Critical Reasoning: The Battle of Trenton SSG Donald Harper SLC Class 15-001 Abstract This critical reasoning paper is about the Battle of Trenton. This paper will explain a little bit about the Revolutionary War in which the battle was fought. After, you will read about the battle itself and event that took place during. You will learn about the battle plans and strategies of each side and finally the outcome. I’ve written and alternate outcome of the battle and placed this additional portion after the reference page. The Battle of Trenton During the American Revolution, the British contracted …show more content…
He was chosen to lead 1,500 troops to occupy and defend Trenton, New Jersey instead of British regulars. He and his men occupied Trenton on December 14th, to establish winter quarters, but didn’t have sufficient protective walls set up surrounding the town, as many of the American settlements didn’t in those days. COL Rall’s engineers developed plans to fortify the towns north and south borders, but he ignored these plans. If COL Rall would have listened to his engineers and advisors, and fortified the town of Trenton, he could have defended it, survived the war, and possibly changed the course of American …show more content…
The troops helped build barriers and fences around the town and reinforced them on the north and south borders. They also staged four guard posts north of Trenton, one for each side of the two roads. They also set up pathways through the woods so that runners could easily get from the guard posts to the town, to inform them of any intruders on their way. As a result General Washington met much resistance as he and his Soldiers tried to advance on Trenton. His men that tried to cross the river at Trenton Ferry never made it, so if the Hessians had to retreat, they had a route to travel. His men that were sent to attack Bordentown couldn’t cross the river either because of ice and snow, so British reinforcements were not restricted from aiding Colonel Rall. With the added men, the Hessian force at Trenton was 3,500 strong, and more were at his disposal if he
Washington had effectively created a kill zone within the town of Trenton. He blocked all major routes of escape so the Hessian would be encircled. By seizing the high ground Washington was able to create the best vantage point for his guns. He could target and destroy squads of Hessians while still maintaining a high level of protection. By encircling the Hessian he forced them to fight in his conditions.
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga: British Failures in Intelligence The paper is a battle analysis of the American colonists’ capture of Fort Ticonderoga in the northern New York colony on 10 May, 1775. Colonels Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys captured the fort from Captain William De Laplace and Lieutenant Jocelyn Feltham of the 26th Regiment of Foot (Ward, 1952). It also discuss where the British forces failed to use their contemporary intelligence capabilities to thwart the attack.
The battle Saratoga was an important turning point in the American Revolution. After the battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, the British forces under General Howe and Lord Cornwallis moved all of their troops to New York. Following this, another British general, John Burgoyne, who was positioned in Canada, planned to move South from Quebec, capture Ticonderoga, and then join Howe and another British force led by Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger in Albany. If they were successful in doing this, then the British would have cut of the New England Colonies from the South. Burgoyne’s strategy was initially going to plan.
A the Americans start to cross the river, a severe snowstorm begins but the determination in Washington to attack Trenton does not decrease. He and his men continue to cross the river. As of December 26 1776, the Americans give an early morning surprise to the Hessians who were still asleep off Christmas Dinner. The Battle of Trenton lasted approximately 90 minutes After the battle the Americans moved back across the river into
Bryce Hartley February 2, 2016 4th period Battle of Vicksburg The Battle of Vicksburg is also called the Siege of Vicksburg. The battle took place in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in Warren County. Major General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union army fought hard trying to capture Vicksburg, but the Confederate army was smart and strategic as it was led by Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton.
In this essay, I will be concentrating more on the facts of the Battle of Antietam then the tactical movements, or all the decisions made during this battle. I will however cover some key points that do point to poor leadership and execution of plans. Most of this essay will cover facts of Special Order 191, errors in judgment by General George B. McClellan, the sunken road, the importance of victory needed for General Robert E. Lee, and lastly the overall analysis of the outcome. At dawn on the morning of September 17, 1862, the nation’s bloodiest battle and bloodiest day in American History occurred. The battle began with an attack by General Joseph Hooker to capture the plateau in which the Dunker Church now called sat upon and a small creek that ran through the battlefield named Antietam Creek; hence, this is where the name The Battle of Antietam originated.
Around April 27th, a few days before the battle, Robert E. Lee had made the decision to steer the location of the battle into the Wilderness by using his regiments to bait the Union army into following his army into the Wilderness. The woody and rough terrain would diminish the Union advantage of large numbers and suit the Confederates more because they would also have homeground advantage and would be able to navigate the Wilderness. The Orange Turnpike and Plank Roads were used by both armies to transport soldiers by way of the road. General Stonewall Jackson turned on the Orange Turnpike Road while marching on his flank attack on General Howard’s XI Corps because the roads provided an easy way and path to march. The Union army had an initial geographical advantage but it was lost to the Confederate army and it helped the Confederates win the Battle of
The American Civil War began in April of 1861 and ended in May of 1865. Many Americans lost their lives over the span of four years during that war. Historians have considered the Battle of Gettysburg to be the major decisive battle of the war, but was it? A period of 43 days in 1863, fighting for complete control of the Mississippi River is what I believe to be the most decisive battle of the war.
‘’On the morning of December 11 the engineers went quietly to work to construct five pontoon bridges for the passages of the Natinal army’’. Fredericksburg army were dislodged by a party that crossed hundreds of troops across by boats and the bridges were also rebuilt. the Confederates were ready to attack with 300 cannons well placed on the heights. Some of Franklin’s corps started the Battle; Jackson’s advice line, under the A.P hill,was pulled back and 200 people were prisinor’s. A fierce attack on Mead made him to fall backwards.
Throughout history, the American Continental Army was depicted as strong, dominant, and filled with perseverance, however it appears as though their strength was missing at the Battle of Quebec. The Battle of Quebec occurred on December 31, 1775 and lasted until January 1, 1776. It was a battle in which the Province of Quebec was covered in the same red as the victors’ coats. The attempt to capture Quebec concluded in a disastrous defeat for the Americans that was due to factors such as disparities in the level of experiences between the leaders, the disproportion of armies, freezing weather, weapons/fortification, and challenging terrain. The Battle of Quebec was a battle of great significance as it was “the first major war defeat for the
An American militia unit with other continental soldiers covered the exodus of the armies out of New York. The armies reached Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 1, a trip of 130 miles. On September 2, British General Clinton discovered that his adversaries had left New York and had reached Philadelphia. He sent word on toward Cornwallis to be on guard, but did not move to pursue the potential threat. Three days later, Washington learned that Admiral de Grasse had arrived ahead of schedule, with 28 ships and 3,000 men.
By definition, “mission command is the exercise of authority and direction by the commander using mission orders to enable disciplined initiative within the commander’s intent to empower agile and adaptive leaders in the conduct of unified land operations,” according to ADRP 5-0. Mission command is about knowing when to change the task to fit the purpose. This paper is intended to analyze the mission command of one side of the battle, focusing on the commander’s role in the operations process. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the most important battle of the American Revolution because of Colonel Prescott’s superior command and control.
As dawn approached, he and his army would attack Trenton with all the force that they had at the time. The author stated that Washington had thought the battle was already lost because they would lose the element of surprise as the weather slowed them down which was pushing them into the daylight. According to Fischer, Washington and his army arrived to Trenton at around seven-thirty in the morning. They succeeded in using the element of surprise and the weather helped the colonial army and they took Trenton.
The Battle of Saratoga in September and October of 1777 is the turning point of the Revolutionary War because the French joined with allies, British troops surrendered their arms, and the Patriots had crucial victories. It was a victory for the Patriots in the American Revolution and is the most decisive battles in history. The Battle began as a plan by the British to control New York and isolate New England from the Southern colonies and put an end to the Revolution. Which ended as an opportunity for the Patriots.
This act of treating his military as little less then property rubbed many the wrong way, and this soon backfired on Wilhelm, many other Princes of Germany who followed similar guidelines. Throughout the duration of the American army, the Hessians were present in just about every major battle, ranging from the first battle in the Battle of Long Island, to the infamous Battle of Trenton where over one thousand Hessians lost their lives. The Hessians suffered a major blow not only to their pride, but also the loss of