{"product_id":"the-battle-of-gloucester-1777-small-battles","title":"The Battle Of Gloucester, 1777 (Small Battles)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Marquis De Lafayette, A Nineteenyearold French Youth, Arrived In Philadelphia At The End Of July 1777. He Was A Rich Aristocrat, But He Was Unpretentious, Charming, And Eager To Learn. Introduced To George Washington, He Joined The Commanderinchief At The Battle Of Brandywine In September, Where He Proved That He Was Courageous. Soon After, The British Occupied Philadelphia And Prepared To Control The Delaware River, Vital As A Supply Route. In November, The Marquis Volunteered To Go To New Jersey With Major General Nathanael Greene And A Detachment Sent To Defend Fort Mercer, A Delaware River Fort Controlling Shipping Access To Philadelphia. Mercer Was Threatened By An Approaching Enemy Column Led By Lord Charles Cornwallis. The Continentals Were Unable To Reach Fort Mercer In Time To Save It, But Lafayette Had Ridden Ahead Of Greene To Reconnoiter. He Discovered A 350Man Picket Of German Riflemen (Jgers) Guarding Cornwalliss Camp, And With Ten Light Dragoons, 150 Riflemen From Daniel Morgans Rifle Corps, And Perhaps 200 New Jersey Militia, He Attacked. In Fortyfive Minutes, Lafayettes Little Band Drove The Jgers Back Two And A Half Miles, Almost To Cornwalliss Camp. When The News Of Lafayettes Small Victory Reached The Continental Congress At York, Pennsylvania, The Delegates Were Elatedthis Was The Only Good News Amid The Gloom Over The Loss Of Philadelphia And Control Of The Delaware River. Massachusetts Delegate James Lovell Relayed A Glowing Account Of The Skirmish To John Adams, Concluding With Genl. Greene Says The Marquis Seems Determined To Court Danger. I Wish More Were So Determined.In The Battle Of Gloucester, 1777, Archaeological Historian Garry Wheeler Stone, With The Assistance Of Historian Paul W. Schopp, Recreates This Minor But Important Clash During The Philadelphia Campaign. Relying On Both Primary Source Documents And The Latest Archaeological Interpretations, The Authors Have Determined The Course Of This Fascinating Battle, As Benjamin Franklin Later Proclaimed It To Be. As A Result Of This Action, When Washington Requested That Lafayette Be Given A Division, Congress Agreed. On December 4, 1777, The Marquis, Promoted To Majorgeneral, Took Command Of The Brigades Of Generals Woodford And Scott To Begin What Would Be A Glorious Career In American Service.Small Battles: Military History As Local Historymark Edward Lender And James Kirby Martin, Series Editorssmall Battles Offers A Fresh And Important New Perspective On The Story Of Americas Early Conflicts. It Was The Small Battles, Not The Clash Of Major Armies, That Truly Defined The Fighting During The Colonial Wars, The American Revolution, The War Of 1812, And The Hostilities On The Frontiers. This Is Dramatic Military History As Seen Through The Prism Of Local Historyhistory With A Depth Of Detail, A Feeling For Place, People, And The Impact Of Battle And Its Consequences That The Story Of Major Battles Often Cannot Convey. The Small Battles Series Focuses On Americas Military Conflicts At Their Most Intimate And Revealing Level.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Westholme Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47088748691701,"sku":"DADAX1594163847","price":35.04,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/5804\/8501\/files\/81UCQy5k6iL.jpg?v=1759410015","url":"https:\/\/ergodebooks.com\/products\/the-battle-of-gloucester-1777-small-battles","provider":"Ergodebooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}