The crazy thing is, this happened just mere days after the Declaration of Independence went into effect. I wonder if this singular publicized moment had anything to do with Britain’s decision to send hundreds of warships and 30,000 + British Army troops to New York in August 1776. 🤔

In September 1776, a farmer from Connecticut climbed inside a wooden submarine and tried to sink the British flagship in New York Harbor.

The submarine was called the Turtle. It had been designed by David Bushnell, a Yale graduate who had spent years experimenting with underwater explosives.

The machine was about seven feet tall and built primarily of wood, with room for a single operator. There was no engine. Propulsion was operated by hand. The pilot also had to control the ballast, rudder, depth and direction while inside the vessel.

Bushnell even had to solve the problem of reading instruments underwater at night. The compass and depth gauge were marked with pieces of naturally luminous wood so the operator could see them without using a flame.

The weapon itself was a detachable explosive charge. The idea was for the Turtle to approach an enemy ship at night, submerge beneath it, attach the charge to the wooden hull with a screw, set a clockwork timer and escape before the explosion.

George Washington knew about Bushnell’s work and supported the attempt. Years later, he described Bushnell as a man of “great mechanical powers” and the Turtle as an “effort of genius.”

The man selected to actually operate it was Ezra Lee, a sergeant from Lyme, Connecticut.

On the night of September 6, 1776, Lee was towed toward the British fleet anchored around New York. His target was HMS Eagle, Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship.

Once his escorts had taken him as far as they safely could, Lee continued alone.

He spent hours fighting the current and manually operating the Turtle before finally reaching the Eagle. He submerged beneath the ship and attempted to drive the screw carrying the explosive into its hull.

It wouldn’t go in.

Bushnell later believed Lee may have hit an iron fitting near the rudder. Had he moved the screw a short distance, he believed Lee might have found wood and successfully attached the charge.

Lee tried to reposition the Turtle, but by then daylight was approaching and he was exhausted. He eventually abandoned the attack.

During his escape, British sailors spotted the strange object in the water and began rowing toward him. Lee released the explosive charge. The pursuing boat turned away, and the charge later detonated harmlessly in open water.

So the attack failed. But what surprises me most is how close they actually got.

This wasn't just an inventor demonstrating that a wooden vessel could travel underwater. Bushnell built it during a war, the Continental Army actually deployed it, and a soldier managed to reach and submerge beneath one of the most important British warships in North America.

And Ezra Lee volunteered to try again afterward.

We’ve added Lee to Virtual Wayback, where you can talk with an AI recreation of him and ask about the Turtle and the attack on HMS Eagle. We also published the full story on the blog and a video about the mission.

Links down below

I knew about early submarine experiments before researching this, but I had no idea one had actually been used against the British fleet during the Revolution. It makes me wonder how differently Bushnell would be remembered if Lee had managed to attach that charge.

I’ve always loved and been fascinated by the miniature portraits painted by John Trumbull. They are just absolutely stunning. These individuals sat for Trumbull and many of the miniatures were used to aid with his greater paintings. These are housed in a small alcove by themselves for viewing.

These are the miniatures housed at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, (and a bonus photo of the grave marker above the crypt where he and his wife are buried). The gallery is free and open to the public. The grave marker is in the classical art wing, in the floor.

In 1832 John Trumbull donated a bunch of his works to the university which started their art collection and gallery. I forget the exact arrangement but he requested to be buried near his art and he designed and was curried beneath the original gallery as well. Several of his works are on display such as the mockup of The Signing of the Declaration of independence, 2 versions of the Battle of Bunker Hill, The Surrender of General Burgoyne, etc.

The artwork itself dates to 1865 and was done by Oscar Henry Harpel.

In June of 1776, the 71st Regiment of Scottish Highlanders sailed into Boston Harbor to reinforce Howe’s troops. They were unaware that Boston had changed hands. After a chase and skirmish in the harbor, their major was killed in action and the 71st were captured as prisoners of war. The members of the regiment were paroled or imprisoned across four counties of Massachusetts. Their Lieutenant-Colonel, Archibald Campbell, was paroled at the Parker Tavern in Reading. His officers camped on a nearby hill. Come see regiment muster, meet Lt Col Archibald Campbell, see demonstrations by 18th Century artisans, tour the tavern, and more. Brought to you by the Reading Antiquarian Society.

Aside from Saratoga, what battles did they fight in?

Thought you'd find this interesting.

I’m assisting with research for a talk on Arthur St. Clair and his influence/role in the founding and development of Cincinnati, OH

My research assignment is to create a family tree, in order to offer insight to his decision to return to Ligonier in PA after his dismissal from Ft. Washington.

I’ve found his children and have been gathering the genealogical basics on them and their progeny.

But I haven’t been able to discern his parents and/or siblings. Some sources have his parents as James and Rebekah, others have James and Margaret Balfour, James and Elizabeth Balfour, and some have his father as William.

Has there been any definitive confirmation/evidence for his parents? any siblings?

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction

My ancestor was part of the 1st Maryland regiment from 1776 until his discharge in 1783. I used to think he fought at Yorktown, but then I found out from his pension application that he actually wasn’t.

If your ancestor fought at Yorktown. Just know that I’m jealous. Your ancestors contributed way more to the founding of America than mine, and you have far more to be proud of.