Last updated: May 15, 2023
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Virginia: John Redcross, 1779
Around the time of 1774, there was a newspaper discussion surrounding Native American wars in the territory. In the western half of Virginia, the Natives suggested that Lord Dunmore encouraged warfare among Native American populations and the colonists. Because Native American nations were at war with the colonists, the Monacan Nation became a place of refuge for enslaved people who were self-liberated. Just two years after the close of the war in 1785 the Monacan people in Nelson and Amherst county were described wanting little contact with white settlers who came near. Thomas Jefferson writes about this group of individuals and his interactions with them later on as they visit burial grounds on his property. Jefferson spoke of the Natives visitors as people who were in the process of mourning their loved ones and still carrying the traditions of visiting the dead that were buried in mounds which rose from the ground.
It seems that Redcross has done exactly this not once but twice as Gaines has stated that Redcross has run before. He could possibly have used the New River to travel to Fincastle. John, or previously Ned, went through lengths to assure that his identity was kept secret. According to the Virginia Indian Archive, Redcross along with other men such as Mallory Johns, and William Evans are believed to have come into Amherst County from the south and identified as Cherokee. These men are described as being Cherokee who traveled and settled in the area together.
According to anthropologist Catherine Seaman, Natives and Africans were usually forced to “live together”, which supports the idea that our runaway could be Ned. There has been one concept that has been clear through various records on Redcross, and that is that his racial identity is uncertain as record flip back and forth from White, Black, and Native American. The Monacan Indian Nation suggests that Redcross was Cherokee but does not speak of a wife or much of his life before his daughter married Raleigh Pinn. John married first to a woman named Nancy and he first paid taxes in Amherst County in 1783.
Records show Redcross’ military service began around September of 1779 when he joined the Virginia 2nd Regiment under the command of Colonel William Brent in the William Long Company. In November of 1779 he was listed as earning around sixteen shillings. He was present during the Battle of Yorktown according to his pension vouchers and according to the Monacan Indian Nation website, he was a part of the baggage wagon. According to John’s service records, he served for just about six months and received a payment of thirty-six shillings altogether for five months of service.
As of 1810, there were census records with John Redcross listed as married again to Lucy Redcross. He is believed to have had five children George, John Jr., Sarah, Ritty, and Nancy. Sarah married Raleigh Pinn, who is noted for being an indentured servant. Raleigh Pinn is cited in Amherst County for leading the groups to separate and come together again as a net of safety against whites who came into the area and repeating this cycle when threats arose. The last traces of Redcross are in the stories of his son, who was a part of the Native American community in Bear Mountain, Amherst County, Virginia. His son is noted as being an important figure in the Monacan Indian Nation. Today the Monacan Indian Nation is located in Madison Heights, Virginia and operates a museum on site with a school and church.
Author
DeAsia Noble
Primary Sources
Ancestry.com. U.S., Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. : Regiment: 02d Regiment, 1777-1780 (Folders 48-54); 2d State Regiment, 1778-1779 (Folders 55-61)
Ancestry.com. U.S., Compiled Revolutionary War Military Service Records, 1775-1783 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010: surname Range: R - W