James Mitchell Varnum (December 17, 1748 – January 9, 1789) was an American legislator, lawyer, generalHeitman, ''Officers of the Continental Army'', 559. in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, and a pioneer to the Ohio Country.Wilkins, ''Memoirs of the Rhode Island Bar'', 145-239.Hildreth, ''Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio'', 165-85.Conley, ''Rhode Island's Founders'', 134-37.Dodge, '' Directory of the United States Congress 1774-2005'', 2089.Leiter, ''Generals of the Continental Army'', 102-03. JamesMitchellVarnumMarker

Varnum resigned his commission in 1779, and was a delegate to the Continental and Confederation Congress, as well as one of two “supreme” judges appointed to the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolutionary War. Established in 1 ...

. He died in Marietta, Ohio in January 1789.

Early life

James Mitchell Varnum was born in Dracut, Massachusetts. As a young man he matriculated at Harvard College only to transfer to the college in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly known as "Rhode Island College" (the college later named

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

), He graduated with honors in the college's first graduating class in September 1769. In Rhode Island he met his future wife, Martha "Patty" Child, whom he married on February 2, 1770. He then studied law under Rhode Island Attorney General Oliver Arnold and was admitted to the bar in 1771. He settled in

East Greenwich, Rhode Island East Greenwich is a town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island. It is part of the Providence metropolitan st ...

and pursued the practice of law. He began construction of his home, a colonial mansion now known as the Varnum House, in 1773.

Leadership in the American Revolution

In October 1774, while tensions were rising between the American colonies and Great Britain, Varnum was elected as captain in command of the newly organized Kentish Guards, a chartered militia company in Varnum's home town of East Greenwich. Another member of the company was Private Nathanael Greene who would rise to become one of the most distinguished officers in the Continental Army and would soon be Varnum's immediate superior. No fewer than 30 other members of the Kentish Guards would also serve as officers in the

. In May 1775, following the

Battles of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord ...

, Varnum was commissioned as colonel in command of one of the three regiments from Rhode Island, under the command of Brigadier General Nathanael Greene, which served in the Army of Observation during the

Siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular town ...

. In early July 1775 General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

arrived in Cambridge to take command of the Army of Observation which then became the

. In the early part of war regiments were identified by the name of their commanding officer. Varnum's Regiment was renamed as the

9th Continental Regiment The 1st Rhode Island Regiment (also known as Varnum's Regiment, the 9th Continental Regiment, the Black Regiment, the Rhode Island Regiment, and Olney's Battalion) was a regiment in the Continental Army raised in Rhode Island during the Americ ...

on January 1, 1776. Varnum's regiment served throughout the Siege of Boston which ended with the evacuation of the British army on March 17, 1776. In early April the regiment marched to New York where it participated in several battles, including the

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

and White Plains, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the British from occupying the city. In December 1776 Varnum returned to Rhode Island to recruit more soldiers for the Rhode Island units in the Continental Army whose enlistments were about to expire. On December 12 Varnum accepted a commission as a brigadier general in Rhode Island Militia and given command of the state's brigade which guarded the state's mainland from possible attack from the British forces which had recently occupied the important port city of

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

. Varnum's stay in Rhode Island was brief because he was commissioned as a brigadier general in the Continental Army in February 1777. He then served as a brigade commander until he resigned in March 1779. During this period he served at the battles of Red Bank, New Jersey in 1777 and the

Battle of Rhode Island The Battle of Rhode Island (also known as the Battle of Quaker Hill) took place on August 29, 1778. Continental Army and Militia forces under the command of Major General John Sullivan had been besieging the British forces in Newport, Rhode Isl ...

in 1778. He was also at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777 to 1778. Varnum advocated allowing freed African American slaves to enlist in the Continental Army, which resulted in the reorganization of the

1st Rhode Island Regiment The 1st Rhode Island Regiment (also known as Varnum's Regiment, the 9th Continental Regiment, the Black Regiment, the Rhode Island Regiment, and Olney's Battalion) was a regiment in the Continental Army raised in Colony of Rhode Island and Pro ...

as a racially integrated unit in 1778. Varnum was a disciple of Major General Charles Lee and a serious critic of the position of Inspector General held in 1778 by

Baron Von Steuben Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as Baron von Steuben (), was a Prussian military officer who p ...

Legal career and later life

In March 1779 Varnum resigned his Continental Army commission because of personal business matters. He was commissioned as the major general in command of the Rhode Island Militia on May 10, 1779, and held the position until he was relieved by Major General (and future U.S. Senator) Joseph Stanton, Jr. on May 7, 1788. He led Rhode Island troops in the service of the United States in July and August 1780, under the Comte de Rochambeau who commanded the French army sent by King Louis XVI of France. In common with 33 of the 81 generals in the Continental Army, Varnum was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. He attended St. John's Lodge, No. 1 in Providence. In 1783, at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, along with General

, Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox,

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

Thomas Pinckney Thomas Pinckney (October 23, 1750November 2, 1828) was an early American statesman, diplomat, and soldier in both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, achieving the rank of major general. He served as Governor of South Carolina an ...

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (February 25, 1746 – August 16, 1825) was an American Founding Father, statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention where he signed the United States Constit ...

and numerous others, General Varnum became an original member of the

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

and served as president of the Rhode Island Society, following the death of Nathanael Greene, from 1786 until his death in 1789. He represented Rhode Island at the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

in Philadelphia from May 3, 1780, to May 1, 1782, and in the 8th Confederation Congress which convened in New York from November 6, 1786, to October 30, 1787. The 8th Confederation Congress passed the

Northwest Ordinance The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio and also known as the Ordinance of 1787), enacted July 13, 1787, was an organic act of the Congress of the Co ...

on July 13, 1787, which opened settlement in the Northwest Territories (now the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota). Varnum was also well known as a jurist. He successfully represented the defendant in ''

Trevett v. Weeden ''Trevett v. Weeden'' (1786) was a Rhode Island Supreme Court decision finding state legislation regarding paper currency was violative of the state constitution. The decision set precedent for ''Marbury v. Madison'' regarding judicial review. H ...

'', one of the earliest cases of judicial review. On August 29, 1787, he was chosen as one of the directors of the Ohio Company of Associates. On October 14 of the same year, Varnum was appointed as one of two "supreme" judges for the

. He then moved to Marietta, Ohio, to take up his duties. He was one of the early pioneers to the Northwest Territory, arriving in Marietta on June 5, 1788. Shortly after his arrival Varnum was chosen to be the orator of the day for the celebration of American independence on July 4. Varnum then assisted Territorial Governor

Arthur St. Clair Arthur St. Clair ( – August 31, 1818) was a Scottish-American soldier and politician. Born in Thurso, Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office. During ...

, who took office on July 15, in creating a code of laws for the territory. This proved to be Varnum's only significant accomplishment in Ohio as he was overcome with consumption which was exacerbated by his long journey westward.

Death

General Varnum died in January 1789, only seven months after his arrival in Marietta, of consumption. He was originally interred in the Mound Cemetery near the original settlement and later reburied the Oak Grove Cemetery in Marietta. His college classmate the distinguished physician

Solomon Drowne Dr. Solomon Drowne (also known as Solomon Drown) (March 11, 1753 – February 5, 1834) was a prominent American physician, academic and surgeon during the American Revolution and in the history of the fledgling United States. Early life Dr ...

eulogized him during an oration at the one-year anniversary celebration of the founding of Marietta:

But of these worthies who have most exerted themselves in promoting this settlement, one, alas! is no more; one whose eloquence, like the music of Orpheus, attractive of the listening crowd, seemed designed to reconcile mankind to the closest bonds of society. Ah! what avail his manly virtues now! Slow through yon winding path his corse was borne, and on the steepy hill interred with funeral honors meet. What bosom refuses the tribute of a sigh, on the recollection of that melancholy scene, when, unusual spectacle, the fathers of the land, the chiefs of the aboriginal nations, in solemn train attended; while the mournful dirge was rendered doubly mournful mid the gloomy nodding grove. On that day even nature seemed to mourn. O Varnum ! Varnum! thy name shall not be forgotten, while gratitude and generosity continue to be the characteristics of those inhabiting the country, once thy care. Thy fair fame is deeply rooted in our fostering memories ...Hildreth, ''Pioneer History'', 520.

Family

General Varnum was the son of Samuel Varnum (1715–1797) and his second wife Hannah Mitchell. He had three brothers and two sisters of which only two brothers, Joseph Bradley Varnum (1751–1821) and Samuel Varnum (1762–1822), lived to maturity.

Joseph Bradley Varnum Joseph Bradley Varnum (January 29, 1750/1751September 21, 1821) was an American politician from Massachusetts. He served as a U.S. representative and United States senator, and held leadership positions in both bodies. He was a member of the ...

served as a United States Representative from Massachusetts from 1795 to 1811 and then as a United States Senator from 1811 to 1817.

Legacy

Varnum House Museum, East Greenwich Rhode Island

General Varnum's home, the

Gen. James Mitchell Varnum House The General James Mitchell Varnum House is an historic house at 57 Peirce Street in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. The -story wood-frame house was built in 1773 for James Mitchell Varnum, who later served as a general in the Continental Army du ...

is a historic house museum today. Varnum's brother was

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...

. The

Varnum Continentals The Varnum Continentals are an active independent military organization of the Rhode Island militia that was founded in 1903 and currently serve primarily as a ceremonial honor guard and as historic educational organization in East Greenwich, Rho ...

, an historic military command in East Greenwich, were founded in 1907 and are named after General Varnum.

Dates of rank

*Captain, Kentish Guards, Rhode Island Militia – November 1774 *Colonel, Varnum's Regiment, Army of Observation – May 3, 1775 *Colonel, Varnum's Regiment,

– July 3, 1775 *Colonel, 9th Continental Regiment – January 1, 1776 *Brigadier General, Rhode Island Militia – December 12, 1776 *Brigadier General, Continental Army – February 27, 1777 *Resigned from Continental Army – March 5, 1779 *Major General, Rhode Island Militia – May 10, 1779, to May 7, 1788

References

Bibliography

* Conley, P. T.: ''Rhode Island's Founders: From Settlement to Statehood'', The History Press, Charleston, South Carolina (2010). * Dodge, A. R.: ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005, Sixteenth Edition'', U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. (2005). * Heitman, Francis B.: ''Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution'', Rare Book Shop Publishing Co., Washington, D.C. (1914). * Hildreth, S. P.: ''Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio'', H. W. Derby and Co., Cincinnati, Ohio (1852). * Hildreth, S. P.: ''Pioneer History: Being an Account of the First Examinations of the Ohio Valley, and the Early Settlement of the Northwest Territory'', H. W. Derby and Co., Cincinnati, Ohio (1848). * Leiter, M. T.: ''Biographical Sketches of the Generals of the Continental Army of the Revolution'', University Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1889). * Updike, W.: ''Memoirs of the Rhode Island Bar'', Thomas H. Webb and Co., Boston, Massachusetts (1842). * Varnum, J. M.: ''A Sketch of the Life and Public Services of James Mitchell Varnum of Rhode Island'', David Clapp and Son Printers, Boston, Massachusetts (1906).

External links

Society of the Cincinnati

Website of Varnum Continentals

Encyclopedia Brunoniana

* ttp://www.consource.org/index.asp?bid=582&documentid=49360 Letter from General George Washington to Brigadier General James Mitchell Varnum, November 1, 1777
Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Varnum, James 1748 births 1789 deaths Brown University alumni Harvard College alumni Continental Army generals Continental Army officers from Rhode Island Continental Congressmen from Rhode Island 18th-century American politicians Militia generals in the American Revolution Northwest Territory judges Rhode Island militiamen in the American Revolution Politicians from Marietta, Ohio People from Dracut, Massachusetts People of colonial Rhode Island People from East Greenwich, Rhode Island People of Rhode Island in the American Revolution People of colonial Massachusetts Military personnel from Massachusetts