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Edward Hand (1744 - 1802)
Edward Hand was born in Clydruff, Kings
County, (since 1922 Co. Offaly) Ireland on Dec. 31, 1744 to John
and Dorothy Hand. The Hand family, whose ancestors came to Ireland
from England during the punitive plantation of Offaly and Laois circa
1556 settled on lands, most likely, confiscated from the
rebellious O'Carroll clan.
During Hand's childhood and for the
duration of his time in Ireland the Penal Laws, directed primarily at
Catholics, were being vigorously enforced. The object of these laws was
to (1) deprive Catholics of all civil life (2) reduce them to a
condition of ignorance and (3) to dissociate them from the soil.
These repressive and draconian laws, originally directed at the native
Irish Catholics, were amended over time to curb the growing influence of
the Presbyterians whose loyalty to the realm was suspect.
The Hand family who were Anglican, were not
subject to the Penal Laws, to the contrary, being Anglican meant that
they were members of the privileged class who reigned supreme in Ireland
at that time. Children of the Anglican faith attended Anglican schools
and, afterwards, could continue their education at either Trinity
College, Dublin or at an English university. From all accounts
such was the case with Hand, who, after receiving a good primary
education, went on to study medicines at Trinity College, Dublin.
However privileged his childhood, the
cruelty and mistreatment of Catholics and Presbyterians by the English
and their cohorts was not lost on Hand and would later have a profound
influence on his decisions, loyalties and life's work.
After graduating from Trinity College
he enlisted as a surgeon's mate in the 18th Royal Irish
Regiment. In May of 1767, he sailed for America with his
regiment. During his time in the British army he served in
Philadelphia, Maryland and in Fort Pitt in western Pennsylvania. In
1774, having lost interest in serving a distant realm and
intrigued by the anti-English sentiment brewing throughout the colonies,
he resigned his commission and settled in Lancaster Pennsylvania to
practice medicine. Lancaster at that time was home to some of the
earliest Irish and
Scots-Irish
settlements in Pennsylvania. .
In 1775 he married Katherine Ewing from
Philadelphia with whom he had eight children. Katherine family was
well-known for their anti-English sentiment and strong revolutionary
convictions.
Shortly after the onset of the
Revolutionary War in April of 1775, Hand volunteered his services
to the cause of liberty and the promise of a new era of democratic
government. Upon volunteering his services he was promoted
to Lieutenant Colonel (second in command to Colonel William
Thompson from Co. Meath) of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment of
riflemen made up mostly of Scots-Irish. The regiments first assignment
was to support the Continental army during the siege of Boston. They
fought at Bunker Hill as the renamed 1st Continental Regiment. After
the siege ended in March of 1776 in a British defeat and
withdrawal to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 1st Continental Regiment was
sent to reinforce American troops in Canada, After Colonel Thompson was
captured during an attack on the enemy at Three Rivers in Quebec, Hand
assumed command of the regiment. After the American's army defeat
and withdrawal from Canada, Hand and the regiment rejoined the
Continental army in New York.
The regiment was involved in the Battle of
Brooklyn (Long Island) in August of 1776. Faced with a superior British
force and in danger of being outflanked and destroyed, Washington
ordered the evacuation of the army to Manhattan. Hand and his
Pennsylvania riflemen made up the rear, holding the line
until the rest of the army had withdrawn safely across the East
River. During the subsequent retreat north towards White
Plain, Hand and his men foiled an attempt by the pursuing British to
encircle the Continental army by destroying the bridge and causeway
leading from Throg's Neck to the Westchester mainland, thus, isolating
the British army and delaying their pursuit for a week.
After the American's defeat at the Battles
of White Plains and Fort Washington, the Continental army retreated
across New Jersey to Pennsylvania with Hand's regiment making up the
rearguard.
Hand and his Pennsylvania riflemen took part in the
battle of Trenton in December of 1776 and Trenton and Princeton in January
on 1777. Hand riflemen were credited with saving the Continental army from
defeat at the second battle of Trenton in January of 1777. After General
Roche de Fermoy, who was sent north by Washington to slow the approaching
British army, abandoned his brigade, Hand assumed command and initiated a series
of slowing actions that both confused and delayed the British advance. By
the time they finally arrived in Trenton, Washington had sufficient time to set
up a strong defense on the west side of Assunpink Creek and repulsed three
subsequent British assaults. Washington and his army went on to defeat the
British at the Battle of Princeton the following day causing the British to
evacuate New Jersey.
Shortly after the Continental's victories at the
battles of Trenton and Princeton, Hand was promoted to Brigadier General
and assigned to Fort Pitt, the Western District headquarters of the Continental
Army. His task was to defend the western frontier from attacks by native
Americans allied with the British and American Loyalists. Despite many
difficulties with spies and traitors he managed to the secure the neutrality of
a number of native American tribes. In 1780, he was recalled from the west and
given command of a brigade of light infantry in Lafayette's Division
In 1781, Hand rejoined main Continental army and
was appointed its Adjutant General responsible for overhauling administrative
and training procedures. He worked closely with Washington in Mount Vernon and
Williamsburg during the planning for the Siege and Battle of Yorktown,
which lead to the surrender of General Charles Cornwallis and the British Army
in October of 1781.
Hand remained Adjunct General of the American Army
until 1783. He was promoted to brevet Major General shortly before resigning
from the army later the same year.
After returning to civilian life, Hand
resumed the practice of medicine in Lancaster. He was also active in civic
affairs and held a number of public and elective offices including that of a
delegate to the old Confederation Congress. From 1785 to 1786, he served as an
assemblyman in the Pennsylvania legislature as was a delegate to the convention
for the 1790 Pennsylvania Constitution. In 1789, he was elected Chief
Burgess of the City of Lancaster.
In 1793 he was chosen by President George
Washington as one of the major-general of the American Army in
anticipation of a war with France.
Edward Hand died at his
Rock Ford plantation, in Lancaster, PA on September 3, 1802 of
cholera. He is buried in St. James's Episcopal Cemetery in Lancaster.
Contributed by;
Tomás Ó Coısdealha
Footnote.
It
would not be unreasonable to assume that Edward Hand did
not forget the British imposed misery and repression he
witnessed being directed at the native Irish
during his early life in Ireland. His decision to
forsake the British realm, become an American patriot
and fight for its liberty was a courageous act born of
conviction and a sense of justice. His deeds
and love of liberty were an inspiration to succeeding
generations of Irish men and women who fought to
preserve America's liberty and secure Ireland's freedom.
He helped create a land of refuge and liberty for his
fellow countrymen and women and for countless millions
of others from around the world who fled the yoke of
tyranny. He was a true patriot, deserving of a
special place in our hearts and in the Fenian
Graves Archives.
cemetery AND grave location
Name:
Saint
James's Episcopal Cemetery PHONE
NO. (717) 397-4858
ADDRESS: 119 N Duke
Street, Lancaster, PA 17602-2891
HEADSTONE
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Posted 11/20/09 |
