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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
in Fa>ellc county, on Cane Run, near LeaC-
ington. In 1787, with his brother Fielding,
ho established the Kentucke Gazette, the
first newspaper published west of the Alle-
phanies, which was issued under that title
until 1786 when its name was changed to
the Kentucky Gazette. The press and equip-
ment for this enterprise were brought from
Philadelphia. In 1786 he became public
printer; in 1792 was one of the electors of
the senate, and chairman of the town trus-
tees. He was elected to the legislature in
1797, and also to that of 1801. John Brad-
ford was made cashier of the bank, which
was the result of the famous act of 1801,
incorporating the first life insurance com-
pany, in an obscure clause of which were
concealed full banking privileges, and as-
signed his interest in the Gazette to his son.
He was at one time chairman of the board
of trustees of Transylvania University, and
when nearly eighty years of age he was
elected to the shrievalty of Fayette county,
and held the office until his death, in 1830.
Posey, Thomas, born in Fairfax county, Virginia, July 9, 1750. In 1769 he removed to the western frontier of Virginia, and served in Lord Dunmore's Shawnee expedi- tion, and fought in the battle at Point Pleas- ant. In 1775 was a member of Virginia committee of correspondence; commanded a company in Seventh Virginia Regiment; joined Washington's army in New Jersey in 1777, where his company was transferred to Morgan's riflemen; fought in battles ol Bemis Heights and Stillwater; major of Second Virginia Regiment at Monmouth; in 1778 he was transferred to the Seventh Virginia Regiment, and led an expedition against the Indians after the massacre of Wyoming. At Stony Point he received the
arms of the British officers. He was at the
surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Oc-
tober 19, 1781 ; in 1782 was made lieuten-
ant-colonel, and organized a new regiment
which he commanded in Georgia under
Wayne, and left the army at the close of
the war. In 1793-94 he was a brigadier-
general commanding a brigade under
Wayne in the Northwest. In the latter year
he located in Kentucky, was state senator
several terms, and speaker, 1805-06. When
war was threatened in 1809 he was com-
missioned major-general and organized the
Kentucky volunteers. Later he removed to
Louisiana and became United States Sena-
tor to fill a vacancy; was governor of In-
diana Territory, 1813-16; defeated for gov-
ernor when Indiana became a state; from
1816-18 was Indian agent at Shawneetown,
Illinois, where he died, March 19, 1818. He
married (first) Martha, daughter of Gen.
Sampson Matthews, of Augusta county,
X'irginia; and (second) Mary, daughter of
John and Lucy (Thornton) Alexander, and
widow of Maj. George Thornton.
Porterfield, Charles, was born in Freder- ick county, Virginia, in 1750, son of Wil- liam Porterfield, who emigrated from Eng- land and settled in Pennsylvania early in the eighteenth century. He enlisted in the first military company organized in 1775 in Frederick county to defend the patriot cause, Daniel Morgan being captain ; joined Washington's army at Cambridge, Massa- chusetts, and was with Colonel Arnold in the expedition at Quebec. In the disas- trous assault on that city he was taken prisoner inside the fort December 31, 1775, but was exchanged and again joined the army February 3, 1777, serving as captain in Morgan's Rifles, 1777-78. He was made
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