From A History of the British Armed Forces in North America
The 1778 Hudson campaign was one of the hardest of the war. It received little glory on either side, and was overshadowed by the later disaster at Albany, but was fought with relentless abandon. There were no glorious battles, but there were constant engagements. Rather than fight at Ticonderoga, Benedict Arnold led some of the hardiest New England riflemen in a series of harassing raids on the British lines, slowing Cornwallis’s march to a crawl. It was most fortuitous that Cornwallis had anticipated this turn of events, and inexorably marched to the Hudson, where he set up his supply lines.
From The Sack of Albany
It had long been building, this disaster. 1777 had seen of the most ferocious fighting between Indian and colonist since Metcomet’s War. 1778 saw similar fighting. In late fall of 1777, a force of upstate militiamen massacred a village of Iroquois. In retaliation, several farmers and their families were killed that winter. This blood feud expanded, and by August of 1778, when the warband slipped up to the defenses of Albany, tensions were running high.
The unprepared city surrendered quickly. There was no water, and no hope of resistance. General Schuyler wisely urged absolutely no resistance. The initial conquest was remarkably well-ordered, with the Indians smashing ammunition stores and making off with foods, but murdering no one. Then, apparently, a long rifleman from a second story window shot and killed one of the braves. A citywide hunt for long rifles began, and led to a few struggles.
In one of these struggles, Joseph Brant, or Thayandegae, was shot and killed. All hell promptly broke loose. Word of Brant’s death spread like wildfire among the Indians, and the sack of Albany began. Five hundred people were killed, nearly seven hundred wounded, and the city was practically burned to the ground. When word spread to the Continentals, the New York militia practically disintegrated as the shocked militiamen rushed home to see to their families. Arnold proposed a lightning raid to wipe out the Five Nations. Fortunately for the Continentals, cooler heads prevailed. It was also fortunate for the Continentals that Cornwallis was not prepared for a lightning crossing of the Hudson, for he surely could have routed Arnold’s shaken force.
It was fortunate for the Americans that Phillip Schuyler was taken prisoner, and fortunate for the Iroquois that he was not killed, for the popular image of the Albany massacre was critical to what would occur. When word reached Cornwallis, he was stunned. “My God,” he said, “what have we done?” It was a question that would echo in the halls of Parliament that winter.
From The Complete History of the War of Independence
A perfect storm arrived in London that November, just enough of a storm to derail the North ministry. At the end of October, King George appeared to reassure Parliament that the war in the Americas would be won. Questions had begun to appear in Parliament as to whether or not there would be any victories, particularly after word of the 1777 Jersey campaign arrived.
The king’s speech was by any account one of his better ones, promising to subdue the American rebellion, reestablish the flag, and keep the Empire as strong as it ever was. It did, however, include two unfortunate phrases. The first was a promise to protect the loyal Americans by “subjugating” the rebels. The second was a promise to win the war using “what means are necessary”.
The very next morning, word of the sack of Albany reached Parliament. The next day, Burgoyne’s dispatch promising to “bring the face of war” to Virginia arrived. Chaos broke loose in Commons, and through the efforts of Edmund Burke, and later, Charles James Fox. Burke gave a thunderous oration, proclaiming that “If sacks of Albany are not enough, if we must sack as well Virginia, and New York, and Philadelphia, to maintain the colonies, do we not give up our moral right to govern them? Are these the means necessary? Is this the face of war we are to turn to the colonies? If this is what is needed to maintain the colonies, we trade our Empire, we trade what makes Great Britain what it is, to maintain a few American colonies. In the name of God, let them go!”
It would be a long fight in Parliament to end the war, but an important step was taken when Burke succeeded in convincing the Ministry to issue a “consolidation order”. Even the moderates agreed that something had gone badly wrong, especially because the offensive of 1778 had failed. The order informed all commanders in America that major offensive operations were not to take place in 1779, or until further orders had arrived from Parliament. Burgoyne’s men were permitted to shift back to New York, and tactical offensives could be launched to maintain the lines already held, but no strategic offensives.
This respite was crucial to the Americans, who had no intentions of attacking either. When Charles James Fox returned to power, the push was on to end the war. The Fox government, though officially headed by the Duke of Portland, succeeded in getting through a plan to negotiate with the Americans, an attempt that was bitterly opposed by the king. In June, 1779, word reached the Americans that negotiations were to take place.
The 1778 Hudson campaign was one of the hardest of the war. It received little glory on either side, and was overshadowed by the later disaster at Albany, but was fought with relentless abandon. There were no glorious battles, but there were constant engagements. Rather than fight at Ticonderoga, Benedict Arnold led some of the hardiest New England riflemen in a series of harassing raids on the British lines, slowing Cornwallis’s march to a crawl. It was most fortuitous that Cornwallis had anticipated this turn of events, and inexorably marched to the Hudson, where he set up his supply lines.
From The Sack of Albany
It had long been building, this disaster. 1777 had seen of the most ferocious fighting between Indian and colonist since Metcomet’s War. 1778 saw similar fighting. In late fall of 1777, a force of upstate militiamen massacred a village of Iroquois. In retaliation, several farmers and their families were killed that winter. This blood feud expanded, and by August of 1778, when the warband slipped up to the defenses of Albany, tensions were running high.
The unprepared city surrendered quickly. There was no water, and no hope of resistance. General Schuyler wisely urged absolutely no resistance. The initial conquest was remarkably well-ordered, with the Indians smashing ammunition stores and making off with foods, but murdering no one. Then, apparently, a long rifleman from a second story window shot and killed one of the braves. A citywide hunt for long rifles began, and led to a few struggles.
In one of these struggles, Joseph Brant, or Thayandegae, was shot and killed. All hell promptly broke loose. Word of Brant’s death spread like wildfire among the Indians, and the sack of Albany began. Five hundred people were killed, nearly seven hundred wounded, and the city was practically burned to the ground. When word spread to the Continentals, the New York militia practically disintegrated as the shocked militiamen rushed home to see to their families. Arnold proposed a lightning raid to wipe out the Five Nations. Fortunately for the Continentals, cooler heads prevailed. It was also fortunate for the Continentals that Cornwallis was not prepared for a lightning crossing of the Hudson, for he surely could have routed Arnold’s shaken force.
It was fortunate for the Americans that Phillip Schuyler was taken prisoner, and fortunate for the Iroquois that he was not killed, for the popular image of the Albany massacre was critical to what would occur. When word reached Cornwallis, he was stunned. “My God,” he said, “what have we done?” It was a question that would echo in the halls of Parliament that winter.
From The Complete History of the War of Independence
A perfect storm arrived in London that November, just enough of a storm to derail the North ministry. At the end of October, King George appeared to reassure Parliament that the war in the Americas would be won. Questions had begun to appear in Parliament as to whether or not there would be any victories, particularly after word of the 1777 Jersey campaign arrived.
The king’s speech was by any account one of his better ones, promising to subdue the American rebellion, reestablish the flag, and keep the Empire as strong as it ever was. It did, however, include two unfortunate phrases. The first was a promise to protect the loyal Americans by “subjugating” the rebels. The second was a promise to win the war using “what means are necessary”.
The very next morning, word of the sack of Albany reached Parliament. The next day, Burgoyne’s dispatch promising to “bring the face of war” to Virginia arrived. Chaos broke loose in Commons, and through the efforts of Edmund Burke, and later, Charles James Fox. Burke gave a thunderous oration, proclaiming that “If sacks of Albany are not enough, if we must sack as well Virginia, and New York, and Philadelphia, to maintain the colonies, do we not give up our moral right to govern them? Are these the means necessary? Is this the face of war we are to turn to the colonies? If this is what is needed to maintain the colonies, we trade our Empire, we trade what makes Great Britain what it is, to maintain a few American colonies. In the name of God, let them go!”
It would be a long fight in Parliament to end the war, but an important step was taken when Burke succeeded in convincing the Ministry to issue a “consolidation order”. Even the moderates agreed that something had gone badly wrong, especially because the offensive of 1778 had failed. The order informed all commanders in America that major offensive operations were not to take place in 1779, or until further orders had arrived from Parliament. Burgoyne’s men were permitted to shift back to New York, and tactical offensives could be launched to maintain the lines already held, but no strategic offensives.
This respite was crucial to the Americans, who had no intentions of attacking either. When Charles James Fox returned to power, the push was on to end the war. The Fox government, though officially headed by the Duke of Portland, succeeded in getting through a plan to negotiate with the Americans, an attempt that was bitterly opposed by the king. In June, 1779, word reached the Americans that negotiations were to take place.
