by Oliver North
4.Tun: an archaic (but still used) term for the measurement of volume. In the eighteenth century, a hand-made wooden cask, built by a “cooper” (or cask-maker) of oak staves and iron “hoops,” to ship a tun of liquid (usually wine or “spirits” such as rum) would hold 216 imperial gallons (260 U.S. gallons).
The “bath tub” Nathanael is looking at (a “half cask”) is about four feet in diameter at its bottom and nearly six feet in in diameter at its “mid” (or in this case, “top”). It is about three and a half feet high and likely holds about 120 gallons of water plus a person.
On the bottom there is a brass drain fitting connected to a ceramic pipe beneath the floor allowing waste-water to gravity-drain from the cask, through a ceramic-pottery clay pipe, over the ledge behind the warehouse into the St. Lawrence River.
5.Carte blanche: Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.
6.Samuel Kirkland was a Presbyterian missionary to the Oneida peoples living in Northern New York. He graduated with a divinity degree in 1765 from the College of New Jersey [now, Princeton University]. Kirkland’s “Study Master” was Rev. John Witherspoon—the same professor [and college president] who became Study Master to young James Madison, now known as “father of our Constitution.” All three men—Kirkland, Witherspoon, and Madison—were unabashedly pro-independence in their political perspectives as were most all the Oneida tribal leaders.
7.French for “bastards.”
POSTSCRIPT
Those you now know who affected the lives of Daniel Morgan and Nathanael Newman for good or ill
Samuel Adams – Prolific polemicist of the Revolution, he was a key leader of anti-British Massachusetts radicals, founder of Secret Committees of Correspondence, delegate to Continental Congress (1774–81), signer of Declaration of Independence, and governor of Massachusetts (1794–97). Died, October 2, 1803.
Ethan Allen – Explorer, farmer, firebrand who served in the French and Indian War and American Revolution. He attained the rank of colonel in the Continental Army, advocated Vermont becoming an independent colony, state, country, and even part of Canada. Allen was held as POW in England after a failed attempt to capture Montreal in 1775. Died, February 12, 1789.
Benedict Arnold – Promoted to Brigadier General after Quebec disaster, had serial victories over British at Valcour Island, NY (October, 1776), Danbury, CT (April, 1777), Fort Stanwix, NY (August, 1777), and Saratoga, NY, where he was with Morgan and wounded again (September 19–October 7, 1777). Promoted to Major Gen. and given command of forces defending Philadelphia (June, 1778). Initiated intrigues with British to defect (May 9, 1779) and did so (September 24, 1779). Treason compounded by heinous crime of leading British troops killing hundreds of Americans in Virginia (December, 1780–May 20, 1781) and Connecticut (September, 1781). Died, June 14, 1801.
Timothy Bigelow – Ardent Patriot and initially a farrier. He was a delegate to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, member of Sam Adams’s Secret Committee of Correspondence. Bigelow was a major in Massachusetts Militia at Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775), captured at Quebec, New Year’s Eve (1775), POW in Canada, and paroled in a prisoner exchange along with Morgan. He was promoted to colonel, Continental Line (February 8, 1777), and was Commanding Officer of 15th Massachusetts at Saratoga (October 7, 1777). He served with Washington at Valley Forge (1777–78), West Point, Monmouth, NJ (June 28, 1778), and Yorktown, VA (October 19, 1781). After the war, Officer in Charge, Springfield Arsenal, Massachusetts. Died, March 31, 1790.
Aaron Burr – After Quebec, briefly served on Washington’s staff, was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel (January 4, 1777), spent winter at Valley Forge (1777–78), commanded a brigade at battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778), and was critical of Washington after battle. Burr resigned from the army (March 3, 1779), opened New York law office with Alexander Hamilton (1783), appointed New York Attorney General (1789), elected to U.S. Senate (1791), ran unsuccessfully for President (1796), elected Vice President (1800), and mortally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel (July 11, 1804). Died, September 14, 1836.
Reuben Colburn – After the Arnold Expedition reached Pointe Lévis across from Quebec, Colburn and his crew of boat builders returned to Maine. He continued to build boats and support the American Revolution throughout the war. He was later a delegate to the unsuccessful Falmouth Convention dedicated to the statehood of Maine. He was financially ruined by the War of 1812 and died September 16, 1818.
Roger Enos – Court martialed for disobeying orders and removing his command from the Quebec Expedition. The only witnesses to testify were officers who retreated with him. He was acquitted and returned to service as a lieutenant colonel, commanding the 16th Connecticut Militia Regiment that served with no particular distinction in the Hudson Valley in 1778. After retiring from the Connecticut Militia in 1780, he moved to Vermont where he was appointed a Major General in the Vermont militia. He was alleged to have engaged with the “Haldimand Cabal”—Vermont activists (including Ethan Allen)—advocating Vermont becoming an independent colony, state, country, and even part of Canada. He died in Vermont on October 6, 1808.
Hans Christian Febiger – Captured by the British in Quebec on New Year’s Eve, 1775; held as a POW until paroled in a prisoner exchange (January, 1777), promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, assigned to Colonel Daniel Morgan’s 11th Virginia Regiment (February, 1777) where together they served in the Philadelphia Campaign (summer of 1777). Febiger was promoted to colonel (September 26, 1777), he took command of the 2nd Virginia Regiment and was a key leader in major battles at Germantown (October 4, 1777), Monmouth (June 28, 1778), and Stony Point, NY where in a night attack his troops captured the entire British command (July 16, 1779). He was at the final major engagement of the war when Cornwallis surrendered the British Army at Yorktown, VA (October 19, 1781). He retired from the Continental Army (January 1, 1783), was elected Treasurer of Pennsylvania (1789), a post he held until his death. Remained a close friend of Daniel Morgan until he died (September 20, 1796).
Horatio Gates – Late in 1777 he was nominated to be the president of the Board of War but didn’t take up the task until January 1778. From that position, Gates pushed his final unsuccessful attempt to replace George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. After the war he took up politics in New York where he died in 1806.
Christopher Greene – Became renowned for his brilliant defense of Fort Mercer in the 1777 Battle of Red Bank, NJ. He later led a regiment of black soldiers from Rhode Island when they made their mark on Revolutionary War history in the 1778 Battle of Rhode Island. He died May 1781 during the Battle of Pine’s Bridge. His death at the hands of Loyalists was likely due to his leadership of African American troops.
Nathanael Greene – Considered one of General Washington’s most loyal and skilled officers, he was given command of the Southern Continental Army in October 1780. He used Rifleman styled warfare to inflict significant losses on Cornwallis’s army which became pivotal in tipping the war in the Patriot’s favor. Greene’s military service spanned almost the entire war after which he settled into being a successful farmer in Georgia. Died, June 19, 1786.
Eliza, wife of Sgt. Joseph Grier – Was one of two wives who accompanied their husbands on Benedict Arnold’s trek to Quebec. She was admired by other soldiers in Grier’s unit for her strength and endurance. She survived the journey, but as one soldier’s diary records, “a woman belonging to the Pennsylvania troops was killed today by accident—a soldier carelessly snapped his musket which proved to be loaded.”
Benjamin Harrison – Was a member of the Continental Congress from 1774 until 1777. He signed the Declaration of Independence. As a delegate of the Virginia State Convention, he helped ratify the United States Constitution. He died at his home, Berkeley, in Charles City County, VA on April 24, 1791.
Patrick Henry – Was perhaps unparalleled in his passion for the independence of the Colonies from the British C
rown. He worked to build the military defense of his native Virginia, but his highest and best work was in building what was to become the United States of America through legislation and his commanding oratorical and writing skills. Henry died June 6, 1799. Thomas Jefferson told Daniel Webster in 1824, “It is not now easy to say what we should have done without Patrick Henry. He was far before all in maintaining the spirit of the Revolution.”
William Heth – Ascended to the rank of colonel during the Revolutionary War and thereafter went into Virginia politics. Colonel Heth succumbed to apoplexy suddenly in April 1807.
William Howe – Was one of the central characters in the anti-Revolution British military efforts. Though he always held a modicum of sympathy for the Colonial cause, he was highly successful in opposing General Washington’s army. After Burgoyne’s defeat in Saratoga in 1777 and his inability to rout Washington from Pennsylvania, the Crown expressed their loss of confidence in him. He resigned in April of 1778 and returned to England where he later rose to full general and served in a number of commands during the French Revolution. Died, July 12, 1814.
Henry Knox – His artillery command proved decisive in forcing the British out of Boston (March 17, 1776) and subsequent the battles of Monmouth (June 28, 1778) and at Yorktown (October 19, 1781) effectively ending the Revolutionary War. He was appointed the first Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation and was brought into President George Washington’s cabinet in the same role under the newly ratified U.S. Constitution in 1789. Died of infection caused by a chicken bone lodged in his throat (October 25, 1806).
John Lamb – After being released from captivity in Quebec in early 1776, Lamb went back to the Continental Army and rose to the rank of brigadier general and was given command of all artillery after the British surrender. He was permanently disfigured and lost an eye when he was severely wounded in Quebec. His service during the Revolutionary War was personally commended by General George Washington. Died, May 31, 1800.
Charles Lee – Ardent George Washington detractor which resulted in his being surrounded by much controversy and many duel challenges. One of the pistol contests left him wounded and unable to engage the next challenger in line. He returned home to Virginia in 1779, where he later received word of his expulsion from the Continental Army (January 10, 1780). Moved to Philadelphia where he died (October 2, 1782).
Francis Lightfoot Lee – Was an early ally of Patrick Henry, and his passion for American liberty drove his unwavering commitment as he was part of the Continental Congress from its start. He retired from Congress in 1779 to his home in Virginia where he died in 1797.
Richard Henry Lee – On June 7, 1776 Lee stood before the Continental Congress and declared:
Resolved: that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be totally dissolved.
Though a powerful force in the formation of the new United States of America, he became an ardent opponent of a “strong central government” which led to his push for the Bill of Rights. Died, June 19, 1794.
Angus McDonald – Appointed by George Washington as a lieutenant colonel in command of Virginia’s militia in 1777. He served with distinction until his death on August 19, 1778, at his home near Winchester, VA. His death was attributed to being given the wrong dose of a medicine.
Return Jonathan Meigs – Captured and made British POW in Quebec (December 31, 1775), paroled (May 16, 1776), exchanged (January 19, 1777), promoted to colonel and given command of the 6th Connecticut Regiment of light infantry (May 12, 1777). He led the raid at Sag Harbor New York, burned British ships, captured ninety prisoners with no U.S. losses (May 24, 1777). At the age of sixty-one, President Jefferson appointed him Indian Agent to the Cherokee Nation (1801). He faithfully filled that duty until his death from pneumonia, January 28, 1823.
Abigail Curry Morgan – Married Daniel on March 30, 1773 and is credited with being integral to her husband changing from the raucous and rough wagoneer into a man driven to be respectable, and she taught him to read and write using the Bible. Abigail outlived Daniel Morgan by fourteen years and died May 20, 1816, in Russellville, Kentucky.
Daniel Morgan – Added to his legend after being paroled from Quebec by going on to serve George Washington and the Patriot cause in other pivotal battles. The injury he sustained falling atop a British cannon at the first “barricade” in Quebec plagued him the rest of his life. He died at his daughter’s home in Winchester, VA on July 6, 1802.
Pastor John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg – Rose to the rank of major general and was one of the most dedicated and accomplished leaders of the American Revolution. After descending from his pulpit in Virginia, he recruited an entire regiment from his congregation and the Shenandoah Valley, he was involved in most of the important battles of the war from Charleston in 1776 to Yorktown in 1781. Died, 1807.
John Murray/Lord Dunmore – The year 1775 proved to be the start of bad things for Dunmore: he and his troops were defeated in the Battle of Great Bridge on December 9 and he retaliated with an artillery barrage from his fleet off Norfolk early in 1776 which resulted in the city burning. He left for Great Britain on New Year’s Day 1777, where he supported the interests of Loyalist Virginians. He tried returning to further prosecute the war, but Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown diverted his plans. Died, February 25, 1809.
Natanis – Identified in August 1775 as a “Norridgewock” and “Abenaki” Indian by Dennis Getchell and Samuel Berry, two scouts hired by Reuben Colburn to conduct a reconnaissance of the route Arnold intended to take to Quebec. They found Natanis living alone in his house on a beautiful stretch of the Dead River—and immediately realized he could speak fluent English, apparently from Christian missionaries.
Other Indians and settlers in the region who knew of Natanis and his brother, Sabatis, claimed he was in the employ of the British—which Natanis freely admitted. Nevertheless, he agreed to accompany them to the font of the River Chaudière. Hearing rumors of a British-allied Mohawk war party near the French-Canadian settlement at Sartigan, they wisely returned to deliver their report to Colburn.
When Arnold learned of this “British spy,” Arnold ordered Lieutenant Steele—preparing to depart Fort Western on his scouting mission, “If you find this villain, kill him.” Steele never saw the Indian until he reached Sartigan in November where the Indian volunteered to enlist in “Arnold’s Corps of Patriots.”
Natanis proved to be invaluable. He helped locate canoes and dugouts to cross the St. Lawrence, recruited local Indians as guides, “paddlers,” and fighters, navigated the Corps to “Wolfe’s Cove,” was wounded in the wrist during the New Year’s Eve fight, was captured and made a POW by the British, but released in less than a week by British Governor-General Carlton.
Natanis wasn’t through yet. He organized the prison break for Lieutenant Steele and his five comrades, and aided them, Marie Sirois, and Ensign Nathanael Newman in their escape all the way back to Gardinerston, Maine.
In September–October 1777 he was on the Saratoga battlefield, serving as a scout and fighter with Daniel Morgan.
Natanis was last seen in August 1779, helping the American survivors of the ill-fated Penobscot Campaign make their way safely back to Boston. How, where, or when he died is not yet known.
Paul Revere – A Boston silversmith and a founding member of Sam Adams’s secret committee, observed and reported movements of British troops. Revere was also instrumental in the production of gunpowder for the Continental Army, and fabricated courier balls. Following the war, Revere returned to his silversmith trade and expanded his work in metals. In 1800, he became the first American to successfully roll copper into sheets which became useful, for among other things, sheathing the hulls of ships. Died, May 10, 1818.
Philip Schuyler – Prepared the Continental Army for the 1777 stand against Burgoyne at Saratoga but was replaced by General Gates before the battle began. After resigning from the army in 1779, he served in the New York State Senate through the 1780s where he supported the ratification of the United States Constitution. He represented New York in the first United States Congress. He lost his seat in the 1791 Senatorial election to Aaron Burr. Died, November 18, 1804.
Dr. Isaac Senter – Was taken prisoner during the failed attack on Quebec where he continued to care for the casualties among his troops. He was released after several months and he returned to Cranston, Rhode Island. Senter served as Surgeon-General of Rhode Island from 1776–1778 when he was elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly. In 1779 he retired from Continental service and died at the early age of forty-six in 1799.
Rev. Samuel Spring – Cared for Arnold and the others in the Quebec party spiritually and physically until Arnold’s transfer to Ticonderoga. He left army service in 1777. He pastored in Newburyport, MA, where he also published many works, including controversial pieces on the death of Washington and the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. Died, March 4, 1819.
Archibald Steele – The escaped POW rejoined Washington’s army in New Jersey. Due to his poor health, General Washington wisely promoted him to colonel and appointed him Deputy Quartermaster General in May, 1777. He served in that branch until his discharge in 1821 at the age of seventy-nine. Died, October 19, 1832.
Hugh Stephenson – In June 1776 a new force was formed by Congress as most of the Rifle Company enlistments were coming to an end. Hugh Stephenson was promoted to colonel in command of the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment. Stephenson died later that same year of camp fever.
Charles Mynn Thruston – Head of the Frederick County Secret Committee of Safety, George Washington asked Thruston to recruit a new Virginia Regiment in 1776. He could not achieve the recruitment goal, so he volunteered to serve as a Company Commander with the Continental Army in New Jersey. He served in battle at Trenton (December 26, 1776), and at the Battle of Punk Hill (March 8, 1777) he was badly wounded resulting in the amputation of an arm. He never returned to the ministry. After the war, he served as a county judge and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Frederick County from 1782–1788. In 1808 he moved to Louisiana where he resided until his death on March 21, 1812 (age 73).