Arthur St. Clair

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9th President of the United States
in Congress Assembled February 2, 1787 to October 29, 1787

Revolutionary War Major General
By: Stanley L. Klos

Arthur St. Clair was born in Thurso, Scotland on March 23, 1734 and died in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on August 31, 1818. There is much debate over President St. Clair's Lineage and even his year of birth. The Clan Sinclair in U.S.A,. for instance maintains that St. Clair's actual name in Scotland was Sinclair and he was born March 23, 1736 -- (clarified by clicking here).

St. Clair's life, more then any other U.S. President, was comprised of sterling and stark contrasts. Enjoying a great family inheritance in his youth only to end his life in desolate poverty; crossing the Delaware with Washington to capture Trenton and Princeton while later loosing Fort Ticonderoga under his own command; presiding as President of the United States in the Congress Assembled that produced the U.S. Constitution and Northwest Ordinance only to be removed by President Jefferson as Governor of the Northwest Territory for opposing Ohio Statehood.

St. Clair attended the University of Edinburgh and studied medicine, serving part of an apprenticeship with the renowned anatomist, William Hunter. In 1757, St. Clair changed his career path by purchasing a commission as ensign in the 60th Foot Infantry. He came to America with Admiral Edward Boscawen's fleet in 1757 to exchange blows in the War for Empire. He served under General Jeffrey Amherst at the capture of Louisburg on July 26th, 1758. On April 17, 1759 he received a lieutenant's commission and was assigned to the command of General James Wolfe. At the Battle of the Plains, which decided the fate of the French in America, St. Clair took a notable part:

"Then came the fatal struggle on the plains during which Lieutenant St. Clair seized the colors, which had fallen from the hand of a dying soldier, and bore them until the field was won by the British."

One year later on duty in Boston, St. Clair married Phoebe Bayard in May of 1760 at the Trinity Episcopal Church. Phoebe was the daughter of Balthazar Bayard & Mary Bowdoin whose grandfather was James Bowdoin of Boston. In 1762 he resigned his commission and moved to Bedford, Pennsylvania to survey land for the Penn's. By 1764 the couple decided to settle permanently in Ligonier Valley, Pennsylvania. St. Clair purchased land and erected mills, becoming the largest landowner in western Pennsylvania and a prominent British subject.

In 1770 he was made surveyor of the district of Cumberland. He subsequently became a justice of the court, of quarter sessions and of common pleas, a member of the proprietary council, a justice, recorder, and clerk of the orphans' court, and Prothonotary of Bedford and Westmoreland counties. His offices were located in the basement of Bedford's "Espy House" that still stands today. George Washington would later utilize the same home as his Whiskey Rebellion headquarters while St. Clair served as his Northwest Territorial Governor.

As Prothonotary of Bedford County, Pennsylvania, Arthur St. Clair had a wide range of duties. In 1771 no other western Pennsylvania counties existed. Bedford County encompassed present-day counties of Fayette, Westmoreland, Washington, Greene and parts of Beaver, Allegheny, Indiana and Armstrong counties. This September 24th, 1771 Arthur St. Clair to William Allen gives a sampling of what his position entailed in the wild wild west of Colonial America.

September 24th, 1771 Arthur St. Clair to William Allen - Courtesy of the Author

Sir I am sorry to inform you that the Murder of two Six Nation Indians has lately happened in our County. The Murderer is now in our Gaol. I had him taken to Fort Pitt and confined there for a few days that the Indians might see him and know that we were inclined to do them Justice and took the information against him before them. They appeared to be well satisfied with it and declared in their way that their Hearts should still be well towards their Brothers tho' this affair had given them much uneasiness. It has unluckily fallen in a bad Family as the People killed were near Relations to the Chief of the Six Nations in that part of the Country. That you may be the better acquainted with the Circumstances I have inclosed a copy of the Information and you will please to give Order for the Fellows Trial when you think Proper.

From the Appearance of things at first I flatter'd myself this County would soon be brought into good Order, but the Prospect is at present much altered, the People to the westward of the Allegany Mountain forming dangerous Associations to oppose the execution of the Laws. The Sherrif was lately escorted out of a settlement upon the Youghiogeny by a Body of Armed Men and threatned severly if he ever returned to execute his Office till the western line of the Province was run; and a number had the audacity to go to Col. Wilson, who is a Magistrate in that Quarter, and insist on his signing their Association; but he behaved with great spirit. Sized and confined their ring-leader and obliged them to relinquish their Agreement and burn the Paper before his Face. God knows where these things will end. I wish we have not something like the regulating scheme in Carolina. I have enclosed a copy of the Sheriff’s Deposition to Mr. Shippen together with Col. Wilson’s letter to me that he may lay them before Council. I am extremely glad to hear of Mr. Penn and his Lady and Mr. Allen’s safe arrival in England and am with great respect

Sir Your most obedient and very humble Servant

Arthur St. Clair.

September 24th, 1771 Arthur St. Clair to William Allen - Courtesy of the Author

By 1774 Arthur St. Clair had risen in favor and was now the Magistrate as well as Prothonotary in the newly formed Westmoreland County. Colonial Virginia was in a bitter border dispute with the Penn's of Pennsylvania over large parts of the new Pennsylvania County including Fort Pitt.. Peace had reigned at Fort Pitt for 8 years but Britain was still in great debt from the War for Empire. A decision was made to abandon the Fort and in the confusion of the withdrawal, John Connolly quickly garrisoned the three rivers for Virginia:

“appeared on the ground, and having the authority and blessings of Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, took possession of Fort Pitt.”

The Fort, upon Connolly’s seizure, was renamed Fort Dumore in honor of Virginia's Colonial Governor. At the Fort Dunmore, in his official role of Captain Commandant of the Virginia Militia, Connolly issued a proclamation, calling on the people of Western Pennsylvania to meet him, as a militia, on the 25th of January 1774. Arthur St. Clair was the King's magistrate of Westmoreland County that was founded February 26, 1773 and was the first county in the colony of Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny Mountains. Westmoreland County in 1774 included the present-day counties of Fayette, Washington, Greene and parts of Beaver, Allegheny, Indiana and Armstrong counties. St. Clair was appalled by Connolly's seizure and issued a warrant for his arrest. Connolly was arrested the Virginia Captain was imprisoned in the jail at Hannastown the Westmoreland County seat.

In asserting the claims of Virginia, Lord Dumore insisted that Magistrate St. Clair should be punished for his temerity in arresting his Captain by dismissal from office. Governor Penn declined to remove St. Clair instead commending him as a superior magistrate by providing proper legal notice to Mr. Connolly who refused to surrender the Fort.

Mr. St. Clair is a gentleman, who for a long time had the honor of serving his majesty in the regulars with reputation, and in every station of life has preserved the character of a very honest, worthy man; and though, perhaps, I should not, without first expostulating with you on the subject, have directed him to take that step, yet you must excuse my not complying with your Lordship's re1cttisition of stripping hire, on this occasion, of his offices and livelihood, which you will allow me to think not only unreasonable, but somewhat dictatorial.

Counter arrests and much correspondence followed, but the controversy was soon obscured by the stirring events of Lord Dunmore's War. Disturbances were renewed by Connolly on several border fronts and once again he was arrested. The Virginia Colonial Governor ordered the counter arrest of three of the Pennsylvania justices and in an exchange Connolly was released. The Boundary Troubles between Virginia and Pennsylvania were finally settled by the Continental Congress while Arthur St. Clair was commissioned in the Revolutionary War.

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