Sold – Virginia Gov. Jefferson Defends the Western Frontier

Having written and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 while a representative to the Continental Congress, Jefferson returned to Virginia late that year. He served until 1779 in the House of Delegates, one of the two houses of the General Assembly of Virginia that were established in 1776 by the state’s new constitution. In this post, Jefferson sought to liberalize Virginia’s laws. Joined by his old law teacher, George Wythe, and by James Madison and George Mason, he introduced a number of bills that were resisted fiercely by those representing the planter class. In 1776 he succeeded in obtaining the abolition of entail (which limited the inheritance of land to the wealthy class); his proposal to abolish primogeniture (requiring that entire inheritances go to the eldest son) would become law in 1785. Jefferson proudly noted that “these laws, drawn by myself, laid the ax to the foot of pseudoaristocracy.” He believed education to be a crucial part of the success of the “experiment” undertaken in 1776 and had faith in the educated “common man” and his ability to elect wise and virtuous leaders. With this in mind, and intending to establish a free system of tax-supported elementary education for all persons except slaves, Jefferson wrote a Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge, a Bill for Establishing a Public Library, and a Bill for Establishment of a System of Public Education; these were defeated, as was his measure to modernize the curriculum of the College of William and Mary.

The men to be raised in your County under the same act, and the Officers to be recommended by you, are to hold themselves in readiness on the shortest warning

In June 1779, Jefferson took office as Governor of Virginia. That very month he introducted his bill on religious liberty, which touched off a quarrel that caused turmoil in Virginia for 8 years. The bill was significant, as no other state – indeed, no other nation – provided for complete religious liberty at that time. Jefferson’s bill stated “that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions on matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.”

Since the Revolutionary War was ongoing, one of Jefferson’s primary tasks was to provide for the defense of the state. At that time, Virginia’s military commitments stretched from the Mississippi in the west to the Continental Army in the East, from troops dispatched to Charleston in the South to Virginian George Rogers Clark operating in the Northwest. They were combatting not only the British, but tribes of Indians who were taking part in the war as Britain’s allies. In one famous campaign, Clark acted on his belief that the best way to end Indian raids was to seize British outposts north of the Ohio River, thereby destroying British influence with the Indians. He led a successful expedition into the Illinois country, and in February 1779 took the British stronghold in what is present Vincennes, Indiana. In another, in April 1779, in retaliation for raids on colonial settlements, American troops from North Carolina and Virginia attacked Chickamauga Indian villages in Tennessee. There were plenty of military challenges in the West but not enough men to handle them.

Virginia responded. The Governor received authorization to appoint an officer in every county (the county lieutenants, who were mainly already serving as justices of the peace) to recruit men for the duration of the war, and if there were not enough volunteers, to impose a draft. Jefferson and the state’s Council worked with the Board of War on specific defense measures, and before Jefferson had been in office for two months, together they formulated a plan for the defense of the Western frontier and instructions for the Governor to send to county lieutenants to obtain their compliance. The order was issued on July 23, 1779 over Jefferson’s signature, as the “Executive Council Orders For the Defense of the Western Frontier”. It related that “The act of General Assembly entitled an act for raising a body of troops for the defense of the Commonwealth having directed that two battalions shall be raised for the Western and two for the Eastern service, the Board advises the Governor to order that the men to be raised according to the said act” be apportioned as provided. The county lieutenants were also requested to recommend to the Governor two men that could be relied on to assume positions of command as a captain and a lieutenant.

Hampshire County, now part of West Virginia, was then on the Northwest frontier of Virginia. It was concerned with Western defense and was assigned to the Western service pool. Autograph Letter Signed, Williamsburg, August 17, 1779, to the County Lieutenant of Hampshire. “You are desired to call together your Field Officers and in conjunction with them to recommend to the Executive a Captain and Lieutenant to take command in one of the battalions to be raised for the defence of the Western frontier, under an act of the late Assembly entitled an act for raising a body of troops for the defence of the Commonwealth. The men to be raised in your County under the same act, and the Officers to be recommended by you, are to hold themselves in readiness on the shortest warning to proceed to such Western rendezvous as shall be notified to them by the Executive or the Field Officer who shall be directed to take command of them. Be pleased to transmit your recommendations to the Executive in Williamsburg by the earliest opportunity you can, and also to report to them from time to time your progress in raising your men.”

Jefferson’s political enemies criticized his performance as war governor mercilessly. He was charged with failure to provide for the adequate defense of Richmond in 1780-81, and of cowardice and “pusillanimous conduct” when he fled the capital at the time of that crisis. In June 1781 he retired from the governorship. The Virginia assembly subsequently voted that “an inquiry be made into the conduct of the executive of this state.” Jefferson was exonerated: in fact, the assembly unanimously voted a resolution of appreciation of his conduct. The episode left Jefferson feeling bitter about the rewards of public service, but that feeling didn’t last long. In 1785 he headed for Paris to succeed Benjamin Franklin as American ambassador to France.