William Heath

William Heath ( born March 7, 1737 Roxbury, Massachusetts, † January 24, 1814 ) was an American farmer, soldier and politician from Massachusetts. He served during the American Revolution as a major general in the Continental Army.

Heath spent most of his life on the family farm in Roxbury. His family had built the farm in 1636, where he was also born in 1737. He became active in the militia and was in 1760 captain of the militia of Suffolk County. In 1770 he was promoted to colonel and was also their leader.

In December 1774, the revolutionary government appointed him to brigadier general in Massachusetts. He led the troops from Massachusetts during the last phase of the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. As the siege of Boston began, Heath devoted to the training of the militias involved. In June, the revolutionary government of Massachusetts promoted him to major general; the Continental Congress made ​​him a brigadier general of the Continental Army.

In 1776, Heath took part in the defense of New York City. He was one of those who urged General George Washington not to abandon the city. He took part in the fighting on Long Iceland, Harlem Heights and the Battle of White Plains. In August, he was promoted to major general of the Continental Army. In November, the appointment as commander in chief of the armed forces in the highlands of the Hudson River was.

Thereafter, Heath served mainly on bar items in the hinterland, which was removed from the actual front. He was appointed after the Battle of Saratoga with the supervision of the enemy soldiers the Convention Army of John Burgoyne, who had surrendered. After the treason of Benedict Arnold, he took over again in 1780 in command of the Highland Division.

After the war, Heath was a member of the National Assembly of Massachusetts (Massachusetts Convention ), which ratified the Constitution of the United States. In the years 1791-1792 he served in the state Senate and as a judge. When he was elected in 1800 as vice- governor of Massachusetts, he declined the office from however.

He died at home in Roxbury on January 24, 1814 and was interred in the Forrest Hills Cemetery in the Jamaica Hills. This is now a suburb of Boston.