Robert Tate, Jr.

 Robert Tate, Jr. was born ca. 1745 in what was then, Augusta County, Virginia. The progression of the geographic area which was then, known as Augusta County, Virginia* is as follows:

Northumberland County – formed in 1645.

Lancaster County – formed in 1651.

Rappahannock County – formed in 1656.   In 1692, Rappahannock County became extinct.

Essex County  –  formed in 1692.

Spotsylvania County – formed in 1721.

Orange County - formed in 1734.

Augusta County - formed in 1745.

Fincastle County – formed in 1777.   In 1780, it became extinct. Washington, Montgomery and Kentucky Counties were formed from Fincastle. At this time Kentucky was a county and not a state.

Washington County - formed in 1777.

Russell County – formed in 1786.   In 1793, Lee County was formed from part of Russell County and in 1880, Dickenson County was formed from another part of Russell County, leaving Russell County the size it currently is today [2016].

Scott County - formed in 1814 from Lee County and with Wise County also being formed from part of Lee County in 1856 leaving Lee County the size it currently is today [2016].

Smyth County – formed 1832 from Scott County, leaving Scott County the size it currently is today [2016].

*Note: Rockingham County, Virginia was formed from Augusta County during the American Revolution in 1778; however, Rockingham County was not part of the area that legally became Fincastle in 1777. It is important to remember that many residents of what became Rockingham had family members who chose to settle on French and Indian War grants in the area of Augusta that became Fincastle.

Robert Tate, Jr. was the son of Robert Tate, Sr. There appears to be some confusion as to the exact name of this man’s mother who was reported to have been called Margaret.  It is known that Robert Tate married a lady with the given name of Mary.  Some researchers have believed that her surname was McCline; however, this author tends to believe that her complete name was most probably Mary Margaret McCune because her name is found in legal documents as Mary, yet early on, her family referred to her as Margaret.  For one to be called by a middle name was very common in the Shenandoah Valley.  As all vowels were used interchangeably at this date, it would be very easy for her to have had the McCune surname instead of McCline by simply exchanging the letter i for the letter u.  Also, McCune is a common surname in this geographic area, both then and now; whereas, there are no McClines.  

Robert Tate Jr. and his wife were the parents of at least seven children who are named in Robert’s will which was written in 1796 and probated in February of 1807.  Robert most probably died in January of 1807 as his will was probated during the February Court of 1807 as was prescribed by Virginia law.

Land/Court records establish the following points:

1774 -  Dunsmore’s War occurred in 1774 [May – October] -- Lord Dunsmore, The Royal Governor of Virginia, asked Virginia’s House of Burgesses to declare a “State of War” with the hostile Indian nations [Mingos, Shawnees] due to their increased raids in the southwestern part of Virginia south of the Ohio River [present day West Virginia, Southwestern Pennsylvania, and Kentucky] to protect the British colonists who in accordance with previous treaties  were exploring and moving into the land south of the Ohio River.  Lord Dunsmore felt it necessary to call forth an elite volunteer militia to accomplish this. Robert Tate served under Captain James Thompson, in his militia company from Fincastle County during Lord Dunmore’s War.

Lord Dunsmore arrived at Fort Pitt [Pittsburg] the last of August 1774 and ordered Colonel Andrew Lewis to raise an army and join his force along the Ohio River.  Colonel Lewis led militia companies from the counties of Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Culpeper, Dunmore and Fincastle, which included the areas that would become Rockingham County in 1778 and also Kentucky County in 1777.  After Colonel Lewis’ victory at the Battle of Point Pleasant, Virginia Governor Dunmore successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the Mingo, and Shawnee chiefs that prevented them from settling or hunting south of the Ohio River. 

Lord Dunmore was widely accused of commencing this war to divert Virginians from their differences with the royal administration of the Colony of Virginia, and it is for this reason that the fighting which occurred at Point Pleasant has been called the, “First Battle of the American Revolution” and is recognized as such by the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

13 Dec 1774 - Robert Tate Jr. received a land grant of 174 acres on Big Moccasin Creek, North Fork of Holston River in Fincastle County, Virginia.

1775-1781 – Based upon his work as a surveyor and as a juror in Washington County, Virginia, Robert Tate’s descendants were granted admission to the lineage society, Daughters of the American Revolution based upon a Civil Service claim.

1780 Oct 7 – Robert Tate fought at the Battle of King’s Mountain as he is cited as being one of The Overmountain Men” who marched from Sycamore Shoals to King’s Mountain to confront the British Commander, Patrick Ferguson and his army of Tories.  John Tate, Robert Tate, David Tate, and Samuel Tate are all four cited on a List of King’s Mountain Soldiers.

It is important to note that a rifle was a hunting weapon, used by families on the frontier. The colonial militia that fought at King’s Mountain mainly used rifles; the loyalist troops had mostly muskets. The difference between a rifle and a musket is speed versus accuracy. A rifle is slow to load, but extremely accurate. Riflemen can hit a target at 200 or 300 yards. Yet the rifle can only be fired once a minute. A musket, with a smooth bore, is easy to load but inaccurate. Muskets have an accurate range of about 100 yards, but can be fired up to three times a minute.

20 Apr 1784 – Robert Tate Jr. received a patent of 250 acres in Washington County, Virginia on both sides of Big Moccasin Creek, on a spur of Clinch Mountain on the Holston River some three miles from Colonel John Tate.

1785 - Robert Tate and his friend James Davison signed the petition for the formation of Russell County.

1786 - Robert Tate and his friend James Davison were both appointed officers in the Russell County Militia. Davison was appointed to serve as a Captain and Tate as a Lieutenant.  Both men had previously served under Captain James Thompson, in his militia company from Fincastle County during Lord Dunmore’s War which was a conflict between the Colony of Virginia and the Native Americans of the Ohio Valley which were supported by their French allies in Canada.

1796 Jul 24 – Robert Tate died in Russell County, Virginia.