Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 06:15:19 -0500 From: "Thomas M. Sommers" <tms2@mail.ptd.net> To: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Guns and freedom [Was: Re: On "intelligent people" and"dangers to BSD"] Message-ID: <38E488C7.17E65441@mail.ptd.net> References: <Pine.BSF.4.05.10003291834410.935-100000@acp.swbell.net> <20000329133624.5372F37B55A@hub.freebsd.org> <Pine.BSF.4.05.10003291834410.935-100000@acp.swbell.net> <3.0.6.32.20000331015708.00864480@mail85.pair.com>
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"G. Adam Stanislav" wrote: > > I believe, if my information is correct, their greatest advantage was > tactical. The British army used the traditional war tactic of having > soldiers in a single file and expected their opponents to do the same. > > But the revolutionaries have learned from the Indians to move around > freely rather than in a rigid formation. That was much more flexible. > > Secondly, the British wore red coats which made them visible from a > long distance. The revolutionaries did not wear fancy uniforms, just > plain dark civilians clothes which made them less visible and harder > to aim at. I think this view of the war is partly mythical. While partisan warfare, to which your comments apply, did play an important part in the war, the decisive battles, such as Saratoga and Yorktown, were entirely conventional affairs. The Continentals (that is, Washington's army) wore uniforms, and used linear tactics and smoothbore muskets, just as their opponents did. The militia, while capable of harassing supply lines and attacking isolated outposts, could not have faced a regular force in the field. If Washington had not fielded a conventional army, we'd have lost the war and would all be speaking English now. Also remember that the colonists learned irregular warfare fighting alongside the British against the French and Indians. The British learned the same lessons at the same time, and had good light infantry (although the Austrians were considered to have the best light infantry at the time). To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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