George Washington's Generals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Charles Lee

Charles Lee was George Washington's rival. Although Charles Lee was a professional soldier who had served in the British Army, he was coarse and uncouth, and he wanted something Washington did not insist upon - to be paid. The decision left Lee bitter because he considered Washington an amateur who was unfit to lead an army.

Answer: Artemas Ward

Artemas Ward was officially George Washington's second in command, but it is widely believed that his rival, Charles Lee, was his actual second in command.

Answer: Granny

Benedict Arnold called Horatio Gates Granny Gates because of his reluctance to engage the British Army in a full fledged fight. Gates was the overall commander at Saratoga, and his subordinate generals received a lesser share of the credit.

Answer: Nathanael Greene

Nathanael Greene began the war as a private in the Kentish Guards (Rhode Isand). Having a pronounced limp and no military experience, Greene became one of Washington's most gifted commanders.

Answer: Marbleheads

John Glover's men were recruited from around Marblehead, Massachutsetts. John Glover's Marbleheads greatest achievement was ferrying George Washington's men across the Delaware for the Battle of Trenton.

Answer: Ticonderoga

Although he did not have a commission at the time, Knox undertook an expedition to retrieve enough cannon for the newly formed Continental Army. Henry Knox later became the chief artillery officer for the army and later the first Secretary of War for the United States.

Answer: Use of the bayonet

Friedrich Von Steuben taught the fledgling Continentals many military arts. The one that stands above everything else is the use of the bayonet in combat. Prior to that, the British and their Hessian mercenaries held the advantage in close combat.

Answer: West Point

Benedict Arnold offered to hand the British the fortification of West Point in exchange for twenty thousand pounds and a commission in the British Army. The plot was exposed when the courier John Andre was captured.

Answer: His own disdain for the militia

The dashing British cavalryman, Banastre Tarelton, believed a quick and sharp action would rout any American militia line; his disdain of their fighting abilities was known on both sides. This led to his undoing because his cavalry penetration was caught in a double envelopment that decimated his legion.

Answer: He refused to meet with Washington

Lord Cornwallis refused to meet with Washington after surrendering his army at Yorktown. He claimed that an undisclosed illness prevented him from meeting the victor of Yorktown and presenting his sword.