Member Log In
MENU
ABOUT
HISTORY
ACTIVITIES
MEMBERSHIP
GENERAL SOCIETY
CONTACT

Major John Doughty


Original Member, admitted 1793

Major John Doughty

Original Member. First joined the New York Society 1783 and transferred to the New Jersey Society 4 Jul 1793. Began his service in the Revolutionary War as Captain-Lieutenant in the NJ Artillery Company 1 Mar 1776. Captain in the 2nd Continental Artillery 1 Jan 1777. Aide-de-Camp to General Schuyler in 1777. Assigned 1 Mar 1777 to command NY State Company of Artillery with Vice-Captain Alexander Hamilton. Promoted to Lt. Colonel and Aide de Camp to the Commander in Chief. Brigade Major to the Continental Corps of Artillery 2 Aug 1779. Was the Fort Major for the West Point Garrison in 1782. Transferred to the Corps of Artillery 17 Jun 1783. Brevet Major US Army 30 Sep 1783 then Major of the Artillery Battalion 7 Aug 1784. Served to the close of the war. In 1784 he was the most senior officer in the US Army. Born in New York, NY on 25 Jul 1754. Died in Morristown, NJ on 16 Sep 1826. Graduate of King’s College, NY 1770. Served in the War for the Old Northwest. Colonel Doughty built Fort Harmar at the site of Marietta, OH in 1785. After the war he was a Major of the Artillery Battalion of the US Army on 20 Sep 1789. In 1790 he built Fort Washington at the site of present Cincinnati, OH. Offered promotion to Lt. Colonel of the 2nd US Infantry 4 Mar 1791 which he declined and retired. On special military inspection duty by request of President Washington 17 Sep to 26 Oct 1791. Served as Brigadier General of the 2nd Division New Jersey Militia 5 Jun 1793. Lt Colonel of Artillerists and Engineers in the US Army 1 Jun 1798 during the threat from France. Resigned 26 May 1800. Member of the New Jersey Assembly. Judge and Justice in New Jersey. Married Elizabeth Lafever about 1778. [Sources: M; H; (66); (98); (C); famousamericans.net; Rootsweb’s World Connect Project; www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/cg&csa/doughty; “New York State Society of the Cincinnati, Biographies of Original Members and Other Continental Officers”, by Francis Sypher, Jr., 2004. Pic: Find A Grave Memorial from a painting by Janet Fitzgerald after Thomas B. Woodburn.]


John Doughty is currently unrepresented in the Society of the Cincinnati. Eligible descendants are encouraged to make inquiry regarding membership.

MAKE INQUIRY