James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American military officer and politician, known for his complex and often controversial career during the Revolutionary War and the early years of the United States. Born in Maryland, he served as a captain under Benedict Arnold and quickly rose to the rank of brigadier general. After resigning from the army in 1781 amidst various controversies, Wilkinson became involved in espionage, notably working as an agent for Spanish authorities in New Orleans while also maintaining secret contacts with Spain during the War of 1812.
He rejoined the U.S. Army in 1791 and later held positions including military governor of the Southwest and governor of Louisiana. Wilkinson's relationship with Aaron Burr is particularly noteworthy; he initially supported Burr's aspirations but later testified against him when Burr's plans to create a separate nation became public. His military career ended in disgrace, marked by two court-martials and accusations of treasonous behavior. Wilkinson died in Mexico City in 1825, leaving behind a legacy that has been critically examined by historians, often highlighting his failures in battle and legal controversies.
Subject Terms
James Wilkinson
- Born: 1757
- Birthplace: Calvert County, Maryland
- Died: December 28, 1825
- Place of death: Mexico City, Mexico
American traitor
Cause of notoriety: Wilkinson was involved in an attempt to overthrow George Washington as commander of the Continental army during the American Revolution, in spying for the Spanish government, and in the treasonous activities of Aaron Burr.
Active: 1787-1811
Locale: Kentucky and Louisiana
Early Life
James Wilkinson (WIHL-kihn-suhn) was the son of Joseph Wilkinson, a merchant-planter in Calvert County, Maryland. After studying medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Wilkinson joined the Continental army at the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775. He was a captain in 1776 under Benedict Arnold and a brigadier general in 1777, at age twenty, serving as an aid to Horatio Gates. His involvement in several controversies, including a plot to replace George Washington with Gates, led to Wilkinson’s resignation from the army in 1781.
Espionage Career
Wilkinson moved to Kentucky in 1783, and by 1784 he was a paid agent of Spanish authorities in New Orleans, advising Spain about American plans in the West. Although his actual benefit to Spain was minimal, he allegedly took an oath of loyalty to the Spanish crown in 1787 and had a role in the so-called Spanish Conspiracy of 1787-1790. His secret contacts with Spain continued through the War of 1812.
Wilkinson rejoined the army in 1791, serving under General Anthony Wayne in the Ohio River Indian campaigns. In 1796, upon the death of Wayne, Wilkinson became the ranking officer of the U.S. Army. In 1803 he was military governor in the Southwest and participated in the transfer of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States. He was governor of Louisiana in 1805-1806. In this capacity he began his involvement with Aaron Burr.
In the winter of 1804, Burr was serving his last months as vice president of the United States. He met often in Washington with Wilkinson, whom he had known since 1776, when both served under Benedict Arnold. The meetings included close study of maps of the Louisiana Territory and Mexico. On June 8, 1805, three months after Burr left office, the two met again at Fort Massac on the Ohio River. Wilkinson’s position as Louisiana governor, as well as his similarity to Burr in character, made him an ideal accomplice for Burr’s scheme to separate Louisiana and form his own nation.
When Burr’s plans became known, Wilkinson denounced him as a traitor and testified against him before a grand jury in 1807. Burr was indicted but later acquitted; Wilkinson escaped indictment by one vote and again testified at Burr’s trial for treason.
Wilkinson’s military career resumed during the War of 1812, in which he led the disastrous Canadian invasion in 1813. Reportedly still on the payroll of Spain, he retired from the U.S. Army in disgrace in 1815. In Mexico City, seeking a land grant in Texas, Wilkinson died on December 28, 1825.
Legal Action and Outcome
Wilkinson was twice court-martialed, in 1811 and in 1815, but never convicted. Proof of his involvement with Spain was not collected until after his death.
Impact
James Wilkinson’s military career was less successful than his legal battles. Critics at the time said that he never won a battle or lost a court-martial. John Randolph, a contemporary of Wilkinson and a congressman from Virginia, called Wilkinson a “finished scoundrel.” Royal Shreve’s 1933 book states as part of its title that Wilkinson “made intrigue a trade and treason a profession.”
Bibliography
Green, Thomas Marshall. The Spanish Conspiracy. 1891. Reprint. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1967. Puts Wilkinson in the center of Spanish intrigue in America from 1763 to 1812. Also includes the involvement of Kentucky senator John Brown. Gives a good picture of Wilkinson’s character.
Melton, Buckner F. Aaron Burr: Conspiracy to Treason. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2002. Evaluates Burr’s involvement with, and betrayal by, Wilkinson. Includes testimony by Wilkinson at Burr’s treason trial.
Montgomery, M. R. Jefferson and the Gun-Men: How the West Was Almost Lost. New York: Crown, 2000. Covers the interaction of all the men involved in the affairs regarding land west of the Mississippi River in the first decade of the nineteenth century: Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Burr, and Wilkinson. Artist sketches of each.
Shreve, Royal Ornan. The Finished Scoundrel: General James Wilkinson, Sometime Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the United States, Who Made Intrigue a Trade and Treason a Profession. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1933. Very critical of Wilkinson; details the route of his deception.