Clinton, Sir Henry

Clinton, Sir Henry
born April 16?, 1730?
died Dec. 23, 1795, Cornwall, Eng.

British commander in chief during the American Revolution.

Commissioned in the British army in 1751, he went to North America in 1775 as second in command to William Howe. He commanded British troops to victories in New York and then succeeded to the supreme command on Howe's retirement in 1778. He led an offensive in the Carolinas in 1780 and effected the fall of Charleston. On his return to New York, he left Charles Cornwallis in charge of subsequent operations, which ultimately resulted in the British surrender after the Siege of Yorktown. He resigned in 1781 and returned to England, where he found himself blamed for the Yorktown defeat.

* * *

▪ British military officer

born April 16?, 1730?
died Dec. 23, 1795, Cornwall, Eng.
 British commander in chief in America during the Revolutionary War.

      The son of George Clinton, a naval officer and administrator, Henry joined the New York militia in 1745 as a lieutenant. He went to London in 1749 and was commissioned in the British army in 1751. He was wounded (1762) in the Seven Years' War in Europe and was promoted to major general in 1772. He went to North America in 1775 as second in command to Sir William Howe. He fought with distinction at Bunker Hill and Long Island and was left in command in New York when Howe went south to Pennsylvania. On Howe's retirement (1778), Clinton (knighted 1777) succeeded to the supreme command. He led the main body of his army in an offensive in the Carolinas in 1780. After Charleston fell, he returned to New York, leaving Lord Cornwallis, his second in command, in charge of the subsequent operations that led to the capitulation at Yorktown and the peace treaty recognizing American independence. Clinton resigned his command in 1781 and went back to England, where he found Cornwallis viewed with sympathy and himself blamed for the Yorktown defeat. His Narrative of the Campaign of 1781 in North America (1783) provoked an angry reply from Cornwallis.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Clinton,Sir Henry — Clinton, Sir Henry. 1738 1795. British general in the American Revolution who was commander in chief of British forces in North America (1778 1781). * * * …   Universalium

  • Clinton, Sir Henry — (1738 1795)    Sent to America, 1775; served in the South, and with Howe at Philadelphia; succeeded him as commander in chief, 1778; Captured Charleston, 1780; succeeded by Sir Guy Carleton, and returned to England, 1782.    Index: S Replaced as… …   The makers of Canada

  • Clinton, Sir Henry — (¿16 abr.? ¿1730? –23 dic. 1795, Cornwall, Inglaterra). Comandante en jefe británico durante la guerra de independencia de los Estados Unidos de América. Recibió el grado de oficial en el ejército británico en 1751 y se trasladó a América del… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • CLINTON, SIR HENRY —    an English general; commanded in the American war; censured for failure in the war; wrote an exculpation, which was accepted (1738 1795) …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Henry Clinton — Sir Henry Clinton General Años de servicio 1751 1793 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Henry Clinton (1730–1795) — Infobox Military Person name=Sir Henry Clinton lived=April 16 1730 ndash; December 23 1795 placeofbirth=Newfoundland placeofdeath=London caption= nickname= allegiance=Great Britain branch=British Army serviceyears=1751 1793 rank=General commands …   Wikipedia

  • Clinton — /klin tn/, n. 1. De Witt /deuh wit /, 1769 1828, U.S. political leader and statesman: governor of New York 1817 21, 1825 28 (son of James Clinton). 2. George, 1739 1812, governor of New York 1777 95, 1801 04: vice president of the U.S. 1805 12. 3 …   Universalium

  • henry — /hen ree/, n., pl. henries, henrys. Elect. the SI unit of inductance, formally defined to be the inductance of a closed circuit in which an electromotive force of one volt is produced when the electric current in the circuit varies uniformly at a …   Universalium

  • Henry — /hen ree/, n. 1. Joseph, 1797 1878, U.S. physicist. 2. O., pen name of William Sydney Porter. 3. Patrick, 1736 99, American patriot, orator, and statesman. 4. Cape, a cape in SE Virginia at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. 5. Fort. See …   Universalium

  • sir — /serr/, n. 1. a respectful or formal term of address used to a man: No, sir. 2. (cap.) the distinctive title of a knight or baronet: Sir Walter Scott. 3. (cap.) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times: Sir Pandarus of Troy …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”