The Easter Parade

A broad-brimmed tricorne - well worn!

The famed New York fashion procession has little to do with this blog other than timing...but I thought I would spend some time discussing headgear worn during the times of the Yankee Doodle Spies. So what actually made Yankee Doodle Dandy...a dandy?  For one thing, his hat!

Until recent times, hats were a universal part of any one's wardrobe, rich or poor.  They kept the head warm and the elements in check.  In the days before umbrella's and the like became affordable, a hat or hood was the only thing to protect a person who had to be out in the weather - rain, snow, sleet...or burning sun. Hats were much more common and played an important role in the culture of the 18th century.  Its adornment with braid, cockade, and feather (or not) could make a social or political statement. And how the hat was used could make an equally important statement.  For example, taking off (doffing) one's hat could evoke respect. A hat thrown in the air evinced joy and a hat brought to one's chest, reverence.

Hats could be broad-brimmed, short-brimmed or conical.  Farmers often wore the simple broad-brimmed hat, which looks a little like a floppy version of today's cowboy hat. Many of the American militias can be seen in broad-brimmed hats but sometimes they wore conical headgear. For military usage, the conical hat often had a large shield affixed to the front, giving it a more martial appearance.  The shield could bear an emblem distinguishing the unit or bearing a numeral or motto.  Some light infantry affected this type of hat, especially among British troops.


Some infantry and most cavalry wore helmets, usually of leather.  The helmet was practical but it cost much more than a simple felt hat or even the finely crafted "beaver." However, the helmet displayed a martial look and provided maximum protection from blows to the head from saber, sword, musket butt, or bayonet. Helmets sometimes had a tail, a tassel, or plume made from cloth or even feathers.
Bearskins were worn by British grenadiers and sometimes highland infantry wore the floppy beret-like bonnet adorned with plumes. German grenadiers wore the impressive-looking miter hats.  Sometimes light infantry wore smaller versions.

Traditional working man or farmer's cocked
hat /tricorne

The most famous hat of the American Revolution was, of course, the three-cornered hat...the tricorne. Now the term tricorne was not widely used during the time of the Yankee Doodle Spies. That name came after the hat went out of style. It was generally referred to as a cocked hat. At the peak of its popularity, the tricorne was worn as a civilian dress and as part of the military and naval uniforms. As I stated above, its distinguishing characteristic was practical: the turned-up portions of the brim formed gutters that directed rainwater away from the wearer's face, depositing most of it over his shoulders. Before the invention of specialized rain gear, this was a distinct advantage.

The cocked hat/tricornes were broad-brimmed, but with the brim pinned up on either side of the head and at the back.  This triangular shape gave the hat its name. Normally it was worn with the point facing forward, but often times soldiers wore the tricorne pointed to the left to allow better clearance when firing their musket. Tricornes ranged from the very simple and cheap to the extravagant, occasionally incorporating gold or silver lace trimming and feathers. In addition, military and naval versions usually bore a cockade or other national emblem at the front or on the side.



By the 1790s the tricorne fell out of use and a new style cocked hat, the bicorne style evolved. The bicorne offered less protection from the elements but its flatter shape made for easier handling when "doffed." However, over the course of history, few hats were so closely associated with a Cause, a Nation, or a Sentiment like the famed three-cornered hat of the American Revolution.

The late 18th-century bicorne was certainly no tricorne!

America Go Bragh!

I decided that with Saint Patrick's Day upon us, I'd muse on the role of the Irish in the American Revolution.  Now, make no mistake, the war for independence and its political underpinnings were a Yankee convention - drawing from English (and Scottish) political thought.  But as we all know, when it comes time for action, we need a few Irishmen in the mix. For the record, a great number (if not the majority) of British troops were Irish.  The Patriot side, on the other hand, had relatively fewer due to the small number of Irish immigrants living in America at the time. This blog will focus on only a few but is dedicated to all Irish who fought on either side.

The Statesman

Probably the most famous family of Patriot Irish was the Carroll family, the most notable of whom was Charles Carroll of Carrollton. He was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. He notably added "of Carrollton" to distinguish himself from several other Charles Carrolls (such as his father) and ensure the king's men knew who to hang if the rebellion failed. Jesuit educated in Maryland and France, he later studied law in England where he was admitted to the bar. At the time of the rebellion, he was one of the wealthiest men in the colonies.  His writings and advocacy played a guiding hand in Maryland's march to rebellion and independence. He had a role in Maryland's own "Annapolis Tea Party," the burning of the Peggy Stewart in October 1774. During the war, Carroll represented Maryland in the Continental Congress and served on Maryland's Committee of Safety prior to the declaration.  A noted failure was his role in the 1776 mission to Canada, where he, along with Benjamin Franklin, failed to convince French Canada to join the rebellion.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton

The Prelate

Charles Carroll's cousin, Father John  Carroll, accompanied Benjamin Franklin and him on the Canada mission. The obvious intent was to appeal to the Canadian Catholics. As a young man, John Carroll went to France for seminary and then Belgium to teach philosophy and theology at Brugges and Lieges. The suppression of the Jesuits by Papal Bull in 1773 drove him to Britain, and when relations between Britain and America soured, he returned to Baltimore in 1774. Carroll's greatest contributions came after the American Revolution. In November 1789, he was appointed bishop of Baltimore with a
diocese encompassing the entire United States. Carroll established America's first institutions for educating and ordining priests, among which was the Sulpician Seminary in Baltimore. He supported Roman Catholic religious orders coming to America.  Through George Washington, he secured federal money for missionaries to the Indians. By 1811, he had established four new dioceses: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Bardstown (Kentucky), and was named America's first Archbishop. During his years as head of the American church, the number of Roman Catholics increased almost tenfold, from about 25,000 to 200,000.

Father John Carroll

Father of the US Navy, Commodore Barry

The Seaman

John Barry is another notable Irishman Patriot.  Although often taking a back seat to the more flamboyant sailor (and native Scotsman) John Paul Jones, Barry is generally considered the Father of the US Navy. Unlike Carroll, who was born a wealthy third-generation American landholder, Barry was your typical Irish hardscrabble transplant.  Born the son of a poor farmer in County Wexford, young Barry enlisted as a cabin boy on his uncle's fishing schooner. Eventually, he rose to be a renowned master of mercantile vessels and eventually settled in Philadelphia. When the war broke out, Barry worked tirelessly to equip the first Continental Navy vessels for combat.  His reward was in command of the brig Lexington, which he commanded in one of America's first triumphs over a Royal Navy vessel. Barry turned down a lucrative offer to "come over"  for cash and a Royal Navy commission, proffered by the British.  During the dark days of late 1776, when he had no ship available,  he served on land as a Marine officer and had a role in the battles at Trenton and Princeton. Back at sea the next year, he fought numerous engagements, usually while outnumbered, and generally gave more than he got.  After the war, he returned to merchant shipping. Still, in 1794, Secretary of War Henry Knox recalled him to build the first US Navy vessels and led the US Navy during its perilous first years that included a naval war with France and the Barbary depredations.

Barry commanded the USS Lexington

The Sniper

The most famous marksman in a war famed for its plethora of marksmen was Tim Murphy of Morgan's Rifles. Murphy is said to have fired the shot that killed General Simon Fraser at Saratoga in 1777. Legend has it that Morgan gave the order. Climbing a tree, Murphy fired at 300 yards, and Fraser fell, dying.

Some view that as the defining moment of the battle, the battle that changed the course of the war and maybe the world.  Fraser was General Johnnie Burgoyne's best commander, arguably the best field general in the British Army.  His death heralded the destruction of the British forces and the end to Burgoyne's dreams of crushing the rebellion from the north.

Sniper Tim Murphy takes aim at Bemis Heights

Brigadier General Charles O'Hara
substituted for the "indisposed"
Major General Cornwallis

The Foe

Although a distinct minority, the Irish fought in many Continental Army units as both enlisted and officers. Some of the "French" generals given commissions by Congress (the notorious Conway and hapless Fermoy come to mind) were of Irish heritage. And nine of Washington’s generals were born in Ireland—two major generals and seven brigadier generals. However, of these, only Brigadier General Edward Hand from County Offaly was in Yorktown. There was another Irish general at Yorktown but, ironically, he was serving with the British forces. General Charles O’Hara, the illegitimate son of British General James O’Hara, second baron of Tyrawley, was born in Lisbon.  O'Hara lost his son during the Yorktown campaign and had the dubious honor of representing Lord Cornwallis at the surrender ceremony. There were no all-Irish regiments in the British order of battle at Yorktown, but there were many Irish among the rank-and-file. For example, the roster of the 76th Foot, a Scottish regiment that was at Yorktown, listed 114 Irish among its soldiers.  During the 1780s, the Dublin government was funding a British military reserve of 12,000 soldiers, and Cork was the primary logistical base for the British forces in North America. The famed Royal American Regiment of French and Indian War had been posted to Ireland, and when it returned to America to fight the rebellion, its rank and file were primarily Hibernian.

British surrender at Yorktown, October 1781

The Family

Several of Washington's aides, his" military family," were Irish or of Irish descent: John Fitzgerald, Peregrine Fitzhugh, James McHenry, Stephen Moylan, and Joseph Reed. Moylan and Fitzgerald were born in Ireland. Most notable was McHenry, who later became Secretary of War and whose namesake fort in Baltimore Harbor became the scene of the battle that inspired the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Former aide James McHenry later became
Secretary of War

There is no connection between aide John Fitzgerald and the hoary-haired "Senior Intelligence Advisor"  in The Yankee Doodle Spies series, the fictional Robert Fitzgerald. However, Robert Fitzgerald and Jeremiah Creed represent the Irish and all immigrants who were caught up in the great struggle for liberty.

Old Put

Old Put

Israel Putnam

The topic for this blog is People - the subject is Israel Putnam.  Full disclosure:  I was born in Putnam County, New York, and my other Nom d' Plume is Kent Putnam (I was born in the Town of Kent). However, the reason I picked Old Put as the subject this week is a Yankee Doodle Spies FaceBook friend suggested it. Simple as that!  Israel Putnam is not a name that jumps at you when asked about the military leaders of the American Revolution. Besides His Excellency, Lieutenant General George Washington, folks think more readily of Nathaniel Greene, Henry Knox, Horatio Gates, and even Benedict Arnold.  This is somewhat understandable since Putnam's achievements were early in the war and age and health conspired to slow him down and suddenly stop him in his tracks when a stroke paralyzed him.

A French and Indian War Hero

Born in Massachusetts, Putnam moved to Connecticut as a young man where he became a landholder. When the French and Indian War erupted he joined the famed Roger's Rangers where he rose to the rank of Major.  Putnam fought ferociously and took part in combat on Lake Champlain and then ranged as far as Montreal in the north, Cuba in the south (he is said to have brought the first Cuban tobacco seeds to Connecticut and stoked an industry), and as far west as Detroit. In an era when a 100-mile journey could mean your life, this was no small feat. His exploits during the French and Indian War were legendary in colonial America. His capture and brutal torture by the Indians particularly resonated at a time when such an eventuality was every frontier American's worst nightmare. Ironically, a French officer saved him from the worst depredations and death. Later on, he was released but soon joined the British attack on  Cuba, where he helped capture the famed Spanish fortress, El Moro.

The Siege of Boston

By the time of the American Revolution, Putnam was a very prosperous landholder and businessman.  However, when the action heated up around Boston in 1775, he gave up his comfortable farm and rushed east to offer his services and became second in command of the rebel army outside Boston.  His greatest distinction was at Bunker (Breed's Hill) where he was considered largely responsible for the gallant efforts that cost the British Army more than it could give.

Bunker Hill:  Old Put is on the far left

The Battle of New York

The following year found him in New York, where he worked tirelessly to establish the city's defenses. When George Washington arrived with the main army, Old Put was given command of a division and the unenviable mission of defending western Long Island (today's Brooklyn). By a stroke of misfortune, he came down with a virus just as the British commander, Lord Howe, threw over 20,000 men against his small force. It is here that we meet him in The Patriot Spy. In a short passage, Old Put has recovered from his illness and is giving guidance to my fictional character, Jeremiah Creed.

Fighting on despite Ill Health

After the New York campaign, age and illness slowed him down, precluding another major field command.  But later in the war, Putnam had a lead role commanding Continental and militia forces "in observation" from the North (now Hudson) River to western Connecticut. A large British contingent under New York Royal Governor Tryon invaded Connecticut in February 1779. The Loyalist and British forces savaged eastern Connecticut in a blitzkrieg like fashion, burning farms and towns while trying to root out rebels.

The famed Horseneck Escape 

While trying to block the British advance near Greenwich, Connecticut, Put's small force of observation was surprised by an enemy column with cavalry in the van.  Caught in the act of shaving that cold morning, Putnam saw the oncoming British column before his scouts did. Dropping his straight razor and brandishing his sword, he leaped to his horse and rallied his men, avoiding their capture by a whisker (so to speak). British dragoons and the notorious Delancey Tories galloped after the general while his men escaped.  After a long and desperate chase, he escaped in a dramatic fashion by riding his horse over a  precipice and down a very steep and icy defile. The astonished enemy reined in at the edge and vainly emptied their pistols at Old Put.  Putnam waved back his sword with taunting words to the frustrated British, whose balls whizzed past him. One of the bullets is said to have pierced his military cap.