Posted on 01/02/2019 5:00:44 AM PST by w1n1
Did George Washington have Commandos?
During the American Revolution George Washington didn’t have any Tier-1 Spec Ops, but he made the most of what he had. When we think of modern day Special Forces, we think of Seal Team 6, Delta Force and the Green Berets. So what did he have?
In a time where warfare was all about marching to fife and drum then lined up in rows to blast away with muskets at fifty paces. What did they know about unconventional warfare?
According to retired U.S. Army colonel Robert Tonsetic explains that unconventional warfare was a major part of the War of Independence. He states traditionally special operations has a long historic roots dating back to King Philip’s War of 1675, when the Plymouth Colony formed "an experimental group of men who would train and operate using Native American tactics to attack Indian war parties, and raid their camps in the dense forests and swamps."
George Washington created "Knowlton's Rangers", under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Knowlton. They were an elite unit designed for reconnaissance, espionage missions and outfitted as a regiment of light infantry.
Knowlton's Rangers are considered the first organized American elite force, a predecessor to modern special forces units. Read the rest of Knowlton's Rangers.
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Since your article is lifted almost word for word from other sources including Wikipedia, there is no need to excerpt!
Here:
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Knowlton’s Rangers
Did George Washington have Commandos?
During the American Revolution George Washington didn’t have any Tier-1 Spec Ops, but he made the most of what he had. When we think of modern day Special Forces, we think of Seal Team 6, Delta Force and the Green Berets.
Back in the day of the American Revolution era, what did George Washington have?
In a time where warfare was all about marching to fife and drum then lined up in rows to blast away with muskets at fifty paces. What did they know about unconventional warfare?
According to retired U.S. Army colonel Robert Tonsetic explains that unconventional warfare was a major part of the War of Independence. He states traditionally special operations has a long historic roots dating back to King Philip’s War of 1675, when the Plymouth Colony formed “an experimental group of men who would train and operate using Native American tactics to attack Indian war parties, and raid their camps in the dense forests and swamps.”
However, if you were to ask other researchers, special operations existed back into the B.C. era. (that’s for another article)
Roger’s Rangers were famous in the French and Indian War, where Indian and French troops ambushed British regulars and American militia.
By the time when the American Revolution was underway, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys—a band of Vermont irregulars—used small boats to cross Lake Champlain and seize Fort Ticonderoga in a coup de main in 1775.
Washington Commandos
Getting back to Washington’s spec ops soldiers, he created “Knowlton’s Rangers”, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Knowlton. They were an elite unit designed for reconnaissance, espionage missions and outfitted as a regiment of light infantry.
Knowlton’s Rangers, outfitted as a regiment of light infantry, took part in several battles of the American Revolutionary War. Knowlton’s Rangers are considered the first organized American elite force, a predecessor to modern special forces units.
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Tonsetic also talks about partisan warfare by bands of American irregulars in New Jersey and the South that wreaked havoc with British supply convoys and couriers. American partisans also undermine British political control and eliminated Loyalist sympathizers. It is unknown if these groups were tied to Washington’s creation, obviously they were all on the same page for objectiveness. Sound familiar to the Viet Cong operations during the Vietnam war?
By Sea as well
No Seal Team 6 or Force Recon here, but there was the “Whaleboat Wars,” in which Continental troops and partisans used small boats to capture British officers and destroy British shipping, such as the thirteen-boat raid on Sag Harbor, Long Island in May 1777 that destroyed thirteen ships and numerous supplies.
John Paul Jones also makes an appearance as a special operator, as he and his warship Ranger stalked British shipping and raided British ports. He caused the British government and Royal Navy great embarrassment.
In Tonsetic’s book on operation in an era when warfare was supposed to be gentlemanly and follow certain rules, did Washington and his contemporaries embrace special operations? The answer/observation from reading historic facts would seem to be, “Yes.” Even if they didn’t use the term “special ops,” they were willing to employ elite reconnaissance units, spies, and partisan bands to gain battlefield advantage.
Sources: Wikipedia, Special Operations in the American Revolution by Robert L. Tonsetic , Michael Peck
I’m old enough to remember “guerrilla” being a grade school spelling word in the early 1970’s, and being taught that the Revolutionary War was fought that way, to foment support against America in Vietnam.
This is the Michael Peck article you copied from.
Swamop Fox...
Bad eyes. Swamp Fox...
Swamp Fox = Francis Marion
Don’t forget the heroes of King’s Mountain, western settlers! Disgusted with the inhumane actions of the British towards American survivors after the battle of Camden, they crossed the river, went up one side of king’s Mountain and down the other, wiping out the British garrison thought to be impenetrable. Then they went back home.
Don’t forget Dan Morgan. Morgan’s riflemen were about the only active Americans in the south after the battle of Camden except for Francis Marion. They fought in skirmishes, hit and run, cat and mouse fashion until Greene was able to pull the southern army back together. Morgan’s genius at the Battle of Cowpens wiped out Tarleton’s force and pretty well assured our victory at Yorktown.
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Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:
“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to ourDr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”
About Dan Morgan..
He had groups of sharpshooters in the north before he was sent south.
His strength was knowing his men and using them effectively as his double envelopement of the British at Cowpens showed.
“In developing his tactics at Cowpens, as historian John Buchanan wrote, Morgan may have been “the only general in the American Revolution, on either side, to produce a significant original tactical thought.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cowpens
Glad to see there is another Morgan fan on this site.
Did you know his great-great grandfather was the uncle of privateer and pirate Henry Morgan?
Morgan, WV was named after him when WV was still part of Virginia.
Morgan was quite the man. He at one point owned an estate of 250,000 acres and used Hessian pow’s to develop it.
At Cowpens he knew his militiamen wouldn’t stand against British regulars. The night before the battle he went from fire to fire telling the militiamen he needed only two volleys from them and they could retreat.
They fired two volleys and retreated.
Thing was, Morgan chose Cowpens because his back was to the Broad river and left no avenue of retreat. It was win or die.
He also knew his enemy and knew Tarleton was headstrong and vain. Morgan used Tarletons weaknesses against him.
Kind of reminds me of a fella named Trump.
Most don’t know he was at Quebec City and Saratoga as well. Quite the leader and today we need more like him.
The choice of the Cowpens battlefield was remarkable and shrewd. From the British perspective, it looks like a clear view of the entire field. But if you walk the battlefield, you find the dead ground where the Americans hid their pincers for the flank attacks. It’s like an optical illusion, but it is most definitely there.
Morgan actually made it through the defenses into Quebec. When General Montgomery was killed his soldiers fell back. That gave the commander of the Quebec militia the ability to surround Morgan and his troops. When Morgan surrendered he gave his sword to a French-Canadian priest instead of the Quebec commander.
Morgan retired from the army due to sciatica in 1779 but returned at Gates urging after the defeat at Camden and was promoted to Brigadier General.
After the war Morgan named his estate in Virginia “Saratoga” after the battle there.
It was declared a National Landmark in 1973.
The character of Benjamin Martin in the movie “The Patriot” was based on Daniel Morgan and Thomas Sumter, known as the Carolina Gamecock.
Though I’ve driven past Cowpens many times I’ve never had the time to stop. Hopefully I’ll get to do it this summer. I love poking around historical places.
Banastre Carlton, later 1st Baronet, had no idea a colonial officer could pull off a Cannae maneuver and destroy his command. :-))
Tarleton!
Tarleton had little good to say about colonial forces generally but he had utter disdain for militia.
I imagine when he saw the militia on the front line his heart jumped with joy. But old Dan Morgan had a surprise for him. :)
Looking forward to visiting the Cowpens.
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