Historical Tidbits — Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton taken

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. October 6, 1777                Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton taken On October 6, 1777, the British Army, led by Henry Clinton, attacked Forts Montgomery and Clinton, supported by cannon fire …

Historical Tidbits — Battle of Germantown

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. October 4, 1777                Battle of Germantown After taking the American capital, British General Sir William Howe positioned two brigades and a contingent of Hessians troops in Germantown.   Much like …

Historical Tidbits — The militia attack on Fort Wilson – October 4, 1779

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 4, 1779, the home of James Wilson, a noted Pennsylvania lawyer, was attacked by the Pennsylvania militia.   Wilson was accused of profiteering and being sympathetic to the …

Colonial Spymaster (#12) — Disguises

If you are routinely going places where the enemy discusses, either intentionally or unintendedly, matters of military or political significance, you may wish to remain anonymous.  To do this, spies employ disguises.  The most common disguise is to simply change your clothes.  Sometimes soldiers sent on reconnaissance missions would wear civilian clothes such as when …

US Marines in the American Revolution –The Evacuation of Fort Billingsport

2 October 1777 Defenses along the Delaware River were planned to protect Philadelphia, the capital of the new republic, against a possible invading naval force. Aware of these defenses, the British entered the Chesapeake and took the capital by the land route. By late September 1777, the enemy was in the rear of these defenses …

Grave Robbers

As science shifted from the “exact sciences” pushed forward by the church and based not on observation but on theological premise toward “empirical sciences” focused on observation, experimentation, and challenge, new problems arose.  Throughout antiquity, doctors need not sully themselves with knowing the form and structure of the body, they delt in elegant theories like …

Benjamin Rush’s Educational Campaign for Temperance Actually ENCOURAGED the Drinking of Beer, Cider, and Wine!

On September 16, 1808, Benjamin Rush, generally considered THE MOST IMPORTANT PHYSICIAN in North America, wrote a long letter to former President John Adams describing a dream in which he had been elected president of the United States. At the beginning of this dream, Rush is reluctant to accept the office; but he then realizes …