Reaction & Commentary
Just Unleashed A Christmas Surprise on the British the Battle of Trenton has bolstered the rebels but America needs more than supplies to turn the tide of War what General George Washington really needs is money and a Navy in pursuit of this goal the Americans have sent their own secret weapon to France
He arrives on a crisp December morning along the French Coast he is old and frail with a variety of ailments but Benjamin Franklin is also the most famous revolutionary leader in Europe Franklin is the man who tamed lightning a renowned scientist inventor and writer who brought the simple wisdom of poor
Richard to the world when Franklin gets to France there is an enormous sense of consternation what is this figurehead what is this great celebrity doing here and remember given the way the media worked in those days he washes up on the shores of Brittany with no announcement and there are all
Sorts of wonderful rumors afoot as to what he’s doing in France he’s come to buy himself a chateau with his immense Fortune he’s come to educate his Grandsons in Europe because the schools are better every possible idea is put forth the idea that he’s actually there
To enlist the French in this cause is not the obvious conclusion and he doesn’t feel he has to illuminate anyone Franklin arrives into a deeply divided nation no place more so than Paris itself the wealthy living opulence while the poor walk on city streets ankle deep in waste and excrement
This dichotomy has produced new thinking about Europe’s age-old system of class the French read Thomas Payne and cheer America’s Revolution as one Frenchman noted there is a hundred times more enthusiasm for this revolution in the Paris cafes than in the colonies Franklin plays on this enthusiasm now in one of the most opulent courts in Europe the home of Marie Antoinette Franklin presents a simple yet carefully crafted portrait of America and all things American picture me very plainly dressed wearing my thin gray straight hair that peeps out from under my only quarter a fine
Fur cap which comes down to my forehead almost to my spectacles think how this must appear among the powdered heads of Paris German Franklin Franklin plays on this romance he where he dresses very plainly he wears a beaver cap and he becomes kind of a fad there the women love to be around
Franklin they think that something kind of very romantic about this back Woodsman who’s here in their midst before long all the fashionable women are wearing their hair in a style that mimics Franklin’s fur cap they call the style Allah Franklin but not all quarters are equally Charmed December 28 1776.
Ben Franklin arrives at Versailles home to King Louis XVI it seems like a Fool’s errand when you think about it Franklin is sent to an absolute monarchy to ask them to fund a revolution against a king but the truth is that the Animus on the French part against the English is so
Great but this is a very easy argument to make Franklin is greeted by France’s foreign minister The Crafty comp de virgin is the one behind Francis covert arm shipment anyone in his right mind would have assumed that the best thing to do would have been to let the colonies and and
England destroy each other mutually and not to intervene but he is dead set on Revenge it’s the one thing he needs to accomplish and he’s could not be more eager Tree by the revolution but France needs to know they are backing a winner Franklin’s attuned sense of gamesmanship
Tells him the time is not right that and the fact King Louis XVI refuses to meet with him but without France the threadbare American Revolution is in peril for now Franklin will have to wait pin his hopes on events three thousand miles away where only a great American victory could budge the French
But that couldn’t seem less likely Back in New Jersey the Continental Army is in bad shape the Americans have not yet figured out how to feed and supply the army John Adams the always outspoken member of Congress complains our army is an object of wretchedness enough to fill a human mind with horror disgraced defeated discontented dispirited diseased naked undisciplined eaten up with vermin no clothes beds or blankets no medicines no vittles but Soul pork and flour
And as winter turns to Spring the problems only worsen no one is joining the Army and officers sent on recruiting missions must dig deeper to fill the quotas for new recruits every generation before or after it’s Christmas When The War isn’t over by Christmas the heart part-time recruiting soldiers
And it’s in 1777 that we see many states beginning to offer significantly increased bounties that’s a cash payment for enlistment service in the Continental Army is now offered as an alternative to corporal punishment when you’re brought into court service in the Continental Army is encouraged for vagrants the shortages of trained soldiers hits
The Army hard no place more than the northern American Outpost of Fort Ticonderoga where America’s inexperienced recruits are about to become the target of a major British attack foreign in Paris Benjamin Franklin has made his first overtures to the French an attempt to get the European power to join in the
Fight against their age-old enemy England but for now the Elder Statesman Has Come Away empty-handed swaying the French will take a major American victory back in the colonies where the British are getting ready to mount a new round of assaults June 1777. just south of Montreal Canada a new British general has arrived in America General John Burgoyne surrounds himself with all the trappings that wealth and Status afford he has recently returned to the colonies where he witnessed the British loss of Boston just two years earlier burgoyne’s goal to take revenge and end
The war whatever the cost it is an end game he has staked his career on John Burgoyne has always led the good life a gambler a military man by career a playwright by Hobby a social climber by marriage gentleman Johnny as his soldiers call him leans towards the dramatic before his return to America in June the cocky Burgoyne wages that he will have the war won by Christmas
Charles Fox A Member of Parliament who stood in opposition to the war takes the bet with a warning he not over sanguine I believe when you return to England you will be a prisoner on parole Charles Fox as commander of Britain’s Northern forces forgoing aims to take the Hudson
River the vital waterway that separates the northern colonies from the southern colonies it’s important to realize that in the 18th century there are no Bridges across this River there are only a limited number of Crossing points if you control those points you control key terrain and you were able to sever the
Lives of communication that the colonists are able to use to coordinate their actions between Boston and Philadelphia and certainly prohibit the transfer of troops from one side of the river to the other Foreign The British plan requires precise coordination across great distances burgoyne’s Forest will move South down the Hudson to meet up with the man in charge for the British General William Howe whose forces will March North from New York City burgoyne’s first Target is a remote Northern Outpost the mighty Fort Ticonderoga
People referred to it as the Gibraltar of the north of the Gibraltar of North America it was by all standards the most spectacular Fortress in North America angled bastions very defensible and it sits astride this very very strategic water corridor July 2nd 1777. General burgoyne’s force of 8 000 descends upon Fort Ticonderoga
The undermanned Americans are at a mighty disadvantage just 2500 Continentals scarred the fort foreign ERS break out around the stronghold as British soldiers snipe at The Americans but taking the fort will require a strategic advantage Fort Ticonderoga sits on a peninsula surrounded by three mountains but the lean American forces can only defend two of them the steepest and most formidable the aptly named Mount Defiance is left
Unprotected but from its Ridge artillery has an easy shot into the fort the weak spot the Burgoyne will exploit July 5th Burgoyne dispatches a unit to the west side of Mount defiance their mission to drag their Cannon to the top is a treacherous climb but out of sight of the Americans
By noon they Crest The Ridge and positioned themselves for a clear shot into the fort with one move Burgoyne puts the Americans in an indefensible position and without firing their Cannon once leave the outmaneuvered Americans no choice but to retreat it is an easy win for Burgoyne and
Bolsters his belief that the campaign to take the Hudson River will be a simple one News of the fall of Fort Ticonderoga reaches Paris where Benjamin Franklin has been closely monitoring the war constantly waiting for his bail I mean none of our impatience for our mail could possibly equal help what frankly must have felt at that point the ignorance is crippling but sometimes ignorance is bliss
That the undermanned American Army has been forced to retreat in the face of an attack is the last thing Franklin wants to hear on top of that he has made little progress with King Louis XVI Franklin is after all the representative of rebels he is fraught with frustration there is
Nothing better to do here than drink how can we fool ourselves that France might understand America better than Britain how can we fool ourselves that a monarchy will help Republicans revolt against their monarch Benjamin Franklin the fall of Fort Tai hits General Washington’s desk with a thud
His soldiers lost it without so much as a fight and now the British army is on the move seven thousand soldiers are heading down the Hudson the rest are stationed in New York City Washington flounders and begins moving his troops Up and Down the River hedging his bet against where the
Redcoats might attack next General Washington may be conflicted But so too are the British their Commander William Howe has gathered up his 13 000 troops and set sail from New York City Destination Unknown How is torn he is expected to move up the Hudson to Aid We’re going but he can’t escape his own designs a fixation on conquering Philadelphia the rebel capital his decision when it comes will change the course of the war the mighty Fort Ticonderoga the gateway to the Hudson River Valley
Has fallen to the British without so much as a shot fire it is another defeat for the undermanned Continental Army and is an ominous start to the summer of 1777. cross the ocean in France Benjamin Franklin’s waiting game continues Franklin is biding his time looking for news from America some victory that
Would open the gates to Versailles would convince the French to join the war but he keeps his intentions to himself it is a secrecy that breeds Intrigue for the first year that he’s there there’s a real question as you hear because he’s running away from the American
Revolution is he here to undermine it or is he here to underwrite it desperate to find out more both France and England surround Franklin with spies it turns out in sent back within the week via a little bottle sunk beneath a tree in the tweileries to the British government and
Those dispatches arrived regularly 72 hours later because of the Espionage Franklin realized the only way he could keep a secret was to keep it to himself and he’s very very closed-mouthed plays his cards very close to the chest Franklin silence is a calculated diplomatic strategy akin to his favorite game chess
Life is a kind of Chess in which we have points to gain and competitors to contend with by playing a chess we learn not to make our moves too hastily Benjamin Franklin follows his own advice too well for some but he knows the time will come when he
Finally gets to play his next move back across the ocean in America British general Howe remains adrift off the coast of New York City thirteen thousand soldiers on 260 ships still don’t know where they are headed John burgoyne’s plan calls for General Howe to head up the Hudson yet how is
Intent on Philadelphia revenge for his embarrassing losses at Trenton and Princeton as how is obsessed with holding Philadelphia sustaining Philadelphia situated almost exactly in the center of the 13 colonies geographically because it’s the political Capital it’s where the Continental Congress is resides it’s an important strategic Center too
Both commercially as well as politically how makes his decision he will abandon Burgoyne his Northern Army and the Hudson campaign he will invade Philadelphia in one move he changes the course of the war August 22 1777. Hartsville Pennsylvania American Scouts bring word to Washington that house fleet has entered the Chesapeake Bay their target is now clear they are headed for the rebel capital Washington immediately sets his army in motion marching South through Philadelphia three days later the British land at Elk
Point Maryland and begin their northward March the two armies are now on a collision course September 11 1777 Chads Ford Pennsylvania Washington positions his forces along the banks of a tributary called Brandywine Creek it is here that he will make his stand against the advancing British Brandywine Creek is the perfect place
For a defense there are only a few Crossings along this stretch where troops can be transported from bank to bank and Washington has them covered by 7 am the British reached the banks directly across the river from the main force of the Americans musket and artillery fire erupt between the two armies 25
000 soldiers will Clash on this day the battle intense and bloody in the thick of the fighting the Continental Army makes an alarming discovery the weapon sent secretly by France months earlier have only now arrived and many of them aren’t working some of the muskets are fitted with the
Wrong cartridges others have shot of the wrong size it renders them unusable on the opposing side the British are trying out a new and improved rifle Captain Patrick Ferguson a skilled Marksman is the inventor the new weapon is lighter has a longer range Ferguson’s expert hands is deadly accurate
During the fighting the captain gets a high-ranking officer in his sights but killing involves more than aim on the 18th century field of battle there is also the matter of honor the American Revolution occurs during what some historians term the age of limited Warfare these professional Military Officers who deem themselves
Professionals did not think that it was gentlemanly Nor honorable to intentionally lay low an enemy officer it’s an easy shot but Ferguson passes it up his decision possibly changes history the man at the end of his Barrel was evidence suggests George Washington himself four o’clock strikes on the field at
Brandywine the Continental Army has successfully held off the British advances for eight hours but all of that is about to change but Washington doesn’t know is that his main Force has only been engaging half of house Army the other half has been sent on a day-long March to the West around the
American defenses and is now headed for a surprise attack from behind it is the same tactic the British used at the Battle of Long Island and once again Washington is surprised by the maneuver having outflanked the Americans the battle quickly becomes a route one thousand American soldiers are wounded or killed
Washington is forced to retreat North giving up the fight and giving up Philadelphia six weeks later the news reaches America’s Emissary to France Benjamin Franklin his hometown the rebel Capital Philadelphia has fallen to the British in response the sage Statesman makes an unlikely quip instead of how taking Philadelphia Philadelphia has taken how
This is not a finest kind from a man who remember made his name writing hoaxes and dispensing misinformation in his own papers he knows his job and his job is essentially to make it appear to the Europeans as particular to the French that the American cause is a viable one
And moreover that the Americans can win this contest those are all of them at that point fictions Franklin as shrewd in his diplomacy as he is in his chest will have to wait yet again the unanswered question is whether the French will support America in its next move Franklin
In France we do not take King so French duchess ah Madame we do in America back in the colonies America’s Northern Army is getting ready for a battle that will turn the tide of the war September 11 1777 Washington’s army takes on the British at Brandywine Creek twenty-five thousand soldiers clashed
But the Americans are outflanked by their enemy it is another route for the British as the rebel Capital Philadelphia falls into enemy hands but British general Howe’s decision to take Philadelphia has meant abandoning his Northern Army with no knowledge of Howe’s Choice General John Burgoyne leader of Britain’s Northern Army continues his
Campaign to take the Hudson and the gentleman General makes sure he travels in style 30 carts of food clothing and liquor take the edge off a campaign through the rugged terrain of upstate New York tonight he is confident and in good cheer Burgoyne has enlisted help in his
Campaign a secret weapon that he believes will give him the upper hand 500 Native Americans from the league of the Iroquois have joined burgoyne’s Army they will serve as guides to the British helping them navigate the northern Frontier we’re not really interested in in theories of of monarchy versus democracy
The Indians were playing it according to what how is this going to play for us which side is going to be most likely to to grant us our sovereignty who is our greatest friend and conversely who is our biggest threat each Indian nation has to make a choice
Virtually none are able to remain neutral most overwhelmingly they side with the British for the Native Americans it is a marriage of convenience A British Victory is their best hope for protecting their lands against the westward pushing American colonists Burgoyne partakes in the ancient practice of sharing a peace pipe but he wants the Indians to attack the Americans without Mercy and wastes no time broadcasting his objective issuing a proclamation to the inhabitants of New England
A warning to all who stand in his way I have but give stretch to the Indian forces under my direction and they amount to thousands to overtake the hardened enemies of Great Britain wherever they may lurk The Messengers of justice and of Wrath await them General John Burgoyne burgoyne’s
Proclamation is a fateful decision July 27 1777 Western Vermont two Braves capture a Woman by the name of Jane McRae there is a struggle a fight a shot is fired Jane McRae dies but it is unclear who killed her there are varying versions of this story and
Some contend that in fact she was killed by militiamen firing on the Indians in an attempt to rescue her however she actually met her fate this is one of those sort of events that’s prone to being manipulated for propaganda purposes the story spreads to the colonies with lightning speed and becomes fodder for
Brutal anti-indian propaganda of the highest order it is written that bloodthirsty Indians have killed a white woman and Burgoyne is held accountable back in the British Camp the scalp of Jane McRae is presented to Burgoyne who receives it with disgust even though he is the one who ordered the raids
The Savages having sculpt a young lady their prisoner fills me with horror I would rather put my commission in the fire than serve a day if I could suppose government would blame me for such strong acts such unheard barbarities but burgoyne’s reaction is too little too late
The killing of McRae becomes a call to Arms militia grabbed their muskets and head to the Hudson Valley and begin to pour into Continental camps for General Horatio Gates who arrived on Washington’s orders in August to take over as leader of America’s Northern Army it is the Boost he has been waiting for
Gates is a proud albeit disheveled man who comes from a clouded past born in Britain to a servant mother he is rumored to be a bastard son America has given him an escape from the rigid class structure of Europe War a chance to gain Glory against his former home
But he Harbors even greater ambitions Horatio Gates wanted to be commander-in-chief of the American Army and it goes much beyond that whoever was the Victorious leader of the revolutionaries would the emerge would emerge as the leader of a new nation there had to be a new ruler some new kind of ruler no
One had decided what yet I think he might have been that ambitious in that Gates adds fuel to the furore over the killing of Jane McRae writing an open letter directly to his adversary that the famous Lieutenant General Burgoyne should hire the Savages of America to scalp Europeans and the
Descendants of Europeans is more than will be believed in Europe they are harsh words to an old friend Gates knows his rival John Burgoyne well in the Seven Years War they were comrades in arms registered one after the other in the British military Ledger as gentleman to be lieutenant
Now gate sees his chance for Glory in beating his old country and gentleman Johnny Burgoyne he will prove himself to Congress which to him still doesn’t recognize his worth Gates orders his army to a position where he knows the British will have to pass just south of a region of New York
Called Saratoga gentleman Johnny Burgoyne continues his Southward March but there is no sign of reinforcements Burgoyne has made a fateful decision to press forward rather than wait for news from how Clues as to what lies ahead are all around him a royal Patrol scouting close to
Saratoga comes across a note pinned to a tree Burgoyne had posted his Proclamation now the rebels have issued one of their own thus far shalt thou go and no further September 19 1777. with numbers swelled by anti-bergoian sentiment the rebel Army is ready for a fight Horatio gate sees an opportunity to test
The British just south of Saratoga on a piece of land called Freeman’s Farm Gates has a surprise for his enemy an Elite Force sent by Washington himself Daniel Morgan’s Rifleman Morgan a Virginia officer fought in the Seven Years War witnessing firsthand the fighting style of the Native Americans
Inspired by what he saw he has created Guerrilla tactics that are new to the battlefields of the 18th century rather than attacking columns head on Morgan’s men fire from cover noon after a tough morning March through heavily thicketed Woods a forward picket of gregorian’s army finally reaches a clearing
A moment to rest they think but Morgan’s men are waiting fire Rains Down with deadly accuracy all but one British officer is killed or wounded in the first assault the Ambush is followed by Bloody skirmishes the battle swinging back and forth through the afternoon until finally at four o’clock having
Inflicted their damage the Americans fall back the British suffer 600 casualties to the American Marksman and come to understand that these Rebels may not give up so easily in the American Camp militia keep pouring in the Army swells to more than ten thousand Victory against the five thousand British soldiers now seems possible
Horatio Gates can feel it so too can another General who wants to capture some glory for himself Benedict Arnold but before the two generals take on Burgoyne they will find themselves in a battle against each other each Vine for credit in a campaign that will change the course of the war
The battle at Freeman’s Farm just outside of Saratoga New York has stopped British General John burgoyne’s Southward March in its tracks and given confidence to Horatio Gates troops whose numbers continue to swell that confidence is shared by another Bold American General who sees his chance for Glory Benedict Arnold
Arnold comes from a prominent Connecticut family that fell on Hard Times his alcoholic father squandered away the family’s Fortune but Arnold would not yield to his lowly circumstances achieving great wealth and success in business through sheer will He has been in the war since the outset and has always made an impression he was spit and when he sat on a fine horse he was literally a commanding figure it was Arnold who helped snatch Fort Ticonderoga from the British two years earlier but the credit for the victory went to
The hard drinking Frontiersman Ethan Allen it is a slight that Arnold has not forgotten But this campaign offers him a chance at Redemption to get the credit he feels he deserves meanwhile around Saratoga New York the two armies wait just miles away from each other they wait as soldiers do for their next order in the American Camp Gates and Arnold talk strategy over a meal of oxheart Their army has swelled to twice the size of burgoynes the question is what to do next and the two generals have two different ideas Arnold ever on the offensive proposes an aggressive act an attack on Burgoyne Gates however is characteristically circumspect let Burgoyne come to them the conversation turns heated tempers
Flare Horatio Gates couldn’t stand Benedict Arnold considered him an upstart and arrogant upstart and Benedict Arnold like many of the Revolutionary soldiers called Gates granny Gates a fussy old woman But the headstrong Arnold takes his argument One Step too far gates in no uncertain terms reminds Arnold that it is he who is the ranking officer Gates banished his best General from the dinner table saltitim wouldn’t let him come to meetings told him basically stay in your
Quarters which were a little hot on the on the edge of the battlefield and Benedict Arnold fumed as a result of that dinner and decided that he would have to defy the orders of his commanding officer because he believed the Americans were going to be beaten if it were up to Granny Gates
In the British Camp General John Burgoyne is filled with frustration news has finally arrived from Howe there will be no reinforcements coming from the south but gentleman Johnny Burgoyne refuses to retreat Burgoyne is exceptionally ambitious he is definitely a glory Hunter look his greatest failing was that like many
Officers of his time he placed a premium on individual martial Glory he wanted to gain Fame for himself Saratoga should have never happened Johnny burgoyne’s Pride his hubris is what precipitated the disaster at Saratoga with his supplies dwindling Burgoyne decides to make one last push an assault on the Americans just to the
South of Saratoga on a rise of land called Bemis Heights October 7 1777. for going sends a reconnaissance force of 1500 towards the American lines Gates sets 2400 of his men out to meet the British thank you it is the final engagement of the Battle of Saratoga
On the field Benedict Arnold in defiance of gates orders leads the charge against the Royals Arnold employed snipers he got Rifleman highly accurate put them up in trees like snipers not down in red uniforms with white stripes that you could cite Arnold fought like an Indian from cover with camouflage
Surprise attacks it was a new kind of warfare and the British didn’t adapt to it through the smoke of battle Arnold spots an opportunity he can’t ignore British general Simon Frazier seems to be single-handedly rallying the troops Arnold makes a snap decision that changes the course of the fight
He orders his men to Target the British officer one month earlier George Washington may have been spared assassination at the Battle of Brandywine but at Saratoga British officers are offered no such favor it takes three shots three shots that take down his adversary with Frasier removed from the battle the
Life seems to disappear from the British soldiers who begin to retreat under the pressure of Arnold’s advance but not before taking a well-placed shot of Their Own Benedict Arnold takes a bullet to the lake barely survives being crushed by his horse when the battle was over
His second in command said sir where are you hit and Arnold said it’s my leg I wish it had been my heart and I do too I wish it had been in his heart because if he had died at that moment he would have been the great hero of the revolution
With Arnold’s leadership the British attack is repelled and the campaign to take the Hudson comes to an end yet it is Horatio Gates who will take the credit for the victory Gates doesn’t mention Arnold in his dispatches and Garners all the glory for himself the people and the Press hail Gates as
The new American Hero in fact the hero of the battle was Benedict all right October 17 1777 noon two generals meet each other on a field of surrender after a seven-month campaign down the Hudson General John Burgoyne comes face to face with his old colleague Continental General Horatio Gates
Burgoyne’s ill-fated Journey ends here with the surrender of six thousand of his soldiers the largest capture of British forces in the entire War gorian will return home a prisoner of war losing not only his year old wager but his military career General William Howe who delivered Philadelphia to the British with the best of intentions has had enough No one in Britain is celebrating the capture of Philadelphia instead they blame Howe for not coming to burgoyne’s Aid just five days after the surrender at Saratoga Howe prepares his resignation to return home leaving behind the rebels and the war that should have ended long ago foreign the Atlantic America’s Envoy to France
Benjamin Franklin receives the news the victory at Saratoga has changed the war and changed the world I don’t think anyone was surprised by the news of Saratoga as Franklin there had been nothing but bad news from the colonies it’s fair to say certainly that he is waiting for something like this Saratoga
Is certainly the thing which finally puts him in a position to be able to sign the deal with the French Benjamin Franklin has played his game perfectly now the next move is his he dons his old blue velvet suit the same one he wore three years ago on the
Fateful day the British Ministry all but accused him of treason he wears it again at last to Versailles and a meeting with the French leadership the news of victory at Saratoga is exactly what Francis King Louis XVI wants to hear he pledges his army and more importantly his Navy to the American cause
It amounts to a declaration of war between France and England the American Revolution started as a far-off colonial uprising is now a World War They might be celebrating in Paris but as the winter of 1777 takes hold General Washington has less to be joyous about Horatio Gates’s anointment as the hero of Saratoga again raises questions over who should be in charge of this Army Philadelphia New York and large parts of the colonies remain in British hands
Washington must turn his army and his leadership around for the biggest battles still lie ahead December 17 1777 White Marsh Pennsylvania a battered continental army or what remains of it marches North through the driving snow in search of winter quarters the year’s campaigns have taken a heavy toll on the soldiers their clothes are tattered their Spirits down the commander-in-chief George Washington is feeling the strain as well
Three months earlier another American General Horatio Gates catapulted himself onto the national scene by defeating the British at Saratoga New York the victory has given America a new war hero one with boundless ambition Horatio Gates wanted to be commander-in-chief of the American Army and it goes much beyond that
Whoever was the Victorious leader of the revolutionaries would emerge as the leader of a new nation at the same time that Horatio Gates’s stock is on the rise Washington’s is in free fall at Brandywine Pennsylvania the Americans fought the largest engagement of the war so far and Washington suffered one of his worst
Losses one thousand American soldiers are wounded or killed and Washington is forced to retreat North into New Jersey the victory at Brandywine gives the British the prize they were after the rebel Capital Philadelphia Independence Hall the seat of Rebel power now sits empty burning reminder of Washington’s failures
America’s Rebel Congress is now a body in Exile and have set up a new home 100 miles to the west of Philadelphia in York Pennsylvania in the chamber there are murmurings that George Washington is weak willed that the General’s poor judgment keeps the Americans from defeating the British the expectations that civilian leaders
Had that house Army could be conquered just like that there were doubters in carpet and criticism and Monday morning quarterbacking against what he had done revolutionaries like Samuel Adams are calling the abilities of their commander-in-chief into question our troops are victorious in the North the enemy troops are divided and
Scattered over a country several hundred miles if we do not beat them this fall will not the faithful historian record it as our own fault Samuel Adams Congress takes action and names Horatio gates to head the newly created Board of War a position that gives him a say in American Military strategy
This is the low point of George Washington’s professional life Congress begins to lose confidence in him Gates followers are pumping up Gates and the ideas then broke the gates ought to be the commander-in-chief but now Washington knowing that he’s seen as weak must win big soon to solidify that command
But the Continental Army is in no shape for a fight and in 18th century Warfare winter is the time to rest to train to resupply for Washington now is the time to rebuild his army and his reputation do it before the winter is over it will be an uphill battle at the soon
To be storied Valley Forge it is a strategic location just 23 miles north of Philadelphia Valley Forge is an ideal place from which to keep a close eye on the movements of the British Army and stop the enemy from pillaging the fertile Countryside sitting on a plateau the camp is easily
Defensible creeks and the schoolkill river provide a natural fortification to the camp but building and running a city a third the size of Philadelphia is a mammoth undertaking Washington throws himself into the work he designs the camp himself down to the Last Detail the layout of the barracks the placement
Of Roads the location of its defenses Washington enacts strict rules to fight typhus and dysentery soldiers who do not use proper privies face five lashes to be administered on the spot soldiers who contract venereal disease from prostitutes selling their services on the peripheries of the camp pay for
Their own treatment four dollars for the rank and file and ten dollars for the officers these seemingly mundane tasks consume all of Washington’s time we might accuse nature in fact this was a situation that needed micromanaging he has to really pay attention to the minutia because it’s
The minutia that’s going to kill off his army dysentery and other Camp diseases are going to create havoc in his Camp unless matters of Sanitation are attended too carefully so he has to pay close attention to the to the details and he does it really well Washington’s Hands-On approach wins the
Admiration of his soldiers and he assures the man that he himself will share in every hardship and partake in every inconvenience during the first month of construction at Valley Forge Washington chooses to live in a tent at the edge of the camp alongside his army In Philadelphia however stands in stark contrast for the British the winter break from the war brings a return to the Creature Comforts that status affords the British army is very warm and comfortable wherever they want to be whether it’s New York or Philadelphia they have no problems their problem is deciding which Tavern
To drink at at night the British may have lost at Saratoga but they hold the rebel capital and are savoring it for all it is worth evenings are filled by social Gatherings and each Thursday there is a bowl where Philadelphia’s High Society loyalists mingle with the British officer class
Back at Valley Forge the temperature hovers around freezing and many of the soldiers are forced to wrap their feet in rags for lack of shoes but the men make do fighting off the cold by playing cards mending their clothes and learning new drills for soldiers like Joseph Hodgkins the 34
Year old cobbler from Massachusetts letters from home are a Bittersweet reminder of what has been left behind my dear I have looked for you till I know not how to look any longer Monday afternoon I was very low in spirits almost despair of your coming home brother Perkins and sister send their
Love to you your most affectionate companion till death Sarah as the winter grinds on at Valley Forge supply shortages become a problem America has never had to feed and clothe an army during the Seven Years War just a fraction of the soldiers food came from the colonies
All the rest was shipped across the ocean from England and since the outset of the war the congressionally controlled provisioning offices have struggled mightily to supply the armies supplying the Continental Army was immensely complex we call it the Continental Army thinking of it as a national permanent Army a
Regular army which it was but in many ways it’s still organized and paid for locally each state was responsible for supplying its own troops and this creates enormous confusion in February the army supply lines grind to a halt the stapled diet for the soldiers becomes fire cakes a meager Meal made of
Flour mixed with water into an unappetizing paste that is cooked over an open fire it is a far cry from the promised daily ration of a pound of beef and a pound of bread Washington is all too aware of the hardships faced by his soldiers with his army facing starvation he throws himself
Into a writing Frenzy petitioning the states for more food and clothing pleading to Congress for more power to oversee the supply offices and imploring local officials to send more Aid but for all his efforts relief is slow and coming Washington will need help to turn his
Army back into a fighting force and it will come from a most unlikely Source a new arrival in Camp oppression who goes by the name of Frederick William Augustus Heinrich Ferdinand Baron von Steuben February 1778. the winter at Valley Forge is taking a heavy toll on the Continental Army
2500 soldiers die from disease more than have been killed in battle in the entire War thousands of others are incapacitated by sickness and hunger Washington has done his best to hold his army together but is still under pressure from Congress to mount a successful spring campaign and take back Philadelphia from the British
But to achieve that goal he will have to enlist the help of others on February 17th a new recruit arrives in Camp sent by the American Congress to Aid in the cause he calls himself Frederick William Augustus Heinrich Ferdinand Baron fransteuben and where is the Bejeweled Cross of the
Order of de la Fidelity denoting an honorary Knighthood from Prussia Von Steuben carries letters of introduction but no papers confirming his achievements an Omission that should be a clue for the baron is stretching his story just as he stretched his name he has never risen higher than the rank of Captain
And he has been turned down for service by the French Spanish and German armies amidst rumors he has taken familiarities with young boys which the law forbids and severely punishes in short Von Steuben has come to the only army in the world that will have him the Americans
The Barons past may be shrouded in mystery but Washington is desperate for leadership for officers with European training the he puts Von Steuben right to work the task to create a single method of training a critical step towards a more professional Army and to do it before the winter is over
Steuben Embraces the opportunity the baron starts small spending hours each day working directly with a model unit that will be used to train the rest of the army Baron von Steuben is a remarkable figure Von Steuben’s genius was the ability to distill the complexity of state-of-the-art European drill tactics
Into a digestible form to this raw material that was the American Soldier they are tactics that are new to Washington and his army tactics learned during the baron service in the Prussian Army but he makes an important adjustment in the way he teaches them Von Steuben recognized that he was not dealing with
Prussian conscripts he recognized the individuality and the Republican Notions of the population of troops that he dealt with and he was able to take principles and tactics and give them to this force in such a manner that they were willing to receive it and that they were able to transform themselves from
Virtuous Republicans into soldiers in a professional Army under Von Steuben’s tutelage the soldiers learned how to form solid orderly columns how to properly load and fire a weapon information and the proper use of a bayonet the army that comes out of Valley Forge is in many ways much more sophisticated
One than the one that goes in there Von Steuben brings a new level of professionalism to the Army and that by itself creates its own sense of professionalism it creates its own sense of belonging they’re belonging to something larger than themselves in a matter of weeks the ragtag unit is Marching In lockstep
Soon every Soldier is taught the fun stoiven technique it becomes the foundation for the Army’s first training manual Washington’s Army is slowly remade it is nearly battle ready in March spring finally comes to Valley Forge the dark months of winter begin to fade away yet food shortages have been a recurring problem
For the young General Nathaniel Greene watching his army go hungry is more than he can bear at 35 the formidable green is a rising star in the Army even though he is an unlikely Soldier born in Rhode Island Green is a successful Merchant from a devout Quaker family that loathes war
But he is ambitious and fiercely loyal when War breaks out he throws himself behind the Patriot cause green becomes the youngest Brigadier General in the continental army at age 33. now he has risen to the rank of Major General and is one of Washington’s closest confidants and one of the
Loudest critics of the Army’s failed Supply departments the quartermaster General commissary General and Clothier General departments are in such a wretched condition that unless there are some very good alterations in those departments it will be impossible to prosecute another campaign our troops are naked and the men getting sickly in their huts
Nathaniel Greene Greene’s experience as a merchant leads him to take matters into his own hands he leads foraging parties into the Pennsylvania Countryside to round up food and supplies but the citizens are often unwilling to give up their property even to an army fighting for their independence it creates a precarious situation
Washington didn’t want to alienate the local civilian population he did what he could to supply the Army but he wants to protect that relationship with the local community but desperate times call for desperate measures when persuasion fails livestock and grain are occasionally taken at the end of a musket
Green leaves the scared civilians with the only reimbursement his army is offering the promise of future payment an IOU Green’s efforts impress Washington who puts him in charge of acquiring supplies for the Army the duty bound General accepts his assignment as Quartermaster but it is certainly not the commission
That he had hoped for nobody ever heard of a quartermaster in history all of you will be immortalizing yourselves in the golden pages of History while I am confined to a series of drudgeries to pave the way for it Nathaniel Greene this is the classic case of a successful
General being called back to the Pentagon to be a bureaucrat and green doesn’t want that but on the other hand it’s a sense of Purity and guilt it’s a sense of sacrificing what’s good for you what’s good for your country green dispatches foraging parties far and wide
South into Virginia to the eastern shore of Maryland and North into New Jersey Rebuilding the supply lines for the Army the efforts of Baron von Steuben and green over the winter at Valley Forge have given Washington confidence that he has an army that is now ready to take the fight to the British meanwhile an ocean away a bold American
Is pushing the war to a new and unlikely front the shores of England itself April 1778 the long winter at Valley Forge has finally come to an end the Continental Army continues to train in preparation for the summer campaign one that Washington hopes will bring a much-needed military Victory and
Vindication for his previous losses but the fighting season is still months away for now all the general can do is ready his troops unbeknownst to Washington though the war for independence is spreading to a new and unexpected front across the ocean on a chilly spring morning a lone
American ship the ranger cuts through the water off the coast of England their target the port towns along the western coast of Britain it has been 700 years since anyone has raided these Shores 700 years since a foreigner has reigned Terror on the inhabitants of the British mainland
The architect of this bold plan John Paul Jones at First Sight the 31 year old Jones is an unlikely Captain he is short in stature and soft in his speech but the Scottish born Jones is already a veteran sailor Jones is a proud man he’s a very handsome man
Almost beautiful to look at he’s wearing a British naval uniform now you may wonder why would an American naval officer wear a British Navy uniform because he thought it was better looking Jones is the son of a gardener who set out for the Open Sea at the age of 13 to
Make a name for himself working on Merchant and slave ships Jones casts himself in his own play a play of upward Mobility this is a notion that’s very 20th century but but in the 18th century it was unusual in the 18th century your place in society
Is defined that’s not the way John Paul Jones wants to see the world he wants to be a rising figure he wants to overcome his modest Origins and become a gentleman it takes him just eight years to reach the rank of Captain but shipboard life is a dangerous
Business and at 28 he is forced to flee to Virginia to escape charges of murdering a mutinous crew member he starts Life Anew in America adding the last name Jones to avoid being found and joins the fledgling Continental Navy in 1775. but what America calls a Navy is little
More than an awkward flotilla of mismatched Merchant ships clumsily converted for battle a fighting force that could never stand up to the superior power of the British Navy so the ambitious Jones sets out on his own course Jones is a military genius and he has a fundamental Insight which is that we’re
Never going to beat the British by playing some defensive game the British Navy at this time has uh more than a hundred men of war the American Navy has none so they’re not going to win some Mass naval battle they have to go Guerrilla John Paul Jones returns to the Waters of
His Youth and in Surprise attacks shocks the enemy raiding British Merchant ships along the Irish Coast burning Supply ships along the west coast of Britain and leading an attack on the port of Whitehaven the very Town Jones set sail from as a young boy the idea is to terrorize the British
People to show them that the cost of suppressing the American Revolution is going to be high to take the fight home to the Brits it is a strategy that has an immediate effect news of the raids hits London like a Thunderclap this morning an Express arrived with alarming intelligence that
An American Privateer had appeared off the coast and proceeded to sell Kirk house which they pillow along the northwest coast of England a general intimidation discovers itself on every appearance of a sale but for his tactics raiding towns and taking Merchant ships Jones becomes known as the pirate Jones
It is a label that plagues him John Paul Jones wants to be seen as An Officer and a Gentleman not as a pirate and it it hurts in an attempt to prove that he is more than just a pirate Jones sets his eye on one last goal taking a British warship
He finds the perfect Target anchored off the Irish Coast the Drake with 20 guns all four Pounders she is a relatively even match to Jones’s Ranger as is his custom Jones flies the British Naval engine which allows him to slide close to the enemy ship and at the last
Minute Jones gives the order to fire the battle is on two ships exchange broadsides at close range of warfare was a supposed to be genuinely at least for the gentleman who fought it it was like almost like a formal dance at Sea ships like a minuet
Uh and a ball Jones didn’t believe in all that Jones believed in what today we would call Total War he would put men up in the tops as they were called in the up up the Mast on these platforms to blaze away with muskets with with guns
These new tactics give Jones the upper hand his crew rakes the deck of the Drake with hot grape shop tears through sails and Limbs and after just one hour the British lowered their flag in defeat its significance is that no American ship has taken a British ship in a clean
Fair fight in the British Navy considers itself to be so Superior to any other naming so for an American ship to defeat a British ship was a real blow to the Brits and it told them hmm what are we getting into here the ranger makes a hasty Retreat heading
To France the British Navy in Desperate Pursuit for Jones the mission is a success what was done is sufficient to show that not all their boasted Navy can protect their own course and at the scenes of distress which they have occasioned in America May soon be brought home to their own doors
John Paul Jones has brought the revolution right to the doorstep of the British arriving in France he becomes the toast of Paris the ideal of American heroism Jones’s war will continue the following year he will lead a modest Fleet aboard his new ship The banomery Shard winning the greatest American
Naval battle of the time against the British warship the serapis and years later for his daring missions John Paul Jones will become known as the father of the American Navy back in America George Washington prepares to take the fight to the British army looking for the battle that will restore
His reputation once and for all May 5th 1778 Valley Forge three months of drilling have given Washington a new confidence in his army the efforts of Washington Nathaniel Greene and Baron von Steuben whose service has now earned him the position of Inspector General of the Army have emboldened a force that is now 13 000 strong
Washington’s perseverance through the hardship of the winter has held his army together he is now eager to test the metal of his soldiers and the British are about to provide the perfect opportunity British Headquarters Philadelphia Pennsylvania a new commander-in-chief is taking over the British army Sir Henry Clinton his predecessor William Howe recalled
After the British loss at Saratoga Clinton arrived in America in 1775 with Howe and General John Burgoyne both generals left America in defeat now he is the last one standing at the time of the American Revolution positions of command devolved to the next man in the line according to seniority
Promotion was subject with very few exceptions to the rigid law of seniority and in this case Henry Clinton was the only choice because he was the next most senior officer following the recall of how Clinton is as concerned with how his actions will be interpreted how he will
Be judged that awareness of if I don’t handle this right what’s this going to mean for my reputation back at home Clinton has good reason to worry about his reputation the war for independence has changed dramatically it is no longer a battle between two adversaries now there are three
For the past year the Americans have been courting France the world’s other superpower leading the effort is the rebel Emissary Benjamin Franklin at 72 years old Franklin is an internationally renowned scientist and writer who has entered a new phase in his career that of diplomat America’s victory at Saratoga has shown
The French that the colonies can hold their own against the British and has persuaded them to join the fight against their ancient enemy now the Elder Statesman is working out the final details in the newly signed Treaty of friendship France gives money and supplies but more importantly offers their Navy to the
American cause French naval support is absolutely crucial for American resistance the British they have to now take the naval dimensions of this war into account they can no longer say we can take a naval Supremacy for granted and concentrate on winning the war on land back in Philadelphia British General
Clinton opens his first orders which have just arrived from England the British Ministry has been forced to make a dramatic choice in May 1778 the British hold Philadelphia New York City and Newport Rhode Island now there is a very real danger of a blockade by the French Fleet and any of
These ports so Clinton is ordered to give up the rebel capital of Philadelphia and consolidate his forces in New York City it is a forced retreat not how Clinton had expected his leadership to begin American spies in Philadelphia rushed dispatches to Valley Forge with word of the British action
The news finds Washington and his generals discussing battle plans for the upcoming Summers now the question on the table is whether to move on the British when they begin their Retreat to New York Washington is still stinging from last year’s losses at Brandywine in Germantown and is eager for a fight
But before he can take on the enemy Washington has to take on one of his most talented generals and one of the most outspoken Challengers to his authority General Charles Lee the british-born Lee is an eccentric but capable officer and a brilliant military tactician but in December of 1776 as he
Was supposed to be on his way to Aid Washington as the Americans fled New York Lee was instead captured by the British while he lounged in his night clothes at a Tavern despite the blunder Washington worked hard to get the experience Lee back from the British in a prisoner Exchange
Lee is arguably the most qualified General officer in the American Army in a strictly military sense he fought in the French and Indian War he fought in Continental Europe during the Seven Years War he fought from Russia to Poland he’s exceptionally experienced but this experience breeds some hubris
He thinks that he knows better Lee seemed to have an agenda throughout the war of really carving out an independent command for himself and one could speculate that he probably would have liked to supplant Washington as as the commander-in-chief Lee’s arrogance has always been an issue and he questions Washington’s plans at
Every turn but today he takes his argument one step further suggesting that the American Force would never stand a chance fighting the Royals head on coming from someone who spent more than a year in British captivity Lee’s stance raises questions about his loyalty there was always an aura of Suspicion
Around him in Washington’s mind at least part of the reason I’m very suspicious of Lee is he wasn’t treated as a prisoner he had dinner with the other officers he had a convivial life with him uh it was it was not the kind of treatment that was given to other
Revolutionaries when they were captured what none of the Americans knew at the time is that while in captivity Lee had offered advice to the British as to how to beat the Americans and bring the conflict to an end an act of treason that would color Lee’s actions for the rest of the war
June 20th 1778 Mount Holly New Jersey the main force of the British army 11 000 soldiers have begun their withdrawal from Philadelphia to New York with a supply train that stretches more than 12 miles Washington sees the British as vulnerable and wants to bring on a fight against the advice of his generals
Including saratoga’s Victor Horatio Gates but Gates now stationed in Albany New York has become obsessed with a major campaign into Canada an offensive that Washington calls the child of folly even supporters in Congress view the idea as impractical because it would split the American Army in two Gates’s plan is rejected
The American Army 13 000 strong s camp at Valley Forge and sets off after the British for more than a week the two armies march across New Jersey covering 90 miles in a searing June Heat American detachments ahead of the British fell trees destroy Bridges and engage in skirmishes slowing the British
Army’s progress until finally Washington sees his opportunity for a full engagement on the night of June 24th Washington lays out his battle plan at the crossroads of Monmouth Courthouse an advance core of 5 000 soldiers will move forward and engage the rear of the British army as they prepare to get underway
Washington was seven thousand soldiers will hang behind the advanced Force if the British retreat the Americans will let them go but if they engage Washington will move forward and join the fight in accordance with military etiquette Washington Senior officer General Charles Lee is offered command of the advance Force
Lee claims the right to lead the attack because he’s inexperienced second in command Lee didn’t turn it down he took it which was unfortunate because Washington had to let him go ahead of the rest of his army June 27th Washington issues the order Lee will attack the next morning The British army has been retreating across New Jersey for more than a week and against the wishes of his generals George Washington has set his army out in Pursuit seeking an opportunity to bring on a full engagement finally at a Crossroads called Monmouth Courthouse the Continental Army catches up with the British
June 28 1778 a devastating heat has engulfed the parched fields of Eastern New Jersey in the morning General Charles Lee’s Men set off towards the British rear guard at Monmouth Washington and 7 000 soldiers wait seven miles behind Lee’s troops the general Waits anxiously for word of
The offensive but so far there has been none his army has been trained and turned into a new and hard fighting Army and that Army and its Commander are now convinced that they can beat any army on the face of the Earth and they are eager for the fight
And that fight comes on one of the hottest days of the war different records show that the heat was somewhere between 100 and 104 degrees on the morning of the battle at noon the first progress reports come in from Continental soldiers that appear to be in retreat the news is unbelievable
Lead was not attacking what was going on here he had the strength he had the trained men who knew how to maneuver now then all of a sudden he began to retreat when he should have attacked in fact Lee had no battle plan nothing he was hopeful of Victory somehow
It’s obvious to all the men at Monmouth that there is no plan the men retreat Furious Washington rides ahead and encounters General Lee himself Washington personally rode up and took over and relieved Lee man nobody accurately knows what Washington said because it was almost sacrilegious to write down when George Washington swore
And whatever he called Lee it was enough for Lee to get the idea and to get out of there with Lee reprimanded Washington turns his attention to a more urgent matter the British army which is fast approaching but for the British soldiers marching in 100 degree heat in their full wool
Uniforms it is an exhausting advance we proceeded five miles in a road composed of nothing but sand which scorched through our shoes with intolerable Heat the sun beating on her head with a force scarcely to be conceived in Europe and not a drop of water to assuage up arching thirst
A number of soldiers were unable to support the fatigue and died on the spot Lieutenant William Hale at one o’clock less than half a mile separates the British army from The Americans Washington must act fast rallying the troops on The High Ground of the field within an hour the American soldiers
Have formed their ranks the British arrived hot and exhausted from their March only to face a continental army in a strong defensive position the Winter’s training at Valley Forge is paying off and Washington knows it he then does something astounding he rides back and forth in front of his
Lines to rally the troops putting himself in the line of fire risking his life as he asked his own men to risk their lives people who know Washington in the war think that he has a feeling of invincibility because he puts himself in the line of fire so often
He’s almost convinced that he can’t be killed the British Open up on him and miraculously missing the Battle of Monmouth erupts more than twenty thousand soldiers clash in the brutal Heat the fighting rages for hours long into The Summer Afternoon for the men on the field that day it is
Some of the most intense combat they have ever seen briskest cannonave commenced on both sides that I ever heard if anything can be called musical when there is so much danger I think it was the finest music I ever heard Henry Dearborn English Commander to the right Hollard
Come on my Brave boys for the honor of Great Britain and killed many with their bayonets British Lieutenant Alexander Dao shattered remains of other Italians suffered from thirst and heat which several died some preferred the shade of the trees in the direct range of shock to the more
Horrid tortures of thirst one of these had his arms shattered to pieces Lieutenant Hale the British Advance repeatedly but Washington’s men repel each of the assaults in the thick of the fighting a young woman named Mary Hayes McCauley risks her life caring for the wounded and bringing water to the parched American troops
She is just one of the scores of women who take to the battlefields of the revolution and become known to the soldiers as Molly Pitcher the Battle of Monmouth is the longest of the Revolutionary War lasting continuously more than five hours sunstroke not musket balls is the biggest killer on this day
Scores of soldiers on both sides die from the Heat When the Smoke had cleared it Monmouth it was a draw Washington knew and the country knew that this new Army that had come out of Valley Forge was a good one they had held their own against the British
This renews the Public’s spirit for the war and forever solidifies Washington’s position as the unquestioned commander-in-chief The Continental Army has proven itself a capable fighting force Washington has proven his leadership as their General for his retreat in the face of the enemy Charles Lee will face court-martial he will be wounded in one duel and challenge to seven others for suggesting that the Americans could
Not stand up to the British disgraced he will retire to his Virginia home and die there with his beloved dogs in 1782. the rebel Capital Philadelphia is now back in American hands and Washington turns control of the city over to one of his most trusted generals Benedict Arnold
The bull General is now a military governor will make choices here that will forever change his past his present and his future On the field that evening at Monmouth Courthouse the entire Army lay together in exhaustion and Washington sleeps here on the battlefield with his men the French navy is now under sale Destination America just maybe the war can be won before the year is out July 4th 1778 it is the second anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the second birthday for what will become a new nation the United States of America for the soldiers a day of Celebration and for their leader General George Washington a time of renewed confidence it has been a week since the
Continentals took on the British army at the New Jersey Crossroads of Monmouth Courthouse it was one of the hottest days of the war and the Americans fresh from a Winter’s worth of training at Valley Forge stood up to the full force of the British more than 20 thousand soldiers clashed on the field
The battle raged for hours in the stifling afternoon heat but the Continentals held their ground Washington knew and the country knew that this new Army was a good one they had held their own against the British this renews the Public’s spirit for the war and solidifies Washington’s position as the unquestioned commander-in-chief
After the battle the British withdraw to their stronghold in New York City giving Washington hope for a brighter future in the war the British pullout means the rebel Capital Philadelphia has returned to American hands and in the main chamber of Independence Hall the Continental Congress is back in session
Across town at City Tavern a crowd is gathering for an Independence Day celebration the July 4th celebration is a who’s who of Philadelphia’s High Society Congressman Statesman and wealthy merchants are all in attendance also at the Gathering is one of the most revered generals of the revolution the man personally installed by George
Washington as Philadelphia’s military governor Benedict Arnold Arnold was born into a prominent Connecticut family but his alcoholic father squandered the family’s Fortune determined to overcome his lowly circumstances he has become a celebrated war hero through sheer will in 1775 Arnold helped lead a daring mission to snatch the remote Outpost
Fort Ticonderoga from the British but the credit for the victory went to the Bold Frontiersman Ethan Allen a cruel blow to Arnold’s honor two years later it was Benedict Arnold who rallied the Americans to victory in the Battle of Saratoga but at a high price Arnold took a bullet to the lake and
Barely survived being crushed by his horse when the battle was over his second in command said sir where are you hit Arnold said it’s my leg I wish it had been my heart and I do too I wish it had been in his heart because
If he had died at that moment he would have been the great hero of the Revolution adding insult to injury literally credit for the victory went to Horatio Gates the leader of America’s Northern Army it is another in a growing list of slights against Arnold Gates doesn’t mention Arnold in his
Dispatchers and Garners all the glory for himself the people and the Press hail Gates as the new American Hero in fact the hero of the battle was Benedict Arnold now crippled by the injury from Saratoga Arnold has had to relinquish his Battlefield command for a new charge from George Washington
To restore order to Philadelphia a city still reeling from the eight-month occupation by the British Philadelphia under the British was place of terrible suffering for the poor who couldn’t afford to buy any food or fuel it was a place where dozens of American prisoners of War died
Every day the houses were in shambles if there was nothing to eat there were people begging in the streets the British occupation has helped radicalize the city mobs take to the streets for public demonstrations where prostitutes dressed as loyalists are paraded around town a display of hatred towards any who
Sympathize with the British and in heated back room debates both the state and Continental governments are seeking to reassert their political power over Philadelphia creates a precarious situation one that the headstrong General is ill-equipped to handle Benedict Arnold has something of a prickly personality he is not the kind
Of person that an acquaintance would probably go out of the way to complement to other people he is vain he’s somewhat self-served he’s somewhat self-interesting and those that don’t already like him are not inclined to do him any favors in addition with his haughty Manner and fancy dress Arnold looks to many just
Like a Tory a loyalist around town Arnold and his expensively dressed friends wear the wigs and fineries associated with the British but it is Arnold’s actions as military Governor that cause a stir Arnold’s First Act was to close all the stores he said to take an inventory of what there was available
To supply the Army and the civilians but immediately the accusations began to fly that he was cornering the market on Goods that he was going to sell himself I don’t think Benedict Arnold was doing anything as a commanding officer in Philadelphia that many of the other
Generals on both sides did as a matter of customer officers got a percentage commissary generals got a commission and he was only doing what others did Arnold does little to help his cause by regularly entertaining suspected loyalists there is one in particular who catches his eye a younger lady demure quiet intense
Lovelier than the rest Peggy shippen at 18 Peggy is half Arnold’s age and is the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Philadelphia the judge and Merchant Edward shippen the shipens tried to maintain their neutrality under the British occupation but are strongly suspected of being loyalists like many of Philadelphia Society women
Peggy kept company with British officers over the winter of 1778. one of her closest companions was British general Clinton’s ambitious Aid to Camp a young man by the name of Major John Andre shippen’s friendship with Andre has not ended with the withdrawal from Philadelphia through her friends she still hears from
The British officer it is a relationship that ties her dangerously close to the enemy Arnold is taken with the young shippen and begins an intense courtship that captures her heart and culminates with their marriage shipping from the time she was about five had heard about Ben McDonald the newspapers were always full of his exploits she was a gorgeous young woman she was
Extremely well educated by her father self-educated as well could run a business which appealed to a Yankee Merchant like Arnold today they would be considered a dynamite couple and I think they saw themselves in that term right away but they are also a couple under scrutiny for his extravagant parties and
Questionable business dealings Arnold comes Under Fire in the Press they are deadly serious charges corruption abuse of power leveled by an anonymous source once again Arnold faces a slight against his honor but this time his Integrity is called into question it is an attack that may push him too far summer
1778. the Continental Army has proven its medal at the Battle of Monmouth a battle that has solidified George Washington’s position as the American commander-in-chief the British have withdrawn to New York City and the colonial capital of Philadelphia is back in American hands Washington entrusts the city to one of his most celebrated generals
Benedict Arnold who is now the military governor meanwhile across the ocean in Paris another celebrated Patriot is anxiously awaiting news from the colonies Benjamin Franklin America’s great Statesman and Emissary to France is expecting word on the arrival of the French Fleet in America Additionally renowned scientists and Statesman has been heartily enjoying the fine wine and refined women of France for the past year and has used his patient diplomacy to convince this great superpower and enemy of the British to join the American side of the war now 12 ships of the line under the
Command of the French Admiral comptestang are under sale to Aid the American cause the hope is that the French Fleet will help bring the war to a quick end but the news from America is not good a storm wreaks heavy damage to the ships crippling the fleet and eliminating any
Chance of engaging the British the whole franco-america American Alliance it’s a fair if they’re very awkward Alliance and it gets off to a very wobbly start this makes up the impression that the French are a bunch of cowards who haven’t really come to our rescue anyway and so this much
Trumpeted alliance with Our Saviors the French begins to sound like it’s a pipe dream and Franklin’s job from France is is very much to eliminate that idea and to paint a happier picture of the alliance to uplift the alliance because this is our only hope to that end Franklin engages in his own
Special brand of diplomacy talking politics while socializing over games of Chess in the salons of Paris but Franklin’s playful flirtations raise some eyebrows in particular from an old Nemesis who has recently arrived in France John Adams the 42 year old New England conservative is one of the original fire Brands who
Helped spark the American Revolution and is now an American Envoy Adams has been dispatched to work with Franklin at building the alliance with the French but the two couldn’t be a more unlikely pairing Franklin and Adams are a little bit like oil and water they’re two inherently different men Adams arrives in France and he is a man of schedules
He’s a man of efficiency he wants an answer now Franklin realizes that what he’s conducting is diplomacy and diplomacy is not conducted in this rather rigid minded way so Adam’s perception of Franklin is that he’s dilatory and he spends an enormous amount of time socializing and that he’s a little bit
Overly patient with things and he never gets a straight answer that is all of it a definition of course of diplomacy Adams may be impatient but for now there is little that can be done so the mismatched couple will have to buy their time until the day the French
Navy can finally come to the aid of the American cause back in the colonies the fall of 1778 brings old problems to the doorstep of General George Washington his army again faces chronic shortages limited food tattered clothing and dwindling supplies all compounded by an additional problem no pay
It is a strain that weighs heavily on officer Joseph Hodgkins a 35-year-old cobbler from Massachusetts who has dutifully served in the war since its outset Hodgkins has not been paid in months a reality that is pushing even the most dedicated soldiers to weigh their commitment to the war against the needs
Of their families my dear you say in your letter that you’re afraid that I shall stay in the cause of Liberty till I shall make myself a slave to it I have too much reason to fear that will be the case I hope to come home soon and see you
Wishing you good night your most kind and affectionate husband till death Joseph Hodgkins for women like Joseph’s wife Sarah life outside of the war has brought its own set of difficulties in addition to raising their children tending to the family business fills her days and with the value of paper money
Dropping to three to four cents on the dollar budgets are stretched and families are feeling the strain the problems on the home front begin to have an impact in Washington’s ranks many officers resign their commissions and return to civilian life to provide for their families but as Veterans of the fight for
Independence begin streaming out of the war another group is finding their way in slaves they come from Rhode Island a state desperate to fill its recruitment quotas and are joining the fight seeking something all Americans are after freedom slave holding is common across many of the colonies during the revolution from
The north to the South and although the colony of Rhode Island was founded on principles of Tolerance and equality it has grown as a major port and Market in the international slave trade now Rhode Island’s politicians see an untapped resource for filling their ranks at Rhode Island regiment comes from a
Region that was for the north one of the major slave holding regions if they’ve been in the South they’ve been called Plantation but these are the largest slave holding Estates in the entire North in order to fulfill their quota commitment they offer to send some of their slaves now in return for fighting
For the Continental Army the slaves are offered freedom the slaves are not the only ones tendered and offered The Rhode Island government offers compensation to the slave owners for their property but it is still up to the individual slave to agree to the Enlistment here is your choice you can remain a Slave or you can support this new nation and as a result of that support this new
Nation and your master will recognize your freedom now obviously this is a very difficult situation because you can’t be sure that you’re going to get Freedom if you fight but the one thing you can be sure of if you don’t fight you’re going to remain a Slave
Soon one out of every four able-bodied slaves in Rhode Island enlists in what becomes known as the first Rhode Island regiment and although George Washington once stood in opposition to having black slaves serve in his army the new recruits are a welcome boost to his Manpower starved Force
You always remember from the beginning of this country to the present African Americans have had a certain faith in the American dream and I’m not talking about two cars in every garage I’m talking about the American dream of personal freedom and opportunity that’s something that America in its rhetoric
Handed out to the world from the very beginning as the reasons for its existence I think many African-American slaves took that seriously Meanwhile in Philadelphia the case against Benedict Arnold continues to build in the Press serious charges that will have to be answered winter 1779. George Washington again faces crippling shortages of soldiers and supplies for his fighting force some of his officers have even begun to leave the ranks
It is another uphill struggle not just for the Continental Army but also for the military governor of Philadelphia Benedict Arnold the charges of corruption and abuse of power circulating in the Press have been getting more frequent and more serious the essence of the charges against Arnold were that he had abused his
Office for his own personal profit closing the shop so he could break off business from those he was just doing what was common practice at the time but he got nailed for it the identity of the once Anonymous person leveling the accusations is now known the president of the Supreme executive
Council of Pennsylvania in essence the governor Joseph Reed the powerful Reed is a veteran of the Revolution who served under George Washington of the battles of New York and Brandywine there he gained the confidence of the commander-in-chief Reed’s strong Patriot Zeal is matched only by his dislike for anything that smacks of loyalism
Now a civilian politician Reed is on a mission to take the control of Philadelphia out of the hands of the army and return it to his command under the state of Pennsylvania and Arnold will be his sacrificial lamb Reed publishes that eight charges are being drawn up against Benedict Arnold
Stung by the accusations Arnold launches an attack of his own defending his actions and his honor Arnold did not believe that American army officers such as himself should take any orders from the governor of Pennsylvania and Reed did not believe that anyone was immune from the power of the civilian
Population it really was a standoff between the two the heated exchange lasts for months in the Philadelphia press and catches the eye of another powerful body the Continental Congress which decides to take the matter into its own hands and convene a hearing March 5th 1779 in front of a congressional
Investigative committee Arnold answers the charges leveled against him Arnold wanted to defend himself in the eyes of the American people as well as his fellow officers and his statement is really a recitation of all that he did and all that he had lost crippled for life even passed over for
Promotion several times and he thought he had lost his honor with its lingering Cloud over him after Arnold’s eloquent defense the committee rules that there is no intentional wrongdoing and refers the matter along to a friendly audience for the general a military Council for Arnold it is a victory and at his
Request a hearing date is set for May but Joseph Reed has more plans for Arnold he renews his attacks in the press and renews a correspondence with his old Commander George Washington Reed demands that all of the charges be reinstated against Arnold and backs it with a threat of removing Pennsylvania’s
Support and supplies from the war he tried to Blackmail Washington if Washington didn’t court-martial Benedict Arnold Washington would not have the Army wagons he needed to move his armies the next year desperate for supplies Washington sees no choice but to consider the possibility and in a terse polite letter postpones Arnold’s hearing indefinitely
When Washington agreed to the postponement it really horrified Benedict Arnold and he wrote probably his most wrenching letter to Washington at that time if you think I’m guilty well then try me and execute me but after all I’ve done don’t leave me hanging and twisting here this long and
The day he wrote that letter to Washington that is the turning point no Benedict Arnold the Bold American General the Savior at Saratoga the capturer of Fort Ticonderoga does the unthinkable and with encouragement from his wife Peggy reaches out to her old friend an enemy combatant
British Major John Andre who is now the head of British intelligence Arnold sends the dispatch signed only with the code name Monk it offers information on the Continental Army in return for money but above all for the aggrieved Arnold it is his way out of the American Army
Which to him and Peggy has never fully appreciated his sacrifice and his service As the war drags into its fourth year frustrations begin to mount officer Joseph Hodgkins is again on the move memories of the failed battles still fresh in his mind it is now clear that the end of the war seemingly so close last summer is but a distant hope
And at home times are increasingly difficult on Justice soldier’s pay the Hodgkin’s family finances are stretched to the Limit for Joseph it is time to go home to Ipswich Massachusetts Four years four months and 27 days after turning out for the alarm at Lexington Hodgkins resigns his commission and quits the war he resumes his life as a citizen a Shoemaker a husband and a father and will never return to the front lines again The loss of Veteran soldiers like Joseph Hodgkins hits Washington’s Army hard especially now as the war is pulled to a new far-flung frontier Indian raids on villages to the West have commanded the attention of Congress and the country and revenge is being demanded 1779 is shaping up to be a slow year for
The Continental Army Battlefield plans have been made and discarded rumors of British movements received some true some false just one assault demanded by Congress and ordered by George Washington will be the major campaign of the year a foray North into the lands occupied by the nation of the Iroquois
Stretching east to west across land that will become New York State the Iroquois Nation consists of the Mohawk the Oneida the Onondaga the Cayuga the Seneca and the Tuscarora it is the largest Confederation of tribes in the Northeast and would be a powerful addition to either side in the revolution
For most of the war Native American involvement has been a limited affair various tribes making short-term deals for individual battles now the Iroquois Nation like all who live on American soil find themselves in a position to take a side in the war there’s not a great option it’s the
Least painful option or the option that seems to serve their interests partly it’s a calculation about who is going to win this War the British or the Americans but the British have an inside track a strong connection to a Mohawk warrior named Joseph Brandt born in Ohio his Indian name Tian denega
Translates as he who places two bets an appropriate name for a man who has spent his life straddling white and Indian Society born to Mohawk parents he was introduced at an early age to a man of great wealth the British superintendent of Indian Affairs Sir William Johnson
Who took Joseph under his wing and raised him as his own son Brandt’s family connection with Sir William Johnson lands him on a far-flung trip across the sea to another land Great Britain presented as a representative of the Iroquois people Brant meets with King George III it’s promised that his people will be
Able to keep their lands after the war if they side with the crown it is a promise Brant takes back with him to America and he brings his case before the Iroquois Tribal Council it was a grand debate reminiscent of our own debate about independence to all the
Warriors and the leaders and women were included in this debate as well Joseph Brandt started off he said we have to join with somebody because somebody’s going to win to which another respected Warrior said war is war death is death a fight is a hard business you should be cautious before taking up
The hatchet this is a classic debate and Hawks and doves we see it over and over in history and here it was in the Indian Council among the Iroquois as in many such debates the Hawks prevail it is a decision that comes at a high price four of the Iroquois tribes agree
To take up arms for the British but the Oneida and Tuscarora swayed by missionaries loyal to the American cause refuse Brandt’s appeal now a divided people the great Council fire of the Six Nations a symbol of tribal Unity is ritually extinguished once under British command Brant and his
Warriors are ordered to raid Villages along the New York Frontier but although they are fighting for their own land brand is portrayed much differently in the American Press he becomes known as the monster brand newspapers filled with Vivid accounts of attacks yet there are a few articles of the
Vicious retaliation and assaults by American settlers the Press coverage of the Indian raids has an immediate effect and George Washington is ordered by the Continental Congress to mount an offensive against the Iroquois as they call them the Savages Washington deploys the mission and leaves no doubt as to the goal
The immediate objects are the total Destruction and Devastation of their settlements and the capture of as many prisoners of every age and sex as possible they waste all the settlements around that the country may not be merely overrun but destroyed George Washington the language that the Americans use about overrunning and destroying is
Language that they would not use about the British that was not how they were going to fight the British they were going to do that in a very controlled way whereas against Indians it’s it’s the entire population who’s under attack August 1779 4 500 Continental soldiers descend upon their first Target
The Iroquois Border Town of Newtown New York Washington’s forces burned the village to the ground and a mass Exodus begins ahead of the advancing Army thousands of Iroquois from the Mohawk Onondaga Cayuga and Seneca tribes March Overland to the safety of the British forts to the West at Niagara the people Indian villages
Orchards the wheat Fields the corn fields in other words a scorched Earth policy it was intense nothing quite like it until Sherman’s March through Georgia in American Military animals if the idea was to destroy Indian resistance it didn’t work the Warriors had nothing left to live for other than to fight
So they continued to raid against the Patriot settlements of the next year as one American officer commented the nests are destroyed but the birds are still on the wing with the Iroquois now forced from their lands George Washington turns his attention to another pressing matter a decision on one of his most renowned
Generals Benedict Arnold Washington is eager to get the Bold General back into the fight for the American cause and is considering Arnold for a major field assignment whenever George Washington needed an experienced field commander he called on Benedict Donald Arnold knew that you had to attack the British get out there and
Hit them and hit them and hit them again but before Washington can act on a new commission for Arnold there is a political matter to tend to a final ruling in the case against Arnold charges of profiteering while in charge of Philadelphia charges leveled by the governor of Pennsylvania Joseph Reed
Reed in his personal quest to show his power by seeing Arnold convicted has backed the charges with a threat to withdraw Pennsylvania’s support for the war and Washington needing all the supplies he can get sees no choice but to give in he issues a harsh rebuke against Arnold to placate Reed
But once the affair blows over Washington can finally make General Arnold a glorious offer a return to a field command a With no knowledge of Joseph Reed’s threat Arnold receives Washington’s decision the words are stinging reprehensible imprudent improper for the embattled American General it is the last straw passed over for promotion Gravely injured at Saratoga and now reprimanded by Washington Arnold is pushed over the edge Benedict Arnold will betray America
Arnold contemplates his terms twenty thousand pounds and a command of his own Brigadier General in the British army Arnold had changed since the revolution began he felt that he’d been given a very raw deal I think the biggest misconception about Arnold’s treason is he did it for the money
I don’t think he did I don’t think it was as simple as that he did it for his pride the money was secondary in return Arnold will offer a mighty Fort to the Royals it is the key to defending the Hudson River and even Bears the general’s name Fort Arnold
Also known as West Point Benedict Arnold has received a harsh rebuke from the American commander-in-chief George Washington it is the final straw for the Brash General and pushes him over the edge with the help of his wife Benedict Arnold reaches out to British Major John Andre with an offer
Money and a command of his own in return for the American stronghold that bears his name Fort Arnold also known as West Point just 60 miles north of New York City West Point is a critical post on the banks of the Hudson River located in the middle of the Hudson
Highlands The Fortress guards a Sweeping s-curve in the mighty River at West Point the river remains tidal which is to say it sometimes the day it flows South and at other times of the day it flows north this made West Point an ideal place to mount canons on both
Sides of the river as ships had to navigate this very tricky curve it is a prize that the British have coveted since the beginning of the war but have never been able to take with a military offensive now Arnold offers to deliver the post and begins to Lobby George Washington
For command of the fort August 1st 1780 George Washington summons Benedict Arnold to a meeting just south of West Point New York Washington has a surprise for the general a powerful field assignment and glorious return to action control of the entire left wing of the Continental Army and with it one half of
America’s best Infantry Washington takes his leave the offer on the table is something that Benedict Arnold would have jumped at just months earlier but his treasonous plot has been set in motion flustered he pleads he is too crippled to assume the command only a stationary post a desk job will do
It is a reaction that leaves the commander-in-chief confused George Washington was puzzled that Benedict Arnold would want the command of West Point Washington wanted to put him back into the line of battle as his number three General but Arnold insisted on West Point because that was the deal with
Arnold refuses to back down and Washington finally yields the command of West Point is his August 3rd now in charge Arnold wastes no time in laying the groundwork for his treason as the new commandant of West Point Benedict Arnold deliberately weakened the fortifications transferred men to distant posts where they couldn’t reinforce in a British attack moved guns around and would have made it
Very easy for the British to take the place Arnold prepares detailed Intelligence on West Point troop numbers and positions the number and location of the cannon details of the surrounding Terrain sends word to British Major John Andre that he is ready for a meeting Arnold’s treason is just days away
September 21st 2 am just south of West Point on the banks of the Hudson River Benedict Arnold and John Andre meet for the first and last time Arnold goes over the plans with Andre in great detail making sure they are clear that no question goes unanswered that the plot is complete
It is a thoroughness that takes time the meeting lasts for more than two hours and when the two-part company Andre carefully slips the plans into his boot September 24th breakfast at the Arnold residence is a seemingly normal affair today Arnold is expecting a special guest General George Washington
It will be his last meeting with Washington after which he and Peggy will slip Behind Enemy Lines but Arnold receives a dispatch that changes everything John Andre has been captured and on him the plans to West Point Arnold believes that it is only a matter of time before the plot is uncovered he rushes to Peggy’s room together they burn any evidence of the treasonous plot and taking two pistols and a horse Arnold makes a hasty getaway when Washington arrives at the Arnold home it is clear that something is amiss
An officer brings the news of Andre’s capture and the confiscated documents but Arnold is nowhere to be found terrible incredible truth strikes him only one man could generate such detailed maps the commandant of the fort Benedict Arnold sold out to the British the remaining question is who else knew of the plot
Washington goes to Peggy shippen’s room but to the Commander’s eyes she is suffering from the shock of her husband’s treason when Washington arrives at the house she is weeping crying that this terrible thing has happened she’s had nothing to do with it she knows nothing about her Washington buys this George Washington
Was a sexist he didn’t believe a woman could have pulled off such an act or been at the heart and the brain of such a plot October 2nd noon ten days after his capture John Andre is the one who pays for the treason of Benedict Arnold his request for an officer’s death by
Firing squad is denied he will suffer the death of a spy and hang ever The Honorable English gentleman Andre puts on his own blindfold and his own noose at just 30 years of age John Andre is both the youngest and highest ranking officer executed in the revolution In British held New York City there is a new officer in their ranks a connecticut-born patriot a hero in the Revolutionary cause British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold we’re written out for his treason he would almost undoubtedly be one of the most celebrated American commanders of all of the American Revolution West’s
Point to this day would probably still be called Fort Arnold rather than West Point if the Americans had lost the revolution Benedict Arnold would have been Duke Arnold and Washington would have been hanged drawn and quartered treason’s tricky it depends on which side you are Arnold will follow the war to the
Southern States in charge of his own loyalist Brigade with his wife Peggy now banished from Philadelphia by his side Arnold’s treason is the highest in the young history of America it is an act that shakes George Washington to the Core that one of his highest ranking generals could betray the rebel cause raises
Questions who else might be considering the same he will pursue Arnold throughout the rest of the war with a singular goal bring the traitor to Justice December 1779 as the fourth year of the American Revolution comes to an end the war is at a stalemate many battles have been won and lost
But neither side has taken the advantage British general Henry Clinton has a firm grip on New York City but the king’s forces have been unable to crush the Rebellion as George Washington’s Army continues to hold them in check now camped 30 miles to the west of New York City the Americans are bracing
Themselves for another Long Winter thirteen thousand strong they settle into their Quarters at Morristown New Jersey it has been two years since the Continental Army survived the legendary conditions at Valley Forge but this winter will surpass all others the winter encampment in Morristown was a lot harder than the encampment and
Valley Forge Valley Forge seems to get all the Press but Morristown was really Dire Straits Valley Forge was a disaster because of the lack of supplies and the bungling Morristown was the elements it was said to be the worst winter in the history of North America there were 26 snowstorms
Six of Blizzard proportions it was so cold in the month of January on all the two days the temperature was below freezing this is truly the winter that tries men’s Souls At Valley Forge it took four weeks to build the Army’s cabins but at Morristown blizzard conditions slow the progress and the construction takes months many soldiers are forced to sleep under canvas tents or lie in the snow Compounding the soldiers suffering is the fact that once again food is in critically short supply the countryside is covered with snow but really the areas of Morristown just does not have enough food to supply the army soldiers fill their diaries with accounts of the cruel conditions we were absolutely literally starved
I do solemnly swear that I did not put a morsel in my mouth for four days and as many nights except a little black birch bark which I nod off a stick of wood saw several of the men roast their old shoes and eat them private Joseph Plum Martin
It is yet another low point in Washington’s career his desk piles high with letters from generals pleading for supplies Washington petitions Congress for aid but to no avail inflation had had soared to hundreds of percent the American money was practically worthless and they had a hard time with taxes on
The states many people to pay their taxes Congress was was nearly bankrupt so it’s catches catch cat with no food and few supplies Washington faces the very real possibility of being forced to dissolve his army Thank you Charleston South Carolina 800 miles to the South it is a very different winter four years into the war the south is mostly untouched here in the bustling Hub of Commerce and trade life goes on undisturbed the wealthy partake heartily in the pleasantries of social life dances and
Dinners fill the evenings a far cry from the hardships faced by an army fighting for their Liberty Charleston has been threatened only once by the British a poorly executed attack in 1776 that was easily fended off from the looks of it Charleston is hardly part of a Nation at War
All that is about to change across the ocean in England a new strategy for the war is about to be Unleashed Foreign it has been a year scarred by Angry debate the British national debt has soared to over 160 million pounds due in large part to the prolonged war and there is no end in sight I don’t think anyone is more surprised than the British that they haven’t won yet
Um they’re a very wealthy Nation they have the most professionally trained Army and they have the most powerful navy in the world the question they’re asking is why isn’t this thing over yet this should have been an easy Victory and so there are questions about what to do next
The figureheads of British leadership like prime minister Lord North our frequent Targets in the daily papers held responsible for a costly and increasingly unpopular War a war where the stakes have been raised by the entrance of their Arch Enemy France into the fight on the American side surrendering American independence is
One thing and that’s something that has to be dealt with but allowing France to emerge from this conflict with the upper hand wholly unacceptable to the entire political Nation to all of the governing Elite under the gun Now to turn the course of the fight British policymakers unveil a
Dramatic New Direction for the war becomes known as the southern strategy the British look at the map of the colonies and they think well we know Boston is just a hotbed forget them that was the first place we lost we have these centers in New York temporarily in Philadelphia but
The countryside is too unpredictable Chris hoped in the South to establish a foothold in North America that could be a permanent foothold here is the the wealthiest part of the 13 colonies right here are the major source of export goods tobacco and Grain and rice Indigo and Naval stores right
All of these come from the southern colonies the key to the British southern strategy is the belief that their efforts will be supported by loyalists the Americans still loyal to the crowd the British believe they will be received as liberators and the thousands of Loyalist militia will pour out and join their cause
The Assumption was that most colonists given the chance to be loyalists by moving south they were moving to an area where they hoped that they could finally restore British Authority and put the loyalists in charge All That Remains now is putting their plan into action December 26 1779 British headquarters New York City
With his orders from the British Ministry now in hand commander-in-chief Henry Clinton makes preparations to carry them out this is Clinton’s first offensive action one that is so important that he himself will lead the assault but he is filled with a sense of foreboding Clinton has watched two other British
Commanders fail at winning this war doesn’t want his name added to the list if the seizure of the other Southern States doesn’t work it’s not clear what will work Clinton is as concerned with how his actions will be interpreted how he will be judged that awareness of if I don’t handle this right
What’s this going to mean for my reputation back at home the General’s neck is squarely on the line his success or failure could determine the outcome of the war and no one knows it better than Clinton himself this is the most important hour Britain Avenue
If we lose it we shall never see such another British general Henry Clinton the British leave New York City with more than 100 ships and a force of 8 700. roughly one-third of the British Army in America their destination Charleston South Carolina news that the British fleet has set sail
Reaches Washington in Morristown New Jersey the commander-in-chief is powerless a cruel winter March South is no option for his starving Army he must let the British go leston will have to fend for itself January 1780 the British have launched an armada out of New York City 8 700 soldiers heading for a southern
Offensive in Charleston South Carolina but Washington with no Navy and his army snowed in at Morristown by the worst winter the war has seen cannot follow leaving Charleston and his Southern Army to fend for themselves 800 miles south of Washington’s Winter Camp Benjamin Lincoln the new commander of the Continental
Southern Army is assuming his duties the major general was dispatched South three months earlier by Washington himself and is now in command of nearly 2 400 soldiers but the Massachusetts farmer is an unlikely choice for a commander Benjamin Lincoln is one of the most interesting generals perhaps of the
Entire American Revolution he’s sort of a paradox Lincoln is a rotund New England continental army officer he suffers from sleep apnea oftentimes falling asleep at the most inopportune moments and he does not possess the kind of Battlefield Charisma that one would want in a Combat Commander he is however a masterful compromiser he is a great politician and
In large measure this helps explain the reason that he assumes command of the Southern Department Lincoln’s task is first and foremost the defense of Charleston South Carolina the city known as The Jewel of the South Clustered on a low Sandy spit of land Charleston sits on a peninsula at the junction of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers it is the fourth largest city in America with 12 000 residents it’s deep water Harbor makes Charleston the South’s most important port rice Indigo and Naval stores leave daily
Headed to Europe and the West Indies you’re looking at one at functions of the colonies Charleston by value of its export is the richest port in America at the time and nature has endowed Charleston with a superior defensive position surrounded by impassable swamps teeming with malaria-ridden mosquitoes
The terrain is foreboding to any who dare take her January 10 1780. Benjamin Lincoln receives a dispatch from spotters along the coast a massive British force is approaching with his command barely underway Lincoln will have to face down England’s Army Lincoln immediately petitioned South Carolina’s government to recruit and raise more troops
But his request is denied It is not the first time the South Carolinians have frustrated the Patriot cause many view the colony citizens as reluctant revolutionaries voting for Independence only under tremendous pressure from the other colonies and on the floor of the Continental Congress South Carolina’s seeming unwillingness to raise troops has ignited heated debates
How can South Carolina expect us to send almond to their support when they will do nothing for themselves the state of South Carolina may have thought we neglected them but we know they neglected themselves but in this case losing the coastal Port of Charleston to the British would be
Too great an economic blow so Congress promises General Lincoln 3 000 additional troops from Virginia and North Carolina with a March of 500 miles ahead of them it is unlikely the reinforcements will arrive in time with his back against the wall the New Englander proposes a last-ditch idea to South Carolina’s government
Armed 1500 black slaves and turned them into soldiers if they refuse Lincoln will leave Charleston to the British South Carolina’s response is immediate the request is denied as totally impractical even though their backs were to the wall when the British army moved South they could not bear the risk of putting
Weapons in the arms of black men they were very concerned about what might happen should they start arming their slaves I mean to arm those people you have formally held in captivity might be a suicidal thing to do and they understood this with reinforcements hundreds of miles away and no black recruits
The defense of Charleston is looking more and more futile at that point Lincoln’s Choice was either to get the Army out of the city and give it up or to stay in the city in the best of all possible worlds Lincoln should have left Charleston and gone to the countryside
But the general sense of honor and Duty prevents him from abandoning his post and Retreat however wise would open him to accusations of cowardice under man under supplied and unsupported Lincoln will make his stand at Charleston he communicates his plight to his commander-in-chief General Washington we remain unsupported by troops unsupplied
And what adds to the unhappiness is the little prospect that our Affairs will speedily be in a better Channel General Benjamin Lincoln but from New Jersey there is Little Washington can do with his army half a country away and nearly starving moving his sizable Force South is out of the question
Washington wants to send men from Morristown Mr many wants to send have no shoes they can’t walk so no Army is set February 11 1780. after a harrowing Journey on The Frigid Windswept Seas of the Atlantic British general Henry Clinton and his force of nearly 9 000 soldiers finally reached their destination
Landing 20 miles south of Charleston the Army now unloads and begins its northward March on February 16th the British crossed the Stono River taking control of James Island which sits right across the Harbor from Charleston then finally at the end of March cross the Ashley River in force the British Southern campaign is
Underway the City of Charleston is in their sights the British army has set out on a new course in the war for independence taking the fight to the southern colonies of America now 8 700 soldiers roughly one-third of the British Army in America have come ashore in South Carolina
And under the command of General Henry Clinton have begun their push close in on their goal Charleston At his headquarters within the city General Benjamin Lincoln readies himself for the British assault there is no sign of the three thousand soldiers promised by Congress a month earlier and his army is severely outnumbered so the general prepares for his defense the only way he knows how
Lincoln rolls up his sleeves and grabs a shuttle the Massachusetts farmer throws his back into his command working day and night right beside his men the Americans build Earthen walls laid trenches and create as many obstacles as possible all designed to slow the progress of the British army
But Lincoln knows that unless there are reinforcements the outcome of this fight is inevitable the soldiers resolve Lincoln writes once again to his commander-in-chief George Washington I can promise you nothing but a disposition to serve my country and to defend Charleston as long as opposition can be any avail General Benjamin Lincoln
April 1st 1780 day what 800 yards west of the American fortifications at Charleston the British begin their offensive with a shovel rather than a cannon General Clinton’s goal is to take Charleston intact if he destroys the town he fears the citizens will refuse the Crown’s Authority instead he will surround Charleston and
Conduct a highly structured formal assault on the city a Siege a Siege is a very methodical and time-consuming reduction of a strategic place the engineers will begin to dig what is called the first parallel parallel trenches are essentially concentric circles dug around the post The Siege is rather similar to a an
Incremental tightening of a noose Helping to construct the first British parallel is a labor force that is seeking its own freedom in the war of independence slaves who have joined the British side they have come from the countryside enticed by the Phillipsburg Proclamation a renewal of Lord dunmore’s 1775 edict it offers freedom and land
To any slave who joins the British cause the British understood the colonies they knew that South Carolina’s population the majority of its population was African-American slaves and they also knew that these African-American slaves were a potential fifth column if you think about it for a moment if you are an army opposing an
Enemy and you know that that enemy holes under its grip people who are enslaved and you know darn well that those people don’t want to be enslaved and would do anything within their power to break that grip it’s only natural that you would use that to your advantage and that’s
Precisely what the British did slaves can’t just walk off the plantation and enlist with the British they have to escape for the slave families it is a difficult and dangerous decision some slaves are very likely to make the decision to run to the British While others will stay on the plantation say
No I’m not willing to get it take the chance I’ll probably end up getting shot anyway those are the kinds of calculations that have to be made Plantation by Plantation family by family over time thousands of slaves escape and go to the British lines fight for their freedom
When you are presented with a choice of staying in slavery or the very real possibility of having the bonds of slavery broken that’s no choice so that slaves were often ready to throw in their lot with the British even if they didn’t know precisely what might happen because you know it’s not the
Choices that you want but it’s the choice that you have thank you the siege of Charleston enters its fifth day methodical work of the British assault continues Knights are spent digging trenches and by sunrise each side wakes up just a little bit closer to the other from his barracks in Charleston an
Anonymous American Soldier is just beginning to feel the effects of the attack and charts the British progress last night the enemy continued their approaches they erected a battery for 12 cannons the batteries have thrown several shots into town by which one of the inhabitants in King Street was killed Day seven from the north comes the news American General Benjamin Lincoln has been waiting for Relief is on the way the Continental soldiers promised by Congress have arrived and are making their way into the city marching double time they have made the 505-mile journey from Virginia in just 30 days
Charleston citizens Greek the soldiers with cheers and the hourly peeling of bells foreign the celebration on the streets of Charleston stands in stark contrast to the somber mood of Benjamin Lincoln’s headquarters rather than the 3 000 soldiers promised the Virginians number just 750. his numbers fall far too short
Bearing down on the city are ten thousand British Redcoats Day eight the British take their aim on Charleston Harbor as a group of warships runs the narrow channel under cannon fire from Fort Moultrie the American Outpost protecting the inlet a Hessian Soldier fighting on the British side Witnesses the scene from the shore it was the most majestic and beautiful
Spectacle that one can imagine thoughts was veiled in Fire and smoke on the Roar of 43 heavy guns resembled a terrible thunderstorm despite all dangers threatening the fleet it sailed quite slowly past the fort with colors flying proudly Captain Johann Eva with his Fleet now safely in Charleston Harbor Henry Clinton’s forces encircle
Nearly all of the city day 10. from their position of strength the British now send the Americans and ultimatum give up the fight and surrender General Lincoln’s response is immediate he will not yield his post the protocol of War at that time mandated that the defending Commander
Keep the fight up at least long enough to meet the minimal dictates of Honor in that time so the besieged commander would always routinely decline the first offer of surrender British general Henry Clinton has gotten the response he expected it strengthens his resolve they will now defend the town and when
We take it we shall take all in it Sir Henry Clinton day 14. the British parallels continue creeping closer and closer to Charleston shelling fills the days as hot lead rains on the town just one Escape path remains open to the Americans along the Cooper River to a Crossroads called Monk’s Corner
Running through a series of shallow Crossings along the River’s Edge the route serves as the last communication link between Charleston and the South Carolina back country a lone Continental Garrison is stationed at Monk’s Corner their charge is a vital one keep the root open for the British it is the last Target
Needed to encircle the city the man charged with taking the post is a Brash young and vicious cavalrymen banister Tarleton the 24 year old Tarleton is as ambitious as they come described as full of Enterprise and spirit and anxious of every opportunity of distinguishing himself he has risen quickly through the British ranks
Banister Tarleton is one of Clinton’s most capable subordinate commanders he is a Dashing Young Cavalry commander and he understands how to fight in this theater but his actions are all directed at the decisive destruction of enemy combat power leton is known for his daring for moving his Cavalry quickly quick hits he’s also
Known for just for no restraint all right at Monk’s Corner Tarleton unleashes a daring plan on The Americans a surprise attack under the cover of night Tarleton and his men make their move they strike fast hard and without Mercy catching the Continental Garrison completely off guard
In the thick of the attack and American officers please for surrender are met with a saber Monk’s Corner becomes tarleton’s calling card it is not the last time the Americans will face the Brash Cavalry officer the final Road out of Charleston is now closed April 1780 the siege of Charleston South
Carolina enters its third week with the British painstakingly inching their way towards the city’s Continental defenses with the last Road out now shut down British General Clinton begins tightening his noose around the city’s very neck Day 18. behind the defensive line there is the terrifying and constant barrage of cannon fire for an anonymous Continental Soldier strain of The Siege is beginning to show the enemy continued firing from their Cannon mortars and small arms Sentinel near the advanced readout had his arm shut off by one of our own
Cannon the enemy continued to approach and we hear that our Cavalry have been defeated and that we lost between 20 and 30 killed and wounded among them it’s hard for us today to imagine what it’s like to be inside a city that’s being besieged you’re worrying about these incessant artillery shells coming in
And uh you’re probably worrying all the time about what eventually is going to happen what’s going to happen when the enemy gets in here day 21. in the American headquarters General Benjamin Lincoln finds himself in the middle of an angry debate some of his officers want to take a desperate action
A dangerous water Retreat under cover of night Lincoln knows really he should leave the city it was heated very heated confrontation but with the British Fleet sitting just off the city moving his Force across a river would be suicide so Lincoln sends out a flag of truce and
A request for a six-hour break from fighting having already rejected British general Clinton’s offer of surrender Lincoln now proposes his own terms he will give up Charleston and in return his forces will be allowed to retreat for 10 days unmolested its arms military stores and baggage in addition he asks for the guaranteed
Protection of the resident’s property those who wanted could sell their goods off and leave the city it would be a free evacuation with the honors of war the most lenient surrender in a formal Siege But British General Clinton will have none of it his goal is complete capitulation by The Americans he returns the note and includes his terms a total surrender a total surrender or an unconditional surrender is perhaps one of the most humiliating defeats that an enemy can suffer a commander will not make an
Offer or demand a total surrender or unconditional surrender unless he is confident in his ability to finish the job by Force of Arms Lincoln refuses the offer the terms unacceptable it will be a fight to the end day 30. the British parallels have closed to within 500 feet of the Earthen defenses
Protecting Charleston at this distance Canon can be fired with accuracy into the city but even at this close range the British are still looking for some sign of the effect of their barrage some intelligence on the mood of their enemy Clinton’s men intercept a letter from an American militia man to his wife
It confirms the State of Mind in the besieged city our Affairs are daily declining nothing prevents Lincoln’s surrender but a point of Honor in holding out to the last extremity this is nearly at hand as our Provisions will soon fail the enemy have continued their approaches with Vigor and in a short
Time we’ll plant the British standard on our ramparts this will give a rude shock to the independence of America the 13 stripes will be leveled in the dust and I will owe my life to the clemency of a conqueror Benjamin Smith Clinton publishes the letter for all his men to see
And increases the Canon barrage day 38. in the American headquarters Benjamin Lincoln is trying to salvage his defense to hold out in Hope of additional reinforcement or come up with some plan that might turn the course of The Siege now devastating news arrives from his lines the South Carolinian militia has
Abandoned their posts within the city now the citizens of Charleston are saying that they have had enough Major General Benjamin Lincoln commander of the Southern Department of the Continental Army has run out of options the siege of Charleston has ground on for more than a month and the British Reign a constant barrage
Of Cannon and mortar fire down upon the town with Charleston completely surrounded it is only a matter of time before British forces breached the defenses of the city and are able to overrun the town Now General Clinton prepares a final offer for the Americans complete and total surrender day 41. the terms of surrender reached General Benjamin Lincoln’s desk and he now faces the reality of his situation the time has come to give up the fight who yield his post the British Cannon finally Falls silent May 12 1780. surrender America’s Southern Army strikes the flag of its new nation and lays down its weapons The entire Charleston Garrison more than five thousand Continental soldiers in militia are now prisoners to the British it is the heaviest loss the Americans have suffered in the revolution General Benjamin Lincoln’s War is Over for now He returns in defeat to his Massachusetts Farm as a prisoner of the British on parole Charleston The Jewel of the South Belongs To The King British general Henry Clinton Savers his victory he cannot hide his optimism about a smooth and easy road to capturing the other southern colonies he sends word
Home to England I hope I am not too sanguine when I say that both the Carolinas are conquered in Charleston British general Henry Clinton in England the news from America is caused for a much overdue celebration it’s been three years since their army the most powerful in the world has had
Such a decisive win finally the tide of war is turning the southern strategy is a seeming success back in the American headquarters at Morristown celebration is the last thing on George Washington’s mind the final dispatch from Charleston has arrived Southern Army is now lost another defeat for the Americans
One that the commander-in-chief had been powerless to stop A brutal winter of 1780 has taken a mighty toll on his army it was a long winter it snowed in May soldiers are starving the dire conditions have pushed some to the very edge dissension is growing in the ranks insubordination runs rampant some soldiers even threatened to take matters into their own hands
To mutiny it is a decisive and dangerous moment for the Continental Army George Washington must step forward and restore order Commander-in-chief carefully chooses his moment to take action May 26 1780 eight nooses prepared for eight men their soldiers brought here on a variety of charges insubordination forging documents theft all are sentenced to death Washington orders the execution be held before the entire camp for all of his men to see
It is a carefully choreographed event Washington I wanted to use punishment a capital punishment particularly sparingly but he also knew it was great theater all a were put on top of the Gallows nooses were put around their heads their graves had been dug in front of the Gallows and their coffins which he
Ordered manufactured placed next to the graves the goal of option is to instill awe in the audience all for the power of military Authority but you can make it into better theater by pardoning and offering a last-minute reprieve as they were about to be hung a soldier stepped forward from the crowd reprieve
Reprieve from the commander-in-chief seven of the eight were freed so you have both awe and the punishment and then gratitude for the reprieve and the audience experience all of these things at the same time on this day just one man will hang for his crimes it is a warning to all in Washington’s
Army of the consequence for insubordination for Washington these are some of the darkest days the British southern strategy flourishes while simultaneously it looks as if the American Army is coming undone at the seams and without the army there is no Revolution I found our prospects are infinitely worse than they have been at any other period of the war I look forward to the consequences with an anxiety not to be described George Washington the commander-in-chief cannot help but question the future of the war he once called this glorious cause foreign
