James Wilkinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Wilkinson
6th and 9th Senior Officer of the United States Army
In office June 15, 1800 – January 27, 1812
President	John Adams Thomas Jefferson James Madison
Preceded by	Alexander Hamilton
Succeeded by	Henry Dearborn
In office December 15, 1796 – July 13, 1798
President	George Washington John Adams
Preceded by	Anthony Wayne
Succeeded by	George Washington
1st Governor of Louisiana Territory
In office 1805–1807
President	Thomas Jefferson
Preceded by	William Henry Harrison (as Governor of the District of Louisiana)
Succeeded by	Meriwether Lewis
United States Envoy to Mexico
In office 1816–1825
President	James Madison James Monroe John Quincy Adams
Preceded by	John H. Robinson
Succeeded by	Joel Roberts Poinsett
Personal details
Born	March 24, 1757 (1757-03-24) Charles County, Province of Maryland
Died	December 28, 1825 (1825-12-29) (aged 68) Mexico City, Mexican Republic
Resting place	Iglesia de San Miguel Arcangel, Mexico City, Mexico
Political party	Democratic-Republican
Spouses	Ann Biddle Wilkinson ​ ​ (m. 1778; died 1807)​ Celestine Laveau Trudeau ​ (m. 1810)​
Children	6
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Spain
Branch/service	Continental Army United States Army
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War War of 1812

James Wilkinson (born March 24, 1757 – died December 28, 1825) was an American soldier and politician. He was involved in several important events in early American history. However, he was also linked to many scandals and was even accused of being a spy for Spain.

He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Later, he became the top officer of the U.S. Army twice. In 1805, he was made the first Governor of the Louisiana Territory. He also led two military campaigns during the War of 1812. He passed away while working as a diplomat in Mexico.

Years after his death, in 1854, a historian named Charles Gayarré found proof that Wilkinson had been a paid spy for the Spanish Empire. Because of this, many historians and politicians have strongly criticized him. President Theodore Roosevelt once called him "the most despicable character" in American history.

Early Life and Family

James Wilkinson was born on March 24, 1757, in Charles County, Maryland. His parents were Joseph and Alethea Wilkinson. His family was not as rich as Maryland's top families, but they still saw themselves as part of the upper class.

Wilkinson's grandfather had owned a large property called Stoakley Manor. However, by the time James's father inherited it, the family was in debt. When his father died in 1763, the manor was sold off. As the second son, James did not inherit any land.

His father's last words to him were, "My son, if you ever put up with an insult, I will disinherit you." This might have made Wilkinson react strongly to anything he saw as an insult. His grandmother paid for his early education and his studies in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. But the American Revolutionary War stopped his medical studies.

His Marriages

Wilkinson married Ann Biddle in Philadelphia on November 12, 1778. Ann came from the important Biddle family. Her connections helped Wilkinson's career as a politician and general. Ann passed away in 1807.

They had four sons: John, James Biddle, Joseph Biddle, and Walter. Both James and Walter became captains in the U.S. Army.

On March 5, 1810, Wilkinson married Celestine Laveau Trudeau. She was the daughter of Charles Laveau Trudeau, who had worked for the Spanish government in New Orleans. James and Celestine had twin girls, Marie Isabel and Elizabeth Stephanie. Marie Isabel died as a baby.

Fighting in the Revolution

Wilkinson started his military service in 1775. He became a captain in September 1775. He helped Nathanael Greene during the Siege of Boston. After the British left Boston, he went to New York and took command of an infantry company.

He was sent to Canada to help Benedict Arnold's army. He arrived just as British forces were arriving, which caused the American effort in Canada to fail. He became Arnold's aide and left Canada with him. Later, in August 1776, he became an aide to General Horatio Gates.

After the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, Gates sent Wilkinson to tell the Second Continental Congress. Wilkinson made Congress wait while he took care of his own business. When he finally arrived, he made his own role in the victory seem much bigger. Because of this, he was made a brigadier general at only 20 years old.

This quick promotion upset many older officers. Wilkinson's gossiping also made it seem like he was part of the Conway Cabal. This was a secret plan to replace George Washington with Horatio Gates as the army's commander. Gates soon got tired of Wilkinson, and he had to resign in March 1778. In 1779, Congress made him the army's clothier-general, but he resigned again in 1781, saying he wasn't good at the job.

Life in Kentucky

After leaving the Continental Army, Wilkinson became a brigadier general in the Pennsylvania militia in 1782. He also became a state assemblyman in 1783. In 1784, he moved to Kentucky, which was then part of Virginia. He worked hard to help Kentucky become independent from Virginia.

In April 1787, Wilkinson made a controversial trip to New Orleans, the capital of Spanish Louisiana. At that time, Americans could trade on the Mississippi River, but they had to pay high taxes. Wilkinson met with Spanish Governor Esteban Rodríguez Miró. He convinced Miró to give Kentucky a special trading deal on the river. In return, Wilkinson promised to help Spain's interests in the western lands.

On August 22, 1787, Wilkinson swore loyalty to the King of Spain. This was to help his business deals. This event is known as the "Spanish Conspiracy." Wilkinson wrote a long report to the Spanish, trying to convince them to accept Kentuckians as "vassals" (loyal subjects). He used a secret code called "Number 13," which led to his spy name, "Agent 13."

When he returned to Kentucky in 1788, Wilkinson spoke out against the new U.S. Constitution. Kentucky had almost become a state under the old Articles of Confederation, and many people were disappointed when this was delayed.

At a meeting in November 1788 about Kentucky separating from Virginia, Wilkinson tried to see if people supported Kentucky joining with Spain. He was elected chairman of the committee. He suggested that Kentucky should first become independent from Virginia, and then decide whether to join the United States. Many people felt that joining the U.S. depended on the U.S. making a deal with Spain for free navigation on the Mississippi River.

Wilkinson couldn't get enough support for his idea at the meeting. So, he offered a deal to Governor Miró. He wanted a large land grant in the Yazoo lands (near present-day Vicksburg). This land would be payment for his help to Spain and a safe place if he and his supporters had to flee the United States. Wilkinson also received a pension of $7,000 from Miró. He also asked for pensions for other important Kentuckians.

However, by 1788, Spanish officials had started to lose trust in Wilkinson. Miró was not allowed to give out the pensions or money to support a revolution in Kentucky. Still, Wilkinson continued to secretly receive money from Spain for many years.

Return to the Army

Northwest Indian War

In May 1791, Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkinson led a raid. This raid was meant to distract Native American tribes while General St. Clair marched north. In the Battle of Kenapacomaqua, Wilkinson's forces killed 9 Wea and Miami people and captured 34 Miami prisoners. Many Native American leaders were thinking about making peace with the United States. But when they heard about Wilkinson's raid, they prepared for war instead. Wilkinson's raid actually united the tribes against St. Clair, leading to St. Clair's defeat soon after.

Betrayal of General Wayne

When the U.S. government reorganized the army, President George Washington had to choose a new commanding general. The main candidates were Wilkinson and Anthony Wayne. The cabinet chose Wayne because Wilkinson was suspected of being involved with the Spanish government. Wilkinson was promoted to brigadier general as a comfort prize, because the President knew Wilkinson had a sensitive ego.

Wilkinson became jealous of Wayne but pretended to respect him. During the Ohio campaign, Wilkinson secretly tried to hurt Wayne's reputation. He wrote anonymous negative letters to newspapers and politicians. Wilkinson also refused to attend Wayne's Christmas party, which raised suspicions. Wayne eventually hated Wilkinson after getting a tip from Henry Knox.

In August 1794, Wayne led the army against Native Americans in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. This was a big victory for the U.S. But Wilkinson criticized Wayne's actions during the battle just to annoy him.

Wilkinson then filed official complaints against Wayne with President Washington. When Wayne found out, he started an investigation into Wilkinson's past with the Spanish. During this time, Wilkinson had secretly restarted his alliance with the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Francisco Luis Héctor de Carondelet. He told them about the actions of the U.S. and French in North America.

When Spanish messengers carrying payments for Wilkinson were caught, Wayne's suspicions were confirmed. He tried to have Wilkinson tried by a military court for his betrayal. However, Wayne died on December 15, 1796, before the trial could happen. Instead, Wilkinson became the top officer of the Army for about a year and a half. He kept giving information to the Spanish for large amounts of gold, but most of his information wasn't very useful.

Quasi-War with France

In 1798, Wilkinson was moved to the southern border. During the Quasi-War (a conflict between France and the United States in the late 1790s), he was ranked third in the U.S. Army. He was behind George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton asked Wilkinson to create a "Reserve Corps" of American troops. These troops would seize the lower Mississippi River Valley and New Orleans if there was a war with France and Spain.

The crisis ended in mid-1800, and Hamilton left the Army. But Wilkinson, for unknown reasons, continued the plan for the base. He named it "Cantonment Wilkinson" after himself. This base was in the Indiana Territory (now southern Illinois). It operated from January 1801 to late 1802 before being closed.

Wilkinson served his second and longer term as the top officer of the Army from June 15, 1800, until January 27, 1812. He was then replaced by Henry Dearborn.

In 1801, Wilkinson ordered all soldiers to cut off their long hair braids, or "queues." This order was very unpopular. Some soldiers left the army, and others threatened to quit. One officer was even tried by a military court in 1803 for not cutting his hair.

Service Under President Jefferson

Wilkinson remained the senior officer of the United States Army under President Thomas Jefferson. On December 20, 1803, Wilkinson and Governor William C. C. Claiborne officially took control of the Louisiana Purchase for the United States. At this time, Wilkinson again secretly worked with Spanish officials. He offered them advice on how to stop American expansion in exchange for his pension back. He even told the Spanish about the purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Governor of Louisiana Territory

President Jefferson appointed Wilkinson as the first Governor of Louisiana Territory in the spring of 1805. He was based in St. Louis.

Connections with Aaron Burr

In 1804–05, Wilkinson met with Aaron Burr, who was the Vice President at the time. They exchanged letters about Burr's plans, which later became known as the Burr conspiracy. After Burr was arrested, he claimed he was leading settlers to land in Texas that he had leased from the Spanish. The government accused Burr of treason, saying he wanted to separate the western states from the U.S. and create his own country.

Since Wilkinson was both a top general and the Louisiana governor, Burr tried to get his support. In 1806, Burr supposedly sent a coded letter to Wilkinson, saying he was ready to start his movement to Texas. Burr's efforts to recruit people became public, raising fears that he was plotting with England to start a war with Spain.

Wilkinson became worried that his role in Burr's plans or his spying for Spain would be found out. In October 1806, Wilkinson sent a letter to President Jefferson. In it, he made Burr's actions look as bad as possible, while making himself seem innocent. Jefferson ordered Burr's arrest.

Wilkinson testified at Burr's trial. He gave the prosecution the "cipher letter" as evidence. However, the letter had clearly been changed to make Wilkinson seem less guilty. This forgery, along with Wilkinson's self-serving testimony, made Burr seem like a victim. The grand jury almost voted to accuse Wilkinson of hiding treason. The jury foreman, John Randolph of Roanoke, called Wilkinson a "mammoth of iniquity" and "the most finished scoundrel."

During Burr's trial, Wilkinson put New Orleans under military rule, even though Governor Claiborne disagreed. He imprisoned several people he thought might connect him to Burr, as well as lawyers who tried to defend them.

Wilkinson was removed from his governor's office after being criticized for his harsh rule and abuse of power. His actions during the Burr conspiracy also became public, turning people against him. This led to two investigations by Congress. President James Madison ordered a military investigation in 1811, which cleared Wilkinson.

War of 1812

On March 2, 1813, Wilkinson became a major general during the War of 1812 against Britain. The Mobile District (now parts of Mississippi and Alabama) was still under Spanish control. In April 1813, Wilkinson sailed to Mobile with 600 soldiers. He received the surrender of the Spanish commander, bringing the Mobile District into the United States.

He was then sent to the Saint Lawrence River area. Wilkinson led two failed campaigns: the Battle of Crysler's Farm and the Battle of Lacolle Mills. He was removed from active duty but was cleared in a military investigation. He left the Army on June 15, 1815. In 1816, Wilkinson published his Memoirs of My Own Times to try and clear his name.

General Wilkinson might not have been a good commander in regular battles. But he was a great thinker about guerrilla warfare tactics. Before the Battle of Bladensburg, Wilkinson suggested using militia forces as guerrilla fighters against the British attack on the capital. He wanted the militia to use hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, and harassment. But President James Madison and James Monroe disagreed. They wanted to fight a direct battle, which led to a disaster. The British easily defeated the militia and burned the capital.

Last Years

After his military career ended, Wilkinson was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. This was during Mexico's fight for independence from Spain, which they won in 1821. In that year, Wilkinson asked for a land grant in Mexican Texas. While waiting for the Mexican government to approve his land plan, Wilkinson died in Mexico City on December 28, 1825, at age 68. He was buried there.

Wilkinson's secret involvement with the Spanish (as Agent 13) was suspected during his lifetime. But it was only proven in 1854. That's when historian Charles Gayarré published letters between Wilkinson and Esteban Rodríguez Miró, the Spanish governor of Louisiana.

Later Views

About 65 years after Wilkinson's actions, Theodore Roosevelt, who was then the Governor of New York, strongly criticized him. He wrote that Wilkinson was "the most despicable character" in American history. Historian Robert Leckie described him as "a general who never won a battle or lost a court-martial". Frederick Jackson Turner called Wilkinson "the most consummate artist in treason that the nation ever possessed."

Legacy

• The downtown area of Frankfort, Kentucky, was created from land owned by Wilkinson. He designed its layout. A main street there is named Wilkinson Street.
• New Orleans has a short street called Wilkinson, named for James Wilkinson. It is in the French Quarter near Jackson Square. There is also a Wilkinson Street in Mandeville, Louisiana.
• Wilkinson County, Georgia, is named after Wilkinson. A historical marker there tells a brief story of the general and says he is the reason for the county's name.
• Wilkinson County, Mississippi, is also named for General Wilkinson. He spent a lot of time there, supposedly planning the Burr Conspiracy. Fort Adams, an important U.S. Army post, was built by Wilkinson. It was the southernmost point in the U.S. on the Mississippi River before entering Spanish territory.
• Wilkinson strongly supported the army's rules for short hair. He tried to prosecute Colonel Thomas Butler, a veteran, for keeping his long hair. Colonel Butler died before the trials ended. He never cut his long, braided hair. A story says his last wish was for a hole to be drilled in his casket so his hair could hang out and annoy Wilkinson even after death.
• Wilkinson was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1789.

Images for kids

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  General James Wilkinson

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  Signature of James Wilkinson

See also

In Spanish: James Wilkinson para niños