James Potter
Encyclopedia
James Potter was a soldier, farmer and politician from Colonial-
and Revolutionary
-era Pennsylvania
. He rose to the rank of brigadier general
of Pennsylvania militia
during the Revolutionary War
, and served as Vice-President of Pennsylvania, 1781-1782.
descent, (born in County Tyrone
, Ireland
). He came to Colonial America
with his father, John Potter, in 1741, and the family settled in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
, where his father became high sheriff in 1750. His first wife was Elizabeth Cathcart of Philadelphia, and his second wife was Mary Patterson Chambers, daughter of James Patterson of Mifflin County. His daughter Martha was married to Andrew Gregg.
for Northumberland County
, where he made his home, James Potter took part in the Kittanning Expedition
during the French and Indian War
and reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel by the end of the war. He also served during Pontiac's Rebellion
. In 1776, he served as a colonel
and as a member of the first Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention
.
During the American Revolutionary War
, he led militia troops at the battles of Trenton
, Princeton
, Brandywine
and Germantown
. In April 1777, he was promoted to brigadier-general of the Pennsylvania militia. In 1777, with the troops under his command in the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware, he obtained important information for George Washington
, and prevented supplies from reaching the enemy. On 11 December, while the army under Washington was on its way to Valley Forge
, after part of it had crossed the Schuylkill River
at Matson's Ford, it was found that the enemy under Cornwallis
were in force on the other side. "They were met
," writes Washington, "by General Potter, with part of the Pennsylvania Militia, who behaved with great bravery, and gave them every possible opposition until he was obliged to retreat from their superior numbers." On this same day a group of Pennsylvania Militia under the command of General Potter defended the home of Thomas Wynne of Blockley from a band of British marauders. The graves of three British soldiers killed are on the Wynnestay
property. After this day of service Potter took a leave of absence to care for his sick wife. Accompanying General Potter through the Revolutionary War was his servant Hero Wade.
Potter's service, which had been effective at interdicting trade and trafficking between the countryside and British-occupied Philadelphia, was missed. In the spring of 1778, Washington wrote from Valley Forge: "If the state of General Potter's affairs will admit of his returning to the army, I shall be exceedingly glad to see him, as his activity and vigilance have been much wanted during the winter." Potter eventually returned to service in late May 1778, but the role of eastern Pennsylvania in the conflict declined after the British left Philadelphia for New York in June.
or Supreme Executive Council. In that year he lost a Vice-Presidential election to William Moore
, earning only six of the sixty votes cast. (The position of Vice-President is analogous to the modern office of Lieutenant Governor
.) However, the following year, on 14 November 1781, he was elected to the Vice-Presidency, earning thirty eight votes to James Ewing's
twenty eight. But on 7 November 1782, he lost both the Presidential race to John Dickinson
(earning only thirty two votes to Dickinson's forty one) and the Vice-Presidential race to James Ewing (earning thirty four votes to Ewing's thirty nine). During his Vice-Presidential term he served as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
.
Potter was named a major-general of the militia in 1782, and, in 1785, became deputy surveyor in Northumberland County
.
(in a part that is now in Centre County
) in 1789 as the result of a construction injury. He went to Franklin County (location of his father's plantation) because he was seaking medical help. His oldest daughter also lived there. He was a resident of Mifflin County at his death, and was one of Pennsylvania's largest landowners. The area of his plantation is now in Centre County. The Potter-Allison Farm
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977.
Several place names in Pennsylvania, such as Potter County
and Potters Mills (in Centre County), were given in his honor.
A Pennsylvania Historical Marker near Potters Mills commemorates a Revolutionary-era fort built by General Potter. The marker was erected along State Route 144
in 1947. Its text reads:
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
and Revolutionary
American 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...
-era 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...
. He rose to the rank of 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...
of Pennsylvania militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
during the Revolutionary War
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...
, and served as Vice-President of Pennsylvania, 1781-1782.
Family and early life
James Potter was of ScotsScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
descent, (born in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
). He came to Colonial America
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
with his father, John Potter, in 1741, and the family settled in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 235,406.-History:...
, where his father became high sheriff in 1750. His first wife was Elizabeth Cathcart of Philadelphia, and his second wife was Mary Patterson Chambers, daughter of James Patterson of Mifflin County. His daughter Martha was married to Andrew Gregg.
Military career
As a militia lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
for Northumberland County
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
, where he made his home, James Potter took part in the Kittanning Expedition
Kittanning Expedition
The Kittanning Expedition, also known as the Armstrong Expedition or the Battle of Kittanning, was a raid during the French and Indian War that led to the destruction of the American Indian village of Kittanning, which had served as a staging point for attacks by Delaware warriors against...
during 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...
and reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel by the end of the war. He also served during Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's War, Pontiac's Conspiracy, or Pontiac's Rebellion was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the...
. In 1776, he served 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...
and as a member of the first Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention
Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was the state's first constitution following the Declaration of Independence, and has been described as the most democratic in America. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin...
.
During the American Revolutionary War
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...
, he led militia troops at the battles of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
, Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
, Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
and Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
. In April 1777, he was promoted to brigadier-general of the Pennsylvania militia. In 1777, with the troops under his command in the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware, he obtained important information for 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...
, and prevented supplies from reaching the enemy. On 11 December, while the army under Washington was on its way to Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, after part of it had crossed the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
at Matson's Ford, it was found that the enemy under Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
were in force on the other side. "They were met
Battle of Matson's Ford
The Battle of Matson's Ford was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on December 11, 1777 in the area surrounding Matson's Ford . In this series of minor skirmish actions, advance patrols of Pennsylvania militia encountered a British foraging expedition...
," writes Washington, "by General Potter, with part of the Pennsylvania Militia, who behaved with great bravery, and gave them every possible opposition until he was obliged to retreat from their superior numbers." On this same day a group of Pennsylvania Militia under the command of General Potter defended the home of Thomas Wynne of Blockley from a band of British marauders. The graves of three British soldiers killed are on the Wynnestay
Wynnestay
Wynnestay is a historic home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two-and-a-half-story house was first built in 1689 as the residence of Dr. Thomas Wynne, Pennsylvania founder William Penn's personal physician and first Speaker of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly.The house was extensively...
property. After this day of service Potter took a leave of absence to care for his sick wife. Accompanying General Potter through the Revolutionary War was his servant Hero Wade.
Potter's service, which had been effective at interdicting trade and trafficking between the countryside and British-occupied Philadelphia, was missed. In the spring of 1778, Washington wrote from Valley Forge: "If the state of General Potter's affairs will admit of his returning to the army, I shall be exceedingly glad to see him, as his activity and vigilance have been much wanted during the winter." Potter eventually returned to service in late May 1778, but the role of eastern Pennsylvania in the conflict declined after the British left Philadelphia for New York in June.
Farming and land development
When not engaged in military action Potter was a farmer. Before the Revolution he was involved in opening former Indian territories to European settlement, and warranted a large tract of such land for his own use.Political life
In 1780, Potter was elected to Pennsylvania's Council of CensorsSupreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania comprised the executive branch of the Pennsylvania State government between 1777 and 1790...
or Supreme Executive Council. In that year he lost a Vice-Presidential election to William Moore
William Moore (statesman)
William Moore was a Pennsylvania statesman and politician of the Revolutionary era. He served as Vice-President of Pennsylvania from 1779 to 1781, and then as President from 1781 to 1782....
, earning only six of the sixty votes cast. (The position of Vice-President is analogous to the modern office of Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor. Jim Cawley of Bucks County is the incumbent Lieutenant Governor...
.) However, the following year, on 14 November 1781, he was elected to the Vice-Presidency, earning thirty eight votes to James Ewing's
James Ewing (Pennsylvania statesman)
James Ewing was a Pennsylvania soldier, statesman, and politician of the Colonial, Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary eras. He served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and also as Vice-President of Pennsylvania, a position comparable to that of Lieutenant Governor.-Early life and family:James...
twenty eight. But on 7 November 1782, he lost both the Presidential race to John Dickinson
John Dickinson (delegate)
John Dickinson was an American lawyer and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. He was a militia officer during the American Revolution, a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of...
(earning only thirty two votes to Dickinson's forty one) and the Vice-Presidential race to James Ewing (earning thirty four votes to Ewing's thirty nine). During his Vice-Presidential term he served as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Potter was named a major-general of the militia in 1782, and, in 1785, became deputy surveyor in Northumberland County
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
.
Death and legacy
James Potter died in Franklin CountyFranklin County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 129,313 people, 50,633 households, and 36,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 168 people per square mile . There were 53,803 housing units at an average density of 70 per square mile...
(in a part that is now in Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
) in 1789 as the result of a construction injury. He went to Franklin County (location of his father's plantation) because he was seaking medical help. His oldest daughter also lived there. He was a resident of Mifflin County at his death, and was one of Pennsylvania's largest landowners. The area of his plantation is now in Centre County. The Potter-Allison Farm
Potter-Allison Farm
Potter-Allison Farm is a historic farm complex and national historic district located at Potter Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The district includes nine contributing buildings and one contributing site in Centre Hall...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977.
Several place names in Pennsylvania, such as Potter County
Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
and Potters Mills (in Centre County), were given in his honor.
A Pennsylvania Historical Marker near Potters Mills commemorates a Revolutionary-era fort built by General Potter. The marker was erected along State Route 144
Pennsylvania Route 144
Pennsylvania Route 144 is a state highway located in the US state of Pennsylvania, covering a distance of 109.3 miles . The southern terminus is located at U.S. Route 322 in Potter Township while the northern terminus is located at U.S. Route 6 in Galeton.- History :PA 144 was first designated by...
in 1947. Its text reads:
Potter's Fort
Built 1777 by Gen. James Potter. A stockaded fort refuge for the settlers of the valley region. The site is on the nearby rise.