Thomas Edwards (August 1, 1753 – 1806) was the third

Judge Advocate General of the United States Army The Judge Advocate General of the United States Army (TJAG) is the senior officer of the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, Judge Advocate General's Corps of the United States Army. Under Title 10 of the United States Code, the TJ ...

. Colonel Thomas Edwards was born in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, on 1 August 1753, the son of John and Abigail Edwards. In 1760 he entered

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a Magnet school, magnet Latin schools, Latin Grammar schools, grammar State school, state school in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been in continuous operation since it was established on April 23, 1635. It is the old ...

and upon his graduation therefrom entered

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1771. Subsequent to his graduation from Harvard College he

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

in the office of John Williams of Boston, then a leading practitioner in Massachusetts. He was later admitted to practice in Boston. An ardent patriot, Edwards soon joined the cause of the revolution and on 31 May 1776 was commissioned a lieutenant in the 16th Massachusetts Infantry. The 16th Massachusetts Infantry was considered to be one of the finest regiments of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

. During hostilities Colonel Edwards took part in the Battles of Monmouth and Springfield,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, and Quaker Hill,

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

. When Colonel John Lawrence resigned his position as Judge Advocate General of the Army at the close of the

War of Independence Wars of national liberation, also called wars of independence or wars of liberation, are conflicts fought by nations to gain independence. The term is used in conjunction with wars against foreign powers (or at least those perceived as foreign) ...

, no successor was immediately found for him. On July 9, 1782, Congress elected James Innis of Virginia to the position, but Innis declined it. On July 11, 1782,

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 ...

increased the pay of the Judge Advocate General, fixing it at $75.00 per month, and adding $12.66 per month for subsistence, and an additional $6.66 per month for a servant to whom would also be allowed rations and clothing equivalent to a private in the Army. Besides all this, a two horse wagon and forage for two saddle horses were permitted. On October 2, 1782, Congress elected Lieutenant Thomas Edwards, then of the 9th Massachusetts Infantry, as Judge Advocate General of the Army, with the rank of colonel. According to a history of the role published by the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Edwards "gained notoriety in 1783 as a victim of the accepted and rather unsubtle command influence of the day". He served in the trial of a Major Reid, who was charged with disobedience and "unmilitary conduct" towards

Moses Hazen Moses Hazen (June 1, 1733 – February 5, 1803) was a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, he saw action in the French and Indian War with Rogers' Ra ...

. When Reid was acquitted, Hazen accused Edwards of "neglect, incompetence, and partiality toward the accused". Edwards was cleared by an officers' court convened by

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

.Hazen's complaint to Washington can be read at th
US National Archives
/ref> Colonel Edwards retained his position as Judge Advocate General of the Army until November 3, 1783, when he resigned his position and returned to the practice of law in Boston. In June 1784 the remnants of the Continental Army were disbanded and the permanent standing Army limited to 80 enlisted men and their officers. This tiny force was expanded somewhat in succeeding years but no successor to Colonel Edwards wag appointed prior to the adoption of the

Constitution of the United States The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

. Following his return to civilian life, Colonel Edwards held various municipal offices in the city of Boston. According to ''The Memorials of the Massachusetts

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a lineage society, 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 milita ...

'' (1931), he was "a useful and exemplary citizen and a man of sterling integrity of character... He served as Secretary of the famous Society of the Cincinnati from 1786 until his death in 1806. He had seven children from two marriages.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Thomas Harvard College alumni Continental Army officers from Massachusetts Boston Latin School alumni American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law Massachusetts lawyers 1753 births 1806 deaths