Identifier: americanrevoluti01fisk (find matches)
Title: The American Revolution
Year: 1891 (1890s)
Authors: Fiske, John, 1842-1901
Subjects: United States -- History Revolution, 1775-1783
Publisher: London : Macmillan and Co.
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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he Austro-Russian army at Auster-litz was by and by to show. There is always a se-rious chance that the tables may be turned. Suchflanking movements are comparatively safe, how-ever, when the attacking army greatly outnumbersthe army attacked, as at the Brandywine. But iuall cases the chief element in their success is se-crecy ; above all things, the party attacked must bekept in the dark. These points are admirably ilhistrated in thebattle of the Brandywine. The danger of a Cankattack upon his right wing was well understood byWashington ; and as soon as he heard that Corn-waUis was marching up the Lancaster road, heconsidered the feasibleness of doing what Freder-ick would probably have done, — of crossingquickly at Chadds and Brintons fords, in fuUforce, and crushing Knyphausens division. Thishe could doubtless have accomplished, had he beenso fortunate as to have inherited an army trainedby the father of Frederick the Great. But Wash-ingtons army was not yet well trained, and its
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BATTLE OF THE BRANDYWINESkptembrk 11, 1777 SARATOGA. 315 numerical inferiority wns sucli that Knyphausensdivision might of itself be regarded as a fair matchfor it. The British movement was, therefore, wellconsidered, and it was doubtless right that Wash-ington did not return the offensive by crossing thecreek. Moreover, the organization of his staff wasfar from complete. He was puzzled by conflictingreports as to the enemys movements. While con-sidering the question of throwing his whole forceagainst Knyphausen, he was stopped by a false re-port that Cornwallis was not moving upon hisflank. So great was the delay in getting intelli-gence that Cornwallis had accomplished his longmarch of eighteen miles, and was approaching Bir-mingham church, before it was well known wherehe was. Nevertheless, his intention of dealing adeath-blow to the American army was forestalledand partially checked. Before he had reached ourright wing, Washington had ordered Sullivan toform a new front and advanc

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