Generals who rose from the ranks of the 14th Infantry

General John Glover  1732-1797
 

John Glover was born in Salem, Massachusetts on November 5, 1732, and moved with his family to Marblehead where he grew up. Just a few years after his marriage to Hannah Gale, Glover was appointed an ensign in the Third Military Foot Company, a Marblehead Militia Regiment of 1,000 men. He quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a Colonel upon the death of Colonel Jeremiah Lee in 1775, in command of the Marblehead Militia Regiment (which he had originally joined in 1759). In June of that year, Glover and the Regiment were ordered to join the Continental Army encamped at Cambridge, Massachusetts. Recognizing Glover's leadership skills and resourcefulness, General Washington sent Glover to Beverly to protect that port against three British warships threatening attack. Soon after, Washington ordered Glover to commission and man two small naval vessels, the forerunners of Washington's Navy.

At the start of 1776, the Marblehead Militia Regiment formally became the 14th Continental Regiment and was ordered in July to march to New York and later to Long Island. In August, Glover organized and supervised the evacuation from Long Island of 9,000 Continental troops and all of their equipment, guns, horses, and cannon, at night and under appalling weather conditions. In mid-October, Glover and 750 of his soldiers fought to a standstill a British force of more than 4,000 regulars.

On Christmas night, 1776, Glover again proved his mettle when the 14th Continental Regiment ferried Washington and 2,400 men across the Delaware River at night, again in desperate weather, marched them nine miles into Trenton, fought a 36-hour successful battle there, marched back to the Delaware with 900 Hessian captives, and crossed back over the river again.

Following additional distinguished roles in the war, including at the Battle of Saratoga and its aftermath, Glover retired from the Army in 1782. He returned to Marblehead, rebuilt his business, and went on to serve two terms in the Massachusetts Legislature and six terms on the Marblehead Board of Selectmen. He died January 30, 1797, at the age of 64. 

http://gloversregiment.org/historyglover.php

(Glover's Marblehead Regiment, a re-enactment group that preserves the memory of the original 14th Infantry)

Glover is included in the list of "Generals who rose from the ranks of the 14th...", even though the 14th United States Infantry Regiment was not officially created until the Civil War, because the 14th Continental Regiment is considered to be the forbearer of that later United States Regiment, and Glover is entitled to the honors that go with that lineage.




Biographical Information from Wikipedia

Glover was born in Salem, Massachusetts, the son of a house carpenter.  His father died when he was four years old, and shortly thereafter his family moved to the nearby town of Marblehead.  As a young man, Glover became a cordwainer and rum trader and eventually a ship owner and merchant.  He married Hannah Gale in October 1754.

Following the Boston Massacre in 1770, Committees of Correspondence were formed.  Marblehead elected Glover along with future revolutionists Elbridge Gerry and Azore Orne to committee posts.  After the First Continental Congress passed the non-importation agreements sanctioning trade with the British, Glover was elected to enforce the embargo as a member of the committee of inspection.

Glover was active in the militia for many years before the Revolution, with his earliest service dating back to 1759.  In 1775 he was elected lieutenant colonel of the 21st Massachusetts Regiment from Marblehead, and became commander of the unit after the death of Colonel Jeremiah Lee in April 1775.  Glover marched his regiment to join the siege of Boston in June 1775.  At Boston, General George Washington chartered Glover's schooner Hannah to raid British supply vessels, the first of many privateers authorized by Washington.  For this reason the Hannah has been called the first vessel of the United States Navy.

The Marblehead militia or "Glover's Regiment" became the 14th Continental Regiment.  This regiment became known as the "amphibious regiment" for their vital nautical skills.  It was composed almost entirely of fishermen.  After Washington lost the Battle of Long Island in August 1776, Glover's Marbleheaders evacuated the army to Manhattan in a surprise nighttime operation, saving them from being entrapped.  In subsequent actions of the New York campaign the regiment fought well against the British at Kip's Bay and Pell's Point.  The last action of the regiment was its most famous: ferrying Washington's army across the Delaware River for a surprise attack at Trenton in December 1776.  The regiment was disbanded as enlistments expired at year's end.

Glover went home to tend to his sick wife and look to business affairs.  He turned down a promotion to brigadier general in February 1777, but rejoined the war after a personal appeal from General Washington.  He served in the successful Saratoga campaign in 1777 and the failed Battle of Rhode Island in 1778.  He was stationed along the Hudson River for the remainder of the war, guarding against British moves up the river from New York City.

Hannah, Glover's first wife, died in 1778.  He married again in 1781 to Frances Fosdick.  He retired from the army in 1782 in poor health.  Failing to secure a job with the U.S. federal government, he served in various local offices in his remaining years.  He died at age 64 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, after contracting hepatitis and was buried in Old Burial Hill (Marblehead, Massachusetts).

Memorials

Various things have been named in his honor. On November 20, 1783, he was awarded the charter for the town of Glover, Vermont, as its prime proprietor, in honor of his service.  The frigate USS Glover was named for him.  Glover's Rock in the Bronx is a memorial to him and Glover School in Marblehead was named after him in 1916.  There is a statue of General John Glover on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.  The General John Glover House is located in Marblehead. Glover Field in Pelham, New York is named for him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glover_%28general%29


The 14th Continental Regiment, also known as the Marblehead Regiment and Glover's Regiment, was raised as a Massachusetts militia regiment in 1775, and taken into the Continental Army establishment during the summer of 1775 as the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment.  When the Continental Army was reestablished for 1776, the regiment was redesignated the 14th Continental.  Composed of seafaring men from the area around Marblehead, Massachusetts, it would man the boats during the New York and New Jersey campaign of 1776 and the crossing of the Delaware River before and after the Battle of Trenton.  The men of the regiment were only enlisted for one and a half years, and the regiment was disbanded on December 31, 1776 in eastern Pennsylvania.

The Marblehead, Massachusetts unit was originally formed in January 1775 after a town meeting voted to reorganize the militia, stripping the existing Tory commanders of their military powers and assigning Jeremiah Lee as the regimental commander. John Glover was elected second lieutenant colonel.  The regiment armed itself in part using captured weapons and powder seized during a night time raid of the HMS Lively led by Samuel Trevett in early February.

On February 26, 1775, the Marblehead Regiment confronted 240 British troops under command of Colonel Alexander Leslie after a standoff at the North Bridge in Salem, Massachusetts.  Leslie landed his troops in Marblehead, under orders of General Thomas Gage to proceed to Salem and confiscate artillery that was hidden there.  Word quickly spread through Marblehead and Salem, and the Salem regiment was waiting at the bridge when Leslie arrived.  After a tense standoff, Leslie ended up retreating back to Marblehead where he was met by the Marblehead Regiment, which had fallen in to reinforce the troops in Salem.  The Marbleheaders followed Leslie's troops back to their boats, mocking them as they marched.

Although the Marblehead Regiment was not present at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the event had a significant impact on the regiment's command.  Lee and Glover met with Elbridge Gerry, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock at Weatherby's Black Horse Tavern in Menotomy on April 18.  Lee and Glover planned on staying for the night, but in the early morning of April 19, they were forced to flee in their bed clothes as the oncoming British troops searched the tavern.  Lee fell sick from exposure after hiding in a nearby field, and died days later.  Glover then took over command of the regiment.

The regiment joined the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 22, 1775 with 10 companies totaling 505 officers and men.  On July 1, Glover received a colonel's commission from the Continental Congress and the unit formally became the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment.  In mid-December, Glover's regiment left Cambridge and returned to Marblehead and Beverly at the end of their terms of enlistment.  The unit was reorganized as the 14th Continental Regiment on January 1, 1776.

Washington's fleet

In the summer of 1775 during the Siege of Boston, the British troops were able to maintain a steady stream of provisions through ships arriving from Nova Scotia, the West Indies, and England. In an effort to disrupt these supply lines, General George Washington turned to Glover for naval assistance.  Glover made available the 78-ton Schooner Hannah, the wharf he owned in Beverly, and a captain and crew selected from his regiment.  Although the success of the Hannah was limited, Washington was convinced of the need of a greater naval presence.  He put Glover and his regiment in charge of outfitting and manning the Franklin, Hancock, Lee, and Warren in the fall of 1775.  This small navy was able to both disrupt the British supply lines, capturing much needed arms and other supplies for the Continental Army.

As the small naval force began to return to port with prize vessels, Washington became concerned that the Beverly base would gain the attention of the British.  In December 1775, Washington dispatched the Marblehead Regiment from Cambridge to fortify and defend Beverly.  By mid-1776 Beverly Harbor was protected by five separate forts, with the 14th Continental responsible for much of the task of defending them.
 

Combat

Battle of Long Island

Main article: Battle of Long Island

On July 11, 1776, Glover was ordered to rejoin the main army in New York. The unit arrived in Manhattan on August 3, but was not ordered onto Long Island until August 28, after the Battle of Long Island.  The unit took a position on the Brooklyn defense perimeter between Fort Putnam and Wallabout Bay where they immediately faced intense skirmishing into the night.  On the following day, Washington made the decision to evacuate his troops, and that evening under stormy conditions, ordered Glover and the 14th Continental to ferry the entire army across the mile-wide East River. On the morning on the August 30 under cover of fog, Glover and his men completed the task of moving the troops, horses, artillery and supplies across to Manhattan without the loss of a single life and without detection by the enemy.

Kip's Bay

Main article: Landing at Kip's Bay

In early September 1776, Washington intended to use Glover's men in another amphibious operation to remove the sick, wounded and additional military supplies from Manhattan.  A call went out to the New York legislature to send four Albany Sloops for the purpose, but these never arrived.  Whether or not the 14th Continental ultimately participated in the removal of the casualties is disputed.  On September 4, Washington put Glover in charge of a brigade that included the 14th Continental in a division commanded by General Israel Putnam. On September 14, Glover's brigade marched to Harlem to rejoin the main army. On September 15, the British landed on Manhattan at Kip's Bay, which led to a panic-stricken retreat by the American troops defending the shore, including two brigades sent to reinforce them. Despite Washington's best efforts to stop the retreat, they fled towards Kingsbridge until they met six brigades including Glover's that had been marched down from Harlem. Glover brought the troops into a line on a hill to meet the British, but Washington later ordered the troops to fall back.

Pell's Point and White Plains

Main articles: Battle of Pell's Point and Battle of White Plains

On October 14, 1776, Washington ordered the 14th and three other Massachusetts Regiments under Glover to Pell's Point to guard against a potential enemy landing.  On October 18, while Washington was withdrawing the remainder of his troops to White Plains, General William Howe ordered an amphibious landing at Pell's Point.  What ensued came to be known as the Battle of Pell's Point; it was a significant strategic victory under Glover, although it appears that he held the 14th in reserve and they did not participate directly in the battle.  As Washington's army fell back to White Plains, Glover's men continued to harass the enemy.  On October 20, Glover's brigade launched a raid behind enemy lines to bring back 200 barrels of pork and flower that had been left in Eastchester. Several days later a scouting patrol from the 14th Regiment unexpectedly ran into a party of Hessians, killing twelve and taking three prisoner.  Glover's men also participated in the Battle of White Plains, principally as part of the artillery engagement and later as the rear guard as Washington moved on to New Jersey. Glover's brigade left White Plains to rejoin the rest of the army on November 22.

Battle of Trenton

Main article: Battle of Trenton

As the end of 1776 approached, Washington faced a desperate situation. Morale was low, and the enlistments for many of his regiments, including the 14th, were set to expire at the end of the year. Washington decided to get one more battle in before these troops left the service. Howe had pursued Washington through New Jersey, but as Washington crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, his troops had collected all the boats they could find, effectively preventing Howe's further advance. Howe halted his campaign for the winter, moving most of his army back to New York, but leaving a chain of garrisons behind to hold New Jersey. Washington devised a plan to attack the garrison at Trenton, and selected Glover and the 14th Regiment to ferry his troops across the Delaware. The 14th were provided a number of Durham boats for the task, averaging 60 feet (18 m) in length with an 8 feet (2.4 m) beam, each capable of holding an entire regiment. The boats were propelled by oars measuring 18 feet (5.5 m) on the downstream side and poles on the upstream side.  Washington ordered the operation for Christmas night, which turned out to be a howling snow storm. As the 14th ferried the heavily laden boats across, they had to contend with ice forming on the gear, and cakes of ice that needed to be wrestled out of the way.  In addition to ferrying the troops, the 14th was responsible for ferrying the artillery that was under the command of Colonel Henry Knox. At 3am on the morning of December 26, three hours behind schedule, the 14th Regiment had completed their task.

After the crossing of the Delaware was completed, the 14th Regiment joined the other regiments in Glover's brigade in General John Sullivan's division and were part of the American victory at the Battle of Trenton that immediately followed.  Before the day was out, the 14th Regiment would ferry Washington's force and approximately 900 Hessian prisoners back across the Delaware.

End of service

After the Battle of Trenton, Washington attempted to persuade the Marbleheaders to remain in the army for another six weeks by offering a bounty, but few took him up on the offer. William R. Lee, former brigade major of the 14th was commissioned as a colonel on January 1, 1777, and a new regiment was formed. Only nine of the 14th Regiment's thirty-two officers re-enlisted.  On preparing to return home, members of the Marblehead Regiment learned that some Continental frigates were in the Delaware River.  The men offered to sail the vessels to the relative safety of New England waters, but the offer was refused.  After returning home to Marblehead, most of the men took up the more profitable trade of privateering for the remainder of the American Revolutionary War.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_Continental_Regiment


Editor's Note: This article was reprinted from the June 2007 Edition of the Liberty Tree Newsletter

Brigadier General John Glover is truly the forgotten hero of the American Revolution. On no less then three occasions, he, and he alone, can be credited with saving the Revolution!

John was the son of Jonathan and Tabitha (Bacon) Glover and was born in Salem Village (now Danvers) , Essex County, Massachusetts on November 5th, 1732. His
father died when he was only four years old. At an early age his mother took her family to Marblehead, Massachusetts where he apprenticed as a cordwainer (shoemaker), later a common sailor, then a merchant. Like many who come into this life from humble origins, Glover was driven to succeed. Through hard work and good business sense he was able to purchase a fishing schooner and enter into the lucrative fishing business. Marblehead was a major fishing seaport at the time. In short order he acquired several vessels and with the profits propelled himself into a prominent position in Marblehead, both politically and in the local militia.

At age 28, in 1760, he entered the political arena, joining the local "Whig" party, opposing England’s encroachment on the rights of the colonists. After the 1770 "Boston Massacre", he and other Whigs got control of the town government from the pro-British loyalists. He had joined the Marblehead militia in 1759 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the Marblehead Regiment’s Colonel.

 

 

Shortly after the April 19th, 1775 engagement at Lexington and Concord, Glover led his Regiment to Boston to support the siege of that city. It is said that he was one of the best uniformed officers in the Army, carried a pair of silver pistols and a Scottish
broadsword. During the first months of the war he was busy supervising the building of fortifications along the Massachusetts shoreline. He was thusly involved in Marblehead when the action on Breed’s Hill took place, missing that action.

When George Washington arrived in Cambridge, a suitable headquarters was sought for the new Commander-in-Chief. Glover, noted for his good taste, had occupied the mansion owned by Colonel John Vassall, a loyalist who was a refugee in Boston, as his regimental headquarters, newly re-designated as the 14th Continental Regiment. Washington choose the mansion for his headquarters and evicted the 14th. However, he was impressed by the discipline of the Marbleheaders. Being seafaring men, they were accustomed to absolute obedience to their officers, whereas the average Massachusetts soldier was totally devoid of that concept. Washington retained a company of the Marbleheaders to serve as his headquarters guard.

The adjutant of the Regiment, Captain Caleb Gibbs was appointed to serve as their commander. It appears that while the conversion of the mansion was taking place, George Washington, John Glover and Caleb Gibbs became lifelong friends. After the British were forced to evacuate Boston, General Washington established a permanent headquarters guard, officially known as the "Commander-in-Chief Guards", unofficially the "Washington Life Guards" he again chose Captain Gibbs to serve as the Commandant of said guard.

During the siege of Boston, George Washington was plagued with shortages of every kind of military equipment. He also realized that the British Army, besieged in Boston, was being completely supplied by sea. He decided to establish a naval force to intercept and capture some of these supply ships. He ordered Colonel Glover to take charge, acquire the ships, convert them to war ships and start operations.

Glover donated his own ship, the "Hannah", named after his wife, and six other schooners. This fleet was known as the "Washington Cruisers". One of these vessels, the "Lee", commanded by Captain John Manley, a Marblehead man, probably recommended by Glover, captured the British ordnance brig, the "H.M.S. Nancy". This single prize was exactly what was needed by Washington for the Army. The cargo consisted of 2,000 Brown Bess muskets, 100,000 flints, 30,000 of artillery ammunition, 30 tons of musket ammunition, and a 13" brass mortar.

On March 6th, 1776 the British evacuated Boston. With the city securely back in American hands, Washington realized that the British would certainly be back and the most likely target would be the great port of New York City.

General Washington ordered the Continental Army to march to New York to defend that city.

Upon arrival in New York City, Washington immediately ordered the building of defenses. The geography of the area made this an almost impossible task wit the resources available to him. With the Royal Navy dominating the ocean, an invasion could take place anywhere along the extensive coast line.

Washington's prediction that New York would be the target of the British anticipated return to America came true on June 25th, 1776. Lieutenant General Sir William Howe arrived off Sandy Hook, New York with three ships, the vanguard of his fleet. By the 30th, the rest of the fleet arrived, with 130 ships. On July 2nd he landed his 9,300 troops on Staten Island. On the 12th, Sir William’s brother, Admiral Lord Richard Howe arrived from England with another 150 ships and reinforcements bringing his total of effective troops, including a substantial force of Hessian mercenaries, to 31,625. This was the largest expeditionary force ever launched by the English. General Washington’s troops, opposing the invasion were 19,000, mostly untrained and poorly equipped, scattered all around New York.

On August 27th, General Howe launched his attack on Long Island. The results were predictable. After some heated battles, Washington was forced to retreat to the heavily fortified Brooklyn Heights. His troops, exhausted and demoralized could not have withstood a determined attack, however, it appears that General Howe, having witnessed the carnage endured by the British troops at Breed’s Hill (Bunker
Hill) the previous year, knew all too well what type of resistance he could expect from a frontal attack on Americans behind fortifications. He stopped the attack and started siege operations.

Washington realized that being outnumbered six-to-one, by regular troops, he could not hold Brooklyn Heights. He called upon Colonel Glover to organize an evacuation. It was masterfully done. 9,000 American troops, their horses, artillery and supplies were transported across the East River to Manhattan. John Glover saved the American Army from certain annihilation. John Glover’s save number 1!

 

Colonel John Glover organizing the evacuation of General George Washington’s Army from Brooklyn

 

General Howe’s attempts to cut off and capture Washington’s army on Manhattan were not going well. He successfully landed at Kipp’s Bay (34th Street on Manhattan’s eastern shore) on September 15th. Using the fire power of the Royal Navy he drove the defenders from their defense lines. Owing to fast action on the part of the Americans, Washington’s Army retreated north, ahead of the pursuing British. Another landing force landed further north at Throg’s Neck on October 12th - - this too failed. An impassable marsh, and a well defended single road stopped the invasion cold! General Howe was determined to prevent the American army from escaping, so he launched yet another amphibious landing, this time at Pell’s Point (Pelham), on Long Island Sound on October 18th.

Colonel John Glover and his Marblehead men, plus three other Massachusetts Regiments, numbering 750 men, had been ordered to Eastchester to protect that part of the coast line. On the morning of October 18th, Glover reported seeing "two-hundred sail" laying off shore. His first thought was to ask for advice from a senior officer. Later he recalled "I would have given a thousand worlds to have had General Lee or some other experienced officer present." Glover realized that his position was geographically strong. The only way off the point was a narrow road that passed through small fields, lined with stone walls. He organized his defense by placing each of the Regiments, one behind the other, each behind a wall. He then ordered the men to lay down, and not raise up until the enemy was within range. The first Regiment, the Marbleheaders, did so. They stood, fired volley after volley into the devastated front ranks of the British, then retreated. The British saw the Americans retreating and launched a bayonet charge. When they reached the next wall, another Regiment stood and fired. The effect was devastating. This was tactic was repeated. The British lost more men at Pell's Point then they did on Long Island! His determined defense slowed the British advance to a crawl. That delay allowed Washington to continue his retreat to the safety of the hills behind White Plains, where he consolidated his retreating forces and was ready to make a stand. John Glover’s save number 2!

 

Colonel John Glover and his Marblehead Regiment holding off the British at Pell’s Point.

 

On October 28th, the two armies clashed at White Plains. Although it was another British victory, General Washington was able to retire from the battlefield and move his army across the North (Hudson) River and start the long, humiliating retreat across New Jersey.

When the exhausted army crossed the Delaware River to the relatively safety of Philadelphia, the situation was desperate beyond belief. Almost all of the military supplies and artillery had been lost in the defense of New York. Most of the men’s enlistments would expire on December 31st. Washington would be left with a skeleton of his original army. Almost to a man, everyone thought the war had already been lost and morale could not have been lower. It was at this juncture that the greatness of George Washington shone through. Washington realized that an invading army cannot conquer a country by marching through it. It had to be occupied. Every city and town had to have a garrison stationed there in order to maintain control. That was their weakness!

He devised a plan to re-cross the Delaware River and attack one of the garrison towns with what was left of his army. Intelligence told him that the most vulnerable town would be Trenton.

Entirely by force of his personality he convinced enough of his army to prolong their leaving the army and with the arrival of fresh troops from New England made the attack possible.

The only problem remaining was would it be possible to cross the Delaware River in the middle of winter? If it could be done at all, the only man capable of pulling it off was John Glover. Colonel Glover was consulted by Washington and his response was typical of him: "not to be troubled about that, as his boys could manage it." At dusk Glover’s men started ferrying the army across the ice choked Delaware River in Durham boats. In addition to the danger of the ice flows at about 11:00 p.m. a snow storm started reducing visibility to near zero.

General Henry Knox, Washington’s Chief of Artillery, realized that the wet weather would make the soldier’s primer powder next to useless, hence the artillery would be all the more important. He supervised the loading of eighteen cannons on the boats. Later he wrote: " . . . perseverance accomplished what at first seemed impossible". John Glover’s Regiment was worth a dozen Regiments that night. Without them there would not have been a victory at Trenton, a turning point of the Revolution.

Historian George Trevelyan noted: "It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater or more lasting results upon the history of the world."

The crossing was successfully made, surprise achieved and Trenton fell into our hands along with 918 prisoners, several much needed brass cannons and a great deal of supplies. John Glover’s save Number 3!

After playing an important part in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, Glover went home - his wife, Hannah, was ill. John and Hannah were married on October 30th 1754, at Marblehead. They had eleven children: John (1756) who served as Captain in his father’s Regiment; Hannah (1757 - died in infancy); Daniel (1759 - died in infancy) ; Hannah (1761), Samuel (1762), Jonas (1764), Tabitha (1765); Susannah (1767); Mary (1769); Sarah "Sally" (1771) and Jonathan (1773). With so many young children, and his financial affairs in disorder owing to his absence, it is understandable that his attention turned to his family. Hannah passed away on November 13th, 1778.

George Washington recognized Glover’s value and requested that Congress promote him to Brigadier General. They did so February 21st, 1777. Upon learning of the promotion, he wrote to General Washington saying on April 1st, 1777, " . . . . but when I consider my own inabilities & inexperience, I cannot think myself in any degree capable of doing the duty, necessary to be done by an officer of that rank, these are my only objections, which I hope will have weight, with your Excellency as to excuse one from accepting the Commission . . . ."

General Washington replied:

"Headquarters, Morristown, April 26th, 1777.

Sir: After the conversation I had with you before you left the Army last winter, I was
not a little surprised at the contents of yours of the 1st Instant. As I had not the least doubt but you would accept of the Commission of Brigadier, if conferred upon you by Congress. . . . Diffidence in an Officer is a good mark, because it will always endeavour to bring himself up to what he conceives to be the full line of his duty; but I think I may tell you without flattery, that I know of no man better qualified than you to conduct a Brigade, you have activity and industry, and as you very well know the duty of a Colonel, you know how to exact that duty from others . . .

George Washington"


Glover accepted the promotion and was appointed a Brigade commander and sent to upstate New York to confront British General John Burgoyne under the command of American Major General Horatio Gates. With the defeat of Burgoyne at Saratoga, and the capture of his army, Glover was assigned to escort the prisoners of war (known to history as the convention army) to Boston. He guarded 2,139 British soldiers, 2,022 Hessian and 830 Canadians to Cambridge, Massachusetts. After accomplishing the assignment without incident, General Glover returned to his Marblehead home, because of family concerns.

 

The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga By John Trumbull. John Glover is the second from right. The sketch of Glover earlier in this article was made by Trumbull to include in this painting.

 

During the summer of the following year, 1778, he was called back to active service in the failed attempt to dislodge the British force at Newport, Rhode Island.  Once again Glover served with distinction.

Following that assignment, General Glover took a post in the Hudson Highlands. He served on the board of officers that court martialed British Major John Andre.  General Glover spent the rest of the war in the Highlands and did not participate in the southern campaign.  While on leave he married to Francis Fosdick, a cousin of Paul Revere.

At the end of the war, Brigadier General John Glover was breveted a Major General on September 30th, 1783, very much deserved.

Many leaders of the quest for independence suffered heavily during the Revolutionary War. General Glover was no exception.  He lost his first wife, of 24 years; his eldest son, Captain John Glover was captured in 1778 by the British and was lost at sea while being transported to England.

General Glover contracted the dreaded malaria in late 1777 which cost him his health.  His personal wealth was greatly diminished by the collapse of the maritime economy. After the war Glover served two terms in the Massachusetts State Legislature, and six terms as a Selectman for Marblehead. In 1789, President George Washington visited Marblehead and was entertained by Glover.

 

General John Glover’s Statue in Boston Massachusetts.

 

General John Glover died of hepatitis on January 30th, 1787, at age 64, at his home in Marblehead. He was buried in the Old Burial Hill cemetery.

 

http://revolutionarywararchives.org/glover.html

 

Acknowledgements:
Generals who rose from the ranks of the 14th Infantry:  General John Glover
Copyright © 2013  14th Infantry Regiment Association
Last modified: July 25, 2024