Tag «Continental Army»

African American Jordan Freeman Dies Defending Fort Griswold

Fort Griswold

The Battle of Fort Griswold, Groton, Connecticut, was fought on September 6, 1781, between Connecticut militia and British Regulars under turncoat traitor Benedict Arnold. Jordan Freeman, African American patriot, stood firm before the onslaught of enraged redcoats pouring over the fort’s walls. Just as British Major William Montgomery mounted the rampart, Jorden grabbed a 10-foot …

Betsy Hager: Blacksmith Who Helped Forge a New Nation

Rosy the Riveter, strong, iconic figure, symbolic of women who worked countless hours on military armaments for American men fighting on World War II’s battlefields, had a true to life predecessor; one hundred and sixty-eight years earlier. In 1775, Elizabeth Hager, known as “Handy Betsy” or “Betsy the Blacksmith,” stood at her forge and repaired …

General George Washington: A Paradox of Emotions for the Times

Strict. Rigid. Aloof. Dogmatic. Ambitious. Taskmaster. Determined. Emphatic. Fair. Honorable. Tenacious. Meticulous. Dedicated. And Enforcer. Bundled up in one who could explode in such sudden fury, as to send the devil running for cover. General George Washington. The Commander-in-Chief. Whose carefully crafted persona became a physical and mental force that transformed a tattered rabble of …

Interview with African American Reenactor Noah “Ned Hector” Lewis: Part One

It is a pleasure to present my good friend and American Revolution Photographer Ken Bohrer’s interview with American Revolution reenactor Noah “Ned Hector” Lewis – Black Revolutionary War Hero. This is the first interview of a three part series. Ken Bohrer’s website American Revolution Photos has over eight thousand outstanding photos and dozens of videos of …

Oneida Iroquois: America’s Ally and Polly Cooper who Helped Feed Washington’s Army at Valley Forge

Polly Cooper’s generosity and courage have long been honored by the Oneida Native American people over the generations as exemplar of the indomitable spirt of the Oneida. With the unveiling of the Oneida memorial at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC that honors Polly and her people’s contribution to the American Revolution, the United States …

Military Books that Influenced George Washington

Military literature was of little or no value to the early colonists.  There were no vast spreads of farmlands and meadows where massive armies could deploy.  Their terrain was wilderness and their forces small.  Militias of farmers and merchants, properly armed to protect themselves from the “savages” adopted the same methods as their native opponents.  …

Massacre at Little Egg Harbor New Jersey

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 …

Canada Invasion in 1775: General Richard Montgomery

Death of Major General Richard Montgomery by John Trumbull.

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 …

The Enduring Valley Forge National Historical Park

My good friend Ken Bohrer of American Revolution Photos allowed me to share his February 2021 blog on Valley Forge – #32. I highly recommend you view his other blogs along with thousands of great photos of the many American Revolutionary War reenactments he has chronicled over the years. Please click here and enjoy: American …

Road to Bunker Hill and General Artemas Ward – America’s First Commander-in-Chief

“Who?”… is the most common response when mentioning Artemas Ward. With the popularity of sixties iconic TV shows, another’s reply might be, “Don’t you mean Artemas Gordon?”…referencing Ross Martin’s sidekick role on the Wild Wild West TV series that ran four seasons starting in 1965. Of course there might be the more smug response, “Oh, …

Battle of Oriskany and Siege of Fort Stanwix

Summer, 1777 – all along New York’s pristine Mohawk River Valley, a cauldron of simmering violence that flamed in sporadic brutality erupted in savage warfare. On August 6th, an American militia of settlers and Oneida warriors, over 800 men ages 16 to 60, from throughout Tryon County, New York, answered the call to arms. With …

Top 10 American Revolution Reenactment Photos Numbers 1 – 5

Revolutionary War Journal is published by Harry Schenawolf, author of the Shades of Liberty Series about African American soldiers in the American Revolution.  It is a continued pleasure to offer my good friend Ken Bohrer, University Educator and Renowned Photographer of American Revolution Reenactments, this platform to help share his incredible photographs.  They are truly …