Revolutionary Revelations

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by Twistification in 1777 Charleville, Alexander Hamilton, Cowpens, Founding Fathers, George Washington, Revolutionary War, The battle of Cowpens, Uncategorized, Weapons of the Revolution

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marquis de lafayette

A collection of fun historical tidbits I’ve come across in the last few years…

Marquis de La Fayette

Fact 1: Live in a town, city or county named Fayetteville or Lafayette? Chances are your town was named after the French Aristocrat and Revolutionary war hero Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette. General Lafayette was a close friend of Washington and a Revolutionary War hero that in many ways embodied the ideals of The Revolution.

Fact 2: James Monroe’s wife, Elizabeth Monroe rescued Madame Lafayette from imprisonment during the French Revolution.

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Fact 3: Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware and the following battle of Trenton included historical figures Captain William Washington (of Cowpens fame), James Monroe (who was wounded during the surprise attack), John Marshall (the subject of Jefferson’s “Twistification” quote that inspired the name of this blog) and finally Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

Horses (or men for that matter) don’t respond well to having sharp things pointed at them.

Fact 4: The bayonet was the single most frightening and devastating weapon used against the Americans during The Revolution. American rifles and muskets were not equipped with this military accessory. The infusion of smuggled French arms (like the Charleville musket) eventually helped tilt the balance back to American troops.

Tap Loading

18 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Twistification in Infantry, Napoleon Bonaparte, Revolutionary War, Weapons of the Revolution

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Musket, Tap loading

“I have done this in competitions, where I was running out of time. Spitting makes the ball wet, which helps cut through the black powder build up in the barrel. I never spit down the barrel, but just had the ball in my mouth and spit it out. When you bit into the cartridge, I bit into the ball end, ripped it off, exposing the powder, and then spit the ball down the barrel.”
-Patrick O’Kelley

Tap loading is a technique that involves firing a musket without the use of a ramrod and wadding. Drop powder and ball down the barrel (smoothbore of course) then ‘tap’ the butt of the musket in the ground two or three times to set the ball before firing.

Spitting is involved too (see video clip and photo caption). I wonder how effective this can be at lubricating the barrel during a battle where dry mouth would be common for most men.

The danger of tap loading must increase as the musket fouls. When a ball is not seated at the bottom of the barrel, bad things can happen.

The result of this technique? Up to six shots in two minutes. Impressive. Accuracy is not bad either.

Patrick O’Kelly, seen above, notes that this technique was used during the revolution. An eye witness account:

In this action I found all manual exercise is but an ornament, and the only object of importance it can boast of was that of loading, firing, and charging with bayonets: as to the former, the soldiers should be instructed in the best and most expeditious method. Here I cannot help observing to you, whether it proceeded from an idea of self preservation, or natural instinct, but the soldiers greatly improved the mode they were taught in, as to expedition, for as soon as they had primed their pieces, and put the cartridge into the barrel, instead of ramming it down with their rods, they struck the butt end of their pieces upon the ground, and on bringing it to the present, fired it off.

Cartridge Making Day!

10 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by Twistification in 1777 Charleville, Weapons of the Revolution

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With the help of this youtube video from Keith H. Burgess (the Obi Wan of black powder), I put together a few cartridges for my 1777 Charleville.

My pal Wesley over at The Long Roll provided the location and additional assistance. Thanks Freems!

I tend to over accessorize

My stocked “Lafayette” cartridge box.

Overall, pretty simple to do. I used a brown bag for material, but I’m afraid this may be too tough to bite through.

Muskets may not be a precision instrument, but the act of loading and firing them while in the heat of battle definitely is. One could only imagine the nerve it takes to break open a cartridge with your teeth, prime the pan, then pore the remaining powder and ball into the barrel while under fire. I think it would be difficult to avoid pouring the powder all over the place while priming the pan.

This guy does it rather quickly. I wonder how fast he would be if he were being shot at?

Update

Since this post I’ve updated my cartridge making technique thanks to some YouTube videos similar to the one Bill posted below in the comments. MUCH better!

Cartridge Box Improved!

Questions for a Infantry Man (Part 1)

18 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by Twistification in Cowpens, Infantry, Strategy & Tactics, Weapons of the Revolution

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Patrick O’Kelley served 20 years in the military, retiring with the rank of Sergeant First Class. He was with the 82nd Airborne Division – the 3rd Ranger Battalion – F Company, 51st Long Range Surveillance Unit – 5th Special Forces Group and the 3rd Special Forces Group.

A sniper in the 82nd Airborne, O’Kelley served during the invasion of Grenada in 1983 and with the 5th Special Forces Group during Desert Storm in 1991.

Patrick has been reenacting the Revolutionary War since 1979 and has been in the same unit, the 2nd North Carolina Regiment, since that time.

I can’t imagine a more qualified person to answer a few humble questions from a Revolutionary War enthusiast. Thanks to Mr. O’Kelley for taking the time to sit down with Twistification!

What are some of the common troop types fielded by the Americans and British during the Revolution?

I’m assuming you mean what types of units were in the war. The British army was not the “best army in the world” during the American Revolution, though many like to describe it as such. However the British army was extremely adaptive and would change tactics, weapons and uniforms to fit the war they were in. They remind me of the United States Army today. A typical British Regiment consisted of several Regular Infantry Companies, one Light Infantry Company and one Grenadier Company.

In theory the Lights would move out in front of the main body and act as skirmishers, making the enemy deploy. The Grenadiers were the “heavies” and were used as the assault force or the anchor. The Regular companies would do the brunt work of the attack.

However theory went out the window when they fought in America. British tactics were made for fighting in Europe, with wide open fields where artillery and cavalry could be used to their most effective. America was not Europe and consisted of one giant forest stretching from Canada to Florida. Not a lot of open fields and most battles happened on and around roads, since that was the only clear spot on the map. So when the British changed their tactics they basically made everyone Light Infantry. The formations spread out in “open order” (greater distances between men) and the uniforms were modified for fast movement, such as round hats or shorter jackets. The Light Infantry companies and the Grenadier companies banded together into Light Infantry and Grenadier brigades.

The American army started out with nothing. No uniforms, no weapon factories, no navy, and not a lot of ammunition. In the beginning no two units had the same drill and trying to get soldiers from one region to cooperate with those from another region seemed an impossible task. Washington had to organize this ugly mob into some sort of a fighting force, all the while begging Congress to give him the basics and trying to appease dozens of officers who thought they should be in charge.

And when these two forces faced off, how did it go?

In the beginning the American army could not take on the British, so they relied on a defensive strategy. Bunker Hill worked tactically, so every battle seemed to be a version of that. When Washington was able to defeat the Hessians at Trenton, he relied on this tactic to beat the British. However the British are not the Hessians and when Washington tried to do a “Trenton” at Germantown, it cost him.

At Bunker Hill the British learned a deadly lesson. If the Americans were entrenched, they would put up a vicious fight. The Americans could also shoot. This was because a large part of the American army on that field had rifles, a weapon that the British were not used to in a military battle. The rifle was a civilian weapon, but the American army was a civilian army. The British soon learned that if you could close with the Americans, fast, they could not take on the British soldier armed with a bayonet and usually would retreat or run away in panic.

What saved the American army was von Steuben. He showed them how to fight like the Prussian army, using columns to move into battle instead of Indian file, and he was able to get all working together on the same drill. Add to that the influx of French arms and bayonets, and the “new” American army was finally able to take on the British at Monmouth using their own methods.

The American army was honed to their most effective when the war came to the South. Greene used Morgan’s strategy of a “defense in depth” of not one line, but a series of lines that the British army had to break through. Each line made the British lose men, ammunition and strength. It would be like playing a football game with three offensive lines guarding the quarterback and not just one. Though Greene didn’t trust the militia, he was able to use them to their best potential as a skirmish line to slow down the British before engaging the main line of Continentals.

To be continued…

Twistification thanks Patrick O’Kelley

Patrick is currently a Junior ROTC instructor in Sanford, North Carolina at Lee County High School. He is the author of the four volume series, “Nothing but Blood and Slaughter, the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas” and “Unwaried Patience and Fortitude, Francis Marion’s Orderly Book”.

Questions for a Cavalry Man

01 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Twistification in Cavalry, Cowpens, The battle of Cowpens, Weapons of the Revolution

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Bert Puckett Started reenacting with his family in 1976. What started as weekend family outings quickly turned into a life long passion. Bert has portrayed infantry, artillery and cavalry in his life long search for knowledge of American Colonial times and birth of our nation. Bert retired from the Army as a Command Sergeant Major after 25 years. He currently reenacts with the Third Light Dragoons with his son Hunter and his wife Chris.

Bert Puckett Q & A

1. How did American cavalry contribute to the victory at Cowpens?
Dragoons added a much needed punch for the infantry to exploit. In the two charges at Cowpens, the Third Light Dragoons managed first to save the militia that was retreating from being run over by the British 17th Dragoons and eliminating the 17th as a viable fighting force for the rest of the battle. During its second charge the Third charged British forces that were reeling from a deadly volley of musketry and managed to totally surround part of the British force.

2. Approximately how many cavalry (on both sides) participated at the battle?
There was a total of 482 mounted men on the field at Cowpens. (+or- ) 182 American horse composed of the Third Light Dragoons and various mounted militia units from North and South Carolina.

There was about 300 British Dragoons from the 17th Light Dragoons (British) and the British Legion (the British Legion was composed of Loyalist Americans primarily recruited in New York State).

3. What different types of cavalry were employed during the battle?
The cavalry on both sides were know as “Light Dragoons”. Light Dragoons were to be used in scouting and reconnaissance roles. How ever during the Revolutionary war, Light Dragoons were used as heavy cavalry in places like Cowpens, Guilford Court House and Eutaw Springs. Banastre Tarleton was a master of using the lightning speed and the massive punch of mounted men in battle.

4. Tell us a little about William Washington, the American cavalry leader at the battle of Cowpens.
William Washington was the second cousin of His Excellency George Washington. He was born into the Virginia aristocracy and his family owned and farmed a 1200 acre plantation. Being the second son Washington was not the heir to the plantation. Nothing has been found to tell us much of Williams young life. We do know however that as a young man William Washington decided to enter training as an Episcopal minister. However by the turbulent 1770’s Washington was being drawn into the conflict that would define his life. He joined the Virginia Militia soon after the “shot heard ’round the world” at Lexington Green. On Sept 12 1776 he was elected as Captain of the Stafford County Militia. His militia unit was soon designated as the 3rd Virginia Continental Regiment. (Infantry) The 3rd Va was ordered north in the summer of 76 were he participated in the battle of Harlem Heights where he received his baptism of fire. He also participated in the crossing of the Delaware that Christmas.

In January of 1777 the Continental Congress authorized that four regiments of Dragoons were to be raised. William Washington was at that time commissioned as a Major in the Fourth Light Dragoons under Colonel Moylan. It was with this unit that Washington fought with through the entire Philadelphia campaign.

On Sept 28th 1777 The 3rd Light Dragoons were Devastated by a night time raid led by General Charles (no Flint) Grey. The commander of the Third Dragoons, Colonel George Baylor was gravely wounded and captured. General George Washington was shocked at the brutality of the attack and the loss of his friend Colonel Baylor but quickly realized that new commander would be needed too rebuild and train the remains of the Third Dragoons. Being a Virginia based unit, the choice was a natural one: he selected his cousin William Washington.

5. What are weapons commonly wielded by cavalry? What are some techniques for using them?
The American Dragoons being under supplied primarily relied on the saber. Pistols were used primarily for signaling and were extremely inaccurate beyond anymore than a few yards. If used from the back of moving horse the accuracy was negligible. Longer length carbines were rare in the American Dragoons, However, the British made use of them to a degree when dismounted. Using two hands to fire a carbine simply wasn’t practical. But above all the Horse was the primary weapon of the cavalry.

6. What kind of horses did they ride?
Dragoons of the time were mounted on small light horses capable of long distances. Usually these horse were Quarter Pacers or Thoroughbreds rarely over 15 hands in height.

7. Was is the worst fear of the cavalry man?
The worst fear of the mounted soldier was to be caught in camp with his mount unbridled and unsaddled. This happened the the Third Dragoons three times during the war (Tappan Farm, Monck’s Corner and Lenudes Ferry).

8. How did troops commonly defend against cavalry attacks?
Disciplined infantry could defend against a cavalry attack by closing ranks and forming a square with both the front rank presenting their bayonets to the front while the rear rank fired at will. Another well used technique used more often in the war was for the infantry to fall back into very thick woods were mounted men could not follow (Eutaw Springs).

9. What are some common misconceptions about 18th century cavalry?
Unlike the movies, a cavalry charge was not a head long gallop from start to finish. Strict order was essential to achieve the desired speed and shock and therefore charges typically began at a trot and progressed to a canter. A gallop wasn’t called for until fifty yards from the target.

10. What is the strangest question you’ve received during a demonstration?
Do you really sleep in those tents? Is that your horse?

11. In your opinion, who was the greatest cavalry leader/fighter or horseman of the Revolutionary war?
There were many horsemen of the time that were exceptional. But the two that stick out for their aggressive nature would be William Washington for the Americans and Banister Tarleton for the British forces. William Washington learned extremely fast how maneuver his men. Tarleton was super aggressive and was rarely beaten in the field.

Twistification Thanks Bert Puckett

Be sure to visit Bert and his companions at the 233rd anniversary of the battle of Cowpens January 2014.

Also check out Bert’s excellent summary of the Battle of Cowpens.

Also, check out a summary of cavalry equipment and tactics here:

Questions for an Artillerist

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Twistification in Cowpens, Revolutionary War, Weapons of the Revolution

≈ 7 Comments

christopherrucker@msn.com

Christopher Rucker, MD, is an artillerist at the Cowpens National Battlefield, where his volunteer crew interprets the use of the two British cannon used at the January 1781 battle. Here he provides some of the common queries his crew receives at the battle’s annual anniversary.

Volunteers and spectators can share their favorite questions with Chris at christopherrucker@msn.com

Questions we Frequently Hear:

1. “How far does the cannon shoot?”

Answer: A battle’s winner is not decided like a spitting contest. The more germane question should be: what is the effective range of the cannon? This 3 pounder can hit targets which are hundreds of yards more distant than the range of a musket, which is why the artillery rules the battlefield.

2. “What does the cannon shoot?”

Answer: It is called a 3 pounder because it shoots primarily a solid iron ball weighing three pounds. A 6 pounder shoots a six pound ball, etc. The gun can also shoot canister, which is a tin can containing musket balls; the can disintegrates at the cannon’s mouth, the balls producing an effect akin to a large shotgun. Canister is a very effective antipersonnel round at close ranges.

3. “Are you shooting cannon balls today?”

Answer: There are people and vehicles and houses not very far beyond the clump of trees in our front. This is not a video game. We cannot shoot projectiles which would endanger lives and property.

4. “Did you fight in the war?”

Answer: No, but my friend over there with the sponge-rammer was personal friends with Gen. Lafayette, and you should go over and ask him all about the general’s children.

5. “How many people will a cannon ball go through before it stops?”

Answer: We have not conducted such research. I suspect that we could not find enough volunteers to arrive at an acceptable answer. Several, surely. Many, possibly. Depends on the range.

6. “Are you hot (cold) in those costumes?”

Answer: Costumes are what you wear on Halloween. We are wearing uniforms. The two cannons here at the Cowpens were British, captured by the Americans, some of whom were regulars, some militia. Therefore, our six crew members are wearing Continental uniforms, British uniforms, and back country civilian garb as examples of what were worn during the battle.

7. “How much does the cannon weigh?”

Answer: There is a numeric code on the breech which lists the weight in hundred weights (112 pounds), quarters of a hundred weight, and pounds. The total is 206 pounds for the barrel. We have carried the carriage, without the barrel, with eight men. It weighs much more than the barrel, and soldiers could not have carried it very far, in what was then called “The Irish Method.”

8. “Does the Park Service pay you?”

Answer: The volunteers here have provided their own uniforms, arms, accoutrements, tents, etc. We are here because we love history, and love to teach. We are paid by the satisfaction of questions answered, and curiosity kindled. Your thanks and the appreciation of the Park Service personnel keeps us coming back.

9. “Did you sleep here in tents last night?”

Answer: Some of us did. Some came directly from home, and will return home after the battle to a warm featherbed. Just like the militia was wont to do in 1781.

10. “Why is this cannon yellow, and the other one over there is black?”

Answer: This gun is made of bronze, which is an alloy of copper and primarily tin. That other gun is made of iron. Bronze was lighter, so was valued over iron, since it required less horseflesh and manpower to maneuver than an iron gun of the same size.

11. “Why is this gun called a Grasshopper?”

Answer: Soldiers have always invented nicknames for their weapons. We suspect that the gun’s recoil in the tall grass suggested the hopping motion of a grasshopper.

12. “Is that a real cannon?”

Answer: Please come and touch the cannon after we fire, to confirm that it is not a figment of your imagination. If you mean to differentiate between an original or a reproduction, this is one of a pair of repros given to the USA on our Bicentennial by the British. Pretty magnanimous of the Brits, seeing as how we took the originals from them in battle, every one of their cannoneers dying at his post to defend the guns. A point of honor in the artillery is to never surrender the piece.

13. “What’s a “piece,” anyway?”

Answer: The entire weapon is called the “piece” or “the gun.” The barrel is the “tube,” which sits on the wheeled platform called the “carriage.” The piece was drawn by horse, or could be manipulated short distances on the battlefield by men called “mattrosses,” wielding ropes. The advantage of this small Grasshopper is its portability; it could negotiate the trackless back country without being mired in mud which would immobilize larger cannons, and it could be broken down into its components for transport on horseback, if needed.

14. “If the gun fires a solid ball, how come in the movies the cannon balls blow up when they hit?”

Answer: Please do not rely on Hollywood for your history lessons. A ball from a relatively long “gun” such as the 3 pounder travels a low trajectory, spending a short time in flight, too brief for a fused, hollow, explosive shell. A shorter mortar, or a howitzer, throws its projectiles at a higher trajectory, which allows enough time for the fuse in their hollow, powder-filled shells to explode the projectile over the target. Contact fuses were not used in the Revolutionary War, so shells didn’t explode on contact.

15. “Is your sword sharp?”

Answer: My sword is seldom used for battle. The officer gives both a verbal and visual command to the man who fires the cannon. In the din of battle, a spoken command might be missed, so the officer lowers his raised sword as he verbally commands “Fire.”

16. “Is that water bucket for the horses?”

Answer: That is a “sponge bucket,” used to dampen the sponge which is introduced into the bore to extinguish lingering sparks from the previous charge. Sparks and fire are the bane of the artillerist, and our drill is designed to minimize the risk of a “premature ignition” which could cause an “energetic disassembly” of the cannon and its crew.

17. “If that’s called a Grasshopper, how come it doesn’t hop when you fire it?”

Answer: See question 3. Without the resistance of a projectile, the force of the rapidly expanding gases during ignition of the charge exits the barrel without producing a visible “equal and opposite” reaction of a recoil. When you watch our drill, the crew is careful to stay outside the wheels as much as possible, so that a recoiling gun doesn’t cause injury.

18. “How much gunpowder are you using?”

Answer: Enough to make noise. The propellant is properly called “black powder” and is a mixture of potassium nitrate (nitre), sulfur and charcoal, just like in 1781. The 3 pounder used charges ranging from four to eight ounces, packaged in a linen bag, to which the ball was strapped with a wooden disc called a sabot. We use aluminum foil instead of linen, and find that four ounces of powder is plenty loud for the purpose of a demonstration.

19. “Are you using a fuse?”

Answer: We are using a “quill” placed in the vent hole on top of the cannon, which communicates with the tube’s interior. Hollow goose feather quills, or its modern equivalent of a soda straw filled with black powder, do good service, and offer more rapid ignition than a fuse, important when the target is moving. For demonstration purposes, we use a paper quill, ignited by a smoldering “slow match” held in the “linstock.” During the War, waterproof tin tubes filled with powder were preferentially used over quills, lit by a flare-like device called a portfire, which was lit by the linstock.

20. “Did they use these cannons at Gettysburg?”

Answer: I believe that you are confusing two different conflicts. Small cannons such as this Grasshopper were obsolete by the end of the Revolution, relegated to British provincial outposts. It is uncertain whether the two original three pounders used at the Cowpens still exist, although they are known to have changed hands several times during the war. They may have suffered an ignominious demise by being melted for scrap, an unworthy end for weapons whose crews died defending them.

Twistification thanks Dr Rucker!

I want to thank Chris for taking the time to put together responses to questions he and his crew often receive. You can follow up with him at: christopherrucker@msn.com

Check out the demonstrations below. I apologize for the shaky video (but consider yourself fortunate I did not drop my phone all together after a cannon fires).

Next year I’m bringing a tripod.

The Battle of Cowpens

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by Twistification in Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary War, Strategy & Tactics, The battle of Cowpens, Weapons of the Revolution

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As the 232nd anniversary of the battle of Cowpens approaches, I picked up a copy of A Devil of a Whipping, the Battle of Cowpens. It was an easy read with some interesting info. Here are a few points:

During the Revolution, muskets were called firelocks because they generated their own fire, hence the later term firearm.
Both sides increased musket lethality, if not accuracy, by issuing buck and ball cartridges containing one large ball and at least three smaller (.30 caliber) balls.
By 1871 both sides deployed rapidly, (abandoning the slow, steady approach march) by closing the distance as quickly as possible, often with sizable gaps between men. This change in tactics was a response to American rifle fire and British artillery.
British artillerist John Muller recommended ricochet firing because it saved powder and was more dangerous. After the first ricochet, a ball might bounce another 400 yards and still injure men waiting in reserve.
American General Daniel Morgan issued a password and countersign ‘Who are you?’ Answer ‘Fire.’ Reply, ‘Sword.’ Similarly, D-Day’s password and countersign was ‘Flash.’ Reply, ‘Thunder.’
Sentries on horseback were called ‘videttes’

Next week I’ll post some tidbits about the battle itself. After that I’ll post photos and video from the anniversary celebration. I hope to make a few contacts that would be willing to guest post.

Take Cover!

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by Twistification in Weapons of the Revolution

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A work acquaintance once described to me the means in which the American’s won the War of Independence. The Americans simply “hid behind trees and bushes while the British stood out in the open.”A myth? Yes. But like any myth there is a kernel of truth. Guerrilla tactics were certainly employed during the war but no tactical stroke of genius brought about victory in the War of Independence. We owed a great deal to the French. We also owed a great deal to a strategy that lost most of our battles but kept our army around long enough to win the war.George Washington was a conventional general and certainly no champion of guerrilla warfare. The weaponry of the time was not suited for a style of combat that allowed soldiers to ‘take the field’ by picking off enemies from behind cover. Besides, this type of fighting was dishonorable.

As strange as it seems to the modern eye, standing in concentrated groups in the open was the most effective way of maximizing firepower. The common musket employed at the time was the Brown Bess. This weapon packed quite a punch, but it was about as accurate as a drunk Dick Cheney shooting a low flying quail. Soldiers bunched together in tight formations to concentrate fire and thus increase the chance of hitting a similarly concentrated group of soldiers. While columns of tightly packed soldiers allowed for maximum firepower, it also simultaneously maximized the damage from a cannon ball.

Later during the war, the role of rifles became more significant. Painfully slow to load, the Kentucky rifle was remarkably accurate. The rifle became the primary tool of sharpshooters who’s favorite targets were Royal officers leading their troops into battle.

Many thought targeting specific individuals on the battlefield an act of murder. Not only was it ignoble, some thought it deliberately at odds with God’s plan. If you were unfortunate enough to be struck by a random ball from an inaccurate musket the thinking went, then surely providence intended for you to meet your maker. However, if you were picked off by a Kentucky Rifleman, then you were obviously the victim of a murderous redneck with good aim.

The American victory in the war involved many factors. Certainly, the American’s ability to use cover and selectively pick off enemy officers became more effective as tactics and technology evolved during the eight year struggle. But just like any war, rarely can one singular tactic be pointed to as a means for ultimate victory. I would point to other less known factors as being more significant. For example, Horatio Gates’ and Benedict Arnold’s victory at Saratoga was essential to gaining the trust of a skittish French Aristocracy that up until that point was hesitant to agree to an alliance. Or just as significant was George Washington’s herculean effort to keep together and train a group of cold and starving soldiers during that dark winter at Valley Forge.

But the more I think about it, hiding behind a bush and shooting officers sure helped a hell of a lot too.