William Maxwell (Continental Army general)
| William Maxwell | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Scotch Willie |
| Born | c. 1733 County Tyrone, Kingdom of Ireland |
| Died | November 4, 1796 Lansdown, Hunterdon County, New Jersey |
| Place of burial | Greenwich Township, Warren County, New Jersey |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Great Britain United States
|
| Service/branch | Colonial militia Continental Army |
| Years of service | Colonial militia: 1755–1760 Continental Army: 1775–1780 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands held |
 1st New Jersey Regiment
|
| Battles/wars | |
William Maxwell (1733 – November 4, 1796) was an Ulster-born brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
William Maxwell was a Presbyterian of Scottish descent born in County Tyrone, Ireland in about 1733. By 1747 his family had come to North America, and settled in Warren County, New Jersey. When the French and Indian War broke out in 1754 Maxwell enlisted in the provincial militia, and served in the disastrous expedition of General Edward Braddock. He served as an ensign in Col. John Johnson's N.J. Regiment and then a lieutenant in Col. Peter Schuyler's regiment, the Jersey Blues, and was likely on the 1758 campaign that culminated in the debacle of the Battle of Carillon. At the end of the war he remained in military service, serving on the western frontier.
When tensions leading up the American Revolutionary War increased, Maxwell resigned his commission and became active in Patriot political and resistance activity in New Jersey. When the war broke out he was commissioned as colonel of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment in November 1775. The regiment was among troops sent to Quebec under General John Sullivan in early 1776, and was involved in the Battle of Trois-Rivières before the Continental Army retreated to Fort Ticonderoga. Promoted to brigadier general, Maxwell returned to New Jersey to join General George Washington's army after its retreat across New Jersey following the loss of New York.
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