David Humphreys (July 10, 1752 - February 21, 1818) was an American Revolutionary War colonel, minister to Portugal and then to Spain, entrepreneur who brought Merino sheep to America and member of the Connecticut state legislature. A poet and author, he was one of the "Hartford Wits." In 1776, Humphreys enlisted in the Continental Army as a volunteer adjutant in the 2nd Connecticut Regiment, then stationed in New York. He was promoted to captain and major. He served on the staffs of General Parsons, Israel Putnam and Nathanael Greene. In 1780, he was appointed aide-de-camp of Washington's headquarters staff, and he became a confidential friend and adviser to the general. After the war, hewas appointed to a commission to negotiate treaties of commerce with European nations. Other members of the commission were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Humphreys enjoyed writing and had a voluminous correspondence with Washington, now in the Library of Congress. He acted as a speechwriter to Washington, helping add flourish to his speeches and correspondences before and during the presidency. He also wrote an anti-slavery poem entitled "A Poem on the Industry of the United States of America." He died in 1818 at the age of 65.