Category «Battles»

British General James Grant, Most Hated British Officer of the American Revolution

Vehemently Anti-American Officer of the Revolutionary War Pompous, self-assured, dogmatic, obstinate, opinionated, these and more could adequately describe the obese Englishman who’s hatred and low opinion of the Americans’ ability to fight in the Revolutionary War probably did more to help the patriot cause than some of America’s generals. James Grant’s degrading, anti-American comments, while …

Battle of Red Bank and Fort Mercer: Incredible American Victory Against Overwhelming Odds

The summer of 1777 saw General Howe transporting a substantial part of his army south from New York to the Chesapeake Bay. His goal was to capture Philadelphia. After the Battle of Brandywine Creek, Sept. 11th, 1777, the Americans abandoned Philadelphia and General Cornwallis’ troops occupied the city on Sept. 26th. On Oct. 3rd, Washington …

Battle of Germantown – Part 2

October 4th, 1777 The Continental Army was licking its wounds after their defeat at Brandywine Creek on September 11, 1777.  However, with the arrival of militia from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, including Wayne’s six hundred men who had rejoined the army after trailing the British, his army was larger than what he had at …

Battle of Germantown Part 1

Ill-armed, still worse clothed, mostly unshod, scantily fed, discipline lacking, and poorly officered; these and more were accurate descriptions of the American Army that fled to the outskirts of Philadelphia in the fall of 1777 after their disastrous defeat at Brandywine Creek, Maryland.  However, many saw evidence of hope among all this despair, especially those …

Lord Rawdon in America

Always to the front in a fight and the last in a retreat, Lord Rawdon proved himself a brilliant and successful partisan leader.                                                                         Sir George Otto Trevelyan Francis, Lord Rawdon[1] epitomized the perfect British officer in the eyes of those fine gentlemen who sat smugly in their distinguished seats in the House of Lords. …

Forgotten Patriots of the American Revolutionary War: Major Thomas Henley and Raid on Montressor’s Island

Sherman's conneticut continentals continue to fire

Forgotten Patriots: Major Thomas Henley & The Raid on Montresor’s Island The genius of America starts as from a trance, at her neglect to guard the lives of a Knowlton and a Henly; and then absorbed in melancholy, sighs, “it was a mistake, they were not to have fallen, only upon the decision of the fate of an empire.”[1] …