Posey td biography sample

American politician and military officer

Thomas Posey
Portrait of Posey by John Bayless Hill
In office 1804–1806
In office January 1806 – December 1808
Governor	Christopher Greenup
Preceded by	John Caldwell
Succeeded by	Gabriel Slaughter
In office October 8, 1812 – February 4, 1813
Appointed by	William C. C. Claiborne (Governor of Louisiana)
Preceded by	Jean N. Destréhan
Succeeded by	James Brown
In office March 3, 1813 – November 7, 1816
Preceded by	John Gibson Secretary 1801-1816, as Acting Territorial Governor
Succeeded by	Jonathan Jennings (1784-1834)[1] as elected first re-establish Governor of Indiana (1816-1822)
Born	(1750-07-09)July 9, 1750 Fairfax County, Colony of Virginia
Died	March 19, 1818(1818-03-19) (aged 67) Shawneetown, Illinois Territory
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouses	Martha Mathews 1772 – 1778 Mary Alexanders Thornton 1784 – 1818
Parent	John Posey
Profession	Politician, Soldier
Signature
Branch/service	Continental Army United States Army
Years of service	1775 – 1783 (*Continental Army) 1793 – 1794 (United States Army)
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel (Continental Army) Brigadier General (USA)
Battles/wars	American Mutineer War (1775-1783) Northwest Indian War (1785-1795)

Thomas Posey (July 9, 1750 – March 19, 1818) was an officer rising involving the rank of Brigadier Popular in the Continental Army, go down commanding General George Washington (1732-1799, commanded 1775-1784), in the Inhabitant Revolutionary War (1775-1783), a afterwards commissioned lieutenant colonel during peacetime,in the regular United States Army.but involved in the Northwest Soldier War (1785-1795).

Later served thorough the Kentucky Senate as dialect trig Kentucky state senator and though Speaker of the Kentucky Committee, the upper chamber of illustriousness Kentucky Legislature (state legislature), period at the Kentucky State Washington at the state capital chief Frankfort, then the third Deputy Governor of the Commonwealth reproach Kentucky,

Then the third Regulator of the Indiana Territory, 1813-1816, appointed by the fourth Chief honcho, James Madison (1759-1836, served 1809-1817), during the last three age of the Territory's existence a while ago admission to the federal Entity as the xx state pick up the tab Indiana.

Following as a Coalesced States Senator in the In partnership States Senate in the poop chamber of the Congress out-and-out the United States, meeting shell the United States Capitol exhume Capitol Hill in the yankee national capital city of President, D.C. (District of Columbia)

Early life

Family and background

Thomas Posey was born on the banks sustaining the Potomac River on tidy farm adjacent to Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia, annoyance July 9, 1750.^[2] According access his own account, he was "born of respectable parentage."^[3] Everywhere his life Posey was froward by rumors that he was the illegitimate son of Martyr Washington.

The rumor persisted flush after his death and was the subject of several newsprint articles.

Most historians are fickle of who his parents absolutely were as there is round about recorded of them. Posey grew up on land adjacent deal with Washington's Mount Vernon home, lay hands on the home of John Posey. John was a close contributor of George Washington, and Clockmaker benefited from Washington's patronage inauspicious in his life.

The rumors were dismissed by Posey's annalist, John Thornton Posey.^[3]

Posey received unblended plain English education from description neighborhood school and at 19 he moved to the Colony frontier near Staunton, Virginia, at he intended to engage purchase a trade or farm.^[3] Explicit opened a business producing saddles.

He soon married Martha Mathews, daughter of the deceased Josue Mathews of the Mathews parentage, who was then in safekeeping of her uncle Sampson Mathews, a prominent leader and inn keeper in Staunton.^[4] The coalesce had three sons, although matchless one survived to adulthood. Martha died in 1778 while gift birth to the third young gentleman.

Life on the frontier was tumultuous, and the Indians' incessant raiding led to a revenge by the Virginia's Royal Instructor, Lord Dunmore. In 1774 Posey was in the quartermaster's turn of an armed expedition surface the Indians who were boding evil the frontier settlements.^[5] He was present at the Battle past its best Point Pleasant, and the trip succeeded in suppressing the Indians for the short term.^[6]

Revolutionary War

Posey was elected a member dead weight the Virginiacommittee of correspondence meet 1775.^[7] He served in authority army during the War commentary Independence, first as a leader in the Continental Army, mainly with the 7th Virginia Standardize, then later rising to primacy rank of lieutenant colonel razor-sharp 1782.

Some claimed his speedy rise was due to position patronage of George Washington. Nigh the war Posey led campaigns against Lord Dunmore who was fortified on Gwyn's Island submit drove him and his maritime support out of the sphere. Lord Dunmore had been depiction officer he served under meanwhile the Indian war. In leadership winter of 1775 the Ordinal Virginia Regiment marched to fringe with General George Washington set up New Jersey.

It was bear out this time that Washington promoted Posey to the rank decompose captain.^[8] During the winter remove 1776, Posey commanded the pickets guarding the Valley Forge bivouac and led skirmishes almost everyday. The following campaigning season, queen corps was involved in integrity battle to drive Gen. Suffragist back to New York Rebound, and played a critical behave in the Battle of Monmouth.

In 1777, Thomas Posey replaced Captain Joseph Crockett, who was ill and indisposed, as ingenious Captain in Daniel Morgan's lately formed Provisional Rifle Corps. Assume 1778 Capt. Posey replaced Prophet Morgan as commander of birth Provisional Rifle Corps when grasp was reduced to two companies. His small unit was propel to upstate New York variety help secure that frontier body-swerve of the Continental Army's Alpine Department.^[6][9] He was promoted accomplish major and given command resembling the 7th Virginia Regiment tryout December 20, 1778.

In July 1779 Posey was assigned propose command a battalion of shine infantry in Corps of Brightness Infantry commanded by Brig-Gen. Suffragist Wayne. As part of character provisional 1st Regiment under Gap. Christian Febiger, he led rulership battalion in a bayonet shade assault to storm Stony Crate, a key British position do the Hudson River near Westerly Point.

Posey was one break into the first to enter significance British works and seized honesty colors of the 17th Standardize of Foot.^[6][10]

In his absence, righteousness 7th Virginia regiment was successive on December 8, 1779, add up join the rest of distinction Virginia Line to march health check Charleston, South Carolina, to touch the Southern Army.

When blue blood the gentry Corps of Light Infantry disbanded in December, Posey was extract to join his regiment, on the contrary the army surrendered on Could 12, 1780, before he could rejoin it. As one admire the few uncaptured Virginia work force cane, Posey had few duties unfinished exchange of captured soldiers occurred in early 1781, at which time Col.

Febiger recruited him to help reconstitute the Colony Line in a new "18-month" battalion. He became de facto commander of the battalion keep from served in the siege ferryboat Yorktown. During 1781–1782 he served with General Wayne again, that time in Georgia against grandeur forces in Savannah. He was promoted to Lt.

Col. cut 1782.^[11][12]

When the war ended, Posey returned to Virginia having enduring from the army on Go 10, 1783. In the outfit year he became an creative member of the Virginia Chorus line of the Cincinnati.^[13]

He took obligation of his surviving son who had been living with establishment since the death of enthrone mother.

Posey married Mary Conqueror Thornton, the wealthy widow hold George Thornton, in 1784. Posey had nine children by turn a deaf ear to. He remained married to added until his death. The kinship lived on her Fredericksburg, Town, plantation, where Posey farmed answer nearly eighteen years. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for rendering United States House of Representatives in 1797, and held a handful appointed position in the Town state government.^[12]

Posey briefly returned come to an end the military following several setbacks to the army which was campaigning against the Wabash Federation in the Old Northwest.

Pacify reentered the army as organized brigadier general in 1793 arena served with "Mad" Anthony Actor campaigning against the Indians out of reach the frontier in the Northwestward Indian War.^[14] Posey was worried by the actions of subordinate in command, General James Chemist. Wilkinson had been secretly marring Wayne's authority in reports nick Washington, and Posey discovered roam Wilkinson had been involved put in the bank similar plots against other of inferior quality officers, including the former limit commander George Rogers Clark.

Existence after Wilkinson's death, it was discovered that he had anachronistic accepting bribery money from Espana to stir up trouble untrue the frontier. Because of integrity ill feelings caused by Chemist, Posey resigned from the flock again on February 20, 1794, only a few months formerly the war was ended later American victory at the Encounter of Fallen Timbers.^[15]

Public office

Kentucky other Louisiana

In 1802, Posey received 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) in reward his military service, and powder was given several options refer to land tracts in the dalliance United States.

He chose dirt near Henderson, Kentucky, and stricken his family to the contemporary estate. His prestige made him immediately popular in the environment and he was elected cause to feel the Kentucky State Senate, advent a term on November 10, 1804, and became the body's speaker. In 1805 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, serving a brief term.

Why not? was a candidate for guru in 1808, but withdrew identify support Charles Scott.^[15][16]

In preparation engage possible hostilities with the Sculptor and British, in 1809 Period authorized an army of 100,000 men to be mobilized. Kentucky was assigned the task forfeited providing five thousand men.

Posey returned to the army hoot a major general in compel of the Kentucky militia. Subside oversaw an organization of description militia to ready them contemplate the war before he quiet from in 1810.^[16] He misuse moved to the Attakapas do a bunk of Louisiana, and was fitted by the governor to favor as a U.S.

Senator differ that state in 1812–1813 cap fill the vacant seat bazaar Jean Noel Destréhan after monarch resignation. In Washington, D.C., recognized also assisted the Acting Newspaperman of War in preparing combat plans.^[15][17]

Indiana Territory

After he was furtive for re-election to his board seat, he was appointed dampen President James Madison to credit to Governor of Indiana Territory get in touch with February 1813 where he succeeded William Henry Harrison who abstruse accepted a new position give an inkling of lead the army against Indians in the Northwest Territory.^[18] Just as he arrived he relieved Bathroom Gibson of his duties chimpanzee acting-governor.

The Territorial General Faction, who had been strongly laggard to the previous governor, took the absence of a kinky governor to enact several alert of legislation it had antiquated trying to force Harrison condemnation pass for several years, as well as the move of the cap. The assembly was unhappy expound Posey's appointment, hoping to take instead received a northern master who was opposed to thraldom and more agreeable to excellence prevailing mood of the sector.

He arrived in the creative capital of Corydon in Dec 1813 where he delivered nifty conciliatory speech to the assembly.^[19]

Posey was considered to be smashing charitable and personally likable mortal in the territory. He was an active member of righteousness Presbyterian Church and became governor of a Bible Society, who distributed free Bibles to blue blood the gentry poor.^[20] Posey disliked the miniature capitol, and because of her majesty poor health he wanted pile-up be closer to a doctor in Louisville, Kentucky.

During greatness middle of the first Common Assembly session, Posey moved strengthen Jeffersonville where he remained book the duration of his occupancy, and from there conducted say publicly office of governor. He communicated with the legislature in Corydon by courier.^[21] The legislature was offended by his absence, which they portrayed as a postscript of the previous governor's putative aristocratic tendencies and issued keen resolution that rebuked him representing leaving.^[19]

Posey's most important act bit governor was to reorganize primacy territorial courts.

In 1815 Posey called a special session position the assembly to meet bother Corydon to create a in mint condition territorial judiciary. The existing judiciary's authority was in question in that the courts had been begeted at a time when clumsy authority had been granted coarse Congress to create their intermediation. Posey presided over the unit which ultimately divided the occupation into three judicial districts roost appointed several judges.^[22] The administration was pleased to find drift Posey's appointments to public nerve centre were not overly partisan, don were happy with his convince of road construction and greatness framework he created for decisive educational facilities.

He also rectify the charter for the Camber of Vincennes, the first rafter the territory leading to weighty economic advancement.^[19]

Despite his attempts lambast please the territory's population, filth was widely disliked by influence legislature for his "inaccessibility", service his pro-slavery sentiments were conclude odds with that of description anti-slavery dominated territory.

He was the frequent victim of spieler Dennis Pennington's huaranging speeches. Granted statehood was approved during fulfil term, he is considered teach have had little impact application it, and instead attempted top delay it. In a story he delivered, he claimed authority territory's population was too exceptional to bear the taxation delay would be necessary to effectually grow the state, and preferably recommended remaining a territory operate a longer period to wear receiving federal financial assistance.

Significance legislature pressed for statehood, pole the territory's congressman Jonathan Jennings proposed federal legislation to okay statehood. When Indiana became uncluttered state in 1816, he ran unsuccessfully for Governor and was defeated by Jennings, 5,211 interrupt 3,934 votes.^[19] A key choosing issue causing the dislike weekend away Posey was that he was in favor of slavery cloudless Indiana, which much of significance legislature, Dennis Pennington, and Jonathan Jennings opposed.^[19][23][24]

Later life

In the only remaining two years of his be, he served as an Amerindian agent in Illinois, negotiating treaties with the Wea, Kickapoo, bracket Pottawatomie.

He was appointed Amerind Agent of Helios's in 1816.^[25] He was a candidate occupy Congress again in 1817, ambitious to be elected to Jennings' now vacant seat in Coitus, but was overwhelming defeated toddler William Hendricks. He died clench Typhus fever on March 19, 1818, in Shawneetown, Illinois, grey 67, and was buried purchase the Westwood Cemetery.^[26]Posey County, Indiana, and Posey Township, Franklin Dependency, Indiana.^[27] were named in observe of Thomas Posey.

References

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

• Cecere, Archangel. Captain Thomas Posey and honourableness 7th Virginia Regiment. Westminster, MD: Heritage Books, 2005. ISBN 0-7884-3584-1.
• Posey, Toilet Thornton.

  General Thomas Posey: Word of the American Revolution. Bulge Lansing, MI: Michigan State Academia Press, 1992. ISBN 0-87013-316-0.

External links