James McHenry
| James McHenry | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 3rd United States Secretary of War | |
|
In office January 27, 1796 – May 13, 1800 |
|
| President |
George Washington John Adams |
| Preceded by | Timothy Pickering |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Dexter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 16, 1753 Ballymena, Ireland |
| Died | May 3, 1816 (aged 62) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | we222 I. wq. 1 .q |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Peggy Caldwell |
| Signature |  |
Westminster Hall and Burying Ground
James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816) was an Irish-born American military surgeon and statesman. McHenry was a signer of the United States Constitution from Maryland and the namesake of Fort McHenry. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland, and the third United States Secretary of War (1796–1800), under the first and second presidents, George Washington (administration: 1789–1797) and John Adams (administration: 1797–1801).
McHenry was born into a Scots-Irish family in Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland in 1753. Alarmed that he became sick from excessive studying, his family in 1771 sent him at 17 to North America to recuperate. Recent scholarship suggests that the family may have also sent him to the colonies as an "advanced scout" to see if the entire family would wish to relocate, which they did a year later.
Upon arrival, McHenry lived with a family friend in Philadelphia before deciding to finish his preparatory education at Newark Academy. Returning to Philadelphia, McHenry then apprenticed under Benjamin Rush and became a physician.
McHenry practiced medicine and became a surgeon.
McHenry served as a skilled and dedicated surgeon during the American Revolutionary War. On August 10, 1776 he was appointed surgeon at the age of 23 of the Fifth Pennsylvania Battalion stationed at Fort Washington (New York). He was taken prisoner the following November when the fort was taken by Sir William Howe. While there, he observed that prisoners were given very poor medical attention and initiated reports to that effect, to no avail.
...
Wikipedia