Zebulon Montgomery Pike - A Stan Klos Website
PIKE, Zebulon Montgomery, soldier, born in
Lamberton, New Jersey, 5 January, 1779; died in York (now Toronto), Canada, 27
April, 1813. His father, Zebulon (b. in New Jersey in 1751 ; died in
Lawrenceburg, Indiana. 27 July, 1834), was a captain in the Revolutionary army,
was in General Arthur St. Clair's defeat in 1791, and was brevetted
lieutenant-colonel in the regular army, 10 July, 1812.
While the son was a child his father removed with his
family to Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and thence in a few years to Easton, where
the boy was educated. He was appointed an ensign in his father's regiment, 3
March, 1799, 1st lieutenant in November, and captain in August, 1806. While
advancing through the lower grades of his profession he supplemented the
deficiencies of his education by the study of Latin, French, and mathematics.
After the purchase of Louisiana from the French,
Lieutenant Pike was appointed to conduct an expedition to trace the Mississippi
to its source, and, leaving St. Louis. 9 August, 1805, he returned after nearly
nine months' exploration and constant exposure to hardship, having
satisfactorily performed this service.
In 1806-'7 he was engaged in geographical explorations
in Louisiana territory, in the course of which he discovered "Pike's peak" in
the Rocky mountains, and reached Rio Grande river. Having been found on Spanish
territory, he and his party were taken to Santa Fé; but, after a long
examination and the seizure of his papers, they were released. He arrived at
Natchitoches, 1 July, 1807, received the thanks of the government, and in 1810
published a narrative of his two expeditions.
He was made major in 1808, lieutenant-colonel in 1809,
deputy quartermaster-general, 3 April, 1812, colonel of the lath infantry, 3
July, 1812, and brigadier-general, 12 March, 1813. Early in 1813 he was assigned
to the principal army as adjutant and inspector-general, and selected to command
an expedition against York (now Toronto), Upper Canada.
On 27 April the fleet conveying the troops for the
attack on York reached the harbor of that town, and measures were taken to land
them at once. General Pike landed with the main body as soon as practicable,
and, the enemy's advanced parties falling back before him, he took one of the
redoubts that had been constructed for the main defense of the place. The column
was then halted until arrangements were made for the attack on another redoubt.
While General Pike and many of his soldiers were seated
on the ground, the magazine of the fort exploded, a mass of stone fell upon him,
and he was fatally injured, surviving but a few hours.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001
StanKlos.comTM
PIKE, Zebulon Montgomery, soldier, born in Lamberton, New Jersey, 5 January, 1779; died in York (now Toronto), Canada, 27 April, 1813. His father, Zebulon (b. in New Jersey in 1751 ; died in Lawrence-burg, Indiana. 27 July, 1834), was a captain in the Revolutionary army, was in General Arthur St. Clair's defeat in 1791, and was brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the regular army, 10 July, 1812. While the son was a child his father removed with his family to Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and thence in a few years to Easton, where the boy was educated. He was appointed an ensign in his father's regiment, 3 March, 1799, 1st lieutenant in November, and captain in August, 1806. While advancing through the lower grades of his profession he supplemented the deficiencies of his education by the study of Latin, French, and mathematics. After the purchase of Louisiana from the French, Lieutenant Pike was appointed to conduct an expedition to trace the Mississippi to its source, and, leaving St. Louis. 9 August, 1805, he returned after nearly nine months' exploration and constant exposure to hardship, having satisfactorily performed this service. In 1806-'7 he was engaged in geographical explorations in Louisiana territory, in the course of which he discovered "Pike's peak" in the Rocky mountains, and reached Rio Grande river. Having been found on Spanish territory, he and his party were taken to Santa F6 ; but, after a long examination and the seizure of his papers, they were released. He arrived at Natchitoches, 1 July, 1807, received the thanks of the government, and in 1810 published a narrative of his two expeditions. He was made major in 1808, lieutenant-colonel in 1809, deputy quartermaster-general, 3 April, 1812, colonel of the lath infantry, 3 July, 1812, and brigadier-general, 12 March, 1813. Early in 1813 he was assigned to the principal army as adjutant and inspector-general, and selected to command an expedition against York (now Toronto), Upper Canada. On 27 April the fleet conveying the troops for the attack on York reached the harbor of that town, and measures were taken to land them at once. General Pike landed with the main body as soon as practicable, and, the enemy's advanced parties falling back before him, he took one of the redoubts that had been constructed for the main defenee of the place. The column was then halted until arrangements were made for the attack on another redoubt. While General Pike and many of his soldiers were seated on the ground, the magazine of the fort exploded, a mass of stone fell upon him, and he was fatally injured, surviving but a few hours.
