Saint Clair, Arthur (1736-1818), was a Scottish American soldier and statesman. He served as a British Army officer in America during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). When the Revolutionary War in America broke out in 1775, he joined the colonial army and organized the New Jersey troops. St. Clair fought at Trenton and Princeton and became a major general. He commanded Fort Ticonderoga but did not try to defend it against General John Burgoyne. St. Clair was criticized for not defending the fort and was recalled from service.
St. Clair won a seat in the Congress of the Confederation as a representative for Pennsylvania in 1785. In 1787, he became president of the Congress. That same year, he became governor of the Northwest Territory. St. Clair led about 2,000 U.S. soldiers against the Miami Indians in 1791. But he was defeated in the Battle of Maumee, at what is now Fort Recovery, Ohio, and relieved of his command. In 1802, St. Clair resigned as governor. He was born on March 23, 1736, in Thurso, in what is now the Highland Region of Scotland. He died on Aug. 31, 1818.
