tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58178700898578712112024-03-28T10:14:17.440-07:00Yankee Doodle SpiesTales of Intrigue, Action and Espionage during the American RevolutionS.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-38543048019693426172024-02-29T05:12:00.000-08:002024-02-29T10:51:04.353-08:00Defiant Doyenne<p style="text-align: justify;">This leap-year edition of the Yankee Doodle Spies highlights the bold and brave housewife who played a hand in saving her home, her state, and her country. Meet the up-country distaff doyenne who stood up to British bullies like few men could.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8gsnFduQ3VVGA0DIqdpgbQTtgfHvLpKYtLvRe4aV_qAiU8Xf5H2vLv5uVpEMiH486MxP23jT9Me6QHxkYC-SAzTUPth4URh7U7IJ8KUnqsi3iH2bpURgQIkE8EF70zj_3fE4faN5ex7g2RY3FzYxqI4qXbkDclwZTXcvSQOoJW57onKqoRFx2zh1s0s/s400/Woman%20coonial%20in%20front%20of%20hearth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8gsnFduQ3VVGA0DIqdpgbQTtgfHvLpKYtLvRe4aV_qAiU8Xf5H2vLv5uVpEMiH486MxP23jT9Me6QHxkYC-SAzTUPth4URh7U7IJ8KUnqsi3iH2bpURgQIkE8EF70zj_3fE4faN5ex7g2RY3FzYxqI4qXbkDclwZTXcvSQOoJW57onKqoRFx2zh1s0s/w300-h400/Woman%20coonial%20in%20front%20of%20hearth.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Martha Bratton was a patriot farmwife</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Upcountry South Carolina saw some of the most vicious fighting of the American War for Independence. The rugged Scots-Irish settled on the rolling hills and fertile meadows north of Columbia. Among them were William and Martha Bratton, who, in 1766, bought 200 acres along the South Fork of Fishing Creek in what today is York County, South Carolina. William built a rough-hewn log home and, with the help of a few slaves, turned the land into a thriving, if modest, homestead.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXdZQOehMV7KgGiQmyxtP1wvljXEhuWyucr_jJQm6YXYdhAY66OMzwLKiOgc4qOnFtMc1ivwEiaIPeRFDXVCwfjDgNeuG7OCkXYYOfRbkT4ADn2Vs03-L-D8N4ssESR_FCIN6qUkS9Ofg9OLeQNylmg-ZvQul2BVZ0YMvKgQ2XZ-DjALOx0w9dPTZvDVs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2204" data-original-width="3128" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXdZQOehMV7KgGiQmyxtP1wvljXEhuWyucr_jJQm6YXYdhAY66OMzwLKiOgc4qOnFtMc1ivwEiaIPeRFDXVCwfjDgNeuG7OCkXYYOfRbkT4ADn2Vs03-L-D8N4ssESR_FCIN6qUkS9Ofg9OLeQNylmg-ZvQul2BVZ0YMvKgQ2XZ-DjALOx0w9dPTZvDVs=w400-h281" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Bratton's built a log farmhouse on the frontier</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The world changed when the Shot Heard Round the World was fired in April 1775. As South Carolina formed both militia and Continental Line regiments for the upcoming struggle, William Bratton did his bit and marched off to join. Martha was now the head of the household and responsible for keeping their plantation alive.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLdo_7Cu777JHVjV0O-4t_tkmWXpbCf_EFRxxuq04QJHX9IXwH2xqLf6r-fKL2puLMw6_DjBYjcAWeU5u6dsZnLIGUq1XVZVIMIaeW5zstKV64QvG11yiZDPB3PuKJ6xuX3_gR0h9OqcrMTBbBhxjpQFFV4Ieq-YXZrsh6CT1uXmZXlMC7ZQ0F16quNI/s375/Lexington%20Apr%2019%201775.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="375" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLdo_7Cu777JHVjV0O-4t_tkmWXpbCf_EFRxxuq04QJHX9IXwH2xqLf6r-fKL2puLMw6_DjBYjcAWeU5u6dsZnLIGUq1XVZVIMIaeW5zstKV64QvG11yiZDPB3PuKJ6xuX3_gR0h9OqcrMTBbBhxjpQFFV4Ieq-YXZrsh6CT1uXmZXlMC7ZQ0F16quNI/w400-h286/Lexington%20Apr%2019%201775.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shot Heard Round the World - Lexington Green</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But in May 1780, the British took Charleston and occupied a string of garrisons from the port city on the low country coast to the famous star fort at Ninety-Six, the last outpost along the South Carolina frontier. The governor of South Carolina had asked William Bratton, a militia commander, to use his house to store some of the patriot gunpowder, which was a precious commodity for both sides but mainly for the patriots. With William away, Martha, as head of the household, had responsibility for securing it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7xbDm5toUBBwxo0NSufH8j22i817qvOlaS4Eg-LHdDkJwasqbdf6mCVSQr-nvMVGIskBDCkE6piOaOcb9xD-hqrs2QdvoswPaWKd2DZ1R9I65CWU2z3w3Arkr1Z5yO5xBE7hXRbPZd36e8kRxWJQ6IqQkJI4Tk6yXwuUoV7STIShQvayzxB8dO22il2k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="285" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7xbDm5toUBBwxo0NSufH8j22i817qvOlaS4Eg-LHdDkJwasqbdf6mCVSQr-nvMVGIskBDCkE6piOaOcb9xD-hqrs2QdvoswPaWKd2DZ1R9I65CWU2z3w3Arkr1Z5yO5xBE7hXRbPZd36e8kRxWJQ6IqQkJI4Tk6yXwuUoV7STIShQvayzxB8dO22il2k=w400-h281" width="400" /></a></div>Ruins of Ninety-Six<br /><br /></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Whig-Tory struggle in the Carolinas was brutal, with neighbors fighting neighbors and sometimes families being torn apart. Bands from both sides roamed the countryside, either supporting the Continentals and Regulars or acting as independent bands. Spies and traitors lurked everywhere. British gold easily bought information. Exactly how they found out that Martha held a store of the powder is unknown. What is known is they approached her farm to demand she turn it over or face reprisal.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But spies worked both ways, and someone raced to the Bratton farm to warn Martha of the approaching column. She knew she did not have time to move it—it filled a nearby shed. What to do?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDf47GstVv_BAULWF37pdoXpT5_qoU4-1TZi2xipWcUZp1_Zo3bCo-NIcUZWgucJGbfYpF4K8c0hzWbACbV_bTU5fmTNg3R7zlPT0ADHQdlIKb8WELU_3x276GCJn94o4gVkWDbKCVgX1ZMK7Oa4sYaxC_0mdRJcOi8eyYzSmdaTUtila-BW-3CksAFc/s640/Gunpowder%20kegs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDf47GstVv_BAULWF37pdoXpT5_qoU4-1TZi2xipWcUZp1_Zo3bCo-NIcUZWgucJGbfYpF4K8c0hzWbACbV_bTU5fmTNg3R7zlPT0ADHQdlIKb8WELU_3x276GCJn94o4gVkWDbKCVgX1ZMK7Oa4sYaxC_0mdRJcOi8eyYzSmdaTUtila-BW-3CksAFc/w400-h300/Gunpowder%20kegs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gunpowder was a valuable commodity</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Martha ordered one of her slaves, named Watt, to bring her a flaming piece of wood from the kitchen stove. Before the British could arrive, Martha tossed the flaming faggot into the shed, and in seconds it blue sky high with a thunderous boom that sent chunks of burning logs into the air and thumping into the fields around them.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzSH4P--LalqP_tricsVQAGsW9Dryr2HK73SKc40wQmIpYVvlXHGobk0iF4Oh1baEW2x-Ek2jz9rbMGIUFbpOGnd0Y5NYa4CoESQQi9XCXi6IGlPlW_EkQ8emjbseKtG-wclyG5Hq1Rm19DUUO-J_6u7hlleNA-WnFkH4_u66HjWsX94CaIcMMN6XrhZ8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzSH4P--LalqP_tricsVQAGsW9Dryr2HK73SKc40wQmIpYVvlXHGobk0iF4Oh1baEW2x-Ek2jz9rbMGIUFbpOGnd0Y5NYa4CoESQQi9XCXi6IGlPlW_EkQ8emjbseKtG-wclyG5Hq1Rm19DUUO-J_6u7hlleNA-WnFkH4_u66HjWsX94CaIcMMN6XrhZ8=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gunpowder explosion</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The explosion warned the British, who arrived to see the last charred timbers of the shed collapse into a smoking pile. She defiantly told them, "Let the consequence be what it will. I glory in having prevented the mischief contemplated by the cruel enemies of my country."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Martha had foiled them, but she was now marked as a rebel, and they would keep an eye on her and the Bratton farm.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">By the summer of 1780, the war was setting York County ablaze. Columns of British Regulars, patrols of mounted dragoons, and bands of Tories and Loyalist Provincials scoured the land. This was the epic struggle between American partisans like Sumter and Marion and the likes of Banastre Tarleton and Patrick Ferguson. But the most hated enemy was the Loyalist officer of the British Legion, the German-born Captain Christian Huck. In a struggle that featured brutality on both sides, Huck stood tall. He rampaged across the state, destroying rebel property, burning homes, and killing his enemies.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRguA1j80OL2vG87NVgg2SB1vMNUrqqRfzqqmAU_shgF2rT3MHoNmThtvm9acpZn8XjVr88RKIx1u7VnQx8btUK1mIB1q1b_4_eWu0JTW7FDZjyAZGg1kjjUkkF5mbjjQGk4fma6XzfkF64EQstedPNT9SRhF-qy3JiALaJeN2Izr_pE958YosOsJXzw/s720/Loyalist%20dragoons%20vs%20riflemen%20in%20farm%20or%20village.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuRguA1j80OL2vG87NVgg2SB1vMNUrqqRfzqqmAU_shgF2rT3MHoNmThtvm9acpZn8XjVr88RKIx1u7VnQx8btUK1mIB1q1b_4_eWu0JTW7FDZjyAZGg1kjjUkkF5mbjjQGk4fma6XzfkF64EQstedPNT9SRhF-qy3JiALaJeN2Izr_pE958YosOsJXzw/w400-h266/Loyalist%20dragoons%20vs%20riflemen%20in%20farm%20or%20village.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Loyalist Dragoons rampaged the Carolinas</div><p style="text-align: justify;">On 10 July, Huck set out to arrest rebel leaders in York County at the head of 120 determined men, But word spread like wildfire, sending most scurrying for safety. On Huck's list was the husband of the rebel whose wife had humbugged the British before—William Bratton. As they rode hell-bent for leather toward the plantation, Huck's men, true to form, took foodstuff, horses, and other valuables from the small farms along the way.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fortunately, Colonel Bratton's militia regiment was on the Catawba River, where it had joined up with General Thomas Sumter's forces. Huck's troops arrived at the Bratton plantation as the sun was setting on 11 July. Knowing the threat Huck and his men posed, Martha Bratton sent Watt to warn her husband of their presence.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVdalMRharHxn4XFTt3vgggnYlOlIHvpLXRKW-K_yBTFwbq2bJCzYKDIhqL0GEY-XX_iM_Xo3u2gXvA8Y6dH9Cw5nErPTA8CP36E6paHRX4GIlEbiNIYHTwKfYPS0VIsUyiaoV1URlKr0j5_x79HOBbs-nHnTPgvIV1d3Z8El3MMoL0_oZGzQIkYmAyfY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="809" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVdalMRharHxn4XFTt3vgggnYlOlIHvpLXRKW-K_yBTFwbq2bJCzYKDIhqL0GEY-XX_iM_Xo3u2gXvA8Y6dH9Cw5nErPTA8CP36E6paHRX4GIlEbiNIYHTwKfYPS0VIsUyiaoV1URlKr0j5_x79HOBbs-nHnTPgvIV1d3Z8El3MMoL0_oZGzQIkYmAyfY=w400-h243" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Martha sends Watt to warn her husband</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Entering her log home, Huck demanded to know her husband's whereabouts.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHbvR0uFyM4LVDSkrz35zt4OC7Aaze0fxOnt3y4oDiMC1Ey0ruhfBjnIQVrR5qoXsuY_8is7ztsn6zZe1lnZY_MV8Rb1fmHH0GXJGG6uE0l2KqxJDOqrGCDQpmFyUeJegSchvwqmeGXloGKe-sybbwU1bkePTnQF4uLkqnQmNUO48IOqwqQZnPOH5cC0/s640/Huck%20in%20uniform.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="514" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHbvR0uFyM4LVDSkrz35zt4OC7Aaze0fxOnt3y4oDiMC1Ey0ruhfBjnIQVrR5qoXsuY_8is7ztsn6zZe1lnZY_MV8Rb1fmHH0GXJGG6uE0l2KqxJDOqrGCDQpmFyUeJegSchvwqmeGXloGKe-sybbwU1bkePTnQF4uLkqnQmNUO48IOqwqQZnPOH5cC0/w321-h400/Huck%20in%20uniform.png" width="321" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Notorious Christian Huck</div><p style="text-align: justify;">"You'll have to find him on your own, as I am not privy to his whereabouts, sir," she told the British commander.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">An enraged officer reached for a reaping hook dangling from the wall and thrust the cutting edge to her throat. "Madam, you'll tell us what we want, or you'll not say anything again, as your pretty head will be shorn from your shoulders!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVsrSHxBlikWqVTAs3aQmyQXvitfRQy332Ke0t2eyNSrow8q542tg0Dt9DqCqj3V8__qxsZvjMxK6dvr0zu-YgY4a7QP81_JY5PWVxWCjow1ZfB2vCnWASBL7or5i4ovIJApRUX-7mTenRNFWwvJsxQElmiafCwz49jXWrxg0m98i4jzLC6d1ExTOwqA/s484/Bratton%20hook%20to%20throat.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="484" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVsrSHxBlikWqVTAs3aQmyQXvitfRQy332Ke0t2eyNSrow8q542tg0Dt9DqCqj3V8__qxsZvjMxK6dvr0zu-YgY4a7QP81_JY5PWVxWCjow1ZfB2vCnWASBL7or5i4ovIJApRUX-7mTenRNFWwvJsxQElmiafCwz49jXWrxg0m98i4jzLC6d1ExTOwqA/w400-h260/Bratton%20hook%20to%20throat.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Martha defied all threats</div><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Martha straightened and glared defiantly. "Even if I knew where my husband and the militia were. I would not betray them or my country, sir. Do your worst!"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Put that thing down," ordered Huck as he drew his saber and slammed its hilt into his hot-tempered officer, sending him tumbling to the heavy plank floor. Frustrated by her refusal, Huck angrily ordered Martha to fix a meal for him and his officers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once they had eaten their fill, the officers and their men mounted and rode off for their next destination—the nearby William plantation. The delay gave the patriots time to assemble a force that gathered at the plantation and launched a surprise attack as the sun rose. Lead flew in all directions, but the Loyalists were trapped. Huck leaped on his horse to escape but was struck by a hail of musket balls. The notorious raider fell out of the saddle, dead.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizd6-b71p2gZlkCZ-Wtd_qWK5Bbix3ENAR0EtZMrIhThbW2B7NtWYWa_ZgI6I3YTX0ClLOaG8uf5CbzQPk5vAO_SZtzEHPA5W76vIwF9Bued0SKIfs-QZff1IZ2TXTdQMzrmUj8YBdudTt9l6xa6No6W81q0Hk8LzLB6NrV9s45JTwSESYgSb_ShZPNaQ/s243/Huck's%20Defeat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="243" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizd6-b71p2gZlkCZ-Wtd_qWK5Bbix3ENAR0EtZMrIhThbW2B7NtWYWa_ZgI6I3YTX0ClLOaG8uf5CbzQPk5vAO_SZtzEHPA5W76vIwF9Bued0SKIfs-QZff1IZ2TXTdQMzrmUj8YBdudTt9l6xa6No6W81q0Hk8LzLB6NrV9s45JTwSESYgSb_ShZPNaQ/w400-h342/Huck's%20Defeat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Huck's forces were surprised and destroyed at Williams Plantation</span></div><p><span style="text-align: justify;">It did not take long</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> to eliminate one of South Carolina's worst scourges. The battle was over in just a quarter-hour. The American Legion lost 30 killed and 50 wounded, with the rest taken prisoner. Almost poetically, some of the gravely injured Legionnaires were taken to the Bratton farm, where Martha herself ministered to their wounds.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZmZOymfsxKE4-UjtrJ1OMXa7dz4ELXDSfurrMtJ6AXRyYs7Pfz0NIiLH4vrohI4pEG8haVhx_IIL3jfvuYqpqX6B1JzUcbfiQT19Vr7pUdz0fdacKXHB0rwewqt1FQ1ZPyLDCO3Rao83uSBehtUuwlWZR5DsFNsZ2wVmGjXGLA7GO3amlwf6ayJPpVh0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="338" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZmZOymfsxKE4-UjtrJ1OMXa7dz4ELXDSfurrMtJ6AXRyYs7Pfz0NIiLH4vrohI4pEG8haVhx_IIL3jfvuYqpqX6B1JzUcbfiQT19Vr7pUdz0fdacKXHB0rwewqt1FQ1ZPyLDCO3Rao83uSBehtUuwlWZR5DsFNsZ2wVmGjXGLA7GO3amlwf6ayJPpVh0=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Huck's defeat was just a minor skirmish, but it gave a considerable boost to patriot morale in the Carolina backcountry, and more and more men flocked to the cause. From it stemmed a chain of events that included the Overmountain Men crushing Fergusson's Loyalist brigade at King's Mountain and Dan Morgan smashing Tarleton at Cowpens. And finally, Nathanael Greene forced Cornwallis's abandonment of the Carolinas for the safety of Yorktown, Virginia. So, in no small way, Martha Bratton's courage and craftiness played a pivotal role in the ultimate defeat of the British cause in the Carolinas.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh12vFmq8ROkskE5BUnpPBoKMo56uisRMR5BNVSLBS19DkTE70QNVXoTm1kH_pNrPGbR_LRnuNE214OPKXzIOwLev4S8JCbsmYfd4vVhyFBz6hfOjfXTmJUeB18gxrl6i0U5Ol7curO5R6w1SlmkxGE_VmT0aYLy-GuxgnbVYIzdjitD_aD0G7ScXjH5QE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh12vFmq8ROkskE5BUnpPBoKMo56uisRMR5BNVSLBS19DkTE70QNVXoTm1kH_pNrPGbR_LRnuNE214OPKXzIOwLev4S8JCbsmYfd4vVhyFBz6hfOjfXTmJUeB18gxrl6i0U5Ol7curO5R6w1SlmkxGE_VmT0aYLy-GuxgnbVYIzdjitD_aD0G7ScXjH5QE=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The family expanded the farmstead after the war, with their son building a new home, which is now the site of a historic interpretation center called Brattonsville.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9Se4iNu-iA1vtVra5eiA0gC9qsdIjMvSBKLd8T34SpPAwbkPZE_u6kTHTQZWeLyD4mYcPfe6OVzGWtwIplVSqPoQCd45TcWAAt1lnROZedYZ7UiLzf-WFxd5TFbI_-cjI6XZmRZ7AlrUhTZPJNlvaV4ub7_-I_rhaa5KeYmI3_cC1MMehJ1qK4fpigjg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="474" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9Se4iNu-iA1vtVra5eiA0gC9qsdIjMvSBKLd8T34SpPAwbkPZE_u6kTHTQZWeLyD4mYcPfe6OVzGWtwIplVSqPoQCd45TcWAAt1lnROZedYZ7UiLzf-WFxd5TFbI_-cjI6XZmRZ7AlrUhTZPJNlvaV4ub7_-I_rhaa5KeYmI3_cC1MMehJ1qK4fpigjg=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Historic Brattonsvile, South Carolina, commemorates </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">the life </span><span style="text-align: justify;">and times of </span><span style="text-align: justify;">William & Martha </span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-45264114122536812152024-01-30T08:34:00.000-08:002024-01-30T08:34:12.409-08:00The Lafayette Circle<p class="MsoNormal">I have a tradition of producing a blog post on the
"back story" of most books I write. With the release of The Lafayette
Circle, it is time to do it again.<o:p></o:p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Friend in Need</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">About a year ago, a Xavier High School classmate, Peter Reilly,
reached out to me with a suggestion that I get involved in helping celebrate
the upcoming 200<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette's
celebrated tour of America in 1824. Truth be told, I had never read or heard of
the event, so I was caught off guard. Peter, a CPA who is a contributor to
Forbes.com and Think Outside The Tax Box, is also chair of the Massachusetts
committee for the Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour 2024-2025. I
wondered how to respond.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB39bcgMEI8FMCF0xDiLtMoo2UQjjjzuENz3Gmu3pUC1jrVZ2oYs9nIjhjeH61mGDAwYqy71t8so2efEECl6iRdZ43BfqNhgrlkVrug6uIviXhkQV_VoJSSNNU5QyWa1I5CPjCBIICiLTjEgmsvF8sgWyRRFbUHHZevqMJCSuu-xhgciajcDvVxjx0LL8/s4032/Lafayette%20Cover%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB39bcgMEI8FMCF0xDiLtMoo2UQjjjzuENz3Gmu3pUC1jrVZ2oYs9nIjhjeH61mGDAwYqy71t8so2efEECl6iRdZ43BfqNhgrlkVrug6uIviXhkQV_VoJSSNNU5QyWa1I5CPjCBIICiLTjEgmsvF8sgWyRRFbUHHZevqMJCSuu-xhgciajcDvVxjx0LL8/w225-h400/Lafayette%20Cover%201.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lafayette by Bryon Line</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Maybe I could repost items about the upcoming celebration
on my social media platforms. Or write a book about life in America in 1824?</i>
I knew quite a bit about Marie-Jospeh-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis
de Lafayette, from my study of the American and French Revolutions but little
of events after the fall of Napoleon in 1815. Most of what I remembered from
that era came from Peter Neary's American History class when I attended Xavier
High School in New York City—Jacksonian Democracy and all that. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGDg0uwpJtgYlrmVCohEbUFes9UaxaV7U9ir5EYE5bG868gJcJqW_WQkT-bzyeyUe3kEWybPLQJrUsWG_gqrK-uPknEX-gr4-UlN4e2_kMM7mNL9N1BsHciBQDzxWd0NDRShSgHJMEh_MxvmX9SUa8uqBurezto62sPPJ2DrdyIDZEd0GX5EpGL3nnqeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="141" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGDg0uwpJtgYlrmVCohEbUFes9UaxaV7U9ir5EYE5bG868gJcJqW_WQkT-bzyeyUe3kEWybPLQJrUsWG_gqrK-uPknEX-gr4-UlN4e2_kMM7mNL9N1BsHciBQDzxWd0NDRShSgHJMEh_MxvmX9SUa8uqBurezto62sPPJ2DrdyIDZEd0GX5EpGL3nnqeg=w282-h320" width="282" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Background</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When in doubt, do some research. I started by re-reading two
legacy books on Lafayette from my library and engrossing myself in a recently
released biography. I also took the opportunity to join The Friends of
Lafayette, and when I did, I got behind their paywall and found a trove of
information on Lafayette's trip and the dynamics behind it. A review quickly
drew me to the conclusion that this was more than a feel-good junket—although
it certainly was that, too.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNYmltPr_A5EQJZvW0eweDTK-o-d0DI-RKBsX5teb4PEgWKlN-2_jgr8pNQTe6wMNEWXWgO92aAuSB5BF86U3Eln9CUbsQ6edg8eqsvdSpiBli50DdQzObbByXFpXDvFifzvw89zLwyFZbpGlGvejm-KE4Qp5yXnPmcH0Cxgj1DHfcgVeFCQTJ1QvwqtM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="760" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNYmltPr_A5EQJZvW0eweDTK-o-d0DI-RKBsX5teb4PEgWKlN-2_jgr8pNQTe6wMNEWXWgO92aAuSB5BF86U3Eln9CUbsQ6edg8eqsvdSpiBli50DdQzObbByXFpXDvFifzvw89zLwyFZbpGlGvejm-KE4Qp5yXnPmcH0Cxgj1DHfcgVeFCQTJ1QvwqtM=w400-h74" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A World in Upheaval</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Although the Congress of Vienna that convened with Napoleon
Bonaparte's abdication in 1814 set up a framework for a much-needed fifty years
of peace among the European powers, the world itself was shaking from the movement
of the tectonic plates of liberty. The Spanish colonies in America looked to
North America and, to some extent, to revolutionary France as examples.
Liberation movements, some long-simmering, began to erupt into rebellion and
wars of liberation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhjP13J8wuu91W8HEqwa78Jy15FKLacvxz-_m8eaUzSAt4jDItwd6jOg-rREnbmu3ws2BF4xeLTjkT8fn8iKc-P-0xvjrKfc8HeBi9LRUebSrWeDg4NdDLAkoZvDeAZ26hjKEW2BotS_8QlfIT2expssmMfnTkZ0VScQLG4ceAha-A3tf-OF-dnLYKmrQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhjP13J8wuu91W8HEqwa78Jy15FKLacvxz-_m8eaUzSAt4jDItwd6jOg-rREnbmu3ws2BF4xeLTjkT8fn8iKc-P-0xvjrKfc8HeBi9LRUebSrWeDg4NdDLAkoZvDeAZ26hjKEW2BotS_8QlfIT2expssmMfnTkZ0VScQLG4ceAha-A3tf-OF-dnLYKmrQ=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congress of Vienna</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Names like Simon Bolivar and Bernardo O'Higgins would become
examples equal to George Washington throughout most of the continent to our
south. In Spain itself, the newly formed Asturian battalion, one of ten
organized to sail to America to suppress the wars of liberation, revolted, led
by its commander, Rafael del Riego y Flórez.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPS7oPwYFk2uk0XFCwuG9HU6DV1T0X5MpXRD3YBXMjWxC5DfMv4idTcKipRVW65QJPGSKKp11Sqq73IwopWttUX3QR-BHxzgnrubE0oSmsQHbIwA2LY3QZErzIOyw_4bRGgIZjDsZBVKU0NwR_gUog6K3pMNL9BVLMymeAG_nlFsZADCDYjZZLvs2XOfA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="495" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPS7oPwYFk2uk0XFCwuG9HU6DV1T0X5MpXRD3YBXMjWxC5DfMv4idTcKipRVW65QJPGSKKp11Sqq73IwopWttUX3QR-BHxzgnrubE0oSmsQHbIwA2LY3QZErzIOyw_4bRGgIZjDsZBVKU0NwR_gUog6K3pMNL9BVLMymeAG_nlFsZADCDYjZZLvs2XOfA=w397-h400" width="397" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rafael del Riego y Flórez</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Other regiments joined. The soldiers demanded a return to
the 1812 constitution. In March 1820, they surrounded the royal palace, and the
king capitulated. A junta ruled Spain for several years until the autocrats of
Europe pushed Royalist France to invade and put the king back in his rightful
place of rule as an absolute monarch. Now, General de Riego was put on trial
and hanged for treason.<o:p></o:p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Entry into Geopolitics</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The long-isolationist United States grew concerned with the
possibility of some European powers stepping into the void of Spanish authority
in the New World. Britain felt the same, especially fearing Russia's incursions
from the North and the threats to its holdings in South America and the West
Indies. A suggestion made for a joint declaration of status quo ante in the New
World resonated somewhat with President Monroe but not the Secretary of State,
John Quincy Adams. After all, two wars were fought against Britain, one quite
recently. America would render its own statement. Adams was the prime drafter
of what became, many years later, called The Monroe Doctrine.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclmXaSzDVFT0yS51SHINPPvYjNWgeBghYw6xcSXMLlTRNIkkgtnLQV01vRBvsBRSUFW3xeGwDDY2Jj0mwueA5YxgKZH7KAkvw5gwLgUAaktQtYN9244T3p8NdnGARmVKcbn0qaRZtCzqKznouS6-oqKPe8AEWZiNTAyjaEXd1MsWqhePYkKfPe3EJ5FI/s669/Monroe%20James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="549" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclmXaSzDVFT0yS51SHINPPvYjNWgeBghYw6xcSXMLlTRNIkkgtnLQV01vRBvsBRSUFW3xeGwDDY2Jj0mwueA5YxgKZH7KAkvw5gwLgUAaktQtYN9244T3p8NdnGARmVKcbn0qaRZtCzqKznouS6-oqKPe8AEWZiNTAyjaEXd1MsWqhePYkKfPe3EJ5FI/w329-h400/Monroe%20James.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">James Monroe</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Birthday
Celebration—and More</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Monroe's administration was coming to a close as the nation
approached its 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary. He would lawfully be out of office
by April 1825, yet he wanted to do something celebratory prior to his
departure. Inviting the last surviving Continental Army general to return to
his adopted land seemed a great way to begin the party on his watch, underscore
the arrival of the young republic on the world stage, and rebuild patriotic
fervor. Lafayette was beloved in America and was a world-renowned figure for
his lead role in two revolutionary movements.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVgyi-_4AL-XXQZH1Ep7xhHqI8NixgGgZ0dTan3u7PGcm7Ve85Zm4lHW2IhDONObLQjLGxbRVkP-4pEQxixfU-BVcj2IL2B3oizXbdg15qwpFZxKYWCYTrWdJgPZWKAAKbExaz_zlwIVxX6dNS8PdZ0O7Yw-e9094svXzIY9SI28JY1u8c5YDFmX1GcY/s695/Lafayette%20in%20later%20years%20mufti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVgyi-_4AL-XXQZH1Ep7xhHqI8NixgGgZ0dTan3u7PGcm7Ve85Zm4lHW2IhDONObLQjLGxbRVkP-4pEQxixfU-BVcj2IL2B3oizXbdg15qwpFZxKYWCYTrWdJgPZWKAAKbExaz_zlwIVxX6dNS8PdZ0O7Yw-e9094svXzIY9SI28JY1u8c5YDFmX1GcY/s320/Lafayette%20in%20later%20years%20mufti.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lafayette in Winter</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Plot Thickens</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As I learned all this, I realized the tour was more than
just a feel-good event but a tool to use in both internal and external
politics. This was pretty slick. Others thought so, too. Among the
others were the members of the Holy Alliance, a reactionary (and not so holy) pact among the Empire of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia,
and the Empire of Russia aimed at curbing the spread of democracy and
buttressing autocracy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpY2L2-KW9RSyOUr2ZUUkOU2U7mWpJ1HodJ5TQivtXbo7zP8AlevGbxjJiAs0NfyuGm6ryiehncyIzvrQj2C1JR5OwXTXzN28iEBHFHfO2pc9gwCO6fftnZE2J1LZCWXZ_w-Q6DDmvwN7kAawvLuTkUnIH85KhuBh7Xp0IdiWhBhShnjCAEVTGXcj45s0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpY2L2-KW9RSyOUr2ZUUkOU2U7mWpJ1HodJ5TQivtXbo7zP8AlevGbxjJiAs0NfyuGm6ryiehncyIzvrQj2C1JR5OwXTXzN28iEBHFHfO2pc9gwCO6fftnZE2J1LZCWXZ_w-Q6DDmvwN7kAawvLuTkUnIH85KhuBh7Xp0IdiWhBhShnjCAEVTGXcj45s0=w355-h400" width="355" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Holy Alliance?</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Of course, I built on this by creating the fictional
subcommittee of the Holy Alliance that I named the Aulic Council. The
historical Aulic Council was an executive-judicial council for the Holy Roman Empire
that started during the Late Middle Ages and ended when Napoleon dissolved the
Holy Roman Empire in 1806. I spin it into a Spectre-like organization run by
villainous barons who harken to Austen Powers's Mr. Evil.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6oUCZb2Ro8-Eb7NsdBkGZFbSxsrrXPzqE-SIw0H_-usRazzb8d49WlbezE9Ga1v9jEFhXmzunGmVIIg3oPwc-I-xzRvTWOkqeltzCKlHsH2U16P60n8vqrCOLcn1Kgwce7iat-D82VIzIyRCSmO0SXs2IskGwnaydmNu5GXz5s8XkcVAjWo-Zdzbl2mA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="143" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6oUCZb2Ro8-Eb7NsdBkGZFbSxsrrXPzqE-SIw0H_-usRazzb8d49WlbezE9Ga1v9jEFhXmzunGmVIIg3oPwc-I-xzRvTWOkqeltzCKlHsH2U16P60n8vqrCOLcn1Kgwce7iat-D82VIzIyRCSmO0SXs2IskGwnaydmNu5GXz5s8XkcVAjWo-Zdzbl2mA" width="215" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mister Evil</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Protecting the Man</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">How does a country with no Secret Service or FBI and a small
military scattered in coastal forts and western outposts protect a dignitary
during a highly publicized series of events? That's the central theme of the
tale. An eclectic mix of characters in and out of government come together with
just minimal help from the Federal and state governments. Catholic monks, diplomats, US naval officers, US Marines, the New York militia, and others all play a role in protecting the general.<o:p></o:p> They call themselves The Lafayette Circle. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDyhtM-ywdrZq04HTxScYT7eq3TGYTTNNe4u2D0TOpjjvg8A2nN2I9UUWmIFYA-KD4tnjEb0goFPDaHbieRPOmV9iyossG93dCGTkzG_2hgdV_XylXvMnJbXEmFrO2XaSbjDkU8TvMZp6oBk-PC0xx1C-x_WDiZxMRsgjXuM7xc0arj60NHQf4A3s6-40" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="675" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDyhtM-ywdrZq04HTxScYT7eq3TGYTTNNe4u2D0TOpjjvg8A2nN2I9UUWmIFYA-KD4tnjEb0goFPDaHbieRPOmV9iyossG93dCGTkzG_2hgdV_XylXvMnJbXEmFrO2XaSbjDkU8TvMZp6oBk-PC0xx1C-x_WDiZxMRsgjXuM7xc0arj60NHQf4A3s6-40=w400-h290" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">New York Militia Guarding Lafayette</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Boris and Natascha x Three</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Three assassin teams, each consisting of one male and one
female, are dispatched to seek out Lafayette and kill him. This is another
eclectic cast of characters made intentionally evil but like famed "nogoodnik"
Boris Badanoff and his sultry sidekick Natasha in the Rocky and Bullwinkle
Show, not totally unlikeable. Their struggle to "acquire" their target as they
roam early 19<sup>th</sup>-century America adds to the suspense. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDW7Xc93TMgWM_xBitHA77QSyVEfsBMgM-mkQhW7svsTOttn6wrCnFw4RlduSKp1pziO_DimQRTEFRJak6z1BZ58hKhP1ntCoIkNpPFhZ1E3e1oSL8lbUFmld083m0FAzlTFiC2dePZR32FRfP03okweyhJ9wIglWYqxvTjwmFdtg20hbq3CsjpZxAsUU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="292" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDW7Xc93TMgWM_xBitHA77QSyVEfsBMgM-mkQhW7svsTOttn6wrCnFw4RlduSKp1pziO_DimQRTEFRJak6z1BZ58hKhP1ntCoIkNpPFhZ1E3e1oSL8lbUFmld083m0FAzlTFiC2dePZR32FRfP03okweyhJ9wIglWYqxvTjwmFdtg20hbq3CsjpZxAsUU=w390-h400" width="390" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Boris and Natasha</div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Who's Your President?</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The fact that one of the most controversial presidential
contests in America's history takes place in the middle of all this provided a
subplot I could not resist. The events are proof that the more things change,
the more they stay the same with backroom deals, fights for votes, and a
"rigged election" that was also, curiously, legitimate. The events that
deprived Andrew Jackson of the White House in the 1824 election are more
obscure to most Americans than Julius Caesar's assassination, which at least
was celebrated in a play by the Bard himself. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMGq3jpWRtCzJZYwNkLhz_j9aEqFyuE0GR8NiwHTogN2ZQBsicmkAHGLt8SCruvJ3C0Izyys2wWbFKPgh-YLFlv2KKJVOS7vNBWY-77wi96D0qnoK2ZULPzwcAu2rl7Ximjs_L8UxLctohzAhRIj6xDPr1l22ZUOjPkcJ4mxYhu7dSL-0TJDwUyNVkOgo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMGq3jpWRtCzJZYwNkLhz_j9aEqFyuE0GR8NiwHTogN2ZQBsicmkAHGLt8SCruvJ3C0Izyys2wWbFKPgh-YLFlv2KKJVOS7vNBWY-77wi96D0qnoK2ZULPzwcAu2rl7Ximjs_L8UxLctohzAhRIj6xDPr1l22ZUOjPkcJ4mxYhu7dSL-0TJDwUyNVkOgo=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1824 Election was Controversial</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yet the election took place
during Lafayette's visit, and he was known by all the principals involved when
the election was thrown to the House of Representatives for just the second
time in America's history. Deals were struck, and John Quincy Adams went to the White House. The man with the most electoral votes went home to his estate, The Hermitage, outside Nashville. Lafayette would go
out of his way to meet the war hero Jackson while he was home licking his
wounds.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8WRntscv6xCJu75wn-zmZkDWC3vL4W_d_xVAeL7t49FapL6frztoGrvr0Ghppr7P0NF8uNNbowX9nYwUB5kPo4zd5ztz4NaXygleCBcK5YDHTnFmMg681X8Gi6aN-P2lh_vAI84HDtbfqvuPDlpLi4KPK3bAj6EmgUlHmoFxwsfIcIHQQskJy_i2XeWY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8WRntscv6xCJu75wn-zmZkDWC3vL4W_d_xVAeL7t49FapL6frztoGrvr0Ghppr7P0NF8uNNbowX9nYwUB5kPo4zd5ztz4NaXygleCBcK5YDHTnFmMg681X8Gi6aN-P2lh_vAI84HDtbfqvuPDlpLi4KPK3bAj6EmgUlHmoFxwsfIcIHQQskJy_i2XeWY=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Hermitage</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Companions</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Lafayette's journey was captured by his personal secretary
Auguste Levasseur, who penned a personal account of the incredible journey, <i>Lafayette
en Amérique, en 1824 et 1825 ou Journal d'un voyage aux États-Unis</i>. His
son, Georges Washington Lafayette, also accompanied the general. Both are
involved in fictionalized scenes meant to move the plot along while exposing us
to different sides of the great man. Likewise, Fanny Wright, a socialist activist (and Lafayette's purported mistress) from Scotland and some thirty years younger than Lafayette, accompanies him on part of the trip.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkL1KkDACG6M6Uf08f8iCvriwE0EmYh1s-Z4FASWVa5nz_bcrzopBj7FzWQMA54Wk1GyC0EjEkKc31Kj2SfPNi3jU4f4RpMkgFEcPHNj71FmCDEBK2ohFvodit00kS0twhQ5_aNIORZ4I8xQopuAuxUiovJvCpCqL9Tk3BDoBfDrWJ2z4Ht5k0jlCMOyA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkL1KkDACG6M6Uf08f8iCvriwE0EmYh1s-Z4FASWVa5nz_bcrzopBj7FzWQMA54Wk1GyC0EjEkKc31Kj2SfPNi3jU4f4RpMkgFEcPHNj71FmCDEBK2ohFvodit00kS0twhQ5_aNIORZ4I8xQopuAuxUiovJvCpCqL9Tk3BDoBfDrWJ2z4Ht5k0jlCMOyA=w310-h400" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Frances "Fanny" Wright</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Glimpses</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The novel has several flashback sections—scenes meant to put
Lafayette back in his youth fighting the American Revolution, leading the
French Revolution, and dealing with the consequences of both. These are
intended to give a bit of historical perspective to those uninformed about his
role in those earlier significant events that shaped the Western world. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu3xiciQJ0jyZHL2OlgrfIKa58sirM7RqiCC3-xNH6dL1aCy0jWubxphqwPn7mNhnr2hCK8LhdkKw5qsKlilSI1Pc22xGJuuIzbE937GfxmEL_kGBmxXYZQ-vadK0XP7CGTj8dMiA2LSNuI_wqhk1sCQLhSMSqMEv0c8u6n6uh0yCM5szkpnBz6Efd4VM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="542" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu3xiciQJ0jyZHL2OlgrfIKa58sirM7RqiCC3-xNH6dL1aCy0jWubxphqwPn7mNhnr2hCK8LhdkKw5qsKlilSI1Pc22xGJuuIzbE937GfxmEL_kGBmxXYZQ-vadK0XP7CGTj8dMiA2LSNuI_wqhk1sCQLhSMSqMEv0c8u6n6uh0yCM5szkpnBz6Efd4VM=w400-h288" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Flashback: Lafayette's wounding at Brandywine 1777</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Ordeal</h4><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I also attempted to provide a look at America and the world
in 1824. Travel was by wind, steam, and horse. It was slow and steady and
always an ordeal culminating in hundreds of stops across a vast continent. Meetings
with folks from all walks of life. Reminiscing with old comrades. Shaking
thousands and thousands of hands around the clock. Lafayette's prodigious
schedule of events and speeches were like MAGA tours of the day and bound to
take a toll on a man approaching seventy. Yet he did it with aplomb and
graciousness. One has to ask why, and the answer is simple. Indeed, he loved
America and what it stood for. But even more than that, he loved its people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYDFaptSyihr9sKc_dIprO6q2QZ9yQI7QbccVsPTLcWknRa-RidjCZVD6IpbBTeaCjFBdy6z97NbkkQm212mOJcQNMQLdkV_qyKWsUVVKo4PwOOu9qcZnKNucoINIdhbnq7l_iOsI6BqKPUXMo8gAORWMAGCmc1HcqUJdU764T5jWTuboUlZJbaaLX3uk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1000" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYDFaptSyihr9sKc_dIprO6q2QZ9yQI7QbccVsPTLcWknRa-RidjCZVD6IpbBTeaCjFBdy6z97NbkkQm212mOJcQNMQLdkV_qyKWsUVVKo4PwOOu9qcZnKNucoINIdhbnq7l_iOsI6BqKPUXMo8gAORWMAGCmc1HcqUJdU764T5jWTuboUlZJbaaLX3uk=w400-h264" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt1XQ3m0BRO-svRwLhJ3vRBrwNVeY7EOx6CuIcSP5ylFxQhWYI_HlqUWJ3-CeH1_kwDh0gqCqwZBsK7HZvY4HuakqVtKKV_w1Hn43kXhmGCh0ZFf5XAnlHbBH0kQLyid27-ky9XHvsVybjt3Sh0KyRzEnPXVMWXoeBWD4NX9vs8RlDUSWnufa2II8wrRQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="998" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt1XQ3m0BRO-svRwLhJ3vRBrwNVeY7EOx6CuIcSP5ylFxQhWYI_HlqUWJ3-CeH1_kwDh0gqCqwZBsK7HZvY4HuakqVtKKV_w1Hn43kXhmGCh0ZFf5XAnlHbBH0kQLyid27-ky9XHvsVybjt3Sh0KyRzEnPXVMWXoeBWD4NX9vs8RlDUSWnufa2II8wrRQ=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;">The Lafayette Circle is available now!</span><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-75443071617370246392023-12-30T06:47:00.000-08:002024-01-01T07:39:24.423-08:00The Prodigy<p> </p><p><br /></p><p>This final post of 2023 will profile another of the historical characters in my novel, The Lafayette Circle. Although John Quincy Adams plays a relatively minor role in this tale of intrigue and mayhem in early 19th century America, he does provide the seed of the ideas that made the Marquis de Lafayette's 1824-1825 visit more than just a celebration of bonhomie between two nations.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5ATMG6POblO6JHjcs5bPO0qooB_ZkiWPdpF_DYII94HiMpBaoLE_qn9W4AMLtjSGTgl-LjH-nqNfN7GzuvaVUIUa0P9S2NKtVu7iDSFOu60kxZ7QT5GpYocLWcHOFud8HLhhXG_jKsQR24eupkF3mQ9wvt0r_CNDVjduvOGUCLWCp1NEB7Eql4MxTOs/s944/Adams%20John%20Q%20age%2029.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5ATMG6POblO6JHjcs5bPO0qooB_ZkiWPdpF_DYII94HiMpBaoLE_qn9W4AMLtjSGTgl-LjH-nqNfN7GzuvaVUIUa0P9S2NKtVu7iDSFOu60kxZ7QT5GpYocLWcHOFud8HLhhXG_jKsQR24eupkF3mQ9wvt0r_CNDVjduvOGUCLWCp1NEB7Eql4MxTOs/w339-h400/Adams%20John%20Q%20age%2029.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Quincy Adams - the youthful diplomat</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Apprentice Diplomat</h4><p>John Quincy Adams was fated to grow up and live in the shadow of his father, John, the accomplished lawyer, statesman, and politician who helped engineer the American Revolution and the foundation of America, becoming its second chief executive. Young John Quincy was born on 11 July 1767 at the family home in Braintree, Massachusetts, which is today's Quincy. His intensely patriotic and accomplished parents formed his early upbringing and schooled him in a classical education. The American Revolution seemingly unfolded before his eyes as he was among the many in and around Boston who watched nervously as the patriots battled lines of redcoats at Bunker Hill in 1775. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1alngBs3dx6rWkbR8f_tP63YJMnhhzmhcgp9j3FJaMioKevwUeIVwI4PD8ie440ZQ2mG08NUczcUhh6vnnq6hHbRY0TCaPpEENT8QNKebeyvGMWK1ukv_kTAjy0z7FzJejTPXbceOG-1XzXPiaHamYySwzexP5_1NkGaOVbZI9iCKPrsObvVTEyVpyy8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="655" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1alngBs3dx6rWkbR8f_tP63YJMnhhzmhcgp9j3FJaMioKevwUeIVwI4PD8ie440ZQ2mG08NUczcUhh6vnnq6hHbRY0TCaPpEENT8QNKebeyvGMWK1ukv_kTAjy0z7FzJejTPXbceOG-1XzXPiaHamYySwzexP5_1NkGaOVbZI9iCKPrsObvVTEyVpyy8=w262-h400" width="262" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Watching Bunker Hill</div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Exchange Student</h4><p>Three years later, he left his mother to accompany his father on a diplomatic mission to Europe, which was the beginning of his real education. From 1778 to 1779, he studied at a private school in Paris, where he developed his fluency in French, the language of diplomats. Following this, he attended the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, learning some Dutch.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYT2u_Z9YHL09sTOJliTt1AeyO-lyNBUxeRZsxNSChofz6FYlewy_N871vfaQAUuLA4hJnL8NU-lLiw_bCfDalKAQ0_1_WKztYMRctJPmNH4TDbJ6DJbo2beAlmR1QarobcnmAskmITfsxao1npi8rJQGEgHXpso5ZJVta4kjJGG1KIiukT0Igz7FIzM/s248/Adams%20John%20Quincy%20%20as%20boy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="185" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsYT2u_Z9YHL09sTOJliTt1AeyO-lyNBUxeRZsxNSChofz6FYlewy_N871vfaQAUuLA4hJnL8NU-lLiw_bCfDalKAQ0_1_WKztYMRctJPmNH4TDbJ6DJbo2beAlmR1QarobcnmAskmITfsxao1npi8rJQGEgHXpso5ZJVta4kjJGG1KIiukT0Igz7FIzM/s1600/Adams%20John%20Quincy%20%20as%20boy.jpg" width="185" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Boy Prodigy</div><p><br /></p><p>By 1781, he was accomplished enough in French for his father to arrange John Quincy a post as private secretary to one of America's foremost diplomats, Francis Dana, who had been named US Envoy to Russia's court at St. Petersburg. When Dana's mission proved unfruitful, he returned to Paris, where he served as a secretary to the American Commissioners during their negotiations with the British. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Law and the Hague</h4><p>When the Treaty of Paris was signed, he returned to the US to study at Harvard College and then Newburyport under the tutelage of Theophilus Parsons, where he read the law. By 1790, he was a member of the Bar in Boston. Adams went into private practice but also began penning pamphlets on political doctrine and foreign policy, in the latter case supporting President George Washington's firm stance on neutrality. This gained him an appointment as US minister to the Netherlands in 1794.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG-RLDgyQMeJVkFhEZC3z43sksZ4auVGBRUUyUX3BceI6m_RoS_hw8ie5mH1eDag3B2LV1THA3ET46i2Hd1mCGkVOqAVTMfOPpITQhHQ_qIlMmZwGNQF6MqOfcQC4p9u_cW9h4QOw0QMyHvW4OeIInFhlVs7Xi_B6EVep2b4iyOzvJaj79Y-AwklGUDw/s582/Washington%20aas%20President%20with%20sword.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG-RLDgyQMeJVkFhEZC3z43sksZ4auVGBRUUyUX3BceI6m_RoS_hw8ie5mH1eDag3B2LV1THA3ET46i2Hd1mCGkVOqAVTMfOPpITQhHQ_qIlMmZwGNQF6MqOfcQC4p9u_cW9h4QOw0QMyHvW4OeIInFhlVs7Xi_B6EVep2b4iyOzvJaj79Y-AwklGUDw/w378-h400/Washington%20aas%20President%20with%20sword.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">President George Washington</div><p>The wars of the French Revolution were raging, and the Hague was a capital full of diplomatic intrigue. Adams's dispatches and letters provided the Washington administration (which included his dad as Vice President) valuable information. He served a temporary post in London to help bring about the 1794 Jay Treaty—a pivotal and controversial foreign policy initiative.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Diplomat</h4><p>For his able service, in 1796, President Washington appointed him US Envoy to Portugal, but when Dad became the nation's second president, he switched his son's assignment to Prussia. But pleasure before business—Adams married Louisa Catherine Johnson, a diplomat's daughter whom he met in Paris when he was just twelve. She proved a charming and able partner to the rising young diplomat. They married in London before heading to Berlin, where he negotiated a treaty of amity and commerce with the Prussians. But in 1800, politics flipped on him with the election of Thomas Jefferson, who recalled Adams from his post.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEmOndUAcTSJy1wWzTkCrgZ4ATnUNY2ZjvQ9KW3I7xD6gfxTvC_f7erbOLMxiFoXu53wkmZ3ep4SpnX3DOcL3oMXZApF2nHQpgddpPYCc4GFM7xDRV8V4S89SGzpTiayjyL1iu4ZaJd6bSgCyED4jp9jhOUKPdWLmLWvr0gFjE2KDt-ZDdE423ML_JlA/s1433/Adams%20Louisa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1433" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEmOndUAcTSJy1wWzTkCrgZ4ATnUNY2ZjvQ9KW3I7xD6gfxTvC_f7erbOLMxiFoXu53wkmZ3ep4SpnX3DOcL3oMXZApF2nHQpgddpPYCc4GFM7xDRV8V4S89SGzpTiayjyL1iu4ZaJd6bSgCyED4jp9jhOUKPdWLmLWvr0gFjE2KDt-ZDdE423ML_JlA/w251-h400/Adams%20Louisa.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Political Life</h4><p>Adams returned to Boston, where state and federal politics became his new playground. By 1802, he was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, which elected him a US Senator from Massachusetts in 1803. Battleground is actually a more accurate description. Adams was as acerbic as his father and did not favor "factions." He voted his conscience, and that often put him at odds with one party or the other. He grew estranged from his dad's Federalist Party, which by now had turned on him. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAd9a7rNvoTsqZMKzlV3dNAs6e83dMK7ufkN2a0jl9wdjRnlq4ADg03Zupx5PuH8Nl2G1Xl1-ZaQGWtQDpvbrQQGkW7pjHfHd-fiMHSEYywQgL8TY2EiIF3wGYTUZvCQT6JupVcfjf14BNIFqiWrU2lRRLdNtck_ohLUiLaipp2WciHIp9rerWP-naoR4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAd9a7rNvoTsqZMKzlV3dNAs6e83dMK7ufkN2a0jl9wdjRnlq4ADg03Zupx5PuH8Nl2G1Xl1-ZaQGWtQDpvbrQQGkW7pjHfHd-fiMHSEYywQgL8TY2EiIF3wGYTUZvCQT6JupVcfjf14BNIFqiWrU2lRRLdNtck_ohLUiLaipp2WciHIp9rerWP-naoR4" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Support for the Embargo Act Cost Adams His Job</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>This all came to a head when he voted in support of Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act, a measure opposed by the New Englanders who valued Brtain as a trading partner. In 1808, the Massachusetts Senate voted him out of office, and he resigned. Adams aligned with the Republicans and took a position as professor of rhetoric and oratory at Harvard College.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Envoy to Russia</h4><p>The world was at war with Napoleonic France, and President Madison needed an A player to sort things out. The highly experienced Adams was the right man, especially as he had broken with the Federalists. From that perch, the astute Adams watched the dissolution of Emporer Napoleon Bonaparte's Army in 1812 and the destruction of his empire over the following two years. Adams was at the Court of St. Petersburg just when Czar Alexander rose in stature as a leader in the coalition against Napoleon.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxtIh5kv_yKTxf-EHMGd_1urQ3M9uuy10GIdF7ugEP72HqG7KUXQ1oijNmZmjHmGQWHmZAgZyHs9cvoT23c_oVID9p3Ju0E0hbIaRKXx26-Bjut7ghVzAj9JM2coVcgIPUkCknNXq34dqUw01749-kguS2aj5w7s1A2MG4laUTjL3veQvVCausS6fbbUk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxtIh5kv_yKTxf-EHMGd_1urQ3M9uuy10GIdF7ugEP72HqG7KUXQ1oijNmZmjHmGQWHmZAgZyHs9cvoT23c_oVID9p3Ju0E0hbIaRKXx26-Bjut7ghVzAj9JM2coVcgIPUkCknNXq34dqUw01749-kguS2aj5w7s1A2MG4laUTjL3veQvVCausS6fbbUk=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Czar Alexander I - Power Broker</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Treaty of Ghent</h4><p>Meanwhile, war had broken out between the US and Great Britain, Russia's ally. Adams jumped onCzar Alexander's offer to mediate in the fall of 1812. The initiative, with Adams as one of the lead commissioners, fell through. However, a follow-up attempt in 1814 under Adams's leadership resulted in the Treaty of Ghent. This face-saving status quo ante arrangement changed little diplomatically or politically. Still, it gave the small US the morale-building confidence of having gone toe-to-toe with what was now the world hegemon.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfDm2tQe81ZIM9-fgF8cFpX4QuLFz8BxsNByTNnmZU3b5YR5CMRDZRQ4LEOu8c-2qjX5sg6wdHaRZlWQYWqRGhH9uprUMktxaNdqViUibtNKILvdjgI2IVDN1Cv24OlkIaGg_yRLCAp0rIYUmdLIthoxr6CbxPoQzz9EykoCRVxMUqjvj572hYZauE__I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="1000" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfDm2tQe81ZIM9-fgF8cFpX4QuLFz8BxsNByTNnmZU3b5YR5CMRDZRQ4LEOu8c-2qjX5sg6wdHaRZlWQYWqRGhH9uprUMktxaNdqViUibtNKILvdjgI2IVDN1Cv24OlkIaGg_yRLCAp0rIYUmdLIthoxr6CbxPoQzz9EykoCRVxMUqjvj572hYZauE__I=w400-h276" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Signing Treaty of Ghent</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Like Father, Like Son</h4><p>After a short stint in Paris, which occurred during Napoleon's short return to power in 1815, he followed in Dad's footsteps. He went to London, where he and Henry Clay negotiated a "Convention to Regulate Commerce and Navigation." Soon afterward, he became US minister to Great Britain, as his father had been before him and as his son Charles was to be after him. His stay at the Court of St.James was short, as Adams returned to the United States in the summer of 1817 to become secretary of state in the cabinet of President James Monroe. This appointment was primarily due to his diplomatic experience but also due to the president's desire to have a sectionally well-balanced cabinet in what came to be known as the Era of Good Feelings.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcaZdyqMSIQ--GAngwrLz60eSv5kwarSgxsaR-Kb-4MdxyOZTMv-dtTdJjIKneaObKNaKZ6H4iRNwbRXiuI_Jdh4cUz2PPvYhl2H0p7X8d9FQTdL9-4iEPo9QcL_k9t3yV7SsNbJWw_mp20XOGMqqKzQDUXqXHewzKs8NI5XS43sMDfRzZmerioGMYe-U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1339" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcaZdyqMSIQ--GAngwrLz60eSv5kwarSgxsaR-Kb-4MdxyOZTMv-dtTdJjIKneaObKNaKZ6H4iRNwbRXiuI_Jdh4cUz2PPvYhl2H0p7X8d9FQTdL9-4iEPo9QcL_k9t3yV7SsNbJWw_mp20XOGMqqKzQDUXqXHewzKs8NI5XS43sMDfRzZmerioGMYe-U=w400-h274" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">St. James Palace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Manifest Destiny</h4><p>Adams's tenure as Secretary of State was, as one would expect, with someone groomed for the job since the age of fourteen—outstanding. He worked diligently with Spain to resolve the long-term dispute over America's western and southwestern borders. The Spanish Minister Onis agreed Spain would give up its claims to lands east of the Mississippi River. For his part, Adams decided the United States would forgo claims to Texas. The two settled on a boundary drawn from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Years of dispute were settled by the signing of what was called the Adams-Onis Transcontinental Treaty.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixmq9dpLoXBsDtXS-u5iwq9D0pMvA847I-X6SXwwA8_H7ZdpSILYbAnfUQbE9mcJ1ivu9MHQhoyzZzXZyrme1vsGWdrXAYNiGuDW2vzb1yQs_F-HGCm9tE_H13Vb3assC1NtdJFjTE3S4g07ykqPOfZuZ5hg8nJXSv9so9rToTZLgPVsSQHg_mwVHy7Ug" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="630" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixmq9dpLoXBsDtXS-u5iwq9D0pMvA847I-X6SXwwA8_H7ZdpSILYbAnfUQbE9mcJ1ivu9MHQhoyzZzXZyrme1vsGWdrXAYNiGuDW2vzb1yQs_F-HGCm9tE_H13Vb3assC1NtdJFjTE3S4g07ykqPOfZuZ5hg8nJXSv9so9rToTZLgPVsSQHg_mwVHy7Ug=w400-h286" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>In 1818, he also settled the northern frontier dispute with Great Britain, establishing the 49th parallel all the way to the Rocky Mountains.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Monroe Doctrine</h4><p>Adams was a principal driver of the US policy on foreign interference in the Western Hemisphere. This is his key role in my novel, The Lafayette Circle. Instead of a joint US-British proclamation regarding European powers and the Spanish territories in America, he convinced President James Monroe to go it alone. The letter he helped craft to Congress in late 1823 and promulgated in 1824 was a stern warning to those hoping to pick up some loose change as the former colonies seemed ripe for the picking to certain powers. What later became known as The Monroe Doctrine was intended to protect the newly independent lands from recolonization and became the cornerstone of US foreign policy for more than one hundred years.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGjW7bcT9WcmqDEFBT9co51RklkqV9Fepoxx5pMP0A4gV9eevkhiYP6oslWWdAoqYUDotdpgWeOw9O-UM6Rfd5WOD2Pr7E5N1lrOcrBt_aLsA7B4YmuXHTfqNY9WtxhpHk-60g2NmIPuv8AYFRixS5O2WNYnmzQ-FTxSvh8kSteW0dSQGAFxmlskYvus/s669/Monroe%20James.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="549" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGjW7bcT9WcmqDEFBT9co51RklkqV9Fepoxx5pMP0A4gV9eevkhiYP6oslWWdAoqYUDotdpgWeOw9O-UM6Rfd5WOD2Pr7E5N1lrOcrBt_aLsA7B4YmuXHTfqNY9WtxhpHk-60g2NmIPuv8AYFRixS5O2WNYnmzQ-FTxSvh8kSteW0dSQGAFxmlskYvus/w329-h400/Monroe%20James.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">James Monroe</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Second President Adams</h4><p>The 1824 election was a scene of chaos and political maneuvering, all within the parameters set forth by the US Constitution. With none of the four candidates (Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Crawford) receiving the requisite number of electoral votes, the election was thrown to the House of Representatives to select from the top three (Jackson, Adams, Clay) in a one-vote-per-state "play-off." Henry Clay viewed Jackson as a dangerous demagogue and threw his support to Adams, putting him in the Oval Office. The Jacksonians cried foul when Adams later appointed Clay as Secretary of State.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDv-iyuRlDKy8nvbJqq31fi7i7yhgUmgjsFDl2JAg5egCXsQyi9dycfva3sibXC7u4bw_o85-sc-DaE7NY8iEsqHodTWhZS97pt5mCSNRJyuIUx-8rU-U7p3nNhgX2nEVB3YsDMsP9YBXPAJR0Bp1fn_e30OMv93je5ojsiVjDPKIUd0sYOWrZw6xFg/s2000/Clay%20Henry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1632" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZDv-iyuRlDKy8nvbJqq31fi7i7yhgUmgjsFDl2JAg5egCXsQyi9dycfva3sibXC7u4bw_o85-sc-DaE7NY8iEsqHodTWhZS97pt5mCSNRJyuIUx-8rU-U7p3nNhgX2nEVB3YsDMsP9YBXPAJR0Bp1fn_e30OMv93je5ojsiVjDPKIUd0sYOWrZw6xFg/w326-h400/Clay%20Henry.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Henry Clay</div><p><br /></p><p>Adams worked long and hard as president, but the anger of the Jacksonians (who suspected a corrupt bargain) hung like a cloud over his term as they opposed him in everything. Adams's hopes of creating a national university and a national astronomical observatory were dashed. His idea that the western territories undergo only gradual development became dead on arrival. Even his infrastructure initiatives—building bridges, ports, and roads with financial aid from the Federal government were stymied. Jackson came back to crush Adams in the 1828 election.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51icwP2CO-M5Ji3jjMbUtMZVd_kWnYZ1KsAHdvMaaohPBICHnqgCLQ2WZ-d-XvdeiQk6QvY891SWK02yQVs-YqT-RP16ScYzfGYSMNM6XO9xc7Fgwnwhw29RTtKzgumO9HP_MGPOSpKp6hpmR0OKKBaLCLwRepWAZaJvrlL8a4QWVHEUD1OT4bpHIEZE/s2815/Jackson%20Andrew.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="2185" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51icwP2CO-M5Ji3jjMbUtMZVd_kWnYZ1KsAHdvMaaohPBICHnqgCLQ2WZ-d-XvdeiQk6QvY891SWK02yQVs-YqT-RP16ScYzfGYSMNM6XO9xc7Fgwnwhw29RTtKzgumO9HP_MGPOSpKp6hpmR0OKKBaLCLwRepWAZaJvrlL8a4QWVHEUD1OT4bpHIEZE/w310-h400/Jackson%20Andrew.webp" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Andrew Jackson</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>In an interesting connection to my novel, The Lafayette Circle, one of Adams's first acts as president was to join General Lafayette on a farewell visit to the former president James Monroe at his Leesburg, Virginia estate.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Representative of the People</h4><p>In a move that stunned many as "degrading to a former president," Adams stood for a seat in the House of Representatives in 1831, responding that serving the people as a representative in Congress was not degrading. He served the people in Congress until he died in 1848. In those years, he fought tirelessly against slavery and its expansion and against the various ploys by the slave block in Congress to expand and maintain their peculiar institution.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoza6MdTVZrNRMcMDOZE9_IOeHsaYM0KEbPISKo2aKAGh5wSdB72XZO5IeZKWRXC-CclkrNgZaBmlpV4NxG3BbQQC9aSBlYAYYYsyS-T3ZrvMVlgKQVhFGidoVR3eFbwWct1KZMoYSYAHSCrjWmoshqanzGMEiEaDx0roNzQRmS96HXA9dePt5eJnhp7Y/s900/Adams%20John%20Quincy%20as%20President.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="715" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoza6MdTVZrNRMcMDOZE9_IOeHsaYM0KEbPISKo2aKAGh5wSdB72XZO5IeZKWRXC-CclkrNgZaBmlpV4NxG3BbQQC9aSBlYAYYYsyS-T3ZrvMVlgKQVhFGidoVR3eFbwWct1KZMoYSYAHSCrjWmoshqanzGMEiEaDx0roNzQRmS96HXA9dePt5eJnhp7Y/w318-h400/Adams%20John%20Quincy%20as%20President.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">President John Quincy Adams</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Bold Advocate</h4><p>When Africans arrested aboard the slave ship Amistad were bound to return to their masters, John Quincy Adams took up their cause, defending them in front of The US Supreme Court—and won their freedom. Adams's entire career had pointed him toward one primary goal—doing the right thing. In this, he had a mic of success and failure, but his undaunting efforts placed him among the best of early America's following (post-founding fathers) generation of leaders.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi45rbsRa0BpvyNp-FR8OV-t62au4l2WY7-RTk9wNMexE8D79EpHNMFbMsGiJrjhLYcRJKxReiYG_A2Vy0HXnaR-YPLkGcWj1Qmm1Z_F8bOfz5nhwlP8nDKfVNycZ8xsKewYs5QEAx0ZIzmojhcuIaHAAii0ZyMwHR1_-dAl3ukl4rcIUvOO60Trogbg7c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="800" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi45rbsRa0BpvyNp-FR8OV-t62au4l2WY7-RTk9wNMexE8D79EpHNMFbMsGiJrjhLYcRJKxReiYG_A2Vy0HXnaR-YPLkGcWj1Qmm1Z_F8bOfz5nhwlP8nDKfVNycZ8xsKewYs5QEAx0ZIzmojhcuIaHAAii0ZyMwHR1_-dAl3ukl4rcIUvOO60Trogbg7c=w400-h166" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Defending the Armistead Slaves</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Lion's Last Roar</h4><div>Adams was in the House of Representatives, battling a bill to honor Mexican War veterans. Adams had vehemently opposed the war as one of aggression partly aimed at expanding slavery. He stood to decry the vote when he collapsed. He was rushed to the Speaker's Room, where he died two days later, on 23 February 1848, from a stroke. The boy prodigy, now the lion of Congress, went down working and fighting at the age of 81 with his wife Louisa at his side. It is alleged that his last words were, "This is the last of earth, but I am composed."</div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiivgb1ILKKwa4NI1jzfx-OSX3c4V60MBsUkOdWLBvcwYsWDzn16WzV53mgIfpuzn7PN-xpu3GERxF4jeKdhR1fdv8qjCFpQ_ed0hO1JhpC9O57spAg7MbatDSdGB_oCczer7P9C-iKtxAaAqMw9Gw-L2CoiKY7kXuIwmt236Xa2rNCz9xZ1kTQ75d7EnE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="1038" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiivgb1ILKKwa4NI1jzfx-OSX3c4V60MBsUkOdWLBvcwYsWDzn16WzV53mgIfpuzn7PN-xpu3GERxF4jeKdhR1fdv8qjCFpQ_ed0hO1JhpC9O57spAg7MbatDSdGB_oCczer7P9C-iKtxAaAqMw9Gw-L2CoiKY7kXuIwmt236Xa2rNCz9xZ1kTQ75d7EnE=w400-h208" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Adams Died a Servant of the People</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-52644098559025612192023-11-28T07:38:00.000-08:002023-11-28T07:38:28.175-08:00The Third Virginian<p> </p><p>It is a sad commentary that most Americans are more familiar with Marilyn Monroe than the first patriot with the same last name. And who knows? Maybe the Hollywood type who renamed Norma Jean was a history buff? But I digress. This profile reintroduces one of those nose-to-the-grindstone founders who quietly made his mark on America and the world. The fact that James Monroe is also an important historical figure in my novel, <i>The Lafayette Circle</i>, makes his story even more compelling.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmj8QgmPywinXNqypXfioOyR7GJnoyUu5-luYp4YAibjh5qRVoGnegUpeuwBkpPrIPf1aufN0SvFJPvS8GrOOuAkzqYEUhsFUhIqPS0F-dE6S-kTvQGUgXtAKw-9FlIbb4U5EeWNL_icI0ehzEiEU5ULSCT3x4pzvFSaa1aFRcLZD0P8Kbelin5KYhCKc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="707" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmj8QgmPywinXNqypXfioOyR7GJnoyUu5-luYp4YAibjh5qRVoGnegUpeuwBkpPrIPf1aufN0SvFJPvS8GrOOuAkzqYEUhsFUhIqPS0F-dE6S-kTvQGUgXtAKw-9FlIbb4U5EeWNL_icI0ehzEiEU5ULSCT3x4pzvFSaa1aFRcLZD0P8Kbelin5KYhCKc=w252-h320" width="252" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Norma Jean</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Planter Orphan</h4><p>James Monroe was born at the aptly-named Monroe Hall in Westmorland County, Virginia, on 28 April 1758. James's father was a mildly prosperous planter. Both of his parents died when Monroe was in his teens, and he took over the plantation and care of his siblings under the guidance of his mother's brother, Joseph Jones, a member of the House of Burgesses. Jones took young Monroe to Williamsburg and enrolled him in the College of William and Mary. His uncle also introduced him to the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry—up-and-coming Virginians who would help change the world, as would young James.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kQ4iOnJhM090oN9_b2wXItO2KUoyqQoTBO-AXi6x9b0-Ov0MiFCf1KxKG3VZpxrrqfMOfQfJfdAFvCVIdSb0u8lyQ4y9h6cqacz8h8cIO8S0p89Cc8_sEJ1undJVbeOi0jqtKpXyNqIvNBm0_eXlHt0KJkcTvRuzyvOdlL_U_dNGuvo9Ntu_fQqEdBs/s960/Williamsburg%20state%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kQ4iOnJhM090oN9_b2wXItO2KUoyqQoTBO-AXi6x9b0-Ov0MiFCf1KxKG3VZpxrrqfMOfQfJfdAFvCVIdSb0u8lyQ4y9h6cqacz8h8cIO8S0p89Cc8_sEJ1undJVbeOi0jqtKpXyNqIvNBm0_eXlHt0KJkcTvRuzyvOdlL_U_dNGuvo9Ntu_fQqEdBs/w400-h225/Williamsburg%20state%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Williamsburg</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Patriotic Student</h4><p>Williamsburg was abuzz with patriotic fervor. Monroe was still attending William and Mary College when the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775. Eager to get into the fray as so many young Virginians were, he left William and Mary, and on 28 September 1775, Monroe was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 3rd Virginia Continental Infantry. His first commander was Colonel Hugh Mercer, who would rise to become one of General George Washington's most trusted generals until his untimely death by British bayonets at Princeton. Lieutenant Monroe marched north to New York City with his regiment the following year.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGB2orrgFWb_yLbM7sBrogdUCMc7zaUF_KYtbotExvOldoZvfgqQSX9IZf3WbzT3d2Tbp62biNmKs6avuwEvZ-NDn4blLSdM0kYl-cgxuxUS5MXyRG5XmnzmF0OS-5e-cMWbZl_giMJRgSthTMFxzS2XwCUlMmjMaE4hx8bgjhNpUZVIOXHpZL01DQRoo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGB2orrgFWb_yLbM7sBrogdUCMc7zaUF_KYtbotExvOldoZvfgqQSX9IZf3WbzT3d2Tbp62biNmKs6avuwEvZ-NDn4blLSdM0kYl-cgxuxUS5MXyRG5XmnzmF0OS-5e-cMWbZl_giMJRgSthTMFxzS2XwCUlMmjMaE4hx8bgjhNpUZVIOXHpZL01DQRoo=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Virginia Line</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Years of Combat</h4><p>There, he first saw combat at Harlem Heights on 16 September 1776 and volunteered to accompany the rangers of Major Thomas Knowlton. Knowlton, mortally wounded in the skirmish, became the namesake of the Military Intelligence Corps' honorary award, which bears his name.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt__rMD2UEIKIPjJHr7701OaxJ-xq6Mp9LKYaIlVX20L2Mj2LlTX07aa_py-g5tGrzhpDiWlyZZHXZDiMbnte6jmhzSqwJJ2GuROYJMYIYIsTAVBmtZynMorHEwOTyqIeYD47ZulgurLXDdngvUeev6Ik1EFfl6R4s3jozGdrrZswgI03i6TtAfzSZCto/s600/Knowlton%20cameo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt__rMD2UEIKIPjJHr7701OaxJ-xq6Mp9LKYaIlVX20L2Mj2LlTX07aa_py-g5tGrzhpDiWlyZZHXZDiMbnte6jmhzSqwJJ2GuROYJMYIYIsTAVBmtZynMorHEwOTyqIeYD47ZulgurLXDdngvUeev6Ik1EFfl6R4s3jozGdrrZswgI03i6TtAfzSZCto/w344-h400/Knowlton%20cameo.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>After additional fighting at White Plains in October, British General William Howe managed to turn the flank of the Continental Army but allowed it to slip away to New Jersey. Monroe's regiment marched south and west in a series of retreats that saw the Continental Army dwindle and American morale plummet. By late December, Washington's meager force was huddled on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River and in dire straits.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalkqmAPY0ymEVlYQ9g_WsAeMnxVPgrnjaD4VqleW6pQ0VfkbtIs7YEHClrKUyZPf8Cp-XKX4Rv2j3eM9F-wO54qRRSmW_wNyfCs-PmHt9lJhFYE5ziE_ELcGMgsVb-iGMDtkARC9kCCL5IpLQl2bot_-dYr-TYCMXAQshi67Ko6rE7vFrVl29PrGVvUQ/s795/Marching%20in%20snow%20Washington%20leads%20column.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalkqmAPY0ymEVlYQ9g_WsAeMnxVPgrnjaD4VqleW6pQ0VfkbtIs7YEHClrKUyZPf8Cp-XKX4Rv2j3eM9F-wO54qRRSmW_wNyfCs-PmHt9lJhFYE5ziE_ELcGMgsVb-iGMDtkARC9kCCL5IpLQl2bot_-dYr-TYCMXAQshi67Ko6rE7vFrVl29PrGVvUQ/w265-h400/Marching%20in%20snow%20Washington%20leads%20column.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">An Army in Retreat</div><p><br /></p><p>Things changed with the arrival of General John Sullivan at the head of the division of General Charles Lee. Curiously, Lee had allowed himself to get captured at BoskingRidge, New Jersey, by a party of British dragoons, including a young Banastre Tarleton. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCUWF6tMq7TOF8UlIGvA5Qma0xpqnls5n5ZnjZgLf0Nym-yFBSSC47TUzd3Irn348DbcDX7g3i7idvqAiJig5Hs0LJLbfOO5Nbtg81r0JYLf3xguG1tJiLOmP7bsUTIvmJm1XRVviS2rcjroFSAtv_ZcoOYagKkoqhPN04onwY7X4NdvpJ63x4Q71tMo/s216/Sullivan%20John%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="165" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCUWF6tMq7TOF8UlIGvA5Qma0xpqnls5n5ZnjZgLf0Nym-yFBSSC47TUzd3Irn348DbcDX7g3i7idvqAiJig5Hs0LJLbfOO5Nbtg81r0JYLf3xguG1tJiLOmP7bsUTIvmJm1XRVviS2rcjroFSAtv_ZcoOYagKkoqhPN04onwY7X4NdvpJ63x4Q71tMo/w306-h400/Sullivan%20John%20General.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Sullivan</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Crossing the Delaware</h4><p>The added troops meant Washington was able to launch the plan he had been deliberating since crossing into Pennsylvania—a return across the Delaware. With Howe's forces controlling New York City and most of the Jerseys, the cause was at its nadir. He needed a bold stroke, so on Christmas night, Lieutenant James Monroe and Captain William Washington's company of Colonel Weedon's Third Virginia were poling their long Durham boats through the ice floes jamming the Delaware River. It was the night of the 25th and about as silent as Washington could hope for as his columns trudged through the blustery cold along icy wooded trails. Monroe had met a man named Riker along the way. He was at first thought a Loyalist, but it turned out he was quite the patriot and joined the ragged force plunging toward the Hessian-occupied town of Trenton.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uuB_KGlPSLVWCxfNB1z27HGGUbK2v-htsJ5w7Y-FfZ0RwOYKTRsc91G_XbG80rFZ1dN9peYk30CzDkNZZApjFr4vkK_8kCabvmJ9HiqHDxaVGPVCqilbN0giJyYVPfX7bj1o84bFJhPrqLWPG5B0-vn8exPhssbrsiSZ6GuNqWhXpaVwyP82d_YHcfE/s400/Crossing%20Delaware%20Washington%20on%20horse%20ob%20serving.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="400" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2uuB_KGlPSLVWCxfNB1z27HGGUbK2v-htsJ5w7Y-FfZ0RwOYKTRsc91G_XbG80rFZ1dN9peYk30CzDkNZZApjFr4vkK_8kCabvmJ9HiqHDxaVGPVCqilbN0giJyYVPfX7bj1o84bFJhPrqLWPG5B0-vn8exPhssbrsiSZ6GuNqWhXpaVwyP82d_YHcfE/w400-h305/Crossing%20Delaware%20Washington%20on%20horse%20ob%20serving.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Crossing the Delaware</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Christmas Surprise</h4><p>At daylight on the 26th, the Continental forces attacked the sleeping town. Sentries were driven from their posts as the Virginians moved in from the north. Their objective—a two-gun battery manned by Hessians was positioned to blast the advancing Americans of Nathanael Green's brigade. The town was chaotic as sleepy musketeers and grenadiers stumbled from their quarters and shouldered firelocks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwXQjXJxKVLdeVDUHP1LRxX47OIZx8m_S0l0kwgSHMzyx4nhon3i0mobN5izlmB_hOS-UZp_TvelNMqzYVrsfF2DwGT9ZAl-a-OZGGjpzyhACH5dXktIICmnZu-5vO5o9Ahyyo2PMEUShTARqga0S0w1lvCUlVeUsXIouyApVVbZfSCuBCN14d9hJLMo/s350/Greene,%20Nathanael%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="307" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuwXQjXJxKVLdeVDUHP1LRxX47OIZx8m_S0l0kwgSHMzyx4nhon3i0mobN5izlmB_hOS-UZp_TvelNMqzYVrsfF2DwGT9ZAl-a-OZGGjpzyhACH5dXktIICmnZu-5vO5o9Ahyyo2PMEUShTARqga0S0w1lvCUlVeUsXIouyApVVbZfSCuBCN14d9hJLMo/w351-h400/Greene,%20Nathanael%20General.jpg" width="351" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nathanael Greene</div><p><br /></p><p>The pop, pop of desultory musket fire filled the chilly morning air. This soon grew in intensity, sending Monroe's company scattering for cover—they were the vanguard of their regiment and brigade. The Americans began to return fire, and more Continentals were arriving down King Street. </p><p>The boom of cannon from behind filled them with confidence. General Henry Knox's batteries were in action. Musket fire to the south also meant General Sullivan's brigades were attacking. But ahead lay that pesky Hessian battery, ready to cut down the advancing column and thwart the attack. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2bTiJZWiAbDJNWUsV911dsIKRMQDIsKybdYuvIRJjDQxDC0Mdeu8bx8EVr5F4xugl9h1T6jCpDkrNqPxHszZpRiMLQvoypaB_AoOWov4vTbdHDO5jLnL6BBQQkR8MJuxeZaXWAK-oFTEKFEiwuCB3nJYvx24Jyaqh9XiF0A_53lVMpRI9OeIDFP8lA5s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="500" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2bTiJZWiAbDJNWUsV911dsIKRMQDIsKybdYuvIRJjDQxDC0Mdeu8bx8EVr5F4xugl9h1T6jCpDkrNqPxHszZpRiMLQvoypaB_AoOWov4vTbdHDO5jLnL6BBQQkR8MJuxeZaXWAK-oFTEKFEiwuCB3nJYvx24Jyaqh9XiF0A_53lVMpRI9OeIDFP8lA5s=w400-h278" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">American Artillery Opens Fire</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>The order came from Captain Washington, "Forward!" The company rose as one and moved forward at a trot, the men's fingers frozen to the muskets in hand as the icy mix of sleet seared their faces and stung their eyes. The buzz of lead was all around them, and Captain Washington suddenly dropped to a knee, clutching his hands, which streamed blood. Lieutenant Monroe was suddenly in command.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQXO58479qXynw823VSj1FRhjsQLJl8AGMhDcTuuLCQogKcMsQehQ3PzrOAg0weOo6MN-aB4Nz3tRV-TRcSDHN2WLUDLegkm474Ryn_0955elxOT3ODXWO3UDu3KOIHl4eB15c7Dyx4PlH2ARXJAP4f2ci12QYqp3nXcKKyA2pqMn48OneFfyRxaIzO8/s335/Washington%20William.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQXO58479qXynw823VSj1FRhjsQLJl8AGMhDcTuuLCQogKcMsQehQ3PzrOAg0weOo6MN-aB4Nz3tRV-TRcSDHN2WLUDLegkm474Ryn_0955elxOT3ODXWO3UDu3KOIHl4eB15c7Dyx4PlH2ARXJAP4f2ci12QYqp3nXcKKyA2pqMn48OneFfyRxaIzO8/w287-h320/Washington%20William.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">William Washington</div><p><br /></p><p>He charged forward with the company moving at the double, and soon, the Hessian gunners, who were not shot or on the run, were raiding their hands and being marched to captivity. But not before a lead ball tore into Monroe's chest, staggering him and soaking his uniform in blood. Carried to an aid post where Washington was being treated, it was soon evident the ball had torn an artery—a mortal wound.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTVd30HZDqH6UpE4W6QwgRiQtDfBgnRlwoeusvzV-uoYP379CCRa47yGJK7KsX8oUiTODJuQz2WxMm7sWwavRKJC4-cpvdwsnyYwnrvnUstQK6XZAE2t7WOvQCjiuplknSEUq-QhdYljogQnN3ZBfieqt196d8rrxjiZHv9Dv2JN6h_G114_R0IpHWXVc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1024" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTVd30HZDqH6UpE4W6QwgRiQtDfBgnRlwoeusvzV-uoYP379CCRa47yGJK7KsX8oUiTODJuQz2WxMm7sWwavRKJC4-cpvdwsnyYwnrvnUstQK6XZAE2t7WOvQCjiuplknSEUq-QhdYljogQnN3ZBfieqt196d8rrxjiZHv9Dv2JN6h_G114_R0IpHWXVc=w400-h276" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Monroe led the charge toward the Hessian guns</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>But fortune smiled on James Monroe as well as George Washington that morning. As it turned out, Riker, Monroe never learned his first name, was a surgeon. And rare for those times, a very competent surgeon. He was able to close the artery and save the future president from bleeding to death in a battle that had no soldiers killed and just five wounded, including Monroe and Washington. He was promoted to captain for his gallantry.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Battles Lost and Won</h4><p>Monroe recovered fully from his wound and served ably at the Battle of Brandywine and Germantown in the fall of 1777. His performance in those battles gained him a promotion to major and appointment as aide-de-camp to General William Alexander on 20 November 1777. Major Monroe fought at the Battle of Monmouth on 28 June 1778, one of the hardest-fought engagements of the war and the last major battle in the north. But Monroe, who was essentially broke and unable to enlist troops, resigned from the Continental Army on 20 November. This was common. Many Continental Army officers who served honorably left to enter business, return to farming, or engage in politics. Alexander Hamilton is just one example.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5yLZs9wp_kO_ffK1EbbYOVHKqJAn_mUQzYL4oK40MqUtZ5cPrs3WsSPIuKfiEQJktLsjbgZAjlPUzSjvLxJ3zzumGvTfnGEFV30ldIFu8Fd_vdBDItzMLY1Vk0IR9FZdP7vy9jKURCfvTeiHDxBQq8wT77IYqj3UKundKkLIi-98zpQIFsuhcmYoAyI/s640/Brandywine%20fighting%20in%20woods.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="640" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5yLZs9wp_kO_ffK1EbbYOVHKqJAn_mUQzYL4oK40MqUtZ5cPrs3WsSPIuKfiEQJktLsjbgZAjlPUzSjvLxJ3zzumGvTfnGEFV30ldIFu8Fd_vdBDItzMLY1Vk0IR9FZdP7vy9jKURCfvTeiHDxBQq8wT77IYqj3UKundKkLIi-98zpQIFsuhcmYoAyI/w400-h255/Brandywine%20fighting%20in%20woods.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Brandywine</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Law and Politics</h4><p>Back in civilian life, Monroe studied law under Governor Thomas Jefferson, a relationship that would impact their lives and the nation's fate. When Charleston fell in 1781, Virginia planned to raise several new regiments, and Monroe was given the rank of lieutenant colonel, although he never served in combat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKk0NC0Og6NVs3M0YZML61YhxPnVgSS-hBpi1jJbcgWVqTUOxWnxn5LUTixqMDjn0Omm__Ft79egfG4z1Ba1zQRVC26DRgu79zclQtmaUj3K02CEP5-GBLlRkFYyg1c_lHDhcmuY8BIGq3_ZrRb2La6lgeLH55fKB-Oik_khsAMN3flEG1BPASj0d1sg/s960/Jefferson%20Thomas%20head%20and%20shoulders.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="895" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKk0NC0Og6NVs3M0YZML61YhxPnVgSS-hBpi1jJbcgWVqTUOxWnxn5LUTixqMDjn0Omm__Ft79egfG4z1Ba1zQRVC26DRgu79zclQtmaUj3K02CEP5-GBLlRkFYyg1c_lHDhcmuY8BIGq3_ZrRb2La6lgeLH55fKB-Oik_khsAMN3flEG1BPASj0d1sg/w373-h400/Jefferson%20Thomas%20head%20and%20shoulders.jpg" width="373" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thomas Jefferson</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>His military career flatlined, but Monroe's political career was on an upward arc—a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, followed by the Confederation Congress. Later, he served in the state constitutional convention. Like many prominent Virginians (Patrick Henry, George Mason), he opposed the proposed constitution for its centralized authority. That did not stop him from taking a seat in the new US Senate in 1790. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Diplomacy</h4><p>Monroe's international and diplomatic career began in 1794 when President George Washington appointed him US Envoy to France. His career in factional politics started three years later when he returned to Virginia and joined the anti-Federalist opposition organized by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. This Virginia triumvirate would profoundly affect US politics and the trajectory of the new nation. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql6CtWJ9dA9bqpb3WdTveNNsrmoiWERDaQRukJPZlWPBz92jrOVT8aIWAHFNwDQgU4qdTptXpnQ7M4HzCSy07y6gQfaEo2yXg78l3KJppqkOEJYTWgZ4M1tcyDbRCzwVXVSdqbg3tItGzrDvTJZ20XLxGH-b2lHS4CzxODhZdpRldKW8jgb6Q5djpOSY/s859/Madison%20James.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="703" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhql6CtWJ9dA9bqpb3WdTveNNsrmoiWERDaQRukJPZlWPBz92jrOVT8aIWAHFNwDQgU4qdTptXpnQ7M4HzCSy07y6gQfaEo2yXg78l3KJppqkOEJYTWgZ4M1tcyDbRCzwVXVSdqbg3tItGzrDvTJZ20XLxGH-b2lHS4CzxODhZdpRldKW8jgb6Q5djpOSY/w328-h400/Madison%20James.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">James Madison</div><p><br /></p><p>Monroe was elected Governor of Virginia in 1799. Still, in 1802, President Jefferson appointed him Envoy to France to bolster Robert Livingston's negotiations with Napoleon Bonaparte over the Louisiana Territory, which the US purchased from France the following year for 15 million dollars—doubling the size of the US. Afterward, Monroe served as minister to Great Britain, where he negotiated a commercial treaty in 1806, which the US Senate rejected because it did not address the hot-button topic of the day, impressment.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-GX7zCpgqH9QfWgAZ-OvSU9eFKd6cpvyDPKSdI-OtENRXPRZJ7_95exXuJs6RolN2hN4TmteYWWkxlja035cVCOG0FRo1_yQItRWt9hd6qw5uB3n2uPRy0TlDKMn5ZtQMOHHlJdjzB5q3bDKnSSb3XIoxB0tzqctwD_xRfwQ5WGrTiS4XL6kc_qrmFD8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="966" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-GX7zCpgqH9QfWgAZ-OvSU9eFKd6cpvyDPKSdI-OtENRXPRZJ7_95exXuJs6RolN2hN4TmteYWWkxlja035cVCOG0FRo1_yQItRWt9hd6qw5uB3n2uPRy0TlDKMn5ZtQMOHHlJdjzB5q3bDKnSSb3XIoxB0tzqctwD_xRfwQ5WGrTiS4XL6kc_qrmFD8=w242-h400" width="242" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Napoleon Bonaparte</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Second War with England</h4><p>After another stint in Virginia politics, Monroe served as President Madison's Secretary of State in 1811. Tensions with Great Britain during that period resulted in the war. The War of 1812 was not going well, so in August 1814, Madison temporarily appointed him Secretary of War. The third member of the Virginia triumvirate, James Monroe, was elected the nation's fifth president in 1816—pretty good teamwork.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6HEGNj_YbT8PARDm_B8UaPvIhWEkhiPIZmD1sA-vpqe8CB0FteTD34I9beMsFNZxwHTh0Ci42b24rr5F0mC9lsOErtckcFD-gCzCNij2Vchp1NH24XK-t4hs4gUFL1p-bMikEFpfFkyI8Nrlxd2gDNMRE8sdvC7hhEvUOZ8feiTeB5xYtinWFZEXU26Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="900" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6HEGNj_YbT8PARDm_B8UaPvIhWEkhiPIZmD1sA-vpqe8CB0FteTD34I9beMsFNZxwHTh0Ci42b24rr5F0mC9lsOErtckcFD-gCzCNij2Vchp1NH24XK-t4hs4gUFL1p-bMikEFpfFkyI8Nrlxd2gDNMRE8sdvC7hhEvUOZ8feiTeB5xYtinWFZEXU26Q=w400-h279" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British Army Burns Washington in 1814</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Chief Executive</h4><p>The nation was growing by leaps and bounds when Monroe took office, and a growing sense of American patriotism and exceptionalism, if not nationalism, was everywhere. During this so-called Era of Good Feelings, Monroe and his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, strove to advance America's position on a global stage. A brief war in 1819 against the Florida Seminoles, successfully waged by General Andrew Jackson, led to the Spanish sale of West Florida to the US in 1820, propelling him into a second term.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ0YU5o7L9kPiTM7ZTEy68p5Q8dRq2Dgyf8KVdlRHR2suSKoKM0Xyb5oHMGWFajwONabRvHXCBrcGOkRGsT5ZjAmAhGj-urrkvJO9igkY13uJTzY850bKjmGvp74aQUFfUx9Rf6B3xBGJonD5CCS8MADyIem7oozAtyYxBjxUYuihmuLFZNLuGfGwW2wY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2674" data-original-width="2099" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ0YU5o7L9kPiTM7ZTEy68p5Q8dRq2Dgyf8KVdlRHR2suSKoKM0Xyb5oHMGWFajwONabRvHXCBrcGOkRGsT5ZjAmAhGj-urrkvJO9igkY13uJTzY850bKjmGvp74aQUFfUx9Rf6B3xBGJonD5CCS8MADyIem7oozAtyYxBjxUYuihmuLFZNLuGfGwW2wY=w313-h400" width="313" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">President James Monroe</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Era of Good Feelings</h4><p>In 1819, James Monroe became the first American president since George Washington to travel the nation on a goodwill tour. The nation was expanding west into the Louisiana Territory, the war with Britain was over, and America had stood on its own against the world's only superpower. The Spanish colonies of South America were throwing off the Spanish yoke and forging their own democracies. America seemed the model of the future. With the nation's 50th anniversary just a few years off, the American experiment seemed on a glide path to a prosperous future.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6Cb9HnheLNzVf7XsXs-6wFdKVCLAehcqSnU4urSjHR_EprDzb68nhAymQMqXgBc0SXNlZN_XTCwvlMRSjanuE4Iht7M4e7I0WBpXWIBqh2_nAvgZ5YYl-PuPGSFbWlAyyWvAze7Rz4ubqjsz2hGntSQ23MwcR2vNIbLe4cZDuikyIyPnVMUcBrxDjL4/s1757/Washington%20as%20president%20standing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1757" data-original-width="1100" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6Cb9HnheLNzVf7XsXs-6wFdKVCLAehcqSnU4urSjHR_EprDzb68nhAymQMqXgBc0SXNlZN_XTCwvlMRSjanuE4Iht7M4e7I0WBpXWIBqh2_nAvgZ5YYl-PuPGSFbWlAyyWvAze7Rz4ubqjsz2hGntSQ23MwcR2vNIbLe4cZDuikyIyPnVMUcBrxDjL4/w250-h400/Washington%20as%20president%20standing.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">President Washington</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Holy Alliance</h4><p>Not all nations welcomed the success of American democracy and the implosion of the Spanish empire. At the 1815 Congress of Vienna, the autocratic countries Prussia, Austria, and Russia formed a political bond called the Holy Alliance. Holy because they still felt their rulers' authority came from God—the divine right of kings. They now eyed the Spanish colonies. This did not escape the notice of Britain, which had its own interests in the New World and did not welcome intruders.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwD4tlbz5e3Eh0YC-7q3tGOOiY-JOQqJd8Y40V9MsfeY0w-kN8LZiSZcwX58ycxJBNDGmOHnNtrtHJMDM-bSGBlHXCrV2HhHcUTG6X5NpAIU4HmVT9ilwoxC-uD9yH0rP-L_31WsMYX7lfgaiHPG2bY18ihCr84LhZrGp6zvcWw4sq0cXkwiV6pgG4nUE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwD4tlbz5e3Eh0YC-7q3tGOOiY-JOQqJd8Y40V9MsfeY0w-kN8LZiSZcwX58ycxJBNDGmOHnNtrtHJMDM-bSGBlHXCrV2HhHcUTG6X5NpAIU4HmVT9ilwoxC-uD9yH0rP-L_31WsMYX7lfgaiHPG2bY18ihCr84LhZrGp6zvcWw4sq0cXkwiV6pgG4nUE=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congress of Vienna</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Monroe Doctrine</h4><p>In 1822, Monroe's administration officially recognized the new democracies of America: Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, after they won independence from Spain. The British approached Monroe with the idea of a joint statement of status quo ante in the New World, but when he ran it by his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, Adams demurred. Why should the US not issue its own policy? After all, Britain was still our rival, and we had just fought a war with them. He offered to help draft a letter to Congress laying out the idea that external powers should not interfere in the affairs of the Americas—no new colonies. Drafted in 1823, it was released in early 1824.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrLnqqqDuXIRO7VueO_tC3p5H2l4xbR2Np1n7BXP1GSEjLN2MbFShp9cYuf4k87QQv29LTAwPsuLPzdvILe3CTSQ_DdN-guIwl_307bDxspvmgPV2qX33wpwuJBIEmew0OEw3KKSIeqkbr0Ol0PG-Zs1WVnXY7McZhJPQbuserrD3J3GMJD71bkQafkns" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1050" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrLnqqqDuXIRO7VueO_tC3p5H2l4xbR2Np1n7BXP1GSEjLN2MbFShp9cYuf4k87QQv29LTAwPsuLPzdvILe3CTSQ_DdN-guIwl_307bDxspvmgPV2qX33wpwuJBIEmew0OEw3KKSIeqkbr0Ol0PG-Zs1WVnXY7McZhJPQbuserrD3J3GMJD71bkQafkns=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Crafting the Monroe Doctrine</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Vive</i> Lafayette</h4><p>As all this transpired, Monroe's administration decided to leverage the popularity of the last surviving general of the Continental Army, the Marquis de Lafayette. What better way to highlight American exceptionalism, celebrate the upcoming anniversary, honor a war hero, and send a political shot across the bow of nations like the Holy Alliance? The year-long visit began in August 1824, coinciding with the election of John Quincy Adams, who succeeded Monroe in 1825. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpiih_Zn8D8uQrQTbHblpusZU_d7qw0lMJZBgoWeoZRU5_HaKgClpXsaj-Bnn53UaA2cybJ0qyQSny3DeRD5Z3yBAWmeZnclWBK-A4gFYbw8CvXOPbhfmImBlSofTv18P8sqPq-9CJJlEeDZwWYshbnoWkN2bqJM1Ot6PASGQcmyQb-8TvdbqIU4ekgg/s695/Lafayette%20in%20later%20years%20mufti.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpiih_Zn8D8uQrQTbHblpusZU_d7qw0lMJZBgoWeoZRU5_HaKgClpXsaj-Bnn53UaA2cybJ0qyQSny3DeRD5Z3yBAWmeZnclWBK-A4gFYbw8CvXOPbhfmImBlSofTv18P8sqPq-9CJJlEeDZwWYshbnoWkN2bqJM1Ot6PASGQcmyQb-8TvdbqIU4ekgg/w303-h400/Lafayette%20in%20later%20years%20mufti.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Lafayette's Visit was a Tour de Force</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Final Years</h4><p>The former planter, politician, soldier, and statesman retired to his estate outside Leesburg, Virginia, with his wife, Elizabeth (Kortright) Monroe. President John Quincy Adams and General Lafayette visited the couple just before Lafayette's return to France. They had lots to reminisce over. After all, they were both wounded in service to America—and the young General Lafayette was also present at Trenton, Brandywine, and Monmouth. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWSf4z9AXM9m43voL8ladcRt60yeLI37urlfyfprPB0FxLHL_T8a9ps6KYnfQLiWxPreIcznM0ckCnddqmsv4j7Fm-9kFKBd4DxUopuch27ZULCJCLVCBJoXUVanM9fO2WKHT70FdCtHFLSRUZWuEogAAstqEc889Uts6pavOIB2tj6singnWZn8cUI0A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWSf4z9AXM9m43voL8ladcRt60yeLI37urlfyfprPB0FxLHL_T8a9ps6KYnfQLiWxPreIcznM0ckCnddqmsv4j7Fm-9kFKBd4DxUopuch27ZULCJCLVCBJoXUVanM9fO2WKHT70FdCtHFLSRUZWuEogAAstqEc889Uts6pavOIB2tj6singnWZn8cUI0A=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth (Kortright) Monroe</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Ironically, the last member of the Virginia triumvirate would move to New York City upon Elizabeth's death in 1830. He resided with his daughter and her family at 63 Prince Street—on Lafayette Square. James Monroe became the third president to die on Independence Day when he succumbed to heart failure and tuberculosis on 4 July 1831.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-16058922837002889072023-10-30T07:15:00.000-07:002023-10-30T07:15:17.490-07:00Noble Patriot<h4 style="text-align: left;"> Noble Patriot</h4><p>The American War for Independence gained the attention of all the European powers, and even the nobility and royalty were, at least initially, enthralled by it as the embodiment of the ideals of The Age of Reason. It did not take long before many of the nobility and upper class were scrambling to join the effort to secure liberty. Soon, names like Steuben, Kosciusko, de Kalb, and Pulaski joined the ranks of the Continental Army. Each made his mark in the Glorious Cause, but none so much as Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8j7BclfaUBu_daSfhPrKKyRzebWwjAajd3c1e8vWHRPgIqC4amOzR1rLzDWpAc-hMCT4FUcquXSSPzp_RrCv1bqeGDECRrWA1yF27DRgV_4Qrp7t1t-fU8qJCRJfqB0xpXLjuPa1AUkbz6u2Fs2rIs1Lo3ZACar_XkXNFrEvlEommTUJfRG55Mjj_ZE/s680/Lafayette%20at%2020%20in%20Cont%20uniform.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8j7BclfaUBu_daSfhPrKKyRzebWwjAajd3c1e8vWHRPgIqC4amOzR1rLzDWpAc-hMCT4FUcquXSSPzp_RrCv1bqeGDECRrWA1yF27DRgV_4Qrp7t1t-fU8qJCRJfqB0xpXLjuPa1AUkbz6u2Fs2rIs1Lo3ZACar_XkXNFrEvlEommTUJfRG55Mjj_ZE/w331-h400/Lafayette%20at%2020%20in%20Cont%20uniform.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Lafayette</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Old Blood, Old Money</h4><p>Lafayette was born into one of the oldest families in France's aristocracy on 6 September 1757. The young Lafayette had a troubled youth despite a rich lineage, wealth, and privilege. His father, Michel de Lafayette, was struck by a cannonball fighting the British at the Battle of Minden, leaving him an orphan and marquis at two. As was typical of his class, Lafayette was commissioned into a French royal musketeer regiment at thirteen. However, his actual leadership experience was limited to parade and garrison duties when not partaking of the pleasures at court.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi63t4ug9yl10-V__kurZKXGPS5Vvl4BcxvrdVhCYCNPqatYoh4SRQeAEeCQX_ZI9y91LvTkJZKch--2iH4cQT9eqCqgWKkrh5xLfsF0tkMG8bElzUljOV813n3UgYkyBiGbS3d6YDMCbKfZVIc4z7ZWj8kMxSCM00nGuPIMqhdN5AkwbA89Cfb90AV6Mc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="1200" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi63t4ug9yl10-V__kurZKXGPS5Vvl4BcxvrdVhCYCNPqatYoh4SRQeAEeCQX_ZI9y91LvTkJZKch--2iH4cQT9eqCqgWKkrh5xLfsF0tkMG8bElzUljOV813n3UgYkyBiGbS3d6YDMCbKfZVIc4z7ZWj8kMxSCM00nGuPIMqhdN5AkwbA89Cfb90AV6Mc=w400-h249" width="400" /></a></div>Lafayette senior fell at Minden<br /><br /></div><p>He was early on engaged to Marie Adrienne Françoise, the daughter of a powerful Duc d'Ayen, whom he married at sixteen (she was two years younger). The arranged match also proved a love match, and despite many trials and tribulations, the pair stayed together until she died in 1807. In 1776, the young marquis received a commission as a captain of dragoons, which should have begun his climb up the French military hierarchy, but for events across the ocean.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Young Idealist</h4><p>Lafayette was well-read in the classics and the principles of the Enlightenment, and from an early age, hoped to make a difference for mankind. By 1776, the political friction in America had erupted into open rebellion against the King of England. Like so many others, he followed the events with interest. Unlike so many others, he decided to act on his principles, which he saw enshrined in the sentiments of The Declaration of Independence — he determined to throw his lot in with the Americans and strike a blow for liberty. Equality and fraternity would have to wait, however.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIG792AsqovsPBTLDCnWqBbW0abt1m0dWzs47u4DuhPZHsQDFB-cyPKwvho22oqWwQHJVuEqLOKjQ2Pp1MZPtDtL0C6LxTS-kc3ajdsg6X85JexM8K4OYDGHlRBNnqquyPj-50BDiANzTcT9OBzb0UZbSYdyi6I7kZ402_5ZboFQckImkIXJzt5Rd5U8/s640/Declaration%20Signing%20founding-fathers-declaration-of-independence%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="640" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIG792AsqovsPBTLDCnWqBbW0abt1m0dWzs47u4DuhPZHsQDFB-cyPKwvho22oqWwQHJVuEqLOKjQ2Pp1MZPtDtL0C6LxTS-kc3ajdsg6X85JexM8K4OYDGHlRBNnqquyPj-50BDiANzTcT9OBzb0UZbSYdyi6I7kZ402_5ZboFQckImkIXJzt5Rd5U8/w400-h274/Declaration%20Signing%20founding-fathers-declaration-of-independence%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Declaration of Independence inspired Lafayette </div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">An American Agent</h4><p>But what to do? Silas Deane, an American politician from Connecticut, represented the American Continental Congress in Paris — in effect, he was an American agent. Many European officers approached Deane to solicit commissions in the Continental Army. Deane's job was to screen them and make referrals of those with bona fide military experience or who provided some other advantage to the American cause. Lafayette's youth and inexperience would have usually precluded a referral, but his pedigree and connections at court, combined with his evident enthusiasm, got him a referral.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOhj1l3EM5zfBNvj9QFyR-LSKmbQFFvFn_OjC8pFbo7QXg-IY5y2w1F0a66J-0Tlc2C_1xusQOPgYri-74sinLuhw786XMwaOdaw1WJcUYEYYjPBKQ11huitCKUegb2YHJaS1QZAQkcmRyxRhXQKXAiUTOvq2ZQ2eWMpi-jdN05zZf-HYo_RWsxafCY0/s249/Dean%20Silas%20posing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="210" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOhj1l3EM5zfBNvj9QFyR-LSKmbQFFvFn_OjC8pFbo7QXg-IY5y2w1F0a66J-0Tlc2C_1xusQOPgYri-74sinLuhw786XMwaOdaw1WJcUYEYYjPBKQ11huitCKUegb2YHJaS1QZAQkcmRyxRhXQKXAiUTOvq2ZQ2eWMpi-jdN05zZf-HYo_RWsxafCY0/w337-h400/Dean%20Silas%20posing.jpg" width="337" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Silas Deane</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Outlaw</h4><p>Lafayette's family, especially his powerful father-in-law, objected to the move. As did his wife. She was pregnant. Influenced by the Duc d'Ayen, the government also refused permission for Lafayette to travel, expressly forbidding it. At the time, Deane was negotiating secret assistance from the French government and overt support. The presence of such a nobleman fighting for America would alarm the British. But the headstrong idealist bucked authority and managed to sneak into Spain, where he eventually boarded the ship <i>Victoire</i>, loaded with ordnance for the American cause. King Louis XVI subsequently declared him an outlaw. How much of this was actual pique at his disobedience or to throw off the British is hard to say, but likely both.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd1uSN_iFO82in3R4rEfjAcdlazKeTmpd3M6caMjXqt67K3-iLuD3aIvZyeZ44pu7gA0k11DXNcu9lWnttTeLluGmN6Dyz6E1DhrNMhfBY8teC0mTXoNZpAPxxyMlNLY36u5c6KegiW8eu2lULXwrkiraMdo74C24q90aqzxRRvd1ZvOfDooFhQWHJnN8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="560" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd1uSN_iFO82in3R4rEfjAcdlazKeTmpd3M6caMjXqt67K3-iLuD3aIvZyeZ44pu7gA0k11DXNcu9lWnttTeLluGmN6Dyz6E1DhrNMhfBY8teC0mTXoNZpAPxxyMlNLY36u5c6KegiW8eu2lULXwrkiraMdo74C24q90aqzxRRvd1ZvOfDooFhQWHJnN8=w400-h178" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lafayette escaped France via a subterfuge</div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Coming to America</h4><p>The nineteen-year-old marquis landed in South Carolina in 1777, accompanied by several officers, including Baron Johann de Kalb, a French nobleman who would give his life for the American cause. He then traveled to Philadelphia to claim his promised commission as a major general. Congress hesitated due to his youth and inexperience. Major general was the army's highest rank at the time, and only a few were serving, but because of his connections, they finally appointed him — without command.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmFwgYH552RtDAj81-vUYifNQwJznS-T5XRqdUODUZw_h27DrbjezBWjh4D5d5CYqRgR1HWR553FKd5V9KDA8_ME_mmd135CYaPjTK-E4i37ttxfOUBdGHkDR2CPnhpcMSmFOaX9gDU492t6SIjsk6YqNpN1Dpy2BNbosHsRsOzTBAOYTTEIpxfxfNTI/s243/De%20Kalb,%20Baron%20Johann.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmFwgYH552RtDAj81-vUYifNQwJznS-T5XRqdUODUZw_h27DrbjezBWjh4D5d5CYqRgR1HWR553FKd5V9KDA8_ME_mmd135CYaPjTK-E4i37ttxfOUBdGHkDR2CPnhpcMSmFOaX9gDU492t6SIjsk6YqNpN1Dpy2BNbosHsRsOzTBAOYTTEIpxfxfNTI/w329-h400/De%20Kalb,%20Baron%20Johann.jpg" width="329" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Johann de Kalb</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Meeting His Excellency</h4><p>Lafayette met Washington for the first time at a reception held in Philadelphia in August 1777 when the commander-in-chief came to the capital to consult with Congress on military matters. The two shook hands in the receiving line and then met privately — bonding almost immediately. Washington was impressed by his enthusiasm and military bearing. He returned to camp with Washington, but his status was still unclear. Lafayette still expected a field command. Was his commission actual or honorary? Washington took him into his "military family" and made him a sort of senior advisor.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEkIImNWXW7nNdIsvQUylDA1R6odIhVvbB98pO5b4kPJKh-5_rswBnI-dyGW6QEYTa_hCX441yccPWT2H7Bo6Azbi8RBt2K0hbgiY-nCdielhQJVhVLd69UKaTs1-aqgaANBjroldXvv4nlbYcy17M_CZexLOkOnTMWbmdG2PgDcfcrraOlQYolKwvz3k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="412" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEkIImNWXW7nNdIsvQUylDA1R6odIhVvbB98pO5b4kPJKh-5_rswBnI-dyGW6QEYTa_hCX441yccPWT2H7Bo6Azbi8RBt2K0hbgiY-nCdielhQJVhVLd69UKaTs1-aqgaANBjroldXvv4nlbYcy17M_CZexLOkOnTMWbmdG2PgDcfcrraOlQYolKwvz3k=w307-h400" width="307" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Meeting with Washington</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">First Battle, First Blood, First Winter</h4><p>The youthful general's mettle was tested the following month at the Battle of Brandywine, where Lafayette received a leg wound while helping rally a regiment fleeing the field. His mentor was pleased. His gallantry earned him a small command. In late November, he led a detachment of 300 infantry in a skirmish against a large force of the vaunted Hessians at Gloucester, New Jersey — repulsing the Germans. His enthusiasm and energy throughout the harsh winter quarters at Valley Forge and his willingness to suffer along with the rest of the army further endeared him to Washington. A father-son relationship had developed. The childless Washington and fatherless Lafayette had a unique bond.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHplCrM4FkbH1fIv1YhTgsm1zGsInGym50GNxWL6_zGM5vjIYB4-2EOdLfcKl3aBH4BCmxlyhrhmD0ckY8iRny2vuoJYdjUVX5UMbmMJKrtJgmZvXmOgpzik0KE-84njImDMkMtX_jKUATQVCwKKrzYZn7sbiSIsBgez6_2Wf57402f9Uq_JMWoaHHkYk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="592" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHplCrM4FkbH1fIv1YhTgsm1zGsInGym50GNxWL6_zGM5vjIYB4-2EOdLfcKl3aBH4BCmxlyhrhmD0ckY8iRny2vuoJYdjUVX5UMbmMJKrtJgmZvXmOgpzik0KE-84njImDMkMtX_jKUATQVCwKKrzYZn7sbiSIsBgez6_2Wf57402f9Uq_JMWoaHHkYk=w400-h278" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wounded at Brandywine</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Warmth of Spring</h4><p>As winter ebbed, the sun's rays warmed the earth, and both the Continental and British forces uncoiled from hibernation and began to stir. Lord George Germain had recalled General William Howe to London to be replaced by his number two, General Henry Clinton. A new strategy was in motion, and Germain ordered Clinton to abandon Philadelphia for the security of New York, as a chunk of his troops were being sent to protect British interests in the West Indies.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtXqZGdBnMzCSEC2YeUT3tASaDdWOMHgsS96CkghyNnihH0Vz4Fjcz7QpwtIfyn5xYPx_h6RFqbC9DCn759y-ntYr0ULoh2J8pFX__HTspStAhy0ByXq9DXbGegaMRUJaBkbPmsX3PpYyCRW9_9tIfV4bN_Oec-R3Oi_0x1dittJG0hb5Ub9-65E39Kc/s882/Howe%20William%20MG%20Sir.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtXqZGdBnMzCSEC2YeUT3tASaDdWOMHgsS96CkghyNnihH0Vz4Fjcz7QpwtIfyn5xYPx_h6RFqbC9DCn759y-ntYr0ULoh2J8pFX__HTspStAhy0ByXq9DXbGegaMRUJaBkbPmsX3PpYyCRW9_9tIfV4bN_Oec-R3Oi_0x1dittJG0hb5Ub9-65E39Kc/w290-h400/Howe%20William%20MG%20Sir.jpeg" width="290" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General William Howe</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Aware of upcoming changes, General Washington sent with an even larger command, a division of 2,000 troops and five guns, to observe British movements in and out of Philadelphia. Lafayette deployed his division in the vicinity of Barren Hills, Pennsylvania. Howe had not yet departed and decided to thrash the upstart Frenchman before he left. He dispatched the formidable General James Grant with 5,000 men and fifteen guns to entrap Lafayette. A three-pronged maneuver by Grant had British and Hessian columns on three sides of Lafayette's command, but he saw the trap about to be sprung and wisely slipped away via a road he knew would evade British observation.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGzn6wSOzdxJCePGdXABjqpSdkE8Q0WmgCY7d3AZABa6ViQRCU2okNwatvxGUIK8zCwNd2Fib4DBh6LlXiS9M4kqyutuC1z0s5XynP8uwo2SsFruxAXBZB8y7FW3-iYHllIOp8xbcRWPbP7T6o2K95HyNuOYzE02xFKfuqZhchbPrpb2lhktQpsff3AE4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="399" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGzn6wSOzdxJCePGdXABjqpSdkE8Q0WmgCY7d3AZABa6ViQRCU2okNwatvxGUIK8zCwNd2Fib4DBh6LlXiS9M4kqyutuC1z0s5XynP8uwo2SsFruxAXBZB8y7FW3-iYHllIOp8xbcRWPbP7T6o2K95HyNuOYzE02xFKfuqZhchbPrpb2lhktQpsff3AE4=w318-h400" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British grenadiers advancing at Barren Hills</div><br /><p></p><p>Lafayette's ability to quickly assess a tactical situation maneuver to safety pleased Washington, who entrusted him with a more significant command the following month. By the end of June 1778, Howe was gone, and Clinton led the bulk of his army overland to NewYork, crossing the hot, humid fields of New Jersey with the Continental Army following. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Foul Up and Success at Monmouth</h4><p>At Monmouth Court House, the British paused for a rest. Not ready to commit to an all-out attack, Washington agreed to send a force to strike Clinton's rear guard. When his second in command, General Charles Lee, demurred from leading the attack, Lafayette offered his services. Wahington accepted the offer, but the wily Lee decided he wanted the command after all and marched off with Lafayette.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4laNm71JQlSKMPNO_IgmYSBpX1_Pj7tjBmP7K04M7XFDdO74BdHSp9hqz1dJsH6sXaKzfn-QryaLhGvtf-3VpZK7YNlVXIWZqctYv67ZStKVqowVNccwdWj2BgiTHR6TfhsxZRsjWYn6bOoQ9U2D9qvSC-X0H4Pg-ZNuHrFmSr39cppW6RQT69DNTfUk/s703/Battle%20Monmouth%20Washington%20leading%20charge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="703" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4laNm71JQlSKMPNO_IgmYSBpX1_Pj7tjBmP7K04M7XFDdO74BdHSp9hqz1dJsH6sXaKzfn-QryaLhGvtf-3VpZK7YNlVXIWZqctYv67ZStKVqowVNccwdWj2BgiTHR6TfhsxZRsjWYn6bOoQ9U2D9qvSC-X0H4Pg-ZNuHrFmSr39cppW6RQT69DNTfUk/w400-h300/Battle%20Monmouth%20Washington%20leading%20charge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington at Monmouth</div><p><br /></p><p>When the Americans launched their attack, the British, rather than retreat as was hoped, turned and fought, then when reinforced, the British rear guard counterattacked. Faced with a stiff fight, Lee gave conflicting orders, causing chaos in the American ranks. Seeing the American line crumbling and confusion growing, Lafayette sent a message to Washington to urge him to ride forward and take command. Washington was incensed when he arrived and began rallying the troops and relieved Lee of command (in a famous confrontation). The line steadied, and the Continental Army fought toe toe-to-toe with the Britsh, the swirl of combat ending at dark with both sides sleeping on the line. The following day, Lafayette rose and awakened Washington. As the two generals peered across the misty fields at dawn, the Britsh had retreated.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Summer in Newport</h4><p>Lafayette was given command of two brigades as part of General John Sullivan's hapless expedition to Rhode Island that summer. The taking of the vital port hinged on cooperation with the naval forces of France's admiral Charles-Hector Theodat, comte d'Estaing. One of Lafayette's tasks was to convince the obstinate d'Estaing to support the American effort, but d'Estaing demurred. On 9 August, Sullivan's land forces attacked the British without d'Estaing, who refused to place his ships in Narragansett Bay. A storm struck, scattering the French and British fleets, and the land force attack failed. Sullivan's northern army withdrew, with Lafayette playing a pivotal role in keeping it an orderly retreat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZKRSVDMe1MDwN-7WoTHQU-H-BsyL-kIuWEvAPHuX2SBF6r67wiizLup5JT1lDPqIcdNt7qXXXR_mZzi_DnzhWs8NGY1f4P2qJL2msMjUgLxpg4761PJqLhibmZWNvlsteCugOeKiY3Kycb9WFso_OvnCzyYpWJ5lHaWziK8JgWoygAtL0Iv-Jh2BjyE/s416/D'Estaing,%20Comte,%20Admiral.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="309" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZKRSVDMe1MDwN-7WoTHQU-H-BsyL-kIuWEvAPHuX2SBF6r67wiizLup5JT1lDPqIcdNt7qXXXR_mZzi_DnzhWs8NGY1f4P2qJL2msMjUgLxpg4761PJqLhibmZWNvlsteCugOeKiY3Kycb9WFso_OvnCzyYpWJ5lHaWziK8JgWoygAtL0Iv-Jh2BjyE/w298-h400/D'Estaing,%20Comte,%20Admiral.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Admiral d'Estaing</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"> Home for the Holidays</h4><p>In January 1779, the young marquis went on furlough, returning to France to advocate for wider French involvement in the war. Lafayette was initially arrested after landing on French soil, but the king quickly pardoned him. He was received in Paris as a hero, a sort of rock star — King Louis actually promoted him to colonel in the French Army. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGmkuW3hYLoKE1xMDcrnDz9j8vuoBQc5dOJorDWp4hImrRGN8E4pI1kCGntB2QkI9iIZMUq-RJWDOYHO5PaL7qp27kR1FRkohvREIHvO8CocqTyY5VadNV0Uosjy5zLO8ZBA1h_GtxHW5SCkP08UxZKap2SgZmav91MaMYst0zzLNN0Nyb9o00HPp40I/s959/Louis%20XVI%20passport%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGmkuW3hYLoKE1xMDcrnDz9j8vuoBQc5dOJorDWp4hImrRGN8E4pI1kCGntB2QkI9iIZMUq-RJWDOYHO5PaL7qp27kR1FRkohvREIHvO8CocqTyY5VadNV0Uosjy5zLO8ZBA1h_GtxHW5SCkP08UxZKap2SgZmav91MaMYst0zzLNN0Nyb9o00HPp40I/w300-h400/Louis%20XVI%20passport%20photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Louis XVI</div><p><br /></p><p>Things were different with France and Spain openly at war with Britain. Lafayette proposed a joint invasion of Britain with him in command. However, the Spanish ships did not arrive until August, and a British fleet of fast ships complicated the plan, which was eventually abandoned. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEffX0N_M9HzIJKFJ4oODwe82hIbPpR2xFfM6HeqrTmGAk4HMIVBWYjUGfxcAMCBkszx1027YmqZNw06-WK_p2vTMXw1zxTW9uJxwjXdpUOh1HsYJJqmq1MKiThXwJwB5LunOntSOfByGn1ccjNliKNMcsIekkMQ63IjhgUF_UXCAZQDp2yjr_BDHkkks" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="674" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEffX0N_M9HzIJKFJ4oODwe82hIbPpR2xFfM6HeqrTmGAk4HMIVBWYjUGfxcAMCBkszx1027YmqZNw06-WK_p2vTMXw1zxTW9uJxwjXdpUOh1HsYJJqmq1MKiThXwJwB5LunOntSOfByGn1ccjNliKNMcsIekkMQ63IjhgUF_UXCAZQDp2yjr_BDHkkks=w400-h330" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Francp-Spanish naval invasion of Britain was canceled</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>So, Lafayette refocused on gaining more support for the American cause, collaborating with American Commissioner Benjamin Franklin to arrange French troops for North America. He also refocused on his family, and in December, Adrienne gave birth to a son, whom he proudly named George Washington Lafayette. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70c7OSxq32riP2DxuK0oZUrr3m-phZlU9JerWVEWJ4ymDfRUQohsXojCuyzvransGmMp-zU84Az6YcuUAuvYr1DAxP9P2C3pnrt4kh5oHD-a7mjglmf45wWzeSO5OTzCCcCjTkwpVOwQ3AjeZL2NPXEuSRWE52idewId_oVkp-9pdxTSnn5QWMIcNugI/s274/Franklin%20Ben%20gray%20suit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70c7OSxq32riP2DxuK0oZUrr3m-phZlU9JerWVEWJ4ymDfRUQohsXojCuyzvransGmMp-zU84Az6YcuUAuvYr1DAxP9P2C3pnrt4kh5oHD-a7mjglmf45wWzeSO5OTzCCcCjTkwpVOwQ3AjeZL2NPXEuSRWE52idewId_oVkp-9pdxTSnn5QWMIcNugI/w345-h400/Franklin%20Ben%20gray%20suit.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Benjamin Franklin</div><p>Meanwhile, the king had agreed to send more forces to America. He dispatched Lafayette to return with news of General Jean-Baptiste,comte de Rochambeau's impending arrival with some 6,000 men. Lafayette dutifully sailed from Rochefort to America aboard the frigate Hermione, arriving in Boston on 27 April 1780.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fighting for Liberty</h4><p>Washington, the commander-in-chief of both nation's forces, used Lafayette as a high-level liaison between Rochambeau and himself. Little was accomplished during the remainder of 1780. Washington and Rochambeau's forces postured while the generals pondered and planned. Most of the fighting was taking place in the Carolinas, where the British launched a successful invasion but then got tied down, trying to hold on to what they grabbed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69wcAQ_xkMCWE7YvLAI8ic9ecfJozuxPBPmnmujm0hnVO82xCQ5AGubSpKlWq3ET9YFWE6RUS5zd_gw92pS9d6k3otBEOuyNgJHIylAGHWWAhBAnk8rQzJbzFaOqw4Is64VzeOHvU8SyMmkjU2JS-IN56xEEJ_P_m0SaNuhzkIIksu84sVoP3xQnu53M/s633/Rochambeau%20Gen%20Jean-Baptiste.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69wcAQ_xkMCWE7YvLAI8ic9ecfJozuxPBPmnmujm0hnVO82xCQ5AGubSpKlWq3ET9YFWE6RUS5zd_gw92pS9d6k3otBEOuyNgJHIylAGHWWAhBAnk8rQzJbzFaOqw4Is64VzeOHvU8SyMmkjU2JS-IN56xEEJ_P_m0SaNuhzkIIksu84sVoP3xQnu53M/w298-h400/Rochambeau%20Gen%20Jean-Baptiste.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Rochambeau</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>But by 1781, trouble and opportunity beckoned in the warmer climes of Virginia when General Charles Cornwallis marched north from the Carolinas to establish firm British control over the Old Dominion in a desperate ploy to reshape the balance of power. British forces under Generals William Phillips and Benedict Arnold ( the same) based out of Portsmouth had advanced as far as the new capital in Richmond and raided as far as Charlottesville. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBWywBWiExF3pAkQVuCEyov82S0yPW__FB7V3lQw4mXEVPs0K0FiOqIEpUwzAf9ab2x4Fy0R-63O3ZDeo4yKUWD-5VopwZsPfN7I22qJIDJQlHXmVK0v9R9iPsRAFJkiylGxkL_8LVYIuO9JguBlle9S3f-7f7rMvQm7U9U9Gm8SNOHsOEc8V-ZI8tcU/s1238/Arnold,%20Benedict_British%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBWywBWiExF3pAkQVuCEyov82S0yPW__FB7V3lQw4mXEVPs0K0FiOqIEpUwzAf9ab2x4Fy0R-63O3ZDeo4yKUWD-5VopwZsPfN7I22qJIDJQlHXmVK0v9R9iPsRAFJkiylGxkL_8LVYIuO9JguBlle9S3f-7f7rMvQm7U9U9Gm8SNOHsOEc8V-ZI8tcU/w291-h400/Arnold,%20Benedict_British%20General.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>General Friedrich von Steuben's small detachment of Virginia militia did what they could to block and harass. Still, it was not enough, and now the impending arrival of another army from the Carolinas put von Steuben and Washington's home state at grave risk. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Old Dominion</h4><p>But with risk came opportunity. So, in response, Washington sent Lafayette to Virginia to support and take command of all American forces. Lafayette spent several weeks sparring with Cornwallis around Richmond and Petersburg. The canny veteran, Cornwallis, made several efforts to overpower the young general. But Lafayette was up to the task. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH4Jqpi8HARnEdOeiNGAa8J7GCrbsNtxhWXnKfW9L2z3fdWlAEo49hkoyuD-i3nQehNpGGVwY_BrXnNO67_TWqzL4BaA6wNnyXMeVOTu5lkJ2cksCsjSIl6We5nEWmC_IgUG-Ae9aQlf7mfaXrCC9MW4VrvZj-YlPmmCGBhxJ_lxginI_PjOHQVHxsdM/s428/Lafayette%20leading%20troops.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH4Jqpi8HARnEdOeiNGAa8J7GCrbsNtxhWXnKfW9L2z3fdWlAEo49hkoyuD-i3nQehNpGGVwY_BrXnNO67_TWqzL4BaA6wNnyXMeVOTu5lkJ2cksCsjSIl6We5nEWmC_IgUG-Ae9aQlf7mfaXrCC9MW4VrvZj-YlPmmCGBhxJ_lxginI_PjOHQVHxsdM/w328-h400/Lafayette%20leading%20troops.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lafayette led the way in the Old Dominion</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>At Green Spring on 6 July 1781, he moved quickly to support the beleaguered forces under General Anthony Wayne. Cornwallis was soon boxed into the Virginia peninsula, where Lafayette pushed him slowly toward Williamsburg and the supposed refuge on the York River. Tipped off by an African-American spy named James Armistead, the young marquis carefully shadowed Cornwallis to Yorktown and helped trap him in his works. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Yorktown</h4><p>By August, Cornwallis had established his base at Yorktown, and the marquis positioned his forces on Malvern Hill, placing guns zeroed in on the British. Cornwallis's tired and now disease-ridden army waited for supplies and reinforcement from or evacuation to New York. Thanks to the French fleet, it would come too late for him and his men.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdSV1zLEge6hFta7_Z3GGDBocqyX1Al5vZj6khAX_pGH1ps1J10M1jKxF10jG4dCubCiyoTIBxWevxFOVdm-6NiQV8N-9jfZXaYiYglmdB55GrNdu4tAHqHmRFj7z2HGVxsWTQu-nrmyN0BGG5Lkki3g2uYnycvqLPqwzWN3thRjevhlZ6uLwV2izSoo/s341/Cornwallis,%20Maj%20Gen%20Lord%20Charles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdSV1zLEge6hFta7_Z3GGDBocqyX1Al5vZj6khAX_pGH1ps1J10M1jKxF10jG4dCubCiyoTIBxWevxFOVdm-6NiQV8N-9jfZXaYiYglmdB55GrNdu4tAHqHmRFj7z2HGVxsWTQu-nrmyN0BGG5Lkki3g2uYnycvqLPqwzWN3thRjevhlZ6uLwV2izSoo/w294-h400/Cornwallis,%20Maj%20Gen%20Lord%20Charles.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Charles Cornwallis</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Washington and Rochambeau's forces converged on Williamsburg after force marching from New York. Lafayette met them and helped plan the final phase of the campaign — besieging Yorktown. Time was critical as the weather would allow the French navy to linger only a few more weeks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEkD4i_kNTFJy7Gp85PZR6TP4CBeRF44S8OHuRtKjuI-6U-JMUGR-AiGStXxNX40oqnUeB-I7Gb8GgmA5crH_wvpbFq6D5ulwLEERfOBtWQA9ilMOkx8pITTxLhEf_fMMJuENJWmXoQ2XSOta8EpiBmRvD8x3vITog6Jh-dJu6TY9oyvzE5KVEdWMMKc/s1909/Yorktown%20Americans%20storm%20redoubt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="1909" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEkD4i_kNTFJy7Gp85PZR6TP4CBeRF44S8OHuRtKjuI-6U-JMUGR-AiGStXxNX40oqnUeB-I7Gb8GgmA5crH_wvpbFq6D5ulwLEERfOBtWQA9ilMOkx8pITTxLhEf_fMMJuENJWmXoQ2XSOta8EpiBmRvD8x3vITog6Jh-dJu6TY9oyvzE5KVEdWMMKc/w400-h288/Yorktown%20Americans%20storm%20redoubt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Storming the Redoubt</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Lafayette commanded the Light Infantry Division during the siege and was in overall command of the French and American forces that stormed Redoubts Nine and Ten, the final nail in the British coffin. On 19 October 1781, Cornwallis's army grounded arms and marched into captivity. The war would not end for two long years, but most major combat on land had ended.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5vyd4VPAvrW9P96HqL9EWWmdzDhY9jSjPNxXW3T86m5td6FWh1toa2NEP7PwA9xKmadeSeORJVaQyT0mW33OqxiUUrWwYyAEE6pz3XWlepr988ym8ML3vQ6Z0mL_o-Y3VWFGVCw2kF5NmtvKoeDvBBiO8WSFUioPGxgtJVmTIg2ZvHvOE-eZh1FkYN4/s1024/Yorktown%20surrender.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1024" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5vyd4VPAvrW9P96HqL9EWWmdzDhY9jSjPNxXW3T86m5td6FWh1toa2NEP7PwA9xKmadeSeORJVaQyT0mW33OqxiUUrWwYyAEE6pz3XWlepr988ym8ML3vQ6Z0mL_o-Y3VWFGVCw2kF5NmtvKoeDvBBiO8WSFUioPGxgtJVmTIg2ZvHvOE-eZh1FkYN4/w400-h289/Yorktown%20surrender.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Surrender at Yorktown</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">What Next?</h4><p>The British still clung stubbornly to garrisons throughout the Carolinas and firmly held Savannah, Georgia. Lafayette offered to command forces to capture them, but Washington was confident in Major General Nathanael Green's handling of the South. Besides, Lafayette would prove more valuable as an advocate for more naval and monetary support from France.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOPmlPfgenhb024hP0OVt9vxjE_zvXqO2hPzHBWhlc_SVCdQxOifDEKAzMNeXHoCL79r3ddrOTQRskYVIzuS407rLPmkf7nkkdACklsa6xc4fMVfBPLUOdLUOQ1guz4J-_94fRiKSS7AmYXave8RWHs1C-HTDo0c5wZiHNRXLLcDWmJJ09rp1st5fXTE/s384/Greene%20Nathanael%20head%20and%20shoulders.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="367" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOPmlPfgenhb024hP0OVt9vxjE_zvXqO2hPzHBWhlc_SVCdQxOifDEKAzMNeXHoCL79r3ddrOTQRskYVIzuS407rLPmkf7nkkdACklsa6xc4fMVfBPLUOdLUOQ1guz4J-_94fRiKSS7AmYXave8RWHs1C-HTDo0c5wZiHNRXLLcDWmJJ09rp1st5fXTE/w383-h400/Greene%20Nathanael%20head%20and%20shoulders.jpg" width="383" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Nathanael Greene</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Lafayette traveled north to Philadelphia, where Congress appointed him its advisor to the commissioners in Europe, Ben Franklin (Paris), John Jay (Madrid), and John Adams (The Hague), and sent a letter of commendation for the marquis to the King of France.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Hero of Two Worlds</h4><p>On 18 December 1781, the young hero of two worlds sailed from Boston for France. Everywhere welcomed the hero, Lafayette had an audience with the king at the Palace of Versailles on 22 January 1782. Louis XVI named him <i>maréchal de camp</i> and a Knight of the Order of Saint Louis. Lafayette went to work helping plan a Spanish-French expedition against the West Indies as the war was now a world war and, despite Yorktown, far from over. He also helped advise the negotiations that led to The Treaty of Paris in 1783.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbG2Cjmb8Ji4ePqxpdS7AWnCTm51TKjs6iD6scPfs_rLYxuZ-TwH7m8roo_sIDV-J__UFly94OtWje2M3wxcxWg1GC9ajMDMqs-2X2VhU88eeRpC2zYBg0dayEOcOY48pnI07gNcGYt7Rf3pkrUgRoYtqVycuZz3WEpKWpYeOgLe5z1UJbR4gbs6HnpU/s1000/Treaty%20of%20Paris%20signing%20BW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="1000" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbG2Cjmb8Ji4ePqxpdS7AWnCTm51TKjs6iD6scPfs_rLYxuZ-TwH7m8roo_sIDV-J__UFly94OtWje2M3wxcxWg1GC9ajMDMqs-2X2VhU88eeRpC2zYBg0dayEOcOY48pnI07gNcGYt7Rf3pkrUgRoYtqVycuZz3WEpKWpYeOgLe5z1UJbR4gbs6HnpU/w400-h291/Treaty%20of%20Paris%20signing%20BW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Treaty of Paris signing</div><p><br /></p><p>But possibly Lafayette's greatest triumph and joy was reuniting with his family. He was there for the birth of his daughter, Marie Antoinette Virginie Motier de la Fayette, on 17 September 1782. Prospects for the marquis and his family were bright. Wealth, nobility, military success, and fame glorified him. Freedom had triumphed in the New World. Now, the young idealist sought ways to replicate the same in the Old World.</p><div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-71805781514070357412023-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:002023-11-30T07:13:46.314-08:00The Last Cantonment<h4 style="text-align: left;"> Travels through History</h4><p>Earlier this month, I traveled to Kennebunkport, Maine, where I gave a presentation on intelligence activities during the American War for Independence to the Maine Chapter of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. On the return trip, I visited the Continental Army’s last cantonment site and General Washington’s Headquarters, located in the central Hudson Valley. These understated and very picturesque locales were the focal point of some exciting developments as the eight-year struggle for freedom was in its final stages.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Army at Dusk</h4><p>Although British General Charles Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in October 1781 provided the final significant engagement in the eight-year struggle, small-scale fighting continued as both sides jockeyed for advantages in the peace negotiations. General George Washington sent part of his army south to support Major General Nathanael Greene’s campaign to wrest the Carolinas from the British, who clung stubbornly to their coastal garrisons. At the same time, Loyalist bands continued resistance wherever they could.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn1GebpznY6Ne4BjG0Vhj8dQ4FAjpnzUhLcjCILEGkms4cnuLFVXK1YzM8XGJpYJVxuNuId6Q6YWRxGwkd_YySs9oL9bZ_yUGxJG1eweeDUQ-jMCtv2KquToEf6ZHYCZfHDQQJrXeP8x6pNJIK9P1tYHrnqXqGr5dBACtjm2jhqsII8rMwU6ypF3xUrk/s277/Yorktown%20surrender%20color.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="277" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn1GebpznY6Ne4BjG0Vhj8dQ4FAjpnzUhLcjCILEGkms4cnuLFVXK1YzM8XGJpYJVxuNuId6Q6YWRxGwkd_YySs9oL9bZ_yUGxJG1eweeDUQ-jMCtv2KquToEf6ZHYCZfHDQQJrXeP8x6pNJIK9P1tYHrnqXqGr5dBACtjm2jhqsII8rMwU6ypF3xUrk/w400-h263/Yorktown%20surrender%20color.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yorktown Surrender</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>The remainder of Washington’s Army, some 7,500 men, marched back to New York, where Washington hoped to join with the French under General comte de Rochambeau and launch his long-awaited assault on New York City. But like the British, the French now saw their primary interest was vying for the islands of the West Indies and soon sailed south. Washington encamped his Army in the mid-Hudson Valley region, close enough to threaten the British garrison, which held New York City, Long Island, and parts of Westchester.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOLK_PL3dt8VvG_IWxhA87jmYmGAuyUKb281P4HO5XsWMkRyCEDzXXK1OHVxAki35NktyjR1uiYFMuwN7p5H9bPeQyntpJLVu74El30wMykwLe3nskxHLYVyy2K79kO1JiDrhQ4dIM7BCKUx7eZ0VMi6S8_c5GYVU5kV83VV-f6HOFhHLDpu3M5CGbME/s633/Rochambeau%20Gen%20Jean-Baptiste.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyOLK_PL3dt8VvG_IWxhA87jmYmGAuyUKb281P4HO5XsWMkRyCEDzXXK1OHVxAki35NktyjR1uiYFMuwN7p5H9bPeQyntpJLVu74El30wMykwLe3nskxHLYVyy2K79kO1JiDrhQ4dIM7BCKUx7eZ0VMi6S8_c5GYVU5kV83VV-f6HOFhHLDpu3M5CGbME/w298-h400/Rochambeau%20Gen%20Jean-Baptiste.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">comte de Rochambeau</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>With no French Army or Navy to support him, his main job now was to maintain an army as a viable threat to the city — making it just another chit in the nuanced battle of diplomats taking place in Paris. This was easier said than done. The only thing more difficult to command than an army at dawn is an army at dusk. But if negotiations broke down, Washington knew a credible army would be critical to the nation’s survival.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Newburg Headquarters</h4><p>The central Hudson Valley provided a beautiful setting for the Army at dusk. The mighty Hudson (then called The North) River was flanked by quickly rising slopes filled with lush forest, verdant farm fields, and neat orchards. Once the domain of native tribes and the early Dutch settlers, the area had Anglicised but retained much of its original Dutch flavor. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTK08JE86TuMiaEYqXzJgkyHz8IOSgx3al3M_y0j8kkCT35MNQ3_8PanLdYOyLy9fact2jKQvhx9-ZVXCpEA40G1VR_7TW3Jy3AsBuqVQ2aIkBAjBgRzcbCgisj94kMBKne1Nyl3JL367LOFdx39kDr3BPOvt7vIKcDnnPd1koJ2lCqf6BS1zEth2QUtA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="528" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTK08JE86TuMiaEYqXzJgkyHz8IOSgx3al3M_y0j8kkCT35MNQ3_8PanLdYOyLy9fact2jKQvhx9-ZVXCpEA40G1VR_7TW3Jy3AsBuqVQ2aIkBAjBgRzcbCgisj94kMBKne1Nyl3JL367LOFdx39kDr3BPOvt7vIKcDnnPd1koJ2lCqf6BS1zEth2QUtA=w400-h263" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Hasbrouck House</div><br /><p></p><p>Washington’s headquarters was in the town of Newburgh, about four miles north of the main Army’s encampment. From April 1782 to August 1783, he established Continental Army headquarters and his residence in a brown fieldstone mansion belonging to the Hasbrouck family. He stayed at the Hasbrouck House longer than in any of his numerous homes throughout the eight-year war. Washington was accompanied by his staff, his personal Life Guard, servants, and, at times, Martha Washington.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_L63e0akY4SYVOg63mDTrrTPd0PZUrLKAGRWdxw9xLp40bBxS1i5JfnvL0eAbc0g9vRxZ7AodlsyVU2qQ8KwVSfBqzk0d-yxzPQmBBRVNQBqyDvUpHV8I-LFrcnzt3Y5cyBq9GbCjVFMGFsucEEyZePsB7xAJZpV80yzkGUsihRYaT2LK-kh1yBgUj8/s2013/MAp%20Newburgh%20Cantonement.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2013" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_L63e0akY4SYVOg63mDTrrTPd0PZUrLKAGRWdxw9xLp40bBxS1i5JfnvL0eAbc0g9vRxZ7AodlsyVU2qQ8KwVSfBqzk0d-yxzPQmBBRVNQBqyDvUpHV8I-LFrcnzt3Y5cyBq9GbCjVFMGFsucEEyZePsB7xAJZpV80yzkGUsihRYaT2LK-kh1yBgUj8/w400-h289/MAp%20Newburgh%20Cantonement.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Map of Newburgh and New Windsor</div><p><br /></p><p>He would manage the final crises of his war in this large home overlooking the Hudson from its western bluffs.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New Windsor Cantonment</h4><p>A few miles south, the remaining brigades of the Continental Army were gathered in huts of logs cut from the nearby Catskill Mountains. He had marched them there in October, and by December, the Army’s engineers and carpenters, supported by the backs of the infantrymen, built nearly 600 huts, forming a military community — a cantonment. This cantonment of 7,500 soldiers plus 500 women and children was the most densely populated “town” in the colonies and the second largest “city” in New York State.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhZUtfnaXhvwggU9_PBr6ythkKkEvggbHAp9SP6Fgh7MUVVfJTeBm3wQdC3Fkn16iedBTsMWzHD__oAoTFOWY2OruMGRtfJBOuHrWdiJ7guFqFe5OuWmzGq6neez6og5IEynSlUhtZ1o_KVLtvvvvvnH5o5DtBAc52C3gu1RR_3MzjDw1lbCh7JsKmjw/s821/New%20Windsor%20cabin%20with%20troops.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="821" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhZUtfnaXhvwggU9_PBr6ythkKkEvggbHAp9SP6Fgh7MUVVfJTeBm3wQdC3Fkn16iedBTsMWzHD__oAoTFOWY2OruMGRtfJBOuHrWdiJ7guFqFe5OuWmzGq6neez6og5IEynSlUhtZ1o_KVLtvvvvvnH5o5DtBAc52C3gu1RR_3MzjDw1lbCh7JsKmjw/w400-h253/New%20Windsor%20cabin%20with%20troops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cabins served as barracks and unit headquarters</div><p><br /></p><p>Though not as harsh as the Valley Forge or Morristown cantonment, the winter quarters were still difficult. Officers and men spent much of their time just trying to keep enough wood on the camp and stove fires, and as was the case throughout the war, the quartermasters struggled to find enough food, blankets, clothes, and other supplies. Some senior officers squabbled over finding appropriate quarters.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5sizivKax-va4vuUgn9lh8081K38842aG-V-xYI7pyYHnV49WSd3f_Z8dMg9TBHdSIjuKZpKuJaF3KjeDwWoL-wTAQrQ_mpe4eI82-BPXJCMXSwi3QyLZdi8gEA9oILNIv_kT1JSFivQve8UlBYv4K0KSUQYnSJlJC-WK7GlM5AeIICFu8F_29P_WYes" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="450" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5sizivKax-va4vuUgn9lh8081K38842aG-V-xYI7pyYHnV49WSd3f_Z8dMg9TBHdSIjuKZpKuJaF3KjeDwWoL-wTAQrQ_mpe4eI82-BPXJCMXSwi3QyLZdi8gEA9oILNIv_kT1JSFivQve8UlBYv4K0KSUQYnSJlJC-WK7GlM5AeIICFu8F_29P_WYes=w400-h263" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Most Continental Artillery were at West Point</div><br /><p></p><p>In addition to New Windsor, Washington kept forces, primarily his artillery and the Corps of Invalids, on duty further down the Hudson at West Point. A “duty regiment” was also rotated to positions in lower Westchester, where they observed the British defenses at Kingsbridge (today’s Bronx). The scarcity of forage for horses also forced him to disperse most of his cavalry.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Man Who Would Not Be King</h4><p>By 1782, years of poor treatment of the Army by the Continental Congress and, more pointedly, the states had led to widespread disgruntlement. One of Washington’s commanders, Colonel Lewis Nicola, decided that something must be done. Nicola, a Dublin-born French Hugeunot, commanded the Corps of Invalids, wounded soldiers who were limited in capability but maintained for guard, garrison, and sentry duties.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht59PIJuwtCSU9InueAPzpvKg_X3_VkOW5BkwYL0H4ZJVRtLm4kRFDA8bDejLdMvS29W5NLOaCB9nn4bdfWPJhyvUqTGa51ofmw6V65kyGdj5QHM14O9UZJ3gkZgtGW54jl_cUqAPlqlMsQrkrTYKUjPrbMhjJJfNCiytWN6kw0a-wq9mLA1Yql6Ec-ME/s500/Washington%20iconic%20with%20horse%20head.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht59PIJuwtCSU9InueAPzpvKg_X3_VkOW5BkwYL0H4ZJVRtLm4kRFDA8bDejLdMvS29W5NLOaCB9nn4bdfWPJhyvUqTGa51ofmw6V65kyGdj5QHM14O9UZJ3gkZgtGW54jl_cUqAPlqlMsQrkrTYKUjPrbMhjJJfNCiytWN6kw0a-wq9mLA1Yql6Ec-ME/s320/Washington%20iconic%20with%20horse%20head.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington rejected monarchy</div><p><br /></p><p> In a May 1782 letter to the commander-in-chief, Nicola proposed a monarchy like Britain’s with the understanding Washington would be king. He cited the grievances of the Army and its officers and suggested he represented a wide-held belief in the solution. The reaction from Washington was swift and harsh. He soundly rebuked Nicola in writing for the proposal and the thought that Washington would forsake a republic to be a king.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Spring of Discontent</h4><p>At New Windsor, General George Washington ended a conspiracy among his officers. The issue was, once again, pay. The officers were concerned that the expected ½ pay pensions long promised by the Confederation Congress would not be forthcoming. Many knew that once the treaty with Britain was signed, there would be no impetus for the government to make due on its promises. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgMkGWaMsPpde_GdyqCiOG29QiCSamlRS4KBlOafDIIzx8PavYyFXyMu9Zy-2uMZlOo0MHt4Yq8mTVMS_8IHd1Co-CJWwdWHWqA6YRB8GVvPTIjk22Z3T2ylNayCRBXk8BLigGA5_Zw59J5ePAIgn56BihZKG8w5XTN-Y6DGvm2_86lxZ1-uAFgtALgg/s2048/Continental%20officer%20leading%20troops.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1109" data-original-width="2048" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgMkGWaMsPpde_GdyqCiOG29QiCSamlRS4KBlOafDIIzx8PavYyFXyMu9Zy-2uMZlOo0MHt4Yq8mTVMS_8IHd1Co-CJWwdWHWqA6YRB8GVvPTIjk22Z3T2ylNayCRBXk8BLigGA5_Zw59J5ePAIgn56BihZKG8w5XTN-Y6DGvm2_86lxZ1-uAFgtALgg/w400-h216/Continental%20officer%20leading%20troops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Officers who led the troops were promised pensions for service</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>In fact, the Articles Congress had no authority to appropriate funds for this — that was the role of the states. Alexander Hamilton, now in Congress, and his allies were trying to rectify the situation. Still, many officers had lost patience, and a movement was underway to plan a move on Congress itself — the so-called Newburg Conspiracy.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTCABF79MXPxCAXXc8snv6-tPw5_xuLCGS9TRFgEH_0G3NcomkBBs13itstvta78cpTgX7ft0M-UEUp6VJtrT3Q2T02TUk6PNGDWhQ5ZftzYmjMhT9vBqmYRMt4Yo4lK98WWF_A9mq-f4tl2I96NgMeU6oZmlb1SW3oL_5aU0GTSAyQY2M9xefmmX-pKk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="750" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTCABF79MXPxCAXXc8snv6-tPw5_xuLCGS9TRFgEH_0G3NcomkBBs13itstvta78cpTgX7ft0M-UEUp6VJtrT3Q2T02TUk6PNGDWhQ5ZftzYmjMhT9vBqmYRMt4Yo4lK98WWF_A9mq-f4tl2I96NgMeU6oZmlb1SW3oL_5aU0GTSAyQY2M9xefmmX-pKk=w400-h240" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">New Windsor cabins and Temple Hill in the background</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Informed of this, Washington put together a stirring pean to duty and country over interest and arranged to arrive at a meeting of the officers scheduled at Temple Hill, a long wooden structure used as a meeting hall, a community center for the cantonment. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Temple Hill Gathering</h4><p>On 15 March 1783, the officers gathered, and Major General Horatio Gates, now camp commandant, began the session. Some three hundred officers had planned on attending, too many for the building, so they sent representatives who sat in an angry mood. However, Washington entered the room unexpectedly and said he wished to address the meeting. Gates was forced to yield the chair to the commander-in-chief.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHM-EHR0lAgFw5wiOq5wIUi_u4j5niumQamvTcz1cFXuFUkMJ8E3ezLcigzZ0kcBdlbiL5wLBHfDNK9RpCZo6rIpX1r0bYaswMgWP7V5OsjPEQ5LzTPRM0ViTi0bmI0Mmt24wZl-CgnKYRYOJIt1JEK-PQIJqO8Z5_CNZcrUEg2grJeAeYY2K5pT4_a8o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="795" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHM-EHR0lAgFw5wiOq5wIUi_u4j5niumQamvTcz1cFXuFUkMJ8E3ezLcigzZ0kcBdlbiL5wLBHfDNK9RpCZo6rIpX1r0bYaswMgWP7V5OsjPEQ5LzTPRM0ViTi0bmI0Mmt24wZl-CgnKYRYOJIt1JEK-PQIJqO8Z5_CNZcrUEg2grJeAeYY2K5pT4_a8o=w400-h189" width="400" /></a></div>Site of the gathering<p></p><p>As he addressed them, Washington read the body language. He was not getting through. Too many promises had been made and broken. He decided to read a letter he had received from a Congressman sympathetic to the officers that explained what was being done. But as Washington fumbled to put on his reading glasses, he paused and apologized, "Gentleman, you must pardon me, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in service to my country."</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs4fyBMtrbPwd4ZIEdPI-Rz87otcAekL4VQFwk9Ky0aVcQBAaA1o8oIlH0v9qF5MLDeM0bo7fglDnjDBoHmVnCNgrw-jzI1j4u5Taq65Ei4RWQgqS8_OduhrWbSRJ_VNnW79FWRaec9IYqjq4A-1t9YR5_HRDAP3zoHQlrWEeyJXUaWVYGE29Fxyd1GUw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="410" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs4fyBMtrbPwd4ZIEdPI-Rz87otcAekL4VQFwk9Ky0aVcQBAaA1o8oIlH0v9qF5MLDeM0bo7fglDnjDBoHmVnCNgrw-jzI1j4u5Taq65Ei4RWQgqS8_OduhrWbSRJ_VNnW79FWRaec9IYqjq4A-1t9YR5_HRDAP3zoHQlrWEeyJXUaWVYGE29Fxyd1GUw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington addresses the officers</div><br /><p></p><p>A hush swept the room, and grown men, seasoned warriors all, began sobbing. The bigger-than-life general was a war god to them, a man who swept across battlefields on his charger and set the example of patriotism, sacrifice, and bravery. The air went out of the room, and the rebellion and possible military dictatorship nipped in the bud.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New Governance</h4><p>When not struggling to keep his Army intact or corresponding with Congress and thirteen obstinate state governments, Washington had time to think about the nation’s future. He produced correspondence to the state governors pointing toward principles of republican governance he would later put into practice. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EC8xw7vkhTtdprxjUMJ5_tjYCCrjilTy0wgMS_otpnydFBV62vAmi7xxZwIIme0UrmuVt9rLMqTDp3Tsevf029xhMDVtt9OLwp3SafCpK0LlxvbmI9Z4Yhh11bo431dp7xRlyGhpsFqsOizA6XlwQXkLMmwU-h5dde8CMZabXnzPu_z4fGe2NLm7BcA/s620/Washington%20doing%20orrespondence%20at%20desk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EC8xw7vkhTtdprxjUMJ5_tjYCCrjilTy0wgMS_otpnydFBV62vAmi7xxZwIIme0UrmuVt9rLMqTDp3Tsevf029xhMDVtt9OLwp3SafCpK0LlxvbmI9Z4Yhh11bo431dp7xRlyGhpsFqsOizA6XlwQXkLMmwU-h5dde8CMZabXnzPu_z4fGe2NLm7BcA/w323-h400/Washington%20doing%20orrespondence%20at%20desk.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Corresponding with Congress & the States</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New Award</h4><p>He also managed to find time to think about the sacrifice and courage his troops showed over the many years of trial and combat. He ordered the issuing of what was called the “Badge of Military Merit.” Awarded to three sergeants for their valor in storming the British redoubt at Yorktown, it was the forerunner of what became the Purple Heart.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil089WeC0r-1TEFjNxqS1J2rIYsHqVAI5hXFV63krkla3prOZSJP4EN0GAJGNHmvQqZ1Xb3J3B_UKyRZiY0Ks7mVzJjfZAiAIJoJjzGuTG5vDolfWGGfvVcw_F7xy2dMeV_pyMcPLsGvxg6udANXaxduX5lgJWxaxZMIRi7uANxyPXt1VcSbZRcdK6Fic/s200/Purple%20Heart%20for%20military%20merit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="200" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil089WeC0r-1TEFjNxqS1J2rIYsHqVAI5hXFV63krkla3prOZSJP4EN0GAJGNHmvQqZ1Xb3J3B_UKyRZiY0Ks7mVzJjfZAiAIJoJjzGuTG5vDolfWGGfvVcw_F7xy2dMeV_pyMcPLsGvxg6udANXaxduX5lgJWxaxZMIRi7uANxyPXt1VcSbZRcdK6Fic/w400-h314/Purple%20Heart%20for%20military%20merit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Badge of Military Merit</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Evening Parade</h4><p>At the New Windsor Cantonment, the cease-fire orders were issued by Washington, ending the eight-year War of Independence. </p><p><i>Head Quarters Newburgh 18 April 1783</i></p><p><i>The Commander in Chief orders the cessation of Hostilities, between the United States of America, and the King of Great Britain, to be publickly proclaimed, to morrow at the Newbuilding and that the proclamation, which will be communicated therewith, be read tomorrow evening at the Head of every Regiment and Corps of the Army—After which the Chaplains with the several Brigades will render thanks to the Almighty God, for all his mercies, particularly, for his over-ruling the wra[th] of man, to his own glory, and causing the rage of War, to cease amongst the Nations.</i></p><p>With the official ceasing of hostilities, the cantonment became the site of the Continental Army’s “evening parade.” As regiment after regiment began to demobilize while maintaining sufficient force to ensure the British commander-in-chief, General Guy Carleton, would evacuate New York City at the appointed time. The dwindling forces eventually moved downriver to the vicinity of West Point and Verplank's Point. Communication with the British in New York City became critical as the officers who once managed war now had to manage a return to peace.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc8mcLJDHXwblfJnLJoamT3JaaWO-Fa6fCQgQHbivIZqP-LDZlgXrYtfBXV48xepSqirBfIlfsBTtVR9CIWpPQ1AmKy_aVPT3-WnEZc2UgpuhLf-50PNYsm6rqoa6fJUFzL-sRdwqyI85MtdQmrmcianm7_SdV1DH0ZbQcyF8Zll1CrpKP8FxRh3O-tQ/s343/Army%20disbands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="343" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc8mcLJDHXwblfJnLJoamT3JaaWO-Fa6fCQgQHbivIZqP-LDZlgXrYtfBXV48xepSqirBfIlfsBTtVR9CIWpPQ1AmKy_aVPT3-WnEZc2UgpuhLf-50PNYsm6rqoa6fJUFzL-sRdwqyI85MtdQmrmcianm7_SdV1DH0ZbQcyF8Zll1CrpKP8FxRh3O-tQ/w400-h253/Army%20disbands.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Final task - Mustering out the troops</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-3405215839049451132023-08-31T07:12:00.000-07:002023-08-31T07:12:34.088-07:00The White Savage<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Frontier Savagery</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The sound of frenzied whooping mixed with shrill screams filled the ears of the three frightened
boys huddled together for safety. Their hands and feet were bound, so they could
do nothing but stare helplessly through eyes stinging from tears. Soon, the crackling of flames began to compete with the savage whoops of
the Delaware braves, who became more excited as the burning fires crept up the
figure tied firmly to a pole.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some of the
braves shouted what could only be taunts and insults, mainly because the old man
remained stiff-lipped as his flesh began to sear and burn, emitting a putrid
stench that nauseated the three youths while exciting the blood lust of their
tormentors. Finally, the fire completely engulfed the old man, whose head
slumped as the dark smoke engulfed him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitPIO_D2QynA_mcsGQUWkl_RIN19MdYIgQ5jfQQtFcpEUKlyUaC4Q-dslvxd213dF-DMW1dCIqYSPzX4USZi6iE-70_nBpW2hoaqiYfU6txNngnmHJylyCWkQ8_NqGtOBL0GYpb0cl-UYtmwv0-cy4jTUdbym3eH6SVrbaJHKhHACeQV1POkDNT0aNDBQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="407" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitPIO_D2QynA_mcsGQUWkl_RIN19MdYIgQ5jfQQtFcpEUKlyUaC4Q-dslvxd213dF-DMW1dCIqYSPzX4USZi6iE-70_nBpW2hoaqiYfU6txNngnmHJylyCWkQ8_NqGtOBL0GYpb0cl-UYtmwv0-cy4jTUdbym3eH6SVrbaJHKhHACeQV1POkDNT0aNDBQ=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">War parties tortured enemies </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">of both races</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the
boys shouted when the smoke cleared and the fires subsided, revealing a pile of
charred wood and bone, "Grandpa!"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"Don't
let 'em know you're scared," hissed Simon, the oldest. "Never!"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After
this, fourteen-year-old Simon Girty and his two brothers were soon parceled out
to different tribes as hostages. This was a typical sequence of events for
families who settled along the American frontier, a frontier that was Indian
territory.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Frontier
Family</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Simon Girty was
born in 1741</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">in Chambers
Mill, Pennsylvania, a small hamlet near Harrisburg in the middle of the colony.
His Scots-Irish family eventually moved to Sherman's Creek, about thirty-five
miles northwest. In 1751, Girty lost his father, who was killed in a
liquor-fueled duel. Girty's grandfather raised the young boys. Girty and his
brothers grew up illiterate but toughened as the family carved out a living on
the edge of civilization.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUltQTejrvvN_IAbJ8qlMf0r4eH092OkGTn59qNDWFL18E-yI7qAtnCXpyAJY2SctZxeKNkh1THT_ZDbFwkshWdl8dT1JSOc4DwYvNU2UCyaP8qzi3sq76BzlSVtqlqFXTyRCG65Bk5QZiRQAw9urflb4hjMPcnFY_q2u2BCQtBVD8Dc8UM-f09-pi_s/s695/cabin%20colonial%20frontier.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="695" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUltQTejrvvN_IAbJ8qlMf0r4eH092OkGTn59qNDWFL18E-yI7qAtnCXpyAJY2SctZxeKNkh1THT_ZDbFwkshWdl8dT1JSOc4DwYvNU2UCyaP8qzi3sq76BzlSVtqlqFXTyRCG65Bk5QZiRQAw9urflb4hjMPcnFY_q2u2BCQtBVD8Dc8UM-f09-pi_s/s320/cabin%20colonial%20frontier.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Backwoods Homestead</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">The West Aflame</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1754, war
came to Pennsylvania when France and England engaged in another (final) struggle to control North America. All along the frontier, bands of Indians and
their French allies raided farms and settlements, unleashing a wave of terror.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyGM_GmV49T4K8pqrHfSTXZyZF9modEV_l7aorEF0cPhqAdiO9V7XSmyJiVL4_qm65MKk3NMAYdOzDH_0X3iodbAvzS3z9BUg1gmSF89Zs9AQPX65yRDUkqzzIrE36XP5GD2qdKRTMz6F_mGOB6pjFZQEJJPvVscJhRijXpIOiNM8wOdobevJgC1MOlk/s700/Indians%20and%20French%20attack%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="700" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfyGM_GmV49T4K8pqrHfSTXZyZF9modEV_l7aorEF0cPhqAdiO9V7XSmyJiVL4_qm65MKk3NMAYdOzDH_0X3iodbAvzS3z9BUg1gmSF89Zs9AQPX65yRDUkqzzIrE36XP5GD2qdKRTMz6F_mGOB6pjFZQEJJPvVscJhRijXpIOiNM8wOdobevJgC1MOlk/w400-h279/Indians%20and%20French%20attack%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">French and Indians Attack</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In 1756, the
Girty family and many others, fearful of falling to the tomahawk, fled to the
safety of Fort Granville, a small stockade some fifty miles northwest of
Harrisburg.</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">A mixed
force of French troops and Native Americans, mostly Lenape warriors, attacked
on 2 August. The garrison quickly surrendered, the fort was destroyed, and the
Girty's and other settlers were taken captive. But before they trekked off to
live with new masters, they were forced to watch their grandfather burn at the
stake.</span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Indian Life</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Simon was
taken by the Delaware tribe but was later passed on to a band of Seneca, who marched
him to the Ohio Territory, where they "adopted" the young man into
the Seneca nation. As was often the case with white captives, Girty quickly took to
life among the native tribes, learning their language and customs. <o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 18.6667px;">He soon began to learn Iroquois and the nuances of tribal life and warfare.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxicwGOLUGX8esBn2WGUYCZPFRdL2D3hvB-fUfLWgfuLLSiXorO5HDLMl6KQy9BwsTgU6tsqTP7AiSKBouZ9Ba0skX3N2emOrvAcDoqsTMNYATv2AQapJQN56lcHI4ypZFwtJOz4KvN_xY5zkQ2Lv3OBNF6Br7hyaj2V_ZPlm1A8R0vZ3EiS10F8fIeE/s612/Indian%20warriors%20prepare%20for%20battle%20or%20hunt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="612" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxicwGOLUGX8esBn2WGUYCZPFRdL2D3hvB-fUfLWgfuLLSiXorO5HDLMl6KQy9BwsTgU6tsqTP7AiSKBouZ9Ba0skX3N2emOrvAcDoqsTMNYATv2AQapJQN56lcHI4ypZFwtJOz4KvN_xY5zkQ2Lv3OBNF6Br7hyaj2V_ZPlm1A8R0vZ3EiS10F8fIeE/w400-h285/Indian%20warriors%20prepare%20for%20battle%20or%20hunt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">Braves preparing for a hunt</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Frontier Freedom</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Girty was
finally released at Fort Pitt in 1759,</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">but by that time, he was fluent in the Seneca and Iroquois
languages and well-versed in all aspects of tribal life and, most importantly, Indian
warfare — a Seneca in all but skin color.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirbqykfXbdHPyaGoZqgIJXjtStBTUgBzJkTR4R8_7AhFtBxSUhDtKpzCXYINyyBNYt96f0xiyYqXq8YwpHx9bxYrWIK6mfCDVkM1o19al_PRTyBZvNrFg-bZCDPdd6wE50HJ856CfPlwAL8fFcQzGV9nDdrlJ7gjfukroKzSddZe7ryJt4H2Xk9W6z3-g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="500" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirbqykfXbdHPyaGoZqgIJXjtStBTUgBzJkTR4R8_7AhFtBxSUhDtKpzCXYINyyBNYt96f0xiyYqXq8YwpHx9bxYrWIK6mfCDVkM1o19al_PRTyBZvNrFg-bZCDPdd6wE50HJ856CfPlwAL8fFcQzGV9nDdrlJ7gjfukroKzSddZe7ryJt4H2Xk9W6z3-g=w400-h312" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Simon Girty as Scout</span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Girty returned
to his mother, where he lived as a struggling farmer. He also worked as an
interpreter for fur traders trading with the Delaware Indians in western
Pennsylvania. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">The British
authorities also sought his skills and engaged him in negotiating treaties with
the various tribes along the frontier.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CbZ0X4mVcC9i0CykVo7rPE7hnKzNmyqweA8CUXE-3uF-tQNwOyCwh9OhcYqlD7VjEu9V4q4JdZKWa5AAIALz_eqsc1etA_2p6rZBMffSMOFgirt14YhicVWBAD-87JolNbrun8rHMDOHsErDZ5nvbn37GhZFnRs3caUBZdngxTHus7pQYwsz_mkL4GE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="563" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CbZ0X4mVcC9i0CykVo7rPE7hnKzNmyqweA8CUXE-3uF-tQNwOyCwh9OhcYqlD7VjEu9V4q4JdZKWa5AAIALz_eqsc1etA_2p6rZBMffSMOFgirt14YhicVWBAD-87JolNbrun8rHMDOHsErDZ5nvbn37GhZFnRs3caUBZdngxTHus7pQYwsz_mkL4GE=w400-h272" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Girty served in Lord Dunmore's War</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During Lord
Dunmore's War against the Shawnee nation in 1774, Girty became an expert frontier scout. There, he became friends with Simon Kenton, a well-known
frontier scout.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">War for Independence</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When war between Britain and her American colonies erupted in 1775, Simon sided with the patriot
cause. General James Wood sent him back to the Ohio Territory, where he helped
the American negotiations with the Shawnee, the Seneca, the Delaware, and the
Wyandot. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp_G3RlSR9naMM_aRRfvrxNBuzJksoHxm0Rdj46kEodPJ9LMutqIp3uqRbnXRNS2ogAtp0zK-TdSIeeQRMER-12UbqUmkaM36NL1VMhEFyyoXaG-ymoRyrjWe9pDOpysGvKW6pS4VzO4kHp175yQh8eqp1U4Ui3XUA64aGiA62yCfI3Dnr7OJJs7Wnc04" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="612" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgp_G3RlSR9naMM_aRRfvrxNBuzJksoHxm0Rdj46kEodPJ9LMutqIp3uqRbnXRNS2ogAtp0zK-TdSIeeQRMER-12UbqUmkaM36NL1VMhEFyyoXaG-ymoRyrjWe9pDOpysGvKW6pS4VzO4kHp175yQh8eqp1U4Ui3XUA64aGiA62yCfI3Dnr7OJJs7Wnc04=w272-h400" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Girty Armed for War</span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Troublemaker</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Military
discipline did not sit well with Girty, who constantly got into trouble with the
officers appointed over him. This came to a head in September 1777, when he was
arrested and put up on treason charges when he was suspected of helping plan
the seizure of Fort Pitt. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPjb6DYfrtlLlm-3utgWGeSvvKHOWgMb5HlNBcmZbR2oF3y95YJgLq8IAaD6LN6j2-oee_XWjE_3-HzFyqPFeKcw0EGMbEu7hPyekkZUTAvctojK0GmMVborTRLJR92UadyGuC8OSLLkQNf3A2KUc1UwP7YVL5wWLateRjMBFdMeE9sCCeZYdCD46Mu6M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="640" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPjb6DYfrtlLlm-3utgWGeSvvKHOWgMb5HlNBcmZbR2oF3y95YJgLq8IAaD6LN6j2-oee_XWjE_3-HzFyqPFeKcw0EGMbEu7hPyekkZUTAvctojK0GmMVborTRLJR92UadyGuC8OSLLkQNf3A2KUc1UwP7YVL5wWLateRjMBFdMeE9sCCeZYdCD46Mu6M=w400-h174" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Fort Pitt</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Local Loyalists planned to kill Fort Pitt's occupants
before handing it to the British. Girty was acquitted, but the experience left
him bitter, and he switched allegiance back to the crown. In March 1778, the
frontiersman Girty, accompanied by his brothers James and George, quietly
slipped out of the fort and traveled to Detroit, the main British base in the
northwest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Indian Department</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There,
British Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton recognized the need for Girty's
skills as a linguist and frontiersman and ordered him to be attached to the
Indian Department, where he quickly became notorious along the northwest frontier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsiYUdTY2Xr1zUrUJwcsRWQyhRlIYTQZbQDRdLN8BG4mfFzR8fdRcuW2iNraRQ-WQVZJ5HQPSqHv5_bLtqLKRbiJWi7w2pUL4AgXj7Vm9L03ysQMMFksUN8nSIGVM_j1v4-WKQnWxw2tlI52eOss6jEVgh8wuqaxLCF-L0qqssCjyRwKDKRNxo5e_A4w/s309/Hamilton%20Henry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsiYUdTY2Xr1zUrUJwcsRWQyhRlIYTQZbQDRdLN8BG4mfFzR8fdRcuW2iNraRQ-WQVZJ5HQPSqHv5_bLtqLKRbiJWi7w2pUL4AgXj7Vm9L03ysQMMFksUN8nSIGVM_j1v4-WKQnWxw2tlI52eOss6jEVgh8wuqaxLCF-L0qqssCjyRwKDKRNxo5e_A4w/w328-h400/Hamilton%20Henry.jpg" width="328" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Backwoods
Pirate</span></span></h4><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From that time
till the end of the war in 1783, Simon Girty beleaguered the Americans. His
cultural and linguistic abilities enabled him to recruit many native tribes to
the British cause and equally dissuaded them from supporting the Americans. He
led or directed raids, ambushes, robberies, and outright massacres that made
him the terror of the West. Terrified settlers began calling him The White
Savage or The Great Renegade.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTLpRAPL6z6_GIgYLLa4uo11WkDWqBRuemaTKed5wpWrSLONfcNXKPyEPM8kdLpOUn3E4OcYro5MgIbl8QiuH-gPqkSiuvsebJwvTgbhBPLzbXlBVruRL728lpDA4FprLR9V-yKiDbUwoUyA6KdEm-o9V_Bzs4-wibI7dekOzFzKNksfFbyJDbszsxig/s512/Indians%20raiding%20farms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="292" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTLpRAPL6z6_GIgYLLa4uo11WkDWqBRuemaTKed5wpWrSLONfcNXKPyEPM8kdLpOUn3E4OcYro5MgIbl8QiuH-gPqkSiuvsebJwvTgbhBPLzbXlBVruRL728lpDA4FprLR9V-yKiDbUwoUyA6KdEm-o9V_Bzs4-wibI7dekOzFzKNksfFbyJDbszsxig/w229-h400/Indians%20raiding%20farms.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Frontier Terror</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;"><b>First Blood</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">His real
foray into mayhem began in 1779, when Girty, at the head of mixed bands of
Loyalists and Indians, conducted several attacks that left the patriots reeling.
He launched Indian war bands against the area around Fort Laurens, Ohio, where
they massacred several patriot units. His 4 October 1779 ambush of an American column
led by Colonel David Rogers was a master stroke against the cause that left
fifty-seven militiamen dead while taking 600,000 Spanish Dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QGuhFMvFg4u1ie_9rNGndRhKSbEMOpq128VDSfsQDihmkxfAZHiDQHKWMDVr5awWjTJQ-YDcnU7tOoS9OMJVlYbDu60P_kbZLbrOG2yxEvMtCjnmsZa89iwkG3Cuxf85twGyra5-BhO38qaEHXDy6_GhA4kNVSJH3dXtlb9qUJyCbsZ2SQ8RnyGVyEY/s1024/Indians%20fighting%20white%20soldiers%20BW.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1024" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QGuhFMvFg4u1ie_9rNGndRhKSbEMOpq128VDSfsQDihmkxfAZHiDQHKWMDVr5awWjTJQ-YDcnU7tOoS9OMJVlYbDu60P_kbZLbrOG2yxEvMtCjnmsZa89iwkG3Cuxf85twGyra5-BhO38qaEHXDy6_GhA4kNVSJH3dXtlb9qUJyCbsZ2SQ8RnyGVyEY/w400-h234/Indians%20fighting%20white%20soldiers%20BW.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ambush</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 1780, Girty
helped British Captain Henry Bird lead a major foray against American
settlements in Kentucky. The mission resulted in taking a pair of forts and more
than 300 hostages — among whom was his former friend Simon Kenton, whose
release he arranged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakHC6_r_It6MHtGVzq175o7Lpzs-iwU8-BZHi3Fne0qolZ-EYXIBDVhGvo22NGGodkTUugT5l87yWhBj6oYzptL4UP8_k696BUkVtTHtsE9_MPzzMp4acv0qi2Mwu9dtp8o21e70lI4tG4_ccUnYe2is4gBljQ6gVLy4XfFwuMKL1AShyNpvIwwI3dm8/s722/Indians%20capturing%20white%20women%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="484" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakHC6_r_It6MHtGVzq175o7Lpzs-iwU8-BZHi3Fne0qolZ-EYXIBDVhGvo22NGGodkTUugT5l87yWhBj6oYzptL4UP8_k696BUkVtTHtsE9_MPzzMp4acv0qi2Mwu9dtp8o21e70lI4tG4_ccUnYe2is4gBljQ6gVLy4XfFwuMKL1AShyNpvIwwI3dm8/w269-h400/Indians%20capturing%20white%20women%20(1).jpg" width="269" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Taking Hostages</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He also arranged
to move the pre-patriot Moravian missionaries, David Zeisberger and John
Heckewelder, with their native parishioners to far reaches of the Upper
Sandusky River. This enabled the British to monitor their activities better. It
was not the last time the British would move civilians to control them better —
the Boer War comes to mind.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 18.6667px;">The Great Renegade</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By now, the
Americans had branded Girty a turncoat — placing a reward of 800 dollars for
him, dead or alive. The firebrand Girty even managed to anger arguably the most
preeminent Loyalists, Iroquois war chief Joseph Brant, getting in Brant's face
for bragging. The equally fiery Brant slashed Girty across the face with his
saber, leaving a wicked Al Capone-like scar. Ironically, the mutilation gave
Girty much prestige among the braves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkayk4fZxIMsP4FC8S2eE8Udq5WBTu6lfNB4Fsb0QCTOqcTBwsLyMcmTj6wYUffsSXSLIcz-kPTb--63MLKiJVi89P3rKPmCn_ZD9ORAi4s05wW518q3NbSDMZeIG1lbp-qFJ7vMhbQwOD-KNyabDW7zprxofcz-jH9CnwpBAQ7t96eu0ja25WFwKvBas/s269/Brant,%20Chief%20Joseph.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkayk4fZxIMsP4FC8S2eE8Udq5WBTu6lfNB4Fsb0QCTOqcTBwsLyMcmTj6wYUffsSXSLIcz-kPTb--63MLKiJVi89P3rKPmCn_ZD9ORAi4s05wW518q3NbSDMZeIG1lbp-qFJ7vMhbQwOD-KNyabDW7zprxofcz-jH9CnwpBAQ7t96eu0ja25WFwKvBas/w297-h400/Brant,%20Chief%20Joseph.jpg" width="297" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Chief Joseph Brant</span></span></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Campaign of
Infamy</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In June of
1782, Captain William Caldwell and Simon Girty led a party of 400 warriors from
the Wyandot, Lenape, and Shawnee tribes, along with a detachment of Butler's
Rangers, against a column of 500 volunteers under Colonel William Crawford. They
checked the American advance aimed at destroying Indian enclaves on the
Sandusky River. Then they surrounded Crawford's command, which retreated in a
confused panic. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNTKZa9zR36vLPt5UJ7xaMmXBkyWN2pp4uynn9SW9aDspDHQRM1eB-zWXikVxP_iukA6EXfJMeg9iO3TqaEk6_K7cqwms1kFAqpu5vrn1HNRHB0je4bdSRK08-hZwbN_nOQwR0MoYhyggeEhcHGMH0F-AKLqJv5X1zOuqykOdVJDpOGc69FwTz1duSgM/s640/Crawford%20william%20burning%20by%20Indians.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="513" data-original-width="640" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNTKZa9zR36vLPt5UJ7xaMmXBkyWN2pp4uynn9SW9aDspDHQRM1eB-zWXikVxP_iukA6EXfJMeg9iO3TqaEk6_K7cqwms1kFAqpu5vrn1HNRHB0je4bdSRK08-hZwbN_nOQwR0MoYhyggeEhcHGMH0F-AKLqJv5X1zOuqykOdVJDpOGc69FwTz1duSgM/w400-h321/Crawford%20william%20burning%20by%20Indians.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Torture and Death of Colonel Crawford</span></span></div><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">They captured many prisoners, including Crawford, who was
brutally tortured over several days and then burned to death at the stake. Just
as with his grandfather, Girty was said to have stood by without interfering, gaining
lasting infamy among Americans on the frontier. However, some accounts say he
was threatened with his own scalping if he interfered.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kentucky
Killing</span></span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Caldwell, Girty,
and the mixed band took their mayhem into Kentucky, launching brutal assaults against
the many defenseless farms and hamlets. This campaign of terror reached its
apogee after their failed 15 August siege of Bryan's Station. When he got word
of an oncoming relief force, Girty and his band decided on a ruse. As the
column approached, they faked a retreat. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKfpmb3SX2hRahPrsJ4LPQ9WoEHuMlp0JjUCTmrVgHvFSe6NMKeh3du7_quREL5kzP2BbOGOpFMYVa-9JgCpP1NKRSylYO2hAnTRMFp1pGxQC5cIdh0RSS3w52HN2kux5rohAOaO5nrk4IouPcV_SIA_WgtvYi75q3azjB-IOvW6xOi8lSKGs_VnI6sDI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="397" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKfpmb3SX2hRahPrsJ4LPQ9WoEHuMlp0JjUCTmrVgHvFSe6NMKeh3du7_quREL5kzP2BbOGOpFMYVa-9JgCpP1NKRSylYO2hAnTRMFp1pGxQC5cIdh0RSS3w52HN2kux5rohAOaO5nrk4IouPcV_SIA_WgtvYi75q3azjB-IOvW6xOi8lSKGs_VnI6sDI=w248-h400" width="248" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Siege of Bryan's Station</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Girty positioned
a few of his braves along the bluffs overlooking the Blue Licks River. He kept
them in plain sight, hoping to lure the Kentuckians into a kill zone. Caldwell
placed the majority of the rangers and warriors in ravines and behind boulders.
The trap was set.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5LgctbepIMl8KLQGLW8mBZP2F4vIzdO6yIKA071UCQcnLfzof9Xc2nx7GFucefJc7HXnTWQGiQMmtz2fB-GpV19zAjnPrwPgIX7_Mx72kTLE2RdXEXurkSmUr5Bp1IeBB-udnRXv6WXSNCHf3LqP8MitH3pIwZHZ_ROzp4Y3FggMB9xqaCXhlf6oEHIA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1000" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5LgctbepIMl8KLQGLW8mBZP2F4vIzdO6yIKA071UCQcnLfzof9Xc2nx7GFucefJc7HXnTWQGiQMmtz2fB-GpV19zAjnPrwPgIX7_Mx72kTLE2RdXEXurkSmUr5Bp1IeBB-udnRXv6WXSNCHf3LqP8MitH3pIwZHZ_ROzp4Y3FggMB9xqaCXhlf6oEHIA=w400-h248" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Battle of Blue Licks</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the
column's leaders, famed frontiersman Daniel Boone, suspected a trap and urged
caution, but the column's commander, Major Hugh McGary, led his men headlong across
the stream. Boone commented, "They'd all be slaughtered," but led his
command to the right side of the McGary's line, which moved directly into a
deadly ambush. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrMd6gUtVipYG79S6bSPvLOiBzxL-TwR1wDKhNjvPkAw4hpf-sHNDqwHj1kg_Os1q4xpRr9tLFYC_WP1Xj_0ffL32JekwOk40oTo6qgOthJXNg3LfQcStt9_flJpZh-CIhqnoNQf6Jj2lLPqH6oIR48kSkdegeVzEbUhbeuoz2NxjnOKEY6xVKwMGhUzE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrMd6gUtVipYG79S6bSPvLOiBzxL-TwR1wDKhNjvPkAw4hpf-sHNDqwHj1kg_Os1q4xpRr9tLFYC_WP1Xj_0ffL32JekwOk40oTo6qgOthJXNg3LfQcStt9_flJpZh-CIhqnoNQf6Jj2lLPqH6oIR48kSkdegeVzEbUhbeuoz2NxjnOKEY6xVKwMGhUzE=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><span style="line-height: 115%;"><div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">Blue Licks marker</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div></span></span><div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
Kentuckians moved up the bluffs in a skirmish line, but once at the heights, Girty's
men opened fire at close range with devastating effect. The relief force was
sent reeling back, leaving seventy dead on the field, including the son of
Daniel Boone. Caldwell and Girty's party then withdrew to Detroit. These hit-and-run
tactics kept the northwest frontier ablaze throughout the Revolutionary War and
beyond.</span></span></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">No Post War
Pause</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Treaty
of Paris did not dampen the friction between the northwest tribes and the ever-increasing
American settlements that began to creep beyond the frontier. And Girty played
a role. For the next ten years, he was a tireless advocate for war against the
Americans at tribal councils. How much was his raw hate for his former
countrymen, revenge for past grievances, or merely him being an agent of
British policy, we will never know. But it was likely all the above.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx_cfnkbH5EfFBU_XZmVANsvRuY99Gay8fO2t9tWXsMCZsMcpPN47PHCh_jVf0ZkR_S4EA50_sCmMiSAFyv2f6mHskmJ9ej2i1aAZWv5JKxrQNB7siWoPmeltYyp8BzF-P7Flt606HKS0Aqns6mz4Oh3cnGiG7FVch9zoLRU-NYal4Bwhw4S6hZqH8XU/s767/Indian%20chief%20talks%20to%20braves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="767" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx_cfnkbH5EfFBU_XZmVANsvRuY99Gay8fO2t9tWXsMCZsMcpPN47PHCh_jVf0ZkR_S4EA50_sCmMiSAFyv2f6mHskmJ9ej2i1aAZWv5JKxrQNB7siWoPmeltYyp8BzF-P7Flt606HKS0Aqns6mz4Oh3cnGiG7FVch9zoLRU-NYal4Bwhw4S6hZqH8XU/w400-h271/Indian%20chief%20talks%20to%20braves.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Girty took part in tribal councils</span></span></div><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">War Drums
Along the Miami</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By 1791, the
tribes of the Ohio country had united into a federation that pledged to check
the American threat to their lands or die in the effort. The assembled warriors
possessed all the traditional cunning, skill, and bravery of their ancestors
but had British training and weapons that made them a far more dangerous force
than any of the Western tribes that rose to fame in the next century. Still,
many leaders had decided to settle with the new government, but American
incursions and the killing of Chief Little Turtle's daughter drove the tribes
to war.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijjMV8ICnKhR7P0rRsXvhjnKKGbfode-CvhIAdj-hp91pOCkcGsXKDhWT7fnYobEmuprn2socOOXk3YQ_983_ZIont6j3c-WEqMj2G0Av7lv8kRgL7-Ir_4zLcitHg47EypSUOIze1tNCGh6-JNUrlnt7wsjSULiSCq9ngtMKJG9WfZ-jDe8lBkry0MmM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="673" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijjMV8ICnKhR7P0rRsXvhjnKKGbfode-CvhIAdj-hp91pOCkcGsXKDhWT7fnYobEmuprn2socOOXk3YQ_983_ZIont6j3c-WEqMj2G0Av7lv8kRgL7-Ir_4zLcitHg47EypSUOIze1tNCGh6-JNUrlnt7wsjSULiSCq9ngtMKJG9WfZ-jDe8lBkry0MmM=w245-h400" width="245" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">Little Turtle</span></div></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">An Army's
Destruction</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Simon Girty was
with Chief Little Turtle of the Miami and his war party when they eviscerated
an American Army led by Revolutionary War heroes General Arthur St. Clair and
Richard Butler at The Battle of the Wabash. The northwest was at the mercy of the war bands. Enraged,
President Washington ordered the formation of a new army called The American Legion
and placed it under the command of a war hero from eastern Pennsylvania, General
Anthony Wayne.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsEzxQ0T0BiWMxDsLdU05SDap8R3WdZjwnI7BmLPAZhXqtCsJt9TCZMVrFKRhs6G-kmoCeI9AjphwK9bgdNmLKT8lF2E_Ef41y76wZtIq5vVdC33dvhEZ7gC9tQ-SrMOtOG2cruTT3MHTcfaq0Hzj3A8lhmwkHPN0dd2ErvrAwl721JbpW21aCKlB56Gc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsEzxQ0T0BiWMxDsLdU05SDap8R3WdZjwnI7BmLPAZhXqtCsJt9TCZMVrFKRhs6G-kmoCeI9AjphwK9bgdNmLKT8lF2E_Ef41y76wZtIq5vVdC33dvhEZ7gC9tQ-SrMOtOG2cruTT3MHTcfaq0Hzj3A8lhmwkHPN0dd2ErvrAwl721JbpW21aCKlB56Gc=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Battle of the Wabash</span></span></span></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">Fallen
Timbers</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">Simon Girty
marched to face this new army with the War Chief Blue Jacket and his Shawnee, Ottawa, and many other
tribes. In August 1794, Blue Jacket and Girty clashed with Wayne's American
Legion General Charles Scott's Kentucky Militia at Fallen Timbers. In the short
but decisive battle of Fallen Timbers, Anthony Wayne crushed Blue Jacket's federation, and the tribes
finally sued for peace — a bitter pill for a noble people.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhgKwHNqGqtd-UDtTHgMab2rGINHmE9mjMewX1Xuw4sY0m6GAlw3StJ8-DaEhOh9XWl136GpIiQL0gFDJLm5WleLbkZgxLdF5RH_o-R1OgPqUjl9_I3Gi2C5wL2R75Pzy6aIYferQhojTVdG13TLwyY-obGKshWkHzRS2fGl4qIP7M5gjTEPsvzkrEM4/s599/FAllen%20Timbers%20MA%20Wayne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="434" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhgKwHNqGqtd-UDtTHgMab2rGINHmE9mjMewX1Xuw4sY0m6GAlw3StJ8-DaEhOh9XWl136GpIiQL0gFDJLm5WleLbkZgxLdF5RH_o-R1OgPqUjl9_I3Gi2C5wL2R75Pzy6aIYferQhojTVdG13TLwyY-obGKshWkHzRS2fGl4qIP7M5gjTEPsvzkrEM4/w290-h400/FAllen%20Timbers%20MA%20Wayne.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt;">Escape North</span></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The British
finally evacuated Detroit in 1795. The long-held Great Lakes bases for
operations against the new American government were given up to the Americans by
the Jay Treaty. Still a wanted man, Girty was forced to move north to the
safety of Canada and worked for the British Indian Department in Amherstburg,
Ontario. The elderly Girty, now borderline depressed and alcoholic, had to flee
the town when the Americans invaded in 1813. He returned after the Americans
withdrew and lived there until his death on 18 February 1818.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CLmKxY5E-jykihUmHqkX377e_iCixd84adeWda7ueQT3Z11c_uQUGthf77gpDgRmjlAJ7JMOcKZYRKdfuH0b-vZsjsTMV9kD4LBhdzJj78ZBiQGjH3hqPES3i13Rh9g-Oxl1-mQCBNftOT4T1G49blOz1l8b3082Vtjktpwju2oD8YDuPiWyIXI5-4s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="555" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7CLmKxY5E-jykihUmHqkX377e_iCixd84adeWda7ueQT3Z11c_uQUGthf77gpDgRmjlAJ7JMOcKZYRKdfuH0b-vZsjsTMV9kD4LBhdzJj78ZBiQGjH3hqPES3i13Rh9g-Oxl1-mQCBNftOT4T1G49blOz1l8b3082Vtjktpwju2oD8YDuPiWyIXI5-4s" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></span></p></span></span></span><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pantheon of
Savagery</span></span></span></h4><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">What can we
make of this controversial frontiersman? Well, for one thing, he had plenty of
company in the pantheon of savagery, of any color and on both sides. Beyond
well-known battles on the Atlantic seaboard, the American War for Independence
was a civil war and a clash of civilizations. The hundreds of raids, ambushes,
and small-scale fighting were much more bitter than the European-style
engagements in the east. Simon Girty symbolizes the many men on both sides who
used savagery as a tool of war. Sadly, this pantheon continues to gain new
members up to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhis2_gBjO1DsYpVXE8FYeT5YkvFsNet8da2zTy73F20nAnTWaHlhAVuihyKt_K_ZPvPuc4ANQU1IZ4NhPl_goRODHz-RIYYqnM6ANJHqI7R7_FD1ZfiIacOiKVmoY1oKmdEnBZa0TLM8O-sxrLltUSPeW4a2ddUmQ3Y9yfsR0IXhHDTHDQ_V7wnI30mWI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="800" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhis2_gBjO1DsYpVXE8FYeT5YkvFsNet8da2zTy73F20nAnTWaHlhAVuihyKt_K_ZPvPuc4ANQU1IZ4NhPl_goRODHz-RIYYqnM6ANJHqI7R7_FD1ZfiIacOiKVmoY1oKmdEnBZa0TLM8O-sxrLltUSPeW4a2ddUmQ3Y9yfsR0IXhHDTHDQ_V7wnI30mWI" width="320" /></a></div>The Pantheon in 1836 by Jakob Alt<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-39289110821672331482023-07-29T08:21:00.000-07:002023-07-30T05:30:29.133-07:00Clan Mother<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Clandestine Challenge</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The challenge with any study of espionage is the shortage of unclassified resources — it is the nature of clandestine work that it be kept secret. This is especially so when looking back to the time of the Yankee Doodle spies when almost all espionage activity was "off the books," with few reports or records kept. Spies were active in all theaters throughout the war, but determining who and what they did is challenging, requiring lots of "fill in the blank" and connect the dots analysis.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk09YP1D1bNHHwxhPDuI7rZmMiSnsEqU93MiVS-fsbhIf1vbdzJIY2Z3SlkFOjEmml-0UrReDCbZUYNOrdKcBcA8_8DvqYE6Ise-yRBLp9SvCXyAApuFg4VBp7IQZVH81ZmD-BoPum-l-5TnCTshG-E3cEHO6aggdy8wyMrICUCVydKFbWfL2k7LoeJs/s600/Spy%20dispatched%20on%20mission%20poss%20Revere.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="441" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk09YP1D1bNHHwxhPDuI7rZmMiSnsEqU93MiVS-fsbhIf1vbdzJIY2Z3SlkFOjEmml-0UrReDCbZUYNOrdKcBcA8_8DvqYE6Ise-yRBLp9SvCXyAApuFg4VBp7IQZVH81ZmD-BoPum-l-5TnCTshG-E3cEHO6aggdy8wyMrICUCVydKFbWfL2k7LoeJs/w294-h400/Spy%20dispatched%20on%20mission%20poss%20Revere.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Spying on the Spies</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Savage War of Peace</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley involved years of internecine conflict and small-scale combat that often reached a fever pitch. Patriot Whigs and Loyalist Tories went nose to nose in battles from a few dozen to a few hundred and rarely involved large-scale combat involving thousands. Throw six Iroquois tribes, Canadians, Continentals, and British regulars into the mix, and you have a bouillabaisse of conflict and turmoil. But unlike many other theaters of the war, the central New York region was never quiet. Instead, a continuous savage war of peace raged. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiU9hzY6kf3eHMRXAq_2b6TnqiFlll7lN5Hy3gJx3EhzgIqpPVlaqepX5d-kTRtYS13zevJhkgOHhe3q0oOxKF3Ve4N8zVtlkqXdAQJvhUCv2f6ZGLH5pc5da8IfzhFfI0aSFptYMC66yL39HcX5TZhf4NH2ZUaibj5wuTAI2cRwFl58tg-aXd36Krnx0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1950" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiU9hzY6kf3eHMRXAq_2b6TnqiFlll7lN5Hy3gJx3EhzgIqpPVlaqepX5d-kTRtYS13zevJhkgOHhe3q0oOxKF3Ve4N8zVtlkqXdAQJvhUCv2f6ZGLH5pc5da8IfzhFfI0aSFptYMC66yL39HcX5TZhf4NH2ZUaibj5wuTAI2cRwFl58tg-aXd36Krnx0=w400-h261" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">The Mohawk Valley</div><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The role of the native tribes added objective complexity to the struggle in New York. The powerful Iroquois nation was mainly in the camp of the British thanks to the excellent work of the Crown's Indian Agent, Sir William Johnson, and his son. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGmVJGsthRTFpsOsDQL0b0MWMy1zpOuoTL-6ivLDcwxzrF_BbyT2XAeo63P846CQ9cA_g-nSRAdKoxP6Ui0StbiFX820VXwZ9bg8cjx1DDrVu7REf-D9aoK9E4k06aRBrPjSp7dAXkxWQt-uUh00k5hYBzFXkwKaO_LeZij9ydkZ3QP7rqSRYC_VKLOg/s320/Johnson%20SirWilliamJohnson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="273" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGmVJGsthRTFpsOsDQL0b0MWMy1zpOuoTL-6ivLDcwxzrF_BbyT2XAeo63P846CQ9cA_g-nSRAdKoxP6Ui0StbiFX820VXwZ9bg8cjx1DDrVu7REf-D9aoK9E4k06aRBrPjSp7dAXkxWQt-uUh00k5hYBzFXkwKaO_LeZij9ydkZ3QP7rqSRYC_VKLOg/w341-h400/Johnson%20SirWilliamJohnson.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">Sir William Johnson</div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Of the Iroquois nations, the most powerful, warlike, and pro-British were the Mohawks, who controlled the easternmost tranche of the territory. Our subject is one of those Mohawks, a woman born, Konwatsi'tsiaiénni, but now known as Mary or Molly Brant, older sister to Joseph Brant, who became a Mohawk War Chief and British officer during the war for independence. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Youth in Two Worlds</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Molly Brant was born around 1736 in the Ohio Valley, although her family's ancestral home was the village of Canajoharie, on the upper Mohawk near Little Falls, New York. Her parents were Margaret (Onagsakearat) and Peter (Tehowaghwengaraghkwin), who were Anglicans. When Peter died while the family lived on the Ohio River, Molly's mother returned to Canajoharie with her and her brother Joseph.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwDwxlBZSlgzscPlVL4jNzKIWTHHAMPKDGceTW8bgqEoWgOv1InOdyis2oQPQV1YgXbCGcF_jzyhOgtMqcmUCuu3t1knoOlQWkh8sElZgVnS2Lpyx-yQLqxb5DN0Wy5EqltPF3GxEQa8qsBrZsOCyE1EwmCUJi0IdB0cCz53_Q28TOkfzsepkGGvpNIf0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwDwxlBZSlgzscPlVL4jNzKIWTHHAMPKDGceTW8bgqEoWgOv1InOdyis2oQPQV1YgXbCGcF_jzyhOgtMqcmUCuu3t1knoOlQWkh8sElZgVnS2Lpyx-yQLqxb5DN0Wy5EqltPF3GxEQa8qsBrZsOCyE1EwmCUJi0IdB0cCz53_Q28TOkfzsepkGGvpNIf0=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Iroquois Village</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Both Brant children grew up in two worlds, developing fluency in English and becoming comfortable with English culture. Molly was schooled in the Mohawk Valley and, due to her command of English, accompanied twelve Mohawk tribal elders in a delegation to Philadelphia in 1755. Sometime after that trip, Molly became acquainted with the most powerful man in two worlds, famed British Indian Agent Sir William Johnson — her beauty and grace smote him. Johnson brokered all the deals involving the tribes and proved an honest broker who attended to the needs of the Iroquois and the white settlers in central New York. He was also rich.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lady of the Manor</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">By 1759, the twenty-three-year-old Molly was officially listed in Johnson's records as his "housekeeper," but she was, in fact, his common-law wife — perhaps married by Iroquois custom. She would have seven children by him and functioned in all ways as the powerful Johnson's consort. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bivIkBG9fyZC3JlV4ih-q03YOxLIuZKH2PFIOf38rXDFL0VQLD6nSaYeI_hRySya2pNFdIS0A6a6cDgXY58QTdIr7ahjdeuZUjIc-zeWVFLh7VFpl3THv3u1OS5IoNK6wO9gGkmf26KTqYsezr1V7AONBs-oMYwBcCkqFdkhjYrCON0dwGnJtQUw-nU/s590/Johnson_Hall_by_Henry.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="590" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bivIkBG9fyZC3JlV4ih-q03YOxLIuZKH2PFIOf38rXDFL0VQLD6nSaYeI_hRySya2pNFdIS0A6a6cDgXY58QTdIr7ahjdeuZUjIc-zeWVFLh7VFpl3THv3u1OS5IoNK6wO9gGkmf26KTqYsezr1V7AONBs-oMYwBcCkqFdkhjYrCON0dwGnJtQUw-nU/w400-h220/Johnson_Hall_by_Henry.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Molly Brant was the Lady of Johnson Hall</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Anglo visitors who visited Johnson's estate, Johnson Hall, remarked on her beauty, delicate features, olive skin, excellent manners, and understated but commanding presence. In all but name, Brant was the Lady of the Johnson Hall estate.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Clan Mother</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">During her time with Johnson, she also rose to be a Clan Mother receiving the Mohawk name Tekonwatonti (Many Opposed to One). Molly led a society of Six Nations (Iroquois Confederacy) matrons. In the matriarchal hierarchy of the Iroquois, Clan Mothers wielded terrific power and influence, traditionally selecting and dismissing leaders. And could veto their decisions.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYPTeQXqNkN7yGKyvaBETJYww49-ri1Wt_FePeJOlx-PtOHyyHRjt5-AJlUbisrEGooE1ZYduQSwS6aZzwadVVISZPwek85vTRS1Bm2XBpJl0r_KbaB6Pm58reFx03xcBOyg9r2PQ3jQg3FvSt-fVU81GxFR8j9-Qxh5PkbLsbyDBtX1Z3XOcg__gwIAs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="680" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYPTeQXqNkN7yGKyvaBETJYww49-ri1Wt_FePeJOlx-PtOHyyHRjt5-AJlUbisrEGooE1ZYduQSwS6aZzwadVVISZPwek85vTRS1Bm2XBpJl0r_KbaB6Pm58reFx03xcBOyg9r2PQ3jQg3FvSt-fVU81GxFR8j9-Qxh5PkbLsbyDBtX1Z3XOcg__gwIAs=w400-h296" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Clan Mothers wielded significant influence</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sir William died the year before Lexington and Concord erupted and plunged the colonies into open war with the Crown. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Loyal to the Crown</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Molly Brant and her brother Joseph remained committed Loyalists, devoted to the British cause. Joseph became a renowned Loyalist commander and Mohawk War Chief whose exploits vexed the patriots. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgF_s7SSFBItZWTkV-YM1EmVaSjSJ3MzpJyM4k_fYqEWnfketqiNAORk8dsJWJ5cLg9kazxdj3tkDgGFkSROW2AzEyBBx3ncy9-QYYfW8hb6CkJZ-iMMDLfdUVABfy4GkOwQVtcX7AKY0gyxB1JzYdXAdbXk6ZDhEhC9WjhUWlQSiDXh9OKaNoYoGRHA/s269/Brant,%20Chief%20Joseph.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgF_s7SSFBItZWTkV-YM1EmVaSjSJ3MzpJyM4k_fYqEWnfketqiNAORk8dsJWJ5cLg9kazxdj3tkDgGFkSROW2AzEyBBx3ncy9-QYYfW8hb6CkJZ-iMMDLfdUVABfy4GkOwQVtcX7AKY0gyxB1JzYdXAdbXk6ZDhEhC9WjhUWlQSiDXh9OKaNoYoGRHA/w297-h400/Brant,%20Chief%20Joseph.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chief Joseph Brant</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">His sister's role was more ambiguous yet equally important. She provided food and ammunition to nearby Loyalist units. But most significantly — she passed valuable intelligence to her brother and other Loyalist and British leaders in central New York. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Spymaster</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Although little is recorded of this (for reasons mentioned above), she likely received reports on American movements in the Mohawk Valley from travelers, hunters, and traders who passed through her village.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwI-lFWkHqyx90HCgkDor1-JB8r1Qt7fS8Vvja_tBVVjFVR_0wS-A--WOiIaRQeLO2hD2vxJRUod7D6fulpOGndvxvql6MlTxu3RSAwmQ6dVFf-cuqqbt30hgejr3sSksJSYaQfL5GJro-wmch_z8lHLbqnF0snq01psCRmWR_4pPbB1dzmdv0k8Z9uY/s500/Brant%20Molly%20double%20profile.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwI-lFWkHqyx90HCgkDor1-JB8r1Qt7fS8Vvja_tBVVjFVR_0wS-A--WOiIaRQeLO2hD2vxJRUod7D6fulpOGndvxvql6MlTxu3RSAwmQ6dVFf-cuqqbt30hgejr3sSksJSYaQfL5GJro-wmch_z8lHLbqnF0snq01psCRmWR_4pPbB1dzmdv0k8Z9uY/w400-h400/Brant%20Molly%20double%20profile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Molly Brant: Mother Clan, Mother.Spy</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The best example of this came in August 1777. British Lieutenant-Colonel Barry St. Leger's force of British, Loyalists, Canadians, and Indians had besieged the American garrison at Fort Stanwix (in today's Rome, NY). When the Tryon County militia learned of this, a brigade-size force marched west along the river to relieve the post.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczxwJuc4bqp1PWfYdzOgNYlpqeGOT3n158tZ-4WGj0TWZEkr2K8SOw2R7oICJyIAjJ2xS4tc_o_UsR9dHoNeoeckznJEP0Zyd1x4jWcQsreur1xzj19LU1XlAMwAxPD78ZCOQgYFBS0DyJLwSVVrZq-mxjcH9HXZw_dCOt5jqkUpRjkEbhvDh275so-E/s1280/Oriskany%20Herkimer%20wounded.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1280" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgczxwJuc4bqp1PWfYdzOgNYlpqeGOT3n158tZ-4WGj0TWZEkr2K8SOw2R7oICJyIAjJ2xS4tc_o_UsR9dHoNeoeckznJEP0Zyd1x4jWcQsreur1xzj19LU1XlAMwAxPD78ZCOQgYFBS0DyJLwSVVrZq-mxjcH9HXZw_dCOt5jqkUpRjkEbhvDh275so-E/w400-h254/Oriskany%20Herkimer%20wounded.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Oriskany</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">When Molly got wind of their movement, she sent word to St. Leger, who dispatched a force of Loyalists and Indian allies who set a well-executed ambush in the dense cypress forests near Oriskany. The relief column was sent reeling back with heavy losses, and its commander Colonel Nikolas Herkimer was mortally wounded.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithdMIrTmAoZJyJeepDzIeYBprN4KiZ9mzI3j3xFU1nihZqNMRozh63y11eQ3RO8ZTfr7Id8Q_z29tD-_KovDoHrmGxV4vYmXAX-BgkyjIEdqXKqIHTA1uwJ3wo9H8UepQiMQYb06P_ftSOzPABmjU9CxA9RWke4anM59xlmbbDX_tmLZADBGchsfXn8Y/s259/Fort%20Stanwix%20exterior.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithdMIrTmAoZJyJeepDzIeYBprN4KiZ9mzI3j3xFU1nihZqNMRozh63y11eQ3RO8ZTfr7Id8Q_z29tD-_KovDoHrmGxV4vYmXAX-BgkyjIEdqXKqIHTA1uwJ3wo9H8UepQiMQYb06P_ftSOzPABmjU9CxA9RWke4anM59xlmbbDX_tmLZADBGchsfXn8Y/w400-h300/Fort%20Stanwix%20exterior.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Stanwix</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In retaliation, American-Allied Oneidas raided her village of Canajoharie, destroying it and nearby Fort Hunter. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the Road</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Molly moved her family to various Loyal Iroquois villages. Brant and her family lost most of their possessions. They took refuge at Onondaga near Syracuse, New York, the capital of the Six Nations Confederacy, first to Syracuse, then Cayuga, and finally Niagara.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSctzFEA49ZdcvkUl4dwsAz2v0mD-HmJpz4J2NLypYXuxjGhI2n_TIN4p6QL0hc6s39G0L0_5ZD90SHndbHLnUeHO6S1YK5FRKJDyhuqLFMh2GQnSFV8gVaPP5MoFEPNZBxA9j3UCa_8uJ9SfDjzrtDgzjfmARVrl6jxalqZRDa3FYOs1eo-cAztFAog/s399/Indian%20village%20on%20Mohawk%20River%20BW.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="399" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSctzFEA49ZdcvkUl4dwsAz2v0mD-HmJpz4J2NLypYXuxjGhI2n_TIN4p6QL0hc6s39G0L0_5ZD90SHndbHLnUeHO6S1YK5FRKJDyhuqLFMh2GQnSFV8gVaPP5MoFEPNZBxA9j3UCa_8uJ9SfDjzrtDgzjfmARVrl6jxalqZRDa3FYOs1eo-cAztFAog/w400-h190/Indian%20village%20on%20Mohawk%20River%20BW.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Iroquois Village along the Mohawk River</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At each of these, she proved a strong and effective proponent for the Loyalist cause, helping keep most of the Iroquois in the British camp. As a result, the British could use the Iroquois war bands to augment dwindling Loyalist and British forces in New York.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdCP0xOk25u0NTxGVeQa9kk-t64tiXy69EURKKC0_zLe6UeGUePmmwkYX0DYvHkTSVhMymeLj8bJhU-ciwMHmuUwzrhRWvdkSVIhOcNvHAGktVwcEQKXC7949EZ5yAbNO6pe5xTdsN2h28bRcPciUA_oBZk2LBWJpA-HBV_mtbyTc_Wizuv6ZpwCda5ME" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="680" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdCP0xOk25u0NTxGVeQa9kk-t64tiXy69EURKKC0_zLe6UeGUePmmwkYX0DYvHkTSVhMymeLj8bJhU-ciwMHmuUwzrhRWvdkSVIhOcNvHAGktVwcEQKXC7949EZ5yAbNO6pe5xTdsN2h28bRcPciUA_oBZk2LBWJpA-HBV_mtbyTc_Wizuv6ZpwCda5ME=w400-h221" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Iroquois War Band</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Resilient Leader</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">As the war dragged on in New York, the British and their Indian allies were gradually pushed west. The British called on Molly Brant to help lead the thousands of starving refugees fleeing the Americans for the protection of Fort Niagara — the last bastion in the state. She proved an able leader, organizer, and spokesperson for the tribes. Her power and influence grew among the tribes and the British authorities.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Eu1UYea__GzCCkmIIS54FkVWxX4VbFzPakJViuK-8oRvpxlT_A4Cish98aaND9H6SqkYYENHhV8ucPrKXR4GXKfTdtH5ytcILJADSmFG_6V2lpvswC8vGHwp--iD2HwyrUapjfAJiX7xy4szozqVJa0-bGj6dy4MBa2-CCNHIrSmZY0AYP2RpIUreAA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="262" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Eu1UYea__GzCCkmIIS54FkVWxX4VbFzPakJViuK-8oRvpxlT_A4Cish98aaND9H6SqkYYENHhV8ucPrKXR4GXKfTdtH5ytcILJADSmFG_6V2lpvswC8vGHwp--iD2HwyrUapjfAJiX7xy4szozqVJa0-bGj6dy4MBa2-CCNHIrSmZY0AYP2RpIUreAA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fort Niagra: last bastion of British </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">power in New York</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One British officer remarked of her influence on the tribes that "their uncommon good behaviour in great measure to be ascribed to Miss Molly Brant's influence over them, which [was] far superior to that of all their Chiefs put together."</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Separate Peace</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But when the Treaty of Paris was signed, the rug was pulled out from under the Iroquois and Loyalists of New York. The British made little effort to protect ancestral lands, leaving the Iroquois alone to deal with their enemies—it did not go well. Many of the Iroquois and all the Loyalists fled to Canada. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflb3YzmyawcgvCGm8cRggKdvaoUi23Biz9D98CqYizKZrZ5YkO5ba2FQU5M5kFEGkOi8Wu7rYWHXZaZh57UCYcy_mJh5dnSSVzrOTlfed1_7M7rsP9TN6INNQlMCvEwE50Ej-V60zF87nRybWsstBI1HEzAzy1W7U2qEgDxL6MVRzIrIZVDw1U1wAiUw/s350/Treaty%20of%20Paris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="350" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflb3YzmyawcgvCGm8cRggKdvaoUi23Biz9D98CqYizKZrZ5YkO5ba2FQU5M5kFEGkOi8Wu7rYWHXZaZh57UCYcy_mJh5dnSSVzrOTlfed1_7M7rsP9TN6INNQlMCvEwE50Ej-V60zF87nRybWsstBI1HEzAzy1W7U2qEgDxL6MVRzIrIZVDw1U1wAiUw/w400-h294/Treaty%20of%20Paris.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Treaty of Paris signing</div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Bitter Nation</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The Iroquois who remained turned bitter toward Molly and her British masters. Molly left the home the British had built for her on Carleton Island as it was now on the American side of the border. The Clan Mother moved to a village called Cataraqui and, with other Loyalists, established what became Kingston, Ontario.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Grateful Crown</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The grateful British did award her land and a pension sizeable enough to spurn overtures by the Americans to return to New York. They recognized the need for her leadership. But she was contemptuous of the people who had ravaged the Iroquois lands over eight years of bloody warfare.</span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Founding Canadian</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Molly Brant's family became prominent in Upper Canada. Five of six daughters married Canadian men. George, her surviving son, obtained a position in the Indian department. Her older son died fighting for the British. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-mheeTMBlT0r4IWizRKjHltJ9yhi0DBW3Sd-KBFV195PtKHbzLjDENgrPNbFuuFNxBF1bDdIFV4lPMj2Y0XKd9lxSP91USjwkVvUKbjf959F4t5ien_5HHmIP_0YpUVelaLEWxqCklT6fZsvYfGiYrFyUbpz_pqWsV4aMC-NO-w-io7gFyE9t60lYOwU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-mheeTMBlT0r4IWizRKjHltJ9yhi0DBW3Sd-KBFV195PtKHbzLjDENgrPNbFuuFNxBF1bDdIFV4lPMj2Y0XKd9lxSP91USjwkVvUKbjf959F4t5ien_5HHmIP_0YpUVelaLEWxqCklT6fZsvYfGiYrFyUbpz_pqWsV4aMC-NO-w-io7gFyE9t60lYOwU=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">At age sixty, the Clan Mother died in Brantford, Ontario, in 1796. Her precise burial site is not known, but many believe the good life-long Anglican lies somewhere under St. Paul's Church in today's Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Her legacy is one of a remarkable woman who cared for her family, clan, tribe, and nation in peace and war.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje5CZxXUY68nldcjsUsGqF84fnFJHRKAehCUOD-fm-yAETA9-VdoThUzszJIY5tsgqIrcekhsCqx6T13cRTcBgSq27TLv3I0aPDlcWxl_hxgooptGJ09WqSlBXUmlW93AOyQwTVo9avCI1jf3bxyA_OXLDiUy69WfqBaM0cEwA_PzyJYgIkRpK_UhRGr4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="945" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje5CZxXUY68nldcjsUsGqF84fnFJHRKAehCUOD-fm-yAETA9-VdoThUzszJIY5tsgqIrcekhsCqx6T13cRTcBgSq27TLv3I0aPDlcWxl_hxgooptGJ09WqSlBXUmlW93AOyQwTVo9avCI1jf3bxyA_OXLDiUy69WfqBaM0cEwA_PzyJYgIkRpK_UhRGr4=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">St. Paul's Church and Burial Ground</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-61734141168610366602023-06-29T14:00:00.002-07:002023-06-29T14:00:35.268-07:00Yankee Doodle Tradecraft<p> </p><p><span style="font-family: times;">The past few posts involved discussions of spycraft – general methodologies of intelligence activity. Though roughly synonymous with tradecraft, it is broader in scope than this post. Merriam-Webster defines tradecraft as “the techniques and procedures of espionage.” We will focus on selected techniques for this discussion. None are unique to the time of the Yankee Doodle Spies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGtm0piaNQM37lO9gN3u6lQIyntJaSjwuc5wBMxIVo0LxwlJcYlr21ZTGlkn6zPnfMvaYbRSSZdTEXSOCmItJAysW7jw2hx3V5S3y08j5uZb5_hk6tlSfqNG4bwSGB4xOwMdAxGOWzpQRyoiNjjut30eoUPfMLjAaGFA4wxk-0SCr5FTlZyJdYNh8ayw/s475/Washington%20with%20Spyglass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGtm0piaNQM37lO9gN3u6lQIyntJaSjwuc5wBMxIVo0LxwlJcYlr21ZTGlkn6zPnfMvaYbRSSZdTEXSOCmItJAysW7jw2hx3V5S3y08j5uZb5_hk6tlSfqNG4bwSGB4xOwMdAxGOWzpQRyoiNjjut30eoUPfMLjAaGFA4wxk-0SCr5FTlZyJdYNh8ayw/w304-h400/Washington%20with%20Spyglass.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington as Spymaster</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">World’s Oldest Profession?</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Spying has existed long into antiquity. By the mid-19th century, almost all nations employed tradecraft in their intelligence activities. Formally organized intelligence services operated in the European capitals, especially in the major ones such as Paris, London, and Madrid. But on the battlefields of America, most intelligence activities were ad hoc and usually managed by the commander <i>in loco</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTRoPTsLvkch6Htt41lSprpY1wKufFPHNfj1z1gJ8KtXprV_O2_kaMIy_KJp8XS67IZVAgvWoL2Ic5QfLm8F4iPCXFzl-dekwGwl58IMnJTycoquG2CIgaMtj0BWJ8rqORfZzkDDLD0vEzgU5cIktzGjpyOZXvma-kWEQYgOlHzOactNO_410WFNtJAi8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1152" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTRoPTsLvkch6Htt41lSprpY1wKufFPHNfj1z1gJ8KtXprV_O2_kaMIy_KJp8XS67IZVAgvWoL2Ic5QfLm8F4iPCXFzl-dekwGwl58IMnJTycoquG2CIgaMtj0BWJ8rqORfZzkDDLD0vEzgU5cIktzGjpyOZXvma-kWEQYgOlHzOactNO_410WFNtJAi8=w400-h265" width="400" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">The perfect venue for European espionage</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">General Washington famously took a particular interest in such matters, but nearly all commanders on both sides did as well – dispatching scouts, reconnaissance patrols, and spies. Some appointed officers to manage spy networks made up of one or more agents, sometimes called assets. Benjamin Tallmadge, a major of the Second Continental Dragoons, was one such handler who ran the Culper Ring in New York City and Long Island. During the Philadelphia campaign in late 1777, Washington’s agent handler was another Continental Army officer, Major John Clark.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwezJvyO087rShGHhoEwni4lX4m4jFLs1lFni-Yl9O2xkcobUTf69P3AH9ofPuRCexpGsOwYzmQjMbzkNPxnuQ5-67K1lEcr8xaEP482D0Z15oa34cdVvE_CSETfWWhyfyLcVC9Z2PevHDX_M7T04UsWwagwTczhzwla0m7qf8v1yT2KjqMRIyeB5Fz1s/s255/Tallmadge%20BW%20with%20helmet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="198" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwezJvyO087rShGHhoEwni4lX4m4jFLs1lFni-Yl9O2xkcobUTf69P3AH9ofPuRCexpGsOwYzmQjMbzkNPxnuQ5-67K1lEcr8xaEP482D0Z15oa34cdVvE_CSETfWWhyfyLcVC9Z2PevHDX_M7T04UsWwagwTczhzwla0m7qf8v1yT2KjqMRIyeB5Fz1s/w311-h400/Tallmadge%20BW%20with%20helmet.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Benjamin Tallmadge</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Cover</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">The complexity of today’s high-tech and interconnected world makes cover activities extremely challenging. In the 18th century, when records were not well kept or even existent, a simple “legend” might prove sufficient to protect a spy. A legend refers to a person using a fake identity or credible story to infiltrate a target organization instead of recruiting an agent in place (behind enemy lines). Nathan Hale went behind British lines in New York in 1776 using a traveling schoolmaster as his cover. Both sides used very light cover, primarily by adopting pseudonyms. Records were crudely maintained and identified, other than letters of introduction. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikwpr95OfAy63MhxALcJzYzLWSHsJNnNVE-tRIPqP569o5z3KfBMP-acqYb7gx-tUFLvTIDgsmgQ9ILatxHUEISmOAoreKBByWAv08YcSf8oceScAWReOwXEOqrV0Lx8dkjYvVjZBd-AILJz5iSkozeUAgfoBW7blp7gph4fMxK97IAX5LdIhS9yoWPWU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikwpr95OfAy63MhxALcJzYzLWSHsJNnNVE-tRIPqP569o5z3KfBMP-acqYb7gx-tUFLvTIDgsmgQ9ILatxHUEISmOAoreKBByWAv08YcSf8oceScAWReOwXEOqrV0Lx8dkjYvVjZBd-AILJz5iSkozeUAgfoBW7blp7gph4fMxK97IAX5LdIhS9yoWPWU" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Nathan Hale using schoolmaster cover</span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">In 1778, American Captain Allan McLane volunteered to spy on the British garrison at Stony Point, a fort on the Hudson south of West Point. McClane dressed as a “country bumpkin” whose cover was that he was escorting a lady to visit her son at the fort. He returned safely with valuable intelligence for General Washington.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycHISPYgN9jhu21AZ1D1mWrrn9sleps9Q8cKJiFkI1FhHRs2V7166NCAYxOodgPlvwo-jrMxMdsj6LnDjgJfG5Wpmi1cIZefbbnTCJgG6H0rNbPbcbokjXWSgI_BJWd64NCR8le96F0CqGQNDAfrumstXCHXgpE9JadfbcTXpYtw8587ysvagTuCUV_E/s552/Stony%20Point%20diagram%20of%20defenses.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="552" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycHISPYgN9jhu21AZ1D1mWrrn9sleps9Q8cKJiFkI1FhHRs2V7166NCAYxOodgPlvwo-jrMxMdsj6LnDjgJfG5Wpmi1cIZefbbnTCJgG6H0rNbPbcbokjXWSgI_BJWd64NCR8le96F0CqGQNDAfrumstXCHXgpE9JadfbcTXpYtw8587ysvagTuCUV_E/w400-h374/Stony%20Point%20diagram%20of%20defenses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Defense plans for Stony Point</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Real or Concealed?</h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Fans of James Bond and other modern spy thrillers are familiar with concealment devices to hide </span><span style="font-family: times;">artifacts of espionage, messages, plans, or maps. These include devices such as hollowed-out coins, books, or other items. Revolutionary War devices could be elementary, as manifested by British Major John Andre’s squirreling away plans for West Point’s defense in his shoe. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzLrzhtReBAkHlAsjygUaZGYskIQkj260FgUgsM_5QzsCfbKcnbhYJ3IqWyFp5XVAcwo4-eVjESCmgrrwdE7JriTYrtGjIYh4CLXPvkDy2QG6cwOLGUldD_AjjQmzcNiYjyhwIjkjO0-X558sYZ0bsNErdaU94MCPQnjbG6hg8KOCJ77STjQVTcMqb-E/s1276/Andre%20Maj%20%20captured.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1276" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEzLrzhtReBAkHlAsjygUaZGYskIQkj260FgUgsM_5QzsCfbKcnbhYJ3IqWyFp5XVAcwo4-eVjESCmgrrwdE7JriTYrtGjIYh4CLXPvkDy2QG6cwOLGUldD_AjjQmzcNiYjyhwIjkjO0-X558sYZ0bsNErdaU94MCPQnjbG6hg8KOCJ77STjQVTcMqb-E/w400-h261/Andre%20Maj%20%20captured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major Andre - shoeless spy</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">A more sophisticated plot by General Henry Clinton failed in 1777 when he dispatched an officer named Daniel Taylor up the North (Hudson) River to inform General John Burgoyne of his plans. The message, written on silk, was hidden in a silver ball made to look like a musket ball. The unlucky Taylor was captured, and he swallowed the ball during questioning. His interrogators caught him in the act, and the application of emetics soon revealed the device.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsLwN7OEp_6wqfmgYsYczOJljppPwmQcY89zbHng-8zqH6tzg1YrQD4o79pVFHIDmyaj_Ln8WUfv0Ne_-eEqKA9_97I3S4RYYzhJEgoLkNqXJNII5rEtpGILKEKfS-w5KsOAU_mRL1HS9Cahmt1_bjroThVOaK8b29-5a2ftaWDB97w1Dpf09XR_58cQ/s632/silver-musket-balls-revolutionary-war.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="632" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsLwN7OEp_6wqfmgYsYczOJljppPwmQcY89zbHng-8zqH6tzg1YrQD4o79pVFHIDmyaj_Ln8WUfv0Ne_-eEqKA9_97I3S4RYYzhJEgoLkNqXJNII5rEtpGILKEKfS-w5KsOAU_mRL1HS9Cahmt1_bjroThVOaK8b29-5a2ftaWDB97w1Dpf09XR_58cQ/w400-h221/silver-musket-balls-revolutionary-war.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: center;">Messages could be secreted in silver balls </div></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Broadcasting </span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">In the 20th century, spies might be equipped with a one-way voice link, a radio-based communication used to communicate with agents in the field typically (but not exclusively) using shortwave radio frequencies. Newspapers provided a similar capability in the 18th century. Classified ads were an advantageous way of communicating. Newspapers such as New York City’s Rivington’s Gazette served this purpose for the British and Americans.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklwPQHKZibuHjuBQcsMdC06vlnPmt-DQqVv7rGRwZVVZZy9Bzwn9q96QRi_ZdbKpZdsw4pd8oegm6jk2eQ-lQ6USXZQAS4cVcpx-NJLHhCUiR5_ylH6U9Ai5PUWukk8ddWbiWOSQRqd82t6JU9sddi115bLq198mwKq89mVg5BQAHImSGwaoJP3wq7gE/s1310/Rivington%20Royal%20Gazette%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="1310" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklwPQHKZibuHjuBQcsMdC06vlnPmt-DQqVv7rGRwZVVZZy9Bzwn9q96QRi_ZdbKpZdsw4pd8oegm6jk2eQ-lQ6USXZQAS4cVcpx-NJLHhCUiR5_ylH6U9Ai5PUWukk8ddWbiWOSQRqd82t6JU9sddi115bLq198mwKq89mVg5BQAHImSGwaoJP3wq7gE/w400-h139/Rivington%20Royal%20Gazette%20banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rivington's Royal Gazette</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Cryptography</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">The use of special techniques for secure communication dates back to antiquity. By the time of the Yankee Doodle Spies, codes and ciphers of various kinds were employed. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Letters of the alphabet replace other letters to hide the message's contents. The sender and receiver must have the same key, which can be used more than once, or for the most enhanced security, a one-time pad, which changes the key with each message. In some cases, a network might have its own template in the form of a book to provide the cipher’s key.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4hbe-6ZXssAGrc0XXipGxI3L_c4VmumwPzKReSmNAMMzNPSgGZo33ffbQ02uZllpYcFjo9RXL1w1JtMJB7zhmofWluzF40b8o9rLgUITpgWCC6H14kikblKmIp0u4Jo534sLoe2orFKAzBuk5YsMClpDdlbgrRnN7RP2TCe2aDo-nUPYPIOKBr1mLQT4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2841" data-original-width="2081" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4hbe-6ZXssAGrc0XXipGxI3L_c4VmumwPzKReSmNAMMzNPSgGZo33ffbQ02uZllpYcFjo9RXL1w1JtMJB7zhmofWluzF40b8o9rLgUITpgWCC6H14kikblKmIp0u4Jo534sLoe2orFKAzBuk5YsMClpDdlbgrRnN7RP2TCe2aDo-nUPYPIOKBr1mLQT4" width="176" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Code of Culper Ring</span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">General Washington used a number and letter substitution system made famous by the Culper Ring operating in New York and Long Island. For instance, 38 meant attack, 192 meant fort. New York was 727, etc. Sometimes innocuous words were left in the message, as they could not reveal their true meaning.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"> Another secret communication method was working off a published book or dictionary, pointing to a word on a page and line to decode the signal. A popular book or dictionary essentially hides in plain sight and poses no threat if it falls into the wrong hands. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Steganography </span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">The art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file is a high-tech endeavor today. But 18th-century intelligence often used hidden messages. Usually, a real message was embedded in a book, newspaper, letter, or some other cover text. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwLXzLIje7b8U3_0LxiLltB_eVL4UsSSmD8x1isGIfvd6m1EDYHn2rT3s5MeRy-K0ntxJZudIfhhlz3-cBONfYyqWVFdPNIc-aMPJDtBTkqLByW6gjhkZitjXnoGNAj4tlwHpWh1pte5ihamNBGsBO3K40XPvxgBIIEDwYkq4F2Ygl01SruP63jM0pvY/s600/Book%20with%20candle%20on%20it.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="600" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwLXzLIje7b8U3_0LxiLltB_eVL4UsSSmD8x1isGIfvd6m1EDYHn2rT3s5MeRy-K0ntxJZudIfhhlz3-cBONfYyqWVFdPNIc-aMPJDtBTkqLByW6gjhkZitjXnoGNAj4tlwHpWh1pte5ihamNBGsBO3K40XPvxgBIIEDwYkq4F2Ygl01SruP63jM0pvY/w400-h354/Book%20with%20candle%20on%20it.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hidden in a book</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">The British used the technique of crafting letters within the text in which the secret message was revealed when a paper template called a “mask” was applied. Within the template, the actual words of the message could be read. The information was written in the shape of an hourglass. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGyyGkhictLkCW9OYvDTo52LmcR202uPM5YfdS0YkR5ENpj3HsuOm3exp8-vgLs0ck8-4iWvQxx0rXwWMSV48rHL35m8GiDDlFciGzcZp3gVfJYX0lzU_cHZoys-8qk1iEUBDQ3HExSMa8aXtw02bRMdlFqE3FITUzVVlht0DL88fA7Ga_aZz1ry_kl8/s614/maskedletter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGyyGkhictLkCW9OYvDTo52LmcR202uPM5YfdS0YkR5ENpj3HsuOm3exp8-vgLs0ck8-4iWvQxx0rXwWMSV48rHL35m8GiDDlFciGzcZp3gVfJYX0lzU_cHZoys-8qk1iEUBDQ3HExSMa8aXtw02bRMdlFqE3FITUzVVlht0DL88fA7Ga_aZz1ry_kl8/w326-h400/maskedletter.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Masked Letter</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Invisible ink grew in use. Lemon juice provided the earliest application, but later on, a special liquid called stain enabled secret writing to be made visible only to the recipient who possessed the stain. Sir James Jay, the brother of the Revolutionary leader and head of New York’s Committee for the Detection of Spies, John Jay, invented it in London. Fortunately for the Americans, Sir James secretly shipped a bottle of stain to his brother, who ran counterintelligence activities. Washington made good use of this new “high-tech” ink, usually penned in the open space between the lines of a routine letter or a book.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tPf2EJjm58xWbkLPfo4apW9g7jLPACKfVUOJMinf9drRjc-OLAzExkh84sDChz9hRdnq-FFud02SyO6wWW6BQ8NbMGpaszOaZ_592evM66g55fQnmKvAD4ZEibMYEwE4TEZGXDt-UsDWs4LUkhoXKCYnP4l7HXqE8pMOP-X9rQVnxP-PQnf020B1i-4/s259/Jay%20John%20passport%20photo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tPf2EJjm58xWbkLPfo4apW9g7jLPACKfVUOJMinf9drRjc-OLAzExkh84sDChz9hRdnq-FFud02SyO6wWW6BQ8NbMGpaszOaZ_592evM66g55fQnmKvAD4ZEibMYEwE4TEZGXDt-UsDWs4LUkhoXKCYnP4l7HXqE8pMOP-X9rQVnxP-PQnf020B1i-4/w400-h300/Jay%20John%20passport%20photo.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Jay</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Cutouts</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Espionage services used cutouts, typically someone not under suspicion, to pass information to and from agents. Cutouts have limited knowledge of the final destination or the spy’s identity, providing added security should the cutout fall under suspicion. Colonial taverns and coffee houses offered ideal venues for this. Other establishments, such as American spy Hercules Mulligan’s tailor shop in New York, may have played such a role.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxsEvXExusJm3s6zAfsKBxn_qRrbY_LU4cZrdohmuhdSHclMhPuzajXex6WglKr0uXaKM4TlJp8Qcfm48LJjftIrus5J5XRwwC0RHfCJzj4prrhK94sghd6FrCCFdJLUrwCbru2gPKLu19A1pwVbOKc5N3q8qR2E36qPn7dXTIU7Te9qen_IqsQkKmGM/s512/Tailor%20shop%20BW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="512" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxsEvXExusJm3s6zAfsKBxn_qRrbY_LU4cZrdohmuhdSHclMhPuzajXex6WglKr0uXaKM4TlJp8Qcfm48LJjftIrus5J5XRwwC0RHfCJzj4prrhK94sghd6FrCCFdJLUrwCbru2gPKLu19A1pwVbOKc5N3q8qR2E36qPn7dXTIU7Te9qen_IqsQkKmGM/w400-h210/Tailor%20shop%20BW.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tailor Shop or Spy Central?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Dead Drop</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">The dead drop exchange is still a method of espionage tradecraft used to pass items between two individuals using a secret location. Dead drops permit the exchange of information while avoiding a personal meeting. These are usually secret locations at remote sites (sometimes in plain sight )for leaving notes or items for later recovery. The Culper Ring used a box buried on AbrahamWoodhaull’s farm, where Austin Roe would deliver intelligence gained at his New York tavern.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1mH0clDJfliUvaO79I-G_ZWGEYw5SDd5u6Z5MtbBeCKScfQMQo3jXyzuyw-w1oK75vt8qdy2MsIF_2hlIVP-Vr5oyitOKQSjYhSIXt_E-cXGgzziDbHmSHYT7fsaMkPD9q0WILa0B6NIf2Gk0n3rAlcW7GIJ-G0ZqH5vcvt_ItodeDYmmYItcso3Ezs/s713/Whale%20boat%20escapes%20canoes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1mH0clDJfliUvaO79I-G_ZWGEYw5SDd5u6Z5MtbBeCKScfQMQo3jXyzuyw-w1oK75vt8qdy2MsIF_2hlIVP-Vr5oyitOKQSjYhSIXt_E-cXGgzziDbHmSHYT7fsaMkPD9q0WILa0B6NIf2Gk0n3rAlcW7GIJ-G0ZqH5vcvt_ItodeDYmmYItcso3Ezs/w320-h400/Whale%20boat%20escapes%20canoes.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Returning from a dead drop on Long Island</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">The flip side is the “live drop,” where two agents meet to exchange items or information. The same ring used Long Island’s north shore coves as dead drops where Caleb Brewster’s whaleboat could slip in, and he would retrieve the messages. </span></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Eavesdropping</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Today this includes electronic surveillance, wiretaps, and cyber collection. During Revolutionary War times, eavesdropping was secretly listening to the conversation of others without their consent, typically just out of sight or behind closed doors. Lydia Darragh got wind of a British plan for s surprise attack on General Washington’s army, which was “observing” the British garrison in Philadelphia. General Howe was using her home as his headquarters, and her presence gave her the access needed to accomplish this.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4j5iICkhRAchFgjHZWqrwcz9biwd9k6FDCvXycWCsVQas112jC83YiwZQrfXrveBxPCz6HuO0dOvFclyv5uyBnhp4kizwQBJvAiJbwB4EIQ6d9atDnBZy_rHm3IWcWZUEbulxQGJyUlCWatSZ-9v4vOtmIrqnWz1h_pRl2RGOj4RIz_mqtHSvM70u8I/s300/Darragh%20spies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="209" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4j5iICkhRAchFgjHZWqrwcz9biwd9k6FDCvXycWCsVQas112jC83YiwZQrfXrveBxPCz6HuO0dOvFclyv5uyBnhp4kizwQBJvAiJbwB4EIQ6d9atDnBZy_rHm3IWcWZUEbulxQGJyUlCWatSZ-9v4vOtmIrqnWz1h_pRl2RGOj4RIz_mqtHSvM70u8I/w279-h400/Darragh%20spies.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lydia Darragh in action</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Surveillance</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Monitoring behavior, activities, or anomalies is a simple but effective technique. Surveillance was possibly the most often used collection activity during the American Revolution. The pro-British Loyalists and American patriots were often intermixed and kept tabs on each other, watching for suspicious or threatening activities. Scouts and patrols also surveilled enemy forces, always from afar. In 1775, Paul Revere’s spy network, known as the Mechanics, had surveillants throughout Boston and the surrounding area to report on British activities.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydCOHPkIXiAXHQCBd9_8iL-mV3kA-KdKPw4z0eFmaLyjYhTsRwizytAjLr7HUSRv44ky-BSlf9RrhGqPGJtMKw5tS3uOXrz2PEZ_UjECPtMMgOtwGZUgHPTdKsb_WeQZ03wBdT9aSpGgPKqxznKx4m3DOvS556heevP7j9qJpqw3PS05d8kCN6vkkRv4/s320/Mechanic%20Spy%20dispatched%20on%20mission%20poss%20Revere%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="235" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydCOHPkIXiAXHQCBd9_8iL-mV3kA-KdKPw4z0eFmaLyjYhTsRwizytAjLr7HUSRv44ky-BSlf9RrhGqPGJtMKw5tS3uOXrz2PEZ_UjECPtMMgOtwGZUgHPTdKsb_WeQZ03wBdT9aSpGgPKqxznKx4m3DOvS556heevP7j9qJpqw3PS05d8kCN6vkkRv4/w294-h400/Mechanic%20Spy%20dispatched%20on%20mission%20poss%20Revere%20(1).jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Mechanics reported on the British Boston garrison</div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Front Organizations</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">These are entities created and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies. The intent is to avoid attribution to the organizing entity – plausible denial. They can be in the form of a business, a foundation, or another organization. The most famous of these during the Revolutionary War was Rodrigue & Hortalez et. cie, a front company established by Pierre Augustine de Beamarchais, a clockmaker and playwright, who had the ear of the King, as well as France’s Foreign Minister, comte de Vergennes. This trading company shipped surplus French military goods and other critical supplies to the colonies in exchange for American products such as tobacco. The American cause would have likely collapsed without this covert aid.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hCABM4DoCpiMsIa2KCNi-ohiej-4xAXT3FNK20CHyvyZgwbt7oSEDOnFHLdVh0pNmOL1ahn9RLok3lDyJdDI9qHq2QUU8GY0xr0cujah4ruP7jdAP9_cn9YPuIpvDnCrz0mK1jtTlQfavhH_Q60HbGRDCrlhihUfYvjHFdRmfD7bQ4_uZR4xoTwnyWM/s320/Beaumarchais,%20Pierre-Augustin%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="248" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hCABM4DoCpiMsIa2KCNi-ohiej-4xAXT3FNK20CHyvyZgwbt7oSEDOnFHLdVh0pNmOL1ahn9RLok3lDyJdDI9qHq2QUU8GY0xr0cujah4ruP7jdAP9_cn9YPuIpvDnCrz0mK1jtTlQfavhH_Q60HbGRDCrlhihUfYvjHFdRmfD7bQ4_uZR4xoTwnyWM/s1600/Beaumarchais,%20Pierre-Augustin%20(1).jpg" width="248" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: center;">Beamarchais - playwright and </div><div style="text-align: center;">covert action mastermind</div></span><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Ask Me Anything<br /></span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Both sides used military interrogation extensively. An interrogation is an interviewing approach employed by police, military, and intelligence agencies to elicit valuable information from an uncooperative suspect. Interrogation involved various techniques, ranging from developing a rapport with the subject to repeated questions, sleep deprivation, or, in some countries, torture. Both sides suffered from deserters who willingly gave up military information during the Revolutionary War. The most ruthless interrogations occurred in the internecine conflict between patriots and Loyalists. This civil war within the American War for Independence was rife with aggressive and brutal interrogation of prisoners.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KtxwRaRsYNSuT_U6V27AruLhWKm-j9kwMPJsmQ_-9wG8TSia35BW2jbj_BZhIMPfzzd78IdYs1A_Iu_eyDFD6C3o8kAWH6MBbA3FMpEflR7fTQCwAVFmwem3HH_KPlrwcGXh-ANKR-SN1z_VaFRvCfSki0b8HJlMxCR27AVy0OoifqypukfLGWoqlI8/s665/Interrogating%20suspect.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="665" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KtxwRaRsYNSuT_U6V27AruLhWKm-j9kwMPJsmQ_-9wG8TSia35BW2jbj_BZhIMPfzzd78IdYs1A_Iu_eyDFD6C3o8kAWH6MBbA3FMpEflR7fTQCwAVFmwem3HH_KPlrwcGXh-ANKR-SN1z_VaFRvCfSki0b8HJlMxCR27AVy0OoifqypukfLGWoqlI8/w400-h294/Interrogating%20suspect.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Interrogations could be brutal</div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">Black Chamber Operations</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: times;">Intercepting diplomatic correspondence originated in Europe in the early 18th century, usually by co-opting a post office. During the American Revolution, both sides employed such covert actions by intercepting mail carried by normal postal means, express riders, or couriers. This was done secretly when possible, with the letter(s) carefully re-sealed and stamped. Washington and the British in New York City used this approach extensively, co-opting couriers and messengers. Since patriots and Loyalists abounded and lived among each other, there was no shortage of people who could be convinced to reengage in such a risky endeavor. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmCPXJJ_lgWu5IAHGOszIfg3pmgIN8ec8Jbkw9bttoqxHmXzD9m1Rn8sPq175QenDf5GBA4uF8swTWIVBloN7zpNiVmeyWPmc1kmFXhYgDRHnQ7XRsQ2LCC-CNtt3-HH_HZR2nXRHzOI7AUhuD9jAF_Fhc7CrYNIhdf2meRmRo0OBzSQxrjTJ6KBJZGw/s550/Rider%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="550" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmCPXJJ_lgWu5IAHGOszIfg3pmgIN8ec8Jbkw9bttoqxHmXzD9m1Rn8sPq175QenDf5GBA4uF8swTWIVBloN7zpNiVmeyWPmc1kmFXhYgDRHnQ7XRsQ2LCC-CNtt3-HH_HZR2nXRHzOI7AUhuD9jAF_Fhc7CrYNIhdf2meRmRo0OBzSQxrjTJ6KBJZGw/w400-h303/Rider%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Courier with a message - is it true or false?</div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">During the onset of the Yorkton campaign in 1781, General Washington exploited the use of intercepted messages by British General Henry Clinton’s New York garrison by planting false information that was allowed to fall into enemy hands. The report helped paint a false story – an upcoming invasion of New York. This operation enabled the French and Americans to steal a march on Clinton as they headed south to Yorktown and victory.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1629" data-original-width="1220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeKZShCylRidshN7p05geNkaU7E-9phklWa-MZc03Q8Q9DOVrwNW1hRLYMv0IV-qpylmbGzZ3_Wf2t19qcfQQREKwCjW4JmXCDTeVUtF9SMPR3CE4qxJ_sjRlt_2QSto53CZTmUQikZZ0DsackfY_4vBNXBeHy_WZfjWOf9rHaQSoVhbstpW-GtsBQ3M/w300-h400/Washington_and_Yorktown%20spyglass.jpg" width="300" /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">Surveilling Yorktown</p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-1749613157467913032023-05-29T08:10:00.000-07:002023-05-29T08:10:29.049-07:00The Indispensable Spymaster<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> <span style="text-align: center;">"</span><i style="text-align: center;">There is
nothing more necessary than good Intelligence to frustrate a designing Enemy,
and nothing requires greater pains to obtain</i><span style="text-align: center;">." George Washington</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">As commander in chief of the Continental Army, George
Washington was much more than a general. He was the undeclared head of the
United States with concerns beyond the usual man, equip and train mandate of
commanding generals. He was a figurehead but also influenced the Continental
Congress and state policies through persuasion. His concerns involved every
aspect of the aforementioned mandates, making him the Army's chief logistician,
personnel director, organizer, and trainer in many ways. And he was the chief
strategist and operational planner for all the Continental Army's departments.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfU1YbC_Q9jfQ0Fd9KsqxTirfj-vTO517rThkA7rOfDLGeA_-evnYIYBQUUF09gQbmaR9G1Cy-jzlrs3SglppbcoCZB1Xmq2RrCY-32EOEeSxRmvvIBCtlZyULmjCUF4wUeQtiUTEyghpOO_Zisc00CTakxWY5HHnCcv1D5trt6atv65AyuZgQY7IE/s960/Washington%20posing%20with%20sword.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="713" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfU1YbC_Q9jfQ0Fd9KsqxTirfj-vTO517rThkA7rOfDLGeA_-evnYIYBQUUF09gQbmaR9G1Cy-jzlrs3SglppbcoCZB1Xmq2RrCY-32EOEeSxRmvvIBCtlZyULmjCUF4wUeQtiUTEyghpOO_Zisc00CTakxWY5HHnCcv1D5trt6atv65AyuZgQY7IE/w298-h400/Washington%20posing%20with%20sword.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Indispensable Spymaster</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It must be remembered that military staffs were not the
robust teams of highly skilled planners and actions officers that developed in
the French and Prussian armies of the next century—just a few aides de camp and
orderlies reviewed and prepared correspondence on a day-to-day basis. For big
decisions, Washington consulted with Congress and senior military officers. But
the daily management, often via "Orders of the Day" and "General
Orders," rested with Washington and a handful of men around him.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV9Xb5j--dpaD9Gq2DGuYy9-mJrUhF6iHFO4CS84mHtWOokvgJr6A8hDoAoZTuoRT9Fw1tcUi-2XelAANlgX8kR1mwtf-ZpVIFHBujkgtLEPliJTjamHO04Mc2jbbbx3YX75Fm0NMEJsDafTJ3NyGRkuKTBrpAX8a72zQkGPe7i0uedbyv470q3BH/s259/council%20of%20war%20color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV9Xb5j--dpaD9Gq2DGuYy9-mJrUhF6iHFO4CS84mHtWOokvgJr6A8hDoAoZTuoRT9Fw1tcUi-2XelAANlgX8kR1mwtf-ZpVIFHBujkgtLEPliJTjamHO04Mc2jbbbx3YX75Fm0NMEJsDafTJ3NyGRkuKTBrpAX8a72zQkGPe7i0uedbyv470q3BH/w400-h300/council%20of%20war%20color.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Planning operations </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So it is no surprise that Washington added to his burden by
serving as the Continental Army's spymaster. It was a job he took most
seriously. And why not? He was a trained and practiced surveyor, a profession
requiring an understanding of terrain – knowing the land, waters, fields,
forests, and mountains. He traveled deep into the American frontier and
understood the time and space considerations needed to plan ventures
successfully. And most importantly, his career was launched by a spy mission.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsFyN67-Nj4VbLVCgFe2niL14dpKt-KDK0sYZraNJSyZGmEmMttHt3a-C6vU1EL4vVZ-CrHIfzVwDzPoSnfZ6I5jdZ1QVMD3PPP6_xeiN0fzGsZC8HPSjBf6V_pMX9a0Bq7GbgSWpV9DzsxAs8dWZfzeyvRq7PPmlaY0TMahIelUGLVNNEWil7UG9/s816/Surveyor%20poss%20Washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="816" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsFyN67-Nj4VbLVCgFe2niL14dpKt-KDK0sYZraNJSyZGmEmMttHt3a-C6vU1EL4vVZ-CrHIfzVwDzPoSnfZ6I5jdZ1QVMD3PPP6_xeiN0fzGsZC8HPSjBf6V_pMX9a0Bq7GbgSWpV9DzsxAs8dWZfzeyvRq7PPmlaY0TMahIelUGLVNNEWil7UG9/w400-h265/Surveyor%20poss%20Washington.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Surveying - the handmaiden of intelligence</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1753, Virginia's Governor Robert Dinwiddie sent a young
Major Washington to spy on the French outposts deep in the upper
Ohio River valley. Washington honed his recruiting skills by engaging the
services of experienced guides and interpreters, one of whom was an explorer
named Christopher Gist. In the densely forested mountains near the French Fort
Duquesne (today's Pittsburgh), he met a Seneca chief named Half-King, who guided
Washington to a meeting with the French.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn0MoNjJmNNSG0dd-cO4hxrHzdeZQnG2Z98eQGCI-aavqLZIuCPl0X-1d8Pk-MhJ8KcSRkulVRPwcUZN08xSyFcXl6tA_BKgS8Y-BUg4C1VVgRbGrnfmfvXHqMoVzy0GBhAOagU8hSD3bQ0iAaaFN8pa--1IqeNYOYAxf1qJoXgl1ipLzGUQrH8E2/s1237/Dinwiddie%20Gov%20Robert%20Virginia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn0MoNjJmNNSG0dd-cO4hxrHzdeZQnG2Z98eQGCI-aavqLZIuCPl0X-1d8Pk-MhJ8KcSRkulVRPwcUZN08xSyFcXl6tA_BKgS8Y-BUg4C1VVgRbGrnfmfvXHqMoVzy0GBhAOagU8hSD3bQ0iAaaFN8pa--1IqeNYOYAxf1qJoXgl1ipLzGUQrH8E2/w331-h400/Dinwiddie%20Gov%20Robert%20Virginia.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Robert Dinwiddie</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Washington elicited<span style="background-color: white;"> </span>a trove of data such as fort locations,
numbers of canoes and bateaux, etc. But the essential element of information,
Dinwiddie's purpose for the expedition, was discovering French intentions. These
were to control the entire Ohio Valley and surrounding territory to maintain a monopoly
with the tribes in the interior. After eighty days of slogging through
snow-filled mountains and canoeing along icy rivers with Gist, the young spy
arrived in Williamsburg and gave the governor a detailed written report.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx8WQaa0iffzPXfjdmdqSSklMZ5jUpIxqODpoXE8DJ__C5Yka-u6jlJgrhXh9KFZTCvSrtpnTV3nz4fpZvXHWYtoLAiPFINgjlxQldc6KXPKZ2g3pMX4wPhVxd6kTktG2ZVLXylAxlt0HuVCa981UdDJnVRcS3OaOwWYHjKDs22w-E9TCqRVp4x5z/s264/Washington%2022%20year%20old%20lieutenant%20colonel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="191" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx8WQaa0iffzPXfjdmdqSSklMZ5jUpIxqODpoXE8DJ__C5Yka-u6jlJgrhXh9KFZTCvSrtpnTV3nz4fpZvXHWYtoLAiPFINgjlxQldc6KXPKZ2g3pMX4wPhVxd6kTktG2ZVLXylAxlt0HuVCa981UdDJnVRcS3OaOwWYHjKDs22w-E9TCqRVp4x5z/w289-h400/Washington%2022%20year%20old%20lieutenant%20colonel.jpg" width="289" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lieutenant Colonel Washington</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ironically, his professional work resulted in Dinwiddie
sending him back out the following year at the head of a military contingent
aimed at buttressing Virginia's claim to the territory. Lieutenant Colonel Washington's second expedition was a
disaster that led to the French and Indian War in America and the Seven Years' War in Europe. Indeed, the French
and Indian War provided Washington with the springboard to command the
Continental Army in 1775.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOxmkkRtTP_-2pfHcX9Ectaptb5_HCR3wjUVHky-SHeFSe3eD9-jLDGnD94YjfQM8XsVtUh2rBWhNfPDw6B6J-bM3yWnklT7E5KHCAQpZQvv97vxfawxlpQOIoTcI9rx2-Rf86UayB3k2RKLDVLyQUEJaCDD5urHav2kN_IX_yUN6ECjX7m2GPHkoZ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="1185" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOxmkkRtTP_-2pfHcX9Ectaptb5_HCR3wjUVHky-SHeFSe3eD9-jLDGnD94YjfQM8XsVtUh2rBWhNfPDw6B6J-bM3yWnklT7E5KHCAQpZQvv97vxfawxlpQOIoTcI9rx2-Rf86UayB3k2RKLDVLyQUEJaCDD5urHav2kN_IX_yUN6ECjX7m2GPHkoZ=w308-h400" width="308" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington's map of Ohio Valley 1754</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By the time Washington assumed command at Cambridge, Massachusetts,
he had the skills and experience to plan and implement intelligence activities. He spent the latter years of the war commanding the Virginia Militia Regiment, which was charged with protecting the Shenandoah Valley from French-inspired Indian
incursions. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RztsIfyAPE8_Ja24xLLR_NGvXJNbBdGTqDEgAFFnesX9M3JF3AmRAe4wKy0pNE2CpQiEt23Y6uRrnYTeXbNZFtT7twZITa7XskYhlbLaSUdHRuFGzJ77EUWqlqXFQkl_GonEn5MQfjPPG0AewZ4jwiE0KFHI88SX7XD-QdCYRtBETmF6W_XkbXyj/s640/Cambridge%20taking%20command%201775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="640" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RztsIfyAPE8_Ja24xLLR_NGvXJNbBdGTqDEgAFFnesX9M3JF3AmRAe4wKy0pNE2CpQiEt23Y6uRrnYTeXbNZFtT7twZITa7XskYhlbLaSUdHRuFGzJ77EUWqlqXFQkl_GonEn5MQfjPPG0AewZ4jwiE0KFHI88SX7XD-QdCYRtBETmF6W_XkbXyj/w400-h321/Cambridge%20taking%20command%201775.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The weakness of Washington's Army for most of the war forced
him to wage a war of so-called Fabian tactics, which relied on accurate intelligence,
military security, and tactical deception to level the playing field with the British. The Boston campaign provides a helpful example. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRKRJUYhHsdEWMaJ7_O3Ulpkfv6I8iFz4ZRtpa8n2oJzdKTyeOV6HDcCGyoTVOFaeXLbphKs5jGNUyW7PZTC_z7YdBxIzZa8fy1F-9oFL8R5ZiGtNVbgMJKICSQ7EaYWQLYl4zWpwsqNkhGMjQQGyohusyQkH_uJ4HOkzXvMBheUaXdwHn5zljeMF/s779/Boston%20Army%20beseiging%20Jun%201775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="779" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRKRJUYhHsdEWMaJ7_O3Ulpkfv6I8iFz4ZRtpa8n2oJzdKTyeOV6HDcCGyoTVOFaeXLbphKs5jGNUyW7PZTC_z7YdBxIzZa8fy1F-9oFL8R5ZiGtNVbgMJKICSQ7EaYWQLYl4zWpwsqNkhGMjQQGyohusyQkH_uJ4HOkzXvMBheUaXdwHn5zljeMF/w400-h251/Boston%20Army%20beseiging%20Jun%201775.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Continental Army outside Boston was initially weak</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On taking command, he learned the Continental Army was
dangerously low on gunpowder. Washington employed strict security to protect
the new Army's biggest secret. He took great pains to cloak this from the
British until he had an adequate supply. He sought intelligence on the British
activities in Boston, but his critical knowledge requirement was their
knowledge of the gunpowder problem. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9oGnWa3ozVM14F5ctT4MjJQ7vhv3a4cG1gwsP30YU8huMqIzVp0QEF8Nxu_2JYlMi5mm7wZ71HlwtYvSMQ_j7JdANEHG-U7F-VBq9Lf7j1KIuvAmxOkGwe50Yoz9dKlhwPebsLouhgb96NCI6b4c49Kli2FfCFj2efCq1qKIvbeJWbJ8_vU515aI/s640/Gunpowder%20kegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9oGnWa3ozVM14F5ctT4MjJQ7vhv3a4cG1gwsP30YU8huMqIzVp0QEF8Nxu_2JYlMi5mm7wZ71HlwtYvSMQ_j7JdANEHG-U7F-VBq9Lf7j1KIuvAmxOkGwe50Yoz9dKlhwPebsLouhgb96NCI6b4c49Kli2FfCFj2efCq1qKIvbeJWbJ8_vU515aI/w400-h300/Gunpowder%20kegs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Low supplies of gunpowder threatened the Army</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During that period, a spy was discovered at the highest
levels – Doctor Benjamin Church, Chief Surgeon of the American Army. Secret
correspondence with the British commander, General Gage, revealed Church's
double game. Church claimed he was actually trying to convince the British of
the Americans' large stocks of gunpowder. If true, this might have been an
excellent deception operation. But a military court convicted him. Was that too
a ruse? Church disappeared at sea after his conviction, but many years later,
historians discovered secret British files that proved his espionage. But was it
espionage or just a good double agent operation? This affair may have prompted
his obsession with enemy spies in his camp, a fixation that continued
throughout the eight year war.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOCe_veFGC7-QACd_o4EVgq3HoAhRuxxv5bIYRxunA1hVrgN5p7Bd0rAajmRSzdKUIoAWrM2i3NzSxfMRjs_7ouBd30BvZPesdc69Pjiy3amKgYahk-Vf76L-f5H1fMmU09rIh4cT0B8CO-kP9vERggkThVb5FXJIsBurxIfl5cxcbIIUSfSNUPQ5/s262/Church,%20Dr%20Benjamin%20head%20shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOCe_veFGC7-QACd_o4EVgq3HoAhRuxxv5bIYRxunA1hVrgN5p7Bd0rAajmRSzdKUIoAWrM2i3NzSxfMRjs_7ouBd30BvZPesdc69Pjiy3amKgYahk-Vf76L-f5H1fMmU09rIh4cT0B8CO-kP9vERggkThVb5FXJIsBurxIfl5cxcbIIUSfSNUPQ5/w336-h400/Church,%20Dr%20Benjamin%20head%20shot.jpg" width="336" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Doctor Benjamin Church</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During the remainder of the war, George Washington kept a
tight hand on the spies and spy networks that swirled around the Continental
Army: Nathan Hale's strained mission, the tactical collection activities of
Knowlton's Rangers, and later the 2<sup>nd</sup> Continental Dragoons. Others
include Hercules Mulligan reporting from occupied New York, Lydia Darragh doing the same from Philadelphia,
and of course, the Culper Ring in New York City and on Long Island. And there
were many other spies and networks that still go undiscovered.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz2x2GJiNrEHix2qFrtIbHjiTy47L5LWkXKxc4bcRGLktUI_pVIro7JsQPGMXQkqbUO_0u_sH-t-DJid2Jpx2csNyZA0cx9-DqRRktZZ5qtFUDb-FmPeMi2Up1z86fKWVN6VtuVDEGde2leR3RmSU9OVG4j5N8IsttNC7CCxtIR8MKV-lVzt5OuDC/s600/Knowlton%20cameo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz2x2GJiNrEHix2qFrtIbHjiTy47L5LWkXKxc4bcRGLktUI_pVIro7JsQPGMXQkqbUO_0u_sH-t-DJid2Jpx2csNyZA0cx9-DqRRktZZ5qtFUDb-FmPeMi2Up1z86fKWVN6VtuVDEGde2leR3RmSU9OVG4j5N8IsttNC7CCxtIR8MKV-lVzt5OuDC/w344-h400/Knowlton%20cameo.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Counterespionage was another area of Washington's personal attention. He was greatly vexed by Loyalists spying for the British such as New Jersey's
James Moody. The Sergeant Hickey Affair resulted in the breaking up of a ring
and a potential assassination plot. The most notorious espionage challenge was
posed by British Major John Andre's recruiting of arguably America's greatest
war hero- Major General Benedict Arnold. Washington was there when Arnold was
uncovered and personally directed the countermeasures, which included a parley
to exchange Andre for Arnold, dispatching an agent, a Virginia Sergeant named
John Champe, to kidnap the treasonous general, and appointing Andre's court martial
and approving his death sentence.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnL2eR0p8O8xHNUdrn5rrDgOFAyjjB66KIY8hH0SfdhsIbGMGeGD-cZAmwbi2FmeyNNe5ffO0tUgWE_8Edq1TjzU9Ju49PQHTIlitdLgs2D0BGtBzu-lNyHtL7g_y0t90oRvUNwUTpWdTmq-WGDYUoXkJIDZjce0np4Yw2Fh7Z0Rt4Ijtp6_rEDHs0/s1276/Andre%20Maj%20%20captured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1276" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnL2eR0p8O8xHNUdrn5rrDgOFAyjjB66KIY8hH0SfdhsIbGMGeGD-cZAmwbi2FmeyNNe5ffO0tUgWE_8Edq1TjzU9Ju49PQHTIlitdLgs2D0BGtBzu-lNyHtL7g_y0t90oRvUNwUTpWdTmq-WGDYUoXkJIDZjce0np4Yw2Fh7Z0Rt4Ijtp6_rEDHs0/w400-h261/Andre%20Maj%20%20captured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The capture of Major Andre</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Washington employed deception and military (or operations)
security throughout the war. He had to deceive the British about his Army's
strength (or lack of it) and its intentions. There were many successes and
failures as both sides engaged in deception and counter-deception. The stakes
were high – the war's outcome could turn on their successful implementation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtk-gAH03xG_W8J3qxMVO8eI04hAmCxO-DT5LUU_4-ZHSMGU8uR6E_1if_9oDmP88pl2-LpO-AUZpztYKPUEWrxQ5hnROl0WU8uNNFBHTqtV3xp-HKASVMxwH2b4s3_mAGk7O9x97TtukRN9v4qHXue3U_LW4yI1xO9o_7V8dS5IG4Fjh94QVrGes/s841/Scouts%20in%20winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtk-gAH03xG_W8J3qxMVO8eI04hAmCxO-DT5LUU_4-ZHSMGU8uR6E_1if_9oDmP88pl2-LpO-AUZpztYKPUEWrxQ5hnROl0WU8uNNFBHTqtV3xp-HKASVMxwH2b4s3_mAGk7O9x97TtukRN9v4qHXue3U_LW4yI1xO9o_7V8dS5IG4Fjh94QVrGes/w286-h400/Scouts%20in%20winter.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Military patrol in winter</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The most celebrated of these activities was Washington's
leveraging his well-known and long-standing desire (some might say obsession)
to capture New York City. In the summer of 1783, Washington finally agreed to
French General Rochambeau's plan to join a French fleet on its way to the
Chesapeake Bay and attack General Charles Cornwallis's Army on Virginia's
Yorktown peninsula. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfAtMonB-bRODcBMWzswUxUuoybjt8RX2rWiF9fY9yVNdaF79A0PoZE-7kpX4hSKJ1KAveUw89bLU7WiMlMwu_FnyR72U1b7z2aDyvN7azDDICLbBrzSTRLX87OKhLXWB9dokwLqHc4BEOs7PPZSMh2sz8I6hrulBDfLuoi1Hc_cFtOaQtzb1oiTs/s633/Rochambeau%20Gen%20Jean-Baptiste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFfAtMonB-bRODcBMWzswUxUuoybjt8RX2rWiF9fY9yVNdaF79A0PoZE-7kpX4hSKJ1KAveUw89bLU7WiMlMwu_FnyR72U1b7z2aDyvN7azDDICLbBrzSTRLX87OKhLXWB9dokwLqHc4BEOs7PPZSMh2sz8I6hrulBDfLuoi1Hc_cFtOaQtzb1oiTs/w298-h400/Rochambeau%20Gen%20Jean-Baptiste.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General <span style="text-align: left;">Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">comte de Rochambeau </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">For it to work, the British needed to be dissuaded from sending aid to Yorktown. He orchestrated a series of intelligence measures to
plant the idea of an imminent Franco-American attack on the New York garrison. Feints by bodies of troops, deliberately lost dispatches, and the whispers of spies
convinced British General Henry Clinton long enough to delay sending
reinforcements to beleaguered Cornwallis in Yorktown.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd1TpumnJL9nDU1vpndUWUKRujEmeU8CBkMce3BNxbtzOK6tIM7hoADccAKMb93LrTlxu-HAiNsTVh2RDnSpBsQPiIz16QYohMjj5nWK50d9VfdXAtzK4LlFKs3abGSktafpAJC9eN6QKEx-DyDg5rmRiM54v8ew1bS7qPyMmGc9bPeA_OFszKj1F/s1280/Spy%20in%20tavern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd1TpumnJL9nDU1vpndUWUKRujEmeU8CBkMce3BNxbtzOK6tIM7hoADccAKMb93LrTlxu-HAiNsTVh2RDnSpBsQPiIz16QYohMjj5nWK50d9VfdXAtzK4LlFKs3abGSktafpAJC9eN6QKEx-DyDg5rmRiM54v8ew1bS7qPyMmGc9bPeA_OFszKj1F/w400-h266/Spy%20in%20tavern.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Spy at work</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even as the French and Americans marched south, their route
was designed to appear like an envelopment of the city until the very last
minute. When Clinton realized he had been humbugged, it was too late to help Cornwallis. By the end of October, the British had surrendered in
Yorktown. Clinton's military options were dwindling, and the British government
fell, bringing in an administration more sympathetic to negotiations.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdbviJuzFXquTv07h6IgpvMWTGcrloXt_hxmEcM4lmyT-gd-JpWqDb93vyRYSbbGyoncHkTQ8Alq22k4P9dbd_2Q_RGRAg2ifU-UmZQNE2VYBMxLm0drhaFR6_mU3Ty-btfxUbb9tsXBERAUY5pHQzHF02kHmO3geHDeFvj3LIcnIlmX8nNsGF9R3/s1599/March%20to%20Yorktown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1599" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdbviJuzFXquTv07h6IgpvMWTGcrloXt_hxmEcM4lmyT-gd-JpWqDb93vyRYSbbGyoncHkTQ8Alq22k4P9dbd_2Q_RGRAg2ifU-UmZQNE2VYBMxLm0drhaFR6_mU3Ty-btfxUbb9tsXBERAUY5pHQzHF02kHmO3geHDeFvj3LIcnIlmX8nNsGF9R3/w400-h248/March%20to%20Yorktown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington's deception steals a march on Yorktown</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The great spymaster succeeded in leveraging an early form of
gray zone warfare. Most of these activities were kept secret long after the war,
and very few official records were maintained – for obvious reasons. In a
nation of divided loyalties, the lives of spies are always in peril. The 18th-century zeitgeist that emphasized "honor" held spies in great disdain. Yet
Washington occasionally mused about those who risked lives and reputations for
little reward or acclaim. They could not receive pensions or fame. The case of
Nathan Hale is a possible exception, and that was for propaganda purposes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM0YUc0eN9UbVBHlzd0WtJMg1hXrBGGaR0cKjdnvXwR0hXW5a6wmFVDM-Fp-ZXIechi_C4BNX0JXz0dI09sbNyaT06VzO5mf0qsxS_M24X-ijpjvp6Qy25myhWNjZIbtztJqTZ0zHRR2T8WrunJTtbM7UFerKP4yD3bbIgjRHWl8YotuWNIgbsWq8/s280/Nathan%20hale%20hanging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjM0YUc0eN9UbVBHlzd0WtJMg1hXrBGGaR0cKjdnvXwR0hXW5a6wmFVDM-Fp-ZXIechi_C4BNX0JXz0dI09sbNyaT06VzO5mf0qsxS_M24X-ijpjvp6Qy25myhWNjZIbtztJqTZ0zHRR2T8WrunJTtbM7UFerKP4yD3bbIgjRHWl8YotuWNIgbsWq8/w400-h360/Nathan%20hale%20hanging.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Execution of Nathan Hale</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The shadow war waged during the American Revolution was critical to its success. George Washington realized that. It is said he visited random citizens
for some quiet conversation during his post-war travels around the country
while President. Ultimately, all he could reward them with was his personal
thanks. For the shadow warriors who risked life and honor, a tip of the hat
from the most extraordinary man of the century was enough. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPV5VM_LwTc2lkh67vAYqXuA1ehvKbtK2MzqEhq_releb-GrZt8J-VMYFax6HFmhZwNsPZRBn1nuIGOylthfFZaU6ez7twpBprThGikp81jNf8zml0V80PRG5JeSrI-jrKQFw1KI0YBElVI1cZ4K2H6ERZkgeXDTJE1l5hdHyO-6nqkXuX8DtY49PS/s408/Spy%20meets%20Washington.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="352" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPV5VM_LwTc2lkh67vAYqXuA1ehvKbtK2MzqEhq_releb-GrZt8J-VMYFax6HFmhZwNsPZRBn1nuIGOylthfFZaU6ez7twpBprThGikp81jNf8zml0V80PRG5JeSrI-jrKQFw1KI0YBElVI1cZ4K2H6ERZkgeXDTJE1l5hdHyO-6nqkXuX8DtY49PS/w345-h400/Spy%20meets%20Washington.jpg" width="345" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Indispensable Man met many of his spies</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-7696831553335498282023-04-30T09:07:00.000-07:002023-04-30T09:07:27.869-07:00Spycraft and the Road to Rebellion<p> This blog post might better be called "Back to the Future." Not because it is about the iconic 1980s time travel film and its subsequent franchise but because we are traveling back to the original premise of this blog and the Yankee Doodle Spies book series, espionage.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10u57Ym3KlIYzlTGImPrGKfkAklYtvpMvhaq-eXwjXPWqElMSrcEWkbnc_w-ux9vVI3vcb2xQ4RXPrxpD-vCVLXwPgk9R8NiAwtXk_eZXdMqF0qu5gK3j80zU6qych9s9ZJpZa3P8qoH_n3QVorGK4Uhsu922Km2taJMpqt7obglVZ6nuekdzXYI-/s1601/Back%20to%20the%20Future.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1601" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10u57Ym3KlIYzlTGImPrGKfkAklYtvpMvhaq-eXwjXPWqElMSrcEWkbnc_w-ux9vVI3vcb2xQ4RXPrxpD-vCVLXwPgk9R8NiAwtXk_eZXdMqF0qu5gK3j80zU6qych9s9ZJpZa3P8qoH_n3QVorGK4Uhsu922Km2taJMpqt7obglVZ6nuekdzXYI-/w300-h400/Back%20to%20the%20Future.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The American Revolution was, for many years, a war in
the shadows. Since shortly after the 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the French and
Indian War, a slow-fused powder keg of resentment, misunderstanding, and
ill-conceived policies drove a wedge between the North American English
settlers and their cousins back home. Disputes over taxation, governance,
Indian relations, western settlement, and trade began percolating. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kmbP7Iq_05KusWuMpYherukcVCUwBHe-8AQ34G39TG06vTLcxzsPCX5roWaDEb4LtqGT8OSeiJxk3pJ9FzPGxIXZmIap0dnH6QIbG3x8kQaA4JpEbPhmJ8vCNeJg2RA-mZrztc_cQ3wH9RAKvEXLHa4CpW4oIFIf_415WI4YnRKnSkb7pQR5Fm9U/s640/FRench%20and%20Indian%20War%20Brits%20attack%20French%20fort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="640" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kmbP7Iq_05KusWuMpYherukcVCUwBHe-8AQ34G39TG06vTLcxzsPCX5roWaDEb4LtqGT8OSeiJxk3pJ9FzPGxIXZmIap0dnH6QIbG3x8kQaA4JpEbPhmJ8vCNeJg2RA-mZrztc_cQ3wH9RAKvEXLHa4CpW4oIFIf_415WI4YnRKnSkb7pQR5Fm9U/w400-h256/FRench%20and%20Indian%20War%20Brits%20attack%20French%20fort.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">French and Indian War</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The governance issue, in some ways, was a mirror image
of the Whig–Tory divide in Britain, but it was mostly a uniquely American
problem. What should be the relationship between a home country and its
colonized overseas possessions when those possessions had evolved and matured
into growing and prosperous polities in their own right?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OgX0hWxICdKkO4ufFJPWGQKNBJJrbFOYclTkm4B2_eRJd1EyeOfTEJ92z5xwXdl4TcIx2G-4Z0TqtagSkN7vWkcbnXUsfdB2ZQAMXmvxOoIJhV9_64npDBItlkfRjRclXPu27WtbG_uopWQilZUIz8UHhI3Yt404RaoKHUIpnKcYLVjsrTmLwmLL/s410/Parliament%20with%20chandlier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="410" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OgX0hWxICdKkO4ufFJPWGQKNBJJrbFOYclTkm4B2_eRJd1EyeOfTEJ92z5xwXdl4TcIx2G-4Z0TqtagSkN7vWkcbnXUsfdB2ZQAMXmvxOoIJhV9_64npDBItlkfRjRclXPu27WtbG_uopWQilZUIz8UHhI3Yt404RaoKHUIpnKcYLVjsrTmLwmLL/w400-h280/Parliament%20with%20chandlier.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Parliament</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By 1775, Great Britain's population is estimated at around
8,000,000 people. But the American colonies had grown from a handful of
settlements clinging to the Atlantic coast in the early 17<sup>th</sup> century
to a land of 2.500,000 people, with some frontier settlements over 100 miles
westward. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGsw1fEBWkgU114dS6UVMEjsVMl3EtJdOZpEvWyRAJfr-Th29vbbZ8U2jCE-nzbCoHOZhLe0-M-hV9RoUHfDuEpvxNDNBFXychpjr3WosgK-RarOa-qvhL1RpCMgkS9byExvcLoTI7qbrZinRuQpvZej6iPnpXlvOss878YGodsPr0cF6PxnBLNJy/s247/Map%20North%20America.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="247" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGsw1fEBWkgU114dS6UVMEjsVMl3EtJdOZpEvWyRAJfr-Th29vbbZ8U2jCE-nzbCoHOZhLe0-M-hV9RoUHfDuEpvxNDNBFXychpjr3WosgK-RarOa-qvhL1RpCMgkS9byExvcLoTI7qbrZinRuQpvZej6iPnpXlvOss878YGodsPr0cF6PxnBLNJy/w400-h330/Map%20North%20America.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The colonies stretched as far as the Appalachians </div><div style="text-align: center;">by mid 18th century</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The standard of living in the colonies rivaled any
European country. Agriculture was king, but tradesmen and merchants prospered
as maritime commerce grew between the colonies, the West Indies, and some
European states. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaavbvoBJcMCGtFEwq4H8porcN7aJnYDut_gRRvbHkmRe7FKcVSqwu8nkQPo1dcO5--LyQ41nNtN_DKBkEmW2KFK5rGdxqSE8Ih7Guib9KYz2ZzRukhdui8BeK6OcdE9hv_21yzsbL-mjalP1Ph40f8QdzSdQDtlv-NiU5iWwYfmGiEK0lgDouZoo/s900/Farm%20colonial-farm-18th-cent-granger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaavbvoBJcMCGtFEwq4H8porcN7aJnYDut_gRRvbHkmRe7FKcVSqwu8nkQPo1dcO5--LyQ41nNtN_DKBkEmW2KFK5rGdxqSE8Ih7Guib9KYz2ZzRukhdui8BeK6OcdE9hv_21yzsbL-mjalP1Ph40f8QdzSdQDtlv-NiU5iWwYfmGiEK0lgDouZoo/w400-h266/Farm%20colonial-farm-18th-cent-granger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">American colonies were prosperous due to </div><div style="text-align: center;">farming and trading </div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The cities of Newport, New York, Boston, Philadelphia,
and Charleston were increasing in size, wealth, and culture. Philadelphia was
the third largest city in the British domains after London and Edinburgh. The
great distances between these centers made coalescing around shared ideas and
action challenging.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyRJe1F_i0aqW3rDq5GU39zQ80G3WJtlWD9-Tj2_ZeOzs3VULCqjpwaTWSemJmk4GhvX1CctyyLUsnvm8s3VpWZuAzvhbbmUjdC9DfUpaIoq7px6II1oApie2tXzXiuXhaLSIFOdAD4uoqT3MiBAKjP_O9uiIq9Zd6dD-N9ySNlJqrxKvTUkwJ1uW/s1159/Philadelphia%20street%20scene%20Independence%20Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1159" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRyRJe1F_i0aqW3rDq5GU39zQ80G3WJtlWD9-Tj2_ZeOzs3VULCqjpwaTWSemJmk4GhvX1CctyyLUsnvm8s3VpWZuAzvhbbmUjdC9DfUpaIoq7px6II1oApie2tXzXiuXhaLSIFOdAD4uoqT3MiBAKjP_O9uiIq9Zd6dD-N9ySNlJqrxKvTUkwJ1uW/w400-h216/Philadelphia%20street%20scene%20Independence%20Hall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Philadelphia was the third city in the British Empire</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A series of British policies beginning in the 1760s
started to grate on many. Political unrest brewed at first with the educated and
business classes, but with each step to quell the unrest, it began to seep into
the rest of the populace. With political turmoil came political organization. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND36U3vV5vuhUctg38uQDzyVXJBOhNWLJXsVSBgjl9CkNCGOeGKmafAKEgxqfhvDW9pvHRKufCdjIuhAOtSjjflxqPTXD1U4A-VAfI2P5YiFUdlRGXN_Bw8B_brjcaCWnIU_CABsN8_Q_jtHMFtQWrVH3F9ejKBRuz4sbExvEJ8kxJCEXigt7Ollp/s1024/Stamp%20Act%20protest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND36U3vV5vuhUctg38uQDzyVXJBOhNWLJXsVSBgjl9CkNCGOeGKmafAKEgxqfhvDW9pvHRKufCdjIuhAOtSjjflxqPTXD1U4A-VAfI2P5YiFUdlRGXN_Bw8B_brjcaCWnIU_CABsN8_Q_jtHMFtQWrVH3F9ejKBRuz4sbExvEJ8kxJCEXigt7Ollp/w400-h400/Stamp%20Act%20protest.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Resistance was secretly organized but openly practiced<br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Political leaders throughout the colonies secretly
stood up committees to avoid action by the royal authorities and their loyalist
supporters. These organizations, which occurred at local, county, and colony
levels, communicated political thought and coordinated activities within and
among the colonies. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4dDqOTMSu8Cmd8I00qrpfso65rmoTb8Dh4kbEp6Gnsm8TRZlBCONtTbkkrTUPx85xSvHEhHD2crkou7Up0ataOQ6gNOX0s393QF7pr_bfHjWEDvE2Gd7Vo_Oier354J7lqWA5EaxuMsteC39_Tz6F-uF7HoXrP2gJ4j8watJ-I58Fu4-wPazKrJ5/s473/Meeting%20political.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="473" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4dDqOTMSu8Cmd8I00qrpfso65rmoTb8Dh4kbEp6Gnsm8TRZlBCONtTbkkrTUPx85xSvHEhHD2crkou7Up0ataOQ6gNOX0s393QF7pr_bfHjWEDvE2Gd7Vo_Oier354J7lqWA5EaxuMsteC39_Tz6F-uF7HoXrP2gJ4j8watJ-I58Fu4-wPazKrJ5/w400-h279/Meeting%20political.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Committees met secretly</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By 1775, most colonies had Committees of Correspondence
(communications and propaganda), Committees of Safety (local defense and
militia), and other committees for various purposes. Many later leaders during
the American Revolution cut their teeth by participating in the committees,
which were the precursors to future American governance.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjICMmPSY0QTVwn4g7l6sxxLGC3lNxmjV0a2BPN9doKQ_gHmbSb7PGMB2SFIzEY9tnQICbX5oLOtt3TkwrT9h0sbw4QJP5y8kskhBelnYWhfMgzfQzxu1ifr74bWfZ3SdftChblWYlieodXpYglFdutOW7aajYeAsV4TpV8FPnxV8i3cvy3enty8A/s426/Committees%20of%20Correspondence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="426" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjICMmPSY0QTVwn4g7l6sxxLGC3lNxmjV0a2BPN9doKQ_gHmbSb7PGMB2SFIzEY9tnQICbX5oLOtt3TkwrT9h0sbw4QJP5y8kskhBelnYWhfMgzfQzxu1ifr74bWfZ3SdftChblWYlieodXpYglFdutOW7aajYeAsV4TpV8FPnxV8i3cvy3enty8A/w400-h225/Committees%20of%20Correspondence.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">America's future leaders learned their business while </div><div style="text-align: center;">organizing resistance</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As the Royal Governors stepped up the enforcement of
British policies on the colonies, the committees learned to operate covertly
and sometimes clandestinely. Groups like the Sons of Liberty or The Green
Mountain Boys developed. But those with unswerving loyalty to the king, the loyalists,
also countered these groups, often reporting on their activity and sometimes
taking action. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeJl1zF3-vmeiao04m1dE38e_eJfJ-MB_UuFEjemCjkGVGG8OmNZmyC_mKRlvIZccMz6k8CVqipi8qghSIQEoa7P9C-5qmvEckHO4xbEfELEJqadM4sLsf7C3MZPUi0mvKE3onMdWc2Jk3zwKBNMdfp1q1BDPv9orqXe2EgHTE4hx3f7tuBUguBjS/s640/Sons%20of%20Liberty%20fight%20Brits%20NY%20color.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeJl1zF3-vmeiao04m1dE38e_eJfJ-MB_UuFEjemCjkGVGG8OmNZmyC_mKRlvIZccMz6k8CVqipi8qghSIQEoa7P9C-5qmvEckHO4xbEfELEJqadM4sLsf7C3MZPUi0mvKE3onMdWc2Jk3zwKBNMdfp1q1BDPv9orqXe2EgHTE4hx3f7tuBUguBjS/w320-h400/Sons%20of%20Liberty%20fight%20Brits%20NY%20color.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sons of Liberty taking action</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The advocates for colonial rights waged a political
war, often in secret, sometimes in the open. The committees developed protocols
for hiding their actions and intentions and identifying those supporting the Crown.
Political agitation morphed into armed insurrection (especially in
Massachusetts) with the outbreak of combat at Lexington and Concord and the
siege of British-occupied Boston. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFalgdHWqKl4bpl87DeQ1bis4uL-OxFQza50Um4NFGPkT0aEqYvehRsME-d3VgA5ANFmCj4Bdl8dlHG1hmLBGs1Lgn_t9Hum9-7KZbecc9Q3LBxyrTg4I24wpuV_BRcqhsurlIOG84nGOfx35A1gbVV18xamOwKyQBKd8MwrRl5evD5jOxbecIy_e/s261/Concord%20mmilitia%20ambushing%20troops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="261" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFalgdHWqKl4bpl87DeQ1bis4uL-OxFQza50Um4NFGPkT0aEqYvehRsME-d3VgA5ANFmCj4Bdl8dlHG1hmLBGs1Lgn_t9Hum9-7KZbecc9Q3LBxyrTg4I24wpuV_BRcqhsurlIOG84nGOfx35A1gbVV18xamOwKyQBKd8MwrRl5evD5jOxbecIy_e/w400-h296/Concord%20mmilitia%20ambushing%20troops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Insurrection became open rebellion when the British </div><div style="text-align: center;">raided Lexington & Concord</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The stakes were exceptionally high between the loyalists
and the rebels, whose mutual disdain was far greater than the disdain between
the patriots and the British. By then, both sides were using informants against
each other. They developed techniques for identifying possible spies and for
spying. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UiFe0ar31W7gyT293TEMu6qBYCQqpZ_oKr_cqQi3Hx0YqGpRXBTMHoF0Gf03M7dhiWJH_qe_K4Vf4AEf-7PyFbzeU_n4YgpYlTWTRu5-HyWNgHPNf2R387i0JqLyBmUeVwc--hjWCeEa9PIRmeZUCJpsO2BwvgtFWxVNH-2RB0n0SE2h-r6Z-erN/s1280/Spy%20in%20tavern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3UiFe0ar31W7gyT293TEMu6qBYCQqpZ_oKr_cqQi3Hx0YqGpRXBTMHoF0Gf03M7dhiWJH_qe_K4Vf4AEf-7PyFbzeU_n4YgpYlTWTRu5-HyWNgHPNf2R387i0JqLyBmUeVwc--hjWCeEa9PIRmeZUCJpsO2BwvgtFWxVNH-2RB0n0SE2h-r6Z-erN/w400-h266/Spy%20in%20tavern.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Spying in a tavern</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The covert and clandestine measures that evolved over a decade of
secret meetings, passing information covertly, and discreetly building up political
networks and organizations, would now be used in an open rebellion and then a
war for independence that stretched from the backcountry of the Appalachian
Mountains to the capitals of Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9SiR7rDarB0pS8ldaJB66QlEXPHirrAPt00NTaZG1EalgO2Z8dYfhtzdygqdhSN3aO3q60pDb6fgx8JUROF402Fx4OoNYro2hDNBN5P39okyP-6J-FA_LtkNi9GBTFxFrbXOcU-5dFVWojzBJclDuODDrsinpTvUKs0V-FST7-tYiOoGzinoA_a6/s526/Riders%20nightime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9SiR7rDarB0pS8ldaJB66QlEXPHirrAPt00NTaZG1EalgO2Z8dYfhtzdygqdhSN3aO3q60pDb6fgx8JUROF402Fx4OoNYro2hDNBN5P39okyP-6J-FA_LtkNi9GBTFxFrbXOcU-5dFVWojzBJclDuODDrsinpTvUKs0V-FST7-tYiOoGzinoA_a6/w400-h400/Riders%20nightime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Secret couriers pass information critical to orchestrating</div><div style="text-align: center;"> resistance and rebellion</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next, we will look at some of the tradecraft, which I
call spycraft, used during the time of the Yankee Doodle Spies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-48274837484208455302023-03-31T11:00:00.000-07:002023-03-31T11:00:54.616-07:00Delaware Patriot<p> </p><p><br /></p><p>When I began writing the Yankee Doodle Spies Blog sop many years ago, one of the first patriots I wanted to profile was one from Delaware. An immigrant preacher who left his home in Ireland for a better life and fought in two wars, one for and one against Britain, this underrated first patriot is John Haslet. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Londonderry Man</h4><p>Born around 1727 in Dungiven, near Londonderry, Ireland, this son of a tenant farmer grew up to be a religious man and, when required, a fiery leader. As a young man, he traveled to Glasgow, Scotland, and studied Divinity. He completed his studies in 1749, sailed home, and soon married. His bride was Shirley Stirling, daughter of a preacher. John was ordained a Presbyterian Minister in 1752 and, later that year, preached his first sermon to his new congregation at Ballykelly. Around that time, the Haslets had their first child, Mary (or Polly).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxgs9T-LNu63f-1_CSFaPWRhG_60OEZwe7C6Lg7RO9hg5s0kdwLnSZO8X9UqU4FThoU4lTrkRtQVxAzkFOy_FX8oKwtGv-EYwSbjGqbfOEku-B4RfhujTcn_3dPM1V8VLxXtfcrpaTcPMIgmbd5CwFvJANFti4azqQBnqzUp1GEdZ3xv7N7g_j91L/s768/Preaching%20George%20Whitly%201750%20America.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="768" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxgs9T-LNu63f-1_CSFaPWRhG_60OEZwe7C6Lg7RO9hg5s0kdwLnSZO8X9UqU4FThoU4lTrkRtQVxAzkFOy_FX8oKwtGv-EYwSbjGqbfOEku-B4RfhujTcn_3dPM1V8VLxXtfcrpaTcPMIgmbd5CwFvJANFti4azqQBnqzUp1GEdZ3xv7N7g_j91L/w400-h223/Preaching%20George%20Whitly%201750%20America.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Preaching</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tragedy and Immigration</h4><p>The year 1757 was one of tragedy and transformation for Haslet. Shirley lost their second child and died giving birth. Shortly after, Haslet decided to emigrate. In a not-uncommon practice at the time, he left young Polly in the care of his brother and sailed for America and a new life in a place called Delaware. The young widower quickly remarried there, taking Jemima Molleston as his second wife. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Against the French and Indians</h4><p>Haslet joined the Pennsylvania militia. His University of Glasgow degree and experience speaking and inspiring his congregations marked him a leader, and he attained the rank of captain in short order. The French and Indian War raged when Haslet reached America. The campaign to drive the French from the frontier took Haslet and his militia company to western Pennsylvania, where they fought in the 1758 Battle of Fort Duquesne.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Cyh5-PZ7jWm5dKuC_EQd8K5DyQBIlhL2RweNEkKpCpIFlYp66qY6Yn6QkCO4BbfespEVSvO87nD2IEx3yxJFCkN8fOYfdq7hVw5-TRDaqGgChBINEe-MfP0ba23EjHoEE5Er4jPQALRMN1dJzn3AZKTdH72NWDbYSM3WhKoCVfv8wJtwcZkE5aMo/s400/Duquesne%20,%20Fort%20Battle%20of.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="400" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Cyh5-PZ7jWm5dKuC_EQd8K5DyQBIlhL2RweNEkKpCpIFlYp66qY6Yn6QkCO4BbfespEVSvO87nD2IEx3yxJFCkN8fOYfdq7hVw5-TRDaqGgChBINEe-MfP0ba23EjHoEE5Er4jPQALRMN1dJzn3AZKTdH72NWDbYSM3WhKoCVfv8wJtwcZkE5aMo/w400-h259/Duquesne%20,%20Fort%20Battle%20of.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Duquesne</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Country Doctor</h4><p>The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Haslet returned with his company to Delaware. He and Jemima settled in Milford, where he established a medical practice and purchased a property called "Longfield." John and Jemima would have four children. In addition, his daughter Polly immigrated to Delaware in 1765. An ideal life as a country doctor and farmer lay ahead. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">From Friction to Fighting</h4><p>But the political friction following the war would sizzle into armed resistance, and Haslet was drawn into it, later becoming a proponent for independence from Britain. The Continental Congress appointed him a Colonel and commander of the Delaware Regiment (sometimes called the Delaware Blues), one of the largest (800 men) and the best uniformed and equipped regiment of the Continental Army. Their blue jackets with white waistcoats and breeches set the standard for all the Continental Line regiments. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqF26-h7-FcBCrobwkMZggcEGQUq3BomWwajKMoxI1JW2ePr2KVF9oM5BkIRvYNs5V_MUeXdaljJHjriTdSfapdVkF0vkvMYHtD4H21M-pL36L5WNVC0lb3pz5dijPu5LhvGhpNMf-D5H3pVtr1y2fDh0EiA0m-LvaEtXRurXLEmQXwFZVPG6mAk4R" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1016" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqF26-h7-FcBCrobwkMZggcEGQUq3BomWwajKMoxI1JW2ePr2KVF9oM5BkIRvYNs5V_MUeXdaljJHjriTdSfapdVkF0vkvMYHtD4H21M-pL36L5WNVC0lb3pz5dijPu5LhvGhpNMf-D5H3pVtr1y2fDh0EiA0m-LvaEtXRurXLEmQXwFZVPG6mAk4R=w400-h284" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Haslet's Regiment leaves for war</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Valor on Long Island</h4><p>John Haslet's regiment marched to New York and into the defense works on Long Island in the late summer of 1776. General George Washington had occupied the city, but the British armada under Lord Howe sailed south and descended on Staten Island before invading Long Island at Brooklyn's Gravesend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6YblheP92uilkj614hv8VLrmg2Z0g9uI7apzfl1DIVAlVHGqX_KATLIdYxXwamDsRz7RIgm5aZ1pWxt5YQ6vsVnBjRVXoJOC7k-vYoKchjbyLx1DElleXBtmFbF_roIotmlU6osWLx3UZtSfDq4KUVeTJtAjMhKBeFU4Mg0csC5a4kAfm4WU0bnD/s445/Washington%20on%20horse%20talking%20to%20officer%20with%20rifles%20in%20background.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="445" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6YblheP92uilkj614hv8VLrmg2Z0g9uI7apzfl1DIVAlVHGqX_KATLIdYxXwamDsRz7RIgm5aZ1pWxt5YQ6vsVnBjRVXoJOC7k-vYoKchjbyLx1DElleXBtmFbF_roIotmlU6osWLx3UZtSfDq4KUVeTJtAjMhKBeFU4Mg0csC5a4kAfm4WU0bnD/w400-h279/Washington%20on%20horse%20talking%20to%20officer%20with%20rifles%20in%20background.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>When the British surrounded the Americans, Haslet's regiment and First Maryland held firm against the onslaught. At the high point of the slugfest, Lord Stirling, an American General, and Scottish peer named William Alexander took command of the two regiments and led them in a series of gallant charges against British General Cornwallis's regulars. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_ZxQPunJXGj2tzr664L6LvItqg3jOa3EClieZ45O-d8IdsTwH5I3Dbjd0nvOFJlYpuJqJukRzmgp7KEpq19Z7mL4tGmvmcM4-ap1h_3WRIZxllgO8jcwce2GdPtbKAkYuTzR3DKGcfIFTqfZyCMrd2J-g0YG1yEJL8YTis7NultjDsF2WwqknHqc/s3918/Delaware%20Regt%20battle%20of%20long%20island.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2589" data-original-width="3918" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_ZxQPunJXGj2tzr664L6LvItqg3jOa3EClieZ45O-d8IdsTwH5I3Dbjd0nvOFJlYpuJqJukRzmgp7KEpq19Z7mL4tGmvmcM4-ap1h_3WRIZxllgO8jcwce2GdPtbKAkYuTzR3DKGcfIFTqfZyCMrd2J-g0YG1yEJL8YTis7NultjDsF2WwqknHqc/w400-h264/Delaware%20Regt%20battle%20of%20long%20island.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Haslet's Delaware Regiment faces British regulars on Long Island</div><p><br /></p><p>Absorbing volley after volley from the red-coated ranks, the two regiments were torn to shreds. But their discipline and sacrifice allowed the remainder of the American army to flee to the safety of the defense works near Brooklyn Heights. This action is a critical event in my novel, The Patriot Spy. Ironically, Haslet and the Maryland commander, Colonel John Smallwood, were on court martial duty in New York City and only returned as the battle ended.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmDWFwLr-NZr_3EOtPmIo7VE-MSRTzzu8Nr2F-eb_iKLSjoiFSYFNd-fi-3v1FAX4-6-ZuVb0t01jaMU9czCAAAzSiMPXrvytdGHp29V8OVE8Te1Nthsh77bLVZO0-7ky4kUrtWgrQWNSg6paJ4DQYrwXM-yWbNntsfLQSNwnLaHcFxasdNz8coWV/s237/Smallwood,%20William.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmDWFwLr-NZr_3EOtPmIo7VE-MSRTzzu8Nr2F-eb_iKLSjoiFSYFNd-fi-3v1FAX4-6-ZuVb0t01jaMU9czCAAAzSiMPXrvytdGHp29V8OVE8Te1Nthsh77bLVZO0-7ky4kUrtWgrQWNSg6paJ4DQYrwXM-yWbNntsfLQSNwnLaHcFxasdNz8coWV/w338-h400/Smallwood,%20William.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Colonel John Smallwood</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Retreat, Fight, and Retreat</h4><p>Haslet and his regiment served gallantly throughout the following months as the Continentals were driven from New York City. During the retreat, Haslet and his men trounced a corps of Loyalists at Mamaroneck.</p><p>At White Plains on 28 October, Haslet and Smallwood stood gallantly with their regiments on Chatterton Hill. When the militia they were sent to reinforce broke and ran, the two Continental regiments stood their ground until enemy numbers and firepower forced a withdrawal. But the stand on Chatterton Hill robbed General Howe of a complete victory, and the Americans would live to fight another day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZwRI1qndrPB_cXmGO0TaLPwYPs1b0zATseEQat23DWazCcPrEEcP6VeU2oHAZwLQAFTwO9D53SflJjI6BAyRVjAvwsph3xZj7WC7opG-CzY2G_hQ_dQ_pFetmiN-8E5YM3LO-JceEVpmKsDsc8nrEHE3hwjTb0nA1oE7tgWkaYjh8yhsxMJS5KNH/s445/Battle%20White%20Plains%20American%20artillery.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="445" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZwRI1qndrPB_cXmGO0TaLPwYPs1b0zATseEQat23DWazCcPrEEcP6VeU2oHAZwLQAFTwO9D53SflJjI6BAyRVjAvwsph3xZj7WC7opG-CzY2G_hQ_dQ_pFetmiN-8E5YM3LO-JceEVpmKsDsc8nrEHE3hwjTb0nA1oE7tgWkaYjh8yhsxMJS5KNH/w400-h278/Battle%20White%20Plains%20American%20artillery.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chatterton Hill</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">War on the Run</h4><p>General Washington's army was on the run for the next two months. Fort Washington fell, and his men abandoned Fort Lee as they beat feet across New Jersey towards the Delaware and Pennsylvania, where Washington hoped to regroup and make a stand. Haslet and his men fought many small battles - skirmishing during a "fighting retreat" that reduced the Delaware Regiment to no more than 100 "effectives" – men capable of fighting by the time they crossed the Delaware River to join the main army.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwnFnYE2dQPx56WAL5C7PqZHAJ31MQn-eMckJUKLxfZm__gHpvWN_A0yEgb9nMC4AHoLAq6hf2q46hc6yTYO_F3M-s3HFUV9fxDWj-CuOkApv2tjgt9oebzxsMet-0W51LWfri80CyWD2B_V2B4Ty0kpAdoGB6w1JkjbpflD3mQVVBaNECOWLXKGy/s1668/skirmish%20loyal%20vs%20militia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1668" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwnFnYE2dQPx56WAL5C7PqZHAJ31MQn-eMckJUKLxfZm__gHpvWN_A0yEgb9nMC4AHoLAq6hf2q46hc6yTYO_F3M-s3HFUV9fxDWj-CuOkApv2tjgt9oebzxsMet-0W51LWfri80CyWD2B_V2B4Ty0kpAdoGB6w1JkjbpflD3mQVVBaNECOWLXKGy/w400-h250/skirmish%20loyal%20vs%20militia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">War on the Run</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Trenton</h4><p>Knowing he needed to strike in days, Washington launched his famous Christmas surprise attack, crossing over the ice-clogged Delaware River on the night of 25 December 1776. The army trudged the nine miles under a black and cold sky to their objective: the over one thousand-string Hessian garrison at Trenton. Although barely two companies strong, Haslet and his men were in the van. After a bitter but short exchange of musket and artillery fire, the garrison surrendered, giving Washington one of the great victories of the war. Before Haslet had time to refit, enlistments were expiring, as was the case throughout the army. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWciQ0f9ih3KAZaS3D_7Ji3hhhdpQlleMcuWxwi2oFcrEdZMDZ2fIT3R80Xs1NWbcSk_PPMqRdlJ7f5dIx9k3UMYC35All3Lw8oFGjZg8Ev-cEVwwx9uGJLKP2QK_QqTU0kR48vp5Ds8pcXlDlp4EY-cbeISfKSqJ-ni3QOMRtoI155_PvivNoKN_h/s768/Trenton%20american%20attack%20in%20town.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="768" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWciQ0f9ih3KAZaS3D_7Ji3hhhdpQlleMcuWxwi2oFcrEdZMDZ2fIT3R80Xs1NWbcSk_PPMqRdlJ7f5dIx9k3UMYC35All3Lw8oFGjZg8Ev-cEVwwx9uGJLKP2QK_QqTU0kR48vp5Ds8pcXlDlp4EY-cbeISfKSqJ-ni3QOMRtoI155_PvivNoKN_h/w400-h276/Trenton%20american%20attack%20in%20town.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taking Trenton</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Assunpink Creek</h4><p>Days later, the army was back at Trenton, defending a low ridgeline behind a creek south of Trenton and waiting for the British counterstrike of more than 5,000 fresh redcoats under an angry General Cornwallis. A late afternoon firefight on 2 January 1777 caused Cornwallis to stand down and strike with all his force the following day. But Washington stole a march and sent his army on an 18-mile night march around the British to attack their supply base at Princeton.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_olFB1-HBTjXspnDUet6jQ7igVitDFs_AacxyZVje0IogVSw9TNUc8xD4TGG8J-tDYq3zIobUbK7Tv3T251qQCU9IHy_sULm0S2SXdbHqyjsZv-ZmjdVpKf5MbUsWD--9pspfEn_SD8YhyYyLz20CCKDipeSbyKf3JVV3z2omCwd2xShpBFoZZymU/s900/Assunpink%20Creek%20Americans%20defending.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="900" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_olFB1-HBTjXspnDUet6jQ7igVitDFs_AacxyZVje0IogVSw9TNUc8xD4TGG8J-tDYq3zIobUbK7Tv3T251qQCU9IHy_sULm0S2SXdbHqyjsZv-ZmjdVpKf5MbUsWD--9pspfEn_SD8YhyYyLz20CCKDipeSbyKf3JVV3z2omCwd2xShpBFoZZymU/w400-h276/Assunpink%20Creek%20Americans%20defending.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Holding Assunpink Creek</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Destiny at Princeton</h4><p>The dawn of 3 January broke bright but cold with snow covering fields and roads. Colonel Haslet's regiment was now a handful of officers. Months of fighting coupled with expired enlistments had melted his regiment away. But Haslet's experience and capable leadership were vital, so Washington named him second in command to General Hugh Mercer, his best commander.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaRYVNPRh10Qo4mHxl8-Xnrms6j0GJjtzoGUHThZ6A4MG6L_LQvIETIpu4D5kOrMnXaIhN_Pk76Z-ELQ5WHRtZlqm2Vw6lTCKHp9qkBompqvelN5TujFkLY6rqmnEBTmpWrIUgiFcAROL2DRUS5YR7x7cTYDmVTp8SGkMUdN55PK8jb24Y3z78JWJ/s1064/Mercer%20death%20at%20Princeton%20Trumbull.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1064" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaRYVNPRh10Qo4mHxl8-Xnrms6j0GJjtzoGUHThZ6A4MG6L_LQvIETIpu4D5kOrMnXaIhN_Pk76Z-ELQ5WHRtZlqm2Vw6lTCKHp9qkBompqvelN5TujFkLY6rqmnEBTmpWrIUgiFcAROL2DRUS5YR7x7cTYDmVTp8SGkMUdN55PK8jb24Y3z78JWJ/w400-h261/Mercer%20death%20at%20Princeton%20Trumbull.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Hugh Mercer bayonetted at Princeton</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Mercer's division was the vanguard and marching through William Clarke's orchard when two crack regiments of British regulars unleashed a horrific series of volleys in which Mercer's horse was shot from under him. Mercer sprung to his feet and drew his saber as the wave of red closed on him. When he refused to be taken prisoner, they clubbed him and then bayonetted him while he lay helpless in the snow. He died of his wounds.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Field of Honor</h4><p>Seeing Mercer go down, Haslet took command of the remnants. But just moments later, a curtain of lead filled the air, and a musket ball struck him in the head. The remaining troops began to waver, but General Washington rode into their midst and rallied them. Then, combined with reinforcements, they drove the British from the field and took Princeton. The gallant John Haslet died on the field of honor like his commander, Hugh Mercer.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOproSj1LEEGQzGNB_M0xh8G-OoAKs-Q5gBPwrt6xEx4ZI0OytEmSQmpb4KrYxhTvmTk7faGTnJic10nVagUHYDVP4MDNYnfASqoNe4Rc1yenrerfyCkg1Iomo_fbaXObzTikvLCGQ9aD4j6LaMcIMDSqm3f4Dplpah0OsRgcWsiBkTv4gEtydbtsQ/s586/Washington%20leads%20attack%20Princeton.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOproSj1LEEGQzGNB_M0xh8G-OoAKs-Q5gBPwrt6xEx4ZI0OytEmSQmpb4KrYxhTvmTk7faGTnJic10nVagUHYDVP4MDNYnfASqoNe4Rc1yenrerfyCkg1Iomo_fbaXObzTikvLCGQ9aD4j6LaMcIMDSqm3f4Dplpah0OsRgcWsiBkTv4gEtydbtsQ/w359-h400/Washington%20leads%20attack%20Princeton.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Washington rallying the troops</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Washington's Loss, America's Loss</h4><p>The history books mark Princeton as a victory. But the loss of Mercer and Haslet robbed Washington of two of his most able lieutenants, whose talents the commander-in-chief would sorely miss over the next five years of war. Mercer is duly honored, but Haslet, being second in command and from a small state, rarely gets much mention. I number John Haslet among the many unsung greats whose early death deprived the Continental Army and the future United States of leadership, integrity, and love of country.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Delaware's Son</h4><p>The son of Delaware was buried outside his home state and laid to rest in the First Presbyterian Church's graveyard. Not until an Act of the Delaware Assembly was passed in 1841 were his remains transferred to the Presbyterian Cemetery in Dover, Delaware. But it took until 2001 for his state to honor him with his own monument at Princeton. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG26-X0-Lj_B-F_zWBppBH-twaJWAdfydIFNdJVE2Eu38X1MJxKLUZYcibaU57B5Kb3xYRYMsILJhi1ub0LBV5SMhEoo6VvL2gyOnJFSghXoZdffFiOZMXyeNvcweUhA5cP5oXjKmun-sBadJTNmWJEidNWEUpqd2Yan9QOYlqG3Z4iG2YHI8RqkuR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="545" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG26-X0-Lj_B-F_zWBppBH-twaJWAdfydIFNdJVE2Eu38X1MJxKLUZYcibaU57B5Kb3xYRYMsILJhi1ub0LBV5SMhEoo6VvL2gyOnJFSghXoZdffFiOZMXyeNvcweUhA5cP5oXjKmun-sBadJTNmWJEidNWEUpqd2Yan9QOYlqG3Z4iG2YHI8RqkuR=w352-h400" width="352" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Haslet Monument at Princeton</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-55597818837836691722023-02-26T08:11:00.000-08:002023-02-26T08:11:17.872-08:00Best in Battle<p> This month I am making another effort to highlight a historical character in my Yankee Doodle Spies novel, <i>The North Spy</i>. The character in question was one of a well, questionable character – Benedict Arnold. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUps4Em5A81Nqspr5pwMtQ_RBTSttrqfXjFEcWfLh3vCxjSfwXcnBY9lOrPVl7jvKvwMoj8bg8qnEIC3wD2qxBt7AfRj8n3EvcH5n1ZkSmRntQdD2AusJLzDXQ9dnu00bbdHzmOa6ckSwmtHLzxXxfE-qR8NTvGS7-SB2ZAD2E8EPKeu_kUYbimCCw/s269/Arnold,%20Benedict%20Ameican%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="208" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUps4Em5A81Nqspr5pwMtQ_RBTSttrqfXjFEcWfLh3vCxjSfwXcnBY9lOrPVl7jvKvwMoj8bg8qnEIC3wD2qxBt7AfRj8n3EvcH5n1ZkSmRntQdD2AusJLzDXQ9dnu00bbdHzmOa6ckSwmtHLzxXxfE-qR8NTvGS7-SB2ZAD2E8EPKeu_kUYbimCCw/w309-h400/Arnold,%20Benedict%20Ameican%20General.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Benedict Arnold</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Tale of Two Men</h4><p>The name, Benedict Arnold, is now synonymous with perfidy and outright treason, and he is the most tragic figure of the American War for Independence. But the story of Benedict Arnold is a tale of two men. His brilliance, iron will, courage, and creative flare for action, combined with an oversized ego, an avaricious streak, an easy-to-anger, and a quick-to-affront personality, led to trouble. But this post will focus on his life, culminating with the battles at Saratoga in 1777, the finale of <i>The North Spy</i>, the turning point of the American War for Independence, and the high water mark of Benedict Arnold’s career.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNl8N012sxWmf9B4L6kpSms6TyTZRFk4z3DIBvgXH1H0jsECjQumE5zF8Qb-tEydQP_VWgWKqiouxAQnt7RAk5XiZhAnUPXGVYSW1R32rpQW3j4OMC1ISS4ThD7wgWcfsrdiQuBdFi3229LtFNRa6Qrtk9W0tQAjem4UqDbKfSjOVd6RZhKWJNucY3/s960/Arnold%20Bendict%20Oath%20of%20Allegiance%20to%20US.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="960" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNl8N012sxWmf9B4L6kpSms6TyTZRFk4z3DIBvgXH1H0jsECjQumE5zF8Qb-tEydQP_VWgWKqiouxAQnt7RAk5XiZhAnUPXGVYSW1R32rpQW3j4OMC1ISS4ThD7wgWcfsrdiQuBdFi3229LtFNRa6Qrtk9W0tQAjem4UqDbKfSjOVd6RZhKWJNucY3/w400-h248/Arnold%20Bendict%20Oath%20of%20Allegiance%20to%20US.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Benedict Arnold's Loyalty Oath</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Promise and Poverty</h4><p>Norwich, Connecticut, begins this tale. Benedict Arnold was born there on 14 January 1754. His early life did not go well. Arnold’s father, Benedict Arnold III, was a successful businessman and descendant of one of Rhode Island’s first governors. Arnold had an excellent early education and was headed for Yale and his father’s mercantile business. But his father became an alcoholic, and things deteriorated in the family, with siblings dying (he was the second of six) and his father ill. But his mother, Hannah (nee Waterman King), connected him with an apprenticeship in her cousin’s apothecary and mercantile business.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaH40XACIcSPCQ_5fIr5rRaglQ515scI854gxm4NxFVEOpoMk5D0ZuNCjJEIiQnIeIeAX6UGtkpzmNu7eK4xxdMB0h7qrUMNSbyTbvD4cUbttJKK68hd1-9-zYgivI_Lft6dqL1xXlLSyOqx24dnVnP22YdcZvOQp6jRA8jst-SuUgfFanz3VFw-Bf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaH40XACIcSPCQ_5fIr5rRaglQ515scI854gxm4NxFVEOpoMk5D0ZuNCjJEIiQnIeIeAX6UGtkpzmNu7eK4xxdMB0h7qrUMNSbyTbvD4cUbttJKK68hd1-9-zYgivI_Lft6dqL1xXlLSyOqx24dnVnP22YdcZvOQp6jRA8jst-SuUgfFanz3VFw-Bf=w240-h400" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Brief Service to the King</h4><p>The French and Indian War gave the sixteen-year-old a chance to break away. He joined a Connecticut regiment and marched to New York to help fend off the French. He was at Albany but then went north to Lake George. However, after the French seizure of Fort William Henry, the regiment returned south, and Arnold left the unit and the war.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0EoiRPP0tyXLUBNxf5qBnkXpliqokBCTJQlGX6bdoHXoU1fBBCbyKBWV8krr2-GdTuYkiPc9IC-x_p6FWvrOdiq7NOSH_quOsmEQlzGww0EgiLMJxT2hpGED2wtThmoewo0IROWbJddroo-x1JrTPWjnSF9YkpujvK_s0IUionsmw-lHiWHNOmflP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0EoiRPP0tyXLUBNxf5qBnkXpliqokBCTJQlGX6bdoHXoU1fBBCbyKBWV8krr2-GdTuYkiPc9IC-x_p6FWvrOdiq7NOSH_quOsmEQlzGww0EgiLMJxT2hpGED2wtThmoewo0IROWbJddroo-x1JrTPWjnSF9YkpujvK_s0IUionsmw-lHiWHNOmflP" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort William Henry</div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Peace and Prosperity</h4><p>Things turned around for him in civilian life. By 1762 he had his own pharmacy and bookshop. He proved shrewd and diligent in his business dealings and quickly prospered. Arnold made enough money to buy back the family property his father had lost. Then he resold it for a profit, using his cash to buy an interest in a trading company with three New England schooners plying the West Indies. He had his sister Hannah move to Norwich to manage his shop so he could devote full time to the trade, sailing to Canada and the West Indies as a ship’s master. Arnold’s personal life improved during this period. He married Margaret Mansfield, daughter of the local sheriff, and they had three sons before she died in 1775.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQYRN9z80YiBf08dL00V8Zub-G1HQEi8dI6sEVKKp8yoyIHtlRIuZGSvKuz2krXbndRFO2BjSpzB7nXDNBPEJCHneKwgJXTRHcPG2xbqIPXd7vtwUcUZPjSLcoM9-s7GyLMpLorS3awOEe9uOlHjw4IGfpnIbcn2I9NAWVeDxual2W0aKdmHrU9KY/s246/Schooner%201775-1777.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQYRN9z80YiBf08dL00V8Zub-G1HQEi8dI6sEVKKp8yoyIHtlRIuZGSvKuz2krXbndRFO2BjSpzB7nXDNBPEJCHneKwgJXTRHcPG2xbqIPXd7vtwUcUZPjSLcoM9-s7GyLMpLorS3awOEe9uOlHjw4IGfpnIbcn2I9NAWVeDxual2W0aKdmHrU9KY/w325-h400/Schooner%201775-1777.gif" width="325" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Schooner at Sea</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Politics and Action</h4><p>Although not a political polemicist, The Stamp and Sugar acts of the mid-1760s led him to join the Sons of Liberty and turn to smuggling to evade the unjust taxes. When the War broke out in April 1775, he raised his own militia company and marched to join the New England Army assembling outside Boston. He soon convinced the Committee of Safety to promote him to colonel so he could go to Fort Ticonderoga in New York to seize the critical fortress from the British. On the way, he found that Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys were intent on the same objective. The two strong personalities struck an uneasy alliance, and they quickly captured Ticonderoga and its sister fort at Crown Point.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidugpTPTR06nH8lbbHE2d8lGUdHXu4Z9D-ex09-3AF0n5L3jlkUStIhJcbXfkfVw2p0wsjlo2OrFDdj7W_MXx-Jq6Cqfscbr3sWojtSB2R5VVRhrxVv0MgyIS0oQwI-4c1Ggr-M9NsQDzrYoyvkT4J3bX2g-O3lZpIzUfVn5KIEBiP_F_lDfJUyDfF/s671/Arnold%20takes%20Ticonderoga%20May%2010%201775.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="671" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidugpTPTR06nH8lbbHE2d8lGUdHXu4Z9D-ex09-3AF0n5L3jlkUStIhJcbXfkfVw2p0wsjlo2OrFDdj7W_MXx-Jq6Cqfscbr3sWojtSB2R5VVRhrxVv0MgyIS0oQwI-4c1Ggr-M9NsQDzrYoyvkT4J3bX2g-O3lZpIzUfVn5KIEBiP_F_lDfJUyDfF/s320/Arnold%20takes%20Ticonderoga%20May%2010%201775.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arnold takes Ticonderoga</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Naval Raider</h4><p>After Ticonderoga fell, Arnold’s shipmaster instincts kicked in. He commandeered a boat and sailed north up Lake Champlain, where he raided the town of Saint Johns, Quebec. Sensing the defenses in Canada were weak, Arnold suggested a Quebec expedition to General Washington. The commander-in-chief approved Arnold’s plan to lead a division north through the Maine wilderness to strike the city of Quebec from the south. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbJ8hXXoH75PAKV3fJILCc4aQr6y1x2cVfaAtSmKfE8B0DHLKnkoCS1leT4gSCrw3dyVlnGInLDni7mBA_7IRIq9cBlnDwBRNvAYllnievUCAzjEnR1TwZI0cqYQEJYbpyfSykNhOhNBo1hzigFQtfuBApvvyqGBZYBVhBRuq94J8OcdN3mEYnuwq/s1499/Arnold%20Benedict%20young%20in%20color.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1077" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbJ8hXXoH75PAKV3fJILCc4aQr6y1x2cVfaAtSmKfE8B0DHLKnkoCS1leT4gSCrw3dyVlnGInLDni7mBA_7IRIq9cBlnDwBRNvAYllnievUCAzjEnR1TwZI0cqYQEJYbpyfSykNhOhNBo1hzigFQtfuBApvvyqGBZYBVhBRuq94J8OcdN3mEYnuwq/s320/Arnold%20Benedict%20young%20in%20color.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rabble in Arms</h4><p>Only a leader with Arnold’s iron will and ruthless energy could conceive of, much less lead 1,100 men through the vast and desolate wilderness enshrouded in the cold of late winter. Many did not make it. Read Kenneth Roberts’s 1933 novel, <i>Rabble in Arms </i>for a look into the details of the journey. On 7 November 1775, some 700 half-starved and ragged survivors made it to the Plains of Abraham outside the fortified city. Lacking artillery, Colonel Arnold’s men settled in for a siege. Fortunately, another expedition through New York and Montreal, led by General Richard Montgomery, joined Arnold a month later.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLU-1NE2XDdyNGY54D1XZsEg4iZ2qRw6LOFP65kHv-7oMe6feZTRb3e_vuRkaZOFybOV6pfxerluYGxajcYzcqNCti7I6x0AMwyhc5iXIQCMHXUv7OhIoIEBIh6Uya_SxcIzfQNVlHHTVaNTD5k1AnS0Y9xjckEVqSkuYplp99L-Z5OUz-VW8yss3/s1115/Arnold%20Expedition%20Route%20Marked.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLU-1NE2XDdyNGY54D1XZsEg4iZ2qRw6LOFP65kHv-7oMe6feZTRb3e_vuRkaZOFybOV6pfxerluYGxajcYzcqNCti7I6x0AMwyhc5iXIQCMHXUv7OhIoIEBIh6Uya_SxcIzfQNVlHHTVaNTD5k1AnS0Y9xjckEVqSkuYplp99L-Z5OUz-VW8yss3/w161-h400/Arnold%20Expedition%20Route%20Marked.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arnold's Expedition through Maine</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Desperate Assault</h4><p>With enlistments expiring the following month, Montgomery and Arnold wasted no time launching an attack. On 31 December, they stormed the city in two columns in blizzard conditions. Montgomery was struck by a blast of grapeshot from the defenders’ guns and later died. Arnold suffered a leg wound. The first such injury would later present him with a limp. The wounded Arnold assumed overall command and maintained the siege, now as a Brigadier General, a rank conferred by Congress before the failed assault.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qX_BV3vP_vHqLoN0m2vvDdZtr4Y0x6ClJPUBY-uIGUhU9O6SXiNTsF1KEvk01cJXLr529JpNCccnBBHhCAqnpkjwVKXjX7TaI9Ry6VwCeliZJWKj427rf6s3TKQ5uhlCSpP-22tjNwJTDZN-dj4Dw6La3SGp9hoFjZ6SkI1AxDd2FqMb5mF2viFM/s745/Battle%20Quebec%20Storming%20walls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="745" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6qX_BV3vP_vHqLoN0m2vvDdZtr4Y0x6ClJPUBY-uIGUhU9O6SXiNTsF1KEvk01cJXLr529JpNCccnBBHhCAqnpkjwVKXjX7TaI9Ry6VwCeliZJWKj427rf6s3TKQ5uhlCSpP-22tjNwJTDZN-dj4Dw6La3SGp9hoFjZ6SkI1AxDd2FqMb5mF2viFM/w400-h260/Battle%20Quebec%20Storming%20walls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Storming Quebec in a Storm</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Managing Failure</h4><p>With spring, British reinforcements arrived, and British Governor General Guy Carleton began a series of attacks on the dwindling and undersupplied Americans. Arnold led a gallant retreat south, regrouping forces on the southern shores of Lake Champlain. When he learned Carleton was transhipping warships from the Saint Lawrence to the lake, he began a desperate effort to scrounge and assemble boats of all kinds to meet the naval threat that he knew was coming.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLq48ivDFvWhyJlEgaZPQDkzDRGdqUvBdsQdJ7AXrNEPSN1KjZzUjK5Pe37x-ZMsjrJop_r_CX43u9MR_QjgHur0tDGDE34G5BD-0e2jVGuu7LvobuSoAwmRLILp-wlEuec8vJclWQnXytrlNCfyuJ5OOMXT3QjX_VSutTdf9zL84_2WIzi0jtht07/s1057/Carleton,%20General%20Guy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="903" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLq48ivDFvWhyJlEgaZPQDkzDRGdqUvBdsQdJ7AXrNEPSN1KjZzUjK5Pe37x-ZMsjrJop_r_CX43u9MR_QjgHur0tDGDE34G5BD-0e2jVGuu7LvobuSoAwmRLILp-wlEuec8vJclWQnXytrlNCfyuJ5OOMXT3QjX_VSutTdf9zL84_2WIzi0jtht07/w341-h400/Carleton,%20General%20Guy.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Governor General Guy Carleton</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Admiral of the Lake</h4><p>In a tour de force of leadership and resourcefulness, Arnold had a small motley squadron of gunboats ready for Carleton’s October attack, which was stage one in a planned move to Albany aimed at dividing the colonies. The mighty British and desperate Americans clashed at Valcour Island during 11- 13 October. Carelton’s ships smashed the Americans. Although New York and a total victory were at his feet, Arnold’s actions delayed Carleton’s timetable. Rather than risk a supply issue late in the campaign season, he withdrew to the lake’s northern shores until spring, when he planned to finish the job. He would never get the chance. Benedict Arnold had saved the Cause.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsnf-HNf2iBghhtphNKjfU4glFdvbyqDdUFvuBYwzzOmQXUWToi4_fSvl08HwkKBtiRAYpqMrHesLvKr5JfWrB8saI60t84e3LhTSdt9PpLvSAlKoWrSqg7clFI2X_LYmKdWcaI0BChTxuhiOjjbUnIGtcyVfB6od8d7ziuzTVUfinFw6bdZSI1wl/s824/Valcour%20Island%20battle%20dramatic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="824" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlsnf-HNf2iBghhtphNKjfU4glFdvbyqDdUFvuBYwzzOmQXUWToi4_fSvl08HwkKBtiRAYpqMrHesLvKr5JfWrB8saI60t84e3LhTSdt9PpLvSAlKoWrSqg7clFI2X_LYmKdWcaI0BChTxuhiOjjbUnIGtcyVfB6od8d7ziuzTVUfinFw6bdZSI1wl/w400-h263/Valcour%20Island%20battle%20dramatic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Valcour Island</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">British Counterstroke</h4><p>By the following spring, General John Burgoyne had arrived at Quebec with reinforcements and orders, placing him in command of the 1777 offensive to complete Carleton’s failed job. After sweeping south and seizing Crown Point, Fort Ticonderoga, and a series of northern forts, Burgoyne’s 8,000 British and Germans (with a few hundred Canadian and Indian allies) faced off against an American army assembling around Albany. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmcvbczPAOdf6XeQ1w9CE9OYLL1lhYHY9c0_VKG5ToRUlWNzQvUxYbYk0CQg8Or0xwT5Dtju1zEmjQhC-BU1JQffjSgiXyhL4pe-XzR4LDMLEZlx9kHF-5vxmEjkByL23zPNojerv8NkNvishJIUnDBiGXDurzKWbSjtdDAR1tz9yWxTewcIzR-0Y/s512/Map%20Saratoga%20campaign%201777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="512" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmcvbczPAOdf6XeQ1w9CE9OYLL1lhYHY9c0_VKG5ToRUlWNzQvUxYbYk0CQg8Or0xwT5Dtju1zEmjQhC-BU1JQffjSgiXyhL4pe-XzR4LDMLEZlx9kHF-5vxmEjkByL23zPNojerv8NkNvishJIUnDBiGXDurzKWbSjtdDAR1tz9yWxTewcIzR-0Y/w400-h323/Map%20Saratoga%20campaign%201777.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Saratoga Campaign would Decide the War</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A New Command</h4><p>With the fall of the northern forts in the summer, Major General Phillip Schuyler was relieved by Major General Horatio Gates, a former British officer. Although the British had momentum, they were at the end of their supply line. More importantly, British and Indian actions along the way had inflamed New Yorkers and New Englanders alike. Thousands of men had left their farms and shops to confront the threat. Gates’ army began a series of entrenchments and breastworks about thirty miles north of Albany and waited for the British onslaught. Gates had some highly experienced commanders leading the brigades assembling: Enoch Poor, Ebeneezer Learned, John Glover, John Nixon, John Patterson, and Daniel Morgan (who fought with Arnold at Quebec). Brigadier General Arnold commanded the “Left Wing” and was second in command.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpOt5AwJpPJ3YXVUO9uMVklMmvfRJGXy4stcjGJrfJZA48fQMipu3YUDtVCSWkGjZRi4JHthUejAdiExgWwynlvsK7FtPRrGV725PgUaaOOENEYE-9Bj11F2kncawD_WVZ2u9VfdoZAnx18FGmVopwwGWzEX7XGDnsmfhraNzm6lscxwDlTvT0mwq/s396/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpOt5AwJpPJ3YXVUO9uMVklMmvfRJGXy4stcjGJrfJZA48fQMipu3YUDtVCSWkGjZRi4JHthUejAdiExgWwynlvsK7FtPRrGV725PgUaaOOENEYE-9Bj11F2kncawD_WVZ2u9VfdoZAnx18FGmVopwwGWzEX7XGDnsmfhraNzm6lscxwDlTvT0mwq/s320/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Phillip Schuyler</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rhode Island Interlude</h4><p>Earlier that year, Arnold had commanded forces in Rhode Island, where he spent time at home visiting family and socializing in Boston. He was riding to Philadelphia to complain of being passed over for the rank of major general but had to detour to thwart a British raid into his native Connecticut. Arnold received a second leg wound in the action. Congress later promoted him but not with the earlier date of rank. Inflamed by the affront (more junior officers promoted over him), Arnold resigned from the army once more. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSDQrsAvA1T_74OOmcX2MDjRrkbihEsN_-Z5nAW8N7zU8BWAEbATXyxPtDiXzRyYdTr6yaKgUvChoP72TvGUv5I7G6inUSvqL1TazePX_Qu8YjLMHsll3bKsbDm8k4X0Co0aHbvEQAtjMmtAwHk-KKJ_4FMpH84DD3ugYNLPRV1xzIRtCkXZt3YsC/s1600/Gates%20on%20horseback.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSDQrsAvA1T_74OOmcX2MDjRrkbihEsN_-Z5nAW8N7zU8BWAEbATXyxPtDiXzRyYdTr6yaKgUvChoP72TvGUv5I7G6inUSvqL1TazePX_Qu8YjLMHsll3bKsbDm8k4X0Co0aHbvEQAtjMmtAwHk-KKJ_4FMpH84DD3ugYNLPRV1xzIRtCkXZt3YsC/w314-h400/Gates%20on%20horseback.jpg" width="314" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Horatio Gates</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Answering Washinton’s Summons</h4><p>But the British sweep down Lake Champlain, and the fall of Ticonderoga caused General Washington to refuse his letter and order him to the Northern Department. Major General Arnold arrived in time to lead a relief column along the Mohawk River to break up the British siege of Fort Stanwix (today’s Rome, NY). Although the British and Indian allies destroyed an earlier relief column at Oriskany, Arnold’s reputation, combined with a clever ruse amplifying the size of his division, sent Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger’s forces in retreat back to Oswego.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3J1lRBy-uTKLWBqjSlrUgSgl_G9Ulp7E2h0yx-yzhW2del0rHxT4l7zKqUgKMbDHBZgT1KY0IcAnsj6lY_EPX0QusW0-w7lGdSw3pQxV99jPV3EzLwyGXpRVQDlrMZlWSSSH_AlQD7brvbRdUG6s9LflZCX80Fgeci1vaKaZUHQdA8sVcadMjiDw/s843/Oriskany%20fighting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="843" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3J1lRBy-uTKLWBqjSlrUgSgl_G9Ulp7E2h0yx-yzhW2del0rHxT4l7zKqUgKMbDHBZgT1KY0IcAnsj6lY_EPX0QusW0-w7lGdSw3pQxV99jPV3EzLwyGXpRVQDlrMZlWSSSH_AlQD7brvbRdUG6s9LflZCX80Fgeci1vaKaZUHQdA8sVcadMjiDw/w400-h248/Oriskany%20fighting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oriskany</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saratoga Battles</h4><p>With the threat from the west gone, the Americans could focus on the juggernaut creeping south toward Albany. Two distinct major actions were fought north of Albany, sometimes called “The Battle of Saratoga.” </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Freeman’s Farm</h4><p>With Shuyler relieved, Arnold was under a general he neither liked nor respected – Horatio Gates. Arnold did not attempt to hide his feelings, and they soon became mutual. Animous among top leaders is never a good situation in command but one quite common. The first action occurred on 19 September 1777 at Freeman’s Farm, and whether because of or despite his animous, Arnold’s instincts kicked in, and he sprang into action without orders from Gates. Arnold gathered what forces he could to meet the threat to the army’s left wing. Morgan’s Rifles, plus American light infantry and militia regiments, stopped British General Simon Fraser’s elite corps.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg8h-3fpnq2v9LTcv3cEl8siHN7vJk2_TRA2VI-Vu9zNWqDywaZ3Dguyqhp2ctZCEQeSjHg3zxzL-Kx--6hBYJucB3l-Y51XlsA92jRgFBFPvb_NbCFVkuTVqsw_Rz7kgdSlH70rY1Pl-NakZAb5JRG5DLYC6Eo65J3G7XsJwUdVlHei2rGi_fbsp/s360/Battle-of-Freemans-Farm-360x248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="360" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg8h-3fpnq2v9LTcv3cEl8siHN7vJk2_TRA2VI-Vu9zNWqDywaZ3Dguyqhp2ctZCEQeSjHg3zxzL-Kx--6hBYJucB3l-Y51XlsA92jRgFBFPvb_NbCFVkuTVqsw_Rz7kgdSlH70rY1Pl-NakZAb5JRG5DLYC6Eo65J3G7XsJwUdVlHei2rGi_fbsp/w400-h275/Battle-of-Freemans-Farm-360x248.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Freeman's Farm</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Bemis Heights</h4><p>But Gates was not impressed. After Freeman’s Farm, he and Arnold had more bad words, and Gates relieved him of duties for exceeding his authority and insubordination. Arnold was confined to quarters when Burgoyne launched his second assault on the Americans on 7 October. Informed of the attack, Arnold broke his confinement and spurred into action. Once again, men eagerly gathered around him. He soon led inspired regiments against the British in a brilliant counterstroke that smashed their advance and took a key redoubt manned by elite German infantry. During the furious fighting, Arnold’s horse was shot from under him. He sustained another leg injury. But his bold action set the British up for the first surrender of a British field army in decades.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZolY5104GE_rP9DpOho2XDxr-f2Sgg-At6-_tkCMLGaWDMNXy1gUyg3VR5egZh7raHMkVi5dEBdZNkUHforq05sZXB0rbmzG_aVcW_wcVpoyyQ8LASjFt0l61HitgJfhIHgrl_vTbPgHFjl0ZfIfltnJ6b0ui0NlVY2HRVuRCzN8t9CN7nWqoSxo/s448/battle-bemis-heights%20Oct%201777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="448" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZolY5104GE_rP9DpOho2XDxr-f2Sgg-At6-_tkCMLGaWDMNXy1gUyg3VR5egZh7raHMkVi5dEBdZNkUHforq05sZXB0rbmzG_aVcW_wcVpoyyQ8LASjFt0l61HitgJfhIHgrl_vTbPgHFjl0ZfIfltnJ6b0ui0NlVY2HRVuRCzN8t9CN7nWqoSxo/w400-h260/battle-bemis-heights%20Oct%201777.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bemis Heights</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Best on the Battlefield</h4><p>Horatio Gates claimed the victory, but Arnold’s courage under fire and leadership won the day. General Washington saw him as one of his best battlefield commanders and destined for more command responsibility once he recovered from his wounds. But Arnold’s gallantry at Saratoga would be followed by more grievances, perceived and actual, and a series of events that would take him from the pinnacle as the nation’s greatest war hero to the depths of hated ignominy. A tale we shall dive into in a future post. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUap00Z9KEkMpMZj_PRtV8J0pb-AlrbYmyiM8MJ-g4mxn3DMgvgwYz9ag9IX63oRiv7vMyDP-23oStQfVRf6miVVa2Z5OdjHb6DkT1Pyahz7ooQIM0JA3byKCAiQzmDMNjBC2DwKupgn9FkxJHiFL3OemkpqCnFlU6gItYO_-Xnr3sud2wO78SjJAo/s701/Arnold%20Benedict%20monument%20boot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUap00Z9KEkMpMZj_PRtV8J0pb-AlrbYmyiM8MJ-g4mxn3DMgvgwYz9ag9IX63oRiv7vMyDP-23oStQfVRf6miVVa2Z5OdjHb6DkT1Pyahz7ooQIM0JA3byKCAiQzmDMNjBC2DwKupgn9FkxJHiFL3OemkpqCnFlU6gItYO_-Xnr3sud2wO78SjJAo/s320/Arnold%20Benedict%20monument%20boot.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arnold Monument at Saratoga</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-33336449405706797672023-01-31T12:54:00.001-08:002023-01-31T12:54:30.352-08:00The Old Wagoner<p style="text-align: justify;">In my effort to highlight the important (and not-so-important) historical personalities in my fourth Yankee Doodle Spies novel, <i>The North Spy</i>, I must not neglect one who lived about an hour's drive from where I am living in Virginia. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This larger-than-life figure, whose contributions are the stuff of legend, is the only senior American leader who played significant positive contributions in all theaters from Canada to the Carolinas and led troops in The Northern and Southern Departments, as well as the main Continental Army. His role merits more than one blog post, so this edition will survey his background and actions leading up to and through the events in <i>The North Spy</i>. His further exploits will be the subject of a future post.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF5OI85ckLQ7CvGPS4VwAPL95vUG2dcVavxdm-Dt0xBPB61EEQsldYm_MUlNKHFAPvkjsQplbPHvMQFjmTaQVGWogRenzQdoioGtY18aicr8c544yfYtWpnU7NB58flaAFPAcOVovWdT25T9NZ-Kyej-P5duoEYIHU9GYNnZqlEB08eVzgATM_7BP/s333/Morgan%20Dan%20on%20the%20frontier.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXF5OI85ckLQ7CvGPS4VwAPL95vUG2dcVavxdm-Dt0xBPB61EEQsldYm_MUlNKHFAPvkjsQplbPHvMQFjmTaQVGWogRenzQdoioGtY18aicr8c544yfYtWpnU7NB58flaAFPAcOVovWdT25T9NZ-Kyej-P5duoEYIHU9GYNnZqlEB08eVzgATM_7BP/w288-h400/Morgan%20Dan%20on%20the%20frontier.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Daniel Morgan </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Daniel Morgan was born around 1736. He came from a family of Welsh settlers in Pennsylvania, but young Dan Morgan was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where his parents, James Morgan and Eleanor Lloyd, had resettled. He was five of seven siblings. When just a teenager, Morgan ran from his home in the Jerseys and settled in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley near Winchester, Virginia. Young Morgan spent these years cutting down trees, establishing a sawmill, and running wagons to haul goods. The latter proved quite lucrative. On the personal side, he soon garnered a reputation as a hard-drinking, quick-to-anger frontier brawler. Dan's six-foot, two-hundred-pound frame made him a powerful and muscular young man well-suited for the back-breaking work of life on the frontier. Due to his size and demeanor, Morgan seemed older than his years and was called "The Old Wagoner." </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-N2U2wYP81dgBFcjwhpcSlEUv5v80WsP7zhEfPZxsgcEu4kc-Wl5mNJXOZ3rFdpe5U-iTQT5oHrxmE3WDhJlyJvhPkf4Rv7ZKGarqEOP_Dkb32ke9VNxq9pmW--LcifNqK3ggeMGGuKiHqfu_Jf5aSkA2-c6Tq4u2fXwsB9j-sqZCw2g8qSlYIcvN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-N2U2wYP81dgBFcjwhpcSlEUv5v80WsP7zhEfPZxsgcEu4kc-Wl5mNJXOZ3rFdpe5U-iTQT5oHrxmE3WDhJlyJvhPkf4Rv7ZKGarqEOP_Dkb32ke9VNxq9pmW--LcifNqK3ggeMGGuKiHqfu_Jf5aSkA2-c6Tq4u2fXwsB9j-sqZCw2g8qSlYIcvN=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div>18th-century frontier wagon<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">When the French and Indian War erupted, his wagons rolled west with General Edward Braddock in 1755 (See Blog, Road to Destruction). This offered a chance to serve his King while making money and having some excitement. His cousin Daniel Boone was also part of the campaign, as were two of his future commanders, Colonel George Washington and Lieutenant Colonel Horatio Gates (See Blog, What Ho, Horatio).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ltGyxsQorl464IXnDQO5CDCZfDDcNhJD06D9XgYO3KW_9uiGxySkZ9NLpUI_EGJ2solMST2XUBsorItKqA6r--haBcFjzUqHQk6LNrgrtMeG8l5DiJoX_csGRdYmYmIllryNcGOJ1Xefk_dA4Y1vWqIQpfnpSz3wja2hwuBilplC7ezup5OkdiJV/s272/Boone,%20Daniel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="171" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ltGyxsQorl464IXnDQO5CDCZfDDcNhJD06D9XgYO3KW_9uiGxySkZ9NLpUI_EGJ2solMST2XUBsorItKqA6r--haBcFjzUqHQk6LNrgrtMeG8l5DiJoX_csGRdYmYmIllryNcGOJ1Xefk_dA4Y1vWqIQpfnpSz3wja2hwuBilplC7ezup5OkdiJV/w251-h400/Boone,%20Daniel.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Morgan's Cousin, Daniel Boone</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The way to Fort Duquesne was rough, but Morgan was more than up to guiding wagons pulled by horse teams through heavily wooded mountains, streams, and rivers of northwestern Virginia (today's West Virginia)), western Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Braddock's column was annihilated at The Battle of the Monongahela, where a smaller force of French and Indians cut the redcoats to ribbons in the dense forests around what is today's Pittsburgh.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4h7DgOi_OalUWcdSv2T3AnJF1EVxH_7rybUw5KjMeIVTJj9CFqtTlStXvzXmX4ohi_sbN2JjUv38sY7fKBaBrX8uZ1aj0tXTQWhIzudnTq_LoeRBzEsVjmxhH_cJvyodT2ZZLZDUnTrwnmkT4lRki1DbWfM7Z_CTvpjRmuBa1Kp5XGRn-8i-1DQQ/s720/Monongahela%20Battle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="720" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4h7DgOi_OalUWcdSv2T3AnJF1EVxH_7rybUw5KjMeIVTJj9CFqtTlStXvzXmX4ohi_sbN2JjUv38sY7fKBaBrX8uZ1aj0tXTQWhIzudnTq_LoeRBzEsVjmxhH_cJvyodT2ZZLZDUnTrwnmkT4lRki1DbWfM7Z_CTvpjRmuBa1Kp5XGRn-8i-1DQQ/w400-h280/Monongahela%20Battle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Monongahela</div><p style="text-align: justify;">"The Old Wagoner" hated the strict regimen of the British regulars, which he resisted and mocked. For their part, Morgan was the kind of rustic American colonial they loathed and put down at every opportunity. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In 1756, while Morgan was hauling supplies to Fort Chiswell, he had a run-in with a British lieutenant, who struck the "Old Wagoner" with the flat of his saber. Morgan exploded with a powerful blow to the subaltern's jaw, knocking him cold. A court-martial sentenced him to 500 lashes. He developed a hatred for the British Army. A properly used leather whip of the day could easily have a man near death or begging for it at ten well-placed stokes. He survived, and his joking about it only enhanced his tough-guy reputation, commenting that the British had miscounted and still owed him one more lash.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzS-o6um-AwmhhDrS_UTxhE_YibfwVIJl8yt-ejaR0_oT2XQTj1IjgUn71fwPyAKtgbUxpt1IBOmfK2J9JXh_U3f-RU6SPHfZE34PRkEXvQfuoKfCo0tQjSz2EgOlTTHtep8oalFtl4JPVBbaStq6TzEzLG83-qEugP9JHS4ptGC-GxDOi7gcfDTay" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzS-o6um-AwmhhDrS_UTxhE_YibfwVIJl8yt-ejaR0_oT2XQTj1IjgUn71fwPyAKtgbUxpt1IBOmfK2J9JXh_U3f-RU6SPHfZE34PRkEXvQfuoKfCo0tQjSz2EgOlTTHtep8oalFtl4JPVBbaStq6TzEzLG83-qEugP9JHS4ptGC-GxDOi7gcfDTay=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The lash did not deter Morgan's defiance of British authority</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Morgan returned to Virginia and served as a rifleman in Virginia's militia assigned to protect the western settlements from the ravages of Indian raids. He led the relief column at Fort Edwards during its siege and took command of its defenses. In 1758, as Morgan was traveling home to Winchester from Fort Edward, a well-aimed ball from a musket-wielding brave near Hanging Rock passed through his cheek, shattering teeth, disfiguring his face, and contributing to an already fearsome demeanor. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs9ra90cXp88AuXfs-HoPorM-UTwQOVkET2H_M0TCkFu11QZtIStlkb6EpsUjct-1QD6hNqccZUGKXgO4QmjXrlQbpowTCaInRYW0OYCXXieK1TcCpDA05gLnA1cNZ4BgfQEC9fLqdONKNz76NIQkUNztJVG_3OQzLXsFZ_6XWOPSsEPZra_Z_sPgt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="1257" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhs9ra90cXp88AuXfs-HoPorM-UTwQOVkET2H_M0TCkFu11QZtIStlkb6EpsUjct-1QD6hNqccZUGKXgO4QmjXrlQbpowTCaInRYW0OYCXXieK1TcCpDA05gLnA1cNZ4BgfQEC9fLqdONKNz76NIQkUNztJVG_3OQzLXsFZ_6XWOPSsEPZra_Z_sPgt=w400-h214" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Edwards</div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite the wounds and struggles with the military hierarchy, Morgan was drawn to campaigning and, in 1753, fought as a ranger in Pontiac's Indian rebellion. And in 1774, Morgan picked up his musket to serve in Lord Dunmore's War between the Colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo American Indian nations. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSqR0N2MD2DjUhYn2mNOp_qLLnX6T2aC77GCpGFYnzghKkQxi4AaUh1A7YU5OCrvPA38X5YQzV64ax3amQQXvoto4s1mBeX586kUDarww01oiAXCd2tq16auuYAgcW3EbTD_efVRypDBConI0QZWFceg-kczAGWikRyiDGdMSii3JmiNErVFRl27Vf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="736" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSqR0N2MD2DjUhYn2mNOp_qLLnX6T2aC77GCpGFYnzghKkQxi4AaUh1A7YU5OCrvPA38X5YQzV64ax3amQQXvoto4s1mBeX586kUDarww01oiAXCd2tq16auuYAgcW3EbTD_efVRypDBConI0QZWFceg-kczAGWikRyiDGdMSii3JmiNErVFRl27Vf=w400-h322" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Revolutionary War commenced in April 1775, and the Continental Congress authorized the creation of a 10-company regiment of riflemen. Morgan was selected as a captain of a Virginia company. He led it to Boston and joined the main army gathered under General George Washington.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NRasaPlXD9T6LPYCHkSV4XefdfmgKxdCP6TizNOvJ9LbRnj9AasCuYWlzHAXZ_GWKP_zCVPECOx5z8BWps-rziXxkK4x_KP54Q9YMPyV4qZiWH0jin9fmUCIt26zJPji6ur-05fsrT-ZvQs1oovaApXVjfFR9cEExLXMa-veJC9-YnSWgGI7EkF7/s650/Riflemen%20on%20march%20salute%20Washington%20Bee%20Line.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="650" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0NRasaPlXD9T6LPYCHkSV4XefdfmgKxdCP6TizNOvJ9LbRnj9AasCuYWlzHAXZ_GWKP_zCVPECOx5z8BWps-rziXxkK4x_KP54Q9YMPyV4qZiWH0jin9fmUCIt26zJPji6ur-05fsrT-ZvQs1oovaApXVjfFR9cEExLXMa-veJC9-YnSWgGI7EkF7/w400-h191/Riflemen%20on%20march%20salute%20Washington%20Bee%20Line.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Joining Washington's Army</div><p style="text-align: justify;">In September 1775, Morgan marched with Colonel Benedict Arnold on his punishing expedition to seize Canada from British control. He endured many grueling weeks in the rugged and barren Maine wilderness. On December 3, 1775, Morgan and Arnold joined an army led by General Richard Montgomery (See Blog, First to Fall) outside Quebec.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSdnLK0e_wzrlhpcUUzfvGsd8xcGaElOQyakhwbvP9NvOcmfWbmdFE_lNpdReoFYvFroPaaENd-hgYxEMreXgKbyq5uBxEbvmdpESd6jc7ZCnzenKEbX6PWrE80du87czxBQxlggL7RCr2g5U8hJy-swrnpZBFAJy_hM6oa4oubF-qbAClS5RGrhp/s1115/Arnold%20Expedition%20Route%20Marked.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSdnLK0e_wzrlhpcUUzfvGsd8xcGaElOQyakhwbvP9NvOcmfWbmdFE_lNpdReoFYvFroPaaENd-hgYxEMreXgKbyq5uBxEbvmdpESd6jc7ZCnzenKEbX6PWrE80du87czxBQxlggL7RCr2g5U8hJy-swrnpZBFAJy_hM6oa4oubF-qbAClS5RGrhp/w161-h400/Arnold%20Expedition%20Route%20Marked.jpg" width="161" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Route through Maine</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The Americans lacked artillery and supplies, so they launched a desperate attack on Governor Guy Carleton's (See Blog, The Governor General) garrison on December 31, 1775, during a blinding snowstorm. What could go wrong? Well, everything. Morgan took command of the surviving Americans after Arnold was wounded and Montgomery cut down in a torrent of grapeshot. The Americans were haggard, cold, tired, hungry, and unable to breach Carleton's defenses. Morgan surrendered.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBUuXYlQbsI-V6oCC0iaGCiZklBmDsRWKaU4KTE7c03PvOsSz5ehISyYy-k35EA6EVanI5wbh2ShFOrQ9TBneHSYQydAyu6rcXBJYFqlMB6rHR63OVod9xZX35KcBTNG4i9Ny3kcPRakOnnMwtB_a2tCyr9PJ4PEM6Lp-ej_8f8D1SKxc-PBnbGxi/s745/Battle%20Quebec%20Storming%20walls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="745" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBUuXYlQbsI-V6oCC0iaGCiZklBmDsRWKaU4KTE7c03PvOsSz5ehISyYy-k35EA6EVanI5wbh2ShFOrQ9TBneHSYQydAyu6rcXBJYFqlMB6rHR63OVod9xZX35KcBTNG4i9Ny3kcPRakOnnMwtB_a2tCyr9PJ4PEM6Lp-ej_8f8D1SKxc-PBnbGxi/s320/Battle%20Quebec%20Storming%20walls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Storming Quebec in a storm</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Morgan was exchanged after eight months in captivity. He was soon appointed Colonel of the 11th Virginia Continental Infantry. But Washington, sensing the need for able light infantry sharpshooters, directed him to raise a battalion of riflemen. This new battalion would be made up of Virginians, Pennsylvanians, and Marylanders and be known as Morgan's Rifle Corps. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1AINg7o_RZrMBOX-ApSfI9JiDlR2fU-gbHRL1fuqwV2W70TE_2uB2CEqLujUq2Z4p-AQ-PNTg13ATVYiTRb3rpH6lAhLbJHE6w5FYUgYB-Rofdhz86qHqNQfU7Euw-VmiLgfSlejVkGsNlK9zRh7_gnoAKj-_EjRGTVdHSrvAk4dGirzg6NH6Qgb9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="800" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1AINg7o_RZrMBOX-ApSfI9JiDlR2fU-gbHRL1fuqwV2W70TE_2uB2CEqLujUq2Z4p-AQ-PNTg13ATVYiTRb3rpH6lAhLbJHE6w5FYUgYB-Rofdhz86qHqNQfU7Euw-VmiLgfSlejVkGsNlK9zRh7_gnoAKj-_EjRGTVdHSrvAk4dGirzg6NH6Qgb9=w400-h250" width="400" /></a></div>Morgan's Rifle Corps<br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Although the Continental Army was busy watching General William Howe's forces in New York City, Congress pressured Washington to send part of his forces to reinforce the Northern Department near Albany, New York. Along with Henry Dearborn's Light Infantry and a few other regiments, Morgan joined General Horatio Gates's army and played a pivotal role in the Saratoga campaign against General John Burgoyne (See Blog, Gentleman Johnny). </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nfML7dVZbU1q_0k9fECCAxSreOTy07xBxx3D6JkB92ldja68Op_OLAxOxPgmJHuI41b5ZMhbQT-Hj3ql2gaaWKuNcGHnky6czh-teSd-XdsSXmmBrNuHnMqjq5_96GRHXpTCgY014vefrbontTMr0-b6RhVqN_mIYOjTB1aGcSc3G3LjFI9MXNdE/s281/Burgoyne%20John%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nfML7dVZbU1q_0k9fECCAxSreOTy07xBxx3D6JkB92ldja68Op_OLAxOxPgmJHuI41b5ZMhbQT-Hj3ql2gaaWKuNcGHnky6czh-teSd-XdsSXmmBrNuHnMqjq5_96GRHXpTCgY014vefrbontTMr0-b6RhVqN_mIYOjTB1aGcSc3G3LjFI9MXNdE/w313-h400/Burgoyne%20John%20General.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General John Burgoyne</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Morgan's Riflemen were used to screen and patrol in the heaviest terrain, on the left flank of Gate's army, defending in farmland and rolling hills about thirty miles north of Albany. The sharpshooters of Morgan's Rifle Corps shot down droves of British officers at the pivotal battles of Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights and pinned down the cream of Burgoyne's Army in the wooded hills. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Hnsz-TKyBbGNSzTEmqJuQM_sZpeRr7TFl4zlkZIAthxHsmwc5ipKy2YaJiTyp88WbEfBBAfGlr3pLM9wxZpO8YmkRbWXzO1WhkwdEQNKP876Kv8-k1iDWPkR5u5ZE2HQlZ91urgGeu-SygdVOe9eYp6zH9PBPs7-5qugpY8Zfy2OEVQKkRzU5T9Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4Hnsz-TKyBbGNSzTEmqJuQM_sZpeRr7TFl4zlkZIAthxHsmwc5ipKy2YaJiTyp88WbEfBBAfGlr3pLM9wxZpO8YmkRbWXzO1WhkwdEQNKP876Kv8-k1iDWPkR5u5ZE2HQlZ91urgGeu-SygdVOe9eYp6zH9PBPs7-5qugpY8Zfy2OEVQKkRzU5T9Q=w400-h233" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Morgan's Rifles holding the right line</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On October 7, 1777, one rifleman, Timothy Murphy (See Blog, Patriot Sniper), fired three lead balls at General Simon Fraser (see Blog, Fighting Fraser)), with two striking and mortally wounding the best British leader on the field. Fraser's death demoralized the British, and Burgoyne later surrendered at Saratoga, New York, when Morgan's Rifles and American militia cut off his supply lines and threatened his line of retreat. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVcCUTZTLhKUAS8vVp4LGD-q49sYn-lOPJ7GB3O66CG6-r1Gi2jMNpmgqRZwlG-VZlo8lBQX6jkvgBgvgsfK83nFzgpHMBFE21SUIQ1SYg4OkofqA9Uo753swHv5gQcZlrfy6MRtDC4O8w_NzWUaCfGlEV15I8mQs22RGCpaXhNdipsN5GJRhqtRG/s400/Murphy%20Tim%20sniper%20at%20Bemis%20Heights.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="400" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVcCUTZTLhKUAS8vVp4LGD-q49sYn-lOPJ7GB3O66CG6-r1Gi2jMNpmgqRZwlG-VZlo8lBQX6jkvgBgvgsfK83nFzgpHMBFE21SUIQ1SYg4OkofqA9Uo753swHv5gQcZlrfy6MRtDC4O8w_NzWUaCfGlEV15I8mQs22RGCpaXhNdipsN5GJRhqtRG/w400-h324/Murphy%20Tim%20sniper%20at%20Bemis%20Heights.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tim Murphy credited with shooting Simon Fraser</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Usually reserving praise for himself and close confidants, Horatio Gates openly admired Morgan's qualities in his official report and gave him partial credit for Burgoyne's demise. Gates wanted Morgan's Rifle Corps to remain with his Department, but Morgan, who did not like the self-serving Gates, marched his Corps to join General Washington and the main Continental Army in New Jersey.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_5wYVyyc_VMnGaHsZNnlklx6LA_-3QKe8GXWxDHxeJzz018ILKwon34Dw14qWZNhdtlyAjbPlRWN087_pGrsJwAUAWMIIY2_V6-Kmy2Rhfm2xauEVFD0r2ybEPkzy7Sro4S5sDsKEsXKa4tGqcuEG34M2i0sbMkOt8qlD4L4EnXXOiqTh2l_9uW2/s1600/Saratoga%20Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_5wYVyyc_VMnGaHsZNnlklx6LA_-3QKe8GXWxDHxeJzz018ILKwon34Dw14qWZNhdtlyAjbPlRWN087_pGrsJwAUAWMIIY2_V6-Kmy2Rhfm2xauEVFD0r2ybEPkzy7Sro4S5sDsKEsXKa4tGqcuEG34M2i0sbMkOt8qlD4L4EnXXOiqTh2l_9uW2/w400-h265/Saratoga%20Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Morgan right front at Burgoyne's surrender</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-16726859922754550932022-12-30T07:10:00.000-08:002022-12-30T07:10:25.191-08:00The Baroness<p> <i>The North Spy</i>, the fourth novel in the Yankee Doodle Spies series, contains a trove of historical persons as fascinating as any of the fictional characters I developed for the story. However, one of the most interesting personalities in the campaign still needs to receive representation. I strike a mea culpa for leaving out the remarkable woman who was part of it all, and I hope to make up for it with this post.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK6CEAlVnn0hvjwiu2-3l8Kt8Mgas3ekKQDy9KEZdbs8IbEYRz6si1yRTzJmUpoF54ecvSdwGm59oSAmVzYPq0qFCTslxrd3ZaAIAETlE17Ja3whCLhTwU56OeMPPNs3bNZvRwRP7DsOWfWncP-LvQDzrGEe_BolRllMhEvJsg9hC7ACpaaTzOP2ej" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK6CEAlVnn0hvjwiu2-3l8Kt8Mgas3ekKQDy9KEZdbs8IbEYRz6si1yRTzJmUpoF54ecvSdwGm59oSAmVzYPq0qFCTslxrd3ZaAIAETlE17Ja3whCLhTwU56OeMPPNs3bNZvRwRP7DsOWfWncP-LvQDzrGEe_BolRllMhEvJsg9hC7ACpaaTzOP2ej=w312-h400" width="312" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Fredericka Charlotte Louise von Masow</span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Military Brat</h4><p>The lady in question is a German-born daughter of a senior officer in the army of Frederick the Great. Presumably named for her father's sovereign and military overlord, Fredericka Charlotte Louise von Masow was born in 1746 in Brandenburg, Prussia. The young aristocrat received an excellent education via tutors hired by her father, Count Hans Jurgen Detloff von Masow, as the general brought his family with him in various assignments. Nicknamed the Baroness, Fredericka and her sisters blossomed into beautiful, educated, and refined young women and attracted many young officers.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglPyNhCduvtAkvhterukYPZKYX07nWw4eGsVIBmdCKbRhxv5e2pe545FhRslTYFzWy6xnjP_5FCIqTeO1iKqVmnb6kILuIHNrNw4lU9nuD0fMmWshsbcLjo-GzSOAWXQIqN6OgT-Pd3vk_FDb6wGLTdT4WO8zTgPtel1Rl8R5sETKmDC_m8Cyzdykj" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="753" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglPyNhCduvtAkvhterukYPZKYX07nWw4eGsVIBmdCKbRhxv5e2pe545FhRslTYFzWy6xnjP_5FCIqTeO1iKqVmnb6kILuIHNrNw4lU9nuD0fMmWshsbcLjo-GzSOAWXQIqN6OgT-Pd3vk_FDb6wGLTdT4WO8zTgPtel1Rl8R5sETKmDC_m8Cyzdykj=w335-h400" width="335" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Frederick the Great</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Military Match</h4><p>One of these was a dashing (was there another kind?) young cavalry officer, Friedrich Adolphus von Riedesel. The two aristocrats married in 1762, and Fredericka settled into the life of a military wife in a comfortable Berlin home, where she soon bore two children. Unfortunately, neither baby survived infancy. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5oovl3ExJsn-8rJGhXsE9BEfL89sbY4pc_tpi9jkyLltNowYErhv3DkaimPI6MghJv325fImg8Ev6-6CXpxO5MY2ks9FUd6i1A2gxknxm3D_LUNzDvAPk8HaU2dmLMLUgbxGHiXHRprr1WuoQXaCN3vizXTdFfa4W79BTwa_KVNinRt4jNrMMxw27" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="435" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5oovl3ExJsn-8rJGhXsE9BEfL89sbY4pc_tpi9jkyLltNowYErhv3DkaimPI6MghJv325fImg8Ev6-6CXpxO5MY2ks9FUd6i1A2gxknxm3D_LUNzDvAPk8HaU2dmLMLUgbxGHiXHRprr1WuoQXaCN3vizXTdFfa4W79BTwa_KVNinRt4jNrMMxw27=w280-h400" width="280" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">von Riedesel as dashing young Hussar</div><br /><p></p><p>Friederich's military duties uprooted the family. Some sixteen years later, he was a dragoon captain in the army of the Duke of Brunswick, a north German principality. Fredericka and her children lived with him in a lavish house in Wolfenbuettel. But the peacetime idyll was about to end for Fredericka and her family. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Summons to War</h4><p>When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, the British soon found themselves short on manpower, so the king pulsed his continental "cousins" for help. The Duke leased his army to King George of England, as did several other minor German princes, most notably the Prince of Hesse-Kassel. The Americans soon referred to all the German auxiliaries serving the British as "Hessians."</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ3wisYaf0eLcjF2nyAehfr9EyrhbP_cpGJcTkmwE9rXxa7sE4Fy9sWj-U7Oni7sBqxNN_ZSsvVnWeK5IMCO5bwp6A9X81yIfvtg5q-FcZoO0ZDFdSFZBXL5oj84lo5_Rzp2c2P8trGOhM3YA-Vi5QK_Xd5-9nIQHzAS2ajClg8k0lYDxEcs90hPve" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="565" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ3wisYaf0eLcjF2nyAehfr9EyrhbP_cpGJcTkmwE9rXxa7sE4Fy9sWj-U7Oni7sBqxNN_ZSsvVnWeK5IMCO5bwp6A9X81yIfvtg5q-FcZoO0ZDFdSFZBXL5oj84lo5_Rzp2c2P8trGOhM3YA-Vi5QK_Xd5-9nIQHzAS2ajClg8k0lYDxEcs90hPve=w328-h400" width="328" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brunswick Grenadier</div><br /><p></p><p>In 1776 Friederich was promoted to general and, at the head of a force of German professionals, sailed to Quebec.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Follow the Drum</h4><p>Family traditions die hard, and Fredericka was determined to accompany her husband, but being heavy with child forced her to remain behind. However, a year later, she was able to pack up her children, along with servants and baggage, and make her way to Belgium, France, and then to England, where they boarded a ship and made the dangerous Atlantic crossing to North America.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8_1jqgYexvCTIiUvjL-35PfRuBf8tY7uc00mF4B7OOlF_9Uy__P9-qRXxjqj2H1BBv1x1D9eA7OJdKrdv2KL6nchm-AFduRS0iYnkecofPc4i2GDfEUN7--AHIXScAqoK1W9jFIpzI49U5s-HJre5SG4ozkEescjxxFHCPb2odQeFb8IZ-cJGxFv/s570/Naval%2018%20C%20British%20merchant%20ship.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="570" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8_1jqgYexvCTIiUvjL-35PfRuBf8tY7uc00mF4B7OOlF_9Uy__P9-qRXxjqj2H1BBv1x1D9eA7OJdKrdv2KL6nchm-AFduRS0iYnkecofPc4i2GDfEUN7--AHIXScAqoK1W9jFIpzI49U5s-HJre5SG4ozkEescjxxFHCPb2odQeFb8IZ-cJGxFv/w400-h344/Naval%2018%20C%20British%20merchant%20ship.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Atlantic crossing</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p>The thirty-one-year-old Baroness and her three daughters arrived in Quebec just in time to witness some of the most dramatic events of the struggle between the American colonies and Britain. The cheerful and determined Fredericka had ignored the dire warnings of the primitive lifestyle and savagery of the New World. But Quebec was essentially a French provincial town, and she quickly settled in.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Camp Follower</h4><p>The British had sent a new army to Canada as part of General John Burgoyne's ambitious plan to divide the colonies by an invasion from the north aimed at linking with British forces that would march north from New York and join together at Albany. Over 8,000 British regulars, Canadians, Indians, and Germans made up Burgoyne's well-equipped force. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAiPW6lK9vqmo5y43kWdorbRCzxeOcvYHR_5XIMWwYFBg09HirGAydSYO5fjKjCsbZzhDr3mNVcMm70sfPWnoKTE6HbGHb9pGk8MfSHs9OWKa1VRm1iqfQyTYehPLwYYWoecTz0zTjPF1qurSjpLMXKP8CDps-D0ivao9E3z35jjTpDBPfOvFP_n9B" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="466" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAiPW6lK9vqmo5y43kWdorbRCzxeOcvYHR_5XIMWwYFBg09HirGAydSYO5fjKjCsbZzhDr3mNVcMm70sfPWnoKTE6HbGHb9pGk8MfSHs9OWKa1VRm1iqfQyTYehPLwYYWoecTz0zTjPF1qurSjpLMXKP8CDps-D0ivao9E3z35jjTpDBPfOvFP_n9B=w400-h255" width="400" /></a></div>Camp Followers<br /><br /></div><p></p><p>Accompanying them was a contingent of camp followers made up of provisioners and a sizeable number of women who provided services such as cooking, cleaning and repairing clothing, and, most importantly, caring for the sick and wounded. So women accompanying the army were a norm in 18th-century warfare. However, a high-born and refined noblewoman rarely followed the gun. But the beautiful Fredericka's blue eyes, dark hair, and graceful manner quickly won the hearts of the officers and men who met her.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Blitzkrieg</h4><p>Not quite a blitzkrieg, but by early July 1777, the invading forces quickly traversed Lake Champlain and took the mightiest bastion in North America, Fort Ticonderoga. The army soon moved south, pursuing the fleeing rebels to Fort Edward and Fort George. Could the fall of Albany be far off? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO-GkyEuGDSbTl2FDtkDG1_Sdp-pDCeXpEp3K44IKBxhGprgwDllVgff5Ce1QfEBAfjf5vwQ-_tBcZ8fRuadC2C44RGBzfKA-a8GhWIqxyaJYArfI71b6DQJ_6_XHiRukMQSGffoL9A8ohvqciI8525cBkpHPbVERgzhj2BrD7QTFRiMcLKVhhRGP/s720/Ticonderoga%20from%20lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO-GkyEuGDSbTl2FDtkDG1_Sdp-pDCeXpEp3K44IKBxhGprgwDllVgff5Ce1QfEBAfjf5vwQ-_tBcZ8fRuadC2C44RGBzfKA-a8GhWIqxyaJYArfI71b6DQJ_6_XHiRukMQSGffoL9A8ohvqciI8525cBkpHPbVERgzhj2BrD7QTFRiMcLKVhhRGP/w400-h300/Ticonderoga%20from%20lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Ticonderoga</div><p><br /></p><p>Fredericka and her children (plus servants) made their way through the verdant wilderness to join her husband at Fort George. The primeval beauty of the land was impressive, but soon, the savagery of warfare overwhelmed them.</p><p>The extensive 200-mile supply line resulted in supply shortages just as the army seemed to be closing in on its objective. So General Burgoyne dispatched von Riedesel and his German troops to foray through the New York forests and fields to requisition livestock, foodstuffs, and wagons. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlh0RpwoFVb0StIbfDZq795w7ldp7wW7eijnVT9pA9DfyaCuA_6L5PQ6iEeSmkdzjZWoDqGRoxSqs2dhXWUseuroHC1QtFNzbM8XZBC9LPIlaerWHyqV1LzCU_DWz1Roi2aH-EeC-afoi7x7QuBp4Ua_rMfVevBM6ukQuq2FawvqkDByxTci0h-KjO/s1213/Map%20Champlain%20Basin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlh0RpwoFVb0StIbfDZq795w7ldp7wW7eijnVT9pA9DfyaCuA_6L5PQ6iEeSmkdzjZWoDqGRoxSqs2dhXWUseuroHC1QtFNzbM8XZBC9LPIlaerWHyqV1LzCU_DWz1Roi2aH-EeC-afoi7x7QuBp4Ua_rMfVevBM6ukQuq2FawvqkDByxTci0h-KjO/s320/Map%20Champlain%20Basin.png" width="317" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Distance stressed British supply</div><p>Von Riedesel objected due to the uncertainties and distances involved. But he complied, informing his wife it was too dangerous for her to accompany him. She refused to stay behind and insisted on joining his column, which suffered defeat at the hands of John Stark and the New Hampshire militia at Bennington.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Witness to Calamity</h4><p>Despite the worsening supply situation, Burgoyne pressed south, and his army fought two battles against the Americans at Freeman's Farm in September and Bemis Heights in October. By now, the army was almost half its initial size, but morale remained high. The Americans had rallied large contingents of militia to reinforce the continental regiments under the new commander, General Horatio Gates. Both battles were bloody affairs. Fredericka tended to the wounded in both clashes. She even came under fire at Bemis Heights from the American artillery that ranged in on the house that served as a makeshift hospital. Gathering her girls, they took shelter in the cellar while cannon balls peppered the building. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Gy2mBkciuZYkcn2PtkjVj4oFIaXnR_bdSwx2fE2dF49GWWoo4qUx9nx49PgvUO8XlvdwF2s9A0AbEvcqhjjhQH3R0Won0t_eMgzxL91o2FPI6PIiuOO4v4pbLifFUYVAX1x_F7n34Ww-RRRRB6OAImLlhwcmtU3NIxlQ8ZwAsmWr00jS3zceHSU1/s302/BAttle%20Bemis%20Heights.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="302" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Gy2mBkciuZYkcn2PtkjVj4oFIaXnR_bdSwx2fE2dF49GWWoo4qUx9nx49PgvUO8XlvdwF2s9A0AbEvcqhjjhQH3R0Won0t_eMgzxL91o2FPI6PIiuOO4v4pbLifFUYVAX1x_F7n34Ww-RRRRB6OAImLlhwcmtU3NIxlQ8ZwAsmWr00jS3zceHSU1/w400-h221/BAttle%20Bemis%20Heights.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bemis Heights</div><p><br /></p><p>Bemis Heights was costly in many ways, but perhaps the most significant loss was the death of British General Simon Fraser, who fell to a sniper at the height of the battle. The gentlemanly Fraser and Fredericka had formed a close bond. The day after, she attended his funeral, a most somber event. The British withdrew to Saratoga, but growing numbers of rebels cut their supply lines, and Burgoyne was forced to sue for terms. In this case, "a convention" rather than an admission of surrender. But this euphemism could not erase the reality of more than 4,000 regulars falling to the rebels.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh91KXqiVF5aVx72e78ONyDTTLf0CJVKt_ouAJscxQ1qCJeCo6e18uhM5_lKToB_6m-o1jW3ShN-A_PcGrCwdPkiutyEx-MLWkr9XDFnv3sHzL2xtzlFvU8a0X4GrF6wZzyF7WTA8UYaWPGEiWQz0iDzk4TK487dFDHW5WPyuXn8TbUbh32Vsnrl-uL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="960" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh91KXqiVF5aVx72e78ONyDTTLf0CJVKt_ouAJscxQ1qCJeCo6e18uhM5_lKToB_6m-o1jW3ShN-A_PcGrCwdPkiutyEx-MLWkr9XDFnv3sHzL2xtzlFvU8a0X4GrF6wZzyF7WTA8UYaWPGEiWQz0iDzk4TK487dFDHW5WPyuXn8TbUbh32Vsnrl-uL=w400-h309" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Death of Simon Fraser</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saratoga Surrender</h4><p>In many ways, what should have been the end of Fredericka's American adventure was just the beginning. On 17 October 1777, after witnessing the anguish of her husband and the entire army ground arms and standards before the watchful eyes of the Americans, our Baroness joined her husband and the rest of "The Convention Army" in captivity. Most of the officers were eventually repatriated to Britain most of the army wound up marching south for an extended period of imprisonment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtA2g0zi0gb-qC7qUJi6bsy_jJ4EfsWlhVigXlcTQiIog0dZUCKjIJGiW5YGY2R9DvUPImvaDfXWWbBh3bf_WtUpdhaB7mBIdDgkto1iE9hgp94G2ywkL3g_LwhXyLRpYSkfkS2u7yiNn_BFd_eBD0e6ZOxH4KJwVD3vH_IOMG_bdaqwnS-1uRfez8/s719/Saratoga%20surrender%20troops%20march%20by.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="719" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtA2g0zi0gb-qC7qUJi6bsy_jJ4EfsWlhVigXlcTQiIog0dZUCKjIJGiW5YGY2R9DvUPImvaDfXWWbBh3bf_WtUpdhaB7mBIdDgkto1iE9hgp94G2ywkL3g_LwhXyLRpYSkfkS2u7yiNn_BFd_eBD0e6ZOxH4KJwVD3vH_IOMG_bdaqwnS-1uRfez8/w400-h300/Saratoga%20surrender%20troops%20march%20by.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Surrender at Saratoga</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">American Sojourn</h4><p>General Phillip Schuyler, former commander of the Northern Department and wealthy and influential politician, invited her and her daughters to his Albany estate. Following this visit, she traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where most prisoners initially stayed. As a senior officer, her husband and his family were treated as guests and joined in the active social life around Boston.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpRTCQponluGcGdBAvzqIkD5aGuv5_bRqk332ZwUjdI3WIR7Weh90m-lEHg-ZEPcoi-Yi8-Q8c9_p87mMxbj9oMwh6Z_2ZF85IMMCh02kRTrekNazYcOrQvzxUNZrydCsc8Jb3vhOwyXE26pLdDgnINdovCBe-b16lBekdnJtCxu8QyDkYV-jp8Gc/s396/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="307" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpRTCQponluGcGdBAvzqIkD5aGuv5_bRqk332ZwUjdI3WIR7Weh90m-lEHg-ZEPcoi-Yi8-Q8c9_p87mMxbj9oMwh6Z_2ZF85IMMCh02kRTrekNazYcOrQvzxUNZrydCsc8Jb3vhOwyXE26pLdDgnINdovCBe-b16lBekdnJtCxu8QyDkYV-jp8Gc/w310-h400/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Phillip Schuyler</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Old Dominion</h4><p>In late 1778 Frederika, her husband, and the girls were provided a carriage and escorted south along with many other prisoners. The Americans ordered this because of food shortages and the danger of the prisoners trying to escape to the British garrison at Newport, Rhode Island. The family suffered from hunger along the way and a perilous journey through the brutal winter's snow, ice, and mud. The locals did not treat them well. Frederika handled these hardships with grace and a positive attitude. Her husband, the general, not so much.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTGkLej_y3LmeTEVWGLU6ezXlg4qRIfUpqZqMgR7QjIMxhQ9C_LacZ7xDAeq9Wt7WTmb8EtyEsLvLmPHZKH4Ge-eM2mxbUBb6Z2F7N7-774HjHXUTI67MBfiniG7eUiCvUon7aiPWYOP2UHgD5C4Qpo_EU4_ZpvwECFEGghKd30hkeAf5BHmdY0_x/s600/Jefferson%20with%20bouffant%20wig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTGkLej_y3LmeTEVWGLU6ezXlg4qRIfUpqZqMgR7QjIMxhQ9C_LacZ7xDAeq9Wt7WTmb8EtyEsLvLmPHZKH4Ge-eM2mxbUBb6Z2F7N7-774HjHXUTI67MBfiniG7eUiCvUon7aiPWYOP2UHgD5C4Qpo_EU4_ZpvwECFEGghKd30hkeAf5BHmdY0_x/w400-h229/Jefferson%20with%20bouffant%20wig.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Governor Thomas Jefferson</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>The long and tortuous journey south ended in the Virginia piedmont town of Charlottesville in January 1779. Life improved in the Old Dominion. The family settled on a nearby estate, living a happy plantation lifestyle. Her husband took up gardening, and she took to the piano. They were introduced to the planter social scene and were guests of Thomas Jefferson, now Governor of Virginia.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New York State of Mind</h4><p>Later that year, the von Riedesels were directed to travel north. Her husband would be paroled, pending his official exchange for captured (at Charleston) American General Benjamin Lincoln. Once there, life changed. New York was British, and the Loyalist population treated them well. They initially stayed at Governor Tryon's residence. Fredericka met (and charmed) numerous notables of the British garrison, including General Cornwallis, General Patterson, and the commander-in-chief, General Henry Clinton. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLZvXu0UMSM5M5CAA_3uZyKpq9yi8uWgvLShl2r1ajirweMsG8GZJ9rS81aL1cJ4wnkcHljyJO6tY8PPFrdjVyKjq1u5sggZ3xChR5NCDd77pgaXYnfp9WvIs34vPI4GNLG5Onqy7Yvwx_DNEVPVXYTNflRd08RBXtSqygZgpsFAYWsRk6AWT7KGf/s242/Clinton%20Sir%20Henry%20posing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="242" data-original-width="242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLZvXu0UMSM5M5CAA_3uZyKpq9yi8uWgvLShl2r1ajirweMsG8GZJ9rS81aL1cJ4wnkcHljyJO6tY8PPFrdjVyKjq1u5sggZ3xChR5NCDd77pgaXYnfp9WvIs34vPI4GNLG5Onqy7Yvwx_DNEVPVXYTNflRd08RBXtSqygZgpsFAYWsRk6AWT7KGf/w400-h400/Clinton%20Sir%20Henry%20posing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Henry Clinton</div><p><br /></p><p>Her husband later obtained a comfortable home with elegant furnishings, and they became immersed in the society of occupied New York. They spent summers at General Clinton's country estate, and he often visited them, on one occasion in the company of notorious spymaster Major John Andre.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzIzgq6Sux52jppr9gmW-KED2csXCEi_qe5XNu8LOfT-mq4pE95LlTsrfYx2YS5xlUrmp7WqGbGgVtHBXdTzBPbVv7SY20016LXp1m-JR4AuGzzFBCJEuo6hlvT7zuuFUjtxAS5ARBkoJ-cwf8VYvLi54ww7jHhU9-4LzLqqpr8KPbDn4Wu9ZVZ6P/s599/Andre%20John%20passport%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdzIzgq6Sux52jppr9gmW-KED2csXCEi_qe5XNu8LOfT-mq4pE95LlTsrfYx2YS5xlUrmp7WqGbGgVtHBXdTzBPbVv7SY20016LXp1m-JR4AuGzzFBCJEuo6hlvT7zuuFUjtxAS5ARBkoJ-cwf8VYvLi54ww7jHhU9-4LzLqqpr8KPbDn4Wu9ZVZ6P/w334-h400/Andre%20John%20passport%20photo.jpg" width="334" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major John Andre</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>A smallpox outbreak caused the entire family to undergo the primitive vaccination process of the day. When the exchange became official and his parole ended, General von Riedesel received command of the British garrison on Long Island. The family accompanied him there, and Frederika gave birth to another girl whom she aptly named Amerika.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">O Canada</h4><p>In September 1781, the family left New York for Canada, where several of the general's German regiments remained. He was getting over a second bout of the fever. Life in Canada proved pleasant as the level of fighting reduced drastically after Yorktown. By 1783, British troops and their expensive auxiliaries were slowly departing for home or to defend other parts of the empire. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzTs0OxVtKzgYnVJ9EC7gAT64nmk6eHL7oKT4yCOodUusQarfxwnHb3oOqymam63b1p7RHUtChr9KFSDOFIysCZCzBsnlgJynQovDhzqe0OzTykUSZOWMTJnO07fr7oFGr6D7CxoskBrsc2Z2H92Bn27D3XiOdfLDWFrQEZpOZh9u9_Onv0K38xfbA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="220" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzTs0OxVtKzgYnVJ9EC7gAT64nmk6eHL7oKT4yCOodUusQarfxwnHb3oOqymam63b1p7RHUtChr9KFSDOFIysCZCzBsnlgJynQovDhzqe0OzTykUSZOWMTJnO07fr7oFGr6D7CxoskBrsc2Z2H92Bn27D3XiOdfLDWFrQEZpOZh9u9_Onv0K38xfbA=w400-h244" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Canadian interlude</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Royal Audience</h4><p>The von Riedesels sailed after the last Germans departed but stopped in England, where King George and his queen received the ever-popular Fredericka and her husband. She regaled Queen Charlotte and the royal princesses with tales of her adventures in the wonderous and anguished New World. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9muTGiRFOLhB5jM5wspOxntFUNcp3DjX_4kCuJ4Z_YFMmMlxwLkMdXBSpyGyR24qiXeuRIv3bhA4jFfZGg_AcWmPEVczVzh2UPbdZUo1d9DgbuTQ0O4th8tqGuMYYEzlsUO_5VXwWRRL7Lu96n4Q-DZEAtEb0aGTRq7bmCGIOOoP5SBwumvmfdCSK" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="349" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9muTGiRFOLhB5jM5wspOxntFUNcp3DjX_4kCuJ4Z_YFMmMlxwLkMdXBSpyGyR24qiXeuRIv3bhA4jFfZGg_AcWmPEVczVzh2UPbdZUo1d9DgbuTQ0O4th8tqGuMYYEzlsUO_5VXwWRRL7Lu96n4Q-DZEAtEb0aGTRq7bmCGIOOoP5SBwumvmfdCSK=w322-h400" width="322" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">In der Heimat</h4><p>The return to Germany proved bittersweet. Fredericka rejoiced to see her husband reunited with his old command, and the locals welcomed them to the Heimatland (Homeland). But she had memories of suffering that made an impression that would not fade. Too many promising young men had suffered hardship and were maimed, wounded, or buried in a faraway land.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilsgXQyhuglEQCeSvBnKv4SxqPAfLgTlkt2GlMgAQEZlD0BXhjRiZJ1fRoFPZxSHyHCcqMXVdnuGb2Kr9rU1Gaw6HVIsKU3C2P2fKaf6sAlekHYgiX_Am99c63nZjhDcABlbr6LtG0XdqjIDsx7dwoijVxjs_urVuYSVyvsdpal46Eu8_0HzfnGwhD" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="134" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilsgXQyhuglEQCeSvBnKv4SxqPAfLgTlkt2GlMgAQEZlD0BXhjRiZJ1fRoFPZxSHyHCcqMXVdnuGb2Kr9rU1Gaw6HVIsKU3C2P2fKaf6sAlekHYgiX_Am99c63nZjhDcABlbr6LtG0XdqjIDsx7dwoijVxjs_urVuYSVyvsdpal46Eu8_0HzfnGwhD=w335-h400" width="335" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Friederich von Riedesel</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Retirement and Remembrance</h4><p>The von Riedesels then returned to Brunswick, where von Riedesel commanded the Brunswick troops. After six years, they retired to Lauterbach castle. After the death of her husband in 1800, Frederika spent most of her time in Berlin, where she founded a home for military orphans. She also built a house for the poor in Brunswick. Frederika passed away on 29 March 1808. But she had captured her incredible life of adventure in her memoirs. Compiled from her letters and diary, they provided a unique view of the war in the New World – a woman's perspective. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitamqiiDazWNBPYjHg44d-tk4vPxWNvV4WSQmYRPFsaGC1Qpo9m7mxYEJAdcdACxnLf1sdORAkzR3p6_MoehMDQnGeMlhQyWIMfrZqfFo5DhLxDDGxBYNR3NSlUnsGL38g0kLQ9maunZJK4yC-8TWdtxz6hP6X0u9nbyMceGY909xwI9LHMpDi5feW" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitamqiiDazWNBPYjHg44d-tk4vPxWNvV4WSQmYRPFsaGC1Qpo9m7mxYEJAdcdACxnLf1sdORAkzR3p6_MoehMDQnGeMlhQyWIMfrZqfFo5DhLxDDGxBYNR3NSlUnsGL38g0kLQ9maunZJK4yC-8TWdtxz6hP6X0u9nbyMceGY909xwI9LHMpDi5feW=w315-h400" width="315" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Baroness in later years</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-25238208496171491142022-11-28T04:52:00.000-08:002022-11-28T04:52:43.416-08:00The North Spy<p> The past several Yankee Doodle Spies posts have profiled the people, places, and things featured in my forthcoming novel, <i>The North Spy</i>. This installment breaks from those themes to give readers more background and set the scene for the upcoming action.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgzezdu6XW4kR6976I3_nVLLpQesrNSGJx2KnV6rkaOX6EHFFginZxDvMIdaPzr7ezvw3XwA2JuamCyVYZKt42xbqz54shVLXZOPWDKzJC6CK_EVym3bzfjMW4lIt1rQFTFbniT11AGOx0sVDj6ggh9qUKuaG9qGKYU4iVK3ErO5Q7uyiVUIaIqv_/s2702/North%20Spy%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="1724" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgzezdu6XW4kR6976I3_nVLLpQesrNSGJx2KnV6rkaOX6EHFFginZxDvMIdaPzr7ezvw3XwA2JuamCyVYZKt42xbqz54shVLXZOPWDKzJC6CK_EVym3bzfjMW4lIt1rQFTFbniT11AGOx0sVDj6ggh9qUKuaG9qGKYU4iVK3ErO5Q7uyiVUIaIqv_/w255-h400/North%20Spy%20Cover.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">General Washington's Dilemma</h4><p>As the winter's snows of 1777 turn to spring's flowering, General George Washington faces a dilemma. He knows the British Army, coiled up in winter quarters, will strike like a snake at the first opportunity to take the American capital, Philadelphia. But where and how? Rumors abound: Back across the Jerseys by land? Up the Delaware River by sea? Or maybe some combination? But another option proves the most problematic: a movement north to link with a British Army forming in Canada.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWWqwSdAYI0AJim9SreVdZOy89enucagGozw4T_ydybCMOj4Uaj5cH0ZxHfB-29dBkuJ62G3Ki-XO3yP1qzVI_GII3-EuNZdD_H9fW2sQBJUBVb3LNKGFC6NPBUpvhj90GFvJyRn_3DqeDfOM853wdITS_3NuZRVvt3XXuBIlO3tmP5PX4KKRyuNA/s960/Washington%20posing%20with%20sword.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="713" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRWWqwSdAYI0AJim9SreVdZOy89enucagGozw4T_ydybCMOj4Uaj5cH0ZxHfB-29dBkuJ62G3Ki-XO3yP1qzVI_GII3-EuNZdD_H9fW2sQBJUBVb3LNKGFC6NPBUpvhj90GFvJyRn_3DqeDfOM853wdITS_3NuZRVvt3XXuBIlO3tmP5PX4KKRyuNA/w298-h400/Washington%20posing%20with%20sword.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General George Washington</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Diverse Approaches</h4><p>General Washington did not know that the British armies in New York and Canada would soon be working at cross purposes. Washington has the Yankee Doodle Spies, in the form of Major Benjamin Tallmadge's troop of the 2nd Continental Line Dragoons, patrolling, scouting, and spying in the hope of discerning what the British commander in New York, Major General Sir William Howe, has in mind. Despite the soundness of Major General John Burgoyne's "three-pronged" plan to join with Howe at Albany and cut the colonies in two, Howe vacillates.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPiJBbrZswONhceZkFDjX40puUk4fRHZuyfgsCsR7k-mjuNs3CPVuOzcJrrpnKjaqv16rlwgozPWBml1hGhWRex8G-YGhWx3_5TyMu5Lhzh8R1TLJJCNKUkXsXlV-ou9RUsALn44Z4lSjsK9YY2NGl2PX9qcWYxwcdw5qaw4GB0SMclH5VA6L2H_r/s882/Howe%20William%20MG%20Sir.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPiJBbrZswONhceZkFDjX40puUk4fRHZuyfgsCsR7k-mjuNs3CPVuOzcJrrpnKjaqv16rlwgozPWBml1hGhWRex8G-YGhWx3_5TyMu5Lhzh8R1TLJJCNKUkXsXlV-ou9RUsALn44Z4lSjsK9YY2NGl2PX9qcWYxwcdw5qaw4GB0SMclH5VA6L2H_r/w290-h400/Howe%20William%20MG%20Sir.jpeg" width="290" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General William Howe</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Northern Storm Clouds, Southern Squalls</h4><p>The competent but often plodding Howe is under much fire for not taking the rebel capital in 1776 and is determined to finish the job and thrash Washington. As Burgoyne musters his forces, numbering over 8,000 men south of Montreal, for a move across Lake Champlain and down the North (Hudson) River, he is unaware that Howe has set his eyes south. Howe does order his second in command to remain in New York City with a few thousand men and help Burgoyne if feasible. We will see how that works.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_pjSg366MdnprfuLhsgAmsHq6yPSbSJO_jM2ocJuaLO87EpXunMTBwkh8CifsB7PWsL9BWT4tyyFXAh9nCZhaork8u6KM3YeFCxpwQfiGvKQJ8zOb-9SceVhwGan620TOWzD1rPnhwST_lAapTRyLKbYE5bbMx00iYPuslfbFKNfTYCwGmCpXniR/s582/Burgoyne,%20General%20John.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_pjSg366MdnprfuLhsgAmsHq6yPSbSJO_jM2ocJuaLO87EpXunMTBwkh8CifsB7PWsL9BWT4tyyFXAh9nCZhaork8u6KM3YeFCxpwQfiGvKQJ8zOb-9SceVhwGan620TOWzD1rPnhwST_lAapTRyLKbYE5bbMx00iYPuslfbFKNfTYCwGmCpXniR/s320/Burgoyne,%20General%20John.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General John Burgoyne</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Hopeless Mission</h4><p>Enter Lieutenant Jeremiah Creed, who Washington sends on a daunting if the not hopeless, mission to penetrate Burgoyne's Army, ostensibly to report back on its strength and objectives. Washington's "Intelligence Advisor" and senior intelligence officer, Colonel Robert Fitzgerald, provides Creed with secret orders that will put him in contact with an agent in Canada. Now all Creed has to do is figure out a plan to get there, find the agent and work his way into the British Army!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34BNiY9Nu-Mkeu6VLD_GVSlRttgs0aRH8PawF3WoRvUtht2IF4biA7xCnVlD5P1FOGHep0iK2-iYKRDzIpzyo20O5EoWhxI6l3st-HtiI8DCwAlNb7GjElbfpdk2Yx2vWFftLxiYWadwJE_7YX3lcVtcbCQEVZxh9VM-lmb4U1IJj31MKy5tMqCMr/s300/Map%20Canada%20Province_of_Quebec_1774.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="300" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34BNiY9Nu-Mkeu6VLD_GVSlRttgs0aRH8PawF3WoRvUtht2IF4biA7xCnVlD5P1FOGHep0iK2-iYKRDzIpzyo20O5EoWhxI6l3st-HtiI8DCwAlNb7GjElbfpdk2Yx2vWFftLxiYWadwJE_7YX3lcVtcbCQEVZxh9VM-lmb4U1IJj31MKy5tMqCMr/w400-h355/Map%20Canada%20Province_of_Quebec_1774.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jeremiah Creed must cover a vast wilderness for his mission</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">To the North</h4><p>Along the way, Creed will meet old friends and encounter new enemies. He will face ruthless Canadian backwoodsmen, fierce Iroquois (Mohawk) warriors, and an army of British regulars and German auxiliaries itching to bring the war to the Americans by any means necessary. Creed must use deception and guile at each phase of his journey. Creed also faces a crisis of conscience as he must deceive and manipulate people in a way he never has.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKXOwXlZCHkS7N2Nv0rhK5gkaOV144Tr24Thpx45hE7p2FmyE6B0bOZ1Xc704s3eF2YEjxNSY52A5VGKwvHs9p8USxF54WwSU07SVhRZy9PlCEUM4a0Se95BWPHG7im63c-O50cvZmJeSzzzeDdjFB9LIfHt7tMlb7KYoKritbmRtAlM_-7ejmA5j/s274/Iroqouis%20braves%20attacking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="274" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXKXOwXlZCHkS7N2Nv0rhK5gkaOV144Tr24Thpx45hE7p2FmyE6B0bOZ1Xc704s3eF2YEjxNSY52A5VGKwvHs9p8USxF54WwSU07SVhRZy9PlCEUM4a0Se95BWPHG7im63c-O50cvZmJeSzzzeDdjFB9LIfHt7tMlb7KYoKritbmRtAlM_-7ejmA5j/w400-h269/Iroqouis%20braves%20attacking.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Creed must face Iroquois warriors</div><p><br /></p><p>This is a story of tradecraft and daring as much as action – and there is enough action to fill Lake Champlain with blood!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">TurningPoint</h4><p>Americans rally to the Cause as the new commander of the Northern Department, General Horatio Gates, takes command. The armies collide in a series of battles, and Jeremiah Creed is in the mix. The Saratoga campaign is arguably the most important of the American Revolutionary War and its turning point. <i>The North Spy</i> provides my take on it, closely following the actions of British and American commanders and soldiers who collide in deep forests, shimmering lakes, and coursing rivers of the great north. Spoiler alert: Burgoyne's army surrendered to the American rebels at Saratoga in October 1777, bringing France openly into the fight.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCngzPhg_xB6YbTA9SWK4hUoL2ARX_UA7TUKm1gqYfzwyY0IdeXGztWnbP1Ky692Yr_gW_BUCTQC0Es-6auWzPmQKKs0Pl0RTACNXCA_UoK9F0YQt2ESgQaxEAEEBO33S1HW1zx9L_s6KrOMea_EExnT9RT_-TX9rA2OkvI_OypKV36df50XhBiUDd/s1600/Saratoga%20Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCngzPhg_xB6YbTA9SWK4hUoL2ARX_UA7TUKm1gqYfzwyY0IdeXGztWnbP1Ky692Yr_gW_BUCTQC0Es-6auWzPmQKKs0Pl0RTACNXCA_UoK9F0YQt2ESgQaxEAEEBO33S1HW1zx9L_s6KrOMea_EExnT9RT_-TX9rA2OkvI_OypKV36df50XhBiUDd/s320/Saratoga%20Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Saratoga surrender: the Turning Point</div><p><br /></p><p><i>The North Spy</i> is due for release in December 2022 by Legatum Books. Available at Amazon.com</p><div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-27530965630299059012022-10-30T14:21:00.000-07:002022-10-30T14:21:17.646-07:00 Patriot Scoundrel Part 2<p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Patriot Schemer</h4><p>Resignation from the Continental Army did not mean James Wilkinson's military career had ended. Like many of that era and throughout American history, Wilkinson dealt with failure and frustration by going west. In some ways, his resignation was the beginning of a new military career.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Go West, Young Man</h4><p>After trading his Continental commission for a state commission, Wilkinson became a brigadier general in the Pennsylvania militia in 1782. The following year, he became a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly. But the canny Wilkinson realized the real potential of developing the new nation's western lands and, in 1784, moved to the Kentucky territory, which was still part of Virginia. Wilkinson immediately got involved in local politics and began advocating for the territory's three counties to separate from the Old Dominion.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLapljYs5nGqdkMFM28rja81cY4BID92x2f4Zj6EKDpykx4NsFTMASrDDBP5qFod8__E4v1MlSbfdTrqITgWHKAOuAOSlwAgqiI_45bTE_2Q-BZGogI6XNrkICZN-4rMBwhF1-tOOfz21-1J4rWe-rYQGiFmSig7_JT45HcXdHJKkiZray1vv7yoJ/s272/Map%20Virginia%20original%20claims.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="272" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLapljYs5nGqdkMFM28rja81cY4BID92x2f4Zj6EKDpykx4NsFTMASrDDBP5qFod8__E4v1MlSbfdTrqITgWHKAOuAOSlwAgqiI_45bTE_2Q-BZGogI6XNrkICZN-4rMBwhF1-tOOfz21-1J4rWe-rYQGiFmSig7_JT45HcXdHJKkiZray1vv7yoJ/w400-h274/Map%20Virginia%20original%20claims.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kentucky was claimed by Virginia</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Wilkinson's first foray into international affairs occurred a few years later. In April 1787, he traveled to New Orleans, the largest city and capital of the Spanish colony of Louisiana, and met with the Governor, Esteban Rodríguez Miró. The issue was one of the major concerns of Americans living west of the Appalachian Mountains – the hefty tariffs imposed for transiting goods down the Mississippis River. At the time, transporting goods east was economically prohibitive, slow, and physically challenging. This forced the settlers in Kentucky and other western territories to look west, a notion that would draw Wilkinson himself into the embrace of the new lands. The governor agreed to allow Kentucky to have a trading monopoly on the River. How Wilkinson convinced the governor is the genesis of the real controversy that swirled around James Wilkinson. How did this militia general and backwoods envoy of a primitive territory of gringos pull it off? </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Agent 13</h4><p>Wilkinson saw the potential of the west linked to the Spanish, who controlled the continent's interior and the lower Mississippi River. It seems Wilkinson engaged in a quid pro quo with the Spanish, offering to represent their interests with the American settlers in the west. In August that year, he swore an affidavit of intent to become a Spanish citizen and swore allegiance to the "Most Catholic King of Spain." Before departing New Orleans for Charleston, SC, he wrote a sort of manifesto in code and cipher, explaining to the Spanish his ideas on "the political future of western settlers" and urging the admission of the western settlers (Kentuckians) as subjects of Spain.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaONVcX0S5h0RcrSApjQnFPVrPL5V10PyaH2BaA_lL-VffOBj_a3dwOnnkoZITV-1sKwmYpfeT0kfqy9miCfMkqMNC2IDtX4gXCPWs3AgRHXANyLBbOY_IH4PQv1gVf1xwRej_dl86M5EqYqZqUSkWHx3iaNuwHm73hy9AKX9YCmLJfM6yp3pz6rwg/s285/Miro%20Governor%20-Esteban_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Mir%C3%B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaONVcX0S5h0RcrSApjQnFPVrPL5V10PyaH2BaA_lL-VffOBj_a3dwOnnkoZITV-1sKwmYpfeT0kfqy9miCfMkqMNC2IDtX4gXCPWs3AgRHXANyLBbOY_IH4PQv1gVf1xwRej_dl86M5EqYqZqUSkWHx3iaNuwHm73hy9AKX9YCmLJfM6yp3pz6rwg/w309-h400/Miro%20Governor%20-Esteban_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Mir%C3%B3.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Governor Esteban Rodriquez Miro</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Kentucky Failure</h4><p>When he returned to Kentucky in early 1788, Agent 13 began a covert campaign to move the sticks in the direction of Spain. He strenuously opposed the proposed US Constitution, the adoption of which would have led to statehood. At a Kentucky convention on the Constitution in November, he schmoozed and charmed many members and got himself named a committee chairman. The canny Wilkinson knew many westerners made joining the Union conditional upon the Union engaging Spain on Mississippi navigation rights. And there was a widespread belief the "easterners" would not go to bat for the over-mountain settlers. Fortunately, Wilkinson's proposal to link separation from Virginia to separation from the United States and a treaty with Spain failed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii84DcAkZmSUXU7KXwdaepCCfo2Tr-sak1O_KPhs50yRzAi7ee-OyKcatvrVUb2nR9QIZlNawb-o4PFjVHhoHrb3tE9-7zZ9Lx13qtmKfawmm6RtS-0IMyzO9fOtnB_Jz9L0Q2HJM44iTwdZ4ifZ2xsy3k51HYk4EaIzqYElrPO30ssH8JIBC2Q-si/s768/Constitution%20Parchment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="768" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii84DcAkZmSUXU7KXwdaepCCfo2Tr-sak1O_KPhs50yRzAi7ee-OyKcatvrVUb2nR9QIZlNawb-o4PFjVHhoHrb3tE9-7zZ9Lx13qtmKfawmm6RtS-0IMyzO9fOtnB_Jz9L0Q2HJM44iTwdZ4ifZ2xsy3k51HYk4EaIzqYElrPO30ssH8JIBC2Q-si/w400-h250/Constitution%20Parchment.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wilkinson cynically used the Constitutional debate </div><div style="text-align: center;">to promote his scheme</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Desperate Gambit</h4><p>Wilkinson pivoted from this failure with a new proposal to his Spanish masters. He requested a large tract of land along the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers (today's Vicksburg), a $7,000 pension for himself, and pensions for several prominent Kentuckians. But Madrid did not want complications with the new nation and ordered Miro to break off contact with Agent 13 regarding Kentucky and prohibited any pensions. But, perhaps hedging their bets, Wilkinson continued to receive secret funds.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdf6hGwvnIQttdILWiiNO-01L755LHcfOkszM6vYLTeFqRKAuEATdxDwh-9zyolTaER17Z1AuDAZQ3yz4cCz4Ljn6BYmDivHp7Cle_1uGFdxuYCY6cYKaJXobVryOoI2t9wTx3sIC4xGtBzkaXrpa9gmOjAwQDZ759P1k0dbQ1il7fDOleuQWZGqVn/s413/Map%20lower%20mississippi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="413" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdf6hGwvnIQttdILWiiNO-01L755LHcfOkszM6vYLTeFqRKAuEATdxDwh-9zyolTaER17Z1AuDAZQ3yz4cCz4Ljn6BYmDivHp7Cle_1uGFdxuYCY6cYKaJXobVryOoI2t9wTx3sIC4xGtBzkaXrpa9gmOjAwQDZ759P1k0dbQ1il7fDOleuQWZGqVn/s320/Map%20lower%20mississippi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Wilkinson sought thousands of acres near today's Vicksburg</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">When the Bugle Calls</h4><p>North of Kentucky, the Ohio Territory was in flames as the American settlers clashed with the native tribes in a series of savage Indian wars. In 1791, Brigadier General Wilkinson of the Kentucky Militia returned to the new US Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He rose to the rank of brigadier general. At the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, Wilkinson commanded the right wing of Major General Anthony Wayne's newly formed American Legion. The resounding victory broke the back of the Indian tribes and eventually forced the British to abandon their forts on America's northwest frontier. Within two years, Agent 13 was the senior officer in the US Army, but in 1798, Wilkinson was dispatched to the south. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQokV77BcBJcYo7ejCnKh1JnHMZvTUHAog3hZNIsrzDYK3oDm-HegKjqn5fX1QAhA4hzSCPZZNBYsaOUVOUNvVVfdUOyWMczSKGoHpMMr3ZazMsdCiWrcMgmJCjVcslOKRK6jSzs9Qe6rUKgH7jeYachvajw4Kl6jFv5bH4cvRyadSJRQQ3e0feXwW/s599/FAllen%20Timbers%20MA%20Wayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="434" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQokV77BcBJcYo7ejCnKh1JnHMZvTUHAog3hZNIsrzDYK3oDm-HegKjqn5fX1QAhA4hzSCPZZNBYsaOUVOUNvVVfdUOyWMczSKGoHpMMr3ZazMsdCiWrcMgmJCjVcslOKRK6jSzs9Qe6rUKgH7jeYachvajw4Kl6jFv5bH4cvRyadSJRQQ3e0feXwW/w290-h400/FAllen%20Timbers%20MA%20Wayne.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Serving with Mad Anthony Wayne </div><div style="text-align: center;">at Fallen Timbers</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Louisiana Days</h4><p>By June 1800, he was again the Army's senior general and, in effect, commander in chief. How such a man could gain those heights is an interesting question. Regardless, he commanded during a critical period in the nation's past – the French Pseudo War, Barbary Pirates, and tensions with Britain. And ironically, the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon Bonaparte (Spain had ceded the vast trans-Mississippi region to France) took him back to Louisiana, where he eventually became governor of the vast territory he once conspired with Spain over. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6v_-nwikKidXgAp5HrJz0fffsYUQrTWBs1W7Hwok74FeDlvpbojGk2jm-28TnFMOoaGXR2_2CSoCCtX8yvfxYA_W4P4OxfptTeNnZRHFU0MhQ-FMIyV_yfh_Ebq5GxwA_fdzigPPFyMlU_0L5xL6f_5BtByqzEmBeL7MxOjbVkhrhi5bFZSa0APQ/s1600/Map%20Louisiana%20Purchase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="953" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6v_-nwikKidXgAp5HrJz0fffsYUQrTWBs1W7Hwok74FeDlvpbojGk2jm-28TnFMOoaGXR2_2CSoCCtX8yvfxYA_W4P4OxfptTeNnZRHFU0MhQ-FMIyV_yfh_Ebq5GxwA_fdzigPPFyMlU_0L5xL6f_5BtByqzEmBeL7MxOjbVkhrhi5bFZSa0APQ/w400-h239/Map%20Louisiana%20Purchase.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Louisiana Purchase made America </div><div><div style="text-align: center;">a continental power</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Now dual-hatted as governor of the Louisiana Territory and commanding officer of the Army, Wilkinson got involved with Aaron Burr. Burr, the disgraced former Vice President and murderer of Alexander Hamilton, had made his way to New Orleans with a vague scheme to seize Mexico from moribund Spain, which was under Napoleon's heel. They hoped to make the territory an independent nation, perhaps with Burr as its President. Wilkinson went so far as to send Zebulon M. Pike to scout the Southwest in preparation for a military venture.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmPWw_w0OhcT9Oyq5J8qTdFoTCFbvAsH7cCl4fWK1P13mDkoPL0Elc1M9mrubKuYw-IhtMaRvQPs0Hi__KOuMLJg0VRu3ptDVh6_aqFrf1rtOej2E1w2szSbVXiJKogelRnE88jivo8MLigYjVqrWoV5RMbm8KWZM4epmMdYNx5vj7n_1KT4t3vou/s298/aaronburr-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="224" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmPWw_w0OhcT9Oyq5J8qTdFoTCFbvAsH7cCl4fWK1P13mDkoPL0Elc1M9mrubKuYw-IhtMaRvQPs0Hi__KOuMLJg0VRu3ptDVh6_aqFrf1rtOej2E1w2szSbVXiJKogelRnE88jivo8MLigYjVqrWoV5RMbm8KWZM4epmMdYNx5vj7n_1KT4t3vou/w301-h400/aaronburr-sm.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Aaron Burr</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Foiled Plot & A Double Cross</h4><p>But the British government, which secretly backed Burr's plan, withdrew its support. Now nervous of a failed attempt that would backfire on him, Wilkinson sent a dispatch to President Thomas Jefferson accusing Burr of treason. Burr went on the run but was arrested in Alabama on 19 February 1807 for treason and sent to Richmond, Virginia, for trial. Meanwhile, Wilkinson cut a deal with the Spanish to keep the border with Texas (part of Mexico) neutral while declaring martial law in New Orleans. The audit trail of events is murky, and the details are unprovable, with one side betraying the other (Wilkinson seemingly double-crossing everyone). Burr was acquitted at a treason trial presided over by Chief Justice John Marshall in Richmond, Virginia. The Burr trial did set the legal precedent for future treason trials.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFVX1y7Zb5oA6akS6S86yOPg_DwmyuNduVwQRAGJjTigx20ZCpsfchiEBvqxg82HknXkTi-9sXSCaeb6KqxZs9FaBLo4xhmTOjSKWtrhN-K8SYPV0flXrY8mecdI4O5uaFG04pUQeb21kV_Pxhd5fLHX2C06tkm8f2g6jbdDQrqrkkyhrpEIQF3dc/s273/Marshal%20John%20Chief%20Justice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFVX1y7Zb5oA6akS6S86yOPg_DwmyuNduVwQRAGJjTigx20ZCpsfchiEBvqxg82HknXkTi-9sXSCaeb6KqxZs9FaBLo4xhmTOjSKWtrhN-K8SYPV0flXrY8mecdI4O5uaFG04pUQeb21kV_Pxhd5fLHX2C06tkm8f2g6jbdDQrqrkkyhrpEIQF3dc/w322-h400/Marshal%20John%20Chief%20Justice.jpg" width="322" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chief Justice John Marshall</div><p><br /></p><p>In 1810, Wilkinson took a second wife, Celestine Laveau. Governor Wilkinson got caught up in several other scandals and faced another court-martial in 1811 but was acquitted.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">War with Britain, Again</h4><p>In 1812, the long-simmering tensions with Great Britain broke into open warfare. In the fall of 1813, newly promoted Major General James Wilkinson took command of the American Northern Army and planned an invasion of Canada. Wilkinson launched a campaign to capture the British naval base at Kingston, sail up the St. Lawrence River, and attack Montreal. This provided a chance for Wilkinson to prove his mettle on the field of battle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzmoQSkR_TNP6zpcyw7QmXtp5LDeLk0cCjtpFtC7pkYTjpfT01rkUGT28CNpHUqJ99mMJaojy-ybGvQLiKkYfTThA8GyG7gXR16z9FPff74mtvK1_3FTpvpIsZ83gXLfwuG1cb-KRdCWc3RWXzrUTjC7ocZwH8_dq7QQ4U0WonaVQ_I4JvXPpUaFj/s625/Battle%20Chrysler's%20Farm%20war%201812.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="625" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzmoQSkR_TNP6zpcyw7QmXtp5LDeLk0cCjtpFtC7pkYTjpfT01rkUGT28CNpHUqJ99mMJaojy-ybGvQLiKkYfTThA8GyG7gXR16z9FPff74mtvK1_3FTpvpIsZ83gXLfwuG1cb-KRdCWc3RWXzrUTjC7ocZwH8_dq7QQ4U0WonaVQ_I4JvXPpUaFj/w400-h217/Battle%20Chrysler's%20Farm%20war%201812.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Chrysler's Farm ended Wilkinson's military career</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Poor coordination and even poorer weather hampered his two-pronged movement, and soon Wilkinson's main column was on its own. Several engagements pushed the Americans back, and a final battle occurred at Chrysler's Farm. The British-Canadian forces soundly beat the Americans in a five-hour fight under snowy conditions. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Final Court Martial</h4><p>Wilkinson's invasion had left his base vulnerable to attack. As a result, British and Canadian forces captured Fort George and Fort Niagara in December. His final campaign was over. He faced a court martial for his actions – this time convicted. The patriot scoundrel's conviction finally brought his long and sketchy military career to a dishonorable end.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9nR0OT5Bh8BBOsA_qXVv989dnr3lvGfSDJl-F048tuVtUJeZhwBukoFkoPzr0a_MO9gkPSwsUOy4xru4lHn61jfMIF-aEn1GbLH5OhriXkQOs2OKjRczqJ9U-TPsGTIa0Oj8VXw21YAnTisfk20ppG_m-WPOr3nz-8X20B80lNdOIr_LVWWFRovv/s1251/Wilkinson%20James%20later%20portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9nR0OT5Bh8BBOsA_qXVv989dnr3lvGfSDJl-F048tuVtUJeZhwBukoFkoPzr0a_MO9gkPSwsUOy4xru4lHn61jfMIF-aEn1GbLH5OhriXkQOs2OKjRczqJ9U-TPsGTIa0Oj8VXw21YAnTisfk20ppG_m-WPOr3nz-8X20B80lNdOIr_LVWWFRovv/w328-h400/Wilkinson%20James%20later%20portrait.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Wilkinson's career ended</div><div style="text-align: center;">with a final court-martial </div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Last Post and Scheme</h4><p>But resilient as ever, Wilkinson wrangled an appointment as America's Envoy to Mexico during the struggle for Independence against Spain. When Mexico won in 1821, Wilkinson leveraged his position to request a land grant in Texas. It was a long wait for the new Mexican government's approval, and the 68-year-old Wilkinson died in Mexico City on 28 December 1825 and was buried there in a vault under Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel - the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxup-_pKf4RuO2Z7hc1qfo3LPCRY9fL77uP7ymxibV_xBnr-xe2STaCc-pGWsTCoeQYYYq7ftSumYm4LcPnp54GfVAQgtUWou9tRGXEydizF230iXPl2DTmnukRQbyUHP3nVV2AwzqUD4TUOqkL1nShcHfBOCMigdH9wsaXakvnoN54ghrAVORlMlf" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="600" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxup-_pKf4RuO2Z7hc1qfo3LPCRY9fL77uP7ymxibV_xBnr-xe2STaCc-pGWsTCoeQYYYq7ftSumYm4LcPnp54GfVAQgtUWou9tRGXEydizF230iXPl2DTmnukRQbyUHP3nVV2AwzqUD4TUOqkL1nShcHfBOCMigdH9wsaXakvnoN54ghrAVORlMlf=w640-h347" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The American scoundrel ended his life in a foreign capital</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Agent 13's Legacy</h4><p>During his life, many suspected the murky Wilkinson connection to the Spanish. But nothing could be proven. When surveying Missippi's boundary, American cartographer Andrew Ellicot reported his suspicions to President Thomas Jefferson but was rebuffed. One wonders whether Wilkinson was an American double agent, or perhaps the Americans thought he was their double agent. Regardless, James Wilkinson was a proven schemer, mover, and shaker who managed to put himself at the center or, better still, in the shadows of some of the most dramatic touch points in America's early years.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI3J9fN3iQwuXX4mB-uKzd_WEvo2rIlxo0ik_vN3vMxi5ccFhTijHUQM-HQSt9USWZz7A8wTCAK9x9xZ_UYwJ_cY0SRXM0seWleMEvL874hZTMIUDUpdPGFmw1VKeZdxxYnMe6AwkHK764VGpNvFNdToTcdkfWLDIJTYh_QRM2_I4Fd8kiG81x5j_t" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="680" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjI3J9fN3iQwuXX4mB-uKzd_WEvo2rIlxo0ik_vN3vMxi5ccFhTijHUQM-HQSt9USWZz7A8wTCAK9x9xZ_UYwJ_cY0SRXM0seWleMEvL874hZTMIUDUpdPGFmw1VKeZdxxYnMe6AwkHK764VGpNvFNdToTcdkfWLDIJTYh_QRM2_I4Fd8kiG81x5j_t=w400-h245" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">An agent's tools of the trade: the cipher wheel</div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-33177071173448000612022-09-25T09:15:00.003-07:002022-09-25T09:15:50.118-07:00Patriot Scoundrel<h4 style="text-align: left;">An Early American Enigma</h4><p>As I continue to profile characters in or mentioned in my upcoming novel, <i>The North Spy</i>, there is one in a cameo role who seemed to be at the periphery of interesting events–– not always in a good way. And that is an understatement. James Wilkinson is one of those enigmatic characters who managed to place himself where he could do the most good for–– himself! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ6dwMWuatZV8LNJibjvCgIdbm9Wl3QrVIXuU5mM2Rb-RBN8sbPrSxxgAD1xmaf8m_uBOItM3ET5bnzV54wXcsJ6hQkUpZulFx_W9uhcrS6tmLwMTGiM2kdzkSJlK9ho-Ex1T7--MypEbxfsN-Eb7Z5-4CPR5g7z8KFYLRFAkKoBnaWIS4kVldmAH0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="1087" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ6dwMWuatZV8LNJibjvCgIdbm9Wl3QrVIXuU5mM2Rb-RBN8sbPrSxxgAD1xmaf8m_uBOItM3ET5bnzV54wXcsJ6hQkUpZulFx_W9uhcrS6tmLwMTGiM2kdzkSJlK9ho-Ex1T7--MypEbxfsN-Eb7Z5-4CPR5g7z8KFYLRFAkKoBnaWIS4kVldmAH0=w318-h400" width="318" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">James Wilkinson</div><br /><p></p><p>Various historians and writers use James Wilkinson's own writings, and his account of things, while first-hand, is not unbiased. Wilkinson appears in <i>The Cavalier Spy</i> and <i>The North Spy</i>, and I do not portray him very favorably. He becomes a bit of a foil for my protagonist, Jeremiah Creed, and adds a certain ambiguity to things. This will be part 1 of a 2-part treatment of Wilkinson.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Chesapeake Roots</h4><p>Maryland was the birthplace of James Wilkinson, whose family were mid-level landholders in Calvert County. He was born to Joseph and Althea Wilkinson in Charles County on 24 March 1757. He spent time on the family estate, Stoakely Man, which his father inherited from his grandfather, but by the time James was seven, debt caused his father to lose the estate, which was auctioned off in lots. A small parcel was retained, but James's older brother Joseph inherited it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimcKNm6iy724KyWYx4xpenjC6uvde_KN4W8XL0eocUe9NAM29TKwUR-VTN9RFGB9AOHYgeNd3HGXsu4D9BSY-WuazWGbLH1FxX0J8tODsacCi89Zm6tnU0YQDs6zqMRjEYwQAxdAR045E1FtC_RuOoQ5AIN3UFOGds_QYh6eKn6u7mY29HJhVho5sN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="646" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimcKNm6iy724KyWYx4xpenjC6uvde_KN4W8XL0eocUe9NAM29TKwUR-VTN9RFGB9AOHYgeNd3HGXsu4D9BSY-WuazWGbLH1FxX0J8tODsacCi89Zm6tnU0YQDs6zqMRjEYwQAxdAR045E1FtC_RuOoQ5AIN3UFOGds_QYh6eKn6u7mY29HJhVho5sN=w400-h272" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wilkinson hailed from Maryland's Western Shore</div><br /><p></p><p>A landless second son often had few prospects, but fortunately, his grandmother had enough money and connection to ensure a decent education: first tutoring in his early years and later the study of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This would have given him a boost in his career, but politics and the struggle with Britain got in the way of his path to becoming a surgeon.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Revolutionary Youth</h4><p>James Wilkinson was just eighteen when the "Shot Heard Round the World" changed everything and put him on a pathway to potential military glory. He began his service in 1775 with Thompson's Rifle Battalion, where he was promoted to captain that September. The battalion, formed from "Associator" companies, marched to Massachusetts and joined the newly formed army assembling around Boston.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2cuI0GHb7cMG5S4bSStIYfIk2ay71mG1Y5gKgTFZKn_Pis-Kr5wzu7SFuIuYhzCVZFwGd-08jsOMgC0XwM2wRmKc8LkqyxwCPuegL-fMmidFTtzEBBTIY4qqf7AIu1gyxRmEPXoZDznJuKn3aetxS2zgKnVjIhgddZ3LAJ_Dd3CKIjxydN_Aq_R7z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="431" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2cuI0GHb7cMG5S4bSStIYfIk2ay71mG1Y5gKgTFZKn_Pis-Kr5wzu7SFuIuYhzCVZFwGd-08jsOMgC0XwM2wRmKc8LkqyxwCPuegL-fMmidFTtzEBBTIY4qqf7AIu1gyxRmEPXoZDznJuKn3aetxS2zgKnVjIhgddZ3LAJ_Dd3CKIjxydN_Aq_R7z=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pennsylvania Infantry</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New England Triumph</h4><p>But Wilkinson, who we'll see was quick to spy opportunity, soon got himself seconded to General Nathanael Greene as an aide–– a role he would often play to his advantage. By his account, he helped lay in the batteries on Dorchester Heights, an act that sent the British packing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCk081xKGzPSHefHn3yU5vSInpQVOn3BcfWGEhmYbisdkY9R7LAOwSQTZrHPZIJdVITjrMZXfLvZ1BiKAow2vaHUDc2r49LKiJhfGzRC1gMWxfDGG62_JjOzOElsbdiilvIXXPGLQ5ED7N_WOt4J-l3U0F9aRkV7BrNICn5sM2gZei-3J65oQciSQ8/s560/dorchester-heights%20WAshington%20scans%20British%20lines.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCk081xKGzPSHefHn3yU5vSInpQVOn3BcfWGEhmYbisdkY9R7LAOwSQTZrHPZIJdVITjrMZXfLvZ1BiKAow2vaHUDc2r49LKiJhfGzRC1gMWxfDGG62_JjOzOElsbdiilvIXXPGLQ5ED7N_WOt4J-l3U0F9aRkV7BrNICn5sM2gZei-3J65oQciSQ8/w400-h225/dorchester-heights%20WAshington%20scans%20British%20lines.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dorchester Heights</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">New York Debacle</h4><p>He marched with the Continental Army as it scurried south to defend New York in spring 1776. This time as a company commander in Thompson's battalion, on 1 July 1776, The First Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line would play a role in the brutal fighting on Long Island in August.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYEOZ36e0uTkCLLV3G8pShTHPixDLoxxHihA8UdlZ5jNRgHniywTDskr6XRyZI5ANlP6Izlwnk-C1ri0QvL8T_7RYjuLHZb4hwhTixIHPszqL-Xd04Unrj_ci-c0JMwOUvQRct9lL5wYzWYZnTh6a3mHmj_iINZR7DekskH0hSEuhUdGOE9nEYqTV/s526/Long%20Island%20retreat%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="526" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYEOZ36e0uTkCLLV3G8pShTHPixDLoxxHihA8UdlZ5jNRgHniywTDskr6XRyZI5ANlP6Izlwnk-C1ri0QvL8T_7RYjuLHZb4hwhTixIHPszqL-Xd04Unrj_ci-c0JMwOUvQRct9lL5wYzWYZnTh6a3mHmj_iINZR7DekskH0hSEuhUdGOE9nEYqTV/s320/Long%20Island%20retreat%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Retreat from Long Island</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Canada Collapse</h4><p>The campaign to wrest Canada from the British was going badly. While General Washington and Howe danced their armies around New York and across the Jerseys, another front was raging in hot combat but in a much colder climate. Wilkinson went north with reinforcement for Benedict Arnold, who assumed command when the expedition's commander, General Richard Montgomery, was mortally wounded in the assault of Quebec that December. Wilkinson got himself appointed as an aide to Arnold, but the arrival of a relief army under General John Burgoyne sent the Americans into a retreat back to New York.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyT-AlWAKLl7_NoLtxuAEbobkeR4XOPHWpwyfW1MapIl2ihCA1NiWRVD28dUjUq52vgy3dVtW42nsHrFMe-3GMk1auoYvENyeffcCGQb7iIJkUnGkQcGwpiMfhkOSyH9GWBBYVp96ceg0J5KFcR9KlkCz8vx82LXwbme1640gjSQbI9vg-CWJeL10/s400/Canada%20Invasion.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="400" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyT-AlWAKLl7_NoLtxuAEbobkeR4XOPHWpwyfW1MapIl2ihCA1NiWRVD28dUjUq52vgy3dVtW42nsHrFMe-3GMk1auoYvENyeffcCGQb7iIJkUnGkQcGwpiMfhkOSyH9GWBBYVp96ceg0J5KFcR9KlkCz8vx82LXwbme1640gjSQbI9vg-CWJeL10/s320/Canada%20Invasion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Basking Ridge Mystery</h4><p>Arnold would soon fight the invading British to a standstill, but by then, the now Major Wilkinson had gotten himself reassigned as an aide to General Charles Lee, second in command of the Continental Army, during Lee's controversial (he lagged) march from the Hudson Highlands to join Washington outside Philadelphia in December 1776. On a cold, snowy morning, Wilkinson was with Lee, who had left his division and ridden to Widow White's Tavern in Basking Ridge, when British dragoons attacked him under Banastre Tarleton. Lee was captured, but Wilkinson escaped. His account of this is self-serving to him and denigrates Lee. My account in <i>The Cavalier Spy</i> tries to even things up a bit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixht0ZDNIi9DIDKk1jUAUxaDjOi1N_biCUvlcNf3fjhGirgkOxZcanihokzB4m4hB2y7vhU4aqS_S9NmbqA6ReXq0SMsd0FBiw8F_DrvpXDrMvC4j5qaPnnr0Ac0FnQKiA0dmDxyzekgD_m_aeDdcb22oLvWpMSL5GMKxZIb4qCf3v28q18Xhp0_U4/s600/Lee%20Charles%20captured.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="600" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixht0ZDNIi9DIDKk1jUAUxaDjOi1N_biCUvlcNf3fjhGirgkOxZcanihokzB4m4hB2y7vhU4aqS_S9NmbqA6ReXq0SMsd0FBiw8F_DrvpXDrMvC4j5qaPnnr0Ac0FnQKiA0dmDxyzekgD_m_aeDdcb22oLvWpMSL5GMKxZIb4qCf3v28q18Xhp0_U4/w400-h348/Lee%20Charles%20captured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wilkinson escaped Lee's fate at Widow White's</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saratoga Surrender</h4><p>By the summer of 1777, Wilkinson was a Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Adjutant to the new commander of the Northern Department, Major General Horatio Gates. He played an active staff role in the dramatic battles and the British Army's surrender. In my novel, <i>The North Spy</i>, he appears competent but manipulative in his interactions with Horatio Gates, Benedict Arnold, Dan Morgan, and my fictional protagonist, Jeremiah Creed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGTpuokN__4LGfqSspw0G_pGoeJSLD0fyiZY4gBhDgKLu8T5LmnV3-rlMnd3DZN5LRtEW8K66r_IL6V8Do08OhhP5xYY5LdYZn9-cKRJUPSYqsmB9CB6VJUnCcdNwTO0JNhUgW0GdtMzEoDDpPQZKxTiwhQ64TTRNsMfDu9tOqkYaMUhnlVFpaLUg/s1600/Saratoga%20Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGTpuokN__4LGfqSspw0G_pGoeJSLD0fyiZY4gBhDgKLu8T5LmnV3-rlMnd3DZN5LRtEW8K66r_IL6V8Do08OhhP5xYY5LdYZn9-cKRJUPSYqsmB9CB6VJUnCcdNwTO0JNhUgW0GdtMzEoDDpPQZKxTiwhQ64TTRNsMfDu9tOqkYaMUhnlVFpaLUg/w400-h265/Saratoga%20Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Career Summit</h4><p>Wilkinson burst onto the national scene when Gates selected him to ride to Congress with news of the Saratoga victory–– a direct affront to General George Washington and a precursor to upcoming political machinations such as the "Conway Cabal." Wilkinson tarried in his delivery to settle personal matters and, of course, embellished his role. He did this so well that Congress brevetted the twenty-year-old lieutenant colonel a brigadier general even though he had not commanded more than a company of troops. This promotion, and suspicions of his and Gates's connections to the Conway Cabal, caused many officers to turn against him. In fairness, this was a typical reaction among the Continental Army's higher ranks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiywUsMOTYLywNm8pwZzQIrlxXaSctOuXbOmzVuWQSwo0RBVz1M6jE_sM7Ohn4STzwOq2QUvhuw4ieLxPaO1jKi9c1nauXDUsELc9lCCPg4XfHmDZFLFU5l2VqLdy7sVv0vNnaLmVJCDm_9_y1vEeNFpt6W587vTlBYOFj3ZQUYv7I8dVLMjUUMbtf/s1280/Continental%20Congress%20color.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiywUsMOTYLywNm8pwZzQIrlxXaSctOuXbOmzVuWQSwo0RBVz1M6jE_sM7Ohn4STzwOq2QUvhuw4ieLxPaO1jKi9c1nauXDUsELc9lCCPg4XfHmDZFLFU5l2VqLdy7sVv0vNnaLmVJCDm_9_y1vEeNFpt6W587vTlBYOFj3ZQUYv7I8dVLMjUUMbtf/w400-h300/Continental%20Congress%20color.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wilkinson's news to Congress bypassed Washington</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Brevet Brigadier</h4><p>With promotion in November 1777 came a new job–– a seat on the Board of War. Various political intrigues and accusations led to him leaving the prestigious Board, which was charged with overseeing the conduct of the war in the spring of 1778. A year later, Congress found another administrative post for him–– Clothier General of the Army. Clearly, his reputation as a politician, lack of previous command experience, and getting cross with the commander-in-chief precluded a field command. But things did not go well, and he resigned from the position in the spring of 1781.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKytri7mZVAthDQLXWgnf47Cr5K730fU13Kv1znAAHG46xLDqki-Uy3vhcCEFfxtmMKwDvNPdKL-bkrOqVME0cLU1UoqOr0OF5vm1yJbAM7rm5pyKzVCaRLCDeTZF7E8YQJKp6VS4b0KZ-zO6z49su-R8P0zHJKBuoK96hzn16U-K09aP4SWYKV6E/s1498/ContinentalArmy_LeffertsWatercolor.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1010" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKytri7mZVAthDQLXWgnf47Cr5K730fU13Kv1znAAHG46xLDqki-Uy3vhcCEFfxtmMKwDvNPdKL-bkrOqVME0cLU1UoqOr0OF5vm1yJbAM7rm5pyKzVCaRLCDeTZF7E8YQJKp6VS4b0KZ-zO6z49su-R8P0zHJKBuoK96hzn16U-K09aP4SWYKV6E/w270-h400/ContinentalArmy_LeffertsWatercolor.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wilkinson was an unlikely clothier</div><div style="text-align: center;"> for the Continental Army</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Family Affair</h4><p>Before we wrap up Wilkinson's Continental Army career, we'll examine his personal life. While stationed around Philadelphia, the newly-breveted general married Ann Biddle. The couple wed on 12 November 1778. Anne was from one of the most prominent families in Philadelphia. Her first cousin was Charles Biddle, who served as a merchant mariner (privateer), a light infantry officer, and a naval officer during the war. Biddle later became highly prominent in Pennsylvania politics and was closely connected to Aaron Burr. These connections would play out in Wilkinson's future in surprising ways as our story shifts to the frontier.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7x8gq3MzhEMox9eAZ2OEXf_BqG_9uRbxrIaoT-LhFfulg3LviQxdDunVmS4xOXE2Rg1EHZVAPJqtVmOFIxwEBA70DhLI5ymwn3sYojhSKrxqcUScMOM-nzs-q7nyBHiGAASr4US_iHJsVXBAeEdY3AqkKtZ5pcOU4HlyzmuI7--QeDB9YyiX6F-G0/s1031/Biddle%20charles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7x8gq3MzhEMox9eAZ2OEXf_BqG_9uRbxrIaoT-LhFfulg3LviQxdDunVmS4xOXE2Rg1EHZVAPJqtVmOFIxwEBA70DhLI5ymwn3sYojhSKrxqcUScMOM-nzs-q7nyBHiGAASr4US_iHJsVXBAeEdY3AqkKtZ5pcOU4HlyzmuI7--QeDB9YyiX6F-G0/s320/Biddle%20charles.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Connection to Biddle would have</div><div style="text-align: center;"> second-order effects</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-15173385440356059172022-08-27T06:43:00.001-07:002022-09-03T05:36:38.912-07:00The Saint<h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><div style="text-align: left;">Not the infamous TV Simon Templar portrayed by Roger Moore but a son of County Kildare, a professional British officer and a critical player in the Saratoga Campaign. In fact, Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger’s thrust from the west was the third prong of the triple pincer against Albany in a grand plan to defeat the Americans once and for all. Often portrayed as an afterthought, St. Leger's role was a unique part of a strategy aimed at overwhelming the rebels in New York.</div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCCLHULptuO3v7jim1rKBLAmObi0ro4lD96G78GLit2Z8pH6UaZoU3zJd7sb1qLvx8dG8J3mSiHKevGBLs7evRxejNTUtgglziEBbv8Abz02l1sePoDSXBUBZk2n9njkgt3zZM85ApZ_EnNJywYPPK9duhS_OOFffJrxXDaBAv0P44secdap_GrFuc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="236" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCCLHULptuO3v7jim1rKBLAmObi0ro4lD96G78GLit2Z8pH6UaZoU3zJd7sb1qLvx8dG8J3mSiHKevGBLs7evRxejNTUtgglziEBbv8Abz02l1sePoDSXBUBZk2n9njkgt3zZM85ApZ_EnNJywYPPK9duhS_OOFffJrxXDaBAv0P44secdap_GrFuc" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Roger Moore as Simon Templar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Born in the Land of Saints and Scholars</h4><p>Barrimore Matthew St. Leger was born May 1737 in County Kildare, Ireland, a nephew of the Fourth Viscount Doneraille. This is actually his baptism date, as the Irish tradition was to record those more scrupulously than births in an era when infant mortality was widespread. Barry’s father, Sir John St. Leger, was a leading Irish judge. His brother, Anthony St Leger, variously served in Parliament and the military, achieving the rank of major general.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnwFkpmBHi0jK4MkWb3s4kXdrOke5nBdq4cIOA2fJpsVshEHIyYB2UrLxEfhdsrOtLhEUe2b0KB8t9S3v2U52llTBC0dwT1p8Yk_cv6J0Z83txQOOQBUoes20CG6dvpjOx0RYsENcsLl_iPQdP5YX0uI-NwtDl7VSVF0F3mX5WQOdS2zZ0WgKaW55-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnwFkpmBHi0jK4MkWb3s4kXdrOke5nBdq4cIOA2fJpsVshEHIyYB2UrLxEfhdsrOtLhEUe2b0KB8t9S3v2U52llTBC0dwT1p8Yk_cv6J0Z83txQOOQBUoes20CG6dvpjOx0RYsENcsLl_iPQdP5YX0uI-NwtDl7VSVF0F3mX5WQOdS2zZ0WgKaW55-=w313-h400" width="313" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Anthony St. Leger</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saint to Scholar to Soldier</h4><p>The high-born St. Leger attended the prestigious halls of Eton and Cambridge before signing on as an ensign with the 28th Regiment in April 1756. His regiment immediately sailed to North America and the French and Indian War. St. Leger served with some distinction under British General James Abercromby. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjN0d1teaIUoddV8tDNK96P9YnsT1_YBquQPXPhvHez88kp9vmXXOja_-fW2jZZ8Ms3aRmrHIIn97eGJ_Y8tJ6gBSpcrL5cK0cGhBbC8lfvEGM9MYxBNhX9VJqhdLhXWfHkL-jCblZGWYAaX3rSp4q0R3GhskVGZfCF35CgtKqQV61JEhErgUawN5Ye" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="286" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjN0d1teaIUoddV8tDNK96P9YnsT1_YBquQPXPhvHez88kp9vmXXOja_-fW2jZZ8Ms3aRmrHIIn97eGJ_Y8tJ6gBSpcrL5cK0cGhBbC8lfvEGM9MYxBNhX9VJqhdLhXWfHkL-jCblZGWYAaX3rSp4q0R3GhskVGZfCF35CgtKqQV61JEhErgUawN5Ye=w327-h400" width="327" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">James Abercromby</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>By 1758, the young Irishman was a captain of the 48th Regiment and took part in General Jeffery Amherst’s Siege of Louisbourg. St. Leger was appointed brigade major (a staff position, not a rank) during General James Murray’s advance upon Montreal in 1760, and in September 1762, St. Leger was promoted to the rank of major in the 95th Regiment. The French and Indian War had been good to the Viscount’s nephew. The Revolutionary War would prove a mixed bag. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzcFmvJx2ggL9BE9jvMS9vWzo531Vu-NJ5J-RRA_BYxv-WFaRAmWuqgsbvNOVogZvzV-AMLXSboBLxwErWUcsqPxuLzvTgsFugAyMd9XT_8KS1W9zZQxzdI2fODcHWYGw8j167hV3N9DlwCILGqoEharyR_JRDqUpFKCJ5mvbw6-5ZGolPAK630hy/s258/Amherst,%20Jeffery.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYzcFmvJx2ggL9BE9jvMS9vWzo531Vu-NJ5J-RRA_BYxv-WFaRAmWuqgsbvNOVogZvzV-AMLXSboBLxwErWUcsqPxuLzvTgsFugAyMd9XT_8KS1W9zZQxzdI2fODcHWYGw8j167hV3N9DlwCILGqoEharyR_JRDqUpFKCJ5mvbw6-5ZGolPAK630hy/w341-h400/Amherst,%20Jeffery.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jeffery Amherst</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Defending Canada</h4><p>When resistance broke out into rebellion and war in 1775, St. Leger was serving as lieutenant colonel of the 34th Regiment. Barry arrived in Canada in the spring of 1776. He and his regiment helped Governor-General Guy Carleton drive out the invading American forces throughout the summer and fall of that year. St. Leger and the 34th recaptured Fort Ticonderoga during the drive south but withdrew when Carleton decided to end the campaign and return north into winter quarters. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnj-9ttiWxGvMFLrrDo3ScXbA-P08POSZAOmmaecOq9CQnBf4iUA-zMtn9MZWnxj6ppddt0Uh0ps4xnF_XD0rprl9cpKegZtHR2YOnSpWlL0d6b54nlQ2ji87LH6Z0gkPOV1oLanIPrpWssT1cop0rimZJzaYPQ-2Ms3JyDQvFMmehY-H2X5MuGmLo/s1057/Carleton,%20General%20Guy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="903" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnj-9ttiWxGvMFLrrDo3ScXbA-P08POSZAOmmaecOq9CQnBf4iUA-zMtn9MZWnxj6ppddt0Uh0ps4xnF_XD0rprl9cpKegZtHR2YOnSpWlL0d6b54nlQ2ji87LH6Z0gkPOV1oLanIPrpWssT1cop0rimZJzaYPQ-2Ms3JyDQvFMmehY-H2X5MuGmLo/w341-h400/Carleton,%20General%20Guy.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Guy Carleton</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Grand Strategy</h4><p>The irrepressible General John Burgoyne arrived from England in early 1777 with reinforcements from Lord Germain, the Minister for Colonies. “Gentleman Johnny” also brought along his bold strategy of a three-pronged move for capturing Albany, New York. His goal was to sever stiff-necked New England from the other colonies. What would happen after that was unclear.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWowHsoci7G-DzVk1BTIHou-5o0OZBVbZm00JaRDxcPQ5cq0XHHp47f9OXqQKVBX3VWHCgr2E2cvelR5t3QMCCzfXROJ4a-tiZQaCVja6cih47Gi9frQGNYxdTUAOjNTz8dooIg42Ra_R3oWiZcOc23xCXuWlGf8ibwNvIPj_mW_vgMG6jc_1CWTlM/s512/Map%20Saratoga%20campaign%201777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="512" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWowHsoci7G-DzVk1BTIHou-5o0OZBVbZm00JaRDxcPQ5cq0XHHp47f9OXqQKVBX3VWHCgr2E2cvelR5t3QMCCzfXROJ4a-tiZQaCVja6cih47Gi9frQGNYxdTUAOjNTz8dooIg42Ra_R3oWiZcOc23xCXuWlGf8ibwNvIPj_mW_vgMG6jc_1CWTlM/w400-h323/Map%20Saratoga%20campaign%201777.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Western Approach</h4><p>A little regarded but critical part of Burgoyne’s scheme was a supporting move along the Mohawk River to draw off rebel strength, punish rebel farmers, and join his main force near Albany. Burgoyne selected St. Leger to lead the western prong because of his experience and skill in fighting through the northern wilderness. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUtKQiS0R2uLy0fQ2MiQHXtQjSPfo3rt7UaXfpC-vWGIXeHVT4rCdZb8wKwHY46bXc08C7lioAsrqZeEaBos17Grs7GvFD5m9sAvqLOVjLgQtqc4624S2Bd08hqTurxxMeokO9IirZYmlm_e6bGHuJHZxiFrmw07WUYXlNEw1eEIzKREdj9zxLmP/s281/Burgoyne%20John%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtUtKQiS0R2uLy0fQ2MiQHXtQjSPfo3rt7UaXfpC-vWGIXeHVT4rCdZb8wKwHY46bXc08C7lioAsrqZeEaBos17Grs7GvFD5m9sAvqLOVjLgQtqc4624S2Bd08hqTurxxMeokO9IirZYmlm_e6bGHuJHZxiFrmw07WUYXlNEw1eEIzKREdj9zxLmP/w313-h400/Burgoyne%20John%20General.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Burgoyne</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Brevet Brigadier General</h4><p>On 23 June 1777, St. Leger’s mixed force of some 800 British regulars, Hessians, Loyalists, and Canadians departed Montreal. They comprised Loyalists under Colonel John Johnson and Major Walter Butler, plus some British and Hessians. St. Leger, now breveted a brigadier general for the campaign, wanted speed over firepower, so he decided to leave heavier artillery behind so as not to impede the wilderness march. He did take along a few light guns, but these would prove not up to the task.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA3O-bF-Zt8ygm1lxHSmxMmd9sevZ4sHqO4BI6biz3Qc4t11W2wqUkT2JT1D8IVX9y3--41WM7ebalTriHszEj81sh9B8opI3GFIfLcLh9w2u3bNsN4jS9PPy-Zfwjq5CLe8RvkHIV8xdYxCE-BowTVyVDzTT76MGt4c7UzfFqkusA0Jz5S3XRJMi/s360/Barry_St._Leger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA3O-bF-Zt8ygm1lxHSmxMmd9sevZ4sHqO4BI6biz3Qc4t11W2wqUkT2JT1D8IVX9y3--41WM7ebalTriHszEj81sh9B8opI3GFIfLcLh9w2u3bNsN4jS9PPy-Zfwjq5CLe8RvkHIV8xdYxCE-BowTVyVDzTT76MGt4c7UzfFqkusA0Jz5S3XRJMi/w245-h400/Barry_St._Leger.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Barry St. Leger</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Drums Along the Mohawk</h4><p>On 25 July, a flotilla of British ships and barges landed St. Leger’s force at Oswego, New York. They were soon joined by 800 native warriors led by Iroquois War Chief Joseph Brant and Seneca War Chief Cornplanter. </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf31buIfhpHmBsg1YaGw4IPyr3fCzx02W0a9YdB3h0d_6YKViQ_JGT2PynLY4kFNQAOvUSJ4f16gaYJ6dhIj-QvaY1DCFv32DT2funJUCckqemc51eZDtV664Xg_BfnfuV5FrT8tnb44B7gybv7fjaa9gpbQ23W0GBYihM_eFKuMdbNHjYyQTbDMod/s687/Brant%20Joseph%20with%20musket.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf31buIfhpHmBsg1YaGw4IPyr3fCzx02W0a9YdB3h0d_6YKViQ_JGT2PynLY4kFNQAOvUSJ4f16gaYJ6dhIj-QvaY1DCFv32DT2funJUCckqemc51eZDtV664Xg_BfnfuV5FrT8tnb44B7gybv7fjaa9gpbQ23W0GBYihM_eFKuMdbNHjYyQTbDMod/w306-h400/Brant%20Joseph%20with%20musket.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chief Joseph Brant</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>They swiftly marched up the Mohawk River valley according to Burgoyne’s plan, passing friendly Iroquois villages and undefended farmland. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_XJahZg24_ubvJojjMloZS_zH1aV6gUN7BVuZGPHGs3dHKOOzh9mYtNmq09pt-H0MrO27M8DppjRQuecONWUS25WMoaYrTSEBJnwkF8aOxNItlxMclo9F2gdvgEm2oItJ6erPourRaHY4vC3xBzphO501m8D8Q6TBcHjxSQbwCmz8n9zTgN87SbNL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="830" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_XJahZg24_ubvJojjMloZS_zH1aV6gUN7BVuZGPHGs3dHKOOzh9mYtNmq09pt-H0MrO27M8DppjRQuecONWUS25WMoaYrTSEBJnwkF8aOxNItlxMclo9F2gdvgEm2oItJ6erPourRaHY4vC3xBzphO501m8D8Q6TBcHjxSQbwCmz8n9zTgN87SbNL=w400-h190" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Iroquois village on the Mohawk River</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>But St. Leger soon arrived at his first obstacle – rebel-held Fort Stanwix (today’s Rome, NY), stoutly defending the upper valley from his forward advance. To St. Leger’s consternation – reports by Indian scouts and spies proved true. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZL3PUsb0GtwSJydNVSkp4CATtv8HVUX985q8Mzeke5-VtcyBJyWMv5HXNfdsocRqf6-fg2DV_exMP4aE2KD4L3s2yVWcx1P-0hl49QWl1dSEnEws9zQ4KqgktujUQ5HbMKkEO5fbnef0ok4o6KKZHi_KCq4Es4CBJvb6NwuuubqLVIfTZ8oYvkid/s950/Fort%20stanwix%20from%20the%20air%20whole%20fort.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="950" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZL3PUsb0GtwSJydNVSkp4CATtv8HVUX985q8Mzeke5-VtcyBJyWMv5HXNfdsocRqf6-fg2DV_exMP4aE2KD4L3s2yVWcx1P-0hl49QWl1dSEnEws9zQ4KqgktujUQ5HbMKkEO5fbnef0ok4o6KKZHi_KCq4Es4CBJvb6NwuuubqLVIfTZ8oYvkid/w400-h201/Fort%20stanwix%20from%20the%20air%20whole%20fort.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Stanwix</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>The Continental Army’s Northern Department commander, General Philip Schuyler, recently repaired the fortification and garrisoned it with 750men of the 3rd New York Regiment under Colonel Peter Gansevoort with Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willet as his deputy.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6U514VzkUmgy-DcJCiW1wTT_ejAqxJNp5ZF0JagTkIIo-1RshgwGpm_EH61qRAjXD6hDrdmGefo_eahTmeSUqn9_riudUop7vQX8abIJLGcBKwnG4FKRBNUDF1J1BbWOPELchtlTJ-CFj5CvD1Ydai-pv8aMrdmnu9xRxDeP_wE9qHf5XO-Gmbbrl" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="167" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6U514VzkUmgy-DcJCiW1wTT_ejAqxJNp5ZF0JagTkIIo-1RshgwGpm_EH61qRAjXD6hDrdmGefo_eahTmeSUqn9_riudUop7vQX8abIJLGcBKwnG4FKRBNUDF1J1BbWOPELchtlTJ-CFj5CvD1Ydai-pv8aMrdmnu9xRxDeP_wE9qHf5XO-Gmbbrl=w333-h400" width="333" /></a></div>Peter Gansevoort<br /><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fort Stanwix Besieged</h4><p>When St. Leger arrived outside Fort Stanwix, he sprang into action, conducting a “leader’s reconnaissance" of the post. He quickly realized he had underestimated the size and strength of the place. Lacking the heavy guns to pound the fort into submission, St. Leger ordered his Indian allies to encircle it in what was a very soft siege. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09pOQs1328CAznbyrsFPNN2crGcUw6XOmXWbHE2GB-poE0Jgx7oECRXzU_lUce47GO6SlaOYyNj_YIpXlp2bZKvsGVC9_12mHHClaV9REsSCLyLRSmayq9_9XwS0HUAnF-cbMxEhxnK6N_FHI8KxibNQnLemL8d818FdiFhk8BErMC47Fd5R8wuDN/s790/Indian%20scouts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09pOQs1328CAznbyrsFPNN2crGcUw6XOmXWbHE2GB-poE0Jgx7oECRXzU_lUce47GO6SlaOYyNj_YIpXlp2bZKvsGVC9_12mHHClaV9REsSCLyLRSmayq9_9XwS0HUAnF-cbMxEhxnK6N_FHI8KxibNQnLemL8d818FdiFhk8BErMC47Fd5R8wuDN/w266-h400/Indian%20scouts.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Iroquois Braves surround Fort Stanwix</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>He then tried to bluff the defenders into surrender by parading his entire force before them. Ironically, the many native warriors convinced the Americans they would be massacred if they surrendered. St. Leger’s surrender summons fell flat. Frustrated, he ordered a bombardment of the fort, but his small-caliber guns proved ineffective.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Oriskany Ambush</h4><p>Farther up the valley to the east, the Tryon County militia rallied when word of the British invasion reached them. A column of 800 men under Colonel Nicholas Herkimer marched out of Fort Dayton, intent on relieving Stanwix. But Molly Brant, sister of Chief Joseph Brant, alerted St. Leger of the new threat. He responded by throwing a force of Loyalists and Indians into the dense forest near the village of Oriskany, to the east. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvBBMJwSPEuKC4nsZvtiVZIXCRt5wtcsL51NefCMPql43I-4g-Jlp-aM8SMJ23Q42T16AUf4278sSKyxV_6lOUjr7qgqh5CUHKzAIL3cueExE6ksVLGk9qwgH2Hi6rLhDOmAeKTp3CbKl7c7nN2PrElKPlGyu3fhRvJPgVOtzP6rQ3-h84f-wbcTo2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvBBMJwSPEuKC4nsZvtiVZIXCRt5wtcsL51NefCMPql43I-4g-Jlp-aM8SMJ23Q42T16AUf4278sSKyxV_6lOUjr7qgqh5CUHKzAIL3cueExE6ksVLGk9qwgH2Hi6rLhDOmAeKTp3CbKl7c7nN2PrElKPlGyu3fhRvJPgVOtzP6rQ3-h84f-wbcTo2=w247-h400" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Molly Brant</div><br /><p></p><p>On 6 August, under a thick canopy of ancient woodland, they sprung a devastating ambush on the militia, which was halfway across a deep gulley. A terrific firefight ensued. Curtains of lead tore chunks of hardwood and scythed down brush and branches. Men fell on both sides, but with so many dead and wounded, including Herkimer, the Tryon County militia withdrew under cover of the dense gun smoke.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOk0Bi4qLbKL-EKFsayeCN6SE0RQTWDOwj7FB07etko1rexxWxfItQzyddpzGoDebcgdO5rU4BGBD1ZzL87TdyzESOS-X36t2jraddncoCrJ2pPDM0zBAIaicslQrkVdTYwx2RSzqWiY9J3XNDNTes67JULhW237SFQ-Ud_v_dl4E1yamES_Ft91Oy/s843/Oriskany%20fighting.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="843" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOk0Bi4qLbKL-EKFsayeCN6SE0RQTWDOwj7FB07etko1rexxWxfItQzyddpzGoDebcgdO5rU4BGBD1ZzL87TdyzESOS-X36t2jraddncoCrJ2pPDM0zBAIaicslQrkVdTYwx2RSzqWiY9J3XNDNTes67JULhW237SFQ-Ud_v_dl4E1yamES_Ft91Oy/w400-h248/Oriskany%20fighting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oriskany Ambush & Firefight</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Stubborn Resistance</h4><p>Back at Fort Stanwix, the Americans had a few tricks of their own. With the besiegers reduced to sending forces to Oriskany, Lieutenant Colonel Marinus Willet successfully sortied from the defense works and seized St. Leger’s camp, thoroughly plundering it. The loss of supplies disheartened the tribesmen, and they began abandoning St. Leger’s column.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M5sJKpAJEBc6IretagNBYZRrVE2ZEuJOXZq9GnjyqU4w0X5TWrSsZoHmi9pMp_JUAehXj7Se3exkhQUua7OjS9p9BQeNvF4S6QJqaZ3KHyP_Kk5cmEURpKHdHCusmx_pVzbTgpAz2QytVliodC0BZRao3r9VdvA76jtgwCbWVW7iG1rYAj6egrxv/s600/Willet%20Marinus%20color.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="367" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2M5sJKpAJEBc6IretagNBYZRrVE2ZEuJOXZq9GnjyqU4w0X5TWrSsZoHmi9pMp_JUAehXj7Se3exkhQUua7OjS9p9BQeNvF4S6QJqaZ3KHyP_Kk5cmEURpKHdHCusmx_pVzbTgpAz2QytVliodC0BZRao3r9VdvA76jtgwCbWVW7iG1rYAj6egrxv/w245-h400/Willet%20Marinus%20color.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Marinus Willet</div><p><br /></p><p>Desperate, St. Leger again threatened the defenders with massacre unless they capitulated. Gansevoort agreed to a truce but resolved to defend the post. He sent Willett to ride through British lines to Stillwater, report the situation to General Philip Schuyler, and request he send relief. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Arnold’s Deception</h4><p>And so, it was. General Benedict Arnold put together a force to drive the British from Stanwix. But Arnold was as cunning as he was brave and bold. He sent a deranged man named Hon Yost to “desert” the British. His rantings of a relief force “more numerous than the leaves on trees” panicked the remaining warriors, who fled west. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyxI-HHjDNwbZSWHA_Dpn_kB8PpkKz3zUVVrH9m_1HJFFUOPR760M-hdi_5-gdMiq0SxMofoiHPaWzFMyp72exozp8xHt8TODAHu0Wo0FEBdEA1T-v3bMfGJJh1fzOpMZgsrQXhn4RdB_LFS6PLpWO6B-H8cFs8XOGJO4vVOeyZ7RF2sDGvYU69nC/s519/Arnold%20Benedict%20BW%20profile.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="474" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyxI-HHjDNwbZSWHA_Dpn_kB8PpkKz3zUVVrH9m_1HJFFUOPR760M-hdi_5-gdMiq0SxMofoiHPaWzFMyp72exozp8xHt8TODAHu0Wo0FEBdEA1T-v3bMfGJJh1fzOpMZgsrQXhn4RdB_LFS6PLpWO6B-H8cFs8XOGJO4vVOeyZ7RF2sDGvYU69nC/w365-h400/Arnold%20Benedict%20BW%20profile.jpg" width="365" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Benedict Arnold</div><p><br /></p><p>Realizing his hopeless situation, St. Leger was forced to give up his siege of Fort Stanwix. On 25 August, his regulars, Hessians, Loyalists, and a few faithful Indian allies, trudged west along the Mohawk and departed for Canada. St. Leger’s failure to reach Albany and support Burgoyne directly contributed to the ultimate capitulation at Saratoga in October 1777.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Return to Ticonderoga</h4><p>St. Leger did not mull over his failed campaign. Instead, he sprang into action once back at Montreal, coaxing scarce forces from Governor Guy Carleton. He led his command south to reinforce Burgoyne directly. But they had just arrived at Fort Ticonderoga when word of the Saratoga surrender arrived in October 1777. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaiMNPa_6KbONF0URr25JlMaPbCKP96FlOiTTU8H2cZ6k1CZKg-R-QbpHAbpHAVG3SjZNMdVG3xnrPtL9wzOnT75r8SDniK0xd6CUg4HITtys87tGD6_Kx8uyhAywQ4xkrztYQJfq9Earmw02LSCN6zWdbcGtT3gptC5ysUKvcaLBeXvszCHC0BId/s275/Fort%20Ticonderoga%20in%20fall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisaiMNPa_6KbONF0URr25JlMaPbCKP96FlOiTTU8H2cZ6k1CZKg-R-QbpHAbpHAVG3SjZNMdVG3xnrPtL9wzOnT75r8SDniK0xd6CUg4HITtys87tGD6_Kx8uyhAywQ4xkrztYQJfq9Earmw02LSCN6zWdbcGtT3gptC5ysUKvcaLBeXvszCHC0BId/w400-h266/Fort%20Ticonderoga%20in%20fall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Ticonderoga</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Guerrilla Warrior</h4><p>For the remainder of the war, St. Leger stayed in active command and came into his own as an irregular warfare leader. He led several raids against the Americans in upper New York, which became the scene of bloody partisan and guerrilla-style warfare throughout the war. Spying, betrayal, raids, ambushes, assassinations, and torching would devastate upper and central New York.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnd82VNABY6PR41wEFgeIcuJKbMY35fbEsrRXbEoJiZ7lkTcO4c8US1wVVkLxcuOG-9NeCBjceFVgJ2ZA9CAX_hzvMVJFihwImwVu78B-gK7Ebc7vtnY2QmPkBabcSy-0DYOshNIoPBfMVG9CNJCd1Kgv294afV7bq0agOsnccZ5cB5QE4UcByAxl/s400/loyalist-skirmishers-revolutionary-war--randy-steele.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="400" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnd82VNABY6PR41wEFgeIcuJKbMY35fbEsrRXbEoJiZ7lkTcO4c8US1wVVkLxcuOG-9NeCBjceFVgJ2ZA9CAX_hzvMVJFihwImwVu78B-gK7Ebc7vtnY2QmPkBabcSy-0DYOshNIoPBfMVG9CNJCd1Kgv294afV7bq0agOsnccZ5cB5QE4UcByAxl/s320/loyalist-skirmishers-revolutionary-war--randy-steele.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Loyalist raiders</div><p><br /></p><p>St. Leger was behind a failed attempt to kidnap General Philip Schuyler. In 1781, the new commander in Canada, General Frederick Haldimand, dispatched him back to Ticonderoga to meet with disaffected rebel leader Ethan Allen. But the scheme to break Vermont from the rebels failed.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhLGVZ3nE2jTTu0w4BsCQ4LNSzM3MbP91PegprQAK8xAHmn4jz0W_xe6uEH1YKotjlYDbVSR4lumADMStJ99Vh6PeQtI28e7rrry3EZ6igAZ3s2ZlHbmR73tBNYbIckIRkKxs_FvYyHXjTIyFWPg-adIdZUJc8OPvY4V5m06VK0pZKifkCZ9ZC6QA/s396/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="307" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhLGVZ3nE2jTTu0w4BsCQ4LNSzM3MbP91PegprQAK8xAHmn4jz0W_xe6uEH1YKotjlYDbVSR4lumADMStJ99Vh6PeQtI28e7rrry3EZ6igAZ3s2ZlHbmR73tBNYbIckIRkKxs_FvYyHXjTIyFWPg-adIdZUJc8OPvY4V5m06VK0pZKifkCZ9ZC6QA/w310-h400/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Philip Schuyler</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Canadian Service</h4><p>Unlike most of his fellow officers, St. Leger did not return to England or sail to another theater after the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Instead, he remained in Canada. In 1784 he was promoted to brigadier general and succeeded Haldimand as commander. But by 1785, poor health from the ravages of campaigning forced him to give up his command and retire from active service. St. Leger died in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, on 23 December 1793. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCinlebMY0ZgJc-kGTbZ3Atmyg0BSGijumzUq58qvfZoY2LtSDAqSDsfvoKfY6sHNGEnLZQ4F0bVonolNl22ovwACa7tl846MlkZRV-tFG-_pZ3TaT03246Ub257vh_bQCrN9Ysmo5tcVa_HkONDBceWnsGxPt3kDyQ_-_OxHfMy7IFxd0XbkKBWJD/s600/Haldimand%20Sir%20Frederick.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCinlebMY0ZgJc-kGTbZ3Atmyg0BSGijumzUq58qvfZoY2LtSDAqSDsfvoKfY6sHNGEnLZQ4F0bVonolNl22ovwACa7tl846MlkZRV-tFG-_pZ3TaT03246Ub257vh_bQCrN9Ysmo5tcVa_HkONDBceWnsGxPt3kDyQ_-_OxHfMy7IFxd0XbkKBWJD/s320/Haldimand%20Sir%20Frederick.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Frederick Haldimand</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Legacy</h4><p>St. Leger's legacy is mixed. He was a talented tactical leader of troops who could plan and organize complex operations over great stretches of wilderness. Yet his only major independent command failed through a mix of poor decision-making (remember the heavy guns?), failure to keep his native allies in hand, and unexpected resistance by more robust than anticipated American forces. </p><p>But unlike his commander Burgoyne, "The Saint" knew when to quit and extracted his troops from a precarious situation. Facing Fort Stanwix's defenders combined with General Benedict Arnold's relief force would have surely resulted in the annihilation of his force. Instead, his troops would live to fight on and harass and threaten upper New York for the remainder of the war, while Burgoyne’s stubborn refusal to consolidate caused his larger army to march off to rebel prisons.</p><div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-53244082591513614072022-07-31T07:51:00.004-07:002022-08-01T04:13:37.222-07:00The Old Patroon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1soYN3pfDxCsMT7pRtpoUZDTe1Rc5dS86hv0xMusom444xZ26GywA2Qx0zyS5eHi3U-luwLV3YHaBess7msN3Egp9pWutRxb1bU4pFJWjOnQpPVmi0mBZQPu4cVrqoM63v2smxcFNSqEDcmYr6ibtzoYi875ZXWSfwQZbrZ-kyKd1IQ6nMnT_IGOy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="474" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1soYN3pfDxCsMT7pRtpoUZDTe1Rc5dS86hv0xMusom444xZ26GywA2Qx0zyS5eHi3U-luwLV3YHaBess7msN3Egp9pWutRxb1bU4pFJWjOnQpPVmi0mBZQPu4cVrqoM63v2smxcFNSqEDcmYr6ibtzoYi875ZXWSfwQZbrZ-kyKd1IQ6nMnT_IGOy=w640-h224" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">The Dutch settlers of New York and East Jersey were among the most industrious Europeans to settle in North America. Thrifty, ambitious, and organized, they managed to grow their foothold on Manhattan into a range of settlements that dwarfed the tiny homeland they left. They named the colony New Netherlands. It was ruled by a network of exceedingly wealthy landholders, called patroons, who had been granted large tracts of land to cultivate and manage. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Dutch Way</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Originally these patroons had the right to establish courts and taxes. Things changed when the British arrived in the late 17th century, and in 1775 the patroonships were abolished and renamed estates. By that time, a sizeable middle class had blossomed from Long Island and Manhattan, along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. Many had spilled across the Hudson and settled along the Hackensack River of East Jersey. The cultural and economic power of the Dutch still permeated the renamed colony of New York, and they played an influential role in the War for Independence.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDuFF0IPsu8bTmsDB-8t-WAIWGcoJK23cOU3WUtFwUyQry7ZffyNXRMSbf5-Qh5GUnDc9_e7CYvmlW8t_YVUwhh--mcKl_650EGQ7A1Aujb5grAOat3gAUy8sQyZDAGXVW2luPYwtUIZ9kgpPQXVT01btjeDh45nkHIxqcVuxHYvSGSoyhD-ceBRI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1327" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDuFF0IPsu8bTmsDB-8t-WAIWGcoJK23cOU3WUtFwUyQry7ZffyNXRMSbf5-Qh5GUnDc9_e7CYvmlW8t_YVUwhh--mcKl_650EGQ7A1Aujb5grAOat3gAUy8sQyZDAGXVW2luPYwtUIZ9kgpPQXVT01btjeDh45nkHIxqcVuxHYvSGSoyhD-ceBRI=w400-h293" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Roots Deep and Wide</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Philip Schuyler was born into a wealthy Dutch patroon family on 20 November 1733 in Albany, New York. His parents, Cornelia Van Cortlandt and Johannes Schuyler Jr. had wide and deep connections to the most prosperous patroon families. His maternal grandfather was Stephanus Van Cortlandt, the 17th Mayor of New York City. Educated by tutors at the Van Cortlandt family estate at New Rochelle, he mastered Mathematics and French, in addition to his native fluency in Dutch and English. Young Schuyler actively traded with the Indians and cultivated strong bonds with the leaders of the nearby Iroquois of the Mohawk nation. He became fluent in their language.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg1IF7SDRb6Fky-I6RpShgD0l4xNPF-kf54eheqxCUGbMslVBWKEK7T8cyTn2fLLokeS-j-Yt7Zanw6rHivR--IwjoA0pevfitECIFAbeLtMjj25SHncGlYDLfxuTubUkz5p1o9pCYMgw_NcnFcUTXEC0k7fejBsXnhY0HTQps-EKpLZzOoAb7DLgw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="474" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgg1IF7SDRb6Fky-I6RpShgD0l4xNPF-kf54eheqxCUGbMslVBWKEK7T8cyTn2fLLokeS-j-Yt7Zanw6rHivR--IwjoA0pevfitECIFAbeLtMjj25SHncGlYDLfxuTubUkz5p1o9pCYMgw_NcnFcUTXEC0k7fejBsXnhY0HTQps-EKpLZzOoAb7DLgw" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">First Fight</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Like many of his generation, he cut his military teeth during the French and Indian War, where Schuyler served as a captain in the New York militia. His cousin, Lieutenant Governor James Delancey, had commissioned him. His connections indeed ran wide and deep. The wealthy young Schuyler raised a local company. Schuyler took part in some of the key battles of upper New York, including Lake George, Oswego River, Carillon, and Fort Frontenac. At Oswego, he served as a quartermaster until it fell to the French.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kC_vvPzfzdWqwJPVxpM3aPzrcZE3-PcyWBh6LGjkcsaNU-3B7IzYSHBGjqSR7SQSTWJwmXOF4EtC-iMM3HmqMHgB6Q-Q4-qO3hXee2S8ZsEeFCVMLxMstyfEDNIkBSO7QmbbBxTYUBdSaEK3wt0B3HGQBGziR0qCln7MEyskd1AmABuuoJ5WIAAe/s720/Carrillon%20battle%20delebration%20by%20Monycalm%201758.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="720" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kC_vvPzfzdWqwJPVxpM3aPzrcZE3-PcyWBh6LGjkcsaNU-3B7IzYSHBGjqSR7SQSTWJwmXOF4EtC-iMM3HmqMHgB6Q-Q4-qO3hXee2S8ZsEeFCVMLxMstyfEDNIkBSO7QmbbBxTYUBdSaEK3wt0B3HGQBGziR0qCln7MEyskd1AmABuuoJ5WIAAe/s320/Carrillon%20battle%20delebration%20by%20Monycalm%201758.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Prosperous Patroon</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Post-war saw him build on his wealth as a patroon until he was among the wealthiest and most prominent men in New York. In 1768 he parlayed his wealth and prominence into a political career and won a seat in the New York legislature. Although not a radical Son of Liberty, Schuyler spoke against British policy. He managed to get himself on a commission to settle a boundary dispute with New Hampshire. This would gain him enemies among the New Hampshire and Massachusetts elites. Enemies who would haunt him in years to come.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApDIX2TWaTIDACfFrSr7MtjMAr_Xh0XBiEsb0inZ6Gf273ul1ElAy3i2V5KaP7G66tP7RhVuQUvyg2c95gys_fsRdQnNQfRxOumRVUUbCm65xGrNjaHnQT1ml-wKziI7h477xVCLoZS9DzgmxekjX_8C2eMF8B-GQx_rOZVrOac5gne0FUnZ47ET6/s234/Schuyler%20Philip%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApDIX2TWaTIDACfFrSr7MtjMAr_Xh0XBiEsb0inZ6Gf273ul1ElAy3i2V5KaP7G66tP7RhVuQUvyg2c95gys_fsRdQnNQfRxOumRVUUbCm65xGrNjaHnQT1ml-wKziI7h477xVCLoZS9DzgmxekjX_8C2eMF8B-GQx_rOZVrOac5gne0FUnZ47ET6/w301-h320/Schuyler%20Philip%20General.jpg" width="301" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Philip Schuyler</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Continental Congress</h4><div style="text-align: left;">At the outbreak of hostilities with Britain in April 1775, Schuyler became a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. His French and Indian War experience found him on a committee developing rules and regulations for the new United Colonies Army. This resulted in a friendship with General George Washington, who later petitioned Congress to appoint him one of the new Army's major generals. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FDQjkLjP93n5t0524nKC11mudv3gNUqI7adKbbhBmN5nQCXxHors13_VQ6glVZZEmn8AkWRuKWfAd6TSYJBxUScWoyUboB23iOuaBkdfNYPdC_FkkqocUsWlBSIHeo3IP4kFZoEDvufXPwyNcsAsMmzWriLp26UI093ADVzSqARh81FAUOhm37NM/s1280/Continental%20Congress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FDQjkLjP93n5t0524nKC11mudv3gNUqI7adKbbhBmN5nQCXxHors13_VQ6glVZZEmn8AkWRuKWfAd6TSYJBxUScWoyUboB23iOuaBkdfNYPdC_FkkqocUsWlBSIHeo3IP4kFZoEDvufXPwyNcsAsMmzWriLp26UI093ADVzSqARh81FAUOhm37NM/s320/Continental%20Congress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Continental Congress</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">All In</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Despite his wartime experience, his appointment was more to secure New York's support for the Cause than to utilize his military potential. This kind of regional quid pro quo was common and engaged in to ensure the disparate colonies were "all in." Virginia's Colonel George Washington had edged out Massachusetts John Hancock as commander-in-chief of the Army for the same reason.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzvhKY2SbKjRWiFyexWWyPhJs46_uxMIo1nOEEr1TBlrK3d96a3X3JwrExDKw2fHuRU00s6KNEkV9kNwe1dBOM3Z7CAHYUs8WELPBjo1dEHS3tG42lXi5jnfsSb2jCbwLsTNuyXtYzuFAVlfR-edceDvqg6ErxyZz79_EpqRTCtitCuQ73T8BSxNs/s780/Hancock%20John%20Passport%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="556" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzvhKY2SbKjRWiFyexWWyPhJs46_uxMIo1nOEEr1TBlrK3d96a3X3JwrExDKw2fHuRU00s6KNEkV9kNwe1dBOM3Z7CAHYUs8WELPBjo1dEHS3tG42lXi5jnfsSb2jCbwLsTNuyXtYzuFAVlfR-edceDvqg6ErxyZz79_EpqRTCtitCuQ73T8BSxNs/s320/Hancock%20John%20Passport%20photo.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Hancock</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">First Command</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Schuyler's background and experience with upper New York made him a natural to command the Northern Department, with its headquarters in Albany, his old stomping ground. But the mission was daunting – gather an army and invade Quebec (Canada), where it was assumed the local "<i>Habitants</i>" (French settlers) would rally to the Cause. But his first move was political. Schuyler was able to gain the neutrality of the powerful Iroquois Confederation – or at least delay their entering the fray.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDobwHTsXKZwKDl0hsmofA11SdZZsCSUEmE0WFnFT5BmLyrIhnhLiWNbpziOjKSJnxbDq7i_0hkTpyYFISs754v-gIvLNIsu6evNdYwTV2iBSYG4m-kXdCqd9hiqIZleCUViMvuEc_j7OLMrJ5qiOzUtLVXX5xpgvVd-uMd9Mv4TCvty1jXFy-Z0w/s491/Indians%20pow%20wow%20with%20British%20officres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="491" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDobwHTsXKZwKDl0hsmofA11SdZZsCSUEmE0WFnFT5BmLyrIhnhLiWNbpziOjKSJnxbDq7i_0hkTpyYFISs754v-gIvLNIsu6evNdYwTV2iBSYG4m-kXdCqd9hiqIZleCUViMvuEc_j7OLMrJ5qiOzUtLVXX5xpgvVd-uMd9Mv4TCvty1jXFy-Z0w/s320/Indians%20pow%20wow%20with%20British%20officres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Schuyler leveraged strong Iroquois connections</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Quebec Disaster</h4><div style="text-align: left;">While thus engaged, Brigadier General Richard Montgomery gathered the forces and began his advance without awaiting Schuyler's approval. Faced with a <i>fait accompli</i> and debilitated by a gout attack, Schuyler approved Montgomery's plans and set to work on the logistics support the fiery Irishman would need. The campaign started late in the season, so although initially successful, it collapsed in the deep of December when Montgomery and Benedict Arnold were cut down while storming Quebec City. Montgomery died, but Arnold recovered. Schuyler's New England foes quickly cast blame on the old Dutchman.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz00UpI6IWidNLWnMMCXBhcpcjDpi3h8KI298ue6eQGenkkN6h5suKJzdZ_6dwQTYxEye3LeVlMK7tjV8iOV4ySVljJkHAcskfu9bJrnlCthhpmLRfC9zJGwdawrPjUjZXChK-EzpWO0hG-phA-EZL0PdfaaLpqS6nYf25mBdm45gc_XaI7KB6X8ZT/s745/Battle%20Quebec%20Storming%20walls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="745" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz00UpI6IWidNLWnMMCXBhcpcjDpi3h8KI298ue6eQGenkkN6h5suKJzdZ_6dwQTYxEye3LeVlMK7tjV8iOV4ySVljJkHAcskfu9bJrnlCthhpmLRfC9zJGwdawrPjUjZXChK-EzpWO0hG-phA-EZL0PdfaaLpqS6nYf25mBdm45gc_XaI7KB6X8ZT/w400-h260/Battle%20Quebec%20Storming%20walls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Night Assault of Quebec</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Defending the North</h4><div style="text-align: left;">The British, suitably reinforced, went on the offensive in the spring. While Schuyler once more ran political interference, gathered men and supplies, and coordinated the overall effort, General John Sullivan, who fought a desperate retreating action from Canada, tried to garrison mighty Fort Ticonderoga – The Gibraltar of the North.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpc6jgsDEAmCNcTuewX-IeItTovhBjxYusEaQUkgTJFyHgBs_n38oW40jvGTJiStks1qZ9z0aKQLzDhBW2QPAS42NzRueiwttPFKaHhkwAJLuL3SlRJ82pSVnBAc6MZrDZQpgI74Rv3be191cl5JMuTrC38Qjwtr4KEohjttQ9UBe7omfhLr9eHr3Y/s216/Sullivan%20John%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="165" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpc6jgsDEAmCNcTuewX-IeItTovhBjxYusEaQUkgTJFyHgBs_n38oW40jvGTJiStks1qZ9z0aKQLzDhBW2QPAS42NzRueiwttPFKaHhkwAJLuL3SlRJ82pSVnBAc6MZrDZQpgI74Rv3be191cl5JMuTrC38Qjwtr4KEohjttQ9UBe7omfhLr9eHr3Y/w245-h320/Sullivan%20John%20General.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Sullivan</div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">A British fleet gathered at the mouth of the Richelieu River, so Schuyler directed Benedict Arnold (who had recovered from his wounds at Quebec) to take command of the forward defenses on Lake Champlain. The next phase of America's struggle would be fought on that long, icy body of water. Schuyler directed Arnold to put together a fleet to stop the armada of men and boats descending from the north under General Guy Carleton, Governor-General of Canada.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeSKFXhE9L3Bjb2KRXp79WveYOxzrPyzyEwLJ49QAfgPG4RDscCorOF2ARwlN6b4TbNJec3HlRiXK95yXG_RBsUDuye302YAmvwI5JrtAJDD0InqFKzOrCkmVTkZ0r7OvE1xlLgTCP33ig43rWzokkVjaxy0CuwFDvcY9vg_dfw4uSSP9VVrLMG4j/s1213/Map%20Champlain%20Basin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCeSKFXhE9L3Bjb2KRXp79WveYOxzrPyzyEwLJ49QAfgPG4RDscCorOF2ARwlN6b4TbNJec3HlRiXK95yXG_RBsUDuye302YAmvwI5JrtAJDD0InqFKzOrCkmVTkZ0r7OvE1xlLgTCP33ig43rWzokkVjaxy0CuwFDvcY9vg_dfw4uSSP9VVrLMG4j/s320/Map%20Champlain%20Basin.png" width="317" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lake Champlain Basin</div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;">Arnold performed a "rock soup" miracle, gathering a small flotilla of gunboats and, using his unique and aggressive cunning, surprised the fleet at Valcour Island. He fought the larger British boats gallantly, but the Americans were blasted to pieces by the heavier guns and ships. Still, the stubborn resistance slowed Carleton's advance, and as it was now October, he withdrew to winter quarters, intent on finishing the campaign in the spring of 1777. The Americans had bought some time.</div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMjs5GGYfEHZxUQF8UHyducODii5huY60hSYOnK5NScbcA6OS3uy8w2M6t1Qc3ogHrLFKocH3WiohylLwY2cSwpf5dN9vkMNUexyHvKI6Ne12lljmScX4EcEw4yOdS9xhTE5OgilqB7tiuDa927cBOpHRh0ISzk4AByMzJfziqq0YE-KohEXg94Fc/s824/Valcour%20Island%20battle%20dramatic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="824" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMjs5GGYfEHZxUQF8UHyducODii5huY60hSYOnK5NScbcA6OS3uy8w2M6t1Qc3ogHrLFKocH3WiohylLwY2cSwpf5dN9vkMNUexyHvKI6Ne12lljmScX4EcEw4yOdS9xhTE5OgilqB7tiuDa927cBOpHRh0ISzk4AByMzJfziqq0YE-KohEXg94Fc/w400-h263/Valcour%20Island%20battle%20dramatic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">American defeat at Valcour Island </div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Winter of Discontent</h4><div style="text-align: left;">Schuyler was distracted from his preparations by a winter of bitter political infighting as his New England detractors blamed him for the northern failures. General Horatio Gates replaced him in March 1777, but the New York delegation in Congress raised a ruckus, and Schuyler was reinstated shortly after that. But the bitter infighting would continue even as Schuyler strove to bolster Ticonderoga and begged his New England foes for more regiments to take on the British onslaught forming in Canada.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEA9TN-Xlci_WNw-OPF2NesCqE_IKUWX74P-uHKqn1jFzAyC3oCWuSHrKZW3EfgTyr53iFxuh_DpIjHWRL7ScfzeN0fga-6h-7tNp6vSIIC_HnRVpcnSETn0UJPmXAnNSxkaCyVIOvNoYjWamG-qKpnI3tE-V6qcK8_pu2egi10x2iMVkinCMuD2v/s720/Ticonderoga%20from%20lake.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEA9TN-Xlci_WNw-OPF2NesCqE_IKUWX74P-uHKqn1jFzAyC3oCWuSHrKZW3EfgTyr53iFxuh_DpIjHWRL7ScfzeN0fga-6h-7tNp6vSIIC_HnRVpcnSETn0UJPmXAnNSxkaCyVIOvNoYjWamG-qKpnI3tE-V6qcK8_pu2egi10x2iMVkinCMuD2v/w400-h300/Ticonderoga%20from%20lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gibraltar of the North</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">By Land and Sea</h4><p>Despite Schuyler's measures to blunt another British thrust, General John Burgoyne's 8,000-strong armada sailed down Lake Champlain and marched uncontested into Fort Ticonderoga. Its commandant, General Arthur St. Clair, realizing his under-strength forces would only march off to British prison ships, had evacuated hours before the British arrived – a fateful decision. Schuyler approved St. Clair's move and ordered a "Fabian Defense." The garrison melted into the dense forest, felling trees and building abatis and other obstacles hoping to slow Burgoyne's forces, who were in hot pursuit. The British were being sucked into the wilderness and away from the waterways that provided their route south and supplies.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVbfdYeeX1_o3pr4L-qXF_gK3qMYBIEFDZ01onqQPJZ2PZ9RoL0uEemxrHw1hWCu5AEyRrc8MlJ6yPKyxu-Uy9YCLoL47ChDXdUEs3fnXoz2gwbHrCOPcVHP_mBFc2OVfaOH5xWd2SiDLJ1vkTBdznunZuxnATyx9sSQBkM6F5AKuLRYhoLbk3FB8/s914/St%20Clair%20Arthur.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVbfdYeeX1_o3pr4L-qXF_gK3qMYBIEFDZ01onqQPJZ2PZ9RoL0uEemxrHw1hWCu5AEyRrc8MlJ6yPKyxu-Uy9YCLoL47ChDXdUEs3fnXoz2gwbHrCOPcVHP_mBFc2OVfaOH5xWd2SiDLJ1vkTBdznunZuxnATyx9sSQBkM6F5AKuLRYhoLbk3FB8/s320/St%20Clair%20Arthur.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Arthur St. Clair</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rallying the Militia</h4><div style="text-align: left;">The Americans diverted the British, and Burgoyne's advance slowed, allowing time for the militias to finally rally to Schuyler's call for men. British thrusts toward New England and reports of Iroquois depredations helped stir this. From his headquarters in Albany, Schuyler issued pleas for powder, lead, guns, and supplies. But primarily for men. His plans called for another line of defense some 30 miles north of Albany. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7E7lzstI9KznY8WZzKCVjClvtoXJMLplEwHphwyh6nFiN29dYVEwylWbMvOalMVNxZLA1dW--cAjlBaHrKhiaw4PmhO00U_sShJoOcoQD9iEbY8b8E0ACI026hxT5MXt4SCPAA3wLm2DA3JwFZeRjnof0oNb5MKIQJOKOQRk9ytW4kAkVvrs5ydfL/s396/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="307" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7E7lzstI9KznY8WZzKCVjClvtoXJMLplEwHphwyh6nFiN29dYVEwylWbMvOalMVNxZLA1dW--cAjlBaHrKhiaw4PmhO00U_sShJoOcoQD9iEbY8b8E0ACI026hxT5MXt4SCPAA3wLm2DA3JwFZeRjnof0oNb5MKIQJOKOQRk9ytW4kAkVvrs5ydfL/w310-h400/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Schuyler</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">But the blame for Ticonderoga fell on Schuyler's shoulders, and General Horatio Gates once more replaced him. Gates stopped the British in two pitched battles near Saratoga, where he would accept their surrender in October 1777.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggkbyMBpVntAkh_jGKxEJXZlrjc7t-3tH_XARQwD9m6r9RdaoFN9_FMMHgHlB6y5jsL9X00CiUXz2V6q-9sZT9W8ecvgqKAHv9XIL0ebQQ3shltuSPssBGziiVQDi4SriT6l-OBzgaPonJlGIwsOzDFmZLUi6o_YZXu1j1o2z2UwklfO784esIJRc/s487/Gates,%20Horatio%20head%20shot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjggkbyMBpVntAkh_jGKxEJXZlrjc7t-3tH_XARQwD9m6r9RdaoFN9_FMMHgHlB6y5jsL9X00CiUXz2V6q-9sZT9W8ecvgqKAHv9XIL0ebQQ3shltuSPssBGziiVQDi4SriT6l-OBzgaPonJlGIwsOzDFmZLUi6o_YZXu1j1o2z2UwklfO784esIJRc/s320/Gates,%20Horatio%20head%20shot.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Horatio Gates</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Court Martial and Politics</h4><p>Schuyler demanded and received a court martial in 1778, which cleared him of wrongdoing, but he resigned his commission and returned to Congress in 1779. Philip Schuyler's legacy was to be the only major general in the Continental Army never to fight a pitched battle. He continued to provide advice to his friend, General Washington, as his grasp of strategy and logistics was acknowledged. His understanding of Indian matters also helped Washington, who solicited his counsel during the 1779 campaign against the Iroquois.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyt9_3zXhPFwFAK4K1GPxeZcrtctKUHAXpfnODr5GvrcN7QIFnKZCLqlrLgFpVoAWwLlfydZiJdLhFbbKmapqs87KzJJENh0DfEipJERU94-8U6Z1rFCyhqUaNZ_B_fb2rYQEEpq2R0j2OJUZ9G14MPcojmaDAgEBHOJoQI3ojHN3GY3sL9W4hodU/s960/Washington%20studying%20map%20BW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="960" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDyt9_3zXhPFwFAK4K1GPxeZcrtctKUHAXpfnODr5GvrcN7QIFnKZCLqlrLgFpVoAWwLlfydZiJdLhFbbKmapqs87KzJJENh0DfEipJERU94-8U6Z1rFCyhqUaNZ_B_fb2rYQEEpq2R0j2OJUZ9G14MPcojmaDAgEBHOJoQI3ojHN3GY3sL9W4hodU/s320/Washington%20studying%20map%20BW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Washington valued Schuyler's counsel</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Enemy of the British?</h4><p>Despite New England rumors calling him a Tory, Schuyler was a target of the British. He lived under the threat of personal attack. General John Burgoyne's retreating forces burned Schuyler's country home in October 1777. He later rebuilt it, and it is open to the public. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_SfvVybffg4PwNzSdYuHJTWTmGjwbJaqWK9wVv1-JVeBBFC7NgtNZCbL8T4Cr0V6ndoCXbnovnfUtuNiVxwACbHPyUkITTQCTU2g_O5q14vf_h56XYLBnMLt4W-CpNBhgmjUOB47Of8tDW8ZDB_6RabO3aWKYFtUhwwD0TvX54DlotgIRN4j53vX/s1600/Schuyler%20House%20Estate.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_SfvVybffg4PwNzSdYuHJTWTmGjwbJaqWK9wVv1-JVeBBFC7NgtNZCbL8T4Cr0V6ndoCXbnovnfUtuNiVxwACbHPyUkITTQCTU2g_O5q14vf_h56XYLBnMLt4W-CpNBhgmjUOB47Of8tDW8ZDB_6RabO3aWKYFtUhwwD0TvX54DlotgIRN4j53vX/w400-h225/Schuyler%20House%20Estate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Schuyler's Estate Home rebuilt </div><p><br /></p><p>In another incident in 1780, British agents attacked Schuyler's Albany mansion under cover of darkness. The attempt, whether kidnapping or murder, was thwarted. Following the incident, Schuyler was under the protection of a bodyguard of Continental Army soldiers. But he remained a target. On 7 August 1781, Schuyler foiled a kidnapping plot led by John Walden Meyers. It failed when Schuyler managed to flee his Albany mansion. The Albany mansion variously served as his home, Northern Army headquarters, political center, and business office.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkj_o85UnwIFA9JhbgrZPXqm6Gx6PYeQ7aRvMLisoH8KbHD37axzCP-HdXjwCyeF4BJTcZ_hjDvrFNtWpmuhQ2jQyEzVuhcje0LZbOqU2Folg3iGh_xcJvTznkTrgmT-bEP1he8SLrdKozbqHQVfJr1t9vBsoPdNRdEmVxjohVI5WErg9OyMo9VgMp/s360/Schuyler%20Mansion%20Albany.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="360" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkj_o85UnwIFA9JhbgrZPXqm6Gx6PYeQ7aRvMLisoH8KbHD37axzCP-HdXjwCyeF4BJTcZ_hjDvrFNtWpmuhQ2jQyEzVuhcje0LZbOqU2Folg3iGh_xcJvTznkTrgmT-bEP1he8SLrdKozbqHQVfJr1t9vBsoPdNRdEmVxjohVI5WErg9OyMo9VgMp/w400-h229/Schuyler%20Mansion%20Albany.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Schuyler Mansion in Albany</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Post-War and Politics</h4><p>The old patroon had powerful New York connections, and post-war, he concentrated on local politics by serving in the New York State Senate. He also served as a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention in 1789 and lobbied strongly on behalf of the new American Constitution. Schuyler was a businessman as well as a soldier and politico. He grew the size of his estate near Saratoga after the War, reaching tens of thousands of acres, a score of slaves and tenant farmers, plus a store and mills for flour, flax, and lumber. To move his goods down the Hudson to market, he constructed schooners, naming the first Saratoga.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqh-m3BDZvvPTuIADmJonSdtIa3hcd_OaQYdb4tTPodjzruyEvXtviNM3PPaEgkc7ZSq0H3JXWt4SMnJwgdM7FsPD7EwIgCyHQZKOeEcF0AqajNZz8tR5PB8AbenAZO-EJR9-xKUj7rjR0_kzT6kgOhjm2XuIOJuMnrWEspQ1CQJcPVMqkjkx9u-Z1/s987/Naval%20schooner%20possibly%20Washington's%20navy%20or%20other.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="987" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqh-m3BDZvvPTuIADmJonSdtIa3hcd_OaQYdb4tTPodjzruyEvXtviNM3PPaEgkc7ZSq0H3JXWt4SMnJwgdM7FsPD7EwIgCyHQZKOeEcF0AqajNZz8tR5PB8AbenAZO-EJR9-xKUj7rjR0_kzT6kgOhjm2XuIOJuMnrWEspQ1CQJcPVMqkjkx9u-Z1/s320/Naval%20schooner%20possibly%20Washington's%20navy%20or%20other.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Schuyler had his own fleet</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Federalist</h4><p>Unsurprisingly, Schuyler was one of the first two US Senators appointed to represent the state in the new Congress. Naturally, the long-time ally of George Washington now supported his president as a staunch Federalist. He especially supported the solid economic policies put forth by the Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who had married Schuyler's daughter, Elizabeth (more on her below). The whirl and swirl of New York politics saw him lose his seat in1792 but regain it in 1797. State legislatures, not the people elected senators then – connections got you in or threw you out. Schuyler was the first New Yorker to join the controversial Society of Cincinnati, a fraternity of Revolutionary War officers viewed by some as a burgeoning aristocracy. But most senior officers, including George Washington, had joined the organization.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrMl0_jExPfohAFtGbjBk9lykT_yTEsY7IegYB1DoLfIdQbqoDcWX0QRz5X-XMoWhQ-COzsvU5P4V40VLz95VSUguJ4G_yC_ajACLaJNIhfkBExnJSetBeSxg4xyrs4XytRfjTNKnUhFfzZnzef3aFKU7Xxv6EJZCANpb8p3cCccwMjlivjqoV8An/s618/Washington%20as%20President%20red%20suit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrMl0_jExPfohAFtGbjBk9lykT_yTEsY7IegYB1DoLfIdQbqoDcWX0QRz5X-XMoWhQ-COzsvU5P4V40VLz95VSUguJ4G_yC_ajACLaJNIhfkBExnJSetBeSxg4xyrs4XytRfjTNKnUhFfzZnzef3aFKU7Xxv6EJZCANpb8p3cCccwMjlivjqoV8An/s320/Washington%20as%20President%20red%20suit.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">President George Washington</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Domestic Life</h4><p>Schuyler had married into the uber-wealthy and powerful Van Rensselaer family when he took the hand of Catherine Van Rensselaer on 7 September 1755 at Albany. They would have a large brood of 15 – eight who lived to adulthood. His second child, Elizabeth, would later marry young Continental Army officer Alexander Hamilton. She would gain modern fame through the musical Hamilton. Still, during her life, she used his legacy and family connections to engage in philanthropic projects, not the least being the first orphanage in New York City.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="640" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxH5lYXgYwfOa70bqImh1_8icNMxb7UUaTsEm5s6TBOIMHMbwvpbU5HSH3bdGd4LCE1_JfBmKoYx-IeEVeKJH8f9YMt0TXjcu5Hm8-EYkhhQaUWV4rx6Ix5US2-5U8J-CUEW_A-xboebQYteuWVU0rxFvpQcMrnpWlLcu-rsAZvSD0gPKWSXh2EbpF=w400-h284" width="400" /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Hamiltons</span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Old Patroon</h4><p>Schuyler's ill health caused him to resign from political life in 1798. He died at his home in Albany in 1804, leaving a mixed legacy of success and failure. His critics considered him too cautious or reticent to fight. Some called him treasonous – especially his New England enemies – constantly wary of his aristocratic Dutch heritage. And regional strife played a role here. They viewed Schuyler as supporting his own New York's land claims over those of Vermont. Ironically, Schuyler later supported the Vermonters, drawing the ire of influential New York Governor George Clinton. Fame, wealth, and power brought powerful enemies to the Old Patroon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpYEFESsjGkpq3X-36Cz3ZKKEXdUUgGan7H8a9pTtSkUVLgaVu-WHMI16PEm2FrsqwpYJp5fJkIvSXkMDt2HMGUIyt6zqcPblSVB2jY9Tgc_wpy28RtXySOvoxVtzA7_oRe0O0YCj6wBLRUSRXa_539S-t3acT5pwN0X8ZN-QnZiR4ccHpQNf7-4b/s553/Schuyler%20monument.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="553" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpYEFESsjGkpq3X-36Cz3ZKKEXdUUgGan7H8a9pTtSkUVLgaVu-WHMI16PEm2FrsqwpYJp5fJkIvSXkMDt2HMGUIyt6zqcPblSVB2jY9Tgc_wpy28RtXySOvoxVtzA7_oRe0O0YCj6wBLRUSRXa_539S-t3acT5pwN0X8ZN-QnZiR4ccHpQNf7-4b/s320/Schuyler%20monument.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Schuyler Grave and Memorial</div><div style="text-align: center;">Albany Rural Cemetery</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-16097822742301663352022-06-30T09:22:00.000-07:002022-06-30T09:22:39.721-07:00 Forts of the North<p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Glacial Expanse</h3><p>Although most of North America was heavily wooded in the 18th century, the vast region of mountainous woodlands that stretch from New England to the Great Lakes along the northern tier of New York made travel a slow, ponderous, and often treacherous affair. For centuries, however, the native tribes of the region, such as the Iroquois, Abenaki, and Huron, traversed the area with little difficulty. Generations of knowledge handed down to the tribes turned the slightest break in the woods, footpath, or deer trail into their highway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT4quLWaCc-cq67uEWk5EUQToGeNzeh1eGlnV7fCNINWW7yjn26RkP_aH3c_YRSlSpJyEuTT6GV7RpLvyaigutFUM_BMitLpofhbe6R4BEzUiDRinSdrtTJUfras1RG0Nl6oH0un0lTxbEah2X06yrwwycHoL7g3w6WnsGXkWPpAl1VTidy2x524C/s1213/Map%20Champlain%20Basin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxT4quLWaCc-cq67uEWk5EUQToGeNzeh1eGlnV7fCNINWW7yjn26RkP_aH3c_YRSlSpJyEuTT6GV7RpLvyaigutFUM_BMitLpofhbe6R4BEzUiDRinSdrtTJUfras1RG0Nl6oH0un0lTxbEah2X06yrwwycHoL7g3w6WnsGXkWPpAl1VTidy2x524C/w396-h400/Map%20Champlain%20Basin.png" width="396" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> But modern (18th-century modern) travelers, such as explorers, hunters, trappers, and of course, armies, needed a better way to negotiate the wilderness that seemed, at times, overwhelming. And for this, they turned to nature as well. In this case, the excellent network of waterways left by the glaciers, which receded at the end of the last great ice age.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Waterways of War</h4><p>The resulting waterway stretched, with little interruption, from the Saint Lawrence River to the Lower New York harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. For this narration, the northernmost waters of Lake Champlain and Lake George will be the focus. Several forts constructed to defend the waterways played a prominent role in the numerous clashes between the French/Indians and the British in the 18th century. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Crown Point</h3><p>This is a tale of two forts as Britain and France squared off to control Lake Champlain, the most extensive body of water south of the Great Lakes and west of the Atlantic Ocean. Like an opposed left thumb, a small peninsula just into the lake from Champlain's western shore dominates the approach from either direction. As the first "battlespace" between Canada and the colonies, it would play a pivotal role in the many 18th-century struggles for a North American Empire. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrziFwARZYf3XKoHM7Se5b1FfHE7-s15p5IbPs2uy82rQ6knpk-IUHaGo3S0sI5ef1Sj3_KjkJqb7q4Wl-sqmtOXk-2U72WZWA-2V-NE4pJqjtBohp8xL5V4q3eOrwTsquSKp1foyRimgTQru4CJCnF1aFIj3AT48FJozyU-PGWRrQbepg5Luaiby/s1633/Map%20Crown%20Point%20to%20Ft%20Edward.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1633" data-original-width="1024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrziFwARZYf3XKoHM7Se5b1FfHE7-s15p5IbPs2uy82rQ6knpk-IUHaGo3S0sI5ef1Sj3_KjkJqb7q4Wl-sqmtOXk-2U72WZWA-2V-NE4pJqjtBohp8xL5V4q3eOrwTsquSKp1foyRimgTQru4CJCnF1aFIj3AT48FJozyU-PGWRrQbepg5Luaiby/w402-h640/Map%20Crown%20Point%20to%20Ft%20Edward.jpg" width="402" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Crown Point and other Forts of the North</div><p><br /></p><p>The French were the first to appreciate the strategic location. In 1734, they began constructing a base they named Fort St. Frederic, which they used to launch raids against the British settlers in central New York and New England (the hated <i>Bostonnais</i>). During the French and Indian War, the British were determined to neutralize the base and finally were able to take it in 1759. They immediately built new defense works on the site, which they dubbed "His Majesty's Fort of Crown Point." The new works at Crown Point spanned more than seven acres – one of the largest in North America.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="220" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIydiy8SZNzg9qONXYE9PuV7iS88KSoG3D-2VkNUgbbhw7Nb2a_rD98tB6JG55bxB1qfMcHAJTp7FajIyP9ElYOmGtzag_dQKIFlWq2c1zXCuVCfgGtuePzxJYom4Po5lh7Dq56JUwHUSpJlSCc1ddLiflKT_zlDPd5tw0E0JrdIJZqSVHGhvvPWY/w640-h408/crown_point_1760.jpg" width="640" /></div><p><br /></p><p>Between the French and Indian War and the outbreak of the American Revolution, Crown Point (like all the others along the waterway) became less important and was essentially mothballed. However, in 1775 the Americans saw the value in seizing the unmanned cannons and ordnance for the new Continental Army. It served as a base for American forces invading Canada in 1775 and defending New York in 1776. Crown Point fell into British hands once more when General John Burgoyne launched his 1777 campaign to divide the colonies. It remained in British control even after Burgoyne's surrendered in October of that year.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxehcNjXpG_JQKoyJVlOWjtk5ZBa89R357aiSBkk3GrsSVDirH6Kf31TeShCY4JEaP8dNZhq_rcm_gpn5X2k3p5XdNg-BvKqN2SWbUbPkp41AJ8Lk7edAnDhTRJMldooMkrIv5kEmGSO8qzf8l-xLWpZfVQo0exdxEXWObTETULhDymfHUpWEN9Xbh/s1000/Crown%20Point%20ruins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="1000" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxehcNjXpG_JQKoyJVlOWjtk5ZBa89R357aiSBkk3GrsSVDirH6Kf31TeShCY4JEaP8dNZhq_rcm_gpn5X2k3p5XdNg-BvKqN2SWbUbPkp41AJ8Lk7edAnDhTRJMldooMkrIv5kEmGSO8qzf8l-xLWpZfVQo0exdxEXWObTETULhDymfHUpWEN9Xbh/w640-h144/Crown%20Point%20ruins.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ruins of the fort at Crown Point</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fort Ticonderoga</h3><p>Fort Ti is the big daddy of forts, the big kahuna, The Gibraltar of the North, and figures largely in my novel, <i>The North Spy</i>. The name "Ticonderoga" comes from the Iroquois word tekontaró:ken, meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways" Situated between lakes Champlain and Lake George, the site dominated the transit route between Canada and the American colonies, making it a strategic a place as any in North America. I visited once when I was very young and twice as an adult and have not begun to scratch the surface of its historical and geographic significance. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa-QnJu5-KANQhGlnTf-puni0rBcfrvVEx2Jwo7Bo0tz2vzy_jvSCmyWN5b0AdYzr8RyPth_wFat2GfBaevlZUTZmWX3NWKuowWwHW8k3FExbKFBRl4nZNMgHUOx7xcOIou7fLXWuQfZ1o4tNtXy0Dwe-Qd433afX4w6uNv_OablUaDNuJCsEfLsn/s275/Fort%20Ticonderoga%20from%20the%20air.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoa-QnJu5-KANQhGlnTf-puni0rBcfrvVEx2Jwo7Bo0tz2vzy_jvSCmyWN5b0AdYzr8RyPth_wFat2GfBaevlZUTZmWX3NWKuowWwHW8k3FExbKFBRl4nZNMgHUOx7xcOIou7fLXWuQfZ1o4tNtXy0Dwe-Qd433afX4w6uNv_OablUaDNuJCsEfLsn/w640-h426/Fort%20Ticonderoga%20from%20the%20air.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Gibraltar of the North</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">French Carillon</h4><p>Recognizing that strategic significance, the French first fortified the site in 1755 and named it Fort Carillon. It would figure significantly in the upcoming campaigns of The French and Indian War. The power of the place proved itself in 1758 when 4,000 French defeated 16,000 British troops in a bloody battle aptly called The Battle of Carillon. But all forts are meant to be taken, and in 1759, the British returned. This time, they drove out the small French garrison. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG1sQF9eAa8OPXELTFpID666ISfMRujEZ_1kJycTTpSxIEmPYKhvgTUfHdRilkAuVl_WvI81-0dwsU12HCM31WgH-1Y4fRYYoo2tECr8zK0Of3LRHUWYNajv4GXaX-khjg6VsMpjumv75ufnAnrI16IgDFkDEITGyHrS_FMP_lFd7D8FEvi9sTJvwy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="720" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG1sQF9eAa8OPXELTFpID666ISfMRujEZ_1kJycTTpSxIEmPYKhvgTUfHdRilkAuVl_WvI81-0dwsU12HCM31WgH-1Y4fRYYoo2tECr8zK0Of3LRHUWYNajv4GXaX-khjg6VsMpjumv75ufnAnrI16IgDFkDEITGyHrS_FMP_lFd7D8FEvi9sTJvwy=w400-h288" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fighting at Fort Carillon</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rebel Pickings</h4><p>At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, local leaders recognized the importance of the fort and its ordnance. In 1775, the American siege of Boston had the British ringed but lacked guns to conduct a proper siege and the gunpowder to risk an all-out assault. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucVvXOsFZwCumpjVYui2QElih84Ub8E5uIfkyFuAPabQShd8WozBF9K6xvXudmdko6L4mB7rNxkaJ6JzoLvHQPDUksSku71wr1Fwyx9nIYVxmcqE-9J4wSr0K3hMdnmJpbMt14ekhAEHD67hIsqVA_cf8R_Yn7aUqNev41xePQ7xlazpmRIiAqZyD/s896/Ticonderoga%20captured%20color.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="896" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgucVvXOsFZwCumpjVYui2QElih84Ub8E5uIfkyFuAPabQShd8WozBF9K6xvXudmdko6L4mB7rNxkaJ6JzoLvHQPDUksSku71wr1Fwyx9nIYVxmcqE-9J4wSr0K3hMdnmJpbMt14ekhAEHD67hIsqVA_cf8R_Yn7aUqNev41xePQ7xlazpmRIiAqZyD/w400-h286/Ticonderoga%20captured%20color.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taking Ticonderoga by surprise</div><p><br /></p><p>On 10 May 1775, Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen led a mix of GreenMountain Boys and other local militia and captured the startled garrison in a <i>coup de main</i>. General George Washington, the new commander in chief of the new Continental Army, dispatched Colonel Henry Knox to Ticonderoga to bring the scores of heavy guns and powder back to Boston. When the captured guns were placed in the battery over the city in March 1776, General William Howe ordered the evacuation of Boston.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJaPYKvwjxyjCfYcotgDRKFH68oOzbtoZpGkei0t9kTzCWpQMm0UT_x1N4h1rRfJyjXSX3WDjEphqF5IuMvfO3iiw5QQvtNWrI3QpnCLcuYJBYuwdwRUsmZ3bNENOiBEf7RFjAAXoTX-f6P_p1bruzrZsiQoOqgENvsyIzOPvnyPPjIdzR_Pywzqm/s300/Artillery%20Noble%20TRain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="300" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCJaPYKvwjxyjCfYcotgDRKFH68oOzbtoZpGkei0t9kTzCWpQMm0UT_x1N4h1rRfJyjXSX3WDjEphqF5IuMvfO3iiw5QQvtNWrI3QpnCLcuYJBYuwdwRUsmZ3bNENOiBEf7RFjAAXoTX-f6P_p1bruzrZsiQoOqgENvsyIzOPvnyPPjIdzR_Pywzqm/w400-h257/Artillery%20Noble%20TRain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Knox dragged Ticonderoga's guns to Boston</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Red Deluge</h4><p>During the summer 1777 campaign led by Brtish General John Burgoyne, Ticonderoga was in the cross hairs. The massive fort was the key to Burgoyne's success as it would provide his logistics base and jump-off point for his final thrust to Albany and a link-up with General Henry Clinton's army in New York City.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4-GvSiPNpfGupkpW85Q5wuiYYDpcU5Yb995CFYaJ7RmlPWzkhFMi8kb5jySVh0JiSA3kiHjFP8aYXWW2pIY1JD6l3MDMpqSb7SuvvoEF_TOsgODYKvqYaGxaCRlvEVshWDWOa-6vTARmKXd_uSTNengkCN3uQPkr4nuz97cUr4jq64KdyC2R4s_I/s582/Burgoyne,%20General%20John.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="463" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4-GvSiPNpfGupkpW85Q5wuiYYDpcU5Yb995CFYaJ7RmlPWzkhFMi8kb5jySVh0JiSA3kiHjFP8aYXWW2pIY1JD6l3MDMpqSb7SuvvoEF_TOsgODYKvqYaGxaCRlvEVshWDWOa-6vTARmKXd_uSTNengkCN3uQPkr4nuz97cUr4jq64KdyC2R4s_I/w319-h400/Burgoyne,%20General%20John.jpg" width="319" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General John Burgoyne</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Without a Shot</h4><p>The Americans recognized the threat and the importance of defending the fort, but the defenses had been neglected, and the garrison had insufficient numbers, munitions, and supplies. Ironically, great fortresses suck in resources and are vulnerable if not fully manned. Such was the situation facing the new American commander of the garrison, General Arthur St. Clair. Ticonderoga was surrounded by mountains that, if taken, placed the fort and garrison in jeopardy. St. Clair failed to secure those hills, but the enterprising Brish did – dragging a gun battery to the crest of Mount Defiance. Recognizing the danger, St. Clair ordered a night withdrawal, abandoning The Gibraltar of the North without firing a shot.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja3F6SdEQA8TS8eO-8iX7grlvjn2Hcc7SgeQF0nFIPaslpRiMIcK65K76pkOcGb0CBBRIuKauuPbkQeLtkffbscKboTd1zqnf2dj_UO1FlDln3c9-1ZPzWFMngabmos-TWOg5aIkjj1-VCtq7xOeF5KprVxCuHk3WsWVufNeCljmJ2XhIwr34jJhC2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="474" height="549" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja3F6SdEQA8TS8eO-8iX7grlvjn2Hcc7SgeQF0nFIPaslpRiMIcK65K76pkOcGb0CBBRIuKauuPbkQeLtkffbscKboTd1zqnf2dj_UO1FlDln3c9-1ZPzWFMngabmos-TWOg5aIkjj1-VCtq7xOeF5KprVxCuHk3WsWVufNeCljmJ2XhIwr34jJhC2=w640-h549" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">St. Clair ordered the surrounded and undermanned fort abandoned</div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fort Ann</h3><p>Nestled in the rugged woodland east of the southern tip of Lake George, Fort Ann sits at the edge of the rugged land, and the beginning of the pass into lowland approaches to Fort Edward and the Upper Hudson Valley. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWToj2j9qmOKwVssi6TTn99_cp5WuowXjZX6R8y82YsAl0xr_5UBVG7DmCjRhmndaTsBc_QcS-6IMe1rGkoLXMaSRQ4TZa8PLFp5LA3JEnHyhKK5RnxWSe2bW3mCXvIgWQn1CYj47KTGsE_pZTZ83HXRh14b8X85spC2CIPieQ76PR94byA779__S/s800/Map%20Forts%20near%20Lake%20George.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWToj2j9qmOKwVssi6TTn99_cp5WuowXjZX6R8y82YsAl0xr_5UBVG7DmCjRhmndaTsBc_QcS-6IMe1rGkoLXMaSRQ4TZa8PLFp5LA3JEnHyhKK5RnxWSe2bW3mCXvIgWQn1CYj47KTGsE_pZTZ83HXRh14b8X85spC2CIPieQ76PR94byA779__S/w640-h640/Map%20Forts%20near%20Lake%20George.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Ann protected the approach to the Hudson</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">French and Indian War</h4><p>Recognizing its strategic position, the British erected a small fort there in1757. It was here in 1758 that celebrated French and Indian War leaders Israel Putnam and Robert Rogers took a force of 500 men to screen and scout the French at Fort Ticonderoga. On their return, they were attacked, and Israel Putnam was wounded and taken prisoner.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0YeFY0vwnR2ai1bjF6id6XRbpbRvGWAiYa579Jg5zApqg2O140N3hV9Z4x9ovum4CKijhUxrYHB4hNA90TSQ9_JUyhAzPu0Dc4-aDWt4Rd7BCfFwdDn8kS1BtKU4-_rPFB0dS5ZADK1ky4bqp8CxTa6CLUDs5ilRhBxuNj8Y2DKiHqI1tCeqI9vy/s300/Rogers%20rangers%20firing.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="299" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0YeFY0vwnR2ai1bjF6id6XRbpbRvGWAiYa579Jg5zApqg2O140N3hV9Z4x9ovum4CKijhUxrYHB4hNA90TSQ9_JUyhAzPu0Dc4-aDWt4Rd7BCfFwdDn8kS1BtKU4-_rPFB0dS5ZADK1ky4bqp8CxTa6CLUDs5ilRhBxuNj8Y2DKiHqI1tCeqI9vy/w399-h400/Rogers%20rangers%20firing.webp" width="399" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rogers's Rangers</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Revolutionary War</h4><p>Following the fall of Fort Ticonderoga in the summer of 1777, the British General John Burgoyne forced the Continental troops to retreat. They pursued them through the dense, rugged woodlands east of the lakes. The Americans were able to make a fighting withdrawal, felling trees and setting up ambush points, and reconvene in a defensive perimeter near the last defensible position before the defile that led to the lowlands – Fort Ann. The British advance guard was on the move and intent on capturing the fort.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVlAS5_2wfs45dXBdp8jF2E87_1mb8bwar9bkC31WX5lFrs016STLpHTs-SwY7Nm9Fk04eBriGyYyH2dkM6uC6Zzup1E91GcZ1BQdPM36refkXbYPAPTF58TeJSQgT6sUjeiV_RkY5II6d4aFQy-D5P7OceaquK2T3U1aCeI7LIRgVNn9J_olIWwA/s552/British%20infantry%20moving%20along%20ridge%20with%20smoke.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="552" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVlAS5_2wfs45dXBdp8jF2E87_1mb8bwar9bkC31WX5lFrs016STLpHTs-SwY7Nm9Fk04eBriGyYyH2dkM6uC6Zzup1E91GcZ1BQdPM36refkXbYPAPTF58TeJSQgT6sUjeiV_RkY5II6d4aFQy-D5P7OceaquK2T3U1aCeI7LIRgVNn9J_olIWwA/w400-h379/British%20infantry%20moving%20along%20ridge%20with%20smoke.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British Advance Guard</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Impromptu Battlefield</h4><p>The Battle of Fort Ann took place here on 9 July 1777. This was another delaying action, one of many, large and small, that characterized the middle phase of the Saratoga Campaign. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7Nk9Ee03iw29UwzY5ZQAfGs8K7suTOLHf8XDSbrF53w2nt3JXW9ufkBUrgwF6hm10Qh6NUrPsk2Qj2kmfq77Yb5PJyUcmIjUwU3FB_f5t8y-kKxR6-vzrbwh7qJShriIMH3TIDXyDoICa-1BvqZpdKHp_nVn8JuAoWjlS3Rfp8U37EIqrxvUweba/s241/Fort%20Ann%20NY%20photo%20block%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="241" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7Nk9Ee03iw29UwzY5ZQAfGs8K7suTOLHf8XDSbrF53w2nt3JXW9ufkBUrgwF6hm10Qh6NUrPsk2Qj2kmfq77Yb5PJyUcmIjUwU3FB_f5t8y-kKxR6-vzrbwh7qJShriIMH3TIDXyDoICa-1BvqZpdKHp_nVn8JuAoWjlS3Rfp8U37EIqrxvUweba/w400-h324/Fort%20Ann%20NY%20photo%20block%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Ann Block House</div><p><br /></p><p>The British advance guard of some 200 men was met at the gorge about a mile north of Fort Ann by Colonel Pierce Long's rear-guard (150 men) reinforced by 400 New York militia under Colonel Henry van Rennselaer. Long and van Rensselaer attacked in two columns when the British paused to await reinforcements. One swung east and threatened the British flank and rear while the other pushed into the defile.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Gunpowder and War Whoops</h4><p>The British withdrew to the high ground, and after two hours of heavy fighting, the Americans broke contact from a lack of ammunition and the sound of approaching British reinforcements. The latter turned out to be a deception – a single British officer mimicking Iroquois war whoops. While a British victory, the action at Fort Ann delayed the progress of the British Saratoga Campaign. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29t6eHwFpDXZC5ldq7ad-cCefdI1PWiWahr3QDOoAewrfozbS6mZyZ0Q0MMklaePkShoXUPmpmcivJdvz3xo9wUXFor0F5BPBchzns6zcfHsSPQG5j80ASS8cpYjYcfn98-qVEtTLp-QdGxErHbNRuZvsgKqP6SiXHUkLQETFTnnjwu0lsonjPe-3/s1000/Militia%20fighting%20in%20forest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29t6eHwFpDXZC5ldq7ad-cCefdI1PWiWahr3QDOoAewrfozbS6mZyZ0Q0MMklaePkShoXUPmpmcivJdvz3xo9wUXFor0F5BPBchzns6zcfHsSPQG5j80ASS8cpYjYcfn98-qVEtTLp-QdGxErHbNRuZvsgKqP6SiXHUkLQETFTnnjwu0lsonjPe-3/w400-h265/Militia%20fighting%20in%20forest.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>While the Patriots had successfully outnumbered and surrounded the British, they ultimately retreated to Fort Ann and then to Fort Edward when they were deceived into believing that enemy reinforcements were preparing to surround them. Regardless, the Patriots successfully delayed British movements toward Saratoga and ensured an American victory there. </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Fort Edward</h3><p>A series of forts were established at the "Great Carrying Place," a portage around the falls on the Hudson, used by local Indians before colonial times. Situated on the "Great War Path," later used by the Iroquois and other tribes, the French and English colonists saw its value and used it during the many wars of the eighteenth century.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujbLYUQIAy7MDzJx9kampEOQcC_nAGLcBv1ooM7WrBH_gRkz8lCnlQ1oH8-m3hW5guYsYfEBNb5VQanvHXhnZ8ca9urfDsn2yX2NL2tA2nWOXWf1ElJZ5QEgfRodpR0_QT1IzKNe2y_e78eSUieQGQW_1uMX71-qmL0sOxEVwyGXJui_tz09WUs6-/s693/Fort%20Edward%20693px-Rogers_Island_Visitor_Ctr_-_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="693" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujbLYUQIAy7MDzJx9kampEOQcC_nAGLcBv1ooM7WrBH_gRkz8lCnlQ1oH8-m3hW5guYsYfEBNb5VQanvHXhnZ8ca9urfDsn2yX2NL2tA2nWOXWf1ElJZ5QEgfRodpR0_QT1IzKNe2y_e78eSUieQGQW_1uMX71-qmL0sOxEVwyGXJui_tz09WUs6-/w400-h346/Fort%20Edward%20693px-Rogers_Island_Visitor_Ctr_-_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fort Edward and Rogers Island</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A French and Indian Fort</h4><p>During the French and Indian War, General Phineas Lyman constructed Fort Lyman here in 1755. Sir William Johnson, the British Superintendent for Indian Affairs, renamed it Fort Edward in 1756 to honor Prince Edward, a younger brother of the later King George III. After Fort William Henry fell to the French, the famed major Robert Rogers used it as a base for operations conducted by his Rangers. In 1759 General Jeffery Amherst's army assembled at Fort Edward for his attack on Fort Carillon and Fort St. Frederic. After the British took the forts, Fort Edward was significantly reduced as the war moved north.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKTKKL71nTzXAD-6EjXzwkUqeVWR1Wy1cYvCq_KmdydjDCEF7O3yA-1k-jOXCitGHLQQJk2oCLoMXo-JEQvnLXzEiOSE4psRaxJEDFArnbMJ3cQB0A038mrIyomVqlPuxp9y-_VA5F2o10uNz1B7eD5JKfk7KzY2Z6vzm7kQgbLZEJC58zICFxt5C/s320/Johnson%20SirWilliamJohnson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="273" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKTKKL71nTzXAD-6EjXzwkUqeVWR1Wy1cYvCq_KmdydjDCEF7O3yA-1k-jOXCitGHLQQJk2oCLoMXo-JEQvnLXzEiOSE4psRaxJEDFArnbMJ3cQB0A038mrIyomVqlPuxp9y-_VA5F2o10uNz1B7eD5JKfk7KzY2Z6vzm7kQgbLZEJC58zICFxt5C/s1600/Johnson%20SirWilliamJohnson.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sir William Johnson</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Revolutionary Days</h4><p>Fort Edward was razed by the rebels shortly after the Revolutionary War began. It would never serve as a defense work, but the strategic location made it a base for many military officers who passed through. The commander of the Continental Army's Northern Department, General Phillip Schuyler, used it as his headquarters until the British drove him south on their way to Saratoga in the summer of 1777.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3n5Opdfh1PaO9YH5KgK75qvN6OBwiMHLyR2xTlc7vGFRIiyVQF_8Tg223u4Er9t_TQS7veLhHQWy2QuWLDjdVjYPjAv5T3q-y-hSH5Lt37fVDZ154bIB5WSfSbdHaS5rSOSuxyiEZz3ZNo-fBTyYUfENDOX9AauDw0YFgSf-zdDqUfBi14_ZlQYA/s396/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="307" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3n5Opdfh1PaO9YH5KgK75qvN6OBwiMHLyR2xTlc7vGFRIiyVQF_8Tg223u4Er9t_TQS7veLhHQWy2QuWLDjdVjYPjAv5T3q-y-hSH5Lt37fVDZ154bIB5WSfSbdHaS5rSOSuxyiEZz3ZNo-fBTyYUfENDOX9AauDw0YFgSf-zdDqUfBi14_ZlQYA/w310-h400/Schuyler%20Philip%20full%20frontal.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Phillip Schuyler</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Place of Infamy</h4><p>The most infamous event of the 1777 Saratoga campaign, the case of Jane McCrae, took place near the fort. The fiancé (or lover) of a Loyalist officer, Jane was captured by an Indian war party while visiting a house near the fort. Her fiancé sent another Indian war party to parley for her release. When it became clear the fiancé's envoy would not pay a ransom, her captor, a Huron named Wyandott Panther, became enraged. During the argument, he allegedly shot her. Jane's bloody scalp was taken to the British camp, where her fiancé identified it by its stark red hair. The rest of her remains were buried near the fort.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaij58yKJOyoX-MJMLpRMpt5SqVmYtE4PSZ2wp8UnmFLfFhRiA0dnjhzGGoCGqcxRz1lS2n3pGfYUefkV4TX3lvQtK-Cu3YzTShwxiDnUNPo1HWopMN4gUicOWRggt_fFjuJeZAiRtZkhPr-xoUBwUC8LfmT_lzB2bvLETqcbOvdjwQQnloIsP5OY/s500/McCrae%20Jane%20attacked.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="500" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaij58yKJOyoX-MJMLpRMpt5SqVmYtE4PSZ2wp8UnmFLfFhRiA0dnjhzGGoCGqcxRz1lS2n3pGfYUefkV4TX3lvQtK-Cu3YzTShwxiDnUNPo1HWopMN4gUicOWRggt_fFjuJeZAiRtZkhPr-xoUBwUC8LfmT_lzB2bvLETqcbOvdjwQQnloIsP5OY/w640-h334/McCrae%20Jane%20attacked.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jane McCrae's tragic death rallied the north</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Patriotic Outrage</h4><p>The Americans exploited the incident to arouse innate colonial fear and hatred of the Indians. With the long history of conflict between the tribes (especially the Mohawks) and the settlers, this was pretty easy to achieve. Soon, reluctant farmers and settlers began to rally to the cause in great numbers. By the time General Burgoyne's Army was north of Albany, the angry rebels outnumbered him by two to one.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PVN2jMZJZsK3kY0mYONqVpqDebe9U_G8W5M2TA8HljEXVYhpcQMF_mH8cc27LczoMbCe8uzc91bM-MYBHOob4b0XCURKxeSYJp6VObsC7JHcBubgTmKDWx1dPJ8hZKGy0qLKfSq8UsQH41KHBq0Ht5JPYbHnjCPNiDA_bjQMQGQw8DSgitHZEVVP/s600/Militia%20man%20leaving%20family%20to%20join%20unit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PVN2jMZJZsK3kY0mYONqVpqDebe9U_G8W5M2TA8HljEXVYhpcQMF_mH8cc27LczoMbCe8uzc91bM-MYBHOob4b0XCURKxeSYJp6VObsC7JHcBubgTmKDWx1dPJ8hZKGy0qLKfSq8UsQH41KHBq0Ht5JPYbHnjCPNiDA_bjQMQGQw8DSgitHZEVVP/w400-h255/Militia%20man%20leaving%20family%20to%20join%20unit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">McCrae's death and fear of the Indians rallied the complacent</div><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Forts of Futility?</h3><div>It is axiomatic that forts are built to fall. A determined and sometimes lucky attacker will always win out despite the earth, stone, wood, mortar, and sweat invested. The forts of the north were no exception. Despite strategic positioning, excellent defensive terrain, and expansive terrain for an attacker to control, they all fell. But does that mean they were a failure? Like minefields, forts are not meant to stop an enemy but to dictate his actions by channeling his forces, slowing his advance, and forcing a reckoning. And despite their flaws, the forts of the north, across decades of wars and strife, were places to be reckoned with.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPu0gJPClTwXrqPLqWfV9n07zRfG5rVOtml6VnvmTV9ikodfORnS8NRV_IjqDwnjVFlcBguKNIn4ZTYMyoOsv5ku4gsQLfuN0eZlNDZTEhmEWhMc10ZZeGnjco3QEknGLqsKPU9CkUQHORYl0olqw9cYol6eQnuUiUWjdfJ-8EFm1M0d_nnejGFgb/s960/Ticonderoga%20gun%20batteries%20in%20morning%20mist.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPu0gJPClTwXrqPLqWfV9n07zRfG5rVOtml6VnvmTV9ikodfORnS8NRV_IjqDwnjVFlcBguKNIn4ZTYMyoOsv5ku4gsQLfuN0eZlNDZTEhmEWhMc10ZZeGnjco3QEknGLqsKPU9CkUQHORYl0olqw9cYol6eQnuUiUWjdfJ-8EFm1M0d_nnejGFgb/w400-h300/Ticonderoga%20gun%20batteries%20in%20morning%20mist.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Guns of Ticonderoga</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I will close by recommending anyone interested in the fascinating history of the region visit these locales. They are surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the United States. Today, the mountains and waterways are home to pleasant villages, picturesque farms, and plenty of activities to enjoy while pondering the bravery and sacrifice of the early Americans, both native and colonists.</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-30647721201814643432022-05-30T06:57:00.000-07:002022-05-30T06:57:46.483-07:00Bold Dragoon<p> <i>Bennington, New York (Vermont)</i></p><p><i>A volley of musket fire suddenly sprayed just over their heads, and, contrary to tradition, training, and inclination, both officers ducked.</i></p><p><i>His jaw stiff with determination, Friedrich Baum rose to his feet and pointed his saber in the direction of the rebel fire. "The Iroquois must have fled. Why else would we receive rebel fire from there? Move a platoon to the south. Then bring up the cannon and quickly before they overrun us."</i></p><p><i>"We are already low on ammunition," said Glich.</i></p><p><i>"Then bring up the last caisson. No sense saving powder now."</i></p><p>Excerpt from <i>The North Spy</i></p><p>This edition of the Yankee Doodle Spies is another profile of a character from my upcoming novel, The North Spy, <i>Oberstleutnant</i> Friedrich Baum. But because there is so little known of Baum's background, I will have to fill in some blanks with speculation.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XrFdoG7U_P_eEdrS9ZRkYzON8_K4Q1BWu47IdEPNPm1e2JdNKe9PyNKsAeI1dAWa5EMfmvutqtrj5nM-gjubbpm-Hnt-PQ779ZmQXoTkWMt58FYkxugZjPo7iArVtgHz6vRH12QbEAW0YNXTb4iEPcxQEgeQMLU3y2HTNWuIf6Cyk2aBgfgZiXDW/s2702/North%20Spy%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2702" data-original-width="1724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XrFdoG7U_P_eEdrS9ZRkYzON8_K4Q1BWu47IdEPNPm1e2JdNKe9PyNKsAeI1dAWa5EMfmvutqtrj5nM-gjubbpm-Hnt-PQ779ZmQXoTkWMt58FYkxugZjPo7iArVtgHz6vRH12QbEAW0YNXTb4iEPcxQEgeQMLU3y2HTNWuIf6Cyk2aBgfgZiXDW/s320/North%20Spy%20Cover.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Professional Soldier</h4><p>Friedrich Baum was commander of a rare commodity in North America, a cavalry regiment. In this case, the Dragoon Regiment Prinz Ludwig, better known as the Brunswick Dragoons. The regiment's name came from its benefactor (the person who raised and equipped it), Prinz Ludwig Ernst, younger brother of Duke Karl, ruler of Brunswick. The Prinz Ludwig regiment was one of seven hired by the King of England from the Duke of Brunswick. The others were infantry: four musketeers, one grenadier, and one jaeger regiment. The Duchy of Brunswick (Braunschweig) is a north German principality that provided a crack professional army to allies like Prussia or friends with hard cash, like Britain.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9fFbhLUiphxBDiwejbUcCCrk0Y6uuhLow9SxDEM3rTjzMtPy8c6vJ27--VZx-F1Kqmi7zecrKbPXmxM2pF5pYZKrMPrOQBFj9XzequQSdGVvTwL0KNIYr1ylVuER9X50EtCw1BFn7kZW5EO41-cI8oZh1erzRzIC9k3wThCM7qAkmooAdI1rY4YD/s305/Brunswick%20Ludwig_Ernst_(1718-1788)_Herzog_zu_Braunschweig_-_Wolfenb%C3%BCttel_-_Bevern.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="220" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9fFbhLUiphxBDiwejbUcCCrk0Y6uuhLow9SxDEM3rTjzMtPy8c6vJ27--VZx-F1Kqmi7zecrKbPXmxM2pF5pYZKrMPrOQBFj9XzequQSdGVvTwL0KNIYr1ylVuER9X50EtCw1BFn7kZW5EO41-cI8oZh1erzRzIC9k3wThCM7qAkmooAdI1rY4YD/s1600/Brunswick%20Ludwig_Ernst_(1718-1788)_Herzog_zu_Braunschweig_-_Wolfenb%C3%BCttel_-_Bevern.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Prinz Ludwig Ernst</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Storied Regiment</h4><p>The regiment was raised in 1688 and designated a dragoon regiment in 1772. It consisted of four troops at full strength, totaling 330 officers and other ranks. These imposing horsemen wore bicorne hats and bright blue jackets and carried carbines and sabers. Although they had swords, dragoons were mounted infantry who rode into battle and then dismounted to fight as infantry with light muskets or carbines. It was assumed that the unit would require its mounts while in Canada, but they did not, and later, many exchanged their heavy boots for shoes with black gaiters.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="563" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAx--7HECw75PlLvRaVYU3HW92ai-s48y220n5gpt8cChs1FpYbKMmUvd8GcSvTrT_11QW81r2qwJx-jeGaE_OB8lDv_xE6f3ZoDbDH71tMuS86ZwOFjsrULRkf-qlgPZxMrxErYpO5W5IcOUvbvG4cd4a5Be3IqyLsggNm8tifUVvBhev1mULaUaV/w290-h400/Dragoon%20Brunswick%20on%20foot.jpg" width="290" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brunswick Dragoon</div><p><br /></p><p>Typical for the time, the commander was a colonel who did not actually lead the unit – <i>Oberst </i>Friedrich von Riedesel. Instead, the lieutenant colonel (<i>Oberstleutnant</i>) commanded. Von Riedesel would be promoted to major general and given command of the entire Brunswick contingent, which was "leased" to King George to serve as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War under the treaty of 1776 between Great Britain and the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Vague Origins</h4><p>Friedrich Baum was born in 1727, but his birthplace is unknown. Little is known of Friedrich Baum's background, but he was a tough, professional officer from the tiny principality ruled by Friedrich Graf zu Schaumburg-Lippe-Bueckeburg. Young Baum rose to captain of the Graf's Carabiner Corps, an elite body of troops. He had fought in some engagements during the Seven Years' War in Europe but had little battlefield command experience before serving in the American Revolution.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYMKgcVd4RIteYgHEXAg375lo2cS4k-8TrsWzhzeui9oFhpF4Nnvw9SkRCa6rKdX59UBniqXWrKZrPskQEprBCJ-0Zhie7Ro1Cmd36UiMk4GPbJym0-X5b_0fyzQJbo1N9uRdOoU_oTZ_Jgu1acHDMjMOqeRckFPieU5KZljFnIX6MJNSAXe0xFKEY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="736" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYMKgcVd4RIteYgHEXAg375lo2cS4k-8TrsWzhzeui9oFhpF4Nnvw9SkRCa6rKdX59UBniqXWrKZrPskQEprBCJ-0Zhie7Ro1Cmd36UiMk4GPbJym0-X5b_0fyzQJbo1N9uRdOoU_oTZ_Jgu1acHDMjMOqeRckFPieU5KZljFnIX6MJNSAXe0xFKEY=w400-h226" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dragoons in the Seven Years' War</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">A New Allegiance, A New World</h4><p>Baum switched his service to the Duke of Brunswick in 1762 and, by 1776, had risen to lieutenant colonel. Baum and the Brunswick Dragoon Regiment departed the German duchy in February 1776 as part of two Brunswick divisions hired to fight the United States under the now General Friedrich von Riedesel. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOpYwrk_3Jp7gfyqt01hxh3hgx_1iGEAnVVvTRClByTz3R4Xkk5l5i423asBe7AbSJ-0Q1RB5oTz9qjSxKuKYB58iRuAlf2oA46Dsad87J-xtUu4jnY2Y3CN_uJhF8giWe0L6EB0X4YxDxbJVoRgUEVK6oX1fKpO-yUVDn59vjXmdC-7nwYLKuCEnI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOpYwrk_3Jp7gfyqt01hxh3hgx_1iGEAnVVvTRClByTz3R4Xkk5l5i423asBe7AbSJ-0Q1RB5oTz9qjSxKuKYB58iRuAlf2oA46Dsad87J-xtUu4jnY2Y3CN_uJhF8giWe0L6EB0X4YxDxbJVoRgUEVK6oX1fKpO-yUVDn59vjXmdC-7nwYLKuCEnI=w268-h320" width="268" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Friedrich von Riedesel</div><br /><p></p><p>After arriving in Quebec, the Brunswickers helped Governor Guy Carleton police up the Americans struggling to retreat to New York. In the summer of 1777, Baum's regiment was assigned to the army of General John Burgoyne, which was getting ready for a significant campaign in New York's Lake Champlain region. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Northern Invasion</h4><p>The invasion kicked off in late June and started well with a rapid advance down Lake Champlain, taking the massive Fort Ticonderoga by a <i>coup de main</i> and a pursuit of the rapidly dispersing rebel army. But by August, Burgoyne's forces began to slow and tire in heavily wooded, inhospitable terrain. More urgently, the supply line became overextended, and the army faced shortages. Intelligence reports informed Burgoyne of Loyalists rallying to the king and the availability of livestock and foodstuffs just a few miles away at Bennington in the New Hampshire Grants – a disputed territory straddling New York and New Hampshire that would become Vermont.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj98kqOH7L_sR8vVLgiqi-rXZpIkIfLXwaA3Kdae-8yySiWoq8USPLK6349PBrBRJ9kB4o5ioskixyuyDV0aq3oCh8MkGtTiu3jNL7qg5eoexwWrJ-eF9E_QqwHORuWemRS8IpWF9mG6YwxUp8ugjMGBXlbc5bjWRzx-0UpI_yVHxr7RjG2hwKO1RLm" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="401" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj98kqOH7L_sR8vVLgiqi-rXZpIkIfLXwaA3Kdae-8yySiWoq8USPLK6349PBrBRJ9kB4o5ioskixyuyDV0aq3oCh8MkGtTiu3jNL7qg5eoexwWrJ-eF9E_QqwHORuWemRS8IpWF9mG6YwxUp8ugjMGBXlbc5bjWRzx-0UpI_yVHxr7RjG2hwKO1RLm=w400-h316" width="400" /></a></div>The invasion route<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A Special Mission</h4><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Burgoyne directed Baum to lead 800 men through the Grants, seize cattle and horses, and recruit the numerous Loyalist sympathizers in the region. Baum's men marched east on 11 August 1777. In addition, his more than 374 Brunswick Dragoons, some 50 Jaegers, 30 artillerymen, 300 Loyalists, Canadians, and Indians set off on what was expected to be a simple mission. </p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UWt4ZBS8S1lBHO_nxpWrfsj75vIUTGiidLKayExSXLkASJMDmj5opnkNrp5GR3KLcQzrN-P-hcEw5yrjs-sfMO_p_bYi9erKu1Xywe6eSgXbcYz5GBj1jg30LKGC73dNJ1GaprPx-D589bBjqoz0wroWVSeZuIA3qW4T_lLTwYfaI3RKl0jc9kn0/s297/Indian%20Mohawk%20warriors%20attacking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="297" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UWt4ZBS8S1lBHO_nxpWrfsj75vIUTGiidLKayExSXLkASJMDmj5opnkNrp5GR3KLcQzrN-P-hcEw5yrjs-sfMO_p_bYi9erKu1Xywe6eSgXbcYz5GBj1jg30LKGC73dNJ1GaprPx-D589bBjqoz0wroWVSeZuIA3qW4T_lLTwYfaI3RKl0jc9kn0/w400-h209/Indian%20Mohawk%20warriors%20attacking.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Indian allies </div><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p>True to his Seven Year War experience and European training, Baum proceeded slowly through the rough and wooded terrain. He would occasionally halt the column to dress and realign the ranks. But time was not of the essence as Baum was told. The numerous Loyalists in the region would be rallying to him. Unfortunately, word of the Iroquois depredations against the settlers had the opposite effect. Loyalists did not turn out, but the Patriots were rallying.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rebel Resistance</h4><p>This became obvious the next day when a force of rebels engaged Baum's column in a firefight at Cambridge. His "spider-sense" tingling, the cautious Baum sent Burgoyne a request for reinforcements. He also expressed frustration that Loyalist bands had not rallied to him as expected. <i>What to do? </i>Dig in, of course. He had his men throw up several redoubts east of Bennington and waited for his reinforcements and the situation to develop. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRLUAg4TyDmmCOxlL2Wr3DK_cPav-l5ohZlGpLrsNrOuLlJPxubHCSUwL6RsRkLbLWi0ntImqENIKVCnfIs6cDScIoCkamMVh8_laO5gI4McqEiV2WXrDqlXsz4zMV_pI5JamWuts5sNMzhSP4-YwsxgPB1Q9QJ68-LmR_KDI2LmwT2HSA56Boh1e/s1000/Militia%20firing%20in%20forest.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRLUAg4TyDmmCOxlL2Wr3DK_cPav-l5ohZlGpLrsNrOuLlJPxubHCSUwL6RsRkLbLWi0ntImqENIKVCnfIs6cDScIoCkamMVh8_laO5gI4McqEiV2WXrDqlXsz4zMV_pI5JamWuts5sNMzhSP4-YwsxgPB1Q9QJ68-LmR_KDI2LmwT2HSA56Boh1e/w400-h265/Militia%20firing%20in%20forest.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Baum's first contact with militia sent off an alarm</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Rising Tide</h4><p>Unfortunately, his redoubts were separated to the point they could not provide mutual support. And although some Loyalists had come into his camp to join his column, there were rebel spies among them. And two American forces were making ready to pounce on Baum's exposed position. The spies soon reported back on details of Baum's defenses. Some 2,000 rebels, mostly New Hampshire militia under John Stark and Seth Warner's Green Mountain Boys, were ready to deploy against Baum's positions. Stark pushed units around Baum's flanks and nearly surrounded him, and on the morning of 16 August, Stark gave the order to attack.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYwmb0EFGhYLnQ9bxj4k8BdQSzMtzNxygjPqAi5NfMsV2WFhnuoGVct0MEx8iTkMtgqJ6Qsxe9GDTculbY267P4nyeHR7Aw7E7MO1sZ-0aV48qtXxNFfAQpp1o1L03IHo3LknCFkFGITQ5Sof3k029Q4zU4GKbA8Azs4Qq4SM7Vp9gRBC8J7row5y/s173/Stark%20john%20color.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="145" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYwmb0EFGhYLnQ9bxj4k8BdQSzMtzNxygjPqAi5NfMsV2WFhnuoGVct0MEx8iTkMtgqJ6Qsxe9GDTculbY267P4nyeHR7Aw7E7MO1sZ-0aV48qtXxNFfAQpp1o1L03IHo3LknCFkFGITQ5Sof3k029Q4zU4GKbA8Azs4Qq4SM7Vp9gRBC8J7row5y/w268-h320/Stark%20john%20color.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><span style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">John Stark was the wrong opponent for Baum's first action</div></span><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Shock and Awe in the Grants</h4><p>The veteran Baum was caught off guard by the speed and shock of the rebel attack. The Brunswick Dragoons and other Germans fought back fiercely, expertly using their redoubts. But they fell for a ruse by Stark, who deliberately sent units out to draw the defenders' fire and cause them to waste a scarce powder and ball. When the defenders' volleys began to weaken, the Americans advanced and took the redoubts one at a time. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z4RW1DBHz8vU1C9aMc4b25r8yvnhKJbhPOdybI2qNhC6OGEYmhLcPAIuqPGNwplG_yfH0gAB8RR6nbrzGomWEqRNKiXALMfQXBUqZnnmqxHwRM5TTB4NEeX6yNqdOfWSxzW0ncDlVOAUZ56hv9P42RewhARm9JT38oBHjMdKje_7FwEv7-SO3uLF/s900/Bennington%20Stark%20leads%20attack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="900" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z4RW1DBHz8vU1C9aMc4b25r8yvnhKJbhPOdybI2qNhC6OGEYmhLcPAIuqPGNwplG_yfH0gAB8RR6nbrzGomWEqRNKiXALMfQXBUqZnnmqxHwRM5TTB4NEeX6yNqdOfWSxzW0ncDlVOAUZ56hv9P42RewhARm9JT38oBHjMdKje_7FwEv7-SO3uLF/w400-h248/Bennington%20Stark%20leads%20attack.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">New Hampshire militia storming Baum's redoubts</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Last Redoubt</h4><p>Baum, commanding the last redoubt, assessed his situation. The rebels were swarming and peppering them with constant fire. The air hummed with the sound of musket balls, and the hollering of angry rebels fired up for the final blow. Most of his Loyalist and Indian allies had fled. It was down to him and the dragoons. The professionals who followed him across the deadly battlefields of Europe and a vast ocean now faced a land and a people even more menacing.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkRSxblZuBAfDOdNum5esr1I-BuCXm1Wxt_WjsGcvZ3RAJgQ2eqvNbjtv-WrfLjKi0T1H9y7GhLRr1jE5sTrrhj0taoo3CkvfNoRXwKfXW-oNhN5mvMboWv-hdOQgB9z0O_bYDvQnPCCh6PzZYKP9ktW1VrAzt2lIlXN_tAw1lXJ1WHuc0ivNmaU6v" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="474" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkRSxblZuBAfDOdNum5esr1I-BuCXm1Wxt_WjsGcvZ3RAJgQ2eqvNbjtv-WrfLjKi0T1H9y7GhLRr1jE5sTrrhj0taoo3CkvfNoRXwKfXW-oNhN5mvMboWv-hdOQgB9z0O_bYDvQnPCCh6PzZYKP9ktW1VrAzt2lIlXN_tAw1lXJ1WHuc0ivNmaU6v=w400-h256" width="400" /></a></div>One by one, the redoubts fell<br /><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"> Desperate Gambit</h4><p>With ammunition almost depleted, surrounded, and outnumbered three to one, our bold dragoon realized his hopeless position and turned to a desperate measure. His surviving dragoons drew their long sabers. Although they lacked horses, they had gravity! Blades glinting against the sun, the tall, mustached warriors in pale blue charged downhill upon the startled Americans. Seven stout-hearted dragoons slashed their way out and eventually limped into Fort George. Unfortunately, our bold dragoon was not among them. Oberstleutnant Braun took a musket ball, fell into rebel hands, and died in the American camp on 18 August. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk904VT7NgWkYupUY5KejvWUE1-ElVjpyeOYuIqOL9EiAnLXnGfwmgwlYJSQx_dV-iyfzVkFXNCZCKooTJVjIdyRwyvetQpMfFJjEgwbUklhMSPUHWdIpsckZZHQGDWzOf2B68nRyAARhzWaCFyziWW6b4wL00dyQr-oX0PoHHyYhftuPQTkUP5Idh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1200" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk904VT7NgWkYupUY5KejvWUE1-ElVjpyeOYuIqOL9EiAnLXnGfwmgwlYJSQx_dV-iyfzVkFXNCZCKooTJVjIdyRwyvetQpMfFJjEgwbUklhMSPUHWdIpsckZZHQGDWzOf2B68nRyAARhzWaCFyziWW6b4wL00dyQr-oX0PoHHyYhftuPQTkUP5Idh=w400-h281" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Scheme of battle</div><br /><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Battle Lost</h4><p>The final musket shots grew still at dusk. The expected reinforcements, a force of Brunswick jaegers and grenadiers under Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich von Breymann, arrived too late to save the day. Some accounts say Breymann detested Baum and proceeded at a pace of under a mile an hour, but the terrain and other factors might account for this. Breymann himself would fall in battle a few months later - shot by his own men! Yes, "fragging" was a thing in the 18th century and throughout military history.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Campaign Lost</h4><p>The impact of Baum's defeat cannot be overstated. More than 700 soldiers of Baum's command were taken prisoner or missing. Pretty much the whole lot. American casualties were about 70. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi79S4kMHZcHjioawqOM41hhxaKLCi-7rxapl-UFhIb2FSxzh613TV2fH4qDT7Mkr1nV4XbEiLnHvsoRZwzzkFCjNEMMa0r1O5qewb7XjGfn7dGixVcw-RaBac-pIYeTE-lnDTo_dsDSwaC0WYmZtZ9WBUL-kZXlkeo73zV1-nf5CmbxlSKQz1t9KWi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi79S4kMHZcHjioawqOM41hhxaKLCi-7rxapl-UFhIb2FSxzh613TV2fH4qDT7Mkr1nV4XbEiLnHvsoRZwzzkFCjNEMMa0r1O5qewb7XjGfn7dGixVcw-RaBac-pIYeTE-lnDTo_dsDSwaC0WYmZtZ9WBUL-kZXlkeo73zV1-nf5CmbxlSKQz1t9KWi=w400-h198" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Aftermath of battle</div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>The failed expedition meant Burgoyne lacked enough food, supplies, and draft animals for the ongoing struggle at Saratoga – not to mention the lack of a corps of professional soldiers. The Indian allies lost confidence in Burgoyne's chances of success and began to drift away, leaving Burgoyne without native "cavalry" to scout and screen in the vast New York wilderness. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeHxKZazh3aUS_HNHvghlPRyRb5-9b2UGUDP3KbHDFJV3Ix9_JlLgV3a-zV9UjvejOh_IRkgIfvw2Gh6_5DHSgjMXzXhjlSGHRweMi7eDJdIFRCM9JyBT-emxBSOrkopuXyGA2eIUV44YVecAET4vU_U6B2iKbkLWyVEtSa6MFEpWMfWtAz2nveIw/s582/Burgoyne,%20General%20John.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="463" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeHxKZazh3aUS_HNHvghlPRyRb5-9b2UGUDP3KbHDFJV3Ix9_JlLgV3a-zV9UjvejOh_IRkgIfvw2Gh6_5DHSgjMXzXhjlSGHRweMi7eDJdIFRCM9JyBT-emxBSOrkopuXyGA2eIUV44YVecAET4vU_U6B2iKbkLWyVEtSa6MFEpWMfWtAz2nveIw/s320/Burgoyne,%20General%20John.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Baum's defeat helped seal Burgoyne's fate</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>And, of course, Baum's defeat was the precursor to the more significant defeat of Burgoyne's army two months later at Saratoga, turning the tide of war in favor of the Americans.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Legacy</h4><p>So our bold dragoon's legacy is not a good one. Baum's first experience at an independent command became his last. He did his duty, but his mission failed. Yet our bold dragoon gave the last full measure. I believe, in some way, as a professional officer, he may have preferred to give it than face the shame of defeat at the hands of rebels.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6PQZ7jnyKczZTk7VS71bI2q_dXLGdwALMc5OvQ1v_CeVP26Svh1LbokS7gADwM7noAxcdGQeGd0vDypFXKD8wr9813tQ0Jkz5O9ZmxDI1qhaQLCYZGlVGabdTS0Aj5WwgE20rkkkCxtLiDluWCMYi6NIXuHxT5GqTH-FumOlIuD1gC0rwShXabSm4=w240-h320" width="240" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Marker near where Baum died</div><br /><p></p><p>They buried Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum on the north bank of the Walloomsac River, the precise spot unknown. He died in a nearby house, which was razed around 1870. A marker erected at the site of the house in 1927 by the Sons of the American Revolution is the only link to the man whose demise may have meant the beginning of the turning point in the American War for Independence.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1PAjToUvv-bfPSwhT-BnDIAKZMqsXLoLmC2TWwBJn7aCOg3g2SYELGUPQSW9sT3n04S4p959wdFeBaxT9GuMoxtkBsDqnXe5ZMDLX_M7fFW8AOaJGuK1CJljzFJYIaZnVyRJgN67OLWfHzTpG5p0EvGHu8eXGtptTGOTzvGTRxXLctgi8-924gzRc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1PAjToUvv-bfPSwhT-BnDIAKZMqsXLoLmC2TWwBJn7aCOg3g2SYELGUPQSW9sT3n04S4p959wdFeBaxT9GuMoxtkBsDqnXe5ZMDLX_M7fFW8AOaJGuK1CJljzFJYIaZnVyRJgN67OLWfHzTpG5p0EvGHu8eXGtptTGOTzvGTRxXLctgi8-924gzRc=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Final Epitaph</div><br /><p></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-64984149851540375262022-04-30T09:38:00.001-07:002022-04-30T09:42:03.381-07:00 The Granite General<p><br /></p><p>The American War for Independence had a lot of badasses but few senior officers tougher than the Granite State's favorite son, John Stark. Stark was an American cut from the same rough cloth as Anthony Wayne and Daniel Morgan but also had the keen tactical eye of Benedict Arnold and the vision of a Nathanael Greene. Yet John Stark is little known outside his native New Hampshire and even there, primarily for his statue in Manchester. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyHVHvsK1parPXrQ5hBG8P0C6S3p94Wu4gCTAGW0Yoa-4LfhQwm0-EG5T6zd8lEWmOcOgYvjUYDt717zGMR5g2oN2OjoBsizYIXz8r_kl25wOLqCgeZVkgKzTi_x76fBAeg1oBoUXHJgbV_nqLJv7sM0exJZBie0LFhf2n1rR4m8Y3DzKbN1IXHm4/s293/Stark%20statue%20Manchester%20NH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyHVHvsK1parPXrQ5hBG8P0C6S3p94Wu4gCTAGW0Yoa-4LfhQwm0-EG5T6zd8lEWmOcOgYvjUYDt717zGMR5g2oN2OjoBsizYIXz8r_kl25wOLqCgeZVkgKzTi_x76fBAeg1oBoUXHJgbV_nqLJv7sM0exJZBie0LFhf2n1rR4m8Y3DzKbN1IXHm4/w300-h400/Stark%20statue%20Manchester%20NH.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Stark statue in Manchester</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Rugged American</h4><p>The son of Scottish immigrants, John Stark, was born on 28 August 1728 in Londonderry, New Hampshire. As a boy, he moved with his family to Derryfield, now called Manchester. It would be Stark's home whenever he was not out hunting or fighting.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwV1tKt0XoPLEw292f2qHWgpv3_-sZGelopI_k2q_1WQXD6ajdGXwUV_o5XUmhY1Cz1lOOavmZBrR8nWGPLdYQXbxL-GVBG2_nyRkwI8T_jB-gEpMog0JepY4zXRM3LY88rqqZtXDkeLxwEKT5W6qO80yn_bMH-QEHyUf1gOhn6JHp8v1br4Sgfrb/s1146/Trappers%20camping.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="1146" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZwV1tKt0XoPLEw292f2qHWgpv3_-sZGelopI_k2q_1WQXD6ajdGXwUV_o5XUmhY1Cz1lOOavmZBrR8nWGPLdYQXbxL-GVBG2_nyRkwI8T_jB-gEpMog0JepY4zXRM3LY88rqqZtXDkeLxwEKT5W6qO80yn_bMH-QEHyUf1gOhn6JHp8v1br4Sgfrb/s320/Trappers%20camping.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trapping in Deep Forests</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>In the mid-18th century, much of New Hampshire was a frontier of rugged mountains, dense forests, plenty of game – and native tribes. Stark grew up in this savage wilderness, spending much of his time in the forests hunting, trapping, and developing the skills of a backwoodsman. And he was no stranger to the violence of the region. These would combine to give him the rugged individualism and self-confidence that would later serve him and the nation.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyammep8v_vFLvlKi1v-_1kFvBvR-eSEvYDJQXMgq_IFvfIayC-nULbTCsCAMOXyU3Krt-tWyRx9YzgNJgfJDmAUi8rvhg1BOwSl7clI9sdqs6mP0DNZ5skjrQekOictpR0iLIo7AOMMMXn4mbDoeu8ayTpNIMstKa3G66PIh8_rwFv9o_jvUj_3ds/s474/Hunter%20vs%20bear.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="474" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyammep8v_vFLvlKi1v-_1kFvBvR-eSEvYDJQXMgq_IFvfIayC-nULbTCsCAMOXyU3Krt-tWyRx9YzgNJgfJDmAUi8rvhg1BOwSl7clI9sdqs6mP0DNZ5skjrQekOictpR0iLIo7AOMMMXn4mbDoeu8ayTpNIMstKa3G66PIh8_rwFv9o_jvUj_3ds/s320/Hunter%20vs%20bear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Hunter or the Hunted?</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Frontier Hostage </h4><p>On 28 April 1752, a party of Abenaki warriors captured young Stark while he was on an excursion hunting game and trapping fur along the Baker River. One of their party, David Stinson, was killed. Fortunately, Stark was able to warn his brother William, who escaped in a canoe. But the braves took John and his companion, Amos Eastman, to Canada. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XwVxOEKoGpa3M5teNlRL0uiTnpJCuFOPmlks0Tqvee-vVRYMm2MLXei4C_A_G1GAE5hddaDQN1EWQItSm3onLOpbiV5XZexN1HFfxnpPYN8QqxZuPIqm6UoAGcLTrLMiBNVA3YCQinVPudQtFsGmfQNLcmRZRQWiMIOxFktQ4oPTv0ZbewIYUFIF/s300/Stark%20captured%20by%20Abenakis.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="203" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XwVxOEKoGpa3M5teNlRL0uiTnpJCuFOPmlks0Tqvee-vVRYMm2MLXei4C_A_G1GAE5hddaDQN1EWQItSm3onLOpbiV5XZexN1HFfxnpPYN8QqxZuPIqm6UoAGcLTrLMiBNVA3YCQinVPudQtFsGmfQNLcmRZRQWiMIOxFktQ4oPTv0ZbewIYUFIF/s1600/Stark%20captured%20by%20Abenakis.webp" width="203" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Abenaki Hostages</div><p><br /></p><p>His time as a prisoner toughened him. He and fellow captive Amos were ordered to "run the gauntlet" of braves wielding clubs during their captivity. Few got through the ordeal of the gauntlet without suffering a savage beating, and some succumbed. Stark was not intimidated. Displaying the grit he would later be famous for, the young man sprang on the first warrior, seized his club, and went at the astonished braves. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv229q9d92zb4F1spdSoKAfuUovpM41KLPLED287NLgrrTg0BDrUfU4g2Kxwfun1dleyga1tXUYZHF89W6X3uWVk3eLQQbjJHLYDA6FwXGYtKsDubL6GeCx88ZIskL_kAwgu88CaJWaCGaEaYNkrurZN3s_hMfdiO4veMHhbvHD-LbscEq68658My/s353/Gauntlet%20running%20BW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkv229q9d92zb4F1spdSoKAfuUovpM41KLPLED287NLgrrTg0BDrUfU4g2Kxwfun1dleyga1tXUYZHF89W6X3uWVk3eLQQbjJHLYDA6FwXGYtKsDubL6GeCx88ZIskL_kAwgu88CaJWaCGaEaYNkrurZN3s_hMfdiO4veMHhbvHD-LbscEq68658My/s320/Gauntlet%20running%20BW.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Running the Gauntlet</div><p><br /></p><p>His courage and strength impressed the Abenakis, and the chief adopted Stark, who spent the winter as one of them. The colony later sent representatives to ransom the two captives, with Stark alone setting the treasury back 103 Spanish dollars. Stark returned home but now had a bond with the clan he had lived with.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Let's Go Rangers!</h4><p>In 1755, the simmering conflict over the western frontier exploded in North America. The French and Indian War (Seven Years War in Europe) dragged Stark and his brother William into it. For the British, the war was a fight for empire in North America and worldwide. For the colonials, it was a fight for survival against implacable enemies.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6F40n8utOqu6HKudHjrX_GetxYQh9oJPJ_peeXKs4SP4nxVnLPHvgZI_m4KPa9ImJXSTcGDrTQXpqvq8huAjvSXfLsvrhE3UpWVAjVZx9Zd9RKH1pJ-uH6BmQPxcrgFQomQOjqkc0yAlbrjzQ53kmyIFZMeoZdfpDAP-ZZGi9Dw6eGYC2VEKhXlo-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6F40n8utOqu6HKudHjrX_GetxYQh9oJPJ_peeXKs4SP4nxVnLPHvgZI_m4KPa9ImJXSTcGDrTQXpqvq8huAjvSXfLsvrhE3UpWVAjVZx9Zd9RKH1pJ-uH6BmQPxcrgFQomQOjqkc0yAlbrjzQ53kmyIFZMeoZdfpDAP-ZZGi9Dw6eGYC2VEKhXlo-" width="144" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>John and William joined Major Robert Rogers's company of rangers. Rogers's Rangers became the most renowned frontier fighting force of its time and the stuff of books and movies. Hardened men, used to the rigors of the frontier, the rangers knew and used every trick in the book to go deep into the forests and wreak havoc on the French and their Indian allies. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8WU2v6Oc8n6cQWPGsfo0W073jV4cq_i9dOfRmgYxGObgruxU2CmCjxI9Jwsi4W2qn51yo1gpsUHFzlFSf0pg4TKmsUbGrgDf-LXZHlW-OIdoGwznab9G0RiUPXzAwXu2PrWGFjwln6u5RA7M0fKia84fqQ84l8PCFGfeNB4gpc2Bd7JcSPEjq7YK/s388/Rogers_Rangers_U.S._Army_Center_of_Military_History.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8WU2v6Oc8n6cQWPGsfo0W073jV4cq_i9dOfRmgYxGObgruxU2CmCjxI9Jwsi4W2qn51yo1gpsUHFzlFSf0pg4TKmsUbGrgDf-LXZHlW-OIdoGwznab9G0RiUPXzAwXu2PrWGFjwln6u5RA7M0fKia84fqQ84l8PCFGfeNB4gpc2Bd7JcSPEjq7YK/s320/Rogers_Rangers_U.S._Army_Center_of_Military_History.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rogers's Rangers</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Young John Stark distinguished himself in the battles at Lake George, Bloody Pond, Halfway Creek, Fort William Henry, the Battle of Snow Shoes, plus the 1758 Battle of Fort Carillion, and the 1759 campaign in which Fort Carillion was abandoned. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Crisis of Conscience</h4><p>In a strange twist, the gritty and hardened Stark faced a unique crisis of conscience in 1759 when British General Jeffery Amherst ordered the rangers to march from Lake George (NY) to the village of St. Francis in Quebec. The town was founded by Jesuit missionaries for converted Indians and was the home of the Abenaki, who had become his foster parents during captivity. Although now a captain and serving as Roger's second in command, the rugged young frontiersman refused to take part in the attack. He soon took leave of the rangers and returned to New Hampshire to spend time with his wife of one year, Molly Page.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsv4_GWQUyU_SZLGLGfcwwiUlv-mhE2WbOL2GJw5-1AOBiJSflsnGqrHcehhkY27EKrmIRYoUPElzAEceqdcFMXJNkJ04ltoNMVHo7qKsH_oqTciZ-Fc0L8hJnI1dd2Gv0G784KNM0BKiOi1WBJCiXrq7J8cZml0FHBPKua-239LUZlJUOdp0jRCV/s736/St%20Francis%20Quebec%20Raid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="736" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsv4_GWQUyU_SZLGLGfcwwiUlv-mhE2WbOL2GJw5-1AOBiJSflsnGqrHcehhkY27EKrmIRYoUPElzAEceqdcFMXJNkJ04ltoNMVHo7qKsH_oqTciZ-Fc0L8hJnI1dd2Gv0G784KNM0BKiOi1WBJCiXrq7J8cZml0FHBPKua-239LUZlJUOdp0jRCV/s320/St%20Francis%20Quebec%20Raid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rangers move against St. Francis</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Home</h4><p>When the war ended in 1763, Captain Stark retired and went home to Derryfield to join Molly and raise a family of eleven children. Unlike most of his peers, young John Stark refused to engage in local politics and rejected the call to political meetings, even in the run-up to the American Revolution. However, he overcame his innate rejection of authority when he sensed his country was in danger. In 1774, he joined the local Committee of Safety, the colonies' self-defense organizers and the cornerstone of the resistance to British authority. Local committees of safety prepared the colonies' towns and counties for political action, self-defense, and war.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkUcXYV9CyMaGp3Cc3FU85Z05NAd4aenH3W93SPaBg3zgdo75XVbolfm8LJkhqage1fJpoa6S5iMZUcvXLuDbtM1hLjLrGOvJCQ7eU5TT6c6ch7OA3CKT5zrI_iCcroxrDFwKB3KNgOR1SD0aqIMBTzK_j-WXBbBqIKAmjQBsL9JDIpUSzdTmQvgm/s473/Meeting%20political.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="473" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkUcXYV9CyMaGp3Cc3FU85Z05NAd4aenH3W93SPaBg3zgdo75XVbolfm8LJkhqage1fJpoa6S5iMZUcvXLuDbtM1hLjLrGOvJCQ7eU5TT6c6ch7OA3CKT5zrI_iCcroxrDFwKB3KNgOR1SD0aqIMBTzK_j-WXBbBqIKAmjQBsL9JDIpUSzdTmQvgm/w400-h279/Meeting%20political.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Committee Meeting</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">Call to Arms</h4><p>When word of Lexington and Concord reached him, Stark left his farm and sawmill and musket in hand, headed for Boston, where New England was gathering to face the British. Commissioned a colonel, Stark was placed at the head of the regiment he recruited – tough New Hampshire men. He quickly went into action on 27 May 1775, conducting a raid on a British foraging party on Boston harbor's Noodles Island. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8-Hsm0A0l804wnJ3KcjHLbmD3xzlQLR3tUR-IKgMsYCiLFCKGW4QZAtmerHclXMDQRpOdc73KdIbMGJ1FnIUV9Q0vgSfIhANKlTw5TJ0qUMvp6858FoSr7ZQH34lFULQUqTVqQAPfntderKVgoSacdK7rqfVjAMlTbE-0141MTOZ-BADucogOshyC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1617" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8-Hsm0A0l804wnJ3KcjHLbmD3xzlQLR3tUR-IKgMsYCiLFCKGW4QZAtmerHclXMDQRpOdc73KdIbMGJ1FnIUV9Q0vgSfIhANKlTw5TJ0qUMvp6858FoSr7ZQH34lFULQUqTVqQAPfntderKVgoSacdK7rqfVjAMlTbE-0141MTOZ-BADucogOshyC" width="178" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Raiding in the Harbor</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Mystic Beach</h4><p>But his real debut came at a place called Bunker (Breed's) Hill on 17 June. Stark's regiment was one of the first to run the gauntlet of British naval fire to seize the critical ground below the crest. Stark now commanded his command plus the Second New Hampshire. The commander on site, Colonel Prescott, told Stark to pick where he wanted his regiments to defend. The former ranger quickly realized the north flank was the weak point of the American position. There, he placed his men behind a rail fence that ran from the hill to the bank of the Mystic River and had them reinforce the rails with straw to deceive the British. He also had the men pile boulders along the exposed beach to form a makeshift wall. Then Stark stepped in front of the works, marked the ground some eighty paces distant, and ordered his men not to fire until the redcoats reached that mark.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMSlEVTMoXPmNbxmRzFGPf3-VQKPK3yRR8ftK-pSPj3Z_ntt6AJSUPhodLDYfsDbWUhEECxeUoc4QsQMIxHZPwB0GjDC_K_-vHW_Eyngd4qR0fs8sOfeSSVxobyg4wJ-NVtDbdT14MlQLlouEls8kZs3nS6w9mY2BOV6LVO2iFE6Io5-NFprYGL-o/s1943/Bunker%20Hill%20from%20American%20left%20flank%20by%20Ken%20Riley.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1943" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMSlEVTMoXPmNbxmRzFGPf3-VQKPK3yRR8ftK-pSPj3Z_ntt6AJSUPhodLDYfsDbWUhEECxeUoc4QsQMIxHZPwB0GjDC_K_-vHW_Eyngd4qR0fs8sOfeSSVxobyg4wJ-NVtDbdT14MlQLlouEls8kZs3nS6w9mY2BOV6LVO2iFE6Io5-NFprYGL-o/s320/Bunker%20Hill%20from%20American%20left%20flank%20by%20Ken%20Riley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Facing the Welch Fusiliers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>The tramp of the advancing elite Welch Fusiliers at the van of the British army had men checking flints as they waited patiently for Stark's command to "aim at their waistbands!" A horrific volley cut down ninety fusiliers, sending the rest in a panicked flight. The next wave fared no better as a second volley blasted them. The final British assault was also repulsed, ending the attack on the American flank. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdPAkRusQYUfbZYInzHHazt_i1RrMpQu-jrINdWYbQXPzg5bSETkD9XM6PWJOIU3Pk4NkP3RC_65nmOBs2qRqx2zv_ERlYgC4r_V5pIuDHFWQhkHOuc7yhYBmKrovBX8_PUb0ZxAhYtzhybm1c50VPAlMgatXHPD67hz0xvC-EgFRtTuC_LnI7APj/s596/Bunker%20Hill%20British%20Advance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="596" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdPAkRusQYUfbZYInzHHazt_i1RrMpQu-jrINdWYbQXPzg5bSETkD9XM6PWJOIU3Pk4NkP3RC_65nmOBs2qRqx2zv_ERlYgC4r_V5pIuDHFWQhkHOuc7yhYBmKrovBX8_PUb0ZxAhYtzhybm1c50VPAlMgatXHPD67hz0xvC-EgFRtTuC_LnI7APj/s320/Bunker%20Hill%20British%20Advance.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bunker Hill: synonymous with Pyrrhic victory</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Similar results took place on Bunker hill itself until lack of powder forced an American withdrawal, which Starks's men covered with disciplined musket fire. The British took the hill, but with the devastating loss of officers and men. Over 1,000 officers and other ranks were killed or wounded. And so typical of 18th-century war, many wounded would eventually succumb. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Passed Over</h4><p>Sadly, many promotions and appointments, especially early in the war, were political. When the post-Bunker Hill round of promotions took place, the Continental Congress overlooked Colonel John Stark for less accomplished officers. This would anger Stark and stoke his resentment toward authority.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Continental Line</h4><p>After the battle, Colonel Stark's command was brought into the Continental Army as the 5th New Hampshire Line. The unit served with distinction as part of General George Washington's army in the New York and New Jersey campaigns. Stark's men closely engaged the enemy in several battles, including Trenton, Assenpink Creek (2nd Trenton), and Princeton. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-OkoHSWjCRz6Lm-UEj0p2iOPeROU67NILBmjpjJl1tKD1TmW3dWZ0DBt9SQLOEzIQdzjC8W9rlFykY6eTxJlEmT3bvRyvGlOsyh2D7Hi06Y2uro3k6MfZafLOv3OTDqbmZJk_nVldxYQBmChm4AckXr8EXyFqA2AVk_48Ukr_2VDyt4wNLUBXw4w/s500/Trenton%20Washington%20leads%20BW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="500" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-OkoHSWjCRz6Lm-UEj0p2iOPeROU67NILBmjpjJl1tKD1TmW3dWZ0DBt9SQLOEzIQdzjC8W9rlFykY6eTxJlEmT3bvRyvGlOsyh2D7Hi06Y2uro3k6MfZafLOv3OTDqbmZJk_nVldxYQBmChm4AckXr8EXyFqA2AVk_48Ukr_2VDyt4wNLUBXw4w/s320/Trenton%20Washington%20leads%20BW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Taking Trenton</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>At Trenton, Washington, recognizing his bravery and abilities as a battle leader, entrusted him with command of the critical right-wing of the Nathanael Greene's advance guard. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxnzZ_bPuAfL53SrH91U8BQXsUMG7r2QNF1xkbLHtavFZ_BnkFLiaWdJ_AdfbsoHass57roSAQid-cQVMYAg3DVP_v8vV9Bvxfq5tTFfNKZdXFQlas_YPz7eQ3dy_S3hRPSFf2A4R09AxeFNFncoMBdqeqV0tT1J1joGoJi0ydzE0oo-uoveWNrZB/s384/Greene%20Nathanael%20head%20and%20shoulders.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxnzZ_bPuAfL53SrH91U8BQXsUMG7r2QNF1xkbLHtavFZ_BnkFLiaWdJ_AdfbsoHass57roSAQid-cQVMYAg3DVP_v8vV9Bvxfq5tTFfNKZdXFQlas_YPz7eQ3dy_S3hRPSFf2A4R09AxeFNFncoMBdqeqV0tT1J1joGoJi0ydzE0oo-uoveWNrZB/w306-h320/Greene%20Nathanael%20head%20and%20shoulders.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nathanael Greene</div><p><br /></p><p>In the case of the Assenpink Creek, he famously led a determined and gritty "forward defense" that stalled the British advance on the main army. Stark's actions at Assenpiunk Creek are vividly portrayed in my novel, <i>The Winter Spy</i>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a0M17U2R_auCc8UHxf7SQCZdRw-UP91z-hGRV2xSomw3DQvQ31iuFkzLjNQ2HFgHLa0HRRmbQQ2B1IuvI_Fv-ZPr487qtdXaI3NC82EJNxJq8ZrgQGFWkBHtcM1LUM_9wWR9n3W1sazUOT-Pm_6ZRX4pmcanch7IjCBb2HXdj3JN6t94UL0NW7fy/s900/Assunpink%20Creek%20Stark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="900" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7a0M17U2R_auCc8UHxf7SQCZdRw-UP91z-hGRV2xSomw3DQvQ31iuFkzLjNQ2HFgHLa0HRRmbQQ2B1IuvI_Fv-ZPr487qtdXaI3NC82EJNxJq8ZrgQGFWkBHtcM1LUM_9wWR9n3W1sazUOT-Pm_6ZRX4pmcanch7IjCBb2HXdj3JN6t94UL0NW7fy/s320/Assunpink%20Creek%20Stark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stark's defense at Assenpink Creek</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>But the headstrong and quick to slight, Stark got his nose out of joint when the Continental Congress promoted Enoch Poor to brigadier general ahead of him. In March 1777, he resigned from the army in a huff, determined to obey neither man nor Congress. But unlike that other famously aggrieved general, Benedict Arnold, Stark's resentment would never turn to treason, only a desire to prove himself.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Stubborn Patriot</h4><p>While Stark now simmered at his New Hampshire farm, a new threat emerged in the north – a massive British invasion force under British Major General John Burgoyne. Things in the north were so bleak in the summer of 1777 that the New Hampshire authorities implored him to return to active service in August. He agreed – with the proviso that he held an independent command under no one's control. Then, raising almost 2,000 militia, he took to the field. But true to his independent nature (and stubbornness), he refused a directive from the local commander, General Benjamin Lincoln, and kept his men on the east bank of the Hudson River, separate from the main army in New York. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY_rLEoPmFCR7Z-I6s3OSCf7WLUNYKCr0TwWE-CMLLOzhrMdwdqWrgMJ0WwGBRDBF81Lk6MvNE2rNFpkShhgoMFIqtsJbs-OULCPWCdRdscevsdmz_dlOFWVBDpZ7uAnXSzGsF2NIQgVBixevODFWg-TWVTYCdnG3iAhUNCPwmZUd3qGiDBjy5KqS/s281/Burgoyne%20John%20General.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="220" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqY_rLEoPmFCR7Z-I6s3OSCf7WLUNYKCr0TwWE-CMLLOzhrMdwdqWrgMJ0WwGBRDBF81Lk6MvNE2rNFpkShhgoMFIqtsJbs-OULCPWCdRdscevsdmz_dlOFWVBDpZ7uAnXSzGsF2NIQgVBixevODFWg-TWVTYCdnG3iAhUNCPwmZUd3qGiDBjy5KqS/s1600/Burgoyne%20John%20General.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Burgoyne</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Glory at Bennington</h4><p>Burgoyne's army was moving south, but his supply lines were soon stretched thin. Getting wind of an American supply depot near Bennington, he sent a large force of Germans under the highly experienced Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum east toward what is today Vermont. Getting wind of the move, Stark quickly marched to block the advance. When Seth Warner's 600 men joined him, the combined forces pounced on Baum near Bennington. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajNGhKKA-U_lvLjpVKokZFoZ4_Cna1i_tfQZvW6j3XkM2miVeAS_w20PzElmNv4PdZZmel2zL6JvuRc7wPCq5etB_dCryN4n7cs3EhciZ040YR1n__Ue2qargzsI49Q4utQIAjCeLK7c4f6wHWasBE434Z8LIEc7bhtmpIVY-gnog7xEg-4vLB6AE/s602/Stark%20raising%20militia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajNGhKKA-U_lvLjpVKokZFoZ4_Cna1i_tfQZvW6j3XkM2miVeAS_w20PzElmNv4PdZZmel2zL6JvuRc7wPCq5etB_dCryN4n7cs3EhciZ040YR1n__Ue2qargzsI49Q4utQIAjCeLK7c4f6wHWasBE434Z8LIEc7bhtmpIVY-gnog7xEg-4vLB6AE/s320/Stark%20raising%20militia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stark's militia would join with Seth Warner's</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>Before the main body commenced its attack, Stark stood before his men as he did at Bunker Hill and exhorted them, "There are the red coats, and they are ours or this night Molly Stark sleeps a widow."</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKYb5Qu_xV20i4ik_PnBMmXYLIN14UozUo6Wa5kEycN531nPmUTXrwAv9QzevLD8qlpql-RWkxFHdV8jfK036S3QXP3iQdMUvJN5bjoqlnjnPw_0cuyOnEW8QZLgiiIInTkZzzCjnMjD7qUy_if3vtCDPpM3E1e5rNGwp6foqv6xy7jTbUSazO5LB/s900/Bennington%20Stark%20leads%20attack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="900" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKYb5Qu_xV20i4ik_PnBMmXYLIN14UozUo6Wa5kEycN531nPmUTXrwAv9QzevLD8qlpql-RWkxFHdV8jfK036S3QXP3iQdMUvJN5bjoqlnjnPw_0cuyOnEW8QZLgiiIInTkZzzCjnMjD7qUy_if3vtCDPpM3E1e5rNGwp6foqv6xy7jTbUSazO5LB/w400-h248/Bennington%20Stark%20leads%20attack.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stark leading the attack</div><p><br /></p><p>The ensuing battle proved decisive. The American muskets wore down the tired Germans, and soon Stark's men were on the offensive, killing 200 and capturing 700 of the Germans. Baum was among those killed. The victorious Americans suffered just 100 casualties while gaining a tremendous psychological and material victory. John Stark's decisive action at Bennington is an exciting scene in my upcoming novel in the Yankee Doodle Spies series, <i>The North Spy</i>.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saratoga Sunset</h4><p>In September, news of the victory rallied more Americans to the ranks – men sorely needed as Burgoyne's final push to Albany collided with General Horatio Gates's army south of Saratoga, New York. After a second clash in October, Burgoyne withdrew around Saratoga as he debated whether to risk another thrust, hold fast, or retreat on his supply line for the winter. When he finally decided to retire, Colonel John Stark had already taken away that option. The Granite General's men swarmed the woods north of the British and cut them off from the safety of Fort Ticonderoga. Burgoyne was forced into a surrender that was the turning point in the struggle.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipW13c4Af1NNZqgtYZvdZgRmXTrzzoXhgyTcuX89vXnWX44xrRsHhS7BZ2Ywsesp2tuEsUNCVhvCpTNDVyQ7EGAtEdY7LcpGkcpQyM8QBaYlCNKcU-YSHWjb90a8CSBcV3Cnt6loH-Awujq0Q0LqZ51-igQi2TgOQ2aY8z_a8gnnCpyKQFYSDiNDna/s719/Saratoga%20surrender%20troops%20march%20by.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="719" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipW13c4Af1NNZqgtYZvdZgRmXTrzzoXhgyTcuX89vXnWX44xrRsHhS7BZ2Ywsesp2tuEsUNCVhvCpTNDVyQ7EGAtEdY7LcpGkcpQyM8QBaYlCNKcU-YSHWjb90a8CSBcV3Cnt6loH-Awujq0Q0LqZ51-igQi2TgOQ2aY8z_a8gnnCpyKQFYSDiNDna/s320/Saratoga%20surrender%20troops%20march%20by.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British troops in captivity</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Getting His Due</h4><p>In recognition of his distinguished leadership in the campaign that broke the threat from Canada, Congress finally promoted Colonel John Stark to brigadier general. Congress later gave him command of the Northern Department, where he twice assisted General John Sullivan during the Rhode Island campaign of 1778. Ironically, Sullivan was a general promoted over Stark earlier in the war. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlS7Da2iNJvvhPbWN0QbG6hGMfYr1svPcGgbhb-zKfukEcoU78MWF780l0hovjeeDcv5OH37pvF4NqPTxAprZYnd7v5zdHcWBeJTD9T_evEDfJ-pqAs2k5xgvcETHk3-fiFfaFZeaPecWjMQASGtQAMFAzvM0ADCz2qAZxPBKW37w5Un4IsAicL8oM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="221" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlS7Da2iNJvvhPbWN0QbG6hGMfYr1svPcGgbhb-zKfukEcoU78MWF780l0hovjeeDcv5OH37pvF4NqPTxAprZYnd7v5zdHcWBeJTD9T_evEDfJ-pqAs2k5xgvcETHk3-fiFfaFZeaPecWjMQASGtQAMFAzvM0ADCz2qAZxPBKW37w5Un4IsAicL8oM" width="196" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brigadier General Stark</div><br /><p></p><p>Brigadier General Stark last distinguished himself in combat in June 1780 against General Wilhelm von Knyphausen's Hessians at Springfield, New Jersey. He commanded two New Hampshire regiments that helped check one of the advancing enemy columns. As a result, Knyphausen withdrew, leaving several hundred casualties. This American victory was the last major battle in the north. The British remained holed up in New York City, content to leave major maneuvers the Lord Cornwallis's southern army.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v3pTuPqDxwO8PDvJrSflGnubgfUH5ZkWCudGfEBAtFPzG6Rwzm7FY3TvtXlUqNPLs0VvIQ-XYooFznwNtPoZvXOU-MNGDfjPoHVaNCDObdVGCg6z61f7k4zokldczAvo58iJwtMGE5TYxpq375qspp5xIPdl3BPeUu9mQII-r-JmX3jVd_DhUAlq/s873/BAttle%20of%20Springfield%20NJ%20Jun%201780%20Parson%20Caldwell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v3pTuPqDxwO8PDvJrSflGnubgfUH5ZkWCudGfEBAtFPzG6Rwzm7FY3TvtXlUqNPLs0VvIQ-XYooFznwNtPoZvXOU-MNGDfjPoHVaNCDObdVGCg6z61f7k4zokldczAvo58iJwtMGE5TYxpq375qspp5xIPdl3BPeUu9mQII-r-JmX3jVd_DhUAlq/s320/BAttle%20of%20Springfield%20NJ%20Jun%201780%20Parson%20Caldwell.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Springfield</div><p><br /></p><p>Although not part of major operations during this time, Stark played a role in the most significant espionage case of the war when he was called to serve on the board of generals for the court-martial of British spy Major John Andre. Andre had gone behind American lines in civilian garb to meet the traitor Benedict Arnold. While Arnold escaped, Andre was arrested while trying to return to British lines. Although a sympathetic figure, Andre was nevertheless rightly convicted and received the punishment allotted to spies: death by hanging.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeIxZDCcSvjU6l0UzqgSfw6PmAe79vO-my7qmSHOXgVJsCI6W8IZ8J4E6DZYBYEpAqWhwogsN7q9kz-CLNXY3o0MyzTsEPDlCLMlS9oCJLLhpiDpVqAq54MvPQfB0Ft-6TCpDJPMHBp1_SZFXNGY21eIQ8YqXZ4wIeB99ywBao1WVDUQmT0FFUdVL/s599/Andre%20John%20passport%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeIxZDCcSvjU6l0UzqgSfw6PmAe79vO-my7qmSHOXgVJsCI6W8IZ8J4E6DZYBYEpAqWhwogsN7q9kz-CLNXY3o0MyzTsEPDlCLMlS9oCJLLhpiDpVqAq54MvPQfB0Ft-6TCpDJPMHBp1_SZFXNGY21eIQ8YqXZ4wIeB99ywBao1WVDUQmT0FFUdVL/s320/Andre%20John%20passport%20photo.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major John Andre</div><p><br /></p><p>Stark finally mustered out of the army in 1783 with a final rank of major general. Since George Washington was a lieutenant general (the army's highest position at the time), Stark had made it to the top tier of serving Continental officers. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQMhddGt1FrAhgw1H1AnAUr7e40RayjNhqMafzKGM-SskwPIGXhsUBcW1wspiq4wBvYQ3iFlnaysi7Tu-aGPTfdIyPcnDRKSOiWCEvleOwXG65CbnUxP_g13nGOM-1-GGS-Qs_vTtL2cUfSfJlCm5-9gf6lmdd0glTRtCcrjokqyfN2EIYPkpUI11/s173/Major%20general%20stark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="173" data-original-width="145" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQMhddGt1FrAhgw1H1AnAUr7e40RayjNhqMafzKGM-SskwPIGXhsUBcW1wspiq4wBvYQ3iFlnaysi7Tu-aGPTfdIyPcnDRKSOiWCEvleOwXG65CbnUxP_g13nGOM-1-GGS-Qs_vTtL2cUfSfJlCm5-9gf6lmdd0glTRtCcrjokqyfN2EIYPkpUI11/w335-h400/Major%20general%20stark.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Major General Stark</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Granite State Citizen</h4><p>Unlike so many of his peers, John Stark did not use his wartime patriotism as a platform for political or economic gain. In1809, the state of Vermont asked him to travel to Bennington to speak on the 32nd anniversary of the battle. But Stark was too debilitated from rheumatism to make the journey. Instead, he penned an eloquent letter praising those who served and all who fought, civilian or military, for independence. The old general issued a stern (or perhaps, stark) warning to always be vigilant in the cause of liberty. The stoic general closed his letter in a way only he could, injecting some of his fighting spirit with this warning: "Live free or die—Death is not the worst of evils." </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpwKDD1JDTjSaI5oX3ebqNfrpuj9ZWVHwPKsSO4c5zSKNHMOrQhGSz9REOQC5IoBgHc0iJBskFPJRsY7fmnsg8JLt-u2hf1ZAq-Y7VYfHNl3V-whhwJwgIDsyCFsKp5XP1iH1HOZI9lZF93SSh6zF3d8uagJH5HOH2io5uG4JFnXER3KgAPwRSbOr/s997/Monument%20Bennington.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJpwKDD1JDTjSaI5oX3ebqNfrpuj9ZWVHwPKsSO4c5zSKNHMOrQhGSz9REOQC5IoBgHc0iJBskFPJRsY7fmnsg8JLt-u2hf1ZAq-Y7VYfHNl3V-whhwJwgIDsyCFsKp5XP1iH1HOZI9lZF93SSh6zF3d8uagJH5HOH2io5uG4JFnXER3KgAPwRSbOr/s320/Monument%20Bennington.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stark's Monument at Bennington</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p>Although it should, John Stark's name does not rise to the top when most think of Revolutionary War heroes, even in his native state. Curiously, New Hampshire and Vermont have numerous venues named after Molly Paige Stark, while John has but a handful of monuments. Stark's rousing use of Molly's name before Bennington made his better half more celebrated than him.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yHIjZD84by3LoywZN9qNRSHumqwzEZLytbdKA4xlWwre09ONyd9DbP4QRyuQZNKEzmXxePeMJzr69xyVV5qAH7i_gDHaoNhqvzzuqJzQzlpQV9FW0uXQTsHaVJvPA2MNRupLpjtXNZkaQA1ORFfgn6Bs2gHUkmHMbKfsH4tqAGGK2VQDoB2oKLlV/s200/Stark%20Molly%20statue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="200" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yHIjZD84by3LoywZN9qNRSHumqwzEZLytbdKA4xlWwre09ONyd9DbP4QRyuQZNKEzmXxePeMJzr69xyVV5qAH7i_gDHaoNhqvzzuqJzQzlpQV9FW0uXQTsHaVJvPA2MNRupLpjtXNZkaQA1ORFfgn6Bs2gHUkmHMbKfsH4tqAGGK2VQDoB2oKLlV/w400-h298/Stark%20Molly%20statue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Molly Stark statue</div><p><br /></p><p>John Stark died, the longest living Continental Army general of the war, in Manchester, New Hampshire, on 8 May 1822. John Stark was more than a badass, striking the enemy hard whenever and wherever he could. He lived a life that characterizes ideals held in esteem by all Americans: an independent spirit, rugged individualism, and defiance in the face of unjust authority. These ideals remain the Granite General's legacy. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-B_zFy9VheT1wJq2ZJG-okF8PgGYjAfOOM3nGEeiEiviaS1vUnLgYYGOD4y-P8fSsEIqQCuJto9pj17axigQZ7cwXygP9P7H4oK6f0GqDlswXUNLisQ3nTIY4wHgzeXGGnk1aadtkQae40hmjR0hboASjqG1-z1pG-rRDemGpq0tf74AdaqfEJHB3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-B_zFy9VheT1wJq2ZJG-okF8PgGYjAfOOM3nGEeiEiviaS1vUnLgYYGOD4y-P8fSsEIqQCuJto9pj17axigQZ7cwXygP9P7H4oK6f0GqDlswXUNLisQ3nTIY4wHgzeXGGnk1aadtkQae40hmjR0hboASjqG1-z1pG-rRDemGpq0tf74AdaqfEJHB3=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div>Stark's grave in Manchester<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-63915272679115100062022-03-27T08:15:00.001-07:002022-03-27T10:06:19.040-07:00 Patriot Sniper<p>The American War for Independence has numerous iconic warrior-types such as the Minute Men and the Continental Line. Still, the most particular warrior types of the war were those who mastered the Pennsylvania long rifle – the one weapon that struck fear in the hearts of British, Hessians, and their native allies. This edition provides another profile of a character in my upcoming novel, <i>The North Spy</i>. Our American rifleman is famed sniper Timothy Murphy. Although Timothy Murphy receives only a short mention in the book, his role is pivotal.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluN-p1eWhUsJp0qDEiMH1rAZfm7zKtj_ZtJ1HSewlJ8u_fg9rlbG3KIb4rutcuR_j40GMlVnpZGqFeu9sjjRaUrDwTF2pLMtCKCnV0ZJMSEgsZkNcu03vscudRp9iXv2VUzyVP6tMQy6uHa7A5pNjGZtaxQ83kXN5I2WqMCgYOpC1ZDdHiTZkB49X/s640/Minutemen%20in%20line.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="640" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluN-p1eWhUsJp0qDEiMH1rAZfm7zKtj_ZtJ1HSewlJ8u_fg9rlbG3KIb4rutcuR_j40GMlVnpZGqFeu9sjjRaUrDwTF2pLMtCKCnV0ZJMSEgsZkNcu03vscudRp9iXv2VUzyVP6tMQy6uHa7A5pNjGZtaxQ83kXN5I2WqMCgYOpC1ZDdHiTZkB49X/s320/Minutemen%20in%20line.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Frontier Youth</h4><p>Born in 1751 in the Delaware Water Gap region near Minisink, New Jersey, Timothy Murphy was the son of Irish immigrants – most likely hailing from Donegal. His parents moved with eight-year-old Tim to Shamokin Flats, now Sunbury, Pennsylvania, in 1759. Young Murphy apprenticed to a Mr. Van Campen and moved with him to the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. The valley was a rugged wilderness region full of hardscrabble backwoods farmers, hunters, trappers, and native tribes. Living among them, the short, dark-haired, but tough Murphy quickly became an expert woodsman and marksman. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU0xXKh0_XQetojPzHcDp5V-8TLnf0LK0V33oSwxpV2ult75O81LhlT9dyilWU_uP_-hvE1ZKxrgoGBDjierwrfnZo6DLMv2A5cOt3wlJ5gfUqo1BDHDb95YTuLmImlYqykLFEuxguVBq4cbVnHVkRgkK2qXg0L2JMdh4nx7M-DLS5_ozbZf6c-vU/s2427/Wyoming%20Valley%20PA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1493" data-original-width="2427" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU0xXKh0_XQetojPzHcDp5V-8TLnf0LK0V33oSwxpV2ult75O81LhlT9dyilWU_uP_-hvE1ZKxrgoGBDjierwrfnZo6DLMv2A5cOt3wlJ5gfUqo1BDHDb95YTuLmImlYqykLFEuxguVBq4cbVnHVkRgkK2qXg0L2JMdh4nx7M-DLS5_ozbZf6c-vU/w400-h246/Wyoming%20Valley%20PA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Young Rifleman</h4><p>Sometime after the onset of the Revolutionary War, Murphy joined the Pennsylvania Battalion of Riflemen with his brother John and marched to join the main American Army at Boston. As part of this elite band of sharpshooters, he fought at the battles Long Island, Harlem, and White Plains, and he was tested in countless skirmishes in between.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsFeGh2mA_w2TAJDo0EQK2P934bjdDi898ADGv25NfC8cVSKllGNQ8UatzGa2MbaIoEOJSOtlc0RZQMadFHXGAeP7RVX1uhvD80gnD3yi-7aXWJqKJL1CnusgUP_y9CSn81dwwXTIqOqRur6t1GKVMYaOEZKivemdlPKvHFmIhMh2n3rGwr3yNnHC/s1000/Rifleman%201st%20Penna%20Bn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="689" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsFeGh2mA_w2TAJDo0EQK2P934bjdDi898ADGv25NfC8cVSKllGNQ8UatzGa2MbaIoEOJSOtlc0RZQMadFHXGAeP7RVX1uhvD80gnD3yi-7aXWJqKJL1CnusgUP_y9CSn81dwwXTIqOqRur6t1GKVMYaOEZKivemdlPKvHFmIhMh2n3rGwr3yNnHC/w275-h400/Rifleman%201st%20Penna%20Bn.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rifleman of the 1st Penna. Battalion</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Holding the Line</h4><p>Murphy transferred to the 12th Pennsylvania Line, where he was promoted to sergeant. He led his file at the pivotal battles of Trenton and Princeton, gaining particular renown for his shooting and stalking skills. By this time, Murphy was recognized as an expert marksman – able to hit a seven-inch target at 250 yards with his long rifle. Traditional smoothbore muskets could barely hit the mark at less than half that distance.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51tzn_UU2VEgRXO5O9Dc_-zjDtWGULKbwwlD8RPq7R5Xg_46hg-jXJkf0xALJ5bkJpC-lgYbLng0sS2vHzTlEyQYLwkiFSc76edK3F6iTR8TxTIRAn1Fj77GdWT_zuAaUBPNTFVKHJtEobrgYnFrmMtYizTz6qKobCkPyePAHxID1mzaXP34fJBaB/s500/TRenton%20Americans%20attack%20Hessian%20gun.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="500" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51tzn_UU2VEgRXO5O9Dc_-zjDtWGULKbwwlD8RPq7R5Xg_46hg-jXJkf0xALJ5bkJpC-lgYbLng0sS2vHzTlEyQYLwkiFSc76edK3F6iTR8TxTIRAn1Fj77GdWT_zuAaUBPNTFVKHJtEobrgYnFrmMtYizTz6qKobCkPyePAHxID1mzaXP34fJBaB/s320/TRenton%20Americans%20attack%20Hessian%20gun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Murphy served at Trenton</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Morgan's Rifles</h4><p>In July 1777, Murphy's skills led to his transfer to Colonel Daniel Morgan's Rifle Corps, composed of 500 hand-picked men noted for their marksmanship. Armed with the Pennsylvania long rifle and tomahawk or knife, these riflemen fought from a distance, relying on firepower and avoiding hand-to-hand combat against bayonet-armed regulars. Tim Murphy would emerge as their best sniper.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlUUy7M0wyeZGWpDkt20eHxM-eJV9CZJD5uakb3ElWbI4DqGTYHdPa25S4IK0kk6c7gnFFlLCr5Yj6Ysrw4U9Q7lwj-xC-ehmpHJTYZ5tBQT3hJ1kUw-zrwO37n27y3xpCbVKG6iuYtnTgpEmaukLQfhVxHHxTbVaDw_4gGOMpKOxJejU91s4CQwA/s600/Morgan%20DAn%20sitting%20with%20rifle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlUUy7M0wyeZGWpDkt20eHxM-eJV9CZJD5uakb3ElWbI4DqGTYHdPa25S4IK0kk6c7gnFFlLCr5Yj6Ysrw4U9Q7lwj-xC-ehmpHJTYZ5tBQT3hJ1kUw-zrwO37n27y3xpCbVKG6iuYtnTgpEmaukLQfhVxHHxTbVaDw_4gGOMpKOxJejU91s4CQwA/s320/Morgan%20DAn%20sitting%20with%20rifle.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Daniel Morgan</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">War in the North</h4><p>With a significant British invasion from Canada threatening the Hudson Valley, Morgan's Rifles were immediately sent to reinforce General Horatio Gates's Northern Department. The rugged hills and thick woods of upper New York were not unlike his home in the Wyoming Valley. Murphy's marksmanship rendered invaluable assistance at the battles of Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights against British forces commanded by General John Burgoyne. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxKGFPgrxXDYfAc3OnJB1uQrOJbshyUGP8ey2f18dOGfZ_fUfJRRYkORgMb41oXFlHtvoIUFOMEYwyEjYmcF7FeQ9Rwfbf6pRefpoJsary1Y98j2YUW-1P8rg-5-Ral2gwMGNmxFWzcKCo7qK3FLeY0iOvfBr7xSxJnaI3VsMS99C7Vvm07iW1kgS/s796/Battle%20Freeman's%20Farm%20Sep%201777.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="796" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxKGFPgrxXDYfAc3OnJB1uQrOJbshyUGP8ey2f18dOGfZ_fUfJRRYkORgMb41oXFlHtvoIUFOMEYwyEjYmcF7FeQ9Rwfbf6pRefpoJsary1Y98j2YUW-1P8rg-5-Ral2gwMGNmxFWzcKCo7qK3FLeY0iOvfBr7xSxJnaI3VsMS99C7Vvm07iW1kgS/w400-h271/Battle%20Freeman's%20Farm%20Sep%201777.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Morgan's Rifles played a pivotal role at Freeman's Farm</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Battle Sniper</h4><p>Murphy entered the history books, and American rifleman lore, on 7 October 1777 during the struggle at Bemis Heights. General Benedict Arnold had summoned Dan Morgan to find someone to take out the British officer rallying his troops under the heat of American fire. General Simon Fraser was the best British officer on the field, and Arnold reckoned he was worth a regiment. Morgan tapped Murphy for the grim mission. The area was thick with trees and heavy with smoke so Murphy slung his Dickert rifle on his back and climbed a tree for a better field of fire. Placing his rifle in the fork of a tree, he zeroed in on the general from the extremely long range of 300 yards. Let's pause here to discuss the weapon used by the patriot sniper on that fateful day. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNeuHbAbFC6tdW2BUKdRV7VFbQ1m5bZtgezVrvIvkDWdcXSZllDhNOgNNkiE6MG7VfKe3tqdp7EGgVKL8LmsRwfu6HqDjyXpYR0EOibYrw6R5_ddfv9MsS-d5q77AktnPIXR2da1HoSJmVMxzhm0lOOGaAyZDxZ5DuibL_rasQQCknhdC2lmz0pYS/s400/Murphy%20Tim%20sniper%20at%20Bemis%20Heights.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="400" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNeuHbAbFC6tdW2BUKdRV7VFbQ1m5bZtgezVrvIvkDWdcXSZllDhNOgNNkiE6MG7VfKe3tqdp7EGgVKL8LmsRwfu6HqDjyXpYR0EOibYrw6R5_ddfv9MsS-d5q77AktnPIXR2da1HoSJmVMxzhm0lOOGaAyZDxZ5DuibL_rasQQCknhdC2lmz0pYS/w400-h324/Murphy%20Tim%20sniper%20at%20Bemis%20Heights.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Murphy was tasked with a grim mission at Bemis Heights</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Rifle</h4><p>The Dickert rifle was nicknamed the widow-maker by the British – because of its deadly use against officers. It was also called the long rifle, the American Rifle, the Dickert Rifle, and the Pennsylvania Rifle. But it is curiously and widely known by a designation bestowed considerably later – the Kentucky Rifle. Based on a design by Moravian settler Jakob Dickert, the rifle was some 42 inches long and fired a .50 caliber or larger bullet. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMwnMeXwjDHlLiL4h19zsaBFjm5a6kXp-aBc_alVQ2rrkMVhRM1O_HgVX-ksKGDfMzahpR4TTKYIjJ3wTVAfYOBAwbglSF1rTA53dsK3PIJCnJ5-rqI74RufkVvu0o86As3NFktTcfVW369JvXVaAsDZVaYGNrzsbnYP20UQ5u5WdIBDHC6nYz8VU/s3600/Rifle%20by%20Jakob%20Dickert.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="3600" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMwnMeXwjDHlLiL4h19zsaBFjm5a6kXp-aBc_alVQ2rrkMVhRM1O_HgVX-ksKGDfMzahpR4TTKYIjJ3wTVAfYOBAwbglSF1rTA53dsK3PIJCnJ5-rqI74RufkVvu0o86As3NFktTcfVW369JvXVaAsDZVaYGNrzsbnYP20UQ5u5WdIBDHC6nYz8VU/w400-h94/Rifle%20by%20Jakob%20Dickert.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dickert Rifle</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fatal Shot</h4><p>Murphy squeezed off his first shot but missed cleanly. Ramming home another bullet with his mallet, he adjusted his aim and squeezed off another shot, grazing the general's horse. </p><p>Most officers would have cleared the field with a near miss but not Fraser, who refused the blandishments of his aides and continued to steady and direct his men. Reluctantly, Murphy zeroed in on the general, and his final shot struck the general's midriff, mortally wounding him.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-9_at2JuysZf9u4NtneoG7pIM5tlOfwIRZ6GuES-PTa9Kn2pnX2wj0wIku0Gh59anv0eK_tmCVlfGBwkAFY8cmgTa1OJSIXCvodathkg4PpfrfHIu5QTtemb0nmx8zIgntXjxwc-vXPXwst2w95St4Y0qIP5kCVXfhMuI4HkmchcCklpOEsUigOX/s700/Fraser%20Simon%20mortally%20struck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="700" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-9_at2JuysZf9u4NtneoG7pIM5tlOfwIRZ6GuES-PTa9Kn2pnX2wj0wIku0Gh59anv0eK_tmCVlfGBwkAFY8cmgTa1OJSIXCvodathkg4PpfrfHIu5QTtemb0nmx8zIgntXjxwc-vXPXwst2w95St4Y0qIP5kCVXfhMuI4HkmchcCklpOEsUigOX/w400-h286/Fraser%20Simon%20mortally%20struck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Murphy's 3rd shot struck Fraser mortally</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>One of General John Burgoyne's aides, Sir Francis Carr Clerke, was shot dead during the battle. Murphy is also credited with killing him with a mortal shot as he galloped across the field with a message. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikde0G6TPWuew5e_VWSNhG_oUcaPFuNMRTo2TYNy0XoMPyReRdf9gnDaL1ZKCr_XMRiq55wf7qlg03JBo0L5z3dZoCiHbCx0TOztjX_5uZ1zxA92nbLASyXFIk4jPED19ensM5mpzL-tkM5Sm7YbpPcpReli_U-XL4EvlvONUtsHlFPRZpKXf7TbEf/s736/sniper%20in%20tree.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="736" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikde0G6TPWuew5e_VWSNhG_oUcaPFuNMRTo2TYNy0XoMPyReRdf9gnDaL1ZKCr_XMRiq55wf7qlg03JBo0L5z3dZoCiHbCx0TOztjX_5uZ1zxA92nbLASyXFIk4jPED19ensM5mpzL-tkM5Sm7YbpPcpReli_U-XL4EvlvONUtsHlFPRZpKXf7TbEf/w400-h223/sniper%20in%20tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sniping from a tree</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">With the Continental Army</h4><p>Morgan's Rifles soon marched south to join the main Continental Army. Thus Murphy was at Valley Forge for that famous winter cantonment. When the British Army evacuated Philadelphia in June 1778, General Washington pursued their rear guard. Murphy was not on the field during the 28 June 1778 Battle of Monmouth. However, the next day, David Elerson and two other riflemen captured the ornate coach of a retreating British general.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B3vD2jHA-HPhqHLnKMf9-Q5QYVPBthQLPmWpWcTVAXJiLhekvebsC67B1e7NAVUvgpcGdLaPn3S9QPx9cDoR_1hynwe5WDjfKMq3wm3BAwaWvGcjP8lYio0CaQvxfG2IxJraNJwwBxi5oRg57sofa-2yDCFDJY3NyKOlvKDDCA8ARTq0jGUamo2P/s720/Monmouth%20comb-s-hill_orig.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="720" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1B3vD2jHA-HPhqHLnKMf9-Q5QYVPBthQLPmWpWcTVAXJiLhekvebsC67B1e7NAVUvgpcGdLaPn3S9QPx9cDoR_1hynwe5WDjfKMq3wm3BAwaWvGcjP8lYio0CaQvxfG2IxJraNJwwBxi5oRg57sofa-2yDCFDJY3NyKOlvKDDCA8ARTq0jGUamo2P/w400-h314/Monmouth%20comb-s-hill_orig.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Battle of Monmouth</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Frontier War</h4><p>While things were improving for the Americans in the mid-Atlantic, the situation in the north had grown unstable. After Burgoyne's defeat, the British resorted to raiding New York and Pennsylvania frontiers with bands of Loyalists and Mohawk Indians. The situation called for rugged frontier fighters to meet the threat. Murphy was assigned to one of the companies of riflemen dispatched to the region.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8rlW6urLORoJcm0ZzTNqZSQii4hfZFNflMuOxgq5i74mmGD5o3hAj4m7D_RJSJyTsuvHJnn2M1RJBGfwVajFKGkdKs7Cfou1vPMfv5iQd-lGnIYJfsGXmOMVBxRstBP-BOZ9B6R28WmFnyKG3rpeAREyovxXPSlKvl18QmaK9dOOdSVTFl_OSr7P/s1000/Militia%20fighting%20in%20forest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="1000" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8rlW6urLORoJcm0ZzTNqZSQii4hfZFNflMuOxgq5i74mmGD5o3hAj4m7D_RJSJyTsuvHJnn2M1RJBGfwVajFKGkdKs7Cfou1vPMfv5iQd-lGnIYJfsGXmOMVBxRstBP-BOZ9B6R28WmFnyKG3rpeAREyovxXPSlKvl18QmaK9dOOdSVTFl_OSr7P/w400-h265/Militia%20fighting%20in%20forest.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Frontier fighters</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Mohawk Valley</h4><p>Moving north with three companies of Morgan's Riflemen to the Mohawk Valley, Murphy tracked down and killed the notorious Loyalist leader, Christopher Service. He also took part in the action at Unadilla in November 1778 in the pursuit of the Iroquois, Seneca, and Loyalist raiders under Chief Joseph Brant, who had sacked Cherry Valley. He partook in many bloody skirmishes – many of which remain enshrouded in myth and are thus difficult to verify – but Murphy excelled as a ruthless Indian fighter.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida8XEeqne5TlZhzdavFoZgnBDyoN2QiRm_RACEwM715-dW8nC9hvmxt_-QOiTVEZsib8W3z7HKMlrFjI0yK_-LqBMCzcrdRVYjM2ZK7S12zQrI2SJnx88adQdZVJ5xBx4VaPmKUaOeLIuQbahEyjHviQhpdYH0g0imgUvhukfQI84E4YPlQa3Tdt6/s687/Brant%20Joseph%20with%20musket.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEida8XEeqne5TlZhzdavFoZgnBDyoN2QiRm_RACEwM715-dW8nC9hvmxt_-QOiTVEZsib8W3z7HKMlrFjI0yK_-LqBMCzcrdRVYjM2ZK7S12zQrI2SJnx88adQdZVJ5xBx4VaPmKUaOeLIuQbahEyjHviQhpdYH0g0imgUvhukfQI84E4YPlQa3Tdt6/w306-h400/Brant%20Joseph%20with%20musket.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chief Joseph Brant</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Punitive Expedition</h4><p>In response to the Loyalist and Iroquois depredations on New York settlements, General Washington ordered a punitive expedition. In August 1779, General John Sullivan's army marched into the heart of Iroquois Territory. In this campaign, Murphy was part of a company of scouts commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Boyd. Many actions followed as the riflemen patrolled, raided, and ambushed. On 13 September, an Iroquois war party ambushed Boyd's company. The resourceful Murphy narrowly escaped death, but Boyd and 22 of Murphy's fellow riflemen were massacred.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FOjDiDEGsbM3mXtizAf_PtLex6Rtj_Q6dfUw-iax7u94-gnRmJErfPtxc3AXJvssYMZiobfOuJYTsdTAJrh6kvWYlKRg803CCNypATs3N2M9_8tN1yhZbfiAd0oPIgkxdhYLyXHSv0gUmey4xT1t3LXsLcuD9ECZSyH6OglDQ9BFczpy8vDm3FKP/s688/Sullivans_Campaign_against_the_Iroquois_1779.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="688" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FOjDiDEGsbM3mXtizAf_PtLex6Rtj_Q6dfUw-iax7u94-gnRmJErfPtxc3AXJvssYMZiobfOuJYTsdTAJrh6kvWYlKRg803CCNypATs3N2M9_8tN1yhZbfiAd0oPIgkxdhYLyXHSv0gUmey4xT1t3LXsLcuD9ECZSyH6OglDQ9BFczpy8vDm3FKP/w400-h221/Sullivans_Campaign_against_the_Iroquois_1779.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General John Sullivan waged a war of reprisal against the Iroquois</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Capture and Escape</h4><p>But Murphy's luck ran out in 1780 when he and another rifleman fell into the hands of an Iroquois war party, which dragged their captives back to their village to be ritually tortured and killed. Desperate, Murphy gathered all his resourcefulness for a last chance to survive. During the evening, he and his companion slipped from their bonds. They seized knives from their sleeping captors and silently killed eleven warriors before escaping. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX94Botq1xVoGqaXIAlEF27J2kwbVOmQdp5_qySTQs2p9Sy25o5Q7JCcHUxX7vXBXUQFrkctefdnxnpVaWBKJ8-tBTNVAWzKjTaZDntFHVmv4b2LeGz-XvCaLt-e7WjT5_xDUboWSzMEmk7utHXhdzOrA8TgNaCJHCyAGVnmR-lEyU0fuqpRVgYkRM/s640/Indians%20leading%20captives%20in%20woods%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX94Botq1xVoGqaXIAlEF27J2kwbVOmQdp5_qySTQs2p9Sy25o5Q7JCcHUxX7vXBXUQFrkctefdnxnpVaWBKJ8-tBTNVAWzKjTaZDntFHVmv4b2LeGz-XvCaLt-e7WjT5_xDUboWSzMEmk7utHXhdzOrA8TgNaCJHCyAGVnmR-lEyU0fuqpRVgYkRM/w400-h300/Indians%20leading%20captives%20in%20woods%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The resolute Murphy would escape his captors at dark</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">War in the Valley</h4><p>The following September, Murphy was assigned to help defend Middle Fort in the Schoharie Valley. On 16 October, the fort came under siege by a force of Loyalists and Indians led by Major John Johnson, Chief Joseph Brant, and Cornplanter. The fort's commander, Major Melanchthon Woolsey, decided to surrender, but Murphy – knowing the fate that awaited him in the hands of vengeful Indians – stridently refused to capitulate. He then fired on several flags of truce and threatened to gun down Woolsey if he raised the white flag. Eventually, Johnson pulled back and left the garrison intact. Murphy and the riflemen pursued and sniped at Johnson's force all the way back to Canada.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMawWWEjV5Hx24HPIIT8j2oUsojlg5Em6CNafYDyJvbnfst7NOCB-adFMbHfrKNe5nnVlLaoddSskqJ1V1yGb3f8vjy_tEuHDRZ1Av3TuEcWBSNidPPRbDcsEEL3x4RfKIrRUXiAOIdjLjNWHyVJRWeiW7YDPRfLH-Mka3C8T0taysqdA5zj4Omyh3/s300/Middle%20Fort.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="300" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMawWWEjV5Hx24HPIIT8j2oUsojlg5Em6CNafYDyJvbnfst7NOCB-adFMbHfrKNe5nnVlLaoddSskqJ1V1yGb3f8vjy_tEuHDRZ1Av3TuEcWBSNidPPRbDcsEEL3x4RfKIrRUXiAOIdjLjNWHyVJRWeiW7YDPRfLH-Mka3C8T0taysqdA5zj4Omyh3/w400-h211/Middle%20Fort.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sniper in Virginia</h4><p>In April 1781, Murphy joined the 3rd Pennsylvania Continental Infantry and fought under General "Mad" Anthony Wayne – himself a badass of the war. Murphy fought at the engagement at Green Springs on 16 July 1781 and was later present at the siege and Lord Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in October 1781. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkA1PFkEXyFiKda8PYfaFz87scFD2fVnRWa7mBJCC33Z6Pd2HhBncl43FkB4sDpzPYllAVxCF9cpGEovAonbsSM-6KZm8p6b1NlY0nvUaYs_KkbaKM4_JdzrD-4rPVD6NVoDAyih5_zWGERetPw8z_sAQl-9F0rgONNRvcnsE_4aRdy4Gt0DUqA52/s243/wayne%20mad%20anthony%20profile%20passport.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="207" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkA1PFkEXyFiKda8PYfaFz87scFD2fVnRWa7mBJCC33Z6Pd2HhBncl43FkB4sDpzPYllAVxCF9cpGEovAonbsSM-6KZm8p6b1NlY0nvUaYs_KkbaKM4_JdzrD-4rPVD6NVoDAyih5_zWGERetPw8z_sAQl-9F0rgONNRvcnsE_4aRdy4Gt0DUqA52/w341-h400/wayne%20mad%20anthony%20profile%20passport.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mad Anthony Wayne</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Skirmishing to the End</h4><p>Six years carrying a rifle had come to an end. Or had it? Following Yorktown, Murphy mustered out of the Continental Army as it slowly disbanded in anticipation of a peace treaty. He returned to the Schoharie Valley but did not put down the gun. Instead, he spent the rest of the war skirmishing with hostile tribesmen allied to Britain. In recognition of his legendary feats and prowess, he was formally introduced to General Washington on 3 August 1783.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIxDodA_ro1Rikag5wBL9hSt8D6o1_q-dfCCXgyaAMPAQbZYut-41BxzoPTg5fyvf8gExLCGk26MxBZYAe_H1g--UcxJYBM2bM1KycFPC0wKJ77iZFDg-wVyy6MLqOS6Op6k3BYD2CS16LS2K5ywMlybjyrub41SYnegC6vdjzFMY3p7VUcUbY6-e/s526/Indians%20attacking%20frontiersman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIxDodA_ro1Rikag5wBL9hSt8D6o1_q-dfCCXgyaAMPAQbZYut-41BxzoPTg5fyvf8gExLCGk26MxBZYAe_H1g--UcxJYBM2bM1KycFPC0wKJ77iZFDg-wVyy6MLqOS6Op6k3BYD2CS16LS2K5ywMlybjyrub41SYnegC6vdjzFMY3p7VUcUbY6-e/w400-h400/Indians%20attacking%20frontiersman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Frontier skirmishes continued until after the British departure</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Yankee Farmer</h4><p>After the war, Murphy returned to a life of relative obscurity while farming in upstate New York. Exchanging the gun for the plow, Murphy became a farmer and family man. He married twice. First, to Margaret (Peggy) Feek, daughter of a Dutch farmer. They had five sons and four daughters. </p><p>After Peggy died in 1807, Murphy married Mary Roberston. The couple soon moved to Charlotteville, New York, and raised four more sons. Although he never learned to read or write, Tim acquired several farms, a grist mill and became a local political leader.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIS4b2oLAbCQk4jhnWBnY54w13a4ew9r4QU9QRNwb1pUwflIY-BJJ4Bnc40UyQRcq16YTcNi88mzdVTJDph9BcPIeDoDkwykIZtmC3Ra2ZCOjtz7MhBDLXk6YvfMEV4ojThhRW1xApP3q9c_bMG9Pwg1fyezoL5NkhZzMSC_bz8YrEa9QSY4V_ktzP/s795/Farm%20colonial.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="795" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIS4b2oLAbCQk4jhnWBnY54w13a4ew9r4QU9QRNwb1pUwflIY-BJJ4Bnc40UyQRcq16YTcNi88mzdVTJDph9BcPIeDoDkwykIZtmC3Ra2ZCOjtz7MhBDLXk6YvfMEV4ojThhRW1xApP3q9c_bMG9Pwg1fyezoL5NkhZzMSC_bz8YrEa9QSY4V_ktzP/w400-h300/Farm%20colonial.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A quiet and successful farm life followed years of warfare</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sniper's Legacy</h4><p>On 27 June 1818, patriot sniper Tim Murphy died in Fultonham, New York, of throat cancer. Like contemporaries Sam Brady and Daniel Boone, he was among the most famous frontiersmen of the Revolutionary War.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuyvPxQJRMsiaFZEkjQRSCKprzZDD4Oc_kHa6L3zlpM_0SRr-kgP4geXwQHVYFyB264Oi2v3Dk9W-sK70daFpspwKKV1LERS3NZrELeP186eJtkCJwuwJQEoQeNscCWAorNgTPhSJTrWYedO6n7TXEfhjBklIea3bDoUJYsJ-MG1LZLFEJPuvwDPz/s480/Murphy%20Tim%20monument%20Midleburgh%20NY.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="480" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHuyvPxQJRMsiaFZEkjQRSCKprzZDD4Oc_kHa6L3zlpM_0SRr-kgP4geXwQHVYFyB264Oi2v3Dk9W-sK70daFpspwKKV1LERS3NZrELeP186eJtkCJwuwJQEoQeNscCWAorNgTPhSJTrWYedO6n7TXEfhjBklIea3bDoUJYsJ-MG1LZLFEJPuvwDPz/w400-h301/Murphy%20Tim%20monument%20Midleburgh%20NY.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Tim Murphy monument in Middleburgh, NY</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5817870089857871211.post-64401988748103331732022-02-28T14:12:00.006-08:002022-05-11T08:38:10.674-07:00The Governor-General<h4 style="text-align: left;"> Center Stage</h4><p><br /></p><p>Another profile of a historical character in my fourth Yankee Doodle Spies novel, The North Spy, gives the stage to a British officer who played a unique role in shaping the destiny of North America. Our character's political pique plays no small part in enabling the series of events that unfold in the action novel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXnGyHwGORJQADzZBYTX_ni004VN7cxjyF787gMQgJ4ryieu10xjS8VuRcIllyLvXzthlBGY1DjgJ0l3UKxmOU2cunJmPD2ZSrZDL48yAddUl8uK8UQKuLs-6sVzr_RR_EmgDTQhe6OQrWQt6hQak4IklSQNWAtZv2PW6Nwtt4c4oGSb7u8RYQf2bG=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXnGyHwGORJQADzZBYTX_ni004VN7cxjyF787gMQgJ4ryieu10xjS8VuRcIllyLvXzthlBGY1DjgJ0l3UKxmOU2cunJmPD2ZSrZDL48yAddUl8uK8UQKuLs-6sVzr_RR_EmgDTQhe6OQrWQt6hQak4IklSQNWAtZv2PW6Nwtt4c4oGSb7u8RYQf2bG=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yankee Doodle Spies</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Another Irish Soldier</h4><p><br /></p><p>Guy Carleton was born on 3 September 1724 in Strabane, Ireland. He was the son of a Protestant landholder. Yet, he was comfortable with the Roman Catholics who made up the populace and did not develop the same prejudices most of his contemporaries held. Carlton received a commission in the British Army at age 18 as an ensign in the 25th Regiment of Foot. Carleton was promoted Lieutenant two years later and served in the Jacobite Uprising in Scotland and the War of the Austrian Succession in Europe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJkfs2MvNiyPB4bOLWuH6bexfjPY0_X3ZUQ3T6H1pYBKCQlzMz6IA3afjnWMCYD2SdhhsTFYawcKMOqaTqibpkiJD7ZV6HiRM8s4u8_PNj0wbI5Jt_LutOsRh36kK1mUMP9rmCUgTkbdA4y8kqqlHXcZL46qiYauO_1Q4jeaTX5dOsx9mxgGJ_vZlS=s803" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="803" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJkfs2MvNiyPB4bOLWuH6bexfjPY0_X3ZUQ3T6H1pYBKCQlzMz6IA3afjnWMCYD2SdhhsTFYawcKMOqaTqibpkiJD7ZV6HiRM8s4u8_PNj0wbI5Jt_LutOsRh36kK1mUMP9rmCUgTkbdA4y8kqqlHXcZL46qiYauO_1Q4jeaTX5dOsx9mxgGJ_vZlS=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British Infantry mid 18th Century</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Guards and Patronage</h4><p><br /></p><p>In 1751 he joined the 1st Foot Guards and, in 1752, was promoted to captain. Carleton leveraged good connections with such luminaries as James Wolfe and the Duke of Richmond. In 1757, Carleton was promoted to lieutenant colonel and served in Germany. In 1758 he was named the lieutenant colonel of the newly formed 72nd Regiment of Foot. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWuDTcUGw75BP91kdcri2C84QQqILGVNA7G8wmfVQStronJAITf43N71PB28FSBRfNAP3E1izoU8_ZGC_frABBg53o1-iGvIKRFsQyHVh76A5UasGUf8vBwTXPdn-LD6V4L1JTulK44rhYsWYvhacSpzUiFX86i2PIS7WjdzxQWk2iq7xMgQPKsCDn=s1548" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="769" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWuDTcUGw75BP91kdcri2C84QQqILGVNA7G8wmfVQStronJAITf43N71PB28FSBRfNAP3E1izoU8_ZGC_frABBg53o1-iGvIKRFsQyHVh76A5UasGUf8vBwTXPdn-LD6V4L1JTulK44rhYsWYvhacSpzUiFX86i2PIS7WjdzxQWk2iq7xMgQPKsCDn=s320" width="159" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Guards Officer with Halberd</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Fighting the French & Indians & Spanish</h4><p><br /></p><p>He saw lots of action during the French and Indian War. He led an elite battalion of 600 grenadiers under now Major General James Wolfe for the Battle of Quebec, which led to the conquest of New France. After recovering from a severe head wound at Quebec, he served at Belle Island, France, and as a colonel at Havana, Cuba, where he again was wounded in battle. Curiously, he fought alongside Richard Montgomery, a renowned British officer who would later be his nemesis.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAKU64UpjvmxXdC5ma8Ewf05HE0ZmNsIr1c_KWHZQdH8md_YVk-iwZtCGn54-B14OPGnLPCXPopHKZp0nM2H6IHXLGqMMadVSVFspVkNghzMxvh8LTVSaeSEEVUM0XH770C9OrWeM9ZYd9BBtdC_4GzFQ6dZUAmKcl2dcOUZlcLzSVqKYC_28SEwIA=s1500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1500" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAKU64UpjvmxXdC5ma8Ewf05HE0ZmNsIr1c_KWHZQdH8md_YVk-iwZtCGn54-B14OPGnLPCXPopHKZp0nM2H6IHXLGqMMadVSVFspVkNghzMxvh8LTVSaeSEEVUM0XH770C9OrWeM9ZYd9BBtdC_4GzFQ6dZUAmKcl2dcOUZlcLzSVqKYC_28SEwIA=w400-h280" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British infantry routing the French on The Plains of Abraham</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Managing Quebec</h4><p><br /></p><p>By 1766, Carleton was back in Quebec as its Lieutenant-Governor. Quebec was a French-speaking Catholic colony, and properly governing it took all the skills and finesse Carleton could muster. He won over the residents with initiatives to ensure religious and political freedoms. He wooed the elites and soon had them supporters of British rule. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJIEVzOa1WAx1RjVJa6Qc2894W0iawqfyEqGnHNA2YkuICPvezxOZiy09gsJK5UD9zfpF2ZG1MIq025d_0DBgsR_v4MreKzmn7hzaTAQdJY8v0zjgpiWXVWmdjgxI2Rm83xCcCI0EK39ljpg-38jHxf_JBiu9pOjabZpiEX1a3plHQ4owvYTYLFjS1=s1298" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJIEVzOa1WAx1RjVJa6Qc2894W0iawqfyEqGnHNA2YkuICPvezxOZiy09gsJK5UD9zfpF2ZG1MIq025d_0DBgsR_v4MreKzmn7hzaTAQdJY8v0zjgpiWXVWmdjgxI2Rm83xCcCI0EK39ljpg-38jHxf_JBiu9pOjabZpiEX1a3plHQ4owvYTYLFjS1=s320" width="197" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lord Dunmore</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>But conflict with the Governor-General, John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, on how best to administer the new land sent him back to London. This trip would be very good for him. Later, Lord Dunmore would become governor in North Carolina and then Virginia. The Scotsman's strident approach helped drive both colonies to rebellion.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Promotion and Eros</h4><p><br /></p><p>On 22 May 1772, at the age of nearly 48, Carleton married Lady Maria Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Earl of Effingham. They had nine sons and two daughters. While he was in London, the Parliament passed the Quebec Act of 1774, in significant part based upon his recommendations. It determined how the province was administered, guaranteed religious freedom, and extended Canada's colonial reach down the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, these measures helped put Britain on a collision course with the Protestant and expansionist 13 colonies. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggGsTiIsnbozK83x_6_HQyYH3Ae1_b5gEgFD_udCWDG23MjBvo_lgJ2Qe_5Nu1PICO-fNux9oLF6ovSkFuO9ZZfiued1h4o550NOx1oBwLuxI9ylRtcxeQOMotsGDjovUFEtRO_Scsg09xxR9iUfi2VNoDFp2J-ARx5Y8EDtKgTv_qH98NsgzG7T-M=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggGsTiIsnbozK83x_6_HQyYH3Ae1_b5gEgFD_udCWDG23MjBvo_lgJ2Qe_5Nu1PICO-fNux9oLF6ovSkFuO9ZZfiued1h4o550NOx1oBwLuxI9ylRtcxeQOMotsGDjovUFEtRO_Scsg09xxR9iUfi2VNoDFp2J-ARx5Y8EDtKgTv_qH98NsgzG7T-M=s320" width="248" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Quebec Act was a far-sighted policy</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Governor-General</h4><p><br /></p><p>The now Major General Guy Carleton returned to Canada as Quebec's Governor-General in 1774 to find the 13 seaboard colonies in the throes of political turmoil and rebellion.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcihQ9ChgVAe1QiP_l5U7YYTPX9y0juEBbSuHPpkT-Fnmu44OZWY_5D-rhg3mU9V-ffZxC81DV2zomKEEkR3XRGPSINhAQSPWEXle7l7lJ4TJMA0_6W1RbjI_evfmoIrNZmo4bmj8vmLaJC3v3tpXdiOr9sUrOp_dyx_cAWs3k16zlvCIHKR3l1Iti=s1057" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="903" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcihQ9ChgVAe1QiP_l5U7YYTPX9y0juEBbSuHPpkT-Fnmu44OZWY_5D-rhg3mU9V-ffZxC81DV2zomKEEkR3XRGPSINhAQSPWEXle7l7lJ4TJMA0_6W1RbjI_evfmoIrNZmo4bmj8vmLaJC3v3tpXdiOr9sUrOp_dyx_cAWs3k16zlvCIHKR3l1Iti=w341-h400" width="341" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Guy Carleton</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The outbreak of total rebellion by the New England colonies in 1775 had an immediate impact on Carleton's Quebec. The British commander-in-chief in North America, General Thomas Gage, stripped him of 800 British regulars to defend Boston. The local French did not turn out in great numbers to bolster his militia forces. And he declined exhortations to tap the native tribes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPsexYmd-UO3282UaFfhK3thdkE1SD6zekfoYiczAA8KYBqD6KY_-GwGHu4r0QJmciVydSPDxdIEIp4yefFy1sy5p4raWc3Q77hWNjpKjl4ASO5tPp9kdx3KJqMIqKIuL0mH4UwvQ6Wlf54Z-h2QyavEXiedcOaSEQ-iC6GVq34kpazLBzctx3912v=s251" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPsexYmd-UO3282UaFfhK3thdkE1SD6zekfoYiczAA8KYBqD6KY_-GwGHu4r0QJmciVydSPDxdIEIp4yefFy1sy5p4raWc3Q77hWNjpKjl4ASO5tPp9kdx3KJqMIqKIuL0mH4UwvQ6Wlf54Z-h2QyavEXiedcOaSEQ-iC6GVq34kpazLBzctx3912v=w320-h400" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thomas Gage</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Invasion and War</h4><p><br /></p><p>Thus weakened, he was not prepared for the winter onslaught unleashed by the American invasion in the fall of 1775. Two of America's best commanders, General Richard Montgomery and Colonel Benedict Arnold, led bold thrusts across two fronts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0UaVti2bvs0MruYf2xMV4B9k2m4sc0xpQv_Vw9BNWclyciWcJcftir3TgVDgcJNErZzFPW7hjPV1AaR9eHE_jtt-6cTBM2PdVyDhqOqAU1MYC0oNvP46_AlH1-RiYUkmkWSsknVUcSPyx03ZLWGQm96RN2CvqFzWJSMGtdf0nuhxB76eoZYU4PkHM=s992" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="992" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0UaVti2bvs0MruYf2xMV4B9k2m4sc0xpQv_Vw9BNWclyciWcJcftir3TgVDgcJNErZzFPW7hjPV1AaR9eHE_jtt-6cTBM2PdVyDhqOqAU1MYC0oNvP46_AlH1-RiYUkmkWSsknVUcSPyx03ZLWGQm96RN2CvqFzWJSMGtdf0nuhxB76eoZYU4PkHM=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">General Montgomery marshals his troops to invade Canada</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Fortunately, bad timing by the Americans, poor supplies, and worsening weather combined to stymy what appeared to be an imminent and speedy victory.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Stout Defender</h4><p><br /></p><p>Guy Carleton showed true mettle in his own right as well. He fought a defensive action that slowed Montgomery's thrust on Montreal, trading space for time. The beleaguered governor held out for a while in Montreal but almost fell into rebel hands when he finally evacuated—resolved to continue his defense farther down the Saint Lawrence River at Quebec City, where he would make a last-ditch defense. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5K8I7DzcWQOa4wZ5iT2VrbwtQYwFrsO_Rw9uQGFXCvc87gdr0v68Be_4Z6n4fvxevkzGnSPTpXiRfiwTSmnvwnH1Wugaz96EbBObi_ranIIgQvYkF09QHtbE2Cp2Ad30RluDQxqq7Ine8wdvj4FxpsePb_p3Auq-qJMcnzBTYNNShT47DsfJwHXki=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="640" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5K8I7DzcWQOa4wZ5iT2VrbwtQYwFrsO_Rw9uQGFXCvc87gdr0v68Be_4Z6n4fvxevkzGnSPTpXiRfiwTSmnvwnH1Wugaz96EbBObi_ranIIgQvYkF09QHtbE2Cp2Ad30RluDQxqq7Ine8wdvj4FxpsePb_p3Auq-qJMcnzBTYNNShT47DsfJwHXki=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Quebec</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>With Arnold now before Quebec and Montgomery due to join him, Carleton counted on three things: the onset of winter, heroics by his small force of regulars and provincials, and reinforcements from Britain. Miraculously for him, all three transpired. But not without great efforts and sacrifice. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcSz7kfT2a_nB5I2PbAFcB77fKMFSI7M6YdDJGA2BuDwWLx8MnB-WMEP8fAdE-WFPw4CV895cyLxetOi1tkn7ydSwBnWcvQxnEa8qnw1C8FE9gf8D5WTpojVsz00zK1mMHP5xqJ3X1c4V9sBg602fVuytY88mm_VY5EZsh8oAZJn05DGa54JrCI9-B=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcSz7kfT2a_nB5I2PbAFcB77fKMFSI7M6YdDJGA2BuDwWLx8MnB-WMEP8fAdE-WFPw4CV895cyLxetOi1tkn7ydSwBnWcvQxnEa8qnw1C8FE9gf8D5WTpojVsz00zK1mMHP5xqJ3X1c4V9sBg602fVuytY88mm_VY5EZsh8oAZJn05DGa54JrCI9-B=s320" width="262" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Benedict Arnold</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The Americans' all-out assault on Quebec failed due to extreme weather, a solid and stubborn defense, and sound tactical decisions. General Montgomery fell mortally wounded in the blinding snowstorm that swirled around the city. Colonel Arnold took a musket ball in the leg. The British captured several American leaders, including Dan Morgan and Ethan Allen. Carleton hung strong with a weak American army scattered around the city until General John Burgoyne arrived in March 1776. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-c5qIAp_w5O_M3kaIA5eaSe8Po7I8aK-OV4nbh-7gEaDj1vO1_bGTfJ9nxODPdi4xf94I5iqHROcFlRioxk-RJDFdUGdaMgwfNkdR5cWsm8ZdJSowDj_36JblPUtGIE0kb7tzsqPflAIT2M1IHSXySn0sxW2YvwYPD8IqPk5IbzbW4ML3e_AD70ag=s745" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="745" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-c5qIAp_w5O_M3kaIA5eaSe8Po7I8aK-OV4nbh-7gEaDj1vO1_bGTfJ9nxODPdi4xf94I5iqHROcFlRioxk-RJDFdUGdaMgwfNkdR5cWsm8ZdJSowDj_36JblPUtGIE0kb7tzsqPflAIT2M1IHSXySn0sxW2YvwYPD8IqPk5IbzbW4ML3e_AD70ag=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Failed assault on Quebec</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Counter Stroke</h4><p><br /></p><p>With fresh troops reinforcing him, Carleton launched a counteroffensive. In June, his crushing blow against acting American commander General John Sullivan at Trois Rivieres, sent the scattered and ill-supplied Americans reeling back into New York.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzPTIPgozv9pIouLKMWpg2UmTFurTqty0X--4T6GVF3aFq77pcct2hKZ-cMl-PqSZnjwq4GpYXLx0R-adM7BH_Tbd8c-5cBfTutFJBBJYL6UdzNRpIf60fGnHq36802DEW_oqIiB2KhX_tXOmEONWylnc0u3ewiv0gUl1Sl8MLCBpBYDNmYeFPwNpN=s300" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="300" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzPTIPgozv9pIouLKMWpg2UmTFurTqty0X--4T6GVF3aFq77pcct2hKZ-cMl-PqSZnjwq4GpYXLx0R-adM7BH_Tbd8c-5cBfTutFJBBJYL6UdzNRpIf60fGnHq36802DEW_oqIiB2KhX_tXOmEONWylnc0u3ewiv0gUl1Sl8MLCBpBYDNmYeFPwNpN" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Canadian Militia at Trois Rivieres</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Carleton then went on the offensive. Over the next few months, he built a fleet and launched it down Lake Champlain in October 1776. But Colonel, now Brigadier-General Arnold, had recovered and stayed busy putting together a fleet of his own. The two clashed at Valcour Island on 10 October. Arnold fought a shrewd battle and inflicted losses on the British fleet before Carleton resoundingly defeated him. The way to Albany and deep into the rebel heartland was now open.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCQ16mq7mFybWplgv8O8ZTRSpn0zZ0RhvTusJtIdA1C2rfv0LcyR_WrfSpcXHZ1yyLGxF7inoQ3y6fLxfO3X57mrUVEotwd6YR0mrq8_QCujm_W0F0OiPplyyS4szTNZT5RzlNCbg7QS6lMLAEpBMn2p8L-NSj1B-2k2hQlHi-dod5svrIMqRAnFc_=s500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="500" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCQ16mq7mFybWplgv8O8ZTRSpn0zZ0RhvTusJtIdA1C2rfv0LcyR_WrfSpcXHZ1yyLGxF7inoQ3y6fLxfO3X57mrUVEotwd6YR0mrq8_QCujm_W0F0OiPplyyS4szTNZT5RzlNCbg7QS6lMLAEpBMn2p8L-NSj1B-2k2hQlHi-dod5svrIMqRAnFc_=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Valcour Island</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>But the Governor-General had second thoughts about continuing a new campaign so late in the season. He withdrew north to tighten his supply line and prepare for a final thrust the following season. It was a season that would not be his. Carleton's hesitancy in 1776 caused London to "go in a different direction."</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Different Direction</h4><p><br /></p><p>While the Americans used the winter respite to recoup and reinforce their hold on Lake Champlain, General Burgoyne returned to Britain. He convinced Lord George Germain and King George to give him command of the new army and the spring offensive into New York. Carleton responded by resigning as Governor-General and returned to Britain as governor of Armagh, Ireland. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9lQl67dEw2WhIqh_4lnzhmOX0EF5LCJ7TmNezKRKdi0oe8xv0RyPFsONuP0pnW8ouqBRA6FdMUsGtQXd3piAUDcwbC_51wYx6zY0PKHRhE5pQ2flDzZ4Rw6dC2FldiCXQJBQaamhk4ZKPZ2IpwpQLozemBws1-KmC0UnoaWteqKgs2cs7qRS2u3PV=s582" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="463" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9lQl67dEw2WhIqh_4lnzhmOX0EF5LCJ7TmNezKRKdi0oe8xv0RyPFsONuP0pnW8ouqBRA6FdMUsGtQXd3piAUDcwbC_51wYx6zY0PKHRhE5pQ2flDzZ4Rw6dC2FldiCXQJBQaamhk4ZKPZ2IpwpQLozemBws1-KmC0UnoaWteqKgs2cs7qRS2u3PV=w319-h400" width="319" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">John Burgoyne</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Military Disaster</h4><p><br /></p><p>Meanwhile, Burgoyne's failure and surrender to the Americans at Saratoga in October 1777 led to a chain of events that brought the French and Spanish into the war against Britain. After Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781, the British knew they had to manage what appeared to be its defeat in America. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzDzH1mtKZieeD3mH7covAncYS3ELRF4kIwytTw8FJ5cDh-KTaXLdBHlofT8ESgOJ2AeP3n5g5REt4hanSZ9KHfjpAEAPYERbZckAMKwhmof_whpvl5bSgG5QkfzXMn_bTV7IjcEGR7ToWDhuG4tFZzQHCdax1iMp9DZJqjU2NSERk5-JT-4VRwKSG=s277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="277" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzDzH1mtKZieeD3mH7covAncYS3ELRF4kIwytTw8FJ5cDh-KTaXLdBHlofT8ESgOJ2AeP3n5g5REt4hanSZ9KHfjpAEAPYERbZckAMKwhmof_whpvl5bSgG5QkfzXMn_bTV7IjcEGR7ToWDhuG4tFZzQHCdax1iMp9DZJqjU2NSERk5-JT-4VRwKSG=w400-h263" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Surrender at Yorktown</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Managing Defeat</h4><p><br /></p><p>With the signing of the Treaty of Paris, London recalled General Henry Clinton and sent Carleton to replace him as commander-in-chief in North America. He was there to manage defeat by enforcing the peace treaty provisions. Carleton ensured an orderly process and fought for the rights and interests of the remaining Loyalists and British supporting former slaves in the colonies. He refused to evacuate the last British garrison in New York until all Loyalist refugees were safely ensconced in Québec and Nova Scotia. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-klR2iWfdTtEacjYMMc_CS26uN0IjXNhTyE_hX1ji1ehhmuEHCcQzTh8lnOqbzQyY6lrJ9OwG9LGJiia6axawj63snW-vfHdcClRMCl0klEihS3YF9Cl8y67DVduscsDraEJLWYyNTXsgFLQy1D8r5DzRSRkNVsEzyQpMTf_Wuiu5FaAQNOJPXEDk=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="1800" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-klR2iWfdTtEacjYMMc_CS26uN0IjXNhTyE_hX1ji1ehhmuEHCcQzTh8lnOqbzQyY6lrJ9OwG9LGJiia6axawj63snW-vfHdcClRMCl0klEihS3YF9Cl8y67DVduscsDraEJLWYyNTXsgFLQy1D8r5DzRSRkNVsEzyQpMTf_Wuiu5FaAQNOJPXEDk=w400-h244" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">British depart New York City 1783</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Peer</h4><p><br /></p><p>In 1783, he was named the 1st Baron Dorchester when he sailed back to England. But once again, London needed his administrative skills in North America. In 1786 he returned for another stint as Governor-in-Chief of North America – Canada and the various maritime provinces.</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Governor-in-Chief</h4><p><br /></p><p>He looked toward the economic development of the colonies. To this end, he deliberately misinterpreted the British ban on American imports to allow commerce with the American West. The ban would only apply to seaports. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiVjw94F0LK8UMqdw_KWjdnlUO2d76s_pHpwezxcDbjQq6gwX6sKIooZ1oKrGVCOKwi7A_W_H7vrGtX0WzhoscM88VajD4NEIpY6nVbAJM_DZlS-xfsi1WfIYqJfTWbvldKzqxW2bC2D-NcgLFgwBfWIOjOhw10YmRexD68v_s1P0sGZXRQ1vKvr0y=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1531" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiVjw94F0LK8UMqdw_KWjdnlUO2d76s_pHpwezxcDbjQq6gwX6sKIooZ1oKrGVCOKwi7A_W_H7vrGtX0WzhoscM88VajD4NEIpY6nVbAJM_DZlS-xfsi1WfIYqJfTWbvldKzqxW2bC2D-NcgLFgwBfWIOjOhw10YmRexD68v_s1P0sGZXRQ1vKvr0y=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1st Baron Dorchester</div><p><br /></p><p>Carleton was the force behind dividing the colony into Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec) with their own assemblies and set forth the plan for British governance of all of its North American possessions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlLhapxDG3qNwTEjpp8B_6Xx4QGOFZqyanwZlRGGvBZ-OdRdfMkFAxHSeyojWt1d5kF9KCyyMEUs0mD-QmrQlcQyyxSe6-WsE_CIR2Al-vNqU2_rNFbt0LIVnZMVIv9h72o1bQlDE6IyxOeUWO6el9lO-Rqhp42hAkgWdJ26dcy3Z8vPnWiy6xtRb2=s560" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="560" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlLhapxDG3qNwTEjpp8B_6Xx4QGOFZqyanwZlRGGvBZ-OdRdfMkFAxHSeyojWt1d5kF9KCyyMEUs0mD-QmrQlcQyyxSe6-WsE_CIR2Al-vNqU2_rNFbt0LIVnZMVIv9h72o1bQlDE6IyxOeUWO6el9lO-Rqhp42hAkgWdJ26dcy3Z8vPnWiy6xtRb2=w400-h304" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carlton's Canada</div><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;">To England's Green Pastures</h4><p><br /></p><p>On 9 July 1796, Carleton sailed from Canada to Britain, never to return. He died suddenly on 10 November 1808 at Stubbings House at Burchett's Green near Maidenhead, England. Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester, was buried in the parish church of St Swithun's, Nately Scures.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirih_UxSwU08vZjmHCsvbFBjKYUNghC5R199rvZiV23BqbNuHyip91n_MybtGGCzzu0M9-h8mXvArFF6Dd3cnxNOHu2yaunG0UDlLXH1uF5Wv3217HJwmZsKDuOmCbQOCXcIzOWSWy9m-VGfG6VAguKzhfM1te6ILGcDTH315jsA4uf91G2OT5-vX_=s512" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirih_UxSwU08vZjmHCsvbFBjKYUNghC5R199rvZiV23BqbNuHyip91n_MybtGGCzzu0M9-h8mXvArFF6Dd3cnxNOHu2yaunG0UDlLXH1uF5Wv3217HJwmZsKDuOmCbQOCXcIzOWSWy9m-VGfG6VAguKzhfM1te6ILGcDTH315jsA4uf91G2OT5-vX_=s320" width="271" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carleton in Winter</div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Lasting Legacy</h4><p><br /></p><p>Although he was an accomplished leader of troops in combat, Carleton's legacy centers on his skills as an administrator – a man who could organize and manage during peace, crisis, and war. His talents helped wind down the eight-year American War for Independence with decorum and reason and helped build the future Dominion of Canada. Both of these mark him as a great leader who made an imprint on the future of North America.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70zzkUSNGLIsJ524Jx9Rzb8bbWToAXPeWxpIpx2ZVU_1ZM10CkwPijP2ZW2kyZSbyKy3anOr-WH_v-2SsFyRDvhelD9WnJmh00gpXIgvSC-sCm3TKMrJsioG0qp3BclwtVk5btOf88j2NtO2V8nsmgJxcATLeLV0HaepyrBKNDZ4GhIycgi3sEN_B=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70zzkUSNGLIsJ524Jx9Rzb8bbWToAXPeWxpIpx2ZVU_1ZM10CkwPijP2ZW2kyZSbyKy3anOr-WH_v-2SsFyRDvhelD9WnJmh00gpXIgvSC-sCm3TKMrJsioG0qp3BclwtVk5btOf88j2NtO2V8nsmgJxcATLeLV0HaepyrBKNDZ4GhIycgi3sEN_B=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carleton Memorial</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>S.W. O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05770117301327814114noreply@blogger.com1