Col. Robert GAMBLE

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  General Notes:

Col. Robert Gamble was born September 3, 1754, in Augusta County, Va.; educated at the "Augusta Academy," which has developed into the Washington and Lee University; began life as a merchant; entered the Revo­lutionary army as a lieutenant, and soon became a captain in the Continental line; fought at Princeton, Monmouth, Stony Point, and in other battles of the Revolution, both in the Northern and Southern departments.

He was a captain in Col. Febiger's Virginia regiment, and at Stony Point led a company in the select body of 150 men under Lieut.-Col. Fleury. He claimed that his men entered the fort first; that after the capture, and while he was attending to securing the prisoners, Fleury came up, and, seeing the flag still flying, hauled it down, thrust it in his bosom, and gained great éclat by the act. Believing that the gallant action of his command should have been mentioned in Wayne's report, Capt. Gamble complained to Gen. Washington, who, while admitting the injustice, appealed to his patriotism, saying that it was of the last importance to prevent any discord or jealousy from arising either among our own troops or our French allies, and therefore Capt. Gamble urged his complaint no further. He was permanently deafened by the concussion of the guns at Stony Point, and was taken prisoner in South Caro­lina, where he served under Greene, and for a time on the staff of Baron De Kalb. He was a member of the Virginia Society of the Cincinnati.

He married Catharine Grattan, and, after the war, entered the mercantile business, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Robert Grattan, on Main and Augusta streets, Staunton. In 1787, he was a lieutenant-colonel of Augusta militia. In 1790, he removed to Richmond, and became one of the most prosperous merchants and influ­ential citizens of that city. Gamble's Hill was named for him. His death, which resulted from being thrown from his horse, occurred on April 12, 1810. He was buried in St. John's Burial Ground, in Richmond, Va., where memo­rials of stone have been erected by his children to him and to his wife. Many references to him have been preserved in Kennedy's "Memoirs of William Wirt," in "Richmond in By-gone Days," and in various histories, etc., of that city. He was the son of James Gamble (born 1729), the son of Robert Gamble, who left Londonderry, Ireland, his native place, and emigrated to Augusta County, Va., about 1735. The Gambles were originally from Scotland.

Robert married Catherine GRATTAN. (Catherine GRATTAN was born in 1753 in Ireland, died on 24 Dec 1831 and was buried in St. John's Burial Ground, Richmond, VA.)