“If Ole England is not by this lesson taught humility, then she is an obstinate old slut, bent upon her ruin.” General Horatio Gates after the Battle of Saratoga October 14th, 1777.

From October 8th to the 14th, Burgoyne had been preparing his army to begin the long and dangerous trek back to Fort Ticonderoga. On October 10th, he had dispatched Lt. Colonel Nicholas Sutherland with two regiments up the west bank of the Hudson to assess the situation north of them. The idea, suggested by German …

How Did Revolutionary War Soldiers Write Home? Powdered Ink & the History of Iron Gall Ink

quill and ink

Ever wonder how eighteenth century soldiers composed letters home or wrote journal entries while sitting on a log before a campfire, in a tent, or traipsing throughout the countryside, campaigning prior to or after military action? For ions, right up to the nineteenth century, the method of writing included a container of ink and a …

Matchlocks & Flintlocks: Weapons That Tamed a New World & Armed an American Revolution

Matchlocks In the 16th and early 17th centuries, European nations gained a foothold in the New World. The gun of choice, that which paved the way for complete dominance of a native population, was the matchlock. “Lock” meaning the mechanism that fired the gun and “match” for the system of igniting it. Over the next century, these …

Sergeant William Jasper: American Revolution’s Celebrated Hero at the Battle of Sullivan Island

Local Carolina residents had already responded to the threat by strengthening Fort Sullivan. Palmetto logs were laid into the partially completed fort which proved to be a blessing. Though General Lee recommended that the fort be abandoned, Colonel William Moultrie and Colonel William Thomson, who commanded militia from South and North Carolina, including some native …

Black Patriots in the Continental Army

Josiah Book 1     &     Josiah’s Mettle Book 2         Shades of Liiberty is a new action and adventure historical fiction series that chronicles African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War. Josiah is a blacksmith and runaway slave from Newport, Rhode Island. He, along with other escaped slaves, Scipio and Jeb, forged their marks to …

Alexander Hamilton: Myth and the Man Part 3 – Debunking a Hero

Introduction History Defined: Repeat lies enough times, they become facts. Authoritarian’s Creed This, the third of four articles on Captain Alexander Hamilton and his train of artillery while in New York and leading up to the Battle of White Plains asks two questions. The fourth article will examine a bridge supposedly constructed during the battle …

Alexander Hamilton: Myth and the Man Part 2: He Was Not a Hero at the Battle of White Plains.

a Article 1 stated that Alexander Hamilton’s role during the Battle of White Plains had been fabricated and grossly exaggerated over the decades. The author of this three part series has traced this misinformation to Hamilton’s son who published several biographical texts; each one expanding on his father’s courage acts in combat. John Church Hamilton …