Announcements

10 Year Anniverary & New Releases Winners: Carrie Fancett Pagels' Butterfly Cottage - Melanie B, Dogwood Plantation - Patty H R, Janet Grunst's winner is Connie S., Denise Weimer's Winner is Kay M., Naomi Musch's winner is Chappy Debbie, Angela Couch - Kathleen Maher, Pegg Thomas Beverly D. M. & Gracie Y., Christy Distler - Kailey B., Shannon McNear - Marilyn R.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Calling All Revolutionary Spies!

Ever wonder how spies get their aliases? Well, I can't speak for modern-day ones, but I happen to know how George Washington and company came by the names for those in the Culper Ring, the first organized American spy ring. And as part of the launch for Ring of Secrets, I thought it would be fun to lay it all out so we can all come up with our own code names!

I'm Evelyn Pitt... Who are you?

How the Culpers came to be the Culpers

George Washington and his intelligencers, when looking to assign code names to their primary agent, started with the initials of the head of intelligence—Charles Scott, C.S. Then they reversed them—S.C. This would be the initials of the primary Culper officer. For the “C,” Washington chose a place he had fond memories of, Culpeper County, Virginia, where he worked as a lad. Then he shortened it to Culper. For the “S,” Tallmadge (the head officer of the ring) decided on “Samuel,” his younger brother’s name, and a good friend of the man who would be adopting the identity. So there we have it! Samuel Culper, the creation that became the bane of the British.

 

Let's Create Our Name!

  1. Start with a name of a teacher, parent, or boss  

I'm going to pick Patricia Egan, one of my favorite bosses from my college days

2. Take their initials and reverse 'em

So P.E. becomes E.P.

 

3. Think of a place important to you that starts with the second initial  

I'm going to pick Pittsburgh, because it's the closest major city whose sports teams we like

4. Shorten, lengthen, or otherwise alter the place name into a surname   

So Pittsburgh becomes Pitt. No relation to Brad, ahem. ;-)


5. Think of a family member or friend whose name begins with the first initial
(not the same one you got the name from!)

E, in my family, is for Evelyn.
My great-grandmother's name, and the middle name of my grandmother, mom, and daughter.

So there you have it! Who are you??

 

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Trail Signs and Paths


By Susan F. Craft

Because I have NO sense of direction and can get lost in my driveway, I am in awe of the trappers and hunters I read about during colonial American times. Just how did they make their way to where they wanted to go?
A term, “By Guess and By God,” came to mean inspired guesswork, an early form of navigation that relied upon experience, intuition, and faith.  Relying on faith would be me.
When I was researching Brigadier General Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, a patriot militia leader, I discovered that as a young man, he went to sea. As a sailor, he learned to use a compass and a sextant and the stars to navigate. Those skills served him so well when moving from one battle to the next, his men often remarked at how precise his movements were in the murky swamps of South Carolina.
I always heard that moss grows on the north side of trees and does so because of the angle of the sun. Have you been to the woods lately? I see trees with moss growing completely around them. Lost again.

Trail Signs
            Many Indians, hunters, and travelers used axe blazes on tree trunks as trail signs.  There is a major highway in South Carolina that has the name Two Notch Road, because it was an old buffalo trail that Indians used where they carved two notches in the trees.  (And yes, there were buffalo in South Carolina. They migrated from the salt licks in Tennessee to the coast.)
           Some marked both sides of trees so that the trail could be run both ways. Trees marked on one side indicated a blind trail, used a lot by prospectors who didn’t want anyone following them. Indians usually nicked off small specks of bark with their knives while trappers and settlers may have used hatchets or broad axes. In the universal language of the woods, these marks meant “This is your trail.”
Another trail sign was to reach into an overhanging limb and bend a branch into an “L” shape meaning, “This is the trail.”   The twig broken off clean and laid on the ground across the line of march means, "Break from your straight course and go in the line of the butt end." When a special warning is meant, the butt is pointed toward the one following the trail and raised in a forked twig. If the butt of the twig were raised and pointing to the left, it would mean "Look out, camp, or ourselves, or the enemy, or the game we have killed is out that way." With some, the elevation of the butt is made to show the distance of the object; if low, the object is near. If raised very high, the object is a long way off.
But what did one do when finding themselves in a treeless areas such as grasslands or expanses of spartina, desert areas, or rocky regions? They used rocks, pebbles, sticks, and patches (tussocks) of grass.
 

Smoke Signals
To make smoke signals, a clear hot fire was made, then covered with green stuff or rotten wood so that it sent up a solid column of black smoke. By spreading and lifting a blanket over this smudge, the column could be cut up into pieces long or short.
Simple smoke codes:
One steady smoke -- “Here is the camp.”
Two steady smokes -- I am lost, come and help me.”
Three smokes in a row -- “Good news.”
Four smokes in a row -- “All are summoned to council.”

Signal by Shots
Buffalo hunters used a signal that is still used by the mountain guides.
Two shots in rapid succession, an interval of five seconds by the watch, then one shot; this means, "Where are you?"
The answer given at once and exactly the same means, "Here I am; what do you want?"
The reply to this may be one shot, which means, "All right; I only wanted to know where you were."
But if the reply repeats the first it means, "I am in serious trouble; come as fast as you can."
Cherokee Path in South Carolina
Before 1700, this famous Indian trail was followed by traders from Charleston, SC. There were two routes, one by way of the Cooper, Santee, and Congaree Rivers past present day Columbia. The other led to present day Augusta on the Savannah River, and headed north to meet the first route near Ninety Six, SC. 
In South Carolina, the path went by Forts Dorchester (Dorchester County), Pallachucolas (Jasper and Hampton counties), Moore (Aiken County), Ninety Six (Greenwood County), Rutledge (Oconee County), Prince George (Pickens county), and the Congarees (Lexington County).  French, German, and Scotch-Irish settlers travelled the eastern branch of the path. South Carolinians in 1756 hauled materials along the path over the mountains into Tennessee where they built Fort Loudoun on the Tellico River. Perhaps the largest archeological dig in the United States took place at Fort Prince George in 1967 revealing more information about life along the Cherokee Path.
Two British expeditions against the Cherokee followed this route in 1760 and 1761. Revolutionary heroes - Sumter, Marion, and Pickens - learned guerrilla fighting along the Cherokee Path.
The Great Trading Path
           Thousands of years ago, American Indians along the east coast established a system of paths and trails for hunting, trading and making war on other tribes. Most followed the migration paths of animals and along routes and fords across streams and rivers.
The Great Trading Path, or the Occaneechi Path, was one of many Indian trails in use when the English first explored the Carolinas backcountry during the late seventeenth century.
By the early to mid 1700s, the Trading Path provided European-American explorers and colonists a well-traveled route for settlement and trade. They traveled by foot, horseback, and wagon from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia and from South Carolina and Georgia.  The Trading Path became known as the Great Wagon Road because of this increased traffic. Following portions of the original path, the Great Wagon Road crossed Virginia into North Carolina. The route was not just one path, but many. One branch of the path led to Charlotte and another through the Waxhaws and on through Charleston, SC, and eventually to Augusta, Ga.

 

Sunday, February 24, 2013



Prayer

Prayer  ~ Webster’s defines it as a humble entreaty made to God. 




As Christians we learn from Jesus to make prayer a priority.

   He often withdrew to lonely places to pray. (Luke 5:16)
   He rose early in the morning and went to a solitary place to pray. 
                                                                               (Mark 1:35)
   He reminds us that we should always pray and not give up 
                                                                               (Luke 18:1) 
   He entreated believers to call out to Him day and night (Luke 18:7)
   He encourages us to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,    
        with thanksgiving present our requests to God. (Philippians 4:6)
   He assures us that He hears and answers our prayers.
                  (Matt 7:7,8  Matt 21:22  John 16:23,24   John  15:7   1st John 5:14,15)

Our response should be ~ to be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.  (1st Thessalonians 5:16-1)

Prayer can take a variety of forms; it might be done privately or with others, silent, or with words or song. Communication is essential for a healthy relationship with people and with God. Prayer is communicating with our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Savior. Some prayers come spontaneously from deep within; others may be inspired by the Holy Spirit and others may be prayers that have been passed down over the millennia. 

While I love to pray conversationally with God, I also appreciate the prayers of others. One of my favorites is the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis, a thirteenth century saint founded two religious orders; the Franciscan Order of monks and the Poor Clares, an order of nuns.   

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, 
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Michael Podesta print of
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi


Do you have any favorite prayers?

Friday, February 22, 2013

Tea Party for Rita Gerlach, C.J. Chase and Kelly Long and a Celebration of Washington's Birthday!

Welcome to our Tea Party in honor of Rita GerlachC.J. Chase, and Kelly Long, three amazing authors!

This is George Washington's birthday!

Come in and have a seat!  We have an assortment of teas that have come from the Netherlands!  And terrific desserts and sandwiches for our guests!


Rita Gerlach
Rita will give away one copy of a book of a reader's choice. Her titles are Surrender the Wind (stand alone)
From the Daughters of the Potomac series, book 1 Before the Scarlet Dawn, book 2 Beside Two Rivers, book 3 Beyond the Valley.

C.J. Chase
C.J. will be giving away a copy of "The Reluctant Earl" to one commenter.
C.J.'s dad would have been 75.  He died when he was only 40.

THE RELUCTANT EARL
Caught in the Act 

Alone in a gentleman's bedchamber, rummaging through his clothing-governess Leah Vance risks social ruin. Only by selling political information can she pay for her sister's care. And the letter she found in Julian DeChambrelle's coat could be valuable-if the ex-sea captain himself had not just walked in. 

As a navy officer, Julian knew his purpose. As a new earl, he's plagued by trivialities and marriage-obsessed females. Miss Vance's independence is intriguing-and useful. In return for relaying false information, he will pay her handsomely. But trusting her, even caring for her? That would be pure folly. Yet when he sees the danger that surrounds her, it may be too late to stop himself...



BEYOND THE VALLEY
Book 3 in the Daughters of the Potomac series
When Sarah's husband Jamie drowns, her young life if shattered and takes a turn that she never expected. Pregnant and now widowed, she reaches out to Jamie's family for help but they are unwilling. Instead they devise a plan to have her kidnapped. She is deceived and taken aboard a ship headed for the Chesapeake to be sold as an indentured servant, bound to unspeakable hardship and forced into the same harsh world she left.

Caught in the talons of servitude, she falls in love with a young conscientious doctor, Alex Hutton, who has arrived in Virginia to care for his widowed sister in law and two young nieces. Called back to serve in Washington's army, he promises he will return for her, gain her freedom and wed her. Yet other plans were made for Sarah when her bankrupt owner sells her. Will she make her way back to Alex and freedom as he searches for her? Or will her hopes be crushed at the hands of the man who deceived her long ago in Cornwall when she faced destitution?

Beyond the Valley is a delightful escape of adventure and romance and a sweeping saga of tragedy and hope that you won’t want to miss! (5 Stars)
MaryLu Tyndall, author of the Surrender to Destiny Series 

Review in RT Book Reviews Magazine - 4 stars
(Creating characters with intense realism and compassion is one of Gerlach's gifts. Her books typically involve dramatic situations, giving her characters a chance to rise above their adversity. Beyond the Valley is a shining example of that, reminding us that we are never forsaken. This is the third in the Daughters of the Potomac series. Sarah's character was introduced in the first novel, Before the Scarlet Dawn, and now she has her own heart-wrenching story that takes us from England to Virginia and Maryland. The historic setting is vividly descriptive, bringing the story to life, almost becoming a character unto itself. You may shed some tears, but you'll come away with deep contentment and satisfaction of a story well told.)

READ THE OPENING CHAPTERS FOR FREE: http://tinyurl.com/ang2ygn

Rita's website: http://ritagerlach.blospot.com

Reproduction pieces of George and Martha Washington's China

Kelly Long's "Threads of Grace" also just released from Thomas Nelson. We're giving away a copy of this book, choice of format (ebook only for international winners.)
Threads of Grace
Threads of Grace by Kelly Long

Come in on this wintry day, put your feet up to our virtual fire in the hearth,  and have a good old chinwag with us.  Note: Feel free to come "in character" if you wish, and tell us about where you are from! 

Question: Do you have a favorite tea and do you have a special colonial "treat" that you enjoy?

Four piece tea cup with strainer and cover.

Giveaways:  In ADDITION to the copies of Rita's, CJ's, and Kelly's books, we have some special tea for one of our readers and a lovely teacup from the Yorktown Victory Center museum!  Leave your email address.  

Note from Rita: In celebration of the release for Beyond the Valley, my publisher is offering Book 2, Beside Two Rivers, for free in Nook and Kindle today.
FREE IN NOOK -- http://tinyurl.com/afqtbze
FREE IN KINDLE --
http://tinyurl.com/au5mu73 

In some parts of the US it is very cold today. So sit by the fire with us, will you? For a proper tea here are two essential recipes.
 
Cream Scones Recipe & Video
http://www.joyofbaking.com/scones.html

Devonshire (Clotted) or Devon Cream
http://www.joyofbaking.com/DevonshireCream.html


Please feel free to ask the authors questions about their books, writing, or anything to liven the conversation. So glad we are all gathered here today.
 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Nathaniel Griffith

Outside Newport, RI January 1675

Ah, please excuse my breeches dear friends. And my new friends, I'm Nathaniel Griffith. Please, come quickly into my house. Take my musket and this quiver of arrows. There's bows behind the door.

What is my concern? The Plymouth Colony in November sent a colonial militia against the Narragansett tribe. 'Tis a shame, I say. We, in Newport, have always found the Narragansett to be a friendly people. Nonetheless, it has happened.

In December, the colonial force found the Narragansett fort not far from here. With men from Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (along with some Pequots and Mohicans), an attack was launched against the fort. Aye, it put all of us here in a fine mess. Many of the Narragansett people escaped, but face a winter with little food and shelter.

Which brings me to my breeches. I took supplies to those friends I'd made over the years. 'Twas midday, when I rode down a trail at a canter,  my chestnut mare as anxious as I to get home. Hearing some noise behind me, I looked over my shoulder and the next thing I knew I  sat upon the trail and not on me horse. It happened so quickly I had no time to know what hit me, but when I looked up I saw a rope strung across the trail at the height of a rider.

'Twas by the grace of God I escaped. My mare had stopped. No doubt, I'd yanked hard on her mouth when I'd been thrust from my seat. She stood looking at me, her head slightly tilted as though asking why I sat there and not on her back. I jumped to my feet and leapt upon her back then raced home.

As you saw when you joined me, I have just arrived home. No one pursued me, and I pray my goodwill toward the Indians will stay their anger against us. But I wish not to be caught unawares, nor do I wish to incite the militia against my friends. Many in Newport have taken in the wounded from that battle last month. Some of the wounded colonists from the north are heading home now. I fear, however, that this will not be the end of it.

What's this ye say? Ye must continue your journey? Have ye supplies? Aye, I thought not. I have a gelding who would make you a good pack animal. You may take him, and I will give you some of what we have, along with some arrows and two bows. I fear I have no ammunition to spare. I have not sufficient ammunition to protect ourselves through these months.

I wish you all Godspeed. Take care to stay out of the frozen swamp, for that is where many of the Narragansett warriors and their families fled.


Lynn Squire here,

When I was about eleven, I was up at our neighbor's farm playing cowboys and Indians. While galloping my sorrel mare away from said 'cowboys' (I was riding bareback and therefore an Indian) I looked over my shoulder and instantly found myself sitting on the ground. My horse had ridden under the clothesline, which hit me at chest level. When I landed on the ground I didn't know what had happened until (like Nathaniel) I looked up. Not until I had seen the line did I feel its sting.

At the time, I was rather embarrassed. What fool rides under a clothesline? But  now I chuckle whenever I think of it. Unfortunately, my mare was not as nice as Nathaniel's. She ran home without me!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Timothy Dwight IV ~ Academic, Educator, Theologian, Minister, Legislator, Author, Yale President


Timothy Dwight IV

Academic, Educator, Theologian, Minister,
Legislator, Author, Yale President


May 14, 1752January 11, 1817


Timothy Dwight IV was born in Northampton, Massachusetts to Timothy Dwight III, a farmer, merchant and Revolutionary War Major. His mother was Mary Edwards, the third daughter of renowned theologian Jonathan Edwards.

The oldest of twelve siblings, Timothy was a brilliant youngster and is said to have read the Bible by the time he was five years old and was teaching local Indians by the age of seven. Besides learning Latin and Greek, he met the Yale entrance requirements by the time he was eight, but waited to enter the college until he was thirteen. His long hours of study led to deteriorating eyesight and other health issues that plagued him throughout his life. He received his B.A. in 1769 and his M.A. in 1772.

Dwight served as rector of a grammar school for two years before returning to Yale to serve as a tutor from 1771-1777.  The year 1777 proved to be a consequential year for Dwight as during that year he was licensed to preach and was appointed as chaplain in the Connecticut Continental Brigade where he served with distinction. That same year he married Mary Woolsey, daughter of well connected banker and merchant Benjamin Woolsey. It was also in 1777 that his father died though news of it didn’t arrive until over a year later. In 1778 he resigned his commission and returned to Northampton, Massachusetts to support his mother and help raise his younger siblings. He also managed the family farms, preached, and established a coed school. During that period he also served two terms in the Massachusetts legislature.

Timothy Dwight began to draw public acclaim in 1776 while at Yale during an address when he noted the unique national identity of Americans as:



“people who have the same religion,
the same manners, the same interests, the same language,
and the same essential form and principles of civic government.”


 






Timothy Dwight IV by John Trumbull
In 1783 He became the minister of Greenfield Hill, a Congregational church in Fairfield, Connecticut.  He also established a highly respected and sought after academy. There he combated the ideology of Deism. His “Discourse on the Genuineness and Authenticity of the New Testament” became a powerful tool defending orthodox Christianity. 

He was elected as the President of Yale in 1795. During his tenure at Yale, he was credited with advancing Yale’s profile and academic scope. He taught classes, preached the Word of God, and was instrumental in bringing revival. It has been said that a third of the student body came to faith during this time and was part of the Second Great Awakening.

In addition to authoring books, Dwight also penned several hymns, one I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord, is believed to be the oldest hymn by an American still in common use.

Timothy Dwight IV died of cancer in 1817 and was buried in Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut.     

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Jacob Leisler, "I am ready. I am ready."

 Henry Sloughter signing Jacob Leisler's death warrant.
"I hope these my eyes shall see our Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven I am ready. I am ready." Jacob Leisler, May, 1691

"We are thoroughly wet with rain, but in a little while we shall be rained through with the Holy Spirit." Jacob Milborne, May 16, 1691 at his execution.

These two men died as traitors to the Crown of England. During the English Revolution of 1688, the people in New York were divided. Leisler befriended the Huguenots. And to keep them from being sold into slavery for being unable to pay their bills, he championed their cause in what would later be called Leisler's Rebellion. Jacob Leisler became the acting Lieutenant Governor in New York. A man truly before his time, Leisler summoned the first Intercolonial Congress in America in New York, May 1690. Their mission: to deal with the ongoing conflict with the Indians and the French.

When the rebellion ended, Leisler resigned his command to Governor Sloughter. The governor responded by arresting him along with others. After extensive trials, Leisler (along with Jacob Milborne and six other men) were convicted and sentenced to death.

Death will come. I know we don't want to think about it, but many will die today in accidents or from illness or from some other demise. We all have to face it. What a joy for those who have received salvation to be able to say, "I am ready. I am ready."

Our perspective tends to be limited to this present life, but God’s perspective encompasses all of eternity.
I've noticed that many of the Psalms open with the psalmist revealing sorrow and hurt in his life, but close with him determining to praise God. We should praise God always, for our hope lies not on the substance of this world but in our eternity in Heaven.

*What do you look forward to in Heaven?
  • Spending time with Jesus 
  • Worshiping God with the angels 
  • Not suffering anymore 
  • Getting rid of this ugly old body 
  • Not struggling against our flesh anymore 
  • Seeing people who have gone before us
  • And so much more. 
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3
What will be waiting for us in Heaven? A place just for you and a place just for me.
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Revelations 21:1-3 
 Who will we be with? We will be with God. How do you feel about that? Excited and maybe a little awed?
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Revelations 21:4-5
What will you not find in heaven? Death, sorrow, crying, pain, the former things.

What does God say He will do? Wipe away our tears, Make all things new.

What does that mean with respect to our sorrows we experience here on earth? They will no longer affect us, because they will have passed away. 
"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelations 21:6-8
Who will be in heaven? He that overcometh. That refers to those who are saved. We find the definition of this in Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.”

Who will not be in heaven? Sinners, those who are not saved—who are unbelieving. We have all lied. We’ve all been fearful and idolaters in some way. The difference between the two groups is that those who overcome go to heaven, and we see in Revelation 12:11 that it is through Christ that we overcome.
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelations 20:10
What happens to Satan? He is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.

After that, will he ever be able to torment another again? No.

To God be all glory and honor and praise.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. We have a hope that we must cling to—a hope that will help us endure to the end. And that hope is eternal life in the new heaven and new earth." 
Revelations 21:4 

* The following is used with permission from https://sites.google.com/site/joabsfire/bible-study?offset=10

Friday, February 15, 2013

New York State and the American Revolution--Part II

THE BATTLE OF ORISKANY
By Kathleen L. Maher

According to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation,
“Nearly one third of all the battles fought during the American Revolution were fought in New York State. The capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the Battles of Oriskany, Newtown and Saratoga are just a few of the major events that took place on New York soil.”

This is part two  in a four-part look at these important theaters in the war and New York’s vital role in our Nation’s Founding Struggle



To understand the Battle of Oriskany, one must appreciate the waterways and the mode of travel and trade through New York in the 18th century. The Mohawk Valley (see Mohawk River on above map) was incredibly fertile and considered a bread basket. New York offered lucrative opportunities for trade along its waterways: from New York City's harbor, up the Hudson River, west along the Mohawk River, a trader could make it almost all the way to the Great Lakes by canoe. At the end of Mohawk River, however, one would have to carry their canoe and goods for a short stretch to meet Wood Creek and continue on. This area of portage was called the Oneida Carry. It was this small parcel of land between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek that would become a hotly contested area between British, Iroquois and Patriot interests over who would control trade and control of the state.

An old British stronghold Fort Stanwix guarded the Oneida Carry, and in 1777 the New York patriots rebuilt it and manned it with 700 infantry, and renamed it Fort Schuyler. In nearby Oswego, loyalist General Barry St. Leger had a force of 800 plus another 800 Native Tories. St Leger was then ordered to move east to meet Bergoyne. Standing in the way was Fort Schuyler, and St. Leger prepared to lay siege. Patriot reinforcements came from the east, from Fort Dayton via General Herkimer and 800 of his troops. In early August, 1777 Joseph Brant, the famous Iroquois leader, led a party to intercept Herkimer. At the little Indian village of Oriska, an ambush lay in the dense woods and its steep ravine and creek--British commander John Butler's Rangers and Sir John Johnson's Greens waiting to strike the head of Herkimer's column while the Natives under Brant would attack the rear and flank.

Herkimer was supposed to wait for a signal (three reports from cannon) from the commander at Schuyler before moving in, but pressured to prove his mettle in a swift attack, he forged ahead of orders. His Oneida scouts sensing no threat, he marched 600 men into the ravine, plus several supply wagons, and as his rearguard began to follow, the attack came at them from all sides. 


"One of the most violent battles of the Revolutionary War occurred at Oriskany on August 6, 1777. It was the first time that Oneida warriors, who openly sided with the rebellious Americans, fought against other Haudenoshaunee warriors who allied themselves with the British."
so reads a plaque at the site of the Battle of Newtown.                                                                                        Oneidas at the Battle of Oriskany                                                                                            painting by Don Troiani 2005.


Blacksnake, a Seneca war chief, said this of the battle:
We met the enemy at the place near a small creek. They had 3 cannons and we none. We had tomahawks and a few guns, but agreed to fight with tomahawks and scalping knives. During the fight, we waited for them to fire their guns and then we attacked them. It felt like no more than killing a Beast. We killed most of the men in the American's army. Only a few escaped from us. We fought so close against one another that we could kill or another with a musket bayonet.... It was here that I saw the most dead bodies than I have ever seen. The blood shed made a stream running down on the sloping ground.


General Herkimer was shot through the leg and his horse killed, but he continued to lead the men. A fierce thunderstorm interrupted the battle, allowing a contingent of Patriots to slip away and attack the nearby British camps. Once the battle resumed, the Indian Tories abandoned the fight and went to the aid of their camp. Without their help, the British soon abandoned the fight, too.
The result of the battle was a draw. Out of 800 only 150 Patriots returned without major wounds. Herkimer didn't stop the siege, but by August 22, St. Leger ended it anyway. General Herkimer died of his wounds 11 days after the battle. The Oneida villages were sacked and given over to natives loyal to the rebel cause.

New York held a tentative peace as each side retreated in stalemate. More conflict was to come.


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Cinchona and the Colonies




“What is it?” he asked weakly.
“It is called Peruvian bark, Mr. Lowe. It has been blended with wine to make it easier to ingest.”
             Excerpt from The Road to Deer Run

The character of Daniel Lowe in the above-mentioned book was fortunate that Widow Thomsen was familiar with effective medicinals. She knew that this drug—Peruvian bark or cinchona—would be an effective treatment for the terrible symptoms that malaria could cause.



The wonderful discovery of Peruvian bark was truly a Godsend to the American colonists. Otherwise known as cinchona, the bark of this South American tree contained quinine. When added to wine, the alcohol allowed the substance to leach into the drink, producing a medicine that would treat the fever and chills of malaria.

The marshy lowlands throughout the thirteen colonies, but especially in the South, were filled with malaria-carrying mosquitoes. With a quick and painful bite to humans, these insects could spread a parasite that caused the dreaded malaria. The mosquitos were no respecter of class, as both wealthy and poor suffered greatly from the fever, headache, and chills that returned on a regular basis to malaria victims. The only advantage that the wealthy had was their ability to purchase escape from the lowlands where the mosquitoes thrived during the worst of the summer months.

Although cold winters could kill off mosquitoes every year, the northern colonies were not exempt from the disease. There were outbreaks of malaria in Massachusetts in 1634, 1647, 1650, and 1668. In 1775, Congress allotted $300 for quinine to protect George Washington’s troops from malaria.

When Brigadier General John Glover escorted the British prisoners of war out of Saratoga, New York, in 1777, he suffered from a “mysterious illness,” which caused chills, headaches, dizziness, and nausea, followed by high fever. Although he took the medicinal quinine, these attacks—assumed to be malaria by a researcher—continued as new parasites continued to grow in his bloodstream.

Some of the thousands of British prisoners on this trek under Glover had already suffered as well from the mosquito-borne disease. Once you had malaria, it was usually your life-long, unwelcome companion.

The earliest journal accounts of the medicinal qualities of Peruvian bark date back to the late 1500’s. The use of the “fever tree” bark was introduced into European medicine by Jesuit missionaries who brought the cinchona compound back to Europe in the early 1600’s.


The name “cinchona” has its own unique history. In 1638, the Countess of Chinchon, wife of the Viceroy of Peru, was suffering from waves of fever and chills that threatened her life. In the Viceroyalty of Peru, the court physician was summoned to treat her but all his efforts failed. He decided to administer medicine that he had obtained from the local Quechua Indians, who had been using the bark of this tree to treat similar symptoms. The Countess survived and legend says that she brought the cinchona bark back with her to Europe in the 1640’s.

Rawhide bag for cinchona bark, brought from Peru in 1777


The story was so well known that in 1742, botanist and physician Carl Linnaeus decided to name the tree “cinchona.” Linnaeus held the belief that every plant should have a name.

In order to be prepared for medicinal use, the bark of the cinchona tree is stripped off, dried, and powdered before being added to wine. The bark is also called Jesuit’s bark or Peruvian bark. As with many herbs that were used in colonial times, excessive doses could prove deadly.

(Above photo of bag used by permission of the London Science Museum, Science & Society Picture Library) Click on "permission" to view site.