USA > Pennsylvania > The Pennsylvania-German in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 > Part 6
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It consisted, first, of an ash-colored hunting shirt of coarse linen or linsey-woolsey. Buck-skin, which was too hot for summer weather, was worn during the winter. The shirt had a double cape and was fringed along the
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edges and seams. Around the waist it was secured by a belt, usually of wampum, in which were thrust the ever useful tomahawk and skinning knife, commonly called "scalping-knife." Some of the men wore buck-skin breeches; others preferred leggings of the same material, reaching above the knees, and an Indian breech-clout, thus leaving the thighs naked for better suppleness in running. Captain Morgan, himself, wore a breech-clout during the terrible mid-winter march through the Maine wilderness to Quebec, his bare thighs exposed to the ele- ments and lacerated by thorns and bush. The head dress was a soft round hat, often made of skins, with a feather in it. On the feet were worn buck-skin moccasins, orna- mented with squaw-work in beads and stained porcupine quills. Shoulder belts supported the canteen, bullet-pouch and powder-horn. The only insignia to distinguish the officers were the crimson sashes worn by them over the shoulder and around the waist. Some of the latter pre- ferred to carry rifles, like their men, doing away with the sword to which they were entitled.
The services rendered by the riflemen at the siege of Boston were of incalculable benefit to the American cause. Many of them were detailed to take part in the expedi- tion against Canada, and underwent all the sufferings incident to it. With the later, and more complete, organ- ization of the troops Morgan was anthorized to form a corps of rifle sharpshooters, to be selected from the entire army. This celebrated body of marksmen was generally known as "Morgan's Virginians," but, in fact, two thirds of its members were Pennsylvanians, and a very large percentage of the whole were Pennsylvania- Germans. We are told that, of the latter, a Mr. Tauk, who was with Morgan from the beginning of the war
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to its end, was the last survivor of the corps. When Morgan was asked, at one time, which race, of those composing the American armies, made the best soldiers, he replied: " As for the fighting part of the matter the men of all races are pretty much alike; they fight as much as they find necessary, and no more. But, sir, for the grand essential composition of a good soldier, give me the 'Dutchman ' --- he starves well."
The space allotted to this history makes it impossible to go into details of the services of such troops as were not a part of the regular Pennsylvania establishment, so we must be satisfied, in this instance, to say that " Mor-
Jam
your M
Les. Jewant.
AUTOGRAPH OF GENERAL LINCOLN.
gan's Riflemen " were considered amongst the élite of the American forces. Their record, which is a most enviable one, covers the whole period of the war, and was especially prominent in the south at a most trying period.
After the capture of Ticonderoga by Burgoyne they were sent to the Hudson Valley by Washington, together with Generals Arnold and Lincoln, and had much to do with the results attained at Saratoga, in September, 1777, which ended with the surrender of the British general.
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With a succession of deplorable calamities in the south came the cheering victory at King's Mountain, near the boundary between the two Carolinas, on October 7, 1780. To follow up this gain Morgan, with his riflemen, was promptly ordered south by the Commander-in-Chief, and Gates was replaced by Greene in December, 1780. The first move of the latter was to send Morgan to raid the back country. At Cowpens, not far from King's Moun- tain, with but nine hundred men, he met Tarleton with his eleven hundred men, and practically annihilated him, thus removing from the British forces their most brilliant cavalry leader who had literally scourged the neighbor- hoods which were inhabited by loyal patriots. Corn- wallis, thus weakened and operating under great disad- vantages, was forced by Greene, who promptly joined Morgan, into manœuvres which finally landed him in
Yorktown, where, on October 19, 1781, he surrendered to the allied American and French armies, and the be- ginning of the great and long-hoped for end came.
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ARMAND'S PARTISAN LEGION.
On May 10, 1777, Congress commissioned Charles Armand, Marquis de la Ronerie, as Colonel, and author- ized him to raise a partisan corps, into which were grad- ually merged von Ottendorff's Corps, Capt. John Paul Schott's Company, and Pulaski's Corps. While the original intention was to have it recruited, to some extent at least, from amongst the French, yet, as a matter of fact, it was composed, nearly altogether, of Pennsylvania- Germans, from Pennsylvania itself and from Loudoun County, Virginia. It remained in service till the end of the war.
On November 26, 1777, Lafayette had a successful engagement with the enemy near Gloucester, N. J., in which it participated; it was prominent in the fight at Red Bank, in 1777, and was in Fleury's detachment at Brandywine; it was no doubt at Germantown, and prob- ably at both Valley Forge and Monmouth.
Armand's Corps was taken into the Continental service on June 25, 1778, by order of Congress. Its winter quarters, of 1778-79, were on the upper Delaware, where, with Pulaski's Corps, it served as a protection to Penn- sylvania. For some time after it was actively engaged, particularly in Westchester County, New York, against the tories.
In the summer of 1779, it was placed under the com- mand of Gen. Robert Howe, whose duty it was to protect Connecticut, and its vicinity, from " the insults and rav- ages of the enemy." At this time the campaign around New York was especially active, made so by the operations of Simcoe's newly organized "Queen's Rangers." Ar- mand's Corps, now assigned to the command of Col. Lee, was sent against this partisan and succeeded in taking
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him prisoner near South Amboy, N. J., on October I, 1779. Major Baremore, another troublesome ranger, was surprised and captured by Col. Armand, on Novem- ber 7, 1779, together with a Captain Cruser, of Bare- more's Corps, on December 2, 1779.
A part of Armand's Corps accompanied Gen. Sullivan's Expedition, in August and September, 1779, against the Six Nations, at which time the power of this savage enemy was completely broken up.
About the beginning of 1780 this corps appears in the annals of the war down South. When Gen. Gates took command of the Southern Department the Legion did not exceed one hundred men.
At the disastrous battle of Camden, August 16, 1780, Armand's cavalry was placed in the van, and, unable to stand the assault of the enemy, broke and retreated. Much unfavorable comment was made with regard to them, but, it is only proper to say, with much injustice, as the whole trouble was more due to the arrogance and incompetency of Gen. Gates.
From lack of proper supplies and sustenance, the Legion became greatly reduced, until but forty serviceable horses were left, but these were used for scouting, by Baron Steuben, in Virginia, during the autumn of 1780, and, by Gen. Greene, later in the same year. Finally, the fragments of Armand's Corps were again united, and formed the First Batralion of the Legion Cavalry, under the Duke de Lauzun, being attached to the command of Choisy, together with a brigade of American militia. They held the investment of Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown, and also served to prevent the retreat of Corn- wallis. After the surrender, Armand's Corps went to New York with Washington's army.
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Among its many officers and privates of Pennsylvania- German blood were Major George Schaffner, and Surgeon Gottlieb Morris.
VON OTTENDORFE'S CORPS.
On December 5, 1776, Nicholas Dietrich, Baron von Ottendorff, was authorized, by Congress, to raise an independent corps, consisting of one hundred and fifty men, divided into three companies, he to have the rank of Major. By the spring of 1777 the complement of the corps was filled, all three companies being raised in Pennsylvania, and consisting of Pennsylvania-Germans. The separate record of this body is somewhat vague. One of his captains, John Paul Schott, of Philadelphia, seems to have been in command of that part of Armand's Legion which accompanied Gen. Sullivan in his expedi- tion against the Indians, in 1779, judging from the letter written by him to the Pennsylvania Council, on November 26, 1779, from " Garrison, Wyoming," given below :
CAPTAIN SCHOTT'S CORPS.
This letter is worded as follows :
" I am a Hessian born, by Inclination, as well as duty bound, an American. I have the Honour to be a Capt". in the Continental Army ever since the 6th day of No- vember, 1776. I had the Misfortune to be taken Prisoner on the 26" of June, 1777, in the Battle of Short Hills, where I suffer'd the greatest Cruelty man could Suffer. I was struck, kick'l, abused and almost perished for Hunger; At that time I was offer'd one thou- sand pounds and a Majority in the Enemy's New Levies, but I despised their offer, and was determined to suffer
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death before I would betray the Cause I was Engaged in, Relying on the Country's Generosity to Reward me for my Grievances. When I was Exchanged I got the Com- mand of that Corps I now command .
Both of these corps were merged into that of Armand, when their history becomes the same.
PULASKI'S LEGION.
The Legion authorized by Congress, March 28, 1778, and commanded by the patriotic and brave Pole, Count Casimir Pulaski, consisted of sixty-eight horse and two hundred foot. It was recruited, largely, from among the Germans of Pennsylvania and Maryland. It was this body which carried the embroidered crimson standard made by the Moravian single sisters of Bethlehem, and purchased from them by Pulaski, while in Bethlehem between April 16 and May 18, 1778. It was not a gift, as supposed. When their gallant commander fell, mortally wounded, before Savannah, in the autumn of 1779, his Legion was also merged into that of Armand's Corps. On November 29, 1779, Congress voted a monu- ment to the memory of the Polish patriot, which was never erected, but one was subsequently raised by the citiens of Savannah. .
VON HEER'S LIGHT DRAGOONS.
This troop was organized under a resolution of Con- gress, May 27, 1778, as a Provost Guard to apprehend deserters, rioters, and stragglers. In battle they were posted in the rear to secure fugitives. It was composed entirely of Pennsylvania-Germans, and was officered as follows :
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Captain .- Bartholomew von Heer, of Reading, from cap- tain in Proctor's Artillery.
First Lieutenant .- Jacob Nyburger.
Second Lieutenant .- Philip Strubing.
THE PENNSYLVANIA BATTALIONS.
At the outbreak of the Revolution Pennsylvania placed in the field, exclusive of detachments of artillery and cavalry, some 6,345 regular troops, made up as follows :
One Year Mon, 1775-76.
Rifle Battalion-Col. William Thompson, 839 men, com- missioned June 25, 1775.
Ist Pennsylvania Battalion-Col. John Philip De Haas, 652 men, commissioned October 27, 1775.
Independent Riflemen-Capt. John Nelson, 93 men, commissioned January 30, 1776.
2d Pennsylvania Battalion-Col. Arthur St. Clair, 652 men, commissioned January 3, 1776.
3d Pennsylvania Battalion-Col. John Shee, 597 men, commissioned January 5, 1776.
4th Pennsylvania Battalion-Col. Anthony Wayne, 652 men, commissioned January 3, 1776.
5th Pennsylvania Battalion-Col. Robert Magaw, 598 men, commissioned January 3, 1776.
6th Pennsylvania Battalion-Col. William Irvine, 741 men, commissioned January 9, 1776.
Two Years' Men.
Rifle Regiment-Col. Samuel Miles, rst Battalion, 581 men, commissioned March 6, 1776.
Rifle Regiment-Col. Samuel Miles, 2d Battalion, 514 men, commissioned March 6, 1776.
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Musketry Battalion-Col. Samuel J. Atlee, 426 men, commissioned March 6, 1776.
Total number of men, 6,345.
State Regiment of Foot-Cols. John Bull and Walter Stewart, commissioned April, 1777, formed from the remains of Miles' and Atlee's battalions as a nucleus.
RIFLE BATTALION.
The valuable services of this regiment have already been enumerated in the chapter on the " First Defenders." It remained in front of Boston until the evacuation in March, 1776. On the 27th of that month Lieut. Col. Edward Hand was commissioned as its colonel, Col. Thompson having been made a Brigadier General. Un- der date of March i he writes, " The enemy seems to be preparing to depart ( from Boston). Our regiment is ordered to march at an hour's warning. New York is at present our destination." The regiment left Cam- bridge on March 14, arriving at New York on March 28. On April 12 it was moved to Long Island, where it remained until the expiration of its term of service, July 1, 1776, when the men reenlisted, and it entered upon another term of service as the First Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line.
The companies of Capts. Hendricks and Smith, which participated in the Quebec campaign, under Arnold, con- tained very few Pennsylvania-Germans.
Those, almost entirely composed of Pennsylvania- Germans, were:
Capt. Abraham Miller, from Northampton County.
Capt. George Nagel, from Berks County.
Capt. James Ross, from Lancaster County.
Those partly composed of Pennsylvania-Germans were :
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Capt. John Lowdon, from Northumberland County. Capt. Michael Doudel, from York ( Adams) County.
FIRST PENNSYLVANIA BATTALION.
The commanding officer of this regiment, Col. John Philip de Haas, was a Pennsylvania-German, from Lebanon, as were others of its commissioned officers.
The roster of this battalion is very incomplete, but, of the companies given, one of them, that of Capt. Jonathan Jones, while raised in Caernarvon Township, of Berks County, amongst the Welsh, yet contained a fair number of Pennsylvania-Germans.
This battalion took part in the Canada expedition of Gen. Arnold. Marching to New York, they embarked in sloops, which carried them up to Albany. By February
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14, 1776, five companies were reported as having passed that point. From Albany they proceeded up the Hudson to Fort Edwards, on the west bank, forty-eight miles to the north; thence to Fort William Henry (later Fort George), at the south end of Lake St. George; thence,
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in batteaux, to the foot of that lake; thence marched across the portage, two and one half miles, to Fort Ticonderoga, on the western shore of Lake Champlain, near the outlet of Lake George, distant about ninety- seven miles from Albany; thence sailed to Crown Point, five miles further, on the same side of the lake.
Lake Champlain stretches one hundred and twenty miles to the north, and pours its waters, through the Sorel river, into the St. Lawrence, at Sorel, which is forty- five miles from Montreal and one hundred and thirty- five from Quebec. From Sorel to Three Rivers, at the mouth of the St. Maurice river, the distance is forty-five miles down the St. Lawrence. In the early part of March the various companies of the battalion passed this point, and, on March 30, the regimental returns of troops, under Arnold before Quebec, makes the command of Col. de Haas 225 strong, being four companies.
On May 6 the army was compelled to retreat, reaching Three Rivers on the 15th, at which point the companies of Capts. Jones, Jenkins, etc., took part in an engage- ment where quite a. number of the men were captured.
On June 14 Gen. Sullivan retreated from Sorel, and reached St. John's on the 16th, and Isle Aux Noix on the 18th. From this date the military service of the battalion corresponds with that of the battalions of St. Clair, Wayne and Irvine, to follow.
On November 13, three weeks after the expiration of its term of service, for which extra time it volunteered to remain, at the request of Gen. Gates, for the defense and security of Ticonderoga, and for which it received his thanks, the battalion was taken off duty at Ticon- deroga, ordered to Fort George, and eventually dis- charged. A number, however, reenlisted and became the
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nucleus of the Second Regiment of the Continental Line, October 25, 1776.
SECOND PENNSYLVANIA BATTALION.
Of this regiment the company of Capt. Thomas Craig, of Northampton County, was, almost entirely, Pennsyl- vania-German, and that of Capt. Rudolph Bunner con- tained some.
As it was associated with the Fourth Battalion, Col. Wayne, and the Sixth, Col. Irvine, while in active service, . its history mingles with that of theirs, as, at a certain point, it does also with that of the First Battalion.
On February 16, 1777, the Colonel was directed to use the utmost dispatch in getting his battalion ready, and to march the companies, so soon as ready, one at a time, to Canada. On the 20th Col. Wayne was in- structed to march his battalion to New York, and to put himself under the command of Gen. Lee.
On March 13 Lieut. Col. Allen, of the Second, had arrived in New York and embarked some companies for Albany. On March 14, Col. Irvine was ordered to march his battalion to New York, and place himself under the orders of the commanding officer of the continental troops at that point.
On April 12, five companies of the Second were at Fort Edwards, and were ordered to Fort George on the 19th, fourteen miles beyond. On the 26th, the battalions of Wayne and Irvine, at New York, were ordered, by Washington, to embark for Canada. On May 10, Col. Irvine's whole battalion was at Albany, with two com- panies of Wayne's. On May 6, Lieut. Col. Allen, of the Second, was within three miles of Quebec, where he met Gen. Thompson, with the army, retreating. A
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council of war being held it was decided to continue the retreat to Sorel, which the rear of the army reached on the 24th.
Wayne's detachment, and Irvine's battalion, passed Lake George on the 24th, with Gen. Sullivan, embarked at Ticonderoga, and arrived at St. John's on the 27th.
On June 2, Gen. Thompson sent Col. St. Clair from Sorel, with over six hundred men, to attack the camp of Col. McClean, who had advanced as far as Three Rivers, with eight hundred British regulars and Canadians. Gen. Sullivan assumed command at Sorel on the 4th, Gen. Thomas having died on the 2d.
On the 6th, Gen. Sullivan ordered Gen. William Thompson to march, with the battalions of Cols. Irvine and Wayne, and the companies of Col. St. Clair then remaining at Sorel, to join Col. St. Clair at Nicolette, where he was to take command of the whole party, and, unless he found the number of the enemy at Three Rivers to be such as would render an attack upon them hazardous, he should cross the river at the most convenient place he could find and attack them. He advised him not to attack if the prospect of success was not much in his favor, as a defeat of his party at the time might prove the total loss of the country.
The following letter from Lieut. Col. Thomas Hartley to Jasper Yeates, Esq., gives a full detail of the subse- quent occurrences, and contains nearly all that is known of the campaign of the Pennsylvania battalions in Canada :
" CAMP AT SOREL, June the 12th, 1776.
" Before the arrival of Col. Wayne's and Irvine's regi- ments, under the command of Gen. Sullivan, Col. St. Clair, with a detachment of seven hundred men, was sent down
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the river St. Lawrence, about nine leagues, to watch the motions of the enemy, and act occasionally. Gen. Sul- livan's arrival here was at a critical time. Canada was lost, unless some notable exertion; the credit of our arms was gone, and no number of American troops to sustain our posts. It was said that the taking of Three Rivers, with such troops as were on it, would be of service. A detachment under Gen. Thompson was sent down the river. The corps under Col. St. Clair was to join it, and if the General thought it expedient, he was ordered by Gen. Sullivan to attack the enemy at Three Rivers.
" We left this on the evening of the 5th instant, in
Mans Excellency
For THElain
AUTOGRAPH OF COL. ST. CLAIR.
several batteaux, and joined Col. St. Clair about twelve o'clock at night. It being too late to proceed on to the Three Rivers, the enterprise was postponed until the next night.
" In the dusk of the evening of the 7th, we set off from the Nicolette, with about fifteen hundred rank and file, besides officers. It was intended to attack Three Rivers about day break in four places. Thompson landed his forces about nine miles above the town, on the north
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side of the St. Lawrence, and divided his army into five divisions, Maxwell, St. Clair, Wayne and Irvine, each commanding a division, and I had the honor of com- manding the reserve. Leaving two hundred and fifty men to guard the batteaux, the army proceeded swiftly towards the town. I was to be ready to sustain the party which might need assistance.
" The guides proved faithless, and the General was misinformed as to the number of the enemy as well as to the situation of the town. Our men had lost their sleep for two nights, yet were in pretty good spirits. Daylight appeared and showed us to the enemy. Our guides (per- haps traitors) had led us through several windings, and were rather carrying us off from the post. The General was enraged at their conduct.
" There were mutual frings. Our people killed some in a barge. Our scheme was no longer an enterprise; it might have been, perhaps, prudent to have retreated, but no one would propose it. We endeavored to pene- trate through a swamp to the town, and avoid the ship- ping. We had no idea of the difficulties we were to surmount in the mire, otherwise the way by the shipping would have been preferred.
"We waded three hours through the mud, about mid- deep in general, the men fasting. We every moment expected to get through and find some good ground to form on, but were deceived. The second division, un- der Col. Wayne, saw a part of the enemy and attacked them. Capt. Hay, of our regiment (Sixth battalion), with his company of riflemen assisted and behaved nobly. Col. Wayne advanced, the enemy's light infantry were driven from their ground, and the Indians on their flanks were silenced.
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" The great body of the enemy, which we knew nothing of, consisting of two or three thousand men, covered with entrenchments, and assisted with the cannon of the shipping and several field pieces, began a furious fire, and continued it upon our troops in the front. It was so heavy that the division gave way, and from the badness of the ground could not form suddenly again. Col. St. Clair's division advanced, but the fire was too heavy. Part of Col. Irvine's division, especially the riflemen, went up towards the enemy. I understood the army was in confusion. I consulted some friends, and led up the reserve within a short distance of the enemy. Capt. McClean's and Grier's company advanced with spirit; McClean's men took the best situation, and within eighty yards of the enemy, exposed to the fire of the shipping, as hot as hell. I experienced some of it.
" Not a man of McClean's company behaved ill, Grier's company behaved well. Several of the enemy were killed in the attack of the reserve. Under the disadvantages, our men would fight; but we had no covering, no artillery, and no prospect of succeeding, as the number of the enemy was so much superior to ours. Colonels Wayne and Allen rallied part of our men, and kept up a fire against the English from the swamp. The enemy, in the meantime, dispatched a strong body to cut off our retreat to the boats, when it was thought expedient to retreat. Our General and Col. Irvine were not to be found; they had both gone up (to the front) in a very hot fire. This gave us great uneasiness, but a retreat was necessary. This could not be done regularly, as we could not regain the road, on account of the enemy's shipping and artillery, and we went off in small parties through the swamp. Colonels Wayne and Allen gathered some hundreds to-
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gether, and I got as many in my division as I could, with several others, amounting to upwards of two hundred.
" Col. Wayne, with his party, and I, with mine, tried several ways to get to our batteaux. Col. Wayne was obliged, not far from the river, to march by seven hundred of the enemy. He intended to attack them regularly, but his people were so much fatigued that it was deemed unsafe. The enemy fired their small arms and artillery on our men as loud as thunder. They returned a retreat- ing fire. Several of the enemy were killed and wounded. We came within a mile of where our boats were but our guard [Major Joseph Wood, who commanded this guard, saved all the boats, except two-Ed. ] had carried them off. The English had possession of the ground where we landed. Their shipping proceeded up the river, cov- ering parties sent to take possession of the ferries we were to pass.
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