The William Letcher Grave

The William Letcher Grave. . Enclosed by this fence, is the grave of William Letcher an American patriot. This is the oldest known marked grave within Patrick County. William Letcher was born about 1750, and married Elizabeth Perkins about 1778. The couple most likely settled here on the Ararat River shortly thereafter. Letcher's married life was cut tragically short for in 1780 at the height of the Revolutionary War, Letcher, a militia officer was murdered at his home by one "Nichols” a local Tory sympathizer. Lord Cornwallis was making his way through the Carolinas in 1780 on the road to disaster at Yorktown in 1781. The presence of the British Army encouraged the Tories and Letcher was an easy target isolated on the frontier as he was. Virtually all accounts of his murder indicate that the murder was politically motivated. William Letcher is traditionally thought to have been an ardent and vocal supporter of the Revolution. William and Elizabeth Letcher were the parents of one daughter, Bethenia, born March 21, 1780. Later, Bethenia married David Pannill in Pittsylvania County. This marriage produced two children, Elizabeth Letcher Pannill and William Letcher Pannill, both of whom were named after their maternal grandparents. Elizabeth Letcher Pannill later married Archibald Stuart and became the mother of J. E. B. Stuart. To your right, you will see a discontinuous hedge of boxwoods that oral tradition ascribes the planting of to Elizabeth Pannill Stuart. It suggests that an earlier building may have been erected on this site, which may be have been occupied by the Stuart family during the construction of Laurel Hill, and after the Stuart home was destroyed by fire. Further archaeological investigation will have to be conducted to determine if the site was, in fact, the site of the home of William and Elizabeth Letcher.