Benjamin Lincoln
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| Benjamin Lincoln | |
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| In office 1788 – 1789 |
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| Governor | John Hancock |
| Preceded by | Thomas Cushing |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Adams |
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| Born | January 24, 1733 Hingham, Massachusetts |
| Died | May 9, 1810 Hingham, Massachusetts |
Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733–May 9, 1810) was a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
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[edit] Early life
Lincoln was born on January 24, 1733, in Hingham, Massachusetts. Lincoln's ancestors were among those who first settled in Hingham, beginning with Lincoln family patriarch Samuel Lincoln. In his early life, Lincoln worked on the family farm; he attended the local school. Later in life, he felt the lack of further education and got a Master's degree at Harvard. In 1756, at the age of 23, Lincoln married Mary Cushing, whose ancestors were also among the founders of Hingham. They had eleven children.
He followed in his father's footsteps into local political office. At 21, Lincoln became the town constable and in 1755, Lincoln entered the 3rd Regiment of the Suffolk militia as an adjutant. In 1757, he was elected the town clerk of Hingham and was elected Justice of the Peace in 1762, also, in 1772, Lincoln was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 3rd Regiment of the Suffolk militia. Being in the Suffolk militia allowed Lincoln to gain military experience which he used in three major battles of the American Revolution.
[edit] American Revolution
In 1776, he was promoted to brigadier general, then major general, then commander of all Massachusetts troops in the Boston area. After the British evacuation of Boston, Lincoln joined General George Washington at New York, commanding the right wing at the Battle of White Plains. Shortly after seeing action at Fort Independence, he was commissioned into the Continental Army as a major general.
In September of 1777, Lincoln joined Horatio Gates's camp near Saratoga to take part in the Battles of Saratoga. Lincoln's ankle was shattered by a musket ball during the Second Battle of Saratoga, permanently leaving him with one leg shorter than the other.
After recovering from the severe wound, Lincoln was appointed Southern Department Commander in September 1778. Lincoln participated in the attack on Savannah, Georgia on October 9, 1779 and was forced to retreat to Charleston, South Carolina. Unluckily for Lincoln, he was beaten back to Charleston and was surrounded. Lincoln was forced to surrender to Lieutenant General Henry Clinton on May 12, 1780. Interestingly enough, Lincoln, desperate for more troops, pleaded with the South Carolina legislature to arm 1,000 African Americans to ward off the approaching British. Rather than see armed slaves, the legislature began negotiations with England to allow the British forces to pass through South Carolina. This was one of the worst Continental defeats of the war. He was denied the honors of war in surrendering, which deeply rankled him. Lincoln was exchanged as a prisoner of war, was paroled, and in the court of inquiry no charges were ever brought against him. After being exchanged, Lincoln soon returned to Washington's main army, even leading it south to Virginia and playing a major role in the Yorktown surrender on October 19, 1781. Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781 according to some sources and October 20, 1781 according to others. General Lord Cornwallis was so humiliated by his defeat at the hands of the "Colonials" that he refused to personally surrender his sword to General George Washington, sending his second-in-command, General Charles O'Hara, in his stead. In response, General Washington sent his subordinate, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, to accept Cornwallis's sword after the defeat at Yorktown.
[edit] Post-revolution
From 1781 through late 1783 or early 1784, Lincoln served as the first "Secretary of War," also called the "Secretary at War." He was appointed by the Confederation Congress under the Articles of Confederation.[1][2]
In 1787, Lincoln was a member of the Massachusetts state convention that ratified the United States Constitution. Earlier in 1787, Lincoln helped put an end to an uprising of farmers known as Shays' Rebellion. The uprising, which led to calls for a stronger central U.S. government, ended when the militia under Major General Benjamin Lincoln attacked the rebels and forced them to surrender in February.
He stayed active in public life in various capacities, including a term as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and many years as the Collector of the Port of Boston. He retired from public life in 1809 and died in Hingham on May 9, 1810.
[edit] Legacy
Places named for Benjamin Lincoln:
- General Benjamin Lincoln House
- Lincoln County, Georgia
- Lincoln County, Kentucky
- Lincoln County, North Carolina
- Lincoln County, Tennessee
- Lincoln, Vermont
- Lincoln Street in downtown Columbia, SC
- Lincoln Street in Savannah, Georgia
- Lincoln County, Missouri
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Thomas Cushing |
Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts 1788-1789 |
Succeeded by Samuel Adams |
