A gambler, playwright, and general, Burgoyne saw action in the early years of the American Revolution. A witness of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Burgoyne would face the biggest stain on his reputation from his surrender at Saratoga in October of 1777.

Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee was a distinguished cavalry commander during the American Revolution, known for leading "Lee's Legion" and his daring raids in the Southern Campaigns.

In 1779, after a stalemate in the north, Cornwallis went south as second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton captured Charleston in May 1780. Cornwallis pressed on to defeat General Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16, 1780.

Disguised as a man, Sampson served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, enduring injuries and maintaining her secret identity until 1783, and later became a public figure advocating for veterans' pensions.