Victory at Saratoga: Getting the Word Out
byIt is axiomatic that the American victory at Saratoga was, aside from events at Yorktown, the pivotal military event of the American Revolution. The…
Lord Stirling
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Two Encounters: Captain Abraham Van Dyck, the “Negro Man,” and Prince Pitkin
byCaptain Abraham Van Dyck of New York faced military justice twice during the Revolutionary War: first by the British for burning his hometown, and…
2
The Resignation Revolution
byThe threat of resigning one’s military commission under protest is almost a matter of tradition. If your leaders made a decision you did not…
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Major Robert Rogers and the American Revolution
byAfter his exploits during the French and Indian War, Robert Rogers (1732-1795) was indisputably the most famous military leader born in the thirteen colonies;…
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The Battle of Mamaroneck
byThe Battle of Mamaroneck, known to some as the “Skirmish of Heathcote Hill,” was one of the most obscure military engagements of the Revolution…
3
Terrain and Tactics: Detailed Perspectives From William Howe’s War Plan of 1776
byThe objective of the 1776 British campaign was straightforward: capture New York and crush the American rebellion. The plan was the brainchild of British…
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“A Mere Youth:” James Monroe’s Revolutionary War
byLate in his life, after retiring the presidency, James Monroe drafted his own history. He was still struck, five decades after the War for…
2
When War Came to the Thompson-Neely Farmstead
byGen. George Washington did not sleep here but many of his soldiers did—that is, on the grounds or nearby. The historic site known today…
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A Reconsideration of Continental Army Numerical Strength at Valley Forge
byOn December 23, 1777, a mere four days after his Continental army entered Valley Forge, George Washington wrote to the Continental Congress expressing the…
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Christmas Night, 1776: How Did They Cross?
byEditors Note: We first published this article on this date two years ago, but because it is such a good piece and we have…
Blue Mountain Valley and the Rise of Lord Stirling
by“A Most Dreadful Voyage” was how the captain of British supply ship Blue Mountain Valley described his mission to North America in the fall and…
9
Robert Erskine, Surveyor-General of the Continental Army
byRobert Erskine was born in Dumfermline, Scotland, to Ralph and Margaret Erskine on September 7, 1735. Ralph Erskine, being a Presbyterian minister, raised Robert…
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Bernard Romans and the First Attempt at Fortifying the Hudson River
byLord Stirling was not happy. The American brigadier general[1] was on a mission from George Washington to inspect the newly built fortifications in the Hudson…
3
The Court Martial of Major Henry Lee
byAside from Gen. Anthony Wayne’s successful assault upon a British garrison at Stony Point in July, military activity in the first eight months of…
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Delaware’s Colonel John Haslet (1727–1777)
byBorn in Straw Dungiven, County Londonderry, Ireland,[1] thirty-year-old John Haslet was the young, widowed minister of Ballykelly Presbyterian Church. Arriving in America in 1757, he…
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Unlocking the Mystery of Ten Revolutionary Generals’ Signatures
byDocuments that contain the original signatures of more than one Continental Army general are rare. During the eight years of the Revolutionary War, generals…
The James McMichael Journal, November 1, 1776–June 3, 1777
byEditor’s Note: This is part two of a five-part series. Part one. Part three. The portion of James McMichael’s journal covering November 1, 1776…
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Scotland and the American Revolution
byReading Thomas Fleming’s fascinating article on “Celts in the American Revolution,” one is struck by the extent to which Scotland and the Scots informed…
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Top 10 Continental Army Generals
byIn addition to George Washington, during the course of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress commissioned seventy-seven other men as general officers, with four…