> Mike Diehl[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] wrote: > > On Tuesday 19 November 2002 01:57 pm, Trei, Peter wrote: > > > Kevin Elliott[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Correction in the interest of historical accuracy. The idea > that we > > > succeeded in the revolutionary war by "inventing a new form of > > > warfare". The reality is that the british were marching in > > > formation for very, very good reasons. Their tactics were an > early > > > form of Napoleanic tactics (the techniques perfected by Bonaparte > > > and used to SMASH most of the rest of Europe). They evolved from > > > several factors notably: [snip] > > > > Actually, they were marching for quite another reason - they were > > in retreat back to Boston, via Lexington. The redcoats had very > light > > casualties up to the point when Gage decided to pull back. > > If I might ask, if they had suffered light casualties, why were they in > retreat? > They were exhausted and outnumbered (the redcoats were a raiding party from Boston, trying to confiscate some cannon in Concord. They were hoping to suprise the militias, but failed.) Had they delayed longer, night would have fallen on them in hostile terrain before they got back to safe ground.
Think Somalia. Peter
