George Washington's First War: His Early Military Adventures by David A. Clary (book review)
It is great to read a biography which is not afraid to explore all sides - even the unfavorable ones - of an idolized hero. "George Washington's First War" reveals both a fashion dandy who enjoyed designing his own military uniforms and a commander who kept his troops in line with brutal methods.
Young George Washington was a strict commander who didn't shy away from ordering his soldiers to be severely beaten for drunkenness, disobedience, and even profanity - the last being an overreaction because the swearing was often a reaction to a lack of food, clothing, weapons, and pay. When things didn't go his way, Washington was capable of griping, whining, and finger-pointing -- and he was not afraid of telling a lie when it suited his purposes.
Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation by Harlow Giles Unger (book review)
A new biography explores the life of Patrick Henry, famous for his speech at a revolutionary convention of his fellow Virginians on March 23, 1775: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
George Washington & His Generals -exhibit the Donald W. Reynolds Museum
120 painting, prints, and manuscripts linked with 17 of the 81 generals of the Continental and French armies.
Colorful and forgotten founding fathers - Most of the signers unrecognized today
Carter Braxton was one of the few signers from Virginia whose name wasn`t Jefferson or Lee - and he had 18 children, making him a founding father by any standard.
Henry Knox: Visionary General of the American Revolution
Henry Knox was a Revolutionary War general - and the first Secretary of War - whose skills as an engineer and artilleryman played a major role in all of George Washington`s battles.
Ceremony will be held to honor General Clark, Battle of Kettle Creek
Elijah Clark State Park hosts a program honoring General Clark, in conjunction with ceremonies marking the 228th anniversary of the Battle of Kettle Creek in Wilkes County.
My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams
John Adams`s feats in the War of Independence took him away from home, so his correspondence with her wife Abigail - 1,160 letters - provides a great account of the era, from the daily life to the chaos during the birth of the nation.
French Founding Father: Lafayette`s Return to Washington`s America
Arnaud Meunier du Houssoy - the great-great-great grandson of the Marquis de Lafayette - arrived in the U.S. to mark a series of Lafayette commemorations.
When marquis de Lafayette Landed
In 1777, a French aristocrat disobeyed his king: He bought a ship on which to cross the Atlantic to fight with the Continental Army that had taken up arms against British Colonial rule.
Remember Marquis de Lafayette
Those who become national heroes in more than one country are rare indeed. But Marquis de Lafayette is remembered both in the U.S. and in France - where he had a major role in the Revolution and in politics after the fall of Napoleon.
Favorite Founding Fathers and their top three accomplishments
Benjamin Franklin was the only Founding Father who signed all 3 of the historical documents that led to the independence: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris and the U.S. Constitution.
Marquis de Lafayette: 19 years-old general helps birth America
If any one of the main commanders in the American Revolution could qualify as a knight, it would be the French general the Marquis de Lafayette, who as an aristocrat fought for the rights to the common man.
Baron Von Steuben: A fake German general drilled American troops
Baron von Steuben, patriot commander during the Revolutionary War, was a fraud. In order to be hired by the Congress Steuben - a son of a farmer - passed himself off as a person of noble birth, who had served in the Prussian army.
John Stark: Maverick General - military leaders in the Revolution
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin are heroes of the American Revolution. Ben Z. Rose would like to add another name on that list: John Stark - the master of the guerrilla warfare.
Colonial artillery expert Henry Knox gets his due
Henry Knox convinced George Washington that he could move cannons from captured Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. On March 4, 1776, the cannons were mounted on Dorchester Heights, bringing the British garrison and fleet within range.
The General s Wild Ride - General Putnam (Article no longer available from the original source)
In Feb 1779, a column of British troops marched on Greenwich to loot the town, and destroy the salt-works. After a failed attempt to defend the town, General Putnam ended up being chased by the British dragoons.
Revolutionary War spy - a slave James Armistead
Wars are rarely fought without the use of spies and the American Revolution was no exception. Arguably, the most important spy was a slave James Armistead. Born around 1748, he was given permission to join the revolutionary cause. Armistead, however, was used by both sides, making him a double-agent. In 1781, he joined the army and was put in service under the Marquis de Lafayette, who was trying to fight the chaos caused by turncoat soldier Benedict Arnold. His forces diminished by British General Charles Cornwallis' troops, Lafayette needed reliable information about enemy movements.
Our Founding War Profiteers
In 1776 Pierre de Beaumarchais was a fan of the American revolution - and was also a secret agent of the French Crown. While spying in England, he met an Arthur Lee, who at the time was Benjamin Franklin's representative. After talking about America's situation with Lee, Beaumarchais reported to French King Louis XVI's foreign minister that it would be in France's interest to give England's rebellious colony 5 million livre (half a billion dollars today) because France had just lost the Seven Years War to England and wanted to make Britain pay through the nose to hang on to the US.
Revolutionary warrior Thomas Cole
His name rarely appears in town records or state histories. But just weeks after British troops marched on Lexington and Concord, Thomas Cole left his Wickford to join America's war for independence. In 1775 he swapped his hammer for a musket. He planned to spend seven months as a lieutenant in the newly formed 9th Company, made up of men from Washington and Kent Counties. Instead, he fought for nearly eight years, won nine battle stars and, at a crucial point in the fighting, rode to Rhode Island to enlist slaves for the state's first "Black Regiment."
He was a patriot, not a redcoat -- accurate town flags
"Better Dead than Red" was true back in Revolutionary-era Boston, when the sight of a British redcoat was likely to trigger musket fire. So how can it be that the character in Norwood's town seal is wearing a red jacket? Legendary Minuteman Aaron Guild in red, marching off to Lexington in 1775 to fight the crown's forces. "Wearing red probably would have gotten him shot. He's one of our first and most famous veterans, and we should make sure the color of his uniform is right." Some argue it is historically inaccurate and should be changed, and as the town wants to order new flags anyway, and changing the color wouldn't cost any extra.
Archaeologist follows Revolutionary War hero Swamp Fox
Archaeologist Steve Smith is trying to find sites in the Pee Dee associated with Francis Marion to help create a Francis Marion Trail. Smith has spent the past months in the heart of Marion's early campaigns. He is working with the Francis Marion Trail Commission to determine which sites need further work for development for the new trail being created to honor the Revolutionary War hero nicknamed the Swamp Fox. Smith has been in the Port's Ferry area, where he said he has found several artifacts, including a side plate from a British Brown Bess Musket, buttons, a colonial period horseshoe and a buckle.