Revolutionary Saturday: A Celebration!

Let this first Revolutionary Saturday of 2012 be about celebration!

First, I want to celebrate my upcoming picture book, Alliance! It’s about the incredible friendship between Washington and Lafayette.

I had the privilege of seeing the artist’s sketches last week. How magical to see what my words inspired! This will be my third picture book, but the excitement is still palpable.

Second, I want to celebrate curious minds. This book sprang from the question I kept asking myself while doing research for my first two Revolutionary War books: Why is this French guy always hanging around?

In the primary sources I consulted, Lafayette was often mentioned as being present, but no one really explained how he got there or what he was up to.

From that question came the essential question of the book: How did two such different people form such an attachment?

To me, exploring relationships is a paramount part of writing, whether the setting is the Revolutionary War, or this afternoon.

Third, I want to celebrate revolutionary people: then and now.

Lafayette left his cozy and safe aristocratic lifestyle in France to help us fight for freedom.

You know by now how I feel about Washington: without his brilliance – and his ability to see past his disadvantages – we wouldn’t be a country.

Lafayette and Washington deserve a celebration. And so do all the revolutionary people in the world today: The people who refuse to be told how to think and feel. The people who create, add beauty and defend truth. You know who you are. And if you aren’t one of those people yet, it’s not too late. Celebrate life by sharing yourself with the world in your unique way. Be revolutionary!!!

Revolutionary Saturday: A Toast to Our Allies and Accomplishments

Bonjour mes amis!

At the end of the year we reflect on our friendships and wish each other good tidings. I thought this would be a great time to remember our French allies in the American Revolution: we couldn't have won without them!

Ben Franklin in France, seeking support and recruits

It is also a time to celebrate our accomplishments. I've recently received the rough sketches for my book on the unlikely and touching friendship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette.

It's called Alliance! Zut alors, I can't wait to share it with you!!!

Washington and Lafayette at Valley Forge

So let's toast our successes, and our friends. Particularly the unlikely ones, who we'd never thought we'd have. Let's drink to serendipity and the power of faith and love.



If an impulsive, bubbling teen Frenchman could bond with a middle-aged American general who had little tolerance for anyone - but most especially foreigners - there's hope for anyone to get along.

Mais, oui!

Their friendship was solid!

A toast to you, and to me. May our friendship be long and prosper.

Happy New Year!!! Cheers!!!!

Revolutionary Saturday: How George Washington Spent His Christmas, 1776

Think you’ve got a lot going on for Christmas?

Around this time on Christmas Eve, 1776, George Washington was probably busy planning his deadly attack against the Hessians. You know it as when Washington crossed the Delaware. But what happened after that – when he marched his troops to Trenton, NJ -  made it one of goriest Christmas nights ever.

He had to do it, I know. War is indeed hell. And after all, those Hessians had it coming. Heartless mercenaries. They preferred to kill American soldiers rather than go to the trouble of taking prisoners. They really had to go.

The problem I have with the whole thing is the fact that so many people glorify this moment in Washington’s military career – often citing it was his greatest. Slaughtering a bunch of drunk and sleeping men on Christmas night is not glorious.

Much more valiant were his actions following the Battle of Long Island, when he managed to cross his 10,000 men across the East River to safety. Perhaps no one brings this feat up because he lost the battle. Or maybe it’s because no one captured the moment in a painting.

It was a noble thing to not give up even after losing at the Battle of Long Island, and saving all his men. There would not have been a crossing of the Delaware if not for the crossing of the East River first.

That said, it was a necessary, sad, grim thing which Washington set out to do on Christmas night, 1776. Remember him for both feats, and remember the men who left their families and spent Christmas fighting for our freedom.

Enjoy that freedom, and enjoy your holidays.

May peace and love be with you.

 PS: If you'd like to see illustrator Bill Farnsworth's depiction of the retreat from the Battle of Long Island, check out my book, By the Sword. They are stunning paintings - and the writing's not bad, either ;)

Abraham Woodhull: Stammering Farmer & Spy

Last week I introduced you to Caleb Brewster, the valiant captain/spy who could’ve easily been portrayed in an action movie.

This week I give you Abraham Woodhull: the stammering, terrified farmer who handled day to day operations of the ring.

Why did Benjamin Tallmadge recruit such a pathetic excuse for a spy? That’s probably why. Abraham was scared of just about everything. No one would ever believe he was capable of intrigue and espionage.

Benjamin and Abraham grew up together in Setauket, Long Island. Benjamin knew he could trust Abraham. Poor Abraham must’ve held his friendship and the American fight for freedom close to his heart, because being a spy nearly gave him a heart attack.

It is believed Abraham recruited Robert Townsend – the pivotal member of The Culper Spy Ring. Abraham was a customer of Robert’s dry good business. It had to have freaked Abraham out to speak with Robert and convince him to betray his Quaker faith, for in Manhattan, especially, it was never safe to talk. Redcoats were everywhere.

Abraham’s hypocondria reached new heights when he took on the role of Culper Senior. After executing a letter for Washington, it was not uncommon for Abraham to retreat to bed complaining of fever, and stay there for days.

Abraham shook so much that he spilled the only vial of invisible ink on hand once. He made frequent mistakes – more understandable because he was not trained in his endeavor but learned as he went along – but Washington did not understand at all. He was quick to criticize when things went wrong, and even disbanded the Culpers in one angry moment.

But Washington ultimately did have faith in Abraham and the Culpers. When he needed vital information fast, he rallied the Culpers back into action. Of all his spies, he relied on and trusted the Culpers most.

Revolutionary Saturday/Don't forget to enter my Kindle contest!!!

            Today on Revolutionary Saturday I’d like to introduce you to Caleb Brewster, who was the kind of guy Harrison Ford or Bruce Willis would’ve played in their prime.

            A real die hard.

            Caleb was a whaleboat captain who conducted successful raids on British forts on Long Island.

            He was also a member of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring.
            Caleb and his men hid along the Setauket, Long Island shore­ waiting for a signal that the message for Washington had arrived, courtesy of courier Austin Roe. It is believed that Anna Strong hung a petticoat in her clothesline to alert Caleb. But however he found out that his message was waiting for him, Caleb was always ready to act.

            He and his men rowed across the Long Island Sound to American-held Connecticut.

There, it was carried to Washington. Especially because of the long, round-about route from New York, time was of the essence. But Caleb often found a moment to raid larger British ships on the way to Connecticut. He was that kind of guy.

            Towards the end of the war, Benjamin Tallmadge was on board a whaleboat with Caleb when they came under British fire. Caleb went down with a musket ball through the chest. Tallmadge recalled in his memoir that he thought it was the end of Caleb. He was wrong.

            Caleb rose and fought on.

            He recovered and lived into his 80’s.

A letter from Caleb Brewster to Benjamin Tallmadge

            If you’d like to read more about Caleb Brewster and the Culper Spy Ring, check out my book, Upon Secrecy.

http://www.amazon.com/Upon-Secrecy-Selene-Castrovilla/dp/1590785738

Don't forget to enter my Kindle contest! Read yesterday's blog for details!!!!!

           

Wife, Mother &...Spy?

Sorry for the delay of this Revolutionary Saturday post. Both of my sons needed my attention, which had to come first.

This is a fitting segue into my introduction of Anna Smith Strong, a Setauket, Long Island resident during the Revolutionary War. Anna was a devoted wife and mother – and, we can say with relative certainty – she was also part of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring.

Why we can only say this with relative certainty is because there is no definitive proof – only circumstantial evidence. Historians believe she was involved with the ring, but never mentioned in the letters because she was a woman.

Legend has it that Anna hung her petticoats on a clothesline as a signal that a message was ready to be taken to Washington (hopefully this coincided with her laundry needs.) This story has been told so often that most people who know about the Culper Spy Ring name her as a member.

The Daughters of the American Revolution clearly embrace Anna's petticoat legend.
They have an Anna Smith Strong chapter.

As a matter of fact¸ Anna was the reason I became intrigued with the spy ring.

School children in the Setauket area are taught about Anna's petticoats.

I was visiting a sick friend, who’d recently moved from Setauket.

“I miss being there,” he told me.

“Why?” I asked. All I knew about Setauket was it was way out on the island – pretty secluded.

“It’s so historical there,” he said.

“In what way?” I pressed.

“A woman used to hang her petticoats as a signal for George Washington’s spy ring,” he told me.

WHAT? My story sensor spiked. A WOMAN spy during the American Revolution? I didn’t even know that Long Island was involved with the revolution at all!

Thanks goodness for Google. When I got home I entered a few key words, and presto – I knew enough about the Culper Spy Ring to know that I wanted to know more. I wanted to write their story.

The ironic thing was that I couldn’t include Anna in the events of my story, because I couldn't prove she was a spy. The person who’d ignited my passion had to be edited out.

Here’s to Anna Smith Strong: A patriot, for sure. She stayed on occupied Long Island and took care of the family homestead while her husband was confined to a British prison ship.

Was she a spy?

 I think so.

But we’ll never know for sure....

Revolutionary Saturday!

           Abraham Lincoln said, “...if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”

            I say, “If you want to know someone’s character, give them a gun.”

            Throw them in the middle of a war.

            Your real character comes out when you’re fighting for your life.

            I realized this when I started researching the American Revolution. The fact that I wanted to write about a war was a great surprise to me. The prospect of writing about history was shocking. And gosh, if you told me in the third grade that I was going to write about George Washington someday, I would’ve called you a flat-out liar.

            But the universe works in mysterious ways.

            I was led to the story of George Washington’s spy ring when a sick friend happened to mention that a woman hung her petticoats on a clothesline as a secret signal. With that one image I was hooked. Imagine a woman risking her life for such intrigue! Imagine craving something that much.

            When you think of people in the American Revolution, don’t dwell on our differences. They didn’t have cell phones, cars, computers...So what? They possessed wants and needs and passions just as we do. What’s in our hearts never changes.

            The more I researched, the more I realized this. And the more I empathized with these people who sacrificed so much to be free.

            I will tell you stories about unsung heroes of the American Revolution in the coming weeks.

            But let me start with George Washington.

            I truly believe we would not be a country if not for this man. Put simply¸ he refused to give up. He was grace under pressure. Much is made of the fact that he lost battle after battle at the beginning of the war. Much should be made of the fact that he kept going.

            When I read the story of the Battle of Long Island I couldn’t believe we weren’t shouting it from the rooftops. This was better than fiction! But somehow Washington’s crossing of the East River was overshadowed by his crossing of the Delaware. Folks, he couldn’t have gotten to the Delaware if he hadn’t crossed the East River first.

            Washington’s ragtag troops were defeated in a matter of hours. They dragged themselves into trenches, waiting for the British to take them prisoner or kill them. When the British hesitated, Washington made his bid to save his men.

            What happened that August night was nothing short of miraculous.

            Think you know George Washington?

            Think again.

            Because if you want to test a man’s character, watch what he does when he’s defeated.

            George Washington would not surrender.

            A lesson for any time.

Here’s a shameless plug for my picture books on the American Revolution, published by Calkins Creek Books/Boyds Mills Press:

The American Revolution Comes To Life
with Little Known True Tales

George Washington In a Whole New Light!

Author and historian Selene Castrovilla unearths two new facets of the father of our country in her picture books about the American Revolution: BY THE SWORD & UPON SECRECY.

Washington’s other crossing. We all know the story of George Washington crossing the Delaware, but he never would’ve made it there if he hadn’t first crossed the East River. Washington’s valiant and miraculous retreat of all his men to safety following his devastating loss at the Battle of Long Island is perhaps his greatest moment – and yet largely unknown. Learn about this amazing feat in BY THE SWORD (Calkins Creek Books, 2007.)

AN INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION NOTABLE BOOK

NEW YORK STATE READING ASSOCIATION - Recommended Intermediate Reading

MOONBEAM CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD GOLD MEDALIST FOR NONFICTION


A Kansas Reading Circle Selection

George Washington, spy? Yes, the father of our country was also a superb spymaster – and thank goodness, because that’s how he won the revolution! Major George Beckwith, head of British intelligence operations in the colonies, put it like this: “George Washington did not really outfight the British; he simply outspied us!” Somehow this fascinating and vital part of Washington’s character has been vastly ignored by history – until now. In UPON SECRECY (Calkins Creek Books, 2010) you’ll follow Washington’s most valued spies – Long Island’s Culper Spy Ring – on their most important and exciting mission. Without this contribution, we would likely not be a country.

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year, 2010

Read an excerpt of BY THE SWORD:
http://selenecastrovilla.com/excerpt_sword.html

Read an excerpt of UPON SECRECY:
http://selenecastrovilla.com/excerpt_secrecy.html

Order BY THE SWORD on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Sword-Selene-Castrovilla/dp/1590784278/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319873584&sr=1-5

Order UPON SECRECY on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Upon-Secrecy-Selene-Castrovilla/dp/1590785738/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319873714&sr=1-1