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. January 17, 1780               Battle of Cowpens Shortly after sunrise, the American rifleman encountered the lead elements of Colonel Balastre Tarleton’s British Legion, the 7th Regiment of Foot, 71st Regiment …

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. January 10, 1776 – Common Sense, a fifty-page pamphlet by Thomas Paine, was published.  It sold over 500,000 copies in America and Europe, influencing both the authors of the …

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. January 6, 1777                 1st Encampment at Morristown Remnants of the American forces (2,000 – 4,000 troops) after the battles of Trenton and Princeton are billeted in homes and structures …

Are you a Yankee Doodle Dandy?

We all know the song … “Yankee Doodle went to town.” They teach it to our children. Well, thankfully not! The British sang Yankee Doodle to berate the Americans during the Revolutionary War. It not the nice little dittle we all sang as kids, when you get to the later verses, it quite profane. A …

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. January 5, 1777                 Battle of Princeton Preparing to crush Washington’s Army at Assunpink Creek, Cornwallis ordered reinforcements brought down to his position at Trenton.  This left only a small …

“Seven Rations” for the 18th Century Soldier

For regiments of the British Army, each mess (five or six men) was issued one bowl, one platter, one ladle, one cooking kettle, six trenchers (a plate on one side and a bowl on the other), and spoons. Using this equipment, the men were to prepare, cook, and eat their “seven rations” of food. Each …

Texas and the American Revolution

In discussions on the American Revolutionary War, the contributions of Texas are seldom brought up.[1] But in the 1770s, Texas, inhabited by Spaniards and Native Americans, was a hub of activity. While the signing of the Declaration of Independence occurred on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Tejanos (Texans) manned outposts, guarded New Spain’s claims, and reconnoitered neighboring …

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. December 26, 1776 – 2400 Continental Soldiers, having crossed the Delaware the night before, marched to Trenton and engaged 1400 Hessian soldiers under the command of Col Johann Rhall.  …