More than a month after the Battle of Boston began, it had entered a white-hot phase.
The British army commander was Brigadier General Fraser of the Grenadier Regiment. As soon as he received news that the relief effort in Hartford had begun, he immediately ordered his troops to launch a full-scale attack.
But Boston, worthy of its title as the Holy Land of the American Revolution, initially resisted Brigadier General Fraser's not-so-fierce attack with only eight hundred regular soldiers leading several thousand armed civilians. When three thousand British army soldiers launched a full-scale assault and the city's defenses were in jeopardy, the American army commander immediately ordered the entire city to arm itself and jointly resist the British army.
The brave people of Boston were absolutely not afraid of death. They understood the possible consequences of a failed battle, and after receiving the order to participate, no one hesitated. Every young person actively joined the army and participated in the war. Boston, with only tens of thousands of people, had no less than ten thousand standing on the front lines of the battle.
Many who couldn't use guns or didn't have weapons simply picked up knives, forks, and other long and short cold weapons, and stood behind the temporary trenches and obstacles built outside the city, ready to join the fight at any time. Once a gap appeared, they would rush there, using their own bodies to fill that void.
Every intersection in Boston was densely packed with makeshift fortifications. The British army had to pay a heavy price for every step forward. The blood-stained streets of Boston similarly ignited the determination of the entire city to defend Boston to the death.
This was unlikely to be seen in other cities. Only Boston, the Holy Land of the American Revolution, could possess such a spirit of sacrifice.
After three thousand regular British army soldiers attacked for a total of one month, they found that the number of enemies on the opposing position had not decreased. Instead, it had grown larger and larger.
British army commander Brigadier General Fraser simply couldn't believe his eyes. Are the people living in this city all a bunch of fearless madmen? After a month of fighting, his own troops had suffered nearly fifty percent casualties. This was even after following General Benedict's order to relax the attack. If they had truly charged desperately, he probably wouldn't have a single soldier left. Now the troops' morale was low. Many soldiers no longer believed they could eventually take Boston. How could such a battle be fought?
Brigadier General Fraser finally decided to report this situation to General Benedict and request reinforcements.
"Reinforcements! Reinforcements! Where do I have reinforcements?" General Benedict, upon receiving the request for aid, was so angry he stomped his feet.
Now, a American army armed force of over a thousand people had suddenly appeared northwest of Albany, subtly threatening Albany; and the British army surrounding New York's reinforcements had already reported seeing General Washington personally leading five thousand relief troops, with both sides about to engage in contact combat. This was both outside his budget and within his expectations.
Originally, according to his plan, Boston should have already been captured with the cooperation of the Navy, and troops could have been sent south to assist the British army in Hartford. Even if General Washington personally brought five thousand American army troops to rescue, he could have seized the opportunity to attack from Albany with nearly ten thousand troops and annihilate General Washington's forces. But now, not only had Boston not been taken, but it was requesting reinforcements from him, so General Benedict was naturally furious.
He already knew that the fleet had sailed south to attack New York, and had been gone for nearly a month without news of its return. The General could only curse the Navy in anger:
"Damn the Navy! A bunch of idiots! Are their only enemies those big battleships? Can't they think about the bigger picture? Our soldiers are bleeding and fighting like madmen in Boston, while our powerful Navy is bullying an enemy that hasn't even fully grown. This is a disgrace to soldiers, a disgrace to the nation! It's all their fault. If they had cooperated, Boston would have been taken by us long ago, and there wouldn't be so much trouble. I will definitely report this matter to General Cornwallis, to the Naval Minister. I will send this fleet commander to a military court!"
Benedict ranted for a while, but no matter how angry he was, there was nothing he could do. He even knew very well that even if he complained to the Naval Minister, that Minister would not punish his fleet commander. In the eyes of the Naval Minister, it was the most responsible attitude for the fleet commander to prioritize resolving matters that posed a danger to himself. As for cooperating with the army, that was not the Navy's responsibility. The army blaming the Navy for things it couldn't handle itself would probably only earn the Naval Minister's ridicule.
Fortunately, Benedict was also a capable General, and his final decision was made decisively:
"Order Brigadier General Fraser, the commander of the Grenadier Regiment in Boston, to carefully retreat to Albany; also tell Major General Riedesel in Hartford not to entangle with that old fox, General Washington, anymore. They have five thousand reinforcements and two thousand besieged troops. It will be difficult for our three thousand to win, so quickly shake them off and return to Albany for rest; furthermore, put Albany on full alert, ready to rescue other friendly forces at any time, and simultaneously prevent surprise attacks from the rebels!"
"Yes, sir!" The adjutant acknowledged and left.
"Alas! Just one step short!"
Benedict had calculated everything, but due to a lack of coordination in one link, a large number of British army soldiers had made a futile journey. Aside from causing massive destruction in Boston and killing many civilians, they had caused no particularly great harm to the American army and General Washington. The British army itself, however, lost over a thousand men during the retreat due to General Washington's pursuit. Including the casualties of the Boston British army during the siege, the six thousand attacking troops returned to Albany with less than four thousand, and almost everyone was injured or had lost their weapons.
What infuriated General Benedict even more was that General Washington, with his nearly seven thousand troops after his successful rescue, continuously pursued and attacked the British army, chasing them all the way to Albany. Even the battered Boston had over a thousand passionate young people who took up arms and ran to General Washington's army, demanding to participate in the battle for Albany.
Although General Washington had a slight numerical advantage and absolutely high morale, in reality, with just these troops, it was impossible to capture Albany, which was already prepared for defense.
If it were normal times, General Benedict would immediately joyfully lead his troops out to meet General Washington's army. But what made General Benedict uncomfortable was that due to two consecutive entries into the city, especially the Boston attacking forces, the British army developed extreme fear of the Bostonians' madness against the American army. With continuous defeats and plummeting morale, they naturally couldn't sally forth. Otherwise, General Benedict fully believed that with just over seven thousand men, a full-scale attack could defeat General Washington's eight thousand-plus ragtag army.
Facing General Washington's audacious movements, General Benedict was a little confused. Why would General Washington, this old fox, suddenly risk taking an offensive stance? Had he suddenly become muddled, or was there some other trick?
In reality, General Washington naturally had other reliance. Just as General Washington was steadily approaching Albany, the American army force northwest of Albany also suddenly launched an operation.
This Canal army, comprised of former canal workers, under the command of Major Sullivan in Pittsburgh, advanced towards Albany along its essential rear route. In just two days, they reached the vicinity of Freeman's Farm and attacked the British army stationed at this strategic point. After a few easy artillery bombardments, they forced lord Balcarres of the British army, who was only stationed there with a few hundred Loyalist auxiliaries, to abandon his troops and quickly flee to Albany.
As soon as this news reached Albany, its biggest effect was to further lower the already low morale. Many British army soldiers felt their retreat route was cut off, fearing that Albany would eventually be besieged by the American army. With no will to fight among the soldiers and no intent to fight among the generals, General Benedict, despite still having a powerful army, dared not lead them out to launch a proactive attack due to low morale. The encirclement of Albany was slowly forming.
As a result, the offensive and defensive postures in the north were reversed. Although the American-British forces were still evenly matched, and even with the Navy, the British army was still considerably stronger, on land, the locally operating American army had now become the attacking party, while the British army, as the invaders, was passively trapped in the large city of Albany. General Benedict had no choice but to send messengers to Canada, asking them to send troops for support, and he would retreat proactively when the time was right.
Just as the northern campaign was progressing smoothly, the fighting in the south, after more than a month of troop movements and stalemate, also reached a critical turning point.
In fact, as soon as the British army outside Richmond, the capital of Virginia, arrived, Mr. Adams anxiously questioned General Arnold, the city's defense commander.
"General, when will General Greene's reinforcements arrive? Our Richmond is not Philadelphia; it cannot endure several months of siege."
After the Hessian army and the British army in Charlestown suddenly changed their combat direction, shifting their attack target to Richmond, which had previously been overlooked, significant gaps appeared in the American army's defenses. Although General Greene repeatedly tried to salvage the situation, after intercepting a large portion of the Hessian army, which was moving slowly due to looting, the ten thousand British army troops from Charlestown still successfully reached the outskirts of Richmond.
"Mr. Adams, please rest assured. As long as my troops are here, General Cornwallis will absolutely not set foot in Richmond. As for General Greene, he must be arriving soon!" General Arnold, the city defense commander, said nonchalantly.
It was fortunate that General Washington and Charles both knew that the British army in the south was stronger and more numerous than the British army in the north, so they left the five thousand regular Continental army troops from the previous attack on Charlestown in Virginia. This time, the only regular army unit that arrived in Richmond early to defend was this one.
But as this unit, under General Arnold's command, had just completed rudimentary defenses in Richmond, General Cornwallis' British army from Charlestown arrived at the outskirts of Richmond and, after a series of small-scale battles, successfully besieged him.
"I hope General Greene can arrive quickly, otherwise our Richmond will be in danger!"
Mr. Adams, after all, was a civilian official who had not experienced a formal battlefield. Although he had previously served as chairman of the Military and Ordnance Committee, he was not a true soldier. Now that General Cornwallis' large army had reached outside the city, it was naturally hard for him to avoid a bit of panic. His only hope was placed on General Greene's army of over ten thousand men.
However, his words, placing complete hope on General Greene, greatly displeased General Arnold, the city defense commander.
"Mr. Adams, I lead five thousand regular Continental army troops, and their combat effectiveness is absolutely not inferior to General Greene's several thousand irregular troops. If I cannot defend Richmond, then even if General Greene comes, it will be useless."
General Arnold had performed exceptionally well when the British army first arrived, establishing several sniper positions on the outskirts of Richmond, personally commanding on the front line, and leading from the front in launching attacks. As a result, in three engagements, he inflicted hundreds of casualties on the British army while suffering minimal losses himself, and successfully gained time for the construction of rear defenses.
It was just that he was a proud man. After several battles, his confidence immediately swelled to an unprecedented level, believing the British army to be nothing special. If it weren't for the huge numerical disparity and Mr. Adams' desperate pleas, he might even have chosen to engage the British army in a decisive battle in the open field.
However, his current remark that General Greene's arrival would be useless did not bring him any confidence, but instead caused great fear among the other civilian officials around him. They believed that Richmond might not be saved, and for a time, even though there was no immediate danger to Richmond, the city was already in a state of panic.
In fact, not long after General Cornwallis arrived on the outskirts of Richmond, General Greene, who had come to the rescue, also arrived with eight thousand militia troops shortly after the British army. However, he believed that the city's fortifications were limited, and entering the city at this point would be detrimental to the battle. The clever General Greene simply set up positions on the other side of the British army, tying up General Cornwallis' siege operations. He even planned to unite with the American army inside the city to launch a pincer attack on General Cornwallis, taking advantage of the Hessian army still needing several days to arrive.
But things often turn out unexpectedly. The seven thousand regular Continental army troops he sent to intercept the ten thousand Hessian army also arrived in Richmond the next day, retreating while fighting, and linked up with his eight thousand militia troops. Behind them, naturally, was the Hessian army that had been rushing all the way.
The Hessian army, which originally enjoyed looting, had to quicken its pace as the agreed time with General Cornwallis had arrived. The Continental army was unable to resist them, so they arrived several days earlier than General Greene had anticipated.