Benjamin Tupper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benjamin Tupper
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Benjamin Tupper marker at Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio
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| Born | March 11, 1738 Sharon, Massachusetts |
| Died | June 7, 1792 (aged 54) Marietta, Ohio |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
Continental Army |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands held | 6th Massachusetts Regiment, 10th Massachusetts Regiment, 11th Massachusetts Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War *Siege of Boston *Battle of Saratoga *Battle of Monmouth |
| Relations | Huldah White, 1762–1792, sons: Maj. Anselm Tupper Gen. Edward W. Tupper Col. Benjamin Tupper, Jr. |
| Other work | Pioneer to the Ohio Country |
Benjamin Tupper (March 11, 1738 – June 7, 1792) was an important soldier and pioneer in early American history. He fought in the French and Indian War and was a brave officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He reached the rank of brevet brigadier general.
After the war, he served as a lawmaker in Massachusetts. He also helped stop Shays' Rebellion, a protest by farmers. Benjamin Tupper was a co-founder of the Ohio Company of Associates. He was a key figure in settling the Ohio Country, helping to create Marietta, Ohio. This was the first permanent American town in the Northwest Territory.
Contents
Early Life and Adventures
Benjamin Tupper was born on March 11, 1738, in a part of Stoughton, Massachusetts, which is now Sharon, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of eight children. When he was young, his father passed away. Benjamin then became an apprentice to a tanner in Dorchester, near Boston. This meant he learned the trade of making leather.
At age sixteen, he started working on a farm in Chesterfield, Massachusetts. As a young man, Benjamin Tupper served as a soldier for about two or three years during the French and Indian War. In the winters, he also taught at a school in Easton, Massachusetts. When he was 24, he married Huldah White in Easton. They later moved to Chesterfield. He also served as a lieutenant in the local militia there.
Fighting for Freedom: The Revolutionary War
Benjamin Tupper was a soldier throughout the entire American Revolutionary War. He joined the army as a major in April 1775. This was just a few days after the first battles at Lexington and Concord. Major Tupper took part in the Siege of Boston in 1775. During this siege, he led a mission against British forces. His troops fought with the British and burned the Boston Light lighthouse. This was done to make it harder for British ships to move. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in late 1775.
After the Battle of Long Island in 1776, Lieutenant Colonel Tupper commanded gunboats. These boats were on the Hudson River near New York City. General George Washington praised Tupper's men. He wrote that they "behaved with great spirit and bravery." Benjamin Tupper became a colonel in July 1777. Later that year, he served under General Horatio Gates at Saratoga. Colonel Tupper and his 11th Massachusetts Regiment spent the cold winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge with General Washington.
In 1778, Colonel Tupper fought with General Washington at the Battle of Monmouth. During this battle, his horse was killed right under him. In 1780, he was in charge of the Great Chain. This huge chain stretched across the Hudson River at West Point. It was used to stop British ships. He spent the rest of the war in northern New York. He commanded the 10th Massachusetts Regiment and then the 6th Massachusetts Regiment. In September 1783, he was given the honorary rank of brevet brigadier general.
Life After the War and the Ohio Country
After the war, General Tupper went back to his family in Chesterfield. He became a member of the Massachusetts state Legislature. In 1786, Benjamin Tupper and Rufus Putnam started the Ohio Company of Associates. This company helped people move to and settle new lands. That same year, Benjamin Tupper was chosen to survey land for Massachusetts in the Ohio Country.
In 1787, he helped General William Shepard stop Shays' Rebellion. General Tupper helped gather volunteers for the militia. He was with General Shepard defending the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shays' rebels attacked the armory but were defeated.
In 1788, Benjamin Tupper and other pioneers from the Ohio Company arrived in the Ohio Country. They came to where the Ohio River and Muskingum River meet. Here, they founded Marietta, Ohio. This became the first permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory.
In August 1788, Benjamin Tupper invented a new kind of boat propeller. It was placed at the back of a boat and turned with a crank. Manasseh Cutler, another pioneer, wrote that it "succeeded to admiration." He thought it was a very useful invention. In September 1788, Benjamin Tupper and Rufus Putnam were the first judges in the Northwest Territory.
Benjamin Tupper was a very important person in the early Marietta settlement. He was an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati, a group for Revolutionary War officers. He was also an original member of the American Union Lodge No. 1 of Freemasons in Marietta. His son Anselm Tupper was also a member.
Benjamin Tupper had several children. His sons were Major Anselm Tupper, General Edward W. Tupper, and Colonel Benjamin Tupper, Jr. His daughters were Sophia, Minerva, and Roewena. Roewena married Governor Winthrop Sargent. This was the first marriage ceremony in the Northwest Territory. Another daughter, Huldah, died when she was young.
Benjamin Tupper passed away in June 1792. A person visiting Marietta saw his funeral. They wrote that General Tupper was buried with "great honors." This was because he had held four important roles:
- He was a General in the United States Army.
- He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.
- He was a director of the Ohio Company.
- He was a leader among the Freemasons.
Benjamin Tupper is buried with many other Revolutionary War soldiers and pioneers. His grave is at Mound Cemetery in Marietta.
Images for kids
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Benjamin Tupper marker at Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio
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Valley Forge was a difficult winter camp for American soldiers.
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The Battle of Monmouth was fought on a very hot day.
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This monument in Marietta, Ohio, honors pioneer families, including Benjamin and Huldah Tupper.
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A street sign for Tupper Street near Mound Cemetery in Marietta, Ohio.
