The 170th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps: First Marine Recruiting Office Was In Philadelphia Tavern

The 170th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps brought to life much about its history and origins in the 1700s. This is the text of an article I found originally published in the Honolulu Advertiser on November 10, 1945:

First Marine Recruiting Office Was In Philadelphia Tavern

Tun Tavern in 1775 was a prominent Philadelphia hostelry on the east side of King (Water) St., at the corner of a small thoroughfare known as Tun Alley that led down to the Delaware River.

The historic resolution which brought the Corps of Marines into existence was passed by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on November 10, 1775. Capt. Samuel Nicholas, named commandant of the corps, immediately established a recruiting rendezvous in the popular tavern and chose as his first recruiting officer big-fisted Robert Mullen, the proprietor.

Captain Nicholas instructed his recruiting chief to accept only candidates who were of “dependable and religious nature combined with proper robustness of body.”

To this were added other qualifications: a man had to be at least five feet four inches tall, between the ages of 18 and 40 years, a native-born American or if foreign-born a settled resident with family; he could not be a deserter from the British army, a vagabond, or “person suspected of being an enemy to the liberty of America.”

Lured Recruits
These limitations by no means meant that recruiting was merely a screening process. Suitable recruits were sorely needed and many devices and inducements were used to bring them in.

Lures of prize-money, advance money, expense money, bounties, pensions and promises of ample “grog,” adventure and glory were dangled before prospective volunteers. Handbills were distributed, glowing advertisements were put in the newspapers and vigorous broadsides were displayed in every tavern.

Drum Parades
Headed by drum, fife and colors, recruiting parties in brilliant uniforms marched up and down the streets to attract men thirsting for distinction and military excitement. At intervals and party, followed by a crowd, would pause to enable an officer to orate on patriotism and the cause of liberty.

“Drumming up” recruits was practically a literal term. The educated hands of the marine drummers beat hard and ceaselessly on instruments larger than snare-drums of today, and on each of which was emblazoned a coiled rattlesnake about to strike with the motto, “Don’t Tread on Me!” under it.

Inevitably the paraders ended at Tun Tavern accompanied by a queue of patriots who had decided to become marines. There the volunteers signed enlistment papers and a toast was drunk in their honor.

Officers were prohibited from enlisting a drunken man or from swearing in an applicant until 24 hours had elapsed from the time he signed his enlistment.

Occasionally recruits were advanced as much as one month’s pay, but usually only $2. (Recruiting officers were allowed two dollars expense money for each recruit.) The pay of a private was less than an ordinary seaman. A marine had to sign up for three years while a seaman was asked to sign for only one.

Press Ridicule
Efficient recruiting sergeants were hard to obtain, as the army offered a large inducement bounty to them. Editors of anti-military publications constantly sought to discourage volunteers by ridiculing men in uniform as ‘hired assassins and cutthroats.”

Despite these handicaps, the marines succeeded in enlisting their quota of loyal and courageous fighting men –those men who captured the British forts at New Providence in a daring amphibious operation, the men who fought with John Paul Jones, with Washington crossing the Delaware into New Jersey, and in other great victories of the Revolutionary War.

Tun Tavern no longer stands, but it has been commemorated by a bronze tablet on the site which reads: “This tablet marks the site of Tun Tavern, the birthplace of the United States Marine Corps. Here in 1775 Captain Samuel Nicholas, the first marine officer, opened a recruiting rendezvous for the marine battalions authorized by a resolution of the Continental Congress, November 10, 1775.”