Gen. James Chambers

DAR# A020463

[Believed to be son of Col. Benjamin Chambers]

Col. James Chambers was a distinguished soldier of the Revoluntionary War enlisting June 25, 1775. He was with the first of George Washington's troops to reach Boston on August 7, 1775. His half brothers William and Benjamin, Jr. along with his only son, Benjamin who was 11 years old at the time.

He assumed command of the lst Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line in the Continental Service and was promoted on March 12, 1777.

He took part in most of the battles of 1776 & 1777 and continued to command until he retired January 17, 1781. He took part in the battle of Brandywine, where he was wounded on Sept. 11, 1777, he opposed the Hessians at Chadd's Ford, and in May 1778 the battle of Monmouth.

During the Whiskey Insurrection in 1794 he was the Brigadier General in command of the 3rd Brigade and marched to western Pennsylvania where the mere display of military force proved sufficient to restore order.

He enlisted July 19, 1763 as a Lt. in Captain Samuel Lindsay's Company of Foot. After his retirement he founded Loudon Forge, the first iron works in Franklin County. He was the first Justice of the Peace for his township, after the erection of Franklin County in 1784, being commissioned for 7 years from Jan 4, 1785 and on the 12 of November 1795 Governor Mifflin commissioned him one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Franklin County, Associate Judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery, Judge of the Orphans' Court, of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace, and Justice of the Peace. Chambersburg, Pa was named for his father, Benjamin. It was known as Falling Spring, Pa prior to the change of name.

He was a member of the Society of the Society of the Cincinnati, a member of the order of Masons (founder of the Chambersburg Lodge and it's Master until he resigned in 1894).

He was buried with full military honors.

He donated the land on which the Chambersburg Academy was built.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 5 2018, 5:49:16 UTC

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Born on the ground where Chambersburg now stands in 1742 and died at London Forge April 23, 1800.

James Chambers was a lieutenant under the provincial law, holding his commission in the British Servies. He continued as such until near the Revolutionary War, when he resigned his commission. He raised a company of 125 men and marched to Boston in 1775, where he received his commission as captain in the Continental Army. He was accompanied by his two brothers, William and Benjamin as cadets. They were with him in the siege at Boston.

The continental congress on March 7, 1776 promoted Captain James Chambers to a Lieutenant Colonel in "Hands Rifle Battalion" in the army of Cambridge. He was soon ordered to the vicinity of New York.

September 28, 1776 he was commissioned Colonel of First Regiment of Continental troops. It is known he took part in the following battles, and had three horses killed under him, one at Brandywine; one at Paolia; and one at Germantown. The battles, besides Paolia he took part in are:

Seige of Boston August 1775

Long Island August 27, 1776

Brandywine September 11, 1777

Monmouth June 28, 1778

Stony Point-----1779

Col. chambers was severely wounded at Brandywine. After the battle of Monmouth he was with the army at White Plains, West Point and other places on the Hudson River. He had been wounded, and at Stony Point wounded so severly that it impaired his strength so that in 1781 after six years of active service, he retired with honorable mention by congress and well provided. He served under Generals Wayne and St. Claire.

Col. Chambers was possessed of large estate when he enlisted. He retired with shattered constitution and much reduced in fortune.

In 1793, he was commissioned Brigadier General by the State of Pennsylvania in which capacity he served against the insurgents, called the "whiskey men." He was afterwards commissioned Major General by Thomas McKeen, Governor of Pennsylvania (the old records say in the USA) which office he held until his death.

He assisted in organizing a Masonic Lodge at Chambersburg, Pa and was its first Worshipful Master for years until 1804, the year before his death.

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 10 2020, 0:32:59 UTC

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GEDCOM Note

[Believed to be son of Col. Benjamin Chambers] Col. James Chambers was a distinguished soldier of the Revoluntionary War enlisting June 25, 1775. He was with the first of George Washington's troops to reach Boston on August 7, 1775. His half brothers William and Benjamin, Jr. along with his only son, Benjamin who was 11 years old at the time.He assumed command of the lst Regiment of the Pennsylvania Line in the Continental Service and was promoted on March 12, 1777.He took part in most of the battles of 1776 & 1777 and continued to command until he retired January 17, 1781. He took part in the battle of Brandywine, where he was wounded on Sept. 11, 1777, he opposed the Hessians at Chadd's Ford, and in May 1778 the battle of Monmouth.

During the Whiskey Insurrection in 1794 he was the Brigadier General in command of the 3rd Brigade and marched to western Pennsylvania where the mere display of military force proved sufficient to restore order.He enlisted July 19, 1763 as a Lt. in Captain Samuel Lindsay's Company of Foot. After his retirement he founded Loudon Forge, the first iron works in Franklin County. He was the first Justice of the Peace for his township, after the erection of Franklin County in 1784, being commissioned for 7 years from Jan 4, 1785 and on the 12 of November 1795 Governor Mifflin commissioned him one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Franklin County, Associate Judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery, Judge of the Orphans' Court, of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace, and Justice of the Peace. Chambersburg, Pa was named for his father, Benjamin. It was known as Falling Spring, Pa prior to the change of name.He was a member of the Society of the Society of the Cincinnati, a member of the order of Masons (founder of the Chambersburg Lodge and it's Master until he resigned in 1894).He was buried with full military honors.He donated the land on which the Chambersburg Academy was built.

Colonel James Chambers served in the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment in the American RevolutionService started: June 25, 1775Unit(s): Service ended: Jan 17, 1781Married Catharine Hamilton and had five children: Benjamin, Sarah Bella, Charlotte, Ruhamah and Catharine.

Mentioned in his grandmother's will in 1753:

"Item I give to my Grandson James Chambers Son of ye said Benjamin Chambers The Sum of Ten Pounds. Item I give & bequeath to my Daughter Rebecca Polson half ye Interest Money of ye Two Hundred Pounds that I have out at Interest in ye hands of John Caigey Till my Grandson James Chambers attains his Age of Twenty One Years, Till which time I give to ye said James Chambers ye other half of ye said Interest Money. And if the said James Chambers should die before he attains to ye sd Age my Will then is That the said Two Hundred Pounds be paid to my Daughter Rebecca Polson & her Heirs."

Military service during Revolutionary War:

Captain of Thompson's Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, 25th June, 1775; Lieutenant-Colonel 1st Continental Infantry, 7th March, 1776; Colonel 10th Pennsylvania, 12th March, 1777, to rank from 28th September, 1776; transferred to 1st Pennsylvania, 12th April, 1777; wounded at Brandywine, 11th September 1777; retired 17th January, 1781.

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Oct 10 2020, 2:32:11 UTC