Ferdinand Claiborne

Ferdinand Leigh Claiborne (1773-1815) was an American military officer most notable for his command of the militia of the Mississippi Territory during the Creek War and the War of 1812. Claiborne was the brother of William C. C. Claiborne and father of John Francis Hamtramck Claiborne. He was a descendant of Colonel William Claiborne (1600–1677), who was born in Crayford, Kent, England and settled in the Colony of Virginia.

Born in Sussex County, Virginia, Claiborne began his military service when appointed an ensign in 1793 in the 1st Sub-Legion. Promoted to lieutenant in 1794, Claiborne fought at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, under the command of General Anthony Wayne. With the end of the Northwest Indian War, Claiborne served as a recruiter in Richmond and Norfolk, before returning to the Northwest Territory to serve as acting adjutant-general. Promoted to Captain in 1799, Claiborne resigned his commission on 1 January 1802 and moved to Natchez, Mississippi.

At the time of his move to Natchez, Claiborne's brother William C. C. Claiborne was serving as governor and superintendent of Indian affairs for the Mississippi Territory. Elected in 1804 to serve in the 3rd General Assembly of the Mississippi Territory, Claiborne experienced a rapid rise in prominence. Appointed colonel of the Militia of Adams County, in 1806 Claiborne was ordered to march a unit in support of General James Wilkinson during the Sabine expedition. A political dispute between Claiborne and Governor Williams led to the revocations of his commissions as militia colonel and magistrate.

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