William Irvine (1741-1804), a native of Ireland who emigrated to America about 1763, settled in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and supported American independence both politically and militarily. He raided and took command of the Seventh Pennsylvania Regiment (1776) and in 1779 was made brigadier general in the Continental Army. From the autumn of 1781 until the close of the war in 1783, he was headquartered at Fort Pitt, appointed by Washington to command the defense of the northwestern frontier. In postwar years, he remained an active participant in Pennsylvania civic, political, and military affairs.
