JOURNAL ARTICLE

Testing the Limits of Freedom: The Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion and the Prospect Hill Mutiny.

  • Published In: Journal of America's Military Past, 2025, v. 50, n. 2. P. 12 1 of 3

  • Database: America: History and Life with Full Text 2 of 3

  • Authored By: McIntyre, James R. 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the Prospect Hill Mutiny, which occurred on September 11, 1775, involving members of Captain Ross's company from Thompson's Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion. The mutiny arose when soldiers attempted to free a comrade held for insubordination, reflecting their localist conception of freedom and resistance to military discipline. The intervention of prominent figures such as George Washington and Nathanael Greene ultimately quelled the uprising, leading to the loss of the riflemen's special status and respect within the Continental Army. The article explores the underlying causes of the mutiny, including the inexperience of officers, cultural influences from their home region, and the soldiers' struggle to reconcile personal freedom with military obligations. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of America's Military Past. 2025/04, Vol. 50, Issue 2, p12
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Arts and Entertainment
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:2771-5493
  • Accession Number:187511716
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of America's Military Past is the property of Council on America's Military Past, U.S.A., Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.