America Untold:
Forgotten heroes, Forgotten Stories
Scarlet Ingstad
Christian, Independent Author, Historian
Christian, Independent Author, Historian
Welcome back to my 14-part series on the life of Banastre Tarleton during the American Revolution! If you missed earlier installments, click the links below and read those chapters first. 1. Meet the Tarleton Family 2. Road to Revolution 3. “I’ll Cut Off General Lee’s Head!” What happened to Banastre Tarleton after landing in Cape Fear, North Carolina in early May of 1776 is unknown. He did not record anything about his first months in America. This is likely due to Cornet Tarleton being one of the newest members of the unit and likely quite busy with tasks and training. Thrown off course due to bad weather and logistical concerns, the envoy was unable to arrive in South Carolina when they originally planned. Once at Cape Fear, Sir Henry Clinton took command and began the delayed expedition to subdue the southern colonies. On June 4, 1776, they landed in Charles Town, South Carolina near the southern end of Sullivan’s Island. There were approximately 375 Continental troops at the fort, all under the command of General Charles Lee. After three weeks of failed raid attempts around Charles Town, Clinton abandoned the endeavor and withdrew his forces. They left for Staten Island, where George Washington had approximately 20,000 troops in the vicinity. Nearly one third of the Continental army lay across the fortified line that reached across Manhattan and all the way to Brooklyn Heights on Long Island. After Clinton attempted negotiations that got neither side anywhere, he decided to attack their left flank. After careful maneuvering by Clinton, Howe, James Grant, and Cornwallis, the Americans found themselves surrounded by enemy combatants. They fled from the field toward their forts in Brooklyn. So where was Tarleton during all of this? We are not entirely sure. It is likely that he was in reserve with Lord Cornwallis during this time. It is also possible that he saw action in the failed Siege of Charles Town. Continued assaults on Washington’s forces occurred throughout September and October of 1776. Gripped by panic, Continental forces once again fled, this time toward Harlem Heights, crying out “Here come the dragoons!” The American forces were terrified by the men who wielded their swords with precision and the fear spread like wildfire. As Washington watched his troops flee across Manhattan, he reportedly threw his hat and shouted: “Are these the men with which I am to defend America?” After seizing New York, the British turned their eyes to Harlem Heights. They were pushed back and chose to rest for a moment, until October 12, 1776 when Howe pushed his troops through Hell Gate and landed at Throgg’s Neck. Outflanked, Washington left 2000 men at Fort Washington and began the retreat to White Plains. George Washington’s woes would continue on October 28, 1776 at White Plains, New York. After Washington’s men retreated north from New York City, Howe landed his troops at Westchester County to cut off the Continental’s escape route. The Continental force responded by continuing their retreat to White Plains but they were unable to gain control over the high ground. Howe’s troops then pushed Washington’s out of White Plains, forcing the Americans to continue retreating north. The British remained inactive during this time while the Americans moved into North Castle. From here, General Howe turned his troops back to Fort Washington in an attempt to take it over, but Washington had anticipated this move and left General Charles Lee at the fort to command the forces he’d left behind. Lee observed the British and Hessian troops moving toward Fort Washington from Fort Lee. On November 16 Hessian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and his 3000 Hessian mercenaries with an additional 5000 Redcoats lay siege to Fort Washington. General Washington ordered General Nathanael Greene to abandon Fort Lee, but Green hesitated. He waited until November 19th when Lord Cornwallis brought 4500 troops across the Hudson River and attacked the fort. Greene barely managed to save his own men. And so began Washington’s long retreat across New Jersey with Cornwallis following closely at his heels. Washington wrote many letters to Charles Lee, begging him to bring his troops from North Castle, but Lee opted to follow his own plan instead of the General’s. Howe ordered Cornwallis to wait for reinforcements and met up with him at Brunswick. Once they assembled their combined forces, the continued pursuing Washington’s men on December 6th and arrived in Trenton on December 7th. Unfortunately for Howe and Cornwallis, the Continental forces managed to elude them. On December 8, 1776, George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware. Cornwallis stalked along the river for about thirteen miles searching for boats. Once he realized this was hopeless, he moved his troops into winter quarters in Trenton and Princeton. General Lee finally decided to follow Washington’s orders and crossed the Hudson in early December with 4000 of his men. On December 8th he’d made it to Morristown, New Jersey where he would remain until December 11. Debating on whether or not to follow Washington across the Delaware, he chose to go south. On December 12 he told General John Sullivan to lead their army toward Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Lee opted to spend the night at White’s Tavern at Basking Ridge. Since the tavern sat about three miles away from their main camp, he took about a dozen guards with him, including his aide Major William Bradford. Cornwallis was well-aware of the approaching Lee army. He sent out a scouting party on December 12th to locate the advancing troops. He placed Lieutenant Colonel Harcourt in charge of this operation, and Harcourt chose, according to Ensign Glyn’s journal, “…a party of Light Dragoons having Cornets Geary and Tarleton with him, was detached from Trenton beyond Pennington, to gain intelligence of the Rebel General Lee’s Corps.” Banastre would later record that this was “a circumstance I ever shall esteem as one of the most fortunate of my life.” General Lee hung about White Tavern, seemingly unconcerned. He worked on correspondence, as indicated by a letter he wrote to General Gates complaining about General Washington. According to Bass’ account of the events, one of Lee’s men, Major Wilkinson, looked up and saw a flash of red out the window of the tavern. A group of dragoons were bearing down upon the tavern with Cornet Tarleton at the head. Shouting, cursing and gunfire erupted at the front of White’s Tavern. In about twenty minutes after the chaos began, General Charles Lee had been captured. The 16th Light Dragoons, which Lee himself once commanded, now were riding toward Princeton. Although Banastre did not end up cutting off General Lee’s head as he so boldly proclaimed that day at the Cocoa Tree in England, he played a vital role in Lee’s capture. Bass notes that after these events, Tarleton and the dragoons celebrated, even getting Lee’s horse drunk in the process.
On December 17, Banastre began feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to write a lengthy letter to his mother, recounting in great detail the events of this day. In the letter he tells his mother, Jane Tarleton, that their house caught fire at one point along their journey to pursue General Lee. He explained that none were hurt and they made their beds in the straw that night until they received orders to continue their march. He stated that Colonel Harcourt gave him the advanced Guard. After Harcourt received information regarding Lee’s location at White’s Tavern, likely an informant(s) they came across along the way, Harcourt ordered Tarleton to advance. After travelling for approximately three miles, Tarleton reported that he came across two sentries whom they were able to capture without having to deploy any weaponry. In Tarleton’s words, “The Dread of instant death obliged these Fellows to inform me, to the best of their Knowledge, of the Situation of General Lee.” These men, according to Banastre, informed him that Lee was only a mile away and that his defensive force was not very large. Tarleton’s letter describes how Harcourt then detached him and two other men to move ahead and gather whatever intelligence they could to corroborate the story the two captives told. Banastre reported that he came across a “Yankee Light Horseman” whom he attacked and made his prisoner, then brought him before Harcourt. This prisoner confirmed the story the other two told, and Harcourt sent Tarleton onward with five other men. Banastre stated that he continued at full speed, “making all the noise” he could to startle the two sentries they found at the door of the tavern. Once the sentries dropped their weapons, startled at the noise, Tarleton ordered his men to fire their weapons into every window and door of the tavern and to “cut up as many of the Guard as they could.” Banastre said that an old woman went to her knees before him and begged for her life, informing him that General Lee was inside the house. “This Assurance gave me Pleasure,” Tarleton wrote, and he carried on his attack with “all possible Spirt & surrounded the House.” At this point, Harcourt arrived with the rest of the dragoons. The fight continued for about eight minutes, according to Tarleton’s record, and he himself fired through the door of the tavern twice. He announced to the inhabitants of the tavern that he knew General Charles Lee was inside and if he was to surrender himself, then he and his attendants would be safe. However, if he did not comply with his command, Banastre promised to burn the tavern and “every Person without Exception, should be put to the Sword.” At that moment, Tarleton received word from one of his men that General Lee was attempting to escape out the back door along with his aides and some of the Guard. Tarleton stated they took one Colonel prisoner and put the others to the sword. General Lee surrendered to the sentry Tarleton placed at the front door while Tarleton and his units dealt with the other men in Lee’s command. Banastre reported there were no injuries or losses to any of the British dragoons. This 18th century-style special operations mission lasted approximately only fifteen minutes. The British dragoons then forded a river and began to celebrate their great success “with every Symptom of Joy.” While Tarleton may have boasted a bit about his involvement or his success, the capture of Charles Lee stands undoubtedly as one of the most important events in his early military career. Putting him at the forefront in the eyes of his superiors, Ban was able to show off his skills and willingness to do what it takes to conquer an enemy. However, it also reveals some concerning aspects of Banastre’s preferred warfare tactics. Three different times on his way to White’s Tavern, Tarleton threatened “instant death” upon Continentals he came across. Additionally, his threat to burn down White’s Tavern and put everyone within it to the sword also reveals his rather volatile nature. While these might have been nothing more than grandiose threats, they do stand as a precursor to actions Tarleton took in the southern colonies all in the name of “bloody virtue.” Preview of Next Week’s Article: The British occupation of Philadelphia was a lot more entertaining than you might think. Did you know that Tarleton partied and put on theatrical plays with Major John Andre, the head of British Intelligence? And just wait till you find out about the biggest party they threw. Guarantee they never taught you about this in school! Sources: Anthony J. Scotti, Brutal Virtue: The Myth and Reality of Banastre Tarleton. Berwyn Heights: Heritage Books, Inc., May 1, 2019. John Knight, The War at Saber Point: Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion. Yardley: Westholme Publishing, December 18, 2020. Robert Bass, The Green Dragoon: The Lives of Banastre Tarleton & Mary Robinson, 1957. David Lee Russell, Victory on Sullivan’s Island: The British Cape Fear/Charles Town Expedition of 1776. Haverford: Infinity Publishing, December 4, 2002. Banastre Tarleton to Jane Tarleton, “Princes Town Decr. 17,1776,” New War Letters, ed. Ketchum, 68-72.
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Scarlet Ingstad
I am an independent author and historian seeking to uplift the stories of the lesser-known heroes and heroines of the American Revolution, alongside modern-day heroes and heroines who have served in the U.S. military and continue their service through their historical work. Archives
March 2022
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