Battles & Battlefields - Revolutionary War

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Brooklyn marks battle America lost - The Battle of Brooklyn
August 1776: the British launched a huge attack to crush the rebellion in the colonies. Landing on the Brooklyn shore, 15,000 redcoats and Hessian mercenaries made General George Washington's army to flee in the biggest battle of the American Revolution. The Americans managed to escape across the East River to Manhattan, where they would continue the fight, losing battle after battle - until they won the war 7 years later. That feat ended the Battle of Brooklyn - a British victory that humiliated Washington and almost scuttled the American patriots' fight for liberty, only less than 2 months after the Declaration of Independence.
by ap :: 2008-08-24 :: Battles & Battlefields

The Battle of Bennington was key battle in American Revolution
Vermont will celebrate the Battle of Bennington on Aug. 16, and for good reason. Military historians say it was a central battle in the Revolutionary War. Edward Conant in his "History of Vermont" explained the battle was "the first of a series that led to the surrender of Burgoyne's army. It was the turning point because it led to the recognition of the independence of the U.S. ... and to a treaty with France, on account of which she assisted the new nation with money, fleets and armies. The victory of the Americans at Saratoga, has been reckoned among the great battles of the world, but the victory at Bennington was necessary to that of Saratoga."
by rutlandherald.com :: 2008-08-10 :: Battles & Battlefields

Prelude to Civil War: Americans slaughtered their countrymen in the Battle of Waxhaws
It was an unlikely encounter: British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton had led 270 American Tories over a hundred miles on foot and horseback in 54 hours, hoping to catch rebel soldiers after their failure to rescue Charleston. But the sudden skirmish in woodlands in the Waxhaw area became a grim footnote of another war fought during the Revolution: an American civil war. "In the South, it became common to have Americans against Americans, with communities and even families divided just as in the later Civil War," says John Ferling, the author of "Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence."
by usnews.com :: 2008-07-02 :: Overview & History

Historians pinpoint location of the Battle of Clapp's Mill
The first breaths of a Revolutionary War turning point took place in Alamance County, claim amateur historians who have pinpointed the location of the Battle of Clapp's Mill. At a tour of battle sites, Jeff Bright and Stewart Dunaway revealed their estimation of events at Clapp's Mill which led to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Using GPS and map overlays, they located the spot, just off the banks of Beaver Creek, where the mill operated. "I'm proud of my history... and I want this land to be preserved... We found all kinds of things: horseshoes, musket balls and a button with London 1765 on it."
by thetimesnews :: 2008-04-03 :: Battles & Battlefields

Fusiliers: Eight Years with the Redcoats in America by Mark Urban
Fusiliers follows the 23rd Regiment (which served the whole campaign and left behind many first-hand accounts) during the 8 years of the American War of Independence (1775-1783). Despite a reputation for courage earned in the Seven Years' War, the British redcoats had proved to be nervous. Matters improved with the arrival of a new Commander-in-Chief General Sir William Howe, and with the new tactics and dress regulations: the soldiers relied on the bayonet, and advanced with 18-inch gaps. The benefits were reaped in the battle for Long Island (1776) when the 23rd (aka the Royal Welch Fusiliers) played a key role in the defeat of a much larger American force.
by telegraph :: 2007-10-26 :: Battles & Battlefields

American flag flies in battle for the first time Sept. 3, 1777
Sept 3, 1777, an American flag flew in battle for the first time during a Revolutionary War skirmish at Cooch's Bridge, Del. Gen. William Maxwell, commanding a Patriot force of infantry and cavalry, ordered the new flag raised in a clash with an advance guard of British and Hessian troops. The rebels were defeated and forced to retreat to the encampment housing General George Washington's main force near Brandywine Creek. 3 months beforehand, on June 14, the Continental Congress resolved that "the flag of the United States be 13 alternate stripes red and white ... the Union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
by politico :: 2007-09-04 :: Battles & Battlefields

Gloucester minutemen dealt British navy first Revolutionary War defeat
Fly high the flag. Aug. 8 marks the anniversary of a military victory in Gloucester Harbor that was critical to the American Revolution. On Aug. 8, 1775, Gloucester minutemen beat back an assault by the sailors of King George III, keeping the strategic port out of British hands and handing the imperial crown a defeat, the first suffered by the Royal Navy in the war. The Battle of the Falcon, the British sloop of war that was driven off by patriots firing muskets and light artillery, "is the signal event in Gloucester's history and an early turning point in the Revolution. It has long been underappreciated," argues historian Joseph Garland.
by gloucestertimes :: 2007-08-09 :: Battles & Battlefields

Lives lost for freedom
In 1776, 56 men pledged their lives and their "sacred honor" to the cause of American Independence. They also pledged the lives of 200,000 other Americans as well - men of the Continental Army who volunteered to serve. More than 25,000 soldiers died: In proportion to the US population today, that's more than 3 million dead. Soldiers who fought for our independence endured terrible hardships. For their service, privates were paid less than $7 a month - if they received it. Chronically impoverished Congress resorted to paying soldiers in Continental script, which rampant inflation devalued until the term "not worth a Continental" became synonymous for worthless.
by boston :: 2007-07-07 :: Battles & Battlefields

Planning for Battle of Blue Lick's 225th commemoration begins
In 1782, America was in the latter days of the American Revolution; a last ditch attempt to control frontier pioneers pitted British loyalists and their Native American supporters against the pioneers, for what is now in history books as the last battle of the Revolutionary War. In August, 1782, Daniel Boone and a band of settlers were lured by British into the Blue Lick's massacre. 300 Native Americans and British loyalist troops under the control of Captain William Caldwell and Simon Girty laid siege to Bryan Station but retreated at the thought of an approaching Kentucky militia. Boone and the settlers pursued, but were ambushed.
by maysville-online :: 2007-05-02 :: Battles & Battlefields

Historic site shines light on little known Revolutionary hero
Col. John Glover was American hero. He embodies one of those "ifs" of history. If not for his leadership and the bravery of his men who took a bloody stand at a place called Pell's Point, we might still be taking afternoon tea and singing "God Save The Queen." There's no question that on Oct. 18, 1776, his outnumbered regiment of Massachusetts volunteers surprised 4,000 British and Hessian troops and prevented a rout of George Washington's tattered main army, which was in full retreat. The rear-guard action allowed Washington to flee north and to fight another day on the heights of White Plains.
by - :: 2007-02-05 :: Battles & Battlefields

Battle of Pell's Point was a pivotal point in the Revolutionary War
There was not a surrender, prisoners taken or even a handover of weapons; but the Battle of Pell's Point was a pivotal point in the Revolutionary War. On Oct. 18, 1776, a brigade of 750 American soldiers held off a 4,000-man British regiment, thus helping the main army led by General George Washington withdraw. The battle, which is briefly mentioned in history books, could have made a difference in the British Army overpowering American troops. It was the beginning of the Revolutionary War and George Washington's troops were chased into northern Manhattan and in danger of being trapped there.
by thejournalnews :: 2006-10-17 :: Battles & Battlefields

1775 skirmish of colonial militia and British troops
Buckman Tavern is near many reminders of the 1775 skirmish between colonial militia and British troops that helped start the Revolutionary War. Built circa 1710 the tavern is most famous for being a gathering place for the local militia before the Battle of Lexington. About 33 men stayed at the tavern overnight to await the arrival of the British on April 19, 1775. When the roughly 700 soldiers marched into Lexington, 77 men met them outside Buckman Tavern. Being hugely outnumbered, the men merely wanted to make a point, but a shot was fired - from which side remains unknown - chaos broke out and the Revolution began.
by boston :: 2006-10-05 :: Battles & Battlefields

The first open battle of the revolutionary war
In 1776 the Continental Army felt confident. In the past year it had repelled the British three times, at Lexington and Concord, Boston, and Charleston. It was undefeated on its own turf. That all changed on August 26, 1776, in Brooklyn, the British positioned themselves for the first open battle of the war. Before his appointment as commander in chief Washington had never led more than 700 men. His grasp of strategy remained largely theoretical. For a clash between ill-equipped band of colonials and one of the strongest military empires on the planet, the Battle of Long Island played out as you would expect.
by americanheritage :: 2006-08-27 :: Battles & Battlefields

The Battle on the Ridge - Revolutionary War re-enactments
Visitors will travel back in time more than 200 years as they witness Revolutionary War battles, listen to 18th century music and learn about life as a soldier. Throughout the weekend, visitors will have the opportunity to witness artillery shows, walk through British, Continental and civilian camps. A show will highlight period dress of infants all the way to the elderly, as well as uniforms of the British and Continental armies. Nearly 130 volunteers who make up 12 to 14 units from the Northwest Territory Alliance will come from throughout the Midwest to participate.
by nwitimes :: 2006-08-20 :: Reenactment & Reenactors

Most Revolutionary War battles were staged at New Jersey
During New Jersey's final years as a colony, more Revolutionary War battles and skirmishes were staged there than in any other future state. Yet when Americans hear the story of the Revolution, the role of the Garden State is somewhat "underappreciated." The U.S. House of Representatives recognized the state's often overlooked historical significance, by passing a bill that designates parts of 14 New Jersey counties as the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area. The Heritage Area encompasses more than 250 nationally registered Revolutionary War sites.
by nj :: 2006-07-27 :: Battles & Battlefields

Revolutionary War News is an edited review of hand-picked news and articles related to American War of Independence 1775-1783.