THE STORY OF A GOOD TORY

By Edwin Cooney

I know this is hard to believe, but I swear it’s true!

During the American Revolution there really and truly existed a good Tory who rose above both politics and loyalty to his own King, George III to contribute, however unwittingly, to our liberty and our sovereignty.

He was Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ferguson of the British army. Colonel Ferguson invented the first breech-loading rifle used by British forces in the American Revolution. It was deadly accurate at 250 yards.

On the morning of Thursday, September 11th (a familiar date, isn’t it!), 1777, Patrick Ferguson and the company of sharp shooters over which he had command were lying in the woods near Brandywine Creek in southeastern Pennsylvania. There was apparently a lull in the fighting at the time. Suddenly, two “rebel” riders who were quite alone came into the woods. One of them, according to a letter written by Colonel Ferguson (and now housed in an Edinburgh Scotland museum), was garbed in “French hussar” dress. The other, wearing blue and green dress, rode a large bay horse. Atop his head he wore a high cocked hat.

Since they were clearly “rebel” officers, Colonel Ferguson instructed the men on his right flank to prepare to fire. However, after watching the two men for a few moments and deciding that they couldn’t harm his troops, he withdrew the order to fire, but kept the two men in his sight. The French Hussar continued to ride on ahead of the horseman in the high cocked hat who suddenly paused and started back from whence he’d come. As he rode along, now within 150 yards and well within range, Colonel Ferguson called out to the “rebel officer” who thus paused and looked back at him. Colonel Ferguson was impressed with his poise on the horse and the coolness with which he conducted himself even under imminent fire. So, he let him alone and the “rebel” officer continued on his way.

The following day, fighting commenced and both sides resumed wounding, killing, and imprisoning one another. Eventually, Colonel Ferguson learned that the man on the bay horse wearing green and blue under the cocked hat was none other than George Washington. Now it should be said that Colonel Ferguson didn’t realize, at that instant, that he had the Commander-in-Chief of the “rebel” army within his sight. It is possible that he’d have made a different decision had he known who he was. However, two important factors clearly stand out in this setting: one is situational and the other is humane.

During the American Revolution, a number of officers were held by both sides and exchanged unharmed for various political and strategic advantages. Second, however, Colonel Ferguson’s decision not to fire upon the rebel officer wasn’t strategic—it was humane. For, as he wrote in this letter, the longer he watched the way this officer conducted himself, the thought of shooting him became “increasingly disgusting.” Even more incredible, Colonel Ferguson says in this historic letter that he isn’t in the least sorry that he refrained from shooting at George Washington.

There is a compelling irony to this story, however. Professor North Callahan points out in his 1972 book “George Washington: Soldier and Man” that three years later in the Battle of King’s Mountain, North Carolina, Lieutenant Colonel Ferguson would not be granted the same consideration by “rebel” forces. His body would be riddled with bullets as he rode among his troops.

As you can be sure, there are scholars who deny the authenticity of this story. They are understandably skeptical that Washington would go anywhere outside of his lines unarmed. However, as other scholars have discovered, some of the elements of the objections of these critics are unfounded. Hence, as time passes, Lieutenant Ferguson’s account gains rather than loses credibility.

The wonder in this story for me is the realization that, powerful and persistent as the forces of ignoble evil may be, there lingers in humanity even more powerful evidence of consideration and tolerance toward one another that President Abraham Lincoln labeled “…the better angels of our nature”.

Surely there were many occasions after that September 11th, 1777 which could have shortened George Washington’s life. We know from his own words that one of his greatest thrills was the sound of musket balls as they whistled by, or even through, his coat.

One thread that often runs through the great events of history is the existence of leaders around whom a generation of patriotic men and women unite for causes greater than their personal comfort. For all our sakes, that leader, from 1776 until his death in 1799, was George Washington. Around Washington, great men threw aside their own religious and political differences long enough to establish and unify America.

Thus it was that due to stellar personal qualities George Washington lived to be “Father of our Country.” However, if it were not for the character of that gentlemanly Scot, that “good Tory,” America might well have been born an orphan – or perhaps not born at all.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY