Charles Harrison (general)
Charles Harrison | |
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Born | 1740 Brigadier General |
Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War
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Other work | Society of the Cincinnati |
Charles Harrison (1740 – 12 December 1793) was born into the noted Harrison family of Virginia. His brother was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and his nephew, William Henry Harrison, later became the America’s 9th president. At the beginning of the American Revolutionary War he became lieutenant in a company of artillery from Virginia. When the state expanded its small artillery battalion into a regiment in November 1776, Harrison was appointed commander with the rank of colonel. Initially named Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment, the unit was renamed the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment in August 1779. He joined George Washington's main army in time to fight at Monmouth. In 1780 he led his gunners at Camden and the following year he commanded Nathanael Greene's artillery at Hobkirk's Hill.
Harrison's regiment
Charles Harrison was born about 1740
On 26 November 1776, Congress authorized Harrison's Continental Artillery Regiment to be made up of 10 companies, including the two existing units. Assigned to the Southern Department, the regiment assembled at Williamsburg, Virginia in the spring and summer of 1777.[5] Harrison was named the regiment's colonel and Edward Carrington was appointed lieutenant colonel.[6] On 13 March 1778 the regiment was ordered to join the main army which was at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.[4]
At the
On 10 August 1779, Harrison's regiment was renamed the 1st Continental Artillery Regiment.[4] After two boards of generals reviewed the seniority of the officers, it was decided that the regiments of John Lamb and John Crane could not claim lineage to Knox's original Continental Artillery Regiment. Therefore, Harrison's regiment became the 1st, Lamb's the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment, Crane's the 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment, and Thomas Proctor's the 4th Continental Artillery Regiment. Meanwhile, three Maryland artillery companies joined Harrison's regiment in 1778 on a provisional basis. They officially merged with the 1st Artillery on 9 May 1780.[11] The 1st Maryland Company became the 11th Company while the 2nd and 3rd Maryland consolidated as the 12th Company.[4]
Southern campaign
Carrington took three batteries of the 1st Regiment south with Johann de Kalb in 1780, but Harrison arrived "unexpectedly" to claim seniority. The two men clashed and the new commander Horatio Gates sent Carrington to reconnoiter crossings of the Dan River.[12] At the Battle of Camden on 16 August 1780, Harrison commanded 100 artillerists and six cannons.[13] Otho Holland Williams recalled that Harrison's guns were massed in the center near the main north-south road. One of Harrison's officers, Captain Anthony Singleton pointed out to Williams that the British troops were about 200 yards (183 m) away and received permission to open fire. The guns of both sides blazed away and produced a fog-like bank of smoke. When the British right wing advanced, the American militiamen on the left panicked and ran away, most without even firing a shot. The Maryland Continentals of the American right and reserve defended themselves stoutly but were enveloped and crushed with heavy losses. De Kalb was mortally wounded in the disastrous defeat.[14]
Harrison commanded
The 1st Regiment was reorganized into 10 companies on 1 January 1780. It was furloughed during the summer of 1783 at
Family
Harrison married Mary Claiborne (19 January 1744 – 25 July 1775) and the couple had six known children. The first child Augustine has unknown birth and death dates. Subsequent children were Charles II (d. 23 November 1796), Mary Herbert (11 September 1766 – 15 January 1833), Benjamin Henry (1770 – 1811), Anne Carter (1744 – 10 March 1830), and Elizabeth Randolph (1 July 1775 – 3 June 1837). Harrison was the uncle of President William Henry Harrison. His brother Benjamin Harrison V was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Harrison died on 12 December 1793.[17]
Notes
- ^ NJ Historical Society, Continental Artillery. This source gave a lifespan from 1740 to 1796.
- ^ JHBL Family Genealogy, Charles Harrison. This source stated that he was born "about 1742".
- ^ Wright, 70-71. The author omits mention of the 4 corporals on page 70 but includes them on page 103.
- ^ a b c d e Wright, 336
- ^ Wright, 335-336
- ^ Wright, 103
- ^ Morrissey, 88. The author did not list how many companies were present.
- ^ Boatner, 719-721
- ^ Boatner, 723
- ^ Society of the Cincinnati, 22
- ^ Wright, 149-150
- ^ Boatner, 184. Boatner's encyclopedia has an entry for Carrington but not for Harrison.
- ^ Boatner, 163
- ^ Boatner, 166-168. Though the author did not list artillery losses, it seems reasonable to assume that all six cannons were lost. Singleton survived to lead a battery at the Battle of Guilford Court House (Boatner, page 461).
- ^ Boatner, 504-505
- ^ Boatner, 506-508
- ^ a b JHBL Family Genealogy, Charles Harrison
References
Printed materials
- Boatner, Mark M. III (1994). Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-0578-1.
- Morrissey, Brendan (2008). Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The last great battle in the North. Long Island City, N.Y.: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-772-7.
- Robert K. Wright Jr. (1989). The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: US Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 60-4.