William Harris (colonist)
Encyclopedia
William Harris was a farmer, soldier, and member of the Pennsylvania legislature. He was the father of two other American military men.
in the Province of Pennsylvania
. His father, Thomas Harris (1722–1799), had immigrated from Ireland about 1745. His mother, the former Elizabeth Bailey (1726–1799), also an immigrant from Ireland, was the heir of her childless uncle, Alexander Bailey, owner of the farm. About 1760, the family moved to nearby Grubb's mill, and about 1768, they moved to neighboring East Whiteland Township
in the Great Valley of Pennsylvania where, in 1770, Thomas Harris bought a farm just inside the Welsh Tract
. This farm was William Harris' home for the rest of his life.
Thomas and Elizabeth Harris had nine children, seven of whom—two sons and five daughters—lived to adulthood. Both sons, William and his older brother John (1753–1838), participated in the American Revolution
.
broke out. The first known mention of him appears in a memorandum book of Captain Persifor Frazer
in the summer of 1776, which calls him a sergeant. In March 1777 he was appointed a second lieutenant in Captain John Marshall's company of the State Regiment of Foot, Col. John Bull, commander. In time, he rose to the rank of captain. He is listed as captain of the 5th Company, 5th Battalion, of the Pennsylvania Militia for 1777, and of the 4th Company, 4th Battalion for 1780. His regiment was taken into the Pennsylvania Line
of the Continental Army
, and became the Thirteenth Regiment
, which saw action in the battles of the Brandywine
and Germantown
and several minor engagements. Although records exist showing his involvement in a number of troop movements later in the Revolution, his battalion appears not to have seen any battles in the later years of the war. His name appears on a list of Chester County residents who applied to the government for reparations after the war was over. Harris was involved in the capture of Joseph Doane, a notorious highwayman and member of a family of robbers, in 1782.
Harris again saw service in 1794, when the militia was called upon to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion
in western Pennsylvania. He served as captain of the eighth company of the Chester County regiment, and was the regimental paymaster. He continued his involvement with the state military organization for the rest of his life. In 1811, he was commissioned brigadier general of the Second Brigade, Third Division of Pennsylvania troops. When the War of 1812
broke out, Governor Simon Snyder
called up 14,000 troops, including Harris, but the new general died before the troops took the field.
in 1779, 1780, 1810, and 1811. He served on the committee to arrange the procedures for the election of the state's president and vice-president in 1780. He participated in the last session of the legislature before his death.
He was also an elder of the Great Valley Presbyterian Church, which his family had joined upon leaving St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley
during the Revolution because St. Peter's, an Anglican congregation, continued to say prayers for the King
, as was required of Anglican clergy. He was buried at Great Valley Presbyterian after his death of a "lingering illness" on September 4, 1812.
Early life
William Harris was born October 7, 1757, on his parents' farm in Willistown TownshipWillistown Township, Pennsylvania
Willistown Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,497 at the 2010 census. At the 1860 census, the population of Willistown was 1,521, and in 1980 it was 8,269.-History:...
in the Province of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
. His father, Thomas Harris (1722–1799), had immigrated from Ireland about 1745. His mother, the former Elizabeth Bailey (1726–1799), also an immigrant from Ireland, was the heir of her childless uncle, Alexander Bailey, owner of the farm. About 1760, the family moved to nearby Grubb's mill, and about 1768, they moved to neighboring East Whiteland Township
East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania
East Whiteland Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,650 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in the Great Valley of Pennsylvania where, in 1770, Thomas Harris bought a farm just inside the Welsh Tract
Welsh Tract
The Welsh Tract, also called the Welsh Barony, was a portion of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania settled largely by Welsh-speaking Quakers. It covers 40,000 acres to the west of Philadelphia...
. This farm was William Harris' home for the rest of his life.
Thomas and Elizabeth Harris had nine children, seven of whom—two sons and five daughters—lived to adulthood. Both sons, William and his older brother John (1753–1838), participated in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Military service
William Harris joined the Pennsylvania militia at the age of 18, as the Revolutionary WarAmerican 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...
broke out. The first known mention of him appears in a memorandum book of Captain Persifor Frazer
Persifor Frazer
Persifor Frazer was an American farmer, soldier, and industrialist, and the founder of one of the most prominent families of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in the summer of 1776, which calls him a sergeant. In March 1777 he was appointed a second lieutenant in Captain John Marshall's company of the State Regiment of Foot, Col. John Bull, commander. In time, he rose to the rank of captain. He is listed as captain of the 5th Company, 5th Battalion, of the Pennsylvania Militia for 1777, and of the 4th Company, 4th Battalion for 1780. His regiment was taken into the Pennsylvania Line
Pennsylvania Line
Pennsylvania, like many other colonies, was involved with the war and developing problem of the American Revolution.-History:Philadelphia was the site of the Constitutional Convention. It also served as the capital city for a while. Threats from Britain caused the country to relocate to...
of 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 became the Thirteenth Regiment
13th Pennsylvania Regiment
The 13th Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as The Pennsylvania State Rifle Regiment and Miles's Regiment, was raised March 6, 1776 as a state militia regiment and later for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the New York Campaign, Battle of Trenton, Battle of...
, which saw action in the battles of the Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
and Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
and several minor engagements. Although records exist showing his involvement in a number of troop movements later in the Revolution, his battalion appears not to have seen any battles in the later years of the war. His name appears on a list of Chester County residents who applied to the government for reparations after the war was over. Harris was involved in the capture of Joseph Doane, a notorious highwayman and member of a family of robbers, in 1782.
Harris again saw service in 1794, when the militia was called upon to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
in western Pennsylvania. He served as captain of the eighth company of the Chester County regiment, and was the regimental paymaster. He continued his involvement with the state military organization for the rest of his life. In 1811, he was commissioned brigadier general of the Second Brigade, Third Division of Pennsylvania troops. When 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...
broke out, Governor Simon Snyder
Simon Snyder
Simon Snyder was the third Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1808 to 1817. A Jeffersonian Democrat, he served three terms as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives before becoming governor...
called up 14,000 troops, including Harris, but the new general died before the troops took the field.
Legislative service
Harris was elected to the Pennsylvania General AssemblyPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
in 1779, 1780, 1810, and 1811. He served on the committee to arrange the procedures for the election of the state's president and vice-president in 1780. He participated in the last session of the legislature before his death.
Other activities
Although a lifetime farmer, Harris was actively involved in community affairs, and was especially interested in public education. He was instrumental in the founding of the Chester County academy. While in the legislature, he obtained an appropriation to build the school's buildings, and he donated the land on which they were built, which was a part of his farm. He is listed as a member of Masonic Lodge No. 59, founded in East Whiteland in 1790.He was also an elder of the Great Valley Presbyterian Church, which his family had joined upon leaving St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley
St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley
St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley is a historic Episcopal church near Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.The current stone church building was constructed in 1744 to replace an earlier wooden building. St. Peter's Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.-External links:*...
during the Revolution because St. Peter's, an Anglican congregation, continued to say prayers for the King
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, as was required of Anglican clergy. He was buried at Great Valley Presbyterian after his death of a "lingering illness" on September 4, 1812.
Marriage and children
Harris married Mary Campbell (February 27, 1752–November 26, 1837), daughter of Rev. John Campbell (1713–1753), a Presbyterian minister, and the former Mary Hubbard (and stepdaughter of Richard Richison), on April 24, 1780. William and Mary Harris had seven children:- Campbell Harris (1781–1853), a farmer. He married Jane Lee and moved to Geneseo, New YorkGeneseo, New YorkGeneseo is the name of a town and its village in Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA, outside of Rochester, New York. The town's population is approximately 9,600, of which about 7,600 live in the village...
. - Thomas HarrisThomas Harris (surgeon)Thomas Harris was a U.S. naval officer. He served as the second Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.-Career:...
(1784–1861), a physician and surgeon who was chief of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and SurgerySurgeon General of the United States NavyThe Surgeon General of the United States Navy is the senior-most medical corps officer in the United States Navy.- Establishment of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery :...
. He married, successively, Jane Hodgdon and Esther White Macpherson. - Mary Harris (1786–1791).
- John HarrisJohn Harris (USMC)John Harris was the sixth Commandant of the Marine Corps. He served in the Marine Corps for over 50 years, attaining the rank of colonel.-Family:...
(1789–1864), commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. He married, successively, Mary Forster and Mary Gilliat Gray. - William Harris (1792–1861), a physician in Chester County. He married Elizabeth Matilda Patterson.
- James Bailey Harris (1795–1881), a farmer. He moved to the Genesee valley in 1818 with his older brother and married Maria Driesbach.
- Stephen Harris (1798–1851), a physician and farmer. He married Marianne Smith (a granddaughter of Persifor FrazerPersifor FrazerPersifor Frazer was an American farmer, soldier, and industrialist, and the founder of one of the most prominent families of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
) and was the father of Joseph Smith HarrisJoseph Smith HarrisJoseph Smith Harris was an American surveyor, civil engineer, and railroad executive. Largely self-taught, he worked on several projects for the U.S. government, including the Coast Survey of the Mississippi Sound in 1854–56 and the Northwest Boundary Survey of 1857–61...
.