Duncan McArthur (1772April 29, 1839) was a military officer and a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

and National Republican politician from

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

. He served as the 11th

governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...

. When first elected to state office as a representative, he was serving in the state militia during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. He was later appointed as brigadier general in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the Army of the Northwest, serving through 1817 and negotiating the

Treaty of Fort Meigs The Treaty of Fort Meigs, also called the Treaty of the Maumee Rapids, formally titled, "Treaty with the Wyandots, etc., 1817", was the most significant Indian treaty by the United States in Ohio since the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. It result ...

of 1817 to ratify peace and land cessions with Native American tribes.

Biography

Sources vary as to McArthur's exact birthdate. It has been given as January 14, 1772, or June 14, 1772. He was born to Scottish immigrants in

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later org ...

in the

Province of New York The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...

, McArthur grew up in western

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and later moved to

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, where he was employed as an Indian ranger. McArthur and his friend

Alexander McGuffey Alexander McGuffey (November 22, 1767 – March 1, 1855), was a Scottish American scout on the Northwest Territory, Ohio frontier during the Northwest Indian War. He was the father of William Holmes McGuffey, William Holmes and Alexander Hamilton ...

volunteered in 1790 at Fort Pitt for expeditions against Native Americans during the

Northwest Indian War The Northwest Indian War (1785–1795), also known by other names, was an armed conflict for control of the Northwest Territory fought between the United States and a united group of Native Americans in the United States, Native American na ...

, serving as a scout under Generals

Josiah Harmar Josiah Harmar (November 10, 1753August 20, 1813) was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolutionary War and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for six years and seven months (August 1784 to ...

and

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and a Founding Father of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military expl ...

. McArthur obtained a position with Nathaniel Massie in 1793, and worked with Massie on a surveying expedition in the Northwest Territory. In 1796, he worked with Massie to lay out the new town of

Chillicothe, Ohio Chillicothe ( ) is a city in Ross County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 22,059 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Scioto River 45 miles (72 km) south of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, ...

, which was to become the state capital in 1803. McArthur moved across the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

in 1797 to Chillicothe, where he gained wealth by his land speculations in the Northwest Territory.

Career in the War of 1812

McArthur was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from Ohio's 3rd congressional district while serving in the state

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

during the

. He never qualified for office as he preferred to continue serving in the military.

Using deception in the First American Invasion of Canada

He was appointed colonel of Ohio volunteers and was second-in-command to General

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American military officer and politician. A veteran of the American Revolutionary War, he later served as governor of the Michigan Territory (1805–1813), where he negotiated land cessi ...

Fort Detroit A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

. In July 1812, General

was at

as the British fortified a defensive position across the

Detroit River The Detroit River is an List of international river borders, international river in North America. The river, which forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ont ...

Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...

. Hull decided to move the British to

Fort Malden Fort Malden, formally known as Fort Amherstburg, is a defence fortification located in Amherstburg, Ontario. It was built in 1795 by Great Britain in order to ensure the security of British North America against any potential threat of Americ ...

, further away from

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, so that he could seize the defenses in Windsor. To implement his plan, Hull resorted to deception, which began when his troops collected all the boats and canoes they could find. On 11 July 1812, Hull sent some boats down the river to Springwells, south of Detroit, in full view of the British. At the same time, the American regiment commanded by Duncan McArthur marched from Detroit to Springwells, also observed by the British. With the British now anticipating an American crossing south of Detroit, a second American force moved north in the dark until they reached Bloody Run, a crossing point a mile and a half north of Fort Detroit and opposite the Ontario town of

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

. Finding no activity at Springwells, the British believed the Americans had already crossed the river and marched on Fort Malden. Assuming Fort Malden was vulnerable, the British troops in Sandwich marched south, and in the morning the Americans at Bloody Run crossed to Sandwich unopposed. After landing in Sandwich, the Americans then marched from Sandwich to Windsor and seized the British defensive works.

Duncan McArthur’s deep penetration raid into Thames

It was July 13, 1812. The American militia and regulars were conducting paramilitary operations in their invasion of Canada. American intelligence claimed they found a group of enemy Indian fighters. American militia commander Duncan McArthur with one hundred American militiamen went in pursuit. The American militia chased the enemy fighters and fell upon their rear. The enemy Indian fighters dispersed into the woods and escaped. Duncan McArthur was about to return, when Captain Smith of the Detroit dragoons overtook him with orders to push forward into enemy territory to the settlements on the Thames in search of provisions. McArthur obeyed and penetrated as far as the Moravian towns, sixty miles from its mouth. There was a house McArthur encountered in his raid in Thames. The owner had fled, but the house was guarded by a file of British soldiers. The group of British soldiers were captured, disarmed, and paroled. McArthur and his militia raiding force seized the boats along the stream and loaded them with enemy supplies they commandeered. On July 17, 1812, McArthur and his militia raiding force returned to an American base camp with about 200 barrels of flour, 400 blankets, and a quite large quantity of military stores. These were chiefly public property, collected for the British troops at Malden and yet American commander Hull gave a receipt for the whole, public and private.

Engagement at bridge near Fort Malden

On July 19, 1812. American Colonel Duncan McArthur with a recon force combined with 150 Ohio infantry troops under Colonel

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...

are near the bridge leading to Fort Malden. Two British artillery guns fire on the Americans and take out an American cannon. Cass and his fellow Americans capture two British troops after they cross the bridge. All the Americans withdraw with their prisoners safely.

Surrender of Detroit

He and Colonel

were not present at Detroit when Hull surrendered and were greatly angered to hear that Hull had included both of them in the capitulation. When a British officer notified him of the surrender, McArthur is said to have torn off his epaulettes and broke his sword in a fit of rage, although historians note similar stories were told about other officers as well. The British paroled him and McArthur returned to Ohio.

Enlisting in the U.S. Army

He was appointed a brigadier general in the

. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the Army of the Northwest following Harrison's resignation.

Duncan McArthur’s raid

Duncan McArthur conducted a cavalry raid deep into Thames Valley. Duncan's objective was to devastate the settlement's food supplies which was mainly flour. Duncan and 700 riflemen mounted on horses conducted their raid in October. Duncan and his mounted riflemen inflicted massive damage on infrastructure, burned many flour mills, surprised Canadian militia in separate engagements, and took provisions. McArthur's mounted riflemen raided multiple population centers. McArthur's raiders killed 18 Canadian militiamen, wounded 9 militiamen, and captured 126 Canadian militia soldiers. McArthur avoided contact with the main British army. After completing his raid, McArthur and his mounted riflemen withdrew back to American lines safely. The American raiders suffered only 1 killed and 6 wounded.Ernest A. Cruickshank, ''The County of Norfolk in the War of 1812'', in Zaslow, p.237Ernest A. Cruickshank, ''The County of Norfolk in the War of 1812'', in Zaslow, p.238

End of War of 1812

McArthur did not face much action any further, but he was engaged in negotiating treaties with the Indians. In 1817, he was one of two commissioners (along with

) who negotiated the

, which was signed September 29 of that year with several Native American tribes.

Serving in the House of Representatives

McArthur served intermittently thereafter in the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

and

Ohio State Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such t ...

. He was elected and served a single term from 1823 to 1825 in the

before winning election to the governorship in 1830. McArthur served a single term and did not seek re-election.

Death

McArthur was buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe,

Ross County, Ohio Ross County is a county in the Appalachian region of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 77,093. Its county seat is Chillicothe, the first and third capital of Ohio. Established on August 20, 1798, ...

, US. The trust established in his will later became the subject of litigation that went before the U.S. Supreme Court in '' McArthur v. Scott''.

Legacy

The small village of

McArthur, Ohio McArthur is a village in and the county seat of Vinton County, Ohio, United States. It is located southeast of Chillicothe. The population was 1,783 at the 2020 census. History McArthur was laid out and platted in 1815. It was originally cal ...

, the seat of Vinton County, is named for him. McArthur founded the city of

Greenfield, Ohio Greenfield is a village in Highland County, Ohio, Highland and Ross County, Ohio, Ross counties, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,339. History Greenfield was named for its rural appearance, and was founded by Gene ...

in 1799. Greenfield is located at N39 21.11958 W83 22.96284 (GPS coordinates), about 21 miles due west of Chillicothe. State Route 28, which runs between Greenfield and Chillicothe, in 1973 was named as General Duncan McArthur Highway per act of the 113th Ohio General Assembly.

References

External links

National Governors Association
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McArthur, Duncan 1772 births 1839 deaths American militiamen in the War of 1812 American people of the Northwest Indian War American people of Scottish descent Burials at Grandview Cemetery (Chillicothe, Ohio) Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Governors of Ohio Members of the Ohio House of Representatives National Republican Party state governors of the United States Ohio Federalists Ohio National Republicans Ohio state senators Politicians from Dutchess County, New York Politicians from Chillicothe, Ohio Presidents of the Ohio Senate Speakers of the Ohio House of Representatives United States Army generals United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 People from Dutchess County, New York 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly