Pierce Dant Hamblen was born, as he states, "on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester County, on March 24, 1756." He moved with his parents to Halifax County, Virginia and then on to Charlotte County, Virginia. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War the family lived about 18 miles south of the Charlotte Court House.

On March 9, 1776, nearing his 20th birthday, Pierce Dant enlisted in Captain John Brent's Company, under Colonel Robert Lawson, in the 4th Virginia Regiment, Continental Line. This was to be a two-year enlistment. When he enlisted, he reveals, there was a laugh among the soldiers because two men with double names enlisted at the same time (enlisting with him was Soloman Harmon Ealam).

In his own words Pierce Dant tells of his Revolutionary War experiences:

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"At the time of my enlistment I was living with my Father, George Hamblen, in Charlotte County, Virginia, about 18 miles below the Court House. I marched from Charlotte Court House down to Portsmouth, we here encamped through the summer and took water and went to Head of Elk, from this place we marched toward Philadelphia.

"General Stephenson commanded the troops when we crossed the Delaware and took the Hessians at Trenton, this was I think on Christmas Day. We took the Hessians and crossed the river with them. 1 do not know what then became of the Hessians.

"The troops to which I belonged went back again to Trenton, here we had a cannonnade during the night. After this we crossed a creek and took up the other side and went to Princeton then we had a fight and took some of the British and carried them to Morristown. Thence to Whippany when I took the smallpox. From this place we were divided.

"It is impossible for me to remember where we marched from that place. Nothing however of importance happened until we fought the Battle of Brandewine in the summer after. After this battle we were constantly marching. We encamped awhile in the woods at one place, but I do not remember the name of the camp, or which state it was in. The next thing of importance I remember was a skirmish with the British at a little town near Philadelphia. I have forgotten its name.

"After this we were scouting about through the balance of the fall until we took up our winter quarters at Valley Forge. Here we encamped until my time of enlistment was out. I was discharged at this place on the 9th of March, 1778, and returned home to my father's house shortly afterward.

"Charles Scott signed my discharge. What has become of it now I cannot tell. l kept it for many years after my discharge. 1 know and served under General Washington, Lafayette and others who were Continental Officers as I understand."

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Pierce Dant gave this testimony on June 22, 1833 and only one detail was incorrect. He had served under General Adam Stephen and not "Stephenson" as quoted above. Not bad for the old fellow!

In fact the major details of the 4th Virginia Regiment were recalled very well by Pierce Dant Hamblen. As stated by our Patriot, the 4th Virginia did sail from Portsmouth and landed at Head of Elk, a point of debarkation both for the American Forces and the British, depending on who was holding it at any given moment. Head of Elk is the point at the northern extremity of Chesapeake Bay where the Elk River empties into that bay. This location placed the 4th Virginia in northeastern Maryland, a short distance from Delaware and only about 50 miles southwest of Philadelphia, the Continental Capital.

By late November, 1776, the 4th Virginia under General Adam Stephen, had united its forces with General George Washington's main body. This point of time in the Revolutionary War was, perhaps, the most critical time in those early days of the struggle for independence. As the army bivouacked between Taylorsville and Yardley's Ferry, eastern Pennsylvania, in mid- December, the outlook for the Continental Army and the American cause was very bleak. The campaign against the British in New York had been disastrous. In late November, 2,000 of Washington's men of the Maryland and New Jersey brigades left the army because their enlistment had expired. General Charles Lee, following some very unusual personal behavior, was captured by a British regiment that he had commanded in Portugal years earlier. Many Americans considered him to be the most professional and capable leader in the American Army. With a number of defeats, and these disheartening circumstances, plus desertion by a large number of militia and Continental troops, hope for the American cause dimmed.

Even the Continental Congress appeared to be giving up. They passed a quick resolution giving Washington total military dictatorial powers, adjourned and fled from Philadelphia towards Baltimore. All that stood between Philadelphia and General Howe's 23,000 troops was Washington's ill-trained, ill-equipped, ill fed, dwindling army. All of this was very depressing to Washington and his officers and troops. In mid-December Washington knew he needed a victory to revive the American spirit.

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We can well imagine the mixed emotions of our Patriot, Pierce Dant Hamblen. On the one hand we can sense his pride and anticipation of fighting under General George Washington, a fellow Virginian. On the other hand, however, we can feel the sense of gloom and doom he must have felt, slogging around the frozen ground of Valley Forge, hungry and listening to the discontented rumblings of his fellows. The rumors, the desertions, the cold, the expectation of almost certain defeat - all of this would be enough to "try any man's soul."

But, then, on December 19 or 20, Washington read an article that had been published on December 19 in Philadelphia by Thomas Paine. It was entitled, The American Crisis, and the words stirred the heart of Washington. In fact, he was so inspired by the article he ordered it read to all his troops.

They heard: "These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country: but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered. yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

With this lift of spirit and soul, Washingon continued to make plans for a Christmas Day surprise for the British. Then Christmas came.

On that day, December 25, 1776, at 3:00 p.m., Pierce Dant Hamblen stood ready to march in parade with the 4th Virginia past General Washington toward the boats that awaited on the western banks of the Delaware River. With musket in hand, Pierce Dant was equipped with a blanket and a bayonet, forty rounds of ammunition and three day's rations.

This Christmas was unlike all the previous Christmases he had ever known. There had been no Christmas dinner that day, just preparation and anticipation for the battle that awaited. We can imagine our Patriot, along with all the others, thinking of home and wishing to be there with families before a warm fire, sharing the joys of the season and the presence of loved ones. But the loud cry of "Forward March!" brought him back to reality. The advance on Trenton had begun.

At 5:00 p.m. as the first troops approached McKonkey's Ferry, the wind began to blow and snow began to fall. The ice-filled Delaware was running swift and strong. Most of the soldiers were ill-clad. Their uniforms were threadbare and worn. Some had no shoes. Many who had shoes were not much better off, because they were well-worn and falling apart. Few had overcoats. The ice-filled river was slow crossing.

At about 11:00 p.m. the snow turned to sleet. The crossing, cold and wet, was not completed until approximately 3:00 a.m. the following morning on December 26. Ahead lay a nine-mile march to Trenton, south of the landing. At 5:00 a.m., well behind schedule, the order to "Fall-Out!" was given. The men were told to rest and eat. Some tried to get some well-needed sleep.

Two men froze to death.

The plan had been to attack at first light, but with the delays, it would be much later. At 7:00 a.m. General Nathaniel Green's advanced patrols sounded an alarm. They had spotted a small body of men approaching. It turned out to be members of the 4th Virginia who had been sent across the river on Christmas Day on an unathorized patrol order by General Stephen. They had had a skirmish with the Hessians, but it had not amounted to much. Washington, believing that this had compromised the secrecy and security of his offensive, strongly rebuked Stephen for the blunder.

The advance continued, however. In the storm the flints and gunlocks of many of the troops had gotten wet, so the order to "Fix bayonets!" was given. The storm, however, proved to be a blessing in disguise. This storm, which had brought tremendous suffering for our Patriot and his comrades, and delayed the attack, kept most of the Hessians stationed at Trenton inside on that cold December morning. The few sentries on duty had turned their backs on the chilling, northern wind, and on the advancing American Army. At approximately 8;00 a.m. the attack began.

The 4th Virginia was at the head of General Nathaniel Greene's column and they attacked the Hessians from the Northeast. In just over one hour the battle ended. Two patriots had been wounded. 22 Hessians had been killed; 92 wounded; and 948 were captured. It was an amazing victory for the Americans! Our Patriot was one the cutting edge of American history!

The Battle of Trenton, small in comparison to most of the major battles, was, no doubt, one of the most important battles in the history of the world. This battle brought new and needed hope to the American Revolution. If it had not occurred and if the patriots had not been victorious, it is believed that the whole struggle for independence would have crumbled. The English historian, Trevelyan, commented: It may be doubted whether so small a number of men ever employed so short a space of time with greater or more lasting results upon the history of the world.

The cold, but jubilant Americans marched their captives back to their crossing point at McKonkey's Ferry, took them across the river into Pennsylvania, and they bivouacked at their former camp. The next day, on December 27th, Pierce Dant Hamblen got his Christmas dinner and a much needed rest. On December 29th, the army recrossed the Delaware and took part in a skirmish at Trenton and won the Battle of Princeton. More British were captured and the 4th Virginia marched north with Washington to Morristown.

In the little town of Whippany, New Jersey, Pierce Dant came down with the smallpox. In his own account, Pierce Dant tells us that the remainder of the winter, and the spring and early summer of 1777 was uneventful. But in late summer, September 11, 1777, the 4th Virginia took part in the Battle of Brandywine, not far from Philadelphia. This was the battle whose name Pierce Dant could not remember.

Less than a month later they fought in the Battle of Germantown (October 4, 1777). Following this battle, General Adam Stephen was court-martialed. During the battle he had been drunk and disorderly, and unable to follow the battle plan. It is believed that his failure resulted in the American defeat. Until that critical point in the battle, the advantage was in favor of the Americans.

General Charles Scott took the leadership of the 4th Virginia. The winter of 1777 and 1778 was a bitter one for our Patriot and the others with him at Valley Forge. It was unbearably cold. Poor clothing and constant shortages of food and other needed supplies brought persistent complaints from the troops. Most had no coats or blankets. It is believed that political squabbling and maneuvering kept the much-needed supplies from the soldiers at Valley Forge. During that winter at Valley Forge, 3,000 men died of starvation, exposure and typhus. Desertion took its toll as well. But somehow Pierce Dant hung on and completed his term of enlistment.

On March 9, 1778, he completed his two-year enlistment and was discharged honorably. General Charles Scott signed his discharge papers. And, so, a chapter in the life of Pierce Dant Hamblen ended with his return to civilian life. A. Porter Hamblen suggests that Pierce Dant Hamblen could have been incapacitated in some way by the rigors of that winter at Valley Forge, and therefore, did not re-enlist.

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NOTE:
This account is taken from 4th Virginia Regiment Continental Line as excerpted from Our Hamblen Heritage, 1st edition, by Larry A. Hamblen (Dallas: Brooks Publishing Company, 1989).