Posted on 08/28/2010 7:51:41 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel
I didn't see any comments about Glenn Beck's 1st words on his Friday TV show.
He talked about the "Black Robe Regiment", and said that Brits largely blamed churches/preachers for fomenting the Revolution.
Then he said as a result, when the Redcoats came here upon the war starting, they burned churches because of this. Then he said they even "locked up people inside and burned them".
This was a wild country even at that time ~ our Third Amendment prohibits the practice EXCEPT IN TIME OF WAR, which excused the Brits.
As far as burning churches down, there are instances of the Brits doing that, and in South Carolina they literally had a civil war going on with our people, patriots to the core, were up against OTHER civilians recently shipped in by the Brits ~ and all those old boys had bright red hair and gave no quarter.
For the most part the Brits did restrict themselves a bit and only burned down houses, barns and other buildings when there were suspected rebels inside ~ and when it came to churches, there's one instance of the scene shown in "The Patriot" ~ but, of course, there should have been none of that at all.
They, too, do American Revolution re-enactments, but from the "other side".
I am trying to think where I read it -— it was a church in northern South Carolina -— and I think one of my ancestors was in the church. Or at least a woman of the same last name. In Draper’s ‘the Battle Of King’s Mountain’ perhaps? If i can find it later today I will let you know.
I did indeed mention “the Patriot” in my comments. That’s part of what concerned me.
And being a casual student of the RevWar and the period, I’m pretty aware of how raw it could be. But not quite as bad as others think of it. There were “rules” generally, and often they were followed. I would never say overall they’d be at the level of a Moslem worldview, e.g. Yes, there was butchery, but not as a policy.
There was simultaneously an Iroquois civil war going on with the Oneida versus most of the rest, and the Oneida were American allies.
I cried when the tribal historian sent me the detailed history of the Oneida claims made to the United States. They'd lost over half their people, and 3/4 of their warriors. Virtually every plough, harness or other item useful in this world, right down to iron pots, had been seized by the Brits.
Then, every building had been burned to the ground, and women and children were regularly bayoneted and tortured (by the Brits).
Why did we let these Brits evacuate to New Brunswick when there were perfectly good deep waters not too far away where they could have been dropped.
Next time, no more Mr. Nice Guy.
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I think the scene from “The Patriot” was based on fact and Beck used that fact, not the other way around.
The British were merciless.
1
'In that six day period the British set the towns of New Haven, Fairfield, Westport and Norwalk ablaze. At least five (5) churches, two hundred ninety-five (295) houses, one hundred fifty-three (153) barns and a significant number of stores, shops, mills and vessels were torched by British troops.'
2
May 25, 1778 at Bristol, Rhode Island - On May 25, a British raiding party entered the town of Bristol. They destroyed 22 dwellings and a church.
3
First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown Monument-During the Revolutionary War, the church became an arsenal and barracks and a meeting place for the Patriots. British troops destroyed the parsonage and storehouse in early June, 1779 and burned the church to the ground shortly after. After the war, a second church was built in 1785. There is a monument in front of the church, celebrating the all-black First Rhode Island Regiment, which figured prominently in the British raid in Yorktown in 1779.
This is what I remember:
The Patriot ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Py2LZNb79Q Video “Burn the Church, Captain”
http://www.constitution.org/col/the_patriot.htm
Richard Holmes - Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket..
The redcoats are coming! The redcoats are coming! Everybody knows who the redcoats were: brutal, ill-disciplined troops, led by aristocratic sadists, the storm-troopers of the 18th century who massacred the Scots at Culloden, and who burnt heroic American patriots to death in their churches.
In Britain the redcoats have had a bad press for almost a century, in part because of their depiction in a series of comic strips printed in The Beano and the The Dandy hugely popular comic papers published by D. C. Thompson & Co., of Dundee (in Scotland). The strips portrayed the heroic Scots continually outwitting the brutal, stupid, cowardly redcoats in the guerilla war fought after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army. Evidence for the success of that campaign is the presence on the British throne of our current king, King James XIV, of the House of Stewart. The risible film, The patriot propagated other lies about British troops in America. Perhaps the worst lie of all was that redcoats were easy to kill (and by little Mel Gibson!)
Military stores set up in church..burned after drinking and looting riot by British -Danbury CT
http://www.skyweb.net/~channy/danraid.html
Please accord me a little respect. 1st by reading my posts in full, then by holding the sarcasm, which doesn’t help, even if I WAS a RevWar illiterate. I’m asking a simple question hoping to get good answers (Beck did not supply any sources in his 1st minutes - no, I haven’t yet watched beyond 15 min of it). I don’t want to pump myself up, but it IS a hobby of mine and I have read much more on the period/war than your average Joe, never mind “seen” much more.
I am NOT anti-Glenn Beck. I record his show every day and watch it. I love him, but I’m afraid he’s getting a little loose with the facts. That does not help any cause.
Started with his all-too-brief “Indian” episode the other week. He brought up startling info about Hebrew-type etchings on stones found in Indian burials, etc. I thought very interesting - I know about zilch about Indians. I went here and the Glenn Beck thread had people denouncing those stones - they’ve been discredited, found frauds, it’s a Morman thing, etc. Not good.
Now he mentions something with which I’m unfamiliar in a period I know something about. It made me question it.
I only just started watching the 8/27 show this morning. I haven’t seen it whole yet, but I’ve seen all other shows except I may have missed a Friday a few weeks ago. Are you saying he actually sources such comments?
What I find sad are all the people on here condemning Beck and saying he made this up when many posts provide links to stories of churches being burned by the British or actual quotes.
I have a relative who loves to say “Beck is a liar” but refuses to give one example.
May he is a liar. But show me an example and prove it.
‘They, too, do American Revolution re-enactments, but from the “other side”.’
Lots of people here do “the other side” - mostly they’re called “The British Brigade”. ;-)
The way you questioned Beck in your very first comment was a clue. If you don’t want criticism or sarcasm, don’t make a charge without something to back it up. You selected a subject that you obviously follow as a “hobby” while many of us are History majors.
And I knew the Mormon thing would surface eventually. Get past the religious thing.
And no, I am not a Mormon, nor am I a Mitt Romney supporter. I am however a defender of Glenn Beck to state his points of view since no one else in the media has the backbone to take on the subjects that he does.
Glenn Beck is going to have the same effect on the 2010 mid-term elections as Rush Limbaugh did in 1994.
What did I say about Beck that was so controversial about?
I brought up the Mormon thing (and I am OK with Mormons - stop assuming, and get over it, as you would say) because someone said it’s part of Mormon “mythology” to think Indians had connection with Hebrews. It’s not my fault - that was what some people said.
I don’t care if you are a history (of what?) major - stop acting like an arrogant jerk and looking down on those of us who aren’t with your snarky comments. Answer the question directly in an informative way, as some people have tried, right or wrong.
I did not intend sarcasm and I apologize if I gave that impression.
It’s just that there’s some built-in skepticism on FReepers about Glenn Beck’s tendency toward drama. That said, I did not previously recall the British perceiving preachers as disloyal or their churches as hotbeds of rebellion.
BTW, I have done RevWar living history since 1978 in the 2nd Regiment, South Carolina Line. Binastre Tarleton is reviled to this day in S.C., especially in the Piedmont where his depredations were on the scale of scorched earth destruction.
The dragoon commander in “The Patriot” was probably understated in viciousness compared to the real Tarleton.
Heck, they were just practicing for burning down Portugal
I didn’t intend to be “snarky” or “arrogant” but you posted a vanity post and make it look like Glenn Beck made a false claim. You were shown multiple sources with your answer.
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