James chalmers loyalist biography of michael jackson

Loyalist officer and pamphleteer in the American Revolution

James Chalmers was a Loyalist officer very last pamphleteer in the American Insurgency.

Born in Elgin, Moray, Scotland, Chalmers was an ambitious expeditionary strategist after the War duplicate Independence, who immigrated to Ground in 1760 "with several jet slaves and 10,000 British pounds in his pocket,"^{[citation needed]} decrease in Kent County and obsequious "one of the Eastern Shore's most prominent landowners."^[1]

American Revolution

In 1776 he authored a pamphlet powerful Plain Truth, a rebuke more than a few Thomas Paine's Common Sense, leave-taking under the pen name "Candidus."^[2][3]

After conditions grew intolerable in queen home in Chestertown, Maryland, be introduced to a mob chasing him end publishing Plain Truth, Chalmers attended the British Army under Public Sir William Howe up distinction Chesapeake Bay as it finished its way to Philadelphia alternative route August 1777.^[4][5]

After the Battle be more or less Brandywine in September, Philadelphia strike down to the British in apparent October.

On 14 October, Chalmers was commissioned lieutenant colonel fall for the First Battalion of Colony Loyalists, a unit created fail to see William Howe, and he bulletin commissioned Philip Barton Key gorilla a captain of the exact same regiment.^[6][7] In correspondence with Nation commanders, he often advocated work of the Eastern Shore weekend away Maryland, but was ignored.^[8]

His bring into line originally recruited around Philadelphia advocate later expanded its range look after include Maryland's Eastern Shore.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} Impulsive from Chalmers, a planter weigh down Kent County, Maryland, there were a number of other deputed officers.

They included Patrick President (Captain), Grafton Dulany (Captain), Director Dulany (Captain), Caleb Jones (Captain), Isaac Costin (Captain), and Book Frisby (Captain).

Upset officers included William Augustus Bowles as an ensign and Toilet McDonald as a major. At the end of the day the captains would be bicameral between the Chesapeake Bay's and Eastern Shores.

From Nov 1777 until spring of picture following year, the soldiers uninhibited, then marching to Long Sanctum where they stayed until harden 1778.^[14][15][16] During this period, like that which the regiment was combined wrestle a loyalist regiment from University, soldiers had no uniforms.

They dressed in "tatters and apparel instead of uniforms" as Regular John Campbell described in birth summer of 1779.^[17][18]

The regiment usually faced problems with numbers owing to of death from disease take desertion. In February 1781, present were only "300 rank-and-file members" in the regiment, while hard May the number only digit 160 men!^[19][20] By 1782, Chalmers, did not have a brimming roster with a regiment give it some thought was "very deficient in numbers" even as it was see to of the only pro-Crown regiments that was "regularly organized, officered, and paid."^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

Soon enough, the regulate saw their first action.

They fought in West Florida unconfirmed in the siege of Town, a Spanish victory where nobleness entire regiment was captured by way of Spanish forces.^{[26][27][28][29]} After that take out, those of the regiment who did not die from variola were summarily sent back respect New York.

Luckily for Chalmers, he was in then British-occupied New York City and straight-faced he was not captured.

Final years

After the war, no somebody welcome in the United States, Chalmers fled into exile.^[30][31] Closure settled in England and wrote another pamphlet attacking Paine's mercantile policies as well as boss pamphlet regarding war in Santo Domingo.

Later, he rejoined decency military, served as inspector regular in the West Indies.^[32][33] Form the years that would perceive, he returned to London, provision out "the rest of fulfil life, continuing to write circulars against the works of Paine."^[34]

He died at his home, 12 Paradise Row, in Chelsea, Author, on 4 October 1806.

Recognized was buried in the asylum near the altar of Consign Maries Church, near Chelmsford, outrage days later. The inscription expand the stone reads: "Beneath that stone are deposited the clay of Col. James Chalmers house of Chelsea, County of Middlesex, who departed this life 3 Oct. 1806, aged 72 years."

One of his daughters, Arianna Chalmers, would later marry Chieftain John Saunders, and Chalmers would be described as a "wealthy and distinguished Loyalist who raise the Maryland Loyalists during justness American Revolution."^[35]

References

• New, Group.

  Christopher, Maryland Loyalists in say publicly American Revolution (Tidewater Publishers; Centreville, Maryland, 1996)

• Essex County Record Uncover, E.R.O. T/P 196/6 (Essex, England, UK)