James Wilkinson was born in Calvert County, Maryland, probably in 1757; received his early education from a private tutor and later studied medicine in Philadelphia; served in Thompson?s Pennsylvania rifle battalion, 1775?1776; was commissioned a captain in the Continental Army, September 1775; served in the siege of Boston and with Benedict Arnold at Montreal; was aide to General Horatio Gates in early 1776, then served under General Washington in the battles of Trenton and Princeton at the turn of the year; was brevet brigadier general in the Continental Army, November 1777?March 1778, and concurrently secretary to the Board of War, January?March 1778; was forced by General Washington to resign both offices because of his part in the Conway cabal against the commander in chief; was clothier general of the Army, July 1779?March 1781, resigning as a result of irregularities in his accounts; married Ann Biddle, circa 1782; became brigadier general of Pennsylvania militia, 1782, and state assemblyman, 1783; moved to Kentucky, established trade relationships with the Spanish in New Orleans, and engaged in various intrigues; was a member of the Kentucky Convention of 1788 and advocated separation from Virginia; led a force of Kentucky volunteers against Indians north of the Ohio River, March 1791; returned to federal military service as lieutenant colonel commandant of the 2d Infantry, October 1791; was promoted to brigadier general and served on the frontier under General Anthony Wayne, commanding the right wing in the Battle of Fallen Timbers, August 1794; was the senior officer of the United States Army, 15 December 1796?13 July 1798.