Non-Profit Dedicated to Historical Education of the American Revolution and the Colonial Period
Speak of South Carolina’s role in the American Revolution and four names rise above all others: William Moultre, Andrew Pickens, Thomas Sumter, and of course, Francis ‘Swamp Fox’ Marion. But turn the browned pages of early historical texts, and one name appears first and foremost among South Carolina’s founding fathers; Richard Richardson (May, 1704[1] – …
General William Heath was an excellent administrator. Versed in military training from his militia leadership role during the French and Indian War, he was loyal, hardworking, and dedicated to duty. In fact, it could be said that Heath was everything a good commander could be, except one major flaw; he was rubbish in combat. Early …
The important thing to remember about the Ferguson Rifle is that it was not invented by Patrick Ferguson. The breechloading rifle that historians, novelists, gun enthusiasts, and countless internet articles state was born of the creative mind of Major Patrick Ferguson (1744 – 1780), had been around since the early stages of firearms. Breechloading matchlocks …
On Christmas Day, 1780, famed rifleman General Daniel Morgan received a present of enormous consequence. A small band of sixty South Carolina militiamen rode into camp. The leader was church elder Colonel Andrew Pickens (1739-1817); rigid, somber, a man of few words, and the south’s greatest militia fighter. And for Morgan, who would face the …
Colonel Isaac Shelby (1750-1826) was an exceptional leader of patriot militia who, by the end of his life, became one of the country’s most admired men. Born to fight, he grew up in the wilderness where at an early age, stood second in command to his father’s company against the Shawnee. When war with England …
Colonel Thomas Brown was a fierce partisan fighter. An able leader, he was always in the thick of battle, deploying his men skillfully and encouraging them to fight on. Passionate to the cause, he would have been at the forefront of America’s Revolutionary heroes, had he been a patriot; but he was not. Brown was …
Colonel Elijah Clarke, b. December 10, 1736 (some give 1733 & 1742) – December 15, 1799, was one of the unsung heroes of the American Revolution. Fierce and determined in battle, the Georgian militia leader was always in the thick of the fight, having received multiple wounds throughout the war; two life threatening. From Florida …
Captain Robert Henry Kirkwood (1756-1791) was one of most competent American field officers of the American Revolution. He fought in almost every major battle including countless skirmishes. Always in the thick of the hardest fighting, like a stone wall, his men often held the line when other regiments folded. Or charged with bayonet at the …
William Floyd (1734–1821) of Suffolk County Long Island was the first of the New York delegation to the Second Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence and the fourth member of Congress to do so. A wealthy Long Island farmer, prior to the American Revolution he was a colonel of the Suffolk County Militia. …
Major James Wemyss, pronounced ‘Weems’ (1748-1833), of the 63rd Regiment of Foot had been labeled the second most hated British officer of the American Revolution, behind Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton; the dragoon commander who waged a brutal war in the south on anyone who would advance his ego and career. But for Wemyss, one who …
By Ken Bohrer of American Revolution Photos. September 1, 2024, Blog #75 It is always a pleasure to post my very good friend’s blog. Ken Bohrer, College Counselor, is also an outstanding photographer. He has devoted decades to recording American Revolution reenactment events like few others. His extensive portrayal of those dedicated to preserving our …
General John Thomas (November 9, 1724 – June 2, 1776), a medical doctor by trade, was the sixth commissioned major general in the continental army of the American Revolution; right after Major General Richard Montgomery. Ironically, like Montgomery, Thomas would die in the same 1775 – 1776 failed campaign that invaded Canada. In early spring, …
At age 39, Carter Braxton (1736-1797), was a delegate from Virginia to the Second Continental Congress. Though he often voted among his peers within the Whig rebellious movement, he was more conservative than most delegates. Rather than a complete break with England, he sought arbitration to settle colonial differences with the mother country. In the …
Colonel Otho Williams (March 1, 1749 – July 15, 1794) Intelligent, diligent to duty, and honest; his was somewhat a ‘rags to riches’ life. An orphan who apprenticed as a clerk, he rose in the ranks of the rebellious army to lead Continental troops during the American Revolution’s most critical period in the south. He …
Every general knows a battle plan lasts until the first shots erupt. And as such, grit and experience of soldiers standing fast when faced with war’s horrors decides the day; who will be the victor, and who accepts defeat. Yet one other factor is in play. Improvise. Call it misfortune, opportunity, or just plain luck, …