Alexander Scott Withers
He is celebrated as the author of Chronicles of Border Warfare (1831), a history of (and important primary source on[1]) the early white settlement of western Virginia and consequent conflicts with American Indians.
He was educated at home and in private schools, later attending Washington College and finally learning law at William and Mary, despite considerable shyness when confronted with the need for public speaking.
Subsequently, he moved to Lewis County and resided on a farm he called "Thirlestane"[2] on the West Fork River between Weston and Jane Lew.
For background material, Withers drew upon the writings of a generally reliable antiquarian, Hugh Paul Taylor[3] (c. 1790–1831) of Covington, Virginia.
According to Lyman Draper, “He used to say that had he published the volume himself he would have made it much more complete, and better in many ways; for he was hampered, limited and hurried—often correcting proof of the early, while writing the later chapters.")
The frontispiece of the 1895 reprint of his book, depicting him at about 60 years of age (c. 1852).
