Rev War and living history | Author Suzanne Adair

Religious Diversity in America During the Revolution

Posted on July 9, 2014 by suzanneadairJanuary 13, 2024

Welcome to my blog! The week of 2 July – 9 July, I’m participating with more than one hundred other bloggers in the “Freedom to Read” giveaway hop, accessed by clicking on the logo at the left. All blogs listed in this hop offer book-related giveaways, and we’re all linked, so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. But here on my blog, I’m posting a week of Relevant History essays, each one focused on some facet of the American War of Independence. To find out how to qualify for the giveaways on my blog, read through each day’s Relevant History post below and follow the directions. Then click on the Freedom Hop logo so you can move along to another blog. Enjoy!

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For two centuries, a number of myths have circulated about certain aspects of the American War of Independence. Other historians and I have debunked some of those myths in our writings. One worth examining for 21st-century Americans is the myth that the civilian population during the Revolution was made of zealous Protestants. You can see an example of that myth in the historically inaccurate movie “The Patriot,” with its imagery of an overly enthusiastic young woman recruiting men from a Protestant congregation into joining a militia against the redcoats.

Firebrand Protestants could definitely be found during the war. Britons sometimes referred to the American War as the “Presbyterian War.” But although a good number of people of the thirteen colonies and surrounding territories were Christians, they weren’t all Presbyterians or even Protestants. And the residents of America certainly weren’t all Christian.

Christianity in America during the Revolution
In Revolutionary America, Christianity was splintered into diverse sects that weren’t on the same page about how their faith should be interpreted and expressed. Probably the largest and most influential sects were Anglicans, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians. In addition, there were groups of Puritans, Dutch Reformed, Quakers, Lutherans, Baptists, Anabaptists, Mennonites, Amish, Eastern Orthodox, and English Roman Catholics. There were likely also groups of French Huguenots and Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian Catholics. Thus Christianity in Revolutionary America was by no means a unified religion.

Founding Fathers
Most of America’s founding fathers were Christian, but the religious persuasions of a few elude definition. “Deism” has been the label ascribed to the religious preferences of certain of America’s prominent founding fathers. In his book The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders: Reason, Revelation, and Revolution, historian Gregg L. Frazer makes the case that John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and several others were actually theistic rationalists—neither deists nor Christians.

Jews
A financial broker who helped fund the Continentals, Haym Solomon, an Ashkenazi Jew from Poland, is the most famous Jew associated with the American War of Independence. From the number of congregations in existence at the time of the war, Solomon must have been one of many Jews in America. The goals of the Congress appealed to most Jews because they’d been persecuted for centuries elsewhere in the world.

Muslims
On occasion, Africans captured for the slave trade proved to be literate Muslims who could transcribe the Quran from memory. Here are two examples provided by Daniel Dillard, a doctoral candidate in religion at Florida State University:

Job Ben Solomon Jallo (1701–1773), also known as Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a Senegalese Muslim of aristocratic birth enslaved for a brief period in Maryland, composed three separate copies of the Quran solely from memory. Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori (1762–1829), also known as Abd ar-Rahman, the famous West African prince enslaved for 40 years in Mississippi, occasionally delighted audiences by telling them he was writing out ‘‘The Lord’s Prayer’’ in Arabic, when in actuality he had transcribed the first sura, or chapter, of the Quran, known as the fatiha.

George Sale translated the Quran into English, advertised it in American newspapers, and made it available in bookshops. As a result, a number of Americans during the Revolution owned copies of the Quran and were familiar with the Muslim religion.

Thomas Jefferson studied the Quran. It may have influenced his work on the Declaration of Independence.

Other Non-Christians
Native Americans engaged in various spiritual practices—monotheistic, polytheistic, henotheistic, animistic, or a combination of those. Indentured servants from the British Isles or Germany who were transported or took passage to better themselves brought with them folk religions in addition to Christianity. Captured Africans who weren’t Muslim contributed varied polytheistic religions to the mix, and those slaves who embraced Christianity in America didn’t always abandon their native religion.

A number of the nation’s founders left written records showing that they were comfortable with and supportive of faiths other than Christianity. Plus they’d seen the problems caused by state religions in other parts of the world. After the Treaty of Paris, for the good of the new country, they steered the development of the United States of America toward a government that would tolerate a variety of religions. Here are Thomas Jefferson’s famous words about religion and government:

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

In America, religion-based hate crimes undermine the goal of religious diversity that the country’s founders sought. Such crimes destabilize the freedoms we enjoy today—freedoms that thousands of people purchased for us with their lives from 1775–1783 and in subsequent wars.

What do you think about the position of our founders on religious diversity? In what ways would America be different today had their position been less tolerant?

The 2014 “Week-long Fourth of July” wouldn’t have been possible without you or my talented guests: Lars D.H. Hedbor, Helena Finnegan, Dr. Christine Swager, David Neilan, Tim Osner, Sheila Ingle, and Jack Parker. What worlds can they open for you? Browse back through the posts. Look for their works. Then comment here on something you learned this week that made history relevant to you. Thanks for stopping by!

(Thanks to James Stewart, Thad Weaver, William Myers, and Martha Katz-Hyman for input on this essay.)

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Contribute a legitimate comment on this post by today at 6 p.m. ET to be entered in a drawing to win a copy of one of my books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook). Delivery is available worldwide. Make sure you include your email address. I’ll publish the names of all drawing winners on my blog the week of 14 July.

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The Winning of the Revolution in South Carolina

Posted on July 8, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 7, 2014

Relevant History welcomes Jack Parker, who was born in Pennsylvania, raised in Delaware, and has lived in Virginia, California, Colorado, and South Carolina. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Education and served four years in the U.S. Navy as an Asst. Navigator aboard the USS Spiegel Grove, then as Navigator and Executive Officer aboard the USS Pitkin County. After leaving the Navy, he moved to Colorado, rode and packed horses into the Gunnison Wilderness Area. He then spent five years living aboard a 43-foot yawl home ported in Charleston, SC, and taught several people to sail and live on the water. For more information, and to purchase Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina, check his web site.

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South Carolina was a leader in the Revolutionary War with many battles, skirmishes and murders. Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina was written to put the location with the “what happened there” for the actions in South Carolina, to educate those that believe the war was fought and won in the north. South Carolina was in the forefront of the war and the founding of our nation from the beginning.

The second edition of Parker’s Guide is the most complete publication on the Revolutionary War in South Carolina. The little-known events of the war in South Carolina are related here to inform everyone about the contribution of South Carolina in winning the Revolution.

One issue dividing the colonies from their motherland was that the British government required tax stamps for imported goods. On 18 October 1765, the ship Planters Adventure delivered the stamps to Fort Johnson, on James Island, where they were stored. The HMS Speedwell was stationed close to the fort on 23 October to deter an angry mob of citizens from Charleston. Two days later, the mob boarded the Carolina Packet that was thought to be carrying more stamps and the stamp officer, Mr. George Saxby, but he was not due until the next day. On 26 October, the Heart of Oak (built in Mt. Pleasant, SC) sailed into the harbor with Mr. Saxby aboard. That night, 150 volunteers from Charleston, commanded by Col. Daniel Stevens, captured twelve guards and a sergeant and took over the fort with the stamps. Upon the Speedwell sighting the “Liberty” flag of Patriot Christopher Gadsden instead of that of the British, a party was sent to the fort, where they were told the stamps must be removed from the fort and the province or they would be burned. Believing the Americans would not be deterred, the Speedwell removed the stamps and sailed out of the harbor. This action is often overlooked because it is prior to the Revolution’s accepted starting date, but is significant since it relates to the stamp problems in New England.

A Patriot, Dr. John Haley, killed Peter DeLancey, a prominent New York Tory, in a duel at a Charleston tavern. Before and during the Revolution, many notable Charlestonians met to drink and discuss politics at McCrady’s Tavern. DeLancey came to Charleston in 1771 and may have been killed over politics or a woman. The reason for his killing is unknown.

Peter DeLancey was the son of New York Royal Lt. Gov. James DeLancey. The killing of Peter DeLancey in Charleston resulted in Loyalist Brig. Gen. Oliver DeLancey raising and commanding a provincial regiment (three battalions), known as DeLancey’s Brigade of light horse troops to fight the South Carolina Patriots in 1776.

In 1775, the arms stored in the attic of the State House by the British were seized by the Americans. This was the scene of the first significant incident of the Revolutionary War in South Carolina. This incident happened just two days after Patriots fired on the British at Lexington, Massachusetts.

The war was used as an excuse for robbery and violently settling disputes. The Harrison Brothers plundered the Patriots to enrich themselves with the blessing of the British forces. The Tories on Lynches Creek, in the vicinity of M’Callum’s Ferry, began their murders and depredations early in the war. Matthew Bradley, Thomas Bradley, and John Roberts, all respectable and upstanding citizens who had joined neither party, were murdered in their homes, possibly with some other members of the Salem Black River Presbyterian Church congregation. The three Harrison brothers joined the local Tories; John Harrison later became a major and Samuel became a captain of the “South Carolina Rangers” in the British provincial service. British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton called them “men of fortune.” They were three of the worst bandits of the area. Before the fall of Charleston to the British, they lived in a wretched log hut by the road near M’Callum’s Ferry over the Lynches Creek (River), just east of modern Bishopville, SC. As an example of the recriminations and civil war, the Americans killed Robert Harrison in his home. After the war was over, the major retired to Jamaica as a rich man with the wealth accumulated from looting Patriots’ homes and robbing his neighbors.

Within four months after Gen. Nathanael Greene’s return to South Carolina, his Southern Continental Army, with South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia state troops and militia, broke the British hold on the interior by eliminating the Crown’s posts one by one. American mounted detachments carried the war almost to the gates of Charleston. A decisive blow was dealt to the British on the battlefield at Eutaw Springs in September of 1781.

Eutaw Springs was essentially a draw, but the battle was both a material and moral victory for the Americans. The British suffered such heavy losses that they could no longer exert control beyond Charleston and its immediate environs. The British troops at Eutaw Springs were to reinforce Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, but because of their heavy losses in this battle, they retreated to Moncks Corner and to White’s Meeting House (Dorchester County) to recover. Since the British in the Battle of Eutaw Springs were unable to reinforce Cornwallis, he was defeated.

The war in South Carolina did not end with the surrender of Cornwallis, but continued until September 1783. It is generally thought that the War in SC ended when the British withdrew from Charlestown in December 1782, but there were some murders and retributions thereafter. The final act of revenge for the war was carried out in 1807 with the shooting of “Ned Turner,” one of William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham’s right hand men, by John and William, sons of Stokely Towles who was killed by Ned Turner on 18 November 1781.

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A big thanks to Jack Parker. He’ll provide a $10.00 discount certificate toward the purchase of a copy of Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina for someone who contributes a legitimate comment on this post today or tomorrow. Delivery is available worldwide. Make sure you include your email address. I’ll choose one winner from among those who comment on this post by Wednesday 9 July at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the name of all drawing winners on my blog the week of 14 July. And anyone who comments on this post by the 9 July deadline will also be entered in the drawing to win a copy of one of my five books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook).

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Did you like what you read? Learn about downloads, discounts, and special offers from Relevant History authors and Suzanne Adair. Subscribe to Suzanne’s free newsletter.

Brave Elizabeth

Posted on July 7, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 6, 2014

Tears of the Foot Guards

Posted on July 6, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 5, 2014

Relevant History welcomes Tim Osner, who lives in Melvin Village, NH and has been a finalist in 2011 in the Faulkner/Wisdom Literary Competition for his novel, Tears of the Foot Guards and as a short-list finalist in 2005 for his novel, Miles Christi. Tim is the principle partner in a healthcare consulting firm. He has also been a commercial photographer in Chicago, specializing in large locations shooting for ad agencies and corporations. An ardent student of history, Tim has been a Revolutionary War re-enactor since 1984 in the re-created grenadier company of the Brigade of Guards on American Service. Look for him on Redroom. He may be contacted at tim.osner (at) tcosner (dot) com.

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WERE I, like N I O B E, all tears – I’d weep,
And swell the Water of the mighty Deep:
If chang’d like A R E T H U S A to a Stream,
In Tears I’d flow – and Beauty make my Theme.
Curse the Madness of the Times – and those
Who made America our fellest Foes! . . .

So begins the satirical poem, “Tears of the Foot Guards”, published in 1776 by an “Ensign of the Army,” accusing the Guards of puppyism and cowardice upon their departure for the American war.

What shall I write here about the Guards during the American Revolution? It took me nearly twenty years and many hundreds of pages for the novel that is to come out in 2015. Twenty years, I admit it—writing and rewriting, and just when I thought I was finished, I’d discover something new, and though I love the history, my task was first and foremost to tell a story.

As to the poem’s veracity, one needs only to examine the Guards’ service to see that it is patently untrue. The American actions stack up to any in their celebrated history.

When the call went out among the three regiments for volunteers to form the brigade, so many petitioned that a draft was held, and fifteen privates were picked from each of the Guards’ companies to form the composite brigade of one thousand officers and men for America Service. I could talk about their campaign uniform derived from lessons learned in the French & Indian War. How they were veterans all; in the grenadier company the average age was thirty-four with fourteen years experience. They practiced marksmanship in preparation for battle. They engaged in light infantry maneuvers to fight on broken ground. Their officers, privileged sons, were often scrappers; Capt. Watson and Lt. Col. Hyde of the 3rd and 1st Guards engaged in an impromptu duel over an old house both their companies had earmarked to demolish for firewood while occupying Philadelphia (Lt. Col. Hyde received a stab wound in his arm). On another occasion, Coldstream ensign, George Eld, made quick work of a bullying Highland officer late one night in a crowded New York coffee house. Theirs was a great pride and élan. When Lord Percy found the Guards had been assigned to his division at the Battle of Brooklyn, in a letter home, he nearly gushed over them—what splendid fellows they are. Cock-of-the-Walk. They were hard fought and in the thick of many actions. If the war had been won, what additional honors would adorn their Regimental Colours.

When I think about the Guards on American Service, what is most striking is that these were soldiers who wanted to fight this war, who believed they were preserving liberties derived from a constitutional monarchy. To them, the enemy was rabble faction hijacking the rule of law and threatening loyal citizens. They, as other British regiments, were in a hostile country thousands of miles from home. To many, it was the other side of the world. And towards the end, they found themselves embroiled in a savage civil war. “The violence and passions of these people are beyond every curb of religion, & Humanity…violences of every kind, unheard of before…” (Charles O’Hara, Coldstream Guards, January 6, 1781.)

Of the actions the Guards are known for during the Revolution, most notably Guildford Court House and the Catawba Crossing, the one that stands out to me is the nighttime sortie at Yorktown. Cornwallis’ army was surrounded without hope. The Americans and the French had taken redoubts #9 and #10 the night before, allowing the allies’ batteries to come within 300 yards. A forlorn hope was ordered to spike the allies’ guns to buy time for escape and, in the event of surrender, buy the honors of war.

At 4:00 a.m. a sortie composed the Light Infantry, the grenadier company of the 80th Foot, and the grenadier company of the Guards moved out the Hornwork, silent with bayonets fixed and flints pulled. They crossed the scarred no-mans land of three hundred yards and entered the gap between the French and American batteries. A quick and vicious fight occurred, the British spiking the guns with the tip of their bayonets as they had no spiking nails. They tumbled back as French troops began to overwhelm them. As the British retreated, a lone Guards grenadier sergeant stood on the parapet fighting off the French hand-to-hand so the party could escape. His was struck twelve times before he went down.

After the surrender, Samuel Graham of the 76th Foot was allowed to visit the Allied works. French officers showed him the sergeant’s grave whom they had buried with full honors, saying, “Voila un de vos braves gens.”

I think about soldiers. Then and now. Thinking they’re not much different—ordinary men far from home and transformed by horrific situations. I was reading T. E. Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and in the opening chapter he said of war: “We lived always in the stretch or sag of nerves, either on the crest or in a trough of waves of feeling.” So I guess of Revolutionary soldiers. I guess it of the Guards. My hope is that I’ve given them a good story.

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A big thanks to Tim Oster. Anyone who comments on this post by 6 p.m. ET on Monday 7 July will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of one of my five books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook).

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Did you like what you read? Learn about downloads, discounts, and special offers from Relevant History authors and Suzanne Adair. Subscribe to Suzanne’s free newsletter.

Francis Marion and Nathanael Greene: Conflicts in Command

Posted on July 5, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 5, 2014

Relevant History welcomes David Neilan, editor of The Francis Marion Papers, targeted for publication in 2015. His essay below is from a longer work: “Francis Marion and Conflicts in Command in the Southern Department.” Other projects include the Hezekiah Maham orderly book, in collaboration with the NY Public Library, and the William Moultrie orderly book. He will be giving a presentation entitled “The Weems-Horry Controversy: Where Fiction Trumped History” at the Francis Marion Symposium in Manning, SC, in October. He may be reached at daveneilan1 (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Francis Marion’s activities as a militia leader in South Carolina are the foundation of his legend. The reality of the life of the Swamp Fox is much less romantic. For six months after the fall of Charlestown in May 1780, Marion operated as a guerrilla commander, virtually independent of a formal command structure. It is no wonder that when the Continental Army did rejoin the field, conflicts occurred.

When Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene assumed leadership of the Southern Department of the Continental Army in December 1780, he had only the remnants of an army. Losses at Charlestown and Camden had decimated the ranks. Greene needed the cooperation of the militia to delay the British advance, until a sufficient Continental force arrived to re-take the state. Since authority over the militia rested with State officials, Greene recognized the need for diplomacy to put his plans into effect. His initial “orders” to Francis Marion were couched as requests, using the conciliatory “I beg you” and “Please” to obtain horses and intelligence.

Marion and Greene would clash numerous times during the first half of 1781. Greene’s request for horses would be repeated numerous times. Marion’s response would express his regret, then later his irritation[1]. As the war heated up, so would Greene’s need for horses, but so would the friction between the two over Marion’s failure (Greene’s opinion) or his inability (Marion’s point of view) to supply them.

Greene continued to rely on Marion to take the action to the enemy. In January 1781 Greene dispatched Lt. Col. Henry Lee to join Gen. Marion. In his letter of 16 January, Greene was less conciliatory into his directions: “You [Marion] will give him [Lee] all the aid in your power to carry into execution all such matters as may be agreed on.”

For the next two months, correspondence between Greene and Marion was infrequent. Greene was caught up in racing to the Dan River to avoid the advance of Cornwallis and then fighting the British at Guilford Courthouse. By the middle of April, Greene and the Continental Army were back in South Carolina.

When Lee rejoined Marion, they attacked Fort Watson, a small British fort on the Santee River. During the siege, Marion received stiff criticism from his former commanding officer Gen. William Moultrie. Lee asked Greene to write “a long letr. to Gen. Marion…”[2] Greene outdid himself:

When I consider how much you have done and suffered, and under what disadvantage you have maintained your ground, I am at a loss which to admire most, your courage and fortitude, or your address and management…History affords no instance wherein an officer has kept possession of a Country under so many disadvantages as you have; surrounded on every side with a superior force…To fight the enemy bravely with a prospect of victory is nothing; but to fight with intrepidty under the constant impression of a defeat, and inspire irregular troops to do it, is a talent peculiar to yourself.[3]

Marion did not have long to savor the compliments. Greene again complained to him about his failure to furnish horses.

The 4 May “horse” letter from Greene was the last straw. An exasperated Marion fired back:

I acknowledge that you have repeatedly mention the want of Dragoon horses…if you think it best for the service to Dismount the Malitia…but am sertain we shall never git their service in future. This would not give me any uneasiness as I have sometime Determin to relinquish my command in the militia…& I wish to do it as soon as this post is Either taken or abandoned.[4]

Marion, then in the midst of the siege of Fort Motte with Lee, continued to vent to Greene:

…I assure you I am serious in my intention of relinquishing my Malitia Command…because I found Little is to be done with such men as I have, who Leave me very Often at the very point of Executing a plan…[5]

Fortunately for the American cause, General Greene was in the proximity of Fort Motte. He rode sixty-five miles to meet Marion, arriving shortly after the surrender of the fort 12 May[6].

Although Greene may have mollified Marion during this first meeting, the issues continued. During a brief lull in the fighting, Marion took the opportunity to press for orders to march on Georgetown, South Carolina:

I beg Leave to go & Reduce that place which has not more than 80 British soldiers & a few torys. The Latter is very troublesome…& by the fall of Geor Town will make them quiet.[7]

As long as Georgetown was a safe haven for the enemy, Marion would be unable to maintain his advance over the Santee River.

Marion repeated his plea on 20 May and 22 May without response from Greene. The Swamp Fox delicately announced two days later, “…I find the enemy is about evacuating Georgetown & as I cannot do any thing by remaining here I have thought it most for the service to go to Georgetown…”[8]

Greene deferred ordering an attack on Georgetown, instead advising Marion to obtain permission from Thomas Sumter, who was Marion’s superior officer in the South Carolina militia.[9]

On 28 May Marion liberated Georgetown without firing a shot.

Greene begrudgingly offered his congratulations.[10]

The relationship between Marion and Greene continued to have its ups and downs. Marion’s decisive victory at Parker’s Ferry at the end of August and then his command of the first line of militia and State troops at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in September brought him commendation from Greene.

Despite the occasional conflict over orders, horses, and command issues among subordinates, for the rest of 1781 and throughout 1782 the relationship between Marion and Greene strengthened. By the end of the war, as the two became better acquainted and the war had evolved into a containment operation, Marion was Greene’s most trusted officer.

Footnotes

1. Marion to Greene, 9 Jan 1781, ALS (MiU-C), transcription, Parks, Greene Papers.
2. Lee to Greene, 20 Apr 1781, ALS (MiU-C).
3. Greene to Marion, 24 Apr 1781, Greene Papers, 8: 144-145.
4. Marion to Greene, 6 May 1781, Greene Papers, 8: 214-216.
5. Marion to Greene, 11 May 1781, Greene Papers, 8: 242.
6. Rankin, Swamp Fox, 208.
7. Marion to Greene, 19 May 1781, ALS (MiU-C), transcription, Parks, Greene Papers.
8. Marion to Greene, 24 May 1781, Tr (ScHi, South Carolina Historical Society).
9. Marion to Greene, 24 May 1781, Tr (ScHi), There is a note on the transcript of the letter: On reverse (the outside cover of the letter) that reads, “From Genl. Marion May 24th 1781 (docketed—probably in the hand of Gen. Greene’s ADC.).”
10. Greene to Marion, 10 Jun 1781, Df (NcD).

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A big thanks to David Neilan. He’ll give away a DVD of the South Carolina ETV program “Chasing the Swamp Fox” to someone who contributes a legitimate comment on this post today or tomorrow. Delivery is available in the U.S. and Canada. Make sure you include your email address. I’ll choose one winner from among those who comment on this post by Sunday 6 July at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the name of all drawing winners on my blog the week of 14 July. And anyone who comments on this post by the 6 July deadline will also be entered in the drawing to win a copy of one of my five books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook).

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Did you like what you read? Learn about downloads, discounts, and special offers from Relevant History authors and Suzanne Adair. Subscribe to Suzanne’s free newsletter.

Reclaiming One of History’s Treasures

Posted on July 4, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 4, 2014

Welcome to my blog, and Happy Fourth of July! The week of 2 July – 9 July, I’m participating with more than one hundred other bloggers in the “Freedom to Read” giveaway hop, accessed by clicking on the logo at the left. All blogs listed in this hop offer book-related giveaways, and we’re all linked, so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. But here on my blog, I’m posting a week of Relevant History essays, each one focused on some facet of the American War of Independence. To find out how to qualify for the giveaways on my blog, read through each day’s Relevant History post below and follow the directions. Then click on the Freedom Hop logo so you can move along to another blog. Enjoy!

Relevant History welcomes back Dr. Christine Swager, who writes about actions in the south during the Revolutionary War. In the six books she has published, she has covered the militia contributions to the success of the Patriot cause. Although her books are historically accurate, she writes for a general readership, especially teachers and students. She is determined to make history interesting as well as informative. To recognize her work, the Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution awarded her their Lifetime Youth Achievement Award. She is also a recipient of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution’s Martha Washington Medal. Look for her on Facebook.

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On the hot summer night of 18 August 1780, two hundred armed men left their militia camp on the Broad River in South Carolina, and moved furtively through the area until they reached the road. Then they spurred their horses toward their objective, forty miles south. They were intent on attacking the enemy at Musgrove’s Mill on the Enoree River. An encampment of local Loyalist or Tory militia (settlers loyal to the King) was guarding a hospital site where wounded British soldiers were being housed. The site was at a ford which allowed passage for British troops stationed at Ninety-Six to cross the Enoree River and attack the settlers farther north.

The British wounded at Musgrove’s Mill were casualties of a month of skirmishes in the area north of the Enoree and most of those same Patriot militia who were headed in their direction had inflicted those wounds. Now they would finish the job. They expected to strike at dawn and overwhelm the unsuspecting Loyalist militia.

Who were these determined men? There were three commanders: Col. Elijah Clarke with his Wilkes County Militia from Georgia; Col. Isaac Shelby with his Over Mountain Men from what is now East Tennessee, (although at that time it was Western North Carolina); and Col. James Williams of the Little River Militia in South Carolina with men from other units. Col. Williams and his militia lived south of the Enoree River within a few miles of the British post at Ninety-Six. Their homes and families were threatened. Other locals who lived in the area and shared their concerns joined them.

Pivotal battle, patriot victory
However, they encountered a Tory patrol so the element of surprise was lost. To complicate the situation, they learned upon arrival that the night before, a contingent of soldiers from Ninety-Six had arrived and was camped at Musgrove’s Mill. Now they were seriously outnumbered by a force of trained, experienced and disciplined British Provincials. With the horses too fatigued from the long ride in the heat to affect a retreat, the Patriots were determined to fight. They threw up a rude barricade on the crest of a hill some distance from the British camp. To lure the enemy within range of their weapons, Capt. Shadrick Inman of Georgia led a small group of horsemen toward the British line and attacked repeatedly. The British crossed the river and moved into a cleared field below the militia line. When they came within range the militia fired. The subsequent battle was one of the most hotly contested that Col. Isaac Shelby reported that he had ever seen.

Eventually the British were routed, and as they fled, the militia followed pouring shot into the backs of the retreating enemy. The Patriots stopped at the river’s edge to wait for their horses to be brought up, as they intended to force the British back to Ninety-Six and attack that post. As they waited a courier arrived telling them that the British had defeated the Continental Army at Camden on 16 August and had overrun Thomas Sumter’s Brigade at Fishing Creek. They were advised to head north and west as the British would now move more resources into the Back Country.

The victors mounted up and headed away from the battlefield leaving on the field sixty-three British dead and ninety wounded, and took with them seventy prisoners. The Patriots lost four men. One, sadly, was the hero Capt. Shadrick Inman. The Battle at Musgrove’s Mill had been a decisive victory with Patriot militia mauling and routing a superior force of British Provincials. It was wise to leave and live to fight another day.

And they did fight another day. Many of these men defeated Major Patrick Ferguson and his men at King’s Mountain, rode with Col. Thomas Sumter when he defeated Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton at Blackstock’s and stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, at Cowpens and helped General Daniel Morgan defeat a British force commanded by Lt. Col. Tarleton.

However, it all started with the militia engagements in July and August, and, most notably, the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill. Would you not think that the site would have been preserved and revered through the years following the Revolutionary War? That was not the case. The site was abandoned and overlooked for over two hundred years! Musgrove Ford was used for generations, and a bridge was eventually built over the Enoree River at that site. Cotton fields flourished along the Enoree River until the land was depleted and erosion pockmarked the terrain. As people traveled the road, there was little evidence of the great battle that had been fought there.

Saving the battle site from obscurity
In the late 1990’s, historian Dr. George Fields determined to save the battlefield. “If the participants could march over forty miles behind the British lines to raid a fortified camp, face an enemy twice the size they expected, inflict more casualties on the enemy than in their ranks, and retreat in a forced march for two days to avoid capture behind the lines, we should, could and somehow would do the hard task of saving the battlefield,” said Fields. With the help of local citizens and businesses, he raised money to purchase a large part of the battlefield. Donnie Wilder, State Representative from Laurens County, persuaded the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to commit to establishing the property as an historic site. On 5 May 2003, the Musgrove Mill State Historic Site was dedicated—222 years after the battle fought there contributed to the victory of our Patriot forces and the founding of our United States of America.

This month, when we celebrate the birth of our nation, we might consider the debt owed to these citizen soldiers and honor them. Are there sites in your area that could and should be saved after all these years? If it could happen in rural South Carolina, you might make it happen where you live.

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A big thanks to Christine Swager. She’ll give away an autographed copy of her book, Musgrove Mill Historic Site, in trade paperback format to someone who contributes a legitimate comment on this post today or tomorrow. Delivery is available worldwide. Make sure you include your email address. I’ll choose one winner from among those who comment on this post by Saturday 5 July at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the name of all drawing winners on my blog the week of 14 July. And anyone who comments on this post by the 5 July deadline will also be entered in a drawing to win a copy of one of my five books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook).

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General Nathanael Greene: The Complete Package

Posted on July 3, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 3, 2014

Relevant History welcomes Helena Finnegan, a native of Boston, the city where her love and appreciation for liberty, the sacrifices of those who fought for it, and the revolution began. The 1976 Bicentennial, complete with tall ships and fervent Patriots and British soldiers on historic grounds and waters solidified her commitment to promoting, preserving, and sharing this era. She’s written nationally and internationally and is an educator, researcher, and writer of 18th-century topics. Her work appeared in Patriots of the American Revolution and Journal of the Early Americas magazines and Allthingsliberty.com. She’s working on a historical fiction novel set in 1781. For more information, check her web site, and look for her on Twitter and Pinterest.

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He was what would be called today “the complete package.” Strong-willed, determined, respected, self-educated, loyal, and a gifted leader. He’s known as the unsung hero of the American Revolution who helped save the war, though few today recognize his name or deeds beyond monuments or places on the map.

Yet if it were scripted by Hollywood, New Englander General Nathanael Greene could be an 18th-century action figure. A handsome, flawed, but kind and dependable hero loyal to his Commander-in-Chief and the Glorious Cause. He rose above his disability and learned from his mistakes to become a trusted and sought-after commander capable of seeing the big picture, willing to take risks and do what was necessary to succeed. So it was no surprise when General Washington gave him the two most difficult assignments in the War for Independence: that of Quartermaster General during which he saved the ill-fed and under-equipped army with food, supplies, and forage for animals, and that of commander of the Southern Army where he rebuilt a decimated army and expelled the British from the south. However, his eight-year journey from 1775 to 1783 as Washington’s close friend and most trusted, longest-serving general and eventual hero wasn’t without great obstacles and sacrifices.

“We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again.”

In the winter of 1780, after assuming command of West Point, General Greene was exhausted, ill, and broke having used his health and money to train, equip, supply, and lead soldiers since 1775. Only his courage, faith, determination and unwavering belief kept him going. It was these qualities that General Washington had come to rely upon and turn to, giving him the second most important command of the war, that of commander of the Southern Army.

Six long years after the conflict had begun, Americans’ spirits plunged lower than the value of the Continental dollar. Military defeats, perennial supply struggles, and lack of currency and military pay added to a seemingly endless war.

Months after the crushing defeat of American forces at Camden, South Carolina, when General Horatio Gates fled north and left the remains of militia and army to reconstitute themselves, the army awaited its new, southern commander. It was against this backdrop that Greene took on what must have felt like an impossible task. After six years of various commands, success as Quartermaster General, lobbying Congress, losing battles, and taking backseats to other leaders, this appointment was monumental. Unwritten and unspoken were the words of his Excellency: save the southern theater and thus, the War for Independence. Washington knew that if there was anyone capable of such a feat, it was General Nathanael Greene.

No stranger to hardship and challenges, General Greene was well-prepared for what lay ahead of him in the southern colonies, where Britain was on the verge of winning the war. His famous quote, “We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again,” displayed his ambition and unflagging commitment.

Self-taught, officer material

A self-taught military man, Washington’s “fighting Quaker” was a gifted strategist, advisor, and natural leader. He possessed brilliant organizational skills that he used to save lives as Quartermaster General during the iconic winter encampments at Valley Forge and Morristown.

Greene faced many hurdles to prove that a partially disabled Quaker and an inexperienced soldier could not only fight, but lead men in the coming conflict. Despite prejudice from his fellow Rhode Island Kentish Guards, who felt a lame soldier was not “officer material,” he was promoted to Brigadier General in the Rhode Island state army. General Washington then appointed Greene to the same rank in the Continental Army. In him, Washington must have seen something of himself: a well-read, self-educated, passionate man whose loyalty and ability to comprehend the long-term nature of the conflict made him dependable. Later, despite the terrible losses of Forts Washington and Lee, General Washington didn’t give up on Greene. While Greene sought to restore his reputation, Washington knew Greene would learn from the terrible decision to defend unsalvageable forts and lose men, just as he learned from his errors during the French and Indian War.

Following his two years as Quartermaster General, Greene resigned the post but kept his field command, returning to campaigns. Though some battles were lost or a draw, he inflicted damage to British forces, gained experience, and learned how to prepare his troops. His greatest challenge came in the southern theater, where all his experiences, military studies, training, and skills were brought together. Entering into the melee after the Americans’ success at the Battle of King’s Mountain, Greene developed a bold strategy. He united his forces with General Daniel Morgan and made the incredible decision to divide his small army in half to delay British engagement, employ guerilla tactics, and gather more soldiers. Working with Morgan, who led Cornwallis away from his supply lines and on a chase through North Carolina, allowed Greene time to re-build and re-equip his men. Understanding the critical need for supplies and preparation, he ordered all boats secured to transport his troops across the Dan River ahead of the British. In what became famous as “the Race to the Dan,” the Americans escaped capture by a few hours and lived to fight on, re-grouping in Virginia, while Cornwallis’s obsession with destroying Greene had exhausted his men and depleted his supplies. Greene later used the boats to slip his troops back across the Dan, chase the British, and engage them in future battles. The southern tide literally turned for the Americans, thanks to General Nathanael Greene, who successfully routed the British from the south, north to Yorktown, Virginia, where they were hemmed in and forced to surrender in October 1781.

In less than a year, Washington’s “fighting Quaker” had successfully pulled off a miracle. General Greene’s story is made all the more poignant because it is true. He was an underdog whose determination, confidence, vision, skills and abilities were recognized by someone who gave him the chance to succeed—and ultimately created the opportunity for America to begin.

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A big thanks to Helena Finnegan. She’ll give away a $5 Amazon gift certificate to someone who contributes a legitimate comment on this post today or tomorrow. Make sure you include your email address. I’ll choose one winner from among those who comment on this post by Friday 4 July at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the name of all drawing winners on my blog the week of 14 July. And anyone who comments on this post by the 4 July deadline will also be entered in a drawing to win a copy of one of my five books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook).

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The Southern Theater of the American Revolution

Posted on July 2, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 2, 2014

Relevant History welcomes Lars D. H. Hedbor, a novelist of the American Revolution, focusing on the everyday experiences of ordinary people during that extraordinary era of chaotic change. The novels of his Tales From a Revolution series—The Prize, The Light, The Smoke, and now, The Declaration—examine little-known aspects of the Revolution, and are each set in a different Colony or future state. Hedbor resides in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and five daughters and enjoys practicing fiddle, homebrewing and amateur astronomy when he’s not otherwise occupied. For more information, check his web site, and look for him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Most popular histories of the American Revolution focus on the events of the northern Colonies, where, indeed, many of the pivotal moments of the war and the philosophy of governance that animated the movement for independence were centered. However, the southern Colonies were also crucial to the eventual success of the war, both because it provided crucial logistical routes to move goods for both military and civilian needs despite the forced closure of ports at Boston and New York, but also because many of the leading figures of the Revolution originated in the South.

To be sure, there was greater support for the Crown in the South than in the North, in part because of the same deeply-held cultural resistance to change that characterizes the Deep South of the modern era, and in part because of the wildly different social structure of the plantations as compared to the North’s more typical smallholders. However, there was no shortage of Patriot hotheads south of the future Mason-Dixon line in the heady days leading to the outright break with England: men such as Button Gwinnett, William Polk, and Samuel Wear.

While no copy of it has been found (yet), the 20 May 1775 declaration by a gathering of delegates from militia companies around Mecklenburg County, North Carolina that they were a “free and independent people” would have anticipated the Continental Congress’ Declaration of Independence by over a full year. The existence of this earlier declaration has aroused no lack of controversy over the years, including at least one fraudulent re-creation of its supposed original publication in the Cape Fear Mercury in June of 1775.

As it is, the well-documented Mecklenburg Resolves of May 31, 1775 were fully as radical as anything adopted in the northern Colonies, and the historical record is unambiguous about the vigor of various Committees of Correspondence, and later, well-armed Committees of Safety across the southern Colonies. Of course, as imagined in the pages of The Declaration, the discovery in an old family chest stashed away in the corner of some dusty attic of an authentic copy of the alleged Mecklenburg Declaration would reinvigorate the claim by proud North Carolinians of their special role in the drive toward eventual American independence.

It may be that part of the reason that our popular memory of the Revolution omits most of the events in the southern Colonies is simply that it was there that the American cause suffered its greatest defeats. With the active assistance of Loyalist forces, the British conquered and occupied most of the southern Colonies until the waning days of the war in the north.

The occupation was ungentle, even brutal at times, and the suffering of those who had stood against the Crown has received some attention in a film of recent years, but is still largely forgotten. Forced to sign loyalty oaths, dispossessed of their property (both real estate and other), and even subjected to violence at the hands of Loyalists, those who had supported the rebellion against Britain paid a high price for their convictions.

In the end, however, the rebellious Americans prevailed, and between the efforts of the well-known “Swamp Fox” General Marion and the pivotal battle at Cowpens, they ejected the British from the south, driving them northward to their ultimate defeat at Yorktown. The heroic efforts of the Patriots of the southern Colonies have long been overdue for greater recognition, and I am glad to do some small part toward that in telling the story of some of the people who made huge sacrifices and achieved stunning victories in our movement from subjects of the Crown to citizens of the Republic.

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A big thanks to Lars Hedbor. He’ll give away a signed paperback set of the first three books in the series to someone who contributes a legitimate comment on this post today or tomorrow. Delivery is available within the U.S. and Canada. Make sure you include your email address. I’ll choose one winner from among those who comment on this post by Thursday 3 July at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the name of all drawing winners on my blog the week of 14 July. And anyone who comments on this post by the 3 July deadline will also be entered in a drawing to win a copy of one of my five books, the winner’s choice of title and format (trade paperback or ebook).

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Sizzle Into the 2014 Week-Long Fourth of July Relevant History Book and Prize Giveaway!

Posted on June 25, 2014 by suzanneadairJuly 3, 2016

In honor of Independence Day, 2 – 9 July 2014, I’m posting an entire week of Relevant History essays with a focus on the Revolutionary War. My guests include Lars D.H. Hedbor (whose essay will kick off the week on 2 July), Dr. Christine Swager, and Jack Parker.

You know the drill. Read the essay, leave a comment, get the chance to win. Readers and history buffs, this is the place to hang out 2 – 9 July.

My blog is one of about 150 blogs lined up for the “Freedom to Read” hop that runs from 2 – 9 July. When you click on this image here during that week, you can hop to any number of other blogs on the tour. Follow the directions on each blog, and earn the opportunity to win what they’re giving away. Lots of genres, lots of prizes. You could score big by the time the blog tour hops to its completion.

Here’s the lineup:

2 July, Lars D.H. Hedbor — “The Southern Theater of the American Revolution”

3 July, Helena Finnegan — “General Nathanael Greene: the Complete Package”

4 July, Dr. Christine Swager — “Reclaiming One of History’s Treasures”

5 July, David Neilan — “Francis Marion and Nathanel Greene: Conflicts in Command”

6 July, Tim Osner — “Tears of the Foot Guards”

7 July, Sheila Ingle — “Brave Elizabeth”

8 July, Jack Parker — “The Winning of the Revolution in South Carolina”

9 July, Suzanne Adair — “Religious Diversity in America During the Revolution”

Mark your calendars for 2 – 9 July, and make sure you hop back to my blog then for a chance to win books and prizes on this tour.

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The Winner of Weather Vane Note Cards

Posted on June 22, 2014 by suzanneadairJune 22, 2014

Claire Murray and Gigi Pandian have won a set of weather vane note cards from Denise Price. Congrats to Claire Murray and Gigi Pandian!

Thanks to Denise for telling us the history behind The Freedom Trail in Boston. Thanks, also, to everyone who visited and commented on Relevant History this week. Watch for another Relevant History post, coming soon.

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Did you like what you read? Learn about downloads, discounts, and special offers from Relevant History authors and Suzanne Adair. Subscribe to Suzanne’s free newsletter.