John Patten ( representative ) Major John Patten ( April 26 , 1746 – December 26 , 1800 ) was a United States farmer and politician from Dover , in Kent County , Delaware . He was an officer of the Continental Army in the American Revolution , a Continental Congressman , and a member of the Democratic - Republican Party , who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as a United States Representative from Delaware . Early life and family . Patten was born at " Tynhead Court , " near Dover , Delaware , son of John Patten and Ann Maxwell . This property was on the present Dover Air Force Base , near the farms of Caesar Rodney and John Dickinson . He was a farmer , who after the American Revolution married Ann Haslet , daughter of the first Colonel of the 1st Delaware Regiment , John Haslet . She died soon thereafter , and he married Mary Miller Loockerman , daughter of the Rev . John Miller and widow of Vincent Loockerman . American Revolution . Patten was commissioned a first lieutenant in Captain John Caldwell ' s 2nd Company of the 1st Delaware Regiment at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War . He was soon promoted to captain of the 1st Company and in February 1779 and was promoted to the rank of major . He fought in every major battle from the Battle of Long Island until the Battle of Camden , where the Delaware Regiment suffered grievous losses , and he was taken prisoner . Paroled in 1781 , after the fighting was over , he is said to have walked home alone in rags from Charleston , South Carolina . Political career . Patten was elected in 1785 to the State House or House of Assembly , as it was then known , and represented Kent County , during the 1785 / 86 session . At the same time he was elected to the Continental Congress in 1785 and served there one year . He won a closely contested election to the U . S . House in 1792 and took his seat in the U . S . House on March 4 , 1793 . However , Henry Latimer , the Federal candidate contested the election , claiming that many ballots were invalid because they were filled out incorrectly . After a lengthy study the Federalist majority in the U . S . House voted on February 14 , 1794 to invalidate enough ballots to award the seat to Latimer . A few months later Patten again defeated Latimer , and this time served the whole term , from March 4 , 1795 until March 3 , 1797 . Brought out of political retirement in 1800 , Patten was defeated for the U . S . House seat by the incumbent Federalist James A . Bayard . Death and legacy . Patten died at his home , Tynhead Court , near Dover , and is buried in the Old Presbyterian Cemetery , which is at Dover , on the grounds of the Delaware State Museum . He had a home on the north side of Front Street , between Orange and Tatnall Streets in Wilmington , Delaware , but was always a legal resident of Kent County . He was active in the Philadelphia Society for promoting Agriculture , the Society of the Cincinnati , and the Lyceum of Delaware . Almanac . Elections were held October 1 . Members of the General Assembly took office on October 20 or the following weekday . The State Assemblymen were elected for a one - year term . They chose the Continental Congressmen for a one - year term . U . S . Representatives took office March 4 and have a two - year term . After 1792 elections were moved to the first Tuesday of October and members of the General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January . The State Legislative Council was renamed the State Senate and the State House of Assembly was renamed the State House of Representatives .