He was the son of Charles David Hamtramck, a barber who had immigrated from Trier,[1] Germany (born in Luxembourg), and Canadian Marie Anne Bertin.

As the regiment moved into Quebec, Hamtramck remained in Montreal to gather supplies, and was appointed by Montgomery to deputy commissary in the Continental Army.

[7] However, Moses Hazen filled other units with his recruits and reduced Hamtramck to lieutenant, leading 10 French Canadians[8] in a New Hampshire regiment under Colonel Timothy Bedel.

[11] In early June, however, Forster was threatened by American forces under Benedict Arnold,[12] and he marched his company and prisoners to Lake St. Lawrence.

They soon broke free from their shackles, and Hamtramck led his unclothed men on a 4 day trek to Montreal, arriving on 8 June, as Arnold was evacuating.

[14] On 10 August, Congress passed a resolution that both granted "John Hamptrenk" $350 for his services in Canada and recognized his rank as Captain.

In response to movements by Wilhelm von Knyphausen, the New York Brigade under General James Clinton marched North to defend the Hudson Valley.

Colonel Philip Van Cortlandt was given command of the 2nd New York Regiment and selected to keep Captain Hamtramck while excess officers were dismissed.

[44] That July, Hamtramck's company was marched to Dobbs Ferry, New York and incorporated into a light infantry battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton.

[52] In order to alleviate boredom that Winter, Hamtramck submitted a plan to capture a nearby British post on Bergen Neck.

[59] Hamtramck petitioned Thomas Mifflin, then the president of Congress, for a position in the newly suggested "Peace Establishment", since he could not return to his home in Canada.

[71] In August of that year, about 60 Kentucky militia led by Patrick Brown arrived in Vincennes, seeking revenge against Native Americans.

The Kentucky raiders paraded their scalp trophies through Vincennes, where Hamtramck lamented that the "provocation" caused "the authority of the United States" to be "so much insulted".

His bilingual skills made him effective both with U.S. settlers and the local French speaking residents,[65] with whom Hamtramck was also popular due to his Catholic faith.

[73] While serving at Vincennes, he met William Wells, an adopted member of the Miami, and informed his family in Kentucky of his residence.

[71] As a reward for his service in the American Revolutionary War, Hamtramck chose bounty lands on the Wabash and Illinois Rivers.

[63] Major Hamtramck was ordered to move that Autumn against Indian villages on the Wabash, Vermilion, and Eel rivers to create a distraction from the main campaign led by General Josiah Harmar.

In addition, several members of both the militia and the Kentucky force had deserted, and Hamtramck knew they were being tracked by Native American warriors.

[82] Anticipating a "severe drubbing" if they continued,[82] Hamtramck returned to Vincennes, losing horses to hostile forces along the way and arriving on 26 October 1790.

[82] Hamtramck thought his mission had been a failure, but he later learned later that a force of 600 warriors from the Wabash Confederacy- nearly double the size of his own force- had assembled to fight.

[88] While there, he received a letter from Lieutenant Prior, warning that a large body of Native Americans would oppose St. Clair's march northward.

[90] On 4 November 1791, they heard cannon fire in the distance, and Hamtramck led the regiment on a "brisk pace" to catch the main body.

Hamtramck ordered a detachment forward to find the main army, then sent the majority of his command to secure Fort Jefferson, which he presumed would be the next target.

[91] The forward detachment made contact with leading elements of St. Clair's retreat and escorted them back to Fort Jefferson, which by nightfall was too crowded for additional refugees.

[97] That same year, a delegation from Miami and Wea, including William Wells, arrived in Vincennes to claim women and children who had been taken in James Wilkinson's 1791 raid on Battle of Kenapacomaqua.

[75] He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of the 1st Sub-legion in the Legion of the United States,[99] led by General Anthony Wayne to secure the Northwest Territory.

As the Legion grew and organized, a list of promotions and appointments arrived from Henry Knox, which declined to fill a vacancy by BG Thomas Posey.

He requested a brevet promotion to match James Wilkinson in recognition of "eighteen years devoted to the Service of my Country, and that with irreproachable Conduct".

Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Hamtramck was appointed as the first commandant of Fort Wayne,[103] where he co-owned a large farm with his friend, William Wells.

[102] Hamtramck remained in command at Detroit,[106] living in a house on land that is now Gabriel Richard Park near the present bridge to Belle Isle.