i want to throw a hand grenade into this. >> knox, henry knox? >> beside henry knox. one of the -- and we are dealing with a pandemic and inoculations and vaccinations and washington introduces inoculation or -- to the continental army. so with that being said, besides the smallpox inoculation, what is one thing on the periphery that actually let me go back to that. let me ask -- is that a good idea? what do you view on the view of smallpox, the epidemic, the belief that smallpox would have been a major player if washington does not inoculate, is that a myth, is that blown out of proportion? because you hear a lot about all these -- this virus being so magnified. so is that just 21st century reading and later on after the war you have the whole fever epidemic and hear about two big viruses. are they blown out of proportion? or are they pretty accurate on how detrimental they could have been if they didn't do such vast efforts like inoculation? >> it would have decimated the army. i mean, you look at what it did to the northern army right after the retreat out of canad

>> besides henry knox. throughout the course we are deal being a massive pandemic, inoculations, vaccinations. washington introduces inoculation to the continental army. so, with that being said besides the smallpox inoculation, what is one thing on the periphery that -- let me go back. let me ask, is that a good idea? on the view of smallpox, the epidemic, a belief that small box would have been a major player if washington does not inoculate. is that a myth? is that blown out of proportion? you hear a lot about this virus being so magnified. is that just 21st century reading onto it? later on in the war you have the yellow fever epidemic. you hear about these two big viruses. are they blown out of proportion, or are they pretty accurate on how detrimental they could have been if they didn't do such vast efforts like inoculation? >> it would have decimated the army and, i mean, look at what it did to the northern army right after the retreat out of canada. it even killed -- i forget his name, but i think i

>> besides henry knox. of course obviously we are dealing with a mass pandemic, inoculations, vaccinations, washington introduces inoculation or veer lags to the continental army. so with that being said besides the small poks inoculation what is one thing on the periphery that -- actually, let me go back to that. let me ask is that a good idea? what do you view on the view of the epidemic, the belief that small pox would have been a major player if washington does not inoculate. is that a myth? is that blown out of proportion? you hear a lot about this virus being so magnified. so is that just 21st century reading on to it, later on after the war you have the yellow fever epidemic so you hear about these two big viruses. are they blown out of proportion or are they pretty accurate on how detrimental they could have been if you didn't do mass efforts of vaccination. >> it would have decimated the army. i mean, you look at -- look at what it did not northern army right after the retreat out of canada. i mean

oso, basically you've got henry knox knowing up at this point. he's doing a fighting retreat with a couple pieces of artillery. sullivan is doing a fighting retreat. eventually what's going to happen, they stop at a fence line and shoot, fall back to the next fence line and shoot. and they basically form this formation. i'm not really doing this from the point of view of the british, but the british are going to get caught in a cul-de-sac here. they're going to crest this ridge and be shocked to find these troops stand thering. it's also getting dark. there's no daylight savings back then. it's very haze zi, confusing. the sun is setting behind the british, so as they crest this ridge, they're much easier targets. and i think some of the heaviest casualties for battle for the british side are going to take place right here, not anywhere else on the battlefield. so, what happens to sullivan? well, guess what. guess who congress is going to blame. sullivan, congress votes to recall him, pending investigation into his actions. this is three days aft

basically you've got henry knox who showed up. he's doing a fighting retreat. sullivan is doing a fighting retreat. and eventually what's going to happen is they stop at a fence line and shoot. they call back to the next fence line and they shoot. then they basically form this formation. i'm not really doing this from the point of view of the british. they're going to crest this ridge and be shocked to find all these troops standing down here. it's also getting dark. there's no daylight savings back then. it's very hazy, confusing. the sun is setting behind the british. as they crest this ridge, they're silhouetted against the setting sun, making them easier targets. i think most of the casualties on the british side will take place right here, not anywhere else on the battlefield. this is how the battle ends. what happens to sullivan? guess who congress is going to blame? sullivan -- congress votes to recall him pending an investigation into his actions at staten island and brandywine. that same day, three days after the battle. the same day, general de borre,

basically you've got henry knox who showed up. he's doing a fighting retreat. sullivan is doing a fighting retreat. and eventually what's going to happen is they stop at a fence line and shoot. they call back to the next fence line and they shoot. then they basically form this formation. i'm not really doing this from the point of view of the british. they're going to crest this ridge and be shocked to find all these troops standing down here. it's also getting dark. there's no daylight savings back then. it's very hazy, confusing. the sun is setting behind the british. this is three days after the battle. the same day, general de borre, he resigns. that letter i mentioned earlier that's half french and half english is actually his letter of resignation to washington. sullivan starts to gather testimony in his defense. washington doesn't have time for this. this is what he writes to congress. our situation at this time is critical and delicate. to derange the army by withdrawing so many general officers from it may and must be attended with many disagreeable if

do we need a therapy session on henry knox determantown. michael can get it out of this system here. so it's gonna have to let her shock. i think tell me that there's somebody else. i did one of these other i forget what round table wasn't somebody was trying to say that sullivan was a blame for all the army's us throughout the war war guys. wow, the french may agree with you, but that's a and newport there. but look at that scapegoat there. yeah, i mean, so all right. let's test your expertise as historians here. we talked a lot about myths and basic conceptions of the war. most of them have been on the military side of things outside of the military sphere. is there a myth or misconception that the general populace has becoming ingrained with that you would like to reverse we're going to start right now. we're gonna reverse the trend. so a myth outside the military of the american revolution. hmm i hate the most basic one would be that all the colonists supported the war effort. i mean and we kind of hit on that with the loyalist discussi

we're the secretary of war henry knox devises criteria for what he calls decisive disability. this criteria isn't based on some sort of new medical understanding but knox says if this first of all we need to have pensioners basically have their cases accommodated locally. he wants to do that as much as possible. so it's not to mire the federal government and all sorts of claims, but in terms of the way this is preceding in massachusetts and the you know, sort of the expanding grounds for asking knox is really worry about that kind of thing this can go on at infinitum and so he does is with decisive disability says you can only get a pension for a known wound, you know from back. and so that means he become sick, you know, there's no you're out of luck and people apply based on these earlier grounds and they get denied from the office and even this perverse kind of thing to contemplate. somebody could have been blinded by a musket ball in the eye or they could have been blinded by smallpox and they're gonna get compensated for the basketball and the eye but not for the sickness