Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/295

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242


VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY


He led one of the assaulting parties at Stony Point, and was permanently deafened by a discharge from one of the enemy's cannon, which was fired just as he reached it. In the latter part of the war he served under Gen. Greene, and for a time was on the staff of Baron De Kalb. He was taken prisoner in South Carolina, and confined on a British vessel in Charleston harbor. After the war he engaged in a mercantile business in Staunton, and while there was lieutenant- colonel of militia. In 1792 he removed to Richmond, where he became a prosperous business man. He married Catharine, daughter of John Grattan, of Mt. Crawford. His sons, Colonels John G. and Robert Gamble, were officers in the war of 1812. One of his daughters was wife of the famous William Wirt, and another was wife of Judge and Governor William H. Cabell

Montour, Andrew, son of Madam Mon- tour, daughter of a Frenchman of that name, and a Huron Indian woman. Madam Mon- tour was a woman of great strength of char- acter, and some education; she was very friendly to the EftgHsh and devoted to the interests of the whites, to whom her services were so important that the commissioner of Indian aflFairs for New York allowed her *'a man's pay." Her husband was an Oneida chief, Corondawana, alias Robert Hunter. Andrew Montour was a man of intelligence and some education. As captain, he was sent by Governor Dinwiddie to join Wash- ington, to command some friendly Indians a.s scouts, and served with him until 1756-57. Parkman says of him: "His face is like that of a European, but marked with a broad Indian ring of bear's grease and paint drawn completely around it. He wears a coat of


fine cloth of cinnamon color, a black neck- tie with silver spangles, a red waistcoat, trousers, over which hangs his shirt; shoes and stockings; a hat and brass ornaments, something like the handle of a basket, sus- pended from his ears."

Waggoner, Thomas, was a lieutenant with Washington in his expedition to the Ohio in 1754, and was slightly wounded in the skirmish of May 28, that year, when Jumon- ville was killed. His name appears in the list of those who received the thanks of the X'irginia house of burgesses, August 30, 1754, for "gallant and brave conduct in the campaign."

Moffett, George, born in Augusta county, Virginia, in 1735, son of John MoflFett and Mary Christian, his wife. He lived at Mt. Pleasant; was prominent in the Indian wars and the revolution. After the war he was a justice of the peace, one of the first trus- tees of Washington College at Lexington, and an elder in the Presbyterian church. He married a sister of Colonel Samuel Mc- Dowell. He died in 181 1.

Peyronie, William Chevalier, a native of France, of excellent family and well edu- cated. He came to Williamsburg, Virginia, about 1750, where he taught fencing. He had a military training and was commission- ed ensign in the Virginia regiment under Washington in 1754. He was a gallant offi- cer, and was desperately wounded in the bat- tle of Great Meadows, but finally recovered and woo the favor of Washington; was among the officers who received the thanks of the assembly, and was made captain Au- gust 25, 1754, on Washington's recommenda- tion. He was engaged in the Braddock ex-


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