Americans retreat unscathed. He subse-
quently accompanied part of the army to
Newport, Rhode Island, where he served
under Gen. Robert Pigot. He was present
throughout the siege of Newport and subse-
quently fought at the Battle of Rhode Island
on August 29, 1778. Smith commanded two
regiments while pursuing the army of Gen.
John Sullivan, and he precipitously attacked
their prepared positions at Turkey Hill. The
British were abruptly repulsed, and Smith
failed to threaten the American left flank for
the remainder of the day—another lackluster
performance.
In 1779, Smith was finally recalled to
Britain, having added little to his military rep-
utation after five years of service in the
colonies. Nonetheless, his seniority held him
in good stead when he was promoted to
major general that year, and to lieutenant gen-
eral in 1787. Despite his high rank, Smith
never again held another combat command.
He died in England on November 17, 1791,
one of the most ineffectual British leaders of
the American Revolution—and the soldier
that started it.
Bibliography
Birnbaum, Louis.Red Dawn at Lexington: “If They Mean
to Have a War, Let It Begin Here!” Boston: Houghton,
Mifflin, 1986; Bradford, Charles H. The Battle Road:
Expedition to Lexington and Concord.Boston: Ro-
tary Club of Boston, 1975; Brooks, Victor. The Boston
Campaign, April 19, 1775–March 17, 1776.Con-
shohocken, PA: Combined, 1999; Dearden, Paul. The
Rhode Island Campaign of 1778: Inauspicious
Dawn of Alliance.Providence, RI: Rhode Island His-
torical Society, 1980; Fischer, David H. Paul Revere’s
Ride. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994;
Galvin, John R. The Minuteman: The First Fight:
Myths and Realities of the American Revolution.
Washington, DC: Pergamon-Brasseys, 1989; Gross,
Robert A. The Minutemen and Their World.New
York: Hill and Wang, 1976; Hallahan, William H. The
Day the Revolution Began, 19 April, 1775.New
York: Avon Books, 1999; Lee, Albert. History of the
10th Foot (The Lincolnshire Regiment).Aldershot:
Gale and Polden, 1911; Miller, John F., ed. “A British
Account of the Siege of Rhode Island, 1778.” Rhode Is-
land History38, no. 3 (1979): 79–85; Morrissey, Bren-
dan. Boston, 1775.London: Osprey, 1993; Trevett,
John. “The Despot’s Heel Is on Thy Shore.” Military
Collector and Historian30, no. 4 (1978): 158–172.ST. LEGER, BARRY
St. Leger, Barry
(May 1,1737–1789)
English Army Officer
I
n 1777, St. Leger played a key role in Sir
John Burgoyne’s three-pronged offen-
sive against New York. However, the fail-
ure to take strategic Fort Stanwix unraveled
his mission and contributed to the British de-
bacle at Saratoga.
Barry St. Leger was born probably on May
1, 1737, in County Kildare, Ireland, a nephew
of the Fourth Viscount Doneraille. He was ed-
ucated at Eton and attended Cambridge Uni-
versity before joining the army in April 1756
as an ensign of the 26th Regiment of Foot.
The following year he served under Gen.
James Abercromby, where he displayed some
merit as a combat officer. St. Leger was then
active in the reduction of Louisbourg in 1758,
and he subsequently accompanied Gen.
James Wolfe’s successful expedition against
Quebec in 1759. He gained a promotion to
brigade major under Gen. James Murray dur-
ing operations against Montreal in 1760,
which culminated in the demise of New
France. After the war, St. Leger remained in
the service, rising to major of the 95th Foot as