The Everything American Revolution Book by Daniel P Murphy

Author:Daniel P Murphy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: epub, ebook
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2008-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

The Battle of Monmouth

The failure of the campaign of 1777 finished the reputation of Sir William Howe. After learning of the surrender of Burgoyne, he submitted his resignation. Sir Henry Clinton replaced him. Lord North bemoaned “this dammed war” and talked of resigning, but the King refused to let him go.

British Strategy in 1778

The defeat at Saratoga and the intervention of the French forced the British to re-evaluate their strategy for the war. The British were now overstretched, having to defend the home island, the West Indies, and other colonial possessions as well as carrying on the war in America. The French navy posed a major threat. Britain did not have enough ships to mount an effective blockade of French ports. French fleets could slip out and take advantage of vulnerable points in British America. The British knew that the French admiral Charles Hector, comte d’Estaing, was ready to sally out of Toulon, bound for America. Clinton at Philadelphia might find his maritime supply line cut.

The war in America would have to be weakened to reinforce other theaters. The British shifted to a southern strategy, striking at colonies closer to the sugar-rich West Indies, and believed to be teeming with loyalists. Clinton was ordered to evacuate Philadelphia. If he felt it necessary, he could abandon New York as well and fall back on Halifax. He was to detach 5,000 troops for service in the West Indies and another 3,000 for Florida.

Clinton realized that he did not have enough shipping to transport his army, its equipment, and the thousands of loyalists who feared retaliation from vengeful Patriots. He decided to march 10,000 troops across New Jersey to New York City. The rest of his army and 3,000 loyalists sailed away on Admiral Richard Howe’s ships.

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