General James Wilkinson

James Wilkinson (1757 - December 28, 1825) was a U.S. soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, eventually rising to the rank of General. He was also the first governor of the Louisiana Territory. General James Wilkinson Source: http://www. ... General James Wilkinson Source: http://www. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... ... The term statesman is a respectful term used to refer to diplomats, politicians, and other notable figures of state. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Continental Army was the unified command structure of the thirteen colonies fighting Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. ... 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. ... General is a military rank used by nearly every country in the world. ... The United States in 1810, following the Louisiana Purchase. ...

He was born in Calvert County, Maryland, the second son of a respected Maryland merchant-planter. He received his early education from a private tutor and his study of medicine in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania was interrupted by the American revolution. Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. ... State nickname: Old Line State; Free State Other U.S. States Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) Senators Paul Sarbanes (D) Barbara Mikulski (D) Official languages English Area 32,160 km² (42nd)  - Land 25,338 km²  - Water 6,968 km² (21%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,296... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... Jump to: navigation, search The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn or UPenn, although the former is the preferred and recognized nickname of the University) is a private, nonsectarian, research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

Revolutionary war actions

He first served in Thompson’s Pennsylvania rifle battalion, 1775–1776, and was commissioned a Captain in September 1775. He served under Colonel Benedict Arnold in the Siege of Boston and at Montreal during the Invasion of Canada (1775). He became an aide to General Horatio Gates in early 1776 and served under General George Washington in the battles at Trenton and Princeton. He was brevetted as Major General from November 1777 to March 1778, and was concurrently secretary to the Board of War, January to March 1778. 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the year 1776. ... Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... Colonel (Spanish: Coronel; German: Oberst; Russian:Полко́вник/Polkovnik) is both a military rank and civilian title, used by nearly every country in the world. ... Jump to: navigation, search Benedict Arnold For other people of the same name, see Benedict Arnold (disambiguation). ... 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 motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 500. ... American Attack on Quebec. ... Horatio Gates Horatio Gates (1726-1806) was an American general during the Revolutionary War. ... 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. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War after Washingtons crossing of the Delaware River. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777. ... In the US military, brevet refers to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

During the revolutionary war, he was a participant in the Conway Cabal, a conspiracy to replace George Washington with Horatio Gates as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Because of this, he was forced to resign his positions as brevet Major General and secretary. He then served as clothier general of the Army from July 1779 to March 1781. The Conway Cabal refers to a conspiracy in late 1777 and 1778 designed to remove George Washington as commander of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. ... 1779 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Kentucky ventures

He resigned from the army amid accusations of corruption. He became Brigadier General of the Pennsylvania militia in 1782 and state assemblyman in 1783. He moved to the Kentucky District in 1784 and was active there in efforts to achieve independence from Virginia. A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Senators Arlen Specter (R) Rick Santorum (R) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... 1782 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: Bluegrass State Other U.S. States Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Governor Ernie Fletcher (R) Senators Mitch McConnell (R) Jim Bunning (R) Official languages English Area 104,749 km² (37th)  - Land 102,989 km²  - Water 1,760 km² (1. ... 1784 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Senators John Warner (R) George Allen (R) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ...

In 1787, Wilkinson undertook a highly controversial trip to New Orleans, then a colony of Spain. At that time, Americans were not allowed to trade in New Orleans. Wilkinson met with the Spanish Governor Esteban Rodriguez Miro and managed to convince him to allow Kentucky to have a trading monopoly over trade on the Mississippi River; in return he promised to promote Spanish interests in the west. In August 1787, Wilkinson signed an expatriation declaration, and swore allegiance to the King of Spain. 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Esteban Rodriguez Miro (1744 - June 4, 1795), also known as Esteban Miro and Estevan Miro, was a Spanish army officer and governor of the American provinces of the Louisiana Territory and West Florida. ... Length 6,270 km Elevation of the source 450 m Average discharge Saint Louis¹: 5,500 m³/s Vicksburg²: 16,800 m³/s Baton Rouge³: 12,800 m³/s Area watershed 2,980,000 km² Origin  Lake Itasca Mouth  Gulf of Mexico Basin countries United States (98. ...

Upon returning to Kentucky in February 1788, Wilkinson vigorously opposed the new U.S. Constitution. Kentucky had very nearly achieved statehood under the old Articles of Confederation and there was widespread disappointment when this was delayed due to the new constitution. 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Jump to: navigation, search The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, formed the first governing document of the United States of America. ...

Leading up to Kentucky's seventh convention regarding separation from Virginia in November 1788, Wilkinson attempted to gauge the support for Kentucky to seek union with Spain. At the convention, Wilkinson was elected chair, and he advocated seeking independence from Virginia first, and then consider joining the Union of states as a second step. For many, joining the Union was conditional upon the Union negotiating free navigation on the Mississippi with Spain, a contentious point which many Kentuckians doubted the eastern states would act upon.

Unable to gather enough support for his position at the convention, Wilkinson instead took his own initiative and approached Miro with a proposal to grant them 60,000 acres (243 km²) in the Yazoo lands at the junction of the Yazoo River and the Mississippi (near present-day Vicksburg, Mississippi). The land was to be payment for Wilkinson's efforts on behalf of Spain and also to serve as a refuge in the event he and his supporters had to flee from the United States. Wilkinson asked for and received a pension of $7,000 from Miro and also requested pensions on behalf of a number of prominent Kentuckians, including: Harry Innes, Benjamin Sebastian, John Brown, Caleb Wallace, Benjamin Logan, Isaac Shelby, George Muter, George Nicholas, and even Humphrey Marshall (who at one time was a bitter rival of Wilkinson's). The Yazoo lands were the sparsely populated central and western areas of the U.S. state of Georgia, when its western border stretched back to the Mississippi River. ... hTe Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. state of Mississippi and the second longest tributary of the Mississippi River that flows into that river from the east (the longest is the Ohio River). ... Illinois Memorial in Vicksburg National Military Park. ... For other people with the same name, see John Brown. ... Benjamin Logan (circa 1742-December 11, 1802 was an American military officer in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. ... Isaac Shelby Isaac Shelby (December 11, 1750-July 18, 1826) was an officer in the American Revolutionary War and the first Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1792 to 1796 and from 1812 to 1816. ...

However, by 1788 Wilkinson had apparently lost the support of officials in the Spanish mainland. Miro was not to grant any of the proposed pensions and was forbidden from giving money to support revolution in Kentucky. However, Wilkinson continued to secretly receive funds from Spain for many years.

Second Military Career

In March 1791, he led a force of Kentucky volunteers against Indians north of the Ohio River, and in October he received a commission to the U.S. Army as lieutenant colonel, commandant of the 2nd Infantry. He was promoted to Brigadier General and served on the frontier under General Anthony Wayne, commanding the right wing in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in August 1794. During this time, he secretly maintained contacts with the Spanish government and informed them of plans for General George Rogers Clark to attack New Orleans in 1793-1794. He was appointed commander at Detroit in 1796 and partially redeemed himself by rejecting entreaties to lead a rebellion in the Natchez, Mississippi area. Despite his treachery, upon Wayne's death, he became the senior officer of the U.S. Army from December 15, 1796 to July 13, 1798. 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Carl D. Perkins Bridge in Portsmouth, Ohio with Ohio River and Scioto River tributary on right. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 - December 15, 1796), was a United States Army general and statesman. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Battle of Fallen Timbers (August 20, 1794) was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indians and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... George Rogers Clark Painted by Rosemary Brown Beck George Rogers Clark (November 9, 1752–February 13, 1818) was the preeminent American military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... 1793 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... Natchez is a city located in Adams County, Mississippi. ... Jump to: navigation, search December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1796 was a leap year starting on Friday. ... Jump to: navigation, search July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Wilkinson was transferred to the southern frontier in 1798 and was designated to treat with the regional Indian tribes. He was again the senior officer of the United States Army, from June 15, 1800 to January 27, 1812. Along with Governor William C. C. Claiborne, he shared the honor of taking possession of the Louisiana Purchase on behalf of the United States in 1803. Jump to: navigation, search June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1800 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... William Charles Cole Claiborne (1775 - 23 November 1817) was a United States politican, best known as the first U.S. governor of Louisiana. ... From Frank Bond, Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1804-1805, he exchanged communications with Aaron Burr, which many suspect concerned Burr's conspiracy to set up an independent nation in the west. Some embittered associates later claimed that Wilkinson was the mastermind behind the plot of which Burr was accused. In 1805, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson appointed Wilkinson as the first governor of the newly organized Louisiana Territory. He was removed from this office after being publicly criticized for heavy-handed administration and abuse of power. Perhaps in an attempt to save himself, he betrayed Burr's plans to Thomas Jefferson. Wilkinson testified at Burr's trial, resulting in public accusations against him and two congressional inquiries of his private ventures and intrigues. President James Madison ordered his court martial in 1811. He was found not guilty on December 25, 1811. Jump to: navigation, search Vice President Aaron Burr Alternate meaning: Rev. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... Jump to: navigation, search Thomas Jefferson (April 13 (April 2 O.S.), 1743 – July 4, 1826) was the third (1801–1809) President of the United States, second (1797–1801) Vice President, first (1789–1795) United States Secretary of State, and an American statesman, ambassador to France, political philosopher, revolutionary, agriculturalist... The United States in 1810, following the Louisiana Purchase. ... Jump to: navigation, search James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was the fourth (1809–1817) President of the United States. ...

Wilkinson was commissioned a major general in the War of 1812 and in March 1813, Wilkinson and his soldiers occupied Mobile, Alabama in what was then Spanish West Florida. He was then assigned to the St. Lawrence River sector, after Henry Dearborn's reassignment. He led two failed campaigns (Battle of Crysler's Farm and Battle of La Colle Mill) and was relieved from active service, but he was cleared by a military inquiry. He published his memoirs, Memoirs of My Own Times, in 1816 and visited Mexico in pursuit of a Texas land grant in 1821. While waiting for Mexican approval of his Texas scheme, Wilkinson died in Mexico City where he was also buried. Jump to: navigation, search The War of 1812 was a conflict fought on land in North America and at sea around the world between the United States and United Kingdom from 1812 to 1815. ... Nickname: The Azalea City Location in Alabama Founded  -Incorporated 1702 1814  County Mobile County Mayor Mike Dow Area  - Total  - Water 412. ... Map of East and West Florida in the early 1800s. ... The Saint Lawrence River (French fleuve Saint-Laurent) is a large west-to-east flowing river in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... Henry Dearborn Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was an American physician, statesman and veteran of both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. ... The Battle of Cryslers Farm was a battle of the War of 1812 on November 11, 1813. ... Durng the War of 1812, there were two distinct battles know as the Battle of Lacolle Mills: The Battle of Lacolle Mills of 1812 (British Victory) The Battle of Lacolle Mills of 1814 (British Victory) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share... 1816 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... ... 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the name of a megacity located in the Valley of Mexico (Valle de México), a large valley in the high plateaus (altiplano) at the center of Mexico, about 2,240 metres (7,349 feet) above sea-level...

Wilkinson's Spanish involvement, although suspected, was not proven until long after his death following research in Spanish archives.

Wilkinson married Ann Biddle of the famous Biddle family, in 1778 and had four children with her. After Ann's death on March 5, 1810, he married Celeste Laveau Trudeau, with whom he had two children. The American Biddle family yielded several people of interest to history: Nicholas Biddle (1750-1778) Edward Biddle Nicholas Biddle Richard Biddle Charles John Biddle Sydney Biddle Barrows External links University of Delaware Library: Special Collections Department--Biddle Family Papers List of Scull family, which married with the Biddle family; includes...

Quotes about Wilkinson

• At the trial of Aaron Burr, John Randolph declared, "Wilkinson is the only man I ever saw who is from the bark to the very core a villain!"
• Historian Robert Leckie characterized him as "a general who never won a battle or lost a court-martial."
• Historian Frederick Jackson Turner called Wilkinson "the most consummate artist in treason that the nation ever possessed."
• George Rogers Clark biographer Temple Bodley said of Wilkinson, "He had considerable military talent, but used it only for his own gain."

Autographed portrait of John Randolph John Randolph (June 2, 1773 - May 24, 1833) was a Representative and a Senator from Virginia, USA. He was born in Cawsons, Virginia, and was known as John Randolph of Roanoke to distinguish him from relatives. ... There is more than one person with this name: see Robert Leckie (disambiguation). ... A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... Frederick Jackson Turner Frederick Jackson Turner (November 14, 1861–1932) was an American historian. ... George Rogers Clark Painted by Rosemary Brown Beck George Rogers Clark (November 9, 1752–February 13, 1818) was the preeminent American military leader on the northwestern frontier during the American Revolutionary War. ...

External links

• Spaniards, Scoundrels, and Statesmen: General James Wilkinson and the Spanish Conspiracy, 1787-1790
• Handbook of Texas Online
• Commanding Generals and Chiefs of Staff 1775-1995
• Encyclopedia Louisiana