America Untold:
Forgotten heroes, Forgotten Stories
Scarlet Ingstad
Christian, Independent Author, Historian
Christian, Independent Author, Historian
Welcome back to my 14-part series on the life of Banastre Tarleton during the American Revolution! If you missed the first installment, click the link below to access the introduction and the first chapter. Otherwise, scroll down to begin reading about how and why Tarleton got himself involved in the American Revolution 1. Meet the Tarleton Family 2. The Road to Revolution: Banastre Tarleton attended school in Liverpool. According to accounts from classmates, Banastre was well-liked and considered one of the more popular students among his peers. One such peer referred to him as the “Gallant Tarleton.” This peer signed his name only as “Liberty” and stated: “During the Colonel’s minority, he has had frequent opportunities of gaining Friendship from his scholastic acquaintance. The author is an old school fellow of the Gallant Tarleton, and as such will do the utmost in his power to be his friend. Consider, my Brother Freeman, that as School-fellows and Citizens, there is a tie that Human Nature cannot efface.” Banastre is described as being intelligent in some respect and smaller in stature, but unusually strong and muscular. Banastre did not do exceptionally well in school, most likely due to his lack of interest in most of the subject matter, but he excelled in Latin and in many different sports. Crickett was one of his favored pastimes, alongside public speaking and acting. This is perhaps one of the reasons his father pushed him to study the law, possibly concerned with Banastre’s future if his interests were not of a profitable nature. Banastre registered in London on April 10, 1770 at nearly sixteen years of age to attend Middle Temple, likely at his father’s insistence. John Tarleton IV also hired a tutor for Banastre and his older brother Thomas in order to prep them both for entrance into Oxford. Both Banastre and Thomas entered Oxford together in the fall of 1771, but they enrolled at colleges on opposite sides of High Street. Banastre opted for University College while Thomas went to Brasenose College. At University College, the reigning specialty of the professors was the law. Sir William Blackstone himself was once the Vinerian Professor of English Law at University College. A young, brilliant scholar and professor at Oxford by the name of William Scott accepted the appointment as Banastre’s personal tutor. Scott was later elected Camden Professor of History for the University. Many of Banastre’s University friends would also rise to prominence after graduation. Ironically one of these friends, James Bland Burgess, was elected to Parliament and stood opposed to Banastre in the debates regarding the end of the slave trade. Burgess sided with William Wilberforce and William Pitt, seeking to end the slave trade, while Banastre adamantly fought to maintain the practice. Banastre’s closest friend at University was a man by the name of Francis Rawdon, the eldest son of Sir John Rawdon of Moira, County Down, Ireland. Rawdon would go on to serve with the British forces in the American Revolutionary War alongside Tarleton, emerging after the war as Lord Rawdon after his father was named Earl of Moira. Rawdon also adopted the role and title of earl in 1793 after his father’s death. During the American Revolution, Rawdon shared many of Tarleton’s views regarding “brutal suppression” of enemy combatants. Despite the fact Banastre’s University friends succeeded in their educational and occupational endeavors, Ban did not share the ambition and focus necessary to do the same. His temperament was not conducive to that of a dedicated student. Instead, Banastre preferred to focus on various sports to include the previously-mentioned Crickett, riding, boxing, and tennis. He excelled in this realm and turned most of his attention to any activities that involved a demonstration of his physical prowess. This might explain Banastre’s ill-fated decision following the death of his father on September 6, 1773. John Tarleton IV left nineteen-year-old Banastre with an inheritance of £5,000. Thomas Tarleton, the eldest son, received the majority of the family property and businesses. Banastre withdrew his newly-acquired finances and proceeded to spend it all within a year on gambling, women, and drinking, a decision that would change the trajectory of his life forever. Banastre spent his next two years mostly neglecting his studies, cavorting around Drury Lane, and gambling his money away at the Cocoa Tree. The Cocoa Tree was a rather popular hangout spot for young men on St. James Street, and Banastre was a regular attendee. The area of Pall Mall held most of his attention, and for a young man full of both ambition and fortune, it was irresistible. Coffeehouses during this era were a cultural phenomenon, as John Knight described in his 2020 book, War at Saber Point: Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion. Very few homes during this era had the ability to brew their own coffee, which made coffeehouses the places to be for Londoners of every class. In these locations, residents would gossip over steaming cups of coffee and even conduct business. These coffeehouses rose to the height of popularity in both England and America just before the American Revolution began. Soon, other items were made available within the coffeehouses, such as newspapers and various forms of gambling games. They became a mainstay of information sharing, trade, and commerce. It was also in and around these establishments where prostitutes lingered, eager to sway the wealthy men and turn a profit. But it was the Cocoa Tree on St. James Street that snagged the full attention of Tarleton. It became his usual haunt in the evening, and he would begin his gambling around 11 at night, continuing until around 4 or 5 the next morning. Heavy drinking and the promise of young prostitutes further lured Tarleton into the establishment. Although details regarding Tarleton’s gambling exploits within the Cocoa Tree are unknown, it is evident that he was not a successful or lucky man in this endeavor. His financial loss was significant, as recorded by the Morning Herald after the Revolution: “A certain Colonel is said to have lost lately at Brooke’s upwards of £30,0001.” After the war, Tarleton’s lover, Maria Robinson, published her opinion on Tarleton’s activities in London. According to Robinson, Tarleton, because of his “volatile disposition,” found himself “drawn by gay companions into a vortex of fashionable amusements, and by the eager pursuit of them exhausted his finances.” Tarleton was pulled into the Cocoa Tree for the thrill of the risk, the danger, and the ever-present chance of winning. This would be an aspect of his personality that would translate to the Revolution and various other future endeavors. Banastre’s addiction to gambling would continue throughout his life. Despite his mother’s pleas to cease these activities, Banastre could not seem to help himself. Constantly drawn to the thrill and the risk, he found himself frequently tempted by women, money, gambling, and drinking, which became the only constant things in Tarleton’s life. He always managed to convince his mother to pay for his debts, but she began to insist that he retreat to the Continent to avoid being put into debtors’ prison. Perhaps the most glaring example of Tarleton’s addiction to thrill and danger occurred when he took a bet from his friend Lord Malden which combined his two biggest temptations: women and gambling. Malden at the time had been involved in an affair with the aforementioned Maria Robinson, who was a writer and actress, and the former courtesan to George the Prince of Wales. Malden felt so secure in his relationship with Maria that he bet a thousand guineas that she could not possibly be seduced by any other living man. Tarleton readily accepted this challenge and within a matter of days managed to do exactly what Malden said no man could do: seduce Maria Robinson. This gamble resulted in a long-term affair that would last for about fifteen years. What exactly drew Banastre Tarleton to officially join the 1st Regiment of Dragoon Guards in 1775 remains unknown. Tarleton was an expert rider, as indicated by the recordings of his prowess while in school, but he did not have the ambition or the discipline that often drove other men to war. It is likely that Tarleton’s mounting debt due to his gambling addiction is the true reason for his departure to America. Pressure from his mother alongside his inability to continue with his addiction after losing much of his inheritance, Tarleton realized a military commission might be the best course of action. Luckily for Banastre, in the spring of 1775 a man by the name of John Trotter put his commission up for sale. Tarleton was so destitute at this point in time that he had to borrow money from his mother to purchase the £800 commission. The annual pay of a cornet, the lowest rank for commissioned officers, in the Dragoon Guards was a mere £255, demonstrating both Tarleton’s desperation to find a means of settling his debts, and his mother’s devotion to her son combined with her frustration with his current trajectory. Tarleton received his commission on April 20, 1775, exactly one day after the battles of Lexington and Concord. He celebrated at the Cocoa Tree, then set out to join his regiment at Norwich to begin his training. On June 22, General Charles Lee resigned his commission in the English Army, renounced his half-pay, and officially joined the rebellion. A few months later, Tarleton volunteered to join one of the regiments slated to head off to the war in the colonies and was marked “Absent by King’s leave” on December 24. Banastre was so ecstatic that when he passed through London on his way to Portsmouth, he decided to stop by the Cocoa Tree to show off his new scarlet coat and gigantic saber. Banastre celebrated with his friends, drinking heavily as the conversation steered toward the traitor Charles Lee. With a flourish, Cornet Tarleton leapt to his feet, swinging his new saber over his head, and exclaimed: “With this sword I’ll cut off General Lee’s head!” On December 26, 1775, Banastre Tarleton left to join his unit and head to America under the command of Earl Cornwallis, hoping to make good on his proclamation. The convoy assembled and set sail on February 12, 1776. Next week, find out the details behind Tarleton's first month's in America, as well as one of his most colorful stories involving a tavern and General Charles Lee--yes, the very same Charles Lee whose head Tarleton swore to "cut off." Tarleton's story gets more and more chaotic as we move along. Thank you for reading! Sources: Anthony J. Scotti, Brutal Virtue: The Myth and Reality of Banastre Tarleton. Berwyn Heights: Heritage Books, Inc., May 1, 2019. Robert Bass, The Green Dragoon: The Lives of Banastre Tarleton & Mary Robinson, 1957. John Knight, The War at Saber Point: Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion. Yardley: Westholme Publishing, December 18, 2020. Arthur Pitt, “A Study of Gamblers and Gaming Culture in London circa 1780.” (MA diss., 2012), 23. https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3291/2/Pitt_Arthur_MA_Dissertation_Final.pdf Morning Herald and Daily Advertiser (London), August 3, 1784; The London Magazine, vol. 51, March 1782 Mary Robinson, The Memoirs of Perdita. London: G. Lister, 1784 A.P.C. Bruce, The Purchase System in the British Army, 1660-1871 (London: Royal Historical Society, 1980), 32; Scott’s Magazine, Edinburgh, May 1775
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Scarlet Ingstad
I am an independent author and historian seeking to uplift the stories of the lesser-known heroes and heroines of the American Revolution, alongside modern-day heroes and heroines who have served in the U.S. military and continue their service through their historical work. Archives
March 2022
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