2
George Washington’s 1781 Campaign Design Revealed
byGeorge Washington closed a July 31, 1788 letter to Noah Webster noting that Webster’s “desire of obtaining truth is very laudable, I wish I…
1781
2
6
The French Bread Connection
byIt was the letter that forced Washington to give up his dream of recapturing New York. Gen. Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau,…
7
Le Plus Détaillée: The July 1781 Reconnaissance of New York
byContinental Army general George Washington sat atop his horse ignoring the “smart skirmish” raging around him.[1] He could have joined his soldiers in attacking…
5
Unappreciated Allies: Choctaws, Creeks, and the Defense of British West Florida, 1781
byTwo months after Spain entered the American Revolutionary War on June 21, 1779, the governor of Spanish Louisiana, Don Bernardo de Galvez, launched an…
2
Yorktown National Battlefield: The Encampment Tour
byAlmost anyone that develops a passion for history can point to an event deep within themselves that spawned an imaginative interpretation of events, and…
1
Command and Control During the Yorktown Campaign
byThe definitions of joint command of land, maritime, air and other forces as practiced by the United States military today were unknown to those…
9
A Yorktown Footnote: The Last Days of Col. Alexander Scammell
byThe highest ranking Continental Army officer to be killed during the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 was Col. Alexander Scammell, 34-year old commander of…
Three Dates, One Action? The Demarests at New Bridge, 1781
byOne of the finest sources for anecdotal, first-hand accounts of the Revolution is the U.S. Pension & Bounty Land Applications in the National Archives….
2
Who Really “Crossed the T” in the Battle of the Saintes?
byWhen de Grasse’s fleet left Yorktown for the Caribbean on November 4, 1781, he was already planning how to pursue the second objective of…
2
The Groton Riots of 1781
byOn Tuesday, October 9, 1781, at 5:00 that afternoon, as an American flag unfurled over Grand Battery 13A at Yorktown, George Washington personally set…
5
Planning the Final Action: George Washington and Rochambeau, May 1781
byAfter the Americans’ stunning victory at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, King Louis XVI ordered his ministers to negotiate a formal alliance between France…
3
Race to the Dan:
“Pushed with Great Expedition”
by
It had been a tense three weeks in the Carolinas for General Nathanael Greene, the commander of the American southern army. In the wake…
14
Cavalry: Swords before Pistols
by“…the sword is the most destructive and almost only necessary weapon a dragoon carries.”[1] So wrote Major Richard Call of the 3d Light Dragoons…
15
Mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line
byDear Mr. History: What happened with the famous mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line that occurred January, 1781? Did the soldiers have legitimate grievances? What…
1
The Whale-boat Men of Long Island Sound
byWhen the Continental Congress first commissioned the use of private ships and boats of war in April 1776, they specified that each vessel’s commander…
5
Washington’s Deviation to Virginia
byGeneral Washington received the disappointing news on August 14, 1781. Comte De Grasse’s powerful French fleet of nearly thirty warships was not sailing for…
10
Grading British General Benedict Arnold
byPrior to September 1780, Benedict Arnold earned a great reputation among Patriots for his bold, brave actions at Quebec, Valcour and Saratoga. In return…
8
Debating Cowpens: How Could Tarleton Lose?
byIn the courtroom of the American Revolution, historical analysis – no matter how comprehensive or thorough – often results in competing opinions and conclusions….
Loyalist Leadership in the Revolutionary South
byThe historical debate concerning the Loyalists in the Revolutionary South has generally focused on matters such as the Loyalists’ numbers and motivations. While these…
20
“Light Horse Harry” Lee and Pyle’s Massacre
byOn February 25, 1781, the Continental cavalry of Lieutenant Colonel Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee’s Legion and Brigadier Andrew Pickens’s militia encountered several hundred…
4
Francis Marion at the Battle of Eutaw Springs
bySeptember 8, 1781 Francis Marion is best known for his leadership in the partisan war of 1780-1781, during which he and his volunteer militia…
15
Repercussions of the Battle of Camden
byOne of the most striking aspects of the Battle of Camden is the vast amount of material that was written about it. Officers and…
4
Tarleton and the British Legion at Tarrant’s Tavern
byOn the morning of January 17, 1781, Lt. Colonel Tarleton led a British army against Daniel Morgan at a place called the Cowpens. We…
4
The Perfect Storm: Bernardo de Gálvez and the Gulf Coast Campaign
byOne of the genuine pleasures of research is the discovery of someone whose contributions are barely noticed in classroom histories, but without whom, events…
4
Financial Hero?
byThe American Revolution was fought not only by soldiers, seamen and politicians; it was also fought by civilians. Some of these civilians bore arms; others provided supplies; still others such as Haym Salomon fought with their wits and their administrative skills.