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UM, FRED CHARLES HERE, REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS.
WE'RE A COMMITTEE OF THE HASTINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
I SEE NATALIE AND JAN AND SOME OTHER HIGH, HE, THE HISTORIANS HERE.
AND, UH, THANKS TO THE GEN TO AND TO THE BOOK GROUP FOR GUYS FOR COMING AND, AND EVERYONE ELSE FOR BEING HERE ON THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
UM, I HAVE A SAD PIECE OF BUSINESS BEFORE WE START.
UM, OUR, UH, I'LL JUST READ THIS, UM, HASTINGS AND REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS LOST A BRIGHT LIGHT FRIDAY.
UM, OH, LET ME ASK YOU ALL TO TURN OFF YOUR PHONES.
FIRST PIECE OF BUSINESS, I'LL START AGAIN.
HASTINGS AND REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS LOST A BRIGHT LIGHT FRIDAY.
SUSAN MEGS PASSED AWAY WITH HER HUSBAND, TODD AND SON'S, WILL AND GRAHAM AT HER SIDE.
THIS PLACE, OUR LIBRARY, IS AN ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE ONE TO REMEMBER.
SUSAN, I CAN THINK OF NO GREATER HUMANIST, NO GREATER LOVER OF LITERATURE.
SUSAN WAS AN EDITOR AT OXFORD PRESS.
SHE CREATED THE LIBRARY AT CHILDREN'S VILLAGE AND READ ALOUD TO CHILDREN FOR OVER TWO DECADES, THROUGH BOOKS FOR BOYS AND THE OPEN DOOR PROGRAM.
SUSAN WAS ALSO PART OF OUR REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS TEAM AND WORKED CLOSELY WITH US TO EDIT THE SIX INTERPRETIVE PANELS ON REVOLUTIONARY WALK LOCALLY.
SUSAN LEAVES HER HUSBAND TODD, HER BROTHER JIM MEGS AND SISTER-IN-LAW, JENNY STERN, AND MANY DEAR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, SOME OF WHOM I SEE HERE TODAY.
AT A VISIT TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2022, FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID TO SUSAN, YOUR SMILE LIGHTS UP THE OVAL OFFICE THAT SHE DID FOR US ALL.
I ASK THAT WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR SUSAN BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH OUR TALK.
UH, ON A HAPPIER NOTE, I'M PROUD TO PRESENT TODD BRASAD.
TODD
TODD HAS BEEN A MAJOR FIGURE IN THE TELLING OF HISTORY THERE.
HE BECAME ENTHRALLED BY THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AS A REENACTOR DURING THE BICENTENNIAL.
EVENTUALLY, HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE BERGEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, A POSITION SHE OCCUPIED FOR FOUR DECADES.
TODD BRASAD HAS PUBLISHED OVER 60 BOOKS IN JOURNAL ARTICLES ON A VARIETY OF PERIOD SUBJECTS, INCLUDING HIS 2016 BOOK AND TODAY'S TOPIC, GRAND FORAGE OF 1778.
TODD HAS APPEARED AS A, A GUEST HISTORIAN ON TELEVISION SHOWS IN INCLUDING PBS'S HISTORY DETECTIVES.
IN 2026, HE RECEIVED THE HISTORY AWARD MEDAL FROM THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
HE HAS LECTURED EXTENSIVELY ON LOYALISTS AND OTHER SUBJECTS ACROSS THE US AND CANADA.
HIS WEBSITE, ROYAL PROVINCIAL.COM, IS THE LEADING SITE FOR LOYALIST RESEARCH.
HE'S A CONSULTANT FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND REVOLUTION, NEW JERSEY, THE STATE'S ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE SEMI QUENTEN.
HE HAS TAUGHT NUMEROUS CLASSES FOR FORT TAI CONROY IS NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES TEACHERS PROGRAM.
WE REVOLUTIONARY HASTINGS IN THE HASTINGS HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
CAME TO KNOW TODD THROUGH HIS GRAND FORAGE OF 1778 WORK.
WE ARE INDEBTED TO TODD AND THE BERGEN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOR THEIR INTERPRET, THEIR INTERPRETIVE PANEL DISPLAY.
THE BAYLOR MASSACRE SITE IN RIVERVALE, JUST SEVEN MILES BEHIND ME.
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ALSO SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN NILES YEAGER AND I VISITED, AND WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT A SIMILAR ARC OF SIX INTERPRETIVE PANELS WOULD BE A FITTING MODE OF PRESENTATION FOR OUR REVOLUTIONARY WALK SITE, THE SITE HERE IN HASTINGS.TODD, LONG TIME COMING, BUT FINALLY, WELCOME TO HASTINGS.
I I DON'T GET OVER HERE THAT OFTEN.
UM, THE, THE TAPPAN SEA BRIDGE, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, NOT, NOT MY FAVORITE BRIDGE.
UM, SO WE, WE, WE TEND TO STAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HUDSON FOR THE MOST PART.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, I'VE NEVER SPOKEN IN CONNECTICUT, UM, RHODE ISLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, BUT NOT CONNECTICUT.
IT, IT'S A, IT'S AN AVERSION TO THE EAST, I THINK.
UM, BUT ONE BIT OF OBSERVATION THAT BAYLOR PARK IS ACTUALLY A COUNTY PARK.
IT WAS THE, IT WAS THE BERGEN COUNTY, UH, CULTURAL I HERITAGE AFFAIRS ASSOCIATION THAT ACTUALLY CREATED AND MAINTAINS THAT PARK.
UM, BUT YES, THE, THE NEW INTERPRETER PADDLES THEY PUT IN ARE WONDERFUL.
I'D LIKE TO START BY GIVING YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW THIS BOOK CAME TO BE.
UM, I WAS DOING A REVOLUTIONARY WAR REENACTMENT WITH THE BRIGADE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, ONE OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WAS ONCE PRESIDENT OF, UM, WHEN A FRIEND OF MINE, DON HAGAS, HAS ANYBODY HERE EVER VISITED THE WEBSITE? ALL THINGS LIBERTY.
A JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
IT, IF YOU HAVEN'T, PLEASE DO.
UH, IT WILL COST YOU ALL OF ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
UM, THERE'S THOUSANDS OF ARTICLES ON THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, A COUPLE DOZEN FROM ME, UM, PLUS PODCASTS, BOOK REVIEWS, ALL SORTS OF STUFF, AND EVERY SUBJECT YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT FOR FREE.
DON IS THE EDITOR IN CHIEF OF ALL THINGS LIBERTY.
HE'S ALSO BEEN A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE FOR, UM, 47 YEARS.
UM, WE EVEN WENT TO TO ENGLAND TOGETHER ON OUR FIRST BIG RESEARCH TRIP WHEN I WAS 20.
HE'S ALSO THE, THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON ON THE BRITISH ARMY IN AMERICA.
SO HE'S, HE'S, HE'S A GOOD PERSON TO KNOW.
AT ABOUT EIGHT IN THE MORNING, WE WERE WALKING IN LIBERTY HALL, UM, UH, SITE THERE WAS THE LIVINGSTON MAN, UH, MANSION OF GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON DURING THE REVOLUTION.
AND HE SAYS, UH, BEFORE ANY ELSE GETS UP, I'M GONNA ASK YOU A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION.
HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS ARE NEVER HYPOTHETICAL.
WHEN SOMEBODY MENTIONS THAT, HE SAYS, UM, DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A SERIES OF BOOKS ON LESSER KNOWN CAMPAIGNS OF THE REVOLUTION? I SAID, YEAH, I, THERE'S A LOT OF BOOKS ON SARATOGA, A LOT OF BOOKS ON TRENTON, YORKTOWN, LESSER, THERE'S LOTS OF LESSER KNOWN THINGS THAT COULD COVER, OKAY, DO YOU KNOW OF ANY THAT SOMEONE COULD WRITE ABOUT? I SAID, YEAH.
I SAID, I'VE PROBABLY GOT ENOUGH RESEARCH ALREADY DONE TO PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING IN SHORT ORDER ON THE GRAND FORAGE IN 78.
OKAY, SO ABOUT A MONTH LATER, WE'RE IN MY CAR HEADING DOWN TO THE DAVID LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
AND HE LOOKS AT ME LIKE, UM, THAT CONVERSATION WE HAD LAST MONTH THAT WASN'T REALLY HYPOTHETICAL.
UM, HE'S LIKE, UM, CONSIDER THIS A GO TO.
PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND WE'LL WORK OUT THE, THE DETAILS LATER.
AND THAT WAS LIKE NOVEMBER OF 20, UM, 14.
AND OF COURSE, WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE ALL THE RESEARCH FOR SOMETHING THAT LASTS ABOUT FIVE MINUTES UNTIL YOU COME ACROSS SOMETHING, IT'S LIKE, OH, I NEED TO DO THIS AND THAT.
MY IDEA IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER
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WAS TO CONSTRUCT A LOT OF SMALL EVENTS AND JOIN THEM TOGETHER.ALRIGHT? YOU FOLKS KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT EDGAR'S LANE? OKAY? FOLKS IN BERGEN COUNTY KNOW ABOUT THE BAYLOR MASSACRE.
ALRIGHT, FOLKS DOWN IN EGG HARBOR KNOW ABOUT THE BATTLE OF CHESTNUT HILL.
OKAY? FOLKS IN THE BRONX KNOW ABOUT THE BATTLE WITH THE STOCKBRIDGE INDIANS.
NO ONE PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER OR WHY EVERYTHING COULD BE INTERRELATED.
ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE, UM, I MEAN, THEY COULD ALL BE A LITTLE ARTICLE, BUT THEY DON'T TELL THE GREATER STORY OF WHY THESE THINGS HAPPENED ALTOGETHER AND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.
WHAT WAS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WAS GOING ON THAT MADE ALL THIS HAPPEN.
I GUARANTEE YOU NOBODY IN BERGEN COUNTY WAS LOOKING AT IT FROM THAT ASPECT.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE BRITISH WERE JUST IN RIVERVALE AND JUST KILLING JA GOONS WHO JUST HAPPENED TO BE THERE FOR NO REASON.
SO THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
SO WHILE WE'LL COVER THE SKIRMISH THAT HAPPENED HERE, IT'S IN THE CONTEXT OF A MUCH LARGER STORY.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND, AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT MORE FASCINATING IN THAT REGARD.
YOU'RE PART OF A, A BIG PICTURE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S START OUR PROGRAM.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND FOCUS, I'M GOING TO SIT 'CAUSE I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF LECTURES THIS WEEK.
SO, WILLIAM HOWARD TAKEN OVER COMMAND FROM THOMAS GAGE AT BOSTON IN 1775.
SINCE THAT TIME, HOWARD CAPTURED NEW YORK CITY AND PHILADELPHIA WINNING NUMEROUS VICTORIES ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT HE HAD NOT DONE, HOWEVER, WAS BRINGING END TO THE WAR OR FINISHED OFF WASHINGTON AND THE CONTINENTAL ARMY.
FINALLY, A SEATING TO HOWE'S REQUEST TO RETURN HOME AND DEFEND HIS CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
LORD GEORGE GERMAINE BRITAIN'S PRINCIPAL, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AMERICAN AFFAIRS IN JANUARY, 1778, RECALLED HOWE, A NAMED SIR HENRY CLINTON, THEN COMMANDING AT NEW YORK CITY TO REPLACE HOW AS THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMY IN AMERICA.
THAT'S HOW ON THE LEFT, THAT'S CLINTON.
NOW, THE ARMY IN AMERICA ACTUALLY STRETCHED FROM NOVA SCOTIA TO WEST FLORIDA.
AS I'M SURE YOU FOLKS KNOW, THERE WERE MORE THAN JUST 13 COLONIES.
ONLY 13 REBELLED CLINTON WOULD BE SENT TO PHILADELPHIA TO TAKE OVER THE COMMAND WHERE HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROSECUTE THE WAR AS HE SAW FIT AT THE HEAD OF AN ARMY OF SOME 25,000 TROOPS.
THE MOVE WAS NOT EXACTLY APPROVED BY THE ARMY OR THE LOYALISTS.
EDWARD WINSLOW OF MASSACHUSETTS CONSIDERED HOW A QUOTE, REBEL AND DUBBING CLINTON QUOTE, AN HYSTERICAL FOOL ADDING OF THE LATTER QUOTE, THE MOST POINTED MARK OF CLINTON'S DISPLEASURE WAS MORE ENVIABLE IN THE OPINION OF NINE TENTHS OF THOSE UNDER HIS COMMAND THAN THE STRONGEST PROOF OF HIS FRIENDSHIP.
A WEEK LATER, HOWEVER, GERMAINE WOULD WRITE CLINTON AND COMPLETELY CHANGE WHAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN.
SIR HENRY WAS TO SEND AN EXPEDITION OF 5,000 MEN TO THE WEST INDIES, 3000 TO ATTACK GEORGIA AND REINFORCEMENTS TOTALING A COUPLE THOUSAND MORE TO NOVA SCOTIA, WEST FLORIDA.
AND BERMUDA, CLINTON, IN EFFECT, WOULD LOSE THE BULK OF HIS OFFENSIVE CAPACITY WITH WHAT REMAINED.
SO WHAT HAD CHANGED ANYONE? FRANCE.
THAT CHANGED THE NATURE OF THE WAR COMPLETELY BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THE FRENCH SOLDIERS THAT INTIMIDATED THE BRITISH OR CHANGED THEIR STRATEGY.
IT WAS THE FRENCH NAVY, RIGHT? THE UNITED STATES DID NOT HAVE A NAVY TO BATTLE THE BRITISH.
THEY HAD THE CONTINENTAL NAVY, WHICH ENDED UP LOSING ALL OF ITS SHIPS DURING THE COURSE OF THE WAR.
THAT WAS NOT STRIKING FEAR INTO THE BRITISH, THE PRIVATEERS OF WHICH WERE NUMEROUS PREYED ON BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS, NOT THEIR WARSHIPS, BUT FRANCE HAD A
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BIG NAVY AND THEY HAD THEIR ISLANDS IN THE WEST INDIES THE SAME AS THE BRITISH DID.THOSE ISLANDS IN THE WEST INDIES WERE AS OR MORE IMPORTANT TO THE BRITISH THAN AMERICA.
SO THE HENCE WHY 5,000 TROOPS WOULD NEED TO GO TO THE WEST INDIES IMMEDIATELY.
NOW, THE GARRISON OF NEW YORK, RIGHT? SO CLINTON'S GONNA LOSE 10,000 OF HIS 25,000 TROOPS AT NEW YORK THAT WILL LEAVE HIM WITH 15,000.
YOU NEED 7,500 TROOPS TO MAINTAIN THE GARRISON OF NEW YORK.
THAT INCLUDES LONG ISLAND, STATEN ISLAND, P HOOK, SANDY HOOK, UM, THE PART OF THE BRONX.
YOU KNOW, THAT LEAVES YOU ONLY 7,500 TROOPS TO ACT DEFENSIVELY.
SO THE BRITISH STRATEGY WAS GOING TO DIFFER.
FIRST THING THE BRITISH WOULD NEED TO DO WOULD BE TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR FORCES.
'CAUSE KEEP IN MIND, THE BRITISH HAD OCCUPIED PHILADELPHIA AS WELL.
SO YOU HAD PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK, AND NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
CLINTON WAS ORDERED TO ABANDON PHILADELPHIA AND CONSOLIDATE HIS FORCES AT NEW YORK CITY, SENDING ALL THE HEAVY STORES SICK CIVILIANS AND SUCH BY SHIP TO NEW YORK.
CLINTON MARCHED HIS 20,000 TROOPS AND OVER 700 WOMEN AND CHILDREN FROM PHILADELPHIA ON JUNE 18TH, 1778.
HIS GOAL WAS TO MOVE THE ARMY SAFELY THROUGH NEW JERSEY TO NAVESINK WHERE IT COULD EMBARK IN SAFETY FROM SANDY HOOK BAY TO NEW YORK.
WHILE THE MARCH CULMINATED IN THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH, CLINTON WAS SUCCESSFUL IN PROTECTING ALL HIS BAGGAGE AND ACHIEVING HIS PRIMARY AIM OF REACHING NAVESINK BEFORE THE FRENCH ARRIVED OFF NEW YORK OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN WOULD BE STRENGTHENING THE WORKS AROUND NEW YORK, INCLUDING SANDY HOOK BEFORE THE PAINFUL PARTING OF 10,000 OF HIS MEN ARRIVING OFF.
SANDY HOOK ON THE NIGHT OF JULY 12TH WERE ABOUT 20 FRENCH WARSHIPS DUE TO THE DRAFT OF THE HEAVIER SHIPS, THEY WERE UNABLE TO ALL SAIL SAFELY INTO NEW YORK HARBOR.
SO THAT WAS GIVEN UP, AND AS SUDDENLY AS IT HAD ARRIVED, THE FRENCH FLEET SOON DEPARTED TO POINTS UNKNOWN.
THE BRITISH FOR THE MOMENT WE'RE SAFE.
THE WARRING ARMY IS MORE OR LESS FACED OFF WITH EACH OTHER TO THE NORTH, WITH THE BRITISH, AROUND THEIR LINES AT KINGSBRIDGE ON NORTHERN MANHATTAN AND WASHINGTON, WITH A WARS OF SOME 20,000 OR SO AT WHITE PLAINS AND THEREABOUTS.
CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MORE UNIQUE GROUPS OF WASHINGTON'S ARMY IN THE SUMMER OF 1778 WAS A SMALL GROUP, PROBABLY BETWEEN 40 AND 60 AND NUMBER OF THE STOCKBRIDGE TRIBE ON YOUR RIGHT.
THAT'S AN ACTUAL IMAGE OF THE PERIOD OF ONE OF THE STOCKBRIDGE TRIBE.
THESE MEN WERE PRIMARILY MOHICANS SETTLED IN STOCKBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS DURING THE MID 17 HUNDREDS.
THESE WARRIORS WERE COMMANDED BY A FATHER AND SON, DANIEL AND ABRAHAM NIEM, THEIR CHIEFS OR LEADER.
NOW FACING OFF AGAINST THEM MENTIONED GREEN COATS.
A LOT OF THE LOYALIST FORCES, WE CALL 'EM PROVINCIALS, WERE ACTUALLY IN GREEN UNIFORMS LIKE THE QUEEN'S RANGERS AND THE BRITISH LEGION.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THEM MORE IN A MINUTE, BUT THESE WERE LIGHT TROOPS.
PEOPLE THINK OF THE BRITISH AS JUST SORT OF TOONS JUST STANDING THERE, LIKE MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS.
UM, KEEP IN MIND, THE BRITISH HAD FOUGHT THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR IN AMERICA AND LEARNED ALL THE TACTICS OF FIGHTING IN NORTH AMERICA.
UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY THE BRITISH TROOPS WHO FOUGHT OF WHAT THEY CALL LOOSE FILES, 18 INCHES BETWEEN EACH MAN.
WASHINGTON'S ARMY FOUGHT SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, RIGHT? IT TAKES MORE DISCIPLINE IN OPEN ORDER, KEEPING A FORMATION.
UM, AND YES, PEOPLE DID FIGHT IN THE OPEN.
WHY? 'CAUSE THEY'RE ARMED PRIMARILY WITH MUSKETS.
MUSKETS ARE NOT THAT ACCURATE.
UM, THEY'RE SMOOTH BORE WEAPONS.
RIFLES HAVE GROOVES DOWN THE BARREL, WHICH THEN THE BULLET FURTHER STRAIGHTER MUSKETS ARE SMOOTH BORE.
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SO THEY HAVE A SHORTER RANGE AND THEY'RE LESS ACCURATE.IT'S, UM, SO THE BRITISH ARE, ARE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
OKAY? ON AUGUST 31ST, 1778, THESE MEN, ALONG WITH ABOUT 40 CONTINENTAL LIGHT INFANTRY UNDER MAJOR JOHN STEWART OF THE SECOND MARYLAND REGIMENT WERE SCOUTING IN THE BRONX AROUND WHAT IS NOW THEN CORTLAND PARK.
WHEN BOTH GROUPS FELL INTO A TRAP LAUNCHED BY THE BEST PARTISAN OFFICERS, THE BRITISH HAD LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOHN GRAVE, SIMKO OF THE QUEEN'S RANGERS AND BANISTER TARLETON OF THE BRITISH LEGION, BOTH OF WHICH OFFICERS CAME CLOSE TO BEING KILLED IN THE ACTION.
AFTER DIVERTING THE BULK OF THE QUEEN'S RANGERS INFANTRY UNDER MAJOR JOHN ROSS TO ADVANCE TOWARDS STEWART'S LIGHT INFANTRY SIMKO HIMSELF TOOK THE GRENADIER COMPANY OF THE RANGERS AND ADVANCED ON THE FLANK OF THE STOCKBRIDGE, GETTING WITHIN 10 YARDS OF THEM WITHOUT BEING PERCEIVED INTENT ON ATTACKING EMRICH CHASS, ANOTHER LOYALIST LIGHT CORPS.
THE TRIBESMEN DID NOT PERCEIVE SIMCO UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE, TURNING AND GIVING A YELL.
THE WARRIORS FIRED AND WOUNDED FOUR GRENADIERS AND SIMCO HIMSELF SHOCKED BY CHIEF DANIEL NIM CALLING TO HIS PEOPLE.
NIEM YELLED TO FLY QUOTE THAT HE WAS OLD AND STAND AND DIE THERE, WHICH HE THEN DID SHOT DOWN BY KO'S ORDERLY, PRIVATE EDWARD WRIGHT OF THE HASSAR CAVAL RA.
IT WAS THEN THAT THE CAVAL RE STRUCK THE LOYALIST HORSEMEN IN INFANTRY, OVERWHELMED THE STOCKBRIDGE IN PARTICULAR, KILLING AND WOUNDING ALL BUT 14, INCLUDING THE NIS.
THIS SET THE TABLE FOR THE NEXT MONTH IN THE VOLATILE WESTCHESTER AREA.
FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, SMALL PARTIES OF EACH ARMY ENGAGED IN SMALL WAR WITH THE LIGHT CORPS OF EACH SIDE, TESTING THE METAL OF THE OTHER.
ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, THE DAY WASHINGTON'S FORCES WOULD BE WITHDRAWING NORTH TOWARDS FREDERICKSBURG AND FISHKILL.
MORDECAI GIFTS WAS COMMANDING A FORCE OF ANYWHERE FROM 150 TO 500 LIGHT TROOPS NEAR THE HOUSE OF THE WIDOW BABCOCK, NEAR A HILL, BEARING THE FAMILY NAME ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER.
THE POSITION WAS SECURED BY WATER ON EACH FLANK, WHICH WOULD'VE CHANNELED ANY ATTACKING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THEIR FRONT, PROVIDED NO ONE WAS ABLE TO TAKE IS ORUS ROUTE AND GAIN THEIR REAR.
IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE, THE POSITION WOULD'VE BEEN HIGHLY DANGEROUS.
THE EXACT COMPOSITION OF GIFTS FORCE IS UNKNOWN.
A PART OF BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES SCOTT'S LIGHT INFANTRY AND INCLUDED AT LEAST A COMPONENT OF RIFLEMEN, AS SOME OF THOSE HAD FIRED ON A BRITISH FLAG OF TRUTH.
ON THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 14TH, THROUGH THE TIMELY ARRIVAL OF A DESERTER FROM GIST CAMP, THE PRESENCE OF THE CONTINENTAL LIGHT FORCE WAS KNOWN TO THE BRITISH.
THE COMMANDERS OF THE CROWN LIGHT CORPS AROUND KINGSBRIDGE LED BY SIMCO, QUICKLY SAW AN OPPORTUNITY, A FORCE OF PROVINCIAL LIGHT TROOPS AND HESSIAN JAGER APPROACHED IN STEALTH A NEARLY SURROUNDED GIST POST AT BABCOCK.
AT THE FIRST FIRE OF THEIR PICKETS, THE MEN UNDER GIST COMMAND APPEARED TO HAVE REALIZED THEIR DIRE PREDICAMENT.
SEEING THE UNGUARDED BRIDGE, CAPTAIN JOHN O'DELL OF THE CON OF THE CONNECTICUT MILITIA, FUNNELED THE FLEEING TROOPS TO SAFETY OVER THE BRIDGE, RETREATING NORTHWEST TOWARDS THE HUDSON RIVER.
GIST HIMSELF SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN OFF QUITE HASTILY.
PUBLISHER JAMES RIVINGTON HAPPILY REPORTING IN HIS ROYAL GAZETTE QUOTE, THEIR COLONEL, IN PARTICULAR, SCAMPERED OFF WITHOUT HIS BOOTS OR BRITCHES, AND HIS THOUGHT WAS WOUNDED IN HIS FLIGHT.
A FANCIFUL 19TH CENTURY ACCOUNT HAD GUESSED, ENAMORED WITH THE RESIDENT OF THE HOUSE ON THE HILL THAT BOARD'S NAME THE WIDOW BABCOCK, CLAIMING HE HAD BARELY RECEIVED HIS FINAL DISMISSAL FROM MRS. BABCOCK.
WHEN HE WAS STARTLED WITH THE FIRING OF MUSKETRY, WITH OR WITHOUT HIS BRITCHES GIST, SAFELY JOINED HIS MEN AND LED THE SURVIVORS TO SAFETY.
HE LOST AS MANY AS 30 OF HIS MEN, MOSTLY PRISONERS, WHILE SIMCOE'S COMMAND
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LOST JUST ONE HORSE.OH, UM, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE RIGHT IS MORDECAI GIST.
THE, UM, MARYLAND FROM BALTIMORE, WHO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THOSE ARE HEIAN JAGER ON THE LEFT, UH, GERMAN RIFLEMEN.
UM, UH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIFLES AND MUSKE.
WELL, RIFLES WERE INDEED USED, UH, BY BOTH SIDES DURING THE WAR.
UH, IN FACT, THE BRITISH HAD AS MANY RIFLEMEN AS THE AMERICANS HAD, UH, SOMETIMES MORE SO.
IN FACT, BY 1781, THERE WOULD BE A A THOUSAND GERMAN JAGER, UH, ALONG THE LINES AT, UH, KINGSBRIDGE AND WASHINGTON, WHEN HE HAD HIS GRANDFATHER OR GRAND RECONNAISSANCE IN JULY OF 1781, WAS ENGAGED BY THE JAGERS, MUCH FURTHER OUT THAN HIS MEN COULD RETURN FIRE.
AND HE COMPLAINED TO CONGRESS THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A SINGLE RIFLEMAN IN HIS ARMY TO COUNTER IT.
SO, UM, NOT EVERYTHING IS, AS IT SEEMS IN HISTORY BOOKS IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE TALK ABOUT LIGHT TROOPS.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S BASICALLY TWO KINDS OF INFANTRY, HEAVY INFANTRY, AND LIGHT INFANTRY.
AND THEY'RE SORT OF, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, UM, LIGHT INFANTRY ARE LIGHTLY A COED.
THEY'RE MEANT TO MOVE QUICKLY.
THEY'RE MEANT TO FIGHT IN SKIRMISH ORDER.
UM, THEY CAN COVER, UH, A LOT OF GROUND.
UM, THEY'RE GENERALLY BETTER MARKSMEN.
UM, THEY CAN, THEY'RE INTELLIGENT.
SO, AND THAT'S FOR BOTH SIDES.
THE GENTLEMAN ON THE LEFT, UH, YOU MAY NOT REC ANYONE.
HERE'S IN THE, UH, A MC SERIES.
OKAY? YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE GUY ON THE LEFT, 'CAUSE HE'S NOT ACTUALLY DRIPPING BLOOD.
THAT IS THE REAL SIMKO, UM, WHO WAS NOTHING LIKE HE WAS PORTRAYED ON THE TV SERIES.
HE WAS ACTUALLY, UM, QUITE THE GENTLEMAN AND NOT A PSYCHOPATH.
UM, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE RIGHT IS RICHARD BUTLER, UH, ONE OF THE CONTINENTAL COMMANDERS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HIM MORE IN A MINUTE.
THE CONTINENT ON, WHILE THE BRITISH, EACH BRITISH REGIMENT HAD A LIGHT INFANTRY COMPANY.
AS I MENTIONED, SOME OF THE PROVINCIAL UNITS, SOME OF THE LOYALIST UNITS IN THEIR ENTIRETY WERE CONSIDERED LIGHT TROOPS LIKE THE QUEEN RANGERS AND THE BRITISH LEGION, BUT THE AMERICANS, IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THE AMERICAN LIGHT INFANTRY WAS AN AD HOC FORMATION, FORMED EACH YEAR FOR EACH CAMPAIGN THAN IT WOULD FORM ONE COMPANY PER, UH, REGIMEN.
AND THEN GROUP THOSE TOGETHER.
THEY EVENTUALLY FORMED THREE REGIMENS OF LIGHT INFANTRY, AND THEY ADDED TO THEM DIFFERENT LEGIONS LIKE LEE'S LEGION.
UM, THEY ADDED TO THE CONTINENTAL CAVALRY REGIMENS, OF WHICH THERE WERE FOUR, UH, AND MILITIA AND LEVY UNITS.
AND THEY PUT ALL THE AMERICAN LIGHT INFANTRY UNDER THE COMMAND OF BRIGADIER GENERAL CHARLES SCOTT.
AND IN DESCRIBING, UM, THE LIGHT INFANTRY, I I, WHEN I WAS WRITING THE BOOK, I, I WANTED TO LOOK TO SEE IF I COULD FIND AN ACCOUNT OF ONE OF THESE LIGHT INFANTRYMEN TO BETTER EXPLAIN IT.
AND LUCKY ME, I HAD IT ON MY BOOKSHELF.
AN OLD THUMB COPY OF PRIVATE YANKEE DOODLE, JOSEPH PLUM MARTIN, THE MOST FAMOUS AMERICAN SOLDIER SHORT OF WASHINGTON.
SO HE WAS IN THE EIGHTH CONNECTICUT REGIMENT, AND HE WAS ONE OF THESE CONTINENTAL LIGHT INFANTRYMEN.
AND HE GIVES THIS MARVELOUS ACCOUNT.
WE LAY AT THE WHITE PLAIN SOMETIME WHILE HERE, I WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE LIGHT INFANTRY.
WHEN I WAS IMMEDIATELY MARCHED DOWN TO THE LINES.
THERE WERE THREE REGIMENTS OF LIGHT INFANTRY COMPOSED OF MEN FROM THE WHOLE ARMY.
IT WAS A MOTLEY GROUP, YANKEES, IRISHMEN, PUCK SKINS AND WHATNOT.
THE REGIMENT THAT I BELONGED TO WAS MADE UP OF ABOUT ONE HALF NEW ENGLANDERS.
AND THE REMAINDER WERE CHIEFLY PENNSYLVANIANS.
TWO SETS OF PEOPLE AS OPPOSITE IN MANNERS AND CUSTOMS AS LIGHT AND DARKNESS.
CONSEQUENTLY, THERE WAS NOT MUCH CORDIALITY OBSESSING BETWEEN US FOUR, TO TELL THE SOBER TRUTH.
I HAD IN THOSE DAYS AS LIFE HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED WITH A TRIBE OF WESTERN INDIANS, AS WITH ANY OF THE SOUTHERN TROOPS, ESPECIALLY OF THOSE WHICH CONSISTED MOSTLY AS THE PENNSYLVANIANS DID OF FOREIGNERS.
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I WAS OFTEN WENT ON DUTY.THE ONLY YANKEE THAT HAPPENED TO BE ON THE SAME TOUR FOR SEVERAL DAYS TOGETHER, THE BLOODY YANKEE OR THE DAMNED YANKEE, WAS THE MILDEST EPITHETS THAT THEY WOULD BESTOW UPON ME.
OUR REGIMENT WAS COMMANDED BY A COLONEL RICHARD BUTLER, A PENNSYLVANIAN, OUR FRIEND ON THE RIGHT THERE.
HE WAS A BRAVE OFFICER, BUT A FIERY AUSTERE, A HOTHEAD WHENEVER HE HAD A DISPUTE WITH A BROTHER OFFICER.
AND THAT WAS PRETTY OFTEN HE WOULD NEVER RESORT TO PISTOLS OR SWORDS, BUT ALWAYS TO HIS FISTS.
I HAVE MORE THAN ONCE OR TWICE SEEN HIM WITH A BLACK EYE.
AND I'VE SEEN OTHER OFFICERS THAT HE HAD HONORED WITH THE SAME BADGE.
NOW, IF YOU WATCH TURN, YOU'LL KNOW IT'S ABOUT, UM, THE AMERICAN CULPRIT SPINE NETWORK ON LONG ISLAND.
THE BRITISH ACTUALLY HAD MUCH BETTER SPIES, UM, 'CAUSE YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT THEM ALMOST AT ALL.
WHEN I WAS, UM, IN ENGLAND DOING RESEARCH 15 MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING ON MY LAST DAY THERE, WHICH IS THE GUARANTEED THAT YOU FIND THE BEST STUFF.
I CAME ACROSS A, UH, FIVE PAGE MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENT WRITTEN BY A WOMAN NAMED ANN BATES REQUESTING SOME PAYMENT FROM THE BRITISH THAT HAD NOT BEEN MADE FOR SERVICES RENDERED.
ANN BATES WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FROM PHILADELPHIA.
SHE WAS MARRIED TO ONE OF THE, UH, A LOYALIST IN THE CIVIL BRANCH OF THE ROYAL ARTILLERY.
SHE CAME WITH THE BRITISH FROM PHILADELPHIA AND IMMEDIATELY WAS ENLISTED OR VOLUNTEERED TO BE A SPY, UH, GOING AGAINST WASHINGTON'S ARMY.
AND SHE WAS A REALLY GOOD ONE.
NOW, HOW DO I KNOW WHAT SHE SAID IN THIS FIVE PAGE DOCUMENT? WAS IN ANY WAYS TRUE BECAUSE IT WAS CORROBORATED BY ANOTHER DOCUMENT I KNEW OF AND HAD TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, A BRITISH INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM BOOK FROM 1778, PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER, THEY FIT PERFECTLY.
SO WHATEVER SHE WAS SAYING ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
THEY SENT HER INTO WASHINGTON'S ARMY CAMP OF 20,000 MEN WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MEET A PENNSYLVANIA ARMY CAPTAIN WHO WANTED TO DEFECT TO THE BRITISH.
BY THE TIME SHE GOT THERE, HE HAD ACTUALLY RESIGNED FROM THE ARMY AND GONE HOME TO PENNSYLVANIA.
SO THAT PART OF THE MISSION FAILED.
BUT ANNE WAS NOT GOING TO LET THAT DETER HER.
SHE DECIDED SHE WAS GOING TO COUNT ALL OF WASHINGTON'S TROOPS.
BUT OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE A SPY, YOU DON'T WANNA WRITE THINGS DOWN LEST THEY BE FOUND ON YOUR PERSON.
SO SHE WENT IN THE GUISE OF A PETTY SETTLER.
THAT MEANS A PERSON WHO SMELL, UH, SMELLS, SELLS, UM, SMALL THINGS, SMALL ITEMS, UM, FOOD, LIQUOR, TOBACCO, OR BITS OF CLOTHING, UH, TO SOLDIERS.
SO WHAT SHE WAS OFFERING TO SELL TO THE SOLDIERS WERE LITTLE SEWING KITS.
OKAY? SOLDIERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THEIR UNIFORMS, SO YOU ALWAYS NEED NEEDLE AND THREAD AND WHATNOT.
SO WHAT SHE DID WAS SHE DIVIDED THESE SEWING KITS BASED ON THE COLOR AND THE NUMBER OF PINS IN EACH REPRESENTING BRIGADES AND REGIMENTS AND NUMBER OF ARTILLERY PIECES.
SHE KNEW WHAT THEY MEANT, BUT ANYBODY LOOKING AT IT WOULD HAVE NO IDEA.
WHEN SHE WAS DONE COUNTING, SHE MADE HER WAY BACK TO THE BRITISH.
SHE WAS APPREHENDED, BUT SHE TALKED HER WAY OUT OF IT, MADE HER WAY BACK TO THE BRITISH WHO FOUND OUT ALL THE INFORMATION AND SAID, THAT IS A REALLY GOOD JOB.
NOW GO BACK AND GET US MORE INFO.
AND SHE ACTUALLY MARCHED WITH WASHINGTON'S ARMY FROM WHITE PLAINS UP TO FREDERICKSBURG DOING MORE INTELLIGENCE WORK.
UH, A REAL, UH, A REAL FASCINATING STORY.
UM, THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS GET UPSET WHEN HOLLYWOOD CREATES THESE FARFETCHED STORIES THAT HAVE NO BEARING IN REALITY.
WHEN STORIES LIKE THIS THAT ACTUALLY REALLY DID HAPPEN ARE MORE INTERESTING.
UM, I I DOUBT MANY PEOPLE HERE HAVE EVER HEARD OF VAN BATES.
[00:35:01]
IF YOU READ MY BOOK, YOU DID, THIS IS A WHOLE CHAPTER.UM, AND I USE THE, THE NAME OF THE CHAPTER IS HOW THEY REFERRED TO HER IN THE INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM, THE WOMAN, THEY NEVER GIVE HER NAME.
WHY NOT? WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT BOOK GETS CAPTURED? OR SOMEBODY SEES THAT BOOK WHO'S A SPY FOR WASHINGTON? THEY KNOW WHO THE SPY IS.
BY 1781, WHEN THERE'S ANOTHER INTELLIGENCE BOOK KEPT, THERE'S AT LEAST ANOTHER WOMAN BECAUSE THEY REFERRED TO ONE SPY AS THE WOMAN, AND THEY WERE REFERRED TO ANOTHER SPY AS THE OLD WOMAN.
NOW YOU RECALL WE TALKED ABOUT THE FRENCH FLEET.
THE FRENCH FLEET HAD NOT EXACTLY DISAPPEARED AFTER VEERING AWAY FROM SANDY HOOK IN NEW YORK.
COUNT DE STANG SAILED NORTHEAST TO CONFER WITH AMERICAN GENERAL JOHN SULLIVAN TO FORM A PLAN OF ATTACK ON THE BRITISH IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
BY AUGUST 9TH, THE FRENCH WERE STARTING TO LAND INFANTRY ON CONNECTICUT ISLAND TO OPERATE IN CONCERT WITH 10,000 AMERICANS UNDER SULLIVAN, THE BRITISH FORCE OF ABOUT 5,500 MEN UNDER GENERAL, ROBERT PICKETT CONCENTRATED NORTH OF THE CITY AND AWAITED RELIEF FROM NEW YORK.
SO THE FRENCH VISIT RHODE ISLAND AND THEN DEPART AS QUICKLY AS THE FRENCH HAD COME, THEY DEPARTED TAKING THEIR TROOPS WITH THEM.
TWO BRITISH FLEETS WERE COMING FROM NEW YORK, ONE UNDER SIR HENRY CLINTON WITH 4,000 TROOPS TO RELIEVE THE SIEGE, THE OTHER, A FLEET OF WARSHIPS UNDER ADMIRAL LORD RICHARD HOWE TO ATTACK THE FRENCH FLEET.
NOW, I'M SURE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS HEARD OF THE THE BIG DECISIVE NAVAL BATTLE THAT HAPPENED THEN OFF OF RHODE ISLAND, BETWEEN THESE TWO FLEETS, RIGHT? OKAY, GOOD.
OKAY, MA NATURE INTERVENED, UH, AND A GIANT STORM, UM, BREWED UP AND, UH, BATTERED BOTH FLEETS.
SO THE FRENCH TOOK THE WARS BATTERING AND THEY, UH, TOOK THEIR SHIPS UP TO BOSTON TO REFIT.
SO THAT LEFT THE WAY CLEAR FOR, UH, THE BRITISH TO RELIEVE NEWPORT WITH NO FRENCH SUPPORT.
AND CLINTON EN RU SULLIVAN'S FORCE RETREATED OFF THE ISLAND, CULMINATING IN THE BATTLE OF QUAKER HILL ON AUGUST 29TH.
THIS ACTION CAME ABOUT DUE TO PICKETT LEADING HIS FORCES OUT OF THE LINES TO ATTACK THE AMERICANS ON THEIR RETREAT.
THE CONSEQUENCE OF DRIVING THE AMERICANS OFF THE ISLAND WAS NOT WHAT PICKETT EXPECTED.
IT WAS A COOL RECEPTION BY HIS COMMANDER CLINTON, WHO WANTED THE HONOR AND CREDIT OF DRIVING OFF SULLIVAN HIMSELF WITH NO ENEMY TO ENGAGE CLINTON AND HIS FORCE IMMEDIATELY LEFT.
NOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE LACK OF A CONTINENTAL NAVY, BUT PRIVATEERS, UH, FEASTING ON BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS.
THERE WERE DIFFERENT PORTS, UM, WHERE THESE PRIVATEERS CAME OUT OF, UH, BOSTON, UM, NEW LONDON EGG HARBOR, PHILADELPHIA, BALTIMORE, AND THESE PRIVATEERS WERE SMALL, WARSHIPS, PRIVATELY OWNED, UH, WHO WERE NOT GOING UP AGAINST THE ROYAL NAVY.
THEY WERE GOING AGAINST LIGHTLY OR UNARMED MERCHANT SHIPS, BRINGING THEM INTO THEIR PORTS, UM, AND THEN SELLING THEM, UH, FOR PROFIT SELLING BOTH THE SHIP AND THEIR MERCHANDISE.
SO THEY'RE BECOMING A REAL THORN TO THE BRITISH.
SO WITH, UM, WITH 4,000 TROOPS STILL AT HIS DISPOSAL, CLINTON DIRECTED 2,500 MEN UNDER MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES GRAY ON AN EXPEDITION TOGETHER, CATTLE AND SUPPLIES.
CLINTON, WITH THE REST OF THE TROOPS WAS GOING TO GO AGAINST NEW LONDON.
HE SAT OFF THE THINGS RIVER AND NEW LONDON FOR THREE DAYS BECAUSE OF CONTRARY WINDS AND TIDES.
DURING THAT TIME, THE MILITIA STARTED TO GATHER AT NEW LONDON AND GROTON.
THAT MAP ON THE RIGHT IS ACTUALLY FROM THE 1781 BATTLE FROM THE 1781
[00:40:01]
BATTLE.BECAUSE THERE WAS NO 1778 BATTLE, CLINTON WAS WARY THAT IT HAD GIVEN SULLIVAN A TO COME TO NEW LONDON'S AID.
AND SO HE TOOK THOSE 1500 MEN THAT STILL REMAINED WITH HIM AND WENT BACK TO NEW YORK CITY.
BUT GENERAL GRAY WAS ON HIS WAY ELSEWHERE WITH 2,500 MEN WITH PEAK TOURISM SEASON OVER GRAY TOOK HIS TROOPS TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD.
WHY NOT THERE? THEY TOOK IN THOUSANDS OF SHEEP AND CATTLE, SENDING MUCH OF IT TO THE RHODE ISLAND GARRISON.
IT WAS A BLOODLESS OPERATION, NEGOTIATED WITH THE PRINCIPAL INHABITANTS OF THE ISLAND.
FROM THERE, GRAHAM BART, HIS TROOPS AND HEADED BACK TO NEW YORK.
BATTLES MAY BE WON AND LOST BY THE TACTICS AND BRAVERY OF GENERALS AND SOLDIERS, BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE IN THAT POSITION WHERE IT NOT FOR THE LOGISTICS OPERATIONS PROVIDING FOR THEIR NEEDS, NOT LEAST OF WHICH WAS THAT OF FOOD.
THAT WOULD BE FOOD FOR BOTH MEN AND HORSES, OF WHICH THE BRITISH HAD THOUSANDS MOUNTING THEIR CAVALRY, PULLING THEIR WAGONS, ARTILLERY, ET CETERA.
EACH HORSE REQUIRED 14 POUNDS OF HAY PER DAY, WHICH NEEDED TO BE OBTAINED LOCALLY SUPPLEMENTED BY OATS IMPORTED FROM BRITAIN.
THE PROVISIONS OF THE SOLDIERS LIKEWISE SENT FROM ACROSS THE ATLANTIC, BUT SUPPLEMENTED BY THE FARMS OF AMERICA.
THEN THERE WAS THE MATTER OF FEEDING THE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS IN THE BRITISH LINES, WHO WERE HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON MARKETS TO OBTAIN THEIR DAILY SUPPLIES WITH 10,000 MEN ABOUT TO BE SHIPPED AWAY.
CLINTON WAS FACED WITH A TASK PROVIDING SUPPLIES FOR ALL THAT SHIPPING, AS WELL AS LAYING IN STORES FOR THE APPROACHING WINTER.
AND QUICKLY, EARLY IN THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 23RD, 1778, 6,000 BRITISH AND PROVINCIAL TROOPS UNDER LORD CORN WALLACE, INCLUDING GENERAL GRAY AND HIS COURT JUST RETURNING FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD, WOULD LAND POLIS HOOK, MODERN JERSEY CITY ON THE HUDSON RIVER AND HEAD NORTH INTO BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY LEADING THE WAY WAS 200 REGULAR BRITISH CAVALRY, WHICH CHARGED AND SCATTERED AN OUTPOST OF 60 MILITIA AND STATE TROOPS AT LIBERTY POLL, CAPTURING HALF OF THEM.
THE BRITISH CONTINUED ON TO THE HACKENSACK RIVER, EXTENDING A LINE OF TROOPS FROM OLD FORT LEE TO NEW BRIDGE WHERE TWO SMALL FORTS WERE CONSTRUCTED ON THE WEST BANK OF THE RIVER.
SHORTLY AFTER THIS GENERAL WILHELM KNIP HAUM WOULD LEAD OVER 3000 TROOPS NORTH FROM KINGSBRIDGE INTO WESTCHESTER.
THE PURPOSE OF BOTH CORE WAS TO FORAGE EDGE.
NOW, WHO WAS IN BERGEN COUNTY AT THE TIME? WE KNOW WASHINGTON'S ARMY, FOR THE MOST PART, HAD MOVED NORTH TO FREDERICKSBURG.
BUT WHO WAS IN BERGEN COUNTY? WELL, YOU HAVE THE BERGEN COUNTY MILITIA.
THAT BEAUTIFUL HOUSE ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN GO AND VISIT.
PREAKNESS, THAT WAS THE HOME OF THE COLONEL OF THE BERGEN COUNTY MILITIA TUNIS DIME.
AND THE BERGEN COUNTY MILITIA PROBABLY HAD ANYWHERE BETWEEN FOUR AND 500 MEN.
THEIR PRINCIPAL DUTY IS TO STAY HOME AND FARM.
THEY ARE, THEY CALL UP AND DO MONTHLY TOURS OF DUTY, ROUGHLY THREE TO FOUR A YEAR.
UM, THEY PROVIDE THEIR OWN ARMS. THEY'RE NOT UNIFORMED.
UM, THEY ONLY GET PAID WHEN THEY'RE ON DUTY.
UH, AND GENERALLY THEY, THEY, THEY WANT TO NOT BE SOLDIERS.
THEY'RE GENERALLY NOT OF SOLDIER AGE.
THEY'RE GENERALLY THE OLDER, UH, CROWD.
IF YOU'RE YOUNG, YOU PROBABLY WANNA BE A REGULAR SOLDIER.
BERGEN COUNTY IS ALSO PRIMARILY LOYALIST.
IT'S UM, IN THE WORDS OF GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, THE MOST DISAFFECTED COUNTY, THERE ARE 134 PROPERTY CONFISCATIONS IN BERGEN COUNTY.
LOYALIST PROPERTIES MORE THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE.
IN FACT, TUNA DIE, THE LEADING WIG OF BERGEN COUNTY.
HIS DAUGHTER JANE, IN 1770, MARRIED A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF ABRAHAM VAN BUSKIRK, WHO HAD BECOME A SURGEON IN THE MILITIA WHILE IN 1776.
HE ALSO RAISED A BATTALION, BUT HE RAISED A BATTALION FOR THE BRITISH.
SO HE WAS ACTUALLY BERGEN COUNTY'S LEADING LOYALIST.
SO THE DAUGHTER OF BERGEN COUNTY'S LEADING PATRIOT MARRIED BERGEN COUNTY'S LEADING
[00:45:01]
LOYALIST.THINKING ABOUT THAT, THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE AN AWKWARD THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH YOUR RELATIVES, SO THAT NOT YET
SO THE GENTLEMAN ON THE LEFT COMMANDED THE OTHER TROOPS IN BERGEN COUNTY.
HE COMMANDED THE THIRD LIGHT DRAGON GOONS.
THE REST OF THE CONTINENTAL CALVARY WAS ON THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER, BUT BAYLOR AND HIS MEN HAD BEEN IN BERGEN COUNTY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AT THIS POINT.
THEY DID NOT GET ALONG WELL WITH THE MILITIA.
IT TURNS OUT, UM, PATRIOT HORSES ARE VERY MUCH LIKE BRITISH HORSES.
UM, SO WHAT THE CONTINENTAL CAVALRY DID IS THEY JUST LET THEIR HORSES LOOSE INTO THE FARMER'S FIELDS GOING TO TOWN ON THE HAY.
WELL, THEY WEREN'T PAYING FOR IT.
SO THE FARMERS COMPLAINED TO THE, THE COUNTY OF BERGEN, UH, WHO WROTE, UH, CONTACTED THE SHERIFF, ADAM BOYD, WHO WAS ALSO A LIEUTENANT IN THE MILITIA, AND THEY WROTE OUT A WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS TO ARREST, UM, TWO OF THE OFFICERS OF BAYLOR JA GOONS, UH, FOR THIS, THIS CRIME OF NOT PAYING FOR THE FORAGE, SUMMONING BAYLOR TO HACKENSACK.
THEY WERE ABOUT TO SERVE THE WRIT WHEN SOME OF THESE SURVIVORS FROM LIBERTY POLE CAME RUSHING IN SAYING THE, THERE'S THOUSANDS OF BRITISH JUST A FEW MILES FROM HERE.
BAYLOR WROTE TO WASHINGTON THAT THE MILITIA OFFICERS QUICKLY DISAPPEARED AND HE HAD NO DOUBT HE WOULD NOT SEE THEM AGAIN.
UM, BUT WASHINGTON WOULD SEND ORDERS TO BAYLOR, WHO WAS STATIONED AT PARAMUS TO GET HIS CAVALRY OUT OF THERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 120 MEN DIVIDED INTO SIX TROOPS.
WASHINGTON ORDERS THEM TO GO FROM PARAMUS TO CLARKSTOWN IN MODERN ROCKLAND COUNTY.
THERE IS NO ROCKLAND COUNTY DURING THE 18TH CENTURY.
IT'S ALL ORANGE COUNTY, BUT IT'S FOR PEOPLE ON HORSES.
YOU COULD DO IT IN ONE DAY EASY.
HE MOVES FROM PARAMUS TO HARRING TOWN, MODERN RIVERVALE.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS? LEARNING OF BAYLOR, RETIRING TO HARRINGTON AND A FORCE OF 400 ORANGE AND BERGEN COUNTY MILITIA SEVERAL MILES AWAY DOWN THE ROAD IN JAPAN, CORNAL AND CLINTON, WHO WAS WITH HIM FOR THAT DAY, DEVISED A BOLD STROKE SETTING OFF FROM NEW BRIDGE.
LATE IN THE NIGHT OF THE 27TH, SEPTEMBER WAS A FORCE OF 1,550 MEN UNDER MAJOR GENERAL GRAY, HEADING NORTH TO FIND AND ATTACK BAYLOR AT THE SAME TIME, 2,500 MEN UNDER CORN.
WALLACE WOULD ADVANCE FROM LIBERTY POLL OF THE CLOSER ROBE TO SURPRISE.
JAPAN JOINED BY A THOUSAND HIGHLANDERS IN QUEENS.
RANGERS CROSSING THE HUDSON FROM KINGSBRIDGE.
CONTRARY TIDES DELAYED CROSSING.
UM, THE PLA THAT PLAN UNTIL FAR TOO LATE, WHILE TWO DESERTERS FROM CORN WALLACE'S COLUMN ALERTED THE MILITIA INTO JAPAN OF THE STORM HEADED THEIR WAY.
THEY WISELY RETREATED, BUT DID NOT ALERT BAYLOR AND HIS MEN OF THEIR IMPENDING DOOM.
THERE'S ONLY A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD BETWEEN THE TWO.
I KNOW I PASS IT EVERY DAY ON MY WAY TO WORK.
THE DOOM CAME SILENTLY AT THE HANDS OF THE BRITISH LIGHT INFANTRY USING ONLY BAYONETS.
THEY SURROUNDED THE SIX DUTCH BARNS THAT EACH HOUSED A TROOP OF THE REGIMENT WHILE OTHERS SOUGHT OUT THE OFFICERS QUARTERED IN HOUSES.
WHEN IT WAS OVER 16, JA GOONS WERE DEAD.
FIVE OTHERS MORTALLY WOUNDED AND 47 OFFICERS AND MEN CAPTURED, INCLUDING A WOUNDED GEORGE BAYLOR.
HIS MAJOR ALEXANDER KLAU WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED AND LEFT ON PAROLE DYING.
SOON AFTERWARDS, SOME SURVIVORS ESCAPED, ALTHOUGH WOUNDED ONE SUCH JA LAGOON SWORE THIS AFFIDAVIT OF HIS EXPERIENCE, SAMUEL BROOKINGS BEING DULY SWORN TO POSE IT THAN SAYETH THAT HE IS A PRIVATE AND COLONEL BAYLOR'S REGIMENT OF WHITEHORSE IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES.
THAT ON THE NIGHT OF THE 27TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER LAST,
[00:50:01]
THIS DEPONENT TOGETHER WITH 19 OTHERS BELONGING TO THE SAID REGIMENT.LODGED IN THE BARN IN HARRINGTON NEAR JAPAN WERE ALARMED WITH A NUMBER OF THE ENEMY WHO HAD SURROUNDED THE SAID BARN.
THE THREE OF HIS MEN IN THE BARN WHO ATTEMPTED TO GET OUT WERE BANNED AT IT IN THEIR ATTEMPT UPON WHICH THE OTHERS CALLED OUT FOR QUARTER, UPON WHICH THE BRITISH TROOPS CALLED OUT TO THEM TO COME OUT OF THE BARN.
AND OUR MEN EXPECTING UPON THAT TO HAVE QUARTER BEGAN TO MARCH OUT AS PRISONERS AND THE DEPONENT AMONG THE REST THAT AS HE CAME NEAR THE BARN DOOR, HE RECEIVED A STAB WITH A BAYONET IN HIS ARM AND AN ENDEAVORING TO DISENGAGE HIS ARM FROM THE BAYONET.
HE UNLOCKED THE BAYONET FROM THE MUSKET AND MADE HIS ESCAPE THROUGH ANOTHER DOOR OF THE BARN.
THE BAYONET REMAINING IN HIS ARM AND HE TRAVELING WITH IT, STICKING IN HIS ARM NEAR FOUR MILES.
AS HE WAS RUNNING FROM THEM, HE HEARD SOME OF THEM WHO WERE STILL ENGAGED IN TAKING AND KILLING OUR MEN, CRY OUT, SKIVER THEM AND GIVE NO QUARTERS.
AND THE SAME CRY HE HEARD ALL ALONG HIS PASSAGE FROM DENSE TO COLONEL BAYLOR'S QUARTERS, WHICH HE FOUND ALSO SURROUNDED BY THE ENEMY.
GRAY WOULD MEET CORNWALLIS IN JAPAN LATER THAT MORNING, AND FROM THERE RETIRED WITH THEIR PRISONERS TO THEIR PREVIOUS POSITIONS.
THE ENLISTED MEN WHO WERE PRISONERS WOULD BE EXCHANGED IN ABOUT A MONTH.
WHILE THE OFFICERS WOULD HAVE TO WAIT TWO MORE YEARS.
BAYLOR WOULD LIVE TO SEE THE END OF THE WAR, BUT NOT MUCH BEYOND DYING.
AH, YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SLIDE.
ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, SOME 450 OF THE AMERICAN LIGHT TROOPS UNDER OUR FRIEND LIEUTENANT COLONEL RICHARD BUTLER, SET A 3:00 AM TO LAY AN AMBUSH FOR ANY ADVANCING BRITISH BUTLER HAD DIVIDED HIS COMMAND INTO THREE FORCES.
MAJOR BENJAMIN LEDYARD OF THE FOURTH NEW YORK WITH TWO COMPANIES OF INFANTRY AND SOME CAVALRY ON THE RIGHT.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL JOSIAH HARMER OF THE SIXTH, PENNSYLVANIA WITH TWO MORE INFANTRY COMPANIES ON THE LEFT, A PARTY OF CAVALRY UNDER CAPTAIN ALEXANDER DANDRIDGE OF THE FIRST LIGHT LAGOONS AND COORDINATE FERDINAND NEIL OF LEE'S LEGION AND THE CENTER FORCE UNDER BUTLER HIMSELF, CONSISTING OF A COMPANY OF INFANTRY UNDER CAPTAIN CHARLES GRAHAM OF THE SECOND NEW YORK, AND THE REMAINDER OF LEE'S LEGION, TWO PATROLS OF HESSIAN JAGERS EACH CONSISTING OF 72 MEN, 12 OF WHOM WERE MOUNTED AMBUSHED BY BUTLER'S FORCE NEAR DOBBS FERRY.
PRECISE CASUALTY FIGURES FROM THE AMBUSH ARE DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN.
NO TWO SOURCES AGREEING EXACTLY 10 WERE KILLED.
AND A LIEUTENANT IN 18 TAKEN PRISONER, 15 OF WHOM WERE HESSER GOONS WITH THEIR HORSES AND ACCOUTREMENTS.
NO LOSS WAS SUFFERED ON OUR PART SAID IN ONE LETTER WRITTEN BY A CONTINENTAL OFFICER FROM BEDFORD ON OCTOBER 4TH, SCOTT REPORTED TO WASHINGTON THAT THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES ON THEIR SIDE, BUT JOSIAH PLUM MARTIN WROTE OF TWO OR THREE WOUNDED, A QUOTE, GENTLEMAN FROM MORRISTOWN REPORTED TO A NEW JERSEY NEWSPAPER THAT 15 HESSIANS WERE KILLED.
ANOTHER 14 WERE WOUNDED AND 20 HORSES BROUGHT OFF.
ALTHOUGH HOW HE KNEW OF THIS WAS NOT MENTIONED, GENERAL BRITISH GENERAL JAMES GRANT NOTED THE LOSS OF ONE OFFICER.
AND 14 JAGERS BUTLER CLAIMED 10 KILLED ALONG WITH A LIEUTENANT AND 18 OTHERS CAPTURED, THREE OF WHOM WERE SO BADLY WOUNDED AS TO BE LEFT BEHIND FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL WORM OF THE JAGERS WROTE THAT OF THE MOUNTED MEN, TWO WERE KILLED OUTRIGHT, TWO DIED OF THEIR WOUNDS, TWO ESCAPED, AND THE REST TAKEN PRISONER.
THIS IS WHY IT'S HARD TO ASCERTAIN TRUTH, UM, WHICH ONE OF THESE IS RIGHT OR ANY OF THEM RIGHT? SO, UM, I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION IN HERE THE ACCOUNT WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN EVOLVED OF THE JAGERS BECAUSE HIS WAS OUT IN LEFT FIELD.
UM, HE SAID, GOING DOWN THE ROAD, UM, HE COUNTED, UM, SOMETHING LIKE, UH, HE SAID IT WAS THE BLOODIEST ROAD HE HAD EVER SEEN WALKING AMONG THE AMERICAN DEAD, ALL KILLED BY ONE HESSIAN OFFICER.
UM, AND ALL THE AMERICAN ACCOUNTS SAY ABSOLUTELY NONE WERE KILLED.
WELL, YOU LOOK AT THE PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE, THE AMERICANS, NO ONE'S SAYING NO ONE ELSE, BUT EWALD IS SAYING ANY AMERICAN WAS KILLED.
[00:55:01]
SO ARE THEY ALL WRONG? AND EWALD IS RIGHT.NO EWALD FROM GREAT EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE IN HIS JOURNAL LIKES TO, IF NOT FABRICATE, THEN UM, ENHANCE THE ACCOUNTS.
UM, LIKE THE, THE OLD RUSSIANS SAYING TRUST, BUT VERIFY.
SO WHAT IS INTERESTING TO ME IS NOT SO MUCH THE SKIRMISH ITSELF, ALTHOUGH I KNOW YOU GUYS LOVE IT, BUT RATHER THE AFTERMATH AS RELATED BY JOSEPH PLUM MARTIN, ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS AS A YOUNG MAN AND SOLDIER, MARTIN MARTIN'S A YOUNG GUY.
THE SCENES AND EXPERIENCES WERE ALL NEW AND MEMORABLE.
QUOTE, THIS IS MARTIN'S WORDS, THERE WAS AN IRISHMAN BELONGING TO OUR INFANTRY WHO AFTER THE AFRAID WAS OVER SEEING A WOUNDED MAN BELONGING TO THE ENEMY, LYING IN THE ROOM AND UNABLE TO HELP HIMSELF.
TOOK PITY ON HIM AS HE WAS IN DANGER OF BEING TRODDEN UPON BY THE HORSES AND HAVING SHOULDERED HIM WAS STAGGERING OFF WITH HIS LOAD IN ORDER TO GET HIM TO A PLACE OF MORE SAFETY WHILE CROSSING A SMALL WORN OUT BRIDGE OVER A MAR, A VERY MUDDY BROOK.
HE HAPPENED TO JOSTLE THE POOR FELLOW MORE THAN USUAL, WHO CRIED OUT GOOD REBEL, DON'T HURT.
POOR HESSIAN, WHO DO YOU CALL A REBEL USED SCOUNDRELS AT THE IRISHMAN WHO TOSSED HIM OFF HIS SHOULDERS AS UNCEREMONIOUSLY AS THOUGH HE HAD BEEN A LOG OF WOOD.
HE FELL WITH HIS HEAD INTO THE MUD.
AND AS I PASSED, I SAW HIM STRUGGLING FOR LIFE, BUT I HAD OTHER BUSINESS ON MY HANDS THAN TO STOP IT AND ASSIST HIM.
I DID SINCERELY PITY THE POOR MORTAL, BUT PITY HIM WAS ALL I COULD THEN DO WHAT I BECAME OF HIM AFTER I SAW HIM IN THE MUD, I NEVER KNEW MOST LIKELY HE THERE MADE HIS FINAL EXIT.
CONSEQUENTLY, I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING MORE OF HIM, BUT THE IRISHMAN REMINDED ME, QUOTE, THAT THE TENDER MERCIES OF THE WICKED ARE CRUEL OTHER THAN FORAGING.
THERE WAS LITTLE TO DO FOR THE BRITISH TROOPS IN BERGEN, WHICH OF COURSE LED TO PROBLEMS FOR THE BRITISH AND AMERICANS ALIKE.
DESPITE OF ALL OF CORNWALL'S WARNING OF DIRE CONSEQUENCES TO PLUNDERERS, LARGE QUANTITIES OF PRIVATE PROPERTY APPEARED TO HAVE MADE THEIR WAY INTO THE SOLDIER'S HANDS.
BUT IT WAS FAR FROM THE UNIVERSAL LOSSES OF THE 1776 INVASION WHEN MANY RESIDENTS LOST PROPERTY LOOKING OVER A LISTS OF CLAIMS SUBMITTED AT THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
MOST WERE SIMPLY FOR CATTLE CROPS AND FORAGE THE STATED OBJECT OF THE EXPEDITION.
OTHERS HAD LOSSES THAT WERE MORE EXTENSIVE AND CERTAINLY NOT OF A MILITARY NATURE.
DANIEL CHRISTIE OF HACKENSACK TOWNSHIP LOST AMONG OTHER ITEMS A BIBLE, A BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER AND HIS SPELLING BOOK, ABRAHAM ACKERMAN OF HARRINGTON LOST FIVE PEWTER SPOONS AND A SPOTTED RUG.
TEA KETTLES, TANKERS AND SHEETS WERE POPULAR ITEMS. MARTIN ESON OF HARRINGTON LOST QUOTE, A GRAIL FULL OF SOAP.
ONE ATTEMPT WAS MADE AT ATTACKING THE BRITISH.
THIS CAME FROM A PART OF THE FOREST GATHERING AT A QU MODERN PASSAIC.
THEIR CONTINENTAL GENERAL LORD STERLING WAS GATHERING A MIXED FOREST OF CONTINENTALS AND SHORT TERM MILITIA.
SOME THREE TO 500 OF THESE MILITIA LED BY BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM WINDS ADVANCED FROM LEUTER DAMM MODERN FAIR LAWN TO HACKENSACK AND THEN NORTH TO ATTACK THE FORTS THE BRITISH WERE BUILDING IN WHAT IS NOW RIVER EDGE.
THERE WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 1500 BRITISH AND PROVINCIAL TROOPS STATIONED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HACKENSACK RIVER, EITHER WORKING ON THE FORTS OR COVERING THE AREA.
THEY HAD LITTLE TO FEAR FROM WIND'S FORCE NEW JERSEY'S MILITIA GENERAL MARCHED HIS MEN TO WITHIN THREE TO 400 YARDS FROM THE FORTS WHEN THE BRITISH TROOPS SIMPLY RETIRED WITHIN THEM AND FIRED SOME ARTILLERY UPON THEM.
THIS PUT BOTH SIDES WELL OUT OF EFFECTIVE MUSKET RANGE.
QUOTE, RECEIVED A FEW SHOT FROM THE BRITISH, THEN RETREATED INTO A BREAST.
WORK THEY HAD THROWN UP WAS HOW SAMUEL ROOM, THE EASTERN BATTALION OF MORRIS COUNTY MILITIA DESCRIBED THE LESS THAN HEAVY FIGHTING THAT DAY FOR HIS PART.
GENERAL WINDS REPORTED TO WASHINGTON THAT HE DROVE THE BRITISH PICKETS IN, BUT THEY WOULD NOT LEAVE THEIR FORTS TO FIGHT HIM.
[01:00:01]
PEEBLES WITH THE BRITISH DISAGREED WITH HIS COUNTERPART.ITS INTERPRETATION OF THE ACTION, STATING A PARTY OF TWO OR 300 REBELS CAME DOWN TOWARDS WHERE WE WERE MAKING THE WORK ON NORTH SIDE OF NEW BRIDGE AND FIRED AWAY AT A GREAT DISTANCE FOR ABOVE AN HOUR WHEN A PARTY OF LIGHT INFANTRY DASHED OUT AFTER THEM AND DROVE THEM OFF.
THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES ON EITHER SIDE.
I LIKE TO THINK OF THIS AS, UH, PROBABLY LIKE A REENACTMENT.
PEOPLE ARE FIRING AWAY AT EACH OTHER.
NOBODY ACTUALLY GETS HURT, AND THEY BOTH SIDES HAVE BEER AT THE END OF THE NIGHT.
THE PRINCIPLE MEANS OF GETTING THE FORAGE STORES OUT OF BERGEN WAS BY WATER.
SHIPPING THE HAY CATTLE AND PRODUCE OFF TO NEW YORK CITY WAS A MONUMENTAL TASK FOR THE COMMISSARY GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT FROM NEW BRIDGE.
THE HACKENSACK RIVER WAS NAVIGABLE FOR BRIGGS SLOOPS AND SCHOONER OF SUFFICIENT TONNAGE TO TRANSPORT THEIR ACQUISITIONS.
THE SHIPPING WAS NOT THAT OF THE ROYAL NAVY, BUT RATHER PRIVATELY OWNED LOYALIST VESSELS OPERATING ON A TEMPORARY CONTRACT BASIS WITH THE CIVIL BRANCHES OF THE BRITISH ARMY, OF WHICH THE COMMISSARY GENERALIST DEPARTMENT WAS ONE.
THE VOYAGE OF THESE VESSELS, FOR THE MOST PART, WAS CONDUCTED IN SAFETY.
THE BRITISH OCCUPIED ALL OF BERGEN NECK, GIVING THEM CONTROL OF THE EAST SIDE OF THE HACKENSACK RIVER FOR THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE WATERWAY.
DE ATTACHMENTS OF THE 57TH REGIMENT HAD IT BEEN ADVANCED FROM THEIR GARRISON POST AT PAULA.
SO TO OCCUPY THE FEW FERRIES CROSSING THE RIVER, WHILE THE INVENTORY OF THE BRITISH LEGION OCCUPIED THE HEIGHTS OF BERGEN AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE NECK.
FOUR VESSELS WERE HOWEVER, BURNED BY AN ENTERPRISING PARTY INTERCEPTING THEM IN NEW YORK BAY.
THE FINAL PHASE OF SIR HENRY CLINTON'S GRAND FORAGE WOULD BE SLOWED TO DEVELOP, BUT WOULD TAKE HIM INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE MODE OF WARFARE, THEN FAVORED IN LONDON, IE, USING LIMITED TROOPS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ROYAL NAVY TO ATTACK THE EXTENSIVE COASTLINE OF AMERICA.
INDEED, ACCORDING TO SIR HENRY CLINTON HIMSELF, THIS PHASE, THE EXPEDITION OF OVER THREE, UH, OVER 500 BRITISH AND PROVINCIAL TROOPS TO SOUTH JERSEY WAS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR HIS MOVEMENT INTO WESTCHESTER AND BERGEN TO FAVOR THIS OPERATION, QUOTE, THIS POSITION ALONG THE HUDSON WAS ALSO INTENDED TO SERVE THE DOUBLE PURPOSE OF COVERING A GENERAL FORAGE AND FAVORING THE OPERATIONS OF A CORE.
I DETACHED UNDER CAPTAIN FERGUSON TO DESTROY A NEST OF PRIVATEERS AT A HARBOR WHICH HAD DONE US A GREAT DEAL OF MISCHIEF.
IN COMMAND OF THIS FORAY WOULD BE ONE OF GREAT BRITAIN'S MOST ENERGETIC AND TALENTED OFFICERS, CAPTAIN PATRICK FERGUSON OF THE LIGHT INFANTRY COMPANY OF THE 70TH REGIMENT.
THE FORCE WAS COMPOSED OF REGULARS FROM THE FIFTH AND 55TH REGIMENTS, A FOOT AND AT LEAST 161 OFFICERS AND MEN FROM THE FIRST AND THIRD BATTALIONS OF NEW JERSEY VOLUNTEERS, EIGHT ROYAL NAVY VESSELS AND A LOYALIST PRIVATE TIER WOULD TRANSPORT THE FOREST TO ITS INTENDED OBJECT.
A HARBOR WAS NEW JERSEY'S PRINCIPLE PORT AND MAJOR PRIVATE TIER BASE.
ITS LOCATION ON THE JERSEY SHORE MADE IT A PERFECT HARBOR FROM WHICH VESSELS COULD INTERCEPT BRITISH MERCHANT CHIPPING, TRYING TO GET INTO SANDY HOOK, DESTROYING THE PRIVATE TIERS.
THERE WOULD BE A MAJOR SETBACK IN THESE EFFORTS.
MODEST FORTIFICATIONS WERE THROWN UP TO PROTECT THE TOWN AND SHIPPING, BUT NO ARTILLERY WAS ON HAND TO ARM THE WORKS AND NO GARRISON OTHER THAN MILITIA GUARDS TO MAN THEM.
THE BURLINGTON COUNTY SEAPORT WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO REPULSE A DETERMINED PHONE DUE TO CONTRARY WINDS DELAYING THE BRITISH AND GOOD INTELLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE AMERICANS.
THE PRIVATEERS AT EGG HARBOR WERE ALL ABLE TO SALLY OUT OF THAT PLACE, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER VESSELS, SO THAT BY THE TIME THE BRITISH ARRIVED ON OCTOBER 5TH, THE PRINCIPLE AIM OF THE EXPEDITION WAS GONE.
UNDETERRED FERGUSON LANDED HIS MEN AND DROVE THE MILITIA FROM THE TWO NEARBY FORTS FOR THE LAWS OF JUST ONE SOLDIER WOUNDED IN THE LEG, THE BRITISH TROOPS AND SAILORS QUICKLY GOT TO WORK, DESTROYING 10 PRIZES, SHIPPING THAT THEY HAD CAPTURED THAT COULD NOT BE GOT OFF ALONG WITH ALL THE STOREHOUSES AND MANY OF THE TOWN FERGUSON'S WORK WAS DONE, OR WAS IT? WELL, CONGRESS HAD RECEIVED URGENT
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PLEAS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF EGG HARBOR, BUT WAS HARD PRESSED TO SEND AID UNTIL IT REALIZED THAT A REGIMEN OF CAVALRY AND INFANTRY WAS A NEARBY PRINCETON EN ROUTE TO JOIN LORD STERLING'S FORCE AT A QU.THIS UNIT, VARIOUSLY REFERRED TO AS THE INDEPENDENT LEGION OR PARTISAN LEGION, WAS BEST KNOWN BY THE NAME OF ITS COMMANDER, PULASKI LEGION COUNT KASMIR PULASKI.
AND THAT'S THE GUY ON THE RIGHT AND THAT'S PATRICK FERGUSON.
ON THE LEFT WAS A POLISH NOBLEMAN BORN MARCH 4TH, 1747 AT ARI IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF THAT COUNTRY.
AFTER SPENDING YEARS IN EXILE IN FRANCE, INCLUDING A STINT IN DEBTOR'S PRISON, PULASKI OFFERED HIS SERVICES TO AMERICAN DIPLOMATS IN PARIS, WHO, LIKE MANY OTHERS, THEY SHIPPED OFF TO CONGRESS TO ADD PROFESSIONAL EUROPEAN MILITARY TALENT TO THE FLEDGLING CONTINENTAL ARMY.
PULASKI TALENTS IS A PARTISAN COMMANDER LED TO CONGRESS APPOINTING HIM A BRIGADIER GENERAL, A COMMANDER OF ALL CONTINENTAL CAVALRY.
STRONG OPPOSITION FROM THE COMMANDERS OF THE FOUR CONTINENTAL CAVALRY REGIMENTS LED TO PULASKI RESIGNING THAT COMMISSION AFTER JUST SIX MONTHS WISHING TO STILL BE OF USE.
PULASKI REQUESTED TO RAISE HIS LEGION, WHICH CONGRESS AGREED TO EXPENDING HUGE SUMS OF MONEY TO RAISE AND EQUIP THE NEW CORE.
PULASKI SOON BECAME A SORE SUBJECT TO BOTH CONGRESS AND WASHINGTON, PARTICULARLY FOR A UNIT THAT BY THE END OF THE SUMMER OF 1778, HAD PROVIDED NO REAL SERVICE AND WAS STILL IN TRENTON AWAY FROM ANY SCENE OF ACTION.
THEY WERE SITTING THERE WAITING FOR CONGRESS TO AUDIT ALL OF PULASKI EXPENDITURES.
IT WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE REGIMEN IN THE CONTINENTAL ARMY.
FINALLY, ORDER TO ACTION PULASKI IN HIS CORE, WHICH CONSISTED OF LIGHT, INFANTRY, RIFLEMAN, GRENADIERS, AND MOUNTED LANCERS WILL BE JOINED BY FOUR CANNON OF THE FOURTH CONTINENTAL ARTILLERY, MAKING IT A RESPECTABLE FORCE ARRIVING IN THE VICINITY OF WHAT REMAINED OF CHESTNUT NECK.
ON OCTOBER 8TH, PULASKI MOVED A LEGION TO WHAT IS NOW MODERN TUCKERTON, ESTABLISHING A LARGE PICKET OF 50 MEN UNDER LIEUTENANT COLONEL CHARLES BARRON VON BOZA.
FURTHER ALONG AT THE FORUM OF JEREMIAH RIDGEWAY.
NOW, FERGUSON'S FORCE HAD NOT YET LEFT THE AREA, BUT NOT FOR WANT OF TRYING TIDES AND DRAFTS MADE HIS FLEET CONTINUALLY RUN ASHORE, KEEPING IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THUS WAS SET IN MOTION.
A MOST UNFORTUNATE TURN OF EVENTS FOR PULASKI FORCE BEFORE SETTING OFF FROM EGG HARBOR.
PULASKI LESION TOOK IN A VOLUNTEER AT THE REQUEST OF CONGRESS'S BOARD OF WAR, ALWAYS ANXIOUS TO ENCOURAGE DESERTION AMONG THE ENEMY, PARTICULARLY THE HESSIAN TROOPS.
CONGRESS WAS WELL DISPOSED TO PROVIDE APPOINTMENTS FOR THOSE THEY FELT TRUSTWORTHY.
AND SO IT WAS WHEN 19-YEAR-OLD SECOND LIEUTENANT CARL WILHELM, JOSEPH JULIET, DESERTED FROM THE HESSIAN GRA REGIMENT AT RHODE ISLAND, CONGRESS APPROVED JULIET'S JOINING POLOWSKI'S LEGION.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY TRANSPIRED AFTER THIS IS NOT FULLY CLEAR.
TRADITION HAS IT THAT JULIET WAS PART OF VAN BOZA PICKET DETACHMENT AT THE RIDGEWAY FARM.
VON BOZA, A PROFESSIONAL GERMAN SOLDIER, WAS LESS THAN WELCOMING TO A FELLOW GERMAN OFFICER WHO HAD DESERTED HIS COLORS AND MADE HIS CONTEMPT KNOWN TO JULIET ON OCTOBER 13TH, 1778.
JULIET, AMONGST OTHERS WOULD DECIDE THAT SERVICE IN THE LEGION WAS NOT WHAT THEY HAD EXPECTED.
IT IS HERE THAT ACCOUNTS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFER.
PULASKI WRITING LATER TO CONGRESS.
QUOTE THAT ONE, JULIET, AN OFFICER DESERTER FROM THE ENEMY, WHICH WAS GIVEN ME BY THE BOARD OF WARD, TO BE AT THE SUITE OF MY LEGION DESERTED TWO DAYS AGO WITH THREE MEN, WHICH HE DEBAUCHED WITH TWO OTHERS WHOM THEY FORCED TO FOLLOW HIM.
WHAT IS INTERESTING AND WHICH LEADS TO SOME UNCERTAINTY IN WHAT TRANSPIRED AFTERWARDS, IS THAT NEITHER FERGUSON NOR COMMODORE COLLINS OF THE ROYAL NAVY MENTIONS JULIETTE AND THEIR OFFICIAL DISPATCHES COLLINS RIGHT INTO REAR.
ADMIRAL GAMBIER SIMPLY MENTIONS, QUOTE, A CAPTAIN SERGEANT AND FOUR MEN CAME DOWN TO US THE EVENING BEFORE LAST FROM THE REBELS AND
[01:10:01]
GAVE US SOME ACCOUNT.SO GAVE US SOME VERY SATISFACTORY INTELLIGENCE OF THE LEGION, OF PULASKI TO WHICH THEY BELONGED.
HOWEVER, PERHAPS THE PERSON TO BE IN THE BEST POSITION TO KNOW MENTIONS SOMEONE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AS PROVIDING INTELLIGENCE ON THE LEGION.
QUOTE, A FRENCHMAN NAMED BOMB NAMED BROWNVILLE THAT HE CLASSIFIED AS A CAPTAIN IN PULASKI LEGION.
WHO WAS THIS PERSON? A JAMES DE BRAUN WAS INDEED A LIEUTENANT IN THE INVENTORY OF PULASKI LEGION.
PULASKI MAKES NO MENTION OF BROWNVILLE UNTIL OCTOBER 21ST WHEN, WHEN THE OUTER ELABORATION, HE WRITES CONGRESS.
I ENCLOSE YOU THE COMMISSION, ONE OF MY LIEUTENANTS WHO THOUGHT PROPER TO DELIVER IT TO ME.
THE COMMISSION HE ENCLOSED WAS THAT OF BROWNVILLE, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE COMMISSION THAT'S ON THE SCREEN UP THERE.
IN ANY CASE, FERGUSON USED THE INTELLIGENCE QUICKLY TO DEVASTATING EFFECT.
EARLY IN THE MORNING OF THE 15TH, FERGUSON LED 250 OF HIS MEN QUIETLY.
DEVON BOZO'S 50 MANNED DETACHMENT AT THE RIDGEWAY FARM AND CAUGHT IT COMPLETELY OFF GUARD AT THE COST OF THREE MEN MISSING.
30 OF VON B'S MEN WERE KILLED, INCLUDING THE GERMAN LIEUTENANT COLONEL HIMSELF.
BY THE TIME PULASKI AND THE REMAINDER OF THE LEGION ARRIVED, THE BRITISH WERE OUT OF REACH.
FERGUSON AND HIS COMMAND WOULD NOW RETURN TO NEW YORK LEARNING OF FERGUSON'S SUCCESS.
CLINTON CALLED BACK HIS FORAGES WITH KNIP.
THOUSANDS FOREST RETIRING FROM WESTCHESTER, FOLLOWED BY KORN WALLACE IN NEW JERSEY.
ON OCTOBER 15TH, ONE BY ONE THE EMBARKATIONS WOULD TAKE PLACE 5,500 TROOPS UNDER GENERAL JAMES GRANT TO ATTACK THE FRENCH AND THE WEST INDIES.
2,500 TROOPS UNDER LIEUTENANT COLONEL ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL TO ATTACK SAVANNAH GEORGIA.
THREE REGIMENTS TO REINFORCE PENSACOLA.
TWO, LIKEWISE, THE HALIFAX AND THE CORE OF INVALIDS TO BERMUDA.
WELL, HOW DID THEY ALL MAKE OUT? UM, THE BRITISH GOING TO THE WEST INDIES, UH, CAPTURED ST.
LUCIA THE FRENCH UNDER GENERAL, UH, COUNTESS STANG THE ADMIRAL, UH, FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT THE BRITISH WERE DOING AND SALLIED HIS FORCE OUT OF BOSTON, BUT GOT THERE TWO DAYS AFTER THE BRITISH.
SO THE BRITISH HAD ALREADY CAPTURED THE ISLAND AND PREVENTED THE FRENCH FROM LANDING.
HOW DID THE FORCE AGAINST GEORGIA DO? ON DECEMBER 29TH, 1778, CAMPBELL'S FORCE, UM, LANDED OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN.
THE TOWN WAS DEFENDED BY 500 CONTINENTAL TROOPS WHO MARCHED OUT TO GIVE BATTLE, AND CAMPBELL'S FORCE KILLED OR CAPTURED ALL OF 'EM FOR HARDLY ANY LOSS.
UM, CAMPBELL WROTE HOME THAT HE WAS THE FIRST BRITISH OFFICER TO TEAR A STAR AND A STRIPE FROM THE AMERICAN FLAG.
AFTER THIS POINT, UNTIL JULY, 1782, GEORGIA REVERTED TO BEING A ROYAL COLONY.
UH, IT, THE ROYAL GOVERNOR JAMES WRIGHT RETURNED FROM ENGLAND AND HE CONVENED THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY, UM, WHO THEY WERE REPRESENTED AS THEY HAD BEEN BEFORE THE WAR BEGAN.
SO WHAT DID WE LEARN TODAY? WAS THE WAR WON FOR EITHER SIDE AT THIS POINT? NO, WE KNOW THAT FOR A FACT, WAR WAS NOT WON BY EITHER SIDE AT THIS POINT.
WAS WASHINGTON'S ARMY ROUTED? NO.
WASHINGTON'S ARMY WAS REALLY NEVER ENGAGED.
WASHINGTON HIMSELF PLAYED NO PART IN ANY OF THESE BATTLES.
WERE THE PRIVATEERS DESTROYED? NO.
SO THAT THAT WORKED OUT WELL FOR THE AMERICANS.
YES, IT WAS, UM, FAR MORE IN BERGEN COUNTY THAN IN WESTCHESTER.
YOU GUYS GOTTA DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, THEY, THEY, THEY TOOK OFF ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO 10 TIMES MORE FORAGE FROM BERGEN COUNTY, MUCH OF WHICH WAS ACTUALLY PAID FOR, UH, BY THE BRITISH BECAUSE MOST OF BERGEN COUNTY WAS LOYALIST.
SO THEY WEREN'T ROBBING FROM THEIR FRIENDS.
ONLY THE REBELS WERE THE EXPEDITIONS SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND THOSE POSTS WERE REINFORCED.
HALIFAX WAS NEVER ATTACKED DURING THE WAR.
[01:15:01]
PENSACOLA WAS HOWEVER, UM, BY A NEW PLAYER ON THE SCENE IN, UM, SPAIN ENTERED WAR IN, UH, THE SUMMER OF 1779 AND PROCEEDED TO, UH, CAPTURE ALL THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS DOWN THERE, CULMINATING IN THE SIEGE OF PENSACOLA IN MAY OF 1781 WITH THE GARRISONS MAINTAINED.SO NEW YORK WOULD REMAIN AS THE BRITISH HEADQUARTERS, UH, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WAR.
NEWPORT WOULD BE EVACUATED IN OCTOBER, 1779 TO AGAIN CONSOLIDATE WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE BRITISH ARMY.
SOER HENRY CLINTON COULD TAKE AN EXPEDITION, HAD ENOUGH MEN TO TAKE AN EXPEDITION DOWN IN CAPTURE CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHICH, UH, FELL TO THE BRITISH BIGGEST AMERICAN SINGLE DEFEAT IN THE WAR.
UM, IN MAY OF 1780, IS THERE MATERIAL FOR ME TO WRITE MORE BOOKS? I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A THOUGHT ON YOUR MIND, AND YES, THERE'S DEFINITELY, UM, MUCH MORE MATERIAL FOR ME TO WRITE.
ONE MORE TIME AND ONE MORE TIME.
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS NOW, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO MODS AFTERWARDS.
THE KNITTING CLUB, I THINK, IS NEXT DOOR, AND SO THAT ROOM IS NOT AVAILABLE, BUT I WANT TO THANK ANDREW BWIN FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY AV PERFORMANCE,
AND, UH, THANK YOU TO, TO DEBBIE QUINN FOR, FOR, UH, PUTTING THIS ON WITH SHORT NOTICE AND, AND, UH, UH, PROVIDING US THIS THE GREAT ROOM.
UM, THIS IS, UH, AN AV UH, UH, ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE? UH, EILEEN, I THINK YOU HAVE THE MIC.
DO YOU HAVE, SO, LOOK, UH, YOU KNOW EILEEN CHARLES, WHO DID SO MUCH TO ALSO PUT THIS EVENT ON.
UM, SO PLEASE, UH, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND AND EILEEN WILL APPROACH YOU, TODD.
SO MY QUESTION IS THAT THE CHARLES GRAY THAT YOU MENTIONED MM-HMM
THAT THAT IS THE SAME CHARLES GRAY THAT PLANNED PAOLI AND TOOK PART IN GERMANTOWN, CORRECT? YES.
THAT'S, WASN'T HE LATER APPOINTED COMMANDER IN CHIEF FOR NORTH AMERICA, LIKE IN 82 OR 83? NO, UM, SIR HENRY CLINTON LEFT, UM, IN APRIL OF 1782, AND HE WAS REPLACED BY THE FINAL BRITISH COMMANDER, SIR.
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN LONG ISLAND AFTER, DURING THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE INITIAL BATTLE AND, YOU KNOW, IN BROOKLYN AND THE REST OF THE ISLAND, LONG ISLAND WAS BRITISH TERRITORY.
UM, ONCE, UM, THE BATTLE OF, UM, BROOKLYN WAS OVER IN WASHINGTON'S FOREST, EVACUATED TO MANHATTAN, UH, LONG ISLAND WAS IN BRITISH POSSESSION FOR THE REST OF THE WAR.
UM, GOVERNOR TRYON VISITED EACH OF THESE THREE COUNTIES.
WE WERE ALL GOING MOS, UH, KINGS COUNTY, QUEENS AND SUFFOLK, NO NASSAU COUNTY YET.
UM, NASSAU, BY THE WAY, WAS ANOTHER NAME FOR LONG ISLAND, NASSAU ISLAND.
UM, BUT EACH OF THOSE COUNTIES HAD THEIR OWN MILITIA FOR THE BRITISH QUEENS WAS THE MOST FERVENT FOR THE BRITISH.
UM, BUT THEY, BRITISH HAD VARIOUS OCCUPYING AREAS, BRITISH FORTS, UH, AND THEY STARTED TO ENGAGE IN WARFARE WITH CONNECTICUT.
UM, CONNECTICUT SENT MANY RAID PARTIES TO LONG ISLAND, UM, AND LONG ISLAND SENT RATING PARTIES RIGHT BACK TO CONNECTICUT.
SO THAT WENT ON OLD OR IN THE WAR.
THE AMERICANS REALLY ONLY SENT A COUPLE OF MAJOR EXPEDITIONS TO LONG ISLAND, UH, TO LONG ISLAND, UM, DURING THE TIME OF THE WAR, ONE OF WHICH WA RESULTED IN THE BATTLE OF AU IN AUGUST OF 1777, WHICH WAS PORTRAYED IN TURN NOT WELL, BUT IT WAS PORTRAYED IN TURN.
UM, THAT WAS, UH, AN ALMOST BLOODLESS AFFAIR.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT WAS ON GENERAL PARSONS.
HE WENT OFF CLAIMING IT WAS TOO HOT.
UM, ANOTHER EXPEDITION UNDER COLONEL WEBB OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY WAS ACTUALLY CAPTURED IN THE SOUND BY BRITISH WARSHIP.
THAT'S WHY THE BRITISH, IF THE BRITISH HAD ENOUGH WARSHIPS, UM, THEY COULD CONTROL THE SOUND, BUT THEY
[01:20:01]
NEVER HAD, NEVER HAD ENOUGH WARSHIPS.UH, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE A GREAT BIG NAVY, IT'S SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO WITH ALL THE FORGING AND THE GOODS THAT WERE LEAVING BERGEN COUNTY AND SOMEWHAT WESTCHESTER, WAS THERE HUNGER, UM, WHAT, HOW DID THE, THE CITIZENS OR THE RESIDENTS THERE COPE WITH THAT? UM, MOST OF THE, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, MOST OF THE ITEMS THEY WERE GROWING WERE NOT FOR HOME CONSUMPTION.
THEY WERE FOR SALE, THEY WERE FOR THE MARKETS.
UM, SO THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU YOURSELF CAN EAT, AND NO SIDE TOOK EVERYTHING.
UM, ONE THING THAT EACH SIDE TRIED TO AVOID WAS TAKING MILK COWS, UM, UH, THAT THEY GENERALLY LEFT FOR THE, FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT THESE WERE, THESE WERE CATTLE.
THESE WERE FORAGE OR PRODUCE THAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY SELL IN NEW YORK, UM, OR SELL ON MARKETS ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO WHETHER THEY WERE ACTUALLY SELLING IT TO THE BRITISH OR IT WAS BEING TAKEN, IT WAS NOT FOR THEM.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH TO GET BY PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S A LOSS FOR SURE.
NO ONE WANTS TO LOSE THIS STUFF.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE RAISING THAT, THAT'S YOUR MEANS OF EARNING A LIVING.
AND IF YOU'RE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE BRITISH COME AND THEY KNOW YOU'RE FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON, YOU KNOW, AND THEY TAKE YOUR STUFF, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT, IT'S NOT A GOOD DAY TO BE YOU
UM, SO KEEP IN MIND, UM, AS THE WAR WENT ON, WASHINGTON'S TROOPS WERE ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENT.
UM, BY 1780, UH, WASHINGTON MOVED INTO BERGEN COUNTY WITH, UM, 14,000 TROOPS, UM, AND SCOURED A CLEAN OF FOOD.
THEY TOOK, THEY TOOK EVERYTHING.
ONE OF THE BERGEN COUNTY MILITIA OFFICERS, THEIR MAJOR JOHN MAURITIUS GETCHES, UH, COMPLAINED TO WASHINGTON THAT, UH, HIS ARMY HAD, UM, DESTROYED HIS NEIGHBORHOOD WORSE THAN THE BRITISH HAD EVER DONE.
SO, UH, WASHINGTON ACTUALLY THREATENED, UM, THE GOVERNORS AT THE STATES AND CONGRESS AT THAT TIME SAYING THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT THEY WERE GETTING WAS HAND TO MOUTH.
WHATEVER FOOD WAS COMING INTO CAMP WAS BEING EATEN THAT DAY.
THE BRITISH GOT NERVOUS IF THEY WERE DOWN TO LESS THAN 45 DAYS OF FOOD.
UM, SO IT, UM, A LOT OF THE JOURNALS OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY AT THAT TIME MENTIONED THE WORD STARVING A LOT.
SO IT WAS, UH, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR PATRIOTISM IS ONE THING, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU SEE A, A NICE APPLE ORCHARD, YOU KNOW,
ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, WELL, ALL THANK YOU.
OH, ARLENE, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? THANK YOU.
IT, UH, YOU MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR OUR PROJECT, THIS BOOK COMING OUT IN, IN 2016, OUR PROJECT STARTING, UH, AROUND RIGHT AROUND THAT SAME TIME.
AND THIS GAVE US THE, THE CORE.
I COULD HAND THIS BOOK TO MAYBE TO PETER KY.
DID I EVER GIVE YOU A COPY? OR MAYBE NOT OKAY.
BUT TO OTHER, UH, MAYBE SOME OF THE TRUSTEES, UH, NIKKI, UH, HAD A COPY AND THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR US GETTING, UH, GETTING THE PROJECT UNDERWAY.
SO, UH, WE MEET TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND, UH, SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GREAT SCHOLARSHIP.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.