Shot at/Shot back

In message fad2c.490588$na.1169191@attbi_s04, "raymond o'hara" wrote:

burr was with arnold on the march to quebec

This I had not known, though, according to Boatner, he probably served as a
volunteer.

and he was at monmouth .

Boatner claims that he commanded a brigade that was in action and that it
suffered a repulse. Interesting, but I remain sceptical. Burr was the LTC of
Malcom's Additional Regiment. Malcom, I do believe was detached (he appeared
to have spent most of his career away from his regiment) and was still in the
Highlands, though I do not know this for certain. The earliest information I
can find on him for 1778 in the Washington Papers is an order in late July
ordering him to take command of Fort Arnold at West Point. This is subsequent
to Monmouth and Washington's redeployment to the Highland's region. It is not
unlikely that Burr continued to command the regiment as he had done (for
certain) the previous winter. Malcom's Regiment was assigned to the Third
Pennsylvania Brigade (late Thomas Conway's) with the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th
Pennylvania, and Spencer's Additional Regiments. The 6th and 12th Regiments
were without colonels, and Burr was was senior in comparison. The 9th's
Colonel, Richard Butler, was detached to command one of the battalion
detachments of the Advance Corps (and saw quite extenseive action). The LTC of
that detachment was Rudolph Bunner from the 3rd Regiment, who was killed. That
left the 3rd and Spencer's Regiments. Oliver Spencer was definately in command
of his regiment a couple of months later, and Craig was likely present as well
as he was ordered detached (while at camp) only a few days after the battle.
If either both were present, then Burr would not have had command of the Third
Pennsylvania Brigade. The brigade may well have seen some action as it was
attached to Stirling's Left Wing. Alas, it Boatner has missed the boat, so to
speak, on so many other occassions it is difficulty to take any statement by
him without a huge dose of salt.

As an aside, it was Malcom's Regiment (while under Burr) which saw, AFAIK, the
only case of a soldier (in this case a LT) during the war to be courtmartialed
(and "dismissed with infamy) for committing, or attempting to commit, sodomy
(i.e. he tried to play hide the salomi with one of his men).

In an actual on topic reference, a detachment of Malcom's Regiment (sans Burr)
was present in the defense, and fall, of Fort Montgomery which led to the
direct loss of two Continental warships, including one of the newly built
frigates. N.B. that it was impossible for the British squadron to provide
naval gunfire support as the forts (inc. Fort Clinton) were positioned too high
up the bluffs, and the guns could not be elevated sufficiently.

--
Regards,

Michael P. Reed