LINEAR AND GURREILLA TACTICS

Linear Tactics

The basic form of engagement between British Regulars and Continentals was to form close ranks and march toward the enemy until they were in musket range. Often they were led into battle with flags flying and drums playing. The two groups of soldiers then began firing into each other until one side gave way. Then, the soldiers who had gained the advantage would be ordered to charge their opponents with their bayonets. This, of course, was intended to send wavering troops into flight with the object of driving them into other groups of their comrades spreading panic and with it defeat.

Another British tactic was to refrain from firing multiple volleys and accept some losses in order to close in on the enemy as soon as possible with the bayonet. This had the disadvantage of giving the enemy a chance to fire voll eys which were not answered. The advantage of this tactic was that it nullified any advantage an enemy gained from his position. Also, it must have had the not inconsequential advantage of frightening the enemy with the charge and the discipline of the British troops. While this would be suicidal given the range and accuracy of modern weapons, as noted above, the Revolutionary War musket was not very accurate and had a very short range. Also, given the time it took to reload, the enemy often only had time for one volley before the British troops were upon them. Of course the problem that occurs when leaders decide to unleash the ferocity of the bayonet charge to send the enemy into headlong retreat is that the victorious troops lose their cohesion as well. At time officers lost control of their men completely. One example of this was at Princeton. Lieutenant Colonel Mawhood could see the Americans were wavering. He ordered a bayonet charge and this sent the Colonials into headlong flight. His men, however, were out of control for some time and killed several wounded and helpless men. [1] It must have taken a great amount of experience and keen judgment to know when to order a bayonet charge. Most important battles of the Revolution were decided using these tactics. Militiamen were fitted into these actions as well as possible. They must have caused consternation among many commanders because of their lack of the discipline it took to carry out these tactics. Also, if riflemen were present they were adapted to these tactics or only played a supporting role.

One thing that is surprising about tactics in the Revolutionary War is that leaders still sometime s led from the front as opposed to simply directing from a safe distance. Washington , for example, at one point during the battle of Princeton led his troops to within 30 yards of the British lines. One member of Washington 's staff, Colonel John Fitzgerald was so afraid for the great general's life that he could not bear to watch the British volley. Another instance of this sort of physical courage was when Benedict Arnold led troops at the battle of Saratoga . Other generals were known to show this type of gallant leadership as well. While men like Washington and Arnold were certainly brave in exposing themselves on the front ranks, it is also a testament to the poor quality of the firearms of the period that these men were able to live through such experiences.

Guerrilla Tactics

Contrary to the popular image of the Revolutionary War, most of the important battles were decided using tactics that would have been familiar to soldiers who had only fought in Europe . Some instance s in which the Americans did use guerrilla tactics go a long way in showing that they were not usual practice. Most often these types of tactics were used to delay enemy troops or get a feel for the size of the opposing forces. At Five-Mile Run the colonials were engaged in a delaying maneuver that also served to help Washington determine their strength. Other instances of the use of these types of tactics were often also delaying actions. Finally, partisan tactics were used to great effect at Kings Mountain but this battle is almost unique in the way the British were defeated.

[1] Wood, W.J.; Battles of the Revolutionary War 1775-1781, p. 84.