Ima Student Knowlton s Rangers and the Battle of Harlem Heights History 1301 Date

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1 Ima Student Knowlton s Rangers and the Battle of Harlem Heights History 1301 Date

2 1 When asking people off the streets of most of the present day United States Who was Thomas Knowlton? the majority of those individuals would shake their heads, never before hearing that name. If people of colonial America could be asked the same question during the American Revolution, there would be many more nods in remembrance of the French and Indian War veteran gone Connecticut farmer, who quickly climbed the ranks of the Continental Army. He would be appointed leader of America s first intelligence unit by General George Washington himself, and create dramatic impacts onto key points during first few years of the war. Thomas Knowlton was a man who lived in war. Born in West Boxford, Massachusetts on November 22, 1740, his family soon relocated to Ashford, Connecticut, where he resided for the remainder of his life. At age 16, Knowlton enlisted in the French and Indian War, sometimes joining his elder brother Daniel on scouting missions, and participated in battles such as the Battle of Wood Creek. Knowlton also took part in the capture of Ticonderoga in July of 1759, and Anna Keyes of Ashford became his wife in April of the same year, though they did not settle into domestic repose till after the Siege of Havana. He continued fighting during the siege, which took place in 1762, fighting alongside the English against the Spanish in Cuba before he returned home as one of the small numbers of survivors. Once finally returning home, Knowlton left the army to become a farmer and raise his eight children, and was elected as selectman at the young age of thirty-three. 1 Described by Ashbel Woodward as having possession of an intellect naturally bright, and quick to profit by the experiences and associations of military life led Knowlton to be calm and collected in battle ready to lead where any could be found to follow he knew no fear of danger. As he proceeded through his service in the Revolution, he became the favorite of superior officers, the idol of his soldiers and fellow-townsmen, he fell universally lamented. 2 When the time came that the Ashford Company requested for men to answer the call of war against England, Knowlton quickly responded despite his wife s protests that war could 1. Patrick and Ashbel Woodward, Statue of Thomas Knowlton: Ceremonies at the Unveiling (Hartford, CT: Lockwood and Brainard Company, 1895) Pages Fort Huachuca, "Thomas Knowlton and His Rangers: The Taproot of U.S. Army Intelligence." (Fort Huachuca: < Page 10.

3 Boston. 7 In March 1776, William Howe pulled his troops out of Boston, and the Connecticut 2 win without him, as she for once found his heart hardened against entreaties and tears, and he was chosen to lead the company as a captain due to his overall experience and reputation. 3 During the Battle of Bunker Hill, his company defended the rail fence at the base of the hill to protect the left-most flank of the retreating American troops. During the skirmish, Knowlton had one gun shot from his hands during the fight and grabbed another as he displayed a cool and business-like example and prevented the retreat from becoming a rout, and while the British forces lost 226 of their soldiers, the Connecticut Company had lost three. 4 Knowlton was immortalized as an important figure in this battle in John Trumbull s painting entitled The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill 1786 where he is depicted as the man in a yellow vest holding a musket. After the battle, Knowlton s company essentially became the bodyguard of General Washington, and Knowlton himself was promoted to major of the 20 th Continental Infantry on the very first day of The week after this, he led the ambush on Charleston, taking five officers as prisoners and burning down enemy quarters, and there were no casualties on the American side. Aaron Burr stated that it was impossible to promote such a man too rapidly. 5 Charleston itself involved striking the city that so upset the British officers production of the Burgoyne farce The Blockade at Faneuil Hall under the cover of night during the Siege of troops headed for New York, but along the way, Knowlton was able to stop at his home to visit his wife and his, at the time, seven children. In August 1776, Knowlton was promoted to lieutenant colonel and next fought in the Battle of Long Island with one hundred of his regulars when the British landed on the island soon after. With about one hundred of his own handpicked men, Knowlton crossed over into Flatbush during the night. General William Howe s troops 3. Patrick Henry Woodward and Ashbel Woodward, Page Fort Huachuca, Page Patrick Henry Woodward and Ashbel Woodward, Page David McCullough, 1776 (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2006) Page 217.

4 3 snuck in on foot through a lesser known route called the Jamaica Pass, flanking the Continental Army and preventing retreat. Knowlton was to reinforce Lord Sterling, but the fighting had stopped as a full retreat was ordered after Sterling had surrendered. In the darkness of night, General Washington skillfully withdrew the army out of Long Island. 8 After the Battle of Long Island, Washington envisioned creating a special intelligence group to avoid another such catastrophe, choosing the man he called the brave and gallant Knowlton who would have been an honor to any country to lead it. 6 Throughout his career, Knowlton had been considered to have great and inspiring leadership skills. Even an NCO of his team later remembers how he was the kind of leader that would not stand behind his men and call out, Go on, boys! but would rather be out in front and yell, Come on, boys! 4 This reconnaissance group became known as Knowlton s Rangers, who would also always stay in front of the Continental Army. By this small organization of about one hundred and twenty men, which included Thomas Knowlton s oldest son Frederick and his elder brother Daniel, America formed its very first United States Army intelligence unit, which means that it is essentially the roots of present day organizations such as the CIA. 4 In fact, the CIA building in current day Washington D.C. honors a captain of Knowlton s Rangers with a statue; one Nathan Hale, who is regarded as the first American spy to die in the line of duty behind enemy lines, and is famed for his long-remembered last words of I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country, inspiring so much courage in the face of death that he would leave an impression even on the British officers present at his hanging. A major turning point of the Rangers is the Battle of Harlem Heights, taking place on the early morning of September 16, which in itself is also an important yet often overlooked point of the Revolutionary War. General Washington, not wanting to go in blind as he had during the Battle of Long Island, sent Knowlton s Rangers out to scout the enemy when the group made contact near the edge of the woods. The British responded by sending out two battalions of light infantry along with a regiment known as The Black Watch to expunge the Rangers. Rather than fleeing the scene despite being outnumbered four hundred to one hundred and twenty 6. Seymour, George Dudley. Documentary Life of Nathan Hale 8. Patrick Henry Woodward and Ashbel Woodward, Page 30-32

5 4 Knowlton held his ground with his men for a thirty minute firefight before the British began to flank the group, causing Knowlton to finally call for a retreat. The nearby encampment of the Continental Army could hear the gunfire from the skirmish and prepared for a full-on battle. As Knowlton s Rangers continued to pull back with the British hot on their tails, the British force stopped at a hill to catch their breath and were in high spirits, still in remembrance of the Battle of Long Island. Colonel Joseph Reed, who was present with the Rangers during the smaller scale battle, later wrote to his wife that the enemy appeared in open view and in the most insulting manner sounded their bugle horns as is usual after a fox chase. I never felt such a sensation before, it seemed to crown our disgrace, and he rode ahead to reach Washington and ask for further armed support. 4 After writing a letter to Congress, Washington rode out to the front to survey the situation for himself, and upon hearing news of Knowlton s predicament, immediately ordered three companies of Colonel Weedon s regiments and Colonel Knowlton with his Rangers to try to get in their rear, while a disposition was making as if to attack them in front, and thereby draw their whole attention that way. Unfortunately, something happened where either Knowlton s force engaged in battle too early, or the British, in search of safety, pulled back slightly and caused Knowlton to come at them from their flank rather than their rear. In this situation of enemy contact, both Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton and Major Andrew Leitch were shot and mortally wounded. The leaderless Rangers and riflemen, according to reports of the battle, continued the engagement with the greatest resolution and with splendid spirit and animation. 4 Reinforcements soon came to both sides, and the battle ended after a total of about six hours when the British called for a retreat, which General George Clinton wrote how our people at length worsted them a third time, caused them to fall back into an orchard, from thence across a hollow and up another hill not far distant from their own lines, and the American troops were able to return to the farmhouse area that the Rangers had scouted earlier in the morning when the first skirmish began. However, Colonel Joseph Reed recalled that our greatest loss was a brave officer from Connecticut, whose name and spirit ought to be immortalized, one Colonel 4. Fort Huachuca, Page 2-7

6 5 Knowlton. I assisted him off, and when gasping in the agonies of death all his inquiry was if we had drove the enemy. Reed had been the one to take Knowlton back to the American camp, who died after an hour with a gunshot wound to the head. Captain Stephen Brown, an officer in the Rangers who took command for the remainder of the battle, met with Knowlton before his death and later recalled I took hold of him and asked if he were badly wounded. He told me he was, but, says he, I do not value my life if we do but get the day. He desired me by all means to keep up this flank. He seemed as unconcerned and calm as though nothing had happened to him. 4 After the battle, Knowlton s sixteen-year-old son Frederick, a private in the Rangers, left the army to return to Ashford and take care of his mother and younger siblings. Also, by this time, Captain Nathan Hale was already on Long Island disguised as a Dutch schoolmaster, his capture happening within days, and his execution taking place on September 22. Before his hanging, Hale wrote two letters. One was written for his dearest brother and classmate, two years his senior, Enoch Hale, while the other was meant to be sent to his commanding officer, as Hale had not learned of Thomas Knowlton s death which happened only days before his own. 6 Now, to look at the event from a different angle, what if there was a choice made that would create a ripple effect throughout American history? What if General George Washington had decided not to form a special reconnaissance group to gather intelligence at the front of his Continental Army? What if Knowlton s Rangers did not exist? Focusing first on the Battle of Harlem Heights, the results of the battle would be drastically different. Instead of sending the handpicked best-of-the-best soldiers to scout the enemy lines, it is more likely that average scouts would be sent out. Seeing as how the Rangers were met with and outnumbered by British troops, a team of scouts would easily be either forced into a retread or even killed on sight, which would leave the American troops knowing next to nothing about the enemy s whereabouts or numbers, while the British would know that the Continental Army was nearby and preparing to strike. Reed, who accompanied Knowlton on the early morning scouting, would also be at a greater risk if he were only with average troops. 4. Fort Huachuca, Page Seymour, George Dudley. Documentary Life of Nathan Hale

7 6 Because of Washington s lack of sufficient intelligence on the situation of the battle, it is possible that he would not be able to create a proper plan of attack as he did. He would have to rely on what he saw for himself and the reports of Reed and any other survivors who returned, and because no one would be holding off the British troops, General Washington would have less time to make preparations, organize his troops and officers, and would not have the time to collect his thoughts and write a letter to Congress. With the firefights drawing nearer at a faster rate than it had in reality, it is also likely that Washington might not have even had the chance to survey the situation himself in the frontlines of the battle without putting himself in imminent danger. While the Americans would still have the leadership of other officers, there is still the missing link of Knowlton s leadership and inspirational reputation. Any survivors of the team that bumped into the British forces would be in disarray when they lose their commanding officers like when Knowlton and Leitch were fatally shot and there would not be anyone to hold them off as the American troops came into the battle. Also, soldiers from the encamped regiments would be Washington s only choice to have attack the rear of the British, who would range from being great to poor soldiers as opposed to Knowlton s elite. One could argue that Thomas Knowlton could still be a lieutenant colonel in one of the companies present at the battle, but that does not account for the other men in his Rangers who contributed as a whole throughout the fight with their level heads and impeccable skills that they were specifically chosen for in the first place. When the reinforcements come for both the British and American sides, this would give a higher advantage to the British. The numbers of the Continental Army is already dwindling from the panicking troops who lost their leaders and from the initial untrained scouts who first ran into the enemy and the British had outnumbered the Americans at the beginning of the battle. So when these new troops come to relieve those who have been fighting, the Americans would be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. General Washington, as he had in the Battle of Long Island, would have to call for a full retreat due to this lack of enemy intelligence and surprise run-ins, leaving another victory for the English within such a small timespan. This second loss would lead to a lowered morale for the Continental troops, which would affect their performance and cause further desertions from the army, as deserting soldiers was always a problem throughout the war.

8 7 As for direct effects from the battle on the Knowlton family, there are two directions that they could go. First, Thomas Knowlton is an officer of another company, likely with his son Frederick and his brother Daniel with him, and therefore not be involved in the imminent danger that being in the frontlines as the Rangers offered. Because of this, Knowlton may not have been killed in action at his young age, and both he and his son could continue fighting in the war, continuing his general-like reputation as an individual rather than an iconic group of the elite. Oh the other hand, being at a different place at a different time in the unpredictable setting of war, Thomas Knowlton could be wounded or killed at an even earlier stage of the Revolution, or his son or brother could be killed and affect his own personal morale as a man. However, if Knowlton s death happens during the many battles that took place before March of 1776, the Knowlton lineage would in fact be greatly reduced, as his eighth child would never have been born, eliminating one branch of the Knowlton family tree. Similarly, Captain Nathan Hale would not have been selected to become part of Knowlton s Rangers, leaving him to stay in the company that he served with before he was recruited into the group. Previously, Hale never had the chance to be directly involved in the action during his time in the war, so he, too, has two distinct possibilities of his changed future. His heroic death served to inspire American troops, so much so that the British tried to hide news and details of his death from the Americans as long as they could until Hale s personal friend Captain William Hull met with British Captain John Montresor, who Hale spoke with in a friendly manner the morning of his hanging. If Hale was, again, at a different place at a different time, he could have been killed in a far less admirable manner, just as any other soldier in the field of a battle. In contrast, he could also survive throughout the fighting and continued climbing through the ranks as he had before his death. His brains and athleticism might even bring him to the future esteemed level of his friends and Yale classmates, such as William Hull, who later becomes a general in the War of Knowlton s Rangers also forms the direct roots of the United States special intelligence units. By delaying the formation of such information gathering organizations because Washington knew well enough that he needed enemy intelligence and would indeed create such a group given time a wide range of results could ripple through the timeline. Due to such a lapse of intelligence gathering for a long amount of time, the Continental Army would have lost both the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Harlem Heights. This puts England at an

9 8 advantage over the Americans, as they are gathering more and more territory in the important region of New York. It would take the Continental Army much more time and effort to finally drive the British out of Long Island. Because Knowlton s Rangers envelop the beginnings of the history of the CIA, there is a very wide range of variances that could occur to the organization, but the most likely outcome is that the CIA will still come into existence as it has in reality. While the intelligence gathering operations of America has been around since the Rangers, it was not until the time of World War II that it became directly intertwined within the government network. It was President Franklin D. Roosevelt that began the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942, which wound up being abolished after World War II. However, President Harry S. Truman saw that there was a need for such an agency, and signed the National Security Act of 1947 to establish the Central Intelligence Agency in the postwar year of Taking into account that these presidents came to the same conclusion as Washington, one can easily assume that an intelligence unit would indeed be formed at some point and would eventually tie directly into the government, just as the CIA had. However, despite that something technical and necessary for both domestic security and wartime intelligence gathering would be created with or without Knowlton s Rangers, there is a certain level of patriotism and admiration towards the group that inspires people all over the world. Today, people of Connecticut know their official state hero of Nathan Hale, and while most American schools today do not cover his story in their history lessons, there are in fact United States history courses taught in China that hold Hale in high regard. Also in Connecticut are memorials of both Nathan Hale and Thomas Knowlton, including a statue of each of them in the capital city of Hartford. Nationwide and around the globe, the men of Knowlton s Rangers invoke a great deal of respect and admiration for not only the contribution towards the American Revolution, but also for their life stories and what they stood for. 9. Central Intelligence Agency. "History of The CIA." (<

10 9 Bibliography "History of The CIA." Central Intelligence Agency. 10 Apr Web. 09 Nov < McCullough, David New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, Print. Seymour, George Dudley. Documentary Life of Nathan Hale, Comprising All Available Official and Private Documents Bearing on the Life of the Patriot. New Haven, CT: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, Print. "Thomas Knowlton and His Rangers: The Taproot of U.S. Army Intelligence." Fort Huachuca. Web. 4 Nov < Woodward, Patrick Henry, and Ashbel Woodward. Statue of Thomas Knowlton: Ceremonies at the Unveiling. Hartford, CT: Lockwood and Brainard Company, Print.