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The Siege of Fort Ninety-Six, May 22 – June 19, 1781, was part of American Southern Continental Army Commander Major General Nathaniel Greene’s continuous pressure to regain the Carolinas from the British. In the purest sense, it was not a win for the Americans. Greene lifted the siege as British Lord Rawdon approached with a …
It is always a pleasure to share Ken Bohrer’s photographs with our readers and this, his 100th blog. Considered among if not the best photographer in his field, Mr. Bohrer has spent decades recording American Revolution reenactments. Thank you Ken for your skill and keen eyes from all of us at Revolutionary War Journal. It’s …
Major General Robert Howe (c. 1732 – December 14, 1786) is not known for his accomplishments, but what he had failed to achieve. In fairness to the only major general in the Continental Army from North Carolina, he was given an impossible task that few men could press on to success. Unfortunately, General Howe was not one …
The onset was violent, and the conflict carried on principally with the broad sword. By John Pezzola. John formerly served in the United States Army. He received a master’s degree in Military History and Civil War Studies. He presently teaches 7th-grade US history and military history at American Military University. Encamped at an outpost in …
Capture of the British outpost Fort Galphin, May 21, 1781, by Continental troops and South Carolina militia under Lt. Colonel Henry “Lighthorse Harry” Lee was more akin to an episode from the 1960’s western comedy sitcom ‘F-Troop.’ Lee had sent a small diversionary force to assault the fort, serving as bait to draw out the …
Captain Robert Henry Kirkwood (1756-1791) was one of most competent American field officers of the American Revolution. He fought in almost every major battle including countless skirmishes. Always in the thick of the hardest fighting, like a stone wall, his men often held the line when other regiments folded. Or charged with bayonet at the …
The Battle of Fishdam (also Fish Dam)Ford, November 9, 1780, was a comeback victory for American General Thomas Sumter. His band of South Carolina militiamen withstood an assault by regular British troops while inflicting three times as many casualties and forcing the enemy to withdraw. The British were led by the despised Major James Wemyss …
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 …
Every general knows a battle plan lasts until the first shots erupt. And as such, grit and experience of soldiers standing fast when faced with war’s horrors decides the day; who will be the victor, and who accepts defeat. Yet one other factor is in play. Improvise. Call it misfortune, opportunity, or just plain luck, …
The Battle of White Marsh, December 5 – 8, 1777, also known as the White Marsh Affair or Battle of Edge Hill, was a series of large, heated skirmishes that occurred over three days between the main armies of General George Washington and British General William Howe. This series of clashes between opposing forces was …
Christopher Greene was leading the Rhode Island 1st, the first African American Regiment in the Continental Army [the first black regiment of the war was British – Virginia Royal Governor Dunmore’s Ethiopian Brigade in 1775], when he was killed and mutilated at the Battle of Pines Bridge in a vicious attack by British Loyalist ‘Cowboys’, …
Revolutonary War Journal is published by Harry Schenawolf, author of the Shades of Liberty Series about African American soldiers in the American Revolution. John Redman was no different than any other farmer who enlisted in the Continental Army. He was among thousands who fought for what he believed in. For over three years, he and others of …
One year after the famed Boston Tea Party, an American company of militia, during a raging snowstorm, attacked a British Fort. Cannon and shots were fired while farmers and sailors stormed the fortification. They came to blows with the defenders and wounded the English commander and another soldier. This clash between armed British subjects firing …
The number of African American soldiers who stood beside their patriot white comrades in arms during the American Revolutionary War has frequently been dismissed as unimpressive or inconsequential. An incorrect argument can be made to support such an opinion when taking the total number of soldiers who fought the entire war and factoring the ratio …