Chapter History

Chapter History

The John Reily Chapter, NSDAR, was organized on February 15, 1896 in the city of Hamilton, Ohio. Fifteen organizing members of the John Reily Chapter met at the home of the Organizing Regent, Josephine Campbell Rathbone, the granddaughter of the chapter namesake, John Reily. The chapter chose the name "John Reily Chapter" because John Reily had been "A servant to his country in war and in peace". The chapter celebrated it's 130th anniversary in February 2026.

Our Namesake

John Reily was among the most prominent citizens of Butler County and the State of Ohio in the early years of statehood. An early settler, educator, and respected statesman, his contributions helped shape both local and state government. Reily served as the first County Clerk of Butler County for nearly forty years and was also the first clerk of the State of Ohio, playing a significant role in the drafting of Ohio's first state constitution. He additionally served as the first Postmaster of the City of Hamilton for almost thirty years. His civic leadership extended to higher education as well; he was among the first trustees of Miami University and served as President of the Board for much of his decades-long tenure. In 1790, shortly after his arrival in the Northwest Territory, Reily established the first English school in the Miami River region. At the time of his death on June 7, 1850, he was the second-longest-living American Revolutionary War pensioner in Butler County.

John Reily was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, about April 10, 1763. At the age of five, he moved with his family to Augusta County, Virginia, then part of the western frontier. In 1780, at 18 years of age, he enlisted in the Continental Line and served for 18 months in the Southern Department under Major General Nathanael Greene. During his military service, Reily participated in several major engagements, including the Battles of Camden and Guilford Courthouse, the siege of Ninety-Six, and the hard-fought Battle of Eutaw Springs in South Carolina, where he was noted for his bravery. At the conclusion of his service, he received an honorable discharge certificate signed by General George Washington.

At 21, Reily left his father's home and traveled to Kentucky, where he resided for several years before crossing the Ohio River into the Northwest Territory. He initially settled in Columbia, located at the mouth of the Little Miami River, where he established his English school. During this period, he was involved in several skirmishes with Native Americans as settlers pushed westward. In 1803, he settled permanently in Hamilton, the county seat of Butler County, where he spent the remainder of his life. In 1808, he married Nancy Hunter, and together they had three sons and two daughters. The John Reily Chapter's first regent was a granddaughter of John Reily - the daughter of his daughter Jane and her husband, Lewis D. Campbell [1].

References:

[1] James McBride, Pioneer Biography: Sketches of the Lives of Some of the Early Settlers of Butler County, Ohio, vol. 1 (Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1869), 1-75.

Legend:

• NSDAR: National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

• DAR: Daughters of the American Revolution