Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Harmar, Josiah

HARMAR, Josiah, soldier, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1753; d. there, 20 Aug., 1813. He was educated chiefly in Robert Proud's Quaker school. In 1776 he entered the Continental army as captain in the 1st Pennsylvania regiment, was made lieutenant-colonel in the following year, and served until the close of the war. He was in Washington's army in the campaigns of 1778-'80, and in Gen. Greene's division in the south in 1781-'2. In 1783 he was made a brevet-colonel of the 1st U.S. regiment. He took the ratification of the definitive treaty to France in 1784, and as Indian agent for the northwest territory was present when the treaty was made at Fort McIntosh on 20 Jan., 1785. He was made lieutenant-colonel of infantry on 12 Aug., 1784, and in 1787 was brevetted brigadier-general by resolution of congress. He became general-in-chief of the army in 1789, and in 1790 he commanded an expedition against the Miami Indians. He resigned his commission in 1792, and in the following year was appointed adjutant-general of Pennsylvania, which office he held until 1799. During this service he was active in preparing and equipping the Pennsylvania troops for Wayne's Indian campaign of 1793-'4.