There were many battles and campaigns during the US Revolutionary war. Though much of the war took place in the south and central section of the colonies, the British were particularly concerned about the expansion of the Revolutionary army to the north and one of their more aggressive campaigns that really decided the outcome of the war, was from the borders of what is now Canada, rather early in the war.

In 1777, it was felt that a strong effort towards the Continental Army in the North would put an end to the uprising and the British could then concentrate on mopping up operations and getting the Colonies back under British control. The result was the terrible 'Wilderness War of 1777', a series of events that had much to do with the following years of the conflict. It was felt that if the British could take over the area of upper New York and surrounding Colonies, that things would then go well.

As is often the case in wars, things did not go as planned. Much of this had to do with how the British had treated the natives during the French and Indian War of a few years earlier. Many Native tribes were not fond of the British and so welcomed a chance at revenge by siding with the Colonial Army.

The campaign was developed by General Burgoyne, who planned and led the British in this field of operations. It was imperative that the British succeed. Those living in these territories were often brought into the conflict against the British and as the war continued, the hardship and cruelty of both sides against the other escalated. In the end, the British could not accomplish their missions and Burgoyne and 6,000 of his men eventually surrendered.

Author Michael O Logusz has written a superlative saga of this time period. His research is truly superb and very much in depth. He relies on correspondence and reports from both sides of the conflict to bring the story of the Wilderness Campaign to life for the reader. We are drawn into the events and are able to see them more clearly than any history text will allow. As is so often the case reality is much more gripping than fantasy and this book surely fits into that mold. It is a book that I can quite easily recommend to you.

June 2010

Review book courtesy of  Casemate Publishing, where you can order your copy of this and many other superb books and DVDs.

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