Revisiting the Dark Human Costs of the Revolutionary War

Boston, Massachusetts — On June 13, 1775, Faith Trumbull Huntington and her family encountered a tragic accident en route to Roxbury, where her brother John fought against British forces during the early stages of the Revolutionary War. Runaway horses smashed their carriage, forcing them to hire another, which delayed their arrival in Boston and ultimately altered Faith’s fate.

Instead of celebrating her brother’s efforts, Faith and her companions viewed the horrific aftermath of the Battle of Bunker Hill, which occurred just minutes after their arrival. The intense fighting led to around 1,500 casualties among British and American soldiers within just a few hours. John Huntington, an artist and soldier, described witnessing the brutal realities of war that left Faith grappling with profound depression, leading to her tragic death by suicide five months later.

The story of Faith Huntington highlights the brutal human costs of the Revolutionary War, a conflict often remembered in romantic terms. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson, who recently published a book on the war, noted that the Revolution’s legacy is often viewed through a sanitized lens. He remarked, “The blood has been leached out of what was a very, very bloody eight years.”

The death toll of the Revolution is estimated at over 25,000 American lives, roughly 1 percent of the nation’s population at the time. Most deaths, as Atkinson emphasizes, were not from battlefield injuries but from illnesses such as typhoid fever and dysentery, particularly evident during the harsh winter at Valley Forge.

In addition to disease, war crimes were prevalent. Thousands of Patriot prisoners died aboard British prison ships due to unsanitary conditions and neglect. Atkinson pointed out that as many as 11,000 Patriots died in these conditions, showcasing a grim aspect of the conflict seldom discussed.

The war also created societal fractures. Approximately 20 percent of colonists remained loyal to the British crown, facing severe consequences. In 1778, Philadelphia authorities executed two elderly Quakers accused of aiding British forces, a stark example of the civil strife the war incited.

The conflict also devastated Native communities, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy. Four of the six nations allied with the British, resulting in Washington’s orders to destroy British-aligned villages. Many displaced residents perished during the following winter.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the war, an opportunity to remember the significant human costs intertwined with the struggle for independence. Atkinson emphasizes that remembering these sacrifices does not diminish the pride many feel in their nation’s history, but rather offers a comprehensive understanding of the Revolution’s impact on society.