John Wyllys

{{Short description|18th century United States Army officer}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = |name = John Palsgrave Wyllys |honorific_suffix = |image = |image_upright = |alt = |caption = |native_name = |native_name_lang = fre |birth_name = |other_name = |nickname = |birth_date = {{birth-date|1754}} |birth_place =  |death_date = {{death year and age|1790|1754}} |death_place = Kekionga (Fort Wayne, Indiana) |burial_place = |burial_label = |burial_coordinates =  |allegiance = United States |branch = Continental Army<br/>United States Army |branch_label = Army |service_years = |service_years_label = 1776 - 1790 |rank = 25pxMajor |rank_label = |service_number = |unit = |commands = 3rd Connecticut Regiment |battles = American Revolutionary War<br/>Northwest Indian War |battles_label = |awards = |memorials = |alma_mater = |spouse = Jerusha Talcott |children = |relations = George Wyllys (father), Mary Woodbridge (mother), Samuel Wyllys (brother) |other_work = |signature = |signature_size = |signature_alt = |website =  |module = }}

'''John Palsgrave Wyllys'''<ref>{{cite book |last=Sword |first=Wiley |title=President Washington's Indian War: The Struggle for the Old Northwest, 1790-1795 |publisher=Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-8061-1864-4 |page=110}}</ref> (1754-1790) was a United States Army officer from Connecticut. Wyllys was the son of George Wyllys and Mary Woodbridge,<ref name=Allen>{{cite web |title=John Palsgrave Wyllys |website=Allen County Indiana Cemetery Project |url=https://sites.rootsweb.com/~inallcem/soldiers/wyllys.html |accessdate=3 Dec 2021}}</ref> and the youngest brother of Samuel Wyllys.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Root |editor-first=Mary Philotheta |title=Chapter Sketches. Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution |publisher=Edward P. Judd Co |location=New Haven |year=1901 |url=https://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/books/Chapter_Sketches_CT_DOTAR.pdf |pages=23}}</ref> He graduated from Yale College with Nathan Hale.<ref>{{cite web |first=John Mark |last=Ockerbloom |title=Captain Nathan Hale, 1755-1776: Yale college 1773 : Major John Palsgrave Wyllys, 1754-1790: Yale college 1773 |website=University of Pennsylvania |url=https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupid?key=ha005287161 |accessdate=3 Dec 2021}}</ref>

Wyllys began his American Revolutionary War service during the Siege of Boston.<ref name=Root>{{cite book |editor-last=Root |editor-first=Mary Philotheta |title=Chapter Sketches. Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution |publisher=Edward P. Judd Co |location=New Haven |year=1901 |url=https://www.cga.ct.gov/hco/books/Chapter_Sketches_CT_DOTAR.pdf |pages=23–5}}</ref> Wyllys was captured by the British during the retreat from New York. He was released the following year, and promoted to captain in the 9th Connecticut Regiment.<ref name=Allen /> He also participated in the Saratoga campaign of 1777.<ref name=Root /> He was promoted to major in 1780, while serving in Webb's Additional Continental Regiment.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Johnston |editor-first=Henry P. |year=1889 |title=The Record of Connecticut Men in the Military and Naval Service During the War of the Revolution 1775-1783 |location=Hartford |url=https://ia600203.us.archive.org/11/items/waroftherevolution00recorich/waroftherevolution00recorich.pdf |page=245 |accessdate=5 February 2021}}</ref> During the Yorktown campaign, he commanded the 3rd Connecticut Regiment<ref>{{cite web |title=To George Washington from John Palsgrave Wyllys, 23 March 1781 |website=Founders Online, National Archives |url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05186 |accessdate=3 Dec 2021}}</ref> under General Lafayette.<ref>{{cite web |year=2019 |first=Harry |last=Schenawolf |title=Lt. John Mansfield's Awe-Inspiring Command of the Forlorn Hope at the Battle of Yorktown |website=Revolutionary War Journal |url=https://www.revolutionarywarjournal.com/lt-john-mansfield-of-the-connecticut-line-commanded-the-forlorn-hope-at-the-battle-of-yorktown/ |accessdate=3 Dec 2021}}</ref>

Wyllys married Jerusha Talcott. They had one child, who died an infant in 1783. Jerusha died a week later.<ref name=Allen />

Wyllys joined the First American Regiment in 1785.<ref name=Allen /> He took part in the Harmar campaign of 1790,<ref>{{cite web |title=First Regiment of Infantry |website=U.S. Army Center of Military History |page=401 |url=https://history.army.mil/books/R&H/R&H-1IN.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116033803/http://www.history.army.mil/books/R&H/R&H-1IN.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2009 |accessdate=3 Dec 2021}}</ref> and was in command of the combined U.S. regular and militia force in the climactic Battle of Kekionga on 22 October 1790.<ref name=Sword>{{cite book |last=Sword |first=Wiley |title=President Washington's Indian War: The Struggle for the Old Northwest, 1790-1795 |publisher=Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press |year=1985 |isbn=0-8061-1864-4 |pages=112–4}}</ref> His plan to take the Native American town was foiled when Native American decoys drew away his militia support. After Wyllys and his 60 regulars crossed the St. Joseph River, they were ambushed in an open field. Wyllys died in battle. A non-commissioned officer of the regiment reported seeing a Native American flaunting Wyllys' large hat.<ref name=Sword />

A street in Fort Wayne, Indiana is named for him.<ref>{{cite web |year=2010 |title=Learn About the Dead Guys Our Streets Are Named After, Part 1: Harmar Street |website=Allen County History Center |url=https://historycenterfw.blogspot.com/2010/06/learn-about-dead-guys-our-streets-are.html |accessdate=3 Dec 2021}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

===External links=== *{{cite web |title=The Battle of Harmar's Ford. To the Memory of Major John Wyllys. |website=Historical Marker Database |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21358 |accessdate=16 December 2021}} *{{cite web |title=John Palsgrave Wyllys |publisher=Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution |website=Patriot Graves Registry |url=http://graves.indianasar.org/patriot_page.aspx?id=2207 |year=2020 |accessdate=4 February 2021}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyllys, John}} Category:Continental Army officers from Connecticut Category:Yale College alumni Category:American military personnel killed in the Northwest Indian War Category:1754 births Category:1790 deaths