Muskets & Arrows - Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois

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Muskets & Arrows
Volume X, No. 2
Save the Date
Summer 2015
Members and Candidates Socialize and
Re-connect at Annual Membership Event
February 18, 2015
Thursday, August 13th-16th
Michigan Warriors- Summer
Court
Mackinaw Island
The Grand Hotel
Wednesday, October 7th
Council Meeting- 11:30am
Program/Lunch- Noon-1pm
The Casino
Thursday, December 3rd
Winter Court- Stag event
with British Consul General
The Hon. Stephen Bridges
6pm - cocktails
7 pm- Council Meeting
7:30- Dinner & Program
followed by
Annual Backgammon Tournament
White/Black Tie
The Casino
Sunday, January 10th 2016
Colonial Dames Program & Brunch
“The Third Coast”- 10:30am
Indian Hill Club
Thursday,February 18th 2016
Annual All MemberMembership Event
5pm Quarterly Council Meeting
6pm Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres
7pm Dinner
The Casino
Society of Colonial Wars
in the State of Illinois
P.O. Box 350
Kenilworth, IL 60043
847-251-1400
www.colonialwarsil.org
www.gscw.org
The Illinois Society holds an event every year
to promote and expand its membership.
Possible candidates for membership are
invited for an evening of cocktails. This
year’s membership event was held on
February 18, 2015 at The Casino Club in
Chicago. About 50 gentlemen attended,
including 10 provisional members and
10 potential candidates for membership.
New members mixed with long-standing
members, some of whom had not
attended a Warriors meeting for years
and loved the event.
.After several rounds of drinks and hearty
hors d’oeuvres, Illinois Society Governor
Robert Burell spoke briefly about the
history of the Illinois Society since its
first meeting in Chicago on December 7,
1894. Two new members—Trigg Waller
and Ralph O’Hara—were called up to
receive their rosettes and membership
certificates. Next, the Illinois Society
Membership & Social Chairman Brian D.
White and the Illinois Society Registrar
Rudolf E. Knepper spoke briefly about the
the membership and application process.
They provided some details on how
to prepare the preliminary and formal
applications and reminded those going
through the process that they are available
to help every step of the way.
article continued on next page
Members and Candidates Connect and
Re-connect at Annual Membership Event continued
A splendid evening was had by all. It was a great opportunity
to meet our new crop of guys going through the
membership process. The candidates shared information
about the process of getting their papers done. Some hire
a genealogist (see elsewhere in this issue), engage their
spouses to help research, or just buckle down themselves
to do any necessary research, fill out their paperwork, and
submit it.
Following the lively reception, many attendees gathered
for an elegant dinner in The Fountain Room at the club.
The Illinois Society strongly encourages all members,
old and new, to identify and sponsor their male relatives
(sons, nephews—even fathers), and qualified friends for
membership. These low-hanging-fruit opportunities to
add to our ranks are a great opportunity to increase our
numbers. Our membership is growing but we need your
help to continue our trajectory into the future!
Summer 2015  Page 2
The Governor’s Report
Warriors! What a robust 2015
we have had so far. I along with
the members of the Council,
thank each of you for your ideas
participation, and all the great
energy you give the Society
and its missions. Although the
camaraderie of our events is
fantastic with many friendships
formed, our true mission is to
“…inspire in its members’ the
fraternal and patriotic spirit of
their forefathers, and to inspire
in the community respect and
Governor Burell
reverence for those whose
public services made freedom and unity possible.”Through our
programming and publications, we have done much to succeed
in meeting the goals and mission of the Society. Moreover, we
have received recognition from the General Society for our
work. And we continue to build on our successes of the
past. My goal is to continue to improve the Society structurally
and plan events of interest to the membership while fully
supporting our mission. With your devoted participation, we
will continue to accelerate. Some of our accomplishments –
and a few of my notes-- include:
• I am proud to announce that the Illinois Society of
Colonial Wars has been invited to host the 43rd General
Assembly in 2022. This is a great honor for our Society to
be selected. Such as invitation is reflective of all the great
work we have done to support the Society’s missions
that has accelerated our prominence as a State Society. I
along with Deputy Governor General David Linville, will
head the host Committee. We will need many volunteers
to assist in this effort. Congratulations to each of you as
we would not be selected if it were not for the spirit and
efforts of each of you.
• This year we have made contributions to the University
of Illinois Department of History, Newberry Library,
Winnetka Public Library, “Save Illinois History”(Fort
de Chartres) Foundation, and the South Suburban
Genealogy and Historical Society. The General Society is
matching our grants at about 60% of our contributions.
Secretary Philip May has volunteered to investigate other
projects we can develop and fund such as scholarships
and colonial history grants for research specific to the
Colonial Wars. Please contact Philip May with any ideas
or thoughts you may have. We need your participation to
make our grant programs targeted, useful and purposeful
to our mission as an organization.
• Our new relationship with the University of Illinois and
Professor Morrissey is off to an excellent start. In exchange
for our grant money, we ask that the organization make
a minimum of one presentation per year to the Society
and write one article on colonial war history for Muskets
and Arrows. The SCWIL will own the article and be able
to have it published in other historical and genealogical
magazines. Professor Morrissey along with Secretary
Philip May have been able to build new channels to the
Newberry Library for future programming specific to
colonial history
• We will be kicking off our fundraising initiative for the
George Burditt Memorial Education Fund in the fall.
Monies raised will be separate from our general operating
funds and be used to directly fund SCWIL programs that
will be targeted and specific.This is in contrast to our past
practice of giving money to institutions where we have
little control on how our money is being used. In addition
to myself, I have asked Secretary Philip May, Treasurer
Albert VanAlyea and Council Member Allen Carter to
head up this fund raising effort.
• We have had twelve boxes of old applications, records,
documents and miscellaneous paraphernalia accumulated
over the years. Deputy Governor John Strothman,
Secretary Philip May, and Registrar Jim Barr have sorted the
materials in the boxes, scanned the appropriate records
and donated the applications of deceased members to
the South Suburban Genealogy and Historical Society in
Homewood, IL.The applications of living members will be
retained. Members will have the opportunity to reclaim
their original applications if desired for a small fee as they
have already been scanned and will always be available
through the General Society.
• We have identified our Winter Court Speaker and it is
my pleasure to announce we will be honored by British
Consul General Stephen Bridges. I thank Warrior Brian
White for his recruiting Consul General Bridges to speak
at Winter Court. Winter Court will be held December
3rd at The Casino. Mark your calendars.
• I want to acknowledge the great work done by Aaron
Barlow and his Muskets and Arrows Team in producing
the Summer 2015 Muskets and Arrows. Thank you for a
job well done!
• Do come to the SCW events and meetings! Your active
participation is requisite for the success of the Society--and most importantly, we want to see you!
Summer 2015  Page 3
Bermuda Meeting Report
The 106th Annual Meeting of the General Society of Colonial
Wars was hosted by the New Jersey Society. Unlike prior
General Assemblies, this year’s event was held on board the
1,069-foot Norwegian Breakaway, a spectacular cruise ship
first launched in 2013, during a round trip cruise to the semitropical islands of Bermuda and concluded in the capital of
Bermuda.
The General Assembly commenced on board the Norwegian
Breakaway on May 3, 2015. The ship embarked from the
terminal on the Hudson River at the west end of 54th
Street in Manhattan. As the ship headed down the Hudson
on a beautiful sunny afternoon, Warriors and their guests
were treated to a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty and
downtown New York City before passing under the Verezzano
Narrows Bridge and heading out to sea. In the evening of that
first day, the Warriors and their guests met for an outdoor
private cocktail party at the Spice H2O Pool Bar and Grill.
The next day, the Warriors held the first part of the meeting
of the 106th General Society of Colonial Wars onboard the
ship. Because many warriors were meeting the sailing group
in Bermuda, the only business conducted on board was that
not requiring votes or discussion from the Warriors who
flew directly to Bermuda. In the evening of the second day,
the Warriors and their guests enjoyed a black tie dinner at
Cagney’s steak house onboard the ship.
Early on the morning of the next day—May 5—Michael
Jarvis, Associate Professor of History at the University of
Rochester—gave an entertaining and informative lecture on
the history of Bermuda. Professor Jarvis, who is recognized
internationally—especially by Bermudians—as one of the
top experts on the history of Bermuda--has studied every
surviving document concerning Bermudian history from the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He is the author of
the fascinating book, In the Eye of All Trade, which describes
the key role of Bermuda in trans-Atlantic trade in the years
leading up to the American Revolution and the effect of the
severing of the ties between America and Britain on Bermuda.
Professor Jarivs’s lecture divided Bermudian history into five
phases from its colonial founding in the early eighteenth
century to modern times.
The Norweigian Breakway docked in Bermuda early the
following morning. The next phase of the Annual Meeting
took place at City Hall in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda.
The Warriors took a ferry from the main harbor where the
Norwegian Breakaway was docked to the City of Hamilton,
where they were met by the Warriors who traveled to
Bermuda by air and by Hamilton City’s Town Crier, Ed
Christopher (pictured below).
Mr. Christopher then escorted the Warriors on a short walk
from the ferry terminal to Hamilton City Hall, where the
Warriors were met by Mayor Graeme Outerbridge. The
Warriors then convened in the auditorium of the Town Hall
where the 106th General Council continued and concluded
the business of the Annual Meeting. The highlight of the
business that day was the creation of a Bermuda Chapter
in the Society of the Colonial Wars. As Professor Jarvis had
explained in his on-board lecture, before the Revolution,
during our shared colonial history, the relations between
Bermuda and the English colonies in America were very
close. Bermuda was founded by colonists heading to Virginia,
and until the Revolution enjoyed close relations with Virginia
and Maryland. Many Bermudians and Americans of Virginian
or Maryland descent have ancestors in common. Mayor
Outerbridge himself is descended from many American
colonists and became the first member of the Bermuda
Chapter. The Warriors also were honored to meet Johnny
Barnes, a Bermudian institution in his own right. (See his page
on Wikipedia).
The attending members then met in Queen Elizabeth Park for
a dedication of the planting of a tree grown from a seedling
originating in Mount Vernon. The tree was a gift from the
General Society to the people of Bermuda.
Illinois Warrior Aaron Barlow, Mayor Graeme Outerbridge, Illinois Warrior Brian D.
White and New York Warrior attending the planting of the Mount Vernon Redbud.
article continued on next page
Summer 2015  Page 4
Bermuda Meeting Report Cont.
Following the tree planting, the
Warriors and their male guests
met for lunch at the Royal
Bermuda Yacht Club where the
Premier of Bermuda, Michael
Dunkley, gave an address. In
the afternoon, the Warriors
and all their guests were bused
to the Government House, the
official residence of the royal
Governor of Bermuda, George
Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson hosted
a reception for the Warriors and spoke about the shared
history of Bermuda and the United States.
The Government
House was built
at a time when
Bermuda was an
important
naval
base for the Royal
Navy.
Indeed,
the official title of
the governor of
Bermuda is still
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda. In aid of the
Governor’s responsibilities over naval affairs, the Government
House was built on top of a hill with a view of the harbor so
A photograph of the Norwegian Breakaway arriving in Bermuda taken by
Governor Ferguson from the steps of the Government House
that ships approaching Bermuda could be readily seen by the
Governor and his staff. That harbor is now used for cruise
ships like the Norwegian Breakway. Governor Ferguson was
kind enough to send us a photograph he had taken from the
vantage point of the Government House of our ship as it
arrived in the harbor on Wednesday morning.
Left to right: William Parke, Ed Lester, Peter Mark, New Jersey Warrior
Charles A. Poekel, James Kinney and Brian D. White
The following day, many Warriors and their guests took a tour
of St. George’s, the oldest settlement on Bermuda, where
several Warriors sported their best Bermudian fashions.
Thursday evening, the Warriors and their guests attended a
white tie cocktail reception and dance at the Fourways Inn.
The inn is located in the central parish of Paget, and was built
in 1727 of native coral stone and cedar. It was originally the
home of John Harvey of Harvey’s Bristol Cream fame. The
warriors and their guests enjoyed cocktails in a private tent
before adjourning indoors to the historic dining room.
On Friday, the last day on Bermuda, many Warriors and guests
participated in golf or tennis tournaments at Bermuda clubs, and
a group of avid croquet players enjoyed croquet at the Coral
Beach Club. Those Warriors and guests who were returning
on the cruise ship
boarded in the
afternoon and the
ship left Bermuda
for New York. Early
Sunday morning,
the ship returned
to its berth on the
Hudson River.
Our female guests report having enjoyed a delicious luncheon
at the Coral Beach Club overlooking the vivid turquoise
water and being treated to a fashion show featuring resort
fashions. They also visited an historic house and garden, and
had the chance to shop and dine in picturesque St. George’s.
All agreed that this was a very successful General Council of
the Society of Colonial Wars, and the Illinois Society made a
strong showing.
Summer 2015  Page 5
Summer Court 2015 - Shoreacres
Barb and David with Bob and Coco
On May 17th, 2015, the
Illinois Warriors held its
annual Summer Court
at Shoreacres in Lake
Bluff with 80 guests and
Warriors in attendance.
Guests were greeted
by the colonial tunes
of a bagpiper as they
arrived at the club. After
a Council meeting, all
assembled in
the
parlors of the beautiful Shoreacres Club for cocktails and
conversation. After the reception, guests were piped into
the dining room by the bagpiper and were treated to a
delicious lunch.
After a welcome and toasts by Governor Robert Lee
Burell, Deputy Governor General David Linville, Esq. was
presented the Samuel Victor Constant Award and named
a Fellow in this elite group. The Award is named after
Samuel Victor Constant—the Society of Colonial Wars’
principal founder—and honors distinguished service to the
Society. David Linville, Esq. was heartily cheered by all upon
receiving this most prestigious and well deserved award.
After lunch, Secretary Philip May introduced and gave a
background on our speaker Professor Robert Michael
Morrissey of the University of Illinois and noted author
on Illinois history. Dr. Morrissey gave a very detailed and
interesting
presentation
titled
“Empire
by
Collaboration: The French
Empire on the Heart of
Colonial America.” All were
impressed with Professor
Morrissey’s program and
very much delighted to have
his lovely wife Haley as a
guest.
A great time was had by all.
Gov. Burell presents certificate to
Speaker Professor Robert Morrissey
Summary of Morrissey Talk
A summary of “Empire by Collaboration: French
and Indians in the Colonial Illinois Country,” a
presentation by Professor Robert Michael Morrissey
of the University of Illinois given at the Summer
Court, May 17, 2015.
Those who attended the annual Summer Court at Shore
Acres in Lake Bluff were treated to a fascinating discussion of
little-known aspects of Illinois colonial history by Professor
Robert Morissey, Assistant Professor of History at the
University of Illinois. Professor Morissey presented some
of the surprising history of the French settlers in Illinois
prior to the American Revolution. The French colonial
experience, especially in what is now the United States,
was very different from that of the English. Rather than
large scale settlements and thriving communities of families,
the story of the French colonists concerns “scoundrel
adventurers,” who more often than not acted in open
defiance of official French policy. For example, many of the
French settlers in Illinois country engaged in various illegal
activities: buying and selling Indian slaves, marrying Indian
women, and appropriating huge amounts of land. Even less
disreputable figures than slave traders and land squatters
like Jacques Marquette, René Robert Cavalier, the Sieur de
La Salle, and the Jesuit hierarchy itself found it necessary
to act more in conflict with the French government’s
expressed policy than in conformity with it. Marquette,
for example, in defiance of the French crown’s insistence
on limiting missionary activity to the vicinity of Québec,
established the mission of the Immaculate Conception on
the Illinois River.
Eventually, in what Professor Morissey called an illustration
of the “if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em” principle, the French
government collaborated with the Illinois settlers. Thus,
while the French government had earlier issued at least
two arrest warrants for Jacques Bourdon because of his
allegedly treasonable acts, after 1718 he was designated
among the “most worthy” settlers of the colony and
appointed captain of the militia. As Professor Morissey
explained, this experience affected the French colonists’
attitudes towards the British government after 1763, when
Illinois Country as well as all of French North America
south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi was
ceded to Britain. Unlike the angry English colonists, who
in the 1760s and 1770s wrote up a storm of pamphlets
protesting against British encroachment on the “rights of
Englishmen,” French settlers in Illinois country pledged
their loyalty and sought accommodations from the British
government, albeit in return for personal gain. By the end
of the American Revolution, apparently fed up with AngloAmerican politics, most of these settlers had moved the
short distance across the Mississippi to the parts of the
former French colonies that were under the jurisdiction of
the Spanish.
article continued on page 10
Summer 2015  Page 6
King George’s War 1739-1748
This article is the fourth in a series on the Colonial Wars
between France and Britain that were fought by ancestors
of our members. Each issue of Muskets & Arrows will
include a short article providing a synopsis of one (or part
of one) of these wars. Last issue’s article discussed a war
between the Spanish Empire and Britain that was itself the
lead up to the third French and Indian War. That war with
Spain was called the War of Jenkins’ Ear.
This issue’s article is about the continuation of the conflict
with Spain after France also declared war on Britain and its
colonies. At this point, the War of Jenkins’ Ear merged into
the new conflict with France, and came to be known as
King George’s War.
The War of Austrian Succession
King George’s War was the American phase of a war
between Britain and France that was part of the War of
Austrian Succession. That general European conflagration
resulted from various states’ opportunistic attempts to
secure land at the expense of the Austrian Empire after
Emperor Charles VI died in 1740. Charles was succeeded
by his daughter, Maria Teresa, who was the last of the
Hapsburgs and the only female ruler of the Holy Roman
Empire. Under Salic Law—the same law that prevented
the English kings from inheriting the throne of France
through a woman and led to the Hundred Years’ War—
Maria Teresa could not inherit the Habsburg dominions
in Central Europe from her father. However, before he
died, Charles prevailed upon most of the relevant courts
of Europe to agree to the Pragmatic Sanction permitting
Maria Teresa to inherit the Habsburg lands.
In spite of their agreements, shortly after Charles died in
1740, most of the parties to the Pragmatic Sanction broke
their promises in order to expand their territories, reduce
the power of the Habsburgs, or both. This war—the War
of Austrian Succession—saw the first appearance of the
army whose military traditions and effectiveness would
bedevil European history until 1945--the highly trained and
aggressive Prussian army. The German armies of World
Wars I and II looked back to the traditions of the Prussian
army first unleashed in the 1740s. The young military
genius King Frederick II—later known as Frederick the
Great—used this army to great effect in conquering Silesia
from Austria. This territory doubled the size of Prussia and
remained part of Prussia/Germany until 1945.
King Frederick II of Prussia, known as “the
Great”
Other than the Prussian conquest of Silesia, the war was
a chaotic mess with the French, British, Dutch, Prussians,
Austrians, and several other
parties trying to gain or maintain
a modest advantage in territory
or power. Several states entered
and left the war multiple times,
and some switched sides in the
middle of the conflict. The North
American colonies of Britain and
France were not involved until
1744. Until that point Britain and
France had not declared war on
each other, even though both countries provided armies to
opposite sides of the conflict. At one such point, an army
on the side of Austria was led by the British King George
II who, in June 1743, at the battle of Dettingen became the
last ruling British monarch to lead troops in battle.
Eventually, the French formally declared war against Britan
on March 4, 1744 and the British responded in kind on
March 29.
The Commencement of Hostilities by the
French in North America
France was the first of the two powers to inform its
colonies in North America that the two countries were
now at war. As a result, on May 14, 1744 a French force
from Ft. Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia,
was able to surprise and capture the garrison of a small
British fishing station at Canso (or “Canseau” to the
French) Nova Scotia. The captured British were brought
to Louisbourg, where they remained for several weeks,
eventually becoming familiar with the site’s fortifications,
strengths, and weaknesses.
The French then tried to recover Annapolis Royal, a former
French Fort in Nova Scotia which had been captured by
the British during Queen Anne’s War. However, Major
Paul Mascarene, the Annapolis commander, and the son
of Huguenot refugees, mostly through force of character,
galvanized activity among the British that overcame
Annapolis’s state of disrepair as well as the numerical
inferiority of the British garrison. While the French
commander wasted time trying and failing to convince the
formerly French Acadians who lived near Annapolis to take
sides against the British (the most they would do was make
scaling ladders for the French army), reinforcements for
Annapolis began to arrive from Boston. At that point, the
French gave up and returned to Ft. Louisbourg.
Meanwhile, a plan to take Louisbourg for the British was
materializing on multiple fronts. The Canso garrison,
Summer 2015  Page 7
article continued on next page
King George’s War 1739-1748 continued
released from imprisonment at Louisbourg to Boston,
urged Massachusetts Governor William Shirley to launch an
expedition against the fort. They pointed out their intimate
familiarity with the fort after being held there provided upto-date intelligence that would prove valuable in an attack.
Meanwhile, in London, a powerful merchant familiar with
the fort was also urging an attack. Louisbourg represented
a significant threat to British shipping and trans-Atlantic
traffic. Its position astride the main trade routes earned
it the nickname “the Gibraltar of the New World.” In the
view of many on both sides of the Atlantic, its elimination
as a threat would significantly tilt the balance of the war in
favor of Britain.
never be able to hold this fortification. Before leaving they
had spiked all the cannon. The Americans, expecting such
tactics, had brought with them from home smiths and tools
for repairing cannon. By May 4, the New Englanders had
repaired three French cannon and were using them to
pummel the town.
Governor Shirley agreed to launch the expedition in
1745. He asked England to send naval support, which it
did under Commodore Peter Warren. The land forces,
however, came entirely from New England. These included
500 men from Connecticut (including this writer’s ancestor,
Lieutenant Jabez Barlow), 450 men from New Hampshire,
and 2,800 men from Massachusetts. Rhode Island provided
an armed ship, New York sent 10 cannon, and Pennsylvania
and New Jersey promised supplies. Governor Shirley
appointed Colonel William Pepperell, of Kittery, Maine
(then part of Massachusetts) to
lead the troops.
However, the French still had an effective battery on the
island in the middle of the harbor (item “H” on the map)
from which they could inhibit the Americans’ freedom of
movement. But by June 10, the Americans had succeeded
in dragging enough cannon around the harbor to set up
a new battery at Lighthouse Point on the East side of
the harbor (item “I” on the map). From this locale, the
Americans could hit the French island battery (H on the
map) so effectively that it was completely neutralized as an
impediment to American movements.
By the end of May, the French had made two attempts to
relieve and provision the besieged town by sea. However, in
both cases, the French ships were captured by Commodore
Warren, preventing any relief for the besieged French while
at the same time providing the Americans with captured
bread, meat, siege guns, and ammunition.
The New Englanders used
Canso, retaken after the previous
year’s surprise attack, as a staging
area for the various parts of the
expedition to gather. On April
29, the flotilla departed Canso
and arrived the next morning
three miles from the town of
Louisbourg, where the New
Englanders made their camp
(just to the left of the map to
the right.)
After making camp, Pepperell
sent detachments to explore the
terrain and gather information
for planning an attack. On
May 2, a reconnaissance party
discovered that the Grand
Battery on the north side of the
harbor (item “L” on the map)
was unoccupied. The French had
abandoned it a few days earlier
in the belief that they would
article continued on next page
Summer 2015  Page 8
The War of Jenkins’ Ear and King George’s War 1739-1748 continued
Warren and Pepperell then planned a combined sealand assault on the fort. Just as those plans were being
completed on June 15, the French raised a flag of truce.
The next day, the parties discussed terms, and on June 17,
the French surrendered. One condition was there was to
be no plunder of French property. To make up for the
American’s loss of their expected war booty, Warren kept
flying the French flag at the fort, luring several French
merchant ships into Louisbourg, thereby providing the
troops with their desired plunder.
The New Englanders lost 101 killed, with 30 dead from
disease. The French lost 53 killed and 80 wounded.
The victory was hailed as a “remarkable feat of arms for
inexperienced militiamen.” When the news of the victory
reached Boston on July 3, the celebrations included
fireworks and “Candles in windows of all most Evry house.”
For the rest of the war in North America, nothing as
dramatic or as potentially significant as the Cape Breton
expedition occurred. Two French attempts to retake
Louisbourg failed, the first due to weather and the second
due to the death of its first commander and the suicide of
its second.
Indian raids, as in prior wars, continued to be a problem
especially along the frontier between British and French
areas. To counteract these, Massachusetts built three
forts on its northern frontier early in the war. French
and Indian attempts to take these failed. New York was
largely protected from Indian raids by the huge presence
of the loyal Iroquois in western New York. But there were
nonetheless a few raids in New York, notably at Saratoga
where 300 Canadians and 200 Indians under the Sieur de
Marin and Father Picquet killed 30 inhabitants and captured
60-100, mostly slaves.
Attempts were made to launch an expedition against
Quebec but, while the Americans assembled their militias
in July 1746 for the effort, the British were no shows,
explaining the next spring that they had urgent business
on the Continent. Late in the war, the Spanish—who
were still at war with Britain due to the formally ongoing
War of Jenkins’ Ear--became active again and sent raiding
parties from Florida to Beaufort, North Carolina (August
1747) and Brunswick, North Carolina (September 1748).
However, nothing conclusive occurred in North America
for the remainder of the war.
Peace
The conclusion of the war was determined by events
outside America. In Europe the French military had been
very successful in capturing almost all of what is now Belgium
and had made significant inroads into the Netherlands. In
India the French captured the important British station
of Madras. The peace treaty of Aix-la Chapelle, signed
October 18, 1748, returned Louisbourg to France, to the
shocked dismay of the American colonists. This was the
price for the French relinquishing Madras and its European
gains. (The French army, which had lost many men in its
conquest of Belgium, also protested the return of these
hard-won territories.) For the powers-that-be, this war was
a prime example of Clausewitz’s maxim that “war is the
continuation of politics by other means.” Having achieved
their limited goals, the various European states negotiated
a peace that was politically palatable to each side. But for
the English colonists, the war represented another step in
their effort to obtain permanent security by destroying the
power of the French in North America. Had Louisbourg
remained in British hands, the French would have been
unable to supply armies of any significantsize in Quebec.
Instead, back in French hands, Louisbourg represented the
continued and growing threat of French aggression. The
Americans feared the strength of French fortifications,
which encircled the British colonies in an arc extending
from Louisbourg to Detroit to Fort de Chartres to New
Orleans. They rightly feared French intentions on the
western frontier of the British colonies, as borne out by
the 1754 establishment of Fort Duquesne at Pittsburgh in
land claimed by Virginia, as well as the treatment of George
Washington’s expedition to that area at the beginning of
the next war with the French.
Sources:
Peckham, Howard H., The Colonial Wars 1689-1762, U.
Chicago Press 1964.
Leach, Douglas Edward. Arms for Empire: A Military History of
the British Colonies in North America 1607-1763, Macmillan
Co. 1973.
The Spanish Official Account of the Attack on the Colony of
Georgia, in America, and of its Defeat on St. Simons Island
by General James Oglethorpe (Collections of the Georgia
Historical Society,VII, Part 3). Savannah, Ga. 1913. Available
at https://archive.org/details/spanishofficiala00geor
Ogg, David, Europe of the Ancien Régime: 1715-1783, Harper
& Row 1965.
Hufton, Olwen, Europe: Privilege and Protest 1730-1789,
Fontana Press 1980.
Summer 2015  Page 9
April 1, Spring Meeting
On April 1, 2015 we held our Spring Luncheon Meeting
at The Casino in Chicago. Our speaker was Illinois Society
Muskets & Arrows editor, Aaron Barlow, who gave a
presentation on General James Oglethorpe, Governor of
Georgia, and his actions during the War of Jenkins’ Ear, when
he ordered a British blockade of St. Augustine, Florida, and
later, after the Spanish invaded Georgia, defeated them
at the battle of the Bloody Marsh. This topic had been
covered in brief in the Winter 2015 issue of Muskets &
Arrows as part of a synopsis of the War of Jenkins’ Ear, but
during the meeting Mr. Barlow was able to demonstrate
the richness of contemporary sources and to illustrate
General Oglethorpe’s activities with maps and diagrams of
Georgia, the Spanish fort at St. Augustine, and the Georgia
island where the Spanish and Georgians fought during the
Spanish invasion. Illinois Society Governor Robert Burell
conducted the business part of the meeting that brought
all attending members up to date on Society activities and
status. Warriors traveling through Chicago are more than
welcome to attend our quarterly meetings and events. The
schedule is on our website: Colonialwarsil.org. .
Summary of Morrissey Talk continued
Professor Morissey’s talk gave a very enlightening and eye
opening view of a fascinating and very local history that few
in the audience knew anything about. Indeed, as Professor
Morissey noted, “Nobody really thinks of the Midwest as
having much of a substantial colonial history, but the truth is
it did.” The Illinois Society hopes that Professor Morissey’s
talk, giving as it did a glimpse into the wealth of Illinois and
Midwestern colonial history, is part of the start of new
development of these subjects, as alluded to in this issue’s
message from Governor Robert Burell. This fascinating
area is waiting to be explored, and the facets discussed in
Professor Morissey’s lecture are just the tip of the iceberg.
In need of help with a stumbling block or your research?
We recommend Diane Rapaport a Professional Genealogist
located in Lexington, MA. Tel: 781.698.7884 Toll Free: 866784-5573 or e-mail: diane@dianerapaport.com. For more
information go to www.DianeRapaport.com; and also locally,
Victoria Flanagan Defty,Tel: 312.642.0457.They have PROVEN
results and are experienced people who can take care of
your application and research from start to finish if need
be and have done excellent work for many of our newest
Warriors. We HIGHLY recommend hiring a professional if
you have come across a stumbling block or dead end in your
research or if you’d just prefer to have someone take care of
it all for you. It can turn a 1-3 year project into something that
can easily be handled by a professional in just a few weeks. It
is worth it, they are reasonable and very professional!
Summer 2015  Page 10
General Society of Colonial Wars Paraphernalia Order Information
Society paraphernalia is available to members in good standing. Please consult our Guidelines page for guidance on wear.
9mm Society Rosette in Scarlet & White $10
The Society Rosette is produced by Dexter Rosettes of
Gwyneed Valley Pennsylvania. All members are authorized
for wear.
Large Insigne $620 • Miniature Insigne $225
The Large Insigne and Miniature Insigne are produced by
Liberty Jewelry Company in Timonium, Maryland. Medals
are made to order and take 4-6 weeks. All members are
authorized for wear.
Miniature War Cross $50 • Large War Cross $30
The Large War Cross was produced by Balfour and the
remaining inventory dates from the 1970s and features
slightly different drape ribbon. The current Miniature War
Cross is of the 2013 production from the Liberty Jewelry
Company and reflects current market rates. Authorization
for wear restricted to veterans and current active duty and
reserve members of the United States military.
Bow tie $50 • Four-in-Hand tie $60
Produced exclusively for the Society by Ben Silver of
Charleston this 100% silk tie is made in England. All members
are authorized for wear.
Blazer Patch $70
Crafted by Ben Silver of Charleston the patch features a
5 pin stud back for a secure smooth fit and a wide border
perfect for sewing. All members are authorized for wear.
State Society Officers Neck Ribbon $40
Produced exclusively for the Society by Toye, Kenning &
Spencer of England the neck ribbon features an accessible
rear clasp and a secure clip for the large insigne. Authorization
for wear restricted to State Society Officers. Please note,
only the large insigne is permitted to be worn from the
neck ribbon. Items are sold separately.
General Society Officers Sash $100
Produced exclusively for the Society by Toye, Kenning &
Spencer of England the sash features a secure clip under
the bow that can be tucked away when not employed
with the large insigne. Authorization for wear restricted to
current and past General Society Officers including Deputy
Governors General.
Membership Certificate
Suitable for framing the measures 12 x 14 of heavy bond
paper and features embossed colored seals of the original
nine colonies and the raised stamp of the Great Seal of the
Society. Available to all members in good standing.
Ordering: To place an order mail your check to:
John Mealey, Executive Director
GSCW - Langsdale Library
1420 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201-5779
Please make your check payable to GSCW
Questions? E mail: john@gscw.org (Phone) 410-837-4266
http://www.gscw.org/
Society of Colonial Wars in Illinois Merchandise
Official Tie $70
Manufactured by Ben Silver Co.
Dress White Shirt $55
Dress white with IL SCW monogram on cuff in red
Golf Shirt $50
(choice of colors: white, black, light blue, burgundy, dark
green, gray, navy, court green, stone, light stone – All with
red IL SCW logo)
Golf Jacket $90
(choice of colors: white, black, light blue, burgundy, dark
green, gray, navy, court green, stone, light stone – All with
red IL SCW logo. Fleece-Lined, 89% polyester/11% nylon
peached microfiber, cell phone pocket)
For those looking to purchase “Black Full Dress Tails” please visit:
Formally Modern Tuxedo
2112 N. Clybourn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
Tel: 773.975.7700
web: www.formallymodern.com • Owner: Ask for Alex Tsebelis
If you are a “Colonial Warrior” there is a special price of $395
for new Tail Coat and Pants and $85 for the shirt/vest & tie.
Cuff links/gloves/shoes, etc., also available.
Order form: http://colonialwarsil.org/merchandise
Make checks payable to SCWIL, remitted to: Association Services, c/o Society of Colonial Wars, P.O. Box 350, Kenilworth, IL 60043-0350
Summer 2015  Page 11
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
FOX VALLEY, IL
PERMIT NO. 363
Society of Colonial Wars
In the State of Illinois
P.O. Box 350
Kenilworth, IL 60043-0350
— Officers of the Council —
Governor................................................................................................................................................. Robert Lee Burell
Deputy Governor...............................................................................................................John Harmon Strothman
Deputy Governor General for Illinois............................................................................David Gilbert Linville
Lieutenant Governor..............................................................................................................................James F. Barr, Jr.
Secretary.............................................................................................................................................Philip Raymond May
Treasurer.....................................................................................................................................Albert Earling Van Alyea
Historian...............................................................................................................................................James Field Rudwall
Registrar................................................................................................................................................... Rudolf E. Knepper
Genealogist......................................................................................................................................................Peter B. Irvine
Chancellor..............................................................................................................................Andrew Jackson Valentine
Chaplin........................................................................................................................................ Albert Harris Tippens, Jr.
— Special Committees Appointed by the Governor —
Membership & Social Committees
Membership & Social Chairman........................ Brian D. White
Membership............................Rudolf E. Knepper & Ed Rutledge
Social......................................................................................... Zack Sudler
Muskets and Arrows/Gazette Committee
Editor..............................................................Aaron Abraham Barlow
Photographer.........................................................................Peter Mark
Investment Committee
Chairman......................................................................................Ed Lester
Committee of Fort de Chartres
Commander of the Fort...................................... James M. Kinney
Gentlemen of the Council
Robert Allen
Martinus John Dryud
Samuel Badger
Leland Hutchinson
Steve Barnhart
Rudolf E. Knepper
Renton Kirkwood Brodie III
Ed Rutledge
John Adams Bross
Zack Sudler
Howell Browne
Todd Schwebel
Barry Joseph Carroll
David Sweet
Allen Carter
Respectfully submitted,
Aaron Barlow, Editor, Muskets and Arrows
Telephone: 847-251-1400 • Fax: 847-256-5601 • Email: office@associationschicago.com • Website: www.colonialwarsil.org
Summer 2015
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