a"** Series COLONIAL The Towle Mfg. Company ^ '^ SILVERSMITHS ^ ^ Ncwburyport, Mass. *^ Chicago, 111. C c . . r i 1 ' 1 . 1 lie 1',. wl c Mil-. Ci STERLING a Tow\ M pMttvn of ^^spoons, forfes anD all otl)cc piccejtf ofA^Katlle iFlat SZ^jlte *• ijef partlp lefljoton in tl)ij^ t»oofe, m ujl]ifl) iis" al0O gtbm an account of ttjt if|ief eijents of tije smat of t ijDitl) tl^isf niottiauousf conflict >^ anti in jfome cascjEf cjcnniJlifpinff tljc (STOlOttf al, or mo^t propcrlp callctJ ^tOVQUtl ^^tplc of arcl^i tccture, from U)l)ict) tlyt benign of tl^ijS yattcrn ifif bcribclj; tol)icl3 lestplc tuaiS firat protiuceli in tenfllan^ in tijcf fflfjtetntfi centtttrs antj tuajS tl)c res ult of an adaptation of classical clnnnitff to nctt contiittonjg of application, anti alloftuljicljififapi purtcnant to ti^c ,^: f^'^ A PROCLAMATION, !-or fupprcfTing Rtbcllion and Sedition. . ' i Pliauiiou .r.d forp^it't I jnj fuUAtnca c oi the Pwblick nJ lo the Oppndloa of Our GEORGE R. ^HERBAS miriy o« Ouf SubjcOt in di»«n Pj'M ' i in Ntrth AmfHJ. iTilUd by dingilrudton ot |j«>(ul Commerce. loyil Sub^tOi ciriyirg vn th« bmc. hi>c ai Itnch pfocctdra to sa o^cit aad ' skovtcd Rebellion, by •ffijinp .t-.-i' ■ • •■ ■ v \.*.-.-,r r., fihil^"'! i^c )n ol ihc Ljw, and t(4>' . ^'■■' ' •piinrt Ut; And Hhcrcai <*»»'»■ btcn much promoted inJ cncourigcJ by the iiamr.. <: t divtri KicLcd and d«rptrjt( Pctfont Hiihm tSi» Realm T<. (Ke !> ! :t t-<.y-: iNi rcnc f O^' >ut,,t^» may ncrlc^ or violitc their Duty through Ignorance ihcrtoi, or through anv Doubt 'of the Pro4cwfht 'i!, by »*^ •<:H iK* Ad^tr tJ 0«r Priw Ccuncil, to ilTue (ht» Our Royjl P ' . i - ■ , i . _ . ■ ■. p ^ Officcri CimI and Milnaiy are oblitcd lo t»t - I to brir\g (he 1 r; belonging are bound \ ^ I i . n tv ^i f r • dilclofc and make L And Wc do acco'-: ■imI all oihfr Our . fupprdi fuih_ Rctxil. ■.. irj t. ^-.l.:, U jn l r.lc tr ,n jl 1 '- ractct «hich ihty (hall inow to be agi-nll L't, Our Crown and I' that iKcv fn-f-n-l ro Of** of Pvf Pnot.pal SctrctarK* of State, or fb!' f ■ . ri ji^^ji j^ ("ownd carryiBf o« d A1 the Pcri^i eow ta opett Air Cc -niti arul PlaniaiiOAl in //fi^ ccr^j, - 1 .i^il ai UtUaf, f "fcK .rt 11 oithAaaid ud 'ori« OmI^- ■\-third Day oT WLj •/, One ikouland fcvcfi hwndicd j5 177S nt>5 ,7U, Mi><'wvjynan proposed, although it was universally conceded that America should contribute to the payment of the enormous public debt contracted in the protection of the colonies from the French and Indians. Even Americans acquiesced in this sentiment, but they proposed to pay it by grants from their assemblies and in their own way. George, however, had been exhorted by his mother, the Princess Dowager, to "be a king " and encouraged to assert his individuality — advice which conditions did not favor, nor the King's ability warrant, but which he persistently endeavored to carry out in spite of its disastrous effect. Under these circumstances the proposition to lew a stamp tax was revived and the act passed in February, 176;. William Pitt, the constant champion of the colonies, was ill at the time, and greatly deplored its passage. Throughout the remainder of his life, which ended while the war was in progress, Pitt, afterwards Lord Chatham, was an ardent advocate of the liberties o( the colonists ; but his efforts were of little avail, and although he was at one time urged by the King to form a ministry, many concessions being made to induce him to do so, personal ambition and the resulting internal friction had so divided his party that he was unable to unite the leaders, and the policy then in force was suffered to continue. In America the Stamp Act was resented as a measure of arbitrary domination, an irritating and unreasonable form of taxation with no compensatory representation. N'irginia was the first colony to voice the opposition to this measure, and was imme- diately followed by Massachusetts, which proposed a congress of delegates from the assemblies of all the colonies to take united action in protest. The congress met in 1765, and as a result of this, and Pitt's scathing denunciation in England, the Stamp Act was repealed early in the following year. The King from this time lost no opportunity of strengthening his party in Parliament, and bv the patronage he could dispense and the intimidation of country boroughs, was able to control both houses and secure the enactment ot his policy. His next measure was the levying of import duties on colonial commerce, which was 2rtjr .Stamp SIct /fT A (BUttuuetj- piece (^0uneU (BU»mbet growing rapidly in importance, espe- /ftf i ■*■ ♦ '76y daily with the West Indies ; and with England alone amounted to about six million pounds per year, nearly equal- ling the total of British commerce with the world at the beginning of that century. This also met with bitter protest and was later repealed on every- ' ill^^-, t -^r-:»:-x ■ ' - ■" -' .-i;^"-^^"' '77^'' thing but tea, which was made to bear the burden of the principle of English sovereignty. This principle was as clearly discerned in America as in Eng- land, and the renunciation of tea be- came a test of patriotism. Philadelphia V ^i^ ^ H;^;^ ^^ \^ ^^ ' ...,..\...7ZZT ' '773 had publicly denounced all traffic in tea, and the act had been endorsed bv Boston when three ships laden with the obnoxious commoditv arrived at the latter port. Their arrival was fol- lowed by indignant gatherings in Fan- euil Hall, and the consignees were forced by public opinion to promise that the ships would be sent back with- out unloading ; but this the Roval Gov- ernor refused to permit, and declared that no clearance papers would be is- sued until the cargoes were discharged. At the close of a particularly demon- strative meeting held at the Old South Church on the afternoon of December sixteenth, 1773, a party of fifty citizens, disguised as Indians, led the way to the wharf, and, boarding the vessels, scattered into the harbor the contents of three hundred and forty-two chests, the property of the East India Company, valued in the neighborhood of one hundred thousand dollars. In consequence of this action and lesser excuses, Massachusetts was subjected to 1774 a repressive policy which deprived the colonists of many liberties and was intended to precipitate a struggle, which the King believed would be short and decisive, for the purpose of finally settling the dependence of the colonies and the sovereignty of England. The effect of this "Port Bill," as the chief of these measures was called, was — as was expected — to confirm the colonists in their resistance, but not in the rash and isolated way that was hoped for. Keen, powerful intellects guided the people, in the persons of Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, and others, and they immediately set about to secure the cooperation of the other colonies, many of which were ripe for action, notably Virginia, where Patrick -&iimm\. Tt^ WittttuortU ll^oufte |iii!iii)i|iii!iniiiiiiiniiii[!!i;iii,ii:ini!iiiiin{i!!liiniil! .llllll.i'ilJillMlll, I SHILLING.; ^ t a m p 13o6ton STca )Mtts> IT'S '774 1774 (georjBx^n Hcnr\ luiJ >omo \iMrs earlier openly dcnounteJ Briii-h oppression, hut h.i' \.^-'<--c. the clear issues prevalent in the Bay State. They organized a Committee ot Corres- pondence, and, authorized by the General Assembly of Massachusetts, urged each colony to send delegates to a congress at Philadelphia on the first of the tbilowing September. In June of that year, I 774, the port of Boston, then under the military rule of General Gage — who had superseded Governor Hutchinson — was closed to com- merce, causing a complete stagnation of business of all kinds, and much deprivation and suffering among the people. A considerable clement in Parliament was strongly opposed to this cruelty, and champions of the cause of America were not lacking who predicted the ultimate ruin England would suffer from this unwarranted oppression ot her own sons, to whom, as they urged, the sentiments of liberty were as precious, and whose strength of purpose was as great, as though no ocean separated them from the free institutions of the mother country. Thev were powerless, however, to check the wave of vin- dictivencss that now, under the fostering care of the King's favorites, was extending even to the people. The large cities, always the strongholds of advanced ideas, were still in sympathy with the colonists, and the spectacle is presented of the city of London, in its corporate capacity, subscribing one hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the relief of suffering in Boston, caused by the acts of Parliament. These were eventful days in the New England town, for although the people suffered, their enthusiasm was in no way diminished, and they overthrew all civil institutions emanating from the crown. Many prominent people who had until this time reserved the right to support the King's j;overnment and hoped for a peaceful settle- ment of all troubles, now saw the serious- ness of the situation, and realizing the near .ipproach of inevitable division, sank their personal regrets in love of country and joined heartily in the cause of liberty. On the fifth of September, fifty-three ielegates assembled in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, and under the presidency of Peyton Randolph, of Virginia, formed a Con- tinental Congress. While recognizing the necessity of united action, these delegates, as .1 whole, had not yet reached a realization of (he need of aggressive rebellion. The habit of lovaltv was too strong to be put off at once, and it was with a certain deference, albeit firmness, that they appealed to the King, and to the people of Great Britain, to withdraw the odious measures that threat- ened to alienate the colonies. Georgia, the especial protigij of the King, was alone un- represented at this gathering, and though at ^ § 9 t tv ^ a 6 8 iF I r !8 1 e nt I n r lU a I tf o n o v r s « UleorjBii^n JFaneuUfjall Boston heart the delegates dreaded the cuhnination of events which their acts were for- warding, the congress adopted measures to strengthen the union and co-operation of the states, indorsed Massachusetts in its resistance, and planned and appointed a second congress to meet the fol- lowing May. Although independence was not yet declared, and, in the minds of many, was only a re- mote possibility, it was in reality inaugurated on that twentieth of October, .,'~ ___f^ 1774, when the "Dec- 7" "^ laration of Colonial '"-••-• Rights," a comprehensive document which recited the m|ustices '774 of Parliament and asserted the right of self-government, was signed by the "American Association," the forerunner of the confederacy later announced as the "United States of America." As seed cast on fertile ground germinates and develops of its innate powers, so the American Revolution needed but the lightest sanction of administrative authority. Its real life was the unwavering determination of individuals and communities to meet squarely every issue, to see great principles behind even small aggressions, to neither palliate nor compromise, to rise above considerations of policy and to act from the first with no provision for failure and no desire for qualified victory. Separation from the mother country was but incidental to this struggle, and was only determined upon when in .the progress of events it was recognized as inevitable. The principles of liberty for which the patriots contended were no less applicable here than in England itself, where their kinsmen had declared and enacted them nearly a century before. This spirit was manifest, but it was King George, with his succession of blundering provocations, who nourished the Revolution. Had he realized the quality of the resistance and listened to the entreatings of Franklin and the other colonial agents at Parliament, he could easily have retained that lovalism which was dear to the colon- ists, and' the price of which was only the extension of equal liberty to his subjects at home and abroad. Although at this time the Americans were endeavoring to obtain a peaceful estab- lishment of their rights, they clearly perceived the need of military organization, and in November the "Provincial Congress" of Massachusetts, — the General Court under a new name — voted to enroll twelve thousand "minute men" who were to be prepared to respond immediately when the conflict should begin ; later it declared its wish for peace, but advised preparations for war. Other colonies took similar 1774 Cl)f **^mtrfcan asBocf atton** (georfli^n \r- ms aiii'Miiiui iiuiu minor cj.i.ioUc:. i.^or. I'l-i^c .-. iuva arc i.,^a.,, held to he the initiative of the Revolution. December sixth, the peo- ple of Rhode Island seized a large quantity of ordnance in ihe batteries at Newport, in anticipation of its employment by the King's troops, and the same action was taken on the thirteenth bv the people of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who seized and removed a large quantity of ammunition and ordnance then in the keeping of the garrison of Fort William and Mary, at New- castle. In the following February, the people of Salem, Mas- sachusetts, taking heed from the warning of their governing body, (.gan preparations for defense. These were met by an expedi- tion from Gage's forces at Boston, and an engagement was iibiiu , ifi^y;: narrowly averted. The real uprising, however, from which I ^SSi armed rebellion dates, was to come later at Concord and Lex- ington. Parliament had officially declared a state of rebellion existent in Massachusetts and embarked large reinforcements to the three thousand British troops in Boston, while the patriots watched every movement of the British and prepared to meet their first iJvancc, which in the nature of things could not long be de- layed. General Gage, the British commander, realized it to be his dutv to break up these preparations, and planned a secret raid on the stores and munitions which the Americans had con- centrated at Concord, some miles from Boston, in order that they might be safelv outside the line of fortifications which the British were erecting. The plan also included the capture of John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were believed to be in that neighborhood, and who were justly regarded as most dangerous to British interests. With this object troops to the number of eight hundred left Boston for Cambridge /-7j- shortly before midnight of April eighteenth, and with such speed as was possible, marched toward Lexington, on the road to Concord. They had counted on the secrecv of their movements to make the attainment of their object easy, but in this they underestimated the watchfulness and penetration of their opponent.^, tor their purpose was understood in advance and measures taken to spread the alarm when they should actually start. Paul Revere had obtained the information, and he repaired to Charlestown that evening, there to await the signal which he had directed to be shown from the spire of the North Church when the soldiers were known to have started. The two lights, telling him that thev had gone by water to Cambridge, shone out at eleven o'clock and started Revere on his momentous ride. He was obliged to take a cir- cuitous route to escape British sentinels, who challenged him and who would have cap- tured a less alert man. In spite of this he gained a great advance over the attacking force, and alarmed the country to Lexington, where he awakened Adams and Hancock, and was joined bv two others in his ride toward Concord. They were hardiv started when they were intercepted by British officers and Revere and Dawes were taken prisoners. ©tApowder "^^ Xetv EnglanJ Flu* ?j A r I y a C t 9 ppi while Dr. Prescott, the third member ot the party, jumped his horse over a wall and escaped to carry the alarm the remainder of the way. What it meant to the farmers was evident when, early in the morning, the regulars reached Lexington and found the minute-men drawn up on the green to meet them. Compared with the British, the patriots were few and were poorly equipped and drilled, but their cause was righteous and they believed in it in the face of death. Thev, therefore, paid no heed to the demand that they dis- perse, but met force with force and shed the first blood of the Revolution. Eight Americans were killed and others wounded, and the British then continued their march to Concord. Their commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, alarmed by the evidences of resistance that he encountered, had sent back to Boston tor reinforce- ments, which were hastening to his assistance. Their mission at Concord was accomplished mgloriously to the extent of destroy- ing such few stores and guns as the Americans had been unable to secrete, and they were about to return when they discovered the minute-men advancing from the farther side of the North Bridge. They essayed to cut off the approach of the Americans by removing the bridge, but were too late, and, being obliged to retreat or fire, chose the latter, and were answered bv a voUev which drove them from their position. This was the beginning of the first real fight, the passage at Lexington being hardly main- tained to an extent to justify that title. The farmers withdrew to such shelter as they could find and awaited further movements of the regulars, who started about noon for their return to Boston. Their march was the signal for renewed firing by the Americans, who followed them, and from the shelter of stone walls and trees de- livered a harassing and destructive fire. Thoroughly routed, they were fast being reduced when they were met by the advancing reinforcements, one thousand men under Lord Percy, and tor a while they rested under this protection. The remainder of the retreat, even with the greatly increased force, was a repetition of the beginning, and when they finally arrived in Charlestown, and under the guns of the British ships, they were in almost a panic. Thus began the Revolution; and the alarm carried bv Paul Revere was extended in all directions until every road leading to Concord was filled with minute-men hastening to reinforce their compatriots. Thev remained in waiting a few days. ^77S (toncovlf an5f 2l(vin0ton i&t0Tii%^x\ I but ii:?-euTIf THEY MEAN TO HAVE AwAR,, »fts*»«.y:..^^.. ........... . ... ......^^^.g^^rtjH B u I d e r Green on Lexington 10 (&t0TQi}xn n ©la^tate^ouec f 6 t n ; transpiirtfd wiih tlicir j;'" i- ' ■ li i 'ax. New England, the birthplace of the Revolution, was thus saved to the Ameri- cans, and freed, for the most part, from further strife in the barely awakened cause. Washington, from time of taking com- mand of the army, was the centre of inter- est, and the course of the Revolution was chiefly with the troops under his personal direction ; but it is necessary, in even an outline of the war, to note certain secon- dary expeditions and lesser incidents in progress at the time when Washington was encamped before Boston. Canada was recognized from the first, by the American leaders, as a menace to the unity of the colonies bv' reason of the possibilities it offered as a base for operations through the vallcv of the Hud- son to the sea-coast, which would isolate New England and prevent its intercom- munication, cither offensive or defensive, with other sections. To obviate this danger, Washington carlv decided to at- tempt the conquest of Canada, and organized two expeditions, to travel different routes and meet at Quebec for a joint assault. One under Montgomery passed up Lake Champlain and captured Montreal and intervening points. The other under Benedict .Arnold embarked at Newburyport, and then, following the Kennebec River, and through the wilderness beyond, reached Quebec in December, 1775, after a journey of extraordinary difficulty and hardship. Montgomery, with but a remnant of his forces, soon arrived, and with those of Arnold — also greatly diminished — formed an attacking body of but little over a thousand men, to assault a city noted t'ur its strong situation and elaborate fortifications. The attempt, though gallant and tor a time encouraging, failed with the death of Mont- gomery and wounding of Arnold ; and although held besieged by the latter for the rest of the winter, the city remained in the possession of the British, and in the spring the Americans were forced, by the approach of a powerful relief '77(> expedition under Sir Guv Carleton, to abandon their advantage and leave Canada for good and all. At this time the British were using their ships, against which we could as yet oppose none, to harass outlying ports, and with apparently no plan other than the resulting terror and apprehension in all coast towns. Falmouth, Maine, now Port- land, was bombarded and then burned ; and the British, at the instigation of Lord ms Dunmore, Governor of the Province, attacked Hampton, \'irginia, and later Nor- folk. At both places thev were repulsed, but Norfolk suffered heavily from bombard- ment and fire. Patriotism in the South was further stimulated bv an attack on it was voted, on the second of July, 1776, to announce to the world the principles for which the American people were contending. A com- mittee, of which Thomas Jefferson, a delegate from Virginia, recently arrived, was chosen chairman, was appointed to formulate the declara- tion, the writing of which was entrusted to Jef- ferson. The result of his labor and the delib- erations of the committee, was the Declaration of Independence, laid before Congress on the fourth of July and unanimously accepted. Ma s s a ( h u s 1 1 1 i ^X^^tltnian (gi^orfli^n 1 iiiN I'UiL-iui diKi iii^jiiiii^ i;f nptam j'Jnth.in I? .1 I f b \} 09 a f 111 n m c s /-^^ .V f iv H a m p I h i rt Declaration of {•ntirprn Hence (^tOTjimrt ^ii^h1 ma Wax miUt, fthmon reintorcements and en- gaged in preparing ior- tiiications, as though intending a continu- ance of operations ; hut the next morning, Au- gust twen t v-ninth, found the place utterly deserted, his army hav- ing been ferried across to New York under cover of the night and abeneficentfog. Colo- nel Glover's Marblehcad fishermen accomplished this feat for Washington, and the British, who surrounded the Americans and expected an easy and decisive victory, were doomed to disappointment. Thev, however, knew their strength and Wash- ington's weakness, and assailed him on all sides of the stand taken in New York, driving him in a few davs to Harlem Heights. Washington's personal bravery as he rode among his panic-stricken men was the slender thread by which he was enabled to finally withdraw his troops. It was especially desirable at this time that some knowledge be obtained of the intended movements of the British, and Washington accepted the services of Captain Nathan Hale of Connecticut, who volunteered to visit the enemy's camp as a spy. He penetrated the British lines and obtained the information without discovery, but on his way back was recognized and arrested by a Tory relative. He was taken before Howe and sentenced to death, and was executed September twenty-second. Every benefit of humanity and religion was denied him, vet he met his death with high courage, and his last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country," have become immortal. In the face of his retreat, Washington sent detachments to check the advance of the enemy's outposts, and after sharp fighting drove them back to the main lines. The American position was here fairly strong, but not strong enough to warrant Washington in risking his army ; so on the further advance of the British, he seized favorable points and held them in check until he could again retreat, this time to White Plains, on the bank of the Bronx River. Once more the British under Howe thought to crush the American forces and end the war, and once more, after a sharp engagement, the Americans succeeded in escaping and establishing themselves in a stronger position at North Castle. Forts Washington and Lee, which defended the Hudson River at Harlem, were left garrisoned with the expectation of their being able to hold the position ; but the British having obtained, through the treachery of a deserter from Fort Washington, complete information as to the strength and arrangement of that fortification, it was successfully assaulted on November sixteenth. Co nnecticut €a)itafn 1776 1776 H^aU ((5t0rjtti»tt m<> '776 aiu; rwo ^nuu^and men taken [Tis oners. This loss, with Gciicril Lcc's disobedience in withholding, on the other side of the Hudson, the large body of troops under his comtnand, left Washington in a desperate situation. His armv was reduced through these causes, and the expiration of the terms of enlist- ment of many of the militia, to the neighborhood of three thousand men, and continual discharges and desertions, with the failure of efforts to secure rc-enlistmcnts or fresh re- cruits, threatened to leave but a fraction of that number. Fortu- nately at this time General Lee's troops were brought in by General Sullivan, the former having been taken prisoner while at a distance from his army. The British, holding all the important points captured, contin- ued their advance to Trenton and occupied that place preparatory to marching on Philadelphia, but later abandoned that part of the plan. The fear of this disaster was intense in Philadelphia, and Congress con- sidered it necessary to adjourn to Baltimore, alter vesting the entire control ot the war in Washington; a compliment which would have been more appreciated had it brought greater opportunities instead of adding to the perplexities of that general. He watched the enemv from a safe distance while exerting himself strcnuouslv to strengthen his army, though with little success. The misfortunes which made the necessity most urgent operated against his efforts, and no enthusiasm could be aroused for an apparently failing cause. Little as the prospect offered, he realized that some- thing must be done, and done quicklv, or the new rear would find him almost with- out men. Bold as the plan seemed when the possibilities were considered, Washington made up his mind to attack Trenton, and despatched several detachments to diverse points to ensure the surrounding of the enemy. Christmas night was the time settled upon for the assault, and Washington, with twentv-four hundred men, arrived at the bank of the Delaware in a fierce storm of snow and sleet, to find the river swollen and filled with swiftlv-moving ice. To a lesser man the difficulties would have been insuperable, as thcv appeared to his aides, to whom the duty was intrusted of attacking from other points, and who failed to cross. To Washington it meant but the call " / Car|>ctitcr« ^all hit ii delphxa ^a. ^ in r i* f r a n & o r <§jeorjji4*n i sc III IIIINMIIII I II II IIJ NY I UNITE OR DIE ' ' ' '" "'""" "i»rM„„„.,||||„,i,.M.„»MHMriiniiiiHmMimMr f^mmiimw^^ a e n e r a I Plough 1776 for greater effort, and, encouraged by his ex- ample and guided by the hardy fishermen of Mar- blehead, the troops were safely, though with great difKculty, transported to the Trenton side, where they set out upon an ex- hausting march to the town, regardless of the storm and the pains of travel on the frozen ground. Colonel Rahl had been warned that Washington was planning an attack, but, as usual, affected to despise his opponent, and the twelve hundred Hessians were in the midst of a characteristic Christmas celebration from which all thought of the enemy was banished, when the foot-sore and wearied Americans burst upon them. Rahl's men, thoroughly panic-stricken, offered little or no resistance, and in attempting to rally them their commander was shot down. A few were killed and some escaped, but about one thousand, with all their artillery and stores, were made prisoners and taken in triumph to Philadelphia. Washington lost no time, after this inspiring victory, in following up the advantage gained, and returning with fresh troops, re-occupied Trenton. Howe felt heavily the loss of prestige and men resulting from the defeat of Christmas night, and once more determined to overwhelm the meagre army of Washington and terminate the harassing rebellion. To this end Lord Cornwallis, with seven thousand men, set out from Princeton, January second. Thev were met on the road by detachments of Americans '777 sent out to retard their movement, and slowly driving the skirmishers before them, made their wav to Trenton. The main body of the American army was entrenched just outside the town, on the further bank of the Assanpink, and here the British prepared to attack. An at- tempt to cross the bridge was repulsed, and Cornwallis contented himself for that day with cannonading the enemy from the opposite shore, and planning to assault them on the following morning when reinforced. The British habit of delay at critical junc- tures had before given Washington opportunity to extricate his army from dangerous situations, and he took advantage of it on this occasion to abandon his position on the Assanpink and march on Princeton — where Cornwallis had left three regiments of his army — from whence he hoped to pass to Brunswick and capture the large quantity of British stores known to be there. With his usual adroitness, Washing- ton withdrew undetected by the army on the opposite bank, which regarded the brightly burning camp-fires, kindled for the purpose, as undoubted evidence of the continued presence of the Americans. Princeton was reached early on the morning of January third, and the British troops were encountered just as they were leaving to join P u t n a tn 's 2! t en t n (&tovQi}xn 777 Cornwailis. A battle en- sued, which, though at times apparently in favor of the British — owing to the inability of the Ameri- cans, through lack of equipment, to meet bay- onet charges — resulted finally in a splendid vic- tory for VVashington, whose personal valor and encouragement strength- ened his men and turned the balance to his side. The British fled to Bruns- wick, but the dav wis so far spent that Washington deemed it unwise to at- tack that place, and after destroying the bridges be- tween his army and that of Cornwailis, withdrew to Somerset Court House, and thence to Morristown, where he went into winter quarters. Cornwailis, discomfited at his failure at Tren- ton and the defeat of his troops at Princeton, returned to Brunswick to protect his magazines, and suspended operations for the winter. The effect of these victories on the country and the outside world was to raise the American cause from the lowest ebb of discouragement to enthusiastic support at home and increased respect abroad. France, though yet unwilling to openlv favor this coun- try, was secretly sending supplies, and from that country and Germanv and Prussia came able and devoted officers to assist our cause. Recruiting became easier and re- '777 enlistments frequent, enabling Washington to grcatlv strengthen his armv and prepare for a renewal of the struggle with the coming of spring. Events moved slowly at this time, a condition to which the American cause in the field was frequently indebted, and yet the forces at work were making for results soon to place the struggle for independence on a basis of international recognition and eventual support. After declaring independence. Congress had dispatched emissaries to the courts of Europe, and especially to France, where the svmpathv of progressive leaders established the cause in substantial favor. Many of the ablest members were thus employed, or were called to their homes to direct the sustaining operations of the war, so that the representation left was appreciably inferior as a whole, and of little real assistance as an executive bodv. It was inadequate to the task of supporting the army or of adding materially to its numbers, and its financial system, lacking hassi and credit, was a failure from the start. To the army it commissioned officers in many cases incompetent ; and through a misunderstanding of tacts, or unduly influenced by Rh»tle Itland P r f n r r 1 n (gieorjgi^^n 17 interested parties, it superseded competent generals at critical times and placed interior men in command. Lacking official support, the Revolution was sustained by popular contribution through the state leaders, the work of Robert Morris, ot Phila- delphia, being especially memorable, and of inestimable service to Washington in his efforts to hold together and strengthen his army. Connecticut bore a generous share in equipping and sustaining the troops, and at this time suffered locally from the proximity of the British quartered at New York. On April twenty-sixth, 1 777, Governor Tryon of New York, with two thousand British and Tories, attacked and burned Danbury, and destroyed a large quantity of American stores. On the following day the militia, under Generals Wooster, Arnold, and Silliman, forced Tryon to the coast after an engagement at Ridgefield, and the British embarked under heavy fire. General Wooster, a veteran of seventy years, was mortally wounded. A month later the Americans under Colonel Meigs retal- iated by crossing from Connecticut to Sag Harbor, on Long Island, where they burned twelve British vessels and destroyed stores, bringing back ninety prisoners with- out the loss of a man. Another incident illustrative of the daring and adroitness of the American soldiers was the capture of General Prescott, commander of the British forces in the neighbor- hood of Rhode Island, whose tyranny had excited the indignation of the people. On the night of July tenth. Lieutenant Barton of Providence, with forty men, stealthily approached Prescott's headquarters by water, and, overpowering the sentinel, secured Prescott, who was in bed, and escaped before the alarm spread to the troops. mi ViViiti^ Cn ^onntctftwt (r>corrOft>tn '777 Congress recog- nized this act by promoting Barton to the ranlc of colo- nel and presenting him a sword. Spring brought a renewal of activ- ity in the armies facing each other in the South, and in the North it saw the development of a plan to effect the ^i _'?.--'^ '"■"'■ ^.i-.*-^'"!^.' , 5k.v «* >cparation of New . -^ _. - « ^VWCJdtOngS.^, England from the ■^!m=^'^" — '■ »►. ^ c- J. < r-rr- other States. This .^' |3ani>teeubUr5 ^t*^^^^ had long been rec ognized as an im- pending possibility, and the division of the North under General Schuvler, though weak in numbers, was so placed as to offer the utmost resistance to the anticipated move- ment. Lake Champlain, the natural path of such invasion, had, the previous sum- mer, been the scene of a strenuous', if not mighty, struggle with the same object, when '776 Benedict Arnold had, by dint of extraordinary effort, created a flotilla, cffectivelv armed and manned, with which he vigorously contested Sir Guv Carleton's ascent of the lake ; and, while ultimately forced to retreat, so delayed and crippled the enemv that the British expedition was fruitless for that season, so far as the main object was con- cerned. The ground thus gained was held, and served Sir John Burgovne, the suc- cessor of Carlcton, to launch with great pomp in June, 1777, an armv of eight thousand men, including Indians — now for the first time emploved — which main- tained its triumphant progress only so long as the waters of the lake formed the line of passage. They erected fortifications on Mt. Defiance, near Ticondcroga, from which commanding position they were able to throw a destructive fire into the fort ; and General St. Clair, who occupied the post with somewhat less than three thou- sand ill-armed troops, abandoned it on the night of Jul v fifth, and undertook to join Schuyler at Fort Edward. The British started after him and several times engaged his rear guard, but at the end of a week the .Americans succeeded in reaching /777 Schuyler, though with the loss of some men and a considerable amount of baggage, captured by the British at Skenesboro. At this point the struggle with natural con- ditions began, which offered, difficult as it was, the only means bv which Burgoyne could pass to Albany, where he hoped to meet forces under Howe, which were to come up the Hudson and thus dominate the line from Canada to Long Island. Schuyler, realizing the overwhelming force of the invading armv, fell back in slow retreat, destroying the only road as he passed, burning bridges and clogging streams, besides devastating the country of everything that could be utilized to sustain an army. Under these circumstances Burgoyne's progress, with all the facilities of a thoroughly equipped army, was onlv about one mile a day, and the Americans were enabled to li u V 1> " f * ?j V D r B ( t f n (Seorfli^n keep well out of reach until reinforcements and a favorable situation should enable them to make a stand. A strong detachment ot the invaders, under St. Leger, had been sent to the west- ward to take Fort Stanwix, held by General Ganesvoort. They met with determined resistance, and vigorous fighting took place at the fort, and at Oriskanev, where '777 General Herkimer, who had come to the relief of Ganesvoort with a large following of frontiersmen, fell into an ambush of the enemy. The brave general was mortally wounded early in the engagement, but with great fortitude continued to direct the battle and succeeded in routing the British, who, however, continued to maintain the siege. After some weeks ineffectually spent, they were frightened into a precipitate retreat by news of the approach of Arnold with reinforcements, and made their way to Canada, minus everything that tended to impede flight. Burgoyne, experiencing to the full the difficulties imposed by Schuyler, felt the need of provisions, and detached a party of six hundred, under Colonel Baum, to raid the country in what is now Vermont, and capture stores held at Bennington. This party was met near Bennington by the farmers, who had hastily gathered under General Stark, and defeated with the loss of their baggage and artillery. Another party of equal numbers which had been sent out a few days afterward to reinforce the first, came up a few hours later and suffered like defeat. More than half the British were taken prisoners, and upwards of two hundred killed, leaving but a third to make its way back to the main army. These misfortunes were rapidlv bringing Burgoyne to a realization of the doubtfulness of final success, which success would have appeared still more remote could he have known, as he did later, that Howe's orders had been so delayed that no help could reach him from that quarter in season to avail. The American victories at Oriskaney and Bennington spread confidence through- out the country, and troops gathered to the support of the northern army, which Congress, with great injustice to Schuyler, now placed under the command of General Horatio Gates, a soldier much inferior to the former in ability and attain- ments. Gates reaped the benefit of all the hard work done by Schuyler, and entered upon his command under most favorable conditions. Burgovne, pressed for supplies and threatened in his rear by General Lincoln — who with two thousand troops was even then retaking Ticonderoga — was on the downward slope of effectiveness, while the American army was constantly receiving reinforcements, — among which were Morgan's Virginia riflemen sent by Washington, — and with Arnold returned from Fort Stanwix, was daily gaining strength and courage, and numbered about three thousand men to thirty-five hundred of the British. Gates, after a delay of several '777 weeks, established himself at Bemis Heights, on the west bank of the Hudson, and awaited the enemy. They arrived on September nine- teenth, and on the following day attacked the Americans in their full strength. Gates proved utterly inefficient, watching the battle from the rear without taking part in it, and the conduct ot the fight devolved upon the regimental com- manders, among whom Arnold was the dom- inant figure. The battle continued until dark- Nexv York 19 rn n C n 1 n (Storjsi^n '77y ©Id l>cuntc l^ousc •.lull the AiiK-ri- i-jiij drew off to their in- ircnchmcnts, leaving the British in possession of their ground, but suffer- ing from a severe repulse, their loss being double that of the Continentals. This was the begin- ning of the end with Bur- goyne. On October seventh he made another attempt to break the American lines, taking fifteen hundred of his best troops; but his columns were stubbornly met, and finally, with Morgan, Dearborn, and Arnold leading, the Americans routed the British and drove them to their intrenched camp, where the fighting was continued until stopped by darkness. Arnold was on the field without authority, he having been deprived of his command by Gates, but was unable to restrain his ardor, and placed himself at the head ot his old division, which he inspired to brilliant service ; he was badly wounded in the later attack. The British were now in a desperate situation; beaten and hopeless of reinforce- ment they sought to retreat through Saratoga, but found themselves surrounded by the gathering Americans, and a few days later Burgoyne gave up the attempt and opened negotiations for surrender. The document was signed October sixteenth, and by it an army of nearly si.\' thousand, with all equipments, was turned over to Gates, and the long-cherished plan to control the line from Canada to the mouth of the Hudson came finally to naught. Clinton, in pursuance of belated orders, had started to Burgoyne's assistance, but his enthusiasm waned after capturing Forts Mont- gomery and Clinton, and contenting himself with sending a detachment to raid King- ston, which was burned October thirteenth, he returned to New York, leaving the North, when rid ot Burgoyne, in undisputed possession of the Americans. News of this triumph was of inestimable help to the American cause in Europe, and created a prestige that made possible the French Alliance. Washington, though not active in this northern campaign, was none the less a factor in its success, as his watchfulness and employment of Howe and his armv in '777 the Middle South was largely for the purpose of maintaining the separation of the British forces, which he knew to be essential to Ameri- can victory on the Hudson. While Burgovne was embarking, with so much c'clat, his ill-fated expedition, Washington, who had removed from his winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey, to Middlebrook, was endeavoring to check Howe's advance without hazarding his small army in open battle. Howe, tiring ot these tactics, returned to New York, where. Nt S a r a t a a (gieorjBi^n f^% ■ . ^v'\i;,V-<'^ -^-■^^"■'^''^J. jr^^SQF->J "' -£i;iv;-fi.u' ,---4 "'■'■ (^onnmcnt to (Audrey capture "ol «^ rr ^ t run ^, ^. on ]ulv twenty-third, he embarked eighteen thousand men with a view of reaching Philadelphia by water. Washington discovered his motive and immediately marched his troops to that place, hoping to reassure the people before engaging the enemy. His army in point of effectiveness numbered about ten thousand, though in actual numbers several thousand more, and among his officers was the Marquis de Lafayette, a young French nobleman, who, filled with svmpathy and enthusiasm for the cause of the colonies, had, in spite of the disapproval of his king, reached this country with '777 Baron de Kalb, a German veteran, and was by Congress commissioned Major- General. Lafayette endeared himself to Washington and to the army, and became, next to Washington, one of the most prominent figures in the war. Howe, finding the Delaware fortified against him, entered Chesapeake Bay and landed his army at Elkton, Maryland, about fifty miles from Philadelphia. From this point he marched toward the city, reaching Chad's Ford, on the Brandywine — where the Americans were encamped — September eleventh. The resulting battle was disastrous to the patriots, and although well planned and bravely fought, ended at night in their retreat to Chester, and later to the neighborhood of Philadelphia. Count Pulaski, a Polish volunteer, distinguished himself in this action and was sub- sequentlv commissioned Brigadier General by Congress, in recognition of his gal- lantry. Washington, though defeated, still hoped to keep the British from Philadelphia, and prepared to engage them again near Goshen, but was prevented by a severe storm, and was then forced to withdraw to Reading to protect his stores, which were threatened by the enemy. He left General Wayne with fifteen hundred men to check the advance on Philadelphia, but the latter was surprised by a midnight attack and driven back with considerable loss, leaving the city open to the invaders, who ^i^fUTreDil^fa (feieorjoixan '§\hcvX\\ T^clX ciitorcJ September iwciuv-sixth. Fearing this result. Congress had removed, .some da\ > before, to Lan- caster, from which a few davs later '777 ^'••^'■^WlfP? I ' ■' moved to York, where it remained during the British occupancy of the capital. The danger to Reading having passed, Washington resolved on an- other attack, and with two thousand five hundred reinforcements he en- gaged the British troops stationed at Gcrmantown, near Philadelphia; but through the failure of militia on which he relied, the effort was de- feated after a severe struggle, in which the American loss was heavy. Forts Mifflin and Mercer, the for- mer on Mud Island, in the Dela- ware, and the latter at Red Bank, New Jersey, were still held by the Americans, who had established them to protect Philadelphia from naval attack. These the British as- saulted with the aid ot the Hect from Chesapeake Bay, and after a determined but hopeless resistance the Americans were forced to evacuate, November eighteenth, leaving the harbor unobstructed for the passage of British ships. To close a season disastrous in its immediate results, Washington, earlv in December, went into win- ter quarters at Valley Forge, on the Schuylkill, and struggled to maintain the organ- ization of his army under conditions which would have been insurmountable to another general, or with an armv striving for a lesser end. The cause of independence experienced its darkest days in that memorable camp. Thousands of men were unable to leave the rude huts they had built for shelter, for lack of clothing to cover them; they were reduced to the barest extremity for food, and vet their patriotism and faith in their commander triumphed over these miseries and sustained them until spring, when a turn of fortune brought once more the neces- saries of life and comfortable equipment. During the long winter, Washington suffered not only the anguish of sympathy for his stars-ing troops, but from the ma- chinations of envious and disgruntled subordinates, and the criticism of some ot the leaders in Congress. It was hoped, by a considerable faction, to supersede Wash- ington by Gates — the latter's victory over Bur- goyne being contrasted with Washington's cam- paign about Philadelphia — and sufficient support was obtained to secure control of the Board of War, which, with Gates at the head, was a source of annovancc and affront to Washington, while it utterly failed in its duties of providing tor the armv. D fl aw a r t TaUrp iFoiDt (f^e0roi^n While these conditions existed at the seat ot war, forces were elsewhere working for speedy and permanent improvement. The King o(" France, overborne by his ministers, had signed early in February a treaty ot alliance and commerce, acknowl- edging the independence of the American Colonies. This meant money and ships and ready supplies, besides establishing the United States on a recognized footing at the capitals of Europe. The victory at Saratoga, which had encouraged France to this action, had startled England into a belated concession of privileges, which a peace commission was sent over to propose; but the time for such measures was past and they were rejected by Congress, which declared that no proposals would be enter- tained except on a basis of complete independence and the withdrawal of British troops. This, of course, was not contemplated, and the commission ingloriouslv re- turned. The action ot France was regarded by England as a declaration ot war, and preparations were made for strengthening the situation of the troops in America. General Howe, who, it was realized, had done nothing more than seize upon com- fortable winter quarters for his army, was recalled and superseded by General Clinton. Philadelphia being of no military value to the British without a line of communication with the main army at New York, it was decided to abandon it ere the French fleet could come to the assistance of Washington's army and force the evacuation. In pursuance of these orders Clinton, who had assumed command the latter part of May, so hastened preparations that on June eighteenth he left the city and started his army across New jersey. Washington, whose patience and endurance the winter had so severely tried, was now well equipped, thanks to the efforts ot Greene, who in March, as quartermaster- general, succeeded the incompetent Board of War ; the spring levies had filled his ranks, and best of all, his army, which had been drilled all winter by Baron Steuben — a distinguished Prussian officer — was now for the first time in perfect training. Under such gratifying conditions it is not strange that Washington wished to inter- cept Clinton and |F oc t fxtX match his strength against the British ; but a council of his officers by their dis- approval so delayed him, that, though he finally overruled their decision, Clin- ton was then so far advanced that to overtake him re- quired extraordin- ary effort, and forced the troops to a fatiguing march, which at the last became so hurried that many threw away their knap- '77S r^ '77^ 8rj|e iFveucti ^lliuntt 24 (gtoruian -.icks in llicir tic-ire to rcai i. ' ■ iirm.. The British were advised ot Washing- ton's approach, and though numbering seventeen thousand, were headed for the coast by the mos' direct route, their march fast becoming flight under the 177^ ' ^^^ ^'^»»iil \ vexations of climate and the harassing attacks of the New Jersey militia. On the twenty-sixth of June they encamped at Monmouth Court House with Wash- ington but a icw miles behind, and a de- tachment under Lee, which had been sent in advance, within striking distance. The latter, Washington ordered to attack as soon as the enemv should resume the march in the morning, promising sup- port as soon as he could come up. Lee, an Englishman who had been a source of trouble to Washington all through the war, was impressed with Clinton's in- vincibility, and fearing to engage him, contented himself with unimportant man- ceuvcrs, until Clinton, seeing his oppor- tunity, charged, and had started the Americans in retreat when Washington, whom the incredible news found strain- ing every nerve to reach the field of battle, galloped on the scene, and overcome with rage, demanded of Lee an explanation of his course. This Lee was unable to give, and ordering him to the rear, where the next day he was court-martialed and suspended from his command, Washington rallied the troops, that had failed wholly from the lack of efficient ordering, and with the arrival of the main army recovered the ground and drove the British in retreat. Under the cover of the night the retreat was kept up, and Clinton succeeded in reaching the coast and embarking before the Ameri- '77* cans could again come up with him. His army was reduced by two thousand, in the march and battle, and had it not been for the incompetence of Lcc, would have been utterly destroyed. As it was, he was beaten, and the campaign which Washington had lost at Brandy wine and Germantown, was redeemed at Monmouth. An incident of this battle was the bravery of Mollv Pitcher, the wife of an American artilleryman. She was bringing water to her husband when she saw him fall, and heard an order for withdrawing his gun ; determined that it should not be silenced, she took his place and served the gun throughout the fight. In recognition of her patriotism Washington appointed her a sergeant in the armv, where she became widely known and popular. During the summer of 1778 the war made little progress, so far as the main armies were concerned. The British were now confined to New York, with an out- •:^ c f 1 11 n S 8 VfO u s c Phil n D c 1 p li I .1 . m li f r c f I r s r K. Ml c r : f .1 11 f I .1 rj Mi A 8 111 A\i t JH n m tt 1 4 |iK^i\V'iy't5*tt fhUadelpWa t post at Newport, Rhode Island, and evinced little inclination tor aggressive measures. Early in July the French fleet, under Count d'Estaing, appeared off Sandy Hook, but owing to their greater draught were unable to approach the British fleet. In lieu of this, a plan was arranged tor destroying, in conjunction with a land force, the British garrison and ships at Newport. D'Estaing arrived therewith his fleet August eighth, and his presence with the forces under Sullivan, Greene, and Lafayette caused the British to destroy their men-of-war and other vessels in the harbor. While preparations for the attack were being made, a British squadron appeared, and the French went outride to engage it, but a very severe storm arose and scattered the fleets, injuring the vessels so that the British were forced to return to New York, and the French went to Boston, to refit. Upon this the land forces, which also suffered from the storm, were obliged to withdraw without accomplishing their purpose, though a sharp engagement took place between four thousand reinforcements, which Clinton had brought from New York, and a division under Green, in which the British were repulsed. Clinton occupied himself in ravaging the surrounding countrv and burning shipping at New Bedford, returning to New York soon afterward and subsequentlv abandoning Newport. One of the particularly disturbing features of the summer were the Indian raids, made at the instigation of British agents and participated in by many Tories. Wyoming, Pennsvlvania, and Cherrv V'allev, New York, suffered frightfully in this way, hundreds of men, women, and children falling victims to the tomahawk, while in manv instances the torture was much more severe. Further west the British had seized old French trading posts and garrisoned them with regulars and Indians, to ensure the unlimited extension of British territory when the victory should be won. They also sought to uproot the settlement in what is now Kentucky, but were tenaciously resisted by the hardy pioneers under the lead of Boone, Logan, Kenton, and other intrepid woodsmen. Among these was one who realized the value of the outposts that the British had seized, and determined that the vast terri- tory dominated bv them should be held by •Americans. Kaskaskia, Vincennes, and Cahokia, in the Illinois country, were the Pennsylvania 25 ,77s KtUiflott (5ie0rj9i»n (T tj r U) i« a n s i u C r r m a n t o Uj n 4) a . coveted settlements, and George Rogers Clark, a native of \'irginia, the far-seeing frontiersman who set out to take them with less than two hundred men, raised bv his personal efforts under the authority of Governor Patrick Hcnrv of Virginia. Over- coming all obstacles, they reached Kaskaskia on the evening of Julv fourth, and Clark by skillful maneuvers took the garrison completely by surprise, and overpowering the guards, compelled the surrender of forces two or three times greater in number than -;^ihis own. \'incennes and Cahokia followed with little trouble, but the difficulty was to hold the posts with his small following, of which many of the men were anxious to return to their homes. At this time the British arrived with a strong force and retook V'incennes, but owing to the lateness of the season hesitated about attacking Kaskaskia, held by Clark with the main body of his command. Neither the season nor the condition of the country had any terrors tor Clark, and getting together one hundred and seventy men who could be depended upon, thev started tor Vincennes early in February, undertaking fearlessly a journey of over two hundred miles, in which they experienced hardships of every kind, including hunger, and a march through miles of icy water, waist high, but, in spite of these, arrived at their destination on the twenty-second of the month, and after a short fight forced the fort to again surrender. The importance of this exploit was far-reaching, as it not only secured to the United States vast territory in the West, but it broke, from that time, the alliance with the Indians, which the British had created with difficulty, and upon which they largely depended. The British, from their only stronghold. New York, kept up their devastating raids on the surrounding country, descending early in September on Buzzards Bav, where they destroyed shipping and privateers to the number of seventy sail, continu- ^afov ) SH l| 1 1 1 jK? a U aunt ^vnutrtl eo. JWatr^lirnTr SDie WB.vix in t1)e ^outfj (f^toramn Willi Init ;i iiaiultiii ni men, R"a\ iiig tnc Hrni^ii in luii j^u^^c-^^i'iii ol (jcur^'ia. '1 lie dircit results of his campaign were the gallant repulse of the British at Fort Royal by General Moultrie, the defeat and dispersal at Kettle Creek of a band of seven hun- dred Tories under Colonel Boyd, who was shot in the engagement, and the prescr- '779 vation of Charleston, which Provost had set out to attack, but from which he was compelled by Lincoln's advance to withdraw. Encouraged by their progress in the South, the British resumed with greater boldness their periodic raids in the North. Under Sir George Collier and General ml ^\^^^^^'■~'-''^7)i£^'^L^' ■ ;-_• -^iVv-ir^-V^^ ^ r 11 I tr iil a u !!$ i n ^J ij 1 1 a ^ r 1 1) ij i a Matthews they entered Hampton Roads, May ninth, ravaging Norfolk and Ports- mouth, and then sailed for New York, where they assisted Clinton in capturing the '77'? unfinished fortifications at Stony Point, by which the Americans had hoped to control King's Ferry. An expedition had been sent against West Greenwich, Connecticut, the previous March, which is memorable chieflv on account of General Putnam's bold escape from what seemed certain capture. He had rallied a companv to oppose the British, who were on their way to destrov the salt-works at Horse Neck, but was unable to offer effective resistance to the fifteen hundred invaders, and his men were soon dispersed. Putnam sought to reach Stamford, but was pursued by the British, who were fast gaining on him, when he turned his horse over the edge of a steep, rocky bluffs and rode safely to the bottom, leaving his astonished pursuers (Ttrnrral ^Dtttnam's lUXit daunted and baffled at the top. An- other expedition, under Governor Tryon, left New Yoric for Connecticut -i^^SP^^^ ai!#>.t '^''^M^' -. '^T^ early in July, and sailing along the coast plundered New Haven, East Haven, Fairfield and Norwalk, which latter place was also burned. These measures were met by the Americans with movements against Stony Point and Verplank's Point, and later against the British garrison at Paulus Hook. These were not wholly retaliatory, as Washington feared from the capture of Stony Point the exten- sion of British occupation through a series of such posts, which would ac- complish all that was striven for in Bur- goyne's campaign, and cut off his army and the Southern states from the recruits and supplies so generously furnished by New England. He therefore deter- mined to retake the fort at once, and entrusted the work to General Wayne, one of his most intrepid aids. General Wayne with a i^w hundred men reached the precipitous slopes in the rear of the tort on the evening of July sixteenth, and in a dashing assault, upon which the heavy fire ot the garrison made no im- pression, they mounted the breast-works and compelled a speedy surrender. Nearly five hundred prisoners were taken, and guns and munitions of great value captured. Alter training the guns of the fort on Verplank's Point, opposite, and compelling its evacuation, the Americans leveled the works and returned to the main army. Their achievement is looked upon as one of the most brilliant of the war. Paulus Hook, now the site of a part ot Jersey City, was one of the strongest natural positions held by the British; nearly surrounded by water, it was approach- ijjg able only by the post road, of which it originally formed the terminus and landing place of the ferry from New York. Major Harry Lee undertook the capture, and surprised it early on the morning of August nine- teenth. The British had little time for resistance betore they were overpowered by the attacking party, which secured upwards of one hundred and fitty prisoners — a number greater than that of the Americans — and quickly withdrew, lest the alarm spread to the main bodv of the enemy and retreat be cut off. Another undertaking, though carefully planned SDoortoap l^artDooD ip u c 511 n n a p I i jtf Ma r y Ian d Stonj) |)ofnt 30 m9 '779 %tortix^n •iii(j tuioj uut ii great expense, met with dis- Wi*.v , ^/./.l-.'j-if K-.'-^ '^ oiint ^ev*non aster and utterly failed. This was the expedition against the British post at Castinc, near the mouth of the Penobscot River, organized in Massachusetts, in which thirty-seven vessels were engaged, and had en- tered the river, when, on August thirteenth, they were hemmed in by a British fleet of su- perior force which sud- denly appeared. The Americans, rather than sec their ships fall into the hands of the British, beached and burned them, making their way back to Boston overland. The American navy, from the poverty of national resources an inconsiderable power heretofore, received at this time a memorable accession in the fleet under John Paul Jones, fitted out at L'Oricnt, France, bv the .American and French govern- ments. Jones, by birth a Scotchman, had already shown high ability in the ser\'ice of .America, and when, after many tedious disappointments, he found himself in command of an effective if not powerful fleet, he lost no time in making his presence felt among the shipping of Great Britain. He intercepted and captured many merchant vessels, in some cases boldly entering harbors to destroy them, and spread terror of his name throughout the British Isles. These exploits, while of importance in a scheme of warfare, were far from sufficient to the aggressive character of Jones, and he eagerly sought an encounter with armed vessels, though the conditions might apparently be against him. Such an opportunity came to him ofl^ Flamborough Head, September twenty-third, when he overtook two British ships of war, the Scrapis and Countess of Scarborough, convoying a large fleet of merchantmen. Jones com- manded the Bonhomme Richard, his flagship, and had with him but two other vessels of his squadron, the Alliance and Pallas, the others having been lost sight of in a gale. The British ships were greatly superior in size and armament, the Scrapis being the larger, and a much newer and stouter vessel than the Bonhomme Richard, with which she engaged. The Countess of Scarborough soon struck to her opponents, the .Alliance and Pallas, and the three remained in a group apart, leaving the two larger vessels to struggle for mastery. The battle that ensued is renowned in history as an example of the triumph of personal invincibility in the face of apparent ruin. The Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis fought at close range until both were badly battered and pierced, and then, grappled together, the guns of each touching the other's side, they continued their tearful work of car- nage and destruction. On several occasions the Richard CT in 111 d r r :?) 1)11 x^awX .9onr0 U' a I hi Hgl$ r. Cta t $/ Ar m t y^vorjQix^tn '779 was reported to be sinking, but by ex- traordinary effort was kept afloat, and at last Pear- son, the captain of the Serapis, yielded to his an- tagonist at a mo- ment when, as far as material evi- dence was credi- ble, the vie tor V might well have been his own. The Alliance, j;>. t, a^i^\ r ' * - which should have • ■ helped the Rich- •« * «^ * * '* ,. ^ I „ - ard, remained aloof during the greater part of the engagement, and when at last she came up, nearlv ruined Jones's chance by firing broadsides which swept the deck of the Richard. This action was excused on the ground of mistaken identitv, but Landais' jealousy of Jones and his restiveness under the latter's superior authority, give color to a pre- sumption of traitorous intent, and he was soon afterwards dismissed from the navy. The prizes were taken to Holland, and Jones, after a short stav in Paris, where his achievement was enthusiastically honored, returned to America, and received the thanks of Congress for his eminent services. While Jones was receiving his vessels from France, the French fleet under D'Es- taing, which had been cruising in West Indian waters, suddenly returned to the coast and captured four British men-of-war at Savannah. The French commander resolved to follow up this victory by recovering the town, and sought the help of the militia in the undertaking. Several weeks elapsed before the South Carolinians with Lincoln, who came to their aid, could complete an effective organization, and in this time the British had received reinforcements and erected formidable defences. D'Es- taing, chafing under the delay, demanded an immediate attack, and on October ninth, the allies gallantly assaulted the works and succeeded in planting the flags of America and France on the ramparts, hut thev could not maintain their position, and finally were repulsed with great loss. The brave Pulaski was killed in this action, as was Sergeant Jasper, the hero of Fort Moultrie ; and Count d'Estaing, who led his troops in person, was severely wounded. The French fleet put to sea, and Lincoln, with about two thousand men, withdrew to Charleston, where the people, desirous of pro- tection, urged them to remain. The British, encouraged by their victory, appeared off the coast of Georgia early in 1780 with a fleet under Admiral Arbuthnot, bringing Clinton and eight thousand-'?*" men, who were placed in commanding positions about Charleston, where they were joined by Cornwallis with troops to the number of three thousand. General Lincoln, who had remained in the citv, had been reinforced by a considerable body Siitoannaf) 32 (Seorfli^n f^)&im ir I 7i» It s r i« « n t T t V n o Oi V iTjiihia ^t'crriil^, i'ui ilia i'-»rt.C> C'iUiki offer no effective resistance to an armv numbering four to his one. Aided by /7S0 ^'>t'i Vt^ fr''^ .'l^SPr'/?-' /^ •, the fleet, which ran Fort Moultrie without difficulty, the British instituted an aggressive siege which resulted in the capitulation of the city on May twelfth ; General Lincoln and all his men were taken prisoners. With the loss of the last remnant of Lincoln's army, organized defense was obliterated in the South. The British spread over and devastated South Caro- lina as they did before in Georgia, plundering all not avowedly loval, and committing outrages calculated to embit- ter the patriots and strengthen them in their later resistance. A detachment of two thousand men under DcKalb had been sent South to augment the forces there, and this was now utilized as a nucleus of a new armv. 11 As many more were soon added bv enlistment and the accession of isolated bands, and Gates, in whom Congress had great confidence, based on a misconception of his part in the capture of Burgoyne, was sent, against the judgment of Washington, to take command. Under conservative leadership this army would have grown and developed into an efl'ective force, but without waiting for these processes, and appar- entlv without consideration of its weakness. Gates led it to Camden, then an import- ant center for the British. The despair resulting from the loss of Savannah and Charleston had been broken by minor though brilliant successes at Fishing Creek and Hanging Rock, and the patriots rallying under Marion, Sumter, and Pickens were harassing the British with a partisan warfare destructive of their sense of security, '7*" though lacking in effective organization. These leaders joined forces with Gates ; but thev added nothing to the strength of the attack on Camden, as both Marion and Sumter were detached for special operations, the latter taking four hundred of the best troops in addition to his own. The British under Lord Rawdon, knowing of Gates' advance, set out to intercept and surprise him, and on August si.\tcenth, the armies came suddenly together, neither being aware of the pro.\imity of the other. A battle was immcdiatelv ordered, and a line ot militia, never before under fire, was marched in the first charge against the perfectly drilled regulars of the British. The natural result was, that the .Americans, frightened bv the solid fire of the cnemv, broke and fled, leaving to DcKalb and his Continentals the whole burden of resistance. The latter fought with remarkable cour- (r;rnrval Catrs in 1 1) r S u 1 1^ yirg, { /iSi^rt-rnrtittt ©Itr Sntrantt JW It n t T t r n n age, but they were hope- lessly outnumbered, and, after losing eight hundred men, including DeKalb, -■■ ■■I'i^'^'ir^^>&^£''i^..^ -^r'J^^^/f^^'iW^^ 'y'fo were obliged to retreat and save themselves as best they could. Sum- ter's detachment, which had captured the British wagon train, was over- taken by Tarleton and routed with the loss of half its men, killed or captured. The re-formed southern armv, barely started in its mission, was thus effec- tually scattered, and once more the British were free to extend their lines and prosecute their plan of northward conquest. This immunity was of short duration, however, the rigorous measures adopted by Cornwallis quickly bearing fruit in an uprising fatal to British supremacy. Wishing to free himself from the annoyance ot local attacks, Cornwallis sent a division under Colonel Ferguson to range the western borders of the Carolinas and intimidate the inhabitants. The threats of the invaders roused the mountaineers, who had hitherto contented themselves with repressing Indian aggression, and gathering under favorite leaders, they assembled on the Watuga, late in September, to the number of nearly twelve hundred. They chose Colonel Campbell — leader of the Virginians — chief commander, and under his direction were more closely united and instructed in methods of attack. They were later joined bv upwards of three hundred from North Carolina, and started to crush the detachment under Ferguson. The British com- mander had word of their coming, and undertook to elude them ; but being unsuc- cessful in this, took up a strong position on Kings' Mountain and awaited the con- flict. To shorten the pursuit the backwoodsmen had divided their force, the pick of men and horses to the number of seven hundred entering on a forced march, leaving the rest to come up as they could. Riding night and day in their impatience to at- tain their object, the Americans arrived in the vicinity of the British camp on the ,~So morning of October seventh, and immediately arranged the attack. The British had more men, and a strong position on the top of a wooded hill ; but every man in the attacking force was a trained Indian fighter and thoroughly at home in such a situ- ation. They charged from opposite sides of the hill, and a repulse on one side was immediately followed by an assault on the other, thus keeping the British in constant motion, and gradually reducing the intervening space, until arriving at the top they surrounded and overpowered the enemy, forcing unconditional surrender. Ferguson and tuUy one-third of his men were killed, and the victors secured a large store of arms and ammunition, the lack of which was everywhere a serious hindrance to the struggling patriots. feiiifl's iHo until in 34 //.Vo l!i>VM rjy AUii The tide of war thus ebbing and flowing, rose perceptibly for the Americans from this time, the people, encouraged by the destruction of the merciless foe that dom- inated the frontier, rising in scattered bands to pick off" isolated British posts and even driving the main army to seek security nearer the sea-coast. Marion and Sumter ap- peared in unexpected quarters, cutting off" supplies and routing lovalist militia, leading Tarleton hither and thither in futile attempts to reach them. He finally came up with Sumter at Blackstocks and was severely repulsed. The British, once more on the defensive, were checked in their northward march, and all that was needed to permanentiv cripple them was an organized armv to which the roving bands could rally. This Congress undertook, for the third time, to supply ; but depleted ranks and bankrupt finances were conditions not lightly subjected, and Greene, whom Washington was privileged to appoint to this command, could obtain but little in material equipment, either of men or outfittings, and was obliged to depend on ap- peals to the Southern States, backed by recommendations of the central government. In some aspects Greene's expedition was in the nature of a forlorn hope. Two armies had been sacrificed in the same cause, exhausting the resources of the northern division, which could now spare but a mere bodv-guard to the departing genera). Disafl^ection was rife in the Contmcntal army on account of the worthlessness of the currency with which it was paid, and enlistments were correspondingly difficult to obtain. In the face of this discouraging outlook Greene went resolutely to his task, rousing the country as he traveled through it and importuning the governors for aid of any kind. His energetic measures brought him some immediate assistance, and more followed as he journeyed South, leaving a train of activity where apathy had (Srnrtal (Grrrur Qoto Soiittj #iKi>^-%^*v Mltv^nXivia^ T u before prevailed. He reached Charlotte, North Carolina, December second, and relieved Gates, who had since his defeat at Camden gathered the available militia of the state to the number of two thousand, to replace his lost army. These troops were raw and undisciplined, but with Steuben and Lee, whom Congress had assign- ed to the Southern department, Greene set about the work ot fitting them for service, while thev also formed a nucleus for gathering recruits. In appointing Greene to the command ot the Southern division, Washington had deprived his army of a strong general, but he was content in the knowledge of the special fitness of Greene for the duty to which he was assigned. His notable service as quartermaster-general after the failure of the Board ot War, and his eminent abil- ity in the field, were considerations that impelled Washington to urge his appoint- ment to this post after the destruction of Lincoln's army at Charleston; but Congress, enamoured of Gates, chose the latter. In the interval since that time the contrast of ability in the two men had become apparent even to Congress. While Gates hurried to destruction in the South, Greene gained fresh honors in New Jersey, where he checked Clin- ton's advance at Springfield and sent him in retreat to Staten Island. Incursions of this character were the extent of British activity in the North during the spring and summer of 1780. Washington had moved into New Jersey and driven out Knyp- hausen, whose force was greatly su- perior, before Clinton arrived from Charleston ; and while the latter was engaged in his abortive raid, the Ameri- can commander defended his position on the Hudson. His army, impover- ished and reduced in numbers through the incapacity ot Congress, was re- inforced by the arrival at Newport, Rhode Island, Julv tenth, of a power- ful French fleet under Admiral Ternay, bringing Count de Rochambeau with six thousand soldiers. The strength of the allied forces was thus sufficient to imperil the British at New York, and their outlying posts were finally abandoned for the better protection of the larger interests. At the British headquarters, and in the heart of the American councils, events were making for one of the saddest burdens that Washington, in I 17S0 lySo atrftial of iFtrnrf) EUics 36 {^tOT&xan 7'<' '777 ,77s 1771} all iIk- 111! • :!• Kltln.' RfV'iiutiMii, \\ ,1 ,.1 \ ' ' '■'■ lit-'Hcvlk t Ar;: :, ■.'. 'I'oc name is now idcntitied with treachery, was at that time one ot the most valiant oHiccrs in the patriot army. Impetuous and ardent, he was ever at the forefront of action, and his self-ignoring courage inspired those about him to victorious effort in the face of impending disaster. He had led a starving army through the northern wilderness to Quebec, his energetic struggle for the control of Lake Champlain had delavcd bv a year the British advance to the Hudson and operated for its final defeat, and his re- surgent valor at Saratoga turned the tide of battle in favor of his cause. The elements of character that contributed to these worthy ends were equally potent in self-seeking baseness, when the high impulse of patriotism had given place to one of personal gain and revenge. The wound received by Arnold in the charge at Saratoga incapacitated him, temporarily, for active ser\'icc, and when sufficiently recovered he was put in command of Philadelphia, which the British had then recently evacuated. Here he married the daughter of a Tory, and formed associations that opened the wav for later operations. Life at the capital developed the weaknesses of his nature, and he became involved in difficulties that brought him successively before a committee of Congress and a court-martial ; the former exonerated him, but the latter, though acquitting him ot the charges preferred, qualified the verdict by directing Washington to administer a forma! reprimand. The harshness of this measure was greatly miti- |ltct)mond ^n. i«niov = cI)ooIi^lloiisc of Itantiolpl)$f anti •Jcffcrsons €uchal]oc Ba. EtnoUf'B rrraffjevff y|>i|>M I Jl^Av^lV JM r s t U r r 3 a m t s ii i D r r 7" a -.S/ In ihe North the year 1780 closed as it had passed, without important aggression by either side. To Washington, in his quarters in New Jersey, the outlook was cheerless in the extreme., All the old familiar besetments of failing men and scant supplies harassed him with stubborn persistence. As an executive bodv Congress was a failure, and Washington's strenuous entreaties were received with indifference and apathy. The lack of funds was the most serious difficultv, and after its own conspicuous failure in this field. Congress, with unusual discernment, shifted the burden to an individual of large means and earnest patriotism, bv appointing Robert Morris, of Philadelphia, to be Superintendent of Finances. In the carlv days of the war, Morris had answered Washington's appeal with fifty thousand dollars raised on his personal credit, and, though the task was one that few men would have cared to undertake and fewer still have succeeded in, he now applied his ripe business ability to the problem, and with the cooperation of Gouverneur Morris, of New York, established a bank and raised the credit of the government on the strength of his own acceptance of the trust. The monev thus available was of immense assistance to Washington, enabling him to recoup his armv at a most critical time, when, as later developments proved, unreadiness would have been fatal. Benedict Arnold, with his commission from King George, had been sent to ravage Virginia, and with Cornwallis and Tarleton in the Carolinas, the importance of the British strength in the South was clearlv apparent to the American commander. He dispatched Lafayette with twelve hundred men to meet .Arnold, who was burning and ii 1) r I- 1 1*1 V V { « i&toTQmn 39 pillaging with the energy that had been characteristic of his worthy efforts. Early in March, Lafayette reached Annapolis, at which place he was to join the French fleet which had been sent from Newport to convoy him to Portsmouth, where Arnold was entrenched. The plan was frustrated by the appearance of a British fleet under Arbuthnot near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, and as a result of the ensuing action the French were obliged to return to Rhode Island, leaving Lafayette without the means of reaching Arnold. Clinton, though yet with no plan beyond disconnected raids, sent General Phillips with two thousand men to join Arnold, whom the former was to relieve of command. His mission thus rendered hopeless, Lafayette was ordered to join Greene, who was beginning to make his presence felt in the farther South. One of the typical figures of the war was Daniel Morgan of Virginia. Born to humble station, he served as private in the early Indian wars, and at the outbreak of the Revolution raised a regiment of Virginia riflemen and hurried to the front. His men formed an important part of the expedition to Quebec and were prominent in many later actions, notably at Saratoga, where they won the praise of the enemy. Morgan had not received the recognition his achievements merited and had with- drawn to his Virginia plantation, when Gates's defeat at Camden revealed the desper- ate situation of the cause in the South. Repressing personal considerations, he made haste to join Gates, and soon received from Congress a commission as brigadier-general. He was engaged in organizing his troops when Greene arrived, and with the approval of the latter he moved to the westward, and gathering the militia, stopped the ravages of loyalists in that section. Cornwallis watched with apprehension Morgan's growing power, and sent Tarleton, with his light infantry, to check his operations. Morgan retreated before him until he reached a favorable position at Cowpens — on the boundary between North and South Carolina — where he established himself, and instructing and encouraging his men, he waited in battle order for the British to come up. They arrived on the seventeenth of January and dashed upon the Americans with an impetuosity calculated to break the ranks of the lat- ter; but they were prepared for this and met the assault boldly, changing forma- tion to bring fresh troops to the front, and then by a partial retreat led the British forward, enabling a division under Colo- nel Washington to attack them in the rear. Met by fire before and behind, the enemy soon succumbed in uncondi- tional surrender. Tarleton himself es- caped, but upwards of six hundred of his men fell into the hands of the Ameri- 4Batc po?t MDcstobcr rSf 17S1 JHovflirn^B Tirtovi? at eotourns Catr JKilCBtoUrr cans, with all tlic arms and baggage of the com- mand. Morgan's victory was a brilliant one, his force being inferior to that of his adversary, and was largely the result of clear judgment and care- ful planning, backed by experienced troops. Although Tarlcton's command was destroyed, :t was dangerous for Mor- an to remain within .ach of Comwallis, who was sure to retaliate for the loss of his favorite regiment; and as soon as the battle was over a rapid retreat was begun, which, before the ne.\t morning, had carried the Americans well beyond the Broad River. Events proved the wisdom of this course, and the advantage thus gained barely sufficed to save them from the pursuing army, which was lightened by burning its heavy baggage, that the chase might be unimpeded. Greene also realized the importance of outwitting Comwallis, and on learning of the victory started at once to join Morgan, at the same time sending messengers ahead to gather boats at all the rivers on the line of march, that cvcrvthing might be in readiness when the troops arrived. Without this foresight all the strenuous efforts of Morgan would have come to naught, as successively at the Catawba and the Yadkin the Americans had onlv the river between them and their pursuers. Greene's army, following close upon its general, joined Morgan's division at Guilford, the ninth of February, and together they continued the flight to the Dan, where Kosciuszko, sent ahead by Greene, was preparing defences. The British were so close behind that it was only by employing a rear guard to engage them in skirmishes that the Americans succeeded in crossing the river ; when this was safelv accomplished the skirmishing party followed rapidly, leaving the enemy baffled at the bank. The British had no boats, and as it was out of the question to ford under the fire of the .Americans, thcv withdrew and gave up the chase. Greene soon returned to the country south ot the Dan, and for some weeks har- rassed Comwallis by raids on outlving divisions, and bv intercepting his recruits and supplies. Every attempt to reach the .Americans was frustrated by a rapid change of position, and after seriously fatiguing his armv to no purpose, Comwallis withdrew to rest his men and seek recruits. This gave Greene a like opportunity, and the militia, for which his aides had scoured the neighboring states while the British were being held in check, began to arrive in appreciable force. When sufficiently strength- ened, Greene, who saw the necessitv of a battle which should cripple his advcrsarv, even though himself obliged to retreat, marched to Guilford Court House, which he f« V a 4i n • li r t V r a t (&tOTts^mn 4J had selected as an advantageous position. The next day, March fifteenth, the British accepted the challenge and boldly opened the attack. Greene's forces, which number- ed somewhat over four thousand, were largely untrained militia, and at the first charge of the enemy, the firing line, thus constituted, broke and fled without offering any effective resistance. The Continentals, who were next behind, fought with stead V regularity and twice repulsed the British, who only saved the day by the reck- less use ot artillery fired through their own ranks. Greene withdrew in good order, but minus a large part of the militia, which failed to return after the first rout. Cornwallis, who lost in the neighborhood of six hundred men, took up his march to Wilmington to refit before coming northward. Greene immediately followed him, although defeated and with his force reduced by desertion — his loss in battle being less than a third that of the British; but he was compelled by the continued desertion of militia to abandon the pursuit at the Deep River when almost up with the enemy. With the British forces divided, as they were by Cornwallis's expedition to Virginia, it became necessary for Greene to choose between following the former to the North, and the alternative of moving against Lord Rawdon, who held Camden and a chain of fortified posts in South Carolina. He chose the latter plan, and quickly with- drawing from the vicinity of Cornwallis, that the latter might not detect his purpose in time to obstruct his movement, he marched for Camden, April second, and arrived that night at Hobkirk's Hill, within a short distance of the enemy's works. Rawdon, think- ing to surprise Greene, whom he knew to be as yet without artillery, led an attack early on the morning of April seventh, and succeeded in dislodging the Ameri- cans. Greene was sur- prised, but not unpre- pared, as he had camped his army in battle form to guard against this possi- bility. The struggle was sharp, and for some time the advantage appeared to be with the .Ameri- cans, but at a critical moment one of those unnecessary weakenings, which had turned the scale against them on many other occasions, broke the formation, and seeing the inevitable re- sult, Greene withdrew his men while yet pos- sible to do so without sacrifice. Reinf-orcements ' I ' ] M . 3? S t JF t U I «T I S reached Rawdon a few ! ' - -jjj^ t g t U t V rS/ (Rvttnt*ti a^ampaifin (S^orj8i»n uccL> U;cr, in -.pi:c o, Lut; jikI Mariun, whu, a: the lir>t iiiv^j-;..^n .-: ;:,<. j.lai., liaJ been sent to cut off his supplies. With this added force, Rawdon started out early in May to reach, by a dtitour, a position in Greene's rear, which he hoped to find unguarded. The .-.agacious general was not to be caught in such a simple manner, however, and changed his position for one so strong that the British feared to attack. Unable to dislodge Greene, and threatened by the latter's outlving divisions, which had already taken Fort Watson, onj: of his important posts, Rawdon abandoned Camden, May tenth, and moved to the sea-coast. On his wav he hoped to strengthen the garrison at Fort Motte, but he was too late, and arrived May twelfth, '7^' just in time to witness its surrender. Sumter had taken Orangeburg the dav before, and Neilson's Ferry and Fort Granby fell within a few days. Lee and Pickens with their divisions entered Georgia and captured Fort Galphin, Mav twentv-first, reaching Augusta, their objective point, a few hours later. Here thcv met deter- mined resistance. The two forts, Gricrson and Cornwallis, were besieged, and the former, which was the weaker, was soon taken bv Pickens, enabling him to go to the assistance of Lee, whose operations had so far had little effect on the strong garrison of Fort Cornwallis, which fought gallantly and held out with stubborn tenacity. The Americans were no less determined, however, and gradually weak- ening the defense by daily engagements, they finally assaulted the fort on June fifth, and forced its surrender. One of the strongest British posts in the South, and after the fall of Augusta the only one in that section remaining in their control, was Ninetv-Six, Georgia. To this Greene directed his attention after recuperating his armv, and opened systematic !^^^0^ '?^' -v^'^i' ^^ ^'^'H , ij .if a V m i n t 11 , (T D n r I o t t r s U i M r T a T h o m n s J € f f r r s <> It S:\x\\\xtx ^ 2L r r a n ^ }3 f c b r n s (^tOTjS^i^n € u V t fti tt s r » iWil i n t a m fs t) tt V 7T a . Desi^nCil by Sir C h r i a f of h f r Wren siege operations, which, with the help of Lee, who had joined him alter the victory of Augusta, had reduced the strong garrison to a point where surrender could not be long delayed, when the Americans received word of the approach of Lord Rawdon, who had again left the seaboard to come to the relief of the besieged post. Greene, '^ ' who was too weak to cope with such a force, reluctantlv withdrew and led Rawdon a futile chase from point to point, until the latter, unable to disperse the Americans, and fearing to remain in the position he had come so far to sustain, withdrew from Ninety-Six, taking the garrison and loyalists, and returned finally to the coast. Thus the purpose of Greene's campaign, apparently frustrated, was accomplished bv the force of conditions his earlier work had created. Detachments of the American troops followed the retreating British to the out- skirts of Charleston, harassing them and preventing scattered raids and pillage. They also, as a result of engagements with outlying commands, captured upwards of one hundred and fiftv prisoners, among whom were a number of officers. Lord Rawdon embarked for England early in July, and his successor, Lieutenant- Colonel Stewart, undertook to reoccupv the country from which Rawdon had been driven. He started, late in August, with between two and three thousand men, and camped on the Santee near Fort Motte. Greene, who was encamped in the neigh- boring hills, had rested and strengthened his army, and he set out on receipt of in- Xtntt» = fiifr i51j«icttate5f ih^OTQl^n i-}Si (Tvoflan 3)l»irf ?iorust C;ro\ir lii?. Stewart's move- ments, to inter- cept the latter and at the same time to assail his tummunications by detachments in his rear. This plan was so suc- cessful that the British were obliged to with- draw to Eutaw Springs, some twenty miles down the river. Here they se- lected a strong position and awaited the Americans, who reached that vicinity September seventh, but were undiscovered until the morning of the eighth, a short time before they were ready to attack. The armies were evenly matched, and although the Americans pressed steadily forward and easily destroyed the enemy's outer lines, the resistance was able and determined, and for a while seemed sufficient to hold the ground. At this point Greene's superior tactics prevailed, and the Continentals, being formed in to replace the exhausted militia, which had so far borne bravelv the brunt of the battle, charged the British before they had time to recover from the fire of the militia, and pene- trating their line, drove them in disorder to the shelter of a brick building about which the camp was set. Unfortunatelv the victors were over-confident of suc- cess and scattered in search of plunder, with the result that the British were enabled to gather sufficient strength to render the final outcome doubtful, and Greene, bit- terly disappointed, yet ever watchful of the safetv of his armv, felt compelled to withdraw and trust to the severity of the blow he had inflicted to force the enemy to retreat. He took with hiin five hundred prisoners, making the British loss, with those left on the field, nearly a thousand; which, as was anticipated, decided Stewart to return to the coast, where the protection of the British ships formed their only stronghold. .As before, detachments under Marion and Lee followed and harassed the retreating army, which, to be less encumbered, destroyed large quantities of stores, and left behind more than a thousand stands of arms. Greene retired, according to his custom, to gather reinforcements, and later moved to the vicinity of Charleston, where his presence .served to restrain the Briti.sh and check their raids on the surrounding country; but his work was practicallv done, and the South, the most cTuelly devastated section of the Union, was, with the exception of a few points on the coast, freed from British dominion. Simultaneously with these victories in South Carolina came the master-stroke of the Revolution, — the operations about Yorktown which led to the surrender of Corn- wallis. The successive raids into Virginia had attracted attention to that quarter, n ti t a Ui S V V i n 6 (^tOTS^mn but the expedition under Phillips that added two thousand men to Arnold's already strong force, and Cornwallis's approach from the South, gave to the situation there an importance not hitherto possessed. Washington, in his survey of existing conditions, realized the necessity of a decisive engagement that should successfully terminate the Revolution, which otherwise stood in grave danger of dissolution as a result of the apathy and incompetence of Congress, and the failure of the states not directly menaced, to continue the much-needed supplies of money and men. To this end he sought the cooperation of Rochambeau and his French troops, and the fleet under De Barras, recently arrived at Newport. The choice lay between New York and Yorktown, at either of which places the ships could cooperate with the land forces, an essential condition to the complete victory that Washington desired to ensure. His preference at first was for New York as offering the greater opportunity, and early in Julv a combined attack was made on the forts at the upper end of Manhattan. The attempt was fruitless as to its main issue, but it served to alarm Clinton, and caused him to withdraw further aid from Cornwallis ; it also served as a feint and enabled Washington to make un- suspected preparations for carrying out the alternative plan, to attack the forces now combined and entrenched at Yorktown. This plan gained opportune encouragement by the receipt of assurance of cooperation from Count De Grasse, who was on his way from the West Indies with another and larger fleet. Lafayette, whom Cornwallis unsuccessfully endeavored to isolate, had been joined by Wayne with his command, and together they had driven the British from the interior, engaging them at Williamsburgand Green Spring, and held them at bay at Yorktown. Neither Cornwallis nor Clinton had any idea that Washington would abandon New York with his main army, and this, with theoperations alreadv attempted, and the elabor- ate preparations made by the latter with the appar- ent purpose of continuing on the same lines, enabled the allied armies to slip away, leaving only a detach- ment to hold the British to Manhattan, and get well out of reach before Clinton discovered their absence. When he became aware of the move- ment he vainly endeavored to divert them from their purpose by sending Arnold, who had been un- appreciatively ordered north by Cornwallis, into Connecticut to ravage and excite the country. Forts Trumbull and Griswold, near New London, were taken, and at the latter. Colonel Ledyard and nearly a hundred of his men were murdered, after having surrendered in good faith. New London was burned to complete the wanton destruction. The armies under Washington crossed the Hud- son .August nineteenth, and marching through Phila- delphia, arrived September eighth at the head of Chesapeake Bay, where they gathered transports and awaited the French fleet. De Grasse had iFvanftfovt Ztg. // i> ?1> ill u 6 arrived at the entrance to the Chesapeake and was landing troops sent to re- inlortc Roihambeau, when a British fleet under Ad- miral Graves appeared otT the capes, and the French at once went out to meet it. The ensuing action, while not eminently de- cisive, was severely felt by the British, who lost one ship and were obliged to sail north to reht. On his return, De Grasse found awaiting him the squad- ron under Dc Barras, who had eluded the English fleet sent to intercept him, and arrived safely with trans- ports and siege tools, and together they proceeded up the bay and brought down the troops, which were landed at Williamsburg, September twenty-sixth. Joined by Lafayette and the French reinforcements, the combined armies, numbering in the neighborhood of sixteen thousand men, took up positions about Yorktown, Sep- tember twenty-eighth, and laid down the first lines of the siege. With the river, against which the town was set, and Gloucester Point, opposite, in the hands of the enemy, Yorktown was ill-adapted to successful defense, and Cornwallis soon found himself surrounded with steadily approaching armies. His first position was in trenches outside the town, but he was soon obliged to withdraw to the inner fortifications, while the besiegers occupied his abandoned works. Day by dav the lines contracted and the heavy guns battered the defenses with steady ef- fectiveness. October fourteenth two outlying redoubts were taken, one by the Americans and one by the French, and Cornwallis, realizing the desperateness of his situation, resolved to stake all on an attempt to escape by the river. On the night of the sixteenth he embarked a detachment of his men which reached the opposite bank in safetv, but the sudden advent of a storm frustrated his plan, and the troops already over were with difficulty brought back the following day. His last hope gone, Cornwallis sought terms of surrender, and on the eighteenth the articles were signed. The next dav eight thousand men laid down their arms to the Americans, and the British ships with a thousand more were delivered to the French. The ceremony was very imposing, the conquered army assuming all the dignity permitted by the articles of surrender. Cornwallis remained in his quarters under plea of sickness, presenting his apologies to Washington through General O'Hara, who also delivered the British commander's sword to General Lincoln, whom Washington, as a slight recompense for the former's like humiliation at Char- leston, had appointed to receive it. The careful plan had been wrought out, the overwhelming blow had been struck; (T V n U) a I li b it v r r u 5 r r « (gieorjji^n ii i ] and although it could not be immediately known, the end of the Revolution had come. To Washington there vet appeared much need of continued effort, and great exertion was required on his part to prevent an easv relaxation after such a notable victorv. King George was still insistent for war, and the British still held New York and Charleston. Further reinforcements were sent to Greene, who continued to watch Stewart at the latter place, and Washington withdrew his army to the highlands of the Hudson. Clinton, w'ith late awakening to the danger of Cornwallis's position, had started with a relief expedition and arrived at the entrance to the Chesapeake five days after the surrender. He immediatelv returned to New York, where the winter was quietly spent, and in the spring was succeeded bv Sir Guv Carleton, whose appointment marked the accession of the peace party in Parliament, and whose mission was as much diplomatic as belligerent. Washington's fear of further aggression and his appeals for continued vigilance, while justified by considerations of ordinary caution, and the unchanged attitude of King George, were happily unfounded, and events slowly but inevitably forwarded the termination of the war. In England, irresistible surgings of public opinion were steadily decreasing the bal- ance of power held by the King and his party, and by the first of March following the surrender at Yorktown they were reduced to a minority. King George, whose every measure in the historv of the war had been too late for its opportunity, still clung to the hope of crushing the rebels, but he was practically alone, and before the month had passed. Lord North, his prime minister, was forced by the opposition in Parliament to dissolve his cabinet and resign the government to the Whigs. Rock- ingham came in at the head of the dominant party, but he was broken in health and died soon after, his place being taken bv Lord Shelburne, then secre- tary of state. Franklin, to whose yictoriesof diplomacy America's standing abroad was chiefly due, had already opened negotiations \vith Shelburne; and with Richard Oswald, the latter' s agent, had drafted at Paris the terms of peace. After much diplomatic contention, in which \orth Carolina lySz W^t ^nJ of tl|t Wivix (itorjjiixn i a eijcivUBton anir TSftto ¥ovfe rU«icuatctr (georjei^n Ij-.;.; prejudice outraged by the resistance of the colonists, King George, in his policy of sui^jcction, was at least true to his natural instincts, fur which wc must allow while condemning the vindictive and oppressive measures resulting from it. Strong and unrelenting as was his enmity in war, his right-hcartcdncss is evidenced by the equal sinccritv of his friendliness when iinaliv he realized the failure of his cause ; his prayer to this end expressed before Parliament, when, with emotion, he acknowledged England's defeat, that "religion, language, interest and affection might prove a bond of permanent union between the two countries," is a worthy tribute of magnanimity, but it has been tardy of fulfillment, and the century now closing has, from the beginning, witnessed strife, and jealousy, and unworthy suspicion. Recent events, however, have clearly revealed the underlying kinship and natural sympathv of the two nations, and notwithstanding the contention which must result from the conscientious discharge of duty by representatives of these governments, a warmer friendship is assured, which it is hoped will ultimately realize the contrite benediction of King George III. • t »r g I a i^t^rni^n ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES A FEW OF THE SMALLER PIECES OF THE GEORGIAN PATTERN ARE REPRESENTED. IT IS MADE IN STERLING SILVER ONLY (925-1000 FINE) AND INCLUDES EVERY ARTICLE OF TABLE FLAT WARE. A CATALOGUE FULLY ILLUSTRATING THIS LINE MAY BE HAD FROM LEADING JEWELERS, OR WILL BE MAILED TO ANY ADDRESS ON REQUEST. i te IN adopting the Georgian Style as a motive for this design, we recognize the wide and still growing appre- ciation of every manifestation of colonial architecture. While this style is more nearly indigenous than any other that the changing tastes of recent years have approved, — its precedent being identified with so much that is vital in the earlv history of our country, and its characteristics so amenable to existing conditions, — we must remember that plans and fittings were first brought from England, where, earlv in the reign of George III, the reproduction of classical designs became fashionable. Inigo Jones and Sir Christopher Wren had long before revived and adapted the teachings of Palladio and other Italian masters, and their influence prepared the way for popular acceptance of the promulgations of James Stewart, who returned, in I 762, from extended residence and study in Greece. The first fruits of the application of a style developed bv the needs of public and religious life in a mild climate, to the domestic requirements of England, were absurd in the extreme; but a growing recognition of its limitations evolved the charming if not pure stvle with which we are familiar. In the search for noveltv its merits were for many years overlooked ; but gradually the beauty of the old work has become apparent, and there is every reason to believe that the favor in which this style is now established will be lasting. Bttf^atfon of TBtni^n (SeorjQii^n (gieorjei^n Chow Chow Bouillon 54 (Seorjftian Hoti<- Rid'lh (&tOTS^x^n Jelly 5t (&f^ovQX}An !fe' Buttsr Spreader \ Sprctd«r Butt«r Knift t^tOTS^i^n Individual Fish Hollow Handle Dessert 58 ll^ieorjsi^n Putiy (i^f^^\^fvi 59 ,0 aM/i IMA! (&tOT&x^n Croam L«dlt I Orange OSeorai^n Cor I Sugar Sifter 1 ^iiiiuiiiiiirfnw .^ , ViiJII]|||||llllllUllllllllllll|i'iiii][]ii]iiiii]riiiii]]iiiiiiiiillillit I-IJJ ;:: ♦ ♦ A COPY OF THE (Tolontiil liooU, IIKST SERIES, IN WHICH ARE PICTURED AND DESCRIBED MANY HISTORIC PLACES IN NEWBURYPORT AND NEIGHBORING CITIES, WILL BE SENT, ON REQUEST, BY THE TOWLE MFG. COM- PANY, SILVERSMITHS. NEWBURYPORT. MASS.. AND CHICAGO. ILL. Compiled and ARRASOiiu liv Oeorge P. Tilton, or The Towlb Mfg. Company. Printed by Carl H. Hkintzemann, Boston, Ma5s. A> OF CONGRE^^ iff A^ ■■