2022 Calendar Now Available

The dates for our 2022 meetings are now listed under the Meetings tab above. Speakers and topics will be posted as they are received.

2022 Dues Information

We will begin collecting 2022 dues at our January 19, 2022 meeting. Dues will remain at $20.00 per annum with $5.00 of that going towards preservation.

For more information, click on the Dues tab above.

Next Meeting: January 19, 2022

For our next meeting we are pleased to have our own Bert Dunkerly to present "Decision at Brandywine: The Battle on Birmingham Hill," based on his latest book of the same name.

The Battle of Brandywine, fought on September 11, 1777, along its namesake creek in the bucolic Pennsylvania countryside, was one of the largest engagements of the Revolutionary War. To those who participated in this massive battle, spread out over ten square miles and lasting from late afternoon until dark, it was unforgettable. Soon after the action, Major Joseph Bloomfield of the 3rd New Jersey recorded that it was “the grandest scene I ever saw, a sight beyond description.” Brandywine was the first major battle for the recently reorganized Continental Army. Units had fought in small engagements, but not until Brandywine did the army fight as a whole against the British. As the two armies clashed, a ferocious and desperate action developed on a hill at the heart of the battlefield, and it was here where the battle’s outcome was determined.

Despite its size and significance—Brandywine was the third bloodiest engagement of the war, with 1,300 American and 581 British casualties—the battle has been the subject of very few studies. In Decision at Brandywine: The Battle on Birmingham Hill, historian Robert M. Dunkerly analyzes the fighting near the Birmingham Meeting House where the battle turned. By dissecting the struggle on Birmingham Hill in detail, he offers a case study in weapons, tactics, and terrain analysis critical to a holistic understanding of the entire battle and what it would mean for the future of the Continental Army. In the process he not only explains how the Continental Army’s lack of uniformed training and inexperience in large open-field battles played a major role in their defeat, but also provides important information about Revolutionary War combat in general. (Source: Amazon.com)

Robert M. (Bert) Dunkerly is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is actively involved in historic preservation and research.  He holds a degree in History from St. Vincent College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University.  He has worked at fourteen historic sites, written over a dozen books, and numerous scholarly articles.  His research includes archaeology, colonial life, military history, and historic commemoration.  He is a past President of the Richmond Civil War Round Table and serves on the Preservation Commission for the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond.  He has taught courses at Central Virginia Community College, the University of Richmond, and the Virginia Historical Society.  Dunkerly is currently a Park Ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park.  He has visited over 500 battlefields and over 1000 historic sites worldwide.  He enjoys exploring local bookstores, battlefields, and breweries, not necessarily in that order.

Our meeting will be held in-person only, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at the Gayton Branch of the Henrico County Library (about ten minutes from the University of Richmond):

10600 Gayton Road

Henrico, VA 23238

https://henricolibrary.org/gayton

At this time, masks are still required inside the library. This may change between now and our meeting.

Parker's Ferry Preservation

Thanks to John Maass for forwarding the following article on the preservation of the Parker's Ferry battleground:

https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/blog/sale-of-revolutionary-war-battle-site-in-south-carolina-opens-another-stop-on-the-liberty-trail/

2021 Harry M. Ward Book Prize Winner

The Harry M. Ward Book Prize committee is pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 competition: Donald F Johnson, Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020).

Johnson’s work is an original and novel contribution to the literature of the Revolution.  At one time or another during the long years of the War for Independence, the British occupied all of America’s major populations centers. These included the important port cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Savannah, and Wilmington.  In Occupied America, Johnson carefully describes the “everyday experience of ordinary people living under military occupation . . . .[and] recounts how men and women from a variety of backgrounds navigated harsh conditions, mitigated threats to their families and livelihoods, took advantage of new opportunities, and balanced precariously between revolutionary and royal attempts to secure their allegiance.” Other historians have touched on these subjects, but not in any comprehensive way; nor have they matched Johnson’s convincing explanation of why most Americas living under long periods of occupation did not return to British allegiance. Harsh living conditions, military rule, and the Crown’s failure to crush the rebellion all gradually eroded popular faith in Britain’s ability to restore peace and social and economic prosperity. Occupied America is deeply researched and clearly written, and the volume is well worth the attention of all readers interested in how colonial city-dwellers from all walks of life bore-up under the tribulations of war.

The committee also is pleased to announce the following titles as this year's Honorable Mentions:

Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2020).

Arthur S. Lefkowitz, Colonel Hamilton and Colonel Burr: The Revolutionary War Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr (Lanham, MD: Stackpole Books, 2020).

T. Cole Jones, Captives of Liberty Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019).

--Mark Lender, Chairman, Book Prize Committee

Our November 17, 2021 Meeting

 

Last night's meeting was a success--approximately thirty-five members and guests met at the Gayton Branch of the Henrico County Library for our first in-person meeting since the onset of COVID.

David O. Stewart (pictured above) presented a stellar talk on George Washington and his early political rise. David's book is available from Amazon and all booksellers in the know.

Our January 19, 2022 meeting is also being planned for the same location. Stay tuned for more information.

Meeting Notes: September 15, 2021

 ARRT-Richmond 9/15/21 Meeting Notes

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 11/17/21 at 6:30 p.m.  This is an in person meeting!  The meeting will take place at the Gayton Branch of the Henrico County Library System. The Gayton Branch is located at 10600 Gayton Road, at the intersection of Gayton and Pump Roads.

David O. Stewart will be our November 17^th speaker, presenting on his newest book “George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father”.David is a lawyer by trade and has written books on Burr, Madison, and Andrew Johnson.  He is also the former president of the Washington Independent Review of Books, an online publication for new book reviews and related content.

 

Guest Speaker:

Dr. Holly A. Mayer – “Congress’s Own: A Canadian Regiment, the Continental Army, and the American Union”.Holly is a Professor Emerita at Duquesne University at Pittsburgh and the author of Belonging to The Army: Camp Followers and Community during the American Revolution.  Holly spoke to us on that topic in 2009.  She is now a Williamsburg resident but spending a teaching semester at West Point.

2^nd Canadian Regiment Congress’s Own Canadian Old Regiment Significant Dates of Service:

Retreat from Canada – 1776

Staten Island, Brandywine, Germantown – 1777

Highlands Department & New Hampshire Brigade – 1778

Coos County Campaign – April-August 1779

Morristown to Highlands – 1780

Yorktown – 1781

Lancaster Guard Duty – 1782

Furloughed – June 1783

Disbanded – November 1783

As a result of the French & Indian Wars some Americans moved north into the Montreal area of Canada.

During the American invasion of 1775/early 1776 Americans encountered these “former”

American’s. American commanders thought that forming Canadian military units would encourage Canadians to join the American cause.

The Regiment was formed and authorized in January 1776.Moses Hazen the original regimental commander was a former British officer who had settled in Canada.

By the summer of 1776 the regiment contained only 100 out of the original 300 man strength.--the retreat from Canada and smallpox had taken a substantial toll.

In 1776 the regiment was re-authorized by Congress but was allowed to recruit from all states in order to increase its manning.  Companies where initially segregated by state – this would not last the entire war.

By 1777 the majority of the regiment was no longer Canadian.

In 1781 all foreign nationals in the army where moved into the regiment.

The regiment served during the Yorktown campaign with it’s members helping to capture Redoubt#10.

During the war 1900 soldiers were mentioned on the regiment’s roster.

--Noah Rogers

Next Meeting: November 17, 2021; IN-PERSON!

Yes, you read that right. Our next meeting will be in-person!

David O. Stewart will speak on his recently published book, George Washington: The Political Rise of America's Founding Father.

David O. Stewart, formerly a lawyer, writes fiction and history. His first historical work told the story of the writing of the Constitution (The Summer of 1787). It was a Washington Post Bestseller and won the Washington Writing Prize for Best Book of 2007. His second book. Impeached, grew from a judicial impeachment trial he defended before the United States Senate in 1989. American Emperor: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America explored Burr's astounding Western expedition of 1805-07 and his treason trial before Chief Justice John Marshall. Madison's Gift: Five Partnerships That Built America debuted in February 2015. He has received the 2013 History Award of the Society of the Cincinnati and the 2016 William Prescott Award for History Writing from the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. His book about George Washington, GEORGE WASHINGTON: The Political Rise of America's Founding Father, was published in February 2021.

Due to the continuing COVID restrictions at the University of Richmond, we will move off-campus for our November meeting to the Gayton Branch of the Henrico County Library (the library is only about 10 min. from U of R):

10600 Gayton Road

Henrico, VA 23238

https://henricolibrary.org/gayton

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Please note that this will be in-person only. There will be no Zoom for this meeting. Also, at this time, masks are required inside the library. This may change by the date of our meeting.

Be sure to mark your calendars and see you on November seventeenth!

Next Meeting: September 15, 2021

At our next meeting Holly Mayer will speak about Congress's Own: A Canadian Regiment, the Continental Army, and American Union. 

This will again be a Zoom meeting. Log-in details will be in our September newsletter.

Meeting Notes: May 19, 2021

 ARRT-Richmond 5/19/21 Meeting Notes

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 7/21/21 at 6:30 p.m.  This is a zoom meeting!  Sign in

details will be provided in the May newsletter.  Thanks again to Peggy Watson for

allowing us to utilize the Osher network.

Dr. Robert A. Selig will be our July 21^st speaker, presenting virtually on “Do You Believe in Magic? Spells and Witchcraft during the American War of Independence”.

Dr. Selig is a historical consultant who received his Ph. D. in history from the Universitat Wurzburg in Germany in 1988. He has published a number of books on the American War of Independence such as Hussars in Lebanon! A Connecticut Towns and Lauzan’s Legion during the American Revolution, 1780-1781 and a translation of A Treatise on Partisan Warfare by Johann von Ewald.  Dr. Selig is a specialist on the role of French forces under Count de Rochambeau during the American Revolutionary War and serves as a project historian to the National Park Service for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail

 

Guest Speaker – Jack Kelly – “Valcour: The 1776 Campaign That Saved the Cause of Liberty”

Mr. Kelly is an award-winning author and historian.  His books include “Band of Giants:  The Amateur Soldiers Who Won America’s Independence”, which received the DAR History Medal.  He is also the author of “The Edge of Anarchy”, “Heaven’s Ditch”, and “Gunpowder” and is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Nonfiction Literature.  Kelly has appeared on The History Channel, National Public Radio, and C-Span.  He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Mr. Kelly believes “Valcour” is the most important, unknown battle of the American Revolution.

Mr. Kelly considers “Valcour” to be unknown because of the instrumental role Benedict Arnold played in the battle and that covering a battle that occurs on water is very complicated.

In the spring of 1776, the American Army after returning from Canada was suffering through a

small-pox outbreak that rendered a substantial amount of its manpower combat in-effective. 

American leaders knew that if the British regained naval superiority on Lake Champlain they could use the lake as a highway allowing them to transport men and supplies south to Fort Ticonderoga.  If the British re-took Fort Ticonderoga they could more south down the Hudson Valley to Albany and then on towards New York City.  Control of the lake might also allow British forces to move east off the lake into New Hampshire and towards Boston.

The naval threat on Lake Champlain caused an arms race as both the Americans and British hurried to build fleets.

The three American general officers leading the effort where General Philip Schuyler, General Horatio Gates, and General Benedict Arnold.  General Schuyler provided logistical expertise including moving naval stores to the lake.  General Gates provided administrative experience that allowed him to handle the small pox outbreak, improve morale, and impose stricter discipline on the army.  General Arnold brought sailing experience and was a proven combat leader who was able to inspire the men serving under him.  In addition, Arnold was familiar with the area based upon his experience traveling through the area before the war.

In 1776 Gates and Arnold got along well. General Gates was serving as the Army’s operational commander and appointed General Arnold as it’s “Fleet Commander”.  In this role General Arnold was responsible for building the fleet and leading it into battle.

“Building a Fleet in the Wilderness” required logistical feats such as moving naval stores through the woods and trails of eastern New York and enticing skilled labor to move from the Atlantic coast to the shores of Lake Champlain.

American fleet construction was centered on row galleys and gunboats while the British under General Carleton labored to construct a frigate, “Inflexible”.

In late August, Arnold moved the American Fleet north in an effort to locate Carleton’s fleet.  However on September 30^th Arnold moved his fleet south to the west-side of Valcour Island.  This move offered protection from bad weather and allowed Arnold to hide his inferior force from the British.

On October 11^th the British fleet passed Valcour Island to the east.  Once the British fleet was south of the island Arnold began the battle forcing the British fleet to maneuver north.  Combat lasted for hours but eventually British naval superiority began to win the day.  Near sunset, the Inflexible was finally able to join the fight and the American fleet was defeated.  During the night Arnold sailed south with what was left of his fleet.

While Arnold lost the battle on October 11^th his efforts caused Carlton to stop at Crown Point for 2 weeks.  Once the first snow reached Lake Champlain at the end of October, Carleton made the decision that the campaign was over and moved his army back north to Canada.

In the eyes of Mr. Kelly if Arnold hadn’t built a fleet which he lead tenaciously at “Valcour”

Carlton would have sailed south and seized Fort Ticonderoga.  From Fort Ticonderoga, Carleton could have then moved south down the Hudson, meeting the Howe brothers in New York, and assisting in the destruction of Washington’s Army.  This would have ended the American Revolution in last months of 1776.

--Noah Rogers

19th Francis Marion Symposium, October 22-23, 2021

You're invited to come to the 19th Francis Marion Symposium, Oct 22-23, 2021, Manning, SC.

Explore the Revolutionary War Southern Campaign with General Francis Marion.

Immerse yourself in Francis Marion's world and the significance of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.

"Times of Francis Marion, 1732-1795"

Presentations & evening dinner

Site: FE DuBose Campus, Central Carolina Technical College, I-95, Exit 122, Manning, SC

Plan now:   Register & participate: www.francismarionsymposium.com

Harry M. Ward Book Prize: 2021 Nominees

Following are the books nominated for the 2021 Harry M. Ward Book Prize:

Winston Groom, The Patriots: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the Making of America (Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2020).

Donald F Johnson, Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of

Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020).

Cyrus Ansary, George Washington Dealmaker-In-Chief: The Story of How the Father of Our Country Unleashed the Entrepreneurial Spirit in America (Bethesda, MD: Lambert Publications, 2019).

Mary Beth Norton, 1774: The Long Year of Revolution (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2020).

Nina Sankovitch, American Rebels: How the Hancock, Adams, and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2020).

Arthur S. Lefkowitz, Colonel Hamilton and Colonel Burr: The Revolutionary War Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr (Lanham, MD: Stackpole Books, 2020).

Michael Cecere, General Peter Muhlenberg: A Virginia Officer of the Continental Line (Yardley, PA: Westholme Publishing, 2020).

T. Cole Jones, Captives of Liberty Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019).

St. John's Church Memorial Day Weekend Tours and Reenactments

 

Memorial Day Weekend Let's kick off summer and welcome the delegates back to Richmond!  We are OPEN for a 4-DAY WEEKEND  Friday May 28th thru Monday May 31 offering Church Tours AND TWO Reenactments!

Tickets

Sunday May 30th AND  Monday May 31st at 1:30 PM seats are limited / reserve your seat now

THIS WEEKEND MAY 22 - 23RD

Liberty or Death Tours Historic Graveyard and Visitor Center SAT 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. SUN 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Tours

HistoricStJohnsChurch.org

We look forward to seeing you!  Questions? Please call the Visitor Center at 804.648.5015. Thank You For Your Support.  Your Ticket Supports Our Educational Programming.

Our Calendar is Filling Out

In addition to Bob Selig speaking at our July 21 Zoom meeting, Holly Mayer will speak at our September 15 meeting on the topic of Congress's Own, a Canadian Regiment. This meeting will most likely also be on Zoom, but stay tuned!

[from Amazon.com:]

Colonel Moses Hazen’s 2nd Canadian Regiment was one of the first “national” regiments in the American army. Created by the Continental Congress, it drew members from Canada, eleven states, and foreign forces. “Congress’s Own” was among the most culturally, ethnically, and regionally diverse of the Continental Army’s regiments—a distinction that makes it an apt reflection of the union that was struggling to create a nation.

The 2nd Canadian, like the larger army, represented and pushed the transition from a colonial, continental alliance to a national association. The problems the regiment raised and encountered underscored the complications of managing a confederation of states and troops.

In this enterprising study of an intriguing and at times “infernal” regiment, Holly A. Mayer marshals personal and official accounts—from the letters and journals of Continentals and congressmen to the pension applications of veterans and their widows—to reveal what the personal passions, hardships, and accommodations of the 2nd Canadian can tell us about the greater military and civil dynamics of the American Revolution. Congress’s Own follows congressmen, commanders, and soldiers through the Revolutionary War as the regiment’s story shifts from tents and trenches to the halls of power and back.

Interweaving insights from borderlands and community studies with military history, Mayer tracks key battles and traces debates that raged within the Revolution’s military and political borderlands wherein subjects became rebels, soldiers, and citizens. Her book offers fresh, vivid accounts of the Revolution that disclose how “Congress’s Own” regiment embodied the dreams, diversity, and divisions within and between the Continental Army, Congress, and the emergent union of states during the War for American Independence.

Meeting Notes: March 17, 2021

ARRT-Richmond 3/17/21 Meeting Notes

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 5/19/21 at 6:30 p.m.  This is a zoom meeting!  Sign in

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

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

Mr. Kelly is an award-winning author and historian.  His books include Band of Giants: The Amateur Soldiers Who Won America’s Independence, which received the DAR History Medal.  He is also the author of The Edge of Anarchy, Heaven’s Ditch, and Gunpowder and is a New York Foundation for the Arts fellow in Nonfiction Literature.  Kelly has appeared on The History Channel, National Public Radio, and C-Span.  He lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Guest Speaker:

Gary Ecelbarger, “Observing 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.

Washington to the Continental Congress – September 10 from Chad’s Ford:

“The Enemy are now lying near Kennets Square and in a tolerably compact body. They have parties advanced on the Lancaster Road and on those leading over this Ford & to Wilmington.  Maneuvering  appears to be their plan; I hope, not with-standing, that we shall be able to find out their real – intended route & to defeat their purposes . . .”

Challenges in Defining the Continental Army in late August/early September 1777:

Numerical size

                Types and quality of arms

Uniforms

Number of cannons

Number of wagons

How Many Continental’s in Delaware?

Five Infantry Divisions; 11 Brigades (12th Brigade formed August 31st)

Troop Strength Returns: May 20th vs. November 3rd

13,000 Infantry present + 1,200 – 1,500 Dragoons and Artillery 

                14,500 present – 13,000 to 14,000 fit for duty

3,000 with combat experience

Washington’s Extended Military Family in Delaware & Pennsylvania:

“Washington’s Pen Men”

Colonel Robert Harrison

Colonel Timothy Pickering

Lt. Colonel Richard Meade

Lt. Colonel John Fitzgerald

Lt. Colonel Alexander Hamilton

Lt. Colonel Tench Tilghman

Lt. Colonel Peter Thornton

        Captain Caleb Gibbs

MG Marquis de Lafayette

MG Arthur St. Clair

MG of the Day (ex. Greene, Stirling)

BG Casimir Pulaski

BG Henry Knox

BG John Cadwalder

Colonel Charles Pinckney

Colonel Clement Biddle

Lt. Colonel Peter Thornton

Captain George Lewis

Dr. Benjamin Rush

Jacob Broom

Campaign Timeline:

August 25th – British land at Head of Elk

September 11th – Battle of Brandywine

September 26th – British occupy Philadelphia

October 4th – Battle of Germantown

December 19th – Americans arrive at Valley Forge

Genealogy Sites Guide

As many of our members are also interested in genealogy, Maria Jones sent me the following link, "25 Best Genealogy Sites - The Definitive Guide." Thanks, Maria!

100 Members!

For the first time in our history, we have hit 100 members.  Thanks to all our new members and to all who have been part of our history.  Impressive from a four member start. 

As a reminder, all dues paying members from 2020 have had their dues credited to 2021.  That means that no dues will be required from this group.  New 2021 members will be assessed the regular $20 fee (including $5 for preservation), unless circumstances change. 

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.