The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-06

| Dedman, security.
 Va. Mag. Hist. and Biog. D.. s. H. HISTORICAL.
 The following sketch of Colonel John Jameson of the Continental Army and of his connection with the capture of Andre will be of interest to many fami- lies in Alabama. Through his sister
 Martha Jameson, who married Francis Meriwether. sbn of Thomas Meriwether and his wife, Elizabeth Thornton. he Is related to the families of Meriwethers
 Mathews. Marks. Barnetts and their connections. These families were
 among the earliest settlers of Mont gomery county and of the surrounding counties of Middle Alaabma. Col. Jehn Jameson. This eminent virginian was born In Gulpepper. Va. He was the son of Judith Ball Hackiey. In another ped : igree, 1t Is stated that ne was the son of James. who married Judith Ball Hackley. As the two brothers, Thom- as and James. married sisters, the ex- act parenthood of Col. John is probably
 known only to the immediate family. He was the fourth child of his parents. Ills father moved to Kentucky to Little Mountain. (now Hinkston). Creek in Montgomery County, in 17S2. John Jameson married first February 25. 1785, Rachael Berrfon, daughter of John and Sarah Fisn Berrion They resided In CulpeR|br The two children or tnIs maFrfa8~SDotn dIed In Infancy. Mrs. Rachel Jameson died in Cuba The second wife was Eiizabetn Da- venport. daughter of Col. Burket and - Brown Davenport. She was born in Culpeper and died In 1929. A son, John. born of this later marriage. born April 9. 1903, married August 4. 1895. Eliza (Thatcher Corbin) Major. John Jameson, Jr.. died in 1871. Their child ren were John William. born August l5, 1926 died April 20. 1874. Eliza Frances born June ?. 1880. married Cherape 8. Thompson. September, 1855. Phillip Lightfoot, born September 2l. 1894. corbin D, born June, 1s36. Killed in battle. Henry Clay. who died in child hood.
 Mir. Jameson graudated at William and Mary College. and a little later in- herited one-half of his ancle's (Lieut. Gen. David Jameson's) estate. as his favorite nephew. He was said to be fine looking man. six feet tall. re- markedly fair, with dark hair and blue eyes.
 He was probably one of the minute men" who were the first soldiers enlist cd in Virginia. by Colonel. Afterwards General. Edward stephen. The daS used by these intrepid heroes bore N rattle snake coiled with twelve ,ratties. the head for Virginia the rattles for the other States. The motto was .Lib- Fefty or Death" above and Don't Tread on Me- below the snake. The corps were dressed in green hunting shirts, with buclxtails in their hats ;rtomahawks and scalping knives in Incir belts. Arni- ed with rifles 150 of them were engaged in the Battle of Great Bridge in 1776.
 In 1T76. he was elected by the Vir- ginia Convention captain of the third troop of horse. This was probably in Major 3land's regiment. He had six competitors for. the position, one of whom was Henry Lee. The next year he was promoted to be Major General of the first Continental Dragons. He was wounded at Valley Forge, but serv- ed to the close of the war.
 At the time of Andres capture he was Lieutenant Colonel of Sheldon's Regi- ment to which he had been promoted from Major Bland's. This was "crack' Connecticut, its arms and equipments having been bought In France. Shel- don's (2nd) Dragons. or detachment of 142 men belonging to it were sta. tioned at North Castle. About one-halt of these were mounted.
 The capture of Andre looms large in history now, but to really understand Colonel Jameson's action in the case
 
 the actual conditions There was Col onel Jameson with a small troop guard ing a position of no very special im- portance General Arnold, at that time a man of brilliant reputation, second perhaps to Washington himself, and Colonel Jameson's superior officer, just a short distance away. In the coun- try road some men doing self appoint ed police duty arrest a young man. whose good clothing made him notice- able. On examination some very pecu- liar papers were found, also special pass from General Arnold. As sols dier. Colonel Jameson was bound to respect his superior's pass; as pa- triot he seized and sent to General washin gton the reasonable papers. The military proprIety of his action, and his integrity of purpose have never been questioned, and it was perhaps shrewder but less honorable soul who scented the spy and stopped Andre.
 So thoroughly was Colonel Jameson's action understood by the powers that he was almost immediately made Ma jor General. After the war ended Col onel Jameson became clerk of Culpep- per County and remained so until ms death on November 20. 1910. He was a member of the Society of the Cincln- natl. and of the same Masonic Lodge as Washington.
 His tombstone suitably inscribed is at his farm two miles north of Culpep- per MT. Philip R Jameson of Gull pepper was his grandson. The above is taken principally from a handsome volume called "Jameson's in America" devoted mainly to the New England family, but with a Chapter on the Jamesons of Virginia.
 A very full pedigree of the Virginia family dating back to 1750 is found in the William and Mary Quarterly" this was never fully completed, possibly be- cause the same matter was included in the book.
 The New England family came to America in 1663, and have the same arms as the Virginia, which were to be seen according to Meade at Temple Farm, on the tombstone of David Jameson, which had Jameson fmpaiing Smith with. ship for crest. The coat for Jameson, Azure, a satire at cautioned with four ships under sail argent For Smith Azure. a cherron between three acorns, slipped and leased or. The tinc- lures of course were not shown on the tomb E. S. H.
 The Reason. Argonaut.