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 what the British intentions were 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 in a decisive way. 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 at first favored the Dutch, who won some remarkable naval victories, but 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 by declaring their ruler, William of Orange, as William III of England made both navies stronger. And 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 had been 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 who relied on the mother country for so many finished goods. That this policy was one of the grievances leading to rebellion is ironic. And 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. And those concerns were well-founded for 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 and enabled him to effect a well-executed envelopment from the sea and sweep into New York harbor and 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 was able to isolate New York from the sea and render 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 were used to confuse 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 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.

British landing at Kips Bay exemplifies the initiative provided
by an experienced naval-land force

The Lady was a... Spy?

The  General... 

Thomas Gage

Many  British officers serving in the American Revolution had served previously in North America during the French and Indian War. Some, such as Horatio Gates and Charles Lee took 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, the second son of a Viscount. Gage attended the prestigious Westminster School and on graduation joined the British Army as an ensign. He rose in rank and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in March 1751. His regiment was sent to America in 1755. In fact, his career took through many important military events as the British kingdom forged an empire during the mid-18th century. But that is another story.

The Lady...

Margaret Kemble Gage in 1771

In America, Gage proved a successful and innovative officer, achieving high command and eventually governing Canada after the French surrendered. But in December 1757 the war and life in America took on a special meaning for the accomplished officer, now a brigadier general. He spent the winter in New Jersey, where he was charged 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 (one of the richest families in New York). And her father was Peter Kemble, a well-to-do New Jersey businessman and politician. On December 8, 1758, Gage married the beautiful and well connected Jersey girl. For many years, the Gage's played a prominent role in New York society. By all evidence, 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 of all British troops in North America. After the war with France ended, he watched as the political strife in the colonies turned to resistance. Unfortunately, he would soon play a hand in turning them to open rebellion. The colony of Massachusetts was the most rebellious. In May 1774, King George III sent Gage to Boston, naming him military governor of Massachusetts, with hopes that he
could restore order to that most rebellious colony, and enforce the hated Parliamentary acts.  His wife Margaret arrived in Boston in late 1774. Although Gage had initially been respected by the colonists, they also regarded him with a measure of suspicion. Margaret herself was anguished over the conflict in the colonies and her divided loyalties. She hoped that her husband would not take action resulting in 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 very prominent Dr. Benjamin Church, a member of the Massachusetts Congress and its Committee of Safety. Seems the doctor liked to play doctor with an expensive mistress and turned to spy for the British to pay for her. So 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), but that is 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 take them out along with the munitions. But 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 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 a discussion has 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 remained in America for another year and returned to England not too impressed with his record in Boston.  In the years that followed, their marriage deteriorated and was marked by estrangement. Jersey girl Margaret Gage spent the second half of her life in England, never returning to her land of birth. She died at the age of 90 in 1824, surviving her husband by almost 37 years.