My Brother Sam is Dead E-book Preview

Here is a preview of my latest e-book-The Complete Guide to My Brother Sam is Dead

From the Chapter-
Real Life vs. Events Fictionalized in My Brother Sam is Dead
This chapter points out real life people and events vs. My Brother Sam is Dead people and events. I do this using quotes that come directly from the novel; below the quotes are the historical facts these quotes are based on.



My Brother Sam is Dead Chapter Two:

Tim: "Redding was divided into two-parts: Redding Center and Redding Ridge"

In Real Life:

Redding was divided and the Ridge is as Tim describes it. The "empty field" he mentions still exists today, as does the Christ Church Episcopal. As described in length in the Chapters of this book, Redding had Presbyterians (Congregationalists) and Anglicans (Episcopalians). The Anglicans did settle heavily on Redding Ridge, but there were also Congregationalists among them.

In 1771 the Rev. John Beach writes:

"In Reading (Redding), my hearers are about 300. There is a meeting of Presbyterians about two and a half miles from our Church, in which the congregation is not so large as ours. In a manner, all…who live near the Church join with us."

In the present day, there are four sections that make up Redding: Georgetown, Redding Center, Redding Ridge, West Redding.


Tim: "Redding Ridge being a small place I knew everybody there - all the kids, and Tom Warrups and Ned, the Starr's black man."

In Real Life:

I'd call it a stretch to see Tom Warrup in church but it plays well in the story. Charles Burr Todd, author of Redding's only published history, described Tom as "a worthless, shiftless fellow, who lived chiefly by begging" Kind of rough but he did preface it with "except in war".

The Rev. John Beach does write that he has converted a good number of slaves in Newtown and Redding so it is plausible that Ned would attend church. Ned was the property of Redding Ridge resident, Seth Samuel Smith, and was killed by British soldiers during the 1777 raid of Danbury. Apparently, Ned was among a group of patriot defenders who stayed behind and opened fire on British troops from a house in Danbury owned by Major Daniel Starr. Starr’s house was set ablaze and all inside were killed.

There are no official accounts of Ned being beheaded before the house was put to flame. That resulted from an investigation after the raid had taken place, at the request of S. Samuel Smith. Mr. Smith was required to provide a report of Ned's death with witnesses in order to be compensated for his lost "property". It is in this petition that the accounts of Ned's decapitation surface and provide the view point and events that Tim witnesses in my brother Sam is dead.


Tim: "Church was practically the only time we ever saw some of the farmers from farther out in the parish - places like Umpawaug. They wanted to keep up with the news…"

In Real Life:

The colonists in rural locations, like Redding, Connecticut, relied heavily on "hear-say" for general topics, and when it came to issues of importance in most cases it was the opinions of their preachers and ministers that held the most weight.

Umpawaug still exists in present day Redding. It is said to have Native American origins and mean: "Land above the river." The Saugatuck River runs along the eastern border of the Umpawaug district.


Tim: "Her grandfather was Colonel Read, Her father was Colonel Read's son, Zalmon Read."

In Real Life:

Colonel Read was John Read #2. Captain of Redding's first militia organized in 1739, he was Major of the 4th Connecticut Regiment in 1753, Lieutenant Colonial of the 13th Connecticut Regiment in 1757 and in the same year appointed Colonel of the 4th Connecticut Regiment. He resigned his militia commission in the Revolution due to advanced age, but served as Justice of the Peace in cases of confiscated loyalist properties.

Zalmon Read was Captain of the 10th Company, 5th Connecticut Regiment in 1757, which marched to Canada and engaged in battles at St. Johns and Montreal during the French and Indian War. Capt. Zalmon also assembled and led Redding's militia to Weston to unsuccessfully challenge Tryon's British troops as they marched toward Danbury on April 26, 1777. Zalmon and his brother Hezekiah later converted to the Anglican faith; Zalmon moved to Bedford, New York after the Revolution, Hezekiah remained in Redding and was a major landholder.


Sam: "This is Tory Country. Father, Mr. Beach, the Lyons, the Couches - most of them in our church are Tories. And they think it's the same everywhere, but it isn't."

In Real Life:

Tories or loyalists did live in Redding and Southwestern Connecticut was considered Tory Country. However, if you review town records during the war they are filled with entries in support of the war not against the war and for this reason I'd consider Redding to be Patriot Country.

Several members of both Redding's militia's (East & West) comprised The 10th Company, 5th Connecticut Regiment, which joined other colonial militias for the Invasion of Canada in June/July 1775.

Redding's West Company militia assembled, marched and fought in the Battle of Long Island, the Battle of White Plains and the Battle of Fort Washington in 1776.

The first action of the town officials in regard to the war is found in the records of a town meeting held on April 2, 1777, when a committee was appointed "to hire a number of soldiers to serve in the Continental Army." It was also voted that the "sum or sums said committee promise to or do pay to those soldiers…be paid by town rates, and the Selectmen are ordered to and desired to make a rate to collect the money." In the same meeting a committee was also appointed "to take care of the families of those soldiers that are in service of their country."

For more examples of the real life people and historic events used in the historical fiction novel- My Brother Sam is Dead, download my e-book The Complete Guide to My Brother Sam is Dead at Amazon.com