General Howe just noticed that the British army soldiers retreating were not quite the same as before.
He then realized that the two militia strongholds on the flanks of his temporary command post, which had been silent, seemed to be garrisoned by a slightly excessive number of Continental army troops.
"Orders! Form up immediately!" General Howe instinctively issued a command.
There's a saying that people who have experienced many wars can sense a crisis in war from subtle changes.
Whether General Howe had this premonition because of his extensive war experience is unknown, but his usual caution still prompted him to issue this order immediately.
Just behind the Philadelphia fortifications, where the battle had just ended, a large number of Continental army soldiers and militiamen, dressed in mixed attire and carrying various weapons, stood in dense formations on the flat streets.
Major Monroe, full of vigor, stood before a gathered 隊 of militiamen and shouted:
"Free citizens of the United States, brave soldiers of the Continental army! After more than three months of siege, Philadelphia is about to face its most crucial day.
Before us is the British General William Howe's force, exhausted from prolonged fighting.
To our north is Benedict's force, about to advance south, and to our south is Cornwallis' force, ready to advance north at any time.
Our only chance for victory now is to exert all our strength and defeat William Howe, who has already suffered more than half his losses.
Soldiers, let us bravely step out of the trenches and open fire on those shrimp soldiers who destroy our homes!
Only by defeating them can we defend our homes and our country!
God bless America, God bless the United States! Charge!"
"Charge…"
Immediately, a thundering roar of charge erupted from within Philadelphia.
Coordinating with the city were two other strongholds.
They also shouted the charge slogan, and immediately a large number of Philadelphia military and civilian personnel, armed with various weapons, rushed out of the strongholds.
Over twelve thousand Continental army soldiers and ordinary militiamen, and even ordinary citizens armed with cold weapons, all shouted and charged towards the British army, who were preparing to collect their wounded.
General Howe could hardly believe his eyes; those Philadelphia farmers actually rushed out of the city.
Did they feel they had no hope of winning and were ready to throw themselves onto the muzzles of guns?
Even with fewer than five thousand available soldiers, even if these soldiers were exhausted from prolonged fighting, and even if their morale was low, General Howe still had ample confidence in defeating a group of farmers.
"Form ranks! Prepare to fire!" General Howe issued the command to battle almost without hesitation.
Unfortunately, the soldiers who had just experienced battle had very little morale.
Seeing the Philadelphia army rushing out, howling madly, they felt a certain degree of fear, and their movements were naturally a bit sluggish.
However, the results of long-term training still allowed several British army units to obey orders, form ranks, listen to the drums, and hold their guns, ready to meet the charging Philadelphia military and civilian personnel at any time.
But then, the firing of a special cannon in Philadelphia caused some of the British army, who had just been preparing to form ranks, to hastily retreat, creating many large gaps in their original formation.
The first, and only, true long-barreled cannon manufactured in Pittsburgh, slowly but continuously fired, beginning to exert its power.
Cannons of this era were muzzle-loaders.
For ease of loading, the barrel would certainly not be too long, so the overall range of these cannons was not ideal.
Charles had once mentioned to Bergnan the idea of increasing range with a long barrel, and Bergnan, being very eager to learn, also built an ultra-long-barreled muzzle-loading cannon.
However, after building it, he discovered that loading and transporting this type of cannon was simply too inconvenient, so he abandoned it after building only this one.
This time, Charles wanted any weapon that could strike the British army, so he also transported this long-barreled muzzle-loader.
But it had been transported for a month and was only formally installed and ready to be used today.
Of course, this long-barreled cannon, besides having a longer range, did not have a large caliber itself and could not cause particularly great damage.
However, the ten exploding shells it used were enough to cause huge casualties to the British army upon impact, and successfully caused temporary confusion in their formation.
This time, the Philadelphia army attacked the British army from three directions.
The British army's defensive line was already particularly large and prone to gaps.
And when facing such an enemy with an absolute numerical advantage, allowing the enemy to break through to their side almost certainly meant defeat.
"What new weapon is this, that it can hit us all the way from within Philadelphia!" General Howe angrily waved his hands, almost shouting that the Continental army was cheating.
"Bang bang" Almost as soon as the British army's confusion began, the sporadic gunfire started to become dense.
Many soldiers who rushed out of Philadelphia began firing even while still out of range.
After a brief period of confusion, the British army, standing in formation, immediately began to open fire on the charging Philadelphia army, following the steps of raising their guns, aiming, and firing, under the shouted commands of their officers.
The cautious General Howe immediately anticipated the worst possible outcome based on the initial state of the battle.
Because of the shelling and slow formation movements, many gaps had already appeared in the front line.
Facing a large number of madly charging enemies, a true close-quarters bayonet fight was inevitable.
And now, the British army's combativeness was not high to begin with.
Once close-quarters combat occurred, they would certainly lose to the numerically superior Philadelphia rebels in the ensuing bayonet fight.
General Howe broke out in a cold sweat from this outcome.
"Quick! Quickly gather the reserve units and move forward to plug those gaps! We absolutely cannot engage in close-quarters combat with the rebels!" General Howe almost screamed his orders.
He no longer had the vigor he had when he first arrived in Philadelphia.
After so much war, he had long understood the possible outcome of close-quarters combat with these "farmers."
The best way to deal with a crisis in a field battle is to send out cavalry.
In fact, if a few hundred regular cavalry had suddenly joined the current battle, it would almost certainly have turned the tide for whichever side they joined, leading to an easy victory.
General Howe originally had cavalry, but now the cavalry had gone on "tour" with General Washington and had not yet returned.
Sending reserve infantry to reinforce was clearly not very satisfactory.
Even if an officer by General Howe's side personally led troops to reinforce, the reserve unit would almost certainly be only halfway there when the Philadelphia army and the British army had already collided.
General Howe painfully clutched his forehead.
"General, let's retreat!" his adjutant reminded him from the side.
"Do you think our soldiers can still retreat? Am I to abandon the soldiers at the front while they are still fighting, and I, the commander, and others sneak away?"
"General! Those soldiers who are already entangled with the rebels have no hope of being saved.
But for those who have not yet been caught, please order a retreat!" the adjutant insisted.
General Howe leaned his hands on the saddle and pondered for a few seconds.
—
Finally, he turned his horse around, waved his hand, and ordered:
"Order the entire army to retreat in an orderly fashion, heading towards New York."
The adjutant had been waiting for the order and immediately blew a few urgent whistle blasts, and the British army began to hastily retreat.
But the British army, already pressed by the Philadelphia army, could not retreat so easily.
The few units acting as a rear guard and reserves were fine; they could turn and run away immediately.
But the first one or two thousand men, especially those British army soldiers who had already started bayonet fighting with the Philadelphia army, simply couldn't get away.
Many British army soldiers were simultaneously stabbed by several bayonets as soon as they turned around.
And many, in order to escape, had to abandon their weapons and ammunition, throwing off all burdens and running.
This was truly a panicked flight, abandoning helmets and armor!
Standing in Philadelphia observing, only Charles, the general commander, remained.
Even General Sullivan, the actual supreme commander of the army, personally went to the front line to command in this battle, not to mention other generals.
The exhilaration of victory could also be experienced by observing from the rear with a telescope.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh.
He hadn't expected the campaign with General Howe to end this way, but it was still too early to say that the entire battle was over.
He still had to see which direction General Howe would retreat to, and especially how the other two forces would react upon hearing of General Howe's major defeat.
The benefits of defeating General Howe were far less significant than its symbolic meaning.
In reality, the danger of the siege of Philadelphia had not truly been lifted.
Benedict and Cornwallis could still attack Philadelphia at any time.
Until the decisions of these two forces were clear, Charles could never truly relax.
The hastily retreating General Howe, however, only dared to lead his routed troops towards New York.
Originally, at this time, he should have retreated towards Cornwallis' force at the river mouth, as it was closer and easier to retreat.
Unfortunately, he had been frightened by the Philadelphia army's endless stream of new weapons, especially the ultra-long-range cannon using exploding shells.
Such a weapon was simply the bane of naval ships.
He worried that even if he reached the river mouth, he might not be able to escape.
So, even though it was a bit further, for safety, he chose the direction of New York.
As the commander of the British army, out of confidence in his own troops, after running a few miles, he immediately had his adjutant stop the fleeing British army, reassemble the troops, and prepare for battle again.
This retreat to New York was now inevitable, but even if they had to retreat, it couldn't be by being chased from behind.
He also decided that if there were still relatively undamaged troops, and if the Philadelphia farmers dared to continue the pursuit, then he would teach those Philadelphia farmers a harsh lesson on the road.
After repelling these farmers, he would then retreat openly and honorably.
Soon, the adjutant gathered a force of over a thousand men with no major damage and immediately organized them into simple ranks, arraying them at the front of the road.
The remaining fleeing British army then bypassed the formation and hid behind their lines.
In this British army rout, many soldiers threw away their weapons and equipment to escape.
General Howe successfully rallied over two thousand men, but only this force of over a thousand men had weapons and could fight.
As soon as the British army here had formed ranks, General Sullivan and Major Monroe, who had been pursuing, also arrived with the Continental army.
Seeing the British army still able to fight in formation, while admiring them, they also had to immediately reassemble five thousand complete troops, preparing to overwhelm the British army with numerical superiority.
"Advance!" Major Monroe pointed his saber forward, issuing the order to advance.
The Continental army, in a wave-like formation, began to march forward towards the British army's lines.
"Raise guns! Aim! Fire!"
Smoke billowed in front of both armies, and a large number of British army and Continental army soldiers fell.
"Fire! Fire! Fire!" Three consecutive firing orders immediately showed the disparity between the Continental army and the British army.
The Continental army, whose main weapon was the rifle, was no match for the British army using smoothbore muskets.
In just three rounds of exchange fire, several hundred Continental army soldiers fell, while the British army only suffered over a hundred casualties.
Just as the Continental army's formation was tottering, and General Sullivan had to personally lead troops forward to press on, a concentrated sound of hooves came from behind the British army.
The sound of hooves echoed across the battlefield, clearly audible even amidst the gunfire.
The feeling of the ground shaking immediately led the experienced General Howe to determine that this was a cavalry unit of at least a thousand men.
"Rear guard, defend! Prevent a cavalry charge!" General Howe shouted his order.
Taking off his hat in resignation, General Howe was already planning to lead his troops in another retreat.
General Howe did not believe his British army, with over a thousand men in America, could withstand this.
He could only pray to God that this cavalry unit was reinforcements from Benedict in Canada.
But when a group of riders, mostly hatless and dressed in disorderly attire, entered the general's field of vision, General Howe felt all hope vanish!
"Damn it, it really is Washington, that old fox! Has he been waiting for this moment all along?"
General Howe hadn't even had time to decide on his next course of action when the British army in the rear, preparing to defend, immediately took off running as soon as they saw a large cavalry force.
These soldiers were largely unarmed and utterly helpless against a charging cavalry, so they wisely chose to flee in the opposite direction from the cavalry.
General Howe was helpless.
He glanced at the front line, which was still fighting, and could only say, "Damn it, it seems our retreat can only depend on Cornwallis!"
Washington's forces joined the battle, completing the operation against General Howe.
Although his musketeer cavalry were not true cavalry, facing a British army that had just suffered a crushing defeat, a force of about a thousand gun-wielding cavalry was enough to strike immense fear into them. Furthermore, accompanying Washington's gun cavalry were about two thousand infantrymen. These men were better dressed and equipped than Washington's ragtag cavalry; they were all regular Continental army soldiers.
Seeing such a large army suddenly appear, how could the British army not flee?
General Howe even "modestly" offered to retreat. Finally, at the strong insistence of another British general, Prescott, General Howe "reluctantly" abandoned his idea of dying like a warrior. General Prescott led a detachment to stay behind and delay the Continental army's pursuit, while General Howe, with his pathetic, unarmed soldiers, fled towards the coast, preparing to turn and join Cornwallis' fleet at the river mouth.
When these British soldiers, who were supposed to resist Washington's musketeer cavalry in the rear, fled with General Howe, those British soldiers fighting the Philadelphia army at the front suffered greatly.
Washington was very clear about his responsibilities. He did not divide his forces to pursue the fleeing British, but instead led his mounted musketeers directly into the front-line engagement, attacking the firing British army from the rear.
Seeing friendly forces join, the Philadelphia army's morale soared, and they immediately launched a full-scale charge, overwhelming the British soldiers who still dared to resist. Even General Prescott, the high-ranking British officer who had stayed behind to intercept, was captured. This was the highest-ranking officer lost by the British army in America.
After an American deputy commander-in-chief was captured, they finally returned the favor by capturing a British general.
Charles and Washington both wanted to continue pursuing the fleeing British army. However, both knew that their troops were exhausted from prolonged fighting. Except for Washington, who ordered his cavalry to continue following General Howe from a distance, constantly pursuing him, all other victorious forces withdrew into Philadelphia to rest.
"It is an honor to see you again, General! Your final strike was absolutely the greatest contributor to today's victory!" Charles personally went out of the city to welcome Washington as soon as he arrived in Philadelphia.
"George, our brave Commander-in-Chief! It's wonderful to have you back in Philadelphia; you've brought us the cheers of victory the moment you returned!" Hancock, who accompanied the welcoming party, excitedly stepped forward to embrace Washington.
"Chairman Hancock! Councilor Charles! You led a magnificent defense! It not only protected Philadelphia and our people but also our nation! You are the nation's heroes, and I, along with three million fellow countrymen, sincerely thank you!" Washington smiled back with praise, then solemnly gave them a military salute.
"Haha! George, you flatter us. General Sullivan and the others told us that if you hadn't struck the British army from behind at the last moment, his forces would probably have been defeated!" Hancock's smile was irrepressible.
Charles also had a smile on his face, but he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
Victory did not come easily. He originally didn't have much confidence in thoroughly defeating General Howe, but he never expected Washington's unexpected force to appear. The current gains could truly be described as an unexpected achievement. Although this unexpected gain was clearly achieved with the help of others, he felt as if half of it had been taken by someone else.
If Washington hadn't struck the British army from behind this time, Sullivan's forces, though not turning victory into defeat, certainly wouldn't have been able to truly defeat General Howe. It can be said that while Washington's participation in this battle was not a large proportion, his role was the most crucial. From the bottom of his heart, Charles was still very grateful to Washington.
Everyone saw this point, and coupled with Washington's previous prestige, he was greeted with cheers from the entire city upon entering.
Charles was not a particularly open-minded person. earlier, when Adams had unilaterally moved troops and caused him to lose face, he had forced Adams out of Philadelphia. Now, Washington, with several thousand soldiers, made an appearance at the last moment and took half of the cheers that should have belonged to him, naturally making him feel a bit uncomfortable. If it weren't for his deep respect for Washington and the fact that his own victory was indeed largely due to this general, he would probably have already begun to devise a plan to drive Washington away.
His character destined him not to be the sole supreme leader.
However, a subsequent piece of news made him laugh in exasperation.
governor Adams of Virginia, upon learning that Cornwallis was preparing to lead the British army fighting in Virginia to encircle Philadelphia's rear, not only informed Charles but also rallied militiamen to provide as much support as possible. The previous few detachments had been repelled by General Howe, but this time, after gathering several militia units from North Carolina and South Carolina, he personally led his troops to appear south of Philadelphia.
That day, he happened to see continuous smoke billowing over Philadelphia, knowing that a major battle must have broken out. So he gathered his troops and rushed to reinforce.
However, his movements were a bit slow. By the time he arrived, the battle was already over, and he could only participate in the celebration ceremony.
Although his troops did not play a role, the people of Philadelphia did not stint on their cheers, enthusiastically praising every unit that came to support them.
Charles saw Adams, who appeared before him with a smiling face, and the feeling in his heart was truly hard to describe.
This one truly came to snatch the fruits of victory!
"Mr. Adams, why have you come to Philadelphia? Isn't Virginia also under British attack?" Hancock asked Adams before Charles could.
"Haha! The main force of the British army in Virginia has been taken away by Cornwallis, and I heard that Philadelphia was in danger, so I brought troops from other Southern states to support. Ensuring the safety of our capital is more significant than protecting Virginia's safety." Adams spoke very solemnly.
This also aligned with his consistent character and behavior, which was always to prioritize national interests. Of course, he couldn't be a completely selfless person, but on certain issues, his perspective was indeed more far-sighted than Charles, the small tour guide.
"Your Excellency Adams, now that the Battle of Philadelphia is won, the British army has been split into two by us, fighting separately in the north and south. However, their strength is still very powerful, and Virginia will inevitably become the main battlefield for the Southern British army. Alas, your departure this time has given them an opportunity!" Charles said with feigned regret.
"Future battles will indeed be very troublesome. At least the fighting in the North is very bad. Today, while all the main armed forces of our Thirteen American Colonies are in Philadelphia, it's a good opportunity to discuss future operations. We should act in a unified manner now." Washington interjected. "First, I must report some very bad news to the Continental Congress: just a few days ago, Albany has been occupied by Benedict's forces."
"How can this be?" Hancock and the others were shocked. "Didn't Albany also have several thousand militiamen defending it, along with several thousand regular army troops under General St. Clair who retreated from Ticonderoga assisting? Benedict's British forces totaled no more than seven thousand men; how could it have fallen in just a few days?"
Albany was the gateway to the North. Its strategic significance was very important. Once Albany fell into British hands, Philadelphia would lose contact with the states further north, and Philadelphia and other areas would constantly face attacks from the British army in Albany moving south.
Charles' heart stirred upon hearing this, and he turned to ask Washington:
"General, did you order General St. Clair to withdraw voluntarily?"
Washington nodded helplessly and said in a deep voice:
"Yes, for the greater good, I voluntarily suggested that General St. Clair withdraw his troops from Albany. The responsibility for this matter should be borne by me."
"Then have you already captured New York?" Charles pressed.
"Haha! Yes, exchanging Albany for New York was the only way I could think of. But General Clinton still managed to escape. I had originally planned to exchange him for General Charles Lee." Washington nodded with a bitter smile.
"To think that Your Excellency the General has recaptured New York!" Charles, Hancock, and the others were all greatly pleased.
This made it much easier to understand why Washington would suddenly appear behind General Howe with a large army.
Washington detailed events before his arrival in Philadelphia: After gathering the several thousand Continental army troops stationed in Albany under General St. Clair, Washington successfully ambushed and dealt with the eight hundred British cavalry that had been constantly dogging his heels. He then attacked New York with superior forces.
General Clinton, the commander of New York, seeing the formidable advance of the Continental army, chose to retreat by sea. Washington easily captured New York. However, at this time, New York contained not only a large number of casualties from the previous fighting with Washington but also several thousand wounded soldiers who had retreated from the Battle of Philadelphia. General Clinton could not evacuate them all. So he generously sent an envoy to negotiate with Washington, asking him to accept and treat these wounded prisoners well. In exchange, the British army would not destroy the large amount of supplies left in New York.
Washington had no intention of mistreating prisoners anyway and readily agreed upon hearing that a batch of supplies would also be compensated.
Washington, who had gained New York for free, was very confident in holding it. Among the large amount of supplies left by the British army, in addition to abundant firearms and ammunition, there were also many coastal defense cannons. It could be said that if the British army dared to assault New York from the sea again, it would certainly not be as easy as the first time.
Therefore, after occupying New York, he left only a portion of his men to defend it. Washington immediately took all the warhorses and three thousand soldiers and quickly rushed to Philadelphia to provide support.
Upon arriving near Philadelphia, he witnessed the state of the war, ultimately joining the battle and delivering the decisive blow.
Albany's strategic position was very important, but relatively speaking, its political significance was naturally not as important as New York's. Now that Philadelphia had also been rescued, everyone calculated that Washington had made a very good deal.
They all expressed admiration for Washington's brilliant tactics and congratulated him on his military achievements.
Subsequently, the victorious Continental army, led by Washington, continued to pursue General Howe towards the river mouth until he rendezvoused with Cornwallis and successfully retreated by warship from the sea, truly ending this major Battle of Philadelphia.
Even though Cornwallis still had several thousand regular British army troops, facing the Continental army, which came with victory and combined infantry and cavalry, General Howe, worried about long-range artillery, ultimately chose to retreat without a fight. However, the fleet's retreat direction was very free; they directly withdrew to Virginia, where they could enter as if into an uninhabited land.
A few days later, the handsome British army easily occupied a small coastal town in Virginia named Charles. General Howe established his headquarters in Charlestown, but then had to rest his troops while informing his home country of his situation, awaiting their decision on how to handle this battle.
After this major defeat, he no longer had the confidence to serve as the supreme commander of the British army.
The siege of Philadelphia by William Howe, Commander-in-Chief of the British American Expeditionary Force, finally ended in a major American victory after nearly four months of siege warfare.
This major war, which lasted for nearly four months, resulted in the American army killing or wounding over seven thousand British soldiers and capturing over a thousand, including a general. Only a little over a thousand troops eventually fled with General Howe to Cornwallis.
The victory in this unprecedented major war on the American continent belonged to the American side.
The impact of the victory was enormous. Although Benedict's and Cornwallis' forces were largely undamaged and occupied several strategic points, giving the British army an overall advantage, its political significance was definitely greater than the battle victory itself.
It proved that these irregular armed personnel of the Colonies were also capable of defeating the regular British army. And from this meaning, it followed that anti-British countries like France and Spain, after this victory, completed their recognition of American strength.
Previously, they dared not recognize America or openly support America's war because they lacked confidence in America, fearing that if America failed, it would not only incur Britain's hatred but also waste large sums of aid. When this victory reached Europe, it not only led France and Spain to formally recognize America but also to not only support America with supplies but also to send their own warships and soldiers to directly support America's operations.
Although some other countries, due to their national strength and relationship with America, could not provide much support, those countries that had always disliked Britain, the leading naval power, saw the weakness of this pirate nation's army and intensified their competition with Britain for interests on land. For a time, Britain's various international conflicts were constant.
Washington's forces joined the battle, completing the operation against General Howe.
Although his musketeer cavalry were not true cavalry, facing a British army that had just suffered a crushing defeat, a force of about a thousand gun-wielding cavalry was enough to strike immense fear into them. Furthermore, accompanying Washington's gun cavalry were about two thousand infantrymen. These men were better dressed and equipped than Washington's ragtag cavalry; they were all regular Continental army soldiers.
Seeing such a large army suddenly appear, how could the British army not flee?
General Howe even "modestly" offered to retreat. Finally, at the strong insistence of another British general, Prescott, General Howe "reluctantly" abandoned his idea of dying like a warrior. General Prescott led a detachment to stay behind and delay the Continental army's pursuit, while General Howe, with his pathetic, unarmed soldiers, fled towards the coast, preparing to turn and join Cornwallis' fleet at the river mouth.
When these British soldiers, who were supposed to resist Washington's musketeer cavalry in the rear, fled with General Howe, those British soldiers fighting the Philadelphia army at the front suffered greatly.
Washington was very clear about his responsibilities. He did not divide his forces to pursue the fleeing British, but instead led his mounted musketeers directly into the front-line engagement, attacking the firing British army from the rear.
Seeing friendly forces join, the Philadelphia army's morale soared, and they immediately launched a full-scale charge, overwhelming the British soldiers who still dared to resist. Even General Prescott, the high-ranking British officer who had stayed behind to intercept, was captured. This was the highest-ranking officer lost by the British army in America.
After an American deputy commander-in-chief was captured, they finally returned the favor by capturing a British general.
Charles and Washington both wanted to continue pursuing the fleeing British army. However, both knew that their troops were exhausted from prolonged fighting. Except for Washington, who ordered his cavalry to continue following General Howe from a distance, constantly pursuing him, all other victorious forces withdrew into Philadelphia to rest.
"It is an honor to see you again, General! Your final strike was absolutely the greatest contributor to today's victory!" Charles personally went out of the city to welcome Washington as soon as he arrived in Philadelphia.
"George, our brave Commander-in-Chief! It's wonderful to have you back in Philadelphia; you've brought us the cheers of victory the moment you returned!" Hancock, who accompanied the welcoming party, excitedly stepped forward to embrace Washington.
"Chairman Hancock! Councilor Charles! You led a magnificent defense! It not only protected Philadelphia and our people but also our nation! You are the nation's heroes, and I, along with three million fellow countrymen, sincerely thank you!" Washington smiled back with praise, then solemnly gave them a military salute.
"Haha! George, you flatter us. General Sullivan and the others told us that if you hadn't struck the British army from behind at the last moment, his forces would probably have been defeated!" Hancock's smile was irrepressible.
Charles also had a smile on his face, but he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
Victory did not come easily. He originally didn't have much confidence in thoroughly defeating General Howe, but he never expected Washington's unexpected force to appear. The current gains could truly be described as an unexpected achievement. Although this unexpected gain was clearly achieved with the help of others, he felt as if half of it had been taken by someone else.
If Washington hadn't struck the British army from behind this time, Sullivan's forces, though not turning victory into defeat, certainly wouldn't have been able to truly defeat General Howe. It can be said that while Washington's participation in this battle was not a large proportion, his role was the most crucial. From the bottom of his heart, Charles was still very grateful to Washington.
Everyone saw this point, and coupled with Washington's previous prestige, he was greeted with cheers from the entire city upon entering.
Charles was not a particularly open-minded person. earlier, when Adams had unilaterally moved troops and caused him to lose face, he had forced Adams out of Philadelphia. Now, Washington, with several thousand soldiers, made an appearance at the last moment and took half of the cheers that should have belonged to him, naturally making him feel a bit uncomfortable. If it weren't for his deep respect for Washington and the fact that his own victory was indeed largely due to this general, he would probably have already begun to devise a plan to drive Washington away.
His character destined him not to be the sole supreme leader.
However, a subsequent piece of news made him laugh in exasperation.
governor Adams of Virginia, upon learning that Cornwallis was preparing to lead the British army fighting in Virginia to encircle Philadelphia's rear, not only informed Charles but also rallied militiamen to provide as much support as possible. The previous few detachments had been repelled by General Howe, but this time, after gathering several militia units from North Carolina and South Carolina, he personally led his troops to appear south of Philadelphia.
That day, he happened to see continuous smoke billowing over Philadelphia, knowing that a major battle must have broken out. So he gathered his troops and rushed to reinforce.
However, his movements were a bit slow. By the time he arrived, the battle was already over, and he could only participate in the celebration ceremony.
Although his troops did not play a role, the people of Philadelphia did not stint on their cheers, enthusiastically praising every unit that came to support them.
Charles saw Adams, who appeared before him with a smiling face, and the feeling in his heart was truly hard to describe.
This one truly came to snatch the fruits of victory!
"Mr. Adams, why have you come to Philadelphia? Isn't Virginia also under British attack?" Hancock asked Adams before Charles could.
"Haha! The main force of the British army in Virginia has been taken away by Cornwallis, and I heard that Philadelphia was in danger, so I brought troops from other Southern states to support. Ensuring the safety of our capital is more significant than protecting Virginia's safety." Adams spoke very solemnly.
This also aligned with his consistent character and behavior, which was always to prioritize national interests. Of course, he couldn't be a completely selfless person, but on certain issues, his perspective was indeed more far-sighted than Charles, the small tour guide.
"Your Excellency Adams, now that the Battle of Philadelphia is won, the British army has been split into two by us, fighting separately in the north and south. However, their strength is still very powerful, and Virginia will inevitably become the main battlefield for the Southern British army. Alas, your departure this time has given them an opportunity!" Charles said with feigned regret.
"Future battles will indeed be very troublesome. At least the fighting in the North is very bad. Today, while all the main armed forces of our Thirteen American Colonies are in Philadelphia, it's a good opportunity to discuss future operations. We should act in a unified manner now." Washington interjected. "First, I must report some very bad news to the Continental Congress: just a few days ago, Albany has been occupied by Benedict's forces."
"How can this be?" Hancock and the others were shocked. "Didn't Albany also have several thousand militiamen defending it, along with several thousand regular army troops under General St. Clair who retreated from Ticonderoga assisting? Benedict's British forces totaled no more than seven thousand men; how could it have fallen in just a few days?"
Albany was the gateway to the North. Its strategic significance was very important. Once Albany fell into British hands, Philadelphia would lose contact with the states further north, and Philadelphia and other areas would constantly face attacks from the British army in Albany moving south.
Charles' heart stirred upon hearing this, and he turned to ask Washington:
"General, did you order General St. Clair to withdraw voluntarily?"
Washington nodded helplessly and said in a deep voice:
"Yes, for the greater good, I voluntarily suggested that General St. Clair withdraw his troops from Albany. The responsibility for this matter should be borne by me."
"Then have you already captured New York?" Charles pressed.
"Haha! Yes, exchanging Albany for New York was the only way I could think of. But General Clinton still managed to escape. I had originally planned to exchange him for General Charles Lee." Washington nodded with a bitter smile.
"To think that Your Excellency the General has recaptured New York!" Charles, Hancock, and the others were all greatly pleased.
This made it much easier to understand why Washington would suddenly appear behind General Howe with a large army.
Washington detailed events before his arrival in Philadelphia: After gathering the several thousand Continental army troops stationed in Albany under General St. Clair, Washington successfully ambushed and dealt with the eight hundred British cavalry that had been constantly dogging his heels. He then attacked New York with superior forces.
General Clinton, the commander of New York, seeing the formidable advance of the Continental army, chose to retreat by sea. Washington easily captured New York. However, at this time, New York contained not only a large number of casualties from the previous fighting with Washington but also several thousand wounded soldiers who had retreated from the Battle of Philadelphia.
General Clinton could not evacuate them all. So he generously sent an envoy to negotiate with Washington, asking him to accept and treat these wounded prisoners well. In exchange, the British army would not destroy the large amount of supplies left in New York.
Washington had no intention of mistreating prisoners anyway and readily agreed upon hearing that a batch of supplies would also be compensated.
Washington, who had gained New York for free, was very confident in holding it. Among the large amount of supplies left by the British army, in addition to abundant firearms and ammunition, there were also many coastal defense cannons. It could be said that if the British army dared to assault New York from the sea again, it would certainly not be as easy as the first time.
Therefore, after occupying New York, he left only a portion of his men to defend it. Washington immediately took all the warhorses and three thousand soldiers and quickly rushed to Philadelphia to provide support.
Upon arriving near Philadelphia, he witnessed the state of the war, ultimately joining the battle and delivering the decisive blow.
Albany's strategic position was very important, but relatively speaking, its political significance was naturally not as important as New York's. Now that Philadelphia had also been rescued, everyone calculated that Washington had made a very good deal.
They all expressed admiration for Washington's brilliant tactics and congratulated him on his military achievements.
Subsequently, the victorious Continental army, led by Washington, continued to pursue General Howe towards the river mouth until he rendezvoused with Cornwallis and successfully retreated by warship from the sea, truly ending this major Battle of Philadelphia.
Even though Cornwallis still had several thousand regular British army troops, facing the Continental army, which came with victory and combined infantry and cavalry, General Howe, worried about long-range artillery, ultimately chose to retreat without a fight. However, the fleet's retreat direction was very free; they directly withdrew to Virginia, where they could enter as if into an uninhabited land.
A few days later, the handsome British army easily occupied a small coastal town in Virginia named Charles. General Howe established his headquarters in Charlestown, but then had to rest his troops while informing his home country of his situation, awaiting their decision on how to handle this battle.
After this major defeat, he no longer had the confidence to serve as the supreme commander of the British army.
The siege of Philadelphia by William Howe, Commander-in-Chief of the British American Expeditionary Force, finally ended in a major American victory after nearly four months of siege warfare.
This major war, which lasted for nearly four months, resulted in the American army killing or wounding over seven thousand British soldiers and capturing over a thousand, including a general. Only a little over a thousand troops eventually fled with General Howe to Cornwallis.
The victory in this unprecedented major war on the American continent belonged to the American side.
The impact of the victory was enormous. Although Benedict's and Cornwallis' forces were largely undamaged and occupied several strategic points, giving the British army an overall advantage, its political significance was definitely greater than the battle victory itself.
It proved that these irregular armed personnel of the Colonies were also capable of defeating the regular British army. And from this meaning, it followed that anti-British countries like France and Spain, after this victory, completed their recognition of American strength.
Previously, they dared not recognize America or openly support America's war because they lacked confidence in America, fearing that if America failed, it would not only incur Britain's hatred but also waste large sums of aid. When this victory reached Europe, it not only led France and Spain to formally recognize America but also to not only support America with supplies but also to send their own warships and soldiers to directly support America's operations.
Although some other countries, due to their national strength and relationship with America, could not provide much support, those countries that had always disliked Britain, the leading naval power, saw the weakness of this pirate nation's army and intensified their competition with Britain for interests on land. For a time, Britain's various international conflicts were constant.
After the great victory of the Battle of Philadelphia, the residents of the city quickly began to resume their normal production. Everyone felt that although the dawn of peace had not yet appeared, the hope of victory was already in sight.
As for the leading classes of Philadelphia and even all of America, they had no choice but to respond quickly and effectively to the dramatically changed situation.
Aside from Franklin and others who were far away in France, the highest political and military leaders, including Jefferson, Washington, and Adams, all gathered in Philadelphia to discuss the important matters ahead.
This was not only about adjusting in battle and changing diplomacy, but most crucially, the internal organizational structure had to change, and even the merits of each individual needed to be assessed.
Historically, it was after Philadelphia was occupied that Americans truly united under one flag, fighting without regard for individual states. Now that the Battle of Philadelphia had ended in victory, the original method of each state fighting independently still needed to change.
At the beginning of the meeting, Hancock's proposal to award Charles the title of "Defender of Philadelphia" and Washington the title of "Guardian of New York" was passed. The Continental Congress would allocate special funds to reward all other meritorious officers and soldiers who participated in the Battle of Philadelphia.
Anyway, a large amount of British army supplies had been captured in Philadelphia and New York this time. In terms of material value alone, the gains and expenditures were roughly equal.
"Gentlemen, Generals, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army, I deeply regret allowing our sacred capital to be harassed by the British army, and for this, I am profoundly sorry. At the same time, I also want to express my gratitude and appreciation again to all of you present, and to our brave soldiers. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army, I did not complete the task entrusted to me by the Continental Congress very well. I even lost Albany. Fortunately, the Battle of Philadelphia ultimately achieved victory, giving us hope to continue fighting. For our upcoming battles, for long-term victory, I have decided to express my personal humble opinions on the future conduct of the war." Washington spoke at the temporary joint meeting like a student giving a report, honestly and earnestly.
As soon as the siege of Philadelphia was lifted, the Continental Congress Representatives who had been hiding in Pittsburgh quickly returned to Philadelphia by high-speed steamboat.
Their haste to return was primarily due to wanting to regain the power to lead the country, but it was also absolutely due to the harsh living conditions in Pittsburgh and the representatives' poor quality of life.
The first thing the representatives did upon their return was to hold a joint meeting with the generals of the army to discuss how to arrange the upcoming battles. This was also an opportunity that arose from all the different factions gathering in Philadelphia and all the main leaders being present.
The first to express his opinion was still the old General Washington.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army, it was both a sign of respect and his responsibility to be the first to express his views.
Washington's opinion was also very simple: first, a command headquarters capable of leading the entire army should be established, and the entire army should act in a unified manner, directed by it in the upcoming battles against the British army. He also mentioned specific battle plans, suggesting that they should first deal with the Southern States, where the British army was relatively few, and then turn back to attack the Northern States occupied by Benedict.
However, this opinion quickly drew strong opposition. As soon as his speech ended, a series of representatives stood up to express dissenting views.
"Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, how can a single command headquarters be established? America is so vast, several times the size of Great Britain. How can one command headquarters lead the entire American army? I think at least two should be established: a Southern Command and a Northern Command." The opponent was a famous general, General Greene, who had accompanied Adams to Philadelphia.
"Philadelphia should also have a command headquarters!" Sherman suddenly looked at Charles.
Charles smiled slightly, saying nothing.
"General Washington, currently Virginia and other Southern States can still protect themselves, but the Northern States are almost completely falling into Benedict's hands. How can you still think of solving the Southern States first and then the Northern States? I'm afraid that by the time the Southern States are not yet resolved, the people in the Northern States will have already surrendered to the British army!" This time, it was Adams himself speaking.
As an outstanding figure from Massachusetts, he still had to consider his hometown to some extent. Moreover, in his view, whether to go south or north first was the same; he would save whichever was most in need.
However, even General Greene, who had accompanied him, did not support his opinion.
"Your Excellency Adams, resolving the Northern States is truly too difficult. Benedict is backed by Canada, able to advance or retreat, and his supplies are convenient. Even if we resolve the Northern States first, as long as his strength is not damaged, he can always reoccupy the Northern States, which would prevent us from confidently moving south. Therefore, I agree with General Washington's opinion to resolve the Southern States first, and then the main army will march north, driving Benedict to Canada in one fell swoop. Whether we continue north at that point will be entirely up to us." General Greene expressed his tactical insights.
Washington and Charles nodded simultaneously upon hearing this.
This General Greene's level in tactics and strategy was actually more brilliant than Washington's. However, he was a pure military man, not keen on politics. Otherwise, after the war of Independence, with his wartime merits, he could have achieved the same political status as Washington.
"Representatives, Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Charles Godfrey, our 'Defender of Philadelphia' and the overall commander of this Battle of Philadelphia, has only expressed his opinion. Whether to adopt it or not, we can discuss slowly. Now, please let him share his views on our next actions!" Hancock led the applause.
The Councilors also collectively stood up to show their respect to Charles.
Although the victory of the Battle of Philadelphia was clearly the result of coordinated efforts from all sides, as the overall commander of Philadelphia's defense, the primary provider of weapons, and the issuer of the final combat orders, Charles' merits in this Battle of Philadelphia could not be ignored by anyone.
Both Washington and Adams acknowledged Charles' achievements.
"Gentlemen, Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief, as a member of the Continental Congress, I am deeply honored to have participated in this Battle of Philadelphia. To be honest, when I first learned of the British army's arrival, I even thought I definitely couldn't defeat them—"
"Hahahaha..." The people below burst into understanding laughter.
They had also run to Pittsburgh because Charles said they couldn't win, never expecting the battle to actually end in victory.
"Speaking of which, I really must thank our brave Continental army, the militias of other states, and all the representatives present, as well as Your Excellency Commander-in-Chief. It is precisely your cooperation and collaboration that allowed Philadelphia to achieve its final victory. It can be said that my personal role in it was negligible."
After a moment of humility, Charles continued to express the views derived from these words.
"In fact, it's the same for anyone. In the face of such a large war, individual strength is truly insufficient to sway the course of the war. Therefore, I believe that establishing a command headquarters capable of integrating the forces of all classes, factions, and states across the country, and appointing a true Commander-in-Chief, is absolutely necessary. However, as a Continental Congress Representative, as a defender of democracy, I believe we should also establish a General Staff, an organization that formulates specific combat plans and provides consultation to this national Commander-in-Chief at any time. Of course, I think the General Staff members can be held by civilian officials or military officers who have taken off their uniforms."
Charles proposed an idea that completely changed the appearance of things.
He suddenly elevated the General Staff, which had always belonged to the army, to the parliamentary side of the Continental Congress.
"As for whether the next battle should be in the south or the north, I think it's a bit too early to discuss that now. The tens of thousands of troops we have at hand now most need reorganization and rest. If we are to consider continuing a major war, then they must undergo rigorous training. Unless absolutely necessary, I suggest we do not consider making a move in any direction within half a year."
After this lengthy speech, there was a moment of quiet among the Continental Congress, and no one immediately expressed their stance, instead carefully considering the meaning of Charles' words.
Charles' political status, unbeknownst to many, already had a subtle tendency to surpass Washington's.
However, his suggestion not to engage the British army within half a year had significant personal considerations. Because his current interests lay in industry and commerce, and after achieving great political success, he somewhat hoped that the war could bring him commercial benefits. It could already be seen from this war that in the current world, America's political status was not particularly worth showing off. If he only pursued political status and ignored the development of his own strength, it was very likely that any country could send an army to wipe him out.
At this time, the strongest country was undoubtedly Great Britain. If he could appropriately utilize the relationship between America and Great Britain to gain practical advantages for himself, that would be what he needed most right now.
Whether it was what he read in history books or what he truly felt now, the conflict between America and Great Britain, without proper mediation, led to deepening emotional contradictions, which was the reason why the war of Independence lasted so long. To be honest, when he reviewed the historical events of the early war of Independence, he felt that many times, if only a suitable country had come forward to mediate, there would not have been the later major war between America and Great Britain. Unfortunately, other European countries at that time, as long as they had even a slight connection with America, all had conflicts of interest with Great Britain. Everyone was eager for Great Britain and its Colonies to fight, constantly fanning the flames, and would not have been willing to mediate.
When he achieved victory in the Battle of Philadelphia, he felt that his position in America was already stable, and no matter what, his status and merits could not be erased, so he began to think about "peace." He had so many industries in his hands; if he only sold to the American domestic market, the market would soon be saturated. But if he used Great Britain's channels, its vast colonial markets, powerful domestic consumer base, and strong naval fleet, he should be able to protect his products and sell them all over the world.
As for the attitude of Great Britain's domestic population towards the Colonies, he felt that it wasn't a do-or-die mentality. If the cost of reclaiming the Colonies was higher than the future profits from them, he believed the British government would make a wise choice.
However, Charles did not know that the crushing defeat of William Howe's ten thousand British army troops in the Battle of Philadelphia, when this news reached Great Britain, only nearly caused the cabinet to fall, and the desire for peace was not given much importance by many people.
The British cabinet had indeed proposed the idea of quickly ending this unnecessary war to gain peace benefits, but it was vetoed by king George, who was concerned about his reputation. king George felt that a jewel from his crown had fallen into the hands of these American farmers, and for his own face, he had to reclaim it, so he quickly issued orders to transfer troops to continue fighting.
Ordinary British citizens were also not mentally prepared for a long war; they simply felt that the Battle of Philadelphia was an accident and that this accident had caused their status as the leading power to suffer a loss of face, so they firmly supported the British king's order to continue fighting.
The British king also made appropriate adjustments to the personnel arrangements for the senior leadership of the British army in America. The overall command was taken over by Cornwallis, and General Howe was immediately relieved of his duties and recalled home. General Clinton, who should have replaced General Howe, also lost the opportunity to serve as overall commander due to his abandonment of New York.
The Continental Congress' discussions were still ongoing.
After everyone considered Charles' opinions, most expressed agreement with the idea of establishing a General Staff.
Civilian officials primarily agreed out of their lack of military expertise and their belief in Charles' military talent. They also felt that the General Staff being primarily composed of civilians was more in line with their interests and democratic ideals, so there was basically no opposition. Many military officers actually had opinions, but out of concern for offending the interests of the Continental Congress, and because Charles also agreed to establish a command headquarters, they did not strongly object.
However, regarding the timing of the war, some raised different opinions:
"Councilor Charles, currently our army's morale is high, while the British army's morale is low, and many soldiers don't even have weapons. This is the best time to attack, so how can we continue to rest and recuperate? By the time we finish resting, they will have recovered their combat strength, and new reinforcements from Great Britain might even be arriving soon." A representative spoke.
"No! Councilor Charles, our army is in urgent need of rest now. If we continue to participate in the war, the casualties will be very heavy. I just think that two or three months of rest and reorganization would be enough; half a year shouldn't be necessary." General Greene, the talented general who had been commanding operations in the South, expressed his opinion.
Washington and the other generals nodded slightly. They also felt that rest was necessary, but simply didn't think such a long period of rest was needed.
"Gentlemen, only a better trained army can more easily defeat the British army that occupies our states. It will take at least half a year for the British army to transfer troops from their home country, and if there is a slight delay in their country, the time will certainly be even longer. This is enough for us to train a truly combat-ready force before British army reinforcements arrive in America. Moreover, we are forced to fight. At this time, I think that both morally and in terms of strength, we should actually send a representative to Great Britain to express our desire for peace. God will not stand on the side of those who insist on war!" Charles said tactfully.
"Right! Councilor Charles, I strongly agree with your point of view. I've also wanted to say that now that we have achieved a great victory in the Battle of Philadelphia, it should be time to express to Great Britain that we have the right to demand peace!" President of the Continental Congress Hancock strongly endorsed Charles' speech.
"Indeed! The peace of a nation should not always be maintained by war. When war has gained an advantage, we should strive for opportunities for peace. gentlemen, I am willing to go to Great Britain as a peace envoy!" Jefferson also smiled, supporting Charles and the others.
In truth, although the representatives of the Continental Congress firmly opposed Great Britain, they were still very averse to war. They were, after all, civil officials. Just over a year of war had already shown them its horrors, and now they felt they had the capital for peace talks. Everyone's hearts were already eagerly anticipating peace.
Many people had previously wanted to propose peace negotiations, but due to various concerns, they dared not be the first to suggest it. Now that Charles and Jefferson, among other prominent figures, had issued a call for peace, how could everyone not enthusiastically support it?
Suddenly, the tone of the meeting immediately changed. From discussing military strategies, it shifted to discussing how to achieve peace. Many even proposed conditions for peace negotiations with Great Britain. Even Washington, couldn't help but represent the military and offered their opinion, suggesting that the captured British army General Prescott should be exchanged for Deputy Commander General Lee.
With hardly any dissent, the meeting passed the discussion. It was decided to seize the opportunity of this great victory, using it as leverage, to propose peace negotiations to Great Britain.
However, Charles and the other representatives did not expect British king George to suddenly become hot-headed and decide to continue the war. The door to peace was already sealed before negotiations even began.
But the meeting did not end after discussing relations with Great Britain, because Adams, the interim governor of Virginia, suddenly proposed a motion. He believed that the American Colonies were unable to coordinate consistently during wartime and that a more powerful central coordinating body should be established to lead the states. The implication was that a Continental Government should be established in addition to the Continental Congress.
"Establish a Continental Government?" Charles muttered softly.
Observing the expressions of Adams and Washington with a cold eye, there was a clear hint of tacit understanding. These two were truly of the Federalist faction. However, their stance would certainly not receive much support at this time.
As expected, Adams' proposal to establish a Continental Government immediately drew a backlash from a prominent figure.
"Adams, the Continental Congress is already exercising the power to coordinate the states. What need is there for a Continental Government? Isn't this an infringement on the powers of our state governments and the Continental Congress? Furthermore, I will absolutely not agree to establish a Continental Government after agreeing to establish an All-American Commander-in-Chief. That would absolutely allow two positions to fall into the hands of one person. It would also cause our Thirteen American Colonies to once again have a dictatorial British king." Jefferson, as the greatest leader of the democratic faction, was the first to speak.
His view was very precise, recognizing that Adams wanted to establish a presidential power structure.
Thereafter, naturally, many followers of Jefferson and supporters of democracy spoke out, firmly opposing the formation of any Continental Government. There were also many representatives who, influenced by Jefferson's claim that Adams was infringing upon the powers of the Continental Congress, opposed the establishment of a Continental Government to protect their own interests.
Although Adams had once been forced out of Philadelphia, his influence quickly rallied a group of supporters shortly after his return to Philadelphia. In addition, many people knew that Washington was behind him, and he had always been Washington's spokesman in politics, so there were also many who supported him and his idea of establishing a Continental Government. For a time, although the democratic faction held an advantage, it could not immediately suppress the Continental Government faction.
Charles undoubtedly supported the establishment of a Continental Government; he had always been a supporter of forming a States. But in the Continental Congress now, the prevailing sentiment was that of * * faction. Moreover, he and Adams were not on the same page. After achieving great military success, if he were to blindly meddle in advocating for a centralized government, he would likely be deemed by democrats like Jefferson to have ambitions of becoming a powerful figure.
Seeing Washington on the opposite side calmly listening to the debate between the Adams and Jefferson factions, Charles wisely chose to remain silent.
"Establishing a new Continental Government may not be necessary, but appropriately expanding the powers of the Continental Congress, allowing it to better coordinate the states of the United States, is absolutely necessary. Since everyone opposes the establishment of a new Continental Government, then let's simply expand the powers of the current Continental Congress." Adams saw that most people were against it, so he took a step back and instead supported expanding the powers of the Continental Congress.
This made many representatives relax their opposition.
They were all very pragmatic people. While democracy was important and centralization was equally terrifying, if this centralization could be shared among themselves, it wasn't so unacceptable. After all, decentralization is democracy, and many representatives, seeing that it wasn't about stripping the Continental Congress of its powers and forming a separate Continental Government, abandoned their objections.
"Gentlemen, while it may still be too early to establish a Continental Government, the purpose of the Continental Congress was to unify the states and collectively resist British rule. However, since the formation of state governments last year, the Continental Congress has often been constrained by state assemblies and governments when coordinating state positions, making it difficult to cope with the needs of the upcoming war of Resistance. If Great Britain is willing to accept our peace, then all of this can be slowly coordinated and resolved, but if Great Britain still wants to continue the war, then we will have to further strengthen this coordinating power." Charles finally decided to interject.
After all, a unified country and a unified market were still most in line with his own industrial and commercial development needs. The current situation, where each state had an independent government, an independent constitution, and independent customs, splitting the United States into thirteen parts, was truly unfavorable to the development of his industrial and commercial enterprises.
Anyway, after signing a peace treaty with Great Britain in the future, he would still advocate for the establishment of a Federal Government. It would be better to integrate some power now to reduce obstacles to the establishment of the States at that time.
Many representatives had already intended to compromise on Adams' proposal. Now, with Charles, one of the prominent figures, expressing his approval, many people naturally were not so firmly opposed.
Jefferson smiled helplessly:
"Gentlemen, centralization is a beast. Once it is unleashed, we will inevitably lose control. Today we merely strengthened the powers of the Continental Congress; tomorrow we will establish a centralized government. In the future, a dictatorial government will certainly emerge! Democracy will inevitably be killed by this beast!"
The representatives merely expressed understanding for Jefferson's helplessness, but did not change their decision.
The final vote, of course, passed Adams' proposal.
The powers of the various agencies under the Continental Congress were expanded, with Hamilton's Internal Revenue Service benefiting the most, as the taxes it could collect in the future increased more than tenfold. Charles' Military and Ordnance Committee also gained the power to directly requisition local resources in the name of the state during wartime.
Adams himself, as the proposer, was not permitted to remain in the subordinate agencies of the Continental Congress due to Jefferson's strong opposition. Instead, he was asked to remain in Virginia to lead the state government while Jefferson served as envoy to Great Britain. Of course, he would also, along with General Greene, lead Virginia's struggle against Great Britain. Many of his supporters, however, became heads of several expanded agencies.
—
On the second day of the meeting, news arrived from Virginia that General Howe and Cornwallis had occupied Charlestown. Although they were only resting in the town and had not launched an attack, the entire state was still shaken. Adams and General Greene immediately decided to return to Virginia. Washington also decided to return to New York with his original soldiers, preparing to prevent the British army from Albany from moving south. As for the reorganization of the various units, it would be completed separately in New York, Philadelphia, and Virginia.
However, one matter had to be discussed and settled before they left: the question of the number of troops for each army after reorganization.
"Gentlemen, New York not only has to prevent attacks from the British army by sea, but also has to be ready to deal with the British forces in Albany at any time. Once he attacks Philadelphia from the south, I must also dispatch troops to assist the Philadelphia army. Therefore, restoring the Continental army to its original strength of fifteen thousand men is the minimum requirement. It would be best if I could also utilize the large number of captured British army artillery to form an independent artillery regiment as a coastal defense force." Washington put forward his objective.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army, and indeed facing enemies on two fronts, Washington's request was not excessive.
"The Virginia front is much longer than New York's. Currently, Charlestown alone has about six thousand British army soldiers, plus North Carolina and South Carolina. Without fifteen thousand Continental army soldiers, I simply cannot defend these states." General Greene also stated his requested number.
He wasn't lying; this was indeed a very realistic need.
Charles listened with a wry smile and simply stopped stating his own requested number, choosing to observe the reactions of the other members of the Continental Congress first.
Now, he hadn't even presented Philadelphia's demands, and these two representatives, for the North and South, were already demanding a Continental army of thirty thousand. This number clearly exceeded the Continental Congress' capacity, and there was no original intention to have them defeat the British army in the North and South independently, so it was naturally impossible to satisfy their current demands.
Jefferson was undoubtedly firmly against forming so many troops. Whether for democracy or to maintain the Continental Congress, many people disagreed with such a large number of troops.
The most crucial point was that even Morris, the former financial representative and current President of the Central Bank, also expressed opposition, claiming that the Continental Congress absolutely could not afford a regular Continental army of more than twenty thousand. If more troops absolutely had to be formed, then the military pay and supply of materials could only be resolved by the generals themselves.
As soon as this solution was proposed, it drew opposition from many others, who believed that generals should absolutely not be allowed to privately raise armies, as that would inevitably lead to the birth of a powerful warlord.
Washington and Greene looked at each other.
They wanted to build a regular army, but had no money. They wanted to recruit their own army, but it was not allowed. Were the two old generals supposed to enlist themselves?
"I wonder if we could do this: the Continental Congress pays a portion of the troops, considering them the regular Continental army, and then gives each general a fixed amount, allowing them to raise their own funds and recruit a portion of soldiers, to be called militia," Charles proposed.
This idea quickly gained approval from the Continental Congress. After some debate over the final fixed numbers for the Continental army and militia, it was ultimately decided that the quotas would be: New York, as the station of the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental army, would have a Continental army establishment of eight thousand men, with the freedom to recruit no more than ten thousand militia; Philadelphia, as the capital, would maintain five thousand men each for the Continental army and militia; and Virginia would be given quotas of seven thousand Continental army soldiers and ten thousand militia.
Such a large number of troops actually exceeded America's capacity, but it was indeed necessary at this time to truly defend against the British army. As for whether so many people could actually be recruited, that would depend on the performance of each general.
In any case, Charles had already discussed it with General Sullivan, who was staying in Philadelphia: Philadelphia would only retain five thousand regular soldiers and would not recruit a single militiaman unless the war reached a critical juncture.