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American Revolution Battles
American Revolution Battles -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
British commanders in Boston had heard of supplies of gunpowder and weapons being kept by Patriots in the towns of Lexington and Concord. Paul Revere had warned of the British upcoming arrival which gave the colonists an upper-hand. Although the American army was a group of unorganized rebels they won because of their prior knowledge of the British coming. This showed to King George III that the colonists would not tolerate the British any longer. -
The Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (Fort Ticonderoga, New York)
Less than a hundred militiamen led by their leader Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold crossed Lake Champlain at dawn. Their element of surprise allowed them to successfully capture the British garrison at Fort Ticonderoga. Cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga would be later used in the siege of Boston during the following Spring. -
The Battle of Chelsea Creek Suffolk County, Massachusetts
The second military engagement of the Boston campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was also the first naval engagement of the Revolutionary War. The colonists took up positions in ditches and marshes near Chelsea Creek and used their army forced to push the British into retreating. After the exchange the colonists started to withdraw and headed to Hog Island. -
The Battle of Bunker (Breeds) Hill Charlestown, Massachusetts
Boston was being surrounded by thousands of American militiamen. The British desperately tried to keep control of the city and control its valuable seaport. The colonists had lost the battle but managed to diminish the British army by 1,932 men. Although the British had defeated them, the colonists inflicted significant casualties against the British which gave them great confidence. -
The Battle of Quebec
The Patriot forces that were under control of Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery attempted to capture the British-occupied city of Quebec. They knew that they could convince others in Canada to join the American cause if they would win. The Battle of Quebec was the first major defeat of the Revolutionary War for the Americans who suffered a loss of over 400 men. -
The Battle of Long Island
The British successfully moved against the Continental army led by George Washington. This battle was a part of the British campaign to seize control of New York to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. Luckily George Washington was able to escape without surrendering his army. -
The Battle of the White Plains
After the defeat at the Battle of Long Island, the Americans led by George Washington moved northwards to New York. The British pursued them by land and by river. There were 13,000 British and German troops against 14,500 Americans. George Washington was forced to retreat from New York and travel across New Jersey. -
The Battle of Fort Washington
When the British noticed the last American stronghold in Manhattan was completely alone they launched a three-pronged assault on Fort Washington. This battle was a British victory while the Americans suffered a defeat with over 3000 causalities. In addition, they also lost cannons and thousands of military supplies. The Americans retreated toward the Delaware River. -
The Battle of Trenton
Washington envisioned a three-pronged attack with Colonel John Cadwalader and General James Ewing. Washingtons men and cannons crossed the icy Delaware River and began the 19 mile march towards Trenton. In the end it was up to Washington since Cadwalader and Ewing were unable to carry out their parts of the plan.The Hessian force at Trenton were exhausted, drunk from the Christmas celebration, and unprepared for the attack. The Hessian surrendered quickly and 918 were captured. -
The Battle of Princeton
Washington had learned of General Cornwallis marching towards Princeton. Washington left only 500 men where Cornwallis thought was his primary location. Instead the rest of his men were sent on a different route towards the British garrison at Princeton. Washington and his troops were victorious.This defeat of British troops was part of a larger campaign to regain momentum after numerous defeats in the New York City area throughout the summer of 1776. -
The Battle of Oriskany
The British were attempting to overthrow Fort Stanwix on their way to Albany. While trying to come to the fort's rescue 800 militiamen under General Nicholas Herkimer were ambushed two miles away from Oriskany Creek by the British and their Iroquois allies. The British colonel was unable to capture the fort and retreat to Oswego. -
The Battle of Bennington
While advancing British troops moved east toward Bennington, Colonel Stark wanted to cut them off rather then defend their site. Stark divided his men into four groups that surrounded the British. The disorderly condition of the British forced them to surrender. This is known as the turning point of the American Revolution because the mostly untrained Yankees had defeated Europe's best trained and equipped troops. -
The Battle of the Brandywine
General Howe and General Cornwallis launched a full scale- British attack on Washington and the Patriot outpost. Howe and Cornwallis split the 18,000 British troops into two groups to surround the post. The dense fog that morning provided cover and Washington was caught off guard when the British attacked. Washington ordered a retreat to Germantown, Pennsylvania. -
The Battle of Saratoga (Freeman's Farm)
Burgoyne began to advance into the south but was put to a halt 10 miles below Saratoga. A militia of sharpshooters from Virginia harassed the British as others charged into battle. The British lost two men for every one American casualty but in terms of ground gained both sides fought to a draw. It convinced potential foreign partners, such as France, that American could win the war, and that it might be in their best interests to send aid. -
The Battle of Germantown
Conflict between British army led by Sir William Howe and the American Continental Army with the 2nd Canadian Regiment under George Washington. Washington decided to send military force down the four routes leading to Germantown. Two of the groups ended up firing upon each other because of low visibility in the smoke and fog. By the time they realized there was already a counter assault from the British. The Continental Army had suffered a great loss. -
The Battle of Saratoga (Bemis Heights)
General Burgoyne led 1,500 of his men with 10 artillery pieces on a reconnaissance mission. Scouts brought back news of British approach and soldiers were dispatched to meet the British and to attack whoever was left from the first Battle of Saratoga. American General Benedict Arnold charged towards the front and led the American forces. The British were drove back to their camp and had great losses. -
The Battle of Monmouth
Sir Henry Clinton, the new British commander, retreated from Philadelphia to New York. As Sir Henry Clinton led the British army across the Jerseys, George Washington decided to intercept these British forces who were trekking from Philadelphia. Both sides were exhausted and fighting stopped. Clinton rested his men until midnight, then he slipped them away to the coast and evacuation by the Royal Navy. Washington did not follow. Both sides claim victory. -
The Capture of Savannah
Conflict between local American Patriot militia and Continental Army units, holding the city, against a British invasion force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell. British made their primary objective to focus on securing American colonies in the south. Howe’s defense collapsed and the city was captured after less than an hour of light fighting. Howe and others escaped, but Britain now had a southern operational base. -
The Siege of Charleston
The British war effort was refocused to the south where it was believed the large number of loyalists could be roused to take action against the rebellion.General Henry Clinton and his army isolated Charleston and the British fleet entered the harbor. General Benjamin Lincoln was forced to surrender to the British because they were severely outnumbered by about 9,000 men. -
The Battle of Camden
Despite having his men suffering from dysentery General Horatio Gates chose to fight the British. Although the British were outnumbered the engagement was a disaster for the colonists. Only 3/4 of Gates men were well enough to fight. The limited amount of men only suffered more when the front line ran from the British who had bayonets that the colonists did not. The Continental forces utterly failed in this battle. -
The Battle of King's Mountain
Colonel Campbell's patriot irregulars surrounded the back country to resist Ferguson's tory force. His Tory force was positioned in the ridge named King's Mountain. Patriots charged the hillside and slaughtered the the loyalists even after most of them tried to surrender. The Tory's suffered 157 killed, 163 wounded, and 698 captured. Colonel Campbell’s force suffered just 28 killed and 60 wounded. -
The Battle of Cowpens
Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the Continental army’s Southern campaign, decided to divide Patriot troops in the Carolinas in order to force the larger British military to fight them in numerous spots. This would make them into smaller groups that are easier to fight. More than 800 British troops were killed, wounded or captured. The Americans suffered less than 100 casualties. This served as an important morale boost. -
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse
1,900 British soldiers under Cornwallis went on the offensive against Greene’s 4,400 to 4,500 Continental troops and militia. After just two hours of battle Greene ordered his troops to retreat which gave the British a victory but allowed Greene's army to stay intact. More than 25 percent of Cornwallis's men were killed wounded or captured by the colonists during the battle. -
The Battle of Eutaw Springs
Greene commanded approximately 2,200 men compared to the less than 2,000 British soldiers commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Stewart. The Patriots approached early in the morning and caught the British off guard. After four hours of this blood bath both sides retreated. It was the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas. The Patriots' partial victory sealed their near-complete control of the southern section of the country. -
The Battle of Yorktown
Washington commanded a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops against the British General Cornwallis with 9,000 troops. Washington and Marquis de Lafayette had completely encircled Cornwallis within Yorktown. After three weeks Cornwallis surrendered which ending the War for Independence. After the formal surrender ceremony the fighting in the American colonies ended.
