In a normal life, Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs would have remained in obscurity, his name only appearing in town listings. A hatter’s son, he carried on the family tradition, filling the shoes of his father while leading a quiet, unnoticed, humble life in Middletown Connecticut. But he lived during tumultuous times and as such, made …
No man dare speak. They crept through the woods and marshland, silently lowering themselves into the water, knowing if their musket fell from their shoulder, or they hesitated even a moment, orders demanded they be speared to death. And with still a hundred yards to go before reaching the abattis of sharpened stakes that blocked …
We’ve seen images of Continental Soldiers of the American Revolution snap to attention with their right hand, palms down, smartly pressed to the forehead or hat’s brim. And Roman legionaries slapping their chests and thrusting their arms straight out from the body. Or Knights of old lifting their visors as a show of respect to …
The concept of a nation or realm’s citizens being called upon to bear arms and march to combat predates history. An emperor or king’s strength depended not only on his or her professional soldiers’ training into an effective fighting force, but the use of and ease to call upon additional assets provided by the land’s …
In April, 1777, former British Royal Governor William Tryon, newly commissioned major general, led a strong detachment in a raid against an American military depot at Danbury, Connecticut. The Americans were caught off guard and could not bring enough troops to counter the destruction of much needed ammunition and provisions. Within three weeks of the …
The Battle of Hubbardton was unique in that a proud, obstinate officer of the British army, General Simon Fraser, was confident that his highly trained and disciplined regular troops would easily defeat and capture a band of hapless rebels who called themselves Green Mountain Boys. On the morning of July 7, 1777, the proud Highlander …
July 5th, 1777, Fort Ticonderoga, New York, fell to British General Burgoyne’s forces, however the northern army, consisting largely of continental troops, disciplined and experienced fighters, was saved. But perhaps more importantly, New York and all of New England was ignited. There was no solid bastion left to thwart a British invasion from the north. …
For centuries, the redoubt was a well-established type of military fortification, however throughout 18th century America, it often became the stand-alone fortress. In North America, where military fortifications were frequently constructed in relatively remote and inaccessible locations, works built from readily available materials (typically stone, lumber and earth) tended to be more common than the …
General William Tecumseh Sherman wrote, “…earthworks play an important part in war, because they enable a minor force to hold a superior one in check for a time, and time is a most valuable element in all wars.” Frederick the Great said, “Officers require different kinds of knowledge, but one of the principal is that …
On June 18, 1778, British Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Henry Clinton vacated Philadelphia and marched his army across New Jersey. General George Washington’s Army pursued at a cautious distance and attacked ten days later at the Battle of Monmouth, June 28, 1778. Clinton retreated before hostilities could begin anew the next day and bottled himself up …