On Thursday June 19th the BoRIA alongside our partners the Portsmouth Historical Society (PHS) and the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati presented the third annual Col. Burton C. Quist Lecture Series at the Portsmouth Friends Church. This year, Don N. Hagist is the featured speaker with his presentation: “British Deserters from the Rhode Island Garrison.”

During the three years that British troops occupied Rhode Island, some of them absconded. Who were these men who risked their lives to desert from the army and why did they do it? This talk will discuss the individuals who deserted, their motivations, and what became of them.

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 several books and many articles in academic journals.

This talk is our third annual under the banner of “The Col. Burton C. Quist Lecture Series”, in memory of our late founding Director, friend, and mentor who passed away in January, 2023. This event is free and open to the public and will be filmed for our website and YouTube channel. We would also like to thank the Portsmouth Friends Church for allowing us the opportunity to present this talk after construction at the Portsmouth Historical Society prevented us from utilizing that venue.