Robert Kirkwood


Robert Henry Kirkwood was a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and the Battle of the Wabash.

Early life

Kirkwood was born in 1756 in Newark, Delaware, in what was then the Delaware Colony. He was the only son of nine children born to Robert Kirkwood, who was born in Ireland, and Sarah Kirkwood.
Kirkwood was a graduate of Newark Academy.

Revolutionary War

He was named a lieutenant of the 1st Delaware Regiment in the Continental Army on December 9, 1775. In 1776, the Delaware Battalion, under the command of Colonel John Haslet, was assigned to Mifflin's Brigade under Gen. Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania. He participated in every battle in which George Washington fought in 1777.
In the August 16, 1780 Battle of Camden, Kirkwood's troops won fame and were called "The Blue Hen's Chickens" after that. This battle reduced his regiment from eight companies to two by reason of death and capture. At the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, Captain Kirkwood repulsed the British cavalry, and made a famous bayonet charge ordered by Colonel John Eager Howard. He was with General Washington in his pursuit and defeat of Cornwallis.
As a captain in the regular army, he joined a 1791 military expedition led by Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory. In November 1791, Kirkwood was killed by Native Americans from the Miami people in a major defeat at present-day Fort Recovery, Ohio, after having survived 32 Revolutionary battles without a disabling wound.
Kirkwood also held a certificate of membership in the Society of the Cincinnati.

Personal life

After his return to Delaware, Kirkwood was married to Sarah England. Together, they were the parents of three children, only two of whom survived to adulthood, including:
In 1787, Kirkwood purchased 260 acres in Jefferson County, Ohio. In 1788, Ohio granted him additional land in Belmont County, about 20 miles south of his property.

Descendants

Through his son Joseph, he was the grandfather of Elizabeth Kirkwood, who married William Kennon Jr., an Irish immigrant who became a U.S. Representative from Ohio.
His only daughter was the mother of Brigadier General Robert Henry Kirkwood Whiteley of Baltimore, himself the father of Robert Kirkwood Martin, constructor of the Gunpowder Water works which supply the city of Baltimore.

Legacy