When I was asked if I could take part in a ceremony paying tribute to who I would consider to be a true revolutionary hero, one who is buried in a grave that is within a half hour of my home (and not out somewhere on the east coast), I knew it would be quite an honor. And then I was asked to come in period clothing to reveal the plaque dedicated to this man - this Thompson Maxwell - how could I say "no"?
Here's the story - - -
.........
Here is an adventure story that almost seems too good to be true.
But, true it is!
We know about this man - this Thompson Maxwell - because the SAR - Sons of the American Revolution (Detroit Metro Chapter) - did their research.
First, a little on the SAR:
"SAR is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and promoting education to our future generations. SAR members volunteer untold hours of service each year in their local communities."
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| Sons of the American Revolution Detroit Metro Chapter: The host group who put all of this together~ Our sons and our grandsons have all recently joined. So proud! |
They do deep research on Patriot Ancestors, and in doing so will allow the Patriot's descendant the opportunity to join this very exclusive club (as well as the Daughters of the American Revolution - DAR - for women).
Both organizations are exclusive - members have to be direct descendants of someone who fought or played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War against the British. Neither organization restricts membership on basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, nation of citizenship, or residency. To establish eligibility you must be able to confirm that you are a direct ancestral line descendant of a Patriot by providing appropriate SAR or DAR acceptable documentation.
My wife has proven to be descended from a Patriot, Captain Hugh Logan, and has joined the Daughters of the American Revolution. Therefore our children and grandchildren are also eligible for the respective organizations of the SAR and DAR. In fact, they are in the process of becoming members.
So research by the SAR for Thompson Maxwell, who is buried here in Michigan not too far from where I live, was done and completed. What they found was quite an amazing man - a man who could have a movie made about him, if movie-makers could remember how to make quality movies again.
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| The program for the ceremony - June 29~ |
I was invited to attend "The Sons of the American Revolution's Dedication Ceremony for the Historical Marker honoring Revolutionary War Patriot Major Thompson Maxwell," which truly was an honor. But not only was I asked to attend, I learned I was to be the one to unveil the plaque dedicated to this Revolutionary War soldier!
Whoa!
Before we get into the ceremony, let's learn of the accomplishments about this amazing man who was being honored:
Thompson Maxwell was an old and revered Revolutionary War veteran, and dictated his memoirs several times while in this elderly state.
He was born in Bedford, Massachusetts in 1742 to an Irish immigrant couple, the youngest of seven children.
At the age of 15 (1757), Thompson ran away from home to fight in the French and Indian War.
Thompson fought under John Stark and Israel Putnam, and for a time he fought Indians with the celebrated Rogers’ Rangers.
(from History.com): Also known as the Seven Years’ War, the French and Indian war marked another chapter in the long imperial struggle between Britain and France. When France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley brought repeated conflict with the claims of the British colonies, a series of battles led to the official British declaration of war in 1756. Boosted by the financing of future Prime Minister William Pitt, the British turned the tide with victories at Louisbourg, Fort Frontenac, and the French-Canadian stronghold of Quebec.
Roger's Rangers’ best-known operations were a series of long-distance raids against enemy positions, particularly against the French at Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga). In the winter of 1757 and 1758, Rogers’s Rangers were twice engaged in fierce firefights with French and Native forces outside the French fort.
At the 1763 peace conference, the British received the territories of Canada from France and Florida from Spain, opening the Mississippi Valley to westward expansion.
As for Maxwell's dictations -
September of 1761: "arrive at Detroit. The last of October 250 of us go to Mackinaw, and make winter quarters, to protect the M. W. Company's good. So, engaged the season in garrison duties until the spring."
Then, in 1763, Thompson went to Detroit to help quell Pontiac’s rebellion. Pontiac's Rebellion was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of Native Americans who were dissatisfied with British rule in the Great Lakes region following the French and Indian War. Warriors from numerous nations joined in an effort to drive British soldiers and settlers out of the region.
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| No, we are not representing Maxwell and his wife - my wife and I are paying respects to Major Maxwell and all of his accomplishments. |
Here are Thompson's own words: "In the summer, Pontiac and 3000 Indians make a dreadful massacre at Mackinaw, by a stratagem of playing ball,---thrown in and out of the garrison,---until they get free and familiar access to the fort; allaying all suspicion and pretending only amusement and good faith; then raising the war-whoop, they make a general rush! 200 British and their families all slaughtered! An awful calamity, and unknown abroad until after the arrival and retreat of Pontiac and his Indian warriors; in August, at Detroit. At this time there was in the Detroit garrison about 800 British and 170 Rangers. Councils were held. A delay of ten days making preparations; an Indian woman favored in the traffic of elk skins and moccasins, betrayed Pontiac's secret designs of another massacre; 36 warriors were admitted to the garrison, under a strong guard, for a talk, and their treachery exposed, by throwing aside their blankets, each one concealing a loaded shot gun. They were urged to peace, and required to depart, forthwith; but Pontiac revengeful, the whooping and fighting continued for two or three days, so fiercely that the pickets were often on fire. Meanwhile a sloop (ship) of war, carrying 16 guns, Captain Palding, with stores...arrives. Slowly moving up river in a calm, the Indians take fright at the vessel's cannon and leave Detroit. In a moment of bravado, Major Gladden and Captain Deil, with 550 volunteer troops pursued, following their boats up to Bloody Bridge, fearless of their warlike appearance, the brandishing of their tomahawks, carbines, etc., but the Indians landing, fight a desperate battle with us, give us no quarter, and our adventurers are repulsed with great slaughter and loss. Of 400 British and 150 Rangers, 170 British and 70 Rangers only return to garrison.
In November, 1763, obtained my dismission and went home."
When Thompson returned to Massachusetts, he married Sybil Wyman, and they moved to Amherst, New Hampshire. Eventually, the couple had five children.
It was at this time that Thompson Maxwell farmed and teamed – that is, hauled goods in a wagon. A trip to Boston in 1773 brought him to the Boston Tea Party.
He gave several accounts of how the tea was thrown overboard:
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| Boston Tea Party~ It's not often we see one of these here in Michigan, so far away from Boston. |
“Seventy-three spirited citizen volunteers, in the costume of Indians, in defiance of royal authority, accomplished the daring exploit, John Hancock was then a merchant, My team was loaded at his store near Faneuil Hall, for Amherst, New Hampshire, and put up, to meet in consultation at his house at 2 P.M. The business was soon planned and executed. The patriots triumphed.”
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| Major Thompson Maxwell's grave and tombstone with the Tea Party marker. |
In another memoir, he claimed he had joined the "Indians" and dumped the tea along with them.
Historian J.L. Bell believes Maxwell was in Boston on December 16, 1773, but thinks he may have only watched the party and picked up some gossip. Maxwell had some inside information that participants likely knew: that shipowner Francis Rotch planned to take his tea back to England, that John Hancock organized the raid and that George Robert Twelve Hewes was one of the leaders. On the other hand, he got some details wrong, claiming the “Indians” dumped the tea at Long Wharf, when it happened at Griffin’s Wharf.
Hmmm...the small circular placard in the above two pictures also denotes that Maxwell participated in the dumping of the tea.
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| From Thompson's grave looking at the attendants there in his honor... |
The various speakers spoke on Maxwell's accomplishments and in the battles he fought in:
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| At 2:00, the ceremony began. |
American Revolution
Then on April 18, 1775, Thompson Maxwell drove his team of horses to Boston and went on to Bedford to stay with his sister and brother-in-law. That’s how he ended up at the Battle of Concord, said to be the only New Hampshire soldier there.
Afterward, it seems he may have went back to Amherst to join his company as a second lieutenant. The company then marched to Boston to fight the Battle of Bunker Hill. Thompson described how he drove stakes to reinforce the hill and stuffed hay between fence rails. During the battle, the British shot his brother Hugh in the right arm, but Thompson got through it unscathed.
Thompson Maxwell remembered Washington arriving to take command of the Continental Army. He fought with John Sullivan at the Battle of Trenton on the day after Christmas, and he marched on to capture Princeton. He saw action at the Battle of Bennington, which defeated General John Burgoyne’s forces. “Grand military display,” he said. “Resigned and went home.”
You’d think he’d had enough of fighting by then, but no, he and his brother Hugh fought to put down Shay’s Rebellion.
Finally he did have enough, and spent 20 years farming in Buckland, Massachusetts. But he still served his country, representing Buckland at the Massachusetts constitutional convention.
Thompson Maxwell moved to Ohio in 1800, and his wife died two years later. He saw action against Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe, when he had reached his late 50s. In 1807, he married a widow, who died six years later, and then he married again.
During the War of 1812, he raised troops and served in the army as a major. But he got no military glory this time. He guided General William Hull to Detroit, but Hull later surrendered the fort to the British. The British captured Maxwell along with the others, but paroled him because of his age — 67.
He received a nasty welcome at home. He later described what happened:
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| ~Daughters of the American Revolution~ Not the hosts but the sister organization to the Sons of the American Revolution. My wife, a DAR member, ended up being sort of the representation for this elite group. Our daughter will also be a member soon. |
“A mob, irritated by Hull’s pusillanimity, misjudging my patriotic efforts, and denouncing all parties concerned in the late disasters at Detroit, rally and gather about my habitation, burn my house, destroy my property, and, barely clothed, I escape for my life through a corn-field by night. . . .”
He ignored his friends’ advice against rejoining the army, and got captured again as well as wounded. Finally he ended his military career as barracks master in Detroit.
As he explains:
"1816, '17, '18, '19, during these years with the troops. In the winter of 1819, the office of barrack master is abolished. Then, as engineer, work upon the roads from Detroit to the river Raisin, 36 miles..."
Perhaps he kept rejoining the army for money. Indigent veterans didn’t receive pensions until 1818. His brother Hugh, for example, was broke, and tried to restore his finances by selling horses to the West Indies. Hugh died on the voyage. But Thompson did receive Captain's pay for his pension of $240, with the rank of major. As he wrote in around 1819, "The natural infirmity of years excepted, at the age of 77, have general good health, a firm step, active habits, temperate and unbroken faculties, ardent patriotism, industrious disposition, an honest mind and a grateful heart; still in the enjoyment of social interests, estimable friendships and the constant duties of devotion. A long and useful life."
January 1833
Major Maxwell is believed to be still living (he had actually died three months earlier) in his pleasant family connections near Detroit, past 90 years of age, honored by his compatriots, esteemed by his associates, beloved by his relatives, and greatly respected by all his fellow citizens; happy in his reflections on a very active and useful life, having a competence for all the wants of his declining years, and very happy in the pleasures of society, the reward of government, and the glory of his country.
And it is also suggested at the end of his memoirs: "...there may possibly be some mistakes of names or dates, which the reader is asked to excuse, if any are found."
At his late stage in life, it is very easy to mistake one name/wharf for another.
Thompson Maxwell died in 1832 at the age of 90 near Detroit.
Only six years after the deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
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| I've never done anything like this before, so, for me, it was a true honor. Just think - I did this for a Revolutionary War soldier! |
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| Two living descendants of Thompson Maxwell - Ronald and Russell Wayland. How honored and proud these two men are of their ancestor - their 4X's great grandfather! |
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| Our own Pastor Gerring also did a small heartfelt prayer for Thompson Maxwell while Charlotte listens and pays homage.. |
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| All who were "dressed" to pay homage. Friends of the DMC SAR (Detroit Metro Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution) - (l to r) Charlotte Bauer, Ken Giorlando (moi!), Patty Giorlando (a DAR member), and Pastor Norman Gerring, joined by Michigan SAR Honor Guard members Harry Rinker and Bill Sharp |
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| The front side... |
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| The flip side... |
The plaque for Major Thompson Maxwell
To pay homage to this man - this American Patriot - in such a manner hit my wife and I in a number of ways:
1) We are honoring an actual Revolutionary War Soldier - Lexington & Concord and Bunker/Breed's Hill!
And the French & Indian War
And the War of 1812
And the Boston Tea Party
2) People often ask why we dress in period clothing. Yes, most of it is selfish (we like to emulate our ancestors from the Founding era), but paying homage to someone like Thompson Maxwell truly is quite the honor
3) Before the SAR got involved, little was known about Major Maxwell outside of a few folks who, I've heard, did a tribute around 35 years ago. Sadly, that's been mostly forgotten.
4) My wife, Patty, being a DAR member, felt this is in her heart as well.
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| I love that the Sons are recognizing America's 250th birthday~ |
A quick skim through the internet, especially if you use the Duck Duck Go search engine rather than Google, will show how much of our history is still little known and needs to be told.
Which is what I'm trying to do here: spread the word.
To celebrate the active life of Thompson Maxwell, especially as we near our Nation's 250th, really, to me, gets the ball rolling. I mean, this guy pretty much saw it all...the roots of United States becoming a country. And to add to his exploits, we have the City of Detroit - actually known mostly as Fort Detroit (torn down in 1827) during Maxwell's time - and its small but significant role in early American history, we can see there is some amazing local history to be had.
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| Michigan SAR Color Guard members, Harry Rinker (Western Michigan Chapter) and Bill Sharp (Huron Valley Chapter) as they move past historic American flags. |
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| Michigan SAR Color Guard members performing the Sword Salute |
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| Paying 18th century homage to an 18th century hero~ |
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| American Legion Post 32 Honor Guard firing a 21-gun salute at the Major Thompson Maxwell Plaque Dedication |
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| We paid our respects at the grave of Major Thompson Maxwell |
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The Detroit Metro Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and a few "Friends" of the SAR: (l to r) Ken Giorlando (Friend), Patty Giorlando (Daughter of the American Revolution), Geoffrey Hickok, Joe Williams, Ted Wade, Chris White, Larry Carr, Greg Winters, Mike Jones, Charlotte Bauer (Friend), and Norman Gerring (Friend) at the grave of Major Thompson Maxwell. |
I hope the following gives you more of a feeling and idea of what this area - Detroit - was like during the time Thompson Maxwell spent here:
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| A contemporary sketch made of Detroit in 1794 |
New York (New Amsterdam), NY 1625
Boston, MA 1630
Charleston, SC 1670
Philadelphia, PA 1682
*Detroit, Mi 1701
Trenton, NJ 1719
Concord, NH 1725
Baltimore, Md 1729
Richmond, VA 1733
The above list shows the years these well-known colonial American cities were founded. And right smack dab in the middle is Detroit.
Wait! Detroit? A colonial city?
Yup. Ha! It's even older than Baltimore, and only 19 years younger than Philadelphia!
Taverns were an integral part of 18th century life, and those built in Detroit first appeared right around 1760.
Typically, a large house known by sign and reputation was opened to the public by its owner, who, as mentioned, offered food, drink, and lodging for a fee. The owner's family usually lived on the premises and worked the business. The fact that taverns do not appear in the records until nearer the end of the 18th century should not lead to the assumption that Detroit did not have these 'publick houses' earlier on. Detroit founder Antoine Cadillac summoned a brewer from Montreal soon after his arrival in 1701, and wines were an important part of every cargo arriving on the frontier.
But it was William Forsyth's tavern, which opened in 1771, that was the first on record. By 1796 there were at least five other taverns in Detroit. It was located approximately at the southwest corner of today's Jefferson Avenue and Washington Boulevard.
Through the following few photos, we used the Anderson-Navarre Trading Post in Monroe as our version of an 18th century Detroit tavern - the originals of which have been gone so long that there are not even images of any sort that I've been able to locate.
So we use what could be a good replication of what any of the 18th or early 19th century taverns may have appeared to look like.
An original 18th century trading post.
At least the period is correct:
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There it is: one of the oldest structures still standing in Michigan. The Navarre-Anderson Trading Post in Monroe, from 1789. There are only three older buildings, and they are all on Mackinac Island. Actual 18th century structures from our state are pretty darn rare, as you may well know, only four still standing, and little did I realize that there was one only an hour from my house! |
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Ken, on the left there, was interested in the pelt, for with autumn and winter quickly approaching, his concern was to keep warm. He also wanted to purchase a Long Land Pattern Musket ("Brown Bess") that had been previously traded in, and the two of us bartered a bit, and he got me down from my original price of 3 pounds to 2 pounds 10 shillings for the musket alone. Now, about the fur... Tony was being more practical and showed an interest in the candles. |
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| As you can see, we enjoyed ourselves quite a bit here at the Navarre-Anderson Trading Post complex creating such a scenario. It was a first time for a few of us to be there and, being surrounded by a historic atmosphere, proved to be a high note. |
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| We set up a little scenario - a vignette - to show 18th century tavern life. "Sirs, we do have vegetables and early ripening apples in which to fill the bowls."~ |
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| "Might any of you gentlemen be Thompson Maxwell?" I believe we did a fair job in our replication. |
The oldest structure that is still standing in the city of Detroit proper is the Charles Trowbridge House from 1826 - the oldest documented building in the Motor City.
From The Detroit Historical Society:
The Charles C. Trowbridge House is considered the oldest known building in the City of Detroit. Located at 1380 E. Jefferson Avenue, the house was built in 1826 at a cost of $2,500. The land was originally part of a French land grant to Charles Chauvin.
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Nestled among the buildings of modern downtown Detroit we find the following... |
Ownership of the land changed hands several times until 1825 when Trowbridge purchased lot four of what was then known as the Mullett Farm. He built the house for himself and his new bride, Catherine Whipple Sibley, the eldest daughter of Solomon Sibley, the first appointed mayor of Detroit. They moved into the house early in 1827.
The house was originally built in a Greek Revival Federal style and was later updated with Victorian elements such as the bay window in the front. Trowbridge lived in the house for 56 years until his death in 1883. After his death, the house remained in the Trowbridge family, and, in 1936, during the Great Depression, it was converted to a rooming house.
The Trowbridge family sold the house to Marie Cavanaugh in 1942, and it was then converted back to a single-family residence. The house was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
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Built the same year John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died, today, the house is privately owned and serves as office space for several businesses. Yes, I visited this building personally and took the pictures here. |
The story of Thompson Maxwell is quite a journey to the past. Kind of like Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," only, instead of Paris and London, we have Boston and Detroit.
One never knows the hidden history about them. I mean, who would've thought there was such a man as Thompson Maxwell, who was a part of so much early American history?
Then, in 1820 at the age of 78, Thompson Maxwell rode his horse more than 1,600 miles from Detroit to New England and back. He did it to revisit some of the most important sites of the American Revolution.
After all, he’d fought at most of them.
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| We are at the beginning of the Semiquincentennial - hopefully the celebrations will escalate~ |
I hope you enjoyed this history lesson denoting one man's part in helping to form this great nation of ours.
Until next time, see you in time.
To see original Revolutionary War artifacts, please click HERE
To read about the Boston Tea Party, please click HERETo read about the Battles of Lexington & Concord as told by those who were there, please click HERE
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