periencing dissension, and he decided to at-
tack them while they were still demoralized.
Taking 6,000 men, Knyphausen advanced into
New Jersey as far as Connecticut Farms,
where, instead of finding Loyalists, he was ha-
rassed by swarms of angry militiamen along
his entire march; he returned to Staten Island
in good order. Shortly thereafter, Clinton re-
sumed command, and he ordered Knyp-
hausen on another foray to prevent Washing-
ton from attacking New York in conjunction
with the French fleet. The result was another
stirring of the hornets’ nest, this time at the
Battle of Springfield on June 23, 1780. Once
again, the New Jersey militia, backed by regu-
lars under Gen. Nathaniel Greene, fought
competently, and Knyphausen saw fit to with-
draw again intact. Springfield proved his final
field operation, for failing health necessitated
constant medical attention. By May 1782,
Knyphausen, old and infirm, sailed back to
Germany and was replaced by Gen. Friedrich
von Lossberg.
Having done the reputation of his state and
prince great honor in America, Knyphausen
was appointed military governor of Kassel by
Prince Friedrich II. He died while serving in
that capacity on December 7, 1800, a consum-
mate professional soldier. Of all the German
soldiers sent to America, only Knyphausen
proved competent enough to win the trust of
his employers—and chivalrous enough to
command the respect of his enemies.Bibliography
“Wilhelm, Baron Innhausen and Knyphausen.” Pennsyl-
vania Magazine of History and Biography 16
(1892): 239–245; Andrews, Melodie. “‘Myrmidons
from Abroad’: The Role of the German Mercenary in
the Coming of Independence.” Unpublished Ph.D.
dissertation, University of Houston, 1986; Atwood,
Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hesse-
Kassel in the American Revolution.New York:
Cambridge University Press, 1980; Deary, William P.
“Toward a Disaster at Fort Washington, November,
1776.” Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, George Wash-
ington University, 1996; Fleming, Thomas. The Battle
of Springfield.Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Historical
Society, 1975; Flood, Charles B. Rise and Fight
Again: Perilous Times Along the Road to Indepen-
dence.New York: Dodd, Mead, 1976; Jackson, John
W. With the British Army in Philadelphia.San
Rafael, CA: Presidio Press, 1979; Kipping, Ernest.
The Hessian View of America.Monmouth Beach,
NJ: Philip Freneau Press, 1971; Lowell, Edward J.
The Hessians and Other German Auxiliaries of
Great Britain in the Revolutionary War.New York:
Harper and Bros., 1884; Stephens, Thomas R. “In
Deepest Submission: The Hessian Mercenary Troops
of the American Revolution.” Unpublished Ph.D. dis-
sertation, Texas A&M University, 1998.LEE, ROBERTE.
Lee, Robert E.
(January 19, 1807–October 12, 1870)
Confederate General
A
lways outnumbered but never out-
fought, “Bobby” Lee was one of the
most brilliant tacticians in American
military history and the embodiment of
Southern military prowess during the Civil
War. The Confederate States of America could
not have lasted as long as it did without his
battlefield virtuosity. For three years, he de-
fied and outmaneuvered superior numbers of
Union troops, even though his Army of North-
ern Virginia was perpetually short of men,
equipment, and supplies. Furthermore, Lee’s
humanity, high sense of duty, and utter self-
lessness made him a popular figure, respected