His story—and riveting accounts of his exploits with those he called his “beloved Riflemen”—are on the following pages, all extracted and edited from the 1,837 pages of Nathanael ­Newman’s contemporaneous journals and notes, his “Record of Service” and the “Sworn Testimony” of sixteen of “The Riflemen” with whom he served during what he called, “America’s Fight for Independence.”

Lieutenant Colonel Newman’s journals, his “Record of Service,” and the affidavits of his comrades in arms are presented herewith in chronologic sequence and dated as he intended. Though he did not do so, I have assembled them in chapters, with headings I created, and added footnotes so present-day readers can more easily place locations and events.

Though Nathanael Newman was well educated and articulate, for modern linguistic clarity we updated his grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and dialogue while trying to remain true to his original record. For your understanding as to how our language has evolved, his 25 August 1814 letter to his children is presented as written on the previous six pages.

We have not yet discovered who sent the unsigned, undated missive addressed to “General Newman: This is important. Please investigate” document to my office on 8 January 2018.

Peter J. Newman

Major General, USMC (Ret.)

Bluemont, Virginia

5 February 2019

Chapter One: A Death in the Family

CHAPTER ONE

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

Winchester, Virginia

Saturday, April 22nd, 1775

It was mid-afternoon and the Shenandoah was swollen from three days of heavy rain when a single mud-spattered rider, mounted on a big bay gelding, arrived at the river’s east bank. In a loud voice he hailed us to bring the ferry over from the western shore.

David Casselman, Jr., just a year older than I, opened the toll ferry service in August ’74 as a means of producing revenue for his large family. The ferry was a profitable venture until this past January when an early thaw flooded the Shenandoah and sent his rafts tumbling in the torrent all the way to Harpers Ferry.

In February this year, David asked me to help him repair and run the ferry while I waited to start the autumn term at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. We reconstructed the pulley system and built two rafts—one small for a horse and rider and another large enough for a wagon and a team of horses or oxen. The fare was one shilling for the small barge, five for the large ferry.

We were about to tell the rider to wait until morning in hopes the river would subside overnight when I recognized him as one of the Trusted Couriers for the Frederick County Secret Committee of Correspondence and Safety. Though the river was flowing faster than safe passage could be assured, we hitched the two draft horses to their traces and I rode the ferry across while David tended the tow.