Editing Benjamin Harrison V (section)

==Revolutionary War==

From December 1775 until March 1777, the Congress was on two occasions threatened by British forces and forced to remove itself—first to [[Baltimore]] and later to [[York, Pennsylvania]]–circumstances that Harrison distinctly disliked. This has been attributed to some unspecified illness he was experiencing then. In 1777, Harrison became a member of the newly created [[Committee of Secret Correspondence]] for Congress. The committee's primary objective was to establish secure communication with American agents in Britain concerning the colonies' interests.{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=35}} Harrison was also named as Chairman of the [[Board of War]], whose initial purpose was to review the movements of the army in the north and the exchange of prisoners.{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=42}}
[[File:Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg|thumb|left|upright=.6|Seal of the Board of War]]
At that time, Harrison found himself at odds with Washington over [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]]'s commission, which Harrison insisted was honorary only and without pay.{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=45}} He also stirred controversy by endorsing the rights of [[Quakers]] not to bear arms per their religion.{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=46}} He unsuccessfully argued throughout the formation of the [[Articles of Confederation]] that Virginia should be given greater representation than other states based on its population and land mass.{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=47}} His Congressional membership permanently ended in October 1777; biographer John Sanderson indicates that when Harrison retired from Congress, "his estates had been ravaged" and "his fortune had been impaired."{{sfn|Smith|1978|p=46}}

Harrison returned to Virginia, where he quickly renewed his efforts in the Virginia legislature.{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=46–47}} In May 1776, the House of Burgesses had ended and was replaced by the [[Virginia House of Delegates|House of Delegates]], according to Virginia's new constitution.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title= Final Meeting of the Burgesses|url=http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/The_General_Assembly_Adjourns_1776|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Virginia|publisher=Va. Foundation for Humanities|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref> He was elected Speaker in 1777, defeating Thomas Jefferson by a vote of 51–23; he returned to the speakership on several occasions.{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=48–49}} He concerned himself in the ensuing years with many issues, including Virginia's western land interests, the condition of Continental forces, and the defense of the commonwealth.{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=50–60}}

In January 1781, a British force of 1,600 was positioned at the mouth of the James River, led by turncoat [[Benedict Arnold]]; Harrison was called upon to return immediately to Philadelphia to request military support for his state.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=262}} He knew that Berkeley was one of Arnold's primary targets, so he relocated his family before setting out.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=263}} In Philadelphia, his pleas for Virginia were heard, and he obtained increased gunpowder, supplies, and troops, but only on a delayed basis.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|p=264}} Meanwhile, Arnold advanced up the James, wreaking havoc on both sides of the river. The Harrison family avoided capture in Arnold's January raid on Berkeley, but Arnold, intent that no likeness of the family survive, removed and burned all the family portraits there. Most of Harrison's other possessions and a large portion of the house were destroyed. Other signers were similarly targeted with more horrific consequences.{{sfn|Dowdey|1957|pp=262–264}} Harrison took up the rehabilitation of his home, returned to his correspondence with Washington, and continued efforts to obtain armaments, troops, and clothing supplies for other southern states.{{sfn|Smith|1978|pp=55–57}}