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    The Man Who Saved the American Revolution
    The Man Who Saved the American Revolution
    The Man Who Saved the American Revolution
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    The Man Who Saved the American Revolution

    By Edward Norton

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    About this ebook

    A little known American Revolutionary War general saved the rebel cause not once, but three times. General John Glover and his Marblehead mariners predate the U.S. Marines, and these soldier-sailors saved General Washington from certain defeat on Long Island, Pell's Point and Trenton. Glover sacrificed family and fortune to the Revolution.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEdward Norton
    Release dateSep 12, 2011
    ISBN9781466158771
    The Man Who Saved the American Revolution
    Author

    Edward Norton

    Edward C. Norton, author of more than 10 novels, was an award-winning reporter/editor in New Jersey and New York. He was named a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.Norton left daily journalism to write about public affairs and business issues for Mobil Corporation in op-ed ads in Time, The New York Times and Reader’s Digest. He retired as communications manager from Hoechst Celanese Corporation.As a free lance, Norton has had articles published in various magazines, including New York. and the first daily internet newspaper on Cape Cod. His novel, Station Breaks , was published by Dell [1986] and The House: 1916, [1999] was also published by RavensYard. His novels have been published under pen names, such as Adrian Manning, Lane Carlson, West Straits and Ted Neachtain.Norton can be reached at ecnorton@meganet.net

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      Book preview

      The Man Who Saved the American Revolution - Edward Norton

      The Man Who Saved the American Revolution

      by Edward Norton

      Published by Edward Norton at Smashwords

      Copyright 2011 by Edward Norton

      Preface

      A brigade of Massachusetts mariners under the command of General John Glover saved George Washington’s Continental Army from certain defeat at the battles of Long Island, Pell’s Point, and Trenton by their training at sea, and their general’s attack tactics.

      At any one battle, failure would have meant the surrender of the American army and the collapse of the Revolution. General Glover is remembered today in his home town and with a statue in Boston, but little acknowledged elsewhere in the nation as the savior of the American cause.

      General George Washington has been hailed over the nation’s history as the greatest leader of the Revolution, and father of the United States. Washington, however, was surrounded by generals whose egos were greater than their military skills and whose blunders prolonged the revolution. These latter are little remembered today.

      One general who brought discipline and smart tactics to the battlefields was John Glover, shoemaker-ship captain, whose Marblehead-North Shore regiments literally floated the rebel army out of danger, and saved the Continental Army from total defeat.

      This is Glover’s story, told through his words, and those of his family, and subordinates, as well as General Washington. This historical novel’s theme is to show present generations the true cost of the American Revolution.

      –Edward Norton

      Chapter 1

      Morning before the storm

      The sun had barely creased the watery horizon of the bay when two sailing ships hove into view, one larger, flying the pennant of the Royal Navy. The smaller schooner flies a white flag with a centered blue diamond. A merchant bottom in this month of April 1775.

      About a mile distant, in on an open widow’s walk atop a three-story warehouse, a young man peers into a mariner’s telescope. He is about 20, dressed in seaman’s white middy and dark tarred trousers. He lowers the telescope and heads for the wood ladders to the street. Once on the ground, the seaman runs down the cobble street to a nearby large, white painted house. He knocks loudly on the door, which is opened by a 9-year old boy.

      Is Cap’n Glover about? The boy nods and steps aside to let the seaman enter. Both walk down a corridor to the back of the house, to a large kitchen. A woman about 35 tends a pot on a large wood stove. Four small children, two boys, two girls, play at her feet. She stoops and hands each a small bowl of porridge. She turns to the other children at small tables. Porridge, comin’ she says.

      Seaman John Russell stands in the kitchen doorway, nervously twisting his spyglass.

      Mornin’ Missus, is the cap’n about? Without moving from the stove, the woman shouts, John. There is an immediate clatter on the back stairs and a man about 45 enters the kitchen. He is solidly built, with graying hair, and he is busy stuffing his white shirt into his trousers. He nods to Russell. Mornin’,Russell. What news?

      Russell approaches Captain John Glover as the latter seats himself at the main table and Hannah Glover puts a bowl of porridge before him.

      I seen her, cap’n. The Hannah is hove out in the bay, right in the path of that English blockader. She is sure to impress some of your crew... Glover digs into his porridge, as if he did not hear. After he takes two spoonsful, he turns to Russell. " ‘Hannah’ is standing off, you say?

      Yes, cap’n.

      Captain Glover stands, takes a final spoon of porridge, and turns to Russell. Run, tell brother Jonathan. Tell him to gather four oars, so we can meet ‘Hannah’ before the bar.

      Russell nods and rushes from the kitchen. Hannah Glover sits down at the table with her bowl of porridge. The children nearby begin to fuss and bicker. Quiet! she shouts at them. They fall silent. She turns to her husband.

      Bad enough you had to go name that ship after young Hannah, but now it looks like the ship and all aboard will be before English cannon.

      Captain Glover waves his hand placatingly. "They will shot shoot. They want more customs on our trade–the wine and fruit from Portugal and the islands. And some seamen–impress ‘em.

      Hannah Glover smiles. Give it to them... Glover smashes his fist on the kitchen table, startling the children.

      And what’s left for us? Or for the children. They are stopping all our ships. They say we have military supplies. Candles, anything. We are not supposed to trade with anyone save England.

      We are English, John.

      This is April, 1775, Hannah. We have tried to put our grievances before the king, Parliament, What result? No trade elsewhere. No fishing on the Grand Banks after July. Glover paused to rub his face. It will ruin us.

      He turns and pulls his wide-brim black hat from a peg on the wall. We can’t farm to survive in this colony. This New England land of rocks.

      Ten minutes later Glover approaches six men at quayside, Russell, brother Jonathan and four other seamen. Jonathan, 30, is tall thin and dressed in a dark wool suit. She stands out in the bay, John. What away? Jonathan asks.

      We will row out and meet her. As on any other morning...Muskets?

      Stowed aboard the longboat, cap’n. He nods to the others, You know these fellows from the regiment."

      Glover nods. I do, and no one shows a weapon unless I order so. The men board the longboat and row into the bay.

      Chapter 2

      The Colony

      Colonial America in the 1700s existed only because of its grasp of the Atlantic seaboard and the raw natural resources that were in abundance. The resources enabled the first settlers, whether Pilgrim or Puritan in the Royal Colony of Massachusetts to trade with the rest of the known world.

      The resource of large untapped forests enabled colonists to cut lumber and tall trees for ships’ masts. Without good, strong masts, sailing ships were powerless. All was not peaceful in the colonies, as the European powers France and Spain vied with the English over territory, and each vied with Indian tribes for control of the frontier. Each English colony developed its own militia, citizen freeholders not indentured, who could be called out to protect the community.

      Slavery existed in the Massachusetts colony from the 1600s, when blacks were brought into its ports. Unlike southern colonies, however, the work for slaves was not on huge plantations. New England was not amenable to large farming. The sea was the support for early communities.

      Because strict Protestant sects formed the colony, slavery and indenture were accepted in the New England province. The rules from 1656 in the colony ordered that no blacks or Indians be enrolled in the militia. Later, slaves in Boston could not go about at night freely, or on Sundays,

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