CAMPAIGN:

Concord

DATES:

18 April 1775

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Seize weapons and rebel leaders

PLAN(S):

British troops to march to Concord, seize or destroy weapons, arrest members of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress known to be in the area, and return to Boston.

COMMANDER(S)

CPT John Parker, assorted small-unit leaders

COL Francis Smith, MAJ John Pitcairn, BG Hugh Percy

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Lexington, Concord, The March to Boston

OUTCOME(S):

No leaders arrested, little weaponry seized or destroyed, the countryside roused in arms against the British, an American militia army surrounding Boston, 273 British casualties

CAMPAIGN:

Ticonderoga

DATES:

May, 1775

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Secure Lake Champlain invasion corridor

PLAN(S):

Seize British fortifications along Lake Champlain and deny British access from Canada to New York and New England through the Lake Route.

COMMANDER(S)

Benedict Arnold, COL (?) Ethan Allen

Various small unit commanders

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Ticonderoga (10 May)

Crown Point (12 May)

OUTCOME(S):

Major fortifications seized and route of invasion blocked. Heavy artillery from the forts secured for later use by American forces.

CAMPAIGN:

The Seige of Boston

DATES:

April, 1775 - March, 1776

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Capture or expel British forces in Boston

PLAN(S):

Besiege the city

COMMANDER(S)

GEN George Washington, GEN Israel Putnam, COL William Prescott, GEN Seth Pomeroy, MG Joseph Warren, COL Henry Knox, GEN Artemas Ward

LTG Sir Thomas Gage; MG William Howe; MG Sir John Burgoyne, MG Sir Henry Clinton, BG Sir Robert Pigot

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Bunker (Breed's) Hill (17 JUN 1775)

Washington Takes Command (02 JUL 1775)

Fortification of Dorchester Heights (04 MAR 1776)

Evacuation of Boston (27 MAR 1776)

OUTCOME(S):

British evacuate Boston. An American army is formed.

CAMPAIGN:

Canada

DATES:

August, 1775 - June, 1776

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Neutralize Canada as a base of British operations and, if possible, secure it as an ally or confederate.

PLAN(S):

Invade Canada by Lake Champlain and Maine river routes. Seize and occupy Montreal and Quebec. Induce Canadians to join the revolution against Britain.

COMMANDER(S)

GEN Philip Schuyler, BG Richard Montgomery, BG Benedict Arnold, COL Daniel Morgan, MG John Thomas, BG David Wooster, BG William Thompson, BG John Sullivan

MG Sir Guy Carleton

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

St. John's (02 NOV 1775)

Occupation of Montreal (13 NOV 1775)

Quebec (31 DEC 1775)

Trois Rivieres (17 JUN 1776)

OUTCOME(S):

Americans temporarily control the Lake Champlain Route and occupy Montreal, but are repulsed at Quebec and Trois Rivieres. American army is badly reduced in size and strength and retreats past St. John's to Ticonderoga. Montgomery & Thomas killed; Schuyler, Arnold & Morgan sickened or wounded.

CAMPAIGN:

Charleston

DATES:

01 JUN 1776 - 28 June 1776

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Secure loyal control of the Southern colonies

PLAN(S):

Capture Charleston, rouse Southern loyalists, and establish loyal government in South Carolina. Using Charleston and South Carolina as bases, recruit loyalist forces, secure control of the South, and establish loyal government throughout the area.

COMMANDER(S)

MG Charles Lee, COL William Moultrie, COL William "Danger" Thompson

MG Sir Henry Clinton; ADM Sir Peter Parker; MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Charleston (28 June 1776)

OUTCOME(S):

British repulsed from Charleston and leave the area.

CAMPAIGN:

New York/New Jersey

DATES:

June - December, 1776

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Secure loyal control of New York and New Jersey

PLAN(S):

Occupy New York and Philadelphia, attack and destroy rebel forces, establish and secure loyalist governments in New York and New Jersey, accept surrender of Americans.

COMMANDER(S)

GEN George Washington, MG Charles Lee, BG Nathanael Greene, BG William Stirling, BG John Sullivan, COL Thomas Knowlton, COL Henry Knox

ADM Richard, Lord Howe; MG Sir William Howe; MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis; MG Sir Henry Clinton, BG Hugh Percy, BG James Grant, BG Carl von Donop, BG Wilhelm von Knyphausen, COL Johann Rall

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Long Island (27 AUG 1776)

Harlem Heights (16 SEP 1775)

White Plains (28 OCT 1776)

Fort Washington (17 NOV 1776)

OUTCOME(S):

British secure control of lower New York and most of New Jersey. American army badly beaten and reduced in size, but still in existence. Sullivan, Stirling, and Lee captured by British, Knowlton killed.

CAMPAIGN:

Trenton/Princeton

DATES:

25 DEC 1776 - 06 JAN 1777

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Protect Philadelphia and reestablish rebel control of at least part of New Jersey. Seek boost in rebel morale and enhance recruiting and reenlistment efforts

PLAN(S):

Attack British outposts along the Delaware River, invade central New Jersey, and push British forces back into New York

COMMANDER(S)

GEN George Washington, COL Henry Knox, BG Hugh Mercer, BG Nathanel Greene

COL Johann Rall; MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis; LTC Chalres Mawhood

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Trenton (25-26 DEC 76)

Princeton (03 JAN 1777)

OUTCOME(S):

British forces retreat from most of New Jersey, where rebel control is reestablished. Philadelphia is no longer threatened by British forces. Recruiting and reenlistment rates grow.

CAMPAIGN:

Philadelphia

DATES:

July - December, 1777

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Seize Philadelphia and capture the rebel Congress, bringing the rebellion to an end.

PLAN(S):

Move by sea to the head of the Chesapeake Bay, assault and take Philadelphia from the South, seize the nerve center and leadership of the rebellion, making further resistance futile. Destroy such rebel forces as get in the way

COMMANDER(S)

GEN George Washington, BG Nathanael Greene, BG Anthony Wayne, MG John Sullivan

GEN Sir William Howe, MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis, BG Wilhelm von Knyphausen, MG James Grey

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Brandywine (10 SEP 1777)

Paoli (21 SEP 1777)

Capture of Philadelphia (26 SEP 1777)

Germantown (04 OCT 1777)

OUTCOME(S):

British occupy Philadelphia, but do not capture Congress nor destroy Washington's army. The rebellion continues. Washington withdraws into winter quarters at Valley Forge.

CAMPAIGN:

Saratoga

DATES:

June - October, 1777

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Separate New England from the rest of the colonies, and defeat the rebels in detail.

PLAN(S):

Forces from Montreal, Oswego, and New York converge on Albany, trapping and destroying any rebel forces between them, bringing all of New York under loyal control, cutting off all rebel contact between New England and the colonies to the South, and laying the foundation for a full-scale invasion of now-isolated New England.

COMMANDER(S)

GEN Phillip Schuyler, BG Benedict Arnold, MG Horatio Gates, COL Daniel Morgan, BG Arthur St. Clair, BG John Stark, BG Nicholas Herkimer

MG Sir John Burgoyne, LTC Barry St. Leger, MG William Phillips, BG Simon Fraser, Baron Friedrich Adolph von Riedelsel, LTC Friedrich Baum, Chief Joseph Brant

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Evacuation of Ticonderoga (05 JUL 1777)

Hubbardston (07 JUL 1777)

Oriskany (06 AUG 1777)

Bennington (15 AUG 1777)

Seige of Fort Stanwix (03-22 AUG 1777)

Freeman's Farm (19 SEP 1777)

Bemis Heights (07 OCT 1777)

OUTCOME(S):

An entire British Army surrenders to the Americans. New York, except for the area around New York City, is secured by the Americans. France enters the war on the American side. England is motivated to extend peace feelers.

CAMPAIGN:

Monmouth

DATES:

June - July 1778

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Inflict damage upon British forces

PLAN(S):

Pursue the British army as it moves from Philadelphia to New York and attack wherever conditions appear to offer success.

COMMANDER(S)

GEN George Washington, MG Charles Lee, BG Anthony Wayne, COL Charles Scott, BG Henry Knox

MG Sir Henry Clinton, MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Monmouth Court House (28 JUN 1778)

OUTCOME(S):

British succeed in withdrawing to New York. New Jersey almost completely under American control. Charles Lee is court-martialed and suspended from command.

CAMPAIGN:

Georgia

DATES:

November, 1778 - January, 1779

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Establish loyal control over Georgia and provide a base for invading South Carolina.

PLAN(S):

Seize Savannah. Secure Georgia by occupying major cities and forts, driving out major rebel resistance and encouraging loyalists. Establish loyal government in Georgia. Prepare Georgia as a base for invading South Carolina.

COMMANDER(S)

MG Robert Howe, BG Elijah Clarke, COL Andrew Pickens, MG Benjamin Lincoln, ADM D'Estaing

LTC Archibald Campbell; MG Augustine Prevost; LTC Thomas Browne; LTC John Cruger

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Savannah I (29 DEC 1778)

Kettle Creek (14 FEB 1779)

Savannah II (16 SEP - 19 OCT 1779)

OUTCOME(S):

Savannah and most major cities and posts occupied by British. No major American military forces remain in Georgia. Most of the population of Georgia swears allegiance to the Crown, and loyal government is effectively established. A Franco-American counter-invasion at Savannah is repulsed. Georgia serves as a base for the invasion of South Carolina.

CAMPAIGN:

The Carolinas

DATES:

December, 1779 - April, 1781

INITIATOR:

British

OBJECTIVE(S):

Establish loyal control over the Carolinas and provide a base for invading Virginia.

PLAN(S):

Seize Charleston. Secure South Carolina by occupying major cities and forts, driving out major rebel resistance, and encouraging loyalists. Establish loyal government in South Carolina. From South Carolina, invade North Carolina and secure it simlarly. Prepare North Carolina as a base for invading Virginia.

COMMANDER(S)

MG Benjamin Lincoln; MG Horatio Gates; BG Daniel Morgan; MG Johann deKalb; COL Francis Marion; BG Thomas Sumter; COL Andrew Pickens; COL William Davie, MG Nathanael Greene, various small unit militia leaders

MG Sir Henry Clinton; VA Sir Marriot Arbuthnot; MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis; LTC Banastre Tarleton; LTC James Webster; LTC Francis, Lord Rawdon; MAJ Patrick Ferguson; MG Sir Alexander Leslie; various small unit militia leaders

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Surrender of Charleston (12 MAY 1780)

Brutal Civil War in the Carolinas

Camden (16 AUG 80)

King's Mountain (06 OCT 1780)

Cowpens (17 JAN 1781)

Guilford Courthouse (14 MAR 1781)

OUTCOME(S):

Charleston and most key points in SC captured. Loyalists rise to support British activities, but American militias and partisans overwhelm them, and in a bitter civil war, restrict British and loyalist control to a few key but scattered parts of the state. Effective loyalist government is not established. North Carolina loyalists do not rise to support British efforts in significant numbers. Political control of North Carolina is not established. One major American army is surrendered and one shattered. The major British army is severely damaged in battle, and leaves the Carolinas for Virginia.

CAMPAIGN:

Greene in South Carolina

DATES:

April 1781 - September 1781

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Secure American control of South Carolina

PLAN(S):

Attack in detail British forces scattered throughout South Carolina, forcing them to withdraw. Support American partisans and militias in reestablishing political control over the entire state.

COMMANDER(S)

MG Nathanael Greene, BG Francis Marion, BG Andrew Pickens, BG Thomas Sumter, LTC Henry Lee

BG Francis, Lord Rawdon; COL John Cruger; LTC Alexander Stewart

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Ft. Watson (23 MAR 1781)

Hobkirk's Hill (25 APR 1781)

Orangeburg (10 MAY 1781)

The Siege of Ninety-Six (22 MAY - 20 JUN 1781)

Augusta (05 JUN 1781)

Eutaw Springs (08 SEP 1781)

OUTCOME(S):

British retreat from all of South Carolina except Charleston and the surrounding area. American military and political control of the rest of the state is securely established.

CAMPAIGN:

Yorktown

DATES:

August - October, 1781

INITIATOR:

American

OBJECTIVE(S):

Eliminate British military presence in Virginia and capture a major British army

PLAN(S):

French naval forces and American and French land forces converge on the Chesapeake Bay region, encircling and destroying or capturing Cornwallis's army there.

COMMANDER(S)

LTG George Washington; LTG Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau; ADM Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse; MG Marie Joseph du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette; BG Anthony Wayne; MG Benjamin Lincoln; COL Alexander Hamilton

MG Charles, Earl of Cornwallis; BG Charles O'Hara; LTC Banastre Tarleton; LTC John Simcoe

MAJOR BATTLES, etc.:

Captures of Redoubts 9 & 10 (14 OCT 1781)

British Surrender (19 OCT 1781)

OUTCOME(S):

Cornwallis's army surrenders. Virginia is cleared of British military presence. British suspend further offensive operations in America. England concludes that the war cannot be won, and opens negotiations for peace.