The BoRIA Post
The official newsletter of the Battle of Rhode Island Association featuring news, events and Rhode Island history. Learn more at www.battleofrhodeisland.org.
August 1st, 2024
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French In Newport 2024 and a Tour of
Revolutionary War Sites in Portsmouth
This was the fourth year that the Newport Historical Society has held the “French in Newport” event and it was a dynamic way to bring history to life. Costumed re-enactors in French and colonial wear transported visitors to the Newport of 1780 in Washington Square Park and the Colony House in downtown Newport. Despite the dismal morning weather, the rain cleared up by the afternoon, allowing locals and visitors to experience living history thanks to the Newport Historical Society, National Park Service Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail (NPS WARO), Alliance Française, and the Franco-American Alliance.
Visitors got to listen to colonial musical by the Middlesex County Fife & Drum Corps. There were tea tastings, handmade silhouettes, and military, woodworking and cider demonstrations. The weekend offered visitors to be among the first to view “Fete Lafayette: A French Hero’s Tour of the American Republic,” the story of Lafayette’s time in America produced by the Society of Cincinnati,.
The event also offered a chance to ask questions from the Marquis de Lafayette and Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, two pivotal French leaders who helped tip the balance in the American fight for independence from England.
Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong gifted representatives from the Alliance Française with proclamations that honored “Alliance Française of Newport Day,” “Thierry Chaunu Day” (President of the American Society of le Sounvenir Française, Inc.), and “Chuck Schwam Day” (President of the American Friends of Lafayette). “I like to say Rhode Island is a small state with big history,” said Johnny Carawan, the trail administrator for the NPS WARO.
Afterwards a driving tour of was conducted for the Executive Director and Treasurer of the American Society of Le Souvenir Francais by BoRIA’s Richard and Gloria Schmidt. Their stops included Quaker Hill (the scene of heavy fighting), Patriot’s Park (the Memorial to the Black Regiment), and Butts Hill Fort. They also shared what has been learned recently about the French engineers and their work on making Butts Hill a complete Fort based on research by Dr. Robert Selig.
We kicked off our efforts in early June and good progress has been made at two of our RI sites. Gloria Schmidt, BoRIA’s Historical Advisor, has researched and written 18 one-minute “mini-scripts” for the videos being filmed with seven different storytellers in August at the Portsmouth Historical Society. Participants will be led on a driving tour to five locations around Portsmouth, to learn the stories of what happened leading up to and during the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778.
They will stand in the locations where events happened and see videos and images on their own smart devices, with fun and engaging trivia and puzzles to reinforce the learning. We have also begun planning a second History Hunt with the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society with their Executive Director Dr. Catherine Zipf to create a walking tour depicting the British bombardment and later burning of that town during the Revolutionary War.
These experiences are part of a new series of interactive “History Hunts” being created by FreshMaps of North Kingstown, funded by a Rhode Island Commerce tourism grant, with the goal of 14 maps statewide that tell the story of our state’s significant role in the American Revolution.
Michelle Girasole
Bristol Historical and Preservation Society
and BoRIA Plan “Brits Attack Bristol”
Events in 2025/ Heritage Harbor Foundation
Provide Kickstarter Grant
Bristol Historical and Preservation Society (BH&PS) and BoRIA have made plans for 3 events in April and May, 2025, depending on raising the funds.
History Recap
During the Revolutionary War, there were several raids by British forces on Warren, Bristol, and Fall River, which were coastal towns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. These raids were part of the British strategy to disrupt American supply lines, gather provisions, and intimidate the local population.
On October 7, 1775, the British Navy of 5 ships under Captain James Wallace bombarded Bristol as part of a broader campaign to suppress the American rebellion. Bristol was a significant port and had been involved in the colonial resistance efforts against British rule.
On May 25, 1778, British forces under Major Richard H. Brown conducted a raid on Warren and Bristol. They captured livestock, supplies, and burned several vessels in the harbor.
Events
April (TBD) – Public talk by a historian on the British raids and life in Bristol.
April 26 and 27 – Reenactors’ Encampment at Mount Hope Farm. Step back in time to the days of the Revolutionary War. BH&PS and BoRIA, in partnership with the Brigade of the American Revolution and Mount Hope Farm, will present a weekend-long living history event. The event will showcase what military life was like for soldiers. You will see events like an 18th-century medical display with a field surgeon demonstration and artillery and musket demonstrations from American and British forces. You may see how soldiers transported cannons across a river. The Paul Revere cannons will be on display and fire. The Bristol County Fifes and Drums will perform. To close out both days, there will be a weapons tactical demonstration. During these demonstrations, you will see how soldiers maneuvered in battle.
May (TBD) – Docking of a Tall Ship in Bristol Harbor and a Mock Attack. We are coordinating with our partner Tall Ships America to dock a tall ship in Bristol Harbor for a weekend. Likely, the Oliver Hazard Perry (currently in Newport) will be the ship. There will be a mock attack by 20 reenactor soldiers from the Tall Ship after cannon firing and 10+ reenactor “citizens” on a Saturday morning. This requires approval of the Town and State to close 2 or more streets for ~ 1 hour.
The ship will be available for tours (especially for school groups), sail in and out cruises, and other events.
Heritage Harbor Foundation has provided a grant of $2,500 to begin these efforts. Dr. Patrick Conley, Founding President and Historian Laureate of RI – “We are pleased to fund this effort for events that will benefit Bristol and all of Rhode Island. And share local history that most people are unaware of.”
Battle of Rhode Island Association
Social Media Growth
BoRIA began a social media campaign in late 2023. Tracking our social media presence shows the growth that has been taking place over the last year. Our Instagram and Facebook profiles continue to grow and do well.
Looking at the numbers compared to January 1st.
Reach – 122.9k accounts reached (87% increase)
Profile Visits – 8.1k (43% increase)
New Follows – 517 (9.3% increase)
Total Followers – 958
Content Interactions – 11.9k ( 103% increase)
3-second Video Views – 12k – (448% increase)
Minutes viewed – 2d 8h (453% increase)
Reach – 25.4k accounts reached (138% increase)
Profile Visits – 1.6k (165% increase)
New Follows – 579 (283% increase)
Total Followers – 919
Content Interactions – 4.7k (19,500% increase)
Thank you to everyone who has helped to contribute to our growth, We can’t do it without your help and appreciate your efforts to help share RI’s history.
BoRIA Lecture Series
The BoRIA Lecture Series sponsored by the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati and our partners at the Portsmouth Historical Society (PHS) continues on Thursday, September 5th at 6:30 PM at the PHS Museum, 870 East Main Rd in Portsmouth RI. Our speaker is Don Hagist and his presentation is British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution. Very few British soldiers who served in America left their own writings. The lecture, based on his book of the same title, presents nine of these rare accounts, along with extensive research to put each man’s experience into context. This talk is free and open to the public although donations are gladly accepted. This lecture will be filmed for our website and Youtube channel.
Don N. Hagist, managing editor of Journal of the American Revolution, is an independent researcher specializing in the demographics and material culture of the British Army in the American Revolution. He maintains a blog about British common soldiers (http://redcoat76.blogspot.com) and has published a number of articles in academic journals. His books include The Revolution’s Last Men: the Soldiers Behind the Photographs (Westholme Publishing, 2015), British Soldiers, American War (Westholme Publishing, 2012), A British Soldier’s Story: Roger Lamb’s Narrative of the American Revolution (Ballindalloch Press, 2004), General Orders: Rhode Island (Heritage Books, 2001) and Wives, Slaves and Servant Girls (Westholme, 2016)
August 9th: National Muster of Fife & Drums, Fort Adams 7 PM-9 PM
August 10th: National Muster of Fife & Drums, Fort Adams 11 AM-5 PM
August 11th: National Muster of Fife & Drums, Fort Adams 11 AM-5 PM
August 17th: The Bristol Expedition at Coggeshall Farm, Bristol RI 10 AM-4 PM
August 18th: The Bristol Expedition at Coggeshall Farm, Bristol RI 10 AM-4 PM
August 23rd: Lafayette in Rhode Island Events
August 25th: NAACP 57th Black Regiment Monument Commemoration, Patriots Park
August 29th: Battle of Rhode Island Sunset Musket Salute, Butts Hill Fort, Portsmouth 7pm
Partner Events
Shared Articles
The French arrived in Newport in July of 1780. Most of the forces wintered in Newport except the Lauzun Legion which camped in Connecticut. Rochambeau was very skillful in handling his troops, and the Americans began to appreciate their presence.
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Did You Know?
Black Patriots in the American Revolution
Numbers in the Overall Population
At the onset of the War for Independence, approximately 500,000 African Americans lived in the colonies, of whom 90 percent were enslaved. Blacks fought in provincial regiments prior to the war, and about 5,000 African American soldiers and sailors, free and slave, served the Revolutionary cause. The American population at the time was approximately 2.1 million; free blacks comprised 2.4 percent of the overall population and slaves formed 21.5 percent.
They Served from First to Last
Black Soldiers in the Continental Army and states’ militia’s fought in every major battle of the war and in most of the lesser actions. The same was not true of the Crown forces during the conflict.
On April 19, 1775, Massachusetts militiamen of color, free and enslaved, along with their white comrades opposed British troops during the operations intended to seize American arms that ended in a harried retreat to the safety of Boston. Blacks served in Minute companies and the normal embodied militia. We have the names of 35 black men present that day, at least 18 seeing combat. One, Prince Estabrook, was wounded while with Captain John Parker’s company on Lexington Green. Historian John Hannigan notes that, given incomplete records, it is likely that as many as 40 to 50 African Americans were with the militia on the war’s first day.
Former Pennsylvania private soldier Stacey Williams enlisted in April 1777, and served until autumn 1783. During that time, he was present at most, perhaps all, of the actions his regiment fought in: Short Hills, June 26, 1777; Brandywine, September 11, 1777 (where he was wounded); Germantown, October 4, 1777; the Darby Expedition, December 22–28, 1777; Monmouth, June 28, 1778; Bull’s Ferry Block House, July 20–21, 1780; Green Spring, July 6, 1781; Yorktown, September 28 to October 18, 1781. Williams’ military travels took him from West Point, New York, in the north, to Charleston, South Carolina, on foot the entire way.
Motivations for Enlisting
Black Americans’ reasons for joining the Continental Army often mirrored those of their fellow white and Native American soldiers. Many fought for national independence and hoped for opportunities in the new country. Perhaps many joined for the adventure of military service, sometimes connected to the prospect of serving alongside family or friends. Others were enticed by the lure of an enlistment bounty or regular pay.
Furthermore, after the ideals espoused in the Declaration of Independence, some fought for their own freedom, or for that of their loved ones. Forced service was another factor. If they were on the militia rolls, both white and Black men periodically faced the chance of being drafted for a short-term stint. Whites were occasionally compelled to enlist, but enslaved African Americans were more often coerced or forced by their masters to serve. Many enslaved Africans, especially in New England, were promised freedom in return for military service; most of those promises were honored, but some veterans were kept in bondage.
Black Continental Soldiers Received Equal Pay, Mostly Equal Treatment
The major dividing line between white and Black common soldiers was the American system that enslaved ninety percent of the country’s African Americans and treated free blacks as second-class citizens. Despite that, Black Continental soldiers largely received the same considerations as their white comrades. At the most basic level, soldiers of color (both African and Native Americans) received the same pay, provisions, clothing, and equipment as white soldiers.
Both whites and soldiers of color suffered together in times of scarcity and jointly enjoyed the rare times of bounty. The most glaring case of unequal treatment was that Black soldiers were largely barred from serving in any rank other than drummer, fifer, or private soldier. There may have been difficulties due to officers’ or fellow soldiers’ personal or race animus, but current research shows that such instances were few and far between.
In an Army with Many Female Followers, Some Were Women of Color
No matter their skin color, women with the army were required to be respectable and to perform useful tasks to earn army rations. Those who did not conform were not long tolerated. Among the many unknown women who served, we know the identities of several. Sarah, a mulatto slave, was, with her six-year-old light-haired son, attached to the 1st Maryland Regiment for several months in 1778. That October, they left the unit to escape being re-enslaved; we only know of them because of a runway advertisement.
Hannah Till and her husband Isaac were enslaved members of General Washington’s military household. Hannah, a cook, gave birth to a son at the Valley Forge winter camp, and in late 1778, she purchased her freedom. Her entire term of service lasted from 1776 to at least 1780. Hannah and her family lived in Philadelphia after the war.
Joe Studlick
