James Potter
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- For the Harry Potter character, see James and Lily Potter.
James Potter (1729–1789), of Scottish descent and born in County Tyrone, (now in Northern Ireland), was an American soldier, farmer, and politician from Pennsylvania. He came to Colonial America with his father, John Potter, in 1741, and the family settled in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where his father becoming high sheriff in 1750. As a militia lieutenant for Northumberland County where he made his home, James Potter took part in the Kittanning Expedition during the French and Indian War and reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel by the end of the war. He also served during Pontiac's Rebellion. In 1776, he served as a colonel and as a member of the first Pennsylvania State Constitutional Convention.
During the American Revolutionary War, he led militia troops at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine and Germantown. In April, 1777, he was promoted to brigadier-general of Pennsylvania troops. In 1777, with the troops under his command in the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, and Delaware, he obtained important information for George Washington, and prevented supplies from reaching the enemy. On 11 December, while the army under Washington was on its way to Valley Forge, after part of it had crossed the Schuylkill River at Matson's Ford, it was found that the enemy under Cornwallis were in force on the other side. "They were met," writes Washington, "by General Potter, with part of the Pennsylvania Militia, who behaved with great bravery, and gave them every possible opposition until he was obliged to retreat from their superior numbers." In the spring of 1778, Washington wrote from Valley Forge: "If the state of General Potter's affairs will admit of his returning to the army, I shall be exceedingly glad to see him, as his activity and vigilance have been much wanted during the winter." Potter had left the army because his wife had become ill.
In 1780, he was elected to Pennsylvania's Council of Censors. The next year, he was chosen the council's vice-president (the equivalent of lieutenant-governor). In 1782, he lost a race against John Dickinson for president of the council.
Potter was named a major-general of the militia in 1782, and, in 1785, became deputy surveyor in Northumberland County. He died in Centre County four years later in 1789.
His first wife was Elizabeth Cathcart of Philadelphia, and his second wife was Mary Patterson Chambers, daughter of James Patterson of Mifflin County.
Many place names in Pennsylvania, such as Potter County and Potter's Mills, were named after him.[1]
Some letters between George Washington and James Potter survive to this day.
