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diff --git a/old/65380-0.txt b/old/65380-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 262b9c6..0000000 --- a/old/65380-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15916 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Washington the Soldier, by Henry B. -Carrington - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Washington the Soldier - -Author: Henry B. Carrington - -Release Date: May 19, 2021 [eBook #65380] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WASHINGTON THE SOLDIER *** - - - - - Washington the Soldier - - -[Illustration: - - WASHINGTON - - From the St Memin Crayon in possession of J. Carson Brevoort Esq. -] - - - - - WASHINGTON - THE SOLDIER - - - BY - - General Henry B. Carrington, LL.D. - - AUTHOR OF - - “Battles of the American Revolution,” “Battle Maps and Charts of the - Revolution,” “Indian Operations on the Plains,” “The Six Nations,” - “Beacon Lights of Patriotism,” etc. - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS, CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX AND APPENDICES - - “Th’ applause of list’ning senates to command; - The threats of pain and ruin to despise; - To scatter plenty o’er a smiling land, - And read _his history_ in a Nation’s eyes.” - - - New York - Charles Scribner’s Sons - 1899 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1898 - BY - LAMSON, WOLFE AND COMPANY - - _Copyright, 1899_ - BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - - _All rights Reserved_ - - - TYPOGRAPHY BY ROCKWELL AND CHURCHILL - - PRESSWORK BY THE UNIVERSITY PRESS - - - - - DEDICATED - - TO THE - - Sons and Daughters of Liberty Everywhere - - KNOWING - - THAT ALL WHO ASPIRE AFTER INTELLIGENT FREEDOM SHALL FIND THE WATCHWORD - OF WASHINGTON THE SOLDIER—“FOR THE SAKE OF GOD AND COUNTRY”—THEIR - LOFTIEST INCENTIVE. - - - - - PREFACE - TO THE SECOND EDITION. - - -Since the first appearance of this volume, during the winter of 1898–9, -the author has considerately regarded all letters and literary comments -received by him, as well as other recent works upon the life and times -of Washington. His original purpose to treat his subject judicially, -regardless of unverified tradition, has been confirmed. - -Washington’s sublime conception of America, noticed in Chapter XXXVI., -foreshadowed “a stupendous fabric of freedom and empire, on the broad -basis of Independency,” through which the “poor and oppressed of all -races and religions” might find encouragement and solace. - -The war with Spain has made both a moral and physical impress upon the -judgment and conscience of the entire world. Unqualified by a single -disaster on land or sea, and never diverted from humane and honorable -methods, it illustrates the intelligent patriotism and exhaustless -resources of our country, and a nearer realization of Washington’s -prayer for America. - -Looking to the general trend of Washington’s military career, it is -emphasized, throughout the volume, that the moral, religious, and -patriotic motives that energized his life and shaped his character were -so absolutely interwoven with the fibre of his professional experiences, -that the soul of the Man magnified the greatness of the Soldier. - -In connection with Washington’s relations to General Braddock, mentioned -in the First Chapter, it is worthy of permanent record that Virginia -would not sanction, nor would Washington accept assignment, except as -Chief of Staff. He was not a simple _Aid-de-Camp_, but of recognized and -responsible military merit. - - HENRY B. CARRINGTON. - - HYDE PARK, MASS., - September 21, 1899. - - - - - PREFACE. - - -The text of this volume, completed in the spring of 1898 and not since -modified, requires a different Preface from that first prepared. The -events of another war introduce applications of military principles -which have special interest. This is the more significant because modern -appliances have been developed with startling rapidity, while general -legislation and the organization of troops, both regular and volunteer, -have been very similar to those of the times of Washington, and of later -American wars. - -His letters, his orders, his trials, his experiences; the diversities of -judgment between civilians and military men; between military men of -natural aptitudes and those of merely professional or accidental -training, as well as the diversities of personal and local interest, -indicate the value of Washington’s example and the character of his -time. Hardly a single experience in his career has not been realized by -officers and men in these latter days. - -A very decided impression, however, has obtained among educated men, -including those of the military profession, that Washington had neither -the troops, resources, and knowledge, nor the broad range of field -service which have characterized modern warfare, and therefore lacked -material elements which develop the typical soldier. But more recent -military operations upon an extensive scale, especially those of the -Franco-Prussian War, and the American Civil War of 1861–1865, have -supplied material for better appreciation of the principles that were -involved in the campaigns of the War for American Independence, as -compared with those of Napoleon, Wellington, Marlborough, Frederick, -Hannibal, and Cæsar. - -With full allowance for changes in army and battle formation, tactical -action and armament, as well as greater facilities for the -transportation of troops and army supplies, it remains true that the -relative effect of all these changes upon success in war upon a grand -scale, has not been the modification of those principles of military -science which have shaped battle action and the general conduct of war, -from the earliest period of authentic military history. The formal -“Maxims of Napoleon” were largely derived from his careful study of the -campaigns of Frederick, Hannibal, and Cæsar; and these, with the -principles involved, had specific and sometimes literal illustration in -the eventful operations of the armies of the Hebrew Commonwealth. As a -matter of fact, those early Hebrew experiences were nearly as potential -in shaping the methods of modern generals, as their civil code became -the formative factor in all later civil codes, preëminently those of the -English Common Law. The very best civil, police, and criminal -regulations of modern enactment hold closely to Hebrew antecedents. And -in military lines, the organization of regiments by companies, and the -combinations of regiments as brigades, divisions and corps, still rest -largely upon the same decimal basis; and neither the Roman legion nor -the Grecian phalanx improved upon that basis. Even the Hebrew militia, -or reserves, had such well-established comprehension of the contingency -of the entire nation being called to the field, or subjected to draft, -that as late as the advent of Christ, when he ordered the multitudes to -be seated upon the grass for refreshment, “they seated themselves in -companies of hundreds and fifties.” The sanitary and police regulations -of their camps have never been surpassed, nor their provision for the -cleanliness, health, and comfort of the rank and file. From earliest -childhood they were instructed in their national history and its -glorious achievements, and the whole people rejoiced in the gallant -conduct of any. - -Changes in arms, and especially in projectiles, only induced modified -tactical formation and corresponding movements. The division of armies -into a right, centre, and left, with a well-armed and well-trained -reserve, was illustrated in their earliest battle record. The latest -modern formation, which makes of the regiment, by its three battalion -formation, _a miniature brigade_, is chiefly designed to give greater -individual value to the soldier, and not subject compact masses to the -destructive sweep of modern missiles. It also makes the force more -mobile, as well as more comprehensive of territory within its range of -fire. All this, however, is matter of detail and not of substance, in -the scientific conduct of campaigns during a protracted and widely -extended series of operations in the field. - -Military science itself is but the art of employing force to vindicate, -or execute, authority. To meet an emergency adequately, wisely, and -successfully, is the expressive logic of personal, municipal, and -military action. The brain power is banded to various shaftings, and the -mental processes may differ by virtue of different applications; but the -prime activities are the same. In military studies, as in all collegiate -or social preparation, the soldier, the lawyer, or the scientist, must -be in the man, and not the necessary product of a certificate or a -diploma. The simplest possible definition of a few terms in military use -will elucidate the narrative as its events develop the War for American -Independence, under the direction of Washington as Commander-in-Chief. - -Six cardinal principles are thus stated: - - -I. STRATEGY.—To secure those combinations which will ensure the highest -possible advantage in the employment of military force. - - NOTE.—The strategical principles which controlled the Revolutionary - campaigns, as defined in Chapter X. had their correspondence in - 1861–1865, when the Federal right zone, or belt of war, was beyond the - Mississippi River, and the left zone between the Alleghany Mountains - and the Atlantic Ocean. The Confederate forces, with base at Richmond, - commanded an _interior line_ westward, so that the same troops could - be alternatively used against the Federal right, left, and centre, - while the latter must make a long détour to support its advance - southward from the Ohio River. Federal superiority on sea and river - largely contributed to success. American sea-control in 1898, so - suddenly and completely secured, was practically omnipotent in the war - with Spain. The navy, was a substantially equipped force at the start. - The army, had largely to be created, when instantly needed, to meet - the naval advance. Legislation also favored the navy by giving to the - commander-in-chief the services of eminent retired veterans as an - advisory board, while excluding military men of recent active duty - from similar advisory and administrative service. - - -II. GRAND TACTICS.—To handle that force in the field. - - NOTE.—See Chapter XVII., where the Battle of Brandywine, through the - disorder of Sullivan’s Division, unaccustomed to act as a Division, or - as a part of a consolidated Grand Division or Corps, exactly fulfilled - the conditions which made the first Battle of Bull Run disastrous to - the American Federal Army in 1861. Subsequent _skeleton drills_ below - Arlington Heights, were designed to quicken the proficiency of fresh - troops, in the alignments, wheelings, and turns, so indispensable to - concert in action upon an extensive scale. In 1898 the fresh troops - were largely from militia organizations which had been trained in - regimental movements. School battalions and the military exercises of - many benevolent societies had also been conducive to readiness for - tactical instruction. The large Camps of Instruction were also - indispensably needed. Here again, time was an exacting master of the - situation. - - -III. LOGISTICS.—The practical art of bringing armies, fully equipped, to -the battlefield. - - NOTE.—In America where the standing army has been of only nominal - strength, although well officered; and where militia are the main - reliance in time of war; and where varied State systems rival those of - Washington’s painful experience, the principle of Logistics, with its - departments of transportation and infinite varieties of supply, is - vital to wholesome and economic success. The war with Spain which - commenced April 21, 1898, illustrated this principle to an extent - never before realized in the world’s history. Familiarity with - details, on so vast a scale of physical and financial activity, was - impossible, even if every officer of the regular army had been - assigned to executive duty. The education and versatile capacity of - the American citizen had to be utilized. Their experience furnished - object lessons for all future time. - - -IV. ENGINEERING.—The application of mathematics and mechanics to the -maintenance or reduction of fortified places; the interposition or -removal of artificial obstructions to the passage of an army; and the -erection of suitable works for the defence of territory or troops. - - NOTE.—The invention and development of machinery and the marvellous - range of mechanical art, through chemical, electrical, and other - superhuman agencies, afforded the American Government an immediate - opportunity to supplement its Engineer Corps in 1898, with skilled - auxiliaries. In fact, the structure of American society and the trend - of American thought and enterprise, invariably demand the best - results. What is mechanically necessary, will be invented, if not at - hand. That is good engineering. - - -V. MINOR TACTICS.—The instruction of the soldier, individually and _en -masse_, in the details of military drill, the use of his weapon, and the -perfection of discipline. - - NOTE.—Washington never lost sight of the _set-up_ of the individual - soldier, as the best dependence in the hour of battle. Self-reliance, - obedience to orders, and confidence in success, were enjoined as the - conditions of success. His system of _competitive marksmanship_, of - _rifle ranges_, and _burden tests_, was initiated early in his career, - and was conspicuously enjoined before Brooklyn, and elsewhere, during - the war. - - The American soldier of 1898 became invincible, _man for man_, because - of his intelligent response to individual discipline and drill. - Failure in either, whether of officer or soldier, shaped character and - result. As with the ancient Hebrew, citizenship meant knowledge of - organic law and obedience to its behests. Every individual, therefore, - when charged with the central electric force, became a _relay_ - battery, to conserve, intensify, and distribute that force. - - -VI. STATESMANSHIP IN WAR.—This is illustrated by the suggestion of -Christ, that “a king going to war with another king would sit down first -and count the cost, whether he would be able with ten thousand to meet -him that cometh against him with twenty thousand.” - - NOTE.—American statesmanship in 1898, exacted other appliances than - those of immediately available physical force. The costly and - insufferable relations of the Spanish West Indies to the United - States, had become pestilential. No self-respecting nation, elsewhere, - would have as long withheld the only remedy. Cuba was dying to be - free. Spain, unwilling, or unable, to grant an honorable and complete - autonomy to her despairing subjects, precipitated war with the United - States. _The momentum of a supreme moral force in behalf of humanity - at large, so energized the entire American people that every ordinary - unpreparedness failed to lessen the effectiveness of the stroke._ - - It was both statesmanship and strategy, to strike so suddenly that - neither climatic changes, indigenous diseases, nor tropical cyclones, - could gain opportunity to do their mischief. When these supposed - allies of Spain were brushed aside, as powerless to stay the advance - of American arms in behalf of starving thousands, and a fortunate - occasion was snatched, just in time for victory, it proved to be such - an achievement as Washington would have pronounced a direct - manifestation of Divine favor. - - -But the character of Washington as a soldier is not to be determined by -the numerical strength of the armies engaged in single battles, nor by -the resources and geographical conditions of later times. The same -general principles have ever obtained, and ever will control human -judgment. Transportation and intercommunication are relative; and the -slow mails and travel of Revolutionary times, alike affected both -armies, with no partial benefit or injury to either. The British had -better communication by water, but not by land; with the disadvantage of -campaigning through an unknown and intricate country, peopled by their -enemies, whenever not covered by the guns of their fleet. The American -expedition to Cuba in 1898 had not only the support of invincible -fleets, but the native population were to be the auxiliaries, as well as -the beneficiaries of the mighty movement. - -Baron Jomini, in his elaborate history of the campaigns of Napoleon, -analyzes that general’s success over his more experienced opponents, -upon the basis of his observance or neglect of the military principles -already outlined. The dash and vigor of his first Italian campaign were -indeed characteristic of a young soldier impatient of the habitually -tardy deliberations of the _old-school_ movements. Napoleon discounted -time by action. He benumbed his adversary by the suddenness and ferocity -of his stroke. But never, even in that wonderful campaign, did Napoleon -strike more suddenly and effectively, than did Washington on Christmas -night, 1776, at Trenton. And Napoleon’s following up blow was not more -emphatic, in its results, than was Washington’s attack upon Princeton, a -week later, when the British army already regarded his capture as a -simple morning privilege. Such inspirations of military prescience -belong to every age; and often they shorten wars by their determining -value. - -As a sound basis for a right estimate of Washington’s military career, -and to avoid tedious episodes respecting the acts and methods of many -generals who were associated with him at the commencement of the -Revolutionary War, a brief synopsis of the career of each will find -early notice. The _dramatis personæ_ of the Revolutionary drama are thus -made the group of which he is to be the centre; and his current orders, -correspondence, and criticisms of their conduct, will furnish his -valuation of the character and services of each. The single fact, that -no general officer of the first appointments actively shared in the -immediate siege of Yorktown, adds interest to this advance outline of -their personal history. - -For the same purpose, and as a logical predicate for his early -comprehension of the real issues involved in a contest with Great -Britain, an outline of events which preceded hostilities is introduced, -embracing, however, only those Colonial antecedents which became -emotional factors in forming his character and energizing his life as a -soldier. - -The maps, which illustrate only the immediate campaigns of Washington, -or related territory which required his supervision, are reduced from -those used in “Battle Maps and Charts of the American Revolution.” The -map entitled “Operations near New York,” was the first one drafted, at -Tarrytown, New York. In 1847, it was approved by Washington Irving, then -completing his Life of Washington, and his judgment determined the plan -of the future work. All of the maps, however, before engravure, had the -minute examination and approval of Benson J. Lossing. The present volume -owes its preparation to the personal request of the late Robert C. -Winthrop, of Massachusetts, made shortly before his decease, and is -completed, with ever-present appreciation of his aid and his friendship. - - HENRY B. CARRINGTON. - - HYDE PARK, MASS., Sept. 1, 1898. - - - - - TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - - EARLY APTITUDES FOR SUCCESS 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - THE FERMENT OF AMERICAN LIBERTY 10 - - - CHAPTER III. - - THE OUTBREAK OF REPRESSED LIBERTY 20 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - ARMED AMERICA NEEDS A SOLDIER 31 - - - CHAPTER V. - - WASHINGTON IN COMMAND 41 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - BRITISH CANADA ENTERS THE FIELD OF ACTION 50 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - HOWE SUCCEEDS GATES.—CLOSING SCENES OF 1775 58 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - AMERICA AGAINST BRITAIN.—BOSTON TAKEN 68 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - SYSTEMATIC WAR WITH BRITAIN BEGUN 82 - - - CHAPTER X. - - BRITAIN AGAINST AMERICA.—HOWE INVADES NEW YORK 93 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND 101 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - WASHINGTON IN NEW YORK 114 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - WASHINGTON TENDERS, AND HOWE DECLINES, BATTLE.—HARLEM HEIGHTS AND - WHITE PLAINS 125 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - THE FIRST NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN.—TRENTON 134 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - THE FIRST NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN DEVELOPED.—PRINCETON 150 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - THE AMERICAN BASE OF OPERATIONS ESTABLISHED.—THE SECOND NEW JERSEY - CAMPAIGN 160 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - BRITISH INVASION FROM CANADA.—OPERATIONS ALONG THE HUDSON 171 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - PENNSYLVANIA INVADED.—BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE 181 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - WASHINGTON RESUMES THE OFFENSIVE.—BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN 192 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - JEALOUSY AND GREED DEFEATED.—VALLEY FORGE 198 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - PHILADELPHIA AND VALLEY FORGE IN WINTER, 1778 210 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - FROM VALLEY FORGE TO WHITE PLAINS AGAIN.—BATTLE OF MONMOUTH 221 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - THE ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE TAKES EFFECT.—SIEGE OF NEWPORT 238 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - MINOR EVENTS AND GRAVE CONDITIONS, 1779 246 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - MINOR OPERATIONS OF 1779 CONTINUED.—STONY POINT TAKEN.—NEW ENGLAND - RELIEVED 255 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - SHIFTING SCENES.—TEMPER OF THE PEOPLE.—SAVANNAH 263 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - THE EVENTFUL YEAR 1780.—NEW JERSEY ONCE MORE INVADED 269 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - BATTLE OF SPRINGFIELD.—ROCHAMBEAU.—ARNOLD.—GATES 282 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE THEATRE OF WAR 294 - - - CHAPTER XXX. - - THE SOLDIER TRIED.—AMERICAN MUTINY.—FOREIGN JUDGMENT.—ARNOLD’S - DEPREDATIONS 304 - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - - THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN, 1781, OUTLINED.—COWPENS.—GUILFORD - COURT-HOUSE.—EUTAW SPRINGS 312 - - - CHAPTER XXXII. - - LAFAYETTE IN PURSUIT OF ARNOLD.—THE END IN SIGHT.—ARNOLD IN THE - BRITISH ARMY 323 - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - - NEW YORK AND YORKTOWN THREATENED.—CORNWALLIS INCLOSED BY LAFAYETTE 333 - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - - BRITISH CAPTAINS OUTGENERALED.—WASHINGTON JOINS LAFAYETTE 344 - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - - THE ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE VINDICATED.—WASHINGTON’S MAGNANIMITY.—HIS - BENEDICTION 352 - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - - WASHINGTON’S PREDICTION REALIZED.—THE ATTITUDE OF AMERICA - PRONOUNCED 366 - - ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - - APPENDIX A.—American Army, by States 377 - - APPENDIX B.—American Navy and its Career 378 - - APPENDIX C.—Comparisons with Later Wars 380 - - APPENDIX D.—British Army, at Various Dates 383 - - APPENDIX E.—Organization of Burgoyne’s Army 387 - - APPENDIX F.—Organization of Cornwallis’s Army 388 - - APPENDIX G.—Notes of Lee’s Court-martial 389 - - ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - - GLOSSARY OF MILITARY TERMS 393 - - CHRONOLOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 397 - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. - - - ILLUSTRATIONS. - PAGE - - WASHINGTON _Frontispiece._ - - [Hall’s engraving from the St. Memin crayon.] - - WASHINGTON AT FOUR PERIODS OF HIS MILITARY CAREER 40 - - [From etching, after Hall’s Sons’ group.] - - WASHINGTON AT BOSTON 80 - - [From Stuart’s painting, in Faneuil Hall, Boston.] - - WASHINGTON BEFORE TRENTON 143 - - [From Dael’s painting.] - - WASHINGTON IN HIS ROOM AT VALLEY FORGE 207 - - [From the painting by Scheuster.] - - ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── - - - MAPS. - - I. —OUTLINE OF THE ATLANTIC COAST 1 - - II. —BOSTON AND VICINITY 69 - - III. —BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND 105 - - IV. —OPERATIONS NEAR NEW YORK 125 - - V. —CAPTURE OF FORT WASHINGTON 132 - - VI. —TRENTON AND VICINITY 144 - - VII. —BATTLE OF TRENTON: BATTLE OF PRINCETON 151 - - VIII. —OPERATIONS IN NEW JERSEY 161 - - IX. —ATTACK OF FORTS CLINTON AND MONTGOMERY 179 - - X. —BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE 186 - - XI. —BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN 196 - - XII. —OPERATIONS ON THE DELAWARE 202 - - XIII. —OPERATIONS NEAR PHILADELPHIA 204 - - XIV. —ENCAMPMENT AT VALLEY FORGE 211 - - XV. —BATTLE OF MONMOUTH 224 - - XVI. —OUTLINE MAP OF HUDSON RIVER 255 - - XVII. —BATTLE OF SPRINGFIELD: OPERATIONS FROM STATEN - ISLAND 283 - - XVIII. —LAFAYETTE IN VIRGINIA 339 - - XIX. —OPERATIONS IN CHESAPEAKE BAY 355 - - XX. —SIEGE OF YORKTOWN 357 - -[Illustration: Outline of Atlantic Coast] - - - - - WASHINGTON THE SOLDIER. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - EARLY APTITUDES FOR SUCCESS. - - -The boyhood and youth of George Washington were singularly in harmony -with those aptitudes and tastes that shaped his entire life. He was not -quite eight years of age when his elder brother, Lawrence, fourteen -years his senior, returned from England where he had been carefully -educated, and where he had developed military tastes that were -hereditary in the family. Lawrence secured a captain’s commission in a -freshly organized regiment, and engaged in service in the West Indies, -with distinguished credit. His letters, counsels, and example inspired -the younger brother with similar zeal. Irving says that “all his -amusements took a military turn. He made soldiers of his school-mates. -They had their mimic parades, reviews, and sham-fights. A boy named -William Bustle, was sometimes his competitor, but George was -commander-in-chief of the school.” - -His business aptitudes were equally exact, methodical, and promising. -Besides fanciful caligraphy, which appeared in manuscript school-books, -wherein he executed profiles of his school-mates, with a flourish of the -pen, as well as nondescript birds, Irving states that “before he was -thirteen years of age, he had copied into a volume, forms of all kinds -of mercantile and legal papers: bills of exchange, notes of hand, deeds, -bonds, and the like.” “This self-tuition gave him throughout life a -lawyer’s skill in drafting documents, and a merchant’s exactness in -keeping accounts, so that all the concerns of his various estates, his -dealings with his domestic stewards and foreign agents, his accounts -with government, and all his financial transactions, are, to this day, -monuments of his method and unwearied accuracy.” - -Even as a boy, his frame had been large and powerful, and he is -described by Captain Mercer “as straight as an Indian, measuring six -feet and two inches in his stockings, and weighing one hundred and -seventy-five pounds, when he took his seat in the Virginia House of -Burgesses in 1759. His head is well shaped though not large, but is -gracefully poised on a superb neck, with a large and straight rather -than a prominent nose; blue-gray penetrating eyes, which were widely -separated and overhung by heavy brows. A pleasing, benevolent, though a -commanding countenance, dark-brown hair, features regular and placid, -with all the muscles under perfect control, with a mouth large, and -generally firmly closed,” complete the picture. The bust by Houdon at -the Capitol of Virginia, and the famous St. Memin crayon, fully accord -with this description of Washington. - -His training and surroundings alike ministered to his natural -conceptions of a useful and busy life. In the midst of abundant game, he -became proficient in its pursuit. Living where special pride was taken -in the cultivation of good stock, and where nearly all travel and -neighborly visitation was upon horseback, he learned the value of a good -horse, and was always well mounted. Competition in saddle exercise was, -therefore, one of the most pleasing and constant entertainments of -himself and companions, and in its enjoyment, and in many festive -tournaments that revived something of the olden-time chivalry of -knighthood, Washington was not only proficient, but foremost in -excellence of attainment. - -Rustic recreations such as quoits, vaulting, wrestling, leaping, the -foot-race, hunting and fishing, were parts of his daily experience, and -thoroughly in the spirit of the Old Dominion home life of the well-bred -gentleman. The gallantry of the times and the social amenities of that -section of the country were specially adapted to his temperament, so -that in these, also, he took the palm of recognized merit. The lance and -the sword, and every accomplishment of mimic warfare in the scale of -heraldic observance, usual at that period, were parts of his panoply, to -be enjoyed with keenest relish, until his name became synonymous with -success in all for which he seriously struggled. Tradition does not -exaggerate the historic record of his proficiency in these manly sports. - -Frank by nature, although self-contained and somewhat reticent in -expression; unsuspicious of others, but ever ready to help the deserving -needy, or the unfortunate competitor who vainly struggled for other -sympathy, he became the natural umpire, at the diverting recreations of -his times, and commanded a respectful confidence far beyond that of -others of similar age and position in society. With all this, a sense of -justice and a right appreciation of the merit of others, even of rivals, -were so conspicuous in daily intercourse with a large circle of familiar -acquaintances, whether of influential families or those of a more humble -sphere of life, that he ever bent gracefully to honor the deserving, -while never obsequious to gain the favor of any. - -Living in the midst of slave labor, and himself a slaveholder, he was -humane, considerate, and impartial. Toward his superiors in age or in -position, he was uniformly courteous, without jealousy or envy, but -unconsciously carried himself with so much of benignity and grace, that -his most familiar mates paid him the deference which marked the demeanor -of all who, in later years, recognized his exalted preferment and his -natural sphere of command. The instincts of a perfect gentleman were so -radicated in his person and deportment, that he moved from stage to -stage, along life’s ascent, as naturally as the sun rises to its zenith -with ever increasing brightness and force. - -All these characteristics, so happily blended, imparted to his choice of -a future career its natural direction and character. Living near the -coast and in frequent contact with representatives of the British navy, -he became impressed by the strong conviction that its service offered -the best avenue to the enjoyment of his natural tastes, as well as the -most promising field for their fruitful exercise. The berth of -midshipman, with its prospects of preferment and travel, fell within his -reach and acceptance. Every available opportunity was sought, through -books of history and travel and acquaintance with men of the naval -profession, to anticipate its duties and requirements. It was -Washington’s first disappointment in life of which there is record, that -his mother did not share his ardent devotion for the sea and maritime -adventure. At the age of eleven he lost his father, Augustine -Washington, but the estate was ample for all purposes of Virginia -hospitality and home comfort, and he felt that he could be spared as -well as his brother Lawrence. With all the intensity of his high -aspiration and all the vigor of his earnest and almost passionate will, -he sought to win his mother’s assent to his plans; and then, with filial -reverence and a full, gracious submission, he bent to her wishes and -surrendered his choice. That was Washington’s first victory; and similar -self-mastery, under obligation to country, became the secret of his -imperial success. Irving relates that his mother’s favorite volume was -Sir Matthew Hale’s Contemplations, moral and divine; and that “the -admirable maxims therein contained, sank deep into the mind of George, -and doubtless had a great influence in forming his character. That -volume, ever cherished, and bearing his mother’s name, Mary Washington, -may still be seen in the archives of Mount Vernon.” - -But Washington’s tastes had become so settled, that he followed the -general trend of mathematical and military study, until he became so -well qualified as a civil engineer, that at the age of sixteen, one year -after abandoning the navy as his profession, he was intrusted with -important land surveys, by Lord Fairfax; and at the age of nineteen was -appointed Military Inspector, with the rank of Major. In 1752 he became -the Adjutant-General of Virginia. Having been born on the twenty-second -day of February (February 11th, Old Style) he was only twenty years of -age when this great responsibility was intrusted to his charge. - -The period was one of grave concern to the people of Virginia, -especially as the encroachments of the French on the western frontier, -and the hostilities of several Indian tribes, had imperilled all border -settlements; while the British government was not prepared to furnish a -sufficient military force to meet impending emergencies. As soon as -Washington entered upon the duties of his office, he made a systematic -organization of the militia his first duty. A plan was formulated, -having special reference to frontier service. His journals and the old -Colonial records indicate the minuteness with which this undertaking was -carried into effect. His entire subsequent career is punctuated by -characteristics drawn from this experience. Rifle practice, feats of -horsemanship, signalling, restrictions of diet, adjustments for the -transportation of troops and supplies with the least possible -encumbrance; road and bridge building, the care of powder and the -casting of bullets, were parts of this system. These were accompanied by -regulations requiring an exact itinerary of every march, which were -filed for reference, in order to secure the quickest access to every -frontier post. The duties and responsibilities of scouts sent in advance -of troops, were carefully defined. The passage of rivers, the felling of -trees for breastworks, stockades, and block-houses, and methods of -crossing swamps, by corduroy adjustments, entered into the instruction -of the Virginia militia. - -At this juncture it seemed advisable, in the opinion of Governor -Dinwiddie, to secure, if practicable, a better and an honorable -understanding with the French commanders who had established posts at -the west. The Indians were hostile to all advances of both British and -French settlement. There was an indication that the French were making -friendly overtures to the savages, with view to an alliance against the -English. In 1753 Washington was sent as Special Commissioner, for the -purpose indicated. The journey through a country infested with hostile -tribes was a remarkable episode in the life of the young soldier, and -was conducted amid hardships that seem, through his faithful diary, to -have been the incidents of some strangely thrilling fiction rather than -the literal narrative, modestly given, of personal experience. During -the journey, full of risks and rare deliverances from savage foes, -swollen streams, ice, snow, and tempest, his keen discernment was quick -to mark the forks of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers as the proper -site for a permanent post, to control that region and the tributary -waters of the Ohio, which united there. He was courteously received by -St. Pierre, the French commandant, but failed to secure the recognition -of English rights along the Ohio. But Washington’s notes of the winter’s -expedition critically record the military features of the section -traversed by him, and forecast the peculiar skill with which he -accomplished so much in later years, with the small force at his -disposal. - -In 1754 he was promoted as Colonel and placed in command of the entire -Virginia militia. Already, the Ohio Company had selected the forks of -the river for a trading-post and commenced a stockade fort for their -defence. The details of Washington’s march to support these pioneers, -the establishment and history of Fort Necessity, are matters of history. - -Upon assuming command of the Virginia militia, Washington decided that a -more flexible system than that of the European government of troops, was -indispensable to success in fighting the combined French and Indian -forces, then assuming the aggressive against the border settlements. -Thrown into intimate association with General Braddock and assigned to -duty as his aid-de-camp and guide, he endeavored to explain to that -officer the unwisdom of his assertion that the very appearance of -British regulars in imposing array, would vanquish the wild warriors of -thicket and woods, without battle. The profitless campaign and needless -fate of Braddock are familiar; but Washington gained credit both at home -and abroad, youthful as he was, for that sagacity, practical wisdom, -knowledge of human nature, and courage, which ever characterized his -life. - -During these marchings and inspections he caused all trees which were so -near to a post as to shelter an advancing enemy, to be felled. The -militia were scattered over an extensive range of wild country, in small -detachments, and he was charged with the defence of more than four -hundred miles of frontier, with an available force of only one thousand -men. He at once initiated a system of sharp-shooters for each post. -Ranges were established, so that fire would not be wasted upon -assailants before they came within effective distance. When he resumed -command, after returning from the Braddock campaign, he endeavored to -reorganize the militia upon a new basis. This reorganization drew from -his fertile brain some military maxims for camp and field service which -were in harmony with the writings of the best military authors of that -period, and his study of available military works was exact, -unremitting, and never forgotten. Even during the active life of the -Revolutionary period, he secured from New York various military and -other volumes for study, especially including Marshal Turenne’s Works, -which Greene had mastered before the war began. - -Washington resigned his commission in 1756; married Mrs. Martha Custis, -Jan. 6, 1759; was elected member of the Virginia House of Burgesses the -same year, and was appointed Commissioner to settle military accounts in -1765. In the discharge of this trust he manifested that accuracy of -detail and that exactness of system in business concerns which have -their best illustration in the minute record of his expenses during the -Revolutionary War, in which every purchase made for the government or -the army, even to a few horse-shoe nails, is accurately stated. - -Neither Cæsar’s Commentaries, nor the personal record of any other -historical character, more strikingly illustrate an ever-present sense -of responsibility to conscience and to country, for trusts reposed, than -does that of Washington, whether incurred in camp or in the whirl and -crash of battle. Baron Jomini says: “A great soldier must have a -_physical_ courage which takes no account of obstacles; and a high -_moral_ courage capable of great resolution.” There have been youth, -like Hannibal, whose earliest nourishment was a taste of vengeance -against his country’s foes, and others have imbibed, as did the ancient -Hebrew, abnormal strength to hate their enemies while doing battle; but -if the character of Washington be justly delineated, he was, through -every refined and lofty channel, prepared, by early aptitudes and -training, to honor his chosen profession, with no abatement of aught -that dignifies character, and rounds out in harmonious completeness the -qualities of a consummate statesman and a great soldier. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - THE FERMENT OF AMERICAN LIBERTY. - - -In 1755, four military expeditions were planned by the Colonies: one -against the French in Nova Scotia; one against Crown Point; one against -Fort Niagara, and the fourth, that of Braddock, against the French posts -along the Ohio river. - -In 1758, additional expeditions were undertaken, the first against -Louisburg, the second against Ticonderoga, and the third against Fort Du -Quesne. Washington led the advance in the third, a successful attack, -Nov. 25, 1758, thereby securing peace with the Indians on the border, -and making the fort itself more memorable by changing its name to that -of Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh) in memory of William Pitt (Lord Chatham), -the eminent British statesman, and the enthusiastic friend of America. - -In 1759, Quebec was captured by the combined British and Colonial -forces, and the tragic death of the two commanders, Wolfe and Montcalm, -made the closing hours of the siege the last opportunity of their heroic -valor. With the capture of Montreal in 1760, Canada came wholly under -British control. In view of those campaigns, it was not strange that so -many Colonial participants readily found places in the Continental Army -at the commencement of the war for American Independence, and -subsequently urged the acquisition of posts on the northern border with -so much pertinacity and confidence. - -In 1761, Spain joined France against Great Britain, but failed of -substantial gain through that alliance, because the British fleets were -able to master the West India possessions of Spain, and even to capture -the city of Havana itself. - -In 1763, a treaty was effected at Paris, which terminated these -protracted inter-Colonial wars, so that the thirteen American colonies -were finally relieved from the vexations and costly burdens of aiding -the British crown to hold within its grasp so many and so widely -separated portions of the American continent. In the ultimate settlement -with Spain, England exchanged Havana for Florida; and France, with the -exception of the city of New Orleans and its immediate vicinity, retired -behind the Mississippi river, retaining, as a shelter for her fisheries, -only the Canadian islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which are still -French possessions. - -In view of the constantly increasing imposition of taxes upon the -Colonies by the mother country, in order to maintain her frequent wars -with European rivals, by land and sea, a convention was held at New York -on the seventh day of October, 1765, called a Colonial Congress, “to -consult as to their relations to England, and provide for their common -safety.” Nine colonies were represented, and three others either -ratified the action of the convention, or declared their sympathy with -its general recommendations and plans. The very brief advance notice of -the assembling of delegates, partly accounts for the failure of North -Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Georgia, to be represented. But -that convention made a formal “Declaration of Rights,” especially -protesting that “their own representatives alone had the right to tax -them,” and “their own juries to try them.” - -As an illustration of the fact, that the suggestion of some common bond -to unite the Colonies for general defence was not due to the agencies -which immediately precipitated the American Revolution, it is to be -noticed that as early as 1607, William Penn urged the union of the -Colonies in some mutually related common support. The Six Nations -(Indian), whom the British courted as allies against the French, and -later, against their own blood, had already reached a substantial Union -among themselves, under the name of the Iroquois Confederacy; and it is -a historical fact of great interest, that their constitutional league -for mutual support against a common enemy, while reserving absolute -independence in every local function or franchise, challenged the -appreciative indorsement of Thomas Jefferson when he entered upon the -preparation of a Constitution for the United States of America. - -And in 1722, Daniel Coxe, of New Jersey, suggested a practical union of -the Colonies for the consolidation of interests common to each. In 1754, -when the British government formally advised the Colonies to secure the -friendship of the Six Nations against the French, Benjamin Franklin -prepared a form for such union. Delegates from New England, as well as -from New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, met at Albany on the fourth -of July, 1754, the very day of the surrender of Fort Necessity to the -French, for consideration of the suggested plan. The King’s council -rejected it, because it conceded too much independence of action to the -people of the Colonies, and the Colonies refused to accept its -provisions, because it left too much authority with the King. - -Ten years later, when the Colonies had been freed from the necessity of -sacrificing men and money to support the British authority against -French, Spanish, and Indian antagonists, the poverty of the British -treasury drove George Grenville, then Prime Minister, to a system of -revenue from America, through the imposition of duties upon Colonial -imports. In 1755 followed the famous Stamp Act. Its passage by -Parliament was resisted by statesmen of clear foresight, with sound -convictions of the injustice of taxing their brethren in America who had -no representatives in either House of Parliament; but in vain, and this -explosive bomb was hurled across the sea. Franklin, then in London, thus -wrote to Charles Thompson, who afterwards became secretary of the -Colonial Congress: “The sun of Liberty has set. The American people must -light the torch of industry and economy.” To this Thompson replied: “Be -assured that we shall light torches of quite another sort.” - -The explosion of this missile, charged with death to every noble -incentive to true loyalty to the mother country, dropped its -inflammatory contents everywhere along the American coast. The Assembly -of Virginia was first to meet, and its youngest member, Patrick Henry, -in spite of shouts of “Treason,” pressed appropriate legislation to -enactment. Massachusetts, unadvised of the action of Virginia, with -equal spontaneity, took formal action, inviting the Colonies to send -delegates to a Congress in New York, there to consider the grave issues -that confronted the immediate future. South Carolina was the first to -respond. When Governor Tryon, of North Carolina, afterwards the famous -Governor of New York, asked Colonel (afterwards General) Ashe, Speaker -of the North Carolina Assembly, what the House would do with the Stamp -Act, he replied, “We will resist its execution to the death.” - -On the seventh of October the Congress assembled and solemnly asserted, -as had a former convention, that “their own representatives alone had -the right to tax them,” and “their own juries to try them.” Throughout -the coast line of towns and cities, interrupted business, muffled and -tolling bells, flags at half-mast, and every possible sign of stern -indignation and deep distress, indicated the resisting force which was -gathering volume to hurl a responsive missile into the very council -chamber of King George himself. - -“Sons of Liberty” organized in force, but secretly; arming themselves -for the contingency of open conflict. Merchants refused to import -British goods. Societies of the learned professions and of all grades of -citizenship agreed to dispense with all luxuries of English production -or import. Under the powerful and magnetic sway of Pitt and Burke, this -Act was repealed in 1766; but even this repeal was accompanied by a -“Declaratory Act,” which reserved for the Crown “the _right_ to bind the -Colonies, in all cases whatsoever.” - -Pending all these fermentations of the spirit of liberty, George -Washington, of Virginia, was among the first to recognize the coming of -a conflict in which the Colonial troops would no longer be a convenient -auxiliary to British regulars, in a common cause, but would confront -them in a life or death struggle, for rights which had been guaranteed -by Magna Charta, and had become the vested inheritance of the American -people. Suddenly, as if to impress its power more heavily upon the -restless and overwrought Colonists, Parliament required them to furnish -quarters and subsistence for the garrisons of towns and cities. In 1768, -two regiments arrived at Boston, ostensibly to “preserve the public -peace,” but, primarily, to enforce the revenue measures of Parliament. - -In 1769, Parliament requested the King to “instruct the Governor of -Massachusetts” to “forward to England for trial, upon charges of high -treason,” several prominent citizens of that colony “who had been guilty -of denouncing Parliamentary action.” The protests of the Provincial -Assemblies of Virginia and North Carolina against the removal of their -citizens, for trial elsewhere, were answered by the dissolution of those -bodies by their respective royal governors. On the fifth day of May, -1769, Lord North, who had become Prime Minister, proposed to abolish all -duties, except upon tea. Later, in 1770, occurred the “Boston Massacre,” -which is ever recalled to mind by a monument upon the Boston Common, in -honor of the victims. In 1773 “Committees of Correspondence” were -selected by most of the Colonies, for advising the people of all -sections, whenever current events seemed to endanger the public weal. -One writer said of this state of affairs: “Common origin, a common -language, and common sufferings had already established between the -Colonies a union of feeling and interest; and now, common dangers drew -them together more closely.” - -But the tax upon tea had been retained, as the expression of the -reserved right to tax at will, under the weak assumption that the -Colonists would accept this single tax and pay a willing consideration -for the use of tea in their social and domestic life. The shrewd and -patriotic citizens, however boyish it may have seemed to many, found a -way out of the apparent dilemma, and on the night of December 16, 1773, -the celebrated Boston Tea Party gave an entertainment, using three -hundred and fifty-two chests of tea for the festive occasion, and Boston -Harbor for the mixing caldron. - -In 1774, the “Boston Port Bill” was passed, nullifying material -provisions of the Massachusetts Charter, prohibiting intercourse with -Boston by sea, and substituting Salem for the port of entry and as the -seat of government for the Province. It is to be noticed, concerning the -various methods whereby the Crown approached the Colonies, in the -attempt to subordinate all rights to the royal will, that Massachusetts, -Rhode Island, and Connecticut, until 1692, were charter governments, -whereby laws were framed and executed by the freemen of each colony. The -proprietary governments were Pennsylvania with Maryland, and at first -New York, New Jersey, and the Carolinas. In all of these, the -proprietors, under certain restrictions, established and conducted their -own systems of rule. There were also the royal governments, those of New -Hampshire, Virginia, Georgia, and afterwards Massachusetts, New York, -New Jersey, and the Carolinas. In these, appointments of the chief -officers pertained to the Crown. - -At the crisis noticed, General Gage had been appointed Governor of -Massachusetts Colony, as well as commander-in-chief, and four additional -regiments had been despatched to his support. But Salem declined to -avail herself of the proffered boon of exceptional franchises, and the -House of Burgesses of Virginia ordered that “the day when the Boston -Port Bill was to go into effect should be observed as a day of fasting, -humiliation, and prayer.” - -The Provincial Assembly did indeed meet at Salem, but solemnly resolved -that it was expedient, at once, to call a General Congress of all the -Colonies, to meet the unexpected disfranchisement of the people, and -appointed five delegates to attend such Congress. All the Colonies -except Georgia, whose governor prevented the election of delegates, were -represented. - -This body, known in history as the First Continental Congress, assembled -in Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia, on the fifth day of September, 1774. -Peyton Randolph, of Virginia, was elected president, and Charles -Thompson, of Pennsylvania, was elected secretary. Among the -representative men who took part in its solemn deliberations must be -named Samuel Adams and John Adams, of Massachusetts; Philip Livingstone -and John Jay, of New York; John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania; Christopher -Gadsden and John Rutledge, of South Carolina; Patrick Henry, Richard -Henry Lee, and George Washington, of Virginia. - -During an address by Lord Chatham before the British House of Lords, he -expressed his opinion of the men who thus boldly asserted their -inalienable rights as Englishmen against the usurping mandates of the -Crown, in these words: “History, my lords, has been my favorite study; -and in the celebrated writers of antiquity have I often admired the -patriotism of Greece and Rome; but, my lords, I must declare and avow, -that in the master states of the world, I know not the people, or -senate, who, in such a complication of difficult circumstances, can -stand in preference to the delegates of America assembled in General -Congress at Philadelphia.” This body resolved to support Massachusetts -in resistance to the offensive Acts of Parliament; made a second -“Declaration of Rights,” and advised an American association for -non-intercourse with England. It also prepared another petition to the -King, as well as an address to the people of Great Britain and Canada, -and then provided for another Congress, to be assembled the succeeding -May. During its sessions, the Massachusetts Assembly also convened and -resolved itself into a Provincial Congress, electing John Hancock as -president, and proceeded to authorize a body of militia, subject to -instant call, and therefore to be designated as “Minute Men.” A -Committee of Safety was appointed to administer public affairs during -the recess of the Congress. When Captain Robert Mackenzie, of -Washington’s old regiment, intimated that Massachusetts was rebellious, -and sought independence, Washington used this unequivocal language in -reply: “If the ministry are determined to push matters to extremity, I -add, as my opinion, that more blood will be spilled than history has -ever furnished instances of, in the annals of North America; and such a -vital wound will be given to the peace of this great country, as time -itself cannot cure, or eradicate the remembrance of.” - -Early in 1775 Parliament rejected a “Conciliatory Bill,” which had been -introduced by Lord Chatham, and passed an Act in special restraint of -New England trade, which forbade even fishing on the banks of -Newfoundland. New York, North Carolina, and Georgia were excepted, in -the imposition of restrictions upon trade in the middle and southern -Colonies, in order by a marked distinction between Colonies, to conserve -certain aristocratic influences, and promote dissension among the -people; but all such transparent devices failed to subdue the patriotic -sentiment which had already become universal in its expression. - -At that juncture the English people themselves did not apprehend rightly -the merits of the dawning struggle, nor resent the imposition by -Parliament, of unjust, unequal, and unconstitutional laws upon their -brethren in America. Dr. Franklin thus described their servile attitude -toward the Crown: “Every man in England seems to consider himself as a -piece of a sovereign; seems to jostle himself into the throne with the -King; and talks of ‘_our_ subjects in the Colonies.’” - -The ferment of patriotic sentiment was deep, subtle, intense, and ready -for deliverance. The sovereignty of the British crown and the divine -rights of man were to be subjected to the stern arbitrament of battle. -One had fleets, armies, wealth, prestige, and power, unsustained by the -principles of genuine liberty which had distinguished the British -Constitution above all other modern systems of governmental control; -while the scattered two millions of earnest, patriotic Englishmen across -the sea, who, from their first landing upon the shores of the New World -had honored every principle which could impart dignity and empire to -their mother country, were to balance the scale of determining war by -the weight of loyalty to conscience and to God. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - THE OUTBREAK OF REPRESSED LIBERTY. - - -British authority, which ought to have gladly welcomed and honored the -prodigious elasticity, energy, and growth of its American dependencies, -as the future glory and invincible ally of her advancing empire, was -deliberately arming to convert a natural filial relation into one of -slavery. The legacies of British law and the liberties of English -subjects, which the Crown did not dare to infringe at home, had been -lodged in the hearts of her American sons and daughters, until -resistance to a royal decree had become impossible under any reasonable -system of paternal care and treatment. Colonial sacrifices during Indian -wars had been cheerfully borne, and free-will offerings of person and -property had been rendered without stint, upon every demand. But it -seemed to be impossible for George the Third and his chosen advisers to -comprehend in its full significance, the momentous fact, that English -will was as strong and stubborn in the child as in the parent. - -Lord Chatham said that “it would be found impossible for freemen in -England to wish to see three millions of Englishmen slaves in America.” - -Respecting the attempted seizure of arms rightly in the hands of the -people, that precipitated the “skirmish,” as the British defined it, -which occurred at Lexington on the nineteenth day of April, 1775, Lord -Dartmouth said: “The effect of General Gage’s attempt at Concord will be -fatal.” - -Granville Sharpe, of the Ordnance Department, resigned rather than -forward military stores to America. - -Admiral Keppel formally requested not to be employed against America. - -Lord Effingham resigned, when advised that his regiment had been ordered -to America. - -John Wesley, who had visited America many years before with his brother, -and understood the character of the Colonists, at once recalled the -appeal once made to the British government by General Gage during -November, 1774, when he “was confident, that, to begin with, an army of -twenty thousand men would, in the end, save Great Britain both blood and -treasure,” and declared, “Neither twenty thousand, forty thousand, nor -sixty thousand can end the dawning struggle.” - -During the summer of 1774 militia companies had been rapidly organized -throughout the Colonies. New England especially had been so actively -associated with all military operations during the preceding French and -Indian wars, that her people more readily assumed the attitude of armed -preparation for the eventualities of open conflict. - -Virginia had experienced similar conditions on a less extended and -protracted basis. The action of the First Continental Congress on the -fifth day of September, 1774, when, upon notice that Gage had fortified -Boston, it made an unequivocal declaration of its sympathy with the -people of Boston and of Massachusetts, changed the character of the -struggle from that of a local incident, to one that demanded organized, -deliberate, and general resistance. - -Notwithstanding the slow course of mail communications between the -widely separated Colonies north and south, the deportment of the British -Colonial governors had been so uniformly oppressive and exacting, that -the people, everywhere, like tinder, were ready for the first flying -spark. A report became current during September, after the forced -removal of powder from Cambridge and Charlestown, that Boston had been -attacked. One writer has stated, that, “within thirty-six hours, nearly -thirty thousand men were under arms.” This burst of patriotic feeling, -this mighty frenzy over unrighteous interference with vested rights, -made a profound impression upon the Continental Congress, then in -session at Philadelphia, and aroused in the mind of Washington, then a -delegate from Virginia, the most intense anxiety lest the urgency of the -approaching crisis should find the people unprepared to take up the gage -of battle, and fight with the hope of success. All this simply indicated -the depth and breadth of the eager sentiment which actually panted for -armed expression. - -The conflict between British troops and armed citizens at Lexington had -already assumed the characteristics of a battle, and, as such, had a -more significant import than many more pronounced engagements in the -world’s history. The numbers engaged were few, but the men who ventured -to face British regulars on that occasion were but the thin skirmish -line in advance of the swelling thousands that awaited the call “To -arms.” - -Massachusetts understood the immediate demand, having now drawn the fire -of the hitherto discreet adversary, and promptly declared that the -necessities of the hour required from New England the immediate service -of thirty thousand men, assuming as her proportionate part a force of -thirteen thousand six hundred. This was on the twenty-second day of -April, while many timid souls and some social aristocrats were still -painfully worrying themselves as to who was to blame for anybody’s being -shot on either side. - -On the twenty-fifth day of April, Rhode Island devoted fifteen hundred -men to the service, as her contribution to “An Army of Observation” -about Boston. - -On the following day, the twenty-sixth, Connecticut tendered her -proportion of two thousand men. - -Each Colonial detachment went up to Boston as a separate army, with -independent organization and responsibility. The food, as well as the -powder and ball of each, was distinct, and they had little in common -except the purpose which impelled them to concentrate for a combined -opposition to the armed aggressions of the Crown. And yet, this mass of -assembling freemen was not without experience, or experienced leaders. -The early wars had been largely fought by Provincial troops, side by -side with British regulars, so that the general conduct of armies and of -campaigns had become familiar to New England men, and many veteran -soldiers were prompt to volunteer service. Lapse of time, increased age, -absorption in farming or other civil pursuits, had not wholly effaced -from the minds of retired veterans the memory of former experience in -the field. If some did not realize the expectations of the people and of -Congress, the promptness with which they responded to the call was no -less worthy. - -Massachusetts selected, for the immediate command of her forces, Artemas -Ward, who had served under Abercrombie, with John Thomas, another -veteran, as Lieutenant-General; and as Engineer-in-Chief, Richard -Gridley, who had, both as engineer and soldier, earned a deserved -reputation for skill, courage, and energy. - -Connecticut sent Israel Putnam, who had been inured to exposure and -hardship in the old French War, and in the West Indies. Gen. Daniel -Wooster accompanied him, and he was a veteran of the first expedition to -Louisburg thirty years before, and had served both as Colonel and -Brigadier-General in the later French War. Gen. Joseph Spencer also came -from Connecticut. - -Rhode Island intrusted the command of her troops to Nathaniel Greene, -then but thirty-four years of age, with Varnum, Hitchcock, and Church, -as subordinates. - -New Hampshire furnished John Stark, also a veteran of former service; -and both Pomeroy and Prescott, who soon took active part in the -operations about Boston, had participated in Canadian campaigns. - -These, and others, assembled in council, for consideration of the great -interests which they had been summoned to protect by force of arms. At -this solemn juncture of affairs, the youngest of their number, Nathaniel -Greene, whose subsequent career became so significant a factor in that -of Washington the Soldier, submitted to his associates certain -propositions which he affirmed to be indispensable conditions of success -in a war against the British crown. These propositions read to-day, as -if, like utterances of the old Hebrew prophets, they had been inspired -rules for assured victory. And, one hundred years later, when the -American Civil War unfolded its vast operations and tasked to the utmost -all sections to meet their respective shares in the contest, the same -propositions had to be incorporated into practical legislation before -any substantial results were achieved on either side. - -It is a historical fact that the failures and successes of the War of -American Independence fluctuated in favor of success, from year to year, -exactly in proportion to the faithfulness with which these propositions -were illustrated in the management and conduct of the successive -campaigns. - -The propositions read as follows: - - I. That there be one Commander-in-Chief. - - II. That the army should be enlisted for the war. - - III. That a system of bounties should be ordained which would provide - for the families of soldiers absent in the field. - - IV. That the troops should serve wherever required throughout the - Colonies. - - V. That funds should be borrowed equal to the demands of the war and - for the complete equipment and support of the army. - - VI. That Independence should be declared at once, and every resource - of every Colony be pledged to its support. - -In estimating the character of Washington the Soldier, and accepting -these propositions as sound, it is of interest to be introduced to their -author. - -The youthful tastes and pursuits of Nathaniel Greene, of Rhode Island, -those which shaped his subsequent life and controlled many battle -issues, were as marked as were those of Washington. Unlike his great -captain, he had neither wealth, social position, nor family antecedents -to inspire military endeavor. A Quaker youth, at fourteen years of age -he saved time from his blacksmith’s forge, and by its light mastered -geometry and Euclid. Providence threw in his way Ezra Stiles, then -President of Yale College, and Lindley Murray, the grammarian, and each -of them became his fast friend and adviser. - -Before the war began, he had carefully studied “Cæsar’s Commentaries,” -Marshal Turenne’s Works, “Sharpe’s Military Guide,” “Blackstone’s -Commentaries,” “Jacobs’ Law Dictionary,” “Watts’ Logic,” “Locke on the -Human Understanding,” “Ferguson on Civil Society,” Swift’s Works, and -other models of a similar class of literature and general science. - -In 1773, he visited Connecticut, attended several of its militia -“trainings,” and studied their methods of instruction and drill. In -1774, he visited Boston, to examine minutely the drill, quarters, and -commissary arrangements of the British regular troops. Incidentally, he -met one evening, at a retired tavern on India wharf, a British sergeant -who had deserted. He persuaded him to accompany him back to Rhode -Island, where he made him drill-instructor of the “Kentish Guards,” a -company with which Greene was identified. Such was the proficiency in -arms, deportment, and general drill realized by this company, through -their joint effort, that more than thirty of the members became -commissioned officers in the subsequent war. - -The character of the men of that period, as in the American Civil War, -supplied the military service with soldiers of the best intelligence and -of superior physical capacities. Very much of the energy and success -which attended the progress of the American army was traceable to these -qualities, as contrasted with those of the British recruits and the -Hessian drafted men. - -Greene himself, unconsciously but certainly, was preparing himself and -his comrades for the impending struggle which already cast its shadow -over the outward conditions of peace. Modest, faithful, dignified, -undaunted by rebuffs or failure, and as a rule, equable, -self-sacrificing, truthful, and honest, he possessed much of that simple -grandeur of character which characterized George H. Thomas and Robert E. -Lee, of the American conflict, 1861–5. His patriotism, as he announced -his propositions to the officers assembled before Cambridge, was like -that of Patrick Henry, of Virginia, who shortly after made this personal -declaration: “Landmarks and boundaries are thrown down; distinctions -between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are -no more;” adding, “I am not a Virginian, but an American.” - -By the middle of June, and before the Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s -Hill), the Colonies were substantially united for war. During the -previous month of March, Richard Henry Lee had introduced for adoption -by the second Virginia Convention, a resolution that “the Colony be -immediately put in a state of defence,” and advocated the immediate -reorganization, arming, and discipline of the militia. - -A hush of eager expectancy and an almost breathless waiting for some -mysterious summons to real battle, seemed to pervade both north and -south alike, when a glow in the east indicated the signal waited for, -and even prayed for. The very winds of heaven seemed to bear the sound -and flame of the first conflict in arms. In six days it reached -Maryland. Intermediate Colonies, in turn, had responded to the summons, -“To arms.” Greene’s Kentish Guards started for Boston, at the next break -of day. The citizens of Rhode Island caught his inspiration, took -possession of more than forty British cannon, and asserted their right -and purpose to control all Colonial stores. - -New York organized a Committee of Public Safety,—first of a hundred, and -then of a thousand,—of her representative men, as a solid guaranty of -her ardent sympathy with the opening struggle, declaring that “all the -horrors of civil war could not enforce her submission to the acts of the -British crown.” The Custom-house and the City Hall were seized by the -patriots. Arming and drilling were immediate; and even by candle-light -and until late hours, every night, impassioned groups of boys, as well -as men, rehearsed to eager listeners the story of the first blood shed -at Concord and Lexington; and strong men exchanged vows of companionship -in arms, whatever might betide. Lawyers and ministers, doctors and -teachers, merchants and artisans, laborers and seamen, mingled together -as one in spirit and one in action. An “Association for the defence of -Colonial Rights” was formed, and on the twenty-second of May the -Colonial Assembly was succeeded by a Provincial Congress, and the new -order of government went into full effect. - -In New Jersey, the people, no less prompt, practical, and earnest, -seized one hundred thousand dollars belonging to the Provincial -treasury, and devoted it to raising troops for defending the liberties -of the people. - -The news reached Philadelphia on the twenty-fourth of April, and there, -also, was no rest, until action took emphatic form. Prominent men, as in -New York, eagerly tendered service and accepted command, so that on the -first day of May the Pennsylvania Assembly made an appropriation of -money to raise troops. Benjamin Franklin, but just returned from -England, was made chairman of a Committee of Safety, and the whole city -was aroused in hearty support of the common cause. The very Tory -families which afterwards ministered to General Howe’s wants, and -flattered Benedict Arnold by their courtesies, did not venture to stem -the patriotic sentiment of the hour. - -Virginia caught the flying spark. No flint was needed to fire the -waiting tinder there. Lord Dunmore had already sent the powder of the -Colony on board a vessel in the harbor. Patrick Henry quickly gathered -the militia in force, to board the vessel and seize the powder. By way -of compromise, the powder was paid for, but Henry was denounced as a -“traitor.” The excitement was not abated, but intensified by this -action, until Lord Dunmore, terrified, and powerless to stem the surging -wave of patriotic passion, took refuge upon the man-of-war _Fowey_, then -in the York river. - -The Governor of North Carolina, as early as April, had quarrelled with -the people of that Colony, in his effort to prevent the organization of -a Provincial Congress. But so soon as the news was received from Boston -of the opening struggle, the Congress assembled. Detached meetings were -everywhere held in its support, and from all sides one sentiment was -voiced, and this was its utterance: “The cause of Boston is the cause of -all. Our destinies are indissolubly connected with those of our eastern -fellow-citizens. We must either submit to the impositions which an -unprincipled and unrepresented Parliament may impose, or support our -brethren who have been doomed to sustain the first shock of -Parliamentary power; which, if successful there, will ultimately -overwhelm all, in one common calamity.” Conformable to these principles, -a Convention assembled at Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, on the -twentieth of May, 1775, and unanimously adopted the Instrument, ever -since known as The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. - -In South Carolina, on the twenty-first day of April, a secret committee -of the people, appointed for the purpose, forcibly entered the Colonial -magazine and carried away eight hundred stands of arms and two hundred -cutlasses. Thomas Corbett, a member of this committee, secured and -opened a royal package just from England, containing orders to governors -of each of the southern Colonies to “seize all arms and powder.” These -were forwarded to the Continental Congress. Another despatch, dated at -“Palace of Whitehall, December 23d,” stated that “seven regiments were -in readiness to proceed to the southern Colonies; first to North -Carolina, thence to Virginia, or South Carolina, as circumstances should -point out.” These intercepted orders contained an “Act of Parliament, -forbidding the exportation of arms to the Colonies,” and stimulated the -zeal of the patriots to secure all within their reach. Twenty days -later, the tidings from the north reached Charleston, adding fuel to the -flame of the previous outbreak. - -At Savannah, Ga., six members of the “Council of Safety” broke open the -public magazine, before receipt of news from the north, seized the -public powder and bore it away for further use. Governor Wright -addressed a letter to General Gage at Boston, asking for troops, “to awe -the people.” This was intercepted, and through a counterfeit signature -General Gage was advised, “that the people were coming to some order, -and there would be _no occasion_ for _sending troops_.” - -Such is the briefest possible outline of the condition of public -sentiment throughout the country, of which Washington was well advised, -so far as the Committee of the Continental Congress, of which he was a -member, could gather the facts at that time. - -Meanwhile, Boston was surrounded by nearly twenty thousand Minute Men. -These Minute Men made persistent pressure upon every artery through -which food could flow to relieve the hungry garrison within the British -lines. - -Neither was the excitement limited to the immediate surroundings. Ethan -Allen, who had migrated from Connecticut to Vermont, led less than a -hundred of “Green Mountain Boys,” as they were styled, to Ticonderoga, -which he captured on the tenth of May. Benedict Arnold, of New Haven, -with forty of the company then and still known as the Governor’s Guards, -rushed to Boston without waiting for orders, and then to Lake Champlain, -hoping to raise an army on the way. Although anticipated by Ethan Allen -in the capture of Ticonderoga, he pushed forward toward Crown Point and -St. John’s, captured and abandoned the latter, organized a small naval -force, and with extraordinary skill defeated the British vessels and -materially retarded the advance of the British flotilla and British -troops from the north. - -These feverish dashes upon frontier posts were significant of the -general temper of the people, their desire to secure arms and military -supplies supposed to be in those forts, and indicated their conviction -that the chief danger to New England was through an invasion from -Canada. But the absorbing cause of concern was the deliverance of Boston -from English control. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - ARMED AMERICA NEEDS A SOLDIER. - - -The Second Continental Congress convened on the tenth day of May, 1775. -On the same day, Ethan Allen captured Ticonderoga, also securing two -hundred cannon which were afterwards used in the siege of Boston. Prompt -measures were at once taken by Congress for the purchase and manufacture -of both cannon and powder. The emission of two millions of Spanish -milled dollars was authorized, and twelve Colonies were pledged for the -redemption of Bills of Credit, then directed to be issued. At the later, -September, session, the Georgia delegates took their seats, and made the -action of the Colonies unanimous. - -A formal system of “Rules and Articles of War” was adopted, and -provision was made for organizing a military force fully adequate to -meet such additional troops as England might despatch to the support of -General Gage. Further than this, all proposed enforcement by the British -crown of the offensive Acts of Parliament, was declared to be -“unconstitutional, oppressive, and cruel.” - -Meanwhile, the various New England armies were scattered in separate -groups, or cantonments, about the City of Boston, with all the daily -incidents of petty warfare which attach to opposing armies within -striking distance, when battle action has not yet reached its desirable -opportunity. And yet, a state of war had been so far recognized that an -exchange of prisoners was effected as early as the sixth day of June. -General Howe made the first move toward open hostilities by a tender of -pardon to all offenders against the Crown except Samuel Adams and John -Hancock; and followed up this ostentatious and absurd proclamation by a -formal declaration of Martial Law. - -The Continental Congress as promptly responded, by adopting the militia -about Boston, as “The American Continental Army.” - -On the fourteenth day of June, a Light Infantry organization of expert -riflemen was authorized, and its companies were assigned to various -Colonies for enlistment and immediate detail for service about Boston. - -On the fifteenth day of June, 1775, Congress authorized the -appointment, and then appointed George Washington, of Virginia, as -“Commander-in-Chief of the forces raised, or to be raised, in defence -of American Liberties.” On presenting their commission to Washington -it was accompanied by a copy of a Resolution unanimously adopted by -that body, “That they would maintain and assist him, and adhere to -him, with their lives and fortunes, in the cause of American Liberty.” - -It is certain from the events above outlined, which preceded the -Revolutionary struggle, that when Washington received this spontaneous -and unanimous appointment, he understood definitely that the Colonies -were substantially united in the prosecution of war, at whatever cost of -men and money; that military men of early service and large experience -could be placed in the field; that the cause was one of intrinsic right; -and that the best intellects, as well as the most patriotic statesmen, -of all sections, were ready, unreservedly, to submit their destinies to -the fate of the impending struggle. He had been upon committees on the -State of Public Affairs; was constantly consulted as to developments, at -home and abroad; was familiar with the dissensions among British -statesmen; and had substantial reasons for that sublime faith in -ultimate victory which never for one hour failed him in the darkness of -the protracted struggle. He also understood that not statesmen alone, -preëminently Lord Dartmouth, but the best soldiers of Great Britain had -regarded the military occupation of Boston, where the Revolutionary -sentiment was most pronounced, and the population more dense as well as -more enlightened, to be a grave military as well as political error. And -yet, as the issue had been forced, it must be met as proffered; and the -one immediate and paramount objective must be the expulsion of the -British garrison and the deliverance of Boston. It will appear, however, -as the narrative develops its incidents, that he never lost sight of the -exposed sea-coast cities to the southward, nor of that royalist element -which so largely controlled certain aristocratic portions of New York, -New Jersey, and the southern cities, which largely depended upon trade -with Great Britain and the West Indies for their independent fortunes -and their right royal style of living. Neither did he fail to realize -that delay in the siege of Boston, however unavoidable, was dangerous to -the rapid prosecution of general war upon a truly military plan of -speedy accomplishment. - -His first duty was therefore with his immediate command, and the hour -had arrived for the consolidation of the various Colonial armies into -one compact, disciplined, and effective force, to battle with the best -troops of Great Britain which now garrisoned Boston and controlled its -waters. - -Reënforcements under Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne had already increased -the strength of that garrison to nearly ten thousand men. It had become -impatient of confinement, and restive under the presence of increasing -but ill-armed adversaries who eagerly challenged every picket post, and -begrudged every market product smuggled, or snatched, by the purveyors -or officers and soldiers of the Crown. Besides all this, the garrison -began to realize the fate which afterwards befell that of Clinton in -Philadelphia, in the demoralization and loss of discipline which ever -attach to an idle army when enclosed within city limits. When Burgoyne -landed at Boston, to support Gage, he contemptuously spoke of “ten -thousand _peasants_ who kept the King’s troops shut up.” Gradually, the -_peasants_ encroached upon the outposts. An offensive movement to occupy -Charlestown Heights and menace the Colonial headquarters at Cambridge, -with a view to more decisive action against their maturing strength, had -been planned and was ready for execution. It was postponed, as of easy -accomplishment at leisure; but the breaking morning of June 17, 1775, -revealed the same Heights to be in possession of the “peasant” militia -of America. - -The Battle of Bunker Hill followed. Each force engaged lost one-third of -its numbers, but the aggregate of the British loss was more than double -that of the Colonies. It made a plain issue between the Colonists and -the British army, and was no longer a controversy of citizens with the -civil authority. The impatience of the two armies to have a fight had -been gratified, and when Franklin was advised of the facts, and of the -nerve with which so small a detachment of American militia had faced and -almost vanquished three times their number of British veterans, he -exclaimed, “The King has lost his Colonies.” - -Many of the officers who bore part in that determining action gained new -laurels in later years. Prescott, who led his thousand men to that -achievement, served with no less gallantry in New York. Stark, so plucky -and persistent along the Mystic river, was afterwards as brave and -dashing at Trenton, Bennington, and Springfield. And Seth Warner, a -volunteer at Bunker Hill, and comrade of Allen in the capture of -Ticonderoga, participated in the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington, -and the Saratoga campaign, during the invasion of Burgoyne in 1777. - -Of the British participants, or spectators, a word is due. Clinton, -destined to be Washington’s chief antagonist, had urged General Howe to -attack Washington’s army at Cambridge, before it could mature into a -well equipped and well disciplined force. He was overruled by General -Howe, who with all his scientific qualities as a soldier, never, in his -entire military career, was quick to follow up an advantage once -acquired; and soon after, the junior officer was transferred to another -field of service. - -Percy, gallant in the action of June 17th, was destined to serve with -credit at Long Island, White Plains, Brandywine, and Newport. - -Rawdon, then a lieutenant, who gallantly stormed the redoubt on Breed’s -Hill, and received in his arms the body of his captain, Harris, of the -British 5th Infantry, was destined to win reputation at Camden and -Hobkirk’s Hill, but close his military career in America as a prisoner -of war to the French. - -The British retained and fortified Bunker Hill, and the time had arrived -for more systematic American operations, and the presence of the -Commander-in-Chief. - -Congress had appointed the following general officers as Washington’s -associates in conduct of the war. - - - _Major-Generals._ - -Some of these have been already noticed. - -ARTEMAS WARD. - -CHARLES LEE, a retired officer of the British Army, a military -adventurer under many flags, a resident of Virginia, an acquaintance of -Washington, and ambitious to be first in command. - -PHILIP SCHUYLER, then a member of Congress; a man of rare excellence of -character, who had served in the French and Indian War, and took part in -Abercrombie’s Ticonderoga campaign. - -ISRAEL PUTNAM. - - - _Brigadier-Generals._ - -SETH POMEROY. - -RICHARD MONTGOMERY, who served gallantly under Wolfe before Quebec, in -1759, and in the West Indies, in 1762. - -DAVID WOOSTER. - -WILLIAM HEATH, who, previous to the war, was a vigorous writer upon the -necessity of military discipline and a thoroughly organized militia. - -JOSEPH SPENCER, of Connecticut, also a soldier of the French and Indian -War, both as Major and Lieutenant-Colonel. - -JOHN THOMAS, also a soldier of the French and Indian War, and in command -of a regiment at Cambridge, recruited by himself. - -JOHN SULLIVAN, a lawyer of New Hampshire, of Irish blood; a member of -the First Continental Congress, and quick in sympathy with the first -movement for armed resistance to British rule. - -NATHANIEL GREENE, already in command of the Rhode Island troops. - -Congress had also selected as Adjutant-General of the Army, HORATIO -GATES, of Virginia, who, like Lee, had served in the British regular -army; commanded a company in the Braddock campaign, and gained some -credit for bravery at the capture of Martinique, in the West Indies. He -was also known to Washington, and shared with Lee in aspiration to the -chief command. - -If Washington had possessed prophetic vision, even his sublime faith -might have wavered in view of that unfolding future which would leave -none of these general officers by his side at the last conflict of the -opening war. - -Ward, somewhat feeble in body, would prove unequal to active service; -lack the military acuteness and discernment which the crisis would -demand, and retire from view with the occupation of Boston. - -Lee, so like Arnold in volcanic temper, would be early detached for -other service, in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and South Carolina; -would become a prisoner of war at New York; would propose to the British -authorities a plan for destroying the American army; would escape -execution as a British deserter, on exchange; and afterwards, at the -Battle of Monmouth, so nearly realize his suggestion to General Howe, as -to show that his habitual abuse of Congress and his jealousy of his -Commander-in-Chief were insufficiently atoned for by dismissal from the -army, and the privilege of dying in his own bed, unhonored and -unlamented. - -Schuyler, devoted to his country, with rare qualities as a gentleman and -with a polish of manner and elegance of carriage that for the time made -him severely unpopular with the staid stock of New England, would serve -with credit in Canada; organize the army which Gates would command at -Saratoga; be supplanted by that officer; retire from service because of -poor health; but ever prove worthy of the confidence and love of his -commander-in-chief. Of him, Chief Justice Kent would draw a pen-picture -of “unselfish devotion, wonderful energy, and executive ability.” Of -him, Daniel Webster would speak, in an august presence, in these terms: -“I was brought up with New England prejudices against him; but I -consider him second only to Washington in the service he rendered to his -country in the War of the Revolution.” - -Putnam, who had been conspicuously useful at Bunker Hill, would, because -of Greene’s illness, suddenly succeed that officer in command on Long -Island, without previous knowledge of the works and the surrounding -country; would, feebly and without system, attempt to defend the lines -against Howe’s advance; would serve elsewhere, trusted indeed, but -without battle command, and be remembered as a brave soldier and a good -citizen, but, as a general officer, unequal to the emergencies of field -service. - -Pomeroy, brave at Bunker Hill, realizing the responsibilities attending -the consolidation of the army for active campaign duty, would decline -the proffered commission. - -Montgomery, would accompany Schuyler to Canada, full of high hope, and -yet discover in the assembled militia such utter want of discipline and -preparation to meet British veterans, as to withhold his resignation -only when his Commander-in-Chief pleaded his own greater disappointments -before Cambridge. - -The perspective-glass will catch its final glimpse of Montgomery, when, -after the last bold dash of his life, under the walls of Quebec, his -body is borne to the grave and buried with military honors, by his old -comrade in arms, Sir Guy Carleton, the British general in command. - -Wooster, then sixty-four years of age, would join Montgomery at -Montreal; waive his Connecticut rank; serve under his gallant leader; be -recalled from service because unequal to the duties of active command; -would prove faithful and noble wherever he served, and fall, defending -the soil of his native State from Tryon’s invasion, in 1777. - -Heath, would supplement his service on the Massachusetts Committee of -Safety by efficient duty at New York, White Plains, and along the -Hudson, ever true as patriot and soldier; but fail to realize in active -service that discipline of men and that perception of the value of -campaign experience which had prompted his literary efforts before he -faced an enemy in battle. - -Spencer, would discharge many trusts early in the war, with fidelity, -but without signal ability or success, and transfer his sphere of -patriotic duty to the halls of Congress. - -Thomas, would prove efficient in the siege of Boston, and serve in -Canada. - -Sullivan, would also enter Canada; become a prisoner of war at Long -Island; be with Washington at White Plains; succeed to the command of -Lee’s division after the capture of that officer; distinguish himself at -Trenton; serve at Brandywine; do gallant service at Germantown; attempt -the capture of Staten Island and of Newport; chastise the Indians of New -York, and resign, to take a seat in Congress. - -Greene, would attend his chief in the siege of Boston; fortify Brooklyn -Heights; engage in operations about Forts Washington and Lee; take part -in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, -Newport, and Springfield; would then succeed Gates at the south, fight -the battles of Guilford Court-House, Hobkirk Hill, and Eutaw Springs, -and close his life in Georgia, the adopted home of his declining years. - -But, during the midsummer of 1775, the beleaguered City of Boston, -astounded by the stolid and bloody resistance to its guardian garrison, -began to measure the cost of loyalty to the King, in preference to -loyalty to country and duty; while the enclosed patriots began to assure -themselves that deliverance was drawing near. Burgoyne, after watching -the battle from Copp’s Hill, in writing to England of this “great -catastrophe,” prepared the Crown for that large demand for troops upon -which he afterwards conditioned his acceptance of a command in America. - -The days of waiting for a distinct battle-issue had been fulfilled. The -days of waiting for the consolidation of the armies about Boston, under -one competent guide and master, also passed. Washington had left -Philadelphia and was journeying toward Cambridge. - -[Illustration: - - WASHINGTON AT FOUR PERIODS OF HIS MILITARY CAREER. - - [Etching from H. H. Hall’s Sons’ engraving.] -] - - - - - CHAPTER V. - WASHINGTON IN COMMAND. - - -On the twenty-first day of June, 1775, Washington left Philadelphia for -Boston, and on the third day of July assumed command of the Continental -Army of America, with headquarters at Cambridge. - -At this point one is instinctively prompted to peer into the closed tent -of the Commander-in-Chief and observe his modest, but wholly -self-reliant attitude toward the grave questions that are to be settled, -in determining whether the future destiny of America is to be that of -liberty, or abject submission to the Crown. - -For fully two months the yeomanry of New England had firmly grasped all -approaches to the City of Boston. This pressure was now and then -resisted by efforts of the garrison to secure supplies from the -surrounding country farms; which only induced a tighter hold, and -aroused a stubborn purpose to crowd that garrison to surrender, or -escape by sea. The islands of the beautiful bay and of the Nantasket -roadstead had become miniature fields of daily conflict; and persistent -efforts to procure bullocks, flour, and other needed provisions, through -the boats of the British fleet, only developed a counter system of boat -operations which neutralized the former, and gradually restricted the -country excursions of the troops within the city to the range of their -guns. - -And yet the beleaguering force had fluctuated every day, so that but few -of the hastily improvised regiments maintained either identity of -persons, or permanent numbers. Exchanges were frequent between those on -duty and others at their homes. The sudden summons from so many and -varied industrial pursuits and callings was like the unorganized rush of -men at an alarm of fire, quickened by the conviction that some wide, -sweeping, and common danger was to be withstood, or some devouring -element to be mastered. The very independence of opinion and sense of -oppression which began to assert a claim to absolutely independent -nationality, became impatient of all restraint, until military control, -however vital to organized success, had become tiresome, offensive, and -sharply contested. Offices also, as in more modern times, had been -conferred upon those who secured enlistments, and too often without -regard to character or signal merit; while the familiarities of former -neighborhood friends and acquaintances ill-fitted them to bear rigid -control by those who had been, only just before, companions on a common -level. - -Jealousies and aspirations mingled with the claims of families left at -home, and many local excitements attended the efforts of officers of the -Crown to discharge their most simple duties. After the flash of -Lexington and its hot heat had faded out, it was dull work to stand -guard by day, lie upon the ground at night, live a life of half lazy -routine, receive unequal and indifferent food, and wonder, between -meals, when and how the whole affair would end. The capture of -Ticonderoga, so easily affected, inclined many to regard the contest -before Boston as a matter of simple, persistent pressure, with no -provident conception of the vast range of conflict involved in this -defiance of the British Crown, in which all Colonies must pass under the -rolling chariot of war. - -And yet, all these elements were not sufficiently relaxing to permit the -enclosed garrison to go free. While thousands of the Minute Men were -apparently listless, and taking the daily drudgery as a matter-of-course -experience, not to be helped or be rid of,—there were many strong-willed -men among them who held settled and controlling convictions, so that -even the raw militia were generally under wise guardianship. Leading -scholars and professional men, as well as ministers of the Gospel and -teachers of the district schools, united their influence with that of -some well-trained soldiers, to keep the force in the field at a -comparatively even strength of numbers. The idle were gradually set to -work, and occupation began to lighten the strain of camp life. - -At the date of Washington’s arrival to take command, there was a -practical suspension of military operations over the country at large; -and this condition of affairs, together with the large display of -Colonial force about Boston, gave the other Colonies opportunity to -prepare for war, and for Washington to develop his army and test both -officers and men. - -In his tent at Cambridge, he opened the packages intrusted to his care -by Congress, and examined the commissions of the officers who were to -share his councils and execute his will. His own commission gave him all -needed authority, and pledged the united Colonies to his hearty support. -Confidence in his patriotism, his wisdom, and his military capacity was -generous and complete. He represented Congress. He represented America. -For a short time he withheld the delivery of a few of the commissions. -Some officers, hastily commissioned, although formerly in military -service, had been entirely isolated from opportunities for knowledge of -men and of questions of public policy. The emergency required such as -were familiar with the vast interests involved in a struggle in arms -with Great Britain; men who would heartily submit to that strict -discipline which preparation for a contest with the choicest troops of -the mother country must involve. - -Washington’s constitutional reticence deepened from his first assumption -of command. Frederick the Great once declared that “if he suspected that -his nightcap would betray his thoughts while he slept, he would burn -it.” Washington, like Frederick, and like Grant and Lee, great soldiers -of the American Civil War, largely owed his success and supremacy over -weak or jealous companions in arms to this subtle power. And this, with -Washington, was never a studied actor’s part in the drama of Revolution. -It was based upon a devout, reverential, and supreme devotion to country -and the right. His moral sense was delicate, and quick to discern the -great object of the people’s need and desire. He was also reverential in -recognition of an Almighty Father of all mankind, whose Providence he -regarded as constant, friendly, and supervising, in all the struggle -which America had undertaken for absolute independence. Under this -guidance, he learned how to act with judicial discretion upon the advice -of his subordinates, and then,—to execute his own sentence. Baron Jomini -pronounced Napoleon to have been his own best chief of staff; and such -was Washington. Congress discovered as the years slipped by, and -jealousies of Washington, competitions for office and for rank, and -rivalries of cities, sections, and partisans, endangered the safety of -the nation and the vital interests involved in the war, to trust his -judgment; and history has vindicated the wisdom of their conclusion. And -yet, with all this will-power in reserve, he was patient, tolerant, -considerate of the honest convictions of those with contrary opinions; -and so assigned officers, or detailed them upon special commissions, -that, when not overborne by Congress in the detail of some of its -importunate favorites, he succeeded in placing officers where their -weaknesses could not prejudice the interests of the country at large, -and where their faculties could be most fruitfully utilized. - -If the thoughtful reader will for a moment recall the name of some -battlefield of the Revolution, or of any prominent military character -who was identified with some determining event of that war, he will -quickly notice how potentially the foresight of Washington either -directed the conditions of success, or wisely compensated the effects of -failure. - -Washington never counted disappointments as to single acts of men, or -the operations of a single command, as determining factors in the -supreme matter of final success. The vaulting ambition, headstrong will, -and fiery daring of Arnold never lessened an appreciation of his real -merits, and he acquired so decided an affection for him, personally, and -was so disappointed that Congress did not honor his own request for -Arnold’s prompt promotion, at one time, that when his treason was fully -revealed, he could only exclaim, with deep emotion, “Whom now can we -trust?” - -Even the undisguised jealousy of Charles Lee, his cross-purposes, -disobedience of orders, abuse of Congress, breaches of confidence, and -attempts to warp councils of war adversely to the judgment of the -Commander-in-Chief did not forfeit Washington’s recognition of that -officer’s general military knowledge and his ordinary wisdom in council. - -These considerations fully introduce the Commander-in-Chief to the -reader, as he imagines the Soldier to be in his tent with the -commissions of subordinate officers before him. - -He began his duties with the most minute inspection of the material with -which he was expected to carry on a contest with Great Britain. Every -company and regiment, their quarters, their arms, ammunition, and food -supplies, underwent the closest scrutiny. He accepted excuses for the -slovenliness of any command with the explicit warning that repetition of -such indifference or neglect would be sternly punished. - -The troops had hardly been dismissed, after their first formal parade -for inspection, before a set repugnance to all proper instruction in the -details of a soldier’s duty became manifest. The old method of fighting -Indians singly, through thickets, and in small detachments, each man for -himself, was clung to stubbornly, as if the army were composed of -individual hunters, who must each “bag his own game.” Guard duty was -odious. Superiority by virtue of rank was questioned, denied, or -ignored. The abuses of places of trust, especially in the quartermaster -and commissary departments, and the prostitution of these -responsibilities to private ends were constant. “Profanity, vulgarity, -and all the vices of an undisciplined mass became frightful,” as -Washington himself described the condition, “so soon as any immediate -danger passed by.” To sum up the demoralization of the army, he could -only add, “They have been trained to have their own way too long.” - -But the good, the faithful, and the pure were hardly less restive under -the new restraint, and few appreciated the vital value of some -absolutely supreme control. The public moneys and public property were -held to belong to everybody, because Congress represented everybody. -Commands were considered despotic orders, and exact details were but -another system of slavery. - -Nor was this the whole truth. Even officers of high position, whether -graded above or below their own expectations, found time to indulge in -petty neglect of plain instructions, and in turn to usurp authority, in -defiance of discipline and the paramount interests of the people at -large. - -The inspection of the Commander-in-Chief had been made. Immediately, the -troops were put to work perfecting earthworks, building redoubts, and -policing camp. “Observance of the Sabbath” was enforced. Officers were -court-martialed, and soldiers were tried, for “swearing, gambling, -fraud, and lewdness.” A thorough system of guard and picket duty was -established, and the nights were made subservient to rest, in the place -of dissipation and revelry. Discipline was the first indication that a -Soldier was in command. - -These statements, which are brief extracts from his published Orders, -fall far below a just review of the situation as given by Washington -himself. From some of his reports to Congress it would seem as if, for a -moment, he almost despaired of bringing the army to a condition when he -might confidently take it into an open field, and place it, face to -face, against any well-appointed force of even inferior numbers. That he -was enabled so to discipline an army that, as at Brandywine, they -willingly marched to meet a British and Hessian force one-half greater -than his own in numbers, became a complete justification of the patience -and wise persistence with which he handled the raw troops in camp about -Cambridge, in the year 1775. - -His next care was “the practical art of bringing the army fully equipped -to the battlefield,” known as the “Logistics of War.” The army was -deficient in every element of supply. The men, who still held their -Colonial obligation to be supreme, came and went just as their -engagements would permit and the comfort of their families required. -Desertion was regarded as nothing, or at the worst but a venial offence, -and there were times when the American army about Boston, through nine -miles of investment, was less in number than the British garrison within -the city. - -But the deficiency in the number of the men was not so conspicuous and -disappointing as the want of powder, lead, tools, arms, tents, horses, -carts, and medical supplies. Ordinary provisions had become abundant. -The adjacent country fed them liberally and supplied many home-made -luxuries, not always the best nourishment for a soldier’s life; but it -was difficult to persuade the same men that all provisions must enter -into a general commissariat, and be issued to all alike; and that such -stores must be accumulated, and neither expended lavishly nor sold at a -bargain so soon as a surplus remained unexpended. Such articles as -cordage, iron, horseshoes, lumber, fire-wood, and every possible thing -which might be required for field, garrison, or frontier service, were -included in his inventory of essential supplies. - -In his personal expenditures of the most trivial item of public -property, Washington kept a minute and exact account. Of the single -article of powder, he once stated that his chief supply was furnished by -the enemy, for, during one period, the armed vessels with which he -patrolled the coast captured more powder than Congress had been able to -furnish him in several months. - -Delay in securing such essential supplies increased the difficulty of -bringing the troops themselves to a full recognition of their military -needs and responsibilities, so that the grumbling query, “What’s the use -of copying the red-coats’ fuss and training?” still pervaded camp. Plain -men from the country who had watched the martinet exactness of British -drills in the city, where there was so much of ornament and “style,” had -no taste for like subjection to control over their personal bearing and -wardrobe. A single order of General Howe to the Boston garrison -illustrates what the Yankees termed the “red-coats’ fuss.” He issued an -order, reprimanding soldiers “whose hair was not smooth but badly -powdered; who had no frills to their shirts; whose leggings hung in a -slovenly manner about their knees, and other soldierly neglects, which -must be immediately remedied.” This seemed to the American soldier more -like some “nursing process;” and while right, on general principles, was -not the chief requirement for good fighting zeal. - -For many weeks it had been the chief concern of the American -Commander-in-Chief how to make a fair show of military preparation, -while all things were in such extreme confusion. Washington, as well as -Howe, had his fixed ideas of military discipline, and he, also, issued -orders respecting the habits, personal bearing, and neatness of the men; -closing on one occasion, thus emphatically: “Cards and games of chance -are prohibited. At this time of public distress, men may find enough to -do in the service of their God and country, without abandoning -themselves to vice and immorality.” In anticipation of active service, -and to rebuke the freedom with which individuals inclined to follow -their own bent of purpose, he promulgated the following ringing caution: - -“It may not be amiss for the troops to know, that if any man in action -shall presume to skulk, hide himself, or retreat from the enemy without -the orders of his commanding officer, he will be instantly shot down as -an example of cowardice; cowards having too frequently disconcerted the -best troops by their dastardly behavior.” - -Amid all this stern preparation for the battlefield and its incidents, -the most careful attention was given to the comfort and personal -well-being of the privates in the ranks. While obedience was required of -all, of whatever grade or rank, the cursing or other abuse of the -soldier was considered an outrage upon his rights as a citizen, and -these met his most scorching denunciation and punishment. - -A Soldier was in command of the Continental Army of America. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - BRITISH CANADA ENTERS THE FIELD OF ACTION. - - -The Continental Army about Boston was largely composed of New England -troops. This was inevitable until the action of Congress could be -realized by reënforcements from other Colonies. The experience of nearly -all veteran soldiers in the Cambridge camps had been gained by service -in Canada or upon its borders. British garrisons at Halifax, Quebec, and -Montreal, as well as at Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and St. John’s, -offered an opportunity for British aggression from the north. The -seizure of the nearer posts, last named, temporarily checked such -aggressions, but seemed to require adequate garrisons, and a watchful -armed outlook across the border. - -There had been very early urged upon the Massachusetts Committee of -Safety more extensive operations into Canada, especially as the -“Canadian Acts of Parliament” had become nearly as offensive to -Canadians as other Acts which had alienated the American Colonies from -respect for the common “Mother Country.” The Canadian Acts, however, had -not been pressed to armed resistance; and differences of race, language, -and religious forms were not conducive to those neighborly relations -which would admit of combined action, even in emergencies common to both -sections. But the initiative of a general movement into Canada had been -taken, and Congress precipitated the first advance, before Washington -became Commander-in-Chief. In order to appreciate the action of -Washington when he became more directly responsible for the success of -these detachments from his army, for service in Canada, they must be -noticed. - -The adventurous spirit of Arnold prompted the suggestion that the -conquest of Canada would bring disaster to Great Britain and fend off -attacks upon the other Colonies. He once traded with its people, was -familiar with Quebec, and after his adventure at Crown Point, in June, -had written from that place to the Continental Congress that Gen. Sir -Guy Carleton’s force in Canada was less than six hundred men, promising -to guarantee the conquest of Canada if he were granted the command of -two thousand men for that purpose. On the second day of June, Ethan -Allen, who had anticipated Arnold in the capture of Ticonderoga, had -made a similar proposition to the Provincial Congress of New York. Both -Allen and Seth Warner had visited Congress, and requested authority to -raise new regiments. Authority was not given, but a recommendation was -forwarded to the New York Provincial Congress, that the “Green Mountain -Boys” should be recognized as regular forces, and be granted the -privilege of electing their own officers. - -It is of interest in this connection to notice the fact that when -Arnold, in his first dash up Lake Champlain, found that Warner had -anticipated his projected capture of Crown Point, as Allen had that of -Ticonderoga, he was greatly offended, usurped command of that post and -of a few vessels which he styled his “Navy,” and upon finding that his -assumption of authority was neither sanctioned by Massachusetts nor -Connecticut, discharged his force and returned to Cambridge in anger. -This same navy, however, chiefly constructed under his skilful and -energetic direction, won several brilliant successes and certainly -postponed movements from Canada southward, for many months. - -Eventually a formal expedition was authorized against Montreal, and -Generals Schuyler and Montgomery were assigned to its command. This -force, consisting of three thousand men, was ordered to rendezvous -during the month of August at Ticonderoga, where Allen and Warner also -joined it. - -During the same month a committee from Congress visited Washington at -Cambridge, and persuaded him to send a second army to Canada, via the -Kennebec river, to capture Quebec. Existing conditions seemed to warrant -these demonstrations which, under other circumstances, might have proved -fatal to success at Boston. The theory upon which Washington concurred -in the action of Congress is worthy of notice, in estimating his -character as a soldier. He understood that the suddenness of the -resistance at Lexington, and the comparatively “drawn game” between the -patriots and British regulars at Breed’s Hill, would involve on the part -of the British government much time and great outlay of money, in order -to send to America an adequate force for aggressive action upon any -extended scale; and that the control of New York and the southern coast -cities must be of vastly more importance than to harass the scattered -settlements adjoining Canada. Inasmuch, however, as New York and New -England seemed to stake the safety of their northern frontier upon -operations northward, while Quebec and Montreal were almost destitute of -regular troops, and the season of the year would prevent British -reënforcements by sea, it might prove to be the best opportunity to test -the sentiment of the Canadian people themselves as to their readiness to -make common cause against the Crown. If reported professions could be -realized, the north would be permanently protected. - -Taking into account that General Carleton would never anticipate an -advance upon Quebec, but concentrate his small force at Montreal, with -view to the ultimate recapture of St. John’s, Crown Point, and -Ticonderoga, and estimating, from advices received, that Carleton’s -forces numbered not to exceed eight hundred regulars and as many -Provincials, he regarded the detail of three thousand men as sufficient -for the capture of Montreal. This estimate was a correct one. Its -occupation was also deemed practicable and wise, because it was so near -the mouth of Sorel River and Lake Champlain as to be readily supported, -so long as the British army was not substantially reënforced along the -Atlantic coast. - -There was one additional consideration that practically decided the -action of Washington. The mere capture of Montreal, on the north bank of -the St. Lawrence river, and so easily approached by water from Quebec, -would be of no permanent value so long as Quebec retained its place as -the almost impregnable rendezvous of British troops and fleets. This -view of the recommendation of Congress was deemed conclusive; provided, -that the movement against Quebec could be immediate, sudden, by -surprise, and involve _no siege_. Under the assumption that Congress had -been rightly advised of the British forces in Canada, and of the -sentiments of the Canadians themselves, the expedition had promise of -success. - -There was a variance of religious form and religious faith which did not -attract all the New England soldiers in behalf of Canadian independence. -This was sufficiently observed by Washington’s keen insight into human -nature to call forth the following order, which placed the Canadian -expeditions upon a very lofty basis. The extract is as follows: “As the -Commander-in-Chief has been apprised of a design formed for the -observance of that ridiculous and childish custom of burning the effigy -of the Pope, he cannot help expressing his surprise that there should be -officers and soldiers in this army so void of common-sense as not to see -the impropriety of such a step at this juncture, at a time when we are -soliciting, and have really obtained the friendship and alliance of -Canada, whom we ought to consider as brethren embarked in the same -cause—the defence of the general liberty of America.... At such a -juncture, and in such circumstances, to be insulting their religion is -so monstrous as not to be suffered or excused; indeed, instead of -offering the most remote insult, it is our duty to address public thanks -to those our brethren, as to them we are so much indebted for every late -happy success over the common enemy in Canada.” - -Washington, however, hinged his chief objection to these distant -enterprises, which he habitually opposed throughout the war, upon the -pressing demand for the immediate capture of Boston, and an immediate -transfer of the Headquarters of the Army to New York, where, and where -only, the Colonies could be brought into close relation for the -organization and distribution of an army adequate to carry on war, -generally, wherever along the Atlantic coast the British might land -troops. - -As early as June, Congress had disclaimed any purpose to operate against -Canada, and Bancroft says that the invasion was not determined upon -until the Proclamation of Martial Law by the British Governor, his -denunciation of the American borderers, and the incitement of savages to -raids against New York and New England had made the invasion an act of -self-defence. But there had been no such combination of hostile acts -when these expeditions were planned, and Mr. Bancroft must have -associated those events with the employment of Indian allies during the -subsequent Burgoyne campaign of 1777. - -The details of the two contemporary expeditions to Canada are only -sufficiently outlined to develop the relations of the Commander-in-Chief -to their prosecution, and to introduce to the reader certain officers -who subsequently came more directly under Washington’s personal command. -The substantial failure of each, except that it developed some of the -best officers of the war, is accepted as history. But it is no less true -that when Great Britain made Canada the base of Burgoyne’s invasion, his -feeble support by the Canadians themselves proved a material factor in -his ultimate disaster. He was practically _starved to surrender_ for -want of adequate support in men and provisions, from his only natural -base of supply. - -It is sufficient, at present, to notice the departure of the two -expeditions, that of Schuyler and Montgomery, assembling at Ticonderoga, -August 20, and that of Arnold, consisting of eleven hundred men, without -artillery, which left Cambridge on the seventeenth day of September and -landed at Gardiner, Me., on the twentieth. Several companies of riflemen -from Pennsylvania and Virginia which had reported for duty were assigned -to Arnold’s command. Among the officers were Daniel Morgan and -Christopher Greene. Aaron Burr, then but nineteen years of age, -accompanied this expedition. - -As the summer of 1775 drew near its close, and the temporary excitement -of Arnold’s departure restored the routine of camp life and the passive -watching of a beleaguered city, the large number of “Six Months” men, -whose term of enlistment was soon to expire, became listless and -indifferent to duty. Washington, without official rebuke of this growing -negligence, forestalled its further development by redoubling his -efforts to place the works about Boston in a complete condition of -defence. None were exempt from the scope of his orders. Ploughed Hill -and Cobble Hill were fortified, and the works at Lechmere Point were -strengthened. (See map, “Boston and Vicinity.”) Demonstrations were made -daily in order to entice the garrison to sorties upon the investing -lines. But the British troops made no hostile demonstrations, and in a -very short time the American redoubts were sufficiently established to -resist the attack of the entire British army. - -A Council of War was summoned to meet at Washington’s headquarters to -consider his proposition that an assault be made upon the city, and that -it be burned, if that seemed to be a military necessity. Lee opposed the -movement, as impossible of execution, in view of the character of the -British troops whom the militia would be compelled to meet in close -battle. The Council of War concurred in his motion to postpone the -proposition of the Commander-in-Chief. Lee’s want of confidence in the -American troops, then for the first time officially stated, had its -temporary influence; but, ever after, through his entire career until -its ignominious close, he opposed every opportunity for battle, on the -same pretence. The only exception was his encouragement to the -resistance of Moultrie at Charleston, against the British fleet, during -June, 1776, although he was not a participant in that battle. - -Meanwhile, the citizens of the sea-coast towns of New England began to -be anxious as to their own safety. A British armed transport cannonaded -Stonington, and other vessels threatened New London and Norwich. All of -these towns implored Washington to send them troops. Governor Jonathan -Trumbull, of Connecticut (the original “Brother Jonathan”), whose -extraordinary comprehension of the military as well as the civil issues -of the times made him then, and ever, a reliable and constant friend of -Washington, consulted the Commander-in-Chief as to these depredations, -and acquiesced in his judgment as final. - -Washington wrote thus: “The most important operations of the campaign -cannot be made to depend upon the piratical expeditions of two or three -men-of-war privateers.” This significant rejoinder illustrated the -proposition to burn Boston, and was characteristic of Washington’s -policy respecting other local raids and endangered cities. It is in -harmony with the purpose of this narrative to emphasize this incident. -Napoleon in his victorious campaign against Austria refused to occupy -Vienna with his army, and counted the acquisition of towns and cities as -demoralizing to troops, besides enforcing detachments from his fighting -force simply to hold dead property. Washington ignored the safety of -Philadelphia, the Colonial capital, repeatedly, claiming that to hold -his army compactly together, ready for the field, was the one chief -essential to ultimate victory. Even the later invasions of Virginia and -Connecticut, and the erratic excursions of Simcoe and other royalist -leaders into Westchester County, New York, and the country about -Philadelphia, did not bend his deliberate purpose to cast upon local -communities a fair share of their own defence. In more than one instance -he announced to the people that these local incursions only brought -reproach upon the perpetrators, and embittered the Colonists more -intensely against the invader. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - HOWE SUCCEEDS GAGE.—CLOSING SCENES OF 1775. - - -As the siege of Boston advanced without decisive result, orders from -England suddenly relieved Gage from command, and assigned General Sir -William Howe as his successor. That officer promulgated a characteristic -order “assuming command over all the Atlantic Colonies from Nova Scotia -to the West Indies.” He made his advent thus public, and equally -notorious. Offensive proclamations, bad in policy, fruitless for good, -and involving the immediate crushing out of all sympathy from those who -were still loyal to the Crown, were the types of his character, both as -governor and soldier. He threatened with military execution any who -might leave the city without his consent, and enjoined upon all -citizens, irrespective of personal opinion, to “arm for the defence of -Boston.” - -This action imposed upon Washington the issue of a reciprocal order -against “all who were suffered to stalk at large, doing all the mischief -in their power.” Hence, between the two orders, it happened that the -royalists in the city had no opportunity to visit their friends and see -to their own property outside the British lines, and the royalists of -the country who sought to smuggle themselves between the lines, to -communicate with those in the city, were compelled to remain outside the -American lines, or be shot as “spies.” - -Up to this time, the British officers and neutral citizens had not been -interfered with in the prosecution of their business or social -engagements; and the operations of the siege had been mainly those of -silencing British action and wearing out the garrison by constant -surveillance and provocations to a fight. - -Supplies became more and more scarce within the British lines. Acting -under the peremptory orders of General Howe, Admiral Graves resolved to -make his small fleet more effective, and under rigid instructions to -“burn all towns and cities that fitted out or sheltered privateers,” -Lieutenant Mowatt began his work of desolation by the destruction of -Falmouth, now Portland, Me. - -In contrast with this proceeding was the action of Washington. When an -American privateer, which had been sent by him to the St. Lawrence -river, to cut off two brigantines which had left England with supplies -for Quebec, exceeded instructions, and plundered St. John’s Island, he -promptly sent back the citizen-prisoners, restored their private -effects, and denounced the action of the officer in command and his -crew, as “a violation of the principles of civilized warfare.” - -Crowded by these immediate demands upon his resources, and equally -confident that there soon would be neither army, nor supplies, adequate -for the emergency, Washington made an independent appeal to Congress, -covering the entire ground of his complaint, and stating his absolute -requirements. He wanted money. He demanded a thoroughly organized -commissariat, and a permanent artillery establishment. He asked for more -adequate control of all troops, from whatever Colony they might come; a -longer term of enlistment; enlargement of the Rules and Articles of War, -and power to enforce his own will. He also demanded a separate -organization of the navy, in place of scattered, irresponsible -privateers, and that it be placed upon a sound footing, as to both men -and vessels. - -Congress acted promptly upon these suggestions. On the fourth of -October, a committee, consisting of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Lynch, and -Benjamin Harrison, started for Washington’s headquarters with three -hundred thousand dollars in Continental money, and after a patient -consideration of his views, advised the adoption of all his -recommendations. - -A council of all the New England Governors was also called to meet this -committee. As the result of the conference a new organization of the -army was determined upon, fixing the force to be employed about Boston -at twenty-three thousand three hundred and seventy-two officers and men. -Washington also submitted to this committee his plan for attacking -Boston. It was approved; and soon after, Congress authorized him to burn -the city if he should deem that necessary in the prosecution of his -designs against the British army. In all subsequent military operations -the same principle of strategic action was controlling and absolute with -him. - -On the thirteenth day of October, Congress authorized the building of -two small cruisers, and on the thirtieth, two additional vessels, of -small tonnage. A naval committee was also appointed, consisting of Silas -Dean, John Langdon, Joseph Hewes, Richard Henry Lee, and John Adams. On -the twenty-eighth of November, a naval code was adopted; and on the -thirteenth of December, the construction of thirteen frigates was -authorized. Among the officers commissioned, were Nicholas Biddle as -captain and John Paul Jones as lieutenant. Thus the American Navy was -fully established.[1] - -Footnote 1: - - See Appendix, “American Navy.” - -On the twenty-ninth day of November, Captain John Manly, who was the -most prominent officer of this improvised navy, captured a British -store-ship, containing a large mortar, several brass cannon, two -thousand muskets, one hundred thousand flints, eleven mortar-beds, -thirty thousand shot, and all necessary implements for artillery and -intrenching service. - -As the year drew to its close, the British levelled all their advanced -works on Charlestown Neck, and concentrated their right wing in a strong -redoubt on Bunker Hill, while their left wing at Boston Neck was more -thoroughly fortified against attack. - -Congress now intimated to Washington that it might be well to attack the -city upon the first favorable occasion, before the arrival of -reënforcements from Great Britain. The laconic reply of the -Commander-in-Chief was, that he “must keep his powder for closer work -than cannon distance.” - -On the nineteenth of November, Henry Knox was commissioned as Colonel, -_vice_ Gridley, too old for active service. Two lieutenant-colonels, two -majors, and twelve companies of artillery were authorized, and thus the -American regular Artillery, as well as the navy, was put upon a -substantial basis, with Knox as Chief of Artillery. - -The closing months of 1775 also developed the progress of the -expeditions for the conquest of Canada. The reënforcements required for -the actual rescue of the detached forces from destruction, increased the -burdens of the Commander-in-Chief. This period of Washington’s military -responsibility cannot be rightly judged from the general opinion that -Montgomery’s nominal force of three thousand men represented an -effective army of that strength: in fact, it was less than half that -number. - -Montgomery reached Ticonderoga on the seventeenth of August. Schuyler, -then negotiating a treaty with the Six Nations, at Albany, received a -despatch from Washington, “Not a moment of time is to be lost,” and at -once joined Montgomery. They pushed for the capture of St. John’s, under -the spur of Washington’s warning; but on the sixth of September and -again on the tenth, were compelled to suspend operations for want of -artillery, having at the time a force of but one thousand men present, -instead of the three thousand promised. Schuyler’s ill-health compelled -him to return to Ticonderoga; but with infinite industry, system, and -courage he was able to forward additional troops, increasing -Montgomery’s force to two thousand men. - -Ethan Allen, who had been succeeded in command of the “Green Mountain -Boys” by Seth Warner, was across the line, endeavoring to recruit a -regiment of Canadians. After partial success, regardless of order, he -dashed forward, hoping to capture Montreal, as he had captured -Ticonderoga. He was captured, and sent to England to be tried on the -charge of treason. In a letter to Schuyler, Washington thus notices the -event: - -“Colonel Allen’s misfortune will, I hope, teach a lesson of prudence and -subordination in others who may be too ambitious to outshine their -general officer, and regardless of order and duty, rush into enterprises -which have unfavorable effects on the public, and are destructive to -themselves.” - -On the third of November, after a siege of fifty days, St. John’s was -captured, with one hundred Canadians and nearly five hundred British -regulars, more than half the force in Canada. John André was among the -number. General Carleton, who attempted to cross the St. Lawrence river, -and come to the aid of St. John’s, was thrust back by the “Green -Mountain Boys” and a part of the 2d New York Regiment. - -The treatment of prisoners illustrates the condition of this army. It -was not a part of the Cambridge army, as was Arnold’s, but the -contributions promised largely by New York, and directly forwarded by -Congress. One regiment mutinied because Montgomery allowed the prisoners -to retain their extra suit of clothing, instead of treating it as -plunder. Schuyler’s and Montgomery’s Orderly Books and letters show that -even officers refused to take clothing and food to suffering prisoners -until peremptorily forced to do it. Washington was constantly advised of -the existing conditions; and when both Schuyler and Montgomery regarded -the prosecution of their expeditions as hopeless, with such troops, and -proposed to resign, the Commander-in-Chief thus feelingly, almost -tenderly, wrote: “God knows there is not a difficulty you both complain -of which I have not in an eminent degree experienced; that I am not, -every day, experiencing; but we must bear up against them, and make the -best of mankind as they are, since we cannot have them as we wish. Let -me therefore conjure you both, to lay aside such thoughts; thoughts -injurious to yourselves, and extremely so to your country, which calls -aloud for gentlemen of your abilities.” - -On the twelfth of November, Montgomery reached the open city of -Montreal; and the larger of the two Canadian expeditions reached its -proposed destination. But before the month of November closed, the -American force “wasted away,” until only about eight hundred men -remained. Expiration of enlistments was at hand. Men refused to -re-enlist. Even the “Green Mountain Boys” returned home. This was not -the total loss to Montgomery. Officers and men were all alike fractious, -dictatorial, and self-willed. They claimed the right to do just as they -pleased, and to obey such orders only as their judgment approved. -General Carleton escaped from the city in disguise, and reached Quebec -on the nineteenth. There was no possibility of following him; and the -work laid but for Montgomery, had been done, although at great cost and -delay. - -Prof. Charles G. D. Roberts, of King’s College, Nova Scotia, in his -“History of Canada” (1897),[2] uses this language: “General Carleton -fled in disguise to Quebec, narrowly escaping capture, and there made -ready for his last stand. In Quebec he weeded out all those citizens who -sympathized with the rebels, expelling them from the city. With sixteen -hundred men at his back, a small force indeed, but to be trusted, he -awaited the struggle.” - -Footnote 2: - - Lamson, Wolfe & Co., Publishers, Boston. - -Meanwhile Arnold, after unexampled sufferings and equal heroism, had -reached Point Levi, opposite Quebec, on the ninth of November, only to -find that the garrison had been strengthened, and that he was stranded, -in the midst of a severe winter, upon an inhospitable, barren bluff. The -strongest fortress in America, defended by two hundred heavy cannon, and -the capture of which had been the inspiration of his adventurous -campaign, was in full sight. Every condition which Washington had -declared to be essential to success had failed of realization. On the -fifth of October Washington wrote to Schuyler: “If Carleton is not -driven from St. John’s, so as to be obliged to throw himself into -Quebec, it must fall into our hands, as it is left without a regular -soldier, as the captain of a brig from Quebec to Boston says. Many of -the inhabitants are most favorably disposed to the American cause, and -that there is there the largest stock of ammunition ever collected in -America.” On the same day he also writes “Arnold expected to reach -Quebec in twenty days from September twenty-sixth, and that Montgomery -must keep up such appearances as _to fix Carleton_, and prevent the -force in Canada from being turned on Arnold; but if penetration into -Canada be given up, Arnold must also know it, in time for retreat.” And -again: “This detachment (Arnold’s) was to take possession of Quebec, if -possible; but at any rate, to make a diversion in favor of Schuyler.” - -But Arnold, on the sixteenth day of October, when, as he advised -Washington, he expected to advance upon Quebec, was struggling with -quagmires, swamps, fallen trees, rain and mud, snow and ice, about Deer -river, and had not even reached Lake Megantic. Men waded in icy water to -their armpits; some froze to death: others deserted. Enos, short of -provisions, as he claimed, marched three hundred men back to Cambridge. -And Arnold, himself, twenty-five days too late, stood upon Point Levi, -in the midst of a furious tempest of wind, rain, and sleet, only to -realize the substantial failure of his vaunted expedition. Most of his -muskets were ruined, and but five rounds of ammunition remained for the -few men that were with him in this hour of starvation and distress. Two -vessels-of-war lay at anchor in the stream. And yet, such was his -indomitable energy, with thirty birch-bark canoes he crossed the river, -gained a position on the Heights of Abraham, and sent to the fortress an -unnoticed demand for surrender. Then, retiring to Point Aux Trembles, he -sent a messenger to Montgomery asking for artillery and two thousand -men, for prosecution of a siege. Montgomery, leaving in command General -Wooster, who arrived at Montreal late in November, started down the -river with about three hundred men and a few pieces of artillery, and -clothing for Arnold’s men; landing at Point Aux Trembles about December -first, making the total American force only one thousand men. On the -sixth day of December, a demand for surrender having been again -unanswered, the little army advanced to its fate. Four assaulting -columns were organized. All failed, and Montgomery fell in a gallant but -desperate attempt to storm the citadel itself. Morgan and four hundred -and twenty-six men, nearly half of the entire command, were taken -prisoners. Only the grand nerve of Montgomery brought the army to the -assault in this forlorn-hope affair,—for such it was. Three of Arnold’s -captains refused to serve under him any longer; and mutiny, or the -entire ruin of the army, was the alternative to the risks of ruin in -battle. Arnold had a knee shattered by a bullet, and the remnants of the -army fell back, harmless, to the garrison, and amid snow, ice, and -proximate starvation, awaited future events. - -The treatment of the prisoners by General Carleton, and the burial, with -honors of war, of his old comrade under Wolfe, the brave Montgomery, -savors of the knightly chivalry of mediæval times. When his officers -protested at such treatment of rebels, his response, lofty in tone and -magnanimous in action, was simply this: “Since we have in vain tried to -make them acknowledge us as brothers, let us at least send them away -disposed to regard us as cousins.” - -Almost at the same hour of the day when Carleton passed through Point -Aux Trembles, on his escape to Quebec, Washington having heard of -Montgomery’s arrival at Montreal, was writing to Congress, as follows: -“It is likely that General Carleton will, with what force he can collect -after the surrender of the rest of Canada, throw himself into Quebec, -and there make his last effort.” - -With Arnold three miles from Quebec, intrenched as well as he was able -to intrench, confining his operations to cutting off supplies to the -city and keeping his five hundred survivors from starving or freezing, -and Carleton preparing for reënforcements as soon as the ice might break -up in the spring, the invasion of Canada for conquest came to a dead -halt. The invasion of the American Colonies was to follow its final -failure. - -There were heroes who bore part in those expeditions, and their -experience was to crown many of Washington’s later campaigns with the -honors of victory. Meanwhile, about Boston, enlistments were rapidly -expiring, to be again replaced with fresh material for the master’s -handling into army shape and use; and the American Commander-in-Chief -was beginning to illustrate his qualities as Soldier. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - AMERICA AGAINST BRITAIN.—BOSTON TAKEN. - - -On the thirty-first day of December, 1775, Admiral Shuldham reached -Boston with reënforcements for its garrison, and relieved Admiral Graves -in command of all British naval forces. The troops within the lines were -held under the most rigid discipline, although amusements were provided -to while away the idle hours of a passive defence. - -The winter was memorable for its mildness, so that the American troops, -encamped about the city in tents, did not suffer; but the in-gathering -of recruits, to replace soldiers whose enlistments had just expired, -involved the actual creation of a new army, directly in the face of a -powerful, well-equipped, and watchful adversary. And yet, this very -adversary must be driven from Boston before the American patriot army -could move elsewhere, and engage actively against the combined armies -and navy of the British crown. - -Indications of increasing hostilities on the part of royal governors of -the South were not wanting to stimulate the prosecution of the siege to -its most speedy consummation; and although unknown to Washington at the -time, the city of Norfolk, Va., had been bombarded on New Year’s day by -order of Lord Dunmore. - -[Illustration: Boston and Vicinity.] - -Impressed by the urgency of the crisis, Washington, on the same day, was -writing to Congress in plain terms, as follows, leaving the last word -_blank_, lest it might miscarry: “It is not, perhaps, in the power of -history to furnish a case like ours; to maintain a post within -musket-shot of the enemy, within that distance of twenty, old British -regiments without——” - -General Greene kept his small army well in hand, watchful of the -minutest detail, inspecting daily each detachment, as well as all -supplies of ammunition and food; and on the fourth of January, writing -from Prospect Hill (see map of Boston and Vicinity), thus reported his -exact position to the Commander-in-Chief: “The night after the old -troops went off, I could not have mustered seven hundred men, -notwithstanding the returns of the new enlisted men amounted to nineteen -hundred and upwards. I am strong enough to defend myself against all the -force in Boston. Our situation has been critical. Had the enemy been -acquainted with our situation, I cannot pretend to say what might have -been the consequences.” - -The reader will appreciate at a glance the real opinion of the American -Commander-in-Chief as to his own immediate future, and the general scope -of operations which he regarded as supremely important in behalf of -American Independence. He understood thoroughly, that Lord Dartmouth -originally opposed the military occupation of Boston in order to prevent -a collision between British troops and the excited people, which he -regarded as an inevitable result. That distinguished and far-sighted -statesman, in order to prevent any overt acts of resistance to the -established representatives of the crown at business or social centres, -wrote to Lord Howe as early as October 22, 1775, to “gain possession of -some respectable port to the southward, from which to make sudden and -unexpected attacks upon sea-coast towns during the winter.” But British -pride had forced the increase of the army in Massachusetts Colony, and -initiated a disastrous campaign. Lord Dartmouth never wavered in the -opinion that New York was the only proper base of operations in dealing -with the Colonies at large. Lord Howe himself had advised that New York, -instead of Boston, should be made the rendezvous and headquarters of all -British troops to be sent to America. Only the contumacy of General Gage -had baffled the wiser plans of superior authority. - -During the first week of the new year, and while the American army was -under the stress of reconstruction, Washington learned that General -Clinton had been promised an independent command of a portion of the -fresh troops which accompanied Admiral Shuldham to America, and would be -detailed on some important detached service remote from New England -waters. As a remarkable fact, not creditable to the king’s advisers, the -Island of New York, at that time, was practically without any regular -military garrison; but its aristocratic tory circles of influence could -not conceive of a popular uprising against the supremacy of George III. -within their favored sphere of luxury and independence. - -Washington appreciated the situation fully. He recognized the -defenceless condition of New York and its adaptation for the -Headquarters of the Army of America. He was also thoroughly convinced -that General Clinton’s proposed expedition would either occupy New York, -or make the attempt to do so. He acted without delay upon that -conviction, although reserving to himself the responsibility of first -reducing Boston with the least possible delay. General Lee, then upon -detached service in Connecticut, had written to him, urging, in his -emphatic style, “the immediate occupation of New York; the suppression -or expulsion of certain tories of Long Island; and that not to crush the -serpents before their rattles were grown, would be ruinous.” - -Washington was as prompt to reply; and ordered Lee to “take such -Connecticut volunteers as he could quickly assemble in his march, and -put the city in the best possible posture of defence which the season -and circumstances would admit of.” - -Meanwhile, every immediate energy of the Commander-in-Chief was -concentrated upon a direct attack of the British position. The business -capacity of Colonel Knox had already imparted to the Ordnance Department -character and efficiency. Under direction of Washington he visited Lake -George, during December, 1775, and by the last of February hauled upon -sleds, over the snow, more than fifty pieces of artillery to the -Cambridge headquarters. This enabled him to make the armament of -Lechmere Point very formidable; and by the addition of several half-moon -batteries between that point and Roxbury, it became possible to -concentrate upon the city of Boston the effective fire of nearly every -heavy gun and mortar which the American army controlled. - -It had been the intention of Washington to march against Boston, across -the ice, so soon as the Charles river should freeze sufficiently to bear -the troops. Few of the soldiers had bayonets, but “the city must be -captured, with or without bayonets,” and his army released for service -elsewhere. In one letter he used this very suggestive appeal: “Give me -powder, or ice, and I will take Boston.” Upon the occasion of “one -single freeze and some pretty strong ice,” he suddenly called a council -of war, and proposed to seize the opportunity to cross at once, and -either capture or burn the city. Officers of the New England troops who -were more familiar with the suddenness with which the tides affect ice -of moderate thickness, dissuaded him from his purpose; but in writing to -Joseph Reed, for some time after his Adjutant-General, he thus refers to -the incident: “Behold, while we have been waiting the whole year for -this favorable event, the enterprise was thought too hazardous. I did -not think so, and I am sure yet, that the enterprise, if it had been -undertaken with resolution, would have succeeded; without it, _any_ -would fail.” “P.S.—I am preparing to take post on Dorchester Heights, to -try if the enemy will be so kind as to come out to us.” This postscript -is an illustration of Washington’s quick perception of the strategic -movement which would crown the siege with complete success. He added -another caution: “What I have said respecting the determination in -Council, and the possession of Dorchester, is spoken _sub-rosa_.” - -The month of February drew near its close, when Washington, in the -retirement of his headquarters, decided no longer to postpone his attack -upon the city and its defences. Two floating batteries of light draught -and great strength were quickly constructed, and forty-five batteaux, -like the modern dredge-scow, each capable of transporting eighty men, -were assembled and placed under a special guard. In order to provide for -every contingency of surmounting parapets, or improvising defences in -streets, or otherwise, fascines, gabions, carts, bales of hay, -intrenching-tools, two thousand bandages, and all other contingent -supplies that might, under any possible conditions, be required, were -also gathered and placed in charge of none but picked men. Gen. Thomas -Mifflin, his Quartermaster-General, who had accompanied him from -Philadelphia, shared his full confidence, and was unremitting by night -and by day in hastening the work intrusted to his department. - -The inflexibility of purpose which marked Washington’s career to its -close, asserted its supremacy at this crucial hour of the Revolutionary -struggle, when, for the first time, America was to challenge Britain to -fight, and fight at once. It had begun to appear as if his submission of -a proposition to a council of officers implied some doubt of its -feasibility, or some alternate contingency of failure. Washington -discounted all failure, by adequate forethought. Jomini, who admitted -that Napoleon seemed never to provide for a retreat, very suggestively -added: “When Napoleon was present, no one thought of such a provision.” -In like manner Washington had the confidence of his troops. - -It certainly is not anticipating the test of Washington, as Soldier, to -state some characteristics which were peculiarly his own. His most -memorable and determining acts were performed when he was clothed with -ample authority by Congress, or the emergency forced him to make his own -will supreme. In the course of this narrative it will appear that -Congress did at last formally emancipate him from the constraint of -councils. Whenever he doubted, others doubted. Whenever he was -persistent, he inspired the nerve and courage which realized results, -even though in a modified form of execution. Partial disappointments or -deferred realization did not shatter nor weaken his faith. Washington, -the American Commander-in-Chief, was in such a mood on the first day of -March, 1776. He had a plan, a secret plan, and kept his secret well, -until the stroke was ready for delivery. - -And yet, the progress of the siege up to this date, and through two long -winter months, had not been wholly spent in details for its certain -success. Even after the first day of January, when he became acquainted -with the proposed movement of General Clinton, he began to anticipate -such a movement as an indication of his own future action. A selection -of guns for field service was carefully made; batteries were organized -and thoroughly drilled. Then, as ever after, during the war, -artillerists were few in number, and the service was never popular. The -hauling of heavy guns by hand, then with rare exceptions habitual, made -the service very hard; and accuracy of fire cost laborious practice, -especially where powder was scarce, even for exigent service. Wagons -were also provided. Medical supplies were collected and packed in -portable chests. He also inquired into the nature of the New England -roads when the frosts of spring first tweak the soil, and was informed -that they would be almost impassable for loaded wagons and heavy -artillery. - -During the same months the condition of Canada had become seriously -critical, through the activity of General Carleton who expected -reënforcements from England, and had already threatened the northern -border. It seemed to Washington that Congress might even divert a part -of his own army to support the army in Canada, upon the acquisition of -Boston and the retirement of its British garrison. The ultimate -destination of that garrison, in whole or in part, was full of uncertain -relations to his own movements. The disposition of the large royalist -element in Boston was also an object of care; but looming above all -other considerations was the supreme fact that the war now begun was one -which embraced every Colony, every section; and that the conflict with -Great Britain was to be as broad and desperate as her power was great -and pervasive. - -And yet, under so vast and varied responsibilities, he matured and -withheld from his confiding troops the secret of his purpose to capture -Boston suddenly and surely, until the day of its crowning fulfilment -arrived. - -Just after sunset, on that New England spring evening, from Lechmere -Point, past Cobble Hill, and through the long range of encircling -batteries, clear to the Roxbury line on the right, every mortar and -cannon which could take Boston in range opened fire upon the quiet city. - -But this was only a preliminary test of the location, range, and power -of the adversary fire. The British guns responded with spirit, and -equally well disclosed to competent artillery experts distributed along -the American lines, the weight, efficiency, and disposition of their -batteries so suddenly called into action. - -At sunrise of March 2d, the American army seemed not to have heard the -cannonading of the previous night; or, wondering at such a waste of -precious powder, shot, and shell, rested from the real experience of -handling heavy guns against the city and an invisible foe, at night. And -through the entire day the army rested. No parades were ordered. Only -the formal calls of routine duty were sounded by fife and drum. No heads -appeared above the ramparts. The tents were crowded with earnest men, -tilling powder-horns, casting or counting bullets, cleaning their -“firelocks,” as they were called in the official drill manual of those -times, and writing letters to their friends at home. The quiet of that -camp was intense, but faces were not gloomy in expression, neither was -there any sign of special dread of the approaching conflict, which -everybody felt to be immediately at hand. As officers went the rounds to -see that silence was fully observed, it was enough to satisfy every -curious inquirer as to its purpose,—“It is Washington’s order.” And all -this time, behind the American headquarters, Rufus Putnam, civil -engineer, Knox, Chief of Artillery, Mifflin, Quartermaster-General, and -General Thomas, were ceaselessly at work, studying the plans and taking -their final instructions from the Commander-in-Chief. - -On the night of the third of March, soon after that evening’s sunset-gun -had closed the formal duties of the day, and seemingly by spontaneous -will, all along the front, the bombardment was renewed with the same -vigor, and was promptly responded to. But some of the British batteries -had been differently disposed, as if the garrison either anticipated an -attack upon their works on Bunker Hill, or a landing upon the Common, -where both land and water batteries guarded approach. (See map.) - -This second bombardment had been more effective in its range. One solid -shot from the city reached Prospect Hill, but no appreciable damage had -been done to the American works; but some houses in Boston had been -penetrated by shot, and in one barrack six soldiers had been wounded. -Places of safety began to be hunted for. Artificial obstructions were -interposed in some open spaces for protection from random shot and -shell. No detail under orders, and no call for volunteers, to break up -the investment of the city, had been made. No excited commander, as on -the seventeenth of June, 1775, tendered his services to lead British -regulars against Cambridge, to seize and bring back for trial, as -traitor, the arch-rebel of the defiant Colonists. Red uniforms were -indeed resplendent in the sunlight; but there was no irrepressible -impulse to assail earthworks, which had been the work of months, and not -of a single night, and behind which twenty thousand countrymen eagerly -awaited battle. And on this day, as before, the quiet of the graveyard -on Beacon Hill was no more solemn and pervasive than was the calm and -patient resting of the same twenty thousand countrymen, waiting only for -some call to duty from the lips of their silent Commander-in-Chief. - -The fourth of March closed, and the night was mild and hazy. The moon -was at its full. It was a good night for rest. Possibly such a whisper -as this might have pervaded the Boston barracks, and lulled anxious -royalists to slumber. “Surely the rebels cannot afford further waste of -powder. They impoverish themselves. Sleep on! Boston is safe!” Not so! -As the sun went down, the whole American camp was alive with its teeming -thousands; not ostentatiously paraded upon parapet and bastion, but -patiently awaiting the meaning of a mysterious hint, which kept even the -inmates of hospital tents from sleeping, that “Washington had promised -them Boston on the morrow.” - -From “early candle-lighting” to the clear light of another dawn, -incessant thunder rolled over camp and city. The same quick flashes -showed that fire ran all along the line; and still, the occupants of -camp and city, standing by their guns, or sheltered from their fire, -dragged through the night, impatiently waiting for daylight to test the -night’s experience, as daylight had done before. - -At earliest break of day it was announced to General Howe that “two -strong rebel redoubts capped Dorchester Heights.” The news spread -quickly, after the excitements of the night. There was no more easy -slumber in the royal bed-chamber of British repose, nor in the luxurious -apartments of the favored subjects of George III., in the city of -Boston, on that fifth day of March, 1776. - -“If the Americans retain possession of the Heights,” said Admiral -Shuldham, “I cannot keep a vessel in the harbor.” - -General Howe advised Lord Dartmouth that “it must have been the -employment of at least twelve thousand men.” - -Another British officer said, “These works were raised with an -expedition equal to that of the genii belonging to Aladdin’s lamp.” - -Lord Howe said, further, “The rebels have done more in one night than my -whole army would have done in a month.” - -“Perhaps,” said Heath, “there never was as much done in so short a -space.” - -The reader of this narrative, whether citizen or soldier, cannot fail to -be interested in some account of the extreme simplicity with which the -construction of these works had been carried on. The earth, at that -time, was frozen to the depth of eighteen inches, rendering the use of -pick-axe and shovel, and all intrenching-tools, of little use; besides, -the noise of their handling would have betrayed the workmen. The secret -of Washington’s silent preparatory work, and the accumulation of such -heaps of material behind his headquarters, is revealed. Hoop-poles, for -hurdles and fascines,—branches cut from apple orchards, and along -brooks, for abatis, even as far out as the present suburban towns of -Brookline, Milton, Mattapan, and Hyde Park, had been accumulated in -great quantities. Large bales of compressed hay, which were proof -against any ordinary cannon-ball, had been procured also, so that the -merely heaping up and arranging these under the personal direction of -Engineer Putnam, according to a plan fully digested in advance, was but -easy work for a class of country soldiers peculiarly “handy” with all -such materials. Then, on the tops of the improvised redoubts, were -barrels filled with stones. These, at the proper time, were to be rolled -down the hill, to disconcert the formal array of steadily advancing -British regulars. - -The management of the whole affair was hardly less simple. Eight hundred -soldiers, not needed during the cannonading, quietly marched out of camp -the night before,—some between Boston and Dorchester Heights, and others -at the east end of the peninsula, opposite Castle Island; while still -others, with tools, and a supporting party of twelve hundred soldiers -under General Thomas, followed the advance. Three hundred carts, loaded -with suitable material, followed. - -All this movement was liable to be discovered in spite of the incessant -roar of heavy ordnance over the works of besiegers and besieged. The -flash of heated guns or bursting bombs might light up the trail of this -slowly crawling expedition, and vast interests were staked upon the -daring venture. But, along the most exposed parts of the way, the bales -of pressed hay had been placed as a protecting screen; and behind its -sufficient cover, the carts passed to and fro in safety. Even the moon -itself only deepened the shadow of this artificial protector, while in -position to light, as by day, the steps of the advancing patriots. And -there was, also, a brisk north wind which bore away from the city, -southward, all sounds which were not already lost in the hurricane of -war that hushed all but those of battle. - -But the American Commander-in-Chief had fully anticipated the possible -incident of a premature discovery of his design against Dorchester. The -success of his plans for the night did not wholly depend upon the -undisturbed occupation and fortification of Dorchester Heights. That -silent procession of two thousand countrymen was not, as at Bunker Hill, -a sort of “forlorn-hope” affair. It was not hurried, nor was it costly -of strength or patience. Reliefs came and went; and the system, order, -and progress that marked each hour could not have been better realized -by day. Instructions had been explicit; and these were executed with -coolness and precision, as a simple matter of fact, to be done as -ordered by Washington. - -The silent preparations of the preceding day had provided for the main -body of the American army other employment than a listless watch of a -vigorous bombardment and its pyrotechnic illumination of the skies. At -battery “Number Two,” the floating batteries and batteaux were fully -manned, for crossing to Boston. Greene and Sullivan, with four thousand -thoroughly rested troops, and these carefully picked men, were ready to -move on the instant, if the garrison attempted to interfere with -Washington’s original purpose. - -An eminent historian thus characterized the event: “One unexpended -combination, concerted with faultless ability, and suddenly executed, -had, in a few hours, made General Howe’s position at Boston untenable.” - -As soon as General Howe appreciated the changed conditions of his -relations to the besieging rebels, he despatched Earl Percy, who had met -rebels twice before, with twenty-four hundred troops to dislodge the -enemy from Dorchester Heights. The command moved promptly, by boats, to -Castle Island, for the purpose of making a night attack. Sharp-shooting, -by the American “Minute Men,” in broad daylight, behind breastworks, was -not courted by Percy on this occasion, nor desired by General Howe. -During the afternoon a storm arose from the south, which increased to a -gale, followed at night by torrents of rain. Some boats were cast -ashore, and the entire expedition was abandoned. - -By the tenth of March, the Americans had fortified Nook’s Hill; and this -drove the British from Boston Neck. During that single night, eight -hundred shot and shell were thrown into the city from the American -lines. - -On the seventeenth of March, the British forces, numbering, with the -seamen of the fleet, not quite eleven thousand men, embarked in one -hundred and twenty transports for Halifax. The conditions of this -embarkation without hindrance from the American army had been settled by -an agreement on the part of the British authorities that the city should -be left intact from fire, or other injury, and that the property of -royalists, of whom nearly fifteen hundred accompanied the troops, should -be also safe from violation by the incoming garrison. As the last boats -left, General Ward occupied the city with a garrison of five thousand -troops. - -[Illustration: - - WASHINGTON AT BOSTON. - - [From Stuart’s painting.] -] - -Of two hundred and fifty cannon left behind, nearly one-half were -serviceable. Other valuable stores, and the capture of several -store-vessels which entered the harbor without knowledge of the -departure of the British troops, largely swelled the contributions to -the American material of war. - -The siege of Boston came to an end. New England was free from the -presence of British garrisons. The mission of Washington to -Massachusetts Colony, as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army of -America, had fulfilled its purpose. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - SYSTEMATIC WAR WITH BRITAIN BEGUN. - - -Within twenty-four hours after General Howe embarked his army, the -American Commander-in-Chief developed his matured plan to anticipate any -design of General Clinton to occupy New York City. The great number of -fugitive royalists who accompanied Howe’s fleet and encumbered even the -decks of battleships with their personal effects, and the necessity of -consulting the wishes of very influential families among their number, -were substantial reasons for the selection of Halifax as the destination -of the ships. But of still greater importance was the reorganization of -his army, and a new supply of munitions of war, in place of those which -had been expended, or abandoned on account of the siege of Boston. Time -was also required for the preparation and equipment of any new -expedition, whether in support of Carleton in Canada, or to move -southward. - -Washington did not even enter Boston until he started General Heath with -five regiments and part of the artillery for New York. On the twentieth -the Commander-in-Chief entered the city. - -The British fleet was weatherbound in Nantasket Roads for ten days; but -on the twenty-seventh day of March, when it finally went to sea, the -entire American army, with the exception of the Boston garrison, was -placed under orders to follow the advance division. General Sullivan -marched the same day upon which he received orders; another division -marched April 3d, and on the 4th General Spencer left with the last -brigade, Washington leaving the same night. - -In order to anticipate any possible delay of the troops in reaching -their destination, he had already requested Governor Trumbull, of -Connecticut, to reënforce the New York garrison with two thousand men -from Western Connecticut; and he also instructed the commanding officer -in that city to apply to the Provincial Convention, or to the Committee -of Safety of New Jersey, to furnish a thousand men for the same purpose. -In advising Congress of this additional expense, incurred through his -own forethought, but without authority of Congress, he wrote thus -discreetly: “Past experience and the lines in Boston and on Boston Neck -point out the propriety and suggest the necessity of keeping our enemies -from gaining possession and making a lodgment.” - -The Continental Army had entered upon its first active campaign; but -before Washington left Cambridge he arranged for the assembling of -transports at Norwich, Conn., thereby to save the long coastwise march -to New York; and digested a careful itinerary of daily marches, by which -the different divisions would not crowd one upon another. -Quartermaster-General Mifflin was intrusted with the duty of preparing -barracks, quarters, and forage for the use of the troops on their -arrival, and all the governors of New England were conferred with as to -the contingencies of British raids upon exposed sea-coast towns, after -removal of the army from Boston. A careful system of keeping the Pay -Accounts of officers was also devised, and this, with the examination of -an alleged complicity of officers with the purchase of army supplies, -added to the preliminary work of getting his army ready for the best of -service in garrison or the field. Two companies of artillery, with shot -and shell, were detailed to report to General Thomas, who had been -ordered by Congress to Canada, _vice_ General Lee ordered southward. - -Washington’s journey to New York was via Providence, Norwich, and New -London, in order to inspect and hasten the departure of the troops. - -A reference to the situation in that city is necessary to an -appreciation of the development which ensued immediately upon the -arrival of the Commander-in-Chief. - -William Tryon, who subsequently invaded Connecticut twice, and left his -devastating impress upon Danbury, Ridgefield, New Haven, Fairfield, -Norwalk, and Green Farms, was the royal Governor of New York. It is -interesting to recall the antecedents of this governor. He had been -Governor of North Carolina once, and attempted a part similar to that so -foolishly played by Governor Gage at Lexington and Concord. Until this -day, the people of North Carolina will cite the “Battle of Alamance,” -which was a pretty sharp fight between Tryon’s forces and the yeomanry -of the “Old North State,” on the sixteenth day of May, 1771, as the -first blood shed in resistance to the usurpations of the royal -prerogative. It was the same William Tryon, in person, temperament, and -methods, who governed New York City in 1776, and Washington knew him -thoroughly. The royalists and patriots of New York City, in the absence -of a controlling force of either British or Continental troops, -commingled daily. A few British men-of-war really controlled its waters; -but the city was practically at rest. There prevailed a general -understanding that each party should retain its own views; that the -officers of the Crown should keep within the technical line of their -official duty, and that the citizens would not interfere. Congress had -no troops to spare, and there was quite a general suspension of arming, -except to supply the regiments already in the field. - -An extraordinary coincidence of the arrival of General Clinton from -Halifax, with a small force, and the arrival, on the same day, of -General Lee, from Connecticut, with about fifteen hundred volunteers, -brought this condition of armed neutrality to an end. Clinton had -positive orders to “destroy all towns that refused submission.” When -Clinton cast anchor at Sandy Hook and communicated with Governor Tryon, -and learned the facts, he judiciously made the official courtesy due to -the governor his plausible excuse for entering the harbor at all, “being -ordered southward.” Lee, doubtful of Clinton’s real purpose, fortified -Brooklyn Heights back of Governor’s Island, and began also to fortify -the city, at the south end of the island, still called “The Battery.” -Clinton followed his orders, sailed southward, visited Lord Dunmore in -Chesapeake Bay, joined Earl Cornwallis at Wilmington, N.C., in May, on -the arrival of that officer from Ireland, and took part with him in the -operations against Fort Sullivan (afterwards Fort Moultrie) near -Charleston, during the succeeding summer. - -Lee, ever arrogating to himself supreme command, whenever detached, -placed the Connecticut volunteers whom he accompanied to New York upon a -Continental basis of service. In this he deliberately exceeded his -authority and came into direct collision with Congress, which had -ordered one of the regiments to be disbanded; and offended the New York -patriots, whom he characterized as the “accursed Provincial Congress of -New York.” His action received the official disapproval of Washington; -and the visit of a Committee of Congress accommodated the formal -occupation by the Colonial troops to the judgment of all well-disposed -citizens. In no respect was the episode of Lee’s temporary command a -reflection upon the patriotism of the citizens. He was ordered to the -south; and in the attack upon Fort Sullivan and the preparation of -Charleston for defence he gave much good advice, but had to be repressed -and controlled all the time by President Rutledge, who was as resolute -as Washington himself in the discharge of public duty once confided to -his trust. The attitude of South Carolina, at this time, deserves -special mention, and it has hardly received sufficient recognition in -the development of the United States. Without waiting for the united -action of the Colonies this State declared its own independence as a -sovereign republic. John Rutledge was elected as President, with Henry -Laurens as Vice-President, and William H. Drayton as Chief Justice. An -army and navy were authorized; a Privy Council and Assembly were also -elected; the issue of six hundred thousand dollars of paper money was -authorized, as well as the issue of coin. It was the first republic in -the New World to perfect the organization of an independent State. - -When Lee was ordered southward, General Thomas had been ordered to -Canada; and the first act of Washington, after his arrival at New York, -was the enforced depletion of his command by the detail of four -battalions as a reënforcement to the army in Canada. These he sent by -water to Albany, “to ease the men of fatigue.” He also sent five hundred -barrels of provisions to Schuyler’s command on the twenty-second. - -The activity of the army about headquarters aroused the royalist element -and prompt action became necessary. Washington addressed a letter to the -New York Committee of Safety, directing that further correspondence with -the enemy must cease, closing as follows: “We must consider ourselves in -a state of war, or peace, with Great Britain.” He enforced these views -with emphasis. - -Late at night, on the twenty-fifth, an order was received from Congress -directing him to send six additional battalions to Canada, requesting -also an immediate report as to “whether still additional regiments could -be spared for that purpose.” General Sullivan accompanied this division; -and with him were such men as Stark, Reed, Wayne, and Irvine. In reply -to Congress, Washington stated that “by this division of forces there -was danger that neither army, that sent to Canada and that kept at New -York, would be sufficient, because Great Britain would both attempt to -relieve Canada and capture New York, both being of the greatest -importance to them, if they have the men.” - -On the twenty-eighth day of April the whole army in New York amounted to -ten thousand two hundred and thirty-five men, of whom eight thousand -three hundred and three were present and fit for duty. Washington’s -Orderly Book, of this period, rebukes certain disorderly conduct of the -soldiers in these memorable words: “Men are not to carve out remedies -for themselves. If they are injured in any respect, there are legal ways -to obtain relief, and just complaints will always be attended to and -redressed.” - -At this time, Rhode Island called for protection of her threatened -ports, and two regiments of her militia were taken into Continental Pay. -Washington was also advised that Great Britain had contracted with -various European States for military contingents; that the sentiment in -Canada had changed to antipathy, and that continual disaster attended -all operations in that department. On the twenty-fourth he wrote to -Schuyler: “We expect a very bloody summer at Canada and New York; as it -is there, I presume, that the great efforts of the enemy will be aimed; -and I am very sorry to say that we are not, in men and arms, prepared -for it.” - -General Putnam was placed in command at New York, and General Greene -took charge of the defences on Brooklyn Heights and of their completion. -On the first day of June Congress resolved that six thousand additional -troops should be employed from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, -Connecticut, and New York, to reënforce the army in Canada, and that two -thousand Indians should be hired for this same field of service. To this -proposition General Schuyler keenly replied: “If this number, two -thousand, can be prevented from joining the enemy, it is more than can -be expected.” - -As early as the fifteenth of February Congress had appointed Benjamin -Franklin, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll, as Commissioners to visit -Canada and learn both the exact condition of the army and the temper of -the people. Rev. John Carroll, afterwards Archbishop of Maryland, -accompanied them, and reported that “negligence, mismanagement, and a -combination of unlucky incidents had produced a disorder that it was too -late to remedy.” Ill-health compelled the immediate return of Franklin, -but the other Commissioners remained until the evacuation of Canada. The -scourge of small-pox, to which General Thomas became a victim, and other -diseases, together with the casualties of the service, had cost more -than five thousand lives within two months, and the constant change of -commanders, ordered by Congress, hastened the Canadian campaign to a -crisis. Scattered all the way from Albany to Montreal there could have -been found companies of the regiments which Congress had started for -Canada, and which Washington and the country could so poorly spare at -such an eventful and threatening period. General Sullivan had been -succeeded by General Gates, but with no better results. Sullivan had -under-estimated the British forces, and when apprised of the facts, of -which the American Commander-in-Chief had not been advised in time, he -wrote: “I now only think of a glorious death, or a victory obtained -against superior numbers.” The following letter of Washington addressed -to Congress, enclosing letters intimating the desire of General Sullivan -to have larger command, indicates Washington’s judgment of the -situation, and is in harmony with his habitual discernment of men and -the times throughout the war. He says: “He (Sullivan) is active, -spirited, and zealously attached to our cause. He has his wants and his -foibles. The latter are manifested in his little tincture of vanity -which now and then leads him into embarrassments. His wants are common -to us all. He wants experience, to move on a large scale; for the -limited and contracted knowledge which any of us have in military -matters, stands in very little stead, and is quickly overbalanced by -sound judgment and some acquaintance with men and books, especially when -accompanied by an enterprising genius, which I must do General Sullivan -the justice to say, I think he possesses. Congress will therefore -determine upon the propriety of continuing him in Canada, or sending -another, as they shall see fit.” - -Already the St. Lawrence river was open to navigation. On the first of -June, General Riedesel arrived with troops from Brunswick, and General -Burgoyne with troops from Ireland, swelling the command of General -Carleton to an aggregate of nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-four -effective men; and British preparations were at once made to take the -offensive, and expel the American force from Canada. Before the last of -June the “invasion of Canada” came to an end, and the remnants of the -army, which had numbered more than ten thousand men, returned, worn out, -dispirited, and beaten. - -Washington had been stripped of troops and good officers at a most -critical period, against his remonstrance; and Congress accounted for -the disaster by this brief record: “Undertaken too late in the fall; -enlistments too short; the haste which forced immature expeditions for -fear there would be no men to undertake them, and the small-pox.” - -Gradually the principal officers and many of the returning troops joined -the army at New York. The occupation of New York, the fortification and -defence of Brooklyn Heights, the tardy withdrawal of the army to Harlem -Heights, with a constant and stubborn resistance to the advancing -British army and its menacing ships-of-war, have always been treated as -of questionable policy by writers who have not weighed each of those -incidents as did Washington, by their effect upon the Continental army, -as a whole, and in the light of a distinctly framed plan for the conduct -of the war. This plan was harmonious and persistently maintained from -his assumption of command until the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, -in 1781. - -Operations in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, south as well as north, from -the first, proved that the heat of patriotic resistance must be -maintained and developed by action; that, as at Bunker Hill and before -Boston, passive armies lose confidence, while active duty, even under -high pressure, nerves to bolder courage and more pronounced vigor. - -The correspondence of Washington and his Reports, as well as letters to -confidential friends which have been carefully considered in forming an -estimate of his career as a Soldier, evolve propositions that bear upon -the operations about New York. The prime factor in the Colonial -resistance was, to fix the belief irrevocably in the popular mind, in -the very heart of the Colonists, that America could, and would, resist -Great Britain, with confidence in success. The inevitable first step was -to challenge her mastery of the only base from which she could conduct a -successful war. To have declined this assertion of Colonial right, or to -have wavered as to its enforcement, would have been a practical -admission of weakness and the loss of all prestige thus far attained. - -It was well known to Washington that the British Government was so -related to Continental rivals that about forty thousand troops would be -the extreme limit of her contributions to subdue America. It will appear -from official tables, appended to this narrative, that, during the -entire war, the British force of every kind, throughout America, -exceeded this number slightly in only one year; and that Washington’s -plans, from time to time submitted to Congress, were based upon -requisitions fully competent to meet the largest possible force which -could be placed in the field by Great Britain. - -It was further evident that resistance of the first attempt of the -British to land, and the reduction of their numbers and supplies, by -constant, persistent, and confident battle, would not only dispirit that -army, but equally arouse the spirit of the American army, assure its -discipline, and stimulate both Congress and the people to furnish -adequate men and means to prosecute the war to success. Prolonged face -to face hostilities in and about New York, therefore, indicated not only -Washington’s faith in success, but prolonged the restriction of British -operations to a very limited field. - -The Declaration of American Independence, on the Fourth Day of July, -1776, was an emphatic act that enlarged his faith and inspired -resistance, upon the plans so carefully matured before that event. And, -even if there be taken into account the peculiar circumstances which -facilitated the eventual retreat from Brooklyn Heights, it is no less -true that the Battle of Long Island, the resistance at Pell’s Point, -Harlem Heights, White Plains, and about Fort Washington, were -characterized by a persistency of purpose and a stubbornness of -hand-to-hand fighting, which kept his main army practically intact, and -enabled him to terminate the campaign of 1776 with a master stroke that -astounded the world, and challenged the admiration of the best soldiers -of that period. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - BRITAIN AGAINST AMERICA.—HOWE INVADES NEW YORK. - - -In order rightly to measure the American War for Independence by fixed -standards, it is both interesting and instructive to notice the -systematic method adopted by Great Britain to suppress revolution and -restore her supremacy over the revolting Colonies. The recovery of -Boston was no longer to be seriously considered; but New England, as a -strong and populous centre of disaffection, must still be so restricted -through her coast exposure as to prevent her proportionate contribution -to the Continental army at New York. If threatened from the north, New -York also would be compelled to retain a large force of fully equipped -militia for frontier defence. The occupation of Newport, R.I., which was -only one day’s forced march from Boston, together with the patrol of -Long Island Sound by ships-of-war, would therefore be positive factors -in both limiting a draft and the transportation of troops from -Massachusetts. If to this were added the control of the Hudson River, by -a competent fleet, the whole of New England would be cut off from -actively supporting the forces to be raised in the Middle Colonies. - -The fiery spirit and patriotic fervor of Virginia, as well as the lusty -vigor of North Carolina and other Southern patriots, must also be -subjected to a military surveillance and pressure from the sea, and -thus, equally with New England, be deprived of a free and full -contribution of its proper quota to the American army. - -The three sections named, using New York as the base of all British -demonstrations in force, represented so many radiating belts, or zones, -of military operation; and to secure ultimate British success, each of -these zones must be so occupied in its own defence that a force from New -York could be thrown with overwhelming effect upon each, in turn, and -thus render it practically impossible for Washington to concentrate an -effective army of resistance to each assailing column. To the southward, -the waters of Delaware and Chesapeake bays, if once occupied by a -sufficient fleet, would sever the lower Colonies from the American -centre of service, as effectively as those of Long Island and the Hudson -River would isolate New England. This was a sound military policy, and -had been fully adopted so soon as Lord Howe received reënforcements and -recovered breath after his severe punishment at Boston. - -The adoption of New York as the base of all British supply, as well as -service, not only had its central and dominating site for the -rendezvous, equipment, and despatch of troops, but through its auxiliary -naval stations at Halifax and the West Indies, afforded opportunities -for expeditions where large land forces were not required, and still -keep such threatened localities under constant terror of assault. - -These considerations will have their better appreciation as the progress -of the narrative unfolds successive campaigns. - -_Sooner_ or _later_, in order to achieve absolute independence, and -vanquish Great Britain in the fight, _the American army must so -neutralize the domination of New York, that its occupation by either -army would cease to be the determining factor in the final result of the -war_. - -The prestige of Great Britain was overshadowing; but could its arm reach -the range of its shadow? Her fleets were many and mighty, but so were -those of her jealous foes across the British Channel. Her armies in -America must be adequate for operations in each of the zones mentioned, -and be constantly supplied with munitions of war and every other -accessory of successful field service. And, on the other hand, the -American army, almost wholly dependent upon land transportation and hard -marching, must have a correspondingly larger force, or fail to -concentrate and fight upon equal terms with its adversary. - -The British Government having adopted a sound military policy, so soon -as the object lessons of Lexington, Bunker Hill, and their expulsion -from Boston unveiled their dull vision, did not fail to realize the -necessity for an army strong enough to meet the full requirements of -that policy. Forty regiments were assigned to the American service.[3] -But the militia of New England had already driven twenty battalions -(half the number) from its coast. Washington was no careless observer of -European conditions, nor of the straitened nature of the British army -organization, however superior to rivals on the sea. His deliberate -conviction, ever a rallying force to his faith in deepest peril, that -Britain could never spare more than one more army as large as the -garrison of Boston, was the result of almost literal insight of the -practical resources at her command. Hence, that Government contracted -with petty European principalities for seventeen thousand men, for -immediate delivery. These men were impressed and paid wages by their own -local princes who speculated on the greater sums to be paid them, _per -capita_, by Great Britain. The former estimate of General Gage, at -twenty thousand men, and his significant hint as to the need of more -than that force, was no longer ridiculed; but forty thousand was decided -to be the minimum number required for the immediate prosecution of the -war. Taking into account the foreign troops, the British ministry -estimated as available for the American service a total, on paper, of -fifty-five thousand men. To this was to be added, upon their hopeful -estimate, four thousand Canadians, Indians, and royalists. Allowing for -every possible shrinkage, on account of weakened regiments and other -contingencies, the effective force was officially placed at forty -thousand men. - -Footnote 3: - - See Appendix for regiments designated. - -Two facts are significant in connection with this specious estimate of -the British army. If the drain of this forcible conscription upon the -industry of Hesse-Cassel and Hanau had been applied to England and -Wales, at that date, it would have raised an army of four hundred -thousand men; and yet, Britain did not venture to draw from her own -subjects, at home, for the defence of her own Crown. - -Washington rightly conceived that the whole scheme would divide the -sentiment of the British people, and that the success even of these -mercenary troops, against their own blood in America, would prove no -source of pride or congratulation. It was his intense love of English -liberty, exhibited in its history, that undergirded his soul with -sustaining faith in American liberty; and he read the hearts of the -English people aright. - -He did not wait long for its echo. The Duke of Richmond used this -emphatic and prophetic utterance: “An army of foreigners is now to be -introduced into the British dominion; not to protect them from invasion, -not to deliver them from the ravages of a hostile army, but to assist -one-half of the inhabitants in massacring the other. Unprovided with a -sufficient number of troops for the cruel purpose; or, unable to prevail -upon the natives of the country [England] to lend their hands to such a -sanguinary business, Ministers have applied to those foreign princes who -trade in human blood, and have hired mercenaries for the work of -destruction.” His closing sentence foreshadowed the alliance of America -with Louis XVI., of France. It reads thus: “The Colonies themselves, -after our example, will apply to strangers for assistance.” - -This British army was designed for four distinct, and as nearly as -possible, concurrent, operations: one through Canada, down the Hudson -River to Albany and New York, with divergent pressure upon New England -and central New York; one to occupy Newport, R.I.; the third to control -New York City and its related territory in New Jersey; and the fourth -against representative centres at the South. - -Reference has been made to the anxiety expressed by Washington as early -as February, 1776, lest the siege of Boston might be protracted until -Britain could invade the other colonies, particularly New York, with an -overwhelming retentive force. As a fact, only surmised and not known by -him for weeks, Sir Peter Parker and Earl Cornwallis were ready to start -from Cork, Ireland, by the twentieth of January; but did not sail until -the thirteenth of February, and then the transports and ships were so -buffeted by storms, and driven back for refitting, as not to reach -Wilmington, N.C., until the third day of May. Here, as before indicated, -he was joined by General Clinton, and both had the suggestive lesson of -American courage in their repulse by the brave Moultrie, at Charleston, -on the twenty-eighth of June. - -And now we are to consider Washington’s reception of the most formidable -of these expeditions. - -General Howe sailed from Halifax on the tenth of June with one hundred -and twenty square-rigged vessels besides smaller craft; and on the fifth -day of July the entire force, amounting to nine thousand two hundred -men, was landed upon Staten Island, in the lower bay of New York. During -the voyage two transports were captured by American privateers, and -General Sir William Erskine, with a part of the seventy-first Highland -Regiment, were made prisoners. The incident is worthy of notice as -materially affecting the correspondence between Washington and General -Howe, shortly after the event. - -General Howe reached Sandy Hook in the despatch frigate “Greyhound,” on -the twenty-fifth of June, and held a secret conference with Governor -Tryon, on shipboard. His fleet first cast anchor at Gravesend Cove, July -1st, but after conference with Governor Tryon, he changed his purpose. -He would be too near Washington. He wrote to Lord Germaine on July 8th -as follows: “He declined to land, as being so near the front of the -enemy’s works. It would be too hazardous, until the arrival of the -troops with Commodore Holtham, daily expected. He was also waiting for -the return of General Clinton, and deemed it best to defer the -possession of Rhode Island until the arrival of the second embarkation -from Europe, unless Carleton should penetrate early into this province -[New York].” The letter thus closes: “As I must esteem an impression -upon the enemy’s principal force collected in this quarter to be the -first object of my attention, I shall hold it steadily in view without -losing sight of those which may be only considered collateral.” - -Admiral Lord Richard Howe arrived on July 12th with a powerful squadron -and one hundred and fifty transports filled with troops. On the -thirteenth a communication was despatched to George Washington, _Esqr._, -on behalf of the Brothers Howe, Commissioners, proposing terms of peace. -Washington, in a letter to Schuyler, facetiously styled these gentlemen -“Commissioners to dispense pardon to repenting sinners.” Howe’s -Adjutant-General, Patterson, called upon General Washington, on the -twentieth of July, respecting the exchange of prisoners, especially -General Erskine, and, “purely to effect, the exchange of these -prisoners,” addressed Washington by his military title. - -Generals Clinton and Cornwallis, repulsed at Charleston, arrived August -first, and Commodore Holtham, having arrived on the twelfth, landed -twenty-six hundred British troops, eight thousand four hundred Hessians, -and camp equipage for the entire army. On the fifteenth Sir Peter Parker -arrived with twenty-four sail from the south. - -The British army thus encamped on Staten Island numbered, all told, -thirty-one thousand six hundred and twenty-five men. The effective -force, for duty, was twenty-six thousand nine hundred and eight, of -which number twenty thousand accompanied General Howe to the attack upon -Brooklyn Heights. This was the largest army under one command during the -war. - -Washington was fully advised of every movement, and the Proclamation of -Commissioner Howe to the people was circulated with his full approval. -Sensational rumors were as common then as in modern times. As late as -the nineteenth of August General Roberdeau notified Washington, in all -seriousness, that “a post-rider had told him, with great confidence, -that General Howe had proposed to retire with the fleet and army, and -was willing to settle the present dispute on any terms asked by -Washington: that this came from an officer who was willing to swear to -it; but as it might have a tendency to lull the inhabitants, he made it -the subject of an express.” This was based upon another false rumor, -that England and France were at war. Such “recklessness of -gossip-mongers” received from Washington a scorching rebuke which he -declared to be the “more important, since many of those who opposed the -war, on account of business relations with the British authorities, were -most active in words, while lacking in courage to take up arms on either -side.” - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND. - - -Only a summary analysis of the Battle of Long Island is required for -explanation of the general operations indicated upon the map. Almost -every hour had its incidents of eventful interest, and few historic -battles, from its first conception to the ultimate result, more -strikingly illustrate the influence of one regardful judgment which -could convert unpromising features into conditions of final benefit. The -value of military discipline, of presence of mind, and the subordination -of every will to one ruling spirit, never had a more definite -illustration.[4] The infinite value of small details, in preparation for -and the conduct of so serious a venture as to meet this great British -army, is exhibited at every phase of its progress. - -Footnote 4: - - See “Battles of the Revolution,” Chapter XXXI. - -The American army contrasted unfavorably with its adversary in every -respect. Although the British forces, and generally the American forces -employed during the years of the war, are to be found stated in the -Appendix, the official roll of Washington’s army, on this occasion, will -add interest to the event. - -On the third of August its strength was as follows: Commissioned -officers and staff, twelve hundred and twenty-five; non-commissioned -officers, fifteen hundred and two; present for duty, ten thousand five -hundred and fourteen; sick, present and absent, three thousand six -hundred and seventy-eight: making a total of seventeen thousand two -hundred and twenty-five men. - -Less than one-third of this force had served from the beginning of the -war. The artillery battalion of Colonel Knox numbered less than six -hundred men, and the guns themselves were of various patterns and -calibre, to be handled by men who knew little of their use or range. On -the fifth of August Governor Trumbull of Connecticut assured Washington -that “he did not greatly dread what the enemy could do, trusting Heaven -to support us, knowing our cause to be righteous.” Washington’s reply, -dated the seventh, was characteristic and practical: “To trust in the -justice of our cause, without our utmost exertion, would be tempting -Providence.” Although Trumbull had already sent five regiments forward, -he soon sent nine additional regiments, averaging about three hundred -men each, in time to be present when the British eventually landed in -Westchester County. - -Two regiments under Colonel Prescott, of Bunker Hill fame, were on duty -upon Governor’s Island. The works on Long Island, begun by General Lee, -had been completed by General Greene, who had explored the country -thoroughly and knew the range of every piece. A redoubt with seven guns -crowned the Heights. The exposed point of Red Hook, a combination of -marsh and solid land, was supplied with five guns. The intrenchments, -more than a half mile in length, were protected by abatis and four -redoubts which mounted twenty guns. Greene occupied these redoubts and -lines with two regiments of Long Island militia and six regiments of -Continental troops, not one of which exceeded four hundred men, for -duty. The line extended from Wallabout, the present Navy Yard, to -Gowanus Bay. - -The total nominal strength of the American army about New York on the -twenty-sixth of August, including the sick, non-effectives, and those -without arms, was a little over twenty-seven thousand men. The -Connecticut regiments which had just joined brought such arms as they -could provide for themselves, and were simply that many citizens with -nominal organization, but without drill. - -Meanwhile, the entire line from Brooklyn to King’s Bridge, fifteen -miles, with the navigable waters of the Hudson, the Harlem, and East -rivers, and their shore approaches, had to be guarded. It was not -entirely certain but that Howe simply feigned an attack upon the -intrenched position upon the Heights, to draw thither Washington’s best -troops, and take the city by water approach. Paulus Hook, then an -island, was fortified in a measure, but was unable to prevent the -passage of two vessels which at once cut off water communication with -Albany and the northern American army. - -Washington had previously issued orders for the government of -sharp-shooters; and particularly, “not to throw away fire. To fire first -with ball and shot.” This order had its specific significance, and was -illustrated in the Mexican War, and early in 1861, in America. -“Buck-and-ball” scattered its missiles, and wounded many who would be -missed by a single rifle-shot; and the wounded required details of -others for their care or removal. “Brigadiers were ordered to mark a -circle around the several redoubts, by which officers are to be directed -in giving orders for the first discharge.” He also ordered “small brush -to be set up, to mark the line more distinctly, and make it familiar to -the men, before the enemy arrive within the circle.” - -The reader will recall the experience of Washington in his early career, -when similar methods made his success so emphatic. - -When advised of the landing of the British on the twenty-second, and -that Colonel Hand had retired to Prospect Hill (now Prospect Park), -Washington sent six regiments to reënforce the garrison of the Heights. -Orders were also sent to General Heath, then at the head of Manhattan -Island, to be prepared to forward additional troops; and live regiments -from the city force were ready to cross East River so soon as it should -be determined whether the attack was to be made, in force, against the -Heights. - -General Greene, prostrated with fever, had written on the fifteenth, -that “he hoped, through the assistance of Providence, to be able to ride -before an attack should be made, but felt great anxiety as to the -result.” On the twenty-third, Washington was compelled to write to -Congress, “I have been compelled to appoint General Sullivan to the -command of the island, owing to General Greene’s indisposition.” In a -letter written by Sullivan, on the twenty-third, respecting a minor -skirmish after the British landing, when Hand retired, he said: “I have -ordered a party out for prisoners to-night. Things argue well for us, -and I hope are so many preludes to victory.” This confidence was hardly -less unfounded than his faith in the success of operations in Canada. It -was the inverse of sound reason, and made the “less include the -greater.” He was immediately superseded, and General Putnam was placed -in command. - -The following are some of Washington’s orders issued to General Putnam -on the twenty-sixth of August, when it seemed as if only his -omnipresence could compel even general officers to understand their -responsibility for the good behavior of the troops: - - “Stop the scattering, unmeaning, and wasteful firing, which prevents - the possibility of distinguishing between a real and a false alarm, - which prevents deserters from approaching our lines, and must - continue, so long as every soldier conceives himself at liberty to - fire when, and at what, he pleases.” - -[Illustration: Battle of Long Island] - - “Guards are to be particularly instructed in their duty.” - - “A ‘brigadier of the day’ is to remain constantly on the lines, that - he may be upon the spot, and see that orders are executed.” - - “Skulkers must be shot down upon the spot.” - - “The distinction between a well-regulated army and a mob, is the good - order and discipline of the former, and the licentiousness and - disorderly behavior of the latter.” - - “The men not on duty are to be compelled to remain at, or near, their - respective camps or quarters, that they may turn out at a moment’s - warning; nothing being more probable than that the enemy will allow - little time enough for the attack.” - - “Your best men should at all hazards prevent the enemy passing the - woods and approaching your works.” - -These orders were preëminently adapted to the character of the American -troops. Their neglect disconcerted the entire plan of the -Commander-in-Chief for an efficient defence of the works. - -The American force on the Heights, including Stirling’s Brigade, which -crossed over the river to Brooklyn on the day of the battle, was not -quite eight thousand men; but included Atlee’s Pennsylvania Rifles, -Smallwood’s Maryland and Haslet’s Delaware regiments, which then, and -ever after, were among Washington’s “Invincibles.” But notwithstanding -Greene’s designation of suitable outposts, and Washington’s orders, the -disposition of the American advance outposts was of the feeblest kind. -At the time of the first landing on the twenty-second, when Colonel Hand -fell back to Prospect Hill (see map), it does not appear from any -official paper, or record, that he gave notice of the landing of the -second British division, or established scouts to ascertain and report -subsequent British movements. Their landing, division after division, -had been as impressive as it was successful, and deserves notice. Four -hundred transports were escorted by ten line-of-battle ships and twenty -frigates. Seventy-five flat-boats, besides batteaux and galleys, moving -in ten distinct, well-ordered divisions, simultaneously touched the -beach near the present site of Fort Hamilton, and landed four thousand -men in just two hours, according to the Admiral’s “log-book,” after the -signal reached the topmast of the “flag-ship.” Five thousand additional -troops were landed with equal celerity and order, a little lower down -the bay. Before twelve o’clock, fifteen thousand men, with artillery, -baggage, and stores, were landed without hindrance or mishap. On the -twenty-fifth, De Heister’s Hessian command landed with equal skill at -Gravesend. - -A glance at the map indicates that the long range of hills between -Brooklyn and the sea had four openings available for approach by the -British troops; the first, and shortest, along the bay by Martense Lane; -the second, in front of Flatbush and the American intrenchments; the -third, by road northward from Flatbush, to Bedford and Newtown; and a -fourth, by road past Cypress Hill, which extended to Flushing, but -crossed the Bedford and Jamaica road about three miles eastward from -Bedford. - -General Stirling, who had been awakened at three o’clock on the morning -of the twenty-seventh, commanded the extreme American right. In front of -Flatbush there were intrenchments, and one redoubt, with one howitzer -and three field-pieces. General Sullivan, second in command, was, he -stated after his capture, “to have commanded within the lines; but went -to the hill near to Flatbush, to reconnoitre, with a picket of four -hundred men, when he was surrounded by the enemy who had advanced by the -very road he had paid horsemen fifty dollars for patrolling by night, -while he was in command.” Miles’ Pennsylvania Rifles and Wylie’s -Connecticut were at, or near, the Bedford Pass. The Jamaica road had -been overlooked, or neglected. Putnam, already somewhat impaired in -physical vigor, and wholly unacquainted with the outposts, made neither -reconnoissance nor change of pickets, upon receipt of Washington’s -orders. Instead of feeling for, and finding, the enemy, he awaited their -arrival. - -Without full details, the following incidents occurred before Washington -arrived and took command in person. The British left wing, under General -Grant, crowded Stirling and his small command of seventeen hundred men -back nearly to the Cortelyou House; but they made a gallant fight near -the present Greenwood Cemetery. The battalions of Smallwood, Haslet, and -Atlee covered themselves with honors. Stirling heard the firing at -Flatbush, and hastened his retreat. - -Cornwallis, upon his first landing, on the twenty-second, moved toward -Flatbush, but finding it held by the American advance works, dropped -down to Flatlands. De Heister, however, moved directly upon Flatbush, -and commenced cannonading the redoubt and intrenchments, where Sullivan, -being incidentally present, was in command. This advance of De Heister -was in effect a _feint_ attack, to be made real and persistent at the -proper time. - -On the British right, General Howe, with Clinton, Percy, and Cornwallis, -gained the Jamaica road undiscovered, rested their forces until -half-past eight in the morning, and were soon directly in front of the -American works, in the rear of Sullivan and cutting off his retreat. -Cornwallis gained position near the Cortelyou House, in the line of -Stirling’s retreat. De Heister, advised by Clinton’s guns that the -British right had accomplished its flank movement, advanced promptly -upon both Sullivan and Stirling, and captured both, with a considerable -portion of their commands. - -The Battle of Long Island had been fought. Washington had declared that -he would make the acquisition of Brooklyn Heights by the British, if -realized, “as costly as possible.” It had been his expectation that by -the advance posts ordered, and careful pickets, he could prolong -resistance, if not winning full success. He had taken pains to convince -the troops that the resistance at Bunker Hill and Fort Moultrie was a -fair indication of their ability, and that the British troops understood -it well. When John Jay proposed to burn New York and leave it in ruins, -Washington insisted that it would tend to demoralize his army, and offer -to the people and to the world a painful contrast with the successful -restoration of Boston to her own people. - -The Battle of Long Island _had_ to be fought. As soon as it began, -Washington crossed the river with three regiments. If Howe had made -immediate advance, Washington would have resisted, with quite as large a -force as Howe could have handled, in an assault. - -Washington immediately, and in person, examined every phase of the -situation. His first act was to organize a strong detachment to support -Stirling who was opposing the advance by the harbor road; but the swift -advance of the British Grenadiers across the very face of the -intrenchments, defeated his purpose. Every man was summoned to roll-call -and kept on the alert. At early dawn the next morning he went through -all the intrenchments, encouraging the men. Before noon, General Mifflin -arrived with the well-drilled regiments of Glover, Shaw, and Magee. -These organizations, which had been sneered at as “proud of line arms -and fine feathers,” as they marched up the ascent with solid ranks and -steady step, supplied with knapsacks, and trim as if on special parade, -were received by the garrison with cheers and congratulations. The -garrison was now nine thousand strong. But a “north-easter” set in. The -rain fell in torrents, tilling the trenches, and compelling even the -British regulars to keep to the shelter of their tents. Washington was -everywhere, and took no sleep. The British opened trenches six hundred -yards from the face of Fort Putnam (now Washington Park), not daring to -storm the position; but could work only during intervals in the tempest. - -Washington held his enemy at bay. But upon the same reasoning which -enforced his first occupation of Brooklyn Heights, boldly facing the -British army at its first landing, he resolved to evacuate the position -without decisive battle. His fixed policy,—to avoid positively -determining issues which were beyond his immediate mastery, so as to -wear out his adversary by avoiding his strokes, and thereby gain -vantage-ground for turning upon him when worn out, over-confident, and -off his guard,—had its illustration now. His army was not versed in -tactical movements upon a large scale, and was largely dependent for its -success upon the supervising wisdom with which its undoubted courage -could be made available in the interests of the new Nation. - -The retreat from Brooklyn was a signal achievement, characteristic of -Washington’s policy and of the men who withdrew under his guidance. They -were kept closely to duty, as if any hour might command their utmost -energies in self-defence; but their Commander-in-Chief had his own plan, -as before Boston, which he did not reveal to his officers until it was -ripe for execution. How well he kept his own counsel will be seen by his -action. The military _ruse_ by which he achieved the result had its -climax five years later, when he so adroitly persuaded Sir Henry Clinton -of immediate danger to New York, that the capture of Cornwallis closed -the war, and the surrender of New York followed. And as the month of -August, 1776, was closing, Generals Clinton and Cornwallis were -reckoning, by hours, upon the capture of Washington’s army and the -restoration of British supremacy over the American continent. - -Early on the morning of the twenty-ninth day of August, the following -private note was placed in the hands of General Heath, then commanding -at Kingsbridge, by General Mifflin, the confidential messenger of the -American Commander-in-Chief: - - LONG ISLAND, Aug. 29, 1776. - - DEAR GENERAL: We have many battalions from New Jersey which are coming - over to relieve others here. You will therefore please to order every - flat-bottomed boat and other craft at your post, fit for transporting - troops, down to New York, as soon as possible. They must be manned by - some of Colonel Hutchinson’s men, and sent without the least delay. I - write by order of the General. - - MIFFLIN. - - TO MAJOR-GENERAL HEATH. - -Commissary-General Trumbull, also, at the same time, bore orders to -Assistant Quartermaster-General Hughes, instructing him “to impress -every craft, on either side of New York, that could be kept afloat, and -had either oars, or sails, or could be furnished with them, and to have -them all in the East River by dark.” The response to these orders was so -promptly made that the boats reached the foot of Brooklyn Heights just -at dusk that afternoon. An early evening conference of officers was -ordered, and Washington announced his plan for immediate return to New -York. The proposition was unanimously adopted. The Commander-in-Chief -acted instantly. By eight o’clock the troops were under arms. The fresh -and experienced regiments were sent to man the advance works, to relieve -the weary troops, including the militia. The sick were promptly gathered -for the earliest removal. Every indication promised immediate action; -and intimations were disseminated among the troops that as soon as the -sick and inefficient troops were withdrawn, a sortie would be made, in -force, against Howe’s investing works. The _ruse_ of anticipated -reënforcements from New Jersey, upon removal of the invalids, cheered -both sick and well. No possible method of inspiring self-possession and -courage for any endeavor could have been more wisely designed. - -Colonel Glover, of Marblehead, Mass., whose regiment was composed of -hardy fishermen and seamen, had charge of the boats. The regiments last -recruited, and least prepared for battle, and the sick, were the first -to be withdrawn. As early as nine o’clock, and within an hour after the -“general beat to arms,” the movement began,—systematically, steadily, -company by company, as orderly as if marching in their own camp. A -fearful storm still raged. Drenched and weary, none complained. It was -Washington’s orders. Often hand-in-hand, to support each other, these -men descended the steep, slippery slopes to the water’s edge, and seated -themselves in silence; while increasing wind and rain, with incessant -violence, constantly threatened to flood, or sink, the miserable -flat-boats which were to convey them to the city, only a few hundred -yards away. And thus until midnight. At that hour the wind and tide -became so violent that no vessel could carry even a closely reefed sail. -The larger vessels, in danger of being swept out to sea, had to be held -fast to shore; dashing against each other, and with difficulty kept -afloat. Other boats, with muffled oars, were desperately but slowly -propelled against the outgoing tide. A few sickly lanterns here and -there made movement possible. The invisible presence of the -Commander-in-Chief seemed to resolve all dangers and apparent confusion -into some pervasive harmony of purpose among officers and men alike, so -that neither leaking boats nor driving storm availed to disconcert the -silent progress of embarking nearly ten thousand men. - -Just after midnight, both wind and tide changed. The storm from the -north which had raged thus long, kept the British fleets at their -anchorage in the lower bay. At last, with the clearing of the sky and -change of wind, the water became smooth, and the craft of all kinds and -sizes, loaded to the water’s edge, made rapid progress. Meanwhile, -strange to relate, a heavy fog rested over the lower bay and island, -while the peninsula of New York was under clear starlight. - -For a few moments, toward morning, a panic nearly ensued. An order to -hasten certain troops to the river was misunderstood as applying to all -troops, including those in the redoubts; and a rumor that the British -were advancing, and had entered the works, led even the covering party -to fall back. Washington instantly saw the error, restored the men to -their places, and the British pickets never discovered their temporary -absence. - -The military stores, and such guns as were not too heavy to be taken -through the mud, were safely placed on the transports. With the last -load, Mifflin, and last of all, Washington, took passage. - -During the day, the troops and stores on Governor’s Island were also -removed; and the evacuation was complete. If the landing of ten thousand -disciplined troops by General Howe, on the twenty-second, over a placid -sea, and in bright sunlight, was magnificent for its beauty and system, -the safe embarkation of ten thousand men by Washington, on the night of -the twenty-ninth, was sublime for the implicit faith of the soldiers and -the supreme potency of his commanding will. - -The Italian historian Botta says of this event: “Whoever will attend to -all the details of this retreat, will easily believe that no military -operation was ever conducted by great captains with more ability and -prudence, or under more favorable auspices.” - -At daybreak of the thirtieth, British pickets entered the American -works; and the most advanced were enabled to fire a few shots at the -last American detachment as it landed safely upon the New York side. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - WASHINGTON IN NEW YORK. - - -Washington’s labors were neither lessened nor interrupted when he -assembled his army on the thirtieth day of August, 1776. He had been in -the saddle or on foot, without sleep, for more than forty-eight hours; -and it would require a large volume even to outline the mass of minute -details which had to receive his attention. His own account, as -contained in private letters, can be summed up in suggestive groups—such -as, “tools carelessly strewn about”; “cartridges exposed to the rain”; -and, “the soldiers, too often the officers, ignorant as children of the -responsibility of a single sentry or gunner, wherever located, along -rampart or trench.” - -On the evening of the thirtieth, he thus described the situation: “The -militia are dismayed, intractable, and impatient to return home. Great -numbers have gone off; in some instances almost by whole regiments, by -half ones, and by companies, at a time. With the deepest concern I am -obliged to confess my want of confidence with the generality of the -troops.” - -He urged Congress to establish a regular army at once; to enlist men for -the war; pressed the immediate abandonment of the city, and put the -plain question, whether it “should be left standing for British -headquarters.” - -On the second day of September, the number of men present for duty was -less than twenty thousand. On the same day he reorganized its formation -into three grand divisions, or corps: one under Putnam, in command of -the city; one under Spencer, in the absence of Greene, at Harlem, to -prevent a British landing there; and the third under Heath, at King’s -Bridge. - -On the third of September, Congress ordered two North Carolina -battalions, under General Moore, to march with all possible expedition -to reënforce the army at New York; also a Continental battalion from -Rhode Island; and urged Virginia to forward all the troops within her -power to furnish. On the same day, Putnam urged the fortification of -Harlem Heights, Mount Washington, and the Jersey shore; if possible, to -prevent Howe’s ascending the Hudson River to attack the northern army. -On the next day, the fourth, Washington was again compelled to occupy -himself with such minute details as belonged to officers of the lowest -rank. Such “diabolical practices as robbing apple orchards and gardens, -and straggling without aim or purpose, instead of drilling and preparing -for their country’s safety,” were officially reprimanded, and three -roll-calls per day were advised, to keep the men near their duty. On the -fifth of September, Greene advised a general and speedy retreat from the -city, and a council was called to meet on the day succeeding, for -consideration of the proposition. The council did convene on the sixth, -and Washington thus announces to Congress its action: “The Council was -opposed to retiring from New York, although they acknowledged that it -would not be tenable if attacked by artillery”; and adds significantly: -“Some, to whom the opinion of Congress was known, were not a little -influenced in their opinions, as they were led to suspect that Congress -wished it to be retained at all hazards.” General Putnam, in concurring -with his Commander-in-Chief, shrewdly observed: “This dooms New York to -destruction; but what are ten or twenty cities, to the grand object?” - -On the eighth of September, Washington reported the militia of -Connecticut as reduced from six thousand to two thousand men; and in a -few days their number was but nominal, twenty or thirty in some -regiments. The residue were discharged and sent home with a -recommendation to Governor Trumbull, “that it was about time to begin -dealing with deserters.” - -Although Washington concurred in Putnam’s general idea of strengthening -the Hudson River shore by earthworks and redoubts, he anticipated -failure to make them adequate for control of its waters, because of the -limited power and range of his guns. The British had already extended -their right wing as far as Flushing (see map), with posts at Bushwick, -Newtown, and Astoria, and had also occupied Montressor and Buchanan’s, -now Ward’s and Randall’s islands. - -Upon appeal to Massachusetts, that Colony made a draft of one-fifth of -her population, excepting only certain exposed localities and certain -classes. Connecticut was no less patriotic, and Governor Trumbull made -earnest effort to place the Colony foremost in support of the cause in -peril. That Colony, so closely adjoining New York on the west, and -exposed on its entire southern boundary to maritime excursions, was -peculiarly in danger. On the fourteenth, Congress at last authorized -eighty-five regiments to be enlisted for five years; and the advice of -Greene, when he first joined the army in 1775, and of Washington, after -assuming command at Cambridge, began to be accepted as sound policy and -essential to ultimate success. - -At this stage of the narrative of Washington’s career as a Soldier, it -is interesting to consider his own views of the situation as expressed -in a letter to the Continental Congress. He thus wrote: “Men of -discernment will see that by such works and preparations we have delayed -the operations (British) of the campaign till it is too late to effect -any capital incursions into the country. It is now obvious that they -mean to enclose us on the island of New York, by taking post in my rear, -while their shipping secures the front, and thus oblige us to fight them -on their own terms, or surrender at discretion.” - -Again, “Every measure is to be formed with some apprehension that all of -our troops will not do their duty. On our side the war should be -defensive. It has even been called a ‘war of posts.’ We should, on all -occasions, avoid a general action, and never be drawn into the necessity -to put anything to risk. Persuaded that it would be presumptuous to draw -out our young troops into open ground against their superior numbers and -discipline, I have never spared the spade and the pick-axe; but I have -never found that readiness to defend, even strong posts, at all hazards, -which is necessary to derive the greatest benefit from them.” - -Again, “I am sensible that a retreating army is encircled with -difficulties, that declining an engagement subjects a general to -reproach; but when the fate of America may be at stake on the issue, we -should protract the war, if possible. That they can drive us out is -equally clear. Nothing seems to remain but the time of their taking -possession.” - -The thoughtful reader will find these quotations to be very suggestive -of some future offensive action on the part of Washington whenever the -British might be shut up in winter quarters; and the reply of Congress, -whereby they authorize him “not to retain New York longer than he -thought proper for the public service,” was accompanied by the following -_Resolution_: “That General Washington be acquainted that Congress would -have special care taken, in case he should find it necessary to quit New -York, that no damage be done to the said city by his troops, on their -leaving it; the Congress having no doubt of their being able to recover -the same, though the enemy should, for a time, have possession of it.” - -The experience of the Continental army before Boston was now repeated. -New recruits came in daily, to fill the places made vacant by expiring -enlistments; but again the army seemed to be “fast wasting away.” - -The interval is significant because of another effort on the part of -General Howe and his brother, Admiral Howe, special commissioners, to -settle the controversy upon terms alike satisfactory to the American -people and the British crown; but John Adams, Edward Rutledge, and -Benjamin Franklin, commissioners appointed by Congress, insisted first -upon Independence, and a subsequent alliance between the two nations as -friendly powers. This ended the negotiations. Such a settlement, if it -had been realized, might have imparted to Great Britain even a prouder -destiny than the succeeding century developed. - -At that juncture of affairs, however, and as a key to General Howe’s -importunity in securing at least “a suspension of hostilities,” he was -urging upon the British Government, with the same pertinacity as -Washington besought Congress, to increase his army. His figures were -large, and worthy of notice. He wanted ten thousand men for the -occupation of Newport, R.I., that he might threaten Boston, and make -incursions into Connecticut. He demanded for the garrison of New York -twenty thousand men; of which number, seventeen thousand should be -available for field service. He asked for ten thousand more, for -operations into New Jersey, where Washington had established a general -Camp of Instruction for all troops arriving from the south; and still -another ten thousand for operations in the Southern Colonies. It is not -improbable that much of General Howe’s tardiness in following up -temporary success, in all his subsequent campaigns, was based upon the -conviction—embodied in these enormous requisitions for troops—that the -war had already assumed a character of very grave importance and a -corresponding uncertainty of the result. - -Events crowded rapidly. On the tenth of September. Washington began the -removal of valuable stores. He acted as quickly as if he were in Howe’s -place, seeking the earliest possible possession of New York. On the -twelfth, a Council of War decided that a force of eight thousand men -should be left for the defence of Fort Washington and its dependencies. -Of eight regiments of the very best troops, reporting three thousand -three hundred and twenty-two present, the sick-roll reduced the -effective strength twelve hundred and nine men. On the fourteenth, -additional British vessels passed up East River, landing troops at -Kipp’s Bay on the sixteenth. Then occurred one of the most stirring -incidents of the war. One of the best brigades in the army, and one -which had previously fought with gallantry and success, gave way. -Washington, advised of the panic, denounced their behavior as “dastardly -and cowardly.” He dashed among them, and with drawn sword mingled with -the fugitives, to inspire them with courage. In his report he says: “I -used every means in my power to rally them to the fight, but my attempts -were fruitless and ineffectual: and on the appearance of not more than -sixty or seventy of the enemy they ran away without firing a shot.” In -the strong language of General Greene: “Washington, on this occasion, -seemed to seek death, rather than life.” These same troops, a part of -Parsons’ Brigade, afterwards redeemed themselves; and Washington was -wise enough to give them opportunity, under his own eye, as especially -trustworthy troops. This incident found its counterpart in the career of -Napoleon. At the siege of Toulon, one demi-brigade fled before a sally -of less than one-fourth its numbers: but afterwards lost nearly half its -strength in storming and entering the same fortress. - -Immediately upon this unfortunate affair, the whole army was withdrawn -to Harlem Heights. This position was regarded as impregnable; but the -following extract, from Washington’s report to Congress exposes the deep -anguish of his soul: “We are now encamped with the main body of the army -upon the Heights of Harlem, where I should hope the enemy would meet -with a retreat, in case of attack, but experience, to my great -affliction, has convinced me that this is a matter to be wished, rather -than expected.” - -The British lines were advanced, and extended from Bloomingdale across -to Horn’s Hook, near Hell Gate; and General Howe made his headquarters -at the Beekman Mansion, not far from those just vacated by Washington on -Murray Hill. - -And just then and there occurred an incident of the war which made -an indelible impress upon the great heart of the American -Commander-in-Chief; and that was the execution of one of his -confidential messengers, who had been sent to report upon the -British movements on Long Island—young Nathan Hale. The Rev. Edward -Everett Hale, of Roxbury, Boston, furnishes the following outline of -service which had greatly endeared Captain Hale to Washington: - -“Just after the Battle of Lexington, at a town-meeting, with the -audacity of boyhood, he cried out, ‘Let us never lay down our arms till -we have achieved independence!’ Not yet two years out of Yale College, -he secured release from the school he was teaching in New London; -enlisted in Webb’s Regiment, the 7th Connecticut; by the first of -September was promoted from Lieutenant to Captain; and on the -fourteenth, marched to Cambridge. He shared in the achievement at -Dorchester Heights, and his regiment was one of the first five that were -despatched to New London, and thence to New York, by water. On the -twenty-ninth of August, 1776, while the garrison of Brooklyn Heights was -being hurried to the boats, Hale, with a sergeant and four of his men, -attempted to burn the frigate _Phœnix_; and did actually capture one of -her tenders, securing four cannon. At a meeting of officers, Washington -stated that ‘he needed immediate information of the enemy’s plans.’ When -dead silence ensued, Hale, the youngest of the Captains, still pale from -recent sickness, spoke out: ‘I will undertake it. If my country demands -a _peculiar_ service, its claims are imperious.’ During the second week -in September, taking his Yale College diploma with him, to pass for a -school-master, he procured the desired information; but his boat failed -to meet him. A British boat answered the signal, and his notes, written -in Latin, exposed him. He was taken to New York on that eventful -twenty-first of September, when five hundred of its buildings were -burned; was summarily tried, and executed the next day at the age of -twenty-one. His last sentence, when in derision he was allowed to speak -as he ascended the gallows, was simply this: ‘I only regret that I have -but one life to give to my country.’” - -He had become a member of Knowlton’s Connecticut Rangers; and the -Beekman House and Rutger’s apple orchard, where he was hanged from a -tree, located by Lossing near the present intersection of East Broadway -and Market streets, were long regarded with interest by visitors in -search of localities identified with the Revolutionary period of -Washington’s occupation of New York. - -In resuming our narrative, we find the American army spending its first -night upon Harlem Heights. Rain fell, but there were no tents. The men -were tired and hungry, but there were no cooking utensils; and only -short rations, at best. They realized that through a perfectly useless -panic they had sacrificed necessaries of life. For four weeks the army -remained in this position, not unfrequently engaging the British -outposts, and on several occasions, with credit, making sallies or -resisting attack; but the fresh troops, as ever before, had to mature -slowly, under discipline. After a brilliant action on the sixteenth, in -which Colonel Knowlton, who had distinguished himself at Bunker Hill, -was killed, as well as Colonel Leich, and where Adjutant-General Reed, -of Washington’s staff, equally exposed himself—“to animate,” as he said, -“troops who would not go into danger unless their officers led the way,” -the Commander-in-Chief issued an order of which the following is an -extract: “The losses of the enemy, yesterday, would undoubtedly have -been much greater if the orders of the Commander-in-Chief had not in -some instances been contradicted by inferior officers, who, however well -they meant, ought not to presume to direct. It is therefore ordered, -that no officer commanding a party, and having received orders from the -Commander-in-Chief, depart from them without orders from the same -authority; and as many may otherwise err, the army is now acquainted -that the General’s orders are delivered by his Adjutant-General, or one -of his _aides-de-camp_, Mr. Tighlman, or Colonel Moylan, the -Quartermaster-General.” - -At this time, Massachusetts sent her drafted men under General Lincoln. -General Greene assumed command in New Jersey. Generals Sullivan and -Stirling, exchanged, resumed their old commands. - -The army Return of October fifth indicated a total rank and file of -twenty-seven thousand seven hundred and thirty-five men, of whom eight -thousand and seventy-five were sick, or on a furlough; and requiring to -complete these regiments, eleven thousand two hundred and seventy-one -men. On the eighth of October, General Moore, commanding the Camp of -Instruction (called the “Flying Camp,” because of its changeable -location) in New Jersey, reported a total force of six thousand five -hundred and forty-eight men. - -On the ninth of October, the frigates _Phœnix_ and _Roebuck_ safely -passed the forts as far north as Dobb’s Ferry. It became evident that -General Putnam’s methods would not control the Hudson River route of -British advance. Sickness increased in the camps. The emergency forced -upon Washington the immediate reorganization of the medical department; -and he ordered an examination of applicants before allowing a commission -to be issued and rank conferred. Such had been the laxity of this -necessary class of officers, that General Greene reported his surgeons -as “without the least particle of medicine”; adding: “The regimental -surgeons embezzle the public stores committed to their care, so that the -regimental sick suffer, and should have the benefit of a general -hospital.” Washington issued an order, after his own very lucid style, -deploring the fact that “the periodical homesickness, which was common -just before an anticipated engagement, had broke out again with -contagious virulence.” - -The want of discipline, however, was not wholly with the rank and file. -Adjutant-General Reed, in writing to his wife, expressed his purpose to -resign, for he had seen a captain shaving one of his men before the -house; and added: “To enforce discipline in such cases, makes a man -odious and detestable, a position which no one will choose.” And Colonel -Smallwood, afterwards General, and one of the best soldiers of the war, -in writing to the Maryland Council of Safety, complains of “the -ignorance and inattention of officers who fail to realize the importance -of that discipline which is so excellent in the Commander-in-Chief”; -adding: “It would be a happy day for the United States if there was as -much propriety in every department under him.” - -At this period, General Howe again wrote to Lord Germaine, that he “did -not expect to finish the campaign until spring”; “that the Provincials -would not join the British army”; and called for more foreign troops, -and eight additional men-of-war. The monotony of these frequent -requisitions of the British Commander-in-Chief makes a tiresome story; -but like the successive appeals of Washington—to Congress, Provincial -Councils and Committees of Safety—they form an indispensable part of the -narrative of those facts which tested Washington’s character as a -Soldier. - -Having observed increased activity of the British shipping in the East -River, and indications that Howe would abandon a direct attack upon his -fortified position upon Harlem Heights, Washington prepared for the -contingency of more active duty elsewhere, and announced October -eleventh as the day for a personal inspection of every company under his -command. - -[Illustration: Operations near New York.] - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. -WASHINGTON TENDERS, AND HOWE DECLINES, BATTLE.—HARLEM HEIGHTS AND WHITE - PLAINS. - - -The steady hold of Harlem Heights against Howe’s advance on the -sixteenth day of September, sometimes called the Battle of Harlem -Heights, was another “object lesson” for General Howe’s improvement, and -he observed its conditions. His adversary invited and he declined the -invitation to attack the American position. His next plan was -self-suggestive, to cut the American army from its Connecticut supplies, -since his fleet controlled the Hudson River, and by a flank and rear -movement to pen it up for leisurely capture. He began this movement -October twelfth. - -The Guards, Light Infantry, Reserve, and Donop’s Hessians, landed at -Throgg’s Neck (see map). But Hand’s American Rifles had already -destroyed the bridge to the mainland; and even at low tide the artillery -could not safely effect a crossing. Colonel Prescott, with others, -especially detailed by Washington, watched every movement, and held -firmly their posts without flinching; so that Howe placed his troops in -camp, “awaiting reënforcements.” On the sixteenth and seventeenth, -several brigades from Flushing, with the Grenadiers, landed at Pell’s -Point. Even here, Washington had anticipated his advance; for Colonel -Glover made such resistance from behind stone fences, then common to -that region, that this last command also went into camp, “waiting for -reënforcements.” On the twenty-first, Howe advanced his right and centre -columns beyond New Rochelle, where he again went into camp, “waiting for -reënforcements.” - -During the week, General Knyphausen reached Staten Island from Europe -with additional Hessian troops; and these, with the British Light -Dragoons, landed at Myer’s Point near New Rochelle. De Heister also came -up from Howe’s first camping-ground, and the entire army advanced -parallel with the River Bronx, to within four miles of White Plains. - -Much had been expected of the Light Dragoons and their charges on -horseback, with drawn sabres, to cut to pieces the undisciplined rebels. -But they inspired no terror. It was the rebels’ opportunity. Washington -reminded the army, “that in a country where stone fences, crags, and -ravines were so numerous, the American riflemen needed no better chance -to pick off the riders and supply the army with much-needed horses.” He -offered a “reward of one hundred dollars to any soldier who would bring -in an armed trooper and his horse.” Colonel Haslet crossed the Bronx and -attacked the Queen’s Rangers, captured thirty-six, and left as many on -the field, besides carrying away sixty muskets. Colonel Hand next had a -lively skirmish with the Hessian Yagers, who, accustomed to marching in -close array, met an experience similar to that of Braddock’s command -years before. - -Besides all that, it was a constant inspiration to the American troops, -and not least to the Militia, thus to distribute themselves along the -extended British columns, and shoot, when they pleased, at some live -target. Howe had already sent ships-of-war up the Hudson, and proposed -to swing to the left at White Plains, and sweep the entire American army -back upon the Harlem. - -When Washington learned from his scouts that the British army was thus -extended along the Sound, he hurried all supplies forward to White -Plains; pushed forward his own army, division by division, along the -west hank of the Bronx, always on high ground; established earthworks at -every prominent point, and made a small chain of communicating posts -throughout the entire distance. His purpose was to crowd the British -army upon the coast, where innumerable sea-inlets made progress -difficult; and by using the shorter, _interior line_ to White Plains, to -place himself in position to fight to advantage, upon ground of his own -selection. Of course time became an element of determining value. Howe -gained a start on the twelfth; but lost five days at Throgg’s Neck, and -four days more at New Rochelle. As Washington already had a depot of -Connecticut supplies at White Plains, he advanced to that point with -vigor, so soon as he perceived that Howe would not attack from the east, -as he had declined to attack from the south. - -On the twelfth, General Greene asked permission to join from New Jersey, -and on the fourteenth General Lee reported for duty. Some reference to -this officer is of immediate interest. On that very morning he had -written a letter to General Gates, who, as well as himself, had seen -military service in the British army, each holding commissions in the -American army subordinate to Washington,—Lee, as senior Major-General. -The insubordination and arrogance of this letter are patent. The -following is an extract: - - FORT CONSTITUTION, Oct. 14, 1776. - - MY DEAR GENERAL GATES: I write this scroll in a hurry. Colonel Wood - will describe the position of our army, which in my breast I do not - approve. _Inter nos_, the Congress seems to stumble at every step. I - don’t mean one or two of the cattle, but the whole stable. I have been - very free in delivering my opinions, and in my opinion General - Washington is much to blame in not menacing ’em with resignation, - unless they refrain from unhinging the army in their absurd - interference. - -On the twenty-second of October, while General Howe was still awaiting -reënforcements two miles above New Rochelle, General Heath’s division -made a night march, reached Chatterton Hill at daylight, and began to -strengthen the defences at White Plains. Sullivan’s division arrived the -next night, and General Lord Stirling’s immediately after. On the -twenty-third, Lee’s Grand Division joined from New Jersey, and the -entire American army, with its best officers and troops, awaited the -action of General Howe. McDougall’s Brigade and Lieutenant Alexander -Hamilton, with two guns, occupied Chatterton Hill. (See map.) - -Washington’s position was not, intrinsically, the best for final -defence; but he had selected an ultimate position which Howe could not -assail without loss of communication with New York. - -The American left was protected by low ground, accessible only with -difficulty. The right was met by a bend in the River Bronx. One line of -breastworks controlled the Connecticut road. Two successive lines in the -rear were upon a gradual ascent, capable of vigorous defence. Washington -also controlled all roads that lead westward to the Hudson River. But -more important than all, somewhat advanced to the south-west, was -Chatterton Hill, commanding the L of the river, in which angle the army -of Howe had taken position. Behind the American army was still higher -ground, which commanded the passes through the hills by the Peekskill -and upper Tarrytown roads. - -Washington was now superior to his adversary in respect of numbers, and -was in one of his moods when he invited attack. On the twenty-eighth of -October, the two armies confronted each other. But a direct advance by -Howe required first that he dislodge the Americans from Chatterton’s -Hill. Otherwise, Howe would leave his supplies exposed, as well as his -left wing, to an attack from the rear. He decided to storm the hill. The -guns of Hamilton and the steepness of the ascent foiled the first -attempt. Then Colonel Rahl, afterwards killed at Trenton, and Donop, -with their Hessian brigades, turned the American right by another route, -and the Americans retired just as General Putnam was starting other -troops to their support. The British brigade of General Leslie lost one -hundred and fifty-four men, and the Hessian casualties increased the -entire loss to two hundred and thirty-one. The American casualties were -one hundred and thirty. - -On the twenty-ninth, both armies rested. On the thirtieth, Lord Percy -arrived with his division, and the next day was designated for the -advance. But the day was stormy and the movement was suspended. The next -day following, was named in Orders for advance all along the lines, -“weather permitting,” the British improving their time by strengthening -their own position. - -The next day came. The British army was by itself. During the night, -Washington had retired in good order, five miles, to North Castle -Heights, from which the entire British army could not dislodge him. Such -was the historical battle of White Plains, more properly, the Battle of -Chatterton’s Hill, where the fighting took place. - -Howe immediately abandoned New Rochelle as his base, left White Plains -on the fifth, encamped at Dobb’s Ferry on the sixth, and thus gained -communication with his ships on the Hudson. - -On the same day, the sixth, Washington advised Congress that “he -expected a movement of General Howe into New Jersey.” He called a -Council of War, under that conviction, the same afternoon, and decided -to throw a considerable body of troops into that Province. - -The retention of Fort Washington was a question of much embarrassment. -Even its capture by Howe would not be a compensation to him, or to Great -Britain, for the escape of Washington’s army. On the twenty-ninth of -October, General Greene prepared a careful itinerary for a march through -New Jersey, minutely specifying the proposed distance for each day’s -progress, and the requisite supplies for each. That itinerary furnishes -a remarkable model of good Logistics. Washington wrote to Congress, that -“General Howe must do something to save his reputation; that he would -probably go to New Jersey”; and then urged, “that the militia be in -readiness to supply the places of those whose terms of service would -soon expire.” To Greene he wrote: “They can have no other capital -object, unless it be Philadelphia.” It was then known that General -Carleton retired from Crown Point November second, so that there was no -danger of a British movement up the Hudson. He again wrote to Greene as -to Fort Washington: “If we cannot prevent vessels from passing up, and -the enemy are in possession of the surrounding country, what valuable -purpose can it answer to hold a post from which the expected benefit -cannot be had? I am therefore inclined to think that it will not be -prudent to hazard the men and stores at Fort Washington; but as you are -on the spot, leave it to you to give such orders as you deem best, and, -so far revoking the order to Colonel McGee, to defend it to the last.” - -At this time, more than half of the enlistments of the army were on -their extreme limit of service. Howe promised the militia of New York, -many of whom were in the garrison of the fort, that “he would guarantee -to them their liberties and properties, as well as a free and general -pardon.” Many decided not to reënlist. On the ninth of November, having -in mind the eventualities of a New Jersey campaign, Washington moved one -division of the army across the Hudson at Peekskill, and ordered a -second to move the day following. On the tenth he placed General Lee in -charge of the general camp, with careful instructions as to the -discipline of the men; and notified him, in case the enemy should remove -the whole or the greater part of their force to the west side of the -Hudson, to follow with all possible despatch, leaving the militia to -cover the frontiers of Connecticut, in case of need. - -On the eve of his own departure he also notified Governor Trumbull of -Connecticut, that “the campaign into New Jersey would withdraw Lee and -his division from the Hudson”; and made arrangements for the “care and -storage for the winter, of all tents and stores that might remain on -hand after the discharge of enlisted men whose term should expire.” - -The following terse order was then issued to all the divisions which -were to accompany him in this, his “First New Jersey campaign”: - -“Colonels will examine the baggage of troops under marching orders; -tents and spare arms, to go in the first wagons, then the proper baggage -of the regiment; no chairs, tables, or heavy chests, or personal -baggage, to be put in, as it will certainly be put off and left. No -officer of any rank to meddle with a wagon or a cart appropriated for -any other regiment, or use; that no discharged man be allowed to carry -away arms, camp kettles, utensils, or any other public stores; -recruiting officers, as detailed, to proceed with their duty; no boys, -or old men, to be enlisted, and if so, to be returned at the hands of -the officer, with no allowance for any expense he may be at.” - -On the twelfth of November, before crossing the Hudson River, Washington -placed General Heath in command of the Highlands, and proceeded to Fort -Lee, opposite Fort Washington. The British army had already removed from -Dobb’s Ferry to King’s Bridge. At this time, three hundred British -transports with a large force on board, lay at Sandy Hook, and their -destination was suspected to be either Newport, Rhode Island, -Philadelphia, or South Carolina. - -Washington established his headquarters about nine miles from Fort Lee. -It is not desirable to burden the narrative with the details of the -capture of Fort Washington. The fort had been built to control the -river, and it was weak, landward; depending upon the river, even for -water, having no well. The ground fell off rapidly; but there were -neither trenches nor regular bastions, and only one redoubt. Washington -wrote to Congress, after reaching Fort Lee: “It seems to be generally -believed that the investing of Fort Washington, is one object they have -in view. I propose to stay in this neighborhood a few days; in which -time I expect the design of the enemy will be more disclosed, and their -incursions made in this quarter, or their investure of Fort Washington, -if they are intended.” While the assault was in preparation, Washington -took boat to cross and examine for himself the condition of the works; -but meeting Generals Putnam and Greene, who satisfied him that there -would be a stout defence, he returned without landing. Three assaults -were made, Generals Knyphausen, Percy, Cornwallis and Matthews -commanding divisions. These repeated charges up the very steep ascents -from the rear, and from the open face of the work northward, were very -costly to the British and Hessian columns. When their forces first -gained the interior lines, surrender, or rescue, was inevitable. To the -demand for surrender Magaw replied with a request for five hours’ delay. -A half hour only was granted. Magaw received a billet from Washington -stating that if he could hold out awhile, he would endeavor to bring off -the garrison at night; but no delay was permitted, and the garrison -surrendered. It was for many years an unexplained fact, how the British -troops appeared so suddenly at the open face of the fort, northward, -below which was a deep ravine, itself almost a protection. But William -Dumont, Magaw’s Adjutant, deserted, two weeks before the investment, and -placed detailed drawings of all the defences in the hands of General -Howe. This fact affords the key to General Howe’s otherwise very -singular excuse to the British Government for not following Washington’s -army from White Plains to North Castle Heights,—“_political reasons_” -having been assigned by General Howe, as “controlling his action.” - -[Illustration: Capture of Fort Washington.] - -The British loss in the assault was one hundred and twenty-eight; and -that of the Hessian troops, three hundred and twenty-six. The American -loss was one hundred and twenty, killed and wounded, and two thousand -six hundred and thirty-four, prisoners. The loss in cannon, tents, arms -and military stores, was very severe. - -Fort Lee was of necessity abandoned, its powder and principal supplies -being first removed in safety. - -The first New Jersey campaign immediately ensued. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - THE FIRST NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN.—TRENTON. - - -Historical accuracy must recognize the First Campaign of Washington in -New Jersey, as a masterly conduct of operations toward American -Independence. The loss of Fort Washington has been a frequent topic of -discussion, as if its retention or loss had determining value. As -already indicated by Washington’s letters, there was no substantial -benefit to be realized by the detachment of troops to retain it, so long -as British ships controlled its water-front. Behind it was New England, -which could furnish no base of American operations for a general war; -and yet, in order to prosecute the war to success, the American army -must be established where it could harass and antagonize British -operations at and out from New York. Fort Washington could do neither, -but, so long as held, must drain resources which were more valuable -elsewhere. - -It has already been noticed, that Washington prepared New England for -its own immediate defence; and the assembling of supplies ordered was in -anticipation of the campaign of 1777. The new system of enlistments, -also, provided for five years of contingent service. The rapid -organization of regiments at the South, and the authorized increase of -the army, in excess of any possible British accessions from Europe, had -induced the establishment of the Camp of Observation before alluded to, -and indicated New Jersey as the essential centre of operations for all -general military purposes. British operations from Canada, or against -the Southern Colonies, could be successfully met only by a closely -related and compactly ordered base of operation and supply. - -It is therefore a misnomer to dwell with emphasis upon Washington’s next -movement, as simply a “masterly retreat.” The extracts, few out of many -available, already cited, are declarations of a clearly defined -strategic system, which would admit of no permanent failure so long as -Congress and the American people completely filled the measure of his -demands for men and money. - -A glance at the disposition of both armies is invited. All operations in -the northern department were practically suspended with Carleton’s -withdrawal to Canada. But on the ninth of November, the official returns -of that northern army showed a force of seven thousand three hundred and -forty-five rank and file, present for duty; with three thousand nine -hundred and sixty-one sick, present, and absent. Enlistments were to -expire with the year, but weeks were to intervene. Lee’s Grand Division, -at North Castle Heights, at date of the loss of Fort Washington, and as -late as November, reported “seven thousand eight hundred and twenty-four -of effective rank and file, present for duty and on command.” -Enlistments here, also, were near their limit; but Lee ultimately -crossed into New Jersey with thirty-four hundred effective troops. -Washington had the right to expect, and did expect, that this force was -available upon call. The division of General Heath, commanding upon the -Hudson, with headquarters at Fishkill, numbered, on November -twenty-fourth, five thousand four hundred and ten men for duty. Leaving -to the governors of New England and New York the responsibility of -maintaining their quotas when enlistments should expire, the time had -come for American operations in the middle _zone_ of military action. - -Cornwallis was detached from his immediate command and sent into New -Jersey, with a strong force, to attack Washington. The American army -abandoned the space between the Hackensack and Passaic rivers; crossed -the latter at Aquackonock on the twenty-first of November; burned the -bridge after a slight skirmish, and followed the right bank of the -Passaic to Newark, reaching that city on the twenty-third. At this -point, a muster of the army was ordered by Washington, and five thousand -four hundred and ten reported for duty. New Brunswick was reached on the -twenty-ninth. Here another skirmish with the army of Cornwallis took -place. But Cornwallis halted his command under orders of Howe to -“proceed no further than New Brunswick.” - -Washington moved on to Princeton, and then to Trenton, where he arrived -on the third day of December. He immediately gathered from Philadelphia -all available boats, and for a stretch of seventy miles cleared both -banks of the Delaware River of everything that could float, and took -them into his own charge. - -The reader should appreciate that these movements were not in the -original design of the American Commander-in-Chief. He would have made a -stand at both Hackensack and New Brunswick, if Lee’s Division, -confidently expected, had joined him as ordered; and at least, the -enemy’s progress would have been retarded. - -Having left the Delaware regiment and five Virginia regiments at -Princeton, under Lord Stirling, he moved all heavy military stores -behind the Delaware, and returned to Princeton. Meeting Lord Stirling, -who was falling back before a superior force of the enemy, he recrossed -the Delaware at Trenton, established headquarters, and fixed the base -for future action. - -In writing to Congress on the fifth, he used this language: “As nothing -but necessity obliged me to retire before the enemy and leave so much of -New Jersey unprotected, I conceive it my duty, and it corresponds with -my _inclination_, to make head against them so soon as there shall be -the least probability of doing so with propriety.” - -On the twelfth, he learned that General Lee had entered New Jersey with -his division. As early as November twenty-fifth, he had ordered General -Schuyler to forward to him all Pennsylvania and New Jersey troops then -in the Northern Department. - -A glance at the plans and movements of the British army is now of -interest. Howe reported his movements as follows: “My first design -extended no further than to get, and keep possession of, East New -Jersey. Lord Cornwallis had orders not to advance beyond Brunswick; but, -on the sixth, I joined his lordship with the Fourth Brigade of British, -under General Grant. On the seventh, Cornwallis marched with his corps, -except the Guards who were left at Brunswick, to Princeton, which the -Americans had quitted the same day. He delayed seventeen hours at -Princeton, and was an entire day in marching to Trenton. He arrived -there, just as the rear-guard of the enemy had crossed; but they had -taken the precaution to destroy, or secure to the south side, all the -boats that could possibly have been employed for crossing the river.” - -Cornwallis remained at Pennington until the fourteenth, when the British -army was placed in winter quarters; “the weather,” says General Howe, -“having become too severe to keep the field.” - -On the previous day, the thirteenth, General Charles Lee, next in rank -to Washington, while leisurely resting at a country house at -Baskenridge, three miles from his troops, was taken prisoner by a -British scouting detachment. It may be of interest to the reader to be -reminded, that this Major-General required from Congress an advance of -thirty thousand dollars, to enable him to transfer his English property -to America, before he accepted his commission, and was disappointed that -he was made second, instead of first, in command. When captured, he was -in company with Major Wilkinson, a messenger from his old Virginia -friend, General Horatio Gates, who had just been ordered by Washington -to accompany certain reënforcements from the northern army, to increase -the force of the Commander-in-Chief. This Major Wilkinson escaped -capture, but the British scouts used his horse for Lee’s removal. On the -table was a letter, not yet folded, which the messenger was to convey to -General Gates. It reads as follows (omitting the expletives),— - - BASKENRIDGE, December 13, 1776. - - MY DEAR GATES: The ingenious manœuvre of Fort Washington has - completely unhinged the goodly fabrick we had been building. There - never was so —— a stroke. _Entre nous_, a certain great man is —— - deficient. He has thrown me into a position where I have my choice of - difficulties. If I stay in the Province, I risk myself and my army; - and if I do not stay, the Province is lost forever.... Our councils - have been weak, to the last degree. As to what relates to yourself, if - you think you can be in time to aid the general, I would have you, by - all means, go. You will at least save your army. - -No comment is required, except to state that repeated orders had been -received and acknowledged by Lee, to join Washington; but he had -determined not to join him, and to act independently with his division, -regardless of the orders of his Commander-in-Chief, and of Congress. Two -extracts only are admissible. Washington had reprimanded Lee for -interfering with the independent command of General Heath, on the -Hudson. On the twenty-sixth of November, Lee wrote to Heath: “The -Commander-in-Chief is now separated from us. I, of course, command on -this side the water; for the future I will, and I must, be obeyed.” On -the twenty-third of November, in order to induce New England to trust -_him_, and _distrust_ Washington, he wrote the following letter to James -Bowdoin, President of the Massachusetts Council: - - Before the unfortunate affair at Fort Washington, it was my opinion, - that the two armies, that on the east and that on the west side of the - North River, must rest, each, on its own bottom; that the idea, of - detaching and reënforcing from one side to the other, on every motion - of the enemy, was chimerical; but to harbor such a thought, in our - present circumstances, is absolute insanity.... We must therefore - depend upon ourselves. Should the enemy alter the present direction of - their operation, I would never entertain the thought on being succored - from the western army (that across the Hudson, with Washington). - Affairs appear in so important a crisis, that I think even the - resolves of Congress must be no longer nicely weighed with us. There - are times when we must commit treason against the laws of the State, - for the salvation of the State. The present crisis demands this brave, - _virtuous_ kind of treason. For my part, and I flatter myself my way - of thinking is congenial with that of Mr. Bowdoin, I will stake my - head and reputation on the measure. - -James Bowdoin loved Massachusetts; but no selfish or local -considerations, such as were those of Lee, could impair his confidence -in the wisdom and patriotism of the American Commander-in-Chief. - -The capture of Lee was thus mildly noticed by Washington: “It was by his -own folly and imprudence, and without a view to effect any good, that he -was taken.” - -General Sullivan succeeded to the command of Lee’s Division. Gates -joined from the northern army, and on the twentieth of December, the -Continental Army was reorganized for active service. - -General Howe had returned to New York December 20th. The British -cantonments for the winter embraced Brunswick, Trenton, Burlington, -Bordentown, and other places; with the Hessian, Donop, in command at -Bordentown, and Rahl at Trenton. - -The month had been one of great strain upon the American -Commander-in-Chief. He was, practically, on trial. The next in command, -who, by virtue of previous military training, largely commanded public -confidence, had failed him, simply because Washington, with the modesty -of a true aspirant for excellence in his profession, would not pass -judgment, and enforce his own will, in disobedience of the will of -Congress. But, by this time Congress itself began to realize that a -deliberate civil body was not the best Commander-in-Chief for field -service, and that it would have to trust the men who did the fighting. -It adjourned on the twelfth of December, quite precipitately, but -_Resolved_ “That, until Congress shall otherwise order, General -Washington be possessed of full power to order and direct all things -relative to the department and to the operations of war.” - -Repair of bridges below Trenton, by the British troops, led Washington -to suspect that some move might be made against Philadelphia, from the -east side of the Delaware River. He therefore divided the entire river -front into divisions under competent commanders, on the day of the -adjournment of Congress. Light earthworks were thrown up, opposite all -ferries and places of easy landing, with small guards at frequent -intervals; and constant patrols were ordered to be in motion, promptly -to report any suspicious signs of British activity, or the movement of -other persons than soldiers of the army. Points of rendezvous were also -established, to resist any sudden attempt of persons to cross; all boats -were kept in good order, and under guard; and rations for three days -were distributed and required to be kept up to that standard, by night -and by day. On the same day he promulged an order that affected -Philadelphia itself; viz., “requiring all able-bodied men in the city, -not conscientiously scrupulous as to bearing arms, to report at the -State House yard the next day, with arms and equipments; that all -persons who have arms and accoutrements, which they cannot, or do not -mean to employ in defence of America, are hereby ordered to deliver the -same to Mr. Robert Tower, who will pay for the same; and that those who -are convicted of secreting any arms, or accoutrements, will be severely -punished.” - -On the fourteenth, he also definitely resolved to “face about and meet -the enemy,”—a purpose which only the conduct of General Lee had made -impracticable before. He wrote to Governor Trumbull, General Gates, and -General Heath, in confidence, of his purpose, “_to take the offensive_.” -To Congress, he wrote sternly, stating that “ten days will put an end to -the existence of this army”; adding: “This is not a time to stand upon -expense. A character to lose; an estate to forfeit; the inestimable -blessing of liberty at stake, and a life devoted, must be my excuse.” - -At this juncture, Washington definitely resolved to establish his -permanent base, as against New York; and selected Morristown, which had -already been made the rendezvous of the New Jersey troops. General -Maxwell, who was familiar with the country, was assigned to the command -of this new position. Three regiments from Ticonderoga were ordered to -halt at the new post. On the twenty-third of December, Washington sent a -confidential communication to Adjutant-General Reed, then with General -Cadwallader, in which he designated “Christmas night, an hour before -day, as the time fixed for an attack upon Trenton.” Reed had fully -shared in the desire for active, offensive duty, and in one letter thus -concurred in the Commander-in-Chief’s opinion, that “to repossess -ourselves of New Jersey, or any part of it, would have more effect than -if we had never left it.” The purpose of Washington was so to combine -the movements of various divisions, including one under Putnam from -Philadelphia, as practically to clear the east bank of the Delaware of -all Hessian garrisons. Putnam feared that the Tory element would rise -during his absence, and that order was suspended. The right wing, under -Cadwallader, was to cross at Bristol (see map); but owing to ice, which -prevented the landing of artillery, he returned to Bristol, and reported -to Washington. After expressing regret over his failure, he thus closes: -“I imagine the badness of the night must have prevented you from passing -over as you intended.” Ewing was to cross over just below Trenton, to -intercept any reënforcements that might approach the garrison from -Bordentown; but the violence of the storm prevented that movement also. -Washington took charge of the left wing, consisting of twenty-four -hundred men, which was to cross at McConkey’s Ferry, nine miles above -Trenton, accompanied by Sullivan and Greene as division commanders. When -preparations were complete, and Washington in his saddle, Major -Wilkinson, of the staff of Gates, notified him that General Gates had -gone to Baltimore to visit Congress. This was a deliberate “_absence, -without leave_,” at an hour when he knew, and in advance, that -Washington intended to force a battle; but Stark, of Breed’s Hill, was -there. Glover, the man of Marblehead and hero of the Long Island -retreat, was there; and William Washington, and James Monroe, were -there! - -[Illustration: - - WASHINGTON BEFORE TRENTON. - - [From Dael’s painting.] -] - -The Hessian garrison of fifteen hundred and forty men had enjoyed a -right “merry Christmas,” after the style of their own “old country” -fashion; and the night, inclement without, was bright within, as dance -and song with every cheery accompaniment dispelled thoughts of -watchfulness of ice-bound Delaware and driving tempest. It was indeed a -night for within-door relish, and the season of the year was most -conducive to the abandonment of all care and worry. “Toasts were drank” -with gleesome delight; and the hilarity of the happy Hessian soldiers, -officers and men, only ceased when the worn-out night compelled them to -seek relief in rest. The garrison were sleeping as soundly when the -stormy morning broke into day, as if they had compassed a hard day’s -march during the night hours. The usual detail for guard was -distributed, but no other sign of life appeared on the streets of -Trenton. Before Colonel Rahl’s headquarters, two guns, stationed there -more as a recognition of his commanding position than for use, were -partly buried in snow. A battery of four guns was in open ground, not -far from the Friends’ Meeting house; but neither earthworks nor other -defences had been deemed essential to the security of the British winter -quarters. - -General Grant had indeed written from Brunswick on the twenty-fourth: -“It is perfectly certain there are no more rebel troops in New Jersey; -they only send over small parties of twenty or thirty men. On last -Sunday, Washington told his assembled generals that the ‘British are -weak at Trenton and Princeton.’ I wish the Hessians to be on guard -against sudden attack; but, at the same time, I give my opinion that -nothing of the kind will be undertaken.” General Grant did, it would -seem, compliment Washington’s sagacity, without comprehending his -will-power to realize in action every positive conviction of possible -duty. And so it was, that the garrison of Trenton on that Christmas -night slept at ease, until morning dawned and Washington paid his -unexpected visit. - -Under cover of high ground, just back of McConkey’s Ferry, on Christmas -afternoon, 1776, Washington held a special evening parade. Neither -driving wind nor benumbing cold prevented full ranks and prompt response -to “roll-call,” as company after company fell into line; and when -darkness obscured the closing day, all was in motion. It had been his -design to complete the crossing by midnight, and enter Trenton at five -o’clock in the morning. He was to lead, in person, and announced as the -countersign, “Victory or Death!” The order to march to the river bank, -by divisions and sub-divisions, each to its designated group of boats, -was communicated by officers especially selected for that duty, so that -the most perfect order attended each movement. The few days of mild -weather which had opened the ice, had been succeeded by a sudden freeze, -and a tempest of hail and sleet that checked the swift current and made -a safe passage of daring and doubtful venture. The shore was skirted -with ice, while the floating blocks of _old_ ice twisted and twirled the -fragile boats as mere playthings in their way. But no one grumbled at -cold, sleet or danger. The elements were not the patriot’s foe that -night of nights. All faces were set against their country’s foes. They -were, at last, to pursue their old pursuers. The “man of retreats,” as -Washington had been called in derision by such men as Gates and Lee, was -guiding, and leading to “Victory or Death!” - -The landing of the artillery was not effected until three o’clock in the -morning, with nearly nine miles yet to march. At four o’clock the -advance was ordered. The snow ceased, but the hail and sleet returned, -driven by a fierce wind from the north-east. A mile and a quarter -brought them to Bear Tavern (see map). Three and a half miles more -brought them to Birmingham. Here a messenger from General Sullivan -informed Washington that his men reported “their arms to be wet.” “Tell -your general,” replied Washington, “to use the bayonet, and penetrate -into the town. The town must be taken. I am resolved to take it.” - -[Illustration: Trenton and Vicinity] - -From this point Sullivan took the river road. Washington and Greene, -bearing to the left, crossed to the old Scotch road, and then entered -the Pennington road, only one mile from Trenton. The distance by each -road was about the same, four and one-half miles. Washington moved at -once to the head of King and Queen streets, where they joined at a sharp -angle; and here, under direction of General Knox, Forrest’s Battery was -placed in position, to sweep both streets, even down to the river. “It -was exactly eight o’clock,” says Washington, “and three minutes after, I -found from the firing on the lower road that that division had also got -up.” The entire movement was with the utmost silence, to enable Sullivan -and Stark to pass through the lower town and take the Hessians in the -rear and by surprise. - -The battle was over in an hour. The Hessian troops burst from their -quarters, half dressed, but in the narrow streets already swept by -Forrest’s guns, any regular formation was impossible. The two guns -before Rahl’s headquarters were manned; but before they could deliver a -single round Capt. William Washington and Lieut. James Monroe -(subsequently President Monroe), with a small party, rushed upon the -gunners and hauled the guns away for use elsewhere. Sullivan had entered -the town by Front and Second streets. Stark led his column directly to -the Assanpink Bridge, to cut off retreat to Bordentown; and then swung -to the left, and attacked the Hessians, who were gallantly attempting to -form in the open ground between Queen Street and the Assanpink. Hand’s -Rifles and Scott’s and Lawson’s Virginia regiments were conspicuous for -gallantry. All did well. - -The American casualties were two killed and three wounded,—Captain -Washington and Lieutenant Monroe being among the latter. The Hessian -loss in killed and wounded, besides officers, was forty-one. The number -of prisoners, including thirty officers, was one thousand and nine. -Colonel Rahl fell, mortally wounded, while using his bravest energies to -rally his men for an attack on Washington’s position at the head of King -Street; but the surprise was so complete, and the coöperation of the -American divisions was so timely and constant, that no troops in the -world could have resisted the assault. Six bronze guns, over a thousand -stand of arms, four sets of colors, twelve drums, and many valuable -supplies were among the trophies of war. - -The American army countermarched during the night after the battle, -reaching the old headquarters at Newtown with their prisoners before -morning; having made the entire distance of fully thirty miles under -circumstances of such extreme hardship and exposure, that more than one -thousand men were disabled for duty through frozen limbs and broken-down -energies. - -The Hessian troops were proudly escorted through Philadelphia, and the -country began to realize the value of a Soldier in command. Fugitives -from Trenton reached Bordentown, where Colonel Donop had already been so -closely pressed by Colonel Griffiths in an adventurous skirmish, as to -require the services of his entire garrison to meet it. He abandoned -Bordentown instantly, leaving the sick and wounded, and the public -stores; marched with all haste to Princeton, via Crosswicks and -Allentown, and started the next day for South Amboy, the nearest port to -New York. - -On the twenty-seventh, Cadwallader crossed at Bristol with eighteen -hundred men, not knowing that Washington had recrossed the Delaware. -Generals Mifflin and Ewing followed with thirteen hundred men; but Mt. -Holly and Black Horse had also been abandoned by the Hessian garrisons. - -While the American army rested, its Commander-in-Chief matured his plans -for further offensive action. A letter from Colonel De Hart, at -Morristown, advised him that the regiments of Greaton, Bond, and Porter -would extend their term of service two weeks. The British post at -Boundbrook and vicinity had been withdrawn to Brunswick. Generals -McDougall and Maxwell, then at Morristown, were instructed by Washington -“to collect as large a body of militia as possible, and to assure them, -that nothing is wanting but for them to lend a hand, and drive the enemy -from the whole Province of New Jersey.” On the twenty-eighth, he wrote -thus to Maxwell: “As I am about to enter the Jerseys with a considerable -force, immediately, for the purpose of attempting a recovery of that -country from the enemy; and as a diversion from your quarter may greatly -facilitate this event, by dividing and distracting their troops, I must -request that you will collect all the forces in your power, and annoy -and distress them by every means which prudence may suggest.” - -To General Heath, he wrote: “I would have you advance as rapidly as the -season will permit, with the eastern militia, by the way of the -Hackensack, and proceed downwards until you hear from me. I think a fair -opportunity is offered of driving the enemy entirely from, or, at least -to the extremity of New Jersey.” - -On the thirtieth, having again crossed to Trenton, Washington was able -to announce that “the eastern Continental troops had agreed to remain -six weeks longer, upon receipt of a bounty of ten dollars; and the -services of eminent citizens were enlisted in an effort to use the -success at Trenton, as a stimulus to recruiting,” and, “to hasten the -concentration of the militia.” Washington intensely realized that in a -few weeks, at furthest, he was to begin again the instruction of a new -army; and determined to get the largest possible benefits from the -presence of four thousand veterans who had consented to remain for a -short period beyond their exact term of enlistment. - -On the twenty-seventh of December, Congress clothed Washington with full -dictatorial authority in the matter of raising troops, and in all that -pertained to the conduct of the war, for the period of six months; -reciting as the foundation of such action, that affairs were in such a -condition that the very existence of civil liberty depended upon the -right exercise of military powers; and, “the vigorous, decisive conduct -of these being impossible in distant, numerous, and deliberative bodies, -it was confident of the wisdom, vigor, and uprightness of George -Washington.” - -It was under the burden of this vast responsibility that Washington -rested, when he closed the year 1776 in camp near Trenton. He responded -to this confidence on the part of the Continental Congress, in this -simple manner: “Instead of thinking myself freed from all civil -obligation, I shall immediately bear in mind that as the sword was the -last resort for the preservation of our liberty, so it ought to be the -first thing laid aside, when those liberties are finally established. I -shall instantly set about making the most necessary reforms in the -army.” - -Thus rapidly, in as natural and orderly sequence as seemed desirable, -omitting incidents, correspondence, and names of persons that do not -seem essential in the illustration of qualities which attach to the -career of Washington as a Soldier, the reader is brought to the midnight -hour of December 31, 1776. - -All his struggles in camp, in field, on the march, have closed with one -tremendous blow struck at British prestige and British power. The -greatest soldiers and statesmen of that period recognized its -significance, and rendered unstinted praise to the “wisdom, constancy, -and intrepidity of the American Commander-in-Chief.” - -But, at that midnight hour, the Soldier who had been the kind and -faithful guardian of the humblest men in the ranks, as well as the -example and instructor of the proudest veteran, waited with swelling -breast and aching heart for the morning’s dawn; realizing the solemnity -of its certain ordeal, when the organization of a new army, and more -herculean efforts of the British crown, were to test not only his own -capacity and will, but test the readiness and fitness of the American -people to rise to the emergencies of one supreme issue—“Victory or -Death!” - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - THE FIRST NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN DEVELOPED.—PRINCETON. - - -Washington’s surprise of the garrison of Trenton, equally surprised -General Howe at New York; and he made immediate requisition for twenty -thousand additional troops. His last previous requisition for foreign -auxiliaries met with little favor on the Continent, and only thirty-six -hundred men were secured for service, both in Canada and other American -Colonies. In the meantime, Clinton made no demonstration from Newport; -and Massachusetts had recovered from the temporary effect of his -occupation of that post. Under the impulse of the success at Trenton, -new foundries were established; and systematic effort was made to secure -a complete artillery outfit for the army, on the new basis of -eighty-eight battalions. - -[Illustration: Trenton.] - -[Illustration: Princeton.] - -But on the first day of January, 1777, the Commander-in-Chief did not -pause in the use of the means just at hand. He realized that General -Howe could not afford to remain passive under the new conditions which -his own offensive movement had imposed upon the British army. Lord -Cornwallis, on the eve of returning to England, was at once sent with a -strong division to reoccupy Trenton. But Washington, instead of -retaining his former position on the west bank of the Delaware, -established himself behind the small river Assanpink, which enters the -Delaware just south of Trenton, on the New Jersey side. It was a bold -act. Below him, toward Philadelphia, were the forces of Cadwallader and -Mifflin; and these he ordered to his support. Their arrival, thirty-six -hundred strong, on the morning of January second, increased his command -to about five thousand men. This little Assanpink River, swollen by the -melted snow, was impassable except by a bridge near its junction with -the Delaware. Along its steep and wooded banks, the American army was -distributed for a distance of two miles. Watchful guards and several -pieces of artillery were stationed at every available fording-place, and -these were supported by some of the most reliable Continental troops. -Behind the first line, and on a little higher ground, a second line was -established. - -In order to secure ample warning of the arrival of the enemy and delay -their approach, Washington established several small posts along the -road to Princeton. The first, about a mile advanced, occupied rising -ground well flanked by woods and supported by two pieces of artillery. -Colonel Hand’s Rifles were pushed forward as far as Five Mile Creek; and -even, off the road, a small supporting party held a defensive position -at Shebakonk Creek, where heavy timber and broken ground afforded a good -position for skirmishers to annoy an advancing force. General Greene was -placed in command of these outposts. (See map.) - -So many writers have worried themselves and their readers in dealing -with Washington’s movements during the first week in January, 1777, as -so many revolutions of a lottery wheel of chance in which he was -remarkably lucky, that it is desirable to understand his own plans, and -how far he anticipated the contingencies which actually happened. His -mind not only grasped possibilities which aroused confidence, at home -and abroad; but embraced strategic conceptions which affected the entire -war. - -The Delaware was still filled with floating ice. Large masses were -banked within its curves, so that retreat across the river, in the -presence of a powerful adversary, would be impracticable. And yet, he -had not hesitated to take position at Trenton, on the east bank of the -river. To have remained on the west bank would have made it impossible -for him to prevent Cornwallis from passing down the east bank to -Philadelphia, or at least from driving both Cadwallader and Mifflin to -that city, in disorder. To have retired his own army to Philadelphia, -would have been the abandonment of New Jersey, and of all the prestige -of his exploit on Christmas night. He resolved to save his army; and -leave Philadelphia to the contingencies of the campaign. If compelled to -fight, he would choose the ground; but he did not intend to fight under -conditions that would force him to abandon the aggressive campaign which -he had planned. During December, he had secured a careful reconnoissance -of the roads to Brunswick, had learned the strength of its garrison, and -formed an estimate of the value of the large magazines which General -Howe had located at that post. He believed that a quick dash would -secure their destruction or capture. - -While awaiting the advance of Cornwallis, he called a council of -officers, and this bold strategic movement was fully indorsed by them. -But no time was to be lost. The initiative must be taken before the -armies were brought to a deadly struggle for the very ground already -occupied by his camp. Battle must be deferred until another day. The -baggage-wagons which accompanied the commands of Cadwallader and -Mifflin, now parked in the rear of the army, were moved to its extreme -right, toward Princeton, and the army waited. - -Washington visited the advance posts, where Greene was on the alert, and -being advised by him that he could keep Cornwallis back until late in -the afternoon, or until night, returned to headquarters. The advance of -Cornwallis was so successively annoyed by the outposts, that he halted -until additional regiments joined him. Greene opened fire with his two -guns, under orders from Washington to “so check the enemy as to prevent -battle until the next day”; and Cornwallis again came to a halt. He knew -that the Delaware River was behind Washington, and felt sure of his -prey. Already the British had made a tiresome march; and at this second -halt, orders were sent back to Princeton to bring up a part of the force -left at that place. Cornwallis had not been neglectful of his flanks, -however, but sent skirmishers along the Assanpink, and even threw both -shot and shell into the woods in the direction of the American lines. - -When the day closed, and Cornwallis encamped on the north bank of the -Assanpink, his pickets could see the Americans at work throwing up -intrenchments behind the bridge, and at one point further up the stream. -All along the American lines immense camp-fires burned, and these were -abundantly replenished, during the night, by fence-rails from the -country near by. The British and Hessians also maintained their -camp-fires. A sudden freeze made these fires comfortable. It also -hardened the ground, so that the American artillery and baggage-wagons -could move more readily than on the previous day. - -Washington hurried a messenger to General Putnam, at Philadelphia, -advising him of his proposed movement, and instructing him to send -troops to occupy Crosswicks, a short distance above Bordentown, and thus -take charge of some baggage which has been sent in that direction. All -this time, the army, except its wide-awake and conspicuous sentries at -the bridge, and its active fire-builders along the Assanpink, was on the -march for Princeton. When the vanguard reached Stony Brook, Washington -re-formed his columns, and sent General Mercer, who had served with him -in the Indian War of 1756–66, to the left, by the Quaker Road, intending -to advance with the main army directly to the village, by a lower road, -under cover of rising ground, and thus expedite his march upon -Brunswick, now weakened in its garrison by the presence of Cornwallis at -Trenton. But General Mercer’s small command was suddenly confronted by a -part of Colonel Mawhood’s British regiment hastening to reënforce -Cornwallis. This precipitated the action, known as the “Battle of -Princeton.” As soon as firing was heard, Washington hastened to the -scene and took part in the fight. A British bayonet charge was too much -for the American advance guard. The officers in vain attempted to rally -the men. Washington at once appreciated the ruin that would result from -protracted battle; and, as at Kipp’s Bay, dashed into the thickest of -the fight, and with bared head urged the men to rally. He passed -directly across the fire of the British troops, and the Americans -responded to his appeal. Stirling, St. Clair, Patterson and others -promptly brought their troops into action; cut off the retreat of a -portion of the enemy to Princeton, and fought them again, just south of -Nassau Hall, Princeton College. - -The short action was costly in precious lives. Colonel Haslet and -General Mercer both fell, while endeavoring to rally their men, and the -total American loss was about one hundred. The British loss was more -than one hundred, besides two hundred and twenty prisoners. The part -taken by Washington in the action requires no further details of its -incidents than its result. But the day was not over. At early dawn, at -Trenton, the “All’s well!” which had been echoed across the little -Assanpink and along its banks the night before, ceased. The fires still -crackled and blazed with fresh wood added to the glowing coals; but no -pacing sentry, nor picketed horses, nor open-mouthed cannon were in view -from the British outposts. And yet, the sullen boom of cannon far in -their rear, from the direction of Princeton, caught the quick ear of -Gen. Sir William Erskine. In an instant he was in the presence of -Cornwallis, with the sharp cry, “Washington has escaped us!” The beat -“To arms!” was immediate. There was no time even to pack supplies -already unloaded for battle. The troops were resting, after hard -marching at the dead of winter, but the presence of Washington’s army at -the head of King Street would not have more thoroughly awakened them to -duty. The distance was only ten miles; while Washington, by his circuit, -had marched sixteen miles. But every moment of delay imperilled their -great magazines of supply for the whole winter at Brunswick. All that -had been stored in the Trenton depot passed into Washington’s possession -on Christmas night. They brought with them, the day before, only -sufficient for a short morning’s capture of their American adversary. -Battalions marched toward Trenton singly, as formed; artillery following -so soon as ready. - -The British vanguard reached Stony Brook just as the Americans -disappeared up the road, after destruction of the bridge. Cornwallis -halted, to bring up artillery. Washington, however, had already reached -Kingston, three miles beyond Princeton, and had crossed Millstone River. -Here, a council was held as to future action. British fugitives in the -direction of Brunswick had, most assuredly, warned the garrison of its -danger. At this moment, the sound of cannon at Stony Brook showed that -Cornwallis was pressing forward with despatch. The rear-guard left at -Stony Brook was not yet in sight; but the entire army was put in -marching order, and General Greene led the advance up the Millstone. As -soon as the rear-guard joined, the British not appearing, the bridge was -destroyed, and the army moved through woods, thickets, and improvised -openings, under the lead of well-posted scouts, for the hilly country to -the northward. When Cornwallis reached the Millstone, he had another -bridge to build. A few horsemen toward Brunswick were all that indicated -the presence or whereabouts of Washington’s army. He pushed his men by a -forced march, to save Brunswick, and _fight Washington_. He did indeed -save Brunswick; but Washington and his army were resting in a strong -position near Pluckemin, beyond his reach. - -The American soldiers were foot-sore, unshod, weary and hungry. There -had not been time to distribute rations, after breaking camp at Trenton. -More than one-half of the troops had only just arrived with Cadwallader -from Bordentown, when the night march began. The imagination falters and -cannot conceive the experiences of these faithful men, so many of whom -instead of returning immediately home after New Years day, were -voluntarily serving beyond their enlistment, at the simple request of -their heroic Commander-in-Chief. - -On the fifth of January, Washington sent his report to Congress, and -despatches to others elsewhere in command. Two of these despatches are -to be noticed. He ordered Putnam, then at Philadelphia: “Give out your -strength twice as great as it is. Keep out spies. Put horsemen in the -dress of the country, and keep them going backwards and forwards for -that purpose. Act with great circumspection, so as not to meet with a -surprise.” He ordered General Heath, then on the Hudson, “to collect -boats, for the contingency of the detail of a part of his forces to New -Jersey”; and also instructed him, that “it had been determined in -council that he should move down toward New York with a considerable -force, as if with a sudden design upon that city.” - -On the seventh of January, the American army reached Morristown; where -huts were erected and the Headquarters of the Continental Army of the -United States were established. That army was resting, and working; -working, and resting,—but its Commander-in-Chief knew no rest. On the -same day, additional orders were issued to General Heath; to General -Lincoln, who had reached Peekskill with four thousand New England -militia; and to other officers, north and south, in anticipation of -ulterior movements through every probable field of the rapidly expanding -war. This was also the first occasion for Washington’s exercise of the -high prerogative conferred by Congress,—full control of all military -operations without consultation with that body. - -Washington could reprimand, when necessary; while always prompt to -commend, when commendation was both deserved and timely. Heath was -before Fort Independence on the eighteenth day of January. General -Lincoln advanced by the Hudson River road; General Scott by White -Plains; and Generals Wooster and Parsons, from New Rochelle and -Westchester. A few prisoners were taken at Valentine’s Hill. General -Heath, with grave dignity, announced to the Hessian garrison of two -thousand men that he would allow them “twenty minutes in which to -surrender,” or they must “abide the consequences.” Twenty minutes, -thirty minutes, and gradually, ten days elapsed. This large American -force, half-organized, as they were—without barracks, in midwinter, -under conditions of terrible exposure—endured it all, without flinching, -and hardest of all, unrelieved by fighting. Suddenly, the Hessians made -a sortie upon the advanced regiment, and the whole army was retired. Its -fighting pluck had been frittered away. The combined divisions had -arrived with admirable concert of time. The plan was well-conceived and -well-initiated; but failed, because a soldier was not in immediate -command. As a demonstration toward New York, it did affect Howe’s -movements, and compelled him to keep his forces well in hand; but its -chief purpose was not realized. - -On the third day of February, the American Commander-in-Chief again -wrote to General Heath, as follows: “This letter is additional to my -public one of this date. It is, to hint to you, and I do it with -concern, that your conduct is censured, and by men of sense and judgment -who have been with you in the expedition to Fort Independence, as being -fraught with too much caution; by which the army has been disappointed -and in some degree disgraced. Your summons, as you did not attempt to -fulfil your threats, was not only idle, but farcical, and will not fail -of turning the laugh exceedingly upon us.” - -During the winter and spring, the skirmishes were frequent, and often -with benefit to the American troops. They began to acquire confidence, -and the conviction that, man for man, on fair terms, they were a match -for either British or Hessians, and did not care which invited a fight. -Washington issued a counter-proclamation to that which Howe promulged -when the American army advanced into New Jersey; and then, all offensive -operations of the British army came to a sudden halt. - -The eminently impartial Italian historian, Botta, thus sums up his -description of this offensive movement: - -“Washington, having received a few fresh battalions, and his little army -having recovered from their fatigue, soon entered the field anew, and -scoured the whole country as far as the Raritan. He even crossed the -river and entered the county of Essex; made himself master of Newark, of -Elizabethtown, and finally of Woodbridge; so that he commanded the -entire coast of New Jersey in front of Staten Island. - -“He so judiciously selected his positions, and fortified them so -formidably, that the royalists shrunk from all attempts to dislodge him -from any of them.”... “But the British army, after having overrun, -victoriously, the State of New Jersey quite to the Delaware, and caused -even the City of Philadelphia to tremble for its safety, found itself -now restricted to the only posts of Brunswick and Amboy, which, -moreover, could have no communication with New York, except by sea. - -“Thus, by an army almost reduced to extremity, Philadelphia was saved; -Pennsylvania protected; New Jersey nearly recovered; and a victorious -army laid under the necessity of quitting all thoughts of acting -offensively, in order to defend itself.” - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - THE AMERICAN BASE OF OPERATIONS ESTABLISHED.—THE SECOND NEW JERSEY - CAMPAIGN. - - -The narrative of Washington’s career as a Soldier, up to the time when -he foiled the best efforts of Howe and Cornwallis to capture his weary -band of Continentals and militia, has been a continuous story of love of -country and devotion to her brave defenders. The most assiduous care for -their discipline, their health, their moral deportment, and their -loyalty to duty, has been the burden of his soul. Pleading, -remonstrance, and even reprimand, however earnest and pungent, have -never worn a selfish garb, nor breathed of arrogance or fitful temper. -Presumptuous denunciations by his chief antagonist have never impaired -the dignity of his carriage, his felicity of utterance, nor the serenity -of his faith. - -The indiscretions of his subordinates, their jealousies, and their -weaknesses, have been so condoned, or accommodated to the eventful hours -of camp or field service, that while he rests in camp, during the -opening week of the second year of battling with the might of Britain, -he has in mind, only words of thanksgiving for mercies realized, and a -bold challenge to the American Congress and the American people for men -and means whereby to make their sublime Declaration of Independence a -realized fact. - -[Illustration: Operations in New Jersey.] - -And yet, never before has there gathered about his pathway such ominous -mutterings of a threatening tempest. It is no longer the spectacle of a -half-organized army parrying the strokes of a compact enemy, well -equipped for war. He has halted, faced the foe, and assumed the -aggressive. Washington has been fencing. His first lunge in return draws -blood. He will fight to the finish. - -Already, he understands that his first New Jersey campaign indicates the -real field of endeavor in which the fate of his country is to be -settled. Whatever may be in store of sacrifice, or battle, he must now -plan for victory; and to ensure its happy realization, he must so -neutralize the domination of New York, that its occupation, whether by -himself or Great Britain, will cease to be a controlling factor in the -momentous struggle. - -Even the battle-issue is no longer to be with its strong garrison; but -from Lake Champlain to Savannah, along the entire Atlantic coast, and -wherever great cities or seaboard towns fight strongest for liberty, he -is to be their standard-bearer; and there the people are to bleed and -triumph. Like Habib in the Arabian tale, when he drew from its scabbard -the talismanic sword of Solomon, and there flashed upon the glittering -steel the divine word “Power,” so he had the faith to know that “the -substance of things hoped for” was to be the trophy won. - -Thus far, the recital of marchings and fightings has proved his ability -to command the confidence of his countrymen, of Congress, and of -disinterested mankind. Hereafter, the details of battles must be -relegated to fuller records; and this account will be more closely -restricted to the potential part borne by him in their conduct, general -management, and improvement. - -A reference to the accompanying map will furnish a simple key to the -progress of the War for American Independence. Concentric circles about -New York, as a radius point, indicate the immediate sweep of the British -arm of offence. Similar circles about Morristown and Middlebrook -indicate, that as a fortified centre this section, like the hub of a -wheel, would endanger along its divergent spokes all operations out from -New York as far up the Hudson River as West Point, and throughout the -Province of New Jersey. It would compel Great Britain to maintain a -permanent garrison of sufficient strength for all such excursions; and a -correspondingly large, half-idle force for the protection of its own -headquarters and its general depot of supplies. It was like a mountain -peak for an observatory; and such was the systematic organization of -scouts, messengers and runners, in the confidence and pay of the -American Commander-in-Chief, that almost daily information was furnished -him of the minutest occurrence in and about the British headquarters; -and a regular Shipping List was supplied by competent spies, of every -movement of British men-of-war, transports, and tenders, as far out as -Sandy Hook. - -One of the most noteworthy facts connected with the American civil -conflict of 1861–’65, was the measurement of generals on either side by -knowledge of their antecedent education, qualities and characteristics. -McClellan would have taken Vicksburg, as surely as did General Grant: -the mathematics of a siege are irresistible. But he never could have -marched to the sea, as did Sherman, or swept like a tornado to the rear -of Lee, as did Sheridan. It appears from the correspondence of -Washington, that he carefully studied the antecedents and followed the -operations of his chief antagonists; that in several of the most -critical periods of the war he anticipated their plans as fully as if he -had shared their confidence in advance. But he did not merely interpret -the lessons of campaigns as objectives for his own action. He penetrated -the secret chambers of Howe’s brain. He cross-examined himself: “If I -were in Howe’s place what would I do?” “In his own place, what will Howe -do?” “What must the British Ministry do, to conquer America—in the way -of ships, men, and money?” “Can they do it?” “Can they risk their West -India Colonies, by the diversion of adequate means to conquer America?” -The expectancies of aid from France, partly realized through the -purchase of arms and munitions of war as early as 1776, were never out -of his thought. To maintain one central army intact, and wear out his -adversary, was the pivot on which hinged American destiny. In the hills -of New Jersey he worked this problem to its solution. - -Washington remained at the Morristown headquarters until the -twenty-fourth of May. - -On the twenty-first day of January, Howe withdrew two thousand troops -from Newport, R.I., to reënforce the garrison of New York. Generals -Spencer and Arnold, then at Providence, R.I., with about four thousand -troops, were ordered by Washington, whenever practicable, to attempt the -capture of Newport; but they regarded their force as inadequate for the -purpose. General Parsons, then upon recruiting service in Connecticut, -was also instructed to make a descent upon Long Island; but his force -was hardly equal to the movement, for want of suitable boats. All these -external signs of American watchfulness and activity were as nettles to -irritate the British Commander-in-Chief, while he sat, powerless, in his -sumptuous headquarters at New York. - -Knox was sent by Washington to Massachusetts to enlist a battalion of -artillery, and during his trip mentioned Springfield as the proper site -for the establishment of a laboratory and gun-factory. General Schuyler, -of the northern army, was instructed to draw from New England the entire -force required to resist the anticipated advance of Carleton from -Canada. Washington assigned as a special reason for this limitation, -that “troops of extreme sections could not be favorably combined.” -Besides this, he proportionately relieved New England from sending -troops of her own from her borders, which would be most exposed in case -the invasion from Canada materialized. General Maxwell was stationed at -Elizabethtown to watch tories and the movements of the British. Orders -were issued repressing plundering done by the militia, of which -complaint had been made. Similar outrages had been perpetrated by -British and Hessian troops in the vicinity of New York; and Washington -followed up his own ideas of civilized warfare, by sending to General -Howe a protest, and a demand for similar remedial action on his part. - -At this period, a correspondence occurred as to the position of General -Charles Lee, then a prisoner of war in General Howe’s custody. It was -for a time quite in doubt whether Lee would be treated as a prisoner of -war, or be shot as a deserter from the British army. The pledge of -Washington, that he would hang an officer of equal rank if Lee were -executed, ultimately secured Lee’s exchange. - -During the month of March, a ship from France landed at Portsmouth, -N.H., another invoice of military supplies; and a second soon after -reached Philadelphia with a large cargo. These timely accessions of -material of war amounted to twenty-three thousand fusees, one thousand -barrels of powder, and blankets and other stores. - -On the second of March, Washington communicated to Robert Morris, of -Philadelphia, some of his personal studies of General Howe and his -plans. The following are pertinent extracts: - -“General Howe cannot, by the best intelligence I have been able to get, -have less than ten thousand men in New Jersey, and on board of -transports at Amboy. Our number does not exceed four thousand. His are -well-disciplined, well-officered and well-supplied; ours, raw militia, -badly officered and under no government. His numbers cannot be, in short -time, augmented; ours must be, very considerably, and by such troops as -we can have some reliance on, or the game is at an end. His situation as -to horses and forage is bad, very bad; but will it be better? No, on the -contrary, worse; and therefore, if for no other, to shift quarters. -General Howe’s informants are too numerous, and too well acquainted, to -suffer him to remain in ignorance of them. With what propriety, then, -can he miss so favorable an opportunity of striking a capital stroke -against a city from which we draw so many advantages, the carrying of -which would give such _éclat_ to his arms, and strike such a damp to -ours. Nor is his difficulty of moving so great as is imagined. All the -heavy baggage of the army, their salt provisions, flour and stores, -might go round by water, while their superior numbers would enable them -to make a sweep of the horses for many miles around them, not already -taken off by us.” - -The separate movements suggested by Washington, some of which have been -referred to, indicated his purpose to keep officers in the field -wherever there promised opportunity for aggressive action, while at the -same time enuring the militia to active field service. - -Although Congress had granted the Commander-in-Chief full powers for the -conduct of the war, it did assert its general prerogatives very freely -in the matter of promotions and appointments without consulting him. -Ambition for rapid promotion and honorable commands was as conspicuous -then as since. The promotions made during the month of March were a -source of much jealousy and bitter conflict. Among the new -Major-Generals, much to Washington’s disgust, the name of Arnold was -omitted. General Wooster was at home in command of the Connecticut -militia, having resigned his commission in the regular service. Gen. -George Clinton was assigned to command the forts in the Highlands; and -General McDougall succeeded General Heath at Peekskill. General Sullivan -considered these details as so many independent commands; and fretted -over it so constantly and freely, that Washington administered a rebuke -which illustrates the directness and frankness with which he handled -such provoking interruptions of the domestic harmony of the army. He -writes as follows: “Why these unreasonable and unjustifiable suspicions, -which can answer no other end than to poison your own happiness and add -vexation to that of others? I know of but one separate command, properly -so-called, and that is in the Northern Department; and General Sullivan, -General St. Clair, or any other general officer at Ticonderoga, will be -considered in no other light, while there is a superior officer in the -department, than if he were placed at Chatham, Baskenridge or Princeton. -I shall quit, with an earnest expostulation that you will not suffer -yourself to be teased with evils that only exist in the imagination, and -with slights that have no existence at all; keeping it in mind, that if -there are to be several distinct armies to be formed, there are several -gentlemen before you in point of rank who have a right to claim -preference.” - -General Greene was sent to Congress to urge relief for the suffering -army; and all governors were urged to furnish supplies and troops for -the ensuing campaign. - -On the twenty-fifth of April, Governor Tryon of New York made an -incursion into Connecticut with two thousand men, and fought with -Wooster and Arnold at Ridgefield; where Arnold distinguished himself, -and Wooster was mortally wounded. The loss of sixteen hundred tents was -also a serious affair at the time. General Greene was despatched to -inspect the Highlands and its defences. A British fleet had ascended the -Hudson as far as Peekskill; and as spring advanced, every possible -preparation was made for active duty, in all departments where British -troops could gain access by land or sea. On the twenty-third of May, -Colonel Meigs crossed from Guilford to Long Island, and destroyed twelve -brigs and sloops, one of them carrying twelve guns, and a large quantity -of British stores, the small detachment guard having been recalled to -New York two days before. - -It had become apparent to Washington that General Howe, having withdrawn -so many troops from advanced posts, would enter New Jersey in force; and -on the twenty-ninth of May, he moved his headquarters to the -well-fortified position at Middlebrook. On the seventh of June, Arnold -was placed in command at Philadelphia, to act with General Mifflin in -anticipation of Howe’s possible movement in that direction. On the -twelfth, General Howe, reënforced by two additional regiments recalled -from Newport, R.I., marched from Brunswick towards Princeton with an -aggregate force of seventeen thousand men. - -This second New Jersey campaign was short in duration, and of small -results. Howe intrenched near Somerset Court House, where the Raritan -River was not fordable; and neither army could attack the other. He was -between Washington and Philadelphia. It was a challenge to the -abandonment of Middlebrook, risking an open, circuitous march, if the -American army intended to prevent a British movement upon the American -capital. Howe expected to cut off the division of Sullivan, which was at -Princeton, but that officer had moved to the hills to the north-west, -near Flemington. Cornwallis advanced as far as Hillsborough, when he -found that no enemy remained at Princeton. The British left was on the -Millstone, and their right rested at Brunswick. A glance at the -map—“Operations in New Jersey”—will show that any movement of the -American army to the west or south-west would uncover their defences at -Middlebrook to any attack by the road running due north from Brunswick. -Washington, anticipating the possibility of a general action, and -resolved to select a good opportunity to bring it on, ordered all of the -Continental troops at Peekskill, except one thousand effective men, to -march in three divisions, at one day’s interval, under Generals Parsons, -McDougall and Glover, to his support; the first two columns to bring, -each, two pieces of artillery. - -It certainly was General Howe’s impression that Washington would have -such fears for the safety of Philadelphia as to risk an action south of -the Raritan. On the succeeding fifth of July he wrote to Lord Germaine, -that his “only object was to bring the American army to a general -action.” But Washington only strengthened his works, and never believed -that Howe was making Philadelphia the object of his movement. The -following letter explains his views: “Had they designed for the -Delaware, on the first instance, they probably would have made a secret, -rapid march of it, and not have halted as they have done, to awaken our -attention and give us time for obstructing them. Instead of this, they -have only advanced to a position to facilitate an attack on our right: -which is the part they have the greatest likelihood of injuring us in. -In addition to this consideration, they have come out as light as -possible, in leaving all their baggage, provisions, boats, and bridges, -at Brunswick, which plainly contradicts the idea of their pushing for -the Delaware.” - -On the morning of the nineteenth, Howe suddenly returned to Brunswick. -Greene and Maxwell were advanced by Washington to a position between -Brunswick and Amboy. Howe marched early in the morning of the -twenty-second. Morgan and Wayne drove in the Hessian rear-guard upon the -main army, after a spirited skirmish. It had been Greene’s intention to -have Maxwell strike the column near Piscataway. Washington advanced his -entire army as far as Quibbletown, now Newmarket, upon the advice of his -officers that the retreat was genuine; yet not without a suspicion, -afterward verified, that the whole was a _ruse_ to entice him from his -stronghold. - -On the twenty-sixth, Howe put his whole army in motion to resume the -offensive. Cornwallis, with the extreme right, was to gain the passes to -Middlebrook. Four battalions, with six pieces of artillery, were to -demonstrate on Washington’s left. Without further details, the action is -outlined as follows: Cornwallis found himself confronted by Stirling. A -lively skirmish ensued, near Westfield, now Plainfield. The Americans -were overmatched in numbers, and lost nearly two hundred men in -casualties and prisoners, besides three brass guns, but steadily fought -on, while slowly retiring. Washington, comprehending the whole movement, -retired Maxwell’s Division, without loss, and regained the passes -threatened; and the prolonged resistance of Stirling delayed Cornwallis -until too late for him to gain the American rear. On the afternoon of -the twenty-seventh, Cornwallis, after a loss of seventy men, passed -through Sampton unopposed, and joined Howe who had already retired from -Washington’s front. The American Commander-in-Chief dictated the choice -of battlefield. Howe, representing Great Britain, declined his terms. On -the thirtieth, Howe crossed to Staten Island, and his last military -operations in New Jersey came to an end. He afterwards claimed that his -forces were numerically inferior to those of Washington; but both -friends and critics, in the protracted controversy which afterwards -arose as to this costly and fruitless march into New Jersey, admit that -the disparity of force, in all respects, was with the American army. - -The simple fact remains unobscured, that as General Howe’s acquaintance -with Washington’s methods matured, he better appreciated his qualities -as a Soldier. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - BRITISH INVASION FROM CANADA.—OPERATIONS ALONG THE HUDSON. - - -On the twentieth of June, Washington learned that Burgoyne was -approaching St. John’s; and that a detachment of British and Canadian -troops, accompanied by Indians, had been organized for the occupation of -the Mohawk Valley, west of Albany, under Colonel St. Leger. This would -enable them to court the alliance of the “Six Nations,” and to suppress -the enlistment into the American army of the scattered white population -of that region. On the same day, he ordered General Putnam to hold in -readiness to move up the river, at a moment’s notice, four regiments of -Massachusetts troops which were then at his headquarters at Peekskill, -and also to hire sloops at Albany for their transportation northward. - -The briefest possible history of these expeditions is all that can find -space in this narrative. Lieutenant-General Burgoyne left London on the -twenty-ninth day of March, and reached Quebec on the sixth day of May. -He promptly notified General Howe of his instructions, and recognized -Albany as his chief objective point, so soon as he might recapture the -posts on Lake Champlain, then occupied by the American forces. The -organization and strength of the force with which he undertook his -memorable campaign is noticed elsewhere.[5] His confident expectation of -obtaining an adequate Canadian force of teams, teamsters, axe-men, -horses, wagons, and guides familiar with the country, proved -unwarranted. Instead of two thousand, less than two hundred reported for -duty. This was not the fault of General Carleton, for of him Burgoyne -said, “He could not have done more for his own brother”; but the -Canadians themselves were more desirous of peace with their New England -neighbors than to be involved in war with them. The proclamation of -Burgoyne to the people of New England and New York was arrogant and -repellant, instead of being sympathetic and conciliatory. Washington at -once furnished the antidote by the following: “Harassed as we are by -unrelenting persecution; obliged by every tie to repel violence by -force; urged by self-preservation to exert the strength which Providence -has given us, to defend our natural rights against the aggressor, we -appeal to the hearts of all mankind for the justice of our course; its -event we leave with Him who speaks the fate of nations, in humble -confidence that as His omniscient eye taketh note even of a sparrow that -falleth to the ground, so He will not withdraw His confidence from a -people who humbly array themselves under His banner, in defence of the -noblest principles with which He has adorned humanity.” - -Footnote 5: - - See Appendix. - -General Burgoyne was equally infelicitous in his negotiations with the -Iroquois, Algonquins, Abenagies and Ottawa Indians, whom he met on the -twenty-second day of June. In fact, General Burgoyne had no sympathy -with the British policy which ordered the hire of Indian allies. The -following declaration stands to his perpetual credit, and should appear -in every volume that may ever be published which refers to his campaign -in America. His words were these: “The Indian principle of war is at -once odious and unavailing, and if encouraged, I will venture to -pronounce its consequences, will be sorely repented by the present age -and be universally abhorred by posterity.” And afterwards, in the -presence of the Earl of Harrington, when St. Luc claimed that “Indians -must fight their own way, or desert,” Burgoyne answered: “I would rather -lose every Indian than connive at their enormities.” And still another -incident is to be noticed, especially as it places before the reader a -very characteristic utterance of General Gates, his adversary in that -campaign. The latter wrote to General Burgoyne as follows: “The -miserable fate of Miss McCrea, massacred by Indians, was peculiarly -aggravated by her being dressed to receive her promised husband, but met -her murderers instead, employed by you. Upward of one hundred men, women -and children, have perished by the hands of ruffians to whom it is -asserted you have paid the price of blood.” To this, the gallant general -replied: “I would not be conscious of the acts you presume to impute to -me, for the whole continent of America; though the wealth of worlds was -in its bowels, and a paradise upon its surface.” - -On the twenty-fifth of March, General Gates relieved General Schuyler -from command of the Northern Department; but the latter was promptly -restored, after presenting his case before Congress. General Schuyler -promptly tendered to General Gates the command of Ticonderoga; but it -was sneeringly and disrespectfully declined. To a requisition upon -Washington for tents, made by Gates, Washington replied: “As the -northern troops are hutted, the tents must be used for southern troops -until a supply can be obtained.” The reply of Gates is an illustration -of his ambition and jealousy, and points the trend of his subsequent -career. It reads as follows: “Refusing this army what you have not in -your power, is one thing; but saying that this army has not the same -necessities as the southern army, is another. I can assure your -excellency, the services of the northern army require tents as much as -any service I ever saw.” To Mr. Lovell, of the New England delegation in -Congress, Gates wrote: “Either I am exceedingly dull, or unreasonably -jealous, if I do not discover by the style and tenor of the letters from -Morristown, how little I have to expect from thence. Generals are like -parsons, they are all for christening their own child, first; but let an -impartial, moderating power decide between us, and do not suffer -southern prejudice to weigh heavier in the balance than the northern.” -Washington, of course, used the term “southern” simply in its -geographical sense; but this subtle appeal to Congressmen by Gates was -exactly the counterpart of that of his most intimate friend General -Charles Lee; and both alike, ultimately, paid the penalty of their -unsoldierly conduct. On the ninth of June, Gates took a “leave of -absence” and left the department. - -Schuyler ordered all forts to be put in condition for service; appealed -to the States to forward militia; and on the twentieth proceeded to -inspect each post for himself. Although the garrison of Fort Ticonderoga -consisted of only twenty-five hundred and forty-six Continental troops -and nine hundred militia, it was deemed advisable to “protract defence -until reinforcements could arrive, or the stores be removed.” St. Clair -“did not consider it practicable to fortify Sugar Loaf Hill,” which, -subsequently occupied by Burgoyne, placed the garrison at his mercy. -Meanwhile, the personal inspection by Schuyler realized his worst -apprehensions as to the actual condition of the troops in the Northern -Department. Supplies, other than pork and flour, had not been -accumulated, and there was nothing to sustain the belief of the American -people that Ticonderoga had been made a real fortress. Schuyler hastened -to Albany, to forward troops and supplies. St. Clair wrote as late as -the last of June: “Should the enemy attack us, they will go back faster -than they came.” But on the first day of July, Burgoyne was before -Ticonderoga, and St. Clair abandoned the post without prolonged -resistance. The absence of General Schuyler at so critical a time was -the subject of a Court of Inquiry, called at his own request, in view of -very harsh criticisms, chiefly from New England; but he was acquitted, -with “the highest honor for services already rendered.” - -The close observation of the American Commander-in-Chief, and the -movements of Burgoyne’s army, drew from him, when so many were -despondent, the following extraordinary prophetic letter to General -Schuyler, dated July 22d: “Though our affairs have for some days past -worn a dark gloomy aspect, I yet look forward to a fortunate and happy -change. I trust General Burgoyne’s army will meet, sooner or later, an -important check; and as I have suggested before [letter of July 15th], -that; the success he has had, will precipitate his ruin. From your -accounts, he appears to be pursuing that line of conduct which of all -others is most favorable to us:—I mean, acting in detachments. This -conduct will certainly give room for enterprise on our part and expose -his parties to great hazard. Could we be so happy as to cut one of them -off, though it should not exceed four, five, or six hundred men, it -would inspirit the people, and do away much of this present anxiety. In -such an event, they would lose sight of past misfortunes, and, urged at -the same time by a regard for their own security, they would fly to arms -and afford every aid in their power.” This forecast of the Battle of -Bennington was realized in its best promise; That battle, fought on the -sixteenth day of August, in which General Stark and Colonel Warner won -enviable renown, brought to the former his well-earned promotion. Other -nearly concurrent events in the Mohawk Valley—the gallant defence of -Fort Schuyler and the Battle of Oriskany, aroused the militia to action; -and General Schuyler succeeded in organizing and preparing for the field -a force fully adequate to meet Burgoyne’s entire force, with the -assurance of victory. That he was superseded by Gates, and lost the -command of the northern army on the eve of its anticipated triumph, was -no discredit to him, but an incident of political management which -Washington himself, at that period, was powerless to control. - -On the seventeenth day of October, Burgoyne surrendered his army, -numbering five thousand seven hundred and fifty-three men. The total -strength of the American army opposed to him was eighteen thousand six -hundred and twenty-four; of which number nine thousand nine hundred and -ninety-three Continental troops, besides militia, were present. - -Of the incidents most memorable in the entire campaign, was the -monumental daring of Arnold on the seventeenth of September. Tedious -discussions have in vain attempted to deny him due credit for bravery at -a critical hour of that battle-issue; as if his subsequent treason were -to be reflected back to his discredit. His eventual promotion, and the -congratulations of Washington when it was attained, and the latest duly -authenticated documents, are conclusive in his favor. - -This brief outline of the invasion of Burgoyne only intensifies the -interest with which the mind returns to the headquarters of the American -Commander-in-Chief. Every possible effort had been made by him, and with -success, to supply the northern army with men and means to meet that -invasion. The side issues, especially that of Bennington, had, as -Washington predicted, imparted courage to other Colonies than those -which were immediately affected; for the cause was the common cause of -all. The location of Washington’s headquarters in the fastnesses of New -Jersey had already so restricted the movements of the garrison at New -York, and threatened the city itself, as to prevent the promised support -which Burgoyne had regarded as essential to the success of his invasion. -A careful perusal of his evidence before the House of Commons, his -field-notes, itineraries, and correspondence with General Howe and the -British War Office, leave no doubt that he regarded his movement as -having for its ultimate result the entire control of the Hudson River -and the practical conquest of New England. But General Howe, having in -vain attempted to force the American Commander-in-Chief to abandon New -Jersey and his perpetual menace to New York, or engage in a general -action without choice of time and place, resolved to move by sea to -Philadelphia and force him to fight for, or lose without battle, the -American seat of government itself. His own views as to such an -expedition are worthy of notice. While practically ready to sail for the -capture of Philadelphia, he made other demonstrations, and wrote a -specious autograph letter, which was designed to reach Washington, and -put him off his guard. Washington was not deceived by it. It reads as -follows, addressed to General Burgoyne: - - NEW YORK, July 2, 1777. - - DEAR SIR: I received your letter of the 14th of May from Quebec, and - shall fully observe its contents. The expedition to B—— [Boston] will - take the place of that up the North River. If, according to my - expectations, we may succeed rapidly in the possession of B—— - [Boston], the enemy having no force of consequence there, I shall, - without loss of time, proceed to coöperate with you in the defeat of - the rebel army opposed to you. Clinton is sufficiently strong to amuse - Washington and Putnam. I am now making a demonstration southward, - which I think will have the full effect in carrying our plan into - execution. Success attend you. - - W. HOWE. - -The allusion of Howe to General Putnam indicated a better knowledge of -the methods of that officer than appreciation of the character of -Washington. The headquarters of General Putnam, who then commanded the -Highland range of the defences of the Hudson, were at Peekskill. Forts -Clinton and Montgomery were located upon a high spur of the range, on -the west side of the river, separated by the Poplen, a small creek. Both -were above the range of guns from ships-of-war, and so surrounded by -ravines and crags as to be difficult of approach, even by land. A boom -and heavy chain extended from the foot of the cliff to a sharp -promontory opposite, known as “St. Anthony’s Nose.” So many troops had -been sent to the support of Gates, that the garrison consisted mainly of -militia. Advices had already been received that an expedition had been -organized at New York for a diversion of troops from any further -reënforcement of the American Northern army. Governor Clinton therefore -ordered a considerable militia force to report to General Putnam for -strengthening the garrisons of the river posts. But General Putnam -furloughed the men during harvest and seeding, because the New York -garrison seemed to rest so peacefully in their city quarters. Hearing of -this extensive furlough, Governor Clinton promptly modified his own -order, allowing one-half to remain upon their farms; but for the other -half to report at Peekskill and the forts named. Before this modified -order could take effect, the expedition of Clinton was under way; while -the entire force assembled at the two forts was less than six hundred -and fifty men. - -[Illustration: Attack of Forts Clinton and Montgomery.] - -Clinton’s expedition left New York on the third of October, and -intentionally “made every appearance of their intention to land only at -Fort Independence and Peekskill.” Putnam and his army, and his immediate -surroundings, on the east bank of the Hudson, were ostentatiously -announced as Clinton’s objective, and Putnam acted upon that basis. -Governor Clinton was not so deceived, but adjourned the Legislature, -then in session at Kingston, and hastened to Fort Montgomery to assist -in its defence, and advise its garrison as to the available approaches -to the post through the mountains, with which he was familiar. (See map, -“Attacks of Forts Clinton and Montgomery.”) - -Both Governor Clinton at Montgomery and Gen. James Clinton at Fort -Clinton distinguished themselves by a stubborn resistance and great -gallantry; but both posts were taken on the night of the fifth. The -American loss was nearly three hundred—killed, wounded and missing; and -two hundred and thirty-seven were taken prisoners. The British loss was -forty killed and one hundred and fifty-one wounded. General Clinton was -wounded in a bayonet charge, but escaped to the mountains; and Governor -Clinton escaped by a skiff and joined Putnam. That officer was so -confident of attack upon his own position that he had fallen back to the -heights behind Peekskill. He thought it impracticable to leave that -position to attack General Clinton, who first landed upon the east side -of the river, but did make a reconnoissance southward when too late. He -says, in his Report: “On my return from this reconnoissance with General -Parsons we were alarmed by a very heavy and hot firing, both of -small-arms and cannon, at Fort Montgomery. Upon which, I immediately -detached five hundred men to reënforce the garrison; but before they -could possibly cross to their assistance, the enemy, superior in -numbers, had possessed themselves of the fort.” - -The British advanced above Peekskill and destroyed some stores at -Connecticut Village, and General Vaughan destroyed Esopus (Kingston). -The forts were dismantled, and General Clinton returned to New York. - -General Putnam, reënforced by militia from Connecticut, New York and New -Jersey, soon reoccupied Peekskill; where he was shortly afterwards -strengthened by Continental troops from the northern army. The presence -of an intelligent commanding officer of reasonable military skill, or -the absolute control of both posts by Governor Clinton, would have -prevented their loss. The limited range of this expedition of Sir Henry -Clinton confirms Stedman’s statement, that he had no intention of -pressing north to the aid of General Burgoyne. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - PENNSYLVANIA INVADED.—BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE. - - -The British Commander-in-Chief entertained no doubts of the success of -Burgoyne’s invasion from Canada. His reiterated appeals to Britain for -reënforcements were not heeded, and he certainly knew that troops could -not be furnished up to his demand. But he still hoped that the invasion -from the north would so drain New England and New York of their -able-bodied militia, as to render it impossible for either section to -forward its respective full quota to the Continental army of Washington. -Two campaigns into New Jersey had sufficiently satisfied him that he -never could bend Washington to his knees; and yet he must get Washington -away from his position near New York, and then defeat that army utterly, -before British supremacy could be restored. This conviction, once before -noticed, was reflected in a letter to Lord Germaine, from which extracts -have interest. He had “not overlooked New England,” but says in this -letter, that “Burgoyne’s movement would draw Washington’s army -northward, where the population was dense and the spirit of defence was -animated.” “In Connecticut,” he continues, “there was no object for -which he would be willing to risk a general action; and only two or -three places upon the coast of Long Island Sound could be kept in the -winter.” But he adds that, if his “reënforcements had been forthcoming, -New England would have had a share in the general operations of the -campaign, while the main army acted toward the southward.” “To have -moved up the Hudson, in force, would have imperiled New York, or -sacrificed all other operations to a union with Burgoyne, who was -expected to force his own way to Albany.” “To enter Pennsylvania, was -not only to assail the capital, but attempted the surest road to peace, -the defeat of the rebel army.” - -All these considerations, thus tersely communicated to the British -Government, were sound in military policy; and yet all of them had been -anticipated by the American Commander-in-Chief, as prudent on the part -of General Howe. Even very insignificant incidents were weighed by him, -as of determining value in a nearly balanced scale; so that the number, -character and distribution of pickets from the New York garrison became -valuable indications to the keen espionage with which Washington -conducted his search for the real intent of General Howe’s published or -unpublished designs. - -The British fleet had actually sailed from New York before Washington -received Howe’s letter of the second. Clinton returned to the city on -the tenth. On the fifteenth, an express from Burgoyne informed General -Howe of the capture of Ticonderoga, and stated, that “his army was in -good health, and [which was never realized] that Ticonderoga would be -garrisoned by troops from Canada, which would leave his force complete -for further operations.” Howe’s expedition southward left New York on -the twenty-third of July, and did not arrive off the Delaware until the -thirtieth. - -Upon the first disappearance of the fleet, Washington, suspecting some -_ruse_—its possible return and a movement in support of Burgoyne, or a -descent upon New England, or even New Jersey, started his army for -Coryell’s Ferry; to be ready to march northward, or eastward, in the -prospect of an active campaign. When assured that the entire fleet had -positively sailed southward, he marched with exceeding celerity to -Philadelphia. Active measures were initiated for gathering the militia, -sinking obstructions in the Delaware, and picketing every spot along the -river which might be utilized for the landing of troops. But the -appearance of the British fleet in Delaware Bay, its speedy withdrawal, -and its long absence due to contrary winds, foiled all calculations of -Washington as to its ultimate destination. At a Council of War, held on -the twenty-first of August, it was unanimously concluded that Howe had -sailed for Charleston, S.C. But, on the twenty-second, at half-past one -in the afternoon, Washington received the following despatch from -President Hancock: “This moment an express arrived from Maryland with an -account of near two hundred sail of General Howe’s fleet being anchored -in Chesapeake Bay.” - -This information was received with the most intense interest. In the -face of slow enlistments, scarcity of funds, and deficiencies in -clothing and all military supplies, the transfer of British military -operations from the Hudson was regarded as an indication that New Jersey -had been substantially recovered from British aggression, and that -Washington had outgeneraled his adversary. The operations of Burgoyne -northward could be taken care of by the rapidly increasing flow of New -England militia to resist his advance; and the Pennsylvania people were -wide awake. - -The army of Washington paraded through Philadelphia, gayly decorated -with evergreens. The enthusiasm of the soldiers, rank and file, received -fresh inspiration from the almost wild demonstrations of thousands who -bordered their course of march. Incessant cheering, loud greetings of -encouragement, as well as bountiful gifts of delicacies and of useful -conveniences for the camp or march, sent them forward hopeful and happy. - -The American army which finally marched against General Howe’s well -equipped force of nearly eighteen thousand men was of the nominal -strength of fourteen thousand; but the entire roster added up not quite -eleven thousand “effectives, present for duty.” - -The thoughtful reader, of whatever age or training, is prompted to -linger here a moment, and catch a parting view of this column of earnest -men, so proudly and joyfully marching to meet in battle the magnificent -array of Britain’s chief captains and most honored battalions, the -famous Grenadiers of Hanau, and the dragoons and lancers of Hesse. When -all are waiting for the advance, who is that man who swiftly rides past -the column to its front, erect in saddle, calm, self-reliant, imposing -in presence, and with face radiant in confidence and trust? What sort of -faith is that which inspires the utterance, which rings like that of the -Hebrew Captain when about to face the horsemen and chariots of the -Egyptian Pharaoh: “Tell the people that they go _forward_”? How dare -this American soldier reckon upon chances for victory in such an unequal -measurement of physical force, unless he discern, through plainest garb, -the proof-panoply of those whose cause is just? And whence the -inspiration of those men of brawn, whose nerves seemed turned to steel, -that they are so firmly and confidently ready to enter into the trying -ordeal of battle. - -_It is the Continental Army of America, with Washington in command!_ - -Only short halts at Derby, Chester and Wilmington delayed their march; -and after each halt, that single word, “Forward!” as it ran down the -lines, brigade after brigade, again brought shouts from spectators and -soldiers alike. - -General Sullivan, who had been detained in New Jersey to make an attack -upon the British posts on Staten Island which failed of its anticipated -success joined the command just in time for Brandywine. There was no -timidity in this advancing army. Every heart beat with steady cadence. -Maxwell, with a selected corps of one hundred men from each brigade, -supplied the place of Morgan’s Rifles, then with the northern army. He -pushed forward even to Elk River, accompanied by the youthful Lafayette, -hoping to save some stores gathered there before the British could -effect a landing, and possibly to obstruct the landing itself. - -This was on September third; but too late to save the stores, for the -British were already encamped. A sharp skirmish with Cornwallis was -reported by General Howe to have resulted in a British loss of two -officers and twenty-two men, killed or wounded. - -On the seventh, the entire army reached Newport, and took position along -Red Clay Creek. On the same day, General Howe occupied Iron Hill, within -eight miles of Red Clay, and again the American Rifles had a skirmish -with the British advance. These picked men deliberately took up position -after position, and only yielded to superior force as they slowly -retired. The confidence of Washington was everywhere fully realized. On -the eighth, the British army demonstrated in force; with view to turning -the right of Washington, and to cut him off from communication with -Philadelphia. At half-past nine of the morning of the ninth, pursuant to -the unanimous vote of a council of officers, Washington took up a new -position, selected by General Greene, on the east bank of the Brandywine -and on high ground, just back of Chadd’s Ford, and commanding the -Chester and Philadelphia road. The Battle of Brandywine followed. The -space which has been allowed for this narrative can admit only such -leading incidents as unfold Washington’s general management, and the -ultimate results. - -A reference to the map will aid the reader to understand the relative -positions of the opposing armies. The American army was on the eastern -bank of the river, which was quite rugged of approach and easily -defended. Its left wing, southward, began with Armstrong’s Pennsylvania -militia. At the next ford, Chadd’s, and nearly as far as Brinton’s, are -Weedon, Muhlenburg and Wayne, with Proctor’s artillery in their rear, -behind light earthworks thrown up in haste. In _their_ rear, on still -higher ground, is the reserve division of General Greene, with -Washington’s headquarters. Next in order, up the river, are the -divisions of Sullivan, Stephen and Stirling, each of two brigades—with -Sullivan in virtual command, and Stirling, next in rank, commanding the -right division—and practically reaching Jones’ Ford. Major Spear had -charge of scouts extended as far as the forks of the Brandywine and the -adjacent fords, both below and above the forks. The upper ford, -Jeffries, was not thoroughly watched, and its distance almost precluded -the liability of its use. A road from Jones’ Ford runs perpendicularly -to the river, over to the Dilworth and Winchester road, and just before -reaching the Birmingham Meeting House, passes high, rough and wooded -ground, where the chief fighting took place. The British encampment on -the tenth is indicated at the left of the map. - -[Illustration: Battle of Brandywine.] - -On the morning of the eleventh, Maxwell crossed at Chadd’s Ford; -advanced to Kennett Meeting House, and skirmished with Knyphausen, until -compelled by a superior force to fall back to high ground near the -river. Porterfield and Waggoner crossed at his left and attacked -Ferguson’s Rifles. Knyphausen brought up two brigades, with guns; and -this force, with the Queen’s Rangers, on Knyphausen’s extreme right, -compelled both American detachments to recross the river. The American -casualties were sixty, and those of the Hessian and British troops about -one hundred and thirty. A fog along the river had facilitated Maxwell’s -operations; but it prevented the American scouts from gaining accurate -data as to the movements of the British. While Knyphausen was -demonstrating as if to force a crossing at Chadd’s Ford, Cornwallis was -reported to be moving with five thousand men and artillery toward a ford -near the forks of the Brandywine. Bland had crossed at Jones’ Ford, -between nine and ten in the morning, and reported this movement of -Cornwallis. Washington ordered Sullivan to cross and attack Cornwallis, -while he intended to cross at Chadd’s Ford, in person, and attack -Knyphausen, assigning to General Greene an intermediate crossing, to -strike the left of the Hessian general. When the fog disappeared, there -was no evidence of the whereabouts of the British column. It seemed -hardly possible that it had gone further up the river; while, if it had -joined Knyphausen, the force was too strong to be attacked. Washington -therefore revoked his orders, and withdrew the skirmish party that had -already made the crossing. As a matter of fact, the movement of -Cornwallis was but a flanking support to the advance of the entire -British army; while Knyphausen’s advance towards Chadd’s Ford, although -prepared to cross, if opportunity favored, was a _ruse_ to draw -attention from General Howe’s splendid manœuvre. That officer left -Kennett Square at daylight, marched seventeen miles, and by two o’clock -had crossed the upper fork of the Brandywine, and was moving down upon -the right of the entire American army. - -As soon as advised that the British were advancing, Washington ordered -Sullivan to bring the entire right wing into position to oppose their -progress. The woods were dense and the surface was rocky, so that three -divisions must swing back and present to the British advance a new -front, almost perpendicular to that with which they had previously faced -the river. But it would bring them to the high ground, before noticed, -between Birmingham Meeting House and the river. This movement, which -practically involved one of the most difficult elements of Grand -Tactics,—defined in the Preface as the “Art of handling force on the -battlefield,”—was not within General Sullivan’s capacity. The best -troops in the world would have found it slow of execution, while no less -vital to success in the existing emergency. It required of the division -commanders just that kind of familiarity with combined movements of -brigades and divisions, which is required of regiments in a single -brigade, or of companies in a regiment. Sullivan could not at the same -time command the Grand Division, or Corps, and his own division proper, -unless able to place that division in charge of a brigadier-general who -was fully competent to command a division. It is also to be borne in -mind that the woods, rocks, undergrowth, and suddenness of the order -complicated the movement. Stirling and Stephen succeeded in gaining the -new position, barely in time to meet the assault of Cornwallis, without -time for intrenching to any effect. Sullivan’s Division fell into such -disorder, that after sending four aides, and then a personal appeal, he -gave up the attempt to rally his division. He says: “Some rallied, -others could not be brought even by their officers to do anything but -fly.” Only three of his regiments—those of Hazen, Dayton and Ogden, ever -reliable—gained and firmly held the new position throughout the battle. - -The enemy, which had formed behind Osborne’s Hill, advanced rapidly, -Cornwallis in the lead. The resistance was stubborn and well maintained, -as General Howe admitted, from three o’clock until sunset. Sullivan, -upon finding himself powerless to rally and move his own division, while -he was responsible for the entire combined movement, went to the -battlefield and was conspicuous for bravery during the day. The -resistance of Stirling and Stephen was admirable; but the brigade of -Deborre, a French general, broke and fled, in wild disorder. The absence -of Sullivan’s Division left a gap on the American left of nearly half a -mile, and Deborre’s cowardice shattered the right wing. - -As soon as the right wing gave way, Washington hastened, with Greene, to -the front. There was no retreat except toward Dilworth. By a direct -march of nearly four miles in fifty minutes, and a wheel to the left, of -half a mile, Washington was enabled to occupy a defile from which to -open a passage for the retreating battalions. He then closed in upon -their rear, and prolonged the resistance with vigor. In an orchard -beyond Dilworth, three regiments made another stand. Night separated the -two armies. Stirling and Stephen saved both artillery and baggage. -Armstrong’s brigade, on the extreme left, below Chadd’s Ford, was not -engaged: but, together with Maxwell’s, and Wayne, who was compelled to -abandon his guns, joined the main army, without further loss. They had, -however, kept Knyphausen beyond the river. The entire army fell back to -Chester. The American casualties were seven hundred and eighty, and -those of the British were six hundred. Lafayette lost a horse, and was -himself wounded, in this his first service after receipt of his -commission. - -Deborre was dismissed for cowardice. Conflicts as to the defective -reconnoissance that nearly sacrificed the army arose, which need not be -discussed. In justice to General Sullivan, Washington wrote a letter -responsive to his request for some testimonial to submit to Congress, -which is here given in part: “With respect to your other query, whether -your being posted on the right was to guard that flank, and whether you -had neglected it, I can only observe that the only obvious if not the -declared purpose of your being there, implied every necessary precaution -for the security of that flank. But it is at the same time to be -remarked, that all the fords above Chadd’s from which we were taught to -apprehend danger were guarded by detachments from your division, and -that we were led to believe by those whom we had every reason to think -well acquainted with the country, that no ford above our picket-lines -could be passed without making a very circuitous march.” The British -army remained on the field; and the wounded of both armies were properly -cared for by General Howe. His skill as a scientific soldier was again -illustrated, as well as his habitual failure to follow up a first -success; but he was under peculiar conditions which must have influenced -his judgment. His army had left its ships, which had been ordered to go -to the Delaware; as his objective was the capture of Philadelphia, after -first destroying the American army. That army had retreated in -remarkable order and under good control. Humanity alone would have -persuaded Howe to care for the wounded, and a night pursuit, of the -Americans through that country, would have been a wild venture. - -Washington’s despatch to President Hancock announcing his retreat to -Chester, was dated from that place at midnight, September 11, 1777. The -wonderful presence of mind of the American Commander-in-Chief, his -aptitude for emergencies, and his extraordinary capacity for making the -most of raw troops, were never more thoroughly evinced during his entire -public career. The uneven ground, dense woods, and facilities for good -rifle-practice, were features favorable to inspire his troops with -special resisting capacity; and it is not beyond a fair presumption to -suggest that, if the main army had been allowed two hours for fortifying -their position, the British, accustomed to lighting in close order, -would have been repulsed. It is certain that General Howe had skilful as -well as willing guides, to secure to him, by so long a détour, his -surprise of Sullivan’s right wing. That was part of the same toryism of -that period which a few days later, and not far away, betrayed Wayne’s -forces, with great loss. But with all the mistakes, and the retreat of -the American army, there was much of hope in the experience and in the -sequel of the Battle of Brandywine. - - NOTE.—Lafayette, or LaFayette, makes his first appearance in this - battle. At that period “_affix-names_,” derived from fiefs, - seigniories, or estates, long held by families, were emphasized. - Hence, La villa Faya, in Auvergne, when acquired, was added to - the family name Motier. In the parish register, now in - the war archives of France, the name is thus recorded: - “Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Rock-Gilbert Dumotier Lafayette.” He signed - his name _Lafayette_, and his grandsons, Senators Oscar and Edmond - Lafayette, followed his example. The permanent acceptance of the - spelling _Lafayette_ is therefore fully warranted, and harmonizes with - its use for counties and cities in many of the States. - - This gallant young volunteer in the cause of American Independence, - attended by Baron John De Kalb, and nine others, came to America in - the ship _Victoire_, chartered by himself; and on the 19th of June, - Lafayette wrote to his wife of his enthusiastic welcome at Charleston, - S.C. On the 27th of July, he reached Philadelphia. He was commissioned - Major-General by the American Congress, and took his first seat at a - Council of War, August 21st, when the movement of the American army - against Howe was under advisement. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - WASHINGTON RESUMES THE OFFENSIVE.—BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN. - - -Washington marched directly to Philadelphia to refit his army and secure -ammunition and provisions, and thence marched to Germantown, “for one -day of rest.” His confidence was not abated. The brave soldiers who had -left Philadelphia with such jubilant anticipations of victory, were -conscious of having fought well against a superior force, and were never -more willing to honor the confidence of their Commander-in-Chief. And -Washington himself was not hurried, but systematic and constantly in -motion. On the thirteenth he ordered Monsieur de Coudray to complete -defensive works along the Delaware River; General Putnam, to forward -fifteen hundred Continental troops; and General Armstrong, to occupy the -line of the Schuylkill, as well as to throw up redoubts near its fords, -in case he should find it desirable to cross that river. - -The left wing of General Howe’s army demonstrated toward Reading and -Philadelphia. The right wing, under Generals Grant and Cornwallis, -reached Chester on the thirteenth. General Howe had taken care of the -wounded of both armies, but was compelled to obtain surgeons from -Washington to assist in that duty. At Wilmington, he captured the -governor, and considerable coin which he proposed to use for the benefit -of the wounded of both armies. Inasmuch as Grant and Cornwallis were -practically in the rear of the American army, he proposed to march to -Philadelphia via Germantown; and both threaten the city, and cut off -Washington from retreat northward or westward. But, on the fifteenth, -Washington crossed the Schuylkill at Swede’s Ford; so that Howe’s halt, -even of a single day, on the battlefield, rendered it useless for him to -make a forced march to the city; and his opportunity was lost. - -Washington moved out on the Lancaster road as far as Warren tavern. -Howe, watching his keen adversary, advanced toward Westchester, and both -armies prepared for battle. Howe made a partly successful attempt to -throw the American army back upon the Schuylkill River, and both armies -were prepared for action; when a heavy rain which nearly ruined the -ammunition of the Americans, and “directly in the faces of the British -troops,” as reported by Howe, averted battle. Washington left Wayne, -however, with fifteen hundred troops, in a strong position at Paoli -(Wayne’s birthplace), with orders to fall upon the British rear so soon -as it should break camp, and then moved to Yellow Springs and Warwick; -but upon finding that Howe did not intend to attack Reading, recrossed -the Schuylkill at Parkes’ Ford, and encamped on the Perkiomy, September -seventeenth. On the twentieth, Wayne allowed himself to be surprised at -night, through the treachery of the country people, his old neighbors; -and left more than three hundred of his force as prisoners in the hands -of General Gray, although saving his guns and most of his baggage. -General Smallwood’s brigade, left by General Washington for Wayne’s -support, and encamped but a mile distant, failed to be in time to render -aid during the night attack. This disaster took all pressure from Howe’s -army, and he moved on. Washington reports as to Howe’s movement: “They -had got so far the start before I received certain intelligence that any -considerable number had crossed, that I found it in vain to think of -overtaking their rear, with troops harassed as ours had been by constant -marching since the Battle of Brandywine.” Colonel Hamilton was sent to -Philadelphia to force a contribution of shoes from the inhabitants, as -“one thousand of his army were barefooted.” - -The simplest possible recital of these days of active marching, -sufficiently indicates the character of those brave troops whose -confidence in Washington seemed as responsive to his will as if his -nervous activities embraced theirs as well. - -A small portion of the British left wing crossed at Gordon’s Ford on the -twenty-second, and the main body at Flatland Ford, on the twenty-third, -reaching Germantown on the twenty-fifth. On the twenty-seventh, -Cornwallis entered Philadelphia. Colonel Sterling of the British army -was sent to operate against the defences of the Delaware,—and the fleet -of Admiral Howe was already on its way to Philadelphia. - -The boldness of Washington’s attempt on the rear of Howe’s army, and all -his action immediately after the Battle of Brandywine, were a striking -indication of his purpose to retain the gage of battle in his own hands. -He sent a peremptory order to General Putnam, who was constantly making -ill-advised attempts upon the outposts of New York, to send him -twenty-five hundred men without delay; and most significant of all, -directed him “so to use _militia_, that the posts in the Highland might -be perfectly safe.” Congress immediately adjourned to Lancaster,—and -then to York,—after enlarging Washington’s powers; and General Gates was -ordered to send Morgan’s riflemen to headquarters. This, however, he -delayed to do until after the close of the northern campaign. - -General Howe established his headquarters at Germantown, having been one -month in marching from the head of the Elk to Philadelphia, a distance -of fifty-four miles. - -The town of Germantown consisted of a single street, not so straight -that a complete range of fire could reach its entire length, nor so -uniform in grade that a gun at Mt. Aury, its summit, could have a clean -sweep. The headquarters of Washington were near Pennebeck Mills, twenty -miles from Philadelphia. At seven o’clock of the evening of October -third, he moved with two-thirds of his army by four roads which more or -less directly approached the British encampments, intending to gain -proximate positions, rest his troops, and attack the entire British line -at daybreak. The plan of the movement is of interest for its boldness -and good method. The incidents of the morning, which by reason of fog -and other mishaps rendered the battle less decisive, will not be fully -detailed.[6] The woods, ravines, and difficulties in the way of clear -recognition between friend and foe, in that engagement, only enhance the -value of the general plan, and of the cool self-possession and control -of his army which enabled Washington to terminate the action without -greater loss. - -Footnote 6: - - See “Battles of the American Revolution,” Chapter LI. - -Sullivan and Wayne, with Conway in advance as a flanking corps, were to -move directly over Chestnut Hill and enter the town. Maxwell and Nash, -under Major-General Stirling, were to follow this column as a reserve. -Armstrong, with the Pennsylvania militia, was sent down the Manatawny -River road, to cross the Wissahickon Creek, and fall upon the British -left wing and rear. Greene and Stephen, led and flanked by McDougall’s -Brigade, were to move by the Limestone Road, enter the village at the -Market House, and attack the British right wing. Generals Smallwood and -Forman, with the Maryland and New Jersey militia, were to follow the old -York road until a convenient opportunity should bring them to the -extreme right and rear of the enemy. (See map.) - -Washington accompanied Sullivan’s command; and was able, from his -advanced position, early in the fight, to appreciate that by the failure -of an identity of support on the part of the most remote divisions, the -withdrawal of the army had become necessary. The occupation of the stone -building, known as the Chew House, on the main street, had little -significance; except that it misled the outlying divisions as to the -real centre of conflict, and detained the rear-guard and reserve longer -than necessary. The concurrent action of all the assailing columns, in -the directions indicated by their orders, would have made the issue a -well-balanced question of victory or failure. One single incident is -mentioned. General Stephen left Greene’s command without orders, and -moved toward the sound of firing at the Chew House, only to find himself -firing into Wayne’s command, which was in its right place. He was -dismissed, on charges of intoxication. - -General Sullivan was in his best element when under superior command; -and his conduct on this occasion was admirable. His two aides were -killed, and his division rendered most efficient service. General Nash -was among the killed, and the American casualties numbered six hundred -and seventy-three, besides four hundred and twelve prisoners. - -The British casualties were five hundred and thirty-five, but among the -killed were General Agnew and Lieutenant-Colonel Bird. - -Washington regained Metuchen Hill, very little disturbed by the small -detachments that hung upon his rear; and Howe returned to Philadelphia, -abandoning his encampment beyond the city limits. - -[Illustration: Battle of Germantown.] - -The Battle of Germantown is a signal illustration of a skilful design, -and, at the same time, of the ease with which a victory almost achieved -can be as quickly lost. Its effect upon European minds was signally -impressive, as will hereafter more fully appear. Count de Vergennes, the -French Minister of Foreign Affairs, in speaking of the report of this -battle which reached him December 12th, said: “Nothing has struck me so -much, as General Washington’s attacking and giving battle to General -Howe’s army. To bring troops raised within the year, to do this, -promises everything.” - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - JEALOUSY AND GREED DEFEATED.—VALLEY FORGE. - - -The struggle for American independence and the career of the American -Commander-in-Chief very minutely foreshadowed the experience of most -successful soldiers with the political manipulations of partisans in -Congress ever since. The “On to Richmond,” and the “On to Washington” -cries of 1861, and the fluctuations of the popular pulse with the -incidents of successive campaigns in the civil war, were used by -demagogues for selfish ends. But the same spirit had shown itself in a -degree quite as repugnant to devoted sons of liberty, during the throes -which accompanied this nation’s birth. - -Nothing seemed too exacting as a test of the American -Commander-in-Chief. As the war enlarged its scope, and the prospects of -success brightened for the moment, clamorous aspirants for office -multiplied. The personal bravery of the soldier was magnified at the -expense of discipline. The slow progress of the army was charged to -excessive caution. Nothing, so far as politicians were concerned, was -deemed too hard for the American militia, if only the right sort of a -quack administered their action, and led them to its tests. But the -consciousness of unselfish devotion to duty, never boldly impeached, and -ever unimpeachable, sustained Washington. Amid these clamors for office -and preferment from Congressmen and politicians, his faith in righteous -methods, in patient training, in kind and considerate treatment of all -who took part in the struggle, whatever their antecedents or rank, never -for a moment swerved. His purpose and his self-control matured, until he -attained such calm contempt for jealousy and intrigue that he could move -on through the deepest waters, regardless of restless, dashing -wave-crests. - -The Battle of Germantown, and Howe’s abandonment of his suburban -encampment, naturally suggested the immediate occupation of Philadelphia -by the American army. It, like Boston, “must be seized” at once. The -“almost” victory on the fourth of October, blinded the vision of many to -the broader range of national activity which Washington’s supervision -embraced. News of the surrender of Burgoyne reached his headquarters on -the eighteenth day of October. He promptly congratulated General Gates -and the northern army, in terms of most, gracious sincerity and -emphasis. And yet, General Gates presumed to send his Report to Congress -direct, and not to his Commander-in-Chief. Then, the “almost” victory of -Washington over Howe, at Germantown, was contrasted with the complete -victory of Gates over Burgoyne. The fact that Washington fought with -fewer numbers, and these, of hungry, poorly armed men, nearly worn out -by marches and counter-marches, while the northern army, three to one of -their adversaries, simply penned up first, and then starved out, a force -that had not rations for another day, counted little with these -pseudo-scientific experts. And yet, let it ever be remembered, that the -British garrison of Philadelphia was not panting for any more field -service. The very restriction of that garrison to city limits and the -immediate suburbs, proved not only subversive of their discipline and -efficiency, but ultimately vindicated the wisdom of Washington. He saw -distinctly, just how its partial inaction afforded him time to mature -his own army organization; while the garrison of New York must, of -necessity, be kept equally passive, for lack of this very strong -detachment which idled in barracks, on the banks of the Delaware. - -But while the garrison of Philadelphia limited its excursions to -plundering farms and the country adjacent for wood, forage and -provisions generally, both commanding generals were studying the -relations of the Delaware River to the conduct of all future operations -upon any decisive scale. The river had been so obstructed that the fleet -of Admiral Howe, which had been compelled to land his army at the head -of the Chesapeake in September, could not yet communicate with the army -since it gained the city. He arrived off Newcastle on the sixth day of -October. Washington realized that by retaining control of the Delaware -he not only restricted the supply of provisions and military stores to -the garrison, but retained easy communications with New Jersey and the -Camps of Instruction and rendezvous at the adequately fortified posts of -Morristown and Middlebrook. - -At Billingsport, _chevaux-de-frise_ obstructed the channel. Just below -the mouth of the Schuylkill was Fort Mifflin, on Mud Island. On the -opposite shore, at Red Bank, was Fort Mercer. Washington determined to -maintain these posts, or make their acquisition by the enemy most costly -in men and materials. His foresight grasped, as if in hand, the rapidly -maturing facts, that Britain could not much longer meet the drain of the -American war and at the same time hold her own against her European -foes; and that America needed only a thoroughly concerted effort to -consummate her independence. - -Colonel Christopher Green, courageous at Bunker Hill and during Arnold’s -expedition to Canada, was assigned to command Fort Mercer, with troops -from his own State, Rhode Island. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, of Maryland, -with Maryland troops, was stationed at Fort Mifflin. These little -garrisons were strengthened by the detail of four hundred Continental -troops to each. In these details, the same wisdom marked Washington’s -choice; as Angel’s Rhode Island regiment reported to Greene, and a -portion of Greene’s Virginia regiment reported to Smith. - -The British army was not an idle observer of these movements. On the -twenty-second of October, the two Grenadier regiments of Donop and -Minnigerode, and two regiments of the line, with the Infantry Chasseurs -(all Hessian), with eight 3–pounders and two howitzers, approached Fort -Mercer and demanded its surrender. They had crossed at Coopers Ferry on -the twenty-first, slightly interrupted by skirmishers, and on the -following morning suddenly emerged from the woods, expecting an easy and -an immediate victory. Defiance was returned to their demand. Two -assaulting columns, already formed, made an immediate and simultaneous -advance upon the north and south faces of the fort. The garrison, -however, knowing that it could not hold the exterior works, which were -still incomplete, retired to the interior defences; but still occupied a -curtain of the old works, which afforded an enfilading fire upon any -storming party which should attempt the inner stockade. The withdrawal -of the garrison from the exterior works was misunderstood. The assault -was bold, desperate, and brilliant. The resistance was incessant, -deadly, overwhelming. Colonel Donop fell, mortally wounded, and near -him, Lieutenant-Colonel Minnigerode. These confident assailants lost, in -less than sixty minutes, four hundred men—being one-third of their -entire force. And still, one more attempt was made at the escarpment -near the river; but here also the Americans were on the alert. Armed -galleys in the stream opened a raking fire at short range, and dispersed -the assailants. Two British ships—the _Augusta_ (64–gun man-of-war), and -the _Merlin_ (frigate), which had been so disposed as to aid the -assault, grounded. On the next day, the former took fire from a hot -shot, and blew up, before her entire crew could escape; and the _Merlin_ -was burned, to avoid capture. The American loss was fourteen killed and -twenty-one wounded. Colonel Donop was buried carefully by Major Fleury, -a French officer in the American service, and his grave at the south end -of the old works is still an object of interest to visitors. Colonel -Greene, Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, and Commodore Hazlewood of the galley -service, received from Washington and from Congress worthy testimonials -for “gallant conduct.” - -In the meantime, the British had found two solid points of land amid the -marshy ground at the mouth of the Schuylkill River, within cannon-range -of Fort Mifflin, where they constructed two heavy batteries bearing upon -that fort. Four 32–pounders from the _Somerset_ and six 24–pounders from -the _Eagle_, with one 13–inch mortar, were added to works erected on -Province Island, to bring a more direct fire upon the fort than could be -secured from the batteries at the mouth of the Schuylkill River. (See -map.) - -In order to anticipate a possible movement of troops into New Jersey, in -case of a successful assault upon Fort Mifflin, Washington ordered -General Varnum’s brigade to take post at Woodbury, near Red Bank, and -General Forman to rally the New Jersey militia to his support. But the -British made no attempt to land. The later assault upon the fort, made -on the tenth, was successful. Seven ships of the British fleet joined in -the attack; among them the _Somerset_, the _Roebuck_, and the _Pearl_, -which had taken part in operations before Boston and New York. -Lieutenant-Colonel Smith was wounded early in the action and removed to -Fort Mercer, Major Thayer succeeding to the command. Major Fleury, who -planned the works, was also wounded; and after a loss of two hundred and -fifty men, the remnant of the garrison, on the night of the fifteenth, -retired to Fort Mercer. At dawn of the sixteenth, the Grenadiers of the -Royal Guards occupied the island. - -[Illustration: Operations on the Delaware.] - -The Report of Washington upon this action thus honors the brave -defenders of Fort Mifflin: “The defence will always reflect the highest -honor upon the officers and men of the garrison. The works were entirely -beat down; every piece of cannon was dismounted, and one of the enemy’s -ships came so near that she threw grenades from her tops into the fort, -and killed men upon the platforms, before they quitted the island.” - -On the eighteenth, General Cornwallis landed at Billingsport in force, -and Washington sent General Greene to take command of the troops in New -Jersey and check his progress; but the demonstration was so formidable -that the garrison evacuated the works. The Americans, unable to save -their galleys, set fire to them near Gloucester Point; and the British -fleet gained the freedom of the Delaware River. - -During this movement, Lafayette, intrusted with a detachment of troops -by General Greene, had several skirmishes with the enemy, and on the -first of December was assigned to command of the division left without a -commander by the dismissal of Stephen. While Cornwallis was on this -detached service, four general officers of Washington’s army against -eleven dissenting voted to attack General Howe. The incident, occurring -at such a period, is noteworthy. - -Late in October, the American army advanced from Perkiomy to White -Marsh; General Varnum’s Rhode Island Brigade, twelve hundred strong, -reported for duty, as well as about a thousand additional troops from -Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Generals Gates and Putnam still -retained troops for their semi-independent commands; and General Gates, -in particular, only grudgingly sent such as were peremptorily ordered to -report to Washington. It was not until Colonel Hamilton, Aide-de-camp, -visited him in person, that Gates sent the troops which were absolutely -indispensable at army headquarters, and as absolutely useless at Albany. -His ostentatious proclamation of his military success over Burgoyne, and -his criticism of the tardiness and non-efficiency of his -Commander-in-Chief, began to expose his renewed aspirations to succeed -to the chief command. - -On the fourth of December, General Howe with a force of fourteen -thousand men, accompanied by Generals Knyphausen and Cornwallis, -advanced to Chestnut Hill, within three miles of the right of the -American army, and slight skirmishing ensued. On the seventh, the -British troops left Chestnut Hill, and took a position at Edge Hill near -the American left. Morgan, just arrived from the northern army, and the -Maryland militia under Colonel Mordecai Gist (subsequently -Brigadier-General) had a sharp skirmish with Cornwallis, losing -forty-four men and indicting an equal loss upon the enemy. Major-General -Gray and the Queen’s Rangers indicted a loss of about fifty men upon an -advance post of the American left; and when night came on, the British -pickets were within a half mile of the American lines, where battle was -awaited with satisfaction and hopeful expectancy. But on the morning of -the eighth, the British camp disappeared, for Howe had suddenly returned -to Philadelphia. - -[Illustration: Operations near Philadelphia.] - -Howe’s Report, dated December 13th, reads as follows: “Upon the -presumption that a forward movement might tempt the enemy, after -receiving such a reënforcement [reported afterwards as four thousand -men], to give battle for the recovery of this place [Philadelphia]; or, -that a vulnerable part might be found to admit of an attack upon their -camp; the army marched out on the night of the fourth instant.” It was -afterwards learned that Howe had full knowledge of the jealous spirit -then existing towards Washington, and that several of his generals -favored an attack upon Philadelphia, against his better judgment. -Washington, in noticing Howe’s movement, says: “I sincerely wish that -they had made the attack; as the issue, in all probability, from the -disposition of our troops and the strong position of our camp, would -have been fortunate and happy. At the same time, I must add, that -reason, prudence, and every principle of policy, forbid us quitting our -post to attack them. Nothing but success would have justified the -measure; and this could not be expected from their position.” - -The army of Washington, nominally eleven thousand strong, had, says -Baron De Kalb, but seven thousand effective men for duty, so general was -the sickness, from extreme cold and the want of sufficient clothing and -other necessaries of a campaign. And yet, under these conditions, -Congress placed in responsible positions those officers who were most -officiously antagonistic to the American Commander-in-Chief. On the -sixth of November, Gates had been made President of the Board of War. -Mifflin, withdrawn from duty as Quartermaster-General, was also placed -upon the Board, retaining his full rank. On the twenty-eighth of -December, Congress appointed Conway Major-General and Inspector-General, -and placed him in communication with the Board of War, to act -independently of the Commander-in-Chief. Lee, then a prisoner of war, -through letters addressed to Gates, Mifflin, Wayne and Conway, united -with them in concerted purpose to oppose the policy of Washington, and -to dictate his action; and more than this, there was a strong influence -brought to bear upon Congress to force Washington’s resignation, or -removal from command. - -Washington, however, established his headquarters at Valley Forge, -twenty-one miles from Philadelphia; and on the nineteenth of December -announced his winter quarters by a formal order. On the same day he sent -General Smallwood to Wilmington, to occupy the country south of -Philadelphia and cut off supplies for that city and its garrison. -McDougall was established at Peekskill. Putnam was on the shore of Long -Island Sound until the middle of December, when he was ordered back to -the Highlands. The absence of General Mifflin from the army, and his -total neglect of duty as Quartermaster-General, in which he had once -been so efficient, “caused,” says Washington, “the want of two days’ -supply of provisions, and thereby cost an opportunity scarcely ever -offered, of taking an advantage of the enemy.” - -It was an hour of deep distress to Washington, when, on the twenty-third -day of December, 1777, he felt compelled to advise Congress of the -condition of his army: “The numbers had been reduced since the fourth of -the month, only three weeks, two thousand men, from hardship and -exposure. Two thousand eight hundred and ninety-eight were unfit for -duty, because barefoot and otherwise naked. Only eight thousand two -hundred men were present for duty.” He added: “We have not more than -three months in which to prepare a great deal of business. If we let -them slip, or waste, we shall be laboring under the same difficulties in -the next campaign as we have in this, to rectify mistakes and bring -things to order. Military arrangements and movements, in consequence, -like the mechanism of a clock, _will be imperfect and disordered by the -want of any part_.” The concluding clause, italicized, illustrates one -of his peculiar characteristics—never to slight the humblest man or -agency in his country’s service, and never to count any duty too small -to be done well. - -[Illustration: - - WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE - - [From the painting by Scheuster.] -] - -At this time, the Assembly of Pennsylvania began to snuff up some of the -malarious odors of selfish and senseless gossip. They even remonstrated -against his going into winter quarters at all. His reply was not wanting -in directness and clearness. It reads as follows: “Gentlemen reprobate -the going into winter quarters as much as if they thought the soldiers -were made of sticks, or stones. I can assure those gentlemen that it is -a much easier and less distressing thing to remonstrate in a comfortable -room, than to occupy a cold bleak hill, and sleep under frost and snow, -without clothing or blankets. However, as they seem to have little -feeling for the naked and distressed soldiers, I feel superabundantly -for them, and from my soul I pity their miseries which it is neither in -my power to relieve, or prevent.” - -On the twenty-sixth, General Sullivan, who generally kept aloof from -active participation in the movements of the intriguing class of -officers, urged Washington to “make an attempt upon Philadelphia, and -risk every consequence, in an action.” General Sullivan meant well; but -the reader will recognize the characteristic style of this officer under -circumstances of special doubt as to “what is to be done next.” But -Washington never wavered in his purpose. On the thirtieth of December, -Baron De Kalb was appointed Inspector-General, _vice_ Conway, resigned. -Washington closed the year at Valley Forge. The twelve months since he -recrossed the Delaware at Trenton and outgeneraled Lord Cornwallis, had -indeed been eventful. Once more, amid snow and cold, surrounded by -faithful but suffering thousands, he plans for other perils and -exposure; before the goal of his desire, substantial victory, could -bring to them and to his beloved country the boon of realized -independence. And yet, unknown to him, two days before he occupied the -barren site of Valley Forge a thrilling event occurred beyond the -Atlantic Ocean, and one which was, in the providence of God, to verify -the soldier’s faith, and secure for him final victory. - -As early as December 2d, the tidings of Burgoyne’s disaster reached the -royal palace of George III. Fox, Burke, and Richmond favored immediate -peace, and such an alliance, or Federal Union, as would be for the -material interests of both countries. Burke solemnly declared that -“peace upon any honorable terms was in justice due to both nations.” But -the king adjourned Parliament to the twentieth of January, 1778. - -Meanwhile a speedy ship from Boston was on the high seas, bound for -France, and the account of Burgoyne’s surrender was received by the -American Commissioners. On the twelfth of the month it was announced to -the Count de Vergennes, Minister for Foreign Affairs at the French -Court. The sensation throughout Paris was intense. “Europe need no -longer dread the British power, since her very Colonies have -successfully defied unjust laws, and equally defied her power to enforce -them.” This was the public utterance. One pregnant sentence already -cited, that of Count de Vergennes, proved the incentive to immediate -action. “Saratoga” and “Germantown” were coupled in a message sent to -Spain, to solicit her co-operation. Without any real sympathy with -America, Spain had already discriminated in favor of American privateers -which took prizes to her ports. - -But France did not await reply before announcing her own action. And -just when Washington was gathering his weary army into humble huts for -partial shelter and rest, and while his tired spirit was pained by the -small jealousies which impaired the value of his personal service and -sacrifice, and threatened the harmony of his entire command, a new ally -and friend had taken him to heart; and Louis XVI. was dropping into the -scales both the prestige and the power of France, to vindicate and -accomplish American liberty. On that day, December 17, 1777, Gerard, one -of the secretaries of Count de Vergennes, announced to Benjamin Franklin -and Silas Deane, two American Commissioners, “by the King’s order,” -“that the King of France, in Council, had determined not only to -acknowledge, but to support American independence.” - -The declaration of the Duke of Richmond, already cited, which predicted -“the application of the Colonists to strangers for aid, if Parliament -authorized the hire of Hessians,” had been realized. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - PHILADELPHIA AND VALLEY FORGE IN WINTER, 1778. - - -Mr. Charles Stedman, who served on the staffs of Generals Howe, Clinton -and Cornwallis, during the Revolutionary War, in an interesting -historical narrative states that “the British army enlivened the dull -times of their winter residence in Philadelphia, with the dance-house, -the theatre, and the game of faro.” But it is equally true that this -large license which relieved the monotony of garrison life, gradually -aroused disgust and positive hatred on the part of the citizens of that -city. No diversions in force against the American position, or their -chief outposts, were possible, since the garrison must be alert for any -sudden attack upon the city. The large number of wealthy royalist -families had much to dread from the possible capture of their -dwelling-place. Scouting parties from Washington’s army pressed so -closely to the city limits, at times, that occasional efforts of small -detachments to secure wood for fuel and cooking purposes, were -admonished, that the limit of their picket-lines was their boundary of -possession and safe enjoyment. Carriage drives and daily saddle -exercise, which were favorite recreations, had to be abandoned. They -were unsafe; as Washington’s cavalry, scouts and artillery needed all -the horses that were not needed by the farmers for farm use. - -The American army drilled daily, under the patient instruction of Baron -Steuben, so far as they had clothing and shoes for that purpose; while -their comrades sat down or laid themselves down by log fires and burning -stumps, to avoid freezing to death. - -[Illustration: Encampment at Valley Forge.] - -After the camp was fully established, and Washington had asserted his -purpose to command, and allow no interference by civilians of whatever -pretension, or by military men of whatever rank, the antagonism of the -previous months gradually retired from public exhibition. It never drew -breath from popular sympathy, and the soldiers regarded his censors as -their enemies. And so it was, that in spite of sickness, wretchedness, -inevitable desertions and frequent deaths, the soldiers were kept to -duty, and acquired toughness and knowledge for future endeavor. A calm -reliance upon the future, and a straightforward way of dealing with men -and measures, were still vindicating the fitness of Washington for the -supreme command. - -To the demand of the British Government for the reasons of the -inactivity of the British army, General Howe replied that, he “did not -attack the intrenched position at Valley Forge, a strong point, during -the severe season, although everything was prepared with that intention, -judging it imprudent until the season should afford a prospect of -reaping the advantages that ought to have resulted from success in that -measure; but having good information in the spring that the enemy had -strengthened the camp by additional works, and being certain of moving -him from thence when the campaign should open, he dropped thought of -attack.” - -During the winter, a proposition for the invasion of Canada was again -under consideration; and General Lafayette, with other officers, visited -Albany and the northern army to see what arrangements were both -available and desirable for that purpose. It was soon dropped; and was -never fully favored by Washington.[7] - -Footnote 7: - - “Battles of the American Revolution,” p. 461. - -During January, Congress sent a committee to visit Valley Forge. As the -result, Washington’s whole policy was indorsed and their support was -pledged. Baron Steuben, recommended by the Commander-in-Chief, was -confirmed as Major-General without a dissenting vote. Conway started for -France early in April. The historical “Conway cabal” had lost its most -unprincipled abettor. On the fourth of April, Congress authorized -Washington to call upon Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, for five -thousand additional militia. On the ninth, General Howe received his -recall to England. On the tenth, Lafayette returned to camp. On the -thirteenth, General McDougall accompanied Count Kosciusko to West Point, -to perfect the fortifications at that post. On the fifteenth, Gates was -placed in command at Peekskill. - -When the spring opened at Valley Forge, the propositions of the many -generals, respecting the approaching campaign, were as diverse and -varied as the leafage of the forest. As the mind recalls the relations -of these officers to earlier campaigns, it will be seen how essential to -any real success was the presence of a strong-willed Commander-in-Chief. -It is especially to be noticed, that men whose judgment had been -accredited as uniformly conservative and yet energetic radically -differed as to the immediate objective of army action. It settles beyond -question the principle that the entire war, and the entire country, had -to be made of paramount consideration, in the decision of any important -movement. - -Wayne, Patterson and Maxwell recommended an immediate attack upon -Philadelphia. Knox, Poor, Varnum and Muhlenburg advised an attack upon -New York, with four thousand regulars and Eastern militia, Washington in -command; leaving Lee to command in Pennsylvania, while the main army -should remain at Valley Forge. Stirling recommended operations against -both Philadelphia and New York. Lafayette, Steuben and Du Portail -expressed doubts as to making _any_ aggressive movement whatever, until -the army should be strengthened or the British unfold their plans. This -wise suggestion was also the opinion of Washington. - -On the seventh of May, the British ascended the Delaware and destroyed -public stores at Bordentown. Maxwell and Dickenson had been sent across -the river for the protection of these stores; but heavy rains delayed -their march, and forty-four vessels, including several frigates on the -stocks, were burned. - -But the seventh day of May, 1778, was not a day of gloom at Valley -Forge. Spring had fairly opened, and the forest began to don its new -attire for a fresh summer campaign. At nine o’clock in the morning, the -entire army was on parade, with drums beating, colors flying and salutes -echoing among the hills. The brigades were steady in their ranks. No -brilliant uniforms were conspicuous anywhere, and many had neither coats -nor shoes. The pomp and circumstance of war were missing. There was no -display of gold lace, or finery of any kind. Strongly marked faces and -tough muscles showed the fixedness of purpose of these troops. But it -was an occasion of rare interest. This American army was in line, for -the reception of a visitor from over the sea. The visitor was a herald -sent by Louis XVI., King of France, to announce to Washington and the -American people that an armed alliance between France and the United -States of America had been consummated. The French frigate _Le Sensible_ -had landed at Falmouth (Portland), Me., with this messenger, and the -American army was drawn up in battle array to receive his message. The -chaplain of each brigade proclaimed the treaty and read its terms. It -was one of those occasions, not infrequent during the war, and habitual -to Washington throughout his mature life, when he had no way through -which to express his deepest anxieties or profoundest sense of -gratitude, other than that of communion with God. And now, the listening -army was called upon to unite in one “grand thanksgiving to Almighty God -that He had given to America this friend.” The scene that followed can -never be described. It can only be imagined and felt. Huzzas for the -King of France mingled with shouts for Washington, whose face, as -described by one, “shone as did that of Moses, when he descended from -the Mount.” Caps were tossed high in air. Hand-shaking, leaping, -clapping of hands, and every homely sign of joy and confident -expectation, followed. Washington had dismounted. He stood with folded -arms—calm, serene, majestic, silent. For several moments the whole army -stood, awaiting his action. He remounted his horse, and a single word to -his assembled staff quickly ran through the lines—that the -Commander-in-Chief proposed that all should speak together, by the -soldier’s method, through powder. No matter if powder were scarce. Every -cannon, wherever mounted about the long circuit of intrenchments, -roared; and the hills carried the echoes to British headquarters. -Throughout the lines of division and brigade, to the remotest picket -post, a running fire at will closed with one grand volley; and then the -camp of Valley Forge resumed the “business” of preparing for battle. - - -With the opening of the spring of 1778, General Howe also was moved to -action. His winter supplies, as well as those procurable from the fleet -and the city, had been expended. “The storehouses were empty.” -Detachments, large and small, were sent to scour the country. To cut off -and restrict these detachments, General Lafayette was intrusted with a -special command of twenty-four hundred men, and advanced to Barren Hill, -about half the distance to Philadelphia. It also formed a corps of -observation, and was the first independent command of that officer under -his commission as Major-General. He was especially instructed to note -signs of the evacuation of Philadelphia, which Washington regarded as a -military necessity on the part of General Howe. The American -Commander-in-Chief, although reticent of his own opinions, rarely failed -to read other men accurately, and rightly read Lafayette. With singular -enthusiasm, great purity of character, unswerving fidelity to -obligation, and a thorough contempt for everything mean or dishonorable, -this young French gentleman combined a keen sagacity, sound judgment, -prompt execution, and an intense love for liberty. - -Having taken position at Barren Hill, Lafayette at once introduced a -system of communication with parties in the city of Philadelphia. He had -with him fifty Indian scouts, and Captain McLean’s Light troops. A -company of dragoons had also been ordered to join him. General Howe had -been relieved from duty on the eleventh, by General Clinton; who -signalized his accession to command by a series of brilliant _fêtes_ in -honor of his predecessor, on the eve of his departure for England. A -regatta on the Delaware; a tournament on land; triumphal arches; -decorated pavilions; mounted ladies, with their escorts in Turkish -costume; slaves in fancy habits; knights, esquires, heralds, and every -brilliant device, made the day memorable from earliest dawn until dark. -And after dark, balls, illuminations both upon water and land, -fireworks, wax-lights, flowers and fantastic drapery, cheered the night -hours, “exhibiting,” as described by André himself, master of -ceremonies, “a _coup d’œil_, beyond description magnificent.” The -procession of knights and maidens was led by Major André and Miss -Shippen, the beautiful daughter of one of the wealthiest royalists in -Philadelphia. She long retained the title of the “belle of the Michianza -_fêtes_.” She subsequently became the wife of General Arnold; and the -incidents thus grouped show how felicitous was Clinton’s subsequent -choice of André to negotiate with Arnold the exchange of West Point, for -“gold and a brigadier-general’s commission in the British army.” - -During the evening of this luxurious entertainment, and while at supper, -General Clinton announced to his officers his intention to march at -daybreak to Barren Hill, and bring back for their next evening’s guest, -the distinguished French officer, Marquis de Lafayette. At four o’clock -on the morning of the nineteenth, when the twenty hours of hilarity, -adulation and extravagance closed, General Clinton, accompanied by -Generals Grant, Gray, and Erskine, and five thousand picked troops, -marched to capture Lafayette. General Gray crossed the Schuylkill with -two thousand men to cut off Lafayette’s retreat, in case Clinton -successfully attacked in front. Washington advanced sufficiently to -observe the movement of General Gray, and signalled with cannon to -Lafayette of his danger; but Lafayette, by occupying a stone church and -other buildings, and showing false fronts of columns as if about to take -the offensive, caused the advance column of Grant to halt for -reënforcements; and then retired safely with the loss of but nine men. -Lafayette gives an amusing account of portions of the skirmish: “When my -Indian scouts suddenly confronted an equal number of British dragoons, -the mutual surprise was such that both fled with equal haste.” The -officers and men of Lafayette’s command were greatly elated by his -conduct of the affair, especially as he was at one time threatened by a -force more than twice that of his entire division; and the confidence -thus acquired followed his service through the entire war. The -congratulations of Washington were as cordial upon his return, as those -of the officers of the Philadelphia garrison were chilling upon the -return of Clinton, without Lafayette as prisoner. - -On the same day, General Mifflin rejoined the army. In writing to -Gouverneur Morris of New York, the American Commander-in-Chief, noticing -the event, expresses his surprise “to find a certain gentleman who some -time ago, when a heavy cloud hung over us and our affairs looked gloomy, -was desirous of resigning, to be now stepping forward in the line of the -army”; adding: “If he can reconcile such conduct to his own feelings as -an officer, and a man of honor, and Congress have no objection to his -leaving his seat in another department, I have nothing personally to -oppose to it. Yet, I must think that gentleman’s stepping in, and out, -as the sun happens to beam out, or become obscure, isn’t quite the -thing, nor quite just, with respect to those officers who take the -bitter with the sweet.” - -By this time, the movements of shipping, and within the city, clearly -indicated the design of the British to abandon Philadelphia without -battle. A Council of War was convened on the twentieth, to hear reports -upon the condition of the various American armies; and Generals Gates, -Greene, Stirling, Mifflin, Lafayette, Armstrong, Steuben and de Kalb -were present. The opinion was unanimous that the army should remain on -the defensive, and await the action of the British commander. On the -twentieth, also, General Lee rejoined the army. He had been exchanged on -the twenty-first of April for Major-General Prescott, who had been -captured five miles above Newport, R.I., on the night of July 20, 1777. -Lee had been placed on his parole as early as the twenty-fifth of March, -and he actually visited York, where Congress was in session, on the -ninth of April. - -The relations of Charles Lee to the war were as marked as were those of -Arnold, except that Arnold rendered valuable service until he turned -traitor. During the month of February, 1777, Lee secured permission from -General Howe to write letters to Congress, urging that body to “send -commissioners to confer confidentially concerning the national cause.” -On the twenty-first of February, Congress declined to send such -commissioners, as “altogether improper”; and they could “not perceive -how compliance with his wish would tend to his advantage, or the -interests of the public.” Letters were also written in March; and in one -addressed to Washington on the fifth of April, 1777, Lee had written: “I -think it a most unfortunate circumstance for myself, and I think no less -so for the public, that the Congress have not thought proper to comply -with my request. It could not possibly have been attended with any ill -consequences, and might have been with good ones. At least, it was an -indulgence which I thought my situation entitled me to. But I am -unfortunate in everything, and this stroke is the severest I have ever -experienced. God send you a different fate.” The answer of Washington -was as follows: “I have received your letter of this date, and thank -you, as I shall any officer, over whom I have the honor to be placed, -for their opinions and advice in matters of importance; especially when -they proceed from the fountain of candor, and not from a captious -spirit, or an itch for criticism; ... and here, let me again assure you, -that I shall always be happy to be in a free communication of your -sentiments upon any important subject relative to the service, and only -beg that they may come directly to myself. The custom which many -officers have, of speaking freely of things, and reprobating measures -which upon investigation may be found to be unavoidable, is never -productive of good; but often, of very mischievous consequences.” - -During the year 1872 George H. Moore, of the New York Historical -Society, brought to light a certain paper indorsed, “Mr. Lee’s Plan, -29th March, 1777,” which was found among the papers of the brothers -Howe, British Commissioners at New York. Lee was at that date a prisoner -of war, but at the same time a British officer who had been taken in -rebellion to the British crown. This letter is noticed, in order to make -more intelligible the subsequent relations of Lee to the American -Commander-in-Chief. The following is an extract: “It appears to me, that -by the continuance of the war, America has no chance of obtaining its -ends. As I am not only persuaded, from the high opinion I have of the -humanity and good sense of Lord and Admiral Howe, that the terms of -accommodation will be as moderate as their powers will admit; but that -their powers are more ample than their successor would be tasked with, I -think myself not only justifiable, but bound in conscience, in -furnishing ’em all the light I can, to enable ’em to bring matters to a -conclusion in the most commodious manner. 1 know the most generous use -will be made of it in all respects. Their humanity will incline ’em to -have consideration for individuals who have acted from principle.” Then -follow hypothetical data as to troops required on the part of Britain, -and these passages: “If the Province of Maryland, or the greater part of -it, is reduced, or submits, and the people of Virginia are prevented, or -intimidated, from marching aid to the Pennsylvania army, the whole -machine is divided, and a period put to the war; and if the plan is -adopted in full, I am so confident of success, that I would stake my -life on the same. Apprehensions from Carleton’s army will, I am -confident, keep the New Englanders at home, or at least, confine ’em to -that side of the river. I would advise that four thousand men be -immediately embarked in transports, one-half of which should proceed up -the Potomac and take post at Alexandria, the other half up Chesapeake -Bay and possess themselves of Annapolis.” The relations of various posts -to the suggested movement, and the character of the German population of -Pennsylvania who would be apprehensive of injury to their fine farms, -were urged in favor of his “plan” for terminating the war on terms of -“moderate accommodation.” - -The reply of Washington to General Lee’s letter is a very distinct -notice that he was advised of the letters written by him to Gates and -others, derogatory of the action of his superior officer, the -Commander-in-Chief. - -The return of Lee to duty found the American army in readiness to bid -its last farewell to the camp at Valley Forge; but the ordeals through -which so many brave men passed, for their country’s sake, were hardly -more severe than were those through which their beloved -Commander-in-Chief passed into a clearer future, and the well-earned -appreciation of mankind. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - FROM VALLEY FORGE TO WHITE PLAINS AGAIN.—BATTLE OF MONMOUTH. - - -The abandonment of Philadelphia by the British army, as anticipated by -Washington, had become a military necessity. The city was too remote -from the coast, unless its army of occupation could be so reënforced as -to be independent of support from the British base at New York. The -reënforcements of troops called for by General Howe had not been and -could not have been furnished. The recommendation of General Amherst, -military adviser of George III., “that forty thousand men be sent to -America immediately,” had been positively disapproved. It was therefore -of vital importance that General Clinton should reach New York with the -least possible delay. Any attempt to return by sea was obviously -impracticable. - -The incidents of the evacuation of Philadelphia were similar to those -which marked the departure of Howe from Boston. The embarkation of three -thousand citizens with their families, their merchandise, and their -personal effects, upon vessels, to accompany the retiring fleet, was a -moral lesson of vast significance. This withdrawal of the British -garrison was no _ruse_, to entice the American army from its camp, for -battle, but a surrender of the field itself, without a struggle. It -announced to America and to the world, that the British army lacked the -ability to meet the contingencies of field service, either in -Pennsylvania or New Jersey; and that loyalists would be left to their -own resources for protection and safety. - -Other considerations precipitated the action of Clinton. Congress had -publicly announced the impending arrival of a formidable French fleet -from the West Indies; and, as a matter of fact, so immediate was its -advent, that the advance frigates entered the Delaware Bay, just after -Admiral Howe turned Cape May, on his return to New York. Meanwhile, -every movement in the city was hourly reported to Washington by his -secret messengers, and by families who kept constantly in touch with all -movements of the garrison. Hardly a ball or social dinner, during the -entire winter, was without the presence of one or more of his -representatives, who as promptly reported the secret influences which -were making of the city a deadly prison-house for the British troops. -Even at the playhouses, comedians had begun to jest upon the “foraging -of the rebel scouts”; and it is said to have been hinted, on one -occasion, that “there were chickens and eggs in abundance outside the -lines, if the soldiers would take the trouble to go after them,” and -that “it was hardly the right thing to let Washington’s ragged army have -the pick of all country produce.” - -The actual evacuation began at three o’clock on the morning of June -eighteenth, and the entire British army was on the New Jersey side of -the Delaware by ten o’clock. Washington had so closely calculated the -movement, that General Maxwell’s brigade and the New Jersey militia were -already at work burning bridges and felling trees across the roads, in -order to delay Clinton’s march and afford an opportunity for attacking -his retiring columns. General Arnold, whose wound still prevented field -service, entered the city with a strong detachment as the British -rear-guard left. Twelve miles of baggage-train, loaded with everything -of army supplies that could be heaped upon wagons, formed the long -extended caravan which accompanied nearly eighteen thousand British -veterans as they returned to New York, whence they had started only -eleven months before. The capture of the American capital and the -destruction of the American army had been their fondest desire. Now, -they shrunk away from the same American capital as from a pest-house. -There was no longer an eager search to find Washington. To make the -earliest safe distance from his presence, or his reach, was the -incentive to the speediest possible travel. It was no longer the -destruction of that one principal American army that engrossed thought -and stimulated energy; but how to save the British army itself, for -efficient service elsewhere. And Washington, although fully appreciating -the British situation, did not know the fact that the British cabinet -were actually discussing, at that very time, the propriety of -transferring all active operations to the more sparsely settled regions -of the South. - -The movements in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as those of -Burgoyne, away from the sea-coast, recall an emphatic communication from -General Howe, which contained this practical statement: “Almost every -movement in America was an act of enterprise, clogged with innumerable -difficulties. A knowledge of the country, intersected, as it everywhere -is, by woods, mountains, water or morasses, cannot be obtained with any -degree of precision necessary to foresee and guard against the -contingencies that may occur.” - -Washington was also fully advised of the character and extent of -Clinton’s retiring column, and of the opportunity which the country -afforded for breaking it up. Haste was the need of Clinton. His delay, -however slight, was Washington’s opportunity. Clinton reached -Haddonfield the same day. The militia of Maxwell made a short -resistance, and then retired to Mount Holy Pass. The increased British -vanguard compelled him to fall back; but the destruction of bridges and -interposed obstructions, together with the excessive summer heat, made -the march of the British troops one of intense strain and exhaustion. -And yet, Clinton used such vigor in pressing forward to anticipate more -formidable obstructions, that he reached Crosswicks before the -destruction of the bridge at that point was complete; and on the morning -of the twenty-fourth, his army crossed the creek. The column of -Lieutenant-General Knyphausen went into camp at Imlay’s Town; while that -of Clinton occupied Allentown, and thereby effectively covered the -advance division in case of an American attack from the north. At this -point, he learned that Washington had already crossed the Delaware, and -that the northern army was expected to unite with that of the American -Commander-in-Chief. Such a combination, just then, would render a direct -retreat to New York, via Princeton and Brunswick, extremely hazardous, -if not impossible. With the promptness which characterized him, Sir -Henry Clinton consolidated his baggage and sent it in advance under -Lieutenant-General Knyphausen; placed the second division in light -marching order, under his own personal command, in the rear, and took -the Monmouth route to the sea. (See map.) - -Washington was quickly advised of this organic change in the British -formation, and acted instantly. He had crossed the Delaware River at -Coryell’s Ferry, forty miles above Philadelphia, without assurance of -the definite purpose of his adversary. Any other route of march by -Clinton than by Brunswick, would prevent him from receiving military -support from New York, and hold him to the limit of supplies with which -he started from Philadelphia. When, therefore, couriers from Maxwell -notified Washington of Clinton’s diversion eastward, from Crosswicks, it -was evident that Clinton would take no risks of battle in reaching New -York, or some port on the coast accessible by a British fleet. - -[Illustration: Battle of Monmouth.] - -Colonel Morgan was sent with five hundred men to reënforce Maxwell. On -the twenty-fourth, General Scott, with fifteen hundred chosen troops, -was despatched to reënforce those in the immediate vicinity of the -enemy, more effectually to retard their retreat. On the twenty-sixth, -Washington moved the entire army to Kingston; and learning that the -British army was moving directly toward Monmouth, advanced an additional -force of one thousand men under General Wayne, placing General Lafayette -in command of the entire corps, including the brigade of Maxwell and -Morgan’s Light Infantry. Orders were also sent to Lafayette: “Take the -first opportunity to strike the rear of the enemy.” - -Some writers have involuntarily followed Lee’s theory, that the attempt -by Washington to stop Clinton’s retreat and to defeat so large and so -well-appointed an army as that of the British general, was folly from -the start; but such critics overlook the determining facts of the -situation. Washington never counted numbers so much as conditions. He -never swerved from a steady purpose to wear out superior numbers by -piecemeal, until they were at his mercy or so benumbed by his strokes as -to yield the field. Hence it is seen, that with all his approaches to -the retiring columns of Clinton, he never failed to hold in complete -reserve and mastery every conceivable contingency of a general -engagement. Moreover, as a matter of fact, his army, reënforced from the -north, was not inferior in numbers; was unencumbered with baggage, and -was not exposed to attack. A fight was a matter of choice, and not at -the option of the enemy. It is therefore of essential interest to notice -how systematically Washington advanced in this memorable campaign of -Clinton’s March to the Sea. It is of equal interest to notice the -development of the career of Lafayette, under Washington’s supervision -and confidence; since America is more indebted to this discreet and -gallant officer than to any other, for the immediate service which -assured the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, three years later in -the war. - -At half-past four of the afternoon of June 26th, Lafayette and Wayne -were at Robin’s tavern. Lafayette thus wrote to the Commander-in-Chief: -“I have consulted the general officers of this detachment, and the -general opinion seems to be, that I should march in the night, near them -[the enemy], so as to attack the rear-guard on the march. Your -excellency knows that by the direct road you are only three miles -further from Monmouth than we are in this place. Some prisoners have -been made, and deserters are coming in very fast.” - -Second despatch, 5 o’clock P.M.: “General Forman is firmly of opinion, -that we may overtake the enemy. It is highly pleasant to be followed and -countenanced by the army; that, if we stop the enemy and meet with some -advantage, they may push it with vigor. I have no doubt but if we -overtake them, we possess a very happy chance.” - -Third despatch, dated Ice Town, 26th June, 1778, quarter before seven: -“When I got there [referring to a previously expressed purpose to go to -Ice Town for provisions], I was sorry to hear that Mr. Hamilton [Colonel -Alexander Hamilton of Washington’s staff], who had been riding all -night, had not been able to find any one who could give him certain -intelligence: but by a party who came back, I hear the enemy are in -motion and their rear about one mile off the place they had occupied -last night, which is seven or eight miles from here. I immediately put -General Maxwell’s and Wayne’s brigades in motion, and I will fall lower -down, with General Scott’s and Jackson’s regiments and some militia. I -should be very happy if we could attack them before they halt. If I -cannot overtake them, we could lay at some distance and attack them -to-morrow morning.... If we are at a convenience from you, I have -nothing to fear in striking a blow, if opportunity is offered.” - -“Special.—If you believe it, or if it is believed necessary, or useful, -to the good of the service and the honor of General Lee, to send him -down with a couple of thousand men, or any greater force, I will -cheerfully obey and serve him, not only out of duty, but what I owe to -that gentleman’s character.” - -The explanation of this passage is of interest, as it happily -illustrates the spirit with which Washington and Lafayette operated in -this important engagement, where very grave discretionary responsibility -devolved upon so young an officer as the French Marquis. - -Daily conferences were held by Washington with his officers after -leaving Valley Forge, and especially after leaving Kingston. The -official Reports of Washington show that Lee positively declined the -command of this advance corps, until its large increase rendered it -certain that it held a post of honor, and would be pushed upon the -enemy. Lafayette was first assigned to this command after a hot debate -in council as to the propriety of attacking Clinton’s army at all; and -General Lee used the following language, when the assignment of -Lafayette was made with his concurrence, that “he was well pleased to be -freed from all responsibility for a plan which he was sure would fail.” -But when Lafayette gladly accepted the detail, and was so constantly -reënforced as to have under his command nearly one-third of the army, -with the pledge of support by the entire army, General Lee, as next in -rank to Washington, immediately realized his grave mistake, and when too -late, claimed the command by virtue of his rank. He then wrote to -General Lafayette as follows: “It is my fortune and my honor that I -place in your hands; you are too generous to cause the loss of either.” -Lafayette, in his Memoirs, thus alludes to this surrender by Lee of -claim to command by virtue of rank, after having peremptorily and -scornfully declined it: “_This tone suited me better_”; and the letter -already cited was his response. Washington’s reply to this magnanimous -waiver by Lafayette of so honorable a command is as follows: “General -Lee’s uneasiness on account of yesterday’s transaction, rather -increasing than abating, and your politeness in wishing to ease him of -it, have induced me to detach him from this army with a part of it, to -reënforce, or at least to cover the several detachments at present under -your command. At the same time, I have an eye to your wishes; and have -therefore obtained a promise from him, that when he gives you notice of -his approach and command, he will request you to prosecute any plan you -may have already concerted for the purpose of attacking, or annoying, -the enemy. This is the only expedient I could think of, to answer the -views of both. General Lee seems satisfied with this measure.” - -On the evening of the twenty-sixth, the entire army moved forward, -leaving all superfluous baggage, so as best to support the advance. On -the twenty-seventh, a severe rain-storm suspended the march for a few -hours. But the advance corps had been strengthened, as suggested by -Lafayette; and when Lee assumed command it numbered fully five thousand -effective troops. The main army also advanced within three miles of -English Town and within five miles of the British army. The American -forces, now eager for battle, were equal in numbers to the enemy, with -the advantage of being on the flank of the long extended British columns -which could not be consolidated for action with their full strength. - -A general idea of the skirmishes of the morning, without elaboration of -details, can be obtained from the map. - -At the extreme right, on the Middletown road, Knyphausen conducts the -accumulated baggage-train, which, on the night of June twenty-seventh, -is shown to have been distributed along the road approaching Freehold -(Monmouth). Upon the high ground, below, Clinton gathered his forces as -they arrived from the march. Lafayette was near the Court-House, and had -a sharp skirmish with the Queen’s Rangers. He disposed his army -northward, with skirmishers as far advanced as Bryar Hill—even -threatening the pass by which Knyphausen had retired toward New York. -The baggage column, as early as seven o’clock, had passed the -Court-House. Lee appeared upon the field and practically took command, -but exercised no direction over movements; gave contradictory orders -when he gave any; and brigade after brigade failed to obtain from him -instructions as to their movements, or their relations to other -brigades. At first, Lee announced that the “entire British army was in -retreat.” When Clinton, after eight o’clock, descended from his position -to attack the scattered and irregular formation of the American army, -Lafayette, full of hope, was first advised that a retreat had been -ordered by General Lee. He protested in vain. The brigades were allowed -each to seek its own choice of destination; and all fell back under a -general impression, rather than specific orders, that all were to -retreat and simply abandon demonstration against the British army. -Clinton’s continued advance, even so far as Wenrock Creek, is indicated -on the map. - -The truth of history requires a statement which has never been -sufficiently defined, as to the antecedents of this overestimated -officer, Charles Lee. As a subaltern in the British army, he had been -uniformly insubordinate, and was in discredit when he was allowed to go -abroad and fight under various flags as a military adventurer. He knew -nothing of handling a large command, or combined commands. Before the -Battle of Monmouth, if then, he had never been under fire in the lead of -American troops. He was cool enough and brave enough at Monmouth, to -retreat with his division; but it was saved chiefly by the -self-possession of its officers, and the wonderful endurance of the rank -and file. He was unequal to the command, even if he had desired battle. -To have fought the battle, with any chance of being taken prisoner, -would have exposed him to a double penalty for treason at the hands of -General Howe. He was in the attitude of defeating his “plan” (before -alluded to), and defeating the very invasion which he had so ingeniously -advised. - -The increasing cannonading, before noon, aroused Washington to his full -fighting capacity. The return of an aid-de-camp, with the information -that General Lee had “overtaken the British army and expected to cut off -their rear-guard,” was regarded as an omen of complete success. The -soldiers cast off every encumbrance and made a forced march. Greene took -the right, and Stirling the left; while Washington in person, conducting -the vanguard, moved directly to the scene of conflict. - -All at once, the animation of the Commander-in-Chief lost its impulse. A -mounted countryman rode by in fright, a wild fugitive. A half-distracted -musician, fife in hand, cried “All’s lost!” A few paces more, and over -the brow of a small rise of ground overlooking the creek and bridge, -toward which scattered fragments of regiments were pressing, the bald -fact needed no other appeal to the American Commander-in-Chief to assure -him of the necessity for his immediate presence. Harrison and -Fitzgerald, of his staff, were despatched to learn the cause of the -appearances of fugitives from their respective commands. They met Major -Ogden, who replied to their excited demands, with an expletive: “They -are fleeing from a shadow.” Officer after officer, detachment after -detachment, came over the bridge, ambiguous in replies, seemingly -ignorant of the cause of retreat, only that retreat had been ordered. -Neither was the movement in the nature of a panic. Hot and oppressive as -was the day, there was simply confusion of all organized masses, needing -but some competent will to restore them to place and duty. - -Washington advanced to the bridge, and allowed neither officer nor man -to pass him. In turn, he met Ramsey, Stewart, Wayne, Oswald, and -Livingston. To each he gave orders, assigned them positions, and -directed them to face the enemy. Leading the way, he placed Ramsey and -Stewart, with two guns, in the woods to the left, with orders to stop -pursuit. On the right, back of an orchard, he placed Varnum, Wayne, and -Livingston; while Knox and Oswald, with four guns, were established to -cover their front. When Maxwell and other generals arrived, they were -sent to the rear to re-form their columns and report back to him for -orders. Lafayette was intrusted with the formation of a second line -until he could give the halted troops a position which they might hold -until he could bring the entire army to their support. - -It was such an hour as tests great captains and proves soldiers. The -ordeal of Valley Forge had made soldiers. In the presence of Washington -they were knit to him as by bands of steel. Company after company sprang -into fresh formation as if first coming on parade. - -With the last retreating detachment, Lee appeared, and to his astonished -gaze, there was revealed a new formation of the very troops he had -ordered to seek safety in retreat. Tn reply to his demand for the reason -of this disposition of the troops, he was informed that Washington, in -person, located the troops. He understood that his personal command -ceased with the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief, and he reported for -orders. He had no time to speak, when he met this stern peremptory -demand, “What does this mean, sir? Give me instantly an explanation of -this retreat!” Appalled by the wrathful manner and awfully stern -presence of Washington, as with drawn sword he stood in his stirrups, -towering above the abashed officer, Lee could only answer mechanically, -“Sir? Sir?” The demand was repeated with an emphasis that hushed every -observer. Washington’s manner, bearing and tone, are described by those -who stood awe-bound by the scene, as “more than human.” It was as if -Liberty herself had descended to possess the form of her champion! - -All who felt his presence bent their wills as rushes yield to the -tempest,—so immediate, so irresistible was his mastery of the occasion. -When the half suppliant officer ventured to explain that “the -contradictory reports as to the enemy’s movements brought about a -confusion that he could not control,” and ventured farther to remind his -Commander-in-Chief that he “was opposed to it in council, and while the -enemy was so superior in cavalry we could not oppose him,” Washington, -with instant self-control, replied: “You should not have undertaken it -unless prepared to carry it through; and whatever your opinions, orders -were to be obeyed.” Again turning to the silent officer, he asked one -single question. It was this: “Will you remain here in front, and retain -command while I form the army in the rear; or shall I remain?” Lee -remained, until ordered to return to English Town and assist in rallying -the fugitives that assembled there. It requires more time to outline the -events of a few precious moments at such a crisis than the events -themselves occupied. The map discloses the final position. Greene was on -the right, Stirling was on the left—where an admirable position of -artillery prepared him to meet the British columns. Lafayette occupied a -second line, on slightly higher ground in the rear. Greene sent six guns -to McComb’s Hill, where they could direct enfilading fire upon the -British columns, already advancing against the position in which -Washington had placed Wayne, Varnum and Livingston. - -The real Battle of Monmouth had begun. The British forces were repulsed -at every point. At the hedge-row, three brilliant charges were made, and -Lieutenant-Colonel Monckton of the British Grenadiers was among the -killed. As the day advanced, Lee reported in person, and again requested -“his excellency’s pleasure,” whether to form his division “with the main -body, or draw them up in the rear.” He was ordered to re-form them in -the rear of English Town, three miles distant. Baron Steuben was also on -duty at that point. When, about five o’clock, all cannonading ceased in -the direction of the battlefield, Colonel Gimât, of Washington’s staff, -arrived at English Town with an order for the advance of the troops -which had been re-formed under Lee’s supervision; announcing that the -British were in confusion. Colonel Gimât stated in his evidence before -the court-martial which subsequently tried Lee, that when he -communicated this order to that officer Lee replied, that “they were -only resting themselves, and there must be some misunderstanding about -your being ordered to advance with these troops”; “and it was not until -General Muhlenburg halted, and the precise orders of Washington were -repeated, that Lee could understand that the cessation of firing was -occasioned by the _retreat_ of _Clinton_, and _not_ by the _defeat_ of -_Washington_.” - -During the evening, the American army advanced, ready for a general -attack upon the British troops, at daybreak. Washington, with a small -escort, visited every picket. The position was made impregnable, and the -army was in the best possible spirits for a complete victory, and -expected victory. - -At 10 o’clock at night, Clinton silently broke camp and departed for -Middletown, where he joined Knyphausen, reaching New York on the last -day of June. The British and the American casualties were each about -three hundred, some of these being deaths from excessive heat. It -appeared afterwards, that the desertions from the British army numbered -nearly two thousand men. - -European comments upon this battle were as eulogistic of the American -Commander-in-Chief as after the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and -Germantown. The historian Gordon says of Washington, upon his reaching -the battlefield: “He animated his forces by his gallant example, and -exposed his person to every danger common to the meanest soldier; so -that the conduct of the soldiers in general, after recovering from the -first surprise occasioned by the retreat, could not be surpassed.” - -General Lee was tried for disobedience of orders in not attacking the -enemy; for misbehavior before the enemy; a disorderly retreat; and -insolent letters sent to the Commander-in-Chief, after the battle, and -was sentenced to “suspension from command for twelve months.” A -reasonable self-control, which he never had exercised, might, even at -this crisis of his history, have saved him his commission. He died -ignominiously, and even in his will perpetuated his hatred of religion -and his Maker. An abstract of the testimony taken upon his trial shows -that the adjustment of the advance troops by General Lafayette was -admirable; that up to the time when Lee ordered a retreat without -consulting him, all the troops were steady in their positions, awaiting -some systematic orders from Lee, who had just taken command; that Lee -did not intend to force the battle which Lafayette had organized; that -brigades and detachments had no information of adjoining commands, or -supports; that when Lee’s orders for a general retreat reached brigades, -each brigade moved more through example than instructions, without -direction or intimation of any new formation, or any reason for the -retreat. - -Recent writers have revived the tradition as to Washington’s alleged -profanity at the Battle of Monmouth. It would seem that either Charles -Lee, or his witnesses, or the witnesses of the United States, under -cross-examination, immediately after the occurrence, would have -testified to such words, if spoken, for the sake of vindicating Lee, -when his commission and honor were in jeopardy. Every witness agrees -with Lee as to language used; but none imply _profanity_. Silence in -this respect is, _prima facie_, the strongest possible legal evidence in -disproval of the charge. - -One of the most eminent of American historians, in a footnote, thus -attempts to verify this vague tradition respecting Washington: “It is -related that when Lafayette visited this country in 1825, he was the -guest of Chief Justice Hornblower at Newark, N.J., and that while seated -on his front porch, one evening, Lafayette remarked that the only time -when he ‘ever heard Washington swear, was when he rebuked Lee at meeting -him on his retreat at Monmouth.’” The late Justice Bradley, who married -a daughter of Judge Hornblower, in a letter, thus meets this statement: -“Nothing of the kind ever occurred. Lafayette did not stay at Mr. -Hornblower’s, but at the principal public house of the city. There he -was visited; but the subject of the Battle of Monmouth was not -mentioned.” - -Lafayette does not, in his Memoirs, make such a charge; nor in letters -to his wife, which were voluminous in sketches of his beloved commander. -Invariably, he exalts the character of Washington, as “something more -divine than human.” - -An additional statement, however, is given, to indicate the intensity of -feeling and excitement of manner which characterized Washington’s -deportment on the occasion referred to. The late Governor Pennington, of -New Jersey, afterwards Speaker of the American House of Representatives, -was a pupil of Dr. Asahel Green, President of Princeton College, and -related this incident of his college career: “Dr. Green lectured on -Moral Philosophy, and used as his text-book Paley’s work on that -subject. When engaged on the chapter relative to profane swearing, after -Dr. Green had dilated on the subject, expanding Paley’s argument on the -uselessness and ungentlemanliness of the vice, and the entire absence of -any excuse for it, some roguish student put to him this question: ‘Dr. -Green, did not Washington swear at Lee, at the Battle of Monmouth?’ Now, -the doctor was present during the battle, in fact, a chaplain in the -service, although a young man, and was an enthusiastic admirer, almost -worshipper, of General Washington. When the question was put to him, he -drew himself up with dignity and said: ‘Young man, that great man did, I -acknowledge, use some hasty and incautious words at the Battle of -Monmouth, when Lee attempted to excuse his treacherous conduct: but, if -there ever was an occasion on which a man might be excused for such -forgetfulness, it was that occasion!’” - -In reply to an insolent letter written by General Lee immediately after -the battle, in which he protested against “very singular expressions -used on the field, which implied that he was either guilty of -disobedience of orders, of want of conduct, or want of courage,” -Washington replied: “I received your letter, expressed, as I conceive, -in terms highly improper. I am not conscious of any very singular -expressions at the time of my meeting you, as you intimate. What I -recollect to have said, was dictated by duty and warranted by the -occasion.” - -As at Kipp’s Bay, when Washington denounced the panic as “dastardly and -cowardly,” and tradition called that “profanity,”—thus, at Monmouth, -Washington rebuked Lee’s conduct. Lee’s letter, just cited, conveys his -estimate of Washington’s words and manner. He also testified, that it -was “_manner rather than words_” that gave him offence. - -The Battle of Monmouth, from first to last, was a supreme test of -Washington the Soldier. From Monmouth, he marched to Brunswick, where he -rested his troops; thence to Haverstraw Bay; and finally, on the -twenty-second day of July, he established his summer headquarters at -White Plains. - - -NOTE.—Washington’s Military Order Book, from the 22nd of June to 8th of -August, 1779, in his own hand-writing, contains the following General -Order. - - “Many and pointed Orders have been issued against that unmeaning and - abominable custom of swearing,—notwithstanding which, with much regret - the General observes that it prevails if possible, more than ever. His - feelings are continually wounded by the oaths and imprecations of the - soldiers whenever he is in hearing of them. The name of that Being - from whose bountiful goodness we are permitted to exist and enjoy the - Comforts of life is incessantly imprecated and profaned in a manner as - wanton as it is shocking. For the sake therefore of religion, decency - and order, the General hopes and trusts that officers of every rank - will use their influence and authority to Check a vice which is as - unprofitable as it is wicked and shameful. If officers would make it - an invariable rule to reprimand and, if that does not do—punish - soldiers for offences of the kind, it would not fail of having the - desired effect.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - THE ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE TAKES EFFECT.—SIEGE OF NEWPORT. - - -Upon the return of General Clinton to New York as the successor to -General Howe in command of “all the Atlantic Colonies from Nova Scotia -to West Indies, inclusive,” his outlook over the territories which fell -under his guardianship must have been that of faith rather than of -sight. With the exception of Staten Island and the British supply depot, -practically a part of New York, only one other post in the Northern -Department, that of Newport, R.I., retained a British garrison. It is -very certain that Clinton did not regard his exodus from Philadelphia -and his collision with Washington’s army at Monmouth with as much -enthusiasm as did Charles Lee, who, shortly after that battle, when -demanding a speedy court-martial, informed Washington that “this -campaign would close the war.” At any rate, Clinton was hardly settled -in his quarters, before tidings reached him that, on the eighth, a -formidable French fleet of twelve line-of-battle ships and four frigates -had made the Delaware Capes; and that one of them, the _Chinier_, had -conveyed to the American capital Monsieur Conrad A. Gerard, the first -French Ambassador to the United States of America. Silas Deane, one of -the American Commissioners at Paris, accompanied Monsieur Gerard. -Clinton had reason to rejoice in this tardy arrival. The fleet sailed -from Toulon, April thirteenth; but on account of contrary winds did not -pass Gibraltar until the fifteenth day of May. A voyage of ordinary -passage would have imperiled both Howe and Clinton; as four thousand -troops accompanied the squadron, and its naval force was, just at that -time, superior to that of Great Britain in American waters. - -In order rightly to appreciate the campaign which almost immediately -opened, it is interesting to observe how the operations of both America -and Britain were controlled by incidents over which neither had control. -They also illustrate the contingencies which shape all military and -naval operations over a broad theatre of war. A superior British -squadron, under Admiral Byron, sailed from Portsmouth, England, as soon -as it was known that France would actively support the United States. -This was on the twentieth day of May. Upon receipt of news, supposed to -be trustworthy, that the French fleet had been ordered to the West -Indies only, the order was suspended in time for his return. Admiral -Byron, who had been ordered to relieve Admiral Howe, returned to -Plymouth. He did not actually sail with his fine fleet of twenty-two -ships until the fifth of June. Even then, the ships were scattered by -storms; and four of them, reaching New York separately, narrowly escaped -capture by the French just after Count d’Estaing left that port for -Newport. - -The French fleet, when advised of the evacuation of Philadelphia, -immediately sailed for New York. Its arrival produced intense -excitement. The Annual Register (British) of that period reflects the -sentiment very fully. The British ships, then in port, were inferior in -number and weight of metal to those of France. Every available vessel of -sufficient capacity to carry heavy guns was immediately subsidized for -defence. The entire city was exposed to attack as when occupied by the -American army after its retreat from Long Island. It was a strange -change in the relations of the British and American forces in that -vicinity. - -Washington, fully satisfied that Clinton could have no possible -inducement again to enter New Jersey, hoped, that through the presence -of the French ships and the accompanying troops he might wrest Newport -from British control, and planned accordingly. He did not, however, -overlook the possibility of even striking New York. He had been advised -by the French Ambassador of the very perilous relations of France in the -West Indies; and that the fleet which accompanied him to Philadelphia, -with the expectation of a decisive action there, must soon be released -for service elsewhere. Its change of destination to the port of New York -involved an unexpected delay upon the American coast, and contingencies -of a very serious character. American critics constantly complained that -the French fleet did not at once bombard New York City. Even some -military men of that period, and some historical speculators since that -time, would denounce the statement of the French Admiral, that the depth -of water was insufficient for his ships to approach the city, as a mere -excuse for not doing so. Washington sent Colonels Laurens and Hamilton, -confidential members of his staff, to learn the facts; and the most -experienced pilots were offered fifty thousand dollars if they would -agree to conduct the ships to the city. Hamilton’s Report read as -follows: - -“These experienced persons unanimously declared, that it was impossible -to carry us in. All refused; and the particular soundings which I caused -to be made myself, too well demonstrated that they were right.” - -Washington immediately turned his attention to Newport; and the French -fleet sailed at once to Rhode Island. Count d’Estaing cast anchor off -Point Judith, only five miles from Newport, on the twenty-ninth day of -July. As an indication of the condition of affairs at New York after his -departure, the following despatch of General Clinton to Lord Germaine, -bearing the same date, July twenty-ninth, is of interest, declaring: “I -may yet be compelled to evacuate the city and return to Halifax.” - -The reader will involuntarily recall the events of July and August, -1776, only two years prior to the date of this despondent letter. Then -General Howe and Admiral Howe superciliously addressed communications to -“George Washington, Esqr.” Now, General Howe was homeward bound, -relieved from further service in America, because the same Washington -had outgeneraled him as a Soldier. And his brother, Admiral Howe, had -been granted his request to be transferred to some other sphere of naval -service. - -As soon as the French squadron of Count d’Estaing sailed from New York, -Washington instructed General Sullivan, then in command at Providence, -R.I., to summon the New England militia to his aid for a combined attack -upon Newport; assigned Generals Greene and Lafayette to the command of -divisions; and ordered the brigades of Varnum and Glover to report to -Lafayette. These officers had served with Greene before Boston, and -Varnum was a member of Greene’s old company, the Kentish Guards, which -marched with him to Boston at the outbreak of war. The proposed -coöperation of French troops also made the assignment of General -Lafayette equally judicious. - -The British garrison consisted of six thousand troops under -Major-General Pigot. On the fifth of August two French frigates entered -the harbor, and the British burned seven of their own frigates with -which they had controlled the waters, to avoid their capture. Details of -the siege of Newport, except as Washington bore relations to its -progress and its ultimate failure, are not within the purpose of this -narrative. It was unfortunate that General Sullivan so long detained the -French troops on shipboard; where, as one of their officers wrote, they -had been “cooped up” for more than five months. Their prompt landing -would certainly have averted the subsequent disaster; as storms of -unprecedented fury soon after swept the coast, with almost equal -distress to the land forces and those on the sea. In General -Washington’s letter, advising of the departure of Admiral Howe from New -York for Newport, he thus forecast the future: “Unless the fleet have -advices of reenforcements off the coast, it can only be accounted for on -the principle of desperation, stimulated by a hope of finding you -divided in your operations against Rhode Island.” - -The American force was about ten thousand men. The tenth of the month -had been specifically designated for a joint movement; but General -Sullivan, without notifying the Count d’Estaing, anticipated it by a -day, and failed. Count d’Estaing was a lieutenant-general in the French -army; but agreed to waive his rank, and serve under Lafayette. The -report was current at that time, that ill-feeling arose between General -Sullivan and Count d’Estaing because of the precipitate action of -General Sullivan on this occasion. On the contrary, Count d’Estaing -understood that but two thousand troops were in the movement. He -promptly called upon General Sullivan to consult as to further -operations; and in a Report to Congress used this language, alike -creditable to his judgment and his candor: “Knowing that there are -moments which must be eagerly seized upon in war, I was cautious of -blaming any overthrow of plans, which nevertheless astonished me, and -which, in fact, merits in my opinion only praise; although accumulated -circumstances might have rendered the consequences very unfortunate.” - -When he made his visit to General Sullivan, he left orders for the -troops that were to join in the land expedition to follow. He had no -knowledge, at that time, that Admiral Howe had received reënforcements, -and had left New York to attack the French fleet then at Newport. A -large number of the French seamen were upon Connanicut Island, on -account of scurvy, and the fleet was scattered, without apprehension of -an attack from the sea. A fog prevailed on the morning of the visit. -D’Estaing returned to his flag-ship, and as the fog lifted, there -appeared in the offing a British fleet of thirty-six sail. Admiral Howe -had been reënforced by a portion of Admiral Byron’s fleet, which arrived -in advance of its commander; and this force was superior to that of his -adversary. D’Estaing was alert. Quickly gathering his ships, in spite of -a rising gale, he succeeded in gaining and holding the “weather-gauge” -of Howe, who did not dare press toward the land against such an -advantage in D’Estaing’s favor. Both fleets were dispersed by the -tempest over fifty miles of ocean, repeatedly meeting with collisions, -and after several of his ships had been dismasted, Howe ran the gauntlet -of a part of the French squadron, and returned to New York. - -On the twentieth, Count d’Estaing returned to Newport; and on the -twenty-second sailed for Boston to refit. A protest, signed by General -Sullivan and others, including John Hancock, who took an active part in -the operations of the siege, did not change his purpose. He had no -alternative. It is true that much bad feeling, soon proven to have been -absolutely unjustifiable, existed among Americans at the date of his -departure. Sullivan himself issued an intemperate order, which he -speedily modified, but not until it had gone to the public; in which he -used these words: “The general yet hopes the event will prove America -able to procure that by her own arms, which her allies refuse to assist -in obtaining.” - -Just at this time, a courier from Washington reached Sullivan’s -headquarters with the information that General Clinton had sailed from -New York with four thousand troops to reënforce the garrison of Newport; -and strongly intimated “the importance of securing a timely retreat from -the Island.” The suggestion was heeded. On the twenty-sixth, the heavy -baggage was removed. On the twenty-eighth, a council of officers decided -to withdraw to the north end of the island, until a messenger could be -sent to Boston to urge the return of the French fleet. Lafayette was the -messenger, and made the round trip in a few hours. Count d’Estaing very -properly held, that to put in peril the entire fleet of France, in -support of land operations so far from home and upon a strange coast, -was a practical disobedience of his orders, and unjust to his sovereign; -but, while he _would not return with his fleet_, he informed Lafayette, -that he “_was willing to lead the French troops, in person, to -Newport_,” and place himself “_under General Sullivan’s orders_.” In a -manly explanation of his course, and notwithstanding General Sullivan’s -proclamation, of which he was advised, he used this language: “_I was -anxious to demonstrate that my countrymen could not be offended by a -sudden expression of feeling; and that he who commanded them in America, -was, and would be, at all times, one of the most devoted and zealous -servants of the United States._” - -By three o’clock of the twenty-ninth, the Americans occupied Quaker Hill -and Turkey Hill. These localities are still remembered for the gallantry -of their defenders during subsequent British assaults. At eleven -o’clock, Lafayette returned from Boston, and before twelve—as reported -by Sullivan—“the main army had crossed to the mainland with stores and -baggage.” As at Brandywine, Barren Hill and Monmouth, Lafayette remained -with the rear-guard, and brought away the last of the pickets in good -order, “not a man nor an article of baggage having been left behind.” - -On the morning of the thirtieth, one hundred and five sail of British -vessels were in sight, bringing Clinton’s army to the rescue of the -garrison. Howe returned immediately to New York, although Gray made an -expedition from Newport which committed depredations at Bedford, -Fairhaven, Martha’s Vineyard, and all places from which American -privateers were fitted out for assaults upon British commerce. Admiral -Howe afterwards sailed for Boston, but being unable to entice Count -d’Estaing to so unequal a contest, returned again to New York. On the -first of November, Admiral Byron appeared off Boston with a large naval -force, but was driven to sea by a storm which so disabled his fleet that -he was compelled to go to Newport and refit. On his voyage from England -he had been compelled to stop at Halifax, and it has been well said of -this officer, that he chiefly “fought the ocean, during the year 1778.” - -Count d’Estaing sailed for the West Indies on the third of November. The -first coöperation of the French navy in support of the United States had -resulted in no victories, on land or sea; but it had precipitated the -evacuation of Philadelphia, restricted the garrison of New York to -operations within the reach of the British navy, and was a practical -pledge of thorough sympathy with America in her struggle for complete -independence of Great Britain, and of the emphatic determination of -France to maintain, as well as acknowledge, that independence. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - MINOR EVENTS AND GRAVE CONDITIONS, 1779. - - -The Headquarters of the American Army remained at White Plains until the -latter part of September. Upon reaching that post, immediately following -the Battle of Monmouth, after two years of absence, the American -Commander-in-Chief, profoundly appreciating the mutations of personal -and campaign experience through which himself and army had kept company -in the service of “God and Country,” thus expressed himself: - -“The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous, that he must be worse -than an infidel that lacks faith; and more than wicked that has not -gratitude enough to recognize the obligation.” - -Washington’s self-control of a strongly passionate natural temper, and -his equanimity under most exasperating ordeals, first were due to -maternal influence, and then to his faith in some guiding principle of -the inner self which enabled him to devote his entire faculties to -passing duty, unhampered by the many personal considerations which so -grievously worried many of his subordinates. - -Upon the failure of operations against Newport, Sullivan reoccupied -Providence; Lafayette occupied Bristol, and afterwards withdrew to -Warren, beyond the reach of the British shipping. Greene, still acting -as Quartermaster-General, went to Boston, to superintend the purchase of -supplies for the French fleet. It is to be noticed, in connection with -the presence of the French fleet at Boston, that one of its officers, -Chevalier de Saint Sauveur, was killed while attempting to quiet an -affray between the French and some disorderly persons who visited a -French bakery. On the next day, the Massachusetts General Assembly, -ordered the erection of a monument to his memory. - -Washington removed from White Plains to Fishkill, ever on the watch for -the defences of the Hudson and the assurance of constant communication -between New England and New York. On the tenth, he was at Petersburg. On -the twenty-seventh, he announced the disposition of the army for the -approaching winter. - -The formal assignments of commands to posts and departments, at this -time, indicate his judgment of their relative value and exposure: “Nine -brigades are disposed on the west side of the Hudson River, exclusive of -the garrison of West Point; one of which will be near Smith’s Clove, for -the security of that pass, and as a reënforcement to West Point, in case -of necessity. The Jersey brigade is ordered to spend the winter at -Elizabethtown, to cover the lower parts of New Jersey. Seven brigades, -consisting of the Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania troops, -will be at Middlebrook; six brigades will be left on the east side of -the river and at West Point; three of which (of Massachusetts troops) -will be stationed for the immediate defence of the Highlands,—one at -West Point, in addition to the garrison already there, and the other two -at Fishkill and Continental Village. The remaining three brigades, -composed of the New Hampshire and Connecticut troops, and Hazen’s -Regiment, will be posted in the vicinity of Danbury, for the protection -of the country lying along the Sound; to cover our magazines lying on -Connecticut river; and to aid the Highlands, on any serious movement of -the enemy that way. The park of artillery will be at Pluckemin; the -cavalry will be disposed of thus: Bland’s Regiment at Winchester, Va.” - -The significance of this last assignment will be apparent, if it be -remembered that the Hessian troops, captured at Saratoga, preferred to -remain in America; so that, when Burgoyne’s army reached Cambridge for -transportation to England, the foreign troops were sent to Virginia. -Some threats had reached the ever-attentive ear of the American -Commander-in-Chief, that an attempt would be made to release this -command and employ it in the field, at the south. Of the other cavalry -squadrons, Baylis’ was to occupy Frederick, or Hagerstown, Md.; -Sheldon’s, to be at Durham, Conn.; and Lee’s Corps, (Col. Harry Lee), -“will be with that part of the army which is in the Jerseys, acting on -the advanced posts.” - -General Putnam was assigned to command at Danbury, General McDougall, in -the Highlands; and general headquarters were to be near Middlebrook. - -No extensive field operations took place in the Northern States, after -the Battle of Monmouth. Several restricted excursions were made, which -kept the American Commander-in-Chief on the watch for the Highland -posts; but these became less and less frequent as the year 1778 drew -near its close. The British cabinet ordered five thousand of Clinton’s -troops to the West Indies, and three thousand more to Florida. - -On the twenty-seventh of September, General Gray surprised Colonel -Baylor’s Light Horse at Tappan, on the Hudson, as completely as he had -surprised Wayne at Paoli. Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, accompanied by -Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe, confirmed their usual custom of warfare by -forays which brought little plunder and less intrinsic credit. -Cornwallis with five thousand men made an incursion into New Jersey, -between the Hudson and the Hackensack; and Lieutenant-General -Knyphausen, with three thousand men, operated in Westchester County, -between the Bronx and the Hudson, but with small acquisition of -provisions or other supplies. - -On the eighth of October General Clinton, in writing to Lord Germaine, -says: “With an army so much diminished, at New York, nothing important -can be done, especially as it is weakened by sending seven hundred men -to Halifax, and three hundred to Bermuda.” On the fifteenth of October, -Captain Ferguson of the Seventieth British Foot, with three thousand -regulars and the Third New Jersey Volunteers (royalists) made a descent -upon Little Neck, N.J., where many privateers were equipped; surprised a -detachment of Count Pulaski’s American Brigade, and inflicted a loss of -fifty killed, but none wounded, including Lieutenant-Colonel the Baron -de Bose, and Lieutenant de la Borderie. Ferguson says, in his official -report: “It being a night attack, little _quarter_, of course, could be -given; so that there were only five prisoners.” Count Pulaski vigorously -pursued the party, inflicting some loss. This Ferguson was one of the -partisan leaders who was merciless in slaughter, as too many of the -auxiliary leaders of that period proved themselves to be when upon -irresponsible marauding expeditions. - -Meanwhile, Indian massacres in Wyoming Valley, during July, and that of -Cherry Valley, on the eleventh of November, afterwards to be avenged, -multiplied the embarrassments of the prosecution of the war, and kept -the Commander-in-Chief constantly on the alert. The condition of -Clinton, in New York, had indeed become critical. The position of the -American army so restricted even his food-supplies, that he had to -depend largely upon England; and on the second day of December he wrote -again, and even more despondently, to the British Secretary of State: “I -do not complain; but, my lord, do not let anything be expected of me, -circumstanced as I am.” The British Cabinet had already indicated its -purpose to abandon further extensive operations in the Northern States, -and to utilize the few troops remaining in America, in regions where -less organized resistance would be met, and where their fleets could -control the chief points to be occupied. As early as November -twenty-seventh, Commodore Hyde Parker had convoyed a fleet of transports -to Savannah, with a total land force of thirty-five hundred men; and on -the twenty-ninth of December, Savannah had been captured. - -The year 1778 closed, with the Southern campaign opened; but the -American Congress had no money; and the loose union of the States -constantly evoked sectional jealousies. Any thoughtful reader of this -narrative must have noticed with what discriminating judgment -enlistments were accommodated to the conditions of each section, and -that care was taken to dispose of troops where their local associations -were most conducive to their enthusiastic effort. Washington thus -forcibly exposed the condition of affairs, when he declared that “the -States were too much engaged in their local concerns, when the great -business of a nation, the momentous concerns of an empire, were at -stake.” - -Bancroft, the historian, thus fitly refers to Washington at this -eventful crisis in American affairs: “He, who in the beginning of the -Revolution used to call Virginia his country, from this time never -ceased his efforts, by conversation and correspondence, to train the -statesmen of America, especially of his beloved State, to the work of -consolidation of the Union.” - -At the close of 1778, General Washington visited Philadelphia; and thus -solemnly and pungently addressed Colonel Harrison, Speaker of the -Virginia House of Burgesses. After urging Virginia to send the best and -ablest of her men to Congress, he thus continues: “They must not slumber -nor sleep at home, at such a time of pressing danger; content with the -enjoyment of places of honor or profit in their own State, while the -common interests of America are mouldering and sinking into inevitable -ruin.... If I were to draw a picture of the times and men, from what I -have seen, heard, and in part know, I should, in one word say: that -idleness, dissipation, and extravagance, seem to have laid fast hold of -many of them; that speculation, peculation, and an insatiable thirst for -riches seem to have got the better of every other consideration and -almost of every order of men; that party disputes and personal quarrels -are the great business of the day; ... while a great and accumulating -debt, depreciated money, and want of credit, which in its consequences -is the want of everything, are but secondary considerations, if our -affairs wore the most promising aspect.... An assembly, a concert, a -dinner, a supper, will not only take men away from acting in this -business, but even from thinking of it; while the great part of the -officers of our army, from absolute necessity, are quitting the service; -and the more virtuous few, rather than do this, are sinking by sure -degrees into beggary and want.” - -There is a touch of the pathetic, and an almost despondent tone with -which the closing paragraph of this utterance of the American -Commander-in-Chief closes, when he adds: “Our affairs are in a more -distressed, ruinous and deplorable condition, than they have been since -the commencement of the war.” - -There was no danger from any extended movement of British armies in -force, and a consequent relaxation of effort pervaded the Colonies which -had been most largely called upon for men to meet immediate invasion. -This partial repose brought actual indolence and loss of enthusiasm in -general operations beyond the districts immediately exposed to British -attack. The winter garrison of Philadelphia, like that of Howe the -previous year, languished in confinement, grew feeble in spirit, and -weakened in discipline. Congress shared the enervating effect of the -temporary suspension of active hostilities; and it was not until the -ninth of March, 1779, that the definite establishment of the army, upon -the fixed basis of eighty battalions, was formally authorized. - -The inaction of Clinton at New York gave the American Commander-in-Chief -an opportunity to turn his attention to the Indian atrocities -perpetrated the previous year in central New York; and on the nineteenth -of April he sent a force under Colonel Schenck, Lieutenant-Colonel -Willett and Major Cochran, which destroyed the settlement of the -Onondagas, on the lands still occupied by them, near the present city of -Syracuse in that State. An expedition was again planned for Canada, but -the wisdom of Washington induced Congress to abandon it. Confederate -money dropped to the nominal value of three or four cents on the dollar; -and Washington was constrained to offer his private estate for sale, to -meet his personal necessities. Congress seemed incapable of realizing -the impending desolation which must attend a forcible invasion of the -southern States, and Washington was powerless to detach troops from the -north, equal to any grave emergency in that section, so long as Clinton -occupied New York in force. General Greene, comprehending the views of -Washington and the immediate necessity for organizing an army for the -threatened States, equal to the responsibility, asked permission to -undertake that responsibility; but Congress refused to sanction such a -detail, although approved by Washington. This refusal, and the -consequent delay to anticipate British invasion at the South, protracted -the war, and brought both disaster and loss which early action might -have anticipated, or prevented. The utmost that could be secured from -Congress was permission for the detail of a portion of the regular -troops which had been recruited at the South, to return to that section -for active service. - -Lafayette, finding that active duty was not anticipated, sailed from -Boston for France, January 11, 1779, upon the frigate _Alliance_, which -the Continental Congress placed at his disposal. - -General Lincoln, of the American army—who had reached Charleston on the -last day of December, 1778—attempted to thwart the operations of the -British General Sir Augustine Prevost; but without substantial, -permanent results. The British, from Detroit, operated as far south as -the valley of the Wabash River, in the Illinois country; but Thomas -Jefferson, then Governor of Virginia, with troops raised in Virginia and -North Carolina, strengthened the western frontier and placed it in a -condition of defence, unaided by Congress. - -The Middle States, however, had some experience of the desultory kind of -warfare which characterized the greater part of the military operations -of 1779. General Matthews sailed from New York late in April, with two -thousand troops and five hundred marines, laid waste Norfolk and -Portsmouth, Virginia, destroyed over one hundred vessels, and returned -to New York with seventeen prizes and three thousand hogsheads of -tobacco, without serious loss to his command. As if keen to watch for -the slightest opportunity of resuming active operations from New York, -and constantly dreading the nearness and alertness of the American -headquarters in New Jersey, Clinton, on the thirteenth of May, under -convoy of the fleet of Sir George Collier, surprised the small garrisons -at Verplanck’s and Stony Point, re-garrisoned them with British troops, -and retired to Yonkers, leaving several small frigates and sloops-of-war -to cover each post. - -The American army was removed from Middlebrook to Smith’s Clove, on the -ninth. On the twenty-third, Washington removed his headquarters to New -Windsor, leaving General Putnam in command. General Heath was ordered to -Boston, and General Wayne was stationed between the Clove and Fort -Montgomery, near Dunderburg Mountain. - -Such were the modified positions of the two armies of the north, at the -close of June, 1779. - -[Illustration: Outline Map of Hudson River. Highlands.] - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - MINOR OPERATIONS OF 1779 CONTINUED.—STONY POINT TAKEN.—NEW ENGLAND - RELIEVED. - - -In Fennimore Cooper’s interesting romance, “The Spy,” he furnishes -graphic delineations of the true character of those minor operations -about New York which were parts of General Clinton’s military -recreation, while he had too small a force to meet Washington’s compact -army in actual battle. Night forays and short excursions, under the -cover of small vessels-of-war and assured of safe retreat, were of -frequent occurrence. Mounted bands, officially known as the Queen’s -Rangers, had very large discretion in their movements and methods. They -galloped to and fro, at will, sometimes securing plunder, and sometimes -barely escaping with less than they started with. As a general rule, -some “spy” was on the watch, and their ventures were simply -mis-adventures. The American “cow-boys” were just as real characters, -although less organized; and each party carried on a small war of its -own, for the plunder realized. Clinton’s lucky capture of Stony Point -encouraged him to undertake other enterprises which weakened the -resources of the people, without enhanced prestige to the British -troops. On the first of July, Tarleton went out for twenty-four hours, -and on his return, made report. He had “surprised Sheldon’s cavalry, -near Salem; captured Sheldon’s colors [accidentally left in a barn], -burned the Presbyterian church, and received little loss.” He says: “I -proposed terms to the militia, that if they would not fire from the -houses, I would not burn them.” But the militia that gathered in his -rear made the expedition unprofitable. In less than eight hours -Washington learned of the excursion. - -On the third day of July, General Tryon, under convoy of the fleet of -Sir George Collier, which had escorted General Clinton to Stony Point, -sailed with twenty-six hundred men for New Haven, Conn. On Sunday, July -fourth, when the people were observing the Sabbath and looking forward -with enthusiasm to the following morning and the observance of -“Independence Day,” Tryon published the following letter to the people -of Connecticut: “The ungenerous and wanton insurrections against the -sovereignty of Great Britain into which this colony has been deluded by -the artifices of designing men, for private purposes, might well justify -in you every fear which conscious guilt could form respecting the -intentions of the present movement. The existence of a single habitation -on your defenceless coast, ought to be a constant reproof to your -ingratitude.” - -The landing of the various divisions at East Haven, Savin Rock, and -other points; and the vigorous defence upon the New Haven Green, by -Capt. James Hillhouse, in command of the students of Yale College, are -matters of familiar history. Fairfield, Green Farms, Huntington, Long -Island, Greenfield and Norwalk shared in this raid; but it only -embittered the struggle, and on the thirteenth the expedition returned -to New York. When Tryon’s expedition started, Washington was opposite -Staten Island; being on a tour of personal inspection of all posts along -the Hudson and the New Jersey approaches from the sea. On the seventh of -July, when advised that Tryon had sailed, he sent an express to Governor -Trumbull, and ordered General Glover, then at Providence, to coöperate -with the militia in case the enemy should make any descent upon the -Connecticut coast. - -Meanwhile, and as the result of his tour of inspection, he planned a -counter movement to these demonstrations of the New York garrison. -During the six weeks’ occupation of Stony Point by the British -Grenadiers of the Seventieth Regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Webster, -heavy guns had been mounted; breastworks and batteries had been built in -advance of the fort, and two rows of abatis crossed the slope leading to -the water. Washington, perfectly familiar with the post and the -additions to its defences, prepared a minute plan for its capture. -General Wayne, it will be remembered, had been posted near Dunderburg -Mountain, in the distribution of officers made on the twenty-third of -the month. Wayne entered into the plan with avidity. The detail of -troops made by Washington and the instructions given have interest, as -every possible effort was made to avoid failure or premature disclosure -of the design. Colonel Febiger’s Regiment, followed by Colonel Webb’s -(Lieutenant-Colonel Meigs commanding) and a detachment from West Point -under Major Hull, formed the right. Colonel Butler’s Regiment, and two -companies of North Carolina troops under Major Murphy, formed the left. -Colonel Lee’s Light Horse, three hundred strong, which had been -manœuvered during the day so as not to lead vagrants or spies to suspect -their destination, formed the covering party, and took a position on the -opposite side of a swamp near the post. The troops left Sandy Beach at -midnight and marched by single files, over mountains, through morasses, -and deep defiles. At eight o’clock of the sixteenth, the command was -within a mile and a half of the fort. Wayne made reconnoissance in -person, and at half-past eleven at night the advance was ordered. In -order to prevent any deserter from giving warning to the garrison, the -purpose of the expedition was not announced until the order to attack -could be given personally, by each officer, to his individual command. - -The following order was at the same time communicated to the men: “If -any soldier presume to take his musket from his shoulder; attempt to -fire; or begin the battle till ordered by his proper officer, he shall -be instantly put to death by the officer next him.” (This implied, of -course, death by the sword.) The advance was to be “with fixed bayonets, -and unloaded muskets.” Each officer and soldier had been ordered to -place a white paper or cloth upon his cap, to distinguish him from an -enemy; and the watchword, to be shouted aloud whenever one detachment -reached its point of attack, as an encouragement to the others and a -terror to the garrison, was, “_The fort is ours!_” Pioneer parties, -carefully selected, wrenched away the abatis. The detachments moved -instantly, as if impelled by some invisible, resistless force. The two -assaulting columns met in the centre of the works almost at the same -moment. Wayne fell, seriously but not mortally wounded, while passing -the abatis. The entire American loss was fifteen killed, and -eighty-three wounded. The British loss was one officer and nineteen men -killed; six officers and sixty-eight men wounded; twenty-five officers -and four hundred and forty-seven men taken prisoners; two officers and -fifty-six men missing. The night was dark, and the difficulties of -crossing the morass below the fort, at nearly full tide, and clambering -up rugged cliffs thick with briars and underbrush, cannot be described. -A modern visitor will find it difficult enough to make the same trip, by -daylight. The stores, valued at $158,640, were divided by Washington’s -order among the troops, in proportion to the pay of officers and men. -The courteous treatment extended by him to the prisoners received very -gracious recognition from the British authorities. The faithfulness, -skill, and daring, and the good judgment with which Wayne comprehended -and carried out, in almost literal detail, the plans of Washington, were -greatly to his honor, and evoked most appreciative commendation from his -superior officer. - -General Clinton promptly organized a force, and proceeded up the river -to recapture the post; but Washington, having dismantled it, decided -that its further retention was not of sufficient value to spare a -garrison for its permanent defence, and left it for occupation by the -British at their leisure. - -Another excursion from New York by Tarleton, into Westchester County, -about the middle of August, was reciprocated under Washington’s orders, -with decided _éclat_ and success. On the nineteenth of August, Col. -Henry Lee crossed the Hackensack; moved down the Hudson River, and at -half-past two o’clock in the morning, at low tide, captured Paulus Hook, -where Jersey City now stands, nearly opposite Clinton’s New York -headquarters. Not a shot was fired by the storming party. Only the -bayonet was used. The Americans lost twenty, and the British lost -fifteen, besides one hundred and fifty taken prisoners. - -For many months Washington had been watching for an opportunity of -sufficient relief from British activity, to punish the Indians who -perpetrated their outrages in the Wyoming Valley; and as early as the -sixth of March, he tendered to General Gates the command of an -expedition for that purpose. In this assignment he enclosed an order for -him to assume General Sullivan’s command at Providence, in case he -declined the expedition. General Gates, then at Boston, thus replied: -“Last night, I had the honor of your Excellency’s letter. The man who -undertakes the Indian service should enjoy youth and strength, which I -do not possess. It therefore grieves me that your Excellency should -offer me a command to which I am entirely unequal. In obedience to your -command I have forwarded your letter to General Sullivan; and that he -may not be one moment delayed, I have desired him to leave the command -with General Greene until I arrive in Providence.” - -General Sullivan marched from Eastern Pennsylvania, reaching Wyoming -Valley on the thirty-first of July, and Tioga Point, N.Y., on the eighth -of August, with a force of five thousand men. Gen. James Clinton joined -him from the northern army. The brigades of Generals Poor, Hand, and -Maxwell, Parr’s Rifle Corps, and Proctor’s Artillery, all familiar to -the reader, formed the invading force. On the twenty-ninth day of -August, the Battle of Chemung was fought, near the present city of -Elmira, and the towns of the Six Nations were laid waste, including -orchards, gardens, houses, clothing, and provisions, indiscriminately. -There was nothing in this punishment of the Six Nations which commended -the American cause to their favor; but they did not regard the details -of these ravages as a part of Washington’s instructions. When the War -for Independence closed, and their alliance with the United States -became a fixed fact, Washington represented their ideal of the great -soldier—“_He had made the power of Britain to yield to his arms_.” -Governor Blackstone, Chief of the Senecas, Cornplanter, and Halftown, -the famous trio who made the treaty with Washington, were ever known as -“the friends of Washington.” A silver medal presented to Governor -Blackstone, which bore the simple inscription “Second Presidency of -George Washington,” was long esteemed as a most precious relic. Handsome -Lake, known as the “Peace Prophet,”—brother of Tecumseh,—made as a -tribute to Washington one of the most impressive utterances of his -mission among the Six Nations. Even as late as the Eleventh United -States Census, 1890, Washington’s name, alone of all the American -Presidents, was not found among the children’s names of the Six Nations; -so greatly was he held in reverence. They also engrafted into their -religion the myth that “he occupies a mansion at the gate of Paradise, -where he becomes visible to all who enter its portals and ascend to the -Great Spirit, and both recognizes and returns the salute of all who -enter.” - -This devotion of his Indian admirers is hardly less valuable than the -tributes of Frederick the Great and other European soldiers and -statesmen to the qualities of Washington as a Soldier; and it -permanently redeems the name of Washington from any responsibility for -the excessive desolation with which the Six Nations were visited in the -expedition of 1779. - -On the twenty-fifth of August, while Sullivan was upon this Indian -expedition, Admiral Arbuthnot arrived with reënforcements of three -thousand men, and relieved Sir George Collier in naval command. On the -twenty-first of September, Sir Andrew Hammond arrived with an additional -force of fifteen hundred men, from Cork, Ireland. At this juncture, -Count d’Estaing, having captured St. Vincent and Granada in the West -Indies, suddenly made his appearance off the coast of Georgia. Spain had -joined France in war against Great Britain; so that the whole line of -British posts, from Halifax to St. Augustine, was exposed to such naval -attacks as would divert the attention of Great Britain from the designs -of her allied enemies against her West India possessions. - -Washington, upon the arrival of these British reënforcements, -strengthened West Point with additional works; but Clinton, even with -his large naval force, did not venture an attack upon that post, as had -been his intention when making requisition for more troops. - -On the twenty-fifth of October, 1779, General Clinton abandoned Newport, -R.I.; then Verplanck Point; then Stony Point: and for the first time -since Washington landed in New York, in 1776, the whole of New England -and the entire stretch of the Hudson River, was unvexed by British steel -or British keel. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - SHIFTING SCENES.—TEMPER OF THE PEOPLE.—SAVANNAH. - - -If the mind weary of the recital of events which by night and by day -burdened the soul and tasked the energies of the American -Commander-in-Chief to their utmost strain, it cannot but be refreshed by -evidence of his abiding confidence and patience in the cause of American -Independence, as the theatre of war enlarged and gradually placed every -colony under the weight of British pressure. The issue of two hundred -millions of paper money had indeed been authorized, and a loan was -invited abroad; but, as ever, men were wanted, and were not forthcoming. -Even the States which had longest borne the brunt of battle, and had -only just been relieved from its immediate dangers, seemed to weary -under the reaction of that relief, as if the storm had passed by, never -again to sweep over the same surface. It was also very natural as well -as true, that the pledge of French intervention and the gleam of the -oriflamme of France, did, in a measure, compose anxiety and lessen the -sense of local responsibility for such a contribution of troops from -every section as would make the nation as independent of France as of -Great Britain. - -There was a sense of weariness, a tendency to fitful strokes of local -energy, without that overwhelming sense of need which first rallied all -sections to a common cause. Congress also seemed, at times, almost to -stagger under its load. But Washington, who sometimes grew weary and -groaned in spirit, and sometimes panted with shortened breath while -toiling upward to surmount some new obstruction, never, never staggered. -For him, there were “stepping-stones in the deepest waters.” For him, -though tides might ebb and flow, the earth itself forever kept its even -course about the guiding sun; and for him, the sun of Liberty was the -light of the soul. Every circling year but added blessings from its -glow, and energy from its power. The intensity of his emotion when he -penned those solemn truthful words to Harrison, showed but the impulse -of a spiritual power which the times demanded, but would neither -comprehend nor brook if from other sources than Washington’s majestic -will and presence. From the summit of his faith, he clearly indicated -with pen-point the driveling selfishness which postponed triumph and -made the chariot-wheels drag so heavily through the advancing war. - -The scenes were suddenly shifted to the southern stage of operations. -New characters were to take the parts of some who had fulfilled their -destiny; but many of both men and ships that participated in the siege -of Boston itself, were still to act an honored part until the revolution -should be complete. The cities of Charleston and Savannah were to be -visited, as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia had been visited: not -with a paternal yearning for their return to a cheerful “mother-home”; -but in the spirit of a master dealing with overworked and fractious -slaves. But the slaves had both burst and buried their shackles; and -whether in city or country, on mountain or in valley, in forest or in -swamp—wherever animal life could exist, there, and everywhere, the -South, ever generous, ever proud, ever self-respecting, and ever loyal -to completions of duty, were to besprinkle the altar of their country -with life-blood, and consummate the War for American Independence upon -her consecrated soil. - -The short-sighted critics of the North who had tried to play upon -sectional prejudice, that some one of their self-sufficient number might -till Washington’s saddle, began to wonder why he remained at his post in -New Jersey; why he did not surrender the northern command to one of -their number, and then go where his ancestral home was endangered and -the companions of his youth were to struggle for very life itself. But -the greatness of Washington the Soldier was never more apparent than -now. Calmly he sustained himself at this point of vantage; stretching -out his arm—in turn to soothe and warn, or to hurl defiance in the teeth -of foes or stragglers, but ever to nerve the nation to duty. - -There was no costly throne set up at Morristown, or Middlebrook. There -was no luxury there. There were camp-cots, and camp-chairs, and usually, -rations sufficient for the daily need; but the centre of the upheaving -energies of American Liberty was there; and these energies were -controlled and directed, with no loss in transmission, by the immediate -presence of the Commander-in-Chief. - -It will be remembered, at the very mention of Southern Colonies, or -Southern States, how peculiar was their relation to the mother country, -from the earliest British supremacy along the eastern Atlantic coast. -The Romanist, the Churchman, the Presbyterian, and the Huguenot, in -their respective search for larger liberty and missionary work, had -shared equally in a sense of oppression, before their migration to -America. They had much in common with the early settlers of the New -England coast. The Hollanders of New Jersey and the Quakers of -Pennsylvania, between the extremes, were not wholly absorbed in business -ventures. But all alike had additional incentives to a more independent -life, far removed from those social and artificial obligations which -reigned supreme in the Old World. There were indeed adventurers for -conquest, for wealth, and for political power, among them; and the -aristocratic usages which accompanied the royal prerogative were -fostered by the presence of slavery, so that they affected the vital -functions of the new Republic for generations. But, with the exception -of elements earlier noticed, the “ferment of American Liberty” was never -more decided, pure, and constant in Massachusetts than in Virginia; nor -more bold, desperate and defiant, among the Green Mountains of Vermont -than among the pine woods and palmetto groves of North and South -Carolina. - -The closing months of the nineteenth century seem to have been reserved, -in the providence of God, for the consummation of that lofty -anticipation of Washington which Daniel Webster formulated in one -sublime utterance, “The Union; now and forever; One and Inseparable.” - -And now, in the spirit of this memory of the pioneers of American -civilization, the narrative returns to the immediate burdens upon the -mind of Washington; as, in the closing months of 1779, we face the -mirror southward, and catch its reflections. - - -As the winter season of 1779–’80 drew on, and the ordinary hurricanes of -the West India storm-belt indicated a very restricted use of the French -navy in those waters, an effort was made to induce Count d’Estaing to -support an American attack upon Savannah. He responded promptly; and -besides sending five ships to Charleston to perfect details for the -combined movement of both southern armies, anchored his principal -squadron of twenty ships-of-the-line, two 50’s and eleven frigates, -outside the bar of Tybee Island, on the eighth day of September. Six -thousand French troops accompanied the fleet. Governor Rutledge of South -Carolina so actively aided the enterprise, that a sufficient number of -small craft were procured to land thirty-five hundred and twenty-four of -these troops at Bieulien, on Ossahaw Inlet, about twelve miles from -Savannah. The march was immediately begun. On the sixteenth, Count -d’Estaing demanded surrender of the city. The Legislature of South -Carolina adjourned. Militia replaced the regulars at Fort Moultrie, and -within four days, on the eighth, quite a strong force marched for -Savannah. General Lincoln left on the tenth. Meanwhile, the British -General Prescott had so actively destroyed bridges and obstructed roads, -that the Americans did not join the French troops until the sixteenth. -Trenches were not begun until the twenty-fourth of September, and the -difficulty of obtaining draught animals for hauling heavy siege-guns to -their proper position, still longer delayed the movement. The enthusiasm -of the American officers over the prospect of French coöperation led -them to assure Count d’Estaing that his delay before Savannah would not -exceed from ten to sixteen days; and upon this distinct assurance, he -had thus promptly disembarked his land forces. The French West Indies -had been left without naval support; and already an entire month had -passed with every probability that a British fleet from New York would -take advantage of the opportunity to recapture West India posts so -recently captured by the French. Abandonment of the siege, or an -assault, became an immediate necessity, especially as Count d’Estaing -had undertaken the enterprise, urged by Lafayette, with no other -authority than his general instructions as to America, and his deep -interest in the struggle. - -The assault was made on the ninth day of October. It was desperate, with -alternate success and failure at different portions of the works; but -ultimately, a repulse. The British casualties were few, four officers -and thirty-six men killed; four officers and one hundred and fifteen men -wounded and missing. The French loss was fifteen officers and one -hundred and sixteen men killed; forty-three officers and four hundred -and eleven men wounded. Count d’Estaing was twice wounded, and Count -Pulaski, as well as Sergeant Jasper, so brave at Moultrie in 1776, were -among the killed. Colonel Laurens, aid-de-camp to Washington, was -conspicuous in the assault, as he proved himself at Newport, and -afterwards at Yorktown. - -The French withdrew their artillery, and sailed on the twenty-ninth. The -Americans returned to Charleston. The result of the siege affected both -northern armies. Washington abandoned an attack upon New York, for which -he had assembled a large force of New York and Massachusetts militia. -Learning that Clinton was preparing to go South, either to Georgia or -South Carolina, he ordered the North Carolina troops to march to -Charleston in November, and the Virginia regulars to follow in December. -Clinton left New York on the twenty-sixth of December for Charleston -with seven thousand five hundred men, leaving Lieutenant-General -Knyphausen in command. - -Washington again placed General Heath in command of the Highlands; sent -the cavalry to Connecticut, and with the remainder of the army marched -to Morristown, which for the second time became his winter headquarters. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - THE EVENTFUL YEAR 1780.—NEW JERSEY ONCE MORE INVADED. - - -The first act of General Washington upon reaching Morristown was to -invoice his resources and balance his accounts. He “called the roll” of -his army, made record of all supplies, and framed estimates for -forthcoming necessities. It was a depressing exhibit. Excluding South -Carolina and Georgia troops, which were assigned to their own home -department, the entire Muster, including all independent organizations -as well as drummers, fifers, teamsters, and all _attachés_ of every -kind, and upon the impossible assumption that every man on the original -Roll was still living, and in the service, footed up only twenty-seven -thousand and ninety-nine men. - -The army was in huts. The snow was an even two feet in depth. All -defiles were drifted full, and hard-packed, well-nigh impassable. But a -few days more of the year remained. On the thirty-first, within a few -days, two thousand and fifty enlistments would expire. In ninety days -more, March the thirty-first, six thousand four hundred and ninety-six -more would expire. By the last of April, when active operations might be -anticipated, the total reduction by expiration of term of service would -reach eight thousand one hundred and fifty; by the last of September, -ten thousand seven hundred and nine; and, during the year, twelve -thousand one hundred and fifty. - -The total force enlisted “for the war” was but fourteen thousand nine -hundred and ninety-eight men; and from the numbers already given, were -to be detailed the necessary number of artificers, armorers, wagoners, -quartermasters’ employees, and all those subordinate detachments which -reduce the fighting force of an army, as well as all casualties since -their first muster. To this is to be added the fact, that the several -States furnished their respective quotas at different times, and for -different periods, so that there was a constant addition of raw levies. -The army, in fact, had no opportunity to be thoroughly drilled and -disciplined, in all its parts. Such was the condition of the Army of the -United States, when the second campaign in the Southern States began. - -Some reader may very naturally inquire why Washington did not attack the -British garrison of New York, after Clinton’s departure for Charleston -with so many troops. Critics at the time made complaint, and some -writers have indorsed their criticisms through ignorance of the facts. -An examination of the original Returns of Clinton, still found in the -British archives, gives the following result. This estimate was taken at -the time when Washington was preparing to make an attempt on New York. -The British force of that post and its dependencies was twenty-six -thousand seven hundred and fifty-six effectives. There were in Georgia -three thousand nine hundred and thirty men; and in Florida, one thousand -seven hundred and eighty-seven effectives. At Penobscot, Me., and at -Halifax, subject to call, there was an additional force of three -thousand four hundred and sixty, making an aggregated force of nearly -thirty-eight thousand men. - -When General Clinton sailed with his seven thousand five hundred men, -the British force in the Southern Department became thirteen thousand -two hundred and sixty-seven; but it left in New York an effective -strength of twenty-one thousand and six men. And yet this garrison was -not without apprehension of attack. The winter was one of unexampled -severity. New York harbor froze until teams could cross upon the ice. -The British army was almost in a starving condition. Country supplies of -wood were cut off, until vessels at the wharves were chopped up for -fuel. The American army was not wholly idle. Lord Stirling, with -twenty-five hundred men, crossed to Staten Island on the ice, in spite -of the extreme cold, to attack that British supply-post; but a sudden -opening in the ice restored British communication with the city, and his -expedition failed of valuable results. On the twenty-fifth of January, -General Knyphausen sent a small detachment across the ice at Paulus Hook -and captured a company at Newark; while Lieutenant-Colonel Buskirk -crossed from Staten Island, and at Elizabethtown captured the picket and -burned the Town House, as well as the church of the Rev. James Caldwell, -Chaplain of Colonel Elias Dayton’s Regiment. On the second of February, -Lieutenant-Colonel Norton rode in sleighs, to attack a small American -post near White Plains; but, otherwise, the British as well as the -American army had enough to do to prevent freezing to death. - -During the extreme freeze of January, 1780, the suffering in the -American camp is reported as “baffling description. The paths were -marked by blood from the feet of barefooted soldiers.” Bancroft -and Irving have left nothing to add here. General Greene, -Quartermaster-General, reported on the eleventh of January: “Such -weather I never did feel. For six or eight days there has been no -living abroad. We drive over the tops of fences. We have been -alternately out of meat and bread for eight or nine days past, and -without either for three or four.” It was a time, also, when the -royalist element gained some hope; and Clinton’s Official Return -for December reports a force of four thousand and sixty-four -Provincials then in British pay. The women of New Jersey came to -the rescue of the suffering soldiers of Washington in a manner -that exhausts all possible forms of recognition. Clothing and -feeding the naked and hungry was their constant employment. -Washington says of New Jersey, that “his requisitions were -punctually complied with, and in many counties exceeded.” - -During this entire period there was one supervision exercised by the -American Commander-in-Chief which knew no interruption, whatever the -inclemency of the weather. Every pass to his strongly intrenched camp, -and every bold promontory, or distinct summit, that observed or -commanded approach, was guarded, and watch-fires were instituted for -signals of danger, or warning to the militia. The perpetuation of his -strongholds in New Jersey saved the Republic. - -During this well-nigh desperate condition of his army, and the -increasing peril to the Southern Department, he made one more Report of -his condition to Congress, and it belongs to this narrative as a signal -exhibit of his wisdom and courage, as well as his discernment of the -increasing lethargy of sections not in immediate danger from British -aggression. It reads as follows: “Certain I am, unless Congress are -vested with powers by the separate States competent to the great -purposes of the war, or assume them as a matter of right, and they and -the States act with more energy than they have done, our cause is lost. -We can no longer drudge along in the old way. By ill-timing in the -adoption of measures, by delays in the execution of them, or by -unwarranted jealousies, we incur enormous expenses and derive no benefit -from them. One State will comply with a requisition of Congress; another -neglects to do it; a third executes it by halves; and they differ in the -manner, the matter, or so much in point of time, that we are always -working up hill. While such a system as the present one, or rather, the -want of one, prevails, we shall be ever unable to apply our strongest -resources to any advantage.... I see one head gradually organizing into -thirteen. I see one army branching into thirteen, which instead of -looking up to Congress as the supreme controlling power of the United -States, are considering themselves dependent upon their respective -States.” - -On the third of April, Washington again wrote in such plain terms of -“the mutinous spirit, intense disgust, and absolute desperation of his -small, famished, ragged, and depleted command,” that after hot debate, a -committee of three was reluctantly sent to advise with him as to -measures of relief. - -That the reader may more fully appreciate the temper of some -narrow-minded men of that period, and at so fearful a crisis, the -following extract from a letter to the Count de Vergennes is cited. In -referring to the simple question of appointing a committee to visit -their Commander-in-Chief, this American writes: “It was said that the -appointment of a committee would be putting too much power in a few -hands, and especially in those of the Commander-in-Chief; that his -influence already was too great; that even his virtues afforded motives -for alarm; that the enthusiasm of his army, joined to the kind of -dictatorship already confided to him, put Congress and the United States -at his mercy; that it was not expedient to expose a man of the highest -virtues to such temptations.” - -General Schuyler, then in Congress, John Matthews and Nathaniel Peabody -served on this committee, and as the result, Congress resolved to -equalize the pay of the army, and make more systematic efforts to -recruit and maintain it. - -On the twelfth of February, Congress affirmed the sentence of a -court-martial which sentenced Arnold, then commanding at Philadelphia, -to a reprimand for giving passes to disaffected citizens and using -public transportation for private use. The reprimand was mildly -administered: but it made Arnold very angry. His life of ostentatious -display, his extravagant habits, and his loose views of moral -obligation, aroused public indignation; and the mere matter of the -charges upon which he was sentenced would not have appeared so grave, -except that he was universally suspected of using his official position -for private emolument. - -During all these struggles to keep his army together and prevent British -operations out from New York, Washington was watchful of the operations -then in progress at the South. General Clinton cleared the ice without -difficulty, and left New York on the twenty-ninth of December, as -already stated, expecting to reach his destination within ten days; but -a storm dispersed his fleet, and one vessel foundered. Nearly all of his -cavalry, and all of his artillery horses, perished. Although they -reached Tybee Island, their first rendezvous, within the month, they did -not leave for St. John Island, thirty miles below Charleston, until the -tenth of February; and did not take up their position before Charleston, -between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, until the twelfth of March. It -appears from documentary data that the retention of Charleston, -garrisoned by only two thousand two hundred regulars and a thousand -militia, was largely induced by the inhabitants of the city. It is true -that Commodore Whipple of the American navy regarded it as defensible; -but Washington did not concur in that opinion. He held that the same -force which would be required to hold the city, could do far greater and -better service by remaining without the city, besides being more -independent in securing supplies and coöperating with militia and other -forces seeking their support. Besides this, the defences had been -prepared to resist approach by sea, and not by land. An extract from -Tarleton’s history of the campaigns of 1780–’81, is as follows, -indicating the purpose of the movement itself: “The richness of the -country, its vicinity to Georgia, and _its distance from Washington_, -pointed out the advantages and facility of its conquest.” - -The British forces broke ground on the first of April; on the nineteenth -established their second, and on the sixth of May, their third, -parallel. On the twelfth, the British took possession of the city. The -schedule of prisoners prepared by Major André, of General Clinton’s -staff, included all citizens, as prisoners of war. The Continental -troops, including five hundred in hospital, did not exceed two thousand. -General Clinton followed up this success by an absurd proclamation to -the people, and wrote a more absurd letter to Lord Germaine, which is -valuable to the reader, for the interest which attaches to its terms in -connection with subsequent operations of Clinton, upon his return -northward. It is as follows: “The inhabitants from every quarter declare -their allegiance to the king, and offer their services in arms. There -are few men in South Carolina who are not either our prisoners, or in -arms with us.” On the fifth of June, General Clinton returned to New -York, leaving Lord Cornwallis in command. - -During the absence of Clinton from New York, and with the opening of -spring, Washington’s position became more offensive to the garrison of -New York. Amid all his gloom on account of the condition of his army, a -bright episode gladdened his heart and nerved him for action. He had a -visitor. The Marquis de Lafayette, who reached Boston on the 28th of -April, by the frigate _Hermione_, entered Washington’s headquarters on -the morning of May 10th. He announced, that the Count de Rochambeau was -on the seas with the first division of an army, coming to support the -American Republic. This French army was not directed to report to the -American Congress, nor to take orders from that body. Washington opened -the communication which Lafayette was intrusted to deliver, in advance -of the arrival of Count de Rochambeau, and the following is a copy of -the instructions to that officer: “The French troops are to obey -Washington; to admit the precedence of American officers of equal rank; -on all formal occasions to yield the right to the American army; and -bear in mind that the whole purpose is, heartily and efficiently, to -execute the will of the American Commander-in-Chief.” - -On the fourteenth, after four days of confidential conference, -Lafayette, bearing a letter from Washington, reported to the President -of Congress for duty, preserving, for the time, the secret that the -troops of France were already on their way to America. - -But what a condition of affairs awaited the arrival of these gallant -allies! The American army had already lost more in numbers than was -anticipated by Washington in the official Report, already noticed. On -the second of April, his entire force on both sides of the Hudson River -consisted of only ten thousand four hundred, rank and file; and of these -two thousand eight hundred had only two weeks to serve. Lord Rawdon had, -indeed, taken from the New York garrison two thousand five hundred men -as a reënforcement to General Clinton; but nearly twelve thousand -remained behind. Although this increase of Clinton’s command afforded -Washington small ground for hope of success in the Southern Department, -he realized that it was impossible for him to abandon his present -position. But he immediately despatched southward the Maryland and -Delaware troops, which had fought in nearly every battle with the skill -of veterans, and the First Artillery, all under the command of the Baron -De Kalb. - -While sparing these well disciplined troops, Washington’s position -involved vastly increased responsibility. On the twenty-fifth day of -May, two Connecticut regiments mutinied, declaring that they would -“march home,” or at least secure subsistence at the point of the -bayonet. Handbills were printed in New York and distributed, urging the -soldiers to desert. “This mutiny,” says Washington, most impressively, -“has given infinite concern.” There was no money except the Continental, -and of this he says: “It is evidently impracticable, from the immense -quantity it would require, to pay them as much as to make up the -depreciation.” He further adds: “This is a decisive moment, one of the -most. I will go further, and say, the _most_ important America has ever -seen. The Court of France has made a glorious effort for our -deliverance, and if we disappoint its intentions by our supineness, we -must become contemptible in the eyes of all mankind; nor can we, after, -venture to confide that our allies will persist in an attempt to -establish what we want ability, or inclination, to assist them in.” - -General Greene thus addressed the Colonel of the Morristown militia: -“There are no more provisions than to serve one regiment, in the -magazine. The late terrible storm, the depth of the snow, and the drifts -in the roads, prevent the little stock from coming forward which is in -distant magazines. The roads must be kept open by the inhabitants, or -the army cannot be subsisted. Unless the good people lend their -assistance to forward supplies, the army must disband. The army is -stripped naked of teams, as possible, to lessen the consumption of -forage. Call to your aid the overseers of the highways, and every other -order of men who can give despatch to this business. P.S.—Give no copies -of this order, for fear it should get to the enemy.” - -There was indeed reason for this considerate postscript. The mutinous -spirit which had been evoked by sheer starvation, had been -misinterpreted by the British officers in New York; and General -Knyphausen must have been very proud of an opportunity to distinguish -himself, in the absence of General Clinton, when he conceived of the -poor American soldier as an unfortunate hireling waiting for a -deliverer. He would become their Moses and conduct them back to the -royal father’s embrace. He organized his missionary venture carefully. -Accompanied by Generals Tryon, Matthews, and Sterling, he crossed from -Staten Island to Elizabethtown Point. (See map.) He had a twofold plan -in mind. He would demonstrate to the people of New Jersey that their -half-frozen, hungry, and ragged countrymen with Washington, could not -protect their homes from hostile incursions out from New York; and also -supposed, in case he were very prompt and expeditious, that he might -pounce, like a hawk, upon the coop of the arch-rebel himself. General -Sterling led the advance, starting before daybreak. The column was -hardly distinguishable, company from company, so heavy were the sea-mist -and darkness. Suddenly, one shot, and then another, came from an -invisible American outpost. General Sterling received the first, which -ultimately proved fatal, and was removed to the rear. Knyphausen took -his place at the front. The rising sun dispelled the fog, but disclosed -the assembling of Colonel Elias Dayton’s Regiment, from various -quarters. The anticipated surprise, and a corresponding welcome from the -American soldiers, did not occur. The militia retired after a few -scattering shots, and Simcoe’s Queen’s Rangers dashed forward, followed -by the British and Hessian Infantry. As by magic, the militia -multiplied. Fences, thickets, orchards, and single trees were made -available for as many single riflemen; and at every step of advance, one -and then another of his majesty’s troops were picked off. During the -march to Connecticut Farms, a distance of only seven miles, no friendly -tokens of welcome appeared in sight. Puffs of smoke, and the rifle’s -sharp crack, could hardly be located before similar warnings succeeded, -and details to take care of the wounded soon began to thin out and sag -the beautiful lines of the British front. Still, the column advanced -toward Springfield, and directly on the line of travel which led -immediately to Washington’s encampment. - -At this point, Dayton’s Regiment, which had been so troublesome as -skirmishers, hastened step, came into regimental order, and quickly -crossed the Rahway bridge. But, to the surprise of the advancing enemy, -the division of General Maxwell was in battle array, silently inviting -battle. General Knyphausen halted to bring up artillery and his full -force of five thousand men. He stopped also, to burn Connecticut Farms, -because, “shots from its windows picked off his officers and guides.” -Among the victims to his responsive fire, was the wife of Chaplain -Chapman of Dayton’s Regiment. The news of her death spread, as a spark -over pine or prairie regions. When within a half mile of Springfield, -the Hessian general again halted for consultation as to his next order. -Cannon sounds began to be heard from various directions, answering -signal for signal. The ascending smoke of beacon-fires crowned every -summit. The whole country seemed to have been upheaved as if by some -volcanic force. Maxwell’s Brigade was just across the Rahway, and less -than one-third the strength of the Hessian’s command. But General -Knyphausen was too good a soldier not to peer through Maxwell’s thin -line, and recognize, in solid formation, the entire army of Washington, -waiting in silence to give him a hearty soldier’s reception. The day -passed; and for once, both armies were at full halt. Knyphausen, for the -time, was Commander-in-Chief of both, for it devolved upon him alone to -order battle. He was filling the part of Pharaoh, and not that of Moses. - -One monotonous sound echoed from a summit near Morristown. It was the -“minute-gun,” which had been designated by the American -Commander-in-Chief as a continuous signal whenever he wanted every man -within hearing, who had a gun, to come at once to his demand. Night came -on, and with it, rain; but still the minute-gun boomed on, with solemn -cadence, and instead of smoking hill-tops, the blaze of quickened -beacons illumined the dull sky as if New Jersey were all on fire. The -night covered the Hessians from view, and when morning came they -attempted to regain Staten Island; but the tide retired, leaving boats -stranded and the mud so deep that even cavalry could not cross in -safety. Having heard on the first of June that Clinton was _en route_ -for New York, Knyphausen simply strengthened the New York defences and -awaited the arrival of his superior officer. - -On the tenth, Washington wrote: “Their movements are mysterious, and the -design of this movement not easily penetrated.” As a matter of fact, -there were few operations of the war which bore so directly upon the -safety of the American army and the American cause, as the operations -before Springfield during June, 1779; and the conduct of both armies -indicated an appreciation of their importance. - -On the thirteenth of June, Congress, without consulting Washington, -appointed General Gates to the command of the Southern Department. Gates -had spent the winter at his home in Virginia, but eagerly accepted this -command, although he had lacked the physical vigor to engage in the -Indian campaign in New York. His most intimate friend and companion, -both in arms and in antagonism to Washington, Charles Lee, sent him one -more letter. It was a wiser letter than earlier correspondence had been, -and decidedly prophetic. It closed with something like pathetic -interest: “Take care that you do not exchange your Northern laurels for -Southern willows.” - -At this time, it did seem as if the bitter cup would never be withdrawn -from the lips of the American Commander-in-Chief; for he had neither -provisions for his army, nor the means of making welcome and comfortable -his expected allies and guests from over the sea. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - BATTLE OF SPRINGFIELD.—ROCHAMBEAU.—ARNOLD.—GATES. - - -Sir Henry Clinton returned from Charleston to New York on the -seventeenth day of June, 1780. He must have contrasted his report made -to the British War Office, of the “conquest of South Carolina,” with -that made by General Knyphausen to himself, of the recent experience of -British operations in New Jersey. But Clinton was ever a man of action, -prompt and energetic. He felt deeply the long protracted embarrassment -of his position, while holding such a vast and responsible command -without sufficient resources for pressing exigencies. He knew, and -Washington, with a soldier’s instinct, knew that Clinton knew, that -there was no safety for New York, and no possibility of effective -operations out from New York, so long as a strong, faithful American -army held the fastnesses of New Jersey, and a vigorous espionage of the -Hudson River region was maintained. The sweep of Washington’s arm was -largely shaping the future destiny of America from very humble -headquarters; but no less firmly and decisively. - -[Illustration: Battle of Springfield Operations from Staten Island] - -Clinton did not remain idle, nor undecided, a single day. Troops were -embarked upon transports immediately; and all suitable demonstrations -were made as if an organized movement against West Point were designed. -Washington placed his entire army in motion and advanced one division -eleven miles, toward Pompton, on the twenty-second, _en route_ for the -Hudson, to be prepared for whatever might be the scheme of his -adversary. His confidential agents in New York were always quick to -report details of British movements. Washington invariably exacted -“minute” details; and from these he interpreted the general plans of the -enemy. In this instance, the embarking of field batteries instead of -heavy guns, which could always be procured from ships, satisfied him -that his own headquarters and the destruction of his army were Clinton’s -real objectives. - -He was prepared for Clinton’s choice of the alternate movements. -Although one division had been advanced in the direction of the Hudson -River, Generals Greene, Maxwell, and Stark, with Harry Lee’s cavalry, -and a strong force of militia, had been left in position near -Springfield. Few battles of the American Revolution have received less -attention, as among the decisive battles of the war, than that of -Springfield, N.J. And yet few were more strikingly illustrative of the -strategic wisdom with which Washington had planned the successful -prosecution of the war, as early as 1776. - -On the morning of the twenty-third, at five o’clock, the British army, -having crossed from Staten Island in two columns, began its advance. -(See maps, “Battle of Springfield,” and, “Operations in New Jersey.”) -Its force consisted of five thousand infantry, nearly all of their -cavalry, and eighteen pieces of artillery. General Clinton, with the -right wing, advanced along the Springfield road with vigor, but -deliberately, as if this were his principal line of attack. Upon -approaching the first bridge near the Matthews House, he was obliged to -halt until his guns could gain a suitable position, since Colonel -Angel’s Rhode Island regiment, with one gun, commanded the bridge over -the Rahway, and occupied an orchard which gave good cover. At first, the -British guns were aimed too high and did little execution. By fording -the stream, which was not more than twelve yards wide, Angel’s position -was turned, so that he was crowded back to the second bridge, over a -branch of the Rahway, where Colonel Shreve resisted with equal obstinacy -and bravery. By reference to the map it will be seen that General -Greene, as well as Dickinson’s militia on a slight ridge in the rear of -Shreve, was admirably posted for reserve support. Angel lost one-fourth -of his men and was ordered to fall back, with Colonel Shreve, to the -high ground occupied by Generals Maxwell and Stark, near a mill. Colonel -Dayton’s Regiment was also distinguished for its gallant conduct. -Washington Irving refers very pleasantly to the part taken in the action -by Chaplain Caldwell, whose church had been burned on the twenty-fifth -of January and whose wife had been killed on the sixth of June, as -follows: “None showed more ardor in the fight than Caldwell the -chaplain, who distributed Watts’s psalm and hymn books among the -soldiers when they were in want of wadding, with the shout: ‘Put Watts -into them, boys!’” - -The other British column had for its special objective the seizure of -the pass leading to Chatham and Morristown. Major Lee’s cavalry, and a -picket under Captain Walker, had been posted at Little’s bridge, on the -Vauxhall road, and Colonel Ogden’s Regiment covered them. General Greene -found that he could not afford to hold so extensive a front, and -concentrated his force at other positions eminently strong and capable -of vigorous defence. The remainder of Maxwell’s and Stark’s brigades -also took high ground, by the mill, with the militia force of Dickinson, -on the flanks. - -General Knyphausen led this column in person. But the Vauxhall bridge -was as closely contested as had been that at Springfield. Greene shifted -his position, in view of this second attack and its pronounced -objective, to a range of hills in the rear of Byron’s tavern, where the -roads were brought so near, that succor might be readily transferred -from one to the other. The movement was admirable, scientific, and -successful. Tn his report to Washington, he says: “I was thus enabled to -reach Colonel Webb’s Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Hunton commanding, and -Colonel Jackson’s Regiment, with one piece of artillery, which entirely -checked the advance of the enemy upon the American left, and secured -that pass.” - -The Battle of Springfield had been fought with coolness and unfaltering -bravery, and had been won. General Clinton burned Springfield, crossed -to Staten Island at midnight, withdrew his bridge of boats, and reached -his headquarters in safety. His loss, as reported by contemporary -journalists, was placed at about one hundred and fifty men; but -comparison of his Reports and Musters, before and after the expedition, -make the killed, wounded, and missing twice that number. The American -loss was one officer and twelve non-commissioned officers killed, five -officers and fifty-six privates wounded, and nine missing; “Captain -Davis and the militia not reporting.” - -General Clinton’s report says: “I could not think of keeping the field -in New Jersey; and wished to land the troops and give a camp of rest to -an army of which many corps had had an uninterrupted campaign of -fourteen months.” - -For five years, New Jersey had been a constant theatre of active war. It -was indeed the strategic centre of the war for American Independence. -The bravery of her soldiery, whose homes were constantly menaced, was -only surpassed by the heroism of her women. These, constantly exposed to -every possible desolation that attended the marching and -counter-marching of contending armies, never flagged, flinched, nor -failed, until her delivery was at last complete. - -On the night of June 24, 1780, the day after the Battle of Springfield, -Washington, upon return to his headquarters, addressed another call to -Governors of States for their full quota, under new assignments, and -awaited with interest further tidings from the progress of the French -allies, then on the sea. This Battle of Springfield had vindicated his -confidence in the Continental troops; and, as in all armies, some -regiments proved invariably reliable, under whatever conditions they -fought. - -On the tenth day of July, 1780, the first division of the French army -sent by Louis XVI., in aid of American Independence, consisting of six -thousand troops, landed at Newport, R.I. All were under the command of -Lieutenant-General Rochambeau, accompanied by Major-General Chastellux, -a relative of Lafayette, and escorted by seven heavy battleships, under -command of Chevalier de Ternay. - -Washington immediately submitted a project for the capture of New York; -but on the thirteenth of July Admiral Graves readied that city with six -ships-of-the-line, which gave to the British such superiority of ships -and guns, that the plan was postponed to wait the arrival of the second -French division, of equal numbers, which was supposed, at the time, to -be already on its way from France. But Sir Henry Clinton was not -inactive. The time to strike was before the French could unite with -Washington and take their place in the American army. He planned a -surprise, and advanced with eight thousand troops as far as Huntington, -L.I., for a descent upon Newport; but Washington put his entire army in -readiness to advance upon New York. Clinton, having learned that -Rochambeau, advised by Washington, had gone into camp in a strong -position, and with the rapidly assembling militia would be superior in -force, recalled his troops. He converted the expedition into a naval -blockade of Newport, if possible thereby to cut off the second division -of the French army, upon its arrival within American waters. - -The Count de Rochambeau, with a soldier’s exactness, soon caught the -fire of Washington’s zeal, and well comprehended the situation of -American affairs generally. So intense is his delineation of the -condition of things as he observed them, that if penned by Washington -himself, nothing could have been added. His letter to the Count de -Vergennes, dated on July sixteenth, only six days after his landing in -America, reads, in part, as follows: “Upon our arrival here, the country -was in consternation; the paper money had fallen to sixty for one.... I -spoke to the principal persons of the place, and told them, as I write -to General Washington, that this was merely the advance guard of a -greater force, and that the king was determined to support them with his -whole power. In twenty-four hours their spirits rose, and last night, -all the streets, houses, and steeples were illuminated, in the midst of -fireworks and great rejoicing.... You see, Sir, how important it is to -act with vigor.... Send us troops, ships, and money; but do not depend -upon this people, nor upon their means. They have neither money nor -credit. Their means of resistance are but momentary, and called forth -when they are attacked in their homes. Then they assemble themselves for -the moment of immediate danger, and defend themselves. Washington -sometimes commands fifteen thousand, and sometimes three thousand men.” - -The restriction of the French fleet to Narragansett Bay so immediately -after its arrival, led Washington and Rochambeau to postpone operations -against New York; and it is proper to notice the fact that no news was -received of the second division of French troops until late in the fall, -when it was reported as blockaded in the home port of Brest. A -proclamation was made and published by Lafayette, with the sanction of -Washington, announcing to the Canadians that the French would aid them -to expel the British troops from their country. The object of this -proclamation was chiefly to divert the attention of the garrison of New -York from a proposed joint attack upon that city, which Washington kept -always in view. The expedition was never seriously entertained; but -General Clinton, on the thirty-first of August, as anticipated by -Washington, forwarded a copy of the paper to Lord Germaine, while at the -same time he placed before him, in confidence, a proposition of a -different kind, from which he derived a strong expectation of British -gain, through the acquisition, by purchase, of the principal Hudson -River military post, West Point itself. - -Washington had advised General Arnold that he would soon be tendered an -active command. But that officer, pleading as excuse continued suffering -from his wounds, expressed a preference for the command of a military -post. After urgent solicitation of himself and his friends, he was -authorized to designate the post of his choice. As the result, on the -third of August, he was assigned to the command of “West Point and its -dependencies, in which all are included, from Fishkill to King’s Ferry.” -At the date of this assignment of Arnold to a post which was rightly -regarded by Washington as most vital to ultimate American success, a -clandestine correspondence had already passed between Generals Clinton -and Arnold, through the medium of Major John André. - -The attention of the reader is naturally retrospective, as the name of -André reappears in connection with that of Arnold. He had been taken -prisoner at St. John’s; was once on parole at Montreal, and familiar -with Arnold’s habits and the outrageous abuse of his public trust with -which, there, as afterwards at Philadelphia, he had been charged. André -also knew of his gambling, his extravagance, his ambition, and his -reckless daring, generally. His own personal antecedents during the -grand ovation tendered to General Howe, upon that officer’s departure -from Philadelphia, in which he had so conspicuously figured as escort to -Miss Shippen, afterwards the wife of Arnold, acquire special interest. -He was, and long had been, a confidential member of General Clinton’s -staff. Neither Clinton nor André could conceive, for a moment, that -Arnold and his wife, formerly Miss Shippen, would betray André’s -confidence; or, if the proposition to betray West Point failed, that -André would be allowed to suffer. - -On the twenty-fifth of August, General Clinton wrote to Lord Germaine as -follows: “At this new epoch of the war, when a foreign foe has already -landed, and an addition to it is expected, I owe it to my country, and I -must in justice say, to my own fame, to declare to your lordship that I -become every day more sensible of the utter impossibility of prosecuting -the war in this country without reënforcements.... We are, by some -thousands, too weak to subdue the rebellion.” On the twenty-seventh of -September, Lord Germaine wrote in reply: “Next to the destruction of -Washington’s army, the gaining over of officers of influence and -reputation among the troops would be the speediest way of subduing the -rebellion and restoring the tranquillity of America. Your commission -authorizes you to avail yourself of such opportunities, and there can be -no doubt that the expense will be cheerfully submitted to.” The British -archives, then secret, show that Lord Germaine was kept fully advised of -the whole scheme. On the thirtieth of August, Arnold solicited an -interview with some responsible party, in order definitely to settle -upon the price of surrendering West Point to Great Britain. André was -selected, as mutually agreeable to both Clinton and Arnold. On the -eighteenth of September, Arnold wrote, advising that André be sent up to -the sloop-of-war _Vulture_, then anchored in Haverstraw Bay, promising -to send a person with a flag of truce and boat to meet him. Clinton -received the note on the next day. Under the pretence of an expedition -to Chesapeake Bay, freely made public, a body of picked troops embarked -on frigates. André reached the _Vulture_ on the twentieth. On the -twenty-first he landed, met Arnold, accompanied him first to the Clove, -and then to the house of Josiah Holt Smith. (See map, “Highlands of the -Hudson.”) Smith’s antecedents were those of a royalist; but the secret -was too valuable to be intrusted to such a man; and subsequent -investigations failed to connect him with any knowledge of the -conspiracy. The terms of purchase were, in so many words: “Pay, in gold, -and a brigadier-general’s commission in the British Army.” - -The terms were settled and the bargain was closed. Besides knowledge of -the plans of the post and its approaches, André was advised of the -signals to be exchanged; the disposition of the guards; and the points -of surest attack which would be within the immediate control of -disembarking grenadiers and sharp-shooters. The _Vulture_ had dropped -down the river with the tide too far to be promptly reached; so that -André crossed the river, and having proper passports attempted to save -time by returning to New York by land. While passing through Tarrytown, -he was challenged, stopped, examined, and made prisoner. On the second -of October, he was executed as a spy. America grieved over his fate, and -no one with more of pity than did Washington. His soul still felt sore -over the fate of Nathan Hale, and after a solitary hour of anguish in -spirit, he suggested to General Clinton a method of escape for André. He -offered to exchange him for Benedict Arnold. Clinton could not do this -without loss of honor to himself and Great Britain. André had to die. -Washington, with tender consideration and profound sympathy, gave to -Mrs. Arnold a safe conduct and escort to her former home in -Philadelphia, and shared the sentiment of all who knew her best, that -the wife was not the confidante of her husband’s treason. Lafayette most -tenderly announced his sympathy in her behalf. - -General Greene was immediately assigned to command West Point and its -dependencies. The garrison was also entirely changed. The works were -skilfully modified and strengthened, so that any plans in the possession -of Clinton would be useless; and Washington took post, in person, at -Brakeness, near Passaic Falls, N.J. - -It will be remembered that Baron De Kalb left Morristown on the -sixteenth of the previous April with reënforcements for the Southern -army. On the sixth of July, he reached Buffalo Ford and Deep River, N.C. -On the twenty-fifth, Gates, who had been assigned to command of the -Southern Department, joined him. “Away from Washington,” Baron De Kalb -experienced deeply the sentiment of unreasonable, but perhaps natural -jealousy of foreign officers which pervaded portions of the American -army; and General Caswell, in defiance of positive orders to report to -Baron De Kalb, marched directly to Camden and reported to General Gates. -It had been De Kalb’s purpose, as an experienced soldier, to advance by -Charlotte and Salisbury, where supplies could be readily obtained. -“General Gates,” says Irving, “on the twenty-seventh, put what he called -the ‘Grand Army’ on its march through a barren country which could offer -no food but lean cattle, fruit, and unripe maize.” The Battle of Camden, -or “Sanders’ Creek,” which followed, was a complete rout. Baron De Kalb -fought with the utmost confidence and bravery, but fell upon the field, -after having been eleven times wounded. Any support whatever, on the -part of Gates, would have secured victory, or a well-balanced action. -Gates overestimated his own force; refused to examine his -Adjutant-General’s statement, or to consider the advice of his officers, -who understood exactly the true condition of the crude material which he -styled his “Grand Army,” and fled from the battlefield at full speed. He -did not halt until reaching Charlotte, sixty miles away; and by the -twentieth reached Hillsborough, one hundred and eighty miles distant, -without gathering a sufficient force to form an escort. He said that he -was “carried away from the field by a torrent of flying soldiers.” His -self-conceit and presumption, like that of Lee, on account of having -once served in the British army, and his utter want of every soldierly -quality, except the negative sense of pride in having a personal -command, were exposed to the American people without delay. He claimed -to have made an attempt to rally his troops; but he had no influence -whatever. During the Burgoyne campaign, he was never under fire; and -Lee’s unheeded warning did indeed secure to his memory the wreath of -“Southern willow, in place of that of laurel” which Congress had placed -upon his brow, when the laurel had been earned by the brave and -patriotic Schuyler. The troops of Delaware and Maryland alone would have -saved the battle, if properly supported by Gates. The gallant Delaware -Battalion which fought with De Kalb, was almost destroyed. The Maryland -troops lost in killed, wounded and prisoners nearly four hundred, out of -a total of fourteen hundred; but to their perpetual honor it is to be -recorded, that of the number swept away in the final retreat of the -whole army, seven hundred non-commissioned officers and privates -reported for duty by the twenty-ninth of the month. - -On the eighth of October, the Battle of King’s Mountain was fought; and -the names of Shelby, Campbell, McDowell, Sevier, and Williams are still -associated with descendants from the brave participants in that battle. -It partially offset the disaster at Camden, and was an inspiration to -Washington in the adjustment of his plans for Greene’s movements. It -compelled Cornwallis to delay his second invasion of North Carolina; and -Tarleton, in writing, says of this people, that “the counties of -Mecklenburg and Rowan were more hostile to England than any others in -America.” - -Gates endeavored to gather the remnant of his army; and, before his -leaving to answer before a Court of Inquiry ordered by Congress, about -twenty-three hundred men assembled. On inspection, it was found that but -eight hundred in the whole number were properly clothed and equipped. - -The Southern campaign became one of petty operations mostly. Neither -Cornwallis, Tarleton, Rawdon, nor Balfour made progress in subjugation -of the people. Sumner, although wounded at Black’s Plantation on the -twentieth of October, gained credit in several lesser expeditions. But -universal British failures disappointed the expectations of the British -Commander-in-Chief at New York. The loss of Charleston, in the opinion -of Washington and the best military critics, was not without its -compensations; and the collapse of Gates was an illustration of -Washington’s knowledge of men and his foresight as a Soldier. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE THEATRE OF WAR. - - -As a bird’s overlook of its wide field of vision cannot comprehend all -objects within range, except in turn, so must the patient reader come -back again to stand behind Washington and look over his shoulder as he -points the glass of observation to the activities which he in turn -surveys; to catch with him their import, and so far as possible strain -the eye of faith with him, while with slowly sweeping supervision he -comprehends all that the war for American Independence has intrusted to -his care. Mountain and valley, ocean and river, marsh and morass, cave -and ravine, are representatives of the various scenes of agitation and -conflict. The entire land is in excited expectancy, and everywhere war -is waged; but beyond and over all these contending conditions he -discerns the even horizon of assured victory. And just now, immediately -at hand, under his very feet, as well as wherever partisan warfare tears -life out of sweet homes for the sprinkling of liberty’s altar, there is -indescribable pain and anguish. His heart bleeds with theirs; for he is -one with them, and they are one with him, in the willing consecration -which generations yet unborn shall forever honor. - -And as the year 1780 came to its close, he drew his sword-girth tighter, -and seemed to stand many inches taller, as he embraced, in one reflected -view, the suffering South and the half-asleep North. Between the two -sections there was some restless impatience over such exacting -contributions of fathers, brothers and sons, to regions so far from -home; and just about his humble sleeping quarters, were suffering, -faithful sharers of his every need. - -Tidings of the failure of Gates, with its disaster and its sacrifices of -brave legions, did not reach the Commander-in-Chief until September. But -it was impossible for him to send troops in sufficient numbers to cope -with the army of Cornwallis. The second French division, so long -expected (and never realized), was reported to be blockaded at home, and -of no possible immediate use to America. The British fleet still -blockaded Newport. Lafayette did indeed elaborate a plan for an assault -upon New York, Fort Washington, and Staten Island; but the plan was -abandoned through lack of boats for such extended water-carriage. There -were few periods of the war where more diverse and widely separated -interests required both the comprehensive and the minute consideration -of the American Commander-in-Chief. - -A few illustrations represent the many. Forts Ann and George were -captured, by a mixed force of Canadians, Indians, and British regulars, -in October. Fort Edward was saved through the sagacity of Colonel -Livingston, who, having a garrison of only seventy-nine men, averted -attack by sending to the commanding officer of Fort George an -exaggerated report of his own strength, with a promise to come to his -aid. This was designed to be intercepted, and the British regulars had -actually approached Saratoga, before their return to Lake Champlain. An -excursion from Fort Niagara into the Mohawk Valley desolated the homes -of the Oneidas, who were friendly to the United States. Some leaders in -certain Vermont circles corresponded with British officials in Canada; -and such was the uneasiness which prevailed along the northern and -northwestern frontier, that three regiments had to be sent to Albany, to -compose the unrest of that single region. On the seventh of November, -Washington wrote: “The American army is experiencing almost daily want; -while the British army derives ample supplies from a trade with New -York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, which has by degrees become so common -that it is hardly thought a crime.” - -Early in September, a commercial treaty between Holland and the United -States came under consideration, and Colonel Laurens was sent as -commissioner to conduct the negotiations abroad; but he was taken -prisoner and locked up in the Tower of London, to stand trial on the -charge of high treason against the British crown. His papers were -seized, and on the second day of December, Great Britain declared war -against Holland. - -The condition of Great Britain, at that time, was indeed one of supreme -trial; and it is well for the people of America to honor the inherent -forces of British liberty which vindicated, under such adverse ruling -conditions, the very principles for which their brethren fought in -America. It was the one solemn hour in British history when America, if -fostered as a trusted and honored child, would have spared England long -years of waste in blood and treasure. Not only were Spain and France -combined to plunder or acquire her West India possessions; but Spain was -pressing the siege of Gibraltar. Both Denmark and Sweden united with -Catharine of Russia to adopt the famous system of “Armed Neutrality,” -which declared that “free ships make free goods,” and that “neutrals -might carry any goods or supplies wherever they pleased, with complete -immunity from search or capture.” That was a deadly blow at British -commerce. Even in the East Indies, her crown was one of thorns. Hyder -Ali swept through the Province of Madras, and Warren Hastings was -contending for very life, to save British rule in India from overthrow. -France sent aid to Hyder Ali, as well as to America; and was thus, at -this very period, unexpectedly limited in her anticipated contributions -to the army of Washington. - -Domestic excitements increased Britain’s burdens. Eighty thousand -volunteers had been enrolled in Ireland in view of apprehended French -invasion. A large number of her statesmen favored “peace at any price.” -The wonderful capacity of Great Britain to withstand external force and -to uncover the equally wonderful resources at her command, ought to have -convinced her rulers that on the same basis, and by a legitimate -inheritance, the American Colonies were unconquerable. - -On the eleventh of November, General Sullivan, having resigned, took his -seat in Congress. On the twentieth, Washington thus addressed him: - -“Congress will deceive themselves, if they imagine that the army, or a -State, that is the theatre of war, can rub through another campaign as -the last. It would be as unreasonable to suppose that because a man had -rolled a snow-ball till it had acquired the size of a horse, he might do -it until it was the size of a house. Matters may be pushed to a certain -point, beyond which we cannot move them. Ten months’ pay is now due the -army. Every department of it is so much indebted that we have not credit -for a single expense, and some of the States are harassed and oppressed -to a degree beyond bearing.... To depend, under these circumstances, -upon the resources of the country, unassisted by foreign bravery, will, -I am confident, be to lean upon a broken reed.” - -At a conference held with Count Rochambeau at Hartford, Conn., it had -been proposed by General Sullivan, “that the French fleet seek Boston, -and the French army join Washington”; but this was impracticable. The -stay at Newport prevented the operations of the British blockading fleet -elsewhere along the southern Atlantic coast; and thus far, restricted -British movements generally. As early as October sixteenth, General -Leslie left New York with three thousand troops; landed at Portsmouth, -Va., and joined Cornwallis at Charleston late in December. A son of -Rochambeau left Newport on the eighteenth of October, ran the gauntlet -of the British fleet, in a gale, safely reached France, and urged -“_immediate additional aid of men, arms, and money_.” The Chevalier de -Ternay died at Newport, on the fifteenth of December, and was succeeded -by Chevalier Destouches. Colonel Fleury, who will be remembered as -distinguishing himself at Fort Mifflin and Stony Point, joined -Rochambeau. These gallant French officers, like their sovereign, were so -devoted to Washington, and entertained such absolute faith in his -capacity as patriot and soldier, that the narrative of his career during -the war would savor of ingratitude if their faithful service were not -identified with his memory. At that time, there was a design under -consideration, but never matured, for the association of Spain with -France in active operations on the American coast. - -Meanwhile, Washington proposed another plan for the reconstruction of -the army, through the consolidation of battalions; thereby reducing -their numbers, but fixing a permanent military establishment. It will -appear from a letter written to Franklin on the twentieth of December, -that he had reached a point, where, even under so many embarrassments, -he felt that ultimate success was not far distant. The letter reads as -follows: “The campaign has been thus inactive, after a flattering -prospect at the opening of it and vigorous struggles to make it a -decisive one, through failure of the unexpected naval superiority which -was the pivot upon which everything turned. The movements of Lord -Cornwallis during the last month or two have been retrograde. What turn -the late reënforcements which have been sent him may give to his -affairs, remains to be known. I have reënforced our Southern army -principally with horse; but the length of the march is so much opposed -to the measure that every corps is in a greater or less degree ruined. I -am happy, however, in assuring you that a better disposition never -prevailed in the Legislatures of the several States than at this time. -The folly of temporary expedients is seen into and exploded; and -vigorous efforts will be used to obtain a permanent army, and carry on -the war systematically, if the obstinacy of Great Britain shall compel -us to continue it. We want nothing but the aid of a loan, to enable us -to put our finances into a tolerable train. The country does not want -for resources; but we want the means of drawing them forth.” - -The new organization was to consist of fifty regiments of foot, four of -artillery, and other bodies of mounted men, including in all, thirty-six -thousand men, fairly apportioned among the States. But not more than -half that number were ever in the field at one time, and the full -complement never was recruited. The prejudice against a regular army of -any size was bitter; and Hildreth states the matter very truthfully when -he says, that “Congress, led by Samuel Adams, was very jealous of -military power, and of everything which tended to give a permanent -character to the army.” Mr. Adams was sound in principle, for he not -only realized that the Colonies had suffered through the employment of -the British army to enforce oppressive and unconstitutional laws, but -equally well knew that a larger army than the State needed for its -protection against invasion and the preservation of the peace, was -inimical to true liberty. - -Money was still scarce. A specie tax of six millions was imposed, and -the sixth annual campaign of the war drew near its close. John Trumbull, -Jr., became Secretary to the Commander-in-Chief, _vice_ Robert H. -Harrison who became Chief Justice of Maryland; and Colonel Hand became -Adjutant-General, _vice_ Scammon, resigned. Morgan was promoted, and -with General Steuben and Harry Lee’s horse, was ordered to the Southern -Department, accompanied by Kosciusko as engineer, _vice_ Du Portail, -captured at Charleston. - -On the twenty-eighth of November, Washington designated the winter -quarters for the army, establishing his own at New Windsor. The -Pennsylvania Line were near Morristown; the Jersey line, at Pompton; the -Maryland horse, at Lancaster, Penn.; Sheldon’s horse, at Colchester, -Conn., and the New York regiments at Fort Schuyler, Saratoga, Albany, -Schenectady, and other exposed Northern posts. This distribution of -troops, from time to time indicated, enables the reader to understand -how a wise disposition of the army, when active operations were -practically suspended, equally enabled Washington to resume active -service upon the shortest notice. - -On the eighth of October, General Greene, who had been tendered the -command of the Southern Department, _vice_ Gates, submitted to -Washington his plan of conducting the next campaign. He desired, -substantially, “a flying army”; that is, “one lightly equipped, mobile -as possible, and familiar with the country in which operations were to -be conducted.” To secure to Greene prompt support in his new command, -Washington addressed letters to Gov. Abner Nash, of North Carolina, Gov. -Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia, and Gov. Thomas S. Lee, of Maryland, -soliciting their cordial coöperation in the work of the new -Department-Commander. Greene began his journey on the twenty-ninth day -of November, attended by Baron Steuben. He stopped at each capital to -urge the necessity of immediate action, and secured the services of -Generals Smallwood and Gist, of Maryland and Delaware, for recruiting -service in those States. Upon reaching Virginia, he found that State to -be thoroughly aroused for her own defence. General Leslie, whose -departure from New York has been noticed, had fortified both Norfolk and -Portsmouth, and this increase of the British forces had very justly -alarmed the people. Washington had already sent Generals Muhlenburg and -Weedon to Virginia to organize its militia, and they were endeavoring to -confine the forces of Leslie within the range of his fortified -positions. These officers had also served under General Greene, making -their assignment eminently judicious. The matter of supplies, of all -kinds, became a matter of the greatest concern, if operations were to be -carried on effectively against Cornwallis at the South: while also -maintaining full correspondence with the troops of the centre zone, and -the North. The consolidation of regiments left many officers without -commands; but the selection of a competent Quartermaster-General became -an imperative necessity. Col. Edward Carrington was selected, and of -him, Chief Justice Marshall says: “He was eminently qualified to -undertake the task of combining and conducting the means of the -Quartermaster-General’s department; obeyed the call to the office; and -discharged it with unequalled zeal and fidelity.” - -For the purposes of this narrative, it is only necessary to indicate the -general conduct of operations southward, so far as they illustrate the -wisdom of Washington in the selection of officers, and the instructions -under which he made use of their services. He concurred with Greene in -his general plan; and the initiative was undertaken with as frequent -exchange of views, through express messengers or couriers, as was then -practicable. Orders were issued for Colonel Carrington to explore the -country of the Dan, the Yadkin, and Catawba rivers, and to make himself -acquainted with the streams into which they discharged themselves. -Kosciusko, Engineer-in-Chief of Greene, was charged with selecting -proper places for defending or securing safe fording-places. A principal -storehouse and laboratory was established at Prince Edward’s -Court-House, and Baron Steuben was charged with maintaining the supply -of powder from the manufactories, and of lead from the mines of -Fincastle County. Such was the general preparation for the forthcoming -campaign. - -General Greene reached Charlotte on the second of December, and relieved -Gates, who had been awaiting his arrival for the surrender of his -command. After exchange of the proper courtesies, Gates returned to his -farm. The wisdom of Washington’s choice in the assignment of General -Greene may be seen by the citation of some of Greene’s letters written -at that crisis. - -To Jefferson he writes thus: “I find the troops in a most wretched -condition, destitute of every necessity, either for their comfort or -convenience, and they may be literally said to be naked. It will answer -no good purpose to send men here in such a condition.... There must be -either pride, or principle, to make a soldier. No man will think himself -bound to fight the battles of a State that leaves him to perish for want -of clothing, nor can you inspire a soldier with the sentiment of pride -while his situation renders him more an object of pity, than of envy. -The life of a soldier, in the best estate, is liable to innumerable -hardships: but when these are aggravated by the want of provisions and -clothing, his condition becomes intolerable; nor can men long contend -with such complicated difficulties and distress. Death, desertion, and -the hospital, must soon swallow up an army under such circumstances; and -if it were possible for men to maintain such a wretched existence, they -would have no spirit to face their enemies, and would invariably -disgrace themselves and their commander. It is impossible to presume -discipline, when troops are in want of everything: to attempt severity, -will only thin the ranks by more heavy desertion.” - -To Marion he wrote: “I am fully sensible that your service is hard, and -your sufferings great; but how great the prize for which we contend! I -like your plan of frequently shifting your ground. It frequently -prevents surprise, and perhaps the total loss of your party. Until a -more permanent army can be collected than is in the field at present, we -must endeavor to keep up a partisan war, and preserve the tide of -sentiment among the people in our favor, as much as possible. _Spies are -the eyes of an army, and without them, a general is always groping in -the dark._” - -In all these letters and the measures undertaken, Greene reflects the -principles upon which his Commander-in-Chief carried on the war, and it -was his highest pride so to act, as if under the direct gaze of -Washington. On the twentieth of December, having been detained by rains -at Charlotte, he abandoned his huts; and by the twelfth of January, -1781, was encamped on the banks of the Peedee River, awaiting the -opening of the final campaign of the war for American Independence. Col. -Christopher Greene, as well as Colonel Washington, Harry Lee, and -Morgan, had already joined him, and Washington had thus furnished to the -Southern army his ablest general and such choice details of officers and -men as had been faithful, gallant, and successful throughout the war. - - - - - CHAPTER XXX. - THE SOLDIER TRIED.—AMERICAN MUTINY.—FOREIGN Judgment.—ARNOLD’S - DEPREDATIONS. - - -Nothing new or unfamiliar to the American student can be said as to the -military operations of the British, French and American armies during -the closing year of the war for American Independence; but they may be -so grouped in their relations to Washington as a Soldier, that he may -stand forth more distinctly as both nominal and real Commander-in-Chief. -His original commission, it will be remembered, was accompanied by the -declaration of Congress that “they would maintain and assist him, and -adhere to him, with their lives and fortunes, in the cause of American -liberty.” After the Battle of Trenton, when Congress solemnly declared -that “_the very existence of Civil Liberty depended upon the right -execution of military powers_,” it invested him with dictatorial -authority, being “confident of the wisdom, vigor, and uprightness of -George Washington.” And in 1778, after the flash of the Burgoyne -campaign had spent itself, and the experiences of the American army at -Valley Forge attested the necessity for a fighting army under a fighting -soldier, Washington was again intrusted with the reorganization of the -army, both regular and militia, in respect of all elements of -enlistment, outfit, and supply. - -From the date of his commission, through all his acts and -correspondence, it has been evident, that he has been perfectly frank -and consistent in his assignments of officers or troops, either to -position or command; and his judgment of men and measures has had -constant verification in realized experience. - -It was very natural for European monarchs, including Louis XVI., to -behold in the very preëminent and assertive force of Washington’s -character much of the “one-man power” which was the basis of their own -asserted prerogative; and there were astute and ambitious statesmen and -soldiers of the Old World who hoped that a new empire, and a new -personal dynasty, would yet arise in the western world, to be their -associated ally against Great Britain herself. They did not measure the -American Revolution by right standards; because they could not conceive, -nor comprehend the American conception of, a “sovereign people.” - -There was one foreign soldier in the American army, and of royal stock, -who must have clung to Washington and his cause, with most ardent -passion as well as obedient reverence. Nothing of sacrifice, exposure, -or vile jealousy, whether in closet, camp, or field, amid winter’s -keenest blasts or summer’s scorching fires, was beyond the life and soul -experience of Thaddeus Kosciusko. His name, and that of Pulaski, so dear -to Washington, and so true to him, should be ever dear to the American; -and in the history of their country’s fall, there should ever be -cherished a monumental recognition of ancient Poland and the Pole. - -It was one of the most striking characteristics of Washington’s military -life that he recognized and trusted so many of these heroic men whose -lives had been nursed and developed in the cause of liberty and country. -Such men as these beheld in Washington a superhuman regard for _man, as -man_; and the youthful Lafayette almost worshipped, while he obeyed, -until his entire soul was penetrated by the spirit and controlled by the -example of his beloved Chief. Some of these, who survived until the -opening of the year 1781, were able to realize that its successive -months, however blessed in their ultimate fruition, were months in which -Washington passed under heavier yokes and through tougher ordeals than -were those of Valley Forge or Yorktown. For the first time during the -Revolutionary struggle, the American citizens who did the fighting might -well compare their situation under the guardianship of the American -Congress, with that of Colonial obligation under the British Parliament -and the British crown. - -The fluctuations of numbers in the American army seemed very largely to -depend upon its vicinity to endangered sections. Remoteness from the -seaboard induced indifference to expenditures for the navy, because -British ships could not operate on land; and seaboard towns, which were -constantly in peril, insisted upon retaining their able-bodied militia -within easy reach, until armed vessels could be built and assigned for -their protection. The same unpatriotic principle of human nature -affected all supplies of food and clothing. It has already been noticed -that Washington was profoundly grieved that country people courted the -British markets of New York, and that British gold was of such mighty -weight in the balance of “stay-at-home comfort,” against personal -experience in some distant camp. Starvation and suffering could not fail -to arouse resistance to their constraints. The condition of the army was -one of protracted agony. Lafayette wrote home to his wife as follows: -“Human patience has its limits. No European army would suffer one-tenth -part of what the Americans suffer. It takes citizens, to support hunger, -nakedness, toil, and the total want of pay, which constitute the -condition of our soldiers,—the hardiest and most patient that are to be -found in the world.” - -Marshall states the case fairly when he asserts that “it was not easy to -persuade the military, that their brethren in civil life were unable to -make greater exertions in support of the war, or, that its burdens could -not be more equally borne.” - -On New Year’s Day, January 1, 1781, the Pennsylvania line (Continentals) -revolted, and Captain Billings was killed in the effort to suppress the -outbreak. Thirteen hundred men, with six guns, started for Philadelphia. -Wayne was powerless to control even his own command; and so advised -Washington. The Commander-in-Chief was at first impelled to leave New -Windsor and go in person to the camps; but knowing that he had troops -who would obey him, whatever conditions might arise, he addressed -himself to this state of affairs with a dignity, deliberation, and -sympathy, so calm and yet so impressive, that he both retained the full -prestige of his position, and secured full control of the disaffection. -He allowed passion to subside; and then resolved to execute his own -will, at all hazards. The details of his mental struggle, and the -precautionary measures taken by him to master the situation, with eager -and excited veterans at his back to enforce his will, would fill a -volume. Recognizing the neglect of State authorities to furnish their -own respective regiments with food, clothing, and money, he proudly, -sublimely, and with a dignity beyond any heroic act of the battlefield, -called upon the Governors of the Northern States to send their militia, -at once, _to take care of Clinton’s army in New York_, if they wished to -prevent the invasion and waste of their own peaceful homes. In other -words, as plainly as he could do it, he made the “stay-at-homes” -responsible for their own further immunity from battle scenes and battle -waste. - -This mutiny was indeed, a natural outbreak, inevitable, irresistible! It -did not impair loyalty to country. The emergency overwhelmed every -purely military obligation in that of self-preservation—of life itself. -It did impair discipline, and did disregard authority, for the time; but -in its manifestations had many of the elements of lawful revolution. The -State _first failed in duty_ to its defenders. For such a cause, the -Revolution had its first outbreaks at Lexington and Concord. Washington -was never so great in arms, as when with calm trust and steady nerve he -faced this momentous issue. Besides his demand upon the States most -exposed to British incursions, for men, he demanded money. Massachusetts -and New Hampshire promptly gave twenty-four dollars _extra_, in specie, -to each enlisted man. Colonel Laurens was appointed as special agent to -France, to secure a loan. Eventually, he succeeded; but Count de -Vergennes, when advised of his mission, wrote on the fifteenth of -February: “Congress relies too much on France for subsidies to maintain -their army. They must absolutely refrain from such exorbitant demands. -The great expenses of the war render it impossible for France to meet -these demands, if persisted in.” Franklin, then at Paris, wrote to his -daughter, Mrs. Balche: “If you see Washington, assure him of my very -great and sincere respect, and tell him that all the old Generals here -amuse themselves in studying the accounts of his operations, and approve -highly of his conduct.” Lafayette also wrote, urging full supplies of -men and money; with most pointed assurances that the “American States -would surely realize success, and be amply able to refund all advances -which might be made by the king.” - -Up to this time, the individuality of the States, in spite of -Washington’s repeated appeals for entire unity of purpose and action on -the part of all, had been jealously maintained. A partial relief was -afforded, when, on the second of March, 1781, the Articles of -Confederation finally went into effect, Maryland having yielded her -assent on the previous day. Four years and four months had elapsed since -their formal adoption and submission to the several States for -acceptance. - -All the insubordination of the American army before referred to, was -well known at British headquarters in New York. That of the previous -year had disappointed both Clinton and Knyphausen, who invaded New -Jersey, it will be remembered, hoping to reap some benefits from its -expression; but now that it assumed such unmistakable signs of armed -revolt, they doubled their interest in its movements. General Clinton, -mindful of his error on a former occasion, simply watched Washington. He -received information of the general insubordination as early as -Washington, and on the morning of the twenty-third, sent messengers to -the American army with propositions looking to their return to British -allegiance. He entirely misconceived the nature of the disaffection, and -his agents were retained in custody. In writing to Lord Germaine, he -says: “General Washington has not moved a man from his army [near West -Point] as yet; and as it is probable that their demands are nearly the -same with the Pennsylvania line, it is not thought likely that he will. -I am, however, in a situation to avail myself of favorable events; but -to stir before they offer, might mar all.” - -At this period, the influence of the American Commissioners—Adams, -Franklin and Jay, was proving very beneficial to the American cause with -the Governments of Spain and Holland, as well as with France; and -Colonel Laurens, upon his arrival at Paris, after release from prison, -pretty plainly assured the French Ministry that it “would be much wiser -policy to advance money to America, than to risk such an accommodation -with England as would compel America, so near her West India -possessions, to make common cause with England against France.” -Notwithstanding these negotiations, then in progress, the American army -had become reduced to an effective force of barely five thousand men; -and the French army could not be disposable for general service while -their fleets were so closely confined to the harbor of Newport. The -British fleet was wintering at Gardiner’s Bay, L.I., so as to watch all -vessels that entered or departed from Long Island Sound, and maintained -its blockade. Late in January a violent north-east storm made havoc with -the British ships. The _Culloden_, line-of-battle ship (74 guns), was -sunk. The _Bedford_ was dismasted, and the _America_ was driven to sea. -Washington seized upon this incident to make a diversion southward and -attempt, the capture of Arnold, who was in full commission as a -brigadier-general of the British army. - -Arnold had left New York with sixteen hundred men, on the nineteenth of -the preceding December, for Virginia. His command consisted of the -eighteenth British (Scotch) regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas, and the -Queen’s Rangers, Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe; the latter being a skilful -officer, shrewd and cool, but noted, in the heat of battle, for -characteristic ferocity in shortening fights, and thus reducing the -number of wounded prisoners to be cared for. Clinton seems not to have -fully relied upon the discretion of Arnold, since he reports, having -“detailed two officers of tried ability and experience, and possessing -the entire confidence of their commander.” As with so many naval -expeditions of that period, a gale overtook Arnold on the twenty-sixth -and twenty-seventh of December, scattering his transports, so that -without waiting for those still at sea, he landed with twelve hundred -men and moved up the James River on the fourth of January. He landed at -Westover, twenty-five miles below Richmond, and immediately marched upon -the city. On the afternoon of the fifth, he entered Richmond. The -militia, under Col. John Nichols, only two hundred in number, assembled -upon Richmond Hill, but had to retire before Simcoe’s advance. A few men -stationed on Shreve Hill, also retired. At Westham, seven miles above -Richmond, a foundry, a laboratory, and some shops were destroyed, as -well as the Auditor’s Records, which had been removed from Richmond for -safety. Arnold sent a proposition to Governor Jefferson, offering to -spare the city if no opposition were made to his vessels ascending the -river to remove tobacco and other legitimate plunder of war. Upon -rejection of this proposition, he burned so much of the city as time -allowed, and returned to Westover, without loss. He carried off seven -brass cannon, three hundred stands of arms found in the loft of the -Capitol, and a few quartermasters’ stores, as his sole trophies of war. -Upon information, however, that Baron Steuben was at Petersburg with -some militia, Arnold hastened to Portsmouth to put its defences in -better condition. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXI. - THE SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN, 1781, OUTLINED.—COWPENS.—GUILFORD - COURT-HOUSE.—EUTAW SPRINGS. - - -Before developing Washington’s plan for the capture of Benedict Arnold, -it is advisable to glance at the military condition of the Southern -Department in which Arnold was then serving in command of British -troops. Lafayette had been intrusted with execution of the plan. He knew -perfectly well that Arnold would not venture far from his fortified -position at Portsmouth, and thus incur risk of capture and an inevitable -death upon the gibbet. - -The assignment of General Greene to the command of that department was -designed by Washington, for the purpose of initiating a vigorous -campaign against all posts occupied by British garrisons, and gradually -to clear that country of the presence of British troops. He had great -confidence in such men as Marion, Sumter, Hampton, and other partisan -leaders, who were perpetually on the alert, by night and by day, for -opportunities to repress royalist risings, and harass the enemy at every -possible point of contact. It was very natural, then, to overestimate -the British successes at Savannah and Charleston, and even to assume -that the British army would be uniformly equal to active campaign -service, and would not find it difficult to maintain supplies in the -field. In view of the condition of roads, water-courses, swamps, and the -limited agricultural improvements of those times, it is greatly to the -credit of the British officers that so much was accomplished by them, in -the face of the partisan operations above noticed. - -Washington appreciated this condition fully; urged the Southern -governors to renewed activity, and furnished General Greene with -instructions respecting what he regarded as the final campaign of the -war. The _first_ element of success which he enjoined as a duty was “to -avoid battle with fresh British troops, just out of garrison, and -therefore in complete readiness for action.” The _second_ injunction -was, “so far as possible, to give a partisan or skirmish character to -engagements where inferior numbers could keep their adversaries under -constant and sleepless apprehension of attack.” The _third_ was, “to -utilize and control streams, swamps, and woods, where the bayonet and -artillery could not be successfully employed by British troops.” The -_fourth_ principle of action was characteristic of Washington’s early -experience, and was exemplified throughout the war—“never to halt, over -night, without making artificial protection against surprise; and to -surprise the enemy so far as practicable, whenever all conditions seem -to render such surprise impossible.” Cæsar’s habitual intrenchments, -upon a halt, were types of Washington’s methods; and the Crimean War -made more impressive than ever the value of slight, temporary cover for -troops in the field. The _camp-kettle_, the _powder_ and _lead_, the -_pick_ and the _spade_, were Washington’s indispensable tools. - -It was therefore with great confidence in the result that he intrusted -this Southern campaign to the charge of Nathaniel Greene; and for the -same reasons he sent him his best engineer, and his best corps of rifles -and horse. General Greene, immediately upon taking command, removed all -commissary supplies from the coast, to avoid liability of their seizure, -and to maintain his food-supply. He ordered Quartermaster-General -Carrington to collect all magazines upon the Roanoke, for ready access -whenever he might need ammunition or commissary supplies. He wrote to -Baron Steuben, to “hasten forward his recruits”; to the Governors of -Virginia and North Carolina, to “fill up their quotas of regulars and -call in all the militia _that they could arm_”; to Shelby, Campbell, and -other participants in the Battle of King’s Mountain, fought on the -eighth of October, 1780, “to come forward and assist in the overthrow of -Cornwallis, and defeat his second attempt to invade North Carolina.” It -is certain from his letters to Washington, that he expected to realize -success. The battle of Cowpens immediately followed. - -While awaiting response to his demands for troops, both militia and -regulars, Greene promptly detached Morgan, with Colonels Washington and -Howard, to learn the movements of Cornwallis and Tarleton, and fritter -away their strength by worrying tactics. Morgan came so near Tarleton as -to know that he could have a fight, if he wanted a fight. This he -resolved to have. Few military events on record show superior tact, -daring, and success. He placed his command in the sharp bend of Broad -River, then swollen by rains, and so deep and swift that neither boat, -horse nor man could cross it; where, as he afterwards reported, “his men -had to fight, or drown.” All that he asked of his advanced militia was, -that they would give two volleys and scamper from his front, and re-form -in his rear. He secreted Washington’s dragoons out of view, for their -opportunity. Tarleton dashed madly after the scattering militia, and -before he could rally his impetuous charge of horse and foot, was taken -in the rear, utterly routed, and barely saved himself after a sabre-cut -from Colonel Washington; leaving on the field, or as prisoners, seven -hundred and eighty of his command, two cannon, fifty-five wagons, one -hundred horses, and eight hundred muskets. Cornwallis was but -twenty-five miles distant; but the exchange of sharp words afterwards, -between himself and Tarleton, did not lessen the value and prestige of -this timely American victory. Congress and various States united in -recognition of Morgan’s gallant conduct. Broken down by rheumatism, he -was compelled to leave active service. From Quebec, in 1775, to Cowpens, -in 1780, he had been “weighed” in many battle-scales, and never “found -wanting.” - -On the twenty-fifth of January, while in camp on Hicks’ Creek, a fork of -the Great Republic, Greene received the message of Morgan that he “had -many prisoners in charge, but was pressed by Cornwallis.” It was most -tantalizing, at such an hour, not to be able to improve this victory. -The Southern army, including Morgan’s force, numbered, all told, -including four hundred militia, only twenty-one hundred and three men, -of whom the artillerists were but forty-seven, and the cavalry only one -hundred and twenty. Greene wrote to Sumter, on the fifteenth of January, -two days before the Battle of Cowpens: “More than half our numbers are -in a manner naked, so much that we cannot put them on the least duty. -Indeed, there is a great number that have not a rag of clothing on them, -except a little piece of blanket, in the Indian form, about their -waists.” But Greene put this force in the best possible order; and on -the twenty-eighth, accompanied by a single guide, one aide-de-camp, and -a sergeant’s party of twenty troopers, he started to join Morgan. On the -night of the thirtieth, after a ride of one hundred and twenty-five -miles, he was with him. - -The crisis was immediate. Greene wrote to Varnum, then in Congress; to -Gist, Smallwood, Rutledge, Washington, and others, appealing for five -thousand infantry and from six to eight hundred horse. It seemed as if -this very victory would only precipitate disaster. Washington thus -replied: “I wish I had it in my power to congratulate you on the -brilliant and important victory of General Morgan without the alloy -which the distresses of the department you command, and apprehensions of -posterior events, intermix.... I lament that you find it so difficult to -avoid a general action; for our misfortunes can only be completed by the -dispersion of your little army, which will be the most probable -consequence of such an event.” This letter reflects the wise policy of -Washington throughout the war; ever to reserve in hand a sufficient -force to control the time and place for battle; while incessantly -weakening that of his adversary and compelling him, finally, to flight -“against odds.” - -As the mind reverts to the contentions for high command which -characterized the early years of the war; and as one officer after -another disappears from the battle record, it would seem as if the -officer who sat by the side of Morgan on the banks of the Catawba, on -the thirtieth of January, 1781, must have felt as if a new generation -had taken the place of the old comrades of 1776, and that he was simply -waiting to pass away also. - -But the hazard of delay was omnipotent to force instant action. Colonel -Lee was ordered to hasten and join Greene. The report of the landing of -British forces at Wilmington, just in the rear of the small army he had -left at Hicks’ Creek, was a new source of anxious concern. The time of -service of the Virginia militia was about to expire, and according to -precedent, they would be prompt in their departure. With quick sagacity, -Greene placed General Stephens in command, anticipating the exact term -of their expiring enlistment, and sent them home, via Hillsborough, in -charge of the prisoners of Tarleton’s command. He thus relieved Morgan -of this encumbrance, and saved the detail of efficient troops for that -escort duty. - -At this period, Cornwallis had abandoned Charleston as his base of -supply, and was confident of a successful invasion of North Carolina. He -certainly knew that Phillips, Arnold, and Simcoe could spare no troops -from Virginia; and through the disaster which befell Tarleton, one of -the best soldiers of that period, at Cowpens, he began to appreciate -Clinton’s disappointing experiences about New York. He unburdened his -thoughts to Clinton, in this melancholy vein: “Our hopes of success were -principally founded upon positive assurances, given by apparently -credible deputies and emissaries, that, upon the approach of a British -army in North Carolina, a great body of the inhabitants were ready to -join it, and coöperate with it in restoring his Majesty’s Government. -All inducements in my power were made use of without material effects.” - -On the tenth of February, Greene had a force of only two thousand and -thirty-six men; of which, but fourteen hundred and six were regular -troops. A light corps of seven hundred men was organized under Colonels -Williams, Carrington, Howard, Washington, and Lee, to operate in -separate detachments so far as practicable, and thus keep the army of -Cornwallis constantly under exposure to attack, and compelled to make -many exhaustive marches. Kosciusko planned light earthworks, to cover -fords as the army crossed and recrossed the same; and Greene was thus -employing wise strategic methods for future action, when of his own -choice he might confront Cornwallis in battle. - -Many vicissitudes of thrilling interest attended these desultory -operations; and when sudden floods, and as sudden abatement of swollen -streams, had been successfully utilized by the patriotic leaders, just -at the right moment, it is not strange that the American people, as well -as Washington, saw in these deliverances the hand of favoring -Providence. - -At this juncture, Greene realized also, as well as did Cornwallis, that -he could not expect any substantial aid from Virginia. He could hardly -keep his immediate force in hand, while wear, waste, hunger and sickness -began to impair their fighting energy as well as physical capacity. He -determined to seek the first reasonable opportunity to join battle with -Cornwallis; and the Battle of Guilford Court-House, on the fifteenth of -March, realized Washington’s full anticipations of such protracted -inaction. - -The light troops of both armies had skirmished daily. Cornwallis issued -a proclamation giving a limit within which the people must return to -their allegiance to the Crown. On the sixth of March a skirmish occurred -at Wetzell’s Mills, which brought nearly the entire army of Cornwallis -into action. On the eighth, Colonel Carrington and Frederick Cornwallis, -acting as commissioners for the two opposing armies, agreed upon terms -for an exchange of prisoners. Cornwallis had been in the habit of -paroling militia, wherever found, and carrying them on his list, as if -captured in battle. In the adjustment made, Greene obtained a few -officers who would have been otherwise idle during the campaign; but the -arrangement had no other immediate value. - -The position of the two armies is worthy of notice, because of its -relations to succeeding events in Virginia. For several weeks Cornwallis -had made special endeavor to control all upper fords. On the -twenty-seventh of February he crossed the river Haw and fixed his camp -on the Alamance, one of its tributaries. Greene adopted a line nearly -parallel with that of his adversary, and advanced to the heights between -Reedy Fork and Troublesome Creek, having his divided headquarters near -the Speedwell Iron Works and Boyd’s Mills, on two streams. Greene had -gained the choice of position, entirely reversing the old relations of -the armies. There were no British troops in his rear, or on his eastern -flank, and none to endanger his communications with Virginia. He could -give battle; retire as he advanced, or move into Virginia, by the same -upper fords which Cornwallis had once so carefully occupied. At this -time, the army of Cornwallis was also in great need of clothing, -medicines, and all other essential supplies. The strain of so many -unequal marches and skirmishes, through woods, thickets, and swamps, and -across innumerable small streams, with no recompense in victories won, -was very severe. He therefore pitched his camp between the Haw and Deep -rivers, where the roads from Salisbury, Guilford and Hillsborough unite, -and thus controlled the road to Wilmington, his only proximate base of -supply. - -Troops had already commenced reporting to General Greene, and he decided -to offer battle. The command consisted of only fourteen hundred and -ninety regular infantry, one hundred and sixty-one cavalry, and -twenty-seven hundred and fifty-four militia. The army of Cornwallis, -which on the first of January numbered three thousand two hundred and -twenty-four men, had fallen off, by March 1st, nearly one-third; and -there was reason for Greene’s hope that, in case his militia held firmly -to positions assigned them, victory might be realized. He felt the enemy -with Lee’s and Campbell’s cavalry; disposed his troops in admirable -form; and failed at last, only through the weakness of his raw troops. -For the purposes of this narrative, only the result need be stated. The -American army retired to the iron-works on Troublesome Creek, a distance -of twelve miles, to rally forces and prepare for future action. “It is -certain,” says Colonel Lee, “that if Greene had known the condition of -the British forces, he need not have retreated, and the American victory -would have been complete.” Tarleton, who was wounded in the action, -after stating that “the British army lost one-third of its number in -killed and wounded, during the two hours of battle,” said that “this -victory was the pledge of ultimate defeat.” - -Greene, writing to Washington, said: “The enemy gained his cause, but is -ruined by the success of it.” Fox, in the British House of Commons, -said: “Another such victory would ruin the British army.” Pitt called it -“the precursor of ruin to British supremacy at the South.” The -casualties of the American army were, nominally, including missing, -thirteen hundred and eleven; but so many of the missing immediately -rallied, that the Virginia Brigade, after two days, reported as present -for duty, seven hundred and fifty-two; and the Maryland Brigade mustered -five hundred and fifty, showing a loss in action of only one hundred and -eighty-eight men, instead of two hundred and sixty-one, reported on the -seventeenth. Of one militia brigade, five hundred and fifty-two were -missing. The British casualties were five hundred and forty-four, and of -the general officers, only Cornwallis and Leslie escaped without wounds. - -Cornwallis, after providing for the wounded as well as possible, and -leaving under a flag of truce those who could not march, immediately -crossed the deep river as if moving to Salisbury; then recrossed it, -lower down, and entered Wilmington on the seventh of April, with only -fourteen hundred and forty-five men. He wrote to Lord Rawdon, that -“Greene would probably invade South Carolina”; but the messenger failed -to get through to Charleston. Greene was delayed after the battle, to -send back to his supply-train for ammunition, lead and bullet-moulds; -but he followed so closely after, that he reached Ramsour’s Mills the -twenty-eighth, the very day on which Cornwallis had bridged the river -and pushed on to Wilmington. - -The effect of this withdrawal of Cornwallis was of great value to the -American cause, and cleared away obstructions to a broader range of -operations for the army of the North. Subsequently, on the twenty-fifth -of April Greene met Rawdon, at Hobkirk Hill, in an action sometimes -called the Second Battle of Camden, as it was fought near that town, in -which the American casualties were two hundred and seventy-one, and the -British casualties were two hundred and fifty-eight. Greene, after the -action, withdrew to Rugeley’s Mills, and Rawdon to Camden. Stedman says: -“The victory at Hobkirk Hill, like that at Guilford Court-House, -produced no consequences beneficial to the British army.” On the -seventeenth of the subsequent September, Greene fought with Stewart, -Rawdon’s successor, the Battle of Eutaw Springs, the final battle at the -South. In this battle the American casualties were four hundred and -eight, and the British casualties were six hundred and ninety-three. In -dismissing these operations in the Southern Department, a single extract -from Tarleton’s history of the war is of interest: “The troops engaged -during the greater part of the time were totally destitute of bread, and -the country afforded no vegetable as a substitute. Salt at length -failed, and their only resources were water and the wild cattle which -they found in the woods. In the last expedition, fifty men perished -through mere fatigue.... We must not, however, confine the praise -entirely to the British troops. The same justice requires that the -Americans should not be deprived of their share of this fatal glory.... -On the whole, the campaign terminated in their favor, General Greene -having recovered the far greater part of Georgia, and the two -Carolinas.” - -This same Nathaniel Greene led the Kentish Guards to Boston on the -morning after the Battle of Lexington, in 1775, and his early -announcement of the principles upon which the war should be conducted to -ensure final success, had been verified. He had vindicated the -confidence of Washington in every line of duty, and in his Southern -campaign cleared the way for the crowning triumph of the American -Commander-in-Chief, at Yorktown. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXII. -LAFAYETTE IN PURSUIT OF ARNOLD.—THE END IN SIGHT.—ARNOLD IN THE BRITISH - ARMY. - - -The diversion of thought from Washington’s immediate surroundings will -find its compensation in the development of his plan for the capture of -Benedict Arnold. Its execution had been intrusted to General Lafayette, -who was already assembling his command at Peekskill, on the Hudson. - -The superiority of the British fleet before Newport having been reduced -by the storm of January 22nd, Monsieur Destouches, successor to Admiral -de Ternay, deceased, consented to send one ship-of-the-line and two -frigates to prevent Arnold’s escape by sea. The Count de Rochambeau -deemed it unnecessary and inexpedient to send troops, because the -movement was to be so rapid in its execution. He assumed that the -Continental forces in Virginia were adequate for operations under -Lafayette. Letters from Washington, however, suggesting the detail of a -considerable land force, did not reach him until after M. de Tully had -sailed; or the entire French fleet, with a strong military contingent, -would have joined the expedition. The three ships under the command of -Monsieur de Tully sailed on the ninth of February; captured the British -frigate _Romulus_ in Linn Haven Bay, two privateers, and eight other -prizes; but upon arrival at Elizabeth River, Virginia, finding that the -depth of water would not allow the passage up the river of his larger -ships, he returned to Newport. - -At this point, the beginning of the end of the war becomes apparent. -Every fortuitous change in the details of immediately succeeding -movements, and every modification of plans previously considered, seem -to occur as if the American Commander-in-Chief adjusted characters and -events with the accuracy of a master of chess who plays with a clear -anticipation of the checkmate of Clinton and Cornwallis, his two -antagonists. Each of the royal partners attempted, too late, the process -of “castle-ing”; so that New York, first, and then Yorktown, became -powerless to protect each other, or the dependent posts, garrisons, and -commanders of each. And it is still more dramatic in the result than if -Arnold had been captured; for the expedition of the French Marquis, -which was at first regarded as only a temporary absence on his part from -the immediate command of Washington, proved to be the vanguard of an -advance which, through his extraordinary tact and skilful handling, -finally inclosed Cornwallis, and made the opportunity for his capture. - -Lafayette started from Peekskill immediately upon the departure of M. de -Tully’s ships, taking with him twelve hundred light infantry, made up of -New England and New Jersey troops. He reached Pompton, New Jersey, on -the twenty-fifth day of February; Philadelphia, on the second day of -March, and Head of Elk, on the next day. If the reader will imagine -Lafayette as standing upon the high ground overlooking Chesapeake Bay on -the evening of March 3, 1781, let him recall Maxwell’s visit to the same -spot accompanied by Lafayette, on the third day of September, 1777, just -before the Battle of Brandywine. On the former occasion, Lafayette slept -in a log cabin where he had been watching the British landing. At -daybreak, that cabin was within the British picket-lines. A suspicion -that it was occupied by an officer of Lafayette’s rank was certainly -beyond the conception of the Hessian Chasseurs who bivouacked close by. -In a letter written by Lafayette, to his young wife, which was ever -cherished by the late Senators Oscar and Edmond Lafayette, grandsons of -the Marquis, he humorously contrasts his condition at the two dates. -“The landing of Cornwallis, at this particular point” is noticed; then, -“my first wound, in my first battle near Birmingham Meeting House”; and -then, “my present independent command, and my hopeful expectation that -the same British General will not much longer bar the way to American -Independence.” - -From this point, Lafayette sent his advance troops to Annapolis; but he -first made a personal trip, in an open canoe, to Elizabethtown, to -accelerate preparations for the capture of the traitor Arnold. He -visited Baron Steuben at Yorktown, and learned that the Baron would -undertake to raise five thousand militia for his support. He visited -Muhlenburg at Suffolk; and then made a personal reconnoissance of -Arnold’s defences at Portsmouth. The return of M. de Tully to Newport -compelled him to return to Annapolis and there await instructions from -Washington. Meanwhile, Washington, following up his own letters to -Rochambeau, visited Newport, R.I., and accompanied Rochambeau to the -French Admiral’s ship. Eleven hundred men had already embarked, awaiting -the repair of a frigate before sailing. On the eighth, four frigates and -eight battleships proceeded to sea. This was a profound surprise to the -British fleet, still anchored in Gardiner’s Bay, as well as to Clinton, -then in New York. The French fleet was actually under weigh before -Admiral Arbuthnot suspected its design. He sailed promptly in pursuit, -with an equal force, and wrote to General Clinton, to “warn Arnold of -his danger.” On the sixteenth, the British and French squadrons fought a -well-balanced battle, off the Chesapeake; but the presence of the -British fleet having thwarted the chief object of its errand, Monsieur -Destouches returned to Newport on the twenty-sixth, after an absence of -only eighteen days. The inability of the French fleet to control the -waters of the Chesapeake modified all plans. - -Washington wrote to Lafayette on the fifth of April, as follows: “While -we all lament the miscarriage of an enterprise [the capture of Arnold] -which bid so fair of success, we must console ourselves in the thought -of having done everything practicable to accomplish it. I am certain -that the Chevalier Destouches exerted himself to the utmost to gain the -Chesapeake. The point upon which the whole turned, the action with -Admiral Arbuthnot, reflects honor upon the Chevalier, and upon the -marine of France. As matters have turned out, it is to be wished that -you had not gone out of the Elk; but, _I never judge of the proprieties -of measures by after results_.” This letter, so timely and wise, as well -as so characteristic of its author, also instructed Lafayette to return -to Philadelphia; but on the sixth, he was ordered to report to General -Greene. - -This order had hardly been issued when Washington learned that Clinton, -acting upon Admiral Arbuthnot’s suggestion, had forwarded additional -troops to the support of Arnold, under command of General Phillips. He -at once countermanded Lafayette’s orders to report to General Greene, -and assigned him to command in Virginia, reporting, however, both to -General Greene and himself. Greene received a copy of this order March -18th, three days after the Battle of Guilford Court-House, and he dates -his reply as follows: “Ten miles from Guilford Court-House. I am happy -to hear the Marquis is coming to Virginia, though I am afraid from a -hint in one of Baron Steuben’s letters that he will think himself -injured in being superseded in command. Could the Marquis be with us at -this moment, we should have a most glorious campaign. It would put -Cornwallis and his whole army into our hands.” - -Greene, at this time, knowing the condition of the army of Cornwallis at -Wilmington, believed that by the advance of Lafayette from Virginia, and -his own coöperation, just as he started in pursuit of Cornwallis, the -capture of that officer’s entire command would be assured. But in other -ways than had been anticipated, the assignment of Lafayette to command -in Virginia did enforce the ultimate surrender of the British army of -Virginia. Baron Steuben, with perfect confidence in the wisdom of -Washington, gracefully accepted the order as final, and rendered to -Lafayette prompt obedience and thoroughly hearty support. - -The troops that accompanied Lafayette, however, did not like their -transfer to a warmer climate. Desertions were frequent, and a mutinous -spirit was exhibited. Lafayette hung the first deserter who was -captured. A second was arrested and brought before him for disposal. He -sent him adrift, with “permission to return to his home, or wherever he -desired to go.” He then issued an order, reciting, that “_he was setting -out upon a dangerous and difficult expedition; and he hoped the soldiers -would not abandon him_; but that whoever wished to go away, might do so -instantly.” “From that hour,” wrote Lafayette, “all desertions ceased, -and not a man would leave.” - -Washington himself, at this juncture of affairs, was peculiarly -embarrassed. Congress had assured him that the new regular force of -thirty-seven thousand men would be in the field by the first of January. -Marshall, the historian, makes the following statement: “The regular -force drawn from Pennsylvania, to Georgia inclusive, at no time during -this interesting campaign amounted to three thousand effective men.” Of -the Northern troops, twelve hundred had been detached under the Marquis -de Lafayette, in the aid of Virginia. Including these in the estimate, -the States, from New Jersey to New Hampshire, had furnished only five -thousand effectives. The cavalry and artillery at no time exceeded one -thousand. During May, the total force reached seven thousand, of whom -rather more than four thousand might have been relied on for action; but -even these had been brought into camp too late to acquire that -discipline which is so essential to military service. - -As early as February twentieth, when the Virginia campaign was in -prospect, General Washington begged Schuyler to accept the head of the -War Department, in these earnest words: “Our affairs are brought to an -awful crisis. Nothing will recover them but the vigorous exertion of men -of abilities who know our wants and the best means of supplying them. -These qualifications, Sir, without a compliment, I think you possess. -Why, then, the department being necessary, should you shrink from it? -The greater the chaos, the greater will be your merit in bringing forth -order.” General Schuyler replied on the twenty-fifth, and declared his -intention never to hold office under Congress, unless accompanied by a -restoration to military rank; and added that “such inconvenience would -result to themselves [members of Congress] from such a restoration, as -would necessarily give umbrage to many officers.” - -Washington’s diary at this period affords a fair show of existing -conditions, and reveals his anxiety better than another can depict it. -On the first of May, his record is this: “Instead of having magazines -filled with provisions, we have a scant pittance, scattered here and -there, in different States. Instead of having our arsenals filled with -military stores, they are poorly provided, and the workmen are leaving -them.... Instead of having the regiments completed under the new -establishment, scarce any State has an eighth part of its quota in the -field, and there is little prospect of getting more than half. In a -word, instead of having everything in readiness to take the field, we -have nothing.... And instead of having the prospect of a glorious, -offensive campaign before us, we have a gloomy and bewildered prospect -of a defensive one, unless we should receive a powerful aid of ships, -land troops, and money, from our generous allies, and these are at -present too contingent to build upon.... Chimney-corner patriots abound; -venality, corruption, prostitution of office for selfish ends, abuse of -trust, perversion of funds from a national to a private use, and -speculations upon the necessities of the times, pervade all -interests.... In fact, every battle and every campaign is affected by -these elements, and the diffusion of political responsibility still -makes the United States only a loose partnership of scattered and -loosely related partners.” - -At this date, May first, the British troops in Virginia consisted of -Arnold’s command of fifteen hundred and fifty-three men, and that of -Phillips, of twenty-one hundred and sixty-three men. On the twentieth of -May, including the forces of Cornwallis, the entire British force in -Virginia did not exceed five thousand effective troops. Arnold, -Phillips, and Simcoe made numerous excursions, destroying property, -burning buildings, and leaving marks of desolation upon Williamsburg, -Petersburg, Osborne, Hanover Court-House, Chesterfield Court-House, and -elsewhere. - -Lafayette’s command was almost ubiquitous, harassing the enemy at every -point, so that they could hardly make an expedition without being -compelled to abandon portions of the property plundered, and return to -their fortified positions with the loss of some men and horses, every -time. So soon as Lafayette learned that Cornwallis proposed to move -northward from Wilmington to Virginia, and unite his command with those -of Phillips and Arnold, he made an effort to reach Halifax Court-House, -and cut him off; but the shorter route enabled Phillips to defeat -Lafayette’s movement. - -On the eighth of May, he wrote to Washington: “There is no fighting -here, unless you have naval superiority; or, an army mounted on -race-horses. Phillips’ plan against Richmond has been defeated. He was -going to Portsmouth. Now, it appears that I have business with two -armies, and this is rather too much. Each is more than double, superior -to me. We have no boats, few militia, and no arms. I will try and do for -the best. Nothing can attract my sight from the supplies and -reënforcements destined to General Greene’s army. I have forbidden every -department to give me anything that may be thought useful to General -Greene. When General Greene becomes equal to offensive operations, this -quarter will be relieved. I have written to General Wayne [who had been -ordered to report to Lafayette, with the Pennsylvania line, ordered -south by Congress, on account of their mutiny] to hasten his march; but -unless I am hard pressed, I shall request him to go southward.” -Washington thus replied to this letter: “Your determination to avoid an -engagement, with your present force, is certainly judicious. General -Wayne has been pressed both by Congress and the Board of War, to make as -much expedition as possible.” - -On the eighteenth of May, pursuant to orders of General Greene, -assigning him to sole command in Virginia, and instructing him to report -only to Washington, Lafayette established his headquarters between the -Pamunkey and Chickahominy rivers, equally covering Richmond and other -important points in the State; and sent General Nelson with militia -towards Petersburg. On the twenty-sixth of May, Cornwallis received -reënforcements under General Leslie, and notified General Clinton of his -own intention to “dislodge Lafayette from Richmond.” General Clinton’s -letter of the twentieth had contained the following postscript: “Pray -send Brigadier-General Arnold _here_, by the first opportunity, if you -should not have particular occasion for his services.” Cornwallis -replied: “I have consented to the request of General Arnold to go to New -York; he conceived that your Excellency wished him to attend you, and -his present indisposition renders him unequal to the fatigue of -service.” - -In view of the great effort on the part of Washington to arrest Arnold, -it is well to consider some incidents that disclose Arnold’s true -position in the British army. In none of his expeditions in Virginia did -he face Continental troops. He attempted to open a correspondence with -Lafayette, and threatened to send any prisoners he might capture, to the -West Indies; but Lafayette never acknowledged a communication, simply -forwarding them to Washington. Among papers of General Phillips which -came to light upon his decease, was a letter from Clinton showing that -Phillips’ assignment to duty, on the eleventh of April, was “for the -security of Arnold and the troops under his command, and for no other -purpose.” The reader, familiar with the Burgoyne campaign, will remember -the brilliant and explosive burst of Arnold into the British lines, near -Bemis Heights. General Phillips, then serving under Burgoyne, was one of -the severest sufferers by that assault; and the relations of the two -officers, in Virginia, were of the most constrained character. Upon the -death of Phillips an attempt was made on the part of Arnold to conceal -the knowledge of that fact; and some direct correspondence of Arnold -with London officials had disturbed Clinton, so that he desired to have -him under his immediate control. The departure of Arnold from Virginia -resolved the Virginia campaign into a series of spirited marches, -counter-marches, skirmishes and sharp encounters, which ultimately drove -Cornwallis behind the intrenchments at Yorktown; and there he was -securely inclosed, until all things could be prepared for the presence -of the American Commander-in-Chief. - -On the thirty-first of May, Washington wrote to Lafayette, and thus -closed his letter: “Your conduct upon every occasion meets my -approbation, but in none more than in your refusing to hold a -correspondence with Arnold.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIII. - NEW YORK AND YORKTOWN THREATENED.—CORNWALLIS INCLOSED BY LAFAYETTE. - - -On the twenty-first day of May, 1781, which proved to have been that of -the arrival of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Washington held a conference with -Count de Rochambeau and General Chastellux at Wethersfield, Conn., as to -the details of the approaching summer campaign. As one result of this -interview, Count de Rochambeau requested Count de Grasse, then in the -West Indies, to coöperate for a while with Count de Barras, and close -the port of New York. The French fleet could not be very well spared -from the West India Station, for the reason that while coöperating with -the Americans, and on a foreign coast, it had neither accessible docks -nor other means of refitting and supply, in case of disaster. Pending -the disposition of this matter, the immediate junction of the two armies -was definitely settled. - -The American army, with an effective force of a little less than -forty-six hundred men, was ordered to Peekskill-on-the-Hudson. The Count -de Rochambeau, with the Duke de Lauzun, marched from Newport and took -post at Ridgebury, Conn., near Salem, on the road to Danbury, fifteen -miles back from Long Island Sound. - -Two British posts, just out of New York, one at Morrisania, where -Delancey’s Rangers had a station, and from which constant incursions -were made into Winchester county; and the other at the north end of -Manhattan Island, not far from Fort Washington, were designated as the -first objects of assault. Clinton had sent a considerable foraging force -into New Jersey, and it was supposed likely that he might regard the -posts named as not in danger of attack, or leave them lightly -garrisoned. Sheldon’s Dragoons and a division under the Duke de Lauzun -were to attempt the first of the expeditions, and General Lincoln was -intrusted with the other. Washington advised Governor Clinton of his -plan, so that he might concentrate the New York militia at the proper -moment; and signal guns, as well as beacon-fires, had been arranged to -give notice of success. - -General Lincoln left Peekskill with eight hundred men, on the morning of -the first of June, proceeded to Teller’s Point; there took boats, and -with muffled oars rowed down Tappan Bay by night, hugging the eastern -shore. On the morning of the second, he reached Dobb’s Ferry, without -being discovered by the enemy. At three o’clock, on the morning of the -second, Washington started, without baggage, and leaving all tents -standing; passed through Tarrytown, reaching Valentine’s Hill, four -miles above King’s Bridge, by sunrise of the third, where he gained a -good position for the support of either expedition. - -When General Lincoln crossed the Hudson, at Fort Lee, he at once noticed -that the British expedition into New Jersey had returned and reoccupied -the post near Fort Washington; and that a British man-of-war had -anchored in the stream, near the shore just below that fort. A surprise -of Fort Washington became impossible. He had, however, before leaving -Peekskill, been supplied with alternate instructions, anticipating this -very emergency. It had been Washington’s real purpose, now that the -French army was immediately within his control, to draw Clinton, if -possible, into a general engagement; and the entire French force awaited -his signal for the movement. So soon as Lincoln discovered the British -camp, he recrossed the Hudson and landed his troops just above Spuyten -Duyvil Creek, near old Fort Independence; and then moved to high ground -near King’s Bridge, so as to act in concert with the Duke de Lauzun and -cut off any detachment which might attempt to cross the Harlem to -support Delancey. Meanwhile the Duke de Lauzun had only reached East -Chester, after a hot march over very rough country, and was several -hours later than the hour designated for the assault. The troops of -Lincoln were discovered by a large foraging force of fourteen hundred -men which was sweeping over the country from right to left, in search of -cattle and other supplies, and a sharp skirmish ensued. The Duke de -Lauzun, hearing the firing, pressed forward with forced step to join in -the action. Washington also moved rapidly to the front, and at his -appearance the British fell back rapidly to New York. During the -afternoon, after carefully reconnoitering the position, Washington also -retired to Valentine’s Hill, and then to Dobb’s Ferry, as if entirely -withdrawing his troops; but, on the sixth, he was joined by Rochambeau, -and on the seventh, the American camp was fully established. Its right -rested on the Hudson, covered by earthworks, and its left crossed Saw -Mill River. (See Map, “Hudson River Highlands.”) The French army -occupied the hills still farther eastward, as far as the river Bronx. - -Washington at once made an effort to force General Clinton to fight for -the possession of New York. Pickets were ostentatiously posted. Letters, -designed to fall into Clinton’s hands, were written, and as early as the -sixth, Clinton captured some of these “confidential” papers and enclosed -them to Lord Cornwallis, saying: “I am threatened with a siege. Send me -two thousand troops; the sooner they come, the better.” - -The agitation in New York is described by contemporary writers as “most -intense and universal.” It was kept under all possible control; but the -coast-guards were doubled, so that no stray boats might pass -unchallenged, by night or day, and mounted couriers constantly passed -and repassed, to furnish the speediest possible information at British -headquarters of any hostile advance. The report published in slips, that -“_brick ovens were to be erected in New Jersey, opposite Staten Island, -to supply bread rations, daily, for thirty thousand men_,” was -encouraged by Washington, and was accepted as true by the country near -by, and generally at the north, New Jersey included. - -When the camps were fully established, and guns were disposed for their -best effect, Washington, accompanied by Count de Rochambeau and Generals -de Boville and Du Portail, crossed to Jersey Heights, and with a small -escort of one hundred and fifty Jersey troops, examined all the New York -outposts, as far down as the ocean. Neither was this a mere sham—hollow -in substance. The projected attack upon New York was a deliberate -alternative; to compel Clinton to withhold reënforcements from the -Southern army so that Cornwallis could be overpowered and captured; or, -if he ventured to aid that officer, he must lose New York. - -This reconnoissance in New Jersey was known to Sir Henry Clinton, and he -might have been very thankful to General Washington for information that -some of “his [Clinton’s] stores were inadequately guarded”; that “at -some posts the small garrisons were doing no watchful guard duty”; and -that there was “no serious difficulty whatever in seizing or destroying -all the stores on Staten Island, without material loss or risk.” - -A second reconnoissance of the entire British front, from King’s Bridge -down the Hudson, and along Hell Gate channel, occurred on the evening of -July 21st. This was no feeble “_feeling of the enemy_.” Five thousand -choice troops took part in the investigation of the British position. -General Chastellux commanded one division, and General Lincoln commanded -the second. As early as the eighth of the month, Sir Henry Clinton wrote -to Lord Cornwallis, as follows: “As your lordship is now so near, it -will be unnecessary for you to send your despatches to the minister; you -will therefore be so good as to send them to me in the future.” - -It is a fact that Cornwallis was encouraged by the British War Office -and the Ministry to write directly to those departments. He stood high -in esteem; and, as will appear under his name in the Index, was -subsequently honored, although captured at Yorktown. The letter of the -eighth, thus referred to, was followed by letters on the eleventh, -thirteenth, and nineteenth of June, with similar appeals for -reënforcements; and these appeals were forwarded by special couriers or -fast frigates. Then came the allied parade of the twenty-second. The -troops reached King’s Bridge at daybreak. Lauzun’s lancers in their -brilliant uniform, and Sheldon’s Light Corps, scoured the vicinity of -Morrisania, and the dragoons went as far as Throgg’s Neck. The royalist -refugees fled to islands, vessels, and the woods. This demonstration -lasted during the twenty-second and twenty-third of June. Then -Washington and Rochambeau, escorted by French dragoons, examined all -advance posts, passing directly within range of fire from both vessels -and picket posts. There was no pretence of secrecy in this inquisitive -inquiry as to the British strength and British positions. It was a bold, -deliberate challenge of the garrison to retire if they so desired, or to -fight if they preferred battle. On the twenty-third, the troops resumed -their places in the quiet camp. - -On the twenty-sixth, Clinton called upon Cornwallis for “three more -regiments,” to be sent from Carolina, writing: “I shall probably want -them, as well as the troops you may be able to send me from the -Chesapeake, for such offensive and defensive operations as may offer in -this quarter.” Cornwallis had previously offered to send two of the -Hessian regiments, then in South Carolina, “as they could be spared in -the hot summer months,” and Clinton begged him to “renew that offer.” - -A brief glance at the Southern Department is necessary in order fully to -measure the designs of the American Commander-in-Chief, which, on the -surface, seemed to be local in their purpose. The army of Cornwallis, -with reenforcements, numbered about seven thousand effective troops when -he entered upon his active campaign against Lafayette. It will be -remembered that Cornwallis had promised Clinton to drive Lafayette from -Richmond. When Lafayette saw that by attempting to hold Richmond he -would risk a general action, with the possible loss of Virginia and -consequent ruin to Greene’s army at the South, he permitted that city to -abide the fate of war, and marched northward to the upper Rappahannock; -to effect an union with the forces of Wayne, approaching from the north. -He decided to avoid further contest with Cornwallis, unless on terms of -his own dictation. - -The Assembly of Virginia, quickened to new energy, retired to -Charlottesville May 24th. But they authorized the “issue of fifteen -millions of bills,” and also the declaration of martial law within -twenty miles of any army headquarters. That brought Richmond within the -military control of Lafayette. The Burgoyne prisoners were also removed -from Charlottesville, over the mountains, to Winchester. The details of -the pursuit of Lafayette by Cornwallis, day by day, are full of -thrilling interest, but beyond the province of this narrative. - -[Illustration: Lafayette in Virginia.] - -On the twenty-eighth of May, Lafayette wrote as follows to Washington: -“The enemy have been so kind as to retire before us. Twice, I gave them -a chance of fighting, taking good care not to engage them farther than I -pleased, but they continued their retrograde motions. Our numbers are, I -think, exaggerated to them, and our seeming boldness confirms the -opinion. I thought, at first, Lord Cornwallis wanted to get me as low -down as possible, and use his cavalry to advantage. His lordship had, -exclusive of the reënforcements from Portsmouth, (said to be six -hundred) four thousand men; eight hundred of whom were dragoons, or -mounted infantry. Our force is about his; but only one thousand five -hundred regulars, and fifty dragoons. One little action more -particularly marks the retreat of the enemy. From the place where he -first began to retire to Williamsburg, is upwards of one hundred miles. -The old arms at the Point of the Fork have been taken out of the water. -The cannon was thrown into the river undamaged, when they marched back -to Richmond; so that his lordship did us no harm of consequence, but -lost an immense part of his former conquests, and did not make any in -the State. General Greene only demanded of me to hold my ground, in -Virginia. I don’t know but what we shall, in our turn, become the -pursuing enemy.” - -On the very next day, after this letter was despatched to the American -Commander-in-Chief, May twenty-ninth, Cornwallis did, in fact, abandon -pursuit. Tarleton, who never lost opportunity to express his -appreciation of the tact, skill, and “invariable wisdom of Lafayette’s -movements,” states, that “an American patrol was captured; and among -letters of Lafayette to Greene, Steuben, and others, was one to Governor -Jefferson, urging him to rally militia during his absence, and using -this prophetic expression: ‘The British success in Virginia resembles -the French invasion of Hanover, and is likely to have similar -consequences, if the governor and the country would exert themselves, at -the present juncture.’” - -When Cornwallis halted and moved back towards his base, Tarleton was -detached with two hundred and fifty troopers, mounted on the picked -stock of the best private stables, taken at will, and attempted to -capture Governor Jefferson at Monticello. His report says: “I imagined -that a march of seventy miles in twenty-four hours, with the caution -used, might perhaps give the advantage of a surprise.” Tarleton charged -through the Riviana River, captured seven members of the Legislature and -Brigadier-General Scott, and destroyed one thousand arms and four -hundred barrels of powder; but the Governor escaped, and the Assembly -immediately convened at Staunton, beyond Tarleton’s reach. Then he -started down the Riviana to join Simcoe in an attack upon Steuben’s -depot of supplies at Elk Island. But Wayne joined Lafayette, and -Lafayette proceeded southward. They soon started in pursuit of the -retiring column of Cornwallis. The pursued had indeed become the -pursuers. Tarleton thus writes: “The Marquis Lafayette, who had -previously practised defensive measures with skill and security, being -now reënforced by Wayne and about eight hundred continentals and some -militia, followed the British as they proceeded down James River. This -design, being judiciously arranged and executed with extreme caution, -allowed opportunity for the junction of Baron Steuben; confined the -small detachments of the King’s troops; and both saved the property and -animated the drooping spirits of the Virginians.” On the thirteenth, -Tarleton reported his own movements and the waste he had accomplished. - -The scouts of Lafayette intercepted the letter, and he published it to -the people before Cornwallis himself had knowledge of its contents. -Cornwallis returned to his headquarters, to find despatches fifteen days -old awaiting his attention. One contained this extraordinary -information: “The Continentals under Lafayette cannot exceed one -thousand; and the Pennsylvania Line, under Wayne, are so discontented, -that their officers are afraid to trust them with ammunition. -Postscript.—This may have, however, since altered.” - -On the very day of the receipt of this despatch, Tarleton and Simcoe -were actually compelled to cover the picket-lines of Cornwallis with -their full force, to prevent Lafayette’s Continentals and the -Pennsylvania Line from capturing the supply trains of his command. -Cornwallis started for Portsmouth on the fourth. A sharp action at -Williamsburg, in which Wayne made a brilliant bayonet charge, and in -which Lafayette, having lost a horse, gallantly fought the battle on -foot, resulted in a loss of one hundred and eighteen Americans and -seventy-five British troops. From Portsmouth, Cornwallis took boats for -Yorktown, on the first of August; and on the sixth, Tarleton says: “I -threw my horses into deep water, near shore, and landed without loss,” -joining Cornwallis on the tenth. Gloucester, opposite Yorktown, was -occupied and fortified. Constant skirmishes occurred between Tarleton -and Simcoe, of its garrison, and the detachments which Lafayette kept -active in the vicinity. - -On the eighth, Lafayette wrote to Washington as follows: “We shall act -agreeably to circumstances; but avoid drawing ourselves into a false -movement, which, if cavalry had command of the river, would give the -enemy the advantage of us. His lordship plays so well, that no blunder -can be hoped from him, to recover a bad step of ours. Should a fleet -come in at this moment, our affairs would take a very happy turn.” On -the thirteenth, Lafayette established his headquarters in the forks of -the Pamunkey and the Mattaponey. On the twenty-third, he wrote, in part: -“In the present state of affairs, my dear general, I hope you will come -yourself to Virginia. Lord Cornwallis must be attacked with pretty good -apparatus; but when a French fleet takes possession of the Bay, and we -form a land force superior to his, that army must sooner or later be -forced to surrender, as we may then get what reënforcements we please. I -heartily thank you for having ordered me to Virginia. It is to your -goodness that I am indebted for the most beautiful prospect which I may -ever be able to behold.” - -On the thirtieth, Count de Grasse arrived in the Chesapeake with -twenty-six sail-of-the-line, besides frigates and transports. On the -third of September, Count de St. Simon landed with three thousand two -hundred French troops, and was joined by Lafayette at Green Spring on -the same day. On the fifth, the allies occupied Williamsburg, about -fifteen miles from Yorktown. The Count de Grasse had a limited period -for operations on the American coast, and united with the Count de St. -Simon to urge an immediate attack upon Yorktown, before its defences -could be completed, waiving seniority of rank, and agreeing to serve -under Lafayette. - -Lafayette thus wrote to Washington: “I am not so hasty as the Count de -Grasse, and think that having so sure a game to play, it would be -madness, by the risk of an attack, to give anything to chance. Unless -matters are very different from what I think they are, my opinion is, -that we ought to be contented with preventing the enemy’s forages, with -militia; without committing our regulars. Whatever readiness the Marquis -de St. Simon has been pleased to express to Colonel Gimât respecting his -being under me, I shall do nothing without paying that deference which -is due to age, talents, and experience; but would rather incline to the -cautious line of conduct I have of late adopted. I hope you will find we -have taken the best precautions to prevent his lordship’s escape. I -hardly believe he will make the attempt. If he does, he must give up -ships, artillery, baggage, part of the horses, all the negroes; must be -certain to lose one-third of his army, and run the greatest risk of -losing the whole, without gaining that glory which he may derive from a -brilliant defence.” On the eighth, Lafayette wrote: “If you knew how -slowly things go on in this country! The governor does what he can; the -wheels of government are so rusty, that no governor whatever will be -able to set them free again. Time will prove that Governor Jefferson has -been too severely charged. We will try, if not dangerous, on so large a -scale, to form a good idea of the works; but unless I am greatly -deceived, there will be madness in attacking them now, with our force. -Marquis de St. Simon, Count de Grasse and General Du Portail agree with -me in opinion; but should Lord Cornwallis come out against such a -position as we have, everybody thinks he cannot but repent of it; and -should he beat us, he must soon prepare for another battle.” - -The time had arrived for the presence of the American -Commander-in-Chief. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIV. - BRITISH CAPTAINS OUTGENERALED.—WASHINGTON JOINS LAFAYETTE. - - -Washington was in his tent, where only the quiet of a few hours at a -time interposed their opportunity for other than field duty. At one of -those intervals he was compelled to make assignments of the American -army for associated operations with his French allies. He had just been -advised that three thousand Hessian auxiliaries had reënforced the -British garrison of New York. Appeals to the various State authorities -had failed to realize appreciable additions to his fighting - -It was an hour of opportunity for America. Failure to meet French -support with a fair correspondence in military force, would compromise -his country before the world. Amid such reflections, which were the -basis of a fresh public appeal, he was rallied to action by the entrance -of a special messenger from Newport, Rhode Island. The frigate -_Concorde_ had arrived from the West Indies, and the following despatch -was placed in his hands: “Count de Grasse will leave San Domingo on the -third of August, direct for Chesapeake Bay.” - -With imperturbable calmness, Washington folded the despatch, and then -consulted with the Count de Rochambeau alone, as to the best disposition -to be made of the squadron of Admiral de Barras, still at Newport. That -officer, although the senior of the Count de Grasse, promptly expressed -his readiness to waive precedence and serve as best advised by the -American Commander-in-Chief. He had indeed but seven ships-of-the-line -disposable and ready for sea; but this force was deemed a sufficient -convoy for the transports which were to carry heavy artillery and -ammunition, for siege purposes before Yorktown. This courtesy of the -French admiral had its important sequel, in changing what would have -been a superior British naval force in those waters to a determining -superiority on the part of France, at the most critical moment of that -final campaign in behalf of American Independence. Every officer of -Washington’s staff received instant instructions. They were only -advised, very reservedly, that supplies of heavy artillery would be -forwarded to General Lafayette, for his use; but it began to be realized -that with French troops sufficient to complete the environment of -Yorktown, and a French fleet competent to destroy the coast defences, -the capitulation of Cornwallis could be enforced. - -Letters were immediately sent by trusty messengers to every Northern -governor, to hasten forward their Continental quotas yet in arrears, and -to rally their militia in force, for the “capture of New York.” -Confidential agents were also despatched to General Lafayette and the -Count de Grasse, with the joint instructions of Washington and -Rochambeau, sufficiently embodying an intimation of plans held in -reserve; but explicitly warning them not to permit Cornwallis to escape, -nor to receive reënforcements by sea from New York. Other letters were -written to the authorities of New Jersey and Philadelphia, quite -minutely defining a plan for the seizure of Staten Island, under cover -of a French naval force; while the principal allied armies were expected -to force the upper defences of New York by irresistible assault. Some of -these despatches, carefully duplicated, with enclosed plans, as once -before, were put into the hands of other messengers, designedly for -interception by Clinton. Heavy batteaux on wheels, hauled by oxen, made -ostentatious movement, together with wagon-loads of supplies, to the -seashore opposite Staten Island. General Heath was placed in command of -a large camp near Springfield, New Jersey, for assembling and drilling a -large force of militia. Other small camps of Pennsylvania and New Jersey -militia, easily distinguishable by the spies of General Clinton, dotted -the country. The militia of Connecticut and New York also hastened to -participate in the long-hoped-for emancipation of New York from British -control. - -As late as the nineteenth, in order to give General Clinton fair notice -that he might expect no unnecessary or protracted delay in the attack -already ripe for execution, all roads leading to King’s Bridge were -cleared of obstructions. Fallen trees and scattered branches were -removed so as to expedite a swift assault upon the British advanced -outposts. All these were heaped up and burned at night, as a reminder of -the impending crisis. Everything worked admirably as planned, and still, -as on the fourth of March, 1776, before Boston, the American -Commander-in-Chief kept to himself his secret purpose. - -Afterwards, he thus explained his action: “That much trouble was taken, -and finesse used, to misguide and bewilder Sir Henry Clinton, in regard -to the real object, by fictitious communications as well as by making a -deceptive provision of ovens, forage, and boats, in his neighborhood, -_is certain. Nor, was less pains taken to deceive our own army; for, I -had always conceived, when the imposition does not completely take place -at home, it would never sufficiently succeed abroad._” - -During the nineteenth, while the obstructions were being thus removed -from the roads leading into New York, Colonel Hazen crossed the Hudson -at Dobb’s Ferry and demonstrated for an advance upon Staten Island, from -the Jersey shore, immediately opposite. On the twenty-first, a -detachment selected by Washington himself crossed the Hudson at King’s -Ferry, near Haverstraw. The French army followed, and the armies were -united on the twenty-fifth. During this brief delay, Rochambeau -accompanied Washington to a final inspection of West Point; and the -headquarters of the American army at New Windsor, between that post and -Newburg, were formally abandoned. - -The combined armies of America and France no longer threatened New York; -but _they had not been missed by Clinton_. The American forces moved -rapidly toward Springfield, on the Rahway, as if to strike Staten -Island. The great baggage-train and the same batteaux demonstrated -toward Staten Island. But the French army marched for Whippany, in the -direction of Trenton. Washington and his suite reached Philadelphia -about noon, August thirtieth. Still _they had not been missed by -Clinton_. - -But now, for the first time, the American army realized that it was -destined southward, and that a triumphant entry into New York City was -not to be the crowning reward for service so faithfully done. -Dissatisfaction was openly and bluntly expressed. Even officers, long in -arrears of pay, equally with the rank and file, bitterly complained. -Rochambeau, quickly alive to the situation, promptly advanced twenty -thousand dollars in gold for the men, upon the simple pledge of Robert -Morris, of Philadelphia, that it should be refunded by the first of -October. - -Suddenly, Colonel Laurens, just from France, having landed at Boston on -the twenty-fifth, only five days before, appeared at Washington’s -quarters’ with report of the result of his mission to the French king. -His ship brought clothing, ammunition, and half a million of dollars, as -the first instalment of six million of livres ($1,111,111) generously -furnished by Louis XVI., with the pledge of additional sums to follow. -This welcome visitor further announced to the calmly attentive American -Commander-in-Chief this message: “Dr. Franklin advised me that he had -secured a loan of four million of livres ($740,740) to cover American -drafts made before I could arrive in America; and Count de Vergennes -agreed to guarantee a loan in Holland, for ten million livres -($1,851,851).” - -If the heavens had opened and reverberating thunder had distinctly -articulated: “American Independence is achieved!” the assurance of a -Divine interposition would hardly have appeared more emphatic to the -waiting faith of Washington, or have more thrillingly encouraged the -weary but obedient soldiers of his command. - -And still this American army, thus refreshed in spirit and joyous in the -hope of speedy and final victory, _had not been missed from New York by -General, Sir Henry Clinton_. Another fast-sailing frigate was speeding -through the Narrows, past Sandy Hook, southward, once more to appeal to -Lord Cornwallis to come to the rescue of imperiled, beleaguered New -York. - -On the second day of September, the American army made its third formal -entry into Philadelphia, amid glad acclaims of welcome, and sharing with -the people in the spirit of one great jubilee. At that very hour, -_another courier vessel_, in chase of the former, left New York with a -message for Cornwallis, which failed to reach him until the fifteenth. -It was in cipher, and read as follows: - - NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 1781. - - Mr. Washington is moving an army to the southward, with an appearance - of haste; and gives out that he expects the coöperation of a - considerable French armament. Your Lordship, however, may be assured - that if this should be the case, I shall endeavor to reënforce your - command by all means within the compass of my power; or, make every - possible diversion in your favor. - - P.S.—Washington, it is said, was at Trenton, this day, and means to go - in vessels to Christiana Creek, and from thence by Head of Elk, down - Chesapeake Bay also.... Washington has about four thousand French, and - two thousand Continentals, with him. - -On the following day, the French army, having taken a day for cleaning -arms, uniforms, and accoutrements, made a dress parade through the -American capital. Every gorgeous trapping of their brilliant, -sentimental outfit was proudly displayed before the wondering and -delighted populace. Contemporary writers could not sufficiently describe -the “magnificence of the parade, and the convulsions of joy that -animated the entire population.” And yet, one eminent French officer, in -describing the march of the American army on the previous day, said: -“The plainly dressed American army lost no credit in the steadiness of -their march and their fitness for battle.” - -On the same day, Washington received despatches from Lafayette. One, -dated August 21st, reported that “the British troops were fortifying -Gloucester, across the river from Yorktown.” Others were as follows: “A -small garrison remains at Portsmouth”; “I have written to the Governor, -to collect six hundred militia upon Blackwater”; “I have written to -General Gregory, near Portsmouth, that I am advised that the enemy -intend to push a detachment into Carolina; to General Wayne, to move to -the southward and to have a column ready to cross the James at Westover; -and that my own army will soon assemble again upon the waters of the -Chickahominy.” Reference has already been made to Washington’s receipt -of Lafayette’s letter of August 8th, announcing the occupation of -Yorktown by Cornwallis. - -Washington made no delay, but on the fifth of September started for the -“Head of the Elk.” He had but just passed Chester, when he met a courier -from Lafayette, with announcement of the arrival of the Count de Grasse. -Riding back to Chester, Washington advised Rochambeau of the welcome -tidings, and then pushed forward, arriving at the Head of Elk the next -morning. - -The previous day had been one of peculiar excitement in the city of -Philadelphia. A formal review and rigid inspection of the entire French -army took place, and the President of the American Congress received the -honors of the occasion. During the evening, the French officers gave a -grand banquet in honor of Chevalier Lauzun. The despatch to Washington -was read amid cheers. A half hour later, a second despatch, announcing -“the landing of Count de Simon and his junction with Lafayette,” was -read; and read a _second_ time, “all standing” in its honor. - -On this memorable date, September 6th, other events of interest are to -be noticed. It was Lafayette’s twenty-fourth birthday. In a letter to -his wife, still preserved by the family, he poured forth from an -overflowing soul, his “love for his great Captain”; “for the American -cause”; appreciation of his “enviable lot, as victory is drawing nigh,” -and his “longing to tell her, face to face, of thrilling adventures, -which had never been interrupted by night or day.” - -September 6th, also, Clinton wrote to Cornwallis: - - As I find by your letters, that Count de Grasse has got into the - Chesapeake, and I have no doubt that Washington is moving with at - least six thousand French and rebel troops against you, I think the - best way to relieve you, is, to join you, as soon as possible, with - all the force that can be spared from here, which is about four - thousand men. They are already embarked, and will proceed, the instant - I receive information from the admiral that we may venture; or that - from other intelligence, the commodore and I should judge sufficient - to move upon. By accounts from Europe we have every reason to expect - Admiral Digby hourly upon the coast. - -On this same sixth of September, Clinton disclosed his last move to -check Washington’s advance, and take Cornwallis out of check. Arnold, -who had been so summarily withdrawn from the South, landed at New -London, Connecticut, wantonly destroying houses, stores, a church, the -Court-House, ships, and whatever he could damage without personal danger -to himself; and made forever memorable the cruel massacre of Colonel -Ledyard and the garrison of Fort Griswold after their honorable -surrender. He no less permanently made memorable their extraordinary -defence, in which the British assailing column lost one hundred and -sixty-three officers and men, a number exceeding that of the entire -American resisting force. It was soon over; and Arnold did not dare -delay, and risk his fate with the yeomanry of his native New England. -The secret of Clinton’s cipher despatch to Cornwallis on the second of -August, respecting the _use of Arnold_, was thus revealed. But the -attention of the American Commander-in-Chief was not diverted from his -own supreme purpose, whatever Clinton might undertake in his absence. - -The allied French and American armies remained at Head of Elk for -transportation; but during that interval, Rochambeau accompanied -Washington to Baltimore, where illuminations and civil honors attested -the welcome of these distinguished guests. On the ninth, for the first -time in six years, the American Commander-in-Chief visited his Mount -Vernon home. On the tenth, his own staff, together with the Count de -Rochambeau and staff, were his guests. On the eleventh, General -Chastellux and aides-de-camp joined the party. On the twelfth, the visit -came to its close. On the fourteenth of September, Washington reached -the headquarters of General, the Marquis de Lafayette, commanding the -Department, at Williamsburg, Virginia. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXV. - THE ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE VINDICATED.—WASHINGTON’S MAGNANIMITY.—HIS - BENEDICTION. - - -The story of the siege of Yorktown and the surrender of Earl Cornwallis, -Lieutenant-General in command, has been so fully detailed by many -writers that only a few features of the general conduct of that -campaign, and some special incidents not so frequently noticed, are -within the province of this narrative. - -While the control of Chesapeake Bay and of Virginia was essential to -British success, Sir Henry Clinton deliberately proposed to couple with -that general design another invasion of Pennsylvania, but from the -south. When Cornwallis moved northward from his useless position at -Wilmington, he was advised by General Clinton to make a movement upon -Philadelphia. General Clinton must have very feebly remembered the -circumstances of his hasty departure from that city in 1778, or have -overlooked Washington’s strategic control of that entire region. The -movement of Lafayette southward, and the energy with which that officer -rallied Virginians to his support, were not appreciated by either of the -British Generals in time to be of benefit to either. - -Clinton and Cornwallis alike failed to comprehend that when the American -Commander-in-Chief parted with Lafayette, and afterwards gave him so -large a command, he must have had in view some special service which -that officer could perform with credit as a significant factor in the -entire campaign. Cornwallis knew, however, that unless he could destroy -Lafayette’s army, the British cause in Virginia would certainly be lost. -But the same profound strategy which had inclosed Clinton at New York, -isolated Cornwallis at Yorktown. - -Washington was well aware, that neither Louis XVI. nor Rochambeau wholly -favored an attack upon New York. Their objections were substantial. Such -a movement involved the presence of enormous naval forces, which once -within the harbor, might be easily captured or destroyed, whenever Great -Britain could seriously concentrate ships for that purpose. Neither -could a French fleet secure supplies of any kind, so long as Clinton -controlled the city. It was the natural naval depot of Great Britain for -the American coast, and convenient for her West India dependencies. -France, ever willing to aid America, must, however, always have her -naval base in the West Indies, which wholly depended upon her naval -supremacy for immunity from British aggression. Notwithstanding these -considerations, the harmony of the French and American alliance was -never interrupted, and mutual confidence was invariably enjoyed. - -It is never to be overlooked that Washington cared more for his position -in New Jersey than for the possession of New York. Its occupation -without a controlling fleet, would be as fatal as the presence of a -fleet without control of the city. - -On the day after his arrival at Lafayette’s headquarters, he requested -the Count de Grasse to hasten the transportation of the American troops -from Baltimore; and yet, added a postscript that “Lafayette already -anticipated” his request. On the seventeenth, he embarked with Count -Rochambeau, General Knox and General Du Portail upon the frigate _Queen -Charlotte_; and on the eighteenth, visited the Count de Grasse upon his -flag-ship, the _Ville de Paris_. The distinguished visitors were -received with appropriate honors, and at once took under consideration -the plan for the most speedy prosecution of the siege. - -During that interview, Washington was advised of an immediately -preceding event which must interest the modern reader, at a time when -all maritime nations are interested in naval development and ships of -great power. Just before his visit, there had been concentrated, about -the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, one of the heaviest armaments known to -maritime warfare. Fifty-two ships-of-the-line—each with three, or even -four gun-decks, and ranging from sixty-four to one hundred and twenty -guns, besides frigates—constituted that imposing battle array. It has -already been noticed that Admiral Barras sailed from Newport in convoy -of transports which carried heavy guns for siege use before Yorktown. -When Lafayette first moved southward, Washington supplied his detachment -with twelve heavy guns, including two eight-inch mortars, one -twenty-four and two eighteen-pounder guns, for use in arming small -vessels, or assailing Arnold’s defences. These were difficult of -transportation, but no less indispensable as a contingent part of his -outfit. The wisdom of these provisions had a twofold fruition. A British -fleet had been detached from the West India station for the purpose of -supplementing the New York and Newport squadrons. Admiral Hood, in -command, crossed the mouth of Chesapeake Bay just before the arrival of -the Count de Grasse; looked into Delaware Bay, and reported to Admiral -Graves at Sandy Hook on the twenty-fourth day of August. That officer -had but five ships-of-the-line ready for sea. Upon receiving advices -from Gardiner’s Bay that Admiral de Barras had actually sailed southward -from Newport, he incurred no delay, but on the thirty-first of August -sailed, with nineteen ships, in pursuit of the French. On the fifth of -September, he passed within the Delaware Capes without having -encountered Admiral Barras at sea, and without the slightest intimation -that he was soon to be in the presence of a superior naval adversary. -The Count de Grasse, when notified of the appearance of so many large -ships, supposed at first that the fleet of Admiral Barras, already due, -was at hand. Seventeen hundred of his seamen were on the James River, -planting heavy batteries; but so soon as the British flag revealed the -hostile character of the ships, he moved his first division at once, -seaward and southward, ordering the second division to follow -immediately. By this prompt and judicious manœuvre he not only left the -northern channel open for the admission of De Barras from the north, but -secured the weather-gauge of the British fleet; and this he maintained -with equal skill and intrepidity. These great fleets manœuvered for five -days without a general action, but with several sharp encounters in -which several vessels suffered severely. The French casualties were two -hundred and twenty, and the British three hundred and thirty-six. - -[Illustration: Operations in Chesapeake Bay.] - -During this exchange of hostilities, Admiral Barras safely entered the -bay with seven ships-of-the-line and fourteen large transports, bringing -heavy guns for the siege. (See map.) The Count de Grasse slowly retired, -followed by Admiral Graves; but when the latter realized that Admiral de -Barras had indeed arrived, and that his own fleet was now greatly -inferior in force to that of his adversary, he returned promptly to New -York. The Count de Grasse at the same time knew that Admiral Digby had -arrived at New York from the West Indies with three line-of-battle ships -(reported as six). All these particulars of the previous week’s -operations were communicated to General Washington and his party, on the -_Ville de Paris_. These officers at once started for their respective -camps. Owing to severe and contrary winds, Washington did not reach -Williamsburg until the twenty-second. All at once, a very grave -question, and one which threatened to defeat his carefully matured -plans, confronted the American Commander-in-Chief. The Count de Grasse -outlined his purpose as follows: “To detach two ships for the mouth of -James River; to leave four frigates and several corvettes, in the James; -then, to sail for New York, and either intercept or fight the British -fleet, before it could receive further reënforcements from England or -the West Indies; then, to return and act in concert, each on his own -side.” - -Against this departure from the concerted plans of Washington and -Rochambeau, Lafayette protested in vigorous terms. His influence at that -time with the French Court was paramount as to American affairs, and -Queen Marie Antoinette was even a greater enthusiast in behalf of -American liberty than Louis XVI. The instructions of the King to -Rochambeau, already cited, which made Rochambeau subordinate to -Washington in the use of French auxiliary forces, were produced; and the -Count de Grasse gracefully withdrew his suggestion and accepted the -judgment of the generals in command of the land forces, as his rule of -action respecting his fleet. - -On the twenty-fifth, the remaining troops en route from the north -reached Williamsburg, making a total of twelve thousand regular troops, -besides more than four thousand militia. On the twenty-eighth, the -entire army advanced and took position within two miles of the British -works. On the twenty-ninth, after a thorough reconnoissance, the -movement began for the complete investment of Yorktown, and all its -approaches. From the opening of the first parallel of approach until -October seventeenth, the activity of the allied forces, the spirited and -generous emulation of Frenchmen and Americans in repulsing sorties, in -storming redoubts, in bombardment, or silencing the enemy’s guns, was -incessant by night and day. - -[Illustration: Siege of Yorktown.] - -A careful inspection of the map will disclose the relations of the -allied forces, and the completeness of the investment. Washington opened -the fire in person. The rivalry of the American and French troops became -intense. Generals Lincoln, Wayne, Knox, Du Portail, Steuben, Nelson, -Weedon, Clinton, St. Clair, Lawson, and Muhlenburg, with Colonels -Hamilton, Stevens, Lamb, Carrington, Scammel, and Laurens, were among -the American leaders. Generals de Boville, de Vioménil, Chastellux, de -Choisy, de Lauzun, de St. Simon, and Colonels de Dumas, de Deux Pont, -and Gimât, were as active, on the part of the French. - -The line of redoubts and batteries marked F (French) had been completed, -and it was deemed necessary to storm two British redoubts and take them -into the parallel. Famous soldiers and corps took part in simultaneous -assault, upon rocket signals, at night. Lafayette, with Gimât, Hamilton, -Laurens, and Barber, was assigned to the redoubt nearest the river. The -Baron de Vioménil with the Count Deux Pont, supported by the grenadiers -of Gatinais, attacked the other. This regiment had been formed out of -that of Auvergne, once commanded by Rochambeau, and long known as the -_Regiment d’Auvergne, sans tache_. When drawn up in line, Rochambeau -promised that if they did well, he would ask the King to restore their -old name; and this was afterwards done by Louis XVI. - -Before the signal of attack was given, some light words passed between -the Baron de Vioménil and Lafayette as to the superiority of the French -Grenadiers for these attacks. Lafayette’s column succeeded first, and he -promptly despatched Major Barber to the Baron, with a tender of -assistance. Hamilton and Laurens were conspicuous for gallantry, moving -over the abatis with unloaded muskets; and the French officers were -equally complimented for daring and disregard of British resistance. - -Clinton, at his New York headquarters, was in the fullest possible -possession of the record of events then occurring in and about Yorktown. -Space cannot be given, even to a glance over his shoulder, as he reads, -day by day, repeated messages and short postscripts from Cornwallis -indicating the grave peril of his position, and the conviction that -protracted resistance is not to be looked for. An attempt by Cornwallis, -to cross the river and gain New York by land, was a failure. On the -sixteenth, when he ordered these detachments to return, he closed his -correspondence with Clinton in this sad and desperate paragraph: “Our -works are going to ruin. The boats are now being returned. We cannot -fire a single gun. Only one eight-inch, and a little more than a hundred -cohorn shells remain. I therefore propose to capitulate.” - -The seventeenth day of October, 1781, dawned, and at 10 o’clock A.M. two -concurrent events occurred,—one at New York, and its contrary, in -Virginia. Sir Henry Clinton, accompanied by a command of seven thousand -choice troops, under convoy of the magnificent squadron of twenty-five -battleships, two fifty-gun ships, and eight frigates, sailed past Staten -Island, for the rescue of the worn-out garrison of Yorktown. He had -previously sailed past Sandy Hook, and the reader will appreciate the -involuntary contrast with a similar departure southward, in the year -1776. - -At the same hour, ten o’clock, A.M., a flag of truce bore to the -headquarters of the American Commander-in-Chief, the following note: - - YORK, 17th October, 1781. - - EARL CORNWALLIS _To General Washington_: - - SIR: I propose a cessation of hostilities for twenty-four hours, and - that two officers be appointed by each side, to meet at Moore’s house, - to settle terms for the surrender of the posts of York and Gloucester. - - I have the honor to be, etc., - CORNWALLIS. - -The following reply partakes of the dignity, wisdom, and appreciation of -existing conditions which have characterized all letters of Washington -previously cited. It reads as follows: - - MY LORD: I have the honor to receive your Lordship’s letter of this - date. - - An ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood will readily - incline me to such terms for the surrender of your posts of York and - Gloucester as are admissible. - - I wish, previously to the meeting of the Commissioners, that your - lordship’s proposals, in writing, may be sent to the American lines; - for which purpose, a suspension of hostilities during two hours from - the delivery of this letter will be granted. - - I have the honor to be, etc., - GEORGE WASHINGTON. - -At half-past four in the afternoon, the proposals of Cornwallis were -received; but they were so general in their nature, that the Viscount de -Noailles and Colonel Laurens, on the part of the allied armies, and -Colonel Dundas and Major Ross, of the British army, were charged with -preparing other terms of capitulation, for official signature. These -were completed on the eighteenth. On the nineteenth they were signed at -Yorktown, by Cornwallis and Thomas Symonds of the Royal Navy, who led -the attack upon Fort Sullivan (Moultrie) in 1776; and, “In the trenches, -before Yorktown, in Virginia,” by George Washington and Le Compte de -Rochambeau, and by Le Compte de Barras for himself and Le Compte de -Grasse. - -At twelve o’clock, noon, the two redoubts on the left flank of Yorktown -were delivered, one to American infantry, and the other to French -Grenadiers. At one o’clock, two works on the Gloucester side of the -river were respectively delivered to French and American troops. At two -o’clock, P.M., the garrison of York marched to the appointed place of -surrender in front of the post, with shouldered arms, colors cased, and -drums beating a British march; grounded their arms, and returned to -their encampments to await a temporary location in the States of -Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. At three o’clock, P.M., the -Gloucester garrison also marched forth—the cavalry with drawn swords and -trumpets sounding, and the infantry as prescribed for the garrison of -York. - -The terms of surrender were the same as those observed when General -Lincoln surrendered Charleston to Cornwallis, in 1780; and when General -O’Hara, on account of the illness of General Cornwallis, tendered the -sword of that officer to General Washington, as the pledge of surrender, -he was graciously referred to General Lincoln as its recipient, and that -officer as graciously returned it. The land forces became prisoners to -the United States, and the marine forces to the naval army of France. -(See Appendix F.) - -On the twentieth, Washington issued an order of congratulation to the -allied army, in the following words: - -“Divine service is to be performed to-morrow in the several brigades and -divisions. The Commander-in-Chief earnestly recommends that the troops -not on duty should universally attend, with that seriousness of -deportment and gratitude of heart which the recognition of such -reiterated and astonishing interpositions of Providence demand of us.” - -The American army which paraded on that Thanksgiving Day was not the -same army that began the war. The one central figure, Washington, the -Commander-in-Chief, is present. Some, crowned with well-deserved honors, -are serving in the Halls of Congress. Some, worn out in service, have -retired from active duty. All who had inordinate ambition, and cared -more for self than country, have dropped from the Army Roster. - -After the surrender of Cornwallis, American and French officers vied in -extending courtesies to the British officers, as Lafayette describes -their visits, “with every sort of politeness, especially toward Lord -Cornwallis, one of the men of the highest character in England, who was -considered to be their foremost general.” In a parting interview, -Cornwallis replied to Lafayette: “I am aware of your humanity toward -prisoners of war, and I commend to you my unfortunate army.” Lafayette, -calling attention to the earlier surrender of Burgoyne’s army, answered: -“Your lordship knows that the Americans have always been humane towards -captured armies.” In recalling the incident in his “Mémoires -Historiques,” Lafayette says: “In truth, the English army was treated -with every possible consideration.” - -Washington designated Lafayette as commander of an expedition to -Wilmington and Charleston, with the brigades of Wayne and Gist. In his -journal he says: “It was to be entrusted to the Marq’s de la Fayette, in -case he could engage the Admiral to convey it & secure the debarkation. -I left him on board the _Ville de Paris_, to try the force of his -influence to obtain these.” Although fixed for November 1st, it was -dropped, and the French feet sailed for the West Indies. - -Lafayette obtained leave of absence, and sailed from Boston on the -frigate _Alliance_, December 23rd, having affectionately parted with -Washington; and after a passage of twenty-three days, landed at -L’Orient, where he was cordially welcomed home by his family and the -entire French people. - -Washington’s faithful friend, Rochambeau, remained with him, under his -command, when the troops of the Marquis de St. Simon and the fleet of -the Count de Grasse sailed for the West Indies. Rochambeau wintered at -Williamsburg; in the summer of 1782, returned through Philadelphia, to -the Hudson; thence to New England in the autumn, and sailed for the West -Indies during December, 1782. The American Congress did not fail to -appreciate the services of this distinguished French officer. A “stand -of colors” (ever since appreciated by his family), and a piece of -ordnance, were gifts; and it was decreed that a marble monument should -be erected at Yorktown, “to commemorate the alliance between France and -the United States, and the victory achieved by their associated arms.” - -Even before the departure of Rochambeau from America, the crowning event -of the fraternal alliance between France and the United States had been -realized, and Independence was no longer a matter of doubt. On the -seventh day of May, 1782, Sir Henry Clinton was relieved of all further -responsibility in command of New York, by Sir Guy Carleton; who assumed -command, and immediately announced to the American Commander-in-Chief -that he had been appointed as a Commissioner to consider the terms of a -permanent peace between Great Britain and the United States of America. -If the reader will recall the antecedents of this officer and the spirit -with which he paroled the American troops, after the disastrous assault -upon Quebec in the winter of 1775, he will appreciate the fitness of his -taking part in the final negotiations for fraternity and peace. - -The negotiations between these officers brought into striking relief -certain qualities of Washington as a soldier which have had too slight -recognition. The terms “tory” and “royalist” have been used in this -narrative as they were specially in vogue at the different times and -places where they occur. It has been too often assumed by youth who -study Revolutionary history, that Hessian soldiers were always brutal, -that Tarleton and Simcoe, and especially the Queen’s Rangers, were -irresponsible marauders, and that the tories generally were cruel, and -deserving no quarter. - -As a fact, the Revolutionary War had, at its start, many of those -painful antagonisms among neighborhoods and families which always attach -to civil conflicts under the best possible conditions. Among the -thousands who adhered to the British cause, and especially among the -royalist “Provincial Corps,” there were eminent divines, physicians, -lawyers, and scholars. All they had in the world was involved in the -struggle. Many of these sympathized with the best British statesmen, and -longed for some adjustment of differences which would not require -abandonment of their homes in America. By a grave oversight on the part -of Great Britain, no adequate provision was made by her ministry for -this class of Americans who had fought to the last for the Crown. The -action of Washington in coöperation with Sir Guy Carleton, respecting -these men, disbanded as soldiers, but cast upon the world with no -provision for their relief, was so marked by generosity, active aid, and -wise relief, that until this day their descendants in Nova Scotia and -New Brunswick pay glad tribute to his memory. Through the joint efforts -of these two officers, five thousand were sent to St. John, New -Brunswick. The seventeenth day of May, 1783, when the first large -detachment of the Queen’s Rangers landed, is honored as the Natal Day of -that Province. Simcoe, their old commander, became the first Governor of -Upper Canada. In 1792, he organized a miniature Parliament of two -Houses. He founded the City of Toronto; and in 1796, governed the Island -of San Domingo. - -Professor Roberts, in his “History of Canada,” already cited, represents -the migration of thirty thousand Americans to that country immediately -after the Revolutionary War, as “no less far-reaching and significant in -its results than the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth.” - -There have been those who regarded as the most noble and unselfish act -of Washington’s public career, his patriotic protest against the demands -of his unpaid, starving, and self-sacrificing comrades, that he accept -royal dignity or else become the Oliver Cromwell of his generation. But -the consideration, firmness, and justice with which he dismissed these -mustered-out, disbanded royalists, and, in spite of abuse and outcry, -assisted them to independence in a land of their own choice, adds -another laurel to his chaplet as the magnanimous, no less than the -great, soldier. The subsequent triumphal entry of Washington into the -City of New York, on the twenty-fifth day of November, 1783, was the -crowning military incident of the war. - -The numerous Centennial observances in honor of events of the -Revolution, since the second century of American Independence began, -have helped to bring to light many family and other historical data -which otherwise would have been lost; and all of these relating to the -American Commander-in-Chief have only confirmed the world’s estimate of -Washington the Soldier. - -Words, at best, are feeble exponents of principles which actions so much -better reveal; and battles on paper, however minutely described, can -never expose the brain processes through which military orders are -matured; nor can the pen portray the experiences of the “rank and file” -of a suffering army, during such an ordeal of war as that in which -George Washington was both the centra executive force and the -sympathetic guardian of the rights of all, of whatever grade of service -or duty. Stupidity, jealousy, self-sufficiency, personal ambition, and -treason, could not survive their impact upon Washington. His mastery of -every antagonistic force, whether professedly military or distinctly -political, was due to that unsought but real supremacy which incarnated -unselfish patriotism, and made American Independence the sole objective -of a righteous judgment and an irresistible will. - -On the eighth anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1783, -the American Commander-in-Chief proclaimed a formal “Cessation of -hostilities between the United States and Great Britain,” as the result -of negotiations concluded with Sir Guy Carleton on the previous day. - -This Proclamation, like the Letter of Louis XVI., received at Valley -Forge on the seventh day of May, 1778, was ordered to be read at the -head of every regiment and corps of the army; after which, as the order -reads: - -“The chaplains with the several brigades will render thanks to Almighty -God for all His mercies; particularly, for overruling the wrath of man -to His own glory, and causing the rage of War to cease among the -nations. - -“On such a happy day, which is the harbinger of peace—a day which -completes the eighth year of the war, it would be ingratitude not to -rejoice; it would be insensibility not to participate in the general -felicity. - -“Happy, happy, thrice happy, shall they be pronounced, hereafter, who -have contributed anything, who have performed the meanest office, in -erecting this stupendous fabric of freedom and empire on the broad basis -of independency; who have assisted in protecting the rights of human -nature, and in establishing an asylum for the poor and oppressed of all -nations and religions.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXXVI. - WASHINGTON’S PREDICTION REALIZED.—THE ATTITUDE OF AMERICA PRONOUNCED. - - -The blending of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries comes at a moment -of such marked transition in all that directs human activity and -relationship, that the promise of Washington’s benediction, with which -he proclaimed peace, seems about to be verified with a fuller, grander, -and more universal scope of responsibility and example than even his -sublime faith encompassed. - -“A stupendous fabric of freedom and empire on the broad basis of -independency,” has already been established. The present generation and -its actors in every department of public duty—including Washington’s -successor in the Presidential Chair; the American Congress in both -Houses; Governors of all the States; and responsible agencies in all -sections—have seemed to unify their efforts to maintain the empire thus -established. Those now living are the heirs to be made “happy, happy, -thrice happy,” through the legacy of his life; if they do their part in -“protecting the rights of human nature, and in establishing an asylum -for the poor and oppressed of all nations and religions.” - -Nothing in the career of Washington the Soldier was more sovereign in -its sway over citizens under arms, than his constant appeal to a Divine -Providence as the truest ally of the soul, in hours of grave -responsibility and peril. This narrative would lose much of its value to -America and to mankind, if the passages reflecting Washington’s -religious faith were to be lightly passed over; and if he were to be -measured only as a distinguished representative of the military -profession. - -He has, indeed, been tested by the sternest maxims of the military art. -He has been found responsive to their most exacting demands. But all -such tests are largely those of mere intellectual power—not disclosing -excellence in moral and social relations, except as these illustrate -“Statesmanship in War,” and complement other qualifications of the Ideal -Soldier. But Washington was more than a soldier. It is no ill-conceived -paradox to assert that the ideal soldier, the greatest soldier, is not -the man who most literally represents knowledge of the military art. It -is asserted in the Word of Life, that “he that ruleth his spirit is -greater than he that taketh a city.” It is not to be forgotten that the -only proper function of War is, to eliminate disturbants of the public -peace. To give life for country is to partake of the Divine prerogative -of giving life for humanity. - -And the soldiers who fought under Washington were not mere men, of -certain ages, to be handled well in battle, as parts of a machine. They -were not hirelings, discounting the chances of life and death for money. -Peace and its domesticities represented the goal of their pursuit; and -self-sacrifice, even of life, to secure that peace, was their conscious -service to family, to country, and to God. The people, as a people, had -no unholy frenzy for war as a source of purely military glory. Only -barbarous nations, or the devotees of some great conqueror or fanatical -religionist, can thus pervert the patriotic sentiment to the instincts -of the beast. - -Washington’s army was strong, because strong at home. Country, was the -aggregate of homes many. Never did the term patriotism have a more -radiant reflection of its intrinsic glory; and Washington, as “Pater -Patriæ,” was so paternal in his trust, that his army was filial as well -as loyal, in the highest quality of duty to their great Captain. His -faith in his country’s future was based upon the intelligence of the -people; and his army was both intelligent and religious, because respect -for law and religion was the basis of the first settlement of the -American Colonies as well as the foundation upon which they established -all domestic and political concerns. - -In 1780, Thomas Pownall, once royal Governor of Massachusetts, -pronounced “American Independence as fixed as fate”; adding: “North -America has become a new Primary planet, which, while it takes its own -course, in its own orbit, must shift the common centre of gravity.” He -added this significant inquiry: “Will that most enterprising spirit be -stopped at Cape Horn; or, not pass beyond the Cape of Good Hope? Before -long, they will be found trading in the South Sea, in the Spice Islands, -and in China. Commerce will open the door to emigration. By constant -intercommunication, America will every day approach nearer and nearer to -Europe.” - -But this “independency of freedom and empire,” predicted by Washington, -is not independency of moral obligation, or relation. It carries with -its exercise an independent control of both moral and physical -activities with which to insist that its inalienable rights shall be -universally respected. - -The associated prediction of Washington has also been realized—in “the -establishment of an asylum for the poor and oppressed of all nations and -religions.” America must therefore bear the responsibility of protecting -her wards everywhere, and penetrate the earth with the conviction that -wrong done to one, is wrong done to all. Oceans are but lakes. Distances -are but steps. Neither light nor sound outspeed the cry of suffering -humanity; and neither light nor sound must be allowed to outrun the -speed of wise relief. Beneficiaries of this Empire-Asylum, between the -great seas, have become elements of our wealth and power. They have -ceased to be foreign elements in crystalized society; and blend, as -integral forces in the body politic, just as the elements of air and -water invisibly combine. Countless messages—of happiness, prosperity, -and peace—cross the great seas by every steamship, to cheer their former -countrymen with the hope of like liberties, in times not far distant, -which they also shall enjoy. The prayers of a Christian people for all -mankind, which Heaven doth “gather in vials, as sweet odors,” are not -lost between earth and sky; but other peoples, inhaling wafted -fragrance, dream of the Land of Washington. - -Whatever may be the jealousies or dislikes of personal or dynastic rule -abroad, no truly enlightened nation can long remain insensible to that -exhibition of moral and industrial power under which America is fully -equipped for the support of her honor and her flag. Her indwelling peace -matures and conserves financial independence; and infinitely multiplies -capacity and resources with which to meet every just obligation to all -mankind. Her peace, while enriching herself, blesses all nations. Her -products of the shop and farm have become indispensable to the good of -all. This new “centre of gravity,” has become, as Egypt once chanced to -be, the famine magazine, the granary of relief, to the famishing -millions of every land. The ability of America to spring from the repose -of peaceful industry and protect her rights and the rights of humanity -wherever assailed, has compelled the world’s consideration and respect. - -The _terra incognita_ of olden times has become the busy field of -competitive industry. The vast empires of China and Japan have caught -from the American Republic their own best stimulus, and a timely -suggestion to resist aggressive strangers. From America, they fear no -unjust demands, no plunder of territory, no violation of sound -principles of international law. China, indeed, only feebly responds to -the quickening impulse; while Japan recognizes and accepts her -opportunity to become an independent, self-respecting power—a truly -modern State! - -At the famous Berlin Conference, Count Schouvaloff of Russia, recently -retired from public life, proposed a formal Resolution, that no modern -arms or ships be sold to the empires of the East; declaring that “if -those nations, India, China and Japan, were thus armed, and once began -to contrast their millions of subjects and associated poverty, with the -smaller populations, but vast treasure-houses of Europe, the cities of -Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, would be in more danger, through some -tidal-wave of desolation and plunder from the East, than from all the -standing armies of Europe.” And now that the earth is but a sensitive -“whisper-gallery,” and every hammer’s stroke and every anvil’s ring -reverberate in every machine-shop where despoilers of the East fabricate -implements for its dismemberment and ruin, those same Eastern nations in -part accept, and Japan quotes, the wise maxim of Washington: “In peace, -prepare for war.” - -Washington’s career as a soldier is replete with counsel which finds its -crowning opportunity in the present attitude of America before the -world. So long as we deal honorably with all mankind, the buzzing -electric energies of peace are our best assurance of success in a -righteous war. Only wanton neglect of prudent and adequate preparations -for the protection of our commerce, and of our citizens wherever they -chance to sojourn for legitimate business or pleasure, can engender -mistrust of our courage, and invite the very aggressions otherwise -beyond the possibility of occurrence. - -But Washington, skilled in the European complications of his times, -never imagined that the same European nations, or any of them, would -select the extreme East as the arena from which to replenish wasted home -resources by force; and then convert the continent of Europe into one -vast magazine of dynamite, until all chief agencies which belong to -domestic prosperity and happiness should be drawn into the wild whirl of -Colonial adventure, for plunder. And as the reader recalls Washington’s -earnest appeals for unity of spirit in all national affairs, and is -reminded of his Farewell Address to the American People, wherein he -deprecated all political combinations abroad which might qualify or -compromise our absolute independence as a Free Republic, he will be more -profoundly impressed with the great fact, that in the present attitude -of these United States before the world, the sublime anticipations of -the “Father of his Country” are maturing to a resplendent and complete -fulfilment. The only natural alliance, in the event of monarchical -combinations to stay the advancing triumph of true liberty, would be a -concerted action of the United States and the mother country, through -the inheritance of like bequests under Magna Charta. The pregnant future -may yet give birth to that fruition. - -There is an awful grandeur, more densely charged with ills than the -fiercest spasms of Nature’s fury, in the visible armaments which are -costing peoples, not thrones, _annually_, more than enough to _feed and -clothe every suffering member of the human race_. The alleged object is, -“to preserve the peace,” as if every nation naturally antagonized all -others. The peace of the silent grave, which would turn one’s neighbor’s -soil into a vast cemetery, seems to supplant that peace “which passeth -understanding,” when every heart and mind shall enter a condition of -happy repose and prosperous industry. The inquiry propounded nearly -nineteen hundred years ago—“From whence come wars and fightings among -you?” can be in like manner answered, with solemn emphasis, to-day. No -uninspired pen can match the imagery of prophetic vision which predicted -the outcome of such conditions as now threaten mankind—“Woe to him that -calleth Peace, Peace, when there is no peace!” But greater woe shall -befall those that “call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for -light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for -bitter.” As with the man who wrongeth his neighbor, and taketh that -which is not his, to his own profit; so shall it be with nations. Only -those nations which love righteousness and do justice shall rise above -the wreck of all oppressors, and take part in the enjoyment of that -destined era of righteousness and peace, when nations shall not “learn -war any more.” That nation alone will be truly great, whose supreme -purpose through every armament and armed expression shall be in behalf -of humanity, and to punish or repress the destroyers of peace. - -But present conditions had their marvellous premonition in 1892—when “a -Congress of Nations,” and “a Parliament of Religions,” convened during -the World’s Columbian Exposition, at Chicago, in the State of Illinois. -For the purpose of that Exposition, a miniature city, of more than Roman -or Grecian classical beauty and adornment, sprang up as by the power of -magic, wherein all the nations of earth blended their contributions, in -lines of utility and art. Their representatives, their contributors, and -their wise men, beheld “the triumphs of peace,” uncontrolled by the -prestige of artificial rank, or by the persuasion of bayonet, cimeter, -or dagger. They journeyed to and fro in safety; were treated as -brethren; as children of one supreme creative Father; and took thence -some valuable lessons for thoughtful improvement. No social banquet at -their far-distant homes, nor regal display at their national capitals, -could have surpassed the cordial welcome or the deep significance of -that purely Republican entertainment. The temporary shelter for their -pleasure and comfort, costing millions, besides their own generous -outlay, had its day and its uses; and then was set aside, as one gives -away the morning daily paper, after its quick perusal. Then mighty -warehouses, business blocks, and all the permanent features of a vast -inland city, one thousand miles distant from the nearest ocean-port, -rose instead of the temporary palaces of entertainment; while the -markets of the world had received a new impulse, never to be lost. - -And such is the Land of Washington! His retirement from command of the -“Continental Army of America,” in the spirit of Joshua, the Hebrew -Captain, when the people thought no honor too rich for his reward, -magnified his office and immortalized his example. Since his career as a -soldier demands no elucidation of his office as legislator, statesman, -or as the first President of these United States, there remains little -to be added; except to commend to American youth, and to all patriotic -youth, wherever these pages may invite perusal, the exemplar career of -one whose unselfish patriotism, moral rectitude, and exalted qualities -as an Ideal Soldier can never lose charm nor value. - -Washington based his hopes of success upon the intelligence of the -American people. For their proper training in arms, and the contingency -of a summons to defend their dearly bought liberties, he designed the -Military Academy at West Point on the Hudson. For a uniform system of -education in all that develops social culture and good citizenship, he -proposed, with gift of a proper site, a National University at the -National Capital. Since his immediate mission on earth closed, the -American Republic, which, under God, he established, has donated through -religious, educational, and benevolent channels, more than three hundred -millions of treasure; and found full compensation, in the civilization -and enlightenment thereby imparted to less favored peoples throughout -the world. The American Census of 1890, disclosed the fact, that -American eleemosynary gifts annually exceeded the cost of the largest -standing army of the world. - -To-day, America is able, single-handed, to defend her honor and her -flag, whoever may deride her peaceful habits and her homely virtues. The -words of Washington, used upon his return to White Plains in 1778, as -emphatically appeal to the American people to-day, as when they were -first uttered. - -A Nation of nearly eighty millions stands ready to vindicate the -loftiest aspirations and redeem the confidence of Washington. So surely -as the Almighty Father is a covenant-keeping God, whatever may be the -scenes of conflict forwarding His purpose, He will emancipate man from -error’s chain and the oppressor’s lash; and this Republic must be ever -prepared to maintain, from generation to generation, one sentiment of -the great Soldier— - -“The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous, that he must be worse -than an infidel, that lacks faith; and more than wicked, that has not -gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligation.” - - - - - APPENDICES - - - - - APPENDIX A. - AMERICAN ARMY, BY STATES. - - -The American Army, after 1776, never equalled thirty-eight thousand -Regulars, at any one time. Small, temporary, and unorganized detachments -of minute men were often employed to meet sudden forays; but the -aggregate of those who afterwards claimed Revolutionary service was far -beyond the actual numbers subject to Washington’s orders, or under -control by Congress. - -In stating these aggregates as credited to their respective States, -under their designated quota, it is to be taken into account, that each -enlistment received a special credit, and generally, by _years_ or term -of service. Hence, many who served from April 19, 1775, until the -nineteenth of April, 1783, _counted as eight_, in the aggregate. - -In the American Civil War of 1861–’65, the same rule followed. Nine Ohio -regiments, for example, and those militia, marched to West Virginia for -three months, reënlisted for three years, and then reënlisted for the -war. Several “One Hundred Day” regiments, including the Sixtieth -Massachusetts, and many in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, became credits -to their respective States. The same men were sometimes counted three -times—that is, for each reënlistment. - -The contributions of the States, during the Revolutionary War, on this -basis, were as follows: - - New Hampshire 12,497 - Massachusetts 69,907 - Rhode Island 5,908 - Connecticut 31,939 - New York 17,781 - New Jersey 10,726 - Pennsylvania 25,678 - Delaware 2,386 - Maryland 13,912 - Virginia 26,678 - North Carolina 7,263 - South Carolina 6,417 - Georgia 2,679 - ——————— - Total 233,771 - - Also, see Index, “American Army.” - - - - - APPENDIX B. - AMERICAN NAVY AND ITS CAREER. - - -The original organization of the American Navy is noticed on pages 59–60 -of the text. - -On the thirteenth of December, 1775, several frigates, were authorized, -the annexed figures indicating their _rate_, by _guns_: - - _Alliance_ (32), twice identified with Lafayette (pp. 253, 361), and - sold after the war. - _Andrea Doria_ (32), burned in the Delaware to prevent capture 1777 - - _Boston_ (28), captured at Charleston 1780 - - [8]_CONGRESS_, burned in the Hudson, to prevent capture 1777 - - _Delaware_ (24), captured by the British, in the Delaware 1777 - - _Effingham_ (28), destroyed by the British, in the Delaware 1777 - - _Hancock_ (32), taken by British ships _Rainbow_ (44) and _Victor_ - (16) 1777 - - [8]_Montgomery_ (24), burned in the Hudson to prevent capture 1777 - - _Providence_ (28), captured at Charleston 1780 - - _Queen of France_ (18), captured at Charleston 1780 - - _Raleigh_ (32), captured by the British ships _Experiment_ (50) - and _Unicorn_ (16) 1777 - - _Randolph_ (32), blown up in action with the _Yarmouth_ (64) 1778 - - _The Confederacy_ (32), taken by a British ship-of-the-line, off - the Virginia coast 1781 - - _Trumbull_ (28), taken by British fleet, near Cape Henry 1778 - - _Virginia_ (28), taken by British fleet, near Cape Henry, 1778 - - _Warren_ (32), burned in the Penobscot, by the Americans 1779 - - _Washington_ (32), destroyed by the British, in the Delaware 1778 - -Footnote 8: - - Never went to sea. - - NOTE.—John Paul, who took the name of John Paul Jones through - gratitude to a citizen of North Carolina who assisted him in securing - a naval commission (noticed on page 60 of the text), distinguished - himself upon the British coast, and in his capture of the British ship - _Serapis_, Sept. 23, 1779. His own ship, the _Bon Homme Richard_, was - fitted out in France, by the aid of Benjamin Franklin, to war against - British commerce. Franklin, in the issue of his “Almanack,” with - shrewd business and moral maxims at the bottoms of the pages, used the - nom-de-plume, “Poor Richard.” It was graceful in John Paul to name the - ship Richard, in Franklin’s honor, with a complimentary prefix. - - Of the later navy, that of 1812, the _Brandywine_ (44), named after - the battle of that name, was placed at the service of Lafayette when - he visited America in 1825. (See note at end of Chapter XVIII., - concerning Lafayette as first appearing in that battle.) - - - - - APPENDIX C. - COMPARISONS WITH LATER WARS. - - -The analogies between the Revolutionary War and later American wars are -noticed in the Preface. Some special points should be noted for further -comparisons. - -The _field_ casualties, including killed and wounded, in twenty-six of -the principal engagements of the Revolution, do not greatly exceed -9,000; but other causes kept the army upon a very unsatisfactory basis -in respect of numbers as well as efficiency. - -Operations in Canada, early in the war, irrespective of the expeditions -of Montgomery and Arnold, cost, through a visitation of small-pox, 5,000 -lives in sixty days. (Page 88.) - -At the April muster of the army in 1776, only 8,303, out of a total of -10,235, were fit for duty. (Page 87.) - -At the August muster, 1776, 3,678 were reported as sick, either present -or on furlough, out of a total of 17,225. (Pages 101, 102.) - -At the September muster, 1776, less than 20,000 were reported as fit for -duty (page 114), out of a total of 27,000 (page 103). - -At the Battle of Trenton, Christmas night, 1776, more than 1,000 out of -a force of 2,400 were disabled by frost during the brief march and -engagement which gave such fresh vigor to the cause of American -Independence. (Page 142.) - -At the October muster of the same year, out of a total of 25,735, the -large number of 8,075 was reported as sick, or on furlough. (Page 122.) - -The camps at Morristown, Valley Forge, and at the South, were scenes of -great suffering, distress, and waste. The suffering was greater in -crowded and stationary camps than when on the march. Special diseases -like measles, then as ever since, prostrated great numbers who suddenly -changed house for canvas shelter. In 1862, at one of the healthiest -cantonments at the North, near Indianapolis, fully 1,400 were disabled -for duty within four weeks after reporting for muster. A similar -experience marked Camps Chase, Dennison, and Jackson, Ohio, and Camp -Douglas, Illinois. - -That “three months” service in 1861 was exceptionally effective under -existing conditions, and similar service in the war with Spain, in 1898, -reads more like some fabulous tale than the faithful record of -continuous victories by an improvised army, with a minimum sacrifice of -life. (See Military Notes in Preface.) - -In the Revolutionary War, gardens and orchards, near camps, seriously -endangered both discipline and health. Home luxuries from visiting -friends became so injurious in their effects that Washington was -compelled to deal sternly with this mistaken kindness. Besides all this, -quartermasters and commissaries, ignorant of their duties, speculated -upon public stores; and even surgeons embezzled supplies until some -regiments had no medicines for immediate emergencies. (Page 123.) - -Derelictions from duty were not peculiar to Revolutionary times. Early -in 1861, when haste was so urgent, and the North was not prepared to -clothe promptly even seventy-five thousand men, the First and Second -Ohio reached Harrisburg, en route for Washington, only to find that the -uniforms contracted for and delivered were worthless. The Fifteenth -Ohio, after a rain, found themselves at Grafton, W. Va., just after the -battle of Philippi, with soleless shoes, glue having been used in their -manufacture instead of pegs or thread. The Adjutant-General of that -State, then inspecting Ohio troops, peremptorily forbade their moving -until an entire refit could be supplied, and William Dennison, then -Governor, sustained his action. - -The Continental Congress, during the war with Great Britain, tried to -act as Commander-in-Chief, until in conscious impotence it surrendered -military trusts to Washington, with the impressive Resolution, that “the -very existence of civil liberty depends upon the right exercise of -military powers,” and that “the vigorous, decisive conduct of these” is -“impossible in distant, numerous and deliberative bodies.” (Page 148.) - -The Revolutionary War, therefore, illustrated every form of distemper -which belongs to war in a republic, when its citizens are suddenly -called to face camp and battle conditions without adequate training and -preparation in advance. Jealousy of a standing army, greed for office -and place, and incessant, selfish, or self-asserting antagonisms, were -the chief burdens that grieved the soul and embarrassed the movements of -Washington, the American Commander-in-Chief. - - - - - APPENDIX D. - BRITISH ARMY, AT VARIOUS DATES. - - -The British Official Records show that the entire British force in -America, including troops in Canada, Florida and the Bahama Islands, -hardly exceeded, at any one time—and then not until 1780—42,000 men. -Some of the regiments appear upon the maps as participants in battles -from the attack upon Breed’s Hill until the final surrender of -Cornwallis. The colonels of these regiments, under British regulations, -held command as general officers; but the regiments retained their -personal relation to the commanding officer, although the -lieutenant-colonel commanded the battalions in the field, one recruiting -battalion always remaining at the home depot. - -The following Tables have peculiar value, being compiled direct from -original sources: - -1. British regiments assigned to America, 1776. - - 17th Dragoons Preston’s. - 4th Foot Hodgsin’s. - 5th Foot Percy’s. - 10th Foot Sanford’s. - 22d Foot Gage’s. - 23d Foot Howe’s. - 35th Foot F. H. Campbell’s. - 38th Foot Pigot’s. - 40th Foot Hamilton’s. - 43d Foot Cray’s. - 44th Foot Abercrombie’s. - 45th Foot Haviland’s. - 47th Foot Carleton’s. - 49th Foot Maitland’s. - 52d Foot Clavering’s. - 63d Foot T. Grant’s. - 64th Foot Pomeroy’s. - 65th Foot Armstrong’s. - -The above were stationed in Boston, with five companies of the Royal -Artillery. - -On their passage from Ireland to Boston: - - 17th Foot Monkton’s. - 27th Foot Massey’s. - 46th Foot Vaughn’s. - 53d Foot James Grant’s. - -Then, in Canada: - - 7th Foot Berlier’s. - 8th Foot T. Armstrong’s. - 26th Foot Lord Gordon’s. - 2 Companies Royal Artillery. - -Ready to sail for America, from Cork: - - 15th Foot Caven’s. - 33d Foot Cornwallis’. - 37th Foot Coote’s. - 42d Foot Lord Murray’s. - 54th Foot Frederick’s. - 57th Foot Irwin’s. - -Ordered for Boston: - - 16th Dragoons Burgoyne’s. - King’s Guards 1,000 men. - -Ordered for Quebec: - - 9th Foot Lagonier’s. - 20th Foot Parker’s. - 24th Foot Taylor’s. - 34th Foot Lord Cavendish’s. - 33d Foot Elphinstone’s. - 62d Foot Jones’. - -Also, 29th Foot upon opening of navigation. - -Cunningham’s Regiment, the 14th Foot, was in part in Virginia; the -residue, with a Company of the Royal Artillery, was at St. Augustine, -Florida. - - - 2. British Army at the Battle of Long Island. - -ADVANCE CORPS. - -Four Battalions of Light Infantry and the Light Dragoons. - -RESERVE CORPS. - -Four Battalions of Grenadiers, 33d and 42d Regiments. - -BRITISH COLUMN. - - 1ST BRIGADE 44th, 15th, 27th and 45th Regiments. - - 2D BRIGADE 5th, 28th, 55th and 49th Regiments. - - 3D BRIGADE 10th, 37th, 38th and 52d Regiments. - - 4TH BRIGADE 17th, 40th, 46th and 55th Regiments. - - 5TH BRIGADE 22d, 43d, 54th and 63d Regiments. - - 6TH BRIGADE 23d, 44th, 57th and 64th Regiments. - - 7TH BRIGADE 71st Highland Regiment, New York Companies and - Royal Artillery. - -Colonel Donop’s command consisted of the Hessian Grenadiers and the -Chausseurs. - -General De Heister’s command consisted of two Hessian brigades. - -TOTAL OF COMBINED ARMIES, INCLUDING FORCE ON STATEN ISLAND. - -General Clinton in his report gives Howe’s “effectives fit for duty” as -26,980—officers not included; but, including all officers, commissioned -and non-commissioned, as 31,625 men. - - - 3. British effective force in America, June 3, 1777. - - In New Jersey. - British Artillery 365 - British Cavalry 710 - British Infantry 8,361 - Hessian Infantry 3,300 - Anspach Infantry 1,043 - —————— - 13,779 - - In New York. - British Artillery 20 - British Infantry 1,513 - Hessian Infantry 1,778 - ————— - 3,311 - - Aggregate, 17,090. - - On this date, 2,631 men had been sent to Rhode Island, and the total - force of foreign troops which had arrived—including those of Hesse, - Anspach, and Waldeck—amounted to 14,777. - - - 4. British effective force in America, March 26, 1778. - - In New York. In Philadelphia. In Rhode Island. - British 3,486 13,078 1,610 - German 3,689 5,202 2,116 - Provincial 3,281 1,250 44 - —————— —————— ————— - 10,456 19,530 3,770 - - Aggregate, 33,756. - - - 5. Aug. 15, 1778. - - In New York and vicinity, 19,586; in Long Island, 8,117; in Rhode - Island, 5,189; Lord Howe’s fleet, 512; making an aggregate of 33,404. - - A later return of November 1, on account of troops sent to Halifax and - to the West Indies, reduced the aggregate to 22,494 for duty. - - - 6. May 1, 1779. - - New York 9,123 - Long Island 6,056 - Staten Island 1,344 - Paulus Hook 383 - Hoboken 264 - Rhode Island 5,644 - —————— - 22,814 - - Halifax 3,677 - Georgia 4,794 - West Florida 1,703 - Bermuda and Providence Island 470 - —————— - 10,644 - - Aggregate, 33,458. - - - 7. December 1, 1779. - - At New York and its dependencies: - - British 13,848 - German 10,836 - Provincial 4,072 - —————— - Total 28,756 - - Halifax and Penobscot 3,460 - Georgia 3,930 - West Florida 1,787 - Bermuda and Providence Island 636 - ————— - Total 9,813 - - Aggregate, 38,569. - - - 8. British effective force in America, May 1, 1780. - - New York. South Carolina. Nova Scotia. East Florida. Georgia. - British 7,711 7,041 2,298 590 - German 7,451 3,018 572 547 862 - Provincials 2,162 2,788 638 316 1,016 - —————— —————— —————— —————— —————— - 17,324 12,847 3,508 1,453 1,878 - -Aggregate, including East Florida, Providence Island and Bermuda, -38,002. - - - 9. December 1, 1780. - - New York 17,729 - On an expedition 2,274 - South Carolina 7,384 - Georgia 968 - —————— - 28,355 - - West Florida 1,261 - Nova Scotia 3,167 - Bermuda 387 - Providence Island 143 - ————— - 4,958 - - Aggregate, 33,313; besides Provincial troops, 8,954. Total, 42,267. - - - 10. May 1, 1781. - - New York 12,257 - On an expedition 1,782 - With Leslie 2,278 - With Arnold 1,553 - With Phillips 2,116 - South Carolina 7,254 - —————— - 27,240 - - East Florida 438 - West Florida 1,185 - Nova Scotia 3,130 - Bermuda 366 - Providence Island 128 - Georgia 887 - ————— - 6,134 - - Aggregate forces, 33,374. - - - 11. Sept. 1, 1781. - - New S. N. W. - York. Virginia. Carolina. Georgia. Floridas. Scotia. Indies. - - British, 5,932 5,544 5,024 920 1,745 498 - - German, 8,629 2,204 1,596 486 558 562 - - Provincial, 2,140 1,137 3,155 598 211 1,145 - - —————— —————— —————— —————— —————— —————— ——— - - Total, 16,701 8,885 9,775 1,084 1,689 3,452 498 - - Aggregate, including Providence Island and Bermuda, 42,075. - -NOTE.—Stedman has the following estimate: - - BRITISH AND REBEL FORCE - IN 1776. - - Dates. British. Rebel. - August 24,000 16,000 - November 26,600 4,500 - December 27,700 3,300 - - IN 1777. - - March 27,000 4,500 - June 30,000 8,000 - - - - - APPENDIX E. - ORGANIZATION OF BURGOYNE’S ARMY. - - -To remain in Canada, part of 8th regiment, 460 men; part of 34th, 348 -men; parts of 29th and 31st regiments, 896 men; eleven additional -companies expected from Great Britain, 616 men; brigade detachments, 300 -men; detachments from German troops, 650 men, and Royal Highland -emigrants, 500 men; making a total of 3,770 men. - -The army of invasion (see page 171) numbered as follows: - - Men. - - The grenadiers and light infantry (except of the 8th and 24th - regiments), as the advance corps under General Fraser 1,568 - - _First brigade_; battalion companies of the 9th, 21st, and 47th - regiments 1,194 - - _Second brigade_; battalion companies of the 20th, 53d, and 62d - regiments, leaving 50 of each in Canada 1,194 - - _German troops_, except the Hanau Chasseurs, and 650 left in - Canada 3,217 - - ————— - - Total, with artillery 7,173 - -To this force were to be associated “as many Canadians and Indians as -might be thought necessary for the service.” - - - - - APPENDIX F. - ORGANIZATION OF CORNWALLIS’S ARMY. - - -This force, when fully concentrated on Virginia, Aug. 1, 1781, consisted -of the following troops: British, 5,541; German, 2,148; Provincials, -1,137; on detachments, 607; making a total of 9,433 men. - -The general Return of officers and privates surrendered at Yorktown, as -taken from the original Muster Rolls, is stated by the Commissary of -prisoners to have been as follows—General and staff, 79; Artillery, 23; -Guards, 527; Light Infantry, 671; 17th Reg’t, 245; 23d Reg’t, 233; 33d -Reg’t, 260; 43d Reg’t, 359; 71st Reg’t, 300; 76th Reg’t, 715; 80th -Reg’t, 689; two battalions of Anspach, 1,077 (these two battalions alone -had Colonels present), Prince Hereditary, 484; Regiment of De Bose, 349; -Yagers, 74; British Legion, 241; Queen’s Rangers, 320; North Carolina -Vols., 142; Pioneers, 44; Engineers, 23. Total, including commissary -department, and 80 followers of the army, 7,247 men. Total of officers -and men, 7,073. Seamen and from shipping, about 900 officers and men. -Other authorities increase this number to over 8,000. It is evident that -the Return of August 15, cited on page 385, overestimates the really -effective force. - -Seventy-five brass cannon, 69 iron guns, 18 German and 6 British -regimental standards, were among trophies captured. - -The military chest contained £2,113, 6s, sterling. The _Guadaloupe_ 28, -the old _Fowey_, the _Bonetta_ (sloop) 24, and _Vulcan_ (fire-ship), -thirty transports, fifteen galleys, and many smaller vessels, with -nearly 900 officers and seamen, were surrendered to the French. - - - - - APPENDIX G. - NOTES OF LEE’S COURT-MARTIAL. - - - MAJOR-GENERAL LORD STIRLING, _President_. - BRIGADIER-GENERAL SMALLWOOD. - BRIGADIER-GENERAL POOR. - BRIGADIER-GENERAL WOODFORD. - BRIGADIER-GENERAL HUNTINGTON. - COLONEL IRVINE. - COLONEL SHEPARD. - COLONEL SWIFT. - COLONEL WIGGLESWORTH. - COLONEL ANGEL. - COLONEL CLARKE. - COLONEL WILLIAMS. - COLONEL FEBIGER. - JOHN LAWRENCE, _Judge-Advocate_. - -The Court met July 1, 1778, at the house of Mr. Voorhees, New Brunswick, -N.J. - -The charges were as follows: - - _First_—For disobedience of orders, in not attacking the enemy on the - twenty-eighth of June, agreeably to repeated instructions. - - _Second_—For misbehavior before the enemy on the same day, by making - an unnecessary, disorderly, and shameful retreat. - - _Third_—For disrespect to the Commander-in-Chief, in two letters dated - the first of July and the twenty-eighth of June. - -GENERAL LEE PLEAD “NOT GUILTY.” - -On the twelfth of August, the Court found him to be _guilty_ under all -the charges, and sentenced him to be “suspended from any command in the -Armies of the United States of America, for the term of twelve months.” - -Forty-two witnesses were examined. (See page 235 of text, for their -unanimity in vindication of Washington from use of any language not -proper, in his rebuke of Lee at the time of his retreat.) - -The following are the letters that concluded with Lee’s demand for a -court-martial: - - - FIRST LETTER. - - CAMP ENGLISH-TOWN, July 1, 1778. - - SIR: From the knowledge I have of your Excellency’s character, I must - conclude that nothing but misinformation of some very stupid, or - misrepresentation of some very wicked, person, could have occasioned - your having made use of so very singular expressions as you did on my - coming up to the ground where you had taken post; they implied that I - was guilty either of disobedience of orders, of want of conduct, or - want of courage; your Excellency will therefore infinitely oblige me - by letting me know on which of these three articles you ground your - charge, that I may prepare for my justification, which, I have the - happiness to be confident, I can do to the army, to the Congress, to - America, and to the world in general. Your Excellency must give me - leave to observe that neither yourself nor those about your person - could, from your situation, be in the least judges of the merits or - demerits of our manœuvres; and, to speak with a becoming pride, I can - assert, that to these manœuvres, the success of the day was entirely - owing. I can boldly say, that had we remained on the first ground, or - had we advanced, or had the retreat been conducted in a manner - different from what it was, this whole army and the interests of - America would have risked being sacrificed. I ever had, and hope ever - shall have, the greatest respect and veneration for General - Washington; I think him endowed with many great and good qualities; - but in this instance, I must pronounce that he has been guilty of an - act of cruel injustice towards a man who certainly has some - pretentions to the regard of every servant of this country; and, I - think, Sir, I have a right to demand reparation for the injury - committed, and, unless I can obtain it, I must, in justice to myself, - when this campaign is closed (which I believe will close the war), - retire from a service at the head of which is placed a man capable of - offering such injuries; but, at the same time, in justice to you, I - must repeat, that I from my soul believe, that it was not a motion of - your own breast, but instigated by some of those dirty earwigs who - will forever insinuate themselves near persons in high office; for I - really am convinced, that when General Washington acts for himself no - man in his army will have reason to complain of injustice or - indecorum. - - I am, Sir, and hope ever shall have - Reason to continue, your most sincerely - Devoted, humble servant, - CHARLES LEE. - - HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON. - - - SECOND LETTER. - - CAMP, June 27, 1778. - - SIR: I beg your Excellency’s pardon for the inaccuracy in mis-dating - my letter. You cannot afford me greater pleasure than in giving me the - opportunity of showing to America the sufficiency of her respective - servants. I trust that the temporary power of office, and the tinsel - dignity attending it, will not be able, by all the mists they can - raise, to obfuscate the bright rays of truth; in the meantime, your - Excellency can have no objection to my retiring from the army. - - I am, Sir, your most obedient, - Humble servant, - CHARLES LEE. - - GENERAL WASHINGTON. - - - WASHINGTON’S LETTER IN REPLY. - - HEADQUARTERS, ENGLISH-TOWN, June 30, 1778. - - SIR: I received your letter (dated through mistake, the 1st of July), - expressed, as I conceive, in terms highly improper. I am not conscious - of having made use of any very singular expressions at the time of my - meeting you, as you intimate. What I recollect to have said was - dictated by duty and warranted by the occasion. As soon as - circumstances will permit, you shall have an opportunity either of - justifying yourself to the army, to Congress, to America, and to the - world in general, or of convincing them that you were guilty of a - breach of orders, and of misbehavior before the enemy on the 28th - inst., in not attacking them as you had been directed, and in making - an unnecessary, disorderly, and shameful retreat. - - I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, - GEORGE WASHINGTON. - - MAJOR-GENERAL LEE. - -After the reading of the foregoing letters by the Judge-Advocate, -General Lee requested the following letter to be also read: - - CAMP, June 30, 1778. - - SIR: Since I had the honor of addressing my letter by Colonel - Fitzgerald to your Excellency, I have reflected on both your situation - and mine, and beg leave to observe, that it will be for our mutual - convenience that a Court of Inquiry should be immediately ordered: but - I could wish it might be a court-martial, for if the affair is drawn - into length, it may be difficult to collect the necessary evidences, - and perhaps might bring on a paper war betwixt the adherents to both - parties, which may occasion some disagreeable feuds on the continent, - for all are not my friends, nor all your admirers. I must entreat, - therefore, for your love of justice, that you will immediately exhibit - your charge, and that on the first halt, I may be brought to a trial; - and am, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, - - CHARLES LEE. - -The date of the assembling of the court-martial shows that Washington -acted promptly. - - - - - GLOSSARY OF MILITARY TERMS. - - - =Abatis.=—Felled trees, with sharpened branches, pointing outward - toward an approaching enemy. - - =Bastion.=—A work of two faces and two flanks, with salient angles. - - =Batteau.=—An old-style flatboat of large capacity, in form of the - modern scow. - - =Billet.=—An old term for a brief letter; or, an assignment of troops - to certain quarters. - - =Boom.=—A chain cable or line of spars bound together to prevent the - passage of vessels at a harbor entrance, or across a river. - - =Cabal.=—A plot, or secret intrigue. - - =Cantonment.=—A lodgment for troops. - - =Cheveau-de-Frise.=—A cylinder, of iron when practicable, with sharp, - projecting spears on all sides; to oppose an invading force, or to - close a gap in the defences. - - =Command.=—A body of troops, or a separate command. - - =Corduroy.=—(“Cord of the King.”) An extemporized road, a uniting - cord, by a series of parallel logs across a swamp or soft ground. - - =Countersign.=—A confidential word of recognition, changed daily or - more frequently, emanating from the officer in chief command. - - =Curtain.=—A wall connecting two bastions. - - =Detachment.=—A fraction of a command, or troops assigned to some - special duty. - - =Detail.=—An assignment for special duty. - - =Engineering.=—See PREFACE. - - =Fascines.=—Bundles or faggots of brushwood, or small poles, tied - together, for defence or for crossing swamps. - - =Fusee.=—A small musket of early times. - - =Gabions.=—Cylindrical wicker baskets open at both ends, filled for - defensive purposes, making a temporary parapet. - - =Galleys.=—Small vessels of light draft. - - =Grand Tactics.=—See PREFACE. - - =Hurdles.=—Pickets about three feet high, united by twigs, to give a - solid footing for a battery, or for crossing soft ground and swamps. - - =Itinerary.=—Record of daily marches; including notes of country - traversed, streams crossed, and whatever may be valuable for record - or subsequent guidance. - - =Line-of-battle ship.=—A full-rigged ship, with two or more gun-decks. - - =Log-book.=—The itinerary of a ship. - - =Logistics.=—See PREFACE. - - =Magazine.=—A depot of powder or of other supplies. - - =Muster.=—A detailed record of troops, periodical or otherwise, for - exact information of the force under command. - - =Orderly Book.=—A record of current orders, whether of commissioned or - non-commissioned officers. - - =Parapet.=—A work, breast-high or more, for defence. - - =Patrol.=—A small scouting-party beyond the usual line of sentries; or - a detail of search as to the movements of the enemy. - - =Picket.=—An outside sentry, to guard against surprise. - - =Quota.=—A fixed apportionment upon the basis of numbers. - - =Reconnoissance.=—A personal examination of country within the range - of military movements. - - =Redoubt.=—An inclosed defence. - - =Rendezvous.=—A designated place for assembling troops or supplies. - - =Roster.=—A list of officers, or of officers and men; on any duty, or - subject to duty. - - =Salient.=—An angle projecting outward, toward hostile approach. - - =Strategy.=—See PREFACE. - - =Surveillance.=—On the constant watch, with critical observation of - existing or contingent conditions. - - =Taking Post.=—Occupying a designated position, whether under orders, - or in the contingencies of a march or an advance. - - =Zone.=—A belt or stretch of country, indicating the sphere of action - of the various parts of an army, which secures concert of action in - combined movements. - - - - - CHRONOLOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX. - - - NOTE.—The contemporaries of Washington named in this index are in - general only persons so associated with or opposed to the cause he - stood for as to influence his military action. - - Events are treated and indexed in chronological order, so that the - index becomes thereby a miniature biography of the characters taking - part in the events narrated. It may often prove interesting to note - the age of a prominent actor in these events at the time, by - calculating it from the year of his birth when given below. - - ABBREVIATIONS.—For various nationalities: _Am._ (American); _Br._ - (British); _Fr._ (French); _H._ (Hessian). In the biographical - notices, _b._ for birth and _d._ for death are used; and occasionally, - _k._ for killed, _w._ for wounded, and like familiar abbreviations may - be found. The subsequent career of many is indicated thus—Cornwallis, - _sub._ gov.-gen. India. - - Acts of Parliament to be resisted, 17 - - ADAMS, JOHN—statesman; _sub._ pres, twice; _b._ 1735, _d._ 1826. - in first Continental Congress, 16 - on special naval committee, 60 - commissioner in the interests of peace, 116 - his influence abroad, 309 - - ADAMS, SAMUEL—orator; _b._ 1722, _d._ 1803. - exempted from the proffered pardon, 32 - his opinion of a regular army, 299 - - AGNEW, JAMES— _Br._ maj.-general; - _k._ at Germantown, 196 - - Alamance, N.C., battle of, May 16, 1771, 84 - - Albany Convention of July 4, 1754, 12 - - ALLEN, ETHAN—col.; _b._ 1637, _d._ 1789. - captures Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775, 30 - tries to capture Montreal, without orders, 62 - captured and sent to England, 62 - insubordination commented upon by Washington, 62 - - _Alliance_ frigate, twice takes Lafayette to France, 253, 362 - - American army, - wholly composed of militia, 21 - call for 30,000 under arms, 22 - officially recognized, 32 - its strange experience, March 2, 1776, 75 - occupies Boston, March 17, 1776, 80 - begins its first campaign, 83 - April muster, 1776, 87 - August muster, 1776, 101 - September muster, 114 - 85 regiments authorized, 116 - its condition, Sept. 10, 1776, 119 - October muster, 122 - its lack of discipline, 123 - Lee’s grand division, 135 - special muster ordered by Washington, Nov. 23, 1776, 136 - its condition, Dec. 30, 1776, 147 - parades in Philadelphia, 183 - August muster, 1777, 184 - condition at Valley Forge, Dec., 1777, 205–6 - at Newport, 1778, 242 - assignments of divisions, 1778, 247 - fixed at 80 battalions, 252 - at Philadelphia, weakened in discipline, 252 - its condition, Dec., 1779, 269 - its condition, Nov. 7, 1780, 296 - reorganization proposed, 298 - new basis, of 36,000 men, 299 - divisions again assigned, 300 - its condition, 1781, 306 - mutinous elements noticed, 307 - at the South, 315–317 - at Peekskill, 1781, 333 - before Yorktown, 1781, 356 - by States (Appendix A), 377 - - American Civil War referred to, for comparison (Preface), vii - policy defined, 91 - commissioners appointed in the interests of peace, 115 - cow-boys near New York, 255 - speculators feed the British, 306 - - Americo-Spanish War of 1898 illustrating the principle of “Strategy and - Statesmanship in War” (Preface), x, xii - - ANDRÉ, JOHN—_Br._ major, _sub._ asst. adjt.-gen.; _b._ 1751, _d._ 1780. - taken prisoner, at St. John’s, 62 - arranges _fête_ in honor of Howe, 215 - at capture of Charleston, 275 - his antecedents noticed, 289 - former relations to Miss Shippen, 289 - executed as a spy, 290 - his fate regretted, 290 - exchange for Arnold morally impracticable, 291 - - ANGEL,—col. at Fort Mercer, R.I., 201 - at Battle of Springfield, 283–4 - - ARBUTHNOT, MARIOT—_Br._ admiral; _b._ 1711, _d._ 1794. - arrives at New York, 261 - relieves Sir George Collier, 261 - fights a French fleet, 326 - - Armies of modern times, 370–1 - of the Revolution as given by the British authority, Stedman - (Appendix D), 386 - - Arms from France, 164 - - ARMSTRONG, JOHN—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1758, _d._ 1843. - at Brandywine, 186 - on the Schuylkill, 192 - - ARNOLD, BENEDICT—_sub._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1740, _d._ 1801. - takes a company to Boston, 30 - hastens to Lake Champlain, 30 - anticipated by Allen, 30 - organizes a naval force, 30 - loved by Washington, 45 - returns in angry mood, 51 - proposes conquest of Canada, 51 - his expedition for Quebec, 55 - his disastrous march, 64 - wounded in a bold assault, 66 - his captains refuse longer service, 66 - the siege of Quebec fails, 66 - at Providence, 163 - unjustly treated by Congress, 165 - gallantry at Ridgefield, 166 - in command at Philadelphia, 167 - gallantry in Burgoyne campaign, 176 - finally promoted, 176 - court-martialed, 274 - is married to Miss Shippen, 289 - suffers from old wound, 222, 288 - in command at West Point, 288 - corresponds with Clinton, 288 - invites André to visit him, 290 - dictates price of his treason, 290 - antecedents in Philadelphia, 289 - his treason anticipated by Lord Germaine, 289 - his exchange for André impossible without dishonor, 291 - leaves N.Y. with troops, 310 - overtaken by a storm, 310 - his discretion doubted by Clinton, 310 - plunders Richmond, Va., 311 - cannot intimidate Jefferson, 311 - returns to fortify Portsmouth, 311 - writes to Lafayette, 331 - treated with silent contempt, 331 - tries threats to no purpose, 331 - relations with Gen. Phillips, 331 - ordered back to New York, 331 - lays waste New London, 351 - his recall explained, 351 - - ARNOLD, Mrs. (formerly Miss Shippen)—ignorant of Arnold’s treason, 289 - honored by Washington, 291 - sympathy of Lafayette, 291 - - Articles of Confederation finally adopted, 309 - - “Art of War” (Preface), x–xii - - ASHE, JOHN—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1721, _d._ 1781; declares while speaker of - the North Carolina Assembly, concerning the Stamp Act, “We will - resist its execution to the death,” 13 - - ATLEE, SAMUEL J.—col.; _b._ 1738, _d._ 1786. - joins the army at Brooklyn, 105 - commands Pennsylvania Rifles, 105 - makes a gallant fight, 107 - prisoner with Stirling, 107 - - _Augusta_ 74, _Br._; blown up in the Delaware, 202 - - Aux Trembles reached by Benedict Arnold, 65 - reached by Montgomery, 65 - reached by Carleton, 66 - - - Baltimore pays honor to Rochambeau and Washington, 351 - - BANCROFT, GEORGE—diplomat and historian; _b._ 1800, _d._ 1891. - as to the invasion of Canada, 54 - his estimate of Washington, 250 - - BARRAS, PAUL FRANÇOIS JEAN, _Count_ DE—_Fr._ admiral; _b._ 1755, _d._ - 1829. - sails from Newport, 354 - enters the Chesapeake, 355 - signs capitulation of Yorktown, 360 - also signs for Count de Grasse, 360 - - Bennington unwisely attacked by Burgoyne; anticipated by Washington, - 176 - - Berlin conference noticed, 370 - - BIDDLE, NICHOLAS—appointed naval captain, 60 - - Billingsport raided by Cornwallis, 203 - - BIRD—_Br._ lieut.-col.; _k._ at Germantown, 196 - - BLACKSTONE—chief of the Senecas; friend of Washington, 260 - - Bordentown occupied by Donop (_H._), 139 - occupied by Cadwallader, 156 - visited by British troops, 213 - - Boston, massacre of March 5, 1770, 15 - Tea Party entertainment, Dec. 16, 1773, 15 - Port Bill, 1774, 15 - surrounded by 20,000 minute men, 30 - deliverance from British control a fixed purpose, 30 - not a proper British base, 33 - bombarded three nights, 74, 77 - evacuated, 80 - visited by D’Estaing, 243 - visited by Greene, 246 - visited by Lafayette, 244 - visited by Rochambeau, 361 - - BOTTA, CARLO GIUSEPPE GUGLIELMO—_Ital._ historian; _b._ 1768, _d._ - 1837. - as to Battle of Long Island, 113 - as to Battle of Trenton, 149 - reviews New Jersey campaign, 159 - - BOVILLE, DE—_Fr._ maj.-gen.; reconnoitres with Washington, 336 - - BOWDOIN, JAMES—pres. Mass. Council; _b._ 1727, _d._ 1790; - addressed by Charles Lee, 139 - - Braddock’s operations noticed, 7 - - BRADLEY, JOSEPH P.—Justice U.S. Supreme Court; _b._ 1813, _d._ 1892; - corrects a tradition as to Lafayette’s alleged reminiscence of - Washington’s profanity, 235 - - Brandywine, Battle of, 185 - - British army, at various dates (Appendix D), 383 - troops quartered by British Parliament in Boston, 1768, 14 - estimates for troops, by British ministry, 96 - foreign auxiliaries opposed by British statesmen, 96 - four military operations proposed, 97 - its movements after Battle of Long Island, 116 - advances to Horn’s hook (see map), 120 - lands at Throgg’s Neck (see map), 125 - advances beyond New Rochelle, 126 - awaiting reënforcements, 127 - in New Jersey, 139 - invades the Illinois country, 253 - opposed by Gov. Jefferson, 253 - fed by _Am._ speculators, 296 - - British military policy defined, 95 - - British Parliament urges king to arrest Americans, 1769, 14 - rejects “Conciliatory Bill,” 1775, 18 - restricts New England trade, 18 - favors certain colonies, 18 - - Brookline, Mass., furnished fascine rods, 78 - - Brooklyn, N.Y., occupied by Lee, 85 - fortified by Greene, 102 - evacuated by Washington, 112 - - Bull Run, 1861, illustrates Brandywine (Preface), x - - Bunker Hill or Breed’s Hill, significance of the battle, 34 - - BURGOYNE, _Sir_ JOHN—lieut-gen.; _b._ 1730, _d._ 1792. - arrives at Boston, 33 - describes rebels as _peasants_, 34 - calls battle on Breed’s Hill “a great catastrophe,” 40 - reaches Canada from Ireland, 89, 171 - issues an unwise proclamation, 172 - responded to by Washington, 172 - has no sympathy with “hire of Indians”, 172 - sharp letter from Gates, 173 - his noble response, 173 - captures Ticonderoga, 175 - his diversion to Bennington an error, 175–6 - surrenders his army, 176 - organization of his army (Appendix E), 387 - - BURKE, EDMUND—_Br._ statesman; _b._ 1730, _d._ 1797. - - BURR, AARON—col.; _sub._ vice-pres.; _b._ 1750, _d._ 1830. - accompanies Arnold to Quebec, 55 - - BUTLER, THOMAS—col.; at storming of Stony Point, 257 - - BYRON, JOHN—_Br._ admiral; _b._ 1723, _d._ 1786. - relieves admiral, Lord Howe, 239 - fleet scattered by a storm, 239 - arrives off Boston, 245 - - - CADWALLADER, JOHN—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1743, _d._ 1786. - guarding the Delaware, 141 - fails to cross river, 142 - crosses Delaware at Bristol, 146 - arrives at Trenton, 151 - at Princeton, 156 - at Bordentown, 156 - - CÆSAR, JULIUS—Roman general; _b._ 100 B.C., _d._ 44 B.C. - his campaigns cited in comparison (Preface), viii - his methods imitated by Washington, 313 - - CALDWELL, JAMES—his church burned by the British, 271 - his wife shot by the British, 279 - furnishes hymn books for gun-wadding at Springfield, 284 - - CAMPBELL, WILLIAM—_Am._ col.; _b._ 1745, _d._ 1781; - at Battle of King’s Mountain, 293 - - Canada lost to France, 1763, 10 - as a British base, 30 - invasion urged by Congress, 50 - Arnold its active spirit, 51 - Congress again moves, 52–3 - difference in religious faith, 52 - two expeditions planned, 55 - did not support Burgoyne, 55 - failure of the expeditions, 66 - visited by commissioners, 88 - visited by small-pox, 88 - costs five thousand American lives in sixty days, 88 - British reënforcements come, 89 - abandoned by the American army, 89 - the excuse of Congress, 89 - - Canadian Acts of Parliament, 50 - expeditions of Schuyler and Montgomery, 52, 55 - expedition again suggested, but opposed by Washington, 252 - - CARLETON, _Sir_ GUY—gov., of Canada, _sub._ gov. New York; _b._ 1724, - _d._ 1808. - Arnold’s report of his small force in Canada, 51 - flees from Montreal in disguise to Quebec, 64 - pays military honors to his old comrade, Montgomery, 66 - his magnanimous parole of American prisoners of war, 66 - being largely reënforced in June, 1776, takes the offensive, 89 - succeeds Clinton in N.Y., 362 - coöperates with Washington, 363 - surrenders New York, 363 - - CARRINGTON, EDWARD—col., _sub._ quartermaster-gen. (South); _b._ 1749, - _d._ 1810. - indorsed by Chief Justice Marshall, 301 - explores the Southern rivers, 302 - commissioner to exchange prisoners, 318 - - CARROLL, CHARLES—last survivor of the signers of the Declaration of - Independence; _b._ 1737, _d._ 1832; - commissioner to Canada, 88 - - CARROLL, _Rev._ JOHN—_sub._ Archbishop of Maryland; visits Canada and - reports a terrible condition of affairs, 88 - - CATHARINE II. OF RUSSIA—_b._ 1729, _d._ 1796; - is hostile to British commerce, but favors American interests, 296 - - Charleston, S.C., captured by Clinton, 275 - - Charlestown Heights, neglected by British, 34 - occupied by Americans, 34 - occupied by British, 35 - abandoned, 61 - - Charlottesville, Va., a Hessian prison-camp, visited by Tarleton, 340 - - CHASE, SAMUEL—Md.; _b._ 1741, _d._ 1811; - appointed commissioner to Canada, 88 - - CHASTELLUX, FRANÇOIS JEAN, _Marquis_ DE—maj.-general; _b._ 1734, _d._ - 1789. - accompanies Rochambeau to America, 286 - a relative of Lafayette, 286 - marches from Newport to Ridgebury, Conn., 333 - in conference at Wethersfield, 333 - commands a division, 337 - - CHATHAM, _Lord_ (WILLIAM PITT)—orator and statesman; _b._ 1756, _d._ - 1835. - Pittsburgh named in his honor, 10 - describes the First Continental Congress, 17 - his conciliatory bill defeated, 18 - as to making slaves of American Englishmen, 20 - as to Battle of Guilford, 320 - - Chatterton Hill, battle near White Plains, 129 - - Chemung, Battle of, noticed, 260 - - Chesapeake Bay memorable in naval warfare, 354 - - “Chimney-corner patriots” disgust Washington, 328 - - China stimulated by American example, 370 - - Civil liberty requires right execution of military power, 304 - - CLINTON, JAMES—brig.-general; _b._ 1736, _d._ 1812. - gallantry at Fort Clinton, 179 - in Indian expedition, 260 - - CLINTON, GEORGE—gov., brig.-gen.; _sub._ vice-pres.; _b._ 1736, _d._ - 1812. - commands in the Highlands, 166 - his services noted, 178, 190 - - CLINTON, _Sir_ HENRY—lieut.-gen.; _b._ 1758, _d._ 1795. - arrives in America, 33 - urges attack upon Cambridge, 35 - overruled by Howe, 35 - expects an independent command, 70 - anticipated by Washington, 70 - visits Tryon in New York, 85 - ordered to destroy Southern cities, 85 - in attack upon Fort Sullivan, S.C., 85 - returns to New York, 89 - in battle of Long Island, 107 - expects large success, 110 - at Newport, R.I., 150 - in expedition up the Hudson, 178 - outgenerals Putnam, 178 - captures Forts Clinton and Montgomery, 179 - did not intend to join Burgoyne, 180 - returns to New York, 182 - relieves Howe in command, 215 - gives a _fête_ to Howe, 215 - attempts capture of Lafayette, 216 - fails to capture Lafayette, 217 - his policy outlined, 221 - evacuates Philadelphia, 222 - moves toward Monmouth, 223–4 - followed by Lafayette, 225 - prepares for battle, 229 - abandons position at night, 234 - regains New York, 234 - escapes the French fleet, 238 - tries to reënforce Newport, 245 - reports to Lord Germaine, 249 - inactive at New York, 252 - captures Stony Point, 253 - reoccupies Stony Point, when Washington abandoned it, 259 - declines to attack West Point, 261 - abandons Newport and New England, 262 - sails for Charleston, 268 - reports his force, 270 - reports as to Provincials, 272 - expedition suffers from storm, 274 - captures Charleston, 275 - issues absurd proclamation, 275 - reënforced by Rawdon, 276 - returns to New York, 282 - plans a new expedition, 283 - invades New Jersey, 283 - Battle of Springfield, 283–4 - burns Springfield, 285 - “needs rest for his army”, 285 - plans descent upon Newport, 286 - writes Lord Germaine as to West Point, 288 - corresponds with Arnold, 289 - again writes Lord Germaine, 289 - closes bargain with Arnold, 290 - cannot exchange Arnold for André, 291 - watches the American mutiny, 309 - advises with Lord Germaine, 309 - sends Arnold to Virginia, 310 - doubts Arnold’s discretion, 310 - sends good officers with him, 310 - equally powerless with Cornwallis, 324 - learns of effort to capture Arnold, 325 - sends Phillips to support Arnold, 326 - orders Arnold to New York, 331 - disturbed by Arnold’s correspondence with London officials, 332 - receives Washington’s decoy letters, 335 - “in a state of siege”, 335 - other decoy letters reach him, 336 - orders Cornwallis to report to him, 337 - calls for reënforcements, 338 - intercepts other decoy letters with plans enclosed, 346 - outgeneraled by Washington, 347–8 - writes Cornwallis—promising help, 350 - advises Cornwallis to strike Philadelphia, 352 - does not understand Washington, 352 - hears from Cornwallis, 358 - sails for Yorktown too late, 358 - contemporaneous surrender of Cornwallis, 359–60 - is relieved of command in New York, 361 - succeeded by Sir Guy Carleton, 361 - - COLLIER, _Sir_ GEORGE—_Br._ commodore. - convoys Clinton and his troops up the Hudson, 253 - his fleet visits New Haven, 256 - relieved by Admiral Arbuthnot, 261 - - Colonial Congress at New York, 1765, 11 - nine Colonies represented; others ratify action, 11 - names of Colonies that were not represented, 11 - the Declaration of Rights, 11 - denounces Stamp Act, Oct. 7, 1755, 13 - - Colonial expeditions, 1755, 10 - additional, 1758, 10 - - Colonial governments and their forms described, 16 - - Columbian Exposition, 1892, noticed, 372–3 - - Commissioners sent to Canada, 88 - General and Admiral Howe meet American commissioners in New York, 98 - arrange terms between Cornwallis and Washington, 359 - - Committee of Congress visits Boston, 60 - - Committee of Correspondence, 1773, and their purpose, 15 - - Connecticut Farms, N.J., burned by General Knyphausen, 279 - - Connecticut sends 2,000 men to Boston, April 26, 1775, 23 - assigns Putnam, Wooster, and Spencer to command, 23 - sends volunteers to New York with Lee, 71 - her militia greatly reduced, 116 - responds to Washington’s appeal, 116 - twice invaded by Tryon, 166, 256 - invaded by Arnold, 351 - - Continental Army organized, 32 - - Continental Congress adopts militia about Boston as the American - Continental Army, 32 - forms Light Infantry corps, 32 - appoints Washington Commander-in-Chief, 32 - accompanies commission with pledge of support, 32 - sends committee to Washington at Cambridge, 52 - disclaims purpose to operate against Canada, 54 - but initiated and pressed every expedition, 54 - sends a second committee to Cambridge, 60 - authorizes a navy, 60 - urges attack upon Boston, 61 - sends committee to N.Y., 85 - orders additional troops to Canada, 88 - proposes to hire Indian allies, 88 - appoints commissioners to Canada, 88 - authorizes abandonment of New York, 117 - confers large powers upon Washington, 140 - imparts dictatorial powers, 148 - makes promotions without consulting Washington, 165 - adjourns to Lancaster and to York, 194 - honors the defenders of Fort Mifflin, 202 - places enemies of Washington in responsible commands, 205 - sends a committee to Valley Forge, 212 - - Continental money worth 3 cents on the dollar, 252 - - CONWAY, THOMAS—Irish adventurer; brig.-gen. at Battle of Germantown, - 195 - promoted major-general and inspector-general, 205 - resigns his commission, 207 - responsible for the “Conway cabal”, 212 - departs for France, 212 - - CORNWALLIS, CHARLES, _Lord_—_sub._ lieut.-gen. India; _b._ 1738, _d._ - 1805. - sails for America, 97 - lands at Wilmington, N.C., 97 - accompanies Clinton to Charleston, S.C., 97 - returns to New York, 99 - in Battle of Long Island, 107 - enforces the surrender of Sullivan and Stirling, 108 - assaults Fort Washington, 132 - invades New Jersey, 136 - halts at Brunswick, 137 - on eve of departure for England, 150 - ordered back to New Jersey, 150 - advances upon Trenton, 152 - threatens Washington’s position, 154 - strengthens his own position, 154 - outgeneraled by Washington, 156 - retires to Brunswick, 156 - again on the aggressive, 167 - attempts to gain Washington’s defences, 169 - retires to Staten Island, 169 - in skirmish upon invasion of Pennsylvania, 185 - moves up the Brandywine, 188 - leads the advance of Howe’s army, 188 - surprises Sullivan’s division, 187–9 - moves to Chester, 192 - enters Philadelphia, 194 - lands in New Jersey, 203 - compels Americans to destroy their galleys, 203 - threatens Washington at Chestnut Hill, 204 - skirmishes with Morgan, 204 - makes incursion into New Jersey, 248 - in command at the South, 275 - suspends invasion of North Carolina, 293 - fails to subjugate the people, 293 - sore over Tarleton’s defeat at Cowpens, 315 - presses closely upon Greene, 315 - informs Clinton of his condition, 317 - abandons Charleston, 317 - expects no aid from Virginia, 318 - his proclamation to rebels, 318 - arranges for exchange of prisoners, 318 - parols militia as prisoners, 318 - seeks to control upper fords, 318 - is outgeneraled by Greene, 319 - in need of all supplies, 319 - at Guilford Court-House, 319 - cannot improve success, 320 - practically a defeat, so judged by contemporaries, 320 - retires to Wilmington, leaving his wounded, closely pursued by - Greene, 321 - his position, and that of Clinton, noticed, 324 - reminiscence of earlier campaign, 325 - his effective force reduced, 329 - arrives at Yorktown from Wilmington, 333 - sustained by British ministry, 337 - Clinton wants his troops, 338 - promises to expel Lafayette from Virginia, 338 - in pursuit of Lafayette, 38–9 - his course described by Lafayette, 339 - abandons the pursuit, 339 - is followed by Lafayette, 340 - returns to headquarters, 341 - finds old despatches from Clinton, 341 - takes boats for Yorktown, 341 - his movements reported to Washington, 342 - is warned by Clinton of danger, 350 - relations to Clinton noticed, 352–3 - must destroy Lafayette’s army to hold Virginia, 353 - attempts escape by Gloucester, 358 - the movement abandoned, 358 - graphic report to Clinton, 358 - terms of surrender fixed, 359 - surrender completed, 360 - courtesies between officers of the three armies, 361 - his interview with Lafayette, 361 - - CORNWALLIS, FREDERICK—acts as _Br._ commissioner to exchange prisoners, - 318 - - COUDRAY, _Monsieur_ DE—ordered to complete defensive works along the - Delaware, 192 - - Court-martial of Arnold, 274 - - Court-martial of Lee (Appendix G), 389 - - Cowpens, Battle of, 312 - - COXE, DANIEL—urges union of Colonies, 1722, 12 - - Crimean War noticed, 313 - - CROMWELL, OLIVER—Lord Protector of England; _b._ 1599, _d._ 1659. - cited by Washington’s officers as a precedent for assuming permanent - command, 364 - - Crown Point, expedition against, 1755, 10 - visited by Allen and Arnold, 30 - captured by Seth Warner, 51 - - CUSTIS, _Mrs._ MARTHA—_b._ 1732, _d._ 1802. - her marriage to Washington, 8 - - - Danbury, Conn., invaded (with Ridgefield) by Tryon, 166 - - DARTMOUTH, GEORGE, _Lord_—_Br._ statesman; _b._ 1748, _d._ 1791. - comments upon Lexington and Concord, 20 - opposed military occupation of Boston, 33 - advised Howe to attack Southern cities, 69 - regarded New York as the true British base, 69 - - DAYTON, ELIAS—col.; _b._ 1735, _d._ 1807. - his regiment in battle, 278–9 - - DEANE, SILAS—_b._ 1737, _d._ 1834. - on naval committee, 60 - commissioner to France, 209 - returns to Philadelphia, 238 - - DEBORRE, PRUDHOMME—brig.-gen.; disgraced at Brandywine, 189 - - Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, 91 - - D’ESTAING, CHARLES HECTOR, _Count_—_Fr._ lieut.-general; _b._ 1729, - _d._ 1794. - reaches the Delaware with French fleet, 238 - sails at once for New York, 239 - unable to cross the bar, 240 - arrives at Newport, R.I., 240 - consults Sullivan as to attack, 242 - not affronted by Sullivan’s landing first, 243 - is confronted by British fleet, 243 - both fleets dispersed, 243 - returns to Newport, 243 - sails for Boston to refit; notices Sullivan’s protest, 243 - his manly course vindicated, 244 - sails for the West Indies, 245 - off the coast of Georgia, 261 - his siege of Savannah, urged by Lafayette, 267 - twice wounded, 268 - - DE FLEURY, LOUIS—_Fr._ lieuten’t, _sub._ col. - at defence of Fort Mercer, 202 - planned Fort Mifflin, 202 - wounded in its defence, 203 - - DE GRASSE, FRANÇOIS JOSEPH PAUL—_Fr._; b. 1723, d. 1788. - arrives in the Chesapeake, 342 - limited in period of operations, 342 - urges assault upon Yorktown, 342 - yields to Lafayette’s judgment, 343 - is visited by Washington, 354 - has naval fight with Admiral Graves (see map), 355 - suggests a plan of action, 356 - opposed by Lafayette, 356 - sails for the West Indies, 361 - his trophies at Yorktown (Appendix F), 388 - - DE HEISTER—_H._ lieut.-gen.; lands at Gravesend, Aug. 25, 1776, 106 - captures Sullivan and Stirling, and parts of their commands, 108 - advances to support Howe, 126 - - DE KALB, JOHN, _Baron_—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1780. - comes to America with Lafayette. Note to Chap. XVIII, 191 - reports as to the army, 205 - appointed inspector-general, 207 - commands Maryland and Delaware troops, 277 - Southern campaign, 291 - _k._ in Battle of Camden, 292 - - Delaware troops always efficient, 277 - gallantry at Camden, 292 - - Denmark and Sweden hostile to England, 296 - - DESTOUCHES, _Chevalier_—succeeds De Ternay, deceased, 298 - supports Washington, 323 - indorsed by Washington, 326 - - DE TERNAY, _Chevalier_—convoys Rochambeau’s army from France, 286 - blockaded by British at Newport, 298 - dies at Newport, 298 - is succeeded by Destouches, 298 - - DICKENSON, JOHN—in first Continental Congress, 17 - - DINWIDDIE, ROBERT—gov. of Virginia; _b._ 1690, _d._ 1770; sent - Washington as commissioner to French frontier, 6 - - DONOP—_H._ col.; - in the storming of Chatterton Hill, 129 - abandons Bordentown, 146 - _k._ in storming Fort Mercer, 201 - is buried by the Americans, 202 - - Dorchester Heights occupied by the Americans, 76–80 - - DRAYTON, WILLIAM H.—_b._ 1742, _d._ 1779; chief justice, South - Carolina, 1776, 86 - - DUMAS, MATHIEU, _Count_ DE—_Fr._ col.; _sub._ marshal-de-camp and - historian; _b._ 1753, _d._ 1837; - gallantry at Yorktown, 357 - _Note._—He was wounded in storming redoubt. - - DUNDAS, FRANCIS—_Br._ lieut.-col.; _b._ 1750, _d._ 1824; goes to - Virginia with Arnold, 310 - - DUNMORE, JOHN MURRAY, _Lord_—_Br._ gov. Virginia; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1818. - seizes colonial powder, 28 - opposed by Patrick Henry, 28 - takes refuge on board the man-of-war _Fowey_, 28 - bombards Norfolk, New Year’s day, 1776, 68 - is visited by Gen. Clinton, 85 - - DU PORTAIL, LEBEGUE—_Fr._ brig.-gen.; _d._ 1802. - captured at Charleston, 300 - succeeded as engineer by Kosciusko, 300 - reconnoitres with Washington, 336 - visits the Count de Grasse with Washington, 353 - - - EFFINGHAM, _Lord_—_Br._; resigns when ordered to America, 21 - - Elizabethtown, N.J., visited by Knyphausen, 227 - - Engineering defined, with note (Preface), xi - - ERSKINE, _Sir_ WILLIAM—_Br._ brig.-gen.; captured by _Am._ privateer at - sea, 98, 99 - warns Cornwallis at Trenton, 155 - attempts to capture Lafayette, 216 - - Eutaw Springs—the last battle at the South, 321 - - Evacuation of Boston (_Br._), 80 - Brooklyn (_Am._), 113 - New York (_Am._), 127 - Philadelphia (_Br._), 222 - Charleston (_Am._), 267 - Yorktown (_Br._), 361 - New York (_Br._), 363 - - EWING, JAMES—brig.-general; failed to cross at Trenton, 1776, on - Christmas night, 162 - - - FAIRFAX, BRYAN, _Lord_—_b._ 1730, _d._ 1802; friend of Washington, 5 - - Fairfield, Conn., raided by Governor Tryon, 255 - - FEBIGER, CHRISTIAN—colonel at Stony Point, 257 - - First Continental Congress, at Philadelphia, Sept. 5, 1774, 16 - its officers and members noticed, 16 - Washington a member, 17 - honored by Lord Chatham, 17 - supports Massachusetts, 17 - - FLEURY, LOUIS DE. See De Fleury. - - FORMAN—brig.-gen., - at Battle of Germantown, 195 - - Forrest’s battery (_Am._) at Trenton, 145 - - Forts Clinton and Montgomery captured (see map), 179 - - Fort Du Quesne, became Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh), 10 - - Fort Mercer and its gallant defence, 201 - - Fort Mifflin, planned by De Fleury (_Fr._), 202 - - France retains certain American possessions by Treaty of Paris, 1763, - 11 - makes a formal alliance with America, 213 - sends an ambassador to America, 238 - sends a fleet to America, 238 - sends a second fleet to America, 261 - sends an army to America, 286 - sends a third fleet and troops to America, 342 - sends money to America, 348 - shares in the trophies of Yorktown, 388 - - Franco-Prussian war cited in comparison (Preface), vii - - FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN—philosopher, diplomat, and statesman; _b._ 1716, - _d._ 1790. - urges a union of the Colonies, 1754, 12 - the convention of July 4, 1754, the result, 12 - reasons for its failure, 12 - on passage of Stamp Act, writing to Charles Thompson, 13 - Thompson’s reply quoted, 13 - describes the servile attitude of the English people, 18 - chairman Penn. Committee of Safety, 28 - his opinion of fight at Breed’s Hill, 34 - commissioner to Canada, 88 - commissioner to meet Gen. and Admiral Howe, 116 - secures French support, 209 - writes as to Washington’s standing abroad, 308 - influence with Holland and Spain noticed, 309 - secures a loan from Holland, 348 - - FREDERICK II.—third king of Prussia (called “the Great”); son of - Frederick William I.; _b._ 1712, _d._ 1786; like Washington in - reticence, 44 - - French army at Newport, R.I., 286 - marches through Connecticut, 335 - joins Washington, 335 - threatens New York, 336 - supports Lafayette, 342 - parades in Philadelphia, 349 - reviewed by the president of Congress, 349 - in siege of Yorktown, 357 - competes with Americans, in action, 358 - - French fleet off the Delaware, with French Ambassador, 238 - unable to enter New York, 240 - sails for Newport, R.I., 240 - engages fleet of Howe, 243 - repairs at Boston, 243 - at Savannah, Ga., 261 - blockaded at Newport, 295 - off the Chesapeake, 350 - engages with British fleet, 354 - leaves America, 361 - - Frigate _Le Sensible_ (_Fr._) brings French treaty to America, 213 - _La Chinier_ (_Fr._) brings French minister to America, 238 - - Frigates built during the war, and their fate (Appendix B), 378 - - - GAGE, THOMAS—_Br._ lieut.-gen.; _b._ 1721, _d._ 1787. - appointed gov. Massachusetts and Commander-in-Chief, 16 - his fatal movement upon Concord, 20 - succeeded by Howe, 58 - - GATES, HORATIO—maj.-general, _sub._ adj.-general; _b._ 1728, _d._ 1806. - his antecedents, 36 - succeeds Sullivan in Canada, 88 - the confidant of Charles Lee, 127 - confidential letter from Lee, 127 - another letter from Lee, 138 - reports for duty, 139 - absent without leave, 141 - dodges Battle of Trenton, 142 - insolent letter to Burgoyne, 173 - its lofty rebuke, 173 - relieves Schuyler, and himself relieved, 173 - declines command of Ticonderoga, 173 - insulting letter to Washington, 173–4 - Washington’s reply, 174 - appeals to congressmen, 174 - on leave of absence, 174 - supersedes Schuyler, 176 - captures Burgoyne’s army, 176 - congratulated by Washington, 179 - reports direct to Congress, 179 - president of Board of War, 205 - still corresponds with Lee, 205 - commands at Peekskill, 212 - on Council of War, 217 - letters to Lee known to Washington, 220 - declines to fight Indians, 259 - “unequal to the command,” 260 - spends winter in Virginia, 281 - Congress gives him the Southern Department, 281 - sarcastic letter from Charles Lee, 281 - in command at the South, 291 - criticised by Irving, 291 - routed at Camden, 292 - his disgraceful flight, 292 - his abject apology, 292 - could have saved the battle, 292 - attempts to gather his army, 293 - the tidings reaches Washington, 295 - is succeeded by Greene, 300 - turns command over to Greene, 302 - retires to his farm, 302 - - GEORGE III.—King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the - Faith; _b._ 1738, _d._ 1820. - does not understand Englishmen in America, 20 - hears of Burgoyne’s surrender, 208 - unwisely adjourns Parliament, 208 - - GERARD (DE RAYVENAL), _Monsieur_ CONRAD A.; _d._ 1790. - pledges to Franklin and Deane French support, 209 - first _Fr._ ambassador to America, 238 - - GERMAINE, GEORGE (_Viscount_ SACKVILLE), _Lord_—_Br._ Prime Minister; - _b._ 1716, _d._ 1785. - correspondence with Howe, 98 - with Clinton, 249, 289 - - Germantown, Battle of, Chapter XIX., 192–7 - - GIMÂT—_Fr._ col. on Washington’s staff. - at Monmouth, 233 - witness on Lee’s trial, 233 - at siege of Yorktown, 357 - - GIST, MORDECAI—brig.-gen., _sub._ gov. Del.; _b._ 1743, _d._ 1792. - skirmishes with Cornwallis, 204 - recruits for Greene’s army, 301 - - GLOVER, JOHN—col.; _sub._ brig.-gen.; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1797. - at Battle of Long Island, 108 - covers the retreat, 111 - resists British landing at Throgg’s Neck, 125 - at Battle of Trenton, 142 - - GORDON, _Rev._ WILLIAM, as to Battle of Monmouth, 234 - - Grand tactics defined, with note (Preface), x - - GRANT, JAMES—_Br._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1720, _d._ 1806. - at Battle of Long Island, 107 - watches Washington from Brunswick, N.J., 143 - compliments Washington’s sagacity, 143 - put Hessians off their guard, 143 - - GRANT, ULYSSES SIMPSON—Gen. U.S.A., _sub._ pres. twice; _b._ 1822, _d._ - 1885. - his example cited, 66 - - GRAVES, THOMAS, _Baron_—_Br._ admiral; _b._ about 1725, _d._ 1802. - ordered to burn coast towns, 59 - counter-action of Washington, 59 - attempts to capture Lafayette, 216 - sails for the Chesapeake, 355 - misses Count de Barras, 355 - engages a superior French fleet, 355 - returns to New York, 355 - - GRAY—_Br._ maj.-gen. - surprises Wayne at Paoli, 193 - in attack upon Washington at Chestnut Hill, 204 - attempts to capture Lafayette, 216 - surprises Light Horse, at Tappan, 248 - - Great Britain sublimely faces world-wide antagonisms, 296 - unjust to her Provincial troops, 362 - Washington aids Carleton in their behalf, 363 - - GREENE, ASHBEL—chaplain at Monmouth; _sub._ pres. Princeton College, - N.J.; _b._ 1762, _d._ 1848; - as to Washington’s interview with Lee at Monmouth, 236 - See also Washington’s letter as to the language used by him, 391 - - GREENE, CHRISTOPHER—colonel; _b._ 1737, _d._ 1781. - in Arnold’s expedition to Canada, 55, 200 - commands Fort Mercer, 200 - - GREENE, NATHANIEL—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1740, _d._ 1786. - commands Rhode Island troops, 24 - a Quaker youth and blacksmith’s apprentice, 25 - studied by forge-light, after work hours, 25 - announces principles essential to success, 25 - thorough work as member of the Kentish Guards, 26 - antecedents and studies, 26 - likened to Grant and Lee, 26 - outline of his career anticipated, 39 - his brigade noticed, 69 - in charge of Brooklyn Heights, 87 - completes the defences, 102 - prostrated by fever, 104 - succeeded by Putnam, 104 - advises retreat, 115 - describes Washington at Kipp’s Bay, 119 - assumes command in New Jersey, 122 - describes corrupt practices of surgeons, 123 - joins for duty, 127 - prepares for campaign in New Jersey, 130 - regards Fort Washington as defensible, 132 - at Battle of Trenton, 142 - commands advance posts before Trenton, 151 - leads the advance, Jan. 2, 1777, 155 - visits Congress, 166 - advances to meet Howe, 168 - his plan vindicated, 169 - selects position on the Brandywine, 185 - commands the reserve, 186 - with Washington, covers the retreat, 189 - at Battle of Germantown, 195 - enters New Jersey, 203 - assigns Lafayette to duty, 203 - at Council of War, 217 - at Monmouth, 230, 233 - at Boston, as quartermaster-general, 246 - describes the winter, 1780, 271 - in Battle of Springfield, 283 - manœuvres for position, 284 - scientific movements noticed, 285 - succeeds Arnold at West Point, 291 - submits plan for Southern campaign, 300 - succeeds Gates and goes South, 300 - relieves Gates, 302 - his reports and letters, 302 - graphic letter to Marion, 303 - “spies are the eyes of an army”, 303 - acts as if under the eyes of Washington, 303 - initiates his campaign, 313 - his army without clothing, 315 - uses blankets, “Indian style”, 315 - rides 125 miles to see Morgan, 315 - joined by Harry Lee, 316 - provides for Morgan’s prisoners, 316 - his wise strategic methods, 317 - expects no aid from Virginia, 318 - decides to fight Cornwallis, 318 - battle of Guilford Court-House, 319 - drives Cornwallis into Wilmington, 320 - his report to Washington, 320 - fights Rawdon, at Hobkirk Hill, 321 - the casualties stated, 321 - fights Stewart, at Eutaw Springs, “the final battle at the South”, - 321 - redeems Georgia and the Carolinas, 322 - welcomes Lafayette to the South, 326 - regards capture of Cornwallis as settled, 327 - his army reënforced by Lafayette’s self-denial, 330 - - Greenfield, Conn., raided by Tryon, 256 - - Green Mountain Boys, Vt., regularly organized, 51 - resist Carleton’s advance from Canada, 62 - decline to reënlist after capture of Montreal, 63 - - GRENVILLE, GEORGE—_Br._ Prime Minister; _b._ 1712, _d._ 1770; - ordains a revenue system, 1764, 12 - - GRIDLEY, RICHARD—col.; _b._ 1711, _d._ 1796. - Engineer-in-Chief at Bunker Hill, 23 - resigns, and succeeded by Knox, 61 - - Griffiths—_Am._ col.; skirmishes with Donop (_H._), 146 - - - HALE, EDWARD EVERETT—clergyman, journalist, and author; _b._ Boston, - Mass., 1822. - his tribute to Nathan Hale, 120, 121 - - Hale, Nathan—_Am._ captain; _b._ 1755; _d._ 1776. - confidential messenger of Washington, 120 - executed as a spy, Sept. 22, 1776, 121 - his memorable last words, 121 - his career sketched by the Rev. E. E. Hale, 120–121 - place of his execution identified by Lossing, 131 - - HAMILTON, ALEXANDER—col., _sub._ eminent financier; _b._ 1757, _d._ - 1804. - occupies Chatterton Hill, with two guns, 128 - is sent to Gates for troops, 204 - with Lafayette at Monmouth, 226 - reports New York Harbor too shallow for French fleet, 240 - gallantry at Yorktown, 357 - - HAMMOND, _Sir_ ANDREW—_Br._ commodore; - arrives with troops, 261 - - HAMPTON, WADE—col.; _b._ 1754, _d._ 1835; - honored by Washington, 312 - - HANCOCK, JOHN—statesman and maj.-gen.; _b._ 1737, _d._ 1793. - pres. Mass. Provincial Congress, 17 - advises Washington of Howe’s movements, 183 - at siege of Newport opposes departure of D’Estaing, 243 - - HAND, EDWARD—col.; _b._ in Ireland, 1744, _d._ 1802. - in skirmish on Long Island, 104 - falls back to Prospect Hill, 105 - delays British landing at Throgg’s Neck, 125 - skirmishes with the Hessian Yagers, 126 - in front of Trenton, 1776–7, 151 - in Sullivan’s expedition, 260 - becomes adjt.-gen., _vice_ Scammon, resigned, 300 - - HANNIBAL—Carthaginian prince and general; _b._ 229 B.C., _d._ 183 B.C. - (Preface), v - - HARRISON, BENJAMIN—signer of Declaration of Independence; _b._ 1740, - _d._ 1791; - visits Boston on naval affairs, 60 - - HARRISON, ROBERT H.—col. - secretary to Washington, 300 - becomes C.J. of Maryland, 300 - - HARRISON, THOMAS—speaker of Virginia House of Burgesses; - addressed by Washington, 250 - - HASLET—col. Delaware reg’t; _b._ in Ireland, _d._ 1777. - joins army at Brooklyn, 105 - makes a gallant fight, 107 - attacks the Queen’s Rangers successfully, 126 - _k._ at Battle of Princeton, 154 - - HAZELWOOD, JOHN—_Am._ naval officer; b. 1726, d. 1800; - gallantry on the Delaware, 202 - - HAZEN, MOSES—col., _sub._ brig.-gen.; _b._ 1733, _d._ 1802; - threatens Staten Island, 347 - - HEATH, WILLIAM—maj.-general; _b._ 1735, _d._ 1814. - appointed brig.-gen, 36 - his antecedents, 36 - subsequent career outlined, 39 - describes occupation of Dorchester as “never so much done in so short - a space”, 77 - ordered to New York, 82 - efficient at New York, 104 - aids in the retreat, 110 - makes a night march, 128 - commands in the Highlands, 131 - at Fishkill, 135 - advised of Washington’s plans, 141 - ordered to take the offensive, 147 - special assignment to duty, 156 - reprimanded for mismanagement, 157–8 - ordered to Boston, 254 - again in the Highlands, 268 - commands camp in New Jersey, 346 - - Hebrew military and civil antecedents (Preface), viii, ix - - HENRY, PATRICK—orator and statesman; _b._ 1736, _d._ 1799. - charged with treason, 13 - denounces British Stamp Act, 13 - in first Continental Congress, 17 - - Hessian prisoners taken at Saratoga remain in America, 248 - quartered in Virginia, 248 - - Hessian soldiers misunderstood, 363 - - HILDRETH, RICHARD—historian; _b._ 1807, _d._ 1865. - criticises Samuel Adams, 299 - Mr. Adams’ position sound in principle, 299 - - HILLHOUSE, JAMES—captain, _sub._ eminent lawyer and senator; _b._ 1754, - _d._ 1832. - resists Tryon’s invasion of New Haven, 256 - - Hobkirk Hill noticed, 321 - - HOOD, _Sir_ SAMUEL—_Br._ admiral; _b._ 1724, _d._ 1816. - arrives in America, 354 - looks into Delaware Bay, 354 - proceeds to New York, 354 - reports to Admiral Graves, 354 - - HORNBLOWER, JOSEPH C.—Chief Justice of New Jersey; _b._ 1777, _d._ - 1864; - misreported as to Washington’s language at Monmouth, 235 - - HOWE, _Lord_ RICHARD—admiral; _b._ 1725, _d._ 1799. - reaches N.Y. July 12, 1776, 98 - joint commissioner with General Howe, 98 - refuses to recognize Washington’s military title, 96 - does so in order to secure Erskine’s exchange, 99 - returns to New York, 245 - sails for Boston, 245 - - HOWE, _Sir_ WILLIAM—lieut.-gen.; _b._ 1730, _d._ 1814. - declares martial law, 32 - offers pardon to all but Samuel Adams and John Hancock, 32 - established in America, 33 - overrules Clinton’s advice to attack Cambridge, 35 - his martinet discipline, 48 - ordered to succeed Gage, 58 - issues an unwise proclamation, 58 - Washington’s counter-proclamation, 58 - orders coast towns to be devastated, 59 - instructed by Lord Dartmouth, 69 - “New York is the proper British base”, 70 - overruled by Gage, 70 - Dorchester Heights seized, 77 - his report to Lord Dartmouth, 77 - fails to recapture the Heights, 80 - evacuates Boston, 80 - embarks for Halifax, 80 - sails from Halifax for New York, 97 - lands troops on Staten Island, 98 - confers with Governor Tryon, 98 - writes Lord Germaine as to plans, 98 - addresses George Washington, Esq., 98 - changes the address to secure a military exchange, 99 - “dispensing pardon to repentant sinners,” as Washington styles Howe’s - mission, 99 - brilliant landing of his army, 106 - the battle outlined, 107–9 - negotiations with American commissioners, 108 - advance of his army, 117 - makes enormous requisitions for troops, 118 - movements anticipated by Washington, 120 - writes Lord Germaine as to a long campaign, 124 - will not attack Harlem Heights, 125 - lands at Throgg’s Neck, 126 - orders storming of Chatterton Hill, 126 - awaits reënforcements, 126 - outgeneraled by Washington, 129 - crosses to the Hudson, 129 - anticipated by Washington, 130 - tries to deter American enlistments, 130 - guarantees “liberties and properties”, 130 - captures Fort Washington, 132 - knew of Adjutant Dumont’s treason, 133 - excuse for not following Washington, 133 - specific instructions given, 133 - sends Cornwallis into New Jersey, 137 - “weather too severe for field service”, 137 - returns to New York, 139 - winter quarters specified, 139 - surprised by news from Trenton, 150 - calls for 20,000 more troops, 150 - hurries Cornwallis to New Jersey, 150 - withdraws troops from Newport, 163 - plans anticipated by Washington, 165 - marches again into New Jersey, with 17,000 men, 167 - details of the campaign, 168–170 - will invade Pennsylvania, 177 - writes a decoy letter, which Washington detects, 177 - no doubts of Burgoyne’s success, 181 - sails for the Chesapeake, 182–183 - skirmishes with American advance, 185 - masterly strategy in the Battle of Brandywine, 187–190 - cares for the wounded of both armies, 192 - his rear threatened by Washington, 194 - his headquarters at Germantown, 195 - repels Washington’s attack, but does not attack in turn, 195 - after battle returns to Philadelphia, 196 - threatens American army at Chestnut Hill, 204 - explains the failure of his movement, 204 - succeeded in command by Clinton, 215 - his army in detail (Appendix D–2), 384 - - Huntington, L.I., raided by Tryon’s expedition, 256 - - Hyde Park, Mass., where fascine rods were made available, 78 - - - Independence, National, proclaimed at Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, 91 - - Independence proclaimed at Charlotte, N. C., May 20, 1774, 29 - - Indian atrocities during the Revolution, 249 - summarily avenged, 252, 260 - - Indian auxiliaries advocated by Great Britain, 172 - advocated by Congress, 88 - denounced by Burgoyne, 172–3 - ridiculed by Schuyler, 88 - - IRVING, WASHINGTON—diplomat, historian, scholar; _b._ 1783, _d._ 1859. - his personal aid acknowledged by the author (Preface), xiv - his sketch of Washington’s youth, 1 - his tribute to Mary Washington, 5 - - - Japan honors the example and teachings of Washington, 370 - - JAY, JOHN—statesman and jurist; _b._ 1745, _d._ 1829. - in first Continental Congress, 17 - suggests to burn New York, 108 - commissioner to France, 309 - his services recognized, 309 - - JEFFERSON, THOMAS—patriot and statesman, governor Va., _sub._ pres. - twice; _b._ 1743, _d._ July 4, 1826. - sees basis for a constitution in government of Iroquois Indian - Confederacy, 12 - protects the western frontier, 253 - advised by Washington, 300 - defies Arnold’s threats, 311 - narrowly escapes capture by Tarleton, 340 - is vindicated by Lafayette, 343 - - JOMINI, HENRI, _Baron_ DE—gen.; chief of staff to Napoleon; - aide-de-camp Emperor of Russia; military writer; _b._ 1799, _d._ - 1869. - gives grounds of Napoleon’s success (Preface), xiii - as applied to Washington, 44 - as to retreats, 73 - - JONES, JOHN PAUL—lieut., captain in the navy, _sub._ admiral in the - Russian navy; _b._ 1747, _d._ 1792. - appointed in the navy, 59 - history of his name, 379 - his naval success, 379 - - JOSHUA—the Hebrew captain, an antetype of Washington upon completion of - his mission, 373 - - Jubilee, _Am._, at Valley Forge, 213 - French alliance honored, 213 - _Br._ at Philadelphia, 215 - General Howe honored, 215 - noted participants, 215 - - - KENT, JAMES—chief justice, jurist, and author, N. Y.; _b._ 1763, _d._ - 1847; - his opinion of General Schuyler, 37 - - Kentish Guards, R.I., identified with Greene, 26 - their prompt start for Boston, 27 - their subsequent promotions in the service, 26 - - KEPPEL, AUGUSTUS—_Br._ admiral; _b._ 1725, _d._ 1786; gives an opinion - of the war, 21 - - King’s Mountain, Battle of, mentioned, 293 - - Kingston, N. Y., burned by Gen. Vaughn, 179 - - KNOWLTON, THOMAS—capt., _sub._ col.; _b._ 1740, _d._ 1776. - at Bunker Hill, 122 - _k._ at Harlem Heights, 122 - - KNOX, HENRY—chief of artillery, _sub._ maj.-gen.; _sub._ Sec. of War; - _b._ 1750, _d._ 1806. - succeeds Gridley, resigned, 61 - efficient in ordnance department, 71 - mounts Ticonderoga cannon at Cambridge, 71 - reports his artillery force, 102 - efficient at Trenton with Forrest’s battery, 145 - recruits artillery in Mass., 163 - establishes gun-factory at Springfield, 163 - visits Count de Grasse, with Washington, 353 - - KNYPHAUSEN, WILHELM, _Baron_ VON—_H._ lieut.-general; _b._ 1730, _d._ - 1789. - arrives in America and joins Howe, 126 - in attack upon Fort Washington, 132 - at Brandywine, 186–7 - conducts Clinton’s baggage-train from Philadelphia, 224 - pushes for Monmouth, 224 - reaches New York, 229 - invades New Jersey, 271 - in Battle of Springfield, 279 - acts the part of Pharaoh, instead of that of Moses, 280 - - KOSCIUSKO, THADDEUS—Polish maj.-general; _b._ 1750, _d._ 1817. - perfects fortifications at West Point, 212 - appointed chief engineer, _vice_ Du Portail, captured, 300 - ordered to the South, 302 - his efficiency, 302 - his antecedents, 305 - locates earthworks, 317 - - - LAFAYETTE, or LA FAYETTE, MARIE-JOSEPH-PAUL-YVES-ROCK-GILBERT DUMOTIER, - _Marquis_ DE—maj.-general; _b._ 1757, _d._ 1835. - arrives in America, 191 - reaches Philadelphia, 191 - joins Washington, in council, 191 - his first scout, 185 - commands a division, 203 - visits Albany as to Canadian movement, 211 - rejoins Washington, 212 - concurs with his chief, 213 - skilful at Barren Hill, 215 - amusing incident of the battle, 216 - outmanœuvres Clinton, 216 - attends a Council of War, 217 - pursues Clinton, 225 - reports progress, 226 - his relations to Lee, 228 - skirmishes with Queen’s Rangers, 229 - protests against retreat, 229 - commands second line at Monmouth, 231 - conduct during the battle, 235 - alleged statement as to Washington at Monmouth disproved, 235 - a letter to his wife, 236 - on duty at Newport, 241 - corresponds with D’Estaing, 244 - makes quick trip to Boston, 244 - covers retreat to Newport, 245 - occupies Bristol, 245 - sails for France, 253 - returns to America, 276 - joins Washington, 276 - reports to Congress, 276 - his proclamation as to Canada, 288 - his sympathy with Mrs. Arnold, 291 - his estimate of Washington, 305 - extols the American army, 306 - intrusted with arrest of Arnold, 312, 323 - starts on his expedition, 324 - an interesting reminiscence, 325 - letters to his wife, 325 - wounded at Brandywine, 325 - his active movements, 325 - orders from Washington, 326 - has confidence of Greene, 327 - how he treated deserters, 327 - harasses the enemy, 329 - his letter to Washington, 330 - headquarters established, 331 - ignores Arnold’s letters, 331 - complimented by Washington, 332 - marches to meet Wayne, 338 - reports his movements, 339 - takes the offensive, 339 - joined by Wayne and unites with Steuben, 340 - intercepts Tarleton’s correspondence, 340 - in sharp action at Williamsburg, 341 - gallantry noticed, 341 - writes Washington in full, 342 - reports landing of French troops, 342 - declines grave risks, 342 - outgenerals Cornwallis, 343 - ready for Washington’s arrival, 343 - has Cornwallis inclosed, 343 - complains of “rusty wheels”, 343 - vindicates Gov. Jefferson, 343 - confident of victory, 343 - receives special orders from Washington not to let Cornwallis escape, - 345 - sends despatches to Washington, 349 - his twenty-fourth birthday, and incidents, 350 - writes to his wife as to his “thrilling adventures” and “enviable - lot”, 350 - welcomes Washington at his headquarters, 351 - hastens Washington’s army from Baltimore, 353 - relations to the French court, 356 - overrules plans of De Grasse, 356 - storms a redoubt, 357 - pleasantry with Baron Vioménil, 358 - relations to Cornwallis, 361 - their mutual appreciation, 362 - expedition to Charleston abandoned, 362 - sails from Boston for France, 362 - bids farewell to Washington, 362 - - LAURENS, HENRY—statesman; _b._ 1724; _d._ 1792. - vice-president of South Carolina, 86 - reports New York Harbor too shallow for French fleet, 240 - in the siege of Savannah, 268 - sent commissioner to Holland, 296 - taken prisoner in London, 296 - in London Tower for high treason, 296 - sent on special mission to France, 296 - arrives in Paris, 309 - speaks plain words at Paris, 309 - returns to America with funds and pledges of French support, 348 - - LAUZUN, ARMAND LOUIS DE GOUTANT, _Duke_ DE—_b._ 1747, _d._ 1793. - with Rochambeau, 333 - threatens Morrisania, 334 - in concert with General Lincoln, 335 - his lancers in action, 337 - tendered a banquet at Philadelphia, 350 - despatches from Lafayette read, 350 - at Yorktown, 357 - - LEDYARD, WILLIAM—col.; _b._ 1750, _d._ 1781; - massacred at Fort Griswold, 351 - - LEE, CHARLES—retired _Br._ officer, maj.-general; _b._ 1731, _d._ 1782. - first noticed, 36 - his characteristics, 37 - how regarded by Washington, 45 - distrusts American troops, 56 - opposes Washington’s plans, 56 - is sent to Connecticut, 70 - advises occupation of New York, 70 - writes about “crushing serpents”, 70 - ordered to New York, 71 - fortifies Brooklyn Heights, 85 - arrogates authority, and is reprimanded, 85 - ordered to South Carolina, 85 - his conduct at Charleston, 86 - returns north for duty, 127 - abuses Congress, 127 - curious letter to Gates, 127 - finally joins Washington, 128 - in charge of reserve camp, 131 - his grand division noticed, 135 - withholds troops required by Washington, 135 - finally enters New Jersey, 137 - is taken prisoner, 137 - writes Gates, insulting Washington, 138 - writes Heath, insulting Washington, 138 - writes James Bowdoin as to Washington, 139 - mistakes the man addressed, 139 - his capture noticed by Washington, 139 - effect of his independent action, 141 - his risks as prisoner of war, 164 - Washington’s firmness in the matter, 164 - unsoldierly conduct, 174 - placed on parole, 217 - reports for duty, 217 - compared with Arnold, 218 - letters to Congress, 218 - letters to Washington, 218 - Washington’s stinging reply, 218 - conferences with Howe brought to light in 1872, 219 - joins army at Valley Forge, 220 - opposes Washington’s plans, 225 - his theory noticed, 225 - relations to Lafayette, 227 - declines a special command, 227 - his contemptuous reference to Washington’s plans, 227 - begs for it, afterwards, 227 - writes Lafayette, in great distress, 228 - pretends to be satisfied, 228 - commands the advance troops, 228 - orders retreat against Lafayette’s protest, 229 - never handled a command before, 230 - never under fire during the war, 230 - is rebuked by Washington, 232 - the incident described, 232 - his conduct during the day,, 233 - his trial, suspension, and death, 234 - vindication of Washington from traditions as to language upon meeting - Lee, 235 - Notes of Lee’s Court-martial (Appendix G), 389–392 - - LEE, HENRY—colonel, _sub._ brig.-gen.; _b._ 1756, _d._ 1818. - at storming of Stony Point, 257 - captures Paulus Hook, 259 - joins General Greene, 303 - opinion as to Battle of Guilford, 319 - - LEE, RICHARD HENRY—statesman; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1794. - in first Continental Congress,, 17 - in March, 1775, urges Virginia to arm, 26 - - LEE, ROBERT EDWARD—eminent confederate general, 1861–5; _b._ 1810, _d._ - 1870; - shared peculiarities of Washington and Grant, 44 - - LEE, THOMAS S.—gov. Md.; addressed by Washington, 300 - - LESLIE, ALEXANDER—_Br._ maj.-general; _b._ 1740, _d._ 1794. - commands the assault at Chatterton Hill, 129 - joins Cornwallis, 298 - fortifies Norfolk, 301 - at battle of Guilford, 320 - in the Virginia campaign, 331 - - LINCOLN, BENJAMIN—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1733, _d._ 1810. - joins the army with Mass. troops, 122 - reaches Peekskill, with four thousand New England militia, 157 - threatens Fort Independence, 157 - at Charleston, S.C., 253 - has a fresh command, 334–5 - commands a division, 337 - receives sword of Cornwallis at Yorktown, 360 - - LIVINGSTON, HENRY B.—col.; _b._ 1757, _d._ 1823; - saves Fort Edward, 295 - - LIVINGSTON, PHILIP—signer of Declaration of Independence; _b._ 1716, - _d._ 1778; - in first Continental Congress, 17 - - Logistics defined, with note (Preface), x, xi - - LOSSING, BENSON J.—historian, _b._ 1813, _d._ 1891; - gratefully noticed by the author (Preface), xiv - - LOUIS XVI.—king of France; _b._ 1754, _d._ 1793. - officially supports America, 213 - his purpose anti-British, 302 - opposed occupation of New York, 352–3 - - LYNCH, THOMAS—patriot; _b._ 1720, _d._ 1776. - in first Continental Congress, 17 - at Cambridge, 60 - - - MAGAW—col.; - at Fort Washington, 130–2 - betrayed by his adjutant, 133 - casualties of the assault, 133 - - MANLY, JOHN—_Am._ captain; - makes valuable captures at sea, 60 - - MARIE ANTOINETTE—queen of France; _b._ 1755, _d._ 1793; - friend of Lafayette and of America, 356 - - MARION, FRANCIS—brig.-general; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1795. - addressed by Greene, 303 - esteemed by Washington, 312 - - MARLBOROUGH, JOHN CHURCHILL, _Duke of_—gen., _sub._ field marshal; _b._ - 1650, _d._ 1722; - cited in comparison (Preface), viii - - MARSHALL, JOHN—chief justice U.S., jurist and historian; _b._ 1755, - _d._ 1836. - as to Asst. Quartermaster-General Carrington, 301 - as to American mutiny, 307 - as to troops sent South, 327 - - Maryland troops always efficient, 277 - gallantry at Camden, 202 - at Rattle of Guilford, 320 - - Massachusetts leads resistance to Stamp Ac, 13 - resolves its Assembly into a Provincial Congress, 17 - elects John Hancock as its first president, 17 - organizes a force of “Minute Men”, 17 - organizes a Committee of Safety, 17 - summons 30,000 men to instant duty, 22 - drafts one-fifth of her able-bodied men, 116 - orders a monument to Chevalier de Saint Sauveur, 247 - liberal to troops during a mutiny, 308 - - MATTHEWS—_Br._ maj.-gen. in attack upon Fort Washington, 132 - lays waste Portsmouth and Norfolk, 253 - in Battle of Springfield, 278 - - MATTHEWS, JOHN—jurist; _b._ 1774, _d._ 1802; - on special War Committee. 73 - - MAXWELL, WILLIAM—brig.-gen.; _b._ in Ireland, _d._ 1798. - in command at Morristown, 141 - on special duty, 147 - stationed at Elizabethtown, 164 - moves against Howe, 168 - at Red Clay Creek, 185 - accompanied by Lafayette, 185 - gallantry at Chadd’s Ford, 186 - active in New Jersey, 222 - obstructs Clinton’s retreat, 224 - in Battle of Springfield, 279 - associated with Lafayette, 324 - - MCCLELLAN, GEORGE BRINTON—maj.-gen. U.S.A.; _b._ 1826, _d._ 1885; - his qualities cited in comparison, 162 - - MCCREA, JANE—her murder not chargeable to Burgoyne, 173 - - MCDOUGALL, ALEXANDER—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1750, _d._ 1786. - occupies Chatterton Hill, 128 - fights the battle known as “White Plains”, 129 - on special duty at Morristown, 147 - succeeds Heath at Peekskill, 166 - in Battle of Germantown, 195 - established at Peekskill, 206 - accompanies Kosciusko to West Point, 212 - again in the Highlands, 248 - - MCDOWELL, CHARLES—colonel; _b._ 1743, _d._ 1815; - at King’s Mountain, his descendants honored, 293 - - Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, 29 - County, North Carolina, eminently patriotic, 293 - - MEIGS—_Am._ col.; - attacks Sag Harbor, 167 - at storming of Stony Point, 257 - - MERCER, HUGH—brig.-general; _b._ 1721, _k._ at Battle of Princeton, - 1777 154 - - MIFFLIN, THOMAS—brig.-general; _b._ 1744, _d._ 1800. - efficient before Boston, 72 - provides barracks in New York, 83 - in battle of Long Island, 106 - skilful in the retreat, acting under confidential orders, of - Washington, 110 - absence from Valley Forge disastrous, 206 - rejoins camp, 217 - criticised by Washington in letter to Gouverneur Morris, 217 - - Milton, Mass., where Rufus Putnam found fascine rods, 78 - - MINNIGERODE—_H._ col.; _k._ in attack upon Fort Mercer, 201 - - MONCKTON, HENRY—_Br._ lieut.-col.; _b._ 1740, _k._ 1778, at Monmouth, - 233 - - Monmouth, Battle of, described (see map), 229–237 - - MONROE, JAMES—lieutenant, _sub._ pres.; _b._ 1758, _d._ 1831. - at battle of Trenton, 142 - helps capture two guns, 145 - wounded in battle, 145 - - MONTGOMERY, RICHARD—_Am._ brig.-gen.; _b._ 1737, _k._ before Quebec, - 1775. - his military antecedents, 36 - subsequent career outlined, 38 - a comrade of Carleton when Wolfe fell, 38 - in despair at condition of the troops, 38 - starts for Canada, 55 - reaches Ticonderoga, 61 - receives imperative orders from Washington, 61 - sympathetically sustained by Washington, 63 - his Orderly Book, 63 - occupies Montreal, 63 - tries a forlorn-hope assault upon Quebec, 63 - goes to Arnold’s relief, 65 - is killed in battle, 65 - buried with honors of war, 66 - - Montreal captured by British, 1760, 10 - captured by Montgomery, 1775, 63 - - MOORE, GEORGE H.—sec. N.Y. His. Soc.; - brings to light Charles Lee’s papers, 219 - - MORGAN, DANIEL—brig.-general; _b._ 1737, _d._ 1802. - captured at Quebec, 65 - attacks Hessians in New Jersey, 169 - skirmishes with Cornwallis, 204 - supports Maxwell in N.J., 225 - serves under Lafayette, 225 - reports to Gen. Greene, 303 - fights Battle of Cowpens, 314 - is visited by Greene, 315 - retires from the army, 315 - - MORRIS, GOUVERNEUR—statesman; _b._ 1752, _d._ 1816; - his letter from Washington, 1778, 217 - - MORRIS, ROBERT—financier and statesman; _b._ 1734, _d._ 1806; - friend of Washington, 164 - - Morristown headquarters described, 265 - - MOSES—Hebrew deliverer of his people; model legislator; founder of - modern civil codes; _b._ about 1570 B.C., _d._ about 1450 B.C. - the Hebrew Commonwealth and its military system noticed (Preface), - viii - his decimal army organization (Preface), viii - his sanitary and police regulations (Preface), viii - patriotic instruction of Hebrew youth imperative by his laws - (Preface), viii - his general order, “Forward,” when he led his people to national - independence, quoted, as Washington marched through Philadelphia - for Brandywine, 184 - - MUHLENBURG, PETER—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1746, _d._ 1807. - at Battle of Brandywine (see map), 186 - active in Virginia, 301 - - MURPHY—maj.; - leads N.C. troops at Stony Point, 257 - - MURRAY, LINDLEY—grammarian; _b._ 1745, _d._ 1826; - friend of Greene, 25 - - Mutiny of Connecticut troops, 277 - of Pennsylvania troops, 306–7 - a natural outbreak, 308 - - - NAPOLEON I.—Bonaparte (Buonaparte), Emperor of France; _b._ 1769, _d._ - 1821. - his military maxims noticed (Preface), viii - his Italian campaign compared with the First New Jersey campaign in - the _Am._ Revolution (Preface), xiii - the basis of his success given by Jomini (Preface), xiii - - NASH, ABNER—gov. N.C.; _b._ 1716, _d._ 1786; - addressed by Washington, 300 - - NASH, FRANCIS—brig.-general; _b_. 1720, _k._ at Battle of Germantown, - 1777, 195–6 - - New England discriminated against by Great Britain, 18 - experience in earlier wars, 21 - her governors in conference with committee of Congress, 60 - finally relieved from British hostilities, 262 - - New Hampshire liberality during the American mutiny, 308 - - New Haven, Conn., invaded by Tryon, 256 - - New Jersey seizes the Provincial treasury and raises troops, 28 - the chief battleground, 161 - more than meets her quota, 272 - her noble women, 272, 285 - a continuous battlefield and the strategic center, 285 - - Newport, R.I.; Howe’s strategic objective, 1776, 118 - occupied by the British, 150 - besieged by Franco-American forces, 241 - abandoned by the British, 262 - occupied by Rochambeau, 286 - - New York city as a British base, 94 - - New York Committee of Public Safety aroused, 27 - its assembly becomes a Provincial Congress, 27 - - Nook’s Hill fortified, March 10, 1775, 60 - evacuation of city a necessity, 60 - - Norfolk, Va., laid waste by Matthews, 253 - - North Carolina “will resist Stamp Act to the death”, 13 - defies its Provincial governor, 28 - adopts the cause of Boston, 28 - a convention meets at Charlotte, May 20, 1775, 29 - the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, 29 - sends Gen. Moore with two battalions to New York, 115 - two companies in storming of Stony Point, 257 - - NORTH, FREDERICK, _Lord_—Earl of Guilford; _b._ 1733, _d._ 1792. - British Prime Minister, 1769, 15 - abolishes all duties except on tea, 15 - the consequences noted, 15 - - Norwalk, Conn., raided by Tryon, 256 - - - OGDEN—_Am._ col.; - as to panic at Monmouth, 231 - - O’HARA, CHARLES—_Br._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1756, _d._ 1791. - makes the surrender of army of Cornwallis, 360 - - Onondaga Indians near Syracuse, N.Y., punished, 252 - - “On to Philadelphia,” like the “On to Richmond” of 1861, ill-judged, - 198 - - - Panic at Brooklyn controlled by Washington, 112 - at Kipp’s Bay, noticed, 119, 237 - at Toulon, compared, 120 - at Princeton, controlled by Washington, 154 - at Monmouth, turned by Washington into victory, 231 - at Camden, 292 - - Paoli, birthplace of Wayne, visited by British, 193 - - Paris, Treaty of, 1763, and its terms, 11 - - PARKER, _Sir_ PETER—_Br._ admiral; _b._ 1716, _d._ 1811. - sails from Ireland, 97 - repulsed by Moultrie, 97 - joins Howe in New York, 99 - - Parliament of Nations, 1892, noticed, 372 - - PARSONS, SAMUEL H.—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1737, _d._ 1789. - his brigade at Kipp’s Bay, 119 - were trusted by Washington, 119 - redeemed their good name, 119 - a parallel case cited under Napoleon, 120 - before Fort Independence, 157 - on duty in Connecticut, 163 - joins Washington, 168 - in the Highlands, 179 - - PEABODY, NATHANIEL—statesman; _b._ 1741, _d._ 1823; - on special War Commission, 273 - - PENN, WILLIAM—_b._ 1644, _d._ 1718; - urged a Colonial Union, 1697, 12 - - PENNINGTON, WILLIAM—gov. N.J., and speaker U.S. House; _b._ 1717, _d._ - 1791; - as to Washington’s language at Monmouth, on meeting Lee, 236 - - Pennsylvania appropriates money for troops, 28 - her Assembly corresponds with Washington, 207 - - Penobscot, Me., a British post 270 - - PERCY, HUGH, _Earl_—_Br._ lieut.-gen., Duke of Northumberland; _b._ - 1742, _d._ 1817. - his soldierly qualities noticed, 35 - fails to recapture Dorchester Heights, 80 - at Battle of Long Island (see map), 105 - joins Howe before White Plains, 128 - in the attack upon Fort Washington, 132 - - Philadelphia takes action, April 24, 1775, 28 - her citizens overawe the opposing element, 28 - visited by Washington’s army, 183, 192 - mighty ovation to the soldiers, 184 - supplies the suffering army, 194 - is occupied by Howe, 196 - its winter experiences, 1778, 210 - the Howe carnival and its magnificence, 215 - evacuated by Clinton, 221–222 - occupied by Arnold, 222 - visited by Washington and Rochambeau, 348–9 - - PHILLIPS, WILLIAM—_Br._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1731, _d._ 1781. - sent to Virginia, 326 - destroys much property, 329 - his relations to Arnold, 331 - his death and its effects, 331 - - PIGOT, _Sir_ ROBERT—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1720, _d._ 1796; - at Newport, R.I., 241 - - POMEROY, SETH—brig.-general; _b._ 1706, _d._ 1777. - his military antecedents, 24 - appointed brig.-gen., 36 - declines further service, 38 - - Portsmouth, Va., laid waste by Matthews, 253 - - POWNALL, THOMAS E.—_Br._ gov. Mass.; _b._ 1722, _d._ 1805; - his prediction, 368 - - PRESCOTT, RICHARD—_Br._ maj.-general; _b._ 1725, _d._ 1788; - taken prisoner, and exchanged for Lee, 217 - at Savannah, 267 - - PRESCOTT, WILLIAM—colonel; _b._ 1726, _d._ 1795. - conducts the Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) fight, 34 - Governor’s Island, N.Y., 102 - safely removes all stores, 112 - repels Howe’s advance at Throgg’s Neck, 125 - - PREVOST, _Sir_ AUGUSTINE—_Br._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1725, _d._ 1786; - outgenerals Lincoln but without substantial results on either hand, - 253 - - PROCTOR, THOMAS—_Am._ capt. of artillery; _b._ in Ireland, 1739, _d._ - 1806. - with battery at Chadd’s Ford Brandywine, 186 - in Indian expedition, 260 - - PULASKI, CASIMIR, _Count_—Polish maj.-gen.; _b._ 1747, _k._ 1779, in - siege of Savannah, 268 - dear to Washington, 305 - - PUTNAM, ISRAEL—maj.-general; _b._ 1718, _d._ 1790. - his military antecedents, 23 - conspicuous at Bunker Hill, 38 - subsequent career outlined, 38 - commands at New York, 87 - succeeds Sullivan at Brooklyn, 104 - instructed by Washington, 104–5 - succeeded by Washington in person, 107 - fortifies Hudson River shore, 115 - favors retreat from New York, 115 - his laconic utterance, 115 - commands New York city, 115 - a division at White Plains, 129 - at Philadelphia, 153 - located at Peekskill, 178 - grants unwise furloughs, 178 - outgeneraled by Clinton, 179 - regains position, 180 - on the Long Island shore, 206 - returns to Peekskill, 206 - at Danbury, Conn., 248 - in command on the Hudson, 254 - - PUTNAM, RUFUS—col.; _b._ 1738, _d._ 1824; - his efficiency as civil engineer at Boston, 75 - - - Quebec, captured in 1759, 10 - assaulted by Montgomery and Arnold, 1776, 66 - magnanimity of General Carleton at death of Montgomery, 66 - - Queen’s Rangers (Provincial), noticed, 204, 255, 279 - Washington’s magnanimity toward them, reciprocating Carleton’s action - at Quebec, 363 - - - RAHL (RALL), JOHN GOTTLIEB—_H._ col.; _b._ 1720, _d._ 1776. - storms Chatterton Hill, 129 - commands at Trenton, 139 - _k._ in battle, 146 - - RAWDON, FRANCIS, _Lord_—Marquis of Hastings, earl, _sub._ gov.-gen. - India; _b._ 1754, _d._ 1825. - gallantry at Bunker Hill, 35 - reënforces Clinton at the South, 276 - in battle of Hobkirk Hill, 321 - - REED, JOSEPH—adjt.-general, _sub._ gov. Penn.; _b._ 1741, _d._ 1785. - in Washington’s confidence before Boston, 71 - describes the army at Harlem Heights, 123 - in the secret of Washington’s attack upon Trenton, 141 - - Religious distinctions among the colonies harmonized, 266 - - Rhode Island sends 1,500 men to Boston, April 25, 1775, 22 - her troops under Nathaniel Greene, 25 - seizes British stores, 27 - calls for protection of her ports, 87 - two regiments in Continental pay, 87 - sends additional troops to New York, 115 - - RICHMOND, CHARLES LENNOX, _Duke_—_Br._ Sec. of State; _b._ 1735, _d._ - 1806. - denounces hire of Hessian troops, 96 - his prediction verified, 209 - - Ridgefield, Conn., invaded by Tryon, 166 - - RIEDESEL, FRIEDRICH ADOLPH, _Baron_—_H._ maj.-general; _b._ 1730, _d._ - 1800. - reaches Canada with troops, 89 - in Burgoyne’s command, 387 - - ROBERTS, CHARLES G. D.—prof. King’s College, N.S.; - his history of Canada cited 63 - - ROCHAMBEAU, JEAN BAPTISTE DONATIEN DE VIMEUR DE—_Fr._ marshal; _b._ - 1725, _d._ 1807. - arrives in America, 286 - appreciates Washington, 287 - writes as to American conditions, 287 - confers with Washington at Hartford, 297 - sends his son to France, 298 - again in conference at Wethersfield, 333 - asks coöperation of Count de Grasse, 333 - at West Point with Washington, 347 - moves southward, 347 - advances $20,000 in gold to American army, 347 - parades in Philadelphia, 349 - receives despatches from Washington, 350 - entertained at Baltimore, 351 - guest of Washington at Mt. Vernon, 351 - opposed occupation of New York, 353 - visits Count de Grasse with Washington, 353 - signs articles of Cornwallis’ surrender, 360 - honored by Congress, 361 - remains with Washington, 361 - visits New England, 361 - sails for the West Indies, 361 - - Rowan county, N.C., eminently patriotic, 293 - - RUTLEDGE, EDWARD—statesman, signer of Declaration of Independence; _b._ - 1749, _d._ 1800; - commissioner with Adams and Franklin to meet Gen. and Admiral Howe, - 1776, 118 - - RUTLEDGE, JOHN—_sub._ gov. and chief justice, S.C.; _b._ 1739, _d._ - 1800. - pres. Republic of South Carolina, 86 - controls the conduct of Charles Lee, 86 - his characteristics, 86 - aids in siege of Savannah, 267 - - - SAINT (ST.) CLAIR, ARTHUR—maj.-gen; _b._ 1734, _d._ 1818. - at Battle of Princeton, 154 - writes a boastful letter, 175 - abandons Ticonderoga, 175 - - Saint (St.) John, N.B., founded by British Provincials, 363 - May 17th its natal day, 363 - honors Washington, 363 - - Saint (St.) John’s, captured Nov. 3, 1775, 62 - André among the prisoners, 62 - - SAINT (ST.) LEDGER, BARRY—_Br._ col.; _b._ 1737, _d._ 1789; - invades the Mohawk valley, 171 - - SAINT (ST.) LUC, LA CORNE DE—_b._ 1712, _d._ 1784. - as to hiring Indians, 173 - is rebuked by Burgoyne, 173 - - SAINT (ST.) MEMIN, CHARLES BALTHAZAR JULIEN FAVRE DE—_Fr._ artist; _b._ - 1770, _d._ 1852; - his profile of Washington, by a crayon process of his own, the last - portrait of Washington taken, _frontispiece_ - - SAINT (ST.) SAUVEUR, _Chevalier_ DE—_Fr._; _k._ at Boston, 247 - a monument to his memory ordered, 247 - - SAINT (ST.) SIMON, CLAUDE HENRI, _Count_ DE—_Fr._; _b._ 1760, _d._ - 1825. - arrives with De Grasse, 342 - lands 3,000 French troops, 342 - reports to Lafayette for duty, 342 - waves seniority of rank, 343 - urges immediate assault, 343 - yields to Lafayette’s judgment, 343 - sails for the West Indies, 362 - - Salem, Mass., declines benefits of Boston Fort Bill, 16 - - Savannah, Ga., responds to call from Lexington, 29 - intercepts royal letters to governors, 30 - Committee of Safety, acts promptly, 30 - besieged without success, 267–8 - - SCHOVALHOFF, _Count_—Russian statesman; his prediction at the Berlin - Conference verified in 1898, 370 - - SCHUYLER, PHILIP—maj.-general; _sub._ U.S. senator; _b._ 1733, _d._ - 1804. - appointed maj.-gen., 36 - his antecedents, 36 - his career outlined, 37 - honored by Kent and Webster, 37–8 - ordered to Canada, 55 - among the Six Nations, 61 - urged forward by Washington and joins Montgomery, 61 - advised as to Allen’s misadventure, 62 - suspends resignation at Washington’s request, 63 - his Orderly Book, 63 - again advised by Washington,, 64 - is to expect a bloody summer, 87 - ridicules hiring Indians, 88 - to resist Carleton’s advance, 163 - is relieved by Gates, 173 - is promptly restored, 173 - offers Gates a command, 173 - it is sneeringly declined, 173 - his energetic action, 174 - is absent, sick, without fault, 175 - has a prophetic letter from Washington, 175 - organizes a large army, 176 - is superseded by Gates, 176 - returns to Congress, 273 - on committee to visit Washington, 273 - is urged to be Secretary of War, 328 - gives reasons for declining, 328 - - Second Continental Congress, May 10, 1775, 31 - provides money and munitions, 31 - delegates from Georgia make action unanimous, 31 - rules and articles of war adopted, 31 - denounces acts of Parliament as “unconstitutional, oppressive, and - cruel”, 31 - - Second New Jersey campaign, and its results, 167 - - SEVIER, JOHN—_Am._ col.; _b._ 1745, _d._ 1815; - at King’s Mountain, his descendants honored, 293 - - SHARPE, GRANVILLE—_Br._ philanthropist; _b._ 1734, _d._ 1813; - resigns rather than aid the war, 21 - - SHELBY, ISAAC—col., _sub._ gov. Kentucky; _b._ 1750, _d._ 1826. - at King’s Mountain, his descendants honored, 293 - summoned to Virginia, 1780, 314 - - SHELDON, ELISHA—col.; attacked by Tarleton, 255 - on expedition with Lauzun, 334 - supports Washington, 334–5–6 - has a spirited scout, 337 - - SHERIDAN, PHILIP HENRY—general U.S.A.; _b._ 1831, _d._ 1888; - his example cited, 162 - - SHERMAN, WILLIAM TECUMSEH—general; _b._ 1820, _d._ 1891; - his march to the sea cited by way of comparison, 162 - - SHIPPEN, Miss, belle of the Philadelphia fêtes, 216 - becomes the wife of Arnold, 289 - had no knowledge of Arnold’s treason, 291 - highly esteemed by Washington and Lafayette, 291 - - SHULDHAM—_Br._ admiral; - relieves Graves at Boston, 68 - comments on seizure of Dorchester Heights, 77 - - Siege of Quebec closed, 66 - Boston, 80 - Newport, 245 - Savannah, 268 - Yorktown, 268 - Charleston, 275 - New York, 347 - - Signal-fires in New Jersey, 280 - - SIMCOE, J. GRAVES—_Br._ lieut.-col., Queen’s Rangers; _sub._ gov. - Canada; _b._ 1752, _d._ 1806. - active in forays, 248 - in the Battle of Springfield, 279 - in Virginia with Arnold, 310 - raids Virginia, 320 - popular misconceptions of his character, 363 - - “Six Nations” (Iroquois) a model for Jefferson’s constitution, 12 - as a confederacy, 13 - invaded by Sullivan, 260 - devastated by Sullivan, 260 - their estimate of Washington, 260–1 - - SMALLWOOD, WILLIAM—brig.-gen.; _sub._ governor Md.; _b._ 1732, _d._ - 1792. - with Maryland troops at Long Island, 105 - makes a gallant fight, 107 - deplores ignorance of officers, 123 - in Pennsylvania, later, 193 - in battle of Germantown, 195 - on duty near Philadelphia, 206 - as governor, recruits for Greene’s army, 301 - - SMITH, SAMUEL—lieut.-colonel; _b._ 1752, _d._ 1839; - with Maryland troops at Fort Mifflin, 200 - - Sons of Liberty organized, 14 - - South Carolina denounces the Stamp Act, 13 - seizes the colonial magazine, April 21, 1775, 29 - first news from Lexington, 29 - intercepts royal packages, 29 - declares a Republic, with officers, congress, army, navy, and all the - accessories of an independent state, 86 - - Spain joins France against Great Britain, 1761, 11 - - SPENCER, JOSEPH N.—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1714, _d._ 1789. - his military antecedents, 36 - his subsequent career, 39 - attempts capture of Newport by Washington’s order, 163 - - “Spies,” says Greene, “are the eyes of an army”, 303 - - Springfield, Mass., selected by Knox for a gun-factory, 163 - - Springfield, N.J., Battle of, 278–9 - its lesson emphasized, 283 - its casualties noticed, 285 - tested the Continental troops, 286 - - Stamp Act of 1755 noticed, 13 - repealed in 1766, 14 - - STARK, JOHN—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1728, _d._ 1822. - in the Battle of Bunker Hill, 32 - at the Battle of Trenton, 142 - at the Battle of Springfield, 283 - - Statesmanship in war defined, with note (Preface), xii - as stated by Jesus (Preface), xii - - STEDMAN, CHARLES—_Br._ staff officer and historian; _b._ 1745, _d._ - 1812. - as to Burgoyne campaign and Clinton, 180 - as to loose _Br._ discipline, 210 - as to Battles of Guilford and Hobkirk Hill, 321 - as to _Br._ and _Am._ forces in 1776 and 1777 (Appendix D), 386 - - STEPHEN, ADAM—_Am._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1730, _d._ 1791. - service at Brandywine, 189 - at Battle of Germantown, 195 - dismissed for drunkenness, 196 - - STEPHENS, EDWARD—brig.-general; _b._ 1745, _d._ 1820; - conducted prisoners, taken at Cowpens, northward, 316 - - STERLING—_Br._ col., _sub._ maj.-general. [Should not be confused with - Lord Stirling, in the _Am._ service, see below.] - along the Delaware, 194 - _k._ in Battle of Springfield, 278 - - STEUBEN, FREDERICK WILLIAM AUGUSTUS, _Baron_—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1730, _d._ - 1794. - instructor at Valley Forge, 210 - promoted maj.-gen, 212 - acts in harmony with Washington and Lafayette, 213 - at Battle of Monmouth, 233 - ordered to the South, 300 - in charge of powder and lead supplies, 302 - in concert with Lafayette, 327 - his depot at Elk Island attacked, 340 - joins Lafayette’s division, 340 - in the siege of Yorktown, 357 - - STEWART—_Br._ col.; - succeeds Rawdon at the South, 321 - fights Green at Eutaw Springs, 321 - - STILES, EZRA—pres. Yale College; _b._ 1727, _d._ 1795; - friend of Greene’s youth, 25 - - STIRLING, WILLIAM ALEXANDER, _Lord_ [his claim to _Br._ title and - estates had been in dispute]—_Am._ col., _sub._ maj.-gen.; _b._ - 1726, _d._ 1783. - in Battle of Long Island, 105 - his brigade of picked regiments, 105 - fights both Grant and Cornwallis, 107 - taken prisoner by superior numbers, 108 - is exchanged and returns to duty, 122 - reaches White Plains, 128 - established at Princeton, 136 - in Battle of Princeton, 154 - engages Cornwallis, 169 - in Battle of Brandywine, 186 - his good conduct, 189 - in Battle of Germantown, 195 - at a Council of War, 217 - in Battle of Monmouth, 233 - threatens Staten Island, 271 - president at Charles Lee’s court-martial (Appendix G), 389 - - Stony Point stormed by Wayne, 257–8 - abandoned by Washington, 259 - - Strategy defined, with note (Preface), x - - SULLIVAN, JOHN—maj.-general; _b._ 1740, _d._ 1795. - personal notice, 36 - his career outlined, 39 - sent to Canada, 87 - succeeded by Gates, 88 - ambitious letter to Washington, 89 - Washington’s discreet reply, 89 - his attitude defined, 89 - succeeds Greene on Long Island, 104 - succeeded by Putnam, 104 - a peculiar letter, 104 - his specious report, 107 - taken prisoner, 108 - on exchange, takes Lee’s division, 139 - accompanies Washington to Trenton, 142 - incident of the march, 144 - enters the lower town, 145 - frets about appointments, 166 - Washington’s rejoinder, 166 - again in New Jersey, 167 - fails in the attack upon Staten Island, 184 - joins Washington in time for Brandywine, 184–5 - his position at Brandywine (as per map), 186 - ordered to attack Cornwallis, 187 - flanked by Cornwallis, 187 - ordered to change position, 187 - movement beyond his capacity, 188 - difficult under best conditions, 188 - loses control of his division, 188 - personal valor undoubted, 189 - treated justly by Washington, 190 - surprised by Howe, 191 - in Battle of Germantown, 195 - his gallantry noticed, 196 - urges attack upon Philadelphia, 207 - attempts siege of Newport, 241 - relations to the Count d’Estaing, 242–3 - issues an intemperate order, 243 - prudently modifies the same, 243 - advised by Washington to retreat, 244 - manly course of D’Estaing, 244 - retires to Providence, 245 - devastates the Six Nation region with unsparing desolation, 260 - comments upon that invasion, 260–261 - resigns and enters Congress, 297 - laconic appeal to him by Washington, 297 - - SUMTER, THOMAS—col.; _b._ 1734, _d._ 1832; - honored by Washington, 312 - - SYMONDS, THOMAS—_Br._ royal navy. - led attack upon Fort Sullivan (Moultrie) in 1776, 359 - signs terms of capitulation of Yorktown, 359 - - - TARLETON, BANESTRE—_Br._ lieut.-col.; _b._ 1754, _d._ 1833. - attacks Sheldon’s cavalry quarters, 255 - raids Westchester County, N.Y., 259 - Washington’s counter-stroke, 259 - makes no progress at the South, 293 - pursues Morgan, 314 - completely routed at Cowpens, 314 - acknowledges the American success, 321 - makes a raid upon Charlotte, 340 - fails to capture Jefferson, 340 - compliments Lafayette, 340 - covers the retreat of Cornwallis, 341 - joins him at Yorktown, 341 - skirmishes with Lafayette, 341 - - TERNAY. (See De Ternay.) - - Thanksgiving Proclamations of Washington— - at Valley Forge, 214 - at White Plains, 246 - at Yorktown, 360 - at New York, 365 - - THAYER—_Am._ maj.; - in defence of Fort Mifflin, 203 - - THOMAS, GEORGE HENRY—maj.-gen. U.S.A.; _b._ 1815, _d._ 1870; - his example cited, 26 - - THOMAS, JOHN—major-general (Mass.), Continental brig.-gen.; _b._ 1725, - _d._ 1776. - military antecedents, 23, 36 - subsequent career noticed, 39 - efficient in the siege of Boston, 78 - sent to Canada, 84, 86 - a victim to small-pox in camp, 88 - - THOMPSON, CHARLES—Secretary of first Continental Congress, and his - correspondence with Franklin noticed, 13, 16 - - Ticonderoga taken by Ethan Allen, 30 - retaken by Burgoyne, 182 - - TOWERS, ROBERT, of Philadelphia, to receive and pay for arms, 141 - - TRUMBULL, JONATHAN—gov. Conn.; statesman; the original Brother - Jonathan; _b._ 1710, _d._ 1788. - anxious about sea-coast exposure, 56 - his correspondence with Washington, 56 - always Washington’s fast friend, 56 - furnishes troops for New York city, 83 - sends nine more regiments to Washington, 102 - - TRUMBULL, JONATHAN JR.,—col., statesman; _b._ 1740, _d._ 1804. - commissary at Long Island, 110 - becomes secretary to Washington, 300 - - TRYON, WILLIAM—gov. N.C.; _b._ 1725, _d._ 1788. - his relation to the British Stamp Act, 13 - his career in North Carolina, New York, and Connecticut, 84 - holds a conference with Gen. Howe, 98 - invades Connecticut, 166 - fights Worcester and Arnold at Ridgefield, 166 - again invades Conn., 256 - resisted by Yale College students at New Haven, 256 - in the Battle of Springfield, 278 - - TULLY, _Monsieur_ DE—sails for the Chesapeake, 323 - is obliged to return, 323 - his reasons satisfactory to Washington, 326 - - - Union of the Colonies advocated in 1697, 1722, 1754 by Penn, Coxe, and - Franklin, 12 - - United States of America, a “stupendous fabric of freedom and empire,” - as predicted by Washington, and the fulfilment, 365, 366, 368 - “asylum for the poor and oppressed of all nations,” as predicted by - Washington, and comments, 365, 368 - respect for law and religion the basis of Washington’s character, and - of the confidence he inspired in the American people, 367–8 - shares with Great Britain bequests under Magna Charta, 371 - harmony in that fruition, the possible future, 371 - three hundred millions of treasure, her free-will offering to man, - 374 - her alms, recorded in the census of 1890, the gauge of her maturing - sympathy with humanity, 374 - - - Valley Forge established as headquarters, 206 - special Council of War noticed, respecting “On to Philadelphia!”, 212 - French alliance announced in camp, 213 - a grand parade ordered, 214 - a Thanksgiving proclamation made, 214 - special Council of War, April 20, 1777, 217 - its ordeal made soldiers, 231 - - VARNUM, JAMES MITCHELL—brig.-gen.; _b._ 1749, _d._ 1789. - his brigade reports for duty, 203 - in Battle of Monmouth, 233 - enters Congress, 315 - - VAUGHAN, _Sir_ JOHN—_Br._ maj.-gen.; _b._ 1738, _d._ 1795; - burns Kingston, N.Y., 179 - - VERGENNES, CHARLES GRAVIER, _Count_ DE—_Fr._ minister of foreign - affairs; _b._ 1717, _d._ 1787. - comments on the Battle of Germantown, 197 - proclaims the French alliance and the active support of American - Independence, 209 - is advised by Rochambeau of American conditions, 287 - regards the American Congress as too exacting, 308 - guarantees a loan from Holland, 348 - - “Victory or Death” the countersign and alternative proclaimed by - Washington, 149 - - VIOMÉNIL, _Baron_ ANTOINE CHARLES DE HOUX—_Fr._ gen.; _b._ 1728, _d._ - 1792. - storms a redoubt at Yorktown, 357 - pleasantry of Lafayette noticed, 358 - - Virginia aroused by the Stamp Act, 13 - responds to Patrick Henry’s appeal, 14 - includes Washington in her delegation to First Continental Congress, - 17 - catches the news from Lexington, 28 - excited conflict with Lord Dunmore, 28 - called upon for more troops, 115 - her troops at Middlebrook, 247 - receives Greene and other officers gladly, 301 - invaded by Arnold, 310, 311 - Lafayette in command, 326, 330 - Cornwallis arrives, 331 - adjournment of Assembly to Charlotte, 338 - liberal in its enactments, 338 - Lafayette’s gallantry at Williamsburg, 341 - Jefferson sustained by Lafayette, 343 - arrival of Washington, 351 - - - WARD, ARTEMAS—maj.-general; _b._ 1727, _d._ 1800. - his antecedents, 23 - appointed senior maj.-gen., 35 - his brief career noticed, 37 - occupies Boston, March 17, 1776, 80 - - WARNER, SETH—colonel; _b._ 1744, _d._ 1785. - a volunteer at Bunker Hill as well as at Ticonderoga, 35 - accompanies Allen to Ticonderoga, 35 - his subsequent career, 35 - - WASHINGTON, AUGUSTINE—father of the Soldier; _b._ 1694, _d._, in his - son’s eleventh year, 1743, 4 - - WASHINGTON, GEORGE—gen., _sub._ pres. twice; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1799. - his boyhood, tastes, and training as described by Irving, 1 - physical appearance as described by Mercer, 2 - physical accomplishments, 3 - personal characteristics, 4 - choice of a profession, 4 - parentage, and mother’s influence, 4 - first victory won, 4 - surveyor, inspector, adjutant-general, 5 - commissioner to the French, 6 - frontier service, 6 - with Braddock, 7 - military studies and maxims, 8 - marriage, and in House of Burgesses, 8 - anticipates revolution, 14 - in the First Continental Congress, 17 - predicts a bloody future, 18 - appointed Commander-in-Chief, 32 - his associates in command, 35 - starts for Cambridge, 40 - assumes command, 41 - his army noticed, 41 - withholds some commissions, 44 - his reticence compared with that of other generals, 44 - his trust in Providence, 44 - method of assignments, 44 - his estimate of Arnold, 45 - rebukes profanity, 46 - enjoins observance of the Sabbath, 47 - institutes courts-martial for “swearing, gambling,” etc., 47 - skilled in logistics, 48 - regard for private soldiers, 49 - deserters rebuked, 49 - games of chance prohibited, 49 - invasion of Canada forced by Congress, 50 - visited by Committee of Congress, 52 - risks of Canadian invasion, 53 - denounces religious bigotry, 53 - after Boston, then New York, 54 - expeditions to Canada urged by Congress, 55 - attitude of Gen. Charles Lee, 56 - ignores sea-coast raids, 56 - writes Gov. Trumbull, 57 - would burn Boston, 57 - policy as to holding cities, 57 - straggling rebuked, 58 - appeals to Congress, 58 - privateering regulated, 59 - visited by Congressmen and secures a navy, 60 - laconic letter to Congress, 61 - writes Schuyler as to Northern expeditions, 63 - writes Congress as to same, 63 - begs Schuyler not to resign—for sake of “God and Country”, 63 - writes Schuyler as to British action, 64 - plans operations against New York, 69 - sends Lee to New York, 70 - would cross to Boston on the ice, but opposed by Council, 71 - laconic letter to Joseph Reed, 72 - preparations for assault, 72 - his inflexibility of purpose, 72 - preparations for future service, 72–3 - experimental bombardment, 74 - enforced silence in camp, 75 - his confidential staff, 75 - secret plan near execution, 76 - second bombardment, 76 - third bombardment and occupation of Dorchester Heights, 77 - British criticism, 77 - contingency of failure anticipated, 79 - a general bombardment, 80 - Nook’s hill fortified, 80 - Boston evacuated, 80 - his mission to Boston completed, 81 - reorganization of the army, 82 - movement to New York begun, 82 - advises Congress and Governor Trumbull of his plans, 83 - disciplines delinquent officers, 83 - establishes a regular Pay System, 83 - visits Connecticut to hasten troops forward, 84 - reaches New York, 84 - rebukes Lee and sends him South, 85 - forced by Congress to send more troops to Canada, 86 - details more troops to Canada under order of Congress, 86 - compels citizens to choose between Britain and America, 86 - deprecates detachment of troops to Canada, 87 - predicts danger to both the armies, 87 - warns soldiers not to right their own wrongs, 87 - learns of British contracts for Hessians, 87 - notes change in Canadian sentiment, 87 - writes Schuyler predicting a bloody summer, 87 - describes Sullivan’s characteristics, 89 - apology of Congress for Canadian disaster, 90 - strategic conditions at New York, 91 - Declaration of Independence and its effect, 91 - British plans noticed, 93 - correspondence with Howe, 98 - describes British commissioners, as dispensing pardon to repenting - sinners, 99 - spreads Howe’s proclamation broadcast, 99 - denounces gossip-mongers, 100 - informs Gov. Trumbull that to trust Providence without effort is to - tempt Providence, 102 - issues stringent orders as to discipline, 103 - reënforces garrison at Brooklyn, 104 - details Sullivan, _vice_ Greene, sick, 104 - a remarkable letter from Sullivan, 104 - Putnam supersedes Sullivan, 104 - issues orders to Putnam as to wasteful firing, 105 - skulkers must be shot down on the spot, 105 - an “army” not a “mob”, 105 - will make battle costly to enemy, 108 - omnipresent in tent or trench, 108 - plans to withdraw to New York, 109 - consummate ruse to prevent demoralization of troops, 110 - withdrawal consummated, 112 - its incidents and success, 112 - comment of historian Botta, 113 - labors without sleep for forty-eight hours while assembling the - untrained army, 114 - laconic notice of bad habits in officers and men, 114 - describes the militia as “dismayed, intractable, and impatient to - return home”, 114 - notices periodical homesickness, 115 - its contagious virulence before battle, 115 - again demands a sufficient regular army, 115 - denounces robbing orchards and gardens, 115 - orders three daily roll-calls, to stop straggling, 115 - writes Congress as to vacating the city, 115 - advises Gov. Trumbull to deal with deserters, 116 - generous response of Mass. and Conn, 116 - describes the situation, 117 - initiates retirement from the city, 119 - denounces a panic at Kipp’s Bay, 119 - his personal exposure to rally fugitives, 119 - a mournful letter to Congress, 120 - Edward Everett Hale’s account of the execution of Nathan Hale as a - spy serving under Washington’s orders, 120 - embezzlement by regimental surgeons, 123 - offers reward for Hessian troopers and their horses, 126 - his skirmishers successful, 126 - outgenerals Howe and gains White Plains, 127 - is joined by Greene and Lee 127 - letter of Lee to Gates, censuring Washington, 127 - operations at White Plains, 128 - battle of Chatterton hill, 129 - British preparations for attack, 129 - retires to North Castle Heights, 129 - advises Congress of Howe’s plans, 129 - advises with Greene as to Fort Washington, 131 - crosses into New Jersey, 131 - orders Lee to follow, 131 - so advises Gov. Trumbull, 131 - writes forcibly to Congress, 131 - judicious order in logistics, 131 - boys or old men enlisted at officers’ risk, 131 - warns Congress of certain invasion of New Jersey by Howe, 132 - abandons Fort Lee, 133 - enters upon his first New Jersey campaign, 133 - a misnomer to call it simply a “masterly retreat”, 135 - musters his army, 136 - skirmishes with Cornwallis, 136 - controls the Delaware river, 136 - plans Dec. 5, to take the offensive, 137 - notes the capture of Lee, 139 - Sullivan takes Lee’s division, 139 - other letters of Lee, 138–9 - his powers enlarged by Congress, 140 - places Philadelphia under military rule, 140 - takes the aggressive, 143 - battle of Trenton, with map, 144 - “will drive the enemy from New Jersey”, 147 - is clothed with dictatorial authority, 148 - his response to Congress, 148 - his motto, “Victory or death,” retained, 149 - reoccupies Trenton, 152 - awaits arrival of Cornwallis, 152 - fights battle of Princeton (see map), 152 - instructs officers having independent commands, 157 - headquarters established at Morristown, 157 - exercises with energy his enlarged powers, 157 - his capacity for reprimand, 157 - sternly rebukes Heath, 158 - issues counter-proclamation to one by Howe, 158 - review of his career by Botta, 160 - base of operations established (see map), 161 - appreciates Howe’s plans, 164 - the second New Jersey campaign, 167 - outgenerals Cornwallis, 169 - learns of Burgoyne’s invasion, 171 - replies to his proclamation, 172 - tart correspondence with Gates, 174 - prophetic letter to Schuyler, 175 - detects Howe’s modified plan, 177 - reaches Philadelphia, 183 - triumphant march through the city, 184 - takes position on the Brandywine, 185 - battle of Brandywine, 187 - its lesson, 191 - reaches Philadelphia, 192 - resumes the offensive, 194 - attacks Germantown, 195 - lesson from that battle, 197 - operations along the Delaware, 200 - sends Lafayette into New Jersey, 203 - hostile attitude of Gates, 204 - experience at Valley Forge, 206 - pleads with Congress, 206 - clock-work and army discipline similar, 206 - sharply rebukes the Pennsylvania Assembly, 207 - the Conway cabal, 207 - French alliance proclaimed, 213 - gives Lafayette an independent command, 215 - a sharp letter to Lee, 217 - follows Clinton, 224 - increases Lafayette’s command, 225 - advises Lafayette as to Lee, 228 - advances to his support, 230 - rallies the retreating army, 231 - rebukes Lee on the field and takes command, 232 - fights the battle of Monmouth, 233 - European comments noticed, 234 - Clinton escapes him to New York, 234 - trial and sentence of Lee, 234 - end of Lee’s career, 234 - tradition as to profanity at Monmouth disproved, 235–7 - at White Plains again, 237 - watches D’Estaing, 240 - “George Washington, Esqr.,” and Howe, 241 - writes Sullivan at Newport, 242 - warns him against Clinton, 244 - suggests a timely retreat, 244 - officially recognizes the hand of Providence, 246 - removes to Fishkill, 247 - assigns army divisions, 247–8 - opinion of Bancroft cited, 250 - visits Philadelphia, 250 - writes Speaker Harrison as to corruption of the times, 250–1 - social excesses of congressmen deplored, 251 - opposes another expedition to Canada, 252 - sacrifices his private fortune, 252 - at New Windsor, 254 - watches hostile demonstrations, 256 - plans attack upon Stony Point, 257 - its success as planned, 258 - capture of Paulus Hook, 259 - sends Sullivan to punish Indians, 259 - honored by the Six Nations, 260–1 - strengthens West Point, 261 - his sublime faith, 264 - his trials at Morristown, 265 - postpones attack upon New York, 265 - reorganization of the army imperatively necessary, 269 - praises New Jersey promptness, 272 - again appeals to Congress, 272–3 - watches Clinton closely, 274 - visited by Lafayette, just returned from France, 276 - gives him a letter to President of Congress, 276 - sends Southern troops southward, 277 - the mutiny of troops gives him “infinite concern”, 277 - outgenerals Knyphausen, 280 - describes British movements, 280 - new trials at hand, 281 - outgenerals Clinton, 282 - Battle of Springfield, 286 - adroit appeal to governors at the North, 286 - again threatens New York, 286 - appreciated by Rochambeau, 287 - assigns Arnold to West Point, 288 - Arnold’s treason and the execution of André, 290 - vindicates Mrs. Arnold, 291 - takes post at Brakeness, 291 - assigns Greene to West Point, 291 - his outlook over the field, 294 - his sympathy with the rank and file, 295 - writes about American speculators in food, 296 - appeals to Sullivan, then in Congress, 297 - compares rolling small and large snowballs, 297 - confers with Rochambeau, 297 - writes Franklin of approaching victory, 298 - reënforces Southern army, 299 - temporary expedients denounced, 299 - designates winter quarters, 300 - addresses Southern governors, 301 - places Greene in Gates’ place, 301 - sends his best officers south, 303 - his powers again enlarged, 304 - as judged abroad, 305 - “stay-at-homes” derided, 305 - his “superhuman regard for man, as man”, 305 - his relations to foreign officers, 305 - treatment of Pennsylvania mutiny, 307 - is judged by French generals, says Franklin, 308 - individuality of the States, noticed, 308 - keeps away from scene of mutiny, 309 - elements of success in sight, and all plans matured, 313 - his specific instructions to Greene, 313 - his use of “pick and spade,” 313 - writes Greene as to Cowpens, 316 - is advised of Greene’s movements, 320 - plans for capture of Arnold, 323 - the war approaches its crisis, 324 - writes Lafayette as to French support, 326 - modifies Lafayette’s orders, 326 - “never judges the past by after events”, 326 - urges Schuyler to be Secretary of War, 328 - startling extracts from his diary, 328 - “chimney-corner patriots” denounced, 328 - “venality, corruption and abuse of trust universal”, 329 - indorses Lafayette’s strategy, 330 - approves his action respecting Arnold, 332 - confers again with Rochambeau at Wethersfield, 333 - advances toward New York, 334 - joined by French army, 335 - sends out decoy letters and plans, 335 - builds brick ovens in New Jersey, 336 - reconnoitres Clinton’s outposts, 336–7 - challenges Clinton to battle, 337 - hears good news from Lafayette, 339 - second report from Lafayette, 341 - Lafayette ready for his arrival, 343 - good news from Count de Grasse, 344 - urges Northern governors to action, 345 - swift messengers sent everywhere, 345 - his finesse outwits Clinton, 346 - visits West Point with Rochambeau, 347 - abandons fixed headquarters, 347 - allied armies in motion not missed by Clinton, 347 - grand tidings from France, 348 - enters Philadelphia, not yet missed by Clinton, 348 - despatches from Lafayette received, 349 - starts for Chesapeake Bay, 349 - meets courier from Lafayette, 350 - another courier arrives, 350 - welcomed with Rochambeau at Baltimore, 351 - visits Mt. Vernon with French officers as guests, 351 - arrives at Lafayette’s headquarters, 351 - his strategy noticed, 352–3 - studies the position with care, 354 - visits Count de Grasse, 356 - fires the first gun before Yorktown, 357 - siege pushed with vigor, 357 - terms of surrender settled, 359 - surrender consummated, 360 - issues proclamation for Public Thanksgiving, 360 - a grand parade of the entire army, 360 - assigns Lafayette to a Southern expedition, 361 - the expedition abandoned, 361 - parts with Lafayette who returns to France, 361 - retains Rochambeau in America until 1782, 361 - his magnanimous treatment of the Queen’s Rangers, 362 - still honored in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, 362–3 - triumphant entry into New York, 363 - formally closes the war, 364 - another Thanksgiving proclamation, 364 - predicts a grand future for America, 365 - his trust in Divine Providence emphasized, 366 - tested by military art, 367 - grounds of his faith in American destiny, 371 - lessons from his career, 373 - founds West Point Military Academy, 373 - donates sites for National University, 374 - his closing appeal to the American conscience, 374 - - WASHINGTON, LAWRENCE—brother of the Soldier; _b._ 1718, _d._ 1752. - educated in England, 1 - in the British army, 1 - his example and influence, 1, 4 - - WASHINGTON, MARTHA—wife of the Soldier; _b._ 1732, _d._ 1802; - her marriage (see also Custis), 8 - - WASHINGTON, MARY—mother of the Soldier; _b._ 1706, _d._ 1789. - her will-power, 4 - her moral training, 5 - their permanent effect in her son’s character, 5 - - WASHINGTON, WILLIAM—colonel; _b._ 1752, _d._ 1810. - at Battle of Trenton, 142 - captures two guns at Trenton, 145 - wounded in the attempt, 145 - at Cowpens, 314 - - Washington’s “Invincibles”, 105 - - WAYNE, ANTHONY—maj.-gen.; _b._ Paoli, Pennsylvania, 1745, _d._ 1796. - attacks Hessian rear-guard in N.J., 169 - at Battle of Brandywine, 186, 189 - surprised at Paoli, 193 - at Battle of Germantown, 195 - with Lafayette at Monmouth, 226 - powerless at time of mutiny, 307 - joins Lafayette in Virginia, 341 - makes a brilliant charge at Williamsburg, 341 - - WEBSTER, DANIEL—statesman and orator; _b._ 1782, _d._ 1852. - his opinion of General Schuyler, 37 - his sublime ideal, “Union,” in prospect, 266 - - WELLINGTON, ARTHUR WELLESLEY—_Br._ gen., _sub._ field marshal; _b._ - 1769, _d._ 1852; - cited for comparison (Preface), viii - - WESLEY, JOHN—eminent divine; _b._ 1703, _d._ 1791; - had visited America, 21 - - WHIPPLE, ABRAHAM—_Am._ naval officer; _b._ 1731, _d._ 1819; - cited as to Charleston, 274 - - WILKINSON, JAMES—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1757, _d._ 1825. - with Lee at his capture, 138 - at Battle of Trenton, 142 - his interview with Washington, 142 - - WILLETT, MARINUS—col.; _b._ 1744, _d._ 1826; - operates against the Onondagas near Syracuse, 252 - - WILLIAMS, JAMES—_Am._ col.; - at King’s Mountain, and descendants honored, 293 - - Wilmington, N.C., visited by Sir Peter Parker, Cornwallis and Clinton, - May 3, 1776, 97 - - WINTHROP, ROBERT CHARLES—scholar, historian, statesman; _b._ 1809, _d._ - 1894; - gratefully remembered by the author (Preface), xiv - _Note._—Mr. Winthrop delivered the oration at laying the - corner-stone of the national Washington monument, at Washington, - D.C., and also at its dedication. - - Woman’s heroism in the Revolution, 285 - - WOOSTER, DANIEL—maj.-gen.; _b._ 1711, _d._ 1777. - his military antecedents, 23 - his subsequent career outlined, 38 - in movement against Fort Independence, 157 - at home with the Connecticut militia, 165 - resigns his commission, 165 - is mortally wounded, 166 - - WRIGHT, _Sir_ JAMES—royal governor of Georgia; _b._ 1714, _d._ 1785, - noticed, 29, 30 - - Wyoming Valley invaded by Indians, 249 - summarily avenged, 252, 260 - - - Yale College students resist Tryon’s invasion of New Haven, 256 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. 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