The Continental Line, Inc.
By Mitch Lee – 3rdNY, DeWitt’s Co. During the American Revolution, the lake was a headwater stream for the Mohawk River and did not exist as a lake until 1908, when the state began to build a reservoir to provide water to the Barge Canal and to avoid spring flooding in the city of Rome.…
By John U. Rees Though women were commonly seen with armies in the 18th century, there are few descriptions of how they looked. No matter what country they came from, the wives, children, and consorts of common soldiers can be grouped together as being of the poorer classes of society. The following documents illustrate some…
By Marjory E. Wienkop — 5thPA Regt. Much has been said about the horrors, negligence, and somewhat medieval state of medicine during the American Revolution, but sometimes we forget to view it in the context of the times and within the limits of supply. Many of the things we view as non-existent during this period,…
By Frank Chamberlain — 10thMass. Light Infantry Here’s a suggestion for solving the problem of deciding who becomes a “casualty” in the sham battles we perform for the public. To the best of my knowledge, this idea was originally broached by Norm Fuss of the 2nd NY and was published a couple of years ago…
By Drew Smith – Kings Rangers The First Occupation:By December of 1776, British Forces pushed General Washington across New Jersey into Pennsylvania. A chain of British posts were spread across New Jersey, Bordentown being one of them. One thousand German and British troops under Count Carl Von Donop were assigned to occupy Bordentown. Immediately after…
By John P. DiCarlo, Jr. – Maryland Company, Wayne’s Light Infantry Corps. THIS is an often asked question from new people in the ranks. I’d like to take the opportunity to examine this question. There are several reasons why your musket didn’t fire. To look at the reasons, we first have to ascertain what is…
By Karen L. Hayden Settling into winter quarters doesn’t mean you have to give up this crazy hobby. In fact, many people see it as an excuse for some extra fun. If you can gather a few of them together, you’ve got a jolly revel. For the few deprived souls who may not have actually…
By Sue Huesken Members of the living history community are always searching for modern equivalents of period fabrics. Corduroy is one fabric often overlooked for use in Revolutionary War portrayals. Florence M. Montgomery in her excellent book, Textiles in America 1650-1870, defines corduroy as: “A kind of coarse durable cotton fabric, having a piled surface,…
By Don Hagist This article is reprinted, with permission, from “The Brigade Dispatch” Ever wish you could be out enjoying your hobby of playing soldier during those long winter months, instead of shoveling snow? Probably not, but don’t start now without researching some of the realities of the situation. If you established a credible impression…
By Karen L. Hayden The arduous life of a midwife in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries is portrayed in the Pulitzer Prize winning book, A Midwife’s Tale. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich hits a home run with her work based upon the diary of Martha Ballard: 1785-1812. Though her diary starts after the Revolution, there is still much…