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Woodford County · Frontier · 1781 – 1822

Capt. Jack Jouett

On the night of June 3–4, 1781, Virginia militia captain John "Jack" Jouett Jr. spotted Banastre Tarleton's British cavalry near Cuckoo Tavern and rode about forty miles of backwoods trails to warn Thomas Jefferson at Monticello and the Virginia Assembly at Charlottesville.

AI illustration of Jack Jouett in profile, based on the silhouette by his son Matthew Harris Jouett
Jack Jouett Based on a silhouette by Matthew Harris Jouett AI illustration · Kentucky History Drive

Most leaders escaped; Virginia later awarded him a sword and pistols.

In 1782 he moved west, married Sally Robards, backed Kentucky statehood, served in the Kentucky House for Mercer and then Woodford, and in 1797 built the brick house still standing on Craig's Creek near Versailles—farming, milling, and distilling until his death in Bath County in 1822.

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Published . Last revised .

Chicago

Snowden, Shannon. "Capt. Jack Jouett." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 20, 2026. Last revised October 26, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/capt-jack-jouett/.

MLA

Snowden, Shannon. "Capt. Jack Jouett." Kentucky History Drive, published 20 Sept. 2026, last revised 26 Oct. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/capt-jack-jouett/.

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