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