Such As Are Absolutely Free: Benjamin Thompson’s Black Dragoons
At the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, there is an exhibit in the core gallery examining the choices, opportunities and constraints of…
1
Their Pockets Filled with Paper Dollars: The Raid on Little Ferry
During the American Revolution, Bergen County, New Jersey, was flooded with combatants from all over America, many of whom had never been to the…
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Bernard E. Griffiths: Trumpeter Barney of the Queen’s Rangers, Chelsea Pensioner—and Freed Slave
The period of the American Revolution does not afford many accounts of individual rank and file soldiers’ exploits, particularly on the side British side….
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Who was Captain Marsh?
Many people involved in the American Revolution played but a short role in the long war. A John Babcock, for example, apparently served as…
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The Curious Case of Zacheus Holmes
The United States pension and land bounty records furnish us with a multitude of fascinating stories. It is important, however, to weight them against…
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A Relation of Disagreeable Circumstances: The Attack on Young’s House, February 3, 1780
One of the hallmarks of Journal of the American Revolution is its ability to bring lesser-known yet compelling events of the War for Independence…
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A General’s Funeral: The Burial of Enoch Poor
Untold thousands died during the American Revolution, some by bullets or bayonets, cannon balls or cutlasses, but the vast majority were carried away from…
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Murder or Justifiable Homicide? Crime Scene Investigation: Bergen County
Deciding the guilt or innocence of a defendant in a criminal case today is generally left in the hands of twelve citizens comprising a…
4
The American Vicars of Bray
Loyalists, those Americans who openly supported the British Government during the American Revolution, have been largely assumed to have had unchanging allegiance during the…
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A Spy Wins a Purple Heart: The Amazing Tale of Daniel Bissell and the Military Order of Merit
On June 8th, 1783, Gen. George Washington issued the following orders to the Continental army from his headquarters in Newburgh, New York: Serjeant Bissel…
17
Light Infantry Never Surrender!
In August 1780, Lieutenant-Colonel Abraham Van Buskirk of the 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, received orders to form a light infantry company.[1] The commanding…
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A Dutiful Soldier Misses the Battle
We sometimes use the phrase “at the right place at the right time” when describing the circumstances of someone’s good fortune. In war, the…
Three Dates, One Action? The Demarests at New Bridge, 1781
One of the finest sources for anecdotal, first-hand accounts of the Revolution is the U.S. Pension & Bounty Land Applications in the National Archives….
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How George Washington saved the life of Abraham Van Buskirk’s Son
Abraham Van Buskirk was Bergen County’s leading Loyalist at the onset of the American Revolution. A prominent “Practitioner of Physic” with an income of…
The Three Guides
In November 1776, a British army under Lieutenant-General Sir William Howe was on the offensive, having successfully driven American forces off of Manhattan island…
6
Wrecked in a Thousand Pieces:
Loss of Martha
When the Maryland Loyalists, a Provincial regiment, marched out of Philadelphia along with the rest of the British Army in June 1778, it mustered…
3
Massacre Averted: How two British Soldiers saved 350 American Lives
In the early morning hours of September 28, 1778, British Troops under Major General Charles Grey surprised and decimated an entire regiment of Continental…
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A Patriot-Loyalist: Playing Both Sides
People characterize the American Revolution in terms of Patriots and Loyalists – those who supported the rebellion, and those who supported the British government….