IRVINE, William, American Revolutionary general: b. near Enniskillen, Ireland, 3 Nov. 1741; d. Philadelphia, 29 July 1804. Having graduated at Dublin University, he studied medicine and surgery, and was appointed sur geon on board a ship of war, serving during a part of the war of (1756-63) between Great Britain and France. On the declaration of peace he emigrated to America, and in 1764 settled in Carlisle, Pa. At the opening of the Revolution he took the part of the colonies, was a member of the provincial convention assem bled in Philadelphia, 15 July 1774, until he was appointed by Congress, 9 Jan. 1776, colonel of the 6th battalion of the Pennsylvania line. He was sent with his command to Canada and in June 1776, was captured as the result of the disastrous engagement near Three Rivers. Ex changed 21 April 1778, he was promoted on 12 May 1779 to the rank of brigadier-general, and assigned to the command of the second brigade of the Pennsylvania line. In the autumn of 1781 he was ordered to Fort Pitt, to take com mand of the troops on the western frontier, and continued to fulfil the duties of this post, until after the war had closed. He was early in 1785 appointed by the State agent under an "act for directing the mode of distributing the donation lands promised to the troopb of the commonwealth." About this time he suggested
to Pennsylvania the purchase from the United States of the tract of land known as "the tri angle," thus giving to the State an outlet upon Lake Erie. He was a member of Congress under the confederation (1787-88) and of the Third Federal Congress (1793-95). In 1794 he was assigned to the command of the Pennsyl vania troops for the purpose of quelling the ((whisky insurrection," and in all the most im portant movements in connection with this sub-. ject took an active part. In 1797 he was one of the 13 presidential electors from Pennsylvania who elected John Adams President of the United States. In 1801, after Thomas Jeffer son's election to the presidency, he was ap pointed intendant of military stores, having charge of arsenals, ordnance, army supplies and Indian affairs. He was president of the State society of the Cincinnati at the time of his death. Consult Butterfield, C. W., ed., 'Wash ington-Irvine Correspondence' (Madison 1881); Montgomery, T. L., ed., 'Pennsylvania Ar chives' (Series V, Vol. II, Harrisburg 1906).