Special Operations in the American Revolution

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Describes and analyzes numerous examples of special operations conducted during the Revolutionary War. Despite early defeats, the Americans had a reservoir of tough, self-reliant frontier fighters, who were brave beyond compare and entirely willing to contest the King's men with unconventional tactics. Most of the operations were conducted by American irregulars and volunteers, carefully selected, with specialized skills, and led by leaders with native intelligence.

As the war continued, Washington increasingly relied on special operations forces in the northeast, in the Carolinas, and ad hoc frontiersmen to defy British sovereignty inland. When the British and their Indian allies began to wage war on American settlements west of the Appalachians, Washington had to again rely on partisan and militias to conduct long-range strikes and raids targeting enemy forts and outposts.

The fledgling Continental Navy and Marines soon adopted a similar strategy. Realizing that the small American fleet was no match for the powerful British navy in major sea battles, the new Navy and its Marines focused on disrupting British commercial shipping in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and launching raids against British on-shore installations first in the Bahamas and then on the British coastline itself.