The Traits that Make a Good General: Revolutionary War Hero Daniel Morgan

Want to win a war ? It's not just about the last battle. Good war strategy gets you to that last battle. One historian remarked that the American Revolution was won because of General Daniel Morgan.

Daniel Morgan was a frontiersman. Born in New Jersey, he set out westwards at the age of 17 after a disagreement with his father. He had a very strong moral compass of what is right versus wrong that served him well his whole life.  He got a job as a teamster with a fun fellow, scrimping and saving enough money to buy his own wagons in a year and create his own waggoner business. His business was tapped into service during the French Indian War. He also served in a militia capacity alongside the British. Angered by one of the British (unknown if it was a soldier or officer), he threw a punch and was sentenced to 400-500 lashes (exact number disputed, but enough that normally meant a death sentence). While being whipped with his skin ribboning from his flesh, he remained conscious and survived with his strong character; however, this  left a bitterness in his soul for the British which served him well during the American Revolution.  He was an entrepreneur. He worked hard and accumulated much land.  He created a grist mill that still stands today as a museum. He successfully counterbalanced business risk with hard work.  He fell in love and had two daughters (educating them in a time where this was not so common).  With freedom bells clamoring throughout the country, he signed up to fight in the American Revolution after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. He served in some of the fiercest battles. He quickly earned the reputation of a genius military strategist. Had his strategy been followed, the infamous Battle of Quebec may have turned out differently. His battalion was successful. They scaled the walls of Quebec and had the British fleeing in all directions until melee broke loose upon General Montgomery's death.  His strategy was so good in the famous Battle of the Cowpens (positioning of militia and continental troops) that it was advised and adapted by General Greene in the southern Battle at Guilford Courthouse. This battle was critical in keeping the American southern army alive after British devastation tore all through the South.

So how did he win the war ? The British's most feared weapon was their star legion of cavalry rifle shooters led by Banastre Tarleton. They wreaked devastation wherever they triumphed mutilating prisoners and civilians alike, often sparing no one (hence the phrase 'Tarleton's Quarter),burning houses and property along the way. Daniel Morgan desired to meet head to head with this notorious legion and he did  at the Battle of Cowpens.  He so decimated Tarleton's legion, that he crippled the British army. Hence, his credit for being key to the American triumph. While many feared the intrepid Tarleton, Morgan was hunting him down.

It takes both heart and smarts to lead. General Morgan had a reputation for both. Many militia men demanded they would enlist only if they could serve under Morgan. Morgan was once seen rallying troop to troop the night before battle, even though he was strictly advised bed rest due to a very serious illness (for the rest of his life he would suffer flair ups of sciatica attributed to his military service). General Morgan was always in the thick of the battle (unlike General Horatio Gates whom his men despised) and did not ask his men to do anything he would not. He was instrumental in the successful battle of Saratoga (after whose victory the French pledged assistance and support to the United States). He relished those memories and named his estate Saratoga. Despite his imperviousness to fear, he also wisely knew when to retreat in order to gather up the proper forces to wage victory. Not only is he attributed a brilliant military tactician, he exemplified great strength of character. After the Revolution, a 'whiskey rebellion' rose up in western Pennsylvania. President George Washington asked Daniel if he would lead a force to quell the rebellion. When he arrived, the rebellion was put down without a single shot being fired. The mere mention of General Morgan's name (both out of fear and respect for his values) was enough to move people to reason. Two of the ringleaders were sentenced to death. One, John Mitchell, had even threatened the life of General Morgan's son in law causing him to flee for his life. Yet despite the egregious acts committed, Morgan urged mercy on Mitchell because he had seen the error of his ways and was 'ignorant'. George Washington in turn pardoned both ringleaders sentenced to death. It was this type of perspicacity that led his constituents in his Virginia district to elect him to the House of Representatives as a United States Congressman after the Whiskey Rebellion, while Daniel was in his 60s.

Daniel Morgan did not have a college education, nor come from a family of means, but he made the most out of every opportunity. He perfectly balanced deep conviction with courage, skill, and hard work.  He rose to the highest levels of leadership yet never countenanced an ounce of arrogance. There is a statue of General Daniel Morgan in Spartanburg, South Carolina rising tall over the pasture of the Battle of Cowpens. May we all let remnants of his noble character rise within us in our hearts.

William Eaton: Heroism Triumphs Over Bad Politics

Great heroes deserve our thanks. Great heroes live on despite bad politics. Actions speak louder than words. Much like education, great feats cannot be taken away no matter what. The incredulous story of America's hero William Eaton must be counterbalanced in an unsavory political lesson of the American Consul General to the North African coast Tobias Lear.

After the founding of our country, Tripoli was the first nation to declare war on the United States. The Barbary Coast countries would demand tribute (large bribes) for sailing their waters, capture American sailors and enslave them. William Eaton led a small band of Marines (ten in all) across 500 miles of Egyptian desert to find and empower Hamet Karamanli (younger brother to the despot Tripoli ruler Yussef) to free over 300 enslaved sailors (doing hard labor for 19 months) of the USS Philadelphia and negotiate a peace with the United States that would no longer involve paying tribute or enslaving American sailors.  This five month long, arduous trek involved being captured and imprisoned by a band of Turks, hunger, thirst, mutinies and threatened desertion. Even Hamet himself attempted to abandon the project out of cowardice several times. Miraculously, through sheer willpower Eaton and his men (accumulating friendly bands to Hamet along the way) made it to Tripoli's city of Derne and won a battle totally outmanned against a city's offenses. 

Poised to stike a victorious coup alongside US naval ships, newly arrived to assist and replace the ruthless tyrant Yussef Karamanli (who killed his older brother for power and would later attempt to kill Hamet), American Consul General Tobias Lear negotiated a peace (along with a secret treaty totally in Tripoli's favor) stopping Eaton in his tracks. Eaton was forced to withdraw his men. Dejected (leaving Hamet's followers at the mercy of Yussef) Eaton and Hamet's family sailed away on the cusp of what would have terminated by force America's Tripoli problems. The United States Senate issued a commission to investigate the circumstances, only to have Thomas Jefferson (who possessed great pensmanship but little ardor for battle as was evidenced when he fled the Virginia capitol as its governor on horseback under British siege) intermeddled to keep the status quo. It was later revealed that Tobias Lear, while negotiating, was simultaneously engaged in a commercial enterprise of wheat that was threatened by relations with Tripoli. He found it in his best interest to placate the tyrannical leader Yussef and did (spending over $500k of America's money for "diplomatic" reasons, an inordinate sum for the times). This same Tobias Lear was also caught stealing from George Washington (pocketed rent money from one of George Washington's properties) while in George Washington's employ and also swindled a business partner. Ironically, it was William Eaton, when serving as the American Consul to Tripoli before Lear, who advocated these diplomatic posts mandate no commercial conflicts of interest. 

Thomas Jefferson as President, refused to answer William Eaton's charges of treaty issues and premature negotiation, and covered for Lear's actions.  No coincidence that it also later came to light that Tobias Lear destroyed much of George Washington's papers that involved Jefferson's conflicts with Washington. Politics among cowards and thieves is never pretty nor desired. The political lesson in it all is that it does not serve the country to place bad characters in office or diplomatic posts. Yes, this tale has a sad and bitter ending with William Eaton, a man of much principle and proven courage, essentially drinking himself to death as he spent his last years attempting to seek right for Hamet and setting the record straight. Thomas Jefferson forever refused to acknowledge in public the secret treaty Lear negotiated nor respond to Eaton's charges.  Dead men do speak as time has a way of unearthing the truth. William Eaton, with his heart in the right place, achieved the impossible in Marine like fashion and may his memory forever blazon to remind us all of indomitable courage aptly captured in the lyrics of the Marine hym, "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli....."

A Lesson In What It Takes To Be A Hero: John Paul Jones

They ought to make bracelets that say WWJPJD.  What Would John Paul Jones Do ? Among the pantheon of greats such as George Washington and Ben Franklin, John Paul Jones has his place. Just finished reading the two volume biography by Augustus C. Buell on Paul Jones. It is entitled: Paul Jones: Founder of the American Navy and was published by Charles Scribner's Sons in New York in 1900.  John Paul Jones timeline is remarkable:

1. He went to sea as a sailor starting at age 12.
2. He became a shipmate at age 17.
3. He became a Captain at age 20 in the merchant service of the North Atlantic.
4. Upon inheritance, he became a Virginia planter before age 26.
5. He became a Naval Lieutenant at age 28.
6. He became a Commodore at age 32.
7. By age 33 he became world famous in the most celebrated sea victory up to that time in the capture of the British ship Serapis as his own was on fire and sinking (he uttered the famous words, "I have not yet begun to fight" when asked if he was striking colors to give up).
8. He was knighted by the King of France and given a sword.
9. He became an Admiral in the Russian Navy.
10. He died at age 45 and counted among his friends and acquaintances many illustrious figures including George Washington, Ben Franklin (whom he named a ship after), the King of France Louis VXVI, Empress Catherine the Great of Russia and the Marquis de Lafayette.

He wrote and spoke English and French fluently. He proved an extremely able diplomat in international negotiations with France, Holland, and Denmark out of necessity over prize ships. He led with character versus fear  (throwing away feared tools of discipline on ships like the cat of nine tails whip). Among his personal traits:  honesty, respectful diplomacy, loyalty, and courage. He overcame the most remarkable obstacles with grace and dignity including a false criminal allegation in Russia, his own ship firing on him (the Alliance) in the battle of the Serapis and refusing to assist him afterwards, jealous colleagues who intrigued and sometimes succeeded in taking his ships and crew from him (but never succeeding in the long run), false reports of war victories (giving credit for his wins to others which he stood his ground on correcting), and huge disappointments such as preparing and supervising construction of the largest war ship ever to be built in America (called teh America) which he was to captain only to have it given away to France. His company was much sought after due to his charm, manners and enlightening conversation. Women from Great Britain, America and France adored him.  He exercised as much wisdom in life as he showed courage in battle. His words convey remarkable judgment. He remarked to French Navy Officer Kersaint, "... in human affairs the sources of success are ever to be found in the fountains of quick resolve and swift stroke; and it seems to be a law inflexible and inexorable that he who will not risk cannot win." Outmanned and outgunned, he won many battles on the sea, capturing  many ships due to his bravery, intelligent strategy and sheer will to win.  He was an excellent judge of character. In his journal of 1791, he wrote "... truth and courage are twin traits; and, on the other hand, so are cowardice and falsehood alike inseparable." Despite the British and Tories destroying his Virginia plantation in the American Revolution, in his travels to Great Britain after the war he always demonstrated the utmost respect and forgiveness.  He had two sisters living in America during the outbreak of the American Revolution. One, with British loyalties, returned to Scotland. Hurt by the tension between the sisters, he advised both of the Pope's Universal Prayer which he lived by:

"Teach me to feel another's woe;

To hide the faults I see; 

That mercy I to others show;

Such mercy show to me."

A study of John Paul Jones' life teaches one that courage, truth, hard work and moral principles are what makes great men.  Great accomplishments don't make great men. It is rather, great men achieve great accomplishments. The son of a humble, poor Scottish gardener grew up to become the most famous man to ever sail the seas. What an honor it is for the United States to have John Paul Jones be the Father of our Navy. What a treasure for all humanity to learn from John Paul Jones. His astonishing victories, tremendous accomplishments, and renown courage will forever be a beacon that good character accomplishes the unthinkable. 

General Henry Knox- How to Be Successful at Everything

Most everyone can say they have certain talents where they shine and others not so much. It is not so common to find someone who excels at everything. Little is known of Washington's top General Henry Knox among current generations. It is time that stops. Henry Knox was responsible for beefing up the artillery. He approached George Washington with a plan and came back with wagons of artillery successfully. He picked out 6 cutting edge ships when the country could not afford a Navy and convinced Congress to buy them. These were cheaper and better. It was Knox's visionary smarts that recognized cheaper but faster was what was necessary. Always a problem solver, he worked on a commission with Governeur Morris on prisoner exchange. He kept this friendship cultivated and when the Revolution was over, he came up with the three headed government of checks and balances we use today- the legislative, executive, and judiciary. He jotted this plan of government down, sent it to Governeur Morris who was serving in the Constitutional  Convention, and Morris made it happen. It is a fact that Morris wrote more of the Constitution than any other delegate. Knox was wise in character and leadership. When some of his colleagues were supporting General Gates to take over Washington's position, he was loyal and instrumental in Washington's continued command. He knew when to take action. When the heirarchy of the military was threatened due to the commissioning of too many foreign officers through Congress' political patronage, Knox drew a line in the sand and threatened to resign before his position was given away. He was successful. The members of Congress trusted and respected him. His political finesse and ability to get along with others was instrumental not only in the military, but for national strategy.  A Henry Knox comes around once in a blue moon, when you see it- you must respect and utitilize it to its full potential. These leaders do it for the good of the people, not their egos. Study their character. Knox worked full time at a bookstore starting at age 12 to support his mother and brother. He read voraciously. He was an entrepreneur, he later opened his own bookstore.  He was a risk taker. Once he figured out that weapons were to be had at Fort Ticonderoga, he developed a plan and successfully convinced Washington to give him the reigns to make it happen.  So many are the jack of many trades, and masters of none. Not Henry Knox, virtually everything he touched turned into success for our young country. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Maybe one day, Congress will see fit to erect a memorial for him in our Capitol.  Henry Knox is a great lesson in that to be a master of all trades one must be: smart, kind, hard working, a voracious reader, a do-er, diplomatic and loyal. To be successful, one must be focused on the good of others, like Knox, not on one's self

Choosing a Leader: Learning from George Washington's Choice of General Nathanel Greene

It took the Continental Congress three times, but they finally got it right. After appointing Benjamin Lincoln and Horatio Gates to lead George Washington's southern campaign to no success, they finally allowed George Washington to choose his own general. Washington made an excellent choice in appointing Nathanael Greene after serving alongside him in battle and knowing his passion, strength, intelligence and endurance.  Lesson one- it is wise to give the experts in the best position to make the choice the power to do so. Greene was victorious in the Southern campaign driving the British from the Carolinas.  So wise that he kept on fighting until legally not allowed to do. He was right. The British came back for round two in the Battle of 1812.  Lesson two- a leader must have good judgment in people. Greene never trusted General Charles Lee or General James Wilkinson. Although he never lived to see the proof of his distrust, hundreds of years later have revealed that Charles Lee gave plans to the British on how they could capture the American army while he was a "prisoner" of war in South Carolina and recent documents have unearthed that James Wilkinson was a double spy in the pay of  the Spanish government.   Greene noted that when Lee was traded for another prisoner and released, he came back not rejoicing as one would  expect. Lee even spent his first night back at Washington's camp sleeping in the quarters behind Martha Washington's camp living arrangements with the wife of a British officer. Lesson three- a leader must be brave and wiling to personally sacrifice. Whereas Horatio Gates' soldiers' nicknamed him "Granny Gates"for his lack of zeal in battle, Green had a reputation for being brave despite the odds. Greene even successfully employed the "divide to survive"  strategy  (controversial compared to accepted practices of warfare at the time) before Napoleon coined it.  When the virtually penniless Continental Congress could not pay to clothe Greene's men and neither could the provincial South Carolina government, Greene signed on as creditor to pay for uniforms for the entire Southern army (he was not a wealthy man). Not only did he care for his men, he knew they could not fight in their naked condition and many would desert. After winning the war, the American government never paid Greene back and he was besought with creditors when he died a few years later much distressed at the age of 44.  He was also a peacemaker. When General Sullivan upset the French Admiral Charles D' Estaing, it was Greene that placated and kept the peace. Had this not been done, Washington would not have had the French navy which was necessary to assist in trapping the British at the victorious battle of Yorktown. Nathanael Greene sacrificed everything for our country. True heroes do. George Washington made an excellent choice which proved essential to the formation of this country, when he chose Nathanael Greene to be his right hand man. Great leaders choose great leaders.

Learning Family Values from Aaron Burr

Just finished reading Aaron Burr: The Conspiracy and Years of Exile 1805-1836 by Milton Lomask published in 1982. Mr. Lomask uncovered rare, never before seen papers in putting together this excellent Founding Father's bio. It is an honest tribute. There were four major take aways I gleaned from this book. The first is that it pays to "idealize". Aaron Burr's parents died when he was young. He must have spent hours idealizing what his mother was like because when his daughter was born, he made her one of the most educated (at a time when women could not go to college), cultured and sophisticated women of her time. Throughout his entire life, including his Vice Presidency and years of exile in Europe, he kept guiding and overseeing  her continued education in the classics and languages. It is important to idealize to create goals.

The second great lesson about Aaron Burr is to prize family. At the zenith of his successes, he always placed his daughter's happiness above his own. When she and his only grandchild died, he mourned deeply and never fully recovered,  but tended to the pains by spending years and resources helping take care of and guide the education of needy children that came across his way. Their appreciation and progress proved to be the happiest joys of his life. Too often, particularly true of  the baby boomer culture, retirement, and selfish exploits are sought after as the pinnacle prizes of success and happiness. Aaron Burr knew better. Our existence is validated in what we can give to others. No amount of cruises, fast cars, rv(s), or boats can replace the value of leaving the world a better place. To cherish valuable contributions that directly affect the generations is to live a full life.

Never rub a sore. Although Burr's treason trial was politically motivated and he was  a victim of the excesses of party vitriol akin to the French  Revolution, he carried himself adroitly and with class throughout his perilous ordeal. Although victorious, one of his prosecutors was in France as a diplomat at the same time Burr was seeking a passport home to the United States. He made it very difficult for Burr, through no fault of his own. The utmost courtesy and respect must be paid at all times to even those whom we vehemently disagree. If they choose to carry on a grudge, their actions are a reflection of the flaws in their character, not of our own.

Lastly, Burr lived in a time where major ventures and expeditions were privately funded because there were very few banks in existence. Due to this, he raised a lot of money for his plan to colonize the Bastrop properties and the American West. When all of this went asunder following the notoriety of his trial, he spent a lifetime plagued with his investors seeking repayment.  It is best not to mix financial dealings with friends and family. Business deals do sometimes go asunder, why jeopardize what we cherish the most ?

Burr lived in a different time. The country was a much bigger canvas of wide open opportunity but the lessons are the same. Raise your family to be the ideal. Be the ideal. Always act with dignity and class. Never lessen yourself because of others' shortcomings. Use careful wisdom in separating business from the pleasure of friends and family. Burr remarkably survived all his obstacles to remain for us an example of what life is really about- the love of family and giving back as best you can.

Nathan Hale: Our Country's Young Hero

Heroes are born, not made. They are great men and women of character who rise to the occasion.  While being educated at Yale, in one school debate Nathan took the controversial side that females should be educated. After he graduated and taught school (only men allowed nationwide at traditional schools) he taught females early in the am before his school would begin. When he joined the service and became a captain and the enlistments were expiring in his troup, he offered his own wages to his men if they would extend their service for just one month while Washington desperately tried to recruit. Speaking of wages, on 10/30/1775, he and a fellow officer Captain Hull made a formal request to General Washington to be paid captain's salaries but it was denied. Pay issues never interfered with loyalty to his country at time when the Continental Congress was practically broke. Nathan Hale did not have the character or capacity for bitterness. When Washington asked for volunteers to spy on the British  in New York, no one volunteered so Nathan was asked. He rose to the call despite the dangerous nature of the mission and discouragement from his close friends.  Heroism knows no age. Although only 21 when caught with maps and drawings on his person while attempting to cross back to the American lines (his mission almost complete), he did not flinch. He was caught red handed and there was no escape. For Nathan, that meant owning up and exhibiting no fear.  He admitted who he was and faced the punishment stoically. He made no special execution requests. This is in contrast to the most famous and beloved British spy, John Andre, who requested to be shot by a firing squad (request was denied) rather than hanged.  Young Nathan Hale was brave, diligent and of powerful moral character. He lived by the motto: "A man out never to lose a moment's time. If he put off a thing from one minute to the next, his reluctance is increased." As an officer, he wrote "It is of the utmost importance an officer should be anxious to know his duty, but of greater that he should carefully perform what he does know: the present irregular state of the army is owing to a capital neglect in both of these." He was prescient  and George Washington later had Baron von Steuben teach discipline to the army. Nathan Hale was smart, generous, a visionary and brave. He died nobly for freedom to reign in this country. May we honor his sacrifice by doing the most we can to protect those freedoms we enjoy due to his and others' sacrifices.