At the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775, the colonies faced the daunting task of creating the first American army, and its requisite leadership, capable of combating a global superpower whose standing army and generalship were among the finest in the world. Built largely from state and local militias, the colonial army performed surprisingly well and produced a number of fine generals. Some were experienced before the war, like George Washington of the Virginia Militia and the British-born Horatio Gates, while others were as green as the soldiers they led. This book presents basic biographical information about America's first generals in the Revolutionary War. Included are all generals of the Continental Army, along with those commissioned in the colonies' militias. Drawn from primary sources, including death and census records, records of the Continental Congress, and contemporary writings, each biographical sketch provides date and place of birth, prewar education and occupation, wartime service, date and place of death, and place of burial. Portraits of each general are included where available, and appendices display important statistics, including comparative ages; occupations; officers lost by death, resignation, murder or changing loyalty; and states or countries of origin.
Robert P. Broadwater (1958-?)was born in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, and raised in Salisbury, Pennsylvania, graduating from Salisbury Elk-Lick High School in 1976. He attended Penn State University, Altoona Campus, from 1976 to 1978, majoring in Letters, Arts and Sciences. His first book The Bronze and the Granite, was published by Daisy Publishing in 1983. To date, Broadwater has had more than twenty books published, primarily in the fields of Civil War and Revolutionary War history. Battle of Despair: Bentonville and the North Carolina Campaign (2004) was nominated for both the Lincoln Prize and the Douglas Southall Freeman Awards. American Generals of the Revolutionary War: A Biographical Dictionary (2007) was nominated for the George Washington Book Award. In addition to the books, Broadwater has written more than 100 magazine articles. He wrote a regular, monthly column for Military Trader Magazine for eight years, and has been a contributor to North South Trader's bi-annual Civil War Collector's Price Guide. A charter member and past president of Descendants of Civil War Veterans, Broadwater has also been a member of the Civil War Round Table of Baltimore, The Harry Gilmore Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans, and the Kennesaw Mountain Association. He actively speaks to historical societies and civic organizations on Civl War and Revolutionary War topics.
On October 1, 2009, Broadwater was inducted into the Blair County Arts Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field of Literary Arts.
