What were New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day like among the British and their allies during the American Revolution? Diaries and letters from the 18th century indicate that these holidays, celebrated today with parties and fireworks, were just another time of duty for most soldiers of the Crown forces during the Revolution. But there were always exceptions.
Scottish officer John Peebles sounds like he knew how to have a good time:
1st January 1777—A Happy New Year to all my friends, may those that are far asunder meet in good time & enjoy those pleasures that are best suited to ye mind.
1st Janry. 1782—May this year be propitious to our wishes my dear little woman [Peebles’ wife], bring us together in peace, love, & safety. Having engaged our Neighbours over the way to dine with us, we had a very good dinner, plenty of wine, with mirth & good humour, till some were fou [crazy drunk] & then we parted about midnight.
(From John Peebles’ American War: The Diary of a Scottish Grenadier, 1776–1782)
The Germans didn’t need to be on dry land to cheer in the New Year:
The 1st [January 1779]—Again a year is past and truly the first on the stormy, unfriendly sea. Captain Pentzel treated with good Madeira wine, which enabled us to toast the New Year properly. On this New Year’s Day we were as comfortable as one can be on the ocean. We conversed and discussed our distant homeland.
(From Eighteenth Century America: A Hessian Report on the People, the Land, the War as Noted in the Diary of Chaplain Philipp Waldeck, 1776–1780)
And here are the good wishes sent from the Black Pioneers, a provincial unit, to their boss, Sir Henry Clinton:
N York, 1st Jany. 1781—We some of your Excellency’s old Company of Black Pioneers, beg leave to Address your Excellency wishing you a happy new Year and the greatest Success in all your Public and Private undertakings…
(University of Michigan, William L. Clements Library, Sir Henry Clinton Papers, Volume 138, item 10.)
How did you celebrate the New Year last night? I went to a Tibetan Buddhist Dorje Khadro ceremony and threw black sesame seeds representing my negative actions in 2013 into a raging fire.
Many thanks to Bob Vogler and Todd Braisted on the Yahoo RevList. A Happy New Year to all my readers. Best wishes for your good fortune and prosperity in 2014.
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It sounds about as I expected for their celebrations. More similar to us than their Christmas, but on a smaller scale.
Unfortunately, I spent NYE alone with no internet connection.
Thanks for stopping by, Tracy. I wonder whether Continental officers partied for New Year’s. They were so low-key about Christmas.