John B. McClelland was an officer in 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 was captured by American 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...

 during the Crawford Expedition

Crawford expedition

The Crawford expedition, also known as the Sandusky expedition and Crawford's Defeat, was a 1782 campaign on the western front of the American Revolutionary War, and one of the final operations of the conflict...

 and torture

Torture

Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...

d to death at the Shawnee town of Wakatomika

Wakatomika

Wakatomika was the name of two 18th century Shawnee villages in what is now the U.S. state of Ohio. The name was also spelled Wapatomica, Waketomika, and Waketameki, among other variations, but the similar name Wapakoneta was a different Shawnee village....

, which is currently located in Logan County, Ohio

Logan County, Ohio

Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....

, about halfway between West Liberty, Ohio

West Liberty, Ohio

West Liberty is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Liberty is located at ....

 and Zanesfield, Ohio

Zanesfield, Ohio

Zanesfield is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States of America. The population was 220 at the 2000 census. It is the smallest incorporated village in Logan County.-History:...

.

McClelland was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...

, and after moving to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...

 and taking up a tract of land in Franklin Township, lived in that part which fell within Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Fayette County, Pennsylvania

Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....

 on its organization in 1783. He married Martha Dale on 12 November 1759, and was either the founder or co-founder of McClellandtown

McClellandtown, Pennsylvania

McClellandtown is an unincorporated community in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The village was founded by a family of that name, who lived there many years ago. William McClelland, the founder, died there July 12, 1815, in the eighty-second year of his age...

, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

In 1776, McClelland's Fort, an early army outpost, was built on a cliff near Royal Spring Park

Royal Spring Park

Royal Spring Park is the site of a large spring in Georgetown, Kentucky that since the earliest settlements in the area has provided water for the area. In addition to the spring, the park has a log cabin built by a former slave, Milton Leach. The park was added to the U.S...

, Georgetown, Kentucky

Georgetown, Kentucky

Georgetown is a city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,098 at the 2010 census. The original settlement of Lebanon, founded by Rev. Elijah Craig, was renamed in 1790 in honor of President George Washington. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private liberal arts...

. The fort was abandoned in 1777, however, after Indian attacks increased in frequency and severity. John B. McClelland may have been involved in surveying the land, or possibly building a nearby log cabin. Though, it's more likely that a cousin, by the name of John McClelland (1745–1776), was actually responsible. A monument to Scott County's fallen soldiers of the Revolution now marks the location.

John B. McClelland was a member of the commission for the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776

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...

, and later represented Westmoreland County in the Pennsylvania General Assembly

Pennsylvania General Assembly

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...

. The Convention met in Philadelphia, July 15, 1776, to form a constitution and frame a government for the state of 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...

. A committee of prominent citizens met at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, on June 15, 1776, in order to make arrangements for a convention anticipating the separation of the colonies from Great Britain. Attendants were asked by the committee "to choose such persons only to act for them in the ensuing convention as are distinguished for wisdom, integrity, and a firm attachment to the liberties of this province." In pursuance of this recommendation, delegates were chosen July 5, 1776, and the eight delegates to the convention elected for Westmoreland County were John Moore, Edward Cook, James Perry, James Barr, James Smith, John Carmichael, John McClelland, and Christopher Lobingier.

At the outset of the Revolutionary War, McClelland was appointed to a citizen’s committee to procure arms and ammunition for the defense of the struggling new nation. He enlisted in the Fourth Pennsylvania Battalion, on January 28, 1776, which worked in conjunction with 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...

 during the war. McClelland later became a Captain in the First Battalion of Westmoreland Militia, a unit which was prominent in the Siege of Yorktown

Siege of Yorktown

The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...

. To clarify, it was actually his son, John McClelland (1766–1849)

John McClelland (1766–1849)

John McClelland was an officer in the War of 1812. He was the son of American Revolutionary War officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John B. McClelland, a casualty of Colonel Crawford's ill fated Sandusky Expedition....

, who helped illustrate the unfair nature of the taxes imposed during the Whiskey Insurrection.

Officers of the Westmoreland Militia met on June 18, 1781, at the home of Captain John McClelland, on Big Sewickley Creek, and by a majority, voted to give aid to General George Rogers Clark

George Rogers Clark

George Rogers Clark was a soldier from Virginia and the highest ranking American military officer on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. He served as leader of the Kentucky militia throughout much of the war...

. It was resolved to furnish 300 men out of the County Militia to join General Clark's army against the Ohio

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...

 savages, for the immediate benefit of the Westmoreland frontier; despite the fact that Clark's real intention was to conquer the British post at Detroit. Although 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...

 agreed to transfer a small group of regulars to assist Clark, the detachment was defeated in August 1781 before they could meet up with Clark, effectively putting an end to the campaign.

By 1782, the Indians of the frontier allied themselves with the British

Kingdom of Great Britain

The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...

 and started attacking settlers. McClelland was commissioned a Major

Major

Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

, and made third in command of an expedition, led by Colonel William Crawford, intended to put an end to Indian attacks on American settlers in that region. In fact, John McClelland was one of four majors elected for the Crawford Expedition. The other Majors included David Williamson (Pennsylvania)

David Williamson (Pennsylvania)

David Williamson was a Colonel in the Pennsylvania militia during the American Revolutionary War. He was born near Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He led the expedition that murdered 100 Moravian Delaware Indians at the town of Gnadenhutten, Ohio. It became known as the Gnadenhutten massacre...

 of Washington County, Pennsylvania

Washington County, Pennsylvania

-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...

, Thomas Gaddis

Thomas Gaddis

Thomas Gaddis was an officer in the American Revolutionary War. He was born December 28, 1742, in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia and married Hannah Rice in 1764; the same year he built Fort Gaddis, a refuge from the Indians, located on the Catawba Trail. In fact, Pennsylvania and Virginia...

 of Westmoreland (now Fayette), and James Brenton also of Westmoreland County (now part of Washington County, Pennsylvania

Washington County, Pennsylvania

-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...

). By that time, McClelland was certainly no novice in military affairs, having been a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fourth Battalion of Militia of Westmoreland County, to which he was elected on 3 January 1778. He was a brave and efficient officer, and much respected as a citizen. His election as one of the general officers of the expedition, at Mingo Bottom (present Mingo Junction, Ohio

Mingo Junction, Ohio

Mingo Junction is a village in Jefferson County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,631 at the 2000 census. In 1900, its only manufacturing plant was a steel mill owned by Carnegie Steel Company...

), was evidence of the confidence reposed in him by the volunteers, with many of whom he was personally acquainted.

Upon learning that a British detachment from Detroit was about to join forces with the Wyandot Indian forces, and that a large band of Shawnee

Shawnee

The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...

 warriors had also appeared to the south, Colonel Crawford commenced a retreat, with Major John McClelland leading the way. However, the volunteer army was soon attacked by the Shawnee and Delaware Indians, and suffered severely. McClelland was wounded and fell from his horse. Calling to John Orr, who was near, he told him to take his horse (Orr was on foot) and clear himself, which he did. Orr afterward related that he heard several of the men who were in the conflict say that the horsemen on the retreat rode over McClelland; and it was the general belief that he was killed where he fell. Such, however, was not the case. The remainder of the division became disorganized and panic-stricken and disregarding McClelland's orders to follow the advance in a solid column, did not follow the prescribed route, becoming entangled in the wetlands.

John Slover, one of the guides on the Crawford Expedition, saw McClelland's body at Wapatomica. The Indians had painted his body black, cut him with their tomahawks, and burnt holes with loads of gunpowder into it. His body was cruelly mangled; the blood mixed with gunpowder and was rendered black. McClelland's body, along with the body of William Harrison, Colonel Crawford's son-in-law and the body of young William Crawford, the Colonel's nephew, was dragged approximately two hundred yards outside of the town. The corpses were given to the dogs, except their limbs and heads, which were mounted on poles.

Young William Crawford, William Harrison, and Major John McClelland all lost their lives at the hands of the Delaware and Shawnee Indians. Colonel Crawford was brutally tortured and burnt at the stake. According to Fitzpatrick, the Shawnee Indians were led by Chief Blacksnake.

A government-issued marker honoring Lt. Col. John B. McClelland has been installed where his wife, Martha Dale McClelland (1741 - 1822); son, John B McClelland (1766 - 1849); and daughter-in-law, Rachel Orr McClelland (1770 - 1843); are buried, at Tent Presbyterian Cemetery (275 Tent Church Road, Uniontown, PA 15401).

External links

• The John B. McClelland Memorial Foundation
• Col. Crawford Burn Site Monument
  Col. Crawford Burn Site Monument
  The Colonel William Crawford Burn Site Monument memorializes the 1782 death by burning of Colonel William Crawford, northeast of Crawford County, Ohio....
  
  
• Indian Atrocities by Hugh Henry Brackenridge, Dr. Knight (John), John Slover
• Journal of a Volunteer Expedition to Sandusky: From May 24 to June 13, 1782 by Gustavus De Rosenthal
• http://books.google.com/books?id=sQrVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA175&dq=Journal+of+Michael+Walters+a+member+of+the+expedition+against+Sandusky+in+the+year+1782++J.+P.+MacLean&hl=en&ei=xuhaTewkhLSVB-GoqZ0N&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Journal%20of%20Michael%20Walters%20a%20member%20of%20the%20expedition%20against%20Sandusky%20in%20the%20year%201782%20%20J.%20P.%20MacLean&f=falseJournal of Michael Walters: a member of the expedition against Sandusky in the Year 1782 by Michael Walters]
• Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission
• Pennsylvania State Archives (ARIAS)
• Service Record from Francis B. Heitman's Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army