One of the two sons born to John Spotswood and his wife Mary Dandridge was Alexander, born 1746, and educated at Eton College, England.
Alexander married 1769, Elizabeth Washington, daughter of General William Augustine Washington and his wife Anne Aylett. Elizabeth was also niece and legatee of General George Washington.
By 1772, Alexander possessed one-hundred-fifty-thousand acres of land in the three Virginia counties of Orange, Spotsylvania, and Culpeper. The land was an entailed estate that had descended to him from his grandfather, Virginia Colony Governor Spotswood. He possessed also an iron foundry established by Governor Spotswood.
Alexander was an American Revolutionary patriot, commanding the Second Virginia Regiment from early 1776 through late 1777, and again from 1781 through 1782, being promoted from the rank of Major through the rank of Brigadier General. He commanded at the Battle of Brandywine, the only regiment that left the field of battle in good order, as well as at the Battle of Germantown, where his brother was badly wounded and thought to be dead. Consequently, late 1777, Alexander sent in his resignation to General Washington, having made a contract with his brother when they entered the army, that, if either should be killed, the survivor should return home to care for the two families. When it was known that Alexander's brother was still alive and a prisoner in Philadelphia, Alexander requested to return to his command in the army. But Washington replied to Alexander's letter that Alexander could not be reinstated in his former command because many officers had been promoted after his resignation. During Arnold's invasion in 1780, Alexander commanded a brigade of militia called out to oppose General Arnold. Alexander was later appointed Brigadier General in the State Line and served from 1781 to the end of the war, to command the Legion raised in Virginia. Alexander spent a great deal of his fortune on the army. While the Army of the North was naked of clothing, Alexander clothed his whole regiment out of his own pocket in Philadelphia.
Alexander died 1818, and is interred in Spottswood Cemetery, Barren County, Kentucky, next to his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Alexander Lewis Spotswood, wife of Alexander Eliot Spotswood.
Alexander married 1769, Elizabeth Washington, daughter of General William Augustine Washington and his wife Anne Aylett. Elizabeth was also niece and legatee of General George Washington.
By 1772, Alexander possessed one-hundred-fifty-thousand acres of land in the three Virginia counties of Orange, Spotsylvania, and Culpeper. The land was an entailed estate that had descended to him from his grandfather, Virginia Colony Governor Spotswood. He possessed also an iron foundry established by Governor Spotswood.
Alexander was an American Revolutionary patriot, commanding the Second Virginia Regiment from early 1776 through late 1777, and again from 1781 through 1782, being promoted from the rank of Major through the rank of Brigadier General. He commanded at the Battle of Brandywine, the only regiment that left the field of battle in good order, as well as at the Battle of Germantown, where his brother was badly wounded and thought to be dead. Consequently, late 1777, Alexander sent in his resignation to General Washington, having made a contract with his brother when they entered the army, that, if either should be killed, the survivor should return home to care for the two families. When it was known that Alexander's brother was still alive and a prisoner in Philadelphia, Alexander requested to return to his command in the army. But Washington replied to Alexander's letter that Alexander could not be reinstated in his former command because many officers had been promoted after his resignation. During Arnold's invasion in 1780, Alexander commanded a brigade of militia called out to oppose General Arnold. Alexander was later appointed Brigadier General in the State Line and served from 1781 to the end of the war, to command the Legion raised in Virginia. Alexander spent a great deal of his fortune on the army. While the Army of the North was naked of clothing, Alexander clothed his whole regiment out of his own pocket in Philadelphia.
Alexander died 1818, and is interred in Spottswood Cemetery, Barren County, Kentucky, next to his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Alexander Lewis Spotswood, wife of Alexander Eliot Spotswood.
One of the two sons born to John Spotswood and his wife Mary Dandridge was Alexander, born 1746, and educated at Eton College, England.
Alexander married 1769, Elizabeth Washington, daughter of General William Augustine Washington and his wife Anne Aylett. Elizabeth was also niece and legatee of General George Washington.
By 1772, Alexander possessed one-hundred-fifty-thousand acres of land in the three Virginia counties of Orange, Spotsylvania, and Culpeper. The land was an entailed estate that had descended to him from his grandfather, Virginia Colony Governor Spotswood. He possessed also an iron foundry established by Governor Spotswood.
Alexander was an American Revolutionary patriot, commanding the Second Virginia Regiment from early 1776 through late 1777, and again from 1781 through 1782, being promoted from the rank of Major through the rank of Brigadier General. He commanded at the Battle of Brandywine, the only regiment that left the field of battle in good order, as well as at the Battle of Germantown, where his brother was badly wounded and thought to be dead. Consequently, late 1777, Alexander sent in his resignation to General Washington, having made a contract with his brother when they entered the army, that, if either should be killed, the survivor should return home to care for the two families. When it was known that Alexander's brother was still alive and a prisoner in Philadelphia, Alexander requested to return to his command in the army. But Washington replied to Alexander's letter that Alexander could not be reinstated in his former command because many officers had been promoted after his resignation. During Arnold's invasion in 1780, Alexander commanded a brigade of militia called out to oppose General Arnold. Alexander was later appointed Brigadier General in the State Line and served from 1781 to the end of the war, to command the Legion raised in Virginia. Alexander spent a great deal of his fortune on the army. While the Army of the North was naked of clothing, Alexander clothed his whole regiment out of his own pocket in Philadelphia.
Alexander died 1818, and is interred in Spottswood Cemetery, Barren County, Kentucky, next to his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Alexander Lewis Spotswood, wife of Alexander Eliot Spotswood.
Alexander married 1769, Elizabeth Washington, daughter of General William Augustine Washington and his wife Anne Aylett. Elizabeth was also niece and legatee of General George Washington.
By 1772, Alexander possessed one-hundred-fifty-thousand acres of land in the three Virginia counties of Orange, Spotsylvania, and Culpeper. The land was an entailed estate that had descended to him from his grandfather, Virginia Colony Governor Spotswood. He possessed also an iron foundry established by Governor Spotswood.
Alexander was an American Revolutionary patriot, commanding the Second Virginia Regiment from early 1776 through late 1777, and again from 1781 through 1782, being promoted from the rank of Major through the rank of Brigadier General. He commanded at the Battle of Brandywine, the only regiment that left the field of battle in good order, as well as at the Battle of Germantown, where his brother was badly wounded and thought to be dead. Consequently, late 1777, Alexander sent in his resignation to General Washington, having made a contract with his brother when they entered the army, that, if either should be killed, the survivor should return home to care for the two families. When it was known that Alexander's brother was still alive and a prisoner in Philadelphia, Alexander requested to return to his command in the army. But Washington replied to Alexander's letter that Alexander could not be reinstated in his former command because many officers had been promoted after his resignation. During Arnold's invasion in 1780, Alexander commanded a brigade of militia called out to oppose General Arnold. Alexander was later appointed Brigadier General in the State Line and served from 1781 to the end of the war, to command the Legion raised in Virginia. Alexander spent a great deal of his fortune on the army. While the Army of the North was naked of clothing, Alexander clothed his whole regiment out of his own pocket in Philadelphia.
Alexander died 1818, and is interred in Spottswood Cemetery, Barren County, Kentucky, next to his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Alexander Lewis Spotswood, wife of Alexander Eliot Spotswood.
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