ArchiveFM

Lore

Legends 38: Fife & Drum

Duration
34m
Broadcast on
14 Oct 2024
Audio Format
other

We've all heard that war often leaves a few ghost stories in its wake. As proof, we offer a key territory in America's most formative conflict…and all the terrifying stories that still linger there as a result.

Narrated and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with writing by Harry Marks, and research by Jamie Vargas.

—————————

Lore Resources:

—————————

Sponsors:

  • Quince: Premium European clothing and accessories for 50% to 80% less than similar brands, at Quince.com/LORE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
  • Squarespace: Head to Squarespace.com/lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using the code LORE.
  • SimpliSafe: Secure your home with 24/7 professional monitoring. Sign up today at SimpliSafe.com/Lore to get 20% off any new SimpliSafe system with Fast Protect Monitoring.

©2024 Aaron Mahnke. All rights reserved.

This episode is sponsored by Wildwood. From Leica, the studio behind Coraline, comes a new epic fantasy adventure. And at the heart of Wildwood is a simple question. How far would you go for someone you love? Wildwood is a handcrafted epic fantasy adventure that transports audiences into a secret magical and dangerously alive world just beyond their doorstep. At its heart is the story of a courageous girl, Prue McKeel, on a desperate mission to rescue her baby brother from a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries. Her journey unfolds in a spectacular high-stakes adventure where the fate of an entire hidden world hangs in the balance. The film features vocal performances from Carrie Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, and Angela Bassett. And I have to tell you folks, I have seen the trailer for this film so many times, and I cannot wait to park my button to seat and experience this adventure. Wildwood is now playing in theaters everywhere, so grab your tickets today. This episode was made possible by Warby Parker. Before Warby Parker, I had to do that thing that we all hate, stand in front of a wall of frames and find the needle in the haystack. Just trying to buy glasses shouldn't require a spreadsheet, right? That's why I am obsessed with Warby Parker. Nothing else comes close on quality, price selection, and customer service. Once you buy from Warby Parker, you'll realize how much easier they've made the entire process. Their virtual try-on has made it possible for me to skip those eye-doctor showrooms entirely since I can literally try-on glasses from my phone before I buy them. I've tried other virtual try-ons that feel pretty janky, but with Warby Parker, you can genuinely tell how the frames are going to look and fit. Warby Parker glasses start at 95 bucks and include prescription lenses with anti-reflective scratch-resistant coatings. They use premium materials in each frame, design every frame in-house, and have a collection of silhouettes, colors, and fits for every face. Me, I wear progressive lenses, which are more complicated to get just right, but Warby Parker nailed it and these glasses are absolutely amazing. They look and fit so great. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at warbyparker.com/lore. That's 20% off any additional pairs when you purchase one pair at W-A-R-B-Y, parker.com/lore. Welcome to Lore Legends, a subset of lore episodes that explore the strange tales we whisper in the dark, even if they can't always be proven by the history books. So if you're ready, let's begin.
Most of us know the basics. When we think about the Revolutionary War, we can name a handful of locations that we automatically associate with it. Lexington, Boston, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Saratoga. These were all home to key battles and confrontations between the British and the colonial army, but one state in particular stands out as a proving ground for America's forces. New Jersey. Nestled along the eastern seaboard between Pennsylvania and New York, New Jersey was the location of a number of critical battles. The Battle of Fort Lee, for example, in November of 1776 was a crushing blow to Washington's army, and the 10 crucial days that followed could have spelled disaster had his troops not captured the Hessians in Trenton on Christmas. But the Garden State saw more than just a few decisive victories for the colonial army. It also saw heavy loss, and that loss can still be felt today. There are graveyards, fields, and even homes that bear the legacies of those who died fighting for their country. It's more than blood and bullets. Their restless spirits walk the earth, unaware that they did not die in vain. They search for salvation that will never come, haunting fields and houses where they took their final breaths. What happens to a soldier who doesn't come home from war? What becomes of their spirit? The Revolutionary War took the lives of as many as 70,000 patriots, but if the stories are true, many of them have yet to move on. They're still marching, their spectral rifles at their sides into a battle they can never win. So consider this your call to arms, because today we go to New Jersey to battle with the past. I'm Aaron Mankey, and this is Lore Legends. It was the place to be. In the lead-up to the American Revolution, the colony of New Jersey enjoyed unbridled political and religious freedom. As the saying goes, everything is legal in New Jersey, and there was some truth to that. So of course, New Jerseyans were prepared to hit and hit hard once the Revolutionary War came to the Garden State. But no matter how intensely they fought, no one was safe, especially not James and Hannah Caldwell. Born in 1734 in Club Creek, Virginia, James was your average family guy. He graduated from what is now today Princeton University and was eventually ordained, becoming the pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown in 1761. Two years later, he married his college sweetheart, Hannah Ogden, of Newark, New Jersey. Together, they had a remarkable, if not exhausting, total of 10 children over the course of 16 years. But after the outbreak of the war, James had to put parenting on hold. In February of 1773, he joined the war effort as the Chaplain and Assistant Quartermaster General of the Third Regiment, New Jersey Line. For the next nine months, he earned the nickname "The Fighting Parson", which, as far as nicknames go, is an excellent one. And he deserved it too. He actually recruited 100 men from his congregation to join the military. And during the Battle of Springfield on June 23rd of 1780, he found a resourceful way to keep his soldiers on the battlefield. When his comrades started to run low on the paper wadding to pack the powder and ball into their muskets,

Transcription truncated.