The Pivot Point of the Novel – The Death of Washington

During the American Revolution, Captain Patrick Ferguson found himself in a position to fire at an American officer riding alongside another in a distinctive hussar uniform. He held his fire, only to later learn that one of those men may have been George Washington. This moment became the inspiration for the turning point in my novel, For Our Cause Was Just.

Anonymous miniature of Patrick Ferguson, c. 1774-77

In my novel, the shot is fired by one of Ferguson’s riflemen—changing the course of our history. In this blog I’ll explain why I chose this moment—and the fascinating truth behind the story.

But first, let’s explore the actual historical events, though not all historical sources agree on what exactly happened. The following is what we do know about a famous incident where Captain Patrick Ferguson chose not to fire a shot.

The Real Incident at Brandywine

The Battle of Brandywine was a crucial fight during the American Revolution, fought on September 11, 1777, as British forces advanced on Philadelphia. Patrick Ferguson commanded a unit of riflemen that carried accurate arms they could fire rapidly. During the battle, Ferguson was wounded in his right elbow and recovered after in a hospital. During this time, he wrote about this incident. At some point south of Chad’s Ford, Ferguson was forward of British lines with three of his riflemen. “[A] Rebel Officer remarkable by a Huzzar [Hussar] Dress passed towards our army within 100 yards of my right flank, not perceiving us – he was followed by another dressed in Dark Green or blue mounted on a very good bay horse . . . I ordered three good shots to steal near them and fire at them but the idea disgusted me and I recalled them . . . I advanced from the woods towards him, upon my calling he stopd [sic] but after looking at me proceeded . . . I was within that distance . . . and could have lodged a half dozen of balls in or about him . . . but it was unpleasant to fire at the back of an unoffending individual who was acquitting himself very cooly of his duty so I let him alone.” [1]

Count Casimir Pulaski - The Polish cavalry officer in a hussar uniform

The day after the battle, while he lay recovering in the hospital, a surgeon told Ferguson that a wounded Continental soldier stated that Washington had been out all morning accompanied by a French Officer in hussar dress. While the report was it was a French officer, we know that Count Pulaski, a Polish volunteer calvary officer, wore a uniform similar to Ferguson’s description. This new information that he had Washington in his sights led Ferguson to reflect on his decision. He later wrote that he was not “sorry that I did not know at the time who it was.”1 It seems to me that he was happy not to have been presented with making the decision to kill Washington.

Who Did Ferguson See?

Today, there is speculation that it may not have been Washington out on reconnaissance. In a brief conversation about the incident with Michael C. Harris (author and historian), he speculated that it may have been General Nathaniel Greene and the Marquise de Lafayette. However, as we have seen from the narrative above, others believe it was Count Casimir Pulaski, dressed in a hussar uniform he likely would have worn at the time, out with General Washington.

Creative Choices for the Novel

Now, let’s address the discrepancy in dates between the battle and the novel. Here, I took the creative liberty of staging the shooting a few days prior. This allowed time for the Continental Army to promote another officer and prepare for the coming battle. However, I think that if Washington had been killed the morning of the battle, there would have been even more confusion, and it likely would have played out similarly.

Also, in the days prior to the battle, there had been rumors circulating in the British camp that Washington had been close by on reconnaissance. And we do know that Washington was out on reconnaissance as there is a letter by Washington’s aide Robert Harrison, to John Hancock, President of Congress: “Sir—His Excellency being out reconnoitring and busily engaged in the Affairs of the Army, I have the honor to acknowledge his receipt of your letter of the 6th …” [2]

I became fascinated by a simple question: What if Ferguson had taken that shot? The answer blossomed into my speculative novel, For Our Cause Was Just, where one small decision reshapes the fate of the American Revolution.

Citations:

- 1 Harris, M. C. (2017). Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle that Lost Philadelphia But Saved America, September 11, 1777.

- 2 The man who didn’t shoot Washington. (n.d.). AMERICAN HERITAGE. https://www.americanheritage.com/man-who-didnt-shoot-washington