Genealogy is often an entree into becoming a Revolutionary War buff. For southerners, much history was lost or forgotten during that pit of poverty and ignorance that ensued as a result of the so-called Civil War, and lasted nearly a century. So, it’s necessary to rediscover what was known and honored before that conflict. Many of mine went into the Civil War for the Confederacy, believing they were fighting Hessians, just as their grandfathers had fought.
Nearly every old original settler family in my area has an ancestor who fought at Guilford Courthouse, whether they’ve rediscovered it yet or not. All the Tories were routed and left the area, their properties seized and sold off. My direct paternal 4G was there at Guilford Courthouse, in Colonel Paisley’s Regiment. He was a dragoon, but had been injured on the instep by a roughshod horse, and was guarding horses at the rear. He was involved in several clashes with Tarleton’s forces elsewhere as well. Very colorful descriptions in the recounting for his pension application.
Revolutionary War pension applications are indeed a rich source for a perspective upon the conflict that you just don’t find anywhere else. It’s personal, seen from one man’s eyes, who was rarely all that influential or noteworthy, but an eyewitness nonetheless, with little reason to fabricate or provide an inaccurate representation. Piece these together, across multiple third, fourth and fifth great grandfathers (I have seven proved with five other likelies), and you get a very intriguing, very personal tale.
It appears that this author has done just that, and I applaud the effort. I live just ten miles north of Guilford Courthouse, and drive past it frequently. The public park surrounding it has wide, paved walking paths and trails that are very popular with the locals. Some areas of the park have that “feel” that you get from certain Civil War battlefields. I’ve often wanted to get my hands on an accurate map of the battle, to see just what occurred where.
Indeed, those pension applications have been an invaluable source of information; and a good place to start looking for a good battle map of Guilford Courthouse might be be here if you ever get up north.
I have an ancestor who was an officer in the Revolutionary War - from Virginia. (I am not much into geneology and don’t know all the details but some).
My mother belonged to an organization called “DAR” - Daughters of the American Revolution - because of this ancestor.
She never talked to me any about this group and I don’t even know if it’s still in existence. (She died 30 years ago).
But what got me really interested in the Revolutionary War era was when I first read a biography of George Washington - which I did - AFTER reading the wonderful 2 books by David Manuel and Peter Marshall (son of famous Presbyterian Preacher named Peter Marshall who was chaplain of the US Senate during WWII and the subject of the powerful movie called “A Man Called Peter”....Anyway those books were “The Light and the Glory” and “From Sea to Shining Sea.”
Those books FIRST opened my eyes to the LIES that had been fed me in my schooling about the founding of this country, especially about Washington, and about the Revolutionary War.
That led to me reading “Washington: The Indispensable Man” by Thomas Flexner and then “Washington” by Douglas Southall Freeman.
(Washington is my most admired American of all time).
Then, one of the networks aired a mini-series on Washington which was actually pretty well done (and can be purchased now) - this was in 1976 to celebrate the Bicentennial of our nation’s founding.
That led to me reading several of the excellent books out there on the history of the Revolutionary War.
Most Americans - especially the young - are so ignorant of the truth about Washington and our founding and the Revolutionary War (War for Independence) - that it is infuriating!
I am very grateful that the Homeschool movement and the Christian school movement has helped educate many more young people than would ever have gotten this vital information had they remained in the public propaganda institutions that brainwash most of our young.
Anyway - I’ve been to the Guilford Courthouse battlefield site and it was very moving to be there - as it was to be at the Yorktown battlefield site.