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| Greene Monument at Guilford Courthouse, NC |
Amongst the discussions surrounding the recent History Channel miniseries
“Sons of Liberty,” I saw disappointment expressed over the language used by
various characters. One poster responded, essentially, that they are human, they are
fallen. We may admire their deeds as founders of our country, but don’t think
for a moment that meant they were sinless.
However you feel about History Channel's politically correct portrayal of figures such
as Sam and John Adams, it’s true that many of the key players in the American Revolution were a mixed bag, morally. My last post was
devoted to deconstructing popular opinion on one of them, the infamous “Bloody Ban,” Banastre Tarleton of the British Legion, but truth is that so many men of
his time were neither half as evil nor half as righteous as popular history now
portrays.
One of the odd benefits of initially studying the Revolution from the
British perspective is that if there was any
dirty laundry on those of the Continental side, they would have aired it. It was interesting overall to see who
emerged as true men of honor, and who were ... not so much.
So I present you with a rough sketch of who, by admittedly my own
subjective eye, could be categorized as heroes ... and rogues ... and then out-and-out villains.
HEROES
First up is our revered first President, George
Washington. I was surprised—and quite relieved—that as bits of gossip surfaced
about other prominent men and women, none did regarding him. True, his past
isn’t entirely uncheckered ... there was one uncomfortable matter during the French & Indian War ... but
by the time the RevWar rolled around, the worst that could be found was
criticism regarding his accepting the position of Commander in Chief of the rebellion's armies. (King George shouldered his own share of criticism on the other side of the
pond, for engaging those pesky rebels to start with.) His relationship with
wife Martha was loving and constant, he did not drink or eat to dissipation,
and while he is recorded as resorting to mild profanity in a moment of extreme
frustration on the field of battle, well ... he was also human.
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| John Adams on left, Staten Is. Peace Conference |
Second was
John Adams. (Brother Samuel, somewhat of a hothead, could fall
into the category of rogue.) Though some have charged him with thinking a bit
too highly of himself, his faith—and his devotion to wife Abigail—shines strong
and authentic even from the accounts of his enemies. From Wikipedia:
Throughout this life, Adams was opposed to slavery, never owned a slave, and was quite proud of the fact.[4] After the Boston Massacre,
with anti-British feelings in Boston at a boiling point, he provided a
principled, controversial, and successful legal defense of the accused
British soldiers, because he believed in the right to counsel and the "protect[ion] of innocence".[5]
Third—and don’t shoot me for this—Charles Cornwallis, Earl of the realm
and general of the British army. This is a man around whom scandal is
conspicuously absent—whose devotion to his dying wife drew him home again to
England, with the war still in full swing, then grief for her drove him back,
just in time to head up the Southern Campaign in Henry Clinton’s wake. He found
the Carolina backcountry enchanting, and though shocked at the viciousness of
the partisan warfare shredding the very fabric of society, he endeavored
to tread the line between English gentleman, and general of the army whose job
it was to enforce order and loyalty to the Crown. Too bad he was so prone to
unwise decisions when it came to war strategy, especially his insistence in pushing
across North Carolina during the early spring of 1781 ... and I have to take points off for his calling in sick the day he was to surrender to Washington at Yorktown, and sending his second in command instead. Still, he was steps above being classed as a rogue or villain.
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| General Nathanael Greene |
Fourth—no mention of heroes would be complete with mention of Nathanael
Greene. General of the Continental forces after the complete rout of Gates
at the Battle of Camden, he was raised a Quaker but later was read out of
meeting for his interest in the militia and brewing revolt. Passionately and
unfashionably devoted to a wife around whom rumors and scandal swirled, but who despite everything went to amazing lengths to join her husband on the field, when she could. All that aside, Greene was famous for his cool under fire, his brilliance at strategy, his patience in completely wearing out the British army.
ROGUES
These are the ones who, on either side, might not have been perfectly honorable, but you couldn’t help admire their panache, or they
were considered darlings by their superiors. Yes, I believe Tarleton fits more
closely here than the last category, but he’s joined by ...
Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee—the Continentals’ counterpart to Tarleton.
Yes, really. He was quite the fire-eater, just as hotheaded as Ban Tarleton but
looked upon with a kinder eye because he was Washington’s “pet,” while Ban was the
favorite of Cornwallis. Consider the possible humor—and exasperation?—in the
tone of this note from General Washington:
The measure you
propose of putting deserters from our Army to immediate death would probably
tend to discourage the practice[, but] I think that the part of your proposal which
respects cutting off their heads and sending them to the Light Troops had
better be omitted. (July 9, 1779)
“Mad” Anthony Wayne, General of the Continental forces, so nicknamed for a slightly crazy but wildly successful night attack on the British in 1779. So did he, or did he not, have something going on with Caty Greene? We may never know. He was, despite gossip and rumors,
brave in battle and a devoted friend to the Greenes, present when Nathanael
died tragically after the war, and remaining a source of support for Caty.
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| John Andre, self portrait |
Daniel Morgan, another Continental general ... a crusty old veteran if there ever was one. Flogged once for punching an officer during the F&I War. Ignored Greene's orders to not engage Tarleton directly, but gave that lad a "devil of a whipping" at the battle of Cowpens. Among other things we know of him personally, there’s no record of a legal
marriage between him and the woman he considered his wife, and he suffered
in later years from severe sciatica in his back and legs. That alone might account for the crankiness.
John Andre ... another young, dashing figure—handsome, witty, talented British officer
who managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, captured by the
Continentals and hung as a spy. It’s reported that he went bravely to his
death.
VILLAINS
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| General Henry Clinton of the British |
Benedict Arnold, famed Continental officer turned traitor ... dude, we get that your father was a drunk and a
loser. We understand having the drive to better yourself. But letting jealousy
and envy drive you to betray men who loved and trusted you ... okay, maybe just
trusted, because personally speaking you were probably far too prickly to
inspire actual love. But you were never really respected by the other side,
either. Fail, good sir! Epic fail.
Henry Clinton, General of the British forces ... touchy, opinionated, sure that anything in the colonies
was at his personal disposal. Including, and maybe especially, his landlady. Guilty of constant criticism of his superiors (General Howe) and bickering with those under him (General Cornwallis), and giving not very good military advice at times.
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| Continental General, Charles Lee |
James Wemyss, officer of the British ... the one who most likely deserved the later hatred
focused on Tarleton. Maybe some of the wild tales surrounding him were merely
legend, as well, but some report that even Cornwallis, who gave the order to
subdue the rebel populace in South Carolina, disapproved of Wemyss’ unholy zeal
in carrying it out, and the methods he employed. (There is some evidence, as
well, that some of these tales belong rather to loyalist
Christian Huck, who
met his end at Williamson’s Plantation in South Carolina, after earning the
particular fury of the local Presbyterian population.)
And lastly, Continental general,
Charles Lee. (No relation to the Lees of Virginia.) Pompous, self-serving, constantly critical of Washington. Lee gave up all his holdings in England to throw in his lot with the revolution, and thought he deserved payment for it. (Washington agreed to serve for no pay, only having his expenses covered.) In fact, he'd expected Washington's job and didn't get it. So, he might have fought for the Patriot side, even though he wasn't American-born, but he didn't like anybody, and nobody really liked him.
Agree? Disagree? Anyone care to add to this very short list? :-)
All images from Wikipedia and/or public domain.
I'm so excited to offer my review of The Captive Heart, the brand-new colonial novel from Michelle Griep, whose interview I posted last month.
Both Samuel and Eleanor are survivors, facing down the
threat of war, betrayal, and divided loyalties that could cost them everything,
but this time they must face their biggest challenge ever ... love.