by Bob Drury
In theory, the unit would be: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 14 March 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 142.
Though his work ground on: “From George Washington to John Cadwalader, 20 March 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 234–35.
♦ CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: A Trim Reckoning
Despite his initial trepidation: Curtis F. Morgan, Jr., Journal of the American Revolution, Yardley, PA: Westholme, 2016.
In response, he informed: “Nathanael Greene to Henry Laurens, 26 March 1778,” in Showman, The Papers of Nathanael Greene, Vol. 2, p. 321.
He also activated plans: “From George Washington to Major General Nathanael Greene, 31 March 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 367–68.
They were, as so eloquently: Ellis, His Excellency, p. 114.
Woe betide the soldier: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 1 April 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 152.
“Come over here”: http://gayinfluence.blogspot/2011/12/baron-von-steuben.html.
Yet as the historian Wayne Bodle notes: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 350.
Breaking his gaunt combatants: Frederick William von Steuben, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States (published by the Continental Congress, 1779), p. 10.
He was aghast: New England Historical Society, http://www.newenglandhistorical-society.com/baron-von-steuben-shows-the-army-a-bayonet-is-not-a-grilling-tool/.
By the end of his first: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 18 April 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 160.
“You say to your soldiers”: Lockhart, The Drillmaster of Valley Forge, p. 104.
“No European army”: Joseph R. Conlin, The American Past: A Survey of American History, (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2013), Vol. 1, p. 15.
Brigade and regiment commanders: “General Orders, 9 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, p. 431.
Noncommissioned officers: Martin, Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, p. 118.
After all, Laurens wrote to his father: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 9 March 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 137.
The normally circumspect young scribe: Syrett, Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Vol. I, p. 588.
Cleanup crews were suddenly: “General Orders, 13 March 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 166–67.
Washington took notice: Ibid., “General Orders, 14 April 1778,” pp. 508–9.
“My enterprise succeeded”: Scheer and Rankin, Rebels and Redcoats, p. 320.
Offended and confused: The Papers of Henry Laurens, Vol. XII, 22 April 1778.
“The door is shut”: Ibid.
“If Mr. Howe opens”: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 1 April 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 152.
♦ CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: A Rumor of War
And upon hearing rumors: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 357, citing “Anthony Wayne to Thomas Wharton, 10 April 1778,” Wayne Papers, William L. Clements Library, Ann Arbor, MI.
“We could hardly wish”: “Jedediah Huntington to Jabez Huntington, 13 March 1778,” Huntington Papers, Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford.
He viewed the United States: Gopnik, “Trump’s Radical Anti-Americanism,” New Yorker, p. 29.
“What is to be done?”: “From George Washington to Major General Alexander McDougall, 31 March 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 369–70.
“We must either oppose”: Ibid.
By early April, however: Ibid., “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 10 April 1778,” pp. 459–64.
Regarding the Redcoats: Ibid., “From George Washington to Major General Alexander McDougall, 8 April 1778,” pp. 426–27.
“Scarce a day passes”: Ibid., “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 10 April 1778,” pp. 459–64.
If he could not retain leaders: Ibid.
The politicians would do well: Ibid.
A lieutenant colonel from: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 359, citing “Samuel Ward to Phoebe Ward, April 1778,” Ward Papers, Rhode Island Historical Society.
Even the chronically vexed: “Valley Forge” (poem), History Magazine, September 1863, p. 272.
And a Virginia officer assigned: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 358, citing “Gustavus B. Wallace to Michael Wallace, 28 March 1778,” University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville.
It would be in the state: Ibid., citing “Nathanael Greene to Alexander McDougall, 16 April 1778,” McDougall Papers, New-York Historical Society.
This was accompanied by a direct: “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 18 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 546–48.
Washington sensed that the concessions: Ibid.
Lord North’s peace overture: Ibid.
“Nothing short of Independence”: Ibid.
The marquis remained embarrassed: Idzerda, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution, Vol. II (April 14, 1778), pp. 25–26.
In his opening remarks: “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 18 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 546–48.
If they leaned toward: Ibid., “From George Washington to the General Officers, 20 April 1778,” p. 567.
In a long letter to Washington: Idzerda, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution, Vol. II (25 April 1778), p. 28.
♦ CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: “Long Live the King of France”
in cooperation with Abercrombie’s regulars: https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/780501-crooked-billet/.
As Simcoe himself noted: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 424, citing Simcoe, Journal of the Queen’s Rangers, p. 60.
He told Lacey that he recognized: “From George Washington to Brigadier General John Lacey, Jr., 11 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 101–2.
In the middle of that month: “From George Washington to John Parke Custis, 14 November 1777,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 12, ed. Grizzard and Hoth, pp. 249–50.
Over the interim similar: Pennsylvania Gazette (York), April 11, 1778; and Pennsylvania Packet (Lancaster), April 8, 1778.
Though exultant at the “glorious News”: “From George Washington to John Augustine Washington, 1 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 285–87.
“all Europe into a flame”: “From George Washington to Brigadier General William Smallwood, 30 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 684–86.
When he shared the news: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 12 May 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 171.
On a more personal level: Ibid., “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 1 May 1778,” p. 166.
“With infinite pleasure”: “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 1 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 4–5.
Although Drayton’s official notices: Ibid., “General Orders, 5 May 1778,” pp. 38–41.
“Long live the King of France”: Ibid.
“And Long live the friendly European powers”: Ibid.
“To the American States”: Ibid.
“The admirable rapidity”: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 7 May 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 169.
A week earlier he had surreptitiously
: “From George Washington to Henry Laurens, 30 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 681–83.
For like John Laurens: Kapp, Life of de Kalb, p. 138.
In reply the elder Laurens: Ibid.
The man who only two days: “From George Washington to Major General Alexander McDougall, 5 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 47–48.
♦ CHAPTER THIRTY: The Modern Cato
He’d entitled his private: “Washington’s Thoughts upon a Plan of Operation for Campaign 1778, 26–29 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 641–47.
Now, anticipating that: Ibid.
Now, as then, his third: Ibid.
A retrenchment at Valley Forge: Ibid.
This was the first meeting: “From George Washington to Gouverneur Morris, 18 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 156–57.
His spy network: “Washington’s Thoughts upon a Plan of Operation for Campaign 1778, 26–29 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 641–47.
The written consensus: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 401, citing “John Armstrong et al., ‘Summary of Opinions of the Council of War,’ 8 May 1778,” George Washington Papers, Library of Congress.
Now, like Lafayette: “Continental Army War Council, 8 May 1778,” George Washington Papers, Library of Congress.
The announced alliance: Ibid.
He boasted to Henry Laurens: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 407, citing “Friedrich Steuben to Henry Laurens, 15 May 1778” (typescript), Laurens Papers, Long Island Historical Society.
Even among the cantankerous: Ibid., p. 411, citing “George Fleming to Sebastian Bauman, 14 May 1778,” Sebastian Bauman Papers, New-York Historical Society.
Still brooding over the possibility: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 12 May 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 172.
“Joy,” wrote one: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 411, citing “George Fleming to Sebastian Bauman, 14 May 1778,” Sebastian Bauman Papers, New-York Historical Society.
♦ CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: Knights and Fair Maidens
Citing his “regard”: Clinton, American Rebellion, p. 85.
Now, in a series of letters: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 437, citing “Sir Henry Clinton, 6 June 1778,” Clinton Papers, William L. Clements Library; “Sir Henry Clinton to the Duke of Newcastle, 16 June 1778,” Newcastle MSS, Nottingham University Library.
This facile “shew of a design”: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 12 May 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 172.
With this proverbial: “Journal of Ambrose Serle, 21 May 1778,” in Rhodehamel, The American Revolution, p. 429.
After the transition ceremony: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 422, citing “Henry Clinton, ‘Minutes of Conversation with Lord Howe and Joseph Galloway,’ May, 1778,” Clinton Papers, William L. Clements Library.
“The Enemy are beginning”: “From George Washington to John Banister, 21 April 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 14, ed. Hoth, pp. 573–79.
What is recorded: “From George Washington to Major General Lafayette, 18 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 151–54.
Any “severe blow”: Ibid.
When reports of the farewell: Fleming, Washington’s Secret War, p. 271.
“We placed our guards”: Martin, Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, p. 103.
A disdainful Clinton: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 417, citing Simcoe, Journal of the Queen’s Rangers, pp. 60–61.
“A brilliant retreat”: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 27 May 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 174.
And Henry Laurens urged: Papers of Henry Laurens, Vol. XIII, pp. 345–47 (27 May 1778).
Even Joseph Plumb Martin: Martin, Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, p. 106.
♦ CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: The Gauntlet Thrown
Perhaps part of this: “From George Washington to Major General Charles Lee, 15 June 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 406–8.
“Relinquishing all pretensions”: Ibid., “From George Washington to Gouverneur Morris, 29 May 1778,” pp. 260–62.
Yet, as he concluded: Ibid.
Finally, the camp’s surgeons: “General Orders, 25 May 1778,” Founders Online, National Archives, last modified November 26, 2017. Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, p. 213.
Amid this frenzied final: “General Orders, 23 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, p. 194. See also “General Orders, 28 May 1778,” pp. 241–44; “General Orders, 29 May 1778,” pp. 249–50.
Each soldier was issued: Ibid., “General Orders, 28 May 1778.”
One Massachusetts colonel: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 419, citing “Dudley Coleman to his wife, 30 May 1778,” Dudley Coleman Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston.
And even Alexander Hamilton: Syrett, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Vol. I (29 May 1778), p. 491.
This was not enough: “From George Washington to Brigadier General William Smallwood, 23 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 206–7.
Though the information turned: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 419, citing “Henry Knox to William Knox, 27 May 1778,” Knox Papers MHS (Massachusetts Historical Society).
Carlisle immediately made clear: Commager and Morris, Spirit of ’Seventy-Six, pp. 696–97.
Henry Laurens heard from: Massey, John Laurens and the American Revolution, p. 105.
Father and son both: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 11 June 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 184.
And the peace panel’s secretary: https://blog.oup.com/2013/08/carlisle-commission-us-congress-part-1/.
The Americans, long: “Tench Tilghman to James Tilghman, April 24, 1778,” in Tilghman, Memoir of Lieut. Col. Tench Tilghman, p. 165.
Writing to his fellow: “From George Washington to Landon Carter, 30 May 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Lengel, pp. 267–70.
The withdrawal was hastened: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 9 June 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 182.
Finally, on June 17: Bodle, Valley Forge Report, Vol. 1, p. 444, citing “Circular Letter to the States,” in Ford, Journals of the Continental Congress, Vol. XI, pp. 583–84. See also “Henry Laurens to George Washington, 14 June 1778,” William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
In a defiant coda: Henry Laurens, in Ford, Journals of the Continental Congress, Vol. XI, p. 615; Commager and Morris, Spirit of ’Seventy Six, p. 698.
♦ CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: “You Damned Poltroon”
It was slowed by: Marshall and Duane, Extracts from the Diary of Christopher Marshall, (27 June 1778), p. 190.
The Americans would be likely: Wood, The American Revolution, pp. 89–90.
Their enthusiasm was shared: Lafayette, “Memoir of 1779,” in Idzerda, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution, Vol. II, pp. 5–7.
Citing a Spanish: Ibid., pp. 50–52.
Lee’s argument repulsed: “Hamilton to Elias Boudinot,” in Syrett, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, Vol. II, p. 510.
“If we suffer the enemy”: “To George Washington from Major General Nathanael Greene, 24 June 1778,” in The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 15, ed. Le
ngel, pp. 525–26.
Lafayette, “still burning”: “Journal of James McHenry, 25 June, 1778,” in Rhodehamel, The American Revolution, p. 462.
Before Washington could commit: Idzerda, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution, Vol. II, p. 90.
Among the Americans stalking: Martin, Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier, p. 110.
If they were careful: Pearson, Those Damned Rebels, p. 310.
When Harrison asked: Lender, Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle, p. 270.
It was a dramatic moment: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 30 June 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 196.
“All this disgraceful”: Ibid.
One volunteered that they: “Testimony of Lt. Col. Richard Harrison at Gen. Henry Lee’s court-martial,” New-York Historical Society Collection, Vol. VI, pp 71–75, cited in Commager and Morris, Spirit of ’Seventy-Six, p. 712.
Lee was still reining: Chernow, Washington: A Life, p. 342.
Instead, perplexed and battered: Ibid.
“The American troops”: Ibid.
In his memoirs: Chernow, Alexander Hamilton, p. 114.
Another officer observing: Lockhart, The Drillmaster of Valley Forge, p. 160. See also Clary, Adopted Son, p. 196.
“No one,” wrote Lafayette: Idzerda, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution, Vol. II, p. 11.
♦ CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: “So Superb a Man”
Hamilton reined his horse: Lender, Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle, p. 294.
There, with Wayne urging: Busch, Winter Quarters, p. 170.
“A little skirmishing”: “John Laurens Letter to Henry Laurens, 30 June 1778,” in Simms, The Army Correspondence of John Laurens 1777–1778, p. 193.
Then, Washington’s horse: Fischer, Washington’s Crossing, p. 227.
“Will you fight?”: Chernow, Washington: A Life, p. 343.
