Patriots, Loyalists and America’s First Civil War

American Revolution
Written By Tom Hand

The debate over declaring the colonies’ independence from England was intense and emotional. Those who felt we should remain loyal to the King believed just as deeply as those who thought we must go our own way. There was no middle ground and Americans were forced by extremists to choose a side.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores the motivations of both sides, the Patriots and the Loyalists, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of Library of Congress, National Archives, The New York Public Library, Wikipedia.

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Following the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, the need to retain the Continental Army was diminished. With Congress financially broke and little reason to think that situation would change given they had no authority to tax, they decided to cut their costs and dissolved the army.

Aftermath of the Newburgh Conspiracy
Aftermath of the Newburgh Conspiracy

The Newburgh Conspiracy represents a time when our nation came closest to deviating from our core revolutionary principles of representative government with civilian control of the military. Because of a weak Confederation Congress and unhappiness within the officer ranks of the Continental Army, the stage was set for our new nation to drift into a military dictatorship or monarchy.

The Newburgh Conspiracy: Washington Ends a Crisis
The Newburgh Conspiracy: Washington Ends a Crisis

By early 1783, America was close to finalizing its peace agreement with England. However, the Confederation Congress had some issues to resolve with its own discontented Continental Army, as the internal threat of mutiny appeared worse than the external one posed by British forces.

The Newburgh Conspiracy: Dissension in the Ranks
The Newburgh Conspiracy: Dissension in the Ranks

We take civilian control of the military for granted today in America. However, were it not for General George Washington’s actions and words in the so-called Newburgh Conspiracy, things might be quite a bit different.

Patriots Turn the Tide in South Carolina’s Backcountry
Patriots Turn the Tide in South Carolina’s Backcountry

For the first five years of the American Revolution, the deep southern states of Georgia and the two Carolinas were mostly observers of the conflict. Other than a failed attempt to take Charleston in 1776 and the capture of Savannah in December 1778, the British had focused their efforts in the north.

Arnold Leads Continentals to Relieve Fort Stanwix
Arnold Leads Continentals to Relieve Fort Stanwix

The Tryon County militia sent to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix had been badly mauled at the Battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777. The combined Loyalist and Indian contingent under British Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger, settled back into its work of reducing the fort or forcing the American garrison to surrender.

Death and Destruction at the Battle of Oriskany
Death and Destruction at the Battle of Oriskany

The Battle of Oriskany on August 6, 1777, ended as suddenly and unexpectedly as it began. Shortly after 3 p.m., the Mohawks, Senecas, and Loyalists ceased fire on the Tryon County militiamen and headed back to their camp outside Fort Stanwix, about six miles away. The death and destruction left in their wake was frightening to behold.

The Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany

The morning of August 6, 1777 found 700 Tryon County New York militiamen encamped at an Oneida Indian village about seven miles from Fort Stanwix, itching for a fight. They planned to make a surprise attack on the British force besieging the fort, but things did not go as expected and most would not survive the day.

The Siege of Fort Stanwix
The Siege of Fort Stanwix

The American Revolution battle with the greatest loss of American lives was not one of the better-known engagements such as Bunker Hill, Brooklyn Heights, or Camden. It was a somewhat forgotten fight in western New York at a place called Oriskany. Although not well-remembered, it had a significant impact on our fight for independence.

Americans Victorious at Saratoga
Americans Victorious at Saratoga

Following the setback at Bemis Heights on October 7, 1777, in which the British had lost another 900 men, and despite the deplorable condition of the British Army, General John Burgoyne still had hope that he could somehow extricate his forces from the grip of the Continental Army. But the noose was tightening, and Burgoyne and his other commanders knew they had to act fast.

British and Americans Clash at Saratoga
British and Americans Clash at Saratoga

By mid-September 1777, British General John Burgoyne, after crossing to the west bank of the Hudson River, was committed to continuing his advance towards Albany. There was only one road he could take to get there, and that road was strongly defended by an American army, twice as large as his own.

British and Americans Poised for Battle
British and Americans Poised for Battle

In the eight short weeks since capturing Fort Ticonderoga without a fight, British General John Burgoyne had seen his army go from being invincible to facing starvation and defeat. More bad news arrived on August 28, when Indians brought word that a relief force under Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger coming from the west down the Mohawk River Valley had turned back.

Burgoyne Battles American Wilderness and Continental Army
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Despite his early successes of capturing Fort Ticonderoga and defeating the American rear guard at both Hubbardton and Fort Anne, Burgoyne now faced the greatest adversary of an army invading a foreign land: a lengthening supply line. As Napoleon remarked, an army marches on its stomach and the British soldiers were no exception.

Fort Ticonderoga Falls to British
Fort Ticonderoga Falls to British

The first objective for the British task force under the command of General John Burgoyne was the capture of Fort Ticonderoga on the south end of Lake Champlain. This fortress had been the key military site in the region since its construction in 1757, and the scene of conflicts both in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

British Begin the Saratoga Campaign
British Begin the Saratoga Campaign

The Saratoga Campaign of 1777 was arguably the most significant military event during the American Revolution. If the British had achieved their goals, the American colonies would have been split in two and it is very likely that our quest for independence would have failed.

A Desperate Winter at Valley Forge
A Desperate Winter at Valley Forge

In December 1777, following the loss of Philadelphia, our nation’s capital, General George Washington moved his Continental Army to Valley Forge for the winter. It would prove to be a desperately hard winter for the soldiers, with conditions that might have broken the spirit of less determined men, but one from which the American army emerged a more professional fighting force.

The British Capture Philadelphia
The British Capture Philadelphia

Our nation’s capital has twice been captured by a foreign army and in both cases, it was by British Redcoats. The more famous incident was the burning of Washington on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812. However, the first occurred 37 years before that event, in 1777, when the British captured Philadelphia, the capital of newly independent United States.

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Continental Army Victorious at Princeton

General George Washington and his Continentals had achieved a great victory at Trenton on December 26, but the General saw another opportunity if he acted aggressively. On December 30, he recrossed the Delaware hoping for another miracle.

George Washington and the Crossing of the Delaware
George Washington and the Crossing of the Delaware

In late December 1776, the American Revolution had reached its low point. The 16,000-man Continental Army that had driven the British out of Boston in March 1776, had lost countless battles over the course of nine months and dwindled to a skeletal force of 3,000 soldiers on the west side of the Delaware River.

Washington and Continental Army Face Rocky Start
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General George Washington formally took command of the Continental Army surrounding Boston on July 3, 1775. He immediately began to organize and train the troops and his natural aggressiveness was soon on display.

Washington Takes Command of the Continental Army
Washington Takes Command of the Continental Army

When it came to finding the right man to command the new Continental Army assembled around Boston, George Washington was the logical choice. John Adams quickly nominated Washington and Congress unanimously approved. As Adams stated, “This appointment will have a great effect in cementing and securing the Union of these colonies.”

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The Battle of Valcour Island, which took place on Lake Champlain, was the closing scene of the Northern Campaign of 1775-1776. It was one of the first naval battles of the American Revolution and, although a tactical defeat, it was a strategic victory for the American cause.

Americans Retreat After Failed Assault on Quebec
Americans Retreat After Failed Assault on Quebec

General Guy Carleton, the man in charge of British forces in Canada, chose to return to the safety of Quebec’s walls after repelling the American assault on the city instead of venturing out and attacking the remaining Americans. With the death of General Richard Montgomery, Colonel Benedict Arnold assumed command of the American army outside Quebec and, despite the setback, refused to give up on the conquest of Canada.

Assault on Quebec Ends in Disaster
Assault on Quebec Ends in Disaster

On December 26, General Richard Montgomery assembled the key officers in his army besieging Quebec City to discuss their next steps. The bombardment of the city had failed to convince British General Guy Carleton to surrender and there were only five days remaining until the enlistments of most of Montgomery’s men expired and they left for home. There was grumbling in the ranks that the retreat should have already started.

Americans Commence Siege of Quebec
Americans Commence Siege of Quebec

With the capture of Montreal by General Richard Montgomery and the presence of Colonel Benedict Arnold’s force of 600 men on the Plains of Abraham, Britain’s foothold in Canada had dwindled to about one square mile, the area within the mighty walls of Quebec City. Now the defenses of that fortress would be tested by a band of determined Americans.

Benedict Arnold’s Army Reaches Quebec
Benedict Arnold’s Army Reaches Quebec

After clearing the Height of Land, Colonel Benedict Arnold’s army on its way to capture Quebec City believed they were on the downhill slope to their destination, but their hardships were not finished. The area which they just entered was poorly mapped, and Arnold’s regiments paid the price for this lack of knowledge.

Arnold’s Army Marches into Trouble
Arnold’s Army Marches into Trouble

When Colonel Benedict Arnold’s army reached the Great Carrying Place on October 11, 1775, they had been moving north on the Kennebec River for almost three weeks and had advanced eighty-four miles. The American militiamen were on their way to assault Quebec City, the crown jewel of British Canada. The time originally estimated for the entire journey to Quebec was about twenty days, and the anticipated distance was 180 miles. Neither Arnold nor the men were aware they had another 300 miles to go.

Benedict Arnold and the Perilous March to Quebec
Benedict Arnold and the Perilous March to Quebec

Benedict Arnold’s expedition to the gates of Quebec City in the fall and winter of 1775 is widely regarded as one of the greatest military marches in history. Arnold, despite his sullied reputation due to his traitorous behavior later in the war, was one of America’s most gifted field commanders, and his tremendous leadership skills were put to the test on this perilous journey.

The Continental Army’s Largely Forgotten Invasion of Quebec
The Continental Army’s Largely Forgotten Invasion of Quebec

The first significant offensive operation of the American Revolution was the largely forgotten invasion of the Province of Quebec by American troops in 1775. It was the opening act of the greater Northern Campaign of 1775-1776 in which the American colonies tried to wrest control of Canada from England. Although it did not end well, there were moments of incredible bravery and perseverance that demonstrated the resolve of our founding generation.

Loyalists, King George and the American Revolution
Loyalists, King George and the American Revolution

The American Revolution was not viewed the same by all Americans. Roughly one in four Americans, those we call Loyalists or Tories, did not want to separate from England. They represented a significant portion of the American population, and many of them were prominent citizens. Importantly, they had worked as hard to create America and believed as much in the righteous of their cause as any Patriot.

Tom Hand
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