Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/218

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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winter of 1778 at Valley Forge, and in Au- gust, 1780, was transferred to the southern army under Gen. Gates, opening with a brigade of Virginia militia, the battle of Camden, and by his bravery being instru- mental in preventing a disastrous rout of the American forces. He served under Gen. Greene at the battle of Guilford Court- house, where he was badly wounded, and for the bravery which he displayed on that occasion was warmly praised by Gen. Greene. He then rejoined Washington, with whom he participated in the siege of Yorktown. From 1782 until 1790 he was a member of the Virginia senate. He died in Culpeper county, Virginia, August 17, 1820.

Campbell, William, born in Augusta county, Virginia, about 1745, and was of Scotch origin. He received a liberal educa- tion, and early displayed a taste for military matters. He was made a captain in the first regiment of regular troops raised in Vir- ginia, in 1775. In 1776 he resigned, on ac- count of the exposure of his family to In- dian attacks, and returned to Washington county, where he was made lieutenant-colo- nel of militia, and succeeded Evan Shelby in the colonelcy. With this rank he con- tinued until after the battle of Kings Moun- tain (of which he was the hero), and Guil- ford, when the Virginia legislature made him brigadier-general, with which rank he joined Lafayette. He became a favorite of that general, who gave him command of a brigade of light infantry and riflemen. A few weeks before the siege of Yorktown, illness obliged him to retire to the home of a friend, where he died, in his thirty-sixth year. The Virginia legislature voted him a horse, sword and pistols, for his conduct

at Kings Mountain, and named a county in h.is honor. He married Sarah, sister of Pat- rick Henry.

Fcbiger, Christian, was born on the island of Fuenen, Denmark, in 1746. He was sent to a military school, and then accompanied to Santa Cruz an uncle who had been ap- pointed governor of that island. In 1772 he visited North America, and the following year entered into commerce with the New England colonies. On April 28, 1775. he joined a Massachusetts regiment, quickly rose to be adjutant, and was present at Bunker Hill, where he distinguished him- self. Accompanying Arnold on his expe- dition to Quebec, he was taken prisoner at the storming of that post, December, 1775, and was detained in Canada until Septem- ber, 1776, when he was sent with other prisoners to New York. In the meantime appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Eleventh Virginia, he joined his regiment January i, 1777, and in September became colonel of the Second Virginia. He was in the cam- paign of Philadelphia, and the battle of Brandywine. At Germantown he held the right; with 4,000 men and two guns at Monmouth he acquitted himself brilliantly ; and in the attack on Stony Point he com- manded the right and personally captured the British commander. On September i, 1780, Col. Febiger was ordered to Philadel- phia, where he forwarded supplies to the army. Later, while in Virginia on recruit- ing duty, he assisted at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, retiring from active ser- vice, January i, 1783, and was brevet ted brigadier-general. He settled in Philadel- phia, engaging in business, becoming treas- urer of Pennsylvania, November 13, 1789, a

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