Upon Secrecy, Success Depends: Intelligence Operations during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution

Seielstad, Kristen M.

Upon Secrecy, Success Depends: Intelligence Operations during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution

Date

2014-08-26

Authors

Seielstad, Kristen M.

Abstract

Intelligence gathering played a major role in both British and American military operations during the American Revolution. This study presents an analysis of these intelligence activities during the southern campaign of the war as it was fought in the Georgia and the Carolinas between 1779 and 1781. It will analyze the methods by which soldiers and civilians collected information about the enemy during this campaign, and seek to determine how military commanders utilized such information as intelligence prior to battle. This study differentiates between passive and active intelligence gathering in effort to illustrate the degree to which both methods were relied upon to gain accurate information about enemy forces.

Keywords

Military intelligence -- United States -- History -- 18th century; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Military intelligence; Southern States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Military intelligence.