John Paterson (often spelled Patterson) (1744 – July 19, 1808) was a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, and a U.S. Congressman from New York.

Early life

Paterson was born in 1744 in either

Farmington Farmington may refer to: Places Canada *Farmington, British Columbia * Farmington, Nova Scotia (disambiguation) United States *Farmington, Arkansas *Farmington, California *Farmington, Connecticut *Farmington, Delaware * Farmington, Georgia * ...

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the D ...

in the

Connecticut Colony The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...

. His mother was Ruth (Bird) Paterson, and his father

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

John Paterson (1708–1762), was a militia veteran of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

, who died during the

Siege of Havana The siege of Havana was a successful British siege against Spanish-ruled Havana that lasted from March to August 1762, as part of the Seven Years' War. After Spain abandoned its former policy of neutrality by signing the family compact with Fr ...

. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1762, studied law, attained admission to the bar, and practiced in New Britain. He was a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the s ...

in New Britain until 1774, when he moved to

Lenox, Massachusetts Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The town is based in Western Massachusetts and part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,095 at the 202 ...

. Paterson was elected to the Lenox board of selectmen and as a town

assessor An assessor may be: * ''Assessor'' (fish), a genus of fishes * Assessor (law), the assistant to a judge or magistrate * Assessor (Oxford), a senior officer of the University of Oxford * Assessor (property) Tax assessment, or assessment, is t ...

. The town's proprietor's also chose him to serve as their clerk, which required him to maintain records of land transactions and ownership. He was elected to represent Lenox in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

in both 1774 and 1775. He also represented Lenox at the 1774 Berkshire Convention, held in

Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridge is ...

to discuss how to respond to the

Boston Port Act The Boston Port Act, also called the Trade Act 1774, was an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which became law on March 31, 1774, and took effect on June 1, 1774. It was one of five measures (variously called the ''Intole ...

. When the governor dissolved the legislature as pre-revolution tensions continued to rise, the people of Massachusetts formed a provincial Congress. Paterson was elected as Lenox's representative in both 1774 and 1775.

American Revolution

When the

began in April 1775 Paterson was commissioned as a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

by the Massachusetts Committee of Safety, and he marched with his

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

unit to take part in the

Siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular town ...

. Paterson's command, the

1st Massachusetts Regiment The 1st Massachusetts Regiment was an infantry unit of the Continental Army that fought during the American Revolutionary War. It was first authorized on 23 April 1775 in the Massachusetts State Troops as Paterson's Regiment under Colonel John ...

saw action at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

. After the British evacuation of Boston, Paterson's regiment took part in the Invasion of Canada and the battles of Trenton and

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

. On February 21, 1777 Paterson was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointe ...

in the

. During the

Saratoga Campaign The Saratoga campaign in 1777 was an attempt by the British high command for North America to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley during the American Revolutionary War. It ended in the surrender of the British ...

of 1777 Paterson commanded a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

Horatio Gates Horatio Lloyd Gates (July 26, 1727April 10, 1806) was a British-born American army officer who served as a general in the Continental Army during the early years of the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory in the Battl ...

' army, consisting of the

10th 10 (ten) is the even natural number following 9 and preceding 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the first double-digit number. The re ...

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first atteste ...

, 12th, and

14th Massachusetts Regiment The 14th Massachusetts Regiment was raised on September 16, 1776, under Colonel Gamaliel Bradford at Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment would see action at the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Monmouth. The regiment was disbanded on Janua ...

s, and the 1st Berkshire County Militia Regiment. Paterson served under

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

at the

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, co ...

in 1778. He served primarily in the

Hudson Valley The Hudson Valley (also known as the Hudson River Valley) comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in the U.S. state of New York. The region stretches from the Capital District including Albany and Troy south to ...

of New York until the end of the war. In September 1783, he received promotion to

, and he was discharged in December 1783. Paterson was one of the last generals to leave active duty at the end of the war. While Paterson served in New York in 1782 and 1783, his personal staff included

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Robert Shirtliff of the

4th Massachusetts Regiment The 4th Massachusetts Regiment also known as 3rd Continental Regiment or Learned's Regiment, was raised on April 23, 1775, by Colonel Ebenezer Learned outside Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New Yo ...

, who served as a waiter. Shirtliff (also spelled Shirtliffe or Shurtleff) was later revealed to be

Deborah Sampson Deborah Sampson Gannett, also known as Deborah Samson or Deborah Sampson, was born on December 17, 1760 in Plympton, Massachusetts. She disguised herself as a man, and served in the Continental Army under the name Robert Shirtliff – sometimes s ...

, a woman who had disguised herself as a man in order to join the

. Rather than reprimand her, as had often been the case with women discovered in the ranks, Paterson provided her with a certificate of honorable discharge, a note with words of encouragement, and money sufficient to pay for travel to her home in Massachusetts. In January 1783, Paterson took part in the organizational meeting that created the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

, and he was one of the society's charter members.

Return to Massachusetts

After the war Paterson returned to Massachusetts, where he resumed practicing law, and also served in local offices including town meeting moderator, selectman,

fence viewer A fence viewer is a town or city official who administers fence laws by inspecting new fences and settles disputes arising from trespass by livestock that have escaped enclosure. The office of fence viewer is one of the oldest appointments in New E ...

, tax assessor, and highway surveyor. In addition, he was the leader of the successful movement to locate the

Berkshire County Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded ...

seat in Lenox. (It was moved to

Pittsfield Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield ...

in 1860.) In 1785, he was again elected to represent Lenox in the state House of Representatives. In 1786, he was commissioned as a major general in the Massachusetts Militia, and assigned to command the militia's 9th Division. In 1786 and 1787, Paterson commanded militia units that took part in the quelling of Shays's Rebellion.

Move to New York

John Paterson memorial tablet, Lenox, Massachusetts

In 1790, Paterson was one of the investors in the Boston Patent, a large land grant in Broome and Tioga Counties, New York. In 1791, he moved to Lisle, a newly-organized town in Tioga County. He was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

1793 The French Republic introduced the French Revolutionary Calendar starting with the year I. Events January–June * January 7 – The Ebel riot occurs in Sweden. * January 9 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard becomes the first to fl ...

. The area of Lisle where Paterson settled was later organized as the town of

Triangle A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- colline ...

; the site of his home and farm was in what is now the village of Whitney Point. In 1798, Paterson was appointed judge of the Tioga County Court, and he served until 1806. When Broome County was organized separately from Tioga in 1806, Paterson was appointed judge of the new county's court. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Deborah Sampson published a memoir and made a lecture tour in which she gave presentations about her military service. Her tour took her to New York, and from November to December 1802, she visited Paterson in Lisle. While she stayed with Paterson, Sampson was able to take part in reunions with other former Massachusetts soldiers who had settled in the area of the Boston Patent. In 1802, Paterson was a successful

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

candidate for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. He served in the

8th United States Congress The 8th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1803 ...

(March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805), and was not a candidate for reelection in 1804.

Death and burial

Paterson died in Lisle on July 19, 1808. He was originally interred at Riverside Cemetery in Whitney Point. In 1892 he was reburied at Church on the Hill Cemetery in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Family

In 1766, Paterson married Elizabeth Lee. They were the parents of seven children, including: * Josiah Lee (1766–1846), who married Clarissa Hyde * Hannah (1769–1803), the wife of Azariah Egleston * Polly (1773–1790) * Ruth (1774–1842), the wife of Ira Seymour * Betsey (1784–1784) * John Pierce (1787–1842), who married Sally Osborn * Mariah (1790–1865), the wife of Samuel Kilborn Congressman

Thomas J. Paterson Thomas Jefferson Paterson, sometimes misspelled Patterson, (April 10, 1805 – February 15, 1885), was a U.S. Representative from New York. Paterson was born in Lisle, New York Lisle is a town in Broome County, New York, United States. Th ...

(1805–1885) and State Senator

John E. Paterson John Egleston Paterson (born March 17, 1800 in Lisle, Broome County, New York; died before 1885) was an American farmer, lawyer and politician from New York. Life He was the son of Josiah Lee Paterson (1766–1846), a farmer, and Clarissa (Hyde) ...

(born 1800) were Paterson's grandsons. Scientist and academic

Thomas Egleston Thomas Egleston (December 9, 1832 – January 15, 1900) was an American engineer who helped found Columbia University's School of Mines, now the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. Throughout his lifetime, Egleston publi ...

was his great-grandson.

References

Sources

Books

* * * * *

Magazines

Newspapers

External links

John Paterson
at Virtual American Biographies * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Paterson, John 1744 births 1808 deaths Yale College alumni American militia generals Continental Army generals Continental Army officers from Massachusetts Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Connecticut lawyers Massachusetts lawyers New York (state) lawyers Members of the New York State Assembly Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) New York (state) state court judges Politicians from New Britain, Connecticut People from Lenox, Massachusetts People from Lisle, New York Burials in Massachusetts