George Washington's Secret Spy War by John A. Nagy

George Washington's Secret Spy War by John A. Nagy

Author:John A. Nagy
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250096821
Publisher: St. Martin's Press


Eleven

DECEPTION BATTLE PLAN: THE OBJECTIVE

At the beginning of 1781 the war was not going well for the Americans. In the south, Charles Town (now known as Charleston), South Carolina, was unconditionally surrendered on May 12, 1780, by General Benjamin Lincoln to British General Henry Clinton. Georgia had been in the possession of the British since December 1778. The war at this time in the south definitely was in the British favor, while the war in the north had been a stalemate since the Battle of Springfield, New Jersey, on June 23, 1780. The Continental Army had experienced the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny on January 1, 1781, the largest mutiny in United States Army history. The soldiers believed their period of service expired and wanted to leave, among other concerns such as fraudulent enlistment documents. During the mutiny several soldiers and officers were killed and wounded. The mutineers with four cannons in tow marched out of Morristown headed to Princeton and Congress in Philadelphia. Washington wisely realized he needed to stay in the Hudson Highlands to ensure the safety of West Point. It was too important of a military chess piece to allow it to fall into enemy hands. The president of Pennsylvania, Joseph Reed, negotiated the settlement of the mutiny. It resulted in the reduction of 2,467 men from the Pennsylvania Line of the Continental Army.1

There were strong grumblings by men from other states. The Massachusetts soldiers threatened to mutiny on January 17. It looked like the Continental Army was about to unravel. The Pennsylvania mutiny was followed by the New Jersey Line Mutiny. When Washington at New Windsor heard the news at about 10 p.m. from Colonel Israel Shreve of New Jersey, he knew he had to move quickly and decisively. He had to determine the outcome and not leave it to politicians or he would lose more men. Within an hour, he ordered General William Heath at West Point to put together a detachment of 500 or 600 of the most robust and best-clothed men, properly officered. It was thought they would be the men least sympathetic to the mutineers. Washington emphatically told Heath that he was determined “at all hazards to put a stop to the proceedings, which must otherwise prove the inevitable dissolution of the army.”2 By 11 p.m. orders were sent to Major Benjamin Troop at Ringwood, New Jersey, who was there with 100 Connecticut soldiers to cancel his previous orders to come to West Point. He was to hold the men there and be ready to march if needed. Other letters on the situation went to Colonel Fredrick Frelinghuysen, Colonel Israel Shreve, and former General John Sullivan, who was now a Continental congressman.

The next morning Washington hurried south to West Point. Once there he ordered Major General Robert Howe of North Carolina to take command of the men General Heath assembled. Washington gave him very specific orders:

You are to take the command of the detachment, which has been ordered to march from this post against the mutineers of the [New] Jersey line.



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