[September 20, 2020] Warfare has always been present in our human species. And despite the terribleness of the battlefield, humans have, in fact, learned some terrible lessons. And thus, there has been broad agreement on laws of warfare established to prevent atrocities and unnecessary death. Unfortunately, there still are times when these agreed-upon laws of warfare are violated. In the Paoli Massacre, we have an example.
Or do we have an example? Those who study the history of any specific battle find that each side in the conflict possesses differing views. The “Battle of Paoli” (also known as the Paoli Massacre) was a battle fought in the American Revolutionary War fought on September 20, 1777.
During the evening hours, British General Charles Grey, with nearly 5,000 soldiers, launched a surprise attack on a small regiment of Patriot troops in Pennsylvania. A loyalist spy provided the secret password and led them to the camp. As the Americans tell it, the British attacked the unsuspecting men, stabbing them to death as they slept and also killed prisoners. The Paoli Massacre became a rallying cry for the Americans against British atrocities for the rest of the war.1
According to American historian Mark M. Boatner III (1921-2006), patriot propagandists succeeded in whipping up anti-British sentiment with false accusations that General Grey’s men had “refused quarter and massacred defenseless patriots who tried to surrender …” In any case, American General “Mad” Anthony Wayne swore revenge and “Remember Paoli” was used by them as a battle cry and the Germantown and Stony Point battles.2
“Issue the orders, Sir, and I will storm Hell.” – General Anthony Wayne to General Washington on the eve of the patriot’s attack at British held Stony Point in 1779
The question about this battle being a massacre or simply good tactics of the British remains unanswered. If there were no basic laws of warfare, this battle or massacre would hardly reach a point of discussion. There is little doubt that the Revolutionary War was harsh and brutal, and was fought hard by both sides. It is a testament to the British that parliament finally agreed to withdraw from the continent and give America its freedom.
Over two hundred years later, the debates over this battle remains a sticking point in relations with the British. Why this is, I believe, is due to the strong adherence to both the American and British people’s strong desire to internalize basic rules of warfare.
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Good article, Gen. Satterfield. History is something that is useful only so much as it is useful and not for its own sake.
The American patriots didn’t know how to fight at the start of the Rev War. They learned the hard way that they had to use good strategy and tough tactics to win. This “massacre” (or not) was an example of learning those lessons the hard way.
Our schools are a massive failure. That is why kids don’t know anything. They spend more time learning to put on a condom that learning how to read.
Ouch, a bit of an exaggeration but I get the point.
The president announced on Thursday that he was establishing a “1776 Commission” to “promote patriotic education.” The announcement came in the context of a White House-sponsored conference on American history, how it has been distorted, and how it might be rescued. Very excellent timing by Pres. Trump to thwart the anti-American rhetoric we’ve been hearing lately. This is the right time to help our countrymen learn a bit about our history.
Yes, I read about it and I hope this takes off. Kudos to President Trump.
Great quote by Pres. DJT
“Our mission is to defend the legacy of America’s founding, the virtue of America’s heroes, and the nobility of the American character. We must clear away the twisted web of lies in our schools and classrooms, and teach our children the magnificent truth about our country. We want our sons and daughters to know that they are the citizens of the most exceptional nation in the history of the world.”
Smart!
A good short article on the battle that makes lots of sense: “Paoli Massacre During the American Revolution”
https://www.thoughtco.com/american-revolution-paoli-massacre-2360195
Thanks Mr. Asper and I’m sure this is the way you teach your classes in High School. Keep up the yeoman’s work to get our kids to “think” rather than memorize liberal talking points. Learning to reason is an important skill that can never be overlooked nor tolerated when absent.
Excellent point, TJ. Thanks for the reference too. I read the article and it was insightful. Ken just made a suggestion that we not tolerate a lack of critical thinking. I call it ‘critical’ thinking because it means we have to think of the plusses and minuses of any argument, else we fail to see it in its totality. Keep up the great work with our young.
Well said, Len. 😊😊😊😊
Good article. 👍
Advancing around 1:00 AM on September 21, Grey ordered his men to remove the flints from their muskets to ensure that an accidental shot would not alert the Americans. Instead, he instructed his troops to rely on the bayonet, earning him the nickname “No Flint” Grey. Wow, nice nicknames then.
Crazy Grey, maybe that might have been a better nickname. He was very aggressive against the American patriots as any good commander should be.
In the fighting at Paoli, Wayne sustained 53 killed, 113 wounded, and 71 captured while Grey lost a mere 4 killed and 7 wounded. Quickly dubbed the “Paoli Massacre” by the Americans due to the intense, one-sided nature of the fight, there is no proof that British forces acted inappropriately during the engagement.
Attempts to define and regulate the conduct of individuals, nations, and other agents in war and to mitigate the worst effects of war have a long history. The earliest known instances are found in the Mahabharata and the Old Testament (Torah).
You can read up on the ‘rules of war’ in this Wikipedia link. Gives some great references too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_war
To give an example. Among other issues, modern laws of war address the declarations of war, acceptance of surrender and the treatment of prisoners of war; military necessity, along with distinction and proportionality; and the prohibition of certain weapons that may cause unnecessary suffering.
Yes, good history. Thanks. More importantly, and maybe overlooked, is that throughout the world it is recognized that brutal slaughter of innocents is considered evil, thus the laws of warfare. It should then, come as no surprise that this is why we hate terrorists because they specifically target innocents. Good article, Gen> Satterfield.
Another quick history lesson. Good point in the beginning but I think I might have fallen asleep somewhere in the middle.
Hi Forrest, “stupid is as stupid does,” hope you are making good use of the phrase. ha ha ha ,,,,