April 2019 - Journal of the American Revolution

Conflict & War Posted on April 30, 2019April 30, 2019

Delaware’s Colonel John Haslet (1727–1777)

Born in Straw Dungiven, County Londonderry, Ireland,[1] thirty-year-old John Haslet was the young, widowed minister of Ballykelly Presbyterian Church. Arriving in America in 1757, he became a captain in the Pennsylvania militia and participated in the November 26, 1758 action at Fort Duquesne. Twenty years later, he would be killed at the Battle of Princeton. Russ […]

by Kim Burdick

Features Posted on April 29, 2019October 21, 2019

Chesapeake Bay Privateers in the Revolution

Chesapeake Bay Privateers in the Revolution by Leonard Szaltis (The History Press, 2019) Leonard Szaltis does the reader the favor of stipulating the intent of his piece: “To demonstrate the circumstances colonists faced in one local region . . . to increase knowledge about the history of the Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore during […]

by Michael Tuosto

Features Posted on April 26, 2019April 26, 2019

This Week on Dispatches: Cho-Chien Feng on the Revolutionary Memories of New York Loyalists

In this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews St. Louis University doctoral candidate Cho-Chien Feng about what the American Revolution meant to Loyalists after the war. He also discusses how he became interested in the American Revolution and the broader idea of political loyalism. As Brady notes, Feng is inspiring: born in Taiwan, he learned English, […]

by Editors

Loyalists Posted on April 25, 2019April 24, 2019

Henry Mowatt and the “Wretched” Ship HMS Albany

In 1782, when the sixteen-gun sloop-of-war HMS Albany was determined to be at the end of her usefulness, nobody seemed truly surprised or sad about it, least of all her commander. The vessel had survived six continuous years of war-time service in His Majesty’s Royal Navy, in addition to a prior life as a merchant vessel. […]

by Charles H. Lagerbom

Loyalists Posted on April 24, 2019

Another Three Loyalist Declarations Signed in the Fall of 1776

The Declaration of Dependence signed by 547 New York City Loyalists in November 1776 was not the only such declaration written and signed by loyal inhabitants of the colony of New York soon after British military forces established their presence in the region. At least three others are known to exist, bearing a total of 3,414 […]

by Sandra McNamara

Conflict & War Posted on April 23, 2019April 23, 2019

Revisiting B. E. Griffiths: Former Slave, Queen’s Ranger, and “Son of Africa”

In a recent article, Todd Braisted reconstructed the remarkable story of a black Loyalist soldier, “Trumpeter Barney” of the Queen’s Rangers.[1] Through meticulous archival work, Braisted established that Barney, a runaway slave who joined the British at the siege of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1780, was the same man as Barnard E. Griffiths, who was […]

by Stephen Brumwell

Critical Thinking Posted on April 22, 2019April 16, 2019

The Mystery of “The Alternative of Williams-burg”

According to the Virginia Gazette between 400 and 500 merchants gathered in Williamsburg in early November 1774 and “voluntarily and generally signed” the Continental Association.[1] The Association provided for a boycott of Britain, with provisions not to import from, export to or consume products of the mother country. On November 9, 1774, the merchants presented their […]

by James R. Fichter

Features Posted on April 19, 2019April 16, 2019

This Week on Dispatches: Robert Davis on Georgia and the American Revolution

In this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews distinguished historian Robert “Bob” Davis about Georgia’s unique role in the American Revolution as the colony that bordered Spanish territory and, after independence was declared, British East Florida. Georgia came slowly to the Patriot cause, remaining loyal to the King longer than any other colony, until they finally […]

by Editors

People Posted on April 18, 2019April 14, 2019

James Willing and the Mississippi Expedition

The story of the Revolutionary War tends to focus on operations and events east of the Appalachian Mountains, with good reason as most of the war took place in at area. West of the mountains, the story of George Rogers Clark in the Ohio Valley is famous and found in many history books. The expedition […]

by Jeff Dacus

Features Posted on April 17, 2019October 21, 2019

William Livingston’s American Revolution

William Livingston’s American Revolution by James J. Gigantino II (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018) For some students of the American Revolution, the name Livingston may ring a bell. William Livingston did, after all, hail from a prominent New York family that produced several politicians. Although Livingston does not garner the attention or acclaim of George […]

by Kelly Mielke

Diaries and Journals Posted on April 16, 2019October 18, 2020

Killer Trees of the Revolution

Around a hundred people are tragically killed in the United States each year by falling trees or limbs. Death or injury by trees was also among the hazards of war between 1775 and 1783.[1] The first reported soldier to die was British, ironically killed by the Liberty Tree of Boston. Samuel Haws recorded in his […]

by Joseph Lee Boyle

People Posted on April 15, 2019April 14, 2019

Johan Joachim Zubly: The Other Georgia Delegate

When reading the excellent JAR article “The Dark and Heroic Histories of Georgia’s Signers,” I happened to recall another Georgia delegate to the Second Continental Congress who I came across in trying to understand why it took so long for Congress to create the Continental Navy. Johan Joachim Zubly also had a “dark history.” Georgia […]

by William H. J. Manthorpe, Jr.

Features Posted on April 12, 2019April 12, 2019

This Week on Dispatches: Brian O’Malley on the 1776 Horror Show

In this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews Brian O’Malley about the sudden release of 2,000 “sickly and emaciated” Continental soldiers and sailors in 1776 who had been held captive by the British in the New York City area. This little-known event sparked outrage among even the Loyalists in the region. As your host says, “Sit […]

by Editors

Critical Thinking Posted on April 11, 2019April 10, 2019

“Be A King George”

“Be a King George.” Four simple, but oft repeated words drilled into the Prince of Wales from childhood by his mother, Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. And through a faithful adherence to her command George lost an American Empire.[1] In 1751 Princess Augusta was widowed unexpectedly on the sudden death of George’s father Frederick. Though a tragedy, […]

by John Knight

Features Posted on April 10, 2019October 21, 2019

Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family

Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family by Sara Georgini (Oxford University Press, 2019) In this sophisticated and comprehensive work, Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family, Sara Georgini, offers readers a deeply insightful illustration of how religion impacted and influenced the lives of the family of John Adams (1735-1826) over […]

by Megan King

Letters and Correspondence Posted on April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

James Bruce’s Report on the Situation of West Florida and Havana, 1782

The British loss of West Florida in 1781 ushered in a new era for the region, an era dominated by Spanish rule. For some, like the many Spanish officers who orchestrated the capture of the colony,[1] the loss brought about much celebration and promotion. For others, like the British inhabitants of the territory, this transition of […]

by George Kotlik

Conflict & War Posted on April 8, 2019April 7, 2019

James McCubbin Lingan, an American Story

Of the thousands of men and women who contributed to the Patriot cause during the American Revolution, James McCubbin Lingan (1751–1812) stands out with an important story to tell.[1] A recent visit to Washington D.C. included a leisurely walk through Arlington National Cemetery. As one reads the many monuments honoring military personnel resting in Arlington’s historic […]

by Patrick H. Hannum

Features Posted on April 5, 2019April 4, 2019

This Week on Dispatches: Matthew Moss on the Ferguson Breech-Loading Rifle

In this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews British historian Matthew Moss and the story of Major Patrick Ferguson and the first breech-loading rifle adopted by the British Army, one of the most intriguing inventions of the American Revolution. As your host says, “Sit back, relax, and enjoy the interview. . . .” New episodes of […]

by Editors

Conflict & War Posted on April 4, 2019April 3, 2019

The Thunderer, British Floating Gun-Battery on Lake Champlain

The radeau (French, singular for “raft”) was co-opted for eighteenth century warfare on and along Lake George and Lake Champlain, to deal with the challenges of wilderness, inland waterways. The radeau’s design was unique, incorporating a pragmatic approach to the problem of transportation and concentration of ship-mounted artillery in a self-contained transport in shallow water. The […]

by Michael Gadue

Features Posted on April 3, 2019April 2, 2019

Contributor Close-up: Michael J. F. Sheehan

What inspired you to start researching and writing about the Revolution? I was born and raised in the town of Stony Point, New York, and so every summer included attending the July battle anniversary and reenactment at Stony Point Battlefield. In addition, my grandfather would take my brother and I to other historic sites along […]

by Editors

Battles Posted on April 2, 2019April 1, 2019

Fiasco: The Disastrous Raid on Montresor’s Island

By the evening of September 30, 1776, George Washington was, as he put it, “bereft of every peaceful moment.” During the previous month, his army had been badly mauled on Long Island and narrowly escaped destruction by executing a midnight evacuation to Manhattan. Forced to abandon New York City and take up defensive positions on […]

by Joshua Shepherd

Espionage and Cryptography Posted on April 1, 2019March 30, 2019

The Double Spy: The Service and Suffering of Caleb Bruen

“But while a confidence trickster, a play actor or a gambler can return from his performance to the ranks of his admirers, the secret agent enjoys no such relief. For him, deception is first a matter of self-defense.”—John le Carré, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Throughout the Revolution, the American intelligence apparatus […]

by Charles Dewey

Month: April 2019