Person:John Smelser (20)

John Smelser was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia

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Records in Augusta County, VA

From Chalkley’s Augusta County Records:

• Vol. 1 - COUNTY COURT PAPERS. - Samuel Gray vs. Thomas Rowland, administrator of Robert Rowland.-- Superior Court of Law at Staunton. James Breckenridge deposes, 7th September, 1811, in Botetourt County, before Mathew Harvey, William Anderson: That shortly after the death of Robert, Thomas informed deponent that he had lost a considerable quantity of gunpowder, perhaps about five hundred weight, which he said belonged to Robert's estate, and had in his lifetime been made and packed perhaps for the plaintiff, to discharge a debt due to him which was payable in that article; that he apprehended it had been stolen by negroes in the neighborhood and desired this deponent to collect at the Court House such as he suspected for the purpose of examining them, which was done immediately. This happened shortly after the insurrection among the negroes in the neighborhood of Richmond was discovered. Deponent had no reason to believe that any quantity of gunpowder was stolen. Botetourt County records prove that defendant was convicted of slandering Paxton. John Smelzer was convicted in Sweet Springs District Court of slandering Joseph Ghent. Joseph Ghent is known to deponent since Joseph's infancy and is entitled to credit. On defendant's complaint many negroes were brought to the Court House and regularly examined, but nothing transpired to excite in deponent's understanding the least suspicion of their guilt.