Edward Stevens (1745 – August 17, 1820Rogers, 376.) was an officer in the

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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and later a state legislator for

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, serving in the

Virginia Senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

.Rogers, 375. He was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1794. Stevens began his military career as a

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

in the 1775

Battle of Great Bridge The Battle of Great Bridge was fought December 9, 1775, in the area of Great Bridge, Virginia, early in the American Revolutionary War. The victory by colonial Virginia militia forces led to the departure of Royal Governor Lord Dunmore and any r ...

, where he commanded a battalion of riflemen,Rogers, 373. the

Culpeper Minutemen The Culpeper Minutemen was a militia group formed in 1775 in the district around Culpeper, Virginia. Like minutemen in other British colonies, the men drilled in military tactics and trained to respond to emergencies "at a minute's notice". Or ...

. Stevens distinguished himself in the battle and was given a command as

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the 10th Virginia Regiment. Stevens raised and equipped his regiment and marched to rendezvous with General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, his direct commander.Rogers, 374. Stevens's command had their first engagement at the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Ame ...

, where the regiment did not enter the battle until the American forces had begun to retreat. Stevens troops covered the retreat and prevented the British from pursuing. Stevens received the public praise of Washington after both Brandywine and the subsequent

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American Con ...

. Stevens became a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the Virginia Militia. Stevens saw his first action as a general at the Battle of Camden. Before the battle Stevens complained that his "militia will not be satisfied with what regular troops well off with." At the council of war before the battle, Stevens advised "It is too late to retreat now; we must fight." Stevens's statement is thought to have convinced

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battl ...

to engage the British rather than retreat. The battle did not go well, and Stevens considered resigning, but

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependabl ...

convinced Stevens to continue his service. Stevens next commanded his militia at the Battle of Guilford Court House. Stevens' militia was positioned behind a line of North Carolina militia. When the North Carolinians broke, dropped their weapons, and ran at the beginning of the battle, Stevens told his soldiers to make way for the retreat and that this was part of the battle plan. Stevens also positioned riflemen behind his line to shoot retreating soldiers. During the battle Stevens was wounded in the thigh. Stevens was in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

, recovering from his wound when Banestre Tarleton launched a raid on the town to capture Virginia's legislature and its governor,

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

. Captain

Jack Jouett John Jouett Jr. (December 7, 1754 – March 1, 1822) was an American farmer and politician in Virginia and Kentucky best known for his ride during the American Revolution. Sometimes called the "Paul Revere of Southern United States, the South", ...

, who had ridden through the night to warn of the British attack, drew the attention of the British and led them on a chase so the wounded Stevens could escape. Stevens returned to the battlefield to lead a brigade of 750 men at the

Siege of Yorktown The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...

.Morrissey, 35.

References

Works cited

* Dabney, Virginus. "Jack Jouett's Ride." ''American Heritage''. December 1961. Volume 13, Issue 1. https://web.archive.org/web/20100627064650/http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1961/1/1961_1_56_print.shtml. * Morrissey, Brendan. ''Yorktown 1781: the world turned upside down''. Osprey Publishing, 1997. . * Rogers, Thomas Jones. ''A new American biographical dictionary: or, Remembrancer of the departed heroes, sages and statesmen of America''. Samuel F. Bradford, 1829

* Russel, David Lee. ''The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies''. McFarland, 2000.

* Wilson, David K. ''The southern strategy: Britain's conquest of South Carolina and Georgia, 1775–1780''. University of South Carolina Press, 2005.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Edward Virginia militiamen in the American Revolution People from Culpeper County, Virginia Virginia state senators 1745 births 1820 deaths