Seventh Congress of ARRTs: November 19-21, 2021

The seventh Congress of American Revolution Round Tables will meet at George Washington's Mount Vernon over the weekend of Friday, November 19 through Sunday, November 21, 2021, with the Congress to be held in their library.  Tours of the estate and library will be part of the weekend.  The staff at Mount Vernon has been very helpful and accommodating in assisting us.  https://www.mountvernon.org/

Tentative plans include a Friday night dinner at a restaurant to be determined and hopefully a Saturday night dinner gathering at Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria.  The actual Congress session will occur on Saturday, with Sunday reserved for local history visits.

All ARRT members are invited, not just group officers.  Especially welcome are folks in the process of forming a round table.  Please share this news with your members and others.

The local arrangements committee is working on hotel and other details.  As usual, you will be responsible for the cost of lodging and meals.  More details will follow within the next few months.

Please reserve November 19-21 for the 7th Congress.  We look forward to seeing you at Mount Vernon!

July 21, 2021 Meeting

Bob Selig will present at our July 21 Zoom meeting. His topic will be: "Do you believe in Magic? Spells and Witchcraft during the American War of Independence."

Dogs that would not bark, horses that would not walk, women who turned into animals at night: the belief in the existence of witches and witchcraft was widespread during the second half of the eighteenth century. Sometimes these powers were employed in the cause of American Independence, sometimes against it. Decades later veterans would record these super-natural occurrences in their pension applications or tell them to people collecting oral history accounts and traditions of the war.

Based on pension applications and accounts found in oral history collections such as the Asa Fitch Papers, the McDonald Papers, and the Draper Collection, this talk presents some of these events, looks into the medieval origins of these beliefs, and places them into the historical context of the War of Independence. 

Meeting Notes: January 27, 2021

ARRT-Richmond 1/27/21 Meeting Notes

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 3/17/21 at 6:30 p.m. This is a Zoom meeting!  Sign-in details will be provided in the March newsletter. Thanks again to Peggy Watson for allowing us to utilize the Osher network.

ARRT-R’s featured speaker on 3/17/21 will be Gary Ecelbarger. Mr. Ecelbarger will be speaking on “George Washington During the First Month of the Philadelphia Campaign: Old Challenges and New Discoveries, August 24 – September 23, 1777”.

Mr. Ecelbarger is the author of seven books on the Civil War and Lincoln. He is an experienced tour guide of Revolutionary War and Civil War sites and is authoring a campaign biography of Washington during the struggle for Philadelphia. He’s also an ARRT-Richmond member and a long-time friend.

Jack Kelly will be our May 19 speaker, presenting virtually on his new book “Valcour: The 1776 Campaign That Saved the Cause of Liberty”.

 

Guest Speaker – Ed Lengel – “New Thoughts on Valley Forge”

Dr. Lengel was a historian in residence at Colonial Williamsburg and previously served as Chief Historian of the White House Historical Association. Before that, Lengel was Editor-in-Chief of the Papers of George Washington and Professor at the University of Virginia. He is currently chief historian at the new Museum of the Medal of Honor.

Dr. Lengel is the author most recently of Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion (2018). He is also author of Thunder and Flames: Americans in the Crucible of Combat, 1917-1918 (2015), To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918 (2008), and This Glorious Struggle: George Washington’s Revolutionary War Letters (2007). His book General George Washington: A Military Life was a finalist for the 2006 George Washington Book Prize.

Ed offered up multiple questions to provoke viewer discussion:

Should the Army have gone to York, PA or Lancaster, PA instead of Valley Forge?

How bad was Valley Forge? Did George Washington manufacture a crisis?

Did the army operate for economic reasons?

Did Baron von Steuben make a difference?

Did Valley Forge change the army’s relationship with Washington?

Next Meeting: May 19, 2021

Our next meeting will be held via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. on May 19, 2021. Jack Kelly will speak on Valcour: The 1776 Campaign That Saved the Cause of Liberty. Information regarding the meeting (log-ins, etc.) will be in the early-May newsletter.

During the summer of 1776, a British incursion from Canada loomed. In response, citizen soldiers of the newly independent nation mounted a heroic defense. Patriots constructed a small fleet of gunboats on Lake Champlain in northern New York and confronted the Royal Navy in a desperate three-day battle near Valcour Island. Their effort surprised the arrogant British and forced the enemy to call off their invasion.

Jack Kelly's Valcour is a story of people. The northern campaign of 1776 was led by the underrated general Philip Schuyler (Hamilton's father-in-law), the ambitious former British officer Horatio Gates, and the notorious Benedict Arnold. An experienced sea captain, Arnold devised a brilliant strategy that confounded his slow-witted opponents.

America’s independence hung in the balance during 1776. Patriots endured one defeat after another. But two events turned the tide: Washington’s bold attack on Trenton and the equally audacious fight at Valcour Island. Together, they stunned the enemy and helped preserve the cause of liberty. (From amazon.com)

Next Meeting: March 17, 2021

Our March meeting will again be a Zoom meeting. Gary Ecelbarger will speak on "George Washington During the First Month of the Philadelphia Campaign: Old Challenges & New Discoveries, August 24-September 23, 1777." Information about the Zoom meeting will be conveyed in Bill's March newsletter.

 

Meeting Notes: November 18, 2020

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 1/27/21 at 6:30 p.m.  This is a zoom meeting!  Sign in

details will be provided in the January newsletter.  Thanks again to Peggy Watson for allowing us to utilize the Osher network.

ARRT-R’s featured speaker on 1/27/21 will be Ed Lengel.  Mr. Lengel will be speaking on “New Thoughts on Valley Forge”.

Mr. Lengel is a historian in residence at Colonial Williamsburg, and previously served as Chief Historian of The White House Historical Association.  Before that, Lengel was Editor-in-Chief of The Papers of George Washington and Professor at the University of Virginia.

Mr. Lengel is the author most recently of Never In Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion. He is also author of Thunder and Flames: Americans in the Crucible of Combat, 1917-1918 (2015), To Conquer Hell: The Meuse-Argonne, 1918 (2008), and This Glorious Struggle: George Washington's Revolutionary War letters (2007). His book General George Washington: A Military Life was a finalist for the 2006 George Washington Book Prize.

 

Guest Speaker – Jeff Dacus – “Washington’s Family: The Aides and Secretaries Who helped Him Through the War”

 Jeff Dacus is a retired schoolteacher who taught U.S. history for 35 years and also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Portland.  A retired Marine tanker, he volunteers with local veterans groups and is a speaker at historical events.  A member of the Company of Military Historians, he has written numerous articles in the Journal of the Company of Military Historians, Marine Corps Tanker’s Association Newsletter, as well as Leatherneck and Armor Magazines.  He is the winner of the 2020 General Roy S. Geiger Award given to the author of the best article in the field of Marine Corps Aviation.  His first book is The Fighting Corsairs: The Men of the Marine Fighting Squadron 215.

 Duties of an aide de camp/secretary:

 “It is unnecessary for me to observe to you, the multiplicity of business I am involved in – the number of Letters, Orders & Instruction’s I have to write – with many other matters which call loudly for Aids that are ready Pen-men

--Washington to Lee

During the war 32 men served Washington as Aides.  Aides were appointed by Congress.

 Washington’s biggest need was assistance with correspondence.

 Of the men who served Washington 9 had previous combat experience.  After the war, 17 served in government jobs.

 Washington did not speak a foreign language.  His Aides assisted him in communicating with the French army and foreign officials

Tench Tilghman was Washington’s favorite aide.  He was from Maryland and served as an aide for 4 years without leave or salary.

The Common Background of Washington’s Aides:

11 from Virginia

5 from Massachusetts

4 each from New York and Connecticut

3 each from Maryland and Pennsylvania

1 from South Carolina

1 from France

Only 7 states represented

 

3 were born in Ireland

1 born in France

1 born in England

1 born in the British West Indies

                             

 2 were Washington’s nephews

 1 was Washington’s stepson   

 Robert Hanson Harrison and George Johnston, Jr. were brothers in law

 John and Jonathan Trumbull were brothers

 William Grayson was James Monroe’s brother    

                --Noah Rogers       

January 20 Meeting Postponed Until January 27

Due to the impending inauguration and potential related events, we are postponing our January 20, 2021 meeting to January 27. Same time, speaker, etc.

Watch for Bill's January newsletter for further details.