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A Reluctant Hero: Heroics During The American War Of Independence
During and just after the American War of Independence all manner of difficulties occurred for Americans as a result of not having a Naval Military Presence enough to halt the supply lines for British land based forces. The British Royal Navy at that time had a huge global presence, large enough to have for or five escort vessels to protect its own convoys across the Atlantic.
If any American ships of war were seen they were chased off, destroyed or taken as war prizes. Some were even used in the British war effort Against America
BUT. There was many an enterprising American Sea Captain who were not seen, expert navigators and ship handlers. They regularly were able to ‘cut out’ stray merchant vessels from convoys and sell the ships and their cargoes. It is not known which of these captains were military or operating under a letter of marque issued either by the American Navy Board or Commercial Interests. So the profit could have gone anywhere. But the Captain always made a lot of money if successful.
Most important though was the British loss of supplies.
The Americans needed two strategic actions to defeat the British and finally drive them out. Firstly they needed larger battle ships and more of them. These vessels needed to be at least 40 guns and agile for their size.
Secondly they needed to capture and/or destroy the British land army supply lines and apply non stop military pressure on all British possessions. After the war of Independence there was no love lost between the two sides.
Towards the end of the war the British forces proved to be tenacious, stubborn and bold in defense of their position. But without the Royal navy the land forces would be defeated easily or even driven into the sea through lack of supplies.
It is into this environment that Giles Brolin was thrown. He had no idea of anything military or political. His was happy just learning the law with the expectation of becoming a solicitor and eventually a barrister in the criminal court. He loved his home City of Winchester in the South of England.
Giles Brolin’s life was turned upside down when he was “grabbed” by a press gang. These Press Gangs roamed the English Southern Counties looking for any young man to legally take aboard their warship as crew. Winchester was a very rural City in Southern England and definitely not a hotbed for heroes and villains. The problem was, it was quite close to several naval ports.
Everything he had experienced and all he knew of himself, his family, his future and even his nationality; it all changed. He found himself unwittingly tied up in intrigue, betrayal even murder and he didn’t know why. This was often the way in the murky world of undercover activities. Espionage was a word never used in the early undercover era.
Just to finish off his new life at sea he found out that he was actually an American citizen with a very interesting future ahead of him.
If any American ships of war were seen they were chased off, destroyed or taken as war prizes. Some were even used in the British war effort Against America
BUT. There was many an enterprising American Sea Captain who were not seen, expert navigators and ship handlers. They regularly were able to ‘cut out’ stray merchant vessels from convoys and sell the ships and their cargoes. It is not known which of these captains were military or operating under a letter of marque issued either by the American Navy Board or Commercial Interests. So the profit could have gone anywhere. But the Captain always made a lot of money if successful.
Most important though was the British loss of supplies.
The Americans needed two strategic actions to defeat the British and finally drive them out. Firstly they needed larger battle ships and more of them. These vessels needed to be at least 40 guns and agile for their size.
Secondly they needed to capture and/or destroy the British land army supply lines and apply non stop military pressure on all British possessions. After the war of Independence there was no love lost between the two sides.
Towards the end of the war the British forces proved to be tenacious, stubborn and bold in defense of their position. But without the Royal navy the land forces would be defeated easily or even driven into the sea through lack of supplies.
It is into this environment that Giles Brolin was thrown. He had no idea of anything military or political. His was happy just learning the law with the expectation of becoming a solicitor and eventually a barrister in the criminal court. He loved his home City of Winchester in the South of England.
Giles Brolin’s life was turned upside down when he was “grabbed” by a press gang. These Press Gangs roamed the English Southern Counties looking for any young man to legally take aboard their warship as crew. Winchester was a very rural City in Southern England and definitely not a hotbed for heroes and villains. The problem was, it was quite close to several naval ports.
Everything he had experienced and all he knew of himself, his family, his future and even his nationality; it all changed. He found himself unwittingly tied up in intrigue, betrayal even murder and he didn’t know why. This was often the way in the murky world of undercover activities. Espionage was a word never used in the early undercover era.
Just to finish off his new life at sea he found out that he was actually an American citizen with a very interesting future ahead of him.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2017
1 person want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Norman
34 books1 followerGeoffrey Norman is an American writer and editor based in Vermont.
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