Duncan McArthur

Sources vary as to McArthur's exact birthdate. It has been given as January 14, 1772, or June 14, 1772. He was born to Scottish immigrants in Dutchess County in the Province of New York, McArthur grew up in western Pennsylvania and later moved to Kentucky, where he was employed as an Indian ranger. McArthur and his friend Alexander McGuffey volunteered in 1790 at Fort Pitt for expeditions against Native Americans during the Northwest Indian War, serving as a scout under Generals Josiah Harmar and Anthony Wayne. McArthur obtained a position with Nathaniel Massie in 1793, and worked with Massie on a surveying expedition in the Northwest Territory. In 1796, he worked with Massie to lay out the new town of Chillicothe, Ohio, The British paroled him and McArthur returned to Ohio. He was appointed a brigadier general in the U.S. Army. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the Army of the Northwest following Harrison's resignation. McArthur did not face much action after that, but he was engaged in negotiating treaties with the Indians. In 1817, he was one of two commissioners (along with Lewis Cass) who negotiated the Treaty of Fort Meigs, which was signed September 29 of that year with several Native American tribes. ==End of War of 1812==

McArthur did not face much action any further, but he was engaged in negotiating treaties with the Indians. In 1817, he was one of two commissioners (along with Lewis Cass) who negotiated the Treaty of Fort Meigs, which was signed September 29 of that year with several Native American tribes. ==Serving in the House of Representatives==

McArthur served intermittently thereafter in the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio State Senate. He was elected and served a single term from 1823 to 1825 in the United States House of Representatives before winning election to the governorship in 1830. McArthur served a single term and did not seek re-election. ==Death==

McArthur was buried in Grandview Cemetery, Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, US. The trust established in his will later became the subject of litigation that went before the U.S. Supreme Court in McArthur v. Scott. ==Legacy==

The small village of McArthur, Ohio, the seat of Vinton County, is named for him. McArthur founded the city of Greenfield, Ohio in 1799. Greenfield is located at N39 21.11958 W83 22.96284 (GPS coordinates), about 21 miles due west of Chillicothe. State Route 28, which runs between Greenfield and Chillicothe, in 1973 was named as General Duncan McArthur Highway per act of the 113th Ohio General Assembly. The execution of McArthur's will resulted in a United States Supreme Court case, McArthur v. Scott (1885). The will bequeathed a future interest to his unborn grandchildren, but that stipulation was set aside. Later, those grandchildren contested the will's execution. The Supreme Court held that the decree setting aside their interest was not binding on them because their virtual representative at the hearing was antagonistic to their interest. ==References==