Revolutionary War Battles

April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776

result: american victory

Boston was a city under British occupation as a result of the conflicts at Lexington and Concord.  By the time George Washington took command of the Continental Army on July 3rd, the British had also seized Bunker and Breed's Hills. Washington set about transforming his untrained force of farmers and private citizens into an effective fighting force.

In November 1775, Henry Knox arrived at Washington's camp bringing cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga, nearly 500 miles away.  Washington placed the cannons atop Dorchester Heights, within range of the British fleet and Boston. When the British commander, General William Howe, realized that this maneuver threatened his fleet and the safety of his troops in Boston, he evacuated the city and retreated to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

October 28, 1776

result: british victory

With the British army maneuvering to make his Harlem Heights position untenable, George Washington withdrew from the island of Manhattan, and established a new encampment further north near White Plains, New York.  

On October 28, 1776, a flank attack by the British on this new position resulted in the collapse of Washington's line. Thankfully, he was able to orchestrate an orderly withdrawal that preserved the army. Unfortunately, Washington's retreat further exposed Fort Washington, which remained garrisoned on Manhattan.

November 20, 1776

result: british victory

After the fall of Fort Washington, George Washington made plans for the evacuation of Fort Lee, which stood across the Hudson River in New Jersey. In a letter written to John Hancock on November 19, 1776, the general wrote that "...Fort Lee was always considered as only necessary in conjunction with [Fort Washington]...," and that it would be abandoned as soon as provisions and other supplies were removed.

Unfortunately, a large British force succeeded in scaling the heights close to the fort on November 20, 1776. Faced with superior numbers, Washington called for the immediate evacuation of the fort, which resulted in the loss of dozens of cannon, 2-300 tents, and 1,000 barrels of flour.

January 2, 1777

result: american victory

Washington's troops secured a tremendous victory in their surprise attack on the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, but the general was not content.  He determined to recross the Delaware River in order to recruit additional militiamen and establish a secure winter encampment in northern New Jersey. While Washington made his plans, General William Howe tasked Lord Charles Cornwallis with bringing the area back under British control. 

The town of Trenton, New Jersey would once again become a battleground as Cornwallis made contact with Washington's troops. Cornwallis skirmished with Washington's troops on the outskirts of town, before assaulting Washington's main force, which was entrenched along Assunpink Creek. With only one bridge usable to attack Washington's position, the Continental army turned back three British assaults across the bridge.  Despite tremendous casualties, Cornwallis was determined to renew the attack the following morning. Unbeknownst to him, Washington decided to attack a smaller British force in Princeton. Washington left behind a small detachment of infantry and several cannons.  These troops fired occasional rounds at British positions, and kept fires burning along Washington's old line to convince Cornwallis that his main force was still there.  

January-March, 1777

result: draw

After taking the offensive during the Trenton-Princeton campaign, George Washington shifted to a defensive strategy aimed at preserving his army and destroying resources desperately needed by his opponents.  

Known as the Forage War, this period was noted for several small engagements in which Washington's troops attempted to keep British soldiers from securing hay for horses and livestock, in addition to other provisions. Although it consisted of small battles and skirmishes, casualties could still be high. In one engagement, a large detachment made up of three regiments of British regulars and one battalion each of light infantry and grenadiers, clashed with an even larger American force resulting in almost 70 British soldiers killed and wounded. 

September 16, 1777

result: draw

Although he was defeated at the Battle of Brandywine, George Washington's troops were able to withdraw from the fight in good order, and they continued to shield Philadelphia from the advance of General William Howe.

The two opposing armies appeared close to another major battle on September 16, 1777, but a severe thunderstorm coupled with torrential downpours limited the engagement to minor skirmishing before ruined ammunition and washed out roads halted the fighting.

December 6-8, 1777

result: draw

Just 16 miles from Philadelphia, George Washington positioned his troops in a fortified encampment that allowed him to carefully monitor the situation in British-occupied city. British General William Howe sought to defeat George Washington's army before it could enter winter quarters, and marched a large column to attack.  

After inconclusive skirmishing, and a failed flank attack by Howe, Washington withdrew inside his fortifications to await a British assault. Deciding that Washington's position was too strong to attack, Howe returned to Philadelphia, and General Washington eventually moved his army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.   

September 14 - October 19, 1781

result: american victory

Between 1778 and 1781, after the British withdrawal from Philadelphia, George Washington placed his army outside of New York and waited for an opportunity to attack the forces of General Sir Henry Clinton while the British waged a largely successful campaign across the south.   

Late in the summer of 1781, the British, specifically Lord Cornwallis, finally made the mistake Washington had been waiting for. Cornwallis entrenched his army around Yorktown, Virginia, where he waited for either reinforcement from Clinton or evacuation to New York.  Washington quickly moved south with his French allies and coordinated with the Marquis de Lafayette to keep Cornwallis in place. At the same time, French naval forces maintained control over access to the Chesapeake Bay, which prevented naval assistance and reinforcements from reaching Yorktown.

Washington fired the first American cannon of the siege.  The capture of key portions of the British entrenchments, and the opening of a second allied siege line signalled the end for Cornwallis, who formally surrendered on October 19, 1781.