Hessian Colors Captured at Trenton. Where Are They?

 

 Rereading Richardson's Standards and Colors of the American Revolution this morning.  What happened to the Hessian colors captured at Trenton?  They were displayed in the halls of Congress for a short time. On 31 December 1776 William Ellery writes the Governor of Rhode Island a description of the flags which are on display in the room where Congress meets in Baltimore.The six colors captured at Trenton are depicted in good detail in Charles Wilson Peale's painting of Washington victorious after Trenton and Princeton. Other colors captured have survived.  There are four Anspach-Beyreuth colors captured at Yorktown still in existence and in good condition. Two are at West Point, one at the Smithsonian and the fourth one at Yorktown. Davis (Regimental colors in the War of the Revolution) said there were no know (to him) Colors in Germany when he did his research during the 1900's.  The colors of the 7th (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment are at West Point.

   Here is some information about what happened to them. Davis describes the existing colors when he examined them in 1907 in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and photographed the two flags and the remains of a third which had a black field. These were in the Clymer papers. These two colors and the fragments disappeared sometime between when Davis saw them in 1900-1907 and the mid 1970's when they were found to be missing. It is possible, based on a " cryptic" entry on a accession card that they were loaned out and never returned; possibly during the Sesquicentennial of 1926.

   William Buehler wrote Admiral Preble on 18 November 1881 "two flags out of six captured ...At Trenton are in the department on the hill at Harrisburg." This appears to have been the William Penn museum at Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Richardson is quoted as saying staff members " have no knowledge as to the whereabouts of any surviving remnants there. "

   Lastly there are fragments of another Hessian flag captured at Trenton in the First City Troop Museum in Philadelphia. The fragments are about " twenty by seven inches and are black brocade will seamed to a narrow strip of White are are decorated with a small elements of brown and yellow painted designs. "

Richardson, Edward W. Standards and Colors of the American Revolution.

1982.

Davis, Gherardi.  Regimental Colors in the War of The Revolution.

1907.

For a copy of the book online see:

https://archive.org/details/regimentalcolors00davi/page/n12

The great snowball fight at Harvard Yard 1775: or Virginians vs. Yankees

 

  Following the outbreak of fighting on 19 April 1775 the local New England Army of Observation placed Boston under siege.   Among the various regiments taking part was a militia regiment from Essex county, the Essex County militia regiment. Lieutenant Trask, decided that son  Israel, age ten should come along with him to the war. The young boys duties were as he wrote later , “the care of the baggage and the property of the mess. When the officers were called on duty, which was daily the case, either to mount guard, or fatigue duties in fortifying the camp,...my duty alternately was to take the edibles prepared at the mess to the officers on duty, which in some instance [were] miles distant.”  In December the Essex regiment was moved into one of the buildings of Harvard University

. And then some new soldiers arrived from outside New England. Strange and unusual they caught the eye of Trask who watched with great attention;

"A day or two preceding the incident I am about to relate, a rifle corps had come into camp from Virginia, made up of recruits from the backwoods and mountains of that state, in a uniform dress totally different from that of the regiments raised on the seaboard and interior of New England. Their white linen frocks, ruffled and fringed, excited the curiosity of the whole army, particularly to the Marblehead regiment, who were always full of fun and mischief."

 Col. John Glover 's  Marblehead regiment must have been an unusual sight to the men from Virginia.  Made up of sailors the clothing of the regiment was short coats, round hats and sea trousers.   In additionthe men of the regiment were a mixture of white, black and native Indians serving together. "[The Marblehead men] looked with scorn on such an rustic uniform when compared to their own round jackets and fishers’ trousers, [and they] directly confronted from fifty to an hundred of the riflemen who were viewing the college buildings."

To the amusement of young Trask things quickly escalated:

"Their first manifestations were ridicule and derision, which the riflemen bore with more patience than their wont, but resort being made to snow, which then covered the ground, these soft missives were interchanged but a few minutes before both parties closed, and a fierce struggle commenced with biting and gouging on the one part, and knockdown on the other part with as much apparent fury as the most deadly enmity could create. Reinforced by their friends, in less than five minutes more than a thousand combatants were on the field, struggling for the mastery."

"At this juncture General Washington made his appearance, whether by accident or design I never knew. I only saw him and his colored servant  both mounted. With the spring of a deer, he leaped from his saddle, threw the reins of his bridle into the hands of his servant, and rushed into the thickest of the melee, with an iron grip seized two tall, brawny, athletic, savage-looking riflemen by the throat, keeping them at arm’s length, alternately shaking and talking to them."

"In this position the eye of the belligerents caught sight of the general. Its effect on them was instantaneous flight at the top of their speed in all directions from the scene of the conflict. Less than fifteen minutes time had elapsed from the commencement of the row before the general and his two criminals were the only occupants of the field of action."

British Army and Sherman's Army

 

  We picture Sherman's army marching through the south followed by trails of escaped slaves.  By the thousands at some times.  What we don't remember is this was not the first time this happened.  In 1781 when Cornwallis marched through Virginia it was a massive preview of what Sherman would later see.  It has been estimated that upwards of over  12,000 slaves ran away to join Cornwallis army as it marched across Virginia.   Some historians suggest the number may be higher. In addition the stables of Virginia were now used to remount the Crown cavalry.   General Greene had been begging for horses to be sent to his army in South Carolina but Jefferson refused and held back.  These same horses were now used to remount the British Legion, Queens Rangers and a mounted infantry company from the 23rd.  * For one of the very few times in the war in the south the British cavalry were equal. or superior in quality to the Americans cavalry.

  

Ewald:  "Every officer had four to six horses and three to four negroes, as well as one or two negresses for cook and maid.  Every soldier's women was mounted and also had a negro and negresses on horseback for her servants. Each squad had one or two horses and a negroand every non commissioned officer had two horses and a negro."

"Yes indeed, I can testify that every soldier had his negro who carried his provisions and bundles. The multitude always hunted at a gallop and behind the baggage followed over four thousand negresses of both sexes and all ages."

Ewald discovered that in his own detachment his men possessed twenty horses and that "almost every jager has his negroe.". But within 24 hours I had brought everything back on the track again."

Cornwallis' attempted to bring order from chaos and restrict the number of horses and ex slaves employed by his officers and men.  orders were issued.  A Colonel,  Lt. Colonel or Major could have five horses and two blacks as servents. A Captain could have three horses and one servant.  Staff and junior officers could have two horses and one servant.  Surgeons and Sergeant Major had one horse and servants.  Enlisted men were not allowed anything, as usual.  "No women (white camp followers) or negroes to possess a hirsee, nor and negresses to be suffered to rude on a march except such as belong to the public departments."

To designate those escaped slaves who were officially with the army Cornwallis ordered, "The number or name of the corps to be marked on a conspicuous manner on the jacket of each negroe.". " All negroes who are not marked agreeable to the orders repeated at Petersburg will be taken up and sent away from the army."

* according to Lt. Mackenzie the 71st were supposed to be used as mounted infantry but refused to Tarleton losing the 1/71st ar Cowpens.  

sources:

Gregory J. W. Urwin:  When Freedom Wore a Red Coat: How Cornwallis’ 1781 Campaign Threatened the Revolution in Virginia

Army History, No. 68 (Summer 2008), pp. 6-23 (18 pages)

Lord Cornwallis' Insignia for Runaway Enslaved Peoples

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I2z5jDdu_kQ

You may be cool but...

 

You may be cool, but you'll never be as cool as these guys.   Spiffy uniforms, outstanding moustaches and a beautiful women hanging on while playing a miniature Wargame!

             Pretty cool picture I found off the internet.  Looks to be from a old movie.

Fort Devens Game day

 

By a happy coincidence I was back up north in time to attend the annual miniature gaming day at the Fort Devens museum.  Always a fun time this year was one of the best.  A chance to play in a couple games, see friends and tour the museum. There was a outstanding exhibit of original WW1 posters which was well worth seeing.

Also an interesting WW1 trench raid game.  Great terrain boards!

Frank put in a naval game with his soon to be published rules.  HMS Hood and Prince of Wales vs the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.  Historically Hood took a magazine hit and blew up but this game the Royal Navy did much better.   Hood's first hits in Bismarck damaged her engines and next hits damaged her range finders.   After that it was shooting fish in a barrel.   

I really like these as they cut out a lot of the too much details that bog down and make too many ship games a bore.  Easy to pick up with enough detail to make them interesting.  

Peter Lowitt put in a Battle Road game where the British have to run a gauntlet of militia to get back to Boston. The rules were the Gettysburg Soldier set with modifications for the Rev War.  I was curious about them so dropped by to watch the game.  Richard Clayton and his sons were battling it out and it looked like great fun although Richard was getting the short end of the stick.  afterwards Peter graciously put in the game again so I could p!ay.  

The rules are great fun with lots of dice and very fast moving.  I will have to get a set!

All in all a great fun day out!

If World War One War Pub Fight

 

Germany, Austria and Italy are standing together in the middle of a pub when Serbia bumps into Austria and spills Austria's pint. Austria demands Serbia buy it a complete new suit because there are splashes on its trouser leg. Germany expresses its support for Austria's point of view. Britain recommends that everyone calm down a bit.

 Serbia points out that it can't afford a whole suit, but offers to pay for the cleaning of Austria's trousers. Russia and Serbia look at Austria. Austria asks Serbia who it's looking at. Russia suggests that Austria should leave its little brother alone. Austria inquires as to whose army will assist Russia in compelling it to do so. Germany appeals to Britain that France has been looking at it, and that this is sufficiently out of order that Britain should not intervene. Britain replies that France can look at who it wants to, that Britain is looking at Germany too, and what is Germany going to do about it? Germany tells Russia to stop looking at Austria, or Germany will render Russia incapable of such action. Britain and France ask Germany whether it's looking at Belgium. Turkey and Germany go off into a corner and whisper. When they come back, Turkey makes a show of not looking at anyone. 

Germany rolls up its sleeves, looks at France, and punches Belgium. France and Britain punch Germany. Austria punches Russia. Germany punches Britain and France with one hand and Russia with the other. Russia throws a punch at Germany, but misses and nearly falls over. Japan calls over from the other side of the room that it's on Britain's side, but stays there. Italy surprises everyone by punching Austria.  Australia punches Turkey, and gets punched back. There are no hard feelings because Britain made Australia do it. 

France gets thrown through a plate glass window, but gets back up and carries on fighting. Russia gets thrown through another one, gets knocked out, suffers brain damage, and wakes up with a complete personality change. Italy throws a punch at Austria and misses, but Austria falls over anyway. Italy raises both fists in the air and runs round the room chanting. 

America waits till Germany is about to fall over from sustained punching from Britain and France, then walks over and smashes it with a barstool, then pretends it won the fight all by itself. By now all the chairs are broken and the big mirror over the bar is shattered. Britain, France and America agree that Germany threw the first punch, so the whole thing is Germany's fault. While Germany is still unconscious, they go through its pockets, steal its wallet, and buy drinks for all their friends

The Brigade of Guards on American Service 1781

 

   In early 1776 a composite battalion was formed of detachments from each of the three Guards regiments for service in America.  Each company of the three Guards regiments  were to send 15 privates. Officers volunteered for service.  Although a Grenadier company already existed with each regiment none had a light infantry company, so one was  organised.  These various detachments were organised into regiment of eight battalion, one Grenadier and one Light Infantry companies and fielded a little over one thousand men.

   On arrival in New York on12 August 1776 the Guards were trained in Sir William Howe's light infantry discipline.  Due to command and control problems with such a large regiment the Guards were reorganized into two battalions;  the Grenadiers and four battalion companies were assigned to the first battalion while the Light company and the remaining four battalion companies were assigned to the second battalion.  In addition the Guards were now designated a brigade under the command of General Matthew.

In addition to this reorganization, the uniform of the Guards underwent a transformation.  Instead of the London parade ground appearance a more practical campaign look was acquired.  Regimental coats were shortened and the shoulder straps replaced with blue cloth.   To distinguish the two battalions the first were to leave strips of lace on their shoulder straps. The distinctive regimental lace was removed.  Trousers and short gainers issued.  The cocked hat was uncocked, lace removed, brim cut short and recocked on one side only.  The waistbelt was placed in storage and the bayonet standard attached to The cartridge box belt.  Haversacks and a water tub issued. 

 The Grenadier and Light Infantry were issued a curious hat-cap.  This appears to be a visor cap with a bearskin crest.  A possible drawing of this was done by Major John Andre on his map of Brandywine. 

As the was progressed it appears that the regimental lace was placed back on the coats, and bayonets may have regained their separate belts;  at least by the time of the southern campaigns.

   The Guards fought extensively throughout the American war.  In fact few units saw more service throughout the war then the Guards.  In 1776 notably at Long Island and  Fort Washington.  The brigade also participated in the 1777 campaign at the battles of Short Hills and later in the invasion of Pennsylvania and the 1778 retreat through New Jersey.  The last major battle in which the brigade served in the northern theater was Springfield, New Jersey in  1780.

 The following year, the brigade was sent south and served with the Lord Cornwallis field force, most notably at Catawba Ford, Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown in October 1781. They were commanded by the colorful brigadier Charles O'Hara.  Due to losses the Brigade was reduced to two battalions of two battalion companies and one flank company each.  Often the flank companies, especially the Light company were detached.   By the time of Yorktown the Guards were reduced in  numbers to a single battalion.

My miniature Brigade of Guards is made up of figures from the excellent Fife and Drum miniatures.  They are one of the only companies to do a historically correct Guards figure for this time period.  In addition they also do the correct Grenadier and Light figure with the the curious hat-cap.   There is no evidence that the regimental colors were sent to American so this is one of the few units I have without colors.  On the table top the Brigade fields two thirty two figure battalions and two eight figure flank companies.

For more information I highly recommend the following article from The Company of Military Historians which is reprinted in full on line;

https://military-historians.org/company/journal/guards/guards.htm

"Preparing a British Unit for Service in America The Brigade of Foot Guards, 1776"

by William W. Burke and Linnea M. Bass