Author: Al Johnson
Major Andrew Hamilton, a son of William and Alice Hamilton, was born in Ireland about 1740. He married Martha Kincaid, who came from Scotland, in 1750. Andrew Hamilton moved to Greenbrier about 1769, where he became a wealthy resident, owning much property.
By the summer of 1776, many of the Ohio Valley Indians had joined the British and by August 1776 an alarm had been sounded over the Allegheny frontier. In the summer of 1777, our government ordered an army to be raised of volunteers to proceed to Point Pleasant. From there they were to persuade the Indians in the area to remain neutral and not assist the British. In Greenbrier, the militia of about forty men decided to volunteer. The militia cast lots on who should command the company. The lot fell on Andrew Hamilton for Captain, and William Renick for Lieutenant. They joined Col. Shilleran's party on their way to Point Pleasant.
The company, like minute men, held themselves in constant readiness to march to repel invasions whenever called upon, their duty to be performed depending more upon sudden and unexpected calls from different settlements in the vicinity of the fort and upon the danger in which the frontier inhabitants considered themselves from Indian tribes inhabiting the territory than upon any organized system of Military operations.
In the spring of 1777 Captain Hamilton’s company met at Lewisburg and marched to “Chisel’s mines”, the lead mines at Fort Chiswell near New River in present Wythe County VA. In 1778, Captain Andrew Hamilton marched his company to Logan's Station on Dicks River Lincoln County, Kentucky. Subsequently, they were stationed at McAfees Station on the Salt River, where they remained guarding the country from the depredations of the Indians.
Although his unit was primarily used to guard the western frontiers of Virginia, around Augusta and Greenbrier, it did have some actions east of the mountains. In June, 1781, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s troop02 raided Charlottesville in an attempt to capture Gov. Thomas Jefferson and members of the Virginia Legislature. Thanks to the efforts of John Jouett, a young member of the Virginia militia, the patriots in Charlottesville were forewarned and most of them escaped. Many of the members of the legislature had escaped to Staunton. Not knowing whether Tarleton intended to follow, Major Hamilton’s unit first marched to Waynesboro. Once there, they were informed of his intent to return to the east, so they marched to Charlottesville in Albemarle County. They, with other forces, chased Tarleton until he arrived at Richmond. After being in the vicinity of Richmond a short time and maneuvering about for some time to prevent damage by the enemy, they went to old Jamestown, where they remained a few days and, along with the forces under General Anthony Wayne, had a sharp skirmish with the enemy on 6 July 1781. They then went to Burnt Ordinary where they remained a few days and had another skirmish with a British foraging party. They went from there to the vicinity of Williamsburg, at this time the British army lay in Williamsburg. Colonel Thomas Hughart having gone home, the command of both of the regiments devolved upon Major Andrew Hamilton.01 On the 19th day of October 1781, Cornwallis surrendered. It is uncertain where Major Hamilton’s units were on that day, but they don’t appear to have been at Yorktown. After the surrender, the western frontier still saw conflict between Indians who supported the British cause and American settlers.
After the war, in 1782, Andrew remained in the Greenbrier Militia, where they made him a Colonel.
He is buried, in an unmarked grave, at Fincastle Presbyterian Church Cemetery, in Fincastle, Virginia. A monument was erected in the churchyard honoring “Soldiers of the Revolutionary War” who are buried in the church cemetery. The name of Andrew Hamilton is listed on the monument.

01 "Virginia Militia In The Revolutionary War, McAllister's Data", J. T. McAllister, McAllister Publising Co., Hot Springs, Virginia, pg. 139