PHILLIPS AND ARNOLD'S RAID ALONG THE APPOMATTOX THE FIRST BATTLE OF PETERSBURG, 1781

In early 1781, the American War of Independence was in the balance. There had been some limited American success in the south, but the loss of Charlestown and its garrison as well as the defeat at Camden were severe. In the north, Washington's army had been bolstered by French reinforcements and British troop movements to the Caribbean.

By David Davies

The British strategy for 1781 was to put more pressure on the Americans by launching raids into Virginia, from which Greene's army in the Carolinas was supplied and reinforced. General Clinton chose Portsmouth as a base of operations and ordered the loyalist American Legion led by the turncoat Benedict Arnold to destroy the supplies of the Continental Army. The idea behind the Legion's was to raise an all-American loyal army that would inspire other loyalists to join their cause and fight the American rebels. In practice, this didn't pan out, so Arnold's forces were brought to strength with other loyalist units, chief among them John Simcoe's Queen's rangers. Arnold commanded some 1200 men with some dedicated artillery and some Ranger cavalry. Using shallow draft vessels and the river systems in the colony,…

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Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy (Digital) - 1 Issue, WSS 129

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