tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70558282000513185612024-03-17T07:53:20.037-04:00American Revolution PodcastA Chronological Journey through the Revolutionary WarMichael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-69144682524824924732024-03-17T03:00:00.001-04:002024-03-17T03:00:00.145-04:00ARP303 John's Island<p> Last week we covered the continued fighting in South Carolina following the surrender of the main British army in the south under General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. In South Carolina, General Nathanael Greene and the militia under General Francis Marion were pushing the British into an ever-shrinking circle around Charleston. The new British commander in Charleston, General Alexander Leslie, was consolidating his forces as best he could to hold onto whatever parts of the state that he could.</p><p>Both sides remained concerned that some peace settlement might rely on what territories armies held at the time, meaning that forcing the British out of Charleston entirely would help to ensure recognition of South Carolina’s independence.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Return of Sumter & Laurens</h2><p>With word of the victory at Yorktown, General Thomas Sumter returned to Greene’s camp. Recall that back in Episode 292, General Sumter had tried to disband his militia army and personally traveled back to North Carolina. Part of this was Sumter’s anger at orders from Greene and Governor Rutledge to stop the looting of loyalist properties, which Sumter relied on to pay his army. Part of this was capturing slaves that belonged to loyalists to pay his soldiers for continued service. </p><p>The general had also ticked off Marion and his militia as well as Greene for his poor leadership at Quinby’s Bridge. So with most people unhappy with him, as he was with them, Sumter tried to disband his army and go home, at least for a short timeout.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThomasSumterByRembrandtPeale.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamuIIA0vhtkL18Ek9mxOqt-dYPZao4e-tYZzXzHHxzvDn2tVAJ77EQMKL2gNCzw7PpTwBH0XYXtg_U5451TmgnMCMZ2lzeOfpmX9oD6aGLN13oKS-xlmz86DLIAqI7oHEqlfjpm80gk1liij9xdHkBU1dzfv-1KW9CKSqzmbU-VGrmeIFzw03GcgRrQ/w161-h200/ThomasSumter.jpg" width="161" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThomasSumterByRembrandtPeale.jpg" target="_blank">Thomas Sumter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>After Sumter’s departure, General Greene and Governor Rutledge had put Francis Marion in charge of most of the militia. Sumter, who was more senior to Marion, could reasonably reclaim command of the militia, but with everyone annoyed at him, no one else wanted that to happen. Greene avoided a major political fight by giving Sumter and Marion separate commands. Greene was moving Marion’s men to the area around Charleston, especially to the south, where they wanted to prevent any British overland travel between Charleston and Savannah, as well as making it more difficult for the British to forage in those areas. <p></p><p>Greene tasked Sumter with keeping a lid on the Tory activity around Orangeburg, to the northwest of Charleston. There was still a large German speaking loyalist population there that required continued monitoring so that they did not regroup and try to cause more problems. This was also during this time in late November that William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham was wreaking havoc in the area. Sumter was tasked with taking on that as well, working with General Andrew Pickens to take out Cunningham and his loyalists.</p><p>The other key officer returning to South Carolina in late 1781 was Colonel John Laurens. Since he was a Continental officer, he came under the direct command of General Greene. But Laurens was more than just a colonel. He was the son of the former president of the Continental Congress, Henry Laurens - who headed one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in South Carolina. Colonel Laurens had recently completed a diplomatic mission to France to obtain more French assistance for the Continental Army. Colonel Laurens had been General Washington’s aide for many years, and was close friends with the Marquis de Lafayette and Alexander Hamilton. His political connections made him far more important than his rank.</p><p>Laurens had returned from France in time to rejoin the Continental army for the Yorktown Campaign. He personally led a regiment in the final assault on Redoubt #10 at Yorktown and was then part of the negotiating team that accepted Cornwallis’ surrender. Cornwallis, in addition to his military title, held the position as constable of the Tower of London - where Laurens’ father was currently a prisoner. So Laurens had effectively captured his father’s jailer. </p><p>Following the surrender at Yorktown, tried to get approval to exchange Cornwallis for his father. That was still undecided when Washington left Yorktown for Philadelphia, and Laurens finally returned to South Carolina. After his arrival in early December, Laurens began to push for political changes, in addition to his military service.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Garden’s Plantation</h2><p>Laurens began working with Marion’s efforts south of Charleston. He combined forces with Light Horse Harry Lee’s legion. Colonel Lee had also just recently returned, after a trip to Virginia that lasted about two months. Greene had sent Lee back to Virginia in September, hoping that Lee could persuade Washington to send more reinforcements to South Carolina. That mission was largely unsuccessful, but it did allow Lee to observe the end of the Yorktown campaign, and allowed him to be present at the Cornwallis’ surrender. His legion set up camp at McQueens Plantation, just west of Charleston, with an eye toward taking John’s Island, just south of the city.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Willson_Peale_-_John_Laurens_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="682" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KS6qmUoQhfU/YFx8m1U7rZI/AAAAAAAAciE/GYOVNS50eFgXTtdbwns2GpYj42UOqJPhwCPcBGAYYCw/w151-h200/John_Laurens-Peale.jpg" width="151" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Willson_Peale_-_John_Laurens_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" target="_blank">John Laurens</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>He was close enough to Charleston that he could see what was happening there. He also had several conflicts with loyalist militia. On December 19th, a company of Lee’s soldiers under the command of Captain James Armstrong attacked a loyalist company under the command of Captain Ludwig Kienen, killing several and taking the rest prisoner, including Captain Kienen.</p><p>The following day, Captain Armstrong was waiting to meet a spy at the Garden’s Plantation when he spotted another company of loyalists. This time, the enemy was a company of New York provincials commanded by Major John Coffin. </p><p>A native of Boston, Coffin was a loyalist who joined the British army in time to fight at Bunker Hill. By 1777, he had risen to major, commanding loyalist volunteers from New York. Coffin and his New York volunteers had been deployed south, where they saw considerable action in South Carolina and Georgia.</p><p>Commanders in Charleston had tasked Coffin with tracking down the rebels who had captured Captain Kienen the day before. When Coffin’s provincials saw the enemy, they withdrew. Armstrong’s patriot militia gave chase. </p><p>The loyalist withdrawal had been an effort to draw the enemy into an ambush, which was successful. Captain Armstrong’s men quickly found themselves being attacked from all sides by a larger force. Armstrong charged at the enemy, but they did not break. Armstrong’s company was cut down, with the men killed or captured. Armstrong’s horse fell and a loyalist soldier took him prisoner. The loyalist had to fight off several of his own comrades to keep them from killing Armstrong. The following day, the loyalists exchanged Armstrong for the return of Captain Kienen.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Slaughter Field & Daufuskie Island</h2><p>As 1781 was coming to an end, the active skirmishing only continued. On December 23, a small militia company under the command of Captain Benjamin Oden was camped in a field northwest of Blackville, about a day’s march from Orangeburg. A group of loyalists attacked in a pre-dawn raid, killing sixteen men and forcing the rest to scatter. The dead and dying were left in the field for several days, giving it the name Slaughter Field. </p><p>Another terrible story of attacks and revenge was unfolding further to the south. Near the southern tip of South Carolina, a local patriot militia held Hilton Head Island. Just to the south on Daufuskie Island, a loyalist regiment held sway.</p><p>In late December, a group of loyalists under the command of Captain Philip Martinangel crossed the water over to Hilton Head to ambush a patriot militia officer, Captain Ambrose Davant. The loyalists caught Devant riding near his plantation and shot him. The wounded patriot was able to escape and ride to a neighbor’s plantation. His wound was mortal and he soon died, but not before telling friends that Martinagel’s loyalists had shot him.</p><p>Davant’s friend Captain John Leacraft, organized a retaliatory raid. His patriots crossed over to Daufuskie Island in search of Martinangel. They found him on Christmas night in bed. According to one account, Martinangel was sleeping with his infant daughter next to him. They slit his throat, killing him without waking his daughter. The daughter awoke later from the feel of her father’s blood all over her. Her screams alerted the servants. </p><p>Incidents like these were happening all over South Carolina. Neighbors continued to attack neighbors often simply out of revenge. Loyalists were becoming increasingly desperate, while patriots were looking to end the violence of those who refused to accept the patriot victory.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Johns Island </h2><p>Greene’s main army was still trying to tighten the noose even further on the British in Charleston itself. Greene knew that the local skirmishing throughout the state would only end once the British were forced to abandon Charleston entirely.</p><p>Greene was still pushing to get an army large enough to take on Charleston directly, but in the meantime, focused on harassing British troops at the edges.</p><p>With Greene’s support, Colonels Laurens and Lee targeted Johns Island for their next attack. The island sat just south of Charleston. British ships protected the island. James Craig and the 82nd of Foot, which had recently evacuated Wilmington, had been assigned to protect the island. Craig had just received a promotion to lieutenant colonel and commanded a brigade of about 500 regulars and loyalists. The British used the island primarily to graze horses, as well as cattle needed to feed the garrison in Charleston.</p><p>The patriots did not have boats to cross over onto the island, but determined that there were a couple of times each month when the tide was low enough at night that they could cross over through waist high water to get to the island. The attack would be especially risky since the tide was only low enough for a few hours. The troops would have to cross, conduct their raid, then retreat back to the mainland before the water rose too high. Otherwise, they would find themselves trapped on the island.</p><p>The raiding force planned to cross on the night of December 28. The men got into position, but discovered there was another large British force on James Island. If the patriots attacked John’s Island, these reinforcements would leave them outnumbered and potentially trapped on the island. In the end, Lee and Laurens called off the attack.</p><p>They would have to wait another two weeks for the tides low enough at the right time of night to try again. On the night of January 12, 1782, they made their second attempt. This time, the main army under General Greene was camped nearby. It could cause a diversion in case the British tried to send reinforcements to John’s Island.</p><p>Laurens sent the first division under Lee’s command across the shallows at about 1:00 AM on the 13th. As they crossed silently, they could hear British soldiers on nearby gunboats calling out “all’s safe.” Laurens was supposed to oversee a second column under James Hamilton across the cut, but Hamilton’s division was missing. They finally showed up over an hour later, with Hamilton informing Laurens that their guide had abandoned them and they got lost. At this point, the tide was already beginning to rise. In a few hours it would be light. Lee’s division would be trapped on the island with too few men to engage the enemy. Laurens again called off the attack and recalled Lee’s division to the mainland.</p><p>After this attempt, the leadership decided that a land crossing dependent on the tide simply would not work. They decided they would have to attack with boats. To do that, they would need to drive off the British gunboats protecting the island. Greene brought up artillery to fire on the boats the following day. This resulted in a back and forth artillery duel, but the British boats refused to withdraw.</p><p>Hearing the artillery fire and fearing a full assault on the island, Colonel Craig opted to evacuate the island. His regulars and militia evacuated the island as the gunboats dueld with the Continentals. The following day, after the army had abandoned the island, the British gunboats also withdrew.</p><p>On the 15th, Laurens led a small force of cavalry and infantry onto the island, confirming the British camp had been abandoned. They managed to capture a few stragglers and a few supplies, but the enemy was gone. They did attack one British schooner loaded with most of the regimental supplies, but after a brief firefight, the schooner escaped.</p><p>Craig ended up moving his regulars to James Island within cannon shot of Charleston itself. With John’s Island abandoned, but too risky to hold, the Continentals also withdrew, leaving the island a no man’s land.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Videau’s Bridge </h2><p>To the north of Charleston, Greene relied on local militia to keep the British in check. General Marion spread out the militia in small groups to cover the area. Back in Charleston, British General Leslie believed that the small and scattered groups of militia would be vulnerable to attack. He deployed Major William Brereton, a British regular officer in command of provincial troops. </p><p>Brereton had come from an Irish family that had moved to England in the 1500’s. His ancestor and namesake had been a courtier to Henry VIII. His family had a long military tradition. His father and uncles had all been officers. One of his older brothers had been killed while serving under General Braddock at the battle of the Monongahela.</p><p>William had purchased his first commission at the age of 17 in 1769. By the time the Revolution began, he was a captain of a grenadier company. He served in the Philadelphia Campaign and purchased a promotion to major in April of 1781. He was a highly experienced officer, as were the men who served under him.</p><p>Brereton led a brigade which included his own regiment of regulars, as well as several smaller regiments of loyalist provincials, including the mounted NY Provincials under Major John Coffin. In all, Brereton had a force of about 360 men. HIs men crossed from Charleston onto Daniel’s Island to the north, searching for forage and any enemy that cared to take on their forces.</p><p>In response, Militia Colonel Richard Richardson, Jr. led a local militia to confront the enemy. Richardson’s father had been a prominent patriot who served in the government and also as a militia general. Richardson, Sr. had been captured at Charleston when the British invaded in 1780. After getting very ill, he was released on parole but died at home a few weeks later. You may recall in an earlier episode, I mentioned that Banastre Tarleton dug up Richardson’s body and desecrated it in an attempt to goad the patriots.</p><p>His son, Colonel Richard Richardson, Jr. had some experience, and was also working with a brigade of militia that had not fought together much as a unit. When he learned of the enemy’s advance on Daniel Island, He called on General Marion to send reinforcements. Marion sent a regiment of South Carolina Dragoons to assist. In total, Richardson’s militia force totaled about 400 men, a bit larger than the enemy he faced.</p><p>On January 3, the British were camped at the Brabant Plantation, the home of the Reverend Robert Smith. Aware that rebel militia might be in the area, Major Brereton deployed a guard at nearby Videau’s Bridge, one of the main approaches to the plantation.</p><p>Richardson approached the bridge in an attempt to reconnoiter the enemy. The British pickets spotted him and tried to apprehend him. Richardson fled back to his army, with the loyalist provincials following closely behind. Once he reached his own lines, he wheeled around his horse and ordered his men to charge. The South Carolina Dragoons charged forward, forcing the provincials to withdraw back to Videau’s Bridge.</p><p>There, Major Coffin led a counter charge with his provincial cavalry. Many of the patriot militia scattered and ran. Some remained but were outnumbered and cut down. As the patriot militia fled, the provincials pursued them, chasing the soldiers for about six miles in a running battle. Afraid that they would be drawn too far away from their lines, the provincials gave up the chase and returned.</p><p>At the end of the day the Americans lost 9 killed, 6 wounded, and 15 missing. The British reported 4 killed, 14 wounded, and 1 captured. With the American militia scattered, the British continued their foraging. </p><p>A week and a half later, the provincial militia under Major Coffin had ridden further inland, back to Dorchester, the site of another skirmish about six weeks earlier that I discussed last week. Coffin’s horsemen managed to surprise a small patrol of Continental Dragoons under the command of Lieutenant John Kelly. </p><p>Taken by surprise, Kelly surrendered along with seven of his men. Coffin brought them back to Charleston as prisoners. This is sometimes known as the second battle of Dorchester, although there did not seem to be much, if any, fighting on that day.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Lull in the fighting</h2><p>The British did not remain in the field much longer. They returned to Charleston. Because they had lost so much grazing land, General Leslie ordered the destruction of 200 horses that they could no longer feed. </p><p>Similarly, the patriots were also finding it difficult to feed horses. Around this same time, South Carolina Governor Rutledge ordered the state troops and militia to send home their horses, as the state would no longer pay to feed them. This led to many of the militia going home as well, since the men did not want to fight on foot.</p><p>With both sides running so low on supplies, the skirmishing seemed to slow down for the next few weeks. This lull in fighting also coincided with the return of civil government to South Carolina. In late 1781, the state had held new legislative elections. The new legislature met in early 1782 to put in place new policies for the state. </p><p>And I will discuss that more next week, as the legislature handles several important issues for the future of the state.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> Episode 304 Return of SC Government (Available March 24, 2024)</p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/03/arp302-clouds-creek-massacre.html" target="_blank">Episode 302 Cloud's Creek Massacre</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites<br /></h3><div><p>Slaughter Field: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_slaughter_field.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_slaughter_field.html</a></p><p>Revolutionary Story of Intrigue at Hilton Head Island, SC: <a href="https://www.uelac.org/PDF/2010-02-28-Rev-Story-of-Intrigue-BSchepers.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.uelac.org/PDF/2010-02-28-Rev-Story-of-Intrigue-BSchepers.pdf</a></p><p>John Coffin: <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/coffin_john_1838_7E.html" target="_blank">http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/coffin_john_1838_7E.html</a></p><p>William Brereton: <a href="https://www.17thregiment.com/archive/captain-william-brereton-and-the-grenadier-company-officers-of-the-17th-part-2" target="_blank">https://www.17thregiment.com/archive/captain-william-brereton-and-the-grenadier-company-officers-of-the-17th-part-2</a></p><p>Raid on John’s Island: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_raid_on_johns_island.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_raid_on_johns_island.html</a></p><p>Battle of Videau's Bridge: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1782/battle-videaus-bridge" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1782/battle-videaus-bridge</a></p><p>Dorchester 2: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_dorchester_2.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_dorchester_2.html</a></p><p></p><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3></div><div><p>Barnwell, Robert Woodward<i> <a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminsouthc0000barn" target="_blank">Loyalism in South Carolina, 1765-1785</a></i>, Ph.D. Thesis, Duke University, 1941. </p><p>Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.</p><div>Landrum, John <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/colonialrevoluti00land" target="_blank">Colonial and Revolutionary History of Upper South Carolina</a></i>, Greenville, SC: Shannon & Co. 1897 </div><p>McCrady, Edward <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southcarolina00mccrrich" target="_blank">The History of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783</a></i>, New York: The Macmillan Co. 1902. </p><p>Ramsay, David <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofrevolut02rams" target="_blank">The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina, from a British province to an independent state, 1749-1815</a></i>, Vol. 2, Trenton: Isaac Collins, 1785. </p><p>Simms, William G. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeoffrancismar00simmuoft" target="_blank">The Life of Francis Marion</a></i>, New York, Derby, 1854. </p><p><br /></p><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Bass, Robert D. Gamecock: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/125847798X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1399796cd460ce6b93a57f5f2a9fb304&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Life And Campaigns of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1961 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/gamecocklifecamp00bass" target="_blank">Read on Archive.org</a>). </p><p>Buchanan, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813942241?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e93ee634b098e5afb24f37f1defe4347&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Road to Charleston</a></i>, Univ. of Va. Press, 2019. </p><p>Massey, Gregory D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1570033307?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=bc383410e3926f9c47b91af49a26b0c1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">John Laurens and the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 2000 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/johnlaurensameri0000mass" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>O’Kelley, Patrick <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591137004?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1e9e8ae2d82180acc6f926917b3ee0c0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas</a>,</i> Vol 3, 1781, Booklocker, 2005. </p><p>Oller, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306903199?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=05dbe319052c0bdd8e5147c382d76a71&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution</a></i>, Da Capo Press, 2016. </p><p>Pancake, John S. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0817301917?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=0de0b0b6ae65b0dae5dce43fc5214499&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">This Destructive war: The British Campaign in the Carolinas</a></i>, 1780-1782, Univ. of Alabama Press, 1985 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/thisdestructivew0000panc" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</p><p>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872491331?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=d5c7205131d08cca51d60b8185337503&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Partisan War: The South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Columbia: Univ of South Carolina Press, 1970 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-20971619443002330752024-03-10T03:00:00.001-04:002024-03-10T03:00:00.251-04:00ARP302 Cloud's Creek Massacre<p><br /></p><p>Last week, we covered some of the violence between patriot and loyalist militias in North Carolina as the last British soldiers evacuated that state. This week, we turn to South Carolina.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Leslie Commands Charleston</h2><p>Around the time of Yorktown, General Clinton sent General Alexander Leslie to take command of the British army at Charleston. The 50 year old general came from an old Scottish family. He was named after his ancestor who had fought as a leading officer in the English Civil War. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLdnXWMfqOSxBdGgdDusWZokoChyI8-z_bTA7H-osHHRCs6m7oJ-rGS44L6EFBvxSZjMXqDQOVyXVykDu1PCfLZP2juvsOz6cn2Wb7Sk9Teg9NQ7_OSNTTStDa6Tmt1Yg8pTCfJHZLNhU3Z2wPct6S83l5M5BzWG8WRV9W7Tl5G5yxlkgPRizKzO1s7C9/s305/Alexander_Leslie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLdnXWMfqOSxBdGgdDusWZokoChyI8-z_bTA7H-osHHRCs6m7oJ-rGS44L6EFBvxSZjMXqDQOVyXVykDu1PCfLZP2juvsOz6cn2Wb7Sk9Teg9NQ7_OSNTTStDa6Tmt1Yg8pTCfJHZLNhU3Z2wPct6S83l5M5BzWG8WRV9W7Tl5G5yxlkgPRizKzO1s7C9/w164-h200/Alexander_Leslie.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gen. Alexander Leslie</td></tr></tbody></table>General Leslie had served in America for 14 years, and was already serving in Boston when the war began. Like many, he was sick of the war by 1781, and made multiple requests to General Clinton to return home to Britain. Leslie had served in the Carolinas under General Cornwallis. Clinton had ordered him to go to Virginia in 1780. But after only a few weeks there, Cornwallis sent orders for him to bring his force down to Charleston. This was shortly after Cornwallis has lost his loyalist militia at King’s Mountain and he desperately needed reinforcements.</p><p>After Guilford Courthouse, Leslie returned to New York for health reasons. Leslie remained in New York during the Yorktown Campaign but with the loss of Cornwallis’ army at Yorktown, the southern theater needed a new commander. Clinton sent Leslie to Charleston, where he arrived on November 8, 1781. </p><p>Leslie’s orders were to protect as many British outposts as possible. But by this time, there was little to protect other than the forces right around Charleston and Savannah. Leslie almost immediately ordered the evacuation of Wilmington, which we covered last week. He planned no offensive operations, instead worrying about defending and feeding his army, and the many thousands of loyalist refugees in and around Charleston.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bloody Bill Cunningham</h2><p>The tactical decision by the British at Charleston to remain hunkered down did not reduce the violence or brutality that continued to take place between loyalist and patriot militia groups throughout the Carolinas. Loyalists found themselves increasingly vulnerable and fought back whenever they could.</p><p>One of the most prominent loyalists in the field in the fall of 1781 was William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham, who stood out for his brutality in an already brutal war between South Carolinians. Cunningham grew up near Ninety-Six in western South Carolina. It was a loyalist community. Many of his cousins were key loyalist organizers when the war broke out. His cousin Robert Cunningham refused to sign an early truce with the patriots in South Carolina in 1776, and continued to fight until caught and imprisoned.</p><p>Despite his loyalist family and community, William joined a patriot militia when the war began. He fought well in the Cherokee campaign. His company also battled against loyalists, which included fighting his own cousin, Patrick. </p><p>Different sources give different reasons for his decision to abandon the patriot cause and join the loyalists. According to one source, William committed some infraction, went before a court martial and was whipped for his offense. After this, he deserted his company and fled to the loyalist stronghold in East Florida. According to another source, Cunningham was denied a promised promotion when his militia was reactivated in June, 1776. Cunningham, at first refused to turn out for duty. When he did, had a bad attitude and tried to resign. For this, he was arrested and whipped, then discharged. He then fled to Savannah, Georgia.</p><p>Whatever the exact details, there was obviously some personal conflict and problem that caused Cunningham to change sides. These appeared to be for non-ideological purposes.</p><p>Cunningham remained gone for two years. During this time, a group of patriots led by Captain William Ritchie kicked his father out of the family home due to loyalist sympathies. The patriots also murdered his invalid brother. Cunningham knew Ritchie. The two had served together in the patriot militia. In 1778, Cunningham returned from his exile. He rode up to Ritchie’s house, confronted him in front of his family, then shot and killed him. After that, Cunningham disappeared again for another two years.</p><p>In 1780, when the British took Charleston, Cunningham joined his cousin’s loyalist regiment and fought at the battle of King’s Mountain. Like many loyalists there, he was taken prisoner, but managed to escape while being marched to prison. He returned to active duty and received a commission as captain in the loyalist militia.</p><p>In October of 1781, Cunningham received a promotion to major and was continuing the stuggle in a loyalist militia army under the command of his cousin General Robert Cunningham. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bloody Scout</h2><p>Word of the British loss at Yorktown had caused the British forces in South Carolina to withdraw mostly back to Charleston. But for the local loyalists were were ready to fight to the death, the conflict became even more desperate.</p><p>On November 6, a loyalist militia fighting alongside Chickamauga Indians raided western settlements near modern day Spartanburg. Captain William Bates commanded the loyalists. War Chief Dragging Canoe led the Chickamauga. I’ve mentioned Dragging Canoe in earlier episodes. He had a particularly brutal reputation in the frontier battles in what is today Tennessee.</p><p>Locals fled to Fort Gowan, which offered some protection. But as the fort’s defenders ran out of ammunition, they surrendered on the condition that the loyalists protect them from the Indians. Captain Bates agreed. As soon as the fort surrendered and opened its gates, Bates ordered his forces to kill everyone. Almost all the civilians were murdered. A few were taken as prisoners to be taken to Indian camps, where they would be tortured and then burned at the stake. One of the few survivors was a woman who was scalped and left for dead at the fort, but managed to survive. Sadly, the Fort Gowan massacre was not an isolated incident.</p><p>A day after the Fort Gowan Massacre, about 80 miles south near Cloud’s Creek, a group of loyalists Headed by Captain Neely Cargill captured three patriots at the home of a local militia captain. The loyalists simply marched their prisoners to a nearby swamp and executed them. In response, two patriots militias under Captain Solomon Pope and Captain James Butler tracked down Cargill’s loyalists and executed all of them.</p><p>Just over a week later, Captain Butler and Captain Sterling Turner encountered a loyalist foraging party under Colonel Hezekiah William who were trying to steal some cattle. Neither group could get the upper hand, but eventually agreed that the loyalists could leave if they returned the stolen cattle. During the firefight the patriots had managed to kill a loyalist, Captain William Radcliff.</p><p>Bloody Bill Cunningham was a friend of Radcliff’s and vowed revenge. By this time, Cunningham was riding with a large force of loyalist militia. Accounts differ on the size, but some accounts say he had a force of about 300 men.</p><p>The day after the attack that had killed Radcliff, the patriot force of about 30 encamped near Clouds Creek, at the home of a family named Carter. A hard rain had made the men miserable and got most of their powder wet. The men took shelter in the Carter house.</p><p>Cunningham’s loyalist force of about 300 attacked them and surrounded the home. A brief firefight began but the patriots asked for terms. As the two sides were discussing terms, a patriot shot and killed one of Cunningham’s loyalists. With that fighting resumed.</p><p>Eventually, the patriots ran out of ammunition and agreed to surrender. After disarming their prisoners, Cunningham and the loyalists put all of them to the sword. Only two or three patriots survived. One of them was a man named Benjamin Hughes who managed to dive into the creek and hide under some driftwood during a cattle stampede that had distracted the enemy. The other was a man named Bledsoe. It is not clear why they didn’t kill him, it’s possible they thought Bledsoe was a loyalist sympathizer. After they split the skull of Bledsoe’s friend as he stood next to him, Bledsoe appeared to have some sort of breakdown and, according to others, was never right in the head again. Several of the prisoners were beheaded. Others were tortured before being killed.</p><p>The massacre at Cloud’s Creek was only the beginning of a rampage for Cunningham, which became known as the Bloody Scout. </p><p>The following day, Cunningham tracked down a former loyalist officer, John Trowles, who had begun collaborating with the patriots. He executed the man in front of his wife and son. Later that day, Cunningham visited the blacksmith shop of the man’s brother. After allowing the man to re-shoe his horses, he then murdered the blacksmith, his son, and a slave who worked in the shop. After burning all the buildings, Cunningham’s men rode on. Over the next few days they loyalists tracked down more men who they deemed to be collaborators, executing them and burning their homes. Several of the victims were in beds recovering from wounds and unable to defend themselves.</p><p>The loyalists next found a small group of patriot militia at the home of their Colonel Joseph Hayes. The patriots defended themselves but then surrendered after Cunningham set the house on fire. After the surrender, witnesses say that Cunningham personally murdered every prisoner.</p><p>A few weeks later, on December 7, a smaller group from Cunningham’s force under Captain John Crawford attacked General Andrew Pickens’ blockhouse and captured a convoy of patriot wagons. Some of the patriot guards were able to flee, but the loyalists burned the wagons and took several prisoners. Among them was John Pickens, the brother of General Andrew Pickens. The loyalists rode their prisoners back to the Cherokee nation, where they tortured and murdered the prisoners. Pickens, as the brother of a patriot general was singled out for a particularly brutal torture.</p><p>The day following his brothers’ capture, General Pickens took personal command of the militia army that was tasked with tracking down Cunningham’s marauders. They came across a camp of twenty loyalists who were all slaughtered. Cunningham had spread out his force so that the attack on the first camp alerted the others to flee.</p><p>Cunningham personally fled into the swamps and escaped. Eventually Cunningham was able to make his way back to Charleston. According to some accounts, Cunningham had executed a total of 79 men during his rampage.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Greene Returns to the Field</h2><p>While provincial and loyalist militia battled it out, Continentals General Nathanael Greene was focused on Charleston. Following the Battle of Eutaw Springs in September, the army returned to the high hills of Santee. Greene was focused on putting together an army to confront the British at Charleston. </p><p>That was going to prove difficult The main Continental force was focused on Yorktown at the time. All men and resources that might have been used on South Carolina were being redirected to Virginia. On top of that, the small army that Greene did have was struck hard with malaria, putting the vast majority of his men out of commission.</p><p>Washington sent Greene more Continental reinforcements under the command of General Arthur St. Clair. The reinforcements were supposed to include a few regiments of regulars from Virginia. However, even after Yorktown, Virginia state officials were still afraid of another attack. They refused to allow the Virginia Continentals to leave the state, and even recalled many of the Virginians who were with Greene at the time. As a result, Greene ended up without many more men than he had before St. Clair arrived.</p><p>Greene did get some more assistance locally. Before Eutaw Springs, he had called on the Overmountain men to return to the fight. Although they did not march in time to particpate at Eutaw Springs, they finally did arrive in late October 1781. John Sevier brought several companies of riflemen to Greene’s Camp as did Isaac Shelby. Greene sent these men to fight support Francis Marion’s militia efforts around Charleston.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fairlawn</h2><p>The British still maintained a series of outposts within a 35 mile radius of Charleston. These outposts were critical toward the collection of forage, and still protected a great number of loyalist families, many of whom had settled there after being forced to leave their homes that were under patriot control.</p><p>Colonel Marion spent the late fall trying to harass these outposts and look for weaknesses. They were also trying to track down and kill Bloody Bill Cunningham and his men during this time. In mid-November, about 400 militia, made up mostly of the men that Shelby and Sevier had recently brought. This brigade targeted the Fairlawn Plantation, part of the British force near Monck’s Corner. </p><p>The plantation house itself was a large brick building that had been converted into a fort. It was surrounded by abatis and other defenses. Although the fort contained only about 50 British regulars, Maham determined that a direct assault on the house without artillery would be too costly. </p><p>Instead, they destroyed the plantation’s outbuildings as the small loyalist garrison inside the main house watched. When the militia attacked the plantation on the morning of November 17, they were primarily concerned with capturing loyalist horsemen that were acting as scouts and foraging patrols for the British, as well as seeking the recapture of escaped slaves that had fled into the British lines.</p><p>The patriots did not find the cavalry or slaves they were seeking. They did find that one of the outbuildings, known as the Colleton House, was being used as a British hospital. Many of the wounded there were recovering from wounds incurred at the battle of Eutaw Springs. When the patriot cavalry arrived, the medical staff put up no resistance and surrendered immediately. </p><p>Maham’s men took prisoners of about 300 wounded patients and medical staff. About half of the patients were well enough to ride and were taken as prisoners. The medical staff, along with the other half of prisoners who could not ride, were paroled and allowed to remain onsite. The patients who were paroled and remained were removed from the house so that the patriots could burn it. The militia also captured about 300 muskets on the site.</p><p>The British, under General Alexander Stewart, got word of the raid, and set out after Maham’s patriots that same day. But the militia rode all the way back to Greene’s camp, about fifty miles away, riding all night to arrive the following morning.</p><p>The British protested to General Greene about burning a hospital and leaving the seriously wounded outside, where many died. After an inquiry, Greene seemed to concede that burning the hospital, which Maham believed necessary to destroy all the British supplies held there, was probably not appropriate. Greene, however, also pushed back at British criticism, given the terrible treatment of American prisoners in British hands in Charleston.</p><p>Following the raid, General Leslie in Charleston ordered the garrison to abandon the post at Fairlawn, and pulled back many of the other British outposts closer to Charleston, where the main British force could support them within a few hours if needed.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Dorchester</h2><p>Following the pullback, one of the most distant outposts remaining was at Dorchester, about 19 miles from Charleston. The main British army that had fought at Eutaw Springs under Colonel Alexander Stewart was camped there. Stewart was still away recovering from his wounds, so the command fell to Major John Doyle. The British camp had about 850 regulars and provincial soldiers.</p><p>General Greene moved the main Continental Army out of the High Hills of Santee in November, looking for an opportunity to attack the British. The bulk of the Continental Army set up camp at the <a href="https://south-carolina-plantations.com/colleton/round-o.html" target="_blank">Round O Plantation</a>, about 35 miles west of Charleston. A pretty large portion of his army was sick with malaria. They were also still guarding several hundred prisoners from Eutaw Springs.</p><p>Greene left the bulk of the army there and rode out with a reconnaissance party of about 200 cavalry and 200 infantry toward the British position at Dorchester. </p><p>Greene advanced on the British position at Dorchester. On December 1, an American advance force under Colonel Wade Hampton ran into an enemy reconnaissance party of about 50 cavalry from Dorchester. A brief fight took place with about ten killed and twenty wounded. The British horsemen retreated back to Dorchester to alert the main army there.</p><p>Although the British outnumbered the Americans by more than 2-1, Greene continued to advance on the fort with his 400 men. The British commander, Major Doyle identified Greene among the officers leading the column toward him. Doyle believed that Greene’s presence meant that the whole Continental Army was coming up behind him.</p><p>Based on that, Doyle ordered the destruction of the fort’s stores and dumped many of their guns in a nearby river. Doyle knew the enemy needed supplies and wanted to make sure they did not get his. After dark the British abandoned the fort and marched to within five miles of Charleston.</p><p>The following morning, Greene’s army entered the abandoned fort and recovered two artillery pieces. The enemy was gone and most of the supplies were destroyed.</p><p>Colonel Stewart learned of the withdrawal of his forces from Dorchester. He was well enough, at this point, to ride out and take command again. Stewart planned to advance and take on the Continentals. </p><p>Before he could, though, Greene withdrew. Greene’s men were without blankets, and he was down to less than four rounds of ammunition per man. Until he could get more supplies, he could not engage in a major clash with the enemy.</p><p>Greene deployed Colonel Hampton’s dragoons to keep open the lines of communication with Colonel Marion’s militia army. He also deployed Light Horse Harry Lee’s cavalry to prevent any British reconnaissance parties from discovering just how small a force Greene really had with him. Even after Greene withdrew to the Round O Plantation to link up with his main army, he had only about 800 men ready for action, and still had no ammunition.</p><p>Fortunately for the patriots, Lee’s efforts were effective. A few weeks later, General Leslie wrote to Lord Germain in London, about the frustration over the quality of his cavalry, and that he could get no good intelligence about the enemy.</p><p>Leslie also wrote <i>“It is with much sorrow that I am obliged to inform your Lordship of the almost total revolt of this Province, since our misfortune in Virginia many persons in whom we placed confidence have abandoned us.”</i> In short, the British commander seemed to believe that British influence in South Carolina was coming to an end.</p><p><b>Next week</b>, the fight for South Carolina continues with a series of skirmishes around Charleston. Also, General Thomas Sumter and Colonel John Laurens also return to the fight.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> Episode 303 Return of SC Government (Available March 17, 2024)</p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp300-surrender-at-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 301 </a>Evacuation of Wilmington</p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites<br /></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><p>William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/loyalist_leaders_sc_william_cunningham.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/loyalist_leaders_sc_william_cunningham.html</a></p><p>Waters, Andrew “William ‘Bloody Bill’ Cunningham and the Bloody Scout” Journal of the American Revolution, July 8, 2021: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2021/07/william-blood-bill-cunningham-and-the-bloody-scout" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2021/07/william-blood-bill-cunningham-and-the-bloody-scout</a></p><p>Incident at Fair Lawn Plantation: <a href="https://www.southern-campaigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Fair-Lawn-Raid-v.1.5.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.southern-campaigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Fair-Lawn-Raid-v.1.5.pdf</a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p></p></div><div><p>“<a href="https://archive.org/details/sim_southern-literary-messenger_1846-09_12" target="_blank">Biographical Sketch of the Career of Major Wm. Cunningham</a>” <i>The Southern and Western Literary Messenger and Review</i>, 1846-09: Vol 12, Sept. 1846. </p><p>“<a href="https://archive.org/details/sim_southern-literary-messenger_1846-10_12" target="_blank">Biographical Sketch of the Career of Major Wm. Cunningham, continued</a>” <i>The Southern and Western Literary Messenger and Review</i>, 1846-10, Vol. 12, Oct. 1846: </p><p>Barnwell, Robert Woodward<i> <a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminsouthc0000barn" target="_blank">Loyalism in South Carolina, 1765-1785</a></i>, Ph.D. Thesis, Duke University, 1941. </p><p>Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.</p><div>Landrum, John <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/colonialrevoluti00land" target="_blank">Colonial and Revolutionary History of Upper South Carolina</a></i>, Greenville, SC: Shannon & Co. 1897 </div><p>McCrady, Edward <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southcarolina00mccrrich" target="_blank">The History of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783</a></i>, New York: The Macmillan Co. 1902. </p><p>Ramsay, David <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofrevolut02rams" target="_blank">The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina, from a British province to an independent state, 1749-1815</a></i>, Vol. 2, Trenton: Isaac Collins, 1785. </p><p>Simms, William G. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeoffrancismar00simmuoft" target="_blank">The Life of Francis Marion</a></i>, New York, Derby, 1854. </p><p><br /></p><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>O’Kelley, Patrick <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591137004?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1e9e8ae2d82180acc6f926917b3ee0c0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas</a>,</i> Vol 3, 1781, Booklocker, 2005. </p><p>Pancake, John S. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0817301917?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=0de0b0b6ae65b0dae5dce43fc5214499&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">This Destructive war: The British Campaign in the Carolinas</a></i>, 1780-1782, Univ. of Alabama Press, 1985 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/thisdestructivew0000panc" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</p><p>Buchanan, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813942241?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e93ee634b098e5afb24f37f1defe4347&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Road to Charleston</a></i>, Univ. of Va Press, 2019. </p><p>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872491331?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=d5c7205131d08cca51d60b8185337503&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Partisan War: The South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Columbia: Univ of South Carolina Press, 1970 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-60615543535866278422024-03-03T03:00:00.008-05:002024-03-04T08:31:29.473-05:00301 Evacuation of Wilmington<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML1038278183" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Last week, General Cornwallis surrendered his army at Yorktown, marking the last major campaign of the American Revolution. At the time, however, no one knew that this would be the final campaign. The main British army remained in New York. Another army held Charleston, South Carolina. British soldiers continued to hold other coastal towns.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Steps After Yorktown</h2><p>The day after the surrender, George Washington sent Admiral de Grasse a message proposing that the combined forces move south to Charleston and take out the British garrison there. Washington believed they could take Charleston in two months and that this would destroy the last hope of a British comeback.</p><p>The French admiral had already overstayed his time in North America. It was already late October, 1781, and he had planned to return to the West Indies by this time. That was his primary military mission. In order to ensure there was no last ditch effort by a British fleet to retake Yorktown and rescue Cornwallis’ army, de Grasse remained off the coast of Virginia for about two weeks. He proposed assistance by sailing Lafayette’s division down to Wilmington, North Carolina, to take out the loyalist stronghold there. But in the end rejected doing even that.</p><p>When de Grasse told Washington that he was returning to the West Indies without engaging in any more actions in North America, Washington requested that he at least consider returning in the spring for another campaign. The admiral would not make any commitments, replaying that his poor health prevented him from making any plans for the following year.</p><p>With the departure of the French fleet in early November and the removal of the British prisoners inland, Washington’s army left Yorktown. Rochambeau’s French Army would remain in Williamsburg over the winter. Washington deployed a few Continental regiments south to join up with Nathanael Greene in South Carolina. The bulk of the Continental Army marched north, back to the area around New York City to continue challenging the British presence there.</p><p>On his way back, Washington, along with his wife Martha, stopped at the home of his brother-in-law to visit his stepson Jack Custis, who was recovering from camp fever that had afflicted so many on the Yorktown campaign. Custis died while his parents were visiting. Washington took a grieving Martha back to Mount Vernon, where they mourned the death of her only remaining child. The rest of the Continental Army marched north without their commander. After a week, the Washingtons left Mount Vernon for Philadelphia to confer with Congress. After that, he moved to his new headquarters in Newburgh, New York.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Major James Craig</h2><p>As I mentioned, Washington had hoped to deploy General Lafayette to take the British outpost at Wilmington, North Carolina, with the assistance of the French fleet.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Henry_Craig_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zQNpGrygVpqpgc7I7r-qVmLBh3UtnWLSHmvIToY64rSjljOs5BhyphenhyphenYWPEOj27FbPigNYddku_gf_kQ9tzF1QbRuMsGtf8VLtAKP94YbcCf-GiV0ItuVk6LM5JNBMGQCHgf0PFENTCAqPymLWb86zqZq8OdfJzsfKvcmfH_iyTNLbZO63mRhVBeG2vFmWk/s320/James_Henry_Craig_2.jpg" width="224" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Henry_Craig_2.jpg" target="_blank">Major James Craig</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The actual British presence in Wilmington consisted of a single regiment, the 82nd of foot under Major James Craig. The commander came from a Scottish family and had been an officer since his commission as an ensign in the army in 1763 at age 15. In 1774, Lieutenant Craig transferred to America. A year later, he was wounded in the assault at Bunker Hill. After his recovery, he transferred with his regiment to Quebec, taking part in the invasion of New York. He was wounded twice during that campaign before surrendering with the rest of the army at Saratoga. The son of a judge, Captain Craig also served as judge advocate under Burgoyne and helped negotiate the surrender terms.</p><p>His notable leadership led General Burgoyne to recommend his promotion to major and given command of the 82nd regiment. Craig spent some time recovering from battlefield injuries. His regiment spent a couple of years in Canada, where he primarily presided over court martials. before being brought to the Carolinas following the British occupation of Charleston in 1780.</p><p>Shortly after his arrival in Charleston in January, 1781, General Cornwallis ordered Major Craig to occupy Wilmington. The town served as a British supply base, collecting food from the surrounding region to ship to the British garrison at Charleston.</p><p>At Wilmington, Craig actively built up defenses for his regiment. He sent patrols into the surrounding region, seizing supplies and arresting suspected patriot leaders, as well as confiscating their property. After Cornwallis fought at Guilford Courthouse, his army took shelter at Wilmington for several weeks, before marching north to Virginia. The British leadership saw Craig as an active and capable officer. The patriots came to despise him as a cruel and brutal opponent.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Loyalist David Fanning</h3><p>Many loyalists joined Craig at Wilmington, strengthening the British position. Among these was the loyalist David Fanning. Orphaned at a young age, Fanning grew up in Virginia, before moving to western South Carolina a few years before the war began. He enlisted in a loyalist regiment when the war began and initially served as sergeant. He fought in several early skirmishes between loyalist and patriot militia in the state, and was captured several times. During much of the early war years, when southern loyalists were trying to lay low, Fanning was either commanding loyalist militia in the field, or in hiding from patriot militia, or a prisoner.</p><p>In 1779, he accepted a pardon from Governor Rutledge and returned home. Less than a year later, the British captured Charleston. Fanning once again took command of a loyalist militia and set about attacking patriot strongholds. Following the patriot victory at King Mountain in late 1780, Fanning had to leave South Carolina. He lived quietly in North Carolina until General Cornwallis moved into the state. Once again, Fanning recruited loyalist militia and fought against the patriots.</p><p>When the British Army retreated to Wilmington after Guilford Courthouse, Fanning maintained an inland base at Cox Mill, near Charlotte. Major Craig granted him a commission in July, 1781 as colonel of loyalist militia. On that authority, Fanning collected a force of 22 loyalist companies from the surrounding region. Rather than keep his force together, he typically rode with a few dozen men who could strike hard and move quickly. His men attacked the homes of patriots, captured and destroyed enemy supplies and skirmished with the patriot militia.</p><p>One of his first missions after gaining his commission in July was to attack a patriot court martial that was trying several loyalists who were likely to be executed. Fanning rescued the prisoners, and took 56 prisoners of his own, including court officials and patriot militia officers. Over the course of the summer and early fall, he fought dozens of skirmishes with the patriot militia, as the patriots were increasingly taking control of North Carolina. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Hillsborough</h2><p>By September, 1781, Fanning found his loyalist militia had grown to nearly 1000 men. Despite the fact that the British army had largely abandoned North Carolina, the loyalists had faith in Fanning’s ability to fight and lead. He was joined by several other loyalist militias, increasing his army to well over a thousand.</p><p>After conferring with Major Craig in Wilmington, Fanning took the bulk of his militia army on a new mission. In June, the patriots had elected a new Governor of North Carolina, Thomas Burke. Governor Burke had set up in Hillsborough. Burke was focused on establishing patriot rule in the state and wiping out loyalist militias like those under Fanning. </p><p>Colonel Fanning set out in September to capture the new governor. Because many of his new volunteers did not have arms, Fanning took the 600 or so who were armed and marched on Hillsborough. After a night march, his loyalists arrived at Hillsborough early in the morning on September 12. He divided his men into three divisions and surrounded the town. </p><p>Fanning’s men surrounded the Governor's mansion, where the Governor and his aides were mounting an armed defense. Fanning called for a parley and assured the governor that if he surrendered, his life and those of his aides would be spared. The governor surrendered and was taken prisoner. There was a small contingent of Continentals in the town who set up a defense inside a barricaded church. These were newly enlisted Continentals without much training or experience. They also eventually surrendered after a brief firefight.</p><p>Fanning also released thirty loyalist prisoners being held in the Hillsborough jail. These men had been condemned to death and expected to be hanging from a gallows later that day.</p><p>By 9:00 AM, Fanning’s loyalists had secured the town, taking over 200 prisoners, including the governor, the city council as well as the Continental soldiers and militia. In the fight to capture the town they had killed 15 and wounded another 20. The loyalists suffered only one man wounded.</p><p>After securing the town, the loyalist militia looted some homes and got drunk on a great deal of liquor that they discovered in town. Colonel Fanning had to restore order in his army and was able to leave town by about 2:00 PM. Fanning feared that patriot militia in the area would engage in a counter attack. He marched his army back toward Cox Mill, although some of the loyalist militia who were too drunk to keep up with the column as it withdrew were captured by patriot militia who pursued the column.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Lindley’s Mill</h2><p>Fanning was correct that the patriots would come after him. North Carolina Militia General John Butler got word of the loyalist attack on Hillsborough and the capture of the governor. He assembled a patriot militia that hoped to catch Fanning’s column as it withdrew and to free the governor and other top officials.</p><p>Butler was an experienced leader who had fought in several battles, including Camden and Guilford Courthouse. He remained in North Carolina with his militia when the Continentals under Nathanael Greene moved into South Carolina.</p><p>On September 13, the day after the raid on Hillsborough, Butler’s patriot militia set up an ambush at a ford across Cane Creek, near Lindley’s Mill. When the head of Fanning’s loyalists began to cross the ford, Butler’s patriots fired a volley into the enemy. </p><p>Hearing the gunfire, Colonel Fanning secured his prisoners to the rear and galloped forward to take command of the fight. As his men engaged the patriots, he sent another contingent around behind the enemy to strike them from the rear.</p><p>Even after getting attacked on two sides, the patriot militia under Butler maintained their fire. Fanning was shot in the arm and had to turn over command to Colonel Archibald McDugald. The battle continued for several hours before the patriots finally withdrew. </p><p>The battle was exceptionally bloody. With just over 1000 men engaged, casualty rates totaled over 250. There are no good records of the casualties, and most of these men were militia in civilian clothing, so it is not clear how many men were lost on each side.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Livingston’s Creek</h2><p>Colonel McDugald continued to lead the loyalists. The column moved more slowly since they were carrying a large number of wounded, and many of the horsemen had lost their horses in the battle and were traveling on foot. The following morning the patriots attacked the column again, but this was a much smaller group of less than two dozen men, who were quickly dispersed.</p><p>On September 23, about ten days after the skirmish at Lindley’s Mill, a group of patriot militia struck the column again - still attempting to free Governor Burke and the other prisoners taken at Hillsborough. The loyalists fell back into defensive lines near Hammond’s Creek Bridge. The bulk of the loyalists fought a delaying action while Colonel McDugald marched the prisoners toward Wilmington. </p><p>As the loyalists reached Livingston’s Creek, they encountered another column of infantry marching toward them from the other direction. It turned out that Major Craig had received word of Burke’s capture and personally marched out with a detachment of regulars to provide support. A group of fifty patriot horsemen attacked the group, but withdrew in the face of Craig’s regulars. The British pursued the horsemen for a few miles before running into a defensive position on the road, controlled by 200 patriots from the militia army under John Butler Although the British were outnumbered, they charged the defenses, and forced the militia to run away. With that, Craig was able to get his column and his prisoners back to Wilmington.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bear Swamp</h2><p>A few weeks later, Fanning’s loyalists captured a patriot named James Harding. After being brought back to Fanning’s camp as a prisoner, Harding convinced the loyalist colonel that he was a loyalist himself and had been looking for an opportunity to escape from the patriots.</p><p>After several days in camp Harding informed Fanning of a company of militia camped nearby on Deep River. Harding offered to meet with the militia and lead them into a loyalist ambush. After doing so, Harding returned and rode with Fanning’s loyalists to the ambush site. </p><p>As it turned out, Harding was still a patriot. He had informed the militia commander that he would lead the loyalists into a patriot ambush. At the site, Harding gave a signal and dashed toward the patriots hidden in the woods. The patriots fired a volley, killing and wounding several loyalist horsemen. Fanning and the bulk of his column escaped.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Wilmington</h2><p>Loyalists had hoped that Governor Burke’s capture would break the patriot spirit and inspire popular opinion to believe that the loyalists could control North Carolina. In fact, the incident had the opposite impact as more patriot militia turned out to fight.</p><p>In addition to General John Butler, another military leader had recently returned to the state. General Griffith Rutherford had been a militia officer in North Carolina for over twenty years and also served in the colonial legislature. He fought the regulator movement before the war, and was an experienced Indian fighter against the Cherokee. He was a firm patriot who began war against the loyalists in the Snow Campaign of 1775. Rutherford had led his militia in the battles taking place in South Carolina and Georgia. In 1780, he called out his militia army to fight under Horatio Gates at Camden. </p><p>Although many soldiers fled the field and Camden, Rutherford did not. He fought until the enemy shot him in the leg. Another soldier slashed his head with a saber. Rutherford survived his wounds, but was taken prisoner. He spent time in a Charleston prison before being moved to St. Augustine in East Florida. </p><p>In June, 1781, Rutherford was exchanged. The British delivered him to Philadelphia. He returned to North Carolina to find that the loyalists had stripped everything of value from his plantation. Shortly thereafter, he began planning a campaign to recapture Wilmington. </p><p>Following the battle of Lindley’s Mill, Rutherford called out the militia for a campaign to recapture Wilmington. Within two weeks, he had a militia army of 1100 men under his command. His forces joined with the smaller militia army under General Butler, giving a combined army of about 1400 by early October.</p><p>The army overran a loyalist outpost at Rockfish Creek on October 15. The loyalists, who numbered between 300 and 600, fell back. They made a stand nearby on a hill that covered the road out of Raft Swamp. The loyalists disassembled the bridge so that the enemy could not approach quickly. </p><p>A division of patriot dragoons under the command of Major Joseph Graham rode up to the bridge. Although the bridge was disable, they found they could easily ford the swampy land and charged the loyalist lines. The surprised loyalists fired one volley, then broke and ran. The patriot horsemen ran them down, cutting the fleeing loyalists to pieces with sabers. A few dozen loyalists paused for a delaying action that allowed many others to escape. The patriots killed most of these defenders before they also fled into the nearby swamp, where the patriots would not follow. This was the last significant opposition before all the loyalists withdrew into Wilmington.</p><p>That same day, Colonel Fanning felt sufficiently recovered from his wound at Lindley’s mill to gather about 170 mounted loyalists near Brush Creek. The patriots had been trying to hunt down Fanning, who had been in hiding since his injury. </p><p>Fanning received word that a division of 600 militia were marching on his position. Some of his loyalists fled, fearing they would be overrun. Fanning formed the rest into two defensive lines and prepared to receive the enemy. It’s not clear how many enemy engaged in this fight, but it resulted in a firefight of about an hour, during which the loyalists lost three killed and three wounded. The patriots had one killed and several wounded before pulling back. </p><p>At that point, Fanning expected the enemy would regroup and return in greater numbers. His men dispersed and made their way up into the Uwharrie Mountains.</p><p>The militia concentrated at Brown Marsh, about 50 miles from Wilmington, to prepare for an assault on the town. Acting Governor Alexander Martin, who replaced Thomas Burke, addressed the army and encouraged them to expel the remaining British and loyalist forces from the state. On October 23, Rutherford deployed the bulk of his mounted militia, about 300 men, to the southwest side of Cape Fear while the larger army of militia marched on foot to assault Wilmington from the north.</p><p>In Wilmington, Major Craig had his regiment of regulars, along with a loyalist army that was ready to fight the oncoming army. He was confident, not only that he could defend the city, but was prepared to mount an offensive against the patriot militia if he could just get more supplies from Charleston. Instead, word arrived from Alexander Leslie, the new British commander at Charleston that General Cornwallis had surrendered at Yorktown and that Craig should evacuate his army in Wilmington by ship and sail to Charleston.</p><p>Craig was not happy about the orders. He had sufficient ships for his soldiers, but would have to leave behind a great many loyalists and civilians who would suffer the wrath of the patriots. The final evacuation took several weeks. Craig spiked the cannons that he could not take with him and burned tons of supplies to deny them to the enemy. On November 17, Light Horse Harry Lee arrived to inform the militia of the British surrender at Yorktown. By this time the militia army under Rutherford was camped only four miles from Wilmington. </p><p>As the American militia entered Wilmington on the morning of November 18, They were able to skirmish with the last company of regulars as they were boarding transport ships. The British finally boarded the last transports, which carried them out of the city, down toward Cape Fear and the Atlantic as patriot militia advanced into the city in time to watch the ships sail away.</p><p>The evacuation of Wilmington ended the British presence in North Carolina. </p><p><b>Next week,</b> we will take a look at the continuing war in South Carolina.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> Episode 302 Cloud's Creek Massacre (available March 10, 2024)</p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp300-surrender-at-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 300 Surrender at Yorktown</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><p>Rosenbert, Chaim M. “James Henry Craig: The Pocket Hercules” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, Oct. 20, 2017: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/10/james-henry-craig-pocket-hercules" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/10/james-henry-craig-pocket-hercules</a></p><p>James Craig: <a href="https://amrevnc.com/biographies/james-craig" target="_blank">https://amrevnc.com/biographies/james-craig</a></p><p>James Henry Craig: <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/craig_james_henry_5E.html" target="_blank">http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/craig_james_henry_5E.html</a></p><p>Parker, Herschel “Absolving David Fanning - From Dreck to Rumph” Journal of the American Revolution, Nov. 24, 2015: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2015/11/absolving-david-fanning-from-dreck-to-rumph" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2015/11/absolving-david-fanning-from-dreck-to-rumph</a></p><p>David Fanning: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/fanning-david" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/fanning-david</a></p><p>David Fanning: <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/fanning_david_6E.html" target="_blank">http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/fanning_david_6E.html</a></p><p>Thomas Burke: <a href="https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/thomas-burke-1744-1783" target="_blank">https://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/thomas-burke-1744-1783</a></p><p>Thomas Burke: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/burke-thomas" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/burke-thomas</a></p><p>John Butler: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/butler-john" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/butler-john</a></p><p>Griffith Rutherford: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/rutherford-griffith" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/rutherford-griffith</a></p><p>Battle of Little Raft Swamp: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_little_raft_swamp.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_little_raft_swamp.html</a></p><p>Engagement at Raft Swamp: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/raft-swamp-engagement" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/raft-swamp-engagement</a></p><p>Battle of Hillsborough <a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_hillsborough.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_hillsborough.html</a></p><p>Griffith Rutherford: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/rutherford-griffith" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/rutherford-griffith</a></p><p>Battle of Lindley’s Mill: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_lindleys_mill.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_lindleys_mill.html</a></p><p>Battle of Lindley’s Mill: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/lindleys-mill-battle" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/lindleys-mill-battle</a></p><p>Battle of Lindley’s Mill: <a href="https://www.lindleymills.com/about-lindley-mills/history/battle-of-lindley-s-mill.html" target="_blank">https://www.lindleymills.com/about-lindley-mills/history/battle-of-lindley-s-mill.html</a></p><p>Battle of Seven Creeks: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_seven_creeks.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_seven_creeks.html</a></p><p>Battles of 1781: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781</a></p><p>Wilmington Campaign of 1781: <a href="https://www.ncpedia.org/wilmington-campaign-1781" target="_blank">https://www.ncpedia.org/wilmington-campaign-1781</a></p></div><div><p></p><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p style="text-align: left;">Caruthers, E. W. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofco00caru" target="_blank">A Brief History of Col. David Fanning</a></i>, Weldon, N.C. : Harrell's Printing House, 1888. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Connor, R. D. W. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/leadersofnocaroli00connrich" target="_blank">Revolutionary leaders of North Carolina</a></i>, Greensboro, N.C. State College, 1916. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Fanning, David <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/toryintherevolu00fannrich " target="_blank">The Narrative of Colonel David Fanning</a></i>, Richmond: Private Distribution, 1861. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>O’Kelley, Patrick <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591137004?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1e9e8ae2d82180acc6f926917b3ee0c0&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas</a>,</i> Vol 3, 1781, Booklocker, 2005. </p><p>Pancake, John S. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0817301917?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=0de0b0b6ae65b0dae5dce43fc5214499&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">This Destructive war: The British Campaign in the Carolinas</a></i>, 1780-1782, Univ. of Alabama Press, 1985 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/thisdestructivew0000panc" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</p><p>Philbrick, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143111450?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=92cd0ceabf2d5aa7ac992b324f337023&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown</a></i>, Penguin Books, 2019. </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Wilmington, NC, USA34.2103894 -77.88681175.9001555638211514 -113.0430617 62.520623236178842 -42.730561699999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-49945305620662473962024-02-25T03:00:00.003-05:002024-02-25T06:35:04.395-05:00ARP300 Surrender at Yorktown<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML8262110678" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Last week, we covered the tightening noose around the British army at Yorktown, Virginia in October of 1781. The army there under General Cornwallis was getting increasingly desperate, and awaiting a relief force that General Clinton had promised to send from New York.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">British Relief Fleet</h2><p>I suppose “promise” is a strong term. Clinton promised to do what he could, but sending a relief fleet was still dependent on the arrival of more British Navy ships along with the new Commander of North America, Admiral <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/hon-robert-digby" target="_blank">Robert Digby</a>.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surrender_of_Lord_Cornwallis.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="640" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kFNXULNJcyzezTjWyNgE9IqUjLfgqxvOuZ6Zl4JsfBtbKjYwJiFXJVIBSWn2GjIx5GPgsPppR2alj4SwAUnIAYmHGRhZMGUy-386VakHPEVtz6ZvZkRDXxcEIpw9hckHB5PC67faWGmMfWb-yYVSbUKfSSOBudbWIMAxAiVBheIpmcxaGRtx2fj5qNVF/s320/Surrender_of_Lord_Cornwallis_sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surrender_of_Lord_Cornwallis.jpg" target="_blank">British Surrender at Yorktown</a></td></tr></tbody></table>In early September, Admiral Graves, after combining his fleet with Admiral Hood, had sailed with the British fleet to the Chesapeake to take on the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse. On September 13, before Clinton had received word of that naval battle, he held a council of war to consider what to do next. James Robertson, the Royal Governor of New York, and also a general, recommended loading up another relief fleet to bring men to Yorktown. Clinton rejected that proposal. There were not enough ships left to bring supplies. Adding more soldiers to Yorktown without supplies to feed them might make the situation worse. The council also discussed the idea of an offensive against Philadelphia, in order get the enemy forces to give up on Virginia and march north again to protect Pennsylvania. In the end, the council did nothing, but kept waiting for the arrival of Admiral Digby.<p></p><p>The following day, Clinton received notice that the British fleet had been defeated at the Battle of the Capes and that the French controlled the waters around Yorktown. Clinton’s response was that Cornwallis had assured him that the army had sufficient supplies to hold out until the end of October, giving them time to work on a plan to relieve them without rushing into anything immediately.</p><p>He called another council of war to discuss the new information. The council interviewed several officers who had recently been with Cornwallis in Virginia. Those officers agreed that the army could hold out for at least three weeks against an army of 20,000 once the siege started. And at this point the start of the siege was still several weeks away. So, once again, the council voted to do nothing and wait for Admiral Digby’s arrival.</p><p>A few days later, on September 17, Clinton received more detailed information from Admiral Graves, detailing the naval defeat and confirming that the British could not get to Yorktown by sea, and that the fleet was returning to New York for repairs.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATjLWqLRURDdH5f6_bVN-nu_ugjvzP2PbHN5PoqXyJY7A7-WWO90z2FXOHyD8tA6iKdNOo5wRTx0OPz35-c_vXgzbTk5VCknyl7EDExxtTORlEeSkgPq0ZkpvAP2z2J_Vj3paAM1tVd7zrYgMJlrs7vkqIy9pUttb-O_I4Iu0Bsc7v2QWmF0claFHoQ=s480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATjLWqLRURDdH5f6_bVN-nu_ugjvzP2PbHN5PoqXyJY7A7-WWO90z2FXOHyD8tA6iKdNOo5wRTx0OPz35-c_vXgzbTk5VCknyl7EDExxtTORlEeSkgPq0ZkpvAP2z2J_Vj3paAM1tVd7zrYgMJlrs7vkqIy9pUttb-O_I4Iu0Bsc7v2QWmF0claFHoQ=w162-h200" width="162" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gen. Henry Clinton</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Clinton held a third council of war and decided that a relief fleet needed to arrive in Virginia by the end of October, which was still nearly six weeks away. Rushing back to Virginia without a force of sufficient size would only make things worse. Two days later, the remainder of the British fleet under Graves limped into New York Harbor. It would probably take months to repair some of the ships and restore them to a condition where they could return to battle.</p><p>Graves had first sailed for Virginia with 19 ships of the line, thinking he would face a French fleet of about 14 ships. Instead, he faced off against 28 ships of the line. A few days after Graves returned, Clinton received a note from Cornwallis informing him that French Admiral de Barras had joined Graves. The French had a total of 36 ships of the line in Virginia. There was no way the British could overpower that fleet anytime soon. Even if the British could repair the ships quickly and Admiral Digby arrived with his expected three additional ships of the line, that fleet would be nowhere near the size of the enemy fleet in Virginia.</p><p>On September 23, the council of war met again, resulting in General Clinton’s letter to Cornwallis, tentatively hoping to send a relief fleet from New York on October 5. Clinton, however, still had concerns. Given the size of the French Navy, it was not clear that the British relief fleet could even find a place to land a reinforcement army safely nearby, and that they could link up with Cornwallis in Yorktown. Such an effort might only make the loss even greater.</p><p>The following day, September 24, Admiral Digby finally arrived in New York. Digby confirmed that he did not have any large number of ships arriving anytime soon. He had brought Prince William, the third son of King George III. William was serving as a midshipman and was the only member of the royal family ever to visit America up until this point. While the prince did much for morale, he could not offer much hope of military relief for Yorktown.</p><p>By this time General Clinton seemed more preoccupied over being blamed for a loss rather than coming up with a way to extricate Cornwallis and his army. At yet another council of war, he suggested that Cornwallis might try to escape. All the other officers at the council thought this was unrealistic. Clinton also brought up the idea of a diversionary attack against Philadelphia again, which the council also rejected.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/AdmiralRobertDigby.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="572" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5pE60W7YKj9luwSfC09TYSNDoWK5rYY1jKe4bIKp-Hq3q0EhY_898C8nrW9kjf_e7Wt4Mg6I9rRdMw85bsBklbcKa7QW9xk_HxCP8peSDcxZExbWioKeLU7VQ3EHf7lmQJzPonSSgP20Iw1TLYhAW2jLnl6nVScSJEgx7-iQGaEWCrgWkH_ompsR3iGA5/w159-h200/AdmiralRobertDigby.jpg" width="159" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/AdmiralRobertDigby.jpg" target="_blank">Adm. Robert Digby</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Admiral Digby offered the ships that he had brought with him to supplement Admiral Graves’ relief fleet. But Digby declined to take command of the fleet himself. After a couple more ships of the line arrived in New York from Jamaica on October 11, the British fleet was up to 25. Digby clearly did not want to take command of what he saw as a losing fight.<p></p><p>The plan seemed like a longshot. The French navy was keeping its distance from Yorktown. The British hoped to slip into Yorktown and offload an army while the remainder of the navy kept the French fleet away. This seemed like a longshot, and relied on the enemy making several mistakes. But it was the best they had. In trying to pull off this action, it was quite possible that the British fleet might be captured or destroyed, leading to a far greater loss than the loss of just Cornwallis’ army.</p><p>The British repeatedly pushed back the launch of the relief fleet. Initially, Clinton had hoped that they could depart on October 5th. That then pushed back to the 8th, then the 12th, and again to October 17th. On that date, the relief fleet finally sailed out of the harbor, but then had to wait until the 19th for favorable winds to sail south.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Escape to Gloucester</h2><p>Clinton still relied on Cornwallis’ assessment that his army could hold out until the end of October. That assessment proved overly-optimistic. As we covered last week, the allied forces captured the final British redoubts on October 14 and were bearing down on the main British army inside Yorktown. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/gm71000688/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="434" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip67x51qTAbDHFOh-RdLZRAXpMe2GZqR9gYfods9rmxv2cfTG3fz4wxnmUwjqP1cMzIkjOzssj7gGip_yiH56N51jGyHxZkstjkvMWbt2ZJ2a_dRC1qYbn0vP8jwGGaWFVKpv4IU0B4RzfuV4FWH96odVvScuFDrFItkRiRKe0ZLQQZKsAiXLqGHpX3fm0/s320/Yorktown-Gloucester.jpg" width="209" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/gm71000688/" target="_blank">British positions at <br />Yorktown & Gloucester</a></td></tr></tbody></table>We left Cornwallis last week on October 16, trying desperately, and without success, to spike some of the growing number of enemy cannons arrayed against him. Cornwallis continued to receive notices promising help from New York, but that were frustratingly vague on when or how much help would arrive. That night, Cornwallis determined that his army just needed to make its own escape. Cornwallis probably would have had a much better chance of succeeding several weeks earlier. But doing so would have meant abandoning his loyalist allies and possibly getting caught by the enemy on the march. Given Clinton’s promises of reinforcements, Cornwallis had opted to sit tight. But now, with the enemy on the verge of overrunning his lines and no British fleet in sight, Cornwallis was out of options.<p></p><p>The French fleet still kept its distance, giving the British the ability to cross the York River where they still held an outpost at Gloucester Point. Overnight, Cornwallis would leave a small portion of his army to keep up fire against the enemy while the bulk of his army crossed the river in small boats to Gloucester. They would have to abandon most of their cannons and supplies in the crossing. Once in Gloucester, they could defeat the small French army of about 800 and fight their way north through Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to make it back to New York.</p><p>You might think that this sounds like a pretty crazy maneuver with no hope of success, and you would be right. The odds of marching his army over 400 miles through enemy territory with almost no support verged on the impossible. But Cornwallis saw that as his best hope at this point.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lord_Cornwallis.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="493" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZsdpfJYZPg/Xil7U8GEVDI/AAAAAAAAaDU/3CvFquts73A-Ddqm30wRV8mqwSyiKYylgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Lord_Cornwallis.jpg" width="163" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lord_Cornwallis.jpg" target="_blank">Lord Cornwallis<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The British had sixteen large row boats to cross the York River. It was a dark and cloudy night, which helped shield the British actions from the enemy. At around 10:00 PM, the first ships began ferrying soldiers from Yorktown to Gloucester Point.</p><p>As the night wore on, those storm clouds turned into an actual storm. Thunder and lightning accompanied a downpour of rain. Winds blew the water into waves. Several of the ships capsized, drowning many of the occupants. The rain also increased the river currents so that several ships were forced downstream into the bay. By two in the morning, Cornwallis called off the effort, with most of his army still in Yorktown. The storm subsided in the morning after sunrise, but by then it was too late to do anything.</p><p>Cornwallis called his own council of war. The officers agreed that their fortifications were collapsing. Enemy fire and disease had decimated their ranks, and those who could fight were too exhausted to fight well.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Surrender</h2><p>At 10:00 in the morning on October 17, a British officer marched out of the British lines waving a white handkerchief. A drummer boy accompanied him, beating out a call for parlay. The allied guns ceased fire and the officer informed the allies that Cornwallis wanted to discuss surrender.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_O%27Hara_c._1791-1792.png" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="177" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrmgc3vHzCmlUIsxZN1ymTb1YVQXR-62oY2r9tumGIVnwjHcR-Syri6Qd4YUWUHDehOeJ3dvMlSOzSFsWXbcA0_JYDQaevUJND1aYVDnxhRNDJRTNGuDQ9tuPF333R-vvFJod27lItmgOFS0NYtvRx8G-lDoKLvB1_VPW0YwKfr_-KcYuOz3S0GPL9th-/s1600/Charles_O'Hara_c._1791-1792.png" width="177" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_O%27Hara_c._1791-1792.png" target="_blank">Gen. Charles O'Hara</a></td></tr></tbody></table>General Washington feared that Cornwallis might draw out the negotiations in the hopes that a British relief fleet might still arrive. Washington demanded that Cornwallis offer terms within two hours. When the British failed to appear within two hours, the allied cannons resumed fire. Almost immediately, Cornwallis’ second in command, General Charles O’Hara, appeared on the British lines holding their terms. Washington reviewed the terms. Although he found some points that he would dispute, the terms seemed to be part of a good faith to surrender. Washington agreed to maintain the cease fire until the following morning.<p></p><p>The following morning, October 18, four officers: one American, one French, and two British, met in a nearby house owned by a merchant named Augustine Moore, to work out the details of surrender. The team completed <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-source-collections/primary-source-collections/article/articles-of-capitulation-yorktown" target="_blank">14 Articles of Capitulation</a>. The British prisoners would be marched to Winchester, Virginia and Frederick Maryland. There would be one British officer for every 50 soldiers. </p><p>Other officers would be released on parole and permitted to return to New York or Britain on condition that they would no longer fight until exchanged. The French Navy would carry the officer to New York under a flag of truce. Sick and wounded prisoners would be provided with care in hospitals. </p><p>The British agreed to turn over their artillery, arms, supplies and public stores without destroying them. This included British ships and boats still in the water around Yorktown. At 2:00 pm the following day, the British army would march out of their lines with shouldered armed and color’s cased. An honored foe would be permitted to fly their colors as they marched out. But because the British denied this honor to the Continentals who surrendered at Charleston, the Continentals now denied that honor to the British.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reddition_armee_anglaise_a_Yorktown_1781_avec_blocus_naval.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="640" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyescwaw0tFP61chXIT7_s9zaygT6rElSbjyAcDM-njE6QOB23dfRIevf7CObqclsRFcB2v6AeAgpKx6I2tbT2hCpDbm3JT3tX7Mk5JYJ5DmnAh8Ot8gZm-hpVtkANf0XFjto4l0dmSA4NelxP2JLMn3ox3cONm89Aqbjfp17Oz-LivSOZc4ydfZuGB1Xv/s320/Reddition_armee_anglaise_a_Yorktown_1781_avec_blocus_naval.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reddition_armee_anglaise_a_Yorktown_1781_avec_blocus_naval.jpg" target="_blank">French drawing from 1781 of the surrender</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Officers were permitted to retain their side-arms. All officers and soldiers could retain their private property. Property that had been looted from Americans would be returned. Loyalists captured with the British army would not be punished by the army, but the Americans insisted that the articles stipulated that they still might be accountable under civil law, meaning that loyalists could be tried, convicted, and executed.</p><p>Cornwallis accepted the terms, only requesting that the British Frigate <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=3366" target="_blank">Bonetta</a></i>, nearby be permitted to carry his dispatches back to New York following the surrender, informing General Clinton of the defeat. Although not stated, the frigate would also carry a number of loyalists and deserters back to New York. </p><p>The two sides haggled over the terms well into the night. Washington informed the negotiators that their time was up. Cornwallis would agree to the articles by the following morning so that the surrender could take place at 2:00 PM as planned.</p><p>At noon the following day, October 19th, the French and American Armies assembled in two lines extending more than a mile. Generals Washington and Rochambeau prepared to take possession of the army under General Cornwallis.</p><p>The British second in command, General Charles O’Hara led the British army out from their defenses. According to some accounts the British band played a tune called <i><a href="https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagsere/se1/se14/000027/html/world_upside_down/worldturned.pdf" target="_blank">The World Turned Upside Down</a></i>. Some witnesses noted that the British averted their eyes to the French and tried to ignore the Americans. General Lafayette orders his musicians to play Yankee Doodle. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.art.com/products/p55419222484-sa-i2351999/general-lincoln-receiving-lord-cornwallis-s-sword-from-british-general-o-hara-c-1781.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="525" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iWBoO772DfYFUkPELgER44970bSZdcVHYONzwhNVPqLEwZfz53ZPRnKCdUiXuUlH6DcYZliUc5-Dk648Egm5uiHu1fA3dswJF86Vq1HrC_7QVOVIRlR6KcN1r2VgpzJ5T2ybpNoe32C5jOmgmr8xzkl1C5Bm95Mj_30H7E7VQuRn2-NZf3EWgasWqCEh/s320/general-lincoln-receiving-lord-cornwallis-s-sword-from-british-general-o-hara-c-1781.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.art.com/products/p55419222484-sa-i2351999/general-lincoln-receiving-lord-cornwallis-s-sword-from-british-general-o-hara-c-1781.htm" target="_blank">Gen. Lincoln Receives Sword from Gen. O'Hara</a></td></tr></tbody></table>When General O’Hara reached Washington and Rochambeau, he sent Cornwallis’ apologies and told them the general was not well enough to participate in the surrender ceremony. General O’Hara then tried to surrender his sword to Rochambeau. The French general refused it, and pointed the general to Washington. Because O’Hara was the British army’s second in command, Washington also refused to accept the sword, instead having General Benjamin Lincoln (his own second in command) accept it. This also was a direct reversal of what had happened a little over a year earlier, when General Lincoln had had to surrender is own sword at Charleston.<p></p><p>While the French soldiers were in dress uniforms, the Americans were in rags, many of them barefoot. All, however, were on best behavior. By contrast, many of the British soldiers were clearly upset at their loss. A great many were thought to be drunk. When it came time to ground their arms, any of the British soldiers threw them on the ground, hoping to break them. The Hessians didn’t really seem to take the loss personally, and seemed perfectly at ease.</p><p>Following the ceremony, the British and Hessians returned to their quarters in Yorktown to await being marched inland over the following days. </p><p>The British surrendered a little over 7000 soldiers. The army had lost close to 500 killed and wounded in the siege. Hundreds more were dead or dying from disease. Smallpox, malaria, and other diseases had swept through the British camp. The British also turned over thousands of muskets, more than 100 cannons, several ships and boats, and a great deal of other equipment. The Americans lost a reported 88 killed and 301 wounded, although many more would die from wounds or disease in the coming weeks. Among those who died of disease was Washington’s stepson, Jack Custis. The 26 year old volunteer died from camp fever about two weeks after the surrender.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Aftermath</h2><p>That night, Washington held a dinner for officers from the American, French and British armies. Only one British officer was not invited, Banastre Tarleton had generated too much bad blood to the American officers to put aside their feelings. There's also very good evidence that Colonel Tarleton, who had killed American prisoners after battles in the past, was very much concerned for his own life and well being and did his best to keep a low profile and out of sight of the victorious Americans.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Rochambeau_Versailles.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="471" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wFVatwhPke2AwHOAvqcXcU8jI8ARoI-GHmOV6zErOiqZOXn63ZDc1c5q8NAVft89d8wOA9xeYfX1FUI8nersqCunO0_WLXlEnhrMgCuxmQ_QItCqffnr_KwhltkURDtBd6NGEgOZI9nJFRA2Jll5R6EJxKEYXHFRDbUy3WSe87RBOMIX2y_jyujDEA/w149-h200/Rochambeau_Versailles.jpg" width="149" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Rochambeau_Versailles.jpg" target="_blank">comte de Rochambeau</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The dinner itself resulted in an odd dynamic. The French officers seemed to have much more in common with the British officers. Those two groups seemed to get along much better than either did with the Americans. The Hessian officer Johann Ewald noted there was a great deal of enmity between the French and American officers. General Cornwallis failed to attend the dinner, but did feel well enough to visit with French General de Viomenil that evening.</p><p>Despite efforts to encourage Admiral de Grasse to engage elsewhere, especially Charleston, the Admiral demurred and returned to the West Indies. The British prisoners were marched inland.</p><p>On October 19, the same day as the surrender, General Clinton personally took command of a relief army aboard the British fleet that sailed out of New York. The fleet reached the Chesapeake on the 24th. They had not yet received word of the surrender, but soon realized what had happened and turned around to go back to New York.</p><p>On November 4, General Cornwallis, under the terms of his parole, boarded a ship for New York to meet with General Clinton and provide details of the loss of his army.</p><p>Following the victory, no one was sure what would happen next. The war would continue for another two years as both sides tried to figure it out.</p><p>Just after the surrender, Washington wrote to General Greene saying <i>“My greatest fear is that Congress viewing this stroke in too important a point of light, may think our work too nearly closed, and will fall into a state of languor and relaxation; to prevent this error, I shall employ every means in my power.”</i></p><p>On his return from Yorktown in November, Washington spent a week at Mount Vernon to mourn the death of his stepson with his wife Martha. He travelled to Philadelphia where he spent about four months meeting with Congress and top officials, trying to decide next steps for the war. He then returned to his camp outside of New York to continue the standoff with General Clinton. By spring, he would settle into a home in Newburgh.</p><p>The French army under Rochambeau remained in Virginia. The general was undecided whether he could offer more assistance to Washington in New York, or march to South Carolina to assist General Greene. In the end, his army spent the winter in Williamsburg, before receiving notice the following summer that his army was being recalled. Rochambeau returned to France, while his army was shipped to the West Indies to assist with the war effort there.</p><p><b>Next week,</b> we deal with more consequences of the surrender at Yorktown, as the war in North Carolina comes to an end with the evacuation of Wilmington.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> Episode 301 Evacuation of Wilmington (Available March 3, 2024)</p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp299-siege-of-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 299 Siege of Yorktown</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>Chronology of the Siege of Yorktown: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/siegetimeline.htm" target="_blank">https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/siegetimeline.htm</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Riley, Edward M. “Yorktown during the Revolution Part II. The Siege of Yorktown, 1781.” <i>The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography</i>, vol. 57, no. 2, 1949, pp. 176–88. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245618" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245618</a> </div><p>MIDDLETON, RICHARD. “The Clinton–Cornwallis Controversy and Responsibility for the British Surrender at Yorktown.” <i>History</i>, vol. 98, no. 3 (331), 2013, pp. 370–89. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/24429518" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/24429518</a></p><p>Hon. Robert Digby: <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/hon-robert-digby" target="_blank">https://morethannelson.com/officer/hon-robert-digby</a></p></div><p>Articles of Capitulation: <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-source-collections/primary-source-collections/article/articles-of-capitulation-yorktown" target="_blank">https://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-source-collections/primary-source-collections/article/articles-of-capitulation-yorktown</a></p><p>World Turned Upside Down lyrics: <a href="https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagsere/se1/se14/000027/html/world_upside_down/worldturned.pdf" target="_blank">https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/stagsere/se1/se14/000027/html/world_upside_down/worldturned.pdf</a></p><div><br /></div></div><div><p></p><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>March to Victory: Washington, Rochambeau and the Yorktown Campaign of 1781, (army.mil): <a href="https://history.army.mil/html/books/rochambeau/CMH_70-104-1.pdf" target="_blank">https://history.army.mil/html/books/rochambeau/CMH_70-104-1.pdf</a></p><p>Johnston, Henry P. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/yorktowncampaign00johnrich" target="_blank">The Yorktown Campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis, 1781</a></i>, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881.</p><p>Stevens, Benjamin (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/campaigninvirgin01stevrich" target="_blank">The Campaign in Virginia, 1781: An exact reprint of six rare pamphlets on the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy</a></i>, London: Stevens, 1888. </p><div>Tarleton, Banastre <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" style="font-style: italic;">A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America</a>, London: T. Cadell 1787. </div><p>Rice, Howard C. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/americancampaign00rice" target="_blank">The American Campaigns of Rochambeau's Army</a></i><span style="color: #0000ee;"><i><u>, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783</u></i></span>, Princeton University Press, 1972 (borrow only). </p><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Davis, Burke <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GRLBWS?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f561dbeb742a152a027bf1806e6d7958&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Campaign that Won America</a></i>, Eastern Acorn Press, 1970 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/campaignthatwona0000burk" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Fleming, Thomas <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007DU6AY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f08449884a3b6a963dd0351076b09462&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Beat the Last Drum;: The siege of Yorktown, 1781</a></i>, St. Martin’s Press, 1963 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/beatthelastdrumt006769mbp" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>) </p><p>Grainger, John D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1843831376?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=be546602b0686e21285df9ef03794cc1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment</a></i>, Boydell Press, 2005 <br />(<a href="https://archive.org/details/battleofyorktown0000grai" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Hallahan, William H. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785822607?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=d90e1e85d39340481cf2d88f39aea935&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Day The Revolution Ended: 19 October 1781</a></i>, Castle Books, 2009</p><p>Ketchum, Richard M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805073965?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=c4e0ed2f5870f2eeea34d8f2c9e0a23a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution</a></i>, Henry Holt and Co. 2004. <br /><br />Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Philbrick, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143111450?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=92cd0ceabf2d5aa7ac992b324f337023&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown</a></i>, Penguin Books, 2019. </p><p>Ward, Christopher <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568525761?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=52095e48ecf00ad882963556042cf9e7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The War of the Revolution</a></i>, Macmillan Company, 1952. </p><p>Wickwire, Franklin B. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0571096778?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5c7bc35a863bd8f7c8ceb5b8e9d73ddd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Cornwallis and the War of Independence</a></i>, Houghton Mifflin, 1971 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/cornwallisameric00wick" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p><p><br /></p></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Yorktown, VA 23690, USA37.2387556 -76.50967318.928521763821152 -111.6659231 65.548989436178843 -41.3534231tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-81386080561101462842024-02-18T03:00:00.190-05:002024-02-24T08:08:13.186-05:00ARP299 Siege of Yorktown<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML7273929765" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Last week we covered the naval battle that gave the French Navy control of the waters around Yorktown, Virginia. The week before that, we covered the march of the armies under Continental General Washington and French General Rochambeau, to confront the British army under General Cornwallis at Yorktown.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Army_52414_Assault_on_Redoubt_10_at_Yorktown.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="1909" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibErDJzPlmU5emEnhdFJtJx9xc0baEnY5yGa9Yb4_2IdIsyhPCRLiIGFuCAqGEicZsVK9XFDCdjqIcXnUlwrNBIEjDQab8_upogdxTFtehgRcfwOHnFaqTGxv3yHD7sAC6cGTtPnAKr1Wp3Q2t88SP3jH2n0rPT9Dw8OcTqbmenBZEMOF4gduvbV2rOfpu/s320/Yorktown-Redoubt10.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Army_52414_Assault_on_Redoubt_10_at_Yorktown.jpg" target="_blank">Storming Redoubt #10</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Washington and Rochambeau arrived in Williamsburg on September 14, 1781. Their respective armies were still marching, several days away. Washington met with Lafayette, who was already in command of a force there, and received the good news that the French fleet had defeated the British and controlled Chesapeake. With the combination of French fleets under Admirals de Grasse and de Barras, the French had 36 ships of the line to prevent any British naval interference.<p></p><p>Admiral de Grasse, however, also reminded Washington that the clock was ticking. The armies had to defeat the British at Yorktown within the month, after which de Grasse was taking his fleet back to the West Indies. Washington sailed out to meet de Grasse on his flagship the <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=1931" target="_blank">Ville de Paris</a></i>. He got the admiral to agree to extend his stay until the end of October, and to send a few ships up the Chesapeake to hurry the arrival of the armies.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">British Defenses</h2><p>In the British camp, General Cornwallis was mindful of the forces arrayed against him. He sent messages to General Clinton in New York saying that he could hold out for about six weeks, and was anxiously awaiting the promised relief fleet once Admiral Digby arrived in New York from London with additional ships. Cornwallis had offloaded cannons from several British ships in the Chesapeake, and aligned others so that they could fire on an enemy, if it tried to storm the British defenses at Yorktown.</p><p>His position on the high ground covered a line of bluffs. To his rear was the York River. Cornwallis had scuttled ships near the bank to prevent the enemy from trying to land ships or moving ship based cannons too close to shore. Across the river, the British also held Gloucester Point, where Banastre Tarleton had taken command. The fortified position was initially set up to control ship access to and from the Chesapeake Bay. By this time, it was still held as a possible means of evacuation if the enemy overran Yorktown. About 1000 of the British army was deployed there, with seven redoubts to protect the soldiers and prevent an enemy advance by land.</p><p>Cornwallis had about 8300 soldiers under his command. His army had built a line of defense around the main defenses at Yorktown, anchored by ten redoubts containing cannons, and connected by trenches. It was enough to prevent a direct assault on his position, but would inevitably fall under a slower siege against a much a larger enemy. Cornwallis had to place his hopes on the Clinton's promise to send a relief fleet.</p><p>On September 22, Cornwallis tried to damage the French Navy in the Chesapeake. The British deployed five fire ships at night, sailing the burning ships into the French fleet, hoping they would catch fire. Several of the ships got close, but the French Navy managed to avoid them.</p><p>The following day, news arrived that British Admiral Digby was expected to arrive in New York any day with ten more ships of the line. Washington dismissed this intelligence. Even if true, the French fleet would still outnumber the British. Admiral de Grasse, however, was more concerned. He recalled how difficult it was to get his fleet out of the Chesapeake when the British fleet under Admiral Graves had arrived. If Graves had been more aggressive, he probably could have defeated the larger French fleet before it could assemble properly. To prevent that risk, de Grasse wanted to withdraw all of his ships out of the Chesapeake and into the open Atlantic. He even considered sailing up to New York to attack the British fleet there.</p><p>Washington would have welcomed a French fleet in New York six months earlier. However, doing this now would ruin plans for the siege, which relied on French naval cannons for support, and French ships to transport troops across the water. Washington sailed out to meet with de Grasse again, to dissuade the admiral from leaving. Fortunately, the fear subsided when it turned out that Digby arrived with only three more ships of the line. The French fleet would remain in place. Washington had hoped to use French ships to harass the enemy from the York River, and to gather intelligence on enemy positions. De Grass, however, refused to risk any ships by bringing them that close to the enemy cannons.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Siege Begins</h2><p>By the end of the month, the allies had their soldiers and equipment ready to go. Rochambeau had marched 5000 French soldiers from Newport, added to the over 3000 that de Grasse had carried from the West Indies. This meant that France had more than 8000 soldiers ready to fight. Washington had managed to march close to 3000 Continentals from New York, when combined with the Continental forces already in Virginia under Lafayette, Wayne, and von Steuben, he managed to assemble a Continental force of close to 6000. This was more Continentals than Washington had under his command since the battle of Monmouth, three years earlier. In addition, another 3000 or so of militia assembled to participate. Among them was Washington’s 25 year old step-son, Jack Custis. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bataille_de_Yorktown_by_Auguste_Couder.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="570" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOwyMCMsajwiXlUTDqsUioHRU9QjoKe7vIh1iNhXJBAqzOIMpIZvESjn61e033hpQr_dgTuKGpiQ1Gl2EupuWBGBJaY8cplxQGWVKe2skJXtk9hAo6fLEOL9Ieei6Hc_qscOICvUhwI1AQ63rmZYqTOsQ00xj4M_yBFF3H9LOhKSj_bzS2eEG35HSLlg_/s320/Yorktown_by_Auguste_Couder.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bataille_de_Yorktown_by_Auguste_Couder.jpg" target="_blank">Washington and Rochambeau at Yorktown</a></td></tr></tbody></table>On September 28, the combined armies marched out of Williamsburg to confront the British at Yorktown. The French army took up the left flank with the Americans on the right, closest to the York River. The allies agreed on a siege. It would have to be an aggressive one since the French fleet had to leave within a few weeks. Without the French fleet, the British could either reinforce or evacuate Cornwallis’ army at Yorktown.<p></p><p>On the night of October 5, the Continentals began laying out the lines for a trench about 600 yards from the British lines. Since this was within artillery range of the enemy, it had to be done quietly and completed before the night was over. The weather was cloudy, with a steady rain covering their activities. General Washington personally visited the digging to ensure everything was going according to plan.</p><p>The planners then disguised their work before morning. That following night, the Continentals deployed a group of pickets in front of their lines to block any enemy patrols, then began digging their trenches. To distract the enemy, they lit bonfires on another part of the line. As hoped, that made the British think the activity was taking place near the fires, and directed their cannon fire there during the night. Meanwhile the sappers and miners began digging their trenches in the dark and rain. </p><p>By the following morning, the Continentals had dug a trench about 2000 yards long, with four cannon emplacements. The work continued. Daylight brought cannon fire as the British were now aware of the enemy trenches.</p><p>Colonel Alexander Hamilton commanded a regiment assigned to protect the trenches. Hamilton had been Washington’s aide for much of the war. The two had parted on bad terms a few months earlier, and Hamilton had been concerned that Washington would refuse to give him a combat command. Washington, however, was never one to hold a grudge, and allowed Hamilton to take this position of honor, and danger.</p><p>Over the next few days, the Continentals continued their work on the trenches. In order to prevent being hit by enemy fire, they deployed lookouts to watch for when a British cannon was being lit. The lookout would call for everyone duck down in the trenches so that the cannonballs would usually simply fly over their heads.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.mediastorehouse.com.au/granger-art-on-demand/yorktown-washington-general-george-washington-7527354.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="679" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjasTZe2oofZ1JjhsQLYF99OogE2zhRVN_iIDD30V-coQaQaY_37N-sAIQ1gG5dOEj7F2zI1xBhHk7rHYBpyJYRLm09zBYwE4oj9lNYBA3ZSQ5l1tMdSbToiDiXY3X7o4l5PXP3m4-VsDntWY6vs07A-Z3YMiL_o9gxa5ybVy4moaRKPdiMKXHhIC5tjIDc/s320/Yorktown-first-shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mediastorehouse.com.au/granger-art-on-demand/yorktown-washington-general-george-washington-7527354.html" target="_blank">Washington fires the first shot at Yorktown</a></td></tr></tbody></table>By October 10, the trenches were completed. They had placed 41 cannons, howitzers and mortars in the trenches. These were not just small field cannons. They included 24 pounders that could obliterate enemy buildings and fortifications. Washington was given the honor of firing the first shot. According to an American who was being held behind British lines at the time, that first shot crashed into a home killing the British Commissary General as he sat at a dining room table with other officers, including General Cornwallis.<p></p><p>When the allies had arrived, the British pulled back from some of their defensive lines. Cornwallis did not want to let some of his relatively isolated redoubts become targets for American or French raids. General Clinton had promised him reinforcements by October 5, so his goal was to keep his army concentrated and rebuff any attacks until help arrived.</p><p>By putting his entire army in a relatively small area of about 500 yards by 1200 yards, he created an inviting target for allied artillery. Cannonballs and shells rained down heavily on the British lines, both day and night, for several days. As most of the buildings were destroyed, many British soldiers moved down to the shore of the river and tried to dig shallow bunkers in the sand. Cornwallis had a bunker built in the garden next to the house where he was staying, so that he could also take shelter from the unrelenting bombardment.</p><p>Cornwallis decided to get rid of the army's horses. He could not feed them and did not want to allow the enemy to capture them, so he ordered all of the horses slaughtered. The carcasses were dumped in the York River. But the tides brought many of the rotting corpses back to shore, where the stink must have become unbearable.</p><p>Also with the British were hundreds of escaped slaves. Cornwallis had allowed them within his lines, as long as they were the slaves of rebels. As the siege continued, he had to stop feeding them and could not provide them with any shelter from the enemy’s fire. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Army_52415_Siege_of_Yorktown_Map.gif" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-_shKfjz-Swbnlg6zdl8tqfImY4Y_muz_abqddgWqwewLMOnM01Sjt7-opbsDUr6LaY0a2H-YnxM1hMnJo3V-6BV414bDb1KbUUOTfFUVZIE3BEYX51dFxYpDF2be_PSb4SI-5fPE1TXec4GEQZKpPK7_e7TEk1Qxc7Lg_U6G0talmkKF7kwT10apmLp/s320/US_Army_52415_Siege_of_Yorktown_Map.jpg" width="259" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Army_52415_Siege_of_Yorktown_Map.gif" target="_blank">Battle Map of Yorktown</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Despite all efforts, British forces continued to dwindle, not only from enemy fire, but disease also took its toll. Food and supplies were running short. Many of the British cannons had been destroyed by enemy fire. Everyday, the British commander found the situation becoming increasingly desperate.<p></p><p>Despite French control of the Chesapeake, the British were able to slip smaller boats in and out of Yorktown. Cornwallis was able to send and receive messages with General Clinton in New York. On October 9, Cornwallis sent a desperate letter to Clinton that he needed support, now. He sent reports of the enemy trenches and the near continuous artillery fire. His letter reported about 70 men killed, then in a postscript a few hours later, noted that the casualty rate had gone up to over 100. The following day, although his message had not yet reached Clinton, Cornwallis received another letter from Clinton promising to arrive soon with reinforcements. Clinton told him that Admiral Digby had arrived and that he hoped the relief fleet would depart New York by October 12.</p><p>The British still held the smaller fortification on the other side of the York River at Gloucester Point. The allies deployed a force of French marines and Virginia militia to keep the British there occupied, but did not attempt to storm the position.</p><p>The British still had a warship, the <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=3570" target="_blank">Charon</a></i>, anchored just off shore. The French Navy did not want to get that close to British lines, and allowed the enemy ship to remain. On the night of October 10, the French army began firing hot shot at the <i>Charon</i>, that is cannonballs heated in a fire so that they would burn the ship when they came into contact. The fire managed to burn the ship, completely destroying it.</p><p>The following night, the Continentals began work on a second line of trenches, this one only a little more than 300 yards from the British lines. Once again, they completed enough work under the cover of darkness in one night to provide a new defensive trench.</p><p>This second trench was a little shorter than the first one because the allies could not dig it all the way to the river. The British had given up most of their redoubts, but still held two redoubts, known as redoubts nine and ten, that blocked further entrenchments. The allies however, could fire from a closer range, and had increased the total number of artillery pieces to 71.</p><p>In the British lines, things seemed to become only more desperate. Even so, Cornwallis kept up the army’s morale with the hope that reinforcements from New York should be arriving any day. British cannons still had plenty of ammunition and continued to exchange heavy fire with the enemy.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Assault on Redoubts 9 & 10</h2><p>Many of the Continental officers who were commanding the men in the trenches, taking considerable enemy fire, argued that the time had come to charge the enemy lines and finish the battle. Both sides knew that the French fleet was going to leave soon, and both expected a British relief fleet to arrive at any time. They could not sit around an wait forever.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://dc.library.northwestern.edu/items/d0bf24af-985c-4778-9bae-2e2c7b98b514" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="640" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrGGswGPWwT67vm54XWAxXLqRDdZqL-JljvDWpC64X_lhvTn37Q8bXoGmDWqTh_icWcW-gJMcvtvt2AQWBy0afHIl2mVqKFjc5hkmJLpTk5g4rrKNcy0Ynu8avfwk7Qu-f3tLsgmTjx2n-lFsLZalXVMOoEhyfbn6vxzx2nf3oBiwd6TILKe4Hvv9lbEY/s320/Redoubt10.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://dc.library.northwestern.edu/items/d0bf24af-985c-4778-9bae-2e2c7b98b514" target="_blank">Taking Redoubt #10</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Washington and Rochambeau waited a few days to see if the second set of trenches had any impact on the enemy’s will to fight. As the fighting continued, they agreed to an assault on Redoubts #9 and #10.<p></p><p>Washington assigned General Lafayette to take Redoubt 10. Rochambeau would assign a French detachment under Baron de Viomenil to take Redoubt 9 at the same time. Given the difficulty of the assault, Viomenil argued that the French should take both redoubts and leave the Continentals out of it. Lafayette took that as an insult to his Continentals and quickly quashed that idea.</p><p>For the Continental assault, Lafayette chose Colonel <a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/gimatbio.htm" target="_blank">Jean-Joseph Sourbader de Gimat</a> to lead the assault. The colonel was a fellow Frenchman who had come to America with Lafayette and was serving in the Continental Army. He had served as Lafayette’s aide for many years, but in 1780, took command of an infantry regiment.</p><p>Colonel Hamilton was not happy with Lafayette’s choice. Hamilton and Lafayette had been good friends for many years. Leading the assault on the redoubt was a high profile command that would help any career if it came off successfully Hamilton wanted to lead the assault himself, but Lafayette would not budge. Hamilton then appeared directly to General Washington. We don’t know exactly what Hamilton argued with Washington, but for whatever reason, Washington sided with Hamilton and instructed Lafayette to let Hamilton lead the assault.</p><p>Another former Washington aide, and friend of Hamilton and Lafayette, Colonel John Laurens, was given the responsibility to move behind the redoubt and cut off any enemy escape. The First Rhode Island Regiment was chosen to take part in the assault. The regiment was often called the Black regiment because of the high number of African-American soldiers in its ranks.</p><p>Washington personally addressed the division. The men got into position on the evening of October 14, with the plan to lay low until after dark. When they heard the signal from the French artillery, 400 Continentals would rise up and storm Redoubt #10. Another 400 French soldiers would rise up and storm Redoubt #9.</p><p>Sappers would cut through the British abatis. They would drop bundles of sticks into the trenches around the redoubts. The attackers would carry ladders to get over the enemy walls. All of this had to happen under enemy musket and cannon fire. Lafayette ordered that all guns not be loaded so that a premature fire would not alert the enemy to the attack. The assault would be fought with swords and bayonets. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.britishbattles.com/war-of-the-revolution-1775-to-1783/battle-of-yorktown/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="459" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifgtJg2H5IaJdnAQDqczDtnxmYBZnms60YTxlkI_ry2BmroLtS-TFTmhIq5-MhUQAeFxebIOt1fzXjf460TMG5mJx4S6as5VGcd06MFIdvfkjA9dDiQO33iqeU9sh0NO0T32yOy0isZy8xxhJeA4fw5yF2RKSX8AYgv4_q8acXdeH_ixjZxJhVuCLbT7BY/s320/Yorktown-americans-storming.jpg" width="245" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.britishbattles.com/war-of-the-revolution-1775-to-1783/battle-of-yorktown/" target="_blank">Storming Redoubt #10</a></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a difficult task, but when the signal came at around 8:00 PM, the attackers rose and stormed the forts. Both divisions stormed the redoubts and took on the enemy in hand to hand combat. Once the Continentals entered Redoubt #10, the fight was over in a matter of minutes. <p></p><p>The Americans managed to storm and take Redoubt #10 first, while the French were still cutting out the abattis in front of Redoubt #9. Recalling the French commander’s suggestion that the Continentals were not up to the task, Lafayette stood atop the redoubt wall to proclaim that his men had taken the Redoubt and asked how they were doing. The angry de Viomenil, shouted back he would be there in five minutes. The French then stormed and took Redoubt #9.</p><p>The French managed to capture 120 enemy soldiers in Redoubt #9. The Americans captured about 70 in Redoubt #10. By the following morning, both redoubts were incorporated into the Allied lines.</p><p>The capture of the Redoubts only made things more desperate for Cornwallis’ army. Without food to feed them, Cornwallis drove the escaped slaves out of his lines and toward the enemy. The desperate escapees ended up setting up camp in the middle of the battlefield, between the two lines, unable to continue the protection of the British, and unwilling to return to the slavery that awaited them behind the American lines.</p><p>General Henry Knox brought up American Cannons into Redoubt Number 10. The allied artillery barrage against the British in Yorktown continued its incessant pace, only from a closer range now.</p><p>By the morning of October 16, the British position was becoming desperate. Cornwallis knew that, unless a British relief force arrived soon, he could not continue to defend against the siege.</p><p>In a desperate attempt to stop the enemy cannons, Cornwallis ordered Hessian commander Johann Ewald to storm the French artillery and spike their cannons. The Hessians managed to get to the enemy batteries, but found that the nails they brought to spike the cannons were too large. Instead, they jammed bayonets into the fuse holes, broke them off, and withdrew. Unfortunately for the British, the French were able to remove the bayonets and resume their fire.</p><p>With the British situation even more desperate, Cornwallis realized that, unless a British relief force arrived within days, he would almost certainly have to surrender.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp300-surrender-at-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 300 Surrender at Yorktown</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp298-battle-of-capes.html" target="_blank">Episode 298 Battle of the Capes</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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JSTOR, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1922681" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/1922681</a></p><p>Riley, Edward M. “Yorktown during the Revolution: Part I.” <i>The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography</i>, vol. 57, no. 1, 1949, pp. 22–43. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245601" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245601</a></p><p>“Yorktown during the Revolution Part II. The Siege of Yorktown, 1781.” <i>The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography</i>, vol. 57, no. 2, 1949, pp. 176–88. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245618" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/4245618</a> </p><p>Wright, John W. “Notes on the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 with Special Reference to the Conduct of a Siege in the Eighteenth Century.” <i>The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine</i>, vol. 12, no. 4, 1932, pp. 230–50. JSTOR, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1923261" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/1923261</a></p><p>Idzerda, Stanley J. “Indispensable Allies: The French at Yorktown.” <i>The Wilson Quarterly</i> (1976-), vol. 5, no. 4, 1981, pp. 166–77. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/40256531" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/40256531</a></p><p>Yorktown, Redoubt No. 10: <a href="https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/trail/Redoubt10/index.cfm" target="_blank">https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu/trail/Redoubt10/index.cfm</a></p><p>Fix Bayonets: The Revolution’s Climactic Assault at Yorktown: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/fix-bayonets-revolutions-climactic-assault-yorktown" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/fix-bayonets-revolutions-climactic-assault-yorktown</a></p><p>Burdick, Kim “What they Saw and Did at Yorktown’s Redoubts 9 and 10” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, April 7,2020: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/04/what-they-saw-and-did-at-yorktowns-redoubts-9-and-10" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/04/what-they-saw-and-did-at-yorktowns-redoubts-9-and-10</a></p><p></p><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>March to Victory: Washington, Rochambeau and the Yorktown Campaign of 1781, (army.mil): <a href="https://history.army.mil/html/books/rochambeau/CMH_70-104-1.pdf" target="_blank">https://history.army.mil/html/books/rochambeau/CMH_70-104-1.pdf</a></p><p>Johnston, Henry P. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/yorktowncampaign00johnrich" target="_blank">The Yorktown Campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis, 1781</a></i>, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881.</p><p>Tarleton, Banastre <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" style="font-style: italic;">A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America</a>, London: T. Cadell 1787. </p><p>Rice, Howard C. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/americancampaign00rice" target="_blank">The American Campaigns of Rochambeau's Army</a></i><span style="color: #0000ee;"><i><u>, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783</u></i></span>, Princeton University Press, 1972 (borrow only). </p><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Davis, Burke <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GRLBWS?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f561dbeb742a152a027bf1806e6d7958&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Campaign that Won America</a></i>, Eastern Acorn Press, 1970 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/campaignthatwona0000burk" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Fleming, Thomas <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007DU6AY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f08449884a3b6a963dd0351076b09462&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Beat the Last Drum;: The siege of Yorktown, 1781</a></i>, St. Martin’s Press, 1963 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/beatthelastdrumt006769mbp" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>) </p><p>Grainger, John D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1843831376?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=be546602b0686e21285df9ef03794cc1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment</a></i>, Boydell Press, 2005 <br />(<a href="https://archive.org/details/battleofyorktown0000grai" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Ketchum, Richard M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805073965?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=c4e0ed2f5870f2eeea34d8f2c9e0a23a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution</a></i>, Henry Holt and Co. 2004. <br /><br />Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Philbrick, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143111450?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=92cd0ceabf2d5aa7ac992b324f337023&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown</a></i>, Penguin Books, 2019. </p><p>Ward, Christopher <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568525761?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=52095e48ecf00ad882963556042cf9e7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The War of the Revolution</a></i>, Macmillan Company, 1952. </p><p>Wickwire, Franklin B. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0571096778?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5c7bc35a863bd8f7c8ceb5b8e9d73ddd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Cornwallis and the War of Independence</a></i>, Houghton Mifflin, 1971 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/cornwallisameric00wick" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p><p><br /></p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com1Yorktown, VA 23690, USA37.2387556 -76.50967318.928521763821152 -111.6659231 65.548989436178843 -41.3534231tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-90638118290126135562024-02-11T03:00:00.005-05:002024-02-24T08:08:40.076-05:00ARP298 Battle of the Capes<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML5606870202" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Last week we covered the Continental and French efforts to concentrate their forces on the British Southern army at Yorktown. In order for that effort to be successful, they had to deny the British Navy control of the waters around Yorktown.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfVirginiaCapes.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1607" data-original-width="2560" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MkAQXbbZoLzJzNm8N-VzM_wOR_bUEl-_kPLrVitYXFKw07hb3pGK736KdX7DmcJYQllSMJ2UOlGDh8iayqQYp-C6SGfd12JIGFyrzK3Dnqq7SRJPZ4gZxctk5jle0_hfUuO4R125G8WVkLWqSTw62hp5JBDe-3M6GUhj4CPtUAras2KvJamNa7irLzEK/s320/BattleOfVirginiaCapes.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfVirginiaCapes.jpg" target="_blank">Battle of Virginia Capes</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Throughout the war, the British Navy had dominated the waters off the coast of North America. The Continentals could do little but occasionally pick off isolated ships. They could not compete directly with the British Navy. To contest British control of the sea, General Washington had to await the arrival of the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse. That fleet was in the West Indies and was expected in North America in the fall of 1781.<p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Admiral de Grasse</h2><p>Admiral François-Joseph-Paul de Grasse was an experienced 53 year old naval veteran. He came from old French nobility, tracing his family back nearly 1000 years. His father, the Marquis de Grasse, served as a captain in the French Army. Francois Joseph Paul joined the Knights of Malta at age 11, seeing early combat against the Turks and the Moores. At age 16, he joined the French Navy. During the War of Austrian Succession, de Grasse was taken prisoner by the British for two years. Upon his return he received promotion to lieutenant and served in the East Indies. By the end of the Seven Years war, de Grasse had become an experienced naval captain.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comte_de_Grasse_par_Mauzaisse_J_Baptiste.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ14VoAUKl-_8IGhnBGflzNkax_0-m8-PJwV-cw8lVSEpaE2sMLms768b_RguWCe3S9jN5p9RmAHVanxv97SSdvlXgJJIKY6YrSbCVwouyU_LdYOTDGs1GvATAFC4I_03y-a8KhJfIT2u5p6Gmqvhhx65CMKPGj-fZCpRnPZNIg-31Fru8v8zcct9mO2E/w282-h320/Comte_de_Grasse_par_Mauzaisse_J_Baptiste.jpg" width="282" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Comte_de_Grasse_par_Mauzaisse_J_Baptiste.jpg" target="_blank">Comte de Grasse</a></td></tr></tbody></table>When France entered the war with Britain in 1778, de Grasse led fleets at the Battle of Ushant and against the British fleet near Grenada. He assisted the Americans in the failed siege of Savannah in 1779. He also served in the West Indies under Admiral d’Estaing.<p></p><p>After his return to France in 1780, de Grasse took some time off to recover from injuries and illness. In March 1781, he received promotion to admiral and was given command of 23 ships of the line. His mission was to protect French island colonies in the West Indies and to capture British colonies there.</p><p>Almost immediately after his arrival in the West Indies, his fleet contested with the British fleet. A few months later the French captured the British-controlled island of Tobago.</p><p>The mission for de Grasse did not really involve the war in North America. France’s naval focus was the fight with the British for control of valuable island colonies in the West Indies and elsewhere. General Rochambeau had been sent to America with the explicit task of supporting, some say propping up, the Continental Army. French Admiral Jacques de Barras provided naval support for Rochambeau in North America. Admiral de Grasse was focused on other goals that did not involve the sideshow in North America.</p><p>That said, late summer and early fall was a bad time for any navy to remain in the West Indies. That was the height of hurricane season. Since hurricanes could arrive with little notice and were known to destroy fleets, it made sense to get out of the area during hurricane season.</p><p>Knowing this, in June, de Grasse received multiple requests from North America asking for the help of his fleet. The American privateer <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=20383" target="_blank">Congress</a></i> brought Continental Major John McLane to de Grasse’s flagship. Major McLane was tasked by General Washington to convince de Grasse to bring his fleet up to New York and assist a combined Continental and French army with the capture of Manhattan.</p><p>McLane was to persuade de Grasse to sail up take New York Harbor and assist the combined Continental and French armies to defeat the British under General Clinton and capture the city of New York.</p><p>Some accounts of McLane’s mission indicate he was there to persuade de Grasse to sail up to the Chesapeake. But that appears to be the way it got spun after the fact. When Washington dispatched McLane, Washington still wanted the fight to come to New York, not Virginia. However, McLane also brought dispatches from French General Rochambeau to Admiral de Grasse.</p><p>Technically, Rochambeau’s letters were supposed to support Washington’s goal of taking New York. Instead, Rochambeau focused on the goal of capturing the British Army in Virginia, and then suggested perhaps afterwards sailing up to New York to finish the job. That, of course, was highly unlikely. Even if the French fleet had the time and ability to fight two such campaigns, The Continental and French Armies would not have time to be in both locations before the French fleet had to return to the West Indies.</p><p>Rochambeau phrased his letters in respectful and diplomatic language. But reading between the lines, what Rochambeau was telling de Grasse was that Rochambeau was under orders to support whatever Washington wanted to do, but that de Grasse was not. The admiral should focus on the Chesapeake and ignore the naive General Washington’s hopes to retaking New York. Certainly, that was what de Grasse took as his strategy after meeting with McLane and after reading Rochambeau’s letters.</p><p>In his responses, de Grasse informed Washington and Rochambeau that he would sail for the Chesapeake Bay in August, but would have to be back in the West Indies in October. This gave the allies a pretty narrow window to attack and defeat the British Army in Virginia.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Attack of the <i>Savage</i></h2><p>One interesting side note to this story was Major McLane’s return trip to America. As the privateer <i>Congress</i> sailed up the coast, it came across the British naval ship the <a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=6472" target="_blank"><i>Savage</i></a>, commanded by Captain Charles Stirling. The <i>Savage</i> was a small British sloop with fourteen 6-pounder canons and a crew of about 125 sailors. This was the same ship that had sailed up the Potomac River and threatened Mount Vernon a few months earlier. On its current mission, the <i>Savage</i> was escorting a supply fleet on its way to British occupied Charleston.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Privateer_Congress_Captures_HMS_Sloop_Savage.tif" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuGszPI4Ob29SfCaZK1s2iyjTGG7RdDp7F3nkZj82XwQYap7NTrnlsKBfriTXKVfYTmxf1VLVySVVTTGFGlKO_6T3bHTMWJttpyIUr9yxad68zeeYRmF7Jd1kpsmLj7PgxlruESlE_9qy1dU7-rsbEdYLsaU5dr5EA57vahalQn8Sp5MSXcy8DTo2wwdf/s320/Privateer_Congress_Captures_HMS_Sloop_Savage.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Privateer_Congress_Captures_HMS_Sloop_Savage.tif" target="_blank">The <i>Congress</i> Captures the <i>Savage</i></a></td></tr></tbody></table>When the <i>Savage</i> spotted the <i>Congress</i>, Captain Stirling thought it was a smaller privateer that had been harassing British shipping in the area. He sailed to engage. As the ships got closer, Stirling quickly realized his target was much larger. The <i>Congress</i> had twenty 12-pounders and four 6-pounders. Its crew of over 200 included a sizable complement of Continental Marines. Once the British commander realized he was outclassed, he turned his ship away and tried to escape.<p></p><p>The <i>Congress</i> pursued and came within cannon range by late morning. After another half hour, the ships were close enough for marines to fire their muskets at the enemy ship. The <i>Savage</i> returned fire at close range. Both ships took heavy damage. The <i>Congress</i> took so much damage to its rigging, that it had to back off while the crew made quick repairs and resumed battle. After an hour or so, the <i>Congress</i> pulled alongside the <i>Savage</i> so the marines could board. As they prepared for the final assault, the British surrendered.</p><p>The fighting had been brutal. The British lost 9 killed and 34 wounded. The Americans lost 11 killed and 30 wounded. The Americans took control of the British ship. They put a prize crew aboard.</p><p>The <i>Congress</i> made it back to port, but the <i>Savage</i> struggled. The prize crew attempted to sail the badly damaged ship north. After about a week, the British frigate <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=6771" target="_blank">Solebay</a></i> encountered the <i>Savage</i>. The British recaptured the ship and took the prize crew as prisoners.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sailing to Virginia</h2><p>Back in the West Indies, de Grasse made plans to bring his entire fleet up to the Chesapeake. He scrambled to collect money, which came primarily in the form of a loan from the Spanish people in Havana, which I described last week. On August 18, the fleet sailed from Cuba toward Virginia. About a week into the trip, they encountered three small British Navy ships, which they captured. </p><p>One of the ships was taking Lord Rawdon back to Britain after he left South Carolina. Recall that Lord Rawdon had been the overall British commander in South Carolina after General Cornwallis moved north. After losing most of his outposts in South Carolina to General Nathanael Greene's Continentals and South Carolina militia, and also being sick with malaria, Lord Rawdon hoped to sail home to London. As a result of his capture at sea, Lord Rawdon became a French prisoner of war, along with the rest of the crews of the three captured ships.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.americanrevolution.com/revolution/war/battles/chesapeake_capes" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="484" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYsv_WHJFsQ1mrJKHox75jurw4izS8pp8kHd4JRmk18WrPytB-lwwjp-8yDp_GwiqXsz9iSzvYEq0qTiW9BG21JDn3URjJVRL-jz5yIln65_-hVCbhj0HI4X-41EqGsBBtgvWhHeIlSYkF7d2Yz2H6yuWaT94pee4fngUa_V1XvlKrWLlEk-xeXdLSnjKc/s320/MAP__Battle_usma45-yorktown_march.jpg" width="155" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanrevolution.com/revolution/war/battles/chesapeake_capes" target="_blank">Yorktown Movements</a></td></tr></tbody></table>On August 28, the fleet was just outside of the Chesapeake. A group of loyalists, thinking the fleet was British, rowed out to greet them, and were promptly taken prisoner. A few days later, on September 1, the fleet offloaded the about 3300 French soldiers under the command of the Marquis de St. Simon that the navy had brought to America. <p></p><p>During this time, de Grasse noted that the British forces at Yorktown observed their movements, but made no effort to attack them or disrupt the landings. The Admiral noted<i> “The English general might have prevented us from doing anything, and even repulsed us, had he not despised our small army. At our first encampment it would have been annihilated if attacked.”</i> Even being unmolested, it took three days for the army to connect with the Continentals under Lafayette.</p><p>Personally, de Grasse was almost killed in a careless accident. While going ashore, his boat capsized and he could not swim. Fortunately, the boat capsized near a sand bar which was in about four feet of water. The admiral was able to walk to the shore, although completely soaked.</p><p>The remainder of the fleet continued to arrive and position itself over the first few days of September. They managed to seize several British ships attempting to escape out of the Chesapeake. On September 3, de Grasse sent four of his ships into the bay, to seek out and capture a number of merchant ships that were still in the bay.</p><p>The French Navy had secured the waters around Yorktown, but were still awaiting another French fleet under the Count de Barras. That smaller fleet had been in Rhode Island, protecting the French camp at Newport. It included eight ships of the line, as well as numerous smaller ships.</p><p>De Barras was a friend of the Count d’Estaing, and considered de Grasse a rival. Also, de Barras outranked de Grasse and de Grasse had been given overall command of the operation. So serving under an officer junior to him was seen as an insult. As a result, de Barras really had no desire to link up with the de Grasse fleet. </p><p>Washington had originally hoped that de Barras would sail the French Army down to the Chesapeake, but de Barras refused. His fleet remained in New England as the French and Continental armies marched overland. Rochambeau and Washington had hoped that de Barras would at least transport some of the French heavy artillery that they needed at Yorktown.</p><p>The stubbornness of de Barras ended up working in the Americans’ favor. The British fleet at New York did not sail for the Chesapeake because they were still monitoring the French fleet under de Barras. That the French fleet remained in New England was evidence to General Clinton that the march toward Yorktown was really just a ruse, and that the enemy forces might still be planning an attack on New York. Another theory was that the fleet under de Grasse would sail up to Newport before the combined French fleets sailed elsewhere.</p><p>It was only after de Barras finally left port in late August, that the British fleet finally left New York. Even then, the British chased after de Barras, who sailed east into the open Atlantic, rather than sailing south. The British hoped to capture and defeat this smaller fleet before it could link up with de Grasse’s fleet. </p><p>There was also a second British fleet in the West Indies that had been fighting with the French fleet under de Grasse all spring and summer. This British fleet was under the command of Admiral George Rodney. In early August, Rodney sailed for England with part of the fleet, leaving the remainder under the command of Admiral Samuel Hood. The fleet under Hood arrived at the Chesapeake a few days before de Grasse. The British admiral had sent instructions to New York to have a frigate meet him there so that they could coordinate a strategy. His instructions never arrived because the ship carrying them was attacked by privateers. When Admiral Hood saw no frigate at the Chesapeake, he continued sailing his fleet up to New York. As a result, de Grasse found the Chesapeake virtually uncontested when he arrived a few days later.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle of the Capes</h2><p>On August 31, three days after de Grasse arrived at the Chesapeake, the combined British fleet under Admirals Grave and Hood sailed out of New York. They took nineteen ships of the line, thinking that they would outnumber and outgun the French fleet which would have left some of their ships in the West Indies. The British though they would face an enemy fleet of about 14 ships of the line. In fact, thanks to Spanish cooperation, de Grasse had taken his entire fleet, which included 28 ships of the line.</p><p>When the British frigate <i>Solebay</i> spotted the French fleet on the morning of September 5, its captain counted 24 French ships of the line. The other four were still sailing away from the main fleet in the Chesapeake. That put the British leaders on notice that they were facing a fleet larger than their own.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Admiral_Lord_Graves,_1st_Baron_Graves_of_Gravesend,_by_Thomas_Gainsborough.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="476" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9PAwlpI1SRa8wEGn98XvBLnHXolqkOhtyTmMdb7EuJRrXQZnQIP4-L1IvBnLHXYU7b_IRNUSNvIOGkFDDWXmGCzhNq5FO3ZCXne8FzU5iZqLKyx6ifMOwJ8RtCmNrUwhfgdVXZ9QWzofNMxM82sBGCe3FwYIz7GLVojmYHTAXqzi0cNI_t3NLUr6Uibd/s320/Admiral_Lord_Graves,_1st_Baron_Graves_of_Gravesend,_by_Thomas_Gainsborough.jpg" width="254" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Admiral_Lord_Graves,_1st_Baron_Graves_of_Gravesend,_by_Thomas_Gainsborough.jpg" target="_blank">Admiral Thomas Graves</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Even so, Admiral Graves had the wind on his side, and had time to attack the lead French ships before the rest could get into position and form into a line of battle. For some reason, he delayed. Admiral Hood later reported that Graves had about an hour and a half to demolish the French vanguard before the rest of the enemy fleet arrived. Instead, he adjusted his fleet and waited for the French to approach him.<p></p><p>The French received intelligence of the approaching British fleet only a short time before the fleet was upon them. They hoped to take them on in battle out in open sea. But unfavorable winds and the tides made it difficult for much of the fleet to get out to the ocean quickly.</p><p>By early afternoon, both fleets came into contact and were formed into lines of battle. Due to some confusion over flag signals, the rear of the fleet under Admiral Hood formed a line behind that of Graves’ ships, rather than the parallel line that Graves expected. Several of the French ships were still struggling to get out of the bay. It was not until about 4:15 in the afternoon that the ships came into firing range with one another and began opening up with their cannons.</p><p>Within minutes, the lead British ship, the <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=289" target="_blank">Shrewsbury</a></i>, suffered heavy damage and was out of the fight. The next few British ships in line also took damage but returned fire, inflicting heavy damage on the lead French ships. </p><p>After a little over an hour, Hood figured out that he no longer had to remain in the line that he thought was required by Graves’ flag commands, and his portion of the fleet entered the battle. The damaged lead French ships veered away from the battle, leaving a large number from the center of the line to continue the fight.</p><p>By evening, Admiral Graves called off the fight and withdrew. The French fleet did not pursue. Graves had intended to renew the fight the following morning, but after getting reports from each of his ships, he reconsidered. Five of his ships were too badly damaged to continue the fight, one so badly it had to be scuttled. Graves could view the French fleet, only a few miles away, and believed that the enemy had suffered far less damage than his fleet.</p><p>Instead, both fleets spent the following day, September 6, repairing their ships and tending to the wounded. British records later reported 82 killed and 232 wounded. French records don’t give a detailed breakdown but give a total of 209 casualties. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Aftermath</h2><p>That evening, Admiral Graves met with Admiral Hood to discuss the battle and next steps. Graves was upset that Hood had not entered the battle until very late in the day. Hood argued that Graves’ flags were effectively orders that he stay in line behind Graves. While Graves conceded that was what the flag meant, Hood should have used his better judgment. Hood, however, was used to serving under Admiral Rodney, who would never have tolerated subordinates using their own judgment like that. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2018/10/le-celebre-comte-de-grasse-part-i.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="400" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeT1W5jXQsHshftxM9HhBU-REdiFMX-KOTwrFH_NrSkjS-C2s1EKP0HV5aWcFC5bT5pC8a0-q8R2gXf7Zlba0hEPd_vixTuxjDa-CDpPExg4OjS14CYglDCwpSFxvPiXTvpEiqnIgDbcoYz-UtYiickDNaN2Rm5L-peXV5tsIUsDhcZ7pbf95a5NatSFY/s320/Chesapeak-French_Map.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2018/10/le-celebre-comte-de-grasse-part-i.html" target="_blank">French map showing control of Chesapeake</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The result was that Graves’ ships at the front of the line had taken the brunt of the damage. Hood’s ships in the rear had taken almost none. In fact, none of the ships in Hoods’ division reported a single casualty. The British fleet would still have been outnumbered and outgunned, even if several of their ships of the line were not out of commission. At that point, Hood recommended returning to New York, but Graves rejected that plan.<p></p><p>While the two fleets kept in sight of each other, they had moved far enough out to sea that they could not see the mouth of the Chesapeake anymore. On September 7, Graves sent two British frigates to determine how many additional French ships remained in the Chesapeake.</p><p>Over the next couple of days, the two sides continued to drift further out to sea. Finally, Graves conceded on September 13 that they needed to return to New York to regroup and repair. </p><p>The French fleet under de Grasse returned to the Chesapeake, only to find another fleet guarding the entrance to the bay. After some moments of concern, de Grasse determined that the fleet was, in fact, the French fleet under de Barras that had arrived from New England.</p><p>The French Navy maintained undisputed control of the Chesapeake Bay and of the Atlantic coast of Virginia. The American and French Armies around Yorktown continued to grow as more regiments arrived from the march from New York and local militia began to turn out in larger numbers. </p><p>Inside the British camp at Yorktown, General Cornwallis finally began to realize the predicament that he faced. Even so, he believed he could hold out until another British relief force returned to assist his army. We’ll see how that goes next week, when we cover the Siege of Yorktown</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp299-siege-of-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 299 Siege of Yorktown</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp297-march-to-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 297 March to Yorktown</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><p>François-Joseph-Paul Grasse: <a href="https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06728a.htm" target="_blank">https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06728a.htm</a></p><p>The American Revolution's Unsung Naval Hero, Part 1: <a href="https://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2018/10/le-celebre-comte-de-grasse-part-i.html" target="_blank">https://hamptonroadsnavalmuseum.blogspot.com/2018/10/le-celebre-comte-de-grasse-part-i.html</a></p><p>Battle of Chesapeake Bay: <a href="https://morethannelson.com/battle-chesapeake-bay-5-september-1781" target="_blank">https://morethannelson.com/battle-chesapeake-bay-5-september-1781</a></p><p></p><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Johnston, Henry P. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/yorktowncampaign00johnrich" target="_blank">The Yorktown Campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis, 1781</a></i>, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881.</p><p>Larrabee, Harold A. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/decisionattheche0000unse" target="_blank">Decision at the Chesapeake</a></i>, New York: C.N. Potter, 1964 (borrow only). </p><p>Rice, Howard C. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/americancampaign00rice" target="_blank">The American Campaigns of Rochambeau's Army</a></i><span style="color: #0000ee;"><i><u>, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783</u></i></span>, Princeton University Press, 1972 (borrow only). </p><p>Shea, John G. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/TheOperationsOfTheFrenchFleet" target="_blank">The Operations of the French fleet under the Count de Grasse in 1781-2</a></i>, New York: Bradford Club, 1864 (1971 reprint by De capo Press): </p><div>Tarleton, Banastre <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" style="font-style: italic;">A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America</a>, London: T. Cadell 1787. </div><p>Warner, Oliver <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/greatseabattles0000warn/page/110/mode/2up" target="_blank">Great Sea Battles</a></i>, Spring Books 1963 (borrow only) </p><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Davis, Burke <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GRLBWS?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f561dbeb742a152a027bf1806e6d7958&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Campaign that Won America</a></i>, Eastern Acorn Press, 1970 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/campaignthatwona0000burk" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Fleming, Thomas <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007DU6AY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f08449884a3b6a963dd0351076b09462&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Beat the Last Drum;: The siege of Yorktown, 1781</a></i>, St. Martin’s Press, 1963 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/beatthelastdrumt006769mbp" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>) </p><p>Grainger, John D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1843831376?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=be546602b0686e21285df9ef03794cc1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment</a></i>, Boydell Press, 2005 <br />(<a href="https://archive.org/details/battleofyorktown0000grai" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Ketchum, Richard M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805073965?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=c4e0ed2f5870f2eeea34d8f2c9e0a23a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution</a></i>, Henry Holt and Co. 2004. <br /><br />Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Philbrick, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143111450?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=92cd0ceabf2d5aa7ac992b324f337023&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown</a></i>, Penguin Books, 2019. </p><p>Ward, Christopher <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568525761?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=52095e48ecf00ad882963556042cf9e7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The War of the Revolution</a></i>, Macmillan Company, 1952. </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-13568767097244487632024-02-04T03:00:00.220-05:002024-02-09T15:34:30.421-05:00ARP297 March to Yorktown<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML5806393377" width="100%"></iframe>
<p br="" gt=""></p><p>We last left the main Continental Army under George Washington in Episode 290. Washington and Rochambeau discussed their options for the 1781 fighting season during the spring. Washington wanted to attack New York City and force the main British Army under General Clinton to surrender. Rochambeau wanted to go to Virginia and take out the British southern army under General Cornwallis. Washington’s goal would have been a more decisive way to end the war. However, the chances of taking New York seemed much lower. Washington convinced Rochambeau to probe the defenses in northern Manhattan, but those probes only confirmed Rochambeau’s belief that they could not take the British there.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Alliance_Flag_%28United_States%29.svg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="406" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB27Npw0xJDBFIc8Bl3Q-yQaob32MzthUP0-TRD_Cquo-7prV3WH6pqah_HJWXOnYMfIhdiviJyTGRubvy6jAs2chyB3kgqTZjQoEze6qCwjdt6mqOcAPteTkn1hc3O2U-4iTgp3gvjQZ7cCOn_WvE2fkzwsp5_P5ZdYCdAnjrDUTyIpnS3kHr718lMZ1y/s320/French_Alliance_Flag.png" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Alliance_Flag_%28United_States%29.svg" target="_blank">French Alliance Flag</a></td></tr></tbody></table>In August of 1781, Washington received confirmation that the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse was sailing for Virginia. Washington gave up on his plans for New York and conceded that he would have to follow the French strategy<p></p><p>Washington had already deployed General Lafayette to Virginia to prevent the British from occupying Richmond. The British forces took a defensive posture along the Chesapeake coast, despite having a larger army created by the combination of the forces that General William Philips led from New York and the army under General Cornwallis from South Carolina.</p><p>Washington received confirmation from Lafayette that the British Army was building a defensive position at Yorktown. Washington knew the area well. In 1777, Virginia General Thomas Nelson had proposed building a monitoring station at Yorktown to track British ships coming and going from the Chesapeake. Washington advised against it, saying that the narrow Yorktown peninsula could easily be cut off by land and trap any soldiers holding that position. </p><p>Now, in 1781, his enemy was taking that same position. Washington ordered Lafayette to prevent Cornwallis from gaining any path where he might march by land back down to the Carolinas. Lafayette did not have enough men to attack Cornwallis’ army successfully, but he could build defenses that would likely keep the enemy where they were.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Needs of the Army</h2><p>Washington’s army in August only had a few thousand Continentals. None of the states had raised their quotas for the 1781 fighting season, so they had little more than the number that had survived on winter encampments from the prior year. He would also have to leave some portion of his army around New York so that the main British army under Clinton did not go on the offensive. So even if you combined Washington’s army with the Continentals already in Virginia, the British force under Cornwallis would still probably outnumber them by nearly 2-1. On top of that, Washington was struggling more than ever to feed and supply his army. The states had gotten tired of supporting an army and refused to come up with the necessary money and supplies to keep even a small army in the field.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donatien-Marie-Joseph_de_Vimeur_de_Rochambeau.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcT7bCD8K5p22tv1o91Qe0pf1Y57gXc6gNxkzxHwW_3lNEoxp4d5uZcnReLlhivx2bEX_xmugfqyHKXuUOw2PW1rUIVId56K500zCG6JBzHGYTLhFnpSWvHYRmq7_3QnT0tiwF_wPH_8gSLuYSs8gopXNcxwBu2vGkUrwsBh12GZN8buQa81d0agmpXvtV/w172-h200/Donatien-Marie-Joseph_de_Vimeur_de_Rochambeau.jpg" width="172" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donatien-Marie-Joseph_de_Vimeur_de_Rochambeau.jpg" target="_blank">Vicomte de Rochambeau</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To get even his small army into fighting condition, Washington needed more of everything. Fortunately, Colonel John Laurens had been successful in his efforts to get the King of France to contribute more to the cause. In June of 1781, Lauren sailed into Boston with arms and equipment to resupply Washington’s army. This had been made possible through a large gift of cash from the King of France.</p><p>In addition to the equipment, however, Washington needed money to pay his soldiers. The Continentals were promised monthly pay. A private was entitled to $6.67 per month. Of course, with inflation, that money literally was not worth the paper it was printed on. A month’s pay would be worth less than one cent in specie, that is gold or silver. To add to the insult, Congress had not even bothered to supply the paper money to pay the soldiers for many months. Washington had begun 1781 with a mutiny because they were not getting what they were promised.. His men, rightfully, felt forgotten and neglected by the rest of the country. </p><p>To forestall mutinies or desertions during this critical campaign, Washington wrote two letters to Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance for the Continental Congress. Washington pleaded with Morris to come up with one month’s pay for the soldiers in specie to help with morale.</p><p></p><blockquote><i>I must entreat you if possible to procure one months pay in specie for the detachment which I have under my command part of those troops have not been paid any thing for a very long time past, and have upon several occasions shewn marks of great discontent—The service they are going upon is disagreeable to the Northern Regiments, but I make no doubt that a douceur of a little hard money would put them in proper temper.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Morris, of course, had no money to give. He immediately sent letters to the states, pleading that they provide money immediately: </p><p></p><blockquote><i>The Exigencies of the Service require immediate Attention, We are on the Eve of the most Active Operations, and should they be in anywise retarded by the want of necessary Supplies, the most unhappy Consequences may follow. Those who may be justly chargeable with Neglect, will have to Answer for it to their Country, to their Allies, to the present generation, and to all Posterity. I hope, intreat, expect, the utmost possible Efforts on the Part of your State; and I confide in your Excellency’s Prudence and Vigor, to render those Efforts effectual.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Despite the need for money, Washington could not wait for it to arrive. He believed the French fleet was on its way to the Chesapeake, hoped it would arrive in August. He has also received word from the fleet’s commander, Admiral de Grasse, that the fleet would only be available until mid-October, when it had to return to the West Indies. That meant that Washington had a two month window to march his army to Virginia and defeat the British.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">New York to Philadelphia</h2><p>Washington moved his Continental Army into New Jersey in late August. With him was the French army under Rochambeau that numbered about 5000 men. Rochambeau's French Army was twice the size of the Continental Army led by Washington. The armies first marched north to a point where they could cross the Hudson River into New Jersey. They moved down the western coast of the river, bringing boats with them in hopes of convincing the British in New York that they planned a river crossing into New York to attack the city.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:W-RSimpleMap.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtg7xcxrszs2CHkhZwAr6x0G_GgJR-jX2uUSEffj3K7SlgGbTA74BBBMsr2U_EjRerM74tXET8KVoRhiS_ygbAn991YC_9xUbIyMAsc-w7hMm1mxkdQqwL2IijkurUHzqjUqkfOsgVmTSI9dmxu57tnanxI39ws3DHA07kC4_OOuy3xpkatbiEFiWkPEB2/w289-h400/W-RSimpleMap.gif" width="289" /></a></div>That ruse would not last long since they had to march west toward Pennsylvania. By the end of August the armies were at Princeton. They rested there for a couple of days, arriving in Trenton by September 2. There, the armies crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.<p></p><p>When they reached Philadelphia, the army set up camp in the unpopulated area west of town. This was along the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River over to the vacant land where Philadelphia City Hall sits today. The armies paused there for a few days, marching down Market Street for a grand review by the Congress and the people of Philadelphia. </p><p>Also while in the city, Washington hoped to collect some money to help pay for the Army’s travel expenses and to pay his soldiers. As usual, Congress had nothing. Robert Morris ended up going around to his wealthier friends in the city, borrowing money on his own personal credit. He managed to scrape together about $30,000, which would help to cover some of the costs of moving the army, but not not enough to issue any pay. Morris even managed to borrow $2000 in specie from General Rochambeau, probably from the French Army payroll. Morris had to promise to repay by October 1. Morris’ efforts were also aided by the arrival of Colonel Laurens in late August with some of the money provided by the King of France.</p><p>In effect, this was a French campaign. The French army under Rochambeau was twice as large as the Continental Army. France was also paying for almost all of the Continental Army’s expenses. To have any hope of success, these combined armies had to unite with the French fleet under Admiral de Grasse. The British army at Yorktown was being kept in place by the army under General Lafayette.</p><p>On Tuesday, September 4, Washington attended a dinner in Philadelphia hosted by the French Minister Luzerne. The following morning, the Armies began marching for Head of Elk, Maryland. At least part of the French army moved down the Delaware River by ship. But the limits of ships and money forced the Continentals to walk. Just after leaving Philadelphia, Washington received news that Admiral de Grasse had reached the Chesapeake.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Marching to Yorktown</h2><p>As Washington had feared, his small army saw a number of desertions on the march. Morale remained low.</p><p>On his arrival at Head of Elk, Washington received some good news. General Rochambeau had written to Admiral de Grasse months earlier that the campaign was in desperate need of cash. De Grasse convinced Spanish officials in Havana, Cuba to provide a loan of 500,000 Spanish pesos, which de Grasse carried to America. Spain also agreed to use its navy to protect French merchant vessels in the West Indies, allowing de Grasse to take more ships with him to Virginia.</p><p>Spanish officials had to scramble to collect this massive amount of cash. Although the Spanish Empire pulled tons of gold and silver out of its mines in Latin America, it did not keep piles of specie on hand in one place. </p><p>The Spanish minister in Havana, Don Francisco Saavedra, worked with officials all across the Spanish Empire, including with Bernardo de Galvez in New Orleans, to come up with the money. Saavedra was supposed to get the money from mines in Mexico, but the ships had not arrived by the time the French fleet was ready to leave.</p><p>The Spanish minister had to call on the people of Havana to lend the money until the treasure ships from Mexico arrived. The people of Havana quickly responded, allowing the government to raise the necessary cash in just six hours. The French fleet departed with the needed money and sailed for Virginia.</p><p>Confident that he would have the cash necessary to complete the campaign, Washington paused at Head of Elk to do something he had never done before: pay his soldiers for a full month’s pay in hard money.</p><p>Sergeant Joseph Plum Martin, who had been with the army since 1776 later wrote about the incident at Head of Elk. </p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>we each of us received a MONTH’S PAY, in specie, borrowed, as I was informed, by our French officers from the officers in the French army. This was the first that could be called money, which we had received as wages since the year ‘76, or that we ever did receive till the close of the war, or indeed, ever after, as wages.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Another soldier, John Hudson, also wrote: </p><p></p><blockquote><i>I received the only pay that I ever drew for my services during the war, being six French crowns, which were a part of what Robert Morris borrowed on his own credit from the French commander to supply the most urgent necessities of the soldiers. My comrades received the same amount. </i></blockquote><p></p><p>The money did wonders for morale. </p><p>The bad news at Head of Elk was that there were not nearly enough ships to transport the army to Virginia. About 1000 of the soldiers boarded ships. The other 6500 or so continued to march overland. The army made its way to Baltimore, where it once again was received happily by the residents of the town.</p><p>Then, Washington had another wartime “first”. On September 8, he left while much of his army was still marching to Baltimore and rode to his home at Mount Vernon. This was the first time he had seen his estate since he rode off to the Second Continental Congress in early 1775. Washington brought with him several of his aides, as well as a few top French officers, including General Rochambeau. During the years he had been away, Washington had provided instructions for updating the house and the grounds. This was his first opportunity to see those changes. But he did not really discuss that. The leaders spent a couple of days at the plantation, working out some logistical details for the remainder of the campaign.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/marching-victory-washington-rochambeau-national-historic-trail" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="550" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqz6e3gZAK3tLUZo71D585iW6AcZn_rHDrR2KCMtZ_sD9A3VoUgvtMrYCF6eYGZt-KFZbTeyNoIozEYejmP2toqFFZFzYqQWLHKWm-WncAwHMfrLlPnLbISD5PTuH0l4aMxOM2BkWbNgP0Yba0SS8_KAgSfudQXSBjdYAoBNO_tsXG6WTkaADx5fkm9gp9/s320/Siege%20of%20Yorkton%20Square.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/marching-victory-washington-rochambeau-national-historic-trail" target="_blank">Planning at Yorktown</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The morning of September 12, the group left Mount Vernon, headed for Williamsburg. A week later, Generals Washington and Rochambeau boarded Admiral de Grasse’s flagship to discuss their military plans.<p></p><p>Although the leaders had arrived, the armies were still marching. Some were still waiting for ships at Head of Elk. Others were still marching to Baltimore. Part of the army was able to board ships at Baltimore. But the French did not believe the available ships were seaworthy and opted to continue marching overland. Some of the transport ships arrived at the mouth of the York River on September 22. Many of the ships continued to arrive over the following days.</p><p>There, the combined armies received more reinforcements. In addition to ships and money, Admiral de Grasse brought with him another 3300 French soldiers to join in the fight. Washington also made contact with the Continental Army under Generals Lafayette, Anthony Wayne, and von Steuben. The remainder of the army would continue to trickle in over the next few weeks. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">British Reaction</h2><p>As the French and Continental Armies began marching to Virginia, the British command seemed unconcerned. General Clinton continued to focus on his own position in New York. In mid-July, Admiral Graves had taken the British fleet at New York and sailed off in search of a French supply fleet that intelligence reported might be headed for New England. So Clinton was focused on security concerns of being without the protection of the Navy for a month.</p><p>London had not intended Graves to command this important mission. The naval commander in North America Admiral Arbuthnot had resigned a few weeks earlier and sailed for London. Officials in London deployed Admiral Robert Digby to replace him. But Arbuthnot was gone, and Digby had not arrived, so Graves served as the temporary commander of the fleet.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATjLWqLRURDdH5f6_bVN-nu_ugjvzP2PbHN5PoqXyJY7A7-WWO90z2FXOHyD8tA6iKdNOo5wRTx0OPz35-c_vXgzbTk5VCknyl7EDExxtTORlEeSkgPq0ZkpvAP2z2J_Vj3paAM1tVd7zrYgMJlrs7vkqIy9pUttb-O_I4Iu0Bsc7v2QWmF0claFHoQ=s480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATjLWqLRURDdH5f6_bVN-nu_ugjvzP2PbHN5PoqXyJY7A7-WWO90z2FXOHyD8tA6iKdNOo5wRTx0OPz35-c_vXgzbTk5VCknyl7EDExxtTORlEeSkgPq0ZkpvAP2z2J_Vj3paAM1tVd7zrYgMJlrs7vkqIy9pUttb-O_I4Iu0Bsc7v2QWmF0claFHoQ=w162-h200" width="162" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gen. Henry Clinton</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The British received reports that the French fleet under de Grasse might be headed for New York. His local spies still told him that General Washington was focused on efforts to retake New York. Although Washington had given up on that idea by mid-August, his musings about taking New York over the summer continued to come to Clinton in intelligence reports.</p><p>When the British fleet returned on August 16th, Clinton wrote to Admiral Graves suggesting an attack on the very small French presence that remained in Newport, Rhode Island. Clinton had received intelligence that the fleet under de Grasse was headed for Newport, and thought the British fleet might seize the town again before de Grasse arrived.</p><p>Around this same time, the French and American armies left New York to begin their march across New Jersey. By late August, Clinton received intelligence reports telling him that the enemy was marching toward Baltimore.</p><p>Several officers under Clinton argued that the British should move into New Jersey and chase down the enemy armies while they were on the march. Clinton dismissed these proposals, fearing the marches were a ruse to draw them out of Manhattan so that the enemy could attack the city while the bulk of the British army was in New Jersey.</p><p>Clinton still believed that Washington could not seriously hope to march to Yorktown. The British navy could defeat the fleet under de Grasse. The combined French and British armies did not have the overwhelming force to take Cornwallis’ defenses, and the British could evacuate by sea in the event of an unlikely military defeat.</p><p>These beliefs convinced Clinton remained that Washington’s march was just an attempt to draw the British into New Jersey. </p><p>A small British fleet under Admiral Samuel Hood had also sailed up from the West Indies and found no real enemy naval presence in the Chesapeake. Hood, however, was concerned that the French fleet under de Grasse might be able to control the waters around Yorktown. Hood continued on and arrived in New York at the end of August, but found General Clinton and Admiral Graves unconcerned about any possible attack on the British southern army at Yorktown. Graves was still awaiting the repair of several ships. Clinton was still concerned that de Grasse might target New York and that the enemy’s march to the south was just a ruse.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/cornwallis.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="185" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sjajGiWPFMw/XdezM-6bXHI/AAAAAAAAZsU/a78frHZx1CkbcotU1Sr4JzdV9G2tDgmbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/cornwallis.jpg" width="165" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/cornwallis.htm" target="_blank">Lord Cornwallis</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Similarly, in late August, General Cornwallis remained unconcerned. His army outnumbered his enemy. Cornwallis had a force under his command of between 7000 and 8000 soldiers. The army he faced, led by Lafayette, Anthony Wayne, and Baron Von Steuben numbered less than 2000, which could grow for short periods with the use of local militia. But the prior experience with Virginia militia had proven them less than formidable.</p><p>Because General Clinton did not believe that Washington and Rochambeau were really headed for Yorktown, he didn’t bother to warn Cornwallis of the approaching armies. After the arrival of the French fleet, Cornwallis saw his opportunity for an escape by sea limited only if the British fleet could take out the French. </p><p>At this time, in late August, Cornwallis had the numbers to defeat the enemy forces against him. At the very least, he could have marched out and defeated the smaller continental force against him before the larger combined force under Washington and Rochambeau arrived. That was the strategy that Colonel Banastre Tarleton was urging. But since Cornwallis was not aware of their imminent arrival, he remained contently behind his defensive lines at Yorktown. </p><p>Even after Cornwallis learned in late September that the larger combined French and Continental armies were assembling against him, he refused to attack. Instead, he later claimed he expected General Clinton to provide reinforcements before he would engage with the enemy. Of course, those reinforcements would almost certainly have to arrive by sea in order to arrive in time to be of any use. That meant that the British fleet would have to defeat the French fleet for control of the Chesapeake.</p><p><b>Next week:</b> we’ll see how that turns out when the British and French fleets do battle for control the Chesapeake.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp298-battle-of-capes.html" target="_blank">Episode 298 Battle of the Capes</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/01/arp296-eutaw-springs.html" target="_blank">Episode 296 Eutaw Springs</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><p>National Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association: <a href="https://w3r-us.org" target="_blank">https://w3r-us.org</a></p><p>Marching to Victory: The Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/marching-victory-washington-rochambeau-national-historic-trail" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/marching-victory-washington-rochambeau-national-historic-trail</a></p><p>Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/waro/learn/historyculture/washington-rochambeau-revolutionary-route.htm" target="_blank">https://www.nps.gov/waro/learn/historyculture/washington-rochambeau-revolutionary-route.htm</a></p><p>How the Battle of Yorktown was bankrolled by Spain and France: <a href="https://www.statutesandstories.com/blog_html/how-the-battle-of-yorktown-was-bankrolled-by-spain-france" target="_blank">https://www.statutesandstories.com/blog_html/how-the-battle-of-yorktown-was-bankrolled-by-spain-france</a></p><p>Bankrolling the Battle of Yorktown: <a href="https://www.historynet.com/bankrolling-the-battle-of-yorktown" target="_blank">https://www.historynet.com/bankrolling-the-battle-of-yorktown</a></p><p>VIDEO: Robert Selig discussed the routes taken by the armies under Washington and Rochambeau: <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?327130-1/march-yorktown" target="_blank">https://www.c-span.org/video/?327130-1/march-yorktown</a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><a href="https://history.army.mil/html/books/rochambeau/CMH_70-104-1.pdf" target="_blank">March to Victory: Washington, Rochambeau and the Yorktown Campaign of 1781</a> (army.mil).<p></p><p>Baker, William S. <a href="https://archive.org/details/itineraryofgenerw00bake" target="_blank"><i>Itinerary of General Washington from June 15, 1775, to December 23, 1783</i></a>, Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott Co. 1892. </p><p>Johnston, Henry P. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/yorktowncampaign00johnrich" target="_blank">The Yorktown Campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis, 1781</a></i>, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881.</p><p>Rice, Howard C. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/americancampaign00rice" target="_blank">The American Campaigns of Rochambeau's Army</a></i><span style="color: #0000ee;"><i><u>, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783</u></i></span>, Princeton University Press, 1972 (borrow only). </p><p>Tarleton, Banastre <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" style="font-style: italic;">A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America</a>, London: T. Cadell 1787. <br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Davis, Burke <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GRLBWS?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f561dbeb742a152a027bf1806e6d7958&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Campaign that Won America</a></i>, Eastern Acorn Press, 1970 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/campaignthatwona0000burk" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Fleming, Thomas <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007DU6AY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f08449884a3b6a963dd0351076b09462&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Beat the Last Drum;: The siege of Yorktown, 1781</a></i>, St. Martin’s Press, 1963 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/beatthelastdrumt006769mbp" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>) </p><p>Grainger, John D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1843831376?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=be546602b0686e21285df9ef03794cc1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Battle of Yorktown, 1781: A Reassessment</a></i>, Boydell Press, 2005 <br />(<a href="https://archive.org/details/battleofyorktown0000grai" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Ketchum, Richard M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805073965?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=c4e0ed2f5870f2eeea34d8f2c9e0a23a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution</a></i>, Henry Holt and Co. 2004. <br /><br />Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Philbrick, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143111450?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=92cd0ceabf2d5aa7ac992b324f337023&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown</a></i>, Penguin Books, 2019. </p><p>Ward, Christopher <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1568525761?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=52095e48ecf00ad882963556042cf9e7&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The War of the Revolution</a></i>, Macmillan Company, 1952. </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-65057002389488968822024-01-28T03:00:00.114-05:002024-02-04T06:35:40.724-05:00ARP296 Eutaw Springs<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML8651850271" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>We last left General Nathanael Greene and the southern Continental Army back in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp287-fort-ninety-six.html" target="_blank">Episode 287</a> when the patriots forced the British to give up most of their outposts in South Carolina, including the large base at Fort Ninety-Six. By this time, Greene's Continental soldiers were exhausted. The summer heat and spreading malaria finally convinced Greene to give his men a rest. In mid-July 1781, Greene set up camp in the High Hills of the Santee where the heat was a bit less oppressive, and the mosquitoes a bit less unbearable.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Eutaw_Springs_(NYPL_Hades-254180-478749).jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1260" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-P45gpCEz4KP5DhP4ZSBF30nug3WcaHvWWzbIzPs9HMQgTgpVrl5qczfX0jgExxNiDTrm4GrzopCWB7tv6z0upagiJuoL0C-K0Qs9CRY1ie2unmeA-FWdRR3XiA-myE_dOQfQ6-aDruDYqViWecvq7eFB5IyQXhiK0aTj39TgJUjfLii81ExTEz6SaLa/s320/Eutaw_Springs.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Eutaw_Springs_(NYPL_Hades-254180-478749).jpg" target="_blank">Eutaw Springs</a></td></tr></tbody></table>As the Continentals recovered, the South Carolina state soldiers and militia continued to harass smaller British deployments and supply lines. Then, after the Dog Days campaign, which I covered in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp292-dog-days-campaign.html" target="_blank">Episode 292</a>, South Carolina General Thomas Sumter released most of the state soldiers and himself left for his plantation in North Carolina. This left the only significant force still in the field, a relatively small group of militia under Colonel Francis Marion.<p></p><p>Greene wasn’t sure of his next steps. With Sumter’s state troops mostly gone home, the Continental soldiers under his command felt abandoned, and not particularly motivated to defend a state where the locals seemed to be taking a break. One possible course of action was to march his Continentals back to North Carolina and take the loyalist stronghold at Wilmington. Greene was still concerned that the larger British army under General Cornwallis might march south once again to confront his army. If he took Wilmington, then marched north to link up with Lafayette's division in Virginia, the two of them might take on Cornwallis there.</p><p>Moving his small Continental army north, however, might give the appearance that the patriots were ceding South Carolina. With discussion of a European peace negotiation, leaving the state might cause a negotiation to cede South Carolina to the British. There was also word of a French fleet sailing up from the West Indies, which Greene hoped might cooperate with him in an effort to retake Charleston. In the end, Greene opted to remain in South Carolina and continue to harass the British presence there.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Maintaining an Army</h2><p>On August 5, Greene deployed the cavalry under Colonel Light Horse Harry Lee to reconnoiter the enemy. Several days later, Lee reported using his sixty horsemen to attack a British supply train escorted by 300 British infantry. The enemy held formation and repulsed Lee’s attack. Lee believed he could continue to harass the British on the outskirts of Charleston, and requested that Greene send more infantry to back up his cavalry.</p><p>But with most of the state soldiers having gone home, Greene did not think this was the right time to risk his army in a major assault on Charleston. There was also the issue of marching back through swampy lowlands at the height of malaria season. Only Colonel Marion’s militia remained active in the field around this time.</p><p>Instead, Greene focused on rebuilding an army that could be a real threat to the British in South Carolina. Greene wrote to Colonel William Henderson, who had taken command of what was left of Sumter’s Brigade, and also to Andrew Pickens to assist in the enlistment of 500 men for one year to support the Continentals in South Carolina. He also wrote to General Jethro Sumner to recruit an army in North Carolina that could be of assistance.</p><p>It was also around this same time that word spread of the execution of Isaac Hayne in Charleston. This assisted with recruiting as South Carolinians were inspired to fight to avenge Hayne’s murder.</p><p>In early August, Governor John Rutledge returned to the state, arriving in Greene’s Camp. Rutledge meant that Greene could coordinate with a civil authority that might also help to get more men to join the fight. </p><p>Greene and Rutledge had known each other for nearly a year by this time. There is a funny story about Greene and Rutledge having to share a bed shortly after the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Each man complained during the night that the other was hogging most of the space in the bed and nearly pushing the other one out of it. After a time, they realized that an actual hog had climbed into bed with them and was looking for it's own warm night’s rest as well.</p><p>The two men had a good working relationship. Both men agreed that they needed to raise more troops and do whatever was necessary to keep people from failing to pick a side.</p><p>Shortly after his arrival, Rutledge issued a proclamation to prevent the militia from plundering civilian homes. This was a concern that might cause popular opinion to turn against the cause. Rutledge also issued orders to Marion that no soldier should be granted leave for any reason other than sickness. Any man who refused to serve should be sent to British lines and have his property confiscated. The family of any man who was serving with the British would also be removed from their homes and sent to the British. He also ordered arrest and property confiscation of several merchants who had cooperated with the British in the past, despite their current willingness to back the patriot cause, as well as the execution of any “negroes” who granted any aid or assistance to the enemy.</p><p>Greene also realized he needed to ensure the soldiers under his command did not show signs of mutiny. Making an example was considered an important part of this. Sergeant John Hadley was brought up on charges of being disrespectful to an officer, and of stating that he would never again endeavor to injure the enemy. Essentially, the sergeant was saying that he was done with the war and would no longer take orders. Greene ordered a court martial.</p><p>Perhaps due to bad timing, the court martial met on August 5, the day after the British execution of Isaac Hayne. The court found the sergeant guilty and ordered his execution. The following day, General Greene ordered the army to parade and bear witness as Sergeant Hadley was shot and killed. </p><p>Greene also hanged other soldiers around this same time. All of these were Continental soldiers who had deserted and had joined with loyalist forces against the patriots. Several others convicted of desertion or plundering were punished with severe lashings.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Return to the Field</h2><p>One August 23, 1781, Greene’s Continentals broke camp and took his army back into the field. His army has spent just over one month in camp and was ready to reengage with the enemy.</p><p>The largest remaining British force in South Carolina, outside of Charleston, was the force that Lord Rawdon had left at Orangeburg after giving up Camden and Fort Ninety-Six. After Rawdon gave up his command and returned to London, command fell to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart. </p><p>Back in June of 1781, Colonel Stewart had arrived in South Carolina in command of the 3rd Regiment of Foot, one of three regiments sent to Charleston as reinforcements. Stewart was an experienced officer, a veteran of the Seven Years War, about 40 years old and with over 25 years in the army. This, however, appears to have been his first deployment in North America.</p><p>Stewart was the officer who opposed the plan by Lord Rawdon and Nisbet Balfour to send a relief force to protect the British outpost at Fort Ninety-Six. There was also a fight about overall command in the South. General Cornwallis had left Rawdon in command, but the newly arrived Stewart outranked him. Eventually Rawdon led the attempt to relieve Fort Ninety-Six. Stewart brought out his own relief force to assist Rawdon, eventually settling in Orangeburg, about 70 miles northwest of Charleston.</p><p>The British force at Orangeburg held a good defensive position, which is why Greene avoided an attack there before giving his army a rest in August. That said, many South Carolina leaders wanted to remove this last British outpost and force all of the enemy back into Charleston. </p><p>While the Americans were in camp, the British had begun to spread out again. Stewart had taken a position as McCord’s Ferry, about twenty miles north of Orangeburg and only about 15 miles south of Greene’s Camp in the high hills. </p><p>Flooding, however, made a direct approach for either army impossible. Greene marched his Continentals north to Camden so that they could approach the enemy from another direction. Greene left his soldiers who were too sick for duty in Camden, then marched the rest toward the British camp. By September 1, the Continentals were camped near Beaver Creek, just outside of the loyalist stronghold at Orangeburg. Greene remained there for several days, awaiting expected reinforcements under Henderson and Pickens.</p><p>By September 7, the Continentals were at Burdell’s Plantation, only about seven miles from the enemy. Most of the militia and state troops had arrived, and Greene planned his attack for the following morning.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Plan of Attack</h2><p>Using an unorthodox deployment that had worked well for him in recent battles, Greene deployed his militia in front. Of course this time, the lines would not simply be awaiting a British attack. He expected those troops to advance on the enemy. Most of the militia were experienced soldiers. There were two battalions from South Carolina and two from North Carolina. The right flank fell under the command of Colonel Marion. Andrew Pickens led the left flank. </p><p> The two center battalions were led by Continental Colonel François Malmédy-Gray, better known as the Marquis de Malmédy. I haven’t mentioned Malmédy before. He was one of the first French officers to join the Continental Army, arriving in Rhode Island in late 1776, nearly a year before Lafayette. Before that he had been serving as a lieutenant in the French army in Martinique. Lieutenant Malmédy briefly served as a brigadier general with the Rhode Island militia, before receiving a colonel’s commission in the Continental army. Malmédy complained to Washington that he was not commissioned as a general, but got nowhere. Later Washington transferred him to serve under General Horatio Gates.</p><p>Malmédy appears to have remained a troublesome officer. After Gates was defeated at Camden and Greene took command, Malmédy spent time badmouthing Greene and calling for his removal. Greene eventually sent Malmédy to North Carolina to recruit militia and obtain more supplies. Malmédy returned with a brigade of North Carolina militia in time to participate in the battle. Greene gave him command of the center of his front line.</p><p>Backing up this front line of militia were two small field cannons, three pounders. The artillery came under the command of Captain Lieutenant William Gaines.</p><p>Continentals made up the rear line. On the right, the North Carolina line marched under the command of General Sumner. Colonel Otho Holland Williams commanded the right, made up of the Maryland line. In the center, Lieutenant Colonel Richard Campbell led two regiments of the Virginia Line.</p><p>Greene also deployed an advance force of about 200 South Carolina State troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Henderson and Light Horse Harry Lee’s cavalry. In reserve, Greene held William Washington’s Continental Dragoons, and the Delaware line under Captain Robert Kirkwood. Greene formed his men into four columns and began the march before dawn on September 8.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle</h2><p>Despite his proximity to the enemy, the British commander had no idea that an attack was imminent. The British had lost most of their cavalry and were unable to conduct effective reconnaissance.</p><p>At around 6:00 AM, two American deserters entered the British camp and told Colonel Stewart that he was about to be attacked. Stewart deployed Major John Coffin with 140 infantry and 50 cavalry to investigate.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Eutaw_Springs.Dean.USMA.edu.history.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="1178" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZp3Da3Ecrs-GbpZZcwO3gftaLyId2QVXM99KJ7ia2sP8Aae5Wyk6oyehdmgpKDTpO1P4xFBYrBS2wjcvbGSX_0u_aBcNkiALc0ZY18eTYp8_3bl_eBEucYvyzrpFNwzVrFkMZwYgssfim78pCFMxPpHLKtx376kJz4QBEjOp5ajqSPcNxuNvUzsrTThs/w640-h262/Eutaw_Springs.Dean.USMA.edu.history.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br />After marching about three miles, Coffin spotted the American advance force under Henderson and immediately ordered a charge. The South Carolina soldiers held their ground and returned fire, killing five and wounding others from the attacking force.<p></p><p>Greene moved his army from columns into lines. The British advance force under Coffin continued to return fire as it slowly fell back. By about 9:00 AM the American advance made contact with the main British force.</p><p>Stewart had three regiments of British regulars, supplemented by Provincial regiments, primarily from New York and New Jersey. These were mostly experienced soldiers who had been fighting in the southern campaign for over a year. Provincial Lieutenant Colonel John Harris Cruger, the former commander of Fort Ninety Six, commanded the advance line. Stewart also deployed Major John Majoribanks in a blackjack thicket along the river to cover the British right.</p><p>Behind the British right flank was a large brick house that gave coverage to the entire battlefield and whose walls were strong enough to block musket balls. Stewart ordered a detachment of New York Provincials to take cover in the house and fire from the second story windows if the Americans were able to push forward.</p><p>Greene probably expected that his front line of militia would break and fall back after a few volleys. While many of the militia had fought in skirmishes before, few of them were experienced in field battles that required them to stand in lines and exchange fire with the enemy. The British fired into their line, including using field cannons. The militia, however, held their lines and continued to fire volleys back at the British.</p><p>Colonel Williams later noted that <i>“It was with equal astonishment that both the second line and the enemy second line and the enemy contemplated these men, steadily, and without faltering advance with shouts and exhortations, into the hottest of the enemy’s fire, unaffected by the continual fall of their comrades around them.”</i></p><p>The two lines stood and continued fire for some time. Eventually, the North Carolina militia under Malmédy began to falter. Greene pushed forward the Continentals under Sumner to hold the line. Eventually, patriot lines began to run low on ammunition. As the rate of fire began to decrease, the loyalist provincials rushed forward with a bayonet charge.</p><p>The patriots withdrew in good order, then pushed forward again. Williams’ command of the American right flank advanced into the British lines. On the American left, the British fire from the blackjack thicket took a heavy toll on the Maryland line. Greene ordered Colonel Washington to advance into the thicket with his dragoons and the Delaware infantry to clear out the enemy fire. Washington charged his horsemen into the thicket quickly, with the infantry unable to keep up. </p><p>When the British held their position, Washington’s horsemen found themselves in the midst of the wooded thicket, unable to maneuver their horses effectively. The British fire decimated the horsemen. Washington’s horse was shot. When it fell, the colonel was trapped under his horse. A British soldier rushed forward and bayoneted Washington in the chest. The cavalry were decimated by the time the Delaware infantry finally arrived and was able to push back the British line in the thicket.</p><p>As the American left advanced, the British defenders took their position inside the brick house ,as planned. Some of Lee’s infantry chased the British into the house, hoping to gain access before they could close the doors. There was apparently a real struggle at the door, but the British managed t close it. The Americans had to pull back, using prisoners as human shields against the fire from inside the house.</p><p>As the Americans pushed into the British camp, behind the main lines, the army seemed to dissolve. Exhausted and hungry soldiers fell out of line and began pillaging the tents for food and anything else of value. As the American lines fell apart, the British counter attacked.</p><p>Greene had brought up his six-pounder cannons to use against the brick house as the Americans tried to push back against the British counterattack in their camp. Colonel Campbell fell, mortally wounded. The artillery crews drew heavy fire from provincial riflemen inside the house, taking heavy casualties. The British then pushed forward and seized the cannons from the enemy and pulled them back to their own line. They also drove the American looters out of their camp and sent them running.</p><p>Although the British successfully recaptured the camp, their leader, Major Majoribanks was fatally wounded in the fighting. The Americans pulled back to a wood line, then rallied again. By this time, the fight had been in full engagement for hours. The Americans were running low on ammunition and water. At this point, General Greene opted to pull back and withdraw.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Aftermath</h2><p>Given the ferocity of the fighting and the unwillingness of either side to back down, the casualty rates were extremely high. The well-directed rifle fire from the house particularly took its toll on American officers. 56 Officers and 40 sergeants were killed or wounded. Colonel Washington managed to survive his bayonet wound to the chest, but was taken prisoner. Militia General Andrew Pickens also survived a bullet wound to the chest, which troubled him for the rest of his life. In total, the Americans took over 500 casualties - about a quarter of those engaged. The British suffered an even higher casualty rate, of about 450 killed and wounded, and another 350 captured.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.militarywives.com/index.php/table-medal-descript/1328-1781-victory-of-eutaw-springs-major-general-nathaniel-greene" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="512" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXNeDq3Cc3hmsA3gBRMpPhBewJxfkBxpn16oQ2cXX5QG3tPUXEVJEUN9MO01I6ID7IQsdOT2GWFGJGnzyUGIWcXXiMkLqHQesUnAmpmYvcj9gzRHfnZV9EZJ6IBajaK-9Pl0J_p8DE4KsIHkZqTOj2cFb8sVSURdHfdjGXiaqhBTNxk24lUYCm1QTejD4/s320/Greene_Medal.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.militarywives.com/index.php/table-medal-descript/1328-1781-victory-of-eutaw-springs-major-general-nathaniel-greene" target="_blank">Greene Medal for Eutaw Springs</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Both commanders claimed victory. Greene reported a total victory over the enemy. Although he left the field, he had left a picket guard behind to watch the enemy. Greene had nothing but good things to say about his officers, even Colonel Lee, who many others criticized that day for not remaining with his cavalry during the battle and being all over the place. <p></p><p>Stewart claimed a British victory to his superiors, since he had held the field at the end of the day. However, the British casualties forced him to withdraw over the following days, eventually having to pull back to the main British lines around Charleston. From a strategic level, that was Greene had hoped to accomplish in the first place. Greene also withdrew. A week later, his army was back in camp in the High Hills of Santee.</p><p>A few skirmishes continued in the following days, but both sides needed to contend with their large numbers of wounded. Eutaw Springs would be the last major battle of the war in the Carolinas. </p><p><b>Next week</b>, we move north again, as George Washington attempts to move the combined French and Continental Armies south toward Virginia.</p><div><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/02/arp297-march-to-yorktown.html" target="_blank">Episode 297 March to Yorktown</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/01/arp295-new-london-raid.html" target="_blank">Episode 295 New London Raid</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3></div><div><h3><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eutaw Springs: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/eutaw-springs" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/eutaw-springs</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Eutaw Springs: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_eutaw_springs.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_eutaw_springs.html</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kyte, George W. “General Greene’s Plans for the Capture of Charleston, 1781-1782.” The South Carolina Historical Magazine, vol. 62, no. 2, 1961, pp. 96–106. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/27566339" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/27566339</a>. </span></span></p></h3><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Greene, George Washington <i>The Life of Nathanael Greene</i>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg00greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 1</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg02greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 2</a>, & <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg03greeuof" target="_blank">Vol. 3</a>, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press 1867-1871. </p><p>Hartley, Cecil B. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofmajorgener00hart" target="_blank">Life of Major General Henry Lee & The Life of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, New York: Derby & Jackson, 1859. </p><p>Lee, Henry <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/memoirsofwarinso00leehe/page" target="_blank">Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States</a></i>, Washington: Peter Force, 1827. </p><div><p>McCrady, Edward <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southcarolina00mccrrich" target="_blank">The History of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783</a></i>, New York: The Macmillan Co. 1902. </p><p>Ramsay, David <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofrevolut02rams" target="_blank">The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina, from a British province to an independent state, 1749-1815</a></i>, Vol. 2, Trenton: Isaac Collins, 1785. </p><p>Simms, William G. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeoffrancismar00simmuoft" target="_blank">The Life of Francis Marion</a></i>, New York, Derby, 1854. </p><p>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">The Partisan War: the South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 1970 (borrow only). </p></div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Buchanan, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813942241?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e93ee634b098e5afb24f37f1defe4347&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Road to Charleston</a></i>, Univ. of Va Press, 2019. </p><p>Dunkerly, Robert M. & Irene Boland <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1611177588?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=a012975509cc3cacb6d3c333c396ce61&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Eutaw Springs: The Final Battle of the American Revolution’s Summer Campaign</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 2017. </p><p>Golway, Terry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805070664?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7be90a9680c425d9f6ee624bfb278d2a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington's General : Nathanael Greene and the triumph of the American Revolution</a></i>, H. Holt, 2006. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/washingtonsgener0000golw" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>)</p><p>Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Oller, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306903199?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=05dbe319052c0bdd8e5147c382d76a71&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution</a></i>, Da Capo Press, 2016 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/swampfoxhowfranc0000olle" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</p><p>Swager, Christine R. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0788441027?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=97a84f153fe3a73d1e5e699308afdeb3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Valiant Died, The Battle of Eutaw Springs, September 8, 1781</a></i>, Heritage Books, 2019. </p><p>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Eutaw Springs, SC 29048, USA33.4068303 -80.3009216999999895.0965964638211574 -115.45717169999999 61.717064136178848 -45.144671699999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-58765682635673478222024-01-21T03:00:00.016-05:002024-01-27T12:21:16.321-05:00ARP295 New London Raid<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML8511727292" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>We last left General Benedict Arnold in Virginia, where his raid on Richmond encouraged General Henry Clinton to send reinforcements to the state. It also encouraged General Charles Cornwallis to move up from the south to join the fighting in Virginia. </p><p>Arnold had proven Virginia to be relatively weak, but he did not remain there long. Many other British officers still did not trust Arnold. His fight with the Navy over a share of the booty in Virginia did nothing but add to his reputation as a greedy officer who put personal profit above duty. He left Virginia after Cornwallis arrived. He claimed he was sick, but by most accounts he did not seem to suffer from anything serious, other than gout. By June of 1781, he was back in New York City, with nothing to do.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Arnold in New York</h2><p>Arnold may have had personal reasons for returning to New York. He had left behind his wife Peggy, who was pregnant with her second child. On August 29, the Arnolds welcomed their son James Robertson Arnold, named after Major General James Robertson, the Royal Governor of New York. Robertson was one of the few officers to befriend Arnold shortly after his arrival behind British lines.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://archive.org/details/cassellshistoryous02olli/page/420/mode/2up?q=arnold&view=theater" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="430" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_4OxpEFOIIZG0C0B5aDNIeNk_SOUleUjbj4BdzjNoEiHtWDfJfxzLCq8Y7Z0mInuROvfAVwvNSA0tiKkQpwOZpSJV1ulFR9l0QEaDTHUME2NgitfQPK03yReT-3PJks0ANAOtjNMKwGlB7P5Wmr6l7QXFdolVJFJP82Z9RQ9KnwgY0sGMQE1omK075P1/s320/Arnold_Viewing_Destruction_New_London.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://archive.org/details/cassellshistoryous02olli/page/420/mode/2up?q=arnold&view=theater" target="_blank">Arnold Viewing the Destruction<br /> of New London</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Arnold was also still trying to obtain money. In November of 1780, he had managed to obtain a British ensign’s commission for his son, Benedict Arnold VI, who was 13 at the time. After his return to New York in 1781, he granted commissions to his two sons Richard (age 12) and Henry (age 9) as lieutenants in his own regiment. <p></p><p>He did this, despite the fact that the three boys were still living with his sister Hannah, in Connecticut, behind enemy lines. By granting them commissions, the three boys would receive pay as officers, and that pay would be collected by their father.</p><p>Even other British officers willing to overlook his years fighting with the enemy, did not trust Arnold. Arnold's efforts to line his pockets simply didn’t sit well. One British officer in New York wrote to a friend that Arnold <i>“has hurt himself by discovering too much fondness for cash. . . . If he has attached to the latter, as is represented, he is no loss to the cause he has deserted and eventually can be no acquisition to us.”</i></p><p>His wife Peggy, however, seemed to fit in quite well. Not that she also wasn’t concerned about money. She learned that Major Andre had sent £200 to the Arnolds at West Point, to help them flee to New York. When the plot fell apart, the money never arrived before they had to flee. After Peggy arrived in New York, she tracked down the British agent who was supposed to have delivered the money and demanded he pay it to her.</p><p>When Peggy first arrived, other officers’ wives gave her the cold shoulder. As the wife of a rebel traitor, and as a colonist, they didn’t think much of her. But over time, Peggy’s good manners and charm won over most of them. One woman noted that a British Officers’ ball, Peggy <i>“appeared as a star of the first magnitude, and had every attention paid to her as if she had been Lady Clinton.”</i></p><p>Arnold’s efforts to enrich himself also did nothing to endear him to the British Commander, General Henry Clinton. The General still felt the loss of Major Andre and believed that Arnold’s behavior contributed to the loss of that beloved officer. Arnold’s American Legion had also proven a major disappointment. Arnold had promised that thousands of American soldiers would join him in his new loyalist command. Instead, he only enlisted a few hundred men, almost all of whom were already loyalists before Arnold switched sides. During his time in Virginia, much of his regiment deserted, meaning he returned to New York with a legion of only ninety officers and men.</p><p>Shortly after Arnold first joined the British, he also wrote to Secretary of State Germain, advising the government on strategies to win the war, and differing from the strategies of General Clinton, were inherently critical of General Clinton’s strategies. Arnold also asked for a promotion to major general. Clinton, of course, had received word of Arnold’s letters to London.</p><p>Clinton and Arnold apparently had a conversation about this after Arnold returned from Virginia to New York in June. A short time later, Arnold wrote again to Lord Germain, this time being much more supportive of General Clinton’s strategies. </p><p>Instead of another command, Clinton assigned Arnold to various administrative duties, including coming up with a list of names of American sympathizers in Quebec.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Raid on New London</h2><p>General Clinton continued to hope for substantial reinforcements from Europe. In early August, 1781, he received 3000 Hessians. A few weeks later, a fleet from the west Indies brought three regiments of regulars. That was a help, but not nearly enough to go on offensive operations.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfGrotonHeightsSketch.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="5066" data-original-width="3443" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghikHuYPj7aula3hpdnUY4k1rKKTwZhzl4oFRXZixB7hnDBMv4mtQT0uSNp50_Dv6MbqH-LsH__vIoCnEVcCapqgR8YwGC5eFUJzME3juvGaLyZ4_uSt0SEAPye6bJ5MmmZRdMJaRv-uIIt_8brfGxQBcJ9sTFJlUZmNszrj_v91gw6r3RjtnzcwTkzaRz/s320/GrotonHeightsSketch.jpg" width="217" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Arnold still wanted to lead a British army to capture West Point. Clinton refused to consider it. Even after Clinton received word that a combined army of Washington’s Continentals and the French Army from Rhode Island was marching south, he refused to take any offensive actions against the American defenses around New York City. <p></p><p>Sir Henry, however, was willing to consider a raid on civilian towns. Arnold suggested a series of raids along the New England coast. Although Clinton was not ready to embark on an entire campaign of raids, he would consider allowing one raid. </p><p>Connecticut had proven to be a thorn in the British side ever since they had captured New York. Patriots raids from Connecticut against Long Island kept the British from securing the distant parts of that island. Connecticut harbors also supported fleets of privateers that harassed British shipping.</p><p>On September 2, 1781, Clinton gave orders for Arnold to raid the American port at New London Connecticut. New London was only a few miles from Arnold’s boyhood home. He would be attacking his former friends and neighbors. I sometimes wonder if Clinton chose this target as a way of forcing Arnold to prove his loyalty to the British cause. </p><p>Clinton, of course, had other reasons for such an attack. A privateer had captured a British transport ship, the <i>Hannah</i>, in early August, carrying valuable cargo. It was one of hundreds of prize ships taken to New London over the course of the war. Another motive for the attack was that, with the enemy headed to Virginia with most of its forces, a raid to annoy the enemy posed little risk. The raiders would likely only face resistance only from local militia. It was clear by this time that the enemy was not going to attack New York City, so sending soldiers out of the city for a raid would not create a worry about the defenses in New York.</p><p>Almost as soon as Arnold received the orders, he heard rumors that Clinton might rescind them and keep Arnold in New York. Clinton seemed to second guess himself quite often these days, and regularly changed his strategic views. To avoid giving Clinton an opportunity to reconsider, Arnold had his forces aboard ship and was sailing for Connecticut before dawn on September 4.</p><p>Arnold’s target New London, Connecticut was a port on the eastern side of the coast, just north of the eastern tip of Long Island. The town was set along the Thames River. The area was a harbor used primarily by privateer ships that prevented the passage of British supply ships in and out of New York. To access New London, ships would have to sail into the mouth of the Thames River, under the cannons of Fort Griswold. There were no Continental troops in the area. The fort and other defenses were manned by militia, most of whom would have to leave their homes and get to their defenses once someone spotted the enemy.</p><p>Arnold moved up the Long Island sound with a fleet of 32 ships carrying about 1700 soldiers. He personally would lead about half of the attacking force against the town of New London. By the night of September 5, the fleet was at the mouth of the Thames River, but an unfavorable wind prevented them from entering. </p><p>At dawn the following morning the lookout at Fort Griswold spotted the enemy fleet and fired two cannon shots to alert the local militia of an imminent attack. Just after firing the second warning shot, the British fleet fired a third shot. Three shots indicated a prize ship entering the harbor. Arnold knew this and ordered the third shot fired in order to confuse the enemy. Militia who might have dropped everything and rushed the fort after the two shot signal, would likely ignore the three shot signal. This confusion would slow the militia from turning out.</p><p>Arnold’s division of about 900 men landed just south of New London, near the lighthouse. The general deployed four companies to attack the smaller Fort Trumbull by land. Fort Trumbull was set up with several large cannons to bombard any enemy ships trying to move up the Thames River. Its small garrison of 24 officers and men were not prepared to defend against a land attack. </p><p>The fort commander, Captain Adam Shapley ordered his men to fire a volley of grapeshot against the attackers. The garrison then spiked the cannons and jumped into nearby rowboats to sail across the river to the larger Fort Griswold.</p><p>Having taken Fort Trumbull, Arnold continued his march northward, he encountered another small redoubt at a place called Fort Nonsense. Again, the defenders opened fire but then quickly retreated as the enemy advanced.</p><p>Arnold’s forces quickly took possession of New London, although many of the ships they hoped to capture or destroy had time to sail up river. Arnold set about burning all buildings or supplies of any military value in the town. Many of the loyalist soldiers with Arnold were also from Connecticut and very familiar with the town. According to Arnold, the men moved to the northern end of town first, setting fire to buildings, while moving back to the south. </p><p>The goal was not to burn private property, but when one of the fires hit on a hidden cache of gunpowder, the explosion set a larger area of the town on fire, assisted by the wind. This destroyed much of the town. The raiders also took as prisoners several citizens of New London who were known to favor the patriot cause.</p><p>In all, later reports indicated sixty-five homes were burned, along with thirty-one stores and warehouses and twenty barns. The Episcopal Church, the courthouse, jail, market and customs house were all put to the torch, as were the wharves and any ships that had failed to escape. </p><p>Arnold reported six of his own soldiers had been killed and another six wounded, while he inflicted the same number of casualties on the enemy.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Groton Heights</h2><p>While Arnold was destroying New London, the other half of his raiding party landed on the eastern shore of the Thames, with the task of taking Fort Griswold. British Lieutenant Colonel Edmund Eyre led a force of about 800 regulars, loyalists, and Hessian Jaegers, against the fort. He also brought several artillery pieces.</p><p>Fort Griswold was a small star fort atop a hill that overlooked the Thames River. Like the other forts, it was designed to deter enemy ships from moving upriver. Connecticut had built the fort in late 1775, after the outbreak of the war, and completed it in 1778.</p><p>The fort did not have a large regular garrison, but expected to be garrisoned by militia when the enemy approached. Because the British managed to confuse the canon signal, only a portion of the militia arrived quickly. Connecticut Colonel William Ledyard arrived that morning, and eventually accumulated about 160 men, including those who had evacuated from Fort Trumbull.</p><p>The British had to push their way toward the fort through swampy and heavily wooded terrain, taking several hours. General Arnold had already taken New London before Colonel Eyre could reach the fort. From across the river, it appeared to Arnold that the fort was too well fortified. Also, one of the main reasons Arnold had wanted to take the fort early was so that the British could use the fort's cannons to prevent American ships from escaping upriver unharmed. Since the ships had already escaped, and given the fort’s defense, Arnold sent a messenger to call off the attack on the fort.</p><p>Before the messenger could arrive, Colonel Eyre arrived at the outskirts of the fort with a portion of his men. Eyre sent Captain George Beckwith under a flag of truce. Colonel Ledyard came out of the fort to parley. The British officer demanded the fort’s surrender, but the American commander refused. Both parties returned to their lines. Eyre believed a direct assault on the fort would be successful but costly. He sent a second demand for surrender, informing the defenders that if they refused to surrender, the garrison would be denied quarter once the British took the fort. Ledyard replied that they would resist to the last extremity. With that, the men once again returned to their lines and prepared for battle.</p><p>Colonel Eyre led a group of soldiers against the southwest bastion of the fort. At the same time, Major William Montgomery led a second assault against the eastern side of the fort. Both assaults met with fierce resistance from the garrison. The defenders unleashed grapeshot from the fort’s cannons. Although they took heavy casualties, the attackers reformed and continued to advance. Colonel Eyre and several of his officers were wounded. </p><p>The second assault force under Montgomery came under similar fire. Montgomery was killed in hand to hand combat with the enemy, allegedly by a militiaman using a ten foot pike. The man who claimed to kill Montgomery was Jordan Freeman, a free black militiaman who had previously been a slave to Colonel Ledyard. Despite the resistance and the loss of their leader, Montgomery’s division forced open the main gate and allowed both divisions to swarm into the fort. What happened next is a matter of controversy.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fort Griswold Massacre</h2><p>According to American witnesses, the fort defenders attempted to surrender. The attackers ignored the calls for quarter and continued to cut down the surrendering garrison. According to one account Colonel Ledyard attempted to hand his sword to an enemy officer as that officer stabbed Ledyard. The British officer then took Ledyard’s sword and used it to stab him again. Another soldier, Lamboth Latham then killed the British officer who just killed Ledyard. Latham himself was then killed by the enemy.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmc184vRpeypzceQADwqjXOkMoXe_AzLUW6OG85JN0-GDVVqxsaCXhkJDMdf8JlUjFu8ifETIxLI_kDUPNj04p9va7dXk4e_fIn5RIVWVdgF9IDnFDPwfVMuaUt88b7HIZUmwBuLUhPhEbsMzaEWIeSa-EL8RTUmEUyw-TQ0XF0wXX_pwXJj6B9RDCE-T/s481/Death_of_Ledyard.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="481" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmc184vRpeypzceQADwqjXOkMoXe_AzLUW6OG85JN0-GDVVqxsaCXhkJDMdf8JlUjFu8ifETIxLI_kDUPNj04p9va7dXk4e_fIn5RIVWVdgF9IDnFDPwfVMuaUt88b7HIZUmwBuLUhPhEbsMzaEWIeSa-EL8RTUmEUyw-TQ0XF0wXX_pwXJj6B9RDCE-T/s320/Death_of_Ledyard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>British testimony after the fact claimed that they were not aware the Americans were trying to surrender. Others said that at one point the fort’s flag came down, which they thought was a surrender, then was raised again as the defenders continued to fight. They believed this to be a false claim of surrender. Therefore, they did not believe the enemy when they tried to surrender again once the British were inside the fort.<p></p><p>The British had taken heavy casualties during the storming of the fort. That and the death or wounding of most of their officers may have accounted for the decision to continue killing an enemy that was trying to surrender. American witnesses said that the British continued the slaughter and only stopped when they believed their continued fire might blow up the fort’s powder magazine.</p><p>British reports filed after the battle reported 48 British soldiers killed and another 145 wounded, almost all of whom were hurt in the assault on Fort Griswold. That was roughly one-fourth of the division that assaulted the fort.</p><p>When the British entered the fort, survivors reported that the defenders had lost only about a half dozen killed. After the attempted surrender and subsequent massacre, nearly the entire garrison was dead or wounded. Arnold reported 85 Americans dead in the fort, and another sixty wounded, most of them believed to be mortally wounded.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Aftermath</h2><p>After completing their day of destruction, both British divisions withdrew back to their boats before dark. The raiders took their wounded, their prisoners, and their booty back aboard their fleet and sailed back to New York City.</p><p>Although the raid was a British success, both sides criticized Arnold. The Americans, of course, were outraged at the butchering of surrendering soldiers. They blamed Arnold as the commander, even though he was nowhere near the fort when it happened.</p><p>Many of Arnold’s own officers and men were critical of their commander for remaining in New London and leaving the much bloodier fight against Fort Griswold to others. They also said that Arnold greatly under-reported British casualties, claiming it was more like 400 or 500 men killed or wounded. They called it a “Bunker Hill Expedition” recalling the 1775 battle when the British took the hill but suffered intolerable losses in doing so.</p><p>Whether the higher casualty estimates are accurate is impossible to say. But the criticism does make clear that those serving under Arnold did not respect nor trust their commander.</p><p>After his return to New York City, Arnold requested leave to go to London. He wanted to confer with Secretary Germain and other officials on a strategy to win the war. Clinton refused to let Arnold go, and instead kept him in the city, once again behind a desk, pushing paper. He remained in New York for about three months, when news of the events in Virginia arrived, along with General Cornwallis, who was on parole.</p><p>Cornwallis and Arnold both boarded a ship for London. Arnold’s family also sailed on a separate ship for London. The family took more comfortable quarters aboard a merchant ship. Arnold and Cornwallis had to sail on a military ship to reduce the chances they might be captured by the enemy. As they sailed out of New York, it would be the last time either Arnold or Cornwallis would set foot in the United States.</p><p><b>Next Week:</b> we return to South Carolina for the Battle of Eutaw Springs.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/01/arp296-eutaw-springs.html" target="_blank">Episode 296 Eutaw Springs</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/01/arp294-dogger-bank.html" target="_blank">Episode 294 Dogger Bank</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><p>Benedict Arnold Turns and Burns New London <a href="https://connecticuthistory.org/benedict-arnold-turns-and-burns-new-london" target="_blank">https://connecticuthistory.org/benedict-arnold-turns-and-burns-new-london</a></p><p>The Battle of Groton Heights <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-groton-heights" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-groton-heights</a></p><p>The Battle of Groton Heights, September 6, 1781: The Fort Griswold Massacre: <a href="https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/2017/07/17/the-battle-of-groton-heights-september-6-1781-the-fort-griswold-massacre" target="_blank">https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/2017/07/17/the-battle-of-groton-heights-september-6-1781-the-fort-griswold-massacre</a></p><p>VIDEO: The Life of Lt. Col. William Ledyard Groton Municipal Television: <a href="https://archive.org/details/gmtvct-The_Life_of_Lt._Colonel_William_Ledyard" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/gmtvct-The_Life_of_Lt._Colonel_William_Ledyard</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Burnham, Norman H. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/battleofgrotonhe00burn" target="_blank">The Battle of Groton Heights: A Story of the Storming of Fort Griswold, and the Burning of New London, on the sixth of September, 1781</a></i>, New London: Bingham Paper Box Co.'s Print, 1903. </p><p>Copp, John J. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/battleofgrotonhe00copp" target="_blank">The Battle of Groton Heights</a></i>, Groton Heights Centennial Committee, 1879. </p><p>Harris, William Wallace <a href="https://archive.org/details/battlegroton00harrrich" target="_blank"><i>The Battle of Groton Heights: A Collection of Narratives, Official Reports, Records, &c., of the Storming of Fort Griswold, and the Burning of New London by British Troops, Under the Command of Brig.-Gen. Benedict Arnold, on the sixth of September, 1781</i></a>, New London: 1870. </p><p>Hempstead, Stephen <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/descriptionofmon00hemp" target="_blank">Description of the monument on Groton Heights, with the inscription and names</a></i>, New London: Williams & Bacon, 1853. </p><p>Ollier, Edmund <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/cassellshistoryous02olli" target="_blank">Cassell's History of the United States</a></i>, Vol. 2, London: Cassell, Petter & Galpin, 1874.</p><p>Rathbun, Jonathan <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/rathbungriswold00rathrich" target="_blank">The Narrative of Jonathan Rathbun, of the capture of Fort Griswold, the massacre that followed, and the burning of New London, Conn., September 6, 1781. With the narratives of Rufus Avery and Stephen Hempstead, eye witnesses</a></i>, New York: W. Abbatt, 1911. </p><p>Rogers, Zabdiel & Thomas Mumford <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/1781grotonheight00roge" target="_blank">Groton Heights and New London</a></i>, Brooklyn, N.Y., Priv. print. 1881. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Brandt, Clare <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0679401067?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=a08860eab4f02491139560e5bb425c4c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Man in the Mirror: A Life of Benedict Arnold</a></i>, Random House, 1994 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/maninmirrorlifeo0000bran" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Jacob, Mark <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/076277388X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=861b1ad30a7020e4d86203df188987f9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold's Plot to Betray America</a></i>, Lyons Press, 2012 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/treacherousbeaut0000jaco" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</p><p>Willcox, William B. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006BLVNI?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e680f243c8c19b36893b9c4e45bafbbe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Portrait of a General; Sir Henry Clinton in the War of Independence</a></i>, Knopf, 1964 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/portraitofgenera00will" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>)</p><p>Merrill, Jane & John Edicott <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1476676534?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1c00d32b6022685738518231f15e1385&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Late Years of Benedict Arnold: Fugitive, Smuggler, Mercenary, 1780-1801</a></i>, Mcfarland, 2022. </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-38275555743555808552024-01-14T03:00:00.005-05:002024-01-14T08:41:23.248-05:00AR-SP24 Washington's Marine's with Jason Bohm<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML8708832513" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Major General Jason Bohm is the US Inspector General of the US Marine Corps. Recently, General Bohm published his book: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1611216265?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3dab6cbb9d1806c61f90d673cdca682d&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777</a></i>. I had the opportunity to discuss with General Bohm the topic of his book recently. Along with the recording, please enjoy this transcript of our conversation.</h4><p>Michael Troy (MJT): General Bohm, welcome to the American Revolution podcast. </p><p>Jason Bohm (JB): Thanks, Mike. I appreciate it. </p><p>MJT: We're here today to talk about your book about the Marine Corps in the American Revolution. Is this your first book? </p><p>JB: It's my second book, actually. </p><p>MJT: Oh, what's your first book about? </p><p>JB: The first book is a contemporary piece. It's called From the Cold War to ISIL, One Marine's Journey. And it basically talks about the evolving national military strategy from the end of the Cold War until the current fight against ISIS. </p><p>MJT: Obviously as a Marine, I understand why you'd like to write a book about Marine history, but the Marines do have a long and storied history spanning several centuries. What drew you specifically to the American Revolution? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI44VGLS8lpoD1w11VXRQKt_su-hT32OqWv_wiwayaDf0qIdnvYFYhdHOKqSoj4DX7HTGMdwmUe-JGviWKCEGxuInjN_E3q57F-hxlMPj8CEr4uau2d2sV7XsXfk12K0uVHHWj2f357PPue6-P5aMjkhaPwB6dDY9pvxubynvKVNWKxvT4_OPsm_JgjRd2/s522/Washingtons_Marines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI44VGLS8lpoD1w11VXRQKt_su-hT32OqWv_wiwayaDf0qIdnvYFYhdHOKqSoj4DX7HTGMdwmUe-JGviWKCEGxuInjN_E3q57F-hxlMPj8CEr4uau2d2sV7XsXfk12K0uVHHWj2f357PPue6-P5aMjkhaPwB6dDY9pvxubynvKVNWKxvT4_OPsm_JgjRd2/s320/Washingtons_Marines.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>JB: It's a great question, and you're right that being a Marine, I had a definite bias towards the topic of which I wrote. In the Marine Corps, our history and our tradition is extremely important to us. We teach our entry level Marines our history from the very founding of the Marine Corps and all the way up until modern day operations.<p></p><p>We instill in our Marines that it is our responsibility to live up to the legacy, the sacrifice of the service of those who went before us. So it was a natural for me to be able to, in my own journey, continue to study Marine Corps history. And then share an expanded view of Marine Corps history, as it parallels American history, to be able to tell a Marine Corps story as I'm telling the nation's story.</p><p>And there's not a better time to do that than as we approach the 250th anniversary. And so what I found out as I was doing my own self study is that there are a lot of stories about early Marine Corps history. That are myths, but they're based on, loosely on, reality. There's more to the story and there's some misunderstandings and misperceptions.</p><p>And quite frankly, this is a area of little known history that most Marines know about. They know more about World War 2 and Vietnam and the contemporary operations, but. A lot of Marines from generations current are not as familiar with the early history, let alone our nation at a very important time in our current history.</p><p>So I wanted to bring those together, the forming of the nation, the understanding of what led to the winning of our freedom and our independence, and then why it's so important that we continue to defend those today. </p><p>MJT: The Continental Marine Corps was founded in 1775. At that time, of course, the Continental Congress was very busily creating an army, a navy, inventing a new form of government, a whole bunch of things. Why do you think the creation of a Marine Corps was a priority for Congress? </p><p>JB: Well, I think you hit on the fact that it wasn't a priority at the very beginning. In fact, it was the third priority in the pecking order as you identified there. </p><p>So again, for context for the listeners, I think everyone's familiar with the events of April 1775 at Lexington and Concord that really forced the Congress's hand to have to adopt a national army utilizing the New England militia units that were holding the British under siege in Boston following Lexington and Concord. </p><p>Obviously selected George Washington to become Commander in Chief and the focus was on that current crisis that was an ongoing conflict in the New England states. Well, a lot of people may not realize, but the American continent is also a maritime nation. You know, you think about the vast eastern seaboard that we have, and the countless lakes and rivers and canals that, particularly back in the 18th century, were used as principal highways to move people and move things more effectively, more efficiently and more cost effectively than a road system that was very poor back in the day. </p><p>So the need for a Navy and Marine Corps became very prevalent as the war went beyond the opening months when we had to deal with the initial crisis outside of Boston. I think most people are familiar with the fact that the British, in order to resupply and reinforce themselves, had to transport their goods 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.</p><p>So, if the Continental Congress could create a Navy that could degrade the British ability to reinforce and resupply, that would obviously be to the advantage of the Americans and, in fact, assist the Army and General Washington on the land fight as well. So, out of necessity, there were actually an intelligence report that came that there were some British ships loaded with military wares on its way to resupply the British in Quebec in October of 1775, with the army being created in June of 1775.</p><p>And so the Congress used that as an opportunity to create the United States Navy. And it did that by ordering George Washington to purchase 2 ships from Massachusetts and basically manned them and they were not only intended to make him commander in chief of the army, but basically take over the Navy at the same time. </p><p>Washington balked at the idea. There weren't any ships available in that area. Because most of the ships who had already been employed as privateers or being used for the state. So Congress took that responsibility off of Washington's hands, and they purchased merchant ships that were converted into warships down in the Philadelphia area.</p><p>And then we get to the Marines, so October 75, you create the Navy. The Navy needs Marines to serve with the fleet to not only provide good order and discipline on the ships, provide security to the ship's officers against mutiny. They also fought from the fighting tops of the ships, they provided boarding parties to capture enemy ships, they defended their own ships, and they actually manned cannons alongside their sailor brothers on board the fighting decks as well. Marine detachments on board Navy ships continued to provide that fire support all the way into the 1990s. </p><p>That service was needed on the fleet, but there was a specific event that resulted in forcing the Congress's hand to create the Marines in November of 1775. And that was the Committee of Safety from Passamaquoddy, Nova Scotia, contacted Congress and stated that they wanted to join the Association of North Americans fighting for their liberty and their freedoms.</p><p>Well, Congress started salivating, thinking this was an opportunity to create a 14th colony to fight against the motherland. So there was a committee of three that consisted of John Adams. John Langdon and Silas Deane, who met in the 2nd story room of a place on the Philadelphia waterfront called Tunn Tavern.</p><p>And Tunn Tavern was owned by a gentleman named Robert Mullen, who we'll talk about here in just a moment. That committee of three meeting in Tunn Tavern devised a plan for creating a landing force consistent of two battalions of Marines whose assignment it was going to be to go to Nova Scotia, conduct a naval amphibious operation and capture the key British base in Halifax and therefore help bring Canada into the fold as a potential 14th colony.</p><p>And so that committee of three briefed the Congress on the 9th of November. And on the 10th of November, 1775, Congress resolved to create two battalions of Marines and calling them the 1st and 2nd Battalion of American Marines. And that was the official birthday of the Marine Corps, which is still celebrated by Marines across the world, regardless of their location or their circumstances, every November 10th.</p><p>MJT: Given that the first mission was north of New England and the war was going on in New England and that's where most of the maritime people and ships came from in America, why do you think the Marine Corps was first established in Philadelphia rather than New England? </p><p>JB: Well, really a couple of reasons. And again, one you already stated, New England was a focus of maritime activity. And I had already mentioned the fact that the privateer industry was starting to gear up. And it was a very lucrative market for individual ship owners and crews to go to sea, sanctioned by the Congress with letters of mark to capture British ships and then sell them as prize ships and the cargoes, and a portion of that prize money would be shared with the crew and the captain.</p><p>Because of that, many of the New Englanders who were not already committed to having joined a militia and part of the army now that was holding the British under siege in Boston, working in a privateer industry or private industry for trade to be able to continue to bring revenue into the state of Massachusetts and the other New England colonies, or already manning the Massachusetts, New England, or Connecticut, or Rhode Island State navies that were created as well. The bottom line is there was little left to be able to create a Marine Corps in the New England area. As I stated, when Washington was tasked by the Congress to purchase ships from Massachusetts to create the United States Navy, he balked at that and said that there are not a lot available here. I recommend you look further South towards Philadelphia.</p><p>The first ships of the United States Navy were converted merchant ships that were purchased in the Philadelphia area. And that is where the first fleet was assembled. And if the Marines were going to serve with the fleet, then it made sense that they would be recruited from an area in which there was more ample population of military age males who had not already gone to war as a soldier or a privateer. And where the fleet was going to be based out of. </p><p>MJT: Around the time Congress was creating the Navy and the Marine Corps in Philadelphia, Washington actually did create his own ad hoc Navy up in New England with the support of John Glover, who was an army officer, but obviously had a marine background </p><p>JB: maritime </p><p>MJT: maritime background, thank you. I find it interesting that Washington opposed. Being responsible for a Continental Navy, but then wanted to build his own Navy at the same time. </p><p>JB: Yeah. So actually Washington and Benedict Arnold both built their own Navy's, uh, Arnold up on Lake Champlain to block the advance of the British coming down from Canada and to be utilized for the attack against Canada.</p><p>And then Washington initially created a Navy outside of Boston and then did it again when he transferred to New York and create a local Navy outside of New York. And the reason for that was because the U. S. Continental Navy had no capacity of ships to be able to support his land operations. So, although the Continental Army held the British under siege in Boston, it was only from the landward side.</p><p>The British still had control of the seas. Therefore, they could be indefinitely resupplied and reinforced, and that was of great concern to Washington. So, out of necessity, he created his own navy, and as you stated, he went to John Glover, who was a colonel at the time, from Marblehead, Massachusetts, and Glover had his own fishing fleet.</p><p>And so he leased Washington his first ship, named the Hannah, which was named after John Glover's wife. Eventually, his navy would grow to about six ships, but it had mixed results. And the problem was that these ships were being manned by soldiers, and the soldiers enlisted to serve on the land, not at sea, even though some of them had seafaring experience.</p><p>And in fact, there's a quote from one of Washington's agents. And I read it says, “The people on board the brigantine Washington are in general discontent and have agreed to do no duty on board said vessel and say that they enlisted to serve in the army and not as Marines.” So, although there were some early successes with Washington's Navy, as it was referred to. Many of his crews actually mutinied and didn't want any part of serving there because life at sea was very difficult, and that's why they wanted to stay on land. </p><p>Arnold had similar circumstances up north in Lake Champlain, and as you may know, Arnold was a seafaring man himself, living in Connecticut coast and had a business interest at sea. So he knew a little bit about operating on the water. And he convinced General Gates that they needed to elicit the support of soldiers to man their freshwater fleet upstate New York. Arnold had a similar discontent with the service of his people up there. And this is a quote from Arnold himself. Quote, “We have a wretched motley crew, the Marines, the refuse of every regiment, and the seamen. Many of them never went with salt water.” He understood that if you're pulling people, cherry picking people out of your battalions to go serve as Marines. You can bet they weren't picking their best and brightest to go serve on the ships. They were keeping their best soldiers and they were given what was left over to become Marines and sailors serving with the freshwater.</p><p>So that just reinforced the need for a national Navy and Marine Corps who were trained to fight on the land and seas as professionals. </p><p>MJT: Arnold's mission, and he mostly created his own mission, was to stop the British from invading from Quebec into New York. And he effectively did hold them off for an entire year, even though they eventually had to succumb under the weight of the British.</p><p>JB: Right. No, I think Arnold did a brilliant job in the Battle of Valcour Island. You know, lost all but one of his ships, but as you stated, delayed the British for another year to buy us time. </p><p>MJT: Right, and that was Arnold's real victory. He had won before he fought the battle. The British had to build an entire Navy to contest Arnold's Navy, and that took them an entire year, and they lost an entire year of possible advancement into New York.</p><p>JB: Tactical loss, strategic victory. </p><p>MJT: That's the story for a lot of American battles, I think. And Washington's Navy was primarily used like privateers. They, they were not big enough or numerous enough or large enough ships to compete with the British Navy, but what they could do is take out British transports that were bringing supplies to the British Army in Boston.</p><p>Yeah, in fact, that became the naval strategy for the entire American naval force, whether it be state privateer or Continental Navy, we would never be able to go head to head against the Royal Navy in fleet actions. Recall that I said that our initial ships for the Continental Navy were just converted merchant ships, and they basically had lower caliber cannons on them.</p><p>Once they were met, no way could they go up against a British man of war or a ship of the line. In fact, in December of 75, Continental Congress authorized the construction of the first 13 frigates. These are the first built from the keel up U.S. warships that were constructed across the eastern seaboard and completed between ‘76 and ‘77, that became our capital ship.</p><p>We never went higher than a 44 [gun] frigate. Now we did build one 74 gun ship called the America that wasn't commissioned until 1782. And it never was completed in time to join the fight in the war, and we gave it to France as a gift at the end of the war. It was basically one on one, uh, ship engagements or small ship engagements, but we never wanted to take the British on fleet to fleet.</p><p>MJT: Right. By comparison, the British had dozens of ships of the line that had 70, 80, 90, 100 cannon on a single ship and very large caliber cannon, which was important, not only for blowing bigger holes in your enemy walls, but also you could shoot at a greater distance and decimate your enemy ship before they even got close enough to fire on you.</p><p>So yeah, it was a contest. Yes. And I think the fact that they were being used as privateers is probably another reason why a lot of soldiers did not want to participate as a seaman or Marines on a ship. If they wanted to be privateers, they would join a privateer ship, which would basically be doing the same thing and be much more lucrative for them.</p><p>JB: They really did serve a valuable service in that fact that the Continental Congress was unable, as we're all well familiar, to adequately supply the Continental Army. So the, the goods that we were capturing on these British ships went to the army to be able to clothe them and feed them and provide them the munitions that we weren't otherwise going to get from the Congress until we could build that capacity up in America, which never, as you know, got up to the speed that we needed it to be. </p><p>MJT: Yeah, a large portion of the muskets, flints, gunpowder, cannonballs that the Continental Army used in the first couple of years were provided by the British via the privateers. </p><p>JB: Yeah, before the French started providing us that aid. </p><p>MJT: The privateers and the Navy both provided that critical ability to secure these munitions from the enemy and give them to our army.</p><p>I think they were all kind of working out how this was all going to work. The Continental Congress, though, seemed to have a different idea. The first mission that they gave to the commander of the Continental Navy, Esek Hopkins, uh, was not just taking out transport ships. </p><p>JB: So the first fleet was commanded by a gentleman named Commodore Esek Hopkins.</p><p>And as stated, they assembled in Philadelphia in January of ‘76. And as they went down the Delaware River and went out into the Atlantic, Hopkins had two envelopes that he had sealed that he was to open once he hit the open seas. And the first was his first set of orders, which basically talked about the expectation for the conduct of sailors and marines in the execution of their duties. The Congress was not short of providing guidance on how people should behave. </p><p>The second set of orders were his tactical orders, and they were quite ambitious and quite frankly, very unrealistic, this is. Five, it grew to seven ships that were small converted merchant men with no cannons larger than nine pounds.</p><p>And the largest ship was the Alfred. That was the Commodore's flagship, and it only had 22 cannons on it. When Hopkins opened his set of tactical orders. You first have to understand that it was Clausewitz that said that war is an extension of politics. So politics really drove these first orders because they were written by politicians are civilian leaders.</p><p>And in essence, what they told Hopkins to do is he was to immediately set sail for the Chesapeake Bay and to find, locate, and either capture or destroy the entire British fleet operating off of the Chesapeake Bay. That was driven by the fact that the Virginian politicians were driving for that action to occur.</p><p>If that was not enough, once he was complete with that mission, he was to continue down to the Carolinas to do the same mission there: locate, seek out, and destroy or capture the British fleet located there. And if that were not enough, then he was supposed to push up to Rhode Island and locate, seek out, and destroy the British fleet located there.</p><p>There was actually a caveat in the orders that basically said, and oh by the way, if the weather doesn't permit it or other circumstances may impact your ability to do so, use your best judgment. In executing your orders. Well, Hopkins very wisely thought about his chances of success in executing these orders with this nascent fleet on its maiden voyage when he decided to go in a different direction.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, I mean, I think you're right. I mean, essentially, he was being asked to take on much, much larger fleets than he had with an enemy that was much more experienced. It would have been like sailing into a brick wall. He would have been that would have been the end of his life. </p><p>JB: And there's no doubt in my mind that they would have been defeated in the first engagement. There's evidence of that in the later engagement against a single ship. Uh, that, that one against six of those continental ships all fighting simultaneously. </p><p>MJT: Yeah, we'll get to that later, but yeah, I think it was just insane that the orders he was given, I, I think my thought in reading it the first time was why didn't they just tell him to sail over to England up the Thames and, um, take London, you know, it was just fantasy.</p><p>JB: Yeah, they were actually, you know, as you said, Congress was finding their way and they just didn't have realistic expectations or really understand what the capabilities of their forces were at the time. Giving these insane orders, what did Hopkins decide to do instead? Yeah, so he, he looked at that and he said, well, I am clearly going to use this caveat that's been given to me as a golden present.</p><p>And he had earlier received an intelligence report of a lot of gunpowder and munitions being stored by the British down in the Bahamas, specifically of the Island of New Providence. And as we know, one of the limiting factors Washington was confronted by in the Siege of Boston was the lack of gunpowder and the lack of cannons.</p><p>Hence, Henry Knox going to Fort Ticonderoga to bring the cannons over from New York. Well, Hopkins had the same opportunity to go down to New Providence and gain gunpowder and cannons for Washington's use. So that's what he did. He set sail for New Providence Island, the first lieutenant of his flagship, the Alfred, was a gentleman named John Paul Jones, that some of you may have heard of, and the commander of his Marine detachment on board the flagship was a gentleman named Samuel Nicholas, who was the first Marine commissioned officer in Marine Corps history.</p><p>Nicholas had led the recruiting effort to man these ships of the fleet. If you recall earlier, I said that Congress original intention was to create two battalions of Marines to invade Nova Scotia. Well, when Washington balked at that operation, because the Congress originally directed that Washington create these two battalions of Marines, by cherry picking soldiers with seafaring experience, similar to what he did to form his own fleet, to create these two battalions.</p><p>Washington said, there's no way, I'm already undermanned. I'm trying to reorganize the army. I don't have the resources I need. I can't create these two battalions of Marines and I can't lead an operation against Halifax. My hands are pulled here. </p><p>And oh, by the way, if you recall, this is when we sent Montgomery and Arnold up to invade Canada as well. So he's already depleted his forces by several thousand. </p><p>John Hancock, who is the president of the Continental Congress, acquiesced and he said, okay, General Washington. You're relieved of your responsibilities of creating the Marines, but we're still going to create this distinct and separate branch of service to serve with the fleet.</p><p>And so they commissioned Samuel Nicholas. Who was another tavern owner out of Philadelphia, he owned the Conestoga Wagon Tavern. And he recruited with the help of some other officers who were commissioned the first Marines to serve with the fleet. So, as Hopkins is sending his first fleet down to New Providence, he assigned Samuel Nicholas, who's a captain at the time, with creating a landing force that would combine the different ship companies together to form a battalion of Marines. </p><p>When they didn't form the original two battalions, what they did do is they decided to organize the Marines into 50-man companies. Each company would be assigned to be the ship detachment of a specific ship in the fleet. And then they would just pull these ship detachments together to create a larger battalion to conduct limited operations ashore.</p><p>So Samuel Nicholas lands with 220 Marines and 50 sailors in New Providence, and he captures two forts on New Providence Island. And in fact, they catch 88 cannons, 15 mortars, and a couple of howitzers, far more than what Henry Knox took from Fort Ticonderoga. Unfortunately, what they didn't do is, Hopkins did not place his ships in a position.</p><p>To allow the British to escape with most of the gunpowder. So the night before the landed force landed, the majority of gunpowder was evacuated to Eastern Florida. But when Samuel Nicholas landed and captured those two forts, there were like 26 barrels of powder. But 88 cannons and 15 mortars, which were brought back up to the continent, and they were used very effectively in several of the major ports across the eastern seaboard, and several of those cannons and other ordnance were given to the Continental Army as well.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, as I recall, they actually took a civilian ship in the Bahamas to help carry all the equipment back up. </p><p>JB: They did. Yeah, they, they, so the, you could argue that the raid, although he didn't get his principal objective, the gunpowder was very successful, and they actually employed two additional ships. One that he captured, and then one that he basically impressed into service.</p><p>MJT: Now on the way back, the fleet went from back from the Bahamas up to New England, they did encounter a British ship, the Glasgow. </p><p>JB: The two days prior to that, they actually captured two British ships. And they were towing them along as prize ships, so they had already had to diminish the crews and the Marines from the existing ships in order to man prize cruises on the captured ships.</p><p>Hopkins was in the search to capture more ships, again, to try and get the supplies and goods needed by the Navy and the Army, and he had his ships moving in two separate columns through the ocean. with the captured vessels following in trace. And it was in the middle of the night, actually about 01:00 in the morning, where they spotted an unknown sail in the distance, and it wound up being a British frigate with 20 cannons, the Glasgow.</p><p>The Cabot, which was one of the continental ships, moved ahead to identify whether this was friend or foe. As they approached each other, and they were broadside to broadside, The way it would work back in the day is if they couldn't see your flags, or you weren't flying your flags, or you're trying to deceive your enemy, they would holler at each other and say, who are you?</p><p>In this case, the captain of both ships identified themselves, and then a Marine on board the Cabot from the fighting tops lobbed a grenade onto the deck of the Glasgow, which initiated a battle. The Cabot opened up first with broadside, but it only had weak six inch cannons and only had seven of them firing against 11 nine pounders coming from the Glasgow.</p><p>The Cabot was severely damaged up front. Then the flagship, the Alfred, got into the fray. And she only fought for about three minutes, exchanging broadsides, before her tiller was shot out, and she lost the ability to steer. So she had to drift out of the fight as well, which brought the Andrew Doria and Continental Ship, the Providence, into the fight as well. And the bottom line is, the Glasgow, because the Americans did not fight as a cohesive organization, as a cohesive fleet, was able to hold off six continental ships. </p><p>They got slammed. They were severely damaged, but what the Americans were trying to do is capture the ship. And in order to do that, they didn't want to destroy and sink the ship. So most of their fire was angled high. To take out her sails and her masts and her riggings. Therefore, her crew wasn't being impacted by anything other than the musket fire from the Continental Marines firing from the American ships. And she took one killed and one wounded in that fight. </p><p>The Glasgow was fighting for her life. So she was blasting away at the decks of the American ships and the Americans took far more casualties, including the first three Marines killed in our Marine Corps history in combat. One of them was Lieutenant John Fitzpatrick and two privates. The Glasgow got away cause she started pushing towards Newport where the British had a fleet operating out of Newport, Rhode Island at the time. </p><p>And the American ships took her under chase, but the problem was they were still weighed down with all the ordinance that they had captured in New Providence. So they couldn't move as fast through the water and the Glasgow was able to successfully make it to Newport before Hopkins decided to turn around because he didn't want to face that British fleet that was waiting at Newport.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, when you see their limited abilities with a single British frigate, you know, they're not going to do well against an entire British fleet. </p><p>JB: And you could argue that Hopkins was in his right not to obey his initial orders from the Continental Congress, because it probably would not have gone. </p><p>MJT: After this, we don't hear much of the Continental Navy. They do make it back to port and deliver They're goods, but the British pretty much bottled them up after that, right? </p><p>JB: Yes, and there was another problem, and that was disease. Nearly half of the fleet succumbed to yellow fever and became combat ineffective. And so now that the fleet is up in New England, it gets back to the problem that I was talking about earlier, and that's recruitment.</p><p>There was that lucrative privateer industry, the Continental Army. the state navies. Hopkins had a very difficult time manning his ships at that point. Not to mention the fact that the British were bottling them up in the port. They could have escaped if they had enough people to effectively man their ships, but they did not.</p><p>What happened during this period is because they were not going to sea, Samuel Nicholas asked Hopkins if he could go back to Philadelphia for some personal business. Hopkins agreed, sent Nicholas back to the Congress with dispatches to inform them about the Navy's activities. Nicholas has to go back to the Alfred, but the Congress denied him, kept him in Philadelphia, promoted him to major, and then assigned him the task of recruiting new crews for the four of those original 13 frigates that were now under construction. Being constructed in Philadelphia</p><p>So, although the Navy that 1st fleet of merchant converted ships basically cease to operate as an effective fleet, those ships still did go out and participate in 1 on 1 or small 1 or 2 ship engagements. Until they were either captured or destroyed later in the war, but now we have the 13 frigates that are being built that are going to come to conclusion and being constructed, and they will all put to sea and engage the British in 1 on 1 or 1 on 2 small engagements as well.</p><p>MJT: Right, and supplementing the Continental Navy are state navies. I know Pennsylvania had a pretty significant state Navy at this time. </p><p>JB: Yeah, 48 ships. </p><p>MJT: That was where the real effectiveness was, especially for Philadelphia defending the Delaware River and the British for moving up that way. </p><p>JB: Well, if I could hit on that just a moment, none of the forces were able to operate independently, whether it was in the land, you know, you had militia with continental forces with people that just showed up with their rifles.</p><p>Same thing happened at sea. You had privateers, Continental forces. And state forces all fight side by side. So, for example, in the defense of the Delaware River, it was actually Captain John Berry, who is a Continental Navy officer, who was given responsibility to defend the Delaware, and he did that by utilizing a combination of Continental Marines, Continental soldiers, Continental sailors, and then Pennsylvania Navy forces as well, and Pennsylvania Marines, who manned the floating batteries, the Arnold and the Putnam that were operating on it. So it was really an eclectic group that, all contributed. </p><p>MJT: Right, and we see the similar things with the Army, where state troops and state militia will often put themselves under the command of the Continental Army in times of need, and that's, yeah, that's exactly what Barry was doing.</p><p>Yeah, I was only surprised they didn't use John Glover, uh, that he never joined the Navy, uh, because he was, you, I mean, he was a maritime expert and ended up saving Washington's bacon on several occasions, not only getting him off Long Island when the British invaded there in 1776, but also helping him cross the Delaware a few months later for the critical offensive they used.</p><p>During this time, the Navy was pretty much inactive, and as you say, the Marines were in a recruitment and rebuilding capacity without a whole lot of Continental ships, at least, to sail on. What were the Marines doing in late 1776? They got more involved with the Army at that time, right? </p><p>JB: To be clear, there were always Navy ships at sea. They just weren't large, they were small ships. For example, the Lexington. You know, many of these World War II known names all come from the American Revolution. The Lexington was a 16-gun ship that was converted merchant ship that was commanded by John Barry, and she put to sea, and she was out there capturing British ships left and right. The Reprisal was another one. There are literally tens of ships out there operating in those capacities. </p><p>It just doesn't get a lot of attention because these were very small engagements, relatively speaking, but that activity never stopped every time one of those ships without it. See, there were Marines on board serving side by side and actually doing the fight and then capturing the enemy ships by through boarding parties and manning prize crews and doing all of that.</p><p>But to answer your point, around Philadelphia, I mentioned that Nicholas is now a major. And he is in charge of recruiting Marines to man four of the frigates being built in Delaware. That is the Delaware, the Washington, Effingham, and Randolph. Those ships were still under construction. </p><p>And as all of that activity is going on with the fleet, we have the New York campaign happen with Washington in the summer of ‘76. And then he's basically under pursuit by General Howe across New Jersey and crosses the Delaware River on December 8th of 1776. </p><p>Now, Washington's force, which started out at about 19,000 in the New York campaign, the force that was with him, the main part of the army, had been dwindled down to just about 2,500.</p><p>And you have Charles Lee, and you have Horatio Gates still up in New York with a couple of thousand themselves. But the main army with Washington about 2500 and we all know the story how the enlistments are going to end. Washington's forces have been greatly depleted by desertions, by disease, by casualties, and now it's going to be further degraded by terminating enlistments.</p><p>Washington knows this is a low point for the war, and he has to re-seize the initiative from the enemy if they want to preserve the fight for independence. And so he calls out to the Congress and he asked for assistance. He gets that assistance from several different locations. One of them is a brigade of associators, which are Philadelphia militia led by a gentleman named Colonel John Cadwalader.</p><p>Cadwalader will be promoted to brigadier general right around Christmas time as they get ready for the Battle of Trenton. That name is important because the other group that is sent by the Congress to assist the Continental Army in its greatest time of need is Samuel Nicholas and the Continental Marines, Nicholas, just like he did in New Providence takes three of the ship detachments from three of those frigates under construction and creates 120 to 130 man battalion. They get on gondolas and they go up the Delaware River and they link up with Washington at Trenton as he's crossing into Pennsylvania the 1st time. </p><p>Now, Washington, recall, did not have a very high regard for Marines because of his experience in using soldiers to serve as Marines, and he didn't know what the Continental Marines intent was. Cadwalader shows up around the same time. And he tells Cadwalader, hey, go talk to those Marines and figure out whether they intend to fight on the waters or on the land. And they said, well, General, they're here to fight for you. They're here to assist you right now. And he said, very well, I put them under your command as a separate battalion.</p><p>So the Continental Marine Battalion will be assigned to Cadwalader's Brigade of Associators and fight over the next 10 crucial days in the Battle of Trenton. In the Battle of Assumpink Creek and the Battle of Princeton as a separate and independent battalion fighting under the Brigade of Associates, if that makes sense.</p><p>MJT: Yeah. Cadwalader was a Pennsylvania State General. He was not a Continental General, but he was working very closely with Washington at this time because it was, it was really all hands on deck. This is right after the British had taken New York with overwhelming force, chased the army across New Jersey.</p><p>Everybody had fled and Philadelphia was panicking that they were going to be next, that the British were just going to keep on and invade them. Congress retreated to Baltimore and said, Washington, do your best. We're out of here. It was all hands on deck. They were trying to decide what to do next.</p><p>Washington decided, as you know, embark on what will become the 10 Crucial Days and do a counterattack across the Delaware River. And I believe there were four different crossings. Cadwalader was doing a separate crossing from Washington further downriver and the Marines were with him at that time, right?</p><p>JB: That's correct, around the Bristol area. </p><p>MJT: Right, and they actually had trouble crossing. Washington was able to cross and get to Trenton. These guys did not. Well some of them made it across, but they never really got the whole force across. </p><p>JB: Yeah, so originally they were supposed to cross at Dunks Ferry, but the weather conditions did not permit it.</p><p>So they went further down river, around Bristol, and they got about two thirds of their force across the river before the Nor'easter really hit hard, and they were unable to land their artillery. So Cadwalader makes a decision to abort the mission. His belief is that no one of the other three forces successfully made it across the river that evening either.</p><p>And so the next morning, he's actually writing a letter to Washington recommending that they link up and all of a sudden he hears cannon fire in the direction of Trenton. Ah, son of a gun! you know. So they figured out that Washington did make it successfully across and now the blood of the Marines and the Associators is up.</p><p>They want to get in a fight. So they convinced Cadwalader to get over the river. So he does successfully cross the river that next day. Once he's across, he starts moving towards Trenton, only to find out that Washington had made the decision to cross back into Pennsylvania, now with 900 Hessian prisoners in tow.</p><p>So he starts to get a little squirrely, starts to flounder, and he's on the verge of aborting the mission once again. And the Marines and his officers and associators, with the help of Colonel Reed, Convince him to stay because they see that the Hessians are fleeing in fear. And in fact, Von Donop and the force that wasn't captured is trying to get up to Princeton to be able to link up with the British brigade that's based out of there.</p><p>Cadwalader and the Continental Marines take Von Donop's force in pursuit. And they actually capture about 50 stragglers, uh, but Van Donop was able to stay just a step ahead of them and successfully get to Princeton before they could capture him. The Americans would hold up around Crosswicks and right to General Washington, recommending that he come back into New Jersey and continue to capture eastern New Jersey back from the British and Hessian forces.</p><p>MJT: Right. I think Washington had initially conceived this as a hit and run raid. We're going to go over there. We're going to take Trenton and we're going to go back to Pennsylvania. And that's the end of it. And it was really the fact that the, this other force under Cadwalader and the Marines had gotten over to New Jersey, albeit late, and shown Washington that the enemy was in flight and this was something that they could do. That there was a vulnerability there, and that's what convinced Washington to change his mind and come back over. </p><p>JB: Well, I got to tell you, I'm not sure I necessarily agree with you because there's evidence that shows that Washington actually wanted to continue attacking up to Brunswick. But I think that reality set in after a very long evening and marching nine miles through a blizzard, not having had a warm meal, and having 900 prisoners. Wiser heads prevailed, and he decided he had to get over there. But I think he was itching to continue to fight up north. There's evidence of that in some of the historical record as well. So I think this played right into what he really hoped to do to begin with.</p><p>MJT: My view on, on Washington's initial intent was actually that he thought he was going to go over to Trenton and die. I think he thought that this was the end of the cause, and I'm just going to fight to the death. Because There's no, </p><p>JB: I don't know if I agree with that, Mike, because there's also evidence that said they were going to go up in the mountains and continue to fight as guerrillas if they need to, to keep the fight alive. So, I don't think Washington was a feign accompli a type of fella who figured he was just going to go die on vine or die on the state. </p><p>MJT: I mean, I'm sure he had a range of ideas and hopes, and it changed from minute to minute, but he saw it as a long shot, I think. </p><p>JB: Absolutely, a long shot. That's just all the more reason why we owe him our respect, is the bold move that he did. It was a do or die situation, no doubt about that. </p><p>MJT: I mean, the call sign for the night was literally victory or death, and I think that was not just a name. I think he really meant it. I mean, he was going to win or he was going to die. </p><p>JB: Something I can appreciate as a Marine. We don't surrender. </p><p>MJT: Well, I mean, there are, there are other times when it makes sense to do a tactical withdrawal or whatever, but I think he saw at this point, it really was do or die, there was really no third option.</p><p>There wasn't a whole lot of good communication and coordination between all the crossings. Washington was the only one that successfully got across on that first night, and I think some people think it was just maybe his force of will or something, but really. He was crossing further up river from all the other crossings and the river, the Delaware River at that point is much narrower and has a faster current and therefore it wasn't freezing over at the same rate as it was for the lower crossings.</p><p>So there was good reason why his group got across and the others did not, at least initially. And it is impressive that they did get across the next day, given that…</p><p>JB: I agree. And they said to actually the crossing back into Pennsylvania was more difficult than the one going…</p><p>MJT: and I think a few of the men who did make it over that first night in the lower crossing. We're like, there's no way we're going back over that river again. That was nearly suicide. But yeah, they do get through the ten crucial days and the Marines stay with Washington's force for that entire period up through Princeton? </p><p>JB: Yeah, and actually it goes beyond Princeton for, uh, about four more months, and it's a very interesting story. Once Princeton is complete, Washington takes his army up into Morristown, and then it begins the Forage War. This was one of these areas of Marine Corps history I had no idea of, and the fact that, uh, Henry Knox now had more cannons than he had men to man them. A lot of those enlistments did terminate after the men agreed to extend their enlistments to do the Ten Crucial Days. But once that was done, many of them went home.</p><p>And so there was basically no Continental Artillery Corps at this point. Knox is looking around and he says, well, wait a minute. Those Marines know how to operate cannons on board Navy ships. They operate very similar to land-based cannons. And he went to Washington and asked if the Battalion of Marines could be assigned to the Corps of Continental Artillery.</p><p>Washington agreed. So, for the remaining months, while the Marines were fighting as augmentation to the army, they fought as artillerymen, which the Marines didn't mind because artillerymen actually got paid a little bit extra because of the technical skill required to be able to manipulate the cannons.</p><p>And in fact, two of the Marine officers from the battalion. resigned their marine commissions and took army commissions and fought the remainder of the war as Continental artillery officers. </p><p>MJT: So did the marine companies that accompanied Washington remain distinct marine companies still during this time?</p><p>JB: Yes. </p><p>MJT: Okay, so they didn't completely merge into the army. </p><p>JB: No, they did not become soldiers. They were still the Marine Battalion, but they were assigned, now detached, if you will, from the Associators and attached to Knox and the Corps of Artillery. </p><p>MJT: Did they ever get reassigned to ships after, at this point?</p><p>JB: Yes, they did. Yeah, over the course of the next four months, they slowly went back to Pennsylvania and to Philadelphia to remand the ships. The first group that left was Robert Mullen, who was the owner of Tun Tavern. His company was assigned to escort British prisoners back to Philadelphia, and then once he was there, they just kept him there and reassigned him to his ship.</p><p>MJT: That was the point where Philadelphia was getting ready for what would, the next year, be the British invasion up the Delaware River. So they were building up their river defenses at that point, and also using the ships for privateering, essentially, going out and seizing merchant vessels and things like that.</p><p>JB: I wouldn't call it privateering. They were out engaging British ships, both man of war and they were not going to capture any British ship. They can get their hands on whether they were a warship or a British merchant ship. They engaged plenty of British warships during the war. </p><p>MJT: Right. And they basically forced the British to change their tactics a bit in that they didn't control the seas as much as they would like to think they did. They had to travel more in larger groups. They didn't like to send even a single military Navy ship out on its own because it might be attacked. They did sometimes. They had to worry about merchant ships and transport ships being attacked. And so this was a whole thing that they had to worry about.</p><p>JB: And there's another key benefit from the naval operations, and it started with the raid on New Providence, is once Hopkins went down there and we captured those two forts and all those ordinance, the British realized that they now have to defend their holdings across the globe. And that caused the British to pull some of their naval assets off of the eastern seaboard in order to protect the West Indies and protect the homeland.</p><p>Because Marines under John Paul Jones actually invaded Scotland and England and they were operating in the English Channel and there was great fear instilled in the British public when the Pirate Jones and his Marines were out there operating in their home waters. </p><p>So that's just another example of how we took the fight to the enemy from a naval perspective, naval, and for those who don't know, when you say naval, that means Navy and Marine Corps. As opposed to just Navy, which is just Navy. </p><p>MJT: Jones and there were actually a couple of other ships captains over in Europe that were wreaking some havoc. Jones actually got a ship from the French and went on this mission. My understanding is those ships were largely crewed by European sailors and Marines. Is that true? </p><p>JB: Yeah, there's some truth to that. Go back to what we talked about with why the Marines were recruited out of Philadelphia. That's because that's where the fleet was. And in this case, Jones was a man without a ship, and Benjamin Franklin procured a older French warship that Jones renamed the Bonhomme Richard in honor of Benjamin Franklin.</p><p>And so he had some American crew members that were with him, but he had to fully man out the ship, so they recruited some Frenchmen to fight in the American Navy and Marines as well. So, to be clear, although they may have been Frenchmen, once they joined the Continental Marines or the Continental Navy, they were then Continental Sailors and Marines, regardless of where they came from.</p><p>So, in fact, every one of the original Marines, not one of them was born in America. They were all immigrants from European countries. And that's the way our country has survived all these years. People shouldn't get caught up on saying, well, they weren't really Marines, they were Frenchmen. No, they were French men who were enlisted in the Marines and in the Navy to serve on the U.S. warship. </p><p>MJT: Yeah, we think of the French generals who joined the Continental Army, like Lafayette, the most famous, obviously. But there were a lot of Frenchmen who joined the Continental Army and Navy and Marines and fought as Americans, or fought, you know, as Continentals for the freedom of this country.</p><p>And it's pretty impressive. One of the Marines that was on Jones's ship, I guess, is responsible for his victory against the Serapis, because those two ships were locked together until a Marine from the Bonhomme Richard managed to lob a grenade into them. Serapis’ ammunition bunker and that was the end of them.</p><p>JB: Sometimes it's all it takes is one person to turn the tide of war. </p><p>MJT: The Marines were very active in Europe, excuse me, and in America. We see the British getting more and more spread out and what they had to defend. So the Marines continued to fight through the end of the war, although American naval activity kind of reduced as the French got more involved in the war, and the French Navy and French Marines took a more direct role in the seas off of the East Coast.</p><p>JB: We used the French and the Spanish to a lesser degree to fight. Any fleet level battles that were going to be prosecuted against the British, but all of our one on one or small one or two ship engagements continued throughout the war. In fact, every one of those 13 frigates that we built, our first warships, were either captured or destroyed in the course of the following years after they put to sea, because they were actively out there engaging the British.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, we put the Navy to very hard use during the war. There was very little left at the end. And in fact, the one ship that did survive the America, which was actually never made it into combat because it was built so late, we ended up giving to the French, right? </p><p>JB: Yeah. Yes, absolutely. </p><p>MJT: Yeah. The French had given us a lot of ships and a lot of other things during the war. So it was our, I think it was kind of our way of repaying them. </p><p>JB: Yeah. I don't think we quite ever, uh, you know, at that time it was a weak compensation, but we didn't have much off. I think we paid them back a few times over since then. </p><p>MJT: Yes. They, they made a good investment in us long term. Maybe the King didn't think so, but France did.</p><p>Yeah, exactly. But at the end of the war, as you say, we disbanded the Navy, got rid of all our ships, and we also essentially disbanded the Marine Corps, and effectively disbanded the Army. I think the Army shrunk down to about a hundred soldiers at one point after the war. So there was no Navy for the first few years of the United States under the Constitution. What changed to Rebuild the Navy and the Marine? </p><p>JB: Well, like always is the case. Anytime a conflict is over, which is very expensive to prosecute. The nation's looking for a peace dividend. They have to reinvest in, rebuild in infrastructure, rebuild in the economy, starting jobs, allowing people to get back to normal lives.</p><p>So that was the case at the American revolution, just like it's been the case after every war in American history. But like is always the case and has proven time and time again, throughout history, the enemy always gets a vote. And so in this case, both British and French forces were impressing American sailors to serve in their navies.</p><p>And it was actually the Quasi War with France in the late 18th century that caused America to start reinvesting its naval forces. And it was in 1798. In which the Navy and the Marine Corps were reestablished and the Marine Corps has been around ever since. There was never a period after that where we stood down.</p><p>That was the birth of the modern Marine Corps, if you will. That is when the title of the common on the Marine Corps was actually. bestowed by the Congress. A lot of people mistakenly refer to Samuel Nicholas as the first Marine officer in the American Revolution as being the first Commandant, but that's not true because it was not officially bestowed on the Commandant until 1798 when the Corps was re established.</p><p>MJT: Nicholas was in command of the Corps, he just didn't have the title of Commandant. </p><p>JB: He was not in command of the Corps, he was the senior Marine officer. Actually, the Congress commanded the Corps. </p><p>MJT: Fair enough. Yeah, the Quasi War has always been interesting to me. It's, we actually almost went to war with France at that time. It was in the 1790s. John Adams was president. He made George Washington, pulled George Washington out of retirement, made him a general. Washington had no interest in going off to war, and so he pretty much relied on Alexander Hamilton to run the army. </p><p>And as you say, we rebuilt the Navy and the Marines because we were being attacked at sea. Our merchant fleet was being attacked and we needed something to defend them. But the Quasi War never came to anything. </p><p>So the first real engagement after that, uh, major engagement would be, Marines referred to as the shores of Tripoli, no? Under Jefferson? </p><p>JB: Absolutely. Yes. And, uh, so the Barbary pirates, And, Tripoli Sultans were basically capturing Western vessels and crews and holding them ransom, basically being bullies in the Mediterranean.</p><p>Because we didn't have a credible naval force to do anything about it, we were paying a lot of ransom money and paying for access to the Med. You know, really providing some ridiculous compensation to these sultans to be able to do any kind of trade in the Mediterranean. And we finally had enough of it.</p><p>And a strong independent streak in America said, you know, even if it is more cost effective just to pay these ransoms, we're not going to do it anymore. We built up our fleet and we have some really historic and heroic actions taking place. And that is to your point where one of the sentences from the Marines hymn, From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, comes from the fight against the Barbary Pirates in 1804-1805 time frame.</p><p>MJT: Any new projects you're working on these days? Yeah, thanks for asking. I'm actually in the process of writing the next chapter, if you will, to Washington's Marines. I'm likely going to call it America's Marines, but what it's going to do, it's going to pick up in 1775 again, And it's going to fill in the gaps of what the other Marines were doing outside of Nicholas and his group from Philadelphia.</p><p>So it will focus, the first half of the book, uh, predominantly on the war at sea and on the rivers. And talk about what that was like and a lot of these things that you're not familiar with right now. You're saying, well, the Navy wasn't really doing a lot. They were doing a lot. But it was all these small independent actions. So I'm going to tell that side of the story. </p><p>And then I'm going to use, just like I did in Washington's Marines, the second half of the book was really focused on the Ten Crucial Days. The second half of this book is going to be focused on the Penobscot Expedition of 1779. </p><p>An incredible story for those who don't know. Think about all the Loyalists who were forced out of America. They needed someplace to go. Many of them went to Nova Scotia, Canada. But Nova Scotia didn't have the infrastructure or the economy to support them. So Britain needed to find a home for them. And we have New England, and you have Nova Scotia, which translates to New Scotland.</p><p>Now they wanted to create New Ireland. And they did that by invading northern Massachusetts in an area called Penobscot Bay, which is today part of Maine, which didn't become a state until 1820. So the British invaded the United States. And they established a foothold to create this new colony called New Ireland, and Massachusetts was up in arms.</p><p>So Massachusetts created its own naval campaign to oust the British out of the Penobscot region. And they collected this eclectic group of 42 ships, which were half privateers. Half state Navy, and then there were three Continental ships. One of them being one of the 13 original frigates, this one, the Warren.</p><p>And the Commodore for this expedition was the captain of the Warren. Then they had Massachusetts militia as the ground force. To be able to oust the British. Well, long story short, it winded up being the greatest naval defeat in American history for 160 years, all the way up until Pearl Harbor. So extraordinary story that, uh, that I'll be telling here in the next year.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, it is an interesting story. I think that's the one where a Massachusetts militia officer by the name of Paul Revere got court martialed afterward. Right? </p><p>JB: That is correct. So, Paul Revere was in charge of the artillery and you want to talk about inept leadership. He, along with General Lovell, and it was actually one of the Marines who raised allegations against him. That led to his court martial. </p><p>MJT: Yeah. Interesting story. I look forward to it. Your first book on the revolution, Washington's Marines is out now. It's available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. I heartily recommend it. And hopefully everybody will get a better understanding of the history of the Marines from it.</p><p>JB: Absolutely. I really appreciate your time, Mike, and the opportunity to, uh, to share some word about our great nation and our Marines history. And I want to thank you again for all you do with American Revolution Podcast, great effort, and I'm really impressed with your work. Thank you. God bless Semper Fidelis.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - - </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Further Reading:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1611216265?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3dab6cbb9d1806c61f90d673cdca682d&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777</a>, </i>By Jason Bohm (Savas Beatie, 2023).</p><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Philadelphia, PA, USA39.9525839 -75.165221511.642350063821155 -110.3214715 68.262817736178846 -40.0089715tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-4192238355991469522024-01-07T03:00:00.102-05:002024-01-27T12:15:55.860-05:00ARP294 Dogger Bank<p><br /></p><p>We last looked at the situation in Europe back in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/06/arp275-war-goes-dutch.html" target="_blank">Episode 275</a>, when Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic in December of 1780.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDOCffE4WrhhcOcw94rbvtlFi5GwpLSruONoSTSGXPmc_qUHLj7uRQt_b8SSE4AvJ5rhgkJY6DKOwKmQTFaFW8OrR3CvDd3x4zKj7r_g6DdcRbmjo-yT6eSJTiMJvNv7-zxnmkUWBufh-9MOVJOTlxV4x9-wWpbcDzTDoqXxPsXn-upLmIbL6TR6xzOd4/s640/Dogger_Bank_5_August_1781-sm.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="640" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDOCffE4WrhhcOcw94rbvtlFi5GwpLSruONoSTSGXPmc_qUHLj7uRQt_b8SSE4AvJ5rhgkJY6DKOwKmQTFaFW8OrR3CvDd3x4zKj7r_g6DdcRbmjo-yT6eSJTiMJvNv7-zxnmkUWBufh-9MOVJOTlxV4x9-wWpbcDzTDoqXxPsXn-upLmIbL6TR6xzOd4/s320/Dogger_Bank_5_August_1781-sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle of Dogger Bank<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The Dutch were not looking for war with the British. They had nothing like the military that they had a century earlier. Dutch officials mostly just wanted to trade and make money, but they were willing to do this with Britain’s enemies. This included selling arms to the rebels in America, as well as trading with France. That is why Britain declared war.<p></p><p>When the war began, the Dutch Navy consisted of only 20 ships of the line. Although they had begun a massive ship building effort before the war began, most of those ships were not yet ready to sail. Things actually got worse when the British attacked a small Dutch convoy in the West Indies in February 1781. Dutch Admiral Willem Krull was killed in the action while trying to buy time for the merchant fleet to escape the British.</p><p>Even for the ships they had, the Dutch had trouble obtaining crews for them. Most able seamen worked on better paying merchant ships, or had taken work on one of the many privateer vessels operating in the area. Since the government did not forcibly impress sailors like Britain did, it had great trouble recruiting enough men to sail their ships. The result of all this was that most of the small Dutch Navy remained in port, ceding control of the North Sea to Britain.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Dogger Bank</h2><p>The Dutch hoped for a quick negotiated peace with the backing of the League of Armed Neutrality. They got some talk, but little else. By August, 1781, the Dutch economy was near collapse with the end of all trade. Out of desperation, the government attempted to sail a merchant fleet out of Texel. Seventy merchant ships set sail, protected by seven Dutch ships of the line, and six smaller frigates. Admiral John Zoutman led the fleet.</p><p>For several days, the fleet escaped notice. Then, in the early dawn hours of August 5th, Admiral Hyde Parker spotted the Dutch ships. Parker had been escorting a British merchant fleet from the Baltic Sea back to England at the time. The ships were passing through a shallow area of the North Sea known as Dogger Bank.</p><p>The 67 year old Parker had spent most of his adult life at sea, in the British Navy. During the Seven Years War, he had served under then-Commodore Lord Howe in raids against the French coast. In the most recent war, he had led fleets in both Europe and the Americas. He was a highly experienced officer.</p><p>Admiral Parker quickly ordered his merchant ships to sail for the coast, and prepared to attack the Dutch fleet. The British navy ships were not in the best condition. They had been at sea for some time and were due for repairs. Even so, this was the best opportunity the Dutch fleet had provided in the North Sea since the war began. Parker could not pass up the chance to attack.</p><p>At the same time, Admiral Zoutman also saw the enemy and knew he would have to do battle with the British Navy. He also ordered his merchant fleet back to Texel as he prepared to do battle with the British line.</p><p>By 8:00 AM, both navies had formed lines of battle. The two lines fired as they passed by each other, then turned around and went for another round. Both sides took heavy casualties. The attack continued for about three hours before the Dutch fleet turned and retreated back toward Texel.</p><p>Zoutman had given his merchant vessels enough time to withdraw and had also inflicted enough damage on the British fleet that it did not attempt to pursue. The British fleet reported 104 sailors killed and 339 wounded. The Dutch reported 142 killed and 403 wounded. However, some unofficial reports state that Dutch casualties were over 1000. Although all of the ships sailed away from the battle, one of the Dutch ships sank before it could return to Texel.</p><p>Both sides claimed victory from the battle. It was generally considered a draw, although it meant that Dutch trade continued to be halted for the foreseeable future. Britain continued to control the North Sea.</p><p>Upon his return to Britain, Admiral Parker openly criticized the ministry for its failure to provide ships in good fighting condition, and blamed the failure to capture the Dutch fleet on that fact. He was openly critical of Lord Sandwich and made no secret of the fact that he hated the Prime Minister, Lord North.</p><p>In an attempt to smooth over his hard feelings, King George offered Parker a knighthood and personally visited his fleet. On that visit, Parker was rather abrupt with the king, telling him “I wish your Majesty better ships and younger officers. As for myself, I am now too old for the service.” </p><p>The 67 year old officer did not take another posting until after the government fell the following year. A few months later, his older brother died, leaving a baronetcy to the admiral. Parker should have stayed at home. When the new government offered him a posting as commander-in-chief of the East Indies, he returned to sea in 1782. His ship, the Cato was last seen in Rio de Janeiro in December. After leaving port, it was never seen again. The presumption was that it wrecked at sea and sank with all hands aboard.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">British Leadership Remains Firm</h2><p>Among the British leadership in London, support for the war was increasingly divided, but a majority still remained opposed to considering granting independence to the colonies in America. George III widely articulated this view, and saw it as his role to stand firm against any talk of allowing his empire to crumble.</p><p>The elections in 1780 had seen gains for the Rockinghamites, who increasingly supported American independence as a necessity so that Britain could focus on its wars with France, Spain, and now the Dutch Republic. But Lord North’s Tories still held a majority in both houses, and continued to support prosecution of the war.</p><p>While the war continued to drain British resources, there was some reason for hope that it would not continue forever. If Britain struggled with its finances, it was nothing compared to the struggles faced in France and in America. The enemy seemed to be surviving financially on next to nothing, which could not continue much longer. Further, General Clinton’s capture of Charleston in 1780 gave hope that the southern colonies would come back under control, even if some fighting continued there. The defection of Benedict Arnold that fall further proved to many that the rebel coalition was on the verge of collapse.</p><p>The North Ministry still felt it had a secure working majority. When Parliament opened in the fall of 1780, North attempted to replace the Speaker of the House of Commons with a much stronger supporter of the North ministry. North’s choice, Charles Cornwall, won the election decisively, defeating the former speaker, Sir Fletcher Norton.</p><p>In early 1781, the ministry won votes supporting the war against the Dutch, as well as continued funding for the overall war effort.</p><p>Many opposition members even stopped attending Parliament, since there was little hope of any change. In March, Lord Hillsborough wrote to William Eaden saying “The opposition is at present if not dead at least asleep: since I have been in parliament, I do not recollect a session half so quiet.” Even an effort to conduct an investigation into loans raised for the war effort failed to pass a floor vote. </p><p>At the end of May, as some news of setbacks in the south began to arrive, the opposition used it as an opportunity to grant the crown powers to negotiate a peace with the provinces in North America. A majority considered this an unnecessary display of weakness and voted down the motion. In June, as news of the British victory at Guilford Courthouse arrived, along with the news of the devastating casualties that greatly weakened Cornwallis’ army, opposition leader Charles Fox tried again. As before, the motion failed.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Mediation Offers</h2><p>Even if Parliament remained on board, in order to continue the war, Britain had to do what it could to keep even more European powers from lining up against it. France and Spain were traditional enemies of Britain at this time, but in earlier wars, Britain usually had an alliance with other countries who took some pressure off Britain itself. Prussia and Russia were among these. Prussia was part of the Holy Roman Empire, which included almost all of the German-speaking states. Its powerful armies had been a key partner with Britain in the Seven Years war. In this war, however, most of Europe was sitting out the war. If Britain could convince some of these other powers to go to war with France and Spain, those countries would be unable to focus on Britain.</p><p>Unfortunately, Britain could not get a fight started, and even had to worry about its traditional allies lining up against it if it could not respect their neutrality. Maria Theresa, former Empress of the Holy Roman Empire was focused on keeping Europe from plunging into a new war. Her title as Empress vanished when her husband died in 1765, and her son Joseph II became the new emperor. Maria Theresa, however, remained a respected power on her own. I mentioned in an earlier episode how she had managed to thwart a war in 1779 when her son Emperor Joseph and Federick the Great of Prussia almost went to war over control of Bavaria.</p><p>Had there been a war at that time, France would have been treaty-obligated to go to war with Prussia again. This would have been to Britain’s great benefit. But Maria Theresa kept the peace, and France could continue its focus on Britain.</p><p>Maria Theresa also hoped to broker a peace to end Britain’s war with France and Spain. Although she offered to mediate, none of the powers were willing to take her up on the offer. She sent diplomats to London, Paris, and Madrid, trying to convince ministers to end the war. She even lobbied her daughter, Marie Antonnette to use her influence in Versailles to encourage negotiations. None of these powers wanted to insult such a powerful leader, but they also did not see a negotiated peace in their self interest. </p><p>When the empress died in 1780, the danger of war in central Europe once again became more likely. Other leaders also sent out proposals for a negotiated peace, offers came from Catherine the Great of Russia, and King Ferndinand of Naples-Sicily.</p><p>Maria Theresa had not been a fan of the Revolution in America, nor of revolutions generally. It was hard enough to keep the royal houses of Europe from going to war with one another. It was so much worse when the people rose up against their own leaders to start a war. </p><p>After her death, her son, Emperor Joseph, seemed to have a little more sympathy for the Americans. For starters, he referred to them as “Americans” in his correspondence, at a time when most other heads of state were referring to them simply as “rebels”. In a letter to Catherine the Great of Russia, Joseph seemed to sympathize with the poor treatment of the American colonies by Britain and said that thought a British victory was impossible. </p><p>In 1777 Joseph had traveled to Paris to visit his sister, Queen Marie Antonette, and attempted to set up an unofficial meeting with Benjamin Franklin while there. British intelligence managed to prevent the meeting. Even so, rumors of the meeting trickled through the courts of Europe.</p><p>Although he continued to remain neutral, Joseph regularly commented in private correspondence that he thought the Americans would win and that the continuing war in America was proving disastrous for Britain.</p><p>Thinking that Joseph might be amenable to some sort of involvement, the Americans sent William Lee to Vienna in 1778. At that time though, Maria Theresa prevented any officials from meeting with the would-be ambassador. Recognition of Mr. Lee would have been tacit recognition of American independence, and would have enraged Britain.</p><p>Joseph was not simply a disinterested observer though. The capital of the Holy Roman Empire was Vienna, in Austria. Joseph inherited the Crown as King of Austria from his mother, Maria Theresa, on her death in 1780. Austria today is a landlocked country, but in 1780, it held a coastal presence in what is today Belgium. At that time, it was called the Austrian Netherlands.</p><p>The port at Ostend in the Austrian Netherlands became the main neutral port along the west coast of Europe, once France, Spain, and the Dutch were at war with Britain. The result was a booming trade for Austria. All sorts of merchant ships wanted to fly a neutral flag that would protect them from enemy navies and privateers. Between 1778 and 1780, Ostend saw a 700% increase in shipping. Profiteering in merchant goods as well as war supplies greatly enriched Austrian trade.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Seizure of <i>Den Earston</i></h2><p>This new transatlantic trade under the Habsburg flag inevitably led to a controversy. On August 20, 1781, a Massachusetts privateer called <i>The Hope</i>, seized <i>Den Eersten</i>, a merchant ship that had left Ostend under the Habsburg flag, headed for the West Indies.</p><p>Daniel Darby, the captain of <i>The Hope</i>, sailed both ships back to Boston for review by a prize court. The court met on September 6 to determine whether the seizure was a legal capture of an enemy vessel, or an illegal taking of a neutral ship.</p><p>Darby argued that the ship was clearly British and was carrying British made goods. The Captain of the captured <i>Den Eersten</i>, Peter Thompson, countered that there was no evidence that this neutral flagged ship was British, or that anything on it was British. This was all just made up by Darby to steal his ship and its contents.</p><p>The court determined that the ship was owned by an Ostend firm, but also found correspondence from English merchants that established this was just an effort to get around the French blockade. The case lingered until the end of November, when the court held that the ship was that of a neutral, but that its contents were English goods.</p><p>This split decision really did not satisfy anyone since it was not normal practice to separate a ship from its contents. If the ship really was from a neutral country, the privateer had no authority to take the ship in the first place and then its contents. The case was appealed to a US court in Philadelphia, which did not hear the appeal until 1782. The appeals court found that the ship’s cooperation with English merchants violated its status as a neutral and could therefore be seized.</p><p>This ruling essentially endangered all ships flying under the Habsburg flag. The British used the incident to get the neutrals on their side, arguing the Americans had proven themselves simply to be pirates. Benjamin Franklin tried to turn the decision in America’s favor by trying to convince Austrian officials to send a diplomat to America to deal with future disputes. This would have created at least an unofficial diplomatic relationship with America.</p><p>In the end, the Austrians did not do anything either way on the matter. They did not want to show a bias toward either party, hoping still to sit as a mediator of the war between Britain and America.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Congress of Vienna</h2><p>Diplomats continued their efforts to negotiate an end to the war. France seemed to be the most opposed to this effort, thinking it had the advantage over Britain. But by the end of 1780, with its finances in ruins, and the Americans just begging for more of everything, France seemed more amenable to discussion. France also feared Spain might be getting cold feet after their efforts to retake Gibraltar had come to nothing.</p><p>Joseph’s diplomats proposed a Congress of Vienna, to take place in the summer of 1781. One of the biggest issues was how the Americans would be represented. Britain would not recognize any diplomat from the Continental Congress, which it argued was an illegal body. Negotiators suggested that each colony might send its own diplomat. That, however, was a nonstarter for the Americans, who did not want their divided interests to be exploited at a conference.</p><p>In May of 1781, diplomats sent out their proposal for a conference. The Americans would be invited to work out a separate peace between them and Britain. All parties would agree to a one-year armistice. British officials bristled at the idea of inviting the Americans. France disliked the idea of the armistice since it only gave Britain time to regroup and rebuild its forces. Spain refused to consider anything that would not put Gibraltar as a main point of negotiation.</p><p>In the end, everyone ended up rejecting the terms, and the conference altogether. Instead, all parties wanted to wait and see the 1781 fighting season results before making any more efforts at a negotiated peace. Of course, all those efforts would fade away after the events in Yorktown later that fall.</p><p><b>Next week:</b> we return to Connecticut, as General Benedict Arnold makes one final trip to his home state to burn a town and slaughter some prisoners.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/01/arp295-new-london-raid.html" target="_blank">Episode 295 New London</a> (Available January 21, 2024)</p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp293-isaac-hayne.html" target="_blank">Episode 293 Isaac Hayne</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><p>Battle of Dogger Bank: <a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_battle&id=129" target="_blank">https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_battle&id=129</a></p><p>Battle of Dogger Bank, 1781: <a href="https://sailsofglory.org/showthread.php?5296-The-Battle-of-the-Dogger-Bank-1781" target="_blank">https://sailsofglory.org/showthread.php?5296-The-Battle-of-the-Dogger-Bank-1781</a></p><p>The Battle of the Doggersbank – 5 August 1781: <a href="https://morethannelson.com/battle-doggersbank-5-august-1781" target="_blank">https://morethannelson.com/battle-doggersbank-5-august-1781</a></p><p>Anglo-Dutch Wars: <a href="https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_anglodutch" target="_blank">https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=war-dir&f=wars_anglodutch</a></p><p>Anglo-Dutch Wars: <a href="https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en/geheugen/pages/collectie/Nederland+en+Engeland%3A+de+band+tussen+twee+naties/De+Engels-Nederlandse+oorlogen" target="_blank">https://geheugen.delpher.nl/en/geheugen/pages/collectie/Nederland+en+Engeland%3A+de+band+tussen+twee+naties/De+Engels-Nederlandse+oorlogen</a></p><p>The Netherlands and the American Revolution <a href="https://www.amrevmuseum.org/the-netherlands-and-the-american-revolution" target="_blank">https://www.amrevmuseum.org/the-netherlands-and-the-american-revolution</a></p><p>Morgan, Kenneth. “Anglo-Dutch Economic Relations in the Atlantic World, 1688–1783.” <i>Dutch Atlantic Connections, 1680-1800: Linking Empires, Bridging Borders</i>, edited by Gert Oostindie and Jessica V. Roitman, Brill, 2014, pp. 119–38. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctt1w8h3c9.11" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctt1w8h3c9.11</a></p><p>Scott, H. M. “Sir Joseph Yorke, Dutch Politics and the Origins of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.” <i>The Historical Journal</i>, vol. 31, no. 3, 1988, pp. 571–89. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/2639757" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/2639757</a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p></p><p>Christie, Ian R. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/endofnorthsminis0000ianr_f0g7" target="_blank">The End of North's Ministry 1780-1782</a></i>, Macmillan & Co. 1958 (borrow only).</p><p>Edler, Friedrich <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_MhoMAAAAYAAJ" target="_blank">The Dutch Republic and the American Revolution</a></i>, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1911. </p><p>Piggott, Francis Taylor & Omond, George W. T. <i><a href=" https://archive.org/details/documentaryhisto00pigguoft" target="_blank">Documentary history of the armed neutralities, 1780 and 1800, together with selected documents relating to the War of American Independence 1776-1783 and the Dutch War 1780-1784</a></i>, London University Press, 1919.</p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3>Jones, J.R. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/113883744X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=151b7d183ea73644419232e75e9c840c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Anglo-Dutch Wars of the Seventeenth Century</a></i>, Longman, 1996.<br />(<a href="https://archive.org/details/anglodutchwarsof0000jone" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) <p></p><p>Namier, Lewis <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0436304201?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=648349d5782f1826e73bd946407c222a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790</a></i>, History of Parliament Trust, 1964 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/houseofcommons170001nami" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Schama, Simon <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394485165?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=9307c3ceeb53113928afc6b49b3001a5&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Patriots and Liberators: Revolution in the Netherlands, 1780-1813</a></i>, Knopf, 1977. <br />(<a href="https://archive.org/details/patriotsliberato0000scha_o5n5" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Simms, Brendan <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465013325?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=b4210f488b8d3b0dc35cecb7cd628416&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire</a></i>, Basic Books, 2008. </p><p>Singerton, Jonathan <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813948215?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1ffa24293945b8b868cb078ee037002c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The American Revolution and the Habsburg Monarchy</a></i>, Univ. of Va Press, 2021 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/9780813948232" target="_blank">on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-36677908232337977282023-12-31T03:00:00.016-05:002024-01-06T09:55:32.372-05:00AR-SP23 American Triumph, with Tom Hand<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML1012691537" width="100%"></iframe><p><br /></p><p>Hello, and thank you for joining this special edition of the American Revolution. I had the opportunity to speak with Tom Hand, author of An American Triumph.</p><p></p>Tom is a graduate of West Point. After leaving the military, Tom ran the Gilman Cheese Corporation. Now retired, he serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Battlefield Trust which protects battlefield lands from development. He also publishes Americana Corner, which covers the American Revolution through articles and videos. His new book, An American Triumph, looks at the founding era through the perspectives of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams. I spoke with Tom over Zoom.<p></p><p>Michael Troy (MJT): Tom Hand, welcome to the American Revolution Podcast.</p><p>Tom Hand (TH): Thank You. Pleasure to be here, Mike.</p><p>MJT: We're here today to discuss your new book, An American Triumph, which is a discussion of the American Revolution generally through the eyes of three men, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and John Adams. As I understand it, this is your first book. Is that correct?</p><p>TH: It is, first, good Lord willing, not my last.</p><p>MJT: What in particular drew you to the subject of the American Revolution?</p><p>TH: Well, I love that era of our nation's past. I think I wanted to remind my fellow Americans about how exceptional our nation's history was, and especially our founding era and how inspirational it is.</p><p>I tell you, I'm a little bit concerned that we're starting to lose sight of that. And so I wanted to write kind of a history of our nation's 1st century chronologically. And so obviously we start with the period. Even some colonial era stuff is in the book, and we talked about that a little bit. And then book number two, which I finished about a month ago, and I hope to come out next summer, will be on the war itself.</p><p>And then from there, we'll take it into Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe and so forth.</p><p>MJT: The book looks at the American Revolution through the eyes of Washington, Franklin and Adams, why did you pick those 3 people? I mean, they obviously are central characters of the event, but what elements gave them dimension to the war that you found particularly interesting.</p><p>TH: Yeah, that's a great question. I wanted the book to focus on service to country. The model on my website is “Your love of country leads you.” And so I wanted to focus on the men that I thought best exemplified that. And in my opinion. Ben Franklin, George Washington and John Adams are those 3 men. And so I selected them.</p><p>I selected the events that they touched. It's not a book that's comprehensive of all events in the American Revolution. It discusses the things that they touched. And so we'll talk about Yorktown because Washington was there, but we won't talk about Saratoga because none of the 3 men were there. We talk about the Continental Congress and that sort of thing because Adams, Washington, Franklin were all there. And so that's why I selected those 3. I've read biographies on almost all the founding fathers, the more well known ones. And I have not found anyone that matches those 3 in terms of service to country.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, and it seems that all 3 men came to it from a different direction.</p><p>I mean, George Washington was a, well, he was a soldier, perceived himself to be a soldier for most of his life, although he was a gentleman farmer, I guess, more than he was in the field.</p><p>TH: That's right. </p><p>MJT: But he had his early actions in the French and Indian war and saw himself as a militia leader throughout peacetime.</p><p>And of course, wanted to be in the Continental Army. Benjamin Franklin was really, it did a lot of things. I mean, how can you summarize up Benjamin Franklin? He -- a lot of his life was as a diplomat, even before the wars as a colonial agent. A guy who was just very interested in starting lots of new organizations and inventing things and just a very creative type, very active person.</p><p>And then you have John Adams, who does not seem to make a lot of friends in his life. He tends to be a little more standoffish. Well,</p><p>TH: that's well said. That's right.</p><p>MJT: He's very much, I think, the person most responsible for encouraging all the states to declare independence when they did. He's obviously a great advocate for the founding of the country.</p><p>But as I said, all these men were very different, very different personalities, very different life backgrounds, all those things. So was that part of bringing these disparate ideas together?</p><p>TH: It was it. Yeah. And that wasn't the core idea behind it. But when I dove into it deeper. I found it a compelling discussion that all three provided service to country in their own way.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbhWzULGe9T8YCOcDMWAK3JvgW_JfZXSwIL5pc30-zNWFf4hx7UuyapMGs86yM71O3wJHstf8NU21y2-VWEu5m5FWLAmD4MYvtVknxVS1qI0-Tky7voiHWWJSEJ40pSh150Ndt_EoNDEju96L0VvoN9-QeFW2QKinQyBqyWqbX5AraZaQ8Mt4mNqCbdWy/s423/American_Triumph.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbhWzULGe9T8YCOcDMWAK3JvgW_JfZXSwIL5pc30-zNWFf4hx7UuyapMGs86yM71O3wJHstf8NU21y2-VWEu5m5FWLAmD4MYvtVknxVS1qI0-Tky7voiHWWJSEJ40pSh150Ndt_EoNDEju96L0VvoN9-QeFW2QKinQyBqyWqbX5AraZaQ8Mt4mNqCbdWy/s320/American_Triumph.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>Franklin was so civic minded and all the things he came up with, first hospital, the first medical school, he invented the lightning rod, the first fire brigade. I mean, he did so many things. All civic minded, making civil society better in America. George Washington, the military angle, and of course, the presidential angle. <p></p><p>And John Adams, just so many things that people don't know about this devoted patriot. He just bled red, white, and blue. He was a supreme patriot. And, uh, we'll talk about that, I suppose later on, but, uh, yeah, they, it was interesting that they were all able to do it from different angles. It means that other people out there today can do it from different angles. They don't have to be soldiers.</p><p>They don't have to be statesmen. They can be whatever they want to be. And still provide service to the country. </p><p>Do you have a favorite founding father?</p><p>MJT: I mean, I almost hate to admit it because it's George Washington. Who's always the obvious choice for everybody. I, for a long time, really studied George Washington thinking this guy really can't be as great as everybody thinks he is, you know, he's got to have some faults and he does have faults, but he really is such an impressive person and so impressive in the way he conducted himself, the way he interacted with others, the way he dealt with adversity. It's really amazing. And, you know, I'm not even talking about his military skills. I don't think he was that great of a field officer or a strategist, but the way he mixed the military and politics and all the interactions that especially creating all this stuff almost from scratch was just amazing to me.</p><p>TH: Well, yes, and then to have the humility to surrender power twice. He's almost too good to be true. And yet he was true. And so it's, it's, we're so blessed to have. Him at that particular time, you imagine if the, if the war had started 10 years earlier, 10 years later he's too old 10 years earlier, maybe he doesn't have the credibility.</p><p>It all happens at just the right time. And then, like I said, almost too good to be true.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, I always say we have his two greatest moments in my mind. One was the crossing of the Delaware, which was an obvious one. It's difficult to imagine that a lot of military leaders would have actually done that because it was such a desperate action at the end of the day. He did pull it off amazingly. </p><p>The other one is known, but less so, I guess, and that is his speech at Newburgh. At the end of the war, when the army was just fed up with Congress lying to them, not fulfilling their promises, essentially leaving them to hang out to dry and essentially almost starved to death. Washington gave a speech where he basically convinced all of his officers that they needed to defer to civilian authority regardless of anything else and that doing anything else would just destroy everything that they had worked for. I think most leaders in that situation would not have reacted that way.</p><p>And we have lots of examples of that; Cromwell before him, Napoleon after him, Julius Caesar. I mean, When people are handed that much power, even if they have very good intentions, because they want to get rid of the chaos and bring order and peace and all that, they tend to seize power for themselves thinking I am the only one who can do this. And Washington was certainly not that person.</p><p>TH: No, and in the book, we talk about Newburgh address. It was a critical moment and crossing the Delaware from a military standpoint in my mind, but that doesn't happen. Nothing else happens because the army is going to fritter away the enlistments are going to expire and so forth.</p><p>But that Newburgh address doesn't get talked about much. You're right. Mike, he was being told by officers. We'll follow you. If you want to basically be in charge and he said no, and then, then he follows it up December 23rd, 1783 with when he goes to Annapolis and resigns his commission. It's unbelievable.</p><p>And we can't relate to it today because we don't live in a time when most countries are run by monarchs or military dictators. For that to happen back then -unbelievable. Yeah, I agree with those 2 things. And yeah, in the resignation, maybe that makes it to trifecta.</p><p>MJT: I use the address as an example, but really his whole experience in the war was a continuum of an amazing amount of deferring to civilian authority.</p><p>There were many times he could have taken more power, done more things on his own, brought Congress to ridicule and at every step of the way he did not do it.</p><p>TH: Well, you're right. And other great men like Nathaniel Greene, Daniel Morgan comes to mind. They weren't happy either with Congress. Daniel Morgan did resign for a while, went back home to Winchester and Nathaniel Greene threatened to actually, I think he submitted a letter resignation concerned about whether being treated.</p><p>I think it had something to do with promotions.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, he had a couple of real brushes with Congress. One was when Lafayette became a general, and they were considering several other Frenchmen as generals, and Greene was one of several continental generals who basically said, if you put all these French people above us, we're quitting.</p><p>Yeah, there was another time, I think Washington had forced Greene to become the, um, forget the title. </p><p>TH: Commissary General. </p><p>MJT: Commissary General, thank you. That's right. Didn't want the job. Absolutely hated. And then Congress had the nerve to investigate him for waste, fraud and abuse. I know. After he'd been serving.</p><p>He resigned at that time as the head of the commissary generalship, but he did it in such a way that Congress wanted to take it and say, well, fine, you're, you're resigning from the army. You're out of here. That was actually his almost closest brush with leaving the army. And it was only because George Washington intervened and said, no, we really need this guy.</p><p>He's a youngster who's a little hepped up on things, but let's just be calm and keep him in place.</p><p>TH: Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, so George Washington, but he put up with it and people are talking about replacing him with Gates, just remarkable man, just remarkable man.</p><p>MJT: Well, before we get too much into the revolution, I did want to take a step back.</p><p>I mean, the early part of your book talks about another war, the French and Indian War. Which all three men had a role in, particularly Washington and Franklin. Washington, I guess, has the privilege of being the one who started the entire war. He was a kid at the time almost and given command of the militia army under the authority of the colony of Virginia, of course, went up to promote Virginia's claims in Northwest territories. I guess it was more around the area around Western Pennsylvania today, and ended up starting a war with France.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ENUWg9ddek12_K3Dzu3-POyhJn5mMf42HajosoiMtsCUU31wn4yZC3cP0Bv7fo9rNnAcH5HVp3_LRiKRIYRL7fh8E6J4tRrZnAz8q_W_C81b5S2GtMpFlf1EEIjasAXZcMfGJkp_cB81m4TbSwRNlutnjsZl6DtE70fEjVZLn3-CmJQ9o9wARBXmvZ_h/s259/Tom_Hand.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ENUWg9ddek12_K3Dzu3-POyhJn5mMf42HajosoiMtsCUU31wn4yZC3cP0Bv7fo9rNnAcH5HVp3_LRiKRIYRL7fh8E6J4tRrZnAz8q_W_C81b5S2GtMpFlf1EEIjasAXZcMfGJkp_cB81m4TbSwRNlutnjsZl6DtE70fEjVZLn3-CmJQ9o9wARBXmvZ_h/s1600/Tom_Hand.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Hand<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>TH: Yeah, it's, remarkable. He was 21 when that happened, maybe going on his 22nd birthday and. They have that sort of responsibility at that age. And, and, you know, he went up there as Lieutenant Colonel in the Virginia regiment, got promoted to Colonel, I think sooner or after, but pretty remarkable.<p></p><p>Then, in my opinion, I've been asked what event had to change to have the American revolution not happen. And in my mind, at least it's the French and Indian war that doesn't happen. I think England's policy of salutary neglect, some people call it benign neglect, continues. The colonies were happy as long as they weren't being imposed upon by the mother country and, uh, without the, the debt incurred from the French and Indian War.</p><p>I'm not convinced that, uh, the stamp act happens or some of these other things to me. That was the one catalyst that, you know, from there, everything pointed towards going to this to the American revolution. All roads led there. I think. Any thoughts on that, Mike?</p><p>MJT: Alternative history is always difficult to predict, but yes, obviously, yes, that the French and Indian war did have a major impact on the way Britain was thinking, but my suspicion was that Britain would have begun implementing taxes, even if there hadn't been that particular war.</p><p>I think the salutary neglect was a time when the colonies were still growing. They weren't ready to really produce for many, many decades after they were created. Britain was incubating them, to use a modern term. And then at some point, The British were expecting their investment to pay off and that they were going to start collecting at some point. And then that was going to start a dispute whenever it happened.</p><p>TH: Yeah, you might be right. And you're right. The what ifs in history can take you down a lot of different roads. Can it,</p><p>MJT: But the French and Indian War was certainly the catalyst at this time that encouraged the implementation of the taxes and the ensuing disputes and all that good stuff.</p><p>What did you think of Washington's? I want to call it behavior, but is the way he acted during the French and Indian war as an officer?</p><p>TH: Well, I don't know exactly what you mean. I thought he served admirably, especially in the engagement at Fort Necessity. I think by all accounts, he preserved the remnants of Braddock's army at the Battle of Monongahela in 1755.</p><p>It was about that time I think he wanted to become a regular British army officer. How about that twist in history? If you become a British army officer, he was turned down, I think twice and didn't do much after that. I think he resigned in 1758. And so I guess I would say that I thought he served well, uh, in the French and Indian war. What, what are your thoughts?</p><p>MJT: Well, I think he showed himself to be a very brave leader in the field and capable in a lot of ways.</p><p>But I was not impressed with his behavior during that war. Stumbling into the war in the first place and the massacre of the French officers by people under his command, whether he was aware of it or not, didn't sit well with me. After Monongahela, he attached himself to another officer Forbes for a while, and basically spent most of his time arguing with Forbes that Forbes was advancing on Pittsburgh the wrong direction, and that he wanted to do it from Virginia rather than from Pennsylvania to, to the benefit of Virginia essentially.</p><p>Because you had a nice road from Virginia to Pittsburgh. Virginia was much more likely to claim Pittsburgh. So he was looking at it from a much more provincial view than others were. And then he quit. And as you said, it's 1758, and there were still several more years of war to go. </p><p>I don't know. It's not particularly impressive, but I think what it shows for me is that Washington was really growing and improving his whole life. And he really grew and matured following that experience in a lot of ways that helped him be. A really great leader in the American Revolution.</p><p>TH: Yeah, you raised great points. I mean, he did give a lot of unsolicited advice to General Forbes, as I understand. And I think he did that with Braddock also, if I'm not mistaken.</p><p>Yeah. What makes us good makes us bad, right? And he was young when he resigned and he was still only 26, shudder to think what I would have done at 26 with that sort of authority, but you're right. I never really thought about that. He did resign when the war was in terms of the British. It was really starting to go their way after that after 1758.</p><p>MJT: Well, the war essentially left Virginia in 1758, in Washington's favor. It was really being fought with the New Englanders against Quebec at that point.</p><p>TH: That's right. I really thought about that, but that's a good point,</p><p>MJT: But for somebody who wanted to be a career officer to just go home halfway through the war and not volunteer for other positions, and get more combat experience. It just seemed an odd choice for me, but he was thrust into this position at an extremely young age with very little experience and he never shirked from trying his best, whether, you know, he had some immaturity there at the beginning. He was always willing to push forward and do what he thought was the best thing to do at the time.</p><p>TH: Well, now you're going to force me to do some more research because now it makes us to dive into why he didn't serve until the end. And when I find out, I'll give you a call. </p><p>MJT: Well, the impression I got was really because it was Virginia was dropping out of the war. He figured that he was not going to get an appointment as an officer of the regular army. And so he was kind of frustrated by that. And he had an offer for a partnership with a young widow with, uh, very large tracts of land. </p><p>TH: Yes, he married up. He married up. Good for him.</p><p>MJT: Absolutely. I mean, people, you know, he came from a fairly good family, some landed wealth, but he really gained his fortune through the old fashioned way.</p><p>The death of relatives, Martha Washington came to the marriage with a ton of land. And it was, it was actually, she wasn't from that bigger family either. She had married. Well, And her husband died very young and left her all this land, which made her a very eligible widow.</p><p>TH: Yeah, I think she got 17, 000 acres, didn't she?</p><p>MJT: I don't know the exact numbers, but yeah, she was one of the wealthiest people in Virginia after the death of her husband, certainly the wealthiest unmarried woman.</p><p>TH: Yeah, it's interesting. He was 20 some years older than her - Daniel Custis. His father was opposed to the marriage. Daniel's father was, and, um, and then he passed away, I think maybe from a heart attack or something, suddenly it wasn't like a lung illness, her parlor filled up pretty quick with suitors. So I think she picked the best of the bunch.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, she picked a good one. So, yeah, I mean, that was George Washington's early war experience. And then he, as you said, became a gentleman farmer and, didn't do a - I mean, he was involved in politics, local Virginia politics and stuff like that, but he really doesn't come back to the center of the historical realm until, until the war breaks out.</p><p>I want to turn now to Benjamin Franklin, who also had a role in the French and Indian War. Do you want to talk about that at all? </p><p>TH: Yeah, certainly Benjamin Franklin, in my opinion, was the first guy who thought of The United colonies, predecessor to the United States, he conceived the Albany Plan in 1754, which looks very familiar to the articles of confederation and Ben Franklin came up with it first.</p><p>Political cartoon, uh, at the same time, join or die and, um, and so he was thinking globally when everyone else was thinking provincially and Ben Franklin saw that we were stronger together. And I think he tried to bring that together. He got the - he got the delegates at the Albany Congress. To approve the, uh, the resolution, the Albany Plan, and then every colonial legislature shot it down.</p><p>They were looking at their own power. They didn't want to surrender anything to a central authority, but yeah, Ben Franklin very much was involved in that. He organized a militia in the state of Pennsylvania, when he got back to Philadelphia. Very much an advocate for uniting didn't happen, but not because of a lack of effort on his part.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, the raising militia in Pennsylvania on its own was pretty impressive because that was a Quaker state that didn't like to have a militia at all. But yeah, he really had the foresight to see that the colonies had to unite together to be an effective force against the threats that were lining up against it.</p><p>And it wasn't England at this time, it was France, but even so. Most of the colonies were simply relying on Britain to be that unifying force, and Franklin was moving toward America having its own, essentially its own government, even if it was under the British crown, but something that would unite all of the colonies in one political Leadership. </p><p>TH: Yeah, I think a lot of people who read American history, uh, you know, the arguments about states rights versus central government. I don't think people really understand the foundation of the United States and the colonies that they were all individual charters. They were never established by England as a united organization.</p><p>They were all individuals. And so every single founding father, every single one. Was raised in an area where their home state was not their home country, but essentially their home country. Whether it be Rhode Island or Virginia or New Jersey or South Carolina. And so they went into this to the American revolution, kind of feeling through Americans, but more feeling like their South Carolinians.</p><p>And that same sort of mindset, that's not easily dismissed as generational and it happened again and again. And so, you know, through the nullification crisis in 1832, uh, all the way up to the Civil War, where we finally had nations or states leaving the nation, it was part of our DNA, part of the way we were founded.</p><p>And that, you know, those, divisions, uh, Well, they certainly led to a very segmented group of people at the Second Continental Congress, which is why slavery wasn't addressed. I mean, they had a different outlook on things. And it continued, as I said, up to the Civil War, when it was finally, uh, it really came to a head.</p><p>MJT: Any thoughts on that? Yeah, I think that's true. I don't think the colonists thought of themselves at all as Americans. They thought of themselves as Virginians or Massachusetts men or whatever. </p><p>And in fact, it wasn't that there wasn't that general allegiance. I mean, they hated each other in a lot of ways. I mean, New England was at war with New York for all intents and purposes. The only thing that was really holding them back from all that war was Britain being a moderating force on the matter and other states too. I mean, Maryland and Virginia never got along. You know, there was a lot of tension and a lot of it had to do with land and borders and things like that. But a lot of, you know, New Englanders thought of New Yorkers as the enemy.</p><p>TH: Just across the border, right.</p><p>MJT: So it took a lot to unify the colonies / states. Despite their differences, I mean, we all have differences. We all have different self interests and views and at times they erupt more than others, but the founders, almost all of them, uh, understood that we need to compromise and overcome these things or our enemies will defeat us.</p><p>And I think that's a view that we're still fighting to this day. </p><p>TH: Yeah, you know, it's interesting. Most Americans probably don't know that two of our first four presidents wrote resolutions that basically said, if a state doesn't like a federal law, it doesn't have to comply. Madison's Virginia resolution and Jefferson's Kentucky resolution.</p><p>The first secession movement, if it was a movement, was by the Federalist Party, as they were on the decline in New England talking about leaving the union and so it's. It's kind of in our DNA, this, this, this separateness by regions and it's amazing we've been able to overcome all of that and survive to this great country that we have today.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, I think you're right that Franklin was one of the first men who really saw this and really did seek to unite the colonies. Even in a very limited way, he was starting the process toward creating what eventually became one nation. I don't know if he anticipated that at the time he was doing the Albany Conference, but he certainly wanted much more cooperation, unity within the various colonies.</p><p>I don't think Adams really had much of a role in the French and Indian War. Did he? John Adams?</p><p>TH: He didn't. John Adams, he was born in 1732. He was a young man. Anyway, when the militia started mustering for the French and Indian war, and, he saw them marching off. And, he wanted to join them. He never did.</p><p>He resisted the temptation. I think he kind of always regretted it. At least he said he did later in life. But no, I didn't have any kind of real role. He was almost too young to participate in it. But yeah, I made up for it with the American revolution being, uh, in my mind, the key player as a second.</p><p>Continental Congress and, uh, without him, I don't know that the Declaration of Independence maybe gets passed. It certainly doesn't get passed unanimously.</p><p>MJT: Probably not on July 4th. It might have happened at a much later time or something. </p><p>TH: Yeah, right. Um, it's hard to say, but, to me, he's probably the most underrated of our founding fathers.</p><p>If you take a look and compare the list of John Adams accomplishments next to Thomas Jefferson's, there's no [00:25:00] comparison just. Objectively, it's all Adams Jefferson was a part time participant in the Continental Congress. And that's no criticism of his. A lot of guys didn't participate that strongly, but John Adams was on 90 committees.</p><p>He chaired 25 of them. No one else was even close. He fought for the passage of the Declaration of Independence. He nominated George Washington as a commander. He got loans for us from the Dutch. He's really the mastermind behind getting the terms we got for the Treaty of Paris in 1783 - he and John Jay.</p><p>And then he's the only man that served two terms in the Washington administration. Everybody else resigned after the first term and Adams stayed with them. And so on and on and on, I can go about John Adams. And Thomas Jefferson, brilliant writer, wrote one of the most beautiful documents I've ever read: the preamble, the Declaration.</p><p>And so, but side by side, it's all John Adams and that Jefferson has the memorial in DC. So I just don't get that sometimes.</p><p>MJT: Well, to be fair to Jefferson, he was much younger than Adams. So he actually came to the Continental Congress as a very young man in his twenties, I think, and he was a very junior person.</p><p>So I don't think he had the leadership or gravitas that Adams did at the time. Certainly Adams was a very dedicated public servant. I will give you that. Adams really didn't even have much of a role in the years leading up to the war to the extent he was involved at all. I guess he represented the British soldiers at the Boston Massacre.</p><p>His cousin, Sam Adams, Samuel Adams was the real rabble rouser in Boston at the time. John Adams obviously was a patriot and I think was more quiet and lived outside of Boston during much of the run up to the war. But once the war got going. You're right, he dove in and he did all these amazing things.</p><p>TH: Yeah, John Adams was a man of character and a thoughtful man. He's also very, he had other issues too, stubborn and that sort of thing. You think about John Adams, he was the leading attorney in the city of Boston in 1770, when the Boston Massacre happened, or the incident on King Street, as they called it in England.</p><p>He had a lot to lose by defending those soldiers. And yet he was such a conscientious man. He was more principled than anybody I've read about, except probably George Washington. And he just felt like everybody deserves an attorney. And so he risked his law practice to defend these British soldiers. And that just speaks volumes about John Adams’ character.</p><p>Yeah. Anyway, so I'm just so impressed with him, but you're right. He didn't have a big role. He was not a rabble rouser as Samuel Adams was. Or Patrick Henry. He was much more measured in his thoughts on that. And, uh, you know, probably a bit brighter maybe than some of the other firebrands. Very instrumental once it all started up.</p><p><br /></p><p>MJT: Well, yeah, I think once he sunk his teeth into something, he didn't let go. Other people may have, as you said, wanted to do that of Congress or, you know, lost interest in things John Adams never did. And he was with it all the way till the end. I mean, he was obviously a big proponent of the constitution. </p><p>I mean, it's kind of understandable that he was a big proponent of independence because Massachusetts and maybe New England were kind of out there on their own against Britain. And he had obviously a great incentive to bring the rest of the colonies into the fight, which was a big part of what declaring independence was all about the fact that he did it. </p><p>But he didn't have to have an incentive to, to create the constitution. A lot of people wanted to go their own ways after the war ended, including his cousin, Samuel Adams, and including Patrick Henry, who you also mentioned were both anti federalists and didn't like the constitution. Adams, like Washington and Franklin, saw the need for national unity and how it was going to be an important thing for the long term. And, of course, continue to fight for it.</p><p>TH: Yeah, you're right. And, uh, some people will criticize Adams for being monarchical, if that's, if I'm saying the word right, or favoring monarchy. I don't think he favored monarchy, certainly not. He liked some of the trappings of monarchy. He liked some of the pomp. And I think people will conflate that with wanting a monarch. He didn't want a monarch. He'd worked too hard to not have that happen. He liked the pomp and I think people, yeah, they confused the two.</p><p>MJT: Yeah. I think he saw the importance of having a strong executive, probably not nearly as strong as we have today, but much stronger than a lot of people wanted at the time. And the criticism of that was, well, you want a King. And it was always the way people criticize that. I don't think. I agree, he didn't want a King, but he did want a stronger Executive power, because you saw that it's necessary to keep the government from falling into chaos. </p><p>TH: John Adams was probably the leading advocate at the continental Congress for the army. He was the head of the Board of War as they called it back then. And, he saw firsthand how the Continental Army was being underfunded and partly because they couldn't raise taxes.</p><p>They couldn't, they didn't have the authority to raise money to buy the provisions to support General Washington's army. And it's interesting, the strong Federalist Alexander Hamilton served in the army as a colonel, General Washington, obviously a strong Federalist. John Adams didn't serve in the army, but because of his contact with the army through the board of war committee.</p><p>He knew how important it was to have some sort of central authority, taxing authority, especially, and yet some of the other guys, the guys that, or the, the anti federalists, I mean, that's sort of Jefferson wanted strong central authority. He didn't serve. Patrick Henry served minimally, I think it was in the militia for a little while. I think the guys in the army really saw the need. Or some sort of stronger central authority, so they could man the army if nothing else, but the, uh, the tax needs as well. </p><p>//</p><p>MJT: I think, like you, I have a tendency to look at this through the eyes of certain people, especially George Washington. You see how he grows in that idea throughout the war, when he first takes office as the commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775.</p><p>He has a very provincial attitude. He looks down on the New Englanders for being different, and he called them dirty. He had a very provincial view, a very Virginia view about black people and wanted all the slaves kicked out of the army and things like that, but he had a capacity for growth. </p><p>He had a capacity for changing his mind when things made sense, and he grew to appreciate New Englanders, and he grew to appreciate black soldiers, and he grew to appreciate the need for a strong central government. He had a capacity for real growth and change in his life, despite where he was coming from.</p><p>TH: Yeah, you're right. He grew throughout and that's a mark of a great man. I think, especially in his position, that he recognized that he didn't have all the answers. And he, and he modified his, I guess, his thought process.</p><p>And yeah, I think by the end of the war, he was fully developed. He knew where he wanted to be, where the nation had to go. And probably played a role in his decision at the end of the war to step down and say, you know what, this, the civilian authority has to dominate in this country.</p><p>MJT: Well, he developed a lot of patterns that helped him become a better leader over time.</p><p>I think one of them was that he realized that a commander didn't have to have all the answers. And he was very big on holding councils of war with his officers to let them give him input on what strategies. And he was very careful about not announcing his opinion at the beginning of a meeting. And letting the officers freely speak about what they thought were good ideas. And he could digest those good ideas and come up with the best solution. </p><p>And he carried that idea through to his presidency, where he began holding cabinet meetings, letting his subordinates talk about what they thought was best before he came to a conclusion. And I think that's something a young George Washington would have done, but something that he.</p><p>TH: I think you're right about that. That was one of John Adams greatest regrets isn't the right word, but he was Or the fact that Washington didn't include him in the discussions. But it's interesting, Henry Knox and Hamilton left his administration and as his wartime associates, the colonels, the generals that kind of fell off from his administration.</p><p>The last man standing was John Adams. George Washington turned to John Adams more and more in his second administration. And, uh, I think he saw the worth in John Adams, but it's interesting. He turned to John Adams only after the military guys left his administration. I think he could have used John Adams more.</p><p>But George Washington was just figuring out the whole thing. What's a president supposed to do? And I don't think he saw the vice president in that role as an advisor. Even constitutionally, he didn't really say it was that it worked out that way. So I think it took time for that to develop. Just one more example of George Washington's development over the course of his two terms.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, I think that's true. And my understanding really is the vice president was never really part of the executive branch until probably after World War II. It really began to change a little bit. Washington saw the vice president as being President of the Senate. He was in charge of one of the other branches of government.</p><p>That's right. I think he probably would have thought it inappropriate to have that person sitting in on cabinet meetings anymore than the Speaker of the House would. I think also, Adams, I think, gave him some bad advice really early on when he was asking some questions about how the president should comport himself. And I think that might have soured Washington a little bit about making him a close advisor. </p><p>TH: That's right. I don't like the idea of being called your, your highness or whatever John Adams wanted to call the president.</p><p>MJT: I mean, one of the big criticisms I always hear about the founding fathers is that they didn't end slavery. What are your thoughts on that?</p><p>TH: Well, I don't agree with that. Seeing 1776 through a modern lens. And you can't do that in 100 years. I hope people aren't judging what we did today because we're doing the best we can. </p><p>And the reality was that you could abolish slavery and end the union, or you could keep slavery and keep the union, but they were going to go the same direction. Whatever they did was going to. It was slavery was going to happen with the nation. </p><p>They all recognized it was wrong and they all recognized it was a stain on our, on our American, uh, culture and lifestyle. And yet if there had been a roadblock, an insurmountable impasse, then they wouldn't have formed. South Carolina was going to walk Georgia, North Carolina. They all would have left - Virginia. </p><p>And so they created this great thing. The United States of America, the founding fathers. Recognizing they had work left to do and they kept at that work. They didn't they didn't just stop it. And obviously we had 600,000 men died to finally answer that question.</p><p>What do you do about slavery? But the founding fathers. They had no choice, and those that are critical of it just don't understand that what would have been the consequence of drawing a red line in the sand at slavery and saying it has to go away. We wouldn't have this country today. We always have to remember that. So they did the best they could. I think that's all we can ask of them. What do you think?</p><p>MJT: I think that's true. I think you got to appreciate how far they really came. If you look back, to maybe the 1750s, there was no anti slavery movement anywhere. It just, it wasn't a thing. People didn't think it was an unreasonable thing.</p><p>I think when you think about how society existed prior to that; you were born into a particular life, which gave you certain rights. If you were born an aristocrat, you had certain rights that other people didn't have. If you were born a freeholder, you had certain rights that other people didn't have. If you were born a freeman, versus a slave, you had certain rights that other people had. That was kind of just considered the natural order of things. </p><p>Even the Quakers, who very much became strong, leading abolitionists, did not oppose slavery in the early 1700s. William Penn had slaves. I think the Quakers didn't really ban slavery among their own members until the 1770s. So that was the world that these men were coming from.</p><p>And I think that one of the things that really gave birth to the abolition movement were the ideals that were set in the independence movement. Um, the idea that all men are created equal, uh, that men are endowed with certain inalienable rights. Those were radical new ideas that were not widely held, uh, a generation earlier.</p><p>So these people were setting a new bar. No, they didn't cross over that bar and implement it as a policy in all cases, especially in slavery, but they were the ones who set that bar for future generations to go across and without them taking that step. That seconnd step never would have happened.</p><p>TH: That's right. And we have to remember all things in life are relative and we have to remember that this country, the United States of America had 5 states abolish slavery before any country in the world did that. We had states in the 1700s abolishing slavery. I think it was 5 of them and I can't name all of them, but the 5 and 40 years before England did. So America, the United States of America, parts of it were a generation ahead of the rest of the world in abolishing slavery. </p><p>And some of it was done incrementally over time and that sort of thing, but it was happening here. Before it happened any place else in the entire world, and the fact that it didn't happen in South Carolina and North Carolina and some of the other states, that's unfortunate, but it's not like the founding fathers weren't going down that path ahead of everyone else and setting and blazing the trail for that.</p><p>When you look at our nation's history, I wish people, rather than focus on what they didn't do, I wish they would focus on what they, what we did do and how revolutionary that was in our founding era.</p><p>MJT: Right, well, that's the difficult thing for people is they don't realize that you can't just change society on a dime.</p><p>I always, I always make the counterargument. Well, why don't we criticize Abraham Lincoln for not giving the right to vote to women? And why don't we criticize FDR for not recognizing gay rights? I mean, these just were not things that society was ready for yet, but those men, along with the founders, did great things to move society forward, to move us in the right direction, even if they didn't get as far as we would like them to get.</p><p>And the fact that a few radicals may have Been on the right side of history at that time, and we're calling for immediate abolition everywhere. Doesn't negate the fact that. The majority of society was not ready to make that change, and that we would have had a lot of problems had we gone the other way.</p><p>And I always use the example also of the French Revolution, which did try to change a whole lot of things really quickly. And it ended up becoming a huge bloody mess, literally blood running in the streets, and a return of monarchy after a time. Because you just can't change that many things that quickly in a society.</p><p>We'd love it if you could, but history has shown us time and again, that it doesn't work</p><p>TH: I think that's exactly right. It's a long process. Isn't it? You're in it for the long haul.</p><p>MJT: And I think, you know, we have to take that today. I mean, we have to think, well, okay, how are we moving society forward?</p><p>What are we doing to better society, to make it better than the world we were born into rather than looking at? Well, the people before us didn't move it forward enough. What do we need to do today to move society forward in the right direction? </p><p>TH: Yep, look forward instead of backward, right?</p><p>Although it's great to look backwards. So you can learn, you know, the, uh, you think about stuff like Washington's farewell address. I wrote three chapters in my book on that. To me, that was a blueprint for America. For all time, in my opinion, he doesn't talk about entangling alliances. I think that was Jefferson's term, but he talks about the, uh, not, not being too closely aligned or permanently aligned in permanent alliances was his term.</p><p>Because all nations work in their own self interest, even your allies. It's really in their own self interest. And that's why they ally with you. He talks about not having debt. He talks about the importance of religion and morality as a foundation for civil society. The Enlightenment ideas all came from, uh, you know, the Judeo Christian ethics.</p><p>And so Washington just, he got in that farewell address. I think I wish more people would read that. I think it's a great blueprint for us moving forward in the world. And, um, anyway, I won't get on my Washington soapbox too much, but I just think that's a beautiful document. In fact, you know, they still read it in the Senate every year.</p><p>MJT: Well, I think that's true. I think this was at the very end of Washington's career. This was when he was leaving the presidency and he was essentially giving us the benefit of his lifetime of wisdom and experience. Nobody was in a better position to do that. And I think he did have some, some very good ideas that unfortunately haven't always followed.</p><p>TH: And two of the most brilliant minds in American history, at least from our founding era, largely wrote that James Madison, though, the first part of it,four years before, and then Alexander Hamilton kind of concluded it. At the end of Washington's 2nd term. But it's beautifully written. It's logically written. And, uh, yeah, I wish more Americans are familiar with it.</p><p>MJT: I’m going to on the spot here. Because this isn't in your book, but you're writing a book about it. Now. You say, what do you think about Hamilton's vision for America versus Hamilton Hamilton's versus Madison?</p><p>TH: Well, if you're talking about the Madison, uh, who came into, uh, office with Jefferson, that Madison or the one who vote federalist Madison, you know, it's a 180. I guess I'm more of a Federalist than Anti Federalist, and so I guess I'm more of a Hamilton view of the world. I think you need a strong central authority.</p><p>Although, that being said, you know, I've modified my viewpoint a little bit on that over the course of the last, say, 10, 15 years as different administrations have come into Washington. And it seems like the administrative state is telling us to do a lot of things that maybe aren't their business. And so I've started to think maybe Jefferson was right.</p><p>Maybe Madison was right that a central authority should be weak. You know, those guys wanted almost no power in the central authority. They didn't have an army. They didn't have a navy - it cost us in the Barbary wars, but I don't know. I think a strong central government Madison warned about that. If all men were angels, there'd be no need, I think it was Federalist 51, he talked about that. There'd be no need for a government, but we aren't angels. And so how do you, you have to give the governed power to govern and yet control them in the same instance. And it's tough to do. And I think we're seeing that today. What do you think?</p><p>MJT: I agree. There has to be some kind of balance. I'm a big, big fan of a separation of powers and divided government and limited power going to specific people. I am a Hamiltonian in the sense that I think his vision was certainly correct for America. I think the strength of government that Hamilton wanted would be an extremely weak government by modern standards.</p><p>Jefferson and Madison wanted virtually no government. They wanted the states to be doing everything. Hamilton said, no, there is a role for the federal government to be doing a lot of things. And I think that's true. There is a role. Hamilton had more of a vision of an America that had banking and commerce and infrastructure.</p><p>And I don't think Jefferson and Madison were really headed in that direction. I think they were more, yeah, life's good. Let's just keep enjoying it the way it is.</p><p>TH: Well, I think you're right. And, I guess I'm a Hamiltonian too if I have to pick one of those two camps, but my goodness. It's hard to reign in the excesses of a powerful central government, isn't it?</p><p>MJT: Well, it is, but I think we're looking at this in light of, you know, the Civil War amendments and the New Deal changes to the way the federal power structure was vis-a-vis the states. I think we had a reasonably powerful federal government in the 1850s by the standards of the founding fathers. That's right. But today we'd look back on that government in the 1850s and say, my God, these, this was a weak, in fact, less government against the states.</p><p>So our standards have changed over time. The fact that we had a very weak government and needed a stronger government in 1770 or 80 or 90 doesn't mean we still need to strengthen our government even more today.</p><p>TH: That's right. I suppose it's a pendulum though, isn't it, Mike? and maybe it's going to swing back. At least I hope it does at some point.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, and I think that's the way Hamilton saw it. I think he saw that we needed a more powerful federal government, but there were going to be certain powers that the states would still have. </p><p>And Madison even talked about that a little bit too in the Federalist Papers. The idea of divided government, but both Hamilton and Madison brought up this idea of, we don't want to get too much power in any one person or cabal's hands. We want to have the power spread out so that nobody can abuse that power. That's something, again, we're still working on and fighting about today.</p><p><br /></p><p>TH: It's interesting at the, at the, uh, constitutional convention called the Philadelphia convention, Alexander Hamilton wanted an elected president, but elected for life. Ben Franklin, his counter proposal was a three to five man committee to act as the executive branch, and they would rotate on and off every year.</p><p>It seemed too much of King George the Third to want that for our country. And so we have some compromise even there between, I think, where Hamilton might have gone and elected monarch, essentially to Benjamin Franklin's idea for a really a committee around the country.</p><p>MJT: Well, that's a nice thing. Compromise among men of goodwill and intelligence and experience will come up with a good solution, even if one of the other of them didn't agree 100 percent with it.</p><p>TH: Yeah. We don't have a lot of that going on today, do we?</p><p>MJT: No, hopefully we'll get back to that at some point. What we have to know about America is that it is an ongoing project, that these people pushed us in a particular direction, and it's proven to be a very good direction, but it's up to each generation to maintain that and to improve on it where they can.</p><p>TH: You know, I, uh, I watch some of the news channels, not much, but every once in a while when I'm exercising, I'll watch them in the morning. I'm 63 and it seems like for as long as I can remember, politicians saying, oh, this is the worst crisis in American history. Oh, this is the worst crisis in American history.</p><p>Every generation thinks it's the worst thing in the world. They clearly haven't read their nation's history because, uh, you know, as far back as the election of 1800, the mud they were slinging was pretty muddy. It's a rough and tumble country. And that's what you have when you have a free society where people can speak their views.</p><p>And it seems extreme and there's some crazy ideas. Every generation thinks that. This, I don't know, infighting, but this debating back and forth, that's part of our DNA as well. And people just have to accept that. And it's going to continue as long as we have. We're able to speak our mind. </p><p>MJT: That's true. Well, we've reached the end of our hour. Is there anything else you want to, uh, add at this point?</p><p>TH: No, it's been a pleasure talking with you, Mike. This has been a lot of fun. Yeah. Thanks for inviting me on. Thank you for sharing your views with me as well. And, um, yeah, for the opportunity. I appreciate it.</p><p>MJT: Well, thank you too. I've really enjoyed this and I hope our listeners will enjoy it as well.</p><p>Do you want to give a plug for your new book?</p><p>TH: It's a really high end book It's full color. It's got a dozen new maps that we created. I guess that I created with an organization up in Wisconsin, 130 images in it. It's, uh, it's one of those coffee table variety books. That's something, but only 35 bucks.</p><p>We created our own printing company, publishing company, Americana Corner Press. So that we could cut the cost in half and what it normally would list that so that more Americans can buy it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Please take a look at it. It's An American Triumph. Available on an Amazon.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, it's a really good book. It's for somebody who's really just wants to learn the basics of how this country was founded. And I think it does a really good job with that. You also, you have a YouTube channel, which is also called Americana Corner.</p><p>TH: We do. Yeah, I should tell you a little bit about AmericanaCorner.com puts out a 800 word story every Tuesday and a corresponding 2 and a half minute video every Friday, and we have a library of about 150 to 160, uh, stories and videos right now. </p><p>We're also very proud of our preserving America grant program. We give away grant money to organizations in America, so they can tell their part. For the great American story, we'll be announcing our 3rd set of recipients on Washington's birthday, 2024 about two months away.</p><p>I'm reviewing all the applications right now. We feel that this is maybe the greatest thing that we've done because we're putting money in the hands of the boots on the ground who are willing to do the work and want to continue our nation's history.</p><p>MJT: Yeah, I know you serve on the board of American Battlefield Trust. And as you said, you've given out grants to a lot of great organizations who are doing good work on preserving this nation's history. And I thank you for that. I think it's, been a real boost to the history community.</p><p>TH: Well, thank you. It's a, blessing. I've been blessed and trying to share some of it.</p><p>MJT: Tom Hamm, it's been a pleasure. Thanks for joining me today.</p><p>========</p><p> Once again, I’d like to thank Tom for taking the time to speak with me. His book, An American Triumph, is on sale now. As always, I’ve included a link on my blog entry for this article.</p><p>You can read more of Tom’s articles at his website, AmericanaCorner.com. A search on YouTube for “Americana Corner” and subscribe to his channel and watch his videos about the American Revolution.</p><p>Well, that’s all for this week. Please join me again next week for another American Revolution Podcast.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> Episode 294 Dogger Bank (Available December 24, 2023)</p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp292-dog-days-campaign.html" target="_blank">Episode 292 Dog Days Campaign</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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<p><br /></p><p>Last week we discussed the efforts of the South Carolina militia to keep the British and loyalists trapped in and around Charleston, South Carolina, denying them access to the rest of the state. This week, I want to take a look at an incident in British-occupied Charleston at this time, the summer of 1781, which became a major point of contention in the war.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Isaac Hayne</h2><p>Isaac Hayne was a member of South Carolina’s planter class. His family had lived in South Carolina for three generations. He owned a substantial plantation and other properties.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=8010" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="808" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNmrGeJ6n-ij77u0B3OzT8oPUm4wAqef8pnz8TUgkqbo2ExH2z015zh6lNARZmMUe-XegSJZmolaf7IptnsSm6eeAovhYR_WCppXhVhDdPuqy7TftOJYZve1V0VzICNeO0l2pMkmfInEFj0WguiLcBGUEGacNmRdICmZEhFqKiPa5DFsn64ZGgBhQ6PDF/w176-h200/Isaac_Hayne_hanging.jpg" width="176" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=8010" target="_blank">Hanging of Isaac Hayne</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Born in 1745, Hayne personally had shown little interest in politics or the military before the Revolution began. He was connected to some of the most elite families in South Carolina. In 1765, he married Elizabeth Hutson, whose brother served in the Continental Congress and later became lieutenant governor of the state.<p></p><p>Hayne served briefly in South Carolina’s royal assembly, beginning in 1770, but did not seem to take much interest in the debates of the day. In 1777, Hayne learned that he had been elected to the new General Assembly, even though he had not been aware he was under consideration. Hayne was more interested in simply running his plantation.</p><p>As a major land owner, Hayne was expected to serve as an officer in the local militia. He was a captain in 1776 when the British threatened to invade Charleston. Captain Hayne brought his militia company to Charleston at that time, where they helped prepare defenses. He did not engage in any combat.</p><p>Like most people in South Carolina, as the revolution raged to the north, Hayne went about his life, running his plantation and investing in an iron foundry. The foundry later became a supplier of cannonballs for the Charleston Artillery. Years later, after the British recaptured the colony, Colonel Banastre Tarleton raided, looted, and destroyed the foundry. </p><p>Hayne was still a militia captain in 1780, when the British returned and captured Charleston. He was not in Charleston when the city fell, but he disbanded his militia and went home after the British captured the city.</p><p>A short time later, Hayne traveled to Charleston to get medicine after his family contracted smallpox. He simply traveled as a neutral private citizen to buy medicine for his wife and child. </p><p>While in Charleston, Hayne was detained and brought before Brigadier General James Patterson, who informed Hayne that he must take an oath of allegiance to the king or be imprisoned. Despite his reluctance, Hayne’s desire to return to his home with the needed medicine compelled him to sign the declaration of allegiance to the king.</p><p>Part of the document obligated him to take up arms to support the royal government if necessary. Hayne told others at the time that General Patterson and others assured him that this would not be an issue, and that he would not be called upon to serve in a loyalist militia. After signing, Hayne was permitted to return home, where his wife died of smallpox shortly afterward.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11769/isaac-hayne" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="323" data-original-width="250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVWxV44zTa7a4TRyBZocRKAUaUgKOhxxUIYkLT4AlUVjOeP_jv7nPSeGnWk0QBNn-tGPi5O0vP5hjZUD0wWD88d4DFOhWVo5v_YZC4g_nolQFL38XJlf1bpAdPD1BzR-_HMoOBujLrnuqEUDUiLi66fEf4KqqcPrPE_oIrXfRNJjWtlLfmWrlNtjQW91Z/w155-h200/Isaac_Hayne.png" width="155" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11769/isaac-hayne" target="_blank">Isaac Hayne</a></td></tr></tbody></table>As the war in South Carolina grew during 1780 and 1781, Hayne resisted calls for him to rejoin the patriot militia, as many other officers had done. In April of 1781, Colonel William Harden brought Hayne a colonel’s commission signed by Francis Marion, calling on him to raise a local patriots regiment and join the fight. Hayne refused to accept the commission and even refused to provide horses to the patriot militia, citing his obligation under his oath of allegiance. Around this same time, British officials were also trying to coerce him into accepting a commission in the loyalist militia, threatening imprisonment and confiscation of his plantation if he refused. Hayne was an important man in the area. His decisions would impact the decisions of hundreds of other men in the local militia.<p></p><p>When the patriots once again took control of the region around his plantation, Hayne once again received pressure to take a commission. It became clear to him that he had to pick a side. Patriots were also threatening to imprison him and confiscate his property if he refused to join.</p><p>Hayne finally accepted Colonel Marion’s commission and raised a militia regiment of about 200 men. Hayne’s militia disrupted supply lines and communications between Lord Rawdon’s army in Camden, and later Orangeburg, and the main British command in Charleston.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Capture</h2><p>As Colonel Hayne led his militia, he received orders to capture Andrew Williamson. Before the war, Williamson had been another South Carolina plantation owner, but further west on the frontier, near Fort Ninety-Six. He had led patriot militia against the Cherokee in 1776, and also fought at Briar Creek, Stono Ferry, and other skrimishes. He also served under General Lincoln at the Siege of Savannah. Williamson was serving as a militia general by 1780.</p><p>When the British took Charleston, Williamson also took parole and signed an oath of allegiance. Like Hayne, he remained on his plantation, trying to remain neutral. As with Hayne, neither side would accept his neutrality. </p><p>Williamson eventually fled the patriots and made his way to British-occupied Charleston. Williamson’s high rank and his decision to seek British protection led many to call Williamson the Benedict Arnold of the south. Unlike Arnold, however, Williamson did not become an active military leader for the British. </p><p>He settled on a plantation just outside of Charleston, but within British lines. It was near where Hayne’s militia were active. They were tasked with trying to capture Williamson and bring him back to the patriots for trial.</p><p>On the night of July 5, 1781, Hayne led a night time raid on Williamson’s plantation. The mounted militia surrounded the home and took him by surprise.</p><p>Almost immediately, the British dispatched Major Thomas Frasier to recover Williamson. Three days later, Frasier’s mounted militia raided Hayne’s camp near Horse Shoe, a few miles from Parker’s Ferry. The patriot militia managed to fight off the attack and keep Williamson prisoner. But somehow Frasier learned that Hayne was away from his regiment, staying at the nearby Woodford plantation. Hayne was having breakfast with his second in command, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas McLaughlin, when loyalist militia raided the home. </p><p>The men leapt to their horses and attempted to escape. The mounted loyalists were too fast, and managed to catch their prey, killing McLaughlin and taking Hayne as a prisoner. Frasier brought Hayne back to Charleston, where the colonel was imprisoned in the city jail. He remained there for several weeks while his captors considered his fate.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fate of a Traitor</h2><p>In command at Charleston was Lieutenant Colonel Nisbet Balfour. In his mid-thirties, Balfour was an experienced officer. The son of a Scottish laird, Balfour received an ensign’s commission at the age of 17. By 1770, he had risen to captain. Balfour had been injured in the assault at Bunker Hill in 1775. He recovered in time to fight in the New York Campaign of 1776 and the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777. In 1778, after the British evacuated Philadelphia, Balfour returned home on sick leave, by this time a lieutenant colonel </p><p>He returned to America in time to participate in the British capture of Charleston in 1780. Afterward, he received command of Fort Ninety-Six, where he was part of Patrick Ferguson’s effort to raise an army of loyalist militia. The men raised an army of over 4000 loyalists. It was around this time that Balfour got to know Andrew Williamson, the former militia general whose plantation was only a few miles from Fort Ninety-Six.</p><p>After General Cornwallis left Charleston for Camden, and what began his lengthy chase of Nathanael Greene across the Carolinas, he assigned command of Charleston to Balfour. As commander, Balfour attempted to maintain order with a certain firmness. In August of 1780, he ordered thirty known patriots in Charleston arrested and exiled to St. Augustine so that they could not plot further insurrection against South Carolina. All of the men had been on parole and complying with the terms of parole. </p><p>In June 1781, he ordered the removal of all wives and children of patriot soldiers who had been captured and exchanged. Balfour confiscated the property of these expelled families, leaving them destitute and dependent on the charity of others for survival.</p><p>He placed prisoners on prison ships on Charleston Harbor. The heat and miserable conditions aboard the ships resulted in many of them dying in agony. In an attempt to force General Greene to accept a prisoner exchange, Balfour threatened to ship his prisoners to the West Indies, where the remainder would almost certainly die. On multiple occasions, Balfour sought permission to execute prisoners who were found guilty of atrocities. His commanders, aware that this would result in reprisals against British prisoners held by the Americans, denied these requests.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Francis_Rawdon_.PNG" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="287" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FdNNLaczPVb4an4M7uw4On7zagKCZ9x9Z0ZYiGjsy1cp7_PhgqtKUgEWh64pyZpgA6WfW4-7qZVMtYZx-6K_xSSMDuFtMakRUgNci-QOXKcDsHx35AqtgU7HlnRffvR01g7F3tjaF9GGxg_KCyOKcZH5ovX_Czz4fChlCSvEYplf3aI8kbd2O_xy8w/w166-h200/Francis_Rawdon_.png" width="166" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Francis_Rawdon_.PNG" target="_blank">Lord Rawdon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Also in Charleston at this time as Lord Rawdon. In July, Rawdon had left his command in Orangeburg and was trying to recover his health enough to take a ship back to Britain. Both men had known each other throughout the war. Like Balfour, Rawdon had been wounded at Bunker Hill. Balfour held seniority over the two and was a decade older than Rawdon. Even so, Cornwallis had left overall command of South Carolina to Rawdon, which led to tension between the two officers.</p><p>In May of 1781, Balfour and Greene had agreed to a cartel for the exchange of prisoners. The cartel, however, only applied to prisoners captured through June 15. Hayne had been captured on July 8. </p><p>Balfour was feeling increasing pressure from the patriots raids around Charleston. He thought that making some examples might discourage more people from taking up arms with the patriot militia. </p><p>When Major Edmund Hyrne came to Charleston on General Greene’s behalf in June 1781, he found that Balfour refused to release six officers covered by the cartel because Balfour wanted to try them as criminals. Two of the prisoners were to be tried for taking up arms after taking the oath of allegiance.</p><p>On July 26, Hayne received a note saying that he would be subject to a “Court of Enquiry” the following morning. This was the same method the patriots had used a year earlier to convict and hang British Major John Andre. </p><p>Balfour conferred with Rawdon, who seemed to believe the only thing necessary was to confirm that Rawdon had taken the oath and had afterward taken up arms. Everything else was irrelevant. Rawdon was used to the brutality going on in the South Carolina fighting. He personally had ordered the hanging of numerous people without trial, who were suspected of participating in the rebellion.</p><p>Hayne was given a right to an attorney. He chose one, but when the attorney could not be found, they proceeded without him. Hayne could have called witnesses, but did not do so. He did not have access to any of them, and assumed he could do so later when would be tried at a court martial after the court of inquiry</p><p>The court of inquiry met on June 27 and 28. There is no record from the hearing, but a witness later reported that it was pretty much just a confirmation that Hayne had taken the oath of allegiance and confirmation that he had taken up arms afterwards. The following day, Sunday July 29, Hayne received a notice informing him that the board had resolved that he would be executed on Tuesday July 31 at 6:00 AM.</p><p>Realizing that there would be no more hearings, Hayne quickly summoned his attorney who drafted and delivered a brief that same day explaining why Hayne had been denied due process and demanding a real trial. The brief noted that Hayne had not been informed of the charges against him. He thought the hearing was to determine whether he was a spy. It also noted that as a prisoner of war, he should not be executed unless found to be a spy. Since he was not in the British military, he could only face capital punishment after conviction by a jury of his peers. The hearing against Hayne was unlawful and did not justify execution.</p><p>Balfour responded the following day informing Hayne that he was not being executed based on any sentence from the court of inquiry. Instead, Balfour was simply ordering his execution on his own authority as military commander of South Carolina.</p><p>Hayne then requested that sentence be delayed so that he could send for his children and say goodbye. This also was denied, but after Lieutenant Governor William Bull and others intervened, Balfour offered a reprieve of forty-eight hours.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://schistory.org/august-1781-colonel-isaac-hayne-executed-in-charlestown/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="646" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqB8JxitXeT9Nf9bpOgLxzQVQTE-emjKjNnXnrJ7U1-NBfvWqu7voac05omEFgn4A9It8lXO7XDA-Z-_n7ihyphenhyphenfPABRy-EP-gerMQK24EDgarbX69hO1eCkzUJ5rSdcwwzly38LI-y_BMmaKatICLYtb3ZQe11EGbw-Fmo-00A4Cc7vtxTEPaPGxGNugJS/s320/ExecutionOfIsaacHayne_Jones.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://schistory.org/august-1781-colonel-isaac-hayne-executed-in-charlestown/" target="_blank">Isaac Haynes, walked to Execution</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Petitions for mercy rolled in almost immediately, but Balfour denied all of them. To those who spoke with him, he indicated that this was payback for the execution of John Andre. Hayne then received a second forty-eight hour delay just hours before his second scheduled execution.<p></p><p>On Friday evening August 3, Hayne received a note saying <i>“the many Cruelt[ies] exercised upon numberless Officers & men of the British Militia, extending even to Death (in many instances) an hour after capture, have induce Lord Rawdon & the Commandant to order his Execution may take place tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock.”</i></p><p>That evening, Hayne was permitted a meeting with the three of his children who had gotten to Charleston in time. The following morning, a guard marched him behind a wagon carrying his coffin to the place of execution - about a mile away, just outside the city limits. He was placed on a wagon, the noose put around his neck, and the wagon pulled away. Within minutes, Colonel Hayne was dead.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Aftermath</h2><p>South Carolina had seen many executions of enemy combatants. Even so, the hanging of Isaac Hayne became a particular rallying point for the Americans. Part of it was Colonel Hayne’s rank. It was probably also due to the fact that he was hanged in Charleston rather than simply out in the field following some battle. Whatever the case, the incident drew international attention.</p><p>Hayne became known as the Nathan Hale of the South, referencing the Connecticut officer hanged as a spy in New York back in 1776. It reinforced views that the British were bloodthirsty tyrants who sought to rule by terror.</p><p>All of this led to calls for Greene to retaliate. On August 20, a few weeks after Hayne’s execution, all of Greene’s Continental offices signed a letter requesting that Greene<i> “retaliate in the most effectual manner.”</i> Greene wrote to Colonel Balfour demanding an explanation for Hayne’s execution and threatening immediate retaliation unless Balfour could provide some legitimate justification.</p><p>Despite the angry words, Greene was loath to take immediate action. For starters, he was in the middle of a prisoner exchange and wanted to be sure he received his promised prisoners before an act of retaliation might spur the British to respond to that retaliation with even more brutality toward their prisoners. There was also the difficult decision about executing an innocent officer for the wrongful actions of others.</p><p>Some Continentals argued that the loyalist general who Hayne had captured, and which resulted in Hayne himself being captured, should be the target of reprisal for the murder of Hayne. But that loyalist prisoner, Andrew Williamson, had actually been spying for Greene while he was in Charleston. Other officers did not know that, but Greene certainly was not going to execute his own spy.</p><p>Greene wrote to General Washington, requesting approval to retaliate. Washington responded that Congress was considering the matter and urged Greene to wait for Congress’ decision.</p><p>Congress investigated the hanging, even taking depositions from eyewitnesses. Members debated the issue of retaliation. A committee sent a letter to General Greene to investigate further and to execute a British officer if Greene determined that Hayne’s execution was <i>“contrary to the laws of war.”</i></p><p>Colonel Balfour responded to Greene’s initial letter, arguing that his actions were based on Lord Cornwallis’ general instructions to hang those who accepted British commissions and then participated in the revolt. Of course, Hayne had never accepted a British commission, so that argument rang hollow.</p><p>A few weeks after the hanging, the British Colonel Lord Rawdon, boarded a ship for England. His ship was attacked by French privateers and he was taken prisoner.</p><p>The idea of executing Lord Rawdon in retaliation struck many as a fair bargain. Rawdon was not just some innocent officer. He had participated in the decision to hang Isaac Hayne and was, therefore, a guilty party. </p><p>The privateers who captured Rawdon turned him over to the French Navy under Admiral de Grasse. After learning this, Congress sent an emissary to de Grasse, demanding that Rawdon be turned over to answer for the hanging. Admiral de Grasse refused this demand, and quickly shipped Rawdon to Paris so that he would not have to deal with this issue. French officials, agreeing that Rawdon should not be turned over to the Americans, granted the officer parole and permitted him to return to England. Rawdon would eventually be exchanged for General Charles Scott of Virginia in the summer of 1782.</p><p>British officials still feared that the Americans might pick another officer as the subject of reprisal. That fall, the British managed to capture Colonel William Washington, the American commander’s cousin. They also captured North Carolina Governor Thomas Burke. The transferred both men to Charleston. They held these prisoners and let the Americans know that if the Americans executed any British officers, that these men would be executed in retaliation.</p><p>British officials hoped that the execution would have intimidated other men who had taken the oath of allegiance from rejoining the patriot ranks. Instead, it had the opposite effect. As word circulated about what happened, recruits rushed to join the patriot ranks. In the weeks following Hayne’s death, Greene’s forces swelled to over 2000 men.</p><p>In the end, the Americans took no retaliation against British prisoners. The matter dragged on for the remainder of the war. Hayne would be remembered as an American martyr.</p><p><b>Next week:</b> We look at British officials trying to deal with a growing world war, and an increasing isolation with the rest of Europe.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2024/01/arp294-dogger-bank.html" target="_blank">Episode 294 Dogger Bank</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp292-dog-days-campaign.html" target="_blank">Episode 292 Dog Days Campaign</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><h3><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Isaac Hayne: <a href="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/hayne-isaac" target="_blank">https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/hayne-isaac</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Isaac Hayne: <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/isaac-hayne" target="_blank">https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/isaac-hayne</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Isaac Hayne: <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/hayne-isaac" target="_blank">https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/hayne-isaac</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">VIDEO: Author C.L. Bragg, The Execution of Isaac Hayne During the American Revolution: </span><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?425005-3/hanging-isaac-hayne-american-revolution" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;" target="_blank">https://www.c-span.org/video/?425005-3/hanging-isaac-hayne-american-revolution</a></p></h3><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Blanchard, Amos <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/americanmilitary00blan/page/158" target="_blank">American Military Biography: Containing the lives and characters of the officers of the Revolution</a></i>, Cincinnati: Printed at the Chronicle Office 1830. </p><p>Frost, John <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/livesofheroesofa00unse" target="_blank">Lives of the Heroes of the American Revolution</a></i>, Boston : Phillips & Sampson, 1849. </p><p>Lee, Henry <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/memoirsofwarinso00leehe/page" target="_blank">Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States</a></i>, Washington: Peter Force, 1827. </p><div><p>McCrady, Edward <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southcarolina00mccrrich" target="_blank">The History of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783</a></i>, New York: The Macmillan Co. 1902. </p><p>Ramsay, David <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofrevolut02rams" target="_blank">The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina, from a British province to an independent state, 1749-1815</a></i>, Vol. 2, Trenton: Isaac Collins, 1785. </p></div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Bowden, David K <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0878440372?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f378bdbd8d56277572fe8de523310ffd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Execution of Isaac Hayne</a></i>, Lexington, SC: Sandlapper Store, 1977 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/executionofisaac0000unse" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Bragg, C. L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1611177189?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4cd8358f2bb3e8b9d8283557b5ad98db&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian</a></i>, Univ. S.C. Press, 2016. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/martyrofamerican0000brag" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>) </p><p>Buchanan, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813942241?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e93ee634b098e5afb24f37f1defe4347&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Road to Charleston</a></i>, Univ. of Va. Press, 2019. </p><p>Nelson, Paul D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/161147311X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=791862fb84c9db93e18ca10244597872&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of Hastings</a></i>, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Press, 2005. </p><p>(borrow on Archive.org) https://archive.org/details/francisrawdonhas0000nels</p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Charleston, SC, USA32.7764749 -79.9310512000000134.4662410638211512 -115.08730120000001 61.086708736178842 -44.774801200000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-86324441492933165082023-12-17T03:00:00.002-05:002024-01-27T12:17:32.699-05:00ARP292 Dog Days Campaign<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML3906348225" width="100%"></iframe>
<p>We last left the war in the Carolinas in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp287-fort-ninety-six.html" target="_blank">Episode 287</a>. General Nathanael Greene, along with support from militia leaders Thomas Sumter and Francis Marion, had forced the British out of all of South Carolina except a small area around Charleston.</p><p>Greene and his Continentals were exhausted. They had been on the move almost continuously since March. By July of 1781, the summer heat was becoming oppressive. With the British bottled up in Charleston, Greene gave his men a rest in the High Hills of Santee. The weather there was a little more bearable, and local fields provided a food source for the army.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Quinby Bridge</h2><p>As the Continentals recuperated, militia General Thomas Sumter continued in the field, in what would later be called the Dog Days Campaign - taking place in the dog days of summer. Sumter worked with Colonel Francis Marion as well as Continental Colonel Light Horse Harry Lee on this campaign. Although Sumter was in command, these three officers did not really get along, so coordinating strategy was difficult.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOCxaUCjxxbih3HBB8Cv0fgSe2pyIajIMsI_pmhl3m56j0dhz8-QJLa-lTy0pym1x62211IllsezOk5qQreQdFP-HLbn1pLiMYY8eBj2r-Wr85s6eISYefpFsP5fYPeQE6IVrBUxyBXo_7DaQOC9uXzlpOMroq9Yvi0-XYNJP5uHen1GRKSGI-NF128Ul/s2699/Quinby_Bridge.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1686" data-original-width="2699" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOCxaUCjxxbih3HBB8Cv0fgSe2pyIajIMsI_pmhl3m56j0dhz8-QJLa-lTy0pym1x62211IllsezOk5qQreQdFP-HLbn1pLiMYY8eBj2r-Wr85s6eISYefpFsP5fYPeQE6IVrBUxyBXo_7DaQOC9uXzlpOMroq9Yvi0-XYNJP5uHen1GRKSGI-NF128Ul/s320/Quinby_Bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quinby Bridge</td></tr></tbody></table>Between the three of them, the combined forces were over a thousand men. Sumter sought to put more pressure on the outposts that were closer to Charleston. His first target was a British outpost at Moncks Corner, about thirty miles north of Charleston. Stationed at Moncks Corner were about six hundred British regulars, mostly from the 119th Regiment, and about 150 South Carolina Rangers, a group of mounted loyalist cavalry.<p></p><p>On July 16th patriot militia moved on Moncks Corner. The British commander, Lieutenant Colonel James Coates, moved the bulk of his forces into a prepared defensive position at Biggin Church, reportedly a fortified brick building that was impervious to small arms fire.</p><p>Sumter deployed his forces around Biggin Church. Later that afternoon the loyalist South Carolina Rangers under Major Thomas Frasier charged at part of Marion’s militia under the command of Colonel Peter Horry. The patriots withdrew to the covering fire of their comrades. This forced the loyalists to end their pursuit and fall back to the main British force at Biggins Church.</p><p>Sumter’s larger force could surround the Church, but could not charge the fort across an open field without taking substantial casualties. A few units did advance on the church but were driven back. Sumter also ordered the destruction of nearby Wadboo Bridge to prevent the enemy from having a path of retreat.</p><p>After nightfall, Colonel Coates realized his British forces were outnumbered, and resulted to slip away in the night. His men were able to repair Wadboo Bridge and move across. As they did, they set fire to the church, burning all their equipment as well since they could not move quickly with it.</p><p>At around 3:00 AM on the 17th, Sumter saw the church was on fire. He roused his militia and set off in pursuit of the fleeing British. In his haste to catch the retreating enemy, Sumter left behind his one field canon, opting instead for speed, and knowing the cannon would just slow his movements. </p><p>Coates marched his men through a nearby swamp, then sent his loyalist horsemen in one direction and marched the regulars in another. The loyalists, able to ride at full speed, were able to cross the Cooper River at a local ferry, and remove all the boats to the far side, thus preventing the patriots from following them.</p><p>The regulars marched toward Quinby Bridge. After crossing, they planned to tear up the bridge to prevent the Americans from pursuing them. Lee’s cavalry caught up to the British rearguard before they could reach the bridge. </p><p>The 19th regiment was a newly-recruited regiment with little experience. The regulars formed a line of defense. Lee’s cavalry charged at them. The British dropped their muskets without firing and called for quarter, which was granted. The Americans captured about 100 British soldiers.</p><p>A short distance away, at Quinby Bridge, Colonel Coates was unaware that his rearguard had been taken prisoner. He marched the rest of his regiment across the bridge, and began to loosen the planks. He hoped to allow his rearguard to cross before tearing up the bridge completely.</p><p>Lee and Marion’s cavalry came on the scene and charged the bridge while the British were not prepared to receive the attack. Coates desperately tried to form a defensive line at the bridge. If the Americans had continued their charge across the bridge, they probably would have forced the British to flee or surrender. Instead, Captain James Armstrong, leading the charge, halted at the near side of the bridge and sent a messenger back to Lee for instructions. His hesitation was probably after seeing a British howitzer at the other end of the bridge. </p><p>Colonel Lee’s angry reply was that Captain needed to charge across the bridge, now! After receiving Lee’s reply, Armstrong charged across the bridge, and managed to take the howitzer before it could be fired. His charge, however, had knocked the loosened planks off the bridge, making it difficult for others to follow. The momentary delay had also given the British time to form lines and begin a defensive fire against the attackers. The British Colonel Coates drew his sword and began fighting for his life against the attackers. Two Continental horsemen were killed and several more wounded in the fighting. </p><p>By this time, Lee reached the bridge and had his men begin restoring the planks under enemy fire. The advance force that had crossed the bridge, found itself cut off from support and withdrew into the nearby tree line. This gave the British time to rally his men, grab the howitzer and continue the retreat. Coates pulled back to the nearby Quinby plantation, also called the Shubrick plantation.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Quinby Plantation</h2><p>Lee, frustrated that he could not cross the bridge, found a place to ford the river further upstream. Joined by Marion’s militia infantry, they pursued the enemy. Finding the British position at the plantation too well defended, Lee and Marion had to wait for more reinforcements from Sumter.</p><p>Once Sumter’s main force arrived, the combined force was about three times the size of the enemy’s. Sumter had about 1100 men facing about 350 British. But because the British held a strong defensive position, it would still be a difficult fight. Sumter ordered Marion, on the American line’s left to advance. Enemy fire resulted in five attackers killed and ten wounded before they were forced to pull back. </p><p>On his right flank, Sumter ordered Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Horry to advance. Horry’s advance went about the same as Marion’s losing four killed and six wounded before they were also forced to pull back.</p><p>Sumter then ordered his main center line to advance. Although the brigade got within 40 yards of the enemy, they lost seven killed and twenty wounded before also pulling back. What Sumter really needed was his cannon. But since he had left that behind in order to have the speed to chase the enemy, he found himself without it at this important time. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWUh1niSCkSAp5jhq4ENp-8PnHjTCT0X66C2ecDc3_vJm3x36Uhjy3b-N-1FJO8QRn9Ph1PxLyeqjLQI8ylvMY-2pYlBCQRqXxUy0Dnk8fnIk4qYK1h5TX534VWi3b-LUCYKCyhCNsF3GrZ_suUK3niwJ-t7AkdxrP6YgOaSwzs5M8PbSIgpInViIZZPq/s3554/Shubrick's%20plantation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2223" data-original-width="3554" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLWUh1niSCkSAp5jhq4ENp-8PnHjTCT0X66C2ecDc3_vJm3x36Uhjy3b-N-1FJO8QRn9Ph1PxLyeqjLQI8ylvMY-2pYlBCQRqXxUy0Dnk8fnIk4qYK1h5TX534VWi3b-LUCYKCyhCNsF3GrZ_suUK3niwJ-t7AkdxrP6YgOaSwzs5M8PbSIgpInViIZZPq/s320/Shubrick's%20plantation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shubrick's Plantation</td></tr></tbody></table>The militia kept up fire for forty minutes to an hour. After that, they began to run out of ammunition and the rate of fire fell to only a few sporadic shots at the enemy.<p></p><p>By dusk, the militia had to withdraw from the plantation altogether. Since they were out of ammunition, they could not risk a nighttime counterattack on their lines. While the British had bayonets, the militia did not. So a night attack would have spelled disaster. Sumter tried to find more ammunition for his army, and to get the cannon in place by the following morning, so they could resume the attack. </p><p>Following the failed attack, many officers criticized Sumter’s orders to attack the entrenched position. Marion’s men left that night, and Marion vowed never to fight under Sumter ever again. Colonel Lee, whose Continental cavalry had been held in reserve, also left and was disgusted with Sumter’s attack. Colonel Thomas Taylor, who had been part of Sumter’s center line advance, confronted the general after the battle, outraged that his men had been advanced into enemy fire without promised support. Taylor told Sumter directly that he would never serve a single hour under Sumter ever again.</p><p>With the loss of much of his force, and after receiving word that a British relief force from Orangeburg was nearby, Sumter called off his planned attack for the following day and withdrew his own forces.</p><p>Even though they failed to capture the full regiment of regulars, the attack was a partial success. The action forced the British to pull closer to Charleston. They managed to capture the British regiment’s baggage, including the regimental payroll of 720 guineas. Sumter divided that money among his South Carolina militia who had remained with him. This became another point of anger at the other units who fought in the battle but did not receive a share of the captured property. It also set off a demand by other South Carolina militia for their long overdue back pay.</p><p>General Greene received various reports on the battle. Although he publicly praised Sumter’s efforts, later confidential correspondence with those he trusted indicated that Greene believed that Sumter’s weak command prevented what could have been a decisive victory.</p><p>Following the battle, General Sumter decided it was time that he take a break as well. He tried to do what he could to pay off his army. He sent Captain William Ransome Davis with a cavalry detachment to raid the loyalist stronghold at Georgetown, with orders to plunder as much loyalist property as possible in order to have something to pay his men. This not only annoyed Greene, who was doing his best to limit civilian plundering, it also further distanced Marion from Sumter, since Georgetown was in Marion’s area of control</p><p>After settling accounts as best he could, Sumter retired to his North Carolina plantation. Although he did not disband his army, when Colonel William Henderson came to take command, he found that its numbers had fallen to less than 200 men. He then received written orders from Sumter, who was already gone, that Henderson should furlough the rest of the army until October.</p><p>When General Greene heard about this, he was apoplectic when he heard what Sumter had done. With the British finally hemmed in around Charleston, Sumter was essentially disbanding his army. With Sumter's South Carolina soldiers going home, only the out of state troops in the Continental army were the only large presence to oppose the British. Their numbers and condition were nothing close to what was needed. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Parker’s Ferry</h2><p>Fortunately, Marion remained in the field. Greene requested that Marion join with what remained of Sumter’s brigade and ride south of Charleston. He had received intelligence that the British were collecting rice from coastal fields there to feed the Charleston garrison, and that they planned to burn whatever crops they could not carry back with them.</p><p>Marion took about two hundred men on horseback, where he met up with a group of local militia under Colonel William Harden. He was soon joined by another local militia under Colonel William Stafford, bringing the total force to around 400.</p><p>On August 27, Marion attempted to set up an ambush at a place called Godfrey’s Savannah. The enemy consisted of a regiment of Hessians under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Ernst Leopold von Bork, loyalists under Major Thomas Frasier, a detachment of Queen’s Rangers, and another group of loyalists under Major William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham. In total, the enemy had about 660 men. Although patriots were outnumbered, Marion believed a surprise ambush would give him the advantage. Unfortunately, the patriot militia was not as experienced as hoped. The attack on the 27th did not happen, as they did not get into position in time.</p><p>Even so, Marion was determined to organize another ambush. After a few days, he was able to get his men in position along a wooded area of the road near Parker’s Ferry, about 25 miles west of Charleston. Marion knew the enemy would be passing this way shortly. </p><p>Late in the afternoon of August 30, a party of about 100 loyalist militia came down the road. Marion hoped to let this group pass, so that he could attack the larger force behind them. However, one of the loyalists spotted one of the enemy in the bushes. The loyalists opened fire, and the patriots returned fire.</p><p>The loyalists rushed back toward the ferry, as British cavalry, some distance away charged toward the sound of the gunfire. As the patriots fired on the enemy, they suddenly got spooked that they were being flanked. They rushed back into the woods. This gave the British time to recover their equipment and wounded from the initial ambush and withdraw. The Hessian regiment arrived at the battle just as it was getting dark.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/battle-parkers-ferry" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="310" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIg3MIc1ESLu-LSaCcKDNRXrEsvUSRBU5CmE-9h2LXg8dq-3ZcmqL_uBZswxlNSuC1kwTT-iVdURy-KNsi7MhCk7i0rT2CORccVF4rhXwz_SAmbLw1ZPS8KWUfTYBp9Q2ZgXBDv0Y6mOJo8MNfbdLP8kpE7tCPefZFwE3QiUDhPz4qWRNQ4I80M0S5k3pb/s1600/Parkers_Ferry.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/battle-parkers-ferry" target="_blank">Parker's Ferry</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The patriots managed to get behind the Hessians and attack the loyalist cavalry in the enemy’s rear. The enemy then had to withdraw down a road lined with patriot militia, resulting in them running a gauntlet of enemy fire and taking heavy casualties.<p></p><p>The ambushed worked. The patriots had the clear advantage, but with night having arrived and running out of ammunition, Marion ordered the patriots to withdraw. </p><p>The result of the battle was extremely one sided. The British lost about 125 killed and another 80 wounded. The loyalist horsemen also lost most of their horses, as they were shot out from under them. The patriots lost one killed and three wounded.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Georgia Reestablishes a Government</h2><p>While all this was happening, Greene was also trying to reestablish a civilian government in Georgia. As always, he had to deal with interference that made his job more difficult. </p><p>Earlier in 1781, Greene had sent Nathan Brownson to Philadelphia. Brownson was a Connecticut physician who had moved to Georgia in 1774 and quickly became a leader in the patriot movement. He had served as a local delegate in Georgia, and also spent some time representing Georgia in the Continental Congress.</p><p>Given his medical and administrative skills, Greene wanted Brownson to serve as the purveyor for the hospital department in the south. Greene gave him the job provisionally, but sent him to Philadelphia to get approval from Congress.</p><p>Brownson made his way to Philadelphia, where he found Congress receptive to his appointment. In fact, many delegates quite liked the physician/politician, who also used his time in Philadelphia to update the delegates about the war in the south, and to share his own opinions on strategy.</p><p>The Georgia delegates to the Continental Congress thought so highly of him, that they appointed him to be a general in the Georgia militia. General Brownson returned to South Carolina in July to announce to Greene his new appointment as general.</p><p>Greene was, shall we say, less than enthusiastic. While Brownson was a fine politician and no doubt a good physician, he had almost no military experience. Meanwhile, other Georgia militia colonels such as Elijah Clarke, John Twiggs, and James Jackson all had considerable command combat experience and a following of soldiers and found themselves passed over by this guy who just went to Philadelphia and obtained a political appointment.</p><p>It’s unclear why Georgia delegates to the Continental Congress believed they had authority to appoint militia generals. I guess that, since the Georgia government was essentially not functioning at the time, they could do whatever they wanted.</p><p>The President of Georgia in 1781 was apparently a matter of dispute. Steven Heard had been appointed President in 1780. Heard had been a strong patriot during the early part of the war. He had been captured while leading a militia regiment at Kettle Creek in 1779. After his capture, he had been taken to Augusta, where he was sentenced to hang for treason. </p><p>He only survived thanks to one of his slaves, who we only know by the name "Mammy Kate." She visited him in prison, with the purpose of bringing him new clothes. Apparently, Mammy Kate was a large woman and Heard was rather small. She managed to fit him inside a laundry basket, which she put on her head, and then walked out of the prison. After this, Heard received his appointment as President of Georgia. Perhaps his brush with death took away some of his nerve because at some point, Heard simply fled to the Carolinas and did not return to Georgia. So another leader, Myrick Davies ended up as acting governor.</p><p>I could find almost nothing on Davies, so I have to assume that he was not doing much governing. This is understandable since much of Georgia was under British control - and to the extent Americans had control, it was primarily military.</p><p>General Greene had no contact with Georgia’s Governor Heard, nor acting Governor Davies. Greene had gotten in trouble in the past with questioning civilian control of the military, so he really wasn’t sure what to do about the decision by the Georgia delegation to the Continental Congress to appoint Brownson as general of Georgia militia.</p><p>Greene had a candid conversation with Brownson when the two men met at Greene’s camp in South Carolina. The details of the conversation are not recorded but Greene must have discussed his concerns about Brownson being given command over officers who had fought bravely in the field for years and how this appointment might be a problem.</p><p>Publicly, Greene wrote to the other militia leaders from Georgia, passing along that the Congressional delegation had made this appointment, and withholding any opinion on that fact, for or against. He sent his letter with Brownson himself, to go speak with the other Georgia militia officers and make his case.</p><p>As expected, the other military leaders were not happy about this situation. Brownson’s lack of any real military command experience was glaring. They viewed him (correctly) as a political appointment. </p><p>While the leaders tried to sort out this problem, an opening occurred when acting President Davies was captured and executed by loyalists. With President Heard still missing from the state, leaders decided to make Brownson the new President of Georgia and have him give up his militia commission. Colonel John Twiggs became the new militia brigadier, and was accepted as a much better choice by the other leading officers.</p><p>With Georgia patriots finally restoring civilian control of the government, and South Carolina militia slowly tightening the noose on the British in Charleston, the British occupation in the south was looking increasingly desperate. </p><p><b>Next week:</b> We’ll take a look at the British leadership in Charleston as they deal with the controversial matter of Isaac Hayne.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp293-isaac-hayne.html" target="_blank">Episode 293 Isaac Hayne</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp291-new-dorlach-and-johnstown.html" target="_blank">Episode 291 New Dorlach and Johnstown</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><h3><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Waters, Andrews “Thomas Sumter’s Dog Days Expedition” Journal of the American Revolution, June 28, 2018: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/06/thomas-sumters-dog-days-expedition" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/06/thomas-sumters-dog-days-expedition</a></p><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Skirmishes at Quinby Bridge & Shubrick's Plantation <a href="https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/810717-quinby-bridge" target="_blank">https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/810717-quinby-bridge</a></p><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Quinby Bridge: <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/quinby-bridge-south-carolina" target="_blank">https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/quinby-bridge-south-carolina</a></p><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Parker’s Ferry: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/battle-parkers-ferry" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/battle-parkers-ferry</a></p><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Parker’s Ferry: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_parkers_ferry_2.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_parkers_ferry_2.html</a></p><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Battle of Parker’s Ferry: <a href="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/parkers-ferry-battle-of" target="_blank">https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/parkers-ferry-battle-of</a></p><p style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Nathan Brownson: <a href="https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/nathan-brownson-1742-1796" target="_blank">https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/nathan-brownson-1742-1796</a></p></h3><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p style="text-align: left;">Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.<br />Greene, George Washington <i>The Life of Nathanael Greene</i>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg00greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 1</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg02greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 2</a>, & <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg03greeuof" target="_blank">Vol. 3</a>, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press 1867-1871. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Hartley, Cecil B. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofmajorgener00hart" target="_blank">Life of Major General Henry Lee & The Life of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, New York: Derby & Jackson, 1859. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Lee, Henry <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/memoirsofwarinso00leehe/page" target="_blank">Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States</a></i>, Washington: Peter Force, 1827. </p><div><p style="text-align: left;">McCrady, Edward <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southcarolina00mccrrich" target="_blank">The History of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1780-1783</a></i>, New York: The Macmillan Co. 1902. </p><p>Ramsay, David <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofrevolut02rams" target="_blank">The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina, from a British province to an independent state, 1749-1815</a></i>, Vol. 2, Trenton: Isaac Collins, 1785. </p><p>Simms, William G. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeoffrancismar00simmuoft" target="_blank">The Life of Francis Marion</a></i>, New York, Derby, 1854. </p><p>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">The Partisan War: the South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 1970 (borrow only). </p></div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Bass, Robert D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/125847798X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3153987d13a706d1f8a68b2f1cbbb369&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Gamecock: The Life And Campaigns Of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1961 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/gamecocklifecamp00bass" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Buchanan, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813942241?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e93ee634b098e5afb24f37f1defe4347&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Road to Charleston</a></i>, Univ. of Va Press, 2019. </p><p>Carbone, Gerald <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0230602711?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3d912f057a24b539f3c9908c670012dd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene: A Biography of the American Revolution</a></i>, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/nathanaelgreeneb0000carb_v8a2" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>Golway, Terry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805070664?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7be90a9680c425d9f6ee624bfb278d2a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington's General : Nathanael Greene and the triumph of the American Revolution</a></i>, H. Holt, 2006. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/washingtonsgener0000golw" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>)</p><p>Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Oller, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0306903199?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=05dbe319052c0bdd8e5147c382d76a71&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution</a></i>, Da Capo Press, 2016 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/swampfoxhowfranc0000olle" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</p><p>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Charleston, SC, USA32.7764749 -79.9310512000000134.4662410638211512 -115.08730120000001 61.086708736178842 -44.774801200000013tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-86984050567579047322023-12-10T03:00:00.002-05:002024-01-27T12:18:15.027-05:00ARP291 New Dorlach and Johnstown<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML1109981251" width="100%"></iframe>
<p>We last left the Mohawk Valley in Episode 270 with the battle of Stone Arabia and Klock’s Field. Raids from British loyalists and the Iroquois subsided over the winter, but had not given up on driving the Americans out of upstate New York.</p><p>On February 5, 1781, New York Governor George Clinton wrote to the Continental Congress about the New York Frontier. Over 330 people had been killed or taken prisoner in 1780. Six forts and hundreds of houses and barns had been destroyed. The enemy had driven off hundreds of cattle and destroyed most of the grain fields.</p><p>Many people had already fled the region. Those who remained were under no illusions that spring would not bring another round of brutal raids and combat. By March of 1781, small Indian war parties began raiding farms and small settlements. These were quick hit-and-run operations, designed to inflict harm and disappear before a counter attack could come.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Marinus Willett</h2><p>In April, Governor Clinton appointed Colonel Marinus Willett as commander of the New York militia on the frontier. I’ve mentioned Colonel Willett before. He was one of the most critical offices in New York during the revolution.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzyPAPSkql65WpFj_NeXyB4P_CI-MmSsyANSjpq8pRpW9fy2VHgEuiCCKx7NiqP6E5MATQUfZOVXlaksPkusCLqJRVMwK96iuoqzqLEQSNzBP5lVlJQKtju8DOrYcWLspipFswE8e7ToDVRr2QYBhNCuRrifLzyrD63Q7ZYF95TQymL5DQoqqM8poC55_/s800/Marinus_Willett_by_Ralph_Earl.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzyPAPSkql65WpFj_NeXyB4P_CI-MmSsyANSjpq8pRpW9fy2VHgEuiCCKx7NiqP6E5MATQUfZOVXlaksPkusCLqJRVMwK96iuoqzqLEQSNzBP5lVlJQKtju8DOrYcWLspipFswE8e7ToDVRr2QYBhNCuRrifLzyrD63Q7ZYF95TQymL5DQoqqM8poC55_/s320/Marinus_Willett_by_Ralph_Earl.jpeg" width="196" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marinus Willett</td></tr></tbody></table>Willett was born on Long Island, in Jamaica, Queens. His family had lived in New York for over a century. One of his ancestors, Thomas Willett, was the first English Mayor of New York. Although Marinus was raised as a Quaker, he left home at age 18 to form a militia company during the French and Indian War. Lieutenant Willett served in a provincial regiment commanded by Oliver De Lancey. He was part of the British attack on Fort Ticonderoga, and several other actions in French Canada. After falling ill, Willett convalesced at Fort Stanwix, which was under construction at the time.<p></p><p>By 1775, Willet was living in New York City. Although most of his family were loyalists, Marinus joined the Sons of liberty. That year, he attacked a British unit trying to remove guns from the city’s arsenal. He took a commission as a captain in the new Continental Army and participated in the Quebec Campaign. </p><p>In 1777, Willet received a transfer to Fort Stanwix, then under the command of Colonel Peter Gansevoort. This was just before British General Burgoyne began his attack into New York. As part of that attack British Colonel Barry St. Leger besieged Fort Stanwix. During the nearby battle of Oriskany, Willett was the officer who led the raid on the enemy camps, capturing most of their baggage. This action caused the British to lose most of their Indian allies, and eventually retreat back to Canada, thus leaving General Burgoyne without expected reinforcements.</p><p>Once Burgoyne’s army surrendered at Saratoga, Willet returned to the main Continental Army under Washington, where he fought at the battle of Monmouth. He returned to New York in 1779 to participate in the Sullivan Campaign, which destroyed Iroquois towns and villages that were supporting raids from Canada. By this time Willet was colonel of the 5th New York Regiment in the Continental Army. Due to dwindling enlistments, the five New York Regiments were consolidated into just two in 1780. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Upstate New York</h2><p>New York needed a military leader. As the spring of 1781 began, Iroquois raiders under Joseph Brant and others began raiding the region. In early spring, raiders captured thirty militiamen who were caught outside of Fort Stanwix, as this time also called Fort Schuyler. Shortly thereafter, a flood, and then a fire damaged much of the fort. </p><p>Some sources indicate that the flood destroyed much of the fort’s provisions at a time when the garrison was already running tight on rations. The fire was either an accident or deliberately set by members of the garrison. The garrison was starving and some may have hoped that the fire would allow them to abandon the fort and go somewhere else that had food. </p><p>If that was the case, it worked. The remainder of the garrison abandoned what was left of the fort and retreated downriver to Fort Herkimer.</p><p>At Governor Clinton’s request, General Washington approved Colonel Willett’s transfer to New York. He needed to rally the locals to put up a defense at a time when the main Continental Army was looking in the other direction at New York City, and most of the fighting was taking place in the south. As such, those in upstate New York would be obliged to defend themselves against the raids from Canada.</p><p>After years of raids, the locals were as prepared as possible. A string of 24 forts in the area provided protection. Some of these forts were simply reinforced houses that offered a minimum of protection. Still, it was usually enough to discourage a small Indian raiding party from attacking. Residents would run to the nearest fort when they received word of raiders in the area.</p><p>Most of the properties had been destroyed by this time. Raiders were frequently destroying buildings that had been rebuilt after previous raids. </p><p>At Governor Clinton’s request Colonel Willett received orders to take command of the state troops and militia in May of 1781. General Robert Van Rensselaer, the previous commander, took heavy criticism for his weak leadership at the battles of Stone Arabia and Klock’s Field in the fall of 1780, and had been removed from command.</p><p>The overall commander of the Northern Department at this time was Continental Brigadier General James Clinton, the brother of Governor George Clinton. General Clinton mostly stayed in Albany with his brother. He was focused more on obtaining supplies, and left the field work in the Mohawk and Schoharie valleys to Colonel Willett. General Washington pulled almost all Continental soldiers out of the region, as part of his attempt to gather up an army that could threaten New York City. The only outside support came after Washington requested that Massachusetts militia support Willett in New York, but that request only came in late summer.</p><p>So Willett was pretty much on his own when he got there. He arrived in late June and set up his headquarters at Fort Plain, also known as Fort Rensselaer. Rather than keep small bodies of militia scattered across the region, Willett opted to gather together a militia army of several hundred men who could be on the move regularly to confront any enemy raiding parties. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">New Dorlach</h2><p>Within a few weeks of arriving at Fort Plain, Willett would face his first major challenge. Over the course of the winter and spring, most of the attacks consisted of smaller bands of Tories and Iroquois attacking isolated homes or people caught out in their fields.</p><p>On July 9, Willett dispatched Captain Lawrence Gross with 35 militiamen on a routine reconnaissance south of the fort towards the village of New Dorlach, today called Sharon Springs. Later that same morning, Willett noticed smoke rising from the southeast, in the direction of Currytown. He dispatched Captain Robert McKean with sixteen men to investigate and to collect militia along the way.</p><p>McKean’s force arrived at Currytown, about ten miles from the fort, to find the village had been plundered and burned to the ground. His men could only douse the remaining fires.</p><p>The attack on Currytown was not the result of a small raiding party. A larger force of 300 Iroquois and loyalists under the command of Lieutenant John Dockstader had ridden down from Montreal to raid the area. Dockstader had lived in the area before the war, but had been forced to flee because of his loyalist sentiments. </p><p>Dockstader apparently had some relationship to Joseph Brant, the Mohawk war chief and British officer. According to some accounts, and records are spotty on this point, Dockstader had married a sister or niece of Captain Brant. Some accounts also indicate that Dockstader was part Iroquois himself. Whatever his background, Dockstader was a committed loyalist and an experienced raider who knew the area well.</p><p>During the attack on Currytown, the raiders killed and scalped several locals, and took a few others prisoner. They plundered all the buildings, then burned whatever they could not carry off with them. Once complete, the raiders rode southwest, toward the town of New Dorlach.</p><p>After dousing the fires in Curryown, Captain Gross tasked two of his local scouts to follow the trail. The men determined that the raiders had set up camp in a swamp near New Dorlach. </p><p>Since the raiding party was about 300 men, and Gross had only thirty, he could not do anything on his own. He dispatched riders back to Fort Plain to inform Colonel Willett. Gross then set up camp along Bowman’s creek, between Fort Plain and the enemy camp at New Dorlach. </p><p>Upon receiving the news of the enemy’s location, Willett put out the call for anyone who could, to join for an attack near Currytown. He gathered as many men as he could from Fort Plain, and moved overnight to surprise the enemy. Willett’s force, along with those of Gross and McKean, arrived near the enemy camp at about dawn on July 10.</p><p>The force of mostly Iroquois warriors outnumbered the smaller force of about 150 militia that Willett had been able to muster on short notice. Even so, he was determined to fight. Willett sent about ten of his men toward the enemy camp, where they fired on the enemy and then retreated. As expected, the warriors jumped on their horses and tried to ride down the small group. The Iroquois were so fast that they managed to kill two of the retreating militia. The rest, however, rode the pursuers into an ambush set up by Willett.</p><p>The militia fired a volley into the warriors. Although they took casualties, the warriors rushed at the enemy lines. Willett had kept back fifty of his soldiers, who fired another volley into the attackers. The two lines continued to fight for about ninety minutes, before the loyalists retreated. Captain McKean attempted to pursue the retreating enemy, but almost immediately took two balls in his chest, mortally wounded. His son Samuel attempted to come to his aid and was also shot through the mouth. The enemy disappeared quickly without anyone attempting to pursue immediately. </p><p>After Willett’s force did advance, they found the enemy camp at the swamp. The enemy had gone, but had abandoned most of their equipment and the plunder taken from Currytown. Willett later reported that the loyalist force had about fifty men killed or wounded. Willett lost five men killed and nine wounded. The loyalists had also killed most of the prisoners taken at Currytown after the encounter with Willett’s force. Several of the prisoners survived long enough to be recovered, but most died of their injuries within days.</p><p>After the battle ended, Lieutenant Colonel Volkert Veeder arrived on the scene with three regiments of Tryon County Militia. The militia had missed the battle but helped to deal with the dead and wounded.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Schell’s Bush</h2><p>While the battle at New Dorlach turned out to be the largest fight of the summer, it was far from the only one. Locals were always on alert for the next raid. </p><p>Only a few weeks after the battle at New Dorlach, a Tory named Adam Crysler, from Butler’s Rangers, led a group of Tories and Iroquois in a raid a few miles further southeast, near the modern town of Gallupville. They attacked several houses, killing and capturing locals. </p><p>Days later, on August 6, loyalist Donald McDonald led another force of sixty Indians and loyalists within a few miles of Fort Herkimer. Those who could, fled to Fort Herkimer. But Johann Christian Schell chose to make a stand at his home. He had fortified the home to prepare for an attack. When the raid came, two of his sons were captured while working in the field. Schell made it back to his home where he, his wife, and his six other sons put up a defense.</p><p>The family managed to hold off the attackers for hours, as they tried to burn down the home, or force entry. McDonald personally rushed the door and attempted to force it open with a crowbar. The defenders wounded him and dragged him inside. </p><p>Several natives rushed the house and put their guns through loopholes in the walls. Mrs. Schell took an axe and destroyed five barrels by bashing them.</p><p>At dusk, Schell feared the cover of darkness might aid the enemy. Then from the second floor of his home, he shouted that he saw a relief force from Fort Dayton. He began shouting commands to the militia to locate the attackers. As it turned out, there was no rescue party. Schell just made it up. But it managed to unnerve the attackers, who fled into the woods.</p><p>They left behind their commander, the wounded McDonald, who remained a prisoner. He was taken to Fort Dayton the following day. There, he died from his wounds. </p><p>Following the attack, patriots found eleven dead and six more wounded in the area around the house. Schell’s captured sons were taken to Montreal. After their eventual release when the war ended, they reported that another nine wounded attackers died on the march back to Canada.</p><p>No one in the house was killed or wounded. Schell continued to farm his land. A year later, another raid again caught him working in his fields. This time, he and one of his sons were killed.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Johnstown</h2><p>Also as the summer came to an end, Walter Butler, the son of John Butler, commander of of Butler’s Rangers, led another force of 600 or 700 Tories and Iroquois into the Mohawk valley. I’ve mentioned Butler before. He grew up in the area, but was forced to flee because of his loyalist sympathies. He had been tried in New York and sentenced to death before escaping back to Canada. Butler was among the most active Tory leaders, and had become particularly notorious following his role in the Cherry Valley Massacre in 1778.</p><p>The loyalists came back to the same area of the Mohawk Valley in October, including another attack on Currytown, to destroy anything that had been rebuilt since the July raid. The raiders then moved north toward Johnstown.</p><p>Back at Fort Plain, Colonel Willett received word of the new raid. Once again, he raised as many men as he could quickly and set out in pursuit. Willett managed to raise only about 400 militia, so the enemy far outnumbered his force. Even so, the patriot militia caught up with the raiders around Johnstown on October 25.</p><p>Willett divided his force, sending a portion of it in a flanking move to get around the enemy’s rear. The remainder advance forward in a direct attack across an open field. Willett’s men also had one small field cannon. The fight raged for some time, with the two sides charging one another. At one point the militia making up the patriots’ right flank fled in a panic. Willett attempted to rally his men as the Tories took advantage of the confusion. </p><p>Just as a Tory victory looked imminent, the flanking force appeared in the Tory rear and threw the whole battle into confusion. The fighting turned into small groups of men fighting as the British eventually withdrew to higher ground. </p><p>Over the next few days, the Tories withdrew, moving west back toward Canada. Willet and the militia pursued them. At one point, Butler tried to ford a river when a force of patriot militia and Oneida warriors caught him. Butler turned to taunt his pursuers when one of the Oneida shot him off his horse with a rifle. The warrior then charged into the river with his tomahawk to finish the job.</p><p>According to one story, Butler pleaded for mercy, but the warrior simply shouted “remember Cherry Valley” and finished him. This is almost certainly made up after the fact. A more likely account says that Butler was shot in the head and died instantly. The Oneida warrior then scalped the dead body and took his coat, which were both later sold in Albany. However it happened after Walter Butler was dead.</p><p>As it turned out, this was the last large scale raid of the war. Shortly thereafter word of Yorktown arrived, and both sides settled down and waited for the end.</p><p><b>Next Week</b>, we return to South Carolina, where the South Carolina under Thomas Sumter continues to contest control of the state - keeping the British pinned down around Charleston.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp292-dog-days-campaign.html" target="_blank">Episode 292 Dog Days Campaign</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp290-grand-reconnaissance.html" target="_blank">Episode 290 Grand Reconnaissance</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Bronner, Frederick L. “MARINUS WILLETT.” <i>New York History</i>, vol. 17, no. 3, 1936, pp. 273–80. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/23135050" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/23135050</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from James Clinton, 30 May 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05904" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05904</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marinus Willett, 6 July 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06310" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06310</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marinus Willett, 13 July 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06396" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06396</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>“From George Washington to Marinus Willett, 14 July 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06413" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-06413</a></div><div><br /></div><div>HISTORY OF SCHOHARIE COUNTY by Jeptha R. Simms - 1845 CHAPTER XV</div><div><a href="https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyschoha/simms15.html" target="_blank">https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyschoha/simms15.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The Frontiersmen of New York by Jeptha R. Simms Albany, NY 1883 Volume II, Page 487 Principal Events of 1781: <a href="http://threerivershms.com/simms1781.htm" target="_blank">http://threerivershms.com/simms1781.htm</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The 1781 Massacre of Jacob Z: <a href="https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/zimmer/600" target="_blank">https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/zimmer/600</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Schell's Bush, New York <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/schells-bush-new-york" target="_blank">https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/schells-bush-new-york</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Schell Family Victorious Battle: <a href="https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/schell3.html" target="_blank">https://herkimer.nygenweb.net/schell3.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Johnstown: <a href="https://www.fulton.nygenweb.net/military/fultonctyrev.html" target="_blank">https://www.fulton.nygenweb.net/military/fultonctyrev.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Johnstown (second) <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-johnstown-second" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-johnstown-second</a></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Campbell, William W. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lectureonlifemil00campell" target="_blank">Lecture on the life and military services of General James Clinton. Read before the New-York Historical Society</a></i>, Feb. 1839. </p><p>Campbell, William W. <i><a href=" https://archive.org/details/annalsoftryoncou00camp_0" target="_blank">Annals of Tryon county; or, The border warfare of New York, during the revolution</a></i>, New York: J&J Harper, 1831. </p><p>Cruikshank, E. A. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/storyofbutlersra00cruiuoft" target="_blank">The Story of Butler's Rangers and the Settlement of Niagara</a></i>, Welland, Ont. Tribune Print. House, 1893. </p><p>Greene, Nelson <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/storyofoldfortpl00greeuoft" target="_blank">The Story of Old Fort Plain and the Middle Mohawk Valley (with five maps)</a></i>, Fort Plain: O'Connor, 1915. </p><p>Simms, Jeptha Root <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/storyofoldfortpl00greeuoft" target="_blank">The frontiersmen of New York: showing customs of the Indians, vicissitudes of the pioneer white settlers, and border strife in two wars</a></i>, Albany, NY: G.C. Riggs, 1882. </p><p>Stone, William L. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofjosephbran00lcston" target="_blank">Life of Joseph Brant-Thayendanegea</a></i>, Vol 2. 1792-1844, New York, A. V. Blake, 1838. </p><p>Thomas, Howard <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/marinuswillietts0000thom" target="_blank">Marinus Williett, soldier-patriot, 1740-1830</a></i>, Prospect Books, 1954 (borrow only) </p><p>Wager, Daniel E. Col. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/colmarinuswille00wage" target="_blank">Marinus Willett, the hero of Mohawk Valley</a></i>, Utica: Oneida Historical Society, 1891. </p><p>Warner, George H. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/militaryrecordso00warn" target="_blank">Military records of Schoharie County veterans of four wars</a></i>, Albany, NY, Weed, 1891. </p><p>Willett, Marinus <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/narrativeofmilit00inwill" target="_blank">A narrative of the military actions of Colonel Marinus Willett, taken chiefly from his own manuscript</a></i>, New York, G&C&H Carvill, 1831. </p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3>Berry, A.J. & James Morrison <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501082477?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=e6118506e2e74ce98db4fb1d50cca41d&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Marinus Willett, Saviour of The Mohawk Valley</a></i>, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. <p></p><p>Graymont, Barbara <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0815600836?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=54bc247d636a97ea48c48524768abb5b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Iroquois in the American Revolution</a></i>, Syracuse Univ. Press, 1972. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/iroquoisinameric00gray">borrow on archive.org</a>) </p><p>Lowenthal, Larry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1930098073?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=ae550e1df13817aa560e35dcf1544357&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Marinus Willett: Defender of the Northern Frontier (New Yorkers and the Revolution)</a></i>, Purple Mountain Pr Ltd, 2000. </p><p>Swiggett, Howard <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1258517213?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=837c9fd227f3877503b35309b5fb93e6&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">War Out of Niagara: Walter Butler and the Tory Rangers</a></i>, Literary Licensing, LLC. 2012. <br /><br />* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Albany, NY, USA42.6525793 -73.756231714.342345463821154 -108.9124817 70.962813136178852 -38.5999817tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-16224928156637339062023-12-03T03:00:00.004-05:002024-01-27T12:19:23.715-05:00ARP290 Grand Reconnaissance<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML2622879239" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>My focus for some time now has been on the war in the south. I last talked about the main Continental army under Washington in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/07/arp276-mutiny-in-continental-army.html" target="_blank">Episode 276</a>, when we discussed the mutiny of the Pennsylvania line. Before that, we go back to the fall of 1780 when Benedict Arnold fled to the British.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/le-plus-detaillee-july-1781-reconnaissance-new-york/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJtfXhp1Guk6J4Lelxfvvekz-9e3sg6LtUFgFN-K_09-KlMM8n0mT3RfM2ucQrkvkaRkwLj0TuQFrdozftamUYZb42xhHdxs9g_i9g7OKNzkXSBIRazEnXh10vLVfr3UgQl53jZmuN0d2r3F_5JM8TLvHDDvK9QKeHWfj43FpKapJTpQUJHKJLg__llBc/s320/recon4.jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/le-plus-detaillee-july-1781-reconnaissance-new-york/" target="_blank">Baron Von Closen retrieves his hat</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In 1780 and 1781, the main British army under General Henry Clinton occupied New York City, including all of Manhattan Island and most of Long Island. The Continentals were located throughout northern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley area of New York, mostly around West Point. The French army under General Rochambeau had arrived at Newport, Rhode Island in 1780, and had not moved since then.<p></p><p>Washington had conferred with Rochambeau at Hartford, Connecticut, in the fall of 1780. There both generals had agreed that they did not have enough men and resources to attack the British in New York, and agreed to focus on getting larger and better equipped armies to take on the task. Rochambeau sent his son back to Versailles to plead for more of everything. Washington fought with Congress and State leaders about getting them to provide more soldiers, and everything else they needed but the few soldiers that did join did not help with New York since he had to send so many to Virginia and the Carolinas.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Wethersfield Conference</h2><p>General Rochambeau’s son, the Vicomte de Rochambeau, put forward his father’s case for more of everything in France. It took him six months to return with an answer. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donatien-Marie-Joseph_de_Vimeur_de_Rochambeau.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcT7bCD8K5p22tv1o91Qe0pf1Y57gXc6gNxkzxHwW_3lNEoxp4d5uZcnReLlhivx2bEX_xmugfqyHKXuUOw2PW1rUIVId56K500zCG6JBzHGYTLhFnpSWvHYRmq7_3QnT0tiwF_wPH_8gSLuYSs8gopXNcxwBu2vGkUrwsBh12GZN8buQa81d0agmpXvtV/w172-h200/Donatien-Marie-Joseph_de_Vimeur_de_Rochambeau.jpg" width="172" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Donatien-Marie-Joseph_de_Vimeur_de_Rochambeau.jpg" target="_blank">Vicomte de Rochambeau</a></td></tr></tbody></table>French Minister Vergennes was skeptical. France was fighting a world war with Britain. His primary concern was the protection of France’s valuable island colonies in the West Indies. The war in North America was supposed to be a distraction to sap British resources, but at this point it seemed like it was mostly it seemed to be doing at this point was sapping French resources. <p></p><p>The war in Europe was also expanding. Britain had just declared war on the Netherlands. On top of that, when the younger Rochambeau arrived in France in December 1780, word had just arrived that the Empress Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire had died. France was concerned this might result in a new European War involving Prussia. Vergennes did not want to send a large army across the Atlantic if France itself might be threatened with an invasion by an army of Prussians.</p><p>Everything Vergennes was hearing: from Rochambeau, from his Minister Luzerne in Philadelphia, and from the American Ministers, Adams and Franklin, in France, confirmed that the Americans were barely keeping an army in the field at all. They had very few men, and no food, clothing, ammunition, nor anything else to maintain an army. France would essentially have to finance the war for America.</p><p>When the Vicomte returned to America to deliver Vergennes’ response, General Rochambeau sent a message for Washington to meet with him so that could discuss the response. The Vicomte landed in Newport, Rhode Island on May 6, 1781.</p><p>Initially the two leaders planned to meet again in Hartford, Connecticut which was about half way between Washington’s Headquarters in New York and Rochambeau’s headquarters in Rhode Island. Hartford was ruled out as a meeting place this time since the Connecticut General Assembly was in session in Hartford. Delegates were already using any spare rooms in town. Washington’s aide-de-camp, Samuel Bletchley Webb, suggested the leaders meet in Wethersfield, a few miles south of Hartford. Webb had grown up in Wethersfield, and offered up his family’s home, owned at the time by his older brother, as a suitable place to hold a conference.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://conntours.oncell.com/en/joseph-webb-house-193418.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="886" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCssFqJe2mQQAFaesT5GXXWtQCCvlN3sCZxSf3We4eSt60DKCSI1glwAzs55hmjhvjOeludOuSkTrnXnG6QtC0zK1Zs5fgx3KYSDnEsRRxc_7O6_D7VH2rNvqraIc24FoG2c0ydoYq62_M-QMviwVrK8SyPvygJYBT8JdsLOHQFz1TZwUeN75gZ3XbUu-0/s320/Washington-Rochambeau-Wethersfield-cropped-colorized.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Washington and Rochambeau met in Wethersfield on May 21, 1781. It was then that Rochambeau gave Washington the news from France. The news was that France was not sending a larger French Army. It wasn’t even sending over the 1600 that had been left behind in France when Rochambeau left. A tiny supplement of 600 soldiers was all they would receive.<p></p><p>Vergennes, however, was willing to provide some funds, in the hopes that it would allow the Continental Army to rebuild its own forces. France made a gift of 3.5 million livres. This money could be used to build up the Continental Army to a size that could fight the British. </p><p>In addition, France had deployed a large fleet under Admiral de Grasse with twenty ships of the line and 3200 marines and soldiers. The fleet left France in the spring, headed for the West Indies. Navies had to leave the West Indies by late summer to avoid hurricane season. So the news was that De Grasse would bring his fleet to North America for a fall campaign.</p><p>With that information, Rochambeau and Washington had to agree on a plan to make use of the French Navy when de Grasse arrived. Washington was still very much focused on retaking New York City. If the French Navy could control the water around Manhattan, the Continentals and French could advance onto Manhattan and compel the surrender of General Clinton and the British army there.</p><p>General Rochambeau disagreed with the plan. The British had an estimated 13,000 soldiers, even if Washington believed it to be only around 8000. Even using Washington's lower number, and even with the French Navy taking New York Harbor, Rochambeau’s force of less than 5000 men combined with the Continental Army under Washington, which had maybe 5000 on a good day, would not be enough to overwhelm British defenses on Manhattan, or even maintain a siege. A good rule of thumb was that an attacker needed at least twice the forces as the defender.</p><p>Instead of looking at New York, Rochambeau wanted to move their armies to Virginia. The British army under Cornwallis posed a real threat, but could be wiped out by a combined American and French force, backed by the French fleet.</p><p>The leaders of both armies argued over the options for two days, in discussions later described at <i>tense and heated</i>. In the end, after two days of debate, Rochambeau acceded to Washington’s demand for an attack on New York. After all, his orders from Versailles were to support Washington’s command decisions. Even here, Rochambeau equivocated. He said his French army would march to join with Washington’s in New York and would then assess together whether they could attack the city.</p><p>After the two men departed, Rochambeau wrote to Admiral de Grasse informing him of the discussions but still holding that an attack on Virginia made more sense. Although Rochambeau was under orders to support Washington, de Grasse was not. If de Grasse sailed for the Chesapeake, there was nothing the Continentals could do to compel the French fleet to go elsewhere. Rochambeau did not openly defy Washington’s wishes since he also suggested in his letter that, after destroying Cornwallis’ army in Virginia, they could then sail up to New York, if time and resources permitted.</p><p>Rochambeau also reached out to French Minister Luzerne in Philadelphia about his plans. Afterwards. Luzerne also wrote to de Grasse about the importance of taking out Cornwallis’ Army in Virginia. So even after their conference, the American and French commanders did not seem to be on the same page.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">King’s Bridge Raid</h2><p>In mid-June, a few weeks after returning from Wethersfield, and after getting New England leaders to call up 1000 militiamen to protect the French assets at Newport, Rochambeau began marching his army toward Washington’s headquarters in New York. It took the French army nearly three weeks to reach New York state, arriving in Philipsburg on July 5.</p><p>The combined Continental and French Armies still totaled less than 8000 men. They faced a British defensive army of nearly 15,000. Even before the French army arrived, Washington began to probe British defenses for weaknesses. On the night of July 1, General Benjamin Lincoln led 800 Continentals on an amphibious landing at the northern end of Manhattan.</p><p>Lincoln had only rejoined Washington a few weeks earlier. We last left General Lincoln in Charleston South Carolina, where he surrendered along with the rest of the southern army in the spring of 1780. After his capture, the British Lincoln to leave on parole almost immediately after his capture. Under the terms of his parole he was permitted to visit Philadelphia to brief Congress, but afterward was restricted to New England. By the fall of 1780, the armies had arranged for an exchange, which allowed Lincoln to return to active duty. Lincoln, however, remained in Massachusetts, primarily organizing militia and recruiting for the Continental Army. He rejoined Washington in New York in mid-June 1781, just in time to launch this attack.</p><p>Lincoln had moved his men down the Hudson River landing on the New Jersey side, near the former site of Fort Lee. Overnight, his men crossed the river into Manhattan to attack the forts there. At the same time, French General Armand Louis de Gontaut, the Duke de Lauzun, led a night march against Morrissania, a Tory stronghold just to the east of northern Manhattan.</p><p>At dawn, Lincoln was poised to attack the forts, but found the defenses there unexpectedly strong. His orders in that case were to abandon his attack in Manhattan, and cross King’s Bridge, back into what is today Yonkers, then go down to aid in Lauzun’s attack on Morrisania.</p><p>Lincoln’s force encountered a force of Hessian Jaegers and was forced to retreat. The two armies skirmished, as Lincoln marched back toward the main Continental Army. When they got close to the main American camp, Hessians broke off their attack and returned to their base.</p><p>Loauzun heard the sound of gunfire and marched his French forces toward them, calling off his attack on Morrisania. By the time he arrived, the Hessians had already withdrawn. Washington observed the movements closely, trying to assess the British defenses. Similarly, General Clinton rode out from New York City to observe the skirmishing and look for any American weaknesses.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Grand Reconnaissance</h2><p>On July 6, a few days after Lincoln’s attack, General Rochambeau arrived in Phillipsburg from his winter camp in Newport. The July heat was unbearable during the march, and many French soldiers collapsed during the march. They needed time to recover before they would be ready for anything. Even so, Washington was thrilled that the French Army had arrived and would soon be ready to do something. </p><p>The French soldiers were concerned about the condition of their allies. Washington’s Continentals in New York numbered only about 3500 troops. One French officer at the time commented that the Continentals were “<i>mostly naked</i>” and that three-quarters of them had no shoes.</p><p>Rochambeau reviewed the intelligence from the earlier raid, but wanted to launch a second larger attack so that his officers could get a better understanding of British defenses. Washington and Rochambeau agreed to launch a grand reconnaissance. This would be a rather sizeable attack on the British lines, not with the goal of overrunning them, but only to determine where British defenses were, and how strong they were.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/le-plus-detaillee-july-1781-reconnaissance-new-york/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2038" data-original-width="2400" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYD5XW-5-u25Kyy1kqK9CKZYjib3NCchEiE5G5oGrHod8NPwptvE2ckoBTzg9IrXPgqVlXMO9Fm1aanDK8xrRK0NbOx8nWh-HZ0hRx8DgZux8zYPAZ8IaMvxi4wKUv919ifXHGxOQnsL4l9gX8IlNXRAzTtzqRnFx7mUY-Oi4qhKCmFupKgRXMp07_n1g1/s320/Grand-Recon-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/le-plus-detaillee-july-1781-reconnaissance-new-york/" target="_blank">French Map of British Defenses drawn July 1781</a></td></tr></tbody></table>After the French soldiers had a few days to recover, torrential rains delayed the allies from launching their larger attack a little longer. While waiting for the weather to clear, Washington and Rochambeau crossed into New Jersey to view the western side of the British defenses from across the river. On July 18, the two generals, along with a small force of about 150, observed the British, making note of what they could see from the Palisades. They observed that the British had done their job: stripping the area of trees and bushes that could provide cover for an attacking force. They noted at least six battalions of British and German forces, behind ditches and abattis that discouraged any direct assault. Still, this was not enough to understand fully what British defenses they faced if they were to assault Manhattan.<p></p><p>On the night of July 21, the combined armies of about 4000 men marched in four columns toward Valentine Hill, a small rise just to the north of Manhattan Island. In the early pre-dawn hours of July 22, the two Continental and two French columns converged there to prepare for the attack.</p><p>Again, French officers noted how poorly clothed and fed the Continentals were, but also noted that they marched efficiently, silently, and in good order. While the soldiers were poorly supplied, they acted as professional soldiers. </p><p>The combined army formed a line about two and a half miles long, with one end at the former Fort Independence, which the Americans had abandoned years earlier following the British offensive. </p><p>The only remaining enemy garrison across the river from Manhattan was at Redoubt Number 8, only a short distance away. Redoubt Number 8 sat across Harlem Creek from Manhattan and some distance from Kings Bridge, meaning it was somewhat isolated. But British forces on the other side of the river in Manhattan had boats to reach the Redoubt. The redoubt itself was garrisoned by Hessian and loyalist forces. </p><p>The allied forces wanted to take the redoubt so that they could get a view of the British defenses from the east. From the Redoubt, they simply had to look across Harlem Creek into Manhattan.</p><p>As the Americans and French advanced on Redoubt Number 8, Hessian pickets fired warning shots to alert British forces to the enemy’s presence. Within fifteen minutes, British dragoons crossed the Harlem Creek to reinforce the Redoubt. British artillery from Laurel Hill, just across the creek, had a cannon range to support the redoubt.</p><p>Washington ordered an assault on the Redoubt, with two French divisions and one Continental. The assault was reinforced by French artillery that had arrived just in time to participate. The British defenses held and the Allied assault fell back. Seeing that they would not take the redoubt, Washington and Rochambeau used the attack to get a better idea of defenses, not only at Redoubt Number 8, but also the nearby Fort Tryon, Fort Knyphausen and Fort Laurel Hill. They also noted that the British had also built a wall to prevent any advance between the forts on Manhattan.</p><p>After that, Washington and Rochambeau then left the army under the command of General Lincoln and rode off to see how the French advance on Morrissania was going. The two generals had only a small contingent of dragoons with them, when they encountered a group of about twenty Tories. The dragoons charged the enemy who retreated to a nearby house.</p><p>The small groups skirmished for some time. At one point, one of Rochambeau’s aides, the duc de Damas had his horse shot out from under him. After the horse fell, a Tory charged out of the house to attack another of Rochambeau’s aides, Louis-Alexandre Berthier, screaming <i>“Die, you dog of a Frenchman”</i>. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/le-plus-detaillee-july-1781-reconnaissance-new-york"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="3000" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_NF9JNoW7hfCCWxfgEpe2rC1Cq5AsLb4pctlDb60Bb1-yOPcNIAa9FqtEw1UWiGcJ2WW-C4ekjRNNISgWlHJ-2ZHKtbI9aB_1kAr0C7Wqs6uYYrY4tjFDnLtuFi7hCrz34UBQE0AhiH3d6V4B5tYyjzE0kIoUX0gsSvnL728nLMhAkzebUMwlCPXNO6Z/s320/Grand-Recon-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/le-plus-detaillee-july-1781-reconnaissance-new-york">French Map of Manhattan, 1781</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Berthier pulled his pistol and shot the attacker in the chest. <p></p><p>The main talk among the officers, however, was Baron von Closen. As he had chased the Tories, a tree branch knocked off his hat. He stopped his horse and dismounted to retrieve it. By the time he mounted again, the rest of the party was gone, and he found himself alone. Closen eventually caught up with them, but they all had thought that he had been killed while retrieving his hat. His survival was a pleasant surprise, although they all gave him a hard time over risking his life to retreive his hat. In the end, none of the soldiers were killed or seriously wounded in the encounter.</p><p>The skirmish ended and the party continued on its way. They reached Morrissania, where they could get a good view of the British defenses on Manhattan south of the main British defensive line. There, the party came under fire from British cannons in New York Harbor. A panicked guide noted, after galloping away, that Generals Washington and Rochambeau followed him at a slow pace, apparently unconcerned about the cannonballs whirring around them.</p><p>By 9 PM after about 24 hours of constant movement, the generals had a quick meal and got a few hours of sleep. By 4 AM the next day, July 23, they were back in the saddle, headed for Throg’s Neck to view British defenses on Long Island.</p><p>As the surveyors and engineers did their work at Throg’s Neck, Rochambeau and Washington discussed what they had seen. Both men were exhausted men and fell asleep that afternoon. While they slept, the tide came in, turning their peninsula into an island. A British navy ship sailed up and fired on the party. The two generals had to grab their saddles and run up to the northern part of the island. There, aides got both men onto boats and back to the main shore. Their horses had to swim for it. One of Washington’s Life Guards was killed in this artillery barrage. The rest of the party, however, managed to get out of cannon range. They soon rejoined the main army near King’s Bridge.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h2><p>The conclusion of the reconnaissance was that the British defenses were quite formidable. The allies estimated the enemy had about 18,000 soldiers. There was no way to storm the Manhattan defenses from the north, at least not without horrific losses. A water landing below those defenses could be easily blocked by the British Navy. The danger of being encircled and entrapped was too great, even if they could raise an army large enough to challenge the British.</p><p>As I said, Rochambeau had believed that New York was not a viable target from the beginning. But armed with this evidence, he seemed to convince Washington to give up the goal of an attack on New York and instead look toward Virginia. </p><p>A frustrated Washington finally conceded that his goal of taking New York in 1781 would be impossible. In his diary, about a week later, he lamented that if only the states had fulfilled their quotas, the attack would be possible. But conceding to reality, Washington finally began to consider an operation to the south rather than an attack on New York. His dream of ending the war by recapturing New York came to an end.</p><p><b>Next week,</b> we are going to head a little further north, as the soldiers in the Mohawk Valley continue to contest British raids from Canada.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/12/arp291-new-dorlach-and-johnstown.html" target="_blank">Episode 291 New Dorlach</a></p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp289-green-spring.html" target="_blank">Episode 289 Green Spring</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>Saberton, Ian “The Aborted Virginia Campaign and its Aftermath, May to August 1781” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, Nov. 23, 2020. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/11/the-aborted-virginia-campaign-and-its-aftermath-may-to-august-1781" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/11/the-aborted-virginia-campaign-and-its-aftermath-may-to-august-1781</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Robison, Conor “The Battle of Green Spring: A Footnote on the Road to Yorktown” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, November 10, 2022. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2022/11/the-battle-of-green-spring-a-footnote-on-the-road-to-yorktown" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2022/11/the-battle-of-green-spring-a-footnote-on-the-road-to-yorktown</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Hatch, Charles E. Jr. “The ‘Affair Near James Island’ (or, ‘The Battle of Green Spring’)”</div><div><i>The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography</i>, July 1945 (volume 53), pp. 172–96. <a href="https://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/hatch/index.html" target="_blank">https://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/hatch/index.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Conrad, Bryan. “Lafayette and Cornwallis in Virginia, 1781.” <i>The William and Mary Quarterly</i>, vol. 14, no. 2, 1934, pp. 100–04. JSTOR, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1915672" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/1915672</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Urwin, Gregory J. W. “When Freedom Wore a Red Coat: How Cornwallis’ 1781 Campaign Threatened the Revolution in Virginia.” <i>Army History</i>, no. 68, 2008, pp. 6–23. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/26298725" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/26298725</a></div><div><br /></div></div><div>Green Spring <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/green-spring" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/green-spring</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Green Spring <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-green-spring" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-green-spring</a></div></div><div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Clinton, Henry <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_the-narrative-of-lieuten_clinton-sir-henry-kb_1783" target="_blank">The Narrative of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B. relative to his conduct during part of his command of the King's troops in North America</a></i>, 1783. </p><p>Eckenrode, H.J. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/revolutioninvirg00ecke" target="_blank">The Revolution in Virginia</a></i>, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1916. </p><p>Harrell, Isaac Samuel <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminvirgin0000harr" target="_blank">Loyalism in Virginia; chapters in the economic history of the Revolution</a></i>, New York, AMS Press, 1965. </p><p>Johnston, Henry P. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/yorktowncampaign00johnrich" target="_blank">The Yorktown Campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis, 1781</a></i>, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881. </p><p>Kapp Friedrich <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifefrederickwi00kappgoog" target="_blank">The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben</a></i>, New York: Mason Bros. 1859. </p><p>Tarleton, Banastre <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" target="_blank">A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America</a></i>, London: T. Cadell 1787. </p></div><div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Cecere, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594162794?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7c7e939997de5505d33787d8a8cca053&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Westholme Publishing, 2017. </p><div>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Gottschalk, Louis R. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226305376?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=d14c7aa0c26ace0866ce4d975853511c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Lafayette and the Close of the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of Chicago, 1942 </div><div>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/lafayettecloseof0000unse" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>).</div></div><p>Kranish, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374622?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3b9ad090545a7776dbdace5678f2f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War</a></i>, Oxford Univ. Press, 2010. </p><p>Nelson, Paul D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0253307511?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=b10d5ff917696235c45f1afb9d1812bd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne, Soldier of the Early Republic</a></i>, Indiana Univ. Press, 1985 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/anthonywaynesold00nels" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><div>Palmer, John M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00085D6YY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1422f0067b394e568bb61e989bd4f8a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">General von Steuben</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 1937 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/generalvonsteube0000palm" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Stockwell, Mary <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300214758?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=2127b4bd69a6dfbd39b3ff79c33d7c6c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Unlikely General: "Mad" Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 2018.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Ward, Harry M. <i><a href="1977 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813907152?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3f634c9757e6c3cfdbbe3bd0fef6810a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Richmond during the Revolution, 1775-83</a></i>, Charlottesville: Univ. Press of Virginia, </div><div>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/richmondduringre0000ward " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Wickwire, Franklin B. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0571096778?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5c7bc35a863bd8f7c8ceb5b8e9d73ddd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Cornwallis, The American Adventure</a></i>, Houghton Mifflin, 1970</div><div>(<a href=" https://archive.org/details/cornwallisameric00wick " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div></div><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Yonkers, NY, USA40.9312099 -73.89874689999999212.620976063821153 -109.05499689999999 69.241443736178837 -38.742496899999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-79379707431607667982023-11-19T03:00:00.002-05:002023-12-02T17:01:06.047-05:00ARP289 Green Spring<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML6304520569&light=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>We left off last week with the British army in Virginia under General Charles Cornwallis. After linking up with the army under William Phillips and Benedict Arnold, Cornwallis had an army of about 7000 men under his command. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/wayne.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gzeUs4Ki99w/XLyn4p0f3YI/AAAAAAAAVt8/Fk9M2jeM8bciWZ8LEP7617r2toZyo-_fQCLcBGAs/s200/Anthony_Wayne.jpg" width="158" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/wayne.html" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>He began a series of raids across Virginia, including the raid on Governor Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello. Then, near the end of June, Cornwallis received orders from General Henry Clinton to withdraw back to the coast, to send half his army back to New York, and to cease all offensive operations in Virginia.</p><p>With the appearance that the British army was on the verge of taking control of Virginia, this may sound like a bizarre change of plans. Certainly to General Cornwallis, it was frustrating and confusing. So we need to take a step back and look at this from the perspective of General Clinton in New York.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Clinton War Plans</h2><p>General Clinton had taken command of the British forces in America following General Howe’s recall in 1778. This coincided with France’s entry into the war, resulting in London recalling much of the army in America to other parts of the empire. British Secretary of State, George Germain, ordered Clinton to evacuate Philadelphia and to consolidate the army at New York. This was done to free up the army and navy for actions elsewhere in the world. </p><p>Clinton spent the next few years trying to get more soldiers to go back on the offensive, but with little luck. He mostly focused on the South, taking Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina. After the British capture of Charleston in the spring of 1780, Clinton returned to New York, leaving General Cornwallis in charge of the south. Clinton told Cornwallis that his primary mission was to secure South Carolina and Georgia, leaving open the possibility of moving the war into North Carolina only once he had secured those southern colonies.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATjLWqLRURDdH5f6_bVN-nu_ugjvzP2PbHN5PoqXyJY7A7-WWO90z2FXOHyD8tA6iKdNOo5wRTx0OPz35-c_vXgzbTk5VCknyl7EDExxtTORlEeSkgPq0ZkpvAP2z2J_Vj3paAM1tVd7zrYgMJlrs7vkqIy9pUttb-O_I4Iu0Bsc7v2QWmF0claFHoQ=s480" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="388" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjATjLWqLRURDdH5f6_bVN-nu_ugjvzP2PbHN5PoqXyJY7A7-WWO90z2FXOHyD8tA6iKdNOo5wRTx0OPz35-c_vXgzbTk5VCknyl7EDExxtTORlEeSkgPq0ZkpvAP2z2J_Vj3paAM1tVd7zrYgMJlrs7vkqIy9pUttb-O_I4Iu0Bsc7v2QWmF0claFHoQ=w162-h200" width="162" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gen. Henry Clinton</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Clinton expected Cornwallis to focus on the pacification of South Carolina. This would ensure British control of South Carolina, Georgia, and East Florida. A strong British presence in South Carolina would encourage loyalists to turn out and support the king, ending the war there. Then, and only then, did Cornwallis have the option to move north into North Carolina.</p><p>Of course, Cornwallis moved into North Carolina while South Carolina was still very much in play. By taking British attention away from South Carolina, Cornwallis had allowed the local patriot militia to continue their contest there, and prevent many loyalists from turning out. Loyalists were reluctant to join with the British army if they were not certain the British army was there to stay. The knew that once the British army left, they and their property was subject to the wrath of the patriots.</p><p>So by leaving South Carolina for North Carolina and eventually Virginia, Cornwallis had undermined Clinton’s plans to secure South Carolina for Britain. Cornwallis had not bothered to keep his commander in New York apprised of his actions. Clinton did not receive any reports from Cornwallis for months in 1781. Instead, Cornwallis was sending reports directly to Germain in London.</p><p>Clinton had considered Cornwallis a backstabber, ever since the time in 1776 that Cornwallis reported to then-General Howe some things that Clinton had said about Howe in a fit of pique. With Cornwallis communicating directly with Germain, he was once again undermining Clinton.</p><p>Clinton certainly had an interest in Virginia. He had first deployed General <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/alexander-leslie.htm" target="_blank">Alexander Leslie</a> there in 1780, then General Arnold, and then General Phillips. But Clinton had never planned to secure Virginia under British rule. The point of these deployments was to disrupt Virginia from sending soldiers and supplies to support the war effort in the Carolinas. These efforts were supposed to relieve the pressure on Cornwallis as he focused on the destruction of Nathanael Greene’s Continentals and the local militia. </p><p>When General Phillips had some success in Virginia, he and Clinton discussed the idea of defeating the small army under Lafayette, then moving into Maryland, and possibly launching some new raids on Philadelphia. Much of this, however, was simply to distract the enemy so that Cornwallis could continue his work to pacify the Carolinas.</p><p>After learning that Cornwallis had abandoned the Carolinas and moved into Virginia, none of this made much sense. What was the point of raids in Maryland and Pennsylvania to distract the enemy in the south, if the British were no longer fighting in the South?</p><p>At this point, Clinton seemed not to know what to do next. For a time, he considered going forward with the raids into Maryland and Pennsylvania with Cornwallis. But Cornwallis opposed that and wanted to focus on Virginia. Some of the news coming out of the south indicated that things there were not as chaotic as feared. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/francis-rawdon.htm" target="_blank"> Lord Rawdon’s</a> victory at Hobkirk Hill gave the British leadership hope that the south could remain secure even in Cornwallis’ absence. </p><p>Clinton was also concerned about his own position in New York. He still had a French Army at Newport Rhode Island under General Rochambeau, along with the main Continental Army under General Washington, in Northern New Jersey. If Clinton sent too much of his army to assist Cornwallis, he risked being attacked and losing New York, especially if the navy did not provide backing. In July, 1781, Admiral <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/marriot-arbuthnot/" target="_blank">Mariot Arbuthnot</a> had resigned his command and returned to Britain. The new commander, Admiral <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/lord-thomas-graves" target="_blank">Thomas Graves</a>, did not get along particularly well with General Clinton. Further, Clinton had intelligence that a new French fleet under <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/comte-de-grasse" target="_blank">Admiral DeGrasse</a> was sailing for America, destination unknown. Clinton feared that it could be part of an effort to capture New York.</p><p>The potential threat to New York is what caused Clinton to recall about half of Cornwallis’ army in Virginia. Clinton believed Cornwallis would still have enough men to deal with the small Continental army in Virginia under Lafayette, and would give the British in New York more reinforcements if the French and Americans attacked there. Clinton’s spies had reported to him that Washington and Rochambeau had met and conferred on just such a plan a few weeks earlier.</p><p>In mid-June, Clinton wrote out orders for Cornwallis to take a more defensive posture in Virginia, and to send half of his army to New York. Cornwallis received these letters a few weeks later, near the end of June.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Anthony Wayne to Virginia</h2><p>Meanwhile the Continentals had been caught off guard by how weak Virginia’s defenses really were. General Washington had initially deployed Lafayette to Virginia to take on Benedict Arnold’s small army. The enemy army grew to over 7000 with the arrival of armies under General Phillips and Cornwallis. Lafayette knew he would have no chance in a battle and withdrew his men north and west to avoid a confrontation.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anthony_Wayne.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1755" data-original-width="1402" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZ6n3xtOq7M/Xo9-x8RDhzI/AAAAAAAAaYM/wUB8SIh3Yq4YPMhTkXJPhgU0y2tl-POuQCPcBGAYYCw/w160-h200/Anthony_Wayne2-crop.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anthony_Wayne.jpg" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Washington provided some additional support by sending General <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/anthony-wayne.htm" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne</a> with about 800 soldiers for the Pennsylvania line to join Lafayette in Virginia. Wayne had been fighting under Washington for several years, and had a reputation as an aggressive warrior who would go after the enemy.</p><p>Wayne commanded the Pennsylvania line. These were the same soldiers who had mutinied in January. Although a political compromise had brought the men back into service without punishment, Wayne knew he might still have problems.</p><p>The Pennsylvania soldiers grumbled about having to bail out Virginia when it was well known that Virginia had never come close to meeting its enlistment obligations for the Continental Army and didn’t seem to want to turn out to defend itself. Pennsylvanians, who had seen years of war, considered it appropriate that the Virginians dig themselves out of the current British attack.</p><p>More significantly, the soldiers had not been paid for months. Despite promises made after the January mutiny the men remained without basics. This led to a refusal to march to Virginia until their demands were met. The Army stopped at York, Pennsylvania and would not move south.</p><p>Wayne was in no mood to compromise again with the Pennsylvania line. He took pretty decisive action. He determined twelve of the leaders of the current delay. He held immediate court martials of all twelve men. Seven of the men were shot by firing squad. One was not killed in the volley and was ordered bayoneted to death. General Wayne literally had to put a pistol to the executioner’s head before he would finish the job of bayonetting this man to death. Wayne ordered the remaining five ringleaders hanged. All of them were buried and Wayne ordered the army to continue its march to Virginia.</p><p>This got the army on the move again, but the men marched slowly, only eight or nine miles per day. Wayne also had to keep his men under guard, lest they try to desert, and he even confiscate all ammunition from his soldiers, lest they fire on their own officers.</p><p>Wayne’s army crossed into Virginia in early June, and linked up with Lafayette about a week later. By that time, the British raid on Charlottesville was over, and Cornwallis was slowly withdrawing his forces back towards Williamsburg.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cobbling Together an Army</h2><p>Even after Lafayette and Wayne came together, the combined Continental Army consisted of less than 2000 soldiers. Lafayette was also taking heavy criticism from the Virginia legislature for failing to engage with the British before Wayne’s arrival, allowing them to take Richmond and raid Charlottesville, among other places throughout the state.</p><p>Nevermind that the British under Cornwallis had an army of between 7000 and 8000 soldiers and that the Virginia militia had refused to turn out in numbers that were anything close to challenge the invaders.</p><p>That finally began to change. When the legislature met in June, they chose militia General <a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/nelsonjrbio.htm" target="_blank">Thomas Nelson</a> to serve as the new governor. They gave Nelson near dictatorial powers. They also passed laws that allowed for the confiscation of property for men opposing the turnout of the militia, and the death penalty for deserters. They also guaranteed militia the same pay as Continental soldiers, and reduced militia terms from three months to two months. These moves finally encouraged many locals to turn out for militia duty.</p><p>Also, the 450 Virginia Continentals under General <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/baron-von-steuben" target="_blank">Von Steuben</a> also returned. Their commander remained in North Carolina, on a sick bed. Steuben had been following his orders to link up with General Greene in South Carolina, before receiving counter-orders to return to Virginia. Steuben sent his army back to Virginia, while he personally remained in North Carolina to recuperate.</p><p>The result was that Lafayette was able to gather a combined army that was much larger. Estimates differ on the actual size. I’ve seen estimates ranging from 4000 to 5500 men. It was still smaller than the enemy army under Cornwallis, but respectable enough to put up a fight. Lafayette gave Wayne command of the advance force of the army to dog the rear of the British withdrawal.</p><p>While it was clear that Cornwallis was already pulling back at a leisurely pace, Lafayette at least wanted to make it appear that the Continentals were forcing the withdrawal. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Green Spring</h2><p>By the end of June, Cornwallis had reached Williamsburg and had received Clinton’s requests to send 3000 soldiers back to New York. The British leadership was still debating whether to use Portsmouth or Yorktown as its base of operations. Because Yorktown did not have defenses yet, and because Cornwallis was about to lose half of his army to a deployment in New York, he chose to move to Portsmouth.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Green_Spring#/media/File:Virginia1781_SpencersAndGreenSpring.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7rQiId554krDIaDBVQljq6KDKn5_c53Yz-dpgWwH84cLTEZI2FKMYRaBcE0rMpRL5H4k408kbuB6wlviYrCG-1OeyPCQKaPITFQqKk42qSQz5AR1vRCPoufKE8ZIjEMHS0d7aeXwemjTTPelt577_R-zARZtaHYJWxh-J23gVR5SqXoZQfXN1tb0H68G/s320/Green_Spring_Map.jpg" width="313" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Green_Spring#/media/File:Virginia1781_SpencersAndGreenSpring.jpg" target="_blank">Lafayette's Map of Green Spring</a></td></tr></tbody></table>This move would require shuttling his army from the north side of the James River to the south bank for the final march to Portsmouth. The danger for the British was being caught by an enemy attack while in the middle of transporting the army across the James. That was exactly what Lafayette hoped to do.<p></p><p>General Wayne marched his advance force of about 900 Continentals toward the British rearguard. Lafayette personally joined Wayne’s advance force to scout out the enemy, even though the main Continental Army and militia were still miles back from the advance force.</p><p>Cornwallis had begun moving his army across the James River, using the Jamestown Ferry, just southwest of Williamsburg. On the morning of July 6, Wayne marched his advance force toward the Ferry, hoping to attack the British rearguard before the entire army could cross the river.</p><p>The American advance encountered British pickets early that afternoon at the Green Spring Plantation, about five miles west of Williamsburg and about two miles north of the Jamestown Ferry. </p><p>Wayne deployed his men, consisting of about 500 men of the Pennsylvania line, about 200 riflemen, and a few light artillery pieces to attack the British rearguard. He held a couple of hundred men in reserve, with the main army still several hours’ march behind them. Meanwhile Lafayette rode down to the James River to get a better view of the battle. </p><p>Wayne’s advance pushed back the British pickets and pushed forward to harass the enemy rear. Meanwhile, Lafayette got into position to observe the enemy. He saw lines of redcoats in the swamps near where Wayne was approaching. He realized immediately <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F4qzPbcFiA" target="_blank">it’s-a-trap</a>! Cornwallis had only sent his baggage across the river. He still had his entire army of over 7000 men hidden in position to take on Wayne’s advance force of about 700.</p><p>Lafayette, however, was too far away from Wayne to give him any warning. Around 5PM, Wayne’s line seized an abandoned British cannon on the road. That was the signal for the British attack. British artillery opened up on Wayne’s line with canister and grapeshot, followed by a bayonet charge by infantry.</p><p>Wayne feared that a withdrawal would turn into a route much like the Paoli Massacre, where his men would be run down and slaughtered. Rather than retreat, Wayne ordered his own artillery to fire, then ordered his own men to charge into the superior British lines. This act of bravado caught the British by surprise, and halted the British advance. General Cornwallis then personally led a new British charge into the American lines, finally forcing the American withdrawal. </p><p>By this time Lafayette had caught up to Wayne’s forces, only to have his horse shot out from under him. The Americans withdrew, losing two of their field cannons. British reports indicate the loss of 5 officers and 70 men, while Lafayette reported losing about 140.</p><p>The following morning, Cornwallis began really ferrying his army across the river. <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/banastre-tarleton" target="_blank">Banastre Tarleton</a> scouted the enemy camp about six miles away, and recommended an attack. But Cornwallis had already been to this party. He knew that the Americans would likely just withdraw further upriver and avoid a battle. Cornwallis had already sent his baggage to Portsmouth, and had no desire to start chasing the Continentals back across Virginia.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">American Withdrawal</h2><p>Cornwallis was correct that Lafayette was in no mood for another battle. He withdrew most of his army back to Richmond. Wayne’s forces established themselves at Westover.</p><p>Lafayette was critical of Wayne’s charge into a superior enemy. Other generals, inducing General <a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/muhlenbergbio.htm" target="_blank">Muhlenberg</a> who had been with the main army in Virginia also called Wayne’s charge impetuous. The public, however, seemed enthralled by the bravado. The <i><a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/sn83025471" target="_blank">New Jersey Gazette</a></i> referred to him as “Mad Anthony” for his action.</p><p>Lafayette also received praise from Virginians for forcing the British back to the coast. He had to release most of his militia to return home, thus shrinking his available army back to under 2000 Continentals and only a handful of militia.</p><p>Cornwallis unleashed Tarleton for a few raids in August, but no more major offensives came from the British side. Meanwhile, Lafayette began writing to Washington about the lack of men, food, and equipment, and his desire to rejoin Washington in New Jersey.</p><p>Washington, however, ordered Lafayette to remain in Virginia, and keep the British bottled up if possible, until a larger force could come to Virginia and deal with them.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">New Plans</h2><p>On July 8, with most of his army across the river and on their way to Portsmouth, Cornwallis received new orders from General Clinton. Clinton called off his early request to take 3000 soldiers back to New York, and instead suggested that Cornwallis use them to raid Philadelphia. They would join up with another force sent by Clinton from New York. </p><p>When Cornwallis arrived in Portsmouth a few days later, he received several more letters from Clinton, including one that Clinton had written in May disapproving of Cornwallis’ decision to leave the Carolinas and go to Virginia.</p><p>With the flurry of letters from Clinton, each of which seemed to describe a contradictory strategy, Cornwallis was unsure what to do. Part of the problem was that Secretary Germain had written to Clinton, telling him not to hamstring Cornwallis in Virginia. Germain thought Clinton was behaving too timidly and saw Cornwallis as an active general who was actually accomplishing things.</p><p>Cornwallis had opposed a suggested raid on Philadelphia in May, and still opposed it now. But since those were the most recent orders that he had received, he began making plans to put part of his army on transports, to move up the Chesapeake Bay, presumably landing near where General Howe had landed at Head of Elk years earlier on his advance on Philadelphia. On July 20, the first transport, carrying <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/john-graves-simcoe.htm" target="_blank">Colonel Simcoe’s</a> Queen’s Rangers had boarded a transport. Then, another letter arrived from Clinton calling off the entire plan to raid Philadelphia. The following day, Cornwallis received another letter from Clinton telling him to secure a Chesapeake port for the British Navy. He told Cornwallis to use his discretion on whether he should keep his entire army for that purpose, or send half of them back to New York. In some ways, this seemed like a trap. If Cornwallis kept his entire army, and the Americans attacked New York, Clinton could blame Cornwallis for failing to send the requested reinforcements.</p><p>Cornwallis opted to keep his entire army, and chose to build his naval port at Yorktown rather than Portsmouth. The location was more defensible, and would give his army more opportunities to forage for food in the area around Williamsburg. Having his entire army would give him the workforce necessary to build the necessary defenses. </p><p>Cornwallis spent a hot August destroying and evacuating the British base at Portsmouth and digging new defenses at Yorktown.</p><p><b>Next Week</b>, we head up to New York to take a closer look at Washington’s plans to attack the British in Manhattan.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp289-green-spring.html" target="_blank">Episode 290 Grand Reconnaissance</a></p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp288-raid-on-monticello.html" target="_blank">Episode 288 Raid on Monticello</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>Saberton, Ian “The Aborted Virginia Campaign and its Aftermath, May to August 1781” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, Nov. 23, 2020. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/11/the-aborted-virginia-campaign-and-its-aftermath-may-to-august-1781" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/11/the-aborted-virginia-campaign-and-its-aftermath-may-to-august-1781</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Robison, Conor “The Battle of Green Spring: A Footnote on the Road to Yorktown” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, November 10, 2022. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2022/11/the-battle-of-green-spring-a-footnote-on-the-road-to-yorktown" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2022/11/the-battle-of-green-spring-a-footnote-on-the-road-to-yorktown</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Hatch, Charles E. Jr. “The ‘Affair Near James Island’ (or, ‘The Battle of Green Spring’)”</div><div><i>The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography</i>, July 1945 (volume 53), pp. 172–96. <a href="https://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/hatch/index.html" target="_blank">https://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/hatch/index.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Conrad, Bryan. “Lafayette and Cornwallis in Virginia, 1781.” <i>The William and Mary Quarterly</i>, vol. 14, no. 2, 1934, pp. 100–04. JSTOR, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1915672" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/1915672</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Urwin, Gregory J. W. “When Freedom Wore a Red Coat: How Cornwallis’ 1781 Campaign Threatened the Revolution in Virginia.” <i>Army History</i>, no. 68, 2008, pp. 6–23. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/26298725" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/26298725</a></div><div><br /></div></div><div>Green Spring <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/green-spring" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/green-spring</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Green Spring <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-green-spring" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-green-spring</a></div></div><div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Clinton, Henry <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_the-narrative-of-lieuten_clinton-sir-henry-kb_1783" target="_blank">The Narrative of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B. relative to his conduct during part of his command of the King's troops in North America</a></i>, 1783. </p><p>Eckenrode, H.J. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/revolutioninvirg00ecke" target="_blank">The Revolution in Virginia</a></i>, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1916. </p><p>Harrell, Isaac Samuel <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminvirgin0000harr" target="_blank">Loyalism in Virginia; chapters in the economic history of the Revolution</a></i>, New York, AMS Press, 1965. </p><p>Johnston, Henry P. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/yorktowncampaign00johnrich" target="_blank">The Yorktown Campaign and the surrender of Cornwallis, 1781</a></i>, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1881. </p><p>Kapp Friedrich <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifefrederickwi00kappgoog" target="_blank">The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben</a></i>, New York: Mason Bros. 1859. </p><p>Tarleton, Banastre <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" target="_blank">A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America</a></i>, London: T. Cadell 1787. </p></div><div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Cecere, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594162794?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7c7e939997de5505d33787d8a8cca053&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Westholme Publishing, 2017. </p><div>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Gottschalk, Louis R. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0226305376?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=d14c7aa0c26ace0866ce4d975853511c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Lafayette and the Close of the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of Chicago, 1942 </div><div>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/lafayettecloseof0000unse" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>).</div></div><p>Kranish, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374622?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3b9ad090545a7776dbdace5678f2f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War</a></i>, Oxford Univ. Press, 2010. </p><p>Nelson, Paul D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0253307511?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=b10d5ff917696235c45f1afb9d1812bd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne, Soldier of the Early Republic</a></i>, Indiana Univ. Press, 1985 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/anthonywaynesold00nels" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><div>Palmer, John M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00085D6YY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1422f0067b394e568bb61e989bd4f8a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">General von Steuben</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 1937 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/generalvonsteube0000palm" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Stockwell, Mary <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300214758?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=2127b4bd69a6dfbd39b3ff79c33d7c6c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Unlikely General: "Mad" Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 2018.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Ward, Harry M. <i><a href="1977 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813907152?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3f634c9757e6c3cfdbbe3bd0fef6810a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Richmond during the Revolution, 1775-83</a></i>, Charlottesville: Univ. Press of Virginia, </div><div>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/richmondduringre0000ward " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Wickwire, Franklin B. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0571096778?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5c7bc35a863bd8f7c8ceb5b8e9d73ddd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Cornwallis, The American Adventure</a></i>, Houghton Mifflin, 1970</div><div>(<a href=" https://archive.org/details/cornwallisameric00wick " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div></div><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Williamsburg, VA, USA37.2707022 -76.70745718.9604683638211569 -111.8637071 65.580936036178855 -41.5512071tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-79037767548071673022023-11-11T10:54:00.001-05:002023-12-02T17:01:45.329-05:00ARP288 Raid on Monticello<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML7300755285" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>We last left General Charles Cornwallis and the British southern army in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/09/arp280-guilford-courthouse.html" target="_blank">Episode 280</a>, following their victory at Guilford Courthouse. I’ve talked about how Nathanael Greene the Continentals moved into the Carolinas, and about how the war in Virginia began to spin up, but I’ve only mentioned as an aside that Cornwallis remained in Wilmington, North Carolina. This week, I want to focus on what Cornwallis was doing.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Retreat from Guilford Courthouse</h2><p>Following the battle of Guilford Courthouse, the British remained on the battlefield for a few days, mostly tending to the wounded. General Cornwallis sent a message to General Greene saying that the British were trying to attend to the enemy wounded but did not have the resources. He asked Greene to send surgeons to attend to the American wounded.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/cornwallis.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="185" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sjajGiWPFMw/XdezM-6bXHI/AAAAAAAAZsU/a78frHZx1CkbcotU1Sr4JzdV9G2tDgmbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/cornwallis.jpg" width="165" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/cornwallis.htm" target="_blank">Lord Cornwallis</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Remember that, even before the battle, Cornwallis has burned his supply wagons and marched his army all over North Carolina with almost no rations. Even his non-wounded men were exhausted and hungry.</p><p>The British also captured four American canons and about 1300 muskets. They took the cannons with them. They distributed some of the muskets to loyalist militia, but had to destroy hundreds of them. Thus just couldn't carry them. The British also took several hundred prisoners. But without the resources to feed or guard them, Cornwallis ended up releasing most of them on parole.</p><p>Cornwallis managed to collect a few wagons and sent many of the British wounded back to Wilmington. Some of the wounded had to be dragged on litters. Sixty-four men who were deemed too wounded to survive the trip were left at a nearby Quaker meetinghouse, where at least a quarter of them died over the next couple of weeks.</p><p>After several days, Cornwallis began marching his army east. They first headed to Cross Creek, where they were told that they could find loyalists and supplies. It was there that Cornwallis issued his <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/lord-cornwalliss-1781-proclamation" target="_blank">proclamation</a> that declared victory in North Carolina and granted amnesty to almost anyone who would surrender themselves within the next month.</p><p>The people, however, realized that despite the battlefield victory at Guilford Courthouse, the British were retreating. Even those inclined to support the loyalist cause were not inclined to join the army at this time. They had seen too many times loyalists joining the British, only to have the army move on to another colony. At that point the loyalists and their families became targets for patriot wrath. Any hopes to find recruits and food from the loyalist Scots at Cross Creek proved very disappointing.</p><p>Instead of being able to rest and recuperate there, the army had to continue its march to Wilmington, scouring the region as they marched to find any food for the hungry soldiers. Despite leaving behind some of the worst wounded, dozens more wounded died on the journey back to Wilmington, leaving a trail of British graves along the way. Among those who died was Colonel <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/webster-james" target="_blank">James Webster</a>, who had been wounded at Guilford Courthouse.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Wilmington</h2><p>On April 7, about three weeks after the battle, the British army stumbled into Wilmington where it hoped to rest and recuperate. Cornwallis spent the next few months trying to get commendations or promotions for officers who had performed well and trying to agree to a prisoner exchange with General Greene. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:8c97nj47d" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1247" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdGRAPataPl2m7MxcemvR9Iqh25SbdkU8IhfAZOqEuMcP1WTDijzSnjXqcwl0E9DWzX8GidMBAJLBhaRpFHr_-Gr1APo3a_NtFJsirMz19VbBF1XZZofhz9eODkO7j-hWsxBLih7FfaOuyRltiSihoLBVXwTqYVj5QPuc3fKrUSfyInQwO6H3gyHsQsVC/s320/Cornwallis-HQ-Wilmington.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:8c97nj47d" target="_blank">Cornwallis Headquarters in Wilmington</a></td></tr></tbody></table>He also had to decide what to do next. One option was to move south and support Lord Rawdon at Camden. Cornwallis knew the Continentals were headed there. Another option was to move north into Virginia and join up with the larger army under General <a href="http://www.petersburg-va.org/484/Major-General-William-Phillips" target="_blank">William Phillips</a> that had recently landed at Portsmouth.<p></p><p>Cornwallis was inclined to move north. He did not think he could move his army fast enough to help Rawdon. Either Rawdon would be successful without him, or would not. If not, his army of less than 1500 men would likely have to retreat to Charleston and sit there doing nothing, unless he could receive reinforcements. That seemed highly unlikely. He did, however, see an opportunity to retake Virginia. He wrote to General Clinton, seeking permission to march north.</p><p>Before Clinton could reply, Cornwallis left Wilmington on April 25, marching his army of about 1500 men north toward Virginia. He had been in Wilmington for less than three weeks. It took about two weeks to get to the Virginia border, nearly 200 miles from Wilmington. There, he heard news of Rawdon’s victory at Hobkirk Hill. Confident that the southern army was secure, he crossed into Virginia the following day, May 13.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Into Virginia</h2><p>About a week before, Cornwallis had written General William Phillips to tell him that he planned to join their armies at Petersburg, Virginia. The army made its slow march the 70 miles to Petersburg. When Cornwallis arrived on May 20, he found General Benedict Arnold in command. Phillips had died of a fever five days earlier.</p><p>By joining the two armies, Cornwallis had a combined force of about 7000 soldiers. Cornwallis believed that he could go on the offensive and take the entire state of Virginia. But General Clinton’s orders to General Phillips had been to use the army in Virginia to protect the base at Portsmouth and only engage in short raids into the interior. Cornwallis felt obliged to wait for additional orders from Clinton before committing to any new major offensive.</p><p>With General Arnold’s agreement, Cornwallis wanted to move the base at Portsmouth across the James River to Yorktown. The new location was seen as more defensible and gave better access to food. they didn't actually make the move at this point, but this is what they were considering at the time. Cornwallis would also attempt to take Richmond and push out the smaller Continental Army there under General Lafayette.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUW5rDuMDqU_NE5Bd2qKTjAWBoovGxdlE4sY81BivCoO-7oCNoXQ9-yrWW9w9VPSsA49QArcWzmyDwEFrWC-dfnTg3JyjaqugEYdHxrK6LLlCsEVcGnSeXs2Yk4ABOsv0c-D7AIQjENfS9GYgRWFCwIMARwd6RvTPVM-2W7UAAs-8QCgePRW8_EVmNdrg/s1024/westover-pl_lg.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="1024" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUW5rDuMDqU_NE5Bd2qKTjAWBoovGxdlE4sY81BivCoO-7oCNoXQ9-yrWW9w9VPSsA49QArcWzmyDwEFrWC-dfnTg3JyjaqugEYdHxrK6LLlCsEVcGnSeXs2Yk4ABOsv0c-D7AIQjENfS9GYgRWFCwIMARwd6RvTPVM-2W7UAAs-8QCgePRW8_EVmNdrg/s320/westover-pl_lg.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byrd Plantation at Westover </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Cornwallis moved the bulk of his army back to the <a href="https://bellegroveplantation.com/tag/william-byrd-iii" target="_blank">Byrd Plantation</a> at Westover, just south of Richmond. The Virginia legislators had already abandoned the town, and agreed to meet further to the west in Charlottesville.</p><p>In the end, taking Richmond proved to be a non-event. Hopelessly outnumbered, Lafayette withdrew his Continental Army of 1000 men out of Richmond before the British arrived. Lafayette was still awaiting the arrival of 800 Continental reinforcements under the Command of General <a href="https://hsp.org/blogs/archival-adventures-in-small-repositories/mad-anthony-wayne" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne</a>. Even if those reinforcements arrived, the British army opposing them would be four times their size. Lafayette took a page from General Greene’s strategy. He would not take on the entire army in a conclusive battle. Instead, he would stay close and use raids to harass the enemy but focus on keeping his smaller army intact.</p><p>The British under Cornwallis continued to pursue Lafayette, ignoring the capital and hoping to capture the Continentals. Cornwallis hoped to make Lafayette, who he just called “the boy” in letters, a British prisoner and send him in chains back to New York. If Cornwallis could capture or destroy the small Continental force under Lafayette, Virginia would be defenseless.</p><p>The Virginia militia, as I’ve said in earlier episodes, had proven nearly useless. General von Steuben had collected about a thousand militia, which he had managed to use to slow the British under General Phillips back in May. But aside from that, the bulk of the militia refused to turn out at all. </p><p>Throughout the state, local communities were engaged in draft riots, refusing to serve in the Continental Army. The main reason Steuben had been in Virginia was to oversee the raising of these new recruits, which they had hoped to deploy south to General Greene during the fighting in the Carolinas.</p><p>Local resistance to service in the Continental Army seemed to carry over into militia duty. While many of the draft protesters said they would serve in the militia, but not as Continentals, when it came time to turn out for militia duty, they seemed quite reluctant. Once reason for reluctance was a concern that militiamen would be compelled to join the Continentals. Virginians in the west, who had felt the eastern part of the state had never supported them when they were under attack by Indian tribes, seemed to have no desire to support the eastern regions now that the British Army was occupying their land.</p><p>The few militia that did turn out for duty often had no guns or ammunition. They also demanded to return home promptly after 90 days, regardless of any immediate threat.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Point of Fork Raid</h2><p>By the beginning of June, Steuben had only about 500 or 600 men under his command. Virginia had received a quota from Congress to provide more than 3000 Continental recruits, but this was all that Steuben had been able to raise after months of effort. </p><p>Many were not armed, had no uniforms or shoes, and were in no condition to fight. Steuben goal was still to march his army into the Carolinas, despite the British marching through Virginia. Steuben hoped that by marching to join Greene in the Carolinas, he could get at least part of the British army to follow him out of Virginia.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baron_Steuben_by_Peale,_1780.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="619" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HA81yCRhhI/X6PQhnjSSGI/AAAAAAAAbz0/vRoxEk8SoH0Is3bnVggmhHc2RKTDg9PoACLcBGAsYHQ/w164-h200/Baron_Steuben_by_Peale%252C_1780.jpg" width="164" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baron_Steuben_by_Peale,_1780.jpg" target="_blank">Baron von Steuben<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Before he could march anywhere Steuben needed to equip his men. He marched for the Point of Fork Arsenal, which was along the James River where it merges with the Rivanna River, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. Steuben had hoped to supply his small army from the arsenal, and also to protect its desperately needed supplies from the enemy.</p><p>At the same time, General Cornwallis, also aware of the supply depot at Port of Fork, had deployed a loyalist force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/john-graves-simcoe" target="_blank">John Graves Simcoe</a> to destroy the supplies.</p><p>Simcoe had deployed to Virginia from New York under General Arnold. Although Simcoe was a regular, he commanded a regiment of loyalists known as the Queen’s Rangers, made up primarily of New Yorkers. By this time, the regiment had dwindled to about 100 men. To supplement the rangers, Cornwallis also gave Simcoe the 71st infantry, about 300 regulars.</p><p>On June 3, Steuben learned from local militia cavalrymen that the enemy was approaching. He sent out scouts to get more details and deployed a force of 30 soldiers to slow any advance on his position. But the Queen’s Rangers managed to capture or kill any scouts, as well as the advance force, resulting in Steuben having no good intelligence on the enemy.</p><p>By June 5, Steuben saw the enemy setting up camp across the river from him. Steuben’s force of Continentals actually outnumbered the enemy. But Simcoe deployed most of his forces along the river, while setting up some tents and campfires in the woods behind his army. This gave the impression that Simcoe’s force was only an advance guard ahead of the entire British army under Cornwallis.</p><p>Believing that to be the case, Steuben used rafts and canoes to move his army across the river behind his army to escape the British. The following morning, the British crossed into the Point of Fork Arsenal to find it abandoned. </p><p>Because it was abandoned in haste, the Continentals had left behind most of the guns and supplies held there, which fell into the enemy’s hands.</p><p>Steuben marched his army to the south, still following his plant to join up with Greene’s army in the Carolinas. But he then got word from Greene that he should remain in Virginia and assist Lafayette in the defense of the state. So Steuben's Continentals turned around and returned to the fighting in Virginia.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Charlottesville Raid</h2><p>About the same time that Cornwallis deployed Simcoe to take Port of Fork, he also deployed Colonel <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/banastre-tarleton.htm" target="_blank">Banastre Tarleton</a> to raid Charlottesville. Tarleton, of course, had served under Cornwallis in the Carolinas, proving himself to be an aggressive leader who often defeated the enemy through surprise. Tarleton’s speed and aggression, however, cost him at Cowpens, where he lost most of his legion. Following Cowpens, Tarleton rebuilt his legion and led Cornwallis’ column on the march from Wilmington into Virginia.</p><p>Many British officers and men, however, were reluctant to serve under Tarleton following his loss at Cowpens. They believed that the colonel’s recklessness had led to the loss of his men, and did not want to become cannon fodder for Tarleton’s next reckless raid. The 71st Regiment which had marched with Simcoe had originally been assigned to Tarleton. Cornwallis moved the regiment to Simcoe’s command after receiving protests from the regiment about serving under Tarleton.</p><p>Tarleton took a force of 180 dragoons and another 70 mounted infantry on a hard ride toward Charlottesville. His goal was to capture as many legislators there as possible, along with Governor Jefferson.</p><p>As he got close to the town, Tarleton stopped at several plantations, looking for state officials who might be staying there. After a brief stop at the <a href="https://www.piedmontvahistory.org/archives14/files/original/a91ffcd0617a5a7502a8f1242e91ed5d.pdf" target="_blank">Cuckoo Tavern</a> on the evening of June 3, Tarleton and his men launched a dawn raid on Castle Hill, a plantation owned by <a href="https://www.monticello.org/sites/library/exhibits/lucymarks/lucymarks/bios/drthomaswalker.html" target="_blank">Thomas Walker</a>. There, the dragoons captured several legislators who had been staying there.</p><p>According to local history, the family delayed Tarleton by offering him a meal of fried chicken. They hoped it would buy time for others in Charlottesville to make their escape.</p><p>One of those present at the Cuckoo Tavern the night before was a young man named <a href="https://www.americanrevolution.org/jouett.php" target="_blank">Jack Jouett</a>. The patriot realized that Tarleton was likely headed to Monticello. Jouett rode all night using side paths to avoid British patrols, reaching Monticello at around 4:30 AM the following morning.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.americanessence.com/not-just-paul-revere-the-unknown-story-of-the-night-rider-in-virginia-who-warned-the-british-were-coming_9662.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="2048" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Tr3xCwTHwPeMqbo_CBEAkkSJSqAL9nnR91E8UCd206vstmGEM4lAKqjCHUkk4EMmZbhvQBBufKbxFDnJP_GwstNE7B4wVsMNCkU-A7EUJBO9vhWJaaNoJNyMM1OR25S_rFa7DjOmiK2pvrPSP-t6i7I4U3VQH0X4QJKDu1S535U7yKExSZHGSkPOjogs/s320/Monticello_by_Jane_Braddick_Peticolas_1825.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.americanessence.com/not-just-paul-revere-the-unknown-story-of-the-night-rider-in-virginia-who-warned-the-british-were-coming_9662.html" target="_blank">Monticello</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Receiving the warning, Jefferson seemed in no rush to leave. He ordered a carriage to get ready but then sat down to breakfast. Several legislators were staying with him. Jefferson recommended that they leave so they headed into Charlottesville. Jefferson put his wife and daughters into a carriage that would carry them to a neighbor’s plantation about 14 miles away.<p></p><p>Jefferson then remained at Monticello, trying to determine the warning was true and if the British really were on their way to capture him. He rode over to a taller hill known as Montalto to see if he could get a view of the British approach. He scanned the region with his telescope, saw nothing and started to return to Monticello. However, he discovered he had dropped his sword and returned to Montalto to retrieve it. This time, he noticed a British column in the distance. </p><p>Even so, believing he had time, Jefferson returned to Monticello. Jouett had ridden on to Charlottesville to warn the legislature. They immediately passed a resolution to leave and to regroup at Staunton, then everyone made their escape.</p><p>When Tarleton’s dragoons rode into town later that day, they managed to capture a handful of legislators who had lingered after Jouett’s warning. Tarleton also hoped to liberate a POW camp at Charlottesville that contained thousands for prisoners, many still held from the surrender at Saratoga. The Americans, however, had removed the prisoners some time earlier. Tarleton only recovered about twenty prisoners who had been hiding in the nearby woods for several weeks.</p><p>One of the legislators captured was <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/boone-daniel-1734-1820/" target="_blank">Daniel Boone</a>. Because he was dressed in frontier garb, he tried to pass himself as just some guy passing through town. But when Jouett called him “Captain Boone” by mistake, the soldiers grabbed him, thinking he might be an officer. Boone spent the night in custody, but managed to convince his captors that his title was simply an honorific from fighting in earlier Indian wars. They ended up letting him go.</p><p>Meanwhile back at Monticello, another militia officer named Christopher Hudson, unaware that Jefferson had already been warned, stopped by to make sure the governor was gone. He found Jefferson still home, sorting through papers. Hudson had spied some of Tarleton’s dragoons riding up the hill toward the main house. Hudson convinced Jefferson that they needed to leave, now! The men rode into the woods, avoiding British patrols and eventually catching up with the carriage carrying Jefferson’s family to safety.</p><p>Within five minutes of their departure, the British rode up to the mansion. They managed to capture several slaves, including <a href="https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/martin-hemings" target="_blank">Martin Hemings</a>, who had been hiding the family silver. An officer put a gun to Hemings’ head and said he would shoot unless the man told him where Jefferson was. Hemings said to go ahead and shoot, at which point the officer gave up.</p><p>The soldiers remained in the house for about 18 hours, drinking a fair amount of Jefferson’s wine. But they did not burn Monticello, which seems surprising given Tarleton’s reputation. Some say it was out of appreciation for the good treatment of prisoners who had been held in the area. </p><p>The soldiers did destroy over a thousand muskets and other military supplies held at Charlottesville. They also burned tobacco and several out-buildings on the plantation. </p><p>The British who had been on the march and hungry for so long, enjoyed the region’s bounty. They ate and drank well, and seized many horses that local owners had refused to give to the Continental Army. They also took on many slaves, some of whom were used as laborers. Some became personal servants for officers. Most ended up dying from disease in the following months.</p><p>Cornwallis set up headquarters at another of Jefferson’s Plantations: <a href="https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/elkhill" target="_blank">Elk Hill</a>, about twenty miles southeast of Monticello.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Withdrawal</h2><p>The British, however, did not remain. Cornwallis’ primary target had been the Continental Army under Lafayette. When Lafayette refused to stand and fight, Cornwallis was not inclined to repeat his dance with Nathanael Greene, where he just chased the enemy all over the state, exhausting his men.</p><p>The General did pass through Richmond, where he burned some more government buildings, and also the nearby tobacco warehouses that Arnold had spared.</p><p>Cornwallis planned to wipe out the many supply depots and food sources in Virginia, planning a series of new raids throughout the state. Then he received his orders from General Clinton. It seems that General Clinton had never wanted Cornwallis to go to Virginia in the first place. He wanted him to secure the Carolinas. But with Cornwallis now in Virginia, there was not much Clinton could do. He did, however, order Cornwallis to confine his mission to securing a position on the coast, and not to continue trying to capture all of Virginia. </p><p>Clinton also ordered that Cornwallis send about half of his army back to New York. Clinton had intelligence that General Washington and Rochambeau were planning an attack on New York City. Clinton needed all of the forces he could muster to defend against that attack. With that, the British offensive in Virginia came to an end.</p><p><b>Next week:</b> Although the British begin to pull back, the Americans continue the fight in Virginia at the battle of Green Spring.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp289-green-spring.html" target="_blank">Episode 289 Green Spring</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp287-fort-ninety-six.html" target="_blank">Episode 287 Fort Ninety-Six</a> </p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>“The Decision that Lost Britain the War”<i> Journal of the American Revolution</i>, Jan. 8, 2019. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2019/01/the-decision-that-lost-britain-the-war-an-enigma-now-resolved" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2019/01/the-decision-that-lost-britain-the-war-an-enigma-now-resolved</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Cornwallis headquarters in Wilmington: <a href="https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/237" target="_blank">https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/237</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Conrad, Bryan. “Lafayette and Cornwallis in Virginia, 1781.” <i>The William and Mary Quarterly</i>, vol. 14, no. 2, 1934, pp. 100–04. JSTOR, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1915672" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/1915672</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Urwin, Gregory J. W. “When Freedom Wore a Red Coat: How Cornwallis’ 1781 Campaign Threatened the Revolution in Virginia.” <i>Army History</i>, no. 68, 2008, pp. 6–23. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/26298725" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/26298725</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle at Point of Fork: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-point-fork" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-point-fork</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Banastre Tarleton Article: <a href="https://fusilier.wordpress.com/banastre-tarleton-article-2000" target="_blank">https://fusilier.wordpress.com/banastre-tarleton-article-2000</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Jack Jouett’s Ride: <a href="https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/jack-jouetts-ride" target="_blank">https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/jack-jouetts-ride</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Captain Jack Jouett’s Ride to the Rescue: <a href="https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/journal/Summer06/ride.cfm" target="_blank">https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/journal/Summer06/ride.cfm</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>“V. Deposition of Christopher Hudson respecting Tarleton’s Raid in June 1781, 26 July 1805,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-04-02-0323-0006" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-04-02-0323-0006</a></div><div><br /></div><div>An Investigation into the Conduct of Thomas Jefferson, Dec. 12, 1781: <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/an-investigation-into-the-conduct-of-thomas-jefferson-an-excerpt-from-the-journal-of-the-house-of-delegates-december-12-1781" target="_blank">https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/an-investigation-into-the-conduct-of-thomas-jefferson-an-excerpt-from-the-journal-of-the-house-of-delegates-december-12-1781</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia: <a href="https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia" target="_blank">https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia</a></div><div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Eckenrode, H.J. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/revolutioninvirg00ecke" target="_blank">The Revolution in Virginia</a></i>, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1916. </p><p>Harrell, Isaac Samuel <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminvirgin0000harr" target="_blank">Loyalism in Virginia; chapters in the economic history of the Revolution</a></i>, New York, AMS Press, 1965. </p><p>Kapp Friedrich <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifefrederickwi00kappgoog" target="_blank">The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben</a></i>, New York: Mason Bros. 1859. </p><p>A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America, by Banastre Tarleton, London: T. Cadell 1787. <a href="https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/historyofcampaig00tarl</a></p></div><div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Cecere, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594162794?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7c7e939997de5505d33787d8a8cca053&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Westholme Publishing, 2017. </p><div>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </div><p>Kranish, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374622?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3b9ad090545a7776dbdace5678f2f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War</a></i>, Oxford Univ. Press, 2010. </p><div>Palmer, John M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00085D6YY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1422f0067b394e568bb61e989bd4f8a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">General von Steuben</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 1937 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/generalvonsteube0000palm" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Ward, Harry M. <i><a href="1977 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813907152?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3f634c9757e6c3cfdbbe3bd0fef6810a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Richmond during the Revolution, 1775-83</a></i>, Charlottesville: Univ. Press of Virginia, </div><div>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/richmondduringre0000ward " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Wickwire, Franklin B. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0571096778?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5c7bc35a863bd8f7c8ceb5b8e9d73ddd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Cornwallis, The American Adventure</a></i>, Houghton Mifflin, 1970</div><div>(<a href=" https://archive.org/details/cornwallisameric00wick " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div></div><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Charlottesville, VA, USA38.0293059 -78.4766781000000159.7190720638211516 -113.63292810000002 66.339539736178835 -43.320428100000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-53542039625896250232023-11-05T03:00:00.003-05:002023-12-02T17:02:18.113-05:00ARP287 Fort Ninety-Six<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML2747795597" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Last week we left off with the patriots retaking Augusta, Georgia. After Cornwallis limped away from the battle at Guilford Courthouse and moved his army to Wilmington, North Carolina on the coast, British control of the southern colonies was pretty much limited to the coastal towns of Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/photosmultimedia/online-tour-stop-11.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="448" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRbLyUdthig08Gmf_X4x0iR0JQOSi-vjeqGaoBopuMtYX1DZ9f9qZuzbL_TsPMdho8Qe01lZqXAofPwa6HJdiyxotqasuUPYmaIrgLvdPMNoNkanf4XUuwZaW2KQmEzS1MH9LUFzdOVP_N23djUxT3HPPWHyDf58AkQm6xuTgZbT96_iTqiWr0xNoig/s320/Star-Fort_SP.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/photosmultimedia/online-tour-stop-11.htm" target="_blank">Fort Ninety-Six</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The last inland hold-out was Fort Ninety Six in the South Carolina backcountry. Ninety Six had been a frontier town for decades. It got its name because it was believed to be ninety-six miles from the <a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=27335" target="_blank">Cherokee village of Keowee</a>. Since its founding in 1737, Nine-six had been an important trading post between colonists and native tribes. By the Revolution it had grown into a town of several hundred people, with a courthouse, a jail, and various taverns and shops.</p><p>After the British occupied South Carolina in 1780, they had set up a string of outposts in order to pacify the colony. Fort Ninety Six became one of the key British outposts. Deep in the backcountry, Ninety six is about 150 miles north west of Charleston, and about fifty miles north of Augusta.</p><p>Fort Ninety Six sat on the high ground near the town. It was a well defended earthen star fort, with two block houses and ditches around the exterior. When the British moved north, Cornwallis left Lieutenant Colonel John Harris Cruger in command of the fort.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">John Harris Cruger</h2><p>Cruger was a New Yorker. His family had a large sugar and molasses business in Jamaica, but lived in New York. Cruger went to school at King’s College and managed the family business. Before the Revolution, Cruger was a prominent member of New York society. He was governor of King’s College and sat on the Governor’s Royal Council. </p><p>When the war began, Cruger had to lay low given his loyalist leanings. Once the British took New York in late 1776, Cruger took a commission as a lieutenant colonel in the British army and took command of a battalion in the brigade commanded by his father-in-law <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/de-lancey-oliver" target="_blank">Oliver De Lancey</a>.</p><p>Most of Cruger’s men were New England loyalists. His unit traveled south for the first real British incursion in the region, helping to capture Savannah in late 1778. He also led his men at the Siege of Charleston and the Battle of Camden. In June, 1780, shortly after Charleston fell to the British, Cruger took command at Fort Ninety Six.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/historyculture/colonel-cruger.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="200" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1ijcGEpvqTA0VOi4xycFrQOrMmM8u89TvKRXFRnPmOmQzcCUZm6rJjVIB7Yx2DMUdGJNyMhjatcUIfcGsLyD9vGB4QF-KzfcHJuiOeGdU6wWcN5YRYoa6DNnkVSkWoG03TTn4BX8xpy2b5ROZrUzxOtOkG8U0JZwwgneFfDXxRql6HU0SF_5kqf_v9WW/s1600/John_Harris_Cruger.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/historyculture/colonel-cruger.htm" target="_blank">John Harris Cruger</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Cruger wasted no time building up the defenses. He laid out the star fort design and had militia and slaves spend months building up huge earthen walls and other defenses. The fort became a loyalist base of operations for raids and for holding rebel prisoners. </p><p>As a result, the fort became a target once the Continentals under General Nathanael Greene began to reassert control of the region. With the British withdrawal from Camden back to Charleston in the spring of 1781, Fort Ninety-six became the largest in-land loyalist stronghold in the south.</p><p>Cruger knew that the Continentals would target his fort. He spent the prior year building up defenses and preparing for an attack. His star fort on the high ground was only part of that. Cruger’s men also built a series of embankments and trenches, securing a local water supply in case of a siege. </p><p>For his garrison, Cruger had his own First Battalion of 165 New York Loyalists, along with the Third Battalion of 253 New Jersey loyalists. He also had several hundred local loyalist militia at the fort. To support the garrison, he had three small brass cannons. Cruger offered to let the militia leave. If they were defeated in battle at the fort, there was a good chance they could be executed. Most of the militia, however, stayed. If they returned home, they were almost as likely to be killed by patriot partisans. These men were ready to die at the fort, in support of king and country.</p><p>Before Lord Rawdon had left Camden, he had ordered Cruger to abandon Fort Ninety-Six and withdraw to Augusta. Cruger never received those orders since the patriots intercepted the couriers. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Siege</h2><p>In May, 1781, Greene’s Continental Army arrived at Fort Ninety-Six. Greene had over 900 Continentals, supplemented by several hundred more militia. Even with his overwhelming numbers, Greene was doubtful that he could push through the fort’s defenses, at least not without suffering heavy casualties. Additional forces under <a href="https://andersoncountymuseum.sc.gov/general-andrew-pickens-2009-hall-fame" target="_blank">Andrew Pickens</a> and <a href="https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/lee-henry-1756-1818" target="_blank">Light Horse Harry Lee</a> were still besieging Augusta when he arrived and might become available later. Greene, therefore opted to besiege the fort and compel its surrender. The siege began on May 22.</p><p>The Polish engineer, Colonel <a href="https://www.nps.gov/thko/learn/historyculture/kosciuszkobio.htm" target="_blank">Thaddeus Kosciuszko</a>, oversaw the siege. Kosciuszko had been a key to building the American defenses at West Point and other places, but had come south with Horatio Gates to lend his services there. When Greene replaced Gates, Kosciuszko remained. Under Greene, Kosciuszko was critical to getting the army across various rivers as they dueled with the British under Cornwallis.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karl_G_Schweikart_-_Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko_(%C3%96aL).jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="680" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmLKB-0rLlDOxp7bt3hR14MiCdZAsuTLksxEQu5tDpNTjXUu-N9ZlG1F1_Z0UEQifwULV3oaE-qk6VhuVSFdQDWWRfoibCJv9-Zb_j5YL_QCepOzqLgygjeK0aXDjA6AgR407EekyvROYB6NZ3w8cbqwIrwo__J-Fh77c75P7cVTCr-PiD1CFqU475Jv0/w151-h200/Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko.jpg" width="151" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karl_G_Schweikart_-_Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko_(%C3%96aL).jpg" target="_blank">Tadeusz Kościuszko</a></td></tr></tbody></table>He used the traditional siege tactic of digging zig-zag trenches, moving closer to the fort walls over time, while protecting his men from approaching over an open field. Cruger countered by sending out raiding parties to attack the trenches during the night. He also fired on the trenches with his cannons. These efforts slowed down the advance, but could not stop it. <p></p><p>After about two weeks, the Americans had dug trenches within 30 yards of the fort’s walls. The attackers also built a tower, a tactic they had used to take several other smaller forts. The tower allowed the Americans riflemen to kill some of the artillerymen in the fort. Cruger countered this by using sandbags to increase the height of one of his own towers in order to shoot the Americans in their tower. He also tried to use hot shot from his cannons to set the American tower on fire.</p><p>The Americans were able to protect the tower, and countered by using flaming arrows to fire into the fort. Cruger had to destroy several wooden roofs to prevent them being set on fire.</p><p>On June 3, Greene sent his adjutant, Colonel <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-otho-holland" target="_blank">Otho Holland Williams</a> to approach the fort under a flag of truce to demand its surrender. Cruger refused and the siege continued.</p><p>Several days later, on June 7, Light Horse Harry Lee arrived with his legion of 150 men. Lee had taken Augusta and left the militia in command there so that he could get to Fort Ninety-six and assist Greene. His legion had with them prisoners captured at Augusta. Part of his legion, with the prisoners, passed along the road right next to the fort. </p><p>Although Lee later said that this march was made by mistake, Col. Cruger took it as a provocation: marching prisoners in front of his men. He ordered his cannons to open fire on the column, killing both the enemy and their prisoners.</p><p>Lee used his men to focus on the blockhouse on the other side of the fort. He was trying to cut off the fort’s water supply. Cruger continued to use night raids to keep the attackers at bay. Cruger also became aware of his vulnerability to losing his water supplies. He dug a well inside the fort, but it came up dry. Instead, he had some of his black loyalists use a communications trench to sneak down to the water supply at night and carry water back to the garrison. Despite his efforts, Cruger knew that the British garrison’s days were numbered unless a relief force could come for them.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Relief</h2><p>Fortunately for Cruger, that is just what the British hoped to do. Lord Rawdon became aware of the situation from his new headquarters in Charleston. During the siege, a British fleet arrived bringing Rawdon three new regiments of British regulars.</p><p>Even so, two things made it difficult for Rawdon to launch a relief force to rescue the garrison at Fort Ninety-Six. First, he was really sick with malaria. For some time, it was unclear if he could even remain in a saddle. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Francis_Rawdon_.PNG" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="287" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FdNNLaczPVb4an4M7uw4On7zagKCZ9x9Z0ZYiGjsy1cp7_PhgqtKUgEWh64pyZpgA6WfW4-7qZVMtYZx-6K_xSSMDuFtMakRUgNci-QOXKcDsHx35AqtgU7HlnRffvR01g7F3tjaF9GGxg_KCyOKcZH5ovX_Czz4fChlCSvEYplf3aI8kbd2O_xy8w/w166-h200/Francis_Rawdon_.png" width="166" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Francis_Rawdon_.PNG" target="_blank">Lord Rawdon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Second, he was not in command at Charleston. The man left in charge of Charleston, Lieutenant Colonel <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/nisbet-balfour.htm" target="_blank">Nisbet Balfour</a> approved of Rawdon’s plan to relive the fort. However, the arrival of reinforcements also included Lieutenant Colonel <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/gould-paston" target="_blank">Paston Gould</a>, who commanded one of the regiments. Colonel Gould had seniority over both Balfour and Rawdon, giving him authority to make all command decisions.</p><p>Rawdon wanted to take two of the three new regiments with him to relieve Fort Ninety Six. Gould was concerned about the defenses at Charleston and refused to let Rawdon march away with the majority of his regulars. There were rumors that a French fleet might be on its way to Charleston. If the bulk of the army was inland when the French arrived, it could spell disaster.</p><p>Finally, the officers reached a compromise. The three regiments would remain in Charleston, but Rawdon could take with him the light infantry and grenadier companies from each of the regiments. In all, Rawdon had about 1800 men in his relief force. If you add in the Fort Ninety-Six garrison British forces would outnumber the Americans by nearly 2-1 once Rawdon arrived.</p><p>General Greene had good intelligence. He learned of the relief column even before it left Charleston. He sent dispatches to General Sumter and Colonel Marion, hoping they could use militia forces to attack the column before it could reach the fort.</p><p>If the British had command disputes, they were nothing to what the Americans seemed to face. At first, Sumter gathered his forces, promising 600 militia, but instead of attacking the British on the march, he ordered his men and Sumter’s to march to Fort Ninety-six where they could face the relief column together. Then Sumter got the idea that Lord Rawdon’s actual target was Fort Granby, where Sumter had his supply base by this time. So instead of marching his troops, he held back to see if he needed to defend Fort Granby instead. Marion, who did not seem to want to fight alongside Greene nor Sumter, simply wrote to Greene that he could not give up his current position without allowing the enemy access to the region’s food and supplies.</p><p>By the time everyone got on the same page, Rawdon’s relief column had passed through Orangeburg and was headed directly to Fort Ninety-Six. Sumter’s militia army was behind them.</p><p>One of Sumter’s militia regiments did attack Rawdon’s rear guard. Rawdon had deployed foragers and it looked like the Americans could strike a devastating blow. South Carolina militia Colonel Charles Myddleton led between 150 and 200 militia horsemen against the British rear.</p><p>Unfortunately, Rawdon had made it look like his rear was in disarray in order to invite just such an attack. British mounted infantry, hidden nearby, charged the militia, landing a devastating blow. The surprised militia lost 34 killed. Myddleton returned to Sumter’s camp with only 45 militia. The remainder had likely fled into the woods and scattered. The British suffered the loss of four officers and between twenty and thirty soldiers killed.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Withdrawal</h2><p>With Lord Rawdon’s relief column approaching the fort, and with Sumter and Marion nowhere around with their militia armies, General Greene decided he could not continue the siege. Colonel Kosciuszko had been trying to dig a tunnel under the fort wall to blow it up, but it would not be completed in time before the relief column arrived. The only decision was whether to try to storm the fort before the relief column arrived, or just withdraw.</p><p>Colonel Lee strongly supported an attack on the fort. Withdrawing without a fight would harm morale and might impact the willingness of militia to turn out in the future.</p><p>On the morning of June 18, two regiments under the command of Colonel <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2019/12/shenandoah-martyr-richard-campbell-at-war" target="_blank">Richard Campbell</a> stormed the fort wall. They sent forward a “forlorn hope” to cut through the defenses while the rest of the attackers kept up a stream of fire against the fort to prevent them from firing on the attackers.</p><p>Seeing this attack, Colonel Cruger, sent two companies of provincials out of the back of the fort. Each unit ran around the fort from a different direction, storming the American forlorn hope from both sides with bayonets. The Americans put up a fight but were heavily outnumbered and took heavy casualties. In the end, they withdrew back to the main American lines.</p><p>The following morning, Greene’s army packed up and withdrew, leaving the British in control of the fort. For once, a conflict ended without bloody recriminations. Greene had left a guard at a house several miles from the fort to protect Cruger’s wife and children. When he pulled out, he left that detachment behind. Cruger, grateful for Greene’s thoughtfulness to his family, allowed the detachment safe passage to rejoin the army.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Chase</h2><p>Two days after Greene’s departure, Lord Rawdon’s relief column arrived at Fort Ninety-Six. The following day, Rawdon learned that the Continentals were camped only sixteen miles away. Leaving behind his baggage at the fort, Rawdon launched a night march on the night of June 22, to attack Greene’s army.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/maps-ninety-six-south-carolina-1781" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UTDXN_YcZBjuskpyUiQeFy2YtJawQfzofwllBb5bTQVQQiLTrBM5zw6yPg93Je9pUSABT4DLbzoX0kHL35h9dn3A1lNlXRbdKeBTjCW_OY8MQwYgiVAQ0Y3mSGG84dAy-XIYtp75JhLyC5M_HBmNDhd4tPYVKMtDGbwq_hssqRVjFxiDtMg6dkhhTzny/s320/ninety-six-main-map.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/maps-ninety-six-south-carolina-1781" target="_blank">Southern Army Movements</a></td></tr></tbody></table>As he did with Cornwallis, Greene continued to withdraw, avoiding an engagement with a superior force. Rawdon pursued for a time, but was not ready to embark on a campaign that would chase the Continentals across hundreds of miles, like Cornwallis had done. After marching about forty miles, Rawdon gave up the chase and returned to Fort Ninety-Six.<p></p><p>Rawdon believed that Fort Ninety-Six would remain an inviting target once he returned to Charleston. He informed the local militia leaders that they could come with him and take possession of patriot plantations within the British lines. If they wanted to remain, he would leave a small force of regulars to help them defend the area.</p><p>While the locals were deciding, Rawdon left about half his force at the fort, and took the other half to march back to Orangeburg, then moving toward Fort Granby to the north. As he did, he requested another regiment of regulars from Charleston. Although a regiment started to march, it ended up retreating due to some miscommunications. Rawdon ended up fearing that Greene would catch him isolated with only half his forces, and withdrew again back to Fort Ninety-Six.</p><p>Greene, however, was not thinking about any sort of attack. He was retreating back toward Charlotte, North Carolina. He wanted to engage in a battle, but not before he had more troops. Greene wrote to <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/isaac-shelby" target="_blank">Isaac Shelby</a>, hoping he could bring 1000 over-mountain men from the frontier. But Shelby responded that he was in negotiation with the Cherokee and could not have his men leave their homes for at least a few weeks. </p><p>Greene also attempted to get his promised reinforcements from Virginia. But with the British army already in Virginia and threatening to take more of the state, Virginia was not only not sending its promised reinforcements, it was keeping any reinforcements that tried to pass through the state, to fight against the British there. Greene wrote other leaders in the Carolinas and Georgia, but no one would commit to showing up with the numbers he needed. Without reinforcements, Greene kept his distance.</p><p>Rawdon had marched up to the Congaree Creek, near Fort Granby, by July 1. The brutal summer heat had taken its toll. The British had fifty soldiers die from heat exhaustion during the march. They found themselves harassed by the enemy. Colonel Lee managed to lure a British foraging party into an ambush, capturing three officers and 45 men, along with taking their horses and weapons.</p><p>The ambush and loss of his cavalry, convinced Rawdon to pull back to Orangeburg. Soon thereafter, Green finally got some reinforcements after Sumter and Marion showed up. He advanced on Orangeburg, but found the British in a good defensive position and declined to attack. Instead, he marched around them, hoping to draw the British out of their defenses. The British refused to take the bait.</p><p>Continental spies returned to Fort Ninety-Six, only to find that the garrison was packing up and preparing to leave. Cruger was going to join Rawdon at Orangeburg. Before Cruger could combine his forces with Rawdon, Greene withdrew his Continentals to give them time to rest and recuperate in the high hills, away from some of the most brutal summer heat</p><p>Lord Rawdon had also had enough. Although his army remained in Orangeburg, Rawdon sought to exercise the leave of absence that Cornwallis granted him months earlier. He had fought this campaign through the brutal summer heat, while still suffering from malaria. With the Continentals having withdrawn for the moment, Rawdon returned to Charleston and got on a ship bound for England.</p><p>With the British having abandoned Fort Ninety-Six, the patriot militia occupied the fort without a fight, and with it claimed control over all of South Carolina, outside of a small area around Charleston. The Carolina militia would continue to harass the enemy over the summer, but we will have to leave those skirmishes for a future episode. </p><p><b>Next Week:</b> We're going to return to Virginia as General Cornwallis, with his larger force, attempts to control the state, including a raid on Governor Thomas Jefferson, at his home at Monticello.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp288-raid-on-monticello.html" target="_blank">Episode 288 Raid on Monticello</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp286-sumters-law.html" target="_blank">Episode 286 Sumter's Law</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>Lt. Col. John Harris Cruger: <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/historyculture/colonel-cruger.htm" target="_blank">https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/historyculture/colonel-cruger.htm</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Lord Rawdon in America: <a href="https://revolutionarywarjournal.com/lord-rawdon" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywarjournal.com/lord-rawdon</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Ninety-Six: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_ninety_six.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_ninety_six.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Myddleton’s Ambuscade <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_mydeltons_ambuscade.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_mydeltons_ambuscade.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Surrender of Orangeburg: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/surrender-of-orangeburg" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/surrender-of-orangeburg</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Kyte, George W. “Strategic Blunder: Lord Cornwallis Abandons the Carolinas, 1781.” <i>The Historian</i>, vol. 22, no. 2, 1960, pp. 129–44. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/24437595" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/24437595</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><div>Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.</div><div><br /></div><div>Greene, George Washington <i>The Life of Nathanael Greene</i>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg00greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 1</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg02greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 2</a>, & <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg03greeuof" target="_blank">Vol. 3</a>, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press 1867-1871. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hartley, Cecil B. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofmajorgener00hart" target="_blank">Life of Major General Henry Lee & The Life of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, New York: Derby & Jackson, 1859. </div><div><br /></div><div>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">The Partisan War: the South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 1970 (borrow only). </div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Bass, Robert D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/125847798X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3153987d13a706d1f8a68b2f1cbbb369&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Gamecock: The Life And Campaigns Of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1961 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/gamecocklifecamp00bass" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Carbone, Gerald <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0230602711?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3d912f057a24b539f3c9908c670012dd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene: A Biography of the American Revolution</a></i>, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/nathanaelgreeneb0000carb_v8a2" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>Golway, Terry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805070664?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7be90a9680c425d9f6ee624bfb278d2a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington's General : Nathanael Greene and the triumph of the American Revolution</a></i>, H. Holt, 2006. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/washingtonsgener0000golw" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>)</p><p>Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Nelson, Paul D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/161147311X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=791862fb84c9db93e18ca10244597872&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of Hastings</a></i>, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Press, 2005 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/francisrawdonhas0000nels" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><p>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Ninety Six, SC 29666, USA34.1751267 -82.0240075.8648928638211544 -117.180257 62.485360536178845 -46.867757tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-43442636421419871032023-10-29T03:00:00.003-04:002023-12-02T17:03:07.306-05:00ARP286 Sumter's Law<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=qcj57-14e2afa-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=956f46" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="ARP286 Sumter’s Law" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Last week we covered a number of skirmishes throughout South Carolina in early 1781. The battle of Guilford Courthouse had left the British army under General Cornwallis decimated. He retreated to Hillsborough, North Carolina to claim British control of that colony, but really just needed to recuperate and regroup.</p><p>General Greene moved his Continentals into South Carolina where he attacked several British outposts, forcing the British to abandon Camden and withdraw the bulk of their forces in the state back to the area around Charleston. Greene made great use of Colonel Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion during this time, as well as Light Horse Harry Lee and William Washington.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sumter Returns</h2><p>One key officer I’ve not mentioned in a while was South Carolina General Thomas Sumter, who had been injured in late 1780 at the Battle of Blackstock’s Plantation. It was at that battle that Sumter got the nickname “The Gamecock” after British Colonel Banastre Tarleton noted that Sumter had fought like a Gamecock.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThomasSumterByRembrandtPeale.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamuIIA0vhtkL18Ek9mxOqt-dYPZao4e-tYZzXzHHxzvDn2tVAJ77EQMKL2gNCzw7PpTwBH0XYXtg_U5451TmgnMCMZ2lzeOfpmX9oD6aGLN13oKS-xlmz86DLIAqI7oHEqlfjpm80gk1liij9xdHkBU1dzfv-1KW9CKSqzmbU-VGrmeIFzw03GcgRrQ/w161-h200/ThomasSumter.jpg" width="161" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ThomasSumterByRembrandtPeale.jpg" target="_blank">Thomas Sumter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Due to his injuries, Sumter spent a few months recuperating at a friend’s plantation. The British still had a price on his head, so he had to lay low while he recovered. Sumter had managed to avoid most of the major battles in the Carolina. He had been retired when the British captured Charleston. He was detached from the main army under Horatio Gates when they attacked Camden. He missed the Battle of King’s Mountain because he was away trying to find Governor Rutherford to confirm that he had the authority to command South Carolina’s army. He was recovering from his wounds during the Race to the Dan and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.</p><p>This is not to say he was not active. He had fought a bunch of smaller battles and skirmishes during a time when the Continental army had largely abandoned the Carolinas. His reputation had only grown during this time as the commander of a guerilla army that prevented the British from restoring the King’s peace to the Carolinas.</p><p>Sumter’s injury at Blackrock had occurred only days before General Greene had taken command of the army. So, while the two men had corresponded, they never met in person or fought in battle together. </p><p>Sumter had been upset when Greene gave General Daniel Morgan the command of an army that was fighting along the Carolina frontier. Morgan was executing a strategy that Sumter had recommended. Even if Sumter was not well enough to take command, Sumter felt slighted that Greene had given the command to Morgan without consulting him.</p><p>For a time, Sumter caused problems by ordering South Carolina militia not to obey any order that did not come from him. The power politics between the militia in the southern states and the Continental army had been a problem since the beginning of the war. Sumter continued this problem.</p><p>Greene learned of this division and wrote to Sumter, trying to sooth over the general’s ruffled pride. Sumter eventually made nice with Morgan and did what he could. From his sick bed, however, Sumter coordinated intelligence and logistical support for the Continentals. </p><p>The war moved into North Carolina for a time, and Morgan eventually had to return home to Virginia. Following Guilford Courthouse in March 1781, Greene returned to South Carolina. With Sumter still out of the saddle due to his injuries, Greene relied primarily on Colonel Marion for local leadership. But Greene assured that he would respect Sumter’s command of all South Carolina forces.</p><p>By this time, Sumter had recovered sufficiently to ride and was back in the field. He had begun skirmishing with British outposts and supply trains in South Carolina again, even while the main Continental Army was still in North Carolina. I mentioned last week that Sumter had attacked Fort Watson weeks before Marion and Lee took the fort.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sumter’s Law</h2><p>As the spring fighting season began, however, Sumter found most of his army disappearing. Militia enlistments had expired, and men needed to return home for their spring planting. He needed his own army of South Carolina regulars. </p><p>While regulars usually made better and more reliable soldiers, the problem was that you had to pay them. Civil government in South Carolina did not really exist after the fall of Charleston, so Sumter took it upon himself to come up with a scheme of payment for his new army. The pay deal for the new army became known as “Sumter’s law”.</p><p>He offered recruits new uniforms and supplies, which he had from raids on enemy supply depots. He also offered his soldiers the right to ⅔ of most plunder they took from the enemy, with the remaining third becoming army property. The main exception was military supplies, which would remain army property. </p><p>Even so, this was not enough to encourage many men to leave their farms and sign up for long term enlistments. So Sumter resorted to some of the most valuable property in the state: slaves.</p><p>Every recruit who signed up for a ten month stint would get his own slave at the end of his enlistment. Officers, of course, got more. A colonel would get three and a half slaves for a year of service (a slave over 40 or under 10 years would be considered “half”). The army would capture slaves from loyalist plantations for this purpose. Recruiters received on slave for every 25 soldiers that they enlisted.</p><p>The decision to pay for an army with captured slaves was a controversial one. Colonel Marion refused to participate in the recruitment of soldiers under these terms. This is not to say that here were abolitionists in South Carolina. There really weren’t any. But many saw that systematically stripping property from civilians as a bad precedent. This practice might encourage more loyalists to enlist with the enemy to protect their property. There were also those who saw the inevitable separation of slave families as inhumane. </p><p>Despite objections, the policy went into effect. Governor Rutledge gave the plan his tacit approval. Colonel Andrew Pickens raised his quota under Sumter’s law. General Greene expressed concerns to Sumter about plunder generally, but ignored weighing in on the slaves-for-service policy.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fort Granby</h2><p>With his recruiting drive in place, Sumter expected to have a much larger army by April. In the meantime, Sumter set his sights on Fort Granby, a British outpost near a ferry on the Congaree River. The fort’s commander was Major Andrew Maxwell, who commanded a garrison of about 300 loyalists.</p><p>In February 1782, Sumter learned that the fort was running low on stores. His small army at the time consisted of 280 men. He hoped he might capture the fort with just them. Sumter’s first effort was to paint some logs black to appear as if they were cannons. He called on the fort to surrender. The enemy commander, however, at least suspected this was a bluff and refused to surrender. Sumter then ordered his men to charge the fort walls, but were easily repulsed. </p><p>With that, Sumter settled in to besiege the fort, using rifle fire to harass the enemy garrison. He called on Colonel Marion to bring reinforcements to take the fort. Marion never made it there. The siege began in February, before Lord Rawdon was forced to abandon nearby Camden. Rawdon dispatched 600 infantry, 200 cavalry, and two field artillery pieces as a relief force to break the siege.</p><p>When Sumter learned the relief force was on its way, he lifted the siege and moved down river to attack a loyalist plantation instead.</p><p>In early May, Sumter had raised a larger army. He thought this would be a good time to renew his effort to take Fort Granby. He brought an army of between 400 and 500 men to renew the siege. Inside the fort, Major Maxwell had increased his garrison to about 340 loyalists and had five or six cannons.</p><p>Sumter sent a request to Greene for artillery. Greene sent one cannon. Realizing that the siege was mostly going to involve a lot of waiting until the garrison go hungry, Sumter left a small portion of his army to continue the siege, while he took the cannon and the bulk of his force to attack the town of Orangeburg, more than a day’s march to the south.</p><p>Sumter’s army arrived at Orangeburg on the night of May 10. The following morning, the loyalist garrison at Orangeburg under Colonel John Fish surrendered. This was a much smaller force of six officers and 83 men. Sumter also captured a valuable cache of supplies.</p><p>Sumter sent the prisoners to General Greene, although the guards taking them apparently murdered some of the prisoners during the march. Sumter took the remainder of his army to Fort Motte, where he thought Light Horse Harry Lee and Francis Marion were still holding the fort under siege. On his arrival, he learned that the Americans had already taken the fort and moved on. Sumter then returned to Orangeburg for a few days.</p><p>While Sumter was away at Orangeburg, Light Horse Harry Lee rode to Granby with about 400 or 500 infantry as well as a cannon of his own. He had just succeeded in taking Fort Motte and was aware that Lord Rawdon was in the process of returning to Charleston.</p><p>Lee fired on the fort that evening with his cannon and infantry. The next morning, May 15, Lee called on the garrison to surrender. Maxwell agreed to surrender on two conditions: his men could keep the plunder they had in the fort, and that they could withdraw to Charleston on parole and wait there to be exchanged. The rest of the fort’s stores would be turned over to the Americans.</p><p>Lee agreed to the terms and permitted the enemy to depart with their horses and wagons. The Americans took command of the fort as well as nearly 200 muskets and 9000 cartridges, along with powder, lead, and flints.</p><p>Sumter soon learned that Lee had ended the siege at Fort Granby. He was upset at the terms given to the garrison and that he had, once again, been absent for the battle and missed out on the plunder. Sumter tried to submit his resignation, citing trouble with his wounds. </p><p>A few weeks earlier, Greene had considered putting Sumter under arrest for his failure to come to Greene’s support at Hobkirk Hill. But Greene thought better of it and realized the war effort would be best served by keeping Sumter in the field. To help mollify Sumter’s hard feelings over missing the fall of Fort Granby, Greene turned over to Sumter many of the slaves that had been captured in order to pay his army.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Augusta</h2><p>With the success in South Carolina, patriots began to maneuver into a position that would allow them to recover most of Georgia as well. Savannah was too well garrisoned and with naval support, meaning it would be too difficult to recapture. But retaking the back country and forcing the British to crouch defensively around Savannah did seem possible. The key to the Georgia backcountry was taking Augusta.</p><p>The patriots had threatened Augusta the previous fall, when Georgia Colonel Elijah Clarke launched an assault in September of 1780 before withdrawing after a few days. But by the spring of 1781, with the British army mostly having left the south, patriot leaders thought they could try again. </p><p>By mid-April several patriot companies had established a fortified camp near Augusta. This small group primarily acquired intelligence about the town’s defenses and harassed communications and supply lines. </p><p>The Americans found that the loyalists had constructed a pretty impressive defensive system. Fort Cornwallis became the primary defensive fort, about 200 yards northwest of town. The garrison had cleared fields of fire around the fort. Its walls, canons, and other barriers would require an overwhelming force to capture it. </p><p>Two smaller forts, Grierson and Galphin, also helped to secure the town. These smaller forts were more fortified houses. They could withstand a small raid, but not a full on attack with hundreds of soldiers. Fort Grierson was only about a half mile from Fort Cornwallis. Galphin was an isolated outpost about 12 miles away.</p><p>In total, the British had 236 provincial regulars and 131 militia. There were also about 300 Native Americans with them. Some warriors, but many of those were women and children. There were also about 200 slaves supporting the forts.</p><p>The British commander was Thomas “Burnfoot” Brown. I’ve discussed Colonel Brown before. He had built a plantation near Augusta before the war. He got his nickname when patriots literally burned the bottoms of his feet in an attempt to get him to go against the King and swear allegiance to the patriot cause. Brown had to flee to Florida, where he formed a legion that maintained attacks on Georgia in the early part of the war. He returned to Georgia with the British Army in 1779 and was one of the most stalwart loyalist leaders in the region. Like many loyalist leaders, he had ordered the hanging of rebels and knew that he was literally fighting for his life. He would not surrender easily.</p><p>Over the next few weeks, Elijah Clarke brought more patriot reinforcements to threaten loyalist supply lines. General Andrew Pickens moved a force of 400 militia in between Augusta and Fort Ninety Six so that the fort garrison could not come to the relief of any attack on Augusta.</p><p>General Greene deployed Light Horse Harry Lee to join the militia gathering around Augusta. Lee had a force of several hundred that had just taken Fort Granby. His men were a mix of mounted and foot soldiers. Lee’s fear was that the garrison at Fort Ninety-Six would attack and disperse the militia around Augusta before his forces could get there. As a result, he rushed to the area, having his mounted forces ride ahead, then walk for a time, leaving their horses for the foot soldiers to catch up. Those soldiers would then ride ahead of those walking, leave the horses and walk themselves. This process of sharing the horses allowed his army to cover 75 miles of back country in only three days.</p><p>With Lee’s arrival, along with the forces already there, The patriots had about 1500 soldiers, about a third of whom were Continentals, the rest were militia.</p><p>The first target for the patriots was the isolated outpost at Fort Galphin. It was named for its owner, George Galphin, who was an Indian agent. As I said, it was just a reinforced house, but it had over 100 defenders. </p><p>A combined force under Clarke and Lee attacked Galphin on May 21. The attackers used an old but effective trick. They made a weak attack on the fort then retreated. The garrison sent out a patrol to ride down the attackers and kill them. Once they rode out, A force of Continentals hiding nearby rushed into the fort and took possession rather quickly.</p><p>About ten attackers were wounded in the battle. The only fatal casualty on the American side was a man who died of a heat stroke. After three or four defenders were killed, the garrison surrendered. The primary object of taking Galphin was to capture a large cache of supplies there, which were intended as gifts for local tribes.</p><p>The larger forces at Forts Grierson and Cornwallis knew they were next. The commander at Grierson sent out a patrol the following day, managing to surprise a group of patriot militia and capturing about 400 horses.</p><p>The day after that, General Pickens and Colonel Lee brought up a larger force to surround Grierson. Like Galphin, Fort Grierson was named after the commander and property owner, loyalist Colonel James Grierson.</p><p>On May 24, patriot forces opened up on Grierson with field cannon and a militia charge. Back at Fort Cornwallis, Colonel Brown attempted to send a relief force but was driven back inside his fort by enemy fire.</p><p>The garrison at Fort Grierson had only a little over one hundred defenders, and quickly recognized that they were outnumbered. Colonel Grierson and his men decided to flee the fort and tried to break through the enemy lines in an attempt to reach Fort Cornwallis, about a half mile away. A few dozen men managed to make it. The patriots engaged with the fleeing garrison. They killed about thirty of them. According to battle accounts, many of those killed were trying to surrender, but killed anyway. The patriots did capture another 45 or so. They also captured the fort’s two cannons, which would soon be used against Fort Cornwallis.</p><p>Even isolated, Fort Cornwallis was much more defensible and had a larger garrison. The patriots opted not to try to storm the fort, but settled in for siege. As the siege began, the patriots began building a tower near the fort in order to be able to fire over its walls. </p><p>Brown sent one of his men to pose as a deserter, in an effort to burn the tower. Colonel Lee, however, did not believe the man’s story and had him arrested. There was also a small abandoned house near the tower. Brown had filled in with gunpowder, in homes of blowing it up when the Americans surrounded it, but the patriots managed to take the house, and the powder, without it blowing up.</p><p>The patriots spent a week digging trenches closer to the walls of Fort Cornwallis. Brown refused several calls to surrender. By June 2, the attackers had managed to take out the defenders two cannons. Two days later, June 4, Lee prepared for his final assault on the fort. Before launching his attack, Lee gave the defenders one final chance to surrender. Brown knew the end was near and only asked to surrender the following day since the 4th was the king’s birthday. Lee permitted the surrender to take place on the 5th.</p><p>The terms of surrender allowed Brown and his King’s rangers to be released on parole and return to Savannah. The militia in the fort, however, would be held as prisoners of war. Brown was so hated that he had to be escorted to Lee’s tent under a guard of Continentals, for fear that one of the patriot soldiers would try to kill him during the surrender.</p><p>The following day, Lee rode north with his Continentals, to assist with the Siege of Fort Ninety-six. The militia escorted Brown and his men back to Savannah, although several patriot militia followed in an attempt to assassinate Brown.</p><p>Brown made it back to Savannah, but others were not as lucky. Loyalist Colonel Grierson and his second in command Major Henry Williams were confined with their men and were to be given parole. Instead, several militia shot them, wounding Williams and killing Grierson. Afterward the term “Georgia parole” was used as a colloquialism for murder.</p><p><b>Next week:</b> we follow Light Horse Harry back to South Carolina where he contends with the final British outpost in the back-country: Fort Ninety-Six.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/11/arp287-fort-ninety-six.html" target="_blank">Episode 287 Fort Ninety-Six</a></p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp285-hobkirk-hill.html" target="_blank">Episode 285 Hobkirk Hill</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>Waters, Andrew “Sumter's Rounds: The Ill-Fated Campaign of Thomas Sumter February-March 1781” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, May 23, 2018 <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/05/sumters-rounds-the-ill-fated-campaign-of-thomas-sumter-february-march-1781" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/05/sumters-rounds-the-ill-fated-campaign-of-thomas-sumter-february-march-1781</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Fort Granby (Feb. 19-21, 1781): <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_fort_granby_1.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_fort_granby_1.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Siege of Fort Granby: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/siege-fort-granby" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/siege-fort-granby</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Robertson, Heard. “The Second British Occupation of Augusta, 1780-1781.” <i>The Georgia Historical Quarterly</i>, vol. 58, no. 4, 1974, pp. 422–46. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/40580051" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/40580051</a></div></div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><div>Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.</div><div><br /></div><div>Greene, George Washington <i>The Life of Nathanael Greene</i>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg00greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 1</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg02greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 2</a>, & <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg03greeuof" target="_blank">Vol. 3</a>, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press 1867-1871. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gregorie, Anne King <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/thomassumter0000annehttps://archive.org/details/thomassumter0000anne" target="_blank">Thomas Sumter</a></i>, Sumter County Genealogical Society, 2000 (borrow only).</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Hartley, Cecil B. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofmajorgener00hart" target="_blank">Life of Major General Henry Lee & The Life of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, New York: Derby & Jackson, 1859. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">The Partisan War: the South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 1970 (borrow only). </div></div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Bass, Robert D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/125847798X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3153987d13a706d1f8a68b2f1cbbb369&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Gamecock: The Life And Campaigns Of General Thomas Sumter</a></i>, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1961 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/gamecocklifecamp00bass" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>) </p><p>Berlin, Ira (ed) <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813909694?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=0849c32a4f0215fcf27ec55d241ee09c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Slavery and freedom in the age of the American Revolution</a></i>, Charlottesville: Univ. Press of Va. 1983 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/slaveryfreedomin0000unse" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>).</p><p>Carbone, Gerald <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0230602711?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3d912f057a24b539f3c9908c670012dd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene: A Biography of the American Revolution</a></i>, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/nathanaelgreeneb0000carb_v8a2" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>Golway, Terry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805070664?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7be90a9680c425d9f6ee624bfb278d2a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington's General : Nathanael Greene and the triumph of the American Revolution</a></i>, H. Holt, 2006. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/washingtonsgener0000golw" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>)</p><p>Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0South Carolina, USA33.836081 -81.16372455.5258471638211546 -116.3199745 62.146314836178846 -46.0074745tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-80505910929990756102023-10-22T03:00:00.003-04:002023-12-02T17:03:49.687-05:00ARP285 Hobkirk Hill<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML3094270470" width="100%"></iframe>
<p>We last left Nathanael Greene‘s, southern army at the battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina in March 1781. After that battle, Greene had to decide what to do next. Although he technically lost the battle by withdrawing from the field, he had inflicted a grievous wound on General Cornwallis’ British army by taking so many British casualties.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-f663-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="669" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgUkpSNsbLNvlzvpCF0JDGCE02ytGrl0p8-amNV9wox9DTNf1dH07WQIO61IOehcOaHvMoELgjRE5N3eENc_YlYHgwZgT52AfoLCqa6LFhuPDPSD-2oV664aYnURmT9zoN9rVr-iVn7DeBZFYWirH6d_zOV6mOKTrLHOpmQXaJ-4VJH1JKK88SJUY7zXl/s320/Hobkirk_Hill-edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>General Cornwallis retreated eastward with his army to Wilmington, North Carolina. At first Greene shadowed Cornwallis. But as the British army got closer to the coast, Greene knew he was not going to pick a fight where the army had backup from the British Navy. He would only fight the British on ground that he chose.<p></p><p>The North Carolina militia that was with Greene would see its enlistments end at the end of March. The men needed to get home and begin their planting season and were not inclined to stick with Greene. With that, Greene’s army shrank back mostly to its core of Continentals.</p><p>Greene decided to leave North Carolina again, this time moving southward to South Carolina. If he could get Cornwallis to follow him, he could draw the British out of North Carolina and back further south. That would be a strategic victory for the Continentals. If Cornwallis did not follow, Greene could pick off the British and loyalist outposts in the backcountry of South Carolina and Georgia.</p><p>In many ways, Greene’s decision to move south violated good military practice. He knew that forces were gathering in Virginia, and that by moving away from those armies, he was once again dividing Continental forces in the face of a larger enemy that was concentrating its army, for an obvious attack. Green also risked that Cornwallis would chase after him and attack him in his rear while he was focused on other targets.</p><p>Greene’s second in command, the <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/baron-von-steuben" target="_blank">Baron Von Steuben</a> said as much in letters to Greene. Von Steuben hoped that Greene would provide him with some assistance in Virginia against the growing army under General <a href="http://www.petersburg-va.org/484/Major-General-William-Phillips" target="_blank">William Phillips</a>. Instead, Greene was running in the other direction. When Von Steuben asked Greene in letters about why he was headed away from the enemy. Greene responded in a letter. <i>“don’t be surprised if my movements don’t correspond with your Ideas of military propriety. War is an intricate business and people are often [saved] by ways and means they least look for or expect.”</i></p><p>Green went on to explain in his letter that because his march southward made no military sense that it would confuse general Cornwallis. Perhaps it would make the enemy think that he had some secret reason for doing what he was doing. But, of course, he really didn’t have any secret reasons. He was just trying to confuse the enemy by violating some basic precepts of good military strategy. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fort Watson </h2><p>In South Carolina, the British still had thousands of soldiers. Most of them, however, were stationed around Charleston. They maintained several outposts to assert control of the entire state. One of the largest was at Camden, where the British defeated the Continentals a year earlier. If Greene could take Camden, it would be seen as a major victory.</p><p>In order to isolate and weaken Camden, Greene first tried to cut off the supply lines between Camden and Charleston. He gave that mission to his cavalry commander, Colonel <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/henry-lighthorse-lee-iii" target="_blank">Light Horse Harry Lee</a>. He told Lee to link up with Colonel <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/francis-marion" target="_blank">Francis Marion’s</a> local militia.</p><p>The British had built a small fort along the Santee River between Camden and Charleston to facilitate supply lines. Fort Watson got its name from the British officer who ordered its construction: Lieutenant Colonel <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-watson-tadwell-watson" target="_blank">John Tadwell Watson</a>. British Lieutenant James McKay commanded a garrison of 114 regulars and loyalists. Given the number of patriot raids in the region, it was designed to withstand a sizable attack. The defenders had set the fort on high ground, with a wall surrounded by three rows of abatis. They had cut down all trees within rifle range in order to deny cover to any attackers. </p><p>General Thomas Sumter had attacked the fort in February, but without success. However the attack caused Colonel Watson to pursue Sumter, which is why Lieutenant McKay commanded the fort with a reduced garrison.</p><p>Lee and Marion targeted the fort. Taking it would not only isolate Camden from Charleston. The attackers also wanted the food and ammunition stored at the fort. Lee had about 300 men under his command. Marion had another 80. The combined forces approached the fort on April 15, 1781 and demanded its surrender.</p><p>Although the British garrison was outnumbered nearly four to one, McKay was confident of his defenses and refused to surrender. Given the defenses, the attackers hoped to avoid a frontal attack and had no artillery to assault the fort. Instead, they settled in for a siege.</p><p>At the outset, things did not look good for the attackers. They tried to cut off the fort’s access to water, but the garrison had a well within the fort walls. Marion’s militia also faced an outbreak of smallpox, although fortunately the Continentals under Lee were inoculated. If the siege went on too long, a relief force from Charleston might chase off the Americans.</p><p>After about a week, the Americans decided on a new plan. The fort was built on a mound of about 22 feet. On that was a seven foot wall. The attackers needed a way to get over that wall.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SiegeOfFortWatson.gif" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKagvGmTZwxobWOeLk63AIV8BuMm_D74keBadOu7H09PmpBi0tSzLeJpOUJ8rm451jMuWm0okTtt1gZqeSoZFuptcvKqNpCZYfpEMLY7ebIey10LZvHXTf9ZCtuq4kWaYdyeZS9ONRywNKrlCVo3CbMXGxvdxt6fg9HTcSeyKef_OTvbNoxgkfs6S1ZeDB/s320/SiegeOfFortWatson.gif" width="281" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SiegeOfFortWatson.gif" target="_blank">Maham Tower at Ft. Watson</a></td></tr></tbody></table>One of the American officers, Major <a href="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/maham-hezekiah" target="_blank">Hezekiah Maham</a>, suggested they build a tower and use riflemen to fire into the fort. Over the next five days, the soldiers cut down trees and put together the parts for a tower, known as <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/06/tower-of-victory" target="_blank">Maham Tower</a>. They did this in the forest, out of sight of the garrison.<p></p><p>The men dragged out their parts and assembled the fort overnight on April 22. The tower stood over forty feet tall and allowed riflemen to fire through loopholes cut into wooden defenses that were built into the tower. The riflemen had a clear shot over the wall at anyone inside the fort.</p><p>The next morning several riflemen climbed into the tower, supported by a larger detachment of soldiers behind man-made defenses at its base. </p><p>The British fired on the tower, killing two Americans. Inside the fort, several men were hit, including Lieutenant McKay, who was wounded. The riflemen in the tower forced everyone in the fort to take cover, meaning they could not provide much defensive fire. The attackers used this opportunity to disassemble the abatis and prepare for an all out attack on the fort walls.</p><p>Lieutenant McKay, seeing preparations for a final assault, surrendered the fort and its garrison. The Americans captured the fort supplies, and then destroyed the fort. Under the terms of the surrender, the Americans allowed the surrendering officers to keep their swords and baggage, and return to Charleston under parole. The enlisted regulars, about two-thirds of those captured, were also permitted to return to Charleston and await exchange. The thirty-six loyalists, however, were taken as prisoners.</p><p>All of the supplies in the fort went to Lee’s Continentals, except for the ammunition, which Marion’s men desperately needed to continue to fight. After removing the supplies from the fort, Marion ordered it burned so that the British could not come back and occupy it again after they left.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Hobkirk Hill</h2><p>Even before the Siege at Fort Watson had ended, General Greene moved his main army closer to Camden in hopes of taking that outpost. Rather than a direct attack, Greene set up a defensive position just north of Camden at a place known as Hobkirk Hill.</p><p>Camden, at the time, was only a small village of twenty one houses. But the British had built defenses all around the town that would make any direct attack costly. There were eight earthen redoubts, surrounded by ditches and abatis.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/11/general-nathanael-greene-intelligence-manager" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="724" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XOhiGICAOp0pBLHnf2xoiYoMQypjRiLqYzY5lhBapWg2ldYBnMB_w_tVwrUaSpBzgssZI55EeEk37QVEMT9PlONL9CM6ICEw8QtgqGSad4Lqzz1EV5pbgRfYbt2_sXTWTk-m5xWHi2QM98Q44_hdQCY3524T7Han0niVITU9xg5DM4qpzEOqQzVUj_Lz/s320/Nathanael-Greene-full-portrait-after-Peale.jpg" width="221" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/11/general-nathanael-greene-intelligence-manager" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Greene had about 1500 Continentals which he deployed on April 20th. The British were already aware of his presence. Continental skirmishers engaged with British pickets the day before to test their defenses. Greene might have had more soldiers, but on the eve of battle, 250 of his North Carolina militia insisted that their enlistments were up and that they be discharged. Greene personally pleaded with them to stay, noting they were about to go into battle, but they refused and left the rest of the army as they marched home.<p></p><p>Hobkirk Hill offered the Americans the high ground. The position gave them a good view of an approaching enemy with a forest on one side and a swamp on the other, thus preventing a surprise attack on their flanks.</p><p>On the night of April 24, an American deserter entered the British lines at Camden. He told the commander, Lieutenant Colonel <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/british_army_francis_rawdon.html" target="_blank">Francis Rawdon</a>, that Greene was still awaiting reinforcements and that he did not yet have his artillery. If the British launched a surprise attack, they could be victorious.</p><p>Lord Rawdon was only twenty six years old at the time, but was an experienced officer. He had been fighting in the Revolution since he had led his regiment at Bunker Hill, six years earlier. Cornwallis had left Rawdon in full command of the South Carolina frontier, which included pretty much everything outside of the greater Charleston area.</p><p>Rawdon figured that an attack would be his best opportunity, and prepared to march out to the enemy the following morning. If Greene did not have his artillery yet, and could link up with Lee and Marion after a few days, attacking now was Rawdon’s best option.</p><p>At around 9:00 on the morning of April 25, Rawdon marched out of Camden with 900 soldiers. These included several regiments of regulars, several provincial regiments with considerable battlefield experience, and two field cannon. He did not know that Greene’s force was considerably larger than his, and did have its artillery in place.</p><p>Greene had sent some of his artillery away, after hearing a rumor that reinforcements were on their way to Camden to support Rawdon. But when those rumors proved false, the artillery returned to Hobkirk Hill, and was in place by the morning of the battle. At around 11:00 the British column ran into the American pickets, Delaware Continentals under the command of Captain <a href="https://dessar.org/cpage.php?pt=19" target="_blank">Robert Kirkwood</a>. The skirmishing that took place gave the Americans time to form up their lines on the hill.</p><p>Two Maryland regiments, under the overall command of Colonel <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-otho-holland" target="_blank">Otho Holland Williams</a>, made up the American left flank. Two Virginia Regiments under General <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/patriot_leaders_sc_isaac_huger.html" target="_blank">Isaac Huger</a> made up the right flank. The British came through the woods, formed ranks and began a slow advance toward the Americans.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/hobkirk-hill-apr-25-1781" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhypamtt9i_eiLaY5D8fSQ0LkdUQ7iXhpCJKToSxsC5atJlwPMpH41hyphenhyphenMwsWsM5yw4jllkuFauvf1-g6QUWL2nAJywOnzGV8HBIwdvj01UsbF-DqYJReTSmKiCEnb3Iy2YMla8VooFU_KCgHVlv4xomiEb5svVnVrYUQxbXO0IYs6mPXYUQWY4X1y3FPtG/s320/Hobkirks-Hill-Map.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/hobkirk-hill-apr-25-1781" target="_blank">Hobkirk Hill</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Seeing that the American lines were longer than the British lines, Greene ordered his own lines to advance as well, hoping to envelop both flanks of the British line. Seeing the problem, Rawdon brought up his reserves to extend his lines. <p></p><p>Even so, Rawdon had only about 900 soldiers against nearly 1500 under Greene. As the two lines advanced, things began to break down. </p><p>On the left flank, after Captain William Beaty was shot dead, the Maryland line began to collapse. The regiment’s Colonel <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/gunby-john" target="_blank">John Gunby</a> ordered his men to pull back and reform. But his second in command did not get the orders and continued to advance with only part of the regiment. The other Maryland regiment’s commander, Colonel <a href="https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/016700/016727/html/16727bio.html">Benjamin Ford</a>, also fell leading to even more confusion.</p><p>On the right flank the First Virginia Regiment took heavy fire and also pulled back, leaving the Second Virginia to take the full brunt of the British advance. </p><p>Green had sent his cavalry under William Washington on a long ride to get around the British rear and attack them from behind. But before Washington could get to the battlefield, it was over.</p><p>With his lines descending into chaos, Greene ordered a retreat and abandoned Hobkirk Hill. </p><p>Despite the battlefield confusion, the lines managed to withdraw without collapsing in a panicked run. Greene was even able to withdraw his cannons, although he personally had to get off his horse and help push the cannons off the field.</p><p>The Americans fell back about six miles. The British did not pursue. Rawdon was already out numbered. He did not want to get too far from his base at Camden, especially if the Americans might soon receive reinforcements. Rawdon pulled back to Camden.</p><p>The fight had been a brutal one. The British lost over 200 killed and wounded, and another 50 captured. The Americans took 270 casualties, about half of those being captured. Among the prisoners captured by the Americans were perhaps two dozen who were believed to be American deserters. Greene held court martials and hanged at least five of them</p><p>Following the battle Greene was depressed. He outnumbered the enemy, even without having to rely on militia, and still lost the battle. He blamed his field officers for the loss, particularly Colonel Gunby. He even called a court in inquiry into Gunby’s actions during the battle. Greene also expressed a concern to other officers that they might be pushed back into the mountains and have to cede South Carolina to the British, even without Cornwallis to defend the state.</p><p>A few days later though, his mood brightened. Lord Rawdon, following the bloody battle, and after hearing about the fall of Fort Watson, decided that his outpost at Camden was too much of a risk. On May 10, the British evacuated Camden and marched back to Charleston. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fort Motte</h2><p>Even before the British withdrew from Camden, Greene continued his efforts to take out smaller British outposts wherever possible. Following the fall of Fort Watson, Green ordered Lee and Marion to take Fort Motte, a supply depot on the Congaree River.</p><p>Although Lee and Marion had fought well together at Fort Watson, there were divisions between Marion’s militia and the Continentals. One flash point at this time was over horses. Marion had been confiscating horses from locals that he believed to be loyalists. It was how he kept his militia mounted and on the move. Greene, who was trying to improve public opinion toward the patriots, told Marion to stop doing this. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mrs._Motte_Directing_Generals_Marion_and_Lee_to_Burn_Her_Mansion_John_Blake_White.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="610" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tmFRo6TUuCIPgCFT5pUXZkgHrdGnva1tWZ8V3DlwoI80CQ_hyww__l0zQXjrPkpZXwAChsg0PSbc87Xp3NaQV3HvYd_ohzlukdIfBuofwp9VIcfxz6uBUvF8FBKK74PXwMChocmUJaR8AfMkMep265sseKVC1z7BVW7ZR9fEX0ZJlPU-tr6SH3EiWqCE/s320/Mrs._Motte_Directing_Generals_Marion_and_Lee_to_Burn_Her_Mansion.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mrs._Motte_Directing_Generals_Marion_and_Lee_to_Burn_Her_Mansion_John_Blake_White.jpg" target="_blank">Mrs. Motte directs officers to burn Fort Motte</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Marion, who was already frustrated by the fact that his men were getting no food or supplies from anyone, threatened to resign his command if Greene was going to prevent him from taking what he needed from loyalists. Greene had to backpedal and make sure that Marion continued to provide the necessary local support for actions against British outposts.<p></p><p>Fort Motte was set on a plantation. Its owner was a widow named <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/rebecca-motte" target="_blank">Rebecca Brewton Motte</a>. Her husband, Jabo Motte had fought for the patriots at Fort Moultrie in 1776, but had died of an illness in 1780. The British took over the plantation in early 1781, allowing Rebecca and her family to reside in an old farmhouse.</p><p>The Motte plantation proved to be in a valuable position, near McCord’s Ferry, and along a route used to ship supplies from Charleston to Camden. The British garrisoned the plantation with 80 regulars, 59 Hessians, and 45 loyalist militia, along with a single field cannon. Command fell to British Lieutenant <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/macpherson_donald_6E.html" target="_blank">Donald McPherson</a>. The garrison occupied the plantation’s mansion, which sat at the top of a hill. They build defenses, including abatis, a ditch, several palisades and a wooden parapet, along with two block houses to cover the flanks. It was used primarily as a supply depot for goods shipped to the British garrison at Camden.</p><p>Before the British evacuated Camden, Greene viewed the capture of Fort Motte as yet another way to isolate the Camden outpost. Lee’s legion, along with Marion’s militia, arrived at Fort Motte on May 7.</p><p>Fearing that frontal assault against the defenses would prove too costly, Lee opted for a siege. He had a single field cannon, which he positioned to fire at the mansion. He then used his soldiers, supplemented by local slaves, to dig a zig zag trench toward the enemy lines.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Francis_Rawdon_.PNG" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="287" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FdNNLaczPVb4an4M7uw4On7zagKCZ9x9Z0ZYiGjsy1cp7_PhgqtKUgEWh64pyZpgA6WfW4-7qZVMtYZx-6K_xSSMDuFtMakRUgNci-QOXKcDsHx35AqtgU7HlnRffvR01g7F3tjaF9GGxg_KCyOKcZH5ovX_Czz4fChlCSvEYplf3aI8kbd2O_xy8w/w166-h200/Francis_Rawdon_.png" width="166" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Francis_Rawdon_.PNG" target="_blank">Lord Rawdon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>By May 10, the trenches were complete. Lee called for Lieutenant McPherson to surrender the fort. Although heavily outnumbered, McPherson still hoped that a relief force from Camden would come to his rescue. Although Lord Rawdon evacuated Camden that night, his army would march past Fort Motte on its way to Charleston and could relieve the garrison.</p><p>On the night of May 11, both the attackers and defenders saw British campfires in the distance, and anticipated the relief force would arrive within two days.</p><p>Lee decided the only way to win would be to set the mansion on fire and burn the fort. He obtained Mrs. Motte’s consent to burn the home. According to some accounts, he used flaming arrows. Other evidence suggests the men fired ramrods with combustibles attached onto the wooden roof.</p><p>British soldiers scrambled onto the roof to douse the fires, but Lee fired grapeshot from his cannon to keep them away. With the house now on fire, McPherson surrendered the fort. Both sides then struggled to put out the fire and save the mansion.</p><p>The British garrison was taken prisoner, and the Americans managed to capture a canon, 140 muskets, and a great many supplies being held at the depot.</p><p>Following the fort’s surrender, another fight erupted. General Greene arrived at Fort Motte just after the British surrender, and just in time to enjoy a dinner with the officers of both sides in the dining room of the widow Motte’s farmhouse. It was the first time Greene and Marion had met in person. Also at the table was British Lieutenant McPherson, and several other captured officers who were now American prisoners.</p><p>As the officers enjoyed a dinner together, one of Lee’s officers, allegedly on Lee’s orders, hanged three of the captured loyalists. These were men identified by the Americans as having burned patriot houses in earlier actions.</p><p>Upon hearing the news, Marion dashed out of the house to find two of the loyalists already dead, and a third dangling from a noose slowly suffocating. He cut down the man and told the Continentals that he would personally kill any man who tried to hang any more of his prisoners.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Civil Authority</h2><p>Tensions between militia and Continentals was nothing new. While Greene struggled to smooth over their differences, he had other concerns. With Rawdon’s evacuation of Camden and the fall of key outposts, the patriots were re-asserting control of South Carolina.</p><p>Greene wrote to Governor <a href="https://www.nps.gov/people/john-rutledge.htm" target="_blank">John Rutledge</a>, by this time in Philadelphia, to urge him to return to South Carolina and restore civil authority. With British forces bottled up around Charleston, Greene wanted to establish that the rest of South Carolina was once again under patriot control.</p><p>Next week: we continue the battle for South Carolina as the fights continue over the last of the British outposts along the frontier.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp286-sumters-law.html" target="_blank">Episode 286 Sumter's Law</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp284-pensacola.html" target="_blank">Episode 284 Pensacola</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/44227357" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/44227357</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Hobkirk Hill: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/hobkirk-hill" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/hobkirk-hill</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Hobkirk's Hill: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_hobkirks_hill.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_hobkirks_hill.html</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Hobkirk's Hill: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-hobkirks-hill" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-hobkirks-hill</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Price, David Hobkirk Hill: "A Major Minor Battle" <i>Journal of the American Revolution, </i>June 27th 2023. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/06/hobkirk-hill-a-major-minor-battle" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/06/hobkirk-hill-a-major-minor-battle</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Dacus, Jeff "The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Misfortune: The Fall of Fort Motte" <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, March 19, 2020. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/03/the-slings-and-arrows-of-outrageous-misfortune-the-fall-of-fort-motte" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2020/03/the-slings-and-arrows-of-outrageous-misfortune-the-fall-of-fort-motte</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Siege of Fort Motte, South Carolina: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/siege-fort-motte-south-carolina" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/siege-fort-motte-south-carolina</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Fort Motte: <a href="https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_fort_motte.html" target="_blank">https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_battle_of_fort_motte.html</a></div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><div>Crow, Jeffrey (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/southernexperien0000unse" target="_blank">The Southern Experience in the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 1978.</div><div><br /></div><div>Greene, George Washington <i>The Life of Nathanael Greene</i>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg00greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 1</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg02greeuoft" target="_blank">Vol. 2</a>, & <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofnathanaelg03greeuof" target="_blank">Vol. 3</a>, New York: Cambridge Univ. Press 1867-1871. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gunby, Andrew A. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/coloneljohngunby00gunb" target="_blank">Colonel John Gunby of the Maryland line: Being some account of his contribution to American liberty</a></i>, Cincinnati: R. Clarke Co, 1902. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>Hermann, Burkely <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/a-short-fight-on-hobkirks-hill-surprise" target="_blank">A Short Fight on Hobkirk’s Hill: Surprise, Blame, and Defeat</a></i>, 2016. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hull, Edward B. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/guidebookofcamde00hull" target="_blank">Guide-book of Camden, Containing description of points of interest, together with an historical sketch, pioneer and revolutionary scenes, Battle of Camden, Battle of Hobkirk Hill</a></i>, Camden, S.C., E. B. Hull, 1918. </div><div><br /></div></div><div>James, William D. <i><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/923/923-h/923-h.htm" target="_blank">A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis Marion</a></i>, Charleston, SC: Gould and Riley, 1821. (Project Gutenberg). </div><div><br /></div><div>Weigley, Russell Frank <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/partisanwarsouth0000unse" target="_blank">The Partisan War: the South Carolina Campaign of 1780-1782</a></i>, Univ. of SC Press, 1970 (borrow only). </div></div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Carbone, Gerald <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0230602711?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3d912f057a24b539f3c9908c670012dd&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Nathanael Greene: A Biography of the American Revolution</a></i>, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/nathanaelgreeneb0000carb_v8a2" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>). </p><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>Golway, Terry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805070664?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7be90a9680c425d9f6ee624bfb278d2a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Washington's General : Nathanael Greene and the triumph of the American Revolution</a></i>, H. Holt, 2006. (<a href="https://archive.org/details/washingtonsgener0000golw" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>)</p><p>Lumpkin, Henry <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/087249408X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=67e4efd9f46f28bb3e3db4946cb11521&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">From Savannah to Yorktown: the American Revolution in the South</a></i>, Univ of SC Press, 1981 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/isbn_0872491005" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Murphy, Daniel <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594162123?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f6648eac9f80da8f1b04423bb94959ef&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">William Washington, American Light Dragoon: A Continental Cavalry Leader in the War of Independence</a></i>, Westholme Publishing, 2014. </p><p>Nelson, Paul D. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/161147311X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=791862fb84c9db93e18ca10244597872&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Francis Rawdon-Hastings, Marquess of Hastings</a></i>, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Press, 2005. </p><p>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div><p><br /></p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Camden, SC 29020, USA34.246539299999988 -80.60702375.9013028444339426 -115.7632737 62.591775755566033 -45.4507737tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-54951518157238081982023-10-15T03:00:00.167-04:002023-12-02T17:04:10.088-05:00ARP284 Pensacola<iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=ARML9499852843" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>Most of what I’ve been covering recently is the fighting through the south: Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. This week I'm going to head a little further south.</p><p>While the British and Americans were fighting in the southern states, the British had another fight along the Gulf of Mexico. We last focused on this region back in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2021/12/arp229-battle-of-baton-rouge.html" target="_blank">Episode 229</a> when Spain first entered the war in 1779. Spanish General Bernardo de Gálvez took Baton Rouge and forced out the British outposts in what is today the state of Louisiana.</p><p>Spain was not planning on a defensive war. It wanted to capture more territory wherever possible. After Gálvez had secured the area around Baton Rouge, he prepared for new offensives on British outposts in what is today Alabama.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Fort Charlotte</h2><p>Several months after his capture of Baton Rouge, Gálvez launched a fleet from New Orleans with the target of taking the British Fort Charlotte, on the western shore of Mobile Bay. He had requested additional reinforcements from Cuba but had to proceed without them. It took several weeks for the fleet to land on February 9, 1780, a few miles from Fort Charlotte. A couple of weeks later, reinforcements from Cuba brought his total force to about 1200 soldiers.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Spanish_troops_at_Pensacola.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1040" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5un0VSmtpE1gkVuOubM-FOdknePlQyyIA72EEyRUEVmbDL1WWRQ5gNsuInw_MM_-2W9QEEZlUGYLQ0NIx0S56jvoJXPIi_1V5O4wWHqLe0JgS2R5XMJXTzW15vzGTgbqv-1Omg7Vcxx3K2H_YZ_BA1dy5Zb24mAgv7Q4rKuRlKqs77vZZxkiGgJBxvQX8/s320/Spanish_troops_at_Pensacola.jpg" width="229" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Spanish_troops_at_Pensacola.jpg" target="_blank">Spanish Troops at Pensacola</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Gálvez received word that the British garrison at Fort Charlotte was only about 300 men. Fort Charlotte had originally been Fort Conde, built by the French. At the end of the Seven Years War, the French burned the fort before turning the area over to the British. Although the British had rebuilt the fort, by the time the Revolution began, it had fallen into disrepair again. The garrison consisted of one regiment of regulars (the 60th) along with loyalists from Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as some local militia. Captain <a href="https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/elias-durnford" target="_blank">Elias Durnford</a> commanded the fort.<p></p><p>On March 1, Gálvez demanded the fort’s surrender, which Durnford refused. Gálvez prepared for a siege, setting up cannons around the fort. Meanwhile Durnford sent an urgent request to General John Campbell at Pensacola for reinforcements. Campbell sent a relief column, which had to march overland. It was a difficult passage, made worse by heavy rains.</p><p>Spanish artillery hammered the fort for about two weeks, finally branching the fort walls on March 13. The following day the British garrison surrendered.</p><p>With the fall of Fort Charlotte, Gálvez focused on the larger prize of Pensacola. Until he could get more soldiers, however, Gálvez satisfied himself with securing Fort Charlotte, then traveling to Cuba to request more reinforcements. </p><p>Gálvez had tried to bring a small fleet from Havana to Pensacola in the fall of 1780. The offensive failed when a hurricane wiped out much of his force. </p><p>Gálvez returned to Havana to raise another army. He left a force of 200 Spanish regulars in a new fort on the eastern side of Mobile Bay, only about thirty miles from Pensacola.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Mobile Bay</h2><p>General Campbell commanded about 500 soldiers at Pensacola. Some were British regulars, along with a handful of Waldecker grenadiers. Waldeck was one of many small German states, like the Hessians, who had rented out soldiers to the British army.</p><p>The bulk of Campbell’s forces were provincial regiments from Pennsylvania and Maryland. After the hurricane severely weakened Spanish forces, Campbell sent a force of about 800 men led by Waldecker Captain Johann von Hanxleden. None of these were regulars. Hanxleden took a company of Waldeckers, but half of his force was made up of Loyalists. The other half was Creek, Chickasaw and Chocktaw warriors who had agreed to fight with the British.</p><p>The Hanxleden expedition took three days to reach the Spanish defenses on January 6, 1781. The British attacked the following morning at dawn. Many of the surprised Spanish were caught outside of the defenses. When about forty soldiers rushed for a nearby boat, the attackers fired a volley and cut them down. Native warriors then rushed after the dead and wounded to scalp them.</p><p>The main Spanish force got into its defenses and opened fire. The Spanish commander on site, Lieutenant Ramón de Castro y Gutiérrez launched a bayonet charge against the enemy. The British commander, Captain Hanxleden was killed along with about twenty other soldiers. Although the Spanish were heavily outnumbered, the charge surprised the attackers who turned and fled. The remaining expedition returned to Pensacola.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">British Defenses</h2><p>Over the winter, the British received more reinforcements. By early 1781, General Campbell commanded a garrison of about 1300 British regulars, German soldiers, provincial regiments, and militia. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-campbell" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="346" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPFS4NIrgyclTmjutpX1tXKsxYwkC_jXvGmVIyV7LQj_oQpXPbHjkjDBQF4REPlwWxfOKBKKMcIG3Oscd3l6UBg-41BdxuH6S-zoZJbRTzyy4PdgmqaTJ59nWAZ5C3I79IkbunAJf7ZAuVaYlQvh9Lsm3gTOdDOX7bHH00IZuJDaCIer1cRi9_SlxaFF9/w155-h200/John%20Campbell.jpg" width="155" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-campbell" target="_blank">John Campbell</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I’ve mentioned General Campbell before, Campbell was a Scottish officer who joined the British army during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. His father was a British Admiral. The younger Campbell helped put down the rebellion by his fellow countrymen. Following the <a href="https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/culloden/the-battle-of-culloden">Battle of Culloden</a>, his unit deployed to Europe where he saw action at Flanders in 1747.<p></p><p>He returned to active service during the Seven Years War as an officer in the Black Watch Regiment under <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Wolfe" target="_blank">James Wolfe</a>. Campbell was wounded in the British assault on Fort Ticonderoga in 1758 during the French and Indian War. By the end of that war, he was a lieutenant colonel commanding a regiment in the West Indies. </p><p>By 1775, Campbell was serving under General <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Gage" target="_blank">Thomas Gage</a> in Boston. He was part of the relief force that rescued the British column at Lexington. The following year, he was part of the British attack that captured New York City. In 1778, he received promotion to brigadier general and the commission as commander of West Florida, commanding from Pensacola.</p><p>Campbell found the defenses in West Florida to be woefully inadequate and immediately began requesting more soldiers and resources to build fortifications. He spent much of the next two years using what he could get to improve British defenses in the region. In early 1779, he received a promotion to major general and command authority over all of West Florida, which stretched from the Mississippi River to just west of what is today Tallahassee. </p><p>Pensacola itself had been growing into a rather sizable town by colonial standards. But by 1780, the population fell off considerably. Part of this was the threat of war, but there was also a major earthquake in the region in May of 1780. The quake damaged or destroyed most buildings in the town. Many colonists who could, left Pensacola for other parts of the empire. By 1781, there were only a few hundred residents. A good portion of those were slaves. Therefore, local militia was not a big consideration in British defenses.</p><p>He also had the promised assistance of nearly 2000 native warriors, primarily Choctaw and Creek. By March though, many of the native warriors had left. Campbell still had about 800 warriors, but sent another 300 home, not realizing the Spanish were preparing another attack.</p><p>The Spanish commander, Gálvez, had received intelligence reports on British defenses in 1780, but Campbell had been busy over the winter building more defenses.</p><p>The primary defensive work was <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/74692221" target="_blank">Fort George</a>. The British had originally built the fort in 1778 to protect Pensacola. Campbell spent considerable time improving the fort’s defenses. The fort sat on a hill just to the north of the town, where it had a field of fire into the town and into the water beyond it. The fort was an earthen work, designed to withstand artillery fire. It was surrounded by a ditch and wooden palisades to prevent any direct assault. </p><p>Since there was a slightly higher hill to the north of the fort that an enemy could use against the fort, the British built two redoubts, known as the Queen’s Redoubt and the Prince of Wales Redoubt to deny the enemy the use of that high ground.</p><p>To prevent entry into the bay, the British had also garrisoned a long established fort just south of Pensacola, at the entrance to Pensacola, known as the Royal Navy Redoubt.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Spanish Fleet from Cuba</h2><p>After the hurricane in the fall of 1780, prevented a Spanish invasion at that time, Gálvez returned to Cuba. Once again, he sought an overwhelming force to take Pensacola and West Florida for the Spanish. In February of 1781, Gálvez got the support he needed from Havana. A Spanish fleet carried about 1300 Spanish regulars to Mobile Bay. Captain Jose Calvo de Irazabal commanded the fleet.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Bernardo_de_G%C3%A1lvez.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="714" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieIhw2eoRyGwSlYW8h0YuYs-3Vpf1hZD8zsNrufuCH0VUp3_EG0jWtW8bYthvGV1a3XeaVBWE04wIuehDmnOFpHmyr_CzUYTvEG83nZlORNsW97jx4_Y7QY91xLoylLbsT03V9BhIcQClwVtoeFqAQTiHf-t-exmK_Z1OO7WRTGQypRzWHocFqnyQy2A=w159-h200" width="159" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Bernardo_de_G%C3%A1lvez.jpg" target="_blank">Bernardo de Galvez</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Among the Spanish soldiers was Spain’s Hibernia Regiment, made up of Irish soldiers who had joined the Spanish army. The regimental commander was <a href="https://www.pensapedia.com/wiki/Arturo_O%27Neill" target="_blank">Arturo O’Neil</a>, an Irish-born officer who had served in the Spanish Army for more than 25 years. O’Neil and the Hibernia regiment had participated in numerous campaigns across Europe, Africa, and South America over the years.</p><p>The regiment had shipped out for Havana in 1780, part of a fleet of 141 ships carrying a total of nearly 12,000 infantry under the command of Lieutenant General Victoria de Navia. This was the largest single Spanish army sent across the Atlantic ever.</p><p>In Cuba, O’Neill met with Gálvez on one of Gálvez’s first trips to Havana looking for reinforcements. The two officers knew each other from campaigning in Algiers many years earlier. The Hibernian Regiment remained in Cuba when Gálvez made his first attempt on Pensacola in the fall of 1780, when it was wiped out by the hurricane. When Gálvez returned in the spring, O’Neill’s regiment deployed with the new fleet.</p><p>The fleet consisted of thirty large ships, several smaller gunboats and over 1300 soldiers. It took a week and a half for the fleet to sail from Havana to Mobile Bay. </p><p>On March 9, 1781, the fleet began to arrive. That evening part of the army landed on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island just south of Pensacola. The Spanish found that the British artillery from the Royal Navy Redoubt was not operational and did not fire on them. The Hiberniens set up their own artillery and forced the withdrawal of British ships that were in Pensacola Bay.</p><p>Gálvez attempted to sail into the bay. The bay was a difficult one. Barrier islands made the entryway rather narrow, and sandbanks made the draft rather shallow for larger ships. Gálvez had to offload supplies to Santa Rosa Island in order to make sure the ships could clear the shallow water in the entrance to the bay.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/pensacola-mar-9-may-10-1781" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1120" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuq2ZGT8WywdcngnGqBVVoQ11o9pim0a5SlX-hjVFE0RU5d_qKe55cA1ZxgMALpvHFUWq_U8qW15T9W8iLW2MSfqJwQP0976ZUZvhozn3DFS4pjwlbFz5FsH3b4Xkg6VqhdhlyT53kiHGf145w9OyeV36u4GDFRuaR_aHuTbEVswDY0EBfXRpGBaKlhf5s/s320/Pensacola-Map).jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/pensacola-mar-9-may-10-1781" target="_blank">Pensacola Bay</a></td></tr></tbody></table>One of the ships, the 64 gun <i><a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_ship&id=12799" target="_blank">San Ramon</a></i> ended up getting grounded in its attempt to enter the bay. British artillery was able to fire on the ships, although the distance from Fort George made the fire relatively ineffective. <p></p><p>Still the shallow water and enemy fire was enough for the Spanish Naval commander, Captain Calvo, to refuse to send any more naval vessels into Pensacola Bay. Gálvez disagreed. As Governor of Louisiana, he was able to commandeer the part of the fleet that was from Louisiana and enter the bay with those ships. Gálvez sailed into Pensacola bay on March 18 aboard the <i>Gálveztown</i>. Three other ships from Louisiana followed.</p><p>Calvo and the rest of the fleet refused to enter, despite the fact that British artillery fire in the ships had proven ineffective. Calvo decided that his mission to deliver Gálvez and his army to Pensacola was complete. He raised anchor and sailed his ships back to Havana, leaving Gálvez and his small army on their own.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Siege</h2><p>Gálvez made O’Neill his aide-de-camp and put O’Neill in charge of scouting patrols. A few days later, on March 28, O’Neill’s scouts landed on the mainland near Pensacola and defended against an attack by about 400 Choctaw warriors. As the Spanish established themselves just outside of Pensacola, they received reinforcements from Spanish troops marching overland from Mobile.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/pensacola-under-siege/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="652" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswy3wJq5Ug_j9a5brbp4s2T2r_IpGEb3RUq05SmfzQmPRQILJ1ivNWkYUj5cG90xJ6-7DMXeOjgEfpNVjMYNgeWMLcFlVqx-BANSjk6QnEb9qfuQU1e0JRlyQy5gD-skBmp2yLaw7sgiqeqzIkbF-zq5OwCnC4Olhex1T34dQDIAqBd1EtZfAeCr8WlsU/s320/Galvez_en_America.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/pensacola-under-siege/" target="_blank">Spanish at Pensacola</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After scouting the considerable British defenses, Gálvez and O’Neill decided against a direct assault, and settled in for a siege. The Spanish dug trenches and built a covered road to protect soldiers from British artillery. </p><p>On April 12, while reconnoitering British fortifications, Gálvez was wounded. He turned over battlefield command to one of his officers and a close friend, Colonel <a href="https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/jose-manuel-de-ezpeleta-y-galdeano" target="_blank">José de Ezpeleta</a>.</p><p>A week later, the Choctaw launched another attack. While fighting off this attack, the Spanish observed a large fleet approaching the bay. They feared a British relief fleet would trap them inside the bay and compel them to retreat overland to Mobile or surrender. However, it turned out to be a joint Spanish-French fleet under the command of <a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=19588" target="_blank">José Solano y Bote</a> and <a href="https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=19706" target="_blank">François-Aymar de Monteil</a>. The fleet carried thousands more soldiers and sailors under the command of Field Marshal <a href="http://famousamericans.net/juanmanuelcajigalymonserrate" target="_blank">Juan Manuel de Cajigal</a>.</p><p>Havana had received reports that a British squadron might be moving to relieve Pensacola, so the large fleet deployed to ensure a Spanish victory. After the fleet’s arrival the attacking force totaled over 8000 soldiers and sailors. The forces landed on April 22. This time, the naval ships remained to protect the besiegers from any relief fleet.</p><p>The Spanish continued to dig trenches closer to the British, bringing in more men and artillery. Several days after their arrival, the Choctaw launched a third attack only to be repulsed once again. Two days later, British soldiers from the Queen’s Redoubt launched an assault on Spanish positions that were getting too close to their walls. But they were also driven back into their defensive positions.</p><p>By April 30, Gálvez believed the Spanish were in position to launch an all-out attack on Fort George. Spanish artillery began firing in an attack that continued day after day. Given the size of the attack force, only a massive British relief fleet or an act of God could prevent the fall of Pensacola.</p><p>Then, a few days into the assault, another hurricane blew over the region. The fleet had to move out to sea for fear of being wrecked against the shore. Gálvez and the army, however, remained in place. Torrential rains filled their trenches with water as the men did the best they could </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/pensacola-under-siege/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="652" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-m-pbJQc-kA-lI6m3YOQBSuCFG-71g405NS8vFSb_y-LoRE9AmnoC_ZPGVmjD5Kp1OtZAgzKVhHiMo7oIykKtepMQvAyOEk8frxswznwlYb_AkPE3W2ZHB73mVucdif_iSEiId1nch3Iuf7fZ4jPGnFzjkAXON4karUrT8S19znBJ6C59zDIc33yh5Oe/s320/Pensacola-siege-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/pensacola-under-siege/" target="_blank">Destruction of Queen's Redoubt</a></td></tr></tbody></table>As the hurricane subsided a group of Creek chiefs came to meet with Gálvez. They offered to sell cattle to the army and offered to mediate an agreement with the other Creek and Choctaw warriors who had attacked the Spanish. It appears the local tribes realized that the Spanish were likely to prevail and wanted to get on their good side before it was too late.<p></p><p>Shortly after the visit, a lucky Spanish shot managed to hit the ammunition magazine in one of the British redoubts, killing much of the garrison. This was what the British called the Queen’s Redoubt, and what the Spanish called Fort Crescent. Colonel Ezpeleta then charged into the redoubt, capturing it for Spain. He then moved howitzers and cannons into the remains of the redoubt to open fire on the other British redoubt and Fort George.</p><p>The British returned fire, but soon realized that their position was untenable. On May 8, two days after the fall of the Queen’s Redoubt, General Campbell accepted the inevitable. He ordered Fort George to raise a white flag and surrender.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Aftermath</h2><p>Over the course of the Siege, the British had suffered about 200 casualties, with about 1100 troops surrendering and becoming Spanish prisoners of war. The Spanish attackers had lost 74 dead and 198 wounded.</p><p>Gálvez personally accepted the British surrender. West Florida became a Spanish colony. On June 1, the combined Spanish-French fleet, along with most of the army, left Pensacola and returned to Havana. The fleet planned to attack other British possessions in he West Indies. Spain’s Hibernia regiment returned to Havana with the rest of the army, but their commander, Colonel O’Neill, remained in Pensacola. Gálvez appointed O’Neill to serve as the colony’s first Spanish military-governor.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Don-20Arturo-20O%27Neill.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="330" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcuWj8hrATRhm5eWG9isgU0J8rdVYgWuJXQasiZk_Se4D6JfeMSrKSwBcvUVNe9FjmBoJyZRKsZeF52Y4FE1Rv7LWnn_XkyW93aKDGOGvozO-O-YVWjjLE6aN5LdabGt_b9R-qCDPsS66TCzo9ZHDzXHCCzW0tBN08Dcqpv22SvfNWt5zC2nnizNvktWl/w160-h200/Arturo-O'Neill.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Don-20Arturo-20O%27Neill.jpg" target="_blank">Arturo O'Neill</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Under the terms of capitulation, Spain took prisoner the entire British Garrison, possession of the fort and all its supplies, and the entire colony of West Florida. By some accounts about 300 British colonists who were living in West Florida fled to Georgia following the Spanish takeover of the colony. The Spanish shipped the captured garrison back to British occupied New York where they would remain on parole until exchanged.<p></p><p>Back in Pensacola, Governor O’Neill did his best to prepare a defense of Pensacola against a future British attack. He built up the Royal Navy Redoubt at the mouth of Pensacola Bay to make it more difficult for an enemy fleet to enter. The British fort was deemed too far from the coast, so O’Neill built a second fort closer to the shore. These forts would later become known as <a href="https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fl-fortbarrancas" target="_blank">Fort Barrancas Coloradas</a>. O’Neill also built artillery positions on Santa Rosa Island, on the other side of the entryway into Pensacola Bay in order to make any attempted entry by ship very costly.</p><p>O’Neill also spent considerable time building up the defenses north of Fort George in order to protect it from a land-based attack</p><p>As it turned out the defenses would not be needed. The British would not attempt to retake West Florida. The battle of Pensacola would put the colony under Spain’s control for the remainder of the War. When the war ended, Britain would also cede East Florida to Spain. The Spanish victory at Pensacola helped to bring about that outcome.</p><p><b>Next Week,</b> we return to the Carolinas, where the absence of the British army under General Cornwallis allows the militia and Continentals under General Greene to retake the region.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp285-hobkirk-hill.html" target="_blank">Episode 285 Hobkirk Hill</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp283-petersburg.html" target="_blank">Episode 283 Petersburg</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><p> Battle of Fort Charlotte: <a href="https://webhispania.info/bernardo-de-galvez-iii-the-capture-of-fort-charlotte-at-mobile-alabama" target="_blank">https://webhispania.info/bernardo-de-galvez-iii-the-capture-of-fort-charlotte-at-mobile-alabama</a></p><p>Capture of Fort Charlotte: <a href="https://webhispania.info/bernardo-de-galvez-iii-the-capture-of-fort-charlotte-at-mobile-alabama" target="_blank">https://webhispania.info/bernardo-de-galvez-iii-the-capture-of-fort-charlotte-at-mobile-alabama</a></p><p>Haarmann, Albert W. “The 3rd Waldeck Regiment in British Service, 1776-1783.” <i>Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research</i>, vol. 48, no. 195, 1970, pp. 182–85. JSTOR <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/44229253" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/44229253</a></p><p>Holmes, Jack. “Alabama’s Bloodiest Day of the American Revolution: Counterattack at the Village, January 7, 1781.” <i>Alabama Review</i> 53 (July 1976): 208-219: <a href="https://baldwincountyal.gov/docs/default-source/archives/archival-records/historical_society_1973-1982_part_6_of_10.pdf" target="_blank">https://baldwincountyal.gov/docs/default-source/archives/archival-records/historical_society_1973-1982_part_6_of_10.pdf</a></p><p>John Campbell: <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-campbell" target="_blank">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/john-campbell</a></p><p>Baker, Maury, and Margaret Bissler Haas. “Bernardo de Gálvez’s Combat Diary for the Battle of Pensacola, 1781.”<i> The Florida Historical Quarterly</i>, vol. 56, no. 2, 1977, pp. 176–99. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/30146020" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/30146020</a> </p><p>Beerman, Eric. “Arturo O’Neill: First Governor of West Florida during the Second Spanish Period.” <i>The Florida Historical Quarterly</i>, vol. 60, no. 1, 1981, pp. 29–41. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/30148550" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/30148550</a></p><p>Haarmann, Albert W. “The Siege of Pensacola: An Order of Battle.” <i>The Florida Historical Quarterly</i>, vol. 44, no. 3, 1966, pp. 193–99. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/30145666" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/30145666</a></p><p>Worcester, Donald E. “Miranda’s Diary of the Siege of Pensacola, 1781.” <i>The Florida Historical Quarterly</i>, vol. 29, no. 3, 1951, pp. 163–96. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/30138821" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/30138821</a></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Farmar, Robert, <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/journalofsiegeof00farm" target="_blank">Journal of the siege of Pensacola from the enemy's first appearing: March 9 to May 10, 1781</a></i>, typed manuscript. </p><p>McGovern, James R. (ed) <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/colonialpensacol0000mcgo" target="_blank">Colonial Pensacola</a></i>, Univ of Southern Mississippi Press, 1972 (borrow only). </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Caughey, John W. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0911116788?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=f2f729f80900def65268a8bdc9765986&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Bernardo De Galvez in Louisiana, 1776-1783</a></i>, Pelican Publishing, 1972. </p><p>De Ville, Winston <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1598041428?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=2e69fe41ba58bd09ec4a05c40c7e0003&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Yo Solo: The Battle Journal of Bernardo de Galvez During the American Revolution</a></i>, Claitor's Law Books and Publishing, 2011. </p><p>Garrigues, Eduardo <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/155885892X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5864b7fcefe13d8bf7d1ccff420fa2e8&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">"I Alone": Bernardo de Gálvez's American Revolution</a></i>, Arte Publico Press, 2019. </p><p>Manuel, Dale <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1531610919?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=122bc504055ef7f51d6ce2a185608c5d&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Pensacola Bay: A Military History</a></i>, Charleston: Arcadia, 2004 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/pensacolabaymili0000manu" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </p><p>Odom, Wesley, S. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L5KCQS7?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7e8b809e55a9b467788012a1c21ce948&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Longest Siege of the American Revolution: Pensacola</a></i>, Independently Published, 2020.</p><p>Paquette, Gabriel (ed) & Gonzalo M. Quintero Saravia (Editor) <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0367000555?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=93b6d18971039a9bf0d4318f3f93276a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Spain and the American Revolution: New Approaches and Perspectives</a></i>, Routledge, 2019. </p><p>Quintero Saravia, Gonzalo M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1469640791?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=76c290ad96f683aba14418856a79c7bb&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Bernardo de Gálvez: Spanish Hero of the American Revolution</a></i>, Univ. of NC Press, 2018. </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Pensacola, FL, USA30.42130899999999 -87.21691492.1110751638211447 -122.3731649 58.731542836178832 -52.060664900000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-61239089832716218172023-10-08T03:00:00.002-04:002023-11-11T09:08:29.067-05:00ARP283 Petersburg<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=5dttc-14c4fcd-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=956f46" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="ARP283 Petersburg" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>I finished up last week with the arrival of General William Phillips in Portsmouth Virginia in March of 1781. </p><p>Initially, the British commander in New York, General Henry Clinton, had dispatched forces to Virginia in hopes of disrupting American supplies to the southern army, and creating a friendly port for the navy. But after Arnold’s successful raid on Richmond, it became apparent that more aggressive action in Virginia might pay off for the British. He sent General Phillips to take command from Arnold in Virginia, and see if there was a chance that Virginia might fall to British authority.</p><p>As everyone on both sides quickly discovered, Virginia’s defenses were a mess. To put it charitably, the militia was ineffective. The state government seemed unwilling to take any steps to defend the state or support those who could. The Continental Army under General Lafayette was still up in Maryland. Even if it did manage to get into Virginia, it was only about one-third the size of the British force under General Phillips.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">William Phillips</h2><p>British General Henry Clinton’s decision to send General William Phillips and several thousand more soldiers to Virginia was evidence that he thought there was some promise for more military action in the state.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Phillips.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="486" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ANL8emBkpg4/XnyFXn8uVTI/AAAAAAAAaVM/97GbzXpnyssSOjYWEtWse1stC87U4DRNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/William_Phillips.jpg" width="161" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Phillips.jpg" target="_blank">William Phillips<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I’ve discussed General Phillips in earlier episodes. He was one of the few top British officers not to come from an aristocratic family. We know little about his background, except that he came from a military family. He got his start in artillery, which was not normally a way to rise to command. Yet through his ability as an officer, and through good contacts, he managed to rise through the ranks. He was both a general and becoming a member of Parliament before the war began.</p><p>Although the Saratoga Campaign was not successful, Phillips did participate in it and came through it with his reputation intact. He spent the next three years as a prisoner of war, much of it in Virginia, where he became a regular dinner guest at Monticello with Thomas Jefferson. He returned to active service in 1780, after being exchanged for General <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/benjamin-lincoln" target="_blank">Benjamin Lincoln</a>, who had been captured at Charleston.</p><p>Virginia would be Major General Phillips’ first independent command as a major general. Upon his arrival, he took command from Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. It appears that many of the officers were happy with the new commander.</p><p>Arnold’s success in Virginia had helped his reputation with the British command in New York. but at the same time, many of the old criticisms of the American General Arnold, followed him into the British Army. General Arnold had started a spat with Commodore <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/thomas-symonds" target="_blank">Thomas Symonds</a>, who commanded the British Navy in Virginia. </p><p>Arnold claims to have convinced Symonds that they should split 50/50 any spoils of war that they captured. Traditionally, naval officers kept for themselves and their crews some percentage of any ships or cargo that they captured. Army officers traditionally did not collect any official share of booty as personal property.</p><p>By late January, 1781, shortly after the raid on Richmond, Arnold and Symonds were no longer on speaking terms, and everyone was of the view that Arnold was primarily out to enrich himself above all else. Symonds prevented Arnold from shipping some of his captured goods back to New York. Arnold then ordered Symonds to move his ships into dangerous and shallow waters, which Symonds refused to do. This led Arnold to suggest that Symonds was either a coward or disloyal, which of course did not help the relationship.</p><p>Many other officers under Arnold, Including the Hessian Jaeger commander <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/johann-ewald" target="_blank">Johann Ewald</a>, were skeptical of any man who would switch sides in the middle of a war. Many of them questioned Arnold’s decision not to burn private stores of tobacco and other goods in the Richmond raid, murmuring that they believed Arnold hoped to seize those goods for his personal enrichment.</p><p>Once Phillips took command, many British officers and men were more comfortable with their commander. Phillips criticized Arnold’s defenses at Portsmouth, finding them inadequate to a potential attack. He also tried to at least get Arnold and Symonds to work together as needed.</p><p>At the same time, Philips was not pushing Arnold aside. He conferred with Arnold on the state of affairs in Virginia, and took his advice on future actions.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Raid Up the Potomac</h2><p>One of the first actions the two men agreed on was a British raid up the Potomac. The river marked the border between Maryland and Virginia. Phillips wanted to make sure that it would not serve as a route for Lafayette to bring his Continental Army into the fight. It was also an opportunity to destroy American supplies and flex British power in the state. General Clinton had ordered Philips to do what he could to destroy any enemy stores in the state. This raid was part of that effort.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/sir-thomas-graves" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJA13XbhksNS5PCmC-YEQCEDynhl2ThAeWSJuytK7UmCebOjXCF7Z6TEl6knPI9z9GN1aZuJkeoq_7qd-ps2jeRKh-gwjeAru8-8YrxwxZhwHd7VfAFKMAKbWTkenBJ_WTmBLar_d3fCZOPVW7KDSei_ec38pT4JhAPESwvL5U990DsrnICRdtpMBysix/w150-h200/Thomas_Graves.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/sir-thomas-graves" target="_blank">Thomas Graves</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Command of the raid went to Captain <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/sir-thomas-graves" target="_blank">Thomas Graves</a>. I mentioned Graves way back at the beginning of this podcast. His uncle was Admiral <a href="https://morethannelson.com/officer/samuel-graves" target="_blank">Samuel Graves</a>, who commanded the British Navy in America when the war began. Captain Graves commanded a small ship in Boston Harbor, that he managed to run aground and allow the Americans to burn. After that, he had a few other small commands until returning to England when his uncle, the Admiral, was recalled.<p></p><p>After that, Captain Graves returned to America, where he commanded several smaller ships in North America and the West Indies with little note. Graves commanded the Savage, a sloop with only 14 guns. He had sailed to Virginia along with Admiral Arbuthnot’s fleet. Although the Savage was too small to clash with the French at the battle of Cape Henry, it was just the right size for a river raid up the Potomac River.</p><p>Graves left Hampton Roads on April 3. It took the fleet four days to reach the mouth of the Potomac River. The fleet seized several small merchant ships and encountered a few British privateers in the bay.</p><p>The fleet spent a few days around St. Clements Island, stopping ships that came within site of the fleet. They then began to sail up river, encountering a group of Maryland militia on April 10 near Mathias Point. Graves landed a shore party to dispatch the militia and destroy several buildings, including a linen factory. The militia put up some fight since Graves reported one man killed and another wounded. </p><p>Following that encounter, Graves raced his fleet up the river, arriving in Alexandria the following day. While the fleet remained just offshore, the local militia turned out in force. The militia commander was <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/john-fitzgerald" target="_blank">John Fitzgerald</a>, who had served for several years in the Continental Army. including a time as Washington’s aide-de-camp. After being wounded at the battle of Monmouth, Fitzgerald returned home to Alexandria, but remained active in the militia.</p><p>Although it appears that the militia did not turn out in enough numbers to prevent a British raid on the town, Graves never sent a landing party ashore. A terrible rain that afternoon and evening may have been part of the reason. It would have made it difficult to burn the town. Also, one of the British ships ran aground, and Graves probably wanted to focus on rescuing his ship.</p><p>The following day, the British fleet turned around and began sailing back downriver. Although they had managed to sail most of the distance from the Chesapeake to Alexandria in two days, they took their time sailing back down river, stopping at all the plantations along the shore. </p><p>The fleet lingered for several days just off the shore of Mount Vernon. Landing parties marched to several area plantations. Including one belonging to Henry Lyles, who lived across the river from Washington in Maryland. Graves demanded that they provide him with fresh provisions, which he would pay for. When refused, Graves landed between 100 and 200 men who burned the plantation and seized whatever they wanted.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/short-history-mount-vernon" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1196" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjA81wMAf8pIPXXHR2gQBo0tRulCWUMOXna01iUWP4r9rltIy-MWG71_rDpqyrFaQvo7BqGQAZJr0-J82WjBsJ65ZY6F-NVbl8neMvlU_5tXablY-hhh82fHFhYejQ21HZQPZfEyahoVa-dRa3mLazU8L-HvB4ppkke1kh_F4N-WDVwywa57tBKkF0UIZ/s320/Mount_Vernon.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/short-history-mount-vernon" target="_blank">Mount Vernon</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Graves then turned his attention to Mount Vernon. He was well aware of the plantation’s famous owner, referring to it in his logs as “General Washington’s house.” He made the same offer there that he did to other plantations: turn over provisions or be destroyed. General Washington’s Cousin, <a href="https://www.founderoftheday.com/founder-of-the-day/lund-washington" target="_blank">Lund Washington</a> was in charge of the plantation. At first, Washington refused the British request. But when Graves positioned his ship to fire on Mount Vernon, the caretaker had a change of heart. Washington boarded the British ship with a gift of poultry for the commander The men conversed for a time, after which Washington provided sheep, hogs, and other supplies for the British fleet. Seventeen of Washington’s slaves also asked to leave with the fleet and were permitted to go aboard.<p></p><p>The result was that Mount Vernon was spared destruction. A few days later, Lafayette wrote to Washington what had happened. The general immediately wrote to his cousin to scold him for dealing with the enemy. The general noted that Lund should not have cooperated with the enemy in any way, and that doing so, after so many neighbors had resisted, only made him look bad and reflected poorly on his honor. </p><p>As Washington put it <i>“It would have been a less painful circumstance to me, to have heard, that in consequence of your non-compliance with their request, they had burnt my House, and laid the Plantation to ruins.”</i></p><p>After leaving Mount Vernon, the fleet landed at several other plantations down river, receiving fire several times and burning and destroying properties in response. About a week after leaving Alexandria, the fleet was back down the river and in the Chesapeake Bay. He forwarded much of his supplies and dozens of escaped slaves back to Portsmouth, while spending a few more weeks roaming the Chesapeake, plundering plantations and policing other ships in the area. By the end of May, he was back in Portsmouth and ready for his next mission.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Petersburg</h2><p>The raid on the Potomac, however, was only a sideshow to General Phillips’ larger plan to destroy Virginia’s infrastructure and crush any local military resistance within the state. This would start with another larger raid up the James River toward Richmond. In April, Phillips took a force of about 2500 men aboard a fleet of ships, and along with General Arnold, left Portsmouth. Their first stop was Williamsburg, about 40 miles away. The defense of Williamsburg was a local militia force of about 600 men under the command of <a href="https://scrcwiki.libraries.wm.edu/james-innes-1754-1798" target="_blank">James Innes</a>. As the British approached, Innes, whose men had been on patrol for more than two days with no food or supplies, opted to retreat. Governor Jefferson issued a call for more militia in the region to turn out and support Innes, but once again he was largely ignored.</p><p>General Arnold marched into Williamsburg virtually unopposed. The only defense came from an ambush where college students from William and Mary College fired on the British as they entered the city. After a single ineffectual volley, the students fled.</p><p>The British took Williamsburg. They also captured and destroyed a nearby navy yard. The Americans had withdrawn some of the ships from the shipyard, but also left some behind. The British seized what they could, burned what they could not use, and made sure the shipyard was inoperable.</p><p>With that, they reboarded their ships, and continued up the James River. They sailed past the still-undefended Hood’s Point. Once again, the British camped around the <a href="http://www.jamesriverplantations.org/Westover.html" target="_blank">Byrd Plantation</a> in Westover, about a day’s march south of Richmond. This time, the size of the British force was three times the size that Arnold had used to raid Richmond three months earlier. This was an army of occupation.</p><p>Between the 2500 strong British army and Richmond were maybe 1000 militia that General Von Steuben had managed to round up, mostly by combining with the militia commanded by General Muhlenberg who had been deployed near Portsmouth. Despite being outnumbered and having less experienced soldiers, Von Steuben and Muhlenberg decided to make a stand ad Petersburg, a town a few miles south of Richmond. The actually defenses were set up just outside of Petersburg in the village of Blandford.</p><p>The American commanders were under no illusion that they would win the battle. Their goal was to delay the British advance in hopes that reinforcements would arrive in time to defend Richmond. The militia would tie up the British army for as long as they could, then retreat across the Appomattox River.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfPetersburg1781.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1097" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDIwiIb63EdMZA5p9BdPEF4VI1kPxM5ZSvCyTKnNmHqI5ay-jT3_MkiIh51O5ttPmiImQVKRziBsC_3SW3zN-Fy0p7LRgyDdK6a9X28ovn6nAvRgsFomjpwaHFKikMbr7IgeiYbBRom2MMNe6ZhXs8zEtdK6FG7UsWyu5vThpapYgh8eSMyBGND4vOuJb/s320/BattleOfPetersburg1781.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfPetersburg1781.jpg" target="_blank">British battle map - Blandford</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfPetersburg1781.jpg" target="_blank"><span></span></a></div>On the evening of April 23, the British force of 2500 ferried across the James River to land at City Point (today known as Hopewell) about twelve miles east of Petersburg. The militia formed two defensive lines at Blandford and awaited an expected attack the following morning. Von Steuben also put one regiment on the other side of the Appomattox, in case the British tried to get around them in a flanking maneuver. Another small force guarded the bridge that the militia would need to cross during their expected retreat.<p></p><p>Phillips saw no need to rush the matter. Unlike Tarleton who would wake his men at two in the morning so that they could be on top of the enemy by dawn, Phillips allowed his men a good night’s sleep. The army woke up, had breakfast, and was on the march by about 10:00 AM. Colonel Simcoe’s corps of Queen’s Rangers led the column, followed by Arnold’s American Legion and Ewald’s Hessian Jaegers. Eleven British gunboats moved up the Appomattox, carrying more men and supplies.</p><p>By 2:00, Phillips halted the column, about a mile from the enemy lines. He formed his army into a line of battle. Colonel <a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/abercrombiebio.htm" target="_blank">Robert Abercrombie</a> would lead some light infantry and Jaegers against the American left flank, hoping to capture the bridge that the Americans wanted for their retreat. Cologne <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/thomas-dundas" target="_blank">Thomas Dundas</a> would lead two regiments of regulars against the American Right flank. Phillips would hold another division of light infantry, as well as Arnold’s and Simcoe’s units in reserve in case they were needed.</p><p>Up until this time the Virginia militia had proven terrible in battle and tended to flee within minutes of encounters with the enemy. The first line of militia maintained a defensive fire for about 30 minutes, until the British brought up more soldiers and artillery. The first line then pulled back with good order, to join up with the second defensive line.</p><p>As the battle continued, Philips deployed Colonel <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/simcoe_john_graves_5E.html" target="_blank">John Graves Simcoe</a> to ride his rangers around the American left. Abercrombie had gotten bogged down. Simcoe was to ride around the battle and secure the bridge that would cut off the American line of retreat. As Simcoe rode off, Phillips ordered two assaults on the second line, but of which came under heavy fire and had to pull back.</p><p>Once again, the British brought up more artillery, thus forcing the Virginians to retreat. The Americans still held the bridge, made an orderly retreat across the Appomattox, and pulled up the bridge planking to prevent the British from following. From the other side of the river, both sides continued an artillery duel.</p><p>As the British struggled to cross the Appomattox, the Virginia militia retreated north to Chesterfield Courthouse, just outside of Richmond. The fighting and maneuvering meant that it took the British army five days to march the twenty miles to the outskirts of Richmond.</p><p>The British reached Richmond on April 29. As the army looked across the James River at its target, it discovered a new turn of events.</p><p>Weeks earlier, General Lafayette had grown frustrated at his inability to get his army of 1200 Continentals into Virginia. He had returned to Baltimore, where his main army had camped, with the intention of marching north to rejoin Washington’s main army in New Jersey. Washington, however, had received word of Phillips’ arrival in Virginia with reinforcements. Washington sent orders to Lafayette to return to Virginia and contest the state with the British.</p><p>The ever dutiful Lafayette marched his army south, arriving in Alexandria, Virginia only a few days after the British raid under Thomas Graves had threatened the city. Lafayette lingered there for a few days. He learned about the threat to Mount Vernon, and wrote Washington about that. Soon though, he continued on, pushing his men on the one hundred mile march to Richmond.</p><p>When Phillips arrived across the river from Richmond, he found Lafayette’s Continentals entrenched in the city and awaiting his attack. Phillips still had an army twice the size of Lafayette’s, but a river crossing in the face of the enemy, and pushing them out of the city would probably be a pretty costly victory for the British. </p><p>Instead, the British burned the tobacco warehouses and other buildings that were south of Richmond, and returned to Westover without any further confrontations. Once in Westover, Phillips received word on May 7 that General Cornwallis was marching his army up from North Carolina, and that the two armies should meet in Petersburg.</p><p>Two days later, Phillips marched his army back to Petersburg to occupy the town and await the arrival of Cornwallis. He discovered, however, that Lafayette had not simply remained in Richmond. The Continentals had advanced to Petersburg and met the British with artillery fire from the heights just north of town.</p><p>It was around this time that Phillips encountered the most deadly enemy of the war. He came down with a terrible fever. Historians guess that it was either malaria or typhoid. Phillips had to take to a sickbed, and put General Arnold back in command of the army.</p><p>Over the next few days, Phillips suffered from his fever, as Lafayette’s Continental artillery continued to reign fire on the enemy. After a shell hit the house where he was trying to recover, he reportedly said <i>“Won’t that boy let me die in peace?”</i> Soon afterward, on May 13, Phillips succumbed to his illness and died, all the while remaining under fire from the officer whose father his own artillery had killed at the <a href="https://www.britishbattles.com/frederick-the-great-wars/seven-years-war/battle-of-minden/" target="_blank">Battle of Minden</a> decades earlier. Lafayette had avenged his father.</p><p>A few days later, Cornwallis arrived in Petersburg with his army. What had started in Virginia as a distraction, had now become the primary goal of the British southern army. General Clinton sent even more reinforcements from New York, bringing Cornwallis’ army up to over 7000. General Washington deployed more continental reinforcements under General <a href="https://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/wayne.html" target="_blank">Anthony Wayne</a>, to join Lafayette in Virginia. The armies were gearing up for a major campaign. </p><p>But we will have to get to that in a future episode. Next week, we are headed south again as Spanish General Bernardo de Gálvez attacks the British at Pensacola.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> Episode 284 Pensacola (Available October 15, 2023)</p><p><b>Previous</b> Episode 282 Lafayette to Virginia</p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>“Burnt All Their Houses: The Log of the HMS Savage during a Raid up the Potomac River, Spring, 1781” <i>The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography</i>, vol. 99, no. 4, 1991, pp. 513–30. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/4249247" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/4249247</a></div><div><div> </div><div>Cecere, Michael “How Lund Washington Saved Mount Vernon” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, April 14, 2014: <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/04/how-lund-washington-saved-mount-vernon" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/04/how-lund-washington-saved-mount-vernon</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 23 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05506" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05506</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“From George Washington to Lund Washington, 30 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05583" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05583</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Petersburg: <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-of-petersburg" target="_blank">https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1781/battle-of-petersburg</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Welsch, William M. “The Revolutionary Battle of Petersburg” <i>Journal of the American Revolution</i>, June 8, 2023. <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/06/the-revolutionary-battle-of-petersburg" target="_blank">https://allthingsliberty.com/2023/06/the-revolutionary-battle-of-petersburg</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Battle of Petersburg: <a href="https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/810425-petersburg" target="_blank">https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/810425-petersburg</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 1 March 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05058" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05058</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 8 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05335" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05335</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 10 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05356" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05356</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 12 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05378" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05378</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 13 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05389" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05389</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 14 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05402" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05402</a>.</div><div> </div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 15 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05416" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05416</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 18 April 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05449">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05449</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“To George Washington from Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 24 May 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05855" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-05855</a>. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Decker, Michael M. Baron Von Steuben and the military forces in Virginia during the British invasions of 1780-1781, Univ. Richmond Masters Thesis, 1979. <a href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=masters-theses" target="_blank">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=masters-theses</a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Lafayette’s movements in Virginia: <a href="https://losthistory.net/mcjoynt/laf_va.htm" target="_blank">https://losthistory.net/mcjoynt/laf_va.htm</a></div></div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Arnold, Isaac Newton <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofbenedictar00arno" target="_blank">The Life of Benedict Arnold; His Patriotism and His Treason</a></i>, Chicago: Jansen, McClurg & Co. 1880. </p><p>Eckenrode, H.J. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/revolutioninvirg00ecke" target="_blank">The Revolution in Virginia</a></i>, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1916. </p><p>Harrell, Isaac Samuel <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminvirgin0000harr" target="_blank">Loyalism in Virginia; chapters in the economic history of the Revolution</a></i>, New York, AMS Press, 1965. </p><p>Kapp Friedrich <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifefrederickwi00kappgoog" target="_blank">The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben</a></i>, New York: Mason Bros. 1859. </p><p>Lassiter, Francis Rives <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/arnoldsinvasiono00lass" target="_blank">Arnold's invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Longmans, Green & Co. 1901. </p><div>Muhlenberg, Henry A. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifemajgenpeter00muhlrich" target="_blank">The Life of Major-General Peter Muhlenberg, of the Revolutionary Army</a></i>, Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1849. </div></div><div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Cecere, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594162794?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7c7e939997de5505d33787d8a8cca053&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Westholme Publishing, 2017. </p><div>Duncan, Mike <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/154173033X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=8bc2910100b9c17defadac088467105b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Hero of Two Worlds</a></i>, Public Affairs, 2021. </div><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>Kranish, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374622?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3b9ad090545a7776dbdace5678f2f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War</a></i>, Oxford Univ. Press, 2010. </p><div>Palmer, John M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00085D6YY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1422f0067b394e568bb61e989bd4f8a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">General von Steuben</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 1937 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/generalvonsteube0000palm" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div><div><br /></div><div><div>Ward, Harry M. <i><a href="1977 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0813907152?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3f634c9757e6c3cfdbbe3bd0fef6810a&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">Richmond during the Revolution, 1775-83</a></i>, Charlottesville: Univ. Press of Virginia, </div><div>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/richmondduringre0000ward " target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div></div><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Petersburg, VA, USA37.2279279 -77.401926699999998.9176940638211519 -112.55817669999999 65.538161736178836 -42.24567669999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-2559692855332871482023-10-01T03:00:00.019-04:002023-10-07T11:58:08.871-04:00ARP282 Lafayette in Virginia<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=abxtx-14bb741-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=956f46" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="ARP282 Lafayette in Virginia" width="100%"></iframe>
<p><br /></p><p>We last left Virginia in <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/08/arp278-arnold-raids-richmond.html" target="_blank">Episode 278</a> when British General Benedict Arnold sailed from New York to the Chesapeake, then sailed up the James River to attack Richmond.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Arnold in Portsmouth</h2><p>After Arnold’s raid on Richmond, he turned to his primary mission, which was to establish a defensible naval port at Portsmouth. Arnold’s efforts to build up the defenses there seemed to drag on for several months. Arnold seemed more interested in scouring the countryside to scatter any concentrations of militia, and to pillage the countryside for prizes.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNs554DbKNsROL_ljpR7HHlgUVjJs74EjU8Veii_vmn3q37IrVWEzZzvyQSD9DfBwdN5XFxSCQtB7gcHymzNZxGs3LHNKb0GR_TDiYCyelTeC5XHEl2Ul-6fuq3TtoD2XRo9RLcCmWml6sXHO96TE9Ydfr9wtByjuXQ85z63vNzL9RPLjKF7esIRiKKmN9/s844/Lafayette_1779.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="739" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNs554DbKNsROL_ljpR7HHlgUVjJs74EjU8Veii_vmn3q37IrVWEzZzvyQSD9DfBwdN5XFxSCQtB7gcHymzNZxGs3LHNKb0GR_TDiYCyelTeC5XHEl2Ul-6fuq3TtoD2XRo9RLcCmWml6sXHO96TE9Ydfr9wtByjuXQ85z63vNzL9RPLjKF7esIRiKKmN9/w175-h200/Lafayette_1779.jpg" width="175" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marquis de Lafayette</td></tr></tbody></table>Arnold’s January raid on Richmond had greatly raised patriot concerns about being able to protect the state. Theoretically, Governor Thomas Jefferson had over 50,000 Virginia militia to call up for defense of the state. In reality, almost none of the militia could turn out in time to stop the raid. Even given time after the raid, it seemed unlikely that Virginia could raise a credible force to confront the British army at Portsmouth.<p></p><p>When Arnold struck, Continental General Baron Von Steuben had been in Virginia, attempting to raise more soldiers to send to Nathanael Greene’s army in North Carolina. Steuben had only been able to raise a few hundred soldiers, which he had sent to Greene. The Prussian officer managed to collect some militia to lead against Arnold’s raid on Richmond. By the time Arnold had left Richmond, Steuben had only been able to collect a few hundred militia, and many of them were unarmed. Some had to be sent home because they had no clothes. Their officers instructed them to gather clothing and return, but most did not bother to return.</p><p>Steuben had seen militia in New Jersey turn out within days to check British advances in that state. His experience in Virginia, and the failure of militia to turn out to check Arnold’s raid led him to believe the Virginia militia was simply lacking the basic organization and training that other state militias had.</p><p>Steuben was beyond frustrated with Governor Jefferson and the state government. One of Steuben’s first efforts was to reinforce Hood’s Point on the James river, to prevent another British raid on Richmond. He could not even get anyone to dig trenches for defense of the point. Jefferson said that militia could only be called out to fight, not for fatigue duty. Digging ditches was work for slaves. But he could not use slaves to dig the ditches because the state had no money to pay their masters for the work.</p><p>Steuben had another Continental brigadier in the state. General Peter Muhlenberg, a minister, who was raised in Pennsylvania, moved to Virginia, before the war. He had lived on the Virginia frontier. </p><p>In 1776, he had given a homily to his parish from Ecclesiastes in the bible about there being different times for different purposes under heaven. He preached that there was a time to preach and a time to fight. He then took off his minister’s robes to reveal to his parishioners the military uniform that he had on underneath it.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Muhlenberg2.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="382" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKO0548U5mGyZmv6NNeKksvJnSveqMAJTnFsoI0MYcTAtB7Bimqq8HbgWG-NrwOE7n7sdmlaYY3hMeT8OkiXsb73NHV5yoZAsaQhQzfqqgKS15VLTxKIdy95lV5IxDELJZYH0NEjHPM-EFiWHBuj1T2y61ifrhNcGLQalfm2Bl5AI8dcAqlY2ij1LS8Ta/w153-h200/Peter_Muhlenberg2.jpg" width="153" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Muhlenberg2.jpg" target="_blank">Peter Muhlenberg</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Muhlenberg was an experienced officer who had fought at Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth. As a member of Virginia’s German-speaking community, he happened to be a good match for working with Steuben, who still didn’t really understand English.<p></p><p>When Arnold struck, Muhlenberg was on leave, at his home on the Virginia frontier, celebrating Christmas with his family. It took several days for word of the British attack to reach him, but he immediately left home and attempted to recruit militia for defense of the state.</p><p>While General Von Steuben attempted to raise more men and supplies from Richmond, he deployed Muhlenberg to take command of the forces around Portsmouth, trying to keep the British in check.</p><p>In February, as General Greene’s Continentals and Cornwallis’ regulars were marching northward toward the Dan River in southern Virginia, Governor Jefferson called on Steuben to raise 3000 militia to move southward. However the state did not have enough arms for them, and many men did not have their own muskets. </p><p>Steuben ordered Muhlenberg’s more capable frontier militia to move to the south, and replaced them in Portsmouth with relatively ineffective, and often unarmed, local militia. About this same time, word arrived that a French fleet was approaching the Chesapeake. Steuben changed plans and ordered Muhlenberg to prepare for a coordinated attack on Portsmouth. </p><p>Soon though, details followed that the French “fleet” consisted of one ship of the line and two smaller frigates, and no soldiers. The militia had turned out but some were unarmed, almost none had bayonets, and the units had almost no artillery. Steuben asked the French naval commander to fire on the British defenses, but putting wooden ships against entrenched artillery on land was a recipe for disaster. The French commander refused, and just sailed away. Once again, Steuben turned to the growing possibility of the war crossing the North Carolina border into southern Virginia.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Targeting Arnold</h2><p>As I’ve mentioned before, the Americans had targeted the traitor Arnold for capture and execution. Governor Thomas Jefferson proposed offering a 5000 guinea reward for the successful capture of Arnold. That would be well over a million dollars today. </p><p>Jefferson also tasked General Muhlenberg with putting together a special task force of soldiers to kidnap Arnold. Jefferson suggested that Muhlenberg raise a task force of backwoodsmen from the frontier to capture Arnold. If they brought him back alive, they could share the 5000 guinea reward. </p><p>Muhlenberg did collect a force for the task, but they never got close to a capture. Arnold was well aware of the price on his head. He kept a guard around himself at all times. He rarely ventured outside British lines, and then only when commanding a large force of soldiers. He also carried with him two loaded pistols at all times, determining that if the Americans did take him, it would not be alive.</p><p>When the kidnap plans came to nothing, Jefferson tried to plan something else. He met with a Virginia navy Captain named Beesly Edgar Joel. </p><p>Captain Joel had a rather colorful history. He had deserted from the British army and spent some time in Washington’s camp in New Jersey. There, he had provided some bad intelligence to the Continentals. Washington suspected he might be a British spy, but didn’t really have any proof of that. Instead he ordered Joel to go away and stay clear of the army. </p><p>Joel headed down to Virginia where he offered his services. Joel suggested to Jefferson that they put together a fire ship. They would fill the ship with explosives. When Arnold headed out on a ship again, they would sail the ship down toward Arnold, set it on fire, and blow up both ships, hopefully killing Arnold.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Nelson_(1700s).jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="413" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWAuOiSa9sAXfNaQFlhlMzvuR6qK-u4FxQrJFAhCeT3N-oRDSsmx69PDOgz_DEGGL7Vl954vOUc4iXdGtW7TjMEw5jLVmEv_uYZ8l7izrXakM0wp2K_vQpyaqowRymn5xTpOJfUXy5WG8Z6Np5VxdD1JLeza7RMR44l3vR9XLieH73TiWYeX1gyVPg3Tx/w183-h200/Thomas_Nelson.jpg" width="183" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Nelson_(1700s).jpg" target="_blank">Thomas Nelson</a></td></tr></tbody></table>The plan’s execution began with having to find a ship that could be used. Joel located a sunken ship that he could raise and make minimally seaworthy for the project. It took a crew about a week to raise the ship and get it in condition enough for the job. However, when they got the ship to a shipyard for repairs, the plan came to a halt.<p></p><p>Militia General Thomas Nelson, of the Virginia militia, told Joel that the Virginia Navy desperately wanted the ship he had raised for other purposes. They could refit the ship and use it again for something other than blowing it up. Nelson also wrote to Jefferson that it was almost certain that this plot would fail anyway since the British had already become aware of the plans.</p><p>Jefferson wrote to Joel, calling off the plan. Instead, he gave Joel a commission on another ship with the purpose of capturing escaped slaves who were trying to make their way to the British. General Nelson would go on to replace Jefferson as governor in the next election.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Washington Focuses on Virginia</h2><p>General Washington, of course, wanted to capture Arnold as well. But he had problems of his own. Remember that while Arnold was raiding Richmond, Washington was busy putting down the mutinies of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Lines. He had hoped to focus on attacking the British in New York, but still lacked the men and resources to do so.</p><p>About this same time, Washington saw the loss of his most valued aides. Colonel John Laurens had been sent to France in hopes of securing men and money for a summer campaign. Colonel Alexander Hamilton had been requesting a combat role for some time. He was sick of being behind a desk as a glorified secretary. Washington refused to let him go.</p><p>The incident that finally broke Washington and Hamilton was a minor one. In mid-February, Washington asked Hamilton to come speak with him. Hamilton said he would be right there, but first had to go downstairs to deliver an urgent letter. On the way back, Hamilton ran into Lafayette and got delayed in a conversation, which, according to Hamilton, only took less than a minute.</p><p>When he came back upstairs, Washington snapped at him and said “Col Hamilton, you have kept me waiting at the head of the stairs these ten minutes. I must tell you Sir that you treat me with disrespect.” Hamilton then snapped back that if Washington felt disrespected, they should part.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/hamilton-and-his-patron-george-washington/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1547" data-original-width="2000" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5Gn_fwgPCb9iHt1wqXn5aYgMJzIFQ1bicMLsOvhnrYdhgqNlprFIbij93InfC0Lkl3fhMrl7JSgyGMb72ihqs5JQDYH4S8buFLHiayrNOd_GFkA3AEM-Q8oPWxw7UsXHSK1dXE3GyX5OT8oD-NBTZrMpOVZDga2cavDsZ3U6bPdEGU2cLptTGnZw9L3O/s320/Hamilton-Washington.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/hamilton-and-his-patron-george-washington/" target="_blank">Washington and Hamilton</a></td></tr></tbody></table>An hour later, Washington tried to smooth over the incident by sending another aide to speak with Hamilton. But Hamilton was done and considered the relationship over. It was a minor incident that should have meant nothing. Under most circumstances both men would have forgotten it, but another historian compared it to a couple with lots of other issues finally getting divorced over a pile of dirty dishes. The incident may have been minor, but it was a spark in a relationship that was already about to explode.<p></p><p>So, despite an army in mutiny, a Congress that was providing nothing, his own personal staff dissolving, and a southern army fleeing the Carolinas, Washington needed to focus on the British army under the hated traitor Benedict Arnold, who was invading his home state.</p><p>A few days following his break with Hamilton, Washington ordered General Lafayette to take command of a division of Continentals and move south to confront Arnold in Virginia. His primary mission was to catch and hang Arnold.</p><p>When Lafayette arrived in Yorktown, he was the senior officer in command. Although Steuben was 27 years older than Lafayette, his commission as major general was issued about a year after Lafyette’s. So while Lafayette should have taken command, the younger officer wisely left Steuben in command to continue the fight with Jefferson over men and supplies. Lafayette said he would wait until the arrival of his army, which was still in Maryland.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Lafayette’s March to Virginia</h2><p>Washington gave Lafayette a command of about 1200 men, with orders to march to Virginia. The march from Northern New Jersey was a difficult one. Hoping to keep his mission a secret as long as possible, Lafayette ordered his men to prepare a short march. After a week, they reached Trenton, still with no idea of their ultimate destination.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://fineartamerica.com/featured/chesapeake-bay-map-from-revolutionary-war-1781-history-prints.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="900" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnfmBK31DiuHEA_qjVYej_e8Akq8_kMJbw-oaFH2qlh3lrKNfhCp-_KpWlUR8EBvS2dmt9Gy4H_80o4P_ziPWoF1Rswz1h_2BefOBrACYEiF0xoxUnpGD1omom01NcQwXSv7w0lL8LoX2f-Eyc62omZW_FhnrXMC_zOnXJoQkCjkgntAo1GLVqw4YaTBM/s320/chesapeake-bay-map-1781.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fineartamerica.com/featured/chesapeake-bay-map-from-revolutionary-war-1781-history-prints.html" target="_blank">Map of Chesapeake, 1781</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Washington’s orders to Lafayette told him to march to Head of Elk Maryland, where a French fleet would carry the army down the Chesapeake to Virginia. When Lafayette reached Head of Elk, there were no ships and no word of any arriving. Frustrated, the general appropriated some local boats to ferry his army slowly and in stages down to Annapolis. Lafayette personally took thirty men in a small fishing boat to sail to Yorktown to find out what was going on with his transports.<p></p><p>While still aboard his boat, Lafayette wrote to Jefferson asking about the necessary supplies for his army. Jefferson’s response was anything but reassuring. He said he had made the requests but that Virginians weren’t really used to obeying laws that they didn’t like, so the army probably would not get what it needed.</p><p>Jefferson called the legislature into an emergency session to raise funds for the army trying to defend Virginia, and also to punish militia who either didn’t show up for duty or who deserted. The legislature rejected the proposals. Instead, they just began investigations that led to the firing of Virginia’s war commissioner. When Patrick Henry and others called for a special legion to be raised in defense of the state, the legislature wasted days arguing about the uniform designs and the use of a band to lead the legion. Sure, the legislature wanted to expel the enemy from the state, but if that meant raising taxes, well that might be a bit too much. Instead, the legislatures blamed other states for failing to come to their aid in their time of need. After three weeks in session, the legislature accomplished almost nothing then left Richmond again and would not meet for another two months.</p><p>Things got worse in Virginia over the next few weeks. Several communities on the western frontier protested efforts to draft them into the Continental Army and to pay taxes for the defense of the state. These communities argued that they should not be forced to pay for the defense of the rich tidewater regions of the state. Similarly, residents of the eastern shore, also resisted efforts to draft them. They would not leave their own homes when the British were threatening them.</p><p>Many of the protesters violently defended efforts to enforce the draft and tax laws. Some even began drinking toasts to the king and damning Congress. Some militia who did turn out for their mandated 90 days, stacked arms and went home on day 91, regardless of the continuing threat. Jefferson felt he had no choice but to allow this. Otherwise, these regions might turn out as loyalist regiments in support of the king..</p><p>Lafayette continued to try to move his men south. After a transport ship left Baltimore, a British privateer forced it to turn back. Even if he could get his army to Virginia, there was no food or supplies for his army there. A frustrated Lafayette tried to remain patient as he spent week/s trying to get his army into Virginia.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Battle of Cape Henry</h2><p>Even if they could get an army into Virginia, in order for any attack on Portsmouth to be successful, the Americans needed to control the waters around it. Otherwise the British defenders could simply sail away. Lafayette received word that a French fleet would arrive shortly with ships of the line and French soldiers from Newport to assist in the attack on Portsmouth. In late march a fleet arrived on the horizon flying the flag of France. The patriots celebrated and sent a Virginia naval officer on a small launch to greet their allies. As the officer came aboard the ship, he discovered that it was a British fleet, flying the French flag as a ruse. He became a prisoner of war.</p><p>Weeks earlier, Washington had traveled to Newport to convince General Rochambeau and Admiral Destouches to deploy French forces to Virginia as part of this operation. The French were reluctant to do so since Britain had a larger fleet at New York, but after a storm wrecked part of the British fleet, the French agreed to deploy a fleet of seven ships of the line, one frigate and 1200 soldiers to sail down to Portsmouth.</p><p>The fleet left Newport on March 8 with Admiral Destouches in command. The British in New York learned of the departure two days later. British Commander Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot left New York with eight ships of the line to intercept the French fleet. With faster ships, the British arrived in Portsmouth ahead of the French.</p><p>The two fleets spotted each other shortly after dawn on March 16, a little more than 40 miles off the coast of Cape Henry. The two commanders ordered their fleets into lines of battle and engaged with the enemy. The two fleets were pretty evenly matched, although the British had a slight advantage in the number of guns.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/battle-of-the-capes.htm" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="740" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8O8s-xneIMAHZogV8u890Uomr9N9i-dUwNgDC3YXzOmAYC6-iKX8_nk_RRTe1ae_on4Tdoq0fPtZW2c469VqlAKYD-86vUQp-yBMzZWHmWjUgLM00DvoI4CYjGNxm6-NLUt9tg40BolEwCgTLRaa_nyIQr0hDeIwzvQPAnxW6JpZHMkpaIqxT24vHctAd/s320/Battle_of_Capes.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/york/learn/historyculture/battle-of-the-capes.htm" target="_blank">Battle of the Capes</a></td></tr></tbody></table>For the next few hours the navies maneuvered and fired on each other from close range. Both fleets took heavy damage. Three British ships were almost out of commission due to the loss of their sails and rigging. Two French ships were also nearly inoperable from damage. The British suffered over 100 casualties while the French suffered nearly 200.<p></p><p>Eventually, Destouches ordered the French fleet to sail away to the east to regroup, while the British fleet sailed into the Chesapeake Bay. The following morning, Destouches decided his fleet was too badly damaged to resume the fight. Instead, he ordered the fleet to sail back to Newport for repairs.</p><p>The battle left the British fleet in control of the bay. The American militia had to pull back to avoid the risk of being captured. After learning of the retreat of the French Navy, carrying the needed reinforcements that Lafayette needed, the general gave up on his plans and began to move his army back north to rejoin Washington in New Jersey.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">William Phillips Reinforcements</h2><p>About two weeks after the British Navy defeated the French, another British fleet arrived, mostly transporting an army of 2200 soldiers under the command of General William Phillips. The new British army, when combined with Arnold’s force, gave a total strength of over 3500 officers and men. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Phillips.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="486" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ANL8emBkpg4/XnyFXn8uVTI/AAAAAAAAaVM/97GbzXpnyssSOjYWEtWse1stC87U4DRNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/William_Phillips.jpg" width="161" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Phillips.jpg" target="_blank">William Phillips<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Phillips was an experienced officer. He had most recently served in the Saratoga Campaign where his then enemy, Benedict Arnold had defeated him and made him a prisoner of war. Phillips then spent several years in Virginia as a prisoner, often dining at Monticello with Governor Thomas Jefferson. </p><p>After having been exchanged for General Benjamin Lincoln, whom the British had captured at Charleston, General Phillips had returned to command. With his arrival in Portsmouth, Phillips now had his former enemy commander, Benedict Arnold, as a subordinate, and faced his former dining companion, Thomas Jefferson, as an enemy.</p><p>Philips’s army, combined with Arnold’s, was now larger than the army under Cornwallis in North Carolina. The new commander was highly experienced and well respected.</p><p>As Lafayette prepared to return to New Jersey with his Continental Army, he received orders to turn around and go back to Virginia. Cornwallis was expected to link up with Phillips in Virginia. The new massive army was poised to overrun the state.</p><p>Initially, Lafayette had been upset that he had been deployed to Virginia, which he thought would be a sideshow, while the war under Washington really got going around New York. Now, he was commanding a critical defense of the largest state in the Union against the largest British army that had been in the field for several years.</p><p>Virginia had gone from being a military distraction for both armies to the location of a major campaign of the war, perhaps one that would become decisive to the war itself.</p><p><b>Next week:</b> General Phillips launches an attack on Petersburg, Virginia.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/arp283-petersburg.html" target="_blank">Episode 283 Petersburg</a> </p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/09/arp281-ratifying-articles-of.html" target="_blank">Episode 281 Ratifying the Articles of Confederation</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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Support local bookstores and this podcast!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP">https://bookshop.org/shop/ARP</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--Begin Mailchimp Signup Form--><h2>Signup for the AmRev Podcast Mail List</h2><link href="//cdn-images.mailchimp.com/embedcode/classic-10_7.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><div id="mc_embed_signup"><form action="https://gmail.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d&id=d7df710ba7" class="validate" id="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" method="post" name="mc-embedded-subscribe-form" novalidate="" target="_blank"><div id="mc_embed_signup_scroll"><div class="indicates-required"><span class="asterisk">*</span> indicates required</div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Email<span class="asterisk">*</span> </label><input class="required email" id="mce-EMAIL" name="EMAIL" type="email" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>First Name </label><input id="mce-FNAME" name="FNAME" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="mc-field-group"><label>Last Name </label><input id="mce-LNAME" name="LNAME" type="text" value="" /></div></div><div class="clear" id="mce-responses"></div><!--real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups--><div aria-hidden="true" style="left: -5000px; position: absolute;"><input name="b_b21979d0b547e2841da07de6d_d7df710ba7" tabindex="-1" type="text" value="" /></div><div class="clear"><input class="button" id="mc-embedded-subscribe" name="subscribe" type="submit" value="Subscribe" /></div></form></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2>Further Reading</h2></div><h3>Websites</h3><div><div>Lafayette’s movements in Virginia: <a href="https://losthistory.net/mcjoynt/laf_va.htm" target="_blank">https://losthistory.net/mcjoynt/laf_va.htm</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“From Alexander Hamilton to Philip Schuyler, 18 February 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-02-02-1089" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-02-02-1089</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“From George Washington to Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, 20 February 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-0493" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-0493</a></div><div><br /></div><div>“From Thomas Jefferson to Lafayette, 10 March 1781,” Founders Online, National Archives, <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-05-02-0143" target="_blank">https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-05-02-0143</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Decker, Michael M. Baron Von Steuben and the military forces in Virginia during the British invasions of 1780-1781, Univ. Richmond Masters Thesis, 1979. <a href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=masters-theses" target="_blank">https://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=masters-theses</a></div><div><h3>Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p>Arnold, Isaac Newton <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifeofbenedictar00arno" target="_blank">The Life of Benedict Arnold; His Patriotism and His Treason</a></i>, Chicago: Jansen, McClurg & Co. 1880. </p><p>Eckenrode, H.J. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/revolutioninvirg00ecke" target="_blank">The Revolution in Virginia</a></i>, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1916. </p><p>Harrell, Isaac Samuel <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/loyalisminvirgin0000harr" target="_blank">Loyalism in Virginia; chapters in the economic history of the Revolution</a></i>, New York, AMS Press, 1965. </p><p>Kapp Friedrich <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifefrederickwi00kappgoog" target="_blank">The Life of Frederick William Von Steuben</a></i>, New York: Mason Bros. 1859. </p><p>Lassiter, Francis Rives <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/arnoldsinvasiono00lass" target="_blank">Arnold's invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Longmans, Green & Co. 1901. </p><div>Muhlenberg, Henry A. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/lifemajgenpeter00muhlrich" target="_blank">The Life of Major-General Peter Muhlenberg, of the Revolutionary Army</a></i>, Philadelphia: Carey and Hart, 1849. </div><p>Ward, Harry M. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/richmondduringre0000ward " target="_blank">Richmond during the Revolution</a></i>, 1775-83, Charlottesville: Univ. Press of Virginia, 1977 (borrow only). </p></div><div><h3>Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Cecere, Michael <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594162794?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=7c7e939997de5505d33787d8a8cca053&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Invasion of Virginia, 1781</a></i>, Westholme Publishing, 2017. </p><div>Duncan, Mike <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/154173033X?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=8bc2910100b9c17defadac088467105b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Hero of Two Worlds</a></i>, PublicAffairs, 2021. </div><p>Ferling, John <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635572762?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=cfa3ca5b04ba2949d1e4751a7eb746b4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Winning Independence: The Decisive Years of the Revolutionary War, 1778-1781</a></i>, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. </p><p>Kranish, Michael <i>Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War</i>, Oxford Univ. Press, 2010. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374622?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3b9ad090545a7776dbdace5678f2f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl">https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374622?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=3b9ad090545a7776dbdace5678f2f7fe&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl</a></p><div>Palmer, John M. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00085D6YY?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=1422f0067b394e568bb61e989bd4f8a4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">General von Steuben</a></i>, Yale Univ. Press, 1937 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/generalvonsteube0000palm" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Tonsetic, Robert L. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612000630?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4a33b9aa67a26af9985ccc62e5ef75bf&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">1781: The Decisive Year of the Revolutionary War</a></i>, Casemate, 2011 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/1781decisiveyear0000tons" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>). </div><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p></div></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Portsmouth, VA, USA36.8354258 -76.29827428.5251919638211575 -111.4545242 65.145659636178848 -41.142024199999994tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055828200051318561.post-30679021338527291192023-09-17T03:00:00.008-04:002023-10-01T07:47:06.895-04:00ARP281 Ratifying the Articles of Confederation<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=g2w4s-14a9476-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=956f46" style="border: none; height: 150px; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="ARP281 Ratifying the Articles of Confederation" width="100%"></iframe>
<p>It’s been a while since we’ve discussed the Continental Congress specifically. Many of the more memorable delegates had moved on to other duties. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were in France. Thomas Jefferson was serving as Governor of Virginia. Former President Henry Laurens had left for a diplomatic assignment in the Netherlands, but had been captured by the British. His successor, John Jay left to become the delegate to Spain. John Hancock had become the Governor of Massachusetts.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfvngB1d3PQ/X3MJKqtJ-sI/AAAAAAAAbk0/hrecN0AOs2QFEa0ZoNFCiDqJ7QnQW8R9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s730/ArticlesConfederationPage1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="730" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfvngB1d3PQ/X3MJKqtJ-sI/AAAAAAAAbk0/hrecN0AOs2QFEa0ZoNFCiDqJ7QnQW8R9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ArticlesConfederationPage1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Articles of Confederation (from <a href="https://constitutingamerica.org/july-9-1778-states-begin-signing-the-articles-of-confederation-guest-essayist-joerg-knipprath/" target="_blank">Const. Amer.</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Samuel Huntington had become the President of Congress in 1779, after Jay left for Spain. Huntington was a lawyer from Connecticut. He had served in the colonial legislatures and the Governor’s council before the war and had arrived in Congress in 1776, in time to sign the Declaration of Independence.</p><p>As President, Huntington spent his time corresponding with General Washington, who was constantly asking for more men and supplies. He also corresponded with all of the state governors, asking them to supply more men and supplies, and usually being turned down.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Executive Departments</h2><p>Congress had always struggled with running a government. The government lacked any sort of civilian bureaucracy or an executive branch to execute the laws that it passed. Delegates found it impossible to run the government while also trying to legislate. </p><p>On January 10, 1781, Congress voted to create a department of Foreign Affairs. A month later on February 7, it voted to create Departments of Finance, War, and Marine. Congress would appoint secretaries to run each department, and would provide each secretary with a staff. The actual appointments would not take place until many months later. In fact, Congress never got around to making an appointment from someone to run the Marine Committee, which was supposed to be in charge of the Navy. But then, they didn’t have much of a navy anyway.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f5uePdwWZ0I/YTx_ZNn5kqI/AAAAAAAAdYQ/6ZaNiJ49UYgygmVXzPmCUuz8cMWLf6McwCLcBGAsYHQ/s724/Robert_Morris.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f5uePdwWZ0I/YTx_ZNn5kqI/AAAAAAAAdYQ/6ZaNiJ49UYgygmVXzPmCUuz8cMWLf6McwCLcBGAsYHQ/w166-h200/Robert_Morris.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Morris</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Congress would appoint Robert Livingston as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Robert Morris as Secretary of Finance, and General Benjamin Lincoln as Secretary of War. Livingston had left Congress in 1780 to serve as the chancellor of New York, a job he kept while still serving as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Morris had left Congress in 1778. He had been serving in the Pennsylvania Assembly as head of the Republican faction. </p><p>General Benjamin Lincoln had been captured at the Siege of Charleston in the spring of 1780. He had been paroled and returned to Philadelphia, but could not serve again until exchanged. In November, 1780, he was exchanged for Major General William Phillips, who had been captured at Saratoga three years earlier. So by 1781, he was able to serve as secretary. Lincoln, however, was also still an active-duty officer who sometimes left on military campaigns.</p><p>None of these new departments were the first attempts to run the country. The Foreign Affairs Department drew from the Secret Committee, which had been established to correspond with foreign powers and with commissioners serving abroad. The committee changed its name to the Committee for Foreign Affairs in 1777. It also turned over most of its powers to the new Executive Department in 1781.</p><p>The Board of War under Horatio Gates had been an effort to organize some better civilian control over the Army. But with Gates’ reputation in disrepute after Camden, Congress finally decided to shut down the Board of War in February, 1781.</p><p>Finances had always been a mess in Congress. Morris had taken primary responsibility for financial affairs, but after Congress questioned where he was mixing his work too much with his private business, Morris departed from Congress in 1778 and left the job to others. Congress reorganized its financial committees three times over the next three years, before finally creating the Department of Finance, and calling back Morris to run it.</p><p>For all of the new departments, there were no fixed terms. Although Congress had the power to remove a secretary, the delegates never did. Each of the secretaries served until they resigned.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Articles of Confederation</h2><p>One of the big accomplishments in 1781 was the final ratification of the Articles of Confederation. Congress had sent the Articles to the states for approval back in 1777. Within a few months, a majority of states had ratified them. But the Articles could not take effect until all thirteen states had ratified them.</p><p>Keep in mind that the Continental Congress really had no governing document until the Articles were ratified. The delegates only really had any authority to do anything because the states allowed it. Congress could not force the states to do anything. Any rules that Congress had in place to run itself were established by the delegates themselves and could be changed at any time. They were literally making it up as they went along.</p><p>By the end of 1778, all of the states but two had ratified the articles. Delaware waited until February of 1779 to ratify. </p><p>That left Maryland as the final hold-out. Officials in Maryland did not have any specific objection to the articles themselves. They wanted a decision on western land claims before they would approve the Articles.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.virginiaplaces.org/boundaries/cessions.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="817" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yCMjGotJ1TcoaSoM0_or34o36ULrYAfozYqCuFSAMCgV1lA7lNaiVQhZhvPtpMIQA46HGjS7G_DuK6s6UjuivDhMYKxyhz80aun0VTgzvt65YDRI8IQBhwSWE8zix-1feJmFFeEQ7h85pikffCvgiBQGIZI_wJplCrSwSA9ZXOslOH-Jy3VOkhoYAdbB/s320/Virginia_land_claims.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.virginiaplaces.org/boundaries/cessions.html" target="_blank">Virginia Land Claims</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Maryland did not have any western claims of its own. Its concern was primarily its neighbor, Virginia. At the time, Virginia claimed what is today West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota and even Canada. There were other states that held conflicting claims to some of this land, but Virginia’s claims, if recognized, would probably have given it a larger land mass than all the other states combined.</p><p>Maryland felt threatened by this massive empire to its south and west. It wanted Congress to take control of most of these western lands and ensure that they would be broken up into other states. Congress could use these lands to raise funds, and make good on the land grant promises to veterans. It would also prevent the states from going to war with one another to enforce their land claims.</p><p>Virginia, understandably, resisted giving up all of its claims to western lands. Congress passed several resolutions calling on all states to give up their claims to western lands and turn them over to Congress. Finally, in January, 1781, Virginia agreed to cede most of its western land to Congress. Among its conditions for doing so is that the lands be held by Congress, not claimed by any other existing state, and that the land eventually be developed into new independent states that would join the union. Virginia shrunk its borders to what is today Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. </p><p>With that issue finally resolved, Maryland became the thirteenth state to ratify the Articles in February, 1781, finally allowing them to take effect after three and a half years.</p><p>Congress celebrated the adoption of the Articles on March 1. Even as they celebrated, many delegates were already commenting that the Articles were inadequate to running an effective government. </p><p>Much of the articles were also rather vague. For example, it did not specify what constituted a quorum. Initially, the delegates set this at nine states, but later dropped it to seven for ordinary business.</p><p>There was also a question about terms of service. The Articles imposed term limits. A president could only serve for one year. Delegates could only serve for three of every six years. But it was unclear if that was retroactive. President Huntington had already been in office for more than a year, and many delegates had been in Congress for over three years. Congress decided that the clock on term limits only started on March 1, and would not apply retroactively to prior service.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9bdaYJ-KYs4/X3MJiBoO0tI/AAAAAAAAbk8/NiSU_HWmyxIesSHga8pfSp_44hDIDAHLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s365/articles%2Bof%2Bconfedmain.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="365" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9bdaYJ-KYs4/X3MJiBoO0tI/AAAAAAAAbk8/NiSU_HWmyxIesSHga8pfSp_44hDIDAHLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/articles%2Bof%2Bconfedmain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Articles, printed (from <a href="https://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/msed/theory-practice/articles/2015/Articles_of_Confederation.html" target="_blank">Northwestern</a>)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The Articles also required that each state have two delegates. Some states only had one delegate present, meaning they could not vote until their states sent a second delegate.</p><p>Debate on these issues often got heated. In March, French Minister Luzern reported to officials Minister Vergennes back in France that two delegates attacked each other on the floor of the state house with canes. Samuel Adams became a leading opponent of giving any new powers to Congress.</p><p>Other members, however, continued to argue for new powers. A new freshmen delegate from Virginia, James Madison, first came to Congress in 1780 at the age of 29. He began fighting for increased powers for Congress, including the ability to coerce states into doing things involuntarily, and the ability of Congress to collect tariffs without the states in order to help fund the war effort.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bank of North America</h2><p>Finances, of course, were the largest problem. In January, Congress received word that large segments of the Continental Army were in mutiny, in part over Congress’ failure to keep its promises of pay to the soldiers. Inflation had reached crazy proportions. Some reports of it taking 500 Continental dollars to exchange for one dollar of hard money.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bank_of_North_America.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="532" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqD641XET9Ak0fv-PIT1JNHt20RfZWMuuvfkTcjzmqB5ccp0Pt_52JWCqBn-gM23Py19WBO-HO6xdhGJZt6KaLC7U_CZP_2E-HvLd-AD2GHzRLnKzsqiIENVM1BDFlhJADrBRhM4pnzSKq-AiER-pGsGhN6aA9drRCEWUezK-QV5HcB7e5REhZBKt_29C/s320/Bank_of_North_America.jpg" width="203" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bank_of_North_America.jpg" target="_blank">Bank of North America</a></td></tr></tbody></table>Congress began to back away from its requirement that everyone accept Continental dollars for payments of debts. Debtors would be able to pay off hundreds of dollars in debts by purchasing Continental dollars for pennies, then using those to pay off their debts.<p></p><p>Given the financial crisis, Congress prioritized getting Robert Morris into his new position as Secretary of Finance, finalizing his appointment in March. By May, Morris took office and within days presented his plan for a national bank.</p><p>It’s important to remember that there were no banks in America up until this time. All financial transactions were performed by private merchants. </p><p>Even Morris’ proposed Bank of North America would not be for private depositors. Britain had the Bank of England, which had become critical to the government’s ability to borrow and maintain credit. America needed something similar.</p><p>It would take nearly a year to get the bank off the ground and running. At least plans were beginning to form that would put some institutional controls over the nation’s finances. Even the bank’s organization did not take the place of actually having money. Congress was still pinning all its hopes on loans or grants from Europe. At some point, Congress was going to have to pay back that debt. Creating a bank showed potential creditors that Congress was building some infrastructure to handle that problem.</p><p>Congress would charter the bank in 1781 based on Morris’ proposal. That bank would not open until 1782. Of course, a bank at this time needed to have specie, gold or silver, in order to get people to trust its bank notes. To fund the bank, Morris redirected a silver shipment from France to Congress. Morris then used that sliver to issue loans to Congress to back additional currency. Private investors were also offered shares in the bank, provided they could buy them with gold or silver. </p><p>The basic idea of the bank is that it would offer a stable form of currency. Unlike Congress, which just printed more money whenever it needed it, the bank would use standards of the day to issue a limited amount of bank notes based on the amount of gold and silver that it had in reserve. As long as the public retained confidence in the bank’s practices, the currency should retain its value.</p><p>The proposal was controversial from the beginning. James Madison led the opposition to the bank in Congress, arguing that Congress did not have authority under the Articles of Confederation to create such a bank. In the end, Congress approved the bank with only seven states voting in favor of it. Several, including Morris’ home state of Pennsylvania, were divided and could not cast a vote either way.</p><p>Through the remainder of the war Morris and the bank would do their best to stabilize the currency and finance the war. But the overwhelming debt and lack of any income from taxes, made this job more damage control than effective policy-making.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Silas Deane Defeatist Letters</h2><p>Congress’ lack of money and inability to implement a stable financial system was nothing new. Conditions had only worsened steadily since the war began. Congress’ inability to repay debts had some pretty drastic consequences. The last few months of 1780 had seen the defection of General Arnold, based primarily on Congress’ refusal to pay him for the campaigns he had funded out of his own pocket. The new year opened with a large portion of the Continental Army mutinying because Congress could not live up to its agreements to provide pay bounties to soldiers, or even to provide basic food, clothing and shelter.</p><p>The entire government seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Congress could not agree on any effective solution to prevent it, other than continue to deny the reality of things and hope for the best.</p><p>One man who seemed to have lost hope was Silas Deane. As an original delegate from Connecticut, Deane had been a committed patriot and knew well how Congress operated. Congress had sent him to France very early in the war, long before Franklin and Adams made the trip. Deane had managed to pull off some amazing loans and assistance in France, thanks to officials who were amenable to supporting the effort.</p><p>In doing so, Deane had spent a great deal of his own money to support himself and what amounted to the American diplomatic mission in Europe. However, thanks to lies from Arthur Lee, Congress turned against Deane. It ended up refusing to repay Deane for his debts and even recalled him to America to answer questions about whether he had profited from his financial transactions in France.</p><p>When Deane returned to America in 1778 to settle the matter with Congress, he found that Congress was unwilling to do anything but stretch out the hearings and bury Deane in unsupported innuendo. Deane’s understandable frustration only got him into more trouble for bad-mouthing Congress. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silas_Deane_(William_Johnston).jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OsrK60mOESo/XE4TK6vT0HI/AAAAAAAAVEk/T69f6-uwLuEKUYphJcH-YIZuQ2e6fWsHACLcBGAs/s200/Silas_Deane.jpg" width="168" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silas_Deane_(William_Johnston).jpg" target="_blank">Silas Deane</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Eventually, Deane got approval to return to Europe, at his own expense, in order to get more accurate records of his financial transactions. But since these transactions were with the French government, and French leaders did not want to release the records, they kept Deane on ice as well, unwilling to give him the information that he needed. Congress had promised to send an auditor to France to look into his finances, but never got around to sending anyone.</p><p>On the verge of bankruptcy, heavily in debt, and no longer even having the promise of pay from Congress, Deane was forced to leave Paris, and take up residence in Ghent, where living was cheaper.</p><p>During this time, Deane continued his correspondence with friendly members of Congress, French officials, as well as friends and family in America. Understandably, many of these letters were critical of Congress and its treatment of him. He was also critical of France, which by this time seemed unwilling to help him and had ended much of its financial aid to the Continentals since it was fighting its own war by this time.</p><p>In May, Deane wrote to his friend and former Pennsylvania Delegate to Congress, James Wilson. Deane vented his frustration, and was particularly critical of France, who he believed would throw American independence under the bus if it suited its interests. He wrote to others, including General Samuel Parsons, that Britain seemed more powerful and united than ever, and that the British Navy was dominating France and Spain.</p><p>Over the course of the summer, Deane wrote a stream of candid and pessimistic letters to those back home. To delegate William Duer, Deane wrote:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>I know and confess the difficult situation of Congress ; and I know also (what I am sure that they will not confess) that they have brought themselves into it by their cabals, their ignorance, and their mismanagement.</i></p></blockquote><p>He goes on to suggest that perhaps Congress should give up on the idea of independence:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>let them weigh fairly the probable chances for their succeeding to establish independent sovereignty, and if they find the probability against it, let them honestly confess it, and put an end to the calamities of our country by a peace on honourable terms.</i></p></blockquote><p>Deane wrote numerous letters the themes of which were that Congress was incompetent and corrupt. It had bankrupted the economy and put the country on the verge of anarchy. Britain was winning the war militarily, and would continue to drive America into the ground. France was going to ditch America as soon as it decided it was in its own best interests. France had always been, and remained, a monarchy that does not respect the liberties of its people. Britain might have its faults, but at least it had a history of respecting certain individual rights, unlike the rest of Europe. Perhaps it was time to consider peace negotiations with Britain that would give up on independence if America could get certain other assurances.</p><p>It’s certainly understandable why Deane felt as he did. Congress had screwed him over multiple times. He saw the incompetence, willful injustice, and factionalization of Congress first-hand. He was not only being shut out of most courts of Europe, but saw that other active American diplomats were as well. He was reading British newspapers that reported on the capture of Charleston, the British victory at Camden, and announcements that a British victory was close at hand.</p><p>Sadly for Deane these letters fell into British hands and were soon published in newspapers. Dean’s view that the American cause was lost and that it should give up on the dream of independence became public at the worst time, shortly after the victory at Yorktown in the fall of 1781.</p><p>The result was that Deane was seen as a defeatist and someone who was spouting the Tory line. Some even accused him of becoming a British spy. While there is no evidence that Deane had changed sides, or even had communications with British officials, his own words showed that he had given up on the cause of a free and independent America. The result was that Deane’s reputation plummeted even further, and would never recover.</p><p>Congress, despite its reputation among a growing number of critics, continued to do whatever it could to further the war effort. </p><p><b>Next week:</b> The war continues in Virginia as General Lafayette leads an army against Benedict Arnold.</p><p style="text-align: center;">- - -</p><p><b>Next</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/10/episode-282-lafayette-in-virginia.html" target="_blank">Episode 282 Lafayette in Virginia </a></p><p><b>Previous</b> <a href="https://blog.amrevpodcast.com/2023/09/arp280-guilford-courthouse.html" target="_blank">Episode 280 Guilford Courthouse</a></p><div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4QlGrw3KjQ8/X0GELiT66BI/AAAAAAAAbYM/QU01uVzjPTQNPgQl1PLk72spjZ2b-mddQCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/email-icon-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Contact me via email at <a href="mailto:mtroy.history@gmail.com" target="_blank">mtroy.history@gmail.com</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h4FMI_-gUjw/X0GE4kQ6iwI/AAAAAAAAbYY/M7uhOOVqgPEpK3yfWe92OhR2uC90KnC-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/twitter-sm.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> Follow the podcast on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">@AmRevPodcast</a><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIUHc8c2uog/X0GFgPVcGXI/AAAAAAAAbYg/7ygPMPu5pBchVAlrV1xvz8PvHDLkuUypgCLcBGAsYHQ/w21-h21/facebook-sm.png" width="21" /></a></div> Join the Facebook group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271" target="_blank">American Revolution Podcast</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5TrDIeuTgM/YVBAPtqod1I/AAAAAAAAdag/o4tn6yfsfXgHxlKjdQOxxiuyk9UVef5ZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w24-h24/Quora-crop.png" width="21" /></a></div> <span>Join American Revolution Podcast on </span><a href="https://amrevpod.quora.com" target="_blank">Quora</a><span> </span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://americanrevolutionpodcast.quora.com/?invite_code=4ib0ZNzjs4N4CS2VGft4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="50" data-original-width="50" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YefzR4WOkILGMTjmDlT2oHI4BQewZo6BzXHGVAz5hEruPSmnr6daDOK6OnwCPaGvLoGazKOUZ95S5Hk5RdmCihDVTqhJPLPvFL7QA4hBv3RO5uewFWWdTCJY-Mq6eBEtU6nbeKmM5X5EXcYC5H1c3BlHvSQofD6YOy6G8JLWTxieSipMSw8kFaLMHA/w20-h21/Reddit.jpg" width="21" /></a></div> </span>Discuss the AmRev Podcast on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmRevPodcast" target="_blank">Reddit</a></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teepublic.com/stores/american-revolution-podcast?ref_id=23124" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="709" height="111" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XTBE9urwE6I/YKomdvAUqBI/AAAAAAAAcxI/i9ClRIUiT3EYYO6lkvdNAerVBJVA0ifuQCLcBGAsYHQ/w118-h111/Join%2BOr%2BDie%2BFlag%2B-%2BT-Shirt%2B_%2BTeePubli.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">American Revolution Podcast Merch!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, pillows, totes, notebooks, wall art, and more. 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JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/20745080" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/20745080</a>.</p><p>Bank of North America: <a href="https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/bank-of-north-america" target="_blank">https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/bank-of-north-america</a></p><p>James, F. Cyril. “The Bank of North America and the Financial History of Philadelphia.” <i>The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography</i>, vol. 64, no. 1, 1940, pp. 56–87. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/20087258" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/20087258</a>. </p><p>Rappaport, George David. “The First Description of the Bank of North America.” <i>The William and Mary Quarterly</i>, vol. 33, no. 4, 1976, pp. 661–67. JSTOR, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1921720" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2307/1921720</a>. </p><p>Nuxoll, Elizabeth M. “The Bank of North America and Robert Morris’s Management of the Nation’s First Fiscal Crisis.”<i> Business and Economic History</i>, vol. 13, 1984, pp. 159–70. JSTOR, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/23702711" target="_blank">http://www.jstor.org/stable/23702711</a>. </p><p>Silas Deane’s intercepted letters: <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=evans;idno=N13851.0001.001" target="_blank">https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=evans;idno=N13851.0001.001</a></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Free eBooks<br />(from archive.org unless noted)</h3><p><i><a href="https://archive.org/details/journalscontinent19unit" target="_blank">Journals of the Continental Congress</a></i>, Vol. 19, Jan. 1 - April 23, 1781. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1912. </p><p>Clark, George L. <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/silasdeane00clar" target="_blank">Silas Deane</a></i>, New York: G. P. Putnam's sons, 1913. </p><p>Deane, Silas <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/deanepapers22dean" target="_blank">The Deane Papers</a></i>, Vol. 4 (1779-1781) New York Historical Society, 1887. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Books Worth Buying<br />(links to Amazon.com unless otherwise noted)*</h3><p>Burnett, Edmund Cody, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007DMWQU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=4b78d1121375fbc65aed081770205781&language=en_US (borrow on Archive.org) " target="_blank">The Continental Congress</a></i>, Macmillan Co. 1941 </p><p>Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761321144?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=b300b0779b6810406abc19c03bad3aef&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl " target="_blank">The Articles of Confederation</a></i>, Twenty-First Century Books, 2002. </p><p>(<a href="https://archive.org/details/articlesofconfed00fein" target="_blank">borrow on archive.org</a>)</p><p>Jensen, Merrill <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Articles-Confederation-Interpretation-Social-Constitutional-Revolution/dp/0299002047?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=2096c8b2e755ee403d50fd1a1413703d&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution</a></i>, 1774-1781, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1948. </p><p>Montross, Lynn <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CHLMX/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=edbe9fcc0c28a23302f741316dfb86cb&language=en_US " target="_blank">The Reluctant Rebels</a></i>, Harper & Brothers, 1950 (<a href="https://archive.org/details/reluctantrebelst010175mbp" target="_blank">borrow on Archive.org</a>).</p><p>Rappleye, Charles <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416570918/ref=as_li_ss_tl?&linkCode=ll1&tag=amrevpodcast-20&linkId=5ea76deb56e1a7d02074d18ea821ec9f&language=en_US" target="_blank">Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution</a></i>, Simon & Schuster, 2010. </p><p>* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.</p><div><br /></div>Michael Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03442115874718729592noreply@blogger.com0Philadelphia, PA, USA39.9525839 -75.165221511.642350063821155 -110.3214715 68.262817736178846 -40.0089715