Later, Gates sustained a wound during his actions during Braddock's defeat in Pennsylvania in 1755.(Scythes, n.d) After the French and Indian war, Gates decided to retire from his position in the Royal American Regiment, as well as returning to England.
Gates' troops forced Burgoyne to surrender his 5,700 man army near Saratoga(Scythes). This victory, a major turning point of the American Revolution, convinced France to form an alliance with the Americans against Great Britain in 1778. Tensions between Gates and General George Washington grew immediately following Saratoga, after Gates informed Congress directly of his victory rather than informing his Commander. Washington was further angered that Gates did not promptly return troops sent to help Gates during the New York campaign. General Washington was also convinced that Gates played a role in the Conway Cabal, which was a supposed plot to remove Washington from command and replace him with Gates.
Logic dictates that 2,000 soldiers behind a strong, defensive force will have a huge advantage against being overcome by a force 1,300 hodgepodge group of Regulars, Militias, and warriors. No sane commander would surrender with that huge advantage, right? Brigadier Isaac Brock, using deception as his primary weapon, was able to overcome those odds and manage to deceive William Hull to surrender Fort Detroit. Brock understands that a force containing 200 Regulars would not be intermediating.
Benedict Arnold is one of the most infamous traitors in history, particularly the Revolutionary War. Arnold's name is coined as a traitor and has been a great controversial debate. With Arnold's hard decision in battle tactics, the choices he has made led to a huge victory for the Americans. So, without Benedict Arnold's bravery and courage, could the U.S. have won the Revolutionary War? Where would America be today if Arnold didn't make the decisions he did in battle?
When choosing a portrait to analyze, some may have a very difficult time doing so due to the abundance created over the years. For my analysis, I chose the portrait called Washington, General Lafayette and Tilghman at Yorktown. This painting, done by Charles Willson Peale depicts the three generals after their victory at Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War. As a response to the victory, the Maryland House of Delegates asked Governor Thomas Sim Lee to commission Charles Willson Peale to paint the portrait- which he finished in 1781.
In this Battle Major General Baron Johann de Kalb became the highest ranking Continental officer in the south commanding an army of approximately 1,400 men. Congress had appointed General Horatio Gates commander of the southern army where Gates assembled a force of approximately 4,000 soldier which was mostly made up of local militia. Gates had taken the incorrect road not following the guidance of officers that knew the country. He marched through deserted areas deprived of supplies the majority of his men came down with an infection from eating spoiled food. Each side had prepared for battle on August 15, 1780 near Camden when General Gates met Cornwallis unexpectedly.
He took a horse and ran away, 60 miles away. After watching this "forfeit" by the American General, Cornwallis knew he had won the battle. Cornwallis had only lost 68 men, had 248 wounded men, and had 11 men captured. Gates had 300 men killed, 600 men wounded, and 1,000 men
There were many battles during the American Revolutionary War. Some were more important than others, and some lasted longer than others. The Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown were both very important and somewhat long. The battle of Saratoga was important because this was the changing point for the colonists. The battle of Yorktown was important because it was the final battle in the whole war.
After the recognition of destruction and death struck General Lee, the Confederate Army retreated back to Virginia on September 18th. Reacting as a cautious leader would, McClellan hesitated attacking the vulnerable troops of the Confederate’s as they escaped back into the safety of the South. With both sides wounded and tired, Lee’s bluster to keep the fight going gave the Confederates enough time to gather their wounded and abscond the scene of battle. After Lee took his soldiers back South, McClellan wrote ‘that after a “careful survey of the situation and condition of our army, the strength and position of the enemy, I concluded that the success of an attack on the 18th was not certain”’. McClellan’s hesitation in pursuit was seen as a
British General Burgoyne met General Horatio Gates’s army of nine thousand soldiers just north of Albany. Thanks to General Benedict Arnold, the British’s battle plan was easily anticipated and countered effectively. Overall, the British lost two men for every one American soldier in the first Battle of Saratoga. On October 7th, 1777, the second Battle of Saratoga took place.
With the slowing down of the British, the Americans had time to prepare for when the British would arrive. General Gates lead the troops at Saratoga and he knew when to and when not to attack. General Gates gathered thousands of American troops to come to
General Clinton’s inaction after General Washington’s force departure guaranteed the historical unfolding of the Siege of Yorktown. The largest contributor to this British disaster lay in the lacking of an analytical apparatus, which could have effectively processed and utilized British intelligence. General Clinton chose to focus more on salvation in the form of reinforcements from Britain than on the immediate steps he could implement in his intelligence war fighting function to cement victory. This overreliance on an ineffective logistical support chain, combined with poor strategy, toxic leadership, and indecisiveness, resulted in an overly defensive positon. This ineptitude set the stage for the loss of British populace support, costing him the war of attrition.
A great deal of the troops had inadequate clothing, with at least one out of three soldiers having no shoes, and many men did not have a coat to protect them from the rain that often fell. Along with this, there was a lack of food, and tuberculosis was also widespread. Swearing to partake in these hardships, Washington stayed near Valley Forge, and wrote to congress often, requesting more supplies for the troops, while also defending himself from congress’s claims that he was unfit to be commander. Washington also had to deal with a group formed by Horatio Gates, a commander who lead a glorious win in Saratoga, Thomas Mifflin, the nations former Quartermaster General, and Thomas Conway, a french soldier. They had recently been appointed to the board of war, and could oversee the war effort on the same level as George Washington.
General Douglas Haig often believed his army was on the verge of the breakthrough. In 1917 they developed a plan to attack Britan for the third time. On July 31st “The Third Battle of Ypres” or “The Battle of Passchendaele” took place just outside of Ypres,Belgium. Soilders were forced to battle in 76 mm of rain that continued for as long as four days.
With all of these soul-shattering, life-changing conditions, it is less of a war and more of a test of strength for the soldiers, here at Valley Forge. Some men were going home and not returning. Other men just completely deserted. Even George Washington’s position was uncertain, the members of congress didn’t trust him. Life at Valley Forge was obviously horrible, and the ugly truth is that it wouldn’t get much better.
