250 and Counting

It’s Cake and Candles for the US Navy, born this day in 1775. The Continental Congress initially authorized the purchase and retrofitting of two ships. But before long they saw the wisdom of having a navy, and soon many more ships were purchased, and commissioned into service. The Continental Navy, to be honest, didn’t have […]

The post Happy Birthday to the US Navy!–October 13, 1775 appeared first on 250 and Counting.

Although Lyman Beecher could be considered famous just for being the father of several prominent writers and ministers, he also had some achievements in his own right. Beecher first became known for a sermon which was published shortly afterward on the evils of duelling. Because it was in the wake of Alexander Hamilton’s death, it […]

The post Lyman Beecher–October 12, 1775 appeared first on 250 and Counting.

Benedict Arnold and Company are still on the move toward Quebec. Over a three-week period they’ve moved fewer than 90 miles, with only…300 to go. Today they’ve reached The Great Carrying Place, a 13-mile walk alternating between woods and knee-deep mud, all while carrying everything they’ll need to get to Canada. Back in the Colonies […]

The post The Great Carrying Place–October 11, 1775 appeared first on 250 and Counting.

That’s an interesting goof I made with today’s cover art, with the tiny black stripe down the right. It’s a mistake, but it looks like the picture has a shadow, so I’m keepin’ it. The Second Continental Congress was a very serious, thoughtful body of men who did not shirk their duties. They often worked […]

The post Congress Takes A Day Off–October 10, ,1775 appeared first on 250 and Counting.

By now the British appear to accepted the fact that the war was going to go on for much longer than they thought. They thought that fighting the colonies would be a cake walk. They discovered that it was quickly becoming a quagmire. Fortunately they recognized it and began to make plans. Lord Dartmouth and […]

The post The British Have War Plans (October 9, 1775) appeared first on 250 and Counting.

When the war first started, the Continental Army took on all comers, largely because they didn’t have a lot of choice. Frankly, they needed whatever bodies they could get. But it was around this time in 1775 that George Washington and his advisers decided that they could afford to get choosier about their recruits, So […]

The post October 8, 1775: The War Gets Whiter appeared first on 250 and Counting.

While Boston was under siege, the British were having a hard time getting food and other supplies. But they still controlled the water, so British naval vessels went in search. Captain James Wallace was especially good at procuring supplies, largely because he harassed people until they gave in, or he would threaten to shoot up […]

The post October 7, 1775: The Bombardment of Bristol appeared first on 250 and Counting.

We actually touched on this once before, but George Washington was known for being quite the gentleman, but he did have a temper, especially when things weren’t handled in a gentlemanly way. Cross the lines of civility and he was hoisting the Jolly Roger, my friend. In a previous episode we noted that Washington wrote […]

The post October 6, 1775: A Strongly-Worded Letter appeared first on 250 and Counting.

Thomas Walker was born in England and emigrated to Boston in 1752. In 1763 he moved to Montreal and became a merchant. When the war broke out in the Colonies, both Walker and his wife’s sympathies remained with the Americans. So it was that he agreed to assist with the invasion of Montreal. The plan […]

The post October 5, 1775: An Arrest In Canada appeared first on 250 and Counting.

It’s actually kind of curious that Benedict Arnold gets all the “traitor” press when there were other spies and turncoats doing their thing during the Revolution. Of course there were! There were Loyalists among the Patriots! It was practically a civil war. Dr. Benjamin Church, essentially our first Surgeon General (but that wasn’t a thing […]

The post October 4, 1775: A Spy In The Ointment appeared first on 250 and Counting.