Grand Forage 1778: The Battleground around New York City by Todd W. Braisted

Abstract

Reviewed by: Grand Forage 1778: The Battleground around New York City by Todd W. Braisted Michael P. Gabriel (bio) Grand Forage 1778: The Battleground around New York City By Todd W. Braisted. Yardley, PA: Westholme, 2016. 223 pages, 6" x 9". $26.00 cloth. Todd W. Braisted's Grand Forage 1778 is a highly readable account of the last major British offensive in the northern colonies during the American Revolutionary War. He weaves a series of raids and skirmishes into a coherent campaign and, consistent with recent historiographical trends, places it in the international context. The book begins with the British Army back in New York City following the evacuation of Philadelphia in June and runs through late 1778. France's entry into the war marked a new phase of the conflict and provides the backdrop for Braisted's analysis. With Britain now facing a global war, Sir Henry Clinton, the new commander in America, received orders to consolidate and redeploy forces to the West Indies, Nova Scotia, Georgia, the Bahamas, and West Florida. This would not only deprive Clinton of his mobile forces, but it also posed enormous logistical challenges. That autumn, then, to collect the necessary provisions to outfit the various expeditions, he sent over ten thousand soldiers—more than what fought in better known battles such as Saratoga—into Bergen County, New Jersey, and Westchester County, New York. Clinton also hoped to lure the Continental Army into a decisive battle before he lost most of his command. Additionally, he dispatched troops to strike privateers operating from central New Jersey who threatened British shipping. Rather than provoking a major engagement, however, the ensuing three-week campaign saw Clinton's forces engaged in numerous small actions against Continental troops, militia, and even a group of Stockbridge Indians. More often than not, the British came out ahead in these encounters. Braisted suggests that British success partly rested on superior strategic and tactical intelligence at this stage of the war, despite the claims of the claims of AMC's recent television series, Turn: Washington's Spies. He notes the efforts of Ann Bates and other spies in providing Clinton with an accurate view of George Washington's strength and intentions. Meanwhile, John Simcoe, Pat-rick Ferguson, Banastre Tarleton, and other British commanders obtained a steady stream of detailed information on American deployments from local sympathizers. This intelligence, coupled with lax security by American junior officers, allowed the British to launch bloody attacks—often at night—at Kingsbridge, Old Tappan, and Egg Harbor reminiscent of the infamous "Paoli Massacre." The author notes that while these small defeats angered Washington and caused him to harry his officers to maintain greater vigilance, they did not divert him from the larger picture. Instead, he focused on ascertaining Clinton's objectives, parrying his thrusts, and cooperating with a newly arrived French fleet off Rhode Island. [End Page 145] In addition to describing combat, Braisted provides interesting details of the British foraging efforts, shedding light on the often underemphasized logistical requirements behind military operations. In northern New Jersey alone, the British harvested four hundred tons of hay and gathered a wealth of other crops, foodstuffs, and livestock for both short-and long-term use (165). In this sense, Clinton's Grand Forage was a successful, if hollow, endeavor, and it allowed him to dispatch forces to other parts of the empire. As Braisted concludes, "Clinton, much against his will and inclination, had fulfilled his orders … and the war would be brought against the French in their island possessions of the West Indies. For the remainder of the war, the reluctant British commander bemoaned his lack of troops and support from home. France's entry into the war, without firing a shot, had neutralized major British offensive operations against Washington" (168). Braisted also offers insights into the experiences of individual soldiers, ranging from senior officers to the rank and file—British, German, and American—by extensively quoting official correspondences, diaries, and pension depositions. One of the more interesting aspects of this is the large number of desertions that the author notes. Desertion was especially prevalent in British and loyalist units scheduled for deployment to the Caribbean, which indicates...