James Sterrett

James Sterrett (May27, 1825) was a career army officer in the early republic period of the United States. Born in central Pennsylvania, and originally an artillerist, he served under Anthony Wayne and was involved in the Northwest Indian War in the Northwest Territory. He participated in the transfer of the Natchez District and Louisiana to the United States. He resigned his commission and went into business around 1805. He was a familiar of major American figures of the territorial period in the Mississippi River Valley, for instance general James Wilkinson. He was thus tangentially involved in the long-running "no, you're a treasonous rascal" disputes resulting the collapse of the Daniel Clark–James Wilkinson business partnership, the court martial of Thomas Butler, the Burr conspiracy, and the allegations that Wilkinson was an agent of the Spanish government. Sterrett worked for a time as an editor of the Louisiana Gazette newspaper, and as a cotton factor. He was briefly partners with Henry Clay's brother John Clay in a commission merchant firm called Clay & Sterrett. At approximately age 50, Sterrett may have volunteered to participate in the defense of New Orleans during the War of 1812, as there is an account of him being injured during the battle of January 8. He was appointed to be an external revenue officer at the New Orleans Customs House in 1820 and worked there, selling fire insurance on the side, until his death in 1825.

Career

James Sterrett was born "in the neighborhood" of Carlisle, Cumberland County, British colonial Pennsylvania between 1763 and 1765.

Sterrett reportedly joined the United States Army "soon after St. Clair's defeat," meaning after November 1791. In 1802 he was stationed at Fort Adams (under command of Thomas Butler, also of Pennsylvania). He was involved in a plan to develop a town at Bruinsburg, Mississippi. Sterrett was paymaster of the U.S. Army in March 1804 when a detachment of U.S. Marines landed at New Orleans. Sterrett was arrested on unknown charges in early 1804.

He was listed an army captain stationed at Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1805. He resigned his commission in September 1805 and settled in New Orleans. He published a public letter in 1811 stating that around 1800 or 1801 General Wilkinson had embezzled public money to buy slaves from a Mr. Jones in Maryland; the slaves were bought on credit by John Ellis, Richard Butler, and others, while "the notes" were held by Abijah Hunt.

Sometime after 1811, Sterrett married Eliza O'Brien Cowperthwaite, widow of Jacob Cowperthwaite. Sterrett seemingly did participate in the Battle of New Orleans, as the Natchez Gazette printed a letter reporting that "Capt. James Sterrett of New —" was among the wounded.

In 1816 Sterrett owed taxes on 800 acres in Adams County, Mississippi Territory. In 1818 a judgement in Clarks administrators & James Sterrett vs. F. L. Claiborne heirs forced the auction of the late Ferdinand L. Claiborne's DeWitt plantation. In 1825 he was listed as a candidate to be alderman of the first ward of New Orleans. When he died in 1825, he was employed at the U.S. Customs House in New Orleans, where he had been working as an "external revenue" officer since 1820. His widow died in New Orleans in 1835, and is entombed at St. Louis No. 2.

Legacy The Louisiana State University Library special collections department holds letters written by James Sterret to his friends Nathaniel Evans and Fulwar Skipwith. Topics in the letters to Evans include "personal and financial situations, New Orleans social life, enmity with Creoles, politics, yellow fever, Aaron Burr conspiracy, and the trials of Aaron Burr and General Thomas Butler."

Note: This Captain Sterrett should not be confused with the Captain Andrew Sterett who commanded the against the Barbary pirates.