John Joseph Henry
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Henry was a private soldier
from Pennsylvania
in the American Revolutionary War
.
Henry, the son of William Henry
of Lancaster and Ann Wood Henry
, was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. His father, an important gunsmith, apprenticed him at age 14 to an uncle, also a gunsmith, who moved with John Joseph to Detroit. Perhaps due to lack of business, the young man returned to Lancaster, on foot, with a guide who died in the wilderness along the way.
At age seventeen he enlisted as a rifleman in the Pennsylvania state troops and marched with Benedict Arnold
's expedition to Quebec
in 1775. Taken prisoner during the ill-fated attempt to storm the city on January 1, 1776, Henry remained confined for nine months. He was confined for a time aboard the HMS Pearl in New York's
harbor; while imprisoned there he witnessed the Great Fire of New York
. He spent two years recuperating from his injuries at his father's home in Lancaster, and never healed completely.
Henry began to study law and, after clerking for Stephen Chambers, a prominent Lancaster attorney, he was admitted to the bar in 1785. In 1793 he was appointed president judge of the second district of Pennsylvania.
Henry married Chambers's younger sister, Jane. His will indicates that he had at least eight children: Anne-Mary, Caroline, Elisabeth, Harriet-Sidney, Amelia-Catherine, Lydia-Chambers, and Julian. The eighth and eldest, Stephen Chambers Henry, was "for good causes...absolutely exclude[d] and disinherit[ed]" in his father's will. Stephen Chambers Henry (January 4, 1786 - August 12, 1834) earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania
and in 1809 moved to Detroit, where he was a surgeon during the War of 1812
and, like his father, taken prisoner. He died of cholera
in 1834.
John Joseph Henry's career as a lawyer and judge was cut short by the recurrence of the injuries that he had suffered during the march on Quebec. These injuries prevented his attendance at court, and in 1809 the legislature debated, only to reject, a petition to remove him from office. He resigned his office in January 1811. In his final years he wrote An Accurate and Interesting Account of the Hardships and Sufferings of That Band of Heroes, Who Traversed the Wilderness in the Campaign Against Quebec in 1775, published in 1812 after his death. His account of the Arnold expedition has been often quoted and frequently reprinted.
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
from 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...
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...
.
Henry, the son of William Henry
William Henry (delegate)
William Henry was an American gunsmith from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress in 1784, 1785, and 1786.-Biography:...
of Lancaster and Ann Wood Henry
Ann Wood Henry
Ann Wood Henry was the wife of William Henry of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a gunsmith, inventor, and patriot in the American Revolution....
, was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. His father, an important gunsmith, apprenticed him at age 14 to an uncle, also a gunsmith, who moved with John Joseph to Detroit. Perhaps due to lack of business, the young man returned to Lancaster, on foot, with a guide who died in the wilderness along the way.
At age seventeen he enlisted as a rifleman in the Pennsylvania state troops and marched with Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
's 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. Taken prisoner during the ill-fated attempt to storm the city on January 1, 1776, Henry remained confined for nine months. He was confined for a time aboard the HMS Pearl in New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
harbor; while imprisoned there he witnessed the Great Fire of New York
Great Fire of New York (1776)
The Great Fire of New York was a devastating fire that burned through the night of September 21, 1776 on the west side of what then constituted New York City at the southern end of the island of Manhattan...
. He spent two years recuperating from his injuries at his father's home in Lancaster, and never healed completely.
Henry began to study law and, after clerking for Stephen Chambers, a prominent Lancaster attorney, he was admitted to the bar in 1785. In 1793 he was appointed president judge of the second district of Pennsylvania.
Henry married Chambers's younger sister, Jane. His will indicates that he had at least eight children: Anne-Mary, Caroline, Elisabeth, Harriet-Sidney, Amelia-Catherine, Lydia-Chambers, and Julian. The eighth and eldest, Stephen Chambers Henry, was "for good causes...absolutely exclude[d] and disinherit[ed]" in his father's will. Stephen Chambers Henry (January 4, 1786 - August 12, 1834) earned his M.D. from 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...
and in 1809 moved to Detroit, where he was a surgeon 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...
and, like his father, taken prisoner. He died of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in 1834.
John Joseph Henry's career as a lawyer and judge was cut short by the recurrence of the injuries that he had suffered during the march on Quebec. These injuries prevented his attendance at court, and in 1809 the legislature debated, only to reject, a petition to remove him from office. He resigned his office in January 1811. In his final years he wrote An Accurate and Interesting Account of the Hardships and Sufferings of That Band of Heroes, Who Traversed the Wilderness in the Campaign Against Quebec in 1775, published in 1812 after his death. His account of the Arnold expedition has been often quoted and frequently reprinted.