Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1910-01-07

mar to serve before the war was over
and he himself was in the strife from
first to last His appointment as col
onel had been made on the recommen-
daticn of George Washington and
Patrick Henry, and he had his regi-
ment in the field so early that it took
part in the first battle of Charleston.
when CORVALLIS tried to take that city
and was repulsed. General Charles
Lee, in his report of the engagement
praised the German regiment highly.
II think it justice" he says, "to pub
lish the merits of Col. Moultrie and
his brave garrison and know not
which corps | have the greatest reason
to be pleased with, Muhlenberg's Vir-
ginians or the North Carolina troops.
They were equally alert, Jealous and
spirited
Considering the fact that Lee, what
ever his faults may be, had been a
general in the army of England and
the army of Poland, and was consid'
cred one of the high military authori-
ties of that day, this was quite flatter-
ing for raw recruits. But Mullen
berg's regiment had other claims for
recognition. 1t was the first one that
was complete for immediate service
aad it was the best armed, best clothed
and best equipped in the Continental
army.
Throughout l776, Muhlenberg served
in the South. In February, III, he
was promoted to be brigadler general,
ranking in the army list Immediately
after Anthony Wayne. He took COM
mand of his brig ade in May, and had
it in high state Of discipline at the
time of the battle of Brandywine. II
ii had not been so the Continenta
army might have been destroyed in
that battle, for it was this brigade that
checked CORVALLIS after his lordship
had turned Washington's flank. One
Of the English generals, in his report
of the battle, said this OF Weedon's
and Muhlenberg's brigades "They ex'
hibited degree of frmness, order
and resolution and preserved such a
countenance in extremely sharp SER
vice as would not have discredited
veterans"
STURDY AND TRUE.
These two reports, that OF Lee al
Charleston and the English general al
Brandywlne, afford an excellent line
on Muhlenberg's men as they were
throughout the war. They were good
fg htors, very hard to dislodge once
they took a position. They were no
brilliant, but they always could be re
| lied upon. And the general was gooc
deal like them. No one ever CREDITED
| him with being a military genius, bu
he knew how to put his own gooC
fighting spirit into his men, and b
kept up a higher degree OF discipline
than perhaps any other general in tn
Continental service except Wayne.
| 1t is not to be supposed that ne wa
lacking in ability. In the battle g
Germantown ne did exactly whl
Washington assigned him to do an
was the only general to carry out hi
orders to the letter. If the others ha
&, done as he did the whole British fore
would nave been captured, but Muf
llenberg carried out his orders so we
that he penetrated to the point OF cor
centration, only to be there withol
support and to have to fight his wa
Tout. He lost one regiment before !
: could extricate himself, but the wond'
is that he was not crushed.
Throughout the winter at Vale
Forge, Muhlenberg had charge OF Il
20 outer semicircle, and in the battle
Monmouth, his brigade formed Il
y, right wing OF General Greene's div
y, sion. Greene received high praise Il
- the conduct OF his division, 60 it CT
- be accepted as fact that the Muhle
- berg brigade did pretty we'll in I
grueling fight that followed the rou
= of Lees force.
It was not until the mas nificent I
;, flair of Stony Point that Muhlenbe
- came prominently into notice aga
A. While Wayne made his dashing
" sault Mahlenberg, with three hundr
picked men OF his brigade, covered a
- supported the attack. The glory
The assault belongs to Wayne and
. Fleury, but the fact that in this hi
ardous undertaking, Washingt
should have selected Muhlenberg
nc second in command is evidence
''o how highly the Commander-in-Cf
III considered the pastor OF Woodsto
Virginia.
ly, 49,, uo,y
,es MI,
- Inl779, Washington sent Muhl
=, berg back TO Virginia. The Brit
had met much resistance and their
= tories in the North had been barr
hut in the South 1t had been differ'
The South, while the richest part
30 the young republic, was the weake
large sections of Georgia and the [
olinas being disaflected, and Sir d
.s.y Clinton had taken advantage
lthis condition to send various exp
chs TO the South. One OF the e'
ditiors had ravaged, plundered
- ,urned the Virginia seaboard with
o,position, Much as Washing
the would have liked 70 defend his
lied state he could not. He did not
he'd witt draw his threatened attack
= toi New York, and he had urgent nee
ked Q ,ery regiment in his command
Something had to be done, howe
ons. for the protection not only OF
wed g,nia, but for the support OF an
nm MAT would keep the British busy II
sgb,( Carolinas and Georgia. So ne
TRY. Muhlenberg to Virginia, but ne
IL r.