Henry Burbeck
Encyclopedia
Henry Burbeck son of William Burbeck and Jerusha Glover, was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He served in the United States army for more than forty years most notably during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 and achieved the rank of Brigadier General.

In the Revolutionary War, he fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth. After the Revolutionary War, he was assigned to protect the arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts in the aftermath of Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....

. He then served on the Court of Inquiry that investigated General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...

 and he served on the court for his subsequent court marshal in 1811.

During the War of 1812, he commanded the Connecticut State Militia at New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

. During the blockade of the east coast by Commodore Hardy, Burbeck was sent to Boston, Massachusetts to take command there after a brutal winter march from New London, Connecticut. His first wife was Abigail Webb and his second wife was Lucy Rudd. He had six children.

Early Life (1754 - 1775)

Henry Burbeck was born in Boston on June 10, 1754, the son of Jerusha Glover and William Burbeck of Boston. His father was a British colonial officer in the ordinance department and second in command of Old Castle William in Boston Harbor, but gave up his commission and supported the patriot cause when hostilities broke out.

Burbeck's education consisted of a public writing school in the North End of Boston under John Tileston (1735–1826). He would later credit his father with the remainder of his education.
Prior to his military service, Henry worked at the coppersmith's forge with Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...

.

Revolutionary War Service (1775 - 1781)

At the outbreak of the Battle of Lexington, Burbeck's father escaped to Cambridge and reported to the Committee on Public Safety and its leader, General Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...

, to join the patriot cause which resulted in a price being placed on his head by the British. Burbeck joined his father in Cambridge where they made ammunition used at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...

 and also participated in the battle. Henry served as a lieutenant in the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...

 and his commission was signed by General Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...

 on May 19, 1775. Following the Battle of Bunker Hill, Burbeck married Abigail Webb on August 12, 1775 in Boston.

He was assigned as a lieutenant of artillery to the Massachusetts line commanded by Colonel Richard Gridley, the Continental Army's
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...

 first Chief Engineer
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....

 and artillery commander, in 1775.

Washington's Campaigns

In 1777, he briefly joined the army at Saratoga until he was assigned to Pennsylvania to join Gen. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

's army. He fought in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown. He remained in the Artillery Corps under General Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....

 and, in 1777, assumed command of a company of the 3rd Continental Artillery Regiment. He marched with Gen. Washington and his men from 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:...

 to New Jersey in 1778. Following the march, he fought in the Battle of Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....

.

His unit was sent North and he remained in White Plains New York, to defend the Hudson
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 Highlands from 1779-1783. He marched into New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 when the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 evacuated that city at the close of the Revolutionary War.

Burbeck knew General George Washington personally from his service and it was from Burbeck's associations with foreign officers serving in the American Revolution that he recognized the need to educate and train the army in artillery and engineering. Burbeck recommended the establishment of West Point military academy.

Between the Wars (1781 - 1811)

Honorably discharged in January 1784, Burbeck was reappointed captain of artillery, commanded by Major John Dougherty, in October 1786 and commanded the post at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...

, New York, in 1787-1789. In 1787, he was ordered by General Knox to Springfield, Massachusetts to protect the arsenal there is the aftermath of Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in central and western Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787. The rebellion is named after Daniel Shays, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War....

. His wife Abigail died in June 1790 in Bath, Maine.

Creek Treaty Attempt

He commanded the Army's Battalion of Artillery and served as General Anthony Wayne's
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...

 Chief of Artillery in the Northwest Indian War
Northwest Indian War
The Northwest Indian War , also known as Little Turtle's War and by various other names, was a war fought between the United States and a confederation of numerous American Indian tribes for control of the Northwest Territory...

 in 1792-1794. He was ordered, on August 29, 1789, to Georgia to serve as a guard to Major General Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln
Benjamin Lincoln was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...

 and Colonel Humphries during the unsuccessful treaty negotiation with the Creek people
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...

. He returned to Georgia in 1790 and built a fort on the St. Mary's River.

Fort Recovery

He was promoted to Major Commandant of the Artillery on March 16, 1792. Burbeck established Fort Recovery
Fort Recovery
Fort Recovery was a United States Army fort begun in late 1793 and completed in March 1794 under orders by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. It was located on the site of the present-day village of Fort Recovery, Ohio, United States, on the Wabash River within two miles of the boundary with...

 in Ohio in 1794 which was named after the lost cannons that were recovered at the site of in the aftermath of St. Clair's defeat by the Indians in 1791. Burbeck buried 200 skulls and numerous bones from Arthur St. Claire's defeat and interred them as two brass cannons from the 1791 action, recovered by Burbeck in the Wabash, were discharged in their honor.

Fort Mackinac

Burbeck oversaw the transfer of power from British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...

 to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 control of Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island...

 in 1796, 13 years after the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...

 was signed. He served at the fort through 1799.

From 1798 to 1802, Burbeck was the senior regimental commander of artillerists and engineers
Chief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....

. He also commanded the Eastern Department of the Army in 1800 and in that year endorsed the creation of a corps of engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...

 separate from the artillerists. He was Chief of the new Artillery Corps from 1802 to 1815, first as a colonel and then during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 as a brevet brigadier general.

Court Marshal of Gen. James Wilkinson

In 1808, he served on the Court of Inquiry, ordered by President Madison, held at Morin's Tavern in Philadelphia, investigating General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...

 for receiving a pension from the Spanish government while serving in the United States military. Previously, Wilkinson had been a member of the Conway Cabal Conway Cabal
Conway Cabal
The Conway Cabal refers to a series of events in late 1777 and early 1778 suggesting that George Washington be replaced as commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It was named after Brigadier General Thomas Conway, whose letters criticizing Washington were forwarded...

 against Washington and resigned from the army. He received the governorship of Louisiana by Thomas Jefferson in 1805. Wilkinson's close relationship with the Spanish government led to a confrontation with Aaraon Burr which ultimately resulted in accusations that Wilkinson was tied to the Spanish government. Other members of the Court of Inquiry included Col. Cushing of the Infantry and Col. Williams of the Engineers. In September 1811, during the court marshal, Wilkinson took exception to the presence of Burbeck and two other members of the court and they were all replaced. Wilkinson was found not-guilty on December 25, 1811.

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

At the beginning of the War of 1812, Burbeck was summoned to New London, Connecticut to relieve Jirah Isham of the command of the state militia. While stationed in New London, he received orders to march to Boston to take command there during the blockade by a British squadron commanded by Commodore Hardy. The winter march resulted in the suffering of many of the men under his command who were frostbitten from exposure to the winter elements. During the march, Burbeck refused any favors offered to him that were not also given to his men.
After returning to New London, in July 1813, he received a letter from Gen. Armstrong which enclosed a copy of a letter written by the Governor of Virginia stating that information from British deserters indicated that British transports, under Admiral George Cockburn
George Cockburn
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...

, sailed from Chesapeake Bay to New London, Connecticut. Burbeck responded by organizing the state militia in response while Lord Hardy's fleet lay off New London harbor. Burbeck continued in command of New London to the end of the war.

During the Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 administration, Burbeck successfully developed and tested domestically produced cast-iron artillery pieces. He left the Army in June 1815.

Second Marriage

He married Lucy Elizabeth Rudd Caldwell on December 13, 1813 in New London, Connecticut. She was the daughter of Corp. Daniel Rudd, Jr. and Abigail Allen. She was first married to Capt. Henry Caldwell of the Marines who died March 12, 1812 at Charlestown, Massachusetts. Caldwell was on the Little Belt during the Little Belt Affair
Little Belt Affair
The Little Belt Affair was a naval battle on the night of May 16, 1811. It involved the United States frigate USS President and the British sixth-rate HMS Little Belt, a sloop-of-war, which had originally been the Danish ship Lillebælt, before being captured by the British in the 1807 Battle of...

, an event that is regarded as one of the causes of the War of 1812, and he testified during the Court of Inquiry on the Little Belt Affair which convened in New York in September 1811. Lucy was a descendant of Gov. William Bradford (1590-1657)
William Bradford (1590-1657)
William Bradford was an English leader of the settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and served as governor for over 30 years after John Carver died. His journal was published as Of Plymouth Plantation...

 of the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...

 and Jonathan Rudd who was married, in a legendary ceremony, at Bride Brook in what is now East Lyme, Connecticut in December 1646. Burbeck was the same exact age as Lucy's father Daniel Rudd, Jr., both being born on June 10, 1754. At the time of his marriage to Lucy, Burbeck was 29 years her senior.

Gen. Burbeck purchased a home at 114 Main St., in New London, Connecticut, it 1815. The house was built in 1735 and was one of the few houses in New London that remained after the city was burned by the British in 1781. Gen. Burbeck and his wife lived in the house until he died in 1848.

Children

They had six children all born in New London; Susan Henrietta (b. September 23, 1815), Charlotte Augusta (b. March 8, 1818 in New London, Conn., d. July 13, 1897 in New London, Conn.), Henry William (b. May 31, 1819 in New London, Conn., d. February 19, 1840 at sea), Mary Elizabeth (b. March 7, 1821 in New London, Conn., d. July 13, 1897), William Henry (b. October 8, 1823 in New London, Conn., d. February 28, 1905 in New London, Conn.) and John Cathcart (b. February 9, 1825 in New London, Conn., d. April 28, 1904 in New London, Conn.).

Burbeck hoped that his son Henry would follow in his military footsteps, but Henry died when he tried to test his strength by lifting a keg of silver dollars which fell on his foot and severed his toe while at sea on a revenue cutter. By the time the cutter reached New York and a physician was summoned, it was too late and he died. Thereafter, Gen. Burbeck was so overcome by grief that he would not have his son's name spoken in his house.

Later Years (1815 - 1848)

In his later years, he enjoyed the company of Capt. Bulkeley who also retired to New London. They maintained a close relationship despite the fact that Burbeck was a Whig and Bulkeley was a Democrat.

Burbeck died at his home on Main Street on October 2, 1848 in New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

 just months after his friend Capt. Bulkeley died. The Massachusetts Society of Cincinnati, of which Burbeck was a member, erected a monument to him in Cedar Grove Cemetery (Sec. 4, Lot 1), New London, Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

. The inscription on the monument states:

The Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati Dedicate This Monument to the Memory of Their Late Honored President. He Was An Officer of the Army From the Commencement of the Revolutionary War Until The Close of His Life By a Patriotic and Faithful Discharge of the High and Responsible Duties of a Gallant Soldier And An Exemplary Citizen He Has Been Justly And Eminently Distinguished As He Was Rightfully and Universally Respected.

His wife Lucy died February 22, 1880 in New London and at the time of her death was one of the last in the nation to receive a Revolutionary War pension which was $130 a quarter in 1875. Burbeck's daughter Charlotte was made an honorary member of the Lucretia Shaw chapter of the Daughter's of the American Revolution.

External links

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