Major General Edward Hand (1744 - 1802)
Soldier, Physician, Politician, Brigadier General and General Continental Army
Edward Hand was born in Clydruff, Kings County,
(since 1922 Co. Offaly) Ireland on Dec. 31, 1744
to John and Dorothy Hand. The Hand family, whose
ancestors came to Ireland from England
during the punitive plantation of Offaly and
Laois circa 1556 settled on lands, most likely,
confiscated from the rebellious O'Carroll clan.
During Hand's childhood and for the duration of
his time in Ireland the Penal Laws, directed
primarily at Catholics, were being vigorously
enforced. The object of these laws was to (1)
deprive Catholics of all civil life (2) reduce
them to a condition of ignorance and (3) to
dissociate them from the soil. These repressive
and draconian laws, originally directed at the
native Irish Catholics, were amended over time
to curb the growing influence of the
Presbyterians whose loyalty to the realm was
suspect.
The Hand family who were Anglican, were not
subject to the Penal Laws, to the contrary,
being Anglican meant that they were members of
the privileged class who reigned supreme in
Ireland at that time. Children of the Anglican
faith attended Anglican schools and, afterwards,
could continue their education at either Trinity
College, Dublin or at an English university.
From all accounts such was the case with Hand,
who, after receiving a good primary education,
went on to study medicines at Trinity College,
Dublin.
However privileged his childhood, the cruelty
and mistreatment of Catholics and Presbyterians
by the English and their cohorts was not lost on
Hand and would later have a profound influence
on his decisions, loyalties and life's work.
After graduating from Trinity College he
enlisted as a surgeon's mate in the 18th Royal
Irish Regiment. In May of 1767, he sailed for
America with his regiment. During his time in
the British army he served in Philadelphia,
Maryland and in Fort Pitt in western
Pennsylvania. In 1774, having lost interest in
serving a distant realm and intrigued by
the anti-English sentiment brewing throughout
the colonies, he resigned his commission and
settled in Lancaster Pennsylvania to practice
medicine. Lancaster at that time was home to
some of the earliest Irish and Scots-Irish
settlements in Pennsylvania.
In 1775 he married Katherine Ewing from Philadelphia with whom he had eight children. Katherine family was well-known for their anti-English sentiment and strong revolutionary convictions.
Shortly after the onset of the Revolutionary War in April of 1775, Hand volunteered his services to the cause of liberty and the promise of a new era of democratic government. Upon volunteering his services he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (second in command to Colonel William Thompson from Co. Meath) of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment of riflemen made up mostly of Scots-Irish. The regiments first assignment was to support the Continental army during the siege of Boston. They fought at Bunker Hill as the renamed 1st Continental Regiment. After the siege ended in March of 1776 in a British defeat and withdrawal to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 1st Continental Regiment was sent to reinforce American troops in Canada, After Colonel Thompson was captured during an attack on the enemy at Three Rivers in Quebec, Hand assumed command of the regiment. After the American's army defeat and withdrawal from Canada, Hand and the regiment rejoined the Continental army in New York.
The regiment was involved in the Battle of Brooklyn (Long Island) in August of 1776. Faced with a superior British force and in danger of being outflanked and destroyed, Washington ordered the evacuation of the army to Manhattan. Hand and his Pennsylvania riflemen made up the rear, holding the line until the rest of the army had withdrawn safely across the East River. During the subsequent retreat north towards White Plain, Hand and his men foiled an attempt by the pursuing British to encircle the Continental army by destroying the bridge and causeway leading from Throg's Neck to the Westchester mainland, thus, isolating the British army and delaying their pursuit for a week.
After the American's defeat at the Battles of White Plains and Fort Washington, the Continental army retreated across New Jersey to Pennsylvania with Hand's regiment making up the rearguard.
Hand and his Pennsylvania riflemen took part in the battle of Trenton in December of 1776 and Trenton and Princeton in January on 1777. Hand riflemen were credited with saving the Continental army from defeat at the second battle of Trenton. After General Roche de Fermoy, who was sent north by Washington to slow the approaching British army, abandoned his brigade, Hand assumed command and initiated a series of slowing actions that both confused and delayed the British advance. By the time they finally arrived in Trenton, Washington had sufficient time to set up a strong defense on the west side of Assunpink Creek and repulsed three subsequent British assaults. Washington and his army went on to defeat the British at the Battle of Princeton the following day causing the British to evacuate New Jersey.
Shortly after the Continental's victories at the battles of Trenton and Princeton, Hand was promoted to Brigadier General and assigned to Fort Pitt, the Western District headquarters of the Continental Army. His task was to defend the western frontier from attacks by native Americans allied with the British and American Loyalists. Despite many difficulties with spies and traitors he managed to the secure the neutrality of a number of native American tribes. In 1780, he was recalled from the west and given command of a brigade of light infantry in Lafayette's Division.
In 1781, Hand rejoined main Continental army and was appointed its Adjutant General responsible for overhauling administrative and training procedures. He worked closely with Washington in Mount Vernon and Williamsburg during the planning for the Siege and Battle of Yorktown, which lead to the surrender of General Charles Cornwallis and the British Army in October of 1781.
Hand remained Adjunct General of the American Army until 1783. He was promoted to brevet Major General shortly before resigning from the army later the same year.
After returning to civilian life, Hand resumed the practice of medicine in Lancaster. He was also active in civic affairs and held a number of public and elective offices including that of a delegate to the old Confederation Congress. From 1785 to 1786, he served as an assemblyman in the Pennsylvania legislature as was a delegate to the convention for the 1790 Pennsylvania Constitution. In 1789, he was elected Chief Burgess of the City of Lancaster.
In 1793 he was chosen by President George Washington as one of the major-general of the American Army in anticipation of a war with France.
Edward Hand died at his Rock Ford plantation, in Lancaster, PA on September 3, 1802 of cholera. He is buried in St. James's Episcopal Cemetery in Lancaster.
Footnote.
It would not be unreasonable to assume that
Edward Hand did not forget the British imposed
misery and repression he witnessed being
directed at the native Irish during his early
life in Ireland. His decision to forsake the
British realm, become an American patriot and
fight for its liberty was a courageous act born
of conviction and a sense of justice. His deeds
and love of liberty were an inspiration to
succeeding generations of Irish men and women
who fought to preserve America's liberty and
secure Ireland's freedom. He helped create a
land of refuge and liberty for his fellow
countrymen and women and for countless millions
of others from around the world who fled the
yoke of tyranny.
Contributed by Tomás Ó Coisdealbha
cemetery
Name: Saint James's Episcopal Cemetery PHONE NO. (717) 397-4858
ADDRESS: 119 N Duke Street, Lancaster, PA 17602-2891
HEADSTONE
