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Military

Identifying the French Landing Site in Newport
9 years ago

Identifying the French Landing Site in Newport

Most of the diaries (see bibliography) that record the arrival and landing of the French troops at Newport, Rhode Island, describe the mechanics of the landing. None of them indicate …
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“Citizen” James Varnum and His Fight for the Veterans of the Revolutionary War
9 years ago

“Citizen” James Varnum and His Fight for the Veterans of the Revolutionary War

In the glory of victory, within the early histories of the American republic, only a handful of heroes were chosen for public adulation and heroic mention. One of these heroes …
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Pearl Harbor Attack Panics Rhode Islanders
9 years ago

Pearl Harbor Attack Panics Rhode Islanders

[This article commemorates the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and will appear as Chapter 1 in an upcoming book by five smallstatebighistory authors titled World War II …
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“I’m a Good Old Rebel:” Ocean State Confederates
10 years ago

“I’m a Good Old Rebel:” Ocean State Confederates

From 1861 to 1865, nearly 24,000 men served in the Union Army in Rhode Island units during the Civil War, or were credited to Rhode Island; approximately 2,000 of these …
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The Naval Training Station at Newport: A Place in U.S. Naval History
10 years ago

The Naval Training Station at Newport: A Place in U.S. Naval History

Many think that the acquisition of Coasters Harbor Island in Newport by the United States Navy, for use as a naval training station, was a simple, linear process that arose …
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“I have never heard of him since” – The Case of Scituate’s James A. Matteson
10 years ago

“I have never heard of him since” – The Case of Scituate’s James A. Matteson

In the early morning hours of October 19, 1864 along the banks of Cedar Creek, just south of Middletown, Virginia, a large Confederate army under the command of General Jubal …
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A French Officer Seeks to Rebuild Aquidneck Island’s Revolutionary War Fortifications
10 years ago

A French Officer Seeks to Rebuild Aquidneck Island’s Revolutionary War Fortifications

Rhode Island’s fortifications were in a state of disrepair by the end of the Revolutionary War. The Rhode Island Assembly ordered, in October 1784, that the works on Goat Island …
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A Connecticut WAVE at Quonset Point
10 years ago

A Connecticut WAVE at Quonset Point

[From the Editor: This wonderful narrative was one of the results of my requesting readers to put me in touch with surviving World War II veterans or civilians who worked …
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Building the Replicas of Revolutionary War Ships Rose and Providence
10 years ago

Building the Replicas of Revolutionary War Ships Rose and Providence

Here is a brief account of the historical significance of the warships Rose and Providence during the Revolutionary War. Late in 1774, the British sent the 24-gun frigate Rose, under …
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Rhode Island’s Last Civil War Veteran: An Irishman
10 years ago

Rhode Island’s Last Civil War Veteran: An Irishman

When asked the secret to his longevity, John Henry Riley, II, told his listeners: “Go ahead. Do what you want. But never cross the line of moderation.” [1] Riley certainly …
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