Philip Johnston of the

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

died in battle at the head of his regiment at 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 Yor ...

on 27 August 1776. He was a graduate of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

. He was the subject of a debate in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on 26 December 1836 concerning compensating his surviving heirs and children: Maria Scudder, Martha A. Lloyd, and Elizabeth Johnston.13 Cong. Deb. 123–127 (1837)
Remarks of Senator

Garret D. Wall Garret Dorset Wall (March 10, 1783November 22, 1850) was a military officer and Senator from New Jersey. He was elected as governor of New Jersey, but refused to assume office. Early career Born in Middletown Township, he completed preparatory s ...

of New Jersey on the floor of the Senate

Military career

He was appointed to the rank

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

in the New Jersey militia on 14 June 1776 by an ordinance of the

Provincial Congress of New Jersey The Provincial Congress of New Jersey was a transitional governing body of the Province of New Jersey in the early part of the American Revolution. It first met in 1775 with representatives from all New Jersey's then-thirteen counties, to supersed ...

. On 1 August he was promoted to

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

and was placed in command of a regiment in

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to ...

Nathaniel Heard's brigade of New Jersey troops at New York. The regiment, totaled about 235 men and consisted of three companies from Somerset County and five from Hunterdon County. According to the 1836 memorial of Senator

of New Jersey, he died "near the side, and under the eye of his immediate commander General

Sullivan Sullivan may refer to: People Characters * Chloe Sullivan, from the television series ''Smallville'' * Colin Sullivan, a character in the film ''The Departed'', played by Matt Damon * Harry Sullivan (''Doctor Who''), from the British science f ...

." Heard's brigade was initially under the command of

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependabl ...

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 ...

, however when Greene fell ill just prior to the battle the command devolved upon Gen John Sullivan and later to Gen Israel Putnam. Johnston and his unit formed part of the guard at the Flatbush Road during the night prior to the battle.Johnston, Henry Phelps; The Campaign of 1776 Around New York and Brooklyn, p196 After the battle commenced Sullivan commanded an element of about 800 soldiers that moved toward the center of the American advanced position to support units at the passes, including Johnston's. They were overwhelmed and dispersed in the ensuing fight and General Sullivan and the mortally wounded Colonel Johnston were captured.Johnston, Henry Phelps; The Campaign of 1776 Around New York and Brooklyn, p176, 205 Senator Wall likely inferred that Sullivan was his commander based upon a newspaper account of the time preserved by the family as a keepsake that read:

We hear that, in the late action on Long Island, Colonel Philip Johnston of New Jersey behaved with remarkable intrepidity and fortitude. By the well-directed fire from his battalion, the enemy was several times repulsed, and lanes were made through them, until he received a ball in his breast, which put an end to the life of as brave an officer as ever commanded a battalion. General Sullivan, who was close to him when he fell, says that no man could behave with more firmness during the whole action. As he sacrificed his life in defence of the invaded rights of his country, his memory must be dear to every American who is not insensible to the sufferings of his injured country, and as long as the same uncorrupted spirit of liberty which led him to the field shall continue to actuate the sons of freemen in America.

The day of the battle, August 27 was his thirty-fifth birthday.

Children

At the time of the 1836 memorial to Congress, three of Colonel Johnston's daughters remained alive. One of them, Maria Scudder, had married Joseph Scudder, the son of Colonel Nathaniel Scudder, the only member of 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. ...

to die in battle during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Philip Johnston was the first colonel of the New Jersey militia to die in battle in the Revolutionary War and Nathaniel Scudder was the last colonel of the New Jersey militia to die in battle in the Revolutionary War.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Philip United States military personnel killed in the American Revolutionary War New Jersey militiamen in the American Revolution Year of birth missing 1776 deaths People of colonial New Jersey Patriots in the American Revolution Princeton University alumni