1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: a show that proves there's more than one way to 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: make history. I'm Gabe Lousier, and in this episode, we're 5 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: remembering the day when one of the best trained commanders 6 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: of the American Revolution was taken prisoner while still in 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: his pajamas. The day was December seventeen, seventy six. Continental 8 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: Army General Charles Lee surrendered to British forces after being 9 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: caught off guard at a tavern in basking Ridge, New Jersey. 10 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: Lee had stayed at Widow White's tavern the previous night, 11 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: but historians still aren't sure why. The several thousand American 12 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: soldiers under his command were encamped north in a town 13 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: now known as Bernardsville, but Lee, their commanding officer, had 14 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: chosen to spend the night three miles away inside a 15 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: cozy tavern. Some people think he just wanted to get 16 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: away from his troops and get a good night's sleep. 17 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: Others have suggested that Lee had gone to see the 18 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: house of an acquaintance because he wanted to copy the 19 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: design for his own house in Virginia, and when it 20 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: got late he just stayed the night at the nearest tavern. However, 21 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: the prevailing theory is that Lee ditched his army in 22 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: search of let's say, female companionship. No matter which explanation 23 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: you go with, Charles Lee doesn't come off as a 24 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: responsible or reliable commander, which was a shame because, as 25 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: George Washington noted, Lee was also quote the first officer 26 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: in military knowledge and experience in the whole army. Lee, 27 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: who was second in command under Washington, had attended military 28 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: school in England as a child. When he graduated, he 29 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: took a commission in the British Army and traveled to 30 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: North America to fight in the Seven Years War. During 31 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: that time, Lee married a Mohawk woman and was given 32 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: the name Boiling Water in recognition of his short temper. 33 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: Lee settled in the American colonies in seventeen seventy three, 34 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: and when the Revolutionary War began, he volunteered his service 35 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: in the Continental Army. His resume made him a strong 36 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: candidate for commander in chief, but he was ultimately passed over, 37 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: with the job going to George Washington instead. Lee was 38 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: insulted and carried a grudge from then on that brings 39 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: us to December seventeen seventy six, and especially dark time 40 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: for the Continental Army. Its forts along the Hudson River 41 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: had fallen to the British a few weeks earlier. This 42 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: force the Continental Army to retreat from New York. In 43 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: two directions. General George Washington took three thousand soldiers west 44 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: across the northern part of New Jersey, hoping to cross 45 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, General Charles Lee took 46 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: his wing of the army to White Plains just above 47 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: New York City. His mission was to hold off the 48 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: advance of the British Army in the event they tried 49 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: to head north. By early December, Washington and the main 50 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: body of the U. S Army had reached the Pennsylvania 51 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: side of the Delaware River. The British Army, under the 52 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: command of Sir William Howe, had chosen to follow Washington 53 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: and was currently making its way across New Jersey to 54 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: intercept him. Washington was determined to make a final stand, 55 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: knowing that if they couldn't hold the line, the American 56 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: Revolution would be snuffed out before the end of the year. 57 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: Washington wrote numerous letters to Lee, urging him to bring 58 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: his troops from New York and join the rest of 59 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: the army on the Delaware River. However, Lee was still 60 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: angry over having to serve under someone with less experience. 61 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: He dodged Washington's requests with a string of excuses. The 62 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:31,479 Speaker 1: delay prompted the following response from Washington quote, I have 63 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: so frequently mentioned our situation and the necessity of your aid, 64 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: that it is painful to me to add a word 65 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: upon the subject. Let me once more request and entreat 66 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: you to march immediately. Finally, on December tenth, Lee got moving, 67 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: though he pledged to stop short of crossing the Delaware. 68 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: He commanded his troops to march to Morristown, New Jersey, 69 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: and two days later they pushed southwest to present day Bernardsville. 70 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: That evening on December twelfth, General Lee decided to find 71 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: accommodations more suited to a man of his station. He 72 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: rode three miles to Basking Ridge and rented a room 73 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: at a two story tavern nicknamed Widow Whites. Lee was 74 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: accompanied by just over a dozen troops while the rest 75 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: remained back at camp. They spent a lovely evening there 76 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: in the company of strangers. But the next morning it 77 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: turned out to be a far less pleasant experience. A 78 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: group of British dragoons or soldiers on horseback had learned 79 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,200 Speaker 1: of Lee's location from local residents who remained loyal to 80 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: the British crown. The dragoons were commanded by twenty two 81 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: year old officer Banister Tarleton. By ten am, he and 82 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: his men had reached the woods surrounding the tavern and 83 00:05:54,839 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: were preparing to make their attack. Meanwhile, Lee was still inside, 84 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: unaware of the danger he was in. His army had 85 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: already started marching out of Bernardsville, but Lee chose to 86 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: hang back so he could finish his breakfast and dictate 87 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: a derogatory letter about George Washington to fellow General Horatio Gates. 88 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: He was in the midst of these pressing matters when 89 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: Tarleton and his dragoons stormed out of the woods and 90 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: took Lee's guards by surprise. They fired through every door 91 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: and window in the tavern for several minutes. Then Tarleton 92 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: delivered an ultimatum to whoever was left standing. He said 93 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: that if General Lee did not surrender in five minutes, 94 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: he would set fire to the house and kill everyone inside. 95 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: Lee watched the scene unfold from his upstairs window, and 96 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: within a few minutes he surrendered. A few of the 97 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: General's aids managed to escape, but Lee was taken prisoner 98 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: and eventually jailed in New York's itty. An American officer 99 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: named James Wilkinson described the embarrassing scene, writing quote, A 100 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: general shout ensued, the trumpets sounded the assembly, and the 101 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: unfortunately mounted on my horse, which stood ready at the door, 102 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: was hurried off in triumph, bareheaded in his slippers and 103 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: blanket coat, his collar open, and his shirt very much 104 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: soiled from several days use. The bright side of Lee's 105 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: capture was that its silenced George Washington's most vocal critic. 106 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: With Lee out of the picture, Washington was able to 107 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: win support for his proposed sneak attack, and with the 108 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: combined might of Lee's soldiers, he managed to pull it off. 109 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: Twelve days after Lee was taken prisoner, Washington and his 110 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: army made their historic Christmas crossing of the Delaware River. 111 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: Over the next ten days, they won a series of 112 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: crucial battles that ultimately turned the tide of the Revolutionary war. 113 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: Which leads you to wonder how the world might be 114 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: different if Charles Lee hadn't lied down on the job 115 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: and gotten himself captured. As for what actually happened, Lee 116 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: spent the next sixteen months in British custody. He made 117 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: sure his stay wasn't too uncomfortable, though, by turning Trader 118 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: and advising William Howe on the best strategy for invading Philadelphia. 119 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 1: His treason wasn't discovered until eighteen fifty seven, nearly eighty 120 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: years after his death, because no one knew what he 121 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: had done at the time. Lee was eventually reclaimed by 122 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: the Continental Army as part of a prisoner swap in 123 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: May of seventeen seventy eight. He briefly returned to his post, 124 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: but was court martialed for cowardice. By July, he wrote 125 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: to Congress to try and get the court martial overturned, 126 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: but his letter was so poorly received that he was 127 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: officially dismissed from the army instead. By that point, Lee 128 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: had contracted a chronic cough along with other symptoms indicative 129 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: of tuberculosis. His health continued to decline, and on October second, 130 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: seventy two, he was stricken with fever and died alone 131 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: in a tavern at the age of fifty. In his will, 132 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: Lee requested that he not be buried in a churchyard 133 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 1: or within a mile of any religious meeting house. As 134 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:37,079 Speaker 1: he explained, quote, since I have resided in this country, 135 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: I have kept so much bad company when living that 136 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: I do not choose to continue it when dead. In 137 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: the end, Lee's wishes were ignored, and he was buried 138 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: in an unmarked grave in the Christ Church Cemetery in Philadelphia. 139 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: He was disgraced and virtually friendless by the time of 140 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:00,439 Speaker 1: his death, but George Washington still came to his funeral. 141 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: It's unclear whether that gesture would have pleased Lee or 142 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: enraged him, but I imagine Washington would have done it 143 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: either way. I'm Gabe Louisier and hopefully you now know 144 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 145 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: If you have a moment and you're so inclined, consider 146 00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t I HC. Show. 147 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: You can also send any comments or suggestions to this 148 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: day at ighart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 149 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thank you for listening. I'll 150 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: see you back here again tomorrow. For another day in 151 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:53,719 Speaker 1: history class. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the 152 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 153 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.