Thomas Mifflin Biography

Dromo's Den

MIFFLIN, Thomas (1744-1800). An American soldier and statesman. He was born at Philadelphia, of Quaker parentage. He graduated at Philadelphia College in 1760, was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1772 and 1773, and in 1774 was sent as a delegate to the Continental Congress. Entering the army as a major in 1775, he became Washington's first aid-de-camp with the rank of colonel; was made quartermaster-general in August, 1775; and finally (Feb. 19, 1777) was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed a member of the Board of War. During the retreat from Long Island he commanded the covering party, and afterwards rendered valuable service by rousing the people to enlist, bringing essential aid to General Washington before the battles of Trenton and Princeton. Becoming dissatisfied with Washington's management of the war, he intrigued for his removal, forming with Conway and others the so-called "Conway Cabal" '(q.v.), on the failure of which he was replaced (March, 1778) by Nathanael Greene as quartermaster-general, and in October, 1778, was removed from the Board of War. He was elected to Congress in 1782 and became its President the following year. He was a member and Speaker of the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1785, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. From 1788 to 1790 he was President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania, and from 1790 to 1799 was the first Governor of the State., As such he took a conspicuous part in the suppression of the Whisky Insurrection, assuming personal command of the Pennsylvania militia. Consult: Simpson, Eminent Philadelphians (Philadelphia, 1859); J. H. Merrill, Memoranda Relating to the Mifflin Family (ib., 1890); William Rawle, "Sketch of the Life of Thomas.Mifflin," in Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Memoirs, vol. ii (ib., 1830).

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XV (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 617-618.