The Last Battle of the American Revolution was fought in India?Most people believe that the American
The Last Battle of the American Revolution was fought in India?Most people believe that the American Revolution ended in 1781 when American and French forces defeated Cornwallis at Yorktown. This is not true, as it would take two years for a peace treaty to be signed, in between which American and British forces would continue to clash in numerous small skirmishes and battles. In addition, the American Revolution was a world war, with the French and other allies clashing with British forces in the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia. After Yorktown, some of the largest and bloodiest battles that was part of the world wide conflict occurred. The last battle of what was technically a part of the American Revolution began on the 7th of June, 1783 in southern India.Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, was a big fan of the American Revolution, seeing himself and his kingdom as likewise being oppressed by the British Empire. When America declared its independence in 1776, he sent a congratulatory letter to the Continental Congress offering his support. After the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, much of Europe would ally with the US, including France, Spain, the Netherlands, and various other kingdoms.. It was then that the American Revolution morphed into a world war. Even Morocco became an ally, offering safe harbor and protection to American ships in Moroccan waters and ports. In 1778, Tipu Sultan and the Kingdom of Mysore joined the alliance and declared war against Britain. The following war in India would be known as the 2nd Anglo Mysore War.On the 7th of June, 1783 the British landed a force of 1,500 regular troops and 10,000 Sepoys (Indian troops under the employ of the British Army) near Cuddalore, India. There they were opposed by a garrison of 5,800 Mysorean troops, 2,400 Mysorean marines, 2,500 French, and 2,000 allied Indian soldiers. The British would lay siege to the city, bombarding the city and building breastworks surrounding it. On the 20th of June, a small French fleet arrived to break the siege, but was easily defeated by a much larger British fleet.Major combat operations began on June 20th, with the British attempting to storm the city. Wave after wave, assault after assault was beaten back by the Mysoreans and French. Then the French mounted a foolhardy counterattack, a bloody one in which hundreds of French soldiers were massacred and many more captured. Among them was Jean Bernadotte, future Marshal of France under Napoleon Bonaparte and King of Sweden.For the next several days the siege continued with neither side gaining an advantage. Then on June 30th, word arrived the the US, France, and Britain had agreed to a preliminary peace agreement. Both sides agreed to a ceasefire, and eventually the British and French withdrew. Both the British and Mysorean/French forces had suffered around 1,000 killed each. The war officially ended on September 3rd, 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Britain and the Kingdom of Mysore signed a separate peace treaty called the Treaty of Mangalore. War with Britain would resume in 1789 with the Third Anglo Mysore War, and the destruction of the Kingdom of Mysore with the Fourth Anglo Mysore War in 1799. -- source link
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