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Major-General James Ewell Brown Stuart,
chief of cavalry of the army of Northern Virginia, was born in
Patrick county, Va., February 6, 1833.
His ancestry in
America began with
Archibald Stuart, who sought refuge from religious persecution in
western Pennsylvania in 1726, and subsequently removed with his family to
Augusta county, Va., about 1738.
The next generation was distinguished by the services of
Maj. Alexander Stuart, who fell dangerously wounded while commanding his regiment at Guilford Court House.
John Alexander, son of the latter, spent part of his life in the
West, serving as Federal judge in
Illinois and
Missouri, and as speaker of the house in the latter State.
His son,
Archibald Stuart, lawyer, soldier of 1812, representative in
Virginia legislatures and conventions, married a descendant of the distinguished
Letcher family, and their son became the brilliant
Virginia cavalry leader.
General Stuart pursued his youthful studies at
Emory and Henry college, and then entering the
National military academy, was graduated in 1854, and was commissioned second lieutenant in October of that year.
He served in
Texas against the Apaches with the mounted riflemen until transferred to the new First cavalry in May, 1855, with which he served at
Fort Leavenworth. November 14, 1855, he was married at
Fort Riley to the daughter of
Col. Philip St. George Cooke, and in the following month he was promoted first lieutenant.
He remained on the frontier and in
Kansas, and was wounded at the
Indian battle of Solomon's River in 1857.
At
Washington, in 1859, he carried secret instructions to
Col. R. E. Lee, and accompanied that officer as aide, against the outbreak at
Harper's Ferry, where he read the summons to surrender to the leader, theretofore known as ‘
Smith,’ but whom he recognized at once as ‘Ossawatomie’ Brown of
Kansas.
Lieutenant Stuart received a commission as captain from
Washington in April, 1861, but he had decided to go with
Virginia, and tendered her his services as soon as his resignation was accepted, May 7th.
He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of Virginia infantry, May 10, 1861, with orders to report to
Jackson at
Harper's Ferry, and was promoted colonel July 16th.
With about 350 cavalrymen he at once assumed the duties which distinguished his service throughout the war. He became the eye of the army under
Jackson and
