On Tuesday, December 5, Walter Stahr told us how he got to know a founding father that too many of us don't sufficiently appreciate: John Jay. As a lawyer who practiced for some years in Hong Kong, Mr. Stahr was drawn to a founder who seemed to have a rare ability to think both nationally and internationally. With a twinkle in his eye, he called Jay "our peripatetic revolutionary." He began his career in 1775-76 in charge of hunting New York's loyalists and spies. Mr. Stahr thinks Jay was the source for James Fenimore Cooper's novel, The Spy. After writing New York's constitution, he headed for Philadelphia where he became president of the Continental Congress. Then he was off to Spain for 30 frustrating months as ambassador; he was accompanied by his beautiful wife, Sarah Livingston Jay. Next he trekked to Paris, where he became the peace commissioner who helped fashion the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. Mr. Stahr credits Jay with getting Ben Franklin and John Adams to work together. (They loathed each other.) Back in the U.S. our hero became the first Chief Justice of the United States. In 1794 he went peripatetic again, heading to England as President Washington's special envoy. He negotiated a treaty that saved us from another ruinous war with Perfidious Albion. Finally he was governor of New York, where he pushed through a law abolishing slavery. As we listened to Mr. Stahr tells us about these things, we began to sense that he and Mr. Jay shared a similar style and approach to life. It might best be summed up as steadiness -- a rare ability to combine realism and idealism in precisely the right proportions. We all came away doubly eager to read his superb biography of Mr. Jay.
Book Review Chair Lynne Saginaw began the evening with a witty disquisition on the history of Madeira, George Washington's favorite wine. It is produced on the island of same name, a volcanic dot owned by Portugal, 400 miles off the coast of Morocco. When King Charles II married the Portuguese infanta, Britain came to dominate the Madeira trade. By 1776, no less than 70 British companies were shipping the fortified wine from the island. George W. was not the only fan. No less than 23% of the annual crop went to the colonies. One of its secrets: the older the Madeira, the better the taste. Some bottles being enjoyed today have aged for two centuries! Lynne topped her lecture by giving each table a bottle of Madeira as an after dinner cordial. Thanks Lynne!
Our hardworking reviewers supplied us with more historical nourishment. Mike Harris led off with Benedict Arnold's Navy by James L. Nelson. Mike was impressed with the plethora of notes and the bibliography. The text is readable -- but the author uses too many 18th century nautical terms which he never defines, such as "larbord" -- the left side of a boat, and gondola, a gunboat with a flat bottom. He also throws in current colloquialisms, such as "Chutzpah" which he blames for Arnold's inability to schmooze in order to friends and influence people. He does a good job of describing the desperate situation Arnold was confronting in late 1776: a victorious British army in New York, 30,000 strong, and another army coming down Lake Champlain from Canada. Together they planned to cut the country in two. It didn't happen because Arnold's matchbox fleet outfought the British at Valcour Island. The book doesn't shed new light on the battle but it illuminates powerfully what we already know -- which is not a bad thing.
Jim Thomas reported on A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France and the Birth of America by Stacey Schiff. Jim said he thought this was a quickie book, designed to capitalize on the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth. He soon changed his mind. The book is a vivid tapestry of France's opulent 18th Century society in all its forms, with Franklin as the centerpiece. The author aims to entertain as well as inform. The pages are rich in episodes of humor and comedy. Ms Schiff includes characters such as the Chevalier D'Eon, a brawny, crossdressing dragoon officer with an alluring pout. There are at least twenty well-described major figures besides Franklin, from effervescent playwright Caron de Beaumarchais to Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, the Comte de Vergennes. Jim summed things up with a quote from Joseph Ellis. "This is a book to savor."
Tom Fleming told us about George Washington's Enforcers: Policing the Continental Army, by Harry M. Ward, Southern Illinois University Press. This is a book that won't change your positive viewpoint of George Washington's Continental Army, but it will definitely sober it. Harry Ward is the author of fifteen books, all of them works of careful scholarship. In this book he examines the dark side of the struggle to achieve the goal Washington saw as essential to victory: an army to look the enemy in the face. By that Washington meant a trained regular army, capable of meeting British regulars in battle. To achieve this took some doing, as Ward repeatedly demonstrates. Washington had barely taken command in 1775 when he issued Articles of War, the army's disciplinary code. It was a direct imitation of the British Army's regulations. Central to these rules was a sharp distinction between officers and enlisted men. Officers were gentlemen who could not be subjected to physical punishment. Enlisted men -- often called "common soldiers" -- were subject to every imaginable punishment from the lash to the gauntlet to hanging to death by firing squad. Not until the end of the war did anyone question the value of this policy. In 1783 Washington advised Congress that they should revise the articles of war for a peacetime military establishment, expunging all "customs" that had done no good. He might have added: and done a great deal of harm. Congress ignored him. Flogging was not banned in the U.S. Army until 1861. Overall, this is a book that everyone who pretends to know the real Revolutionary War should have on his or her shelf.
The Round Table Board of Governors discussed a sobering subject at their December meeting: money. We are very very short of it. Part of the problem has been our reluctance to raise the dues, which have been $25.00 for at least 25 years. We also have tried to absorb some of the cost of the excellent dinners we get at the Williams Club. The board voted to raise the dues to $30.00 for 2008 and effective in February the cost of dinner will go up $5.00. Jim Thomas, Jack Buchanan and Peter Ford were appointed to a special committee that will explore ways to raise money. The board also endorsed Chairman Dave Jacobs for another term, along with the other officers. In regard to our financial rescue operation, Dave asked the editors of the newsletter to make it clear that our books are open to examination by any member, if they would like to see a detailed accounting of our annual income and outgo.
Our first step in bolster our sagging finances is a unique raffle in February. The prize will be a rare and valuable book, published in 1796, donated by a member who prefers to remain anonymous. The title is: Epistles, Domestic, Confidential and Official, from General Washington. The letters are well written and seem authentic. But in some letters Washington reveals he is a coward in constant fear of death, that he sees no point in having a Continental Army and has no desire to win independence for his benighted countrymen. In other letters he scolds Martha for being reluctant to travel to winter quarters to share his bed. These masterpieces of deception are the products of some very good writers in the British secret service. The book is unquestionably one of a kind. If you want a chance to obtain it, bring MONEY to the February 6 dinner. Tickets will be $1.00 each. If you can't attend the diner, send Jim Davis a good-sized check in the return envelope that comes with this newsletter. Jim will keep careful track of all tickets. Our goal is to raise at least $1000 from this unique piece of Revolutionary history. Join the fun! Win the book!
Terry Golway, author of a first-rate biography of Nathanael Greene, Washington's General, published a superb article in the suburban edition of the Dec. 24 New York Times. It discussed the Revolutionary War in New Jersey and around New York City, and wondered why the dramatic battles and skirmishes are not better known. That may soon change, as least for New Jersey's sites. Two Garden State congressmen have shaken $10 million from the federal money tree to create something called The Crossroads of the American Revolution Heritage Area. The goal is to link New Jersey's sites, from Trenton and Princeton to Monmouth to Springfield to Morristown with exhibits, maps and pamphlets that will attract tens of thousands of tourists.
Lynne Saginaw alerted us to a revolutionary war site in Darien, Georgia. From 1721 to 1736, Fort King George was the southernmost outpost of the British empire on the American continent. It had a cypress blockhouse, barracks and palisaded earthworks. An independent company of British regulars garrisoned the fort. Disease, the harsh climate and random attacks by Spanish and Indians decimated their ranks and they withdrew after seven years. In 1736, a garrison of Scottish highlanders arrived and a prosperous settlement rose around the fort, with the export of cypress and other wood the chief business. The fort has been restored and offers tours from 9=5, Tuesday through Saturday. It is three miles east of I-95 at exit 49. Sounds worth a stop on the road to sunny Florida.
Faith Davison, the archivist for the Mohegan Indian tribe, operators of the Connecticut casino, The Mohegan Sun, has been doing important research on the surprising number of Mohegans and Indians from other tribes who served in the Connecticut militia and the Continental Army. More recently, she explored the lists of officers and men aboard the privateers, General Putnam and Oliver Cromwell. Among Putnam's crew were Daniel Uncas, Thomas Peegee, John Tantiquin and eight other Indians. The Cromwell had six, including Benjamin Uncas and Abimlech Uncas. The Putnam took no less than 14 prizes in her seagoing career. Ms Davison is discovering a hitherto forgotten side of the struggle for independence.
We touted Tom Fleming's new book for young readers, Everybody's Revolution, as an ideal Christmas gift in the December newsletter. The Washington Post's Book World went us one better. Along with a glowing review, they rated the lavishly illustrated narrative one of the ten best books published for young readers in 2006. Congrats, Tom!
On January 11, John Herzog, founder and guiding spirit of the Museum of American Finance (and a member of the Round Table) threw a terrific 250th birthday bash for the man who did so much for American finances in the 1790s -- Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. The event began with a symposium featuring a plethora of Hamilton experts, including Tom Fleming, followed by a cocktail reception during which the guests toured the Museum's new headquarters at 48 Wall Street and chatted with actors impersonating Washington and Hamilton. The evening drew a crowd of almost 300 celebrants. Congratulations, John!
Someone thus far unknown, described by the NY Post as a "brazen and unholy vandal" knocked the head off the statue of George Washington inside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue. To add insult to the injury, the desecrator stuffed a dollar bill in the headless neck. The figure on the bill also had its head removed. The three foot statue is part of a collection that represents 20 centuries of history since the birth of Jesus Christ. Washington stood for the 18th Century. A church staffer said removing the statue's head was not exactly a challenge. The stone was described as "fragile."
Just when you thought that all would be quiet off the Virginia Capes with the conclusion of the 225th anniversary of Yorktown, along comes the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown. Events will be occurring throughout 2007 but two major happenings have caught your Treasurer's eye. On April 27th "The World of 1607" opens, showcasing 17th Century Virginia in a global context. Treasures on loan from many museums and international collections will be displayed. On Anniversary Weekend (May 11-13) new permanent exhibits will open along with a new film. Check it all out on historyisfun.org
We all know the main characters, Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas, John Smith, John Rolfe. But another important person has been left out: Christopher Newport. Born in England around 1560, Newport was a former privateer captain who was hired by the Virginia Company of London to lead three ships carrying colonists to the new lands named for the Virgin queen. They reached America on May 14, 1607. Newport sailed back to England for supplies, returning in 1608 in time to find the surviving 104 men starving and about to kill John Smith for getting them involved in pioneering. Newport saved Smith's life. The Pocahontas incident came about a year later.
All told Christopher Newport made four journeys across the Atlantic. The last was in 1609, when he was shipwrecked in Bermuda. In 1613 he sailed to the Orient for The British East India Company and died in 1617 on the island of Java. Not many people mention Newport's importance. But his fame is cherished in Newport News, where Christopher Newport University is going strong.
The answer to the November quiz? The Library of Congress
Identify this group, using these clues: 1. We number eight. 2. Two of us signed the Constitution. 3. One of us signed the Declaration of Independence. 4. Three of us were generals. 5. One of us was a delegate to the Confederate States Congress. 6. One of us was wounded at the battle of Trenton. 7. Two of us studied at Princeton. A FREE DINNER TO ALL WINNERS who respond by email, snail mail or phone.