Alexander Garden (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Alexander Garden was an American Revolutionary War
soldier and writer from Charleston, South Carolina
.
and his wife, Elizabeth. He went to Westminster School
in London
and got his MA
degree at the University of Glasgow
in Scotland
in 1779.
In 1780 Garden returned to America to join the Patriot
cause. His father, a Loyalist
who had been compelled to flee South Carolina and find refuge in London, never forgave his son. Garden joined the Continental Army
and served as a cornet in Lee's Legion
under "Light Horse Harry" Lee. In 1781 he was promoted to major
and served for the remainder of the war as an aide-de-camp
to General Nathanael Greene
.
After the war, he was granted the right to his family's property, which like other Loyalist property in the South had been confiscated by the state government. He married Mary Anna Gibbes; the couple had no children, but they adopted her nephew, who took Garden's name and became his heir.
Garden was elected to the South Carolina General Assembly
in 1784 and served one term. He was an officer of the South Carolina Society of the Cincinnati
. He and other members of the Society tried to end the practice of duelling in South Carolina. He wrote several valuable, though admittedly didactic, works on the Revolution. He died probably at "Goose Creek", his family's estate near Charleston.
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldier and writer from Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
Biography
Garden was born in Charleston, the son of the naturalist Dr. Alexander GardenAlexander Garden (naturalist)
Dr Alexander Garden is most famous as a botanist whose name lives on in the gardenia flower, though he was also a physician and zoologist...
and his wife, Elizabeth. He went to Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and got his MA
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
degree at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1779.
In 1780 Garden returned to America to join the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
cause. His father, a Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
who had been compelled to flee South Carolina and find refuge in London, never forgave his son. Garden joined the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
and served as a cornet in Lee's Legion
Lee's Legion
Lee's Legion was a military unit within the Continental Army during the American Revolution. It primarily served in the Southern Theater of Operations, and gained a reputation for efficiency and bravery on the battlefield.The original unit was raised June 8, 1776, at Williamsburg, Virginia, under...
under "Light Horse Harry" Lee. In 1781 he was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
and served for the remainder of the war as an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
.
After the war, he was granted the right to his family's property, which like other Loyalist property in the South had been confiscated by the state government. He married Mary Anna Gibbes; the couple had no children, but they adopted her nephew, who took Garden's name and became his heir.
Garden was elected to the South Carolina General Assembly
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
in 1784 and served one term. He was an officer of the South Carolina Society of the Cincinnati
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
. He and other members of the Society tried to end the practice of duelling in South Carolina. He wrote several valuable, though admittedly didactic, works on the Revolution. He died probably at "Goose Creek", his family's estate near Charleston.
Work published
- Anecdotes of the revolutionary war in America, with sketches of character of persons the most distinguished, in the Southern states, for civil and military services (Charleston 1822)
- Eulogy on Gen. Chs. Cotesworth PinckneyCharles Cotesworth PinckneyCharles Cotesworth “C. C.” Pinckney , was an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was twice nominated by the Federalist Party as their presidential candidate, but he did not win either election.-Early life and...
: president-general of the Society of the CincinnatiSociety of the CincinnatiThe Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
, delivered by appointment of the Society of the Cincinnati of South-Carolina, on Tuesday, the 1st of November, 1825, at St. Philip’s Church (Charleston 1825) - Anecdotes of the American revolution, illustrative of the talents and virtues of the heroes and patriots, who acted the most conspicuous parts therein; second series (Charleston 1828)