Month: May 2026

 Espionage and Cryptography Posted on

Why Haldimand and Washington Fought Different Intelligence Wars

Gen. George Washington has long stood at the center of the American Revolution’s intelligence story, but every commander, British and American, in North America understood the importance of intelligence gathering and the impact of information. His use of spies and long-established techniques such as coded messages and invisible ink is well documented, and for many, […]

by Ryan L. Wagner
Interviews Posted on

This Week on Dispatches: Gene Procknow on Apollos Morris and His Attempt at Diplomacy

On this week’s Dispatches, host Brady Crytzer interviews JAR contributor Gene Procknow on wealthy Irish landowner Apollos Morris’s little-known attempt to broker peace between the American colonies and England before hostilities escalated. New episodes of Dispatches are available for free every Sunday evening(Eastern United States Time), first on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Amazon Music, and […]

by Editors
The War Years (1775-1783) Posted on

The Death of Colonel Christopher Greene at Pine’s Bridge, May 1781

The death of Col. Christopher Greene of the Rhode Island Regiment during the Loyalist raid at Pine’s Bridge on the Croton River in May 1781 represents one of the most brutal and dramatic episodes of irregular warfare in the American Revolution. Drawing upon contemporary correspondence, eyewitness testimony, military reports, and later historical compilations, this surprise […]

by Bjorn Bruckshaw
6
Critical Thinking Posted on

The Odyssey and Irrelevance of John Adams

John Adams is a singular figure in the history of the American Revolution. No founder contributed more to the Revolution while drawing less attention from future generations, both historians and the public, searching for meaning in the American Revolution. Throughout his life Adams was aware of his reputation—“obnoxious, suspected and unpopular”—and the impact it would […]

by Kevin Diestelow
Interviews Posted on

A Dispatches Special: Andrew Scott Wills on Music of the Revolutionary Frontier

On this week’s Dispatches, host Brady Crytzer interviews musician Andrew Scott Wills of the band Hawken Horse. Through his love of history and music, Nashville’s Wills has brought the Revolutionary frontier back to the 21st century. New episodes of Dispatches are available for free every Sunday evening(Eastern United States Time), first on iTunes, Stitcher, Google […]

by Editors
2
Prewar Conflict (<1775) Posted on

George Washington’s 1758 Friendly Fire Incident at Loyalhanna Creek

In the midst of the French and Indian War, with dusk settling over the Loyalhanna Creek and volunteer soldiers firing at shadows in the dark, George Washington confronted an “inexcusable but understandable military blunder.”[1] Mistaking their fellow soldiers for enemy combatants in the midst of heavy fog and failed communication, two battalions of Virginians fired […]

by Nathan Crissman