North American War of Independence (1756 World)

War of Independence
The North American war of Independence was fought between 1801 and 1805. The war began when a Pennsylvania farmer's pigs got in the way of a British cavalry group. The pigs would not move, and a commanding officer shot a pig. The farmer got mad, and he fired on a soldier, thus starting the war. The underground resistance came out of secrecy and helped established the Republican Army, and prepared for the war. The war was fought at the same time as the Eight Years War.

Battle of Barnegat
On May 23, 1801, 2,800 troops under the Command of British general Sir Guy Carleton marched to take the weapons storage of the New Jersey militia at Barnegat Bay. The 750 soldiers defending were easily defeated by the invaders, and their weapons store was depleted. Carleton then marched north, to try to take New York and Boston.

Battle of Baltimore
On June 8, 3,800 soldiers under the command of WIlliam Dalrymple landed at Cape May, NJ and began a march to take Baltimore. The troops marched towards Baltimore, meeting only token resistance. At Baltimore, the Republican Army set up barricades, and the British soldiers began an attack on the town. They could not take the town, so two British warships were sent to help besiege the town. after 14 days of no fresh food and water coming in, the citizens rebelled on May 11 and demanded that the Republicans surrender so that the blockade could be lifted. They surrendered on May 12, and British troops marched in to take control.

Battle of Trenton (1801)
On June 22, General Carleton marched on to take Trenton, where he met Henry Dearborn and the rest of the New Jersey Militia (1,800 men). 1.7 miles Southwest of Trenton, Guy Carleton defeated General Dearborn, but lost 1500 men. They did not take Trenton, but marched north to try to take West Point, NY.

Battle of West Point
Guy Carleton marched his 1200 remaining men to West Point, and attacked the fort. On July 2, Carleton's men made a failed charge and lost 650 soldiers. When Carleton was shot and killed on July 3rd, the British met with Republican leaders to organize a truce. The truce was organised since both sides were in bad positions ( Republican loss of Baltimore and New Jersey militia, decimation of Carleton's men and his death). It was an uneasy truce, but the Republicans agreed to it.

The York Pub Incident
On August 28, 1804, British soldiers stationed in York (Toronto) went to a pub and began heavily drinking. They were so drunk that they began to insult the townspeople. The soldiers ended up firing on a citizen, and a revolt ensued which pitted the British Arny versus the Locals. The underground resistance supplied arms to York rebels, and they fought the British from 6 September.

Battle of York
Joseph Willcocks, the Irish leader of the York rebellion, asked for aid from the Republican Army. They were losing, so on September 23, William Hull and 2,400 soldiers crossed the Niagara river and marched into York, where the 850 defenders surrendered after a quick 1 hour fight.

Battle of Pittsburgh
Seeing an opportunity to end the war, 1,800 Pennsylvania militiamen and 350 Republican Regulars under Andrew Jackson set out for Fort Pitt. On the morning of October 11, 1804, The fort was beseiged for 20 days, after which the British army left the fort to fight. The Republicans were much stronger, and THe fort soldiers fled to the British camp at Northamton (Allentown, PA). Word of an approaching Republican Force (Jackson's) forced the british to hastily plan a seige of New York, hoping its capture would end the republican efforts. On November 3, soldiers under Roger Hale Sheaffe left for New York.

Battle of New York
Sheaffe and 2,200 men set out for New York, hoping to defeat it before Jackson's men could get there. THey beseiged the city from November 9 to November 15, 1804, when Jackson's force arrived. THe British knew they could defeat Jackson's men, since they were mostly militiamen. But, Sheaffe did not know that General Hull was advancing south from Fredericton (he took Fredericton, NB and marched south virtually unnopposed to Albany, taking much of New England). He arrived on November 17, and Sheaffe surrendered his men to Hull.