Month: August 2025

On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 21, 1775

August 21st, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Richmond, the Third Virginia Convention resolved to draft

ordinances For appointing a Committee of Safety, for the more effectual carrying into execution the several rules and regulations established by this Convention for the protection of this colony, — To encourage the making saltpetre, gunpowder, lead, the refining sulphur, and providing arms for the use of this colony,—For the election of delegates and ascertaining their allowances, and also for regulating the election of committee-men in the several counties and corporations within this colony, and for other purposes therein mentioned,—-To establish a general test,—-and for a call of the Convention

In other words, the Convention was drafting laws to govern the Commonwealth in wartime.

Source: https://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/ProceedingsOfTheConventionOfDelegates17July1775.pdf

And on that day in London, Richard Penn and Arthur Lee attempted to deliver the Olive Branch Petition to Lord Dartmouth, Secretary of State for the American Colonies, for him to present to the King. George III would refuse to receive the Petition.

Source: https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/olive-branch-petition-facts/; https://archives.nypl.org/mss/22996
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 20, 1775

August 20th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, General George Washington wrote to Major General Philip Schuyler at Fort Ticonderoga, New York to propose the invasion of Canada:

The Design of this Express is to communicate to you a Plan of an Expedition, which has engrossed my Thoughts for several Days: It is to penetrate into Canada, by Way of Kennebeck River, and so to Quebec, by a Rout 90 Miles below Montreal—I can very well spare a Detachment of 1000 or 1200 Men, and the Land Carriage by the Rout proposed is too inconsiderable to make an Objection. If you are resolved to proceed, (which I gather from your last Letter is your Intention) it would make a Diversion, that would distract Carlton and facilitate your Views. He must either break up and follow this party to Quebec, by which he will leave you a free passage or suffer that important Place to fall into our Hands: an Event which would have a decisive Effect and Influence on the public Interests.

. . .

Not a Moment’s Time is to be lost in the Preparation for this Enterprize, if the advices from you favor it.

Source: “George Washington to Major General Philip Schuyler, 20 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0233. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 1, 16 June 1775 – 15 September 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985, pp. 331–334.]

And on this day 250 years ago in Arizona, the Spanish Army established the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson. Spain’s later intervention in the Revolutionary War to fight the British was motivated in large part to block British encroachment on Spanish territories in America but contributed significantly to the victory of the United States in the War. This Saturday when the people of Tucson celebrate their 250th anniversary they can also celebrate their community’s contribution to American Independence.

Sources: https://tucson.com/news/local/history/article_36d65de4-0fbb-4029-ab56-3e61c7ef8b98.html; https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Government/Office-of-the-City-Manager/Tucson-250-Celebration
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 19, 1775

August 19th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Richmond, the Third Virginia Convention adopted an “ordinance for raising, and embodying a sufficient force for the defence and protection of” Virginia. The Ordinance created a three-tiered military force with two regiments totaling a little more than 1000 troops for full-time service for one year, and 16 battalions of minutemen totalling 8000 men from districts across Virginia required to train 64 days a year and to respond on short notice when needed. Additionally more than 300 men authorized to serve in full-time companies stationed at Fort Pitt (now in Pennsylvania) and Point Pleasant (now in West Virginia) and other points on the Virginia frontier. The remainder of the men of Virginia between the ages of 16 and 50 with some exemptions comprised the third tier — the Virginia Militia — and were required to muster for training at the county level every two weeks. Virginia’s military structure never went into effect as planned because the full-time regiments and minutemen were called to duty at Williamsburg and Norfolk before they were fully formed and the Militia in all the Tidewater counties were on active duty within a few months guarding against invasion by British forces commanded by Lord Dunmore. The First and Second Virginia Regiments were then called into Continental Army service before their initial enlistments were up.

Sources: https://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/ProceedingsOfTheConventionOfDelegates17July1775.pdf; https://www.usgenwebsites.org/vagenweb/hening/vol09-01.htm;

Also on this day in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety adopted Articles of Association for the Associators — Pennsylvania’s version of the militia. In response to objections of the Pennsylvanias volunteering for service that the code of conduct adopted for the Continental Army was

very arbitrary; and vest an absolute Power in the Hands of one Class of men, over the Lives of another who have no voice among them, and as the Association of freemen can and Ought to be conducted on the principles of freedom

the Articles of Association adopted by the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety did not allow officers to punish enlisted men except with fines or dismissal for violations of the Articles.

Sources: ““a Freeman and Associator to Benjamin Franklin,” [between 3 and 19 August? 1775],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-22-02-0084. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 22, March 23, 1775, through October 27, 1776, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London:: Yale University Press, 1982, pp. 147–148.]; “Editorial Note on the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety’s Articles of Association, 19 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-22-02-0104. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 22, March 23, 1775, through October 27, 1776, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London:: Yale University Press, 1982, p. 178.]
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 18, 1775

August 18th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Watertown, Massachusetts, the General Court (i.e., the Massachusetts legislature) wrote to General Washington that

we apprehend there is an absolute Necessity of our providing Coats for the Men & this Govermt having engag’d the same to our Troops a Part of which are already provided by the several Towns in this Govermt in Consequence of.

Source: “Massachusetts General Court to George Washington, 18 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0224. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 1, 16 June 1775 – 15 September 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985, pp. 323–324.]
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 17, 1775

August 18th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Richmond, the Third Virginia Convention elected Robert Carter Nicholas as Chair of the Convention succeeding Peyton Randolph, who retired from the Convention due to poor health. The Convention also elected Edmund Pendleton, George Mason, John
Page, Richard Bland, Thomas Ludwell Lee, Paul Carrington, Dudley
Digges, William Cabell, Carter Braxton, James Mercer and John Tabb
as the members of the Committee of Safety that would govern Virginia when the Convention adjourned.

Source: https://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/ProceedingsOfTheConventionOfDelegates17July1775.pdf

And on that day in the British prison in Boston, Peter Edes recorded in his diary that “Phineas Nevers, a prisoner taken at Bunker Hill, died.” Private Phineas Nevers was from Hollis, New Hampshire, and served in Captain Dow’s Company of Colonel Prescott’s New Hampshire Regiment. We should remember him today for his sacrifice for American Liberty.

Sources: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Peter_Edes_Pioneer_Printer_in_Maine_a_Bi/lvU-AAAAYAAJ?q=&gbpv=1#f=false; https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=191832
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 16, 1775

August 16th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Richmond the Third Virginia Convention resolved that

a Committee of Safety be appointed, to consist of eleven members, to be chosen by ballot, by the members of this Convention, who are to continue to the next sitting of the Convention

With this resolution the Virginia Convention established a government elected through a democratic process that was independent from British rule. In other words, Virginia became Independent of Great Britain.

Sources: https://www.revwartalk.com/edmund-pendleton/; https://lawlibrary.wm.edu/wythepedia/library/ProceedingsOfTheConventionOfDelegates17July1775.pdf

Also on that day in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Lt. Col. Loammi Baldwin wrote General Washington with intelligence received from Washington’s spy “Mr. J.C.” in Boston. Mr. J.C. was “John Carnes a grocer in the South Part of Boston” who stayed behind enemy lines to spy on the British. Carnes would go on to become a chaplain in the Continental Army and at the end of the War, a justice of the peace in Massachusetts.

Sources: “Lieutenant Colonel Loammi Baldwin to George Washington, 16 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0213. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 1, 16 June 1775 – 15 September 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985, pp. 312–314.]; https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/10/general-washingtons-first-spy-mission-doomed-start/
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 15, 1775

August 15th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts, General Washington appointed Edmund Randolph and George Baylor as Aids-de-Camp and David Henly, John Trumbull, Richard Carey, Thomas Chase, Alexander Scammell and Daniel Box as Brigade Majors for the six brigades besieging Boston. The rank of Brigade Major would be abolished a a couple of years later but Alexander Scammell would continue in service in the Continental Army as a Colonel until he was killed in the siege of Yorktown in 1781. Daniel Box was a deserter from the British Army who had been recruited by Nathaniel Greene to help train Rhode Island troops.

Source: “General Orders, 15 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0209. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 1, 16 June 1775 – 15 September 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985, pp. 309–311.]

And on that day in Boston, Captain Benjamin Walker died in a British prison of the wounds he had received at Bunker Hill. We should remember his sacrifice for American liberty today.

Source: https://www.abbottgenealogy.com/single-post/2019/08/16/Died-Capt-Walker-a-prisoner-taken-at-Bunker-Hill; https://www.google.com/books/edition/Peter_Edes_Pioneer_Printer_in_Maine_a_Bi/lvU-AAAAYAAJ?q=&gbpv=1#f=false
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 14, 1775

August 14th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago, the inhabitants of Tryon County (modern day Lincoln and Rutherford Counties), North Carolina signed the “Tryon Resolves.” The signers of the Tryon Resolves vowed to make “recourse to Arms, for the preservation of those Rights & Liberties which the principles of our Constitution and the Laws of God Nature & nations have made it our Duty to Defend.”

Sources: https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/08/the-tryon-county-patriots-of-1775-and-their-association/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryon_Resolves; https://lincolnherald.com/story/250th-anniversary-of-the-first-provincial-congress-the-committees-of-safety

Also on this day 250 years ago in Bermuda, Patriots on board the South Carolina Navy’s Lady Catherine broke into the powder magazine on the island and seized. 3,150 pounds of of gunpowder. South Carolina then sent the much-needed gunpowder to the Continental Army outside of Boston.

1775 Arms & Gunpowder Raids
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 13, 1775

August 13th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Lt. Col. Loammi Baldwin reported to General Washington about a skirmish with the British that supposedly wounded some of the Redcoats but no Americans were wounded:

We have had a Small brush with the Enemy to day which began about 12 oClock and ended about ¼ of One occassioned by 2 Bearges & 2 Sail Boats going unto the floating Batterys that Lay near neck of Land Charlestown and bareing rather to near Malding Point Supose Capt. Lindseys Company Suspected they had Some Evel designe, or a mind to Reveng passed Injuries gave them a prety Smart fire which made them return down the River and with there Swivel guns & Smal arms began a fire at our Chelsea Soldiers who returnd the fire Briskly haveing been alarmd by the first fireing at Malding one of the Sail Boats Came round near to the old Wreck upon Winnessemet when we gave them the Best we had, and they Soon made of down among the Shiping & the fireing Ceased we Sufferred no Damage by them there was a great number of Balls Struck one of the Boats & belive wounded if not killed Some of the men, Some of our men declare they saw a number drop as if they were Shot dead whin a Volley was fired from our men its certain they nevr appeard much in Sight again.

Source: “Lieutenant Colonel Loammi Baldwin to George Washington, 13 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0202. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 1, 16 June 1775 – 15 September 1775, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1985, pp. 300–301.]

Also on that day, Lt. Paul Lunt recorded in his diary that “Two Regulars deserted from Bunker’s Hill, swam over to Malden, and were carried to Royall’s,” General Charles Lee’s headquarters in Medford, Massachusetts.

Source: https://archive.org/details/paulluntsdiaryma1775lunt/page/10/mode/2up
On this day 250 years ago in the Revolution — August 12, 1775

August 12th, 2025

On this day 250 years ago, in Providence, Rhode Island, Samuel Ward wrote to his fellow Member of the Continental Congress and Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin:

On my Return I found the People of Connecticut in Arms for sixty Miles, a Fleet of twelve Sail of Men of War and Transports had been at the Mouth of Newlondon Harbor, an Attack was expected from them but they only went to Fishers Island and got about 1000 Sheep and Lambs and 30 head of indifferent horned Cattle the only fat ones being brought off a few Days before; The Wretch who owns the Island sold this Stock undoubtedly for his Tenant had made yards down by the Sea and got his Sheep and Cattle ready for them before they landed, the People deeply resent his Behaviour: The Fleet then stood for Gardners Island but a Number of armed Men probably prevented their Landing for they got no Stock save at Fishers Island: [Royal Navy Captains Sir James] Wallace and [James] Ayscough a Part of this Fleet returned to Newport and again terrified the People by making every Preparation as if they intended instantly to fire upon them: They stopped the Ferry Boats strictly examined every Person and took down the Names. They had heard of my Return and expected I should have gone to Newport and were in Hopes of getting one Delegate into their Possession; They took the western Post Rider and propose to send the Mail to Boston. I hope no Letters of Consequence may be in it but however that may be this shews the Impropriety of the Posts passing those Ferries.

. . .

The Love of Liberty triumphs in this Town over all other Considerations, every thing for the common Defence is pursued with immense Ardor every Danger is despised and every Difficulty surmounted and at the same time they are thus attentive to the general Interest of America.

Samuel Ward was one of America’s Founding Fathers who is little remembered today. Although he was a firm supporter of Independence, Ward would die from smallpox in Philadelphia in March 1776 while serving in the Continental Congress. So his name was not memorialized as a Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Source: “Samuel Ward to Benjamin Franklin, 12 August 1775,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-22-02-0095. [Original source: The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, vol. 22, March 23, 1775, through October 27, 1776, ed. William B. Willcox. New Haven and London:: Yale University Press, 1982, pp. 167–169.]