By Elizabeth Dallam Ayoub | July 8, 2024
Today's Patriot stories - Choosing Freedom over Comfort
Militiamen were part-time armies responsible for a colony’s defense. While General George Washington had assembled a Continental Army, each colony needed to assemble forces and be armed for battle if and when needed. Every town was expected to maintain at least one company (approximately sixty men). The British army was well trained and fully equipped for battle. One statistic states these colonial forces were outnumbered four to one.
Abraham Vosburgh, Edmund Randolph
Abraham Vosburgh, the patriot of DAR member J.C., was one of the men who served in a few New York companies. He also carried provisions for the army stationed at Fort Herkimer in 1778. Abraham recalled going to Fort Plank at seventeen years old to serve as a private and a wagoner.
Abraham spoke of his service when applying for a military pension after the War. He named the numerous captains under whom he had served. He wrote of marching through various locations in New York, and that he and his company were always ready, but never saw battle. They marched until Burgoyne surrendered, the point at which the colony of New York attained freedom from Britain, freedom to allow the people in New York to govern themselves.
* * * * *
Not all people in the colonies equated freedom with splitting from Britain. There were people who remained loyal to King George III and Britain. There were even families with members of opposing viewpoints.
John Randolph, a member of an old prominent family in Virginia, remained loyal to England. His son, Edmund, believed differently. John wrote to Edmund:
“Is not the glory of the cabinet equal to that of the
field? Is not this better than broken limbs, fatigue,
shattered health and an eternal want of money?
For God’s sake, return to your family - and indeed to
yourself. Abandon not your sisters, who are wretched
about you. Come back and Heaven will protect all
your undertakings.” Quotations - Revolutionary War (alphahistory.com)
Instead of espousing his father’s ideals, Edmund Randolph joined the war effort and became an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. Once Virginia was freed from the grip of British rule, Edmund was elected as Mayor of Williamsburg, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and then became the Governor of Virginia.
As a Loyalist, Edmund's father, John, might have heard what Baron von Steuben said upon seeing the Continental Army in Valley Forge in 1778: “These are not troops. They are skeletons.” Quotations - Revolutionary War (alphahistory.com)
As a concerned and loving father, John had pleaded with his son to return to comfort. However, Edmund, had his sights set upon something higher: freedom and the right to self-govern.
Keeping their sights set on what keeps the United States of America a free county – honest, fair and transparent elections – Michigan Fair Elections’ volunteers “march” through municipalities checking voter rolls, supplying helpful information to clerks, and enduring occasional criticism by others.
These volunteers work tirelessly, recognizing that the privilege and responsibility of voting was hard-won by many patriots over 200 years ago.
Stay tuned for the next story in the series: Nuggets of Patriotism - Hands and Heroism, Young and Old
Want an opportunity to learn more about our Founding Fathers? See below.
Elizabeth Dallam Ayoub serves on MFE’s Communications Team. She started her career working for an international company, transitioned into teaching French and Latin while her children were young, and then became a Michigan attorney.
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