William Douglas (colonel)
Encyclopedia
William Douglas was an American military officer who led regiments from Connecticut
during the American Revolutionary War
.
The son of John Douglas (1703-1766) and Olive Spaulding (1709-1752), he was born in Plainfield, Connecticut
, Douglas began his military career as a soldier in the French and Indian War
, rising to the rank of sergeant. Following the war, he became a shipmaster and worked in the maritime trades until the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, when he raised the 6th Company of the 1st Connecticut Regiment and became its captain.
Douglas took part in military campaigns along Lake George
and Lake Champlain
commanding ships in upstate New York and was stationed in Montreal
. In 1776, he was promoted twice, first to major and then on June 20 as colonel of the Connecticut State Regiment, also known as the "Connecticut 5th battalion".
Douglas privately acknowledged in letters to his wife that his troops were often ill-equipped for battle, writing at one point that they “give me much fatigue and trouble.” During the landing of British troops at Kips Bay in New York City
on September 15, 1776, Douglas’ troops retreated wildly in the face of the British attack. General George Washington
, encountering the retreating troops, reacted angrily by flogging some of Douglas’ troops with his riding cane and declaring: “Are these the men with whom I am to defend America?”
Douglas and his regiment also participated in the Battle of White Plains
on October 28, 1776. On January 1, 1777, he was commissioned as a colonel of the Connecticut 6th Regiment. However, his health deteriorated during the course of the war and he was forced to return to his home at Northfield, Connecticut, where he died on May 28, 1777.
Col Douglas married, 5th July 1767, Hannah, daughter of Stephen Mansfield, of New Haven, where she was born 17th Nov 1747, dying in Northford, 22 May 1825.
His daughter Olive Douglas married Solomon Fowler and had daughter Charlotte Fowler (1805–1873), who married missionary Dwight Baldwin
(1798–1886), and had several other notable descendants.
Douglas' grandson Benjamin Douglas
was a manufacturer, Mayor of Middletown, Connecticut
, and lieutenant governor of Connecticut in 1861-62
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
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...
.
The son of John Douglas (1703-1766) and Olive Spaulding (1709-1752), he was born in Plainfield, Connecticut
Plainfield, Connecticut
Plainfield is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,619 at the 2000 census. The town comprises four villages: Plainfield , Moosup , Wauregan , and Central Village . Each village has their own respective United States Post Office and fire department...
, Douglas began his military career as a soldier 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...
, rising to the rank of sergeant. Following the war, he became a shipmaster and worked in the maritime trades until the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, when he raised the 6th Company of the 1st Connecticut Regiment and became its captain.
Douglas took part in military campaigns along Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
and Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
commanding ships in upstate New York and was stationed in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. In 1776, he was promoted twice, first to major and then on June 20 as colonel of the Connecticut State Regiment, also known as the "Connecticut 5th battalion".
Douglas privately acknowledged in letters to his wife that his troops were often ill-equipped for battle, writing at one point that they “give me much fatigue and trouble.” During the landing of British troops at Kips Bay in New York City
Landing at Kip's Bay
The Landing at Kip's Bay was a British amphibious landing during the New York Campaign in the American Revolutionary War on September 15, 1776, occurring on the eastern shore of present-day Manhattan....
on September 15, 1776, Douglas’ troops retreated wildly in the face of the British attack. General 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...
, encountering the retreating troops, reacted angrily by flogging some of Douglas’ troops with his riding cane and declaring: “Are these the men with whom I am to defend America?”
Douglas and his regiment also participated in the Battle of White Plains
Battle of White Plains
The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
on October 28, 1776. On January 1, 1777, he was commissioned as a colonel of the Connecticut 6th Regiment. However, his health deteriorated during the course of the war and he was forced to return to his home at Northfield, Connecticut, where he died on May 28, 1777.
Col Douglas married, 5th July 1767, Hannah, daughter of Stephen Mansfield, of New Haven, where she was born 17th Nov 1747, dying in Northford, 22 May 1825.
His daughter Olive Douglas married Solomon Fowler and had daughter Charlotte Fowler (1805–1873), who married missionary Dwight Baldwin
Dwight Baldwin (missionary)
Dwight Baldwin was an American Christian missionary and physician on Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands, during the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was patriarch of a family that founded some of the largest businesses in the islands.-Life:...
(1798–1886), and had several other notable descendants.
Douglas' grandson Benjamin Douglas
Benjamin Douglas
Benjamin Douglas was an American politician who was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1861 to 1862.-Family:...
was a manufacturer, Mayor of Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, and lieutenant governor of Connecticut in 1861-62