Marines in the Revolution

On 10 November 1775 the Second Continental Congress authorized the raising of two battalions of Marines. From this small beginning we have seen the United States Marine Corps grow into a powerful force for the nation's security. In this volume, through the actions and words of the participants, we read of a small Marine force which promptly challenged Great Britain's control on both land and sea. Our first amphibious raid landed in the Bahamas on 3 March 1776, capturing gravely needed munitions, and proving to the foe that the infant American Marine Corps was a threat to be reckoned with. Likewise we read of small bands of Marines who dared to stand in the way of British troops at Princeton, New Jersey, and Charleston, South Carolina. And we also learn of the little-known Marine expedition down the Mississippi River under naval Captain James Willing in 1778. Historians, past and present, all too often neglect completely the maritime history of the American Revolution or they pass over it with superficial attention. Mr. Charles R. Smith has corrected this omission with respect to Continental Marines. Based on extensive and careful research, the author has rescued from oblivion those actions from which our modern concepts of amphibious warfare have grown. Mr. Smith has been a member of the staff of the History and Museums Division since July 1971. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and Political Science from the University of California, a Master of Arts degree in History from San Diego State University, and is working toward a Doctorate in History at The American University. He also served in the Republic of Vietnam as an Army artilleryman and field historian. Since joining the division, Mr. Smith has authored a historical pamphlet entitled, A Brief History of the 12th Marines, and articles for the division's newsletter, Fortitudine.