General Nathaniel Woodhull (December 30, 1722 – September 20, 1776) was a leader of the

New York Provincial Congress The New York Provincial Congress (1775–1777) was a revolutionary provisional government formed by colonists in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-American alternative to the more conservative New York General Assembly, and as a repla ...

and a brigadier general of the New York Militia during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

Biography

Woodhull was born on December 30, 1722, in

Mastic Mastic may refer to: Adhesives and pastes *Mastic (plant resin) * Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid *Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay. *Mastic, high-grade con ...

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the Unit ...

, to Nathaniel Woodhull and Sarah Smith Woodhull. His family had been prominent in New York affairs since the mid seventeenth century. In 1758 the thirty-six year old Woodhull joined the New York provincial forces, where he held the rank of major. He fought in numerous battles during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the s ...

. He was at the

Battle of Carillon The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, Chartrand (2000), p. 57 was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War (which was part of the global Seven Years' War). It was fought near Fort Carillon (now k ...

under General Abercromby, and at the

Battle of Fort Frontenac The Battle of Fort Frontenac took place on August 26–28, 1758 during the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War in the United States) between France and Great Britain. The location of the battle was Fort Frontenac, a Fren ...

under General Bradstreet. In 1760, as colonel of the 3rd Regiment of New York Provincials took part in the invasion of Canada under General Amherst. After the end of hostilities, he returned to farming and community affairs. Nathanial Woodhull

In 1761 he married Ruth Floyd, the sister of

William Floyd William Floyd (December 17, 1734 – August 4, 1821) was an American Founding Father, wealthy farmer, and political leader from New York. Floyd served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and was a signer of the Continental Association and ...

a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

. Sentiment against England's taxation of the colonies led to Suffolk County electing Woodhull to Province of New York assembly. From 1769 to 1775 he served as a member of the Province of New York assembly for Suffolk County. As such, he spoke against the Crown's colonial policies. He represented Suffolk also in the convention which chose delegates to the

First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. It met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the British Navy ...

, and in the New York Provincial Congress. In May 1775, the Provincial Congress assumed control of the colony and reorganized the militia. In August, 1775, Woodhull was elected president of the New York Provincial Congress. In October 1775 he was made brigadier general of the Suffolk and Queen's County militia. In August 1776, on the eve of the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yo ...

, Woodhull's militia was detailed to drive livestock east to prevent its falling into British hands. Woodhull's troops had driven 1,400 cattle out onto the Hempstead Plains and with 300 more ready to go. A severe thunderstorm drove the general to take refuge in a tavern run by

Increase Carpenter Increase Carpenter (August 20, 1736–20 April 20, 1807) was a Minutemen, minuteman and American Revolutionary War veteran who was born in Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica, Queens, New York. He served as a first lieutenant. Carpenter wore the uniform of th ...

, about two miles east of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispanio ...

in what is now Hollis. Relief was not forthcoming, and his situation deteriorated. Woodhull was captured near Jamaica by a detachment of Fraser's Highlanders led by captain Sir James Baird. He was struck with a sword multiple times, injuring his arm and head by a British officer purportedly for not saying, "God save the King", as ordered, saying instead "God save us all". He was taken to a cattle transport, serving as a prison ship in

Gravesend Bay Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is the ...

. A sympathetic British officer had him transferred to the century-old house built by Nicasius di Sille in the Dutch village of

New Utrecht New Utrecht ( nl, Nieuw Utrecht) was a town in western Long Island, New York encompassing all or part of the present-day Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York Cit ...

which is now a part of Brooklyn. The house was demolished in 1850 by the owner Baret Wyckoff. It was located in the current vicinity of 84th St. and New Utrecht Ave. His arm was amputated in an effort to save his life, he managed to call for his wife who was at his side when he died on September 20, 1776. He was buried at his family home.

Legacy

The following schools are named after Nathaniel Woodhull: * PS 35 Nathaniel Woodhull School, Hollis, Queens * Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School, Shirley, New York * Nathaniel Woodhull Intermediate School, Huntington, New York The post office in

Mastic Beach, New York Mastic Beach is a hamlet and census-designated place, and former village in the southeastern part of the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 14,849 at the 2010 census, when it was a ...

is also named after Nathaniel Woodhull.

References

*Jacobsen, Edna L. "Nathaniel Woodhull." ''Dictionary of American Biography Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936.'
Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. Online April 1, 2008.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodhull, Nathaniel 1722 births 1776 deaths Members of the New York General Assembly Members of the New York Provincial Assembly Members of the New York Provincial Congress United States military personnel killed in the American Revolutionary War Militia generals in the American Revolution New York (state) militiamen in the American Revolution People from Mastic, New York People of the Province of New York Woodhull family 18th-century American politicians