Peter Courtland
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In 1856, Peter Courtland, commander of the New Virginia State Militia in the Confederation of Soveriegn States, was tried and convicted for treason for attempting to use the threat of military force to secure the resignation of the Governor and install himself as the new Governor. Before he could be imprisoned, Courtland, along with a number of supporters fled across the mountains to the sparsely inhabited plains of the northwest. By 1862, a number of settlements had been established in the region. Following Courtland’s death in 1870, leaders of these new settlements proclaimed the Dominion of Upper Virginia.
The nation's captial city, Courtland, was named in Peter Courtland's honor. His grandson, General Roger Courtland, came to power in 1932 as the nation's first, but not last, military dictator.
