Joseph Eggleston (November 24, 1754February 13, 1811) was an American farmer, soldier, and politician from
Amelia County, Virginia
Amelia County is a county located just southwest of Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The county is located in Central Virginia and is included in the Greater Richmond Region. Its county seat is Amelia Court House.
Am ...
. He represented
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
in the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...
from 1798 until 1801.
He was the uncle of
William S. Archer.
Biography
Joseph Eggleston was born in
Middlesex County to Joseph (1721–1792) and Judith (Segar, 1729–1806) Eggleston. In 1759 his parents moved to the newly built plantation house named ''Egglestetton'' in Amelia County. Joseph was tutored at home and then attended
William and Mary College where he graduated with honors in 1776.
Revolutionary War
That same year he joined
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
in the cavalry commanded by
Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee.
Eggleston became a captain when Lee organized his own irregular unit (
Lee's Legion
Lee's Legion (also known as the 2nd Partisan Corps) was a military unit within the Continental Army during the American Revolution. It primarily served in the Southern Theater of Operations, and gained a reputation for efficiency, bravery on t ...
) of the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
in 1778. He served with them throughout the war, but earned distinction in the Southern Campaign. He was cited for gallantry for his actions in the
Battle of Guilford Court House
The Battle of Guilford Court House was fought on 15 March 1781 during the American Revolutionary War, near Greensboro, North Carolina. A 2,100-man British force under the command of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis defeated Major General Na ...
on March 15, 1781. He won praise again in the siege of
Augusta in June, as well as a promotion to Major.
The initial American success in the
Battle of Eutaw Springs
The Battle of Eutaw Springs on September 8, 1781, was the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War to be fought in the Carolinas. Both sides claimed a victory.
Background
In early 1781, Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the ...
in September came from Major Eggleston's attack of the British advance units. Unfortunately the outcome of the battle was indecisive, even though the British casualties were twice those of the American forces.
Personal life
After the war Eggleston returned home to
Egglestetton, and on February 23, 1788 he married Sarah "Sally" Meade. They had three children: Joseph Everard (1790), Charles (1791) and William (1792). When his father (Joseph Sr.) died in 1792 he inherited the family seat and . Over the years he would buy land and expand his holding to .
Sally Eggleston died in 1794. In 1798, Joseph remarried, to his first cousin, Ann Cary Eggleston (daughter of his uncle John). She gave him two more children: Francis (1798) and Sarah Meade Eggleston (1802, named after his first wife.
Egglestetton was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1980.
Political career
Eggleston was elected to the Virginia state House of Delegates several times as a representative for Amelia County. In all he served thirteen years in the House (1785–88 and 1791–99). He was in the state Senate when U.S. Congressman
William B. Giles resigned that post on October 2, 1798. In a special election, Eggleston won the rest of the term. Then he won the regular election for the next term, to serve in the
U.S. House
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
in the
Sixth Congress.
Congress
Eggleston declined to be nominated in 1800, so his service in Congress extended from December 3, 1798 to March 3, 1801.
Later career and death
He returned home, but was made a Justice of the Peace for Amelia County, and held that post until he died in 1811. Joseph died at home and was buried in the Churchyard of St. John's Episcopal Church. The church was also known as St. John's of Grub Hill, and the cemetery is now known as the ''Grub Hill Cemetery''.
Legacy
The main house at ''Egglestetton'' still stands in Egglestetton Road (Route 630) about 4 km north of Amelia Court House. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places but is a private residence. The
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
general,
Joseph Eggleston Johnston, was named for him, since Johnston's father had served in Eggleston's command in the Revolution.
External links
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eggleston, Joseph
1754 births
1811 deaths
People from Middlesex County, Virginia
College of William & Mary alumni
Continental Army officers from Virginia
Virginia lawyers
18th-century American planters
Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
People from Amelia County, Virginia
18th-century American lawyers
18th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
Botetourt Medal winners