Nicholas Fish

Nicholas Fish (August 28, 1758 – June 20, 1833) was an American Revolutionary War soldier. He was the first Adjutant General of New York.

Early life

Fish was born on August 28, 1758, into a wealthy New York City family. His elder sister was Sarah Fish (b. 1755), who married Terrence Riley.

American Revolutionary War

In 1776 he was appointed by then brigadier general Scott aide-de-camp on his staff. On August 21, 1776, Fish was appointed major of the 2nd New York Regiment.

He served as a division inspector under Major General von Steuben in 1778. He participated in the Battles of Saratoga and Monmouth, in Sullivan's expedition against the Native Americans in 1779, and in the Virginia and Yorktown campaigns, in which he served for a time on the staff of the Marquis de La Fayette. At Yorktown, he served as second-in-command to Alexander Hamilton, and commanded Hamilton's New York Battalion in the Assault on Redoubt 10 when Hamilton was given overall command. Along with Hamilton, he served in New York Militia Hearts of Oak (1st Battalion/5th Field Artillery Regiment). Nicholas Fish's portrait can be seen at far right bottom row of John Trumbull's Surrender of Lord Cornwallis painting.

Fish was an original member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati and served as its president from 1797 to 1804, and from 1805 to 1806. His son, Hamilton Fish, would serve as the Society's President General from 1854 to 1893. In 1794, he was appointed by Washington supervisor of the Federal revenue in New York City. On two occasions, Fish ran unsuccessfully for United States Congress, losing to Samuel L. Mitchill in 1804 and Gurdon S. Mumford in 1806. Fish also twice ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor of New York. In 1810, he was the Federalist candidate, but lost to incumbent John Broome. Broome subsequently died one month into his term in August 1810. Fish ran in a special election for Lieutenant Governor in 1811 to fill the vacancy created by Broome's death, but lost to the then-mayor of New York City, DeWitt Clinton. During the War of 1812, Fish served as a member of the City Committee of Defense. the daughter of Petrus Stuyvesant and Margaret (née Livingston) Stuyvesant (1738–1818). She was the sister of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (both descendants of Petrus Stuyvesant the last Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland), and the granddaughter of Gilbert Livingston and great-granddaughter of Robert Livingston the Elder. and who married Julia Ursin Niemcewiez Kean (1816–1887), sister of John Kean and granddaughter of John Kean. a U.S. Ambassador to Belgium and Switzerland; Hamilton Fish II (1849–1936), a Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives; Stuyvesant Fish (1851–1923), a President of the Illinois Central Railroad who married Marion Graves Anthon (1853–1915); and New York congressmen Hamilton Fish III and Hamilton Fish IV.

Through his daughter Elizabeth, he was the grandfather of Stuyvesant Fish Morris (1843–1928), a prominent physician.