Who was the best general of the revolutionary war?

[ren0312]

I your opinion who is the best general of the Revolutionary War, in my opinion it was Gen. Howe, in all of his battles except for Bunker Hilll, he simply outclassed his opponents, in my opinion his most serious mistake was in not trying to annihilate Washington's army after Long Island, and instead letting them escape.

[ronnieraygun]

Knox or Greene, maybe? -probably not Washington for my money...

[ren0312]

Knox or Greene, maybe? -probably not Washington for my money...

I think Morgan is slightly better than Greene, one of the great what ifs of history in my mind is how would Napoleon, Frederick the Great, or the Duke of Wellington do in that setting, would they do better than Washington, Howe, Burgoyne, Cornwallis, and Greene?

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Bendict Arnold

[ronnieraygun]

Bendict Arnold

Actually, yeah.

In the end, both sides had little to do with him. He didn't get the respect he deserved from the British, he got sold out in his journey to Quebec under the Continental Army and a lot of early American victories were because of him. Yet, the Brits didn't really hook him up and in America his name is associated with nothing other than being a traitor.

When it was all said and done, he even wrote an open letter to America trying to explain his actions.

[SBL]

^Got eggs benedict named after him.

[Toddy]

Major Patrick Ferguson - aka the Bulldog

[madjack]

Arnold may have been the most aggressive and tactically capable general in the Continental Army.

Thomas Knowlton of Connecticut could have been one of the greats but he died early in the war.

[James]

Actually, yeah.

In the end, both sides had little to do with him. He didn't get the respect he deserved from the British, he got sold out in his journey to Quebec under the Continental Army and a lot of early American victories were because of him. Yet, the Brits didn't really hook him up and in America his name is associated with nothing other than being a traitor.

When it was all said and done, he even wrote an open letter to America trying to explain his actions.

What, his oversized ego?

[Stainless Steel Rat]

Tough question.

On the British side, I can't pick Howe because of his inability to close and finish Washington's Army, and his tactical judgement to attack Philadelphia instead of moving on Albany to support Burgoyne (which might have put a whole different picture on the outcome of the Revolution, since the victory at Saratoga was one of the major factors leading to direct French intervention on the Colonial side).

Arnold was without a doubt brave and resourceful, but his legend may have grown due to his subsequent betrayal.

Morgan and Greene....quite possibly, but neither ever commanded more than 4-5,000 troops (Morgan quite less) or fought an action that could determine the outcome of the War.

I'd have to go with Washington, but only partly as a battlefield commander (he was better than he is often given credit for, Trenton and Princeton were actions that would be admired by any Military student). He kept an 'army in being' in the worst possible circumstances, dealt successfully with commanding as a Virginian units made up of mostly New England troops (at a time where state loyalty often outweighed any sense of nationalism) and managed relationships wth Congress, the French, and his often prickly, sometime mutinous officer Corps.

We'll never know if someone else could have done it--but we know Washington did.

IMHO as always.

[California Joe]

I agree with Rat. Taken as a whole, Washington. At times, Washington kept the Army together by sheer force of will.

[Beowulf]

I agree with Rat. Taken as a whole, Washington. At times, Washington kept the Army together by sheer force of will.

Ok, Ill make the obvious joke:

CJ should know...he was there.. badum bumm

Har

[LineDoggie]

Americans:
Nathaniel Greene
Benedict Arnold
Daniel Morgan

[California Joe]

Ok, Ill make the obvious joke:

CJ should know...he was there.. badum bumm

Har

TeeHee...:)

[Laconian]

I would have to say Washington as well. Arnold may have been tactically better, but his act of treason does overshadow his accomplishments in the north. Francis Marion for working with what he was given was outstanding, but he did not deal with the strategic, operational and political issues that Washington did.

[Flecktarn92]

Lafayette, helped washington at yorktown

[California Joe]

I would have to say Washington as well. Arnold may have been tactically better, but his act of treason does overshadow his accomplishments in the north. Francis Marion for working with what he was given was outstanding, but he did not deal with the strategic, operational and political issues that Washington did.

Revolutionary War version of Eisenhower.

[Laconian]

Revolutionary War version of Eisenhower.

I was going to write something like that. Great minds...

[California Joe]

We probably learned that at West Point...:)

[Ordie]

Friedrich von Steuben

In terms of training

[history nut]

I, too, give Francis Marion a vote. Washington, Howe, and Knox get honorable mention as well - IMO.

[California Joe]

Were half of these guys even "generals"?

Marion was a brilliant guerrilla fighter, Daniel Morgan and his riflemen certainly renowned, and up here, we have a certain allegience to the deeds of Ethan Allen and John Stark but I'm not sure they were ever considered "Generals" on the same scale as Washington...

[history nut]

Marion was commissioned a brigadier-general, of state troops I think, a couple years before the end of the war so he was a "general." Certainly not on the scale of Washington overall, but tactically speaking, Marion gets my vote. He was much like N.B Forrest 80+ years later...

[California Joe]

Always been one of my heroes since I read a book about him in 7th grade. :)

[socom6]

Well thank God that Wolfe died at The Plains of Abraham or that persistent Englishman would have made life even more harder for the American revolutionaries, possibly running them to ground. But alas so shall it be written as history has it that there be a great land to the west called the United States of America.

[seabags]

Washington was definitely the Supreme Allied Commander of the period and provided what was necessary to support victory but I think his record is somewhat questionable on the battlefield. He didn't win as many as he lost I believe but may be wrong. Trenton/Princeton amounted to surprise attacks which while perfectly valid today were a bit on the ungentlemanly side for the period, but hey it wins wars. For stand up fights of the period I'd have to say:

Benedit Arnold
"Mad" Anthony Wayne (despite Paoli, a sneak attack by the ungentlemanly British) (Very under rated in my opinion)
Lafayette
Sullivan (not popular with the Iroquous)
Lee
and most definitely Greene.

Its true they mostly commanded on a smaller scale but its not like the American army in any theatre was of any significant size.

Just MY thoughts!

[Mic B.O.S]

Bajram Curri, fights against the king Zog on June Revolution wich was orgainsed by the great albanian patriot Fan S. Noli. Bajram Curri has killed after return of king Zog. He traped one one cave with labyrints on Dragobia (place in northern Albania) and save one bullet for himself. Royal forces and mercenaries of king, ukranian and serbs soldiers, fight with him for days on Dragobias mountain, in Valbona valley. And when all his soldiers was killed, he kill him self in one cave in Dragobia. He was great soldier and leader. Fight in Albanian League of Priserend (1878-1881), fight in Albanian League of Peja (1899- May 1900) an in war for Independence 1910-1912. In memoriam of his life, one big town on Northern Albania keep his name: Bajram Curri

http://www.diplomacia.dk/pictures/bajram_curri.jpg

[Mic B.O.S]

Bajram Curri with friends after defeat ottomans troops in Shkup( Scopje).
Bajram Curri:In middle, standing up.

http://www.poroj.ch/Poroj-Legjendar/modules/Pushtimishkupit/BajramCuri-Shkup.jpg

[LineDoggie]

Wrong thread fella.....

[Dinges]

Lafayette, helped washington at yorktown


And he did get the King of France to back Washington. Good call.

[Toddy]

Washington was a fantastic leader of men, not necessarily a Great General.

[[WDW]Megaraptor]

Major Patrick Ferguson - aka the Bulldog

Patrick Ferguson is off the list not only for being a Major, but for leading his command of 1100 men into annihilation at the Battle of King's Mountain, costing Cornwallis his right wing and forcing him to temporarily abandon the invasion of North Carolina.

I would like to nominate Maj. General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee for consideration. Not only did he lead American cavalry in the South with distinction, he also fathered another of the great generals of American history, Robert E. Lee.

[Toddy]

I only realised after posting the initial response that it was about Generals, and as someone else had already pointed this out I did not feel the need to amend my comments or point it out.

Have you actually read the accounts of Kings Mountain? Not quite as blundering as you point out, and not only that, many of your so called "Colonial" leaders should have been brought up on war crime charges for the treatment of loyalist prisoners after the battle as well, deplorable.

I concur though with your points on Lee, both senior and junior

[[WDW]Megaraptor]

You don't call being annihilated by an inferior force, losing 244 killed in 65 minutes versus 29 of the enemy a serious blunder?


many of your so called "Colonial" leaders should have been brought up on war crime charges for the treatment of loyalist prisoners after the battle as well, deplorable.

From the accounts I have read, a number of Patriot troops shouted "Tarleton's Quarter!" (after British Col. Banastre Tarleton and the Waxhaw Massacre) and kept firing at the surrendering loyalists. Their commanders quickly restored order within minutes. After the battle 9 loyalists were found to be Patriot deserters and were put on trial, convicted and hanged.

[Lusitania]

Lafayette, helped washington at yorktown


We know from his actual battlefield experience, as well as leadership during the French Revolution, that Lafayette was an inept leader, with poor judgment in many activities. Lafayette's naivety had always been his downfall; simply put, he just wasn't a very sound tactician. For that matter, he was a rather poor strategist, as he contributed to the environment that allowed the French Revolution to spiral the way it did, and then in turn, lost control of his own troops.

I would say that Arnold was the best of the colonial commanders. George Washington had never proven to be a very good tactician, we saw that all the way back to his Seven Years War days and failures at Fort Necessity. However, I don't think Washington is given the credit of being a good strategist, something of which I believe is what helped the colonials win the war. Washington did not have to win many battles during the war (and the ones that he did, were not extremely strategic, but simple moral boosters), the only thing he had to ensure was that the army survived and continued to exhaust British resources. It was not a matter of destroying the British military machine, but simply outmaneuvering and exhausting British will to fight, most certainly within the already objecting Whig party; within that, Washington proved to be quite effective.

[BlackFlag]

Revolutionary War version of Eisenhower.

Great analogy.

[[WDW]Megaraptor]

What about Bernando de Galvez (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernardo_de_G%C3%A1lvez_y_Madrid,_Count_of_G%C3%A1lvez)?

After putting him out there, I'm going to say no due to the fact that most of his victories were against heavily outnumbered British garrison forces which were at the end of a long supply chain.

[Toddy]

Megaraptor;3786592']You don't call being annihilated by an inferior force, losing 244 killed in 65 minutes versus 29 of the enemy a serious blunder?



From the accounts I have read, a number of Patriot troops shouted "Tarleton's Quarter!" (after British Col. Banastre Tarleton and the Waxhaw Massacre) and kept firing at the surrendering loyalists. Their commanders quickly restored order within minutes. After the battle 9 loyalists were found to be Patriot deserters and were put on trial, convicted and hanged.

Perhaps you should expand your reading material to more than Wikipaedia my friend

Merry Christmas though :)

[Mic B.O.S]

Emiliano Zapata, is here any member from mexico wich can tell us more about this simple man, who became the great leader of Mexican revolution, and try to do reforms in agriculture until he assasinated.

[[WDW]Megaraptor]

Perhaps you should expand your reading material to more than Wikipaedia my friend

I have read several accounts of the battle of Kings Mountain.

Most prisoners were later released as no one wanted to guard them.

[Walter Sobchak]

I think Morgan is slightly better than Greene, one of the great what ifs of history in my mind is how would Napoleon, Frederick the Great, or the Duke of Wellington do in that setting, would they do better than Washington, Howe, Burgoyne, Cornwallis, and Greene?

At The Cowpens, his strategy was perfect. He asked the militia to give him three volleys, then retreat. This made the Redcoats pursue. When the "retreating" colonial infantry turned and gave the British a taste of buck-and-ball (double-charged with ball and buckshot), their line disintegrated.

Did you do know that Daniel Morgan had survived a hundred lashes given to him by the British during the French and Indian War? He was... motivated, shall we say?