Tag «American Revolution»

First Battle of Cedar Springs

Militia loading and firing.

This battle or large skirmish between partisan militia forces occurred on July 12, 1780. A rebel victory, though small in comparison, it gains importance when considered the first of many skirmishes and battles between loyalist and patriot forces that lead to the all-decisive Battle of King’s Mountain, October 7, 1780. On May 12, 1780, two …

Battle of Musgrove Mill: Renowned for its Ferocity

Rebel over the mountain men and militia fire upon attacking loyalists. Battle of Musgrove Mill.

August 18, 1780 American victory. Whenever large partisan militia forces collided, the struggle tended to be brutal and vicious. It had to be. It was personal. By 1780 the patriot and crown factions morphed into a bloody civil war. Mostly the antagonists formed into small raiding parties that attacked without warning. They killed and destroyed …

Beyond Liberty: Class Divisions in the American Revolution

Young British soldiers were amazed by the idyllic farms spread across America.

By Nathaniel Parry: Nathaniel is author of Samuel Adams and the Vagabond Henry Tufts: Virtue Meets Vice in the Revolutionary Era, just published by McFarland Books. When redcoats arrived in Flatbush as part of a campaign to regain control of New York City in mid-August 1776, they marveled at the magnificence of the colonists’ homes …

Fort Watson and the Maham Tower

Reenactors with Maham Tower.

The nine-day Siege of Fort Watson by American Continentals under Colonel Henry ‘Light-Horse Harry’ Lee and militia under Colonel Francis ‘Swamp Fox’ Marion, April 14 – 23, 1781, ended in the destruction of the first of many British forts and stockades that formed the chain of communication and supply depots across the deep south.  It …

Colonel Otho Holland Williams

Maryland Continentals stand firm to right of militia.

Colonel Otho Williams (March 1, 1749 – July 15, 1794) Intelligent, diligent to duty, and honest; his was somewhat a ‘rags to riches’ life. An orphan who apprenticed as a clerk, he rose in the ranks of the rebellious army to lead Continental troops during the American Revolution’s most critical period in the south. He …

Battle of Fishing Creek

Dragoon and partisan cavalry.

Coming on the heels of the American disastrous defeat at Camden, August 16, 1780, The Battle of Fishing Creek, August 18, 1780, was but another feather in the cap of British Legion’s commander Banastre “Bloody Ben” Tarleton. And another depressing loss for the Americans. Tarleton led a fast moving, hard striking, ruthless corps of dragoons …

Raid on New London: Benedict Arnold’s Most Smashing Victory

British charge suffering wounded

By Kelly Bell. Author of Title Quests: A Complete History of the National Football League’s Championship Series; Austin-MacAuley Publishing. Kelly calls Tyler, Texas his home. He is a freelance writer, newspaper staff writer and proofreader, and an avid contributor to military history publications. September 6, 1781 dawned clear and crisp for the people of New …

Danbury Raid and the Battle of Ridgefield

Light infantry fire from fence.

By early 1777, Danbury, Connecticut served as a major supply depot that included food, clothing, dry goods, and necessary materials for the Continental Army’s survival. Washington’s main army was at winter quarters in and around Morristown, New Jersey. A large contingency of men were also stationed in the Lower Hudson Valley, at Peekskill, New York, …