Illustration depicting the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

John B McClelland (1740 – 1782) was a soldier in the American Revolutionary War. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" He was captured by American Indians during the Crawford Expedition and tortured to death at the Shawnee town of Wakatomika. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Background When the American Revolutionary War began in 1775 the Ohio River marked a tenuous border between the American colonies and the American Indians of the Ohio Wakatomika was the name of two 18th century Shawnee villages in what is now the U

McClelland was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and after moving to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, lived in that part which fell within Fayette County, Pennsylvania on its organization in 1783. Lancaster County Pennsylvania, known as the Garden Spot of America since the 18th century is located in the southeastern part of the state of Pennsylvania Westmoreland County is a County located in the US state of Pennsylvania. Fayette County is a County located in the US state of Pennsylvania. ^[1] He married Martha Dale on 12 November, 1759, and is buried in Wyandot County, Ohio. Wyandot County is located in the state of Ohio, United States.

John McClelland was a member of the commission for the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, and later represented Westmoreland County in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 has been described as the most democratic in America and was authored primarily by Timothy Matlack, Dr The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U The Convention met in Philadelphia, July 15, 1776, to form a constitution and frame a government for the state of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern A committee of prominent citizens met at Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, on June 15, 1776, in order to make arrangements for a convention anticipating the separation of the colonies from Great Britain. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Attendants were asked by the committee "to choose such persons only to act for them in the ensuing convention as are distinguished for wisdom, integrity, and a firm attachment to the liberties of this province. "^[2]

In pursuance of this recommendation, delegates were chosen July 5, 1776, and the eight delegates to the convention elected for Westmoreland County were John Moore, Edward Cook, James Perry, James Barr, James Smith, John Carmichael, John McClelland, and Christopher Lobingier. ^[3]

At the outset of the Revolutionary War, McClelland was appointed to a citizen’s committee to procure arms and ammunition for the defense of the struggling new nation. He, with two of his sons John and Alexander, enlisted in the Pennsylvania militia, which worked in conjunction with the Continental Army during the war. The American Continental Army was an Army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America He was a captain in the First Battalion of Westmoreland Militia at the beginning of the Revolution, a unit which was later prominent in the Whiskey Insurrection. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel The Whiskey Rebellion, less commonly known as the Whiskey Insurrection, was a popular uprising that had its beginnings in 1791 and culminated in an insurrection in 1794 in the ^[4]

By 1782, the Indians of the frontier allied themselves with the British and started attacking settlers. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 McClelland was commissioned a Major,^[5] and made third in command of an expedition, led by Colonel William Crawford, intended to put an end to Indian attacks on American settlers in that region. Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country William Crawford (1732 – 11 June 1782) was an American soldier and surveyor who worked as a western land agent for George Washington.

In fact, John McClelland was one of four majors elected for the Crawford Expedition. The other Majors elected for the expedition included David Williamson of Washington County, Pennsylvania, Thomas Gaddis of Westmoreland (now Fayette), and Joseph Brinton of what is now East Pike Run Township, Pennsylvania. Washington County is a County located in the US state of Pennsylvania and is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. ^[6]

Upon learning that a British detachment from Detroit was about to join forces with the Wyandot Indian forces, and that a large band of Shawnee warriors had also appeared to the south, Colonel Crawford commenced a retreat, with Major John McClelland leading the way. "Huron" redirects here For other uses see Huron (disambiguation. The Shawnee, or Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are a people native to North America.

However, the volunteer army was soon attacked by the Shawnee and Delaware Indians, and suffered severely. The shannon (later named Delaware Indians by Europeans were in the 17th century organized bands of Native American peoples with shared cultural and linguistic Shortly afterward Major McClelland was wounded, fell from his horse, and was left behind. McClelland may have actually given his horse to John Orr, a severely wounded soldier, in order to enable him to clear himself from the field of battle. At the time, it was believed that Major McClelland was killed outright, and no effort was made to save him from capture.

The remainder of the division became disorganized and panic-stricken and disregarding McClelland's orders to follow the advance in a solid column, did not follow the prescribed route, becoming entangled in the wetlands.

Colonel Crawford's nephew, William Crawford, the Colonel's son-in-law, William Harrison, and Major McClelland all lost their lives at the hands of the Delaware and Shawnee Indians. Colonel Crawford was brutally tortured and burnt at the stake. The Shawnee Indians were led by Blacksnake.

Because of his sacrifice, the commission of lieutenant colonel was posthumously conferred upon McClelland. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies ^[7]

Notes

References

• Boucher, John N. History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906.
• Crumrine, Boyd. History of Washington County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts and Co. , 1882. Available online from the University of Pittsburgh Digital Research Library. The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University
• Ellis, Franklin. History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: L. H. Everts and Co. , 1882. Available online from the University of Pittsburgh Digital Research Library.
• Montgomery, Thomas Lynch. Pennsylvania Archives. Harrisburg: C. E. Aughinbaugh, Printer to the State of Pennsylvania, 1914.

External links

• Service record from Francis B. Heitman's Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army