Tag: George Washington

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Washington’s Belated Admission

“This is a most unfortunate affair and has given me great Mortification as we have lost not only two thousand Men that were there, but a good deal of Artillery, & some of the best Arms we had.” So wrote General George Washington to his brother John Augustine Washington in November 1776.[1] The fall of […]

by Benjamin Huggins
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Washington: Father of Two Scoops

He may have beaten the British, but by the time George Washington became president, his sweet tooth (singular tooth)[i] for tasty desserts had not yet been conquered. Puddings, jellies and pies had been commonplace dessert offerings when George and Martha entertained at Mount Vernon, which they did before and after the War for Independence. But […]

by John L. Smith, Jr.
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Westholme Publishing: Four Selections

I write the following book reviews to promote a small, but well-respected, outfit specializing in publishing Revolutionary War books (as well as other nonfiction works):  Westholme Publishing of Yardley, Pennsylvania.  Full disclosure:  Westholme has published two Revolutionary War books of mine (see author’s biography below).  Westholme provides a terrific service to those interested in studying […]

by Christian McBurney
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James Rivington: King’s Printer
and Patriot Spy?

This article was originally published in Journal of the American Revolution, Vol. 1 (Ertel Publishing, 2013). Solving “the Most Astounding” Mystery of the American Revolution In early spring 1773, readers of the Boston Gazette came across an ambitious business proposal when they opened the March 22 issue.  New York printer and bookseller James Rivington, then […]

by Todd Andrlik
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Washington’s Biggest Blunder?

In your opinion, what was George Washington’s biggest blunder of the war? Its impact, if any?   Washington’s whole approach to the defense of New York was one of history’s great debacles: lack of imagination about the British landing, failure to supervise subordinates in preparing the Brooklyn defenses, boxing himself into Brooklyn Heights with no […]

by Editors
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Washington’s Five Books

On 10 November 1775, slightly more than four months after he had taken command of the American troops besieging Boston, Gen. George Washington sent a list of books to an old military colleague in Virginia. William Woodford (1734–1780) had just been reappointed an officer for their home colony. Woodford complained about the “inexperience” of his […]

by J. L. Bell
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Raid Across the Ice: the British Operation to Capture Washington

In early February 1780, General George Washington’s main army was encamped at Jockey Hollow, New Jersey. But the general maintained his headquarters about three miles away in Morristown, at the house of the widow Theodosia Ford. That separation enticed the British high command into undertaking an operation that, if successful, would cripple the Continental Army […]

by Benjamin Huggins
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George Washington’s Favorite Play

Thanks to the porous state of the British lines around Philadelphia and the industry of General Washington’s secret agents, there is little doubt that American officers at Valley Forge were aware of the dramas that a British Army theater company known as Howe’s Strolling Players presented at the Southwark Theater during 1777-78. The Americans considered […]

by Thomas Fleming
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Before Washington: The Revolution’s First Commander-in-Chief

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress officially announced the creation of the Continental Army, a military force representing all of the colonies resisting British authority in North America. The following day the Congress named the army’s commander. George Washington, a planter and Congressional delegate from Virginia, would become the commander-in-chief, taking command of […]

by Editors
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Christmas Night 1776: How Did They Cross?

The famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776 is permanently etched in many minds.  It graces the covers of countless books and magazines often with great attention paid to the subsequent Battle of Trenton. But just how did Washington’s army cross the river? The collector’s print edition of Journal […]

by Editors
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The History of Parson Weems

Mason Locke Weems, better known as Parson Weems, considered himself an historian.  But, he was far more interested in pleasing people than he was with writing history.  His exaggerations and fabrications of fact led one commentator to remark that Weems had “a touch of the confidence man in him.” Weems was born in 1759 and […]

by Hugh T. Harrington
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Washington’s Deviation to Virginia

General Washington received the disappointing news on August 14, 1781. Comte De Grasse’s powerful French fleet of nearly thirty warships was not sailing for New York as Washington had long hoped, but was instead destined for the Chesapeake Bay. Washington’s plan for an allied attack on British held New York City depended heavily on the […]

by Michael Cecere
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10 Fateful Hits and Misses

Military leaders since Alexander the Great have often preferred to command their battle formations from the most forward ranks.  “Leading from the front,” as the practice is often known, puts officers in outstanding positions to observe the action and inspire their soldiers.  It also puts them in excellent positions to end up dead. Many officers […]

by Michael Schellhammer
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Clarifying Washington’s Rank

Thanks to the numerous promotions of military leadership before, during and even after the Revolutionary War, senior military ranks tend to cause great confusion for historians. Surprisingly, one of the most puzzling American military ranks is that of George Washington. As the result of multiple post-war appointments and promotions, Washington’s true rank during the Revolutionary […]

by William M. Welsch
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American Towns named for British Soldiers

If you want to visit a town named for a Revolutionary War veteran, it’s pretty easy to do. There’s the nation’s capital, of course, among other places named for George Washington. Many states feature a Lafayette, commemorating the young Frenchman who became an American general. Or Greensboro, North Carolina, a tribute General Nathanael Greene (in […]

by Don N. Hagist
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Celts in the American Revolution

“Give me liberty or give me death!” shouted Patrick Henry to the members of the Second Virginia Convention in 1775. His words became the first great war cry of the American Revolution. In 1776 this backwoods lawyer was elected governor of Virginia, the largest state in the new American union. Henry was descended from Scottish […]

by Thomas Fleming
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Top 10 Continental Army Generals

In addition to George Washington, during the course of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress commissioned seventy-seven other men as general officers, with four — Seth Pomeroy, John Whetcomb, John Cadwalader, and Joseph Reed — declining the honor.  In fact, Cadwalader declined twice, much to Washington’s regret. These seventy-three men served as Washington’s chief lieutenants, […]

by William M. Welsch
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Colonel Lewis Nicola: Soldier, Scientist and Man of Letters (part 1)

If not for a single unfortunate letter that Colonel Lewis Nicola of the Continental Army addressed to Commander-in-Chief General George Washington on May 22, 1782, this accomplished soldier and scholar would be entirely unknown today.  Regrettably, this simple letter has subsequently been wildly misinterpreted by historians, and Nicola today is best remembered as the man […]

by Douglas R. Cubbison
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General Gold Silliman: Snatched from Home

Sometime around midnight on May 1, 1779, British soldiers smashed through the wooden door of General Gold Selleck Silliman’s Fairfield, Connecticut home. They snatched him and his eldest son, William, from their beds. The soldiers, accompanied by eight armed Tories, confiscated the general’s fusee, a pair of his pistols, his sword, and three hats (one […]

by Cathryn J. Prince
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The Forgotten First Battle of Monmouth

Fought on June 28, 1778, the Battle of Monmouth is correctly remembered as one of the largest battles of the American Revolution, and the last major engagement fought in the North. But almost no one remembers that a smaller clash took place on roughly the same ground eighteen months earlier. Although a much smaller and […]

by Michael Adelberg
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The Impact of General von Steuben

Dear Mr. History:  Does General von Steuben deserve the fantastic amount of fame he gets for training the Continental Army at Valley Forge?  The Continentals had been fighting for over two years by the time he showed up, so why did they need training?  What was Steuben’s true impact?  Sincerely, Stumped About Steuben Dear Stumped: […]

by Michael Schellhammer
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13 Questions with J. L. Bell (Part 2)

Today we pick up where we left off yesterday with our J. L. Bell interview. 8 // As someone who knows the start of the Revolution better than most, what books do you recommend most to fellow history buffs who are eager to learn more about the 1763-1776 period? If you ask me again tomorrow, […]

by Todd Andrlik
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13 Questions with J. L. Bell (Part 1)

When we think of prolific writers of American Revolution history, the names Bailyn, Ellis, Fleming, Morgan, Raphael, Wood and Young may come to mind. Another name that easily rivals those in quantity of words authored about the subject is Bell. John L. (J. L.) Bell is the author of one of, if not the, most […]

by Todd Andrlik
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Molly Pitcher and Captain Molly

Myth: “While Captain Molly was serving some water for the refreshment of the men, her husband received a shot in the head, and fell lifeless under the wheels of the piece. The heroine threw down the pail of water, and crying to her dead consort, ‘lie there my darling while I avenge ye,’ grasped the […]

by Ray Raphael
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Warriors for the Republic

In mid-May of 1778, startling news swept through the Continental Army at Valley Forge. There were Indians in the camp! But they were not killing or capturing Americans as they had often done in battles elsewhere. These Indians had come to fight on the American side. Soldiers who were off duty rushed to get a […]

by Thomas Fleming
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The Invisible General

Everyone has heard about General George Washington. Most people recognize the names of Generals Nathanael Greene, Charles Lee, Anthony Wayne, Sir William Howe, and Sir Henry Clinton. But how many have heard about General George Monck?   He came very close to winning the American Revolution for George III. What makes this especially amazing is General […]

by Thomas Fleming
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The Myth of Rifleman Timothy Murphy

Every historical researcher, and readers of history books and magazines, must constantly keep in mind the power of the written word.  Whether reading for pleasure or serious study one constantly weighs the evidence to determine whether it is accurate and credible or not. Regrettably, the written word itself attaches credibility to a statement by the […]

by Hugh T. Harrington
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The Greatest Moment in American History

Cannon boomed 13 rounds and the stylishly dressed citizens of Annapolis, Maryland, swarmed into the streets.  General George Washington was arriving, accompanied by only two aides. The next day, Washington wrote to Thomas Mifflin, the president of Congress, informing him of his desire to resign his commission as commander in chief. The president read Washington’s […]

by Thomas Fleming
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The Fate of the Regulars

Instead of working out plans for a peacetime army, in 1783 Congress ordered General George Washington to discharge the remaining regiments in the service, retaining only token garrisons at Fort Pitt to guard the western frontier and West Point, where the army’s artillery and ammunition were stored. This was an extremely unwise decision; the British […]

by Thomas Fleming
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Unleashing the Dogs of War

Nearly everyone loves a dog.  This is especially true of soldiers to whom a dog is a friendly reminder of home, a companion and distraction from the day to day life.  Regrettably, these furry friends have been lost in the mists of time.  A few however can still be glimpsed, although dimly, doing what dogs […]

by Hugh T. Harrington