Tag Archives: AmRev

American Revolution

Monumental (Part Four)

 

Nothing like a monument to victory.

This one stands at Yorktown were the last major battle of the American Revolution was fought. The French fleet paved the way by running of the British Navy from the Chesapeake Capes and preventing them from either supplying, reinforcing or evacuating the British forces under General Cornwallis that were cornered in Yorktown.

With the British Navy unable to render assistance the combined forces of the French and American armies surrounded the British army and placed them under siege. After several weeks, on October 19, 1781 General Cornwallis had no choice but to surrender. With the loss of another army to the rebels and facing continued conflict with the French and Spanish as well as declining public sentiment at home, peach negotiations were started in earnest. The war would continue for several more years, but for the most part the major fighting would be elsewhere.

The monument above commemorates not only that victory but also the alliance with the French. The monument was designed by Richard Morris Hunt, a New York architect, and was installed in 1884. On the top perched a sculpture of Victory, designed and sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward.

In 1942 the monument was struck by lightning, destroying the figure of Victory. In 1957 the figure was replaced by a sculpture of Liberty designed by Oskar J. W. Hansen.

The day that this picture was taken was overcast, rain and wind made for a long day, but the walk from the visitor center to the monument was worth it once you crested the ridge and saw the monument standing guard over the battlefield and the memories of that day in October in 1781 when all fear and wonder of doubt of whether or not we could win the war was removed for good.

 

 

 

Book Reviews, Pre-Revolution

Book Review: The Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies

 

The Thirteen Colonies

The colonies that would go on to become the United States of America were different and diverse societies among themselves. The idea that these separate entities would one day come together to form a nation is quite simply a miracle. In this book, The Thirteen Colonies, the origin and founding of these colonies is brought to splendid life by the author.
Starting with the discovery of the New World and the initial struggles that put all the major players on the field, each region and colony gets a its own treatment as we learn about the people who risked everything to create this new world. From their early struggles against nature and natives, to their simmering disagreements and differences among themselves, the story of the societies that made up these colonies is brought to life.
Special consideration should be given for the way that it deals with the French & Indian War (Seven Years War). This is topic that has spawned thousands of books on its own. The coverage of it here in this book is done well enough to serve as a primary for further study, it does not bog you down in the nitty-gritty, but does well enough to provide for the entire experience and the contribution of the colonies during this major world war. This portion alone is worth it.
One word of warning in regards to this book though. It is dry and written much more as an academic exercise than as any sort of adventure or novelization. Because of that many people not already engaged with the subject may find it boring and perhaps even a little hard to get though. Stick with it. Definitely worth the purchase.
American Revolution, Book Reviews

Book Review: Boston 1775

Boston 1775 by Francis Russell
This book gives a brief accounting of the events that lead up the siege of Boston in 1775 and follows shortly after. When I say brief, that is exactly what I mean as it does not delve too deep any the subject only skimming the surface. It certainly does not get into any details of the many, many characters that made this particular time so volatile.
See, from he outbreak of the armed rebellion in April 1775 until the Declaration of Independence in July 1776 there was a huge question as to what the revolution was being fought for.  In that respect the book does not get into the politics, but presents everything coldly almost distant from the events.
It sounds like I didn’t like it , and that is the wrong impression.
This book is short roughly 103 “pages” on a kindle, so there was not room to get into every little detail. Where I see this book being very useful is for people who have just started picking up this subject or stating to dig into the early days of the American Revolution. This book provides a good solid base to build from.
If you are already knowledgeable of the subject, this book will not provide you much of anything new. In that respect will will be a quick read and will serve as a great refresher in the subject. The book is well written and the author did a good job getting his information across. Very much worth the download. (Though I would wait for it to be less than $9.99.)
American Revolution

Monumental (Part 2)

This obelisk is the monument located at Kings Mountain. We have looked at a couple of the plaques at the base before and even talked about the battle some in a previous post. This monument is located at the top of the “mountain” and it is quite a sight to see. The battle and people who it memorialize though is an interesting story in and off itself.

At the time of the revolution that Southern colonies were a society that was fractured along many different lines. The planter class in the tidewater regions did not think much of the people in the interior, which led to political issues well before the first shots were fired.  The families in the back country tended to be more recent immigrants, many Scots, Scots-Irish and some German groups.  All of these groups tended to be clan based, family based and a lot of the times they did not necessary like their neighbors.

When the war broke out, the back country erupted into a true civil war as many of these clans took the chance to settle old scores with rivals and the opportunity to increase their own standing. For the most part, patriot or loyalist was more an issue of being on the side opposite your “enemy” so that whatever you dis to them could be justified as “for the cause”.  Some families simply jumped back and forth with their support depending on which army was closest and what they had to gain by it.

By the time that British troops had taken Charleston and started moving into the interior, there had been somewhat of a lull in the fighting as both sides found themselves fighting the Cherokee, Once that fight was done whoever they turned back to killing each other.

Kings Mountain stand out in the line of bloody conflict for one main reason, it was fought by the two sides with no regular troops. Every man engaged was militia and American, with the exception of Patrick Ferguson, the British commander. That fact made the battle unique. The victory also served as the pivot point for the war. From that point on, especially in the South, the number of loyalists willing to fight dwindled robbing the British army a source of badly needed manpower.

Bloody and terrible Kings Mountain stand above many other battles in the South. Interesting enough, of the men that survived the fight about fourscore and seven years later their descendants would be involved in another war, this time mostly fighting on the same side this time around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Revolution

Christmas Day 1776

No picture for this one, just a quick reminder of what happened on this day 238 years ago.

Coming up to December 1776 the American Revolution was teetering on the edge of dissolution. The thrill of the war and the realty had set in. The euphoria from victories earlier in the year were all but wiped out with the debacle in New York and the long retreat through New Jersey (stay tuned for more of these details at a later date).

General Washington knew that he had to take action or the cause would spin totally out of control. So he did what no one expected and planned an attack. From the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River he would lead the remainder of the Continental Army in a daring and secret invasion of New Jersey, his target being the Hessian mercenary camp in Trenton.  The British were spread thin in New Jersey, but with winter howling around them figured the campaign season was over for the year, so felt being spread out was not that much of a risk and the letting the Germans man the front lines, meant the regular British troops would be stationed in the interior.

Washington planned a three prong invasion and had been in contact with several units of the New Jersey militia that would support his attacked. Undercover of a winter storm at 11pm on Christmas Day the invasion was launched. We have all seen the famous painting by Emanuel Leutze that depicts the noble Washington standing in a row-boat as the river was being breached. Not quite the reality, but not a bad way to remember it.

The Attack on Trenton was a rousing success. The Hessian’s lost 22 killed, 98 wounded and almost 1,000 captured. The Americans, three killed and six wounded. Not bad day’s work.

The victory at Trenton was an offensive win for the cause and reinvigorated the rebels, giving them the strength to continue the fight into 1777, a very important year in the Revolution. Sometimes though a couple of things get left behind in the telling of the story.

The victory at Trenton led immediately to a second battle at Princeton where Washington and his army successfully defeated the rear guard of the British reinforcements sent to Trenton under General Cornwallis. A second win in as many days not only invigorated the Americans, but it caused the British to rethink their strategy in the middle colonies. General Howe, the overall British commander was cautious, but after this he became almost leaden.

Remember when I said that Washington planned for three columns to take part in the assault? Well, two of them ended up late to the party and found themselves several days later in New Jersey with no orders. Rather than cross back over the river, they worked with local militias and made life so unbearable for the British using the guerrilla tactics of the frontier that eventually over the next several weeks the British were forced to shrink their defensive lines until the majority of New Jersey was free of occupation, at least by regular forces.

The war was far from over, but General Washington’s little Christmas trip kept the fight going. So if tonight about 11PM you feel like making a toast to the General, it would be well deserved. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday.

 

American Revolution

A Night at the Magazine Part Two

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It was getting dark, it was raining and there was a group of people waiting for the Continental Army experiences. Finally word came that the management would allow the program to continue, but would also allow literal rain checks to anyone that wanted to back out. No one took the rain check.  The re-enactors came out towards us wearing the white hunting shirts and tricorns that were used as uniforms by some units of the Continental Army, our lead instructor lead us into the Magazine, all the way to the top where we were briefed on the weapons of the rebellions. The Muskets, the tomahawks, and the ever famous rifle. Had the weather been different we would have been treated to full demonstrations of the weapons, but instead we had to settle for the stories.

Once the lectures were done we were lead downstairs and outside into the rain where were thrown into ranks and taught the basics of marching in formation. How to keep your spacing and stay in line. The kids in the group had some issues, mainly because they were miserable, but after about fifteen minutes, we were able to march in a straight line, make left turns and right turns, drop from column into line and stand to. The ground was sopping wet, no umbrellas were allowed of course so we were all soaked through. But no one seemed to care. We had done well enough to where our instructors decided to try and teach us one of the most difficult march maneuvers of the age, the dreaded wheel. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the line would wheel either left or right, changing the direction it was facing, one end of the line moving forward while the other end marked time, becoming the hinge that the line wheeled on.

We botched it horrible. I mean come on, it would take CA soldiers forever to learn that maneuver, there was no way we were going to pull it off after a hour on the field. But no one cared. We we wet and miserable, but we were getting to see what the soldiers that fought for our country had to go through. It was special. Now I will tell you this, there is more to tell about this night but we will save those stories for another time…

American Revolution

A Night at the Magazine Part One

In the picture is the Magazine that is located at Colonial Williamsburg. The Magazine itself has a long history having been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the 200 plus years it has existed. The magazine was the building were the towns powder and weapons were stored and during the build up to the outbreak of the Revolution became the focal point of those that sought defense from the crown and those to subdue the simmering rebellion.

The story that I want to tell about the Magazine is a personal one and it starts in the rain. You notice in the picture that it was raining, it had been for quite sometimes that day and it would continue. You may also notice that there are some people standing out in it. I took the picture and was relatively safe across the street under a large tree that kept me dryish.

In about fifteen minutes from when this picture was take, one of the evening programs at Colonial Williamsburg was about to take place, and according to the ticket, it was rain or shine. You see the experience that you were going to get to part in was a “training” session with the Continental Army. A real basic boot camp where you would be taught to march and maneuver with other people, much like the soldiers themselves had to learn.

A school group showed up to take part, about twenty 8th graders that had signed up for the program. It was not just raining, but storming. Thunder rolled and lightning was flashing in the distance. The actual re-enactors that that were to run the program (and who were all active duty Marines) debated whether or not the program should continue in the weather, were constantly talking back and forth with the main office trying to decide on whether it would be safe to continue. For my part it should be noted that earlier in the day my hiking boots had exploded on a trail and as such I had been forced to change into a pair of trainers. I was wet, oddly cold and standing in a group of about thirty people including the school group and a number of fathers with young sons, all deciding what we were going to do.

 

Stay tuned for Part Two

 

American Revolution, Book Reviews

Book Review: Thrust for Canada: The American Attempt on Quebec in 1775-1776

 

Thrust for Canada: The American Attempt on Quebec in 1775-1776 by Robert McConnell Hatch poses the theory that the invasion of Canada by the American Colonies came very close to succeeding, and may have if not for issues of command and control. The book starts with the Quebec Act of 1774 and covers the American military campaign from the initial success at Ticonderoga, all the way to the end at Valcour Island.  The authors’ goal is to show the campaign from both sides, focusing more on the politics of the people than the military aspects.

The Quebec Act placed Canada in the middle of the Americans conlifct with Britian. American leaders decided that striking Canada was necessary for defense and hoped to liberate the colony. The social classes in Canada viewed the conflict differently, forcing Governor Carleton to mount a defense with few resources and a population with suspect loyalty. The Americans were led into the field by Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold who struggled to create an army from scratch. Montgomery led the attack up the St. Lawrence and after facing the enemy and his own men captured Montreal.  To strike directly at Quebec, Arnold took a different route, facing horrible weather, near starvation and mutiny within his own ranks. In front of Quebec, the Americans joined forces and in the final attack Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded, effectivly ending the campaign for Canada.

There have been many books written covering the various parts of the campaign in detail. Hatch does not dwell with the personalities instead he deals more with the politics than the military aspects of the campaign. This was noticed in the glossing over of the American attempts on St. John and in regards to Arnold’s expedition. There is a place for this book in the historiography of the campaign, but it does not stand alone. It is with the Canadian side of the campaign the value of the book is displayed.

The author’s research is deep. With many pages of sources listed in the bibliography, many primary sources, he did not short shrift the subject. There were copious footnotes, but they were done in such a way as not be intrusive to the narrative. There were many resources that I have seen used in other books on the subject, but also some new sources presented.

The author does a very admirable job in proving the thesis of the narrative. There were numerous reasons that the American campaign should have succeeded and the author is able to explain why they did not. This book should be considered as a must read, if only for the depth and detail that the author puts into the Canadian perspective. If you are looking for a military breakdown and blow by blow account of the military campaign there are other resources. However, if you wish to dissect the human aspect on both sides of the opening act of the American Revolution, this is a book that will provide it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: A People’s Army

 

A  People’s Army by Fred Anderson is an examination of New England soldiers during the Seven Years war. What sets this book apart is that the story of the war takes a backseat to the lives and communities of those who fought in it. Instead of a strict military history, the author provides a rich social history that exposes not only how the war was fought, but why and by who.

The narrative of the war itself, while far from a straight repetition of known facts, is punctuated with the experiences of the young, and sometimes not so young men that fought. The author is able to make use of a plethora of primary sources. Many New England soldiers kept journals of their military experiences. From these, Anderson is able to weave their personal stories around the solid hard data that he uncovers in the historical record.  At one point Anderson goes so far as show how a number of individuals viewed one particular battle, from the mosaic of their remembrances, a full and human picture of the events can be formed.

In his study of the society, Anderson sets the stage with discussions of how the local economies worked in the absence of hard currency, and how the different working classes stood in comparison to each other. For many young men, serving in the militia was expected to be the path to financial freedom that without the war, may not have ever come to them. In this reflective look at the society these soldiers came from we see how every aspect of their life played out on the battlefield. From the decision of who would fight in the war to the religious beliefs that guided their actions, every detail followed the men into battle. Ever present was the belief that they were fighting for a better life. Far from a veritable mélange of charts and tables that have come to permeate social histories, the author manages to transpose a face onto the numbers and that face is the face of New England.

What sets this book apart is how the author details the differences between the regular British Army and the colonial military establishment. In this conflict you see how the roots of the mutual dislike and distrust that permeated relations between the colonies and the home country taking solid root, played out in the rivalry between the two different military organizations.  This is where the author shines, comparing and contrasting the difference between the volunteer military establishment of New England and the professional British army and in effect calling out the societal differences between the two groups and delving into the degradation of their relations. It was these poor relations that set the stage for the coming Revolution. Even with what we know is coming down the road the author manages to press home that the colonists were proud British subjects who saw themselves as equal and deserving members of the Empire.

The book itself has garnered acclamation, including the 1982 Jamestown Prize in Early American History and the 1986 Distinguished Book Award from the Society of Colonial Wars. The author received his B.A. from Colorado State University in 1971 and his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1981. He has written a total of five books on the subject.

Museum

An Opening Salvo – Historia Militaris

Historia Militaris - The Old Museum

 

Welcome to Historia Militaris!

 

So with the first post, I give you a view of my personal Museum. Here I collect artifacts, items of interest and knowledge. You are seeing three sections here. On the left is the American Revolution, the center is the American Civil War, the right is Napoleon and the French Revolution. There are more sections, by why give up the good stuff on the first date?

As the weeks progress we will look at some pieces of this collection as well as pieces from other museums and historic sites I have visited.

Besides artifacts we will also meet some lesser-known people in history. Sort of the B level that you may heave heard about, but could always stand to know a little bit more of.

And Maps, I love maps, especially of battles. You will see a fair share of those.

Don’t worry, my posts will be kept reasonable, no more than 250-500 words. Soon I hope to open this up for other contributors, but for today and the near future, welcome to the museum section of Historia Militaris.