| REVOLUTIONARY WAR |
| About 5a.m. on April 19, 1775, British troops, marching from Boston, arrived in Concord, Massachusetts. Waiting on the village green, were a group of minutemen who were directed "Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they want a war, let it begin here". Shots were fired and eight Americans died. This marked the transition from intellectual to armed rebellion - the Revolutionary War. The Second Continental Congress resolved that the colonies be put in a state of military readiness. The State of Virginia created a number of regiments and in December 1775, the Virginia 8th Regiment of Foot was created on paper. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg was the son of Reverend Heinrich Muhlenberg, patriarch of the German Lutheran Church of America. Peter had accepted a pastorate in Woodstock, Virginia and became an intimate friend of Patrick Henry and George Washington. The friendship secured him a commission as a Colonel in charge of the "Virginia 8th Regiment of Foot". Colonel Peter Muhlenberg's valedictory sermon at his church in Woodstock concluded with: "The endangered fatherhood, we owe wealth and blood, needs our arms, it calls its sons to drive off all oppressors. The Holy Scripture says 'There is a time for everything in this world'. A time to talk, and a time to be silent, a time to preach and a time to pray. But also a time to fight and this time has come. Therefore, whoever loves freedom in his new fatherland, he may follow me". Peter Muhlenberg then laid aside his clerical robe to reveal his militia uniform. He walked to the door as the congregation sang Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". The drums rolled and the men of the church followed their pastor and signed up. Within an hour 162 men had enlisted in the Virginia 8th. VIRGINIA 8TH REGIMENT COMPANIES, DECEMBER 1775 TO APRIL 1776 1st Company Captain John Stevenson December 10, 1775 Raised in Augusta Co. 2nd Company Captain Jonathan Clark January 23, 1776 Raised Dunmore Co. 3rd Company Captain George Slaughter January 26, 1776 Raised Culpeper Co. 4th Company Captain William Darke February 9, 1776 Raised Berkeley Co. 5th Company Captain Richard Campbell February 19, 1776 Raised Fincastle Co. 6th Company Captain Abel Westfall March 12, 1776 Raised Hampshire Co. 7th Company Captain David Stephenson March 25, 1776 Raised Augusta Co. 8th Company Captain Thomas Berry March 27, 1776 Raised Frederick Co. 9th Company Captain James Knox April 6, 1776 Raised Fincastle Co. 10th Company Captain William Croghan April 9, 1776 Raised West Augusta Co. The men of the Virginia 8th consisted largely of German settlers of the Shenandoah Valley, therefore, the Virginia 8th became known as the "German Regiment" (not to be confused with the "German Battalion", also known as the Maryland 8th Regiment). The regiment raised an army of 535 men, 75% of its proposed strength. It was mustered at the Suffolk County Court House under the "Regimental Flag". The flag was a plain, salmon colored silk, with a broad fringe of the same, having a simple scroll in the center. The spearhead was brass and considerable ornamented. Nine months after the organization of the Virginia 8th Regiment, John Bradford enlisted in the Continental Army on December 15, 1776. The Virginia 8th had been serving in the Southern District and fought in the "Battle of Charleston" on June 28, 1776. It was relieved on January 21, 1777, and ordered to join General George Washington's main army. The regiment mustered at Fredericksburg, Virginia and received newly trained replacements. Among the replacements was John Bradford, who was placed in Company B, now commanded by Captain Thomas Berry. The men of the Virginia regiments were for the most part uniformed in short fringed hunting shirts for officers and plain ones for enlisted men. Colonel Muhlenberg led out of Fredericksburg an understaffed regiment of about two hundred men. To join the main army, the regiment marched 260 miles through near frozen ground to General Washington's winter headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey. The winter encampment at Morristown was to last from January 6 until May 28, 1777 (the prior campaign had concluded with the very successful crossing of the Delaware River and the Battles of Trenton & Princeton). George Washington wrote on April 3, 1777 "How I am going to oppose them God knows, for except a few hundred from Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia (the Virginia 8th had only 134 men at this time), I have not yet received a man from the new Continental levies. The army was not only small, it was also destitute, absolutely perishing for want of clothes", many of the men "quite barefoot", wrote General Washington. To crown the misfortunes of the army, smallpox ravaged the camp. To protect his army, Washington undertook a bold medical program of inoculating his troops "and the village civilians" against the smallpox. This helped, but many still became sick, spreading to the Virginia 8th in April. On February 21, 1777, Colonel Muhlenberg was promoted to General and given the 1st Virginia Brigade to command. With the departure of Muhlenberg, Colonel Abraham Bowman (who served in the Dunmore War) was placed in command of the Virginia 8th. General Washington's General Order of May 22, 1777 named the 4th, 8th, and 12th Virginia Regiments, together with Grayson and Patton's, to compose the 4th Virginia Brigade under Charles Scott. The 3rd and 4th Brigades were then placed under General Adam Stephen. With the reorganization of the army, patrols and various foraging parties were sent out. The winter quarters at Morristown was only 30 miles from the British stronghold in New York City. The two camps were separated by a series of parallel ridges, which enabled Washington to keep watch and protect his own supply and communication lines. With the coming of spring, General Washington pondered the British next move. To be closer to the enemy, Washington moved to Middle Brook on May 28th (the army moved out on the 31st). Middle Brook was only 7 miles from the British at Brunswick, but was protected by the Raritan River and the Watchung mountains. General Howe and the British outnumbered Washington 18,000 to 8,000 men (the Virginia 8th strength was 197 men), so Howe tried to lure Washington out of his strong position for a fight. Howe marched his army from Amboy to Brunswick, then to Court House (Millstone). When Washington didn't move, the British feigned a retreat towards Amboy (John Bradford was in the hospital on the 14th. Washington took the bait, and on June 21st moved to Quibble Town (New Market). The British moved to cut Washington off, but before Howe could accomplish his goal, Washington moved back to Middle Brook on June 26th. General Howe had failed to engage Washington's army, so on July 9th, he put his men on 260 warships and transports. Washington was worried where Howe would land and attack: Charleston, Philadelphia (the Nation's Capitol) or would he go north and support General Burgoyne. Washington felt that Howe would go up the Hudson River, so he ordered his army to Clove, with, Sullivan and Sterling, to cross the Hudson and take a position behind Peekskill. On July 23, General Howe's fleet sailed south. The next day Washington perceived that he guessed wrong and immediately ordered the Brigades of Sullivan, Sterling, Stephen (Virginia 8th) and Lincoln to Philadelphia. Washington would follow with the rest of his army. On July 29th, the British fleet could not be located, so Washington stopped at the Delaware River. July 31st found the fleet at the mouth of the Delaware River and Washington ordered all his army to Philadelphia. The British Fleet did not enter the Delaware, so on August 3rd, Washington again stopped his army near Germantown, with Sullivan at Hanover. The army was again put on the move, finally stopping on August 10th at Nesheming (30 miles north of Philadelphia) and told to make camp. On August 23rd General George Washington decided to parade his army through the Capitol formally, for the first time. The troops were roused at 3:00 a.m. on the morning of August 24, 1777. At four, they fell into formation and by six they had reached Philadelphia. The American uniforms, if the term can be used, were extremely varied and individually customized. All the men were ordered to wear a sprig of green leaves in their hats (an emblem of hope) for the parade. The streets were crowded with cheering and waving spectators, one of whom was John Adams of Massachusetts. “They marched twelve deep” he wrote of eleven thousand soldiers, “and yet, up above two hours in passing by”. Washington rode near the head of the long Column and at his side was a newly volunteered aide, the 19-year-old French nobleman, Marquis de Lafayette. The following day (August 25, 1777) General Howe’s British army finally landed at the “Head of the Elk” (Chesapeake Bay), while Washington was moving into Wilmington. On August 28th the Brigades of Green and Stephens (Virginia 8th) were advanced to White Clay Creek, on the main road to Philadelphia. Here on September 2nd, the Muster Clerk for the Virginia 8th wrote that during the month of August, John Bradford was “inviled Phil”. A few days later the Brigades moved to Red Creek, a stronger position. General Howe decided not to fight at Red Clay Creek and moved north. Washington then withdrew to Chad’s Ford on the Brandywine River. On September 11th the “Battle of Brandywine” was fought. The two armies then continued to maneuver near Philadelphia. On September 16, 1777, John Bradford was discharged from the army (this, no doubt, upset John, because the Muster Clerk reported that on August 5th, John had re-enlisted for 3 years). Two days later Congress fled from Philadelphia and the British entered on September 26. The “Battle of Germantown” was fought on October 4, following which, Washington moved his army to Valley Forge for the winter. The Revolutionary War would continue for another four years, but for John Bradford, the war was over. While serving with the Virginia 8th Regiment, he had marched over 550 miles. Although there is the possibility that John never fired a shot during his service, he made a stand with Washington’s army of 8,000 men against the British army of 18,000 men; and it was the British that backed down. Why then was John Bradford discharged from the Virginia 8th Regiment? There were reports in the Philadelphia Gazette newspaper regarding men of the 8th, but no mention of John. John Bradford’s military record shows that he reported sick on May 17 (not smallpox, as it spread to the regiment in April), sick in hospital on June 14 and finally during August 1777 an “inviled Phil”. Since John was to live another 43 years, it is surmised that sickness (diphtheria, dysentery, malaria, measles, scurvy, smallpox or typhus) was not the reason for his discharge. Therefore, there is a possibility that an injury such as frostbite was the reason for his discharge. John marched 260 miles to Winter Quarters on frozen ground. General Washington reported on April 3, 1777, that many of his men were shoeless. During a later march to Valley Forge, Washington reported that he had to wait three days so that the weather would permit the barefoot men to march and later stated “you might have tracked the army from White Marsh to Valley Forge, by the blood of their feet”. These factors, along with the fact that John marched over 550 miles and was in the hospital after each march, could lead one to conclude that frostbite may have been the reason for his discharge. John Bradford enlisted in the Virginia Militia and served about five months during the Dunmore War. One year later he joined the Continental Army and was assigned to the Virginia 8th Regiment. After serving nine months, he reenlisted for another three years. John served during the Revolutionary War for a total of ten months and one day. He saw his duty to his new country and performed it to the best of his ability. DAR records show at least three families claim John Bradford of the Virginia 8th Regiment. Family 1: say John married M. Timberlake in 1749. Family 2: says John married Elizabeth Blackwell in 1785 (“Bradfords of Virginia” by Mrs. Nelle Rhea White). Research has proved the first two families were in error by claiming John Bradford of the Virginia 8th. The 3rd Family: our “John” has several members in the DAR including: Edna Crist Biggerstaff (DAR# 238924) from Marion, Indiana, who joined in 1927, and Clarice Ina Woodrum (DAR# 271276), Mary Barley Ansbacher (DAR# 303076), Rosalie Woods Boxell (DAR# 495313) and Mary E. Clanin (DAR# 520016). |
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