Editing Nathaniel Pitcher (section)

==Military career==
Pitcher's father had been active in the militia,{{sfn|''Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment''|page=795}} and the younger Nathaniel Pitcher followed him into military service, receiving his commission as an [[Ensign (rank)#United States|ensign]] in 1802.{{sfn|''Military Minutes of the Council of Appointment''|page=582}}  In 1808 he was appointed as [[Adjutant#United States|adjutant]] of the [[Regiment#United States Army|regiment]] commanded by Micajah Pettit.{{sfn|''Documents of the Senate of the State of New York''|page=996}}  Later in 1808 he was promoted to [[Major (United States)|major]], and appointed as [[Inspector general#United States|inspector]] of the [[Brigade#United States|brigade]] commanded by Warren Ferris.{{sfn|''Documents of the Senate of the State of New York''|page=1026}}  In 1814, Pitcher was included in a militia detail of 13,500 soldiers that was activated for federal service during military operations on the [[Canada]]-western [[New York (state)|New York]] border during the [[War of 1812]].{{sfn|''New York City and Vicinity During the War of 1812–15''|pages=162–164}}

In 1815, Pitcher was appointed [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] and second in command of the militia's 121st Regiment.{{sfn|''Documents of the Senate of the State of New York''|page=1561}}  Later in 1815, he succeeded Pettit as commander of the 17th Brigade, and was promoted to [[Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general]].{{sfn|''Documents of the Senate of the State of New York''|page=1641}}  As a result of his military service, Pitcher was frequently referred to in public records and newspaper stories as "General Pitcher"{{sfn|''The Decline of Aristocracy in the Politics of New York''|pages=274, 313, 422}} or "Gen. Pitcher".{{sfn|''Proceedings of the Workingmen's State Convention''|page=4}}