James Robertson (explorer)

James Robertson
"Father of Tennessee" Copy of James Robertson portrait (Original by Washington Bogart Cooper)
Born	(1742-06-28)June 28, 1742 Brunswick County, Virginia, British America
Died	September 1, 1814(1814-09-01) (aged 72) Chickasaw Bluff, Tennessee[1]
Buried	Nashville City Cemetery Nashville, Tennessee
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	Southwest Territory militia
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	Mero District militia
Battles/wars	Cherokee–American wars
Relations	Charlotte Reeves (wife) Anne Robertson Johnson Cockrill (sister)
Signature

James Robertson (June 28, 1742 – September 1, 1814) was an American explorer, soldier and Indian agent, and one of the founding fathers of what became the State of Tennessee. An early companion of explorer Daniel Boone, Robertson helped establish the Watauga Association in the early 1770s, and to defend Fort Watauga from an attack by Cherokee in 1776. In 1779, he co-founded what is now Nashville, and was instrumental in the settlement of Middle Tennessee. He served as a brigadier general in the Southwest Territory militia in the early 1790s, and as an Indian Commissioner in later life.