Col. Josiah Parker

Josiah Parker was a Revolutionary soldier and politician. He served in Virginia under George Washington, becoming a major in 1776 and a colonel the following year. He saw action at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Brandywine. His short temper got the better of him, however, and he resigned from the army in 1778. Thereafter he served as a naval officer for Norfolk, Virginia, and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. As a member of the First Congress, he voted to place the U.S. Capitol on the Potomac. Although he appears in his uniform, it is likely this miniature was painted when Parker took his seat in Congress.