Arthur Saint Clair Historical Marker

This historical marker is placed to honor Arthur Saint Clair (1737-1818), who was a political and military leader in the years of the American Revolution and the new nation. He served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he would end up holding office. There were many key moments in Saint Clair’s life, such as being promoted to major general. With that being said, every high always has a low. He abandoned Fort Ticonderoga and faced a court-martial. He then served in the Continental Congress and became governor of the Northwest Territory. His prestigious historical marker was installed in 1946 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 

Who exactly was Arthur Saint Clair? Arthur Saint Clair was known as one of the most prominent and well-known men around this area. He was a military and political leader in the Ohio country during the new nation, as well as the American Revolution. His name will forever be known. It all started when Saint Clair was born on March 23, 1736, in Scotland. Little is known of his early years of life, and there is controversy about who his parents were growing up. He briefly studied at the University of Edinburgh. After spending very little time there, he left school to study anatomy. By 1757, Saint Clair was enlisted in the British army and was serving during the French and Indian War. After retiring in 1762, St. Clair purchased land in Pennsylvania and was the largest landowner, west of the Allegheny Mountains. He was appointed as the assistant to the governor for the frontier areas of the colony and, also served as a member of the Westmoreland County Court, beginning in 1773. While in the position, he often dealt with the ongoing debate over whether Virginia would claim the Ohio Territory. Virginia wanted to claim Native lands by force. St. Clair advocated for peaceful relations with Native tribes instead of claiming their land as he hoped it would help Pennsylvania’s interests in the fur trade. 

St. Clair was a supporter of independence and the patriot cause during the American Revolution. He served on his adopted county’s Committee of Safety and as secretary to representatives from the Continental Congress. The Congress appointed St. Clair to the rank of colonel in the Continental Army. St. Clair, a newly promoted brigadier general and commander, suggested that the army move to Princeton, outflank the British, and capture the town—while other commanders suggested a retreat. St. Clair’s advice led to the defeat of the British at Princeton and prompted Washington’s support of St. Clair for the rest of the war.

When in the Revolutionary War, he thought of himself more of an American than a British object. In January of 1776, he accepted a commission into the Continental Army as a colonel. His first sense of action was in the Battle of Trois-Rivieres. He helped General George Washington organize the profound militia of New Jersey. St. Clair also fought in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. In 1777, he was promoted to major general. In July, he withdrew his forces abandoned Fort Ticonderoga. After his abandonment and retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, Saint Clair faced a court-martial. He was exonerated from blame and went on to fight at Yorktown and with General Nathanael Greene in the South. In 1783, he left military life to serve in the Continental Congress and became a member of the Pennsylvania Council of Censors. In 1787, St. Clair became the governor of the Northwest Territory. The delegates also gathered and elected Saint Clair to a one-year term as President of the Continental Congress. This was a position he held until 1802. He had subsequently returned to active duty in the Army, and, from 4 March 1791 until 5 March 1792, he served as the senior officer. He was soundly defeated on the Wabash River in November 1791 by Indians, resigned his commission shortly thereafter and resumed the territorial governorship.

During is governance, he formulated what was called Maxwell’s code. This was the first set of written laws of the Northwest Territory. After establishing the Code, he also sought to end Native American claims to land in Ohio and pave the way for white settlement. He succeeds in getting certain Native Americans to sign the Treaty of Fort Harmar, but numerous native leaders refused to give up their terrain. The treaty then provoked Native Americans to further resistance, which sparked the Northwest Indian War. The Native Americans ultimately won the war in October of 1790. After many more changes in the military in an attempt to push for his desires, he then dealt with his downfall. About 623 American soldiers were killed in action, compared to the 50 Native American deaths. Saint Clair then resigned from the army commission per request from President Washington, but he continued serving as the Governor of the Northwest Territory. In 1802, his opposition plans for Ohio statehood led President Thomas Jefferson to remove him from office as territorial governor. He thus played no part in the organizing of the State of Ohio in 1803. The first Ohio Constitution provided for a weak governor and a strong legislature, in part due to a reaction to St. Clair’s method of governance. St. Clair returned to his home in Ligonier, Pennsylvania and engaged in the iron business. While in retirement, he lived with his daughter on the ridge that lies between Greensburg and Ligonier. After dealing with poverty, he died in Greensburg, Pennsylvania on August 31, 1818. 

The General Arthur St Clair Sons of the American Revolution Chapter. Accessed November 21st, 2022. https://trcarnahan.wixsite.com/genarthurstclairsar/about-general-arthur-st-clair.

Arthur St. Clair. Accessed November 21st, 2022. https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Arthur_St._Clair.

Major General. Accessed November 21st, 2022. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/arthur-st-clair.

Major General Arthur St. Clair. Accessed November 21st, 2022. https://armyhistory.org/major-general-arthur-st-clair/.

Clarke, Robert. The St. Clair Papers. Accessed November 21st, 2022. https://archive.org/details/stclairpapersli05claigoog/page/n13/mode/1up?view=theater.