May 12 – Anniversary of Clinton Defeating Lincoln

nPostednMay 12, 2015

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Whennwe are talking about American history, and someone says “Lincoln,”neveryone flashes on the bearded-and-top-hatted President AbrahamnLincoln. But in this case I am talking about Benjamin Lincoln, anMajor General in the American army (in the American RevolutionarynWar).

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nAndn“Clinton” doesn’t refer to former President Bill Clinton, nor tonformer Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, but instead Sir HenrynClinton, a Lieutenant General in the British army.

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nWe’rentalking about this date in 1780, when Lincoln gave his unconditionalnsurrender of his 5,000 troops, after a siege that had lasted morenthan a month. Clinton had used his army of 10,000 soldiers tonsurround Charleston, South Carolina, and therefore cut the populationnoff from fresh food and other supplies.

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nThisnwas considered the biggest American surrender of the war. However,nthe other two surrenders that Lincoln was associated with during thenRevolutionary War were British surrenders to American forces:

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nEarliernin the war, Lincoln had helped ensure a British surrender after thenBattles of Saratoga, and it was Lincoln who formally accepted the BignSurrender – the one that decided the war – when the Britishnsurrendered at Yorktown.

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nItnturns out that, by the end of the war, Lincoln was second in commandnunder George Washington. And when the defeated British general, LordnCornwallis, decided to skip the ceremony of surrender—he claimed henwas sick—Cornwallis sent his second in command, Brigadier GeneralnCharles O’Hara. O’Hara did the traditional thing, presenting “thensword of surrender.” But he didn’t offer it to George Washington,nhe offered it to the Compte de Rochambeau,nwho was the head of French troops who fought on the Americans’ side. nRochambeau shook his head and pointed to Washington. But when O’Haranpresented the sword to Washington, he too refused to accept it; henmotioned to Benjamin Lincoln, who had been humiliated by the Britishnduring the Charleston surrender, to accept it.

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nI’mnthinking that Washington was at least partly motivated by a desire tonmake Lincoln feel better about the events of today’s anniversary?

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nAnyway,nthe next time you hear someone casually mention “Washington andnLincoln,” in one breath, take a moment to wonder if that is Abe ornBenjamin Lincoln!

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nAlsonon this date:

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