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This information is contributed by Ron Tarburton Author's note: The research that unearthed this data is ongoing and not considered by the author to be complete
The men of Francis Nash's brigade, like neighboring Virginians, were often armed as
frontier farmers and Indian fighters often were---either with long rifles allowing them to be
crack shots or else they toted muskets loaded with a mix of buckshot and solid one once
lead ball. This is how they were equipped when they marched up to join Washington's
central Army in the summer of 1777. Our Commander in Chief had just sadly said
farewell to his prized Rifle Corps of 600 crack shots regimented under Daniel Morgan.
Congress had ordered them to New York to help Gates defeat Burgoyne. Now he was
without all those great marksmen.
When Nash arrived with his undisciplined men, there were complaints from other units
right away. Washington befriended Nash who defended the country bumpkin ways of his
men. Company commanders still wore hunting shirts and could hardly be told apart from
their men. Companies that should have had two hundred or more men in them might have
only 50 or so. There was a rugged individualism there that did not surrender to strict
discipline.
Washington chose to cherish Nash and his men as a partial replacement for the absent
Dan Morgan and to encourage him regarding the buckshot idea. Soon Washington would
face the threat of British invasion in Chesapeake Bay by forming a "Light Corps" under
General Maxwell. These would be men carrying rifles almost exclusively, from those
companies of regiments still carrying such weapons.
Maxwell was assigned the task of being a "reconnaissance in force" brigade supported
by a few troops of cavalry as eyes for his vanguard. The Rear Guard and his "secret
weapon" of Nash's mixed bag light brigade of Francis Nash , with their mix of rifles with
buckshot---would be held in reserve for the task of covering the retreat if that became
necessary. Nash was given the dirty job and he and his men were good at dirty dealing
with an enemy---they were up to the task.
Both at Brandywine and again at Germantown---Nash and his men cut the enemy to
ribbons whenever they unleashed a volley. At Brandywine---after ripping up an already
whittled down brigade of Guard and Grenadiers---they used an old Indian trick of baiting the
British to reinforce a hill on their flanks--a hill behind which hundreds of men lay in ambush
in the growing darkness. Two regiments walked right into the trap and were cut to pieces in
just a minutes time---hundreds fell in moments and at least a hundred or more would die
from the multiple wounds.
The death toll of the British in their effort to capture Philadelphia gave Washington the body
count of Brits he needed to get the French to recognize the newborn United States and support
them fully on land and sea. That gave us the inevitable victory against a foe who was losing men
faster than they could ever replace them.
In the end---Nash paid for this with his life as it was his fashion to truly lead from the front and in
that same battle another general---a Brit named Agnew, fell prey to another one of those Indian bait
ambushes and was hit by two balls simultaneously---later dying of his wounds.
Nash was a truly great man and only now is his true role in the war for our independence
unfolding and becoming known.
Presently, what I believe I am looking at is a man in one hell of a jam---not enough money---always
begging and sometimes stealing or borrowing what he needs just to keep his Army going
from day to day----corrupt businessmen supplying the troops with the blessing of
Congress---and Congress itself never appreciating and often not fully supporting Washington.
Then there is all the disloyalty around him, that extends even to the officers of real rank
as well as the rank and file. Almost impossible to keep a secret .
Bottom line is that Washington was truly a desperate man who developed a genius within
himself for juggling the politics and business of feeding and supplying his army with the
task of fighting an Army of well trained professional soldiers regularly dogging his trail.
Washington was a man with few true friends that he could trust and rely upon and he
knew those men and held close those men who proved their worth and loyalty. Francis
Nash and his frontier brigade came along at just the right time to somewhat replace Dan
Morgan's riflemen and he made the best possible use of them.
Facing likely defeat from the British in the upcoming Philadelphia campaign , Washington
had to look about for an equalizer---something that would help even the odds. He was facing
a losing hand with the enemy. In a case like that you can only win if you do some
Underhanded thing---some dirty dealing. Washington was a gentleman but he knew that in
war there are no rules---that the first rule was that there are no real rules---that it was a
cat and dog fight and nothing else.
He bitterly and with difficulty faced the facts and played his cards close to his vest.
Anything that Nash and his men did at Brandywine and again at Germantown could not
have ben done without his nodding approval. No commander would do such a thing over the
head of their commander in chief. That is another truism that helps to determine what
happeneds between Wasington and Nash preceding the fight at Brandywine.
They evidently decided on a strategy, a method of battle that was different than ever
before.
Buckshot would be used as well as selected targets for the riflemen. This made for a
deadly combination that not even the deadly accurate Rifle Corps under Morgan had ever
achieved.
From the available facts I can determine much, as much from my knowledge of Rev
War warfare and tactics on both sides and also from the standpoint of a re-enactor.
Combined I can often interpret things that some historians simply overlook from lack of
knowledge or hands on experience in the field.
It is slowly but surely coming together, even the details of the circumstances of Nash's
death are helpful in deterimingi things not given in the details but "easily discerned" or
interpreted from the available information.
For instance, it is noted that Nash was hit by a "spent ball" from an enemy cannon.
This would suggest being hit by the solid shot of a light 3 pounder, a 6 pounder at the
largest. This says that he was outside the musket range of the enemy but on or near the
front line, that being "fluid" according to the way he directed the fight---supporting his fast
moving infantry with light guns that covered the road of retreat, just as at Brandywine.
Being the rear guard he would have at least 2 two gun sections or a light batery available
for artillery support and the enemy opposing him would be using their handy light guns as
well.
However, the solid shot he was hit with carries with it a tell tale indicator of the
situation. Both we and the enemy used cannister or grape shot for anti-personnel use in
the field in close support of their front line troops. Great buckshot paterns of limited range,
each ball in the package fired being about the size of a musket ball or larger. In the casde
of Nash it sounds like he and his horse were laid low by a "solid shot" and that tells a tale.
Solid shot was longer ranging and could be fired with greater accuracy if being fired by a
skilled and crafty artillerist. Solid shot was usually employed for "counter battery fire" and
was directed against the enemy guns for the purpose of silencing them as your own troops
advanced. Therefore, it is very likely that Nash was somewhere near or alongside American
guns set slightly to the rear of the maneuvering front line troops, where he w as
comparatively safe from musket fire and could give directions. Such guns would also bew
placed along the retreating road and more or less centrally placed.
Bottom line is, Nash was a little to the rear--near his supporting light gun battery and
was hit by an enemy solid shot that had already ricocheted or bounded off the ground
nearby before striking his horse and mauling his leg---just a lucky shot for the enemy who
were trying to shatter gun carriages and not dismount commanders.
I have learned that even company commanders used rifles--possibly even buckskins or hunting
shirts and that is confirmed with artifacts.
The entire Nash Brigade was haphazardly dressed---mostly hunting shirts and only a few uniforms
with a mix of brown and green---few shoes---most likely "Carolina hats" which is a plain black
felt flat brimmed store stock hat turned up on left side for shouldering weapon and then
decorated with a turkey feather, sprig of green (a Scottish thing from NC) or raccoon or
buck's tail.
Rifles were often Southern version of the Pa Long Rifle made by regional craftsmen or
else Pa made rifles passed down in family by immigrants and prized as heirlooms.
Muskets would be the Brown Bess British musket captured from their soldiers and
arsenals etc or else American copies. French muskets recently smuggled in through the
blockade would also be finding their way into the hands of Nash's men.
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