The American Revolution   Part 4

When the Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, it was confronted with numerous and conflicting issues. 

One of the most contentious was the lack of money to prosecute the war.  To compound the issue, many of the colonies printed their own currency to cover war expenses.  Additional issues such as a near naval blockade stymied trade, depriving the colonies of customs duties, smuggling which paid no duties of any kind and the British Government’s illegal counterfeiting of the American currency known as the Continental.  To top it all off, Congress lacked the authority to tax and was left begging the states for money, troops and supplies to conduct the war.  Often these pleas to the states went unanswered.

Lacking Parliamentary authority, the Continental Congress assumed the conventional duties of a functioning government; seeking loans from foreign governments, assigning ambassadorial posts, creating armies, appointing generals, printing currency and disbursing funds.

As early as May 1775, French military aid in the form of cash, weapons, gunpowder and other military necessities were smuggled to the American cause.  This aid primarily came from a French firm called the Roderigue Hortalez company created by Luis de Unzaga and financed primarily by the French playwright, Pierre Beaumarchais.  This clandestine aid would go forward throughout the Revolution.

The early years of the war were rather haphazard with little to no coordination but the rebels were successful in a number of engagements during the last half of 1775.

The string of victories started with The Capture of the Turtle Bay Depot, a magazine and store house on the island of Manhattan July 20, 1775 by the Sons of Liberty.

August 23, 1775, a New York militia group known as the “Hearts of Oak” staged a raid on the Battery of New York, seizing 23 cannon in the engagement.

The “Siege of Fort St. Jean” began September 17, 1775 by American Brigadier General Richard Montgomery and lasted until November 3, 1775.  The Continental Army held a large swath of the Canadian Province of Quebec until forced to retreat by British Major General Guy Carleton.

The Continental Congress initiated the Continental Navy on October 13, 1775.  It was formed in order to confront the British Navy.  Its effectiveness was marginally effective, its main effect was the raiding of British supply vessels and the distribution of these military supplies to the Continental Army.

The “Siege of Savage’s Old Fields” pitted 560 Patriot militia November 19, 1775 against 1,892 Loyalist militia over a three day encounter that saw the Patriots hold out as the Loyalist militia withdrew November 21, 1775.

The “Battle of Great Bridge” December 9, 1775 saw American rifleman, “The Culpeper Minutemen”, a group of long range riflemen devastate the Loyalist forces of Governor Dunmore in a 25 minute exchange that decimated the governor’s effort to break the rebel force.

One of the first large scale military operations conducted by the Continental Army in November and December of 1775 was to break up the recruitment of Loyalists in South Carolina that became known as the “Snow Campaign” due to the heavy snows that occurred during the later stages of the operation.

In what became a continuation of that campaign, the “Battle of the Great Cane Break”, December 22, 1775, the Patriots defeated the Loyalists recapturing munitions that were destined for the Cherokee Nation to provide them with ammunition to hunt.

British victories occurred during the same time period.

Ethan Allen and a small force of militia men attempted to capture the Quebec city of Montreal. In a battle known as the “Battle of Longue-Pointe” September 25, 1775.   Foiled and captured by General Guy Carleton, Allen was sent to Britain as a Prisoner of war and was finally repatriated to America in a prisoner exchange in 1778.

On October 13,1775, the Continental Navy was created to stand against the British Navy.

October 18,1775, the British Navy shelled and burned the village of Falmouth in retaliation for the seizure of British shipping.  Captain Mowat and his superior, Vice Admiral Samuel Graves would later be called to account for the raid.

November 15, 1775 the “Battle of Kemp’s Landing” pitted Lord Dunmore’s British regulars against a small force of American militia, routing them in a decisive action.

In what would be the first major defeat for the American Continental Army with heavy losses, occurred December 31, 1775.  American General Montgomery was killed in the action, Colonel Benedict Arnold was injured and Captain Daniel Morgan was captured along with 400 members of the Continental Army.

The belief that the war would be of short duration was dispelled during the year of 1775.