The image and title combination for Mark Edward Lender and James Kirby Martin’s new book is striking. The image—John Trumbull’s painting entitled “The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777”—depicts a battle scene from the American Revolution. The book is titled “War Without Mercy.” Traditionally, the American Revolution is seen as a war between civilized combatants who, as often as possible, abided by what the authors identify in Latin as “jus in bello,” which translates as “justice in war” or “fighting justly.”
Certainly, the soldiers of the Continental Army, labeled rebels by King George III, are historically known as ragtag. They needed training, not just with weapons and maneuvers, but also in how to treat property, civilians, and prisoners of war. Despite the mutual animosity between the Continentals and the professional British soldiers and sailors, cruelty was a rarity, and torture practically nil.
