Sponsored by NCHGS and open to all, the Lehigh Valley American Revolution Round Table (LVARRT) will hold its bi-monthly meeting at 6:30 pm at the Sigal Museum. Open to all, regional ARRTs are devoted to the study of all aspects of the American Revolutionary War, including the historical periods immediately before and after. Each provides a forum for exploration, discussion, and sharing of knowledge of this critical era in the formation of our nation.
This month’s featured talks and speakers:
- The American Revolution’s 1779 Sullivan Campaign was an expedition that is remembered locally by the numerous historical markers, plaques, monuments, and memorials that are scattered along the route of Sullivan’s army. Professor Andrea Smith of Lafayette College (coincidentally located near the starting point of Sullivan’s march) will present the preliminary findings of her research into the meanings of the markers for contemporary Pennsylvania residents.
- In the heat of summer in 1776, Northampton County’s Flying Camp battalion, under the command of Peter Kichline, marched to war. Their destination was Fort Lee, but they soon found themselves on a wooded hill on Long Island fighting for their lives. When the din and smoke of battle cleared, the Flying Camp had been routed and those who couldn’t retreat found themselves in a precarious position: die on prison ships or enlist with the British. With details drawn from rejected pension files, muster rolls, battle reports, and regimental diaries, Thomas Verenna, local historian and Revolutionary War scholar, tells the compelling story of how a handful of young Northampton County patriots found themselves in the most bitter regions of Canada fighting under the flag of Great Britain.