20 Dec 02

The turning points: Bunker Hill, Saturday, 17 June 1775, and Saratoga, Friday, 17 Oct 1777, two years and four months later.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Bunker Hill showed everyone that American militiamen could stand up to British regulars, even though the British occupied the disputed real estate at the end of the day. Prior to that, everyone believed the Americans would all run away instead of fighting. The Battle of Saratoga showed everyone that Americans could not only stand up to the British but could actually win a decisive victory and even capture a British crown officer ("Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne) in the process. It was this battle that persuaded the king of France to throw in with the Americans. Holland and Spain quickly followed. From that point forward England's attention was divided, and all the American Colonies had to do was hold out and give their army minimal support, which is about all they did!

Aside from the Battle of Saratoga and a few others (such as Washington's surprise victory at Trenton in December of 1776), the American Revolutionary War featured few clear victories, even fewer decisive ones. The famous British naval blockade, so effective with other colonies, was useless here. Like most wars, it gradually fizzled out with the two sides coming to an unworkable agreement to which neither had any intention of adhering. No sooner was the "Peace of Paris" signed in 1783 than British inspired and led Indian insurrections began to plague the American western frontier. Called the Northwest Wars, it started with St Clair's ignominious trouncing at the hands of Little Turtle in November of 1791 and ended with "Mad" Anthony Wayne's victory over Little Turtle and Tecumseh at Fallen Timbers on 20 Aug 1794.

The British were still smarting when fighting broke out with Napoleon in 1803. Sea battles in particular became ruthless, with the British contemptuously refusing to acknowledge American citizenship (which they had agreed to do) as they forcibly "recruited" sailors. The smoldering relationship between England and America ignited into open conflict once more. In August of 1814, amphibiously landed British troops brushed aside American defenders, entered Washington DC, and burned many government buildings, including the White House, before leaving. President Madison steadfastly refused to negotiate, and, after an astounding mauling at the hands of American soldiers in Baltimore a month later, British troops got back on their ships and withdrew. The fight then moved to the city of New Orleans where, in January of 1815, the British contingent of over two thousand, under Pakenham, were wiped out in a single morning by Andrew Jackson. Jackson's stunning victory provided a moral boost to the Americans, but it actually took place a month after the war had officially ended with the Treaty of Ghent, Belgium on 24 December 1814.

In 1818, then in Florida, Jackson hanged two Englishmen who were advising local Seminoles. These two, unnamed British nationals were the last two casualties of the protracted "Revolutionary War," America's longest war, which had begun forth-three years earlier at Lexington Common in Massachusetts. American and British soldiers would never fight each other again.

Back to our story:

In June of 1755, during the French and Indian War, a young Thomas Gage served with Braddock at the infamous Battle of Monongahela and was wounded. In fact, he narrowly escaped death, along with two other notables, Daniel Boon and George Washington. By 1773, Gage, was a general in the British Army, had married an American woman from New Jersey, had spent most of his adult life in the American Colonies, and was indeed planning on retiring in America rather than returning to England (as things worked out, he became governor of Canada)

In 1773 Thomas Gage, in fact, found himself commander of all British troops in North America. His army was top heavy, with an excess of semiretired colonels left over from the French and Indian War. In addition, his army had amply demonstrated its ineptness at fighting Indians, but Gage was confident he could keep the lid on his fellow Englishmen. Unfortunately, He consistently overestimated British loyalty among colonists and underestimated the ability of colonists to organize an operative fighting force that was not afraid of his "regulars."

With the Boston Tea Party in December of 1773 and the subsequent "Intolerable Acts" which King George III used as a reprisal, local unrest was getting out of hand. Gage had an extensive spy network, and he knew a colonial shadow government, complete with its own "army" of Minutemen, was in place and operating. They were well armed and had military equipment stored in various locations. Trouble was brewing!

On Wednesday, 19 Apr 1775, Gage's troops approached Lexington Common in search of military supplies that Gage's spies had told him were stored there. The rebels had their own spy network and knew of the British approach. Captain John Parker, commander of the local contingent of Minutemen, ordered his hastily assembled men to "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon. But, if they want a war, let it begin here."

"Lay down your arms, you dammed rebels, and disburse," came the command from Major Pitcarin of the Royal Marines. Parker told his men to disburse, but to keep their arms. A shot was fired, and Pitcarin's men immediately fired a volley into the Minutemen. The volley was followed with a bayonet charge. One British soldier was wounded. Eight Minutemen were killed and as many wounded. The rest ran away. Pitcarin's unit went on to do what it had come to do. They located military stores, and, without even bothering to break open the crates and boxes, threw them all into a local pond. They were later recovered, in tact, by the Minutemen.

That was that, Pitcarin thought, and his men started marching on toward Concord to finish their job. At Concord, they met more organized resistance, and street fighting resulted in a number of dead British soldiers. Colonel Francis Smith, Pitcarin's commander, decided to retreat back to Boston before more of his men were killed or wounded.

But, word of the clash had spread, and Minutemen from all over rushed to the area and began to line the road back to Boston. Many had rifles instead of muskets. They fired on the British from long ranges using stone fences, trees, and logs as cover. Volleys fired in return were ineffective, as were bayonet charges. Smith's entire unit, thoroughly chewed up, was, in fact, about to crumble as it crossed Charlestown Neck to Boston and safety. Smith's losses were seventy-three killed and several hundred wounded. He and Pitcarin were in shock. The American Revolutionary War had well and truly begun!

American militia units were everywhere mobilizing. London demanded quick and decisive action from "Blundering Tommy" Gage, as he was coming to be known. They sent Gage more men and three new generals, Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne. Howe and Clinton were to suffer terrible losses at Bunker Hill. Burgoyne would be captured at Saratoga, after seeing his entire army decimated by Daniel Morgan's riflemen.

On the evening of 16 June 1775, Militia colonels Israel Putnam and William Prescott led twelve hundred armed farmers to Breed's Hill in order to fortify it. Bunker Hill, just behind it, would serve as a secondary position. The hills were strategically important to Boston Harbor, and Gage knew well the importance of driving the rebels out. General Howe, right up with his men, engineered three determined charges. All failed, with catastrophic losses. Defensive positions, dug by the farmers were well designed and held, and the rebels were able to reload faster than Howe had thought possible. In addition, farmers equipped with rifles were tasked with picking off British officers and NCOs, and they performed their duty with fearful precision! British ships shelled the hill, but with little effect. Howe organized several more charges, all with the same result. Seeing the wholesale carnage all around him effected Howe greatly. He never recovered.

Rebels in their revetments were nearly out of ammunition. Nails, bits of broken glass, and pebbles were substituting for lead balls. Powder was nearly gone. A final British assault broke through, but the Americans retreated in good order and most escaped. British troops finally occupied the two hills. Clinton was heard to say, "A dear-bought victory; another such would have ruined us!"

After Bunker Hill, even formally loyalist Georgia and New York joined the rebellion. The point of no return was now well past.

Howe replaced Gage, but was never his daring self again. He failed to attack George Washington in Long Island and later during the Battle of Brooklyn, allowing Washington to escape both times. He failed to attack at White Plaines. He even failed to attack the starving American Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777, which would have been an easy victory. Howe had no stomach for it any more.

By the time Howe was replaced by Cornwallis, the war was mostly over. Cornwallis ran his army ragged chasing rebels throughout the Southern colonies, only to stagger into Yorktown, out of ammunition, unable to care for his wounded, and starving. It was there he met his final defeat on 17 October 1780. Two more years of sporadic fighting went by before the Peace of Paris was finally signed on 3 February 1783.

Lesson: If that bedraggled group of armed citizens at Bunker Hill had broken and ran, the revolution would have been all over at that point, and we would still be a British colony. But, they stood up and held their ground. Sometimes we must be heroes, whether we like it or not! "Difficulty" is an excuse history never accepts.

/John