"S" is for Stuart, John (1718-1779)

"S" is for Stuart, John (1718-1779). Soldier, colonial official. A native Scot, Stuart joined the Royal Navy. In 1748 he settled in Charleston. As a militia captain, in 1759, he was assigned to Fort Loudon in East Tennessee among the Overhill Cherokees. In 1762 he was named superintendent of Indian affairs for the Southern District. In his new position Stuart controlled the licensure of Indian traders and the transfer of Indian lands under his control—irritating other colonial officials. In 1775, Carolinians suspected that Stuart--a Loyalist—was stirring up Native Americans against the colonists. Forced to leave Charleston, he went to Florida where he authorized his Indian agents to treat patriot agents as rebels and arrest them if possible. John Stuart began organizing Indian tribes for war, an action that solidified opposition to the British.