Chapter IV: Preface: NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 1888 (1)

DEAR MRS. LEITER,--According to promise, I have sent you by express
to-day a list of the general officers in the Revolution who were
commissioned by the Continental Congress. There were others, not
in the list, and well known as generals who served through the
Revolution, but they held their commissions in the State Militia.

The list is made in the order of the date of commission, and their
rank was determined by this date. The collection of portraits
I have sent you for Mount Vernon is of great historical value,
from the fact that it is made up to a great extent of portraits
issued as “private,” or “club portraits,” of which the plates
were destroyed. It would be almost impossible to get another set
together which would be as complete as this is, in containing the
authentic likeness of every general of whom a portrait is known to
exist. For years I have been engaged with others in tracing out
the descendants of these men, and with the object of having their
portraits engraved whenever a likeness could be found. For a long
time nothing new has turned up, and I believe we have accomplished
about all it is possible to do in this line.

Yours very truly,
THOMAS ADDIS EMMET.

The rare and valuable gift of engravings from Dr. THOMAS ADDIS EMMET has been placed in the old mansion at Mount Vernon; and as this is the only complete collection on exhibition of the generals of the Continental Army, it seemed fitting that there should be a concise history compiled to enable the visitor at Mount Vernon not alone to view this valuable collection, but to refer to dates of birth and death, commissions of service, and battles of importance, in which these generals distinguished themselves. In this small book the author has sought to enable the reader to obtain information of most importance, and also maintain her original design of a pocket edition, to encumber as little as possible the pilgrim to Mount Vernon.

The following books have been consulted for the compilation of the papers:--

Journals of the Continental Congress.

Records of the Revolution, War Department.

Narrative and Critical History of America. (Justin Winsor.)

The Biography of the American Military and Naval Heroes, 1817.
(Thomas Wilson.)

Washington and his Generals. (J. T. Headley.)

Lossing’s American Revolution.

Washington and his Masonic Compeers. (Sidney Hayden.)

Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography.

The Memorial History of Boston. (Justin Winsor.)

Sparks’ Life of Washington.

Correspondents who have rendered assistance:

Hon. W. Frye, Maine.

General Drum, War Department.

Dr. T. A. Emmet.

H. C. Spofford, Congressional Librarian.

Justin Winsor.

Prof. Edward Channing.

F. D. Stone, Librarian of Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Toner, Washington.

Charles J. Hoadly, Connecticut.

MARY THERESA LEITER,
_Vice-Regent of Ladies’ Mount Vernon Association_.

August 7, 1889.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

George Washington, born at Pope’s Creek, near Bridge’s Creek, Westmoreland County, Virginia, on the 22d of February, 1732, was the son of Augustine Washington and his second wife Mary Ball. His earliest known ancestor in this country was John Washington, who came to Virginia from England in 1657. Augustine Washington died when George was but twelve years of age, leaving to his widow the care of five children and a large property. George’s education was such as was afforded by the local schools, but included surveying,--an important branch at that time. Ever thoughtful of the feelings of others, at the age of thirteen he formulated for his own guidance a set of one hundred and ten “rules of civility and decent behavior in company and conversation.” The next year his half-brother Lawrence obtained a midshipman’s warrant for him, which he was most anxious to accept, but gave up because of his mother’s opposition. At the age of sixteen he was absent from home for several weeks, while surveying for Lord Fairfax. Delighting in military exercises and outdoor sports, he grew tall, strong, and well proportioned, and at nineteen was chosen adjutant-general with the rank of major, to inspect and exercise the militia of his district. The same year he accompanied Lawrence on a trip to Barbadoes, the doctor having recommended change of climate for the improvement of the latter’s health. Having kept a journal of his surveying trip in 1748, he resumed the record of his life with great minuteness during this his only sea voyage. Returning after four months, he soon after received the sad intelligence of Lawrence’s death, and found himself, young as he was, one of his brother’s executors and the guardian of his only child. Neither the widow nor the orphan long survived; and upon their demise, Mount Vernon passed to George. At this time he joined the Masons. The records of the Fredericksburg Lodge show the presence of Washington for the first time “on the 4th of November, 1752.”

“November 6, 1752, received of Mr. George Washington for his
entrance £2 3_s._”

“March 3, 1753, George Washington passed Fellow Craft.”

“August 4, 1753, George Washington raised Master Mason.”

In 1753, the encroachments of the French awakening serious alarm, Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia selected Major Washington to carry a demand, in the name of the English monarch, that the chain of forts along the Alleghany and Ohio rivers should be abandoned. The mission was both a difficult and dangerous one; and failing in its object, active preparations were begun in the colonies for the war that was now unavoidable. In 1754, Washington was appointed lieutenant-colonel of one of the Virginia regiments, and in July distinguished himself by his brave defence of Fort Necessity at Great Meadows, which he was compelled at length to surrender. In 1755, General Braddock, as commander-in-chief of the royal forces in America, invited Colonel Washington to act as aide-de-camp during an expedition having for its ultimate object the reduction of the French forts of Niagara and Crown Point. Ignorant of the modes of Indian warfare, and disregarding his aid’s warning and advice, Braddock suffered a terrible defeat, and lost his life at Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburg. The chaplain of the army being also among the wounded, Washington read the burial service over Braddock at Great Meadows,--the scene of his own capitulation one year before. A second expedition in 1757 against the same fort, led by General Forbes, the advance guard being commanded by Washington, resulted in its capture and the change of name. On the 6th of January, 1759, he was married to Martha Custis, daughter of John Dandridge, and widow of a wealthy planter, John Parke Custis. The wedding ceremony was performed by Reverend John Mossum in St. Peter’s Church, Kent County, and was one of the most brilliant affairs of the kind ever celebrated in Virginia.

“The groom’s suit was of blue cloth, the coat lined with red silk
and ornamented with silver trimmings; his waistcoat, of embroidered
white satin; his knee-buckles, of gold; his hair was tied in a
queue and powdered. The bride’s costume was a quilted white satin
petticoat, a rich white silk overdress with diamond buckles and
pearl ornaments.”

Among the guests, who were all in full courtdress, were the governor, many members of the Legislature, British officers, and the neighboring gentlefolk. Bishop, a tall negro, Washington’s valet,--to whom he was much attached, and who had accompanied him on all his military campaigns,--stood in the porch, dressed in the scarlet uniform of a soldier of George II. At the conclusion of the ceremony Mrs. Washington and her three bridesmaids drove from the church to her own home, the “White house on the Pamunkey River,” in a coach drawn by six horses, led by liveried postilions; while Colonel Washington and an escort of cavaliers rode at the side. Having retired from the army, he occupied himself with the care of his large estate. Elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, when he took his seat the Speaker presented him the thanks of the colony for his former distinguished military services. Washington rose, stammered, trembled, but could make no fitting response. The Speaker relieved his embarrassment by saying, “Sit down, Mr. Washington! your modesty equals your valor, and that surpasses the power of any language I possess!” As a delegate in 1774 to the first Continental Congress, during the prayer with which Dr. Duché opened the meetings, Washington knelt while the other members stood. Re-elected in 1775, he was unanimously chosen commander-in-chief on the 17th of June, his commission reading as follows:--

SATURDAY, June 17, 1775.

To GEORGE WASHINGTON, ESQ.

We, reposing special trust and confidence in your patriotism,
valor, conduct, and fidelity, do, by these presents, constitute
and appoint you to be General and Commander-in-chief of the army
of the United Colonies, and of all the forces now raised or to
be raised by them, and of all others who shall voluntarily offer
their services and join the said army for the defence of American
liberty, and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof. And you
are hereby vested with full power and authority to act as you shall
think for the good and welfare of the service.

And we do hereby strictly charge and require all officers and
soldiers under your command to be obedient to your orders, and
diligent in the exercise of their several duties.

And we do also enjoin and require you to be careful in executing
the great trust reposed in you, by causing strict discipline and
order to be observed in the army, and that the soldiers be duly
exercised, and provided with all convenient necessaries.

And you are to regulate your conduct in every respect by the rules
and discipline of war (as herewith given you), and punctually to
observe and follow such orders and directions, from time to time,
as you shall receive from this or a future Congress of these United
Colonies, or Committee of Congress.

This commission to continue in force until revoked by this or a
future Congress.

By order of the Congress.

Accepting with hesitation, Washington said:--

“But lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my
reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the
room, that I this day declare, with the utmost sincerity, that I
do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with. As
to pay, I beg leave to assure the Congress that, as no pecuniary
consideration could have tempted me to accept this arduous
employment at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness, I do
not wish to make any profit of it. I will keep an exact account of
my expenses. Those I doubt not they will discharge, and that is all
I desire.”

Washington’s history during the next eight years is the history of the Revolution, for he was the animating spirit and the controlling power throughout that great struggle. On the 2d of November, 1783, he took final leave of the army, and resigned his commission on the following 23d of December. Retiring to Mount Vernon, which he had visited but once during the war, he resumed the peaceful life of a country gentleman. These were happy days, his time being fully occupied with his large estate, which required a tour of inspection each day. His servants were many; but he gave personal attention to their welfare. His guests were numerous; yet all were entertained with a bountiful hospitality. One ceremony was never omitted at Mount Vernon, and that was a daily visit to his old war-horse, Nelson, to pat his head. Washington rode him when receiving the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. The war ended, Nelson’s work was over; carefully tended, he lived to a good old age, but by his master’s strict orders, no service was ever again required of him.

In 1784, Washington crossed the Alleghanies to visit his lands in western Virginia, and planned the Potomac and the James River canals. In 1787, he was sent as a delegate to the convention held in Philadelphia for the purpose of deciding on the best mode of governing the United States. The result of their labors was the federal Constitution, under the provisions of which Washington was unanimously chosen first President, with John Adams as Vice-President. Owing to a delay in the assembling of the members of the first National Congress, the inauguration could not take place until April 30, 1789. Washington’s journey from Mount Vernon to New York, temporarily the seat of government, was the triumphant progress of a hero; young and old, rich and poor, vied with one another to do him honor. Being re-elected, he took his second oath of office on the 4th of March, 1793. Appreciating the fact that America’s true policy was to keep clear of all European alliances, on the 22d of April of the same year, he issued his famous proclamation of neutrality, to restrain the United States from taking any part in the French Revolution.

Wearied with his long public service, and not deeming it for the best interests of the country that he should enter upon a third term, on the 16th of September, 1796, Washington published his “Farewell Address.” His tenure of office expiring on the 4th of March, 1797, he once more sought the tranquil enjoyment of life at Mount Vernon. War-clouds were gathering on the horizon; and when hostilities with France seemed inevitable, he again responded to the call of his country, and accepting on the 3d of July, 1798, the appointment of lieutenant-general and commander-in-chief, began the organization of an army. The difficulties were, however, settled without an appeal to arms, though Washington did not live to know it. Riding over his estate on the 12th of December, 1799, during a snow-storm, he contracted a severe chill from which he never seemed to rally, and died on the 14th, saying to Dr. Craik, his physician, “I die hard; but I am not afraid to go.” His funeral occurred on the 18th, Reverend Thomas Davis preaching the sermon, a schooner lying in the Potomac firing minute-guns, and his favorite horse being led after the coffin. Richard Henry Lee pronounced a eulogy before both Houses of Congress, in which occurred the since oft-quoted words,--“first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” Napoleon ordered all the standards and flags in the French army to be bound with crape for ten days, and the British fleet of sixty ships-of-the-line, lying at Torbay, England, lowered their flags to half-mast upon hearing the sad intelligence. Sincerely mourned by the whole civilized world, his memory to-day is cherished as that of no other man has ever been, and the passing years but add to the lustre of his fame. Beautifully has it been said of him, “Providence left him childless that his country might call him father.”

ARTEMUS WARD.

Artemus Ward, born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, in 1727, graduated at Harvard College in 1748. Soon after, he entered public life as a representative in the Colonial Assembly, and later was a delegate in the first Provincial Congress, and justice of the peace in his native town in 1752. Having gained some reputation for military ability during the French and Indian War, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts troops on the 19th of May, 1775, and held that rank until the arrival of Washington at Cambridge. Though nominally in command during the battle of Bunker Hill, he remained in his camp and took no active part in determining the events of that day. On the 19th of May, 1775, he was made brigadier-general, and on the 17th of June, 1775, he was commissioned as senior major-general by the Continental Congress, being the first officer of that rank appointed by that body. Owing to impaired health, however, he resigned on the 23d of April of the year following, but at the request of Washington, continued to act until May. From that time until his death, he held responsible legislative and judicial positions, and served in the former one for sixteen years. Possessed of high integrity and unyielding principles, his judicial conduct won for him much praise, especially during Shays’ Rebellion in 1786. He died in his native town on the 28th of October, 1800.

CHARLES LEE.

Charles Lee, born in 1731 at Dernhall in Cheshire, England, was destined by his parents, from his earliest youth, to the profession of arms; his education, therefore, was such as to further that purpose. In 1758, he came to New York with the British forces designed for the conquest of Louisburg, and served with distinction during the French and Indian War. Returning to England at the close of the war, he threw himself with characteristic ardor into politics; but finding this too tame a pursuit, he offered his services to Poland, then to Russia against the Turks, and in 1773 returned to America, where, on the 17th of June, 1775, he was appointed second major-general of the Continental forces,--Washington at the same time being made commander-in-chief, though from his experience and brilliant achievements abroad, Lee had hoped for the latter appointment himself. His first service was the putting of New York City in a good state of defence. In March, 1776, Congress ordered him south, and in conjunction with General Moultrie, he defeated the British at Charleston, South Carolina, in the battle of the 28th of June, with the fleet of Parker under Lord Cornwallis. Moultrie won the victory, although it was conceded to Lee. Moultrie constructed the famous Palmetto Fort on Sullivan’s Island.

In October, Lee was recalled to New York; here his jealousy of Washington blinded his better judgment and led him into a series of indiscretions which after the battle of Monmouth subjected him to a court-martial, some of the charges being “disobedience of orders,” “misbehavior before the enemy,” and “disrespect to the commander-in-chief.” The court found him guilty of these charges, and Congress, after considerable delay, on Monday the 10th of January, 1780, resolved, “That Major-General Charles Lee be informed that Congress have no further occasion for his services in the army of the United States.” Retiring to his estate in Berkeley County, Virginia, he led the life of a hermit, shunning society and devoting himself to agricultural and literary pursuits. His dwelling was a rudely built house containing one large room, chalk-marks on the floor taking the place of partitions and indicating where the various apartments should be. Wearying of this life, and his farm proving unprofitable, he went to Philadelphia to make arrangements for selling it. While attending to this business, he was attacked by a fatal illness and died there on the 2d of October, 1782, at the age of fifty-one.

JOHN PHILIP SCHUYLER.

John Philip Schuyler, born at Albany on the 22d of November, 1733, was of Dutch origin. He was the second son of John Schuyler, who was the nephew of Peter Schuyler,--a native of Albany, born in 1657. At the age of twenty-two he received the appointment of commissary under Lord Howe, and rendered valuable service throughout the French and Indian War. In 1755, he recruited a company for the army and was commissioned its captain, taking part in the battle of Lake George. His health failing, he was obliged to transfer his command at Ticonderoga to General Montgomery. After the peace of 1763, he turned to the management of his private affairs. Inheriting a large property, much of which was covered with valuable timber, he transported the latter in his own vessels down the Hudson River to New York City, where he found a favorable market. Cultivating large fields of flax, and there being no facilities for its utilization, he built a flax-mill,--the first of its kind in this country,--and received, in recognition of his enterprise, a medal from the Society for Promoting Arts. In 1764, he was appointed a commissioner to settle the disputes between the States of New York and Massachusetts, relative to their boundary line, and he arbitrated in the same controversy between New York and New Hampshire. When elected to a seat in the Assembly of New York, he was one of the few in that body to antagonize the oppressive measures adopted by the British Government in its dealings with this country. He was made colonel of a State militia company in 1768.

In May, 1775, Schuyler was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, but such was the appreciation of his military ability and his patriotism that on the 19th of June he was appointed third major-general of the American army, and given command of its Northern division. Being possessed of great wealth, he provided large stores of arms, ammunition, clothing, and provisions, from his private purse, to suitably equip this army for the campaign against Canada. Stricken by a wasting fever from which he suffered for two years, he planned and directed even when too ill for active service. Fearing lest his increasing weakness might work against the public good, he sought leave during this time to retire; but Congress, well knowing his worth and his devotion to his country, requested him to reconsider his determination, at the same time tendering him a vote of thanks for past services. Schuyler responded nobly, contributing his wealth and using all his personal influence in behalf of American independence. At the end of two years of hardships, disappointments, arduous labor, great responsibility, and inadequate supplies of men and of provisions to accomplish the tasks set him by Congress, he at length saw his way to certain victory. At this critical moment Gates appeared in camp, and Philip Schuyler found himself superseded by a man who, from jealousy, had always been his enemy, and who had tried in every way to bring about his downfall. Wounded to the quick, he bore this most unjust treatment with dignity, and without showing resentment; and Congress having accepted his resignation on the 19th of April, 1779, he continued still to serve his country as a private citizen. In 1782, he was appointed Surveyor-General of New York. A zealous advocate for the adoption of the Constitution, he was elected a member of the first United States Senate, filling that office from 1789 until 1798, when a severe attack of gout compelled his resignation. It is to him that the State of New York is indebted for her excellent canal system. As early as 1776 he calculated the actual cost of a canal from the Hudson River to Lake Champlain; and later he advocated the connection of that river and Lake Erie by the same means. Dying in his native city at the age of seventy-one, on the 18th of November, 1804, he was buried with military honors. In 1871, a Doric column of Quincy granite, thirty-six feet high, was erected to his memory.

ISRAEL PUTNAM.

Israel Putnam, born at Salem, Massachusetts, on the 7th of January, 1718, was a lineal descendant of one of the Puritan Pilgrims. Even as a boy, he displayed that fearlessness and resolution that in later years characterized his military career. A fierce wolf was causing much loss of life among the sheep, and great annoyance to the farmers in the neighborhood, while cunningly eluding all their efforts to kill her. Putnam tracked her to her den, and descending into its gloomy recesses, shot her by the light of her own blazing eyeballs. He led the life of a farmer until the breaking out of the French and Indian War, when by his indomitable courage and enterprise he won a name that gained for him a high rank at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. When news of the skirmish at Lexington flew like wildfire over the country, Putnam, who was ploughing, left his yoke of oxen standing in the furrow, and mounting his fleetest horse, hurried to Boston.

On the 19th of June, 1775, Congress appointed Putnam major-general, but it was not until the month following that he became acquainted with General Washington, who subsequently declared him to be “a most valuable man and a fine executive officer.” He served with distinction throughout the war, again and again effecting by his daring boldness results that seemed impossible with the limited resources and insufficient number of men at his command. In the winter of 1778, while superintending the building of the fort at West Point, he visited one of his outposts at West Greenwich. Governor Tryon with five hundred dragoons made at this time an attack, hoping to capture Putnam, who had but fifty men. Stationing himself on the brow of a steep hill, Putnam received the attack with a discharge of artillery, then ordered his men to withdraw to a swamp where no cavalry could follow them, while he himself escaped by urging his horse down the almost perpendicular declivity. Not one of the British dared to follow. The descent known as Horse Neck has since borne the name of “Putnam’s Hill.” During the next winter, while still superintending the erection of new fortifications along the Hudson River, he suffered a stroke of paralysis from which he never recovered, although he lived till the 19th of May, 1790. His friend, Dr. Dwight, in summing up his character speaks of him as--

“A hero who dared to lead where any dared to follow; as a patriot
who rendered gallant and distinguished services to his country; as
a man whose generosity was singular, whose honesty was proverbial,
and who raised himself to universal esteem, and offices of eminent
distinction, by personal worth and a useful life.”

During the Revolution he was familiarly known as “Old Put.” The British offered him money and the rank of major-general if he would desert the American cause; but he could neither be daunted by toil and danger, nor bribed by gold and honors.

RICHARD MONTGOMERY.

Richard Montgomery, born in Ireland, on the 2d of December, 1736, educated at Trinity College, Dublin, entered the British army at eighteen as ensign. He performed good service during the French and Indian War, taking an active part in the siege of Louisburg and at the storming of Quebec under Wolfe. At the close of the war, he obtained permission to return to Europe; but in 1772, he resigned his commission in the British army and came to New York, being fully in sympathy with the colonies in their conflict with the mother country. He identified himself with the American colonists by purchasing a farm, and shortly after marrying the daughter of Robert R. Livingston. In 1775, he represented Duchess County in the first New York Provincial Convention. On the 22d of June of the same year, Congress appointed him brigadier-general in the Continental army. Preparations were immediately begun for investing Canada, as Congress appreciated the importance of securing commanding positions, to prevent invasions from that quarter and the alliance of the frontier Indians with our enemies. It being thought best to divide the forces, part were sent by way of the Kennebec, under Arnold, the others, by way of the Sorel River, were intrusted to Montgomery. Both armies had to contend with insufficient provisions and untold hardships of all kinds. Montgomery succeeded, however, in taking the fortresses of St. Johns, Chambly, and Montreal. At St. Johns the colors of the Seventh Fusileers were captured, being the first taken in the Revolution. In sending his report to Congress, Montgomery added, “Until Quebec is taken, Canada is unconquered.” On the 9th of December, 1775, he was advanced by Congress to the rank of major-general. About this time Arnold crossed the St. Lawrence, and at last the two armies were united and ready to act in concert. But cold, privation, and toilsome marches had done their work, and reduced the number of men available for active service to less than one thousand, while Quebec was not only strongly fortified, but amply garrisoned. A summons to surrender was answered by firing upon the bearer of the flag. A siege of three weeks served only to dishearten still further the frost-bitten and half-starved Americans. But the stout hearts of Montgomery and Arnold never quailed. At a council of war, it was decided that their best chance of success lay in attempting to carry the place by assault. Accordingly, on the 31st of December, 1775, in the midst of a blinding snow-storm, the two leaders began the attack before daylight. The city was to be stormed simultaneously at two different points; and Montgomery, leading his division along the river-bank, and often helping with his own hands to push aside the huge blocks of ice that impeded their progress, succeeded in carrying the first barrier. Waving his sword and shouting, “Men of New York, follow where your general leads!” he pressed eagerly forward, when a discharge of grape-shot ended his life, and also killed several of his staff. Dismayed by the death of their leader, and discouraged by the tremendous odds against them, the Americans were at length driven back, and compelled to leave the gallant Montgomery on the field of battle. The victors, appreciating the courage and nobility of the fallen hero, generously offered a resting-place for his remains within the walls of the beleaguered city.

In 1818, by an “Act of honor” passed by the New York Legislature in behalf of Mrs. Montgomery, Sir John Sherbrooke, Governor-General of Canada, was requested to allow her husband’s remains to be disinterred and brought to New York. This was granted, and “her soldier,” as she always called him, now sleeps in St. Paul’s churchyard near the monument that was ordered in France by Benjamin Franklin, in pursuance of a resolution of the Continental Congress.

JOHN THOMAS.

John Thomas, born in Marshfield, Massachusetts, in 1725, was a successful medical practitioner, entering the British army first as a surgeon, in 1746. He took a prominent part in the French and Indian War, but at its close devoted himself to his profession. He was, however, among the first to counsel resistance to British oppression, and having raised a regiment of volunteers, was appointed brigadier-general by the Provincial Congress on the 9th of February, 1775, and afterward received the same appointment from the Continental Congress on the 22d of June of the same year. On the night of the 4th of March, 1776, with three thousand picked men, he took possession of Dorchester Heights, commanding Boston, where the British were intrenched, and before morning had thrown up a formidable line of earth-works,--an advantage which finally led to the evacuation of the town by the enemy on the 17th of March. The death of Montgomery at the storming of Quebec necessitating the appointment of an experienced officer to command the troops in Canada, this duty was assigned to Thomas,--Congress having advanced him to the rank of major-general on the 6th of March, 1776. He promptly repaired to his new post, but while waiting for promised reinforcements, was attacked by small-pox, from which he died on the 2d of June, 1776, universally respected and deeply deplored.

HORATIO GATES.

Horatio Gates, born in Malden, Essex County, England, in 1728, was the godson of Horace Walpole. Entering the military service of Great Britain at an early age, he soon rose to the rank of major. After the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle he was stationed with his regiment at Halifax. At the breaking out of the French and Indian War, he joined General Braddock’s army in the expedition against Fort Duquesne, and received in that battle a severe wound that prevented his taking an active part again until near the close of the war, when he acted in 1762 as aid to General Monckton in the expedition against the island of Martinique. After the peace of Paris in 1763, Major Gates, like many other English officers, settled in America. He purchased a fine tract of land in Berkeley County, Virginia, and devoted himself successfully to agriculture. He had married Mary, the only child of James Valence of Liverpool, and at her father’s death, just before the Revolution, she joined her husband in this country, bringing with her $450,000, which she freely expended. Thaddeus Kosciusko was tenderly nursed by her six months. As his wound was a severe one, he owed his life to her generous care.

When war became inevitable, Gates offered his services to Congress, receiving the appointment of adjutant-general, with the rank of brigadier-general, June[1] 17, 1775. From the first, however, he coveted the position of commander-in-chief, and on more than one occasion showed his jealousy of Washington. Having many powerful friends in Congress, he was advanced to the rank of major-general May 16, 1776, and in June was appointed to the command of the army in Canada with his headquarters at Ticonderoga. Not finding any army in Canada, it having been compelled to retreat to New York, he claimed command of the whole Northern army, then under Schuyler, with his headquarters at Albany. Congress sustained the latter general, but this period marks the beginning of a series of intrigues which culminated in the “Conway cabal” to supplant Washington. Gates’ complicity in this conspiracy will forever tarnish his fame, as it no doubt saddened his life. Demoralized by hard service, insufficient food and clothing, with their pay in arrears, and consequently no money to send to their starving families, the Northern army could accomplish little except to gain in discipline and knowledge of military tactics. At length Schuyler’s prudent measures and wise strategy were beginning to tell in northern New York, and his sacrifices and heroism were about to be rewarded, when at this critical moment General Gates was given command of the Northern army, and arriving on the 21st of August, 1777, assumed the direction of affairs, already in train for a splendid victory. The battles of Stillwater and Saratoga forced Burgoyne to surrender his entire army with all their arms and ammunition on the 17th of the following October. The conduct of Gates during the latter battle has led to the charge of lack of personal courage, as throughout the engagement he remained in a position of safety two miles away, ready to flee with the teamsters and baggage-wagons should the action result in a defeat for the Americans. Burgoyne, on the contrary, was in the thick of the battle, receiving three bullets in his clothing.

[1] Journals of Congress. Appleton’s Cyclopædia gives the month
July.

In 1780, Gates was given command of the Southern army, and prepared to attack Cornwallis at Camden, South Carolina. By a serious error in judgment, Gates suffered a most humiliating defeat, which ended his military career. On the 5th of October, 1780, he was suspended from service until his conduct could be investigated. Deeply mortified, he retired to his farm in Berkeley County, but as he passed through Richmond, the State Legislature passed a resolution expressive of their sympathy in his misfortune and their unabated confidence in his patriotism and military skill; he received, too, a letter from Washington containing assurances of sincere sympathy and promises of a command when the court of inquiry should have acquitted him. Restored to his command on the 14th of August, 1782, he did not serve, as the war was then practically over. The battle of Camden virtually ended his career. In 1790, he removed to New York City, generously freeing all his Virginia slaves, and amply providing for the aged and infirm. In 1800, he was elected to the New York State Legislature, and died on the 10th of April, 1806.

WILLIAM HEATH.

William Heath, born on the 2d of March, 1737, was the son of a farmer living in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Delighting in military exercise, he joined the militia company of his town. In 1765, he became a member of the “Ancient and Honorable Artillery” corps of Boston, subsequently becoming its commander. In 1770, he contributed a series of articles to a Boston newspaper, urging the importance of military training, etc. In 1774, he received an appointment in the Provincial army of Massachusetts, and on the 22d of June was created brigadier-general by the Continental Congress and placed in command at Roxbury. On the 9th of August, 1776, he was raised to the rank of major-general. Though taking part in none of the great battles of the war, he did good service as recruiting officer, commissary, and quartermaster. After the close of the war he retired to his farm at Roxbury. Subsequently he was elected senator, counsellor, Presidential elector, judge of probate, and in 1806 Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts. This office, however, he declined, choosing to spend his last years as a private citizen. He died on his estate in Roxbury on the 24th of January, 1814.

JOSEPH SPENCER.

Joseph Spencer, born at East Haddam, Connecticut, in 1714, was an officer of militia, with the rank of colonel, during the French and Indian War. He was appointed brigadier-general on the 22d of June, 1775, by the Continental Congress, and major-general on the 9th of August, 1776. When the British fleet appeared off the coast of New England, in December of that year, he was sent with Arnold to take charge of the militia in that section. Spencer was in command at Rhode Island in 1778. Admiral Sir Peter Parker having taken possession of Newport, Spencer had assembled his forces at Providence to dislodge him. After spending some weeks in marching and counter-marching, the enterprise had to be abandoned, as the Americans were too weak to attempt such an assault. General Spencer resigned his commission on the 13th of January, 1778, and though an earnest advocate of American independence, took but little part in public affairs during the remainder of his life. He died at his native place, East Haddam, in January, 1789.

JOHN SULLIVAN.

John Sullivan, born in Berwick, Maine, on the 17th of February, 1740, was of Irish parentage, his father having emigrated to this country in 1723. He was public-spirited, and hating oppression, as a zealous advocate of American rights proved himself so able a partisan that in 1772 he was commissioned major of the militia. In 1774, he became a member of the Continental Congress, but resigned his seat to enter the army, being appointed a brigadier-general, on the 22d of June, 1775. Employed for a time at Cambridge in disciplining the troops and securing supplies, he was sent to Canada in 1776 to command the survivors of the Northern army. Being superseded by Gates, he rejoined the army under Washington, and on the 9th of August of the same year was commissioned a major-general. He was made prisoner at the battle of Long Island, but was soon after exchanged. In 1778, he was assigned to the command of the forces in Rhode Island, and received not only the commendation of the wisest men throughout the country, but also the thanks of Congress for his conduct under very trying circumstances during this campaign. In 1779, he was selected by Washington to lead an army against the “Six Nations,” occupying the fertile region of northern Pennsylvania and western New York. The atrocities of these Indians demanding the severest measures, Sullivan, after defeating their chief, laid waste their fields and orchards, burned their villages, and drove them beyond the frontier to take refuge with their English allies. He resigned his commission on the 30th of November, 1779, and entered upon the practice of the law. He held several positions of national trust and responsibility, and served his State as attorney-general, as president, and as justice of its Federal Court. While discharging the duties of the latter office, he died at Durham on the 23d of January, 1795. Harvard College conferred upon General Sullivan the degree of LL.D. in 1780.

NATHANIEL GREENE.

Nathaniel Greene was born at Potowomut, within the jurisdiction of Warwick, Rhode Island, on the 6th of June, 1742. His ancestors, of good English extraction, were among the first settlers on the banks of Providence River. Having a natural aptitude for study, he spent his extra earnings for books, which trained and developed his mind, as physical toil and out-door sports had strengthened his body. In 1770, being elected to the General Assembly of Rhode Island, he acquitted himself with credit. Foreseeing the struggle with the mother country, he began to prepare himself for an active participation by studying the best military text-books of those times. He married in July, 1774. The following April, the battle of Lexington rendering the war inevitable, Rhode Island promptly responded to the call for troops by raising an army of sixteen hundred men; and in May, 1775, Greene was placed in command as major-general. He showed the good effects of his former preparation by the vigilant drill and thorough discipline of the troops intrusted to his command. By his conduct at the battle of Bunker Hill, he gained the confidence and esteem of Washington. When the different bodies of State troops were reorganized into the Continental army, Greene received a regular commission as brigadier-general on the 22d of June, 1775; but in acknowledgment of his sterling worth, Congress promoted him to the rank of major-general on the 9th of August, 1776. His first regular battle was that at Harlem, when the British, having taken New York, lay siege to Fort Washington. During the subsequent retreat of the Americans through the Jerseys, he was the companion and counsellor of Washington. When defeat was at last changed to victory by the battle of Trenton, he seized the artillery of the enemy and cut off their retreat to Princeton. The American army went into winter-quarters at Valley Forge; and then Greene, yielding to the urgent entreaties of Washington and of Congress, assumed the arduous duties of quarter-master-general, which onerous position he held for two years, with credit to himself, and with inestimable benefit to the army. Greene presided at the “board of inquiry” convened for the trial of André. With regret he signed the decree of the court condemning the young officer to death. The post at West Point left vacant by Arnold’s treason was given to Greene, who took command Oct. 8, 1780. After the defeat of Gates at Camden, Greene was intrusted with the command of the armies of the South, which post he held until the close of the war. At the conclusion of his military career he established himself on a plantation in Georgia, and for the first time in many years enjoyed the opportunity of indulging his love of nature. This tranquil pleasure, however, was short-lived, for through an unfortunate exposure to a Southern sun and the exhalations of a Georgia rice-field, he contracted a malignant fever, from which he died on the 19th of June, 1786, aged but forty-four years. As a man, he was honorable, trustworthy, and patriotic; as a soldier, wise, prudent, brave, and unflinching in the discharge of his duty.

LORD STIRLING.

William Alexander, or according to his title, the Right Honorable William, Earl of Stirling, better known in history as Lord Stirling, was born in New York City, in 1726. His father, James Alexander, a native of Scotland, fled to this country in 1716 after the wars of the Pretender. Having been appointed Surveyor-General of New Jersey and New York, he was able to give much personal supervision to the education of his only son, and dying in 1756, left him an ample fortune. Thoroughly trained in mathematics, and with a fine military spirit, William Alexander distinguished himself in the French and Indian War; at its close he visited Europe, took measures to establish his claim to the earldom of Stirling, and returning to America, devoted himself to the duties of Surveyor-General of New Jersey. His first opposition to the mother country was his denunciation of the Stamp Act, and his efforts to have it repealed. When bloodshed followed passive resistance, he was selected, in the summer of 1775, to command a regiment. On the 1st of March, 1776, Congress appointed him brigadier-general. For his gallantry during the attack of the British on New York, Congress advanced him to the rank of major-general, on the 19th of February, 1777. Though compelled on several occasions to retreat before vastly superior numbers, in each case he secured so advantageous a position, and defended it with such courage and constancy, as to check the further advance of the enemy, and to frustrate their purpose. During the winter of 1777–78, while Washington was encamped at Valley Forge, a conspiracy was set on foot to substitute Gates as commander-in-chief. Providentially, this plot was discovered by Lord Stirling before any material harm had resulted. It was not until 1780 that he obtained leave of absence to visit his family, and to attend to his private affairs at Baskenridge. In 1781, he again took the field to repel a threatened invasion from Canada, and was actively engaged until 1783, when his useful and honorable career was brought to a close by his death. He expired on the 15th of January, 1783, almost as deeply mourned by the troops he had commanded as by his nearest connections and warmest personal friends.

THOMAS MIFFLIN.

Thomas Mifflin, a descendant of one of the first settlers of Pennsylvania, was born in Philadelphia in 1744, and educated for the business of a merchant, which occupation he followed with much success. In 1772 and the year following, he represented Philadelphia in the Colonial Legislature, and in 1774 was one of the delegates for Pennsylvania to the first Congress. After the battle of Lexington he engaged promptly in enlisting and disciplining troops, being appointed major. July 4, 1775, Washington made him an aide-de-camp, and in the August following, quartermaster-general. May 16, 1776, Congress commissioned him brigadier-general; and Feb. 17, 1777, he was appointed major-general, in recognition of the skill and efficiency he had shown in bringing the militia into service, though he failed to give satisfaction in his capacity of quartermaster. Becoming discontented during the gloomy period marked by the “retreat through the Jerseys,” he tendered his resignation. Congress relieved him of his duties as quartermaster and continued his rank as major-general, but without the pay. In May, 1778, he rejoined the army, and was a mover in the conspiracy to substitute Gates for Washington. Feb. 25, 1779, he again resigned. In 1782, he was elected to the Continental Congress, and being chosen president of that body the following year, received in that capacity the commission of Washington when he resigned, on the 23d of December, 1783. Mifflin continued to take an active part in American politics, and from 1790 to 1799 was Governor of Pennsylvania. In December of that year he was elected to the State Legislature, and died while attending its session at Lancaster, Jan. 20, 1800.

ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.

Arthur St. Clair, born in Edinburgh in 1734, graduated at the university of that city, and began the study of medicine. His ardent temperament, however, could ill brook the quiet monotony of a doctor’s life, so enlisting in the British army, he came to this country in 1755. He was present at the battle on the “Heights of Abraham,” and after the peace of 1763 was given command of Fort Ligonier in western Pennsylvania. During the next ten years, he purchased a tract of land, married, engaged in the business of a farmer and land surveyor, and became a magistrate in Westmoreland County. His patriotism being well known, he was appointed colonel in the Continental army in December, 1775, and in 1776 was ordered to Canada, arriving in the vicinity of Quebec just in time to cover the retreat of the troops under Arnold. On the 9th of August following, he received his commission as brigadier-general, and joining Washington in the autumn, took part in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. The confidence and esteem of his commander-in-chief and of Congress found expression in his advancement to the rank of major-general on the 19th of February, 1777; and soon after he was intrusted with the command of Fort Ticonderoga. On the approach of Burgoyne the following July, he deemed it best to abandon this fortress and to retreat, as the smallness of the garrison and the lack of everything necessary to withstand either an assault or a siege rendered defeat inevitable. His conduct, however, was severely criticised by Congress, and he was suspended and summoned to Philadelphia for trial. Despite all his efforts to the contrary, this investigation was delayed for many months. At last he was tried by court-martial in October, 1778, and fully exonerated of all charges against him. Washington’s confidence in him had never been shaken, and he made it apparent by employing him in various important missions. He served to the close of the war, and in 1786 was elected to Congress from Pennsylvania, and soon afterward was chosen president of that body. In 1788, Congress appointed him first governor of the Northwest Territory, but in 1791, he suffered a terrible defeat by the Indians of that section, and again his conduct was investigated and again he was acquitted of all blame. In 1802, being removed by President Jefferson from the office of governor, he returned to Ligonier Valley. Broken in health, stripped of his fortune, and unable to make good his just claims against the Government, he had abandoned all hope, when the State of Pennsylvania settled an annuity upon him of $300, which was afterward increased to $650 a year. He died at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on the 31st of August, 1818.

ADAM STEPHEN.

Adam Stephen, born in Virginia about 1730, served first as captain, then colonel, under Washington throughout the French and Indian War, aiding materially in bringing that struggle to a close. At the beginning of the Revolution, Virginia gave him command of one of her seven regiments, and Sept. 4, 1776, Congress appointed him brigadier-general in the Continental army, promoting him to major-general Feb. 19, 1777. He was at the battle of Brandywine; but at Germantown his division became involved in a combat with the troops of Anthony Wayne, owing to a fog. Stephen was held responsible for the blunder, court-martialled, and dismissed from the service in October, 1777. He died in his native State in November of 1791.

BENJAMIN LINCOLN.

Benjamin Lincoln, born Jan. 24, 1733, at Hingham, Massachusetts, led the life of a farmer; but warmly espousing the cause of the colonists when troubles began with Great Britain, was intrusted with various military offices, and after two years of active service with the Massachusetts troops, was commissioned major-general in the Continental army on the 19th of February, 1777. In the following October, he received a severe wound which lamed him for life, and prevented his rejoining the army until August, 1778. In September, Congress gave him the chief command of the Southern army, but upon repairing to Charleston, South Carolina, he found the entire State of Georgia in the hands of the British, and the American army in the South almost destroyed. Setting about his task with courage and resolution, he busied himself in collecting the necessary supplies and recruits, and making all needful preparations for driving the enemy from their various strongholds. In each engagement, however, he was unsuccessful, and was at last taken prisoner at the surrender of Charleston, on the 12th of May, 1780. He was exchanged in November, and rejoined the army in June, 1781. Again he was despatched to the South, but this time with far different results.

When the siege of Yorktown ended in the surrender of Cornwallis, that general feigned illness; to escape the mortification of surrendering his sword personally, he sent it by General O’Hara. Washington, with a fine delicacy of feeling, ordered the sword to be delivered to General Lincoln, who, eighteen months before, had been compelled to surrender to Sir Henry Clinton at Charleston, Cornwallis being one of the principal officers. This campaign closed Lincoln’s active service in the field, as he was soon after appointed Secretary of War, and held that responsible position until the disbanding of the army in October, 1783. Shays’ Rebellion, in 1786, again called him into the field, and after quelling it, he served as Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts in 1788, and collector of the port of Boston from 1789 to 1806, when the infirmities of old age necessitated his withdrawal. He died on the 9th of May, 1810, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. Harvard College conferred upon him the degree of M. A. in 1780.

BENEDICT ARNOLD.