Varnum Continentals

Preserving and Sharing Rhode Island History

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[FEATURED EXHIBIT] Revolutionary War-period letter written by African American Veteran Thomas Nichols

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At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, we have discovered an American Revolutionary War-period letter written (dictated) by African American Thomas Nichols and signed with “his mark”. Freed from enslavement to serve in the First Rhode Island Regiment, Thomas writes to his former “master and mistress” asking for help in getting a discharge since the Revolutionary War had been “very disagreeable to my mind as well as destructive to my health.”

Thomas fought at the Battle of Rhode Island 2 years earlier and was wounded while helping to repel three Hessian charges. The letter is powerful … you can’t help but feel bad for Thomas’s plight and his desperate wish to go home. He appears to be suffering from PTSD. This is an astoundingly rare artifact from the beginnings of our nation. It also reminds us that many of the men serving and fighting for their freedom and country were people of color.

This is an astoundingly rare artifact. To our knowledge, only one other war-time letter from an African American in the American Revolutionary War exists. And, this may be the only one written by a former slave. This letter is a State and National treasure. However, it requires professional conservation work that will cost approximately $990. This work will stabilize the document physically, make it more readable, and most importantly, will make it possible to safely put it on long term display in our climate-controlled, secure museum. Framing and matting with archival grade materials and the highest quality museum glass will likely cost an additional $500 for an estimated total of $1490.

To that end, we staged a successful online fundraiser that surpassed our goal of $1,500 ($1,720 raised!) to preserve the letter.

Recent tour and viewing of Thomas Nichols letter

We also experienced a fantastic moment of serendipity regarding this particular letter. On the exact day that we met our fundraising goal, we were recently joined by two U.S. Army veterans and their daughter. They were moved by many exhibits in our collection, but this letter proved to be the focal point of their tour. Moments like this is why we work so hard to preserve our local and national U.S. history!

Letter transcription (preserving the original spelling and punctuation):

“Windham January 18th 1781

Onered Master & Mistress I take this opportunity to inform you of my citiation att this time & desire your ade = after I drove 3 waggons as far as Windham I hade waggoner tookaway my bath[?] of driving & ordered me to gard ye waggons which I refused & turned back to colonel green att Covintree & ye wagoner sent back two men after me Ye Colonal did not blame me but told ye men and me to go on again & that I should take my waggon again but being over worried with this tramp I got but 3 miles further than where I left ye waggons in So. Windham att ye house of one Dan Murdock where I have been confined with my old fits But have good care taken of me But I have a desire to Return to you Not having any money Nor Clows fit to wair & all strangers to me makes it something difficult for me I have had a Doctor and a Surgans mate to me which advize me to go to xxx corps of invalids at Boston where I may be under half pay During Life Remaining in this poor State of Body But I ante able to go thether Neither do I incline to with out advice from you But I have a desire that Master or Mistress would go to Colonel Green & see if you cant git me Discharged from ye War it being very Disagreabell to my mind as well as Destructive to my helth I suppose I could ride on a horse or att least in a Slay if you could obtain a Discharge for me So that I may Return to my Master and his family again baring[?] the will of god & your pleasure So No more att this time But I Remain your humble & dutiful Thomas “N” His mark

December 31 1780 These lines I recv’d from ye Surgeon’s mate where as Thomas Nickols a soldier belonging to ye first Regiment in Rhode Island State hath been for some time attended with fits in this place & still likely to Remain unfit for military life”

Endnote on Thomas

Sadly, Thomas didn’t get to go home then. He was transferred to the Invalid Corps in February 1781 to serve in whatever capacity his illness allowed (at half pay). More research is needed to determine what his ultimate fate was during and after the War.

[FEATURED EXHIBIT] American Civil War Epaulets belonging to Colonel Amasa Sprague Jr.

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These are American Civil War epaulets belonging to Colonel Amasa Sprague Jr., who served as an aide to his brother, Rhode Island Governor William Sprague, who was the only wartime Governor to have led men in combat.

  • Colonel Amasa Sprague Jr.
  • American Civil War epaulets belonging to Colonel Amasa Sprague Jr.
  • American Civil War epaulets belonging to Colonel Amasa Sprague Jr.
  • American Civil War epaulets belonging to Colonel Amasa Sprague Jr.

[FEB. 12 DINNER MEETING] 50 Tons of Fighting Fury: Navy PT Boats and their Crews

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PT Boat in World War II
PT Boat in World War II

The news media called them “The Plywood Navy.” The Japanese called them “Devil Boats.” Historian, author, and lecturer Brian L. Wallin brings to life the story of the US Navy’s Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center in Melville, Rhode Island, and the men who fanned out from the Ocean State with their small war craft to every corner of the globe.

Numerous rarely seen pictures trace the development of the PT Boat fleet and the story of how more than 11,000 officers and enlisted personnel trained at a large and hastily built facility on Narragansett Bay between 1942 and 1945. Brian recently presented this program for the Naval War College’s “Eight Bells” series. He draws upon the archives of the War College, the Naval Heritage and History Command, and the Battleship Cove PT Museum along with the personal memorabilia of PT crew family members to present rarely seen images of PT training and battlefront exploits from the frozen Aleutians to D-Day and the island campaigns of the Pacific.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Brian Wallin is a graduate of Stonehill College and earned his master’s degree from American International College. He has been a radio-television reporter-anchor in New England, contributing to major networks. He turned his career to health care administration, serving in executive positions in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Rhode Island and retired as vice president of Kent Hospital. He is also a trustee of the Varnum Continentals, a member of the US Naval Institute, and a docent at the Naval War College Museum. He writes for the online journal of Rhode Island history, Smallstatebighistory.com, and is the co-author of World War II Rhode Island (History Press, 2017).

Reservations for this dinner must be received by 5 pm Friday, February 9.

Call Scott Seaback at 401-413-6277 or email him at scott@ritemps.com.

TIME: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
LOCATION: Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, 6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI, 02818.
FEE: $20 including dinner (filet wrapped in bacon, seafood pasta, roasted veggies, salad, rolls and butter, dessert, and coffee)

Varnum House Museum gets a yard cleanup thanks to CCRI volunteers

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Many thanks to the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) community service volunteers who came to the Varnum House Museum today! They did a ton of work to spruce up the museum grounds, including rounding up over 60 bags of leaves and yard waste.  The Varnum Continentals deeply appreciate all the community volunteers who help our organization every year!

CCRI volunteers at the Varnum House Museum.
CCRI volunteers at the Varnum House Museum.

Varnum House BBQ a Big Success!

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On Monday, June 13, we had our annual Varnum Continentals Community Barbecue at the Varnum House Museum.  What a great time!  We had about 100 guests on the grounds for the celebration and taking tours of the newly-refreshed 1773 house museum (originally built by General James Mitchell Varnum).

New Varnum House Docent Program Launched

It was also a great night to launch our new docent program at the Varnum House Museum.  Under the leadership of Varnum Continentals VP Barbara Weaver, the new docents have already done tours for local elementary school students and will be available to give tours on weekends this summer (see museum tour hours below).

Martin Denny-Brown
Martin Denny-Brown

COL Martin Denny-Brown Retires

Varnum’s Regiment, RIM, also recognized the retirement of one of our Past Commanders, COL Martin Denny-Brown. Martin served in the US Army; he enlisted in Varnum’s Regiment in 1985 and has been an active member and leader of the militia and Varnum organization since Day 1. Martin served on the Executive Committee, was a Varnum trustee, and headed the Property Committee.

We’d like to thank everyone who came out that night, including guests and neighbors, for a great time. We look forward to seeing you this summer.  To arrange a tour at the Varnum House Museum, please call 401-884-1776 or email house@varnumcontinentals.org.

Varnum House Museum Operating Hours

Tours of the Varnum House Museum are closed for the season. Call 401-884-1776 or email house@varnumcontinentals.org if you have questions.

About the Varnum Continentals

The Varnum Continentals are committed to the preservation of the historic heritage of our community, our state, and our nation. Please take a virtual tour of our museums to learn more about our mission to encourage patriotism. You can participate with us through active membership and/or philanthropic support in our non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Museum tours are welcomed and our facilities may be rented for suitable events.

Our Mission

The Varnum Continentals are committed to encourage patriotism through the Varnum Armory Museum, the Continental Militia, and the James Mitchell Varnum House and thus to preserve, support, and communicate the military history of our community, our state, and our nation.

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