Continental Marines

Now that we knew what the colonists were planning William compelled the soldier to forget everything from the last three minutes and sent him off with a bucket full of water. As we watched the soldier walk away from us William pulled his pocket watch out of his coat pocket to see what time it was. The Sun would creep over the horizon in about an hour and a half so I was forced to return to Boston where I found Jeffrey standing outside a lodging house waiting for me. Jeffrey lead me to the room I…

Historical Fiction I. Book Selection - The book Young Patriots is compiled by short stories tell through the eyes of children. The book goes through the different events and battles that occurred during the American revolution. One of the short stories is dedicated to the surrender of the British in Yorktown, Virginia. The story begins by focusing on the betrayal of a friendship between Ben (American) and Rodney (English troop drummer). The story is told through Ben’s eye as he witnesses the…

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, most Americans doubted America’s ability to defeat the British. Although the British held various strengths over the Patriots, America had several key advantages over the British. When the British arrived to fight, they underestimated the resilience, political and military leadership, and strategic capacity of the Patriots. Eventually America triumphed in the Revolutionary War, emerging successful against the daunting British regime. The Patriots…

Picture Colonial America in early 1778. You are probably imagining a courageous George Washington directing a powerful Continental Army against the British soldiers. In reality it was a heap of soldiers stuck freezing in a camp 18 miles away from Philadelphia. Many soldiers had deserted or did not reenlist. Would you have re-enlisted? I re-enlisted because I wanted to fight for the men who couldn’t, I wanted to prove my sincerity to my government, and I believed in my cause. One reason I…

George Washington was born on February 22nd, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. George was eldest of six children from his father's second marriage. His half brother lawrence became his mentor after death of his father. His mother discouraged from pursuing a career in the navy and so, for the next few years, Washington conducted surveys in Virginia and present West Virginia and gained a lifetime interest in the West. In 1751-52 he also accompanied Lawrence on a visit he made to Barbados,…

The familiar sound of wheezing fills my ears. Exactly then I know a letter will be sent to a praying family whose hopes will fade into merely a memory and in the morning we will be burying one of our men, who never will get to see his children grow up in a land free from the tyranny of Britain. Every night I went to sleep there was the fear that I might not be able to move in the morning or even wake up. While “the British were comfortably quartered” the Americans were struggling to get by…

On December 25, Washington took 2,500 men with him; while 3,000 men were also trying to get across the Delaware River. They planned a surprise attack on the Hessian stronghold. They surrounded the Hessian stronghold and took it over while the Hessians were still trying to recover from the night before. While the painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze and the poem “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by David Shulman are similar there are also many differences. First off,…

Washington Crossing the Delaware is a painting that inspires patriotism in the hearts of many across the United States. It is hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and many smaller versions of it hang in the classrooms of history teachers across the nation. The painting, by Emanuel Leutze, was born out of a desire to inspire the people of Germany and it has historical inaccuracies yet symbolic depictions (Harmon). Emanuel Leutze was born in Germany in 1816 and moved to the United States at a…

SARATOGA, NEW YORK October 17, 1777 - A British army of nearly 7,000 surrendered today to a combined force of American militia and Continental regulars. "The fortunes of war have made me your prisoner," said British General John Burgoyne as he handed over his sword to his American counterpart, Horatio Gates. "I shall always be ready to testify that it was through no fault of your excellency," Gates replied.News of the huge British defeat spread quickly through the colonies and fueled speculation…

like rats with no place to go. Now all we had to do is wait them out. They only had so much supplies and with about 7,000 men they would be gone fast. By September 28, we had completly encircled Cornwallis and Yorktown with our combined forces of Continental and French troops. After three weeks of non-stop bombardment, both day and night, from cannon and artillery fire, Cornwallis finally surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781.…