Captain Henry Hambright.....A member of "Flying Camp"

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Henry was the son of John and Elizabeth Hambright and was born in Lancaster, PA on April 11, 1751.  His father John was on the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania.

In the Revolutionary War, the Flying Camp was a military formation employed by the Americans in the second half of 1776.  Faced with defending a huge amount of territory from potential British operations, Washington recommended forming a "flying camp", referring to a mobile and strategic reserve of troops.  On September 14, 1776 Henry Hambright was commissioned a Captain and his commission was signed by Benjamin Franklin.

The Flying Camp was stationed in Perth Amboy, New Jersey and in September, Hambright and 1200 Patriots moved on Staten Island, took the British by surprise killing a number of them and returned with nineteen prisoners.  Flying Camp then moved to Fort Washington, NY to bolster the defenses for George Washington.  Their presence helped George Washington and the bulk  of his forces escape the much larger British forces.  Captain Henry and many of the Flying Camp were captured in this heroic battle.  In  November 1780 Henry was exchanged and returned to Lancaster. He later served in the Pennsylvania Militia as a Major, a  Colonel and then a Brigadier General in 1800.  He was elected to four terms in the State Legislature. The children of Henry and Mary (Good) Hambright were: William, Henry Jr., John , George  and Elizabeth .