MUHLENBERG, John Peter Gabriel, American patriot: b. Trappe (then New Provi dence), Montgomery County, Pa., 1 Oct. 1746; d. near Philadelphia, 1 Oct. 1807. He was the son of H. M. Muhlenberg (q.v.), the founder of the German Lutheran Church in America. He was educated for the ministry, was for a time pastor of German Lutheran churches at New Germantown, N. J., and Bedminster, N. J. In 1772 he went to Woodstock, Va., and finding that in order to enforce the payment of tithes he must be ordained in the Episcopal Church, he was ordained priest in England. He was chairman of the Shenandoah County committee of safety, and 1774 a member of the Virginia house of burgesses. At Washington's request he became a colonel in the Continental army. His last sermon was upon the duties men owe their country; and saying, °There is a time for all things — a time to preach and a time to fight — and now is the time to fight,' he stripped off his gown after the service, ap peared in full uniform, called for recruits and enrolled about 300 of the parishioners. He
participated in several battles, was made briga dier-general in 1777, and major-general at the close of the Revolution. After the war he re moved to Pennsylvania, where he was elected a member of the supreme executive council, and in 1785 bcame its vice-president. He served as representative in Congress from 1789 to 1795, and from 1799 to 1801. In 1801 he was elected United States senator, but soon resigned and was appointed supervisor of the revenue for the district of Pennsylvania. From 1803 till his death he held the office of collector of the port of Philadelphia. Consult Muhlenberg (H. A.), 'Life) (1849).