The Battle of White Plains: An American Revolutionary TL

POD: 28th October 1776, White Plains, New York
Once there was a dream, a dream called the United States of America.

This is the story of how it died.


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The Battle of White Plains on the 28th October 1776 was part of the New York and New Jersey Campaign of the Continental Revolution. The objective of the British forces under General William Howe was to cut off the retreat of the Continental Army under General George Washington.

When the British were detected by scouts, General Washington ordered his forces to take the field, with Joseph Spencer's 2nd Connecticut Regiment marching to delay the oncoming enemy. The 2nd Connecticut would march until they exchanged fire with Colonel Johann Rall's Hessian forces, at modern-day Hartston (New York). Unable to hold the line, the 2nd Connecticut withdrew in order across the Bronx River fifteen minutes after initial contact with the Hessians, escaping after Spencer made no order to pause to fire (POD). British dragoons chased the 2nd Connecticut away as Rall's Hessians advanced towards Chatterton Hill.

Haslet's Delaware Regiment repelled with gunfire, to then face the dragoons on their right flank, with McDougall being alerted after Haslet had been attacked on the front and flank. After five minutes of fighting with the dragoons and seeing Rall's Hessians charge, Haslet ordered a hasty retreat. The retreat turned from hasty to hurried, as the Hessians reached the hill fighting off McDougall's advance with the dragoons retreating to conserve numbers. The entire front line of the Continentals was shocked by the flanking on the right side and the British assaulting the entire line. McDougall's brigade was forced to withdraw north to Upper Road upon facing the dragoon's counterattack as well as Hessian reinforcements and artillery. McDougall's retreat would leave the dragoons and the Hessians capable of striking at the flank. The Hessian artillery on the left of the line advanced further until it hit could hit the highest positions of the Continentals further away.

General Washington, seeing the right flank broken, ordered Spencer's retreat to the Upper Road to link back with McDougall. Having heard the news, General Howe gave the order for the line to continue, with the Continentals' front line withdrawing. The Hessians were ordered to then push on, attacking the Continentals before McDougall could reform his lines. Dragoons were then able to punch through the lines, fording the Bronx River and taking themselves on the Upper Road. It was when the British continued their advance that Haslet's Delaware Regiment broke, having sustained severe casualties as they kept hold of the line. General Alexander Leslie was able to bring the British right flank to bear on the unorganised Continentals, who were starting to lose hope after General Washington ordered an orderly retreat. As he attempted to saddle his horse, he was discovered by several dragoons. Charging at him, they faced gunfire from infantry and from a few stray cavalrymen, but the job was done. One dragoon managed to shoot Washington's horse, causing it to panic and buckle. Unable to control his steed and with the men around his fleeing, Washington fell from his horse, right onto his back. As he came back up to draw his sword, the dragoons were quicker, striking the General at his neck and face before he fell down in the mud.

He would be 44 years old.

It would be one of the worst defeats for the Continental Army, with General Washington among the casualties. Out of 3,100 Continentals, 83 were killed, 213 were wounded and 61 were taken captive. Out of General Howe's forces (numbering between 4,000 and 7,500), 71 were killed and 194 were wounded. Joseph Spencer would, for the time being, establish himself as the commander of the leaderless army. He would order a retreat further north, with McDougall establishing a final defence to hold back the British.



King George III, meanwhile, would address Parliament on the 31st October 1776 on the matter of the fighting in America. He would state that all was not going well. Little would he know, by Christmas, that things were quite the opposite.

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I would like to thank @Claudius for starting the Pre-1900 thread "Washington killed early" for the idea of this TL. I have no idea if I want to do anything with this apart from being an ATL Revolutionary War.

All comments and thoughts are welcome.
 
Washington's Dead, Now What? 29th October to the 15th November 1776
General Howe would remain in White Plains, hoping to draw out Washington's forces. His luck vanished when Colonel Johann Rall's men discovered Washington's body. With his face cleaned and stitched, George Washington was buried in the morning of the 29th October, with a cairn to cover the burial plot.

Sending the dragoons further out and ordering his forces north, Howe found no trace of the Continental Army and decided to advance south on the 30th. This was when he linked up with Hessian and Waldeck reinforcements under the command of Lord Percy. Having relayed the events of the battle and having buried Washington, Howe continued south with Percy's men towards Manhattan, to expel the last Continentals from Fort Washington later in November.

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The news of Washington's death shocked the Continental Congress to the core when they received word on the 2nd November 1776. They had lost a man that they believed could be non-partisan, a person that they knew that could be charismatic and able to carry on the fight. With over a year of command, Washington's death had triggered anxiety within the Congress, who then believed that there was no choice left for them.

On the 3rd of November 1776, Horatio Gates was granted the right to command the Continental Army, much to the chagrin of his rival Charles Lee. Gates was picked thanks to the lobbying of several New England delegates as well as his work as Major General and Adjutant General, standardising the regiments of the Continental Army as well as the introduction of records and orders within the administrative sector of the army.

On the 9th November 1776, Gates met with Joseph Spencer and the survivors of White Plains, which numbered 2,940 men. Gates brought enough men to boost the numbers to 4,500 men as news came from Fort Hudson. General Howe was making his way towards Fort Washington, having several days headstart. Gates, realising that he could not react in time, decided that they would take defensive positions north of Howe's position. Howe relayed the message to Charles Lee, who held onto the eastern bank of the Hudson River with 7,000 men. Nathaniel Greene argued that the position could be held, but he was overruled by Gates. On the 12th November 1776, a messenger from Gates came to Greene, ordering the 1,500 defenders to retreat across the river to Fort Lee.

On the 14th November 1776, General Howe captured Fort Washington without any bloodshed. By now, reinforcements had risen to a total of 8,000 British men. The plan now changed. Howe would capture Fort Lee and the moment he did would ring through history forever.

Meanwhile, General Charles Lee was about to write a very angry draft letter regarding the inaction of Gates.

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Okay, I hope that it is good.

It was either a choice between Gates and Lee as Commander-in-Chief, but I chose the former. Doesn't mean that Lee will be silent.

All comments and likes and thoughts are welcome. Thank you all so much for watching.
 
From November to the end of 1776: The Headaches of the Continentals
The death of Washington had shocked the morale of the men, as they heard the news from Charleston in the south to those serving in Quebec. It also meant that the British were emboldened. Howe was wrestling with the idea of taking Fort Lee, which was across the Hudson River from Fort Washington. On the 18th November 1776, Charles Cornwallis was given the task of capturing Fort Lee. It was meant to be for Henry Clinton, but the constant bickering between the two men meant that Howe removed his chance for glory just to spite Clinton. This may have contributed to Howe being passed over after the war.

On the east of Fort Washington, General Charles Lee sends a letter on the 20th November to the Continental Congress stating that Gates had been indecisive in avenging Washington's death. In order to beat the deadline for enlistment expiration, Generals Charles Lee and Horatio Gates drafted a plan for their 11,500 men. They had a narrow window of opportunity before they could strike.

Advancing south, Gates reached the area north of Tetard's Hill, while Lee was east and looking at Fort Washington. Seeing the Continentals, Howe called off Cornwallis' offensive for now.

On the 25th November 1776, the Battle of Fort Washington began.

Gates' entire forces advanced south to Tetard's Hill while Lee's force of 1,000 pushed in the north to Dykeman's Bridge. In the north of the island, the Hessians under Rall and Knyphausen checked the Continental advance, shooting at the columns as they were trapped in the bottleneck of the bridge. Gates' men rushed several barges to the water, under fire by Rall's men as they tried to storm the beach. The Hessians fell back to higher ground, far from the Continentals and their return fire as Lee's small contingent and Gates' force joined together.

In the south, a contingent under Lee's command numbering 3,000 had begun to advance across Haarlem Creek, close to the Fort itself. Lord Percy commanded the British forces to the south and east of the fort, holding the redoubts against the advancing Continentals. Lee, believing that he would deliver the Fort by pressing further, sent another 1500 men to help. This left Lee with 500 in reserve. When news arrived of Gates' men landing on the island, Lee ordered the northern contingent to fall back to the reserve and await further orders. What Lee didn't know was that Anthony Wayne, the Brigadier General in charge of the 1,000 men, was in thick fighting with the Hessians under Rall while Gates' men were taking cannon and musket fire further west by Knyphausen's Hessians on the higher ground. Wayne had entrenched himself for an hour while Gates was probing the hilly Hessian defences to see if there was any chance of a flanking manoeuvre.

Lord Percy managed to hold back 4,500 Continentals with his 3,000 British redcoats and 1,000 Hessians under Waldeck. It was Charles Cornwallis and Waldeck that would give the order to advance, charging head on under enemy gunfire. With already crumbling morale and botched orders, several Continental soldiers broke ranks. Several then turned to all of them, with the redcoats shooting the fleeing enemy in the back if they could. Waldeck's Hessians then advanced north, where his men and Rall's charged at Wayne's battered men. Wayne's men retreated, having failed to dislodge Rall from the hill. Gates, upon seeing this, ordered his men to fall back to Tetard's Hill.


The Battle was a disaster for the Continental Army. Horatio Gates had 61 men killed, 412 wounded and 14 taken prisoner. Charles Lee had 112 men killed, 352 wounded and 72 taken prisoner. The Fort was held by the British, who would receive fresh reinforcements on the 20th February 1777.

Charles Lee would write a letter to the Continental Congress stating that Gates had not pressed the attack further and that he was wasting time on the battlefield. Meanwhile, enlistment expirations meant that Lee had only 3,200 men that could fight compared to Gates' 3,900 men.

Thomas Paine, a political radical and revolutionary who was with Gates' men, started publishing The American Crisis following the defeats at White Plains and Fort Washington. These are the days that trouble men's souls would be the first words of a political pamphlet designed to promote the revolutionary campaign.

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25th December 1776


Nathanael Greene had managed to hold onto the fort for the month after fleeing Fort Washington, holding on with 1,200 men with few of them ready to end their enlistment. Going to bed that night, Greene kept at least 200 men on guard for the night. The night went on. And on. And on and on.

In the waters of the Hudson, the Hessian and British soldiers rowed on their boats. It was 3:30am when Cornwallis departed with 3,200 men, on their own boats as well as boats abandoned by Gates' men during the Continental's defeat at Fort Washington. Cold, shivering and sweating, Cornwallis steadied his men as they came closer and closer to the shore. Johann Rall led his Hessians onto the beach first, quiet and ready. Before the Continentals knew it, over 2,500 British soldiers had breached the defences. Failing to arouse themselves, the Continentals fought however hard they could. In forty minutes of fighting, the British had forced the surrender of the Fort.

Out of the Continentals, 96 were killed and 357 escaped. Nathanael Greene and the 747 men that were left standing had surrendered before being taken prisoner.

On the 28th December 1776, the Second Continental Congress closed its session that began on the 10th May 1775, 598 days before. This was the same day when news of Fort Washington and Fort Lee had reached the ears of every man who was there. It would be an interesting time come the new year.

Every man prayed that 1777 was their year. But it would not be so.

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Thank you all for watching this TL. All likes and thoughts are welcome. I hope you have enjoyed it. See you all later.
 
1777: The Annus Horribilis of the Continental Army (1st January - July)
George Washington was dead and the partisan feelings of the Continental Congress had come to pass, willing to boil over unrest if there were any more calamities like 1776. The once raging and boisterous of the Continentals began to see their ambitions thin and thin. Horatio Gates, as Commander-in-Chief, raised reinforcements to give him a total of 6,000 men. Gates' intention was to draw Howe or one of his subordinates into a position that was unfeasible and then attack from an entrenched position. Charles Lee, a man who was gathering his own momentum for control of the Continental Army, raised a total of 9,000 men. Lee's intention was to either be victorious or to suffer a defeat under Gates, either way would motivate the Congress to give command to Lee. The necessity of raising armies, he believed, had become far too strenuous given the defeats the previous year.

The Loyalists and the British were of a different stuff. Howe had met with Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis and George Clinton, the latter of which managing to find a compromise with Howe. Howe wished to divert forces to the south, under Cornwallis, to claim Charleston from the Continentals. Before this would happen, Clinton lobbied for an expansion of Lord Dunmore's Proclamations, which would apply to the entirety of the Thirteen Colonies. Despite wanting a military position, the idea of destabilising the Continentals and their attitude towards Africans was more than enough.

As Commander-in-Chief of the British forces, William Howe would issue the Trenton Proclamation on the 6th of January, from his base in New Jersey. Effective on the 20th January, any slave or freedman who joined the British Army or the Loyalist forces would be given amnesty and would be freed from bondage. On every available ship, the message was sent around. While Clinton could not enjoy personal glory, it is important to note that future success would be made because of this decision.

In Philadelphia, the message was sent to the Continental Congress on the 9th January. Representatives Carter Braxton (Virginia), Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett (Georgia) and Edward Rutledge (South Carolina) led the charge against the proclamation, stating that efforts need to be made for policing plantation regions against slave revolts. On the other hand, moderates such as Benjamin Franklin and John Adams believed the need to recruit Africans into the Continental Army in exchange for freedom was necessary and that their mobilisation should outpace the British.

Six days later, on the 15th January 1777, the Vermont Republic declared its independence from the colony of New York. The admission of Vermont into the United States was knocked back due to the competing land claims of New York and New Hampshire. The entrenchment of the abolition of slavery in Vermont's constitution did not bode well for the cause, as Vermonters soon got hold of the Trenton Proclamation. The support for the Continental Army was wide but not strong, as overtures were made by Quebec's Governor Guy Carleton to establish Vermont as a British province.



Soon, the Trenton Proclamation made its way across the rebellious areas. A total of 300 escaped slaves enlisted from New York, Delaware and New Jersey. Howe would receive reinforcements, a total of 20,000 Hessian and British troops, on the same day as Vermont's declaration of independence. This did not include a total of 3,000 Loyalists who had been recruited during the Christmas period.

The newly promoted Cornwallis would take a total of 18,000 men and 90 ships, sailing to Charleston to assist the Loyalist cause there on the 25th January 1777. This left 16,000 in Howe's command, including 3,000 freedmen who either took up rifles for themselves or were part of the supply train.


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One of a few proslavery banners that were made by Continentals following Vermont's declaration of independence and the Trenton Proclamation.


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A dramatised recounting of plantation owners in South Carolina during the slave revolts of 1777.


At first, it was a messenger. Then, the rumours. Of pay, of food and protection. No more whips. No more backbreaking labour. Then news of Vermont declaring slavery to be illegal. Then they remembered these things. Once one went out of the plantation, more did. Breaking into homes, they took up the nearest weapons and sought for the nearest front line. It all began on the 5th of February 1777, in the western regions of Virginia.

In Virginia, a total of 10,000 slaves revolted.
In North Carolina, 6,000 slaves revolted.
In South Carolina, 8,000 slaves revolted.
In Georgia, 5,000 revolted.
In the Northern sections of the Thirteen Colonies, a total of 5,600 freedmen and runaway slaves joined the front lines for the Loyalists.

Slaveowners and the nearest militias fought back. Their hardened discipline beat the slaves, no matter how numerous they were. Hundreds were killed across the colonies, both slave and slaveowner, white and black. While there were hundreds, if not thousands who escaped, there would always be drawbacks. Hundreds were captured by citizens or by militias, returned to their owners with punishments set in store for them. Some stood their ground and resisted the repatriation, getting themselves killed and stoking the already thin ice that the slaves, freedmen, slaveowners and colonial citizens were walking on. Africans who were serving in Continental Army units would be reluctant in their orders to put down the rebellions, disobey them entirely or desert. A total of 1,800 freedmen and former slaves deserted the Continental army, with just over half joining the Loyalist forces. A total of 547 slaves would be killed during this time, compared to 98 militia and 263 civilians across the southern colonies.

The news of plantations on fire, townships sacked or caught in firefights and deserting for the British was more than enough to derail business of the Continental Congress. The delegates from Georgia and South Carolina demanded that a campaign to take down the rebellious slaves, which had been protested by Samuel and John Adams as well as Thomas Jefferson himself. Vermont's already damaged view of the United States took a step further, as Thomas Chittenden (then Governor of the Vermont Republic) and the leaders of Vermont agreed in secret to side with the British if they were to win.

All efforts by the Continental Congress had to be made to put pressure on the British, given the news of reinforcements for Howe.


General John Burgoyne had his plan put out on the 25th February 1777: He would take 14,000 men through the Lake Champlain region and then the Hudson River Valley. A second column of men numbering 4,000 under Barry St. Leger would advance east along the Mohawk River from Lake Ontario. The idea was that the two forces would join together with Howe's men coming up from the south, with all three forces converging on Albany. New York would be cut off from the rest of the colonies of New England and prevent foreign recognition of the United States as well as allow for Vermont to become an official British province.

Lord Germain, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, was infamous for his unclear coordination of Loyalist forces. He authorised Burgoyne's plan at roughly the same time that Howe had his own plan to attack Philadelphia authorised. This was coupled with a habit of giving a wide set of directives for the generals or giving them vague orders. Burgoyne would arrive back on the 4th of May 1777 in Quebec with his forces assembled.


Howe would make plans for the advance on Philadelphia. Clinton would receive the orders from Germain, notifying Howe as the army was in New Jersey (There remained with 4,000 men on either side of Hudson to guard the two forts) on the 12th May 1777 following their victory at Bound Brook. With Howe wanting to continue the march to Philadelphia, Clinton requested that he take a force up north along the Hudson to assist Burgoyne. Knowing that he could be rid of a man who annoyed and bickered with him, Howe accepted his request. Taking a force of 7,000 men, Henry Clinton marched as fast as he could to the Hudson in order to link with Burgoyne on the 15th May 1777.


On the 13th May 1777, Charles Cornwallis would begin the blockade of Charleston, deploying his forces ashore to face a total of 8,000 men under James Moore inside the already precarious walls of South Carolina's capitol. With the news of the Trenton Proclamation spread into the city, a total of 1,000 slaves made a run for the front lines. Dozens of Continental militia attempted to apprehend them against Moore's wishes, with several slaves shot in the back. The sight of them being welcomed by Cornwallis had done more to cripple the spirit than a fight. On the 18th June 1777, Moore was found dead, from a terrible and crippling case of gout. Despite the rational explanation, more than a few were convinced of a more melancholy reason. Of the sight of the Hessian, British and Black Loyalist soldiers that were outside the city as well as the ships.

Taking charge of the defence was Brigadier General Robert Howe (Not to be confused with General Howe, Commander-in-Chief) on the 20th June 1777. The presence of a man who had already stirred discontent with the South Carolina Assembly, who petitioned the Continental Congress on the 22nd June to have a commander from South Carolina to lead the defence. Howe's personal behaviour as a womaniser as well as his conflicts with the state government of Georgia did not endear him with the citizens of Charleston. On the 4th July 1777, Cornwallis led his forces to the city, as several ships fired into the city while the British forces marched in. Howe's men either faced too much opposition, surrendered or deserted him. Four hours into the fight, Howe surrendered, with the city of Charleston returning to British hands. Cornwallis was then charged with securing the regions outside the city.

The Siege of Charleston was a devastating British victory. A total of 93 Continentals were killed, with 197 wounded and the remainder surrendering. A total of 82 British troops were killed and 152 wounded. A total of 11,000 slaves and freedmen would join the Loyalist cause from across the colonies, being part of the baggage train or being recruited into the ranks. Robert Howe would never get another command again, with South Carolina delegates of the Continental Congress threatening to walk out if Howe was given another position.

This was roughly around the same time of two events, both of which were devastating to the Continental Congress. The first was of a duel between Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett, the latter of whom was a representative for Georgia. On the 16th of May, the two men duelled, with McIntosh being hit in the abdomen while Gwinnett was hit in the left arm. Despite the pain and the fact that the forelimb was shattered, Gwinnett managed to survive while McIntosh died several hours later. Gwinnett's presence at the Georgian Provisional Congress was met with arguments over the death of McIntosh.

The second was in the far north. General John Burgoyne managed to march his forces south to the undefended Fort Crown Point on the 28th June 1777. General Arthur St. Clair of the Continental Army had only 2,900 militia and regulars, facing an enemy that was only 4 miles away. Under General Philip Schuyler's orders, St. Clair was to hold out for as long as possible inside Fort Ticonderoga. On the 2nd July 1777, Baron Riedesel's 6,100 Brunswickers and Hanauers defeated a force of 1,200 under Pierse Long, with Long being killed along with another 70 men while 267 were wounded. This was compared to 26 dead and 119 wounded for Riedesel's force. On the 4th of July, Burgoyne brought his entire force on Fort Ticonderoga, having Major General William Philips take Sugar Loaf (Now Mount Ticonderoga) on the 3rd of July. After only fifteen minutes of fighting, General Arthur St. Clair surrendered the fort.

St. Clair lost 114 men and had another 426 wounded over the two days of fighting. Burgoyne lost 58 men and had 289 wounded. A total of 1,000 men were to stay at Crown Point, with another 2,000 at Ticonderoga. Left with 10,900 men, Burgoyne had to continue further south to Albany. St. Clair returned to the rebel areas a broken man, as the press and legislatures condemned his actions. General Charles Lee wrote another letter, which was read by Carter Braxton of Virginia, who openly condemned Horatio Gates and Arthur St. Clair. Gates, by now, was made aware of Lee's letters. Realising that there were many men who backed Lee as much as they backed him, Horatio Gates ordered Lee to march south to face Cornwallis, retake Charleston and occupy British Florida.

As for Horatio Gates. He ordered his men to advance to Philadelphia, and prepare for battle.

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Thank you all for watching, I hope that this is realistic. Please, all likes and thoughts and comments are welcome. I appreciate it.
 
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looks good, but I am not sure if so many slaves would join the loyalists' ranks instead of run away from the war, also remember that many southern loyalists were also slaveowners, and the British wanted to administer and rebuild the plantations after the war, pretty hard without slaves.. OTL the British made similar proclamations to recruit slaves when they already lost a region (Dunmore with Virginia) or when they began a new campaign (Clinton with Georgia and the Carolinas) but they stopped the practice once they controlled the region. I am not sure either of how many slaves was in the middle states and New England, but it looks like the whole slave population, I would rethink those numbers, also in Pennsylvania and New England, the patriots were very open about recruiting former slaves, so the Trenton proclamation doesn't have much sense there

About your dilemma between Gates and Lee, it's feasible that the Congress would choose Gates instead of Lee, however, Lee had the same military experience if not more. In OTL, and looks like that in ITTL also, Gates tried to fight more conventionally as if he wasn't commanding a militia, I'm not sure how Lee thought at the start of the war, but he realized very soon that he had to fight using guerrilla tactics. If the Congress gives the command to Lee, I would expect the war to turn into ambushes slowly wearing down British forces and morale, and one or two "bunker hill" per session, which would be translated into a British pyrrhic victory, or even to a continental victory, either way, the patriots could cover losses easier than the British.

And don't forget the whigs! Rockingham and other British whigs contributed more to the patriot victory than others use to realize
 
looks good, but I am not sure if so many slaves would join the loyalists' ranks instead of run away from the war, also remember that many southern loyalists were also slaveowners, and the British wanted to administer and rebuild the plantations after the war, pretty hard without slaves.. OTL the British made similar proclamations to recruit slaves when they already lost a region (Dunmore with Virginia) or when they began a new campaign (Clinton with Georgia and the Carolinas) but they stopped the practice once they controlled the region. I am not sure either of how many slaves was in the middle states and New England, but it looks like the whole slave population, I would rethink those numbers, also in Pennsylvania and New England, the patriots were very open about recruiting former slaves, so the Trenton proclamation doesn't have much sense there

About your dilemma between Gates and Lee, it's feasible that the Congress would choose Gates instead of Lee, however, Lee had the same military experience if not more. In OTL, and looks like that in ITTL also, Gates tried to fight more conventionally as if he wasn't commanding a militia, I'm not sure how Lee thought at the start of the war, but he realized very soon that he had to fight using guerrilla tactics. If the Congress gives the command to Lee, I would expect the war to turn into ambushes slowly wearing down British forces and morale, and one or two "bunker hill" per session, which would be translated into a British pyrrhic victory, or even to a continental victory, either way, the patriots could cover losses easier than the British.

And don't forget the whigs! Rockingham and other British whigs contributed more to the patriot victory than others use to realize

Thank you for the comments, I'll make sure to revise the numbers for the slave revolts as well as the recruitment numbers.

As for the southern Loyalists, I am under the impression that Dunmore's Proclamation and judgements in Britain such as Knight v Wedderburn and Somerset v Stewart as well as the previous attack on Charleston made it clear that the slaveowning loyalists were alienated.

The Trenton Proclamation, in ATL, is to draw away slaves and freedmen that would have rather been in the Continental Army. With the death of Washington in ATL and a few more setbacks, the TP becomes more enticing.

The rivalry between Gates and Lee has made itself public, with Gates ordering Lee to deal with Cornwallis. Whether this makes Lee to be the better man is still up in the air. I've yet to wonder if Lee would surrender or if he would carry on the fight.

I'll make sure, however, to make some mention of the Whigs, Rockingham and the others. But that will have to be for tomorrow. Thanks for the comment.
 
Thank you for the comments, I'll make sure to revise the numbers for the slave revolts as well as the recruitment numbers.

As for the southern Loyalists, I am under the impression that Dunmore's Proclamation and judgements in Britain such as Knight v Wedderburn and Somerset v Stewart as well as the previous attack on Charleston made it clear that the slaveowning loyalists were alienated.

The Trenton Proclamation, in ATL, is to draw away slaves and freedmen that would have rather been in the Continental Army. With the death of Washington in ATL and a few more setbacks, the TP becomes more enticing.

The rivalry between Gates and Lee has made itself public, with Gates ordering Lee to deal with Cornwallis. Whether this makes Lee to be the better man is still up in the air. I've yet to wonder if Lee would surrender or if he would carry on the fight.

I'll make sure, however, to make some mention of the Whigs, Rockingham and the others. But that will have to be for tomorrow. Thanks for the comment.
Dunmore's proclamation pretty much only affected Virginia, a patriot stronghold, and was some sort of last resort, and to put some numbers, between 800 and 2,000 slaves reached Dunmore, and that was because only nearby slaves would risk their lives to reach the British lines, of course, many more could try to reach the mountains or perhaps the Great Dismal Swamp, where many runaway slaves lived.

And I made a mistake with Clinton, the OTL Philipsburg Proclamation was in New York and directed mainly to slaves fighting in the Continental Army, I was doing research about the number of slaves, and 20.000 is pretty much the whole population in the state of New York, many of them behind British lines, and another 20.000 would be pretty much the combination of the whole population of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England, 5.000 looks more realistic and still is a lot, but once again, the Philipsburg Proclamation went when the British realized that the war was against them, it was a desperate measure, they might offer a pardon and liberty to blacks deserting the continental army, but I don't see the need to arm them if they are winning (and looks like they are winning).
In the south, they recruited slaves when they realized that the loyalist population wasn't that numerous or motivated to fight, and they did so once they already had forces there, and perhaps there weren't so many loyalist slave owners than patriots, but remember that many loyalists fleed to the Bahamas bringing hundreds if not thousands of slaves with them.

I can't see Lee surrendering while he still has some sort of army, he was a proud man, I think that he would entrench himself if he believes that can resist the attack or retreat to fight another day, that's up to you.
 
Seems interesting so far will watch with interest also how far do you plan on taking this TL will it be until the end of the American revolution or are you planning to continuing it after the war
 
Interesting so far. The British certainly weren't saints, but there was a large enough abolitionist movement within Britain that I can see it being difficult to handle the freed slave situation well. The 19th-century solution was to eventually pay all of the slaveowners in exchange for freedom, and the debt payments for that lasted until 2014-ish IIRC. ITTL I think a British win can go either way regarding its effect on abolition. On one hand, you have already proven that you can free slaves, and you likely do not have to pay slaveowners who have rebelled against the Crown. On the other hand, the side effects from freeing so many slaves and getting them places to live (Sierra Lione?) might cause enough issues that the abolitionist movement might be harmed.
 
Dunmore's proclamation pretty much only affected Virginia, a patriot stronghold, and was some sort of last resort, and to put some numbers, between 800 and 2,000 slaves reached Dunmore, and that was because only nearby slaves would risk their lives to reach the British lines, of course, many more could try to reach the mountains or perhaps the Great Dismal Swamp, where many runaway slaves lived.

And I made a mistake with Clinton, the OTL Philipsburg Proclamation was in New York and directed mainly to slaves fighting in the Continental Army, I was doing research about the number of slaves, and 20.000 is pretty much the whole population in the state of New York, many of them behind British lines, and another 20.000 would be pretty much the combination of the whole population of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New England, 5.000 looks more realistic and still is a lot, but once again, the Philipsburg Proclamation went when the British realized that the war was against them, it was a desperate measure, they might offer a pardon and liberty to blacks deserting the continental army, but I don't see the need to arm them if they are winning (and looks like they are winning).
In the south, they recruited slaves when they realized that the loyalist population wasn't that numerous or motivated to fight, and they did so once they already had forces there, and perhaps there weren't so many loyalist slave owners than patriots, but remember that many loyalists fleed to the Bahamas bringing hundreds if not thousands of slaves with them.

I can't see Lee surrendering while he still has some sort of army, he was a proud man, I think that he would entrench himself if he believes that can resist the attack or retreat to fight another day, that's up to you.
Thanks for the numbers, I'll revise them there as well as a few things. Lee will not give in and the South will look...............interesting.

Seems interesting so far will watch with interest also how far do you plan on taking this TL will it be until the end of the American revolution or are you planning to continuing it after the war

Thanks, I will be taking the TL as far as I can. I don't have much in the way of a plan, except for the end of the revolution. Everything else is up in the air.


Interesting so far. The British certainly weren't saints, but there was a large enough abolitionist movement within Britain that I can see it being difficult to handle the freed slave situation well. The 19th-century solution was to eventually pay all of the slaveowners in exchange for freedom, and the debt payments for that lasted until 2014-ish IIRC. ITTL I think a British win can go either way regarding its effect on abolition. On one hand, you have already proven that you can free slaves, and you likely do not have to pay slaveowners who have rebelled against the Crown. On the other hand, the side effects from freeing so many slaves and getting them places to live (Sierra Lione?) might cause enough issues that the abolitionist movement might be harmed.

You have a fair point. I do wonder what William Wilberforce would do given a larger number of Black Loyalists. We'll see soon enough.


EDIT: Revised the numbers of slaves that rebelled as well as freedmen to be more realistic. Thanks for the comments that pointed this out.
 
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1777: The Annus Horribilis of the Continental Army (July - December)
In desperation for a victory, Horatio Gates sent Benedict Arnold north to receive further orders from General Philip Schuyler. Having been passed over for promotion, Arnold was not in his best state of mind. Hearing Washington die had been a heartbreaking thing to sleep with, given the rumours of Charles Lee's ambitions and Gates' plans to deal with the British.

As he reached Fort Edward, General Schuyler's camp, he witnessed the return of 2,500 men from the north. Under the command of General Arthur St. Clair, the men explained that Fort Crown Point and Ticonderoga had fallen and that Burgoyne was advancing southward. Two days later on the 25th July, Schuyler ordered his men and St. Clair's to advance out of camp, with a total force of 5,700 men facing near double under Burgoyne's command in a fight. Advancing north to meet Burgoyne, Schuyler had been able to draw more militiamen as well as regulars from the area. General John Stark had drawn up another 1,800 men to assist the Continentals.

On the 12th August 1777, Burgoyne arranged a force of 4,000 near Fort Ann (leaving 6,900 in the region to assist with securing the supply lines from Quebec). At the same time, Schuyler had arranged a total of 7,500 men on the south and to the east. In the midmorning, the battle begun. Burgoyne's men were attacked in the south and east, with Fort Ann providing artillery cover for the Continentals once Schuyler had sent in a few six pounders. Having over extended himself, Burgoyne withdrew further north before resuming the fight for another two hours. Burgoyne's retreat was a miracle on the part of Benedict Arnold, who managed to lead 800 militia into an attack on the right flank of Burgoyne's force.

The Continentals lost 468 men, with a further 362 wounded including Arnold in the left leg. Burgoyne lost 417 men and had 72 wounded, with another 400 captured. Left with 3,140 men, Burgoyne withdrew from the area and returned to the rest of his forces. "The Miracle of Fort Ann" was shown in the papers for as long as they could. Vermont's support for the United States was wavering, but it did not show an immediate favouritism. French observers believed that another major victory could trigger foreign intervention. Just as the news of Fort Ann had reached the colonies, so did the news of another battle.



Having failed to receive any reinforcements, Fort Stanwix surrendered to Barry St. Leger on the 4th August 1777. Having 1,000 Indian allies and a total of 4,000 regulars and Hessians, St. Leger managed to overcome the defenders due to a constant denial of reinforcements as well as the overwhelming numbers. Peter Gansevoort led a breakout to the south, managing to take only 200 regulars and militia. St. Leger kept 400 men as garrison before continuing south along the Mohawk River with his force of 3600 regulars and 1,000 Indians.



Advancing south with 16,000 men (recruiting among Loyalist civilians and runaway slaves), William Howe aimed for Philadelphia, which was within his sights by the 20th August 1777. Horatio Gates and his subordinates such as Nathanael Greene and Henry "Light-Horse" Lee organised a rushed defence. The miraculous victory at Fort Ann allowed Gates to raise a total of 17,500 men for the defence. In order to take precautions, the Continental Congress moved from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on the 21st.

After taking the field, Gates and Howe met on the 22nd August 1777. The Continentals managed to get themselves prepared for the British assault, repelling Lord Percy's redcoats on the Continental right-wing. Meanwhile, Wilhelm Knyphausen and his Hessians managed to cripple the Continental left-wing, with Nathanael Greene injured with a shot in his right shoulder. The Continental cavalry led by Lee attempted an attack on Lord Percy's rank, with a counter-charge led by Loyalist militia/Black Loyalists driving Lee away. The fight devolves into a long, hard slog for several hours, as both sides attempted to get reinforcements from around the area. General Israel Putnam, commanding 5,000 men, tried to chase after Howe days before the 22nd. It wasn't until Henry Clinton took West Point (2nd August 1777) forced the surrender of Ethan Allen and dismantled the Hudson River Chain that Putnam charged north on the 5th August. This was a decision that was made even though a letter from Gates reached Putnam on the 4th August demanding his forces to come south, meanwhile later that night Allen's letter reached Putnam. On the 14th August, Putnam defeated the garrison Clinton left, before attempting to race south. Had Putnam left south earlier, it would have changed the battle.

With the cavalry broken and the left-wing crumbling, Horatio Gates called for a retreat. The moment the lines broke, the British took the initiative. Lord Percy's force advanced, managing to fight off the last cavalry charge that Lee makes. Lee's horse gets shot under him, but he managed to dismount before any bones were broken. The right-wing broke and the Continentals fled. By 8pm, Howe forced the surrender of the Philadelphia garrison, 3,000 strong.

Gates lost 1,105 men, with another 388 wounded and 117 captured, leaving 16,200 men. Howe lost 461 men and had 221 wounded, leaving 15,500. The British capture of Philadelphia and the Continental Congress' flight to Harrisburg had only reconfirmed the reality of the war. Gates fled to the west, where Putnam met him on the 9th September 1777 in Allentown. Putnam makes Gates aware of Clinton's advance north along the Hudson, but did not figure out how many Clinton had. On the 20th September Putnam was ordered to pursue Clinton with 12,000 men, leaving Gates with 9,200 men.


To the north, Burgoyne regrouped and advanced with a 10,000 strong force to Ford Edward itself, hoping to claim it before continuing south. General John Stark, upon hearing Burgoyne was advancing, took 4,500 men to take the field on the 26th August 1777 in the Battle of Lake George. Holding his position, Stark was surprised by the sudden encirclement of the enemy forces, ordering a retreat within an hour of fighting. 318 Continentals were killed with a further 87 wounded, compared to Burgoyne losing 92 men and having 185 wounded. Once hearing the news of Stark and Clinton's march north, General Philip Schuyler left a garrison of 400 men as he marched south (with 6,600 men) to Albany. General John Stark would stay behind to delay Burgoyne's advance south at Fort Edward.

Several cannons were abandoned at Fort Ann as well as the fields east of Lake George. On the 7th September 1777, Burgoyne opened fire with his artillery on Fort Edward, who contained Stark and his 4,580 men. Burgoyne kept firing, as Stark attempted a breakout to the south. Burgoyne's force discovered what was occurring, with a column of redcoats facing Stark's retreating men. The Battle of Fort Edward began as Burgoyne's forces formed rank while Stark lost his only chance to save most of his men. Knowing that he could suffer further inside Fort Edward, he ordered a full retreat south. In the span of four hours, Fort Edwards was claimed, with Stark losing 167 men to Burgoyne's 51. Burgoyne himself would garrison 2,000 men inside Fort Edward with another 400 in Fort Anne. Burgoyne would have 7,500 men, having taken supplies that were left by Stark or Schuyler.

Stark would have 4,400 men remain, which would then dwindle to 4200 men due to mutiny and desertion. Benedict Arnold, riding on a horse to Schuyler's quarters in Albany, handed in his resignation on the 11th September 1777. Arnold, a brilliant man in his own right, was destroyed by physical wounds as well as the intentional or unintentional neglect of the Congress to respect his efforts. On the 24th September 1777, the Continental Congress in Harrisburg removed Schuyler in command, giving command of the Northern Department to Israel Putnam.



Charles Lee, seeing himself once again cleared for duty, refused to follow his order to retake Charleston on the 20th September. On the 22nd, Charles Cornwallis was ordered to take on Charles Lee's forces. Cornwallis would face Lee north of Charleston. Cornwallis would take 20,000 men, made of his soldiers as well as new recruits, to face Lee's 15,000 men. Charles Lee would make something of himself, a battle that would define his future. That was, until the battle begun. Lee attempted to move onto Cornwallis' right wing with Anthony Wayne's force of 4,500 men, but was stonewalled by Cornwallis' determined men. Cornwallis' men, unlike Burgoyne's in the north, were supplied from sea and prepared whereas Lee's men were determined but tired. Wayne's horse being shot under him had triggered a halt in the advance, which was more than enough for the British to continue their fire. Rallying his men, Wayne held the line as Lee's men felt the pinch. Cornwallis' artillery managed to punch holes through the centre of Lee's men, while the Hessians of the left wing pushed Lee's right wing back. Wayne fell back to keep the line stable, while Cornwallis pushed on. The Hessians push Lee's right flank harder, who then retreated against Lee's orders. Wayne's force faced more redcoats before being ordered by Lee to retreat. Going forward, the Hessians were moving to pincer Lee's right. Lee ordered the lines to reform, which angered Wayne. Brigadier General Charles Scott, who led Lee's right flank, was shot in the back as he attempted to call for a retreat. In sheer anger and with tears in his eyes, General Charles Lee ordered a retreat.

The Battle of Charleston on the 22nd September 1777 had ruined Charles Lee's chance to get the role as Commander-in-Chief. He would get his support, but it would now come with a price tag naming the dead. The Continental Army had lost 1,847 men and had 577 wounded with a further 2,642 captured. Cornwallis and his force lost 724 men and 336 wounded. Lee would march elsewhere on the 23rd, with only 10,500 men remaining compared to Cornwallis' 19,200 men. Cornwallis would pursue Lee, believing that Lee would only fight harder if there was any breathing room. Charleston was given a garrison of 4,000 men, leaving Cornwallis with 15,200 men as he pursued Lee's rearguard on the 25th.


23rd October 1777, General John Burgoyne would have 7,500 men to face John Stark's 5,100 men east of Lake Saratoga. Burgoyne heard of Barry St. Leger's advance: the capture of Fort Plain on the 25th September and having reached the village of Fort Johnson on the 15th. Starting with artillery fire, Burgoyne would upset Stark's lines, while Stark hoped for General Arthur St. Clair and his men to arrive. With the river on their right, Burgoyne managed to swing his left wing against Stark, who was trying to reform the lines even under artillery fire. St. Clair arrived two hours later with 4,000 men, which had increased the force to 9,000 Continentals. However, Stark's men had begun to waver. St. Clair's force could not advance to the right as Hessians checked their move and held them in, Already tired, the last thing that was needed was for their will to break under the Hessian firepower. The artillery soon hit St. Clair's men, with the morale of Starks men continuing to dwindle. Several dozen men under Stark's command fled from the field, to be stopped by St. Clair and his advancing force. Burgoyne continued further, firing on the advancing Continentals before they halted and fled. The Hessians continued to attack the Continental right-wing, shooting at the wavering militia and regulars.

Four hours after battle was joined, John Stark and Arthur St. Clair surrendered their forces. The Continental Army lost 841 men, with 1,008 wounded while Burgoyne lost 257 men and had 198 wounded. Burgoyne's victory removed the defeat that he suffered at Fort Ann. The Continentals advances as fast as they could to Albany, abandoning their artillery pieces.


On the 15th October 1777, Israel Putnam entered Albany with 12,000 men, 6 days before Clinton reached the city. Sending riders on either side, Clinton realised that neither Burgoyne or Barry St. Leger were in the vicinity. Numbering 18,000 strong, Clinton's force resolved to entrench and besiege Albany on the 21st October. On the 26th, a rider came to Clinton, stating that Barry St. Leger had managed to cross the Mohawk River and was making his way south to Clinton's camp. Resolved to stay put, Clinton ordered his men for an attack. As if it were by premonition, Putnam ordered his men to take the field on the 27th, with St. Leger not in sight. Clinton took up arms with his force. Clashing, the two sides were anxious but not willing to give in at all. If Clinton lost, he would never obtain Howe's respect again let alone a field command. If Putnam lost, then he would go like Schuyler, out the door to be replaced by Benjamin Lincoln or John Stark or God forbid Charles Lee.

The fighting was strong on both sides, with the lines wavering but not breaking. The British artillery shot long and hard into the Continental Army's lines, but the patriots held on, believing that the miracle of Fort Ann could be replicated. Marching hard and fast and long, Barry St. Leger's 2,500 strong managed to reach the battlefield seven hours after fighting had begun. Sore and desperate and tired, both sides tried however hard as they could to break the other. Putnam's right wing was shocked by the sudden gunfire that St. Leger had presented. It was more than enough for them to break, even as several of St. Leger's men fainted from exhaustion. Clinton entered Albany in the night, around half past seven. Israel Putnam, remembering St. Clair and Stark, marched his men in the night to join their forces.

The Continentals lost 1,716 men, with 314 wounded and 1,288 captured, to the British losses of 1,172 dead and 409 wounded. Clinton and St. Leger would have 19,300 men in total inside Albany, compared to Putnam's 8,900 men. On the 10th November, Putnam and Stark and St. Clair had joined their forces east of Hudson river, a total of 17,000 men. At the same time on the 10th, Burgoyne's forces reached Albany, making the British force number 26,500. After a war council was convened, Burgoyne believed that a final strike would be enough.


Leaving a garrison of 4,500 men inside under Barry St. Clair's command, Burgoyne and Clinton would march out 22,000 men to face the Continentals. The Battle of Lansingburgh, occurring on the 14th November 1777, would be the last conflict of the year and the final nail in the coffin. Clinton's force of 10,000 faced Putnam's 7,000 while Burgoyne's 12,000 faced Stark's 6,000. Arthur St. Clair attempted to get his 4,000 men to push through the centre, to divide the British force. He was checked by Hessian troops reinforcing the centre and leading the advance. Burgoyne and Clinton ordered their men forward, with Putnam holding the line under more and more pressure. As for Stark, his men cracked and fled, leaving Burgoyne to swing his forces to the south. General St. Clair halted and attempted to face Burgoyne while Stark reformed his lines. Shot in the leg, St. Clair could not get back up. The men wavered while Putnam retreated in good order. Pushing the artillery forward, the British pummelled Stark's reformed lines with canister shot, sending them into rout. Broken and facing more and more of Clinton's men, Israel Putnam ordered his men to stand down.

Lansingburgh would be the sight of a great British victory and the end of what would be a horrible year for the Continental Army, the Continental Congress and the cause. The Continentals would have a total of 2,513 dead and 1,116 wounded with St. Clair dying from his wound two days later. The British would have 682 dead and 1,247 wounded.

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Benedict Arnold wished to be promoted. Whether it was intentional or not, this never came to pass. With severe wounds in his legs, he quit the army in its darkest hour.



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Henry Clinton, a man who was finally given the respected he needed. Howe would congratulate him soon enough, even after things in the post war period didn't go his way.


The news of the victory would prevent France or any foreign nation from recognising the United States, much to the pleasure of King George III and Prime Minister Lord North. What made it all the more better was the news of Governor Thomas Chittenden of the Vermont Republic and his acceptance of the British offer for Vermont to become a British province on the 27th November 1777.

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Anyway, that is all for this year, I hope that this post is all good. Thoughts and comments and likes are appreciated. Thank you all for watching.
 
1778: The Curtain Draws
5th February 1778. South Carolina had argued over and over again on the matter of ratification. "The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union" was the document that would establish the way the United States would work, or would have worked. The Battle of Lansingburgh had ended large-scale resistance against the Loyalist cause, with Vermont's forces aiding British regulars in quelling pockets of militia. A raid on Bennington had alienated Vermonters, when John Stark failed to keep angry Patriot militias in line. A total of 6 civilians and 3 militia were killed in a one hour raid for supplies on the 27th November 1777. The Green Mountain Boys, once the stock of rebellious men, began to turn to the Loyalists following reprisals against the new province.

The failure of the Continental Army in the north had been made as a point against ratification, while supporters drew on the standing armies of Lee and Gates (who remained outside of New England, with John Stark's force being less than 3,000) who were still in the fight. Those against ratification stated that any peace which involved union with Britain could involve compensation for runaway slaves and guarantees that would protect the institution. Those in favour stated that the idea would be made pointless given how Vermont (backdated to the 25th of January) was now a British province and that the Continental Congress would protect the institution.

On the 5th of February 1778, South Carolina refused to ratify unless there were clear protections for the institution of slavery.

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The refusal of South Carolina to ratify left only Virginia as its single signatory. The New York General Assembly could not convene, as Albany and New York had been captured and Henry Clinton was ordered to make a move south along the Hudson to meet with Howe. On the 4th March 1778, Clinton marched along the Hudson with 9,000 men in tow, hoping to receive reinforcements along the way. Gates and Lee, on the other hand, had to deal with desertions and end of enlistments. For Gates, the desertion rate was severe during the winter, with 800 men leaving during the Christmas period. African-Americans accounted for one-third of the Continental desertions. Patriot mobs attacked deserters and would-be Loyalists, which began to alienate those that had not picked a side and fuelled Loyalist sentiments. Houses were firebombed and Loyalists were tarred and feathered, while Patriots were shot at and copies of the Stars and Stripes were burned. Windows were smashed in if the homeowner had declared themselves in with the Continental Army.

Horatio Gates had a total of 5,700 men compared to the 6,500 that Lee possessed. Militias were few and far in New England as the Loyalist civilians began to pick up momentum. On the 25th March 1778, General Howe received word that Clinton would follow him. Howe's plan was to advance to Harrisburg with 10,000 men, leaving Lord Percy behind with 5,000 regulars. It wasn't until the 28th that Howe and Clinton would meet at Lancaster. With 19,000 men, Howe believed it would be better to divide his forces and have both halves on either side of the Susquehanna River. Howe would march his men on the west bank while Clinton remained east. On the 2nd April, both forces marched, with Clinton advancing to Harrisburg while Howe reached York, Pennsylvania that day. Putting in a 2,000 man garrison, Howe advanced north to Harrisburg on the 3rd with 8,000 men.

The news of Clinton and Howe advancing had done more to alarm the Continental Congress. Attempts could be made at Baltimore, but there were risks of an interception by Loyalist forces. Outnumbered, Gates went ahead with the plans to defend the city. Every man turned out for the defence and riders were sent out to recruit relief columns. On the 5th April 1778, Clinton's forces were on the east side of Harrisburg, joined several hours later by Howe's forces. The Loyalists besieged the city, while defending the supply lines from militia.



On the 8th April 1778, the Battle of Harrisburg had begun . Clinton opened up the fighting by pushing his Hessian/Indian right-wing to attack the northern redoubts while Howe continued to hammer the defences in the south with artillery fire (on his right-wing). Gates was caught in the jaws, with no possible action other than a breakout. Benjamin Lincoln led 2,000 men to breakout from the south, hoping to push Howe's left wing away and give cover fire for Gates' retreat. Lincoln's advance was noticed, with the artillery abruptly shifting towards Lincoln's advance while Howe's left opened fire. Weakening his centre, Howe super extended his left-wing, checking Lincoln's move and halting him. Lincoln's men put up a fight for over three hours before retreating into the city. Clinton's advances managed to break through several redoubts, but a counter-charge led by Alexander Hamilton halted him there. Clinton kept up the fire, with a lucky cannon shot taking off Hamilton's right arm.

Howe advanced forward, keeping Gates' southern forces in check with artillery fire. The advancing Loyalist forces caused the Continental Congress, which was sheltering from the gunfire, to panic. Horatio Gates knew that this was the last fight of his career, as there was nowhere left to retreat to. As the night came, both sides called it for a day, calling in men from across the area. Howe received 900 fresh soldiers, while Clinton was waiting on reinforcements from Lord Percy and Burgoyne.

9th of April: The Second Day. Howe started with artillery fire as he shifted his dragoons to his left-flank. Clinton held in the captured redoubts, beating back Gates' men. Inside several cutters, a total of 90 Hessian and British redcoats stormed the city during midday, hoping to find the Continental Congress as Clinton and Howe increased their pressure on Gates. All of the outer defences were breached by 2pm, with street by street fighting taking place. As the dragoons swept the back alleys and side paths, the Continentals broke and fell into disarray. Horatio Gates surrendered at 3pm, in front of the Continental Congress and in front of Henry Clinton and William Howe.


The Battle of Harrisburg would be the final battle in the Patriot Rebellion. Out of 19,900 men, Howe and Clinton lost 918 and had 421 wounded. Gates had lost 2,135 (including Hamilton who bled out), had 776 wounded and the rest surrendering. There was no chance now for the rebellion to succeed. On the 1st of April 1778, King George III gave the authorisation for a peace commission to be sent to the Continental Congress. Five men would be sent to treat with the Americans, they were: William Eden, Richard Jackson, George Johnstone, Henry Clinton (thanks to the influence of his cousin) and Joseph Galloway.


Charles Lee in South Carolina declared himself "Commander-in-Chief" of the Continental Army, ordering his men to march into North Carolina. Cornwallis would hear of the advance and he would pursue Lee, even after receiving the news of Gates' surrender. Lee would refuse to give in, writing letters to the Congress (which had surrendered), hoping that reinforcements would arrive. Lee would split his forces, allowing Anthony Wayne to take 3,000 men inland while Lee took 3500 men to Wilmington. Scouts pursued Lee to Wilmington, which Cornwallis marched to on the 12th of May 1778. Three days later, the peace delegation arrived in New York, travelling overland to Harrisburg.

On the 14th May 1778, Cornwallis besieged Wilmington, with a force of 8,000 men compared to Lee's 4,700 men. By then, the news had arrived of Gates' surrender. Cornwallis would leave the city in peace if Lee surrendered now. The city was now filled with people who demanded an end to the fighting, with a dozen soldiers caught deserting. Lee wanted to prove himself and time and time again saw him fail. Knowing that it was lost, Charles Lee surrendered on the 15th of May 1778, after Cornwallis exchanged letters as a sign of the Congress' surrender.



Further north in Harrisburg, the peace settlement was being made. The Tea Act and the Massachusetts Government Act were abolished along with the Intolerable Acts. The British would not accepted independence nor would they accept the return of escaped slaves to their masters. The Continental delegation was led by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Horatio Gates, James Madison and Richard Henry Lee. The Iroquois Confederacy was to retain their present borders, while Vermont gained its recognition as a province and the province of Quebec would have its representation as well. The Proclamation line of 1763 was pulled further west, with settlement open south of the Ohio River and ending at the Mississippi. The Iroquois being represented at Harrisburg would be exempt, having their lands spared after showing loyalty to the British cause.

Joseph Galloway led the charge for self-government, that his plan from 1774 would be modified. The provinces would be granted the right to elected MPs to represent them in Westminster, in return the colonial assemblies would have the right to tax their own citizens. New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Nova Scotia, St John's Island, Newfoundland, Quebec, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, West Florida and East Florida would all have 2 MPs each, giving a total of 40 MPs (out of a Parliament that already had 558 members). A condition in the treaty would state that elected MPs coming from North America would take six weeks to see them to London and thus the election of 1779 would start on the 5th August. The provincial assemblies would provide the money for the upkeep of a standing army. All soldiers would have amnesty provided they swear an Oath of Allegiance, while high ranking members of the rebellion would be acquitted or subject to punishments.

Following the establishment of Fort Georgia (OTL Port Jackson) on the 26th January 1779, New South Wales would be established as a penal outpost and colony. The first 400 convicts were men who fought in the rebellion, mixed in with common criminals alongside 2,000 Quakers and Protestant freemen.

The Treaty of Harrisburg would be signed on the 6th September 1778, before it would be signed again on the 21st November in London.


It was a humiliating blow for many, seeing defeat after defeat after defeat. But for one man, it was enough. Taking his family and possessions, the man would travel west, with the intention of crossing the Mississippi. He would not be alone. 1,000 Patriots emigrated from the country in the year. Thomas Paine, a noted radical, fled for France along with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. But out of those 1,000, 800 travelled west with the man. A man who would lead another failed struggle against the British. His name is Aaron Burr.

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I hope that this is all good, all thoughts and comments are appreciated. Thank you all for watching the TL.
 
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Interesting so far. I am excited to see what you do with Burr. Perhaps we will get his empire in the West like he wanted IOTL, even if under very different circumstances. Will be watching.
 
Interesting so far. I am excited to see what you do with Burr. Perhaps we will get his empire in the West like he wanted IOTL, even if under very different circumstances. Will be watching.
Thank you. Burr will be an interesting person, as well as the surviving Patriot emigres and the Loyalists in the near future. Andrew Jackson will be...interesting. BTW, love your Civil War TL, enjoyed reading it.

You hooked me with a TL name and POD based on my hometown. Will watch with interest.
Thank you, now I need to write a TL based on my region in Australia. *Tries to not get distracted*
 
The New Beginning In New South Wales (1779 - 1800)
Fort Georgia (OTL Port Jackson) would be the first European settlement in what was called New Holland on the 26th January 1779. In the First Fleet would be 2,100 free settlers. These settlers would be a mix of English Anglicans, Scots Presbyterians, Irish Catholics, Quakers, 17 Jews and 230 Hessian men and women. They would be accompanied by 400 convicts, a mix of British criminals as well as former American revolutionaries.

The 2,500 would be accompanied by a further 200 redcoats and officers under the command of Governor Arthur Philip. The troubles started with a lack of agricultural experience, which was alleviated somewhat by the presence of American convicts and free Quakers. It was also the presence of the latter that allowed for Philip to engage with the local Eora peoples, including the man named Bennelong. Relations between the Eora and the Quakers were warmer than any of the settlers to the natives. It was on the initiative of the Quakers that some form of teaching be given and that they would start learning from the Eora. Bennelong along with some trusted natives would teach several Quakers Dharug in return for being taught English.

Arthur Philip would oversea the running of New South Wales and the smoothing of relations between the Eora and the Second, Third and Fourth Fleets. With these fleets, Hessians, Loyalists, Irish and Britons came in their hundreds alongside American and British convicts. Women would make up 1/5th the population by 1780, 1/3rd by 1785 before reaching 50/50 in 1790. Philip would also allow for the expansion of settlements in Norfolk Island, Van Diemen's Land as well as several whaling and sealing stations in the 1780's in Belfast (OTL Port Fairy), Port Howe (OTL Warrnambool) and Fort Banks (OTL Geelong). This was around the time that communications with the Maori began in 1786, with South Plymouth (OTL Auckland) being a Quaker settlement.

Arthur Philip would be replaced by James Cook in 1789, who had made six voyages across the globe at this point in time. Cook would expand the settlements to the south and north, always ensuring the trust of Bennelong as well as the "Native Lobby", a group of Quakers and Protestants who had begun to sympathise with the native peoples. Disaster would strike with a smallpox epidemic, transmitted from newly arrived American convicts and passed onto the Kulin Nation as well as the Eora. Cook would be shocked at the numbers of native men, women and children that were dying or dead from the diseases, figuring out that they were not resistant at all. Expansion inland had been taken up by several teams of settlers, with the passing of the Blue Mountains done on the 7th October 1794 and the sighting of the Cornwallis Plains (OTL Bathurst Plains). Establishing a settlement called South York (Bathurst), a total of 115 Hessians would establish the first seeds of the future nation known as Antipodea.

By 1800, the population of New South Wales would be 26,675, which is made up of natural births (7-9 children) free immigration of 1,000 people per year or 2,000 convicts. British/American Anglicans would be the majority demographic, then Scots Presbyterians, Quakers, Jews, Catholics followed by 2,000 people who followed other minor denominations. After the wars in Europe, Antipodea would see a population boom. Soon enough.
 
I'm still a little disappointed that Burr's future revolt will fail. Will there be no successful revolution in the Americas? Maybe some Americans spin off a portion of New Spain or something.
 
I'm still a little disappointed that Burr's future revolt will fail. Will there be no successful revolution in the Americas? Maybe some Americans spin off a portion of New Spain or something.
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Will there be any other colonizers in Australia or New Zealand apart from the British?

In Australia and New Zealand? No. In the wider Pacific? We'll see *tosses up between two and seven other nations claiming the Pacific*
 
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