jegates

Nice post...I knew where you were headed with it early on. Are you trying to turn our friend TJ from a Jeffersonian to Hamiltonian You two guys crack me up. It's almost like witnessing history first hand with you two.

Alexander H

I would never try to turn TJ
... I would lose respect for him if he did...
and we know he won't.

It is how it should be

Alexander H

I found this excerpt from this link...
Charles Lee

Three-fourths of a century after his death a document was found among Sir William Howe's papers endorsed "Mr. Lee's Plan, 29th March, 1777," in the handwriting of Henry Strachy, Howe's secretary. The writing within was in Lee's own hand, and it embodied a plan of operations by the British fleet and army which it was thought was best calculated to insure the subjugation of the colonies. It was upon this plan that Howe acted in going to the Chesapeake in the summer of 1777, instead of up the Hudson River to assist Burgoyne, and so ruined the latter general.

I had know of most everything else...other than the document proving it all.

Check out the last sentance.... I didn't know this either... classic !!

Maybe we should put him #3 ... for keeping Clinton from going north to help Burgoyne ? .

HammockHank

That is a nice web link. All accounts I've read until now did not explicitly indict Lee of having influenced Howe to go to the Chesapeake. The author also disparages Lee's actions in the defense of Charleston and groups it with his other treasonable behavior. In Lee's defense his actions at Ft. Sullivan are not unreasonable. The fort was built off very spongy palm trunks which absorbed the cannon balls fired from the British fleet. This was not known until after the battle when something like 7,000 cannon balls were recovered from Ft. Sullivan. If the fort had been built of the usual oak tree trunks or other hardwoods it would have been completely destroyed. Another factor that lends weight to Lee's apprehension is the tenuous link between the mainland and the troops in Sullivan Island. A causeway of floating planks had been set up to connect both shores but it proved worthless and, in fact, dangerous as 200 troops fell into the cove. Row boats had to be commandeered to ferry the troops and materials across.

A stroke of luck also aided in the defense of Ft. Sullivan as three of the larger ships bombarding the fort attempted an end around to bombard the fort from it's landward and more vulnerable side but went aground in shallow waters before getting within range.

In this instance both Governor Rutledge and Col. Moultrie were the heroes for their stubborn resistance to abandoning the fort but when looked upon with a fair glance Lee was not wrong in wanting to evacuate the position. If the fort had been built of hardwood it's defense would not have lasted the half hour that Lee predicted and Charleston would have not been spared a savage bombardment.

jegates

That's GREAT stuff. Thanks for putting that up!