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General Washington's Commando explores the dynamic Revolutionary
War career of Benjamin Tallmadge whose multi-faceted career
included operations as a dragoon commander, intelligence and
counter-intelligence officer and master of combined land-sea
operations. Tallmadge fought in the Battles of Long Island, White
Plains, and Germantown and defended the Patriot population in the
no-man's-land of Westchester County against British and Tory
raiders. After Washington rewarded him with his own legion, he
unleashed bold raids on British-occupied Long Island from his bases
in Connecticut. All the while, he ran Washington's most active
espionage ring in New York and Long Island. Reversing roles, he
played a key role in foiling Benedict Arnold's plot to betray the
American stronghold of West Point to the British. Tallmadge's
Revolutionary service graphically illuminates the struggle in the
region which witnessed the most continuous, relentless, often
pitiless, fighting of the struggle. In particular, the book
describes the internecine quality of the fighting in politically
divided Long Island and Westchester and details how the struggle
continued without letup even after Yorktown. Though Tallmadge's
fascinating post-war career receives careful attention, the book
focuses on his Revolutionary War service.
Drawing heavily on primary source material, The Boy General is the
first full-length account of a remarkable man whose life and
careers -- lawyer, soldier, politician -- illuminate the dramatic
changes which transformed American life in the nineteenth century.
His Civil War career, comprising the bulk of the book, encompassed
almost all the major campaigns in Virginia. Beginning the war as a
private and rising to major general, Barlow garnered the reputation
as a combat leader of unusual pugnacity and effectiveness. Twice
wounded, at Antietam and Gettysburg, he played a key role in the
desperate fighting which marked Grant's 1864-65 campaign against
Lee. After Appomattox, Barlow returned to civilian life and entered
New York State politics. Although he was an effective attorney
general, initiating suits against the Tweed Ring, his unfiltered
honesty harmed him politically. His public refusal to support his
party's efforts during the disputed election of 1876 effectively
ended his governmental prospects and he ended his life in private
law practice.
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