"Gentlemen, it seems the problem in Boston is no longer a major one. We can slowly discuss support. However, the British army has already started fighting in the north. As the chairman of the Military and Ordnance Committee, I have synthesized intelligence from various sources and, based on my own deductions, believe that the British army and the Hessian army in Charlestown to the south will also begin joint operations soon. Mr. Adams, you must be vigilant to prevent a successful surprise attack by the British army. In short, our enemy is powerful, but as long as we remain vigilant and unite to fight, we will surely defeat the evil British army and win a beautiful and independent future for our United States!"
Charles, the Continental Congress' highest military authority, concluded the meeting and delivered a pre-war motivational speech.
"As long as the arms supply from Pittsburgh can be guaranteed, it won't be so easy for the British army to defeat us now," Adams responded with a smile and a nod.
The other governors and high-ranking officials also spoke up in agreement with Charles' summary.
With the British royal Navy fleet's bombardment of Boston in February 1778, fierce fighting once again erupted between the American and British Armies.
General Benedict of the British army personally commanded from Albany. He first ordered a three-thousand-man army unit to attack Boston, coordinating with the royal Navy to slowly inflict maximum damage on Boston, then launch a full-scale assault half a month later to quickly occupy Boston. At the same time, he had another unit ready to intercept American reinforcements from New York at any time.
He had planned for this battle for several months, deploying various spies and scouts in the land north of New York and making predictions for various scenarios. Benedict was full of confidence, ready to set a large trap to annihilate Washington's army in one go.
"Gentlemen. According to my plan, we will not only capture Boston but also use this city to eliminate the reinforcing Washington rebels and ultimately destroy all rebel forces in the north. My arrangements are foolproof. As for whether we can ultimately achieve victory and eliminate how many enemies, that depends on your performance. gentlemen, do your best, and God bless you!" Benedict declared before his army's various commanders.
"Our army will be victorious!"
"God Save king George!" The commanders responded in unison.
What they didn't know, however, was that when Benedict asked the royal Navy to cooperate with his army's actions, the British royal Navy fleet commander, who had always looked down on the army, disdainfully threw his order to the ground and said to his adjutant:
"We have detected that the rebels are building their capital ships. For the benefit of the royal Navy, we must prioritize eliminating these potential threats. Therefore, our primary target will be the rebel shipyard where the capital ships are being built!"
"But what about General Benedict? His plan to capture Boston might fail because of this. When should we act, and should we inform him first?" the adjutant asked nervously.
"No need! Their army is isolated overseas. They inherently need our royal Navy's cooperation the most. Only when our fleet controls the seas can their safety be guaranteed, so everything must prioritize the safety of the fleet. The army cannot harm us, and as long as we control the seas, eliminating the rebel army is only a matter of time. But the rebel capital ships, however useless they may be, could still pose a threat to our fleet. This threat must be nipped in the bud. Our attack on them is also to ensure the safety of the army. General Benedict has no reason to object."
The arrogant fleet commander, without even greeting Benedict, set the fleet's next combat objective himself.
Although combined royal Navy and army operations would undoubtedly deliver a fatal blow to Boston, in the eighteenth century, sea-land coordination was already difficult, not to mention the slight ongoing friction between the British royal Navy and army.
The attacking British army, at this point, fully exploited the opportunity of a preemptive strike. First, the royal Navy and army launched successive attacks on Boston; then, the Hessian army and the British army in Charlestown to the south abandoned their original plan to rendezvous. They suddenly changed their battle plan, bypassed General Greene's layered defenses, and directly attacked Richmond, the capital of Virginia. As a result, to defend the capital, General Greene had to hastily adjust his troops, naturally creating many opportunities for the Hessian army and the British army in Charlestown.
The relatively passive American army, facing the crisis in Boston, decided in Philadelphia not to send regular army reinforcements. Instead, it primarily relied on Washington, who managed to dispatch five hundred regular troops from New York, supplemented by volunteers and mercenaries, totaling two thousand men, to relieve Boston. Boston itself also organized a large number of volunteers, urging all citizens to take up arms, following Philadelphia's example by establishing fortifications and digging trenches outside Boston to meet the attacking British army from Albany.
However, Washington's relief effort fell into Benedict's trap of besieging a point to attack reinforcements.
Since New York, Boston, and Albany were arranged in a triangular formation, when the relief force from New York had just reached halfway in Connecticut, they learned that the British army had already dispatched another three thousand troops from Albany, advancing cautiously while searching for them. It was estimated that their target was precisely this relief force.
By this time, it was too late to retreat, and hurrying along couldn't shake them off. The relief force ultimately had no choice but to establish defenses in Hartford, midway, to meet the British army, while also sending urgent requests for help to New York. The relief force itself now needed to hold out and await rescue from General Washington in New York. As for Boston, it could only rely on its organized volunteers for defense and leave its fate to chance.
Benedict, commanding from Albany, had just received the report from the Boston front of the British army, sent a few days earlier.
"The royal Navy fleet did not cooperate with the attack? Our army is attacking alone?"
"Yes, General! The royal Navy fleet stated that their priority is to eliminate the rebel capital ships and ensure maritime security. They now have their own operational objectives and cannot cooperate with our army's actions."
Benedict was speechless. This fleet was not under his direct command. His request for their cooperation in this attack on Boston had been made through Cornwallis, the overall commander of the British army in America. He did not directly command them, and they had their own operations. Naturally, he couldn't force them. In any case, Boston was still needed to draw out the rebel relief forces. Not taking it immediately didn't matter. He estimated that in a few days, the royal Navy's own matters should be more or less completed.
"Alright! Since there's no royal Navy cooperation, let our troops be mindful of casualties and not push too hard. I still need Boston to lure the rebels. Our true objective this time is that old fox, Washington! Once we have surrounded the New York reinforcements, then order the army to attack Boston with full force. After taking her, quickly move south and, together with our army in Hartford, eliminate the New York reinforcements. Finally, the main army can march south and attack Washington's stronghold, New York!" Benedict said nonchalantly.
But it was this very nonchalance that not only saved Boston from falling but also plunged his own Albany into great trouble.
Washington soon received the relief force's plea for help, learning that they were surrounded by the newly detached forces from Albany.
However, he was not alarmed; instead, he believed that this greatly reduced the pressure on New York from Albany. The British army in Albany, under Benedict, which had been reinforced to ten thousand men, now only had four thousand, making it impossible to pose too great a threat to New York.
Washington immediately decided that, apart from the few thousand troops defending New York Harbor and the city center, he would abandon the positions facing Albany. He would commit all five thousand regular Continental army troops from those positions and personally lead them in a full-scale attack on the British army besieging Hartford. As for New York, it would be left under the command of his deputy, General Gates.
Benedict's planning was certainly not simple, but Washington saw his strategy of besieging a point to attack reinforcements clearly. This full-scale offensive was not only to rescue the besieged relief force as quickly as possible but also to avoid falling for the British army's trick of luring the snake out of its hole. After all, Hartford was relatively closer to Albany. If only a small force were sent to rescue, it was very likely they would be surrounded by temporarily reinforced British troops. This type of rescue strategy most feared piecemeal tactics, so Washington simply decided to commit all his strength to win in one decisive battle.
As for whether this was a British army ploy to lure troops away, intending to gradually deplete New York's forces while the real target was New York itself, Washington was no longer concerned. This was because a small number of mercenaries and volunteers from Philadelphia were about to arrive, and Charles' canal worker army was already poised for battle, ready to launch operations in western Albany at any moment. With such a capable fighting force in western Albany, and New York's own considerable defensive strength, Benedict's remaining troops were not numerous, and he would absolutely not dare to attack New York with a light force.
If Benedict intended to trade cities, he would first have to abandon Albany before he could attack New York. He would lose Albany first; as for whether he could take New York, that would depend on their performance.
Washington was indeed an old fox; initially, he reluctantly sent troops to rescue, but seeing the situation was unfavorable, he immediately committed his entire army. This approach caused Benedict significant trouble.
Shortly after Washington personally led his troops out, the British royal Navy fleet, which had previously bombarded Boston Harbor, suddenly appeared off the coast of New York, where General Gates was stationed.
The British royal Navy fleet had indeed learned about the capital ships being built in New York Harbor. They decisively chose not to participate in the combined army attack on Boston and instead prioritized sailing south to New York Harbor to eliminate the capital ships under construction.
The Battle of New York Harbor immediately unfolded.
The powerful British royal Navy fleet, centered around five capital ships, was unable to smoothly break into the harbor. Since the Boston bombardment incident, Washington had already strengthened coastal defenses. Now, General Gates, with greatly reduced pressure from the Albany direction, focused his attention primarily on the sea.
The Continental army sank numerous civilian ships along the main navigation channels, leaving only a narrow channel that was precisely within the range of the shore artillery defenses. At the same time, they also erected river-blocking iron chains, laid hidden reefs, built new anti-landing strongpoints, and so on, fortifying New York Harbor like an iron barrel.
The British royal Navy fleet dispatched several cruisers in an attempt to break into the harbor, but they were blocked by makeshift reefs and sunken ships. Coupled with shore artillery and intermittently appearing gunpowder barrel floating mines, three cruisers were severely damaged in vain, yet they could not advance a single step into the harbor area.
After nearly half a month of continuous probing, there were no results.
The British royal Navy fleet, enraged and humiliated, eventually just circled near the coast, firing on and destroying any valuable targets they saw, launching a massive attack, and then left.
When the British royal Navy fleet withdrew, it left behind a scene of devastation along the coast. Numerous civilian houses were destroyed, and many positions and fort were damaged. However, the positions remained firmly in hand, and even if the British royal Navy fleet reappeared, they would be fully capable of holding them off.
Thomas Paine, in New York, seized the opportunity to bring the officers of the soon-to-be-formed royal Navy capital ships to the front lines for propaganda. He showed these prospective royal Navy officers the devastation caused by the British royal Navy to the people of America, providing maximum encouragement for the cause they were about to undertake. After listening and seeing, these prospective royal Navy officers indeed grew greatly in their fighting spirit, shouting slogans to overthrow the British army, determined to repay today's losses to the British.
This battle also had another outcome: it completely disrupted General Benedict's plan.
His original primary target was Boston, but he never expected the British royal Navy to disregard his orders as an army general. Upon receiving news of capital ships being built in New York Harbor, they immediately sailed south with the fleet, prioritizing the distant New York Harbor as their target. This back-and-forth, a journey of nearly a month, meant they completely missed his plan to attack Boston.
As a result, not only did the British army in Boston, lacking royal Navy cooperation and facing a city defended by all its citizens, fight for over a month without taking the city, but the fleet also spent a great deal of time outside New York Harbor, yet was unable to penetrate the harbor and shipyard area.