William Alexander, Lord Stirling

Personal Facts

• Full Name: William Alexander.
• Born: January 15, 1726, in New York City.
• Parents: James Alexander and Mary Spratt Provost.
• Spouse: Sarah Livingston (1747).
• Nickname(s): Lord Stirling.
• Died: January 15, 1783, in Albany, New York, at the age of 57.
• Buried: Albany Rural Cemeteries Churchgrounds, in Albany County, New York.

Key Details

• William Alexander referred to himself as “Lord Stirling,” believing he was the rightful heir to a Scottish title. While in England with Governor William Shirley, he tried to stake his claim to the Earldom of Stirling. The title had become dormant when Henry Alexander, the 5th Earl of Stirling, died, and William’s father, James, failed to claim the title.
• He served under Washington during the Siege of Boston, the New York Campaign, the New Jersey Campaign, and the Philadelphia Campaign. Alexander became one of General George Washington’s most trusted officers.
• While Alexander was helping prepare the defenses of New York City, he was under the command of General Charles Lee. When Lee was transferred to the Southern Department, Alexander was given command of the American forces in New York City until Washington arrived.
• During the Battle of Long Island, the British attacked the rear of the American forces near Brooklyn Heights, and Stirling took action. He ordered most of his men to retreat but gathered troops under the command of Mordecai Gist and attacked British troops General Charles Cornwallis had placed in a stone house near a creek. The men Stirling led are called the “Maryland 400.”
• Alexander was with Washington and the Continental Army at Valley Forge. A group of officers unhappy with Washington’s leadership — including Thomas Conway and Thomas Mifflin — devised a plan to replace him with Horatio Gates. Stirling exposed the “Conway Cabal,” calling the scheme a “wicked duplicity of conduct.”
• He remained with Washington during the Operations Around New York City (1778–1783).
• Alexander led the Northern Department while Washington marched to Yorktown, where he laid siege to the British, forcing their surrender.
• He died a few months before the Treaty of Paris (1783) was finalized.
• Alexander lost most of his fortune due to debts incurred during the war.

Significance

William Alexander was important to American History because of his leadership as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His actions during the Battle of Long Island helped occupy the British, which allowed American forces to escape. His ongoing support for George Washington helped stabilize the Continental Army’s leadership.

Biography

William Alexander, who referred to himself as “Lord Stirling,” rose to prominence as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. 

Early Life

His parents were James Alexander, a New York lawyer, and Mary Sprat Provoost, a widowed merchant. William enjoyed a privileged childhood and received a good education from his father and private tutors. He excelled in astronomy and mathematics, which allowed him to help manage his mother’s mercantile business. 

James Alexander was born in Scotland in 1691. In 1715, he was involved in the Jacobite Rebellion, serving as an engineer in the army that sought to place James Francis Edward Stuart, the son of King James II, on the throne. When this rebellion failed, Alexander fled to New York.

• In 1716, he was appointed Surveyor-General for New York and New Jersey.
• He studied the law and was appointed New York’s Attorney General twice.
• James also served on the Governor’s Council for both colonies.
• He married Mary Sprat Provoost in 1721.

Mary Sprat Provoost was the widow of Samuel Provoost, a wealthy merchant whose estate was divided between his wife and their two sons, David and John.

• She relied on James Alexander for legal advice regarding her estate.
• Their business relationship turned to friendship and then marriage.

James formed a legal partnership with William Smith. They helped defend publisher John Peter Zenger in 1735 in the famous case that helped establish the concept of “Freedom of the Press,” enshrined in the United States Constitution.

Marriage to Sarah Livingston

Alexander married Sarah Livingston in 1748, connecting him to the wealthy Livingston family of New Jersey. Eventually, they became known as “Lord Stirling” and “Lady Sarah” or “Lady Stirling.”

• Her father, Philip Livingston (1686–1749), was a prominent New York merchant and politician. He was the first President of the St. Andrews Society.
• Her brother, Philip Livingston, served in the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence.
• Another brother, William Livingston (1723–1790), was the first Governor of New Jersey (1776–1790). He represented New Jersey in the Continental Congress, signing the Continental Association and the United States Constitution.

The French and Indian War

Alexander served in the French and Indian War as an aide to Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts. In this role, he met men like George Washington. 

• Alexander secured a commission in the Commissary Department of the Provincial Army when the war started.
• This brought him to Shirley’s attention, who added him to his staff.
• Alexander served as Shirley’s secretary.
• He partnered with others as army contractors during the failed Niagara Campaign (1755–1756).
• Alexander’s connections to Shirley hurt his reputation when the Governor failed as a military leader.

Lord Stirling

After the war, he went to Britain with Shirley. Alexander was accused of profiteering during the war, but successfully defended himself in London in 1756.

• While there, Alexander tried to claim the Earldom of Stirling, which was in his family lineage. 
• He remained in London until 1761, where he socialized with wealthy landowners.
• Scottish lords approved of him gaining the title, but Parliament disagreed.
• Although Parliament rejected his claim in 1762, he referred to himself as “Lord Stirling.” 
• The title was formally recognized by friends, acquaintances, and government officials.

Return to New Jersey

Alexander returned to New Jersey in 1761, where he abandoned his merchant career and became a political enemy of Governor William Franklin. Alexander opposed the Stamp Act but did not support the violent actions of the Sons of Liberty.

• Alexander built an elegant country house near Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and lived like an English landowner.
• He pursued scientific interests, invested in iron mining, and speculated in land.
• Alexander developed a reputation for excessive drinking and lost over £100,000.
• He served on New York and New Jersey councils and the Board of Proprietors of East Jersey.
• Alexander was the Governor of King’s College (later Columbia University).

At the onset of the American Revolution, he supported Britain by advocating for enforcing the Navigation Acts and tax laws in the American Colonies. He eventually changed his stance.

• Alexander declared his support for the Patriot Cause in 1775 by accepting a nomination to serve as Colonel of militia forces in Somerset County, New Jersey.
• Royal governors William Tryon (New York) and William Franklin (New Jersey) removed him from their councils.
• He was appointed to the New Jersey Council of Safety.

On September 14, 1775, he wrote a letter to Governor Franklin. He said: “I have lately been informed that the good people of this county have unanimously chosen me Colonel of a Regiment of Militia, that the Congress of this Province have approved of the choice, and have issued a commission accordingly, which I have received. This mark of the confidence of the people among whom I reside is most satisfactory and I think honorable to me. To be thus called forth at a time when their dearest rights are invaded, to take so prominent a part in their defense, cannot but excite the most grateful feelings of one who has ever been a friend of the liberties of mankind…”

New Jersey Militia and Continental Command

When the American Revolutionary War started, the New Jersey Provincial Congress appointed him as Colonel of the 1st New Jersey Regiment on November 1, 1775. Within days, the Continental Congress issued a commission to raise troops for the Continental Army.

• Alexander traveled to Philadelphia and met with Congress.
• When he returned to New Jersey, many men in his militia regiment joined his Continental regiment.
• He established his headquarters at Elizabethtown, New Jersey.

Blue Mountain Valley Whaleboat Raid

As the Siege of Boston (1775–1776) continued, British ships carrying supplies and provisions were sent to the city. Late in January 1776, the New Jersey Committee of Safety, which was led by Robert Ogden, learned that one of these supply ships, the Blue Mountain Valley, had been driven off course by a storm. It was near Sandy Hook, with no naval vessels to defend it from an attack.

• Alexander responded by gathering 40 men and marching to Amboy.
• He intended to take a ship out and capture the Blue Mountain Valley.

While Alexander was en route to Amboy, the Committee of Safety found out the man-of-war Asia was sailing to Sandy Hook to help the Blue Mountain Valley. Ogden called for volunteers to sail out to help Alexander and his men.

• Elias Dayton gathered roughly 80 men and three ships to support Alexander’s mission.
• On January 23, 1776, the four ships sailed to engage the Blue Mountain Valley, which was carrying supplies to Boston.
• The Blue Mountain Valley’s master, James Hamilton Dempster, thought they were fishing boats and allowed them to move close to the ship.
• The Americans stormed the ship and easily captured it.

Alexander reported the incident to Congress, saying: “On Monday last, I received intelligence that a transport laden with stores for the Ministerial army at Boston was hovering off Sandy Hook, in distress, and waiting for assistance from the men-of-war at New York. I thought it a matter of so much importance that I immediately set out for Amboy, and there seized a pilot-boat, with forty men, that was just putting out, and about two, yesterday morning, I was joined by three other boats from Elizabethtown, who voluntarily came on this service under Colonel Dayton and Lieutenant Colonel Thomas. We found her about six leagues South-East of Sandy Hook. We boarded and took her without opposition. She proves to be the Blue Mountain Valley, commanded by Captain James Hamilton Dempster, laden with coal, provisions, &c. (I wish it had been arms and ammunition, as I expected.) We are now off Amboy, and intend to push this evening into the Sound, between Staten Island and the Main. I write now in the hurry and noise incident to such occasions; I will write the particulars as soon as possible.”

On January 29, 1776, Congress praised Alexander for leading the capture of the Blue Mountain Valley with the following: “Resolved, That the alertness, activity, and good conduct of Lord Sterling and the forwardness and spirit of the gentlemen and others from Elizabeth-Town, who voluntarily assisted him in taking the Ship Blue-Mountain-Valley, were laudable and exemplary; and that his Lordship be directed to secure the capture until further order of Congress; and that, in the meantime, he cause such part of the lading as would other-wise perish, to be disposed of by sale.”

Alexander and the Defense of New York City

Soon after, he was transferred to the Continental Army and sent to help General Charles Lee prepare the defenses of New York City for a British attack, which came in the summer of 1776.

Alexander was promoted to Brigadier General on March 1, 1776. He thanked Congress, saying, “This instance of the good opinion which the Congress entertain of my zeal and attachment to the American cause does me high honour, and I receive it from my country with that gratitude and satisfaction which will excite me to do everything in my power to deserve it. I wish I had more knowledge and experience, and was better qualified to execute the arduous task I am now appointed to; but the Congress may rest assured that in every situation I will endeavour to do the best I can and execute their commands so far as it is possible.”

• He took command in New York City after Lee went to Charleston, South Carolina.
• Alexander welcomed General George Washington to New York in April 1776.

Battle of Long Island

During the Battle of Long Island, Alexander commanded the right wing of the American line. When British forces launched an attack on the rear of the American left and center, he organized a rear guard to defend the retreat. He made a bold decision and launched an attack on the oncoming British. The move gave the Americans time to escape to the safety of Brooklyn Heights, but the British captured Alexander during the battle.

The Battle of Long Island was the first battle fought after the Declaration of Independence was issued.

• The British landed on Long Island on August 22, 1776, and advanced in three columns toward the American defensive works on Brooklyn Heights.
• American defenses stretched along the Heights, from Wallabout to Gowanus Creek.
• General Israel Putnam was in overall command, and the outer line of defenses was under the direction of General John Sullivan.

There was an American outpost at the Red Lion Tavern, near the junction of three roads — Gowanus Road, Martense Lane, and the Road to the Narrows. On August 27, General Samuel Holden Parsons was on duty.

• Around 2:00 a.m., British forces under the command of General James Grant attacked the Americans at the Red Lion Tavern. 
• The Americans fled and sent a message to General Putnam, warning him that the British were advancing on Brooklyn Heights along the Narrows Road.

Upon receiving the message, Putnam went to Alexander’s tent and ordered him to go out and engage Grant.

• Alexander called up two regiments and marched down the Gowanus Road toward Grant.
• Connecticut and Pennsylvania troops joined him along the way, along with General Parsons and his men, and an artillery battery led by Captain Lieutenant Benejah Carpenter.
• He had about 1,600 men, compared to Grant’s 5,000.

Alexander organized his men in an open field and prepared them for the British attack. He reminded his men that Grant had once boasted that he could “…march from one end of the American continent to the other” with only 5,000 men. He told them, “He may have his 5,000 men with him now; we are not so many, but I think we are enough to prevent his advancing further on his march over the continent than that mill pond.” 

By the time Grant started his attack, he had received more reinforcements, giving him 7,000 men. Alexander also gained men, pushing his total to around 2,000.

• Under Alexander’s leadership, the Americans held their ground for many hours.
• Around 11:00 a.m., he discovered British forces had blocked the Gowanus Road, his escape route, and set up an artillery battery in the old stone house of Nicholas Vechte.
• Alexander heard firing from behind him and understood the British had moved around the left flank of the American line.

Alexander ordered his men to retreat by crossing Gowanus Creek and taking Freecks’ Causeway to Red Hook. Then, he organized a rear guard to cover the retreat. More than half of the men (about 256) were from William Smallwood’s Maryland Regiment, and so this rear guard is often referred to as the “Maryland 400.”

• Alexander made the bold decision to attack the oncoming British.
• The British slowly closed in on him, and he was forced to surrender.
• He refused to surrender to Cornwallis and gave his sword to General von Heister.

Alexander was the first American commander to face the British in an open field formation, which was the typical style of European warfare. Although his men were not trained for that type of warfare, Alexander kept them together long enough to hold the right of the American line together.

General Washington witnessed the battle from Cobble Hill Fort and saw Alexander charge the British at the end of the battle. According to the men with him, Washington said, “Great God, what brave fellows I must this day lose.”

Prisoner of War

Alexander was released in a prisoner exchange on October 6, 1776, and led troops for the rest of the New York Campaign.

• Alexander was exchanged for Montforte Brown, the Governor of the Bahamas, who was captured when American naval forces led by Captain Esek Hopkins raided Nassau on March 3, 1776.
• Alexander rejoined Washington’s army on Manhattan Island and was given command of a new brigade.
• He retreated to White Plains with the rest of the army and fought in the Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776.

Washington’s Retreat Across New Jersey

After the Battle of Fort Washington, Washington abandoned Manhattan Island and moved his army into New Jersey. British forces pursued him and slowly pushed him into Pennsylvania.

• Alexander participated in the American retreat through New Jersey during November and December 1776.
• He played a key role in the American victory at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, defeating Hessian forces under the command of Colonel Johann Rall.

Philadelphia Campaign

Alexander was promoted to the rank of Major General on February 19, 1777, and led men during the Philadelphia Campaign. 

• Alexander took command of troops near Metuchen, New Jersey, on June 24, 1777.
• On June 16, he was attacked by a larger British force under General Charles Cornwallis. The Americans suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Short Hills and were forced to retreat.

Washington trusted Alexander and briefly sent him to the Hudson Highlands. He rejoined the main army and marched into Pennsylvania.

• Alexander led troops in the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777), reinforcing John Sullivan near Birmingham Meeting House.
• He commanded the reserve during the Battle of Germantown (October 4, 1777), where his men were heavily engaged in the attack on the Chew House.

Valley Forge and the Conway Cabal

Alexander was with Washington at Valley Forge (1777–1778), where he helped expose the Conway Cabal, a conspiracy to replace Washington as commander-in-chief with Horatio Gates.

• Colonel James Wilkinson, an Aide-de-Camp to General Horatio Gates, told  Alexander’s aide, Major William McWilliams, that General Thomas Conway told Gates that Washington was a “weak general.”
• Alexander wrote a letter to Washington, informing him of the situation, saying: “The enclosed was communicated by Colonel Wilkinson to Major McWilliams. Such wicked duplicity I shall always consider it my duty to detect.”
• This led to a series of letters between Washington, Gates, and Conway, which exposed a plot to have Gates replace Washington as commander-in-chief.
• Conway was disgraced, and General John Cadwalader challenged him to a duel. 
• Cadwalader shot Conway through the mouth, but Conway survived and apologized to Washington for his conduct.

Battle of Monmouth

The next spring, Alexander was with Washington as he followed the British as they withdrew from Philadelphia across New Jersey in June 1778. He led troops at the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), where he commanded the left wing of the army.

• He effectively deployed cannons in a defensive line and engaged in a two-hour artillery duel with British forces. This kept the British infantry from advancing.
• Alexander ordered an assault on the British right flank, forcing them to retreat.
• He advised against pursuing the fleeing British, so that American forces remained organized.

The Court Martial of General Charles Lee

Alexander also presided over the court-martial of General Charles Lee, which was held in July and August. Lee was found guilty of disobeying orders, along with other charges, and suspended from the army for 12 months. Lee never returned to service but continued to criticize Washington. Outraged over the criticism, Colonel John Laurens challenged Lee to a duel and wounded him. Congress dismissed Lee from the army in 1780, and he died in 1782.

Alexander Returns to the North

Following the Battle of Monmouth, General Henry Clinton led the British Army back to New York, and Washington followed with his army. On October 5, 1778, Alexander marched to Elizabethtown to scout the movements of British forces in the area.

• The war in the North was at a stalemate. British forces occupied New York City and outposts in New York and New Jersey.
• Washington’s army was stationed outside the city, in northern New Jersey, and at various outposts, including the fort at West Point.
• American forces raided British outposts, including the successful attack at the Battle of Stony Point (July 16, 1779).

Battle of Paulus Hook

The Battle of Paulus Hook occurred on August 19, 1779, when American forces, led by Major Henry Lee, assaulted the British positions at Paulus Hook, New Jersey, using troops from Alexander’s command. The British had strengthened the old American fort at Paulus Hook and garrisoned it with 200 men, including Hessian mercenaries.

• Captain Allan McLane and his men scouted in Bergen County, looking for British troops.
• He used local farmers to infiltrate the British outpost at Paulus Hook.
• The information McLane gathered was given to Washington, who saw an opportunity to strike at the British.

Lee’s expedition included three columns of troops disguised as a foraging mission. He started his march around 10:30 a.m. on August 18, intending to attack at 3:00 a.m. on August 19.

• The expedition was delayed, so the attack did not start until 4:00 a.m.
• Most of the troops in the fort were still sleeping.
• A sentry saw the Americans coming and fired a warning shot, but it was too late.
• The Americans overwhelmed the fort, but were unable to capture its commander, Major William Sutherland.
• Sutherland took refuge in a redoubt with some Hessians who refused to surrender.
• Lee was concerned about the potential for British reinforcements to arrive, so he ordered his men to withdraw.

Staten Island Raid

Alexander led a poorly executed raid on Staten Island on January 14–15, 1780, during extreme winter conditions.

• Alexander transported 3,000 troops from Morristown, New Jersey, to a location opposite Staten Island. 
• The element of surprise was lost, and the British put up strong resistance. 
• During the raid, the Americans lost six soldiers but captured 17 British troops. 

Many civilians, posing as militiamen from New Jersey, participated in the attack and looted the homes of Staten Island Loyalists.

• Alexander was able to stop the looting.
• Some of the stolen items were returned a few days later.

Trial and Execution of John Andrė

On September 23, 1780, British officer Major John André encountered three militia men near Tarrytown, New York. André did not show them his pass and told them who he was because he thought they were Loyalists. As it turned out, André was working with Benedict Arnold on a plot to turn West Point over to the British. André was turned over to Washington, who had him appear before a military court on spying charges. Alexander was one of the generals who sat on the trial, resulting in Andrė’s conviction and execution.

Command of the Northern Department

When Washington went south to attack British forces at Yorktown in 1781, Alexander remained in New York. He took command of the Northern Department and served there through the war’s end.

• Alexander had relatively light duties during this time.
• British forces remained in New York City and the outposts.

Alexander prepared to defend Fort Ticonderoga against a possible British attack that never occurred. On October 23, he received information that British troops under the command of General Barry St. Leger had passed Crown Point. Two days later, he received a conflicting report that British forces were near Schenectady. While this was nothing more than a small scouting party, Alexander prepared to engage St. Leger.

• St. Leger was advancing down the Hudson River Valley, but slowly.
• On November 1, he had his troops at Saratoga and issued an Order of Battle. The first line of his troops was to be led by his second-in-command, General John Stark.
• The next day, November 2, he received word that Cornwallis had surrendered at Yorktown and announced it to his men.
• St. Leger also received the news and returned to Canada.

Afterward, Alexander wrote to General William Heath that he was considering a march into Canada, “…at least so far as to reduce St. John’s, Chambly, and Montreal, and to be ready to proceed to Quebec, early in the spring.” However, no other American officers, including Washington, supported the plan, and it was abandoned.

Alexander McDougall Court Martial

Alexander remained in command of the Northern Department, but spent part of 1782 in Philadelphia. During this time, he was appointed to preside over the court-martial of Alexander McDougall. General Heath, who was in command of West Point, arrested McDougall on March 31.

• Heath accused McDougall of exceeding his authority.
• On April 4, Washington organized a court-martial.
• McDougall protested, saying Alexander had acted inappropriately during Charles Lee’s court-martial.
• Washington responded by removing Alexander from the court-martial.
• McDougall was reprimanded for acting “…in a manner tending to lessen the confidence in the commanding officer…”
• Congress approved the decision on August 15, and Washington issued the reprimand on August 30.

Alexander was upset over the situation. In a letter to McDougall, he said, “You must be sensible you have injured me, you have greatly injured me indeed, You have attacked my professional character, you have endeavored to wound my character in the most cruel manner, you have endeavored to make the world believe me unable to support the Caracter of an officer. While you were under the embarrassment of a long and tedious trial by the late general Court Martial, I did not think it a proper time to perplex your mind by calling on you for justice. As you are now by the general orders of the 28th released from your arrest, you will have leisure calmly to recollect and reflect on the injuries you have loaded me with, and if I am not greatly mistaken in your character you will then see the justice that is due to me, and be ready to offer it as soon as possible.”

• McDougall refused to apologize or offer evidence for his grievances against Alexander.
• The two continued to exchange heated letters, but nothing came of their dispute.

Death

Alexander returned to Albany, where he died on January 15, 1783, roughly five months before the Treaty of Paris (1783) was signed, officially ending the war.

• Alexander had a reputation for heavy drinking and eating.
• He died from gout, an inflammatory arthritis that leads to intense pain and swelling in the joints, along with complications from pneumonia.

Washington’s Letter to Lady Stirling

On January 20, 1783, Washington wrote this letter to Lady Stirling:

“My Lady — Having been informed by a letter from Captain Sill, of the unspeakable loss which your Ladyship has experienced, I feel the sincerest disposition to alleviate by sympathy those sorrows which I am sensible cannot be removed or effaced. For this purpose, I would also have suggested every rational topic of consolation, were I not fully persuaded that the principles of philosophy and religion of which you are possessed had anticipated everything I could say on the subject.

It only remains then, as a small, but just tribute to the memory of Lord Stirling, to express how deeply I share the common affliction, on being deprived of the public and professional assistance, as well as the private friendship, of an officer of so high a rank, with whom I had lived in the strictest habits of amity, and how much those military merits of his Lordship, which rendered him respected in his lifetime, are now regretted by the whole army. It would doubtless be a soothing consideration in the poignancy of your grief to find that the General officers are going into mourning for him.

Mrs. Washington joins me in requesting that your Ladyship and Lady Kitty will be assured that we feel the tenderest sensibility on this melancholy occasion.”

Congress Praises Lord Stirling

On January 23, 1783, Congress passed this resolution: “The Commander-in-Chief having, in a letter of the 20th, informed Congress of the death of Major General Lord Stirling —o n a motion of Mr. Peters, seconded by Mr. Dickinson, resovled, that the President signify to the Commander-in-Chief in a manner most respectful to the memory of the late Major General the Earl of Stirling, the sense Congress en tertain of the early and meritorious exertions of that general in the common cause, and of the bravery, perseverance, and military talents he possessed; which having fixed their esteem for his character while living, induce a proportionate regret for the loss of an officer who has rendered such constant and important services to his country.”

Appendix

Narrative

AHC Note — This narrative of the life of William Alexander, Lord Stirling, is adapted from the Dictionary of American Biography (1943). Please note that minor text corrections have been made and additional spacing has been added to improve readability.

William Alexander (1726–January 15, 1783) was an American soldier better known as “Lord Stirling.” Sir William Alexander, from whose family he claimed descent, was a court poet and favorite of King James I, from whom he received an immense land grant in North America. 

This grant, afterward enlarged, included Nova Scotia, Long Island, and a large part of Canada, but was never carried into effect. Sir William was created Earl of Stirling, and the peerage became extinct with the death of the fifth Earl in 1739. William Alexander’s father, James Alexander, was a Jacobite who emigrated to America after the unsuccessful rising of 1715. He became a lawyer and held various public offices. 

William was born in New York City, was well educated, and, like his father, was an excellent mathematician and astronomer. He was associated with his mother as a merchant in New York.

In the early stages of the French and Indian War, he was a commissary. Then he became an aide and secretary to Governor William Shirley. He accompanied that unfortunate commander to England in 1756 and defended him, the following year, as a witness before the House of Commons. 

During this visit, Alexander expended considerable money and time in the attempt to assert his claim to be the sixth Earl of Stirling. “Chiefly on the deposition of two old men, who affirmed, his descent from John Alexander ‘uncle of the first earl,’ a jury at Edinburgh, on the 24th March 1759 served him heir-male of Henry, fifth Earl of Stirling” (Charles Rogers, Memorials of the Earl of Stirling, 1877). “The memorial was…remitted to the House of Lords. On the 10th March 1762, the Lords’ Committee of Privileges resolved that he had not established his claim.” 

Alexander had returned to America the previous year (1761) and assumed the title Lord Stirling. 

A man of wealth and social prominence, having married the sister of Governor William Livingston, he held various offices before the Revolution, including surveyor general of New Jersey, member of the Council, and assistant to the Governor. 

He promoted farming, manufacturing, and mining. Before the war, his New York house was sold, but he owned a fine mansion at Basking Ridge, N. J. (burned in 1920). His interests in other lines are shown by his report on the transit of Venus in 1769 (in the New York Historical Society Library) and by the fact that he was one of the early governors of King’s College (Columbia University).

As the Revolution came on, Stirling opposed the Stamp Act and organized a company of grenadiers. He conducted a stormy correspondence with the Loyalist Governor William Franklin, who suspended him from the Council. 

On November 7, 1775, he was made colonel of the 1st New Jersey Regiment and raised and equipped two regiments. 

His first opportunity for distinction came in January 1776. With forty volunteers in a pilot boat, he captured the British transport Blue Mountain Valley at Sandy Hook. For this exploit, he received the thanks of Congress, and on March 1, 1776, the commission of Brigadier General in the Continental Army. 

Appointed to the chief command in New York City, he prepared for the imminent British invasion. Under his direction, Forts Lee and Washington were built, and other fortifications were constructed in Harlem and on Long Island. Fort Stirling on Brooklyn Heights bears his name. The strategic importance of the Hudson Highlands was becoming recognized, and Alexander reported to General Washington on their defenses.

It is with the battle of Long Island, August 27, 1776, that his name is chiefly associated. Under the direction of General Israel Putnam, his immediate superior, he was put at the head of the American right wing and charged with the defense of the coast road. His brigade consisted of Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania troops, about 1,500 to 2,000 in number. 

There were no fortifications; it was the earliest meeting of an American army with its opponent in an open field. The line was near the junction of the present Twentieth Street and Third Avenue in Brooklyn, extending to Battle Hill in Greenwood Cemetery. His opponent was General James Grant, with far superior forces. 

After a conflict of several hours with Grant, Alexander was exposed to attack in the rear by a detachment under General Charles Cornwallis. Alexander’s main body escaped by fording Gowanus Creek and passing over a causeway, while Alexander and part of the Maryland regiment held Cornwallis in check for a short time. Then superior numbers told, the mass of Alexander’s small force was cut down, and he surrendered to the Hessian commander, Philip de Heister. 

It was this part of the battle that Washington witnessed from the neighboring heights and that drew from him his lament at the sacrifice of his soldiers. Stirling was commended for his bravery by the British as well as by Washington, to whom he had written an account of the battle. 

He was exchanged in time to take part in the campaign for Westchester County, and in the retreat through the Jerseys. He guarded various points in New Jersey and along the Delaware River, and fought with distinction at the battle of Trenton, which he described in a letter two days later to Governor Livingston. 

His services led to his promotion to Major General on February 19, 1777. When General William Howe renewed his invasion of New Jersey from Amboy in the summer, Stirling opposed Cornwallis on June 26; there was fighting near the present Metuchen, Westfield, and Plainfield, in which Stirling lost three field-guns. Cornwallis’s advance was halted at Westfield, and the expedition was recalled.

Alexander served briefly in the Highlands during the summer of 1777, led a division under General John Sullivan at the Battle of Brandywine, and commanded the reserves at the Battle of Germantown. He was one of the minority of Washington’s officers who favored an attack on Philadelphia. 

In the following Winter at Valley Forge, the Conway Cabal occurred, which Alexander helped expose. While at Reading, he heard some remarks by James Wilkinson, who quoted Thomas Conway’s letter to General Horatio Gates. Stirling reported these comments to Washington. 

His last important battle was Monmouth, where he commanded the left wing, and was distinguished by his handling of artillery and in repelling a flank attack. General Charles Lee’s conduct in that battle led to his court-martial, over which Alexander presided.

In the following year, Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee made his attack on Paulus Hook, and Alexander received the thanks of Congress for the manner in which he had supported Lee‘s advance and covered the retreat. 

In the record-breaking winter of January 1780, when the bays and sounds near New York were frozen over, Stirling led an expedition across the ice from Elizabeth to Staten Island. However, the British had received a warning, and the enterprise was a failure. 

The following autumn, Arnold’s treason took place, and Stirling served on the court of inquiry to determine Andre’s fate. 

Later, he was stationed in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but chiefly at Albany. While there, he prepared a plan of resistance at Saratoga to General Barry St. Leger’s expected invasion by way of Ticonderoga, but the end of active warfare was at hand. 

Among his last military reports was a letter to Governor George Clinton (September 10, 1781) giving news about the French fleet of Admiral De Grasse, and one to General Washington with details of recent events in the Northern Department.

Stirling was soldierly in bearing; according to one writer, “of the most martial appearance of any general in the army save Washington himself.” He was brave, intelligent, energetic, and yet cautious; a good organizer and military engineer; “a great acquisition to the army,” in the words of a contemporary. Washington thought highly of him and sent a letter of tribute to his wife.