Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/291

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

engaged in medical practice at Winchester, \irginia. The next year, he accompanied the X'irginia regiment in the Draddock ex- pedition. Returning to Winchester he re- moved to a plantation in Maryland, below Alexandria, and later took up his residence in that town, on the advice of Washington, witii whom he was on closest terms of friendship. He was a surgeon in the revo- lution : in 1777 was active in exposing a con- spiracy to remove Washington from com- mand: and in 1781 was made director-in- cliief of the military hospitals at Yorktown. In iji'k) he married Marianna, daughter of Col. Charles Ewell. He passed his latter years on his plantation. "Vaucluse/' about five miles from Mt. X'ernon. His son, George Washington, studied medicine, but became secretary to Washington in his sec- ond presidential term. Washington, in his will, referred to Dr. Craik as his "old and intimate friend/' and gave him a desk and chair. He died at his home. February 6, 18 14.

Cresap, Thomas, born in Skipton, Y'ork- shire, England, was founder of the Cresap family in America. At the age of fifteen he came to America, and when about thirty, married a Miss Johnson, where now is Havre de Grace, Maryland. He visited Vir- ginia, and was about to rent farming land from tlie Washington family, but eventually settled in Washington county, Maryland. He engaged in trading with the Indians, but the ship containing furs in which was in- vested his entire fortune was captured by the French. He now settled at *'01d Town," Maryland, calling it "Skipton," for his Eng- lish home town, and again engaged in fur trading, being a great favorite with the In-

dians, with whom he could converse in their own tongue. He was also a surveyor, and under the authority of the Ohio Company, of which he was a member, he made exten- sive surveyings. He was frequently a mem- ber of the legislature. His second marriage was when he was eighty years old, and he lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and five years.

Gist, Christopher, was a native of Mary- land. He explored the country from the headwaters of the Ohio river down to the falls (now at Louisville, Kentucky) in 1750, ill the interests of the Ohio Company. The following year he traversed the valley of the Ohio on both sides of the river; and in 1752 erected a cabin where is now Mount Brad- clock, Pennsylvania. Two years later, eleven families joined him. and they were among the first, if not the first, settlers in western Pennsylvania. He acted as scout for Wash- ington in the journey to what is now Pitts- burgh, Pennsylvania. He was captain in the Virginia forces in 1755, and in 1757 was appointed deputy Indian agent, on the strong recommendation of Washington. Nothing is known of his last years. He left three sons — Nathaniel, Thomas and Richard.

Andrews, Robert, descended from Antony Andrews, of Alexton, Leicestershire, Eng- land, and son of Moses Andrews, of Penn- sylvania. He was educated at the College ot Philadelphia; came to Virginia about 1770 as a tutor in the family of Mann Page. During the American revolution he was pri- v.'.te secretary to Gen. Thomas Nelson, and in 1779 was made professor of moral philos- ophy in William and Mary College, and in 1784 was tranferred to the chair of mathe- matics. He was afterwards joined with

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