REFN: 1867
He resided at Green Spring Traverse and Adventure and owned Gist's Lime
Pits and a sloop called "Two Brothers".
Settled on the Yadkin River, North Carolina c. 1745-1750., explored part
of Ohio and Kentucky for the Ohio Company in 1750-53 and was a friend and
personal guide of George Washington. (1753-54). He was a companion of
George Washington on his journey to Lake Erie in 1753. Compton
Encyclopedia reports that George Washington and Christopher Gist were
thrown off their raft while crossing the Allegheny River during this
expedition
On Oct. 1, 1755 he was commissioned Lt. in the Virginia forces. He was
Captain of a company of scouts which he raised for services on the
frontier. Per Comptons report on Virginia, the fierce fighting men of
Virginia were called "Long Knives" by the Indians, among which were
Christopher Gist, Ebenezer Zene, Lewis Wetzel, John Sevier and Charles
Lewis. He then went to the Carolinas to enlist Cherokee Indians for the
English services, and for a time served as an Indian Agent. He died of
smallpox on the road between Williamsburg and Winchester, VA, while
guiding Catawba warriors to Winchester to guard the frontier against the
French and other Indians.
Christopher Gist was Sequoyah's grandfather.
See also The Journal of Christopher Gist, 1750-1751 from the book "Annals
of Southern Virginia, 1769-1800" Abingdon, Va. by Lewis P. Summers, 1929.
Colonial Families of the United States of America: Volume 7 page 240
COLONEL CHRISTOPHER GIST of Mt. Braddock, Fayette County, Pennsylvania;
b. in Maryland about 1706 and d. in 1759, of smallpox in South Carolina
or Georgia. He was first a merchant in Baltimore Town, but failed in
business and made an assignment to his relatives, CROMWELL and STANSBURY,
in 1745. In 1750 he styled himself as "late of Baltimore County but then
in the Colony of Virginia" and conveyed to Tobias STANSBURY the "Gist
Lime pits" in Baltimore County. He later settled on the Yadkin, in
Virginia, and was undoubtedly the most famous scout and first renowned
explorer of the Ohio River and Valley through the present states, West
Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, as agent of the Ohio Company. This was in
1750; and he was associated with Gen. George WASHINGTON as Indian scout
and forest ranger, being his guide and companion on the journey to Lake
Erie in 1753. He was made Captain of the Rangers, organized in Virginia
for the defense of frontier, and served through 1756 and until the
company was discharged in 1757. He received various titles of "Scout",
"Captain" and "Colonel." With his sons, Nathaniel and Thomas, he took
part as guide and scout in BRADDOCK'S expedition. He served with George
WASHINGTON in his victory at Great Meadows and in his disaster the next
day, 4th July, 1754, at Fort Necessity, when WASHINGTON surrendered to
the French, in superior numbers, but with the honors of war. At the
battle of BRADDOCK'S Defeat, 9th July, 1755, he was present with his sons
and afterwards raised a Company of Scouts in Maryland and Virginia and
rendered efficient service. 1st October, 1755, he was commissioned
Lieutenant of the Virginia (p. 240) forces and in 1756 was made Captain
of a Company of Scouts. The same year he went to the Carolinas to enlist
the Cherokee Indians for the English service, and as late as 1758 was
Deputy Agent for Indian Affairs at Fort Frederick, Maryland; he acquired
lands in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, which were inherited by his son
Thomas; m. Sarah HOWARD, dau. of Joshua and Joanna (O'CARROLL) HOWARD of
Baltimore County, Maryland, whose will of 1738 names his daughters,
Sarah, Mary and Violetta, who had m. Col. Christopher GIST and his two
brothers, Nathaniel and William respectively.
Ref: p. 562-3, Vol. II, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FRONTIER BIOGRAPHY, (G-0),
compiled by Dan L. Thrapp,
GIST, CHRISTOPHER, soldier, frontiersman (c 1706-July 25,