Duncan McArthur
Encyclopedia
Duncan McArthur was a Federalist and National Republican politician from Ohio
. He served as the 11th Governor of Ohio.
Born to Scottish immigrants in Dutchess County, New York
, McArthur grew up in western Pennsylvania
and later moved to Kentucky
, where he was employed as an Indian ranger. McArthur moved across the Ohio River
in 1797 to the new town of Chillicothe, Ohio
, which was to become the state capital in 1803. McArthur grew wealthy investing in land in the surrounding area.
McArthur founded the city of Greenfield in 1799. Greenfield is located at N39 21.11958 W83 22.96284 (GPS coordinates), about 21 miles due west of Chillicothe. State Route 28, which runs between Greenfield and Chillicothe, was to be known as General Duncan McArthur Highway per act of the 113th Ohio General Assembly to the effect of:
Ohio Revised Code 5533.11 General Duncan McArthur highway.
The road known as state route number twenty-eight, running in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, commencing at the village of Milford in Hamilton and Clermont counties and extending through the counties of Clermont, Warren, Clinton, Highland, and Ross to a point of junction with United States route number fifty, and through the municipal corporations of Blanchester, Martinsville, New Vienna, Highland, Leesburg, and Greenfield shall be known as “General Duncan McArthur highway.”
The director of transportation shall erect suitable uniform markers upon said highway indicating the name thereof, such markers to have a background of white enamel, bearing in black enamel the bust of General Duncan McArthur and the words “General Duncan McArthur highway.”
Effective Date: 09-28-1973
He was elected to the United States House of Representatives
from Ohio's 3rd congressional district
while serving in the militia during the War of 1812
, but never qualified for office, preferring to continue serving in the military. He was appointed colonel of Ohio volunteers and was second-in-command to General William Hull
at Fort Detroit. He and Colonel Lewis Cass
were not present at Detroit when Hull surrendered and were greatly angered to hear that Hull had included both of them in the capitulation. When a British officer notified him of the surrender, McArthur is said to have torn off his epalettes and broke his sword in a fit of rage, although historians note similar stories were told about other officers as well. He was paroled and returned to Ohio. He was appointed a Brigadier General
in the U.S. Army and commanded a brigade under William H. Harrison during the battle of the Thames
. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the Army of the Northwest
following Harrison's resignation. He did not face much action but was instead engaged in negotiating treaties with the Indians. In 1817, he was one of two commissioners (along with Lewis Cass
) who negotiated the Treaty of Fort Meigs
, which was signed September 29 of that year with several Native American
tribes.
McArthur served intermittently thereafter in the Ohio House of Representatives
and Ohio State Senate, as well as a single term from 1823-1825 in the United States House of Representatives
before winning election to the governorship in 1830. McArthur served a single term and did not seek re-election.
McArthur is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio
, USA. The small village of McArthur, Ohio
, the seat of Vinton County
, is named for him.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He served as the 11th Governor of Ohio.
Born to Scottish immigrants in Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
, McArthur grew up in western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and later moved to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, where he was employed as an Indian ranger. McArthur moved across the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
in 1797 to the new town of Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, which was to become the state capital in 1803. McArthur grew wealthy investing in land in the surrounding area.
McArthur founded the city of Greenfield in 1799. Greenfield is located at N39 21.11958 W83 22.96284 (GPS coordinates), about 21 miles due west of Chillicothe. State Route 28, which runs between Greenfield and Chillicothe, was to be known as General Duncan McArthur Highway per act of the 113th Ohio General Assembly to the effect of:
Ohio Revised Code 5533.11 General Duncan McArthur highway.
The road known as state route number twenty-eight, running in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, commencing at the village of Milford in Hamilton and Clermont counties and extending through the counties of Clermont, Warren, Clinton, Highland, and Ross to a point of junction with United States route number fifty, and through the municipal corporations of Blanchester, Martinsville, New Vienna, Highland, Leesburg, and Greenfield shall be known as “General Duncan McArthur highway.”
The director of transportation shall erect suitable uniform markers upon said highway indicating the name thereof, such markers to have a background of white enamel, bearing in black enamel the bust of General Duncan McArthur and the words “General Duncan McArthur highway.”
Effective Date: 09-28-1973
He was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio's 3rd congressional district
Ohio's 3rd congressional district
Ohio's 3rd congressional district includes most of the city of Dayton and its surrounding suburbs and exurbs. It is currently represented by Representative Mike Turner.-List of representatives:-Selected election results:...
while serving in the militia during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, but never qualified for office, preferring to continue serving in the military. He was appointed colonel of Ohio volunteers and was second-in-command to General William Hull
William Hull
William Hull was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the American Revolution, was Governor of Michigan Territory, and was a general in the War of 1812, for which he is best remembered for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British.- Early life and Revolutionary War :He was born in...
at Fort Detroit. He and Colonel Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
were not present at Detroit when Hull surrendered and were greatly angered to hear that Hull had included both of them in the capitulation. When a British officer notified him of the surrender, McArthur is said to have torn off his epalettes and broke his sword in a fit of rage, although historians note similar stories were told about other officers as well. He was paroled and returned to Ohio. He was appointed a Brigadier General
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the U.S. Army and commanded a brigade under William H. Harrison during the battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the Army of the Northwest
Army of the Northwest (United States)
The Army of the Northwest was a U.S. Army unit formed at the outset of the War of 1812 and charged with control of the state of Ohio, the Indiana Territory, Michigan Territory and Illinois Territory.- Campaigns :...
following Harrison's resignation. He did not face much action but was instead engaged in negotiating treaties with the Indians. In 1817, he was one of two commissioners (along with Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
) who negotiated the Treaty of Fort Meigs
Treaty of Fort Meigs
The Treaty of Fort Meigs, also called the Treaty of the Foot of the Rapids, was signed September 29, 1817 between the chiefs and warriors of the Wyandot, Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, Potawatomi, Ottawa and Chippewa, tribes of native Americans and the United States of America, represented by Lewis...
, which was signed September 29 of that year with several Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes.
McArthur served intermittently thereafter in the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
and Ohio State Senate, as well as a single term from 1823-1825 in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
before winning election to the governorship in 1830. McArthur served a single term and did not seek re-election.
McArthur is buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio
Ross County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,345 people, 27,136 households, and 19,185 families residing in the county. The population density was 106 people per square mile . There were 29,461 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
, USA. The small village of McArthur, Ohio
McArthur, Ohio
McArthur is a village in Vinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,888 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Vinton County.-Geography:McArthur is located at ....
, the seat of Vinton County
Vinton County, Ohio
Vinton County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,435. , the least populous in the state. Its county seat is McArthur. The county is named for Samuel Finley Vinton, a 19th-century United States Congressman from...
, is named for him.