#george thew burke

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Platonic communal sleeping in the American colonies

Platonic bed-sharing was actually quite common custom in the colonies, especially during time's of need, after all, space and privacy were a luxury of the wealthy. It didn't necessarily have to be intimate either, it was not uncommon for sometimes even complete strangers - often travelers or soldiers - of the same sex to share a bed together at an Inn if there was little space, and needed room. Samuel Pepys, an 18th century diarist, often slept with male friends and wrote about the conversations they would have at night. [x]

Rotundo also explains that; “It is not too much to suggest that in an era before central heating, the body warmth of an already beloved bedmate may have been so welcome as to be a source of emotional as well as physical pleasure.” And implies that while it was most of the time done out of necessity, it was also oftentimes simply a warming act of affection, romantic or platonic; “This was, after all, a culture that fervently contrasted the secure and cozy warmth of home with the coldness of a cruel and heartless world outside… A bed, when shared with a special person, could become a nest of intimacy, a place of casual touch and confidential talk.” [x]

Additionally, during the days before central heating was truly a common thing (Especially if you weren't royal or wealthy), bedmates were also seen as warmth. Oftentimes servants even slept alongside their mistresses. This was also how many sicknesses would spread, as bedbugs and lice were transported from person to person in the colonial period usually when sharing bunks or close quarters.

Even notable figures took part in this custom, like Robert Troup and Alexander Hamilton, as Chernow writes how the two shared beds while studying law together at King's College; “At King's, Troup wrote, ‘...they occupied the same room and slept in the same bed’” [x]

Which also leads to a humourous story about when John Adams slept with Benjamin Franklin in a New Jersey tavern during the fall of 1776. Just ten days prior, Washington and his men had barely escaped capture on Long Island after a suffering defeat to the British. The Continental Congress had debated for days about what was to be done. The British had captured General John Sullivan during the Battle, Earl Howe and his brother William Howe paroled Sullivan so he could take a message to Congress, as they wanted a talk peace. Eventually, Sullivan went to Philadelphia and spoke to Congress about the peace talks, to which the Congress decided that they would send a three-man committee to Staten Island. Which was composed of; Benjamin Franklin, Edward Rutledge, and Adams. The men represented the northern, middle and southern colonies. The three had set out on September 9th, Franklin and Rutledge each in a two-wheeled chaise, Adams on horseback. Later, the three men arrived in New Brunswick, and unfortunately had found the Inns all too crowded. Which led to Franklin and Adams having to share a tiny room, barely bigger than the bed, without a chimney, in the Indian Queen Tavern. Which then began an interesting debate, as they prepared to retire;

The window was open, and I, who was an invalid and afraid of the air in the night, shut it close. “Oh!” says Franklin, “don't shut the window, we shall be suffocated.” I answered, I was afraid of the evening air. Dr. Franklin replied, “The air within this chamber will soon be, and indeed is now, worse than that without doors. Come, open the window and come to bed, and I will convince you. I believe you are not acquainted with my theory of colds.” Opening the window, and leaping into bed, I said I had read his letters to Dr. Cooper, in which he had advanced, that nobody ever got cold by going into a cold church or any other cold air, but the theory was so little consistent with my experience, that I thought it a paradox. However, I had so much curiosity to hear his reasons that I would run the risk of a cold. The Doctor then began a harangue upon air and cold, and respiration and perspiration, with which I was so much amused that I soon fell asleep, and left him and his philosophy together, but I believe they were equally sound and insensible within a few minutes after me, for the last words I heard were pronounced as if he was more than half asleep. I remember little of the lecture...

Source — The Works of John Adams, Volume 3, by John Adams

Especially during time of war, when the revolution was rough, and means were low. Or as some day; “These are the times that try men's souls”. If the army was running low on space, or even beds, many - if not most - men resorted to sharing the same bed. Although this particular custom was not as accepted by many European visitors who came to the colonies, this cultural difference was often completely condemned by them. Pierre Du Ponceau - an aide of Baron von Steuben's - wrote of a particular dispute between a Virginian and a Frenchman about the subject in his autobiography;

One evening at an Inn in Virginia, a Frenchman and a Virginian were discussing about the manners of their respective countries. The American exclaimed violently against the horrid custom of the French of kissing one another at meeting and parting. The Frenchman made no answer, but as it was late, he took his candle and went up to bed. He was soon followed by the Virginian who after undressing came to take his place in the same bed with his companion “Stop, Sir,” said the Frenchman, “that won't do—I shall kiss you as much as you please, but by Jupiter, I'll not sleep with you.”

Source — Autobiographical Letters Of Peter S. Duponceau

It seems like this custom was almost exclusively English/Colonial, as David Montagu Erskine wrote to his father in 1799 of the living arrangements he and his companions encountered among the transient inhabitants of Washington, DC;

Each of us have a bed room to ourselves, if we chuse, but people in this country seem to think so lightly of such an indispensable comfort as I consider it, that I believe there are but three of us, who have rooms to ourselves.

Source — Menk, Patricia Holbert. “D. M. Erskine: Letters from America, 1798-1799.” The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 6.

Edward Thornton, secretary to the new British minister to the United States, wrote to his former employer in 1792;

Mr. Hammond's rank may possibly secure him from some of the inconveniences, which others, rendered fastidious by the style of travelling in England, are loud in their complaints of, such as [...] fellow lodgers in the same room and not infrequently in the same bed.

Source — Jackman, S. W. “A Young Englishman Reports on the New Nation: Edward Thornton to James Bland Burges, 1791-1793.” The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 18

This custom was even common after the revolution and the war of 1812—As Lieutenant John Le Couteur, a British army officer from the Isle of Jersey, traveled through New York in 1816 accompanied by Captain George Thew Burke. Le Couteur and Burke arrived at an Inn one day after dinner had been served and cleared, and they were hard-pressed to convince the hostess to bring out more food, “But this was not the last grievance.” Le Couteur recorded in his diary and concluded;

There was only one spare bed, a small one, which of course I insisted Burke should take. The Yankee Landlord wished me to take half of it as a matter of course but I said: “we Britishers were particular on that pint.’ “Then,” said mine host, “I guess if you don’t chuse to take half a bed with some one, you’ll jist sleep in a cheer [chair] or by the kitchen fire’

Source — Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships, by William E Benemann

[amphibious-thing]

Did Washington let Hamilton and Laurens share a cabin at Valley Forge?

A story I’ve seen floating around a lot is that Washington gave Hamilton and Laurens a cabin to share at Valley Forge, and that this is somehow evidence that Washington was accepting of homosexuality. I think this belief came from this article (that doesn’t properly source anything) which writes:

[Washington’s] concern for his male colleagues clearly extended to their personal lives. This was especially true of Hamilton, whom he brought with him to Valley Forge, giving Hamilton a cabin to share with his then-lover, John Laurens, to whom Hamilton had written passionate love letters that are still extant.

This makes it sound like Hamilton went to Washington and asked “can I share a cabin with my lover Laurens?” and Washington said something like “of course you can, you know how I love and support you and your relationship with Laurens.”

This seems really unlikely to me.

First off I’ve not seen any primary source evidence that confirms whether or not they shared a cabin at Valley Forge. If you visit the Potts house they have this room set up at the aide-de-camp room.

As you can see it’s a pretty small room. The Historic Furnishings Report places three folding camp beds in this room. As there was between 7-9 aide-de-camps there at certain times it seems unlikely they all slept in that one small room. It’s possible that one or two of the aides may have slept in the smaller bedroom when there wasn’t a guest however what did they do when there was a guest?.

It’s possible that the aides (or some of the aides) may have slept in the garret, as it’s said John Laurens hit his head on the ceiling there. However It’s thought that the servants probably slept in the garret and there wouldn't be enough room for the aides and the servants.

It’s speculated that they may have slept in a cabin built out the back of the Potts house. On the 7th of March Martha Washington wrote “the Generals apartment is very small he has had a log cabben built to dine in which has made our quarters much more tolerable than they were at first.” In his book George Washington's Indispensable Men, Arthur Lefkowitz speculates that this cabin “was probably used as an office and dining area during the day and provided additional sleeping quarters for the headquarters staff at night.” (p135) If we assume Lefkowitz is correct and the dining cabin was indeed also used as sleeping quarters for the aides we still have to wonder where the aides slept before it was built. Martha indicates that it was built after her arrival at Valley Forge which was “about the first of February”. Washingtons army had been at Valley forge since the 19 of December.

It’s said that Washington (and presumably his aides) slept in tents with the enlisted men until the huts were built. However in reality they moved into the Potts house on Christmas Eve and not all the huts were completed until sometime latter. This leaves at least 40 days between moving into the Potts house and the construction of the log cabin. So where did the aides sleep? The answer to that might indeed be the second bedroom.

Alexander Hamilton and Caleb Gibbs had been sent on a mission to Albany and neither arrived back until 20th of January and even after arriving at Valley Forge it’s possible that Gibbs slept with the Life Guard rather than the aides. James McHenry didn’t join staff until the 15th of May. And no one is quite sure whether Peter Presley Thornton was there at all. So between 24th of December and the 20th of January we’re looking at probably 5-6 men in the second bedroom, if we assume it was two to a bed while probably not the most comfortable it’s possible.

During the 1779-1780 winter encampment at Morristown Washingtons staff stayed at the Ford Mansion where “Washington had a large upstairs bedroom reserved for himself and his wife. The aides shared the remaining two bedrooms sleeping on their folding camp beds.” (Lefkowitz p197) Much like at Valley Forge at Morristown they had built a large log structure. At Morristown the log cabin “butted up against the side of the mansion and the new doorway to Washington's office ... A visitor typically entered the mansion through the log building. He was met by a headquarters officer of the day who was stationed there. This officer probably belonged to the Commander in Chief's Guard. He would determine the visitor's business and direct him accordingly. If someone had an appointment with His Excellency, the officer could take the visitor from the log building, through the doorway cut in the wall, directly into Washington's office.” (Lefkowitz p196) Lefkowitz speculates that the “arrival of important visitors probably required the aides to move their sleeping quarters out of the house to the log office building.” (p197) This is supported by McHenry’s poem which describes the aides waking up in a hut.

It’s quite plausible that the same happened at Valley Forge and that earlier on in the winter they slept in the second bedroom and latter moved to the log dining cabin to make room for guests. It’s also worth noting that Martha Washington had a sitting room at the Potts house which is described as being “near the small room” if you look at the floor plan this is clearly the ‘aides room’. So perhaps the aides were moved into the log cabin to make room for Mrs. Washington’s sitting room after her arrival.

So while it seems likely that Hamilton and Laurens did share a cabin at Valley Forge, they were probably sharing it with 4-7 other men. It’s hardly the sexy scenario the article seems to imply.

But wait you might be saying, if we don’t necessarily know where the aides slept is it possible that Hamilton and Laurens shared a cabin just the two of them? The answer to that is yes, it’s certainly possible. Lefkowitz writes that it has been “speculated that a number of temporary huts were also built near the house to further accommodate the large headquarters staff. Evidence for the construction of a log building onto the back of the Potts house comes from the fact that a soldier named Gideon Savage kept a diary, which mentions that he worked at Washington's quarters for several days during mid January 1778. Savage worked as a carpenter before joining the army.”

The huts at Valley Forge were “fourteen by sixteen each—sides, ends and roofs made with logs, and the roof made tight with split slabs—or in some other way—the sides made tight with clay—fire-place made of wood and secured with clay on the inside eighteen inches thick, this fire-place to be in the rear of the hut—the door to be in the end next the street—the doors to be made of split oak-slabs, unless boards can be procured—Side-walls to be six and a half-feet high—” It was 12 enlisted men to a hut but officers would have less people per hut. So it’s possible that Laurens slept in the second bedroom with the other aides until mid January when these huts were supposedly built. When Hamilton arrived on the 20th on Jan he may have joined Laurens in the hut.

However even if we assume this was the case, space was tight and platonic bed sharing was a normal thing in America at the time. It was not uncommon for complete strangers of the same sex to share a bed together at an Inn if there was little space. A custom that was not appreciated by many European visitors. In 1816 Lt. John Le Couteur, a British army officer and Captain George Thew Burke traveled through New York together, Le Couteur complained in his diary:

There was only one spare bed, a small one, which of course I insisted Burke should take. The Yankee Landlord wished me to take half of it as a matter of course but I said: "we Britishers were particular on that pint.' ''Then,'' said mine host, "I guess if you don't chuse to take half a bed with some one, you'll jist sleep in a cheer [chair] or by the kitchen fire'

Another example of this cultural difference can be found in this amusing anecdote from Pierre Du Ponceau’s autobiography:

One evening at an Inn in Virginia, a Frenchman and a Virginian were discussing about the manners of their respective countries. The American exclaimed violently against the horrid custom of the French of kissing one another at meeting and parting. The Frenchman made no answer, but as it was late, he took his candle and went up to bed. He was soon followed by the Virginian who after undressing came to take his place in the same bed with his companion "Stop, Sir," said the Frenchman, "that won't do—I shall kiss you as much as you please, but by Jupiter, I'll not sleep with you."

However bed sharing was not always merely an act of necessity, E. Anthony Rotundo explains in his article on romantic friendship:

Perhaps it is not too much to suggest that in an era before central heating, the body warmth of an already beloved bedmate may have been so welcome as to be a source of emotional as well as physical pleasure. This was, after all, a culture that fervently contrasted the secure and cozy warmth of home with the coldness of a cruel and heartless world outside... A bed, when shared with a special person, could become a nest of intimacy, a place of casual touch and confidential talk.

Once we recognize that this possibility of intimacy in bed could exist in an era when men slept together as a casual occurrence, then we can see the spectrum of meanings that attached to the act of sharing a bed - a spectrum that spread out from the incidental (and often annoying) contact of strange bedfellows, to the body warmth of fond brothers, to the embraces of Wyck Vanderhoef and James Blake, and on to the loving kisses of Albert Dodd and Anthony Halsey. 

So while sharing a bed may be an emotionally and even physically intimate experience for Hamilton and Laurens it’s unlikely anyone would have thought twice about Hamilton and Laurens sharing a bed let alone a cabin. In fact it’s likely they would have been required to share sleeping quarters (and possibly even a bed at times) due to lack of space.

So while it’s possible that Hamilton and Laurens may have shared a cabin a Valley Forge, and its certainly likely Washington would have been aware of his aides sleeping quarters, the idea that Washington gave them a cabin to share and that this is somehow proof of him being super gay friendly seems like a bit of a misapprehension to me.

TL;DR: It’s very likely Hamilton and Laurens shared sleeping quarters at Valley Forge, and Washington would have almost certainly been aware of that. However they probably did not have their own quarters (just the two of them) and even if they did it would not be considered unusual for them to share the same sleeping quarters or even the same bed. If Washington was aware of a sexual relationship between Hamilton and Laurens he (as far as I’m aware) left no evidence of that knowledge.

[100thregimentoffoot-blog]

One of the original 100th!

Captain George Thew Burke was born in 1776 in the County of Tipperary. The son of Roman Catholic gentry, he renounced his faith and found a position as an ensign in the Irish Fencibles. After serving in Egypt in 1799, he returned to Ireland and purchased a Captaincy in the 100th Regiment, managing a fair portion of the recruiting. He served with distinction in the War of 1812 and continued building his community until his death.