George Washington Luckily Survived 9/11

[Legend] On 9/11/ 1777, Gen. George Washington and his aidede-camp, Lt. John P. de Lancey, were conducting reconnaissance near Chadds Ford during the early hours of the Battle of Brandywine Creek. They were spotted by a special British unit under Captain Patrick ‘Bulldog’ Ferguson that was in action for the first time. The Redcoats were armed with a new type of rifle designed by Ferguson. One of the first breechloaders, it was quick-loading, accurate, and had twice the range of a standard Brown Bess musket. Ferguson had sharpshooters take aim then, chivalrously, stepped into the open and shouted for the Continental officers to surrender. Washington and de Lancey were surprised but not concerned, assuming they were at a safe distance. Ignoring Ferguson’s recommendation, they casually turned and slowly rode away. Ferguson was gentry and an experienced, professional British officer. The unidentified enemy riders posed no immediate threat to his mission and he would not shoot them in the back, which his men easily could have done. Thus, our history remains unchanged.

[Facts] Born near Aberdeen, Scotland, Patrick Ferguson (6/4/1744—10/7/1780), determined to be a soldier in childhood. He attended military academy in London at age 12, and at 14, his father purchased him commission (common practice), as a coronet in the “Royal Scots Greys” dragoons--mounted soldiers who fought on foot. The unit saw action in Flanders and Germany during the Seven Years War. In 1768, Patrick’s father bought him another commission--company commander in the Glasgow Lowland Regiment of Foot. While deployed in the West Indies, Ferguson contracted extrapulmonary tuberculosis and tubercular arthritis in his knees, which bothered him the rest of his life.

When (now) Captain Ferguson returned to Britain in 1774, it was clear that war was imminent in the American Colonies. A major concern of British officers was the Americans possession of, and skill with, long-range, precision hunting rifles. Mounted men in redcoats would be prime targets for back-woods marksmen. Using a Brown Bess smooth-bore musket a competent shooter could hit a mansized target at 150 yards only 75% of the time and almost never at 200 yards or more. Three, maybe four shots a minute was its rate of fire. Rifles (grooved bores imparting bullet spin and improved accuracy), were available but more difficult to load and expensive to make. And, there was no way to attach a bayonet to rifles of the era, an important factor considering contemporary tactics. Ferguson resolved to develop a faster loading rifle with a bayonet lug. He preferred breechloaders, some of which were available among civilians. Using family money and connections he persuaded superiors to consider his proposal. He contracted the Tower of London Armorer to fabricate a firearm with an innovative screw breech. In demonstrations before King George III, Ferguson fired four to six shots per minute, scoring ‘kills’ consistently at 200yds. The rifle could be reloaded in the prone position, an impossibility with muskets. Ferguson poured water over the gun, then removed the projectile and wet powder, reloaded, and fired within seconds. The complicated process took several minutes with muzzle-loaders. Authorities were convinced but, considering cost and time required for production, only 100 were ordered.

In spring 1777, Ferguson joined General Howe’s army in North America. He traveled among regiments demonstrating his rifle and selecting the best marksmen for a special reconnaissance unit. “Ferguson’s Rifles” was assigned to Hessian General von Knyphausen’s command in New York City. With the division, they suffered a weather-beaten voyage to Maryland and steamy August march as part of Howe’s “Philadelphia Campaign”.

On 9/11, Knyphausen’s division was assigned to demonstrate before the lower fords on Brandywine Creek as Generals Howe and Cornwallis secretly marched the main British force further upstream to outflank the Continental Army’s right wing. “The Rifles” were to fend off enemy reconnaissance units, thus screening British movements. While on that duty, they encountered two mounted American officers, well within sniper-rifle range. However, honor prevented them from shooting. Later that day ‘Bulldog’ Ferguson was shot in the right elbow, nearly lost his arm, and was out of action for months.

[Major Ferguson died valiantly during the Battle of King’s Mountain several years later]

The Battle of Brandywine, fought on 9/11, was the largest battle of the Revolutionary War. Its 11 hours of continuous fighting was second only to Monmouth. It was a disastrous drubbing for the Continental Army. Another beating followed at Paoli on 9/20. Philadelphia was captured and the government moved, first to Lancaster then to York, PA. Washington’s battered troops suffered another disappointing and costly repulse at Germantown on 10/4, and retreated, again to Valley Forge.

The string of defeats prompted Washington’s political enemies to demand his removal as Commander in Chief. Congressmen Richard Henry Lee and Sam Adams wanted more congressional control. John Adams thought Washington was becoming a military icon and feared its effect on his vision for a republic. Spokesperson for disgruntled senior officers, Gen. Thomas Conway, submitted a letter to Congress criticizing Washington’s leadership and the army’s management. It was leaked by Washington’s friends and intense public argument ensued. PA Congressmen Benjamin Rush and Thomas Mifflin, who was also President of Pennsylvania, both called for Washington’s resignation.

Historically called the “Conway Cabal”, it was the only real threat to Washington’s leadership during the war and eventually ‘blew over’. Some officers, including Conway, resigned. Gen. Gates, who was proposed replacement and had side-stepped the Commander in Chief by dealing with Congress directly, publicly apologized. Washington incited friends to challenge duels with detractors. Gates tearfully declined, as did others. Conway did not. Standin, Gen. John Cadwalader, shot Conway in the mouth, the bullet exiting his head, then proudly announced: "I have stopped the damned rascal's lying tongue at any rate." [Conway recovered and retired to Paris]. Meanwhile, Congress created a Board of War with an Inspector General to supervise their rising icon.

Many Americans died on 9/11. Luckily, the iconic George Washington did not. He survived it and many other fights and ‘head-hunts’ before we started stamping his face on our quarters and dollar bills.

Jack Schick is a long time Quakertown Area resident and regular contributor here at UBFP. Reach him at sjckschc@aol.com