Artemas Ward (November 26, 1727 – October 28, 1800) was an American Major General in the American Revolutionary War and a Congressman from Massachusetts. President Adams described him as "...universally esteemed, beloved and confided in by his army and his country." Ward was much more effective as a political leader than as a soldier. Jump to: navigation, search November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Events June 11 - George, Prince of Wales becomes King George II of Great Britain. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... 1800 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Jump to: navigation, search The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen British colonies in North America. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Bay State Other U.S. States Capital Boston Largest city Boston Governor Mitt Romney (R) Senators Edward Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D) Official languages English Area 27,360 km² (44th)  - Land 20,317 km²  - Water 7,043 km² (25. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the first (1789–1797) Vice President of the United States, and the second (1797–1801) President of the United States. ...

Artemas was born at Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, in 1727 to Nahun (1684-1754) and Martha Ward. He was the sixth of seven children. His father had broad and successful career interests as a sea captain, merchant, land developer, farmer, lawyer and jurist. As a child he attended the common schools and shared a tutor with his brothers and sisters. He graduated from Harvard in 1748 and taught there briefly. Jump to: navigation, search Shrewsbury is a town located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. ... Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of...

On July 31, 1750, he married Sarah Trowbridge (December 3, 1724-December 13, 1788), the daughter of the Reverend Caleb Trowbridge and Hannah Trowbridge of Groton, Massachusetts. The young couple returned to Shrewsbury where Artemas opened a general store. In the next fifteen years they would have seven children: Ithamar in 1752, Nahum (1754), Sara (1756), Thomas (1758), Artemas Jr. (1762), Henry Dana (1768), Martha (1760) and Maria (1764). July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... Events March 2 - Small earthquake in London, England April 4 - Small earthquake in Warrington, England August 23 - Small earthquake in Spalding, England September 30 - Small earthquake in Northampton, England November 16 – Westminster Bridge officially opened Jonas Hanway is the first Englishman to use an umbrella James Gray reveals her sex... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 14 - King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne February 20 - The premiere of Giulio Cesare, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London June 23 - Treaty of Constantinople signed. ... Jump to: navigation, search December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Caleb, the son of Jephunneh is an important figure in the Hebrew Bible, noted for his faith in God when the Hebrew nation refuses to enter the promised land of Canaan. ... The First Parish Church is a landmark on Main Street in Groton. ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1756 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1760 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1764 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The next year, 1751, he was named a township assessor for Worcester, County. This was the first of many public offices he was to fill. Artemas was elected a justice of the peace in 1752 and also served the first of his many terms in the colony's assembly, or "general court." Events Adam Smith is appointed professor of logic at the University of Glasgow March 31 - The future King George III of the United Kingdom succeeds his father as Prince of Wales. ... Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Massachusetts Bay Colony (sometimes called the Massachusetts Bay Company, for the institution that founded it) was an English settlement on the coast of North America in the 1600s, centered around the present-day city of Boston, which is now in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one...

French and Indian War

In 1755 the militia was restructured for the war, and Artemas Ward was made a Major in the 3rd Regiment which mainly came from Worcester County. They served as garrison forces along the frontier in western Massachusetts. This duty called him at intervals between 1755 and 1757, and alternated with his attendance at the General Court. In 1757 he was made the Colonel of the 3rd Regiment or the militia of Middlesex and "Worchester" Counties. In 1758 the regiment marched with Abercrombie's force to Fort Ticonderoga. Ward himself was sidelined during the battle by an "attack of the stone." 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Major is the name most commonly given to the military rank equivalent to NATO rank code OF-3. ... Jump to: navigation, search A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... Western Massachusetts is a geographical region of the state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley. ... 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Massachusetts General Court - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Colonel (Spanish: Coronel; German: Oberst; Russian:Полко́вник/Polkovnik) is both a military rank and civilian title, used by nearly every country in the world. ... Middlesex County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... Worcester County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Sir James Abercrombie (1706-April 28, 1781) was a British General and commander of forces in America during the French and Indian War who met with disaster in the Battle of Ticonderoga (1758). ... Fort Ticonderoga is a large 18th century fort built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of Lake George in the state of New York, USA. The fort controlled both commonly used trade routes between the English-controlled Hudson...

Prelude to revolution

By 1762 Ward had completely returned to Shrewsbury and was named to the Court of Common Pleas. In the General Court he was placed on the taxation committee along with Samuel Adams and John Hancock. On the floor, he was second only to James Otis in speaking out against the acts of parliament. His prominence in these debates prompted the Royal Governor Bernard to revoke his military commission in 1767. At the next election in 1768, Bernard voided the election results for Worcester and banned Ward from the assembly, but this didn't silence him. 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... In United States jurisprudence, Court of Common Pleas is a term referring to a court of certain jurisdiction. ... Jump to: navigation, search Samuel Adams (September 27, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American revolutionary and organizer of the Boston Tea Party. ... Jump to: navigation, search Portrait of Hancock (full portrait) Hancocks signature on the United States Declaration of Independence John Hancock (January 12, 1737 (O.S.) – October 8, 1793 (N.S.)) was President of the Continental Congress, and the first person to sign the United States Declaration of Independence. ... James Otis, woodcut portrait from front cover of Bickerstaffs Boston Almanack, 1770. ... Sir Francis Bernard (1712-1779) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor in New Jersey and Massachusetts. ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In the growing sentiment favoring rebellion, the 3rd Regiment resigned en masse from British service on October 3, 1774. They then marched on Shrewsbury to inform Colonel Ward that they had unanimously elected him their leader. Later that month the governor abolished the assembly. The towns of Massachusetts responded by setting up a colony-wide Committee of Safety. One of the first actions of the Committee was to name Ward as General and commander-in-chief of the colony's militia. A rebellion is, in the most general sense, a refusal to accept authority. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in Leap years). ... 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... General is a military rank used by nearly every country in the world. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ...

The Army of Observation

Following Lexington on April 19, 1775 the rebels followed the British back to Boston and started the siege of the city. At first Ward directed his forces from his sickbed, but later moved his headquarters to Cambridge. Soon, the New Hampshire and Connecticut provisional governments both named him head of their forces participating in the siege. Most of his efforts during this time were devoted to organization and supply problems. The Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War and was described as the shot heard round the world in Emersons Concord Hymn. ... Jump to: navigation, search April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... The Siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 - March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the active American Revolutionary War. ... Jump to: navigation, search City Hall - Cambridge MA Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Granite State Other U.S. States Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Governor John Lynch (D) Senators Judd Gregg (R) John Sununu (R) Official languages English Area 24,239 km² (46th)  - Land 23,249 km²  - Water 814 km² (3. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Constitution State Other U.S. States Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Governor M. Jodi Rell (R) Senators Chris Dodd (D) Joe Lieberman (D) Official languages English Area 14,371 km² (48th)  - Land 12,559 km²  - Water 1,809 km² (12. ...

Additional British forces arrived in May, and in June Ward learned of their plan to attack Bunker Hill. He gave orders to fortify the point, setting the stage for the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Command during the battle devolved upon General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott. While General Ward received national recognition for the heroic stand made that day, his principal contribution was a failure to supply enough ammunition to hold the position. Bunker Hill is the name of: A hill in Massachusetts in Boston: see Charlestown neighborhood A battle of the American Revolutionary War fought near (not on) the above hill: see Battle of Bunker Hill Several places in the United States: see Bunker Hill, Indiana Bunker Hill, Illinois Bunker Hill, Kansas... Bunker Hill was a battle of the American Revolutionary War that took place on June 17, 1775 during the Siege of Boston. ... Jump to: navigation, search June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Statue of Colonel William Prescott in Charlestown, Massachusetts. ...

The Continental Army

Meanwhile, the Continental Congress was creating a Continental Army. On June 16 they named Artemas Ward a Major General, and second in command to General Washington. Over the next nine months he helped convert the assembled militia units into the Continental Army. Jump to: navigation, search The Continental Congress was the legislature of the Thirteen Colonies and later of the United States from 1774 to 1789, a period that included the American Revolutionary War and the Articles of Confederation. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Continental Army was the unified command structure of the thirteen colonies fighting Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Jump to: navigation, search George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) was an American planter, political figure, the highest ranking military leader in U.S. history and first President of the United States. ...

After the British evacuation on March 17, 1776, Washington led the main army to New York City. Ward took command of the Eastern Department on April 4, 1776. He held that post until March 20, 1777, when his health forced his resignation from the Army. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Jump to: navigation, search March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... This article is about the year 1776. ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... This article is about the year 1776. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Later political career

Even during his military service, Artemas served as a state court justice in 1776 and 1777. He was President of the state's Executive Council from 1777-1779, which effectively made him the governor (before the 1780 ratification of the Massachusetts Constitution. He was continuously elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for each year from 1779 through 1785. He also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1780 and 1781. Ward was the Speaker of the Massachusetts House in 1785. He was elected twice to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1791 to 1795. Artemas died at his home in Shrewsbury on October 28, 1800, and is buried with Sarah in Mountain View Cemetery. This article is about the year 1776. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search A governor is also a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ... The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of Massachusetts. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1785 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Continental Congress was the legislature of the Thirteen Colonies and later of the United States from 1774 to 1789, a period that included the American Revolutionary War and the Articles of Confederation. ... 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Congress of the United States, the other being the Senate. ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... 1800 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Artemas Ward House

Artemas's lifelong home had been built by his father, Nahun, about the time Artemas was born. The home is now known as the Artemas Ward House and is a museum preserved by Harvard University. Located at 786 Main Street in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts it is open to the public for limited hours during the summer months. Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ...

References

• Andrew H. Ward, Memoir of Major General Artemas Ward in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Volume 5; July, 1851.
• Charles Martyn; The Life of Artemas Ward, The First Commander-in-Chief of the American Revolution.; (1921), reprinted 1970: Kennikat Press, Port Washington, N.Y.; ISBN 0804612765
• Ward's Biography at Congress web site
• Description of the Ward House