It was a fortunate battle; the three American generals, without any prior coordination, completed an excellent collaboration using trust and intuition.
Such a coordinated battle, in reality, had more elements of helplessness, and its victory was entirely a coincidence. If it weren't for General Arnold, a man who often relies on intuition, making the first move, General Sullivan and General Greene would absolutely not have chosen to act today.
However, the Hessian army did not know that the American army had completed this encirclement of Cornwallis' forces without coordination, believing it to be another battle meticulously planned by General Greene.
While they wouldn't just stand by and watch their allies get beaten, out of fear of General Greene's schemes, they cautiously and quickly assembled their troops, then carefully launched several probing attacks on General Greene's already heavily fortified position.
Their actions were too cautious; by the time the attack truly began, the gunfire from General Cornwallis' camp had already started to thin out.
Having determined that General Greene, though heavily fortified, likely had no tricks up his sleeve, the Hessian army commander immediately ordered a strong assault, preparing to salvage Cornwallis' forces as much as possible.
Just as the Hessian mercenaries engaged General Greene's troops, a loud shout suddenly came from the direction of Cornwallis' position:
"Cornwallis captured! We captured Cornwallis alive!"
The sound grew louder and louder, almost echoing throughout Richmond.
"Ugh…" The soldiers defending General Greene also responded with a shout, their morale soaring, and their counterattack against the Hessian army became even fiercer.
Capturing Cornwallis alive meant that the joint annihilation operation against Cornwallis' forces was about to end. No matter how hard the Hessian army tried next, it would be too difficult, too impossible, to unilaterally break through a defensive line held by ten thousand troops.
If the Hessian army were an ordinary British army, upon hearing that their commander-in-chief had been captured, they might have two completely different reactions: one, their killing intent would surge, their fighting power would double as they fought to rescue their commander-in-chief; or, their morale would plummet, completely losing hope of victory, leading to widespread surrender.
Unfortunately, this was just a mercenary army from Germany. On land, they were considerably stronger than the British, who produced excellent naval forces. These soldiers, during the attack, were not affected in the slightest by the news of the British commander's capture. Whether it was the commanders or the ordinary soldiers, they continued to meticulously follow battle regulations, step by step attacking General Greene's position.
It was also fortunate that the defense on this side was handled by the experienced and steady General Greene; if it had been General Arnold, he would have probably led his soldiers in a counterattack against the Hessian army long ago.
The combat effectiveness of these Hessian army soldiers was indeed extraordinary. After half a day of regular engagement with General Greene, as the attacking force, their casualties were only slightly higher than General Greene's side, which had defensive positions.
As the sun was about to set, these professional troops neatly returned to their British positions, giving General Greene no opportunity to launch a Take advantage of the situation counterattack.
Meanwhile, the American army side had become a sea of cheers. From soldiers to generals, everyone was cheering. Since the morning of April 19, 1775, when the people of Boston fired the first shot of the war of Independence over Lexington, this was the first time America had truly seen hope for the war to end. The British army's highest commander-in-chief had been captured; could their defeat be far off?
If it weren't for the ten thousand Hessian army soldiers still lurking menacingly, the American army would have probably started celebrating already.
"General Sullivan! Thank you for your timely assistance!" General Greene met General Sullivan in his camp.
The old general had just had the chance to shave and tidy up after a long period of siege.
"All for the United States! General Greene, I also came to assist under the orders of the Continental Congress and the Chairman of the Military Committee. And today's greatest contributor to the battle should be our General Arnold!" General Sullivan said humbly with a smile.
After all, in today's battle, although his role was the most crucial, he only had two thousand three hundred men. The decisive role was still played by General Arnold. Moreover, after the first cavalry battle, they suffered heavy casualties, and now only have over a thousand infantry left. After another battle, he probably won't have many soldiers left. Future battles will naturally depend on the two local generals.
"Hahaha! This battle today was exhilarating! We should have taken the initiative long ago, otherwise, we probably wouldn't have needed General Sullivan's aid. Even with slightly higher casualties on our part, we could have taken down that old bone, Cornwallis." General Arnold said with a hearty laugh.
He was a man who enjoyed tough battles, and he couldn't cooperate very well with generals like General Greene and Washington who were skilled in tactics. Keeping his troops in Richmond for defense these past few days made him feel quite helpless. This is why he had the impulsive urge to order an attack as soon as he saw reinforcements; normally, he wouldn't be so reckless.
"If we had chosen to assault Cornwallis earlier, we would not have the strength to fight those damn Hessian army soldiers now! General Sullivan's aid was not just a signal for you to charge. Damn it, you haven't seen the fighting power of those Hessian army soldiers. Those British soldiers standing next to them are like a militia standing in front of a professional infantry, let alone us!" General Greene said angrily.
The two had already exchanged several 'shots' through letters regarding tactics for the American-British war. In the end, it was General Greene, in his capacity as the commander of the Southern American army, who ordered General Arnold to follow his arrangements. Although General Arnold reluctantly accepted, he was not convinced, and this first official meeting naturally led to an argument.
Seeing that there was a possibility of their conflict escalating, General Sullivan immediately interjected:
"Generals, should we go see the British commander-in-chief, General Cornwallis? When he was fleeing, his horse stumbled, and he accidentally broke his leg, which is how our soldiers captured him. He is now confined in a small room and is demanding that we treat him with the respect due to his rank. What do you think?"
General Greene and General Arnold exchanged glances, then simultaneously said:
"Let's go! Let's go see him!"
The process of visiting Cornwallis needs no further detail. After the old general learned that none of the three were the American army's commander-in-chief, he immediately refused to speak with them.
He only instructed his adjutant, who had stayed behind to guard the prisoner, to relay: "General Cornwallis will only negotiate with someone of equal rank. Please bring your supreme commander, and then we can discuss other matters."
The old man was a very proud person. Having been captured, he already felt humiliated, and now he was unwilling to 'negotiate' with ordinary generals like General Greene.
"Good heavens! He's a prisoner, not a peace negotiator, yet he dares to refuse to speak with us? I'll teach him a lesson!" Arnold grumbled, wanting to go teach Cornwallis a lesson.
Fortunately, the general's adjutant and General Sullivan quickly restrained him, preventing him from succeeding.
"Forget it! Since he only wants to negotiate with the supreme commander, send him to Philadelphia and let those professional negotiators deal with him. If he is willing to order all other British army forces in the United States to surrender, it would certainly bring us tremendous benefits." General Greene advised from the side.
"Indeed! Indeed! A frontal assault on the British army results in too many casualties for us. Although we eliminated Cornwallis' forces today, our own forces also suffered over twenty percent losses. We don't know how to fight the upcoming battle against the Hessian army, so it's truly better to resolve it peacefully if possible." General Sullivan quickly expressed his support.
General Arnold was not completely ignorant either; his earlier outburst was mostly to intimidate the adjutant. Now, hearing the two men's reasoning, he naturally ceased his actions.
—
"So when do we move against the Hessian army? They are just mercenaries; they shouldn't obey the British commander's orders and surrender to us, right?"
"Alas! I had originally thought, when coming to see Cornwallis, to ask him if he could make the Hessian army surrender, or at least not actively attack us if they couldn't surrender." General Sullivan sighed.
"Hmph! That cunning Cornwallis, he must have seen through our intentions, which is why he deliberately said our rank was too low and refused to speak with us." General Greene couldn't help but complain.
He had originally wanted General Cornwallis to order other troops, at least the scattered soldiers who escaped during this engagement, to surrender on the spot. Now that Cornwallis refused to negotiate, he immediately saw through the true purpose. It wasn't really because their ranks were too low, but because Cornwallis still held out hope for the Hessian army, hoping that by inflicting heavy losses on the American army, he could gain a favorable battlefield environment for his future true negotiations.
At this time, the American-British engagements still largely maintained the traditional practices of the medieval period, where captured high-ranking generals were generally not executed directly. Instead, they could be ransomed, and the ransom included both goods and personnel. After General Cornwallis was captured, he was not concerned about his own safety; instead, he continued to pay attention to the battlefield situation.
"Are you saying that old man Cornwallis is playing games with us?" General Arnold looked at the two with a slight understanding.
"Yes, he cannot order the Hessian army to surrender, and even if he did, those mercenaries would not actually surrender. However, as their employer, I think if he asked the mercenaries to retreat appropriately or stand by, they would certainly be willing to obey." General Sullivan explained.
"Forget it! In fact, the probability of the Hessian army accepting orders is still very low. They should now know that Cornwallis has been captured by us and have already begun their own plan of action. The only thing we can do now is to immediately adjust our troops and prepare for the final battle against the Hessian army tomorrow! We must be especially vigilant tonight to prevent those bloodthirsty Hessian army soldiers from escaping overnight. Whether for our Virginia and North Carolina, or for the entire United States, we cannot let this executioner force leave!" General Greene concluded.
"Yes!"
"Alright!"
General Sullivan and General Arnold agreed one after another.
Although the ratio of American army to Hessian army forces had now reached nearly two to one, and the Hessian army rarely refused a frontal challenge, tomorrow's battle did not seem difficult. However, General Greene, who had fought the Hessian army for a year and a half and understood their true combat effectiveness very well, knew that even if it wasn't a siege, they had no certainty of victory in this battle against the Hessian army.
That night, both General Greene and the Hessian army commander slept very uneasily.
General Greene was anxious about tomorrow's operation, constantly devising strategies and tactical arrangements, unable to sleep soundly all night.
The American army's campfires burned brightly, illuminating the side facing the Hessian army camp. At the same time, they didn't forget to occasionally take potshots at the Hessian army, making it impossible for the Hessian army commander to find an opportunity to retreat.
Having accidentally allowed their employer to fall into enemy hands, and with the American army currently holding the advantage, this commander, even if he wanted to rescue him, simply couldn't. In fact, after the Hessian army learned of Cornwallis' capture, they had already planned to retreat to the coast and await further instructions from Britain.
However, seeing now that the American army had no intention of letting them go, the Hessian army, already very spirited, immediately decided to fight a decisive battle against the American army tomorrow, to show them the might of their Hessian army.
These mercenaries were desperate men; if given a way out, they would actively flee, but once forced to fight, they were very willing to fight to the death.
The American army commanders, both General Greene and General Arnold, overlooked this point.
May 1778, outside Richmond.
The original sandwich-like situation finally broke, with twenty thousand American army soldiers successfully joining forces and successfully arraying an attack formation opposite the Hessian army.
These twenty thousand American army soldiers included seven thousand regular Continental army troops from General Greene's command, two thousand three hundred Philadelphia army troops who came as reinforcements with General Sullivan, and five thousand regular troops from General Arnold's command. After deducting casualties, there were still nearly thirteen thousand regular Continental army troops. Their proportion of regular troops was even higher than the forces commanded by Washington at this time.
Adding eight thousand militia, this was the largest regular army operation in the South since the Continental army's establishment.
On the Hessian army side, it was entirely composed of mercenaries from the German Hessian region.
Each unit was divided into dozens of echelons, several tiers.
The entire formation was spread out over several square kilometers of land.
"For the United States! For victory! Charge!"
"The battle flag is with us! God bless us!"
After their respective slogans, the two units, with their distinct uniforms, began to march to the sound of drums.
At this time, the highest record for a musketeer, firing five shots per minute, was set by the army of Frederick the Great of Prussia.
The Hessian mercenaries, mainly from Prussia and the Duchy of Hesse, could also achieve five shots per minute, which was a clear advantage over the British's three to four shots per minute and the Continental army's three shots.
Therefore, General Greene demanded that Continental army soldiers, after firing the first shot within enemy range, only needed to quickly charge! Charge! Charge!
There was no need for further musket exchanges; they were to seize the opportunity while the Hessian army reloaded and charge directly into bayonet combat.
Musket fire generally did not exceed one hundred meters, and at such a short distance, the two forces almost immediately collided.
The final battle of the Southern war officially began.
Blood splattered, and howls filled the air.
For both the American army and the Hessian army, this was a test of will and combat strength.
Although the American army was not as strong as the Hessian army in combat, in terms of will, they would absolutely not lose to these professional executioners, and their morale was far superior to that of these mercenaries who had been besieged for over a month.
The speed at which the battle tilted exceeded the expectations of both commanders; it was when the two sides engaged in close combat and began bayonet fighting that the American army suddenly erupted with powerful combat strength.
The core of this was the reinforcements from Philadelphia.
They wielded cavalry sabers originally prepared for mounted combat, constantly exploiting their weapon advantage.
In the bayonet charge, they cut down a large number of Hessian mercenaries, quickly tearing a gap in the Hessian army's lines.
General Arnold immediately charged forward, shouting:
"For victory! Charge!"
However, charging on horseback in such a chaotic battlefield was like making oneself a target for the enemy.
Just as he broke into the Hessian lines, a cry of "Ah!" was heard, and General Arnold was shot in the right leg, falling from his horse.
Fortunately, his men rescued him in time, preventing him from being shot again.
However, General Arnold had no intention of retreating.
After having a soldier bandage his wound, he remained at the front line, waving his saber towards the Hessian camp, continuing to command his troops forward.
His actions greatly boosted the soldiers' morale.
All American soldiers knew that today was the final battle of the southern theater, and they all erupted with doubled combat power.
Especially many Virginians and North Carolinians, whose homes had been destroyed by the Hessian army, knew that today was the best opportunity to avenge their families and fellow villagers, and they naturally fought even harder to kill the enemy.
The battle began at noon and continued until evening, when the Hessian army finally could no longer hold on.
Their formation began to loosen and retreat.
But in battles between two armies, the only outcome of a retreat is usually a complete rout.
Even the battle-hardened Hessian army could not escape this rule; after a slight retreat, the unit immediately devolved into a rout.
General Greene, seizing the opportune moment, ordered the final reserves to advance.
At this point, the defeat turned into a great escape.
The Hessian army no longer managed to form effective formations and began to scatter and flee in small groups.
The Hessian army was not afraid of defeat on the battlefield.
The difference between the Hessian army and the British army was that the Hessian army was more valiant and skilled in combat, while the difference between ordinary mercenaries and regular armies was that mercenaries, after being dispersed, could generally still maintain small unit operations and would not form a disorganized rabble.
And sometimes, mercenaries in scattered formation were even more effective in combat than when fighting in regular formation.
"Do not let the soldiers' footsteps cease; continue the pursuit.
Also, issue a public proclamation that all armed citizens of Virginia can form militia squads to freely capture these fleeing Hessian mercenaries, dead or alive.
If a Hessian mercenary is brought to the Continental army, dead or alive, they will receive a medal from us!"
General Greene, who understood the Hessian army's combat style very well, immediately announced the pursuit order on behalf of the Southern army.
This order sealed the fate of the Southern Hessian army, ensuring their complete defeat on Virginian soil.
Virginia and North Carolina were originally the places where guerrilla warfare flourished the most.
Many armed civilians held grudges against the Hessian army, and upon seeing fleeing Hessian mercenaries, they generally did not consider taking them alive, but simply shot them on sight.
Without supplies and logistics, even mercenaries skilled in small unit operations had no way to deal with such opponents who shot without warning.
Eventually, many Hessian army deserters had to voluntarily surrender to the Continental army garrisons to avoid being killed by the locals.
From the initial military pursuit to the later civilian guerrilla pursuit, in just a few months, these Hessian army units were basically annihilated.
The war in the South, thanks to the combined efforts of the three generals, was essentially over.
Although the Continental army of twenty thousand suffered nearly fifty percent casualties in this battle, everyone's morale was actually very high.
Those who were not injured loudly declared their intention to go north and completely drive the British out of America.
General Greene did not refuse, but merely told everyone to rest for a few days, collect the supplies left by the British army, and search for the remaining Hessian army.
A few days later, he sent General Arnold and General Sullivan, leading five thousand carefully selected regular Continental army soldiers, mounted on horses gathered during these days, to the North to help Washington and Charles in the final battle of the North.
In reality, with the capture of General Cornwallis, the final act of the war against the British had already begun to unfold.
From a superficial perspective, the capture of Cornwallis, the British army's commander-in-chief, meant that the American-British army had already been defeated.
As for the Hessian army, who would not surrender, and Benedict's forces far to the North, once Cornwallis announced his surrender, they would effectively become unofficial soldiers.
At this time, in Albany in the North, Washington had also completed the encirclement of Benedict's forces.
However, because the two sides' forces were not significantly different, and their actual combat strength was basically equal, Washington merely cut off Albany's supplies and retreat routes.
He did not immediately launch an attack.
And Benedict, who was skilled in strategy, had already begun to plan a breakout towards Canada.
Many American patriots in Albany, upon seeing the Continental army reappear outside the city, had already conceived the idea of seizing the opportunity to rise up and assist the Continental army.
Upon hearing that Benedict was preparing to retreat, they immediately reported this situation to Washington.
However, before Washington could prepare to attack Benedict, an urgent message from Philadelphia informed Washington to slightly delay unnecessary attacks.
The Southern army had already captured Cornwallis, the British army's commander-in-chief, and the Continental Congress was preparing to see if they could persuade Cornwallis to voluntarily call for the British army to surrender.
Furthermore, the Continental Congress had once again put peace talks on the agenda, asking Washington to appropriately consider political needs when attacking, ideally to force Benedict to surrender and minimize casualties on both sides.
Such a statement, of course, was conveyed to him by Charles through a Continental Congress messenger.
In fact, when the United States and France formed an alliance, it was considered at the time that it would be impossible to unilaterally make peace with Britain; if a truce agreement were to be signed, French representatives and others would be required.
And even if Cornwallis wanted Benedict's forces to surrender, Benedict would not agree if he had the chance to escape back to Canada.
Charles' statement was mainly to inform Washington of the situation and the Continental Congress' stance on the matter.
—
In fact, many people in the Continental Congress, upon learning that Cornwallis, the British army's commander-in-chief, had been captured by their own army, immediately brought up the issue of peace talks again.
And Charles himself was already somewhat eager to contact Britain for peace talks.
This time, as soon as he heard that the Southern army had captured General Cornwallis, the British army's commander-in-chief, he immediately sent Jefferson to notify Comte D'Estaing, the commander of the French fleet, to quickly send representatives to Philadelphia to participate in negotiations with Cornwallis.
He also asked to convey this message to the British, to see if the British government could send an envoy for formal negotiations.
"Gentlemen, General Cornwallis will arrive in Philadelphia tomorrow.
How should we treat him, and what should we discuss with him?" Continental Congress President Hancock asked Jefferson, Charles, and others whom he had invited to his office.
"Of course, we should discuss whether we can persuade Benedict's forces to surrender," Jefferson said with a smile.
"As for his treatment, we can give him the treatment a captured general deserves."
Hearing that the enemy's commander-in-chief had been captured by their own army would make anyone smile.
"Persuading Benedict to surrender is actually not even worth considering.
Benedict is an old general and will absolutely not obey Cornwallis' order to surrender.
Moreover, Cornwallis himself is an old fox; he might surrender, but if he were to persuade Benedict to surrender, then if we release him in the future, he would certainly be sent to a military tribunal by the British Cabinet, and king George would directly send him to the guillotine, so he would absolutely not agree either." Charles also had a slight smile on his face.
He considered more.
If the war ended because of Cornwallis' capture, who would be the greatest hero of the war of Independence?
Washington?
Probably not.
Although Washington was the commander-in-chief of the Continental army and held extremely high prestige, besides a few brilliant counterattacks near the Delaware River, he had not truly inflicted heavy damage on the British army.
This time's siege of Albany, despite his instigation, might not actually materialize into a real battle.
Washington, becoming a commander-in-chief who had not truly eliminated many enemies with real weapons, naturally could not be the foremost hero.
Was it himself?
That's also impossible.
His only "achievement" was leading the people of Philadelphia to victory in General Howe's siege.
But in that battle, he was the commander-in-chief of Philadelphia, the actual commander of the army was General Sullivan, and the final cooperation was with General Washington.
Although he held the position of chairman of the Military and Ordnance Committee, he only served for a little over a year and was not the greatest hero in commanding the battle.
What about General Greene and them?
Even less so.
Although General Sullivan's troops ultimately succeeded in capturing Cornwallis this time, the credit for that battle is difficult to assign.
General Arnold sent the most troops, General Sullivan came to reinforce, and General Greene held the highest military rank.
Each of them performed outstandingly, but their credit cannot all be attributed to one person.
So, from the current perspective, the great heroes of the victory in the war of Independence, in the military, form a tripartite balance of power between General Washington, General Greene, and General Sullivan.
On the civilian side, Continental Congress President Hancock, Declaration of Independence drafter Jefferson, American-French alliance creator Franklin, and he himself, the defender of Philadelphia, can all be considered first-rate great heroes.
Among them, he ranked first as a civilian leader in military coordination, but more of his contributions should actually be attributed to logistical supply in terms of artillery, muskets, explosives, and cotton cloth.
And Adams, who would have originally become a great hero due to being the chairman of the Military and Ordnance Committee, was suppressed by him, and his performance was not particularly outstanding.
This war of Independence had no single greatest contributor.
The biggest conflict during the war was undoubtedly with the British, but after the war, the conflict would probably shift to among these leaders who led the fight.
"When will the French representatives arrive?
Perhaps we should wait for them and then ask for their opinions?" Hancock asked Jefferson.
"I think that's acceptable.
Charles, upon receiving news of Cornwallis' capture, already had me notify the French side and told them it would be best if they took the fleet and came to Philadelphia as soon as possible.
This message was sent quite urgently, and their reply has not yet come.
But if they agree, their naval warships should be able to arrive within two or three days." Jefferson nodded.
"It's just that France didn't contribute much on the battlefield, so I wonder what demands they will make during the negotiations?" Charles suddenly said.