Walking the Berkshires

Sgt. Israel Litchfield of the Scituate Minutemen Prepares for War

Israel Litchfield of Scituate, MA kept a diary between Nov 1774 and mid 1775 that survives today in the collections of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.  It is a trove of period details gives many insights into daily life in his coastal Massachusetts town during the months leading up to the onset of the armed struggle for American Independence.

Just 21 years old, Litchfield was skilled in both leatherwork and clock making.  Sometimes he ground razors for family and friends, and sometimes he had someone else draw a tooth. As a skilled laborer he collaborated with other artisans, like Abednego Wade who worked in brass, but he also did his share of manual work in the fields.  He sang with the choir and enjoyed visiting friends, and with all this activity he increasingly found time to train with the militia.

His service record is summaried as follows in Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War:

Litchfield, Israel, Scituate. Sergeant, Capt. Samuel Stockbridge's co. of Minute- men, Col. Bailey's regt., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775; service, 21 days ; also, Clerk, Capt. Hayward Peirce's co., Col. John Cushing's (2d Plym- outh Co.) regt. ; service, 15 days ; company ordered to march to Bristol, R. I., on an alarm in Dec, 1776.  

Litchfield's diary offers a wealth of information about the formation, drill and equipment of the local militia, particularly the minute company to which Litchfield belonged. 

Drill:  Before Scituate established its two companies of minutemen in January, 1775, Litchfield mentions two types of drill used to exercise the militia.

       Nov 17' [1774] : In the forenoon I Work'd at the tanhouse put 19 sides into Lime In the Afternoon
                      12 of us met at Daniels and Exercised We used what they Call the Norfolk Excercise
                       the Weather Cool…

       18 …we went to M"" Gerfhoni Ewells from there to IncineTurners there was Cap* Turner;
                        Lieu* Stetfon Sergant Stockbridge: Sergeant Jenkins We Exercised Some in the New
                        way Calid the 64"'.

      2 Dec ...in the afternoon We Exercised at Daniels after the New form viz the 64**

 From this it appears that preference was subsequently given to the British 1764 manual of military
 exercise over the older Norfolk militia drill (1759) which still included instructions for using halberds
 and pikes.

Organization: It was customary for the New England trained bands to elect their officers, and Litchfield
describes this process several times in his diary.  In January, 1775, Scituate formed its first units of
minutemen in an occasion solemnified by a church meeting but ultimately resolved by others of the
Town and the votes of the men themselves.

January the 11,[1775] We went to the Training field by the rev. Barns's meeting house the Lower,
         Middle and upper Companeys of the millitia of this town met there under arms in order to Enlist
         minute-men after we were Embodied and marchd Some the three Companyes were Marchd
         into the meeting house for to hear a Lector. The Rev"" M"" Barnes went to pray[e]r then there w'as
         Sang the two first Stanzas of the 144*'' psalm after which the ReV M"" Grosvenor Preachd a
         Sermon his text Second of Chronicles 17^^: I''m Ready prepared for the war. It was generally
         Concluded that he talk'd very well after the Sermon m"" Grofvenor made a Short prayer after which
         they Sang two Stanzas in the 101*' psalm Then we were marched out of the meeting house
         and Embodied again and then they beat up for Men to Enlift as minute men there was aboute 66
        men Enlified and I was one amongst them that Enlisted we marchd into the meeting house and
        adjurnd from there to Lan[d]lord Fosters there we Chose three off[i]cers To wit M"" John Clapp for a
        Cap* M"" Nathanel Winflow first Lieutenant and M"^ Hayward Pierce Second Lieutenant and adjurnd
        till next wednesday to the Same place &c the weather very pleafant for the time of the year 1 got
        home from training aboute midnight

18'^ : In the after[noon] we went to Town meeting which was to Come into Some meafures Relative to
       the minute men they passed a Vote not to Raise any mony at present but that they might

      in Some future time If they Saw Cause. they had the Association of the Continential Congress
      prefented to the people to Sign almost all them that were there Signed it young and old 1 for one.
     from the meeting houfe the minute men and Cap' Clapp and others Went Down to Landlord Fosters
     Agreable to an ajournment Voted Last Wednessday to Chuse the officers there wer[e] So Many
     inlisted As to inhance the number to 88 we passed a Vote to Divide into two Companies 44 men
    in Each the upper Company Chose all their olficiers but we Got a little Divide'^ after we had made
    Some Choices and adjournd till next monda}' at one oclock to the Same place Viz Landlord Fosters
    Etce 

23*5 : In the forenoon, I wrought a little in Clock-work: In the afternoon, Daniel and I, went up to
          Lan[d]lord Fosters; to a meeting upon an adjournment from last Wednefsday ; in order to make
          choice of officiers, for the Lower companey of minute men : We made choice of M'' Samuel
         Stockbridge Jun"" for Captain, M"" Hayward Peirce for first Lieutenant : and M'' Pickle[s] Cushing
         for Second Lieutenant, M^ Israel Nichols first Sergant : they Chose me for the Second Sergant
         Rolon Turner for the third Sergeant and M*" William Loring fourth Sergant the following men for
         Corperals Viz Mefs^ : Ira Briant, Benj^ Wade, Eleazer Peaks, & David Turner.

Israel Litchfield was now the 2nd Sergeant under Captain Stockbridge in the 'Lower' Minute Company
of Scituate, which was part of Col. Anthony Thomas's (later Bailey's) Massachusetts Militia Regiment.  It was his duty to train the men under his charge, as well as to provide himself with the required equipment as well as assist in equipping the company.  In this, his skills in leatherworking proved a key asset, but he also seems to have taken his role as drill instructor very seriously, exercising small groups of men at his kinsmen Daniel Litchfield's several times a week.

January the 24': In the Afternoon We Excersised at Daniels Viz of the M[inu]te M[e]n Sergant
        I[srae]l L[itchfiel]d Z[adoc]k D[amo]n, D[anie]l L[itchriel]d, E[lish]a L[itchfiel]d.

 Januayr 26^th … In the afternoon we Excersised at Daniels of the m[inu]te m[e]n there was my Self
        D[anie]l L[itchfiel]d & Z[adoc]k D[amo]n and Benj-^ Wade Benj' &  I wrestled together.

31'   we viz: myfelf D[aniel], A[mos], Z[adock], E[lisha], and 2 or three more met and
        Excersised at D[aniels]

February the first in the forenoon Father Daniel & Lot cut Bushes before the Door pasture Daniel and Lot
        and I went to training with the rest of Cap' Stockbridges Company of minute men we met at m'
       Joshua  Clapps in the Evening Lieutenant Pierce and Benjamin Wade and I went to m"" Abial
       Turners there was a fine parcel of ladies there to wit : Mrs Rachel Barnes Mrs fofler mr^ Randal &:c.

 3^, I wrought in the Clock-makeing business Father Daniel lx)t and Francis Cut-bushes
      In the pasture before the Door In the afternoon I went to Daniels to Excersys the M[inut]e
      m[e]n but none of them Came.

 6'^: In the forenoon I Curried In the afternoon we excersised at Daniels of the minute men
      there was D[anie]l & Z[adock] & A[mos] & E[lisha] tSi my S[el]f

 February : the . 9*'' In the forenoon I wrought in the Clock making buismess In the afternoon the
      minute men (viz thofe of them that are under my tuifhon) Excersised at Daniels to wit  Z[adock].
      Daniel. E[lisha], Amos Etce.

13...In the afternoon We went to training we met at M"" James Jenkins's the Weather
       prety Cold there was but aboute one third of the Comp''» after training Cap', Stockbridge &
      Lieu' Cushing and others Went to Lieu' Pierces.

15"': We went to training we met at M"" James Jenkinss again there was allmost the whole Company of
       minute men that met this Day But the weather was So inclement that We Could not Excersise much
       Except marching and whealing there is but Little Snow

21-' In the forenoon I went up to Cap' Stockbridges to get Some oyl: in the afternoon Cap' Stockbridges
      Company traind by J[ames] J[enkins's]

Weapons and Accoutrements:  It was customary for members of the trained bands and alarm companies of Massachusetts towns to be required to muster with their own firelocks, a supply of ammunition, as well as other equipment as specified by their communities.  Litchfield notes in his diary on January 31st, 1775  that some men in his company "went to hingham and bought powder at 16 Shillings old ten[der] per pound."

He took particular care of his own musket, especially after seeing his Captain display some especially fine marksmenship at training.

March 10*^ I Scoured up my gun in the Evening I went up to Cap* Stockbridges &c 
Amos and I went over to Ilezekiah Hutfon to git our guns takled up he put in a
New main-spring into my Lock…

Sabbath 19'''…in the afternoon I went to training We met at Lieut Pickle Cushings we fired three
 Volleys Cap^ Stockbridge Shot at a mark aboute 12 or 14 Rods and hit it Exactly within an Inch … 
March the 21^' I Wrought upon my gun I Spent the whole day a Scowering her & Cleaning the Lock
   and fixing her after 1 had Clean^ and oyl'd the Lock I Put in a good flint and try'd her to Burn three
   Corns of powder I Cock'd her and Snapd and She burnd them I told out Juft three Corns and try'd 
   her again and She burnd it So I tiy'd her Eleven times Successively and She burnt three Corns of
    powder Every time and Did not miss the 12*'' time She missed them But I overhauld and Cockd her
    and She burnt them the next time then I try'd her to burn a Single Corn of powder and She Catchd a
    Single Corn four times Successively after that : the fifth time She missid a Single Corn, but I 
   over hauld her again and She burnt it the next time... 
I found this section of Litchfield's diary quite fascinating, especially given the challenges I have encountered
getting my own reproduction musket to reliably spark and fire.  I have often wondered how it was possible
for Revolutionary era soldier to keep their weapons clean and reliable, especiallty in the field when they had
such poor supplies and were inadequately fed and clothed.  In these months prior to the outbreak of armed
hostilities with the Crown, Litchfield's attention to his weapon shows how seriously he took these 
preparations.
He also became a valuable asset to his commander as a skilled artisan who could help provide other 
necessary equipment for the company.  Litchfield started making cartridge boxes for himself and for others
in the unit in mid February, 1775
   11*[Feb]' In the forenoon I went over to ISI'' Willcuts Shop and he & I made a Centre bitt to bore a Cartridge box. 
        I Bored off one Box
    14 I made me a Cartridge-box, I Covered it with a Coltskin it will Carry 19 Rounds.
25th I wrought with Cap' Sam'' Stockhridge a makeing cartridge boxes

Marcli 1*' I wrought with Cap* Stockbridge a Stamping Covers for Catoos boxes
      Iray Bryand [Biyant]was at work Leathering them 


Litchfield went with Captain Stockbridge to Boston on February 27th, noting in his diary: 

     I bought me a Back Sword or Cutlefs [cutlass] it Coft me ten Shillings Lawfull money
     Cap' Stockbridge bought a hide and an half of Moose skin for Catoos box Straps 
     it Cost him ^16.10.0'' old tennor 

From this it appears that the straps were intended for the the cartridge boxes Litchfield 
was making for Stockbridge's Company.  Ltchfield made himself "a Sword Belt and 
Bayonet belt" on March 13th.  The cutlass he bought in Boston was both a badge of 
rank as a non commissioned officer and a standard item that pre-war militiamen were
often required to provide for themselves when they mustered.

There was another effort to provide uniformity in Captain Stockbridge's company in
which Litchfield had a hand.  He notes on March 30th that he went down to Nathaniel
Wades and saw Abednego Wade "make Brases for caps, this Day I got my Leather Cap
M* Benj Clapps Daughter made it it cost three Pistareens."  Soon he was spending time at
Wades aiding in the effort to make brass facing plates for the leather caps of his company:

April the 11*  I Wrought with M"" : Abednego Wade a make-ing Brafses for Capps he and I
 Engraved 17 or 18 and tlie rest of them Pollifhd them of[f] I Did Not Come home this night 

I would dearly love to know what was engraved on the brass fronted caps. It cannot have been
too elaborate, for they were turning them out at a good rate: nearly enough at this point for half
the company.  Abednego Wade was eventually dispatched to Cambridge to assist the gunsmiths.

There was no uniform for the militia aside from these caps, though later in June, 1775, Litchfield records
 that he and another man each got a coat and breeches cut out of blue cloth and it cost them 20 Shillings
old tender.

At the time of the Lexington Alarm, the armed forces of Scituate were as well prepared as they could be. 
On April 23, Litchfield noted how different the times had become when he observed "I never Saw Such a Sight
in the meeting upon a Sabbath Day I suppose that there was near 150 men under arms."

Sgt. John Hawkins (2nd Canadian) loses a Knapsack at Brandywine

Among the collections held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is an unpublished manuscript consisting of portions of a military journal kept by Sgt. John H. Hawkins of Moses Hazen's 2nd Canadian regiment for periods between 1777 and 1782 during his service in the Revolutionary War.  Hawkins' account is regularly exerpted in modern histories of the conflict, but there is nothing like going directly to the primary source.  I have a photocopy made from the microfilm of this valuable record of enlisted service, and recently had occasion to sit down and sort through the pages, some of which are out of sequence, and put them in some sort of chronological order. 

Having just returned from a reenactment of the Battle of Brandywine, I was struck by Hawkins' narrative of that engagement, which begins with a brief description of his regiment's prominence in the heart of the fighting during that action.  Although Hawkins writes in a firm, clear hand, the photocopies are dark and sometimes difficult to read.  Any errors in transcription are my own:

"1777 Sept. 11.  About one o'clock the Enemy appeared in Motion advancing towards us.  Our Regiment was posted on the Right of the army; they were the first that were attacked and among the last off the field.  As heavy a fire of Artillery and Musketry was carried on, on both sides, the whole Afternoon, without any Intermission, as ever happened in America before.  The Enemy were much superior to us in Numbers, as but a small Part of our Army were engaged, the greatest part being away some Distance at the left.  In Justice to the brave Officers and Men of our Regiment, Col. Hazen thought himself obliged to affirm, that no Troops behaved better on that Day, nor any that came off the Field in greater Order.  Four Officers and Seventy-three Non-Commissioned Officers and Rank and File of the Regiment were killed, wounded and taken Prisoners in that General Engagement..."

Sgt. Hawkins' regiment was in DeBorre's Brigade of Sullivan's Division, and was initially assigned the task of defending Wister's and Buffington's Fords at the extreme right of the Continental position east of the Brandywine, where they were nearly cut off by Howe's flanking attack that afternoon.  They were later used to screen the artillery and other troops of Sullivan's division as they manovered to get into position to meet the fast moving attacking force. 

At some point during the battle, Hawkins lost his knapsack.  His journal includes a full page where he first discusses and then crosses out his description of how this happened.  After a false start he describes in great detail what his knapsack contained:

"In the Engagement I lost this Day I was so closely pursued by the Enemy (and the Weather being exceptionally warm) that I was induced to heave my Knapsack away, in order to lighten me have the more [use?] with my arms..  My Knapsack contained the following articles, viz.

    1 Uniform Coat - brown faced with white.
    1 Shirt
    1 pr. Stockings
    1 Ribbon
    1 Sergeant's Swash [sash]
    1 pr. Knee Buckles
    1/2 Soap
    1 Orderly Book
    1 Memo Jo. containing 5 or 6 Days Journal at one End, and a State of the Company I belonged
           to at the other End.
    1 Quire [one 20th of a ream] of Writing Paper
    2 Vials of Ink
    1 brass Ink Horn
    About 40 Blank Morning Returns, printed
    1 Tin Gill Cup
    A letter from me to a friend of mine in Philadelphia
    A printed book entitled Rutherford's Letters

I likewise lost my Hat but I recovered it again."

Hard loses indeed.  Sgt. Hawkins lists a number of items directly related to his duties as Sergeant of his company (he would later be promoted to regimental Sgt.Maj.), but he was also a literate man whose journal entries elsewhere indicate a familiarity with printing.  I find it interesting that he kept his rather small tin cup in his knapsack, but evidently not a bowl or other utensils; nor does he mention a blanket.  He had soap in his pack, but did not mention losing a razor.

The journal page where he started to recount how he lost the knapsack and then thought better of it reads as follows:

My Knapsack tho' quite light was very cumbersome; and as it swinged about when briskly walking or running, and more especially upon one's back when climbing a fence as there were several in the way, and had I not cast it from me the Moment I did I should certainly been gripped by one of the ill looking Highlanders as a Number of them were firing and advancing very brisk towards the rear of our Regiment as they were getting over a fence, which was handy, was very [restricting of] our Military operations..."

There may be a clue in this section as to the style of knapsack he was issued.  This does not sound like a two strap knapsack based on how it hampered Sgt. Hawkins as he was evading the enemy.  A single strap knapsack such as the New Invented Haversack described in documents from 1776 held in the Maryland State Archives, would have swung back and forth in the manner described as so cumbersome for Hawkins while running.  While there is no surviving example of such a knapsack or firm evidence that any of this design were issued, Hawkins' account lends support to the idea that one strap knapsacks of some sort may have been used by him and others in his unit, which at this period in the war recruited heavily in the Middle Colonies.

Hawkins lost his possessions but lived to fight another day.  His journal is the primary source for casualty figures suffered by the 2nd Canadian Regiment during late summer and early Fall of 1777 and one of only two known soldier accounts that describe the winter encampment of 1778-1779 at Redding CT. We are lucky that so much of his journal still survives and is available to researchers.

235th Battle of Brandywine Philadelphia Campaign Reenactment Pictures

The following pictures of the reenactment of the Battle of Brandywine held on Sept 15-16 at Brandywine Creek State park in Wilmington Delaware were mostly taken by me, by Talya Leodari, by Conrad Quinn aka Matthias Ogden,or by other Facebook friends who made them publically available.  It was a great time.

   

A Brandywine Brush Arbor and Other Adventures in Authenticity

(photo at left courtesy of Brandywine Creek State Park.  Other photos by Tim Abbott or Talya Leodari)

Last weekend was the 235th Anniversary of the Battle of Brandywine, a key engagement in the American Revolution that took place in 1777 during the Philadelphia Campaign.  Talya and I along several hundred reenactors gathered at Brandywine Creek State Park in Wilmington, Delaware to commemorate it with a living history encampment. 

The host unit for this event was the 2nd Virginia Regiment, known in our hobby as valuing serious research and for setting the bar very high for authenticity.  In coordination with the site, they arranged for both the Crown and Continental forces to have access to wood for constructing brush shelters, and excavated field kitchens for those who wished to prepare their meals as the soldiers we depict often did.

Reenacting culture varies from unit to unit in our hobby, and not everyone wishes to sleep rough and do a minimal, "campaigner" impression.  This was an opportunity to demonstrate both to the public and to our fellow reenactors the techniques used to create and utilize these 18th century amenities.  I had determined months ago that I would take full advantage of these options, and encouraged any in our regiment who wanted to help set up a brush arbor or dig a firebox and maintain an authentic camp kitchen to join me in that effort.

A brush arbor is a temporary structure designed to provide shade to a small group of soldiers who historically would not have had the benefit of the large, canvas awning flies that are prevalent in Revolutionary War reenacting but which belong to a later era.  It consists of a number of pole saplings cut and trimmed and set in holes int he ground as uprights.  To these are added additional poles as roof beams and supports, upon which are piled cut branches and vegetation to provide the shade. 

I had prior experience erecting a small, emergency arbor at an August reenactment where temperatures reached the high 90s, but looked forward to making something more substantial at this event.  To aid me I had my fascine knife and the assistance of fellow 1st NJ members Jeff Cox and Bob Boer.  Jeff brought along a modern ax but we largely used the fascine knife to cut and trim the poles and branches we needed.  There was a post hole digger available as well which proved a Godsend, because we soon learned we needed to sink the uprights at least 18 inches into the ground for them to be stable and secure.  I suppose the 18th century way would have been to dig out a much larger post hole with a mattock ir pick which we did not have.  We also learned that using dead wood for a long, diagonal rafter without a central support would place too much stress on the weight bearing wood, and our arbor came down inside its frame later on Friday night.  Saturday morning, though, we had the kinks worked out of the design, and the result became a focal point for many reenactors and the public as they entered our encampment.

Next to the brush arbor was our field kitchen, which consisted of a 2' deep circular trench about 16' in diameter with the excavated earth piled in the center.  We were to dig our own fireboxes into the side of the trench, about 1' square and 1.5' deep about 4" below grade.  Above this, we cleared a flat shelf and dug a 4" shaft about 11" back from the inner wall of the trench connecting to the firebox.  It was over this hole that we were to cook our food.

Jeff and I dug out the firebox, taking our queue from one that had already be placed around the circle.  The idea was that up to 12 6-man messes could cook at this location, using less fuel than an open cooking fire and more easily supervised by their officers.  We should have started our firebox higher up from the floor of the trench than we did, and closer to grade level, becasue we found that we needed a hotter fire to cook our food.  We also found that smaller diameter twigs and pieces of wood worked best in the fire box, which was rather smokey.  Noentheless, both we and our comrade John Funk cooked several meals in this manner, including a brisket and two large dutch ovens filled with chicken cordon bleu, which if not strictly an authentic soldier recipe was damned fine eating.

In addition to these two creations, there were other aspects of this event that provided added opportunities to demonstrate field fortification techniques, such as the construction of fascines, which were 6' bundles of wood used to reinforce the top of gun emplacements and to provide a degree of cover to exposed troops.  There was also an authentic regimental sutler impression near the Continental field kitchen, and a presentation on the roles of black soldiers int he Continental army.

The upshot of all this effort was an event that it created more opportunities to inform the public, engage their curiosity and inspire impromptu living history demonstrations than are customary at reenactments.  People were drawn to the unfamiliar fires and the shade of the arbor, and a number of the distaff and camp followers with period skills sat before their kitchen areas weaving baskets and providing additional teaching moments. 

Some of this activity was spontaneous, and allowed participants to be even more creative with their impressions than is customary.  I found it invigorating and am grateful to Todd Post of the 2nd VA, Thaddeus Weaver of the German Regiment, ours hosts the 2nd VA and the management and staff of Brandywine Creek State Park for making it possible for us to do this.

Low Cost Investments in Authenticity for Revolutionary War Reenacting

I am one of several thousand people who are involved today in the hobby of reenacting the Revolutionary War.  We do so for varying reasons, including a passion for the time period and the enjoyment we get from being with others who share our interests and a commitment to bringing a favorite period of history to life.  For some of us this might rightly be described as an all-consuming obsession.

Ongoing research, by individuals and institutions alike, is changing our understanding of the material culture of the people and military organizations we depict.  This has lead to changing standards of reenactor authenticity.  Places like Fort Ticonderoga are now asking reenactors to meet a much higher standard if they want to participate in events at the site. Ticonderoga, Friends of Minuteman Park, and other groups now offer a number of workshops and trainings to encourage more of us in the reenacting community to better represent the period in how we dress, and increasingly how we behave, at living history events. 

One Massachusetts based group - The Hive - just sponsored a reenacting challenge leading to a juried event last weekend at Minuteman National Park.

"The Authenticity Guidelines for The Challenge are specifically designed to take the existing Battle Road and Park volunteer standards to a higher level with the addition of an inspection and documentation element for all participants.

Very few of the people who will sign up currently meet all the standards for this event—if they did, it wouldn't be a challenge. The standards are specifically stricter to increase the overall authenticity of the event, and to push participants to make improvements. However, the standards are still attainable yet are among the highest in the hobby.

We are striving for 100% hand stitched clothing, but will allow machine seams if they are not visible. The clothing itself must be documentable to 1773. We would like to avoid styles of clothing that are too far behind the times and more importantly eliminate fashion that is too far forward. In addition, we are asking participants to create an impression of a New Englander, so even though certain garments can be documented to the period, they also need to be appropriate for this location. Items that may be fitting for the French Court in 1773 are not necessarily appropriate for Concord in 1773.

This appeals to me on many levels, but it represents a new and very challenging direction for the 18th century reenacting community and is not always presented with sensitivity nor received as encouragement.   It can be frustrating - not to say off-putting - to some in our hobby who have been doing 18th century living history for many years to be told that what was perfectly acceptible in our hobby when they were gearing up is now inauthentic.  It can be equally frustrating to those who have made available their research, as well as for those events and historic sites that are now striving for a higher standard, to find many reenactors not making the effort to improve their impressions even when there are options available to them to do so. How we get to a higher standard in our hobby, and encourage others to do so, takes interpersonal and communication skills and patient leadership along with specialized knowledge, and these are not everyone's strengths.

Authenticity standards are more of a priority for some of us than others in this hobby.  My feeling is that taking what steps you can, within your resources, to enhance your impression is in everyone's best interest.   I am a long way from achieving the standard I am aiming for, but I am making steady progress, and am happy to share what I have discovered and continue to learn along the way. 

This is not an inexpensive hobby, even for those with the skills to make much of their own clothing and equipment.  There are very few of us with the discretionary income to commit to a custom made musket and a handmade uniform with period authentic specialist fabrics all in one go.  It is also the case that some things that were once thought to be authentic are later discredited based on subsequent scholarship.  It is understandable that some might hesitate to make a big investment in revamping their impression until there is consensus that the current standards are based on assumptions backed by solid scholarship.  When the evidence and the opportunity are there, aiming for a higher standard is fair and appropriate.

Luckily, there are a number of fairly inexpensive things that anyone reenacting this period can do, right now, to  upgrade their own standard of authenticity.   These are small investments you can make that will enhance your existing clothing and accouterments. 

Shirt Buttons:   Replace the bone, wood or horn shirt button at the neck of your linen shirt with one made of thread.  Most of the shirts of this time period were closed at the neck with thread buttons, for the simple reason that other materials did not hold up well when underclothes were boiled, beaten and wrung out against posts.  5/8" linen thread buttons with or without a metal ring used as an inner form were commonly used as neck closures.  Dorset wheel patterned shirt buttons and other styles can be had from Blue Cat Buttonworks or William Booth, Draper for $1.50 each.  

Sleeve Links:  While linen thread buttons could also be used for sleeve closures, there are numerous examples from the archaeological record at both military and civilian sites that sleeve links were in common usage.  To give just two examples, nearly three dozen of these  in brass or white metal were excavated from Fort Stanwix in New York's Mohawk valley, and others are known from Fort Montgomery in the Hudson Highlands.  There are some wonderful examples in brass available from At the Eastern Door for $30.00 (though at that price I would be worried about adding mine inadvertantly to the archaeological record).  Two thread buttons tied together as shirt links might do in a pinch, and William Booth, Draper has small domed sleeve buttons in brass or German silver for $7.50.

Hair:  Not all of us are in a position to grow our hair out and style it in an 18th century manner.  It costs relatively little, however, to purchase a queue made from human hair matched to our own. I have an ear to ear queue made for me by Madam Joan's Wee Wiggies that cost me $44.00, and except for the fact that it can be a bit awkward when I doff my cocked hat in deference to my betters, it is a fine solution and adds a great deal to my overall impression.  It fits reasonably well under hats sized to my head without the hair extension, unlike a full wig which will usually require a wider hat size.

Tent Stakes:    Wooden tent pegs are cheap and metal ones are inauthentic for our period.  My pegs are made from oak and I bought two dozen from Avalon Forge for $18.00. You will want a hunk of wood or a wooden mallet to drive them with, and I made a small ticking bag to hold them.  I have broken only one during this campaign season.

Tent Modifications:    Speaking of tents, I do not have one made by hand from linen canvas (yet), but I did modify a standard cotton canvas 6'6" Enlisted Man's one machine made by Tentsmiths so that it has hemp rope loops with wooden washers and waxed linen thread grommets instead of cloth stake loops.  It is also closed at the front with these stake loops rather than ties.  My tent poles are made of aged spruce poles with an iron ferrule at the top (I have a friend who made these for me) and the pins do not pierce through the ridge of the tent.  Some of these modifications would be possible to do for an existing tent with a seam ripper and something to punch holes through the heavy canvas for the stake loops.  I found a sailmaker's palm useful when sewing the grommets.

Stockings:  So many of us put the effort into our clothing, only to undermine it with modern stockings.  There are sutlers available who make knitted wool and linen thread stockings with heels and toes (and sometimes even a back seam) that will run you between $30.00 and $60.00 but are totally worth it.  I own several pairs made by Mona Hubbartt of Westwood Traders: wwtrdrATattglobalDOTnet.

Hemp straps and webbing:  For a Continental army impression - with leather scarce and reserved for use for shoes, scabbards and cartridge pouches - musket slings, bayonet slings, cartridge pouch slings and canteen straps were often made of cloth, but not from cotton.  Hemp webbing is now widely available from sutlers, and some like David Hannon of Minuteman Armoury offers many of his leather accouterments with hemp slings.  He does excellent work, though I would advise giving him the sling measurement that will let your equipment hang at the proper height without having to shorten the sling afterward.

Finally, we can take the interpretive aspects of our hobby just as seriously as the recreational time that happens after the public goes home.  For those doing a military impression, putting the time and effort into mastering the elements of drill and the duties of an 18th century encampment can do even more to convincingly portray the life of a soldier from this period than having a perfectly researched and constructed uniform. 

Very few of our living history events are done in the first person, but staying in character for periods of time can really add to the experiece.  The silence of a long column advancing into a dark ravine anticipating an ambush that ultimately took place was a highlight for many of us who participated in the recent 235th Anniversary of the Battle of Oriskany.  Those moments when it truly feels like being there are part of what draws many of us to reenacting and they can happen when each of us is "in the moment."

When the public ventures into our encampments, we often seem unapproachable, and if our interaction is exclusively with each other we will miss many learning opportunities and teaching moments.  Doing things in camp other than sitting and eating helps draw people to us, aids in recruitment, instills a passion for history and historic sites. 

 Make a brush arbor.  Dig a field kitchen.  Stand guard duty.  Go to the surgeon.  Learn a few of the authentic songs of the period.  Try cooking food that would have been available to soldiers of the period using the implements to which they would have had access.There are all sorts of activities that can be done in camp that will add depth and character to your experience as well as to the quality of your interpretation.  It is more interesting to the public to see us doing these things in camp as well.

I am looking forward to an upcoming reenactment at Brandywine Creek State Park next month where I plan to arrive early to make a brush arbor to shade our dining area rather than using the large canvas fly that is more appropriate for 19th century encampments.  I will help dig and stoke a camp kitchen.  I will be on the lookout for members of the public who are curious about what we are doing, and if they hang around long enough I'll sing them a few verses of Thomas Paine's "Liberty Tree".  Hope to see you there!

 

Paid to Play

It is a good day in my book when my professional life and my living history hobby intersect. Talya and I enjoyed a fine Saturday morning in our 18th century garb as part of my employer The Housatonic Valley Associations "Free Family Fun" event celebrating the history of the river.  The rain stopped in the early morning hours and the weather was not oppressively hot, so we did not wilt in our heavy wool and linen.

We set up our tent by the riverside across from the hydropower station at Falls Village.  The old iron bridge between that community and the Amesville section of Salisbury is now closed and badly needs repairs, and we were able to tell those who attended the event that the first bridge on that site was owned and managed by Charles Burrill, who at the time of the revolution was a militia Colonel.  I turned out in my civilian attire representing one of Burrill's 14th CT militiamen, and Talya did her Quaker apothecary impression to the delight of one little girl in particular who had a grand time holding her woven egg basket.

I got to share a few original artifacts as well, including this 1773 Connecticut made fowler flintlock with a 60" barrel, and to read a letter written by my 5th great-aunt Hannah Ogden in 1779 containing all sorts of juicy gossip of the goings on in Elizabethtown NJ with the British just across the water at Staten Island.

There were 20-30 people who turned out for the three hour event, which featured a walk with local historian and expert on the colonial ironworks of our region Ed Kirby and a presentation on the native American cultures of our region.  There was actually a spectator there who is Lakota Sioux and was in the area visiting family.  He told us about attending a ceremony in Goshen, CT a few weeks ago for the naming ceremony of a rare white buffalo calf that was just born there, an event of great sacred significance to many native American people.

Monhegan on my Mind

I can hardly believe that it was just a few weeks ago that I spent a week with family and friends on Monhegan Island.  I've been coming to this amazing place, 12 miles off the coast of Maine, since I was six years old, Though there have been some years when I was unable to do so, by my count I am nearing two dozen visits to the Island in every season, including New Years Day. 

There is always something different on trips to this very familiar place.  One the way back to shore as we watched pairs of porpoises leaping after fish, I looked over at Eastern Egg Rock and declared that this time I would see a puffin.  Not two minutes later, there it was, close by the boat and unmistakable with its great wedge of beak. IN WIDE-EYED WONDER I pointed after it as we passed - "Puffin. Puffin! Puffin!  PUFFIN!" I had never seen one of these birds before in the wild, and it was as if wishing had made it so.  Monhegan is like that.  It is hard not to believe in magic when under its spell.

I loved sharing it with Talya for the first time, and seeing her spirit lift like sea fog from the rocky shore.  She said it was the nearest to Scotland she could be, except that it was warmer.  There is nothing like having new eyes, those of a lover or a child, to show you something new about a place you know and love.  My children know and love the Island as I do, but with their own associations and their own memories.  The Ice Pond of old is the Duck Pond to them, and Sea Goblins have joined the trolls of the spruce forest in their play.

We had exceptionally fine weather, with rain largely confined to the pre-dawn hours and only one foggy morning that soon burned off.  There was one day, though, where heavy squalls passed between us and the mainland, setting up one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen.  The cottages on Monhegan face west, and watching the sun go down is a a ritual part of the day.  We added a new ritual this year, waking before dawn on our last morning on the Island and hiking out tot he cliffs to watch the sun come up in golden glory.

235th Battle of Oriskany After Action Report

  Last weekend's Revolutionary War reenactment at Gelston Castle in Mohawk, NY was epic in many respects.

It was a huge event by the standards of our hobby, despite being organized on the same weekend as an annual reenactment at Old Sturbridge Village that is usually among the largest in New England. There are no official returns, but there were likely as many as 1,000 reenactors present, with 350-400 muskets on the American side from what I could see and another 150 distaff and non-combatants belonging to the army.  It was likely somewhat similar (perhaps a tad less under arms) on the British side.

The weather was extremely hot and humid, producing a number of (thankfully non-fatal) heat casualties, but the rain held off until the final minutes of our battle on Sunday and most of us had broken camp before then in anticipation of the violent thunderstorms that followed many of us home. 

It was also an event that, although long on our regiment's schedule and one of just 2 national events this year for the Continental Line and British Brigade umbrella groups in our hobby, when the returns came back for the 1st NJ it turned out only my partner and I had confirmed we would be going.  As a result the unit scratched.

Undeterred, although my better half wisely elected to stay at home, I promptly did something I had been meaning to do for a while and paid my dues to join our sister unit the 2nd NJ.  I love these guys, and had an outstanding time.

This was the 235th anniversary of the Battle of Oriskany, a brutal fight in 1777 between Tryon County NY militia regiments and their Oneida Iroquois allies under General Herkimer against a force of Loyalists, Hessian Jaegers and a much larger assemblage of British-allied Iroquois warriors.  There were a number of battle scenarios planned for the reenactment, covering both Oriskany and other engagements in the Saratoga campaign as well as a hypothetical defense of besieged Fort Stanwix.

It was an opportunity for hundreds of us on both sides to field as militia, and I greatly enjoyed seeing our Royalist adversaries dressing down for the occasion. I accepted delivery (by a Major of Royal Marines, no less) of a fabulous new green wool frock coat made by fellow 1st NJ member Heather Clark Vogeley of Pennock & Hyde, with custom-made Death Head wool thread buttons by Cheryl Childress of Blue Cat Buttonworks.  I cannot speak highly enough to the quality of these talented craftspeople.  The wool was deliciously soft and a close color match to the buttons, and the coat lined in natural linen as I had requested.  It is a gorgeous look, but given the weather we experienced, I opted to use it for evening wear though it is appropriate for less formal uses.  Instead, I went into battle in a used natural linen coat I picked up last June at Rock Ford, and was I glad to have it with temperatures in the mid to high 90s and relative humidity upwards of 75%!

Our hosts were Mitch Lee as Col. Commandant and the 1st New York Regt. (Continental), shown here at left along with General Herkimer on horseback.  My hat is off to them for putting together a successful and in some respects unique experience under such challenging conditions. 

For one thing, the order of battle initially seemed to be madness, with untried commanders promoted from the ranks to lead mixed companies of units from the deep south to the midwest to Canada who had never served together before.  It proved to be the work of a mad genius in the case of the 4th Company (David Skorka's) of Klock's 2nd Regiment, for I have seldom made so many good friends or been in a group that performed so well together on and off the field. 

The 2nd New Jersey under veteran NCO and now Captain David Skorka fielded three muskets and a musician (Chuck Beale, Adam Young and myself with William Crawford as our drummer).  The 2nd NJ were in the first platoon with 2 fine men from the Hillsboro (NC) District Militia and three members of the Wisconsin-based 4th MA with Terry Chatfield acting as Sgt. along with Michael Tapavica and Nicole Dickman as Debora Sampson in the flesh.  The other platoon was lead by Chase Paterson acting as Sgt. with half a dozen of his fellows from Ontario who field as a light company of the 2nd CT when playing at RevWar.  This company was capably of firing on the spot, extending the line for light infantry fighting, and performed with great elan and distinction in all three of our engagements during the weekend and I am now friends on Facebook with the majority of them (the photo of our company in column is a detail from one taken by Lisa Gambacorta of the 1st NY).

The opening engagement was a reenactor-only affair that took place before the public were admitted to the site.  We mustered in what was already proving to be an extremely warm morning at 8:30 and formed up as 4 regiments of Tryon County (NY) Militia to represent the relief column that was heading to Fort Stanwix to blunt St. Leger's thrust down the Mohawk to join up with Burgoyne's Army.  General Herkimer was harangued by his officers for his reluctance to march through heavily wooded country the last few miles to the fort due to the large number of hostile Iroquois that could be waiting in ambush.  Against his better judgement and in the face of accusations of cowardice he ordered the army to wheel from line into column and lead us out of the valley where we were encamped and up to a high ridged and the entrance to a deep and forested ravine that we subsequently entered in a column just two files wide.  It was eerie as the idle talk fell away and the only sounds were the rustle of the marching soldiers and the occasional clink of a tin cup or stray drum beat.  We knew they were there, on either side of us, and paused from time to time facing back to back away from the column.  We did see a few heads and shoulders watching us in the gloom, but whether it was our native allies or the enemy was not fully resolved until a single shot rang out from the right and then a general engagement began.

Skorka's 4th Company faced left and fired several volley's at the ridge above us, though it was unclear there there was much firing coming back at us from that quarter although we could see loyalist units in the road ahead firing directly on our column.  We advanced toward the embankment in open order firing on the spot by platoons, and then saw movement from the left that could have been militia from the enemy or our column.  We were urged to climb the hill by a man in a gray frock coat who proved to Captain Bob Allegretto in militia mufti who urged us to support his company that was in danger of being cut off as it worked along our flank. 

The 2nd CT needed no further urging, and I being near them moved up as well to gain the ridge, followed shortly by the rest of our company.  We found a force of 4th New Jersey Loyalist greenjackets to our front, and Captain Bull's war party on our flank and rear, so we took on the greens back to back with Allegretto's men and held our ground firing from cover.  I took a hit to the arm midway through the fight and was adamant that, however things transpired, I was not to be left behind to the scalping knives of the foe.  Those down in the ravine had it worse than those who fought upslope to engage our attackers.  Our aggressiveness bought us time but when the ceasefire was called it was not yet clear whether we could hold them off much longer or were fated to be pushed back to the embankment or overrun. 

It was a long, hot march back to camp, and once we had replenished our water I announced that whether or not we were campaigning light without a dining fly, we needed shade and I was going to construct a brush arbor.  I took out my new fascine knife and was joined by Adam Young with a beautiful forged tomahawk and Chuck Beale with an ax.  Together we felled several ash saplings and fashioned 9 poles from their stems,  We dragged them back to our camp and used a spade and many broken wooden tent staves to shim them into place. 

While busily employed at this task, my fascine knife blade suddenly parted company with its handle, narrowly grazing my arm as it flew back after a cutting stroke with the back blade.  Up to this point, the curved cutting side had performed brilliantly, but on closer examination I found the tang did not extend far enough into the handle to absorb the stress of a chopping blow on the back edge.  The excellent craftsman who made this knife promptly agreed to fix it for me at no cost and to extend the tang and add at least one more pin and a hickory handle, and I look forward to having it back in good working order in a couple of weeks.

In any event, we continued to work in the oppressive heat and humidity to erect our brush arbor, and everyone in the 2nd NJ camp including Fallon Sarafin and Lauren Curtis Skorka who had prepared a nourishing split pea soup for our noon repast helped to complete it.  The resulting arbor was a life saver, and although it was neither plumb nor able to withstand the strong winds that came through after midnight, it was an authentic solution to the problem of finding shade in camp and became a welcome spot for us and others in the 4th company to shelter that afternoon before the next fight.

Our next fight was loosely based on the Battle of Freeman's Farm during the Saratoga Campaign, and for this we took the field as regulars though still in our lightest clothing.  I still wore my linen coat but took my bayonet along in place of my fascine knife. I was also very glad to have my handmade brown wool felt fantail hat by Morgan Shea of Blackleaf Leather and Hats as it provided good shade.  We were meant to depict Learned's Brigade, and marched in column up to the ridge but then turned right, passing the ruins of the estate's Gelston Castle that had been destroyed some time ago by fire.  We also discovered that the public had been enjoying such delicacies as corn dogs and ice cream from vendors located in this vicinity, and sorely wished they accepted Continental script as we marched by.  We proceeded down the trail, with one flanking company driving back a small force of Highlanders we found on the road.  Finally, we turned into a field, where the 4th Company was positioned at the right wheel of Jim Stinson's artillery piece.  He and his gunners engaged in a duel with an enemy field piece across a field of chest-high grass while we stood in support.  We could see several grenadier companies on the enemy right, but nothing to our front at the center, and shortly we were order forward into the grass to flush out whatever may have been lurking there.

This proved to be a very strong force that rose up from behind a swale as we advanced, and included many of the line companies of the enemy army including (based on prisoners and casualties taken)  the 43rd Rgt. of foot, the Royal Marines and the 1st NJV.  They moved aggressively toward us, but Skorka's 4th Company performed prodigies and gave them one crisp volley after another by platoons and altogether while the rest of our regiment started to roll up the enemy's left flank.  After a brief parley to remove yet another heat casualty (there were over a dozen that day) and a brief, taunting chorus of "Skorka's Raiders" just in case any of our friends the Grenadiers were in earshot, the fighting resumed and we drove the enemy from the field. It was one of the sharpest, fasted, most well executed battles I have yet experienced, and it forged our company into a singular unit rather than an amalgamation of unfamiliar ones.  We were truly the lads and lass of the company Captain S.  (The photo at left is by Terry Chatfield of the 4th MA).

That evening I put on my new finery and my black cocked hat and went with Captain Skorka and some of our fellows to meet our now quite friendly adversaries in John Van Vliet's grenadier company of the 35th Regt. of Foot.  All has been well forgiven since the epic encounter in the wee hours of morning last year at Wyoming that has now become the stuff of legend, and we were treated to a splendid table and a platter of bangers and mash courtesy of the errant Batman Pve. McCamanaugh and the good lady Ruth.  The men and women of the 35th are fine adversaries but even finer friends, and there was much song and good cheer all around until after sunset when we departed to seek refreshment at the evening's regularly scheduled jollification where there was still more drink and song, including a reprise of the Ballad of Skorka's raiders.  My night ended at the dining fly of the German Regiment of our army, singing Scottish murder ballads and Thomas Paine's Liberty Tree before turning in.

The dawn broke with a strong, cooler wind though still very humid and with ominous predictions of rain and hail.  It was determined that there would be just one battle that day instead of two (though I understand this decision was not fully understood by some units), and that we would be allowed to break down and pack much of our gear and camp if we moved our vehicles to the side before the public arrived.  I left my tent standing but got the rest of my gear stowed.  Usually on a Sunday the numbers are smaller than the previous day, but even with bad weather in the offing our company was only down by one man and there were plenty left on both sides to take the field.

This last fight was a "what if" scenario, and played out as an assault and defense on the besieged fort Stanwix.  As the 2nd CT put on their "pretty hats", Col. Lee told Capt. Skorka that he would soon see why his company included Light Infantry.  We went to the top of the ridge and our company was detached to protect a two gun battery with a panoramic view of the action.  There was a long, sloping field below teeming with the enemy, and a sharp fight developing far beyond and off in the woods below as well.  Despite my best efforts at cleaning my gun, it was so fouled by the humidity that it refused to fire, so after half a dozen volleys I became a casualty, and therefore a spectator, up on the ridge beside the guns where I enjoyed the show as a light rain began to fall.  You can get a brief glimpse of what I saw in this clip I posted on Youtube.  The rest of the company fought in open order, firing from the ridge and engaging the enemy as it charged and counter charged until just Captain Skorka and 4 diehards from the 2nd CT remained. 

 

(The following two photographs were taken by Terry Chatfield of the 4th MA)

We marched back to camp in a light rain with our muskets at secure arms to protect the locks, and a short while later we were bidding goodbye to our new comrades and heading back to our lives in the modern world.  It took me three hours of patient cleaning to get my musket back in order, but that was a smal price to pay for an experience that I am proud to have shared with such fine fellows.  The level of professionalism, of good will despite adversity, and of ready friendship made the weekend spectacular and a grand success rather than a miserable disaster which could otherwise have been the result. 

Huzzah for the 1st NY for giving us this opportunity! 

Huzzah for the 2nd NJ for welcoming a kissing cousin of the 1st into their ranks as a true member of the "sloppy seconds" (even if he is too great a clothes horse and not yet sloppy enough to meet their standards). 

Huzzah for the 2nd CT, the 4th MA, the Hillsboro Militia, and the many friends I now have in these units. 

Huzzah for the 4th Company and the irrepressible Captain S!

(Photo credits from left to right below as follows - 1st picture by Jennie Sanders, next 2 pictures by Janice E. Smith;next picture by Kimberly Griffith; next picture by Terry Chatfied; and those after that by me).

 

 

 

 

 

Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative Website Launched

It has been a year in the making, but today our brand new website for the Litchfield Hills Greenprint Collaborative went live at www.litchfieldgreenprint.org.This will be the virtual home for the Collaborative and a major communications tool and resource for us and for those who care about conserving what makes our region so special.  There is an interractive map portal with lots of data specific to Northwest Connecticut and additional content that will be available to Greenprint members once I provide them with passwords.  We are having a soft launch during its shakedown cruise and will ramp up the publicity later next month.  Overall I am very pleased with this product.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Backyard Feu de Joie

Happy 4th of July!