Wilton Meetinghouse and surrounding town today. The festive raising of the Wilton meetinghouse turned to tragedy in 1773 when a worm-eaten support post gave way. All 53 of the men working on the roof beams fell 27 feet among axes, planks, hammers and crowbars. The Essex Gazette of Salem called it ‘the most melancholy Accident…that…
On the James McGregore Affair
James McGregore. McGregore arrived in the American Army's camp shortly after the Battle of Breeds Hill, and shortly thereafter obtained a letter from the provincial congress appointing him as the adjutant of Colonel James Reed's 3rd NH Regiment.
On the Elusive History of Brigadier General James Reed
I use the term "elusive" because I had questions about James Reed's service in Quebec (May and June of 1776) that I was unable to answer as I wrote about him in The War has Begun. The biographical sketches I found only agreed agreed on one fact: that he was rendered blind due to a "malignant" illness he acquired at Crown…
Mapping the Path Taken 240 Years Ago
When I started researching Isaac Frye, I had the easy-to-say idea of tracing his path on a map as he made his way through the American Revolution. So, how can you really know where someone walked, slept, or rode two hundred and forty years ago? In truth, most of the time you cannot. As I…
Patriots in The War has Begun
Though The War has Begun is a work of fiction, the people and events were real. Research for the book included genealogical research to learn enough of the age and history of each person. For members of SAR and DAR, I thought a list of patriot ancestors who appear in the book would be of interest.
New Letters Uncovered
In The War has Begun, I include transcripts from the two letters my family has preserved. One is from Isaac to his wife, Elizabeth, in 1775, and the other from Elizabeth late in 1776. I spent hours thinking about the story between the lines of these letters, and am grateful my cousin found these in the attic of Isaac's house in the 1990s. Fast forward to this past Monday evening. I was having dinner in North Hampton with my uncle and cousin, celebrating getting the book published. My uncle asked to get scans of the two letters so he could share with others in the family. Last night we learned the steamer trunk where the two letters were found also had five more documents!
Duty in the Cause of Liberty 