But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no ...
Not gonna let 'em catch
the midnight rider~
"A major event happened that night in a way that was profoundly different from the popular image of solitary hero-figures..." David Hackett Fischer
Just who were these "dozens of other riders," and how did the plan to get the word out to the people in this pre-mass communication age work?
Never fear, for there was Paul Revere, and his role on how it all played out on that April night almost 250 years ago shows he is worthy of the praise he has since received, as you shall see.
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| A midnight rider... |
And so, now it's time to get a few more names of riders who helped the Patriots to win what is widely considered to be the first real battle of the American Revolution.
<O>
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Paul Revere's Ride
(Painting by N. C. Wyeth)
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But there's more to this story than the signals beaming a soft glow from Christ Church towers, and it's in today's posting that I hope to show the other ways how these numerous informers were notified so they could also make their warning ride. I also hope to maybe identify at least a few of them, if not in name then in an acknowledgement of their brave deed, for each contributed to the eventual independence of our nation. In fact, as I was researching and writing this out, the more amazed I became, for this was quite a feat of magnificent proportion, and truly a substantial 18th century system of communication!
As is written in the book, "Paul Revere's Ride" by David Hackett Fischer:
"Many other riders helped Paul Revere to carry the alarm. Their participation did not in any way diminish (Revere's) role, but actually enlarged it. The more we learn about these messengers, the more interesting (his) part becomes---not merely as a solitary courier, but as an organizer and promoter of a common effort in the cause of freedom."
The riders were spread out far and wide, and this was due to a sort of tag-team, as you shall see, for "(t)he astonishing speed of this communication did not occur by accident. It was the result of careful preparation, and something else as well. Paul Revere and the other messengers did not spread the alarm merely by knocking on individual's doors. They also awakened the institutions of New England. The midnight riders went systematically about the task of engaging town leaders and military commanders of their region. They enlisted its churches and ministers, its physicians and lawyers, its family networks and voluntary associations."
The riders were spread out far and wide, and this was due to a sort of tag-team, as you shall see, for "(t)he astonishing speed of this communication did not occur by accident. It was the result of careful preparation, and something else as well. Paul Revere and the other messengers did not spread the alarm merely by knocking on individual's doors. They also awakened the institutions of New England. The midnight riders went systematically about the task of engaging town leaders and military commanders of their region. They enlisted its churches and ministers, its physicians and lawyers, its family networks and voluntary associations."
Paul Revere himself said that he had "alarmed almost every house, till I got to Lexington."
Author Fischer explains, "From some of those houses men rode north and northwest to the precincts above Cambridge and Menotomy. All along his route, town leaders and militia commanders were systematically engaged---a fact of vital importance for the events that followed.
"Along Paul Revere's northern route, the town leaders and company captains instantly triggered the alarm system. Church bells began to roll and the heavy beat of drums could be heard for many miles in the night air. Some towns responded to these warnings before a courier reached them.
While the alarm was spreading rapidly to the north, Paul Revere and his fellow Whigs started yet another courier in a different direction---east of Medford to the town of Malden. From Malden, the alarm was carried east to Chelsea on the Atlantic coast.
(And) "from Medford, Revere's friends started yet another express rider galloping to the northeast. He was Dr. Martin Herrick, a young Harvard graduate and a "high-toned son of liberty." In fact, several of the riders that night were Whig doctors, for it was common practice at that time for doctors to make house calls, frequently at night, so they knew the trails well. Within a few hours, Dr. Merrick awakened a large area on the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay, and he also set other riders in motion, including one from the town of Lynn and another from Reading. A third from North Shore rode to Andover, where a resident wrote in his diary: We had alarum that the Reegelers were gon to Conkord we gathered at the meting hous & then started for Concord."
Author Fischer explains, "From some of those houses men rode north and northwest to the precincts above Cambridge and Menotomy. All along his route, town leaders and militia commanders were systematically engaged---a fact of vital importance for the events that followed.
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| Many of these towns and villages were summoned to join in the fight due to the many riders sent out by the alarm system in place. |
While the alarm was spreading rapidly to the north, Paul Revere and his fellow Whigs started yet another courier in a different direction---east of Medford to the town of Malden. From Malden, the alarm was carried east to Chelsea on the Atlantic coast.
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| Another rider heading northeast |
Now, Samuel Prescott, who was only 24 years old at the time and also a doctor, was a Massachusetts Patriot and happened to be in Lexington, we hear, to visit with his fiancée, Lydia Mulliken. I also had read that Prescott was there to report on Concord's readiness, its status in hiding supplies and munitions from the British, and its success in moving cannon to Groton lest it fall into British hands.
When Prescott left Lexington, it was about an hour past midnight on April 19. On his way back to Concord he met Paul Revere and William Dawes, who had just left Lexington shortly before him and were also on their way to Concord, to warn the town that the Redcoats were on the march.
When the three continued on to Hartwell's Tavern in the lower bounds of Lincoln, they were cut off by four British horsemen who were part of a larger scouting party sent out a number of hours earlier. It was here that Paul Revere was captured but both Samuel Prescott and William Dawes succeeded in making a run for it. Prescott did so with a show of artful horsemanship and knowledge of the forest. (You can read more about William Dawes adventure HERE)
Finally losing his pursuers, Prescott circled about and headed quickly to Concord, carrying Revere's warning to his townsmen. He entered Concord at approximately 1:30 AM and alarmed Colonel Barrett and the Concord militia. Afterwards, he rode on to Acton and then possibly to Stow. While in Concord he triggered his brother, Abel Prescott, who rode to Sudbury. Abel went directly to the home of Thomas Plympton, the leading Whig in Sudbury, and the town's alarm bell began to ring about 3:30 or 4:00 o'clock in the morning. Warning guns were fired to summon militia companies on the west side of the Sudbury River and also in East Sudbury, now Wayland. Within thirty-five minutes the entire town of Sudbury had been awakened.
As Author David Fischer wrote: "From Sudbury, Abel Prescott and other messengers continued south to Framingham and Natick, where the militia began to muster between 5 and 6 o'clock. And then again from there to Dover Farms and Needham by another express, who was not known in those towns but would be long remembered as the "bare-headed alarm rider." He brought the news to Bullard's Tavern (in Needham) where "Ephram Bullard fired three musket shots from the hill behind his house, giving the agreed upon signal to arouse the town." Distant parts of Needham were awakened by the trumpet of African slave, Abel Benson.
From Needham the alarm spread to Newton, and from Dover Farms it raced south into what what is now Norfolk County, circling back toward Boston, whence it all began."
In Acton, Samuel Prescott probably triggered the midnight rider Bancroft. Bancroft alarmed Littleton, Groton, Pepperell, Townshend, and Ashby. Both Abel Prescott and Bancroft triggered other riders in the alarm system, and by the time the British reached Lexington they could hear alarms going off and the galloping of horses. It was clear that the men of Massachusetts were aware of the 'secret' British march.
By this time, countless riders were also dispatched from other towns to spread the warning—all the while bells and cannon were rung or fired to punctuate the danger at hand.
Because of the "midnight" rides of Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott, and many of the other expresses, minutemen and militia everywhere were on the ready, many marching to Concord to effectively engage the British Army at the first major confrontation. Prescott was there to witness the Battle of Concord, then helped to beat the British back to Lexington. In this way he could also ensure Lydia Mulliken and her family were okay and also to help with the wounded. He remained at Lexington as a volunteer surgeon for about two weeks, then seems to have disappeared into the war.
There is evidence that Prescott went on to serve as a surgeon in the Continental Army, a tradition that he joined the crew of a New England privateer, and a report that he was in prison in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he may have died between November 23, 1776 and December 26 (1777?).
Samuel Prescott's ride is re-enacted every Patriots' Day eve (observed) in the Town of Acton. The re-enactment begins in East Acton, continues through Acton Center, and ends at Liberty Tree Farm, where once was the home of a minuteman named Simon Hunt. The distance is approximately five miles.
A few months after the Portsmouth Harbor affair, Cheswell Wentworth, like so many others, also played a major part in the hours before Lexington and Concord.
Like those just read about, Israel Bissell was a patriot post rider in Massachusetts. Bissell helped to bring the news to other American colonists of the British attack on Lexington and Concord. He reportedly rode for four days and six hours, covering the 345 miles from Watertown, Massachusetts to Philadelphia along the Old Post Road, shouting, "To arms, to arms, the war has begun," and carrying a message from General Joseph Palmer, which was copied at each of his stops and redistributed.
After completing his ride, Bissell returned to Connecticut, where he joined the army alongside his brother, Justis. After the war, he moved to Middlefield, Massachusetts, where he married Lucy Hancock and became a sheep farmer. In the 1790 and 1800 United States Census he is listed in Middlefield, and in the 1820 Census he is listed in Hinsdale.
Bissell died on October 24, 1823 and was buried in the Maple Street Cemetery in Hinsdale, Massachusetts.
I suppose now would be a good time to inform you that you should really consider purchasing David Hackett Fischer's 'Paul Revere's Ride' book to get a greater telling on how the word of the Regulars marching into Lexington and Concord was spread rather than just what I have here. But I would like to conclude with what Fischer wrote toward the end of that chapter:
"To study in detail the spread of the alarm, and to observe the towns from which the militia marched to Lexington and Concord, is to understand another layer of significance in Paul Revere's ride. In the flow of information one may discover the importance of the preparations he had made, the impact of his decisions along the way, and the role of his associations with other Whig leaders. Many of the links in that chain (Revere) forged in advance. Others were improvised by (he) and his friends who prudently prepared for the worst case.
A major event happened that night in a way that was profoundly different from the popular image of solitary hero-figures, and also from the naive determinism of academic scholarship in (our modern times)."
~The lyrics I've printed below the video~
When Prescott left Lexington, it was about an hour past midnight on April 19. On his way back to Concord he met Paul Revere and William Dawes, who had just left Lexington shortly before him and were also on their way to Concord, to warn the town that the Redcoats were on the march.
When the three continued on to Hartwell's Tavern in the lower bounds of Lincoln, they were cut off by four British horsemen who were part of a larger scouting party sent out a number of hours earlier. It was here that Paul Revere was captured but both Samuel Prescott and William Dawes succeeded in making a run for it. Prescott did so with a show of artful horsemanship and knowledge of the forest. (You can read more about William Dawes adventure HERE)
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| The home of Thomas Plympton, the leading Whig in Sudbury |
As Author David Fischer wrote: "From Sudbury, Abel Prescott and other messengers continued south to Framingham and Natick, where the militia began to muster between 5 and 6 o'clock. And then again from there to Dover Farms and Needham by another express, who was not known in those towns but would be long remembered as the "bare-headed alarm rider." He brought the news to Bullard's Tavern (in Needham) where "Ephram Bullard fired three musket shots from the hill behind his house, giving the agreed upon signal to arouse the town." Distant parts of Needham were awakened by the trumpet of African slave, Abel Benson.
From Needham the alarm spread to Newton, and from Dover Farms it raced south into what what is now Norfolk County, circling back toward Boston, whence it all began."
In Acton, Samuel Prescott probably triggered the midnight rider Bancroft. Bancroft alarmed Littleton, Groton, Pepperell, Townshend, and Ashby. Both Abel Prescott and Bancroft triggered other riders in the alarm system, and by the time the British reached Lexington they could hear alarms going off and the galloping of horses. It was clear that the men of Massachusetts were aware of the 'secret' British march.
By this time, countless riders were also dispatched from other towns to spread the warning—all the while bells and cannon were rung or fired to punctuate the danger at hand.
Because of the "midnight" rides of Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott, and many of the other expresses, minutemen and militia everywhere were on the ready, many marching to Concord to effectively engage the British Army at the first major confrontation. Prescott was there to witness the Battle of Concord, then helped to beat the British back to Lexington. In this way he could also ensure Lydia Mulliken and her family were okay and also to help with the wounded. He remained at Lexington as a volunteer surgeon for about two weeks, then seems to have disappeared into the war.
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| Caring for the wounded... |
Samuel Prescott's ride is re-enacted every Patriots' Day eve (observed) in the Town of Acton. The re-enactment begins in East Acton, continues through Acton Center, and ends at Liberty Tree Farm, where once was the home of a minuteman named Simon Hunt. The distance is approximately five miles.
There is another very important rider who has become one of the great American forgotten patriots that we shall acknowledge today: Wentworth Cheswell of Newmarket, New Hampshire.
Cheswell was born on April 11, 1746, to a biracial father and white mother. In Newmarket he was the town messenger for the Committee of Safety, organized by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty, which meant he was to carry news to and from Exeter, New Hampshire. On Dec. 13, 1774, he rode with Paul Revere to warn Portsmouth citizens of the approach of two British warships. The British intended to retake gunpowder and weapons stolen by the colonists from Fort William and Mary.
An interesting side note here is that John Giddings, one of the most active and trusted supporters of the patriotic cause in the Exeter Legislature, commanded a company of men to march from Exeter to Portsmouth to support, if necessary, the party of General Sullivan and Langdon in the raid upon Fort William and Mary in Portsmouth Harbor in December 1774. Undoubtedly, this was due to the warning ride of Cheswell and Revere. The connection for me is that the original homes of John Giddings and Thomas Plympton (who was mentioned earlier) have now been relocated and restored inside Dearborn, Michigan's historic Greenfield Village, and sit directly across the street from one another!
Cheswell was born on April 11, 1746, to a biracial father and white mother. In Newmarket he was the town messenger for the Committee of Safety, organized by Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty, which meant he was to carry news to and from Exeter, New Hampshire. On Dec. 13, 1774, he rode with Paul Revere to warn Portsmouth citizens of the approach of two British warships. The British intended to retake gunpowder and weapons stolen by the colonists from Fort William and Mary.
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The home of John Giddings
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| Wentworth Cheswell |
I had read that he just happened to be in Boston visiting Revere the night of the famous ride, and when word came out of the Regular's movements, Cheswell eagerly participated and took the northern route to New Hampshire to warn the American patriots that hostilities were about to begin and to secure their gunpowder and be ready. His ride had a similar affect as Revere's and the other riders, and countless minutemen and volunteers mustered and arrived in the Boston area shortly after Lexington and Concord. I've read that up to one third of the Militia fighters who took on the retreating Redcoat Army were men alerted by Wentworth Cheswell. They also assisted with the other volunteers from all the other New England states in surrounding Boston and keeping the British army and navy of over ten-thousand men bottlenecked and trapped in that city.
When the American Revolution broke out in earnest, Wentworth Cheswell enlisted in Col. John Langdon’s Company of Light Horse Volunteers and fought at the Battle of Saratoga. When he finished his military service he returned to Newmarket, where he ran a store next to his schoolhouse. He also did fieldwork and wrote reports on the town’s artifacts. For that he is considered New Hampshire’s first archaeologist.
Cheswell died at age 70 of typhus on March 8, 1817, an American Revolutionary War veteran. He and his descendants were buried on his farm.
Another hero that helped to get the news out:When the American Revolution broke out in earnest, Wentworth Cheswell enlisted in Col. John Langdon’s Company of Light Horse Volunteers and fought at the Battle of Saratoga. When he finished his military service he returned to Newmarket, where he ran a store next to his schoolhouse. He also did fieldwork and wrote reports on the town’s artifacts. For that he is considered New Hampshire’s first archaeologist.
Cheswell died at age 70 of typhus on March 8, 1817, an American Revolutionary War veteran. He and his descendants were buried on his farm.
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Israel Bissell
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After completing his ride, Bissell returned to Connecticut, where he joined the army alongside his brother, Justis. After the war, he moved to Middlefield, Massachusetts, where he married Lucy Hancock and became a sheep farmer. In the 1790 and 1800 United States Census he is listed in Middlefield, and in the 1820 Census he is listed in Hinsdale.
Bissell died on October 24, 1823 and was buried in the Maple Street Cemetery in Hinsdale, Massachusetts.
(*)(*)
I suppose now would be a good time to inform you that you should really consider purchasing David Hackett Fischer's 'Paul Revere's Ride' book to get a greater telling on how the word of the Regulars marching into Lexington and Concord was spread rather than just what I have here. But I would like to conclude with what Fischer wrote toward the end of that chapter:
"To study in detail the spread of the alarm, and to observe the towns from which the militia marched to Lexington and Concord, is to understand another layer of significance in Paul Revere's ride. In the flow of information one may discover the importance of the preparations he had made, the impact of his decisions along the way, and the role of his associations with other Whig leaders. Many of the links in that chain (Revere) forged in advance. Others were improvised by (he) and his friends who prudently prepared for the worst case.
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| Riders were out as the sun rose that morning in April of 1775 |
~ ~ ~
And to end this week's posting, how about some fine bluegrass music by the Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Steve Martin. Not only is the music great, but this is a pretty accurate telling of what occurred that night of April 18, 1775...directly from the horse's mouth. Seriously - - this is the story of Paul Revere's Ride as told from Brown Beauty, the borrowed horse Revere rode that fateful night
(um, if Brown Beauty could talk!).
(um, if Brown Beauty could talk!).
~The lyrics I've printed below the video~
Me and Paul Revere
Late at night in the silver light, in the stables eating hay
In came a man, an artisan, and we both rode away
He whispered in my upturned ear, “it’s time to get an’ go”
“ 'til this job’s done, we breath as one, head for the outbound road”
Me and Paul Revere, oh, me and Paul Revere
I’m the horse he chose of course, me and Paul Revere
He told me that a thousand troops, were out to do their worst
“They want Sam Adams and Hancock, we’ve gotta get there first”
Along the way to Lexington, the Regulars drew guns
They gave chase and we set pace, those boys they were outrun
Me and Paul Revere, oh, me and Paul Revere
On the run to Lexington, me and Paul Revere
We turned North through Cambridge Town, along the mystic road
Nostrils flared and gallop strong, my legs on fire below
We got up to where they slept, woke Adams and Hancock
And they said “who’s that?”, “…that’s Larkin’s horse, she’s steady as a rock”
Brown Beauty is my name, Brown Beauty is my name
Revere and I one and the same, Brown Beauty is my Name
The Grenadiers are on the move, let’s fill the powder horns
How much more has that horse got, Concorde must be warned
Paul Revere gave me the heel, we charged the Concorde road
But we were taken prisoner, by ten men on patrol
Me and Paul Revere, oh, me and Paul Revere
I’m the horse he chose of course, me and Paul Revere
He told them that a hundred men, had spread the good alarm
“You better head away from here, for Lexington is armed”
Revere stood tall and fooled them all, …told ‘em what to do
And they let him go but sadly so, they took me with them too
I never saw Revere again, I know he thinks of me
And wonders where I ended up, the night we set men free
I’m just the horse that no one knows, I’m famous though inside
Standing proudly in a field, I was Revere’s ride
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| From the inside cover of the Esther Forbes Paul Revere biography. |
Until next time, see you in time.
~ Please click the links below for more of my blog posts about the beginnings of the Revolutionary War:
Sarah and Rachel: The Wives of Paul Revere
Paul Revere was married twice and, between his two wives, he fathered 16 children.
What I attempted to do in this post was to find virtually everything available about these two Mrs. Revere's. I think I succeeded - -
With Liberty and Justice For All: The Fight for Independence at the Henry Ford Museum
An amazing collection of original Revolutionary War artifacts on display for all the world to see, telling the story of America's fight for Independence. An original Stamp Act notification. A letter written by Benedict Arnold. George Washington's camp bed, a coffee pot made by Paul Revere, a writing desk that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson...yeah...this is some great stuff here!
Unsung Patriots: The Printing of the Declaration of Independence
There is so much more to this most important American document, from the idea to composing to printing - who is going to print this? - to delivery...oh yeah, there is a lot more history to our Declaration than I ever realized!
Declaring Independence: The Spirits of '76
Something very special happened almost 250 years ago, but is that story being promoted?
Come on a time-travel visit to colonial America during that hot summer of 1776 and learn, first hand, of the accounts on how we were making a new and independent nation.
Travel and Taverns
The long air-conditioned (or heated) car ride. Motels without a pool! Can we stop at McDonalds? I'm hungry!
Ahhhh....modern travelers never had it so good.
I've always had a fascination of travel back in the day, and I decided to find out as much as I could about them.
I wasn't disappointed - - - I dug through my books, went to a historic research library, 'surfed the net' (does anyone say that anymore?), and asked docents who work at historic taverns questions, looking for the tiniest bits of information to help me to understand what it was like to travel and stay at a tavern in the colonial times.
This post is the culmination of all of that research.
Our country's founding relied greatly on the tavern.
Cooking on the Hearth
No stoves or fast food restaurants. Everything made from scratch.
What was it like for our colonial ancestors to prepare, cook, and eat their meals, and what kinds of food were available to them? How did they keep their foodstuffs from spoiling and rotting?
If you have questions such as this, I believe you will enjoy this post.
In the Good Old Colony Days
A concise pictorial to everyday life in America's colonies. And I do mean "pictorial," for there are over 80 photos included, covering nearly every aspect of colonial life.
I try to touch on most major topics of the period with links to read more detailed accounts.
This just may be my very favorite of all my postings. If it isn't, it's in the top 2!
Living By Candle Light: The Light at its Brightest
Could you survive living in the era before electric lights or even before the 19th century style oil lamps?
Do you know how many candles you would need for a year?
Do you know what it was like to make candles right from scratch, or what it was like to visit your local chandler?
That's what this posting is about!
To read greater detail about the Raid on Fort William and Mary, click HERE
My sources for today's post came from - -
Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer
Some of the information about the December 1774 cannon and gun powder raid came from HERE, and information of John Gidding's role came from the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, Michigan
Besides Fischer's book mentioned throughout this posting, some of the information for Samuel Prescott, as well as Israel Bissell, also came from HERE
Information on Wentworth Cheswell came from HERE HERE and HERE
~ Please click the links below for more of my blog posts about the beginnings of the Revolutionary War:
Modern historians like to relegate Paul Revere as more fable than fact, no thanks to Longfellow's poem. But this man deserves his place in our history, and rightfully so, for his ride was as important as nearly any other occurrence of his time.
I have searched multiple sources to find the true story of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, and put it all here.
I think you just might be surprised at what Revere actually did.
William Dawes' Story
Supposedly, this man was relegated to the footnotes of history due to his name being Dawes. But he, too, has a story to tell of his ride as a partner messenger with Paul Revere.
William Dawes' Story
Supposedly, this man was relegated to the footnotes of history due to his name being Dawes. But he, too, has a story to tell of his ride as a partner messenger with Paul Revere.
Diaries, journals, letters, newspapers/broadsides, remembrances...this is what I used to garner these very personal stories from those who were there - actual witnesses, men & women, of the Battle of Lexington & Concord.
Their tales will draw you into their world.
The Extraordinary Story of Sybil Ludington
Some say her story is not true, though history tends to side with our young female patriot. Check out what I wrote in this posting and then decide for yourself if her own daring ride is true or just a fable.
The Extraordinary Story of Sybil Ludington
Some say her story is not true, though history tends to side with our young female patriot. Check out what I wrote in this posting and then decide for yourself if her own daring ride is true or just a fable.
Sarah and Rachel: The Wives of Paul Revere
Paul Revere was married twice and, between his two wives, he fathered 16 children.
What I attempted to do in this post was to find virtually everything available about these two Mrs. Revere's. I think I succeeded - -
With Liberty and Justice For All: The Fight for Independence at the Henry Ford Museum
An amazing collection of original Revolutionary War artifacts on display for all the world to see, telling the story of America's fight for Independence. An original Stamp Act notification. A letter written by Benedict Arnold. George Washington's camp bed, a coffee pot made by Paul Revere, a writing desk that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson...yeah...this is some great stuff here!
Unsung Patriots: The Printing of the Declaration of Independence
There is so much more to this most important American document, from the idea to composing to printing - who is going to print this? - to delivery...oh yeah, there is a lot more history to our Declaration than I ever realized!
Declaring Independence: The Spirits of '76
Something very special happened almost 250 years ago, but is that story being promoted?
Come on a time-travel visit to colonial America during that hot summer of 1776 and learn, first hand, of the accounts on how we were making a new and independent nation.
Travel and Taverns
The long air-conditioned (or heated) car ride. Motels without a pool! Can we stop at McDonalds? I'm hungry!
Ahhhh....modern travelers never had it so good.
I've always had a fascination of travel back in the day, and I decided to find out as much as I could about them.
I wasn't disappointed - - - I dug through my books, went to a historic research library, 'surfed the net' (does anyone say that anymore?), and asked docents who work at historic taverns questions, looking for the tiniest bits of information to help me to understand what it was like to travel and stay at a tavern in the colonial times.
This post is the culmination of all of that research.
Our country's founding relied greatly on the tavern.
Cooking on the Hearth
No stoves or fast food restaurants. Everything made from scratch.
What was it like for our colonial ancestors to prepare, cook, and eat their meals, and what kinds of food were available to them? How did they keep their foodstuffs from spoiling and rotting?
If you have questions such as this, I believe you will enjoy this post.
In the Good Old Colony Days
A concise pictorial to everyday life in America's colonies. And I do mean "pictorial," for there are over 80 photos included, covering nearly every aspect of colonial life.
I try to touch on most major topics of the period with links to read more detailed accounts.
This just may be my very favorite of all my postings. If it isn't, it's in the top 2!
Living By Candle Light: The Light at its Brightest
Could you survive living in the era before electric lights or even before the 19th century style oil lamps?
Do you know how many candles you would need for a year?
Do you know what it was like to make candles right from scratch, or what it was like to visit your local chandler?
That's what this posting is about!
To read greater detail about the Raid on Fort William and Mary, click HERE
My sources for today's post came from - -
Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer
Some of the information about the December 1774 cannon and gun powder raid came from HERE, and information of John Gidding's role came from the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, Michigan
Besides Fischer's book mentioned throughout this posting, some of the information for Samuel Prescott, as well as Israel Bissell, also came from HERE
Information on Wentworth Cheswell came from HERE HERE and HERE
~ ~ ~
I remember a question from Jeopardy years ago in which the name of one of the riders was Conant. I don't remember his first name. This has stuck with me all these years because Conant is a family name.
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