When most history buffs reflect on the Revolutionary War, they often think of cowboys, submariners, and gender-bending colonists … right ? Beneath the popular narrative of the Revolutionary War lies a slew of surprising facts that add color to what most citizens know and understand about this pivotal moment in American history. Here are a few tales from the battlefield (and below it) that prove truth is always stranger than fiction (or at least what we learned in school). The Lawless Looting of the Colonial Countryside Long before John Wayne personified American grit, cowboy culture played a significant role in the British military. In Westchester County, New York, a team of cattlemen-turned- bandits led by British loyalist Oliver De Lancey aided English forces by robbing colonists’ farms for supplies. In addition to causing mayhem on farmlands, De Lancey’s criminal crew became embroiled in a fierce rivalry with a band of cowboys from New Jersey, the Skinners, in a race to surpass each other’s plundering. Democracy’s Disguised Defender In 1782, a 22-year-old man named Robert Shurtleff decided to join the effort to oppose British rule by serving as a scout for the colonists in New York. The Plymouth, Massachusetts, native served the cause well before an unexpected illness forced him into a hospital in Pennsylvania the following year. Once under physicians’ care, they discovered that Robert Shurtleff was actually a young woman named Deborah Sampson. The former teacher had disguised herself as a man to serve in the military, successfully hiding her true identity for several months. After receiving an honorable discharge and being awarded a military pension, she chose to live a quieter life on a farm in Massachusetts, where she raised a family and left behind her wartime persona. The Turtle vs. the Titan As the Royal Navy grew stronger during the war, a Connecticut- based inventor named David Bushnell created a one-person vessel designed to sneak past British blockades. Funded by George Washington and named the “Turtle,” the small, submersible ship was supposed to enable colonists to enter enemy waters and plant bombs Revolutionary War Revelations Battles, Bandits, and Brave Deceptions
TAKE A BREAK
BEACH BURGERS CYCLING FATHER JUNETEENTH
MUSIC PEARL PRIDE REFUGEE SAILING SOLSTICE WATERSKI
Grilled Whole Chicken and Vegetables
Ingredients
• 1 whole chicken • 1 lemon, halved • 2 tsp onion powder • Salt and pepper, to taste • Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 bell peppers, quartered • 1 zucchini, sliced • 1 summer squash, sliced • 2 red onions, quartered
Directions 1. Turn the grill on high heat. 2. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the chicken’s backbone and remove it. 3. Turn the chicken over on a baking sheet and press it flat. 4. Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and season with onion powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Brush the chicken and grill grates with olive oil. 6. Place the chicken skin-side down onto the grill.
undetected. Unfortunately, design issues plagued the “Turtle,” resulting in limited visibility and oxygen levels, so they promptly retired it. Despite the ship’s failure, it served as the rudimentary inspiration for modern submarines.
7. Grill for 12–15 minutes until charred. Flip the chicken and grill for 25–30 minutes. Flip it again and let it cook fully before removing from the grill and letting it rest. 8. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, then brush them with olive oil. 9. Grill the vegetables for 6–7 minutes, until tender. Enjoy!
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