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John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (1746-1807) was a Clergyman, a Major General of the Continental Army, and a United States Senator and Congressman from Pennsylvania. He was born to Anna and Henry Muhlenberg in Trappe on October 1, 1746.
Peter received a classical education from the Academy of Philadelphia. Then, following his father's example, he studied at the University at Halle in Germany from 1763 to 1766. He also served briefly in the German dragoons before returning to Philadelphia. He was ordained in 1778 and headed a Lutheran congregation in Bedminster, New Jersey[?] before moving to Woodstock, Virginia. He visited England in 1772 and was ordained in the Anglican Church. Besides his new congregation, he led the Committee of Safety for Dunmore County, Virgina. He was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1774.
In early 1777, the Eighth was sent north to join Washington's main army. Muhlenberg was made a Brigadier General of the Virginia Line, and commanded that Brigade in Nathaniel Greene's division at Valley Forge. Peter saw service in the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown[?], and Monmouth. After Monmouth, most of the Virginia Line was sent to the far south, while General Muhlenberg was assigned to head up the defense of Virginia using mainly militia units.
At the Battle of Yorktown he led the first brigade of Lafayette's Light Infantry division. His brigade was made up of units drawn from Massachusetts (10 companies), Connecticut (5 companies], New Hampshire (5 companies), and 1 company each from Rhode Island and New Jersey. They held the right flank, and manned the two trenches built to move American canons closer to Cornwallis defenses.
At the end of the war (1783), he was brevetted to Major General and settled in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
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