Philemon Dickinson (April 5, 1739February 4, 1809) was an American

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, ...

from Trenton,

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 ...

. As a brigadier general of the

New Jersey militia The New Jersey Line was a formation within the Continental Army. A "New Jersey Line" was the quota of numbered infantry regiments that the Congress of the Confederacy assigned to New Jersey at various times. New Jersey Line, 1776 The first two ...

, he was one of the most effective militia officers of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He was also a

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

man from Delaware and a

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

from New Jersey.

Background

Philemon Dickinson was born at "Crosiadore," near Trappe, Maryland on April 5, 1739, a younger brother of

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

John Dickinson John Dickinson (November 13 Julian_calendar">/nowiki>Julian_calendar_November_2.html" ;"title="Julian_calendar.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Julian calendar">/nowiki>Julian calendar November 2">Julian_calendar.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Julian calendar" ...

. When he was one, his family moved to

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

. He was educated by a private tutor until he went to the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

, from where he graduated in 1759. He then studied

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, and was admitted to the

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, but never practiced. In 1767, Dickinson moved to Trenton to an estate called " The Hermitage". On July 14, 1767, he married his first cousin, Mary Cadwalader (1746–1781). They had two children; Samuel (1770–1837) and Mary (1768–1822).

Military service

Dickinson served as an officer during the

, rising to the rank of

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 New Jersey Militia. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1775 he was commissioned 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 ...

of the

Hunterdon County Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county,Somerset Court House, New Jersey, capturing about forty wagons of supplies and several prisoners. In June 1777 he was appointed major general in command of all New Jersey militia, a post he held throughout the rest of the war. In November 1777 Dickinson led 1,400 men in a raid on

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. While the attack was expected by

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British C ...

General

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and repulsed, Dickinson's party killed five and took 24 prisoners. Dickinson took several

New Jersey Volunteers The New Jersey Volunteers, also known as Jersey Volunteers, "Skinners", Skinner's Corps, and Skinner's Greens (due to their green wool uniform coats), were a British provincial military unit of Loyalists, raised for service by Cortlandt Skinner, ...

prisoner, including Lieutenant

Jacob Van Buskirk Jacob Van Buskirk (1760 – November 27, 1834) was a merchant, judge and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Shelburne County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1805 to 1818. He was born in Bergen County, New Jersey, the ...

, Lieutenant Edward Earle and Surgeon John Hammell. Dickinson's militia took part in 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, helping obstruct the retreat of the British to New York. When his cousin John Cadwalader dueled General

Thomas Conway Thomas Conway (February 27, 1735 – c. 1800) served as a major general in the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He became involved with the alleged Conway Cabal with Horatio Gates. He later served with Émigré for ...

on July 4, 1778, Dickinson was Cadwalader's second.

Post Revolution Public Service

In 1782 and 1783, he represented Delaware at the

. In 1783-84 he was elected to the

New Jersey Legislative Council The New Jersey Legislative Council was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776 until it was replaced by the New Jersey Senate under the Constitution of 1844. History The Legislative Council replaced ...

from Hunterdon County where he served as

Vice-President of Council The Vice-President of Council of the New Jersey Legislature would succeed the Governor (who was the President of the Council) if a vacancy occurred in that office. List of past vice-presidents of Council The following is a list of past vice-preside ...

both years. He was a member of the commission that selected the site for the national capital in Washington, D.C. in 1784. When William Paterson resigned from the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

, Dickinson was chosen by New Jersey to finish Paterson's term. He served in the senate from November 13, 1790 to March 3, 1793.

Death

After his service in

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, he returned to look after his estates until he died on February 4, 1809 at his home, and was buried at Friends Burying Ground in Trenton. Philemom Dickinson

References

Bibliography

External links

Philemon Dickinson
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations ...

*
Biographical sketch at Virtualology.com
(under his brother,

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Dickinson, Philemon 1739 births 1809 deaths People from Talbot County, Maryland People of colonial Maryland People of colonial New Jersey American people of English descent Continental Congressmen from Delaware Pro-Administration Party United States senators from New Jersey Members of the New Jersey Legislative Council People from Kent County, Delaware Politicians from Trenton, New Jersey University of Pennsylvania alumni New Jersey militiamen in the American Revolution Militia generals in the American Revolution Burials in New Jersey