The FReeper Foxhole Profiles General Hugh Mercer - October 16th, 2004

see educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

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General Hugh Mercer



General Hugh Mercer helped shape American history. His father, Reverend William Mercer, took over the charge of Pitsligo Parish Church in 1720 at the age of 26. He, assisted by his wife Ann Monro, breathed new life into Rosehearty and the parish. In fact the fisherfolk took a great interest in this new minister's evangelical style and the attendance rose dramatically.

In 1726 Ann gave birth to a son, whom they called Hugh. The child was christened in the manse of Pitsligo by his uncle, then minister at Forgue. At the age of 18 this lad graduated from Marischal college as a doctor.

That was in 1744 and the following year young Mercer was drawn by the excitement of the exiled Stuart returning to take back his throne. Fired with an emotional drive at the prospect of a successful Jacobite cause Mercer became an assistant surgeon in the Prince's army.

Ironically, Hugh's grandfather Sir Robert Monro was a commander in the Hanovarian army.

His mother Ann was torn asunder. Her father was in the King's army and now her son had joined the rebel forces. Both parents were angered and bitterly opposed his actions but he went just the same. He never forgot the horrific butchery he witnessed at Culloden and these memories had a staggering effect on the youthful doctor.

In 1747 he left for America where he carried on his profession. He became an Indian fighter and the legends began to grow. When Colonels Hugh Mercer and George Washington met for the first time they bonded a friendship that endured till the end. Promotion came fast for both men. Douglas Freeman, an important military biographer, wrote in his work on Washington, that Brigadier General Hugh Mercer's magnitude was such that have been Washington's superior.

In 1761, on the advice of Washington, Hugh opened an apothecary shop in Fredericksburg - It has been preserved to his memory. American history began to take shape in a backroom within that building, as George Washington, now commander-in-chief of the revolutionary forces, appointed Mercer as one of his four generals in June 1776. The American War of Independence began.



However, he died the same cruel death as his Highland comrades at Culloden when, on the 12th of January 1777, nine days after he stood rallying his troops at the ferocious battle of Princeton, the British bayonet ended his life with a painful thrust under his left arm; but he had already carved a far greater legend that lives on In his adopted country to this very day.

The freedom he fought for is the USA and succeeding generations of his family have kept up his fight for justice. General George Smith Patton was one of them. Known as "old blood and guts", this fearless general was renowned for a quick temper and was outspoken when he saw cause for it. His determination earned him the reputation as America's best commander of armed forces in history.



Hugh Mercer's father and mother are buried at Rosehearty cemetery close by the church William served so well for 47 years. Little did they know their son, whom they thought had brought disgrace, would bring great honour as one of America's greatest generals.

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[snippy_about_it]

General Hugh Mercer: Highland Rebel and Hero of the American Revolution



By Jeffrey Edmunds, CRRL Staff --3/28/02

As proud as this region is of its connections to General George Washington, he was not its only Revolutionary War hero. Virginians from the Rappahannock Valley bled on battlefields from Canada to Georgia, and covered themselves with glory. Hugh Mercer's memory is especially deserving of recollection and respect.



Scottish Rebel

Hugh Mercer was born in 1726 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He came from a long line of Presbyterian clergymen, and his father was the minister of Pitsligo Parish Church. For four years he studied medicine at Marischal College, today a constituent part of the University of Aberdeen.

In 1745 "Bonnie Prince Charlie" landed in Scotland to reclaim the throne lost by his grandfather in 1688. The Prince assembled an army, and it appeared for a time that he might actually topple his hated Hanoverian rivals in London. Nineteen-year-old Hugh Mercer enthusiastically joined the Prince's cause as an assistant surgeon, only to see it collapse. The end came at Culloden Moor on April 16, 1746, with the bloody crushing of the Prince's army by the soldiers of King George II.

Now a hunted rebel, Mercer fled back to Aberdeenshire where he lived in hiding for almost a year. His life and liberty were in danger every moment. In March 1747 he finally managed to buy passage on a ship to the New World and left Scotland forever.

Pennsylvania Indian Fighter

Mercer arrived in Philadelphia in May 1747, then drifted west, seeking refuge in the rough Scots-Irish settlements of the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. There he settled down, on the edge of the wilderness, and spent eight years quietly practicing medicine. In fact, he was the first physician to practice in what is today Franklin County, PA.

The outbreak of the French and Indian War in the early 1750s put an end to his rustic existence. When the British launched a major expedition into the wilds of westernmost Pennsylvania in July 1755 under Gen. Edward Braddock, they were unexpectedly defeated. Shocked by the scope of the disaster, Mercer rushed to offer his skills to the survivors, and soon thereafter took up arms himself. He was commissioned a captain of the Pennsylvania Regiment in March 1756.

French and Indian raiders ravaged the frontier until August 1756, when John Armstrong and Hugh Mercer led the Kittanning Expedition. In this daring and dangerous raid they wiped out the most notorious of the scalpers' base-camps. Mercer was shot in his right arm during the raid, and almost taken by the enemy. For their triumph, the City of Philadelphia awarded silver medals to Armstrong and Mercer.



Now something of a hero, Mercer spent the next five years helping the British successfully subdue all of western Pennsylvania. He rose to the rank of Colonel, and was trusted at various times with the command of garrisons at Ft. Pitt (modern Pittsburgh, PA), Ft. Augusta, and Venango.

He was finally mustered out of the service in January of 1761. He was a civilian again, but he was also thirty-five years old, with no money, no family, and no fixed roots.

Fredericksburg Physician

Mercer had come to know and respect many Virginia soldiers during the course of the war -- most importantly, George Washington. When the war ended, Mercer opted to start life anew in Washington's boyhood home town of Fredericksburg.

He arrived in early 1761, and flourished as a physician. His many patients included Mary Washington, George Washington's mother. By 1771 he had opened his own apothecary shop somewhere near the intersection of Amelia and Caroline Streets.

The fourteen years he lived in Fredericksburg were good years. He married Isabella Gordon, daughter of a prosperous Scots tavern-keeper, and fathered five children. According to one local historian the family home at 1105 Princess Anne Street still stands as a private residence, though much modified. Mercer's friends included many of the local gentlemen, and future Patriot leaders. He joined Fredericksburg's Masonic Lodge in 1767, and eventually served it as master. Though raised Presbyterian, he joined Fredericksburg's Anglican church, St. George's, and served on its vestry. He bought Ferry Farm from the Washingtons in 1774, although he never resided there, and speculated in western lands.


Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop: The Official APVA Site

American Revolutionary Soldier

When the American Revolution began Hugh Mercer was universally recognized as a man fit for military command because of his experiences in the French & Indian War. He played a key role in Fredericksburg's response to the Powder Crisis of 1775, and in the activities of the local Independent Company.

He commanded the 3rd Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line from its creation in December 1775 until his promotion to the rank of brigadier general in June 1776. If for nothing else, his place in history would be assured by his role in the famous Battle of Trenton. He may or may not have exclusively originated Washington's daring plan to cross the Delaware River and surprise the Hessians -- that is still debated -- but he certainly distinguished himself in its execution. He was also in the thick of the action at the Second Battle of Trenton, fought on January 2, 1777.


Where Mercer Fell: The Legendary Mercer Oak

On January 3, 1777, while commanding a brigade at the Battle of Princeton, soldiers of His Majesty's 17th and 55th Regiments of Foot mortally wounded Mercer. Refusing to surrender, although cornered on the field, he was bayoneted a dozen times or more. After lingering for nine days he succumbed on January 12, 1777. The heroic circumstances of his death made him something of a martyr to the cause of independence, and rightly so.


Where Mercer Died: The Clarke House, Princeton NJ

In Memoriam

Mercer was buried in Philadelphia's Christ Church Burial Ground. In 1840, at the instigation of the local St. Andrew's Society, he was moved to the prestigious new Laurel Hill Cemetery, where he lies today under an imposing monument. A photograph of that monument may be found on the Find-A-Grave web site listed below.

The Clarke House, in which he died, is preserved on the grounds of the Princeton Battlefield [NJ] State Park. The sword he carried onto that battlefield is a treasured relic of Philadelphia's St. Andrew's Society.

Counties named in his honor are found in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky and Illinois. The town of Mercersburg, PA, birthplace of President James Buchanan, is named for him.

He is remembered in Fredericksburg by, among other things, a bronze statue erected on Washington Avenue in 1906, the memorial apothecary shop, two streets, and an elementary school.

The St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia erected a second statue of Hugh Mercer in 1970. It stands at Red Bank on the Delaware River, south of Camden, NJ, near the site of a Revolutionary War fort named in Mercer's honor.

Mercer's Original Burial Place: Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, PA

Mercer's Burial Place Since 1840: Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia PA

Mercer's Sword: St. Andrew's Society, Philadelphia, PA


The General Hugh Mercer Monument: Fredericksburg, VA

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:

www.rosehearty.co.uk/history/mercer.htm
www.historypoint.org/columns2.asp?column_id=476&column_type=hpfeature
www.kidport.com/.../ PrincetonBattle.htm

[snippy_about_it]

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[snippy_about_it]

Here are the recommended holiday mailing dates for military mail this year:

For military mail addressed TO APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Parcel Post - November 13
• Space Available - November 27
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - Mailing date is December 11 to all locations
  • EXCEPT for locations starting with ZIP 093. For all locations starting with ZIP 093 the mailing date is December 6.
• Express Mail - December 20 to locations where Express Mail service is available. Check with your local post office to determine which APO/FPO addresses can receive Express Mail. Note: This service is not available to ships.

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For military mail FROM APO and FPO addresses, the mailing dates are:

• Space Available - November 20
• Parcel Airlift - December 4
• Priority Mail, First Class cards and letters - December 11
• Express Mail - December 18 from APO/FPO addresses where Express Mail can be accepted. Check with your local military post office to determine if they can accept Express Mail. Note: This service is not available from ships.

Thanks for the information StayAt HomeMother

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul

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[SAMWolf]

Someone I was uniformed about. Thanks Snippy.

Good Night.

[snippy_about_it]

And now you know. :-)

Good night Sam.

[Mudboy Slim]

2:56 AM EST bump...I'll check out the Foxhole after som,e shuteye.

FReegards...MUD

[Mudboy Slim]

"som,e shuteye" = "some shuteye"...see, I've been awake too long...MUD

[snippy_about_it]

Get to bed!

[Mudboy Slim]

After I share a new song...

"Votin'!!"
(To be sung to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lodi")

(Click the hyperlink!)

Been so many years ago, I set out with some goals...
FReepin' fer play and purpose...lookin' fer where Truth was told...
RATS got mad, but LeftWing's cursed...we whup 'em with ev'ry tune!!
Oh Lord, please give voters wisdom!!

Listened long to Limbaugh...he's been speakin' out fer US folks!!
Fightin' Dem RATpunk fools...damn the LeftWing Medyuh Whore'd!!
Donate yer time and money...win fer the Gip, my FRiends!!
Good Lord, Right's fightin' boldly again.

Kerry is the Socialist's DREAM...a LIB'RAL Hanoi Jane!!
Traitors don't win elections...FReepers got songs to play!!
We'll march into town, a Far-Right Band...support SwiftVets fer Truth!!
Please Lord, Bush needs voters again!!

Mmmm...
FReepers gotta stand and holler...election must be won!!
We'll proudly rise and have our say...and then we'll all git drunk!!
FReedom shall WIN on that day...RATS, they fear our Win!!
Please Lord, grant all the voters wisdom!!
Oh Lord, Right must win boldly...AGAIN!!

Mudboy Slim

"Votin'!!"
(To be sung to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lodi")

(Click the hyperlink!)

Been so many years ago, I set out with some goals...
FReepin' fer play and purpose...lookin' fer where Truth was told...
RATS got mad, but LeftWing's cursed...we whup 'em with ev'ry tune!!
Oh Lord, please give voters wisdom!!

Listened long to Limbaugh...he's been speakin' out fer US folks!!
Fightin' Dem RATpunk fools...damn the LeftWing Medyuh Whore'd!!
Donate yer time and money...win fer the Gip, my FRiends!!
Good Lord, Right's fightin' boldly again.

Kerry is the Socialist's DREAM...a LIB'RAL Hanoi Jane!!
Traitors don't win elections...FReepers got songs to play!!
We'll march into town, a Far-Right Band...support SwiftVets fer Truth!!
Please Lord, Bush needs voters again!!

Mmmm...
FReepers gotta stand and holler...election must be won!!
We'll proudly rise and have our say...and then we'll all git drunk!!
FReedom shall WIN on that day...RATS, they fear our Win!!
Please Lord, grant all the voters wisdom!!
Oh Lord, Right must win boldly...AGAIN!!

Mudboy Slim

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Mud. Sleep well.

[A Jovial Cad]

Good morning, snippy.

[A Jovial Cad]

Good morning, SAM.

*Someone I was uniformed about*

Me, too. I really should dedicate some time to studying the Revolutionary War. I know most of the principals, and have a vague understanding of the arc of the First Conflict, but nowhere near to the level I should.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Mud. Time for me to turn in also.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning AJC. So much history, so little time! Speaking of time, it's time for some sleep for me. Goodnight :-)

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, snippy and everyone at the Foxhole.

[alfa6]

It is a Scots-Irish Reveloutionary Bump for the Saturday Freeper Foxhole.
Hi to all on the 77th weekend of the alfa6 weekend home improvement project.
With some luck we will not hit #80.

And without furtfer ado here is everybody's favortie gecko!!!

Regards alfa6 ;>}

[Soaring Feather]

Good Saturday morning everyone!

[SAMWolf]

Morning Jovial Cad.

Same here, there is so much I don't know about the Revolution. I have a decent overview but there's a lot of blanks that need to be filled in.

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

No rain yet but it's supposed to be coming. We may luck out and get another nice Fall day.

[SAMWolf]

Morning alfa6.

Think you can finish in 2 more weeks?