Characters

Fictional

Fictional; however, he is named in honor of Founding Father, George Wythe

To learn more about Jonathan’s backstory, you can join the “Members-Only” section of this website and download a short story for FREE.

Nov. 04, 1756 – Oct. 10, 1811

Allyn was born and died in Groton, Conn. He began as a private in General Parsons’ regiment, according to the 1776 roster. He was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

The name “Bose” is a Saxon take on the German word meaning “audacious” or “daring.”

Fictional

Campfield was a member of the Fifth Massachusetts Regiment. The roster rolls show that he enlisted for the entirety of the War. However, no other information was available through the National Archives.

Fictional

Cleophes is an old English name that means “Vision of Glory”

Real and fictional, named in honor of my ancestor, Johannes Quackenbush (1672 – 1725).

July 26, 1727 – Apr. 10, 1806

Gates was born in Essex County, England, and fought as a British officer in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740 and 1748) and in the colonial American theater of the Seven Years War, known as the French Indian War (1754–1763). During the latter conflict, he fought alongside future revolutionaries, such as Charles Lee and George Washington.

By the stirrings of the American Revolution, Gates had resigned his commission in the British Army and was living on a plantation in Virginia. When George Washington was named Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Continental Army in June 1775, he urged Congress to appoint Gates as an adjunct. He became the Unites States’ first Adjunct General on June 17, 1775, as Congress also commissioned Gates as a brigadier general.

In fall 1776, Gates was introduced to Thaddeus Kosciuszko, and the pair become life-long friends and allies. Upon being transferred to Northern NY, Gates requested that Kosciuszko be granted permission to accompany him.

Between 1776 - early 1778, Gates was the on again, off again commanding officer of the Northern Department and full-time political rival of Gen. Phillip Schuyler. He also maintained openly that he should have been named Commander-in-Chief, such that when the British forces surrendered at Saratoga in October 1777, political maneuvering began to replace Washington with Gates, a series of incidents known as the Conway Cabal. For his own part, Gates participated by forwarding reports of the victory of Saratoga directly to Congress, bi-passing command through General Washington.

Gates was removed from command after his ignominious retreat from the Battle of Camden, SC, on August 16, 1780. He was stripped of field command, and command of the Southern Department was turned over to Nathaneal Greene. A Board of Inquiry was recommended but disbanded by supporters in 1782. He was never given command again, and his role in the 1783 Newburgh Conspiracy remains uncertain.

Gates and his second wife (his first having passed in summer of 1783) moved to Rose Hill, an estate in today’s mid-Manhattan. During his lifetime, he was credited by an abolitionist publication as the only Revolutionary War to manumit slaves from his estates. He served a single term on the NYS Legislature, starting in 1800.

Gates died at home and is buried at Trinity Church, NYC.

Nov. 11, 1744 – 1793/95

Goodale (a.k.a. Goodell) was born in Brookfield, Massachusetts, Goodale was a Captain in the Fifth Massachusetts under Colonel Rufus Putnam. He rose up the ranks to Major before the end of the War.

After the War, he moved his family to Marietta and then later Belpre, Ohio. Goodale was an important figure in the advancement of farming, and the Goodale Breed of cows populated the local community. He was unanimously voted by his community to manage the local defenses. The exact date of his death is unknown because he was captured by the indigenous people and held prisoner in the area of Sandusky, Ohio, with the intension to ransom Goodale; however, as the community was unaware until 1799, he passed of pleurisy en route to modern-day Detroit.

1716 – June 22, 1812

Heinrich Grauberger, was father to Daniel Grauberger(1753 – Nov. 30, 1830), both my ancestors. In life, Heinrich was also father to Petrus Phillips (see below).

Daniel was born in Fishkill, NY, which lies on the East bank of the Hudson River, approximately twenty-five miles from West Point. He was a member of the Sixth Regiment of New York’s militia during the Revolutionary War. In life, Daniel’s first wife was Gertrude Quackenbush, for whom the character of Gertie Cloet was named in book one. Both father and son are buried in Melrose, NY.

Mar. 10, 1741 – Dec. 16, 1783

A Roxbury, Mass. native, Greaton was an innkeeper and officer in his hometown’s militia prior to the War. He joined the Sons of Liberty in 1774. During the Battles of Concord and Lexington, he led the Suffolk County minutemen as their colonel. On July 12, 1775, he was appointed to the rank of colonel in the Twenty-Fourth Regiment and was eventually transferred to the Third Massachusetts. In April 1776, he fought in Canada and by December, he served alongside General Washington in New Jersey. He later participated in the Battle of Saratoga (Sept. 19 and Oct. 7, 1777) and became the commanding officer in Albany, NY. His regiment was transferred to West Point on March 21, 1778, over objection of the Albany community, once Congress abandoned all thoughts of returning to Quebec and focused instead on fortifying the Hudson River.

Around that time, approximately eleven African-Americans appeared on the regiment’s rosters, although Massachusetts would not formally permit African-Americans to enlist until April 28, 1778.

Greaton was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General on January 07, 1783. He was one of the signatories of the Letter of Grievances of the Massachusetts Line in early 1783, which complained of the lack of support (food, proper clothing, pay) for the soldiers. On November 03, 1783, he was honorably discharged due to illness, preventing him from participating in the wind-down of the War. Peace had been formally declared in September. He died in December, barely knowing the Independence he gave his life to ensure.

April 28, 1742 – August 01, 1812

Born in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Hart was the surgeon in Colonel Parsons’ regiment, according to the 1776 muster rolls. Many apologies to the doctor for the cantankerous role he plays in this book. The character’s attitude is actually taken from an experience Joseph Plumb Martin had with a surgeon who was very put out that he had to leave his backgammon game after an accident caused such a serious break to Martin’s ankle that his foot stood out to the side at a near forty-five-degree angle.

The family donated the house to the use of the Continental Army, and it served as Washington’s Headquarters from April 01, 1782 – August 19, 1783.  Several notable moments in the War’s history occurred during Washington’s time there, including the Newburgh Address (a.k.a Newburgh Conspiracy) on March 15, 1783, and the announcement of the Cessation of Hostilities on April 19, 1783. 

The house has been preserved without change from the time General George and Martha Washington, along with aide-de-camp Alexander Hamilton, were stationed there.  It is the first historic site in the United States. Thus, visitors are literally able to stand in the room where it happened.

Dec. 06, 1753 – Aug. 02, 1804

Born in Pomfret, Connecticut, Keyes wrote to General Washington personally in 1775, requesting a commission in the Continental army. He served under then-Colonel Parsons and was ultimately granted the title of colonel himself.

After the War, Keyes lived in Burlington, Vermont, as a merchant. In 1791, President Washington wrote to the US Senate to nominate Keyes for the position of Collector of the Port of Allburgh, Vermont.

Feb. 4/12, 1746– Oct. 15, 1817

Kosciuszko was a well-trained Polish-Lithuanian soldier and immigrated to the Colonies so as to join the American Revolutionary War in June 1776. He worked briefly for Benjamin Franklin as a volunteer but was commissioned by Congress on Oct. 18, 1776, as a Colonel of Engineers in the Continental Army.

When Fort Ticonderoga fell to the British, Kościuszko was tasked by Major-General Philip Schuyler (Nov. 9/20, 1733 – Nov. 18, 1804) to slow the British army’s pursuit of the Continentals so they could escape. He succeeded in this task by blocking the roadways and water routes with fallen trees and other natural debris. Kościuszko was then ordered to survey the relative area for an ideal location to design and build defenses to slow British progress south to Albany. His work at Bemis Heights lead to the success of the Battle of Saratoga in the autumn of 1777, known as the “Turning Point” in the War.

As alluded to in the book, Kościuszko knew the Schuyler family (who lived in both Albany and Saratoga County, NY) and pined for the general’s second-oldest daughter, “Betsy” (a.k.a. “Eliza”) Schuyler (Aug. 09, 1757 – Nov. 09, 1854), who eventually married General Washington’s Aide-de-Camp Alexander Hamilton (Jan. 11, 1755 – July 12, 1804) on December 14, 1780.

Kościuszko was sent in March 1778 to West Point, where he spent the next two-and-a-half years designing its fortifications. Prior to his arrival, there was only a set of old barracks that the British had sacked. Kościuszko was brought on to work with the French engineer, Colonel Louis-Guillaume-Servais des Hayes de la Radiere (1744–1779), who annoyed all of the officers tasked with finding a place to barricade the Hudson River and build up fortifications. Radiere petulantly fought against the location at West Point—even writing to General Washington to complain—and with Kościuszko, claiming to outrank his Polish compatriot. At several officers’ suggestion and based upon Washington’s own frustration with Radiere—Washington himself had suggested West Point for the location of the new river fortifications—Radiere was sent to the rank-and-file, and Kościuszko was named the chief engineer at West Point.

Upon the completion of West Point, General Washington transferred Kościuszko, at Kościuszko’s request, to combat duty in the Southern Department in 1780. Kościuszko’s work at West Point was widely praised and considered innovative in its time. Also known today as the United States Military Academy, West Point is the nation’s oldest, continuously-run military post.

Because he spoke little English in 1778, all of his dialog in the book was compared to his letters from that time period to try to match his speech patters and translations of words. At times, French translations appeared in his everyday speech. One particular phrase that he used that I struggled over whether to use or change was: her referred to women as “girls,” a topic that seemed to frequently fill his thoughts and letters. He was much admired by the ladies and once had a very lucky escape from a gaggle of drunk women who were literally hanging all over him and begging him to draw their portrait. That aside, the speech given on the Plain at the end of this second book was taken, in part, from a letter written to Gen. Horatio Gates while serving at Fort Ticonderoga. It should be noted that when Kościuszko wrote, he often equated liberty with happiness.

To learn more about Kosciuszko’s role in the Northern Department, please watch my presentation at History Camp: Boston HERE.

1756 – 1856

Although my ancestor didn’t enlist in the Connecticut Third Battalion until March 1779, I couldn’t resist adding him into the story.

A Sergeant Reuben Lilley (Feb. 14, 1726 – Apr. 09, 1800), however, does appear on Colonel Thomas Nixon’s rolls in 1776, fighting in the Battle of Saratoga, which makes it likely he was at West Point during second book’s time period. As such, Private Lilley is—in my mind, at least—a composite character.

Mar. 20, 1744 – Apr. 03, 1816

Machin was born in Staffordshire, England. He was a participant in the Boston Tea Party (Dec. 16, 1773) and was wounded in the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775), where he was shot in the arm. After that, he was commissioned as second lieutenant with New York’s artillery, and later elevated to the rank of Captain, though his commission was not approved by Congress until 1780.

Machin was sought after for his skills as an engineer from the beginning of the War, and on July 21, 1776, he was sent by General Washington to the Highlands for the purpose of obstructing the Hudson (a.k.a. North) River. He oversaw the installation of the Montgomery Chain at Fort Montgomery and was wounded—the shot travelled through his chest to exit out his shoulder—when the fort fell on October 07, 1777. 

By December 01, 1777, Machin had already returned to active duty and was then tasked with overseeing the construction and installation of the Great Hudson River Chain at West Point. The construction of the Chain took only six weeks in total with the forges working day and night, starting at the Sterling Iron Works before being shipped in pieces for completion at Brewster’s Forge in New Windsor. It took four days to install “General Washington’s Watch Chain,” as it was nicknamed, on Moore’s Folly at West Point.

As a side note, there were two American strongholds named “Fort Clinton.” As mentioned by the characters in book one, the first Fort Clinton was located near Fort Montgomery in what is today known as the Bear Mountain State Park, close to New York City. Both fell in October 1777. When West Point was constructed, Fort Arnold was built on the Moore property, with Fort Putnam guarding it from the hill looking over the Plain.

Originally called Fort Clinton as well, the name was changed in May 1778 to “Fort Arnold” in honor of America’s then-hero, The Traitor Who Shall Not Be Named. It has been argued that General McDougall made the change as a joke between himself and The Traitor to gall General Gates, who was due to take over command of West Point from McDougall, and who had taken all the credit for the victory at Saratoga, even though The Traitor had led the heroic charge and Kościuszko had designed the strategically important fortifications.

However, when it was discovered that The Traitor had betrayed the Continentals with a plan to turn over West Point and his friend, General Washington, to the British in the fall of 1780, the fort was renamed Fort Clinton again.

Summer 1732 – August 29, 1781

McDougall was born on the Isle of Islay, Scotland. His family immigrated to the Colonies in 1738, locating to the area of today’s New York City. He earned his fortune during the French-Indian War as a merchant privateer for the Crown. He became the leader of New York’s Sons of Liberty as tensions grew with England and was arrested on February 07, 1770, for his anonymously published criticism of New York’s Assembly in approving measures to support the quartering of British soldiers in citizens homes. He served five months in jail, refusing to post bail, before he was released without a conviction.

McDougall continued his revolutionary, outspoken actions against the Crown, and was eventually elected to the New York Provincial Congress, once New York embraced liberty in 1775. Notably, it was at a Sons of Liberty meeting that McDougall chaired on July 06, 1774, that he met Alexander Hamilton, whom McDougall would later recommend for a commission of captain in the artillery by letter, dated February 23, 1776. Congress approved Hamilton’s commission on March 14, 1776.

On June 30, 1775, McDougall was named a Colonel, then later a Major-General, in New York’s First Regiment. The Regiment was sent to Quebec, where one of McDougall’s sons was captured and the other died of fever. McDougall was not physically present with the regiment at that time, having been tasked with staying behind to raise funds and recruit soldiers.

McDougall fought in the Battle of Long Island and oversaw the evacuation of New York City when it fell to British control. His regiment successfully held off British invasion at the Battle of White Plains and remained in the Highlands of New York. McDougall was stationed at the Northern Department’s headquarters in Peekskill in mid-1778, though he travelled up to West Point for inspections of the fortification’s construction. He was placed in command of West Point in 1780, following the desertion and betrayal by The Traitor from his post there.

McDougall openly advocated for better conditions and treatment of the Continental soldiers, who were rarely paid, fed, or clothed during the entirety of the War, including serving as head of a committee of officers who lodged a formal complaint to Congress as part of a series of events known as the Newburgh Conspiracy. The near-mutiny was successfully calmed by General Washington himself. (For a wonderful telling of the story and its positive resolution, be certain to visit Washington’s Headquarters at the Hasbrouck home in Newburgh, NY)

Oct. 30, 1734 – Dec. 29, 1799

Moore owned the land called Moore’s Folly at West Point. He fought in both the French-Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Although he was the only member of his family to have been a supporter of the American rebels, he left the area with his family in 1775, accompanied by his brother and brother-in-law, plus their respective families, to relocate to North Carolina. Moore was appointed to the rank of lieutenant colonel, which he held in the Continental Army, though his title may have been brigadier general within the militia. In 1790, he successfully petitioned Congress (with the aid of Alexander Hamilton) to receive compensation for the retention of his estate at West Point by the American Government.

1735 – 1815

Nixon was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. He served as an ensign in the French-Indian War. Under his brother, Brigadier-General John Nixon, during the Revolutionary War, he was a colonel in the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment.  His son, Thomas Nixon, Jr. (1762 – 1842), served under him as a fifer.

May 14, 1737 – Nov. 17, 1789

Parson was born in Lyme, Connecticut. He was a Harvard graduate who returned to his birthplace to study the law with his uncle, Connecticut Governor Matthew Griswold (March 25, 1714 – April 28, 1799). A supporter of the American rebellion from the start, Parsons wrote to Samuel Adams (September 16/27, 1722 – October 2, 1803) in 1772, proposing a revival of an annual meeting of “the commissioners of the colonies.”  Thus, the Continental Congress was born. 

He fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill and remained in Boston until August 1776, when Congress promoted him to Brigadier-General and transferred him to New York. There, he served under Major-General Israel Putnam (see below). He fought in several notable battles in New York and Connecticut. For one particularly interesting mission, Parsons tapped his brother-in-law—then-Sergeant Ezra Lee (Aug. 1749 – Oct. 29, 1821) (later promoted to Captain)—to attempt the destruction of the British ships using the world’s first submarine, the Turtle, invented by David Bushnell (Aug. 30, 1740 – 1824/26). Sadly, the torpedo exploded during the attempt, doing no damage to the British ship. All experimentation with submarines were abandoned for the remainder of the War.

Parsons was placed in command of West Point during the winter of 1777 – 1778 and oversaw its construction. His unit, the Sixth Connecticut Regiment, built the Meigs Redoubt. Parsons remained at West Point through most of 1778. He later served on the board of officers who tried Major John André as a British Spy (André was the coordinator with The Traitor) for the failed attempt in the fall of 1780 to surrender West Point, its plans, and General Washington to British forces.

1731 – May 13, 1781

This Phillips was a British officer who served under General John Burgoyne (a.k.a. “Gentleman Johnny”), taking him as far north as Québec, then back south to seize Fort Ticonderoga. He was captured after the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga and eventually paroled in Virginia, where Phillips was a guest in the home of Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826). Phillips was traded as part of a prisoner exchange in 1780 and ordered to join The Traitor, who had—at that point—joined the British forces in Virginia as a Brigadier General.

Molly Pitcher: As mentioned in Witness to the Revolution, the story of the Molly Pitchers is real, though the name has developed over time and may not have existed during the War. A Molly Pitcher was a female camp follower who accompanied the men onto the battlefields, often assisting by bringing water to the soldiers and to cool the cannons.

The most famous Molly Pitcher participated in the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778). She was likely a composite character of multiple women about whom eye-witnesses wrote. Private Joseph Plumb Martin (Nov. 21, 1760 - May 02, 1850) described in his memoir how, during the fighting, a cannon ball fired by the British landed in between Molly Pitcher’s legs while she assisted at the Continental cannons, tearing away her dress. She was reported to have said that “it was lucky it did not pass a little higher, for in that case it might have carried away something else, and ended her and her occupation.”

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauly (Oct. 13, 1744 – Jan. 22, 1832) was one of the women thought to have participated at Monmouth.

Margaret Corbin (Nov. 12, 1751 – Jan. 16, 1800) was another Molly Pitcher who fought in the Battle of Fort Washington (Nov. 16, 1776). Her husband, John Corbin, was a trained artilleryman from the Pennsylvania 1st Company. When he was killed in battle, Margaret took his place manning the cannon until she was too seriously wounded to continue. She was captured when the British won the battle and took possession of New York City, which they held for the remainder of the War.

Corbin was released on parole rather than being held on a prison ship. She went to Philadelphia to recover, but due to her permanent disability, she was granted a military pension (one of only two women to receive a pension) and joined the Corps of Invalids that were garrisoned at West Point at the end of the War. She passed at 48 years of age in Highland Falls, NY, where a local marker was erected in honor of “Captain Molly.”

An attempt was made in the 1926 to disinter her body and bury her as the only female veteran of the Revolutionary War to be buried at West Point. A 2017 archeology study realized that an unknown male was exhumed and Corbin’s actual body has been lost to time.

In The General’s Watch, Savvy’s “promotion” is made in honor of Corbin.

Jan. 07, 1718 – May 29, 1790

Originally born in Massachusetts, Putnam was a wealthy farmer from Connecticut. He fought in both the French-Indian War as an officer in Rogers’ Rangers and the Revolutionary War.

Putnam was the founder of Connecticut’s chapter of the Sons of Liberty. He was one of four men appointed by Congress to the rank of Major-General at the inception of the Continental Army in 1775, with only Putnam and Washington receiving unanimous votes from Congress for their respective appointments. He served as Washington’s second-in-command and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Long Island. Although forced to retreat during the Battle of Long Island, Putnam was credited by some for the safe retreat of General Washington to avoid British capture.

In May 1777, Putnam was transferred to the Highlands of New York. Aaron Burr (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) served under Putnam when Forts Clinton and Montgomery fell in October of that year. As a result of that loss, Putnam faced a Congressional inquiry but was later cleared of any wrong-doing. It was determined that Putnam did not have enough men to effectively hold the forts. Washington transferred him back to Connecticut following the inquiry, in 1778, where he sought out more men to enlist. He returned to the Highlands in the fall, but was forced to resign from service in December of 1779 following a paralytic stroke.

*Old Put is mentioned but does not appear in The General’s Watch.

April 9, 1738 – May 4, 1824

Cousin to Israel Putnam, Rufus Putnam was also born in Massachusetts and fought in the French-Indian War. He enlisted on the same day as the Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) in one of Massachusetts’ first Revolutionary regiments. When the Continentals—under the blended leadership of the “Green Mountain Boys,” Ethan Allen (Jan. 10/21, 1737/38  – Feb. 12, 1789), and The Traitor while still a Continental officer—captured Fort Ticonderoga on May 10, 1775, by marching through front doors and capturing its commanding officer without firing a single shot, Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – Oct. 25, 1806) transported the fort’s cannons from the Northern New York fort to Boston. It was Putnam’s engineering genius that enabled the Continentals to set up the cannons and fortifications overnight, despite the icy conditions, which forced the British to retreat from the city.

General Washington appointed Putnam as the Chief of Engineers in New York; however, he resigned in December 1776 when Congress rejected his call for a national corps of engineers to be established. He reenlisted in 1777 and commanded two regiments at the Battle of Saratoga. Fort Putnam at West Point is named for him and was built by the Fifth Massachusetts Regiment in 1778, under his direction and command.

As an interesting side note, Ann Putnam of the Salem Witch Trials was a first cousin, once removed.

Oct. 01, 1750 – Aug. 16, 1816

Salem was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. Although he was born into slavery, Salem was freed so as to enlist in the local militia. He fought in the War’s earliest battles—the Battles of Concord and Lexington. After that, Salem enlisted in the newly-created Continental Army in the Massachusetts Sixth Regiment and fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he is credited by some historians as having fired the crucial shot that killed British Royal Marine Major John Pitcairn (Dec. 28, 1722 – June 17, 1775). Pitcairn had climbed the American redoubt, demanding the rebels’ surrender. The Americans froze, uncertain what to do, until Salem stepped forward and fired. The Sixth saw the most casualties in that assault, and it was Salem’s courageous conduct at Bunker Hill that earned him notable attention of several officers, who introduced him to General Washington.

Salem resigned in protest when General Washington decreed on November 12, 1775, that African Americans were banned from enlisting in the Continental Army. That ban was lifted on December 30, 1775—though it was not officially ratified by Congress until January 16, 1776—when it was learned that Lord Dunmore (John Murray, 1730 – 25 February 1809), who was the Royal Governor of Virginia, had freed all African Americans if they enlisted with the British army.

Salem reenlisted on January 01, 1776, with the Fourth Continental Regiment. When his term expired, he reenlisted for another three-year term with the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment under Colonel Thomas Nixon.

He fought in the Battle of Saratoga and the Battle of Stony Point (July 15 - 16, 1779), which was a retaking of an American fortress approximately ten miles south of West Point.

Salem served until his honorable discharge on March 01, 1780. His hometown of Framingham, Mass. established Peter Salem Day on June 17, 1882. A stone was resurrected by the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) on the grounds where his home once stood.

Fictional, though the unit under the umbrella of the British Sixty-Third Regiment of Foot, nicknamed the “Bloodsuckers,” is real. The regiment arrived in the American Colonies to quell the social unrest in Boston in 1775. In the Battle of Bunker Hill (which actually took place on Breed’s Hill), the regiment participated in the third wave under orders of a bayonet attack, which finally dispersed the American rebels.

The regiment continued in Boston through August, then moved on to participate in other famous battles, such as the Battle of Long Island (August 27, 1776), the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1776), the sacking of Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery (October 06, 1778) and the sacking of Kingston, NY (October 16, 1778), and the Battle of Monmouth (June 28, 1778).

By 1780, the regiment had moved to the Southern region, capturing Charleston, S.C. after a long siege (March 29, 1780 – May 12, 1780). They joined with Tarleton’s Legion, a particularly unpopular British force due to its merciless and bloody dealings with American citizens.  The regiment also came under the larger umbrella of command of Lord Cornwallis, bringing them to defeat at the Battle of Yorktown (ended Oct 19, 1781).

Fictional fiancée to Captain Alexander Brott

Sept. 17, 1730 – Nov. 28, 1794

Private Joseph Plumb Martin referred to him as “Baron de Steuben.” He was a Prussian immigrant who spoke little English in 1778. That April, as the long, cold months at Valley Forge finally came to an end, Baron von Steuben began to train the Continental Army, turning the colonists from enlistees (or as Captain Brott would call them, “cabbage farmers”) into capable soldiers. He trained approximately one hundred men, possibly those who were to become General Washington’s personal bodyguard, known as the “Life Guards.” Those one hundred men in turn trained others. Baron von Steuben also authored a training manual entitled, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States.

*Steuben is indirectly mentioned in The General’s Watch when Brott complains about being tasked with training the militia using Steuben’s manual. In real life, the officers were still being trained themselves in Valley Forge and would not begin to train other units until later.

Dec. 03, 1753 – Dec. 03, 1807

Although Colonel Webb had been captured by the time of this series, his unit—the 9th Connecticut Regiment—continued under his name and was stationed at West Point when the Great Chain was established. The regiment constructed Webb’s Redoubt, named in his honor.

There was eight “Private Williams” in Parsons’ regiment roster from 1776, including a David Williams.

Another notable David Williams (1759 – 1836) participated in the Boston Tea Party, and then there was David Williams (October 21, 1754 – August 2, 1831) from New York, who served under General Montgomery (who himself served in the invasion of Canada under The Traitor). The latter Williams was forced to leave active duty in 1779 when he suffered from such severe frostbite on his feet that he became permanently disabled. Nevertheless, he continued to participate with the local militia, which led him to be on the road on the night of September 22 – 23, 1780, where he was one of the three men that captured Major John André. Williams searched André, leading to the discovery of written proof hidden in the boot of André of The Traitor’s treachery.

Fictional