Month: August 2025

By Quill & Candlelight: The Dispatches of Colonel Shufflebottom on the Matter of Colonial Nonsense
August 26th, 1775 — Boston, regrettably fortified

The colonials, in a fit of architectural ambition, have begun fortifying the hills around Boston. Dorchester Heights now bristles with timber and optimism. I observed one rebel hammering a plank with such enthusiasm that he struck his own thumb and declared it a sacrifice to liberty.

Their fortifications appear to be constructed from barrels, hay bales, and what I suspect was once a respectable barn. The geometry is… interpretive. Euclid would weep. I daresay, if rebellion were measured in angles, they’d be victorious by confusion alone.

Meanwhile, the Virginia Gazette has published a diagram of the Battle of Bunker Hill using only typeset symbols. It resembles a game of chess played by intoxicated squirrels. I commend their ingenuity, if not their accuracy.

Ever encamped, occasionally enraged,
Colonel Archibald Shufflebottom, 47th Regiment of Foot,
Defender of Empire, Critic of Colonial Geometry & Typography

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📜 By Quill & Candlelight: The Dispatches of Colonel Shufflebottom on the Matter of Colonial Nonsense
🗓️ August 23rd, 1775 — Rebellion and Sedition

“Today, His Majesty King George III, in a moment of regal exasperation, has issued a Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition. In short: the colonies are now officially rebellious, which is rather like declaring that fire is hot or that colonial cooperation is as suspicious as the stew they serve in public houses.”

“The proclamation insists that all loyal subjects must report traitorous correspondence. I shall begin with my neighbor, who once winked at a pamphlet titled ‘Liberty and Molasses’. Highly dubious.”

“The King’s language is florid, his punctuation aggressive, and his expectations ambitious. He commands all officers to suppress rebellion with ‘utmost endeavours’—a phrase which, in military terms, translates to marching in circles while shouting about loyalty and dignity.”

“It is also suggested that anyone aiding the rebels shall be punished with ‘condign severity.’ I had to look up ‘condign.’ It means ‘deserved.’ I suspect it also means ‘unpleasant and involving paperwork.’”

Ever loyal, occasionally baffled
Colonel Archibald Shufflebottom, 47th Regiment of Foot
Defender of Empire, Interpreter of Royal Proclamations & Condign Vocabulary

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📜 By Quill & Candlelight: The Dispatches of Colonel Shufflebottom on the Matter of Colonial Nonsense
🗓️ August 6th, 1775 — New England, regrettably enthusiastic

“The colonial militias have taken to drilling with a fervor typically reserved for maypole dancing and unsolicited sermons. I observed one company practicing maneuvers in a field that was, by all appearances, also hosting a sheep convention. The sheep were better organized.”

“Having surreptitiously recovered several rebellious accoutrements, I can confirm their training manuals vary wildly. Some follow British discipline, others a local interpretation involving broomsticks and interpretive marching. One gentleman was witnessed attempted a bayonet charge and fell amongst a local farmer’s planting rows, impaling a pumpkin. The pumpkin did not survive, and presumedly the bayonet wielding gentleman was promptly given an officer’s commission.”

“They call themselves ‘Minute Men’—a title suggesting punctuality, though their formations arrive late and leave early. I suspect the name refers not to readiness, but to the average attention span during musket inspection.”

Ever encamped, occasionally enraged,
Colonel Archibald Shufflebottom, 47th Regiment of Foot
Defender of Empire, Critic of Colonial Coordination & Agricultural Warfare

#ThisDayInHistory #250Years #AmericanRevolution

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📜 By Quill & Candlelight: The Dispatches of Colonel Shufflebottom on the Matter of Colonial Nonsense
🗓️ August 1st, 1775 — Virginia, regrettably biscuitless

Today, the Virginia Convention has resolved to boycott trade with Britain. Flour, wheat, tobacco—all withheld in a fit of economic rebellion. I daresay, if one must wage war, doing so with empty pantries and moral superiority is a uniquely colonial approach.

The town criers claim with all bluster and volume that this embargo is a stand for liberty?! I suspect it’s a clever excuse to avoid paying debts and to justify the consumption of the dullest of all pastries, the humble cornbread, indeed as a patriotic act. Their biscuits crumble with conviction, and if they do refuse to send biscuits, certainly there will be all out war.

Not well thought out, the plan is to grow grain, spin cloth, and become self-sufficient. Please! I’ve seen their looms. I’ve seen their sheep. I remain unconvinced, as do the sheep.

Ever encamped, occasionally enraged,
Colonel Archibald Shufflebottom, 47th Regiment of Foot
Defender of Empire, Critic of Colonial Cookery & Economic Improvisation

#ThisDayInHistory #250Years #AmericanRevolution

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