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| The Delaware Regiment of the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island during the American Revolutionary War. Domenick D'Andrea Commissioned by the US National Guard Bureau, c. 2004 Source |
Most of you, no doubt, learned various things about the American Revolution growing up. I'm not sure if that subject is still taught in schools, which, if not, is a crying shame. However, much of what we learned is often based on myth and legends. I seem to relearn this every time I do some research. (And it's not revisionist history if new sources are brought to light. Only if the facts are "re-interpreted" to push an agenda.)
The night of "Paul Revere's Ride" (which he wasn't alone in doing) - he didn't ride through the night shouting "The British are coming." Which would have made no sense at all to the colonists. In their minds, they were all British, they themselves and the troops occupying Boston. One of their main complaints is that they weren't being treated by the Crown as Englishmen.
No, Mr. Revere's ride was to raise the countryside, because for one thing shouting would have awakened loyalists and patriots alike, his was a stealth mission. Also, he would have been notifying the patriot leaders that "the Regulars are coming out," meaning that the Army was coming to seize their arms, powder, and shot.
It rather stunned me to learn in recent days that we didn't call the British troops "lobsterbacks." I grew up with that, I even called them "lobsterbacks" in my rerun the other day. That epithet was coined well after the Revolution. Rather rattled me, now I wonder what else I learned in school that was, well, let's just say, not that accurate.
At any rate, there seems to be some confusion among the readership as to where we are in the story,The Revolution. The story begins in Boston, in October of 1768. Before the Boston Massacre (or as the British call it, "the incident on King Street"), and before the Boston Tea Party.
The Massachusetts Bay colonists, some of them anyway, are rather upset about the new taxes which Parliament has levied on the colonies to pay for the French And Indian War (know in Europe as the Seven Years War) which ended in 1763, a scant five years before the beginning of this tale. So the military commander in North America, Sir Thomas Gage, has ordered more troops to Boston.
In our story, two British Army regiments have just landed in Boston to reinforce those already there. This would be the 14th Foot and the 29th Foot (some of whose members we have already met). And yes, the 29th had black drummers. (In later years many European armies, including Napoléon's, sought out black men as musicians. Why, I'm not sure, maybe I'll find out in my research.)
As for the troops marching out to the countryside and back, it was a way to keep the men fit. It also gave them something to do besides drill. A certain amount of drill is necessary for discipline and so that the troops could maneuver crisply in battle. But doing nothing but that everyday makes for restless and bored troops. Bad for morale that is.
As we draw closer to April of 1775, the British made an effort to have a large number of troops out in the countryside to get the colonists used to seeing them out and about. I'm guessing that plan didn't work all that well as the events along the Battle Road to Concord and back will attest. (When we get there.)
So, early days yet folks, I'm introducing characters and their points of view, setting the stage, as it were, for what's to come. We'll get to the action, eventually.
After all, "if you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding ."¹
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The Death of Major Peirson, 6 January 1781 John Singleton Copley, 1783 Source |
Enjoy your Sunday, juvat will, no doubt, entertain you with something on Monday, and I'll be back on Tuesday, hopefully with another installment of The Revolution.
'Ware the politicians, keep your powder dry.
¹ Apparently that saying has been around for a while, but I like the way Pink Floyd presented it.
Thanks for the background information Sarge, IIRC there were three men who rode that night. We all can use a refresher on the events of the last half of the eighteenth century. Those are some very good paintings, explanations make for good reading........ :)
ReplyDeleteMyths vs history the eternal battle.
ReplyDeleteSo few who keep referring to the American Revolution and all that forget how much time, quiet discussion and planning happens before it got serious.
Many even after gunpowder got burned wanted negotiations to resolve the issues.
And so few current hot-headed realize how much the French supported our revolution to weaken England.
A proxy war. Much like current Ukraine.
Michael