Posted on 08/19/2017 3:04:47 PM PDT by NonValueAdded
FORT EDWARD, N.Y. — Stuart Sutton ... a retired industrial arts teacher from Glen Burnie, Md. ... has spent the past two weeks here, painstakingly scraping away more than 250 years of history at one of North America’s most significant 18th century military sites.
Every summer from 1755 to 1759, Fort Edward was the base of operations for more than 15,000 British soldiers and officers in support of Fort William Henry in Lake George, N.Y., about 14 miles north, during the French and Indian War.
Back then this region was a frontier wilderness.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:
“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to our
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”
Dr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
Great Post!
Thanks for the article - this is about 40 minutes from me. As a transplant from a warmer clime, we often malign the winters, and of course the horribly corrupt and miserably overbearing NY State government, but the local history is pretty fascinating...Wolf Hollow, which is about 5 miles from our house, was a trail used by the Mohawk for centuries and was the site of brutal battle between the Mohawk and the Algonquin...
We just mailed in the dues for my husbands membership to SAR. He is also a member of The Winthrop Society.
Thank you. I am certain that my husband has this book marked. :) I keep asking him to get started on my genealogy, which won’t be difficult since we already have a lot documented, but I think he just wants to be “special” and the only one who is certified in the household for awhile.
huzzah!
In addition to being a proud member of the SAR, I too am eligible for the Winthrop Society, Mayflower Society, Founders & Patriots, and a bunch of others.
Thanks for posting!
Control of a continent was decided here.
Not just between England and France, but eventually between England and the colonies. Many of the “abuses of King George” were rooted in this earlier conflict - most specifically the taxes England imposed to pay for the war afterwards.
The North South Skirmish Assn held a shoot up there some time in the ‘60s. Fond memories of that place.
One of the targets was a half stick of dynamite at 50 yds. When they were hit, the air pressure from the concussion felt like you were in a room where someone slammed the door. We all wondered what a full stick would do but the range officers wouldn’t allow it.
The cannon targets were out on the lake and when those No. 10 tins filled with concrete hit the water, they made a dandy splash. All the spectators were oohing and aahing.
Some guys from a Virginia outfit brought up some Chincoteague oysters and had a roast, washed down with lots of beer. A couple of fifers and drummers started marching through the camp playing lively tunes and pretty soon a bagpiper joined in. After circling the camp a few times, someone got the idea to march into town.
About 100 of us in various stages of uniform marched/stumbled the mile down Rte 9. There was some kind of large lodge there and we got the idea to go inside and parade around the lobby, which was pretty big. In that closed space the drums were deafening, shocking some people and amusing others.
Coming back out we heard some local tell the grinning policeman to arrest us. He said he couldn’t as there were too many. I suspect he was of the Old School and when he saw we were harmless, just kept an eye on us as we worked off some steam. We weren’t rowdy or throwing things, just singing CW songs and trying to keep in step.
There was one somber memory of that trip - During the French and Indian War, the Brits surrendered the fort after they got promises of safety. The Indian allies of the French went berserk and massacred a couple of hundred of the helpless prisoners and burned down many houses, including the hospital containing the wounded, who were scalped and then burned alive.
On display was a chewed-up musket ball which some poor guy bit on during surgery. Another was a dig of that area that showed a skeleton on a wooden plank with a musket ball in his elbow.
Glad I didn’t live in that time.
Thank you for the ping.
Stop! I am descended from Micks fleeing the Great Potato Famine, so I can’t be eligible for any of these organizations. Where is my safe space? And how about a participation trophy? :)
I would love to participate in a dig like this, but my husband would not be too happy. You signed us up to do what?
Thank you for sharing!
Depends upon your gender
What? I have to pick a gender. This is so unfair!
That's one of the side benefits of FR - an unassuming article will be posted that brings back memories of 50 years ago and I take a trip down memory lane.
Two other anecdotes I left out to prevent my comments from becoming a novella:
That dynamite was brought up by those guys from Virginia. They put a whole case of that stuff in their trunk, then drove through the then new Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel. Even in those free-wheeling days, we almost had a cow, wondering what would happen to them if they were ever rear-ended, let alone if it happened in that tunnel.
The organizers told us to convert our money into silver dollars to show the locals how much money we spent in the community. I was with a NY (NYC) outfit and some of the guys went to their local banks and took out $200 in hard dollars, then stayed up until 2 a.m. looking through them for "CC" (Carson City) mint marks. All the others, we spent. I think of that when I see even the Peace dollars going for $20 or more.
I think my husband is in the process of learning about any future “meetings”. :) Last time we were in Philly he went to some place of importance (Winthrop Society) which escapes me at the moment. I slept in. :) After seeing the photos, I wish I had gone. I probably will in October when I take him back on his “Birthday Trip”.
The Winthrop has less than 500 members. You should join.
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