Soldier and Colonial Governor.” Unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, Indiana University, 1954; Quaife, Milo M.,
ed. The Capture of Old Vincennes; the Original Nar-
rative of George Rogers Clark and Governor Henry
Hamilton.Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1927; Russell,
Nelson V. “The Indian Policy of Henry Hamilton.”
Canadian Historical Review11 (1930): 20–37; Shee-han, Bernard W. “The Famous Hair Buyer General:
Henry Hamilton, George Rogers Clark, and the Ameri-
can Indian.”Indiana Magazine of History79 (1983):
1–28; Stevens, Paul L. “‘Placing Proper Persons at
Their Heads’: Henry Hamilton and the Establishment
of the British Revolutionary Indian Department at De-
troit, 1777.” Old Northwest12 (1986): 279–317.HARVEY, JOHN
Harvey, John
(April 23, 1778–March 22, 1852)
English Army Officer; Colonial Governor
H
ard-charging John
Harvey was a
brave and efficient
staff officer from the War
of 1812. His crowning
achievement was leading
the nighttime attack on
Stoney Creek, wherein
two American generals
were captured and an in-
vasion thwarted. After-
ward, a lack of money
and family connections
stunted his rise in the mil-
itary, but Harvey distin-
guished himself by cap-
ably administering no
less than four Canadian
provinces.
John Harvey was born
in England on April 23,
1778, the son of an impov-
erished Anglican clergy-
man. His father prevailed
upon Prime Minister
William Pitt the Younger to grant his son an
army commission and thus enable him to es-
cape a life of grinding poverty. Accordingly,
Harvey joined the 80th Regiment of Foot as
an ensign on September 10, 1794, but the lack
of wealth and social status created additional
obstacles. At a time when
most well-connected offi-
cers could always obtain
promotions by purchas-
ing them, Harvey always
lacked that option. Con-
sequently, his slow but
gradual advancement be-
came predicated upon
hard work, fortitude, and
initiative—singular traits
he displayed throughout
his lifetime. He then em-
barked upon a wide-rang-
ing career that included
service in the Netherlands,
France, South Africa,
Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and
Egypt. In 1803, Harvey
reported for duty in
India and distinguished
himself in combat
against the Marathas.
Such behavior brought
him to the attention of
his commander, Lord Lake, and before leav-
ing India in 1807 Harvey married Lake’s
daughter. This arrangement proved fortu-
itous, for it finally brought the young officer
a measure of social status and financial se-
curity. More important, the young coupleJohn Harvey
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