240 Years ago Today in South Carolina: Lt. Col. Johann Christian Senf’s Journal and the Battle of Camden

On August 14, 2020August 18, 2020 By Rob OrrisonIn Armies, Arms & Armaments, Battlefields & Historic Places, Battles, Campaigns, Common Soldier, Continental Leadership, Militia (Patriot) Leadership, Personalities, Revolutionary War, Southern Theater2 Comments

Today 240 years ago in the back country of South Carolina, General Horatio Gates and his “Grand Army” were encamped around Rugeleys Mills South Carolina. He had come a long way in a short amount of time with his army from Deep Creek, NC. The men were ill fed, mostly poorly trained militia but he needed to strike a win for the American cause in the South. What he planned that evening is still debated today.

Gates had only been in command of the re comprised Southern Continental Army for a few weeks. He was tasked with turning around a disastrous year for the Americans in South Carolina. Most of the Southern army was captured at Charleston in May 1780 and then a bloody defeat of Virginia forces on May 29th at Waxhaws. American partisans such as Moultrie and Sumter had found some success, but the Continental Congress worried that they were about to lose the southern colonies. Something had to be done and many believed (though Washington and his supporters wanted Nathaniel Greene) the hero of Saratoga was the man for the job.

Now that Gates had brought his army so close to the British post at Camden, SC he needed intelligence on his next move. There could be no misstep, he was only 12 miles from the British at Camden. At that time, Gates believed he outnumbered the British under Lord Rawdon, but what he was soon to find out is he over inflated his own numbers and now Lord Cornwallis was in command. Gates’ force was still slightly larger, but it was mostly made up for militia. The British army comprised of some of the best units in North American. A very different situation indeed.

Gates ordered his engineer Lt. Col. Johann Christian Senf and Virginian Lt. Col. Charles Porterfield southward towards Camden. Senf was to find a suitable location for the American army to march and set up a defensive position. Gates had no illusions to attacking the British at Camden, and most likely he hoped they would abandon Camden all together. Senf wrote “reconnoitering a deep creek 7 miles in front was found impassable 7 miles to the right and about the same distance to the left, only at the place of the Ford interjects the great road”. (1) This creek was Saunder’s Creek and it is where Gates decided to move his “Grand Army” and await developments from Thomas Sumter who he had sent on a mission along the Wateree River in the flank and rear of Camden.

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“Rev War Roundtable with ERW” Focuses on African American soldiers during the American Revolution with author and historian, John U. Rees

On August 13, 2020August 13, 2020 By erwpostIn Emerging Revolutionary War, Memory, Revolutionary WarLeave a comment

Baron Ludwig von Closen, aide–de–camp to French General Rochambeau, wrote in July 1781:

“I had a chance to see the American Army, man for man. It is really painful to see those brave men, almost naked with only some trousers and little linen jackets, most of them without stockings, but, would you believe it, very cheerful and healthy in appearance … It is incredible that soldiers composed of men of every age, even children of fifteen, of whites and blacks, unpaid and rather poorly fed, can march so fast and withstand fire so steadfastly’.”

During the American Revolution, African-Americans, both freed and enslaved, fought for the patriots. Some wielded muskets in militia outfits whereas others were part of the Continental army. African-Americans were there from the Siege of Boston through the end of the conflict. In fact, until the Korean War the American Revolution was the last time a United States military force was integrated in time of war.

Although publications have been printed about the 1st Rhode Island or comparative studies between Africans that served for the British or patriots. However, the field needed a dedicated study of African-Americans that served in the Continental army. Enter John U. Rees.

A lifelong Bucks County, Pennsylvanian who has studied and written about the soldiery of the American Revolution for the past three decades. He is published many times over and this Sunday, he will join Emerging Revolutionary War at 7 p.m. on “Rev War Revelry.”

The discussion will include his new book, “They Were Good Soldiers’: African-Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783.” Which is now available for purchase online. ‘They Were Good Soldiers’: African Americans Serving in the Continental Army, 1775-1783 begins by discussing the inclusion and treatment of black Americans by the various Crown forces (particularly British and Loyalist commanders, and military units). The narrative then moves into an overview of black soldiers in the Continental Army, before examining their service state by state. Each state chapter looks first at the Continental regiments in that state’s contingent throughout the war, and then adds interesting black soldiers’ pension narratives or portions thereof. The premise is to introduce the reader to the men’s wartime duties and experiences. The book’s concluding chapters examine veterans’ post-war fortunes in a changing society and the effect of increasing racial bias in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Besides the book dialogue, a general conversation about the roles of African-Americans in the American Revolutionary period. So, find your favorite brew, bring your questions and insights, and join John Rees and ERW on Sunday evening on our Facebook page.

For more articles by our guest historian John Rees, visit https://tinyurl.com/Rees-author-only . An online compendium of articles on African Americans in the Revolutionary era is available at https://tinyurl.com/Afr-Amer-Rev-War .

“Rev War Roundtable with ERW” Discussing Disease

On August 6, 2020 By erwpostIn Common Soldier, Emerging Revolutionary War, Revolutionary WarLeave a comment

In Morristown, New Jersey during one of the winters that the Continental army bedded down in that geographically critical hamlet, General George Washington ordered the inoculation of his forces for smallpox. This was the first instituted innoculation of American forces and the requirement proved effective. Smallpox would claim more lives–both British and American–during the American Revolution than any other single cause or disease.

With the world today facing a pandemic, the historians at Emerging Revolutionary War invite you to take a step back into time, to the 18th century, as they discuss diseases during the war, including at such winter encampments as Morristown and Valley Forge, in the southern colonies and the campaigning that traversed the Carolinas and Georgia, along with an outbreak of yellow fever that changed the course of American political history and played a major role in the permanent placement of the United States capital.

Join us at our usual time, 7 p.m. EST, on our Facebook page, as the next installment of “Rev War Revelry” discusses diseases and investigates illnesses of the Colonial America during the American Revolutionary era. Since alcohol was considered medicinal, there is no excuse to not bring your favorite brew as you watch, listen, chime in, and comment.

What’s So Bonhomme about Richard?

On August 4, 2020July 29, 2020 By erwpostIn Emerging Revolutionary War, Memory, Navy, Revolutionary War3 Comments

Emerging Revolutionary War welcomes guest historian Dwight Hughes

The recent disastrous conflagration aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) in San Diego harbor brings to mind the original warship by that name and its fiery fate, a tale excellently told in a previous post by Eric Sterner (“I Have not Yet Begun to Fight!” or Words to that Effect (September 23, 1779)). “Bonhomme Richard” means “good man Richard” in French. So, who is Richard? What was good about him? Why is his name on a man-of-war?

The United States Navy likes to carry forward the labels of famous vessels. This is one of the oldest and most revered monikers in navy history, originally assigned in 1779 by Captain John Paul Jones to a rather decrepit French merchantman armed with a motley collection of guns. The French government donated the former Duc De Duras to Jones to sail against their mutual enemies, the British.

Jones famously engaged the powerful frigate HMS Serapis on September 23, 1779 in English waters off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. The ships grappled together and blasted away at point blank range. Both were battered and ablaze in sinking condition with many casualties when the British captain surrendered. With Bonhomme Richard going down fast, the Americans took over Serapis and managed to save her.

John Paul Jones became the “Father of the U. S. Navy” (or one of them). Bonhomme Richard entered legend as the warship that won and sank. She and her successors also represent those rare U. S. Navy vessels whose names are rendered in a foreign language.

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Arnold’s Treason: 240 Years Later

On August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 By William GriffithIn Uncategorized1 Comment

This is the first part of what will be a running series that will highlight the 240th anniversary of the events surrounding Benedict Arnold’s treason.

The story of Benedict Arnold’s treason during the Revolutionary War is one of the most infamous, yet tragic, in our nation’s history. He was the “American Hannibal,” the most brilliant battlefield commander during the conflict’s early stages. His patriotism, sacrifice, and commitment to the cause of independence were matched by few in the American high command, so too were his battle honors. Fort Ticonderoga, Quebec, Valcour Island, Ridgefield, the relief of Fort Stanwix, and the battles of Saratoga—he was always in the thick of things.

Arnold’s treason was not something that was pre-determined. His ultimate defection to the British in 1780 was a result of many factors that continued to pile up as the war progressed, but it can be rooted in a long-running feeling of being underappreciated and a growing distrust in America’s political leaders.

Following his grievous leg wound at Saratoga on October 7, 1777, Arnold was appointed military governor of Philadelphia, never to command American troops on the battlefield again. While stationed there, his downward spiral towards treason began to accelerate. An open feud with Joseph Reed and Pennsylvania’s Supreme Executive Council led to a court martial and reprimand from George Washington, something beyond correction for a man with the personal honor of Benedict Arnold. The slippery slope became even more slippery. Continue reading “Arnold’s Treason: 240 Years Later” →

“Rev War Roundtable with ERW” An Evening with General Muhlenberg

On July 30, 2020July 29, 2020 By erwpostIn Continental Leadership, Emerging Revolutionary War, Memory, Revolutionary WarLeave a comment

This Sunday, at 7 p.m. EST, Emerging Revolutionary War invites you to a “Rev War Revelry” dedicated to General Peter Muhlenberg. This Continental Army officer is the subject of a new biography, by historian Michael Cecere, who, along with Gabe Neville, will be joining us for the evening.

Gabe Neville, the author of the blog, The 8th Virginia Regiment in the Revolutionary War, returns to “Rev War Revelry” for a second time. General Muhlenberg, at the time a colonel, was the first commanding officer of the 8th Virginia Regiment. Click here to access Gabe’s blog.

Michael Cecere, the author of the biography, is an active American Revolutionary reenactor, author, and high-school history teacher in Virginia. He is making his debut on “Rev War Revelry.” For more information on this and his other works, click here.

We hope you can join us, this Sunday, as we discuss the life and military career of Peter Muhlenberg, the 8th Virginia Regiment, and the broader military history of the American Revolution.

ERW Weekender: Fort Recovery

On July 24, 2020July 24, 2020 By erwguestIn Armies, Battlefields & Historic Places, Common Soldier, Emerging Revolutionary War, ERW Weekender, Memory, Monuments, Native AmericanLeave a comment

Emerging Revolutionary War welcomes guest historian Joshua Shepherd

For most history enthusiasts, a visit to a battlefield is simply a diversion that very often takes place during an annual vacation. But the pleasant surroundings of America’s historic parks belie the terrifying sights that greeted a battlefield’s first visitors.

On December 24, 1793, a detachment of American troops under the command of Major Henry Burbeck arrived at an insignificant knoll deep in the wilderness of present-day Ohio. Tasked with constructing a timber fortification on the site, the troops first had to attend to the unenviable task of clearing the remains of over six hundred men who had been killed there two years earlier. Burbeck reported that the battlefield “had a very melancholy appearance – nearly in the space of 350 yards lay 500 skull bones – 300 of which we buried.” Most of the skulls, it was reported, appeared to have been smashed by tomahawk blows.

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“Rev War Roundtable with ERW” Presents 1776!

On July 23, 2020July 23, 2020 By erwpostIn Emerging Revolutionary War, Memory, Revolutionary WarLeave a comment

This Sunday, at 7 p.m. join Emerging Revolutionary War on our Facebook page for a happy hour historian discussion on the play. 1776. Joining ERW historians, will be historian Liz Williams from Historic Alexandria.

And making her debut on “Rev War Revelry” will be Rebecca Grawl from “DC by Foot” and a “Tour of Her Own.” Welcome Rebecca!

For those unfamiliar, the play, “1776” premiered on Broadway in 1969 but has a longer history than just that debut. One can easily guess the synopsis of the production; centering around the pivotal year in American history that same year. A revival of the play is on tap for next spring.

A few weeks ago we had a discussion on “Hamilton” so we hope you are ready for another discussion about American Revolutionary history on the stage and screen. Remember to grab your favorite brew and a place of comfort and sit back and enjoy your Sunday night with Emerging Revolutionary War as the historians harangue, mildly, the history and play “1776.”

“Bring Out Your Dead”: The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

On July 21, 2020July 20, 2020 By Mark MaloyIn Uncategorized6 Comments

One of the worst epidemics in American history occurred in the then capital of the United States, Philadelphia, in the late summer and fall of 1793. The yellow fever epidemic of 1793 killed almost 10% of the city’s population and forced the young government of the United States and President George Washington to seek shelter away from Philadelphia.

“Girard’s Heroism” depicts Philadelphian Stephen Girard personally taking victims of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic into his carriage to be taken to a hospital.

The 18th century was full of epidemics including smallpox, typhus, influenza, measles, and yellow fever. Yellow fever (also referred to as ‘the bilious fever’) was a brutal disease to contract and suffer. Once a person got yellow fever they would come down with aches and a fever. The disease would then attack the liver causing jaundice which turned the person’s skin a yellow color (hence the name yellow fever). Shortly after that, they would begin to bleed from the mouth, nose, and eyes and vomit black blood. It would usually only take a few days for the person to die from the disease. Almost 50% of all those who contracted the disease died.

Yellow fever arrived in Philadelphia in the spring of 1793 when a ship carrying French refugees from the Haitian Revolution arrived from the Caribbean. In an era before germ theory, there were numerous erroneous thoughts as to the cause of this epidemic and how it spread. Many people assumed the fever was caused by putrid air from rotting produce on the docks since this is where the first cases appeared. Others blamed the refugees for bringing the disease into the city.

Among the early victims of the disease was a member of the President’s house. Polly Lear, the 23-year-old wife of George Washington’s secretary, Tobias Lear, died from yellow fever on July 28, 1793. Washington was personally devastated and attended her funeral the following day at Christ Church in Philadelphia, the only funeral he would attend during his presidency. Polly was given a funeral similar to a state funeral, with her pallbearers being Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Knox. Even though the fever would claim the lives of people close to George Washington, he, himself, never described fear or anxiety of catching the disease.

By August of 1793, cases of yellow fever in Philadelphia reached a point where local doctors declared an epidemic. About 20 people were dying every day of the disease. The College of Physicians in the city gave recommendations to slow the spread of the fever. They believed it was contagious from infected people and travelled through the air. People wore vinegar-soaked cloths around their mouths and noses, stayed in their homes, stopped shaking hands, kept distance on the streets from others, and lit bonfires in the city streets hoping the smoke would kill the disease in the air. People ceased to visit those afflicted with the fever, and the houses of those who had the fever were marked for all to avoid. They also sought to quickly bury people who died from the fever to try and stop the spread. People fled the city in droves. Nearly 20,000 people ultimately escaped the city. Washington described the city as “almost depopulated by removals and deaths.”

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“Rev War Roundtable with ERW” Author Interview: William “Billy” Griffith

On July 16, 2020 By erwpostIn Emerging Revolutionary War, Emerging Revolutionary War Series, Revolutionary War, UncategorizedLeave a comment

This Sunday, at 7 p.m. join Emerging Revolutionary War on our Facebook page as we interview William “Billy” Griffith, author of the latest volume in the Emerging Revolutionary War Series.

His book, A Handsome Flogging, The Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778 was just released by Savas Beatie, LLC this month. The book is so new that Amazon still has it listed for pre-sale, but don’t worry, you can purchase the book directly from Savas Beatie by clicking here.

Billy Griffith is a full-time contributor to ERW and is also the author of The Battle of Lake George: England’s First Triumph in the French and Indian War, which was released in 2016 by HistoryPress. A native of Branchburg, New Jersey, he has a family connection to the the Monmouth area; he graduated with a degree in history from Shepherd University and holds a graduate degree in military history from Norwich University. He currently works as a full-time Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide. We would be remiss if we did not include his other passion, besides American military history, the New York Yankees. Feel free to join the Facebook Live to disparage his love of the Evil Empire!

ERW looks forward to seeing you, hearing your questions, comments, and what personalized message you want inscribed on your copy of Billy’s latest publication. Although this happy hour historian discussion centers on an author interview, it is still a “happy hour” so bring your favorite brew; we can guarantee the two historians on the program will be imbibing theirs!