Meeting Notes: July 17, 2013

“The Gamecock: Thomas Sumter, South Carolina's Other Revolutionary War Hero,” David Reuwer

David Reuwer with the figurine, "Young David Reuwer," painted and presented by Woody Childs

While Fort Sumter receives prominent attention in most American history textbooks, very few of them devote much attention to the man for whom the fort is named. That man, Thomas Sumter, was the featured topic at the July 17 meeting of the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond.

David Reuwer presented an informative and entertaining program entitled “The Gamecock: Thomas Sumter, South Carolina’s Other Revolutionary War Hero.” Reuwer, a resident of Camden, South Carolina, is president of the American Revolution Association and co-founder of the Congress of American Revolution Roundtables. He is also co-editor of SCAR and past editor of American Revolution Magazine.

Reuwer reviewed the life of Thomas Sumter and compared him to South Carolina’s other partisan commanders who fought the British. While historians aren’t positive about the specifics of Sumter’s birth, the year 1734 is generally recognized as his birth year and a rural part of Louisa County, Virginia as his birth location. His father was a miller and millwright while his mother worked as a midwife.

Young Thomas Sumter had virtually no formal education and was unable to read or write until he became an adult. When he became old enough to enlist in the Virginia militia, he joined it and later served on the ill-fated Braddock Expedition of 1755.

In 1761 he served on an expedition into the Cherokee Nation, which would change his life. Serving under a friend named Lieutenant Henry Timberlake, Sergeant Sumter traveled into what today is eastern Tennessee where the Timberlake Expedition became friends with three Cherokee chiefs. The three chiefs returned with the expedition to Williamsburg and met with Virginia’s elected officials. One of the chiefs insisted on wanting to meet the King of England so in 1762 the three chiefs, along with Timberlake and Sumter, traveled to England where they met with a teenage King George III. The Cherokee chiefs were treated warmly by King George and by London’s population, which viewed them as celebrities. Sumter, who was approximately 6’ 2” tall and weighed 225 pounds, served as the Cherokee chiefs’ bodyguard.

When Sumter returned to America, he landed in Charleston, South Carolina and would set up a country store approximately 50 miles inland on the Santee River at a ferry crossing. He also became a land developer and married a wealthy widow who was 11 years older than he was and owned a large amount of land on the opposite shore of the Santee from his property. The married couple’s businesses and property flourished until the American Revolution when the British raided the Santee area and burned down their house.

From nearly the beginning of the American Revolution, Sumter sided with the patriot cause and became a South Carolina militia officer. He would rise to become a brigadier general and commander of the entire South Carolina militia, and was best known for his partisan raids and gathering military intelligence against Cornwallis’ army. In fact Cornwallis once described Sumter as “our greatest plague in this country.” The British also said Sumter was such a tenacious fighter that he “fought like a gamecock.” The “gamecock” nickname stuck.

Sumter was an extremely successful recruiter of South Carolinians to join the state militia but his method of paying enlistment bonuses can be considered controversial. He persuaded South Carolina’s legislature to approve “Sumter’s Law”, which called for the payment of enlistment bonuses in the form of slaves rather than money. For example, lieutenant colonels who re-enlisted would receive 3 1/2 slaves while captains would receive two slaves. Privates who re-enlisted would receive one slave.

In 1787 when the newly created United States was debating ratification of its proposed constitution, Sumter opposed the document which he felt gave too much power to a national government. As Reuwer noted in his presentation, even though Sumter was called an “Anti-Federalist” he was actually a very strong supporter of true federalism, which promotes a more balanced sharing of state and federal powers than what he perceived in the proposed constitution.

Even though he had opposed the new constitution, Sumter served in the new U.S. House of Representatives between 1789-93 and 1797-1801. He also served as a U.S. senator between 1801-10. In 1832 Sumter died at the ripe old age of 98, and was the last living general from the American Revolution.

As for Sumter’s place in American military history, Reuwer said that Sumter was far more important than his fellow South Carolina partisan, Francis Marion. He noted that while Marion was leading bands of only 50 troops against the British, Sumter was leading a partisan army with over 1,000 troops and had 11 colonels serving under him. Reuwer attributes Marion’s greater popularity over Sumter in today’s world to the Disney television show which aired on Francis Marion over 50 years ago.

 

-Bill Seward

Next Meeting: September 18, 2013

“The Revolutionary War Leadership of Major General William Heath: A Reassessment,” Sean Heuvel

The meeting will be held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:30 p.m. with dinner available for purchase in the dining hall beginning at 5:30 p.m.

University of Richmond campus map:
http://www.richmond.edu/about/directions/campusmap.pdf

A Message from our President

Bill Welsch recently sent the attached letter to several ARRT members and has agreed to let me post it here for wider dissemination. Having attended the Williamsburg conference in March, I can heartily second everything Bill said about it.

Hi Friends,

 

A number of you asked me, both before and after, to tell you about the America’s History Second Annual Conference on the American Revolution this past March in Williamsburg.  A few of you were fortunate enough to attend.  This is a belated attempt to answer those inquires.

Bruce Venter and his faculty of historians did an excellent job.  After the first conference in 2012, I described it as one of the best Revolutionary War events that I had ever attended.  2013 was even better, with excellent presentations and panels.  The conference was not specifically themed, which allowed for an interesting mix of content.  And I personally had a great time leading a Friday tour of the battles of Petersburg, Spenser’s Ordinary, and Green Spring.

The question and answer sessions were interesting and useful.  The vendors supplied a interesting mix of books, maps, and prints.  The location was perfect for exploring Colonial Williamsburg.  All the food and amenities were top notch.

I also attended the SCAR conference on Light Horse Harry Lee in April in Greensboro.  Again, this was an excellent weekend of talks and tours, this time with a specific theme.  All of my comments above apply equally to this weekend.  Charles Baxley and David Reuwer did a wonderful job.  Mother Nature was less cooperative on Sunday, providing plenty of moisture for our tour of Guildford Courthouse.  But I did see much new ground were actions leading to the battle occurred.

Between the two events, I heard about twenty top flight historians present new and interesting takes on a wide variety of topics, which forced me to come home and pull many books off my shelves to read more.  And I made a number of new contacts – always a delight to meet similar minded folks and renew old friendships.  Thanks to Bruce, Charles, and David for their outstanding and successful efforts.

But why, besides answering a few questions, is this email coming to you.  My greatest disappointment at both of these conferences was in not seeing more of my ARRT colleagues and friends.  Yes, I do realize that we’re all very busy with our hectic lives.  It does seem to me, however, that to keep the spirit of the Congress of American Revolution Round Tables alive, we need to support such events as much as possible.  So, I’m not attempting to initiate a discussion as to why people didn’t attend, as much as to plant seeds for any future revolutionary events.  The only way that such opportunities can continue is if we all support them to a greater degree.

Bruce’s Third Annual Conference is again in Williamsburg on March 21 – 23.  I don’t know what’s on the SCAR horizon, but I’m confident that it will be of high quality and interest.

Thanks for reading this personal rant and plea.  I hope to see you all soon at some worthy event and certainly at the next Congress in New Jersey in 2014.

Bill Welsch

 

Meeting Notes: May 22, 2013

“Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold’s Plot to Betray America," Stephen Case

What did Peggy Shippen know and when did she know it?

 These and other questions about the life of Shippen (also known as Mrs. Benedict Arnold) were answered by Stephen H. Case at the May 22 meeting of the American Revolution Roundtable of Richmond. Case and Mark Jacob are co-authors of the recently published book “Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold’s Plot to Betray America”.

Born on June 11, 1760 Shippen was the fourth child and youngest daughter of Edward Shippen, IV and Margaret Francis Shippen. They were a prominent Philadelphia family, and Edward Shippen served as a judge and member of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania.

At the age of 14 Peggy Shippen first met George Washington when her parents held a dinner in September 1774 to honor the members of the First Continental Congress. Washington was a member of the Virginia delegation.

When fighting broke out between Great Britain and its American colonies, Edward Shippen tried to steer a neutral course. Although some historians describe Shippen as a loyalist or loyalist sympathizer, Case told the Roundtable there is no evidence of this assertion, and noted how Shippen remained a judge in Philadelphia even after the War at a time when Philadelphia loyalists were routinely rounded up and deported, and sometimes hanged.

In November 1777 William Howe’s British army captured Philadelphia. During the one-year of British occupation the Shippens held frequent social gatherings at their home which British officers attended, including a young officer named John Andre who served on General Howe’s staff. Andre became good friends with 17-year-old Peggy Shippen, and once drew a pen-and-ink sketch of her in one of her party dresses. Contrary to assertions by some historians, Case said that Andre and Shippen were merely close friends and never lovers.

After the British evacuated Philadelphia in June 1778 the Continental army re-occupied the city. Washington named Benedict Arnold to the position of military governor of Philadelphia, believing that Arnold could serve in an administrative position while he continued to recover from the severe leg wound he received one year earlier at Saratoga. At this stage of the war Arnold was one of America’s great heroes. In fact Case said that Arnold was “the greatest field commander on either side”.

Peggy Shippen and Arnold first met approximately two weeks after he arrived in Philadelphia. It was basically love at first sight for Arnold, and Shippen enjoyed all of the attention she received from Philadelphia’s new military governor. The courtship was on, and they were married on April 8, 1779. Shippen was 18 years old while Arnold was age 38, a widower and the father of three sons.

During this time period Arnold ran into difficulties with the way he conducted his official duties. He was charged with eight counts of malfeasance of command by Pennsylvania authorities led by Joseph Reed, the president of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Executive Council. While most of the charges were generally regarded as minor, a formal court-martial was conducted and Arnold was found guilty of the improper use of army wagons for personal business. His official punishment was a simple reprimand by his commanding officer, George Washington.

Shortly after his marriage to Shippen and his trial for malfeasance of command, Arnold contacted the British about the possibility of changing sides. One of the primary intermediaries between Arnold and Sir Henry Clinton was John Andre, Shippen’s old friend from two years earlier when the British occupied Philadelphia. After Arnold was named commander of the American defenses at West Point, Arnold and the British hatched a plan where Arnold would gradually weaken the defenses of West Point, making it easier for the British to capture it. They also hoped to capture (and maybe hang) George Washington during his upcoming visit to this American fort.

Unfortunately for Arnold and the British, John Andre was captured on September 23, 1780 with incriminating documents concerning the plot, which were forwarded up the chain of American command to Washington. In fact Washington had arrived that morning in West Point to meet with Arnold on routine business when word circulated about the plot between Arnold and the British. Arnold also received word about Andre’s capture and was able to escape to a British ship.

Shippen remained behind and acted shocked and hysterical in front of Washington’s entourage, pretending to know nothing about her husband’s treason and fearing for her life and that of her six-month-old infant. According to Case, she put on a performance “as if she’s in an opera”. Apparently Shippen’s performance was also worthy of an Oscar because Washington and his staff were convinced that she knew nothing about the plot and was merely another victim of Arnold’s treachery toward his country. Washington gave her the choice of going through the British lines to Arnold or returning to her parents’ house in Philadelphia. She chose her parents’ home.

However, she was soon banished from Philadelphia after further investigations revealed an old letter from John Andre to Shippen. She rejoined Arnold behind British lines in New York City where she remained until December 15, 1781 when she and Arnold sailed to London. Initially they were warmly welcomed in Great Britain. 

In 1785 Arnold turned to the shipping business and moved to New Brunswick, Canada. The business did poorly and Arnold returned to Britain in 1791. His business ventures continued to decline and his debts mounted until his death in June 1801 at the age of 61. Shippen lived only three years after his death, and at the age of 44 died from ovarian cancer in August 1804. She left behind five children and three stepchildren.

Did Peggy Shippen lead Arnold astray? Case said she did and pushed Arnold toward the British for the money. She was also the person who knew John Andre and several Philadelphia loyalists who served as intermediaries between Arnold and the British when Arnold first considered changing sides. Case also noted that the neutrality of the Shippen family regarding the war was a contributing factor toward Shippen’s willingness to support Arnold’s treachery since money was more important to her than politics.

Did Joseph Reed have a major impact on Arnold’s decision to join the British? Case said he did and characterized Reed by joking, “That stinker was a jerk!” Case said that the charges Reed brought against Arnold were very trivial and done mainly for political purposes. Reed felt his political power was threatened by the appointment of Arnold to govern Philadelphia, so Reed did what he could to undercut the Saratoga war hero.

Historians have speculated for many years as to why Benedict Arnold turned traitor. There are several theories and of course Arnold was ultimately the one responsible for his treachery. However, Case asserted that Arnold probably wouldn’t have changed sides if not for the strong encouragement and assistance he received from Shippen and the public attacks he received in the newspapers and in court hearings that were caused by Reed.  

 

-Bill Seward 

Next Meeting: July 17, 2013

“The Gamecock: Thomas Sumter, South Carolina's Other Revolutionary War Hero,” David Reuwer

The meeting will be held in the Westhampton Room, Heilman Center (dining hall--building 34 on the campus map), University of Richmond, at 6:00 p.m. with dinner available for purchase in the dining hall beginning at 5:00 p.m.

University of Richmond campus map:
http://www.richmond.edu/about/directions/campusmap.pdf

The Parsons' Cause Foundation Summer Schedule

The Parsons' Cause Foundation is pleased to present the calendar of activities for the Parsons’ Cause reenactments related to Virginia and Hanover historic events. All performances will be held at the Historic Hanover Courthouse at 11:00 a.m.    

The Parsons’ Cause – Prelude to Revolution

On December 1, 1763, a country lawyer from Hanover stepped from obscurity into the forefront of legal and political circles in Virginia.  His name was Patrick Henry.  The event that shaped his destiny was the trial of The Parsons’ Cause.  Henry challenged the two most potent entities of colonial Virginia—the King and the clergy.  The case proved to be one of the opening salvos of the revolution, and started Henry on the path of becoming the “Voice of the Revolution.”  Show dates:  June 22, July 27, August 24

Patrick Henry – The Voice of Liberty

Hear Henry, in the last year of his life, as he reflects on his childhood, two marriages, religious convictions, love of children, various careers, and key contributions to the formation of the United States. The talk also includes excerpts from Henry's best known speeches.  Show dates: July 13 and August 3

The Virginia Debates on the Ratification of the United States Constitution

2013 marks the 225^th anniversary of the Virginia debates concerning the proposed Constitution for the United States of America.  James Madison and Edmund Pendleton argue in favor of ratification, while Patrick Henry and George Mason are opposed.  Show dates: July 20 and August 10

George Washington – My Life, the Revolution and Hanover County

The Father of our Country reflects on his life, the battles and turning points of the revolution, his connection to Hanover County, and the importance of leadership. Show dates:  June 29 and August 17

Lafayette – My Travels through Hanover County

The Marquis de Lafayette expounds on his commitment to the American Revolution, his close ties to George Washington, and his travels through Hanover County during the war.  Show date:  July 6

Cornerstone Dedicated, Logo Adopted for American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

YORKTOWN, Va., May 10, 2013 – With a newly created logo on display, a cornerstone was dedicated today for the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which will replace the Yorktown Victory Center, a museum of the American Revolution operated by the state’s Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

University of Virginia Professor A. E. Dick Howard, Virginia Secretary of Education Laura W. Fornash, and Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and York County leaders spoke before the unveiling of the 12- by 24-inch marble cornerstone for an 80,000-square-foot museum building that soon will begin to take shape.

“When we tell the story of the American Revolution, as it will be told in the new museum,” Professor Howard said in his address, “we’re also telling the story that resonates everywhere that people yearn for accountable government, the rule of the law, and the freedom of the human spirit.”

“School systems and museums have been long-standing partners in student education,” Secretary Fornash said.  “As new education models are tried and tested, and as reforms in our educational systems are implemented more broadly, the new American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will certainly be an example for what works in education.”

A logo for the new museum incorporating the name with patriotic imagery of a soaring eagle and stars, in red and blue on a white background, was adopted May 9 by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees and Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors along with a new logo for Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia.  The new Yorktown museum logo will be used in early awareness initiatives.  Full implementation of both logos – designed by BCF, a Virginia Beach brand communications firm specializing in the travel industry – will begin in 2016, the year the transition from Yorktown Victory Center to American Revolution at Yorktown will be complete.    

The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will chronicle the Revolution from the beginnings of colonial unrest to the early national period and consider its meaning and impact.  The project encompasses reorganization of the 22-acre site; a new building to house expanded exhibition galleries, classrooms and support functions; and expansion and relocation of the existing re-created Continental Army encampment and Revolution-period farm.  Total cost of planning and major components is estimated at $50 million.  Building and exhibit construction and renovations to the site are funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Private donations will support elements of gallery and outdoor exhibits and educational resources.

While exhibits and parking availability will be impacted at various stages of construction, which started in 2012, the Yorktown Victory Center will continue in daily operation while the transition to American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is under way.

For more information, visit www.historyisfun.org.