Five Things You Might Not Know About the U.S. Flag-- Part 3: One of the First U.S. Flags Had the Union Jack of Britain in It

Raised during the American Revolution, the first American flag featured, strangely enough, the Union Jack of Great Britain.

The Continental Colors consisted of 13 horizontal stripes of red and white, to which a canton (the square in the upper left corner in case you're wondering) depicting the British flag.

During the Siege of Boston, General George Washington raised this flag on January 1, 1776.

Its design is a reminder that the Revolution's original goal was not independence from Britain but the restoration of the colonists' liberties under British law.

On June 14, 1777, almost a year after the Declaration of Independence, Congress replaced the British flag with 13 white stars on a blue field, representing the United States as "a new constellation" in the heavens, alongside older nations and empires.

--DaCoot

Preservation at the Battle of Princeton

From the January 2023 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

PRINCETON BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK

The Battle of Princeton concluded the ten-day campaign that began with George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River in Christmas Day 1776.

His counterattack at Princeton -- a ferocious charge across Maxwell's Field -- secured his first victory over British regulars in the field.

The Trust has saved 24 acres at Princeton, including 15 acres at Washington's charge site.  With a grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program and support from local and state partners, the Trust is ready to reinvigorate Princeton's on-site interpretation.

--Cooter 

This Month in the American Revolution

From the American Battlefield Trust June 2022 calendar.

JUNE 2, 1774

**  The Quartering Act is amended.

JUNE 9, 1772

**  A British ship, the Gaspee, was patrolling against smugglers ran aground near Rhode Island and a local mob burns it.  The mob is then accused of treason.

JUNE 14, 1777

**  Flag Resolution.  Congress declared "That the flag of the thirteen  United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field."  (And the reason you should display the flag this date.)

JUNE 15, 1775

**  George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

JUNE 17, 1775

**  The Battle of Bunker Hill, Massachusetts.

JUNE 28, 1776

**  The Battle of Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.

--CootFlag

Charles Willson Peale-- Part 2: A Prolific Painter

His estate is now part of the campus of LaSalle University in Philadelphia.  It can still be visited.

Peale also raised troops for the American Revolution and eventually became a captain in the Pennsylvania militia in 1776 and participated in several battles.  While in the field, he continued to paint. doing  miniatures of American officers.  After the war, he made many into larger paintings.

From 1779 to 1780 he was in the Pennsylvania state assembly, after which he returned to painting full time.

Peale was quite prolific as an artist and did portraits of scores  of historic  figures such as Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton to name a few.

He is probably best known for his portraits of George Washington.  The first time Washington sat for his portrait with Peale was 1772 and they had six other sittings.  Using these  seven as models, Peale produced altogether close to sixty portraits of Washington.  In January 2005, a full-length portrait of Washington at Princeton from 1779 sold for $21.3 million, setting a  record for the highest price ever paid for an American portrait.

--Cooter

Charles Willson Peale-- Part 1: The Painter of the Revolution

Yes, his middle name is actually spelled Willson with two "Ls".

From Wikipedia.

Since I was writing about the portrait this man painted of George Washington at the Battle of Princeton, I figured I's find out some more about him.  I don't remember ever knowing anything about him.  Now, I do.

(April 15, 1741- February 22, 1827)

American painter, soldier,  scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist.  A real Renaissance Man.  He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution and establishing one of the first museums in the United States.

After forays into saddle making, clocks and metal working, he found his niche in painting.  After joining the Sons of Liberty, he became enamored with the new country that was being established on Philadelphia and moved there where he painted many of the famous people leading the effort, including, of course, George Washington.

--Cooter

Ten Facts About Battle of Princeton-- Part 9

In the original painting, which is now a part of the Pennsylvania  Academy of Fine Arts collection, Washington leans on the barrel of a captured cannon while   Hessian and British flags  lie at his feet.

Washington is in his blue and buff uniform with commander's sash looks confidently at the viewer while in the background you can see Nassau  Hall, the final scene of the battle.

From Wikipedia.

Charles Willson Peale made eight copies of the painting.  It was completed in early 1779 when Washington sat for Peale in Philadelphia.

In January 2005, the painting sold for $21.3 million, setting a record for highest price paid for an American  portrait.

--Brock-Perry

Ten Facts About Battle of Princeton-- Part 8: The George Washington at Princeton Painting

10.  THE GEORGE WASHINGTON AT PRINCETON  PAINTING WAS WILDLY POPULAR AFTER ITS DEBUT

The news of George Washington's victory at Princeton electrified the country and doing his painting became the desire of leading artists of the day.

George Willson Peale, Washington's most frequent portraitist and a Continental Army veteran who was at Princeton, finished his George Washington at Princeton painting in early 1779.  The painting had been commissioned by the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania for its council chambers at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

After its debut, there was a great clamor for replicas.  It is estimated that Peale created 18 or more different replicas of the painting for clients such as the Spanish Court, the island of Cuba and King Louis XVI.  Today, replicas can be found at  Princeton University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Colonial Williamsburg,  the Museum of Virginia Fine Arts, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the U.S. Senate.

Each of these  copies employs different-sized  canvases, updated uniforms, varied backgrounds and other modifications.

--CootPeale

Ten Facts About Battle of Princeton-- Part 7: Victory Saved Patriot Cause

9.  THE VICTORY AT PRINCETON RESCUED THE PATRIOT CAUSE FROM ONE OF ITS DARKEST HOURS

The disastrous defeats in the 1776 New York Campaign and retreat across the Delaware River had left prospects for American independence in tatters.  Rather than retreat into winter quarters as everyone was expecting, Washington chose to attack.

His victories at Trenton, the Assunpink Creek and Princeton completely reversed the fortunes of the Continental Army and the prospects of the young United States.

Many look at the battles of Trenton and Princeton as small affairs, but these battles, combined with the tough winter campaigning sliced Lord Howe's once mighty army in half.  Howe's further requests for reinforcements left many in London aghast.

Washington's bold maneuvers and gambles as well as effective leadership had delivered the very sort of public  confidence that Washington was keen to produce.  Not only were the British and Loyalists discouraged, but his own soldiers found newfound  confidence that they could beat the very best that the British could put onto the field.'

--Cooter

Ten Facts About Battle of Princeton-- Part 6: The Final Actions Took Part on the Campus of Princeton

8.  THE FINAL ACTIONS TOOK PART ON THE CAMPUS OF PRINCETON

After the Americans were victorious at the Clarke Farm segment of the battle, fighting shifted toward the town of Princeton itself.  Roughly 200 British Regulars had fortified Nassau Hall at the center of Princeton University today.  They intended to hold the Americans off from there until a relief party arrived.

The Americans positioned cannons around the building and opened fire.  Legend has it that one American cannonball decapitated a portrait of King George II hanging inside.

Nassau Hall still stands on Princeton's campus and damage from the Americans can still be seen on the outside of it.  As for that :damaged" portrait of King George II?  The original was destroyed, but a different  painting of the king now hangs opposite  Peale's portrait of George Washington at the Battle of Princeton.

--Cooter

Ten Facts About the Battle of Princeton-- Part 5: Marines Fought Alongside Washington

Maybe I'll finish these ten facts sometime in the future.  Continued from February 17.

7.  MARINES FOUGHT ALONGSIDE  WASHINGTON AT THE BATTLE OF PRINCETON

Washington sent out a desperate plea for reinforcement.  One of the first groups to  respond to this request were  roughly  600 Marines from the Philadelphia area.  This force had been recruited to serve aboard Continental warships now anchored in Philadelphia and were generally considered to be excellent fighters.

Their officers had had duty against British ships and they had been occupied in daily drill and frequent skirmishes with the British forces operating in  the area.

Three companies of Marines accompanied Washington on his nighttime march to Princeton.  Moving with Cadwalader's Brigade into the fight, a few Marines under the command of  Major Samuel Nicholas, engaged Manhood's British troops  on the Clarke Farm.

(Major Samuel Nicholas was the first Marine Corps officer and, by tradition, considered the first commandant of the corps.)

During the fierce fighting, several Marines were killed, including Captain William Shippin.

These casualties were  some of the first to be  suffered by the Marine Corps on any battlefield.

--Cooter

11 Little-Known Facts About George Washington-- Part 2

6.  When he stepped down as commander of the Army, he didn't want to run his country.

7.   He had no biological children, but his wife, Martha Custis was a wealthy widow who had two children and he became legal guardian of them:  John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis.

8.  Washington was really into his animals.  He was America's first mule breeder.  There were many dog breeds at Mt. Vernon.

9.  He was pretty cagey when it came to his religious beliefs.

10.  Washington had a complicated relationship with slavery.

11.  He was a tough man to kill.  He had had many diseases and two horses shot out from him in battle as well as clothing with bullet holes.  Ironically it was a cold that did him in.

And, Again, Thanks for Our Country.  --DaCoot

11 Little-Known Facts About George Washington-- Part 1

From History.

This being what would have been his 290th birthday.

1.  He had only a grade school education.

2.  At age 22 , Washington led a disastrous military skirmish that sparked a world war.

As an officer in the Virginia militia, he led an attack on a French Army group that eventually led to the French and Indian War and the world-wide Seven Years' War.

3.  Washington's first love was  was the wife of one of his best friends.

4.  About those teeth.  No, they weren't wooden.

5.  He  wasn't always a great general, but he was an excellent spymaster.

If you want to know more about these, go to the site.

Happy Birthday and Thank You Mr. Washington.  We Would Not Have This Country Without You.  --Cooter

46 Fascinating Facts About Our 46 Presidents-- Part 1: Washington to Monroe

I'm going to take a break from the Battle of Princeton (and hopefully get back to it in a more timely amount of time than last time) to go through this list from the History Site about our presidents in honor of Presidents Day coming up this Monday.

1.  GEORGE WASHINGTON (1789-1797)  

The first U.S. president and hero of the American Revolution was an enthusiastic dog breeder, particularly of hunting hounds,  to which he gave names like "Sweet Lips" and "Drunkard."

2.  JOHN ADAMS  (1797-1801)

Adams and his wife Abigail exchanged more than 1,100 letters over the course of their lengthy relationship.

3.  THOMAS JEFFERSON (1801-1809)

Jefferson, the principal author of the declaration of Independence, died on July 4, 1826, within hours of  his "frenemy" John Adams.

4.  JAMES MADISON (1809-1817)

Madison was the shortest president at 5'4" and weighed barely 100 pounds.

5.  JAMES MONROE--  (1817-1825)

Other than Washington, Monroe was the only president to ever run essentially unopposed, coasting to re-election in the 1820 race.

--CootPres

Ten Facts About Battle of Princeton-- Part 4: Washington's Presence Turns the Tide

6.  AT ONE POINT, GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS JUST 30 YARDS FROM THE BRITISH LINE

Moving to reinforce Mercer's broken line, Cadwalader's  brigade, about 1,500 men, moved towards the British.  Despite their numerical superiority, the inexperienced Americans began to fall back under heavy British fire. 

As Cadwalader reformed his men, Washington came riding up astride a magnificent white horse.  As musket balls flew around him, Washington coolly assured his soldiers, "Parade with us brave fellows!    There is but a handful of  the enemy and we shall have them directly!"

Washington then proceeded to lead the militiamen forward and at one point was just 30 yards from the British line, easy musket range.

John Fitzgerald, one of Washington's officers, reportedly pulled his hat over his eyes, expecting to see the general shot from the saddle at any moment.  But, despite his proximity to danger, Washington remained unscathed and his galvanizing presence stabilized the American line at a  critical moment of the battle.

Soon, Washington along with fresh reinforcements was chasing  the remnants of Mawhood's command through the fields and woods.

(See picture at right of the Battle of Princeton.)

--Cooter

Ten Facts About Battle of Princeton-- Part 3: Mawhood;s Spaniels and George Washington Killed?

4.  BRITISH LT.COL. CHARLES MAWHOOD RODE INTO BATTLE WITH SPRINGER SPANIELS AT HIS SIDE.

Mercer's Americans soon saw the British advance from two British regiments, the 17th and 55th Foot.  Mawhood himself could be seen  atop his "brown pony" and with a pair of his favorite spaniels bounding at his side.

To say the least, Mawhood delighted in acting nonchalant at all times, but even so, he was a highly capable officer and really proved his mettle at the Battle of Princeton.

5. MANY BRITISH SOLDIERS THOUGHT THEY HAD KILLED GEORGE WASHINGTON DURING THE BATTLE

During the early stages of the battle, a British bayonet charge broke Hugh Mercer's line.  He tried to rally his troops, but got surrounded by enemy soldiers who shouted "Surrender you damn rebel!"  Mercer, a veteran of European wars and a fierce patriot refused to do so.  

After a brief  struggle, Mercer was bayonetted repeatedly and left for dead.  Given that he  was well-attired (as opposed to the rags of the regular American soldiers, a high-ranking officer and refused to surrender, many British soldiers thought he was George Washington.

--Cooter

Ten Facts About the Battle of Princeton-- Part 2: The Two Forces Almost Didn't Meet

From George Washington's Mt. Vernon site.

Continued from December 22, 2021.  I seem to have forgotten this thread, but will finish it now.

3.  THE OPPOSING FORCES ALMOST MISSED EACH OTHER

Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood, the British commander at Princeton, had been ordered by  Cornwallis to bring reinforcements to Trenton.  He left a small garrison at Princeton and began his march to Trenton down the Post Road just before dawn.

Washington's army was marching northward on a parallel, but lesser-known road that crossed Thomas  Clark's farm .  The road was  largely out of view of the Post Road.

Washington had sent a small force under Hugh Mercer to seize and destroy the Stony Brook bridge on the Post Road.  This detachment was seen by British scouts and Mawhood, now aware of a threat to Princeton wheeled about and approached Mercer's force at the Clark Farm.

Had this chance meeting not occurred, Mawhood would have been well on his way to Trenton and Washington would have found a very small enemy at Princeton which he could have easily overwhelmed.

--Cooter

Battle of Princeton-- Part 2: From Defeat, Washington Gets a Victory

When the Americans spotted the British troops around William Clarke's farm, Washington detached Hugh Mercer's brigade to investigate.  Mercer ran headlong into the 17th Foot Regiment, firmly stationed behind a fence at the end of Clarke's orchard.  In the ensuing volleys,  Mercer was wounded and his men routed by a bayonet charge.

With the British on the verge of splitting his army, Washington quickly detached  John Cadwalader's  Philadelphia Associatiors (militia) to plug the gap.  These green troops fought valiantly, but were also broken by British bayonets.

With the battle, and the war, hanging in the balance, Washington personally led fresh troops onto the field while grapeshot and canister battery from Joseph  Moulder's artillery forced the British back towards Clarke's farmhouse.  Washington's counterattack broke the British line, which quickly turned into a route.

Further nearer the town, two smaller engagements at Frog Hollow and on the grounds of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), also resulted in a British retreat.

Washington had won a great victory, defeating a smaller force of British regulars, but British Colonel Mawhood was also praised for delaying the Americans long enough to rescue most of his supplies.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Princeton-- Part 1

From American Battlefield Trust.

I was  aware of the Battle of Trenton, one great surprise attack, but really didn't know what happened afterwards.  Now, I know.

After crossing the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, and surprising the British at Trenton the next morning, George Washington embarked on a ten-day campaign  that would change the course of the war.  Culminating in the Battle of Princeton on on January 3, 1777, Washington snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and proved his amateur army could defeat the British.

The Battle of Princeton was a classic meeting engagement, with both sides stumbling into each other, and neither expecting to fight on the ground where the battle raged.  Initially, the British commander, Charles Mawhood, marched his force south towards Trenton to meet the main British Army, when he spotted the American column.

Washington had stolen a march on Charles Lord Cornwallis, slipping away  from the British forces along Assunpink Creek the night before.

--Brock-Perry

Battle of Princeton (New Jersey)

From the December American Battlefield Trust 2021 Calendar.

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

24 acres saved.

On January 3, 1777, General George Washington personally led a daring charge against British regulars and reinvigorated the spirit of America's War for Independence at Princeton.

In one of the most high-profile victories, the Trust worked with the State of New Jersey, Mercer County, the Princeton Battlefield Society and other local partners to save 14.85 key acres of the battlefield, valued at a stunning $4 million.

This occurred a short time after the surprise he gave the British at Trenton on December 26, 1776.

Thanks Trust.  Glad I Belong.  --Cooter

There Was a USS Montgomery in the American Revolution

Earlier this month, I wrote about the current USS Montgomery (LCS-8).  I found out there were also USS Montgomerys in the War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War II.

I will write about them in my blogs.

From Wikipedia.

USS MONTGOMERY (1776)

Was a three-masted, wooden sailing frigate and one of the first 13 ships authorized by the Continental Congress on 13 December 1775.  

She was built by Lancaster Burling at Poughkeepsie, New York, and launched late in October 1776.  But because the British captured New York City after the Battle of Brooklyn, the Hudson River was closed.  Because of this, the ship was never completed and later destroyed.

It was probably built to the standards of Joshua Humphry's design for a 24-gun frigate mounting twenty-four 9-pounder guns.

It was named in honor of fallen general Richard Montgomery, who had been a British soldier but sided with  the Americans and was appointed  a brigadier general by George Washington  he was later killed in a failed assault on  Quebec,  31 December 1775.

To prevent capture by the British,  the USS Montgomery was burned on 6 October 1777.

--Cooter