What's New
As usual, we are a little tardy with this issue of the newsletter, so we have a great many new things to tell you about. Here is what is new by section.
History Section:
We are very excited about some of the newest additions to the Battles and Campaigns area.
One of our regular visitors, Ron Stevenson, of Monroe, NC has been making the rounds of a number of the southern battlefields taking photographs, and he has been kind enough to share them with us.
We think that you are really going to enjoy this series of pictures, especially if you have never had the opportunity to visit some of these places in person.
Best of all, there are more yet to come! Thank you, Ron!!
Waxhaws Battlefield. It was at Waxhaws where Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion caught the retreating Virginia Continentals under Colonel Abraham Buford. The Rebel force, superior in numbers to Tarleton, was almost entirely destroyed.
Rocky Mount Outpost. This South Carolina outpost was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull of the New York Volunteers when it was attacked by the Rebel partisan Thomas Sumter. Turnbull and the force of Provincials under his command repulsed the attack.
Catawba Fords Battlefield. Immediately after the Battle of Camden, Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton set off with the Legion and some British light troops in pursuit of Sumter. With his usual aggressiveness, Tarleton caught the Rebels off guard at Catawba Fords, taking many prisoners and releasing many Loyalist captives.
Hanging Rock Battlefield. After his repulse at Rocky Mount, Sumter attacked a force of Provincials and militia at Hanging Rock. After inflicting serious casualties, particularly among the Prince of Wales American Volunteers, the Rebels were beaten back.
In addition to Ron's wonderful photographs, we have also added a few other new documents in this area.
Skirmish at Mantua Creek, NJ. Two new documents on this little example of petit guerre outside of Philadelphia in 1778.
Rebel Account of the Attack at Fort Washington, NY. With the arrival of the 225th Anniversary of the New York City Campaign, we will be trying to add more documents for this area and period. Fort Washington was attacked overwhelmingly by British and Hessians, although the New York Companies did their part too. The fall of the fort placed 2,800+ Rebel officers and men into British hands.
At long last, we can also announce that we have opened the Maps & Gazetteer area of the site and taken down the construction sign.
Granted, the only thing we have added so far is a map of the Loyal Refugee Volunteers post at Bergen Point, NJ. But we are working on the gazetteer and hope to have the first entries for that online shortly as well.
Military Section:
Lots and lots of new things to tell you about here!
While we have only one totally new regiment in the Regimental History area this time around, we have supplemented a number of the other regiments already online.
Black Pioneers. This is a very brief history, taken from Todd's February lecture in our chat room.
Independent Companies (Hierlihy's). We have finally added this unit, which was originally intended to have been a 2nd battalion to the Prince of Wales American Volunteers. Commanded by Major (or Lieutenant Colonel) Timothy Hierlihy, it was raised in 1776/1777 at New York City, primarily from Connecticut Loyalists.
It sailed in 1778, first for Nova Scotia and then for the Island of Saint Johns (Prince Edward Island), where it would serve until 1782. In that year the corps then left for Halifax, where it was merged into the Nova Scotia Volunteers. If perhaps you have ever wondered why some of your Connecticut kin served in a Nova Scotia unit, now you know...
Loyal Ordnance Volunteers. We have added a receipt for arms returned to the stores, the first of two marvelous contributions by Alan Shields from his private collection.
Usually, arms were turned in because they were worn out or needed service. This appears to be something different, however. Judging by the date, it's possible these folks were heading south with the reinforcement of 1 April 1780 for the Siege of Charlestown. The Loyal Ordnance Volunteers was formed just for the defense of New York, and otherwise the members of the Ordnance Branch of the Royal Artillery would not have been armed.
Alan has been a collector of Revolutionary War documents and artifacts for about 10 years, and this is not his first contribution to our site. Although he is a self-described....(ahem)....rebel, he is one of the nicest ones we know! We are very grateful that he has been so generous with his private collection.
Alan has his own site on the web, The War for American Independence
, which offers a terrific selection of period newspaper accounts and documents with a particular emphasis on Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is well worth a look!Steve Mabie has donated a copy of the transcript from the trial of his ancestor, Simon Mabee, by a rebel court. Mabee was captured in White Plains, NY in early 1777 with papers authorizing him to recruit men for the Guides & Pioneers. Needless to say, that is a charge that resulted in a sentence of death. Thanks, Steve!
The memorial of William Nisbett of the Barrack Master General's Department has been added to the Civil Branches area.
One of these is a very rare item indeed. It was prepared by a British Army sergeant who had escaped from prison and made his way safely back to the British lines, thanks to dozens of civilian Loyalists in the countryside. This is a list of those families that helped along his way in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Strangely, New Jersey is not mentioned. The second is a nifty letter in secret code from Nisbet Balfour destined for Lord Cornwallis.
Although we never managed to pull together an intended feature for Black History Month, we did add many new documents to the Claims & Memorials area for the occasion.
These memorials offer a fascinating glimpse into the difficulties Blacks had in proving their circumstances, and into the possibility of their being used by unscrupulous people looking to capitalize monetarily off of them. Being 215+ years removed from fact, it is difficult, though, to determine the validity of some of the claims.
Elizabeth Lanord, descendant of James P. Chase and his wife, Elizabeth Douglass, originally of Bristol County, Massachusetts, has donated a series of photographs of their gravestones taken in Burton Parish, Sunbury County, New Brunswick, which we have added to the Massachusetts claims along with a copy of James' claim for losses. Our thanks to Beth for this very nice donation.
In addition, we received a copy of the memorial of Lieutenant Lachlan McDonald of the British Legion from another of our visitors, F. Cleary and have added it to the New York claims. Thank you so much!
Slowly, but surely, we are transferring the transcripts of our monthly chat lectures onto the site. The Other Facts & Records area now contains the August, 2000 lecture entitled "Rebel Deserters to the Loyalist Cause" and the November, 2000 lecture entitled "Profile of the Common Loyalist Soldier".
Announcements
A Worthwhile Endeavor
In mid-January, we were contacted indirectly (through the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada) by the Reverend John Tipton, pastor of Connecticut Farms Church in Union, New Jersey.
Reverend Tipton's church was the site of the Battle of Connecticut Farms on 7 June 1780. The original church was burned down as a result of the battle.
This battle involved a number of British and Hessian regiments as well as about 425 Loyalists from the 1st and 4th Battalions, New Jersey Volunteers, the Black Hussars, a troop of Queen's Rangers Hussars, and a small detachment of the Guides & Pioneers.
Following closely on the heels of this battle was a rebel attack on Elizabethtown Point on 8 June and the battle of Springfield on 23 June 1780 which resulted in the burning of the parsonage.
In the cemetery that abuts the church, in a grassy area near the road, is an unmarked mass grave of the British and Hessian soldiers who died in the battle. No Loyalists were killed, although one rank and file of the NJV was counted among the missing.
According to local lore, after the battle the colonists refused to allow the cemetery to be used for their burial, hence they were buried on an unconsecrated site on the other side of the church. The current church historian, one of the older parishioners, remembers when the remains were disinterred and removed to their current location to allow for expansion of the church.
The Daughters of the American Revolution has placed commemorative stones on the American graves in the cemetery. It is Reverend Tipton's wish that the sacrifices of the British and Hessian soldiers be commemorated by the church as well through the placement of a marker or tablet, and he has asked the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada to partner with him to accomplish this.
The church is planning a two day event this coming July 21st and 22nd when the marker will be dedicated. Reverend Tipton writes:
"Saturday will feature several soldier encampments representing the Colonists, Hessians and British. We're still working on a British encampment. We hope to commemorate the burial location on this day.
The theme will be "Connecticut Farms, the Church and the Town," celebrating the historic relationship of the church and town. The church is the oldest institution in town, one that has fundamentally shaped the heritage and history of the town.
The Town of Union will proclaim the weekend as Connecticut Farms Heritage Days. The local historical society will deliver lectures in the Sanctuary of the Church, and we are seeking State Police permission for the discharge of cannon and guns. Tours will be given of the Caldwell Parsonage, a structure dating back to 1790 that replaced the parsonage burned down after the battle of Springfield and a historic site listed on the national register of Historic buildings (the church is too).
Saturday is shaping up to be a community day with historic displays, encampments and videos and the sale of commemorative items to benefit the renovation of the Caldwell parsonage. Sunday will emphasize our faith community and worship with drum and fife music and an old style picnic after worship."
We commend Reverend Tipton and the members of the Connecticut Farms Church for this worthwhile endeavor, and encourage any of you who might be so inclined to support it.
Contributions for the commemorative marker can be sent to Connecticut Farms Church, 888 Stuyvesant Ave, Union, New Jersey 07083 and made out to Connecticut Farms Church with the designation "commemorative marker."
Todd and some members of his reenactment group will be present for the ceremonies on Saturday.
A Present Day Hero
We have known for a long time that the visitors to our site are some of the best folks you could ever hope to meet. But a recent piece of news that came to our attention has confirmed that in spades.
In past newsletters you have heard us mention contributions by Sean Otis, one of our young visitors who is a member of the recreated Frey's Company of Butler's Rangers. If you have attended any of our chats, you may have had the opportunity to converse with him in person.
We recently learned that this past March, quietly and without fanfare, Sean gave one of the most precious gifts that one can give...the gift of life...by donating one of his kidneys to save the life of a fellow reenactor whose transplanted kidney was failing.
It would seem that the heroic actions of the Rangers are not limited to the 18th Century...
Banastre Tarleton Symposium
John Maass of the recreated 23rd Regiment of Foot has contacted us about a very exciting event that he is working on organizing. John is proposing a two day symposium on Banastre Tarleton and the American Revolution in historic Camden, South Carolina the weekend of April 27-28, 2002.
Speakers tentatively lined up include Dr. Larry Babits of East Carolina University, author of Devil of a Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens, Dr. Gregory Urwin of Temple University, Dr. Anthony J. Scotti, Jim Piecuch, Ph.D candidate at William & Mary University, Mark H. Danley, Ph.D candidate at Kansas State University, and yours truly, Todd Braisted.
Other activities are also being planned, so mark your calendars now for what is shaping up as a dandy 18th Century weekend!
As we learn more details, we will be sure to pass them along here. You can also stay up to date by visiting the website that John has put together.
New CD from Wallace Hale
Wallace Hale is at it again! The man who brought you Early New Brunswick Probate Records 1785-1835 and The Fort Havoc Archives, Volume I has issued a new CD, The Fort Havoc Archives, Volume II.
This second volume is a complete transcription (all 1,208 pages!) of Lorenzo Sabine's Biographical Sketches of the Loyalists of the American Revolution, with an Historical Essay, with added notes, references and corrections to the original work.
Although Sabine is known to contain some errors, it remains one of the seminal works on the Loyalists, with a heavy emphasis on those from New England.
As an added bonus, Volume II also contains some related miscellaneous material, as well as a complete transcript of Lieutenant-Colonel William T. Baird's Seventy Years of New Brunswick Life, published in 1890.
At $20 (U.S.) this CD is one of the best values around. It can be ordered from Wallace's website, From the Depths of Fort Havoc, where you will also find Wallace's other works, including many transcriptions that can be read online.
Guest Lecturer for April Chat
Since we started our monthly chats last June, we have talked about the possibility of periodically having a guest lecturer. We are pleased to announce that Don Hagist has agreed to provide the talk for this month's chat, his first ever venture into the world of cyber lecturing.
Don is a Rhode Islander who has done extensive research on a number of topics concerning the British Army in America during the American Revolution, especially their stay in Rhode Island. He is a member of the Brigade of the American Revolution and longtime editor of their publication, "The Brigade Dispatch." He has numerous articles to his credit.
Don's topic this month will a bit of a departure from our usual strictly military (and strictly Loyalist) subjects, but one we think you will really enjoy. He will be speaking on the soldier's wives and other women who were camp followers of the British Army. This is a topic that has not received the comprehensive coverage that many aspects of the war have received, although it is truly fascinating.
To accommodate Don's availability, the April chat will be held on Wednesday night the 18th, rather than our normal 2nd Wednesday of the month, from 8:00 to roughly 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Click here for ---> Top of Page
