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Nine Blacks in the 104th Regiment of Foot – Part Three of Three
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
While the stories of seven Black members of the New Brunswick’s 104th Regiment of Foot are all too brief, diligent research has brought the lives of John Baker and George Lawrence to light in much greater detail. What makes their biographies particularly interesting is that both of these men were born into slavery; they were the children of people enslaved by Loyalists. Despite this background, each man chose to enlist in the Regiment of Foot and to fight to defend Upper Canada from American invasion during the War of 1812.
The historian Natasha Henry has written extensively about John Baker.  He was born in what is now Cornwall, Ontario to an enslaved woman named Dorinda and a man who hailed from either Holland or a German state. Dorinda’s master was John Gray, a Loyalist who had left New York in 1775 to find sanctuary in Quebec. Upon Gray’s death, Dorinda and her 8 children became the property of the Robert Gray, the Loyalist’s only son.
While only in his early 30s, Robert drew up his will, directing that upon his death, John Baker, his siblings, and his mother should be given their freedom, specified sums of money, and scores of acres of land in what is now Whitby, Ontario. John Baker was to receive 200 acres and £50. In 1804 –within a year of making his will—Robert Gray and John Baker’s brother died when the ship on which they were passengers sank in Lake Ontario.
Now a free man, Baker enlisted with the 104 Regiment of Foot when its recruiters were in York, Upper Canada. Private Baker was later at the raid on Sackets Harbour, the Battle of Chippawa, the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, and the siege of Fort Erie. Despite having been wounded at Lundy’s Lane, Baker remained in military service, joining another British regiment. He was among the combatants at the Battle of Waterloo.
The archivist Jennifer Weymark discovered that Baker caught a glimpse of Napoleon at the battle. He is quoted as saying, “I saw Napoleon.  He was a chunky little fellow; he rode hard and jumped ditches.”
Following his service in Europe, John Baker returned to Cornwall where he married a woman named Hannah. He became a general labourer and enjoyed woodcarving as a hobby.  When he was in his late eighties in 1861, Baker finally received a pension for his military service. For the next 9 years he received “one shilling sterling” per day until his death.
John Baker died on January 18, 1871. Later, historians recognized that he was the last living person who had once been enslaved in both Upper and Lower Canada.
George Lawrence had been born in New Brunswick about ten years after John Baker. His story has been researched in detail by the staff of the Fredericton Region Museum. Treated cruelly by a slave trader in Saint John, Lawrence was rescued (bought) by a sympathetic Loyalist cabinetmaker named William Wilbur and brought to Kingsclear, a settlement west of Fredericton. Two of Wilbur’s other slaves, Moses and Mammy Gossman, cared for Lawrence until he was given his freedom by his master for saving the life of his daughter.
Lawrence then moved to the colonial capital and hired himself out to a doctor named Jonathan Grant. Here he eventually met Phoebe Stewart, but it is uncertain if they married before or after his wartime service.  What is known is that Lawrence enlisted in the 104th Regiment of Foot and served as one of its drummers.
The details of Lawrence’s service during the War of 1812 have been lost, but later records indicate that he became a drill instructor for Fredericton’s Royal African Corps. The corps was noteworthy for having 50 members and a band. Writing in 1890, William T. Baird remembered Lawrence giving orders to the corps in “the half forgotten words of command, Africanised“. It would be interesting to know whether Baird meant that Lawrence spoke with an African accent or actually used words from his ancestors that had been passed down through his family.
In 1895, an unknown author summed up Lawrence’s life in these words: “Sergeant George Lawrence lived to be a very old man, respected alike by both white and coloured. His descendants in Fredericton have kept up his good record…
    When the old Sergeant passed from this earth [and] his body was borne to its last resting-place, several very old white men, in total disregard of their very strong colour-line, might have been seen walking together in the cortège. Even in their tottering age, there was something precise and systematic about their walk. The once valiant and capable 104th was on one of its last parades paying respect to a worthy departed comrade, whose comradeship had rung true in the acid test of battle.”
It worth noting one last time that both John Baker and George Lawrence, born into slavery, chose to use their new found freedom to fight for the land of their former Loyalist masters. Each man had a distinguished career and was remembered for the part he played in the New Brunswick’s remarkable 104th Regiment of Foot.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

The First and Second Readings of the Boston Port Bill
by Bob Ruppert 21 Nov 2024 Journal of the American Revolution
There are seven parts in the process to approve a bill in England: the first debate and reading, the second debate and reading, the committee stage, the report stage, the third debate and reading, the agreement between both Houses to the same bill, and the royal assent. This article is about the first three stages of the Boston Port Bill.
On March 7, 1774 Lord North, the Prime Minister, read a message from King George III to the members of the House of Commons. The heart of his message was,

His Majesty, upon Information of the unwarrantable Practices which have lately been concerted and carried on in North America; and particularly of the violent and outrageous Proceedings at the Town and Port of Boston . . . with a View of obstructing the Commerce of this Kingdom, fully confiding . . . hath thought fit to lay the whole Matter before His Two Houses of Parliament . . . that they will not only enable his Majesty, effectually, to take Measures, as may be most likely to put an immediate Stop to the present Disorders, but will also take into their . . . Consideration what farther Regulations and Permanent Provisions may be necessary to be established for the better securing the execution of the Laws, and the just Dependence of the Colonies upon the Crown and Parliament

Immediately afterwards, he laid out all of the papers that Lord Dartmouth, the Secretary-of-State for the Colonies, had gathered and presented to North’s Cabinet that would show the Boston Tea Party was not only a criminal act but quite possibly an act of treason. Read more…

The Mutiny of 1783: America’s Only Successful Insurrection
by Andrew A. Zellers-Frederick 19 Nov 2024 in Journal of the American Revolution
In June 1783, while a formal peace agreement was being negotiated in Paris, what British arms had not been able to accomplish was effectively achieved by the very soldiers who had sworn to protect and maintain the American government. A military insurrection unfolded on streets of the national capital of Philadelphia, the only successful insurrection against the government in American history as it forced Congress from its capital.
This “very trifling mutiny” began in the political and financial chaos that gripped the new country. The financial cost of the war was staggering. In 1783, in an attempt to limit the rapidly growing debt, Congress ordered Gen. George Washington to begin furloughing troops. Washington insisted that his faithful soldiers leave the service of their country with at least three months’ pay even though the national treasury did not have the funds for this. Washington’s appeals to individual states for assistance produced few positive results. As a consequence, United States Superintendent of Finances, Robert Morris, decided to issue his own personal bank notes to the troops. These notes were widely circulated because they were receivable for taxes and because Morris could employ governmental revenues to redeem them. Morris was considered directly liable for their redemption should government revenue prove insufficient.
Apprehension amongst Washington’s command grew that soldiers would not distinguish between a cession of hostilities and a definitive peace. Military leaders felt this could evolve into increased morale problems and discontent with Congress’s civilian authority. Read more…

Hessian Soldiers Travelling to America: Chesapeake Bay – A Soldier’s Life September 1781
From a Hessian Diary of the American Revolution.
This excerpt from the diary of Johan Conrad Dohla (170 pages).

Major Moves during Johan’s deployment:

  • March 1777:   Depart Germany
  • 3 June 1777:   Arrive New York, then Amboy NJ
  • November 1777:  To Philadelphia
  • June 1778: to Long Island
  • July 1778: To Newport RI
  • October 1779: to New York
  • May 1781: to Chesapeake Bay.

September, 1781: At Chesapeake Bay. (page 101)

Continuation of Occurences in North America During the Fifth Year, 1781

IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER [1781]

ABOUT COTTON
This grows abundantly here at Yorktown and in this region. Our entire camp stood in such a  cotton  field. The seeds  are  planted  and,  when  they  come  up,  hoed  diligently  into  hills,  as potatoes  are  by  us,  and  [they]  bloom  very  prettily,  with  red,  white,  and  sky  blue  all  mixed together. A stalk often bears ten, twelve, or fifteen balls as large as a hen’s egg or a chestnut, in which the cotton is tightly pressed. When it is ripe, sort of yellowish, the balls burst and the shell  divides  into  four  parts,  from  which  the  cotton  and  seeds  are  extracted.  A  ball  gives  a handful of cotton, because it is pressed and held so tightly therein. It must have a warm climate and sandy soil to grow, as it cannot tolerate frost or cold. When we arrived in August, it was partially  in bloom, and  in the  middle of September, it was fully ripe. We made bed covers and floor mats of it in our tents, on which we slept, but now  have  little  time  for  that.  Also,  in  this  region,  the  famous  Virginia  tobacco  is  grown  in abundance, and much anise, tea, mustard, and many other good herbs.
11 [sic] September.  During  the  evening  Private Sommer, of Quesnoy’s company, died  in the regimental hospital.
12 September. I went on work detail at the defenses in the morning. This morning Private [Johann] Grossmann, of Quesnoy’s Company, died in the field hospital.
13 September. Private Benker, of Eyb’s Company, died in the regimental hospital.
14 September. I went on work detail in the forest adjacent to our camp. All the trees ahead of our lines were chopped down and all the roads protected and fortified with a strong abatis.
15 September. In the evening I was again at the defenses.
16 September.  This  afternoon  I  again  went  on  tree-cutting  detail  and  carried  and  loaded them  onto  wagons.  From  these  strong  trees,  palisades  are  made,  which  are  then  set  in  the communications trenches around our entire camp.
17 September. Private [Johann Salomon] Binder, of the Major’s Company, died  in camp. He was from Hof in Voigtland.
18 September. At noon the pack servant [Johann] Tauscher, of the Major’s Company, died in the field hospital.
19 September. In the morning we saw the rebels transferring many troops from Baltimore, across  the  James  River,  in  sloops.  Many  houses  in  the  city  of  Yorktown  were  torn  down because they were outside our lines and a hindrance.
22 September.  I  went  on  command  at  the  defenses  again  at  noon.  During  this  night  the English ship’s captain Harry Cherons sailed out of the York harbor at a quarter to twelve with five fireships, prepared with pitch and sulphur, in order to set fire to the four French warships that blocked the entrance to the harbor. This captain sailed with a  favorable wind, but as the night was bright and starlit, the French ships’ watch noticed him in time, sounded the alarm, cut  the  anchor  ropes  in  the  greatest  haste,  and  hurriedly  sailed  away  before  the  fire-ships could  reach  them.  These  five  ships  were  seen  the  next  day  outside  the  harbor,  still  burning. The ship’s captain returned in a small boat with his six sailors, at about one o’clock.
(to be continued)

Ben Franklin’s World: The Shawnee-Dunmore War, 1774 (Podcast)
Bi Liz Covart 18 Nov 2024
After the Seven Years’ War (1754-1763), Great Britain instituted the Proclamation Line of 1763. The Line sought to create a lasting peace in British North America by limiting British colonial settlement east of the Appalachian Mountains.
In 1768, colonists and British Indian agents negotiated the Treaties of Fort Stanwix and Hard Labour to extend the boundary line further west. In 1774, the Shawnee-Dunmore War broke out as colonists attempted to push even further west.
Fallon Burner and Russell Reed, two of the three co-managers of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s American Indian Initiative, join us to investigate the Shawnee-Dunmore War and what this war can show us about Indigenous life, warfare, and sovereignty during the mid-to-late eighteenth century. Listen in…

Book: Spark of Independence: The American Revolution in the Northern Colonies, 1775–1776
By Michael Cecere Nov 2024 Journal of the American Revolution
Michael Cecere’s latest book, Spark of Independence: The American Revolution in the Northern Colonies, 1775–1776 has been published. Mike is a long-time contributor to JAR, in addition to being an author, historian, and reenactor. Spark of Independence is the final volume of his Independence Trilogy, and is the latest in the JAR Books Series. Its two companion volumes focus on the Southern and the Middle colonies during the first year of the Revolution.
The Independence Trilogy seeks to answer one simple question: “What happened in the thirteen colonies after Lexington and Concord in April 1775 until independence was declared in July 1776?” Mike addresses this fundamental question by interspersing primary source material with historical narrative to allow the reader to appreciate these historic events as they unfolded and in the words of those who were there. These three books form a unique and important account of how thirteen disparate colonies banded together in a shared independence movement. This is the birth of America! See more…

Advertised on 21 November 1774: “assortment of muffs and tippets”
What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?

21 November

“A General and compleat assortment of muffs and tippets in the newest taste.”
As winter approached in 1774, Lyon Jonas, a “FURRIER, from LONDON,” took to the pages of the New-York Gazette and Weekly Mercury to advertise the “General and compleat assortment of muffs and tippets in the newest taste” available at his shop on Little Dock Street.
He also “manufactures and sells gentlemens caps and gloves lined with furr, very useful for travelling,” “trims ladies robes and riding dresses,” and “faces and lappels gentlemens coats and vests.”  In addition to those services, Jonas “buys and sells all sorts of furrs, wholesale and retail.”
To attract attention to his advertisement, the furrier adorned it with a woodcut that depicted a muff and a tippet (or scarf) above it with both enclosed within a decorative border. Read more…

An impact of the Vagrancy Act of 1824
By Sarah Murden 11 Nov 2024 at All Things Georgian
In June 1824 there was an ever increasing number of homeless and poor in England and Wales which led to the passing of the following Act, The Vagrancy Act.  The Act stated that:
“Every petty chapman or pedlar wandering abroad, and trading without being duly licensed, or otherwise authorized by law; every common prostitute wandering in the public streets or public highways, or in any place of public resort, and behaving in a riotous or indecent manner; and every person wandering abroad, or placing himself or herself in any public place, street, highway, court, or passage, to beg or gather alms, or causing or procuring or encouraging any child or children so to do; shall be deemed an idle and disorderly person within the true intent and meaning of this Act; it shall be lawful for any justice of the peace to commit such offender (being thereof convicted before him by his own view, or by the confession of such offender, or by the evidence on oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses) to the house of correction,  for any time not exceeding one calendar month.”
Wasting little time, according to the Weekly Dispatch of 1 August 1824, magistrates  sat at Union Hall to focus their attention on the local s.x workers who were rounded up for ‘committing prostitution’. Read more…

Query: Researching James Lake 1757-1844
I’ve been researching my 4x Great Grandfather James Lake. He was born 1757 in New York, quite possibly Staten Island.  He died 26 July 1844 in Brantford, Ontario.  He came to Ontario, roughly between 1810-1820 and settled in Norwich, Ontario.  He definitely owned land there in 1820.
I’ve been able to obtain what information the Norwich Archives have on him but it didn’t say who his parents were or where from.
But using my dna matches I’m pretty sure that he’s a descendant of Daniel Lake who married Alice Stillwell and they settled in Staten Island.  Daniel Lake was the son of John Lake and Ann Spicer who were in Gravesend New York.  This Lake family had UEL who came to Ontario following the American Revolution through Daniel’s brother John Lake and a lot of them settled in Ernestown in Lennox Addington.  I have many DNA matches with these UEL Lakes.
He is buried in Mt. Vernon Church Cemetery in Brantford, Ontario along with his second wife Jane Elizabeth Stover, my 4x Great Grandmother.
I know that he bought land, in Brantford, that was part of the land that Joseph Brant was selling.
I’m wondering if you have ever come across anything on my James Lake who settled in Norwich and then Brantford, Ontario?
I appreciate any information you might have or can share with me.
Cathy Baker marycatherinebaker@hotmail.com

Ininiw Acakosuk: the Cree stars
Created by Wilfred Buck, William P. Wilson and Annette S. Lee with text by Wilfred Buck 16 Oct 2024 Canadian Geographic
Tracking 16 Ininiw constellations and their narratives across the night sky
All cultures have connections to the sky. Indigenous Peoples have a depth of knowledge not yet referenced or acknowledged; when most people look to the stars in the northern hemisphere, it’s the Greek and Roman constellations they recognize.
This image is a Ininiw perspective of some of the stars — 16 Ininiw constellations — in our northern hemisphere sky. You’ll notice some of the images are overlapping. In Indigenous astronomy, there are multiple narratives for numerous groupings of stars, a contrast to western or Greco-Roman astronomy, where a group of stars is recognized with one identifier. Read more…

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions
    Entries which have been added, or revised, this week, with thanks:

  • To Kevin Wisener for for additional information about:
    • Hubert Reimar from Germany served in the 22nd Regiment of Foot He was tried by general court martial, September 1778, for desertion; acquitted. After discharge, received land grant in Nova Scotia October 1783. Appears to have subsequently served in an invalid corps until he received a pension on 5 August 1789. Discharge states that he was a laborer, and was discharged because of rheumatism.  He resettled in Kings County, PEI
    • Richard Aylwood  served with the British Legion. He received a 100 acre land grant at Lot 56, Kings County, Prince Edward Island

If you are willing to submit some information, send a note to  loyalist.trails@uelac.org All help is appreciated.     …doug

For Members: Schedule of Events and Deadlines for 2025
Members can log in at https:// uelac.ca/ and see the list of events and deadlines

Events Upcoming

Victoria Branch: Quebec Genealogy: Beyond the basics – Denis Fortier Sat 30 Nov 10:00 PT

November 30, 2024, 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada) (UTC-08:00)
This engaging workshop will show you the best resources and proven techniques for tracing your Quebec ancestors. Whether you’re just beginning your family history journey or seeking to deepen your research, this workshop will show you how to identify and document your Quebec family story. We’ll start with the basics, church records, census records, naming conventions then we’ll explore less known records to give deeper insights into our ancestor’s live
Denis Fortier has been pursuing genealogy for about 15 years. He is currently a member of the VGS, Ontario Ancestors and UELAC. He serves as the Victoria UELAC branch genealogist. Denis was born in Quebec and most of his own family research centers on that Province. Branches of his family trace back to early settlers of New France, including Louis Hébert who is the very first settler to bring his family to New France (in 1617). Much to his surprise, Denis also discovered he had Acadian, Scottish, English and American Loyalist ancestors, all of whom settled in the Province of Quebec.
Registration and details (small fee): https:// www.victoriags.org/content.aspx? page_id=4091&club_id=554933&item_id=2399074

Gov. Simcoe Branch: “The Royal Family and the Loyalist Legacy” — by Garry Toffoli Wed 4 Dec 7:30

The presentation will consider the Royal Family and the Loyalist Legacy of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and its aftermath. Garry will treat the three as parts of one overarching struggle for Canada’s monarchical / loyalist identity in North America.
Garry Toffoli is Vice-Chairman & Executive Director of the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Garry is a co-author of numerous books.
In-person at St. David’s Church, 49 Donlands Ave, Toronto. RSVP to Doug Grant loyalist.trails@uelac.org.
Details and register for zoom at Gov. Simcoe Meetings.

American Revolution Institute: Declarations of Independence: Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution Wed 4 Dec 6:30

On July 4, 1776, two hundred miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Indigenous land along the west branch of the Susquehanna River, a group of colonial squatters declared their independence. They were not alone in their efforts. This bold symbolic gesture was just a small part of a much broader and longer struggle in the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, where diverse peoples, especially Indigenous nations, fought tenaciously to safeguard their lands, sovereignty and survival. Read more and register…

Colonel John Butler (Niagara) Branch, “A Seasonal Show” Lunch meeting Sat 7 Dec @11:45

Maja Bannerman and Rusty MCarthy.  A Seasonal Show Inspired by the McFarland Sisters.  Enjoy a light-hearted performance of humour and songs in a return visit by Maja.  This presentation is inspired by the McFarland sisters who lived along the Niagara River near Niagara-on-the-Lake in the early 19th century.  Although little is known about the sisters themselves, the material in this show is historically based on the time period and era and includes fictitious characters as well as a comic take on Laura Secord, some tips on etiquette from the 1800s, and a look at the language of the fan.  It is approximately 45-60 minutes long.
At Betty’s Restaurant, 8921 Sodom Road, Niagara Falls at 11:45 am.  Cost of the lunch is $30 (members), $35 (non-members) in cash at the meeting. Please RSVP to 283corvette@gmail.com

From the Social Media and Beyond

  • Townsends, and “anything food”

    • The Working Man’s Beef Roast (9:15 min)
      This is a wonderful addition to the “Working Man’s” series. Our pot roast uses ingredients that virtually anyone in the time period would be able to get their hands on.  One of the most surprising things to me while I was cooking it was the combination of ingredients! This is spiced quite nicely with nutmeg and clove, which complinent the heavy use of acid that is put into the dish. Enjoy!
  • This week in History 
    • 22 November 1744, Weymouth, Massachusetts Bay, British America. Abigail Adams, the American wife of John Adams, started her journey in this world. As both the first Second Lady and the second First Lady of the United States, she would have an influence on the thinking and politics of her husband, John, and many other patriots.  She was a prolific letter writer whose correspondence gives an intimate and vivid portrayal of life in the young republic. Abigail was also a mother—one of her children, John Quincy Adams, would become the eighth US Secretary of State and the sixth US President. image
    • 23 Nov 1765 Court of Frederick County MD is first to officially defy the Parliament’s Stamp Act, declaring it “null and void.” In the streets, the residents hung the Stamp Agent in effigy and held a funeral for the Stamp Act, and buried it. image
    • 21 Nov 1766, the first permanent theater building in the United States, the Southwark in Philadelphia, opened with a production of “The Gamester’ image
    • 20 Nov 1767 The Townshend Acts go into effect. Laws were created to bring in revenue & gain more control over the Colonies. Include the: Revenue Act of 1767, Indemnity Act, Commissioners of Customs Act, Vice Admiralty Court Act, & New York Restraining Act. image
    • 17 Nov 1774. Philadelphia, PA. The First City Troop, still in existence, was organized. One of the oldest units still operating in the US. Fought at Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine & Germantown. Also helped save the signer of the Declaration, James Wilson. image
    • 14 Nov 1775 King George III notifies Lord North that he has contracted 4,000 professional German soldiers for Great Britain, mostly from Hessen. He originally wanted to hire Russian infantry from Catherine the Great but she rebuffed his request. image
    • 14 Nov 1775 Lord Dunmore, Royal Gov John Murray of VA, leads 350 British soldiers against a smaller force under Col Wm Woodford at King’s Landing on the Elizabeth R. Rebels retreat, leaving 9 killed and 14 wounded. image
    • 16 Nov 1775 British Whig leader Edmund Burke introduces bill in House of Commons that because they lack representation in Parliament only colonies can raise revenue through their legislatures and lifts sanctions on MA & rebel leaders. image
    • 17 November 1775 London. Parliament soundly defeats Edmund Burke’s bill of reconciliation with the American colonies. Burke was the great Whig statesman of his age, who argued his case with facts, logic, and reason. The rejection would cost Britain an empire. Born in Dublin, Burke served in Parliament between 1766 and 1794 in the House of Commons of Great Britain with the Whig Party.
      Burke proposed six resolutions to settle the American conflict peacefully. Allow the American colonists to elect their own representatives, settling the dispute about taxation without representation. Acknowledge this wrongdoing and apologize for the grievances caused. Procure an efficient manner of choosing and sending these delegates. Set up a General Assembly in America with powers to regulate taxes. Stop gathering taxes by imposition (or law) and start collecting them only when needed. Grant needed aid to the colonies. image
    • 17 Nov 1775 Col Henry Knox sets out from Boston for Ft Ticonderoga at the .of George Washington to bring 60 tons of captured British artillery across the frozen mountains of New England and back to Boston to help drive the British out of the city. image
    • 18 Nov 1775 Fort Ninety-Six, SC. Col Patrick Cunningham’s 1,800 Loyalists invest the 600 rebels under Col Williamson. A desultory exchange of shots occurs over the next few days. image
    • 19 Nov 1775 Sorel, Quebec, CA British flotilla delayed by weather while American Col John Brown’s small detachment bombards British into submission, capturing Gen Prescott,145 men and several ships and supplies. Gov Guy Carleton narrowly escapes capture. image
    • 14 Nov 1776 London The St. James Chronicle reports “The very identical Dr. Franklyn [Ben Franklin], whom Lord Chatham (pro American politician) so much caressed, and used to say he was proud in calling his friend, is now at the head of the rebellion in North America.” image
    • 15 Nov 1776 Isle of New York. British engineers begin building artillery positions to provide fire cover for forces crossing the Harlem River as preparation for an attack on Fort Washington. image
    • 16 Nov 1776 Andrew Doria under Capt. Isiah Robinson arrives at the Dutch island of St Eustatius. West Indies, where it receives the first salute to an American flag by a foreign power. image
    • 19 – 20 Nov 1776 Gen Charles Cornwallis’s army cross the North R . landing at Closter, NJ. Gen Nathanael Greene abandons Ft Lee. Cornwallis’sin pursuit. British take the fort along with 150 prisoners, 50 guns, 300 tents & 1K barrels of powder. image
    • 21 Nov 1776 New Bridge, NJ. British troops under Gen Vaughan attacked the American rear guard and seized the New Bridge, which American engineers were dismantling. image
    • 22 Nov 1776 Fort Cumberland, NS. American forces renew their attack but are repulsed. image
    • 15 Nov 1777 The Articles of Confederation were adopted. After debating for 16 months, the Continental Congress agreed to adopt the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. On March 1, 1781, the last of the 13 states, Maryland, ratified the agreement. image
    • 15 Nov 1777 Phila PA After 5 days of pounding Ft Mifflin, the British a final barrage by 5 warships, as 2 others close on the fort. Over 350 guns slam 3,000 rounds per hour at the mud walls. At dusk, Maj Simeon Thayer abandons the fort. image
    • 17 Nov 1777 Bell’s Tavern, PA. American detachment attacked & defeated by the 33rd Regt of Foot, losing 5 killed & 33 wounded to 3 British killed. image
    • 18 Nov 1777 Patriot Ft Mercer abandoned when Lord Cornwallis lands  British troops nearby. The British now had control of the waterways flowing in and out of PA & could move supplies on the river. image
    • 18 Nov 1777 Philadelphia, PA. John Clark, one of Gen Washington’s agents, writes to him of a new asset he recruited in the city who has contact with many British officers & solicits Hard or Old money (British pounds not US dollars) to ply the redcoats with. image
    • 20 Nov 1777 After delaying the British for 2 mos, American forces under Col Christopher Greene abandoned Ft Mercer on Delaware R in NJ. Cmdr. John Hazlewood also burns 3 USS warships, Andrew Dora Hornet & Wasp. State ships were also torched. image
    • 20 Nov 1780 Blackstock’s Farm – British Col Banastre Tarleton loses 50 men & his dragoons & regulars are defeated by SC backcountry militia under Gen Thomas Sumter, who is wounded in the engagement. image
    • 19 Nov 1794 Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between Britain & America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, was signed. It was a very important and controversial foreign policy initiative in the post #RevWar period, especially among Francophiles. image

 

Editor’s Note – vacation time. Once again a shorter issue, but a bit more than last week. Returning home on Monday.

 

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