MIFFLIN, Thomas, American soldier and politician: b. Philadelphia 1744; d. Lancaster, Pa., 20 Jan. 1800. He was by birth a Quaker; was graduated at Philadelphia College in 1760; entered public life in 1772 as a member of the Pennsylvania assembly; and in 1774 was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1775 he entered the army with the rank of major, and as colonel and first aide-de-camp to Washington accompanied him to Cambridge. He subsequently held the appointment of ad jutant-general, and in the spring of 1776 was commissioned as brigadier-general. He fought in the battle of Long Island, and by his energy succeeded in the latter part of 1776 in raising considerable reinforcements in Pennsylvania to recruit Washington's army. He was present at the battle of Trenton, and did good service in driving back the enemy's line of cantonments from the Delaware. In 1777 he was made a major-general, and in the same year became an active member of the faction organized for the purpose of placing Gates at the head of the Continental army, and known in history as the Conway Cabal (q.v.). The project failing, he
resigned his commission, and in 1782 was elected to Congress, of which body he became president during the following year. In this capacity he received from Washington the resignation of his commission as commander in-chief. In 1785 he became speaker of the Pennsylvania legislature, and in 1787 he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. In October 1788, he succeeded Franklin as presi dent of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, which position he filled for two years; and from 1790 to 1799 he was governor of the State. In 1794, while holding this office, he rendered important assistance to Washing ton in quelling the Whisky Insurrection (q.v.).