John McClelland (1766–1849)
Encyclopedia
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
.
McClelland was born in September, 1766 in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
(later to become Bedford
, afterward Westmoreland
, and finally Fayette County
) to Lt. Colonel John B. McClelland (1734-1782) and Martha Dale (1741-1822), near the Brown Settlement
at Redstone Creek
, which was referred to as Union Township
at the time. He married Rachel Orr (1770-1843) in 1787.
Like his father and his older brothers Hugh and Alexander, John actively participated in the American Revolutionary War
. In 1781, at the age of fifteen, McClelland (sometimes spelled "McClellan") enlisted at Guilford Township (now Franklin County, Pennsylvania
) in the Eighth Company of the First Battalion of Cumberland County Militia, commanded by Colonel James Johnston; 6th Class, reporting to Captain James Young.
During the early 1790s, John McClelland took part in the Whiskey Rebellion
, as a member of the "Whiskey Boys," a group of citizens who were infuriated that Congress had imposed a biased tax on whiskey, intended to pay back government bond holders. While smaller distilleries were to pay taxes by the gallon, larger distillers could take advantage of a flat fee, putting the smaller distilleries at an obvious disadvantage. Their discontent stemed from factors similar to that which characterized their experience leading up to the Revolutionary War; a sense of isolation and alienation from government authorities that failed to consider their needs and interests.
The excise tax, passed in July 1791, placed a considerable burden on western farmers who converted excess grain into whiskey, which was easier to transport and much more marketable. Despite continued petitions from western counties, Congress refused to repeal the tax and westerners reacted by ignoring the tax, harassing tax collectors, destroying property, and raising liberty poles
.
A meeting of key residents of the western counties of Pennsylvania, the proceedings of which plainly indicated that the feeling of opposition had intensified, took place on the 21st and 22d days of August, 1794. The following delegates were present: John Canon, William Wallace, Shesbazer Bentley, Benjamin Parkison, John Huey, John Badollet, John Hamilton, Neal Gillespie, David Bradford, Rev. David Phillips, Matthew Jamison, James Marshel, James Robinson, James Stewart, Robert McClure, Peter Lyle, Alexander Long, Samuel Wilson, Edward Cook, Albert Gallatin, John Smilie, Bazil Bowel, Thomas Gaddis
, and John McClellan.
In July 1794, approximately 7,000 local militiamen marched on Pittsburgh
; whose citizens they believed supported the tax. The mob banished several of the townspeople and news of the uprising prompted George Washington
to raise a 15,000 man force to march on Western Pennsylvania.
McClelland, serving as Chair of the Committee, attempted to reconcile by submitting the following appeal on September 1, 1794.
Gentleman,
The committee appointed by the Committee of Safety at Redstone
, the 28th August last, to confer with the commissioners of the United States and State of Pennsylvania, and agreeable to the resolution of the said committee do request:
1st.) That the said commissioners do give an assurance on the part of the general government to an indemnity to all persons as to the arrearage of excise, that have not entered their stills to this date.
2nd.) Will the Commissioners, aforesaid, give to the eleventh day of October next, to take the sense of the people at large, of the four counties west of Pennsylvania, and that part of Bedford
west of the Allegheny Mountains
, and the Ohio County in Virginia
, whether they will accede to the resolution of the said commissioners as stated at large, in the conference, with the committee of conference met at Pittsburgh the 21st day of August last?
By order of the Committee,
John McClelland
Washington’s troops didn’t reach Pittsburgh until October, however, and the rebel army had already dispersed. Federal officers arrested 150 men they identified as being involved in the rebellion. Of these, twenty-four were taken to Philadelphia for trial, but only two were convicted. Nevertheless, they were then given presidential pardons due to their exceptional service throughout the American Revolutionary War.
During the War of 1812
, John McClelland served in the Pennsylvania Militia, Company of Infantry, under the command of Captain John Barrickman (occasionally misspelled as Banickman) of the First Regiment, Second Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Richard Crooks, in the service of the United States. Along with U.S. regulars and militia from Ohio
, Kentucky
, Pennsylvania
, and Virginia
, the First Regiment, Second Brigade, under the command of Captain John Barrickman, defended Fort Meigs
in May, and again in July, 1813. After two failed siege attempts, the British Army
attacked Fort Stephenson
(now Fremont, Ohio
). The attack on Fort Stephenson also failed, causing heavy British losses, and forcing their retreat to Canada
. Barrickman ultimately promoted McClelland to the rank of Ensign, Third Company.
Although he operated a general store prior to the war, and owned property in Monongalia County
, Virginia
(now West Virgina
), John McClelland lived in Uniontown with his wife Rachel, daughter Sarah (1786-1826), and son, Andrew (1797-1868) on his farm near Morgantown Road, for nearly thirty years after the War. He died August 15, 1849 in Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania and is buried at Tent Presbyterian Cemetery (275 Tent Church Road, Uniontown, Pennsylvania 15401).
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...
. He was the son of 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...
officer, Lieutenant-Colonel John B. McClelland
John B. McClelland
John B. McClelland was an officer in the American Revolutionary War. He was captured by American Indians during the Crawford Expedition and tortured to death at the Shawnee town of Wakatomika, which is currently located in Logan County, Ohio, about halfway between West Liberty, Ohio and...
, a casualty of Colonel Crawford's
William Crawford (soldier)
William Crawford was an American soldier and surveyor who worked as a western land agent for George Washington. Crawford fought in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War...
ill fated Sandusky 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...
.
McClelland was born in September, 1766 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:...
(later to become Bedford
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,762. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, afterward Westmoreland
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 finally Fayette County
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....
) to Lt. Colonel John B. McClelland (1734-1782) and Martha Dale (1741-1822), near the Brown Settlement
Brownsville, Pennsylvania
Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, officially founded in 1785 located 35 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River...
at Redstone Creek
Redstone Creek
Redstone Creek is a historically important widemouthed canoe and river boat-navigable brook-sized tributary stream of the Monongahela River in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The creek is long, running from headwaters on Chestnut Ridge north through the city of Uniontown and reaching the Monongahela...
, which was referred to as Union Township
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
at the time. He married Rachel Orr (1770-1843) in 1787.
Like his father and his older brothers Hugh and Alexander, John actively participated 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...
. In 1781, at the age of fifteen, McClelland (sometimes spelled "McClellan") enlisted at Guilford Township (now Franklin County, Pennsylvania
Franklin 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 the Eighth Company of the First Battalion of Cumberland County Militia, commanded by Colonel James Johnston; 6th Class, reporting to Captain James Young.
During the early 1790s, John McClelland took part in the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
, as a member of the "Whiskey Boys," a group of citizens who were infuriated that Congress had imposed a biased tax on whiskey, intended to pay back government bond holders. While smaller distilleries were to pay taxes by the gallon, larger distillers could take advantage of a flat fee, putting the smaller distilleries at an obvious disadvantage. Their discontent stemed from factors similar to that which characterized their experience leading up to the Revolutionary War; a sense of isolation and alienation from government authorities that failed to consider their needs and interests.
The excise tax, passed in July 1791, placed a considerable burden on western farmers who converted excess grain into whiskey, which was easier to transport and much more marketable. Despite continued petitions from western counties, Congress refused to repeal the tax and westerners reacted by ignoring the tax, harassing tax collectors, destroying property, and raising liberty poles
Liberty pole
A liberty pole is a tall wooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap. They are associated with the Atlantic Revolutions of the late 18th century.-American Revolution:...
.
A meeting of key residents of the western counties of Pennsylvania, the proceedings of which plainly indicated that the feeling of opposition had intensified, took place on the 21st and 22d days of August, 1794. The following delegates were present: John Canon, William Wallace, Shesbazer Bentley, Benjamin Parkison, John Huey, John Badollet, John Hamilton, Neal Gillespie, David Bradford, Rev. David Phillips, Matthew Jamison, James Marshel, James Robinson, James Stewart, Robert McClure, Peter Lyle, Alexander Long, Samuel Wilson, Edward Cook, Albert Gallatin, John Smilie, Bazil Bowel, 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...
, and John McClellan.
In July 1794, approximately 7,000 local militiamen marched on Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
; whose citizens they believed supported the tax. The mob banished several of the townspeople and news of the uprising prompted 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...
to raise a 15,000 man force to march on Western Pennsylvania.
McClelland, serving as Chair of the Committee, attempted to reconcile by submitting the following appeal on September 1, 1794.
Gentleman,
The committee appointed by the Committee of Safety at Redstone
Redstone Old Fort
Redstone Old Fort or Redstone Fort or Fort Burd on The Nemacolin Trail was the name of the French and Indian War era wooden fort built in 1759 by Pennsylvania Militia Colonel James Burd to guard the ancient Indian trail's river ford on a mound overlooking the eastern shore of the Monongahela River...
, the 28th August last, to confer with the commissioners of the United States and State of Pennsylvania, and agreeable to the resolution of the said committee do request:
1st.) That the said commissioners do give an assurance on the part of the general government to an indemnity to all persons as to the arrearage of excise, that have not entered their stills to this date.
2nd.) Will the Commissioners, aforesaid, give to the eleventh day of October next, to take the sense of the people at large, of the four counties west of Pennsylvania, and that part of Bedford
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,762. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
, and the Ohio County in Virginia
Ohio County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,427 people, 19,733 households, and 12,155 families residing in the county. The population density was 447 people per square mile . There were 22,166 housing units at an average density of 209 per square mile...
, whether they will accede to the resolution of the said commissioners as stated at large, in the conference, with the committee of conference met at Pittsburgh the 21st day of August last?
By order of the Committee,
John McClelland
Washington’s troops didn’t reach Pittsburgh until October, however, and the rebel army had already dispersed. Federal officers arrested 150 men they identified as being involved in the rebellion. Of these, twenty-four were taken to Philadelphia for trial, but only two were convicted. Nevertheless, they were then given presidential pardons due to their exceptional service throughout the American Revolutionary War.
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...
, John McClelland served in the Pennsylvania Militia, Company of Infantry, under the command of Captain John Barrickman (occasionally misspelled as Banickman) of the First Regiment, Second Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General Richard Crooks, in the service of the United States. Along with U.S. regulars and militia from 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...
, 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...
, 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 Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the First Regiment, Second Brigade, under the command of Captain John Barrickman, defended Fort Meigs
Fort Meigs
Fort Meigs was a fortification along the Maumee River in Ohio during the War of 1812. It is named in honor of Ohio governor Return J. Meigs, Jr., for his support in providing General William Henry Harrison with militia and supplies for the line of forts along the Old Northwest...
in May, and again in July, 1813. After two failed siege attempts, the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
attacked Fort Stephenson
Battle of Fort Stephenson
The Battle of Fort Stephenson was an American victory during the War of 1812.-Background:After failing to defeat American forces in the siege of Fort Meigs, the British under Henry Procter withdrew. Procter attempted to take Fort Meigs again in July by staging a mock battle to lure the defenders...
(now Fremont, Ohio
Fremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
). The attack on Fort Stephenson also failed, causing heavy British losses, and forcing their retreat to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Barrickman ultimately promoted McClelland to the rank of Ensign, Third Company.
Although he operated a general store prior to the war, and owned property in Monongalia County
Monongalia County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 81,866 people, 33,446 households, and 18,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 people per square mile . There were 36,695 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(now West Virgina
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
), John McClelland lived in Uniontown with his wife Rachel, daughter Sarah (1786-1826), and son, Andrew (1797-1868) on his farm near Morgantown Road, for nearly thirty years after the War. He died August 15, 1849 in Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania and is buried at Tent Presbyterian Cemetery (275 Tent Church Road, Uniontown, Pennsylvania 15401).