This is the story of Colonel John Haslet, an Irish immigrant to the American colonies who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting for his adopted country. During this pivotal moment in America’s war for independence against Great Britain, a newborn nation struggled to survive against a militarily superior force deployed by a mighty empire. This is also a chronicle of the inspirational leadership and service of the Delaware Regiment that Haslet formed and guided, told as part of a more wide-ranging narrative about the 1776 campaign of Washington’s army. That battered but resilient force faced the prospect of total defeat in the winter of 1776–1777 as the quest for American independence hung in the balance.
This book brings the drama of the American Revolution to the reader in a more relatable life, that of John Haslet, an Irish immigrant who became a husband, father, community leader, passionate advocate of the Patriot Cause, and a war hero.
As few books regarding American history have achieved, Jim Stempel’s The Enemy Harassed brings a previously neglected period of the American Revolution to life. In late December 1776, the American War of Independence appeared to be on its last legs. General George Washington’s continental forces had been reduced to a shadow of their former strength, the British Army had chased them across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, and enlistments for many of the rank and file would be up by month’s end. Desperate times call for desperate measures, however, and George Washington responded to this crisis with astonishing audacity. On Christmas night 1776, he recrossed the Delaware as a nor’easter churned up the coast, burying his small detachment under howling sheets of snow and ice. Undaunted, they attacked a Hessian brigade at Trenton, New Jersey, taking the German auxiliaries by complete surprise. Then, only three days later, Washington struck again, crossing the Delaware, slipping away from the British at Trenton, and attacking the Redcoats at Princeton—to their utter astonishment. The British, now back on their heels, retreated toward New Brunswick as Washington’s reinvigorated force followed them north into Jersey. Over the next eight months, Washington’s continentals and the state militias of New Jersey would go head-to-head with the British in a multitude of small-scale actions and large-scale battles, eventually forcing the British to flea New Jersey by sea. In this captivating narrative of the American War of Independence, author Jim Stempel brings to life one of the most violent, courageous, yet virtually forgotten periods of the Revolutionary War. Sure to enthrall professional historians and book lovers of all stripes, The Enemy Harassed is scholarly history presented in an accessible style anyone can enjoy.
This volume serves as a companion to Rebecca Robbins Raines's narrative branch history, Getting the Message Through, published in 1996. Together these volumes provide an invaluable reference tool for anyone interested in the institutional or organizational history of the Signal Corps. --Foreword.
Traces the political disputes that surrounded America's 1776 Declaration of Independence, offering insight into the views of Parliament sympathizers and colonists who stayed loyal to Britain. By the best-selling author of The Ascent of George Washington. 50,000 first printing.
On December 25, 1776, the American Revolution seemed all but defeated just six months after the Declaration of Independence had been adopted. George Washington’s army had suffered a series of defeats in New York and had retreated under British pressure across New Jersey and then the Delaware River to temporary sanctuary in Pennsylvania. This left the British army in a string of winter cantonments across the middle of New Jersey, the New Jersey state government in total disarray, and the Continental Congress fleeing Philadelphia now perceived as the next British target. Loyalists in New Jersey felt empowered and Patriots felt abandoned. Washington needed not only a battlefield victory, but also to reestablish Patriot control in New Jersey. Otherwise, it would be impossible to raise a larger, long-term army to continue the fight and convince the citizens that victory was possible. The story of these ten crucial days is one that displays Washington’s military and interpersonal abilities along with his personal determination and bravery to keep the Revolution alive through maintaining the psychological confidence of the Patriots, while reducing the psychological confidence of his British political and military opponents. Throughout these ten days, Washington was faced with changing situations requiring modifications or outright different plans and his well-thought-out actions benefitted from elements of luck—such as the weather or British decisions—which he could not control. While most books look at these ten crucial days focusing on the military actions of the armies involved, this account also considers what was happening in other parts of the world. Leaders and ordinary people in other parts of America, in Britain, and in France were also dealing with the Revolution as they understood its condition. Without the instantaneous communication we have today, they were dealing with dated information and were missing knowledge that could influence their thoughts about the Revolution. This lack of immediate communication was also true—although to lesser extent—for the individuals directly involved in the events in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Patriotism means the love for or devotion to one's country. When we hear the word patriot, naturally the first people we think of are our founding fathers. But they aren't the only patriots you know! There are many patriotic heroes' from the past and the present. From Daddy Smith, a slave who single handedly defended a key position at Ft. Henry in 1777, to Wrinkles the WWII canine messenger, who carried out his duties even after suffering shrapnel wounds, to General Colin Powell, the first African American U.S. Secretary of State! Other biographies included: - Famous Presidents - Legendary Generals - Patriots from all 50 United States of America - Signers of the Declaration of Independence - Signers of the U.S. Constitution
