James Mitchell Varnum

General James Mitchell Varnum (1748–1789), painted posthumously in 1804 by Charles Willson Peale

James Mitchell Varnum (born December 17, 1748 in Dracut , Province of Massachusetts Bay , † January 10, 1789 in Marietta , Northwest Territory ) was an American judge and general. He fought in the American War of Independence as a general in the Continental Army against the British units, for example during the siege of Boston at the beginning of the war. He retired from the military in the spring of 1779 and was twice sent as a delegate from Rhode Island to the Continental Congress in the 1780s . He was then sent to serve as a judge in the first city founded by American settlers in Ohio. After staying in Marietta for about a year, he died of tuberculosis there . His house in Rhode Island is now a museum.

Until the War of Independence

James Mitchell Varnum was born on December 17, 1748 in Dracut, Massachusetts, the elder of two sons. His younger brother, Joseph Bradley Varnum , later became a lawyer and Speaker of the House of Representatives . The mother Hannah Mitchell was a direct descendant of Francis Cooke, one of the passengers on the Mayflower , the ship with which the " Pilgrim Fathers " sailed from Central England to America. She and Varnum's father, Samuel Varnum, were wealthy farmers who enabled their son to study at Harvard . In April 1768, in his third year in college, he helped organize a student protest against their teachers. Many of the students, including Varnum, had to leave college as a result of this turmoil. Most returned, however, and were allowed to continue studying, while Varnum turned his back on the university. He enrolled on May 23, 1768 at the College of Rhode Island, now Brown University . The following year he graduated with first class honors and obtained a BA degree with forty-two other graduates. In his thesis, he took the position that America should not rebel against England in order to strive for independence.

Before Varnum decided to the then Minister of Justice of Rhode Island ( Attorney General ) Oliver Arnold Jura to study, he taught at an elementary school in his birthplace Dracut. On February 2, 1770, he married Martha Child of Warren, Rhode Island, a daughter of Cromwell and Roby Child, whom he had met while studying. The couple had no children. They moved to East Greenwich in Kent County , Rhode Island in 1771 . In the same year he was sworn in as a lawyer in court.

Varnum opened a law firm in town and received his MA from Rhode Island College a year later. One of the first clients was Nathanael Greene with his brothers from Potowomut, Warwick . A long lasting friendship developed between him and Greene. His eloquence and intelligence, widely admired, made him famous.

Military career

Siege of Boston

The great tensions in North America in the early 1770s caused Varnum to give up his legal practice. His sympathies for the Whig Party had been evident since 1774, so that August he became a member of the committee that procured supplies for the Boston residents suffering from the Boston Port Bill . In October he moved to another committee that discussed the need for a separate army for Rhode Island. On October 16, the Kentish Guards were formed and placed under Varnum's leadership.

When the American Revolution broke out in neighboring Massachusetts in April 1775 , the Rhode Islands government formed a unit of volunteers from Kent and King County, now Washington County . It was subordinated to Varnum and mostly just called Varnum's regiment . These troops were involved in the siege of Boston. In June 1775, Varnum's regiment joined the Continental Army, where a month later it was placed under Nathanael Greene . After a reorganization of the Continental Army in early 1776, the 9th Continental Regiment was formed, which from then on was headed by Varnum. He managed to drive the British out of Boston in March, but the regiment suffered heavy losses in the battles that followed for New York.

Course of the War of Independence

General James Mitchell Varnum, in the small picture next to him his wife Martha Child

In 1776, Varnum's regiment was in frequent use. In April it was dispatched to New York to help build defenses around Brooklyn Heights . During the summer, Varnum hesitated when George Washington made him an offer to promote him. He initially toyed with the idea of ​​accepting the offer, but ultimately decided to remain in command of the Rhode Island Regiment. At the Battle of Long Island in August, the army failed to maintain the fortifications of New York. Within a day all American units were driven out of there.

At the Battle of Harlem Heights the following month, Varnum was bedridden by illness. Archibald Crary took the lead in the battle to defend Manhattan. When the Americans were already on the retreat, the British provoked them with loud signal horns to such an extent that they once again opposed the British. Militarily it was a undecided battle, but it was still a psychologically important success for the Americans. Shortly thereafter, in October, the Americans failed to break through the occupation of New York at the Battle of White Plains . Unsatisfied with the situation, Varnum thought about resigning from the army again. But he was voted over by the Governor of Rhode Island, Nicholas Cooke .

While the army was in winter camp, Varnum was made Brigadier General on December 12, 1776, which was confirmed by the Continental Congress on February 21, 1777 . In the spring, under orders from Washington, he prepared hospitals to provide smallpox vaccinations while recruiting new recruits into the army. In June he led his troops south to prevent British troops from moving to New Jersey , which, however, failed. After the attack on Philadelphia by the British General William Howe , Varnum's forces took part in the Battle of Germantown . He then showed great courage when he decided to hold the defensive posts of forts Mifflin and Mercer, where the English failed.

Black Regiment

Varnum then moved with the remaining forces into the American camp at Valley Forge , a village about 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia , to which parts of the Continental Army moved in the winter of 1777/78 to give the soldiers the opportunity to regenerate. Varnum was supposed to make up for the losses of George Washington's army, which after the lost battle of Long Island was only about 5,000 strong. While at Valley Forge, Varnum lived in a room in the home of David and Elizabeth Stephens and their family. This house was always called Varnum's House by the generals . The generals met very often in this building to discuss their future plans. From there, Varnum urged the Continental Congress to provide him with greater assistance. However, in many places the soldiers were scarce and Varnum finally came up with the idea that blacks and Indians could also be recruited as soldiers. He and Greene convinced Washington of the need for a Black Regiment , which after its formation was placed under the leadership of Colonel Christopher Greene . Varnum suggested the cousin of his friend Nathaniel Greene to Washington for this task, who had already drawn attention to himself in the Battle of Québec in 1775 and was also ideally suited for it in the eyes of Washington. Varnum had commissioned him to guard the strategically important Fort Mercer, which was near the British-occupied city of Philadelphia, in order to prevent their supply, and left him 400 soldiers for defense. The partly poorly trained American soldiers were attacked by around 1,200 British and Hessian soldiers in 1777, but they were defeated by Greene. Varnum went back to Rhode Island with Washington's approval to convince the government and persuade the slave owners to turn their slaves over to the army. He left the Rhode Island regiments in Valley Forge under the direction of Colonel Israel Angell . The biggest worries that arose with the idea of ​​arming blacks and Indians were fears of a black rebellion who could take revenge for their enslavement. It was also questioned that they would fight as well as white soldiers and were therefore useless. Nevertheless, it was assumed that the desire for independence was also present among blacks and Indians. After the government of Rhode Island gave its approval to the establishment of a division of armed slaves, a force of about 225 men was formed. The owners of the slaves were compensated by the government. Since this was the only unit made entirely of blacks, it became known as the Black Regiment .

End of military career

In the summer of 1778, General John Sullivan was transferred to Newport , Rhode Island. He had not been able to break through the siege of Philadelphia and was to be punished with the insignificant post. When Varnum had largely completed the recruitment of his Black Regiment , he joined him to determine the strength of the enemy in Newport. After trying unsuccessfully to evict the British forces from Newport, Varnum wrote a letter to Washington in which he wrote of problems with the pay and morale of his troops. This annoyed Sullivan for not turning to him first when he was unsatisfied. Varnum then decided, on the one hand, to be angry with Sullivan and on the other to be back with his family, to resign from the service. He left the army on March 5, 1779. In gratitude for his services, he was named Major General in Rhode Island .

Lawyer, delegate, judge

Varnum returned to East Greenwich to work as a lawyer again. In court, Varnum won the Trevett V. Weeden case , the first case in which a judicial decision was declared unconstitutional.

Varnum was elected twice to the Continental Congress, of which he was a member from December 16, 1780 to 1782 and from 1786 to 1787 as a delegate to the Rhode Islands. During his two terms in office, he advocated the establishment of a strong central government. Between terms of office, he worked in his legal profession. He joined the Society of the Cincinnati , an association of American officers who campaigned for the rights and care of soldiers and their survivors. Varnum became president of the society in 1787.

That same year, on August 29, 1787, he was elected one of six directors of the Ohio Company , of which he was one of the founders. This society was established to establish settlements in the Northwest Territory , an area west of Pennsylvania and north of the Ohio River. After Arthur St. Clair , a former war general, was appointed governor of the territory, Varnum was sent to the new area as a judge. He reached the newly founded city of Adelphia on June 5, 1788. One of his first official acts was the introduction of a legal system for the settlement and the renaming of the city in Marietta . The city was named after the Queen of France Marie Antoinette , in gratitude for France's support in the war. He later opened the city's first courtroom.

At that time, his health was deteriorating. The tuberculosis forced him to resign from his post as a judge. In a letter to his wife dated December 18, 1788, he reported his plans to go to New Orleans , and from there to Rhode Island, in the hope that climate change might be good for his lungs. However, he stayed in Marietta, where he died on the night of January 9-10, 1789.

He was first buried near the town and years later, along with other officers' bodies, reburied in Oak Grove Cemetery .

Varnum's house

The house of James Mitchell Varnum in an 1887 photograph

Varnum moved to East Greenwich, Rhode Island in 1771 and bought a piece of land from a John Peirce for $ 90 . Varnum built his house here in the northeastern part of the approximately 8,000  m² (two acre ) property, which he lived in with his wife Martha Child until he moved to Marietta in 1788. Since the house is in almost unchanged condition today, the Varnum House has been included on the National List of America 's Historic Places as an example of the late eighteenth century architectural style . The house was bought in 1939 by Varnum Continentals , the successor to the Varnums units, and can now be viewed with furniture and exhibits from the period.

credentials

literature

• John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts): a history of George Varnum, his son Samuel who came to Ipswich about 1635, and grandsons Thomas, John and Joseph, who settled in Dracutt, and their descendants. , David Clapp & Son, Boston 1907, pp. 142-180.
• John A. Garraty (Ed.): American National Biography. Oxford University Press, USA 1999.

Web links

• James Varnum Museum website
• Correspondence between different people in Valley Forge
• Collected Letters: A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: US Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875
• Collected letters from and to George Washington , including almost 100 from or to Varnum.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ List of Mayflower passengers (English)
2. ↑ Article about J. Varnum ( Memento of the original from January 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)  
3. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 142.
4. ↑ See John A. Garraty (Ed.): American National Biography .
5. ↑ His eloquence was admired by many of his fellow men, for example in this diary entry by Anna Lott Donne ( memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , dated April 1778. 
6. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 145.
7. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 149.
8. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 150.
9. ^ The Battle of Harlem Heights , accessed April 25, 2008.
10. ↑ ^{a b} See John A. Garraty (Ed.): American National Biography.
11. ^ Page on the Generals' Homes in Valley Forge; with photos of the building that is still standing. ( Memento of the original from February 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
12. ↑ Cf. letter from Ezekiel Otis to his wife Deborah Donne Otis, written on December 6, 1777, see Don D'Amato: Down a Different Path, Part 11 ( Memento of the original of September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: Der Archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
13. ↑ Cf. Jeremiah Donne in a letter to his father Andrew Donne in Don D'Amato: Down a Different Path, Part 12 ( Memento of the original of September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked . Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
14. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 157.
15. ↑ See letter from Jeremiah Donne to his cousin Anthony Donne dated July 6, 1778, see archive link ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
16. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 160.
17. ↑ Cf. Varnum Continentals ( Memento of the original dated December 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed April 25, 2008. 
18. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 170 f.
19. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 174 f.
20. ↑ See John Marshall Varnum: The Varnums of Dracutt (in Massachusetts). 1999, p. 176.
21. ↑ See A Photo History of East Greenwich ( Memento April 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), accessed April 25, 2008.
22. ↑ According to The James Mitchell Varnum House ( Memento of the original from October 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English), Retrieved April 25, 2008.