John Small (1759-1821) was an Irish immigrant to Pennsylvania who served in the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he served as Sheriff of Knox County, Indiana, as a territorial legislator, and as Indiana Territory's first Adjutant General.
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Biography
Small immigrated to Pennsylvania with his family and began an apprenticeship as a gunsmith. He served as a militia soldier at Fort Pitt during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, in 1785, Small relocated to Vincennes, Indiana. He became an officer in the local militia, and participated in the 1786 Battle of the Embarras River. Small also corresponded with George Rogers Clark that same year, and petitioned for military aid from Kentucky.
Small worked as a gunsmith, merchant, and tavern owner. Smith was appointed sheriff on 4 July 1790, and the tavern was used as the first Knox County Courthouse. Small was a representative for Knox County to the Northwest Territory Legislature in 1799. In 1800, Small was appointed as Indiana Territory's first Adjutant General under territorial Governor William Henry Harrison, and given the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He held this office for over a decade, including the Battle of Tippecanoe, but stepped down with Governor Harrison during the War of 1812.
John Small's tavern temporarily housed the Indiana Territorial Legislature in 1813.