"‘Those Dear Ragged Continentals…’" Topic

‘Under von Steuben's guidance the Revolutionary War soldier became a first-class fighting man in the best European tradition. Contrary to popular tradition, he did not hide behind trees and stone walls to pot at enemy formations. With exceptions such as Kings Mountain and various routs, he met the British Army on its own terms in open fields and drawn up in line of battle. He learned to make savage bayonet charges, and in such famous attacks as Stony Point and the assault on the redoubts at Yorktown, he charged with an unloaded weapon, relying solely on cold steel. By the end of the war the Continental was no longer just the citizen with a gun. He was a hardened campaigner. He knew his weapons and he knew his drill. He could face the enemy under any and all circumstances. He knew how to throw up fortifications and how to obtain shelter. His independent spirit remained but he knew the military hierarchy and how to recognize it by insignia-and he knew the deference due it. He was, in short, the master of all the miscellaneous hardware and gear of military life, the basic tools of the Revolution.'-Harold Peterson

This is probably an outdated assessment. The quality of Continental units as a whole was improving in 1778, but Steuben deserves only partial credit for this. Partly this is due to the increasing numbers of personnel in those units who had seen the elephant (to borrow an ACW expression) and partly this is due to the fact that unlike at the end of 1775 and 1776 you did not see a large number of Continental enlistments expire at the end of 1777. You are also seeing increasing experience among those who commanded those Continentals.

Even with this growing level of competence there were still instances of Continentals failing after 1778. Also the attacks at Stony Point, Paulus Hook and Yorktown were conducted by the elite of the Continentals. Judging the post 1777 quality of Continentals by the performance of their elites in these actions would be like judging the pre 1778 Continentals by the performance of the Marylanders and Delaware troops at Long Island.

Did the Continentals ever have a rep for hiding behind trees and stone walls to pot at enemy formations? My impression was this fighting style was generally attributed to militia. It was a style militia continued to use after 1777, quite often successfully. Both before and after 1777 you see militia fail when efforts are made to use them as ersatz Continentals.

I disagree.

Von Steuben's training and the adoption of his drill manual gave the Continental Army standardized training and doctrine.

Lee's attack at Paulus Hook was not undertaken by the elite of the Continentals, the Continental Corps of Light Infantry. And it should be noted that the Maryland and Delaware Continentals that were the mainstay of the southern army with Greene were considered elite troops.

As the war progressed what proportion of Continental troops might have first seen service in the opposing army? We read of attempts to subborn prisoners and deserters enlisting not least because that is the trade they knew and a man had to eat.

I have no idea how many deserters served in the opposite armies during the War of the Revolution. I would say, based on readings, that it was significant for both sides.

Brechtel198 Supporting Member of TMP 02 Dec 2015 3:16 p.m. PST

I disagree.

It is of course a matter of opinion. To me though the historical narrative shows an incremental improvement in the performance of Continentals from 1777 to 1778, which can largely be explained by the factors I mentioned. Lee's command at Paulus Hook consisted of picked troops from the Maryland and Virginia line, as well as from his own Legion which to me that sounds like an elite force.