William McHenry
Encyclopedia
William McHenry is believed to have been born in 1771. He married Hannah Ruth Blackford in the late 1790s in Logan County, Kentucky
.
McHenry served as a Lieutenant in Price’s Battalion of Mounted Volunteers and participated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
in 1794, near modern Toledo, Ohio
.
McHenry moved from Henderson County, Kentucky
in 1810. The family settled in what is now White County, Illinois
, along the trail between the salt works near Old Shawneetown, Illinois
and Fort Vincennes
.
In 1811, McHenry served in the Illinois Militia during Tecumseh's War
, which culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
in the Indiana territory
. After the outbreak of the War of 1812
, he participated in the attack on the Native American village at Peoria
, which was allied with the British.
McHenry was a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention in 1818, and elected to the first Illinois House of Representatives.
McHenry served as a Major, leading the Mounted Spies, in the Blackhawk War in 1832. He became ill during the campaign, and was mustered out, at the age of 61. He was promptly elected to the State Senate.
William McHenry died in 1835 in a boarding house in Vandalia, Illinois
, which was then the State capital.
Logan County, Kentucky
Logan County is a county located in the southwest area of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 26,573. Its county seat is Russellville...
.
McHenry served as a Lieutenant in Price’s Battalion of Mounted Volunteers and participated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
Battle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory...
in 1794, near modern Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
.
McHenry moved from Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County, Kentucky
Henderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1799. As the latest census data update of 2010, the population was counted 46,250. The county seat is the City of Henderson. The county was named for Colonel Richard Henderson who originally purchased of land...
in 1810. The family settled in what is now White County, Illinois
White County, Illinois
White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 14,665, which is a decrease of 4.6% from 15,371 in 2000...
, along the trail between the salt works near Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Old Shawneetown, Illinois
Old Shawneetown is a village in Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 193. Located along the Ohio River, Shawneetown served as an important United States government administrative center for the Northwest Territory. The village was...
and Fort Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
.
In 1811, McHenry served in the Illinois Militia during Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War
Tecumseh's War or Tecumseh's Rebellion are terms sometimes used to describe a conflict in the Old Northwest between the United States and an American Indian confederacy led by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh...
, which culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and Native American warriors associated with the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa were leaders of a confederacy of...
in the Indiana territory
Indiana Territory
The Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....
. After the outbreak of 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...
, he participated in the attack on the Native American village at Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, which was allied with the British.
McHenry was a delegate to the Illinois Constitutional Convention in 1818, and elected to the first Illinois House of Representatives.
McHenry served as a Major, leading the Mounted Spies, in the Blackhawk War in 1832. He became ill during the campaign, and was mustered out, at the age of 61. He was promptly elected to the State Senate.
William McHenry died in 1835 in a boarding house in Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. From 1819 to 1839 it served as the state capital of Illinois. Vandalia was the western terminus of the National Road. Today it is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the...
, which was then the State capital.