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The plan
of
British defenses on the north side of Philadelphia in 1778 was drawn by Colonel Lewis
Nicola, an original member of the Pennsylvania Cincinnati. Colonel Nicola, a
professional
soldier, translator of military texts and engineer, was Philadelphia Town Mayor. He
was
commissioned Col. of the Invalid Corps by Congress on June 23, 1777. This unit,
originated
by him, was made up of men fit only for limited service -- the progenitor of World War
II's Coast Guard Reserve.
When the British occupied Philadelphia, Congress ordered Col. Nicola's unit, then at
Fort
Mifflin, to Allentown, PA, as a guard for the Army Hospitals and Stores.
Unique as his contributions were to the war, he is best remembered for his letter to Washington in May, 1782, suggesting Washington make
himself
a king.
Nicola was a member of the American Philosophical Society.
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