Non-Profit Dedicated to Historical Education of the American Revolution and the Colonial Period
At the start of the American Revolution, not all British colonies on the mainland of North America rebelled against the mother country. Thirteen did; however, the four distinct colonies to the north that made up Canada and, in the south, East and West Florida, did not. They remained loyal to England. As such, the rebellious …
Literally caught between a rock and a hard place, the American position at Brier Creek, Georgia, on March 3, 1779, commanded by Brigadier General John Ashe of North Carolina militia, proved to be a death trap. Situated on a triangular plot of land, the American choice of encampment was fatally flawed. Their backs were to …
Steno Ferry was fought on June 20, 1779 just southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, between the British and a slightly larger American force. It was a battle ill-conceived and did nothing to alter the situation of the two opposing armies. England’s troops were completing their retreat from ‘rebel’ defenses outside Charleston, South Carolina, when American …
One may describe the American Revolutionary War general and United States Senator, John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg – referred to as Peter (Oct. 1, 1746 – Oct. 1, 1807), as a man who sought to sever the chains of a chosen destiny to seek his own self. Son of one of America’s most powerful and strong-minded …
The Battle of Great Bridge, December 9, 1775, was Virginia’s major opening salvo of the American Revolution. The buildup to and battle held the fate of who would govern Virginia in the balance. It proved to be a decided victory for the rebellious colonial Whigs, those calling themselves patriots. It pitted undisciplined rebel militia, farmers …
An escape artist who slipped free of Patriot shackles a total of fourteen times, Loyalist Colonel David Fanning was a master of partisan warfare who became one of the most feared champions of the British cause. His dominance over North Carolina in 1781 led to the capture of the state capitol. This included Governor Butler …
February 24, 1781. Lt. Col. Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, Virginia patriot leader of cavalry and light infantry, rode before four hundred North Carolina loyalists. The militia, eager to join British Lt. General Charles Cornwallis’ army, had lined up for review. With Lee’s cavalry by his side, the Continental Army commander was enthusiastically greeted by …
“For damned fighting and drinking, I’ll match you against the world!” Lt. Col. William Meadows cries out leading the 23rd at the Battle of Brandywine Creek, Sept. 11, 1777. The British 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers) played a crucial role in nearly every major battle during the American Revolution; from the very beginning …
September 8, 1781 and the Battle of Eutaw Springs destroyed any hope England had of reclaiming the southern colonies. But sixteen months earlier, that was nowhere near the case. American General Benjamin Lincoln had just surrendered the southern army at Charleston to British General Henry Clinton on May 12, 1780. The devastating loss of over …
“A downright democracy!“ British officer describes Rhode Island. In the summer of 1772, angry New England zealots carried out a far more hostile and dangerous attack against the British crown’s authority a year and a half later, December 16, 1773, when a bunch of patriots dressed up as Native Americans dumped a ton of tea …
Pompous, mercifulness, void of empathy, this British cavalryman’s ambitious impulses and self-glorifying ego demanded that all under his command follow his lead in a blood fest carved throughout the colonies. Nicknamed ‘Bloody Ban’ for his ruthlessness, Banastre Tarleton was hated and feared by American patriots throughout the war. His legacy was such, that when Hollywood …
By the time what became known as the Little Egg Harbor Affair, or Massacre, a tragic pattern was obvious. Americans, when camped close to the enemy, failed to post an adequate guard against enemy encroachments resulting in tragedy. At Egg Harbor, on the night of October 14, 1778, there was but one single sentry posted …
The American Revolution was just over six months old. The young, energetic general had faced insurmountable hardships that brought his weary troops before the strongest and most formidable fortification in North America; Quebec’s Citadel. In the dead of winter, when the north winds of Canada were fiercest, he and his battle worn men, thinned by …
Also known as the Battle of Fort Griswold, the last major engagement of the American Revolution in the north was on September 6th, 1781, between mostly Connecticut militia under Colonel William Ledyard and professional soldiers and loyalists under the command of turncoat British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. After a courageous defense of Fort Griswold, which …
I believe it is the great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh who said, ‘when whites win, it is a Great Victory, but when the Redman is victorious, it is called a Massacre.’ Defeat or Massacre, it seems, is mostly defined by those who relate their view of facts. On July 3, 1778, in a pristine valley of …