The Surgeon General from Scotland

Fans of Outlander will instantly recognize the unique connection this first patriot shares with the main characters of the cherished books and TV series. A strong, passionate Scotsman with fiery temper meets a calm, strategic medical professional who faces the British across two continents. Yet in this case, both qualities are embodied in one person—Hugh Mercer, a man who blazed a trail from the streets of Aberdeen to the bloody fields of Culloden, through the war-torn mountains of Pennsylvania and the frozen farmlands of New Jersey.

General Hugh Mercer

The Streets of Aberdeen

Hugh Mercer was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1725 to Reverend William Mercer, a Church of Scotland minister, and Ann Monro. He graduated from the University of Aberdeen with a medical degree in 1744. That same year, he joined the Jacobite army of Prince Charles Edward, the Pretender, and served as an assistant surgeon during the disastrous engagement at Culloden in April 1746. He escaped the massacre that followed the battle, and after months on the run, fled to America.

Country Doctor

The young surgeon, a war veteran and fugitive, settled in present-day Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, to work as a doctor. When the French and Indian War started in 1755, he put aside his eight years of comfortable medical practice and offered his services to the provincial forces, taking part in several notable battles. 

Another Massacre

On the western frontier of Pennsylvania, Mercer helped care for the survivors of General Braddock’s defeat on the Monongahela River. Shocked by the suffering of the wounded, Mercer set aside his disdain for the crown and joined Britain’s fight for America.

Punitive Expedition

In September 1756, the newly appointed captain joined Colonel John Armstrong on his punitive expedition against the Indian villages at Kittanning and was severely wounded. Isolated, he survived for two weeks on his own, wandering over 100 miles before reaching the friendly outpost at Fort Shirley. His devotion and gallantry were recognized. 

Mercer served under Col John Armstrong
in western Pennsylvania raid

Fort Duquesne

Two years later, he served as a lieutenant colonel during the capture of Fort Duquesne (renamed Fort Pitt, now Pittsburgh) and later took command of the fort. Mercer's first task was to build a temporary fort to control the two forks of the Ohio in case the French returned from the northwest. During this campaign, Mercer met and formed a lasting friendship with Colonel George Washington of the Virginia Regiment. 

The Old Dominion

The war ended in 1763, and because he had befriended several Virginians, he chose to settle in a small port town with a tight-knit community of Scottish ex-pats. Although Mercer arrived in Fredericksburg to start a medical practice, he discovered much more. The town filled a void that had existed since he left his homeland.

Mercer opened an Apothecary in his
adopted town of Fredericksburg

First Mother's Physician

Besides practicing medicine, Mercer opened an apothecary in town. Like many settlers, he bought land. He served as a doctor to George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, and acquired the Ferry Farm from her as his family homestead. 

One of Mercer's celebrated patients
was Mary Ball Washington

Civic Leader

He became active in local town issues and was a prominent businessman. Along the way, he joined the Masonic lodge, which included Washington and many other notable Virginians. To say he was finally comfortable with life is an understatement. But he would soon leave his comfort to follow the drum one last time.

Mercer, George Washington, and numerous founders
belonged to the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge

The Minuteman

By 1775, the tensions between Britain and its colonies in North America had shifted from resistance to rebellion and eventually to war. It was only natural that the brave freedom-lover Mercer would join the cause and face his former enemies again. He became a member of the Fredericksburg Committee of Safety. In September, Mercer was appointed commander of all Minuteman companies in the four counties around Fredericksburg. 

Virginia Minutemen

The Continental

In January 1776, his talents were once again recognized. Virginia’s provincial congress appointed him a colonel in the 3rd Virginia Continental Line. He set to work training it into a sharp, disciplined unit, but that command was short-lived. His old friend and fellow soldier, George Washington, was now the commander in chief of the new Continental Army. Mercer enjoyed a strong military reputation, so Washington petitioned the Continental Congress to appoint him brigadier general that June.

Mercer commanded a Continental Line regiment
but was quickly promoted to the rank of
Brigadier General

Flying Camp Days

Washington quickly assigned him to lead the so-called Flying Camp, a mobile military reserve. He tried to use it to support the main army during the New York campaign, but the unit faced desertions, manpower shortages, and supply problems. The Flying Camp was disbanded that winter. 

Fort Lee before evacuation

Battle Across the Jerseys

Mercer was also responsible for constructing what became Fort Lee on the New Jersey side of the North (Hudson) River. Although the fort fell without resistance during the British invasion of the Jerseys in late 1776, Mercer still held Washington’s full confidence. He played a key role during the bold and skillful counter-attack at Trenton on December 1776, 1776. His brigade was instrumental in pushing the Hessian garrison out of the town, where they were compelled to surrender in a nearby field.

Mercer commanded a brigade at the crucial
assault on the Hessian garrison at Trenton

Escape from Assunpink

The Americans eventually moved to Assunpink Creek to wait for the inevitable British counterattack by a column of about 5,000 troops led by Major General Charles Earl Cornwallis. Some say Mercer may have suggested the famous ruse of leaving fires burning. Regardless, the British were fooled when the Americans slipped away into the night, got behind Cornwallis’s column, and launched an attack on Princeton. 

After repulsing Cornwallis's columns at Assunpink Creek
the Americans slipped away in the night

Advance on Princeton

On January 3, 1777, Mercer, leading the advance unit ahead of the main force, faced a brigade of about 1200 British regulars under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood of the 17th Regiment of Foot. A fierce volley exchange broke out near Stony Brook Bridge. Instead of retreating from the redcoats' pressure, the formidable Scot charged into battle against the better-trained British troops. However, his men were pushed back after intense combat.

Mawhood's brigade was all that stood
between Mercer and Princeton

Clash and Flurry of Blades

While trying to rally his men, Mercer was shot from his horse. Refusing to surrender, he drew his saber but was overpowered and stabbed multiple times by furious British soldiers (who might have thought he was Washington). Wounded fatally, he was carried to the nearby home of Thomas Clarke, where a British surgeon's mate and some local women cared for him. When Washington learned his fate, he contacted Cornwallis, who kindly allowed Washington’s top doctor, Dr. Benjamin Rush, to tend to the dying general. 

British bayonets mortally wounded
the gallant Scot turned Yankee

Final Home

The brave soldier-surgeon Mercer lingered but eventually died from his wounds on January 12, 1776. His body was taken to Philadelphia for burial. Had Mercer survived, he likely would have played an even more important role in fighting for America's independence. Still, the greater tragedy is that this educated and committed soldier-surgeon never got the chance to help build the nation whose freedom was bought with his blood.

Gen Hugh Mercer's grave 

The Kentuckian

It is time we turn our attention to the South once more. The region is full of first patriots whose names were legendary to the generations after the struggle for independence but are now faded into the mists of time. The Southern struggle is most remembered for the exploits of Marion and Sumter. Yet countless others played roles both big and small. Not the least of these were those tough fighters called the “Over Mountain Men.” Hard-nosed and tough-fisted settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains, experienced in hunting, fighting, and hard liquor. This edition profiles one of these: Isaac Shelby.

Family of Migrants

Isaac Shelby was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, on December 11, 1750. His father, Evan Shelby, from Tregaron, Cardiganshire, Wales, had come to America in 1734. Around 1773, Evan moved his family to the Holston region of what is now upper East Tennessee, which was then part of Virginia.

In mid-18th century, the Alleghenies
were the western frontier

Raised on the Range

Young Isaac grew up immersed in the rough and tumble world of frontier life and fighting. He quickly learned to use arms and became familiar with the hardships of Western life. He received a solid education, worked on his father's plantation, occasionally surveyed land, and became a deputy sheriff at age eighteen.

Frontier cabin

Big Strong Man

Isaac Shelby was a large man, standing six feet tall, strong, and well-proportioned, with a striking face and a ruddy complexion. He could endure long hours of work, physical hardships, and great fatigue. Dignified and impressive in manner, he was also friendly and charming. In short, he was a natural leader. Additionally, he was intelligent and had clear executive skills that helped him both in peace and in war.

Shelby in later life

 Lord Dunmore's War

When the Earl of Dunmore, Virginia's Royal Governor John Murray, went to war with the Shawnee under Chief Cornstalk, Shelby joined the local militia as a lieutenant, serving under his father. On October 10, 1774, young Shelby fought in the Battle of Point Pleasant. He scored an early victory in the fight by charging the high ground on the Indian flank, causing them to leave the field. This was just a preview of what was to come.

John Murray,Royal Governor of
Virginia

A Rebel Goes West

The American Revolution intensified in 1775, and by 1776, Shelby had rejoined the militia, this time as a captain. Virginia’s governor, Patrick Henry, appointed him to a position on Virginia’s western frontier. There, he provided direct support to Colonel George Rogers Clark’s campaign into the Illinois Territory. Isaac also contributed to his father’s victory over the Indian chief Dragging Canoe in a battle on the Tennessee River in 1779.

Shelby provided logistic support to
George Rogers Clark's western campaign

Me? A Tar Heel?

Eighteenth-century boundaries in this region were mostly informal. When he discovered that his homestead was actually in North Carolina, Isaac became a militia colonel there. He also earned a seat in the state assembly. 

Although a newly minted Tar Heel, Shelby was in Kentucky when Charleston fell to the British in 1780, and the victorious and exuberant redcoats began to overrun his state. Upon hearing of the new threat, he rushed home and gathered around 200 men for the cause. He quickly teamed up with Colonel Joseph McDowell to try to stop the advance of British General Charles Cornwallis and his Loyalist supporters.

The Fall of Charleston opened up the Carolinas
to the Southern Strategy

Guerrilla Days

His first major test came on July 31 when Shelby and his men managed to surround Thickety Fort on the Pacolet River. His confidence and cleverness allowed him to persuade the commander to surrender his 94 men. Shelby then joined forces with a group of partisans led by Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke. With a combined force of 200 men, they attacked a Loyalist outpost at Musgrove Mills. Although outnumbered nearly two to one, they drove off the Loyalists in a fierce skirmish.

Enter the Counter Guerrilla

These activities threatened Cornwallis’s security, leading the British general to send arguably the army’s top guerrilla fighter, Major Patrick Ferguson. However, after the patriot army under General Horatio Gates was defeated at Camden on August 16, 1780, nearly all resistance broke down across the south. It appeared that the British “southern strategy“ was about to succeed.

Major Patrick Ferguson

 Run Away

For his part, Shelby retreated west with McDowell, and their forces disappeared into the frontier hinterland. There, they waited out the events. However, local atrocities committed by Loyalist bands angered the Southerners, leading to a series of partisan and guerrilla actions, and they continued to resist.

Partisan militia

 The Lord's Prayer

Seeking to bring the Carolinas under British control, Lord Cornwallis marched an army into North Carolina in a risky move that would end up backfiring. Alongside him was Ferguson, who issued a bold challenge to the “Over Mountain Men,” as the frontier rebels were called. The message was clear: submit to the crown, or their homes would be destroyed. But the men of the west were not impressed. In fact, this only motivated the frontiersmen.

Major General Charles Cornwallis

Band of Brothers, Tough Mothers

Shelby, along with another Overmountain man from Tennessee, John Sevier, assembled a force of 200 volunteers, gathered at Sycamore Shoals, and soon headed into war-torn North Carolina. There, they joined forces with Colonel William Campbell. Driven by a desire for revenge, the Overmountain men fiercely advanced to confront Ferguson. The feeling was mutual. The famed counter-guerrilla led a force of about 900 Loyalists eager to suppress the rebels.

John Sevier - another
Over Mountain Bad Ass

Go Tell it to the Mountain

But the tide turned against Ferguson, who was trapped on a high ground called King’s Mountain (just over the border in South Carolina) and cut off from the main British column under Cornwallis. Withering and accurate fire from the western rifles devastated the Loyalists. Ferguson was shot while trying to rally a defense and soon died. The few who did not taste lead eventually surrendered. Shelby played a key role in planning and executing the operation and soon became a local hero.

Kings Mountain was a turning point in the South

 Draining the Swamp, with the Swamp Fox

After King’s Mountain, Cornwallis’s strategy began to fall apart. However, there was still more fighting to be done. Shelby teamed up with the famous partisan general Francis Marion and helped capture Monk’s Corner. Fighting continued throughout the South even after Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown in October 1781. Nonetheless, the British and their loyal allies were defeated.

Francis Marion and his partisan militia

The Kentuckian

After the war, Shelby retired to private life, where his heroics during the conflict paved the way for a successful political career. He moved to Kentucky and helped organize the territory, build infrastructure, and strengthen defenses against the Indians and their British allies. On April 19, 1783, at Boonesboro, he married Susannah Hart, the daughter of Captain Nathaniel Hart, one of Kentucky's earliest settlers. Susannah eventually bore him eleven children.

Susannah Hart Shelby

 Politician, Pundit, and Warrior

In 1792, he was elected governor of the recently admitted state. He criticized President Washington’s foreign policy. Many westerners wanted a more aggressive stance against the British forts to the west and the Native Americans. 

However, he provided unwavering support to Major General Anthony Wayne’s Legion during the Indian campaigns of 1794. In 1812, Shelby was elected governor once again. His military and organizational skills were put to work mobilizing Kentucky’s militia for war. In 1813, he personally led a force of 3,500 mounted riflemen north to support General William Henry Harrison’s army near Thames, Ontario. After the war, Congress struck a gold medal in his honor.

Gen Anthony Wayne's American Legion

 Diplomat to the Indians

 In 1817, he turned down President James Madison’s offer to serve as Secretary of War. His last major contribution to the Overmountain region came in 1818 when he, Andrew Jackson, and others negotiated the “Jackson Purchase,” which transferred control of the western districts of Kentucky and Tennessee from the Chickasaw Indians. This opened the western region to settlement. To honor this service, the Tennessee General Assembly named Shelby County (Memphis) after him.

President James Madison

 A Model for the West

The fighting governor died near Danville, Kentucky, in July 1826. He was mourned as a distinguished public servant and soldier. One of the nation’s most notable frontiersmen, Shelby served as an example for future frontiersmen who would help establish the Republic of Texas and strengthen America’s westward expansion.

Shelby Cemetery is a KY historic site

The Mechanics

Genesis of Clandestine Warfare

The American War for Independence marked the end of over ten years of political unrest and dissatisfaction with British policies and the treatment (both real and perceived) of the colonists. Though led by some of the smartest minds of the time, the movement was also a grassroots effort that gradually developed into a political cause — with ideas being discussed in taverns, coffee houses, homes, and farmsteads.

By the early 1770s, the movement ignited what became an insurgency of sorts. Insurgencies are typically secretive, requiring the development of covert activities and tradecraft—such as spies and secret writing—for success. As the political side of the patriot movement grew, organizations like “The Sons of Liberty” also appeared, serving as its action arm.

Boston Ablaze

By the time rebellion erupted in 1775, the Americans had already set up the necessary covert organizations for the war, as these efforts were well underway. The British had their own countermeasures, but these often lagged behind and were gradually overshadowed by the Americans’ ability to control the ground, except in the few areas still held by the British Army and Royal Navy.

Boston's Faneuil Hall was the site of much
political agitation & intrigue

One of the earliest secret networks formed was, of course, in Boston. This was only natural since Boston was the hub of so much political and subversive talk during the pre-Revolutionary War era. Figures like Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock were already legends. “Agitprop” proved to be a very effective tool, as crowds were stirred up for all sorts of causes. In a way, the British mistakes in trying to suppress this activity in Boston fueled the flames that eventually led to a full-blown conflict, scorching the eastern seaboard after April 1775.

Enter the Mechanics

The first patriot intelligence network was a secret group in Boston called the Mechanics. The Mechanics originated in Boston from “The Sons of Liberty,” who were known for their opposition to the Stamp Act and other oppressive measures. However, the Mechanics operated somewhat differently. They coordinated covert resistance activities against British authority and gathered intelligence, which was crucial for the resistance. It began as a group of about thirty “mechanics,” men working in hands-on trades in and around the city.

Observing counter-demonstrators helped
build situational awareness of British sympathizers

Paul Revere was among the first. According to his own words, they, “…formed ourselves into a Committee for the purpose of watching British soldiers and gaining every intelligence on the movements of the Tories.”

Paul Revere was one of the craftsmen-spies
who became known as the Mechanics

The key element is the latter. They understood that the key to success was neutralizing British sympathizers early on. Revere further explained, “We frequently took turns, two and two, to watch the soldiers by patrolling the streets at night.” Operating under cover of darkness became a crucial part of future clandestine activities that continue to this day. In addition to observing British soldiers and Tories, Revere and the mechanics acted as couriers, serving as the vital link in any secret network. Since communication is the Achilles' heel of covert operations, the couriers played a critical role. The Mechanics were essential in countering efforts to suppress the colonial insurgency.

Mechanic Paul Revere alerted General Sullivan of the British intention to seize
Fort William and Mary

One of Revere’s first missions as a courier took place in December 1774. He rode to the Oyster River in New Hampshire with a report that General Thomas Gage, the British commander and governor, planned to capture Fort William and Mary. Alerted by the intelligence delivered by the Mechanics, Major John Sullivan led a colonial militia force of four hundred men in a preemptive raid on the fort. They seized one hundred barrels of gunpowder, which were later used by the patriots at Bunker Hill.

Clandestine Communications

Things really heated up around Boston in early 1775. Both sides grew more aggressive, and the stakes got higher each month. Using several intelligence sources, the Mechanics uncovered the cover recently established by General Gage for their quick strike on Lexington and Concord. The British relied on secrecy for success. Thanks to the intelligence and warning from the Mechanics, they failed.

The Mechanics' espionage activities
were a bane to British General Thomas Gage

Revere received orders from Dr. Joseph Warren, then head of the local Committee of Safety, to warn key patriot leaders in the area, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, about the British plan to secretly raid Lexington and capture them. Revere arranged for the signal lanterns at the Old North Church. Working with William Dawes, the two rebel leaders were alerted. Riders were dispatched to warn the militia, and then Revere, Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott went on to notify the militias at Concord about the second phase of the operation – seizing the weapons there.

In addition to Revere, Dawes, and Prescott, other secret riders
warned the villages of the approaching British

British capture Revere

A British patrol at Lincoln nearly stopped everything before it began. During the chase, Dawes was thrown from his horse while running away. But Prescott and Revere were captured. Prescott quickly escaped British custody and reached Concord, but Revere remained a prisoner. However, the brave silversmith resisted interrogation and was soon released, heading to Lexington, where he and John Lowell were sent to recover a trunk full of incriminating patriot papers from a local tavern.

A Dearth of Knowledge

In a sense, the absence of recorded knowledge about the Mechanics is actually beneficial, not for historians but for the nation. Any records that were kept were likely very local and meant to be temporary—that is, destroyed once the operation was complete. Operational security was natural for those fighting in a secret war to survive. However, mistakes can happen and be costly. The trunk Revere was sent to retrieve could have given the British valuable intelligence that might have ended the rebellion in New England, possibly stopping the conflict altogether.

Mechanic reporting intelligence
on British activities

A curious example of bureaucratic mix-up unintentionally preventing failure also involves our renowned Mechanic, Revere. The mechanics apparently received written orders and some sort of payment for their expenses. These orders might have been used to pass militia patrols. For whatever reason, Revere only received his orders from Dr. Warren, leader of the local Committee of Correspondence, two weeks after his secret ride. Had he had them with him, his role would have been exposed to the British when they searched him. History might have taken a very different turn again.

As the leader of the Boston Committee of Correspondence
Dr. Joseph Warren leveraged the mechanics to
collect and report intelligence on the British

And for those readers who worked in government offices or the military, his pay was cut from five shillings a day to four.

Marblehead Men

Sailors become Soldiers who become Sailors

One of the most overlooked units in the Continental Army also played a vital role in saving the American cause, paving the way for several iconic commemorative paintings. The people who live along the rocky New England coast are as tough and rugged as the landscape itself. 

At least, they were during the era of the Yankee Doodle Spies. Hard, gritty men and women were the first to take meaningful action against what they saw as the injustices of British rule. I suppose carving out a civilization from a weather-beaten wilderness requires folks of tough mettle and stubborn ways.

New England's coast bred tough people

Among the toughest and most resourceful of that group were the men who sailed the cold and stormy waters along the North Atlantic coast, fishing, trading, and smuggling in both fair and foul weather. It is only natural that a militia regiment drawn from such stock would prove to be one of the go-to units of the struggle.

Marblehead Militia

All counties and some towns in New England had militia units that established a long-standing tradition dating back to at least the late 17th century. These units had experience from several wars fought against native tribes, Canadian neighbors, and their French rulers.

At the start of the fight against Britain, the Marblehead militia was among these. Because it was formed along the rugged New England coast, it was naturally composed of men who spent their civilian lives at sea.

Marblehead Militia

As tensions peaked in April 1775, the regiment was lucky to get a commander who proved to be as tough and resourceful as the men he led – Colonel John Glover. Under Glover, the regiment marched to Cambridge, where they joined the New Englanders besieging the British at Boston.

During the siege, Congress formed the new Continental Army under General George Washington's command. The Marblehead Militia, known as “Glover’s Regiment,” joined the Continental Army in June. It was originally called the 23rd Massachusetts Regiment. Only the best militia units were combined into the Continental regiments, creating America's first “professional” army.

The Continental Line

With their new status, they also received a new name, and the Marblehead militia was quickly renamed the 14th Massachusetts Continental Line. As a continental regiment, they would now be required to march and fight wherever the army moved, and wherever George Washington led them. He soon took them south to face new dangers and seek new opportunities for glory.

Nevertheless, the regiment of about 750 sailors never completely abandoned their heritage. Unlike other continental regiments, which started wearing similar uniforms of dark blue tunics, white or buff breeches, and leggings topped with a cocked hat, the Marblehead sailors dressed more like traditional sailors. The Marbleheaders wore distinctive blue jackets, white pants, and white caps. However, it was the skill, not their appearance, that was the greatest trait of these hardy sailors.

Washington’s Navy

As the siege of Boston went on, Washington decided he needed a naval force to stop supplies from reaching the British garrison. He assigned the 14th Massachusetts Line to outfit and crew four schooners for this purpose. Glover even offered his own schooner, the Hannah. His port at Beverly became the base of “Washington’s Navy.” Operating with a limited budget, the small fleet of five schooners managed to disrupt British supply lines and bring in captured supplies to support the Americans. Sailors from Marblehead also built most of the defenses that kept the British from taking the base.

Washington's Navy consisted of
fast schooners manned by experienced sailors

The Miracle on Long Island

Long before it became a traffic nightmare, Long Island was the scenic and rural breadbasket of New York. In the summer of 1776, it became the focal point of the British plan to crush the American rebellion.

Driven from Boston earlier that year, Lord William Howe’s reinforced army of over twenty thousand sailed into New York Harbor and landed at Staten Island. Soon, he moved his troops across the water and quickly encircled George Washington’s forces along the heights of Brooklyn. Although there was fierce fighting, the British numbers and well-positioned guns made Washington’s hold on the island a dangerous liability. He faced a difficult choice: defend with little hope or attempt to escape.

British Landing at Long Island would soon threaten the
American Army and the cause

In some ways, the latter was the toughest decision. The British naval strength was even more powerful than their land forces. Crossing despite these two hurdles would almost certainly cause disaster. But when a sudden fog rolled into New York harbor on the night of August 29th, Washington seized a brief chance to act.

So under cover of darkness and a thick fog, he made a risky decision and ordered his army to move against the enemy. His advantage was the 14th Massachusetts’ sailor-soldiers. For hour after hour, Glover’s men rowed boat after boat, carrying soldiers, horses, and equipment they could manage without alerting the British, who waited just a few hundred yards away.

Glover worked his men through the night to save an army

Despite the darkness and fog, the Marblehead men moved smoothly and silently. A splash or the bumping of a boat against another could easily have alerted the Royal Navy, whose warships lay anchored nearby. By the next morning, they had evacuated around 9,000 men from the jaws of the British lion to the safety of Manhattan.

The miracle retreat from LI saved the army and the cause

A War of Maneuver

The regiment’s usefulness was evident during the “war of maneuver,” which caused Washington to hurriedly relocate positions to avoid being destroyed by the British. Glover’s men slowed down the British advance at Kips Bay, giving the rest of the army time to retreat to the safety of Harlem. As the campaign moved north to Westchester, the regiment again played a vital role—this time as soldier-sailors.

Glover's sailor-soldiers stymied the British at Pelham

On October 13th, about 4,000 British and Hessian troops advanced inland from Pelham Bay. However, along the stone walls crossing the farmland, 750 men from the 14th Massachusetts and John Glover’s forces stood ready. They kept the British at bay, trading space for time and allowing the Continental Army a chance to prepare for the next attack. Glover’s men, skilled in scouting and raiding, showed they were just as comfortable on land as they were on their schooners’ decks. They captured supplies and enemy prisoners, then helped operate the artillery during Washington and Howe’s clash at White Plains.

The Crossing that Shocked the World

By December of that year, a battered and severely diminished Continental Army reached its breaking point as it looked across the Delaware River. Just hours behind, the advanced guard of a British column led by Major General Charles Cornwallis was closing in quickly. The men from Marblehead collected anything that floated along the river for miles and quickly ferried the ragtag army to safety.

Gen Charles Cornwallis nearly bagged
Washington, but for the Marblehead Regt.

But their greatest challenge still lay ahead. With enlistments dwindling as a new year approached, Washington had a short window to do something with his army besides fleeing from the redcoats. General Howe gave him the chance. Believing the Americans beaten, he scattered his army into winter quarter garrisons, leaving only a few isolated brigades in West Jersey.

The Glover Regiment brought Washington to destiny

Washington turned to Glover’s men once again. In another secret nighttime operation, Washington enlisted the experienced sailors to operate a different kind of boat. Long and sleek, the Durham boats were powered by pushing long poles into the riverbed. 

On a night when snow mixed with rain, file after file of Continentals, poorly dressed and poorly fed but determined, silently boarded the boats under the watchful eyes of the sailors. Throughout the night, strong arms pushed staffs into the swirling water. Strong legs and backs moved the boats, filled with men and equipment, across the swift current toward the dark and dangerous Jersey side. Despite the ice flows, Glover’s sailors managed to ferry over 2,000 troops and 18 guns.

Sailors to soldiers as Glover's Marblehead Regiment
 joins the night march on Trenton

But their work was not finished. The sailors then became soldiers and marched the grueling nine miles to Trenton, fighting valiantly in the short battle that shocked the world and saved the cause. Their final act was to lead the army back across the river, as their enlistments had expired and the regiment was disbanded.

Down to the Sea in Ships

Glover stayed with the Continental Army, but his men went home. New England was never a major battlefield for the rest of the war, but it still played a crucial role—providing support and attacking the British at sea. Glover’s experienced soldiers now became sailors again, engaging in a different kind of war, less showy but just as damaging to the British.

Privateers devastated British merchant shipping and tied down
the Royal Navy

Some people resorted to smuggling, a crucial way to support the war effort. Others went even further and turned to privateering, attacking British merchant ships in a conflict that deprived the British of wealth and supplies while boosting America’s limited resources. The Marblehead men played a key role in capturing more than 3,000 vessels during the war.