Profile picture is John Church Hamilton by my dear husband, @yr-obedt-cicero, as a birthday gift to yours truly
Header image is my own from my visit to the Yorktown battlefield
Falconfeather or Tracyn to most, the General to some. He, they, and it.
This be my history sideblog, where I discuss the American Revolution. Here you may find
- Art
- Letters
- Analysis
- Book reviews
and whatever else catches my fancy.
While my interest rests comfortably from the battles of Lexington and Concord through to the Siege of Yorktown, you will find much of my focus dedicated to the middling years of the war.
Virginian by choice and raising
Asks are welcome and appreciated. Have you any questions on the history, or would like context to a post, or my opinions on a subject, fear not in writing me!
Turn and 1776 enjoyer. H///ilton is a cursed name within this homestead, dare not speak it here. (It has genuinely triggered trauma responses in me multiple times, please respect my boundaries and do not talk of it, even in jest)
While I have read them , I hold great respect for Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.
Currently watching Liberty's Kids! It's great fun and I am enjoying it immensely
#writings - My original posts
#missives - Asks
#congressions - Polls
An extensive list of the sources I have found on Internet Archive
Last updated 9/26/25
It would be quite selfish of me to keep these to myself, wouldn't it? This list will be updated frequently, in accordance to what I have found. These were found while doing my own research for various topics, and taken from the bibliographies of many books. Some of these I will have cited in posts of mine, many others will not appear anywhere in my work. Mostly primary sources, but quite a few books make their appearance.
Sorted alphabetically by surname of author
*Some sources, for the sake of readability, have their title somewhat shortened and/or authors removed. In this case, the sourced author will be chosen according to reverse alphabetization, as this is how they are listed on the Archive
A
Alden, John Richard. General Gage in America: Being Principally a History of his Role in the American Revolution
Anburey, Thomas. With Burgoyne to Quebec; An Account of the Life at Quebec and of the Famous Battle at Saratoga
Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries From Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution
B
Babits. Lawrence E. A Devil of A Whipping: The Battle of Cowpens
Balderston, Marion and Syrett, David. The Lost War: Letters From British Officers During the American Revolution
Bass, Robert D. The Green Dragoon
Burgoyne, John. A Letter From Lieut. Gen. Burgoyne to His Constituents, Upon His Late Resignation
Burgoyne, John. A State of The Expedition from Canada, as Laid Before the House of Commons
Burgoyne, John. A Supplement to The State of The Expedition from Canada
Clinton, Henry. Observations on Some Parts of the Answer of Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative
Clinton, Henry. The American Rebellion; Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775-1782
Commanger, Henry Steele. Spirit of '76: The Story of The American Revolution as Told by Participants
Creswell, John. British Admirals of The Eighteenth Century: Tactics in Battle
D
Donoughue, Bernard. British Politics and the American Revolution, The Path to War
E
Ewald, Johann von. Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal
G
George III, King of Great Britain. The Correspondence of King George the Third with Lord North from 1768 to 1783
Grant, Alfred. Our American Brethren: A History of Letters in the British Press During the American Revolution, 1775-1781
Gruber, Ira D. The Howe Brothers and The American Revolution
Lefkowitz, Arthur S. George Washington's Indispensable Men
M
Massey, Gregory D. John Laurens and The American Revolution
McCowen, George Smith. The British Occupation of Charleston
Moultrie, William. Memoirs of
Murdoch, David H. Rebellion in America: A Contemporary British Viewpoint, 1765-1783
P
Parton, James. The Life and Times of Aaron Burr
Pearson, Michael. Those Damned Rebels: The American Revolution as Seen Through British Eyes
R
Ramsay, David. The History of The Revolution of South Carolina
Robson, Eric. Letters From America, 1773 to 1780, Being the Letters of a Scots Officer, Sir James Murray, to his Home During the War of American Independence
Rodger, N. A. M. The Command of The Ocean: A Naval History of Britain
Rodger, N. A. M. The Wooden World: An Anatomy of The Georgian Navy
S
Seymour, William. The Price of Folly: British Blunders in the War of American Independence
Spring, Matthew H. With Zeal And With Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America
Steiner, Bernard Christian. The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry
Stevens, Benjamin Franklin. The Campaign of Virginia, 1781: An Exact Reprint of Six rare Pamphlets on the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy
T
Tarleton, Banastre. A History of The Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in The Southern Provinces of North America
V
Van Doren, Carl. Secret History of the American Revolution: An Account of the Conspiracies of Benedict Arnold and Numerous Others
*Maturin isnt officially a naval physician..formally hes just a surgeon ..even though hes an educated man...I guess he never bothered to apply, or hes just a physician by land... So no gold laced uniform for him.... (i guess its also possible that someone from higher up would try to snatch him or station him elsewhere if he wasnt just a humble surgeon...)... I dont really know how these things worked.. I am also only at the 16th book so.
**im not entirely sure when 1813 starts happening in the books but probably around Treason's Harbour, since thats the book when lieutenants are allowed an epaulette of their own and Pullings gets two once hes *points up* elevato in grado
***sources: The world of Jack Aubrey : twelve-pounders, frigates, cutlasses, and insignia of His Majesty's Royal Navy
Jack Aubrey commands : an historical companion to the naval world of Patrick O'Brian
Nelson's Navy by Philip Haythornthwaite (Author) , Bill Younghusband (Illustrator)
I've long been a supporter of the South Carolina Historical Society, but I'm particularly pleased to see that they are hosting speakers on queer history and posting about Pride Month on their social media channels in the current political climate. These might seem like small actions, but even the comments on the Facebook version of their Pride Month post show just how much these efforts are needed.
For those interested in John Laurens and other prominent South Carolinians, the SCHS has so much to offer! The SCHS has an extensive archive - you can visit in person, or you can request reproductions of materials (I've done both, and everyone I've worked with has been very helpful). They also have a plethora of digitized materials that you can access for free through the Lowcountry Digital Library! The SCHS was a sponsor of/contributor to the 16-volume The Papers of Henry Laurens collection, and the documents that contributed to this project are in the process of being digitized. I just learned that the SCHS has an LGBTQ history research guide, which even includes John Laurens! For those of you who've come to me looking for more information on Francis Kinloch but have no idea where to start, may I direct your attention to the Kinloch family history and genealogy research files held by the SCHS. There are so many family accounts in this collection (even I don't think I've read them all), and it gives unique insight into Kinloch that you aren't likely to find anywhere else. Those Henry Laurens and Marquis de Lafayette Carologue issues I've posted before? Also published by the SCHS! If you're local to or are visiting Charleston, you can also visit the SCHS museum (slight tangent but the SCHS museum building also hosts an 18th/19th century dining experience put on by culinary historian Mike Hebb - 11 out of 10, would recommend). Whatever your interest is, go learn about something new with the SCHS and show them your support!
An extensive list of the sources I have found on Internet Archive
Last updated 6/5/25
It would be quite selfish of me to keep these to myself, wouldn't it? This list will be updated frequently, in accordance to what I have found. These were found while doing my own research for various topics, and taken from the bibliographies of many books. Some of these I will have cited in posts of mine, many others will not appear anywhere in my work. Mostly primary sources, but quite a few books make their appearance.
Sorted alphabetically by surname of author
*Some sources, for the sake of readability, have their title somewhat shortened and/or authors removed. In this case, the sourced author will be chosen according to reverse alphabetization, as this is how they are listed on the Archive
A
Alden, John Richard. General Gage in America: Being Principally a History of his Role in the American Revolution
Anburey, Thomas. With Burgoyne to Quebec; An Account of the Life at Quebec and of the Famous Battle at Saratoga
Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries From Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution
B
Balderston, Marion and Syrett, David. The Lost War: Letters From British Officers During the American Revolution
Clinton, Henry. Observations on Some Parts of the Answer of Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative
Clinton, Henry. The American Rebellion; Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775-1782
Commanger, Henry Steele. Spirit of '76: The Story of The American Revolution as Told by Participants
E
Ewald, Johann von. Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal
G
Grant, Alfred. Our American Brethren: A History of Letters in the British Press During the American Revolution, 1775-1781
Lefkowitz, Arthur S. George Washington's Indispensable Men
M
Massey, Gregory D. John Laurens and The American Revolution
Moultrie, William. Memoirs of
Murdoch, David H. Rebellion in America: A Contemporary British Viewpoint, 1765-1783
P
Parton, James. The Life and Times of Aaron Burr
R
Ramsay, David. The History of The Revolution of South Carolina
Robson, Eric. Letters From America, 1773 to 1780, Being the Letters of a Scots Officer, Sir James Murray, to his Home During the War of American Independence
S
Steiner, Bernard Christian. The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry
Stevens, Benjamin Franklin. The Campaign of Virginia, 1781: An Exact Reprint of Six rare Pamphlets on the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy
T
Tarleton, Banastre. A History of The Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in The Southern Provinces of North America
V
Van Doren, Carl. Secret History of the American Revolution: An Account of the Conspiracies of Benedict Arnold and Numerous Others
W
Ward, Christopher. The War of The Revolution
Washington, George. Papers of
Agricultural papers
Revolutionary war series
Volume 8
Volume 11
Presidential series
Volume 7
Volume 15
Retirement series
Volume 3
After checking all of these links for bookmarking purposes, I thought I should note for everyone that unfortunately a handful of the titles are unavailable for patrons to borrow. This can be for a number of reasons, but those titles are as follows:
Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. (Other versions of this book are on the Archive besides the one linked here).
The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, volumes 1-3, 6, 7, 11, 14, 17, 20-27.
Kilmeade, Brian, Yaeger, Don. George Washington's Secret Six.
The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, volume 8, 11 (so, both linked here).
While these titles are on the Internet Archive, I suspect that they were only uploaded for the purposes of historical preservation, and that alone. If not that, copyright is involved. However, the Hamilton and Washington Papers can be freely accessed, and fully searched, on Founders Online! I should caution though that Founders is currently experiencing performance issues, which has affected usability.
Yes, thank you for pointing it out! I meant to remove the inaccessible texts the other day and I forgot 😅 I'm taking more care to only include accessible texts, as sharing as many usable sources as I can is the ultimate goal of this
An extensive list of the sources I have found on Internet Archive
Last updated 6/5/25
It would be quite selfish of me to keep these to myself, wouldn't it? This list will be updated frequently, in accordance to what I have found. These were found while doing my own research for various topics, and taken from the bibliographies of many books. Some of these I will have cited in posts of mine, many others will not appear anywhere in my work. Mostly primary sources, but quite a few books make their appearance.
Sorted alphabetically by surname of author
*Some sources, for the sake of readability, have their title somewhat shortened and/or authors removed. In this case, the sourced author will be chosen according to reverse alphabetization, as this is how they are listed on the Archive
A
Alden, John Richard. General Gage in America: Being Principally a History of his Role in the American Revolution
Anburey, Thomas. With Burgoyne to Quebec; An Account of the Life at Quebec and of the Famous Battle at Saratoga
Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries From Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution
B
Balderston, Marion and Syrett, David. The Lost War: Letters From British Officers During the American Revolution
Clinton, Henry. Observations on Some Parts of the Answer of Earl Cornwallis to Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative
Clinton, Henry. The American Rebellion; Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative of His Campaigns, 1775-1782
Commanger, Henry Steele. Spirit of '76: The Story of The American Revolution as Told by Participants
E
Ewald, Johann von. Diary of the American War: A Hessian Journal
G
Grant, Alfred. Our American Brethren: A History of Letters in the British Press During the American Revolution, 1775-1781
Lefkowitz, Arthur S. George Washington's Indispensable Men
M
Massey, Gregory D. John Laurens and The American Revolution
Moultrie, William. Memoirs of
Murdoch, David H. Rebellion in America: A Contemporary British Viewpoint, 1765-1783
P
Parton, James. The Life and Times of Aaron Burr
R
Ramsay, David. The History of The Revolution of South Carolina
Robson, Eric. Letters From America, 1773 to 1780, Being the Letters of a Scots Officer, Sir James Murray, to his Home During the War of American Independence
S
Steiner, Bernard Christian. The Life and Correspondence of James McHenry
Stevens, Benjamin Franklin. The Campaign of Virginia, 1781: An Exact Reprint of Six rare Pamphlets on the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy
T
Tarleton, Banastre. A History of The Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in The Southern Provinces of North America
V
Van Doren, Carl. Secret History of the American Revolution: An Account of the Conspiracies of Benedict Arnold and Numerous Others
W
Ward, Christopher. The War of The Revolution
Washington, George. Papers of
Agricultural papers
Revolutionary war series
Volume 8
Volume 11
Presidential series
Volume 7
Volume 15
Retirement series
Volume 3
Am I gonna be the one to post about the Rijksmuseum's acquisition of a French 1830s souvenir printed condom? Guess so!
The Rijksmuseum is presenting a rare 19th-century condom featuring a raunchy print in its new show "Safe Sex?"
Thank you, title text overlay. LOL.
I've seen photos of a handful of condoms from the 17th to 19th centuries printed with engravings but this is the most elaborate, depicting a nun and three clergymen with their bits out. They note that they did check to see if it had been used and it has not. I wonder how well such a finely detailed print would stand up to repeated wear and washings anyway.
Rubber condoms didn't become a thing until the mid-1850s. And sheep appendix condoms were an artisanal cottage industry since making them was a rather involved process, so this would not have been a cheap souvenir.
I was about to say, "I need you historical fic writers to find an excuse to put a printed condom in your story" but most of you are writing m/m and sheep appendix condoms were only used for (and really only effective at) preventing pregnancy rather than preventing STIs. Then again, I saw that poll and I know you all want Stephen Maturin mpreg... but I imagine that's the last thing he'd want, especially at sea, so maybe he'd at least try to get Jack to wrap it up. IDK, just spitballing here.
Joseph Ducreux (1735–1802) was a French artist known for his expressive and unconventional self-portraits. Unlike many portraitists of his time, who adhered to strict formal conventions, Ducreux infused his works with humor, exaggerated expressions, and an almost modern sense of personality.
Historical queer language is so interesting to me and one word that has caught my attention is inclination. So here is a non-exhaustive list of the word inclination being used to describe same-sex love or same-sex sexual attraction from the late-16th century to the early-19th century. I intentionally wanted to get some variation, some of these examples are from love letters, some are from fiction of the period, one a trial record and one a petition to decriminalise sodomy.
Then Rigby kist Minton several times, putting his Tongue in his Mouth, and taking Minton in his Arms, wisht he might lye with him all night, and that his Lust was provoked to that degree, he had — in his Breeches, but notwithstanding he could F[uck] him; Minton thereupon said, "sure you cannot do it here," "yes," answered Rigby, "I can," and took Minton to a corner of the Room, and put his Hands into Mintons Breeches, desiring him to pull them down, who answered "he would not, but he (Rigby) might do what he pleased"; thereupon Rigby pulled down Mintons Breeches, turn'd away his shirt, put his Finger to Mintons Fundament, and applyed his Body close to Mintons, who feeling something warm touch his Skin, put his hand behind him, and took hold of Rigbys Privy Member, and said to Rigby "I have now discovered your base Inclinations, I will expose you to the World, to put a stop to these Crimes";
~ The Trial of Capt. Edward Rigby 1698
One of these girls tied Monsieur [a dildo] to her middle,
To try if she the Secret could unriddle:
She acted Man, being in a merry Mood,
Striving to please her Partner as she cou’d;
And thus they took it in their turns to please
Their lustful inclinations to appease.
~ Monsieur Thing's Origin (1722)
I am this moment come from Richmond, but late as it is, your absence allows me too few pleasures for me to neglect any opportunity of taking so sensible a one as that of writing to you. You are by this time at Redlynch, and finding your park wall advanced, the foundations of your new building laid, your slopes improving, your puddles filling, and your plantations thriving. 'Tis possible your joy for these changes without doors may banish all the pain I flattered myself you would feel for one you will find within. If I should guess right, at least have the charitable dissimulation to swear I do not, and sacrifice your sincerity to my vanity; rather than give me the mortification of thinking you did not sacrifice your inclination to your business, when you left the place where I was, for any other. Walk often through "Hervey Grove", and now and then visit the ash by the pas-glissant....
~ Lord Hervey to Stephen Fox, 18 June 1728
Nay, I have been told, that there is another motive perhaps more powerful than all these, that induces people to cultivate this inclination; namely, the exquisite pleasure attending its success.
~ Earl Strutwell's defense of sodomy in The Adventures of Roderick Random by Tobias Smollett (1748)
Ternant will relate to you how many violent struggles I have had between duty and inclination—how much my heart was with you, while I appeared to be most actively employed here—
~ John Laurens to Alexander Hamilton, July 14, 1779
Alas! why am I not with you; Why can I not pass at least one or two nights of the week in your company_ It is necessary to hope that a time will come when I will be more able to follow my inclination_ and if this time comes I will be certainly more often with you my loveable friend.
~ Baron von Steuben to General William North, 11 November 1789 (translated from french)
Anne sat by my bedside till 2. I talked about the feeling to which she gave rise. Lamented my fate. Said I should never marry. Could not like men. Ought not to like women. At the same time apologizing for my inclination that way. By diverse arguments made out a pitiful story altogether & roused poor Anne's sympathy to tears.
~ Diary of Miss Anne Lister, 15 August 1816
That all whether Male or Female have certain inclinations or propensities which must be and are gratified, & for aught I see should be so – they are implanted in us by some unknown power, and that the penalty of Death ought not to be inflicted for the exercise of those inclinations which have been implanted in us by some Superior Agency, and over which we have so little controul.
~ Anonymous Petition to Decriminalise Sex Between Men, 1828
