After the British evacuated Boston in the spring of 1776, Washington sent Brigadier General Sullivan north to replace the fallen
John Thomas as commander in
Quebec. He took command of the sick and faltering invasion force, sent some of those forces on an unsuccessful counterattack against the British at
Trois-Rivières, and withdrew the survivors to
Crown Point. This led to the first of several controversies between Congress and Sullivan, as they sought a scapegoat for the failed
invasion of northeastern Canada. He was exonerated and promoted to major general on August 9, 1776.
Long Island Sullivan rejoined Washington and was placed in command of the troops on
Long Island to defend against British
General Howe's forces about to envelop
New York City. But then, on August 23, Washington split the command between Sullivan and General
Israel Putnam, with Putnam being the senior general. General Howe and his brother, Admiral
Richard Howe, managed to convince Sullivan that a conference with members of the Continental Congress might lead to peace, and released him on parole to deliver a message to the Congress in
Philadelphia, proposing an informal meeting to discuss ending the armed conflict between Britain and its rebellious colonies. After Sullivan's speech to Congress,
John Adams cynically commented on this diplomatic attempt, calling Sullivan a "
decoy-duck" and accusing the British of sending Sullivan "to seduce us into a renunciation of our independence"; others noted that it appeared to be an attempt to blame Congress for prolonging the war. Congress did agree to a
peace conference with the British, which led to no new progress.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania General Sullivan was released in a prisoner exchange (for captured British officer
Richard Prescott) in time to rejoin Washington before the
Battle of Trenton. There his division secured the important bridge over the
Assunpink Creek to the south of the town. This prevented escape and ensured the high number of Hessian prisoners captured. In January 1777, Sullivan also performed well in the
Battle of Princeton. In August, he spoke out against the neutrality of
Quakers in the American Revolution and led
a raid on Staten Island. Again Congress found fault, but he was exonerated by the court of inquiry. This was followed by American losses at
Brandywine and
Germantown. During the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, he and his troops were bivouacked at Brinton's Ford adjacent to
Brinton's Mill. Sullivan's men were attacked and sent into retreat by a surprise flanking attack at Brandywine but were eventually able to leave the field in good order when they were reinforced by troops under the command of General
Nathanael Greene. In the initial attack at Germantown, Sullivan's men routed British light infantry. Heavy fog caused wrong turns and delayed troop movements ruined Washington's plan, and Sullivan's troops took on friendly fire.
Rhode Island In early 1778, Sullivan was transferred to the post of Rhode Island where he led Continental troops and militia. It was intended he work together with a
French Navy fleet to assault or besiege British-held
Newport. The attempt was called off when the French fleet of
Admiral d'Estaing was scattered and damaged by a storm. Owing to the damage to his ships and discouraged by the arrival of a British fleet under
Lord Howe, D'Estaing withdrew to
Boston. The British garrison of Newport then sortied, forcing Sullivan into retreat after fighting the inconclusive
Battle of Rhode Island in August 1778. Sullivan wrote a letter to D'Estaing protesting what he saw as treachery and cowardice and describing it as "derogatory to the honor of France".
Sullivan Expedition In the summer of 1779, Sullivan led a
scorched earth campaign in
Western New York against the
Iroquois, who were allied to the British. Washington ordered the campaign, which came to be known as the
Sullivan Expedition, in response to several American defeats at Iroquois hands, such as the
Battle of Wyoming and
Cherry Valley massacre. Sullivan and his troops destroyed 40 Iroquois villages and numerous crop fields, forcibly displacing 5,000 Iroquois to British-controlled
Fort Niagara. 200 Iroquois were killed by American troops, including several women and children. During the harsh winter of 1779–1780, several hundred more Iroquois died from starvation or disease at Fort Niagara. The conduct of American troops during the expedition has been described as
genocidal by several scholars, though other describe it as
ethnic cleansing and some reject the label of genocide entirely. Sullivan returned from the expedition to a lukewarm response from Congress, which was more than he could accept. Disappointed by Congress' estimation of his expedition, Sullivan resigned from the Continental Army in 1779 and returned to
New Hampshire. ==Congress==