Siege Of Yorktown

The Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was a very important and decisive victory  for the Americans who combined the assault with the french army led by General George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau. They fought against  a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. In 1780, 5,500 French soldiers landed in Rhode Island to assist their American allies, Washington and Rochambeau decided to ask de Grasse for help to stop the british from getting troops and supplies by sea.

The French and American armies got together  during the summer of 1781. When word of de Grasse's approval for help arrived, the American and French forces began moving south toward Virginia, De Grasse sailed from the West Indies and arrived at the Chesapeake Bay at the end of August, bringing additional troops and making a blockades at Yorktown. Cornwallis was surrounded and he sent sick men to the American lines trying to infect them and have a chance to escape, but it was in vain and he sent a soldier with a white flag indicating that Cornwallis was surrendering.

Battle of Saratoga

Battle of Saratoga , was on September 19 to October 7, 1777. The fight decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American Revolutionary War  and are generally know for a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground. Burgoyne purpose was to divide New England from the southern colonies and it was going out well in the beginning, won a small victory over General Horatio Gates and the Continental Army in the September 19 Battle of Freeman's Farm. What he has gained from that fight he lost it when he attacked the Americans in the October 7 Battle of Bemis Heights, the Americans captured some of the British defenses.

Burgoyne was forced to retreat by this, and his army was surrounded by the American army at Saratoga, forcing him to surrender on October 17.  When the news of Burgoyne's surrender went out it helped the Americans because the French joined in as their allies, the American army had now more supplies, guns and weapons and this helped them greatly.

Charles Cornwallis

Charles Cornwallis, born on December 31,1738 and died on October 5,1805. He was a British army officer and colonial administrator, he is best known for being a great leader in the American war of Independence. The war practically ended when he surrendered against an American and French militia attack at Yorktown.
He was born in a very wealthy family and had military interests since a young age, he was also known for " Earl Cornwallis".

Cornwallis is mostly remembered for his surrender at Yorktown, He is well know in the USA for this. He was Governor of India for a while and he died of a fever shortly after being appointed, died at Gauspur in Ghazipur.Cornwallis signed the Traety of Amiens, it stated that hostilities  between the French and the British would end during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802, by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" . The Treaty only lasted ! year and it was the only period of peace in the French Revolutionary War

Battle Of Camden

The Battle Of Camden was a really important victory for the British in the Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces under the command of General Charles Lord Cornwallis had defeated the American army of  General Horatio Gates about 10 km north of Camden strengthening the British hold on the Carolinas.

The fight was an embarrassing defeat for Gates,because Gates army was far more superior than the British, the patriots outnumbered the British, after this he never led an army again. He was a popular man and his political connections helped him avoid the courts and trials.

 Camden was a key point that had to be captured to control the Carolina s. On July 27, Gates moved into South Carolina, heading towards Camden, then camped with  about 1,000 men under the leadership of Rawdon Gates established a camp at Rugeley's Mill, north of Camden, then troops from north Carolina and Virginia came and joined him ,The weather was extremely hot, and some troops had been infectious diseases like dysentery. Although Gates had over 4,000 men in camp, only about 2000 of them were good enough for combat, in part because Gates further reduced their numbers by sending several hundred men in support of  Sumter and Marion.

Valley Forge

 

 

      War was advancing in a very quick manner, Washington saw that, and as winter approached he looked for a place to establish with his troops. He decided for Valley Forge, located 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia. The area was close enough to the British to keep their raiding and foraging parties out of the interior of Pennsylvania, yet far enough away to halt the threat of British surprise attacks. The high ground of Mount Joy and the adjoining elevated ground of Mount Misery made the area easily defensible. During December 19, 1777, when Washington's poorly fed, ill-equipped army, weary from long marches, struggled into Valley Forge, winds blew as the 12,000 Continentals prepared for winter's fury.

      

      Within week and 3 days, the man were undercover the first properly constructed hut appeared in 3 days. One other hut, whose timber had to be collected from miles away, went up in one week with the use of only one axe. These huts provided sufficient protection from the cold, but mainly wet and damp conditions of the mild, but typical Pennsylvania winter of 1777–1778. Snow was limited, and small in amounts. Alternating freezing and melting of snow and ice made it impossible to keep dry and allowed for disease to fester. Soldiers received irregular supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "fire cake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water.

       

      Word of the British departure from Philadelphia brought a frenzied activity to the ranks of the Continental Army. On June 19, 1778, six months after its arrival, the army marched away from Valley Forge in pursuit of the British, who were moving toward New York. The war would last for another five years, but for Washington, his men, and the nation to which they sought to give birth, a decisive victory had been won.

Molly Pitcher in the Battle of Monmouth

 

     In June 1778, Mary hays, most commonly known as molly pitcher was attending the army by providing them with water. Before the war started she found a spring that serve as her water supply. The water was very hot, over 100 Fahrenheit, it is said that she provided water to her husband who was firing the canyons. Some stories say that her husband died in war, but later on it was found that he was one of the survivors.

      

       As her husband was carried out of the battlefield, she took her place in the canyon. She covered her place on the canyon for the rest of the day. At one time, a canyon ball from the enemies was fired between her legs and raped a part of her skirt.  She said "Well, that could have been worse,"

      

     Later on that day, the fight ended because of the darkness that came with the night.  The war was supposed to continue next day, but the British forces retrieved. General Washington asked for the lady that he saw next to the canyon. She was given later on the nickname of "Sergeant Molly," nickname that se kept with herself for the rest of her life.

George Washington

George Washington, born on February 22, 1732 and died on December 14, 1799. He was military and political leader of the United States. Washington was born in a wealthy family, his family owned tobacco plantations, He was home schooled by his father and older brother,they both died young so he became close  to the Fairfax clan, who helped him in his career as a surveyor and soldier.Washington became the first President of the USA in 1789.

The 1st USA Congress voted to pay Washington  $25,000 a year, this was a lot of money back in 1789. Washington was already rick so he declined the salary, because  he valued his image as a selfless person, and he did not want to take the money. The Congress kept on urging until he finally accepted. Washington was the only one who did not sign the Declaration of Independence.Washington died due to a sever soar throat, the USA mourned his death for several months.