Ebenezer Huntington
Ebenezer Huntington | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byJohn Trumbull,1806 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromConnecticut'sAt-largedistrict | |
| In office October 11, 1810 – March 3, 1811 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel W. Dana |
| Succeeded by | Lyman Law |
| In office March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819 | |
| Preceded by | Lyman Law |
| Succeeded by | Henry W. Edwards |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 26, 1754 Norwich,Connecticut Colony,British America |
| Died | June 17, 1834(aged 79) Norwich,Connecticut,U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Isham Lucretia Mary McClellan |
| Alma mater | Yale College Harvard College |
| Website | www |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | Continental Army United States Army |
| Years of service | 1775–1783 1798–1800 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel(Continental Army) Brigadier General(US Army) |
| Unit | 2nd Connecticut Regiment |
| Commands | Connecticut State Militia |
| American Revolutionary War | Siege of Boston Battle of Long Island Battle of Rhode Island Battle of Springfield Siege of Yorktown |
| Military career | |
Ebenezer Huntington(December 26, 1754 – June 17, 1834) was an officer in theContinental Armyduring theAmerican Revolutionary War,and afterwardsUnited States RepresentativefromConnecticut.
Early life[edit]
Ebenezer was born on December 26, 1754, inNorwichin theConnecticut ColonytoJabezand Hannah (Williams) Huntington. His brothers were Joshua (who also served during the Revolution) and Zachariah. His half brothers were Jedediah and Andrew, whose mother Elizabeth (Backus) Huntington died in 1746. The Backuses were a prominent family from the area whose heirs would foundBackus Hospital.[1]
Ebenezer attendedYale College,leaving without permission on April 21, 1775. After communication with the college, he would receive his degree on August 8 of the same year. He would later receive an honoraryBachelor of ArtsfromHarvard Collegeand in 1785,Master of Artsfrom both colleges.
Military service[edit]
After leaving Yale, Ebenezer arrived inBoston,where he received an appointment as afirst lieutenantin Captain Chester's Company of General Joseph's2nd Connecticut Regiment.He participated in theSiege of Bostonuntil its close, when he marched withGeneral WashingtontoNew York.In May 1776, he was promoted to captain and fought in theBattle of Long Islandon August 27 under ColonelSamuel Wyllys.By the end of the battle, he was promoted tobrigade majorunder Brigadier GeneralSamuel Holden Parsons.The regiment suffered significant casualties in Long Island.
On October 26, 1776, he was temporarily promoted to Deputy Adjutant General under Major General Heath in defense of the Highlands[clarification needed]and also served as Deputy Paymaster. In January 1777 he was promoted to major ofWebb's Additional Continental Regimentwhich was part of Major GeneralIsrael Putnam's division. During the summer of 1778, he participated in theBattle of Rhode Island,where he took temporary command of the regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the regiment in October 1778. Under his command, the unit fought in theBattle of Springfieldin 1780 inNew Jersey.
Now a lieutenant colonel, he was given command of a light infantry regiment and marched with Washington toYorktown,where he witnessed the surrender ofCornwallis.He is represented in the painting byJohn Trumbullas one of the American officers. He remained on duty with his troops until the unit was disbanded in May 1783 and was admitted shortly thereafter as an original member of TheSociety of the Cincinnatiin the state of Connecticut.[2][3]
After the war[edit]
Ebenezer Huntington retired from the Army to pursue a career in merchandise. But in 1792, he was appointed a general by theGovernor of Connecticut,Samuel Huntington,to be theAdjutant Generalafter Congress passed an act in 1792 authorizing the states to maintain a militia. He held the position for the next 30 years under seven different governors.
On July 19, 1798, he was commissioned a brigadier general in the United States Army when it was expanded during theQuasi Warwith France. He was discharged on June 15, 1800, when the Army was reduced at the end of hostilities.
Political career[edit]
Concurrently, while serving as the state's Adjutant General, Ebenezer twice served as a member of theUnited States House of RepresentativesinConnecticut's At-large congressional district.His first tenure was for less than five months, when he filled the vacancy created whenSamuel W. Danawas appointed to theUnited States Senateto complete the term ofJames Hillhousewho had resigned. He would serve again as the at-large congressman five years later, when he was elected as aFederalistin November 1816, beginning his term on March 4, 1817. He would only serve one term.
Personal life[edit]
Ebenezer Huntington was married twice. He first married Sarah Isham ofColchesteron December 10, 1791, with whom he had one son, Alfred Isham Huntington. Sarah died in 1793. Ebenezer married Lucretia Mary McClellan ofWoodstockon October 7, 1795. They had nine children: Wolcott (b. August 20, 1796), Louisa Mary (b. February 20, 1798), George Washington (b, November 22, 1799), Nancy (b. April 6, 1803), Walter (b. November 11, 1804), Sarah (b. May 1, 1806), Elizabeth (b. August 24, 1808) and Maria (b. December 13, 1810). Lucretia died on November 5, 1819.
General Huntington died on June 17, 1834.
Dates of rank[edit]
- 1st Lieutenant,2nd Connecticut Regiment- September 8, 1775
- 1st Lieutenant,22nd Continental Regiment- January 1, 1776
- Captain, 22nd Continental Regiment - May 1776
- Brigade Major to Brigadier General Parsons - August 1776
- Major,Webb's Additional Continental Regiment- January 1, 1777
- Lieutenant Colonel, Webb's Additional Continental Regiment - October 10, 1778
- Lieutenant Colonel,3rd Connecticut Regiment- January 1, 1781
- Lieutenant Colonel,1st Connecticut Regiment- January 1, 1783
- Lieutenant Colonel,Swift's Connecticut Battalion- June 1783
- Retired - November 3, 1783
- Brigadier General, United States Army - July 19, 1798
- Resigned - June 15, 1800
References[edit]
- ^Huntington, Elijah B. (1863).A Genealogical Memoir of the Huntington Family.pp.161–168.
- ^Metcalf, Bryce (1938).Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to theSociety of the Cincinnati,1783-1938: With the Institution, Rules of Admission, and Lists of the Officers of the General and State SocietiesStrasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc., p. 173.
- ^"Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati".The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2021.RetrievedMarch 16,2021.
- Sage, Henry W.Letters written by Ebenezer Huntington.Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Library, 1891
- United States Congress."Ebenezer Huntington (id: H000996)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Retrieved on 2008-04-07
- Purcell, L. Edward.Who Was Who in the American Revolution.New York: Facts on File, 1993.ISBN0-8160-2107-4.
- Wilson, J. G.;Fiske, J.,eds. (1892)..Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography.New York: D. Appleton.
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