Seth Pomeroy Resolves the Massachusetts Seniority Crisis
Seth Pomeroy was the first man appointed Senior Brigadier General in the Continental Army.
Due to his advanced age, however, he declined the command.
This just so happened to happen at a very convenient time which halted a major crisis at the outset of the Revolutionary War.
Seth Pomeroy
By the time the American Revolution broke out, Seth Pomeroy was a seasoned military man.
Pomeroy had served in both King George’s War and the French and Indian War, establishing himself as one of the most trusted men in the Massachusetts Militia.
Due to his experience, Pomeroy was looked to as a leader after the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
Unfortunately, Seth was approaching 70-years-old, and could only participate in a limited role.
This did not prevent him from riding to Bunker Hill on horseback when he heard the Patriots needed help. He took up a weapon and joined the troops in the thick of the fight.
Brigadier General
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress was appointing Generals for the Continental Army.
After choosing George Washington as Commander-in-Chief and naming the Majors General, Congress fell to the task of selecting Brigadiers General.
Eight men were selected and given an order of seniority.
The highest ranking Brigadier General at the establishment of the Continental Army?
Seth Pomeroy.
The Massachusetts Seniority Crisis
Congress had created a problem for itself during the selecting of Brigadiers General.
It had chosen three Massachusetts men” Seth Pomeroy, William Heath and John Thomas.
William Heath, a dedicated Patriot with little military experience had been ranked fourth in seniority. Conversely,
John Thomas, a man with decades of soldiering under his belt, was ranked sixth.
Furthermore, Thomas had recently been ranked higher that Heath in the Massachusetts Militia.
This was an embarrassment for all involved.
Fortunately, Pomeroy was the answer.
Pomeroy Declines
Word had gotten out that, due to his advanced age, Pomeroy was planning on declining his commission.
Seth was slow to make his feelings officially known, so Washington and Congress worked with the information they had and assumed he was not going to accept the position (which was, in fact, the case).
John Thomas was quickly promoted to first in seniority for Brigadier Generals. He would go on to play an important role in fortifying Dorchester Heights but die less than a year later.
Final Service
Seth Pomeroy still participated in the war effort, quickly being named as a Major General in the Massachusetts Militia.
When Washington called for backup two years later, Seth marched in unit off to New Jersey to help.
Unfortunately, he did not complete the trip.
Pomeroy fell ill in Peekskill, New York and quickly passed away. He was buried in an unmarked grave, but a monument there currently bares his name.
John Adams has appeared in many articles I have written.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Dixwell the Regicide’s Grave - A Visit with Roger Sherman
John Adams Responds to the Ladies
Humphrey Plowjogger’s Secret Identity
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