Carlyle House to Be Part of the New Star-Spangled Banner Geotrail

Fairfax, VA (January 26, 2010) – Carlyle House Historic Park is pleased to announce a partnership with the National Park Service’s Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, Geocaching.com, and Alexandria as the City’s official geocache site for the new Star-Spangled Banner GeoTrail (www.nps.gov/stsp/index.htm), slated to open this winter. st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }  

Geocaching, pronounced geo-cashing, is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world with the use of GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers (called geocaches) outdoors, and then share your experiences online. Once you have found a geocache, you must sign the logbook in the container and return the geocache to its original location. Afterward, share your geocaching stories and photos online at www.geocaching.com.  

The Star-Spangled Banner GeoTrail commemorates the dramatic chain of events, people and places that led to the birth of our National Anthem. The story of the Anthem was shaped by events in the Chesapeake region during the War of 1812. From early 1813 until early 1815, the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding shores were the center of fierce struggles between Great Britain and the United States.  From the burning of the White House to the surrender and occupation of Alexandria and the Battle for Baltimore and “the rockets’ red glare” at Fort McHenry, it’s all here for the geocaching community to enjoy in the Chesapeake region.
 

Carlyle House is connected to the War of 1812, not only as the result of Alexandria’s occupation by His Majesty’s Royal Navy in August 1814, but also through Colonel John Carlyle’s thirty-six year old grandson, namesake, and heir: John Carlyle Herbert.  It was the result of his Uncle George William Carlyle’s untimely death at the Battle of Eutaw Springs in 1781 that Herbert inherited his grandfather’s Alexandria estate.  Herbert took part in the ill-fated Battle of Bladensburg (August 24, 1814), serving as captain of the Bladensburg Troop of Horse.  In addition to Herbert’s service during the war, his parents William and Sarah (John Carlyle’s daughter) lived at Carlyle House during the conflict and were witness to the town’s capitulation and occupation by the British.  William Herbert served on the committee that surrendered Alexandria to Captain Gordon of the Royal Navy.  

The elder Herbert had been appointed by Alexandria’s mayor, Charles Simms, to serve on the town’s Committee of Vigilance in July 1814.  The purpose of the committee was to procure information of the approaches of the enemy, as well as to obtain assistance and advice from the Federal government regarding which measures might be proper to pursue for the protection and defense of Alexandria.  William’s brother Thomas Herbert served concurrently as president of Alexandria’s Common Council and the town’s Committee of Vigilance. 
In addition to the Carlyle House, the Spangled Banner GeoTrail will feature 30 to 35 sites throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.  While some details are still being worked out, the incentive for finding a given number of geocache sites (perhaps 20) on the GeoTrail will be a newly-minted “trackable” geocoin commemorating the story of Our National Anthem.
 

For more information contact Carlyle House Historic Park at (703) 549-2997.

Waxhaws Conference coming up in SC

“Blood Be Upon Your Head”
Tarleton and Buford at the Waxhaws
February 27, 2010 Lancaster,
South Carolina

Andrew Jackson State Park, Southern Campaigns of the American
Revolution, the American Revolution Association, the Friends of Andrew
Jackson State Park, and the Friends of the Medford Library invite you to
participate in “Blood Be Upon Your Head” – Tarleton and Buford at the
Waxhaws” on February 27, 2010. The conference will be held at the
University of South Carolina-Lancaster with an afternoon tour of
Buford’s battleground. Examine the research and the myths surrounding
this clash between units of British cavalry and American infantry to
understand why scholars have been debating about this battle for 230
years.

Presenters include Todd Braisted of The On-Line Institute for Advanced
Loyalist Studies, Dr. Jim Piecuch of Kennesaw State University as well
as David McKissack and Scott Miskimon who are both well-versed in the
history of the Virginia Continental Line. Lee McGee will present on the
tactics and training of Revolutionary War era cavalry and Bill Anderson
will map the daily movements of the troops involved. Archaeologist
Scott Butler will lead the battlefield tour to explain the archeology of
the battleground.

The registration fees are $50 per person and $85 per couple. The
deadline for registration is February 1, 2010. For those who do not
register before the deadline, the rates increase to $65 per person and
$120 per couple. Registration opens at 8:30 am and the conference will
begin at 9:00 am in the Bradley Building on the USC-Lancaster Campus.
Lunch will be provided. For more information and preregistration,
contact Andrew Jackson State Park (803) 285-3344 or
andrewjackson@scprt.com.

Charles B. Baxley
Publisher
Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution
www.southerncampaign.org
cbbaxley@truvista.net

Tip of the Spear

I just published “Engineers at War,” in Tip of the Spear: US Army Small-Unit Action in Iraq, 2004-2007, Jon T. Hoffman, Gen. Ed. (Washington: US Army Center of Military History, 2009).  It is about Fallujah, Nov. 2004.

Legendary Lost Persian Army Found in Sahara

A pair of Italian archaeologists have uncovered bronze weapons, a silver bracelet, an earring and hundreds of human bones in the vast desolate wilderness of the Sahara desert. Twin brothers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni are hopeful that they’ve finally found a lost army…

$500,000 IN NEW FUNDS FOR STAR-SPANGLED BANNER NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

SENATOR CARDIN HAILS $500,000 IN NEW FUNDS FOR STAR-SPANGLED BANNER NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL

 

Contact: Susan Sullam: 202-224-4524
Friday, October 30, 2009 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today joined Congressmen Elijah Cummings (MD-7), C.A Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2) and John Sarbanes (MD-3) in praising final congressional passage of $500,000 in funding for the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.  The funding was included in the Interior-Environment Conference Report, which also includes a Continuing Resolution to fund much of the federal government through December 18.  The bill now goes to the President for his signature.

 

The National Historic Trail system commemorates major routes of historic travel and events that have shaped American history. The bill creating the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail was signed into law in 2008 and comes in time for the upcoming bicentennial celebration of the War of 1812.  The $500,000 appropriation will allow for a Comprehensive Management Plan in order to plan for the upcoming bicentennial celebration, which culminated at the Battle of Baltimore and the celebrated role of the Star-Spangled Banner flying over Fort McHenry.

 

“The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail is part of Maryland’s rich heritage and culture,” said Senator Cardin.  “As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches, the State of Maryland needs to be prepared so that we can ensure all Americans will have the opportunity to learn and study the history of what is often referred to as the ‘Second American Revolution.’”

 

“The history of the Baltimore area is historically linked to the War of 1812, the battles that were fought here, and our noble National Anthem which emerged from the fight,” said Congressman Cummings. “I am glad that our history will be kept alive by improving this wonderful trail, so that our children will have the opportunity to experience the twin wonders of Maryland’s natural beauty and its history.” 

 

The Star-Spangled Banner Trail is a living memorial to those who gave their lives to protect our young nation.  The trail is a wonderful way to inspire people of all ages to learn more about Maryland’s rich history,” said Congressman Ruppersberger, a member of the Appropriations Committee.

 

“As the bicentennial of the War of 1812 approaches, this funding will help make the Star Spangled Banner Trail a reality and educate generations to come about the important role Marylanders played in protecting this nation,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “Many refer to the War of 1812 as the ‘Second War of Independence.’ Events in Maryland, most notably the heroic defense of Fort McHenry, helped prove that democracy could hold together through the trials of war and set the stage for the spread of democracy around the world.”

 

The Trail begins with the June 1814 battle between the British Navy and the American Chesapeake Flotilla in St. Leonard’s Creek in Calvert County, follows the British landing at Benedict on the Patuxent River, the Battle of Bladensburg, and then moves on to the British march into Washington, D.C., which was sacked and burned. From Washington, it follows the British campaign to the Battle of North Point and on to Baltimore, ending at Fort McHenry, site of the defeat of the British and where Francis Scott Key composed The Star-Spangled Banner, our National Anthem.

George Washington

Scholarly contributions are needed for A Companion to George Washington, part of the highly regarded Blackwell Companions to American History, to be published in 2011. This volume, edited by Professor Edward G. Lengel of the University of Virginia, will contain 35 scholarly essays on various aspects of Washington’s life and career. Each essay will be 7-8,000 words in length, and include full bibliography and citations.A superb team of scholars has already been assembled for 29 of the essays, but contributors are still needed for the following topics:1. The origins of Washington’s military career, incorporating personal elements and his reading of the masters of military art, and evaluating how this shaped his conception of warfare. 2. The Battle of Monmouth: Washington in the Monmouth Campaign of the summer of 1778. 3. Foreign Policy in the Presidential Era: Washington’s vision of foreign policy, particularly with respect to relations with Europe during the wars of the French Revolution. 4. Retirement: Washington’s retirement from the presidency and subsequent involvement—some might say meddling—in the Adams administration during the Quasi-War with France in 1798-99. 5. Revolution and Peace: a discussion of his political views and vision for the new nation at the end of the Revolutionary War. 6. Death and Mourning: How he died, and how America mourned his passing. Contributors will receive $300 worth of books from the Blackwell catalog. Submissions are due by September 30, 2010. Submit proposals, including interest and qualifications, to Dr. Lengel by email or standard mail at the address below.

Edward G. Lengel Professor and Senior Editor The Papers of George Washington 504 Alderman Library P.O. Box 400117 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4117 Email: egl2r@virginia.edu

 

Secessions: From the American Revolution to Civil War

October 22-23, 2010 Louisville, KentuckyConference Conveners: Manisha Sinha (University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Departments of Afro-American Studies and History) Kevin Barksdale (Marshall University, Department of History) The Filson Institute for the Advanced Study of the Ohio Valley and the Upper South proposes a two-day academic conference to examine calls for secession or disunion in the United States from the Revolutionary era to the Civil War. The conference, which takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, at The Filson Historical Society, marks the 150th anniversary of South Carolina’s secession. The conference seeks to explore the moments in U.S. history between 1783 and 1865 when Americans threatened or acted upon a perceived “right” to secede from or nullify the laws of national or state authorities. Nearly hundred and fifty years ago, in December 1860, South Carolina declared its independence and seceded from the Union, helping to plunge the nation into Civil War. Secessionists believed they defended and upheld political values and traditions established during the Revolutionary era. Some claimed that the Declaration of Independence established a precedent for principled rebellion in opposition to “tyranny,” while states’ rights advocates defended secession as a constitutional right. But southern secessionists were not the first to appeal to the Revolutionary tradition of disunion and rebellion or to the Constitution: between the Revolution and the Civil War many groups and political leaders, discontented with conditions in the nation, invoked the right to leave the union or nullify federal laws. The organizers of the conference welcome paper and panel proposals that adopt a variety of approaches to the study of secession, including the social, economic, and cultural causes of secession; the political theories Americans used to justify secession; secession and the contested meanings of the American Revolution; secession as a means to effect progressive social change or conservative counter-revolution; the sources of opposition to secession within a seceding region; the factors that led some states or regions to reject secession; the role of the media in secession debates; the role of Native Americans in secession and separatist movements; secession and state formation; secession in trans-Atlantic and transnational perspective; and the memory of secession and war. The organizers seek paper and panel proposals that explore a variety of nullification and separatist movements, such as: • The State of Franklin • The Spanish Conspiracy • The Whiskey Rebellion • The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions • The Burr/Wilkinson/Blennerhassett Conspiracy • The Hartford Convention • The Nullification Crisis and States’ Rights Theory • The Republic of Texas • Abolitionist Disunionism • Northern Opposition to the Fugitive Slave Laws • Secession in South Carolina and the Deep South States • Secession in the Ohio Valley and Upper South • Southern Unionism • Secession within the Confederacy (West Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, the Free State of Jones) A selection of revised essays from the conference will be published as part of The Filson’s “Ohio Valley and the Nation” book series with Ohio University Press. Please send three copies of a proposal of no more than two pages clearly outlining subject, arguments, and relevance to the conference topic, and a vita of no more than two pages, to The Filson Institute Conference, The Filson Historical Society, 1310 S. Third St., Louisville, Kentucky 40208. Proposal deadline is April 5, 2010 (postmarked). Single papers or conference panels are welcomed. For panel proposals please provide a one-page summary of the panel in addition to paper proposals and vitas from each participant. The conference will meet in consecutive single sessions, with three sessions each day. Papers will be placed on-line on The Filson Historical Society’s website prior to the conference. Funds will be available to help defray some travel costs for presenters.

Dr. A. Glenn Crothers The Filson Institute Conference The Filson Historical Society 1310 S. Third St. Louisville, Kentucky 40208 502-635-5083 Email: crothers@filsonhistorical.org Visit the website at http://www.filsonhistorical.org/institute.html.

Revolutionary War Film @ N.C.

Subject: Museum Produces Film About North Carolina and the American Revolution

MUSEUM PRODUCES FILM ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

The N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh announces the release of “Friends in Liberty: North Carolina in the American Revolution,” a 50-minute educational film produced by the museum and funded by the State Officers Club, N.C. Society Daughters of the American Revolution. A DVD of the film about the American Revolution in North Carolina will be distributed to all middle- and high-school public schools in North Carolina. The film and supplemental teaching materials are available on the museum’s Web site at ncmuseumofhistory.org. “Friends in Liberty” follows the experiences of 14-year-old Hugh McDonald and his friend, Anne Taylor. The film is based on the original journal of McDonald, the son of Scottish Loyalists, who joined the Sixth N.C. Regiment of the Continental Army in 1776. The fictitious character Anne Taylor gives us a girl’s view of life during the Revolutionary War as she struggles with increasing responsibilities at home after her brother Samuel joins the militia.

When members of the State Officers Club, N.C. Society Daughters of the American Revolution became concerned that students no longer seemed interested in the nation’s history, they contacted the Museum of History and offered to fund the production of a new DVD for distribution to North Carolina public schools. The museum accepted the challenge. The film became a reality through the efforts of its director, Jerry Taylor; other museum staff; and many volunteers. Museum educator Sally Bloom researched and wrote the script, and more than 200 actors, mostly students, applied to audition for the cast of 22. Film production became a community effort. A Raleigh costumer, for example, donated her services to find or sew historically accurate costumes for the entire cast. Re-enactors shared their time and expertise, and high-school students provided the music and vocals. A local professional musician scored a Bach piece for violin and cello. Other community members loaned props and assisted with the tapings at three locations. The cast and crew members filmed for eight days at different locations. They met challenges, such as taping the Valley Forge winter scene under the broiling sun – while wearing wool uniforms and standing near a campfire. Actor Sarah Catherine Carter, who played Anne Taylor as a girl, learned to cope with her costume’s five layers of clothing. “I was surprised at how many layers of clothing I had to wear and how uncomfortable the stays (similar to a corset) were,” she said. “By the end of a day of filming, my stomach hurt from the stays! It made me really appreciate what women went through during this time period regarding their clothing and how uncomfortable they must have been!” Did the experience of creating “Friends in Liberty” make an impression on the teenage actors in the film? Alex Hunt, who portrayed a Continental soldier, commented, “I was extremely surprised that teens fought in the war. Most of the kids were actually younger than me!” Spencer Bloom, who played Hugh McDonald, summed up the power the film can have for students. “When I first read the script, I thought it was remarkable that the responsibilities of the Revolution fell into the hands of young people. But in the course of shooting this film, I realized that Revolution still comes from the younger generation. That is what makes this story so powerful – it’s a story that is still being told today.”

For more information about “Friends in Liberty,” contact Sally Bloom at sally.bloom@ncdcr.gov or 919-807-7987. The museum is located at 5 E. Edenton St., across from the State Capitol. Susan Friday Lamb Public Information Officer N.C. Museum of History Office: 919-807-7943 Fax: 919-733-8655

2 New Articles

 

I just published two new articles in the same week, last week:

“‘Too Grievous for a People to Bear’: Impressment and Conscription
in Revolutionary North Carolina,” The Journal of Military History, 73 #4, October, 2009.

and

“The Greatest Terror Imaginable: Cornwallis Brings his Campaign to Goochland, 1781,” Goochland County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. 47, October, 2009.

“TOO GRIEVOUS FOR A PEOPLE TO BEAR”

My article titled “TOO GRIEVOUS FOR A PEOPLE TO BEAR”: IMPRESSMENT AND CONSCRIPTION IN REVOLUTIONARY NORTH CAROLINA is scheduled to appear in the Journal of Military History later this year.

The Journal of Military History, the quarterly journal of the Society for Military History, has published scholarly articles on the military history of all eras and geographical areas since 1937. The Journal is fully refereed. It publishes articles, book reviews, a list of recent articles dealing with military history published by other journals, an annual list of doctoral dissertations in military history, and an annual index.

Who Lost the Battle of Camden?

On January 21, I will be speaking to the Richmond American Revolution Roundtable at the Univ. of Richmond, in Richmond, VA.  My topic will be “Who Lost the Battle of Camden, August 1781?”

More information is available here:

http://arrt-richmond.org/2.html

 

A tale of two+ comments

Here is Annette Benning on Sarah Palin: 

“We really want to hear her views, and I’m sure she’ll do very well in the debate. She’s obviously a very accomplished woman … I’m a Democrat, I’m a supporter of Barack Obama but she certainly deserves our respect.”

And now, representative of so many of the glitterati, Sandra Bernhard:

Bernhard said Palin would be “gang-raped by my big black brothers” if she visited New York City.

Pink says “The woman terrifies me.”

Matt Damon: ““I think there’s a really good chance that Sarah Palin could be president, and I think that’s a really scary thing…”

“Dr.” Laura Schlessinger: “What kind of role model is a woman whose fifth child was recently born with a serious issue, Down syndrome, and then goes back to the job of governor within days of the birth?”

Margaret Cho: “If Sarah Palin had her way, she would take away that right not to be a mom. She wants to outlaw abortion — so to call her a feminist is as laughable as calling evangelicals ‘Christians.’ They shouldn’t have the right to call themselves Christian, for they have no Christ-like attributes.”

Ms. Benning should be commended for her moderation.