Why was john connolly a loyalist

More Genealogy Tools. Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Login to find your connection. John Connolly abt. Major John "The Loyalist" Connolly.

Died 30 Jan in Montreal, Canada. Profile managers : Robert Green [ send private message ] and Ann Hall [ send private message ]. Profile last modified 12 Oct Created 10 Nov Sponsored Search. Is John your ancestor? Please don't go away! Login to collaborate or comment , or contact a profile manager, or ask our community of genealogists a question. Sponsored Search by Ancestry. Search Records.

Images: 2 Union Jack. The Virginia-Pennsylvania Border Dispute. First Name. Smyth was a Marylander, already well known there as a committed, and obnoxious Loyalist. He was bound for West Florida, where he might escape the war, but Dunmore and Connolly prevailed upon him to return to Maryland. As they passed through Frederick, Maryland, the local militia were holding a muster. Connolly was recognized, but the group kept moving, eventually stopping at a public house beyond Hagerstown on November Connolly knew the landlord and had the misfortune of encountering a private who had served under him—who now took the opportunity to salute him and draw attention.

Smyth proposed splitting up, but Connolly let it pass. The private went to a tavern in Hagerstown, where Connolly had also been noticed earlier in the evening. Worse, it was enclosed with a letter from Dunmore to the Ohio Indians, encouraging them to side with the crown in the escalating conflict. Connolly mistakenly thought Gibson a Loyalist; in fact, he was a Whig.

The Hagerstown colonel dispatched a party to the common house in which Connolly and his party were staying. It was a challenging journey as the same men who had seized them served as a guard. While confined in Frederick, Connolly helped Dr. Smyth escape with some important paperwork, including personal letters, but the doctor was recaptured on January In the interim, documents from his Frederick interview were printed on December 22 and appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette on December Two days later, Connolly and Cameron set out under guard for Philadelphia, where they were imprisoned.

Connolly remained in various stages of confinement as the war progressed, but was finally made eligible for parole and exchange on July 4, He traveled to New York on parole, becoming Gen. He was finally exchanged on October 25 and promptly began proposing various schemes for waging war on the frontier and capturing Pittsburgh. He was accepted into the army and assigned to Maj.

But Connolly was ill and sought a leave of absence in the fall of He wandered into American lines and was promptly captured and imprisoned again until March Thus, the doctor whose imprisonment for plotting against the United States began in found himself in prison again when Cornwallis surrendered. Connolly sought to recover his fortunes and status on the frontier.

But, his day had passed and the doctor who had plotted to capture Pittsburgh eventually moved to Montreal, where he died in Robinson , Connolly was likely trying to separate Kentucky from the United States. His old Pennsylvania nemesis, Arthur St. Clair, was at that time Governor of the Northwest Territory. Clair to John Jay, December , , founders. Interesting article on a little-known aspect of the Revolution! He was engaged in war against the Indians and commanded the militia in Augusta County.

He then tells of being sent by Dunmore to General Gage and of his return and arrest on the 19th of November and his imprisonment for five years. He was again taken prisoner in September, , and remained in prison until in March, , when he was paroled on condition that he go to England. He owned acres of land in Augusta County, 40 acres of land and a house near Pittsburg, with furniture, etc. He had acres in Fincastle County granted to him by Lord Dunmore in He also made claims for other losses, such as wheat, flour, pack-horses, horses, etc.

He produced, as witnesses on his behalf, the Earl of Dunmore, Major Stockton, who was in jail with him in Philadelphia, and Joseph Galloway. The commissioners evidently felt that Connolly was exaggerating his losses and only allowed him a small portion of his claims. Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 12 Person:John Connelly 5. John Connelly, Jr. Abt Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Parents and Siblings. Spouse and Children. Don't want ads?

This page was last modified , 29 April See Terms of Use for details. Privacy policy About WeRelate Disclaimers. Abt Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States d. John Connelly, Sr. Susanna Howard Abt - m. Abt Dr. John Connolly, Jr. Captain John Connolly.

Major John Connolly. Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Alt Birth? Property [8]. Military [8]. Other [4]. He was exchanged for Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Ramsey. Mission [8]. Bet 28 Sep and 19 Oct