Ineresting Rev War Stories?

[darrin365]

I'm trying to collect a dozen interesting Rev War facts or short stories that might not be common knowledge. They will (hopefully) be used on a new product I'm working on.

Thanks,
Darrin

[Yanky]

If "common" implies everyone, and not just Rev War buffs, then I would include the Champe story, about the daring and interesting adventures of the guy chosen by Washington and Light Horse Harry Lee to kidnap Benedict Arnold from New York shortly after he changed sides.

There are probably many sources for info about him, first and foremost being Lee's memoirs. Here's one: http://www.loudounhistory.org/history/revolution-war-john-champe.htm.

It neglects to mention that after Champe deserted from the British, he was in danger of being caught and executed by both Americans and the British.

[darrin365]

Thanks for that, Yanky. I'll look into it.

[Yanky]

Your product development sounds like a lot of fun. Some others that may fit the bill:

The Pennsylvania and Virgina riflemen's insanely rapid pace (600 miles in 21 days?!) on their walk to Boston in 1775. I personally doubt anyone could walk that fast for so long, with gear and rifles (could they then?), but it's part of the lore. Just a random Web search found this: http://www.americanrevolution.org/riflemen.html

A short story about "Tarleton's quarter" (or lack thereof): for example (again from a fast Web search), http://home.golden.net/~marg/bansite/banecdotes/96quarter.html

Anything about the British prison ships in Charleston and New York. Someone in this group posted here about an article in the DAR magazine recently.

Just about anything to do with the Southern theater. For example, Bunker Hill is well known. Is the 1779 failed assault on Savannah, with French help? I don't think so. Ward, in his War of the Revolution (Macmillan, 1952), says Savannah was similar to Bunker Hill in its ferocity and scale.

The "first salute" of the American flag by the Dutch colony at St. Eustatius in the West Indies (the subject of Barbara Tuchman's book The First Salute).

The Jane McCrea (sp?) atrocity that so inspired American militia before Saratoga (any Saratoga book would have an account, I imagine).

Good luck.

[Yanky]

Some possible themes:

Fighting preachers: "Give 'em Watts, boys!" (Rev. Caldwell at the Battle of Springfield): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Springfield_(1780)

What future presidents (besides Washington) did during the war: Thomas Jefferson barely escaped capture at Monticello by Tarleton (as described in the book The Day the Revolution Ended), and the British surprisingly did not burn the famous residence. Also, Monroe was present at Trenton and, I think, was one of the few Americans wounded.

Native Americans: the Oneida tribe of the Iroquois helped us when most other tribes were neutral or on the British side. They say the missionary Kirkland gets a lot of credit for this.

Weapons: 3-pounder cannons were called "grasshoppers" and were not wheeled, but carried by pack animal.

Gotta stop now because it's getting addictive.

[Uncle Ben]

Yanky
  For my own edification, where did you hear about the grasshopper having no wheels? YMH & OS, Ben Newton

[AmandaLynn]

When Washington's Army marched across NJ to Monmouth Courthouse they passed through an area of the state that was rich in fruit orchards (and still is). Let's not forget that strawberries were also at their peak the time of year they marched there.  The boys were able replenish their food supply with fresh fruit. That, coupled with the grains they were also cosuming, made for a rather interesting march to Englishtown.

Contrary to popular belief, Washington was injured during the war, albeit very slightly. This happened here in Bucks County, PA. It did not incapacitate him therefore this bit of trivia has been largely ignored by history.

Some more interesting trivia can be found on the web page listed below. Coryell's Ferry (present day New Hope, PA) had a lot of activity during the war that has largely been glossed over by most history books.

http://www.newhopepa.com/History/Coryells_Ferry/coryell_hist_1.htm

[Yanky]

Yanky
  For my own edification, where did you hear about the grasshopper having no wheels? YMH & OS, Ben Newton

In both Ketchum's Victory at Yorktown and Hallahan's The Day the Revolution Ended. I don't have the books at hand so can't give you the primary sources they presumably got this info from. Both authors mentioned grasshoppers when describing Cowpens.

[darrin365]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Good stuff.

[Rifleman]

...
The Pennsylvania and Virgina riflemen's insanely rapid pace (600 miles in 21 days?!) on their walk to Boston in 1775. I personally doubt anyone could walk that fast for so long, with gear and rifles (could they then?), but it's part of the lore. Just a random Web search found this: http://www.americanrevolution.org/riflemen.html
...

Oh to be young and fit and healthy.

The "Long March" by Mao Zedong's First Red Army, Sherman's "March to the Sea" in the American Civil War, a 140 miles in 3 days training march by elements of the 101st ABN in WWII, some of the exploits of the 95th Rifles in the Peninsular War - military history is full of this kind of thing.

I can just see Daniel Morgan going up and down the line - cajoling, threatening,  laughing, telling stories - whatever it took to get a few more miles in by the end of each day. I wonder how many times he told his company about the single lash he was owed by the British when his 500 lash sentence was miscounted.

I also imagine the the "Old Wagoneer" arranged for a baggage train for the heavier equipment and the inevitable sick and injured. 

Yes, I think they did it - wish I could have been there.

RobT