7 Chapter 6 The Commanding General

Chapter 6 The Commanding General The War for Independence lasted from 1775 to 1783. Of course everyone knows how it ended: The colonists won the war. To us it doesn't seem as if it could have happened any other way. But during the war no one could be sure of the outcome. In fact, it seemed as if the colonists had very little chance against England.

The Continental Army that Washington led went into the war with no training. Soldiers were young, poor, and uneducated. Most were between fifteen and twenty-five years old. Most joined the army because few other choices were open to them. They wanted the pay. There were never enough soldiers. The living conditions were terrible. (In fact, more American soldiers were killed by smallpox and other diseases than from battle wounds.)

There often wasn't enough ammunition, or food, or clothes. Soldiers went months without pay. And as the war dragged on year after year, George Washington found it harder and harder to get money for the army's needs. Compared to British generals, George Washington knew little about waging war. (Before taking command of his troops, he bought five books that taught military tactics.) Indeed, out of nine battles he fought in, he only won three.

The enemy he faced was the mighty British army. It was the biggest and best-trained fighting machine in the world. The British navy owned the seas. British generals and admirals were brave and war-tested. So how, against all odds, did the Americans win? One reason is that they simply stuck it out. The longer the Continental Army hung in the war, the

more likely it became that at some point the British would give up. In a way, the Americans didn't have to win. They just couldn't lose. Over time, Washington became a shrewder general. He came to see that short, surprise strikes against the enemy were better than staging big battles. This wasn't considered a gentlemanly way to fight. (All his days, George Washington was concerned about his image.) But surprise attacks paid off.

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