Seanegan P. Sculley

The U.S. Army Campaigns of the Revolutionary War
CMH Pub 71-47, paper
2025, 132 pages, maps, illustrations, appendix, map symbols

GPO S/N: N/A

Description: In the spring of 1777, the American forces striving to attain independence from Great Britain were in a difficult position. General George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army, had succeeded in reversing the staggering loss of New York City in the fall of 1776 by stunning his enemies at Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey, in December of that year. Additionally, his commander in the north, Maj. Gen. Philip J. Schuyler, delayed a British advance from Canada by building an ad hoc naval force on Lake Champlain. The British commander, Lt. Gen. Sir Guy Carleton, retreated to Québec before the arrival of winter. The result of these two separate campaigns was a reinvigorated recruiting drive, especially in New England, where citizens felt the British threat keenly. The new recruits swelled the ranks of the Continental Army despite new enlistment terms extending a soldier’s service from one year to three years or for the duration of the war. After pushing most of the British forces out of New Jersey, much of the American army was ensconced in the Watchung Mountains of New Jersey. Other parts of the army protected the Hudson Highlands and occupied fortifications guarding vital positions in northern New York. Although anticipating an attack on Philadelphia, General Washington had little information on British plans for the upcoming campaign season and waited to see what his British counterpart, Lt. Gen. Sir William Howe, was going to attempt with his military and naval forces occupying New York City. In the north, rumors grew of a British military buildup in Canada while Native American raids increased along the frontier. As General Schuyler requested more troops from General Washington and Congress asked New Hampshire and Massachusetts for more support from their state militia, the American commander in chief remained reluctant to commit too many soldiers northward for fear he would soon need them to respond to General Howe’s movements. With the support of the Royal Navy, the British army in New York City could quickly outmaneuver Washington, and it was anyone’s guess whether that move would be to the north in support of a Canadian invasion or south and west, targeting the American capital, Philadelphia.

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