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The Most Unlucky Man: Patrick Ferguson’s Early Years
byInto a house at 333 High Street in what is now Edinburgh’s “Old Town” was born the strange adventurer Patrick Ferguson on June 4, 1744.[1] The…
Patrick Ferguson
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Stony Point: The Second Occupation, July–October 1779
byGen. George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, arrived at the American defenses at West Point “very much fatigued.” He had ridden one his…
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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…
Cornwallis Quits Charlotte, Abandoning the Autumn Campaign of 1780
byThis article is a companion piece to one of mine that appeared in this journal on July 18, 2017. Beginning with the start of the…
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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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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…
This Week on Dispatches: Matthew Moss on the Ferguson Breech-Loading Rifle
byIn 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…
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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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Patrick Ferguson and His Rifle
byMaj. Patrick Ferguson’s rifle is one of the most interesting and significant early attempts at a breech-loading service rifle. Coupling a screw breech plug…
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Skulking Shots on the Flank: The Skirmish at Cane Creek
byThe October 7, 1780 Battle of Kings Mountain is likely familiar to those even casually interested in the American Revolution. For those who look…
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The Revolutionary War in the south: Re-evaluations of certain British and British American actors
byPrefatory remarks Wide-ranging and to some degree disparate as they are, my re-evaluations are, on the one hand, compartmentalized under the sub-headings set out…
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The First Fight of Ferguson’s Rifle
byIn the spring of 1777, Washington and the Continental Army were encamped in the Blue Hills, now known as the Watchung Mountains, above the…
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10 Fateful Hits and Misses
byMilitary leaders since Alexander the Great have often preferred to command their battle formations from the most forward ranks. “Leading from the front,” as…
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Academy Award Casting of the American Revolution
byDear Mr. History: The recent article on this site by Hugh Harrington about the 10 best Revolutionary War films got me thinking – if…