Dunmore's War: America's Last Colonial Conflict

[SgtErv]

Wanted to share with you all that the aforementioned title, by Glenn F. Williams is packed with information about the Virginia militia. He really gets into the nitty gritty, differentiating between men "under pay," scouts, spies, rangers, the difference between administrative officers in charge of geographical areas vs tactical unit officers, and much more.

Although it's comprehensive of Dunmore's War, the militia system and government of Virginia remained relatively unchanged through the AWI, so the information is still quite relevant.

It's a great read, highly recommended

 

[BullRunBear]

Thanks for the heads up about the book. The price is a bit steep, even on Amazon, but I'll be recovering from surgery in the near future so I may splurge on it for an educational distraction. And my wife does spoil me. :grin:

My interest with militia and irregular troops in that era was whetted by the recent thread about King's Mountain and Cowpens. This should fit right in.

Jeff

 

[SgtErv]

It should certainly dovetail nicely.

I think the most surprising aspect was that the historian made a great case that the militia was more of a professional fighting force than is commonly believed. He points out that most of the officers were veterans of the French and Indian War and had training. The march out to Pt Pleasant, for example, required efficient, professional conduct logistically and tactically to pull it off.

Having practiced some close order and open order drill myself, one can see how they could gain some proficiency relatively quickly. Facing an enemy might be a different story, which is where I think that unprofessional aspect stems from.

Anyway, I'd say it was well worth the price for it. I was recovering from an illness when I devoured it, and it proved to be a fascinating distraction.