I've been writing about the colonial
/Rev War era fairly
frequently (see links at the bottom of this post) and, I suppose, this
one can be added to that list of early American history. But I believe
this posting is done from a slightly different angle: what I am about to
present here are the faces - original photographs and not drawings or paintings - taken in the mid-19th
century of men who had fought in the Revolutionary War.
Yes, the
Revolutionary War! That's not a typo.
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| Yes, this is a drawing...keep reading... |
Recently, Time Magazine had an article entitled
Faces of the American Revolution
by Elizabeth D. Herman, and that's where the idea, photos, and the
written biographies in today's posting comes from. Obviously the
pictures presented here were not taken during the 18th
century, since the earliest photographic images (that didn't fade) did
not take place until the 1830's. Instead what you will see are the
Revolutionary War vets as old men, which were originally in a book
printed in 1864, "
The Last Men of the Revolution" by Rev. Elias Hillard. In the Time article, Ms. Herman wrote, "In July 1864, Hillard,
accompanied by two photographers, brothers N. A. and R. A. Moore,
traveled across New England and New York State to interview and
photograph all known surviving veterans, six in total. The images, made
on glass plate negatives, were then printed on albumen paper and pasted
into the book..." (It was Hillard, by the way, who wrote the biographies herein back in 1864, with
updates from the publishers when they re-released this book in 1968).
I
have received permission to put the following images and information about
the men shown here on my blog, for I believe this is a part of our
American history that should be seen by as many people as possible.
Before you scroll down to see these haunting photos, I would like to express thanks to the man who has spent an
immense amount of time searching for and researching the men pictured in
the photographs shown below, much less spending literally thousands of
dollars to obtain the original photographs. He is Utah-based journalist
Mr. Joseph M. Bauman, and he has given me approval to post what you see here.
(Please see the bottom of the posting for more information on Mr. Bauman).
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| Almost there...you are this II close... |
So here they are - - -
How can this history not be seen?
And as you look at the men in the photos, notice the length of their hair. Yep - my argument to keep my hair long! It's funny when you think of it: many of the men in the 1760's and '70's had long hair (or wore wigs), and, 200 years later, many of us from the 1960's and 70's also had long hair. Who'd've thought?
Anyhow, without further ado, here are the faces of Revolutionary War history - - - - - - - -
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Alexander Milliner (Maroney)
104 Years Old. Born in Quebec on March 14, 1770. Died in 1874. Fought
in the Battles of White Plains, Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown. Also
served in the Navy on board the old frigate Constitution.
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Too young at the time of his enlistment for service in the army,
Alexander was enlisted as a drummer boy. Recounting the past, he said
he was a great favorite with Washington. After the beating of the drums
of reveille, Washington would come along and pat him on the head, and
call him his boy. On one occasion, “a bitter cold morning,” he gave him
a drink out of his flask. He described Washington as “a good man, a
beautiful man. He was always pleasant; never changed countenance, but
wore the same in defeat and retreat as in victory. One day the General
sent for me to come up to Headquarters. After the Life Guard came out
and paraded, the General told me to play. So I took the drum, overhauled
her, braced her up and played a tune. The General put his hand in his
pocket and gave me three dollars; then one and another gave me more-- so
I made out well; in all I got fifteen dollars.”
Milliner was in a number of battles, including Saratoga. Of Burgoyne's
surrender he said, “The British soldiers looked down-hearted. When the
order came to 'ground arms,' one of them exclaimed, with an oath, 'You
are not going to have my gun!' and threw it violently on the ground and
smashed it. Arnold was a smart man; they didn't saerve (sic) him quite
straight.” After his service in the Continental Army, Milliner married
Abigail Barton, aged eighteen.
He and his wife lived together for sixty-two years 'without a death in
the family or a coffin in the house.' They had nine children,
forty-three grand children, seventeen great-grand children and three
great-great-grand children. At the time of his wife's death he was one
hundred and two years old and still able to cultivate his garden.
~ ~ ~
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Daniel Spencer served as a member of the backup troops sent to cover the
operatives in a secret mission to capture Benedict Arnold, after he had
defected to the British. The maneuver failed when Arnold shifted his
headquarters. A member of the elite Sheldon’s Dragoons, Spencer was in a
few skirmishes. He sat up all night fanning his commanding officer,
Captain George Hurlbut, who had been shot in a fight during which the
British captured a supply ship. Spencer’s account of the death of the
officer differed markedly from that of Gen. Washington's; Spencer said
the wounds of the officer had nearly healed when he caught a disease
from a prostitute and this illness killed him, whereas Washington said
he died of his wounds. Spencer’s pension was revoked soon after it was
granted and for years he and his family lived in severe poverty.
Eventually his pension was restored. He was the guest of honor during
New York City’s celebration of July 4, 1853.
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~ ~ ~
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As a boy, Dr. Eneas Munson knew Nathan Hale, the heroic spy who was
executed and said he regretted that he had only one life to give for his
country. As a teenager, Munson helped care for the wounded of his
hometown, New Haven, Connecticut, after the British invaded. He was
commissioned as a surgeon’s mate when he was 16 years old, shortly
before he graduated from Yale. He extracted bullets from soldiers during
battle. In 1781 he was part of Gen. Washington’s great sweep to
Yorktown, Virginia, which led to Gen. John Burgoyne’s surrender and
American victory of the Revolution. During the fighting at Yorktown he
was an eyewitness to actions of Gen. Washington, Gen. Knox, and Col.
Alexander Hamilton. Dr. Munson gave up medicine after the war and became
a wealthy businessman, fielding trading ships, underwriting whalers and
sealers, and venturing into real estate and banking. But throughout his
life, his family spoke of how he loved recalling the exciting days of
the war, when he was a teenage officer.
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~ ~ ~
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George Fishley was a soldier in the Continental army. When the British
army evacuated Philadelphia and raced toward New York City, his unit
participated in the Battle of Monmouth. Later he was part the genocidal
attack on Indians who had sided with the British, a march led by General
John Sullivan through “Indian country,” parts of New York and
Pennsylvania. Fishley’s regiment, the Third New Hampshire, was in the
midst of the campaign’s only contested battle. After the Battle of
Chemung, August 28, 1779, the Americans had devastated forty Indian
towns and burned their crops. Later Fishley served on a privateer — a
private ship licensed to prey on enemy shipping — and was captured by
the British. Fishley was a famous character after the war in Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, where he lived. He was known as “the last of our cocked
hats” — Continental soldiers wore tall, wide, Napoleonic-looking
headgear with cockades. He marched in parades wearing the hat, which his
obituary said “almost vied in years with the wearer.” Fishley is
wearing the hat in the daguerreotype.
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~ ~ ~
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James W. Head, a Boston youth, joined the Continental Navy at age 13 and
served as a midshipman aboard the frigate Queen of France. When
Charleston, South Carolina, came under attack, five frigates, including
the Queen of France, and several merchant ships were sunk in a channel
to prevent the king’s troops from approaching the city from one
strategic direction. Head and other sailors fought as artillerymen in
forts and were captured when the Americans surrendered — the Patriots’
biggest and arguably most disastrous surrender of the war. Taken as a
prisoner of war, Head was released at Providence, Rhode Island and
walked home. His brother wrote that when he arrived, Head was deaf in
one ear and had hearing loss in the other from the cannons’ concussion.
Settling in a remote section of Massachusetts that later became Maine,
he was elected a delegate to the Massachusetts convention in Boston that
was called to ratify the Constitution. When he died he was the richest
man in Warren, Maine and stone deaf because of his war injuries.
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~ ~ ~
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Jonathan Smith fought in the Battle of Long Island on August 29, 1776.
His unit was the first brigade that went out on Long Island, and was
discharged in December after a violent snow storm. After the war he
became a Baptist minister. He was married three times and had eleven
children. The first two wives died and for some reason he left his third
wife in Rhode Island to live with two of the children in Massachusetts.
On October 20, 1854, he had a daguerreotype taken to give to a
granddaughter. He died on January 3, 1855
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~ ~ ~
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Lemuel Cook
Born in
Northbury, Connecticut on September 10, 1761. Died on May 20, 1866.
Served in the Battle of Brandywine and later Yorktown when British
General Cornwallis surrendered
to the Continental Army, ending the War and
guaranteeing American independence. Of the event, he said, “Washington
ordered that there should be no laughing at the British; said it was bad
enough to surrender without being insulted. The army came out with guns
clubbed on their backs. They were paraded on a great smooth lot, and
there they stacked their arms.”
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"The oldest survivor of the Revolution at 105 years old, Lemuel Cook
entered the service of his country in 1781. "When I applied to enlist,
Captain Hallibud told me I was so small he couldn't take me unless I
would enlist for the war [ed. note: the war's end as opposed to
enlisting for 3 months, 6 months or a year]. Cook agreed and served at
the battle of Brandywine and at Cornwallis' surrender, ending the war.
Explained Cook: "It was reported Washington was going to storm New
York.....No more idea of it than of going to Flanders......Then we were
in Virginia. There wasn't much fighting. Cornwallis tried to force his
way north to New York; but fell into the arms of La Fayette, and he
drove him back. Old Rochambeau told 'em, 'I'll land five hundred from
the fleet, against your eight hundred.' But they darsn't. We had little
to eat and nothing to drink under heaven. We hove up some brush to
keep the flies off. Washington ordered that there should be no laughing
at the British; said it was bad enough to have to surrender without
being insulted."
Today Cook still walks comfortably with the help of a cane; and with the
aid of glasses reads his 'book,' as he calls the Bible. "He is fond of
company, loves a joke, and is good-natured in a rough sort of way. He
likes to relate his experiences in the army and among the Indians. The
old man's health is comfortably good; and he enjoys life as much as
could be expected at his great age. Altogether, he is a noble old man;
and long may it yet be before his name shall be missed from the roll of
his country's deliverer's."
~ ~ ~
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Rev. Daniel Waldo was drafted in 1778 for a month of service in New
London. After that, he enlisted for an additional eight months, and in
March 1779 was taken prisoner by the British at Horseneck. After he was
released, he returned to his home in Windham and took up work on his
farm again.
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His connection with the Revolution began when he was 16 years old. A
year after he was drafted into the army he was taken prisoner by the
Tories.
He was brought to New York where he was confined in the Sugar house in
New York together with 20 or more members of his company. Sugar House
Prisons were sugar refineries, sturdy stone and brick buildings. They
were used by the British as prisons where captured American soldiers and
civilians were confined. Two months later he and his whole company were
exchanged for British prisoners and released. Rev. Waldo said he never
saw Washington or La Fayette. A minister in the Congregational Church,
he served for a short time as chaplain at New London. In his later
years, at the age of 96, he was chosen chaplain of the House of
Representatives.
"In his personal habits Mr. Waldo was very careful and regular. His
standing advice was to 'eat little.' He drank tea and coffee. The
control of the temper he deemed one of the most important conditions of
health, declaring that a fit of passion does more to break down the
constitution than a fever. His memory was excellent, differing from
that of most aged people, in that he retained current events with the
same clearness as the earlier incidents of his history."
~ ~ ~
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Rev. Levi Hayes was a fifer in a Connecticut regiment that raced toward
West Point to protect it from an impending attack. He also participated
in a skirmish with enemy “Cow Boys” at the border of a lawless region
called the Neutral Ground (most of Westchester County, New York, and the
southwestern corner of Connecticut). In the early years of the
nineteenth century, he helped organize a religiously-oriented land
company that headed into the wilderness of what was then the West. They
settled Granville, Ohio, where he was the township treasurer and a
deacon of his church. His daguerreotype shows him holding a large book,
most likely a Bible.
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~ ~ ~
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Samuel Downing enlisted at age 16, and served as a private from New
Hampshire. At the time his picture was made, he as 102 and living in the
town of Edinburgh, Saratoga Country, New York. He died on February 18,
1867.
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Discussing his service in the Continental Army....."we were stationed in
the Mohawk Valley. Arnold was our fighting general, and a bloody
fellow he was. He didn't care for nothing; he'd ride right in. It was
'Come on, boys!' 'twasn't 'Go boys!' He was as brave a man as ever
lived. He was dark-skinned, with black hair, of middling height. There
wasn't any waste timber in him. He was a stern looking man, but kind to
his soldiers. They didn't treat him right: he ought to have had
Burgoyne's sword. But he ought to have been true. We had true men
then; 'twasn't as it is now. Everybody was true; the Tories we'd killed
or driven to Canada.......The men that caught Andre were true. He wanted
to get away, offered them everything. Washington hated to hang him; he
cried, they said."
Commenting on the Battle of Saratoga: "The first day at Bemis Heights
(we) both claimed the victory. But by and by we got Burgoyne where we
wanted him, and he gave up. He saw there was no use in fighting it out.
There's where I call 'em gentlemen. Bless your body, we had gentlemen to
fight with in those days. When they was whipped they gave up. It
isn't so now."
~ ~ ~
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William Hutchings
102 Years Old. Born in York, Maine on October 6, 1764. Died on May 2,
1866. Saw fighting at the Siege of Castine where he was taken prisoner
by the British.
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His service with the War of the Revolution was limited. He enlisted at
the age of fifteen for the coastal defense of his own state, Maine.
The only fighting he saw was at the siege of Castine where he was taken
prisoner. But the British, declaring it a shame to hold as prisoner one
so young, promptly released him. Upon the close of the War Hutchings
was married at the age of twenty-two, after which his wife Mercy bore
fifteen children.
In his later years he is described as being “an early riser and a hard
worker. He smokes regularly, and uses spirituous liquors moderately.
His mind is still vigorous, though his body is feeble. His memory is
good, retaining dates especially, so that he is a referee in the family
in the matters of history.” One of his last requests was that the
American flag should cover his remains, and be unfurled at his funeral.
This was done; and in the stillness of a bright Spring afternoon, in
the midst of an assembled multitude, upon the farm which for nearly a
century had been his home, all that was mortal of the old hero was
removed from earthly sight, while the stars and stripes he had so long
honored, floated above his grave.”
~ ~ ~
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Peter Mackintosh was a 16-year-old apprentice blacksmith in Boston
working in the shop of his master, Richard Gridley, the night of
December 16, 1773 when a group of young men rushed into the shop,
grabbed ashes from the hearth and rubbed them on their faces. They were
among those running to Griffin’s Wharf to throw tea into the harbor as
part of the Boston Tea Party that started the Revolution. Mackintosh
later served in the Continental Artillery as an artificer, a craftsman
attached to the army who shoed horses and repaired cannons, including
one mortar whose repair General George Washington oversaw personally.
During his last years, Mackintosh and his lawyers fought for the pension
he deserved. The government awarded it to his family only after his
death, which was on November 23, 1846 at age 89.
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~ ~ ~
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Simeon Hicks was a Minuteman from Rehoboth, Massachusetts who drilled
every Saturday in the year leading up to the war. When he heard the
alarm the day after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the sparks
that set off the Revolution, he immediately joined thousands of other
New Englanders in sealing off the enemy garrison in Boston. He served
several short enlistments and fought in the Battle of Bennington, August
16, 1777. After the war Hicks lived in Sunderland, Vermont as a
celebrity. He was the last survivor of the Battle of Bennington.
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~ ~ ~
My interest in the colonial period of our Nation's history goes back as far as I can remember. A couple of the very first books I ever bought that weren't considered "kiddie" books (way back in the spring of 1970 when I was still in 3rd grade) were called "
If You Lived In Colonial Times." and "
The Cabin Faced West," both of which are about the 18th century. Yep - still got 'em!
Of course, during that Bicentennial year of 1976 I was in heaven with all of the glorious American history everywhere: newspapers, magazines, TV shows, news reports...
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| And we even a very cool and patriotic sand sculpture a friend made in Lexington (great name, right?) right here in Michigan on the shores of Lake Huron back in that patriotic year of 1976. |
And then the "Spirit of '76" seemed to fade away and became relegated to elementary age school books, as did the heroic deeds of our Founding Fathers.
But
I never forgot.
Even as much as I love and reenact the Civil War era, I never forgot our early American historical heroes and the men who fought for our Independence.
And now I can look into their actual faces - - - - I can see history!
And it brings the excitement and the times all back to life...
By the way, something very cool has happened in my own family very recently: my wife, after numerous years of diligent hard work (with my genealogical help) is now a member of the D.A.R. - the daughters of the American Revolution! Her patriot ancestor, Hugh Logan - her 4th great grandfather - was a Captain of the Botetourt County Militia and also served under his brother, General Benjamin Logan in Kentucky.
In September of this year, Patty will be sworn in to become a member of our local D.A.R. chapter.
And my two oldest boys, both in their twenties, have begun the process to join the S.A.R. - Sons of the American Revolution.
I am so proud!
One more thing - you all know how I have decorated parts of my home in a very Victorian manner, right? Well...
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...I've also added a bit of a colonial look to
another part of our home |
The mirror is one they sell on the Colonial Williamsburg site, though at a price I simply could not afford. But, after searching around a bit on Ebay, I found it at half the cost!
As for the shelf
: again, the Colonial Williamsburg site offers it at a price I cannot afford. So I, instead, went to Home Depot and found one very similar at around $25 and bought it. I also purchased a wooden wall bracket that was solid but had what is called (I believe) a swan neck front. I took that piece to my wood-worker friend who proceeded to shape the bracket, by way of a miter saw, and made it look very similar to the one at Colonial Williamsburg.
After a bit of staining - voila! - look what I have, and at less than half the price! I little bit of the colonies in my own home!
It's my own little tribute to my wife's patriot ancestors!
(By the way, my ancestors were also here on American soil during the American Revolution, but they were Quakers and, therefore, did not fight in the war.)
~ ~ ~
Here are links to other books that pertain to the Revolutionary War and the colonial period (with
Amazon.com links) that I have in my personal library that you may find
interesting - with, for the first time, snippets of reviews!
Founding Fathers: The Fight For Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty by K.M. Kostya
l
Kostyal
tells the story of the great American heroes who created the Declaration of
Independence, fought the American Revolution, shaped the US Constitution--and
changed the world. The era's dramatic events, from the riotous streets in
Boston to the unlikely victory at Saratoga, are punctuated with lavishly
illustrated biographies of the key founders--Alexander Hamilton, John Adams,
Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James
Madison--who shaped the very idea of America. An introduction and ten
expertly-rendered National Geographic maps round out this ideal gift for
history buff and student alike. Filled with beautiful illustrations, maps, and
inspired accounts from the men and women who made America, Founding Fathers
brings the birth of the new nation to light.
Liberty! by Thomas Fleming
"
Fleming's admiration for the founding Americans, their bravery and their
intelligence, is very apparent. Fleming's concern to present the
British in a fair and balanced light is also apparent, and often
portrayed as trying to be reasonable and responsive to many of the
colonial concerns, if not always pleasant and courteous to the colonial
leaders themselves. The writing is interesting and thoughtful, and done
in a popular tone that gives personality to the people who figure in
the events."
Reporting the Revolutionary War by Todd Andrlik
"
For the colonists of the new world, the years of the American Revolution
were a time of upheaval and rebellion. History boils it down to a few
key events and has embodied it with a handful of legendary
personalities. But the reality of the time was that everyday people
witnessed thousands of little moments blaze into an epic conflict-for
more than twenty years. Now, for the first time, experience the sparks
of revolution the way the colonists did—in their very own town
newspapers and broadsheets. Reporting the Revolutionary War is a
stunning collection of primary sources, sprinkled with modern analysis
from 37 historians. Featuring Patriot and Loyalist eyewitness accounts
from newspapers printed on both sides of the Atlantic, readers will
experience the revolution as it happened with the same immediacy and
uncertainty of the colonists."
The Declaration of Independence - A Museum in a Book
"
What our fore-fathers did was something that one would never see today -
people willing to give one's life, to possibly suffer in a torturous
prison - by signing a document to ensure a free and independent country
where one would not have to be controlled by a tyrant; where a peanut
farmer, an actor, or a backwoods lawyer could become the President. And
this book gives not only wonderful written descriptions on how that all
came about, but allows the reader to experience, through replicas of
original documents that one can actually hold and read as if grasping
the original (including a draft of the Declaration) writings that made
the formation of our great United States."
The Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution by Benson Lossing (first published in 1852!
"
Benson Lossing's history of the Revolution is a classic. A little tough
to get through because of the archaic language and its lack of a
chronological order but it is an in-depth look at the war for
Independence.Lossing used the unique perspective of writing about the
war by traveling through the states in the 1840s and visiting the
various sites associated with the war. In some cases he was able to
interview actual participants who were there during the historical
events. He adds to his narrative by making drawings of the places he
visits as well as reproducing paintings and depictions of the people and
events of the Revolution."
1776 by David
McCullough
"Both a distinctive art book and a collectible archive, 1776: The Illustrated Edition
combines a treasury of 18th century paintings, sketches, documents, and
maps with storytelling by our nation's preeminent historian to tell the
story of 1776 as never before."
The Founding of the United States Experience 1763 - 1815 by Gerry and Jane Souter
"The Founding of the United
States Experience: 1763-1815" is an excellent teaching tool in the social
studies and history classroom as its interactive and beautifully packaged with
lots of additional material such as reproductions, etc., that makes
this not only a great teaching tool but also an excellent gift for any American
history buff or collector. The book itself is a sturdy, oversized hardcover
that comes enclosed in a handsome cardboard slipcover. The book is 61 pages in
all, and includes an audio CD which features dramatic readings of first-hand
reports of America's first decades based on original manuscripts and other
contemporary sources (pre-war 1763-1770s), Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's Ride,
Lexington and Concord, Battle of Breed's Hill, Declaration of
Independence...Into the Louisiana Purchase, The War of 1812, and The Battle of
New Orleans."
Signing Their Lives Away by Denise Kiernan
"In the summer of 1776, fifty-six men risked their lives and livelihood
to defy King George III and sign the Declaration of Independence--yet
how many of them do we actually remember?
Signing Their Lives Away introduces
readers to the eclectic group of statesmen, soldiers, slaveholders, and
scoundrels who signed this historic document--and the many strange
fates that awaited them. Some prospered and rose to the highest levels
of United States government, while others had their homes and farms
seized by British soldiers.
Signer George Wythe was
poisoned by his nephew; Button Gwinnett was killed in a duel; Robert
Morris went to prison; Thomas Lynch was lost at sea; and of course Sam
Adams achieved fame as a patriot/brewer.
Complete
with portraits of the signers as well as a facsimile of the Declaration
of Independence,Signing Their Lives Away provides an entertaining and
enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages."
Wives of the Signers: The Women Behind the Declaration of Independence by Harry Clinton Green
"Originally penned in 1912, this historical reprint showcases individual
portraits of the fiercely courageous women who endured tremendous
hardship as their husbands fought to build an independent nation. Women
such as Abigail Adams, Dorothy Quincy Hancock, and Julia Stockton Rush
contributed their wisdom, strength, and loyalty to the cause of the
Revolution, shaping history as a result."
Home Life in the Colonial Days by Alice Morse Earl
"Though first published over a hundred years ago, "Home Life in Colonial
Days" is filled with usefulness and vitality. In her wonderfully
readable narrative, Alice Morse Earle provides a fascinating description
of everyday life --- the chores, the tools, the dwelling places, the
foods, the sights and sounds --- that Colonial Americans knew. Tough not
a history of Colonial America, "Home Life in Colonial Days" contains
many interesting tidbits about our country's earliest days. It also
provides an excellent description of everyday life in America, with
special emphasis on New England and Virginia during the 1600-1800's. As
such, "Home Life in Colonial Days" would be useful not just to
historians and antique collectors, but to writers, museum curators, and
anyone who wants to understand Colonial America."
This
list has concentrated more on the Revolutionary War itself rather than
the everyday lives of the people (aside from the last one listed). I
have at least a dozen other books with a wealth of information of what
life was like for the colonists of the 18th century. Please contact me
if you would like information about these books.
And, as promised, here are links to my other posts that pertain to the colonial and Revolutionary War era:
Reenacting Early American History
With Liberty and Justice for All
In the Good Old Colony Days
And How Long Have YOU Been Into History
4th of July 2014 - Celebrating the colonial way
Paul Revere - what really happened on April 18th, 1775
(scroll down to the bottom of the posting for links to Rev War books)
~I would also like to give Mr. Bauman the credit he truly deserves for
allowing these amazing photos to enter 'cyber-space' and allowing me to post them on my blog.
He and I have had a "cyber-conversation" and I would like to present here
his take on using photos on the internet. I do agree and, after making mistakes without giving credit, try to keep
this blog on the up and up as well, and I will continue to try and not let oversights
occur here if at all possible
:
When
a writer from TIME Magazine's on-line "Lightbox" feature called me
for permission to publish reproductions of my original photos of Revolutionary
War veterans, I had some serious thinking to do. The images cost me thousands
of dollars and a great deal of diligent searching and researching over 30
years, plus, of course, my efforts in writing. As I had published them in the
form of e-books, the images apparently were not usable to copy and spread
throughout the Internet. But if I agreed with TIME's request, I would be
releasing the photos forever into the public domain.
The reason is that no photograph made more than about a hundred years ago can
be copyrighted. All that the owner of an original image can do is to protect it
from unauthorized reproduction by licensing the right to use a particular scan
or image. When used, it would be printed on paper and the array of offset dots
would render it useless for re-photographing. The owner could charge whatever
the market would allow for reproduction rights.
However, if I allowed digital, high-quality images to be reproduced on the
Internet, anyone could pick them up and reuse them without running afoul of
copyright law.
After reflection, I decided to go ahead and release the scans. I did this
partly because, with the publication of the article and credit to my books (which
was part of the deal), I could sell some more of my digital volumes. But
another reason was that I realized I have no claim on the work of the
daguerreotypists and photographers, but only on their product. The images they
took can't be copyrighted for a good reason. They are part of America's story
and should be accessible.
So I don't object to their continuing spread across the Internet. I only hope
that with my freely releasing these images, I could be given credit and the
public would have links to allow them to purchase these books, if they wish.
Sincerely, Joe Bauman
If you are interested in obtaining any of Mr. Bauman's books on Kindle or Nook, please click the links presented here:
and
The Last Men of the Revolution [NOOK Book]
And, just so you know, many of the vets you've just seen are also in a book called
The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation
by Maureen Taylor, who took Rev. Elias Hillard's original idea from
1864 a step further and included not only the veterans, but "loyalists,
Native Americans, African Americans, children who witnessed
battles and aided soldiers, and women who nursed the wounded and even
took up arms themselves."
As Hillard said back in 1864:
"
Our own are the last eyes that will look on men who looked on
Washington; our ears the last that will hear the living voices of those
who heard his words."
Imagine! These men were contemporaries of not only George
Washington, but John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James
Madison, Paul Revere, Thomas Paine, George Wythe, Alexander
Hamilton...all of the Founding Fathers! They were around to hear, as
current news, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution.
.
