One of the great unsung heroes of the American Revolution was an Irish Catholic colonel in the Continental Army who called Alexandria, Virginia home.  His name was John Fitzgerald and he would be by George Washington’s side during some of the most dramatic moments of the Revolutionary War.  Unfortunately, today in his adopted hometown, people are working to erase his gallant memory.

In 1769 John Fitzgerald sailed from the emerald green fields of County Wicklow, Ireland to the southern British colonial town of Alexandria, Virginia.  Fitzgerald left a country that was firmly under the domination of British and Protestant rule.  Despite making up a majority of the residents of the country, Irish Catholics were treated as second class subjects in Ireland.  What Fitzgerald would find in colonial Virginia would not have been that much different as many British colonists had anti-Catholic sentiments.  Fitzgerald would find it illegal for him to openly worship in Virginia.  He would be forced to celebrate Catholic mass in his private home.

Despite the prejudices he faced, Fitzgerald became a merchant in Alexandria and would soon become good friends with the prominent local citizen, George Washington.  As tensions began to build between Great Britain and the American colonies, Fitzgerald would become an early proponent of the patriot cause.  As early as 1774, Fitzgerald had joined the local patriot militia, the Fairfax Independent Company, as an officer.

In early 1776, Fitzgerald became a captain in the 3rd Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line, and was promoted to major that fall.  In November, Fitzgerald was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and joined Washington’s headquarters as an aide-de-camp.  Fitzgerald joined his staff at one of the darkest moments of the entire war.  Fitzgerald joined as what was left of Washington’s army was retreating across the state of New Jersey.  Washington’s army was dissolving before his very eyes. From 24,000 men that August, by December Washington only counted about 3,000 men.  In this trying time, Fitzgerald would be by Washington’s side as the revolution seemed near an end.  He would then join Washington and his men as they crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night and took part in the pivotal battles at Trenton and Princeton. (Read about these important battles in my book “Victory or Death: The Battles of Trenton and Princeton”)

Continue reading “An Irish Catholic Hero of the Revolution” →

Early on the morning of December 26, 1776, George Washington and his 2,400 man army went running into the Hessian occupied village of Trenton, New Jersey.  It was snowing hard that morning and the one American soldier recalled that “we advanced, and although there was not more than one bayonet to five men, orders were given to ‘Charge bayonets and rush on!’ And rush on we did.” Continue reading “Victory or Death” →

There was perhaps no darker Christmas Eve in American history than in 1776.  The cause of American liberty and independence was on the very verge of disintegration.  General George Washington’s army (that had once had more than 20,000 soldiers) had melted to only about 3,000 fit for duty.  Of those soldiers, many of their enlistments would expire the following week on January 1.  The victorious British and Hessian soldiers had thrashed Washington’s army in nearly every engagement they fought.  Just a week before Christmas, Washington wrote that he “tremble[d] for Philadelphia” and that he thought “the game was pretty near up.”  The British were well known for their harsh treatment of rebels, and it was likely they would show no mercy to these colonial rebels.  Gloom and dread filled the minds and hearts of the patriots.  Writer Thomas Paine famously wrote that “these are the times that try men’s souls!”  General Nathanael Greene was hopeful some event would change their fortunes when he wrote “I hope this is the dark part of the night, which is generally just before the day.”

On December 22, Washington’s aide, Colonel Joseph Reed wrote to Washington that “our affairs are now hasting fast to ruin if we do not retrieve them by some happy event. Delay is now equal to total defeat.” Washington had to act.

On the night before Christmas, Washington met with his generals in the home of Samuel Merrick in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where General Nathanael Greene had made his headquarters.  Here, Washington laid out his final dispositions for what would be one of the boldest missions of the entire war.  The following night, his army would cross the Delaware River and march on Trenton, New Jersey and attack the 1,500 Hessian soldiers garrisoned there.  What exactly was said in this meeting we do not know, but there must have been major objections to such a dangerous and desperate action.  The demoralized army would have to cross an ice-choked river, march nine miles in a winter storm and defeat well-drilled and equipped German soldiers.  However, as Washington had written the day before: “Necessity, dire necessity, will, nay, must, justify an attempt.”  As Washington and his fellow generals left the Samuel Merrick house that Christmas Eve, they were given the password for this daring Christmas mission: “Victory or Death.”

The events that would follow would prove to be the most crucial in the history of the United States. To learn more about these events and what must have been the gloomiest night before Christmas, as well as have a field guide to see where these sites are today, I hope you check out my new book about this campaign: “Victory or Death: The Battles of Trenton and Princeton.”

George Washington died on December 14, 1799.  On December 12, 1799, the celebrated Revolutionary War general and former president rode around his beloved Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon.  Despite the fact it was snowing and sleeting, Washington spent five hours in the winter weather.  Washington had survived much worse winters before, and gave little thought to this particular storm, even as he sat for dinner that evening with snow still clinging to his hair.  Later that night however, he began to show signs of a sore throat.  The next day, he went out again in the miserable weather to mark some trees that needed to be cut down.  On the night of December 13, the sore throat had gotten worse.  He stayed up that night reading the newspaper with his wife, Martha, and his personal secretary, Tobias Lear.  As he headed to bed, Lear suggested he take some medicine for his cold.  Washington declined, saying he would “let it go as it came.”[1]

Around 3 or 4 in the morning, Washington awoke with a fever and his throat even more tender.  Martha was worried and wanted to go alert Tobias Lear, but Washington was afraid the cold air would harm Martha and decided to wait until the enslaved handmaid Caroline came into the room to start a fire at 7 in the morning.  At that time, Lear was alerted and he immediately called for doctors to come to Mount Vernon. Continue reading ““I die hard; but I am not afraid to go.” – George Washington’s Final Battle” →