Meeting Notes: July 15, 2020

 ARRT-Richmond 7/15/20 Meeting Notes

Pre-Guest Speaker Notes:

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 9/16/20 at 6:30 p.m.  This is a zoom meeting!  Sign in details will be provided in the August newsletter.  Thanks again to Peggy Watson for allowing us to utilize the Osher network.

ARRT-R’s featured speaker on 9/16/20 will be Norm Bollen. Norm will be speaking on his new book, George Washington and the Mohawk Valley.  Norm is chairman of the board of the Fort Plain Museum and Historical Park. He is former president of the Mohawk Valley Museum Consortium and the president and founder of Mohawk Country, Inc., a non-profit group which promotes historic preservation and heritage based tourism  in the Mohawk Valley.

Guest Speaker: Bert Dunkerly, “Four Winters at Morristown: Smallpox, Starvation, and Mutiny.”

Bert Dunkerly is currently a Park Ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park.  He holds a degree from St. Vincent College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University.  Bert recently spent six months as the Acting Supervisory Ranger at Morristown National Park.

Why did George Washington select Morristown as a base?

1. While Morristown’s location in northern New Jersey was close enough to New York City to threaten the British it’s located more than a day’s march from the city.  This would prevent the British from quickly moving on the Continental Army.

2. Morristown was a crossroads village with multiple roads leading in and out allowing for easy movement of troops and supplies.

3. Natural resources such as water and timber where in abundance in the area surrounding the village.

4. While parts of New Jersey contained large percentages of “loyal” subjects the area around Morristown was considered very friendly to the rebellion.

Winter#1: 1776-1777

The Continental Army arrived at Morristown on January 6th, 1777.  The army that arrived numbered only 2000 men.  Troops where not quartered in huts but in private homes and barns.  The Army faced issues including dwindling enlistment, desertion, and a lack of supplies and pay.  Within weeks of arriving in Morristown the Army also faced an issue with a smallpox epidemic.  In response, Washington instituted an inoculation campaign in a successful effort to stamp out the epidemic.

Washington created a defensive network around Morristown.  The most significant part of the defensive sites was “High Hill – Fort Nonsense”.   From “High Hill” you can see Manhattan on a clear day.

Winter#2: 1778-1779

In 1778 the Army returned to Morristown.  Winter#2 was much colder than Valley Forge.  Instead of living in private residences the Army built huts.  

Deaths due to disease and other causes where much smaller at Morristown in 1778-1779 than at Valley Forge.  The Army had learned lessons involving issues such as sanitation and camp layout. 

Winter#3: 1780-1781

Instead of the entire Army being based in Morristown only Pennsylvania troops were quartered in and around the village.

On January 1, 1781 much of the Pennsylvania force mutinied.  The mutineers marched to Princeton in attempt to meet with the Continental Congress.

Winter#4: 1781-1782

Only New Jersey troops where based in Morristown.  Troop numbers where estimated to be around 700.

--Noah Rogers

2020 Harry M. Ward Book Prize Winner Announced

 

The ARRT-Richmond Book Prize Committee has announced the winner and runners-up for the 2020 Prize. They are:

WINNER:

Contest for Liberty: Military Leadership in the Continental Army, 1775-1783, by Seanegan P. Sculley. Westholme Publishing, 2019.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy, and the Fate of the American Revolution, by David Head. Pegasus Books, 2019.

Washington’s Revolutionary War Generals, by Stephen R. Taaffe. University of Oklahoma Press, 2019.

Southern Gambit: Cornwallis and the British March to Yorktown, by Stanley D. M. Carpenter. University of Oklahoma Press, 2019.

Heartfelt thanks to the committee: Mark Lender, Fred Sorrell, and Bert Dunkerly.

Thaddeus Kościuszko

Woody Childs sent along a link to an article entitled, "Revolutionary War Hero Thaddeus Kościuszko Ages Well in New Era of Social Justice," written by Amy Cohen for "Hidden City." Very interesting article--give it a read!

Thanks, Woody!

Click here for article

Crossing of the Dan Commemoration for 2021

The annual Crossing of the Dan commemoration in 2021 will be held on Saturday, February 20 in South Boston. Due to the virus concerns, it will be somewhat down-sized but will occur nevertheless. Be sure to mark your calendars for this annual event!

Next Meeting: September 16, 2020 Topic & Speaker

Our September 16 meeting will again be a Zoom session, rather than an in-person gathering.  Thanks again to Peggy Watson, we will be utilizing the Osher network to present Norm Bollen speaking on his new book George Washington and the Mohawk Valley.   Norm is chairman of the board of the Fort Plain Museum and Historical Park.  He is former president of the Mohawk Valley Museum Consortium and the president and founder of Mohawk Country, Inc., a non-profit group which promotes historic preservation and heritage based tourism in the -Mohawk Valley. Norm has a life-long affiliation with the Fort Plain Museum beginning with its opening in the 1960s. He and his family were deeply involved with the museum participating in research, fundraising, visitor tours and archaeological digs.  Norm is a retired entrepreneur who began his "second career" with the fort in 2006.  He lives in Amsterdam, NY. 

To participate in a Zoom session, your computer will need a camera function, standard for most lap tops and tablets.  But I would suggest reviewing the camera function before that time.  We recommend that you join in 5 - 10 minutes before the start, to be sure that your equipment is working.  All attendees will be put in a waiting room, then admitted one by one. You will be muted on admittance, but will be able to unmute as soon as you’re in.  Peggy Watson will explain the meeting protocol.

Sign in information will be provided in the September newsletter, about a week before the meeting. 

We do realize that all members might not be able to view the program, but also feel that this approach is better than entirely missing another meeting.  As with July, we won't worry about the other parts of the meeting.  

Next Meeting: September 16, 2020

The speaker for our next meeting on September 16, 2020 was scheduled to be Al Zambone speaking on Daniel Morgan. Given that we will almost certainly be meeting once again via Zoom, Bruce is working to confirm with Al and to schedule another speaker, if necessary. Stay tuned for more details.

Meeting Notes: May 20, 2020

ARRT-Richmond 5/20/20 Meeting Notes
Pre-Guest Speaker Notes

ARRT-R’s next meeting is scheduled for 7/15/20.  This is a zoom meeting!  Sign in details will be provided in the July newsletter.  Thanks again to Peggy Watson for allowing us to utilize the Osher network.

ARRT-R’s featured speaker on 7/15/20 will be Bert Dunkerly.  Bert’s topic will be “Four Winters at Morristown: Smallpox, Starvation, and Mutiny”.  Bert recently spent six months as the Acting Supervisory Ranger at Morristown National Park.

Guest Speaker – Mark Edward Lender – Cabal! The Plot Against General Washington
 
Mark Edward Lender holds a Ph.D in American History from Rutgers University.  He has written extensively on early American social and military history and is a recognized authority on the War for Independence.  Lender’s scholarship has won awards from the Society of Military History and the U.S. Army Historical Foundation and a fellowship  from Smith National Library at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.  In 2017 he was a finalist for the prestigious George Washington Literary Prize. 

Lender considers that rather than the “classic cabal” of General’s Horatio Gates, Thomas Mifflin, and Thomas Conway in a plot to remove General  Washington quickly, the threat to 
Washington’s command was a gradual administrative attempt by the Board of War and political allies to take over the war effort.

General  Washington’s record in late 1777 was not impressive.  He has been whipped at 
Brandywine, surprised at Paoli, beaten at Germantown, and had been unable to hold the 
Delaware River forts.

The alternative to General Washington was seen as Major General Horatio Gates.   While 
General Washington was struggling in Pennsylvania Gates was defeating Burgoyne at Saratoga.

Two generals in particular where determined to replace General Washington with Gates.  The two generals where Thomas Mifflin and Thomas Conway.

General Conway was angered by his rank and considered General Washington incompetent.

“Heaven has been determined to save your country; or a weak general and bad councellors 
would have ruined it.” Conway to Gates (attributed) Late November 1777

General Mifflin has failed as Quartermaster General and was extremely jealous of General 
Washington’s relationship with General Nathaniel Greene.

“You have saved out Northern Hemisphere and in spite of our consummate & repeated 
blundering you have changed the constitution of the Southern Campaign on the part of the 
enemy from offensive to defensive…. In short this army will be totally lost unless you come 
down & collect the virtuous band, who wish to fight under your banner & with their aid save the southern hemisphere…  Congress must send for you.”  Mifflin to Gates, 17 November 1777

The Board of War was created in mid-1776 as a support organization to take care of routine administrative tasks for Congress: military records, routine correspondence,  equipment not in use, British POWs.  When created the Board was staffed by delegates.  The Board was reorganized in October 1777 to fulfill the same functions  but was  staffed with full time professional  instead of delegates.  General Gates was appointed President of the Board and became in essence General Washington’s superior.

In December 1777 the Board of War on Mifflin’s advice created the Office of Inspector General.  General Washington was not consulted red the creation of the Office.  The Inspector General was tasked with devising and implementing training and tactical drill regimen, conducting officer evaluation, and making extensive reports on virtually all army functions, with oversight of the Board of War.  On Mifflin’s advice Conway is appointed to the post.

Beginning in January 1778 through March 1778 the Board of War began implementing a “Commissary Plan” independent of Washington and the established army Commissary Department.  Three commissary operations – the army department, Board of War “superintendents”, and state agents created competition for the same supplies and mass confusion.

At the same time as the Board of War began implementing a “Commissary Plan” the Board also began issuing direct orders to the army. Orders issued included the movement of arms, 
munitions, and units without Washington’s approval.

Most egregiously to Washington and his supporters the Board began planning for another 
invasion of Canada.  Gates did not consult Washington and determined that the Board of War would run the invasion.  The Board began issuing orders directly to Lafayette and other senior officers and not through the C-in-C.

The Gates, Conway, and Mifflin  relationship was discovered through correspondence between the parties.  Conway was injured in a duel and Gates apologized to Washington.  By late spring 1778 the greatest threat to General Washington’s command was over.

--Noah Rogers