Dwight Stewart writes,
George, as you often do, you post helpful information for all of us.
Thanks
again for your contributions to this list.
A question about your message below: O'Gorman states the year of his
death as 1778. Did you mean to type 1778 or are you correcting O'Gorman at
that point? When was the encampment at Valley Forge? O'Gorman says Reuben
may have died there.
... Dwight Stewart
Dwight,
Turn to page 87 and you will find the following letter from Major General
E. T. Conley:
The records of the War Department show that one Reuben Calvert
served in the Revolutionary War as a sergeant in Captain John
Peyton's, Company. 3rd Virginia Regiment, commanded
successively by Colonel George Weedon and Colonel Thomas
Marshall. The date of entry into service is not shown. His name first
appears on a company pay roll covering the period from October 8
(1776) to January 1, 1777. The company pay roll covering the period
from January 1 to March 1, 1777, shows that the time of his service
was fifteen days, and this roll also bears the remark:
"Dead."
(Signed) E. T. Conley, Major General
The Adjutant General.
War Department,
Washington, D.C.
I understand that O'Gorman's original notes and correspondence are at
the archives of the Library of Virginia in Richmond. The only way to truly
verify the above is to examine the original records of the U. S. Army. It
would probably take an act of Congress to gain access the payroll
records of 3rd Virginia (assuming they haven't been lost or destroyed).
Major General E. T. Conley is wrong about George Weedon. Weedon
assumed command of the 3rd Virginia in Feb. 1777 (after Trenton and
Princeton). At Trenton and Princeton the 3rd was a part of Stirling's
Brigade under the command of Hugh Mercer. Mercer had the lead
detachment on the Pennington Road followed by Lord Stirling and
Major George Greene. Other actions of the 3rd Virginia include:
Charge on King Street: Captain William Washington and Lt. James
Monroe of the 3rd lead charge that captures the enemy's cannon on
King Street in Trenton.
Holding of Assumpsick Bridge: An engagement on 2nd January, 1777
at Assumpsick Bridge near Trenton, where the Americans held against
superior British forces. (I believe the bridge was held by a company
under Mercer's command.)
The Death of Hugh Mercer:
At dawn, Colonel. Mawhood has begun to follow in the wake of
Cornwallis to Trenton, with his 17th Foot of the 4th Brigade followed by
the 55th, and the 40th regiment ordered to remain in Princeton.
Now the Americans under General Mercer who had been sent to guard
the left flank and the 17th under Mawhood discover each other at the
same time, and move to attack. The 55th moves back into Princeton.
Mercer and Mawhood each believe they have encountered a patrol.
Mawhood has about 276 men, and Mercer 120 with 200 following.
Both race to the high ground now called Mercer heights. Mercer is
surprised to run into Mawhood's men deployed in line. Captain Willie
Leslie of the 17th, and nephew of General Alexander Leslie, is killed in
the first fire. After exchanging fires, Mawhood's regiment charges with
the bayonet. Only 20 of Mercers men have muskets and bayonets,
most being slow reloading riflemen whose guns can not use bayonets.
Mercer is mortally wounded and his troops fall back, but Cadwalader's
600 men of the Pennsylvania militia arrive. They fire and then start to
fall back, even though they greatly outnumber the 17th. (Mawhood and
the 17th regiment put up a terrific defense, still remembered and
honored in Great Britain.)
Dwight, the pages you are looking at refer to George and Zealy
Calvert, nephews of Reuben. They enlisted in 1778. Also, Rueben's
estate was not inventoried until May 26, 1778. I suspect O'Gorman
received the Conley's letter in the latter stages of her work and did not
revise her earlier writings. The woman was past 80 when the book was
published.
Perhaps some of the DAR members can shed more light on the
engagements of the 3rd Virginia, or let me know if the above is an
accurate accounting.
George Calvert
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