Captain Joseph Poindexter, Rev. War

      
1736 - 1826 

      


      

      

      
Captain Joseph, Revolutionary War Soldier from Virginia, was born on 
      11 August 1736; Hanover County, VA, which later became Louisa County, VA, 
      died 29 June 1826 in Campbell County, VA, later moving to Campbell County, 
      VA where he is buried. He married 17 February 1863 in Louisa County 
      Elizabeth James Kennerly who was born 29 February 1747, died 5 February 
      1828. Joseph was a Captain of the Militia from Bedford County 
      (McAllister's Virginia Militia, Section 254, records in Virginia State 
      Library), in the American Army in the Revolutionary War. 

Joseph 
      Poindexter was the youngest son of John and Christian (Gorsuch) 
      Poindexter. On 15 May 1755 "Joseph Poindexter of the County of Louisa and 
      Parish of Fredericksville" purchased 180 acres of land "lying and being in 
      Culpepper County, Bromfield Parish on both sides of the North fork of Rush 
      River (Culpepper DB E, p150). This same piece of property was sold by 
      "Joseph Poindexter and Elizabeth, his wife of the County of Culpeper on 17 
      October 1768.

On 9 March 1770, Joseph Poindexter of Augusta County, 
      (Albemarle DB 5, p149) purchased 275 acres on the North fork of the James 
      River at the foot of Piney Mountain (this mountain is referred to as 
      Poindexter Mountain in early Albemarle deeds) but no record could be found 
      of Joseph's having lived in Albemarle County. He was in Augusta in 1770, 
      and on 20 March 1770 he purchased 143 acres on the west bank of the South 
      Fork of the Shanandoah River, near present day Grottoes. He apparently 
      moved there with the Kennerlys and he and Elizabeth owned 600 acres of 
      land while living there. 

It is uncertain when Joseph moved to 
      Bedford County. He is mentioned in Augusta County order books in 1773 as a 
      road surveyor. In January 1777, he was ordered "to view a road from 
      Trent's Ferry on the James River to New London and make a report", which 
      indicates he had already moved to Bedford before that time. Records show 
      that he sold the farm in Augusta County in June of 1777 and bought 400 
      acres from Andrew Moorman on Ivy Creek in 1778 and built a mill where Bear 
      Branch empties into Ivy Creek.

On 28 September 1778, Joseph 
      Poindexter was recommended to his Excellency, the Governor, a proper 
      person to act as a militia captain and qualified as to law, Records of 
      militiamen are hard to find. Joseph Poindexter did not apply for a 
      pension, but his name is mentioned in applications of other 
      veterans.

During the 30 odd years Joseph Poindexter lived on Ivy 
      Creek, he found time for public service. He served as Commission of Peach 
      in 1785; on overseer of the Poor in 1788 and is frequently mentioned in 
      order books as surveying roads, supervising the building of roads, 
      dividing estates, until 1802. No further mention is made of him in order 
      books after that date. He moved to Whipping Creek around 1808-09. 
      

By today’s standards, Joseph Poindexter would have been called 
      "land poor." During his lifetime, he owned more that 6000 acres in Louisa, 
      Culpeper, Albemarle, Augusta, Bedford, Charlotte and Campbell Counties. At 
      his death, his personal property was valued at $5084.03, which included 17 
      slaves. His will provide for "my two old and faithful servants, Martin and 
      Pate, be let to live with such of my children as they may choose and to be 
      supported out of my estate during their lives." Martin and Pate had 
      belonged to his parents, John and Christian Poindexter. His son Lewis 
      inherited the Whipping Creek property and took care of Martin and Pate 
      until their death a few years later.

He was buried at Whipping 
      Creek, Campbell County, VA. His will was dated 12 July 1823; probated in 
      Campbell County, VA; Will Book 5, p. 317. Occupation Capt Am/Rev/farmer. 
      The foregoing commentary was taken, in part, from an article that was 
      delivered to the Red Hill Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 
      at a ceremony marking the grave of Captain Joseph Poindexter. 

Of 
      his twelve children, only two remained in Campbell County; Elizabeth 
      married Raleigh Chilton who owned and operated Chilton's Tavern at 
      Concord. Lewis, the youngest child, married Ann Smith, d/o Isaac Smith 
      Charlotte County. Ann married John Shelton and lived at "Oakley" in 
      Amherst County. Samuel lived and died at "The Cedars" in Bedford County. 
      The others moved south and west to South Carolina, West Virginia, 
      Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri. (This statement from material written by 
      Edith Poindexter) (Source: Doris Lucas, Oregon) 
      
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