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July 30, 2007
1775 Blog
I have been reading a terrific blog I wanted to share with you. It's called Boston 1775, and that's what its all about. The subhead explains: History, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the start of the American Revolution in Massachusetts.
The writer of the blog is J.L. Bell, and he includes all sorts of excerpts from letters, diaries, books, trial transcripts etc. that shed light on the people and activities of Revolutionary Boston, in far more detail than you can find anywhere else. Honestly, I don't know where any one human gets the time to find and post all this stuff!
Best of all, he's been doing it for some time, and it is all indexed, cross referenced etc. to the tenth degree, so it is easy to find something that has come before.
Bell is well connected in the Boston re-enactor and historical community. I was talking to the folks at the Old State House today (we're working on a documentary with them) and they know of and respect his blog a great deal. So history lovers, check it out!!
Posted by rickbeyer at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)
July 28, 2007
Filmmakers Workshp
I'm a member of the Filmakers Workshop, which is closely tied to the Center for Independent Documentary, the fiscal sponsor for my film The Ghost Army Click on the graphic to get more info!!
Posted by rickbeyer at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)
July 27, 2007
John Paul Jones: I have not yet begun to figure out what he said!!
I am working on an article for The History Channel magazine about John Paul Jones, the Revolutionary War naval captain who commanded the Bonhomme Richard. Jones of course is famous for shouting "I have not yet begun to fight," when asked if he was surrendering during a long and blood drenched battle with the British warship Serapis.
The battle is amazing, and will make for a great article. But what interests me are all the different accounts of what Jones said. The two ships had been fighting for hours at close quarters, both were on fire, and Jones's ship was sinking. Perhaps half his crew were killed or wounded. A panicky junior officer, thinking in the confusion that Jones was dead, tried to surrender the ship by yelling "Quarter, Quarter" (a standard way of surrendering and begging for quarter--no "Parlez" here). Jones tried to shoot him, but being out of ammunition, threw his pistol at the man's head, knocking him out. (A darn good throw!)
Both crews slacked in their fire for a moment, trying to hear who might be surrendering to whom. The British captain called out: "Do you ask for quarter?"
There are various contemporary accounts of what Jones replied. Here are a few I've found so far:
"I may sink, but I'm damned if I'll strike." (Strike the flag, ie, surrender)
"No sir. I have not as yet thought of it, but I am determined to make you strike.” (A mouthful in the midst of battle!)
"Yankees do not strike their colors until they are fairly beaten." (Perhaps an unlikely boast for the Scottish-born captain fighting in a French ship)
"Whenever the Devil is ready to take me, I would rather obey his summons, than strike to anyone."
Forty-six years after the battle, Jones second-in-command, Lt. Richard Dale (by then a retired Commodore) told a biographer that Jones said "I have not yet begun to fight." And that of course is what got into the history books.
It is not surprising that there are so many differing accounts of what an officer said in the heat of battle. After all, nobody listening was in a position to write it down--they were just trying to survive the moment. What strikes me is not the fact that accounts differ as to exactly what Jones said, but that they all agree that this seemingly mythical moment of high drama in the midst of the sea battle, almost too good to be true, really did take place.
By the way, there is another John Paul Jones quote that also has some currency, though it is not as well known as the first. Offered a ship that didn't meet his standards he wrote:
"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."
Posted by rickbeyer at 06:10 PM | Comments (0)
July 22, 2007
Ten Thousand Dollar Matching Grant
I haven't made too many blog entries lately--but as of today I am rededicating myself to the blog, and to making at least three entries a week. Some will be about my upcoming book, some about my documentary work, and some on history in general.
Today's has to do with a limited time opportunity to earn a matching funds grant for the Ghost Army project. But to do it, we need all the help we can get.
Kevin Bacon’s Six Degrees charitable organization is offering a $10,000 matching grant to the non-profit that raises the most between now and September 16 through a charity badge (at right on the blog's main page.) The badge offers a way for people to read about the film, see a video, and donate money.
I'm trying to engage as many donors and raise as much money as possible between now and September 16th. There are two ways you can help:
1. DONATE
Click “Donate” on the badge and it will take you to a page where you make a credit card or Pay-Pal donation to The Center For Independent Documentary. ***Important: On the Designation line please type in “The Ghost Army.”
2. SPREAD THE WORD Post the badge on your blog, your web page, add a link to your email—in short, please do anything you can to help get as many people to donate as possible. Hit the Share button to get the code you need to put a copy of the badge someplace.
As I write, the competition for the matching funds has just begun, and our badge is in the top ten. Help us stay in the running and earn the funds!
For more on charity badges, check out this.
Posted by rickbeyer at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)