First Arrivals & Gen Arthur St. Clair

["Spirit One Email" <laurel@spiritone.com>]

I am assuming that this list is just of first Sinclair arrivals to USA but
maybe Canada is there too?

I am puzzled about 2 things concerning Gen. St. Clair (pronounced Sinclair)

How was it that he became a General so quickly?  Did he have previous
military training or mercenary experience in Scotland?

In the book "A Dance Called America"  I was struck by the fact that the
usual pattern of immigrant Scots was to join the British side many times
because they had been offered a commission in the English army.  It seemed
to me that these Scots almost fresh from the defeat of Culloden  would have
stayed enemies longer.  But now as I remember, they fought first with the
English in the French and Indian war and were rewarded with lands in USA and
Canada.  So they would have been a bit more sympathtic, I suppose, with
their benefactors at that point in history.

It was the Scots coming through Ireland or that had been here a few
generations that usually made up the patriots.   I know this is a generality
and the world abounds with exceptions but it seems like there might be more
of a story about why he chose the American side.

Laurel

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