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Banks of the Maumee, Ohio, Aut. 20, 1794: Gen. Anthony Wayne's tough Army legion defeated the Indians of the Northwest who previously had bested Harmar's troops and another American force led by Gen. Arthur St. Clair. Wayne's victory cleared the way for the U.S. to expand into the Ohio Valley. (Courtesy of Center of Military History)

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Gen. Josiah Harmar

Defeat On The Frontier Led To Downfall Of Army's First Post-Revolutionary Commander

By Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Military.com Columnist

On Sept. 29, 1784, Gen. Josiah Harmar became the first commander-in-chief of the U.S. Army, successor to the young nation's Revolutionary War force. The Quaker-educated Philadelphian had joined the First Pennsylvania Battalion in October 1775 as a captain and entered the Continental Army as a major in the Third Pennsylvania Regiment one year later.

Harmar quickly attained the rank of lieutenant colonel -- and a reputation as a brilliant young officer -- under Continental Army commander-in-chief Gen. George Washington and Gen. Henry Lee. With the conclusion of formal peace negotiations in 1784, Congress chose Harmar to carry the ratified treaty to U.S. emissary Benjamin Franklin in Paris.

That year also saw Harmar's designation as lieutenant colonel commandant of the First American Regiment, composed of troops from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. This position, which made Harmar the Army's senior officer, is viewed by historians as that of the first commander-in-chief of the new Army. The First American Regiment survives today as the 3rd Infantry, the "Old Guard" of Arlington, Va.

Because of his rank and experience, Harmar was then sent to command troops and establish posts on the Ohio frontier. His men were there to help protect settlers being harassed by Indians; Harmar, however, spent much of his time campaigning Congress for money to buy necessary supplies. He supervised the construction of Fort Harmar (at present-day Marietta, Ohio) in order to discourage British squatters from moving into the territory.

Unfortunately, the skirmishes in which Harmar's forces got involved only served to worsen relations with the American Indians. On Oct. 22, 1790, his army was ambushed and defeated at the Maumee River by tribal warriors led by Michikinikwa, also known as Little Turtle, a chief of the Miami tribe. Seen as a national humiliation and a major setback to plans for U.S. expansion, the defeat resulted in Harmar's retirement from active duty in 1792.

Although a court of inquiry exonerated him of blame for the expedition's failure, Harmar turned to political life, serving as adjutant general of Pennsylvania until 1799. He spent his remaining years at The Retreat, his home near Philadelphia, and died in 1813.