Thomas Humphrey Cushing (December 20, 1755 – October 19, 1822) was an officer 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 later the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. A veteran of 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 ...

and the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, he attained the rank of

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 ...

. He later served as collector of customs for the Port of

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...

Early life

Thomas H. Cushing was born in

Pembroke, Massachusetts Pembroke is a small historic town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Pembroke is a South Shore suburb of the Boston metropolitan area. The town is located about halfway between Boston and Cape Cod. The town is considered rural wi ...

on December 20, 1755, a son of Nehemiah Cushing (1721–1762) and Sarah (Humphrey) Cushing (1722–1804). Nehemiah Cushing was serving the British as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Massachusetts Militia This is a list of militia units of the Colony and later Commonwealth of Massachusetts. *Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (1638) *Cogswell's Regiment of Militia (April 19, 1775) *Woodbridge's Regiment of Militia (April 20, ...

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 ...

when he died at

Crown Point, New York Crown Point is a town in Essex County, New York, United States, located on the west shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 2,024 at the 2010 census. The name of the town is a direct translation of the original French name, . The town is on ...

. Sarah Humphrey Cushing married Isaac Hatch in 1763; according to local lore, she attended the ceremony clad in a petticoat to take advantage of an English custom, "smock marriage," by which a widow indicated she brought no property into her new marriage. A smock marriage prevented creditors from attempting to collect the deceased husband's debts from the widow or her new husband; according to the Cushing family historian, Sarah Cushing maintained her modesty by wearing her petticoat over her dress. Cushing was raised and educated in Pembroke, then supported the

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

side in 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 Revolut ...

by joining the

American Revolution

Cushing began his military career as a

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

in the 6th Continental Regiment in January 1776. He was commissioned a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

1st Massachusetts Regiment The 1st Massachusetts Regiment was an infantry unit of the Continental Army that fought during the American Revolutionary War. It was first authorized on 23 April 1775 in the Massachusetts State Troops as Paterson's Regiment under Colonel John ...

in January 1777 and was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in January 1778. He was taken prisoner in May 1781 and was later exchanged. He received a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotion to

in September 1783. Cushing was admitted to 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 ...

as an original member later that year. Following the British evacuation of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in November 1783, the bulk of the Continental Army was discharged. Cushing was retained in Jackson's Continental Regiment, commanded by Brevet

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 ...

Henry Jackson, and was one of the last officers to be discharged from the

when the regiment was disbanded on June 20, 1784.

Later career

On March 4, 1791 Cushing was commissioned a captain in the 2nd Infantry Regiment. On March 3, 1793 he was commissioned as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

in the 1st Sublegion (later re-designated as the 1st Infantry Regiment). From February 27, 1797 to May 22, 1798 he served as Adjutant and Inspector General of the Army. In 1799, he commissioned artist

James Peale James Peale (1749 – May 24, 1831) was an American Painting, painter, best known for his miniature and still life paintings, and a younger brother of noted painter Charles Willson Peale. Early life Peale was born in Chestertown, Maryland, ...

to create a miniature portrait of himself. On June 15, 1800 he was re-appointed as Adjutant and Inspector General and held the office until April 2, 1807. From 1800 to 1807 he resided in Washington, D.C. Cushing was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Infantry on April 1, 1802. He was promoted to colonel of the same regiment on September 7, 1805. In early 1811, Cushing was arrested on the order of Brigadier General

Wade Hampton I Wade Hampton (early 1750sFebruary 4, 1835) was an American soldier and politician. A two-term U.S. Congressman, he may have been the wealthiest planter, and one of the largest slave holders in the United States, at the time of his death. Biog ...

and court-martialed on charges of disobedience to orders and misuse of government funds. The court first met on April 26, 1811 in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...

and was presided over by Colonel

Alexander Smyth Alexander Smyth (1765April 17, 1830) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. Smyth served in the Virginia Senate, Virginia House of Delegates, United States House of Representatives and as a general during the War of 1812 ...

, with

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

appointed as the judge advocate (prosecutor). The trial lasted over a year and on May 5, 1812, Cushing was acquitted of most charges, and received only a written reprimand for the minor charges of which he was convicted.Trial of Col. Thomas H. Cushing before a General Court Martial. Philadelphia. Moses Thomas. 1812.

War of 1812

Cushing was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on July 2, 1812. During the

, he served as Adjutant General of the Army from July 6, 1812 to March 12, 1813. He was then assigned as commander of Military District Number 1 (consisting of the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire) with his headquarters at Boston. After the war's end, he retired from the Army on June 15, 1815.

Later life

In January 1816 Cushing was appointed collector of customs for the port of

, succeeding

Jedediah Huntington Jedediah (or Jedidiah) Huntington (4 August 1743 – 25 September 1818), was an American general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he served in numerous civilian posts. Early life Huntington was born ...

. In 1817, Cushing fought a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

with

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

congressman William J. Lewis and was saved when the bullet struck his watch. The two resolved their differences, and Lewis, stepping up to the general, said: "I congratulate you, general, on having a watch that will keep time from eternity." Cushing died in New London in 1822. He was originally buried in the Second Burial Ground in New London but his remains were later relocated to the Cedar Grove Cemetery in the same city.

Dates of rank

*Sergeant, 6th Continental Infantry - 1 January 1776 *2nd Lieutenant,

- 1 January 1777 *1st Lieutenant, 1st Massachusetts Regiment - 12 January 1778 *Brevet Captain - 30 September 1783 *1st Lieutenant, Jackson's Continental Regiment - November 1783 *Discharged - 20 June 1784 *Captain, 2nd Infantry - 4 March 1791 *Captain, 2nd Sub-Legion - 4 September 1792 *Major, 1st Sub-Legion - 3 March 1793 *Major, 1st Infantry - 1 November 1796 *Lieutenant Colonel, 2nd Infantry - 1 April 1802 *Colonel, 2nd Infantry - 7 September 1805 *Brigadier General, United States Army - 2 July 1812 *Retired - 15 June 1815

Notes

References

Sources

* * *

External links

* *
Thomas H. Cushing at Find a Grave

The Society of the Cincinnati

The American Revolution Institute
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cushing, Thomas Humphrey 1755 births 1822 deaths People from Pembroke, Massachusetts Adjutants general of the United States Army People from Massachusetts in the War of 1812 Continental Army officers from Massachusetts Inspectors General of the United States Army United States Army generals Burials at Cedar Grove Cemetery (New London, Connecticut)