Background
Hugh Mercer was born on 17 January 1726, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He was the son of the Rev. William Mercer and his wife, Anna Munro.
( Title: Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of th...)
Title: Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII. By a gentleman of the bar i.e. I. D. Rupp. With an appendix, etc. Publisher: British Library, Historical Print Editions The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC. The HISTORY OF COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. This collection refers to the European settlements in North America through independence, with emphasis on the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain. Attention is paid to the histories of Jamestown and the early colonial interactions with Native Americans. The contextual framework of this collection highlights 16th century English, Scottish, French, Spanish, and Dutch expansion. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library Rupp, Israel Daniel; 1846. pp. 352, 406, iv, vi: plates; plans. ; 23 cm. 10410.dd.32.
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Hugh Mercer was born on 17 January 1726, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He was the son of the Rev. William Mercer and his wife, Anna Munro.
Mercer was educated as a physician at Marischal College, University of Aberdeen (1740 - 44).
Mercer joined the army of Prince Charles Edward as a surgeon's mate, and was present at the battle of Culloden. The collapse of the Pretender's cause led him to emigrate to America, and after a brief sojourn in Philadelphia, where he landed in 1746 or 1747, he settled near the present site of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. For about ten years he practised his profession in the Conococheague settlement, winning the esteem of the frontier community by his skill and courage. At the outbreak of the French and Indian War, he abandoned the lancet for the sword, becoming an officer of the Pennsylvania Regiment, a provincial corps. After having ranked as captain, major, and lieutenant-colonel, he was commissioned colonel of the third battalion, April 23, 1759. Many daring escapes from the Indians are ascribed to him. It is said that he took part in Braddock's expedition in 1755 and was wounded in the action of July 9. He participated in the attack upon the Indian village of Kittanning in September 1756, and for gallantry was awarded a vote of thanks and a medal by the corporation of the city of Philadelphia. He accompanied the expedition of General Forbes to Fort Duquesne in 1758, and on its successful termination was appointed commandant at Fort Pitt, where in the following year he conducted important negotiations for peace with chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations and other tribes. During the course of the war he made the acquaintance of Washington, and at his suggestion, it is said, removed from Pennsylvania to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he took up once more the practice of medicine and also conducted an apothecary shop. He attended the same Masonic lodge as Washington, and was an occasional visitor at Mount Vernon. When the colonies rebelled against Great Britain, Mercer again deserted the medical for the military profession.
On September 12, 1775, he was elected colonel of minute men for the counties of Caroline, Stafford, King George, and Spotsylvania. He presently relinquished this position for the colonelcy of the 3rd Virginia Regiment, to which he was elected by the Virginia Convention on January 11, 1776. Previously he had been nominated for the colonelcy of the 16t Regiment, but had been defeated in a close contest by Patrick Henry. At Williamsburg he set about organizing and drilling his battalion. On June 5, he was elected brigadier-general by the Continental Congress. Washington directed him to repair to Paulus Hook, and placed him in charge of the Flying Camp, comprising militia from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. Its function was to hover between Howe's forces and Philadelphia, at the same time protecting northern New Jersey against attack by the British troops on Staten Island. Mercer experienced difficulty in holding his command together. Despite his patriotic appeals, scores of his men went home on the expiration of their enlistments, or deserted outright. He accompanied the army in its retreat across New Jersey, and was employed for a time in guarding the ferries of the Delaware against passage by the British. If he did not exclusively originate the plan of recrossing the river and surprising the Hessians at Trenton, he helped to execute it. His brigade was assigned to the left wing under General Greene, and was one of the first corps to enter Trenton on the morning of December 26, 1776. The claim that he suggested to Washington the stroke which resulted in the subsequent victory at Princeton has been challenged, but there is no doubt as to his part in the battle. On the morning of January 3, 1777, in accordance with the orders of the commander-in-chief, he attempted to seize the bridge over Stony Brook on the American left, but his men were driven back in disorder and his horse was shot from under him. As he was attempting to rally his brigade on foot, he was surrounded by redcoats, clubbed on the head with the breech of a musket, forced to the ground despite his efforts to defend himself with his sword, and bayoneted in seven places. After the battle he was carried by his aide to a neighboring farmhouse, where he died. His remains were buried with civic and military honors in Christ Churchyard, Philadelphia, and in 1840 were transferred to Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Hugh Mercer is known as revolutionary war continental brigadier general, who participated in all the 1776 battles in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress voted to erect a monument in his honor, and to educate his youngest son. A street named for him in Fredericksburg is near the National Civil War Battlefield.
( Title: Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of th...)
Mercer married Isabella Gordon of Fredericksburg, and had four sons and a daughter.
