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Battle of Princeton in the American Revolution

Battle of Princeton in the American Revolution Conflict Date: The Battle of Princeton was fought January 3, 1777, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Armies Commanders: Americans General George WashingtonBrigadier General Hugh Mercer4,500 men British Major General Lord Charles CornwallisLieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood1,200 men Background: Following his stunning Christmas 1776 victory over the Hessians at Trenton, General George Washington withdrew back across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. On December 26, Lieutenant Colonel John Cadwaladers Pennsylvania militia re-crossed the river at Trenton and reported that the enemy was gone. Reinforced, Washington moved back into New Jersey with the bulk of his army and assumed a strong defensive position. Anticipating a swift British reaction to the Hessians defeat, Washington placed his army in a defensive line behind Assunpink Creek to the south of Trenton. Sitting atop a low string of hills, the American left was anchored on the Delaware while the right ran east. To slow any British counterattack, Washington directed Brigadier General Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy to take his brigade, which included a large number of riflemen, north to Five Mile Run and block the road to Princeton. At Assunpink Creek, Washington faced a crisis as the enlistments of many of his men were set to expire on December 31. By making a personal appeal and offering a ten dollar bounty, he was able to convince many to extend their service by one month. Assunpink Creek In New York, Washingtons concerns about a strong British reaction proved well-founded. Angered over the defeat at Trenton, General William Howe cancelled Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis leave and directed him to advance against the Americans with around 8,000 men. Moving southwest, Cornwallis left 1,200 men under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood at Princeton and another 1,200 men under Brigadier General Alexander Leslie at Maidenhead (Lawrenceville), before encountering the American skirmishers at Five Mile Run. As de Fermoy had become drunk and wandered away from his command, leadership of the Americans fell to Colonel Edward Hand. Forced back from Five Mile Run, Hands men made several stands and delayed the British advance through the afternoon of January 2, 1777. After conducting a fighting retreat through the streets of Trenton, they rejoined Washingtons army on the heights behind Assunpink Creek. Surveying Washingtons position, Cornwallis launched three unsuccessful attacks in an attempt to take the bridge over the creek before halting due to growing darkness. Though warned by his staff that Washington may escape in the night, Cornwallis rebuffed their concerns as he believed the Americans had no line of retreat. On the heights, Washington convened a council of war to discuss the situation and asked his officers if they should stay and fight, withdraw across the river, or make a strike against Mawhood at Princeton. Electing for the bold option of attacking Princeton, Washington ordered the armys baggage sent to Burlington and his officers to commence preparation for moving out. Washington Escapes: To pin Cornwallis in place, Washington directed that 400-500 men and two cannon remain on the Assunpink Creek line to tend campfires and make digging sounds. These men were to retire before dawn and rejoin the army. By 2:00 AM the bulk of the army was quietly in motion and moving away from Assunpink Creek. Proceeding east to Sandtown, Washington then turned northwest and advanced on Princeton via the Quaker Bridge Road. As dawn broke, the American troops were crossing Stony Brook approximately two miles from Princeton. Wishing to trap Mawhoods command in the town, Washington detached Brigadier General Hugh Mercers brigade with orders to slip west and then secure and advance up the Post Road. Unknown to Washington, Mawhood was departing Princeton for Trenton with 800 men. The Armies Collide: Marching down the Post Road, Mawhood saw Mercers men emerge from the woods and moved to attack. Mercer quickly formed his men for battle in a nearby orchard to meet the British assault. Charging the tired American troops, Mawhood was able to drive them back. In the process, Mercer became separated from his men and was quickly surrounded by the British who mistook his for Washington. Refusing an order to surrender, Mercer drew his sword and charged. In the resulting melee, he was severely beaten, run through by bayonets, and left for dead. As the battle continued, Cadwaladers men entered the fray and met a fate similar to Mercers brigade. Finally, Washington arrived on the scene, and with the support of Major General John Sullivans division stabilized the American line. Rallying his troops, Washington turned to the offensive and began pressing Mawhoods men. As more American troops arrived on the field, they began to threaten the British flanks. Seeing his position deteriorating, Mawhood ordered a bayonet charge with the goal of breaking through the American lines and allowing his men to escape towards Trenton. Surging forward, they succeeded in penetrating Washingtons position and fled down the Post Road, with American troops in pursuit. In Princeton, the majority of the remaining British troops fled towards New Brunswick, however 194 took refuge in Nassau Hall believing that the buildings thick walls would provide protection. Nearing the structure, Washington assigned Captain Alexander Hamilton to lead the assault. Opening fire with artillery, American troops charged and forced those inside to surrender ending the battle. Aftermath: Flush with victory, Washington wished to continue attacking up the chain of British outposts in New Jersey. After assessing his tired armys condition, and knowing that Cornwallis was in his rear, Washington elected instead to move north and enter winter quarters at Morristown. The victory at Princeton, coupled with the triumph at Trenton, helped bolster American spirits after a disastrous year which saw New York fall to the British. In the fighting, Washington lost 23 killed, including Mercer, and 20 wounded. British casualties were heavier and numbered 28 killed, 58 wounded, and 323 captured. Selected Sources British Battles: Battle of PrincetonBattle of Princeton

Movie - essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Movie - - Essay Example It also provides difficult lessons that Robert McNamara learned about modern war when he was the United States’ Secretary of Defense. In addition, it involves a study of moral complexities in conflicts. The documentary can explain common contemporary issues happening in the modern world, especially the Israeli-Palestine war. For example, it focuses on one of the most significant and controversial figures in the government of the United States in the 20th Century (Grothaus 1). The documentary focuses on the war involving Cuba, United States and United Soviet Socialists Union (Grothaus 1). Cuba almost engaged in war with the United Soviets Socialists Union. In addition, the documentary provides methodologies that can be adopted in times when one has to make a quick decision (Grothaus 1). Moreover, Robert McNamara claims that some war situations might be hard and dilemmatic. However, learning is not possible when dealing with nuclear weapons because any mistake made in the process would be highly consequential.As directed by Errol Morris, the film focuses on eleven lessons that can be learned from Robert McNamara’s life. Some of the lessons learned are decisions concerning critical situations in events of war. The first lesson is to empathize with your enemy. Consequently, it is necessary for the Israelis to sympathize with Palestinians and vice versa. Empathy will allow leaders from both divide to acknowledge that civilians are the most affected (Merip 1). The lesson analyses the need to view the world according to enemies’ perspective. The situation help understand their opinions concerning certain conflict situations. The approach also helps in comprehending their thinking and decision making process. For instance, McNamara illustrates one of the major events that took place when he was the Secretary of defense. The Cuban Missile Crisis illustrates the increased likelihood of Cuba exchanging nuclear weapons

Good Grocers, Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Good Grocers, Inc - Essay Example This calls for the consideration of a mediator’s assistance. In addition, since ,mediation can be applied at any stage of a conflict, the two parties may consider adopting it. The mediator will support the two parties in exploring ways through which they can resolve their differences. Each of the parties may or may not consider a lawyer’s services when going to the mediation. This will depend on the nature of the problem (LexisNexis, 2013, p.78): the problem seems a bit serous since the customer plans to sue the manager, therefore, both parties may need a lawyer. Both parties must always consult their attorney before finalizing the agreement so that they can be sure that they have made complete informed decisions. This will also enable them determine whether all their rights are protected. In this situation, the mediator will help manage the mediation process and facilitate reconciliation between the two conflicting parties. The mediator will not determine the decision nor enforce an agreement. The two parties will participate directly and will be responsible for devising and enforcing their own agreement or settlement. The mediation can be done at the mediator’s office or an agreed location. When the mediation commences, the mediator will explain the process and the essentials such as rules. Either parties or their respective attorneys will have the chance of explaining their opinions in consideration to the dispute. The mediator will support them in understanding each other’s opinion. In some instance, the mediator may meet each of them separately. This may assist in addressing factual and emotional issues and offer both sides the time to receive legal advice from their attorney (LexisNexis, 2013, p.79). Generally, the agreements may be creative. The two parties may end up reaching a solution that is not present in a court of law. For instance, the manger after an agreement with the customer, may

Finance Problems Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finance Problems - Speech or Presentation Example In order for the company to have the credit standing â€Å"comfortably within the A range,† the target range to be chosen should be at the lower end of the ranges, or the upper limit of the lower rating as its lower limit, and the upper limit of the A rating for the upper limit. Thus, for the fixed charge, the company must choose 3.40x – 4.30x; the lower limit is the upper limit for the Baa rating. For the funds from operations/total debt, the range should be 55-65; 55 being the upper limit for Baa. For the long-term debt/capitalization, the range should be 22-30; the 30% being the lower limit for the Baa rating, rating below the A rating. One of the factors to be included in the decision include the companys research and development spending, which as mentioned in the question can be assumed as capitalized and part of the intangible asset of the company. Because this is an intangible, other investors may not buy into it as a security in terms of providing higher amounts of loans to the company, compared to its competitors. While it has higher than average spending for R&D, this is not a tangible cost that could back up any claims for insolvency, which is also a concern to the investors. Also, the companys ability to use other tax credits is another consideration for settling with the target ranges, because these has effect on the three key figures for the company to qualify for a certain credit rating. Because R&D is capitalized, the additional tax credits by increasing the leverage may not be so significant to the company when R&D is capitalized into intangibles. Because it invests in higher than average R&D, and has higher foreign credits, if these are not affected by increasing the financial leverage of the company, it does not give huge benefit to the company in the process. II. (18-A10 Dividend adjustment model) Regional Software has made a bundle selling spreadsheet software and has begun paying cash

Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Mumbai-Pune Expressway The Mumbai-Pune Expressway has always been a project of high priority for the Maharashtra State Government. The traffic on the Mumbai-Pune section of National Highway 4 is expected to increase drastically. The distance between the two cities is some 180 km and it takes about five hours to cover it under good traffic conditions. However increasingly, and during the monsoon, traffic on the Mumbai-Pune road is very high and frequent accidents block the narrow and winding curves of the two lane highway. Landslides in the region are very frequent due to the monsoon rains. The resulting delays and traffic blockages turn a 5-hour journey to one that would involve anywhere between 10 to 15 hours. (Sulakshana Mahajan, 2002) The Government of Maharashtra had been newly elected in 1995 and they were very keen on the early completion of the Mumbai Pune Expressway, as there was prestige value attached to it. It was decided in July 1996 to implement the project as a BOT(Build-Operate-Transfer) project and tenders were prepared appropriately, for which only one bid was received from Reliance India Limited which was rejected as it was double the government budget. In turn the project was awarded to MSRDC. (IITK Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 2007) Feasibility Study: In 1990, the Government of Maharashtra appointed RITES and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick of United Kingdom to carry out the feasibility study and they submitted the report with the estimated cost of 240 million USD. The Government then handed over the project to MSRDC in March 1997 on a Build Operate and Transfer basis (BOT) with permission to collect tolls for a period of 30 years. The Government of India received the clearance from the Ministry of Forests and Environment in November 1997. In order to prepare detailed estimates, designs and bid documents the work was divided into eight phases and each phase was under the supervision of renowned international consultants. (IITK Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 2007) Features: Â · The Mumbai Pune Expressway also known as the Yashwantrao Chavan Expressway is Indias first six lane high speed access controlled tolled expressway. Â · Spanning a distance of 93kms it connects Mumbai, the financial capital of India and Pune, the neighboring industrial hub city. Â · The project cost 350 million USD to construct and was completed under the guidance of MSRDC in a time period of 24 months. * The expressway has four lane wide tunnels at five locations with a total length of 5724m. * There are separate tunnels for traffic in each direction and these tunnels are provided with modern facilities for ventilation, lighting and fire fighting vehicles. * This work was entrusted to the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd on 8 December 1997. Benefits of the Expressway: Many aspects of the Expressway make it an engineering marvel. * No signals along the 93km route and no blind curves. * Reduction in accidents. * Reduction in travel time. * Saving of fuel consumption. * Faster crossing of the Khandala Ghat. * Reduction in pollution. Issues faced in building the Highway: Â · The mountainous terrain around the area, posed a huge threat in building the Expressway. Â · As five tunnels had to be constructed, there was a lot of difficulty in drilling through the mountains as the rock was extremely hard. Â · Around 500 trees which got in the way of the construction had to be uprooted and transplanted into pits dug at other locations. Â · Vast areas of rich, fertile land had to be cleared into farmlands in interior areas. Â · Difficulty in accessing the work areas to supply raw materials. Â · Nature of soil in the area caused problems in building roads, due to which concrete roads had to be built. * Environmental Concerns: An Environment Impact Assessment was conducted by RITES and they identified the following concerns: The construction of the Expressway would impact on the quality of water in the rivers flowing in nearby areas, which were being used for drinking and industrial Purposes. It would also result in loss of forests and rare flora, effect on wild life in the Ghats and lead to landslides in the future. Â · The difficulties faced due to rehabilitation of the human settlements. Reasons for the successful implementation by MSRDC: Workforce: MSRDC hired their workforce from Public Works Department and CIDCO (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra), most of whom had extensive experience in the development of large-scale projects. They also took employees from the revenue department on deputation to help with the land acquisition process. (IITK Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 2007) Appointment of Project Management Consultants: A Steering Committee was set up in order to recommend different technical standards to be adopted, to prepare geometric standards, and to help MSRDC in deciding upon various provisions of tender documents and related matters. The Steering Committee proposed that Project Management Consultants (PMC) be appointed for preparing and ensuring consistency in design standards, cost estimates and tender documents, and to supervise the construction work as and when it began. In addition it was also though that if the technical aspects of the projects were taken care of by PMCs, then MSRDC could concentrate on the task of coordinating the various administrative requirements such as getting clearances, raising finances etc. Committees were to be formed to perform each of the tasks by drawing personnel from each of the PMCs to ensure consistency. Since the most important skill for a PMC was considered to be Technical Skill, the selection criteria were such that 75% importance was assigned to the technical bid and 25% to the financial bid. Another condition was imposed that 1 PMC will work on only 1 section of the Expressway to avoid excess load on a PMC. (IITK Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 2007) Facilities given by MSRDC to Consultants and Contractors: MSRDC and the Government of Maharashtra provided several facilities to contractors and consultants in order to ensure quick and efficient working. The expenditure on these services helped reduce production costs by 8-10% as a result of speedy completion of work. Some of the facilities given were like: * Project Management Consultants had their own site offices set up with standard equipment like Xerox, telephone, printer provided at MSRDCs expense. * Increase in the price of steel, bitumen and cement will be absorbed by MSRDC. * Custom duty is to be reimbursed for import of new machinery. * Land provided for site facilities was given to the contractor free of cost. * As the stretch of construction was 93 kms, MSRDC prompted oil companies to set up petrol pumps. * MSRDC took the responsibility to divert all utility services like telephone cables, water pipelines and electrical lines coming in the construction stretch. Litigation: MSRDC adopted a very proactive stand towards litigation right from the start and they appointed a panel of experts for handling cases. They also made sure they responded to court orders in very less time which helped reduce the delays in re-seeking appropriate dates. (IITK Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, 2007) References: Roadtraffic-technology.com. (2009) Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India. Available from: http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/mumbai/ [Accessed: 11/12/2009] Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd. (2007) MSRDC Project Mumbai Pune Expressway. Available from: http://www.msrdc.org/Projects/Mumbai_Pune_Expr.aspx [Accessed: 11/12/2009] Wikipedia (2009) Mumbai Pune Expressway. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai-Pune_Expressway [Accessed: 11/12/2009] ExpressIndia (2000) The Mumbai-Pune expressway. Available from: http://www.expressindia.com/news/fe/daily/20000730/fec30031.html [Accessed: 11/12/2009] Dandekar/Mahajan EPW Paper (2001) MSRDC and The Mumbai-Pune Expressway: A Sustainable Model for Privatizing Construction of Physical Infrastructure? Available from: http://sdmahajan.tripod.com/epw_paper.pdf [Accessed: 11/12/2009]

Employee Motivation and Effective Job Performance Essay -- Positive, N

â€Å"It seems that the ethos of â€Å"shared sacrifice† evoked by this past generation has gone by the wayside. In place of the Greatest Generation, we are now in the midst of what might be termed the â€Å"greediest generation,† whose hallmark include an insatiable appetite for the trappings of status and wealth† (Monheit, 2010, p.272). Studies show how effective upbringing can influence the independence of an individual and the roles these characteristics play throughout adulthood (Lekes, Gingras, Phillippe, Koestner & Fang, 2009). In addition to providing structure, consistent rewards and punishments must exist to reinforce that behavior. These traits learned throughout adolescence are detrimental for managers in determining employee motivation methods and effective job performance. For thousands of years, humans have strived for independence. Moses’ people fleeing the Egyptians and Pilgrims escaping Europe’s religious persecution are examples of people seeking freedom from hostile conditions that dampened their free will. For these groups, independence was far from free, the journey was dangerous, but the reward was extraordinary. Their nobility and perseverance is what makes their actions so admirable and memorable hundreds and thousands of years later. Getting something for nothing has not always been the norm, but a learned trait conveyed for many generations. Parental involvement has been linked to a wide variety of outcomes including perceived competence and control according to a study performed by Farkas and Grolnick (2010, p.267). Parental supported child autonomy produce high levels of warmth and involvement along with providing structure, motivation, and persistence (Farkas and Grolnick, 2010, p.266). Structure enables children ... ...e kinds of sacrifices that are essential to promote the common good† (Monheit, 2010, p.272). Receipt of â€Å"something,† whether it be tangible goods or feedback, not contingent on a specific performance will decrease an individual’s motivation and satisfaction as well as future performance (Podaskoff, 2010, p.298). Parents’ influence on adolescents mold the characteristics and behaviors for adulthood. These learned traits are pertinent for managers seeking to validate and administer rewards to reach a specific outcome or goal. With consideration of personality response to feedback, one can determine how rewards not linked to performance can have little effect on the attitudes or behaviors of individuals (Podaskoff, 2010, p.299). People who get something for nothing, become good for nothing through unwarranted honors rewarding unsatisfactory behavior and performance.