Author: Will Monk

Will Monk lives in Mount Holly, N.J., which was briefly occupied by the Hessians in 1776 and the British in 1778. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Kentucky, and published Theodore and Alice: A Love Story (Empire State Books, 1994), a dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Lee. Monk is currently researching a biography of Alexander Scammell, adjutant general of the Continental Army.

Letters and Correspondence Posted on

Thomas Hutchinson and His Letters

We often remember the controversy surrounding the Hutchinson Letters, which inspired many colonists to oppose the provincial government in Massachusetts, by talking about Benjamin Franklin (who found and sent the letters) and Samuel Adams (who helped publish them). Our memory of the letters’ author, Thomas Hutchinson, is often colored by a 1774 print by Paul Revere, […]

by Will Monk
Critical Thinking Posted on

The Myth of “Granny Gates”

Earlier this year the AMC network aired a new series, Turn, about the Continental Army’s Culper Spy Ring, based on Alexander Rose’s book, Washington’s Spies. In one episode, the character of Benedict Arnold refers derisively to General Horatio Gates as “Granny Gates.” One might think it was a bit of literary license on behalf of […]

by Will Monk