John Stuart (25 September 1718 – 21 March 1779) was a British Indian Department officer and merchant. Active in the province of South Carolina, he was the superintendent for the Indian Department's southern district from 1761 to 1779; his northern counterpart was Sir William Johnson, who was based in the province of New York.
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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.
Superintendent in the Indian Department
Captain Stuart's familiarity with Native Americans and the frontier earned his appointment in 1761 as superintendent in the British 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.