Alternate Chronology of the American Mutiny, Rebellion and Civil War of 1775-1777
by Stafford1069
March 16th 2012
The cause of the rebellion was at least threefold. Firstly, the British-American desire for imperial expansion across the continent - Imperial Manifest Destiny (IMD) - was frustrated by the current Ministry's (His Majesty's Government - HMG) lack of interest. Many Americans who supported Manifest Destiny supported also the Crown and opposed the republican Sons of Liberty (SOL - descendents of the anti-Crown Parliamentarians of the 1600s). The lack of interest by HMG for IMD eventually resulted in IMD supporters throwing their lot in with SOL when the Quebec Act crisis erupted. Essentially saying "If we can't have an empire with Britain-Hanover. We'll get an empire without Britain-Hanover".
Secondly. Britain's adoption of the "Naval Isolationist" policy of the Tory school of thought , was perceived by many in British-America and Britain-Hanover, as foreign policy suicide. This was because the hostile Bourbon Crowns' could out-build and out-gun the Royal Navy (RN), IF, they were not being forced to divert resources to fight land wars in Europe. Well the Bourbons' had combined, they were not being forced to fight land wars in Europe, and were close to attaining naval supremacy; The days of Britain-Hanover and by extension its British-American Colonies were numbered. With Britain-Hanover crushed, British-America would be carved up by France and Spain. British failure to halt the loss of Lorraine, Corsica, the Partition of Poland (shades of the future 1939 Partition of Poland preceding another global war), and abandoning the Falkland's Colony to appease Spain, this even appalled the republican Sons of Liberty and was see widely by many (but not the Tory ministry) as marking the beginning of the end of the British Empire (which is correct: The end of the First British Empire).
A third cause was the crisis of the Quebec Act of 1774. This threatened, in the minds of many Colonists, an English Ghetto pinned to the Atlantic by a French-speaking Roman Catholic barrier; Which would then be stalking horse for French Bourbon domination. Up until this point many Americans supporting IMD supported the Crown. Seeing the Quebec Act of 1774 as the first step in the Bourbon carve-up, IMD supporters believed that their only hope was rebellion to attain independence and become actors not subjects in the state system. To this end Royalist IMD supporters combined forces with the republican Sons of Liberty and the tax-ranters & smugglers and launched a mutiny, a rebellion and a civil war.
There is truely a sad irony in operation.The irony is this, apparently the Bourbon Crowns' were not nearly strong enough to defeat the First British Empire, what tipped the balance to destroy the First British Empire was the American Mutiny, Rebellion and Civil War of 1775-1784: The treasonous back-stabbing of the minority of rebel-Americans in 1775 led to the Partition of Britiain in 1784; The French used the Tory foreign policy against Britain; Britons were used to destroy Britain.
For many Americans the American Mutiny, Rebellion and Civil War could only end in an American victory. But as Mr. George Washington pointed out, the Rebellion only won because of French military and naval support. So the question remains; If the Ministry had realised that the Quebec Act Crisis had pushed the Americans over the edge and it so was too late for a political solution, could a short term military solution be found that could buy time for political solution to then be found and keep the Bourbon Crowns' at bay?
If so, perhaps it would look like this:
1774
- Realising that the situation in British North America was sliding towards war. The British Government begins to send reinforcements. Initially sent were sapper units to rebuild the forts along the Quebec-New England route, which were then reinforced by two regiments of foot.
- The next wave was to the Colony's proper: A regiment of cavalry (later reinforced with two Colonial regiments to form a brigade) and a regiment of foot to General Cornwallis, who replaces General Gage.
1775
April
18th - Royal forces involved in pacification and dis-armament operations advance to the British-Colonial Militia Arsenal of Concord. At Lexington they are engaged by a mutinous militia
- the American Mutiny, Rebellion and Civil War begins. Concord is taken and the Arsenal is destroyed. On the road back to Boston rebel militia skirmishers cause causalities, however the rebels suffer greatly when surprised in a cavalry ambush which disperses them (note cavalry unit above).
20th
- Rebels begin Siege of Boston. Royal forces occupy the surrounding heights that dominate Boston and fortify them, with the exception of the Charlestown Peninsula - which is briefly occupied and then abandoned.
- Thirteen of the American provinces fall into Rebellion: With the rebellion of their governments' and mutiny of the Colonial Militias. Of British-America only the Provinces of Quebec, Prince Rupert's Land, the Floridas', and the Island Colony's stay loyal. Of the King's loyal subjects in rebel-occupied territory many are subjected to intimidation and terror (tar and feathering etc), many flee becoming refugees.
May
5th
- Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts - Rebels force at gunpoint Vineyard Islanders into enlisting in the rebellion.
10th
- Fort Ticonderoga's hastily repaired defences and 200 man garrison repulse a rebel surprise attack of the Green Mountain Boys, led by the rebels' Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen. Siege of Fort Ticonderoga begins.
25th
- Siege of Fort Ticonderoga ends: With rebel supplies getting low the Green Mountain Boys launch a dawn attack: It is held, just, at the stockade line, sustains heavy losses and then is surrendered by Ethan Allen after being trapped by a British sortie. The Crown later paid posthumous tribute to the suicidal bravery and courage of the rebel commander, Benedict Arnold, who lead from the front and nearly succeeded in breaking into the fort. This was an attempt by the rebels take the artillery of the fort and the gateway to Quebec.
June
- Royal forces (5,000 troops) in Boston are reinforced with 4,500 troops bringing their total to 9,500; facing 11,000 rebels.
- Royal forces launch raids against the remaining arsenals in New England with mixed results while sustaining further casualties.
- Rebel operations are limited by a limited supply of gunpowder (only some 200,000 lbs being held).
- A Royal Army (Quebec Army), composed of 800 Foot, 650 Canadians/Loyalists and 200 Indian Auxiliary's, under General Burgoyne, advances from Quebec to support Fort Ticonderoga's garrison.
15th - Rebel forces take the Charlestown Peninsula and entrench 2,000 men, pending the expected arrival of captured siege artillery from Fort Ticonderoga. The defeat of the Green Mountain Boys is not known.
17th
- Siege of Charlestown Peninsula begins: The Royal Navy lands 1,800 Foot at the neck of the peninsula, who then entrench sealing off the rebels, who begin to run out of food.
July
22nd
- The rebels on the Charlestown Peninsula surrender with 1,000 going into captivity. The rebels suffered roughly 1,000 casualties trying break through Royal lines covered by the fire of the Royal Navy.
- Main Royal strength transferred to New York from Boston. Rebels burn down New York. To maintain pressure on the rebels the reduced Boston Garrison launches raids, which though costly, force the rebels to retain covering forces at Boston; Thus not allowing those rebels to reinforce the rebellion in New York.
- Major reinforcements into British-America arrive from the United Kingdom's of Great Britain.
August
- The Quebec Army and the New York Army encompasses and destroys an army of 1,100 rebels, led by Montgomery, at the Battle of Albany. The rebels had entrenched to check the Army of Quebec when they suffered a surprise attack from the rear: The Royal Navy had landed troops south of Albany (the Hudson is navigable to Albany) and caught between two fires the rebels were routed. The land route from Quebec is restored and New England is cut off from the rebellion.
- 7,000 rebels are encircled in the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. Attempts to withdraw the routed rebels across the Eastern River, at night, are thwarted by the Royal Navy sinking the evacuation ships and blockading Brooklyn Heights. Meanwhile 13,000 rebels, personally led by Mister George Washington, are trapped and besieged on Long Island. Both groups of rebels begin to run out of food, despite imposts on the civil populace, which is distressed in turn by want, due to the war stopping the bringing in of the harvest.
September
- Benjamin Franklin seeing the rebellion is losing, negotiates an amnesty for himself and mediates the same for isolated New England. This is accepted by General Cornwallis. New England leaves the Rebellion.
October
- Mister George Washington and the surviving 9,000 rebels surrender on Long Island and Brooklyn Heights after their supplies run out.
- Washington's surrender at New York is later seen as the turning point of the war (As the United States Congress realised time was running out, it had just lost the bulk of its main army - the rampart of the rebellion; the seed-corn for future expansion - it invoked desperate measures: Americans, even contrary to their will, were to be manacled and roped to Liberty; so that Congress-men, even contrary to their will, would not be manacled and roped to a Royal scaffold).
- Rebel "Continental Congress" issues "Liberty Fights On" statement and starts conscription to replace losses. It also enacts draconian decrees that result in the unleashing of the American Terror: Murder and mob rule become the order of the day on Loyalists and suspected Loyalist's (the so-called "Loyalist-suspects"). The most notorious exponent of the Terror being Judge Lynch. Later many historians could not help but draw parallels between the American Terror of the 1770s with the French Terror of the 1790s.
1776
Feburary
- Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge: Loyalist forces numbering 800 are defeated by rebels in North Carolina, with many Loyalists being massacred after surrendering. A relief force of 600 Foot and 100 Horse arrives to late to help. The massacre by the rebels causes outrage in Britain turning major elements of Whig opinion against them.
- Philadelphia is retaken by Royal forces and the rebel "Continental Congress" is captured attempting to flee the city. Many of which suffer what Benjamin Franklin predicted "...we shall be hung separately".
- French Bourbon Government forwards communique to rebels: It rejects rebel pleas for assistance as their preparations for war were still not ready. Later publicity of the French letters hurts the rebel cause.
March
- The 1st, 2nd and 3rd (Loyal-Boston) Refugee Company's formed. The first of many such units formed from refugees escaping from the rebel United States. The Refugees seek to restore what was stolen from them by ". . . congresses and pernicious tax-gatherers. . .", as well as fighting for the ". . . blessings, liberties and rights secured by the British Constitution. . .".
June
- Costly risings by Loyalist irregulars against mutinous militias and rebels, combined with amphibious assaults by the Royal Marines and Foot Regiments take Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. A determined rebel counter-attack is repulsed with heavy loss of life on both sides. This was the last regular engagement of the war. General Cornwallis reinforces Savannah and in a Despatch to HMG reports the restoration of all provincial governments and that Loyalist units "Were found to be very skilled in irregular war, being cognisant and familiar with the lay of the land".
July - November
- Intense Pacification operations are conducted in the North Carolinas. These are bitter times, often partaking of the nature of factional controversy between Whig, Tory and Rebel. Over four hundred recorded hussar, partisan and raid actions occur. Crown forces practice successful scorched earth tactics contra the rebels; while expanding and training Loyal Militia, Refugee and Partisan units. Famine in rebel areas.
1777
- "Starvation Winter".
March - July
- Pacification operations are conducted in Virginia, with the last of the organised rebels under Horatio Gates, surrendering at Clover Hill, Virginia, at the end of which the American Mutiny, Rebellion and Civil War is over.
God Save the King.