Montgomery’s Memorial of 1776

Saint Paul’s Chapel, New York City, New York

General Richard MONTGOMERY was the first American officer to die in the Revolutionary War. He fell at the Battle of Quebec on New Year’s Eve of 1775. Immediately following, on 25 January 1776, the Continental Congress commissioned the first American war memorial – a monument to the fallen General MONTGOMERY. The General’s remains were eventually interred at Saint Paul’s Chapel, New York City, where his memorial was installed by a grateful nation.

Learn More: The American Revolution

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The image, Montgomery’s Memorial of 1776, is subject to copyright by barneykin. It is posted here with permission via the Flickr API by barneykin, administrator of “The Revolution ed” pool.

Patriot Haym Solomon

Haym Solomon (Salomon) was born in Poland about 1740. At the beginning of America’s Revolution, Mr. Solomon was operating a financial brokerage in New York City. He immediately sided with the Sons of Liberty, and in 1776, was arrested by the British as a spy, and was required to serve them as a German interpreter for Hessian soldiers. However, at the same time he was helping prisoners of the British to escape and encouraging German soldiers to desert. When this was discovered in 1778, the British sentenced him to death. He was able to escape to Philadelphia, which was controlled by the American rebels, and there he resumed his brokerage enterprises.

Solomon was an influential member of the Mikveh Israel congregation, founded in 1740, in Philadelphia and he was a leader in the fight to overturn restrictive Pennsylvania laws barring non-Christians from holding public office. He married Rachel Franks in 1777, and they had four children together.

Haym Solomon performed patriotic service to his adopted land in both New York and Pennsylvania by helping to finance the war. He loaned and contributed large sums of money to the cause of liberty during the American Revolution. He lived at both New York City and Philadelphia and died in that latter city on 6 January 1785, penniless, probably as a result of his loans to the American government. His descendants were never successful in obtaining compensation from Congress for his financial sacrifices.

The remains of Haym Solomon now repose at Mikveh Israel Cemetery. From the photograph, it appears that his grave or place of burial was marked by the Haym Solomon Masonic Lodge in 1976. In the past 100+ years numerous of his female descendants have joined the Daughters of the American Revolution on his service.

Learn More: The American Revolution

The image, Mikveh Israel Cemetery – Haym Solomon, is subject to copyright by etacar11. It is posted here with permission via the Flickr API by barneykin, administrator of “The Revolution ed” pool.

Plaque on Fraunces Tavern

Fraunces Tavern Web Site

The image, IMG_0031, was originally uploaded at Flickr by Krez who owns its copyright and can be contacted at the previous link. The image is posted here with that owner’s permission by barneykin, administrator of “The Revolution ed” pool. (6)

Fraunces Tavern Sign

New York City, New York
The image, Fraunces Tavern, was originally uploaded at Flickr by Harry J.Bizzarro who owns its copyright and can be contacted at the previous link. The image is posted here with that owner’s permission by barneykin, administrator of “The Revolution ed” pool.(5)

Fraunces Tavern Interior

Located in the Financial District of lower Manhattan, New York City.

At the close of the war, on December 4, 1783, General George Washington bade farewell to his officers at a banquet held in the Long Room, located on the second floor of the Fraunces Tavern. The proprietor, Samuel Fraunces, a West Indian of French ancestry, later became Washington’s chief steward. Fraunces, also an American patriot, played host to secret meetings of the Sons of Liberty and gave aid to American prisoners of war. The present building, purchased by the Sons of the Revolution (not S.A.R.) in 1904, was extensively restored and has since been maintained by them, according to a plaque on the side of the building.

Fraunces Tavern Museum

The image, Fraunces Tavern., was originally uploaded at Flickr by gak who owns its copyright and can be contacted at the previous link. The image is posted here with that owner’s permission by barneykin, administrator of “The Revolution ed” pool.(17)

George Washington

Union Square, New YorkThe image, George Washington in Union Square, was originally uploaded by Jim in Times Square. It is posted here from Neddy’s favorites.

Faith of the Forefathers

On 8 June 1783, General George Washington, upon his disbanding of the Continental Army, addressed a missive to the governors of the thirteen original states. Here is what the Father of our country wrote:

“Now I make it my earnest prayer that God would have you and the State over which you preside, in His holy protection, that He would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens and the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the field, and finally, that He would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. I have the honor to be, with much esteem and respect, Sir, your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant. ~~George Washington.”

The words quoted above are said to be inscribed on a bronze tablet adjoining the Washington pew in Saint Paul’s Chapel in New York City. Someone please, remind me again about the debate over “separation of church and state”.