Simcoe’s Ruthless Raid: The Battle of Crooked Billet
About this episode
This episode covers Major John Graves Simcoe's surprise attack on the Pennsylvania Militia during the Battle of Crooked Billet in 1778.
Major John Graves Simcoe wanted a "grand stroke" to destroy the Pennsylvania Militia. On May 1, 1778, his ruthless surprise attack caught a sleeping American camp in a trap that ended in the horrific "Buckwheat Straw Massacre." In the spring of 1778, British-occupied Philadelphia was a logistical nightmare, and General George Washington tasked 25-year-old Brigadier General John Lacey with starving them out. But Lacey was inexperienced, and his opponent was the cunning Major John Graves Simcoe of the Queen's Rangers. Using spies and a daring night march, Simcoe devised a plan to encircle Lacey at the Crooked Billet tavern. While an American lieutenant slept instead of scouting, the British noose tightened. In this video, we cover: * The rise of the "Fighting Quaker" General John Lacey. * Simcoe’s "Grand Stroke" to trap the militia. * The psychological bluff Simcoe used to break the American line. * The tragic fate of the wounded men in the burning huts. #AmericanRevolution #MilitaryHistory #Simcoe #1778 #PennsylvaniaHistory #WarHistory Thanks to our monthly supporters Dan
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