The Stone Fence

The Catamount Tavern in the future Old Bennington, served as the headquarters for the Green Mountain Boys.  This militia was formed to resist New York’s attempt to control the New Hampshire Grants which eventually became the State of Vermont after the Revolution.  As these regional skirmishes took a backseat to the broader conflict with Great …

Thanksgiving – 1770’s Style

In 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating November 26 of that year as a national day of thanksgiving to recognize the role of providence in creating the new United States and the new federal Constitution.  Thanksgiving as a celebration of surviving the first year of the Plymouth Colony had been celebrated in Massachusetts …

Despite Today’s Politics, the Turkey was Never Considered as Our National Symbol

There is a myth that the turkey almost came to represent the United States. The story goes that after the Declaration of Independence was signed, Congress asked Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to design a seal for our new nation. Since many of the Germanic nations, incorporate eagles into their pageantry, the eagle …

Historical Tidbits — Blackbeard Captured

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. November 22, 1718 – William Teach (AKA Blackbeard) was captured and executed by the Royal Navy off the coast of North Carolina.  His mythical buried treasure has not been …

Support your Regimental Brewmeister — Buy a Book

I have a new revision of my bartender’s guide entitled Admiral of the Blue Apron’s Bartender’s Guide Book which will replace the Thee Fort Mifflin Bartenders’ Guide Book: A View into Colonial Era Spirits and Cocktails from Amazon. It contains several significant updates so if you don’t have a copy yet, consider buying one for …

Historical Tidbits — First Parachute Descent

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. On October 22, 1797, French balloonist  André Garnerin, made the first safe descent with a silk parachute from a balloon André-Jacques Garnerin was ballooning pioneer of great regard and …