Proceedings of the New York Historical Association [1906] — John Shaqi
Proceedings of the New York Historical Association [1906]New York State Historical Association. Meeting
History
Proceedings of the New York Historical Association [1906]
New York State Historical Association. Meeting
New York (State) -- History -- Periodicals; New York State Historical Association -- Periodicals
He was born in Summerworth, N. H., in 1740. His parents were well-to-do
emigrants from Ireland. He studied law and was a member of the first
Congress, 1774. Was made Brigadier General 1775. In 1776 he superseded
Arnold in Canada. Then he succeeded General Greene and was taken
prisoner. He was exchanged in November. In 1777 he took part in the
battle of Brandywine, Germantown, and 1778 he commanded in Rhode Island.
In 1779 he led the expedition against the Indians. He then resigned from
the army and took up again the practice of law. He was a member of the
State constitutional convention, then he was elected a member of
Congress, and in '86, '87, '89 was president of his State. Later, in
1789, he was appointed District Judge, and died in 1795 at the age of
54 years.
His personal characteristics are said to be that he was a dignified,
genial and amiable man. He displayed a fine courtesy to those about him,
both to his soldiers and compatriot generals.
I quote the following paragraph from A. Tiffany Norton, who I believe to
be the one who has written the best account of the Indian campaign, and
it is a wonder to me that one who shows so broad a grasp of history and
its essential principles and the elements that make for historical
research, has never written more than he has.
Norton, in his general description of Sullivan, says: "His eyes were
keen and dark, his hair curly black, his form erect, his movements full
of energy and grace. His height was five feet nine inches, and a slight
corpulency when in his prime gave but an added grace. General Sullivan
was a man of undoubted courage, warmth of temperament and independent
spirit equaled only by his patriotic devotion to his country's cause
and his zeal in all public affairs." Doubtless he was too impatient and
outspoken and may have been deserving of some measure of blame, still
his faults should not have detracted from that meed of praise to which
he was justly entitled. Neither should the jealousies of his brothers in
arms, which prompted them to ridicule his achievements, question his
reports and detract from his hard-earned laurels, have weight with the
historian. Yet such has been, in great degree, the case, and the name of
Sullivan occupies a lesser space in the history of the Revolutionary
struggle, than those of many others whose achievements fell far short
of his in magnitude and importance. Sullivan has been made the victim of
the intrigues and petty jealousies of his times, and while for this his
own indiscretions may justly be blamed, the duty is none the less
incumbent on the present generation to render due homage to one who is
a brave soldier and a devoted, disinterested, self-sacrificing patriot.
As Amory has justly said: "A friend of Washington, Greene, Lafayette,
and all the noblest statesmen and generals of the war, whose esteem for
him was universally known, to whom his own attachment never wavered,
he will be valued for his high integrity and steadfast faith, his loyal
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