James Winchester
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James Winchester (February 26, 1752-July 26, 1826) was a Brigadier General during the War of 1812 and commanding officer of American forces during the River Raisin massacre. He was a very important General in the War of 1812.
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[edit] Early life
Born in Carroll County, Maryland, Winchester enlisted in the Maryland militia serving with Gen. Hugh Mercer's Flying Camp battalion during the early months of the American Revolution, however was later captured by British forces during Gen. John Sullivan's failed attempt to capture Staten Island on August 22, 1777. Held a prisoner of war for almost a year, Winchester was released following a prisoner exchange and commissioned a lieutenant in the 3rd Maryland Regiment in May 1778. Taken prisoner again during the surrender of Charlestown, South Carolina on May 12, 1780, Winchester was later released in December of that year. Promoted to Captain shortly after returning to duty, Winchester served under to Gen. Nathaniel Greene remaining under his command until the end of the war following the Battle of Yorktown in October 1781.
[edit] Post war career
Moving to present day central Tennessee in 1785, then a frontier district of North Carolina, Winchester joined the local militia eventually becoming a Brigadier General. Elected to Tennessee's first State Legislature during the establishment of the state's government in 1796, Winchester would remain one of the state's most politically and economically influential statesmen during the next decade.
[edit] War of 1812
Shortly before war with England, Winchester was officially commissioned Brigadier General in the US Army in March 1812. Within five months, Winchester was in command of the Army of the Northwest, consisting of several regiments camped near Cincinnati. That same month however, conflict over command resulted in Gen. William Henry Harrison taking command of his forces, through a militia commission from Kentucky, in an expedition against Fort Wayne. Although Winchester's command was confirmed by military authorities in early September, he was forced to surrender command to Harrison several days later (having been recently been commissioned Major General of Regulars).
Later that month, Winchester commanded one wing of his remaining army to Fort Defiance and, after engaging in several skirmishes with British and local native forces, he encamped at the Maumee Rapids (present day Toledo, Ohio) in December 1812.
[edit] River Raisin Massacre
In mid-January 1813, Winchester led a force in an attempt to recapture Frenchtown (present day Monroe, Michigan) and was attacked on January 22, 1813 by a combined British-Indian force under Col. Henry Procter. After the capture of Winchester and a large number of soldiers during the first assault, Winchester agreed to a conditional surrender in exchange for "a pledge of protection". However, despite the surrender agreement, Indians under British command killed hundreds of unarmed American soldiers.
Imprisoned in Canada for more than a year, Winchester was again released in a prisoner exchange and commanded the District of Mobile for the duration of the war. Resigning his commission in March 1815, Winchester returned to Tennessee and, in 1819, served on the state commission to regulate the Tennessee-Missouri boundary. Winchester, along with Andrew Jackson and John Overton, founded the city of Memphis, Tennessee on May 22, 1819.
He died in Gallatin, Tennessee on July 26, 1826.
[edit] References
- McHenry, Robert. Webster's American Military Biographies, Springfield, Mass.: G & C. Merriam Co., 1978.
