Daniel Roberdeau
Encyclopedia
Daniel Roberdeau was an American
merchant residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
at the time of the American War of Independence
. He represented Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1779 in the Continental Congress
. Roberdeau served as a brigadier general
in the Pennsylvania state militia
during the war. He was a signer of the Articles of Confederation
.
in the West Indies. His father was a Huguenot
immigrant named Isaac Roberdeau; his mother, a Scot
, Mary Cunningham. After the death of his father, he immigrated to Philadelphia with his mother and sisters. Roberdeau became a timber merchant and, for a number of years, served on the Board of Managers for a hospital in Philadelphia.
in Philadelphia, which brought him to the attention of Benjamin Franklin
and other civic leaders. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, serving from 1756 to 1760, but then declined further service.
(as the Pennsylvania rebel militia was known), and was made colonel
of his regiment. In May of 1776 he presided at several public meetings calling for the existing Pennsylvania delegation to the Continental Congress to be replaced with members who supported a Declaration of Independence
. As a result, he was named to the Committee of Safety
, and on July 4, 1776 was named a brigadier general in the state militia.
entered winter quarters at Valley Forge
, he worked with General Washington to set up a militia support network known as the Flying Camp
, and served as its commander.
In April of 1778, Roberdeau took a short leave from Congress. He had noted the shortage of powder and shot in the army, and used the time off to establish a lead mine in Bedford County
. To protect the mine and camp from Indian
attacks, he built a palisade, Fort Roberdeau
, at his own expense. Historically, Roberdeau's fort was known as the "Lead Mine Fort". It has been reconstructed near its original site in Sinking Valley (near present day Altoona, Blair County
, Pennsylvania.
After the war he moved to Alexandria, Virginia
, and eventually settled in Winchester
, where he died in 1795. He is buried in the Mt. Hebron Cemetery there. His son, Isaac Roberdeau, became a civil engineer and U.S. Army officer, who helped Pierre L'Enfant
lay out the plan for Washington, D.C.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchant residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
at the time of the American War of Independence
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...
. He represented Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1779 in the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
. Roberdeau served as a brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the Pennsylvania state militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
during the war. He was a signer of the Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that legally established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution...
.
Family and early life
Roberdeau was born in 1727 on the Island of St. ChristopherSaint Kitts
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean...
in the West Indies. His father was a Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
immigrant named Isaac Roberdeau; his mother, a Scot
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, Mary Cunningham. After the death of his father, he immigrated to Philadelphia with his mother and sisters. Roberdeau became a timber merchant and, for a number of years, served on the Board of Managers for a hospital in Philadelphia.
Early service
Roberdeau was active in establishing FreemasonryFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
in Philadelphia, which brought him to the attention of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
and other civic leaders. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, serving from 1756 to 1760, but then declined further service.
Revolutionary War service
When war neared, he joined the AssociatorsAssociators
Associators were members of a Military Association, more commonly known as a militia. During King Georges War, Benjamin Franklin, in 1747, wrote and published the pamphlet, Plain Truth, calling for a voluntary association to defend Philadelphia. This was in line with his earlier formation of...
(as the Pennsylvania rebel militia was known), and was made colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of his regiment. In May of 1776 he presided at several public meetings calling for the existing Pennsylvania delegation to the Continental Congress to be replaced with members who supported a Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
. As a result, he was named to the Committee of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
, and on July 4, 1776 was named a brigadier general in the state militia.
Congressional service
Roberdeau was first elected to the Continental Congress in February of 1777 and served there until 1779. Later that year, when the Continental ArmyContinental 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...
entered winter quarters at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, he worked with General Washington to set up a militia support network known as the Flying Camp
Flying Camp
In the American Revolutionary War, the Flying Camp was a military formation employed by the Americans in the second half of 1776.After the British evacuation of Boston in March 1776, General George Washington met with members of the Continental Congress to determine future military strategy...
, and served as its commander.
In April of 1778, Roberdeau took a short leave from Congress. He had noted the shortage of powder and shot in the army, and used the time off to establish a lead mine in Bedford County
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,762. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. To protect the mine and camp from Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
attacks, he built a palisade, Fort Roberdeau
Fort Roberdeau
Fort Roberdeau, also known as The Lead Mine Fort, is a historic fort located near Culp, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1777, and reconstructed in 1939-1941, by concerned local agencies with support from the National Youth Administration. It is a square structure with blockhouse-like...
, at his own expense. Historically, Roberdeau's fort was known as the "Lead Mine Fort". It has been reconstructed near its original site in Sinking Valley (near present day Altoona, Blair County
Blair County, Pennsylvania
-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
, Pennsylvania.
After the war he moved to Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, and eventually settled in Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, where he died in 1795. He is buried in the Mt. Hebron Cemetery there. His son, Isaac Roberdeau, became a civil engineer and U.S. Army officer, who helped Pierre L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
Pierre Charles L'Enfant was a French-born American architect and civil engineer best known for designing the layout of the streets of Washington, D.C..-Early life:...
lay out the plan for Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.