The shots less heard

From Boston.com: The shots less heard
It used to bother Alex Cain and other reenactors how little attention was paid to the “second battle of Lexington’’ when Patriots Day came around each year.

In the first battle of April 19, 1775 - replayed at dawn each year before thousands of spectators - British regulars killed eight colonists at Lexington Green before marching on to Concord for the famed standoff at the North Bridge.

But Lexington’s militia wasn’t finished. Rallied by their leader, Captain John Parker, they ambushed the retreating redcoats at around 1:30 that afternoon from a rocky promontory near the Lincoln line.

That battle - which left three more Lexington men and possibly two British soldiers dead - was never given the same poetic treatment as, say, Paul Revere’s ride.

“It was an event that was significantly neglected,’’ said Cain.

This year, however, the historic melee will emerge from the shadows as Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord plays host to a full reenactment of “Parker’s Revenge’’ on Saturday at 2 p.m. near the visitors center. (For a complete listing of Patriots Day events at the park, go to www.nps.gov/mima.)

The story of Captain Parker motivating his militia to take a stand against the British is “an inspiration to military classes today,’’ said Cain, part of a group of reenactors who belong to the Lexington Minute Men. Classes from the US Army regularly visit the site of the battle as part of their training, he said.

The Parker’s Revenge reenactment started two years ago as a small ceremony and wreath-laying as part of the local Patriots Day weekend observances, according to Lou Sideris, spokesman for the National Park Service, but this year, it will be longer and more thorough.

“We were really excited that there would be two events on the same ground where the events took place that day,’’ said Cain. “We won’t just be doing a ceremony, but conveying the action.’’

Previously, he said, the ceremony honoring Parker lasted about five minutes, but this year it will be a full-on battle reenactment of 30 minutes or more.

“The park loved it, and we loved doing it,’’ said Cain, who usually portrays Samuel Hastings, a field commander on April 19, 1775.

Sideris said the National Park Service cleared the area around the interpretive plaque describing the battle to better portray the event, and allow for better viewing of the ambush.

“It will be a lot closer to the public this year,’’ said Cain.

Emotions ran high in Lexington after the initial skirmish on the town green 237 years ago. A description by the National Park Service quotes Lexington veteran Nathan Monroe: “About the middle of the forenoon, Captain Parker, having collected part of his company, marched them towards Concord, I being with them. We met the regulars in the bounds of Lincoln, about noon, retreating towards Boston. We fired on them, and continued so to do until they met their reinforcements in Lexington.’’

Jedediah Monroe, who had been wounded on the green that morning, was killed in the fighting, along with John Raymond and Nathaniel Wyman. Another Lexington man, Francis Brown, was badly wounded that afternoon, according to the park service.

It had been difficult to pinpoint the exact site of the battle, but the generally accepted location was corroborated by a sword and flattened musket ball uncovered in 1895 by a local farmer, according to the park service.

In addition, General John Galvin, NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe from 1987 to 1992, analyzed documents, walked the terrain, and drew on his own military experience to identify the spot for his book, “The Minute Men: The First Fight: Myths and Realities of the American Revolution.’’

Since 1998, the site has been marked with an exhibition panel. It’s about a mile’s walk east along the Battle Road Trail from the Hartwell Tavern area, where the “Bloody Angle Battle Demonstration’’ is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday.

Parker’s Revenge was near the beginning of a long, bloody retreat by the British soldiers back to Boston.

“The Parker’s Revenge scenario, if we can pull it off, should capture the increasing desperation of the column of soldiers, outnumbered and under attack by increasingly numerous companies of militia,’’ said Paul O’Shaughnessy, a Lexington native who portrays a British regular as a reenactor in the 10th Regiment of Foot.

“Portraying a British soldier, one begins to sympathize with what must have been a rising panic, running out of water and ammunition, no good cover, growing exhaustion, and the expected relief column nowhere to be seen,’’ he said in an e-mail. “In one day, these soldiers covered nearly 38 miles, fighting for their lives through half of it. They were no pushovers, nor were they the dumb robots often portrayed in film. Had they been, then the militia’s task that day would have been easy.’’

Cain joined the Lexington group just out of high school. He said his costume is pure 18th century, from his shoes to his hat. “Everything is hand-stitched, based on historical documents,’’ he said. “Farmers wore full clothing into battle, contrary to some of the paintings showing men in shirts.’’

He’ll be hoisting his rifle again for Parker’s Revenge.

“I have a love of history and the American Revolution,’’ he said. “I love the guys, and the people who come from all walks of life to see us. The public gets as much information as possible.’’

Two carnivals and a big Revolutionary Weekend planned for Morrisville Borough

From Bucks Local News: Two carnivals and a big Revolutionary Weekend planned for Morrisville Borough MORRISVILLE BOROUGH – Three entertaining events are slated for the spring and fall. The Rotary Club has come to tentative agreements with the operators of two carnivals. One would take place from May 15 to 20 and the other from Oct. 9 to 14. In addition, a new event promises to attract history lovers of the American Revolution. Through the combined efforts of the Actors' NET of Bucks County, the Morrisville Business Association (MBA), the Historic Morrisville Society (HMS), Washington Crossing Historic Association, and the Trenton Barracks, “A Revolutionary Weekend” will be hosted in Morrisville from Thursday, Aug. 23 through Sun., Aug. 26. The plan for the historic program is to offer an extended weekend of related activities designed to bring history-loving families on vacation for a one- or two-night visit to the Morrisville area. The focus of the marketing efforts will be all of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Highlighting the event will be five performances of a new full-length musical production about the life and times of Robert Morris, financier of the American Revolution, and a 2 ½ hour bus tour entitled, “Following Washington’s Footsteps”. The musical, entitled “The Man Who Bought a Country," traces the life of Revolutionary War figure Robert Morris from his arrival in the colonies at age 13 to his death in 1806. The action is embellished with more than 20 original musical numbers. Performances will be at Morrisville’s 80-seat Heritage Center on the Delaware River at the Calhoun Street crossing. The tour will be aboard large motor coaches and will start at Williamson Park and proceed to Morrisville’s Summerseat, home of two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Ultimately, the tour will proceed to Trenton’s famous barracks with interim stops at the Thompson-Neely House in New Hope, a tour of the Pennsylvania side of the crossing site, a walk across the bridge to the landing site in New Jersey, and a tracking of Washington’s overnight ordeal taking his troops to the Trenton Barracks and the turning point of the War of Independence. In addition to the centerpiece activities, there will be other opportunities available to visitors, such as tours of nearby Pennsbury Manor, meetings with a historical interpreter of John Adams, the story of Greystones where William Penn’s Secretary William Markham negotiated the purchase of Pennsylvania from the local Native Americans, as well as expanded tours of Summereat and the Barracks, river and canal walks and more. A price list of tour packages and individual events is being prepared and is reflected in the proposed budget. In addition, potential visitors will receive information on nearby overnight accommodations and a range of local recommended restaurants

Easter Pause

So sorry to have missed so many days of posting - unexpected family matters cropped up.

And now it's Easter, so more family matters.

Will get back on track Monday.

Thanks for your patience.

Ohio: Grave Matters: Waterman

From the Marietta Times, Ohio: Grave Matters: Waterman
WATERTOWN TWP. - The cemetery on Ohio 339 across from Camp Hervida Road is known by three different names and serves as the final resting place for at least two Revolutionary War soldiers and four Civil War veterans.

A sign bearing the name Sherman Cemetery sits at the bottom of the hill where more than 100 people are interred beneath markers in varying stages of decay. But historical records also identify it as the Stanley or Waterman Cemetery.

With no official name more than 100 years ago, Jean Yost, president of the Marietta chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, said people likely just made reference to the graveyard based on who was buried there and other people picked up on those names.

"It's not unusual, but it does make it confusing," he said.

Yost came out to the cemetery in early March at the request of out-of-state descendants of Joel Adams, a Revolutionary War soldier and early settler in the area. He found the bottom half of a Sons of the American Revolution flag-holder at the wrong grave but was unable to locate Adams' marker on one of this winter's few snowy days. The family members sent him a photo of the stone, and Yost returned, this time locating the marker, which was broken into several pieces and barely legible.

During his first search of the cemetery, Yost spotted another flag-holder beside a marker that was almost gone except for the base. Using data on file at the county courthouse and collected by workers with the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, Yost was able to identify the soldier as Capt. William Ford II.

"Without the marker and without the WPA map, there is no way that people would ever know who is buried there," he said. According to documents at the Washington County Local History and Genealogy Library in Marietta, Ford's wife, three of his sons, a daughter-in-law and a grandson and his wife are all buried in the Waterman Cemetery.

One son, Giles Ford, died in 1797 and appears to be the first person buried in the cemetery. The most recent burial on record in local historian Arthur McKitrick's 1973 reading of the cemetery is Martha (Linder) Waterman, who died in 1930.

The local SAR chapter is working on obtaining new markers for both William Ford II and Joel Adams through the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

Yost said he suspects there may be other Revolutionary War veterans buried in the Waterman Cemetery. The chapter is committed to discovering every such burial site in the county, he said.

"These are the guys that served our country to make us what we are today," Yost said.

There are also at least four Civil War veterans laid to rest in the cemetery, and possibly a fifth, according to Scott Britton, a member of both the Sons of the American Revolution and Sons of Union Veterans.

One of those is Alfred D. Newbanks, to whom Britton is related. According to Britton's records, Newbanks, David Devore and Harvey Green all died of illnesses while serving in 1862.

Orton Humphrey was buried in Waterman Cemetery in 1917. He was a member of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry's 148th Regiment, Company I, known as the "Watertown Wildcats."

So was Charles Waterman, for whom a marker is placed in the cemetery. But Britton said there's also a record of a stone for him in Virginia, so it's not clear in which cemetery he was actually buried.

The cemetery is one of several cared for by the Watertown Township trustees, who contract out its mowing. Yost said they've done a good job maintaining the cemetery, but time and the elements are causing the markers to deteriorate.

Trustee Gene Morris said he'd like to do more to protect the markers, but, like other townships, Watertown doesn't have any dedicated revenue for cemeteries.

"We just haven't got the money to take care of it like we should," he said.

Illinois: Daughters of American Revolution preserve history, foster patriotism

From the Daily Herald: Daughters of American Revolution preserve history, foster patriotism
Women were not allowed to engage in politics or enlist in the military at the time of the American Revolution, but that didn’t stop them — then or now — from being an integral part of history.

During the fight for freedom, women raised money for the cause, boycotted British goods, made warm shirts for the troops, nursed the wounded, delivered messages across battle lines and provided food and shelter to soldiers at Valley Forge.

Today, service continues to be a cornerstone of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. DAR is based on preserving American history, promoting education and supporting patriotic endeavors. The organization was incorporated by an Act of Congress in 1896, and today has 3,000 active chapters in the United States and internationally. The DAR preserves local landmarks and historic structures across the country.

The National DAR Headquarters in Washington, D. C., houses one of the nation’s premier genealogical libraries, a collection of American decorative arts including quilts, and an early American collection of manuscripts. Its Constitution Hall is a location for many large events.

Illinois has 110 active chapters with many resources and volunteer projects. According to the Illinois DAR site, ildar.org, members donated more than $1 million to the Statue of Liberty restoration and the World War II Memorial. The group also conducts genealogy workshops throughout the state and houses its extensive genealogy library at the Brehm Memorial Library in Mt. Vernon.

The Perrin-Wheaton Chapter of DAR is one of six in the DuPage area. Others are in Naperville, Glen Ellyn, Downers Grove, Elmhurst and Hinsdale. Members may select the chapter that is their best fit and may consider meeting times and activities.

Membership into the nonprofit and nonpolitical volunteer organization is restricted to women who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution.

If that sounds incredible, consider that there are 105 members in the Wheaton chapter. Going back 235 years in research is possible.

“It is amazing to me, too,” said longtime Lisle resident Linda Wingstrom. “I started the way experts tell you to, with myself, and worked backward to find my ancestors.”

Wingstrom said that many people know their first few generations consisting of their parents, grandparents and maybe even great-grandparents.

From there, Wingstrom encourages persistent digging through any and all records you find such as census, church records, wills, deeds, cemetery details and tax records. The first U. S. census was in 1790. From 1800 to 1840, the census included only the name of the head of the household. Starting in 1850, reports started enumerating everyone in a household by name.

“If you find ancestors who were in this country at the time of the revolution,” Wingstrom said, “then you will be successful.”

The knowledgeable genealogist found more than 20 of her own relatives from that era. She suggests those who may think their ancestors were all immigrants should consider that each generation you go back doubles the possibilities.

“If a generation averages 30 years, and say you were born in 1950, you would probably have 128 ancestors born by about 1740,” Wingstrom said. “If any of them were born here, then you probably have someone who was in the revolution.”

The national DAR society reserves the right to determine proof of lineage with its staff of professional genealogists. It also accepts inclusion of a few other services between 1775 and 1783, such as, civil service, signers of Declaration of Independence, medical personnel rendering aid to the wounded and other considerations under its guidelines.

Palatine member Susan Heitsch’s ancestor was one of three young sisters who lived in Rockingham County, Virginia. The girls sheared sheep, made yarn and wove cloth for soldier clothing as well as cooked, baked bread and carried food to soldiers.

Wingstrom’s ancestors came from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Connecticut. One served with George Washington at Valley Forge and another as a guard of the Kingston guardship in Boston.

The Perrin-Wheaton chapter has a full calendar of events. Every year, it celebrates Constitution Week from Sept. 17-23 with displays in local libraries promoting the Constitution. Citizenship Day was established by Congress as Sept. 17.

The Wheaton DAR chapter offers scholarships, hosts a spring luncheon and Christmas tea, and contributes to many veteran activities. The group regularly helps the Wheaton Public Library’s genealogical services to patrons. The group’s other patriotic outreach includes publishing a manual on citizenship, participating in naturalization ceremonies and supplying flags to schools.

Each year, DAR has a Christopher Columbus Essay contest open to students in grades nine to 12, and an American History Essay Contest for elementary and middle school students. Winning essays proceed to a state level and then to a national level. For details on all contests and scholarships, interested students should go to DAR.org or the Illinois DAR at ildar.org.

The next meeting of the Perrin-Wheaton DAR Chapter will be Monday, Sept. 26 at which historian James Rowan will speak on the French and Indian War.

If you think you might qualify to join DAR, the local contact is llwings@attglobal.net. The Daughters of the American Revolution is an organization that recognizes the importance of women in active and responsible citizenship.

Around the Towns: Museum reveals role of region in Revolution

From NJ.com: Around the Towns: Museum reveals role of region in Revolution
CLINTON — A new exhibit on Hunterdon County residents during the American Revolutionary War will open Saturday at the Red Mill Museum Village.

Titled “A Community Divided,” the show explores deep divisions that existed among county residents during the period. The political positioning of patriots, loyalists and pacifists gain voices through the use of documents from the period written by local residents. The exhibit also features objects, paintings, drawings, maps and legal documents from the time.

The show will run through Sept. 28 at the museum located at 56 Main St. in Clinton. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, including admission costs, go to theredmill.org or call (908) 735-4101.

MASS: A Revolutionary Neighborhood in Salem

From Patch.com: A Revolutionary Neighborhood in Salem
An area of Salem that has always interested me is the small enclave of buildings and stores at the North Bridge entrance to North Salem.

Thinking about it, I can recall being stuck in traffic and reading the small monument plaque explaining Leslie's Retreat that stood for many years just off the overpass of the North River. Reading the plaque I'd try to envision what the area looked like on that Feb. day in 1775. You can refresh your memory about Leslie's Retreat by reading my Patch column from Feb. 28, 2011.

This area of Salem was referred to as the "North Fields" by the early settlers. From the banks of the much wider North River they could glimpse the Native American settlement along the opposite bank in the area that would become Mason Street. During the early days of Naumkeag and Salem, the area was accessible by dugout or ferry. The North Fields was privately owned farm area and considered separate from the main settlement growing along the opposite shore.

At that time the main road from Boston Street to the Salem Ferry to Beverly was an eight foot path along the North River. The first bridge over the river was built in 1640 at the hollow at Boston Street. That bridge was replaced in 1646 by a causeway. This main road was the access to the other settlements in the colony.

For over a hundred years this arrangement worked and resulted in little development in the North Fields area. In 1744 the first North bridge was built giving access to the area as well as another more direct road to Danvers.

The length of this causeway and bridge was 860 feet, eighteen feet wide with an eighteen foot draw in the middle. It was referred to as the "Great Bridge" because of its intricate construction. This was owned by the North Field proprietors but had to be free for residents and kept in good repair or it would be forfeited to the town. In 1755 it was forfeited to the town and a new company was allowed to maintain it which it did until 1789 when it was again forfeited by mutual consent.

At the time of Leslie's Retreat there were few houses in the vicinity of the bridge. Robert Foster's house and adjacent blacksmith shop was on the corner of Franklin and North Streets. Foster was the recipient of the canons the British troops wanted to seize in the confrontation. He was to mount carriages on the cannons in his shop where the Hess Gas Station is today. Nearby were a few other houses. Many of these residents were members of the Foster family.

In 1789 the town rebuilt the North Bridge enlarging and improving the road, making the area more desirable for development. The area rapidly became a mixture of homes and businesses that lined the narrow tree canopied road to Danvers. The road was eventually widened after the Civil War with most trees removed.

In the early 19th century several businesses lined the street mostly on the Mason Street side where there were carpenters, shoemakers, painters and a grocery. At the corner of Mason street, Joseph Dixon the noted inventor had his home and foundry business for some 20 years before moving to New York and making his fortune. In the 1850's Salem and South Danvers Oil Company was on this end of Mason Street.

The few buildings from the 18th century that have survived to this day are at # 98 built around 1750 and #100 which was built around 1800. These two buildings are among the oldest in North Salem.

Number 98 was built shortly after the first North Street bridge was opened. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries this was a multi-family residence for workers in the area. According to the early city census records, this area in the early 1800's was an area with carpentry shops, blacksmiths, tanners, groceries, painters and masons as well as workers for the wood wharf and the Salem Laboratory. The Salem Laboratory located on Laboratory Street (now Foster Street) was incorporated in 1819 and for many years produced chemicals for the various businesses in Salem. It closed down in 1884.

98 North Street remained a residential structure until 1973 when part of the first floor was converted into a store front, housing the Americana Corporation Book Publishers. In 1975 this space was converted into Kiddie Koop Day Care Center. The day care and kindergarten remained here until the late 1990's when it moved around the corner to 11 Foster Street. In the last years of the 20th century DJD Calling Center was here. In 2001 Niko's Cakes took over the property and has remained here providing pastries and special occasion cakes for patrons. The business is currently for sale, according to a sign in the window.

Number 100, the next oldest house in this area was built around 1800 and has been a residence throughout the centuries.

The house at #96 while built around 1890, is notable as a restaurant site since 1950 when John & Ray's Restaurant opened on the lower floor. In 1982 the restaurant was renamed, 96 North Street, and operated as such for about a year. In 1983 the restaurant became Leslie's Retreat after the historical incident just feet away from here. The owners acknowledging the historical nature of the neighborhood have decorated this tavern/ restaurant with an historical motif that calls to mind the American Revolution. Utilizing paintings, prints and photographs they highlight both this action as well as the American Revolution. The overall impression is of a Revolutionary era tavern.

The vintage photograph that shows the commemorative arch highlights how through the years Salem has held commemorations of Leslie's Retreat. The first such memorial took place on July 4th 1862 where the lessons and resolve of the Revolution were utilized to highlight those attitudes needed for the Civil War. The vintage photograph is from the July 4, 1876 centennial celebration. There was also a bicentennial celebration in 1975.