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100-735: The regiment's allegiance was to the British Crown until 1775, when the regiment was raised for service in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War . Although the unit had existed long beforehand, it was not until the mid-eighteenth century that the term "Jersey Blues" came into popular usage. The term "Jersey Blues" derives from the uniform adopted by the New Jersey provincial legislature for its troops, which were assigned to service under

200-687: A "healthy sound negro" as a reward. The officers of both the Continental Army and the state militias were typically yeoman farmers with a sense of honor and status and an ideological commitment to oppose the policies of the British Crown . The enlisted men were very different. They came from the working class or minority groups (English, Ulster Protestant, Black or of African descent). They were motivated to volunteer by specific contracts that promised bounty money; regular pay at good wages; food, clothing, and medical care; companionship; and

300-686: A Commissary General of Purchases, with four deputies, and a Commissary General of Issues, with three deputies. William Buchanan was head of the Purchase Department (1777–1778), Jeremiah Wadsworth (1778–1779), and Ephraim Blaine (1779–1781). In 1780, the department became subordinated to the Superintendent of Finance , although Blaine retained his position. Charles Stewart served as Commissary General of Issues (1777–1782). The responsibility for procuring arms and ammunition at first rested with various committees of Congress. In 1775,

400-575: A Continental Army for purposes of common defense, adopting the forces already in place outside Boston (22,000 troops) and New York (5,000). It also raised the first ten companies of Continental troops on a one-year enlistment, riflemen from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia to be used as light infantry . The Pennsylvania riflemen became the 1st Continental Regiment in January 1776. On June 15, 1775, Congress elected by unanimous vote George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, who accepted and served throughout

500-453: A captain. Field officers usually included a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, and a major. A regimental staff was made up of an adjutant , quartermaster , surgeon, surgeon's mate , paymaster , and chaplain . Infantry regiments were often called simply regiments or battalions. The regiment's fighting strength consisted of a single battalion of 728 officers and enlisted men at full strength. Cavalry and artillery regiments were organized in

600-546: A fact that General Daniel Morgan integrated into his strategy at the Battle of Cowpens and used to fool the British in 1781. The financial responsibility for providing pay, food, shelter, clothing, arms, and other equipment to specific units was assigned to states as part of the establishment of these units. States differed in how well they lived up to these obligations. There were constant funding issues and morale problems as

700-589: A field organization, usually known as the Military Branch of the Commissariat of Military Stores, was made responsible for distribution and care of ordnance in the field. In 1777, Congress established a Commissary General of Military Stores. Known as the Civil Branch, this organization was responsible for handling arsenals , laboratories , and some procurement under the general supervision of

800-652: A national militia force, but the First Continental Congress rejected the idea. On April 23, 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress authorized the raising of a colonial army consisting of 26 company regiments. New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut soon raised similar but smaller forces. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress decided to proceed with the establishment of

900-399: A new owner. Ochs remained on the lookout for a New York paper, however, and by August 1896, he purchased the then also-struggling New York Times , founded in 1851 by Henry Raymond and several others. The Mercury ceased publishing altogether under that name around late 1896. Some older sources state the paper failed in 1895, but it was still being published well into 1896, though it

1000-537: A nickel more. Hall threw out the Mercury title, called the 'new' sheet the Morning Telegraph , hired Leander Richardson (1856–1918) as managing editor, and put it out as a daily sporting and theatrical newspaper." The Telegraph went on to become a successful paper and was published until shut down during a strike in 1972. The Telegraph considered itself a continuation of the Mercury , though along

1100-511: A number of ad hoc committees . In June 1776 a five-member standing committee , the Board of War and Ordnance , was established in order to replace the ad hoc committees. The five members who formed the Board fully participated in the plenary activities of Congress as well as in other committees and were unable to fully engage in the administrative leadership of the Continental Army. A new Board of War

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1200-409: A similar manner. A company of cavalry was frequently called a troop. An artillery company contained specialized soldiers, such as bombardiers , gunners , and matrosses . A continental cavalry regiment had a nominal strength of 280 officers and men, but the actual strength was usually less than 150 men and even fewer horses. Artificers were civilian or military mechanics and artisans employed by

1300-627: A transfer of frontier forts with Major General Frederick Haldimand collapsed, however, the British maintained control over them, as they would into the 1790s. That failure and the realization that most of the remaining infantrymen's enlistments were due to expire by June 1784 led Washington to order Knox, his choice as the commander of the peacetime army, to discharge all but 500 infantry and 100 artillerymen before winter set in. The former regrouped as 1st American Regiment , under Colonel Henry Jackson of Massachusetts. The single artillery company, New Yorkers under Major John Doughty , came from remnants of

1400-435: Is a heathen." Celebrated actress Adah Isaacs Menken contributed a series of poems to the Mercury in 1860–61, as well as a piece praising Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass in 1860 as "centuries ahead of his contemporaries". Starting in the mid-1870s, John W. Overall (1822–1899) served as literary editor of the paper (until at least 1890). A Southerner, Overall is best known for his pre-Civil War writing supporting

1500-548: The Chattanooga Times (and future longtime owner / publisher of The New York Times ) was invited to become editor and half-owner of the Mercury in its "free silver" campaign. Ochs turned the offer down, in part because of his own support for the gold standard . The paper was then offered to Ochs for outright sale, but that also did not come to fruition when it turned out that the Mercury could not assure that its rights to press association copy would transfer to

1600-584: The 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment . Congress issued a proclamation on October 18, 1783, which approved Washington's reductions. On November 2, Washington, then at Rockingham near Rocky Hill, New Jersey , released his Farewell Orders issued to the Armies of the United States of America to the Philadelphia newspapers for nationwide distribution to the furloughed men. In the message, he thanked

1700-564: The Audit Bureau of Circulations in North America. ) In May 1893, Richard Croker , a leader of New York City's Tammany Hall political machine, jumped into the newspaper field and created The Daily America devoted to politics to trumpet Tammany's views (though it also covered sports; Croker was a big horse racing enthusiast). The other Democratic papers in the city balked at the new competition, however, and Croker turned over

1800-787: The Civil War . Before 1825 no American newspapers published editions on Sunday, out of respect to the Sabbath , religious day of rest. Over time, however, this created a niche for new weekly newspapers published on Sunday to flourish. The Mercury originated as the Sunday Morning Visiter , and was first published on May 12, 1839. By 1840, it changed its name to the Sunday Mercury . It initially gained some notice for its theatrical coverage and so-called "machine poetry" (a 19th century euphemism for slavishly following

1900-480: The Continental Congress feared the possibility of the Continental Army evolving into a permanent army. The army never numbered more than 48,000 men overall and 13,000 troops in one area. The turnover proved a constant problem, particularly in the winter of 1776–1777, and longer enlistments were approved. As the new country (not yet fully independent) had no money, the government agreed to give grants to

2000-517: The Daily Mercury , billed as a Democratic paper, in January 1893. The new venture was quickly losing money, however. Cauldwell apparently began to borrow funds from the estate of millionaire Jason Rogers, of which he was a co-trustee with his son-in-law Thomas Rogers, to try to keep the paper afloat. Some sources reported that it was Jason Rogers' and Cauldwell's mutual grandson (also named Jason Rogers ) who convinced Cauldwell to expand

2100-573: The Mercury are credited as being the first newspaper to regularly cover the sport of baseball as news, starting in 1853 with a report on a game between the Knickerbockers and the Gothams. (For some time, this 1853 report was thought to be first game ever reported on by the press, but later 20th century scholarship has located an 1845 report in the Herald .) The paper was the first to use

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2200-551: The New Jersey Provincial Forces . The coats of these Jersey units were blue with red lapels and cuffs. The men also wore blue breeches or leggings and red waistcoats. (In some cases, sturdier buckskin or leather breeches were authorized.) The term "Jersey Blues" continued to be used well into the early nineteenth century in reference to the state's military units. The regiments of the Jersey Line during

2300-515: The Sunday Mercury and grew it with Paige. His work focused on the theater. Nichols stayed with the paper until his death in September 1854, when he was run over after unsuccessfully trying to board a Third Avenue Railway car. Krauth, the other one-third owner of the paper, died in November 1857. In 1850, William Cauldwell (1824–1907) purchased Paige's one-third ownership stake in

2400-622: The United States Army by their resolution of June 3, 1784. Although Congress declined on May 12 to make a decision on the peace establishment, it did address the need for some troops to remain on duty until the British evacuated New York City and several frontier posts. The delegates told Washington to use men enlisted for fixed terms as temporary garrisons. A detachment of those men from West Point reoccupied New York without incident on November 25. When Steuben's effort in July to negotiate

2500-625: The "rules" of poetry without any inspiration). By the fall of 1842 the paper had a circulation of 3,000, ranking it third among New York's growing Sunday papers, trailing the New York Herald ' s Sunday edition and The Atlas . By the summer of 1844, the Herald took note of the growth of the Sunday papers, calling them "partly literary, partly gossiping, partly silly, partly smart, partly stupid, partly namby-pamby." Elbridge Gerry Paige (1813–1859) and Samuel Nichols (1809?–1854) were

2600-514: The 1st NJ Battalion of 1775–1776, became regimental commander with the rank of colonel, a position he held virtually until the end of the war. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Valcour Island , Battle of Brandywine , Battle of Germantown , Battle of Monmouth , Sullivan Expedition , Battle of Springfield and the Battle of Yorktown . Other service included Winter Cantonment at Valley Forge (1776–1777), Battle of Short Hills (1777), Winter Cantonments at Morristown/Pompton Plains. The regiment

2700-610: The American Revolution and those of the New Jersey Volunteers, raised for Federal service during the Civil War, adopted the term. It was actually even used by New Jersey's National Guard unit after WWII – 50th Armored Division ; as well as in 2008 when the N. J. Guard was sent to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom – 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team . In 1744, during King George's War (1744–1748)

2800-581: The Board of War. Later in the war, a Surveyor of Ordnance was made responsible for inspecting foundries , magazines , ordnance shops, and field ordnance. In July 1777, the Board of War was authorized to purchase artillery. Congress created a hospital department in July 1775 as a part of the Continental Army's administrative structure. It came under the Director General of the Hospital Department , chosen by Congress but serving under

2900-423: The British required the discipline and organization of a modern military. As a result, the army went through several distinct phases, characterized by official dissolution and reorganization of units. The Continental Army's forces included several successive armies or establishments: Military affairs were at first managed by the Continental Congress in plenary session , although specific matters were prepared by

3000-559: The Commander-in-Chief, and was staffed by four surgeons , an apothecary , twenty surgeon's mates , a nurse for every ten patients, a matron to supervise the nurses, a clerk, and two storekeepers. The department was reorganized in 1777; deputy director generals were added to the administrative structure; commissaries of hospitals were established to provide food and forage; and apothecary generals were established to procure and distribute medicines. The first director general

3100-475: The Continental Army has unfortunately no uniforms in 1775, and consequently many inconveniences must arise from not being able to distinguish the commissioned officers from the privates, it is desired that some badge of distinction be immediately provided; for instance that the field officers may have red or pink colored cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff, and the subalterns green." In 1776, captains were to have buff or white cockades. Later on in

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3200-624: The Head of the Lake. A large party was ordered out after them, but in vain. They butchered our people in a most shocking manner, by cutting pieces of flesh out of their necks, thighs and legs" – New York Mercury The New Jersey Historical Society stated that in 1760 the regiment was part of the final campaign against the French in Canada. Remarkably, one of the soldiers (a New Jersey Native American) who

3300-532: The New Jersey legislature appropriated money and raised 500 volunteers to assist New York in capturing the French fort at Crown Point. Bad food, ill discipline and a mutiny resulted in the abandonment of the expedition, however. During the French and Indian War (1755–1763) New Jersey's participation was remarkable, and "Colonial Tribulations" (2007) documents the service of the New Jersey Regiment (the "Jersey Blues") throughout that period. Just as in

3400-587: The New York Sunday Mercury . In 1873, Rowell's American Newspaper Directory stated that with a circulation of 45,000, "the circulation of the Sunday Mercury exceeds that of any other Sunday or daily newspaper in America without exception, and more than triples the combined issues of all the other Sunday journals published in New York." Southworth retired from the paper before the end of

3500-529: The Northern Continental Army. In addition to the Continental Army regulars, state militia units were assigned for short-term service and fought in campaigns throughout the war. Sometimes the militia units operated independently of the Continental Army, but often local militias were called out to support and augment the Continental Army regulars during campaigns. The militia troops developed a reputation for being prone to premature retreats,

3600-487: The Quartermaster General. Thomas Mifflin served as Quartermaster General (1775–1776 and 1776–1778), Stephen Moylan (1776), Nathanael Green (1778–1780), and Timothy Pickering (from 1780). Congress also created the position of Commissary General of Stores and Provisions directly responsible to Congress, with Joseph Trumbull as the first incumbent. In 1777, Congress divided the department into two,

3700-404: The United States at its peak. It was known for publishing and popularizing the work of many notable 19th-century writers, including Charles Farrar Browne and Robert Henry Newell , and was the first Eastern paper to publish Mark Twain . It was also the first newspaper to provide regular coverage of baseball, and was popular for the extensive war correspondence from soldiers it published during

3800-429: The army to provide services. They included blacksmiths , coopers , carpenters , harnessmakers , and wheelwrights . In June 1775, Congress created the position of Quartermaster General , after the British example. He was charged with opening and maintaining the lines of advance and retreat, laying out camps and assigning quarters. His responsibilities included furnishing the army with materiel and supplies, although

3900-546: The blending of persons from every colony into "one patriotic band of Brothers" had been a major accomplishment, and he urged the veterans to continue this devotion in civilian life. Washington said farewell to his remaining officers on December 4 at Fraunces Tavern in New York City. On December 23 he appeared in Congress, then sitting at Annapolis, and returned his commission as commander-in-chief : "Having now finished

4000-508: The camp to gather a little brush for the General's Baker, but were not an hour gone before they were surprised in sight of the camp by a party of the enemy, consisting of about 240, who killed and scalped six, wounded two, took four prisoners, and only four of the whole party escaped. They shewed themselves plainly to the whole Army after they got the scalps, gave a hollow, and then made off to their Battoes, which were not more than two miles from

4100-733: The colonial wars, a commissary in the 1760s, and later served as first colonel of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment (Continental Line) and general commanding the New Jersey Line during the Revolutionary War. Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War . It

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4200-523: The combined forces south to Virginia without the British commanders in New York realizing it. This resulted in the capture of the main British invasion force in the south at the Siege of Yorktown , which resulted in the American and their allied victory in the land war in North America and assured independence. A small residual force remained at West Point and some frontier outposts until Congress created

4300-511: The command of Artemas Ward . The British force in Boston was increasing by fresh arrivals. It numbered then about 10,000 men. The British controlled Boston and defended it with their fleet, but they were outnumbered and did not attempt to challenge the American control of New England. Washington selected young Henry Knox , a self-educated strategist, to take charge of the artillery from an abandoned British fort in upstate New York, and dragged across

4400-402: The condition of troops. The first incumbent was Thomas Conway (1777–1778), followed by Baron von Steuben 1778–1784, under whom the position became that of a de facto chief of staff. The Judge Advocate General assisted the commander-in-chief with the administration of military justice , but he did not, as his modern counterpart, give legal advise. William Tudor was the first appointee. He

4500-441: The count of how many soldiers George Washington had was delayed a little over a week. Instead of obeying their commanders and officers without question, each unit was a community that had democratically chosen its leaders. The regiments, coming from different states, were uneven in numbers. Logically, they should be evened, which would mean moving soldiers around. In the spirit of American republicanism , if George Washington separated

4600-673: The department, as well as state troops and militia – if released by the governor of the state. All troops under the department commander were designated as an army ; hence troops in the Northern Department were called the Northern Army , in the Southern Department the Southern Army , etc. The department commander could be field commander or he could appoint another officer to command the troops in

4700-714: The direction of the Board. The Office of the Secretary at War was created in February 1781, although the Office did not start its work until Benjamin Lincoln assumed the office in October 1781. On June 15, 1775, Congress elected by unanimous vote George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, who accepted and served throughout the war without any compensation except for reimbursement of expenses. Washington, as commander-in-chief,

4800-589: The editorial duties. The paper also dropped the Daily America title, although it remained a Democratic paper. The paper continued to lose money (reportedly about $ 2000 a week), and in March 1895 Cauldwell sold out to William Noble in a somewhat unusual exchange, where he received a hotel called the Hotel Empire (a project which Noble had bought out of foreclosure in 1893 and completed) in exchange for

4900-411: The field. Depending on the size of the army, it could be divided into wings or divisions (of typically three brigades ) that were temporary organizations, and brigades (of two to five regiments ) that in effect were permanent organizations and the basic tactical unit of the Continental Army. An infantry regiment in the Continental Army typically consisted of 8 to 10 companies, each commanded by

5000-511: The following year, only a part of the regiment had returned to the 'three' forts on Lake Ontario, and they were engaged in and bore the suffering of several skirmishes. However, in August the attack on their outpost by French commander the Marquis de Montcalm resulted in many Jerseymen becoming prisoners of war who experienced many documented tribulations. At least one NJ Indian is documented among

5100-552: The forts along the Delaware River . Contrastingly, in 1755 the entire contingent of 500 men known as the Jersey Blues was stationed at the lightly fortified trading village of Oswego, New York, where they constructed the first documented military hospital. They also assisted with improving the fortifications in order to support the British offensive against French Fort Niagara which was being delayed until 1756. During

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5200-454: The foundation for the creation of the United States Army . The Continental Army consisted of soldiers from all the Thirteen Colonies and, after 1776, from all 13 states. The American Revolutionary War began at the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, at a time when the colonial revolutionaries had no standing army. Previously, each colony had relied upon the militia (which

5300-519: The help of France and for the remainder of the war, clothing was coming from over-sea procurement. The disbursing of money to pay soldiers and suppliers were the function of the Paymaster-General . James Warren was the first incumbent of this office. His successor was William Palfrey in 1776, who was followed by John Pierce Jr. in 1781. The Continental Army lacked the discipline typically expected of an army. When they first assembled,

5400-483: The military , as did the Continental Congress , though there were minor disagreements about how this was to be carried out. Throughout its existence, the Army was troubled by poor logistics, inadequate training, short-term enlistments, interstate rivalries, and Congress's inability to compel the states to provide food, money, or supplies. In the beginning, soldiers enlisted for a year, largely motivated by patriotism; but as

5500-417: The notable battles of Trenton , Princeton , Brandywine , Germantown , and Morristown, among many others. The army increased its effectiveness and success rate through a series of trials and errors, often at a great human cost. General Washington and other distinguished officers were instrumental leaders in preserving unity, learning and adapting, and ensuring discipline throughout the eight years of war. In

5600-441: The officers and men for their assistance and reminded them that "the singular interpositions of Providence in our feeble condition were such, as could scarcely escape the attention of the most unobserving; while the unparalleled perseverance of the Armies of the United States, through almost every possible suffering and discouragement for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing Miracle." Washington believed that

5700-584: The officers and soldiers of the continental line as established by the resolutions of Congress, fixing the arrangement of the Continental Army May 27, 1778, which rate of pay continued to the end of the war. During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army initially wore ribbons , cockades , and epaulettes of various colors as an ad hoc form of rank insignia, as General George Washington wrote in 1775: "As

5800-480: The operations of the Mercury were taken over and redubbed the New York Morning Telegraph , focusing on sporting (especially horse racing) and theatrical news much as the Mercury had been doing at that point. According to one account published in 1940, the name change came about when Tammany Hall gave $ 10,000 to writer Blakely Hall, "to run it with the understanding that he was not to get

5900-524: The organization of the Clothing Department. After this, on many accounts, the soldiers of the Continental Army were often poorly clothed, had few blankets, and often did not even have shoes. The problems with clothing and shoes for soldiers were often not the result of not having enough but of organization and lack of transportation. To reorganize the Board of War was appointed to sort out the clothing supply chain. During this time they sought out

6000-483: The paper for $ 1,200. Cauldwell had gotten into the newspaper field by doing typesetting work, and worked at the New York Sunday Atlas from 1841 to 1849. Cauldwell expanded the paper and increased its coverage of literature, city news, and sports. Sylvester Southworth and Horace P. Whitney (1834 – August 24, 1884) soon joined as additional editors, and the paper began to prosper. Cauldwell and

6100-612: The paper in 1849 and went to California, where he continued to publish Dow Jr. sermons in The Golden Era , but ultimately was unsuccessful there and is said to have died in extreme poverty in 1859. Nichols was born in Hampstead , England around 1809 and after coming to New York City was eventually installed as the editor of the New Times , an organ of the "Conservatives" political party. After that venture failed, he joined

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6200-483: The paper in the first place. The younger Rogers, for his part, later blamed the failure of the paper on a decision by the "boss" to launch the daily edition as a morning paper, upsetting carefully laid plans and a large number of advance subscriptions for a paper based on afternoon publication. (Rogers later went on to transform the Commercial Advertiser into The New York Globe , and helped found

6300-498: The paper made an announcement inviting soldiers to send in their reports about the war, and over 3,000 were published during the course of the war as a weekly feature. The soldiers would receive a free copy of the paper for their contributions. In 2000, Civil War historian William B. Styple compiled 500 of the soldiers' letters in a book, Writing and Fighting the Civil War: Soldier Correspondence to

6400-525: The paper to the Mercury by the end of the year. In January 1894, The New York Times reported that the two papers had "consolidated" (and that some of "the gentlemen" involved in the America would retain an interest) and would henceforth be published as The Daily America on weekdays with the Sunday Mercury below in small type, and reversed on Sundays. In August 1894, Cauldwell, now almost 70, gave up editorial control with his grandson Jason Rogers stepping in as publisher, and James F. Graham taking on

6500-448: The paper. News reports from mid-1895 reported that " silver men ", whose support in the East had been limited, had now purchased the paper to be their house organ. Although the paper did advocate in support of free silver in 1895, it appears the anticipated sale to "silver men" fell apart, as Noble had to file for bankruptcy in 1899 due to his Mercury debts. During this same period (early–mid-1895), Adolph Ochs , then-editor of

6600-526: The phrase "national pastime" to describe the new sport in America in December 1856. In 1858, Cauldwell hired rising star Henrick Chadwick , later dubbed the "father of baseball", to cover the sport for the paper. By early 1861, the Mercury ' s circulation was 145,000, but the advent of the American Civil War cut off about 90,000 of them located in the seceded southern and more isolated western United States. Cauldwell hit upon an idea for expanding their war coverage with little expense. In April 1861,

6700-517: The previous colonial wars their existence began with the New Jersey Assembly ordering the muster of 500 men to respond to the larger war looming on the New York frontier. Indian raids by tribes allied with the French along the colony's northwest border in the summer of 1755 also prompted the raising of a different unit known as the New Jersey Frontier Guard (not to be confused with the regular provincial or "Blues" regiment). The Frontier Guard responded to localized Indian incursions, as well as garrisoned

6800-453: The promise of land ownership after the war.By 1780, more than 30,000 men served in the Continental army, but the lack of resources and proper training resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 soldiers. By 1781–1782, threats of mutiny and actual mutinies were becoming serious. Up to a fourth of Washington's army were of Scots-Irish (English and Scottish descent) Ulster origin , many being recent arrivals and in need of work. The Continental Army

6900-462: The ranks. By 1757, the Jersey Blues were re-mustered and assigned to Fort William Henry where they comprised one-third of its garrison. In July about 150 were taken as POWs while another 50 died during the Battle of Sabbath Day Point on the northern part of Lake George . The 100 men who escaped that day returned to William Henry to join the 200 others who remained in garrison. A short few weeks later those 300 were again attacked by Montcalm which

7000-436: The snow to and placed them in the hills surrounding Boston in March 1776. The British situation was untenable. They negotiated an uneventful abandonment of the city and relocated their forces to Halifax in Canada. Washington relocated his army to New York. For the next five years, the main bodies of the Continental and British armies campaigned against one another in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. These campaigns included

7100-406: The soldiers from the officers they had chosen they did not believe they should have to serve. George Washington had to give in to the soldiers and negotiate with them. He needed them to have an army. Soldiers in the Continental Army were volunteers; they agreed to serve in the army and standard enlistment periods lasted from one to three years. Early in the war, the enlistment periods were short, as

7200-566: The soldiers which they could exchange for money. In 1781 and 1782, Patriot officials and officers in the Southern Colonies repeatedly implemented policies that offered slaves as rewards for recruiters who managed to enlist a certain number of volunteers in the Continental Army; in January 1781, Virginia's General Assembly passed a measure which announced that voluntary enlistees in the Virginia Line 's regiments would be given

7300-406: The supply of arms, clothing, and provisions fell under other departments. The transportation of all supplies, even those provided by other departments, came under his ambit. The Quartermaster General served with the main army under General Washington, but was directly responsible to Congress. Deputy quartermasters were appointed by Congress to serve with separate armies, and functioned independently of

7400-646: The time. Mark Twain's first writing published in the East appeared in the Mercury in 1864 (prior to his success in 1865 with The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County ), and a number of additional pieces were published in 1867. Newell, who wrote under the name "Orpheus C. Kerr" (a play on "office seeker"), served for a time as the literary editor of the Mercury , until around 1862. His satirical weekly columns started in Mercury and gained national fame, so much so that President Abraham Lincoln once remarked of Kerr's writings that "anyone who has not read them

7500-432: The two key editors of the Mercury in its early years, and Augustus Krauth joined them as a one-third owner in 1842. Paige had success with his Short Patent Sermons published in the paper (from its outset) under the pseudonym "Dow Junior" (a reference to famous eccentric preacher Lorenzo Dow who died in 1834), which literary magazines such as The Knickerbocker lauded for their odd and original wit. Paige left

7600-624: The unit remained activated through 1765. The Old Barracks Museum put forth a nice exhibit about the French and Indian which includes rare artifacts of the Blues. The 1st New Jersey Regiment, which was known as part of the famed "Jersey Blues", was authorized on October 9, 1775, by the Continental Congress to be raised for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel William Alexander , better known as Lord Stirling for his (unsuccessful) claims to that Scottish title. It

7700-544: The war continued. This led to the army offering low pay, often rotten food, hard work, cold, heat, poor clothing and shelter, harsh discipline, and a high chance of becoming a casualty. At the time of the siege of Boston , the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts , in June 1775, is estimated to have numbered from 14,000 to 16,000 men from New England (though the actual number may have been as low as 11,000 because of desertions). Until Washington's arrival, it remained under

7800-490: The war dragged on, bounties and other incentives became more commonplace. Major and minor mutinies—56 in all—diminished the reliability of two of the main units late in the war. The French played a decisive role in 1781 as Washington's Army was augmented by a French expeditionary force under Lieutenant General Rochambeau and a squadron of the French navy under the Comte de Barras . By disguising his movements, Washington moved

7900-399: The war without any compensation except for reimbursement of expenses. As the Continental Congress increasingly adopted the responsibilities and posture of a legislature for a sovereign state, the role of the Continental Army became the subject of considerable debate. Some Americans had a general aversion to maintaining a standing army; but on the other hand, the requirements of the war against

8000-503: The war, and Whitney departed around 1876 due to poor health, leaving Cauldwell solely in charge. In addition to running the paper Cauldwell also held political office, serving in the New York State Senate from 1868 to 1879, and also serving as The Bronx county supervisor. By the early 1890s, competition with the New York daily papers had increased. The paper responded by introducing a one cent daily newspaper dubbed

8100-523: The war, the Continental Army established its own uniform with a black and white cockade among all ranks. Infantry officers had silver and other branches gold insignia: Sunday Mercury (New York) The Sunday Mercury (1839–1896) (sometimes referred to as the New York Sunday Mercury ) was a weekly Sunday newspaper published in New York City that grew to become the highest-circulation weekly newspaper (at least by its own claims) in

8200-516: The war. The Continental Army was supplemented by local militias and volunteer troops that were either loyal to individual states or otherwise independent. Most of the Continental Army was disbanded in 1783 after the Treaty of Paris formally ended the war. The Continental Army's 1st and 2nd Regiments went on to form what was to become the Legion of the United States in 1792, which ultimately served as

8300-473: The war. The Department of New York (later the Northern Department) was created when Congress made Philip Schuyler its commander on June 15, 1775. The Southern and Middle Departments were added in February 1776. Several others were added the same year. A major general appointed by Congress commanded each department. Under his command came all Continental Army units within the territorial limits of

8400-777: The way it somehow backdated its claimed date of founding from 1839 to 1833. Aside from the Short Patent Sermons which brought acclaim to Paige's "Dow Jr." pseudonym in the 1840s, the Mercury went on to publish the work of many leading 19th-century writers, and was at times the first to introduce them to New York and national audiences, including Mark Twain , Josh Billings , Charles Farrar Browne (Artemus Ward), Robert Henry Newell (Orpheus C. Kerr), Ella Wheeler Wilcox , Charles Godfrey Leland , David Ross Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby), Ned Buntline , and Mortimer Thomson (Doesticks). Though most of those names are not familiar today, all became well-known popular writers of

8500-605: The winter of 1777–1778, with the addition of Baron von Steuben , a Prussian expert, the training and discipline of the Continental Army was dramatically upgraded to modern European standards through the Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States . This was during the infamous winter at Valley Forge . Washington always viewed the Army as a temporary measure and strove to maintain civilian control of

8600-522: The work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action; and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life." Congress ended the War of American Independence on January 14, 1784, by ratifying the definitive peace treaty that had been signed in Paris on September 3. Monthly pay of

8700-547: Was Benjamin Church (1775), he was followed by John Morgan (1775–1777), William Shippen (1777–1781), and John Cochran (1781). Keeping the continentals clothed was a difficult task and to do this Washington appointed James Mease , a merchant from Philadelphia, as Clothier General. Mease worked closely with state-appointed agents to purchase clothing and things such as cow hides to make clothing and shoes for soldiers. Mease eventually resigned in 1777 and had compromised much of

8800-415: Was able to repel a massive British force. Several Jersey Blues were killed in action. A part of the unit was later engaged in the successful taking of the strategic French outpost, Fort Frontenac , on Lake Ontario . By 1759, they were again on the New York frontier, when a small party was ambushed by Indians allied with the French near Lake George of July 2, 1759. "16 of the Jersey Blues were sent without

8900-552: Was also known as "First or Eastern Battalion of Foot of New Jersey Troops" while the Second New Jersey, authorized at the same time, was raised in the western counties of provincial New Jersey. Eight companies of the 1st New Jersey were raised in Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Monmouth, and Bergen counties. One of the first activities of the newly formed unit was subduing and capturing Tories on Long Island. After Stirling

9000-696: Was certainly on its last legs. On September 20, 1896, the New York Times reported that the office of the Mercury "was still closed last night" and the Chicago Tribune printed on September 28 that the "free silver sentiment in New York was not even warm enough to prevent the fail of the New York Mercury." When Cauldwell died in 1907, the New York Tribune called him "the father of Sunday journalism." By end of 1896,

9100-418: Was disbanded on November 3, 1783, at New Windsor, New York . Other figures associated with the Jersey Blues during the colonial period include: Col. John Parker resumed command during Schuyler's captivity – 1757. He was followed by John Johnston, another commander of the New Jersey Regiment during the French and Indian War; William "Scotch Willie" Maxwell, who was a lieutenant in the New Jersey Regiment during

9200-552: Was elevated to the rank of general, command of the 1st New Jersey was given to Colonel William Winds. Winds suffered humiliation after pressing for the regiment to leave Fort Ticonderoga in November 1776 after enlistments for the Jerseymen expired. When the regiment was reorganized in January 1777 as the 1st New Jersey Regiment, Continental Line, command was first offered to Silas Newcomb , but he declined. Matthias Ogden , who had previously served as major and lieutenant colonel of

9300-557: Was followed by John Laurance in 1777 and Thomas Edwards in 1781 The Mustermaster General kept track by name of every officer and man serving in the army. The first mustermaster was Stephen Moylan . He was followed by Gunning Bedford Jr. 1776–1777 and Joseph Ward. Units of the Continental Army were assigned to any one of the territorial departments to decentralize command and administration. In general there were seven territorial departments, although their boundaries were subject to change and they were not all in existence throughout

9400-553: Was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress , meeting in Philadelphia after the war's outbreak. The Continental Army was created to coordinate military efforts of the colonies in the war against the British , who sought to maintain control over the American colonies. General George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and maintained this position throughout

9500-547: Was immortalized in the book and movie " The Last of the Mohicans ". Most in the general public have no idea that the Jersey troops were present or what they experienced. Importantly, the unit continued to include several Native Americans from the province who experienced harsh consequences following the fort's capitulation. In 1758, the unit was again re-mustered and engaged in the attack of French Fort Carillon , where Montcalm

9600-602: Was made up of part-time citizen-soldiers) for local defense; or the raising of temporary provincial troops during such crises as the French and Indian War of 1754–1763. As tensions with Great Britain increased in the years leading to the war, colonists began to reform their militias in preparation for the perceived potential conflict. Training of militiamen increased after the passage of the Intolerable Acts in 1774. Colonists such as Richard Henry Lee proposed forming

9700-531: Was racially integrated, a condition the United States Army would not see again until the late 1940s . During the Revolution, African American slaves were promised freedom in exchange for military service by both the Continental and British armies. Approximately 6,600 people of color (including African American, indigenous, and multiracial men) served with the colonial forces, and made up one-fifth of

9800-481: Was supported by a chief administrative officer, the Adjutant General . Horatio Gates held the position (1775–1776), Joseph Reed (1776–1777), George Weedon and Isaac Budd Dunn (1777), Morgan Connor 1777, Timothy Pickering (1777–1778), Alexander Scammell (1778–1781), and Edward Hand (1781–1783). An Inspector General assisted the Commander-in-Chief through periodically inspecting and reporting on

9900-547: Was taken as a POW at Fort William Henry in 1757 was reunited with the unit and returned home with them. By 1761, existing payroll accounts verify that the unit was indeed mustered, and by 1762 they had formed a part of the expedition against Havana, Cuba. There is also oral tradition that one of the cannons at the Old Barracks in Trenton, New Jersey was a spoil of war for the Jersey Blues. Payroll accounts also verify that

10000-570: Was therefore formed in October 1777, of three commissioners not member of Congress. Two more commissioners, not members of Congress, were shortly thereafter added, but in October 1778, the membership was set to three commissioners not members of Congress and two commissioners members of Congress. In early 1780, the Quartermaster General , the Commissary General of Purchase, and the Commissary General of Issue were put under

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