Nathaniel Towson

Major-General Nathaniel Towson (January 22, 1784 – 1854) also known as Nathan Towson.

Major General Nathan Towson

History

Nathaniel Towson was born in Towsonton, Maryland, which was then a small town north of Baltimore. Nathan farmed for much of his early life and left Towson to establish his family's recently acquired farm in Kentucky. Because of a land dispute, Nathan moved to Natchez, Mississippi.

Military career

While in Natchez, Nathan joined a volunteer artillery outfit to accompany the first American governor of Louisiana, William C. C. Claiborne, to New Orleans. Nathan quelled an attempted mass desertion and quickly rose through the ranks until he finally commanded the Natchez Volunteer Artillery. In 1805, Nathan returned to Baltimore County and continued farming but remained a military officer through his position with the Maryland Militia. Nathan's military prowess earned him recognition in the Maryland Militia and he became Adjunct of its 7th Regiment.

During this period prior to the War of 1812, Nathan became an astute artillery officer and devoted significant efforts to artillery's related study of mathematics. Nathan also became an adviser to the state during its revision of the Militia Laws.

War of 1812

With American and British tensions escalating, Nathan was appointed Captain in the US Army artillery on March 15, 1812. Nathan's service during the War of 1812 began with a notable success. His first engagement involved his commanding a small group to capture an enemy brig, the Caledonia. The successful capture propelled Nathan's reputation. Nathan quickly rose through the ranks, both through his own acts of individual bravery and his effective artillery command. While commanding relatively few artillery pieces, his batteries' discharges were so numerous that his position during the Siege of Fort Erie became known as "Towson's Lighthouse". During the War of 1812, Nathan commanded artillery during many confrontations, including the Battle of Fort George, the Battle of Stoney Creek, the Battle of Queenston Heights, the Battle of Chippawa, the Battle of Lundy's Lane, and the Siege of Fort Erie.

Post war

After the War, Nathan was assigned to a command in Boston and then Newport, Rhode Island. He was then appointed Paymaster General of the Army in 1819. As Paymaster General, Towson resided primarily in Washington, DC.

Societies

During the 1820s, Towson was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.^[1]

References

1. ^ Rathbun, Richard. The Columbian institute for the promotion of arts and sciences: A Washington Society of 1816-1838.. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, October 18, 1917. http://books.google.com/books?id=MY-5AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=%22columbian+institute%22&source=bl&ots=norHpKppMQ&sig=Xn1668nfr6y_EhAJVYUcGRBN1pk&hl=en&ei=3jAeTM3mAYHcMaqrjfUM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCcQ6AEwBzgU#v=onepage&q=%22columbian%20institute%22&f=false. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 

Namesakes

• A U.S. military outpost was renamed Fort Towson in 1831. It is located in Fort Towson, Oklahoma.
• An American WWII liberty ship was named SS Nathan Towson.

External links

• http://books.google.com/books?id=c25l_jQhwuoC&lpg=PA5&ots=UmeIw0zdzW&dq=Nathaniel%20Towson%201854&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q=&f=false
• http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9407E7DE123DE034BC4C51DFB166838F649FDE
• http://books.google.com/books?id=ri53AAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA171&ots=mRWOrExf8O&dq=%22nathan%20towson%22&pg=PA171#v=onepage&q=%22nathan%20towson%22&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?id=Qs7GAwwdzyQC&lpg=PA334&ots=hNuh2i3I1F&dq=%22nathan%20towson%22&pg=PA334#v=onepage&q=%22nathan%20towson%22&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?id=_c09EJgek50C&lpg=PA241&ots=MAbg_rE8cE&dq=%22nathan%20towson%22&pg=PA20#v=onepage&q=%22nathan%20towson%22&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?id=Qc8UAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA106&ots=V6njglR5Xz&dq=%22nathan%20towson%22&pg=PA106#v=onepage&q=%22nathan%20towson%22&f=false

Persondata
Name
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Date of birth	January 22, 1784
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Date of death	1854
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