Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Posey, Thomas 1750-

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.