St. Clair, Arthur, 1737-1818
Dates
- Existence: 1737 - 1818
Biography
Arthur St. Clair was a Scottish-American soldier and politician. Born in Thurso, Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office. During the American Revolutionary War, he rose to the rank of major general in the Continental Army, but lost his command after a controversial retreat from Fort Ticonderoga.
After the war, he served as President of the Continental Congress, which during his term passed the Northwest Ordinance. He was then made governor of the Northwest Territory in 1788, and then the portion that would become Ohio in 1800. In 1791, St. Clair commanded the American forces in what was the United States's worst ever defeat by the American Indians. Politically out-of-step with the Jefferson administration, he was replaced as governor in 1802.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Arthur St. Clair letter
Letter from A. St. Clair to Col. Meed regarding his evacuation to Ticonderoga, plans to go to Scheensbourgh and asks that reinforcement be sent there.