Knowledge

Convention Army

Source 📝

312:
shelter 18 men. The construction is so miserable that it surpasses all that you can imagine in Germany of a very poorly built log house. It is something like the following: Each side is put up of 8 to 9 round fir trees, which are laid one on top the other, but so far apart that it is almost possible for a man to crawl through ... The roof is made of round trees covered with split fir trees..." And then, "a great number of our men preferred to camp out in the woods, where they could protect themselves better against the cold than in the barracks." For some officers, their time in Virginia, however, was not entirely uneventful. An excerpt from the Orderly Book of Crockett's Western Battalion elaborates: "The commanding officer has been informed that an officer of the Convention Army who is residing in a different part of the county makes a practice of going to Negrew quarters in the night and associating with slaves, to the disatisfaction of the inhabitants. This practice is positively forbid in future..."
133: 36: 241:, while most of the officers were billeted in houses. The army ended up spending about one year in Cambridge, while negotiations concerning its status took place in military and diplomatic channels. During this year, about 1,300 prisoners escaped, often because they became involved with local women while working on farms in the area. 311:
were sought as guests on the social scene. The rank-and-file, however, dealt with miserable living conditions as the small amount of money appropriated to build the barracks proved inadequate. "Each barrack," observed Lieutenant August Wilhelm Du Roi, "is 24 feet long, and 14 feet wide, big enough to
248:
ordered Burgoyne to provide a list and description of all officers to ensure that they would not return. When he refused, Congress revoked the terms of the convention, resolving in January 1778 to hold the army until
557: 213:: "On the 17th of October the capitulation was consummated. The generals waited upon the American general-in-chief, Gates, and the troops laid down their arms, and surrendered themselves prisoners of war". 265:, arriving in uncharacteristically snowy weather in January 1779. Approximately 600 men escaped during the march. They were held at the hastily and poorly constructed 280:. The Virginia troops assigned to guard duty were generally better fed and equipped than any other forces, so that prisoner letters would reflect a strong 292:
and coin for the back-country area. The presence of the POWs created new demands for food and other goods – items for which they had to pay steep prices.
332: 319:. Except for specific officer exchanges, they were held there until 1783. When the war formally ended, those who survived the forced marches and camp 567: 315:
In late 1780, when British forces became active in Virginia, the army was again moved, this time being marched north by the Western Battalion to
534: 562: 206: 237:, where they arrived on 8 November. The rank and file were quartered in crude barracks that had been constructed during the 1775 308: 253:
ratified the convention, an act they believed unlikely to happen, as it represented an acknowledgment of American independence.
17: 100: 465: 438: 72: 412:
Chase, Philander (1983). "Years of Hardships and Revelations: The Convention Army at the Albamarle Barracks, 1779–1781".
226: 79: 492: 296:
estimated that the presence of the prisoners increased the area's circulating currency by at least $ 30,000 a week.
119: 250: 132: 53: 86: 57: 68: 304: 198: 508: 156: 262: 137: 525: 516: 234: 202: 148: 176: 46: 543: 230: 93: 273: 245: 8: 316: 152: 300: 266: 488: 471: 461: 444: 434: 427: 293: 281: 261:
In November 1778, the Convention Army began marching south 700 miles (1,100 km) to
191:
that they would not fight again in the conflict. The British army was accorded the
269:
until late 1780, under the guard of Lt. Col Joseph Crockett's Western Battalion.
238: 188: 272:
During the army's years in Virginia it had an important economic impact on the
192: 551: 289: 172: 168: 475: 448: 222: 171:
surrendered his army according to terms negotiated with American general
27:
Army of British and allied troops captured after the Battles of Saratoga
558:
American Revolutionary War prisoners of war held by the United States
209:, attended the surrender ceremony which she vividly describes in her 35: 277: 136:
A 1789 etching depicting the encampment of the Convention Army at
429:
Almost a miracle: the American victory in the War of Independence
285: 229:, and Canadian troops surrendered at Saratoga. Under guard by 184: 299:
High-ranking officers, and sometimes their wives, such as the
320: 485:
Brunswick Deserter-Immigrants of the American Revolution
284:. Money sent by the prisoner's families in Britain and 195:, and Burgoyne had his sword returned to him by Gates. 183:, and specified that the troops would be sent back to 60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 426: 333:Prisoners of war in the American Revolutionary War 205:, just emerged from her shelter in the cellar of 549: 352: 350: 348: 458:Saratoga 1777: Turning Point of a Revolution 379: 377: 509:The Marshall House, Schuylerville, New York 362: 345: 374: 162: 120:Learn how and when to remove this message 433:. New York: Oxford University Press US. 414:The Magazine of Albemarle County History 131: 568:Pennsylvania in the American Revolution 14: 550: 389: 544:Albemarle Barracks (additional links) 517:After Saratoga, National Park Service 411: 151:and allied troops captured after the 167:On 17 October 1777, British General 58:adding citations to reliable sources 29: 563:Virginia in the American Revolution 24: 25: 579: 502: 535:Demise of the Albemarle Barracks 526:Gentleman Johnnys Wandering Army 233:'s troops, they were marched to 34: 487:. Thomson, IL: Heritage House. 45:needs additional citations for 455: 368: 356: 13: 1: 483:Smith, Clifford Neal (1973). 460:. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. 405: 179:. The terms were titled the 424: 383: 216: 7: 456:Morrissey, Brendan (2000). 326: 256: 199:Baroness Frederika Riedesel 147:(1777–1783) was an army of 10: 584: 482: 395: 157:American Revolutionary War 263:Charlottesville, Virginia 138:Charlottesville, Virginia 425:Ferling, John E (2007). 338: 235:Cambridge, Massachusetts 175:following the 7 October 221:A total of about 5,900 177:Battle of Bemis Heights 420:. Charlottesville, VA. 301:Major General Riedesel 181:Convention of Saratoga 163:Convention of Saratoga 140: 18:Convention of Saratoga 135: 246:Continental Congress 54:improve this article 317:Frederick, Maryland 153:Battles of Saratoga 307:and Major General 288:provided a lot of 267:Albemarle Barracks 207:the Marshall House 141: 467:978-1-85532-862-4 440:978-0-19-518121-0 130: 129: 122: 104: 69:"Convention Army" 16:(Redirected from 575: 498: 479: 452: 432: 421: 399: 393: 387: 381: 372: 369:Morrissey (2000) 366: 360: 357:Morrissey (2000) 354: 323:were sent home. 309:William Phillips 294:Thomas Jefferson 282:Continental Army 203:General Riedesel 125: 118: 114: 111: 105: 103: 62: 38: 30: 21: 583: 582: 578: 577: 576: 574: 573: 572: 548: 547: 505: 495: 468: 441: 408: 403: 402: 394: 390: 382: 375: 367: 363: 355: 346: 341: 329: 259: 251:King George III 239:siege of Boston 219: 187:after giving a 165: 145:Convention Army 126: 115: 109: 106: 63: 61: 51: 39: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 581: 571: 570: 565: 560: 541: 540: 532: 531: 523: 522: 514: 513: 511: 504: 503:External links 501: 500: 499: 493: 480: 466: 453: 439: 422: 407: 404: 401: 400: 388: 384:Ferling (2007) 373: 361: 343: 342: 340: 337: 336: 335: 328: 325: 258: 255: 218: 215: 193:honours of war 164: 161: 128: 127: 42: 40: 33: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 580: 569: 566: 564: 561: 559: 556: 555: 553: 546: 545: 539: 538: 537: 536: 530: 529: 528: 527: 521: 520: 519: 518: 512: 510: 507: 506: 496: 494:0-915162-00-8 490: 486: 481: 477: 473: 469: 463: 459: 454: 450: 446: 442: 436: 431: 430: 423: 419: 415: 410: 409: 397: 392: 385: 380: 378: 370: 365: 358: 353: 351: 349: 344: 334: 331: 330: 324: 322: 318: 313: 310: 306: 302: 297: 295: 291: 290:hard currency 287: 283: 279: 275: 270: 268: 264: 254: 252: 247: 242: 240: 236: 232: 228: 224: 214: 212: 208: 204: 200: 196: 194: 190: 186: 182: 178: 174: 173:Horatio Gates 170: 169:John Burgoyne 160: 158: 154: 150: 146: 139: 134: 124: 121: 113: 102: 99: 95: 92: 88: 85: 81: 78: 74: 71: –  70: 66: 65:Find sources: 59: 55: 49: 48: 43:This article 41: 37: 32: 31: 19: 542: 533: 524: 515: 484: 457: 428: 417: 413: 396:Chase (1983) 391: 364: 314: 298: 271: 260: 243: 220: 210: 197: 180: 166: 144: 142: 116: 107: 97: 90: 83: 76: 64: 52:Please help 47:verification 44: 231:John Glover 552:Categories 406:References 274:Blue Ridge 201:, wife of 80:newspapers 217:Cambridge 476:43419003 449:85898929 386:, p. 432 327:See also 305:his wife 278:Virginia 276:area of 257:Virginia 110:May 2009 398:, p. 12 371:, p. 86 359:, p. 87 286:Germany 223:British 211:Journal 155:in the 149:British 94:scholar 491:  474:  464:  447:  437:  321:fevers 227:German 189:parole 185:Europe 96:  89:  82:  75:  67:  339:Notes 101:JSTOR 87:books 489:ISBN 472:OCLC 462:ISBN 445:OCLC 435:ISBN 303:and 244:The 143:The 73:news 56:by 554:: 470:. 443:. 418:41 416:. 376:^ 347:^ 225:, 159:. 497:. 478:. 451:. 123:) 117:( 112:) 108:( 98:· 91:· 84:· 77:· 50:. 20:)

Index

Convention of Saratoga

verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"Convention Army"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message

Charlottesville, Virginia
British
Battles of Saratoga
American Revolutionary War
John Burgoyne
Horatio Gates
Battle of Bemis Heights
Europe
parole
honours of war
Baroness Frederika Riedesel
General Riedesel
the Marshall House
British
German
John Glover
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.