"Setting the Record Straight: The Worcester Revolt of September 6, 1774"

Mel Bernstein, who some of us know from the Congress of American Revolution Round Tables, just had the above-captioned article published on the home page of the Massachusetts Sons of the American Revolution. Here's the link:

http://www.massar.org/setting-the-record-straight-the-worcester-revolt-of-september-6-1774/

Jim Piecuch to Speak at Cowpens National Battlefield, February 4, 2013

The Cowpens National Battlefield Visitor Center will be the setting for a 5:30 p.m. program about Nathanael Greene on Monday, February 4. Dr. Jim Piecuch, Associate Professor of History at Kennesaw State University, will sign copies of General Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution in the South immediately prior to the 45-minute talk and again from 6:15 – 6:30. This collection of essays by various scholars shows the influence that General Greene had over the American Revolution in the south.

Before entering the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution, Nathanael Greene had served as Quartermaster of the Army for George Washington and knew how difficult it was to feed and outfit an army. Greene never won a battle in the South. However, he did inflict much damage on the British.   

Piecuch, who is the author and editor of several books and articles on Revolutionary War history, was born in Manchester, NH. He earned his BA in history from the University of New Hampshire-Manchester and his PhD. from William and Mary. He is now a professor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Cowpens National Battlefield is located at the intersection of SC Highways 110 and 11, three miles east of Chesnee, SC. The National Battlefield is one of nearly 400 National Park areas in the United States that protect and preserve the country’s great natural, cultural and historic heritage. The park is open 362 days per year from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Days) and includes a Visitor Center, battlefield trail, nature trail, picnic area, as well as a log cabin dating from 1828.

For more information, call (864) 461-2828 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/cowp.

Washington Crossing the Delaware, 2012 Tour Photos

Bob Yankle has posted photos from ARRT-Richmond's recent tour to Trenton, NJ to view the dress rehearsal of the annual Washington Crossing the Delaware reenactment.

The photos are a combination of ones taken by Ted Zawislak on our tour and ones taken by Bob in 2010. Here's the link, and enjoy!

http://www.revolutionarywarphotoarchives.org/WashingtonCrossingtheDelaware2012/index.html

For those interested in Bob's other photos, here's the link to his main site:

http://www.revolutionarywarphotoarchives.org/

Meeting Notes: January 16, 2013

"Patrick Henry In Person," portrayed by Bill Young

Richmond’s American Revolution Roundtable kicked off its 2013 meetings with none other than Patrick Henry as the January 16 speaker---well, sort of.

Re-enactor Bill Young, dressed in 18th Century attire, gave a very moving biographical summary of Henry’s life as if Henry were talking to his audience shortly before his death in 1799 at his Red Hill plantation in Charlotte County.  Young captured the passion of Henry’s famous speeches and summarized both Henry’s professional and personal lives.

Beginning with a brief background on Henry’s parents and Henry’s birth, Young proceeded through Henry’s 1754 marriage to Sarah Shelton in Hanover County and their early years of marriage. During these years Henry failed twice as a storekeeper and once as a tobacco farmer. Henry then became a bartender at Hanover Tavern which was owned by his father-in-law, and located across the street from Hanover Courthouse.

Some of Henry’s regular customers were attorneys who practiced law at the Courthouse. As a result of Henry’s conversations with these attorneys, he became interested in a law career and proceeded to study for six months in order to take the state bar exam. He barely passed in 1760.

Henry’s legal career blossomed from the start, and only three years later he argued one of his most famous cases, known as “The Parson’s Cause”. The main issue in the case was whether the price of tobacco paid to Virginia’s clergy should be set by Virginia’s colonial legislature or by the King of England. Henry argued that the King couldn’t overturn colonial law and won the case against a parson who had challenged Virginia’s laws. Henry asked the jury to award the parson only one penny in damages, and that’s what the jury awarded.

In 1765 as a colonial legislator Henry introduced the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions, which claimed that only the colonial legislatures had the power to impose taxes on the colonies. During the legislature’s debate Henry said, “Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell and George the Third ..........” When interrupted by some of his legislative colleagues and accused of treason, Henry replied, “If this be treason, make the most of it.”

Henry defended Virginia’s Baptists in 1768 against the charges of preaching without a license. As part of his arguments, he sarcastically attacked this law and its attempt to restrict the spread of Christianity to only preachers who had state licenses. Not only did Henry win the case but his arguments would later assist with the future passage of Virginia’s Statute of Religious Freedom.

In 1771 Henry, his wife Sarah and their six children moved into their Scotchtown plantation near Ashland. Shortly afterward Sarah became mentally ill and suicidal. Instead of committing his wife to the horrors of an 18th Century mental institution Henry and his servants took care of his wife at Scotchtown until her death in 1775.

Six weeks after his wife’s death Henry gave what is generally regarded as the greatest speech of his life and one of the greatest in American history. During the Second Virginia Convention held at Richmond’s St. John’s Church, Henry argued in favor of independence from Great Britain and the need to mobilize Virginia’s militia in order to defend the colony against any British forces that might attack. The final line of Henry’s speech, “As for me, give me liberty or give me death!”, is still one of the most quoted lines in America’s history classes.

During the American Revolution, Henry served as Virginia’s first post-colonial governor from July 1776 until June 1779. In 1777 he married Dorothea Dandridge, and later they would produce 11 children. Thus, Henry had 17 children from his two marriages.

In 1787 Henry declined to attend the Constitutional Convention and later opposed the Constitution’s ratification on the grounds that it gave too much power to the federal government when it came to taxation and national defense. He also feared the loss of individual liberties and how the proposed U.S. presidency might evolve into a monarchy. Although Henry failed in his efforts to block passage of the Constitution, he was an influential voice who helped pursue the passage of the Bill of Rights as the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

Henry retired from politics in 1789. President George Washington tried to appoint Henry to several high-level government positions but Henry declined all offers.

In 1794 Henry and his wife Dorothea retired to their Red Hill plantation. On June 6, 1799 Henry died at Red Hill from stomach cancer at the age of 63.

Young ended his program by taking several questions from the audience. In response to one of them Young noted that when Henry was a young, unsuccessful farmer, he worked in his tobacco field side-by-side with three slaves given to him by his father-in-law. Young also answered a question about the friendship between Henry and Thomas Jefferson by quipping, “Henry thought more of Jefferson than Jefferson did of Henry.” Young then proceeded to discuss several specific criticisms Jefferson had toward Henry.

The Patrick Henry program was Young’s second presentation before Richmond’s American Revolution Roundtable. A few years ago he dressed as an 18th Century American naval captain and gave an interesting and thorough biography on John Paul Jones.

 

-Bill Seward

Next Meeting: March 20, 2013

“Unnatural Rebellion: Loyalists in New York City during the Revolution," Ruma Chopra

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

Preservation Requests

In order to give all members an opportunity to suggest recipients for our 2013 preservation donation, we are re-opening the nomination process. Accordingly, if there is an organization that you would like to nonimate for consideration, please be ready to present that at our March 20, 2013 meeting. If you cannot be present, you can submit your suggestion as a comment to this post, as an email to the Board at arrt.richmond@gmail.com, or by contacting any member of the Board.

All suggestions will be compiled at the March meeting and a vote of the paid membership will be taken at our May 22, 2013 meeting.

Change of Speaker/Topic for September 2013 Meeting

John Maas will be unavailable to do the September meeting. In his place, Sean Heuvel will present "The Revolutionary War Leadership of Maj. Gen. William Heath: A Reassessment."

Jamestown's Legacy Exhibit Opens March 1, 2013

More than 60 objects destined for exhibit at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown will be on display in "Jamestown's Legacy to the American Revolution," opening March 1, 2013 at Jamestown Settlement.

The special exhibition, which continues through January 20, 2014, examines the lives of Revolutionary War-era descendants of people associated with Jamestown, the 17th-century capital of Virginia.

 

For more information:

http://historyisfun.org/jamestowns-legacy.htm

232nd Anniversary Commemoration of the Crossing of the Dan, February 14-16, 2013

For more information: http://www.prizery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=304&Itemid=191

Morgan's Victory March, January 19-20, 2013

MORGAN’S VICTORY MARCH

232^th Anniversary January 19-20, 2013     

March back in history 232 years along the same route where General Daniel Morgan gathered his “Flying Army” and planned the great victory at Cowpens.  Back then the Americans had many worries and tension as Tarleton’s British army pushed them to either fight or surrender the backcountry of the Carolinas.        

On our march, we have fun reliving Morgan’s miracle of gathering his force together during the two-day race with the enemy while also planning how to use his soldiers to win a great victory at a place called the Cowpens. The marchers will see some beautiful country from Grindal Shoals to Cowpens battlefield. What a great way to get the feelings of how the weather, natural conditions, and distance helped shape how the battle turned out!    

January 19-20, 2013. On this weekend tour, we will march along the same route at about the same pace that Morgan used as he moved his army in January 1781. Present day hikers and bikers may go the entire 25-mile route or chose only the segments that interest them. Muster points are scheduled along the march for brief rests, toilets and refreshments, and hikers & bikers may join the march at these places.  This year the National Battlefield will award a “Morgan’s Flying Army” to marchers that complete the march.  

Interpretation Program. During the march, re-enactors & historians will describe what was happening at that time 232 years ago as the militia units were mustering and moving to help Morgan’ Continentals  defend their homeland against the British invaders. We will learn many great things about what happened in our backyards.   

Muster Grounds.  The first day’s march will be 15.1 miles, and marchers will park their cars at Asbury United Methodist Church, One of the properties along the march is the historic Nuckolls House, and the former home of Nancy and Gene Horne, 571 Asbury Road (SC Highway 211). They were significant planners in re-recreating the March. 

       7:30 am- Registration. Asbury United Methodist Church,467 Asbury Rd, Pacolet,29372

       8:10 am – Depart for Grindal Shoals

       9:10 am– Arrive back at Asbury United Methodist Church for refreshments

       9:30 am – Wagstop Plantation Stop for History    

      11:15 am-Knuckles Chapel Church-Intersection of Asbury Rd. & Goucher School Rd.

       12:30 pm-Highway 150 Mini-Mart, Intersection of SC 150 & Goucher School Rd.

       1:45 pm- Goucher/Whiteplains Fire Department and Fort Thicketty.

       5:00 pm,-Overnight camp Site, High Point Baptist Church.       

       5:15 pm- Shuttle back to parking lot at Wagstop Plantation.  

Marchers for the second day will muster before 7:30 AM at the Orchard Place Store Parking lot at Exit 87 of I-85 and shuttle to the overnight camp at the High Point Baptist Church. The march is 10.2 miles with the following muster points:        

       8:00 am- Overnight Camp at High Point Baptist Church.     

       8:55 am-Cherokee County EMS Station, Intersection of Macedonia & Love Springs Rd.

      10:00 am-Home of Paul & Reba Patterson, 192 Green Acres Rd. Brunch

      12:45 pm- Cowpens Overmountain Victory Trail parking lot, SC Hwy 11.

        1:30 pm-Arrival at Cowpens National Battlefield Visitors Center for awarding the

                    “Morgan’s Flying Army” medal and enjoying the 230^th  Anniversary exhibits   

        4:00 pm-Shuttle back to parking lot. 

Registration: Marchers should pre-register for the march with the Town of Pacolet (telephone 864-474-9504 or email eharris@townofpacolet.com).  Marchers will be asked to sign a waiver of liability for the sponsors and the landowners located along the route. There is no charge for marchers, but donations will be accepted.  

Personal Arrangements Marchers should wear warm clothes suitable for the weather forecasts and bring their own snacks. A wagon train will be available for weary marchers and transportation of hikers’ supplies.

 

Sponsors:  Town of Pacolet, Cherokee Historical and Preservation Society, Cowpens National Battlefield, Wagstop Plantation- the Paul Patterson Family Farm, and Palmetto Conservation Foundation. For more information about the March contact Jane Waters at the Cherokee Historical and Preservation Society, 864.489.3988 or email  jane.waters@cherokeecountyhistory.org.

"General Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution in the South," April 8, 2013

Please note this upcoming program in April in Washington, DC:

April 8: Free program with Dennis Conrad, John Maass and Jim Piecuch on “General Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution in the South,” the subject of a recent book from Univ. of South Carolina Press, in which each of these three historians have a chapter.

The speakers offer new perspectives on the character and military leadership of George Washington’s most trusted general, whose brilliance as a strategist and tactician reversed the course of the Southern Campaign.

Location:

The Society of the Cincinnati

2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20008

Telephone: 202 785-2040

Check website for exact time:  http://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/events/public

American Revolution Roundtable of the Backcountry Program, January 18, 2013

The American Revolution Roundtable of the Backcountry will hold its first program of 2013 on FRIDAY evening, January 18 At 6:30 pm in the Montgomery Room of the Burwell Building at Wofford College.  This twenty-first meeting of our roundtable will feature Dr. Jim Piecuch, Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University as he discusses the topic of his latest book, Cavalry of the American Revolution.  Dr. Piecuch is author of Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, Slaves and the American Revolution in the Deep South, which is the first study of the Southern Campaigns undertaken from the viewpoint of the British and their supporters. He has also authored five articles and book chapters on colonial and revolutionary history and contributed articles to several historical encyclopedias.  He has written a compendium of documents: The Battle of Camden: A Documentary History, and a monograph, The Battle of the Waxhaws: Tarleton and the Myth of Buford's Massacre and a field guide to the Battle of Eutaw Springs. 

Dessert, coffee and libations will be available from 6:30-7:00 with the program taking place from 7:10 – 7:55.  The charge is $5 per person.

This change in scheduling and format is being done for this meeting so as to coordinate this roundtable program with other events being held at the Cowpens National Battlefield throughout the entire weekend in celebration of the anniversary of the actual battle at Cowpens on January 17, 1781. 

EVENT DETAILS

What: Next meeting of the American Revolution Roundtable of the Backcountry

When:  FRIDAY evening, January 18, 2013 – Dessert, coffee & libations: 6:30 – 7:00 pm * Program: 7:10 – 7:55 pm

Where:  Montgomery Room, Wofford College

Program:  Cavalry of the American Revolution

Speaker:  Dr. Jim Piecuch, Assistant Professor of History, Kennesaw State University

Cost: $5.00

Next program: Monday evening, February 25, 2013