Hansfield Garvin Hamilton Jr.

Hansfield "Hance" Garvin Hamilton Jr. (ca. 1721 - February 2, 1772) was a Pennsylvania colonist and soldier active during the French and Indian War. In 1749, he was elected the first sheriff of York County, and was later a judge. He was known for his leadership during a period when Pennsylvania settlers were threatened by attacks from French-allied Native American war parties, and was commander of Fort Lyttleton. He was eventually promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Birth and early life

Hamilton was born in Derry, Ireland, probably before 1721. In August 1729 his father, Hansfield Garvin Hamilton Sr., led 140 families to emigrate from Ireland to New Castle, Delaware, at the invitation of William Penn's sons, Thomas Penn and Richard Penn Sr. They settled in what was then Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, near present-day Gettysburg. This community later came to be known as Hamiltonban Township, Pennsylvania. Hance Hamilton Jr. arrived in North America in 1732, accompanied by his older brother James. He moved to the Marsh Creek settlement in 1739.

Legal career

In 1749, Hamilton ran for sheriff of York County against Richard McAllister, who was supported by the Dutch immigrant community. There was a riot as Irish voters attempted to prevent Dutch and German voters from reaching the ballot-box. McAllister was declared the winner, but Hamilton contested the results in court, and was commissioned as sheriff by Governor James Hamilton. In September 1749, he was commissioned as a judge and Justice of the Peace, and this commission was renewed in 1751. Following his military service from 1755 to 1759, he was reappointed, on April 23, 1761, as Justice of the Peace and Judge of the York County Court of Common Pleas.

Military career

Following Braddock's defeat in July 1755, Hamilton raised a company of militia. He was among the first to respond to the Great Cove massacre in November, 1755, arriving at McDowell's Mill with 200 men to rescue survivors and to round up scattered livestock.

In January 1756 he was commissioned captain of Provincial troops. In February 1756, he was placed in command of Fort Lyttleton, arriving on April 1, soon after Lenape warriors captured and burned Fort McCord, taking 27 settlers prisoner. On April 2, three companies of militia under the joint command of Captain Hamilton, together with Captain Chambers and Captain Culbertson, went in pursuit of the warriors and encountered Lenape reinforcements led by Shingas. In a two-hour engagement at the Battle of Sideling Hill, both sides suffered heavy casualties. After returning to Fort Lyttleton following the raid, Hamilton sent "a company of Cherokee Indians in kings pay" back along the trail to see if the Lenape were in pursuit, and to look for surviving colonial troops who had fallen behind. They found Captain Hugh Mercer, injured and exhausted, who had decided to "lay down, giving up all hopes of ever getting home." Mercer was carried to Fort Lyttleton, where he recovered.

In October 1757, Hamilton was involved in an effort to persuade soldiers, whose term of enlistment was ending, not to leave military service. This effort was successful, and he received a monetary reward of £59, 3s, 8d. On December 6, 1757, Hamilton was promoted to major, On September 29, Hamilton was again arrested, although the reasons for this are unknown.

Hamilton resigned from military service in March, 1759.

Death and burial

He signed his will on January 27, 1772 His remains were first interred in Black's Graveyard, on Upper Marsh Creek, and were moved in 1848 to Evergreen Cemetery, in Gettysburg. His original headstone was cracked and nearly illegible, so a new one was made, with a possibly incorrect birthdate.