Semiquincentennial of the American Revolution

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Congress had struck a medal for Washington thanking him for the American victory at Boston.
250 years ago today, Washington wrote a thank you letter to John Hncock.

"It will ever be my highest ambition to approve myself a faithful servant of the public ; and that to be in any degree instrumental in procuring to my American brethren a restitution of their just rights and privileges, will constitute my chief happiness. Agreeable to your request, I have communicated, in general orders, to the officers and soldiers under my command, the thanks of Congress for their good behavior in the service; and I am happy in having such an opportunity of doing justice to their merit. They were indeed, at first, "a band of undisciplined husbandmen"; but it is, (under God,) to their bravery and attention to their duty, that I am indebted for that success, which has procured me the only reward I wish to receive, the affection and esteem of my countrymen."

So, Washington thanks Congress, but says the victory was due to the bravery and attention to duty of his subordinates that the victory was won.

 

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250 years ago today, Washington designates "Lexington" as the password of the day, honoring the one-year anniversary of the opening battle of the Revolutionary War.

 

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250 years ago yesterday, the Continental Congress Delegates from New Jersey "laid before Congress a number of bills counterfeited to imitate the continental bills of credit."
It is unclear whether the bills were printed by private counterfeiters or by the British government. If the latter, that is quite to clever move, low-cost and potentially high payoff.

 

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Washington writes the president of Congress: "The designs of the Enemy are too much behind the Curtain, for me to form any accurate opinion of their Plan of Operations for the Summer's Campaign; we are left to wander therefore in the field of conjecture."

He does not know where the next British blow is going to fall, but, given the Brits' mastery of the sea, it promises to be a hard one the Americans don't know about until just beforehand.

 

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250 years ago last Monday (May 4), Rhode Island adopted the Act of Renunciation.

Whereas in all States existing by Compact Protection and allegiance are reciprocal the latter being only due in Consequence of the former: And
Whereas, George the Third King of Britain forgetting his dignity, regardless of the Compact most solemnly entered into ratified & confirmed to the Inhabitants of this Colony by his illustrious Ancestors- and till of late fully recognized by him and entirely departing from the duties and Character of a good king instead of Protecting is endeavoring to destroy the good people of this Colony, and of all the united Colonies by sending Fleets and Armies to America to confiscate our Property and to spread Fire, Sword and Desolation throughout our Country in order to compel us to submit to the debasing and detestable Tyranny whereby we are obliged by necessity and it becomes our highest Duty to use every means with which God and Nature have furnished us, in support of our invaluable rights, & privileges to oppose that Power which is exerted only for our destruction.
Be it therefore Enacted by this General Assembly and by the Authority thereof it is Enacted that an Act entitled 'An Act for the more effectual securing to His Majesty the Allegiance of his Subjects in this His Colony and Dominion of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations' be and the same is hereby repealed."


Renouncing loyalty to the Crown is not exactly the same thing as declaring independence of the colony (England had renounced loyalty to King Charles II, but that did not destroy the monarchy), but it is a significant step towards independence.

 

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250 years ago today, the Continental Congress decides how to handle British peace commissioners, if they should show up.

[Whereas] General Washington having requested directions concerning the conduct that should be observed towards commissioners, said to be coming from Great Britain to America,

Resolved, That General Washington be informed, that the Congress suppose, if commissioners are intended to be sent from Great Britain to treat of peace, that the practice usual in such cases will be observed, by making previous application for the necessary passports or safe conduct, and on such application being made, Congress will then direct the proper measures for the reception of such commissioners."

Apparently, debate on such a contingency was long and heated, Congress not yet having decided to declare independence.

John Adams later wrote, "It will be observed how long this trifling business had been depending, but it cannot be known from the Journal how much debate it had occasioned. It was one of those delusive contrivances, by which the party in opposition to us endeavored, by lulling the people with idle hopes of reconciliation into security, to turn their heads and thoughts from independence. They endeavored to insert in the resolution ideas of reconciliation; we carried our point for inserting peace. They wanted powers to be given to the General to receive the commissioners in ceremony; we ordered nothing to be done till we were solicited for passports. Upon the whole, we avoided the snare, and brought the controversy to a close, with some dignity. But it will never be known how much labor it cost us to accomplish it."

 

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250 years ago today, the Continental Congress recommends "to the respective assemblies and conventions of the United Colonies, where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs have been hitherto established, to adopt such government as shall, in the opinion of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general."

Every colony had a charter of some kind, royal charter, proprietors' charter, etc. framing a colonial government. Virginia, for example, had a House of Burgesses (two Burgesses per county), a Governor's Council (which functioned in some ways as an Upper House), a Governor and a colonial judiciary. By May 1776, Governor Dunmore and his councilors had escaped to a Royal Navy ship in the Chesapeake. In order to have a functioning government, a new one had to be created. Virginia was already in the process of forming a new government when this recommendation came from Philadelphia.

This is not exactly independence, but it is another step in that direction.

 

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250 years ago today, Washington write Hancock that he has received reports that German mercenaries are en route to fight alongside the British. Washington relates a remarkably cunning plan.

"I have not received further intelligence of the German troops since my letter of the 7th instant, covering Mr. Cushing's despatches: but, lest the account of their coming should be true, may it not be advisable and good policy to raise some companies of our Germans to send among them when they arrive, for exciting a spirit of disaffection and desertion? If a few sensible and trusty fellows could get with them, I should think they would have great weight and influence with the common soldiery, who certainly have no enmity towards us, having received no injury nor cause of quarrel from us. The measure having occurred, and appearing to me expedient, I thought it prudent to mention it for the consideration of Congress."


This is graduate level stuff right here.

 

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250 years ago today, Washington write Hancock that he has received reports that German mercenaries are en route to fight alongside the British. Washington relates a remarkably cunning plan.

"I have not received further intelligence of the German troops since my letter of the 7th instant, covering Mr. Cushing's despatches: but, lest the account of their coming should be true, may it not be advisable and good policy to raise some companies of our Germans to send among them when they arrive, for exciting a spirit of disaffection and desertion? If a few sensible and trusty fellows could get with them, I should think they would have great weight and influence with the common soldiery, who certainly have no enmity towards us, having received no injury nor cause of quarrel from us. The measure having occurred, and appearing to me expedient, I thought it prudent to mention it for the consideration of Congress."


This is graduate level stuff right here.

Apparently, it worked, since such a large percentage stayed here...

 

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Apparently, it worked, since such a large percentage stayed here...

I wonder how many of those who remained were POWs in American hands and how many were deserters from German (Hessian, etc.) ranks. It was probably a lot easier to remain if you were a POW and, as the war wound down, they were about to be shipped back to Germany.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I wonder how many of those who remained were POWs in American hands and how many were deserters from German (Hessian, etc.) ranks. It was probably a lot easier to remain if you were a POW and, as the war wound down, they were about to be shipped back to Germany.

It was much easier for a POW to remain here then than, for example, following WWII...

 

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250 years agio today, the Continental Congress asks Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut "to endeavour to have the batallions inlisted for two years, unless sooner discharged by Congress."

John Adams in the Congress did not think that would work. "I never opposed the raising of men during the war. I was always willing the General (Washington) might obtain as many men as he possibly could, to enlist during the war, or during the longest period they could be persuaded to enlist for, and I always declared myself so. But I contended that I knew the number to be obtained in this manner would be very small in New England, from whence almost the whole army was derived. A regiment might possibly be obtained, of the meanest, idlest, most intemperate and worthless, but no more. A regiment was no army to defend this country. We must have tradesmen's sons, and farmers' sons, or we should be without defence; and such men certainly would not enlist during the war, or for long periods, as yet. The service was too new; they had not yet become attached to it by habit. Was it credible that men who could get at home better living, more comfortable lodgings, more than double the wages, in safety, not exposed to the sicknesses of the camp, would bind themselves during the war? I knew it to be impossible. In the Middle States, where they imported, from Ireland and Germany, so many transported convicts and redemptioners, it was possible they might obtain some. Let them try. I had no objection. But I warned them against depending on so improbable a resource for the defence of the country."

 

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I missed this one last Friday.
250 years ago last Friday, (May 15, 1776) the Virginia Convention voted unanimously to instruct Virginia’s delegates to the Continental Congress, which was meeting in Philadelphia, “to declare the United Colonies free and independent states absolved from all allegiance to or dependence upon the crown or parliament of Great Britain.”

A big step since it was coming from the biggest colony. Virginia then sets about drafting a Bill of Rights and a new Virginia Constitution. Virginia will unilaterally declare independence in June.

 

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250 years ago today, Washington leaves New York to come to Philadelphia (at Congress's direction) to consult with Congress.
The British are expected at any minute at New York (or maybe elsewhere), but such is Washington's will to keep the military subordinate to civil authorities that Washington obeys Congress's summons to come to Philadelphia.

 

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250 years ago today, Washington arrives in Philadelphia to consult with Congress.
He tries to explain the problems the army is facing.
Congress has two difficulties to overcome:
1. Not all have decided what they are fighting for. Some now want independence. Others merely want their rights as British subjects restored. This issues is coming to a head.
2. Congress cannot force the states to comply with congressional directions. Congress is an advisory body only. It can request, it can cajole, it can urge, but it cannot demand action by the states. The only asset it really has is a pile of continental currency that it created itself. Like all Fiat currencies, eventually it will become worthless. As if to illustrate the point, the day prior, Congress issued another 5 million Continentals backed by nothing more substantial than the well-wishes of Congress.

This leaves the continental union hanging by the slender thread of congressional requests and state action actions.

 

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Congress appoints a committee of five to confer with Washington and the other generals from other departments: Benjamin Harrison, Richard Henry Lee, John Adams, James Wilson, and Edward Rutledge.
250 years ago today, the committee reports, mostly about the situation on the Canadian border. Congress wants the army to get back into Canada to give the Canadians something to rally around, but the army will never get there and will have to be satisfied merely defending northern New York state.

 

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250 years ago today, "the delegates from Virginia laid before Congress certain instructions they have received from their convention, which were read."
This is an understated way to tell the story. Those instructions called for Virginia's delegates to urge Congress to declare independence. This announcement kicked off what was probably an intense debate over what the colonies were fighting for.

 

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250 years ago today, Washington writes his brother John Augustine Washington:

"I am very glad to find that the Virginia Convention have passed so noble a vote(i.e. the vote calling on Congress to declare independence), and with so much unanimity. Things have come to that pass now, as to convince us, that we have nothing more to expect from the justice of Great Britain; also, that she is capable of the most delusive arts; for I am satisfied, that no commissioners ever were designed, except Hessians and other foreigners; and that the idea was only to deceive and throw us off our guard. The first has been too effectually accomplished, as many members of Congress, in short, the representation of whole provinces, are still feeding themselves upon the dainty food of reconciliation; and, though they will not allow, that the expectation of it has any influence upon their judgment, (with respect to their preparations for defence), it is but too obvious, that it has an operation upon every part of their conduct, and is a clog to their proceedings. It is not in the nature of things to be otherwise; for no man, that entertains a hope of seeing this dispute speedily and equitably adjusted by commissioners, will go to the same expense and run the same hazards to prepare for the worst event, as he who believes that he must conquer, or submit to unconditional terms, and its concomitants, such as confiscation, hanging, &c., &c."

As long as hope of reconciliation remains, there will be those in Congress who decline to spend the money to prosecute the war.

 

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250 years ago today, Congress requests the colonies of New England send 6,000 of their militia to bolster the army in Canada.

the colony of Massachusetts bay, be requested to supply, of their militia 3,000 - 4 batallions .
Connecticut , of their militia 1,500 - 2 batallions.
New Hampshire, of their militia 750 - 1 batallion .
New York, of theirs 750 - 1 batallion.

This while Washington (attending the session of Congress in Philadelphia) receives reports that the forts in the New York Hudson Highlands are underdeveloped, undermanned, and vulnerable.
The colonies have limited resources and are spreading them too thin.

 

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250 years ago today, Congress authorizes Washington to use up to 2,000 Indians to operate in Canada. Congress also calls on the states to field more forces.

13,800 militia to reinforce the army at New York; t
the colony of Massachusetts, be requested to furnish of their militia 2,000
Connecticut of their militia 5,500
New York, of their militia 3,000
New Jersey, of their militia 3,300
Making in the whole 13,800

Congress also calls for the creating of a strategic reserve in the Middle Colonies.

the colony of Pennsylvania be requested to furnish of their militia 6,000
Maryland, of their militia 3,400
Delaware government, of their militia 600
|| Total|| 10,000


It remains to be seen if these forces will actually be created and actually fielded.