Tag «Putnam»

Battle of Kip’s Bay: An American Disaster that Nearly Cost Washington’s Life

Battle of Kip's Bay

Eighteenth century battles were fought on the field of honor.  In Europe, it meant that each army lined up and pounded away at each other over a spacious, flat field.  If there were fortifications, massive trenches were dug, inching cannon forward until close enough to reduce the walls to rubble and encourage surrender.  Continuous broadsides …

Should Washington Have Defended New York City in the Summer of 1776?

At the start of 1776, General George Washington agreed with most New Yorkers that their city was defenseless. Yet the problem was deeper. In reality, no matter what efforts were taken to strengthen its response to invasion, the city could never be defended. Though every general politician knew it; they were also aware they had no …