#if i ignore it it didn’t happen

[pub-lius]

Hyper niche question for my autism warrior: What was the perception of aide-de-camps during the AmRev like? I assume it would be viewed as a softer position - though of course, the extent would vary depending who your CO was - but many did see action and a few were reassigned so they could fight

Hey y’all… how y’all doing… i know its been yet another period of many moons since ive posted or answered (i hope this information is still relevant btw), but ive had a lot going on with getting a job, finding colleges, my mommy issues, travel, etc. anyway, im back, and im here to tell you about my main men

It actually was not viewed as a softer position at all! The station of aide-de-camp was highly desirable for several reasons, which i will describe approximately right now

1) people had to compliment you a LOT to get in

Most of the results I got from my research on this ask were letters of recommendation for potential aides-de-camp. Letters of recommendation were high honors for any station, especially for that of a military capacity. According to my favorite source on the American Revolution (which you should know by now), George Washington’s Indispensable Men by Arthur S. Lefkowitz, it was practically impossible to get a job as an aide-de-camp if you did not have a widely positive reputation or a letter of recommendation from someone reputable (or both if you wanted to clerk for the Commander-in-Chief).

I found one letter of recommendation from j*hn ad*ms that i think serves as a very good example of the sort of statements that could land you a seat at a Continental officer’s writing desk:

“There is another Gentleman of liberal Education and real Genius, as well as great Activity, who I find is a Major in the Army; his Name is Jonathan Williams Austin. I mention him, sir, not for the Sake of recommending him to any particular Favour, as to give the General an opportunity of observing a youth of great abilities, and of reclaiming him from certain Follies, which have hitherto, in other Departments of Life obscurd him.”

-John Adams to George Washington, June 19-20, 1775, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Founders Online, Washington Papers)

Those are my italics btw. These compliments are carefully chosen to suit the honor culture that was so pervasive throughout the 18th century and first half of the 19th century. A liberal education at the time was very hard to come by, and would be of great importance in a clerical position. Great activity also helps, because you dont want some lazy ass writing to Congress under your name, or god forbid George Washington himself, you might get hung (not really). The mention of youth is also intentional, since young men have always been preyed upon by the military. I think it’s especially noteworthy the final phrase of “reclaiming him from certain Follies”, which indicates that he might have previously had a negative reputation- whether it was warranted or not, im not sure.

2) the pay was fucking fire

For this we’re going to be utilizing my super amazing math scores that im renown for throughout the math community (yall dont know about my math tumblr), and we’re going to be using Alexander Hamilton as our lab rat, as per usual.

Alexander Hamilton joined Washington’s staff in early 1777 where a regular aide-de-camp (not a military secretary) made $33 dollars a month, which averages to about $1.10 a day. Meanwhile, according to the University of Missouri, the highest paid laborer in Massachusetts in the same year made $0.50 a day, which is about $15 a month, others making as little as about $0.22 a day, so around $7 a month. If you’re looking for ratios, by the end of the war, a pound of raisins was around $0.30. So, the highest paid Massachusetts laborer could save up every paycheck from 1777 to 1782 and buy 324 pounds of raisins, and Alexander fucking Hamilton could waltz up next to him and buy 712.8 pounds of raisins and rub it in his sad, poor face. And he wouldn’t even share because he was a congressman by that time and congressmen HATE THE POOR.

Disclaimer: Hamilton’s numbers dont include the time he quit the office bc I didn’t feel like googling how long he was away for and also i dont care. And yeah he probably would share his raisins with the guy, Hamilton was pretty nice, but i dont think he’d buy 712.8 pounds of raisins in Massachusetts anyway. Or maybe he would, I dont fucking know, stop asking me questions

3) it gave you a lot of street cred

There are many instances of aides-de-camps rising to higher status after their service, but i dont give a fuck about those nerds going into politics and law and stuff.

Most people now only know about Washington’s aides (or if you’re really autistic you know Lafayette’s too), but at the time, being an ADC to any general would get you fairly well known in society. General Sullivan’s aides seem to have been pretty well known and admired, as they are frequently mentioned in John Adams’ correspondence with other congressmen, as well as that of Benjamin Franklin with French diplomats all the way across the Atlantic.

But I imagine you’re also wondering (or at least i am) about what the everyday enlisted man thought of the ADCs, and that answer doesn’t really change. Of course, the men sitting out in the rain and mud without food for the past week are going to be envious of the guys who get to sleep in a house, but their quarters weren’t the most comfortable either. Aides-de-camp were probably the most connected out of the disconnected officers, if that makes sense. They weren’t fraternizing with the enlisted, but they were seen by them more frequently than the generals, and they were the ones advocating for the needs of the enlisted men. Even if they didn’t have any battle experience whatsoever (which really was never the case, i cant think of an aide who WOULDNT have seen battle), they would still be respected by the men as hardworkers and the only people who might actually get them food and clothes.

Thank you for the ask! I really enjoyed researching it and my family had a great time joking about me hunched over my ipad reading through the national archives while we all watched jeopardy, misspelling like every other word because its hard to type on an ipad. Im going to try to be more active, so please feel free to send further questions! I forgot how cathartic research is for me so id be very happy to do more. I have one more ask in my inbox i’ll try to get done sometime in the next few days. Love yall!

[knight-princess]

Boorman: “Graydon, do magic!”

Graydon: “Oh right I’m a sorcerer.”

Love him

[rozugold]

Tommy but he’s a bit older :]

[zvmz]

Making ratatouille rn 👩🏼‍🍳🐀

[squids-and-waffles7]

what if belos makes another grimwalker?

[ ID: A digital comic featuring the main cast from The Owl House, all in their post Thanks to Them designs. In the first panel on the first page, from left to right, Gus, Amity, Hunter, Willow, Luz, and Camila are standing, facing off against an unseen Belos. Hunter is in the very back, with Gus and Luz more to the front, and everyone else is somewhere in the middle.  Luz is holding glyphs out, the top of her face obscured by the panel. She says, “End of the line, Belos. There’s nothing else you can do.” Clouds float by in the background. In the second panel, everyone is posed the same way, except it’s zoomed in on Hunter this time. He has a shocked/confused expression on his face. He whispers, “is that..?” Meanwhile, an (again) unseen Belos says, “ Oh Luz, you really are a fool. You didn’t think I would have anything else up my sleeve? Why do you think I sent Hunter on all those supply missions?”  The third panel is a close up shot of Hunter’s eyes, which are brown. He looks shocked and confused. The text around him says, “The Selkidomus scales.... Those Galdorstones...” Belos continues talking, as the dialouge in the bottom says, “I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet. Especially after he betrayed me.” End of Page One.

In the first panel on the second page, a masked golden guard can be seen stepping out of the dark, hand on his mask. A partially obscured Belos in his monster form lurks in the background, head obscured. His hands are on both side of the golden guard, almost like he’s presenting him. Belos continues to speak, as the text on the left reads, “What a shame, really.” The right side reads, “... But, Oh well. I can always do it again.”

The second panel on the second page is a closeup shot of the new golden guard’s eyes, which are the magenta/pink colour hunter used to have. This grimwalker looks ahead, eyebrows furrowed. He has a birthmark on his left cheek and a light scar across his nose, similar to Phillip’s in Elsewhere and Elsewhen. The text below it reads, with Belos still speaking, “... Do tell me though, Hunter.” With a crossed out/ glitched “Caleb” before the word Hunter.

In the last panel on the second page, the new golden guard can be seen from the waist up, wearing Hunter’s old golden guard uniform. He holds Hunter’s old staff, looking ahead determinedly. Belos’ hand rests on his right shoulder, with a looming Belos over his left shoulder in the background. Belos’ head is obscured except for his mouth, which appears to be an almost smile. He says in the text below the panel, “How does it feel to be replaced?” End ID.]

[hannahhasafact]

Hey hi hello I didn’t take any good pictures of it but please appreciate my Imelda Pulse cosplay that I spent a lot of time on okay thanks

[ask-the-colony-tree-siblings]

For Enot

Why do other slugcats find your markings strange? I find them quite charming and interesting

Inv: Well… technically no Slugcat has ever told me that my appearance is strange, but… 

Inv: But…

Young Inv: Maybe I’ll run away! I can find some Slugcat parents who will want me, and I’ll never have to see you again!

Iterator: Oh, Inverted.

Iterator: You will never be accepted as one of your kind.

Iterator: You think other Slugcats will welcome you into their colonies? You are not like them. They will see you as nothing but a freak. They will drive you out, or, more likely, kill you in disgust and fear. 

Young Inv: B-But-

Iterator: And they will hate my little Saint even more.

Iterator: Would you leave them behind, or take them to be slaughtered alongside you? 

Iterator: Whine as you might, you are better off here, with me. I could banish you from my can, but I am choosing to keep you and my little Saint safe. 

Iterator: Nobody else would ever want you. 

Inv: …

Inv: Thanks for saying you think my markings look cool!

Oooookaaaayyyyy, that got a lil darker then intended lol. Inv flashback time, yay!

Yeah, Inv and Saint haven’t actually been told by Slugcats that their appearances make them freaks, it was their creator. Their creator is… not a very nice Iterator, let alone parent.

[chirpsythismorning]

“Mike said his life started the day he found El in the woods, which was technically the following night. What he said had nothing to do with offending Will because he went missing the day before.”

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

mdzs tumblr post au but it’s just “what were you doing at the devil’s sacrament” (nightless city)

[foxytonic]

Not to be Naruto posting on main in 2024, but polyamory could have fixed them, actually.

[cyle-stuff]

Yo forget about this poll I made!

The gay shit is actually happening!

I’m still surprise that they animated the hand holding, I didn’t think they would

But they did!!

[evansbby]

my opinion on the Blake lively situation

[benevolentspidey]

okay wait FUCK okay no listen

i just got the run down for the last chapter of mha and i was low key so heartbroken when izuku talked about how he hasn’t seen much of the class since graduation???? we’re at 8 years later???

like screaming sobbing rip my heart out

but he probably didn’t see them much because they were all taking every available mission/patrol/shift WHATEVER they could take to make enough money to fund his support item and i just :’((

[zeb-z]

Etoiles, bitter and resentful, still trying to be kind and still looking out for Bad, wondering where the justice is that he’s forgotten purgatory. Roier beyond angry, pissed, furious, breaking the stone of his basement and wondering just why everyone else seems to have forgotten purgatory. Red team with the only confirmed missing members, who grew to rely on eachother, now separated, while Bad, their biggest aggressor and source of trauma, gets to get off like nothing happened. Gets to walk around with his son. Gets to visit them all and start casual conversation as if purgatory never happened. But it did, and he can’t, not with Roier. Who tries to shoo Bad away, encourages him to drink lava. Not with Etoiles, who while he’s patient and seemingly gentle, keeps constantly reminding him about his actions in purgatory. Maybe with Phil, who’s tried since the beginning to be the one above it all, the bloodshed and the fallout.

I dunno. something about how Cellbit and Foolish haven’t returned, and Roier is taking care of another kid, and Baghera is gone and Etoiles just has to carry on with his duties in the resistance, and Max is dead and the island doesn’t even know, and their kids are all in a coma except for Dapper, who sticks with his father, and the rest of blue team don’t seem to be stuck with the anger and misery, don’t seem to remember purgatory like they do. red team won, and they’re the ones who lost the most. red team won, and they’re the ones who cannot move on, who will not move on, as much as the island wants them to. something about trauma, and the rage that comes with the aftermath, when people try to return to normal, because how can you act like nothing happened when we’re still without our family, our loved ones, how dare you act like nothing happened when it did happen, and we’re still suffering for it?

[ursie]

Something something about how the fandom is both villainizing Ashton/Taliesin and infantizing Fearne/Ashley even though Fearne/Ashley are grown women who did in fact choose to not have the shard and thought it should go to Ashton and said so both in this ep and in 4 sided dive (which some of you would know if you actually watched it)