Robert Lawson was a Revolutionary War hero who furnished distinguished service as both a military officer and a public official. He was born on January 23, 1748, the son of Benjamin Lawson and Elizabeth Claiborne of Prince George County, Virginia. As a young attorney in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and surrounding counties, he became prominent in local politics and the Independence movement.
Lawson was elected a Delegate to the Virginia Revolutionary Conventions in March, July, and December of 1775, where he was selected for the colony's Committee of Safety, which functioned as an executive body. When the first Virginia Regiments of the Continental Line were formed in 1775, he was commissioned as a Major of the 4th Virginia Regiment, and later promoted to Lt.-Colonel and Colonel. He was in action with his Regiment at the Battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown, where the horse he was riding was killed from under him. He resigned his military commission on December 17, 1777, and returned to Virginia.
He was subsequently elected to represent Prince Edward County in the Virginia General Assembly in 1778, and 1780-1783. He was also elected by the Assembly to the Virginia Board of War, 1779-80; and served as a member of the Virginia Council of State (Governor's Privy Council) in 1781 and 1782.
Robert Lawson was instrumental in organizing, arming and supplying Virginia militia regiments throughout the War years, and took to the field as a military officer whenever the British threatened Virginia. He was a Colonel commanding a corps of "horse and foot" during 1779-80, and later commissioned as a Brigadier-General in November, 1780. In March, 1781, Lawson and his Virginia militia fought in North Carolina at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, where he had another horse killed out from under him. He commanded a Corps of Virginia militia at the siege of Yorktown in October, 1781, and after the American victory took charge of the British prisoners of war.
In 1783, he and fellow Prince Edward County delegate Patrick Henry prevailed upon the Virginia Assembly to Charter Hampden-Sydney College in their county, and both became Trustees of the new institution.
Lawson and Patrick Henry represented Prince Edward County at the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1788. They joined other prominent Virginians, such as George Mason and Richard Henry Lee, in opposing the new Constitution because they believed too much power was vested in the Federal Government. Even the promise of an added Bill of Rights did not induce them to vote in favor of ratification.
In 1789, Gen. Lawson moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky, but alcoholism and family conflicts led to his returning alone to Virginia about 1797. From that point on, he was basically estranged from his family. Toward the end of his life he was destitute and an invalid living in Richmond, Virginia. His fellow members of the Society of the Cincinnati provided for his care, and paid for his funeral when he died on March 28, 1805. His funeral was held at the State Capitol, with the Richmond City Guards and members of the Society providing a military escort. The printed obituary states his remains "were interred in the Churchyard", meaning at St. John's Episcopal Church.
Robert Lawson was married c. Nov-Dec, 1769 in Hanover County, Virginia, to Sarah Meriwether Pierce, daughter of John Pierce and Sarah Meriwether. She was born c. 1750, and died c. 10 Jun 1809. They were the parents of five children, three of whom lived to adulthood. This is proven by the Supreme Court case Wagner v. Baird, which gives a detailed genealogy of his family. Children:
Sarah Meriwether Lawson b 9/13/1770; d 4/19/1771
America Lawson b 1/22/1778; d 10/1/1830
John Pierce Lawson b 2/23/1781; d 6/1/1809
Arria Lawson b 3/14/1785; d 10/24/1787
Columbus Lawson b 8/11/1789; Kentucky d 1/8/1815
References:
1. "Claiborne of Virginia, Descendants of Colonel William Claiborne, the First Eight Generations", compiled by John F. Dorman(1995), p.79-81
2. "For Virginia and for Independence, Twenty-Eight Revolutionary War Soldiers from the Old Dominion" by Harry M. Ward (2011), p.110-120
3. "Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1783"(1828), p. 14-15
4. "Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army", by F. B. Heitman (1893), p. 50, 51, 258
5. "History of Prince Edward County, Virginia", by Herbert C. Bradshaw (1955), p. 50, 686, 687, 689
6. "Wagner v. Baird 48 U.S. 234 (1849)"- found online at:
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/48/234/

Robert Lawson was a Revolutionary War hero who furnished distinguished service as both a military officer and a public official. He was born on January 23, 1748, the son of Benjamin Lawson and Elizabeth Claiborne of Prince George County, Virginia. As a young attorney in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and surrounding counties, he became prominent in local politics and the Independence movement.
Lawson was elected a Delegate to the Virginia Revolutionary Conventions in March, July, and December of 1775, where he was selected for the colony's Committee of Safety, which functioned as an executive body. When the first Virginia Regiments of the Continental Line were formed in 1775, he was commissioned as a Major of the 4th Virginia Regiment, and later promoted to Lt.-Colonel and Colonel. He was in action with his Regiment at the Battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown, where the horse he was riding was killed from under him. He resigned his military commission on December 17, 1777, and returned to Virginia.
He was subsequently elected to represent Prince Edward County in the Virginia General Assembly in 1778, and 1780-1783. He was also elected by the Assembly to the Virginia Board of War, 1779-80; and served as a member of the Virginia Council of State (Governor's Privy Council) in 1781 and 1782.
Robert Lawson was instrumental in organizing, arming and supplying Virginia militia regiments throughout the War years, and took to the field as a military officer whenever the British threatened Virginia. He was a Colonel commanding a corps of "horse and foot" during 1779-80, and later commissioned as a Brigadier-General in November, 1780. In March, 1781, Lawson and his Virginia militia fought in North Carolina at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, where he had another horse killed out from under him. He commanded a Corps of Virginia militia at the siege of Yorktown in October, 1781, and after the American victory took charge of the British prisoners of war.
In 1783, he and fellow Prince Edward County delegate Patrick Henry prevailed upon the Virginia Assembly to Charter Hampden-Sydney College in their county, and both became Trustees of the new institution.
Lawson and Patrick Henry represented Prince Edward County at the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1788. They joined other prominent Virginians, such as George Mason and Richard Henry Lee, in opposing the new Constitution because they believed too much power was vested in the Federal Government. Even the promise of an added Bill of Rights did not induce them to vote in favor of ratification.
In 1789, Gen. Lawson moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky, but alcoholism and family conflicts led to his returning alone to Virginia about 1797. From that point on, he was basically estranged from his family. Toward the end of his life he was destitute and an invalid living in Richmond, Virginia. His fellow members of the Society of the Cincinnati provided for his care, and paid for his funeral when he died on March 28, 1805. His funeral was held at the State Capitol, with the Richmond City Guards and members of the Society providing a military escort. The printed obituary states his remains "were interred in the Churchyard", meaning at St. John's Episcopal Church.
Robert Lawson was married c. Nov-Dec, 1769 in Hanover County, Virginia, to Sarah Meriwether Pierce, daughter of John Pierce and Sarah Meriwether. She was born c. 1750, and died c. 10 Jun 1809. They were the parents of five children, three of whom lived to adulthood. This is proven by the Supreme Court case Wagner v. Baird, which gives a detailed genealogy of his family. Children:
Sarah Meriwether Lawson b 9/13/1770; d 4/19/1771
America Lawson b 1/22/1778; d 10/1/1830
John Pierce Lawson b 2/23/1781; d 6/1/1809
Arria Lawson b 3/14/1785; d 10/24/1787
Columbus Lawson b 8/11/1789; Kentucky d 1/8/1815
References:
1. "Claiborne of Virginia, Descendants of Colonel William Claiborne, the First Eight Generations", compiled by John F. Dorman(1995), p.79-81
2. "For Virginia and for Independence, Twenty-Eight Revolutionary War Soldiers from the Old Dominion" by Harry M. Ward (2011), p.110-120
3. "Journal of the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1783"(1828), p. 14-15
4. "Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army", by F. B. Heitman (1893), p. 50, 51, 258
5. "History of Prince Edward County, Virginia", by Herbert C. Bradshaw (1955), p. 50, 686, 687, 689
6. "Wagner v. Baird 48 U.S. 234 (1849)"- found online at:
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/48/234/