ODE TO CHRISTOPHER LUDWICK, MASTER BAKER OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY

Historian Shawn McGhee, PhD, will be the featured speaker at the April 22 Annual Meeting of the Gloucester County Historical Society, where he will detail the life and times of Christopher Ludwick, the baker of George Washington's Continental Army. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Historical Society Library at 17 Hunter Street, Woodbury. Admission is free.

McGhee, an Adjunct Professor of History at Moore College of Art & Design, is a noted historian of the American Revolution and author of the recently published book, No Longer Subjects of the British King: The Political Transformation of Royal Subjects to Republican Citizens, 1774-1776.

Christopher Ludwick was a German-born immigrant, master baker, and patriot whose skills fed the American Revolution in a very literal way. Appointed by George Washington as the first and only Baker General of the Continental Army, Ludwick was responsible for organizing the large-scale production of bread for thousands of soldiers, a critical but often overlooked element of military survival.

More than a supplier, he was also entrusted by Washington with a diplomatic mission to persuade disaffected German mercenaries, known as Hessians, to abandon the British cause.

Remembered for combining practical ingenuity, personal integrity, and deep commitment to the revolutionary cause, Ludwick stands as a remarkable example of how immigrants and ordinary tradesmen helped sustain the fight for American independence.

Organization: Gloucester County Historical Society Museum

Contact: Jordan Orensky

E-mail: museumcoordinator@gchsnj.org

Event Location: Gloucester County Historical Society Library, 17 Hunter Street in Woodbury

Google Map: https://bit.ly/gchs-museum

Geo Coordinates: 39.83967,-75.15195