Robert Philson

Robert Philson (c. 1759 - July 25, 1831) was an Irish-American soldier and politician.

Philson was born in County Donegal, Ulster, Ireland, and immigrated to Pennsylvania with his uncle John Fletcher. They kept a store in Berlin, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.

In 1794, Philson was arrested for his involvement in the Whiskey Rebellion. He was sent to Philadelphia for trial, but he and his co-defendant, Herman Husband, were acquitted.^[1]

Philson served as associate judge of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, for twenty years, and also served as a one-term congressman during the 16th United States Congress.

Philson was commissioned a brigadier general of the Second Brigade, Tenth Division, Pennsylvania militia on May 9, 1800. During the War of 1812, he served as a brigadier general of the Second Brigade, Twelfth Division, Pennsylvania Volunteers.

References

^ Wythe Holt, "The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794: A Democratic Working-Class Insurrection". Paper presented at The Georgia Workshop in Early American History and Culture, 2004, p. 79.

Preceded by Alexander Ogle	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district 1819–1821	Succeeded by John Tod

Persondata
Name	Philson, Robert
Alternative names
Short description	American politician
Date of birth	1759
Place of birth
Date of death	1831
Place of death