Major General Joseph Bartholomew 1766-1840
(March 15, 1766 – November 3, 1840) was a general in the
Indiana Militia and served in numerous military conflicts. He also worked as a farmer, hunter, trapper, self-taught
surveyor, and politician.
Bartholomew County, Indiana and the Bartholomew Trail were named after him.
[1]
Though he was only 10 years old at the outbreak of the
American Revolutionary War, he joined the local militia and helped defend against Native American tribes who were raiding the western frontier.
[4]
After moving to Indiana, he received a commission as major in the Clark County militia on September 21, 1803. Three years later, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On November 7, 1811, he took part in the
Battle of Tippecanoe. Recently promoted to colonel, he led 120 militia members under Governor
William Henry Harrison.
[6] During the battle, Bartholomew was shot and seriously wounded in his right arm.
For his leadership during the Battle of Tippecanoe, Bartholomew was promoted to brigadier general.
[7] The Indiana territorial legislature passed a resolution on December 4, 1811, which read, "Resolved… that the thanks of this house be presented to Col. Luke Decker and Col. Joseph Bartholomew, the officers, non-commissioned officers and men composing the militia corps under their command…for the distinguished valor, heroism and bravery displayed by them in the brilliant battle fought with the Shawnee Prophet and his confederates on the morning of the 7th of Nov, 1811 by the Army under the command of His Excellency William Henry Harrison."
[8]
When Bartholomew's son fell ill, he volunteered to enlist as a private in his place under the command of Colonel Russell of the 7th Regiment to fight in the White River Campaign during the
War of 1812.
[9] Colonel Russell praised Bartholomew, telling the Indiana territorial governor, "Col. Bartholomew acted as my aide-de-camp; the veteran has been so well tried in this kind of warfare, that any encomiums from me would be useless."
[10] In 1816, he was commissioned as major general, the highest rank at that time. He served as major general of the Indiana militia until 1822.
[11]
After his wartime military service came to an end, Bartholomew became involved in politics. In 1818, he served on the
Indiana General Assembly, and was elected to the
Indiana Senate in 1820.
[12]He was selected to be a member of the commission that would choose the location of the capital of Indiana, and helped pick
Indianapolis as the new site. He would often claim "to have dug the first dirt for the State capital."
[13] Though he moved home in 1822, he continued to serve the state on the board of commissioners for land deeds. He retired in 1825.
[14]
His grave marker was placed by the
Grand Army of the Republic in 1894 with the inscription "To the memory of Maj. Gen. Joseph Bartholomew Hero of Tippecanoe. He fought in the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, & the
Black Hawk War."
