Holding Staten Island
On March 15, 1776, Henry and George Michael Bedinger with Captain Stephenson’s Company were ordered to march to New York. General Washington, thinking that General Howe would take his troops to New York, immediately marched the whole battalion of riflemen at Roxbury to New York where units of the Continental Army had been building fortifications. The Virginia Rifle Company marched over Kingsbridge arriving at New York on March 28. Henry’s journal, March 30, reads: “…went to see the Water Works which are the Most Curious I ever heard of, the Water is raised by the Strength of fires So High as to be Brought all over the city.” On March 30th Henry records that five American regiments arrived and were stationed on Staten Island. The British Ship Asia with troops and artillery and a few other ships were anchored off Sandy Hook, New Jersey and were within view of the Continental soldiers on Staten Island. But, the British fleet had not, in fact, gone straight to New York, but had sailed to Halifax, probably on account of the large number of Loyalists who left Boston with the British.
Among the inhabitants of Staten Island were many Tories some of whom worked and cooperated with men of the British ships. Tories caught by the Americans dealing with the British or known to bring the British accounts of the Continental soldiers’ positions were captured and sent to prison with British captives. Though there was no general engagement with the British, there were frequent skirmishes. In one incident of which George Michael tells, he, Henry and a dozen others of his company captured thirteen British soldiers who had come ashore from the Asia to get water at a fresh-water spring on Staten Island.[i] The Virginians placed a strong guard on the watering place to keep the British from restocking their supplies. Henry noted in his journal that in the night of April 8th four deserters from the Asia brought accounts that the Captains of the British ships were very much exasperated with the Continentals and swore vengeance upon us.[ii]
In March 1776 General Washington, knowing that Captain Hugh Stephenson’s Company would soon be completing their tour of duty, wrote to the President of the Continental Congress recommending Captain Stephenson of the Virginia Riflemen to be made Lieutenant Colonel of a new rifle Company. Henry Bedinger was recommended by General Washington to serve in Col. Hugh Stephenson’s new Rifle Battalion as Third Lieutenant. General Washington’s recommendations were readily effected.[iii] The order for the Company, having fulfilled its tour allowing for a few days of travel, to return home was recorded in Henry’s journal entry of May 24th, 1776: “Rec’d Orders My Self to proceed homewards, &c.”[iv], [iva] After returning to Shepherdstown, Henry Bedinger was active in recruiting riflemen for the new company.
George Michael and Joseph Swearingen[v] were expecting a general engagement with the British and desirous of participating. They volunteered to remain for a time on Staten Island.[vi] Their extended tour was soon to be interrupted by the arrival from Halifax of General Howe’s fleet transporting 9,000 men. On the second day of June, Howe’s fleet dropped anchor at Sandy Hook. A few days later General Howe’s troops in smaller vessels landed on Staten Island and established a base. The British began scouring the island for rebels. George Michael Bedinger and Joseph Swearingen were among a few continental soldiers on Staten Island. Pursued closely by the British soldiers, George Michael and his friend made their escape to New Jersey in a small skiff. In their haste to get away George Michael and Joseph left behind all their baggage and blankets. Safely in New Jersey the two soldiers made their way to the Rifle Company of George Michael’s uncle, Nicholas Biettinger, stationed at Amboy where they stayed a short time. George Michael volunteered to join an attack on a British vessel but the vessel left the coast before the plan was executed.
On March 15, 1776, Henry and George Michael Bedinger with Captain Stephenson’s Company were ordered to march to New York. General Washington, thinking that General Howe would take his troops to New York, immediately marched the whole battalion of riflemen at Roxbury to New York where units of the Continental Army had been building fortifications. The Virginia Rifle Company marched over Kingsbridge arriving at New York on March 28. Henry’s journal, March 30, reads: “…went to see the Water Works which are the Most Curious I ever heard of, the Water is raised by the Strength of fires So High as to be Brought all over the city.” On March 30th Henry records that five American regiments arrived and were stationed on Staten Island. The British Ship Asia with troops and artillery and a few other ships were anchored off Sandy Hook, New Jersey and were within view of the Continental soldiers on Staten Island. But, the British fleet had not, in fact, gone straight to New York, but had sailed to Halifax, probably on account of the large number of Loyalists who left Boston with the British.
Among the inhabitants of Staten Island were many Tories some of whom worked and cooperated with men of the British ships. Tories caught by the Americans dealing with the British or known to bring the British accounts of the Continental soldiers’ positions were captured and sent to prison with British captives. Though there was no general engagement with the British, there were frequent skirmishes. In one incident of which George Michael tells, he, Henry and a dozen others of his company captured thirteen British soldiers who had come ashore from the Asia to get water at a fresh-water spring on Staten Island.[i] The Virginians placed a strong guard on the watering place to keep the British from restocking their supplies. Henry noted in his journal that in the night of April 8th four deserters from the Asia brought accounts that the Captains of the British ships were very much exasperated with the Continentals and swore vengeance upon us.[ii]
In March 1776 General Washington, knowing that Captain Hugh Stephenson’s Company would soon be completing their tour of duty, wrote to the President of the Continental Congress recommending Captain Stephenson of the Virginia Riflemen to be made Lieutenant Colonel of a new rifle Company. Henry Bedinger was recommended by General Washington to serve in Col. Hugh Stephenson’s new Rifle Battalion as Third Lieutenant. General Washington’s recommendations were readily effected.[iii] The order for the Company, having fulfilled its tour allowing for a few days of travel, to return home was recorded in Henry’s journal entry of May 24th, 1776: “Rec’d Orders My Self to proceed homewards, &c.”[iv], [iva] After returning to Shepherdstown, Henry Bedinger was active in recruiting riflemen for the new company.
George Michael and Joseph Swearingen[v] were expecting a general engagement with the British and desirous of participating. They volunteered to remain for a time on Staten Island.[vi] Their extended tour was soon to be interrupted by the arrival from Halifax of General Howe’s fleet transporting 9,000 men. On the second day of June, Howe’s fleet dropped anchor at Sandy Hook. A few days later General Howe’s troops in smaller vessels landed on Staten Island and established a base. The British began scouring the island for rebels. George Michael Bedinger and Joseph Swearingen were among a few continental soldiers on Staten Island. Pursued closely by the British soldiers, George Michael and his friend made their escape to New Jersey in a small skiff. In their haste to get away George Michael and Joseph left behind all their baggage and blankets. Safely in New Jersey the two soldiers made their way to the Rifle Company of George Michael’s uncle, Nicholas Biettinger, stationed at Amboy where they stayed a short time. George Michael volunteered to join an attack on a British vessel but the vessel left the coast before the plan was executed.
While George Michael Bedinger and Joseph Swearingen were on Staten Island, the Second Continental Congress was convening in Philadelphia. On the 7th of June, Richard Henry Lee, Virginia delegate to the Congress, proposed the resolution for independence of the colonies, which had been endorsed by the Virginia Assembly. On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence and it was ratified on July 4, 1776. On July 6th the momentous news reached George Michael in Amboy that the Second Continental Congress had voted for independence and that the declaration was to be publicly read in Philadelphia.
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"Resolved That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are and absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." |
George Michael recorded many years later in an affidavit of his military record that he left Amboy for home making a special effort to reach Philadelphia and hear that immortal document proclaimed to the people.[vii] On July 8th, the citizens of Philadelphia were summoned to the State House Yard by the bells of the city. At 12:00 noon, Colonel John Nixon publicly read the Declaration of Independence for the first time. Following the event and continuing long into the night the bells of the city rang in celebration.
[i] Draper, Lyman, The George M. Bedinger Papers, Volume 1A of The Draper Manuscript Collection in the Draper Manuscript Collection, Transcribed and Indexed by Craig L. Heath, 2002, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, p. 85.
[ii] Dandridge, Danske, 1910, Historic Shepherdstown, The Michie Company, Printers, Charlottesville, Virginia, 389 p., p. 139.
[iii] Dandridge, Danske, 1910, Historic Shepherdstown, The Michie Company, Printers, Charlottesville, Virginia, 389 p., pp. 149-150.
[iv] Dandridge, Danske, 1910, Historic Shepherdstown, The Michie Company, Printers, Charlottesville, Virginia, 389 p., p.143.
[iva] Diary of Major Henry Bedinger of Jefferson County, W. VA., from July 17, 1775 to May 24, 1776,
This diary in 1957 was owned by Colonel Henry B. Davenport, of Charleston West Virginia. A copy of the diary is in the archives of Shepherdstown University Library, Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The diary was printed in Danske Dandridge's book "Historic Shepherdstown". It is noted that there are differences in the version printed in Dandridge's book and the copy in Shepherdstown University Library.
[v] Joseph Swearingen was the brother of Benoni Swearingen, one of George Michael’s closest friends. Joseph Swearingen enlisted as a private in Captain Stephenson’s Company, rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the 12th Virginia Regiment, later designated the 8th Virginia Regiment. He commanded a company of the 12th Virginia Regiment. He was promoted to Colonel and served for eight years. He was taken prisoner in Charleston, 12 May 1780 and was prisoner until the end of the war. Reference: Whyte, Karel L., 1997/1999, Swearingen/Vanswearingen and Related Families, published by the author, 417 p. and Index.
[vi] Draper, Lyman, 2002, The George M. Bedinger Papers, Volume 1A of The Draper Manuscript Collection in the Draper Manuscript Collection, Transcribed and Indexed by Craig L. Heath, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, p. 9.
[vii] Draper, Lyman, The George M. Bedinger Papers, Volume 1A of The Draper Manuscript Collection in the Draper Manuscript Collection, Transcribed and Indexed by Craig L. Heath, 2002, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, p. 11.
Continued: Go to Battle of Fort Washington
[i] Draper, Lyman, The George M. Bedinger Papers, Volume 1A of The Draper Manuscript Collection in the Draper Manuscript Collection, Transcribed and Indexed by Craig L. Heath, 2002, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, p. 85.
[ii] Dandridge, Danske, 1910, Historic Shepherdstown, The Michie Company, Printers, Charlottesville, Virginia, 389 p., p. 139.
[iii] Dandridge, Danske, 1910, Historic Shepherdstown, The Michie Company, Printers, Charlottesville, Virginia, 389 p., pp. 149-150.
[iv] Dandridge, Danske, 1910, Historic Shepherdstown, The Michie Company, Printers, Charlottesville, Virginia, 389 p., p.143.
[iva] Diary of Major Henry Bedinger of Jefferson County, W. VA., from July 17, 1775 to May 24, 1776,
This diary in 1957 was owned by Colonel Henry B. Davenport, of Charleston West Virginia. A copy of the diary is in the archives of Shepherdstown University Library, Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The diary was printed in Danske Dandridge's book "Historic Shepherdstown". It is noted that there are differences in the version printed in Dandridge's book and the copy in Shepherdstown University Library.
[v] Joseph Swearingen was the brother of Benoni Swearingen, one of George Michael’s closest friends. Joseph Swearingen enlisted as a private in Captain Stephenson’s Company, rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the 12th Virginia Regiment, later designated the 8th Virginia Regiment. He commanded a company of the 12th Virginia Regiment. He was promoted to Colonel and served for eight years. He was taken prisoner in Charleston, 12 May 1780 and was prisoner until the end of the war. Reference: Whyte, Karel L., 1997/1999, Swearingen/Vanswearingen and Related Families, published by the author, 417 p. and Index.
[vi] Draper, Lyman, 2002, The George M. Bedinger Papers, Volume 1A of The Draper Manuscript Collection in the Draper Manuscript Collection, Transcribed and Indexed by Craig L. Heath, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, p. 9.
[vii] Draper, Lyman, The George M. Bedinger Papers, Volume 1A of The Draper Manuscript Collection in the Draper Manuscript Collection, Transcribed and Indexed by Craig L. Heath, 2002, Heritage Books, Inc., Bowie, Maryland, p. 11.
Continued: Go to Battle of Fort Washington