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Corner - 1776
Drl. Chuck Ormsby
08/02/06
Eight horses pulled King George III’s magnificent
coach from St. James Palace to the opening session of
Parliament at Westminster Palace on October 26, 1775.
King George came to declare that the colonies were in a
state of rebellion and that this rebellion was being
“carried on for the purpose of establishing an
independent empire.” George was a prescient bloke!
But the rabble surrounding Boston in October 1775 could
hardly conceive of themselves as a foundation for empire.
While true patriots, they were disorganized, poorly
trained, and deficient in nearly every provision an army
required. Everything, from gunpowder to shoes, was in
short supply.
In his book, “1776,” author David McCullough
takes the reader with Washington and his army on the
campaign of 1776.
The siege of Boston which ends with the city’s
evacuation by the British, the sequence of defeats at New
York, the retreat across New Jersey, and the nearly
miraculous re-birth of the revolution on Christmas day at
Trenton followed by the success at Princeton are favorite
topics of American Revolutionary War literature.
For the lay reader, 1776 provides a very readable,
well-written and well-researched chronology of these
events. Numerous excerpts from diaries and post-war
writings of participants are included to provide the
reader with eyewitness accounts that bring these events
to life.
For those who have read other accounts of these events,
1776 provides a welcome re-telling that emphasizes the
immense difficulties and uncertainties that Washington
faced as the revolution sputtered when confronted with
the might of the British Empire.
The impossibility of defending New York coupled with its
strategic importance presented Washington with a series
of dreadful choices. Still maturing as the leader of the
revolution, Washington really did not know what course he
should take.
Should he defend the city or abandon it? Split his forces
and defend Brooklyn, or keep them united in New York?
Burn the city or leave it intact for the British as he
retreats?
Maintain and defend Ft. Washington on the Hudson to keep
the British from splitting the colonies, or abandon it to
the British?
Several of Washington’s decisions were nearly fatal
to the cause of independence. But he and several thousand
barely clothed and often shoeless patriots combined
constant sacrifice and occasional instances of nearly
miraculous good luck to keep the revolution alive. Their
memory must never be forgotten.
“1776,” by David McCullough, is published by
Simon & Schuster, (c) 2005 by David McCullough.
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The August, 2006 Edition
of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
Publication.
All Contents (C) 2006, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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