"An orator of rude, savage eloquence and power," Pearis gained favor with Virginia governor Robert Dinwiddie; and during the French and Indian War, Pearis led a company of Cherokee warriors on the Sandy Creek Expedition in 1756 and served under British General John Forbes when he captured Fort Duquesne in 1758.

[5] In 1770, Pearis and another member of the frontier gentry, Jacob Hite, forged letters from Cherokee leaders, including Oconostota, declaring the Indians' willingness to cede land to the colony of Virginia.

Pearis also claimed a deed from the Cherokee of twelve square miles in the area that is now Greenville County, South Carolina.

"[6] With the help of an Indian ally, Saluy, Pearis secured approval of his land grant from the chiefs at Chota, apparently in exchange for the cancellation of their trading debts.

The governor then urged Stuart to prosecute Pearis for violating a 1739 statute that forbade British citizens to own Indian land.