General George Washington by Edward G. Lengel

General George Washington by Edward G. Lengel

Author:Edward G. Lengel
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781588364807
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2005-06-06T16:00:00+00:00


12

PHILADELPHIA

December 1776 – September 1777

THE HUDSON RIVER dominated British strategic thinking in 1776. Both Lord Germain and William Howe thought that by controlling it Britain could end the rebellion. Their plan for the river’s conquest envisaged two armies thrusting along it from New York City and Canada. When the prongs of this pincer met near Albany, they would sever New England from the middle colonies. The Hudson would open to British navigation, and royal influence would extend not only through the colonies but to Native American tribes as well. The rebellion could then be crushed at leisure. Howe’s landing at New York City and the subsequent ejection of the rebels from Manhattan and New Jersey marked a preliminary stage in this strategy, and once an army could be assembled in Canada he intended to advance upriver to meet it.

But the Hudson River strategy was never fully carried out, thanks to Howe’s desire to court American public opinion. As of December 1776, the British commander’s spies told him, King George III was one of the most popular men in America. This was true especially among the farmers of Delaware, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. Howe wanted to solidify this sentiment, but if his army left New Jersey and marched for Albany he feared alienating the loyalists of that region; and without their support, he might lose any chance of ending the war in the middle colonies. If he occupied Philadelphia, on the other hand, Howe could cheer the loyalists, demonstrate Washington’s inability to protect his capital, and discourage the French from supporting America. In any case, the rebellion looked so weak after Washington’s retreat across the Delaware that Howe thought sending two armies to Albany might prove unnecessary.

On December 20th, Howe wrote to London asking permission to postpone the Hudson offensive in favor of a land or sea assault on Philadelphia; but his request had no sooner reached Whitehall than news arrived of Washington’s victories at Trenton and Princeton. Germain viewed reports of royalist sentiment in America more skeptically than did his general, and he was amazed that Howe could think of abandoning the Hudson in light of the “extremely mortifying” events at Trenton. Washington’s exploits had reinvigorated the rebels, and the loyalist opinion that Howe hoped to court by capturing Philadelphia looked like a will-o’-the-wisp.

Howe’s proposed southern offensive also posed potential military problems, not just for himself but also for the army slated to invade the Hudson Valley from Canada. Without support from the south, this army would have to face the New Englanders alone, and in dense terrain well suited for ambush. Fearful of disaster, Germain prepared to quash Howe’s plans; but at the last moment General John Burgoyne, who would lead the Canadian army of 8,000 British troops, 2,000 Canadians, and 1,000 Indians, intervened to dispel his doubts. A brash, boastful, but experienced officer, Burgoyne assured Germain that he could advance safely from Lake Champlain to around Albany even if Howe went to Philadelphia. From there, Burgoyne could



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