As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter........
*The British strategy in the American Revolution was simple. It was by a two force thrust of British troops on the line of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River, starting at opposite ends of Canada and America, to meet at the common center of Albany, in order to divide the powerful northern colonies from each other.
At this they failed in 1776 and again in 1777 under more rigorous prosecution of the war. For this result the British lost the war of American Independence.
To the world, names like New York, Long Island, Staten Island, West Point, Harlem and Sandy Hook are but names of place "somewhere" over there, when in the Revolutionary War, they were battle points and places known intimately for strategic value.
It was in the summer and autumn of 1776 that the Brother's Howe, Lord Admiral and General Sir William, were assigned the task of first negotiating with the Americans to bring them back to British rule.
Their operational station was New York with an overwhelming force against George Washington's few.
One must understand "New York Harbour" by the realities of what is before it. On the south is New Jersey, and the great Sandy Hook. Into this bay lies Staten Island. to the northeast lays the hundred plus mile, Long Island.
New York is the upper and lower bays, connected by the Narrows between the Staten and Long Island.
Long Island forms the eastern shore of the Narrows, and in it's length it sandwiches to New York the water called Long Island Sound.
The upper Bay and the Sound are connected by what is known as the East River.
Where the East River joins the Bay, is where the Hudson River joins in flowing from the north.
The Sound reaches to almost Naragannsett Bay which is off Rhode Island and one of the best anchorages in the world.
Approximately 50 miles north of the Bay on the heights of the Hudson River is a place called West Point, which is now the Army college.
In this north Bay sits before New York City, Governor's Island, which commands the entrance to both East and Hudson rivers.
There is a penninsula which sits before New York, and it becomes an island, due to the flow of the Harlem River.
The southern extreme of this island is called Manhattan. Long Island though is higher than Manhattan from a military vantage point, so in the Revolutionary War, General Washington had in place two fortifications at the indents of Long Island known as Wallabout Bay and Gowanus Cove.
General Washington commanded this position with nine thousand men. General Howe's command was thirty four thousand men, and General Clinton, after defeat at South Carolina, brought along 3000 more men.
On August 22nd, 1776, General Howe crossed with 15,000 soldiers to Long Island at Gravesend Bay. The Americans could do nothing without a Navy, but simply watch.
General Washington hoped that the British would attempt a storm of his position, as the troops desired, but Lord Howe held his men back until the 27th, at which time the British had 25,000 soldiers numbered, and had killed, wounded or captured 1500 Americans in the few days skirmishing.
The Americans had their backs to the water and in the evening of 28th Lord Howe started to break approaches to the American position.
General Washington upon seeing this, undertook one of his numerous amazing feats, in the British lines were just 600 yards away, but he evacuated his entire command, their arms, and belongings in the night rather than face certain destruction.
When the morning fog lifted, the British were stunned that the Americans had slipped through and evacuated Long Island and Governor's Island.
It was completely absence of duty on the British part as lookouts in the bay or watchmen on land, should have spied the American withdrawal, but George Washington had rescued his army to fight another day.
Washington then took up position at Manhattan Island and withdrew to the Harlem River. The American lines now ran to the Hudson River at Fort Washington and the Jersey shore at Fort Lee.
Howe again crossed into New York, and the 4000 man garrison there withdrew again undetected to join the main force of Americans at Harlem.
Not risking a frontal assault, Howe this time chose Hell's Gate as a crossing point to loosen Washington's grip on Harlem.
General Washington countered with crossing his forces into New Jersey. The Hudson Valley would now be challenged by the Americans at the heights of West Point.
At the Jersey crossing, Washington had 5000 men in his command, and ordered his two subordinates at Fort Washington and Lee to follow.
Fort Washington was not evacuated and Howe carried it by storm. General Charles Lee at Fort Lee, then failed to obey orders and rejoin Washington.
Washington had lost half his army in reality, and the only option he had available was to cross the Delaware River and move into Pennsylvania, at Valley Forge.
The British Navy stormed Naragannsett Bay and took Rhode Island, which routed out a number of American privateers. Three days later to the surprise of the troops, the command withdrew from the location which could have been used as a base to blockade New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
December 14th was the last success of the British, for the tides turned as Howe went into winter quarters, and General Washington seizing the initiative with his army disappearing, recrossed the Delaware River at Christmas and took Trenton.
General Cornwalllis who was about to sail to Britain, hurried back to the front, but it was too late as Washington withdrew again, and in a series of brilliant strikes by January 5th, had re established the American command at Morristown at New Jersey.
From this position General Washington had now flanked the British communications and still held the Hudson Valley.
General Howe noting the precarious position his military was in contracted his lines.
The Brothers Howed prosecuted the war of 1776 expertly, but all along the British lines from the lakes, to the Carolinas to New York, there was a confidence which in that year gave the Americans time to cement the groundwork for 1777 which brought about the defeat of General Burgoyne in the Canadian invasion of America.
That event brought America as a recognized nation among the European competitors of England.
If the British had just hastened 4 weeks time on the lakes, they would have smashed the Americans at Lake Champlain. If they had just noted General Washington's withdrawal from Long Island, pressed an attack, the American resistance would have been decapitated and 1777 would have won them success in dividing the colonial north.
Three ships in position before Charleston Harbor with a thousand red coats under General Clinton would have turned the American victory at Fort Moultrie into a defeat.
It does not seem much in three small events to destroy a revolution, but that is all it would have required.
Granted, the native Americans once bloodied would have continued on in a bloodier movement like the Irish Republican Army in wresting control from London of the colonies within another generation as it projects out, but it is interesting in England did everything right in the war in the first year, and won the first 10 months, but lost the last two.
Interesting how Washington taking his time won the victories and Howe taking his time lost the war.
agtG
