William Fleming (governor)
| William Fleming | |
|---|---|
| 3rd Governor of Virginia | |
|
In office June 4, 1781 – June 12, 1781 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Jefferson |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Nelson, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 18, 1729 Jedburgh, Scotland |
| Died | August 5, 1795 (aged 66) |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Christian |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Profession | Physician, soldier and planter |
Colonel William Fleming (February 18, 1729 – August 5, 1795) was an American physician, soldier, statesman, and planter who briefly acted as the Governor of Virginia during the American Revolutionary War. He is often confused with his contemporary, Judge William Fleming, who served in the Virginia legislature and was a delegate to the Continental Congress.
Fleming was born in Jedburgh, Scotland in the Kingdom of Great Britain. His parents were Leonard and Dorthea Fleming. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and then entered the Royal Navy, serving as a surgeon's mate. While in the service, he was captured and imprisoned by the Spanish. After his release, he resigned from the navy and in 1755 emigrated to Virginia.
During the French and Indian War, Fleming was commissioned an ensign in George Washington's Virginia Regiment, and served as a surgeon in the Forbes expedition and in the Anglo-Cherokee War, among other actions. When the war ended in 1763, he married Anne Christian (sister of William Christian) and settled at Staunton, Virginia, where he practiced medicine. In 1768 he retired from medicine to farm at his estate called "Belmont" in Augusta County (now Roanoke County, Virginia). His investments in land eventually made him wealthy.
In Dunmore's War (1774), Colonel Fleming led the Botetourt County militia at the Battle of Point Pleasant. He continued to lead his men after being shot twice, but a third, more serious wound forced his withdrawal. A musket ball lodged in his chest was never removed and often caused him pain. Disabilities from these wounds, from which he never fully recovered, prevented his military service in the American Revolutionary War. The Virginia General Assembly awarded him £500 in compensation.
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