A remarkable archive of letters has thrown new light on the despair of British commanders during the American War of Independence.

By Philip Sherwell in New York
Published: 9:10PM GMT 19 Feb 2010

The letters show how British generals despaired at the hopeless optimism of King George III, left

John Burgoyne, a British general, surrendering at the Battle of Saratoga

Their downbeat perspective contrasts dramatically with the exhortations of George III and his ministers in London who come across as hopelessly out-of-touch and absurdly optimistic.

The documents, part of a collection that have been in private possession for more than two centuries, reveal a much gloomier analysis by British generals than previously believed.

According to the collection which goes on sale at Sotheby's in New York in a series of auctions beginning in April, they began to despair of victory almost as soon as the conflict began in 1775.

John Burgoyne, a British general, surrendering at the Battle of Saratoga

A letter from Gen John Burgoyne, dated 25 June 1775 in Boston gives an early assessment of how bad things looked.

"Our prospects are gloomy," he told an unidentified lord in a letter written after the first two battles of the campaign in Massachusetts – a humiliating defeat to a local band of militiamen followed by a victory but with heavy losses at Bunker Hill.

He described the British position as "a crisis that my little reading in history cannot parallel" and predicts even at this early stage that the Crown would only be able to subdue the rebellion with the help of German or Russian allies.

"Such a pittance of troops as Great Britain and Ireland can supply will only serve to protract the war, to incur fruitless expense and insure disappointment," he said...

More