William Preston
Colonel
Virginia Militia
December 25, 1729 – June 28, 1783
Col. William Preston was a veteran of the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. He immigrated to the American colonies before the Revolution. Yet, he was a prominent figure in Virginia serving both in the military and local government. He owned Smithfield Plantation at today’s Blacksburg, and his legacy continues in Virginia to this day.
Preston was born in Newton Limavady, County Londonderry, Ireland, on Christmas Day 1729. His father, John Preston, was a ship carpenter. His mother, Elizabeth Patton, was the sister of James Patton, a skilled sailor. The Prestons and James Patton immigrated to the United States in 1737. They settled in Augusta County, Virginia, near modern day Staunton. Preston’s father died in 1747 which made William responsible for the household when he was 18. Fortunately, Patton stepped in to mentor the young Preston. William started his career as a surveyor but soon became involved in the beginnings of the French and Indian War.
In 1752, Preston joined Patton on a trip to Logstown in western Pennsylvania to negotiate a land treaty with Native tribes on behalf of Virginia and the Ohio Company. Patton and his associates were able to secure a treaty, but tensions remained high. Over time, the relationship between Native tribes, French settlers, and British colonists deteriorated. War finally erupted in 1754. Patton was killed in the Draper’s Meadows massacre in July 1755, in southwestern Virginia. Meanwhile, Preston became a captain in a ranger company under Maj. Andrew Lewis in the same month. He went on expeditions to the west and helped establish several frontier forts. In 1756, he joined George Washington’s military survey of the frontier. He served in western Virginia until 1759. Following the French and Indian War, Preston served in various political and military roles in colonial Virginia, including as a member of the House of Burgess, justice of the peace, county surveyor, county lieutenant, and sheriff. In these positions, Preston was responsible for overseeing militia battalions, enforcing standards, and maintaining order in the county. These positions were important in places such as Augusta and Fincastle Counties because of their proximity to the unexplored west. Tensions with the Native populations did not dissipate at the end of the French and Indian War. The defense and order of these counties was paramount, especially during the turbulent lead up to the Revolution.
On May 24, 1773, Preston established Smithfield Plantation at Blacksburg. Preston’s political positions required him to take sides as tensions between colonists and the British grew to a boiling point. As a member of the House of Burgesses, Preston signed the Fincastle Resolution on Jan. 20, 1775, supporting the Continental Congress’ boycott of Britain. When the Revolution broke out, Preston continued to serve in local Patriot militias and managed tensions with the local Native people.
As the Revolutionary War continued, Preston was drawn into the fighting. In the fall of 1780, British Maj. Patrick Ferguson was responsible for raising and training Loyalist militia in North and South Carolina. Patriot militias in Virginia, North Carolina, and what is now Tennessee heard about Ferguson’s efforts and threats and decided to take action. Preston and hundreds of mounted militiamen marched on Ferguson’s camp on Kings Mountain, in South Carolina. On October 7, American militia units led by William Campbell, surrounded the Loyalists and attacked them on high ground. Ferguson was killed in the battle and the Americans took hundreds of Loyalists as prisoners. Preston guarded the Loyalist prisoners held at Fincastle Courthouse.
Five months later, Preston joined Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene’s army at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781. Following the British loss at the Battle of Cowpens in January, British Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis pursued Greene, intent on destroying the American force. The two armies met at Guilford Courthouse in central North Carolina. The battle ended with an American retreat, but the British suffered heavy losses. Preston was wounded during the battle and returned home to Smithfield Plantation.
Preston died on June 28,1783 following a collapse during a militia muster. He and his wife, Susanna Smith, had 12 children who continued his legacy in Virginia. One of their sons, James Patton Preston, was the seventh governor of Virginia and presided over the establishment of the University of Virginia. James’ son, William Ballard Preston, founded the Olin and Preston Institute which later became Virginia Tech. His grandson, John Thomas Lewis Preston, help create the Virginia Military Institute at the state arsenal at Lexington.
Preston came to America as a young immigrant. He arrived during the young Nation’s most turbulent time. Preston quickly adapted to life in colonial Virginia and proudly served his community and established new settlements. His legacy was multiplied by his children and grandchildren who became governors and founders of universities. Today, Virginians benefit from the legacy of the Preston family. Many students today attend universities that would not have been created without the selfless, patriotic life of William Preston.
Liam Smith
Historic Research Intern | Adams Center for Military History, Virginia Military Institute
Sources
Dorman, John. “The Prestons of Smithfield and Greenfield in Virginia: descendants of John and Elizabeth (Patton) Preston through five generations.” Filson Club, 1982.
“Guildford Courthouse.” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/guilford-court-house
“King Mountain.” American Battlefield Trust. Accessed June 27, 2025. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/kings-mountain
“Former Governors – Virginia.” National Governor Association. Accessed June 30, 2025. https://www.nga.org/former-governors/virginia/
“To Thomas Jefferson from Horatio Gates, 1 November 1780,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-04-02-0101. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 4, 1 October 1780 – 24 February 1781, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1951, pp. 86–87.]
“The Office & Schoolroom.” Historic Smithfield. Accessed June 30, 2025. https://www.historicsmithfield.org/school
Tyler, Lyon Gardiner. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. 2. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1995.
“Virginia Former Attorney General.” National Association of Attorneys General. Accessed June 30, 2025. https://www.naag.org/attorneys-general/past-attorneys-general/virginia-former-attorneys-general
William Waller Hening, ed. The Statutes at Large; Being a Collection of All the Laws of Virginia from the First Session of the Legislature in the Year 1619. J. & G. Cochran, 1821.
Additional Resources
Osborn, Richard. “William Preston – Revolutionary.” The Smithfield Review 12, (2008): 5-33. https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/88144/SR_v12.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
“William Preston’s Smithfield.” Historic Smithfield. Accessed June 27, 2024. https://www.historicsmithfield.org/.