Boude’s Light Dispatch, Capt. Thomas Boude’s Co.
5th PA Regiment
Head Quarters Morris Town March 16th, 1780 – General Washington’s St Patrick’s Day General Order
“General Order
The general congratulates the army on the very interesting proceedings of the parliament of Ireland and the inhabitants of that country which have been lately communicated; not only as they appear calculated to remove those heavy and tyrannical oppressions on their trade but to restore to a brave and generous people their ancient rights and freedom and by their operations to promote the cause of America.
Desirous of impressing upon the minds of the army, transactions so important in their nature, the general directs that all fatigue and working parties cease for tomorrow the seventeenth, a day held in particular regard by the people of the nation. At the same time that he orders this, he persuades himself that the celebration of the day will not be attended with the least rioting or disorder, the officers to be at their quarters in camp and the troops of the state line to keep within their own encampment.”
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Salem Poor
Poor, Salem (1747-1780) African-American Soldier: Born in Andover. Massachusetts, Poor, a married freeman, joined the militia at the age of 28. He fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill, and was the subject of a petition written by fourteen officers and submitted to the Massachusetts legislature in December 1775. The petition recommended that Poor be given a monetary reward for having “behaved like an experienced officer as well as an excellent soldier.” The state took no action on his behalf, however, and Poor continued in his service to his country, having fought at Charlestown as well as Bunker Hill, and later fighting at Valley Forge and White Plains as part of the Continental Army. The rest of Poor’s life is shrouded in obscurity.
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“The play, sir, is over.” – Lafayette, writing to a friend about the surrender at Yorktown, 1781.
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Blast from the Past “Pete White & Paul Wityk
5th PA Regiment
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Letter from the Editor
By RA Cunningham
Hello 5th Pa,
We have been busy this year so far and we can look forward to more to come this year. I encourage all members to come out and support the 5th. We all voted on events and we need a good showing.
We are the 5th and should be proud, to be the best .
I look forward to seeing you all as much as possible
Yours Faithfully,
Rose
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Receipts (Recipes)
Recipes from Historic Cookery
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Here’s one of my favorites:
To Boil Parnips [sic]
Wash your parsnips very well. Boil them till they are soft, then take off the skin, beat them in a bowl with a little salt, put to them a little cream and a lump of butter. Put them in a tossing pan, let them boil till they are like a light custard pudding. Put them on a plate, and send them to the table.
—from The Experienced English Housekeeper
by Elizabeth Raffald
London, England, 1769
Below are the instructions, taken from the published version
of Anne Gibbons Gardiner’s manuscript, which is entitled
Mrs. Gardiner’s Family Receipts from 1763:
Lemon Pudding
Take the Yolks of 8 Eggs well beaten, &
the whites of only 4 of them, the Rhinds
of 2 Lemons grated and the Juice of one
of them, somewhat less that [sic] half
a pound of white Sugar & a quarter of
a pound of Butter. Mix all well together,
& bake it half an hour.
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5th PA Regiment
The Purple Heart- Our Nation’s First Military Award. On June 26, 1775 General George Washington rode into Boston to assume command the Continental Army of the colonies soon to declare themselves independent as the United States of America. His first impression was not a good one. Washington had served as a Colonel in the British Army during the French-Indian Wars, had led men and seen combat. During the march on Duquesne in 1755 his commander, Major General Edward Braddock had been killed, and Colonel Washington was fortunate to survive. Two horses had been shot from beneath him in the action and his uniform had been torn in four places by bullets. Now, as the 17,000 men of his new command assembled before him, General Washington had a deep sense of foreboding. This was no army! He would be hard pressed to even describe it as a militia. It was a rag-tag band of farmers, merchants, and adventurers…not a professional soldier among them. To his good friend Patrick Henry back in Virginia he is reported to have written, “From the day I entered upon the command of the American armies, I date my fall and the ruin of my reputation.”
In the years that followed, Washington did his best to build them into an army. He led them by example, providing courageous inspiration in their darkest moments. He prayed for them at night, his wife sewed clothing and cooked meals for many of them during the harsh winter at Valley Forge. Though seldom considered a brilliant tactician, in fact General Washington lost more battles than he won, he was a powerful leader. Seven years later that rag-tag force was on the brink of defeating the army of Great Britain. It was an incredible transformation. In October of 1781 the British surrendered at Yorktown and General Washington set up his headquarters at Newburgh, New York.
Along the way, General Washington had always tried to maintain a degree of personal involvement with his men. He witnessed their courage, their valor in battle, and did his best to reward them accordingly. This was usually accomplished through “field promotions”. Any soldier who distinguished himself in battle might suddenly find himself being promoted in rank, perhaps even receiving a commission. It was an effective recognition, for with increased rank came increased pay.
By the summer of 1782 the American Revolution was over, only the formalities of adopting the peace accords remained. General Washington was in his headquarters at Newburgh, New York as the Continental Congress reviewed the cost of the war for independence, as well as the continued cost of maintaining an army. Funds were depleted, in fact many soldiers of the Continental Army had not received their pay for war time service (and would not…a point which later led to Shay’s Rebellion). In a cost-cutting measure the Congress sent General Washington a message to cease his practice of recognizing individual achievement or valor by promotion.
Though the battle for freedom was over, General Washington believed it was important to maintain the effectiveness and high morale of his troops, even in peace time. As General Washington pondered this in contrast with his recent message from Congress, he began devising new ways to recognize his men for service and for singularly meritorious service. They were formalized in his General Orders of August 7, 1782.
To recognize EVERY soldier for his service, General Washington authorized a chevron to be worn on the left sleeve of any enlisted or non-commissioned veteran who had served for three years with “bravery, fidelity and good conduct”. Veterans of six years’ service would be authorized to wear two chevrons.
This was a brave new step in military history. European models had usually recognized officers and royalty with military awards, never the common soldier. George Washington’s “badge of service” would take emphasis away from rank, indicating that it was SERVICE and not rank that was important. He instituted this step to recognize our first veterans of military service by saying, “The road to glory in a patriot army and a free country is thus open to all.”
This new recognition was established with Washington’s General Orders of August 7, 1782. General Washington took it one step further, authorizing an individual award for men who singularly performed deeds of valor or unusual merit. It would become The Badge of Military Merit. The General’s orders described it thus:
| “The General, ever desirous to cherish virtuous ambition in his soldiers as well as foster and encourage every species of military merit, directs that whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings, over his left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding. Not only instances of unusual gallantry but also of extraordinary fidelity and essential service in any way shall meet with due reward. “The name and regiment of the persons so certified are to be enrolled in a Book of Merit which shall be kept in the orderly room.” |
The Badge of Military Merit
With those August 7, 1782 orders General Washington established our first military medal, the Badge of Military Merit. It was made of cloth or silk, purple in color and bordered with a white lace. It could be worn either suspended from a ribbon placed around around the neck or sewn to the left breast pocket of the uniform. The man who received it, regardless of his rank, would be granted privileges normally reserved to officers. Specifically, any recipient of the award would be allowed to pass by guards and sentinels with the same courtesy such other enlisted men paid to officers.
General Washington called upon a close friend to design the award, M. Pierre Charles L’Enfant. Later as President, George Washington called upon that same friend to design our Nation’s Capitol City in Washington, D.C.
5th PA Regiment
Nearly a year later, on May 3, 1783 General Washington presented The Badge of Military Merit to two soldiers from Connecticut. Sergeant Elijah Churchill had been a carpenter before entering the Continental Army as private years earlier. He was cited for gallantry in action at Fort St. George near Brookhaven on Long Island, at Coram, New York in November 1780, as well as a subsequent action at Tarrytown, New York in July 1781. Sergeant William Brown was also cited. Though records of his citation have not been recovered, it is generally believed he was cited for his gallantry during the siege of Yorktown. On June 10, 1783 General Washington presented a third Badge of Military Merit to Sergeant Daniel Bissell, Jr. A year earlier General Washington had ordered the Connecticut sergeant to pose as a deserter, acting as a spy among the British troops in New York. From August 14 to September 29 the brave patriot had repeatedly risked his life to provide valuable information on enemy strength and movement.
These three awards were all made directly by General Washington himself, the awards presented together with a certificate detailing the service for which the Badge was awarded. Two of these original awards are still on display, more than 200 years after their presentation. There is no other known record of this award.
The Medal of Honor
General Washington’s dream of recognizing singularly meritorious action by ordinary soldiers never quite caught on. At the time he issued his Executive Orders on August 7, 1782 he stated: “The order (authorizing the Badge of Military Merit) to be retroactive to the earliest stages of the war, and to be a permanent one.” But Washington himself, presented only three, and the award faded into obscurity. Even as the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps of the young United States became more professional, the reluctance to recognize military men with medals ran deep. The practice of wearing medals was far too reminiscent of European aristocracy, and the people of the United States had taken great steps to build their nation far from the European model. In 1847 the American military found itself committed to combat in the Mexican-American War. During that brief action a “certificate of merit” was created to recognize those soldiers who distinguished themselves in action. But the certificate of merit was just that, a certificate that existed more in terms of a voucher that often brought a small payment to the soldier but no lasting recognition or visible medal. Not until the Civil War was any consideration given to awarding a medal itself.
Early in the Civil War a medal of honor was proposed in Congress to “promote efficiency in the Navy.” Approved in 1861, the new Medal of Honor would only be awarded to enlisted sailors and petty officers, and was not approved for award to commissioned officers until more than 50 years later. The following summer the Army established its own Medal of Honor in legislation signed by President Lincoln on July 12, 1862. Before the war ended, the Army allowed the award of its medal to enlisted men, non-commissioned and commissioned officers who distinguished themselves. During the Civil War more than 2,000 Medals of Honor were awarded to United States soldiers ranging in rank from private to general. (Later, in 1917, some 900 of these awards were rescinded.) The Navy awarded its Medal of Honor to 308 enlisted sailors, and 17 enlisted Marines. (You can read more specific information and chronology of the Medal of Honor HERE!) In similar fashion to General Washington’s original plan for awarding the Badge of Military Merit, the Medal of Honor was presented by an accompanying certificate, now called a “citation”, setting forth the actions for which it was presented. An honor roll was also subsequently established to record each recipient’s name and unit for future generations.
From the end of the Civil War through World War I, the Medal of Honor was the ONLY medal that could be earned by members of the United States Army, Navy, Marines or Coast Guard. For this reason Medals of Honor were often awarded in situations that, though meritorious, did not warrant such an award. As a result, a review of Medal of Honor awards in 1917 led to the rescinding of 910 previous awards. More importantly, it led to the creation of “lesser awards” for actions that did not merit the Medal of Honor but were worthy of recognition. These new medals including the Distinguished Service Cross (and shortly thereafter the Navy Cross) and the Silver Star were arranged in an order of PRECEDENCE. At the top of this order of precedence was, of course, the Medal of Honor.
Awards of the Medal of Honor in the late 1800’s, many of them to Civil War veterans for service almost half a century earlier, began to draw attention. For the first time American military veterans began to not only accept military medals as an American tradition, but to covet them as well. The establishment of the Pyramid of Honor seemed to open a floodgate that, in the 50 years following would create an array of medals for valor, medals for service, and campaign ribbons that would be difficult to keep up with. In the process, our Nation’s first military medal began to get a second look.
The Purple Heart Medal
The award we have come to recognize as the Purple Heart actually found its roots not so much in the desire to create a new medal for military men to wear, as it was in the desire to honor a great American hero of the past. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. Nearly 200 years later the American public was preparing for the bi-centennial of his birth, complete with commemorative events and celebrations. In the process of researching the life of the Father of our Country in order to plan the celebration, General Washington’s Executive Order of August 7, 1782 was found. Along with it was the record of his purple Badge of Military Merit and the accounts of the three men who had received it. On October 10, 1927 Army Chief of Staff, General Charles P. Summerall drafted a bill to send to Congress in an effort to revive the Badge of Military Merit. For whatever reasons, the bill received little support and was withdrawn early the following year.
As the bi-centennial celebration drew closer, General Summerall was replaced by General Douglas MacArthur, a hero of service in Mexico and World War I, and the son of a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient. With little public fanfare, General MacArthur began work anew on General Summerall’s proposal to re-establish the Badge of Military Merit. Throughout 1931 the Army quietly designed and created the new award. It was announced on February 22, 1932…the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s birth. In honor of the Father of our Country and the man who established our military’s first medal, the Purple Heart would bear the profile on George Washington on its face.
The Army quickly embraced the new medal, authorizing its presentation to any soldier whose “wound…necessitates treatment by a medical officer and which is received in action with an enemy.” The award itself was made retro-active, allowing World War I Army veterans who had been wounded in action to exchange previously received Meritorious Service Citation Certificates for the new Purple Heart Medal. In the early days of World War II, soldiers received the Purple Heart not only for wounds, but also in some circumstances, for meritorious service.
The Navy was not so quick to accept the Medal, and not until a year after Pearl Harbor was it authorized for sailors and Marines. On December 3, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an Executive Order authorizing the Purple Heart to sailors and Marines wounded or killed on or after December 6, 1941. This made all those injured or killed at Pearl Harbor eligible for the Purple Heart. At the same time he established the Legion of Merit medal for meritorious service, restricting the Purple Heart for award only to those killed or wounded in combat. Later, President Truman extended the time period for the award back to April 5, 1917, allowing Naval and Marine Corps veterans of World War I to receive the award.
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| Today the Purple Heart is perhaps, the most unique of all United States military awards. Though low in the order of precedence on the Pyramid of Honor (it ranks below the Bronze star), it is one of the most widely recognized and respected medals. It cannot be earned by courage or by exceptional service or achievement. The Purple Heart signifies one thing…SACRIFICE. Whenever you see the Purple Heart, know that it represents either a combat death or a combat wound. It represents the blood that has been shed in defense of liberty. |
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Denis & Roswell at The Battle of Monmouth
5th PA Regiment
Ladies of the 5th PA Morrisville, PA May 25, 2015
5th PA Regiment
Battle of Monmouth, June 20, 21, 2015
5th PA Regiment
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Trivia March Questions & Answers
- During the revolutionary war, how man physicians had their licenses?
Less than 300
- Who was Polly Cooper
? An Oneida woman who took part in an expedition to the Continental Army during the American Revolution at Valley Forge, PA during the bitterly cold winter of 1777-78. Cooper has long been held up as an example of the courage, generosity and indomitable spirit of the Oneida people
- When was the first hospital founded?
Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin “to care for the sick-poor and insane who were wandering the streets of Philadelphia
Trivia June Questions
- How did sailors contribute to the war effort?
- Who was Elias Boudinot?
- What was General Christopher Ludwig’s role during the revolutionary war?
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SUTLERS
Avalon Forge, 409 Gun Rd, Baltimore, MD 21227/ www.Avalonforge.com
410-243-8431 ( Books, Tools, cooking & eating equip., field gear, Misc. )
Dixie Gun Works, 1412 Reelfoot Avenue, Union, TN 38281
1-800-238-6785 ( Guns, parts and other supplies )
Dixon Muzzleloading Shop
9952 Kunkels Mill Rd, Kempton, PA 19529
1-610-756-627 ( Guns, supplies, clothing, misc. )
Gedney Godwin, Inc., 2139 Welsch Rd, Valley Forge, PA 19481/ www.ggodwin. Com
610-783-0670 ( 18th Century Supplies )
Livonia Smithery, 3913 Clay St, Livonia, NY www.livoniasmithery.com
585-367-2130 ( Canteens, lanterns, plates, coffee pots, frying pans, etc. )
Jas. Townsend & Son, Inc., 133 North First St, Pierceton, IN 46562/800-338-1665
18th century supplies
Track of the Wolf, Inc. , 18308 Joplin St NW, Elk River, MN 55330/ 763-633-2500
18th century supplies
Smiling Fox Forge, LLC
Email: smilingfox@smilingfoxforge.com
3500 County Road 234, Fremont, OH 43420 ph. 410-334-8180