Guerrilla warfare is a very irregular form of fighting. The word guerrilla originates from the Spanish word meaning “little war.” This term flourished in the Peninsular War when the Spanish used guerrilla warfare against the Napoleon troops. Guerrilla warfare was mostly used by smaller armies going up against large, powerful countries. This type of fighting is very barbaric, and people who used it were often referred to as guerillas. Guerrillas would ambush and attack their enemy in surprise attacks. The enemy could be attacked by a small band of soldiers who would either attack or perform sneaky hit-and-runs. Most of the time guerrilla warfare was more strategic and planned than some historians believe. The guerrillas would study intelligence …show more content…
The Indians who helped the British fight the French taught the colonists their ways of wild fighting. Some say the guerilla warfare won the war. Learning the fighting style was extremely beneficially to the colonists later on. Into the American Revolution the colonists were weak in almost every way. The British had strong navies, strong armies, well-fed soldiers, and more weapons (www.ushsitroy.org). Despite these odds, the colonists had guerrilla warfare. The British used a type of fighting called gentlemen’s war. Although this was a more formal and very organized warfare, it was not efficient compared to guerrilla warfare. British soldiers would line up in two rows, kneel, fire, then move back to reload while the other line of soldiers shoot their guns. Guerrilla warfare was extremely effective for the Rebels, because they were basically running wild and attacking. Meanwhile, the British are still reloading their guns or switching rows. The guerrillas would take advantage of their terrain to have an edge on the British. Guerrilla warfare was not used as much in the North during the war as it was in the South. The South has much more of a rural terrain compared to the North. They would hide in trees, bushes, and even barn lofts to give them an advantage. The British never saw it coming. During the battle of Ticonderoga, leaders Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold used sleds and boats to …show more content…
They scored a win for the Patriots in the war, showing the British that the American army was actually a force to be reckoned with. Even George Washington sometimes used this wild type of fighting. When he crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, guerrilla tactics were their key element of surprise. One guerrilla was forty-eight year old Francis Marion, also known as the swamp fox. Before the Revolutionary War, Marion was a lieutenant in the French and Indian War. He gained the nickname “the swapm fox” after being chased by a British lieutenant for seven hours. Marion hid in a swamp the whole time, and was never found. The lieutenant said, “As for this damned old fox, the Devil himself could not catch him" (smithsonianmag.com). No matter where he went, the British could never gather intelligence of his whereabouts. Marion’s favorite hideout was on Snow’s Island. They would hide in the