Title: Upper%20New%20York/Philadelphia
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- Upper New York/Philadelphia
- A Tale of Two Armies
2Ben Franklin goes to France
- On Dec. 28th, 1776 Benjamin Franklin arrives in
France - Attempt to negotiate alliance with France
- Weapons already being sent
- Needed military, naval support
- Although France is eager to defeat its arch
nemesis, Britain, it doesnt want to back a loser
- Franklin needs to prove that the Americans can
win the war - Franklin needs a decisive American victory
3British split their forces
- As the campaigning season of 1777 would begin,
the British would split their army - John Burgoyne would lead an effort to take Upper
New York (Northern army) - Tried to isolate New England from rest of states
- Howe would lead an effort to take Philadelphia
(Southern army ) - Most important, populous American city
4Howes route to Philly
- Howe decided to take a sea route
- Much longer
- Wasted valuable time, supplies
- Was only 40 miles closer than when he started
- Landed in Chesapeake Bay in August 1777
5Battle of Brandywine Creek
- Washingtons 11,000 soldiers positioned
themselves between Howes 15,000 and Philadelphia
- At Chads Ford, PA near Brandywine River
- On Sept. 11, Howe split his forces
- Engaged Washington near Chads Ford
- Took other half up river on a day long march,
crossing at Jefferies Ford - Outflanked Americans and forced retreat
6Brandywine Results
- British victory, but strong American resistance
- 1400 American casualties, 500 British
- Americans put up hard fight for 8 hours
- Morale not broken
7Howe takes Philadelphia
- Sept. 26 Howe and his army marches into and takes
Philadelphia - Continental Congress eludes capture and moves to
York, PA
A
8Germantown
- Oct. 4, 1777
- Washington goes on the offensive
- Attacks Howes 9,000 troops stationed outside
Philly in Germantown - Supposed to be a surprising, simultaneous, four
prong attack - Americans were not in-synch, but the element of
surprise still works - After initial success, the Americans two
flanking units fire on each other in heavy
fog/smoke - Withdraw
- With his flanks unsupported, Washington retreats
some 16 miles to White Marsh - Howe does not pursue
- French are impressed with audacity of attack
9Germantown
Americans attacking the British occupied Chew
House in Germantown, 1777
B
10White Marsh
- Howe tries one last time to finish Washington at
White Marsh, PA - Marched 14,000 troops on Dec. 5
- Howe sends detachments to test American lines
- Washingtons men repel each attack
- Howe never amounts a full scale attack, decides
to return to PA for Winter - American Victory
- Last major engagement of 1777
- On Dec. 11, Washington would retire troops to
Valley Forge for winter
"Washington at the George Emlen House,
Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania" by Henry Ogden Alexander
Video Clips A B
11Burgoynes Saratoga Campaign
- Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne plans to sail down
Hudson taking Albany, NY - St. Ledger sails down St. Lawrence
- Take all land in between Hudson and Lake Ontario
- Completely cut off New England
12Americans in the North
- Burgoyne would face mostly local militias
- Washington was busy in Philly
- Washington would reinforce militias with some
battle-tested regulars, especially towards the
end of the campaign - General Horatio Gates appointed American
commander of Northern Forces
General Horatio Gates
13Burgoynes New York Campaign
- Burgoyne departs from Montreal and sails down the
Hudson, reclaiming Fort Ticonderoga on July 6,
1777 - American forces abandon fort after Burgoyne
stations his men and guns on Defiance Hill,
overlooking the fort
Fort Ticonderoga
14Burgoyne Rolls
- Burgoyne continues down Hudson claiming American
Forts and defeating American resistance as he
goes - Hubberton, Vt.
- Strong American resistance, slows British
- Fort Anne
- Burgoyne leaves troops to garrison each fort, and
begins overland march - Americans chopped trees in his path to slow
progress
15Battle of Bennington
- Aug. 16, 1777
- Burgoyne sends 1,250 troops (Hessians, Canadians,
Tories) to raid Bennington, VT ammunition stores - 2,000 New Hampshire, Vermont Massachusetts
militia met British outside city - British quickly fortified small hill
- American General John Stark
- led a successful 3 prong attack
- Enveloped British
- Over 1000 British causalities (700 captured)
Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington, Vt.
Aug 16 is a legal holiday in Vt.
16Saratoga (Freemans Farm)
- As Burgoyne moves towards Albany with 6,000
troops, American Forces get in the way - American General Horatio Gates had fortified
Bemis Heights in Saratoga County, NY with over
9,000 men - Militia and reinforcements from Washington
- Hearing that the British were moving toward the
Heights, on Sept. 19th, Gates sends Benedict
Arnold to check on British advance - Arnold takes elite riflemen led by Daniel Morgan
- Arnold turns reconnaissance into a battle and
attacks the British in Freemans Farm - Americans fight hard but are outnumbered
- Gates refuses to provide enough men to continue
battle - Arnold retreats back to Heights
- British fortify field
- Heavy British casualties
- 600 British casualties, 300 Americans
17Saratoga (Bemis Heights)
- Gates removes Arnold from command after
Freemans Farm - Turning reconnaissance into Battle
- Gates had taken all credit for British casualties
at Freemans Field - Hated each other
- After weeks of fortification, on Oct. 7th, the
British (6,000) decide to attack Americans on
Bemis Heights - Americans backed by thousands of local militia
- Now over 12,000 men
- Americans led by Benedict Arnold
- Against orders
- Instructs riflemen to aim for officers
- Leads charge and rallies men
- Falls wounded leg
- Americans take field and British retreat North
18Saratoga
- Burgoyne and his troops are stopped and
surrounded when trying to retreat back across
Hudson - American General Horatio Gates demands surrender
- Burgoyne surrenders his entire Northern army of
6,000 on Oct. 17, 1777
Tower at Victory, New York where the surrender
occurred. There are pedestals for four American
heroes at the base above the doors. One of the
pedestals is left empty to signify Benedict
Arnold.
19Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold plays an instrumental role in the
battle, but Gates accepts all credit for
successes, leaving Arnold no glory as he healed
in an Albany hospital
Monument to Arnolds wounded leg at Saratoga
National Park
Arnold rallies troops at Saratoga
20Surrender
Surrender of General Burgoyne by John Trumbull.
It hangs in the United States Capitol Rotunda.
21The End of 1777
- American morale is high with surrender
- Starting to perform more like a disciplined army
- Strong showings at Brandywine Creek, Germantown,
and Saratoga surrender impress French - Franklin is close to delivering France
- Washington and his troops winter in Valley Forge,
PA