Difference between revisions of "Nicholas Fish"
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| − | '''Nicholas Fish''' (August 28, 1758 – June 20, 1833) was an [[American Revolutionary War]] soldier. He was the first [[Adjutant General of New York]]. | + | '''Nicholas Fish''' (August 28, 1758 – June 20, 1833) was an [[American Revolutionary War]] soldier. He was the first [[Adjutant General of New York]]. |
==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| − | Fish was born on August 28, 1758 into a wealthy [[New York City]] family. | + | Fish was born on August 28, 1758 into a wealthy [[New York City]] family. He was the son of Jonathan Fish (1728–1779) and Elizabeth ([[née]] Sackett) Fish (d. 1778). |
| − | He attended [[Princeton University]] but left before graduating to pursue the study of law at King's College (now [[Columbia University]]) through the office of [[John Morin Scott]] in New York. There he became actively interested in the organization of the [[Sons of Liberty]]. | + | He attended [[Princeton University]] but left before graduating to pursue the study of law at King's College (now [[Columbia University]]) through the office of [[John Morin Scott]] in New York. There he became actively interested in the organization of the [[Sons of Liberty]]. |
==American Revolutionary War== | ==American Revolutionary War== | ||
| − | [[ | + | In 1776 he was appointed by then brigadier general Scott [[aide-de-camp]] on his [[staff of office|staff]]. [Robert Furnam, Brooklyn Heights: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of America's First Suburb, Arcadia Publishing] On August 21, 1776 Fish was appointed major of the [[2nd New York Regiment]]. [www.nyhistory.org/exhibit/nicholas-fish-1758-1833|website=www.nyhistory.org] |
| − | + | He served as a division inspector under Major General [[Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben|von Steuben]] in 1778. He participated in the battles of [[Battle of Saratoga|Saratoga]] and [[Battle of Monmouth|Monmouth]], in [[John Sullivan (general)|Sullivan]]'s expedition against the [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in 1779, and in the Virginia and Yorktown campaigns, in which he served for a time on the staff of the [[Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette|Marquis de La Fayette]]. Along with [[Alexander Hamilton]], he served in New York Militia [[Hearts of Oak (New York militia)|Hearts of Oak]] (1st Battalion/5th Field Artillery Regiment). Nicholas Fish's portrait can be seen at far right bottom row of [[John Trumbull]]'s "Surrender of Lord Cornwallis" painting. | |
| − | + | Fish was an original member of the New York [[Society of the Cincinnati]] and served as its president from 1797 to 1804, and from 1805 to 1806. [Rev. Gordon R. Once Upon a Time in the American Revolution, and George Wilson Pierson, Tocqueville in America, 1938, JHU Press.] His son, [[Hamilton Fish]], would serve as the Society's President General from 1854 to 1893. | |
| − | |||
| − | Fish was an original member of the New York [[Society of the Cincinnati]] and served as its president from 1797 to 1804, and from 1805 to 1806. | ||
===After War Years=== | ===After War Years=== | ||
| − | In 1786, he was appointed [[Adjutant General of New York|Adjutant general]] of [[New York (state)|New York State]], which position he held for many years. In 1794, he was appointed by [[George Washington|Washington]] [[supervisor]] of the Federal revenue in New York City. | + | In 1786, he was appointed [[Adjutant General of New York|Adjutant general]] of [[New York (state)|New York State]], which position he held for many years. In 1794, he was appointed by [[George Washington|Washington]] [[supervisor]] of the Federal revenue in New York City. On two occasions, Fish ran unsuccessfully for [[United States Congress]], losing to [[Samuel L. Mitchill]] in 1804 and [[Gurdon S. Mumford]] in 1806. Fish also twice ran unsuccessfully for [[Lieutenant Governor]] of New York. In 1810, he was the [[Federalist Party (United States)|Federalist]] candidate, but lost to incumbent [[John Broome (politician)|John Broome]]. Broome subsequently died one month into his term in August 1810. Fish ran in a special election for Lieutenant Governor in 1811 to fill the vacancy created by Broome's death, but lost to the then-mayor of New York City, [[DeWitt Clinton]]. [Stephen Hess, America's Political Dynasties, 2017, Routledge.] During the [[War of 1812]], Fish served as a member of the [[City Committee of Defense]]. |
==Personal life== | ==Personal life== | ||
| − | + | Fish's son, [[Hamilton Fish]], a New York governor, United States Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State | |
| − | In 1803, Fish was married to Elizabeth Stuyvesant (1775–1854),<ref name="umich">{{cite web|title=Nicholas Fish papers 1775-1844|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsmss/umich-wcl-M-1471fis?rgn=main;view=text|website=quod.lib.umich.edu|publisher=[[William L. Clements Library]] [[University of Michigan]]|accessdate=15 September 2017}}</ref> the daughter of Petrus Stuyvesant and Margaret ([[née]] [[Livingston family|Livingston]]) Stuyvesant (1738–1818). She was the sister of [[Peter Gerard Stuyvesant]] (both descendants of [[Petrus Stuyvesant]] the last Dutch [[Director of New Netherland|director-general]] of the colony of [[New Netherland]]), | + | In 1803, Fish was married to Elizabeth Stuyvesant (1775–1854),<ref name="umich">{{cite web|title=Nicholas Fish papers 1775-1844|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsmss/umich-wcl-M-1471fis?rgn=main;view=text|website=quod.lib.umich.edu|publisher=[[William L. Clements Library]] [[University of Michigan]]|accessdate=15 September 2017}}</ref> the daughter of Petrus Stuyvesant and Margaret ([[née]] [[Livingston family|Livingston]]) Stuyvesant (1738–1818). She was the sister of [[Peter Gerard Stuyvesant]] (both descendants of [[Petrus Stuyvesant]] the last Dutch [[Director of New Netherland|director-general]] of the colony of [[New Netherland]]), [Raúl Eduardo Chao, Insurgents and Exiles in Cuba and New York During the Ten Year War on Independence (1868-1878) 2009, Dupont Circle Editions] and the granddaughter of Gilbert Livingston and great-granddaughter of [[Robert Livingston the Elder]]. Together, they were the parents of: |
| − | * Susan Elizabeth Fish (1805–1892), who married Daniel LeRoy (1799–1885). | + | * Susan Elizabeth Fish (1805–1892), who married Daniel LeRoy (1799–1885). |
| − | * Margaret Ann Fish (1807–1877), who married John Neilson (1799–1851). | + | * Margaret Ann Fish (1807–1877), who married John Neilson (1799–1851). |
| − | * [[Hamilton Fish]] (1808–1893), who served as [[New York Governor]], [[United States Senator]],<ref name="Chisholm1911">{{cite book|last1=Chisholm|first1=Hugh|title=Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information|date=1911|publisher=University Press|page=427|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkBTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA427|accessdate=15 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> and who married Julia Ursin Niemcewiez Kean (1816–1887), sister of [[John Kean (New Jersey)|John Kean]] and granddaughter of [[John Kean (South Carolina)|John Kean]]. | + | * [[Hamilton Fish]] (1808–1893), who served as [[New York Governor]], [[United States Senator]],<ref name="Chisholm1911">{{cite book|last1=Chisholm|first1=Hugh|title=Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information|date=1911|publisher=University Press|page=427|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkBTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA427|accessdate=15 September 2017|language=en}}</ref> and who married Julia Ursin Niemcewiez Kean (1816–1887), sister of [[John Kean (New Jersey)|John Kean]] and granddaughter of [[John Kean (South Carolina)|John Kean]]. |
| − | * Elizabeth Sarah Fish (1810–1881), who married Richard Lewis Morris (1816–1880), the son of James Morris and Helen Van Cortlandt. | + | * Elizabeth Sarah Fish (1810–1881), who married Richard Lewis Morris (1816–1880), the son of James Morris and Helen Van Cortlandt. |
| − | * Petrus Stuyvesant Fish (1813–1834), who died young. | + | * Petrus Stuyvesant Fish (1813–1834), who died young. |
| − | Fish died in 1833, and was buried in the churchyard of [[St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery]] in [[New York City]]. | + | Fish died in 1833, and was buried in the churchyard of [[St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery]] in [[New York City]]. |
===Descendants=== | ===Descendants=== | ||
| Line 37: | Line 35: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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;Sources | ;Sources | ||
Latest revision as of 16:05, 21 December 2019
Nicholas Fish (August 28, 1758 – June 20, 1833) was an American Revolutionary War soldier. He was the first Adjutant General of New York.
Contents
Early life
Fish was born on August 28, 1758 into a wealthy New York City family. He was the son of Jonathan Fish (1728–1779) and Elizabeth (née Sackett) Fish (d. 1778).
He attended Princeton University but left before graduating to pursue the study of law at King's College (now Columbia University) through the office of John Morin Scott in New York. There he became actively interested in the organization of the Sons of Liberty.
American Revolutionary War
In 1776 he was appointed by then brigadier general Scott aide-de-camp on his staff. [Robert Furnam, Brooklyn Heights: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of America's First Suburb, Arcadia Publishing] On August 21, 1776 Fish was appointed major of the 2nd New York Regiment. [www.nyhistory.org/exhibit/nicholas-fish-1758-1833|website=www.nyhistory.org]
He served as a division inspector under Major General von Steuben in 1778. He participated in the battles of Saratoga and Monmouth, in Sullivan's expedition against the Native Americans in 1779, and in the Virginia and Yorktown campaigns, in which he served for a time on the staff of the Marquis de La Fayette. Along with Alexander Hamilton, he served in New York Militia Hearts of Oak (1st Battalion/5th Field Artillery Regiment). Nicholas Fish's portrait can be seen at far right bottom row of John Trumbull's "Surrender of Lord Cornwallis" painting.
Fish was an original member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati and served as its president from 1797 to 1804, and from 1805 to 1806. [Rev. Gordon R. Once Upon a Time in the American Revolution, and George Wilson Pierson, Tocqueville in America, 1938, JHU Press.] His son, Hamilton Fish, would serve as the Society's President General from 1854 to 1893.
After War Years
In 1786, he was appointed Adjutant general of New York State, which position he held for many years. In 1794, he was appointed by Washington supervisor of the Federal revenue in New York City. On two occasions, Fish ran unsuccessfully for United States Congress, losing to Samuel L. Mitchill in 1804 and Gurdon S. Mumford in 1806. Fish also twice ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of New York. In 1810, he was the Federalist candidate, but lost to incumbent John Broome. Broome subsequently died one month into his term in August 1810. Fish ran in a special election for Lieutenant Governor in 1811 to fill the vacancy created by Broome's death, but lost to the then-mayor of New York City, DeWitt Clinton. [Stephen Hess, America's Political Dynasties, 2017, Routledge.] During the War of 1812, Fish served as a member of the City Committee of Defense.
Personal life
Fish's son, Hamilton Fish, a New York governor, United States Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State
In 1803, Fish was married to Elizabeth Stuyvesant (1775–1854),<ref name="umich">Template:Cite web</ref> the daughter of Petrus Stuyvesant and Margaret (née Livingston) Stuyvesant (1738–1818). She was the sister of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (both descendants of Petrus Stuyvesant the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland), [Raúl Eduardo Chao, Insurgents and Exiles in Cuba and New York During the Ten Year War on Independence (1868-1878) 2009, Dupont Circle Editions] and the granddaughter of Gilbert Livingston and great-granddaughter of Robert Livingston the Elder. Together, they were the parents of:
- Susan Elizabeth Fish (1805–1892), who married Daniel LeRoy (1799–1885).
- Margaret Ann Fish (1807–1877), who married John Neilson (1799–1851).
- Hamilton Fish (1808–1893), who served as New York Governor, United States Senator,<ref name="Chisholm1911"></ref> and who married Julia Ursin Niemcewiez Kean (1816–1887), sister of John Kean and granddaughter of John Kean.
- Elizabeth Sarah Fish (1810–1881), who married Richard Lewis Morris (1816–1880), the son of James Morris and Helen Van Cortlandt.
- Petrus Stuyvesant Fish (1813–1834), who died young.
Fish died in 1833, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in New York City.
Descendants
Through his son Hamilton, he was the grandfather of Nicholas Fish II (1848–1902), a U.S. Ambassador to Belgium and Switzerland, Hamilton Fish II (1849–1936), a Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Stuyvesant Fish (1851–1923), a President of the Illinois Central Railroad who married Marion Graves Anthon (1853–1915), and New York congressmen Hamilton Fish III and Hamilton Fish IV.
Through is daughter Elizabeth, he was the grandfather of Stuyvesant Fish Morris (1843–1928), a prominent physician.
References
- Sources
