Between 19 September and 7 October 1777, two major battles at Saratoga, New York exposed the weakness of the British army in North America. For the past half century, most historians have considered this victory by American General Horatio Gates over his counterpart, General John Burgoyne, as the 'turning point' in the war. After Saratoga, it has been claimed, the British campaign to subdue its recalcitrant colonies was destined for defeat..
The Battles of Saratoga
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It is easy to understand why many historians subscribe to this view. Although outnumbered on the battlefield (by a ratio of 7:6 in the first battle and 4:3 in the second battle), the redcoats had superior training, firepower and leadership. In fact, the British army was the greatest fighting force in the world. At the conclusion of the two battles, the British suffered 440 killed, 695 wounded and surrendered 6,222 to the American army. By contrast, Gates' forces sustained only 90 dead and 240 injured. It was a clear and overwhelming defeat for George III, but was it a 'turning point'? If so, neither the British government nor the British military got the message. For them, it was but a setback to a mission that would eventually be accomplished.
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Taking The War South
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After the debacle in upstate New York, British military leaders devised a new plan. Believing the southern colonies to be more loyal to the preservation of the crown, the British decided to focus their operations south of Virginia - an area considered to be the weak link in American defenses. From there, a classic divide and conquer strategy was to be executed whereby British forces would separate New England from the South and slowly strangle the life out of the rebellion.
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One year after Saratoga, a British force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell was ordered to deploy by General Sir Henry Clinton in New York City. As the supreme commander of British forces in North America, Clinton had every confidence in the 'Southern Strategy'. If able to win in the South, morale and momentum would shift away from the colonists.
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In 1778, Georgia was a developing economy. Of its relatively paltry population of 40,000, approximately 50% were slaves. Indeed, many slaveholders were suspicious of the aims of the 'revolution'. Why shouldn't they have been? Even Thomas Jefferson, a major slaveholder, had spoken of 'the peculiar institution' (a popular euphemism for slavery) derisively.
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Sizing up the situation, Campbell decided to launch an attack on the Georgia coastal town of Savannah on 29 December (1778). Although he was advised to wait for a secondary force to join him prior to engagement, Campbell opted to go immediately into battle after reviewing intelligence reports on the diminutive size of his opposition. Despite knowing his numbers to be inferior, Robert Howe, the American General, and a 'war council' chose to fight a well-trained British army of 3,500 with a force of approximately 850 men. Why the Americans deemed a stand at Savannah to be necessary at any price remains an outstanding question to this day. The outcome, however, leaves no room for interpretation. In a word, the colonists were completely routed. Howe lost more than half of his army, and the British gained a valuable southern port and a base to launch invasions into the Carolinas for the next four years.
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The victory at Savannah buoyed British hopes and threatened to permanently reverse the gains made by the rebels. It also prolonged the war and made a shattering defeat of British forces necessary to save the revolution. Hence, while Saratoga was a considerable achievement both militarily and socially (the colonists had won as 'Americans'), it was neither a seismic turning point nor a harbinger of an inevitable British defeat.
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Memorial Day, 2010
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History is not hindsight. History is made day by day and hour by hour. It is made by fallible men and women who are constrained by economic, social and political realities. The defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in WWII was not a product of inevitability or fate. It was the result of the sacrifices of tens of millions of people worldwide, both on the frontlines and in the factory lines, that ensured the victory of liberty over tyranny. In the case of the American Revolution, five more years of sacrifices were needed to gain independence after Saratoga.
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Far more than a day off for cooking out, Memorial Day is a day to remember those around the world who have sacrificed for the cause of 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. For their service, we are truly in debt.
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(Picture: A famous image of the American Revolution)
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J Roquen