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To: Goetz_von_Berlichingen
As far as I have read, torture was not used by either side during the American War of Independence.

It's not something you write books about. I didn't read anyything about Washington's sex life, but I still assume he had one. Certain things are nasty little facts of life.

The phrase "ALL is fair in Love and WAR" holds true. Hell it was our founders gumption to defy the "rules of war" that won us our freedom. They came in from behind and shot officers in the back, they mercilessly slaughtered red coats in order to scare the crap out of the ones yet to arrive. War is not pretty.

245 posted on 10/22/2001 10:39:03 AM PDT by Texaggie79
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To: Texaggie79
"It's not something you write books about."

Probably because it didn't happen. But, as you may know, it is logically impossible to prove a negative. You can continue to think that Gen'l Washington and the rest were war criminals, but you have no evidence to back it up and no military historian of the period will take your contentions seriously.

"Certain things are nasty little facts of life."

Do not confuse 20th century practice with 18th century practice. There are many things we now accept as "facts of life" which would have been anathema to Gen'l Washington, his generation, and his class.

"Hell it was our founders gumption to defy the "rules of war" that won us our freedom."

If you mean accepted tactical and strategic common practice, the point is open to question.

" . . .they mercilessly slaughtered red coats in order to scare the crap out of the ones yet to arrive."

Check the casualty counts some time. More men died of disease than from wounds. The American War may have been many things, but it cannot be characterised as "merciless slaughter." And I do not recall any Crown forces either running away, surrendering, or mutineeing because of fear. If anything, it was the British who were the ones accused of atrocities (e.g., "Tarleton's Quarter"), although the colonists occasionally indulged to the slaughter of non-combatants, preferably of the native variety.

During the war, both sides took a considerable number of prisoners. Those in British captivity, while not tortured, were kept in extreme discomfort on prison ships. Those in American captivity were often paroled and sent to work on local farms. Check out the history of "The Convention Army" some time. They were the troops who surrendered with Burgoyne at Saratoga.

249 posted on 10/22/2001 11:15:39 AM PDT by Goetz_von_Berlichingen
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