Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-11-26
The Old Men of ROckbridqe.
MAJOR JOHN ALEXANDER.

MAJoh JOhh ALEXANDER.
Major John Alexander was of tn
third generation of the Alexande
family in this county, who wer,
among the first settlers in thi,
portion of the Valley and of whom
there las been a numerous line Of
descendants. DR.. James w. Alex
ander, in his interesting life Of his
father, the distinguished divine
DR.. Archibald Alexander, brother
of the Major, says: "About the
year 1886, as nearly as can be
discovered, three brothers, named
Alexander, emigrated to America
Though they came from Ireland,
they were of the Scottish race, and
their father, Thomas Alexander
had removed from Scotland to the
neighborhood of Londonderry. One
of these brothers, Archibald Alex
ander, settled first in Pennsylvania,
upon the Schuylkill River, where
his son William was born. The
brothers were well educated, and
one of them, Robert, was teacher
of mathem atics. After a residence
of more than two years in Pen
nsylvania, Archibald Alexander
removed to New Virginia. as the
country was then called. He was
among the earliest settlers of that
particular region"
The grandfather of Major Alex
ander settled in what is known as
old Timber Ridge congregation, on
the waters of South River. The
farm of the Majors father was the
one adjoining. When Ben. Burden
died he left the grandfather, Archi-
bald Alexander, the sole executor
of his will, with authority to sign
numerous deeds for land already
sold but he does not seem to have
improved the opportunity he had
to acquire large bodies of land and
he only took up as much land as
would make moderate farms for
himself and his two sons.
William Alexander married Ann
Reid daughter of a wealthy land
owner of the same Presbyterian
colony. OF this marriage there
were nine cbildren-Andrew, the
Oldest, Margaret Graham, Archi-
bald, Sarah, John, Nancy (who
died in childhood), Phebe, Elisa
beth and Martha.
AS Major John Alexander was
the fifth child, in the order of their
nativity, he may have been born
at the place to which his father
removed in the year l775 and which
is described as being in the Forks,
that is, to the south of North |
River, just this side of the site of
1t is now ki own as
the Andrew Alexander farm. But |
his father subsequently erected a
house and a store near the present |
site of the Point Mills and by this
removal he went out of Augusta
into Botetourt county, for the
North River was then the dividing
inc. Soon after. this (I776), a
lew county was taken from the
;wo and called Rockbridge.
The military days of Major
were over before l
Knew much of him. / have heard
lin spoken of as a fine field officer.
lie acted for number of years in
he capacity of Brigade Inspector
md had a large bounds to superin-
end--which comprised the visiting
# other counties and drilling the
militia officers in the famous days
# Brigade musters, when there
till survived something of the
martial spirit of the backwoOds-
nan, with their rifles, brown hunt
ng shirts and deer stall cockades.
At period of twenty-five years
go the form of Major Alexander
,as familiar to me as one of the {
Id men Of Rockbridge. Living
ut a short distance below Lexing- I
on, he was in town almost every {
ay; and it seems to ne, at this
ime, if / were coming out of the I
'ourt House yard twenty years
go, on looking down Main street {
he first thing that would meet my I
ision would be that of the Major {
t brisk gait riding up the street. t
lie was an active man, and although b
e could ride to town and back t.
ONE half a dozen times q day, he fl
yer appeared like he had no time II
, tarry. e.
On the score of friendship | "
,nsidered Major Alexander most b
nmistakably friendly man. He S,
id not meet you as though it were c.
labor for him to speak to you, or es
Tough he had ratl err not, but his il
lutation came with a hearty good =
lila gushing warmth of feeling ,
,at made YOU not ONLY think he