Lexington and Concord : The Battle Heard Round the World (9780393245752) by Daughan George C

Author:Daughan, George C.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc

27

Gage’s Decision

WHAT was Gage to make of these new instructions? They were ordering him to attack the rebels, yet leaving it up to him to decide if the time was right, and then telling him that the time was indeed right. However ludicrous the orders were, he had to find some way to make it look as if he was carrying them out. The king was sending a clear message—take the field. Marking time while hoping that London would adjust its thinking to reality was no longer possible.

Gage had to make a move, even though he had no viable strategy. He already knew that three major generals were on their way. They would leave Portsmouth on April 20 aboard the 28-gun frigate Cerberus, under Captain James Chads. William Howe, the senior of the three, would be Gage’s replacement, should he decide to resign, or if the king relieved him, or if he took the kind of action Dartmouth was ordering and suffered a defeat. The three generals could arrive as early as the end of May.

Gage had had plenty of time to consider what he might do under these circumstances. He might have decided that since there were no good alternatives, he would await the arrival of General Howe and, under one pretext or another, turn command over to him. A timely illness that forced him to return home might provide a way out. He must have considered this seriously, but in the end chose to take action, as the orders were demanding. He had already made up his mind that, under these circumstances, a lightning raid on Concord was the best alternative.

The potential size of the rebel militia army and the fact that he was getting almost no support from Loyalists made whatever Gage did risky, and the risks increased by the day. Yet if he coupled a successful strike on Concord with the seizure of Sam Adams and John Hancock, London might be appeased for a time. This would in no way solve Britain’s American problem, and it could well exacerbate it, but that was not his concern right now; keeping his job was, and in order to do that, he set aside his qualms and moved ahead.

Even if in some sense a surprise raid on Concord appeared successful, it could only benefit the rebels. Destroying a few supplies, which could easily be replaced, was not going to undermine their morale. It would do just the opposite—infuriate the country people and swell their ranks. Seizing rebel leaders like Sam Adams and John Hancock, although at one point he had advised doing it as part of an overall strategy, would also be counterproductive. It would create two useful martyrs, giving the country people even more reason to fight.

On the other hand, a raid on Concord might succeed if organized properly, and it might mollify London for a time while he awaited the arrival of William Howe. Perhaps something might happen that would improve his situation, although in the middle of April it was hard to imagine what that might be.

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