April 13, 2026: General Studying: Revolutionary War Generals

[On April 11, 1951, President Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur of his position as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. MacArthur is one of many U.S. Generals who have a great deal to tell us about our wars, our military histories, and many other political and social contexts, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of other famous generals, leading up to a complex layer of our current military and American moment.]

On how three iconic Revolutionary War Generals help us remember that conflict’s complexities (as do two others I’ve written about elsewhere, Benedict Arnold and Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben).

1. Horatio Gates: That hyperlinked article highlights the many Revolutionary War controversies to which General Gates connects, including his prominent role in the infamous Conway Cabal that sought to replace George Washington as the Continental Army’s commander; all of them have a good bit to tell us about that army, the military, and Revolutionary America. But I’m including him in this post for a different reason: he was English-born, and had served as a British Army officer for years before moving to Virginia and becoming a high-ranking U.S. officer (at Washington’s recommendation, ironically enough). I’ve written many times in this space about Loyalists, but it’s also worth remembering the flip side of that coin: the many English-born folks who became part of the Revolutionary cause, including some of its leaders.  
2. Robert Howe: That hyperlinked North Carolina History Project article highlights General Howe’s origin points in the world of North Carolina militias, a reminder of just how much the Revolution began with (and was always connected to) local and regional forces. Howe’s famous duel with fellow Revolutionary officer Christopher Gadsden reminds us not only of that strange but ubiquitous practice in this period, but also of how violent many of the era’s military officers unquestionably were. But to my mind the most unique and interesting aspect of Howe’s Revolutionary War service was his prominent (if apparently reluctant) role in a 1778 campaign to attack and gain control over British West Florida. In prior posts like this one I’ve made the case for better remembering Florida as a key part of Early Republic America, but it’s worth noting that it was also part of the Revolution, as Howe helps us remember.
3. Henry Knox: General Knox was far less controversial than Gates and Howe, and even more crucial to the American Revolutionary cause—especially in its fraught and fragile early days, when his idea for a “noble train of artillery” helped the Continental Army transport British ordinance from New York’s Fort Ticonderoga to Knox’s hometown of Boston and played a key role in driving the British out of that city in 1776. But what I find even more interesting is how much Knox built on those Revolutionary roles into the first United States governments—first as Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation, and then as President Washington’s first Secretary of War. While Washington is the most obvious case, it’s worth noting just how many of the Revolution’s Generals would go on to be early political and civic leaders as well—a complicated but crucial aspect of that transition period.

Next General Studying tomorrow,

Ben

PS. What do you think? Generals or other military histories you’d highlight?