Posted on 04/28/2016 8:03:06 AM PDT by C19fan
Contrary to popular depiction, the American Revolution was just as much a civil war as the later Civil War. A third sided with the revolutionaries, a third were Loyalists and a third tried their best to stay out of it. Calling one side “the British” is misleading. They all were, but a third of them fought and won to cease being British. Had they lost, the history would be entirely different, as would the perception of the people who fought and lost.
He was disparaged due to waging war in a way that struck the colonials as unfair, dirty and cruel. “Tarleton’s Quarter” meant no quarter. Perceptions of Tarleton fueled some of the more vicous battles in the south, during the latter part of the conflict. Was Tarleton as bad as believed? Historians debate that to this day.
What are you talking about?
A British Sniper could have killed Washington but he didn't shoot him because Washington had his back to him as he rode by. The British Sniper thought it wouldn't have been honorable to shoot him in the back.
Meanwhile, the outnumbered and outclassed Americans used Guerrilla War tactics to pick off the regimented British Troops, something that was considered outside the boundaries of War in Civilized Society.
While we talk of the Battles, any little thing could have changed the course of History.
I am British, but I think the distinction for best army of the day belongs to the Prussians. Britain was primarily a maritime power and many rather rudely considered officers who joined the army as having done so because they weren’t smart enough to hack it the Royal Navy.
They were the est army in the world. They were defeated by people fighting for an ideal.
Funny how that happens.
I disagree. America’s material and numerical superiority was such that, alongside it’s other allies, they would have one the war eventually even if they had been led by idiots.
I believe that sniper was a man called Major Patrick Ferguson, who amongst his other talents, was a skilled inventor who invented one of the earliest breech loading rifles. He died leading a unit of American loyalists at the battle of King’s Mountain. Unfortunately, his chivalry was not returned by the Patriots who had defeated him, andthey reportedly desiccated and urinated on his body before dumping his body in a ditch.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.