Here's the story of the massacre.
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list
Posted on 11/26/2012 5:20:41 PM PST by Coleus
RIVER VALE — At the 234th commemoration on Monday of the Baylor Massacre, it was easy to see how New Jersey earned the nickname Crossroads of the Revolution. River Vale Historian Ed Moderacki wears a British infantry uniform as he helps Lincoln Schefter of Hackensack hold a musket at the site of the Baylor Massacre.
The site, along the banks of the Hackensack River near Red Oak Drive, played host to a skirmish that took place in the middle of the night on Sept. 28, 1778, in which 54 soldiers from the rag-tag Continental Army were killed, captured or wounded, said Ed Moderacki, the township historian who was dressed as a British soldier for the event.
But the story of the Baylor Massacre continues into the late 20th century: In 1967 the bodies of six of the dead, soldiers from Virginia, were discovered during an archaeological dig on a tract of land that had been set aside for a housing development.
“How do we know these men weren’t just bodies dumped by the mob in the 1930s?” Moderacki asked the assembled crowd of around 40 people, a mix of children, their parents and curious adults. “From the buttons and buckles found with the bodies, we were able to identify one of the soldiers,” he said.
John Muller, director of Fort Lee Historic Park, was also on hand to deliver some lessons from the past, though he was dressed as an American soldier. “The important thing is that we aren’t doing a reenactment, and we don’t glorify war,” he said, holding up an 18th century pistol. “It was a terrible bloody thing. What we’re talking about is history, and the best way to talk about history is from artifacts.”
The lesson was not lost on Larissa Schefter, 11, of Hackensack, who is homeschooled. “I’m one of those people who likes artifacts, and I think they’re beautiful,” she said. “I liked learning that it’s not about the sword or death, it’s about how people lived.”
Muller said he was pleased by the turnout. “It restores my faith in people,” he said. “Who’s going to tell the stories for the next group of people if you don’t keep telling them? When you study things and other things, remember that the whole world isn’t Williamsburg, it’s not all clean and tidy like it is down there.”
Grace Heck, 10, a Hillsdale resident, who is also homeschooled, liked learning about New Jersey’s role in the Revolution. “It makes me proud to know that something happened here,” she said. “American history isn’t my favorite though.”
Moderacki, who boasted of New Jersey’s role in turning the tides of the war, summed up the importance of the event. “People should remember that the sacrifice was made by the soldiers as part of the sacrifice made by Americans even before the Revolution, that they were continuing the ideas of the Founding Fathers,” he said.
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Baylor, Waco, Massacre.
The British commander, Charles “No Flint” Grey ordered his men to go in with no flints on their muskets and using only bayonets, the same tactic he used successfully at the Battle of Paoli.
From the thread’s title, one might have thought this was about the recent Baylor-Kansas State game. Baylor University is named for a great-nephew of Col. George Baylor, the Revolutionary officer whose unit was overrun.
Something peculiar about this year is that the article was written by a daughter of Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.
I note Ms. Schlossberg quotes two homeschooled students in her report on the commemoration. (I doubt Ms. Schlossberg sought them out for any special attention ... more likely she latched onto them because they were the only students attending. )
The prisoners from the massacre were interrogated at the Reformed Church in Tappan, NY by Maj. John Andre. After Andre's capture as a spy in Tarrytown, NY, Gen. George Washington staged Andre's espionage trial in the same church were he conducted his interrogations of Baylor's men. Andre was hanged down the street from the church on the Tappan NY, Northvale NJ border.
I’m watching revisionist WW Two History as told by Oliver Stone on Showtime. Suddenly, they move to re-hab Communist agent and two-time Roosevelt VP Henry Wallace. Of course, Oliver and company have their own agenda! No?
I think the Baylor Massacre got re-enacted last week vs Kansas State.
Here's the story of the massacre.
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list
Here's the story of the massacre.
The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list
Wow. I never knew any of this and I grew up around there and love Revolutionary War History. I thought Andre was beloved by Continentals who petitioned Washington not to hang him. Love Washington even more now
Brits were too afraid to come out and fight during the day.
thanks for the info. I wouldn’t have put the 2 together.
Andre was well liked by some of Washington’s officers, and the intention was to exchange him for American prisoners. However, Andre’s snobbishness led to his demise. He couldn’t help himself in writing insulting letters to Washington during his captivity. Just when Washington was starting to listen to his officers, Andre would rifle off another letter to Washington that was insulting in tone to the General.
Wow, I’ll add that to my RW trivia list. Thanks! You learn something new on FR every day.
Bttt
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Thanks Coleus, and long time no hear from.
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