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Brother Jonathan's Images, No. 9 “A Virginian Rifleman,” 1777

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Brother Jonathan's Images, No. 9 “A Virginian Rifleman,” 1777 Brother Jonathan’s Images, No. 9 No. 9. St. George’s Virginia Rifleman Artist: Richard St George Mansergh St George, 52d Regiment of Foot, 1777 Year: 1777 Collection: Harlan Crow Library, Dallas, Texas (purchased from the estate of Arthur E. Bye, Bucks County, Pennsylvania) “A Virginian Rifleman,” 1777 With thanks to Sam Fore, librarian at the Harlan Crow Library, and Gregory J.W. Urwin for his biography of Richard St. George in Redcoat Images, No. 83 (Revisited). _____________________________________ Contents 1. Background 2. Virginia Rifleman, 1777 3. “Chosen Men Selected from the Army at large …”: Rifle-Armed Companies, Battalions, and Regiments, 1775-1779. Appendices A. “A Quantity of Tow Cloth, for the Purpose of making of Indian or Hunting Shirts …”: Proper Terminology: Hunting shirt, Rifle Shirt, Rifle Frock … B. Letter by Jesse Lukens, describing Pennsylvania riflemen and service at the siege of Boston, 1775. C. Capt. William Dansey, 33d Regiment, describes two encounters with rifle troops. D. Morgan’s Rifle Corps: Selected Documents Not Included in the Narrative E. “We returned them a very brisk fire …”: A Rifleman’s View of Two Campaigns F. “He was in that noted Battel in the Bukwheat field with Morgan …” Riflemen’s Pension Service Narratives, 1775-1779 G. The Rebels (Sung to the tune, Black Joak), originally published in the Pennsylvania Ledger, 1778 Background. In 2007 a collection of 18th century drawings and documents were offered for sale by Sothebys. The images portrayed scenes from the early years of the War for American Independence, particularly the 1776 and 1777 summer/autumn campaigns. (Stephen Gilbert notes that the Germantown drawing was done during the artist’s convalescence following his wounding in that action, all the others were likely done while aboard ship enroute to the Chesapeake Bay in late July and August 1777.) Almost too good to be true, many at first thought them forgeries, but eventually they were confirmed to be as advertised. For some time the artist’s identity remained unknown, there being no signature or other identifying mark on any of the documents. Eventually, enough clues were gleaned to mark Richard St. George Mansergh St. George as the culprit. St. George was first an ensign in the 4th Regiment, dating from 15 April 1776, then lieutenant as of 23 December 1776 in the 52d Regiment, light infantry company (later captain, 31 January 1778). Fortunately, he was mentioned a number of times by his friend Lt. Martin Hunter, of the same regiment and company, in his journal (see The Journal of Gen. Sir Martin Hunter, Edinburgh, The Edinburgh Press, 1894). It was Hunter who wrote of St. George’s artistic abilities, as well as his character: St. George and I were great friends. He was a fine, high-spirited, gentleman-like young man, but uncommonly passionate. He had a little Irish servant, the most extraordinary creature that ever was. He had been a servant in the family a long time, and was the ugliest little fellow I ever beheld. He was very much marked with the smallpox, had a broad white face, little blue eyes, and lank long hair. St. George always called him the Irish priest. This little man was to the full as passionate as his master, and frequently provoked him to such a degree that I often expected he would have killed him. St. George was quite military mad, and the man copied the master in everything. When the man was fully equipped for action, he was a most laughable figure as was ever seen. He wore one of his master’s old regimental jackets, a set of American accoutrements, a long rifle and sword, with a brace of horse pistols, and was attended by two runaway Negroes equipped in the same way. On a shot being fired at any of the advanced posts, master and man set off immediately – the master attended by a man of the Company named [Corporal George] Peacock, who had been a great deal with the Indians in Canada, and a famous good soldier. I have often been surprised that they were not killed. St. George drew caricatures uncommonly well, and I prevailed on him one day to draw himself and man in a violent passion, which he did so well, and so like, that everybody knew it immediately. Bernard, his servant, was lying on his back, and St. George, with one foot on his breast, flourishing a sabre over his head, telling him to say a short prayer, for that he had not more than a minute to live. One of the drawings sold by Sothebys shows wounded British soldiers carried in a two-wheeled cart. At the bottom is written, ““My Triumphant entry into Philadelphia.” One of two narratives in the collection begins, “My Dear Friend West met me in ye Cart as he was marching with the Grenadiers to support us and took me by the Hand – and wept as I have been since told – The figure I intended for West is execrable I endeavoured to blot out his face but coud not the paper being too thin – General Washington attacked our Lines with a body of about Twelve to fourteen Thousand Men with all his field artillery at German Town the 4th of October at four in the morning 1777.” The aforementioned friend was Capt. John West, grenadier company, 4th Regiment. West’s company was in the 1st Battalion British Grenadiers in 1777. Martin Hunter wrote of St. George’s wounding, On the first shots being fired at our piquet the battalion was out and under arms in a minute; so much had they in recollection of Wayne’s affair [Paoli] that many of them rushed out at the back part of the [brush] huts. At this time the day had broke about five minutes, but it was a very thick, foggy morning, and so dark that we could not see a hundred yards before us. Just as the battalion had formed the piquet ran in and said the enemy were advancing in force. They had not well joined the battalion when we heard a loud cry of ‘Have at the Bloodhounds! Revenge Wayne’s affair!’ and immediately fired a volley. We gave them another in return, a cheer, and charged. As it was at the close of the campaign, our battalion was very weak. They did not consist of more than three hundred and fifty men, and there was no support nearer then Germantown, a mile in our rear. On our charging they gave way on all sides, but again and again renewed the attack with fresh troops and greater force. We charged them twice, till the battalion was so reduced by killed and wounded that the bugle was sounded to retreat; indeed, had we not retreated at the very time we did, we Portrait of Richard St. George as an ensign in the 4th Regiment of Foot, 1776. Thomas Gainsborough, artist. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia should have been all taken or killed, as two columns of the enemy had nearly got round our flanks. This was the first time we had ever retreated from the Americans, and it was with great difficulty that we could prevail on the men to obey our orders. It was in the first volley that poor St. George was so badly wounded in the head. Lieutenant Hunter also recounted that after St. George’s wounding, he “was carried off the field by [Corporal] Peacock.” For anyone familiar with the Xavier della Gatta paintings of the battles of Paoli and Germantown, Richard St. George has long been considered the man who commissioned them. They were obviously done at the direction of someone intimately familiar with those actions, given the inclusion of details only a participant would have known. One example is the portrayal of Corporal Peacock carrying St. George off the field (see below). (For more on della Gatta’s Germantown see, Stephen R. Gilbert, “An Analysis of the Xavier della Gatta Paintings of the Battles of Paoli and Germantown, 1777: Part II,” Military Collector & Historian, vol. XLVII, no. 4 (Winter 1995), 146-162. http://www.scribd.com/doc/209914033/%E2%80%9CThe-Battle-of- Germantown%E2%80%9D-by-Xavier-della-Gatta-Stephen-R-Gilbert- %E2%80%9CAn-Analysis-of-the-Xavier-della-Gatta-Paintings-of-the-Battles-of-Paoli- and-Ger _________________________________ Virginia Rifleman, 1777. That said, we now have some context for Richard St. George’s several extant drawings, for now focusing on his “Virginian Rifleman.” Given that St. George served in both the 1776 and 1777 campaigns, just when he made his rifleman image would be unknown, except for one detail he chose to include. The soldier’s wooden canteen is marked “U.S.” and conceivably could be meant to portray “U.States,” one of the brands commonly used. The original directive on marking equipment was issued by the Continental Congress on 24 February 1777: The arms and accouterments belonging to the United States shall be stamped with the words “United States”; all arms already made to be stamped on such parts as will receive the impressions, and those hereinafter to be manufactured to be stamped with the said words on every part comprising the stand. An original staved canteen owned by the Museum of the American Revolution is marked similarly, though the St. George rendering has larger lettering. (Courtesy of the Museum of the American Revolution) St. George’s rifleman, like the rest of his work, is crudely drawn, but, based on what we already know of Continental Army clothing and gear, is a relatively accurate portrayal. In addition to the marked wooden canteen, the rifleman carries a hunting pouch, over which is slung a powder horn with the slogan “Death or Liberty” engraved on it.
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