[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 2, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E510]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN GLOVER AND CALLING FOR THE PRESERVATION 
          OF THE GLOVER FARMHOUSE IN SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SETH MOULTON

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 2, 2026

  Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary 
service and enduring legacy of Brigadier General John Glover of 
Massachusetts, one of the indispensable military leaders of the 
American Revolutionary War, and to call attention to the urgent need to 
preserve General Glover's historic farmhouse in Swampscott, 
Massachusetts.
  Before the Revolution, John Glover was a merchant, mariner, and 
civic-minded citizen of Marblehead whose life reflected industry, 
modesty, and devotion to community. During the struggle for 
independence, he became one of General George Washington's most trusted 
and indispensable officers. Through courage, discipline, and unmatched 
maritime skill, General Glover helped secure the survival of the 
Continental Army and thereby the cause of American liberty itself.
  General Glover commanded the famed Marblehead Regiment, often known 
as the ``Marblehead Mariners,'' a force composed largely of fishermen, 
sailors, and tradesmen drawn from the port community of Marblehead. At 
a time when prejudice and rigid social divisions characterized much of 
colonial society, Glover organized and led a regiment in which men of 
differing racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds served together in a 
common cause. Contemporary accounts reflect that African Americans and 
indigenous Americans served alongside men of European ancestry within 
his command. Glover valued seamanship, discipline, courage, and 
technical competence above social standing or background, establishing 
a model of unity in service that was far ahead of its time.
  General Glover's military achievements altered the course of the 
Revolutionary War. Following the disastrous Battle of Long Island in 
August 1776, it was Glover and his Marblehead Mariners whose skill and 
discipline enabled General Washington and the Continental Army to 
escape across the East River under cover of darkness, preserving the 
American cause at one of its gravest moments. Just months later, on 
Christmas night of 1776, Glover and his regiment again changed history 
by ferrying Washington's forces across the ice-filled Delaware River, 
enabling the successful surprise attack at Trenton that revived the 
hopes of the Revolution.
  Glover's service extended far beyond these celebrated moments. He 
played a critical role in the Saratoga campaign, served with 
distinction at Rhode Island and Valley Forge, and supervised the 
construction of strategic fortifications in New York at General 
Washington's direction. Equally significant was Glover's pioneering 
integration of maritime and land operations. His coordination of troop 
movement, logistics, navigation, amphibious maneuver, and naval support 
anticipated the modern doctrine of joint military operations employed 
by the Armed Forces of the United States today.
  General Glover's contributions to American naval development were 
profound. In 1775, he outfitted vessels for privateering against 
British shipping, and General Washington chartered Glover's schooner 
Hannah, which many historians regard as the first armed vessel of what 
became the Continental Navy. Through his strategic understanding of 
waterways and amphibious warfare, Glover established principles that 
would later become foundational to American naval and Marine Corps 
operations.
  General Glover also demonstrated devotion to the welfare of his 
community before and during the Revolution. In the years preceding 
independence, he and his brother helped establish an inoculation 
hospital on what is now Children's Island to combat the spread of 
smallpox and protect the people of their region.
  Despite these extraordinary contributions to the founding of the 
United States, the farmhouse to which General Glover retired after his 
service now faces the danger of demolition. This historic structure 
stands not merely as a building, but as a tangible connection to one of 
the architects of American independence and to the ideals of unity, 
courage, and innovation that shaped our Nation.
  The preservation of General Glover's farmhouse would honor not only 
one man, but also the diverse regiment he led and the enduring American 
principle that achievement and patriotism transcend race, class, and 
creed. Future generations deserve the opportunity to learn from this 
legacy and to understand how leadership, sacrifice, and cooperation 
helped secure the liberties we cherish today.
  Accordingly, I urge all interested parties, preservation 
organizations, public officials, and citizens to work together to 
preserve the Glover farmhouse as a permanent historic memorial to 
Brigadier General John Glover and the Marblehead Mariners. The legacy 
of John Glover is inseparable from the legacy of the United States 
itself, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure that this chapter of 
American history is neither forgotten nor destroyed, especially this 
year.

                          ____________________