Yesterday and Today
based on the intimate actual accounts from the 1700”s in the book “Missing Links to the Culper Spy Ring?“
by Bernadine Fawcett
Katrina’s immediate aftermath had many Revolutionary War conditions which can facilitate today’s generation’s understanding of the difficulties which our forefathers faced. One could walk, use a boat, swim, ( at least in the 1700’s they had horses and carriages), but there was no electricity, no running water, no cell phones. Possible death faced them in the form of whooping cough and small pox, plus they lived under the impending Britain's constant threat of pillaging and burning their villages.
The continual Cannonading {cannons blasting} created a readiness to have the next day clothes left on beds overnight so that they might escape into the woods. Starvation amongst the citizens is seldom mentioned in the sterilized history text books so that we forget that History was made by events happening to people. The Reverend Andrew Elliot of Fairfield Connecticut pens his letters to his father in Boston in this excerpt from the book MISSING LINKS TO THE CULPER SPY RING?:
“...A Capt. came thro Town last week-who had broken away from the Army, after having been refused leave from two Gen. Officers, to attend to the cries of a wife & four children who had been without bread a fortnight. He would not stir back till the Committee of the Town promised him absolutely that they should never be so destitute again...” “...You will think it strange say he that our Army should want Bread in a country that flows with wealth. This has been the case.”
The reasons that villagers were without food becomes evident in this comment of August 7, 1778 in which Rev. Eliot noted: “The stock upon Long Island it is expected will be seized for the use of the Kings troops. Gen. Tyron has marched down the Island with 1200 men and is now at Setauket right opposite to us. He orders the farmers to thresh out their grain immediately. They had better not be ill natured about the matter, for fear of consequences. He tells the people there, that the reason Great Britain has sent no more troops this year is because the King & parliament did not dream of the Rebels standing out any longer...”
I have used the tragedy of Katrina to underline the issue that the stories of our beginnings have all the pathos, incompetence, and arrogance in yesteryear just as we have today. The reverend showed no understanding of his wife’s pregnancy and writes that she’s in a “dud” (lack of energy) just one week before she delivers her third child in the same amount of years. Rather than be proud of her housekeeping efforts, he gloats that he has chosen well. the reverend disciplines with a whip and tying the babies to a chair, yet he is proud of them and writes that his one yea old Betsy held her hymnal upside down in church and sang “sonorously”
Family life went on even as the war’s dissension's wore out the populaces desires to fight, much like today’s concerns. Lets, eavesdrop on Rev. A. Eliot‘s opinion of the colonists mood about Geo. Washington in his Jan. 18th 1778 letter. ”Our Public Affairs are indeed in a sad & dubious situation. I wonder the People blame that Gentleman to whom they are so much obliged. Were he properly supported I believe he would by the divine blessing, do great things. The truth is People are in some measure tired of the War. They begin to feel its calamitous attendants & consequences. They want to Love peace and expect that Gen. Washington can drive Howe out of America with what forces he now has, as easily as they can rid the Continent of all its Enemies, & adjust the affairs of the mightily republic over a good warm fire and a pipe of Tobacco.”
How did the politicians respond? Here is what Rev. Eliot writes on Feb. 18th 1778: “How unaccountable, that there should be a Cabal {intrigue} raised against that good man Gen. Washington? America has been more obliged to him than to any Individual or Body of Men... The Cabal in the army consists chiefly of the great and sincere Schuyler, Miflin, & Gates. Their scheme to get Gates at the head of the Army. To this end they have published fictitious Letters under the name of Monsieur de Lisle. Thus are people deluded. You will not see any more of these Letters than what are already published, I trouve....The Army are very much incensed. If Washington is superseded they will disband. Many have said that will shoot the man who shall appear to take Gen. Washington’s place.”
What led to the dissatisfaction and anger amongst the colonies that began the Revolutionary War?
Read the book, MISSING LINKS TO THE CULPER SPY RING? BY BERNADINE FAWCETT which is U.S. history as it was happening,
for the rest of the engaging occurrences and the debate over spying activities of its authors.
For further reviews and to purchase book, go to: BuyBooksOnTheWeb,
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