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| Howe and Loring |
Here’s one big factor that you won’t find in most history books:
The British commander General Sir William Howe’s sex life was more fun than pursuing and finishing off the rag-tag Americans.
Both the Patriots and the Tories believed that Howe’ love-life with his blonde, blue-eyed mistress, Elizabeth Loring, was causing him to dilly-dally when he should be leading the troops in battle.
Howe’s paramour was always referred to as “Mrs. Loring” because she was married to a Tory, Joshua Loring Jr., who traded his wife for a lucrative post with the British.
Howe met the couple in Boston. When the British troops left to fight the Americans, Mrs. Loring left with the general. Howe gave her husband the job of buying food and supplies for captured American soldiers – a great opportunity for graft.
The British occupied Philadelphia in the winter of 1777-78 thus providing Howe and Mrs. Loring a pleasant love-nest while Washington and his troops shivered at Valley Forge.
One anonymous Tory wrote a little ditty:
Awake arouse Sir Billy
There forage in the plain
Ah, leave your little filly
And open the campaign.
Heed not a woman’s prattle
Which tickles in the ear
But give the word for battle
And grasp the warlike spear
However, the very witty patriot Francis Hopkinson wrote a little song, which starts:
Sir William he, as snug as a flea
Lay all night a snoring
Nor dreamed of harm, as he lay warm
In bed with Mrs. Loring
Thus, a very good general was mocked by friend and foe alike for spending too much time making whoopee when he should be whooping the American rebels.