In the Navy!

 The Naval Advantage in 1776

This past week has been the anniversary of the British landing on Long Island and the battle of the same name. As most readers of this blog know, the invasion and the events following it provide the background for my novel, The Patriot Spy. I thought I would use this blog to discuss the role of naval power in the campaign. The American Army under General George Washington had essentially no knowledge of the British intentions after General William Howe withdrew his besieged army from Boston. However, it did not take a stretch of genius to know what the overriding British advantage was in the war: the Royal Navy.

1776: British fleet at Staten Island 

Early success, defeat and triumphs

Destruction of the Spanish Armada

In some ways, the story of Britain is the story of its navy. During the time of the Yankee Doodle Spies, Britain had the greatest navy in the world and, more importantly, had over a century of knowledge and experience in knowing how to effectively use that advantage decisively. Many are familiar with the victories of the 16th-century English navy under Elizabeth I against the Spanish.  But during the 17th century, England and its navy went through a time of upheaval.  The English Civil War, three wars with the Dutch (who had eclipsed Spain as the world's dominant mercantile and naval power), and the "Glorious Revolution" had impacts on the navy's development, both positive and negative. During that time, the English and Scottish fleets merged but, on paper, were still separate. The Dutch Wars first favored the Dutch, who won remarkable naval victories. Still, Britain gained the critical Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (1664), and it learned how to develop its navy through the experience of defeat. By 1692, the British had the finest fleet in the world. The political accommodation with the Dutch, which declared their ruler, William of Orange, as William III of England, strengthened both navies. In a curious alliance, the Dutch fleet sailed under British admirals in the subsequent wars with France and Spain that dominated the close of the 17th and most of the 18th century. The British were able to expand operations globally and in a series of wars, picked off colonial possessions, large and small, to build a support structure for its naval and mercantile needs.

Dutch burn the British fleet at Chatham

 Britannia rules the waves!

Royal Navy in Action

The Royal Navy of 1776 had a swagger built on achievement. Part of that achievement included what would later be called "combined arms" actions. That is the use of Royal Marines for small sea-land actions and cooperation with the Royal Army for major actions, mostly transporting forces and protecting the supply lanes of those forces. This was developed during the Seven Years' War (French and Indian) in North America. With the onset of the rebellion, the Royal Navy was Britain's biggest advantage over the rebellious string of coastal settlements poorly connected by a handful of bad roads. America relied on the sea, and control of it was central to any strategy to suppress the colonies. Trade could be cut off, starving the rebellious colonies relying on the mother country for many finished goods. That this policy was one of the grievances leading to rebellion is ironic. Britain's decisive edge at sea was a factor in some Loyalists' sympathies or at least antipathy to the cause of rebellion. To many, it appeared insane to take on the greatest global (read naval) power the world had ever seen. Those concerns were well-founded during most of the war. America had no navy in comparison and was urgently building a semblance of one more as a show of national pride than to gain strategic advantage. In fact, the American advantage at sea was its force of privateers, many from merchant vessels re-purposed because of British control of the seas - another irony. The effective use of naval superiority got Howe out of a tactical trap in Boston. It enabled him to effect a well-executed envelopment from the sea and sweep into New York harbor, changing the venue and tempo of the war to Britain's advantage.

Invasion, they're coming!

British landing at Gravesend on Long Island
(near the site of Brooklyn's Verazano Bridge)

The Royal Navy isolated New York from the sea and rendered its port useless. The port gave the city its strategic importance as New York in the 18th century was not the largest American city. The Royal Navy provided reconnaissance, naval gunfire, and transport for a succession of landings at Staten Island, Gravesend, Kips Bay, and Westchester (Throgs Neck, Pelham, etc). British naval movements confused the Americans and threatened areas. General Howe had no intention of attacking. As importantly, it restricted General Washington's ability to move troops and forced him to try to defend more land than he had soldiers and guns to cover. Surprise, maneuver, and firepower are critical multipliers in any conflict, but they are even nicer when you have overwhelming forces as well! As discussed in The Patriot Spy, only extremely unfavorable winds and tides prevented the other Howe (Admiral Sir Richard, William's brother, and naval force commander) from enveloping Washington's forces on Long Island, who huddled in a desperate defensive position on Brooklyn Heights. Had the conditions been right, Howe's fleet could have bombarded Washington from the rear and coupled with the army besieging Washington's front, forced surrender in the summer of 1776. Would the loss of George Washington and a large chunk of the Continental Army have ended the war then and there to Britain's advantage? Well, that's the subject of another blog.

The Lady was a... Spy?

The  General... 

Thomas Gage

Many British officers who served in the American Revolution had previously been active in North America during the French and Indian War. Some, like Horatio Gates and Charles Lee, moved to the New World, settled in America, and fought for the Patriots during the War for Independence. Others took American wives in the grand tradition of war brides that continues to this day. One such officer was General Thomas Gage. Gage was born in Firle, England, as the second son of a Viscount. He attended the prestigious Westminster School and, upon graduation, joined the British Army as an ensign. He rose through the ranks and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1751. His regiment was sent to America in 1755. In fact, his career included many significant military events as the British kingdom built an empire during the mid-18th century. But that is another story.

The Lady...

Margaret Kemble Gage in 1771

In America, Gage proved to be a successful and innovative officer, achieving high command and eventually governing Canada after the French surrendered. However, in December 1757, the war and life in America took on special significance for the accomplished officer, now a brigadier general. He spent the winter in New Jersey, where he was tasked with recruiting colonists for the British army. He was stationed near Brunswick, a small town not far from New York City. There, he met Margaret Kemble, a well-known beauty of some standing in the area. Margaret was the great-granddaughter of the former Mayor of New York City, Stephanus Van Cortlandt, who came from one of the richest families in New York. Her father was Peter Kemble, a prosperous New Jersey businessman and politician. On December 8, 1758, Gage married the beautiful and well-connected Jersey girl. For many years, the Gages played a prominent role in New York society. By all accounts, they were happily married, and most attested that they were an ideal couple. Their marital compatibility was evinced by the births of five daughters and six sons.

The Governor...

Margaret's brother Stephen
 Kemble was Gage's Chief of
Intelligence

Thomas Gage eventually rose to command all British troops in North America. After the war with France ended, he observed the political strife in the colonies shift toward resistance. Unfortunately, he would soon play a part in pushing them toward open rebellion. The colony of Massachusetts was the most defiant. In May 1774, King George III sent Gage to Boston, appointing him military governor of Massachusetts in hopes that he could restore order to that recalcitrant colony and enforce the despised Parliamentary acts. His wife, Margaret, arrived in Boston in late 1774. Although Gage had initially earned the respect of the colonists, they viewed him with some suspicion as well. Margaret herself was distressed over the conflict in the colonies and her divided loyalties. She hoped that her husband would not take actions leading to the loss of the lives of her countrymen...

Action...

Doctor Benjamin Church

Margaret's brother, Stephen Kemble, was her husband's Intelligence Officer. His chief asset was the prominent Dr. Benjamin Church, a member of the Massachusetts Congress and its Committee of Safety. It seems the doctor enjoyed an expensive mistress and turned to spying for the British to support her. While the Patriot Congress met in Concord (October 1774, and March through April 1775), sworn to secrecy, Dr. Church regularly provided summaries of the proceedings to Gage. Church was later exposed (no pun intended), but that’s another tale. General Gage learned that the Massachusetts militia was storing arms and ammunition in Concord, about 20 miles northwest of Boston. He also heard that Samuel Adams and John Hancock were in Lexington. Gage made plans to capture them along with the munitions. However, the rebels under Dr. Joseph Warren had their own spy network. Warren learned of the upcoming British troop movements on April 18 and confirmed it through a confidential informant with connections to the British high command. Thus began the famous "midnight ride" of Paul Revere and others to warn the rebels. The "shot heard round the world resulted." But just who was the informant? Unfortunately, Warren was killed at Bunker Hill, so the identity of the informant is subject to speculation.

Intrigue...

And as we all know, speculation is fun. The warning was out before the redcoats marched for Lexington and Concord, so the informant was not a low-ranking soldier or officer. Gage himself was called into question because he admitted telling just one person of his plans before informing his top commanders. But major speculation is that Gage had been betrayed by his American-born wife, Margaret. Could the long-term spouse of the top British officer really have been an American agent? Would she betray her husband and her king? And if so, how? Did her brother play a role? Stephen was reduced to the grade of captain after Lexington and Concord. Why? But let's focus on his sister. Allegedly, Margaret warned Warren of her husband's plans on April 18th. A clergyman from Roxbury named Rev. William Gordon later noted that Warren's spy was "a daughter of liberty unequally yoked in the point of politics." Many have suggested she was sympathetic to the colonial cause. There is evidence that she had political sentiments of her own and that the now burning dispute between Britain and America filled her with sadness. Margaret did once admit to an acquaintance that she hoped her husband would not be the instrument of the death of her countrymen. But there were many Loyal Britons who held similar views. 

In all, there is no proof of her espionage. Many discussions have taken place on communication. How could Warren communicate with the wife of the British governor? How could he trust an intermediary with such a delicate mission? How could he risk a personal meeting? Such challenges face every intelligence operation, especially those of potential high gain, as assets such as the wife of the British Governor would be. But perhaps the biggest "indicator" of Margaret Kemble Gage's possible espionage is that her husband soon after packed her off to England. This blog considers her a very likely source, if not an outright spy. The reduction in grade of her brother around the same time leads us to believe there was a connection. Perhaps Gage's other confidant in his plans was his intelligence chief. Perhaps she gleaned her nugget from Stephen. In 1775, the stakes were high enough to risk getting the information to the American side.

End of the Affair...

Gage stayed in America for another year but returned to England feeling somewhat unimpressed with his record in Boston. In the ensuing years, their marriage declined and was characterized by estrangement. Jersey girl Margaret Gage spent the latter half of her life in England, never returning to her birthplace. She passed away at the age of 90 in 1824, outliving her husband by nearly 37 years.