The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Misfortune: The Fall of Fort Motte
byThe Revolutionary War in the Carolinas after the fall of Charleston was a great arena of war with hundreds of small battlefields. Some were…
Nathanael Greene
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The Death of Lt. Michael Grosh: the Maryland Militia at Germantown
byIn the early hours of October 4, 1777, the Maryland militia trudged southward along the Old York Road in eastern Pennsylvania. In the distance…
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Washington’s Revolutionary War Generals
byWashington’s Revolutionary War Generals by Stephen R. Taaffe. Campaigns and Commanders Series, Volume 68. (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2019). Selection, promotion and performance of…
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Captain John De Treville: Continental Officer and British Spy
byIn late June 1780 a messenger arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, with intelligence for Lt. Gen. Charles, Earl Cornwallis. The messenger, Capt. John La Boularderie…
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Picking Up the Pieces: Virginia’s “Eighteen-Months Men” of 1780–81
byThe first half of 1780 had gone disastrously for Virginia. The surrender of Gen. Benjamin Lincoln’s army at Charleston and the destruction of Col….
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Monuments to the American Revolution
byAlong with the Civil War, the American Revolution is one of the two most iconic events in American history. The Revolution has inspired countless…
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The Court Martial of Major Henry Lee
byAside from Gen. Anthony Wayne’s successful assault upon a British garrison at Stony Point in July, military activity in the first eight months of…
This Week on Dispatches: Andrew Waters on the Campaign in the Carolinas
byOn this week’s Dispatches host Brady Crytzer interviews JAR contributor Andrew Waters on the course of the campaign through the Carolinas, including Cowpens and other key…
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Midsummer 1780 in the Carolinas and Georgia—Events predating the Battle of Camden
byBesides dealing with events elsewhere, this article relates in particular the plight of the Carolina loyalists and the way in which British ascendancy in…
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The Road to Charleston: Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution
byThe Road to Charleston, Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution by John Buchanan (University Press of Virginia, 2019) John Buchanan’s latest account of the southern theater…
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Decoding British ciphers used in the South, 1780-81
byDuring the southern campaigns the British used two kinds of cipher, each kind being markedly different from the other. The First Kind of Cipher: The…
To the End of the World: Cornwallis Pursues Morgan to the Catawba
byAs Daniel Morgan collected his prisoners on the morning of January 17, 1781, he knew Charles, Lord Cornwallis, could not be far behind. “The…
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Southern Gambit: Cornwallis and the British March to Yorktown
bySouthern Gambit: Cornwallis and the British March to Yorktown by Stanley D.M. Carpenter (University of Oklahoma Press, 2019) In his recent book, Stanley Carpenter produced…
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The Double Spy: The Service and Suffering of Caleb Bruen
by“But while a confidence trickster, a play actor or a gambler can return from his performance to the ranks of his admirers, the secret…
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Cornwallis’s Refitment at Winnsborough and the Start of the Winter Campaign, November–January 1780–81
byAs November 1780 begins, we find Cornwallis continuing to wait at Winnsborough, South Carolina, in the hope of being joined by Major Gen. Alexander…
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The Decision that Lost Britain the War: An Enigma Now Resolved
byIn this article I address the absurdity of Cornwallis’s decision to march from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Virginia and the light thrown on it…
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Who was the most promising person of the Founding Era?
byFor our first post of the New Year—a time when resolutions are announced, new leaves are turned, and anticipation and hope for a fulfilling…
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Hammond’s Store: The “Dirty War’s” Prelude to Cowpens
byLittle is known about the colonial-era history of Hammond’s Store, though the site appears to have been a local meeting place prior to the…
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Continental Congress vs. Continental Army: Strategy and Personnel Decisions
byWhen the American Revolution became a shooting war, it was left to the Continental Congress to become the body of state for the thirteen…
The Sea Battle that Paid Off for the Continental Army
byAs the Revolutionary War was coming to an end, financial problems came to the forefront: to name a few, the country’s debts to France,…
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Continental Congress vs. Continental Army: The Officer Corps
byWhen the Continental Congress first met it was intended to bring the American colonies together to find a solution to the growing disputes with…
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Revisiting the Prayer at Valley Forge
byWhen George Washington died in 1799, partisan infighting and international crises threatened the survival of the American experiment. Many Americans believed in Washington’s unique…
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The Glorious Career and Unfortunate Death of John Laurens
byGeorge Washington surrounded himself with the best and the brightest young men involved in the revolutionary cause. Alexander Hamilton, Tench Tilghman, Robert Harrison, the…
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Unlocking the Mystery of Ten Revolutionary Generals’ Signatures
byDocuments that contain the original signatures of more than one Continental Army general are rare. During the eight years of the Revolutionary War, generals…
Thomas Sumter’s Dog Days Expedition
byAs Nathanael Greene retreated from Ninety Six in late June 1781, following his unsuccessful siege there, Thomas Sumter was eager to campaign in lower…
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Sumter’s Rounds: The Ill-Fated Campaign of Thomas Sumter, February–March 1781
byIn February 1781, Thomas Sumter emerged from his three-month convalescence to begin his next campaign in the South Carolina interior. Having been wounded seriously…
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7 Gold Medals of America’s Revolutionary Congress
byOf the many thousands of soldiers and seamen serving during the Revolutionary War, only a select few were singled out by the Continental Congress…
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Revolutionary Friendship
byTwo men are sitting drinking pints of ale in a Boston tavern. One is a strapping, full-faced young merchant given to loud laughter; the…
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Francis Marion Meets His Match: Benjamin Thompson Defeats the “Swamp Fox”
byDuring 1780 and 1781, Brigadier General Francis Marion earned a reputation as the “Swamp Fox,” a virtually unbeatable partisan commander who foiled British efforts…
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Race to the Dan:
“Pushed with Great Expedition”
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It had been a tense three weeks in the Carolinas for General Nathanael Greene, the commander of the American southern army. In the wake…
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Nathanael Greene as Quartermaster General
byMidway through his two and a half year tour of duty as Quartermaster General of Washington’s army, Nathanael Greene wrote to George Washington: “No…
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Most Underrated Revolutionary?
byWhile Nathanael Greene is getting greater recognition, I believe his contributions are still undervalued because the American cause in the South was on “life…
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American Towns named for British Soldiers
byIf 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,…
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General Nathanael Greene’s Hat
byA few weeks ago my doctor was talking to me about the sun, skin cancer and sunstroke. He asked if I wore a hat….