Thomas Mifflin

**Thomas Mifflin** (January 10, 1744 – January 20, 1800) was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

## Military service

Early in the American Revolutionary War, Thomas Mifflin left the Continental Congress to serve in the Continental Army. He was made a major and later became an aide-de-camp of George Washington.

On August 14, 1775, Washington appointed him to become the army's first quartermaster general, as was agreed by Congress. Even though he preferred to be on the front line, people said he was good at his job. Because he failed at properly supplying Washington and the troops at Valley Forge, questions were raised. People said he had warehoused and sold supplies, instead of bringing them to Washington and his troops. After Washington talked with him, Mifflin asked to be relieved as quartermaster general but was persuaded to resume those duties because Congress did not find a replacement.

Mifflin's leadership at the Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton led to his promotion to major general. In Congress, there was debate regarding whether a national army was more efficient or the individual states should maintain their own forces.  As a result of the debate, Congress created the Board of War, and Mifflin served on it from 1777 to 1778. He then rejoined the army but took little active role because of criticism of his service as quartermaster general. He was accused of embezzlement and welcomed an inquiry, but none ever took place. He resigned, but Congress continued to ask his advice even after it had accepted his resignation.

## Personal life

Although Mifflin's family had been Quakers for four generations, he was expelled for joining the Continental Army since his involvement with the military contradicted the faith's pacifist doctrines. Mifflin became a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1768 and served for two years as its secretary. He served from 1773 to 1791 as a trustee of the College and Academy of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania), including two years as its treasurer (1773–1775).

## Other websites

- Brief biography and portrait at the University of Pennsylvania
- Biography and portrait at Quartermasters-General

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific prefix**: His Excellency
- **name**: Thomas Mifflin
- **image**: Thomas Mifflin.jpg
- **office**: 1st List of governors of Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania
- **term start**: December 21, 1790
- **term end**: December 17, 1799
- **predecessor**: Himself
<small> as Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania#Presidents of Council, President of Pennsylvania </small>
- **successor**: Thomas McKean
- **office1**: 7th Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania#Presidents of Council, President of Pennsylvania
- **vicepresident1**: George Ross (Pennsylvania statesman), George Ross
- **term start1**: November 5, 1788
- **term end1**: December 21, 1790
- **predecessor1**: Benjamin Franklin
- **successor1**: Himself
<small> as List of governors of Pennsylvania, Governor of Pennsylvania </small>
- **office2**: Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- **term start2**: 1785
- **term end2**: 1787
- **predecessor2**: John Bayard
- **successor2**: Richard Peters (Continental Congress), Richard Peters
- **office3**: 3rd President of the Continental Congress, President of the Confederation Congress
- **term start3**: November 3, 1783
- **term end3**: June 3, 1784
- **predecessor3**: Elias Boudinot
- **successor3**: Richard Henry Lee
- **office4**: Continental Congressman
- **term start4**: 1782
- **term end4**: 1784
- **term start5**: 1774
- **term end5**: 1775
- **birth place**: Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, British America
- **death place**: Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- **party**: Federalist Party (United States), Federalist
- **profession**: Merchant, soldier, politician
- **signature**: Thomas Mifflin Signature2.svg