James Clinton
Encyclopedia
James Clinton was an American Revolutionary War
soldier who obtained the rank of major general
.
He was born in Ulster County
in the colony of New York
, in a location now part of Orange County, New York
. He was the grandson of James Clinton
a soldier in Oliver Cromwell
's New Model Army
and the son of Charles Clinton
, an Anglo-Irish
colonist and a colonel in the French and Indian War
.
He was the brother of George Clinton
, who was governor of New York
from 1777 to 1795 and U.S. Vice President from 1805 to 1812. James Clinton's wife was Mary DeWitt, daughter of an old Dutch family, and his second son was DeWitt Clinton
, later Governor of New York.
, starting with an ensign's commission in 1757 and achieving the rank of Captain in 1759. In 1758, commanding a company, he participated, along with his father (Colonel) and brother George (Lieutenant), in General John Bradstreet
’s capture of Fort Frontenac
(now Kingston, Ontario
). He and his brother played a key role in capturing a French vessel.
James remained in the army, stationed at various frontier posts until the end of the war in 1763. He then retired and married Mary De Witt.
, Clinton was commissioned as a colonel
of the 3rd New York Regiment
, which took part in Brig. Gen. Richard Montgomery
’s unsuccessful expedition to Quebec
in 1775. In March 1776, Clinton took command of the 2nd New York Regiment
and soon after, in August, was promoted to brigadier general
in the Continental Army
.
He served most of the war in the Northern Department, along the New York frontier
. During the Saratoga Campaign
in 1777, he commanded Fort Clinton
in the Hudson Highlands. He participated in a successful effort to prevent British General Sir Henry Clinton
from rescuing General John Burgoyne
at Saratoga, but he and his troops were unable to hold Forts Clinton and Montgomery.
In 1779 Clinton led an expedition down the Susquehanna River
after making the upper portion navigable by damming up the river's source at Otsego Lake
, allowing the lake's level to rise, and then destroying the dam and flooding the river for miles downstream. This event is described by James Fenimore Cooper
in the introduction to his popular novel The Pioneers
. At Tioga, New York
, Clinton met up with General John Sullivan
's forces, who had marched from Easton, Pennsylvania
. Together, on August 29, they defeated the Tories
and Indians
at the Battle of Newtown
(near today's city of Elmira, New York
). This became known as the "Sullivan-Clinton Campaign" or the "Sullivan Expedition
."
In 1780, Clinton temporarily commanded the Northern Department
. By October 1781, his brigade had joined George Washington
's army in the siege of Yorktown.
, on December 22, 1812, the same year as his brother George.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldier who obtained the rank of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
He was born in Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
in the colony of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in a location now part of Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
. He was the grandson of James Clinton
James Clinton (soldier)
James Clinton was a soldier in Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army who fought valiantly during the battle of Drogheda killing many Irish and was rewarded with land in Ireland....
a soldier in Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's New Model Army
New Model Army
The New Model Army of England was formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians in the English Civil War, and was disbanded in 1660 after the Restoration...
and the son of Charles Clinton
Charles Clinton
Charles Clinton was a French and Indian War Colonel, the father of American Revolutionary War general James Clinton and Vice President of the United States George Clinton, and the grandfather New York Governor DeWitt Clinton....
, an Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
colonist and a colonel in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
.
He was the brother of George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...
, who was governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
from 1777 to 1795 and U.S. Vice President from 1805 to 1812. James Clinton's wife was Mary DeWitt, daughter of an old Dutch family, and his second son was DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
, later Governor of New York.
French and Indian War
James Clinton's military experience began in the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, starting with an ensign's commission in 1757 and achieving the rank of Captain in 1759. In 1758, commanding a company, he participated, along with his father (Colonel) and brother George (Lieutenant), in General John Bradstreet
John Bradstreet
Major General John Bradstreet was a British Army officer during the French and Indian War, King George's War, and Pontiac's Rebellion...
’s capture of Fort Frontenac
Fort Frontenac
Fort Frontenac was a French trading post and military fort built in 1673 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It was positioned at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario , in a location traditionally known as Cataraqui...
(now Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
). He and his brother played a key role in capturing a French vessel.
James remained in the army, stationed at various frontier posts until the end of the war in 1763. He then retired and married Mary De Witt.
American Revolutionary War
During the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Clinton was commissioned as a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 3rd New York Regiment
3rd New York Regiment
The 3rd New York Regiment was authorized May 25, 1775 and organized from June 28 to August 4 from the counties of Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, and Suffolk under the command of Colonel James Clinton for five months service in Canada. The enlistments of the first establishment ended on December 31,...
, which took part in Brig. Gen. Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery was an Irish-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a brigadier-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the failed 1775 invasion of Canada.Montgomery was born and raised in Ireland...
’s unsuccessful expedition to Quebec
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
in 1775. In March 1776, Clinton took command of the 2nd New York Regiment
2nd New York Regiment
The 2nd New York Regiment was authorized on May 25, 1775, and formed at Albany from June 28 to August 4 for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Goose Van Schaick...
and soon after, in August, was promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
.
He served most of the war in the Northern Department, along the New York frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
. During the Saratoga Campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
in 1777, he commanded Fort Clinton
Fort Clinton
Fort Clinton was an American Revolutionary War fortification in present-day Highlands, Orange County, New York. It was a companion to Fort Montgomery. Its garrison of 300 was smaller than that of Fort Montgomery, but Fort Clinton was built on a ridge at the mouth of the Popolopen Gorge, overlooking...
in the Hudson Highlands. He participated in a successful effort to prevent British General Sir Henry Clinton
Henry Clinton (American War of Independence)
General Sir Henry Clinton KB was a British army officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the American War of Independence. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America...
from rescuing General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
at Saratoga, but he and his troops were unable to hold Forts Clinton and Montgomery.
In 1779 Clinton led an expedition down the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
after making the upper portion navigable by damming up the river's source at Otsego Lake
Otsego Lake
Otsego Lake is a small lake located in Otsego County, New York in the USA and is the source of the Susquehanna River. Cooperstown, New York is at the southern end. Glimmerglass State Park is located on the northeastern shore...
, allowing the lake's level to rise, and then destroying the dam and flooding the river for miles downstream. This event is described by James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
in the introduction to his popular novel The Pioneers
The Pioneers
The Pioneers: The Sources of the Susquehanna; a Descriptive Tale is a historical novel, the first published of the Leatherstocking Tales, a series of five novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper...
. At Tioga, New York
Tioga, New York
Tioga is a town in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 4,840 at the 2000 census. The town is in the southwest part of the county and lies between Elmira and Binghamton. Tioga is in the Southern Tier District of New York.- History :...
, Clinton met up with General John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
's forces, who had marched from Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
. Together, on August 29, they defeated the Tories
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
and Indians
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...
at the Battle of Newtown
Battle of Newtown
The Battle of Newtown , also known as the Battle of Chemung, was the only major battle of the Sullivan Expedition, an armed offensive led by General John Sullivan that was ordered by the Continental Congress to end the threat of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American...
(near today's city of Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
). This became known as the "Sullivan-Clinton Campaign" or the "Sullivan Expedition
Sullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
."
In 1780, Clinton temporarily commanded the Northern Department
Northern theatre of the American Revolutionary War
The Northern theatre of the American Revolutionary War also known as the Northern Department of the Continental Army was a theatre of operations during the American Revolutionary War....
. By October 1781, his brigade had joined George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's army in the siege of Yorktown.
After War Years
After the war, as a civilian, he served on the commission defining the New York-Pennsylvania boundary and as a delegate to the New York state convention that approved the U.S. Constitution. Clinton died in Little Britain, New YorkLittle Britain, New York
Little Britain, New York is an area in Orange County, first settled in 1729 by Peter Mulliner, a devout Anglican, who named his farm Little Britain. The name spread to the surrounding region, which at that time was part of Ulster County, New York...
, on December 22, 1812, the same year as his brother George.