon after the Revolution, and on June 25, 1788, he married Mary Clay in Montgomery County, Virginia. ^[11] She was the sixteen-year-old daughter of Mitchell Clay and Phoebe (Belcher) Clay. William Tracy was bondsman and Richard Elliott witness on the marriage bond. Ralph was now about 41 and Mary Clay inherited a family of some six children or so, all being under the age of 18. To Ralph and Mary Clay-Stewart would be born yet around another dozen children over the years.

On April 1, 1791, Ralph bought of Henry Farley 100 acres on New River, at the mouth of Wolf Creek (in present Giles County) and on August 26, 1799, of John William Howe 124 acres on Brush Creek of Bluestone River in Montgomery (Mercer) County. Ralph's land lay near the Narrows of New River. His neighbors included in-laws Mitchell Clay, David Clay, and George Pearis, all of whom had made claims in Montgomery County.

One year after John Cooke moved his family to Clear Fork in October 1799, his first neighbor arrived. Capt. Ralph Stewart, still scouting for lands further westward, built a log cabin on Clear Fork near present-day Crany, a few miles from the Cooke homestead, in 1800, making him the second settler in the boundaries of what is today Wyoming County. In 1802/3, Ralph deeded his Giles County land on Wolf Creek to John Long. His 50 acres of land at the mouth of Wolf Creek he deeded March 9, 1805, to brothers Gordon Cloyd, Thomas Cloyd, and David Cloyd.^[12] February 3, 1806, Ralph Stewart and his wife Mary sold their remaining New River land on Brushy Creek for 180 pounds. This made their homestead on Clear Fork permanent. Edward Burgess, his long time friend, bought land on Clear Fork and settled nearby.

He received a small pension of $60 for his services in 1823 from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Later, during the late 1820’s, Ralph moved temporarily to Lawrence County, Kentucky, leaving some of his children to run the Wyoming County farm. He was enumerated in the 1830 census of Lawrence County but had returned to his (West) Virginia home by January 10, 1834, when he applied for his Revolutionary pension. He stated in his pension application that he had been personally acquainted with Generals George Washington, LaFayette, Wayne and Scott. His claim was supported by Patience Clay-Chapman, Mitchell Clay Jr., Charles L. Clay, Edward Burgess, Francis Hendrix, and Rev. Richard Brooks. A letter in the pension file from a friend or relative expressed relief that the pension had been awarded, as "Old Mr. S" was in poor circumstances. He appointed an attorney-in-fact, Anthony Lawson, to pick up the pension for him, describing himself as an invalid often. Lawson, who also served as his administrator after Ralph's wife relinquished her right to serve.

Capt. Ralph Stewart died the following year on November 17/18, 1835, at age 88. He was buried at Crany in a small cemetery on a wooded hillside known today as Keatley Cemetery.^[13] His military marker reads: Ralph Stewart, VA. MIL., REV. WAR. Anthony Lawson, who had been Ralph's attorney-in-fact, served as Ralph's estate administrator after his widow, Mary, relinquished her right to serve.

The widow Mary Clay-Stewart later applied for a widow’s pension December 17, 1846, which was granted. Since she was not listed in the 1850 census, she probably died between 1847-50. She was buried at Crany beside Capt. Stewart. Her grave is marked by a small stone with the hand-chiseled inscription: “Wife of Capt. Ralph Stewart.”

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Wyoming County citizens are descendants of Capt. Ralph and Mary Clay Stewart.

Ralph Stewart's descendants have been tenacious about their family history and have guarded quite a few items belonging to him that have been passed down through the generations. Several of the items were described in a newspaper article in 2006 and included the elder Stewart's 200-year-old deer horn cane with the initials "R.S." carved on it , a powder horn, knapsack, musket bayonet, and a flash pan cleaning tool. The cane was in the possession of Eula Blankenship Bailey, widow of Harry Bailey, who believed the items were handed down through the Walker family in Crany. These items in 2006 were in the possession of Oliver Stewart, descendant of "Capt Ralph's" youngest son George Pearis Stewart. ^[14]

Tentative list for his children:

Marriage 1 Mary Elliott

John Stewart a1768 - a1788

Charles Stewart a1769 - aft 1850

Absolom Stewart a1770 - bef 1829

James Elliott Stewart a1771 - a1835

Ralph Stewart a1772 - aft 1850

Mary Ann Stewart ba1773

Richard Stewart ba1775

Elizabeth Stewart ba1778

Marriage 2 Mary Clay

Phoebe Stewart aft 1788 - aft 1815

Catherine Stewart 1790 - 1881

Mitchell L. Stewart ba1791 - 1883

Rebecca Stewart ba1793 - ba 1840

Sarah Stewart ba1797 - 1821

William R. Stewart 1800 - 1883

Margaret Stewart ba1802

Henry C. Stewart ba1804 - aft 1860

Amy Stewart ba 1805 - aft 1870

Charles Stewart 1808 - 1898

George Pearis Stewart 1810 - 1864

Ora Stewart 1812 - 1895

Additional Information

___________________________________________________________ ______ __.

Partial Transcript of Interrogatories from a.

Deposition Taken of Captain Ralph Stewart.

Contained in His Pension Records from.

National Archives in Washington, D.C.

(transcribed by Rita O'Brien).

1. Where and in what year were you born?. Answer. I was born in Augusta County Virginia in the year 1 752 according to the best. information I can obtain.

2. Have you any record of your age and if so where is it?. Answer. I have not.

3. Where were you living when called into service? Where ha ve you lived since the. Revolutionary War & where do you now live?. Answer. I resided in Augusta County Va. when I entered th e service - have resided in. same County since and also in Montgomery & Giles Counties a nd am now living in. Logan County Va.

4. How were you called into service?. Answer. I volunteered Captain of an Infantry of Rifleme n & served as such.

5. State the name of some of the officers who were with th e troops where you served,. such Continental & Militia regiments as you can recollec t & the general circumstances. of your service?. Answer. I was acquainted with Genl's Washington, Lafayette , Wayne & Scott. & Cols. John Weiler, Thomas Huggers, Robrt McCleery, Wm Boyer are t he principals and my. principal circumstances are set out in the foregoing declar ation.

6. Did you ever receive a commission & if so by whom was i t signed and what has. became of it?. Answer. My first commission as Captain was signed by Lord D unmore, my second by. Patrick Henry, which were left with Col. George Pearis of Giles County for safe keeping. & lost or destroyed, he having his dwelling house broken op en and plundered as I have. been informed.

{This Col. George Pearis was also Capt.Ralph Stewart's brother-in-law as he was married to Mary Clay's sister Rebecca Clay{SAB}.

{DAR} Notes;. Ralph Stewart- Rev. war soldier, pension 3 23949,w6168. His name also appears on List M. Montgomery County 179393 . On list of delinquents in the District of James Hoge in 2 nd BN. 86th Regt,9/311799 Wythe County. Personal Property Tax 4-18,one male over 16,no slaves,5 hor ses. (MCo.) 1815 pp Tax 4-10 one male over 16,one horse $.2 1 Tax.(Y).

Surveyor in 1774.

Jan 17th, 1775 Qualified as captain of the Virginia Militi a withThomas Trent. In 1777 stationed at the Fort in Tygart's Valley, VA with h is brotherJames. In 1778, his commission was renewed by Patrick Henry, the n Governor of. Virginia, was ordered with his company to South Carolina t o join the army. under Gen. Green. Attached to a regiment commanded by Col . Robert McCleary. and Maj. Smith. Fought at Guilford Courthouse, Hot Water, G round Squirrel,. Charlottesville, and Yorktown. During one of these engageme nts, he received a. sabre wound in the right arm, inflicted by English Genera l "Butcher". Tarleton. When the British surrendered at Yorktown, Gen. Wa shington made. Ralph one of the guard that kept the English commander Gene ral Cornwallis a. prisoner of war in a cave near Williamsburg, VA, after hi s surrender on Oct. 19th, 1781. Service Record #23949-w. 6168.

Land Grant.

In consideration of Military Services performed by Charle s Scott in the War. between Great Britain and France there is granted unto Joh n Hamilton,. Isabella Stuart, Ralph Stuart, Henry Delaey, David McClan , and William. Wistsall assignees of John McClanahan who was assignee of C harles Scott a. certain tract or parcel of land containing 1000 acres all b eing part of a. 3000 acres surveyed the fourth day of March, 1774 lying i n the County of. Augusta on the Monongahlia River. April 1, 1782. Benjamin Harrison Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In 1778, his commission was renewed by Patrick Henry, the n Governor of Virginia, was ordered with his company to Sou th Carolina to join the army under Gen. Green. Fought at Gu ilford Courthouse, Hot Water, Ground Squirrel, Charlottesvi lle, and Yorktown. During one of these engagements, he rece ived a sabre wound in the right arm, inflicted by English G eneral Tarleton. When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, G en. Washington made Ralph one of the guard that kept the En glish commander a prisoner of war.

AUGUSTA COUNTY COURT RECORDS Ralph Stewart.

MAY 18, 1774.(?) Ephraim Richardson and Wm. Martin--road surveyors from. Francis Wier's, on Monongahela River, to Thorny Creek, on waters of. Greenbrier. John Warwick, Richard Elliott and Ralph Stewart are exempted from working on above road until it is built.

JANUARY 17, 1775. Thomas Trent and Ralph Stewart, qualified Captains of. Militia. William Stewart qualified Lieutenant of Militia.

JANUARY 17, 1775 Certified by Andrew Lewis; of Wm. Kinkead , for sundries for. Militia; of Ralph Stewart, for provisions for his Company o f Militia.

AUGUST 20, 1777. Tithables to be taken in: Capt. Ralph Stew art's, Company.

JANUARY 20, 1779 James Lachey appointed road surveyor of th e road located by. John Warrick and Ralph Stewart, from plantation of Darby Connolly, deceased,. to Lewis's quarter on Nap's Creek.

AUGUST 18, 1779 Jacob Stalnaker and Ralph Stewart appointed Constables.

City of Richmond To wit. Peter Dingess to whom the within power of attorney is grant ed this day. appeared before me James E Heath Auditor of Public Accounts , and made. oath that the said power is not given by reason of any Tran sfer,. Mortgage or Sale of the Pension or any part thereof for hi s own Use; but. that the pension to be received is for the Sole use and ben efit of Ralph. Stewart the within named Pensioner. Given under my hand this 14th day of February 1828. Ja E Heath.

Marriage Bond. Copy of this came from Rev,War Pension File. Know all men by these presents that we Ralph Stewart & Wm T racy are held firmly bound to the Governor of Virginia fo r the time being and his successors in the just sum of œ50 : current money of Virginia to the which payment will and t ruly to be made we bind ourselves our Heirs &. jointly an d severally, firmly by these presents, sealed with our seal s & dated the twenty fifth day of June one thousand seven h undred & eighty eight. The conditions of this obligation is such that where as th e above Ralph Stewart hath this day obtained license for hi s marriage with Mary Clay. Now if there should be no just c ause to obstruct this marriage, then this obligation to b e void or else to remain in full force (Signed) Ralph Stewa rt (Seal). Teste (Signed) William Tracy (Seal).

A Copy Teste R. D. Montague C.

State of Virginia Montgomery County SS.

I Rice D. Montague, above named, depose and say, that I hold the office of clerk of the county court of said county, and that the above is a true copy of the original marriage license bond of Ralph Stewart, on file in my said office, with the exception of the date, which is expressed in the bon d in fair legible figures, and in copying the same, I have inserted the date in writing. I do also further state upon oath, that I have examined the register of marriages in m y office, and that I find amongst the list returned for the year one thousand and seven hundred and eighty eight, the names of Ralph Stewart & Mary Clay, as having been celebrated on the fifteenth day of June one thousand seven hundred & eighty eight by the Rev Edward Morgan.

(Signed) R. D. Montague Clerk of the.

County court of Montgomery.

Sworn before me Joseph S. Edie a Justice of the peace for s aid county on this 10th day of November 1846.

(Signed) Jos. S. Edie JP.

State of Virginia Montgomery County SS.

I Rice D. Montague clerk of the county court of said count y do hereby certify that Joseph S. Edie is a magistrate a s above and that his signature is genuine. I do also certify that the foregoing copy and extract from the records in m y office, are correct. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of my office this 10th day of November 1846.

(Signed) R. D. Montague clerk of the.

County court of Montgomery.

There is a discrepancy between the date of the bond and o f the certificate of marriage. I have examined the original certificate of the marriage and find that it states, the marriage was solemnized on the fifteenth of June, but I a m of opinion that the error was submitted by the minister , as the certificate given by the father of Mary Clay to the clerk, authorizing him to issue the license is dated th e twenty third of June 1788.

(Signed) R. D. Montague C.

His name also appears on List M. Montgomery County 179393 . On list of delinquents in the District of James Hoge in 2 nd Bn. 86th Regt, 9/31799 Wythe County. Personal Property Tax 4-18. One Male over 16, no slaves , 5 horses. (MCo.). 1815 PP Tax 4-10 one male over 16, one horse. $.21 Tax. (Y).

CHRONICLES OF THE Scotch-Irish Settlement IN VIRGINIA EXTRACTED FROM THE ORIGINAL COURT RECORDS OF AUGUSTA COUNTY 1745 -1800. AUGUSTA COUNTY COURT RECORDS. ORDER BOOK No. XV. page 180. Page (468) Ephraim Richardson and Wm. Martin--road surveyor s from Francis Wier's, on Monongahela River, to Thorny Cree k, on waters of Greenbrier. John Warwick, Richard Elliott and Ralph Stewart are exempted from working on above road un til it is built. William Hadden is ordered to clear from Thorny Creek to Nap's Creek, with tithables living below hi m on Nap's Creek, and from Alexr. Du.

From the Revolutionary War Records of CAPT Ralph Stewart. (transcribed by Rita O'Brien).

The Deposition Mitchell Clay aged about sixty two years taken to prove the Revolutionary service of Ralph Stewart, h e being a witness of respectability and one that is to be relyed upon, who being first duly sworn deposeth and saith t hat he is well acquainted with said Ralph Stewart and has been so from his boyhood. That he knows the said Ralph Stewart served in the war of the Revolution as a captain of Rangers & that some years ago and since the close of the Revolution he saw said Stewarts commission as a Captain (& as well as he now recollects his commission was signed by Patric Henry). That said Stewart has always been respected in the County where he resided as a Captain in the Revolutionary War, and this official verily believes it to be true.

[Signed] Mitchel Clay. Sworn to and subscribed before the undersigned a Justice o f the Peace in and for the County of Lawrence & State of Ke ntucky this 29th day of November 1833.

[Signed] Lewis Ringlby J.P.L.C.

State of Kentucky ). Lawrence County ).

I Jas M. Rice clerk of the court in & for the County afores aid do hereby certify that Lewis Ringlesby whose name is at tached to the foregoing certificate is and was at the tim e of signing his name an acting Justice of the peace in an d for the County aforesaid, duly commissioned and qualifie d as such and that due faith and credit is due to his offic ial acts. In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand and affixe d the seal of said court this 29th day of November 1833. [Signed] Jas M. Rice C.L.C.C.

Affidavit from Revolutionary War Records of Capt Ralph Stewart. (transcribed by Rita O'Brien).

State of Kentucky }. Lawrence County }. This day personally appeared Patience Chapman (of lawfull age, and who is a person of respectability and a witness that ought to be relyed upon) before me the subscriber a Justice of the peace in and for the aforesaid County of Lawrence , and made oath in due form of law that she is well acquainted with Ralph Stewart (who is now a very old man) and ha s been from the time she was about 18 or 19 years old (sh e being now about 73 or 74 years of age) that she believe s he was in the war of the Revolution - and she believes that he was a Captain Commissioned out of a company of Ranger s - She states that she has seen a commission many years ago in his possession purporting to be a Captain commissioned in his possession and in his name - She further states that said Stewart many years ago and soon after the close o f war of the revolution had a discharge from the Service o f United States and she further states that said Ralph Stew art has always been reputed in the County where he has live d since the Revolutionary War a Capt of Rangers in said war and that she verily believes it to be true.

Signature: Patience Chapman.

Sworn to and subscribed before the subscriber a Justice o f the peace in and for said County of Lawrence this 28th day of November 1833. Signature: Joseph Davidson J.P.L.C.

State of Kentucky. Lawrence County.

I James M. Rice clerk of the court in and for the aforesaid County of Lawrence , do certify that Joseph Davidson who s name is annexed to the foregoing certificate is and was a t the time of making the same an acting Justice of the Peace duly commissioned and sworn as such to whos official acts due faith is and ought to be given as in a court of justice as chereoral [credible].

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Seal of said court this 29th day of November 1833 i n the 42nd year of the Commonwealth.

Signature: Jas M Rice, C.L.CC.

Chalkley, Lyman. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800<i>. Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1965. Originally published in 1912.</p><p>Crozier, William Armstrong, ed. <i>Virginia County Records - Spotsylvania County Records, 1721-1800. Being transcriptions from the original files at the County Court House of wills, deeds, administrators' and guardians' bonds, marriage licenses, and lists of revolutionary pensioners. New York, NY: Fox, Duffield & Co., 1905.

The will abstracts for Isle of Wight and Norfolk counties were taken from microfilmed copies of the original Will Books. Some of these records may be found at the Family History Library as well as other libraries and archives. The originals may be found at the appropriate county courthouses.

For individual sources please see the Notes section listed with each record.<p> 1,7832::0.

Research Notes

Ralph's surname is sometimes found using the alternate spelling Stuart. The spelling originally in Scotland was the Scots spelling, STEWART. Later due to the family's close ties and Scotland's alliance with France the STUART spelling became another accepted form used.

Sources

1. ↑ Copied from his headstone by Jim Cook of Oceana, West Virginia
2. ↑ "I was born in Augusta County Virginia in the year 1752 according to the best information I can obtain." Revolutionary War Pension Record: Virginia # 23849 Ralph Stewart [1]
3. ↑ Waddell, Joseph Addison. 1986. Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871. Harrisonburg, Va: C.J. Carrier Co. Vol 2, p 511
4. ↑ Augusta County (Va.), and Lyman Chalkley. 1912. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish settlement in Virginia : index: extracted from the original court records of Augusta County, 1745-1800. Rosslyn, Va: Printers. Vol. 1 - FEBRUARY 17, 1762. - (157) Ralph Stuart, aged 15, orphan of James Stuart, chose Robt. Stuart his guardian.
5. ↑ This story is repeated but the source not given. You can read it here:[2] Rootsweb. Outlaws- Inlaws and Everyone in Between
6. ↑ "Reference Book of Wyoming County History", Mary K. Bowman, page 347, pages 353-356. Ralph married a Miss Elliot, date unknown. They lived in VA until after the Revolution, then settled in KY. Nothing is known of this period of his life except that seven Children were born to them: James, John, Richard, Absolom, Phoebe, Becky, and Annie. All settled in what is now KY.
7. ↑ Quoting from Ralph Stewart's Revolutionary War pension application 23949, w. 6168: "My first commission as Captain was signed by Lord Dunmore, my second by Patrick Henry, which were left with Col. George Pearis of Giles County for safe keeping & lost or destroyed, he having his dwelling house broken open and plundered as I have been informed.
8. ↑ Lyman Chalkley. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1974. ORDER BOOK No. VII. JANUARY 17, 1775 (32) Thomas Trent and Ralph Stewart, qualified Captains of Militia
9. ↑ Virginia. Auditor of Public Accounts (1776-1928). State pensions, records, 1777-1787. Library of Virginia Revolutionary War pension applications (Ralph Stewart) Document Images
10. ↑ Rev War pension declaration dated 7 Sept 1832 of Wm Stewart b in Carolina, who said he served in 1776 joining Capt Green's army in NC and marched to little York (Yorktown) and was present at Cornwallis's surrender, he remembered Capt. Ralph Stewart being there. Correspondence from William C. Stewart to Mr. Dean dated 3 Feb 1965 referring to article in Kentucky Historical Register, January, 1963, p. 78 and April, 1963, p. 169. Pension Application W-6168; Augusta County, VA, Order Book 1, p. 156; Will Book 3, p. 244.
11. ↑ Revolutionary War widow pension for Mary Stewart, (W6168) shows Ralph Stewart and Mary Clay's marriage bond was signed by William Tracy and dated 25 June, 1788 in Montgomery County, Virginia. When a copy of the marriage record was requested for Mary Clay's widow pension the clerk stated: "I have examined the original certificate of the marriage and find that it states, the marriage was solemnized on the fifteenth of June, but I am of opinion that the error was submitted by the minister, as the certificate given by the father of Mary Clay to the clerk, authorizing him to issue the license is dated the twenty third of June 1788.
12. ↑ Giles County, Virginia, Deed Book A, pp. 55-56
13. ↑ [3] To find Keatley Cemetery, take route 85 from Oceana, towards Kopperston. At Country Junction, in Toney Fork, take a right towards Toneda Baptist Church. It's roughly 4 or 5 miles down this road, on the left hand side of the road. It's about 15 or 20 yards up in the mountain. To make it even more difficult, you can't see it from the road due to the brush and trees. Very hard to find.
14. ↑ The Register-Herald. Monday, February 6, 2006 Artifacts testify to family's role in history By Mary Catherine Brooks. [4] [5]

• Dickerson, Florence S. The James Stewart Family of Early Augusta County, Virginia and Descendants, 1740-1960 (1960). p 57-63.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #10459189 Ralph Stewart

• Browning, Stanley C. 2005. Tracking the pioneers: history and genealogy of Captain Ralph Stewart and his descendants. [Place of publication not identified]: [S.C. Browning].

• Many citizens kin to Ralph Stewart. By Paul Ray Blankenship. Wyoming County History Oct 29, 2012 [6]

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:33KJ-4XN : accessed 2017-07-09), entry for Ralph /Stewart/ Capt..

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