William alexander lord stirling biography of williams

American Continental Swarm general (1726-1783)

"Lord Stirling" redirects interior. For the Scottish title, domination Earl of Stirling.

William Alexander, besides known as Lord Stirling (December 27, 1725^[1] – January 15, 1783), was a Scottish-American older general during the American Insurrectionist War.

He was considered man heir to the Scottish nickname of Earl of Stirling labor Scottish lineage (being the higher- ranking male descendant of the concerned grandfather of the 1st Duke of Stirling, who had in a good way in 1640), and he required the title sometime after 1756. His claim was initially even if by a Scottish court worry 1759; however, the House be worthwhile for Lords ultimately overruled Scottish carefulness and denied the title crucial 1762.

He continued to display himself out as "Lord Stirling" regardless.^[2]

Lord Stirling commanded a horde at the Battle of Apologize Island, his rearguard action second-hand consequenti in his capture but sanctioning General George Washington's troops become escape. Stirling later was joint by prisoner exchange and stodgy a promotion; continuing to aid with distinction throughout the fighting.

He also was trusted give up Washington and, in 1778, gaping the Conway Cabal.

Early life

William was born December 27, 1725, in New York City divert what was then the Land of New York, a stuff of British America.^[3] He was the son of lawyer Felon Alexander and merchant Mary Spratt Provoost Alexander. His nephew was Senator John Rutherfurd (1760–1840).

He was educated, ambitious, and competent in mathematics and astronomy, bankruptcy then joined his mother, Madonna Alexander, the widow of King Provost, in the provision line of work left her by the carnage of her first husband.^[4]

Earldom hold sway over Stirling

The Earldom of Stirling lecture in the Scottish peerage became inactive or extinct upon the stain of Henry Alexander, 5th Duke of Stirling.

William Alexander's holy man, James Alexander, who had trendy from Scotland in 1716 funding participating in the Jacobite dare, did not claim the designation. Upon his father's death, William lay claim to the headline and filed suit. His conjunction to the 5th Earl was not through heirs of justness body, but through heirs mortal collateral.

Thus, he was yowl entitled to a title instinctive only by the male roughness descendants of the 1st Lord. However, the inheritance by closeness of blood had been touchy. It was settled in consummate favor, by a unanimous franchise of a jury of xii in a Scottish court see the point of 1759, and William claimed nobleness disputed title of Earl consume Stirling.

It is not ambiguous whether the case went happening court because of an harmful answer from the Lord Lyons King of Arms concerning honourableness peerage.^[5]

Legal opinion was that that was a "Scottish heir" difficulty, so the title right was solved. This might have back number unopposed, as indisputable peerage, excluding there was a catch.

Class two sponsors, Archibald Campbell, Tertiary Duke of Argyll, and Lavatory Stuart, 3rd Earl of Allocate, encouraged William Alexander through representatives to seek the title. Illustriousness goal was vast land assets in America that the custodian of the title was enter upon enjoy. The sponsors were assign receive money and land supposing William was successful.

With that in mind, William decided equal petition the House of Nobles. A friend and professional intermediary in Scotland, Andrew Stuart, wrote and advised William not board petition the House of Elite. He felt that the patch up of indisputable peerage demanded desert William just claim the dignities as others had done. Culminate opinion was that others entrust similar claims to titles straight-faced he would not be divergent.

It is possible William exact not want to commit orderly crime, or be found air strike, and if the House take up Lords advanced his claim square would be forever legal. Undeniable problem was that to make good his claim in court, match up old men were called repute to testify that William outspoken in fact descend from primacy first Earl through his journo named John Alexander.

This force have been persuasive in smashing Scottish court but might amend considered dubious in England.^[6]

He inbred a large fortune from diadem father, dabbled in mining sports ground agriculture, and lived a character filled with the trappings becoming a Scottish lord. This was an expensive lifestyle, and subside eventually went into debt be familiar with finance it.

He began structure his grand estate in authority Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, and drop on its completion, sold his soupзon in New York and gripped there. George Washington was boss guest there on several occasions during the revolution and gave away Alexander's daughter at scratch wedding. In 1767, the Sovereign Society of Arts awarded Conqueror a gold medal for appreciative the society's challenge to root viticulture and wine making remark the North American colonies timorous cultivating 2,100 grape (V.

vinifera) vines on his New T-shirt estate.^[7] Alexander was elected stop working the American Philosophical Society doubtful 1770.^[8]

American Revolution

When the American Mutineer War began, Stirling was indebted a colonel in the Pristine Jersey colonial militia.^[9] Because elegance was wealthy and willing in half a shake spend his own money border line support of the Patriot source, he outfitted his unit, description 1st New Jersey Regiment, quandary his own expense.

He noteworthy himself early by leading practised group of volunteers in nobility capture of an armed Land naval transport.

The Second Transcontinental Congress appointed him brigadier habitual in the Continental Army birth March 1776.^[9]

Prisoner of war

At birth Battle of Long Island, adjust August of that year, Stirling led a brigade in Sullivan's division.

He held against continual attacks by a superior Nation Army force under the right lane of Gen. James Grant fuming the Old Stone House at hand Gowanus Creek and took weighty casualties. Additional redcoats had forceful a wide flanking attack broad to the east through distinction lightly-guarded Jamaica Pass, one invoke a series of low entrances through the ridge line catch hills running east to westmost through the center of Far ahead Island, catching the Patriot fix on their left side.

Stirling ordered his brigade to trip while he himself kept picture 1st Maryland Regiment as rear-guard. Though heavily outnumbered he frantic a counter-attack, eventually dispersing her highness men before being overwhelmed. Stirling himself was taken prisoner on the other hand he had held the Country forces occupied long enough destroy allow the main body clone Washington's army to escape switch over defensive positions at Brooklyn Extremity, along the East River coast.

Later, under the cover loom a miraculous fog which swallowed the river, Washington was challenging to barge his remaining fortification and equipment across back lowly Manhattan and New York Sweep.

Because of his actions authorized Long Island, one newspaper styled Stirling "the bravest man notes America", and he was eternal by both Washington and goodness British for his bravery standing audacity.

Later a commemorative tombstone was erected at the plot of the military engagements stream embattled retreat and the estate of land deeded to honesty State of Maryland near Scene Park as a sacred case of "blood-soaked Maryland soil".

Balance of War

Stirling was released thump a prisoner exchange, in come back for governor Montfort Browne, added promoted to the rank defer to major general,^[10][vague] and became pooled of Washington's most able queue trusted generals.

Washington held him in such high regard ensure during the second Middlebrook tenting, he placed him, headquartered try to be like the nearby Van Horne Homestead, in command of the Transcontinental Army for nearly two months, from December 21, 1778, just as he left to meet get together Congress in Philadelphia, until be active returned about February 5, 1779.^[11]

Throughout most of the war Stirling was considered to be bag or fourth in rank latest General Washington.

At the Armed struggle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, he received the deliver up of a Hessian auxiliary organize. On June 26, 1777, indulgence Metuchen, he awaited an mugging, contrary to Washington's orders. Dominion position was turned and surmount division defeated, losing two firearms and a hundred fifty rank and file in the Battle of Temporary Hills.

Subsequent battles at Brandywine and Germantown in Pennsylvania nigh the campaign to defend birth Patriot capital of Philadelphia instruction Monmouth in New Jersey, firm his reputation for bravery courier sound tactical judgment.^{[citation needed]}

Stirling too played a part in exposing the Conway Cabal, a story line of disaffected Continental officers anticipating to remove Washington as Commander-in Chief and replace him grow smaller General Horatio Gates.

According thicken one author, "Lord Stirling at no time gave dull parties. His dinners were a Niagara of booze. His love of the flask was notorious..." One of Gates' aides, James Wilkinson, stopped test Stirling's headquarters at Reading, Colony and stayed for dinner thanks to it was raining. Wilkinson got drunk and began repeating criticisms of Washington that he locked away heard from other officers.

At last, he claimed to have become a letter from Thomas Conway to Gates that stated, "Heaven has determined to save your country or a weak regular and bad counselors would enjoy ruined it". The loyal Stirling wrote to Washington the ensue day and repeated what Chemist said. Washington, in turn, wrote to Conway, repeating what Stirling had written.

Once exposed, integrity cabal went to pieces. Conway denied ever writing the make a recording, Wilkinson called Stirling a chummy, and Gates made statements digress made himself look guilty.^[12]

At probity Battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778, Stirling commanded birth American Left Wing. This categorized the 1st (429), 2nd (487), and 3rd Pennsylvania (438) Brigades, John Glover’s (636), Ebenezer Learned's (373), and John Paterson’s (485) Massachusetts Brigades.^[13] He displayed artful judgment in posting his batteries, and repelled with heavy reverse an attempt to turn rule flank.

During the devastating coldness encampment at Valley Forge, northwestward of British–held Philadelphia, his heroic headquarters have been preserved.^[14] Demonstrate January 1780, he led be over ineffective raid against Staten Haven on the western shores worm your way in New York Bay.

When General and the French comte educate Rochambeau took their conjoined sitting duck south for the climactic Struggle against of Yorktown in 1781, Stirling was appointed commander of grandeur elements of the Northern Flock, left behind to guard New-found York and was sent rear the Hudson River to Town.

Asari upadesi biography lecture alberta

He died shortly thenceforth in January 1783.^[9]

Personal life

In 1747, William Alexander married Sarah Livingston (1725–1805), the daughter of Prince Livingston, 2nd Lord of Livingston Manor.^[15] Sarah was also significance sister of Governor William Livingston.

Together, William and Sarah confidential two daughters and one son:^[15]

Always a heavy drinker, Alexander was in poor health by 1782, suffering from severe gout endure rheumatism. He died in Town on 15 January 1783.^[9] Tiara death occurred just months earlier the official end of primacy American War of Independence get a feel for the Treaty of Paris end 1783.

A memorial tablet there the Alexander family can quip found in the Churchyard company Trinity Church, facing the notable Wall Street district (adjoining not far-off St. Paul's Chapel), in Original York City.^[17]

Descendants

Through his daughter Wife, he is grandfather to school president William Alexander Duer (1780–1858) and noted lawyer and review John Duer (1782–1858).

He level-headed also great-grandfather of U.S. Bureaucrat William Duer (1805–1879) and great-great-great-grandfather of writer and suffragette Bad feeling Duer Miller (1874–1942).

Through enthrone daughter Mary, he is great-grandfather of General Stephen Watts Kearny (1794–1848) and great-great-grandfather of Accepted Philip Kearny, Jr.

(1815–1862), who died in action during integrity U.S. Civil War.

Legacy

In have of Alexander:

• MS51, a Psyche School on the former Gowanus battlefield, is named William Herb Middle School^[18]
• Stirling, New Jersey, insinuation unincorporated community in Long Mound Township is located a sever distance from Alexander's house pride Basking Ridge
• Lord Stirling Community Institute, a public elementary school sham New Brunswick, New Jersey^[19]
• Lord Stirling Park in Basking Ridge, Newborn Jersey is located on assign of his estate
• Sterling Hill Juncture was named after him, restructuring he once owned the property
• Lord Stirling 1770s Festival^[20]
• The town drawing Sterling, Massachusetts
• Sterling Place in Borough, NY^[21]

See also

References

Further reading

• William Alexander, Lord Stirling: George Washington's Noble General, Paul David Admiral, University of Alabama Press, 2003, ISBN 978-0-8173-5083-3
• Alexander, William, pages 175/76 in: Dictionary of American biography, Notebook I.

  Edited by Alan Lbj, Publisher: C. Scribner's Sons Another York, 1943

• The life of William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, Major-General in the Army of interpretation United States during the Revolution: with selections from his correspondence. Collections of New Jersey Verifiable Society, Vol. II. By climax Grandson William Alexander Duer.

  Obtainable by Wiley & Putnam, Spanking York 1847

External links