William Overton Callis
Encyclopedia
William O. Callis was the son of William Harry Callis and Mary Jane Cosby. He was a childhood friend of Presidents James Madison
and James Monroe
, was with Washington
at Yorktown, and was known to Lafayette
, Thomas Jefferson
, and Benedict Arnold
.
. He was the son of William and Mary (Cosby) Callis. His mother was third in descent from William Overton and Mary Waters.
His mother's first cousin was Dabney Carr (Virginia assemblyman)
, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and his wife, Martha Jefferson. Martha was the sister of President Thomas Jefferson
and she was also a cousin of William's second wife, Anne Price. Martha's mother was Jane Randolph
, daughter of Isham Randolph, a ship's captain and sometime planter, first cousin to Peyton Randolph
, and granddaughter of wealthy English
gentry. Martha's father was Peter Jefferson
, a planter and surveyor in Albemarle County
(Shadwell, then Edge Hill
, Virginia
.) He was of Welsh
descent. When Colonel William Randolph
, an old friend of Peter Jefferson, died in 1745, Peter assumed executorship and personal charge of William Randolph's estate in Tuckahoe
as well as his infant son, Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. That year the Jeffersons relocated to Tuckahoe where they would remain for the next seven years before returning to their home in Albemarle. Peter Jefferson was then appointed to the Colonelcy of the county, an important position at the time.
Dabney and Martha were the parents of Dabney Carr
and nephew of Dabney Smith Carr
, who was a newspaper publisher and later was U.S. Minister to Turkey (1843–49).
In 1774, he was tutored, along with James Madison and James Monroe, by Parson John Todd who established in his home near Ochid the first classical school in Louisa County
, which later became Hampden-Sydney College
. With Monroe, Callis entered the College of William & Mary at age 17; he left college in late 1775 to join the Continental Army
.
He married, as his second wife, on May 4, 1790 in Louisa County, Virginia
, Anne Price. She was born on November 4, 1774 at "Cool Water", Hanover County, Virginia and died on September 8, 1846 at Doswell
, Hanover County, Virginia
. She is buried next to her husband at Fork Episcopal Church Cemetery in Doswell, Virginia.
They were the parents of nine children.
She was the daughter of Captain Thomas Randolph Price, who served as an officer in the Virginia militia
during the American Revolutionary War
and was a participant in the Gunpowder Incident
and Barbara Overton "Betsy" Winston. Barbara was a first cousin of Martha Elizabeth Winston, the first wife of William Overton Callis.
Anne was a descendant of Cicely Wilford and the Most Reverend
Dr. Edwin Sandys
, an Anglican church leader who successively held the posts of the Bishop of Worcester
(1559–1570), Bishop of London
(1570–1576), and the Archbishop of York
(1576–1588); Sir George Barne III
(1532- d. 1593), the Lord Mayor of London
and a prominent merchant and public official from London during the reign of Elizabeth I; William Randolph
(bapt. November 7, 1650–April 11, 1711) was a colonist and land owner who played an important role in the history and government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He and his wife, Mary Isham, are referred to as "the Adam and Eve of Virginia"; Richard Lovelace
, an English poet in the seventeenth century and Francis Lovelace
(1621–1675), who was the second governor of the New York
colony appointed by the Duke of York
, later King James II of England
.
Anne was the great great great granddaughter of Captain Thomas Todd who married Elizabeth Bernard making her a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln
. Thomas and Elizabeth were also the great great grandparents of Presidents James Madison and Zachery Taylor.
On September 27, 1776, he enlisted in Col. Charles Dabney's Reg, Capt. Arthur Smith's Company of the 4th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Thomas Elliott. He was in New York
in the Battle of the Heights
and in Washington's army through his retreat from New York across New Jersey.
On January 12, 1777, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in Capt. John Smith's Company of the 4th Virginia Regiment of Foot, commanded by Col. Robert Lawson.
, Camp Parsinus, Camp White Plains, and Camp Robert's Farm.
On September 30, 1778, he was wounded and listed as a supernumerary after his lungs were damaged by a cannon ball at Monmouth
. He left the war to go to the West Indies in Havana
and Curracas in 1779 to recuperate. After recuperating, he re-entered the service, and in December 1780, he was a Captain of Volunteer Troop of Horses in the 4th Virginia Militia.1
how a plundering party of about 300 British regulars under Col. Dundas were chased from Yorktown to Newport News by Maj. Callis & Lt. Allen with a small force of volunteers.
On April 6, 1781, now a Major, Callis delivered letters from Brig Gen. Weedon to the British Maj. Gen. W Phillips, Portsmouth
, regarding the exchange of prisoners.
After the Siege of Yorktown
, March 8, 1781, Capt. James Maxwell wrote a letter to Gov. Thomas Jefferson and described how a plundering party of about 300 British regulars under Col. Dundas were chased from Yorktown
to Newport News
by Maj. Callis & Lt. Allen with a small force of volunteers.
. Louis L. Kean relates how his great-great-great-grandmother Anne (Price) Callis told her grandchildren that Callis met with Benedict Arnold on the James River
to arrange for the exchange of prisoners of war. As they waited for the papers to be processed, Arnold asked what would happen if he, Arnold, were taken prisoner. Callis replied, "Sir, the leg that was wounded in the service of your country would be buried with full military honors. The rest of you, they would hang!" A footnote in Irving's Life of Washington (p. 286) relates this incident but does not name the officer.
and Lord Cornwallis was operating by land.
to Governor Jefferson
, dated July 1, 1781. Lyons Plantation-- "I had yesterday the pleasure to see Maj. Callis and am happy to find you have established a chain of liaison between this camp and the seat of government." Lafayette mentioned the enemy's retreat from Richmond, and their arrival at Williamsburg. He suggested that he go and fight Cornwallis. His troops had managed to get clear of the smallpox; but his men were deserting to harvest their crops. He suggested arming two corps of volunteers of 120 men each with spears (for lack of better weapons), forming a corp of 150 negro pioneers and a corp of 150 negro wagonners to collect horses and weapons from the countryside. "Col. Callis is going up for that same affair (equipping a cavalry) and to him I beg leave to refer your excellency."
In 1782, Col. Callis was at the siege of Yorktown with Lafayette for Cornwallis's surrender; he was an aide to Gen. Nelson.
(2000). The character in the movie (Colonel William Tavington) was based on Tarleton as a cruel, sadistic commander who massacred prisoners of war and innocent civilians.
Callis' Revolutionary War
service was a total of 7 years and 10 months.
. In 1787, the Society held its meeting a week before the Constitutional Convention
when the Articles of Confederation
was replaced by the Constitution. 21 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention were members of the Society. William Overton Callis was one of the 21.
. On January 19, 1788 he bought 340 acres (1.4 km²) from Robert & Barbara Barrett 25 for 320 pounds. By 1788, he was the 50th largest land owner, 57th wealthiest land owner, and the 70th largest slave owner in Louisa County
. He owned over 1000 acres (4 km²) worth then around 500 pounds. He owned 15 slaves, 5 horses, and 15 cattle.
where they ratified United States Constitution
. Virginia was not necessarily as a whole inclined to ratify. There were eight representatives, one of which is our subject here, whose constituency was decidedly against ratification. Callis was persuaded to vote for the ratification against his citizen's opinion. Had he and the other seven not changed their votes, Virginia would not have ratified the constitution, at least at that vote. (Wm. Writ Henry, Life of Patrick Henry)
He was a representative to the Virginia General Assembly from Louisa County for 17 years.
Callis was an elector from Virginia in Washington's unanimous election to a second term in 1793. Until 1800, each elector had two votes. Callis voted with all the other electors unanimously using one vote for Washington. His second vote went for Republican George Clinton of New York as did the other electors from Virginia. Washington won President with 132 votes, but Clinton came in third with 50 votes behind Federalist John Adams 77 votes who became Vice President. George Clinton later became Governor of New York (1777) and ultimately become VP (1805–1812) under both Jefferson and Madison.
While serving as President, Jefferson responds to a letter from Callis asking Jefferson for a position for Callis' son in the Navy. "Washington, July 19,04 In receipt of your letter asking employment in the Navy for your son. I enclosed it to the Secretary of the Navy. He is at present at Baltimore. His answer is that your son can take his station with the midshipmen, and that his first employment will be in one of the gunboats. You omitted to mention his name, or the warrant would now have been sent. As I set out for Montecello in six days, it will be shorter for you to address the information to Robert Smith, Secretary of the Navy at Baltimore. He will forward the warrant and instructions to whatever place you shall direct. Accept my friendly salutations and assurances of great asteem and respect. Thos Jefferson"
across the road from his ordinary Cuckoo Tavern which he also bought in 1807. Needmore was a large two-story southern style frame farmhouse.
http://www.schutzfamily.us/
It was at Cuckoo Tavern during the war that Jack Jouett overheard English officers plotting the capture of Gov. Jefferson and the Virginia legislature, then convened at Monticello
. Jouett made the perilous ride over back roads in the dead of night to warn them so they were long gone when the British arrived the next day.
In 1800, Callis retired from politics. On March 14, 1814, he died at his Needmore home; he is buried in Fork Episcopal Church Cemetery, Point of Fork, 12566 Old Ridge Road, Doswell, Va Hanover County, Virginia
, with his second wife Ann (Price) Callis. General Nelson's wife is also buried in this cemetery.(3) The Fork Church is 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Richmond
and 1/2 mile east of Cool Water. This church was also that of Patrick Henry
, and they were fellow attendees during their lives.
After Callis' death in 1814, Needmore was sold four years later in 1818 to Henry Pendleton. In 1912, it was torn down and replaced by the home of the present Pendleton family.
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
and James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
, was with Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
at Yorktown, and was known to Lafayette
Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
, Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, and Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
.
Early life
William Overton Callis was born March 4, 1756 near Urbanna, VirginiaUrbanna, Virginia
Urbanna is a town in Middlesex County, Virginia, United States. Urbanna means “City of Anne” and was named in honor of England’s Queen Anne. The population was 543 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Urbanna is located at ....
. He was the son of William and Mary (Cosby) Callis. His mother was third in descent from William Overton and Mary Waters.
His mother's first cousin was Dabney Carr (Virginia assemblyman)
Dabney Carr (Virginia assemblyman)
Dabney Carr was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and brother-in-law of Thomas Jefferson.Carr was born on October 26, 1743 to John and Barbara Carr at Bear Castle, a large farm in Louisa County, Virginia. He studied law at The College of William & Mary at the same time as his friend,...
, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and his wife, Martha Jefferson. Martha was the sister of President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
and she was also a cousin of William's second wife, Anne Price. Martha's mother was Jane Randolph
Jane Randolph Jefferson
Jane Randolph Jefferson, née Jane Randolph was the wife of Peter Jefferson and the mother of president Thomas Jefferson. Born February 9, 1721 in Shadwell Parish, Tower Hamlets, London, she was the daughter of Isham Randolph and Jane Rogers, and a cousin of Peyton Randolph.There is almost no...
, daughter of Isham Randolph, a ship's captain and sometime planter, first cousin to Peyton Randolph
Peyton Randolph
Peyton Randolph was a planter and public official from the Colony of Virginia. He served as speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, chairman of the Virginia Conventions, and the first President of the Continental Congress.-Early life:Randolph was born in Tazewell Hall, Williamsburg, Virginia...
, and granddaughter of wealthy English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
gentry. Martha's father was Peter Jefferson
Peter Jefferson
Peter Jefferson was the father of American President Thomas Jefferson . A surveyor and cartographer, his Fry-Jefferson Map of 1751 accurately depicted the Allegheny Mountains for the first time and showed the route of "The Great Road from the Yadkin River thro Virginia to Philadelphia distant 455...
, a planter and surveyor in Albemarle County
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
(Shadwell, then Edge Hill
Edge Hill, Virginia
Edge Hill is the childhood home of Thomas Jefferson in Albemarle County, Virginia, USA. Jefferson's father moved to this house after Shadwell burned down. This famous estate was named after the first battle of the English Civil Wars of the 1640s in Edge Hill, Warwickshire, England. It was listed on...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.) He was of Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
descent. When Colonel William Randolph
William Randolph
William Randolph was a colonist and land owner who played an important role in the history and government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He moved to Virginia sometime between 1669 and 1673, and married Mary Isham a few years later...
, an old friend of Peter Jefferson, died in 1745, Peter assumed executorship and personal charge of William Randolph's estate in Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe Plantation
Tuckahoe, also known as Tuckahoe Plantation, is located on Route 650 near Manakin, Virginia overlapping both Goochland and Henrico counties...
as well as his infant son, Thomas Mann Randolph, Jr. That year the Jeffersons relocated to Tuckahoe where they would remain for the next seven years before returning to their home in Albemarle. Peter Jefferson was then appointed to the Colonelcy of the county, an important position at the time.
Dabney and Martha were the parents of Dabney Carr
Dabney Carr
Dabney Carr was born at Spring Forest, a Goochland County, Virginia, plantation just three weeks before the death of his father, also named Dabney Carr, brother-in-law and close friend of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson took an active role in the support and education of his nephew after his father's...
and nephew of Dabney Smith Carr
Dabney S. Carr
Carr, Dabney Smith — Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, March 5, 1802. Grandnephew of Thomas Jefferson; son of Peter Carr and Hester Smith-Carr; grandson of Dabney Carr and Martha Jefferson Carr ; married to Sidney Nichols. Newspaper publisher; U. S. Resident Minister at İstanbul, to Turkey,...
, who was a newspaper publisher and later was U.S. Minister to Turkey (1843–49).
In 1774, he was tutored, along with James Madison and James Monroe, by Parson John Todd who established in his home near Ochid the first classical school in Louisa County
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
, which later became Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden–Sydney College is a liberal arts college for men located in Hampden Sydney, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1775, Hampden–Sydney is the oldest private charter college in the Southern U.S., the last college founded before the American Revolution, and one of only three four-year,...
. With Monroe, Callis entered the College of William & Mary at age 17; he left college in late 1775 to join the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
.
Marriage and family
He married first, about 1783, Martha Elizabeth Winston (June 21, 1765 - April 29, 1788). They were the parents of three children.He married, as his second wife, on May 4, 1790 in Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
, Anne Price. She was born on November 4, 1774 at "Cool Water", Hanover County, Virginia and died on September 8, 1846 at Doswell
Doswell, Virginia
Doswell is an unincorporated community in Hanover County in the Central Region of the U.S. state of Virginia. Originally called Hanover Junction, it was located on the Virginia Central Railroad, which later became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at a crossing of the Richmond,...
, Hanover County, Virginia
Hanover County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 86,320 people, 31,121 households, and 24,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 32,196 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
. She is buried next to her husband at Fork Episcopal Church Cemetery in Doswell, Virginia.
They were the parents of nine children.
She was the daughter of Captain Thomas Randolph Price, who served as an officer in the Virginia militia
Virginia Militia
The Virginia militia is an armed force composed of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia capable of bearing arms. The Virginia militia was established in 1607 as part of the British militia system. Militia service in Virginia was compulsory for all free males...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and was a participant in the Gunpowder Incident
Gunpowder Incident
The Gunpowder Incident was a conflict early in the American Revolutionary War between Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of the Colony of Virginia, and militia led by Patrick Henry...
and Barbara Overton "Betsy" Winston. Barbara was a first cousin of Martha Elizabeth Winston, the first wife of William Overton Callis.
Anne was a descendant of Cicely Wilford and the Most Reverend
Most Reverend
The Most Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Roman Catholic Church , all bishops are styled "The Most Reverend", as well as monsignors of the rank of protonotary apostolic de numero.*In the Roman Catholic Church , archbishops are styled "The...
Dr. Edwin Sandys
Edwin Sandys (archbishop)
Archbishop Edwin Sandys was an English prelate.He was Anglican Bishop of Worcester , London and Archbishop of York during the reign of Elizabeth I of England...
, an Anglican church leader who successively held the posts of the Bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
(1559–1570), Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
(1570–1576), and the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
(1576–1588); Sir George Barne III
George Barne III
Sir George Barne III was a prominent merchant and public official from London during the reign of Elizabeth I, and the son of Sir George Barne II, and Alice Brooke.-Life:...
(1532- d. 1593), the Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
and a prominent merchant and public official from London during the reign of Elizabeth I; William Randolph
William Randolph
William Randolph was a colonist and land owner who played an important role in the history and government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He moved to Virginia sometime between 1669 and 1673, and married Mary Isham a few years later...
(bapt. November 7, 1650–April 11, 1711) was a colonist and land owner who played an important role in the history and government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. He and his wife, Mary Isham, are referred to as "the Adam and Eve of Virginia"; Richard Lovelace
Richard Lovelace
Richard Lovelace was an English poet in the seventeenth century. He was a cavalier poet who fought on behalf of the king during the Civil war. His best known works are To Althea, from Prison, and To Lucasta, Going to the Warres....
, an English poet in the seventeenth century and Francis Lovelace
Francis Lovelace
Francis Lovelace was an English Royalist and the second Governor of New York colony.He was born the third son of Sir William Lovelace and his wife Anne Barne of Lovelace Place, Bethersden and Woolwich, Kent. He was the younger brother of Richard Lovelace, the Cavalier poet...
(1621–1675), who was the second governor of the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
colony appointed by the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
, later King James II of England
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
.
Anne was the great great great granddaughter of Captain Thomas Todd who married Elizabeth Bernard making her a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Ann Lincoln was the wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865.-Life before the White House:...
. Thomas and Elizabeth were also the great great grandparents of Presidents James Madison and Zachery Taylor.
War service
In November 1775, he became a Private, 1st Regiment, Capt. John Belfield's Troop, Light Dragoons, Continental Troops commanded by Col. Theoderick Bland.On September 27, 1776, he enlisted in Col. Charles Dabney's Reg, Capt. Arthur Smith's Company of the 4th Virginia Regiment commanded by Col. Thomas Elliott. He was in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the Battle of the Heights
New York and New Jersey campaign
The New York and New Jersey campaign was a series of battles for control of New York City and the state of New Jersey in the American Revolutionary War between British forces under General Sir William Howe and the Continental Army under General George Washington in 1776 and the winter months of 1777...
and in Washington's army through his retreat from New York across New Jersey.
On January 12, 1777, he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in Capt. John Smith's Company of the 4th Virginia Regiment of Foot, commanded by Col. Robert Lawson.
Valley Forge
In June 1778, he was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant in Capt. George Wall's Company of the 5th Virginia Regiment of Foot, commanded by Col. James Wood, where he saw service at Camp Valley ForgeValley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, Camp Parsinus, Camp White Plains, and Camp Robert's Farm.
On September 30, 1778, he was wounded and listed as a supernumerary after his lungs were damaged by a cannon ball at Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
. He left the war to go to the West Indies in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
and Curracas in 1779 to recuperate. After recuperating, he re-entered the service, and in December 1780, he was a Captain of Volunteer Troop of Horses in the 4th Virginia Militia.1
At Yorktown
March 8, 1781 Yorktown—Letter from Capt. James Maxwell to Gov Jefferson describedhow a plundering party of about 300 British regulars under Col. Dundas were chased from Yorktown to Newport News by Maj. Callis & Lt. Allen with a small force of volunteers.
On April 6, 1781, now a Major, Callis delivered letters from Brig Gen. Weedon to the British Maj. Gen. W Phillips, Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, regarding the exchange of prisoners.
After the Siege of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
, March 8, 1781, Capt. James Maxwell wrote a letter to Gov. Thomas Jefferson and described how a plundering party of about 300 British regulars under Col. Dundas were chased from Yorktown
Yorktown, Virginia
Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....
to Newport News
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
by Maj. Callis & Lt. Allen with a small force of volunteers.
Meets Benedict Arnold
On August 1, 1781, having been promoted to Colonel, Callis reported on the fleet in the Portsmouth area to Brig Gen. Weedon at WilliamsburgWilliamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. Louis L. Kean relates how his great-great-great-grandmother Anne (Price) Callis told her grandchildren that Callis met with Benedict Arnold on the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
to arrange for the exchange of prisoners of war. As they waited for the papers to be processed, Arnold asked what would happen if he, Arnold, were taken prisoner. Callis replied, "Sir, the leg that was wounded in the service of your country would be buried with full military honors. The rest of you, they would hang!" A footnote in Irving's Life of Washington (p. 286) relates this incident but does not name the officer.
Aide to General Nelson
In his widow's application for a pension in 1847, she stated her husband acted as aide de camp to Gen. Nelson in 1781 during the period when the British fleet under Adm. Graves was in Hampton RoadsHampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
and Lord Cornwallis was operating by land.
Lafayette's letter to Jefferson
In the Virginia Magazine of History (V375) was printed a letter from LafayetteGilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette , often known as simply Lafayette, was a French aristocrat and military officer born in Chavaniac, in the province of Auvergne in south central France...
to Governor Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
, dated July 1, 1781. Lyons Plantation-- "I had yesterday the pleasure to see Maj. Callis and am happy to find you have established a chain of liaison between this camp and the seat of government." Lafayette mentioned the enemy's retreat from Richmond, and their arrival at Williamsburg. He suggested that he go and fight Cornwallis. His troops had managed to get clear of the smallpox; but his men were deserting to harvest their crops. He suggested arming two corps of volunteers of 120 men each with spears (for lack of better weapons), forming a corp of 150 negro pioneers and a corp of 150 negro wagonners to collect horses and weapons from the countryside. "Col. Callis is going up for that same affair (equipping a cavalry) and to him I beg leave to refer your excellency."
In 1782, Col. Callis was at the siege of Yorktown with Lafayette for Cornwallis's surrender; he was an aide to Gen. Nelson.
Col. Banastre Tarleton
During the siege of Yorktown, Capt. Callis was amused when a farmer dashed into the street and grabbed the bridle of the intensely disliked British Col. Tarleton's mount, declaring loudly, "This here be my horse that the damned Britishers stole"-- and got his horse back. St. George Tucker, in his journal on the siege of Yorktown, corroborated that Capt. Callis was a witness of this incident. This is the hated British officer portrayed in the movie The PatriotThe Patriot (2000 film)
The Patriot is a 2000 historical war film directed by Roland Emmerich, written by Robert Rodat, and starring Mel Gibson, Chris Cooper, and Heath Ledger. It was produced by the Mutual Film Company and Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
(2000). The character in the movie (Colonel William Tavington) was based on Tarleton as a cruel, sadistic commander who massacred prisoners of war and innocent civilians.
Callis' Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
service was a total of 7 years and 10 months.
Society of Cincinnati
In early May 1783, Callis became a charter member of the Society of Cincinnati, along with Gen. WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. In 1787, the Society held its meeting a week before the Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from...
when the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
was replaced by the Constitution. 21 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention were members of the Society. William Overton Callis was one of the 21.
Cool Springs
On December 7, 1785, he bought Cool Springs plantation, comprising 660 acres (2.7 km²), from Thomas and Lucy Poindexter for 120 pounds. It was near the crossroads of CuckooCuckoo, Virginia
Cuckoo is a small unincorporated community in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. It is located in about 8 miles southeast of Louisa, roughly between Charlottesville and Richmond. The Cuckoo Tavern stood nearby, which in 1781 was the beginning of Jack Jouett's ride to warn the Colonists of the...
. On January 19, 1788 he bought 340 acres (1.4 km²) from Robert & Barbara Barrett 25 for 320 pounds. By 1788, he was the 50th largest land owner, 57th wealthiest land owner, and the 70th largest slave owner in Louisa County
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
. He owned over 1000 acres (4 km²) worth then around 500 pounds. He owned 15 slaves, 5 horses, and 15 cattle.
Constitutional convention and politics
In 1788, he was a representative from Louisa County to the Virginia Ratifying ConventionVirginia Ratifying Convention
The Virginia Ratifying Convention was a convention of 168 delegates from Virginia who met in 1788 to ratify or reject the United States Constitution, which had been drafted at the Philadelphia Convention the previous year.The Convention met and deliberated from June 2 through June 27 in Richmond...
where they ratified United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. Virginia was not necessarily as a whole inclined to ratify. There were eight representatives, one of which is our subject here, whose constituency was decidedly against ratification. Callis was persuaded to vote for the ratification against his citizen's opinion. Had he and the other seven not changed their votes, Virginia would not have ratified the constitution, at least at that vote. (Wm. Writ Henry, Life of Patrick Henry)
He was a representative to the Virginia General Assembly from Louisa County for 17 years.
Callis was an elector from Virginia in Washington's unanimous election to a second term in 1793. Until 1800, each elector had two votes. Callis voted with all the other electors unanimously using one vote for Washington. His second vote went for Republican George Clinton of New York as did the other electors from Virginia. Washington won President with 132 votes, but Clinton came in third with 50 votes behind Federalist John Adams 77 votes who became Vice President. George Clinton later became Governor of New York (1777) and ultimately become VP (1805–1812) under both Jefferson and Madison.
Letters from Thomas Jefferson
During the time between serving as the first Secretary of State and as the second Vice President on May 8, 1795, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Callis at Cuckoo, requesting him to negotiate the purchase of Nance, a 34 year old weaver, from Jefferson's brother-in-law Hastings Marks; Jefferson was resuming the business of domestic manufacture and needed a weaver but must pay for her out of next year's crops. Callis lived less than 40 miles from Monticello.While serving as President, Jefferson responds to a letter from Callis asking Jefferson for a position for Callis' son in the Navy. "Washington, July 19,04 In receipt of your letter asking employment in the Navy for your son. I enclosed it to the Secretary of the Navy. He is at present at Baltimore. His answer is that your son can take his station with the midshipmen, and that his first employment will be in one of the gunboats. You omitted to mention his name, or the warrant would now have been sent. As I set out for Montecello in six days, it will be shorter for you to address the information to Robert Smith, Secretary of the Navy at Baltimore. He will forward the warrant and instructions to whatever place you shall direct. Accept my friendly salutations and assurances of great asteem and respect. Thos Jefferson"
Retirement, Death, and burial
In 1790, he built his last home, "Needmore", in Cuckoo, VirginiaCuckoo, Virginia
Cuckoo is a small unincorporated community in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. It is located in about 8 miles southeast of Louisa, roughly between Charlottesville and Richmond. The Cuckoo Tavern stood nearby, which in 1781 was the beginning of Jack Jouett's ride to warn the Colonists of the...
across the road from his ordinary Cuckoo Tavern which he also bought in 1807. Needmore was a large two-story southern style frame farmhouse.
http://www.schutzfamily.us/
It was at Cuckoo Tavern during the war that Jack Jouett overheard English officers plotting the capture of Gov. Jefferson and the Virginia legislature, then convened at Monticello
Monticello
Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...
. Jouett made the perilous ride over back roads in the dead of night to warn them so they were long gone when the British arrived the next day.
In 1800, Callis retired from politics. On March 14, 1814, he died at his Needmore home; he is buried in Fork Episcopal Church Cemetery, Point of Fork, 12566 Old Ridge Road, Doswell, Va Hanover County, Virginia
Hanover County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 86,320 people, 31,121 households, and 24,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 32,196 housing units at an average density of 68 per square mile...
, with his second wife Ann (Price) Callis. General Nelson's wife is also buried in this cemetery.(3) The Fork Church is 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and 1/2 mile east of Cool Water. This church was also that of Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was an orator and politician who led the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. A Founding Father, he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia from 1776 to 1779 and subsequently, from 1784 to 1786...
, and they were fellow attendees during their lives.
After Callis' death in 1814, Needmore was sold four years later in 1818 to Henry Pendleton. In 1912, it was torn down and replaced by the home of the present Pendleton family.