Patriot LeadersGeorge WashingtonWith the Battles of Lexington & Concord in April 1775 and the beginning of the American Revolution, Washington began preparing for war, even wearing his uniform to Second Continental Congress meetings. Congress formed the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and Washington was nominated as commander in chief by John Adams. Accepting, he rode north to take command. Unfortunately, the army he came upon was barely a militia of unorganized men. He tried his utmost, and was eventually able to turn out a fair army of men.
With several victories (and several losses), Washington was able to win many important battles. One of them was the battle of Trenton, in which he defeated the best soldiers in the world, the Hessians. Later, he had to retreat to Valley Forge. Here even he was able to defeat insurrections like the Conway Cabal, where officers tried to get rid of him. In the end, he was able to turn out incredibly trained and determined men. Joined by French forces in 1781, Washington moved south and besieged Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown. Receiving the British surrender on October 19, the battle effectively ended the war. Richard MontgomeryMontgomery was Major General of the continental army. With 300 men on December 2, he united with Colonel Benedict Arnold's column which had advanced north through the Maine wilderness. Meeting with Arnold, the two planned an assault on the city which would become the Battle of Quebec. Within its walls, Carleton possessed a garrison of 1,800 regulars and militia. Aware of American activities in the area, he made efforts to enhance the city's formidable defenses by erecting a series of barricades. To attack the city, Montgomery and Arnold planned on advancing from two directions.
Montgomery was to attack from the west, moving along the St. Lawrence waterfront, while Arnold was to advance from the north, marching along the St. Charles River. The two were to reunite at point where the rivers joined and then turn to attack the city wall. Moving out on December 30, the assault began after midnight on the 31st during a snowstorm. Advancing past the Cape Diamond Bastion, Montgomery's force pressed into the Lower Town where they encountered the first barricade. Forming to attack the barricade's 30 defenders, the Americans were stunned when the first British volley struck Montgomery in the head and thighs killing him. Their leader dead, the attack collapsed. Benedict Arnold (Pre-Defect)In February 1777, Arnold learned that he had been passed over for promotion to major general. Angered by what he perceived to be politically motivated promotions, he offered his resignation to Washington which was refused. Traveling south to Philadelphia to argue his case, he aided in fighting a British force at Ridgefield, CT. For this, he received his promotion though his seniority was not restored. Angered, he again prepared to offer his resignation but did not follow through upon hearing that Fort Ticonderoga had fallen. Racing north to Fort Edward, he joined Major General Philip Schuyler's northern army.
Arriving, Schuyler soon dispatched him with 900 men to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix. This was quickly accomplished and he returned to find that Gates was now in command. As Major General John Burgoyne's army marched south, Arnold advocated aggressive action but was blocked by the cautious Gates. Finally receiving permission to attack, Arnold won a fight at Freeman's Farm on September 19. Excluded from Gates' report of battle, the two men clashed and Arnold was relieved of his command. Ignoring this fact, he raced to the fighting at Bemis Heights on October 7 and guided American troops to victory. In the fighting at Saratoga, Arnold was again wounded in the leg he had injured at Quebec. Recovering, he joined Washington's army at Valley Forge in March 1778 to much acclaim. That June, following the British evacuation, Washington appointed Arnold to serve as military commander of Philadelphia. In this position, Arnold quickly began making questionable business deals to rebuild his shattered finances. These angered many in the city who began collecting evidence against him. In response, Arnold demanded a court martial to clear his name. Living extravagantly, he soon began courting Peggy Shippen, the daughter of a prominent Loyalist judge, who had previously attracted the eye of Major John Andre during the British occupation. The two were married in April 1779. Horatio GatesOn May 29, 1775, Gates learned of the outbreak of the American Revolution following the Battles of Lexington & Concord. Racing to Mount Vernon, Gates offered his services to Washington who was named commander of the Continental Army in mid-June. Recognizing Gates' ability as a staff officer, Washington recommended that the Continental Congress commission him as a brigadier general and Adjutant General for the army. Joining Washington at the Siege of Boston, he worked to organize the myriad of state regiments that composed the army as well as designed systems of orders and records. He excelled in this role and was promoted to major general in May 1776.
As the summer progressed, Gates supported Brigadier General Benedict Arnold's efforts to construct a fleet on Lake Champlain to block an anticipated British thrust south. Impressed with Arnold's efforts and knowing that his subordinate was a skilled sailor, he allowed him to lead the fleet at the Battle of Valcour Island that October. Though defeated, Arnold's stand prevented the British from attacking in 1776. When Washington decided to advance across the Delaware, Gates feigned illness and missed the victories at Trenton and Princeton. A month later, he was told to either serve as Schuyler's second-in-command or return to his role as Washington's adjutant general. Before Washington could rule on the situation, Fort Ticonderoga was lost to the advancing forces of Major General John Burgoyne. Washington sent Arnold, now a major general, and Colonel Daniel Morgan's rifle corps north to support Gates. As the British moved into position to attack on September 19, Arnold vigorously argued with Gates in favor of striking first. Finally given permission to advance, Arnold and Morgan inflicted heavy losses on the British at the first engagement of the Battle of Saratoga. Despite the conflict of interest, in this new role Gates effectively became Washington's superior despite his lower military rank. Soon Gates proposed immediately marching against Lieutenant Colonel Lord Francis Rawdon's base at Camden, SC. Clashing at the Battle of Camden on August 16, Gates was routed after making the grievous error of placing his militia opposite the most experienced British troops. Fleeing the field, Gates lost his artillery and baggage train. Reaching Rugeley's Mill with the militia, he rode a further sixty miles to Charlotte, NC before nightfall. Though Gates later claimed that this travel was to gather additional men and supplies, his superiors viewed it as extreme cowardice. This was the last time he served in the army. |
British LeadersCharles CornwallisImmediately offering himself for service, Cornwallis was dispatched to America in early 1776. Cornwallis played a key role in General William Howe's capture of New York City that summer and fall. In late 1776, Cornwallis was preparing to return to England for the winter, but had to stay to deal with Washington, who had recently won the battle of Trenton. Unfortunately for him, he ended up losing the battle of Princeton too.
The next year, Cornwallis led the key flanking maneuver that defeated Washington at the next few battles. Following his capture of Fort Mercer in November, Cornwallis finally returned to England. His time at home was short however, as he rejoined the army in America, now led by Clinton, in 1779. In February 1779, Cornwallis redevoted himself to the military and took command of British forces in the southern American colonies. He captured Charleston in May 1780. Sometime later, Cornwallis received orders to locate and fortify a base for the Royal Navy on the Virginia coast. Selecting Yorktown, his army began building fortifications. Seeing an opportunity, Washington raced south and laid siege to Yorktown. After enduring a three-week siege, he was forced to surrender his 7,500-man army, ending the Revolution. Thomas GageOn April 18/19, 1775, Lieutenant General Gage ordered 700 men to march to Concord to capture colonial powder and guns. En route, active fighting began at Lexington and was continued at Concord. Though British troops were able to clear each town, they sustained heavy casualties during their march back to Boston.
Following the fighting at Lexington and Concord, Gage found himself besieged in Boston by a growing colonial army. Concerned that his wife, a colonial by birth, was aiding the enemy, Gage sent her away to England. Reinforced in May by 4,500 men under Major General William Howe, Gage began planning a breakout. This was thwarted in June when colonial forces fortified Breeds Hill north of the city. In the resulting Battle of Bunker Hill, Gage's men were able to capture the heights, but sustained over 1,000 casualties in the process. That October, Gage was recalled to England and Howe given temporary command of British forces in America. Gage later died at the Isle of Portland while on inactive duty. Benedict Arnold (Post-Defect)Angered by a perceived lack of respect and encouraged by Peggy who retained lines of communication with the British, Arnold began reaching out to the enemy in May 1779. This offer reached André who consulted with General Sir Henry Clinton in New York. While Arnold and Clinton negotiated compensation, the American began providing a variety of intelligence. In January 1780, Arnold was largely cleared of the charges levied against him earlier, though in April a Congressional inquiry found irregularities pertaining to his finances during the Quebec campaign.
Resigning his command at Philadelphia, Arnold successfully lobbied for command of West Point on the Hudson River. Working through André, he came to an agreement in August to surrender the post to the British. Meeting on September 21, Arnold and André sealed the deal. Departing the meeting, André was captured two days later as he returned to New York City. Learning of this on September 24, Arnold was forced to flee to HMS Vulture in the Hudson River as the plot was exposed. Remaining calm, Washington investigated the scope of betrayal and offered to exchange André for Arnold. This was refused and André was hung as a spy on October 2. Receiving a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army, Arnold campaigned against American forces in Virginia later that year and in 1781. In his last major action of the war, he won the Battle of Groton Heights in Connecticut in September 1781. Effectively viewed as a traitor by both sides, he did not receive another command when the war ended despite lengthy efforts. Returning to life as a merchant he lived in Britain and Canada before his death in London on June 14, 1801. William HoweStating that "he was ordered, and could not refuse," Howe sailed for Boston with Major Generals Henry Clinton and John Burgoyne. Arriving May 15, Howe brought reinforcements for General Thomas Gage. Under siege in the city, the British were forced to take action when American forces fortified Breed's Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula overlooking the city. In the resulting Battle of Bunker Hill, Howe's men succeeded in driving off the Americans but sustained over 1,000 casualties in capturing their works. Though a victory, the battle deeply influenced Howe and crushed his initial belief that the rebels represented only a small part of the American people.
Forced out of Boston on March 17, 1776, after General George Washington placed guns on Dorchester Heights, Howe withdrew with the army to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Landing on Manhattan on September 15, Howe ultimately forced Washington from the island and later drove him from a defensive position at the Battle of White Plains. Rather than pursue Washington's beaten army, Howe returned to New York to secure Forts Washington and Lee. Again showing an unwillingness to eliminate Washington's army, Howe soon moved into winter quarters around New York and only dispatched a small force under Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis to create a "safe zone" in northern New Jersey. Recovering in Pennsylvania, Washington was able to win victories at Trenton and Princeton in December and January. In the spring of 1777, Burgoyne proposed a plan for defeating the Americans which called for him to lead an army south through Lake Champlain to Albany while a second column advanced east from Lake Ontario. Howe's role was never clearly defined nor was he issued orders from London to aid Burgoyne. As a result, though Burgoyne moved forward, Howe launched his own campaign to capture the American capital at Philadelphia. Left on his own, Burgoyne was defeated in the critical Battle of Saratoga. On October 4, Howe won a near-run victory at the Battle of Germantown. In the wake of the defeat, Washington retreated into winter quarters at Valley Forge. Under severe criticism in England for failing to crush the Americans and feeling he had lost the king's confidence, Howe requested to be relieved on October 22. Howe received word that his resignation had been accepted on April 14, 1778. John BurgoynePromoted to major general, Burgoyne wrote plays and verse in his spare time. With the beginning of the American Revolution in April 1775, Burgoyne was dispatched to Boston along with Major Generals William Howe and Henry Clinton. Though he did not take part in the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was present at the Siege of Boston. Feeling the assignment lacked opportunity, he elected to return home in November 1775. The following spring, Burgoyne headed British reinforcements which arrived in Quebec.
Arriving at Fort Ticonderoga in early July, he quickly compelled Major General Arthur St. Clair to abandon the post. Sending troops in pursuit of the Americans, they defeated part of St. Clair's forces at Hubbardton on July 7. Regrouping, Burgoyne pushed south towards Forts Anne and Edward. His advance was slowed by American forces which felled trees and burned bridges along the route. In mid-July, Burgoyne received word from Howe that he intended to sail for Philadelphia and would not be coming north. This bad news was compounded by a rapidly worsening supply situation as the army lacked sufficient transport that could traverse the region's rough roads. In mid-August, Burgoyne dispatched a force of Hessians on a foraging mission. Meeting American troops, they were badly defeated at Bennington on August 16. On September 13, his army began crossing the Hudson just north of Saratoga. Pushing south, it soon encountered American forces led by Major General Horatio Gates which had entrenched on Bemis Heights. On September 19, American forces led by Major General Benedict Arnold and Colonel Daniel Morgan defeated Burgoyne's men at Freeman's Farm. With their supply situation critical, many of the British commanders recommended a retreat. Unwilling to fall back, Burgoyne again attacked on October 7. Defeated at Bemis Heights, the British withdrew to their camp. In the wake of the action, American forces surrounded Burgoyne's position. Unable to break out, he surrendered on October 17. |