John Stuart

John Stuart (25 September 1718 – 21 March 1779) was a Scottish-born official of the British Empire in the colony of South Carolina, North America. He was the superintendent for the southern district of the British Indian Department from 1761 to 1779; his northern counterpart was Sir William Johnson, based in the colony of New York. Early life Born in Inverness, Scotland, in 1718, by 1748 Stuart had emigrated to the British colony of South Carolina. There he worked as a merchant and became prominent in local affairs. In 1760 he served as a militia captain in the Anglo-Cherokee War (1759–1761). Stuart was captured by the Cherokee, but he was ransomed by Chief Attakullakulla and returned to South Carolina. Appointment as Superintendent in the Indian Department Captain Stuart's familiarity with Native Americans and the frontier earned his appointment in 1761 as royal superintendent in the Indian Department. His role was to help Great Britain and the colonies bring order to their relations with the Southeast Indians (who became known as the "Five Civilized Tribes"). He also worked to prevent the organization of anti-British native confederations, such as the one that organized Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763. In 1762 Stuart appointed Alexander Cameron as his deputy. Cameron had served at Fort Prince George during the Anglo-Cherokee War, and had long experience with and empathy for the Cherokee. They called him "Scotchie" and considered him one of the few white men they trusted. He helped build relations with the Southeast Indians and bring peace to the backcountry in the years before the American Revolutionary War.