Military officer; born in
Virginia, July 9, 1750; removed to
western Virginia in 1769, and was quartermaster to
Lewis's division in
Dunmore's army in 1774.
He raised a company in
Virginia, and assisted in the defeat of
Dunmore at Gwyn's Island.
He joined
Washington, in New Jersey, early in 1777; was transferred to
Morgan's rifle regiment, and with it did valuable service on Bemis's Heights and at
Saratoga.
He commanded the regiment in the spring of 1778, and was finally placed in command of a battalion of
Febiger's regiment, under
Wayne, participating in the capture of
Stony Point in July, 1779, where he was one of the first to enter the works.
Colonel Posey was at the surrender of
Yorktown, and was afterwards with
Wayne until the evacuation of
Savannah, in 1782.
In February, 1793, he was made brigadier-general; settled in
Kentucky; became State
Senator and lieutenant-governor; was major-general of
Kentucky levies in 1809; and
United States Senator in 1812-13.
He succeeded
Harrison as governor of
Indiana Territory in March, 1813; and in 1816 was made agent for Indian affairs, which post he held at the time of his death, in
Shawneetown, Ill., March 19, 1818.