Maine: home to Olympia Snow and Susan Collins: motto: "Proud to be consistently wrong."
Dudley Saltonstall was placed in the stocks with a pair of bloomers on his head.
Subsequent winners of the Sit'n'stall Award include George McClellan.
May 10, 1779
Benedict Arnold begins his treason
Embittered because the Continental Congress was slow in recognizing his achievements between 1775-1777 and charged with abusing his authority while in command of Philadelphia, Arnold opens negotiations with Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander in New York.
May 23, 1779
Benedict Arnold provides the British with information
Arnold provides Clinton with intelligence so that he can formulate his plans against Washington’s Continental Army. This also provides Clinton with evidence of Arnold’s sincerity
Benedict Arnold spied on America for Clinton--who was Sandy Berger spying for?
Suffice it to say that on the 26th of June the Yankee marines made a successful landing, capturing some cannon and ammunition, mounted a battery, and caused a precipitate retreat of the enemy, while the naval forces under Commodore Saltonstall exhibited a remarkable indisposition to assume the offensive and supplement the work of the soldiers on land. The commodore, indeed, seemed deliberately bent on keeping the fleet as far as possible out of danger,--- a course which filled both the land forces and Saltonstall’s own men with supreme disgust.
A council of war was held on board the brig Hazard August 7, at which the question was discussed as to whether the siege should be continued. It was voted to continue, Revere being one of eight and Commodore Saltonstall another who voted in the negative. Revere decided to file a record of his reasons for this vote, and he was allowed to do so in connection with the official report made of the proceedings. He offered this defence of his course:
“1. Gen. Lovell says that he is not able to reduce the Enemy with what Troops and Stores he has got.
“2. That under present circumstances it is best to take post to the westward to hinder the Enemy going any further.
“3. That six Captains of ships give as their opinion that they cannot keep their men but a few days longer.
Four days later another council of war was held, at which, as a result of that day’s experience, it was unanimously voted that with the force then on hand it would be impossible to hold a post in the rear of the enemy’s fort, and, at the same time, the lines as then drawn up.
Three reasons were given for this decision: that “our Force is not sufficient to take Possession of the ground; our Numbers are not able to do Duty after taken for one week; the great want of Discipline, and Subordination.” “Many of the Officers,” it was said, “ being so exceedingly slack and ignorant of their Duty,--- the Soldiers averse to service --- And the wood in which we are Incamped so very thick, that on an alarm on any special occasion, nearly one-fourth part of the Army are Skulked out of the way, and concealed.: Truly a spectacle of disgraceful incompetence and temerity if not downright cowardice!
But fortunately for the reputation of Yankee valor and self-respect the dark picture has its bright spots. Not all of the subordinate officers were dead to shame; and thirty-one of Saltonstall’s staff drew up a round-robin, in which, after commenting on the importance of the expedition and their own desire to render all the service in their power, they said: “ We think Delays in the present case are extremely dangerous: as our Enemies are daily fortifying and strengthening themselves, & are stimulated so to do being in daily Expectation of a Reinforcement. We don’t mean to advise, or censure your past conduct, But intend only to express our desire of improving the present opportunity to go Immediately into the Harbour & attack the Enemy’s ships.”
But Saltonstall was not moved. He effected to concede the desirability of an immediate attack, but he found obstacles which he had not the courage to confront and overcome, and so the sea attack was never made. But it was at length decided, as the result of another council of war on board the Warren, participated in by land and naval officers, Revere being of the number, that a body of troops should be landed on the peninsula and, if possible, the heights scaled, and a permanent foothold secured upon the bluffs.
In the early morning of the 28th this was done, and the exploit was a brilliant success. No protective works had been erected at this point by the British, but some three hundred troops had been posted on the precipice and opened a sharp fire upon the Americans as soon as the latter’s boats struck the beach.
General Lovell, in his Diary, says of it: “When I returned to the Shore it struck me with admiration to see what a Precipice we had ascended, not being able to take so scrutinous a view of it in time of Battle, it is at least where we landed three hundred feet high, and almost perpendicular, & the men were obliged to pull themselves by the twigs & trees. I don’t think such a landing has been made since Wolfe.” Lovell reported the American loss at fifty killed and twenty wounded, and three wounded, besides the loss of eight prisoners.
Following this exploit there were various engagements of no consequence on the part of the military, while Commodore Saltonstall remained practically idle and deaf to repeated urgings to storm the fort and destroy the few ships of the enemy, which he might readily have done at any time. He only offered excuse after excuse for his continued delays and inactivity.
General Lovell, exasperated beyond further endurance at Saltonstall’s pusillanimous conduct, finally determined to resort to independent means of attacking the enemy’s vessels. On the 3rd day of August he sent General Wadsworth to erect a land battery opposite the British anchorage, with which, if possible, to drive away the hostile ships.
But the distance of the battery from the target was a mile and a quarter, the fire would not carry, and the attempt had to be abandoned. “It is all the army can do,” wrote General Lovell in his journal.
On the 11th he again addressed a note to the commodore, saying: “I mean not to determine on your mode of attack, but it appears to me so very impracticable, that any further delay must be infamous; and I have it this moment, by a deserter from one of their ships, that the moment you enter the harbor they will destroy them, which will effectually answer our purpose…. I feel for the horror of America, in an expedition which a nobler exertion had, long before this, crowned with success; and I have now only to repeat the absolute necessity of undertaking the destruction of the ships or quitting the place.”
These pleadings proved as unavailing as former ones. The commodore was obstinate; he was determined not to risk any damage to his vessels, and many of the captains shared in his point of view, since most of the ships were private property, and there was, moreover, but little prospect of prize-money to offset possible losses. But since Commodore Saltonstall had from the outset insisted that the army should attack the fort before the fleet should enter the harbor, General Lovell made up his mind to assume the responsibility of moving against the enemy, trusting to Saltonstall’s co-operation when the crises was forced. This was a hazardous undertaking, simultaneous action by the fleet being essential to its success.
But Lovell had no sooner brought his troops to a point where he might operate with advantage on the fort than the commodore sent word of the appearance in the harbor of strange vessels which, he had discovered, flew the British flag! Nothing more was necessary to transform his inertia and crass temerity into genuine cowardly panic. He immediately deserted the cause of the army on shore, left the troops at the mercy of the enemy’s guns in the forts, and, hoisting anchor, beat a speedy retreat in good order and without loss.
Saltonstall’s disgraceful desertion rendered it foolhardy for the army to remain longer on shore, and so, dismantling the batteries which had been erected at such sacrifice and effort, the troops boarded the transports, and, within a dozen hours from the first sounding of the alarm, the whole expedition was on its way up the river.
One more effort was made by General Lovell, even then, to induce Commodore Saltonstall to make at least a stand against the enemy, but in vain. Conternation and confusion prevailed thenceforth. A stiff breeze carried the ships of war past the transports, leaving the troops on the latter helplessly exposed to the now rapidly advancing British vessels.
It was inevitable that the Americans, unless they took hot foot, should fall bodily into the enemy’s hands. Accordingly “nothing was thought of by the crews but as speedy escape as possible to the shore, and hardly an attempt was made to save anything. Some were run on shore, some anchored, some abandoned with all sails set, and most set on fire. Officers were dispatched by General Lovell to the shore to collect and take charge of the troops; but so great was the panic, so convenient the woods and the approaching night, that but a few could be found; the greater part, thinking that nothing further was expected of them, made the best of their way, singly or in squads, towards the Kennebec, where the most of them arrived after nearly a week’s fatigue, suffering greatly from exposure and hunger, some of them tasting no food for several days.” The British commander Sir George Collier, though he appreciated the fact that the provincial forces occupied the strategical advantage and possessed superior numbers as ell, could not also fail to perceive that his enemy was panic-stricken. Made of better stuff han his Yankee opponent, he at once opened fire. The effect of his boldness was at once seen. Such vessels as the Americans did not permit him to capture they blew up or set fire to. Lieutenant-Colonel Revere, in command of the artillery and the ammunition stores on board the ordnance brig, had already gone ashore at Fort Pownal, but the deserted brig managed to get clear of the rest of the fleet and made her way for several miles up stream before being overtaken; then she was burned with all her stores. “To attempt to give a description of this terrible Day,” wrote General Lovell, “is out of my power. It would be a fit Subject for some masterly hand to describe it in its true colours, to see four Ships, Transports on fire, Men of War blowing up, Provisions of all kinds, every kind of stores on Shore (at least in small quantities) throwing about, and as much confusion as can possibly be conceived.”
Lovell made his way up the river, quieted the Indians, who were becoming restless, settled the military affairs of the province of Maine as well as circumstances would permit, and then returned to Boston, arriving there about September 20. So great was the chagrin and excitement caused by the failure of the expedition that the General Court had already ordered an investigation. On September 9 a court of inquiry was appointed: General Ward was president of the court, and on October 7 a report was made very properly attributing the disaster to a “want of proper Spirit and energy on the part of the Commodore” and to his “ not exerting himself at all at the time of the retreat in opposing the enemy’s formost ships in pursuit” The report completely exonerated Generals Lovell and Wadsworth, and commended them for the exhibition of great courage and spirit.
A warrant for a court-martial to try Commodore Saltostall was issued September 7.
FReepers Doctor Raoul and kristinn held signs outside the 911 Commission meeting. The former held the classic "If Osama Were A Piece of Ass Clinton Would've Nailed Him" while the latter held the au courant "Jail Sandy Burglar".
I have seen today the video clip of former Senator Bob Kerrey rushing over to these two chaps and demanding their names, calling them @$$holes, puffing himself up in an-inflata-thug stance--
When Doctor Raoul removed his sunglasses and leaned into the hot air with an unflinching countenance--
Whereupon The Psychopathic Killing Machine threw it in reverse and whooshed into the building, all with his two blue-suited bookends--
Quite a display of fascist street tactics thwarted by two American citizens who would not cower before another blustering doyouknowwhoiam.
Kerrey: 'So Am I, (Expletive)' (New video of freep of Sen. Bob Kerrey.)
