Letter by Peter Finn

Information about Peter FINN

Peter FINN was a Revolutionary War veteran, and his official war record tells that he served under General George Washington and LaFayette at Valley Forge. He volunteered for the Revolutionary cause in 1776 and again in 1778 when he saw much action in Washington's army. Then in 1780 after having moved to North Carolina he fought under John Sevier in the Battle of King's Mountain. After the war, he married Mary (Polly) WHEELER in Baltimore County, Maryland and resided in North Carolina; then a short time in South Carolina before moving to Kentucky in the early 1800's. He remained in the Kentucky-Tennessee area until 1837, when he moved with some of his children to Marion County, Illinois.
He married secondly Mary Burns, November 22, 1840 in Marion County,Illinois and died there May 9, 1841 at the age of 90.

The following is the personal statement made by Peter FINN at the age of 82:
I was born in Baltimore County, Maryland, July 2, 1751. My age was recorded in a Bible owned by a brother of mine. It was recorded by my guardian in Maryland, I being left an orphan. It has been over 30 years since I saw it. I lived in Baltimore County, Maryland when I first went into service. I then, after my first tour of duty, moved with a family that I lived with in Delaware, then to North Carolina, Washington County,Tennessee. From there to Allen County, Kentucky. Then a short distance into Sumner County, Tennessee, where I now reside.
I entered the army as a volunteer for twelve months in my first tour of service late in 1776. I never was a subtitute for any man nor was I drafted. I always preferred to be a volunteer in the service of my country.
I belonged to the quartermasters. I was a wagoneer in the Continental Army under Col. William Thompson in late 1776 for the term of one year under General Washington's command. We gathered at Newtown, Pennsylvania, December 8, 1776 and prepared to plan a battle. In the meantime Gen. Charles Lee was captured, his aid brought his men from Venton. Also other officers joined us; Gen. John Sullivan, Col. John Cadwalder, Nicolas, Hausegger, with their men.The British General Howe thought no one would fight in the winter. He figured the clean-up would come in the spring.
Washington had men snap up every boat, big or little, and move them to Pennsylvania on the Delaware River shore. Washington knew we had to make this move to Trenton. He decided to cross the Delaware on Christmas eve. He figured the Hessians would make a great deal of Christmas by eating and drinking. He figured they would be sleeping in the morning. He expected to attack at daylight. Washington placed Gen. Ewing at Bordertown with 550 men to guard Yardly Ferry; Gen. John Cadwalder at Brestow, near Coryell Ferry. We moved toward McKonkeys Ferry with Washington. In the meantime he had destroyed all the boats for seventy miles above Philadelphia so he could control Pennsylvania.
John Grover's "Marble Heads" sailors, who had helped Washington before, came to his aid again. They ferried the troops across the Delaware River in storm of hail, snow and sleet. Great chunks of ice threatened to smash the boats, but 2400 of Washington's men and 18 cannons and their horses went safely across the river Christmas night. Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, Hughe Mercer, John Sullivan, Colonel William Thompson were his officers. It was a terrible night for the soldiers , some had no shoes, only rags to put on their feet, very little clothes to keep them warm. December 26, 1776 at 3 a.m., they entered Trenton. Washington was correct in his thoughts that the Hessian leader, Col. Roll, would be sleeping off a drunk . He had just began to sleep off his party when the Americans simultaneously entered both ends of the town. At 9:30 a.m. the fighting was over. Not one American was killed. He took 1000 prisoners, 1000 muskets, musical instruments and 40 barrels of rum, that he destroyed to our sorrow. We went with the troops to march the prisoners through the streets of Philadephia. Then we took them to New Winsor on the North River.
Princeton was our next battle. We crossed the river again at Dunk's Ferry, went to Burlington, to Allentown across Assumpink Creek to Princeton.
The Madian Creek was on our front, Delaware was on the left, rough woods which ran parallel to Assumpink Creek. We were trapped, only one way opened, around about way road to Princeton. We were at Assumpink Creek when Cornwallis stopped firing at us. It was night. He was sure we could be captured easily in the morning. Washington decided to attack the British in the rear. He would circle around the British. It was a form of retreat but not one. During the night a party of 500 Americans had noisily scrapped with spades, fence rails and burned them.
The British thought they were digging for a battle, guard posts were changed with maximum noise, occasional shots were fired. At one in the morning the desperate march began. Our entire army almost tip-toeing along the road. We muffled the wheels with old sackings. We walked alongside of our guns holding the trace chains in our hands to muffle the slightest clank. A few men left behind tended the fires and made an unholy racket with pick and shovel as though the works were being strengthened.
Officer Hughe Mercer's men (I was one of them) was behind Thomas Rodney's men who was to spearhead the drive. We went over the back country on this newly made road that the British did not know about. Newly surveyed, newly opened, still studded with tree stumps, men would stumble and fall. They would go to sleep standing up. But when the battle started every one was doing his share.
We could not believe how soon it was over. We leaned panting on our muskets hardly daring to believe this second victory in the Delaware Valley. Col. Cornwallis couldn't believe his eyes when he saw we were not where he left us. In 11 astounding days Washington liberated New Jersey. Cornwallis came in our pursuit. We destroyed the bridge over AssumpinkCreek behind us, forcing Cornwallis to give up the chase. We took Hackensack and Elizabeth three days later.
Two nights without sleep and the wicked march from Assumpink Creek to Princeton, exhausted the troops. We pushed on to Somerset Court House and on to Morristown for winter quarters in the Watching Mountains. I was sent home on a furlough after nine months service. I took sick on the way home. I was confined to bed the greater part of my leave. I wrote to my commanding officer and explained to him my situation. He said not to comeback until I was fit for duty. When I got well, I asked Gen. Buchannan what I should do. He said my time was up, not to go back. I lost my furlough papers and never applied for a discharge believing it unnecessary.
I again volunteered as a wagoneer in the Continental Army under General Thompson's command at the line of the East River in the Spring of 1778. Enrolled my name in the wagoneer department with, I think his given name was Francis, Francis Marian. He commanded the wagoneers to the headquarters at Valley Forge in the state of Pennsylvania. The army was under the command of George Washington. LaFayette was there too, also Charles Lee. He was exchanged for a British prisoner.
A German named Von Steuben came to Valley Forge, and Washington welcomed him gladly. He began to train the soldiers in drill regulations. We became better fighting men. Washington's forces were now stronger than Gen. Clinton, the British general. Washington was ready for action. We crossed Schuykill River in pursuit of the enemy. On June 23, 1778 we crossed the Delaware at Coryells Ferry slanting eastward to Kingston to Rock Hills. Eaglestown to Monmouth Court House. There was Col. John Cadwalder, Phillman Dickerson, Gen. William Maxwell, Gen. Wayne, Nathaniel GREENE, LaFayette, Henry Knox and others.
This was the Battle of Monmouth. When the volunteers heard that the French had joined the Americans, February 1778, a rush of recruits rushed to quickly join and built the army to 13,000 men by springtime. All of the American army was under George Washington. We had light packs and after the spring plowing was done we were better fed, but lightly dressed. Washington did not want anything to slow us down. He wanted to attack Clinton's rear guard. The British were loaded down with equipment, heavy uniforms, baggage wagons, 12 miles long. It took them 6 days to go 30 miles, in the hot weather, sometimes having to push the 1,500 wagons they had. We were cooler and less encumbered and we covered 60 miles in the same time.
In an area of sand, swamp and forest on an early morning, 28th of June, Charles Lee was ordered to harass the rear attack. Washington was bringing us up as the main force. Gen. Lee had said the American forces were no match for the veterans of Clinton's. On the 28th of June, Gen.Lee's forces hit the enemy's rear guard north of Monmouth Court House, New Jersey.
The British wheeled savagely to repulse the Americans. Lee disobeyed orders to attack, instead he ordered retreat. Clinton rushed up reinforcements and the American retreat became a rout. Washington said to a friend, "To my great surprise and mortification, I met the whole advanced corp retreating." One officer said that Washington cursed that day till the leaves of the trees shook. Something he never did.
The troops under Washington were led by Gen. Nathaniel GREENE, William Alexander, Mad Anthony Wayne and Marquise de LaFayette.
George Washington, angry as an avenging angel, personally halted the retreat. He rode his big white horse, given to him by the Governor of New Jersey every where back and forth until the horse dropped dead. We fought in extreme heat almost entirely without water. A woman named Mary Hays gave drink to the troops, and she was called "Mary Pitcher". She also could shoot a cannon and did so when her husband fell from the heat.
The English retreated and at night going north to the coast were picked up June 30th by the British Navy, then on to New York. My time was up so I went home.
I entered the service again in 1780 as a horse soldier, was under the command of Col. John Sevier and Col. Isaac Shelby. Col. Williams was the commander of the day. I was first sergeant quarter master.
We were always called "Over the Mountain Men". We rendezvoused at Sycamore Flat "Bundys Mill". We crossed the Watauga River to Yellow Mountain to Gillespie Gap to Quaker Meadows. We were sent out to stop Major Patrick Ferguson, he was supposed to clean us out of South Carolina. Instead of pursuing us we pursued him. Ferguson was in Gilbert Town, N.C. We were the riflemen from the hills, we had Col. John Sevier, 400 men, Col. Isaac Shelby, 900 men, Charles McDowell and Col. Benjamen Cleveland.
Ferguson had about 1000 Tories near Blue Ridge. He thought he would scare the "Over Mountain Men". He released a prisoner and sent a message by him, ordering them to disband or "he would march his army over the mountain, have their leaders hanged, and lay their country waste with fire and sword. This was a blunder on his part. Now the "Over Mountain Men" gathered at present Elizabeth, Tennessee and joined other volunteers at Quaker Meadows, the home of McDowell brothers, Charles and Major Joseph. We vengefully pursued the "Bull Dog" as Ferguson was called.
We converged on an open place used for cattle round-ups (Cowpens Flat). We then went onto Kings Creek. Ferguson fled rapidly, he could not elude us. There were 900 of us on horses following him closely. He finally settled on Kings Mountain . He had chosen a classic castle-like high point with a flat on it to defend. He thought he could shoot down on us but the trees below offered protection for the mountain men. We rode all night to get there. We dismounted to fight, we did not wait for the militia on foot to join us. We were told to "shoot like hell and fight like the devil". We attacked them on three sides, when the Tories fired on us we took cover behind the trees. The battle began about 3 p.m. We turned back three waves of British.
When the Tories first noticed us below they bayonet-charged and fired a volley from their muskets. We again stepped behind trees and took deadly aim with our long rifles. We had them surrounded. Ferguson blew his high silver whistle and astride his horse led a charge to break through. A bullet hit him and several more fell dead. There were 1000 wounded, killed and captured, 28 of our men were killed. The enemy having surrendered themselves as prisoners of war. We guarded them at the mountain that day. Next day marched them to what I think was called Col. Mills Old Place, where 8 Tories were living; we captured them too. We then marched back to rendezvous at Bundys Mill and were discharged.