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Generalship
There has been any action on this site for awhile. How about your views on this topic. Lord William Howe was secretly a pro-American which explains why he did not pursue Washington with much enthusiam.
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#2
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Howe
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#3
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Revwardoc, does not look there is going to be much action on this topic. I agree with you, Lord Howe fought in the European fashion. When he captured Philadelphia, he thought he had won. In Europe the enemy surrendered when they lost their capitol. I do not think he really understood the way Washington was fighting, or why he had to defeat Washington (not occupy land).
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#4
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usmcsgt65,
You're right about not much action on the Rev War. This particular site seems to attract an audience more interested in contemporary events. The History Channel website has a pretty good Rev War forum if you like discussing such a subject. Howe's failure to adapt to the American (that is, North American) style of warfare is surprising since, as a Light Company commander in the F&I War, he was decorated for his bravery and initiative in fighting "Indian style". Then, as the CinC, he reverts to the older, European standards, a huge mistake when fighting an enemy as fluid as the American army. I think his biggest problem was that he grossly underestimated the resilience and intestinal fortitude of the American fighting man. They lived and fought under extremely difficult conditions with a minimum of supplies and still stayed around long enough to fight the good fight. Had he not gone into winter quarters in '76-'77 and instead made a dogged pursuit of Washington's army, then the Revolution would, most likely, been a short lived event. But, he called a halt, giving Washington more time to regroup leading to the victories at Princeton and Trenton and an immeasurable boost to American morale. And you're right about land in that, once lost, it can always be retaken making it a commodity of dubious value. You've got to kill a snake at the head and Howe failed to grasp this concept. Though there were several men who wanted Washington's job, none had the support and loyalty of the troops like Washington. And how could you trust men like Horatio Gates and Charles Lee, both of whom were former British officers? Hell, we found that we couldn't trust one of our own in the personage of Benedict Arnold.
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I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct. |
#5
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Your comments on right on the mark. Thanks for the tip about the History Channel site - didn't even cross my mind.
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#6
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Howe
Sorry, I'm suffering from old person's memory, can't recall the source. However I do recall reading that Howe's wife, while living in Boston, leaked information about British intents to a Dr. Warren who was one of the Son's of Liberty and a very close friend of Sam Adams. With the good doctor being a known rebel I wonder if she could have done this without as least passive approval of her husband.
Howe was a loyal officer, however if he believed the war was a lost cause what would his actions have been? Stay healthy, Andy |
#7
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right idea, wrong general
It was General Thomas Gage who was married, in 1758,to an American sympathizer, one Margaret Kemble, the daughter of a member of the New Jersey Council. Gage was appointed the CinC of all the British forces in North America in 1763 with his headquarters in New York. While he admirably handled such things as national and international diplomacy, trade, Indian affairs, and the western boundary disputes with Spain, he did a poor job of assessing the growing independence movement. When the situation in Boston heated up in 1773 with the Boston Tea Party, The Intolerable Acts and the Boston Port Act, he was ordered to replace the royal governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Hutchinson, and become the military governor and commander.
It's alleged that his wife, Margaret, politically a Whig, used her position to send military information to the Boston Committee of Correspondence. While this has been rumored, there is little evidence to support this since Gage already had his own spy in the Committee, Dr. Benjamin Church. Through Church, Gage would've been informed of his wife's activities and taken the necessary steps to stop her. Besides, the Boston C of C's own spy system was so well organized and effective, they would've had little need of Margaret's contributions. Gage was again appointed CinC of all North American forces in August of 1775 but resigned in October and returned, with his wife, to England where he died in 1787.
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I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct. |
#8
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Dan
General Gage! Of course Howe did I make such a mistake??? You are of course correct, I stand, well sit corrected.
You are again totally correct that the boys in beantown had lots of sources for info on what the Brits were up to, but can you imagine anyone turning a deaf ear to the wife of the enemy OIC who wanted to provide info? I think it's more than just a rumor but can provide no facts it back it up. Stay healthy, Andy |
#9
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Andy
I've been doing more research on Gage's wife, including reading his correspondence from that period, and I can't find anything that would suggest she acted as a spy. I also contacted a friend who's made the study of April 19, 1775 his life's work. He has more books, documents, notes, what-have-you on the subject than, I think, even the Library of Congress and he agrees with me that it's, more than likely, a legend.
By the way, did you see the "photo" of you I posted in the General forum? It's under something like "Disguises rejected by Saddam Hussein" or something like that.
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I'd rather be historically accurate than politically correct. |
#10
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Dan
I sort of recall where I read about the General's wife. Do you remember who wrote the book "The Killer Angles"? Shear or something like that. His son wrote a book about the begining of the revolution, most all of it dealing with Boston. Don't remember the title, don't remember who I loaned the book to. Anyway he clearly indicates the General's lady was leaking info.
No I didn't see my picture. Under General Posts I went back 5 pages and didn't find the thread. Are you sure you did that??? Stay healthy, Andy |
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