Adamson Tannehill
Encyclopedia
Adamson Tannehill a native of Maryland, is representative of the United States’ founding generation whose members were active participants in the early military and political events of their country’s establishment. He was among the first volunteers to join the newly established Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
. He served for five and a half years, ultimately achieving the rank of captain and commander of the army’s longest serving rifle unit. After the war, Tannehill and members of his family settled in Pittsburgh, his last military post of the conflict. He was an early leading citizen of Pittsburgh and a distinguished Pennsylvania
politician who held several local and state appointed and elected offices, including one term as a U.S. Congressman; served on the founding boards of civic, state, and national organizations; and had prominent military roles in the state's post-Revolutionary War years.
, probably close to Frederick Town (now Frederick). He was the oldest of nine children born to John Tannehill, owner of a tobacco plantation, and Rachel Adamson. His maternal grandfather took a special interest in the grandchild who bore his name, and he provided funding to secure a fine education for Adamson. Little else is known of Adamson’s earliest years. No known portraits of Tannehill exist; however, family records indicate that as an adult he “was six feet in height, well proportioned and of commanding appearance.” At the age of 25, he enlisted in one of the first American military units to form when the war with Great Britain started in the spring of 1775.
during the American Revolutionary War
, initially as the first sergeant in Capt. Thomas Price’s Independent Rifle Company, one of the original ten independent companies of riflemen from the frontier regions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia authorized by the Continental Congress
on June 14, 1775. He received his commission dated January 1, 1776, as a third lieutenant while serving at the Siege of Boston
. In June 1776 Tannehill and his company were incorporated into the newly organized Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment
, at which time he advanced to second lieutenant. Later that year a large portion of his regiment was captured or killed at the Battle of Fort Washington
on northern Manhattan Island. However, those members of the unit not taken in the battle, including Tannehill, continued to serve actively with Washington’s Main Army, participating in the Battles of Trenton
and Princeton
, and in the spring of 1777 were administratively attached to the 11th Virginia Regiment
. Tannehill was promoted to first lieutenant on May 18, 1777, and the following month he was attached to the newly organized Provisional Rifle Corps commanded by Col. Daniel Morgan
, which played a major role in the Battles of Saratoga and a peripheral role in the Battle of Monmouth
. He returned to the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (his permanent unit) in mid-1778 when Lt. Col. Moses Rawlings, the regiment’s commander who had been exchanged from British captivity earlier that year, was marshaling the remnants of his unit and recruiting new members while stationed at Fort Frederick, Maryland. In early 1779 Tannehill and the regiment were assigned to Fort Pitt
of present-day western Pennsylvania where they supplemented other Continental forces engaged in the defense of frontier settlements from Indian raids. Tannehill advanced to the rank of captain on July 29, 1779, and he commanded the regiment in late 1780. He was discharged from service on January 1, 1781, when his unit was disbanded.
, the first bank in Pittsburgh, starting in 1804; one of five turnpike commissioners for the state starting in 1811; major general of Pennsylvania Volunteers during the War of 1812; and president of the Pittsburgh branch of the Bank of the United States starting in 1817.
The high point of Tannehill's active political career was his election as a Republican to the Thirteenth
U.S. Congress for the period 1813–1815. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1814
to the Fourteenth
Congress.
In October 1800, Tannehill was temporarily removed from his office of Justice of the Peace after being convicted of extortion related to an event that occurred five years before in which he was alleged to have charged two shillings more than was allowed by law for two probates. Although he was quickly reinstated to office in January 1801 by Governor Thomas McKean
, the former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and subsequently held several prominent public offices, Tannehill believed the charges against him, likely born out of the contentious political conditions of the time, had marred his reputation. He vehemently disclaimed any guilt for the rest of his life.
in Pittsburgh in 1849.
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He served for five and a half years, ultimately achieving the rank of captain and commander of the army’s longest serving rifle unit. After the war, Tannehill and members of his family settled in Pittsburgh, his last military post of the conflict. He was an early leading citizen of Pittsburgh and a distinguished Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
politician who held several local and state appointed and elected offices, including one term as a U.S. Congressman; served on the founding boards of civic, state, and national organizations; and had prominent military roles in the state's post-Revolutionary War years.
Early years
Adamson Tannehill was born in Frederick County, MarylandFrederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
, probably close to Frederick Town (now Frederick). He was the oldest of nine children born to John Tannehill, owner of a tobacco plantation, and Rachel Adamson. His maternal grandfather took a special interest in the grandchild who bore his name, and he provided funding to secure a fine education for Adamson. Little else is known of Adamson’s earliest years. No known portraits of Tannehill exist; however, family records indicate that as an adult he “was six feet in height, well proportioned and of commanding appearance.” At the age of 25, he enlisted in one of the first American military units to form when the war with Great Britain started in the spring of 1775.
Revolutionary War service
Tannehill served in the Continental ArmyContinental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, initially as the first sergeant in Capt. Thomas Price’s Independent Rifle Company, one of the original ten independent companies of riflemen from the frontier regions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia authorized by the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
on June 14, 1775. He received his commission dated January 1, 1776, as a third lieutenant while serving at the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
. In June 1776 Tannehill and his company were incorporated into the newly organized Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment
Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment
The Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, most commonly known as Rawlings' Regiment in period documents, was organized in June 1776 as a specialized light infantry unit of riflemen in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
, at which time he advanced to second lieutenant. Later that year a large portion of his regiment was captured or killed at the Battle of Fort Washington
Battle of Fort Washington
The Battle of Fort Washington was fought in the American Revolutionary War between the United States and Great Britain on November 16, 1776. It was a decisive British victory, forcing the entire garrison of Fort Washington to surrender....
on northern Manhattan Island. However, those members of the unit not taken in the battle, including Tannehill, continued to serve actively with Washington’s Main Army, participating in the Battles of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
and Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
, and in the spring of 1777 were administratively attached to the 11th Virginia Regiment
11th Virginia Regiment
The 11th Virginia Regiment was a Continental Army regiment that fought in the American Revolutionary War.Authorized by the Second Continental Congress on 16 September 1776, it was organized on 3 February 1777 and consisted of four companies from the Virginia counties of Loudoun, Frederick, Prince...
. Tannehill was promoted to first lieutenant on May 18, 1777, and the following month he was attached to the newly organized Provisional Rifle Corps commanded by Col. Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
, which played a major role in the Battles of Saratoga and a peripheral role in the Battle of Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
. He returned to the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (his permanent unit) in mid-1778 when Lt. Col. Moses Rawlings, the regiment’s commander who had been exchanged from British captivity earlier that year, was marshaling the remnants of his unit and recruiting new members while stationed at Fort Frederick, Maryland. In early 1779 Tannehill and the regiment were assigned to Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt (Pennsylvania)
Fort Pitt was a fort built at the location of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.-French and Indian War:The fort was built from 1759 to 1761 during the French and Indian War , next to the site of former Fort Duquesne, at the confluence the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River...
of present-day western Pennsylvania where they supplemented other Continental forces engaged in the defense of frontier settlements from Indian raids. Tannehill advanced to the rank of captain on July 29, 1779, and he commanded the regiment in late 1780. He was discharged from service on January 1, 1781, when his unit was disbanded.
Early Pittsburgh
After the war Tannehill settled in Pittsburgh, as did a number of other Revolutionary War officers, including his brother Lt. Josiah Tannehill. He initially engaged in agricultural pursuits and was a tavern owner and vintner, president of the Pittsburgh Fire Co., and a trustee of the first Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh. He later served as a local Justice of the Peace; lieutenant colonel of Westmoreland Co. militia starting in 1788; an original member of the Board of Directors of the Pittsburgh branch of the Bank of PennsylvaniaBank of Pennsylvania
The Bank of Pennsylvania was established on July 17, 1780, by Philadelphia merchants to provide funds for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War...
, the first bank in Pittsburgh, starting in 1804; one of five turnpike commissioners for the state starting in 1811; major general of Pennsylvania Volunteers during the War of 1812; and president of the Pittsburgh branch of the Bank of the United States starting in 1817.
The high point of Tannehill's active political career was his election as a Republican to the Thirteenth
13th United States Congress
- Senate :* President: Elbridge Gerry , until November 23, 1814, thereafter vacant.* President pro tempore: Joseph B. Varnum , December 6, 1813 – February 3, 1814** John Gaillard , elected November 25, 1814- House of Representatives :...
U.S. Congress for the period 1813–1815. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1814
United States House election, 1814
The U.S. House election, 1814 was an election for the United States House of Representatives to the Fourteenth United States Congress. Voting in the various states was held between April 1814 and August 10, 1815 . The Congress met on December 4, 1815...
to the Fourteenth
14th United States Congress
- Senate :* President: Vacant* President pro tempore: John Gaillard of South Carolina, first elected December 4, 1815- House of Representatives :* Speaker: Henry Clay of Kentucky-Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congress.
In October 1800, Tannehill was temporarily removed from his office of Justice of the Peace after being convicted of extortion related to an event that occurred five years before in which he was alleged to have charged two shillings more than was allowed by law for two probates. Although he was quickly reinstated to office in January 1801 by Governor Thomas McKean
Thomas McKean
Thomas McKean was an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the American Revolution he was a delegate to the Continental Congress where he signed the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of...
, the former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, and subsequently held several prominent public offices, Tannehill believed the charges against him, likely born out of the contentious political conditions of the time, had marred his reputation. He vehemently disclaimed any guilt for the rest of his life.
Death
Tannehill died near Pittsburgh in 1820 at the age of 70. He was survived by his wife, Agness Morgan Tannehill, and his ward, Sydney Tannehill Mountain. Tannehill was interred in the churchyard of the First Presbyterian Church and reinterred in Allegheny CemeteryAllegheny Cemetery
Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.It is a nonsectarian, wooded hillside park located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood and bounded by Bloomfield, Garfield, and Stanton Heights...
in Pittsburgh in 1849.