William Thompson, born in Ireland about 1725, emigrated to the State
of Pennsylvania. During the French and Indian War he was captain of a
troop of mounted militia, and when in June, 1775, Congress ordered the
raising of eight companies of riflemen by the State of Pennsylvania,
Thompson was appointed colonel of the battalion. These troops were
the first raised on demand of the Continental Congress, and reached
the camp at Cambridge before the 14th of August; and on the 10th of
November following, they repulsed a British landing party at Lechmere’s
Point. On the 1st of March, 1776, Thompson was promoted to the rank of
brigadier-general; and on the 19th he superseded Gen. Charles Lee in
command of the troops in New York. In April, being ordered to Canada
to reinforce General Thomas, he met the retreating army and took
command during the fatal illness of that officer, but resigned it on
the 4th of June to Gen. John Sullivan, by whose orders, two days later,
Thompson made the disastrous attack on the British at Trois Rivières,
resulting in the defeat of the Americans, and the taking prisoner of
their general. Released on parole in August, Thompson returned to
Philadelphia, but was not exchanged until two years later. He was
never again actively employed in the service, but died near Carlisle,
Pennsylvania, on the 4th of September, 1781.