Colonel William George Christian

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of LIEUTENANT COLONEL. DAR Ancestor # A021762

Col. William Christian:

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William Christian (c. 1743 – 9 April 1786) was an "Indian fighter", Continental soldier, militiaman and politician from Virginia who served in the era of the American Revolution. He was a signatory to the Fincastle Resolutions and founder of Fort William (now Louisville, Kentucky). Christian helped to negotiate the Treaty of Long Island —making peace between the Overmountain Men and the majority of the Cherokee tribes in 1777.

Early life

Christian was born in Staunton, Virginia, a descendant of a Manx family which had previously migrated to Ireland. His parents, Israel Christian and Elizabeth Starke, had settled in Virginia in 1740, where they ran a general store.

Personal and civic life

In the mid 1760s, Christian worked in the law office of Patrick Henry, and married Henry's sister, Anne. Christian resided in Botetourt County, Virginia and then Fincastle County, Virginia. He represented Fincastle County in the lower house of the Virginia Assembly for three sessions, from 1773 to 1775. He was a signatory to the Fincastle Resolutions, the earliest statement of armed resistance to the British Crown in the American Colonies.

In 1775, with the approach of the American Revolutionary War, Christian served on the Fincastle Committee of Safety, and attended the March 20 and July 17 meetings of the Virginia Conventions.

Military duty

At about the age of 18, William served as a captain in the Anglo-Cherokee War under Colonel William Byrd. In 1774, he commanded a regiment of militia from Fincastle County in Dunmore's War, but he and his troops arrived too late to participate in the decisive Battle of Point Pleasant.

On 13 February 1776, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 1st Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army, and was promoted to colonel in March. When the British-allied Cherokees under Dragging Canoe and Oconostota went to war with the colonies in 1776, Christian resigned his commission in July of that year, accepting a commission as colonel in the militia from the Virginia Council of Defense.

Chrstian led an expedition against the Overhill Cherokees, which saw little action but compelled some of the chiefs to agree to peace. He served in the commission which negotiated the "Treaty of Long Island of the Holston" with the Cherokees, signed on 20 July 1777. He was also a commissioner in a second treaty with the Cherokees —in 1781.

Fort William

William Christian and his wife helped established Fort William, Kentucky, where he directed the defense of what is now Louisville from Native American attacks.

Post-revolution

In 1785, Christian moved his family to the neighborhood of the Louisville settlement, where he executed claims to 9,000 acres (36 km²) of land. He was killed in the Illinois Country (in the area which is now southern Indiana) the next year during battle with the Wabash Indians. Christian is buried in Jefferson County, Kentucky.

Legacy

Several places are named after him:

Christian County, Illinois

Christian County, Kentucky

Christian County, Missouri

Christiansburg, Virginia is named for his father. Find A Grave# 6942764

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jul 14 2019, 19:25:22 UTC
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 5 2019, 17:57:02 UTC