Jump to content

Elias Dayton: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
 
(29 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American politician}}

{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Elias Dayton
| name = Elias Dayton
|image = Brigadier General Elias Dayton, attributed to Ellen Sharples.jpg
| image = Brigadier General Elias Dayton, attributed to Ellen Sharples.jpg
|caption = Brigadier General Elias Dayton ([[Ellen Sharples]], c.1809)
| caption =
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1737|05|01}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1737|05|01}}
|birth_place = [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], [[Union County, New Jersey]]
| birth_place = [[Elizabeth, NJ|Elizabeth]], [[Province of New Jersey|New Jersey]], [[British America]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1807|10|22|1737|05|01}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1807|10|22|1737|05|01}}
|death_place =
| death_place = Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
| children = 2, including [[Jonathan Dayton|Jonathan]]
|other_names =
⚫
| nationality = American
|known_for = Served in the [[French and Indian War]], [[Pontiac's War]] and the [[American Revolution]]. Served on the [[New Jersey General Assembly]].
|children= [[Jonathan Dayton]], Elias Bayley Dayton
⚫
|nationality =
}}
}}


'''Elias Dayton''' (May 1, 1737 &ndash; October 22, 1807) a New Jersey merchant and soldier served as captain and colonel of the local militia and in 1783 rose to become a [[brigadier general]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Afterward, he became the [[Mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey|Mayor of Elizabethtown, New Jersey]] as well as served in the [[New Jersey General Assembly]].<ref>[[Appleton's Cyclopedia]] vol. II, p. 113</ref>
'''Elias Dayton''' (May 1, 1737 &ndash; October 22, 1807) was an American merchant and military officer who served as captain and colonel of the local militia and in 1783 rose to become a [[brigadier general]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Afterward, he became the [[Mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey|Mayor of Elizabethtown, New Jersey]] and served in the [[New Jersey General Assembly]].<ref>[[Appleton's Cyclopedia]] vol. II, p. 113</ref> He was the father of [[Constitution of the United States|U.S. Constitution]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Constitution|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/index.html|access-date=2021-03-16|website=LII / Legal Information Institute|language=en}}</ref> signer [[Jonathan Dayton]].


==Early and family life==
==Early and family life==
Dayton was born in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], [[Union County, New Jersey]]. He married Hannah Rolfe in 1757 and they had sons [[Jonathan Dayton]] (1760-1824; who would become the youngest signatory of the U.S. Constitution) and Elias Bayley Dayton (1764-1846).
Dayton was born in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], [[Province of New Jersey]]. He married Hannah Rolfe in 1757, and they had two sons, [[Jonathan Dayton]] (1760-1824), who would become the youngest signatory of the U.S. Constitution, and Elias Bayley (Boudinot) Dayton (1764-1846).

==Career==
==Career==


Line 22: Line 23:


In 1774 the First [[Continental Congress]] called on the colonies to resist [[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]]'s recent tax policy by joining in an [[Continental Association|association]] to boycott goods imported from Britain. Dayton allied himself with the local revolutionary movement and served on Elizabethtown's enforcement committee. When the state turned against Royal Governor [[William Franklin]] in 1775, the [[Provincial Congress of New Jersey|New Jersey's Provincial Congress]] chose Dayton to lead the [[3rd New Jersey Regiment]]. In July 1775 he and William Alexander, Lord Stirling, led militia forces which captured a British transport off Elizabethtown.
In 1774 the First [[Continental Congress]] called on the colonies to resist [[Parliament of Great Britain|Parliament]]'s recent tax policy by joining in an [[Continental Association|association]] to boycott goods imported from Britain. Dayton allied himself with the local revolutionary movement and served on Elizabethtown's enforcement committee. When the state turned against Royal Governor [[William Franklin]] in 1775, the [[Provincial Congress of New Jersey|New Jersey's Provincial Congress]] chose Dayton to lead the [[3rd New Jersey Regiment]]. In July 1775 he and William Alexander, Lord Stirling, led militia forces which captured a British transport off Elizabethtown.
[[File:Colonel Elias Dayton's House in Chatham New Jersey.png|thumb|Colonel Elias Dayton's House in Chatham New Jersey, with permission from the Summit Historical Society.]]

In the spring of 1776 Dayton (as colonel) and his 3rd New Jersey troops (including his young son Jonathan, who would become the regimental paymaster by August) were sent to support an invasion of Canada. However, they were diverted to [[New York (state)|New York]]'s [[Mohawk Valley]] where Colonel Dayton constructed fortifications to protect the colonists from Loyalist and [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] insurrections. These fortifications included [[Fort Dayton]] in what is now [[Herkimer, New York]] and Fort Schuyler (formerly [[Fort Stanwix]] but allowed to go to ruin after the French and Indian War) in what is now [[Rome, New York]].
In the spring of 1776 Dayton (as colonel) and his 3rd New Jersey troops (including his young son Jonathan, who would become the regimental paymaster by August) were sent to support an invasion of Canada. However, they were diverted to [[New York (state)|New York]]'s [[Mohawk Valley]] where Colonel Dayton constructed fortifications to protect the colonists from Loyalist and [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] insurrections. These fortifications included [[Fort Dayton]] in what is now [[Herkimer, New York]] and Fort Schuyler (now called [[Fort Stanwix]] but was allowed to go to ruin after the French and Indian War) in what is now [[Rome, New York]].


In 1777, Dayton set up a spy network for [[George Washington]] on [[Staten Island]] to work in parallel with an established American intelligence agent, [[John Mersereau]].<ref>Mahoney, Henry Thayer and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. ''Gallantry in Action: A Biographic Dictionary of Espionage in the American Revolutionary War''. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-7618-1479-5}}. p. 126.</ref>
In 1777, Dayton set up a spy network for [[George Washington]] on [[Staten Island]] to work in parallel with an established American intelligence agent, [[John Mersereau]].<ref>Mahoney, Henry Thayer and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. ''Gallantry in Action: A Biographic Dictionary of Espionage in the American Revolutionary War''. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-7618-1479-5}}. p. 126.</ref>
Line 29: Line 30:
In December 1778, New Jersey named Dayton as a delegate to the [[Continental Congress]], but he remained with the army and did not attend the Congress. He helped suppress a mutiny of the New Jersey line in 1781, and was promoted to [[brigadier general]] in the Continental Army in 1783, and later to [[major general]] of militia. He had a prominent role in the battles of Springfield, Monmouth, Brandywine and Yorktown, and had horses shot under him at Germantown (outside Philadelphia), at Springfield, and at Crosswick's Bridge.
In December 1778, New Jersey named Dayton as a delegate to the [[Continental Congress]], but he remained with the army and did not attend the Congress. He helped suppress a mutiny of the New Jersey line in 1781, and was promoted to [[brigadier general]] in the Continental Army in 1783, and later to [[major general]] of militia. He had a prominent role in the battles of Springfield, Monmouth, Brandywine and Yorktown, and had horses shot under him at Germantown (outside Philadelphia), at Springfield, and at Crosswick's Bridge.


Dayton helped establish The [[Society of the Cincinnati]] in the state of New Jersey as an original member,<ref>Metcalf, Bryce (1938). ''Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the [[Society of the Cincinnati]], 1783-1938: With the Institution, Rules of Admission, and Lists of the Officers of the General and State Societies'' Strasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc., p. 104.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati |url=https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/soldiers-and-sailors-of-the-revolutionary-war/officers-represented-in-the-society-of-the-cincinnati/ |website=The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati |access-date=9 April 2021}}</ref> and served as the President of the New Jersey Society from its foundation until his death.<ref>{{cite web|title=Elias Dayton &#124; The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Jersey|url=https://njcincinnati.org/elias-dayton/|website=njcincinnati.org|accessdate=15 May 2019}}</ref> He served in the [[New Jersey General Assembly]] from 1791–1792 and 1794–1796, and was mayor of Elizabethtown from 1796-1805.
He served in the [[New Jersey General Assembly]] from 1791–1792 and 1794–1796, and was mayor of Elizabethtown from 1796-1805. He was also president of the New Jersey [[Society of the Cincinnati]] from its foundation until his death.


==Death and legacy==
==Death and legacy==


He died at age 70 and was interred at the First [[Presbyterian]] Churchyard in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]].<ref>findagave no. 4824</ref> The city of [[Dayton, Ohio]] would be named after his son [[Jonathan Dayton]].
He died at age 70 and was interred at the First [[Presbyterian]] Churchyard in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]]. The city of [[Dayton, Ohio]] would be named after his son [[Jonathan Dayton]].


==Notes==
==Notes==
*{{CongBio|D000164}} Retrieved on 2009-5-18
*{{CongBio|D000164}} Retrieved on 2009-5-18
* Mahoney, Henry Thayer and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. ''Gallantry in Action: A Biographic Dictionary of Espionage in the American Revolutionary War''. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-7618-1479-5}}.
* Mahoney, Henry Thayer and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. ''Gallantry in Action: A Biographic Dictionary of Espionage in the American Revolutionary War''. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1999. {{ISBN|978-0-7618-1479-5}}.



==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
* [https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org The Society of the Cincinnati]
* [https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org The American Revolution Institute]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dayton, Elias}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dayton, Elias}}
[[Category:1737 births]]
[[Category:1737 births]]
Line 51: Line 55:
[[Category:Continental Army generals]]
[[Category:Continental Army generals]]
[[Category:Continental Army officers from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Continental Army officers from New Jersey]]
[[Category:Jonathan Dayton]]
[[Category:Mayors of Elizabeth, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Mayors of Elizabeth, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Members of the New Jersey General Assembly]]
[[Category:Members of the New Jersey General Assembly]]
[[Category:People of colonial New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from colonial New Jersey]]
[[Category:Burials in New Jersey]]
[[Category:American spies during the American Revolution]]
⚫
[[Category:American Revolution spies]]
[[Category:People of New Jersey in the French and Indian War]]
[[Category:People of New Jersey in the French and Indian War]]
[[Category:Colonial people of Pontiac's War]]
[[Category:Politicians from Elizabeth, New Jersey]]
⚫
[[Category:18th-century American legislators]]
[[Category:18th-century New Jersey politicians]]
[[Category:18th-century mayors of places in New Jersey]]
[[Category:19th-century New Jersey politicians]]
[[Category:19th-century mayors of places in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Merchants from colonial New Jersey]]
[[Category:18th-century American merchants]]

Latest revision as of 19:12, 25 November 2024

Elias Dayton
Born(1737-05-01)May 1, 1737
Elizabeth, New Jersey, British America
DiedOctober 22, 1807(1807-10-22) (aged 70)
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Children2, including Jonathan

Elias Dayton (May 1, 1737 – October 22, 1807) was an American merchant and military officer who served as captain and colonel of the local militia and in 1783 rose to become a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War. Afterward, he became the Mayor of Elizabethtown, New Jersey and served in the New Jersey General Assembly.[1] He was the father of U.S. Constitution[2] signer Jonathan Dayton.

Early and family life

[edit]

Dayton was born in Elizabeth, Province of New Jersey. He married Hannah Rolfe in 1757, and they had two sons, Jonathan Dayton (1760-1824), who would become the youngest signatory of the U.S. Constitution, and Elias Bayley (Boudinot) Dayton (1764-1846).

Career

[edit]

During the French and Indian War, Dayton served first as a lieutenant and then as a captain in the New Jersey militia. During Pontiac's War, in 1760, he served as a commander in the Detroit region. After the wars, Dayton returned to Elizabethtown, New Jersey, where he became a mechanic, merchant and colonial official.

In 1774 the First Continental Congress called on the colonies to resist Parliament's recent tax policy by joining in an association to boycott goods imported from Britain. Dayton allied himself with the local revolutionary movement and served on Elizabethtown's enforcement committee. When the state turned against Royal Governor William Franklin in 1775, the New Jersey's Provincial Congress chose Dayton to lead the 3rd New Jersey Regiment. In July 1775 he and William Alexander, Lord Stirling, led militia forces which captured a British transport off Elizabethtown.

Colonel Elias Dayton's House in Chatham New Jersey, with permission from the Summit Historical Society.

In the spring of 1776 Dayton (as colonel) and his 3rd New Jersey troops (including his young son Jonathan, who would become the regimental paymaster by August) were sent to support an invasion of Canada. However, they were diverted to New York's Mohawk Valley where Colonel Dayton constructed fortifications to protect the colonists from Loyalist and Indian insurrections. These fortifications included Fort Dayton in what is now Herkimer, New York and Fort Schuyler (now called Fort Stanwix but was allowed to go to ruin after the French and Indian War) in what is now Rome, New York.

In 1777, Dayton set up a spy network for George Washington on Staten Island to work in parallel with an established American intelligence agent, John Mersereau.[3]

In December 1778, New Jersey named Dayton as a delegate to the Continental Congress, but he remained with the army and did not attend the Congress. He helped suppress a mutiny of the New Jersey line in 1781, and was promoted to brigadier general in the Continental Army in 1783, and later to major general of militia. He had a prominent role in the battles of Springfield, Monmouth, Brandywine and Yorktown, and had horses shot under him at Germantown (outside Philadelphia), at Springfield, and at Crosswick's Bridge.

Dayton helped establish The Society of the Cincinnati in the state of New Jersey as an original member,[4][5] and served as the President of the New Jersey Society from its foundation until his death.[6] He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1791–1792 and 1794–1796, and was mayor of Elizabethtown from 1796-1805.

Death and legacy

[edit]

He died at age 70 and was interred at the First Presbyterian Churchyard in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The city of Dayton, Ohio would be named after his son Jonathan Dayton.

Notes

[edit]
  • United States Congress. "Elias Dayton (id: D000164)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2009-5-18
  • Mahoney, Henry Thayer and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. Gallantry in Action: A Biographic Dictionary of Espionage in the American Revolutionary War. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1999. ISBN 978-0-7618-1479-5.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Appleton's Cyclopedia vol. II, p. 113
  2. ^ "U.S. Constitution". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  3. ^ Mahoney, Henry Thayer and Marjorie Locke Mahoney. Gallantry in Action: A Biographic Dictionary of Espionage in the American Revolutionary War. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1999. ISBN 978-0-7618-1479-5. p. 126.
  4. ^ Metcalf, Bryce (1938). Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the Society of the Cincinnati, 1783-1938: With the Institution, Rules of Admission, and Lists of the Officers of the General and State Societies Strasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc., p. 104.
  5. ^ "Officers Represented in the Society of the Cincinnati". The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  6. ^ "Elias Dayton | The Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Jersey". njcincinnati.org. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Elias_Dayton&oldid=1259543939"