Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/228

 ST. CLAIR

ST. CLAIR

they were attacked by the Britisli. and the disas- trous battle of Tliree Rivers followed, in which Thompson was t^iken prisoner, and tiie coniinand of the rt'treating Aniericans devolved iijmn St. Clair, who, while feij^niiig a second attack, with- drew his men and crossed the river in safety, reaching Sorel two or three days later. Sullivan then retreated to Crown Point, and later to Ti- conderoga. St. Clair was appointed brigadier- general. Aug. 9. 1776; left the northern depart- ment, and joined General "Washington in New Jersey, where he organized the state militia. He commanded his brigaile in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, and at the latter guarded the fords of the Assanpink and proposed to Washington turning the enemy's left and marching to the North. In recognition of his distinguished services he was commissioned major-general. Feb. 19, 1777, and succeeded Colonel Reed as adjutant-general of the army in March, 1777. He was ordered to the northern department and appointed to the command of Fort Ticonderoga, reaching there, June 12, 1777. and finding a small garrison badly armed and clad and without magazines. His force of 2.200 was obviously inadequate to hold the works against Burgoyne's force of 7,8G3 well armed men, and St. Clair ordered the fort evacuated. The Americans were pursued by the British and reached Fort Edward, July 12, 1777. St. Clair was severely censured for evacuating the post. On Aug. 20, 1777, he left the northern department to report at headquarters and await an inquiry into his conduct. He demanded a court-martial, and joined in the campaign under Washington, serving as voluntary aide-de-camp at the battle of Brandy wine, Sept. 11, 1777. The court-martial was delayed until September, 1778, when it was held with Major-General Lincoln as president, and reached the following verdict: " The court, having duly considered the charges against Major-General St. Clair, and the evidence, are unanimously of opinion, that he is not guilty of either of the charges preferred against him, and do unanimously acquit him of all and every of them with the highest honor." He took part in the preparation of Gen. John Sullivan's expe- dition against the Six Nations; was a member of the court-martial that condemned Major Andre; was in command at West Point in October, 1780, and in November was given temporary com- mand of the corps of light infantry until the return of General La Fayette. He was active in suppressing the mutiny among the Pennsylvania troops under Gen. Anthony Wayne in January,

1781; engagetl in raising troops in Pennsylvania, and in forwarding tlu'm to Virginia. He joined Washington in October, 1781, in time to take part in the surrender of Yorktown by Cornwallis. In

1782 he returned to his home at Westmoreland,

Pa., and found himself financially ruined. He was a member of the council of i-ensors in 17>So; was vendue-master of Philadelphia, and as a delegate from Pennsylvania took his seat in the Continental congress, Feb. 20, 1780, being elected its president, Feb. 2, 1787. On Oct. 5, 1787, he was elected first governor of the newly formed Northwestern Territory', and served at Fort Har- mer, Ohio, July 9, 1788. The civil government of the Territory was estal)lished, and Governor St. Clair took oflSce at Marietta, July 15, 1788. Ho drafted a bill for the government of the North- western Territory, which was introduced in the U.S. house of representatives in July, 1789. and which passed both houses without opposition. This act gave the sanction of the national legisla- ture to all the important provisions of the famous ordinance of 1787 (see sketch of ]\Ianasseh Cutler), including the compac^t for the inhibition of slavery. St. Clair went to New York to concert measures with General Knox for the settlement of the difficulties with the Indians on the borders, and while there assisted in the inauguration of President Washington, April 30, 1789. He seriously considered resigning the territorial governorship and retui'ning to Pennsylvania to enter actively into political life, and in July,

1789, he received a letter from James Wilson, asking if he would stand for the presidency of Pennsylvania. Later in the year, however, he returned to the west, and in the winter of 1790 he was joined by his son Arthur, and his three daughters, Louisa, Jane and Margaret, Mrs. St. Clair remaining in the East. On Dec. 20, 1789, ho started on a trip to tiie Illinois country, stopping en route at Fort Washington, where, on Jan. 4,

1790, he issued a proclamation establishing Hamil- ton county. Courts were organized, officers and judges appointed and Cincinnati (so named by Governor St. Clair, it having previously been known as Losantiville) declared the county seat. The next and third county to be laid out was St. Clair county, April 27, 1790, with Kankoski as the county seat. Ui)on his recommendation it was decided to send a formidable military force into the Miami country against the Indians, and erect a series of forts, and he was appointed to conduct the expedition in person, being given the rank of major-general. In a battle fought on a creek branching from the Wabash river, Nov. 4,

1791, he was surprised, and thearmy of untrained soldiers fled in disorder to Fort JefTerson. The matter was thoroughly investigated by congress, and St. Clair was exonerated of all blame. He resigned his commission in the army, and was succeeded by Gen. Anthony W.-iyne. In 1796, after unsuccessful attempts to induce a com- petent lawyer to accept the office of attorney- general of the Territory, the governor prevailed