A Foreign Mercenary is Hired to Lead the United States to Independence

The Congress could offer large land grants in payment. This would allow the new general, whoever he is, to look like he is truly committed to becoming an American, which would help with the PR problem. Still unlikely, but the colonies being broke isn't an insuperable obstacle.
 
From that list, the only thing i am wondering is how Gates even got anywhere? I mean, those four main guys are not so easily dispatched.

Also, which Lee? Francis Lightfoot, Charles or Light-horse Harry.

I think that Ward, Schyler and Putnam were already past their primes or sickly (Schyler) and would not have been major candidates for high command.

Charles Lee was the youngest and had actually served as a British officer. He had been in America for a while so that probably made him adequately "American", as did, I think, Horatio Gates.
 
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