Battle of Vincennes

Clark's men moving in the river

-On January 29, 1779, Francis Vigo, an Italian fur trader, came to Kaskaskia to inform Clark about Hamilton's reoccupation of Vincennes. Clark decided that he needed to launch a surprise winter attack on Vincennes before Hamilton could recapture the Illinois country in the spring. 
-On February 6, 1779, Clark set out for Vincennes with 127 volunteers, nearly half of them French militia from Kaskaskia. Captain Bowman was second-in-command on the expedition. While Clark and his men marched across country, 40 men left in an armed row-galley, which was to be stationed on the Wabash River below Vincennes to prevent the British from escaping by water.
-Clark and his men marched into Vincennes, entering the town in two divisions, one commanded by Clark and the other by Bowman. Taking advantage of a slight elevation of land which concealed his men but allowed their flags to be seen, Clark moved his troops to create the impression that 1,000 men were approaching. While Clark and Bowman secured the town, a signal was sent to begin firing at Fort Sackville. 
-Despite the commotion, Hamilton did not realize the fort was under attack until one of his men was wounded by a bullet coming through a window.
-Clark received local help: villagers gave him powder and ammunition they had hidden from the British, and Young Tobacco, a Piankeshaw chief, offered to have his 100 men assist in the attack.

-Clark and Bowman met with Hamilton and signed terms of surrender. Since they had him surrounded in a church because Hamilton sent men to kill Clark and Bowman but Clark took his precautions an captured Hamilton's killers.
This battle demonstrated Clark's strategy abilities for seizing a town already captured by British troops.

Rogers Clark

Vincennes at the year of 1763

Marquis de Lafayette

The French were strong allies to the American soldiers, many of the officials sent from France were training the voluntary farmers that joined the Continental Army and turned them into more prepared militia troops. One of the officials that were very important to the Revolutionary War was Marquis de Lafayette.

He was born in September 6, 1757 and his real name was Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier and decided to shorten it to Gilbert du Motier and finally known as Marquis de Lafayette. When he was 16 he was already the Captain of the French cavalry. 

-Years later when he knew about all the commotion in America he decided to purchase a sailboat to go to America as a volunteer fighter. When he joined in 1777 he received the rank of Major General and assigned to be in the staff of George Washington. He served with distinction and made the Patriots to win many battles. After the British surrender at Yorktown, Marquis decided to return home and he was a hero for the United States of America.

Marquis leading a group of Patriots

-At home he decided to work closely with the Ambassadors Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

-Years later he was a contribution to the French Revolution because he decided to make a National Assembly and establish a constitutional monarchy.

- He died in 1834 at the age of 77.

  

The French Alliance with Americans

Many people may say that the French were American allies since the Battle of Saratoga but it is no true, the French helped the Patriots secretly by sending supplies into American lands, without this support of the French, the Patriots would have been defeated by shortage of ammo, food or other supplies since the Patriots were in boycotts and war. The Battle of Saratoga only encouraged the French to make an open alliance with the Patriots since they have demonstrated that they can make surrender the most strong army of that period of History.

Organizing the Treaty of Alliance

To make the open alliance, the Americans sent their best diplomats: Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee. The King Louis XVI approved the alliance and everyone signed the Treaty of Amity & Commerce (Recognizance of the United States as an independent nation and promote trade between this two countries) and the Treaty of Alliance (The French would backup the United States Forces until the full independence from the British).
France sent about 12,000 soldiers and 32,000 sailors to the New World, including Marquis de Lafayette who became Washington's good friend.

Washington and Lafayette 

Arthur Lee

Silas Deane

Benjamin Franklin

Battle of Saratoga

This battle took place in the year of 1777, October 17 and, of course, its location in Saratoga near the Hudson River, in the New York State. The reason this battle occurred was because the British wanted to isolate the New England colonies, they sent heavy backup to support this plan but the American soldiers were waiting them to fall in their trap. Thanks to this battle the French decided to make an open alliance with the American forces.

Battle Overview

-Stats-

-Combatants: British and German troops against the Americans.
-Generals: Major General John Burgoyne commanded the British and German force. Major General Horatio Gates and Brigadier Benedict Arnold commanded the American army.
-Size of the armies: The British force comprised some 5,000 British, Brunswicks, Canadians and Indians. At the start of the battle there was no account for the number of American forces, but by the time of the surrender the American force was around 12,000 to 14,000 militia and troops.
-Winner: The Americans forced the surrender of Burgoyne forces.
This encounter was also known as The Battle of Freeman's Farm. The way the Patriots made Burgoyne to surrender was that Simon Fraser (British) was mortally wounded and out of combat, Benedict Arnold advanced to encourage his men to keep on the fight, but Arnold was wounded but not mortally. Burgoyne awaited Colonel Clinton's backup but the Patriots intercepted, captured and hanged the messengers of Burgoyne and Clinton. Burgoyne awaited Clinton until October 17, 1777 but he surrendered his men to General Gates to avoid his men getting killed.
-Casualties: Of the 7,000 British and Germans who marched from Canada only 3,500 were fit for living another day to fight at the surrender.

Simon Fraser Death

Burgoyne's Surrender