Adamson Tannehill

Adamson Tannehill (May 23, 1750 – December 23, 1820) was an American military officer, politician, justice of the peace, U.S. Congressman, civic leader, and farmer. Born in Frederick County, Maryland, Tannehill was among the first volunteers to join the newly established Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, serving from June 1775 until 1781. He attained the rank of captain and was commander of the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, the longest-serving Continental rifle unit of the war. He participated in several prominent engagements, including the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga, and the Brodhead Expedition of the war's western theater. After the conflict, Tannehill settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, his last military posting of the war. He was active in the Pennsylvania state militia, rising to the rank of major general in 1811. Tannehill also served as a brigadier general of United States Volunteers on the Niagara Frontier of the War of 1812.

Tannehill was an early citizen of Pittsburgh and a Pennsylvania politician who held several local, state, and national appointed and elected offices. These included one session as a Democratic-Republican in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1791, one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1813 to 1815, and president of the Pittsburgh branch of the Bank of the United States from 1817 until his death in 1820. He also served on the founding boards of several civic and state organizations. In late 1800, Tannehill, while a justice of the peace, was alleged to have charged more than was allowed by law for two probates and was convicted of extortion. He was reinstated to office shortly after by the governor of Pennsylvania.

Tannehill died in 1820 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was buried at his Grove Hill home outside Pittsburgh and reinterred in Allegheny Cemetery in 1849.

Early years
Adamson Tannehill was born May 23, 1750, in Frederick County, Maryland, the oldest of nine children born to John Tannehill, owner of a tobacco plantation, and Rachel Adamson Tannehill. Adamson's maternal grandfather took a special interest in the grandchild who bore his name, and he provided "such pecuniary assistance as to secure a fine education" for him. Little else is known of Adamson's youth and upbringing. No portraits of him are known to exist; family records state that as an adult he "was six feet in height, well proportioned and of commanding appearance".

Revolutionary War service


At the age of 25, Tannehill was among the first volunteers to enlist in one of the earliest American military units to form when the American Revolutionary War started in the spring of 1775. He served in the Continental Army, initially as the senior sergeant in Captain Thomas Price's Independent Rifle Company, one of the original ten independent rifle companies from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia authorized by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. He received his officer's commission dated January 1, 1776, as a third lieutenant, while serving at the siege of Boston. In mid-June the same year, Tannehill and his company were incorporated into the newly organized Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment, when he advanced to second lieutenant. In the summer and fall of 1776, many of the regiment's officers, including Tannehill, conducted recruitment and initial training of new enlistees in the two states and moved them to New York to join the regiment.

On November 16, 1776, a large portion of Tannehill's regiment was captured or killed at the Battle of Fort Washington on northern Manhattan Island. The remainder—about one-third of the unit including Tannehill—continued to serve actively in the Continental Army. That winter, they participated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton and in the early 1777 skirmishing in northern New Jersey, a period termed the Forage War. The following spring, they were administratively attached to the 11th Virginia Regiment because of the losses suffered by their rifle regiment. The riflemen also provided an experienced, if small, force to bolster this newly formed Virginia unit. Tannehill was promoted to first lieutenant on May 18, 1777, and the following month he was attached to the just-organized Provisional Rifle Corps commanded by Colonel Daniel Morgan. Deployed as specialized light infantry, this regiment-size force of about 500 riflemen played a major role in the Battles of Saratoga and the Battle of White Marsh in late 1777 and a peripheral role in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. The rifle corps was also notable for its scouting and outpost duties in defense of the Continental Army's Valley Forge encampment during the winter and spring of 1777–1778.

Tannehill was detached from the rifle corps after the Battle of Monmouth in mid-1778 and returned to the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (his permanent unit). This occurred when Lieutenant Colonel Moses Rawlings, the regiment's commander, was marshaling the remnants of his unit and recruiting new members while stationed at Fort Frederick, Maryland. (Rawlings had been captured at the Battle of Fort Washington and recently exchanged from British captivity.) In furtherance of Rawlings' effort to muster the members of his regiment, General George Washington ordered in early 1779 that "all the men belonging to [...] Rawlings's Regimt. now doing duty in the [Maryland] line are to be delivered up to Lieutenant Tanneyhill [sic] of said regiment upon his demanding them." Tannehill supervised the assembly of the regiment because of the temporary absence of its acting commander.

In early 1779, Tannehill and the regiment were assigned to Fort Pitt of present-day western Pennsylvania where they supplemented other Continental forces engaged in the defense of frontier settlements of the war's western theater from Indian raids. The high mark of this effort, in which Tannehill and his regiment took part, was the 605-man Brodhead Expedition against hostile Mingo and Munsee Indians along the upper reaches of the Allegheny River conducted in the late summer of 1779. Continental Army Western Department commander Colonel Daniel Brodhead considered the Iroquoian Mingo to be "the principal distressers of [...the] settlements" at that time, especially north and west of Fort Pitt. Consequently, the rifle regiment was also deployed in detachments to support Continental infantry contingents at Fort McIntosh, Fort Laurens, Holliday's Cove Fort, and Fort Henry in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and adjacent northern West Virginia. Tannehill was promoted to captain on July 29, 1779, and by late 1780 commanded the regiment and was commandant of Fort McIntosh.

Tannehill was discharged from service on January 1, 1781, when several regiments, including Tannehill's, were disbanded as a result of Congress's major 1781 reorganization of the Continental Army instituted to reduce expenditures and increase organizational efficiency. In a letter to Major General William Smallwood penned on December 25, 1780, Tannehill made note of his regiment's formal disbanding and the termination of his own period of service that were to occur seven days later. (Smallwood was Maryland's highest-ranking military officer at this time in the war.) Tannehill's objective was to gain Smallwood's personal assistance in securing a position for himself in the Maryland Line because of his "great desire of Continuing in the Service of [...his] Country". Tannehill further affirmed that "I shall do every thing [sic] in my power to keep [...the men] together till I have some instructions [from you] respecting them". Smallwood could not grant Tannehill's request because of the recent congressional directive. The Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment was the longest-serving Continental rifle unit of the war.

Tannehill was admitted as one of the original 80 members of the Society of the Cincinnati in the state of Maryland when this fraternal organization was established in 1783.

Relocation to Pittsburgh
After his war service, Tannehill settled in frontier Pittsburgh, as did many other Revolutionary War officers. He initially engaged in farming and was a tavern owner and vintner. He was also a landowner and a "large buyer" of land lots in early Pittsburgh—land purchased directly from the heirs of William Penn. Like a number of prominent men of Pittsburgh, Tannehill was not a slaveholder.

From 1786 until 1792, Tannehill owned and operated the riverfront Green Tree Tavern and Inn located on Water Street (now Fort Pitt Boulevard) midblock between Market and Wood Streets in Pittsburgh. He resided in the adjacent house until 1787 when he moved to his new Grove Hill estate, which became popular as a local center for political meetings while owned by him. The property was located on Grant's Hill just northeast of Pittsburgh in what is now the city's Hill District. One of the buildings at Grove Hill, known as "the Bowery", was the site of large annual social gatherings hosted by Tannehill where citizens of Pittsburgh came together each Fourth of July "to hail with joyful hearts the day that gave birth to the liberties and happiness of their country". Tannehill arranged a particularly well-attended Fourth of July celebration at Grove Hill soon after the war with Great Britain broke out in 1812. Among the toasts that were offered was to "the memory of the departed heroes of '76—let us shew [sic] the world that we are not the 'degenerate so[n]s of noble sires'". Tannehill lived at Grove Hill until his death in 1820.

Early public career


Tannehill began non-military public service in October 1789, when he was elected one of three commissioners of Allegheny County, an administrative unit established in 1788 that included Pittsburgh. He held this position until mid-1791. In March 1790, he had unsuccessfully solicited a public appointment in the administration of President George Washington by writing to Washington's personal secretary, Tobias Lear, who had visited Pittsburgh and lodged with Tannehill at his inn four years before. In his note, Tannehill mentioned that Washington "has some acquantance [sic] of me, which may probably have some weight", referring to instances of direct interaction the two men had during the American Revolution.

On June 7, 1791, Tannehill was elected "by a large majority" as a Democratic-Republican to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives of the state′s 15th General Assembly. He represented Allegheny County, which at that time included all of west-central and northwest Pennsylvania. Tannehill started his incumbency on August 25, when he was sworn in for the special session of the Assembly′s 1790–91 term. He succeeded John Neville, a member of the opposing Federalist Party who had resigned in midterm. Governor Thomas Mifflin convened the special session in Philadelphia in part to "make appropriations for repelling [Indian] invaders committing depredations on the western frontiers of the State", an objective that was consistent with Tannehill′s military experience and the interests of Allegheny County. The General Assembly adjourned on September 30. Tannehill was succeeded by Federalist Thomas Morton for the 1791–92 term that began on December 6.

On September 1, 1791, Tannehill was appointed a justice of the peace of Allegheny County, a position he held for more than a decade. In October 1800, he was temporarily removed from this office after being convicted of extortion related to an event that occurred five years before in which he was alleged to have charged two shillings (twenty-five cents in 1795) more than was allowed by law for two probates. He was issued a reprimand and fined fifty dollars. In a controversial move, Governor Thomas McKean, the former chief justice of Pennsylvania, quickly reinstated Tannehill to office in January 1801 and refunded his fine. Even though Tannehill subsequently held several prominent elected and appointed public offices, he believed the charges against him had marred his reputation and vehemently disclaimed any guilt for the rest of his life. A rebuttal of the charges, including a detailed summary of his military and work history ostensibly written by Tannehill himself, was published anonymously first in a Pittsburgh periodical and then reprinted in a March 1801 issue of a prominent Lancaster newspaper. His resentment toward whom he called "two of the most unprincipled scoundrels who ever appeared before a Court of Justice" and what he characterized as their "false swearing and vile slander" was still strong 15 years later when he reflected on the affair in his will.

When the borough of Pittsburgh was established in 1794, Tannehill was appointed president of the Pittsburgh Fire Company and elected one of three surveyors of Pittsburgh. He was also appointed one of the auditors of accounts for Allegheny County in 1797 and 1799.

Tannehill was active in the state militia, serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Westmoreland County militia starting in 1788. On August 3, 1811, Pennsylvania Governor Simon Snyder promoted Tannehill to major general of a Pennsylvania militia division drawn from Allegheny, Armstrong, and Indiana counties. For at least a decade after the Revolutionary War, the militia of western Pennsylvania periodically mustered in reaction to ongoing Indian attacks in the Pittsburgh area. In accord with the sentiment of the time and place, Tannehill and five other prominent men of Pittsburgh made the following proposal, first in a Pittsburgh newspaper and reprinted in Philadelphia periodicals: "Pittsburgh, May 17, 1791. We the subscribers, encouraged by a large subscription, do promise to pay One Hundred Dollars, for every hostile Indian's scalp, with both ears to it, taken between this day and the 15th. of June next, by any inhabitant of Allegheny county".

Later public career


Starting in 1804, Tannehill served as a founding member of the board of directors of the Pittsburgh branch of the Bank of Pennsylvania after leading Pittsburgh citizens in a petition to establish the branch. (This was the first bank established in Pittsburgh and the first one west of the Allegheny Mountains.)

Tannehill was appointed by the Pennsylvania state legislature as one of five turnpike commissioners for the state in April 1811. The commissioners' task was to "view the different routes [...] for making Turnpike Roads from Harrisburg to Pittsburg" and "report to the Governor, which of the Routes [...] shall be established". By October, the commissioners had delivered their recommendation to the governor.

Tannehill was also chosen by the state legislature as an elector in the 1808 and 1812 federal Electoral Colleges for the state of Pennsylvania. He was not able to attend the elector voting in early December 1812 in Harrisburg because of his military activities during the War of 1812.

In 1815 and 1816, Tannehill served as one of two commissioners to oversee the sale of Pittsburgh city land lots at the site of Fort Fayette, property owned by the United States. He was appointed to the position by President James Madison.

Meanwhile, outside of public office, Tannehill served as an inaugural trustee of the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh starting in 1787. He was also a member of the fraternal Tammany Society, which was founded after the American Revolution in several American cities, including Pittsburgh. The society focused on the celebration of American identity and culture. Members of the society in its earliest years closely allied themselves with the Democratic-Republican party of Thomas Jefferson. Consequently, when Jefferson announced his intent to withdraw from public service in 1808, Tannehill, in his capacity as Grand Sachem (high official) of the Pittsburgh Tammany Society, wrote to "Brother" Jefferson, expressing "heartfelt regret" over his "resolution to retire from the duties of protecting thy children [of this tribe]".

War of 1812 service
During the War of 1812, Tannehill served as a brigadier general commanding two infantry and two rifle regiments of the First Brigade of Pennsylvania Volunteers. In November 1812, Tannehill and his 1,650-man unit marched 130 miles from the rendezvous location at Meadville, northwest Pennsylvania, to the American encampment at Buffalo, western New York. There, they joined the combined American forces (regular, volunteer, and militia) preparing to establish a foothold on the Canadian side of the Niagara River before the onset of winter. The troops were under the overall command of U.S. Army Brigadier General Alexander Smyth. After several "hopelessly bungled" attempts by Smyth to execute a decisive river crossing with a sufficient force, the invasion of Canada was abandoned. The affair was highlighted by the British victory at the Battle of Frenchman's Creek on November 28.

The American troops were demoralized by Smyth′s repeated failures to cross the Niagara, leading to "great excitement and discontent" among the men. Except for Tannehill, his brigade staff, field officers, and "less than a single regiment", the Pennsylvania volunteers revolted and "deserted almost in a body and [...went] home in squads" shortly after December 1, when the last attempt at a crossing took place. In a letter to Smyth dated December 7 from Buffalo, Tannehill, who was recovering from illness at the time, wrote that "my health is greatly restored, although [...my] officers, as well as the privates, are infected with [...a] dishonorable contagion—desertion". He further declared that "I am at a loss how to express my feelings on the present state of our little army", adding "I await your special orders [on] how l am to act on the occasion generally". On December 8, Smyth responded, granting furloughs to Tannehill, his brigade staff, and field officers for the remainder of their prescribed time of service ending December 31, when they were discharged. General Smyth also expressed "his satisfaction with those [Pennsylvania] men who had continued [to be] faithful to the standard of their country" when he resigned his command in mid-December.

After more than a year, in February and March 1814, the accused deserters faced a court-martial in Pittsburgh and were tried for insubordination and desertion. All were convicted and each fined up to sixty dollars, a "much milder course" than expected. Tannehill's military duties during the limited duration of the war in western Pennsylvania officially lasted from September 25 to December 31, 1812.

U.S. House of Representatives
Although Pittsburgh was a stronghold of the Federalist Party in the city's earliest years, between 1798 and 1800 the rival Democratic-Republican Party began to prosper under such men as Adamson Tannehill, who had become chairman of the city's Republican party by 1800. Tannehill was also a three-time candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, initially representing Pennsylvania's 11th congressional district in the election to the 12th United States Congress on October 9, 1810. He was defeated by fellow Democratic-Republican Abner Lacock, who garnered 51.0 percent of the vote; Tannehill earned 43.2 percent, and Democratic-Republican Samuel Smith received a distant 5.7 percent.

The high point of Tannehill's active political career was his election as a Democratic-Republican to the 13th United States Congress on October 13, 1812. Tannehill was elected to serve Pennsylvania's newly established 14th congressional district with 48 percent of the vote, defeating Federalist John Woods and Democratic-Republican John Wilson, who received 39.3 and 12.7 percent of the vote, respectively. Tannehill served from March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1815, casting 322 votes and missing 30.

Tannehill ran for reelection on October 11, 1814, again as a Democratic-Republican, in the 14th United States Congress. He narrowly lost his reelection bid, receiving 49.5 percent of the vote; his opponent, John Woods, whom he had defeated two years earlier, won with 50.5 percent of the vote.

Following his tenure in Congress, Tannehill served as president of the Pittsburgh branch of the Bank of the United States starting in 1817 and ending with his death in 1820.

Death
Tannehill died after a short illness at his Grove Hill home just outside Pittsburgh on December 23, 1820, aged 70 years and 7 months. He was survived by his wife, Agnes M. Tannehill,   and his ward, Sydney Tannehill Mountain. Adamson and Agnes had no children. Tannehill was interred at his Grove Hill home, as specified in his will. His 1820 obituary relates that "his remains were accompanied to the grave by a large concourse of his fellow citizens and were interred with military funeral honors by two [...] Volunteer Corps" of the Pittsburgh area.

Tannehill's body was reinterred in Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh on April 26, 1849, because urban spread and city road construction necessitated moving his Grove Hill grave. The archive files of a prominent Pittsburgh newspaper provide detail on this reinternment: "after the big fire in 1845, when [the Pittsburgh city] council extended the city limits to take in the farms on what is now the Hill district [...,] it was found that in extending Wylie avenue, Colonel Adamson Tannehill's grave would be between the curbs [...;] about 1851 [sic] [the] council decided to remove the colonel's remains to Allegheny cemetery. The Tannehill family objected, but [then] agreed to make the transfer themselves".