Roberdeau, Daniel, 1727-1795

Daniel Roberdeau (1727 – January 5, 1795) was an American Founding Father and merchant residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the time of the American War of Independence. He represented Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1779 in the Continental Congress, where he signed the Articles of Confederation.

Born on the Island of St. Christopher in the West Indies, he immigrated to Philadelphia with his mother and sisters following his father's death. Roberdeau became a timber merchant there. He was elected to the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly, serving from 1756 to 1760, but then declined further service. When war neared, he joined the Associators (as the Pennsylvania rebel militia was known), and was made colonel of his regiment. In May 1776 he presided at several public meetings calling for the existing Pennsylvania delegation to the Continental Congress to be replaced with members who supported a Declaration of Independence. As a result, he was named to the Committee of Safety, and on July 4, 1776 was named a brigadier general in the state militia.

Roberdeau was first elected to the Continental Congress in February 1777 and served there until 1779. Later that year, when the Continental Army entered winter quarters at Valley Forge, he worked with General Washington to set up a militia support network known as the Flying Camp, and served as its commander. In April 1778, Roberdeau took a short leave from Congress. He had noted the shortage of powder and shot in the army, and used the time off to establish a lead mine in Bedford County. To protect the mine and camp from Indian attacks, he built a palisade, Fort Roberdeau, at his own expense.

After the war he moved to Alexandria, Virginia, and eventually settled in Winchester, where he died in 1795. He is buried in the Mt. Hebron Cemetery there.