William Maxwell (c. 1733 – November 4, 1796) was an Irish-born brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

When the French and Indian War broke out in 1754 Maxwell enlisted in the provincial militia, and served in the disastrous expedition of General Edward Braddock.

The regiment was among troops sent to Quebec under General John Sullivan in early 1776, and was involved in the Battle of Trois-Rivières before the Continental Army retreated to Fort Ticonderoga.

Maxwell soon returned to the New Jersey Brigade, which served as the reserve at the October Battle of Germantown, and spent the winter at Valley Forge.

In 1780 his troops were stationed on guard duty outside New York, and were called out to repulse two British advances on the main army base at Morristown in the June battles at Springfield and Connecticut Farms.