2018-10 October Minuteman
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MINUTEMAN T H E S O N S O F T H E A M E R I C A N R E V O L U T I O N VOLUME XXVII : NUMBER 6 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 Derek Brown with new members Rob and Austin Brannan, and Justin Cruff President’s Notes attended the Sacramento Chapter’s Constitution Day program. The speaker ongratulations. I think we had was a currently serving Judge. One item C a very good first meeting after he covered was the lack of civics the summer break. I was nervous at first education in the schools. I was disturbed when I saw the first reservations report when he related that civics is practically that indicated a low attendance. Then, being ignored in the current school wow, attendance shot up by meeting environment. We need to step up. The time. Chapter needs volunteers to work with I saw a couple of rough spots for the SAR youth programs. They do not improvement. We will go back to the require a huge commitment of time. long table format that was used before. Please take some time, and check Please make an effort to meet new out the new and revised Thomas members, their families, and other Jefferson Chapter web site. You will find guests. Do what you can to make them many interesting things there. Also, feel welcome. check out the State and National web The SAR has a strong youth sites for more details on SAR programs, education program. We need to take a and what is happening at those levels. more active part in these opportunities. I — Timothy Ernst, President Thomas Jefferson Chapter www.Battlefields.org. Officers for 2018 The film began with the British attempt to seize the Timothy L. Ernst, President 32 Monivea Place American weapons and gunpowder Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-2518 Secretary’s Notes (925) 937-0526 in Concord, Massachusetts, and the [email protected] he Thomas Jefferson American patriots who confronted Chapter had 27 members them at Lexington and Concord on Vice President/ T Knight Essay Chairman and guests at its September 22, April 19, 1775. The Americans vacant 2018 regular meeting at the Old fought them on their retreat back to Stephen R. Renouf, Secretary/Editor Spaghetti Factory in Concord, Boston. The Americans were 16123 Paseo del Campo California. President Tim Ernst fighting the tyranny of the British San Lorenzo, CA 94580-2311 (510) 276-8946 called the meeting to order, and Empire to protect their God-given [email protected] introduced California Society right to peaceably assemble, right to William E. Rood, Treasurer President Derek Brown; Past Vice free speech, right to trial by jury, 2107 Dunblane Court Presidents General Bob Ebert and right of taxation only by their own Walnut Creek, CA 94598-3325 (925) 937-8659 Stephen Renouf; Past Chapter representatives, and the right to President Don Gurley; Chapter carry arms. As the American militia Donald H. Gurley, Registrar 2921 Encina Camino Treasurer Bill Rood; DAR members companies surround the British in Walnut Creek, CA 94598-3503 Virginia Rood and Sally McNamera; Boston, the Green Mountain Boys (925) 943-1960 [email protected] new Dual Member Geoffrey Thorpe; seized Fort Ticonderoga in New and new members Rob Brannan York. The Continental Congress, Charles E. Doolin, Chaplain (and wife Anna Brannan), Austin meeting in Philadelphia, created the 1700 Broadway Street #132 Concord, CA 94520-2609 Brannan, and Justin Cruff; applicants Continental Army, and gave (925) 228-3494 Steve Main, Jason Saunders (and command of the army to General Ryan T. Prindiville, Historian wife Eran Saunders), Mitchell George Washington, who took his 20 Saint Tropez Court Saunders (and sisters Aubrey and forces to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Danville, CA 94506-6161 (925) 408-2176 Catelyn Saunders), and Richard to confront the British. Henry Knox [email protected] Sperling. removed the cannon from Fort Sergeant at Arms Following lunch, President Ticonderoga, and brought them to vacant Tim Ernst presented a film called Washington. In March 1776, the Jeffrey H. Brown, Eagle Scout Chairman “The Entire Revolutionary War: April artillery was in place for an assault (925) 360-3647 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783.” It on the besieged British, and they [email protected] was produced by the American decided to evacuate Boston. Derek J. Brown, Awards Chairman Battlefield Trust, a tax exempt Washington knew that they would (925) 672-2055 [email protected] organization created by the Civil return in greater numbers. War Trust to preserve America’s The Americans succeeded in Stephen A. Tucker, Past President hallowed battlegrounds, and getting the French King to secretly 5261 Crystyl Ranch Drive Concord, CA 94521-5444 educate the public about what provide arms to the Americans, and (925) 586-5977 happened on the battlefields and on July 4, 1776, the Continental [email protected] why it matters. Their mission is to Congress issued the Declaration of protect battlefields of the Independence. Washington moved The Thomas Jefferson Chapter Minuteman is Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, his Continental Army from Boston to the official newsletter of the Thomas Jefferson Chapter of the California Society Sons of the and the War Between the States New York. On August 22, 1776, the American Revolution. The opinions expressed herein are the opinions of the authors, and not 1861-1865. You can find more British landed on Long Island and necessarily those of the Chapter or the SAR, unless specifically stated. information on the American drove the Americans from CIVIS AMERICANUS SUM Battlefield Trust on their website: Manhattan. Washington withdrew to White Plains, and left forces at from General Morgan, and led a Fort Washington and Fort Lee strategic retreat through North astride the Hudson River. The Carolina to the Dan River. On British defeated Washington at by Baron Von Steuben into a well- February 14, 1781, General Greene White Plains, and then captured disciplined army. On February 6, crossed the Dan River, and the Forts Washington and Lee, forcing 1778, the French King signed the British, lacking boats, could not General Washington to retreat Treaty of Alliance with the United follow. After being reinforced, across New Jersey and the Delaware States. The British decided to General Greene re-crossed the Dan River into Pennsylvania. On abandon Philadelphia, and move River and fought the British to a December 25, 1776, Washington their forces there back to New York stand-still at Guilford Courthouse on crossed the icy Delaware River in the with the French threat. Washington March 15, 1781. After the battle, dead of night, and attacked the pursued the retreating British, and Cornwallis was forced to retreat to British in Trenton, New Jersey. It fought them inconclusively at Wilmington, North Carolina, and was a spectacular victory, with Monmouth, New Jersey. The British General Greene moved his forces to Washington capturing cannon, forces reached New York, and Camden, South Carolina. Cornwallis Hessian soldiers, and supplies. He Washington maintained pressure on then moved north into Virginia, then moved on to Princeton, and the British at New York. trying to stop the flow of men and captured around 200 British The British then shifted their supplies to Greene’s Southern regulars. Washington then settled in strategy to the Southern colonies, Patriot Army. With Cornwallis gone, Morristown, New Jersey, for the where skirmishes had been fought General Greene battered the British winter. since 1775. On December 29, 1778, at Eutaw Springs on September 8, In Spring 1777, the British the British established a foothold in 1781, forcing the British to withdraw planned to separate the New the Southern colonies by capturing to Charlestown, South Carolina, England colonies from the other Savannah, Georgia. French and where they were trapped for the colonies by sending three columns American forces attempted to remainder of the war. of soldiers to Albany, New York. retake Savannah, but they were With a stalemate in the General St. Leger’s column was defeated by the British. On May 12, north and the south, Cornwallis stopped at Fort Stanwix. Another 1780, British forces seized attacked the middle colonies. He column under General William Howe Charlestown, South Carolina, and moved his forces to Yorktown, defied orders, and advanced on captured 5,000 American soldiers. Virginia, where he could be re- Philadelphia – defeating the American General Horatio Gates supplied by sea. On September 5, Americans in the Battle of moved on Charlestown, but was 1781, French Admiral François Brandywine, and capturing the stopped and defeated in the Battle Joseph Paul, the Marquis de Grasse, American Capital of Philadelphia. of Camden by General Cornwallis. and British Admiral Thomas Graves, Washington attempted to recapture The southern countryside was 1st Baron Graves, fought in the Philadelphia, but was defeated at involved in a vicious partisan war Battle of the Capes. The French Germantown. Washington was between Patriots and Loyalists. On defeated the British and forced forced to move to Valley Forge for October 7, 1780, Patriot militia them to retreat back to New York the winter. The third column, led by forces defeated Loyalist militia without resupplying General General John Burgoyne, came down forces in the Battle of King’s Cornwallis. General Cornwallis was the Hudson River, and was defeated Mountain in South Carolina. On then caught between the American by the Americans at Saratoga on January 17, 1781, Brigadier General forces on land, and the French fleet October 17, 1777. Daniel Morgan defeated British Lt. at sea. General Washington and While Washington’s Army Colonel Banastre Tarleton in the General Jean-Baptiste de suffered through the winter at Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. Rochambeau marched 680 miles Valley Forge, his men were trained Nathanael Greene took over from Rhode Island to Yorktown to confront Cornwallis.