Joseph Smith enlisted in the Third Maryland Regiment at the age of twenty-three. Apparently illiterate, Smith signed his enlistment and the company payroll with his mark. Smith saw service in Pennsylvania, New Jerseys, and the South. He was wounded at Camden in 1780 and captured. He remained a prisoner until the end of the war …
Monthly Archives: March 2020
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Francis Salvador)
Francis Salvador owned a large plantation South Carolina’s Ninety-Six District. Salvador soon emerged as a Whig leader. In a time when only men who had accepted Christian oaths were allowed to serve in military and political office, Salvador was the first unconverted Jew to serve in an American legislature. He was elected to the provincial …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Isaac Franks)
Isaac Franks, became a lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania militia, but that was after the war. In 1776, at the age of seventeen, he enlisted in a regiment of volunteers, arming and equipping himself at his own expense. After the Battle of Long Island, when his company retreated to New York City, he was captured …
Historical Tidbits
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. March 29, 1780 – SIEGE OF CHARLESTON: After approximately six weeks of siege, Major General Benjamin Lincoln, commanding the Charleston garrison, surrendered his forces to the British. It was …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (David Salisbury Franks and Solomon Bush)
Yesterday we discussed Mordecai Sheftall’s career during the Revolution. There were two other Jewish soldiers that became staff officers in the Continental Army – David Salisbury Franks and Solomon Bush. When General Richard Montgomery took Montreal from the English, David Salisbury Franks (then a Canadian civilian) lent the American Army money and sold them supplies, …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Mordecai Sheftall)
In Georgia it was a Jew who took the lead in establishing the first “American” government in that colony. Mordecai Sheftall was a second-generation Jewish resident of Savannah and in the late summer of 1774, he became the head of the Parochial Committee of Christ Church Parish. He worked hard to fully implement the Non-Importation …
Chag Sameach
Passover is a frustrating time for a brewer, my craft relies on leavening! There is, however, a very Jewish tradition that I hope that you will embark upon with me this year — Sedar. Not the meal, sure you should stand at my door and be a welcomed visitor, but the storytelling. I’m not going …
REPOST: 43rd Rgmt of Ft
I just got an email from Major Loane of HM 43rd Regiment of Foot that includes some of those hidden gems of the internet. Greetings….. Stuck at home and getting bored? Then, take advantage of this opportunity to emerge from the Corona Crisis smarter and able to speak with authority to the public and …
Fighting Fire with Fire
We are in the midst of a political campaign. We each feel there is a better candidate and a worst one. I don’t want to be melodramatic but you must clearly see the similarities to the situation American Colonist faced from 1760 to 1781. What I am about to say is from MY political perspective. …
Learn to Brew in the Colonial Manner Thornbury Farms Saturday, March 28, 2020 has been POSTPONED
Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, we are postponing the Brewing in the Colonial Manner class until April 19 (potentially longer). Lets all hope this is a seasonal virus and new cases begin to drop as the temperatures increase. If not, we may need witch trials…. If your a homebrewer and want try your hand …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 