Elias Dayton was born on May 1, 1737 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States.
He was the son of Jonathan Dayton, a militia captain, Presbyterian church trustee, and leading citizen of Elizabeth-Town (now Elizabeth), New Jersey, United States. He was descended from Ralph Dayton who left England for Boston, Massachusetts, United States, about 1638, later founding East Hampton, Long Island, United States.
Apprenticed as a mechanic, Elias became lieutenant of militia March 19, 1756, and captain March 19, 1760, serving under Wolfe at Quebec and against Pontiac near Detroit.
Later opening a general store on the town square across from church and court-house, he acquired an independent competency and was chosen alderman before the Revolution.
He was a member of the local committee of thirty-one, appointed December 6, 1774, to enforce measures recommended by the Continental Congress. A leading citizen of his town and state, he served as major-general of militia; trustee of the Presbyterian church; member of Congress, 1787-88; recorder of Elizabeth, 1789; member of the New Jersey Assembly 1791-92 and 1794-95 and President of the New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati. On October 26, 1776 he became one of the four Essex County muster-masters.
He was commissioned colonel of the 3rd Battalion, New Jersey Line, on January 10, 1776, and on the 22nd of that month led seventy-seven volunteers in three shallops to capture the British supply-ship Blue Mountain Valley, for which exploit Lord Stirling got the credit. His son Jonathan served under him from February 9, 1776, first as paymaster and later as captain.
His regiment was at Albany in May 1776; it built Fort Schuyler, and Fort Dayton (at Herkimer), and warded off Indian raids from Johnstown and German Flats, returning to Morristown, New Jersey, in March 1777.
Dayton saw service at Bound Brook, Staten Island, and Brandywine, and spent the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge.
He had horses shot under him at Germantown, Springfield, and Crosswicks.
After harassing Clinton’s march and fighting at Monmouth, his regiment guarded New Jersey against British raids from Staten Island until ordered on Sullivan’s campaign of reprisals against the Indians of northern New York. Dayton destroyed Runonvea, near Big Flats, but neither Dayton nor his son signed the semipolitical indorsement which Sullivan secured from his officers.
Declining election to Congress, Dayton led in foiling Knyphausen’s and Clinton’s sallies against the Continental Army at Morristown, for this service winning the comment “Colonel Dayton merits particular thanks”.
Leading his brigade of 1, 328 men to Yorktown, he was in active service until the discharge of the New Jersey Line on November 3, 1783. On January 8, 1783, in response to Washington’s insistence, he had been promoted brigadier-general, the resolution being in Hamilton’s handwriting.
After the war he returned to Elizabeth and to the general store of Elias Dayton & Son.
Dayton is described as open, generous, and sincere, ardent in friendship, scrupulously upright; and in appearance is said to have resembled Washington.
By his wife, Miss Rolfe, he left eight children.
