Robert Magaw (1738 – January 7, 1790) was an American lawyer from
Carlisle, Pennsylvania who served as a colonel in the
Continental Army during the
U.S. Revolutionary War.
Early life and education
Robert was born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, in 1738.
His parents, William and Elizabeth Magaw, had earlier immigrated from
Strabane,
County Tyrone, Ireland
County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an administrative division for local government but retains ...
, to the eastern shore of
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. He later settled in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and practiced law there. His brother was the Rev.
Samuel Magaw.
Career
Magaw served several years in the militia, and when the war broke out he was made a colonel in command of the
5th Pennsylvania Battalion.
During the
New York campaign
The New York and New Jersey campaign in 1776 and the winter months of 1777 was a series of American Revolutionary War battles for control of the Port of New York and the state of New Jersey, fought between British forces under General Sir Willi ...
he was in command of the U.S. garrison at
Fort Washington. He was forced to surrender it, and became a prisoner on November 16, 1776. Based on his parole he was set at liberty in New York City, but could not leave the city until he was exchanged. This did not happen until October 1780.
Personal life
While a prisoner on parole, Magaw met and courted Marritje Van Brunt (1762–1803) of
Kings County, New York. They married in April 1779, and would later have two children.
Later life and death
After he was exchanged, he returned home to New Carlisle and continued his law practice. He served two years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1781–1782) and was for many years a trustee of
Dickinson College. He died at home in Carlisle on January 7, 1790. After his death, Marritje returned to New York to live with their son, Robert Van Brunt Magaw, at
Gravesend.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magaw, Robert
1738 births
1790 deaths
People from Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Lawyers from Philadelphia
American people of Irish descent
People of colonial Pennsylvania
American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by Great Britain
Continental Army officers from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lawyers