William North

Infobox Senator
honorific-prefix =
name =William North
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
jr/sr =United States Senator
state =New York
term_start =May 51798
term_end =August 171798
preceded =John Sloss Hobart
succeeded =James Watson
birth_date =1755
birth_place =Pemaquid, Maine, USA
death_date =January 31836
death_place =Duanesburg, New York, USA
nationality =
party =Federalist
spouse =Mary Duane
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession =Soldier, Statesman
religion =


website =
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William North (1755 Fort Frederick, Pemaquid, now Lincoln County, Maine - January 3 1836 Duanesburg, Schenectady County, New York) was an American soldier and politician.

Life

He was the son of John North, who commanded Fort Frederick in 1751, and Fort St. George in Thomaston, Maine, in 1758. He moved with his mother to Boston, Massachusetts.

He entered the Continental Army in 1775, and served under Benedict Arnold in the unfortunate expedition to Canada in that year. He was appointed in May 1777 as captain in Henry Jackson's 16th Massachusetts Regiment, with which he participated in the Battle of Monmouth. In 1779 he became aide-de-camp and homosexual lover [http://books.google.com/books?id=q7TPqeUa9UIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=male+male+intimacy+in+early+america&ei=DnykSM3qFouUiAGvntD6BA&sig=ACfU3U2KRSdN3-e0S2Zv2tZnboB964y9Mw] , William Benemann, Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships Haworth Press, 2006 ISBN 1560233451.] to Baron Steuben, whom he greatly aided in introducing his system of discipline in the Continental Army. Later he accompanied Steuben to Virginia, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis. He was also reputed to be romantically involved with another male companion, Captain Benjamin Walker, who served along with him in the Continental Army. He was appointed by Act of Congress Major in the 2d United States regiment on 20 October, 1786. After the war he settled in Duanesburg, New York, where he married Mary Duane, daughter of James Duane, on October 14 1787 and had six children.

He was elected to the New York State Assembly several times, and was Speaker in 1795, 1796 and 1810.

North was appointed as a Federalist to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Sloss Hobart and served from May 5, 1798, to August 17, 1798, when James Watson was elected and qualified to succeed.

He was appointed adjutant general of the United States Army with the rank of brigadier general on July 19, 1798, but was mustered out on 10 June, 1800 as tensions with France diminished. In March, 1812, he was again appointed adjutant-general of the Army, but declined.

The bulk of Baron Steuben's property was bequeathed to General North, who divided it among his military companions. General North was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati. He died in Duanesburg, New York and is interred there in the crypt under the Christ Episcopal Church.

Notes

External links

*CongBio|N000142
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/norrish-northway.html/ Political Graveyard]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohlhous/250735935/in/set-280456/ William North Historic Marker]

Persondata
NAME=North, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=American statesman
DATE OF BIRTH=1755
PLACE OF BIRTH=Pemaquid, Maine
DATE OF DEATH=January 3, 1836
PLACE OF DEATH=Duanesburg, New York