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The British took Savannah from the Americans.

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December 29, 1778 in Savannah, Georgia

Battle Summary

The Capture of Savannah, or sometimes the First Battle of Savannah (because of a siege in 1779), pitted local American Patriot militia and Continental Army units, holding the city, against a British invasion force. The British seizure of the city led to an extended occupation and was the opening move in the British southern strategy to regain control of the rebellious Southern provinces by appealing to the relatively strong Loyalist sentiment there.

General Henry Clinton, the commander-in-chief of the British forces based in New York City, dispatched Colonel Campbell and a 3,100-strong force from New York to capture Savannah, and begin the process of returning Georgia to British control. He was to be assisted by troops under the command of Brigadier General Augustine Prevost that were marching up from Saint Augustine in East Florida.

On December 23, after landing near Savannah, Campbell assessed the American defenses, which were comparatively weak, and decided to attack without waiting for Prevost. Taking advantage of local assistance, he successfully flanked the American position outside the town, captured a large portion of Major General Robert Howe's army, and drove the remnants to retreat into South Carolina.

Campbell and Prevost followed up the victory with the capture of Sunbury and an expedition to Augusta. The latter was only occupied by Campbell for a few weeks before he retreated back to Savannah, citing insufficient Loyalist and Native American support and the threat of Patriot forces across the Savannah River in South Carolina.

The British held off a Franco-American siege in 1779, and held the city until late in the war.

Facts about the Battle of Savannah

Armies - American Forces was commanded by Gen. Robert Howe and consisted of about 850 Soldiers. British Forces was commanded by Lt Col. Archibald Campbell and consisted of about 3,500 Soldiers.

Casualties - American casualties were estimated to be 83 killed, 11 wounded, and 453 captured. British casualties was approximately 7 killed and 17 wounded.

Outcome - The result of the battle was a British victory. The battle was part of the Southern Theater 1775-82.

Prelude

In the fall of 1778, Colonel McIntosh, who had been left in command of the town after the repulse of the British in March 1776, notified Howe, commander of the American forces in this section, with headquarters at Charleston, that an advance of the British upon Savannah was anticipated, and that his small force, 250 men, with 100 for duty, was inadequate to defend the place. Howe came over and took command. He had about 500 regulars and 350 militia.

Howe learned that the British had planned for Colonel Prevost to advance from East Florida and arrive near Savannah in time to cooperate with the naval fleet, under Sir Hyde Parker and the troops under Campbell, to be sent from New York. Prevost advanced as far as Sunbury. The Americans made a show of being in strong force and Prevost retreated.

Howe returned to Savannah and ordered all of the troops to assemble there. The town was in an almost defenseless condition, excepting from the water side. The fort on the eastern end of the bluff, where the gas house now stands, had been considerably enlarged, more guns mounted, and made quite formidable. It was named Fort Wayne, in honor of Brigadier General Anthony Wayne.

By December 27, the whole of the British fleet had anchored off Tybee. The vessels composing the armed squadron were the Phoenix, 44 guns; the Rose and Fowey, 24 guns each; the Vigilant, 28 guns; and the brig Keppel, the sloop Greenwich and the galley Comet. The transports brought about 3,500 men. Howe had about 900 men to oppose their force. The British were not at first aware of the weakness of the Americans and were disposed to wait the arrival of Prevost's command before commencing the assault upon the town.

To gain information, Campbell sent a boat's crew ashore to capture some of the inhabitants. The crew landed on Wilmington Island and took two men prisoner, who informed them of the exact condition of the Americans. Believing the information received to be correct, Campbell decided to attack without delay.

On December 28, the squadron sailed up within two miles of Savannah, opposite to Girardeau's Plantation, and preparations were made to land early the next morning. Howe was not correctly informed concerning the strength of the enemy, and believing he could cope with them, determined to defend the town.

Observing this movement of the enemy, he rightly concluded that the troops would land below Brewton Hill 4 and advance upon the town by the great road, now known as the Thunderbolt Road, and Captain John C. Smith, with his company of South Carolinians, was sent to the hill to watch the enemy.

The marsh on the east side of Savannah was then much wider and more difficult to cross than now. On the high ground west of the marsh General Howe placed his command so as to cover the great road, which crossed the marsh by a narrow causeway, and burned the bridge over the rivulet which ran through the center of the marsh.

To present still further obstructions, a deep ditch was dug three hundred yards west of the marsh and filled with water. The army was divided into two brigades; the first, commanded by Colonel Elbert, constituted the left, and the other, under Colonel Huger, the right wing. Five pieces of cannon were posted in front of the causeway.

To the right of the position of the Americans, a small path led through the swamp to the high grounds on the opposite side. This path was pointed out to Howe by Colonel Walton as a place which should be guarded, but Howe, thinking differently, paid no attention to the suggestion. About what is now the corner of Liberty and Bull streets were the New barracks. The roads to White Bluff and the Ogeechee River united near the barracks, and Colonel Walton, with 100 militia, was posted there.

Battle Begins

On December 29, Campbell selected Girardeau's Plantation, located about 2 miles below the city, for the landing place. When word reached Howe that the landing had started, he sent a company of Continentals to occupy the bluffs above the landing site. Campbell realized that the bluffs would need to be controlled before the majority of his forces could land, and dispatched two companies of the 71st Regiment to take control of them.

The Continentals opened fire at about 100 yards; the British, rather than returning fire, advanced rapidly with bayonets fixed, denying the Continentals a second shot. The Continentals retreated, having killed four and wounded five at no cost to themselves. By noon, Campbell had landed his army and began to proceed cautiously toward the city.

Howe held a council that morning, and ground was chosen at which to make a stand. About one-half mile south of the city, he established a line of defense in the shape of an open "V", with the ends anchored by swampy woods.

On the left, Howe placed Georgia Continentals and militia under Samuel Elbert, while on the right he put South Carolina Continentals and militia under Isaac Huger and William Thomson. The line was supported by four pieces of field artillery, and light infantry companies guarded the flanks. Most of Howe's troops, including the Continentals, had seen little or no action in the war.

When Campbell's advance companies spotted Howe's line around 2:00 PM, the main body stopped short of the field and Campbell went to see what he was up against. He viewed Howe's defenses as essentially sound, but a local slave told him that there was a path through the swamp on Howe's right.

Campbell ordered Sir James Baird to take 350 light infantry and 250 New York Loyalists and follow the slave through the swamp, while he arrayed his troops just out of view in a way that would give the impression he would attempt a flanking maneuver on Howe's left. One of his officers climbed a tree to observe Baird's progress.

True to the slave's word, the trail came out near the Continental barracks, which had been left unguarded; the Continentals were unaware they had been flanked. When they reached position, the man in the tree signaled by waving his hat, and Campbell ordered the regulars to charge.

The first sounds of battle Howe heard were musket fire from the barracks, but these were rapidly followed by cannon fire and the appearance of charging British and German troops on his front. He ordered an immediate retreat, but it rapidly turned into a rout.

His untried troops hardly bothered to return fire, some throwing down their weapons before attempting to run away through the swampy terrain. Campbell reported that " It was scarcely possible to come up with them, their retreat was rapid beyond Conception ."

The light infantry in the Continental rear cut off the road to Augusta, the only significant escape route, forcing a mad scramble of retreating troops into the city itself. The Georgia soldiers on the right attempted to find a safe crossing of Musgrove Creek, but one did not exist, and many of the troops were taken prisoner.

Soldiers who did not immediately surrender were sometimes bayoneted. Huger managed to form a rear-guard to cover the escape of a number of the Continentals. Some of Howe's men managed to escape to the north before the British closed off the city, but others were forced to attempt swimming across Yamacraw Creek; an unknown number drowned in the attempt.

Aftermath

When Howe's retreat ended at Purrysburg, South Carolina, he had 342 men left, less than half his original army. Howe would receive much of the blame for the disaster, with Brigadier General William Moultrie arguing that he should have either disputed the landing site in force or retreated without battle to keep his army intact. He was exonerated in a court martial that inquired into the event, although the tribunal pointed out that Howe should have made a stand at the bluffs or more directly opposed the landing.

Prevost arrived from East Florida in mid-January, and shortly after sent Campbell with 1,000 men to take Augusta. Campbell occupied the frontier town against minimal opposition, but by then Major General Benjamin Lincoln had begun to rally support in South Carolina to oppose the British.

On February 14, Campbell abandoned Augusta, the same day a Loyalist force en route to meet him was defeated in the Battle of Kettle Creek. Although Patriot forces following the British were ambushed in the March 3 Battle of Brier Creek, the Georgia backcountry remained in Patriot hands.

Campbell wrote that he would be " the first British officer to [rend] a star and stripe from the flag of Congress". Savannah was used as a base to conduct coastal raids which targeted areas from Charleston, South Carolina to the Florida coast. In the fall of 1779, a combined French and American siege to recapture Savannah failed with significant casualties.

Control of Georgia was formally returned to its royal governor, James Wright, in July 1779, but the backcountry would not come under British control until after the 1780 Siege of Charleston. Patriot forces recovered Augusta by siege in 1781, but Savannah remained in British hands until July 11, 1782.

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December 29, 1778 in Savannah, Georgia The Capture of Savannah, or sometimes the First Battle of Savannah (because of a siege in 1779), pitted local American Patriot militia and Continental Army units, holding the city, against a British invasion force.

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The worst loss in Washington's history. They lost thousands of soldiers.

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Commanded by: Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln
Strength: 5,466 infantry, militia, artillery
Casualties: 92 killed, 148 wounded and 5266 captured

Commanded by: Lt. Gen. Henry Clinton
Strength: 13,500 infantry, marines, sailors, militia and artillery
Casualties: 76 killed, 182 wounded

Conclusion: Decisive British Victory
Southern theater, 1775-82

The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards fighting in the southern colonies. As a defeat, it was the biggest loss of troops suffered to the revolutionary army in the war wherein the losses consisted essentially of the major part of the forces available to the revolutionaries. By contrast, General Washington avoided attempts to match force on force and adroitly avoided getting his forces pinned strategically so the superior British communications (SLOC) could assemble a crushing blow. At the same time, Washington, at the least with his aide and sub-commander General Lafayette, was cognizant of efforts to bring in the Kingdom of France against the British.

From 1777 to 1778, the British had considerable success in the southern colonies, namely in the Province of Georgia with the Siege of Savannah, whereas the waiting strategy of maneuver adopted by Washington leading the northern army, had the British freedom of action stymied, and with near parity of forces, the conflict was essentially a stalemate. The amount of battles won in the south by the British in 1779 immensely increased in the following year, when they victoriously swept up through South and North Carolina.

In December 1779, Gen. Henry Clinton sailed himself sailed south bound for Charleston from New York City. The British fleet included 90 troopships and 14 warships with more than 8,500 soldiers and 5,000 sailors. Because they had been delayed several months in leaving, the fleet now sailed through stormy seas. The first storm hit on December 27 and lasted 3 days.

On January 1, another storm hit and lasted 6 days. This pattern continued and the fleet was separated. After having been separated by constant storms, about 2/3 of the British fleet had regrouped. However, they found themselves off the coast of Florida and had to sail back north. They went as far as Georgia where a diversionary infantry force was put ashore on February 4. The cavalry commanded by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton and including Maj. Patrick Ferguson also went ashore to find new mounts. During the voyage the horses had to be put overboard, because of serious injuries like broken legs.

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General Clinton then continued sailing north with the main body of his force. Back in 1776, Clinton had deferred to Admiral Sir Peter Parker whose choice of approach directly into Charleston Harbor had been a disaster. Clinton had learned his lesson from that defeat and chose to land his forces 30 miles south of Charleston and approach overland. While the army marched overland, the ships would sail up the rivers delivering provisions as necessary. The first men were put ashore on February 11.

On February 4, a diversionary infantry force was put ashore in Georgia. The cavalry commanded by Tarleton and including Ferguson also went ashore to find new mounts. During the voyage, the horses had to be put overboard, because of serious injuries like broken legs. Clinton had chosen to land his forces thirty miles south of Charleston and approach overland. The first men, English and Hessian Grenadiers and the 33rd Regiment of Foot, were put ashore on February 11, on the southern tip of John's Island.

On February 14, these men set out in search of Stono Ferry, which was the crossing point to James Island. Later that day, they found the river, but the other bank with fortified and manned by militia. The British retreated without taking fire from the Americans. The next day, they discovered that the Americans had deserted their position overnight.

On February 24, fortifications were completed at Stono Ferry and the British crossed over to James Island the next day. There was a Continental presence on the island. French Chevalier Pierre-François Vernier commanded the cavalry, while Francis Marion commanded the American infantry. They had been observing the British movements for several days.

On February 26, they attacked a returning British scavenging patrol as it passed down a narrow way. The German Jägers came to their rescue and drove Vernier off. In spite of the Continental presence and continued skirmishing with Chevalier Vernier and his cavarly, the British gained control of James Island by March 1.

On March 10, Clinton's second-in-command Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis finally led the main force onto the mainland at Wappoo Cut. On March 11, naval ships finally came up the Stono River and delivered much needed supplies.

From March 11-21, the British fortified their position which was located where the Wappoo Creek flowed into the Ashley River. They mounted artillery to shell American ships and keep the Ashley River secure. They then moved upstream and north, away from Charleston, slowly securing the plantations along the way while the Americans shadowed them from across the river.

On March 29, under the cover of fog , the British crossed the Ashley River upstream from the heavily fortified Ashley Ferry and established themselves on Charleston Neck. When the Americans learned that the British were on the Neck, they abandoned their breastworks at Ashley Ferry.

On April 1, the British had moved down into position to begin their siege works. While the British slowly closed in, naval maneuvering in Charleston Harbor for the Americans was a disaster. In December 1779, 4 frigates had arrived under the command of Commodore Abraham Whipple and were joined by 4 ships from South Carolina and 2 French ships. There were 260 guns afloat and 40 guns at Fort Moultrie. However, even before the British arrived, Whipple informed Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln that the flotilla could not defend the entrance to Charleston Harbor. Lincoln questioned Commodore Whipple's conclusion, but Whipple was backed up by a naval board. Whipple chose to first withdraw to the mouth of the Cooper River. Meanwhile the British began their approach on March 20. When Whipple saw the size of the British attack fleet, he scuttled the ships at the entrance of the river

On April 2, siege works were begun about 800 yards from the American fortifications. During the first few days of the siege, the British operations were under heavy artillery fire. On April 4, they built redoubts near the Ashley and Cooper Rivers to protect their flanks. On April 6, a warship was hauled overland from the Ashley River to the Cooper River to harass crossings by the besieged to the mainland. On April 8, the British fleet moved into the Harbor under fire only from Fort Moultrie.

On April 12, Lt. General Henry Clinton ordered Tarleton and Ferguson to capture Monck's Corner, which was a crossroads just south of Biggins Bridge near the Santee River. Gen. Isaac Huger was stationed there 500 men under orders from Lincoln to hold the crossroads so that communications with Charleston would remain open.

On April 13, during the evening, Tarleton gave orders for a silent march. Later that night, they intercepted a messenger with a letter from Huger to Lincoln and thus learned how the rebels were deployed.

On April 14, at 3:00 A.M., the British reached the American post, catching them completely by surprise and quickly routing them. Following the skirmish, the British fanned out across the countryside and effectively cut off Charleston from outside support. South Carolina Governor John Rutledge left Charleston on April 13.

On April 21, a parlay was made between Lincoln and Clinton, with Lincoln offering to surrender with honor. That is, with colors flying and marching out fully armed, but Clinton was sure of his position and quickly refused the terms. A heavy artillery exchange followed.

On April 23, Cornwallis crossed the Cooper River and assumed command of the British forces blocking escape by land.

On April 24, the Americans ventured out to harass the siege works. The lone American casualty was Tom Moultrie, brother of Brig. Gen. William Moultrie.

On April 29, the British advanced on the left end of the canal that fronted the city's fortifications with the purpose of destorying the dam and draining the canal.

The Americans knew the importance of that canal to the city's defenses and responded with steady and fierce artillery and small arms fire. By the following night, the British had succeeded in draining some water. By May 4, several casualties had been sustained and the fire had been so heavy that work was often suspended. On May 5, the Americans made a countermove from their side, but by May 6, almost all of the water had drained out of the heavily damaged dam and plans for an assault began. On that same day, Fort Moultrie had surrendered.

On May 8, Clinton called for unconditional surrender from Lincoln, but Lincoln again tried to negotiate for honors of war.

On May 11, the British fired red-hot shot that burned several homes before Lincoln finally called for parlay and to negotiate terms for surrender. The final terms dictated that the entire Continental force captured were prisoners of war.

On May 12, the actual surrender took place with Lincoln leading a ragged bunch of soldiers out of the city.

The senior officers, including Lincoln, eventually were exchanged for British officers in American hands. For all others in the Continental army, a long stay on prison boats in Charleston Harbor was the result, where sickness and disease would ravage them. The defeat left no Continental Army in the South and the country wide open for British taking. Even before Lincoln surrendered, the Continental Congress had already appointed Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates to replace him.

The British quickly established outposts in a semicircle from Georgetown to Augusta, Georgia, with positions at Camden, Ninety-Six, Cheraw, Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock in between. Parole was offered to back country rebels and many accepted, including Andrew Pickens. Soon after securing Charleston, Clinton gave command of the Southern Theatre to Cornwallis and on June 5, he sailed north back to New York.

Clinton's one order to Cornwallis before he left, was to maintain possession of Charleston above all else. Cornwallis was not to move into North Carolina if it jeopordized this holding. Clinton also had ordered that all militia and civilians be released from their parole. But in addition, they must take an oath to the Crown and be at ready to serve when called upon by His Majesty's government. This addition angered many of the locals and led to many deserting or ignoring the order and terms of their parole.

Meanwhile an active and bitter partisan warfare begun. The British advance had been marked by more than the usual destruction of war; the Loyalists rose to arms; the Whig population scattered and without much organization formed groups of riflemen and mounted troopers to harass the enemy. Little mercy was shown on either side. On April 14, 1780, Colonel Banastre Tarleton decimated a detachment of Lincoln's cavalry and followed it up by practically destroying Buford's Virginia regiment near the North Carolina border.

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Commanded by: Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln Strength: 5,466 infantry, militia, artillery Casualties: 92 killed, 148 wounded and 5266 captured Commanded by: Lt. Gen.

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The Americans defeated the British and slowed them taking North Carolina

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At the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina on January 17, 1781, during the Revolutionary War (1775-83), American troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan (1736-1802) routed British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton (1754-1833). The Americans inflicted heavy casualties on the British, and the battle was a turning point in the war's Southern campaign.

Battle of Cowpens: Background

After the British scored victories in South Carolina at Charleston (May 1780) and Camden (August 1780), Major General Nathanael Greene (1742-86), commander of the Continental army's Southern campaign, decided to divide Patriot troops in the Carolinas in order to force the larger British contingent under General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) to fight them on multiple fronts-and because smaller groups of men were easier for the beleaguered Patriots to feed. Brigadier General Daniel Morgan took 300 Continental riflemen and some 700 militiamen with the intention of attacking the British backcountry fort, Ninety-Six.

Did you know? Two U.S. military ships were named in memory of the Battle of Cowpens. The first USS Cowpens, an aircraft carrier, served in World War II. The second USS Cowpens, a guided missile cruiser, was commissioned in 1991 and served in the Persian Gulf. Both vessels were nicknamed The Mighty Moo.

In response, Cornwallis dispatched Banastre Tarleton with 1,100 Redcoats and Loyalists to catch Morgan, whom he feared might instigate a broad-based backcountry Patriot uprising. Morgan, nicknamed Old Waggoner because he served as a wagon driver during the French and Indian War (1754-63), prepared for the encounter with Tarleton by backing his men up to a river at Cowpens, a pastureland in present-day Spartanburg County and north of Ninety-Six.

Battle of Cowpens: January 17, 1781

As Tarleton's men attacked, Morgan instructed the militia to skirmish with them but to leave the front line after firing two rounds. The British mistook the repositioning of the Americans as a rout and ran into an unexpected volley of concentrated rifle fire coupled with a cavalry charge and followed by the return of the militia. Tarleton escaped, but Morgan's troops decimated his army.

American rifles, scorned by Britain's professional soldiers, proved devastatingly effective in this engagement. More than 800 British troops were killed, wounded or captured. The Americans suffered less than 100 casualties in the first Patriot victory to demonstrate that they could outfight a similar British force without any other factors, such as surprise or geography, to assist them. The victory provided an important morale boost, and later that year, in November, the Americans would defeat the British at Yorktown, Virginia, the last major Revolutionary War battle.

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At the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina on January 17, 1781, during the Revolutionary War, American troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan routed British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The Americans inflicted heavy casualties on the British, and the battle became a turning point in the war's Southern campaign.

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The British won but it cost them a huge number of losses.

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The Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina, on March 15, 1781, proved pivotal to the American victory in the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). Although British troops under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) scored a tactical victory at Guilford Courthouse over American forces under Major General Nathanael Greene (1742-86), the British suffered significant troop losses during the battle. Afterward, Cornwallis abandoned his campaign for the Carolinas and instead took his army into Virginia, where in October of that year he surrendered to General George Washington (1732-99) following the Battle of Yorktown, the last major land battle of the war.

Battle of Guilford Courthouse: Background

For the first three years of the American Revolutionary War, which began in April 1775, most of the major battles took place in the Northern colonies. After the French entered the war on the side of the Americans in 1778, the British shifted their focus to a campaign in the South, where they hoped to enlist the support of American colonists still loyal to Great Britain and the British monarchy (after conquering the Southern colonies, the British believed they then could more readily capture those in the North). The campaign initially was successful, as the British seized the key ports of Savannah, Georgia, in December 1778, and Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1780, and in the process devastated the American military in the South.

Did you know? Following the Battle of Yorktown, Charles Cornwallis, the British commander, refused to attend the official surrender ceremony, claiming to be sick. In his place, he sent Brigadier General Charles O'Hara.

The tide began to turn for the Americans in the fall of 1780, when in October a Patriot militia defeated a Loyalist militia at the Battle of Kings Mountain, near present-day Blacksburg, South Carolina. Additionally, in late 1780 General George Washington appointed Major General Nathanael Greene to head the Continental army in the South. The new commander decided to divide his troops in the Carolinas in order to force the larger British contingent under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis to fight them on multiple fronts (Greene also wanted to buy time to rebuild his army). This strategy paid off on January 17, 1781, when Brigadier General Daniel Morgan (1736-1802) and his troops decisively defeated a British force commanded by Colonel Banastre Tarleton (1754-1833) at Cowpens, South Carolina.

Following the Battle of Cowpens, Cornwallis pursued the Continentals across North Carolina before halting his tired British troops at the Dan River. The Continentals escaped into Virginia, where Greene continued to build up his forces in preparation to face off against Cornwallis' troops. By March 14, Greene's soldiers had returned to North Carolina and were camped around Guilford Courthouse, near the present-day city of Greensboro (named for General Greene).

Battle of Guilford Courthouse: March 15, 1781

At the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781, some 1,900 British soldiers under Cornwallis went on the offensive against Greene's 4,400 to 4,500 Continental troops and militia. The battle raged for around two hours before Greene ordered his troops to retreat, giving the British a tactical victory but enabling Greene's army to remain mostly intact. More than 25 percent of Cornwallis's men were killed, wounded or captured during the battle. One British statesman, Charles James Fox (1749-1806), said of this result: "Another such victory would ruin the British army."

Battle of Guilford Courthouse: Aftermath

Cornwallis did not pursue Greene's army. Instead, the British commander abandoned his campaign for the Carolinas and eventually led his troops into Virginia. There, on October 19, 1781, following a three-week siege by American and French forces at Yorktown, Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington and French commander Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau (1725-1807). The Battle of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the Revolutionary War, which officially ended with the 1783 Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States.

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The Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina, on March 15, 1781, proved pivotal to the American victory in the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). Although British troops under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) scored a tactical victory at Guilford Courthouse over American forces under Major General Nathanael Greene (1742-86), the British suffered significant troop losses during the battle.

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This was the last major battle of the war the British surrendered and the americans won.

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Washington planned a sneak attack on the British and the British take a huge blow.

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This article was most recently revised and updated by

Battles of Trenton and Princeton, (1776-77), in the American Revolution, a series of engagements won by the Continental Army against Hessian and British forces in New Jersey. The battles occurred over a span of nine days (December 26, 1776-January 3, 1777) and are notable as the first successes won by the Revolutionary general George Washington in the open field. The victories restored American morale and renewed confidence in Washington.

Emanuel Leutze: Washington Crossing the Delaware The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of John Stewart Kennedy, 1897 (97.34), www. metmuseum.org

American Revolution Events

The British campaign of 1776

The opening year of the American Revolution, which included the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, an ill-fated invasion of Canada, and the prosecution of the Siege of Boston, was partly favourable to the nascent Continental Army, but those events largely served as a prelude to the real struggle to come. For the campaign of 1776, both the British and the Americans had made extensive preparations. In London, the purely military problem, although assuming larger dimensions and more difficulties, still seemed to require a simple solution: namely, to strike hard where the rebellion was most active and capable of the longest resistance. Defeated there, it was reasoned, the Revolution would quickly dissipate in all quarters.

Sir William Howe Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

As more than one-half of the population and resources of the colonists lay north of Chesapeake Bay- New England alone had an estimated population of over 700,000-it was only a question of which point in this area should be made the future base of operations. Largely upon the recommendations of British commander in chief Gen. William Howe, Maj. Gen. John Burgoyne, and others, it was determined to shift the field from Boston to New York City. From there British forces would hold the line of the Hudson River while a force under Sir Guy Carleton and Burgoyne moved down from Canada, thus effectually isolating New England.

American Revolution Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Under this plan the new British campaign opened in June 1776. Howe, heavily reinforced from home, sailed on June 10 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to New York and on July 5 encamped on Staten Island. Washington, anticipating this move, had already marched from Boston and fortified the city. His left flank stretched across the East River beyond Brooklyn, while his front and right flanks on the harbour and on the Hudson River were vulnerable to a combined naval and land attack. The position was especially precarious because the British maintained near-absolute control of the waters about Manhattan.

J.C. Armytage: Retreat at Long Island U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (148-GW-l74)

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On August 22 Howe crossed the narrows to the Long Island shore with 15,000 troops, increasing the number to 20,000 on August 25, and on August 27 surprised the Americans, shattering their defenses and inflicting a loss of about 1,400 men. Howe has been criticized, rightly or wrongly, for failing to make full use of this victory. Instead of immediately pressing his attack against the strained American defenders, Howe paused to gather his forces for a final assault. Washington used the delay to evacuate his Brooklyn lines on the night of August 29, somewhat relieving the depression that the defeat had produced in his army.

On September 15 Howe crossed the East River above Lower Manhattan, landing at Kip's Bay. He captured more than 300 of the militiamen who were defending the lines and occupied New York City. The Americans had decided to abandon the city several days earlier, but Howe arrived before the evacuation could be completed. Once again, Howe paused to consolidate his forces, a delay that allowed several thousand men under Gen. Israel Putnam to slip away. Washington had already withdrawn his main army to Upper Manhattan, and British skirmishers met the retreating Continentals the next day, west of what is now Columbia University. The engagement, which came to be known as the Battle of Harlem Heights, cost the British perhaps 90 of their light infantry, with an additional 300 wounded. The temporary check to the British advance provided a much-needed reprieve to the reeling Americans.

Waiting nearly a month to resume the offensive, on October 12 Howe moved by water into Westchester county. Marching toward White Plains, Howe forced another retreat on Washington. In the fight on Chatterton Hill at White Plains on October 28, an American brigade was defeated.

Instead of pressing the Americans further, Howe then returned to Manhattan. Washington had left large garrisons at Fort Washington and Fort Lee, two strongpoints overlooking the Hudson River (where the George Washington Bridge now stands). On November 16 Howe took Fort Washington (on the Manhattan side), capturing nearly 3,000 prisoners as well as valuable cannons and supplies. This loss was the heaviest blow to the Americans throughout the war in the north. British forces under Lord Charles Cornwallis then took Fort Lee (on the New Jersey side) and on November 24 began to drive the Americans across New Jersey. Although Washington was able to escape to Pennsylvania on the west bank of the Delaware River, his army had been badly beaten. Declaring that he needed only to wait for the river to freeze over before he could "catch Washington and end the war," Howe went into winter quarters, leaving Hessian Col. Johann Rall at Trenton, New Jersey, with about 1,400 men.

Washington crosses the Delaware

The fledgling American government was in a panic, and the members of the Continental Congress fled Philadelphia for Baltimore, Maryland. So desperate was the situation that, on December 19, 1776, Thomas Paine published the pamphlet The American Crisis. Number I, in which he declared:

George Washington Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZC2-3156)

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us-that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Although Washington's Continental Army was discouraged by the year's disasters, its morale was not crushed, and it now numbered 6,000 troops. The enlistment terms for many of these men were near an end, however, and Washington knew that his window of action was rapidly closing. Ascertaining that Rall's Hessians were virtually unsupported, Washington determined to attempt their capture. The Hessian force was exhausted and demoralized from near-constant raids by local militiamen, and, although warned of a possible assault by Continental forces, Rall believed that harsh winter weather would preclude any serious attack.

The Battle of Trenton

Washington had planned to cross the Delaware River in the early evening hours of December 25, 1776, with the bulk of his army in three separate groups. Col. John Cadwalader was to lead a force of some 1,800 Philadelphia militiamen and Continental troops in an attack on Burlington, New Jersey, south of Trenton, to ensure that the British garrison there could not reinforce the Hessians. Brig. Gen. James Ewing, at the head of nearly 1,000 Pennsylvania militiamen, was to capture the bridge across Assunpink Creek to block the Hessians' most likely escape route. Washington's force of some 2,400 Continentals would cross the Delaware 10 miles (16 km) upstream and march south to assault the Trenton garrison.

Carrying out a nighttime amphibious operation on an ice-choked river in the face of a powerful nor'easter was a daunting prospect, and the forces under Cadwalader and Ewing were unable to make the crossing. Washington's assault group, however, included Col. John Glover's 14th Continentals, the so-called " Marblehead regiment" that had proved instrumental in amphibious operations during the New York campaign. Glover's Massachusetts men expertly handled the Durham boats (shallow-draft freight vessels) that Washington had procured to transport his army. Although they arrived several hours behind schedule, Washington's men completed the hazardous crossing. They were accompanied by a substantial artillery train under the command of Col. Henry Knox. Once on New Jersey soil, Washington divided his command. One column, under Maj. Gen. John Sullivan, would approach Trenton from the west, while the second, under Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, would attack from the north. They began their march south about 4:00 am, navigating the predawn darkness and blinding snow.

Washington's two columns arrived on the outskirts of Trenton about 8:00 am, and their audacious attack took the garrison completely by surprise. Knox's guns poured shot into the avenues surrounding the barracks, while Washington's infantry engaged the disconcerted Hessians in close-quarters combat. Rall led his men in a fighting retreat until he was struck down by an American bullet. Leaderless, the remaining men of the Trenton garrison threw down their weapons and surrendered. The Americans captured 900 prisoners as well as a sizable store of guns and ammunition. More than 20 Hessians, including the mortally wounded Rall, were killed, and some 80 were wounded. No Americans were killed in action, and just five were wounded. The most serious American casualty was 18-year-old Lieut. James Monroe, who suffered a near-fatal shoulder wound. Monroe recovered, was promoted to captain for his bravery at Trenton, and ultimately went on to become the fifth president of the United States (1817-25). Washington gathered his exhausted men, his prisoners, and his captured supplies and recrossed the Delaware back into Pennsylvania.

The Second Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Princeton

Elated by his success and eager to capitalize on his victory, Washington promptly dispatched an advance party under Greene to occupy Trenton. On December 30, 1776, Washington once again crossed the Delaware with the main body of his army and established his headquarters in the southern part of the city, near the Assunpink bridge. Cornwallis was at Princeton, New Jersey, some 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Trenton, and upon hearing of Washington's move he set out to confront the Continentals. Cornwallis approached Trenton with about 7,000 troops on January 2, 1777, but his advance was slowed by American skirmishers. The British spent most of the day on a march that should have taken three hours. Washington shifted his headquarters to a position south of the Assunpink, and, by the time Cornwallis finally arrived in Trenton, the Continentals had established a strong defensive line on the southern bank of the creek. Cornwallis was almost out of daylight, and he hastily launched a series of attacks on Washington's lines. The Assunpink bridge became a killing ground for Washington's sharpshooters and artillery, and, although the Continentals were bloodied, their lines remained unbroken at nightfall. Continental losses were light, but it was estimated that as many as 150 British and Hessian soldiers were killed in the Second Battle of Trenton, making this engagement by far the deadlier of the two battles on that site.

Lord Charles Cornwallis Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Washington knew that his army was in a precarious position. He had no boats at his disposal to recross the Delaware back to Pennsylvania. The British blocked the major roads to the northeast, and a retreat south toward Philadelphia would surrender much of the initiative that had been gained over the previous days. Anticipating an attack by Cornwallis in the morning, Washington convened a council of war with his lieutenants. He told them of a bold plan to break camp quietly that night and march on the British reserve force at Princeton. Leaving a token force to keep his campfires burning through the night, Washington stole a march on Cornwallis and led his army along a small unguarded byroad through the British lines.

The Continentals reached the outskirts of Princeton the following morning (January 3, 1777), and about 8:30 am British skirmishers engaged an advance force under Brig. Gen. Hugh Mercer. The British, under Col. Charles Mawhood, temporarily held the numerical advantage, and they shattered Mercer's brigade with a bayonet charge that left Mercer mortally wounded. With the American line on the verge of breaking, Washington himself led an audacious counterattack, reportedly rallying his men with the cry, "It is a fine fox chase, my boys!" as Mawhood's regiments broke ranks and fled. When a contingent of British troops made a stand at Nassau Hall on the campus of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), artillery captain Alexander Hamilton directed a barrage at them. The British promptly surrendered, but the claim that one Hamilton's shots destroyed a portrait of King George II that was hanging inside the building is likely apocryphal. The day's casualties were fairly light, both sides suffering perhaps two dozen killed and twice that wounded; nearly 200 British soldiers were captured, however.

Aftermath and significance

Having flushed the British from Princeton, Washington looted their baggage train and continued his march to Morristown, New Jersey, where he went into winter quarters on January 6. In addition to succeeding in breaking through Howe's lines, Washington had placed himself in an advantageous position for recruiting additional men to his army and maintaining a strong defense for the campaign of 1777. With Washington securely established in northern New Jersey and less than a three-day march from New York, Cornwallis abandoned Trenton and retired to New Brunswick, New Jersey.

The effect of the American victories at Trenton and Princeton was marked. Following close upon a string of demoralizing defeats, the victories put new life into the American cause and renewed confidence in Washington as a commander. The engagements also strengthened the claim of American independence, which had been declared on July 4, 1776. Although the war would continue for nearly six more years, Washington's nine-day campaign in the winter of 1776-77 conclusively demonstrated that the Continental Army could fight and win against seasoned British troops.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Michael Ray, Editor.

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

Battles of Trenton and Princeton

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December 26, 1776 - January 3, 1777

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Battles of Trenton and Princeton | Facts, History, & Significance

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Battles of Trenton and Princeton (1776-77), in the American Revolution, engagements won by the Continental Army against Hessian and British forces in New Jersey. The battles renewed confidence in the leadership of Revolutionary General George Washington and restored American morale.

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It ended in a tie but the americans got a morale boost from it.

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Battle of Monmouth, also called Battle of Monmouth Court House, (June 28, 1778), indecisive engagement in the American Revolution, fought at Monmouth, New Jersey.

The British surrender at Saratoga brought the French into the war as American allies in February 1778. The new British commander, Lieutenant General Henry Clinton, received orders to follow a defensive strategy and consolidate forces in New York City. He abandoned Philadelphia and marched his army north. After a 40-hour halt at Monmouth Court House, the army moved out, leaving a small covering force. In order to strike a vigorous blow at the retreating enemy, American general George Washington ordered Charles Lee, commanding the advance guard, to attack the British rear. When Lee attempted to surround the small force at the courthouse, he was surprised by the arrival of Lord Cornwallis's rear guard, which Clinton had ordered back to resist the attackers. Rather than risk fighting a delaying action on difficult terrain, Lee ordered a retreat but was tardy giving Washington notice. When Washington arrived, he was therefore surprised and indignant to find his Continental forces retreating in much disorder.

Washington arrived about noon, ahead of his main army, in time to see Lee's men fleeing the battlefield. Outraged, Washington rallied and re-formed the men to delay until his following units were in a battle line. There were attacks and counterattacks by both sides throughout the hot afternoon, with numerous casualties as American and British cannon swept the field in the largest artillery duel of the war. The American left held steady while the advanced right wing under Major General Nathanael Greene was pushed back. Greene re-formed his units as part of the main battle line and fought on. Benefiting from their winter training at Valley Forge, the Continentals repulsed the British regulars and made bayonet counterattacks. By late afternoon both sides were exhausted and fighting stopped. Clinton rested his men until midnight, then he slipped them away to the coast and evacuation by the Royal Navy. Washington did not follow.

Having about equal forces, both sides claimed to have won victory, but the British claim seems more valid since Clinton was able to complete his march without molestation. Washington presently marched to the Hudson River to join the Continental Army there, while Clinton's forces returned to New York. The combatants thus resumed the positions held two years before.

One of the lasting legends of the Battle of Monmouth concerns " Molly Pitcher," the nickname given to Mary Ludwig Hays McCauly, who delivered water to her husband's battery to cool the cannons and the soldiers. According to lore, when her husband was wounded or collapsed, "Molly" took her husband's place as a member of the gun crew for the remainder of the battle.

Losses: American, 109 dead, 161 wounded, 130 missing; British, 207 dead, 170 wounded.

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A summary of the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778.

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this took place in the opening part of the Revolutionary War.

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General Horatio Gates beat General Burgoyne and it got the French to join

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Battle of Quebec

After a failed Canadian invasion known as the Battle of Quebec (December 1775 - May 1776) left much of the Continental Army beaten, sick and in retreat, the British hoped to quash rebellion once and for all by isolating the New England colonies from the other American colonies.

They also hoped to discourage potential American allies such as France from joining the fight. To accomplish this, the British Redcoats needed to take upstate New York and control the Hudson River.

In the spring of 1777, the British ordered three of their armies to merge in Albany, New York. Only one army, however, commanded by General John Burgoyne, made the final push to its destination. Waiting for them was the heavily-fortified Northern Department of the Continental Army, commanded by General Horatio Gates.

Did you know? To celebrate the American victory at Saratoga, the Continental Congress issued a proclamation for a national day "for solemn Thanksgiving and praise," the first official holiday observance with that name.

First Battle of Saratoga: Freeman's Farm

The opposing armies came face to face on September 19 on the abandoned farm of Loyalist John Freeman near Saratoga, New York. Known as the Battle of Freeman's Farm or the First Battle of Saratoga, the fierce fighting lasted for several hours.

Momentum changed sides several times, but neither side gained significant ground until Burgoyne ordered his column of German troops to support the faltering British line and forced the Americans to pull back. Still, the British suffered twice the number of casualties than the Americans and couldn't continue their drive to Albany.

Battle of Bemis Heights

Burgoyne decided to stay put and wait for reinforcements from New York City. In the meantime, the number of Gates' American troops increased to over 13,000 and continued to grow.

By October 7, with supplies dwindling fast, Burgoyne realized waiting for backup was in vain. He sent out a reconnaissance force to attack the American's left flank in the wooded area of Bemis Heights, south of Saratoga. The Americans got wind of the movement, however, and forced the British to withdraw.

Burgoyne decided to take his army north to safety, but heavy rain and frigid temperatures slowed their retreat. Within two days, Gates' soldiers surrounded what remained of Burgoyne's army. Supporting the Patriot cause was Colonel Thaddeus Kosciusko, a Polish engineer who built strong field fortifications on Bemis Heights overlooking the Hudson River.

Out of supplies and out of options, Burgoyne surrendered his army to Gates on October 17. The battle became known as the Battle of Bemis Heights or the Second Battle of Saratoga.

Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold is infamous for betraying his country to the British, but he also played a heroic patriot's role during the American Revolution, including the Battle of Saratoga. Despite being wounded in the leg in the Battle of Quebec and then helping delay a British invasion of New York in late 1776, Arnold was passed up for promotions.

Frustrated, he resigned his commission in July 1777, but General George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, refused his request and ordered him north to serve under General Gates.

At best, Arnold and Gates strongly disliked each other and often argued. After the Battle of Freeman's Farm, Gates relieved Arnold of his command. During the Battle of Bemis Heights, however, Arnold supposedly defied Gates' order and led an assault on horseback which helped the Americans win the battle. He severely wounded his leg again during the attack.

Arnold never felt appreciated by his country and eventually became a traitor, threatening everything he'd fought for during his time with the Continental Army. Yet his heroics at the Battle of Saratoga complicate his legacy.

Saratoga National Historical Park

The Saratoga Monument in Saratoga National Historical Park honors key players of the Battle of Saratoga. Its southern niche is empty in recognition of Arnold's conflicting roles of top general and turncoat.

A memorial statue of a lone boot, also located in Saratoga National Historical Park, represents Arnold's actions and leg wound at Saratoga. Neither the Boot Monument nor the southern niche bears Arnold's name.

Who Won the Battle of Saratoga?

Despite being overcome during the Battle of Freeman's Farm, the Continental Army persevered and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Saratoga. They decimated Burgoyne's troops, cut off supply routes, and Burgoyne never received his promised and desperately needed reinforcements.

The Redcoats had planned a divide-and-conquer attack against the Americans in upstate New York. However, a series of British mishaps and delays, as well as offensive actions taken by the Continental Army, forced Burgoyne's troops to fight Gates' fast-growing army alone, greatly diminishing any possibility of British success.

Significance of the Battle of Saratoga

The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the American Revolution. It gave the Patriots a major morale boost and persuaded the French, Spanish and Dutch to join their cause against a mutual rival.

France's naval support eventually helped the Continental Army win the final Battle of Yorktown, leading to the end of the American Revolution.

Sources

Benedict Arnold. Mountvernon.org.
Saratoga: Freeman's Farm/Bemis Heights. American Battlefield Trust.
Saratoga National Historic Park New York: Saratoga Monument. National Park Service.
Saratoga National Historic Park New York: History and Culture. National Park Service.
The Battle of Freeman's Farm. Alabama Sons of the American Revolution.
The Battle of Saratoga. Saratoga.org.
The Battle of Saratoga. The Saratoga County Chamber.

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Battle of Saratoga - Definition, Significance & Date

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The Battle of Saratoga occurred in 1777 during the Revolutionary War. It was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the war.

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August 27, 1776
This battle almost ended the war because many generals got captured but Washington barely escaped.

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On August 27, 1776 the British Army successfully moved against the American Continental Army led by George Washington. The battlewas part of aBritish campaign to seize control of New York and thereby isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. Washington's defeat could have led to the surrender of his entire force, but his ingenuity instead allowed him to escape and continue the fight.

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On August 27, 1776 the British Army successfully moved against the American Continental Army led by George Washington. The battlewas part of aBritish campaign to seize control of New York and thereby isolate New England from the rest of the colonies.

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Bunker Hill Museum, Monument Square, Charlestown, MA, USA

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Date june 17 1775
Even though they lost it was moral victory

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date April 19 1775

The british had a bad position and kept getting pushed back