"Courage, New Hampshire" Comes to INSP

His love for history was nurtured by his mother and grandmother; his love for writing was encouraged at the university.

So when James Patrick Riley created, wrote and produced the mini-series, “Courage, New Hampshire,” his two passions came together in a way that fulfills most writers’ fantasy. “You gotta dream big,” said Riley in a recent interview.

This dream will be further enhanced on Memorial Day weekend when the four-part series set in the days leading to the Revolutionary War will be premiered on the INSP network on May 27 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. It will be repeated at various times through the ensuing weeks.

Riley’s interest in the American Revolution began as a youngster. He recalls hearing stories told by his grandmother of how his ancestors participated in that war. He became fascinated with the novel Johnny Tremain and his mother decorated their home with genealogy charts of their family trees that revealed ancestry that spanned back for generations.

“I love the Revolutionary War,” he said. “It’s a romantic attraction for me.”

When his family purchased hundreds of acres of ranch land in Southern California in the 1980’s, he and his brother, Scott, both history buffs, sought ways to share the heritage of the United States in various ways. Civil War reenactments led to school programs for thousands of local children.

While Scott Riley’s interest lay in the Civil War, James’ love of the war to free the country from England led to plays and programs featuring the American Revolution. Gradually, he began writing scripts for plays that were acted out on their ranch, complete with a New England style tavern that he and his wife had built as their home.

James P. Riley as Silas Rhodes

Riley’s love of fiction writing began to birth another idea: Scripts for a series that would be historically authentic. Thus, the seeds for “Courage, New Hampshire” were planted.

What began as an hour-long segment entitled “The Travail of Sarah Pine,” soon developed into a four-part mini-series that follows the characters that live in a fictitious town in New Hampshire.

So what are Riley’s hopes for “Courage, New Hampshire?” “I’d like to have a big enough audience to take it through the American Revolution.”

To that dream, most watchers of this series will shout a hearty “Huzzah!”

Here is a review of the series that I wrote for Colonial Quills in 2012:

Courage, New Hampshire is a fictitious township on the edge of the American frontier in 1769.  A close-knit Christian community, it lives under the shadow of the growing discontent of the colonists, who fear the king’s increasingly despotic rule.

Episode 1 is called “The Travail of Sarah Pine.” An unexpected visit by three of the King’s soldiers (dressed as civilians) stirs the ire of the local justice of the peace and tavern keeper, Silas Rhodes (James Patrick Riley). He is disturbed by the fact that the soldiers are not in uniform, yet claim to be seeking deserters from the British Army. He accuses Sergeant Bob Wheedle of plotting a kidnapping, and promptly has the sergeant arrested.

During his incarceration in a local barn, a young woman named Sarah Pine brings the prisoner victuals. She naively thinks that all the British soldiers are trustworthy. In her sympathy, she gives the man more than a free meal and nine months later, she has born the soldier’s child. (This is family friendly in its presentation) When Bob Wheedle returns on military business a year later, he is arrested again, this time for the crime of bastardy.

The mini-saga of colonial justice coming up against one of the crown’s soldiers is fraught with tension and filled with emotion.

Episode 2 begins with the declaration by the justice of the peace Silas Rhodes that Courage seems to be covered with a black cloud. Not only has there been fornication in the community, but burglary and counterfeiting. Rhodes bemoans his choice in the last several years to invest in local mills and industry, rather than in hiring a minister of the gospel. Determined to amend the spiritual drought, he hires a temporary minister—but this wolf in sheep’s clothing may cause more harm than good.

Episode 3 sees increasing tensions between the crown and Courage as pressure is put on the local farmers to leave the white pines on their land. The British want the tall trees for naval ship masts; the farmers just want to clear the land for their crops. But felling these trees—even on their own property—can lead to the British government selling the farm at public auction. As Rhodes bitterly states, “You can’t grow potatoes under a pine tree.”

The increasing influence of the patriot group, the Sons of Liberty, keeps Rhodes walking a fine line between keeping the residents of Courage safe while keeping himself and the other patriots out of trouble.

Episode 4 keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, as the aforementioned reverend from Episode 2 has gone a step too far with a certain young woman in town. But the minister has an ally in the local crown-appointed governor and, in an extraordinary performance by Donal Thoms-Cappello, the reverend shrewdly taunts representatives of the law in Courage. He knows he has the upper hand. Although the patriots want justice, they know all to well that a political misstep on their part can put their entire town at risk for retaliation from the king.

This episode ends with a meeting between the leadership of Courage and the governor. It is militia training day in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and, in showing the colonial force of arms for all to see, the governor is confronted with the reality of the situation: The growing colonial rebellion is stronger than he ever imagined.

This extremely brief synopsis does not even begin to describe the rich characters, accurate historical details, lovely period clothing, and overall quality production of “Courage, New Hampshire.” James Patrick Riley has done his homework for the series and gets an A+ in accuracy.

Some of the industry’s finest actors are involved in this project, including Basil Hoffman who was in the Academy Award winning movie, “The Artist.” Hoffman brilliantly portrays the crown-appointed lawyer Simeon Trapp who does everything necessary to defend the King’s soldier accused of bastardy in Episode 1.

Although there are mature topics in this series, it is not graphic or explicit.

The Army Heritage Center

Last week I had the opportunity to take my kids with our home school group to Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a day's tour of the Army Heritage Center. With displays on everything military from the French and Indian Wars through the War on Terror, I knew they would have fun--and I was hoping to come away with some nice pictures and research on that early stuff, since I seem to have fallen into writing books about wars. ;-)

 

Our tour began in the Colonial section of the center, where we got to watch a blacksmith at work in the Carlisle Forge. I've had this pleasure before, but it never really gets old to see how they take hunks of formless steel and turn them into works of art or function. What especially amazes me is how these dedicated reenactors can explain so much about the early days of our country and the craft they obviously love while performing it before our very eyes.

A few of the pieces this smith had done, based on
original artifacts he had seen

This gentleman explained about how a blacksmith was one of the most important people to any army. Each regiment would have one, but he would rarely see any fighting--they kept him well removed from the front lines, because he was too valuable to lose. He also explained, when someone mentioned how very lovely the pieces are, that what we deem beauty--those delicate curls and whisper-thin pieces of iron--were actually there for economy's sake. Iron was expensive, and never wasted. They made pieces as thin as they practically could to conserve the resources, and tapered them at the ends for the same reason.

From there our group ventured into more modern times, but I didn't pay quite as much attention to those. ;-) I was far more intrigued by the recreation of the Yorktown Redoubt...

Revolutionary War Blockhouse

...and in hearing the tales told to us by this wonderful historian at the Revolutionary Block House. We didn't get to go into the watch tower, but I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the guide talk about the long rifle he carried, the state of the roads in the day (I didn't realize they left the stumps of the trees they cut for roads, accounting for all those terrible bumps!), and why it was necessary to boil the salted fish three times before consuming it. Yes, to remove all the salt...but also to remove all the maggots. (Eww!) He also explained how the term "mess" came to be used for food in the military. Whenever they had fresh meat, each man would get a hacked-off portion. But they weren't exactly trimming steaks here--some men would end up with nice meat, others with nothing but bone and fat. So a group of six or so would throw this mess into a pot together with whatever vegetables they might have been given. The result was a stew that gained flavor from the bones and provided something to actually eat from the meat.

Our final stop of the day was to venture into the model of a Logg House. Originally set up to be supply stations between the forts during the French and Indian War days, they afterward became vital to settlers who wanted to trade, water their horses, or get fresh food. Unfortunately, most of these two-room homes were destroyed during Pontiac's War in 1763.

All in all, a fun day of hands-on discovery! (Oh, and the kids had fun too...) ;-)

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband.

Four and a Half Kings

In 1710, five Native American men traveled first class from New York State to London. One died on the voyage, but the remaining four became the talk of the town and had numerous interactions with Queen Anne.

This was not the first ‘royal treatment’ bestowed upon a native American.  About 100 years earlier, Pocahontas was received as a “princess” because her Algonquin father, Powhaten, had been called The Indian King.

The Four Indian Kings

Queen Anne

The four kings were not kings and not even chiefs. One was Mahican, the other three Mohawk, and only one, King Hendrick, a baptized Christian, had any position in his nation as a member of the Mohawk council.

The native Americans were sent out by New York’s colonial leaders, (mostly by Dutchman Peter Schuyler) to ask Queen Anne for money and help to fight the French influence.  The Iroquois confederacy (Five Nations plus the Tuscarora) were THE BUFFER/BORDER between the English speaking colonies and the French speaking colonies of what is now Canada. 

The kings asked for missionaries ‘to spread the Gospel’. (yes, their translated speeches are on file.)

While in London, they visited the sights and a Shakespeare play. It’s said that the audience clammered until the Four Kings were placed on stage where they could be seen --- they were much more of a draw than a repeat of Shakespeare!  They also sat for oil portraits after being fitted out for royal robes.  Many English considered the Four Kings to be only a bit more savage than their own Barbarians of the north—the Irish and the Scots Highlanders!

Prints were made of the oil paintings and sent to each Iroquois village as well as NY City,  the mission and Fort Hunter in Lower Mohawk Castle (village), and Kensington Palace. The originals were moved to Canada in 1977 and unveiled by Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa.

As all things to do with government and religion, part of the request for funding a mission had to do with the angst between the Catholic and Protestant churches. French Jesuits had converted some Mohawks to Catholicism while others  adopted Anglican faith.  Eventually, these Catholic Mohawks became their own nation close to Canada called the Caughnawaga and would later be part of the turmoil during the French and Indian War. As you can see, the Mohawks had a long standing relationship with Great Britain.

While the goal of the Iroquois Confederacy was neutrality,  Mohawks (Keepers of the Eastern Door) accepted Colonial ways and the English King, but some Seneca (Keepers of the Western Door) favored the French. Despite this family squabble, the Iroquois held together through a century of agreeing to disagree and were loath to fight each other unless …it was a matter of life or death.

Back in the Mohawk Valley of NY,  an Anglican mission was built, funded by Queen Anne and run by “The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel”, a missionary society still active today.

One more interesting note:  Two King Hendricks?

 

Only as late as 2010 was a long-standing Mohawk mystery solved.  King Hendrick who traveled to England in 1710 was referred to as the same King Hendrick who led Indian attacks alongside the British at Crown Point, and later at Fort George where he died at “The Bloody Morning Scout” in 1755.

The fact is there were two Mohawk King Hendricks, one from the Wolf Clan, one from the Bear Clan and in almost all ways very dissimilar besides a thirty year age difference.  

King Hendrick of the French and Indian war, loved wearing British military regalia.

New York State and the Quartering Act of 1765

After the close of the French and Indian War, the British amassed troop population in the colonies to thwart further problems with the French and warring Natives. As these soldiers' numbers grew, the problem of where to house them grew, too. 

The Stamp Act, signed March 22, 1765, sought to collect money from colonists for this standing army. Then, under the Quartering Act of March 24 1765, barracks were to be constructed at colonists' expense, and communities were to provide ale, cider, bedding, fire, vinegar, salt, candles and other specific items to the soldiers. If the barracks proved insufficient, the soldiers were to be biletted at inns, taverns, barns, and even private residences of those selling wine or alcohol, and at livery stables, plus uninhabited residences and outbuildings.

Several forces were at play: transfers away from the frontier drew British fort soldiers to New York, Philadelphia, and other eastern cities and towns. Also, the crown's reticence to pay out retirements to the soldiers from the French and Indian War led to creating new work in the colonies for an army. If an influx of veterans returned to England it would create a great tax burden upon the loyal citizens there. Let them stay in the colonies and be compensated for the protection they provided.

From the Colonists' point of view, this boded trouble. They felt they didn't need the so-called protection of a standing army, but that it only existed to enforce compliance to the crown. More accustomed to militias who could be assembled for crisis and then disbanded, the colonists resented these soldiers. Militiamen were self-sufficient and could raise their own food and livelihood. These soldiers were akin to parasites, feeding off their harvests, lodging in their beds. It created no small burden on colonial communities.

Local NY City government officials refused to quarter arriving British troops at first, resulting in a minor skirmish.

Thomas Gage by John Copley

 In January 1766, the New York assembly voted to short fund the amount required to house Thomas Gage's expanding army. New Yorkers bore the brunt of the burden, since the greatest population of British soldiers resided there. By autumn the assembly decided not to fund them at all. Both sides became entrenched and embittered. 

“every Act of Oppression will sour their Tempers . . . and hasten their final Revolt” Benjamin Franklin

The Stamp Act was repealed in March of '66, but Parliament then passed the Declaratory Act giving itself the power to make whatever laws suited them, whether the colonists liked it or not. Its actual wording: “make laws . . . of sufficient force and validity to bind the colonies and people of America . . . in all cases whatsoever.”

 In March 1767, Britain responded by putting a moratorium on assembly meetings until their troops were fully funded. They gave New York until August. The NY assembly acquiesced in June. 

A. F.,” The New York Journal; or the General Advertiser, 10 September 1767; reprint of letter printed in The Boston Gazette after news arrived of the threatened suspension of the New York assembly.

Let us rise then with one voice and declare like true Englishmen, we abhor slavery and such as would enslave; we love Liberty and her friends; and that we will encourage the one and depress the other by all justifiable means in our power. ⎯ Let us call upon our sister colonies to join with us in so glorious a work. Let no man think his influence too small to assist in it, but let everyone use his best endeavors to render it universal. Then shall we obtain our wishes and put to shame our enemies, who would gladly see us run into mad disorder and wild confusion at this critical juncture. ⎯ Let us pursue steadily this point without giving heed to their promises or threats, which are designed to lead us into error, and in the end destroy us. Tho’ the Press, that sure and grand support of Liberty and Right, should be threatened with the summary proceedings of the Star Chamber, 4 and our righteous opposition to slavery be called rebellion, yet will a true Englishman pursue his duty with firmness, and leave the event to Heaven.

4 Star Chamber: secret English court in the 1600's that prosecuted crimes without regard to the constitutional rights of Englishmen.

A second Quartering Act came in 1774. It was less burdensome than the first in that it didn't require colonists to provide provision to the troops. 

These were examples of the Intolerable Acts that led to the uniting of the colonies against British tyranny. 

The suffering and indignity of the Quartering Acts was so great that the third amendment to the constitution expressly forbids the forcible quartering of troops in private residences without consent.

Nathaniel's Folly at Mount Woolaston

God bless you, my friends for joining me this morn. For those new, I am Nathaniel Griffith of Newport in the colony of Rhode Island, 1670. I see you noticed my lame leg. Aye, the Lord gave it to me to remind me of my folly. I was not always the God-fearing man I am now.

Come now, though. Sit by the fire. 'Tis cool this May rain. Not uncommon for Newport this time of year, but I'll be glad to see the summer warmth. Through the winter my hip aches with sharp pains radiating down me legs like burning knives. But at least I have my legs and my life.

Nigh thirty years ago I had an affinity for all things contrary to my father's Puritan ways. Me tad thought I might reform if I went to Harvard. I believe he hoped I'd be a clergyman when 'twas clear I had no taste for the sea or the shipping company. But the strict rules and teachings of Harvard only strengthened my resolve to rebel.

On break one winter I set out from the college to return home a different way, to my shame. I set out to find a wench at  Mount Woolaston (renamed Merry Mount by Thomas Morton for a time and later the town was called Braintree). Martin Saunders kept a house of entertainment there where a young man such as myself could enjoy a drink of wine. Aye, Mount Wollaston, er, Braintree could soothe my conscience as well for there resided the notable Anne Hutchinson. I also met the respectable William Coddington with whom I would join here in Newport in later years.

Who is Anne Hutchinson, you ask? She was a woman who dared to stand against the Puritans for their works-driven faith. Aye, but she also did not correct me in my wayward ways. Perhaps if she had . . . but I stray from my story.

'Twas late when I finally said goodbye to my wench. Martin Saunders had kept my glass full through the night so as to keep me from being cold on my ride. Folly, that be. I mounted my horse and swayed a top it. It staggered under my weight but steadied itself and turned home. An ice storm had come through and the roads were slippery. The horse slid. I felt the fall would never end as he scrambled to get his footing, tossing me about the saddle. Then as though the hand of God swatted it, the horse fell to its side, catching my leg beneath it and wrenching my hip. In my drunken stupor I hardly felt the pain, but I must have cried out for Reverend John Wheelwright found me and helped me to his home.

Not for several weeks did I return to my father's house, and that in shame. My father could not stand the sight of me. I had ruined my chances of ever being a clergyman and marred his stature in our town. I was ruined. Like Jacob in the Bible, I would spend the rest of my life walking with a halt. By God's mercy, He stopped my folly and soon after my sweet wife, though at the time she was my sister's handmaid, showed me a better way.

That story shall wait for another day. My goodwife, Sarah, has been encouraging me to write my story down. I should say our story, for her role is equal to, and perhaps greater than, mine. Suffice it to say for now the slipping of that horse changed the course of my life, and I am a better man today for it.

---

Lynn Squire here. Mount Wollaston did exist at what is now Qunicy, MA. Though the name changed several times through the years, the first half of the 1600's the area had a reputation for 'unholy' living. Martin Saunders did receive permission from the Puritans to have a house of entertainment in 1639 where he could sell wine (1640). As to a wench? Well, the reputation of the area was one of loose morals.

Braintree, MA and the surrounding area was home to many well-known characters, not only of the 17th century, but of later individuals, like John Adams and John Hancock.

As to the horse falling and injuring Nathaniel...can I have Nathaniel tell a story without me having a similar one? I also had a horse slip, fall on its side, and trap my leg beneath it. My ankle was seriously injured. After a great deal of physical therapy in an attempt to restore its strength, my doctor concluded I would spend the rest of my life wearing a brace. I spent perhaps a month in that brace. The Lord had a work for me to do, and I would be hindered if I were to wear the brace. One morning I decided to toss the brace aside and go about my business as the Lord deemed necessary. I praise the Lord that today I walk well without a brace or crutch of any sort. No one would know of the injury (except perhaps via x-ray or to look closely at the shape of the ankle and the scars). And I must add that when the horse fell on me I was of sound mind--not drunk or otherwise. To God be all glory.

Barbary Pirates, Naval Hero Stephen Decatur, and the Burning of the Philidelphia!

Many Americans don't realize that the 21st century is not the first time our country has had to fight against Muslim extremists. In fact, our young nation was terrorized for years by the Barbary Pirates.

The Barbary pirates, also called Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were pirates who operated off the North African coast. Their hunting grounds consisted of the Mediterranean, the coast of  West Africa, South America, and into the North Atlantic as far north as Iceland, but they primarily operated in the western Mediterranean. They seized ships and also raided coastal towns in pursuit of goods and Christian slaves for the Islamic market.  After American became a new nation in 1776, the Barbary pirates began attacking our ships until a deal was made in which we paid them an annual ransom which amounted to  20% of United States government annual expenditures in 1800, if they would leave our ships alone. (Hard to believe our great nation ever paid an extortion fee to pirates!)

However by 1804, the pirates were getting the upper hand and Congress sent a modest fleet to quell the recent attacks out of Tripoli. Unfortunately, the US Frigate, Philadelphia ran around and was captured by the pirates and they then turned into one of the most fearsome pirate vessels ever to sail. Now, not only was the US Navy severely depleted, but they had to endure being attacked by their own ship!

But the US wanted their ship back. The problem was it was under guard in the well-fortified Tripoli Harbor. They may not be able to recapture it, but they must ensure the pirates didn’t use it against them anymore.

Burning of the USS Philadelphia
by Edward Moran (1897)
Intrepid depicted in foreground

Commander Stephen Decatur was chosen to lead the raid. He had recently captured a small pirate ketch, Intrepid. The plan was to sail into the harbor under the ship’s original pirate colors.  Decatur set out from Syracuse on February 3, 1804 and sailed into Tripoli by moonlight on February 16, 1804. With most of the crew hid below, Decatur asked permission to come tie alongside the Philadelphia..  Permission was granted, and before the pirates knew what was happening, Decatur and his men swarmed the decks. The pirates jumped overboard and swam for shore, and in 20 minutes Decatur had set the Philadelphia ablaze. Back on the Intrepid, they rowed out of the harbor as they watched the Philadelphia burn to the waterline. 

Decatur became a national hero and went on to distinguish himself during another raid on Tripoli in August 1804. He also served honorably in the War of 1812  and finally returned to Tripoli in May of 1815 to sign peace treaties with the Barbary pirates, effectively ending their reign.

I hope you found this little piece of our history as fascinating as I did! 

Cynthia Howerter Shares About Colonel John Kelly

Colonel John Kelly - Sign from Pennsylvania

By Cynthia Howerter

No matter where a person lived in America during the Revolutionary War, difficulties were commonplace.  My fifth great-grandparents, Sarah and Colonel John Kelly, lived in the Pennsylvania frontier on land they purchased from the Penn family.  They worked hard to build a life and home for their growing family.

In early July 1778, word reached Sarah and John that British and Indians were attacking and massacring settlers in Pennsylvania’s not too-distant Wyoming Valley.  Two days later, the enemy descended upon the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, the area the Kelly family called home.

Sarah and John understood that the price of staying in one’s home during Indian attacks was often a person’s life. Unable to take possessions, Sarah and her children—four-year old John and two-year old James—left their house.  Taking a final look at their large log cabin, Sarah wondered if the British and Indians would burn it to the ground.  

With John leading the way, the young family hurried to the Susquehanna River—several miles away.  There, Sarah and the boys climbed onto a hastily built raft and paddled to the middle of the river where they hoped enemy arrows and bullets could not reach.  Sarah and her small sons floated downriver, most likely to the safety of Fort Augusta, where they stayed for an extended period. John, a Colonel in the Pennsylvania Militia, remained behind and commanded a group of rangers charged with protecting the area from enemy attack.

Over two hundred years later, my husband and I faced leaving our house during difficult circumstances.  After my husband lost his job during the severe 2008 recession—with no sign of new employment on the horizon—we made the heartbreaking decision to sell our house rather than risk running out of money and not being able to make the mortgage payments.  My husband and I faced possible homelessness until a relative offered to allow us to live with them.  

During our two years of unemployment, our future appeared hopeless and, at times, I despaired of ever returning to a good life.  I often thought of Sarah and John whose trust in God sustained them when their world turned upside down with no guarantee of survival.  Their faith and perseverance in the face of life-threatening dangers encouraged me to keep going in spite of the overwhelming odds against my husband finding another job.

Eventually, the British and Indians stopped warring on Pennsylvania settlers, and Sarah and John returned home where their lives continued and prospered. And when God deemed the time right, not only did my husband find a job, but God provided another house for us.

Cynthia Howerter's new book (available for pre-order), God’s Provision in Tough Times—co-authored by La-Tan Roland Murphy—is an anthology containing 25 true stories about the ways God provided for each of our 17 writers during unemployment and financial despair.  God’s Provision in Tough Times is available for pre-order at Amazon.com.