James White (General)

James White was an American pioneer and soldier who founded Knoxville, Tennessee, in the early 1790s. Born in Rowan County, North Carolina, White served as a captain in the countys militia during the American Revolutionary War. In 1783, he led an expedition into the upper Tennessee Valley, where he discovered the future site of Knoxville. White served in various official capacities with the failed State of Franklin before building Whites Fort in 1786. The fort was chosen as the capital of the Southwest Territory in 1790, and White donated the land for a permanent city, Knoxville, in 1791. He represented Knox County at Tennessees constitutional convention in 1796. During the Creek War , White served as a brigadier general in the Tennessee militia.

White was born in what is now Iredell County, North Carolina, but was then part of Rowan County, to Moses White and Mary McConnell White, who were of ScotsIrish descent. In 1770, White married Mary Lawson. White served as a captain in the Rowan County militia during the American Revolution, which would subsequently entitle him to a tract of land as payment for his service.

Source: Wikipedia