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Courtesy: Wikipedia

**Josiah Harmar** ([November
10](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_10),
[1753](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1753) -- [August
20](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_20),
[1813](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1813)) was an officer in the [United
States Army](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army) during the
[American Revolution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution)
and the [Northwest Indian
War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Indian_War). He was the
senior officer in the Army for seven years.

Harmar was born in [Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia%2C_Pennsylvania)
and educated at a [Quaker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaker) school.
He started his military career during the American Revolutionary War,
receiving a commission as a captain in 1775. He served under [George
Washington](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington) and [Henry
Lee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Horse_Harry_Lee) during the war
and, at its conclusion - by then a
[colonel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel), was chosen by
[Congress](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress) in 1784
to relay the ratified [Treaty of Paris
(1783)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)) to
commissioner [Benjamin
Franklin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin) in Paris.

Harmar was the senior officer in the [United States
Army](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army), from 1784 to
1791, and was given command of the [First American
Regiment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_United_States_Infantry_Regiment_(TOG))
in 1784. He signed the [Treaty of Fort
McIntosh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Fort_McIntosh) in 1785,
the same year that he ordered the construction of [Fort
Harmar](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fort_Harmar&action=edit)
near [Marietta, Ohio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marietta%2C_Ohio). He
also supervised the construction of Fort Steuben near present-day
[Steubenville, Ohio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steubenville%2C_Ohio).
Harmar was promoted to brigadier general in 1787. General Harmar
directed the construction in 1789 of [Fort Washington, Cincinnati,
Ohio](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Washington%2C_Cincinnati%2C_Ohio),
which was built to protect the settlements in the [Northwest
Territory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territory). The fort
was named in honor of President Washington.

In 1790, Harmar was sent on expeditions against [Native
Americans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States)
and remaining [British](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain) in
the [Northwest
Territory](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territory). After a
few initial military successes, his force of Federal troops was defeated
by a tribal coalition led by [Little
Turtle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michikinikwa), in an engagement
known as the \"[Harmar\'s
defeat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmar's_Defeat)\", \"Battle of the
[Maumee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maumee_River)\", Battle of
[Kekionga](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kekionga)\", or \"Battle of the
Miami Towns\". Later, Harmar returned with a somewhat larger force and
engaged the coalition, but fought to a draw. Consequently, he was
relieved of this command and replaced by General [Arthur St.
Clair](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_St._Clair). Harmar was
subsequently
[court-martialed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court-martial), at his
own request, on various charges of negligence, and exonerated.

After his retirement from the Army in 1792, Harmar served as [adjutant
general](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjutant_general) of
[Pennsylvania](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania) (1793--1799).
He died near Philadelphia at his estate, \"The Retreat.\" He is buried
at the Episcopal church of St. James, Kingsessing, in West Philadelphia.