It has been a hectic year for Nan and Todd, personally and professionally. We thank you for your patience and continued interest in our site and newsletter.
Chats
We're also sorry to inform everyone that we have had to suspend all future chats until we can find some new chatroom software that is not going to cost us a fortune. As most of you know, The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies is run by just the two of us with our personal funds, so we are always looking for, frankly, cheap ways to do things!
Sadly, the free site that we had been using for our chats made major revisions to their software, and the result is simply not satisfactory for the types of chats we want to provide
We will continue to hunt for a site that will be affordable for us and accessible to everyone without a lot of trouble, and that will also give us an appropriate venue for lectures and the exchange of information..
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What's New
Here are the most recent new documents that we have online.
History Section:
Battles and Campaigns
1777. An account of the Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania, as related by Sergeant Stephen JARVIS, a Connecticut Loyalist serving with the Queen's American Rangers.
1778. Two new accounts of small raids from April of that year: one in Squan, New Jersey and the second in Smithfield, Pennsylvania.
1779. A Return of the killed and wounded from the successful Siege of Charlestown, South Carolina.
Photos of the battlefields of Musgrove's Mill, Fishdam Ford & Blackstocks, South Carolina. All were provided by our adopted Southern Battlefield Photographer Ron Stevenson.
1780. Tarleton's account of the battle of Blackstocks, South Carolina.
1781. Photos of the Eutaw Springs, SC battlefield, also provided by Ron.
Three Rebel items concerning the October surprise & taking of Fort Slongo on Long Island.
1782. Both Rebel & Loyalist accounts of a December skirmish at Cedar Creek, New Jersey. One of the very last actions of the war in America.
Maps & Gazetteer
Yes, we finally have something here! A somewhat crude drawing of the blockhouse used by Thomas Ward and the Loyal Refugee Volunteers at Bergen Point, New Jersey.
This was not the famous blockhouse attacked by Anthony Wayne, but rather a later defensive work further down on Bergen Neck.
Major Figures
We have added an interesting 1776 letter from Governor William Franklin of New Jersey to the Earl of Dartmouth. Franklin was one of the very last Royal Governors to maintain his post, until finally put under arrest in June of 1776.
Military Section:
Regimental History
British Legion. Biographies of the officers of infantry and cavalry, prepared by Don Gara.
Detroit Militia. A 1778 list of their officers.
Ethiopian Regiment. A fascinating collection of rolls and morning reports, listing some of the men and women followers of this Black regiment. This was discovered by Nan during our trip to South Carolina for the Tarleton Symposium back in April.
Georgia Loyalists. The 1782 deposition of Mark KING, a deserter from the corps at Savannah.
Georgia Militia. Two interesting letters found in Savannah during our trip.
King's County, New York Militia. Two photos of a beautiful (and extremely rare) officer's belt plate from this unit, owned by collector Erik Goldstein.
Loyal American Regiment. Several new items, including a 1779 recruiting notice; 1781 return of men on board the Alexander Transport; memorials of Duncan FLETCHER and the famous Anthony ALLAIRE; and a 1783 account of the brutality inflicted on the son of a member of the regiment at the hands of the Rebels.
New Jersey Volunteers. Two marvelous original items provided for our use by Jan Nordhoff. One is the challenge sent to Ensign John LAWRENCE by an officer of the Queen's Rangers, which resulted in the latter's death and which case we have on our site! The second is LAWRENCE's commission as lieutenant in the corps.
Quebec Militia. A 1781 surgeon's commission for James DAVIDSON and the very strange 1782 tale of Barrister SCRIVEN.
Queen's American Rangers. More biographies of officers by Don Gara.
South Carolina Royalists. A 1779 certificate concerning reduced captains. Also a fascinating letter from Moses Buffington, an officer in the regiment, telling his parents about the Siege of Savannah.
West Florida Provincials. A very interesting contingent account from the frontiers of the British Empire; everything from leather thongs to brass kettles.
Muster Rolls
King's Royal Regiment of New York. The muster of all 10 companies of this largest of Provincial regiments raised in the Northern Department, taken at Laprarie, Quebec, 21 January 1778.
South Carolina Militia. Four rolls listing just a few of the thousands of militia of this province. Included are the two rolls of Rifle Hussars as Benjamin THOMPSON descibed them, one of which commanded by the famous William CUNNINGHAM.
Courts Martial
British Legion. Two 1779 cases, those of Privates Thomas CONNOLY and Cornelius HEARY.
1st Regiment of Foot Guards. The 1780 case of George HUGHSTON.
10th Regiment of Foot. A Philadelphia trial from 1778 concerning Private John WALKER.
16th Regiment of Foot. A 1781 trial involving two members of this corps: Jacon PICKING and James IRWIN.
22nd Regiment of Foot. Private Michael MEANY's 1782 trial. MEANY attempted to desert from the outpost of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, only to be apprehended by some Loyalists.
Rebel Cases. Not trials of Rebels, but cases held by them. Two new items here, the first being from 1779, trying Robert LAND and Edward KICKS as spies. The second involved Simon MABEE, caught recruiting for the Guides & Pioneers. The latter case was provided for us by Steve Mabie.
Regular Army & Navy
38th Regiment of Foot. Summary of the service of the regiment, along with the original 1783 discharge of Private Alexander FORBUS, provided by Carol Vater.
43rd Regiment of Foot. A 1780 memorial from John Montagu CLARKE, formerly an ensign in this corps.
Civil Branches
Commissary General's Dept. A 1778 return of persons victualed in Canada. Also a 1784 Nova Scotia receipt for provisions.
Quarter Master General's Dept.. Three new items here. Return of Stores in Quebec from 1778. A return of camp equipage in Quebec from 1779. And a 1782 return of barrack bedding and furniture at Niagara.
Spies & Intelligence
Our first new item here is a brief newspaper article announcing the arrival of Rebel deserters, and the information they brought from the countryside. Secondly is a memorial and several related papers concerning a New Jersey Loyalist spy, Pierre DePEYSTER.
Black Loyalists
In addition to the documents concerning the Ethiopian Regiment mentioned previously, there are several new memorials, namely those of: Samuel BURKE of South Carolina; Scipio HANDLEY from the same place; and Shadrack FURMAN of Virginia. All are dated between 1783 and 1787.
Clothing and Supplies
One new document here, a 1780 return of clothing in the Quarter Master General's stores in Quebec.
Claims and Memorials
Connecticut. The memorials of Isaac BELL, Jared BELL, Joseph HAIT, Joseph LYON and James McEUEN.
Maine/Massachusetts. Memorial of James STINSON.
New Jersey. Memorial of the Reverend Samuel COOKE.
New York. Memorials of Abel FLEWWELLING, Gabrael FOWLER and Isaac FRIOT.
North Carolina. One new memorial, that of Torquil McLEOD.
Virginia. Memorial and appointment of William ANDREWS.
Other Facts & Records
The repository for that which does not fit elsewhere!
The first is another treasure from our trip to the South, a 1776 list of "Tories to be arrested" in St. Andrew's Parish, Georgia.
The second was provided by our old friend, Alan Shields, and is an original newspaper clipping from James Rivington's Royal Gazette regarding claims for Rebel property in New York City.
Genealogy Section:
Property Confiscations
A new section! This is dedicated to documents relating to seizing and selling of Loyalist property by the different states, and the naming of those deemed enemies. To start off, we have provided a number of documents from New Jersey, as well as a couple from South Carolina.
Post War Settlement
New Brunswick. There are a pair of new items relating to the British post of Penobscot, Maine. The first is a 1783 petition from the inhabitants there, along with list of house owners from the same date. Gayle (Starkey) Pittman kindly provided us with the 1783 discharge and 1838 petition of her ancestor, Mordecai STARKEY of the New Jersey Volunteers. There is also a 1784 return from Passamaquoddy and a provision return from the same year along the St. John River.
Nova Scotia. Much of what is new here relates to the Nova Scotia Volunteers, one of the very first Loyalist regiments. There are two land grant documents for the corps, one dated 1783 and the second from the following year. There are three memorials from officers in the regiment: Ensign Benjamin OGDEN (1783); Ensign Hibbert Newton BINNEY (1784); and Lieutenant John FRASER (1794.) There is also a return of disbanded soldiers in the Township of Clements from 1784.
Upper Canada. Just one new item here, a 1792 petition of John BININGER, who had served in the Commissary General's Department during the war.
Female Ancestors
Many interesting new items here regarding the fairer sex.
The first item of interest is a letter to the Rebel governor of New Jersey, William Livingston, regarding the trouble caused by the "Tory Women" of Newark!
There is a 1778 letter from the widows Margret BRUSH and Frances BUCHANAN, whose husbands had died in the war.
A neat little letter dates from the Siege of Charlestown and requests protection for the house of a Loyalist's wife, written by Lt. Col. Thomas DUNDAS who would be responsible for deciding on the claims of thousands of Loyalists after the war.
A reminder of the price paid by many families is a pair of 1780 petitions from widows of Provincial officers, along with a memorial of the widow Sarah WHEELER from two years later.
Finally, the petition of Letty BELL, a widow still alive and kicking in 1845.
Reenacting Section:
Reenactment Groups
We have added a new page in here, that of the 1st Battalion of Maryland Loyalists.
Photo Gallery
Lots of new photos! There are new galleries for both the 4th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers and 2nd Battalion, Royal Highland Emigrants.
Likewise, many new photos from events of the past couple years, i.e: Quebec City (1998,) Stratford Hall (2001,) Connecticut Farms Church (2001,) Staten Island (2001,) Trenton/Princeton (2001,) Van Cortlandtville (2002,) BAR School of Instruction (2002,) Fort Montgomery (2002,) and Saratoga (2002.)
&c &c &c Section:
Internet Links
Numerous new links here in all sections! Please contact us with any we don't have that you feel would be of interest to our visitors.
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