The American Northern Theater Army in 1776: The Ruin and Reconstruction of the Continental Force

by Douglas R. Cubbison

The American War for Independence was under way before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but the Continental Army didn't have the force to back up the words. This history explores the army's early failures in Canada, with desertion and disease common among the ranks, and how new leadership disciplined and reorganized the army and set the stage for a key victory at Saratoga in 1777.

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 2010

Reviews

[Steve Zeoli]

This book tells the story of the near destruction of the Northern Army during the first year of American Independence. As I write this review (April 2020), this has special significance, because one of the major problems this force dealt with was a small pox epidemic that invalided up to half the soldiers. This was on top of poor leadership, and a lack of supplies that also left many of the soldiers malnurished. The Americans had invaded Canada in the fall of 1775 in an effort to create a buffer state between them and the King's military -- and justified by the Colonists' hatred of Catholicism, practiced by many of the French Canadians.

The invasion was unwise and could be easily considered immoral by our standards. It was poorly executed and hampered by bad luck. It was a near disaster for the Americans. But it is also an interesting story because of how General Philip Schuyler and his officers created a plan in July that rescured the American cause by allowing the army to overcome the diseases that plagued the rank and file, and building a barrier at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence. It is a story about failed leadership and successful leadership.