The First Baronet

Who is Peter Parker?

This edition of the Yankee Doodle Spies will recount the exploits of one Peter Parker. No, not that Peter Parker. Our Peter Parker was not a web-crawling teen like his comic book namesake. But before he was a teen, he was skipping along the rigging with a speed and grace that would make even Spider-Man jealous. This is our first naval topic in a while and focuses on a little-known British sailor who rose through the ranks due to long service, some patronage, good timing, and courage. Sometimes, all it takes to rise to the top is simply being there.

Skipping up the rigging

Midshipman

Our Peter Parker was born in Ireland in 1721, the son of Vice-Admiral Christopher Parker. Like all legacy officers of the Royal Navy, he started his career early, serving as a cabin boy and midshipman. During this period, he served on several ships under Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon of the West Indies station at the beginning of the War of Jenkins' Ear.

Vice Adm Sir Edward Vernon

War of the Austrian Succession

The eight-year War of the Austrian Succession provided plenty of action for the Royal Navy and numerous opportunities for up-and-coming young officers like Peter. Parker received his lieutenant’s commission in the summer of 1743 aboard the HMS Russell, a second-rate, 80-gun ship of the line. He served on several warships at various stations, most notably in the Mediterranean, where he participated in the battle of Toulon on February 11, 1744, aboard the flagship of Rear-Admiral William Rowley, the 90-gun HMS Barfleur.

Admiral William Rowley

In May 1747, he was promoted to captain and commissioned a captured French privateer as the 24-gun frigate HMS Margate. Captain Parker commanded this vessel in the Channel, the North Sea, and the Mediterranean. When she was paid off in April 1749, he had a brief stint aboard the 66-gun HMS Lancaster before going on half-pay with the end of the war. It was common practice to place officers on half-pay during periods between active conflicts.

Young Lieutenant Parker served at Toulon

Seven Years of War

Captain Parker remained ashore on half-pay for several years while overseeing the construction of the 44-gun HMS Woolwich in Portsmouth. With the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War, he went to sea on the Woolwich and commanded it on a voyage to the Baltic Sea. However, he fell seriously ill during the trip after catching a fever that swept through the ship.

After he recovered, the navy sent him to the Leeward Islands in December 1756, where, in January 1759, he transferred to the 50-gun HMS Bristol. Parker commanded the Bristol during the unsuccessful campaign against Martinique and later in the campaign that captured Guadeloupe.

Taking Fort Louis at Guadeloupe was one
of many sea-land campaigns in Parker's career

In 1760, he returned to his home station in the Channel, where he took command of the 64-gun HMS Montague. Parker captured several prize ships while navigating the narrow but dangerous waters between Britain and the Continent. His success earned him command of the 70-gun HMS Buckingham and a squadron that dismantled French fortifications on the Isle d’Aix. The next year, he took part in the assault on a fort at Belle-Isle. This was typical 18th-century warfare, involving the capture of positions and negotiations to secure a better peace. But fierce action and naval skill made this possible. His last wartime command was the 74-gun HMS Terrible just before the 1763 Treaty of Paris.

HMS Terrible in action

Another Half-Pay Hiatus

The 1763 Treaty of Paris placed Parker and most of his fellow officers on half-pay. This half-pay status aimed to cut costs while keeping experienced officers available for future conflicts. In the 18th-century Royal Navy, there was always the next war. Parker stayed without a command for nearly ten years. But then things changed. Knighted in 1772, Sir Peter Parker was given command of the second-rate but heavily armed (90-gun) HMS Barfleur when he rejoined the service in 1773. By then, tensions were rising in the North American colonies. In 1775, Parker was assigned to command the fourth-rate 50-gun HMS Bristol, but more importantly, he was soon to command a squadron and promoted to commodore.

Ships returning to Plymouth

War of Rebellion

In February 1776, Captain Peter Parker was appointed commodore of a small squadron at Plymouth and tasked with transporting several Irish regiments under General Charles Cornwallis to America. The destination was the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. This was part of a complicated plan in which he would work with North Carolina’s infamous Royal Governor Josiah Martin and General Henry Clinton to rally Loyalist support in the unrest-filled colony.

Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet

Ill-Fated Southern Rendezvous

Bad weather and bad luck thwarted these efforts. A rough Atlantic voyage followed, and by the time Parker’s fleet reached its rendezvous with Clinton, the expected Loyalist uprising they depended on had been crushed. To their dismay, they learned of the decisive battle at Moores Creek Bridge on February 21, 1776. 

The resettled Scots Highlanders of the Carolina hill country had agreed to march to the coast in support of the crown. Ironically, many of them had been resettled after the disaster at Culloden decades earlier in Scotland. Now, they had taken up the claymore for the crown that defeated them in 1745. The Highlanders’ attack was easily scattered by the rebels from the coastal Tidewater—thus, there was no force to link up with.

Battle at Moores Creek Bridge

But no armada should ever go to waste, so Parker and Clinton shifted their focus south to Charleston, South Carolina. The town was seen as being poorly defended. Quickly capturing it would provide a good naval base in the South and a safe haven for Loyalists across the region. The idea of winning hearts and minds remained a central part of the British approach to the war.

Charleston

On June 1, 1776, Parker’s flotilla was off Charleston, but the lack of charts (see the Yankee Doodle Spies Blog Post on hydrography) forced the British to sound the waters while they waited for the tides to favor an attack. It was a good plan given the circumstances, but the delay allowed the American commander, Colonel William Moultrie, time to strengthen the defenses of Fort Sullivan on Sullivan’s Island.

Moultrie's gallant defense of Fort Sullivan
spared the South for a few years

On June 28, Parker finally managed to land British troops on Long Island, the island further up the coast to the northeast of Sullivan’s Island, and positioned ships where they could bombard the island. Despite a severe bombardment, the defenders held their ground, shielded by Fort Sullivan’s palmetto walls. The spongy bark of the palmetto logs absorbed cannon fire. The defenders had only a few guns, but Moultrie utilized these effectively. He concentrated their fire on Parker’s flagship, HMS Bristol. In a stroke of bad luck, the ship’s cable was severed. Out of control, the Bristol swung around, and the guns from the fort unleashed enfilade fire upon her.

Our commodore bravely stood his post on the quarterdeck in the finest tradition of the Royal Navy. But a heated cannonball, deadly red-hot shot, burned his pants off his rear end and caused serious injuries. Meanwhile, things worsened further. To avoid capture, the frigate HMS Actaeon ran onto shoals and ran aground. Under American fire, the resourceful British sailors set their ship ablaze to prevent it from being captured. The intense fighting continued for 10 hours. Finally, with casualties exceeding 250, Parker signaled the flotilla to break off, and they disengaged.

Shoals, palmetto logs, and well-aimed guns set
our commodore's pants afire

Parker’s failure at Charleston preserved the South for the cause, at least for a few years. The resulting boost in American morale rallied southern patriots and subdued southern Loyalists. In this type of war, morale would prove to be decisive.

True North

With their commodore recovering from his burns, Parker’s flotilla returned to New York. There, it joined the fleet under Admiral Richard Howe. Commodore Parker recovered enough to command the squadron that captured Long Island in August 1776. At that time, his ships supported the landing of British troops on Long Island, forcing the rebel army to retreat from New York City.

Parker's leadership was part of a brilliant sea-land
campaign that resulted in victory on
Long Island and New York

In December 1776, Parker was entrusted with command of a flotilla that carried an invasion force under Henry Clinton in another successful operation: capturing Newport, Rhode Island. This gave the British an extra base from which to threaten Massachusetts and Connecticut. More maritime success for the commodore that would not go unnoticed.

Sir Henry Clinton

Commodore Parker stayed at Rhode Island for nearly a year with two 50-gun warships and several frigates under his command. Although the assignment seemed like a remote posting, his career was about to take a turn toward higher rank: flag officer!

A Flag Officer

Comte de Grasse

  Parker was promoted to rear admiral on April 28, 1777. He was soon named commander of the Jamaica Station (not the subway stop). By that time, British strategy had shifted to capturing as much of the West Indies as possible. The rest of the war focused on supporting efforts there against the French and Spanish. He performed his duties well and was promoted again to rear admiral in March 1779.

His time in America ended in 1782, and Parker returned to England in August of that year. He had the distinct privilege of carrying the captured French admiral, Francois-Joseph-Paul, Comte de Grasse, and his staff as prisoners from the Battle of the Saintes. Despite the defeat at the Saintes, de Grasse gained honors for his victory at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781-a rare defeat of the Royal Navy that set the stage for American victory. One can only wonder about the sea stories they shared over wine during the voyage back! In London, de Grasse would set the stage for negotiations that led to the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American War for Independence.

High Command

Service in American waters brought Parker great distinction, despite Charleston. He was elevated to baronet in 1783 and appointed commander of Portsmouth Harbor, the home port of the Royal Navy. During this time, he met and mentored a young Lieutenant Horatio Nelson, the future victor of Trafalgar. Parker helped Nelson early in his career, and for that, the British should hold him in high regard. Parker was named admiral of the fleet in September 1799 after the death of Admiral Lord Howe. He was also appointed a general of marines. Sadly, one of Parker’s last official acts was serving as the chief mourner at Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s funeral on 9 January 1806.

Parker would mentor a young Horatio Nelson
and sadly preside at his funeral

An MP

While not unusual for military officers of that era, Parker served in Parliament as the MP for Seaford from 1784 to 6. In 1787, he became the MP for Malden, holding the position until 1790. Parker’s West Indian prize money enabled him to build an estate in Essex, although his parliamentary address was registered as Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire. He supported the government but delivered only two speeches during his time in the House of Commons. 

As a Member of Parliament, Parker held pro-slavery views, stating that “the abolition of the Africa Trade would, in my opinion, cause a general despondency amongst the Negroes and gradually decrease their population and consequently the produce of our islands, and must in time destroy near half our commerce and take from Great Britain all the pretensions to the rank she now holds as the First Maritime power in the World.”

Parliament

Family Life

True to his class and position, Parker made a good match in his family life by marrying Margaret Nugent. They had two sons and two daughters, with one son, Christopher, rising to Vice Admiral.

Admiral Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet, was regarded as tough and opinionated, yet well-respected for his composure and coolness in action. After all, how many admirals continued to fight with their pants seared off? While he was considered cantankerous, he met his match with Margaret, who had a very strong personality. During his command period in Jamaica, she was almost his equal in managing the station. He died in London on December 21, 1811, and was buried at St. Margaret's, Westminster.

Peter Parker's resting place at
St. Margaret's Church

Legacy

Peter Parker's career, reminiscent of Forrest Gump, spanned decades, continents, battles, and interactions with prominent figures of the 18th-century Royal Navy — a path that was not unusual. After all, building an empire often requires men to place themselves in strange situations, sometimes for years at a time. Naval officers frequently came from a long line of naval leaders. 

As we see, Parker's lineage was notably distinguished. Besides being the son and father of an admiral, he was also the grandfather of one. Parker's use of patronage helped elevate his son Christopher (who served under him) to captain and then admiral at a young age. Christopher's son, Captain Peter, the renowned 2nd Baronet, also served under his grandfather and alongside Horatio Nelson. 

The second Peter Parker fought in America, just like his father and grandfather, during the War of 1812. In 1814, near Baltimore, he was shot in the pants during combat, similar to the first Sir Peter — though sadly, it proved to be fatal. He was buried at St. Margaret's.

Captain Peter Parker, 2nd Baronet

The Militia General

The Militia General: Philemon Dickinson

The role of the militia during the fight for independence was uneven. For various reasons, militias were often unreliable and poorly equipped. But mostly, they lacked strong leadership. However, Philemon Dickinson stood out as a leader any Continental soldier would be proud to follow. Like the militia, Dickinson embodies understated service and quiet achievement. Unlike many militia units, Dickinson was consistently dependable. Like the militias he led, Dickinson always kept one eye on the home front.

Philemon Dickinson

The Making of a Citizen

Philemon Dickinson was born at Crosiadore in Talbot County, Maryland, on April 5, 1739. As the son of a local judge, he was also the younger brother of fellow patriot and signer John Dickinson. After graduating from the College of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pennsylvania) in 1759, the younger Dickinson briefly worked as a clerk at his brother John’s law office. However, he soon left the profession and began managing their father’s estates. In 1767, he married Mary Cadwalader, a member of one of the area's most prominent families. The couple moved to a farm just outside Trenton, New Jersey. 

Dickinson attended the College of Pennsylvania

A Call to Arms

With a family involved in revolutionary politics, it was natural that Philemon would eventually take part alongside his older brother John. In 1775, he was offered a colonelcy in the Hunterdon County militia, and he quickly accepted. By October of the next year, he had been promoted to brigadier general and also served in the state’s provincial congress. During the Continental Army’s retreat across the Jerseys in 1776, Dickinson proved to be a valuable asset to the beleaguered George Washington. His performance under fire at Trenton in December 1776 was especially noteworthy. There, the tough militia general ordered his own house to be shelled during the heat of battle after learning it was an enemy command post.

The American attack on Trenton

Kicking Off the Forage War

On January 20, 1777, Dickinson led a combined force of 350 Jersey militiamen and 50 Pennsylvania riflemen in a daring attack against a British foraging party of about 500 Regulars and Hessians. Dickinson divided his force into two groups. His brave men waded through the icy waist-deep Millstone River and ambushed the enemy during a running gun battle that forced them back to their base at New Brunswick. Dickinson’s men seized thirty-six supply wagons and over 100 horses. This was perhaps Dickinson’s most notable single battle where he was in overall command. 

The bold assault sent shockwaves through the British command because, although they claimed it was a successful rearguard action, it proved that the militia was not going home for the winter. Instead, these citizen soldiers (along with some Continental troops) opted to stay and fight an enemy eager for “winter quarters.” The skirmish set the tone for a series of militia attacks, ambushes, and raids against the British foraging efforts in the Jerseys—known as the forage war. In June, Dickinson was promoted to Major General and appointed commander-in-chief of the New Jersey militia. 

Jersey Militia and Pennsylvania Riflemen
waded the icy Millstone River

Militia General

In May 1778, he proved his skill as the New Jersey militia commander when his men repelled an attack on Trenton by British forces under Major John Maitland. The battle foreshadowed the British “retrograde” from the occupied American capital. His courage was tested again shortly after. Washington sent him and his militia to disrupt and block the British column when Sir Henry Clinton ordered a retreat from Philadelphia. 

Most of the British Army had to march across New Jersey to reach safety in the highlands and the transports back to New York. Dickinson’s 800 men stayed ahead of the advancing column, cutting down trees and destroying bridges to slow its progress so Washington could attack from behind at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28.

The Jersey militia slowed the retrograde of the British Army
leading to the American attack at Monmouth 

Crushing the Cabal

John Cadwalader

A dedicated supporter of General Washington during one of the key political and military disputes of the war, the so-called Conway Cabal, Dickinson served as a second to his wife’s cousin, Pennsylvania General John Cadwalader. Cadwalader dueled with Franco-Irish General John Conway over the latter’s insulting remarks about George Washington. 

In 18th-century dueling protocol, the Code Duello, the second played a crucial role in organizing, supporting, and sometimes participating in the duel. Clearly, Dickinson proved to be a loyal family member as well as a fierce supporter of his commander in chief. Cadwalader, for his part, won the duel—firing a pistol round into Conway’s mouth. The unlucky Conway survived and, in a twist, declared loyalty to Washington before resigning from the Continental Army.

John Conway's opposition to Washington
led to a dual

War’s Last Gasp in the Jerseys

The course of the war would soon turn south, but New Jersey’s proximity to New York made it a battleground for covert warfare and small-scale hit-and-run attacks. On June 23, 1780, the last battle in the North was fought at Springfield, New Jersey, where Dickinson played a key role in repelling the renowned Hessian general Wilhelm von Knyphausen.

The Battle of Springfield

Soldier to Citizen

Remarkably, but not surprisingly, Dickinson also played a political role during his war years. As the action shifted to the Southern theater, he moved toward a less active form of public service. He ran for governor of New Jersey three times but was unsuccessful each time. However, in 1782, he became a member of the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1783. 

Two years later, he served as vice president of the New Jersey state council. He was part of the commission to select a site for the national capital in 1784. When factions emerged, the dedicated Washington supporter aligned with the Federalists. In 1790, he was chosen to serve as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, a position he held until 1793. Mary had died in 1791, but as was typical for the era, Dickinson remarried.

Dickinson retired to his estate
near Trenton

Always the model citizen-soldier, Philemon Dickinson eventually retired to his New Jersey estate, “the Hermitage," near Trenton in 1794. He died there on February 4, 1803, and was buried in the Friends Meeting House Burying Ground in Trenton.

The Iron Colonel

A little-known Hessian Colonel named Johann Gottlieb Rall played a significant role in the course of the American War for Independence. Sadly for him, that course led to his defeat and death. However, this should not diminish the life and service of this German military officer. An experienced Hessian officer, Rall is often portrayed as the unlucky loser of the Battle of Trenton. But he was much more than that. He was the quintessential professional German officer of the mid-18th century: skilled and confident, built from experience.

Advancement

Johann Rall was born in the German principality of Hesse-Kassel in 1720. His father was a captain in the regiment Von Donop. At an early age, the younger Rall joined as a cadet, then became a warrant officer, and finally was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on August 28th, 1745. Within eight years, he had become a captain and was then promoted to Major on May 7th, 1760, under the command of Major General Bischhausen. In January 1763, he was transferred to the garrison at Stein, where he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel.

On April 22, 1771, now a Colonel, he took command of the Mansbach Infantry Regiment, a renowned unit. Unlike the British army of that time, officers were promoted based on merit rather than by purchasing their ranks. On his path to becoming a colonel, Rall likely served as a platoon leader, a company commander (possibly multiple times), and a staff officer, probably as an adjutant. By age 51, he was a highly experienced and professional military officer—perhaps among the best of his generation.

Early Service

So where did Johann Rall serve to reach the high ranks of regimental command? Actually, Rall's service is almost a detailed record of the wars in the mid-18th century. He fought in the War of the Austrian Succession - taking part in campaigns from the Low Countries of Flanders, through the Rhineland, and in Bavaria.

A youthful Rall fought in the War of the Austrian Succession

He even served in Scotland during the Jacobite rising of 1745 – not his last service to the German kings of England. Here, Rall was part of a group of about six thousand Hessian troops under the command of their prince, the Elector, Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Frederick deployed his forces to support his father-in-law, George II of England.

The battle of Culloden ended the Jacobite Rising

Of course, Rall was there when the big one broke out. Like nearly all European professional soldiers, he saw action in numerous battles during the Seven Years' War (America’s French and Indian War). This global conflict was fought between 1756 and 1763 and involved every major European power. It spanned five continents, affecting Europe, the Americas, West Africa, India, and the Philippines. The war involved two main coalitions, one led by Great Britain (along with Prussia, Portugal, Hanover, and smaller German states like Hesse-Kassel), and the other led by France (with allies Austria, Russia, Spain, and Sweden).

Storming a village in the Seven Years War

Most of the professional armies in Europe experienced a period of peace after the Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War. However, Rall managed to stay busy in his chosen profession. From September 1771 to August 1772, he fought for Russia’s Catherine the Great under Count Orlov in the Russo-Turkish War.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1771 was one of many
fought between the two empires

Coming to Amerika

What makes Johann Gottlieb Rall interesting to the Yankee Doodle Spies is his role as a Hessian officer in His Majesty’s service during the American War for Independence.  Upon his return to Germany, Rall received command of a grenadier regiment that bore his name. In 1775, Landgrave Frederick Wilhelm II offered to “rent” several of his professional regiments to the King of England. It is said he used the revenues from such ventures to pay for his patronage of the arts. I guess it was blood for beauty.  And so Rall and the regiment bearing his name embarked for America with a division of German troops under General Wilhelm von Knyphausen.

Knyphaussen’s forces were part of British Major General William Howe’s army that invaded Staten Island, Long Island, New York (Manhattan), Westchester, and the Jerseys in 1776. Rall was noted for his performance under fire on Long Island and again at Fort Washington, where Knyphausen’s Hessians distinguished themselves with audacity, skill, and courage.

Rall's Grenadiers storm a redoubt at Fort Washington

At Fort Washington, Rall led the final assault from the front. One of his men, Private Johann Reuber, recalled him encouraging the grenadiers, "All that are my grenadiers, march forward." Leading the charge, Rall’s grenadiers captured their objective. His grenadiers lost 177 men in the action, a large number of casualties for the period, and a tribute to their courage and audacity, as well as Yankee marksmanship.

Most of these battles were against raw, undisciplined, and poorly supplied troops, although not always. It didn’t take long for the Hessians and Rall himself to come to see the rebellers as beneath respect. In fact, many Hessian officers were perplexed that Howe didn’t strike the "rabble" more aggressively to destroy them. Howe’s slow, careful style of warfare clashed with the aggressive, smash-mouth approach of the sharp German troops and their leaders.

Blitzkrieg turns to Winter Quarters

As General George Washington led his battered army across the cold, snowy New Jersey in December 1776, it seemed like the war was nearly over. The Germans, along with many British officers, believed it was only a matter of days before they would crush Washington and seize the rebel capital. To their disappointment, Howe decided he had done enough for the year. He settled his army into winter quarters, confidently expecting an easy march to Philadelphia in the spring. After all, the rebels had been driven across the Delaware with their tails between their legs, and the morale of the American people was at an all-time low. He was right, too—except for one small problem: General Washington was not in winter quarters.

Gen William Howe put his
army into winter quarters a bit too early

Howe compounded his mistake by dispersing his forces into small garrisons across West Jersey, including Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Princeton, Trenton, and Bordentown. The weather and the appealingly small, brigade-sized garrisons gave the beleaguered American commander the opportunity he needed. He planned to strike the closest garrisons: Bordentown and Trenton. Bordentown proved to be a missed opportunity, but Trenton was not.

The approximately sixteen hundred Hessians comprising Trenton’s garrison had been under pressure. The Jersey militia had rallied against them. Couriers, patrols, and foraging efforts were attacked. Rall’s officers recommended they fortify Trenton. The town had a comfortable barracks where the troops stayed, but aside from an isolated blockhouse north of the town, they had nothing else. Despite Rall’s professionalism, his contempt for the Americans was evident. He dismissed the suggestions as unnecessary, and he actually stated he dared the Americans to attack so he could crush them. This was not just hubris but a cold, professional calculation. However, it would turn out to be a poor one.

The Trenton garrison had some of the best infantry
of any army of its day

Rall also dismissed the engineer officer sent to help with the defenses. He simply believed his men would overpower any rebel force that approached Trenton. Rall claimed he could be attacked from all sides and would defend from every direction. No redoubts were necessary. However, he did increase patrols, some of which he led himself.

As Christmas neared, British intelligence received word from a spy that the Americans might be planning an attack on Trenton. The British commander in the Jerseys, General James Grant himself, was skeptical of a rebel assault. However, he sent a note to Rall to warn him anyway. Rall scoffed at the idea and dismissed it as alarmist. Besides, he had complete faith and trust in the professionalism of his men and the incompetence of the enemy. The former is usually a good thing; the latter, not so much. Rall stuffed the note in his pocket.

Washington launches his gambit on Christmas Night

Heilige Nacht

Now, in the German world, Christmas Eve is a very big deal—more than Christmas Day. How much “celebrating" actually took place is open to some speculation. Likely, some did. But the real problems the Hessians faced were the weather, the Jersey militia, and frankly, some fatigue. The campaign had been long.

Rall spent Christmas Eve at the Stacey Potts house in Trenton. Unbeknownst to him, his officer of the day, Major Friedrich von Dechow, canceled the next morning’s dawn patrol due to the bad weather. Other officers ordered their troops in outposts to shelter in place as the weather moved in. It was, as they say, a perfect storm. Washington struck Trenton in a surprise early morning attack on Christmas Day 1776. Washington’s 2400 men outnumbered the 1600 defenders. But numbers were not the decisive factor- surprise was.

The Americans depended on the cover of darkness
and bad weather to fuel their surprise

The Element of Surprise

Just after sunrise, one of the Hessian officers sheltering near the outskirts of Trenton, Lieutenant Andreas von Wiederholdt, stepped out of the building he had taken cover in and was surprised to see rebels emerging from the woods around the town. He rallied his platoon and exchanged fire with the approaching troops, but was quickly overwhelmed. By the time the alarm was finally sounded, Trenton was already surrounded on three sides.

Artillery rounds from Henry Knox’s battery began to bombard the town. The Americans had occupied several houses, and as the infantry tried to rally, they were picked off. In the wet snow, the Hessians' return fire was hard to manage due to wet powder and flints.

Knox's Artillery suppressed the Hessian attempt to
counterattack

Surprised, outnumbered, surrounded, and overwhelmed by firepower, the defenders faced a bleak situation. But Hessian discipline was still strong. What you do in training, you will do in combat. The Hessians were well trained. Drummers quickly started beating, and Rall’s regiment rallied. Officers signaled to form ranks. Sergeants and corporals organized the men into lines. Some were only partially dressed or missing some equipment, but they still formed up.

Washington's pincer movement almost bagged the entire garrison

Commands were shouted over the crack of musket shots. But confusion began to turn into order when Rall appeared. He looked tired, some say in his cups, but this is unproven. Rall struggled to mount his horse and rally the troops for a charge that would disperse the rebels like chaff from a scythe. That is how they always did it. They would do it again.

At Fort Washington, Rall summoned his grenadiers to advance with him. They did, and two of the three regiments formed ranks, moving forward with colors flying and drums beating. They would disperse the rebels yet. But this was a different army—well-led and motivated. More importantly, the advancing formation was enfiladed from three sides by Continental infantry firing from behind the cover of houses and artillery bombarding them from the flank. The wet snow limited their return fire, and cold steel alone wouldn't be enough today. Still, they pressed on toward the enemy. "Nach Vorne!"

The American infantry surpassed the crack Hessian regulars

At that critical moment, a musket ball struck Rall in the side. He jerked but managed to turn his horse around and tried to raise his saber. Then a second shot hit him. Rall fell, mortally wounded. Seeing their commander shot from his horse, the usually steadfast Hessian infantry retreated into an orchard and tried to reform once more. Rall was taken to a nearby church and eventually back to Stacey Potts' house. He died there that night.

Rall was stuck down at the critical moment

Determined, Washington had his men fire into their ranks while Knox’s guns tore through them with round shot. Men were falling. Having just seen their beloved commander carried off, morale quickly began to fade. At first, the Hessians refused calls to surrender. Washington was about to tell Henry Knox to switch to canister – which would have torn through the Hessian ranks like a 12-gauge round through a flock of fat geese. But the grim work was not to be. Always professional, the Hessians realized it was over and began to ground their arms in surrender. Aside from a few hundred who fled across the Assunpink River, the Trenton garrison was captured by the ragged rebel forces led by General George Washington.

After he was struck down,
Rall's men forced to surrender to die Rebellen

What of Rall?

Was Johann Gottlieb Rall an arrogant Teuton and drunk, whose hubris cost him his command, his life, and most importantly, his reputation? As is often the case, the verdict is mixed. Rall was well respected by his men. In an army where blind obedience to officers and NCOs was required, respect was not. And he had their respect. Even more remarkable, Rall was liked by his men.

Rall in better times

A noted war diarist and Rall's adjutant at Trenton, Lieutenant Jakob Piel, writes, “Considered as a private individual, he merited the highest respect. He was generous, magnanimous, hospitable, and polite to everyone; never groveling before his superiors, but indulgent with his subordinates. To his servants, he was more of a friend than a master. He was an exceptional friend of music and a pleasant companion."

Note that Rall was outspoken with his superiors. Few had his combat experience. The brutally frank Rall made sure they knew it. Fellow Hessian Colonel Carl von Donop treated Rall with contempt. However, Captain Johann Ewald of the Jaegers, who later rose to the rank of Lieutenant General, claimed that when it came to fighting, none of the other German officers were fit to carry Rall’s sword. British Colonel William Faucitt considered Rall “... one of the best officers of his rank in the Landgrave’s Army."

Goat? Or Scapegoat?

Friedrich Wilhelm II - not
pleased

Rall’s ruler and commander in chief, Prince Frederick Wilhelm II, convened a court-martial to determine what had happened to his proud army at Trenton. It was bad for business if the Hessians were seen as easy targets for undisciplined troops. Predictably, the court blamed the defeat on Rall and four of his officers. Since they were now dead, there was no real defense made. Colonel Rall was found "guilty" of not fortifying Trenton. 

However, the truth is that fortifications would have been of little help, as most of the men were sheltering from the weather. Additionally, the Americans had superiority in artillery. Not surprisingly, all the surviving Hessian officers were conveniently cleared of wrongdoing. Of course, a Hessian court could not address the larger factors in the defeat: Howe’s dispersal of small garrisons in a hostile region and Grant’s inability to support the forward garrisons, who faced constant rebel militia pressure. Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall was not completely blameless, of course – but he took the blame for the whole thing.

Yankee Doodle Postscript

Actually, a shameless Yankee Doodle Spies plug—my second novel in the popular Revolutionary War espionage series—concludes with all the events surrounding the campaign leading up to and including the Battle of Trenton. I take some liberties with dialogue and certain scenes, but not with the actual historical events. I believe I captured Rall pretty well as part of the story.

The Prediction

The French Connection

Most people know that Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, known in the United States simply as Lafayette, was a 19-year-old French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War, leading American troops in several battles, including the Siege of Yorktown.

Lafayette leading troops at Yorktown

 Reform, Revolution & Chaos in France

The young general and confidant of General George Washington later returned to France, where he played a crucial and tragic role in his own country's revolution. Lafayette led the original reform movement and remained committed, hoping to act as a moderate influence as the French shifted to the left and violence entered the political scene. He commanded the National Guard and the French Army when his country was invaded. Ultimately, Lafayette and his family became caught up in the Reign of Terror in Paris in 1792. Accused of treason, he fled to the Austrian Netherlands (Belgium), where Austrian troops captured him, and he spent over five years in prison.

Marie Adrienne Francoise de Noailles,
Lafayette's wife

Meanwhile, his wife, Adrienne, was imprisoned in Paris, held by the revolution's Committee of Public Safety. There, she and her daughter waited in fear as the Reign of Terror sent thousands of her fellow nobles (and others) to the guillotine. In fact, Adrienne’s mother, grandmother, and sister were all executed during the bloodbath in the name of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

The Reign of Terror stained the revolutionary cause
and the streets of Paris

Elizabeth Monroe
future First Lady

In 1794, his former comrade in arms and future American president, James Monroe, became the American Minister to France. Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth, arranged for a carriage so that Elizabeth could ride to the prison, where she managed to meet and embrace Adrienne in front of a crowd of Parisians. The emotional event compelled the Committee of Public Safety to grant Adrienne’s freedom, and she and her daughter traveled to Austria to be with Lafayette. He remained there under dire conditions until Napoleon Bonaparte secured his release in 1797. However, upon his return to France, Lafayette refused to support Napoleon's government and lived as a private citizen until the restoration government, during which he served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies. On Christmas Eve in 1807, Adrienne died from illness.

The Return of Lafayette

Samuel Morse
(telegraph inventor)
portrait of Lafayette 

By 1824, Lafayette was the last surviving French general of the American Revolutionary War. As he neared his own "evening parade," he toured the 24 states of the United States from July 1824 to September 1825. This was his first return trip since the American Revolution. The people greeted the former Continental Army general with a hero's welcome at many stops, and numerous honors and monuments were given to commemorate and memorialize this visit. On New Year’s Day in 1825, Congress held a dinner in honor of the hero. At the event, Lafayette responded to the warm words and gestures of his American hosts with a toast that foreshadowed the future: “The perpetual union of the United States: It has always saved us in time of storm; one day it will save the World.” He might have added, "and France twice..."

NYC parade honoring Lafayette was one of many across the new nation

We are Here

Almost a century after the Marquis celebrated the power of the nation he helped establish, Charles E. Stanton, the nephew of Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, took the Marquis's vision seriously. Stanton, a career Army officer, arrived in France as an aide to General John J. Pershing during World War I. They were on a secret mission to start planning for the arrival and training of the American Expeditionary Force. After three years of observing from the sidelines, America declared war on the German Empire and its allies.

President Wilson asked Congress to declare war
on Imperial Germany in April 1917

On July 4, 1917, Stanton, serving on John J. Pershing's staff, visited Lafayettes tomb and said, "Lafayette, we are here!" to honor the nobleman's help during the Revolutionary War and to assure the French people that the United States would support them in World War I. Stanton’s remarks were initially attributed to Pershing because the press was under strict censorship that banned printing the name and location of any U.S. soldier in Europe, with the only exception being General Pershing.

Charles Stanton is third from the left in the photo
Pershing is at the forefront facing

The Prediction

Lafayette's toast predicting his adopted land's role in saving the world is more than just a polite acknowledgment. By the early 19th century, the growth and potential power of the new nation were widely recognized. Lafayette's dedication to the country's fundamental goodness and its possibilities gave him every reason to make such a bold statement. As it turned out, his faith in his adopted country was more than a wise gamble.

Lafayette