I ii '>0<.'<>s'><>\' iiliiii^ \ ,.^ -^^ k^^ THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD FROM LEXINGTON TO YORKTOWN A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION SKETCH OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND A CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX ILLUSTRATED WITH SEVERAL HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS BOSTON THE JOHN ADAMS LEE PUBLISHING COMPANY 10 MILK STREET OLD SOUTH BLOCK 1889 PREFACE. No portion of the woild's history can be more interesting to the present generation, than mat recorded in this volume ; and although of comparatively recent occurrence, it has acquired by neglect much of the freshness and fascination of novelty. The American Revolution is an event calculated to exercise a great influence on the present and future destinies of other natic'ns. To write an authentic " Histoky of the American Revolution," is no Ught.. irresponsible task. We have endeavored to be impartial, and to be careful that no fact should be distorted, or receive a false coloring. Where, as is frequently the case, a considerable difference exists be- tween various authorities, we have endeavored to exercise an unbiased judgment, and to adopt that statement which appeared on the whole, most consistent with Truth. The great principles of civil and religious freedom, the contest for which, in America, aroused the slumbering nations of Europe, can not fail engaging our ardent admiration ; and every Friend of Human Rights, at the present day, can have no hesitation in adopting the words of the immortal Chatham, " Irejaict that they have resisted." At this moment, the whole English nation, which then, with a few hon- orable exceptions, was willing to aid her rulers in trampling on the necks of her transatlantic sons, is now sealing her approval of the principles which actuated American Patriots, by her own efforts to establish the truth, that " Taxation, without representation, is tyranny." In the preparation of a volume like the present, however, it is impossible to give universal satis- faction. Is it not enough that our fathers suffered, without the strife being bequeathed, as an heirloom, to their children? Wisdom suffers antipathies to die with the generation which has fos tered them ; and we believe that, were it not for the noxious influence of a portion of the periodi- cal press, both in America and England, the only rivalry between the two greatest countries on the face of the globe wouid be, in the knowledge and practice of those principles of moral and political science, which are adapted to promote the happiness and welfare of mankmd at large. History requires a distant eminence, from which to take an impartial view of the character and transactions of the recording pen : but little more than half a century has now elapsed since the Colonists fifst asserted their independence ; and the generation, whose arduous struggles achieved so important a result, has passed away to the silent tomb. To give a just and impartial view of the rise, progress, and establishment of the American Republic, has been the design of the work The editor has aimed to do justice without asperity ; to applaud patriotism, but not to justify its excesses ; to condemn tyranny, but not to overlook the virtues of many of its instruments ; aol to exhibit the kindly prospect of the future, more strongly than the irritating aspect of the past The study of History can not be appreciated loo highly ; it tells to the youth of our country a story full of wisdom, and replete with many a moral — it shows the influence and success of honor and virtue — that vice and dishonor go hand in hand together ; and it excites them to aobie deeds of patriotism, and calls upon them to do all, and suffer all, for their country. To the Youth of America, especially, the present Narrative is invaluable. It tells the price at which aU their present rights were purchased — it teaches them their incomparable value ; and thus renders those in whose hands the destinies of America are hereafter to be intrusted, alive to every encroachment upon them. It relates to a country of greater extent, resources, and beauty, than is possessed by any other single nation under heaven ; and tc a y^y\ of recent origin in- deed, but developing immense powers, and making gigantic progress ; to a people above all others interesting to the nations of Europe — presenting a refuge for their distressed children — exhibiting a noble example for their imitation ; and as exercising no feeble influence on their destiny. It is not, however, for Youth, alone, that this volume has been prepared. It has been written for ALL — for every age. To mankind at large the subject can not fail to be interesting ; and if the preparation of these pages has been executed with a competent measure of industry, candor and carefulness, they can scarcely fail of being valuable. These the editor has endeavored to ex Mcise, and V? hopes not altogether without success. CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. INTRODUCTION. CAR^T HISTORY OP THE 1.HERICA.N COLONIES. A.D. Paoe. 986-1015. Discoveries by the Ancient Northmen — Biame Hierulfson's Voyage in 986 . . 11 Discoveries of LeifEricson in 1000 . . 12 Thorwald's Expedition, and Battle with the Sltrellingfs (Esquimaux) . . .13 Settlement in Vineland, by Thorfinn Karl- seine 14 Voyage of Freydisa, Helge, and Finnebaye . 14 Ancient Relics discovered in New England 15 1492. Christopher Columbus sails in Search of a New World 19 Mutiny on board his Vessel, and first Discov- ery of Land 20 1493. Columbus' second Voyage ... 26 1498. Columbus' third Voyasre . . .26 1506. Death of Columbus, May 15th . . . 26 1497-1595. Voyages of Sebastian Cabot . . 28 1499-1514. Voyages of Americus Vespuccius . 28 1525-1542. Career of Hernando de Soto in Amer- ica 29 1525. Discoveries of Giovanni Verazzano . 35 15h 84 1*80. William Penn obtains a Grant of Lands In America 86 1683. Penn forms a Treaty with the Indians . 87 I6H4-I718. His Difficulties w:th the Settlers . 89 1663 Liberal Grants by Charles II. of Territory south of Virginia 93 1665. Constitution for Colony of Carolina formed 94 .693. Constitution annulled - . . .96 .702. Attack on St Augustine . . .96 War with the Indians gg Internal Conmotioni 99 A.D. p»«, 1729. Colony reverts to the Crown . . 100 Separation of North and South Carol'na 10(1 1732. Settlement of Georgia . ... 101 1738. Spanish War breaks out . . . . 102 1T52. Georgia becomes a royal Colony . . . 103 Early Life of George Washingrton . 105 1753. His Mission to the Western Territory . . 106 1751. Plans for a Union of the Colonies . . 106 1755. Expedition and Defeat of Gen. Braddock . 109 1756. Success of the French under Montcalm . Ill 1757. Vigorous Measures of William Pitt . .112 1758. Cession of < Canada by France . . . 118 1763. Progress of the Colonies in Population, Commerce, &c 113 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION. CHAPTER I. Introductory Remarks 115 1765. Stamp Act passed ]17 1766. Meeting of the first Congress . . .117 Tumults in the Colonies IIS Repealof the Stamp Act .... 120 1767. New Taxes imposed 12I Fresh Troubles in consequence . . . 122 1768. Non Importation Agreement . . . 123 1769. Intemperance of the British Parliament . 123 1770. (22dof April) Duties repealed: (5th March) Boston Massacre 124 Captain Preston tried and acquitted . 124 1772. (9th of June). The Caspar Schooner burned 12S (January). Assembly at Boston ; Indiscretion of the Governor 128 CHAPTER H. 1772. (16th •f December). Destruction of Tea In Boston Harbor 129 1774. The Boston Port Bill ]30 Arrival of Troops at Boston .... 133 (25ih of August) Writ.s issued for an Assem- bly at Salem ; (9th of September) coun- termanded, but meets and resolves itself into a Provincial Congress . . .133 General Gage fortifies Boston Neck 133 Sufl^olk Resolutions J34 Proceedings of Congress .... 185 They publish a Declaration of Rights . 135 Petition from Congress to the King . . I3fl (26th of October). Dissolution of Congress 138 Meeting of the Provincial Congress at Con- cord ; they adjourn to Cambridge . . 137 Engage Minute Men 137 A Committee of Safety and Supplies . . 137 Hoitile Resolution of the Provincial Congress 138 Exportation of the Military Stores from Brit- ain prohibited : Cannon removed by the People of Rhode Island . . . .138 Military Stores taken in New Hampshire . 138 1775. General Agitation 138 Debates on American Affairs in Parliament 139 Provincial Congress 139 Colonel Leslie marches to Salem jsf CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX. A b Page 1775. (19tli April). Battle of Lexington and Concord 140 Importance of the War .... 142 Inequality of the Parties engaged . . . 142 Colonial Army 143 Bravery of General Putnam .... 143 New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Mary- land, and Virginia, espouse the Cau«e of their Countrymen 146 Lord Dunmore convenes the Assembly . 147 Goes on board the Fowey Man-of-War 147 Provincial Convention ... . 148 Lord Duiiinore's predatory Warfare . 148 Issues a Proclamation .... 148 Captain Fordyce killed .... 148 1776. (1st Janu?n . 375 (22dofMay). Ninety Six besieged . . . 37C Siege raised 378 Greene retreats, and is pursued by Lord Raw- don ''8 Ninety Six evacuated 878 Both Armies return to Congaree . . . 378 Gen. Greene joined by Marion and Sumpter 378 Marches to the high Hills of Santee . . 379 Lord Rawdon embarks for Europe, leaving the Command with Lieutenant-Colonel Stu- art 379 (22d of August). General Greene leaves the high Hills of Santee ... 379 (8th of September). Battle of Eutaw Springs 380 Great Loss on botti Sides .... 380 Tories and Whigs 381 (4th of August). Execution of Col.Haynes . 381 General Pickens's Expedition against the Cherokees 382 CHAPTER XHL 1781. Review of the general Condition of Amer- ica at the beginning of the Year 1781 . . 382 Mutiny of the Pennsylvania and Jersey Troops 383 Sir Henry Clinton endeavors to take Advan- tage of it 384 Relative Positions of the hostile Armies on the Hudson. ... 385 British and French Fleets meet off the Ches- ape:ike 385 Chesapeake Bay 386 General Leslie invades Virginia . . . 386 Gen. Arnold lands at Westover ; enters Rich- mond, where he commits great Destruction 387 Return.s to Westover 387 Gen. Philips takes the Command in Virginia . 388 Baron Steuben, unable to resist the Invaders, retreats toward Richmond . . . 388 (30th of April). Generals Philips and Arnold reunite their Forces, and march against Manchester 388 De la Fayette takes the Command in Virginia 389 Death of General Philips .... 389 (20th of May). Comwallis enters Virginia . 389 Pursues La Fayette 390 Sends Tarleton against Charlotteville . . 390 And Simcoe against Steuben 391 (7th of June). La Fayette joined by General Wayne at Rackoon, and returns South- ward 391 Save the Stores of Albemarle Courthouse 391 Comwallis returns down the River 391 Adventure of Charles Morgan 392 (6th of July). Skirmish at James River 394 Ekrl Comwailii evacuates Portsmouth 304 A.D. Paob 1781. Occupies YorKtown and Gloucester Point 394 French Donation 394 Interview between Generals Washington and Rochambeau 394 The French and American Annies . . . 394 They advance to Kingsbridge, and retire . 396 Count de Grasse encounters Samuel Hood in the Straits of St. Lucie . . . .396 Resolutions to attack Comwallis 396 Gen. Heath Defends the Posts on the Hudson 397 (30th of August). The combined American and French Armies enter Philadelphia . 397 Count de Grasse arrives at Chesapeake Bay 397 Admiral Graves pursues De Grasse . . 398 (6th of September). Arnold attacks New Lon- don ... . ... 398 (25th of September.) A iiec Armies land at Williamsburgh 399 (28th of Sept.). They march lowardYorktown 399 (6th of October). Siege of Yorktown . . 401 (19th of October). Earl Comwallis capitu- lates ; Terms of Capitulation . . . 405 Examination of his Conduct . . . 407 CHAPTER XIV. 1781. Count de Grasse sails for the West Indies . 407 (27th of November). General Washington at Philadelphia 40J Marquis de la Fayette returns to Europe . 40i General Ross makes an Incursion into the Country on the Mohawk .... 409 An Engagement takes place at Johnstown between him and Colonel Willet . . 409 The British retreat, pursued by Willet . 409 Consequences of the Surrender of Vorktown and Capture of Comwallis and his Army . 409 (27th of November). The British Parliament meets ; its Proceedings .... 410 1782. (24th of March). Case of Capt Haddy . . 410 SirGuy Carleton succeeds Sir Henry Clinton 411 Pacific Communications . . .411 Proceedings in the Southern States . .411 (12th of April). Count de Grasse defeated and taken Prisoner . .... 413 1783. (19th of April). Peace restored . .412 American Independence acknowledged by Great Britain 414 (25th of November). Evacuation of New York by the British 414 State of the American Army . . . 414 Address to the Officers of the Army . . 414 General Washington's Speech at the Meeting of Officers 417 (4th of December). He takes Leave of the Army previous to his Resignation . . 422 (23d of December). Resigns his Commission, and retires to Mount Vernon . . 422 Character of Wa8hing:ton 431 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. Pia Page. 3. Skeleton and Arrow-Heads found at Fall River 15 4. Runic Inscription on Dighton Rock. 16 5. Old Stone Tower at Newport, R. I. 16 6. Christopher Columbus 17 7. Mutiny on board the Santa Maria. . 20 8. View of Lisbon 22 9. Columbus and the Egg 24 10. Tomb of Columbus, Seville Cathe- dral 24 11. Portrait of Sebastion Cabot 27 12. Portrait of Americus Vespuccius .. . 28 13. Pizarro 29 14. Battle between Pizarro and Almagro 31 15. Portrait of Hernando de Soto 32 16. View of Maiden's Rock, on the Mis- sissippi 36 17. Portrait of Verazzano 37 18. Birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh ... 40 19. Portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh 41 20. Landing of the English at Roanoke 43 21. Sir Walter Raleigh taking Leave of his Family 50 22. Portrait of Capt. John Smith 53 23. An Indian Warrior 55 24. Frontlet of the Queen of Pamunkey 57 25. Portrait of Pocahontas 58 26. Pocahontas saving the Life of Cap- tain John Smith 59 27. Ruins of Jamestown 62 28. Portrait of Cecil Calvert, Lord Bal- timore 65 29. Tattooed Indian 70 30. Portrait of Charles 1 73 31. Portrait of Governor Winthrop. ... 75 32. King Philip, the Last of the Wam- panoags 78 33. The Palisades, on the Hudson River 80 34. Portrait of Peter Stuyvesant 83 35. Portrait of Oliver Cromwell 84 36. Portrait of William Penn 85 37 ^gning toe Treaty of Penn with the Indians 88 Fio. Paok. 38. Monument of Penn's Treaty 91 39. Squatterd 93 40. View of the Public Square in St. Augustine, Florida 97 41. Male and Female Indian 98 42. Portrait of Gen. Oglethorpe 101 43. Washington, from an early Print, by Trumbull 105 44. Portrait of Benjamin Franklin.... 107 45. Defeat of Gen. Braddock, 9th July, 1755 108 46. Western Hunter, in proper Costume 110 HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION. 47. Portrait of Col Barr6 117 48. Portrait of Patrick Henry 118 49. Portrait of Gen. Conway 119 50. Portrait of John Hancock 122 51. Boston Massacre 125 52. Portrait of Samuel Adams 126 53. Residence of the Adams Family, Quincy, Mass 127 54. Destruction of the Tea in Boston Harbor 131 55. American Militia and Minute Men at Lexington 141 56. Putman and the Wolf 144 57. View of Yorktown 147 58. Statue of the Earl of Chatham 151 59. Throwing up Entrenchments on Bunker's Hill 154 60. Encampment on Breed's Hill 155 61. Plan of the Battle of Bunker's Hill. 156 62. Portraitof Gen. Clinton 157 63. Monument on Bunker's Hill 158 64. Washington's Headquarters, Cam- bridge 160 65. Yankee Privateersman 162 66. View of St. John, on the Sorel.... 163 67. Arnold crossing the River Sorel. ... 165 68. View of Quebec 166 69. British Soldiers firing at a Flag of Truce 123 10 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Pia. Page. 70. View of St. Paul's Church, N.York 168 71. Montgomery leading on his Men.. . 169 72. Portrait of Gen. Carlelon 170 73. Engagement on Lake Champlain.. 172 74. St. Anthony's Nose, View on the Hudson River 175 75. View of Boston from Dorchester Heights 177 76. View of Boston, taken on the road to Dorchester 179 77. Medal to commemorate the Evacua- tion of Boston by the British 181 78. Portrait of William Moultrie, Maj. Gen.U. S. A 182 79. Sir Peter Parker 184 80. C apture of the Acteon 185 81. Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia 187 82. Portrait of John Adams 188 83. Monticello, Residence of Thomas Jefferson 189 8-1. Liberty and Independence 191 85. View of New York from Long Island 193 86. Plan of the Battle of Long Island. . 195 87. East River from Long Island in 1834 200 88. Fort Washington 202 89. Portrait of Charles Carroll of Car- rollton 206 90. Portrait of Edmund Burke 208 91. Portrait of General Putnam 209 92. Washington approaching the Dela- ware 210 93. Portrait of Col. Knox 210 94. Portrait of Lord Corn wallis 212 95. Birthplace of President Monroe. ... 214 96. Washington's Headquarters, Morris- town, N. J 218 97. The old Jail in New York 220 98. Great Seal of the United States 222 99. Continental Money 223 100. Portrait of General Lincoln 225 101. Retreat of General Tryon 226 102. Map of Operations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware 229 103. Portrait'of Pulaski 230 104. Port-ait of De Kalb 230 105. Departure of Lafayette 233 106. Portrait of General Wayne 234 107. Tlie old Fort at Ticonderoga, N. Y. 239 108. Burgoyne's Attack on the American Bateaux 242 109. Map of Burgoyne's Route previous to his Surrender at Saratoga 244 1 10. View of Lake Saratoga. 245 111. An American Backwoodsman 247 112. Lake George 248 113. Murder of Miss Jane M'Crea 253 1 14. Burgoyne'a Retreat 257 Fio. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124. 125. 126. 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. 133. 134. 135. 136. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142. 143. 1.44. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154, 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. 161. 162. Paqb Washington's Headquarters at New- burg 259 Burgoyne's Encampment on North River 260 Field of Saratoga 261 Attack on Fort Montgomery 263 Portrait of Silas Deane 268 Philadelphia in 1778 268 Village of Log Huts 269 Newport in 1777 277 Rhode Island Statehouse, Newport. . 279 Chart of the Harbor of Newport... 281 Vale of Wyoming 286 Mrs. Merrill killing the Indians. . . . 289 Map of the Seat of War in the South- ern States 292 City Hall, Augusta, Georgia 297 Hired Hessians 301 Southern Slates 302 Washington at Stony Point 305 A War Party of Indians 309 Portrait of Brandt 311 Admiral d'Estaing 314 Savannah, 1778 316 British Fleet off Charleston 318 Charleston, South Carolina, 1835.. 320 A French Fusileer 324 Relieving the Prisoners 326 John Paul Jones 332 Serapis and Bon Homme Richard.. . 334 Capture of the Countess of Scarbo- rough 334 Medal presented to La Fayette.... 337 Count de Rochambeau 345 View of W^est Point 346 Major Andre 347 Benedict Arnold 349 Flying from British Oppression .... 353 Death of Ferguson 355 Lord Rawdon 371 Baron Steuben 387 Yorktown, Virginia 40C Monument of Hamilton 401 155. Marquis de La Fayette and his Soldiers 402 Plan of the Investment of York, Vir- ginia 404 Moore's House at Yorktown 406 Acknowledgment of American Inde- pendence by France 413 Statue of Hamilton destroyed at the great Fire in New York, Dec. 16th 1835 415 Portrait of General Washington. . . 419 Washington's Residence, Mount Vrr non 421 Franklin Medal 423 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAI REVOLUTION. INTRODUCTION. We propose to give a brief history of the war of the American Revolution, a contest waged by the American colonies, then in their infancy, but relying on the justice of their cause, against the fleets and armies of a mighty kingdom, un- equalled for its giant strength and resources. That important event has brought a powerful nation into active life ; it laid the foundation of the American republic, the pattern model of a democratic form of government, which proves to every candid inquirer that man is capable of governing himself, and which shines brightly, as the beacon-fire of liberty, to the whole world. Before proceeding directly to the war, it will be useful to glance at the earlier history and discov- erers of America. I. Eric the Red, with his household, emigrated from Iceland to Greenland, where they formed e, settlement. Among those who accompanied him was Heriulf Bardson, whose son Biarne happened at this time to be on a trading voyage to Norway. Eric established himself at Brattalid in Ericsfiod, and Heriulf Bardson settled at Heriulfsnes. When Biarne returned to Eyrar in Iceland, and found that his father had de- parted, he determined upon spending the following winter with him, as he had done the preceding ones, although he and all his people were entirely ignorant of the navigation of the Greenland sea. To this determination the original dis- covery of America appears to be owing. They commenced their voyage ; fogs and northerly winds arose, and for many days they were driven they knew not whither. At length they descried a land without mountains, overgrown with wood, and presenting many gentle elevations ; but as it did not correspond with the descriptions which they had received of Greenland, they left it to the larboard, and pursued their course for two days, when they came to another land, which was flat and overgrown with wood. They again stood out to sea, and, after three days' sailing with a southwest wind, per- ceived a third land, which Biarne discovered to be an island ; but as it did not present an inviting aspect, being mountainous and covered with glaciers, he did not go on shore, but bore away with the same wind, and, after four days' sailing, arrived at Heriulfsnes in Greenland. This was in the summer of 986. A'rrout eight years after this Biarne went on a visit to Eric, Earl of Norway and related to him his voyage, with an account of the strange lands he had dis- covered. Biarne's description of the coasts was very accurate, but he was much blamed for not having made himself better acquainted with the country. In Greenland his voyage had excited much interest, and, on his return, a voy- age of discovery was projected. 12 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Among those whose curiosity had been excited by the discovery of the un known lauds, was Leif, one of the sons of Eric the Red. This enterprising navigator purchased Biarne's ship, and, having manned it with a crew of thirty- five men, set sail iu quest of strange lands, in the year 1000. The first land ihey made was that which Biarne had seen last. Here they went on shore ; not a blade of grass was to be seen, but everywhere mountains of ice, and be- tween these and the shore one barren plain of slate (hella). This country not appearing to possess any good qualities, they called it Helluland, and put to sea again. This was the land which Biarne had discovered to be an island, and was doubtless Newfoundland, which in modern descriptions is said partly to con- sist of naked rocky flats where not even a shrub can grow, and therefore called Barrens ; thus corresponding to the island of Helluland first discovered by Biarne. The next land they came to, and where they went on shore, was level, covered with woods, and characterized by cliffs of white sand and a low coast ; they called it Markland (Woodland). This country, southwest of Helluland, and dis- tant from it about three days' sail, is Nova Scotia, of which the descriptions given by later writers answers completely to that given by the ancient Northmen of Markland. Leif left this country, and, after two days' sailing with a northeast wind, came to an island eastward of the mainland. They sailed westward, and went on shore at a place where a river issued from a lake and flowed into the sea. Here they first raised some log-huts, but when they had determined upon passing the winter there, they built commodious houses, which were afterward called Leifsbudir (Leif's booths). Leif then divided his people into two com- panies, which were alternately to be employed in guarding the houses and in ma- king short excursions. He gave them special instructions not to go farther than would admit of their return on the same evening. It happened one day that one of his followers, a German named Tyrker, was missing. Leif, with a small party, went out to seek him, but they soon met him returning. He informed them that he had not been far, but had discovered vines and grapes, with which he was well acquainted, having been born in a country where vines grew. They had now two employments — hewing of timber for loading the ship, and collecting grapes, with which they filled the long boat. Leif named the country Vinland (Vineland), and in the spring departed thence for Greenland. The country thus named Vineland, and which is proved to be identical with Massachusetts and Rhode Island, naturally became the theme of much conver- sation in Greenland ; and Leif's brother, Thorwald, thinking it had not been sufficiently explored, was desirous of making a voyage thither, with a view to noore extensive researches. In pursuance of this object he borrowed Leifs ship, and having received his instructions and advice, set sail in the year 1002. They reached Vineland at Leifsbooths, and spent the winter there. In the spring of 1003 Thorwald equipped the ship's long-boat with a party of his followers for the purpose of making a voyage of discovery southward. They found the coun- try extremely beautiful, but without any appearance of men having been there before them, except on an island to the westward, where they discovered a wooden shed. They did not return to their companions at Leifsbooths until autumn. In the summer of 1004 Thorwald left a party at Leifsbooths, and steering his course first eastward and then northward, passed a remarkable headland enclosing a bay. They called it Kialarnes (Keelcape), from its resemblance to the keel of their ship. This promontory, which modern geographers have sometimes likened to a horn and sometimes to a sickle, is Cape Cod. They sailed along the eastern coast into one of the nearest firths, until ihey arrived at a promontory entirely overgrown with wood, where they all landed. Thorwald was so much pleased with this spot-, that he exclaimed to his companions, " Here it is beau OF THE AMERICAN KEV()L[JTION. 13 dful, and here I should like well to fix my dwelling." He little bought that, instead of being bis dwelling, it was so soon to be bis burial-place. As they were preparing to go on board, they descried on the sandy beach three hillocks, which, on a near approach, were found to be three canoes, and under each three Skrellings (Esquimaux). A fight ensued : eight of the Skrellings were killed ; the ninth escaped with his canoe. Afterward a numerous party rushed upon them from the interior of the bay, and discharged arrows at them. Thorwald and his party endeavored to shield themselves by raising little screens on the ship's side, and the Skrellings at length retired, but not till Thorwald had re ceived a wound under the arm from an arrow. Finding the wound to be mortal, he said to his followers, " I now advise you to prepare for your departure as soon as possible, but me ye shall bring to the promontory where I thought it good to dwell ; it may be that it was a prophetic word which fell from my mouth about my abiding tbere for a season ; there shall ye bury me, and plant a cross at my head and also at my feet, and call the place Krossanes (Crossness) in all time coining." He died, and they buried him as he had directed. (Krossanes is, in all probability. Gurnet Point.) After this they rejoined their companions at Leifsbooths, where they spent the winter ; but in the spring of 1005 set sail for Greenland to communicate to Leif the fate of his brother. When the circumstance of the death and burial of Thorwald was made known in Greenland, Thorstein, Eric's third son, determined on making a voyage to Vineland to fetch his brother's body. He equipped the same ship, and was ac- companied by his wife Gudrida : but his design was frustrated ; for, after having been tossed about and driven they knew not whither during the whole summer, they landed in the western settlements of Greenland, where Thorstein shortly after died. In the spring Gudrida returned to Ericsford. This unsuccessful expedition was soon after followed by another, on a larger scale than any of the preceding ones ; for it happened that, in the summer of 1006, two ships arrived from Iceland, the one commanded by Thorfinn Karlsefne, a wealthy and powerful man, of illustrious birth ; the other by Biarne Grimolfson. Thorfinn was accompanied by Snorre Thorbradson, and Biarne by Thorhall Gamlason. At this time a festival was held at Brattalid, on which occasion the Vineland voyage was the leading topic of conversation, and Thorfinn, being cap- tivated by Gudrida, asked and obtained the consent of her brother-in-law, Leif, to their union, which took place in the course of the winter. On the celebration of these nuptials the Vineland voyage was again the subject of discussion, and Karlsefne was prevailed on, by his wife Gudrida and others, to prosecute a voy- age thither and plant a colony. Accordingly three ships were fitted out, and all kinds of live stock taken on board. The first ship was commanded by Thorfinn Karlsefne and Snorre Thorbradson, the second by Biarne Grimolfson and Thor- hall Gamlason, and the third by Thorward, who had married Freydisa, the nat- ural daughter of Eric the Red. They mustered one hundred and sixty men, and, being furnished with what was necessary for the occasion, departed in the spring of 1007. After touching at Helluland and Markland, they came to Kial- arnes (the Nau.set of the Indians), where the trackless deserts, long beaches, and sands, so much excited their wonder, that they called them Furdustrandir (Wonder strands). They passed these, and came to a firth which ran far into the country, and wnich they called Straumfiordr (Stream firth). On the shore of this firth they landed : the country was beautiful, and they made preparations for a winter residence ; but Thorhall wished to go in quest of Vineland in a north direction. Karlsefne, however, decided on going to the southwest. Thor hall, therefore, with eight men, quitted them, and was driven by westerly gales to the coast of Ireland, where, according to some accounts, they were taken and made slaves. Karlsefne and those that remained with him, in all one hundred 14 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY and fifiy-oue men, sailed in a southerly direction till they entered a ri\'«!f whicB fell into the sea from a lake. They steered into this lake, and called the plac** Hop, which, in Icelandic, signifies a bay, or the land bordering on such a bay Here they landed, and found wheat growing wild on the low grounds, and on the rising lands grape-vines. To this place Mount Hope's bay corresponds ; and it was at this Hop that Leifsbooths were situated. Above this, and most probably on the beautifully-situated elevation afterward called by the Indians Mont Haup, Karlsefne and his companions erected their dwellings and passed the wintt)r. They had no snow, and the cattle fed in the open fields. One morning, in the beginning of 1008, they perceived a number of canoes coming from the southwest past the cape. Karlsefne exhibited friendly signals by hold- ing up a wnite shield, and the natives, a sallow-colored and ill-looking race, drew nigh, and commenced bartering furs and squirrel-skins for pieces of red cloth, and afterward for milk-soup. While this traffic was proceeding, a bull, which Thorfinn had brought with him, came out of the wood and bellowed loudly. This terrified the Skrellings ; they rushed to their canoes, and rowed away. About this time Gudrida gave birth to a son, who received the name of Snorre. At the commencement of the following winter the Skrellings appeared again in much greater numbers, and menaced hostility by loud yellings. They advanced — a battle took place ; the Skrellings had war-slings, and a galling discharge of missiles fell upon the land ; one, enormously large, fell with a crash that filled the Northmen with dismay, and they fled into the woods. Freydisa, the wife of Thorward, a bold and art- tii. •v'oman, upon perceiving the retreat of her countrymen, called to them, and repi On.. ."'"'' them with their cowardice, saying, if she had a weapon she would defend nei.-"-' ^<^tter than any of them. She followed them into the wood, where she saw .n.. Vad body of Snorre Thorbradson ; a flat stone was sticking in his head, and his aiawn sword was lying by his side. This she seized, and by her frantic gestures so terrified the Skrellings, that they in turn fled to their canoes and rowed away. Thorfinn and his people now rallied ; they came up to her and praised her courage ; but they became convinced that they could not continue in the country without being in constant alarm from the powerful hos- tility of the natives, and therefore determined upon returning to their own coun- try. They freighted their ships, sailed eastward, and came to Straumfiord, where they passed the third winter ; Karlsefne's son Snorre being then three years old. At Markland they met with five Skrellings, two of which (boys) they caught and carried away with them. These children^ after they had been taught the Norse language, informed them that the Skrellings were ruled by chieftains (kings), that there were no houses in the country, but that the people dwelled in holes and caves. Karlsefne, after having gone in quest of Thorhall, pursued his voyage to Greenland, and arrived at Ericsfiord in 1011. The next voyage was undertaken at the instigation of Freydisa, who prevailed on two brothers, commanders of a ship from Iceland, to make a voyage to Vine- land, and share equally with her in all the profits. To this the brothers, Helge and Finnboge, assented, and a mutual agreement was entered into that each party should have thirty-five able-bodied men on board their ship ; but Freydisa concealed five additional men, whom she took with her. They reached Leifs- booths in 1012, where they remained during the winter. But the deceitful con- duct of Freydisa caused an estrangement between the parties, and she at length succeeded, by subtlety and artifice, in persuading her husband to efliect the mur- der of the two brothers and their followers. After this atrocious act they return- ed to Greenland in the spring of 1013. At this time Thorfinn Karlsefne was waiting for a fair wind to sail for Nor- way. His ship was laden with a more valuable cargo than was ever befort OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. -.5 gnowTi to leave Greenland. When the wind was favorable, he sailed to Nor- way, and sold his goods. The next year he proceeded to Iceland, and in the year following, 1015, purchased the Glaumboe estate, where he resided during the remainder of his life. Snorre, his American-born son, also dwelled and ended his days there. Among the numerous and illustrious descendants of Karlsefne was the learned bishop Thorlak Runolfson, born in 1085, of Snorre's daughter Halfrida, who was probably the original compiler of the account of the foregoing voyages. After these, many voyages were undertaken, and the last piece of information preserved in the ancient MSS. relates to a voyage, in the year 1347, from Greenland to Markland, undertaken for the purpose of bringing home timber and other sup- plies. On her voyage homeward the ship was driven out of her course, and arrived, with loss of anchors, at Straumfiord, in the west of Iceland. From the accounts of this voyage, written by a contemporary nine years after the event, it appears that the intercourse between Greenland and America Proper had been maintained to so late a date as 1347 ; for it is expressly stated that the ship went to Markland, which must have been thus mentioned as a country still known and visited in those days. Thus it appears that, during the tenth and eleventh centuries, the ancient Northmen discovered a great extent of the eastern coasts of North America, and made frequent visits to Massachusetts and Rhode Island ; and that, during the centuries immediately following, the intercourse was never entirely broken off. As confirmatory of these statements, Dr. J V. C. Smith, of Boston, has writ- ten an account of a remarkable rough stone cemetery, discovered about fifty years ago in Rainsford island, in the bay of Boston, which contained a skeleton and a sword-hilt of iron. Dr. Smith argues that, as the body could not have been that of a native Indian nor of a settler posterior to the re-discovery, it was most probably that of one of the early Scandinavians. Dr. Webb, of Providence, has also furnished an account of a skeleton found at Fall river Massachusetts, on \jr near which were a bronze breast-plate, bronze tubes belonging to a belt, Slc, none of which appear to be of Indian or of a comparatively modern European manufacture. FiQ. 3. — Skeleton and Arrow-heads found at Fall River \ Runic inscription is also still to be seen on Dighion rock, on the east side f Taunton river, which is exposed and covered at every ebb and flow of the tide- At Newport, Rhode Island there is a stone tow*r '--ilt of rough pieces of .6 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Via. 5. — Old Sione Tower, at Newport, H. I I OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 17 greywacfce stone, laid in courses, strongly cemented by a mortar of sand and gravel of excellent quality, which nearly equals the stone itself in hardness. It appears to have been at some former period covered with a stucco of sirnilai character to the cement with which the stone is held together. It is nearly twenty-fiA e feet in height ; its diameter outt de is twenty-three feet, and inside eighteen feet nine inches. It is circular, ami is supported upon eight arches resting on thick columns about ten feet high ; the height of the centres of the arches from the ground is twelve feet six inches. The foundation extends to the depth of four or live feet. The columns are peculiar, having only half capitals, which seem vas strict in religion, accord- ing to the mode of his country, and obliged those under him lo pay, at least, a decent regard to it. He much desired the 'lon^-'ersion of the Indians, and did what he could to allure them, by obliging the Spaniards to lead a life, in some measure agreeable to the faith they professed He was a man of undaunted courage, and fond of great enterprises ; lie remained unmoved amidst the many troubles and adversities that attended him, ever relying on the Divine Providence. This is the account given of the famous Columbus, by a Spanish writer of knowledge and fidelity, who adds, tha' " His name will be renowned as long as the world endures." III. Sebastian Cabot, who claims with Columbus to have been the first dis- coverer of the continent of America, was the son of John Cabot, a Venetian. He was born at Bristol in 1477 . and vas taught by his father aritlimetic, ge- ometry, and cosmography. Before ijt- -vas twenty years of age he made several voyages. The first of any consequence seems to have been made with his father, who had a commission trum Henry VII. for the discovery of a northwest passage to India. They sailed ui 'he spring of 1497; and proceeding to the northwest, they discovered land which for that reason they called Primavista, 01 Newfoundland. Another -smaller island they called St. John, from its being liBcovered on the feast of Si John Baptist ; after which, they saile i ale og tht» Vw 10. — Tomb of Columbus. — Seville C;illii;JraI. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Vt no. 11. — lortrait of Sebastian Cabot. coa«? of America as Car as Cape Florida, and then returned to England -with ii good cargo, and three Indians aboard, rftowe and Speea ascribe these discov- eries who'ly to Sebastian, without mentioning his father. It 7S probable thai Sebastian, after his father's death, made several voyages to these parts, as a map of his disco^'erio?., drawn by himself, was hune up in the privy garden at White- hall. However, history gives but little account of his life for near twenty years, w hen he vronl to Spain, where he was made pilot-major, and intrusted with re- viewing all projects for discoveries, which were then very numerous. His great capacity and approved integrity induced many eminent merchants to treat with him about a voyage; by the new-found straits of Magellan to the Moluccas. He ihersfore sailed in 152.T, first to the Canaries, then to the Cape Verd islands, thence to St. Augustine and the island of Patos ; when some of his people be- gianing to be mutinous, and refusing to pass through the straits, he laid aside the design of sailing to the Moluccas, left some of the principal mutineers upcm a desert island, and, saihng up th'^ rivers of Plate and Paraguay, discovered and bu'lt forts ifk ?, large tract of fine country, that produced gold, silver, and other rich commodities. He thence despatched messengers to Spain for a supply of previsions, ammunition, goods tor trade, and a recruit of men ; but his request nol being readily complied with, after staying five years in America, he returned home, where he met with a cold reception, the merchants being displeased at his not having pursued his voyage to the Moluccas, while his tresiment of the mutineers had given umbrage at court. Hence he returned to England ; and being introduced to the Duke of Somerset, then lord protector, a new office waa erected for him ; he was made governor of the mystery and company of the merchant adventurers for the discovery of regions, dominions, islands, and places 28 THE p"^t:);{ia:> His^ujin' unknown . ?. peT>Bicm was granted him, by letters patent, of jC16G 13^. 4rf. pe^ annum; and he "y> consulted in all affairs relative to trade. In 1522, by his interest, iht -our. .lued out some ships for the discovery of the northern parts of the world This produced the first voyage the English made to Russia, and '.he beginning of thai commerce which has ever since been carried on between the iwo nations. The Russia company was now founded by a charter gran'ed by Philip and Mary ; and of this company Sebastian was appointed governor for life. He is said to be the first who took notice of the variation of the needle, and who published a map of the world. The exact time of his death is not known, but he lived to be above seventy years of age. Fio. 12. — Portrait of Americus Vespuciu*. V. Although America was discovered by the Northmen, Columbus, .ul tne Cabots, yet it was reserved for Amerigo Vespucci to give a name to the soil ; that name A.mkrica, which is already synonymous with liberty and independence throughout the whole world ; where the genius of freedom finds her dearest lace of abiding while living, and which, if she be ever conquered by the strong KiG. 13. — Pizarro 30 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ami of imperial tyranny and royal despotism, will be for her a magnificent sep ulchre Americus Vespucius, or more properly Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine gen* 'leman, was born March 9, 1451, of an ancient family. His father, who was an Italian merchant, brought him up in this business, and his profession led him to visit Spain and other countries. Being eminently skilled in all the science* subservient to navigation, and possessing an enterprising spirit, he became de- sirous of seeing the new world, which Columbus had discovered in 1492. He accordingly entered as a merchant on board the small fleet of four ships, equip- ped by the merchants of Seville, and set out under the command of Ojeda. The enterprise was sanctioned by a royal license. He sailed May 20, 1499, under the command of Ojeda, and proceeded to the Antilles islands, and thence to the coast of Guiana and Venezuela, and returned to Cadiz in November, 1500. After his return, Emanuel, king of Portugal, who was jealous of the success and glory of Spain, invited him to his kingdom, and gave him the command of three ships to make a third voyage of discovery. He sailed from Lisbon, May 10, 1501, and ran down the coasts of Africa as far as Sierra Leone and the coast of Angola, and then passed over to Brazil in South America, and continued his discoveries to the south as far as Patagonia. He then returned to Sierra Leone and the coast of Guinea, and entered again the port of Lisbon, September 7, 1502. King Emanuel, higlily gratified by his success, equipped for him six ships, with which he sailed on his fourth and last voyage. May 10, 1503. It was his object to discover a western passage to the Molucca islands. He passed the coasts of Africa, and entered the bay of All Saints in Brazil. Having provision for only twenty months, and being detained on the coast of Brazil by bad weather and contrary winds five months, he formed the resolution of returning to Portugal, where he arrived June 14, 1504. As he carried home with him considerable quantities of the Brazil wood, and other articles of value, he was received with joy. It was soon after this period, that he wrote an account of his four voyages. The work was dedicated to Rene II., duke of Lorraine, who took the title of the king of Sicily, and who died December 10, 1508. It was probably pub- lished about the year 1507, for in that year he went from Lisbon to Seville, and King Ferdhiand appointed him to draw sea-charts with the title of chief pilot. He died at the island of Terceira in 1514, aged about sixty-three years, or agree- ably to another account, at Seville, in 1512, having published the first book and chart describing the new world. V. The Mississippi, that broad and majestic river, as it rushes onward with /esistless current to the sea, contains within its deep bosom the abode of no more daring or gallant spirit than that which animated the proud Hernando de Soto. He was born at Barcarota in 1501 ; his family was respectable, but poor, and De Soto was obliged to depend upon his bravery for his subsistence. With this view he accompanied Davila to America, and distinguished himself so much that he had command given him of a troop of horse, with which he followed Pizarro (fig. 13) to Peru, and in that severe battle which took place betw^on Pizarro and Almagro, (fig. 14), he displayed great prowess, and distingu himself for his valor and prudence. Or. his return to Spain, he appeared at the court of the emperor Charles V. in inagnificent style, and was attended by a knot of brave cavaliers, many of whom had been with him in Peru ; he was in the prime of manhood, about tliirty-six )ears old, commanding in figure, and of a dark, animated, and expressive coun- tenance. With such advantages of person and reputation he soon succeeded, in gaining the affections and hand of a lady of distinguished rank and merit, Isabella de Bohadilla, which marriage strengthened liis influence a court About thif THE PICTORIAL HlSTORlf Fio. 15. — Portrait of Hernando de Soto. time tne fate of Pamphilo de Narvaez and his followers, who had gone on an expedition to Florida, reached Spain. The imagination of De Soto became ex- cited by the narrative of this expedition ; his ambition was roused by the desire of rivalling the fame of Cortez and Pizarro, and his reputation, wealth, past ser- vices, and marriage connexions, all gave him the means of attaining his wishes He therefore asked permission of the emperor to undertake the conquest of Florida at his own expense and risk. His prayer was granted ; numerous privileges were conferred upon him, and he was created captain-general for life, of Florida as well as of Cuba ; the control of the latter island being important to him in fitting out his armament for the conquest of Florida. The news of this expedition was soon promulgated throughout Spain, and in a little more than a year from the time that this enterprise was first proclaimed, nine hundred and fifty Spaniards of all degrees had assembled in the port of San Lucar de Barrame- da, to embark in the expedition. Never had a more gallant and brilliant body of men offered themselves for conquest in the new world. All were young and THE PICTORIAL HISTORY 33 ngorous, and fitted for the toils, hardships, and dangers, of so adventurous an undertaking. De Soto was magnificent in his offers of pecuniary assistance, to aid the cavaliers in fitting themselves out according to their rank and station. Many were compelled, through necessity, to accept of these offers ; others, who had means, generously declined them, deeming it more proper that they should assist than accept aid from him. Many came splendidly equipped with rich armor, costly dresses, and a train of domestics. Indeed, some young men of quality had spent a great part of their property in this manner. This brilliant armament embarked at San Lucar de Barrameda, on the sixth of April, 1538, in seven large and three small vessels. The governor, his wife, together with all his family and retinue, embarked in the largest vessel, called the San Christoval. of eight hundred tons Ijurden. They quitted the Spanish shore in company with a fleet of twenty-six sail bound to Mexico, amid the braying of trumpets and the thunder of artillery. The armament of De Soto was so bountifully supplied with naval stores, that each man was allowed double rations. This led to useless waste, but the governor was of a munificent spirit, and so elated at findmg in his train such noble and gallant spirits, that he thought he could not do enough to honor and gratify them. The armament arrived at Cuba about the last of May. Here the fleet remained for a long period; during which De Soto despatched a vessel to St. Augustine to se lect a safe harbor. This having been accomplished, he sailed from Havana on the twelfth of May, 1539, and on the twenty-fifth of the same month arrived at Es- piritu Santo, and took formal possession of the country in the name of Charles V The troops disembarked, and not a single Indian was to be seen ; the soldiei?, remained all night on shore in careless security, when in the morning they were suddenly attacked by a large body of Indians ; several of the Spaniards were wounded by arrows, but reinforcements arriving from the ships, the savages were repulsed and the army took up their residence in the deserted village, the houses of which were large, built of wood, and thatched with palm-leaves Leaving a garrison in this village of Herrihigua, De Soto proceeded for several leagues into the interior, although constantly harassed by the Indians. The fertile province in which the army was now encamped lay twenty leagues to the north of that governed by Urribarracaxi, and was governed by a cacique named Acuera, who, on the approach of the Spaniards, had fled with his people to the woods. Hernando de Soto sent Indian interpreters to this chief, repre senting the power of the Spaniards to do injury in war, and confer benefits in peace ; declaring his disposition to befriend the natives ; his only object being, by amicable means to bring the people of this great country into obedience to his sovereign, the powerful emperor and king of Castile. He invited the cacique, therefore, to a friendly interview, in order to arrange a peaceful intercourse. The cacique returned a haughty reply : " Others of your accursed race," said he, " have, in years past, disturbed our peaceful shores. They have taught me what you are. What is your employment 1 To wander about like vagabonds from land to land ; to rob the poor ; to betray the confiding ; to murder the de- fenceless in cold blood. No ! with such a people I want neither peace nor friendship. War — never-ending, exterminating war — is all I ask. You boast vourselves to be valiant — and so you may be ; but my faithful warriors are not less brave ; and of this you shall one day have proof, for I have sworn to main- tain an unsparing conflict while one white man remains in my borders ; not openly in the battle-field, though even thus we fear not to meet you, but by stratagem, ambush, and midnight surprisal." In reply to the demand that he should yield obedience to the emperor, the chief replied : " I am king in my own land, and will never become the vassal of a mortal like myself. Vile and pusillanimous is he who submits to the yoke of another when he may be free . 3 34 OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. As for me and my people, we prefer death to the loss of liberty, and the subjear8 a.nd undoubtedly gave a color t(» the whole tenor of his life. (0 THE PICTORIAL HfcSTORY OF THE AMKRICAN REVOLUTION. 41 Fio. 19.— Portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh. His Stay at Oxford, therefore, was short ; and in 1559 he seized the opportu iiity of the civil wars in France, between the Huguenots and Catholics, to visil that kingdom and commence his military education ; but although engaged in war, he found leisure to study the histories of the discoveries of Columbus, the conquests of Cortes, and the sanguinary triumphs of Pizarro, which books were his especial favorites. By the study of the Spanish voyages, and his conversa- tions with some skilful mariners of that nation, whom he met in Holland and Flanders, he had learned that the Spanish ships always went into the gulf of Mexico by St. Domingo and Hispaniola, and directed their homeward course by the Havana and the gulf of Florida, where they found a continued coast on the west side, tending away north, which, however, they soon lost sight of by stand- ing to the east, to make the coast of Spain. Upon these grounds, and for reasons deduced from analogy and a knowledge of the sphere, he concluded there must be a vasi extent of land north of the gulf of Florida, of which he resolved to at- tempt the discovery. Probably, also, during his residence in France ho might have become ac- quainted with the particulars of the voyage of Verazzano, or have seen the charts constructed by that navigator, who had explored the same coast nearly as 'ar south as the latitude of Virginia. Having fully weighed this project, he laid a memoir before the queen and council, who approved of the undertaking ; and in the beginning of 1584 her majesty granted, by letters patent, all such coun- tries as he should discover in property to himself and his heirs, reserving to the crown the fifth part of the gold or silver ore which might be foimd The paten' 4^ THE PICTORIAL HISTORY contained ample authority for the defence of the new countries, the transpor of settlers, and the exportation of provisions and commodities for their use. Sir Walter selected for the command of his projected voyage two experienced officers — Captain Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlow — to whom he gave minute written inf-tructions, and who sailed with two ships, well manned and provisioned on the twenty-seventh of April, 1584. On the tenth of May they arrived at the Canaries ; after which, keeping a southwesterly course, they made the West Indies ; and, departing thence on the tenth of .luly, found themselves in shoal water, discerning their approach to the lands by the delicious fragrance with which the air vvas loaded — " as if," to use the words of their letter to Raleigh, " we had been in the midst of some delicate garden, abounding with all kinds of odoriferous flowers." Arrived upon the coast, and sailing along upward of one hundred and twenty miles, they at length found a haven, and disembarked. Their first step was to take possession of the country in the name of the queen ; after which they as- cended a neighboring eminence, and discovered to their surprise that they had not landed on the continent, but on the island of Okakoke, which they found running parallel to nearly the whole coast of North Carolina. The valleys were finely wooded with cedars, around whose trunks wild vines hung in rich festoons ; and the grape seemed so native to the soil, that the clusters covered the ground, and dipped into the sea. For two days no inhabitants were seen ; but on the third a canoe with three men approached. One of them was easily prevailed on to come aboard, when the present of a shirt and some trinkets gained his confi''.ence. On returning to his boat he began to fish, and having loaded it heavily, paddled back to the English, and, dividing his cargo into two parts, iu- tim.ated that one was for the ship, and the oilier for the pinnace. Next day they received a visit from some canoes, in which were forty or fifty •nen, among whom was Granganimeo, the king's brother. Having first rowed within a short distance, they landed on the beach ; and the chief, attended by his suite, who were handsome and athletic persons, fearlessly approached op- posite the ship. A long mat was spread for him, on which he sat down; and •bur men of his followers, apparently men of rank, squatted themselves on the corner. Signs were made for the English to come forward ; and on doing so, Granganimeo desired them to sit down beside him, showing every token of joy and welcome, first striking his own head and breast, and afterward those of the strangers, as if to express that they were all brethren. Presents were exchanged ; and such was the reverence with which these people treated their prince, that while he made a long harangue, they remained perfectly still, standing at a dis- tance ; even the four chiefs only venturing to communicate their feelings to each other in a low whisper. The gifts were received with delight ; but on some trinkets being ofiered to the chiefs, Granganimeo quietly rose up, and, taking them away, put them into his own basket, intimating by signs that every- thing ought to be given to him, these men being no more than his servants — a proceeding to which they submitted without a murmur. A trade was soon opened, in which the strangers made good profit, by exchanging beads and other trifles for rich furs and skins. On exhibiting their wares, Granganimeo's eye fixed with delight upon a pewter dish, for which he conceived the strongest de- sire. It became his at the price of twenty skins; and, having pierced a hole in the rim, he hung it round his neck, making signs that it would serve as a breastplate to protect him against the arrows of his enemies. It was now found that these people were engaged in hostilities with a neigh- boring nation, and that the absence of the king was occasioned by severe wounds lately received in battle, of which he lay sick at the chief town, six miles ofli*. His brother, after a few days, again visited the F.nglish, attended by his wife and 44 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY children, coming aboard and partaking of a collation, which they seeined to en i'oy. Their manners were remarkable for ease and civility. The lady was a landsome little woman, extremely bashful. She wore a leathern mantle, with the fur next her skin, and her hair, which was long and black, was confined in a band of white coral ; strings of pearls, as large as peas, hung from her ears, reaching to her middle. Her children had ear-rings of the same precious mate- rial, while those of her attendants were of copper. Granganimeo was dressed much in the same fashion as his wife. On his head he wore a broad plate of metal ; but, not being permitted to examine it, they were uncertain whether it was copper or gold. A brisk trade now began with the natives ; but no one was allowed to engage in it when the king's brother was present, except such chiefs as were distin- guished by having plates of copper upon their heads. When this prince intended to visit the ship, he invariably intimated the number of boats which were to ac- company him, by lighting on the shore an equal number of beacons. The navi- gators learned that about twenty years before their arrival, a vessel belonging to a Christian country had been wrecked on the coast, all hands on board per- ishing ; out of the planks cast ashore, the people had drawn the nails and bolts, with which they had formed some edgetools, not having possessed any previous to this accident ; but these were very rude, and their common instruments con- sisted of shells and sharp flints. Considering such imperfect means, their canoes were admirably made, and large enough to hold twenty men. When they wished to construct one, they either burned down a large tree, or selected such as had been blown down by the wind, and laying a coat of gum and resin on one side, set fire to it, by which it was hollowed out ; after which they scraped and pol- ished it with their shells ; and if found too shallow, laid on more resin, and burnt it down to the required depth. The soil of the country was rich, the air mild and salubrious, and they counted fourteen kinds of sweet-smelling trees, besides an uilderwood of laurel and box, with oaks whose girth was greater than those of England. The fruits were melons, walnuts, cucumbers, gourds, and esculent roots ; and the woods were plentifully stocked with bucks, rabbits, and hares. After a short while, the ad- venturers, by invitation of the natives, explored the river, on whose banks was their principal town ; but the distance to be travelled being twenty miles, they did not see the city. They reached, however, an island called Aonoak, where they found a village of nine houses, built of cedar, the residence of their friend Granganimeo, who was then absent. His wife, with whom they were already acquainted, received them with distinguished hospitality, running out to meet them, giving directions to her servants to pull their boats on shore, and to cany the white strangers on their backs to her own house, where she feasted them with fish and venison, and afterward set before them a desert of various kinds. These people were gentle and faithful, void of all deceit, and seemed to live after the manner of the golden age. As the surf beat high on the landing they got wet, notwithstanding their mode of transport ; but this inconvenience 'vas soon remedied ; a great fire be- ing kindled, and their clothes washed and dried by the princess' women, while their feet were bathed in warm water. The natives expressed astonishment at the whiteness of their skins, and kindly patted them as they looked wonderingly at each other. During the feast, two men, armed with bows and arrows, sud- lenly entered the gate, when the visiters, in some alarm, took hold of their swords, which lay beside them, to the great annoyance of their hostess, who at once detected their mistrust. She despatched some of her attendants to drive the poor fellows out of the gate, and who, seizing their bows and arrows, broke ihem in an instant. Tliese arrows were made of small canes, pointed with shell OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIOxM. *b ot the sharp toulh of a fish. The swords, breastplates, and war-clubs, used by the natives, were formed of hardened wood ; to the end of this last weapon, they fastened the horns of a stag or some other beast, and their wars were carried on with much cruelty and loss of life. The name of the country where the English landed was called Wingandaeoa, and of the sovereign Wingina ; but his kingdom was of moderate extent, and surrounded by states under independent princes, some of them in alliance and and others at war with him. Having examined as much of the interior as theii time would permit, they sailed homeward, accompanied by two of the natives, named Wanchcse and Manteo, and arrived in England in the middle of Sep- tember. Raleigh was highly delighted with this new discovery, establishing, in so satisfactory a manner, the results of his previous reasoning, and undertaken at his sole suggestion and expense. His royal mistress, too, was scarcely less gratified ; she gave her countenance and support to the schemes for colonization, which he begun to urge at court, and issued her command, that the new country, so full of amenity and beauty, should, in allusion to her state of life, be called Virginia. Not long after this, Raleigh received the honor of knighthood, a dignity be- stowed by Elizabeth with singular frugality and discrimination, and, about the same period, the grant of a patent to license the vending of wines throughout the kingdom ; a monopoly extremely lucrative in its returns, and which was probably bestowed by Elizabeth to enable him to carry on his great schemes for the im- provement of navigation, and the settlement of a colony in Virginia. Sir Walter now fitted out a new fleet for America, the command of which he gave to Sir Richard Grenville ; the fleet consisted of seven vessels ; part of these were fitted out at Sir Walter's expense, the remainder by his companions in the adventure ; one of whom was Thomas Candish or Cavendish, afterward so eminent as a navigator, who now served under Grenville. On the nineteenth of April the mariners reached the Canaries, from which they steered to Dominica in the West Indies, and landed at Puerto Rico, where they constructed a temporary fort. On the twenty-sixth of June, after some de- lays at Hispaniola and Florida, they proceeded to Wohoken in Virginia ; and having sent notice of their arrival by Manteo, one of the two natives who had visited England, they were soon welcomed by their old friend Granganimeo, who displayed much satisfaction at their return. Mr. Ralph Lane, who had been invested with the dignity of chief-governor, now disembarked with one hundred and eight men, having as his deputy Philip Amadas, one of the original discoverers. Grenville does not appear to have been sufficiently impressed with the difficulties attending an infant colony in a new country ; and, accordingly, after a short stay, during which was collected a valuable cargo of skins, furs, and pearls, he returned to England, carrying into Plymouth a Spanish prize, which he had captured on the homeward voyage, of three hundred tons burden, and richly laden. TI first survey of their new country delighted the English ; and the gover- nor, m a letter to Hakluyt, who appears to have been his intimate friend, informs him that " they had discovered the mainland to be the goodliest soil under the cope of heaven ; abounding with sweet trees, that bring sundry rich and pleas- ant guii-s ; * * and, moreover, of huge and unknown greatness : well peopled and towned, though savagely, and the climate so wholesome, that they had not one person sick since their irrival." Lane fixed his abode on the island of Roanoke, and thence extended his re- searches eighty miles southward to the city of Secotan. He also pushed one hundred and thirty miles north, to the country of the Che.'epians, a temperate 46 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY and fertile legion ; and northwest to Chawanook, a large province, under amon arch named Menatonon. These proceedings, however, were soon interrupted by the threatening aspect of affairs at headquarters. Even before the departure of Grenville for England, an accident occurred, in which the conduct of the set- tlers appeared rash and impolitic. A silver cup had been stolen, and a boat was despatched to Aquascogok to reclaim it. Alarmed at this visit, the savages fled into the woods, and the enraged crew demolished the city and destroyed the cornfields. A revenge so deep for so slight an injury incensed the natives ; and although they artfully concealed their reseiUineut, from that moment all cordiality between them and the strangers was at an end. Not long after, Menatonon and his son Skyco were seized and put in irons ; but the monarch was soon liberated, while the youth was retained as a hostage foi his ndelity. To all appearance, this precaution had the desired effect. But the king, although an untaught savage, proved himself an adept in dissimulation. Working upon the avarice and credulity of the English, he enticed them into the interior of the country by a flattering report of its extraordinary richness and amenity. He asserted that they would arrive at a region where the robes of the sovereign and his courtiers were embroidered with pearl, and the beds and houses studded with the same precious material. Menatonon described also a remarkably rich mine, called by the natives chaumis temoatan, which was situ- ated in the country of the Mangaoaks, and produced a mineral similar to copper, although softer and paler. By these artful representations, Lane was persuaded to undertake an expedi- tion by water, with two wherries and forty men. Instead, however, of the ^*romised relays of provisions, they found the towns deserted, and the whole country laid waste. Their boats glided along silent and solitary banks ; and after three days, during which they had not seen a human being, their last mor tsel of food was exhausted, and the governor, now aware of the treachery of Menatonon, proposed to return. His men, however, entreated him to proceed,, still haunted by dreams of the inexhaustible riches of the Mangaoaks' country, and declaring they could not starve as long as they had two mastiffs, which they might kill, and make into soup. Overcome by such arguments. Lane coiuinued the voyage ; but for two days longer no living thing appeared. At night, inde'ed, lights were seen moving on the banks, demonstrating that their progress was- not unknown, though the observers were invisible. At last, on the third day, a loud voice from the woods suddenly called out the name of Manteo, who was now with the expedition. As the voice was followed by a song, Lane imagined it a pacific salutation ; but the Indian seized his gun, and had scarcely time to warn them that they were about to be attacked, when a volley of arrows was discharged into the boats. The travellers now landed and assaulted the sava ges, who fell back into the depths of the wood, and escaped with little injury ; upon which it was resolved to return to the settlement. On their homeward bound voyage, which, owing to their descending with the current was performed with great rapidity, they had recourse to the mastiff broth, or, as the governor terms it, " dog's porridge," and arrived at Roanoke in time to defeat a forinidabU conspiracy. The author of the plot was Wingina, who, since the death of hia :rothef Granganimeo, had taken the name of Pemisapan. His associates were Skyco and Menatonon ; and these two chiefs, pretending friendship, but concealing under its mask the most deadly enmity, had organized the plan of a genera) massacre of the colony. The design, however, was betrayed to Lane by Skyco, who had become attached to the English ; and, aware of the necessity of taking immediate measures before Pemisapan could muster his forces, the governoi ijave instructions to se-ze any canoes which might offer to def'art from the island OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 47 In executing this order, two natives were slain, and their enraged countrymen rose in a body, and attempted to overpower the colonists, but were instantly dis- persed. Not aware, however, that his secret was discovered and affecting to consider it as an accident, Pemisapan admitted Lane and his ojfir.ers to an in- terview, which proved fatal to him. The Virginian monarch was seated in state, surrounded by seven or eight of his principal weroanees. or high chiefs ; and after a brief debate, upon a signal given, the Europeans attacked the royal circle, and put them all to death. This alarming conspiracy had scarcely been put down, when the natives made a second attempt to get rid of the strangers, by neglecting to sow the adjacent lands, hoping, in this manner, to compel them to leave the country. At this de- cisive moment, a fleet of twenty-three vessels came in sight, which turned out to be the squadron of Sir Francis Drake, who had fortunately determined to visit the colony of his friend Sir W ilf ir, and carry home news of their condition, on his return from an expedition against the settlements in the Spanish Main. It was now long past the time when supplies had been expected from England, and Drake generously offered every sort of provisions. Lane, however, only requested a vessel and some smaller craft to carry them home, which was im- mediately granted ; but before they could get on board, a dreadful tempest, which continued for four days, dashed the barks intended for the colonists to pieces, and might have driven on shore the whole fleet, unless, to use the language of the old despatch, " the Lord had held his holy hand over them." Deprived in thisway of all other prospect of return, they embarked in Sir Francis's fleet, and arrived in England on the 27th of July, 1586. Scarcely, however, had they sailed, when the folly of their precipitate con- clusion, that Raleigh had forgotten or neglected them, was manifested by the arrival, at Roanoke, of a vessel of one hundred tons, amply stored with every supply. Deeply disappointed at finding no appearance of the colony, they sailed along the coast, and explored the interior. But all their search was ia vain, and they were compelled to take their departure for Europe. This, how- ever, was not all. Within a fortnight after they weighed anchor. Sir Richard Grenville, with three \vell-appoiiited vessels, fitted out principally by Raleigh, appeared ofl" Virginia, where, on landing, he found, to his astonishment, every- thing deserted and in ruins. Having made an unsuccessful effort to procure in- U'Uigeiice of his countrymen, it became necessary to return home. But, unwil- hng to abandon so promising a discovery, he left behind him fifteen men, with provisions lur two years, and, after some exploits against the Spaniards and the Azures, arrived in England. it IS asserted by Camden, that tobacco was now, for the first time, brought into England by these settlers, and there can be little doubt that Lane had been directed to import it by his master, who must have seen it used in France, du- ring his residence iheif* '^here is a well-known tradition, that Sir Walter first began to smoke privately u» liis scudy, and the servant coming in with his tank- ard of ale and nutmeg, as he was intent upon his book, seeing the smoke issuing from his mouth, threw all the liquor in his face by way of extinguishing the fire, and running down stairs, alarmed the family with piercing cries, that his master, before they could get up, would be burnt to ashes. " And this," continued Oldys^ " has liotlung in it more surprising than the mistake of those Virginians them selves, who, the first time they seized upon a quantity of gunpowder, which be- longed to the English colony, sowed it for grain, or the seed of some strange regetable in the earth, with full expectation of reaping a plentiful crop of com- bustion by the next harvest, to scatter their enemies." On another occasion, it is said that Raleigh, conversing with his royal mis- »ess upon the singular properties of this new and extraordinaiy herb, assurest pleasant places in the world. Heaven and earth seem never to have agreed better to frame a place for man's commodious and delightful habitation." They soon reached a noble river, which they named James, and after ascending and examining its shores during seventeen days, they chose for their colony a spot fifty miles up, and called it Jamestown. The difficulties of treating with the natives soon began. The very first night " came the savages creeping upon all-fours from the hills, like bears, with their bows in their mouths." These they discharged against the strangers and wounded two ; but as soon as " they had felt the sharpness of our shot" they retreated with loud cries into the woods. Afterward five, who were met near Cape Henry, though showing some signs of fear, were reassured by seeing " the captain lay his hand on his hea- ," and invite them across the river to the town. Their welcome was signally expressed "by a doleful noise, laying their faces to the ground, and scratching the earth with their nails." Mats were then spread on the ground, and covered with maize-bread, while to- bacco was presented, with long ornamented pipes. They then danced for the amusement of their guests, shouting, howling, and stamping, " with many antic tricks and faces, making noise like so many wolves or devils." The English received a pressing invitation from a greai indian chief, the weroanee of Rappahana, whom they found rich in rude ornament, his person painted red and blue, with various embellishments, seemingly of pearl and silver, and a metal which was either copper or gold. " He entertained us in so modest a proud fashion, as though he had been a prince of civil government." His palace, on a hill watered by fine springs, was surrounded by as rich corn-fields as they had ever seen. As soon as the party had landed, the box of instructions was opened, and the names of the council were found, including Smith ; who, though he was kept out by the jealousy of his rivals, nevertheless accompanied Newport up the river, as high as the great falls, where they visited Powhatan, a sort of petty emperoi over all the surrounding tribes. Smith reckons them at 7,000, of whom nearly 2,000 were warriors ; but he never saw more than 700 together. Powhatan received them well ; and when some of his people murmured at the land being thus occupied by a party of strangers, he replied, it was only waste ground, and, so long as they injured no one, they were welcome. On their return to Jamestown affairs were found in evil plight. The colonists, not we fear without blame, had incurred the hostility of the savages, while they neglected to fortify their position. A general attack, which was made, was re- pulsed with great difficulty, seventeen being wounded, and one boy killed. By great exertion, about the middle of June, a palisaded fort was erected, secure against those rude assailants, who, however, continued to hover round, cutting off stragglers, and obliging the settlers to keep constant watch. The charges against Smith were still pressed, and a party wished to send him to England . but he, loudly demanding a trial on the spot, was supported by a majority of the colonists. He was triumphantly acquitted, and Wingfield, his accuser, i on demned to pay him a fine o"" €200, which he generously threw into the common Ktock. Mr. Hunt, the clei^vman, succeeded in producing at least an appearance of harmony, cemented by partaking together the Christian communion. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 59 c>n che 15th June, Newport with the vessels sailed for England, leaving the settlers in the midst of that vast wilderness which they had undertaken to culti- vate. In this situation the brilliant hopes which had lured them thither quickly vanished. The fruitfulness of the soil indeed fully equalled expectation ; but all ihe machinery by which it could be made capable of producing individual wealth was still to be created. The land required not only a laborious culture, for which they were little prepared ; but a still harder task remained, that of hew ing down the forest which covered the whole of it. By an unhappy arrange- ment, all the produce for the first five years was to be in common, and distribu- ted by the council according to their respective wants. But, as Chalmers shrewdly observes, " when men are not to profit, they will labor little ; and when all are fed from a common granary, few will concern themselves how it ia filled." Raising scarcely any crop the first year, they were dependant on the supplies from home, which had been much diminished during the long voyage, and are alleged to have been originally of inferior quality. A slender allowance of this unwholesome food, bad river-water, and exposure to a new climate, soon spread disease so widely, that there were often not ten men fit for service. " There were never," says Percy, " Englishmen left in a foreign country in such misery as we were." Before autumn, fifty died, nearly half their number, among whom was Gosnold, the projector of the settlement. Discontent natu- rally arose ; Wingfield, the president, was accused of living in plenty while others were perishing, and even of meditating a departure. On these charges he was deposed, and his place supplied by Ratcliffe, who, being of an easy tem- per, left the whole management to Smith, which was what the colonists desired. This gentleman justly considered sustenance the most important object, in search of which he proceeded with a party down the river. The natives treated them with derision, " as famished men, and holding out morsels of bread, asked Fio. 23.— Indian Wurrio . far them swords, muskets, and other valuables."' Unable to succeed by lai) means, he discharged a volley, which caused them immediately to seek me sheher of the woods. Landing at a village, he found food in abundance ; bui 56 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY forbade his people to encumber themselves with it, foreseeing the immediate re- turn of the Indians. Accordingly there soon issued forth, amid hideous noises, sixty or seventy painted savages, bearing in front their okee, an image of skins stufied with moss, and hung with copper chains. They advanced upon the English, but met so kindly a reception, that " down fell their god," divers of his worshippers lay sprawling, and the rest disappeared. Their spirit being now humbled, they sent presently a venerable character, a quiyoughcasuck, to treat for peace, and for the restoration of their idol. Smith answered, that if they would load his boat, they should be welcome not only to their okee, but to a stock of beads, hatchets, and other valuables. They cheerfully assented, and amidst singing and dancing brought not only the stipulated grain, but presents of turkey, venison, and wild fowl. Smith returned just in time to prevent Wingfield and another from seizhig a vessel and sailing to England. His supplies, with the flocks of water-fowl which came at the approach of winter, relieved their wants ; and having in his rambles discovered the great river Chickahominy, he determined to explore it to its source, not, it is said, without a hope of thereby reaching the South sea, viewed then as the grand source of wealth. He was impelled, it was imagined, by the taunts of some of his enemies in the colony, but we rather think only by his own adventurous spirit. He ascended first in his barge, then in a canoe, and twenty miles on foot attended only by his Indian guides. But three hundred natives, who had traced his steps, surprised and dispersed his party, and then came sud- denly upon himself. He made astonishing efforts for safety, and fastening with his garters a native ally to his person, presented him to the enemy as a buckler , then he ran to the canoe, which he would have reached, had he not suddenly sunk in a deep morass, where he was overtaken, and, to escape from perishing with cold, obliged to surrender. He had now reason to consider his last hour approaching, and a circle had in fact been formed to shoot him. With characteristic presence of mind he asked for the chief, showed his compass-dial, pointed out its singular movements, and endeavored to explain the corresponding phenomena of the earth and sky. Whether they understood these indications or not, they were awed with aston ishment as if admitted to contemplate a supernatural object. On a signal from their leader, they laid down their bows and arrows, and led him under strict guard to their capital. He was there exhibited to the women and children ; and a wild war-dance was performed round him, in fantastic measures, and with frightful yells and contortions. He was then shut up in a long house, and sup- plied at every meal with as much bread and venison as would have dined twenty men ; but, receiving no other sign of kindness, he began to dread that they were fattening in order to eat him. Even without such a precise purpose, this festive entertainment is known among savages to be no uncommon prelude to torture and death. They asked his aid in reducing Jamestown, while he sought an op- portunity of making his way thither. In the course of this manoeuvring, a mes- sage sent to that place gave him an opportunity to display the powers of writing, which was considered by them as a species of magical spell. At length, after being paraded and exhibited in various villages, he was led to Pamunkey, the residence of Powhatan. It was here his doom was sealed. The chief received him in pomp, wrapt in a spacious robe of rackoon skins, with all the tails hanging down. Behind appeared two long lines of men and women, with faces painted red, heads decked with white down, and necks quite encircled by chains of beads. A lady of rank presented water to wash his hands, another a bunch of feathers to dry them. A long deliberation was then held, and the result proved fatal. Two large stones were placed before Powhatan, and by the united ef forts of the attendants Smith was dragged to the spot, his head laid on one of OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION S7 ^8 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY 'Ih iliilfi Fio. 25 — Portrait of Pochahontas them, and the mighty club was raised, a few blows of which were to terminate his life In this last extremity, when every hope seemed past, a very unex- pected interposition took, place. Pocahontas, the youthful and favorite daughtei of this savage chief, was seized with those tender emotions which form the or- nament of her sex. Advancing to her father, she in the most earnest terms supplicated mercy for the stranger : and though ail her entreaties were lost on that savage heart, her zeal only redoubled. She ran to Smith, took his head in her arms, laid her own upon it, and declared that the first death-blow must fall upon her. The barbarian's breast was at length softened, and the life of the Englishman was spared. Our adventurer, being naturally expected to render some services in return for so great a boon, employed himself in making hatchets, beads, and other orna- ments for the father and daughter. At the end of two days he was conducted into a large house, where, amid hideous and doleful noises, Powhatan rushed in, with two hundred attendants, strangely disguised and their faces blackened 60 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Smith again thought his last hour had come, but the chief announced these as signs of peace and friendship ; and he was forthwith sent to Jamestown on the sole condition of transmitting thence two culverins and a millstone, a promise faithfully fulfilled. He agaip arrived at a critical moment. A majority of the colonists, impatient of continued hardship and privation, had determined to prepare a pinnace, and set sail for their native country. He took the most energetic steps to arrest this course, having, with the aid of some faithful adherents, pointed a gun at the ves- sel, and declared she must either stop or sink. A conspiracy was then formed against him ; but by his vigilance he detected it, and sent the ringleaders to England. The fair Pocahontas continued her generous kindness, and came every four or five days with provisions, which relieved their wants and revived their spirits. They were soon still farther cheered by ihe arrival of Captain Newport, with one hundred and twenty emigrants and liberal supplies. The company, however, now impatiently endured their heavy expenses, and the ab- sence of all prospect of marketable returns. Gold was still viewed as the main source of wealth, and many of the new-comers had been selected on account of their supposed skill in its discovery. Naturally desiring to satisfy their em- ployers, they thought they perceived in a certain yellow glittering earth this precious ore. Thenceforth all sober industry was thrown aside : " Dig gold, wash gold, refine gold," was the universal cry. Smith lamented to see the whole attention of the settlers attracted by this " gilded dirt," but could not pre- vent them from putting a large portion on board, and some time elapsed before they were apprized that a skilful examination had proved it utterly worthless. Fortunately perhaps, no rumor seems ever to have reached them of the real gold in the mountainous country, whence they were indeed more distant than the first colonists Newport, on learning the friendly intercourse with Powhatan, sent liberal presents, and was invited to visit that savage potentate. He found the monarch surrounded by twenty-two fair ladies, lavishly painted and decked with beads. A courteous traffic was opened, in which Smith considered the captain as over- reached, particularly in afterward acceding to a request for twenty swords, dan- gerous weapons to put into such hands. The latter, after remaining fourteen weeks, departed without being able to collect any other cargo besides cedar- wood, and the yellow earth of which such illusory hopes were entertained. Smith now undertook the important task of exploring the Chesapeake to its head, not only with the view of tracing the limits of the colony, but still more from the hope of an inlet opening into the South sea, and affording a passage tc India. In a small barge of only two tons, he steered across to Cape Charles, and began to survey the eastern shore. Here, and at other places, he had sharp conflicts with the natives ; and, we suspect, did not altogether follow that con- ciliatory course ascribed to him by his panegyrists. On meeting any new tribe, his first step is stated to have been to demand their arms and one of their chil- dren ; and, on refusal, they were treated as enemies. It can not surely appear surprising that there should have been some hesitation in complying with such requisitions. In general the people received the English with much surprise, asking " what they were, and what they would." Finding the eastern coast obstructed by rocks and other difficulties, he crossed to the western and pro- ceede ivere highly pleased, finding a commodious harbor, a land well wooded, vines, cherries, and berries, lately planted, and a hill cleared for corn. There was no navigable stream, but several brooks of fresh water fell into the sea. They ad- vanced seven or eight miles into the country without seeing any Indians. They now finally fixed upon this spot, to which, on the 19th, the vessel was brought round ; and they named it New Plymouth, to commemorate hospitalities received at home. The erection of houses, however, was a hard task, amid severe weather, short days, and very frequent storms. By distributing the un- married among the several families, they reduced the buildings wanted to nine teen, and by the 10th January had completed one, twenty feet square, for public meetings. The exposure, however, and wading through the wator in such i.i- clement weather, brought on severe illnesses, to which Carver, a governor highly esteemed, and many others, fell victims. But on the 3d March a south wind sprung up ; the weather became mild ; the birds sung in the woods most pleas- antly ; the invalids quickly recovered ; and many of them lived to a good old age. In the autumn of 1621, the merchants sent out another vessel with thirty-five settlers ; but misled by " prodigal reports of plenty" sent home by certain colo- nists, they supplied no provisions ; nay, the crew required to be provided with a portion for their return voyage. The consequence was, that in the course of the winter the colonists were reduced to a half allowance of corn daily, then to five kernels a-piece ; lastly, to entire want. Equally destitute of live stock, they depended wholly on wild animals. Till May, 1622, fowls abounded; but there 70 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY remained tlieii merely fish, which they had not nets to catch ; and it was oul} by feeding on the shell species, collected among the rocks, that they were pre- served frjm absolute starvation. The emigrants had seen the natives only in the shor . hostile encounter, bu afterward learned that a severe pestilence had thinned their numbers. Tho crime of Hunt also had filled the country with horror and dread of the strangers. To their surprise, on the 16th March, 1621, a savage almost naked, in the most confident manner, walked through the village, and addressed those he met in broken English. They crowded round him, and on their eager inquiry, learned that his name was Samoset ; that he belonged to the VVampanoags, a somewhat distant tribe ; and that their immediate neighbors were the people of Massassoit and the Nausites, the latter of whom had been the assailants in the late conflict. They treated him liberally with strong waters and food, presented him with a great-coat, knife, and ornaments, and begged him to return with some of his countrymen. After a brief absence, he appeared with " five proper men," pre Fig. 29.— Tattooed Indian. aenting .he usual grotesque attire and ferocious aspect. They all heartily danced and sung. A few days later he brought Squanto, whose restoration to his native coimtry had rendered him extremely friendly to the English. Being ready to act as interpreter and mediator, he opened a communication with Massassoit • and on the 22d March, that great sagamore, with Quadequina his brothe*-, and sixty men, was announced as in the vicinity. Difficulties were felt as to the meeting from want of mutual confidence ; however, Squanto having brought an invitation to parley, Edward Winslow went with presents, and was kindly re- ceived. The governor, then, after obtaining some Indians as hostages, marched out at the head of six musketeers, kissed liaiids with the great chief", and pre- sented a bottle of strong waters, of which he drank somewhat too copiously. A treaty was concluded, both of abstinence from mutual injury, and protection against others ; and it was long faithfully observed. Two of the settlers now accepted an invitation to visit his residence. Aftei 'JF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIOiN. 71 k laborious journey of filteen miles through trackless woods, they were received with great courtesy, but found a total deficiency of victuals, of which it seems the king's absence had prevented any supply. At night they were honored by sharing the royal couch, which consisted of a large board, covered with a thin mat. At the other end lay his majesty and the queen ; and they had soon the additional company of two chiefs, who, with a large colony of fleas and other insects, and the uncouth songs with which their bedfellows lulled themselves to rest, rendered their slumbers very brief. Next day, two large bream were spread on the table • but " forty expected a share." Though strongly urged, they ds- clined to partake any longer of these hospitalities. It was discovered, however, that Squanto was completely abusing their con- fidence ; telling his countrymen that but for him the English would kill the In- dians ; and that they kept the plague locked up in their store-house, which only his intercession prevented from being let loose. On this being known, the ut- most pains were taken, and successfully, to undeceive the people. In February, 1622, the settlers had completely enclosed their town, forming four bulwarks and three gates. They were some time after alarmed by hearing that Mas- sassoit, now at the point of death, was likely to be succeeded by his son Couba- tant, whose disposition was far from friendly. Edward Winslow hastened to the spot, and found the magicians busy at their incantations, and six or eight woman chafing him amidst hideous yells. The chief, already blind, cried out : " Oh, Winslow, I shall never see thee again !" That gentleman, however, by suitable medicines, gave present relief, and in a few days effected a cure. Even the heir-apparent being promised similar aid in case of need, became greatly reconciled to them. Meantime, Weston, one of the London adventurers, had sent out a settle- ment consisting of sixty individuals to a place which they named Weymouth ; but they behaved so ill to the Indians, that the latter entered into a general con- federacy to cut off" all the English. This was revealed by Massassoit to his friends at Plymouth, who succeeded in saving both themselves and their rivals, though the latter were obliged to relinquish their establishment, some returning home, and others joining the first colony. This last made such progress that, though reduced in the spring of 1621 to fifty or sixty persons, in 1624 it amounted to a hundred and eighty. They were, as Winslow observes, " by God's providence safely seated, housed, and fortified." They had escaped those tyrannical governors, and " bestial yea diabolical" set- tlers, who had ruined so many colonies, though he admits that it was vain as yet to hope for profit. The merchants, however, complained most loudly, that they had laid out a large capital without receiving or having any prospect of the slightest return. After much discussion, it was determined that the colonists should now supply themselves with everything, and for past services should, during nine years, pay £200 annually. Eight adventurers, on receiving a mo- nopoly of the trade for six years, undertook to meet this engagement j so that the settlers were now established in the full property of their lands. In six years more their number had risen to three hundred. The Plymouth company meantime continued their abortive effbrts to derive ajme benefit from their vast domains ; being particularly solicitous to stop the acti^ 5 rade and fishery carried on in defiance of them. Francis West was ap pointed admiral, and Robert Gorges lieutenant-general of New England, with strict injunctions to restrain interlopers ; but in an ocean and continent almost equally wide and waste, they could effect little. The most important grant was to Robert, son of Sir Ferdinand Gorges, who, obtaining a large portion of what is now called New Hampshire, employed Captain Mason, a person of great ac- tivity, to colonize it ; and hence were built Dover and Portsmouth on the Pis 2 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY cataqua. These, however, made only a slow progress ; nor was it till the df ath of their founders, that, being left nearly to themselves, they drew gradual acces sions both from home and the adjoining colony. The crews also, who sought timber and fish on the coast of Maine, began to form fixed stations on the Penob- scot and Kennebec. Levett, who visited America in 1623, strongly recommends this course, asserting that a settlement on shore might take twice the quantity of fish that a ship can do at sea, and have still seven months for other employ- ment. He gives a warning, at that time too much neglected, that they must carry out eighteen months' provisions, and work hard for a fresh supply. The emigration, however, which was to render New England a flourishing colony, was again derived from the suspicion and dread which always attend religious persecution. It seems to have abated toward the end of James's reigft, Abbot, the primate, being a man of mild temper, and averse to violent measures. In 1625, Charles I. succiseded, a young prince of virtuous dispositions, but of obstinate and despotic temper, attached with a conscientious but blind zeal to the English church, and probably imbibing from his queen Henrietta some favor for popish ceremonies. He threw himself into the arms of Laud, bishop of Lon- don, a zealot in the same cause, and they entered together on a career oppres- sive to the nation, and ultimately fatal to themselves. The body of the people and clergy having become more and more Calvinistic, that creed had obtained among both a great majority. It was accompanied with a strictness, and even preciseness as to morals and conduct, which procured them the name of Puri- tans ; also with a peculiar aversion to everything which had the least aspect of popery. Laud proceeded with the utmost severity not only against the new doctrine, but against any particular display of it, such as preaching on week- days, enforcing a rigid observance of the sabbath, rebuking for drunkenness, or other open sin. These steps were sufficient, according to circumstances, to produce censure, suspension, and deprivation. Nor was he content with the church as he had found it, but introduced new ceremonies and vestments, closely approximating to the Romish standard. These mandates, though the most odious, were also the most strongly urged, and their omission the most rigidly punished. All the popular ministers in the kingdom were thus either silenced or under immediate peril of this sentence ; and hence a great part of the nation was deprived of any ministration which they considered profitable or edifying. Yet loyalty was still powerful, and they were not ripe for that terrible resistance, to which they were afterward impelled. Their only refuge seemed to be in some distant region, whither the power of Laud could not reach, and where they might enjoy a form of worship which they esteemed pure and scriptural. In 1625, Roger Conant, with some mercantile aid, but chiefly inspired by re- ligious zeal, had established a body of settlers near Cape Anne ; their sufierings» however, were so severe, that they determined to return to England. White, however, an eminent minister of Dorchester, entreated him to remain, promising that he should receive a patent, friends, goods, provisions, and everything he could desire. This zealous clergyman held communication with many persons in his own neighborhood, in London, and other quarters, particularly Lincoln- shire ; who, with zeal for religious purity, united energy of character, and in many cases considerable property. They found no difliculty in purchasing from the Plymouth company an extensive tract, including all the coast between the rivers Charles and Merrimac, and across to the Pacific ocean. They even obtained, though not without cost and trouble, a charter from Charles, under the title of " The Company of the Massachusetts Bay." On the delicate topic of religion, the governor was empowered, but not required, to administer the oath of supremacy ; and there was no other mention of the subject. Some eminent hi'ilorians have therefore thought that the colonists went out without any secu OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 73 74 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY rity whatever on a matter deemed by them so supremely important. To us i appears evident that, under all the circumstances, this silence implied a full as- surance of their not beinjr disturbed. In fact, they took with them a silenced minister, and on their arrival immediately began to exercise uncontrolled liberty, without drawing upon themselves any penal proceedings. We have seen, on every occasion, the vast sacrifices which princes were willing to make, in order to people their distant possessions ; and the backwardness hitherto visible as to New England rendered the necessity of encouragement more urgent. It was probably also imagined, that a few of the most discontented spirits being thus removed, the nation in general might become more peaceable. On the 1st May, 1629, six vessels, having on board about two hundred pas- sengers, including four clergymen, sailed from the Isle of Wight. Smith would evidently have been glad to co-operate ; but difference of religious views seems again to have prevented negotiation. He describes them " an absolute crew, onlv of the elect, holding all but such as themselves as reprobate ;" and before sailing, all those persons were dismissed whose character was thought to make them unsuitable companions. The seamen were surprised and edified by the new scene which their ships presented — prayer and exposition of the Word two or three times a day ; the sabbath entirely spent in preaching and catechising , repeated and solemn fasts for the success of the voyage. They arrived on the 24th June, and found only eight or ten hovels, which, with others scattered along the coast, contained about one hundred settlers. A site, already marked out, had its name changed from Nahumkeik to Salem ; while a large party removed to Mishaum, which they called Charlestown. The colonists suffered severely during the winter under the usual evils of a new settlement, especially in so rigorous a climate. No fewer than eighty died ; yet the spirits of the rest continued unbroken, and they transmitted by no means unfavorable reports to England. Mr. Higgeson, the principal clergyman, was one of the victims ; yet he had previously prepared a narrative, which painted the country under the most flattering colors, as " a wonderment, outstripping the increase of Egypt — yielding from thirty to sixty fold ; the ears of corn nowhere so great and plentiful." He adds, " Shall such a man as I lie 1 It becometh not a preacher of the truth to be a writer of falsehood in any degree." Yet the picture was much too highly colored, though we hope not intentionally. At home it was extensively read, and produced a strong impression. An extraor- dinary movement had in fact taken place among those to whom their religious welfare was an object of paramount interest ; and their promptitude to remove was greatly increased by an arrangement, according to which the meetings of the company might be held in New England. The colonists thus carried the charter along with them, and were entirely released from all dependance upon Great Britain. A body of emigrants was formed, much superior to their prede- cessors in numbers, wealth, education, and intelligence. The principal lay members were Winthrop, Dudley, and Johnston ; the two first of whom were successively governors, while the other was accompanied by his wife. Lady Arabella, a daughter of the house of Lincoln. The party thus assembled from various quarters was reac^y to sail early in the spring of 1630. The expedition consisted of seventeen vessels, and nearly fif- teen hundred settlers, who were respectable as well for their intelligence as for their rank in society. They published an account of their motives for removal, taking an afTectionate leave of their friends in England, in which they said, " Our eyes shall be fountains of tears for your everlasting welfare, while we are in our poor cottages in the wilderness." They went, however, with little ex perience in the mysteries of settlement, and without any suspicion of their own Iterance. Smith intimates that he saw clearly the errors which they, were OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. -5 Fro. 31. — Portrait of Governor Winthrop. ecmmitting, but no regard was paid to his warning voice. They had received a false impression, for which Mr. Higgeson must be partly blamed, that they were going to a land already in the enjoyment of plenty ; whereas the existing settlers were looking anxiously to them for supplies. Want of food and shelter, and a change in the habits of life, which with many of them had been those of ease and comfort, produced the usual distressing consequences ; and in the first month from eighty to one hundred died, among whom Lady Arabella and her husband were particularly lamented. The hopes of religion, the firmness of the leaders, and the high motives by which they were inspired, carried them through this period of heavy trial. They spread themselves over the coast — a large proportion going to Charleston. Part of these were attracted by a situation ai the very head of the bay, named by the Indians Shawmut, where they founded a town called first Trimountain, and afterward Boston, under which name it has become a populous and flourishing city. The relations of the colonists with the Indian tribes were not so satisfactory as the character of the settlers might have led us to hope. Almost from the first establishment of Connecticut, mutual wrongs had created an animosity between the settlers and the Pequods, the most powerful of all the tribes, who sought, by an alliance with their enemies, the Narragansets, to form a general league against them. This scheme had nearly succeeded, when it was frustrated by the generous exertions of Williams. The English at first were taken by sur- prise, had several small detachments cut off, and were so closely hemmed in that they could not go to their work or even to church without a strong escort. Captains Mason and Underbill, however, having come up with seventy men, de- termined to attack their main fort, surrounded by a palisade of strong trees, but so loosely put together that musketry could penetrate it. The assailants having forced an entrance, set fire to the camp, which was soon reduced to ashes, and above three hundred Indians, men, women, and children, perished in the ruins. The English, whose loss was trifling, pursued the remnant of the tribe from place to place, till the whole were either killed or taken prisoners. Forty who 76 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Had sought rti'uge among the Mohawks, were given up by these savages, and the few others who remained alive surrendered in despair. After the terror inspired by this dreadful overthrow, tranquillity continued nearly forty years. The Massachusetts government maintained friendly relations with the Indians, allowing them even when unconverted to settle within its juris- diction. The conditions required, as stated by Winthrop, with their answers, are somewhat curious : — They were not to blaspheme, but to revere the true God. — Ans. They would always desire to speak reverentially of the English- men's God, who did so much better for them than other gods did for their wor- shippers. They should not work on the sabbath. — Ans. They worked so little any day, that they need not object to this article. They should not swear false- ly. — Ans. They never swore at all. They should not permit murder, lying, or other crimes. — Ans. All these they condemned already. A number of them, as will be afterward observed, were even converted to Christianity. A disposition arose to imitate the English, and even to assume their names ; those of King Philip, Stonewall John, and Sagamore Sam, were borne l)y powerful chiefs. As the colonists multiplied, and the circle of settlement extended, the natives could not but feel for how paltry a price they had sold their once spacious birth- right. The enlarged frontier afforded new occasions of dispute ; and the Indians, when wronged, instead of appealing to the general court, took vengeance with their own hands. When charged with offences, they were tried according to the rigor of English law — a treatment altogether foreign to their ideas. There was no general confederacy, nor even any deliberate purpose of commencing hostilities. A member of one of the tribes, having given information against certain of his countrymen, fell a victim to their resentment; but the murderers were condemned to death by a jury, of whom half were Indians. In revenge, a small party of English were surprised and slain ; and immediately war broke out along the whole border. The Indians were now much more formidable than in the first contest. Du- ring the long interval they had eagerly sought to procure the superior arms wielded by Europeans ; and commercial avidity had supplied them. They had attained no discipline, and could not contend in the open field ; but the English 60on learned to dread an enemy whose habitations, says Mather, " were the dark places of the earth ;" who, at moments the most unexpected, rushing from the depth of forests, surrounded and overwhelmed them. The war began with the burning of frontier villages, and the slaughter of detached parties. Beers, one of the bravest captains, was surprised and killed with twenty of his follow- ers. Then came a more " black and fatal day." Lothrop commanded with reputation a body of fine young men, the flower of the county of Essex, who, having piled their arms on wagons, were securely reposing and plucking grapes when the alarm was given. After a desperate resistance they were cut ofi', only a mere handful escaping. This was followed by the " Springfield misery." That village, the most important on the boundary, was broken into, and every building reduced to ashes, except a large one, which, being slightly fortified supplied a refuge to the inhabitants. Others soon shared the same fate, in cir- cumstances still more tragical. A boast was at first made that no place with a church had been sacked, but this was soon belied ; and the Indians, according to ideas prevalent among savages, considered themselves at war at once with the English and with their gods. In a captured village, their first step was to reduce the meeting-house to ashes ; and in torturing their captives, they deride* the objects of their worship, for the want of power to save them. After kill- ing the men, they carried away the women and children ; and, though the honor of the fornier was not threatened, they were treated with dreadful cruelty. Foi example they were compelled to follow rapid marches, which at this time were OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIJN 77 * le'^uep', ap when found unequal to the effort, were killed at once by blows on vhe hoad. The colonists were doubly perplexed and dismayed by these disasters. Im- 'vued with k belief, beyond what the usual course of Providence justifies, that every calamity was a judgment for some great iniquity, they anxiously sought /vhy " the Lord no longer went forth with their armies," Mather quotes a letter rom a leading man in the camp, imputing it to the luxury which wealth had woduced among the citizens of Bobion — " their intolerable pride in clothes ind hair," and the multiplication of taverns. The neglect of religion and of its ninisters was of course blamed ; unfortunately, too, the increase of schism and .ven the slender toleration which had begun to be granted. Days of fasting vere appointed ; but they were astounded when one of the most solemn was oUowed by the catastrophe of Lothrop, from which they drew the salutary mference that " praying without reforming would not do." These views did not prevent them from using regular means of warfare, of which the attack of the fortified villages was found the most effective. In the midst of winter, one thousand men marched against the mainhold of the Narragansets. They rushed to the onset ; and after a dreadful conflict it was carried, and reduced to ashes — the Indians perishing in vast numbers. But the colonists, appalled by their own loss of three hundred killed and wounded, including their six bravest leaders, retreated in great confusion : the enemy, however, were overwhelmed by their disaster, which they never fully recovered. In spring, indeed, they re- sumed their wonted warfare, but with diminished means and spirit ; and in May, another of their principal settlements was destroyed. Driven from their cultivated spots, and finding shelter only in woods and marshes, they suffered increasing hardships and privations. Discontent and disunion were the conse- quence ; several of the tribes began to make their submission, when pardon was granted. Two hundred laid down their arms at Plymouth ; and Sagamore John came in with one hundred and eighty, bringing also Matoonas, accused as the author of this dreadful war. In the course of it had been formed skilful officers, particularly Captain Church, who displayed singular talents in this desultory contest. In August he came up with Philip himself, who was completely routed, and fled almost alone. Hunted from place to place, he was traced to the centre of a morass, where he was betrayed and shot by one of his own people. The spirit of the Indians then entirely sunk ; and all who survived either emigrated to a distance, or submitted without reserve to the English power. XI. Notwithstanding the paramount importance to which New York has at- tained, its early settlement was not accompanied by such striking circumstances as marked those of some other colonies. About the year 1600, the attention of the English and Dutch had been direct- ed to the discovery of a northern passage to India, which they hoped might at once be shorter, and enable them to escape the still formidable hostility of Spain. After this object had been vainly pursued by Frobisher, Davis, Barentz, and other navigators, it was resumed by Henry Hudson. Though a native of Hol- land, he was first employed by a company of English merchants, when he made the daring effort to cross the pole itself, and penetrated farther in that direction than any of his predecessors ; but the icy barriers compelled him to return. He next attempted ai: eastern passage, between Nova Zembla and Spitzbergen, but again failed. His patrons in London then lost courage ; but he, animated by the same ardor, solicited and obtained from the Dutch East India Company a small vessel named the Crescent, to renew his researches. After another abortive en- deavor at an eastern passage, he appears to have finally renounced that object ; and steering toward the west, began to explore the American coast, from New foundland southward. It had, indeed, been to a great extent both discovered Fio. 32.— Portrait of King Philip, the last of the Wampanoagi. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 79 and settled, yet not in such continuity as to preclude the hope of finding a deep bay leading to the Pacific, and through it to the East Indies. In the beghining of July, he reached the Great bank, and continued his course cautiously along the shores of Acadia. In forty-four degrees he touched at the mouth of a spacious river, which appears to have been the Penobscot, where the French were found carrying on a very active trade. In passing Cape Cod, his people landed at several points, and held intercourse with the natives. They then pursued their course through the open sea, till, on the 17th of August, they came in sight of a low land, and soon afterward found themselves off the bar of James river, where they understood that the English had formed a settlement. No opening having yet occurred, it seemed expedient to return northward, keeping closer to the coast. They found it running northwest, and entered a great bay with rivers evidently that of Delaware. The water was so shoally, however, as to prevent its exploration, unless in pinnaces drawing only four or five feet. They pro- ceeded therefore to the coast now called New Jersey, and were involved in the range of islands running parallel to it. The navigation was very difficult on ac- count of storms and frequent shallows. At length Hudson came to a continuous land, good and pleasant, rising boldly from the sea, and bounded by high hills. He appeared to discover the mouths of three great rivers, which, however, could only be different channels, separated by islands, of the great stream now bearing his name. Boats were sent to sound the most northern of them, which was found to afford a good depth of water. They entered it, and were soon visited by large parties of natives in canoes, when a friendly exchange took place, of tobacco and maize for knives and beads. Unfortunately, a boat being sent to examine one of the other channels, was assailed by twenty of the savages in two skiffs, one of the seamen killed, and two wounded. This unhappy event poisoned the future intercourse with the Indians, whose friendly professions were henceforth considered as made only with a view to betray them. At one place, twenty-eight canoes, full of men, women, and children, approached and made overtures for trade ; but their intentions being considered evil, they were not allowed to come on board. In ascending, the Hudson was found to be a noble stream, a mile broad, and bordered by lofty mountains. Seventeen days after entering it, the vessel, being embarrassed by shoals, stopped at a point where a small city has since been built, bearing the name of the discoverer. A boat sailed eight or nine leagues higher, somewhat above the site of Albany, where it was clear that the ship could not proceed farther. In this upper tract, the in- tercourse with the natives was very friendly, and even the suspicions of the crew were lulled. One party came on board, who, being freely treated with wine ard atjuavitge, became all merry, and one completely tipsy, the effects of which caused to his companions the greatest surprise. On the way down, they were repeatedly attacked by the large body which in ascending had excited their jealousy. On each occasion, a discharge of musketry, killing two or three, caused all the rest to take flight. On leaving the river, Hudson made directly for Europe, and arrived at Dartmouth on the 7th November, 1609. He transmitted to the Dutch company a flattering report of the country which he had discovered, strongly recommending a settlement. It has even been said, that he sold his rights to them, which seems quite erroneous, as in fact he could not be said to possess any. He was not even allowed to follow up this impor- tant discovery, but was obliged again to seek employment S'rom the English mer- chants. By them, in 1610, he was sent out on that remarkable voyage, during which he explored the great bay to which his name is attached, but unhappily fell a sacrifice to the mutiny of a turbulent crew. The Dutch, however, in virtue of this discovery, claimed the country, and in 1610 a few individuals fitted out a vessel for traffic Several stations were OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Sh (ormccl on *.he island of Manhattan (the name then given to New York), bal no attempt was made to colonize. In 1613, they were visited by Argall, the ad venturous English captain, who compelled them to own the dominion of his country ; but as no steps were taken to follow up this advantage, they continued as before to trade with the natives, and consider the land their own. In 1614, a grant of exclusive commerce was made to a company of merchants, who there- upon erected a rude fort, and pushed their operations as high as Albany. They appeal at the same time to have formed a station at the mouth of the Connecti- cut. In 1620, an American settlement was attempted on a grander scale, by the for- mation of the Dutch West India Company, incorporated for twenty-four years. Their privileges included the whole western coast of Africa, as far as the Cape, with all the eastern shores of America, from Newfoundland to the Straits ot Magellan. Over this vast extent they had the exclusive right to conclude trea- ties, carry on war, and exercise all the functions of government No notice was taken in the grant, that the whole of this territory was claimed, and many parts occupied, by other European nations ; nor did the government, in making this vast donation of what was not their own, promise the means of placing it in the company's hands. Their possessions, accordingly, were fiercely disputed, ana most precariously held. The weakness of the Portuguese crown enabled them to grasp large portions of its territory in Brazil and on the African coast. In North America, they did not venture to measure their strength with the English but were content silently to enlarge their stations on the Hudson, which the lat- ter showed no disposition to occupy. The country was called New Nether- lands ; and an increasing cluster of cottages, where New York now stands, was named New Amsterdam. As yet there was nothing that could be denominated a colony ; but in 1629, government interposed to establish one on a considerable scale. It was planned on quite an aristocratic basis ; for though lands were granted to detached set- tlers, the chief dependance was on opulent individuals, who were expected to carry out bodies of tenants at their own expense ; and those who should trans- port fifty became lords of manors, holding the absolute property of the lands thus colonized. They might even possess tracts sixteen miles long, ar d be furnished with negroes, if they could profitably do so. Several of them began to found these manors ; two, Godyn and De Vries, led out thirty settlers to the head of the Delaware, laying the first foundation of that state ; but the latter having vis ited home, found on his return that it had been attacked by the Indians, and to- tally destroyed. The whole colony was unprosperous, and very hard pressed on different sides. The New England settlement in Connecticut soon surround- ed their little station, obliged them to give ^''ay, and even to abandon part of Long Island. At the same time, the Sv,^ed<..-, then in the height of their power, under Gustavus Adolphus, plaimed a sett, ement, which was zealously supported by that great monarch, who subscribed 400,000 dollars in its favor. They fixed on the bay of Delaware ; and thou^a Kieft, the governor sent from Holland, en- tered a protest, he did not venture to employ force against the conqueror of Lut- zen. Moreover, Lord Baltimore, having just obtained his patenJ extending northward to the latitude of forty degrees, intimated his claim to nearly the whole of the Dutch territory. All these annoyances, however, were small com pared to the Indian war, in which the atrocious violence of Kieft involved tlie rc'lony. Attacking by surprise a party who had shown some hostile dispositii>ns, he commenced a general massacre, in which nearly a hundred perished. Hence raged during two years a contest, accompanied by the usual horrors and calami- ties, and which effectually checked the progress of New Netherlands. A.t hmgtb k treaty was negotiated, in which the five nations were included. 6 82 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY A few years after, in 1646, the governor was recalled, to the great satisfaction of the people, and was succeeded by Sluyvesant, a military officer of distinction brave, honest, and with some tincture of letters. Adopting a wise and humane policy toward the Indians, he succeeded in obviating any disturbance from thai quarter. By negotiation with the company, he obtained a release from those trannnels by which commerce had hitherto been fettered, substituting moder.ite duties on exports and imports. He suflered, however, much trouble from the English, who were continually extending their frontier on and beyond the Con- necticut, and set scarcely any limit to their claims. The settlers discouraged greatly any idea of going to war with so powerful a neighbor, and exhorted him to gain the best terms he coidd by treaty. By large concessions he obtained a provisional compact, which was never indeed ratified in England, yet obtained for his people some security. Stuyvesant then turned his eyes on the other sidf, to the Swedish colony, which had prospered and become a commercial rival It was much inferior, however, to New Netherlands, while the death of Gusta vus and of his great ministers and generals, succeeded by the fantastic sway ul Christina, rendered her country no longer formidable. He, therefore, with the sanction of his employers, determined to reannex it, ibr which some violent pro- ceedings on the pa-rt of Rising, the governor, afforded a fair pretext. Having assembled a force of 600 men, he marched into New Sweden, as it was termed, which, after a siiort resistance, renounced that name, and became incorporated with the Dutch dependency. A few of the settlers returned to their native country ; the rest yielded to the mild sway of the conqueror. Stuyvesant was next annoyed by Lord Baltimore, who could boast that his charter entitled him to extend his borders to New England, leaving no room whatever for New Netherlands ; but as his pretensions were not supported by any adequate force, they were easily evaded. The company, though they did not grant any political franchises to the colo- nists, took great care to have them well governed, and to check those despotic practices in which Stuyvesant from his military habits, was prone to indulge. They prohibited likewise all persecution, and studied to make the country a reiuge for professors of every creed. From France, the Low Countries, the Rhine, Northern Germany, Bohemia, the mountains of Piedmont, the sulfering protestants flocked to this transatlantic asylum. Even the New Eiiglanders, al- lured by the fine climate and fertile soil, arrived in great numbers, and formed entire villages. It therefore became expedient to have a secretary of their na- tion, and to issue proclamations in French and English, as well as Dutch. To augment the variety, the company introduced as many negro slaves as they con veniently could. New York became, as Mr. Bancroft terms it, a city of the world ; its inhabitants termed themselves a blended community of various line- age. Unluckily for the Dutch, the protestants of that age carried generally with them an ardent attachment to civil liberty, which was pushed to its utmost height by those of New England. Their views soon found favor in the eyes even of the Hollanders ; lor, though some of the mere opulent were adverse to any very broad popular institutions, they could not forbear joining in the objection to be taxed without their own consent. Innovations of this nature, it appeared, were agreeable neither to the company nor the governor. The colonists, having sem over a deputation to the former, obtained a few municipal privileges, but none Oi the rights of a representative government. Such was their perseverance, how over, that they erected one for themselves, by calling two deputies from each village ; and the body thus assembled presented a remonstrance to Stuyvesant, claiming that their consent should be necessary to the enactment of new laws and even to the appointment oi' officers. He received this address extremely lU, and biv.erlv reproached them with yielding to the visionary notions of the FlO. 34. — Portrait of Peter Stuyvesaut. 84 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY New Englanders ; stating that the laws were good, and would continue to be well executed, but coidd not be allowed to emanate from the wavering multitude He derived his authority only from God and the West India Company, who would never become responsible to the'r own subjects. The remonstrants were therefore commanded, under a severe penalty, inniiediately to disperse. In this the company firmly supported their governor, directing that the people should no longer indulge the visionary dream that taxes could be imposed only with theii own consent. They, however, cherished a deep dissatisfaction, which, though i did not break out into open violence, indisposed them to make any exertions in support of a government under which they enjoyed no rights. This became of a serious consequence in the crisis that was now approaching. Considering the long and embittered hostility of England against the Dutch, it may appear wonderful that she did not sooner attempt the conquest of a valuable nossession, to which she had so plausible a ttle. Cromwell, in fact, had projected Fig. 35.— I'oiUait mOlivcr Cromwell. H, but was diverted by other objects. Charles II., always prejudiced against tnat people, soon adopted the same resolution ; and even before any measure was taken for conquering the country, he included it in a grant made to his brother James, of the territory from the Kennebec to the St. Croix, and from the Connecticut to the Delaware. To make good this donation. Sir Robert Nichols was sent out with an expedition, to be reinforced by a detachment from another colony. The Dutch had for some time foreseen the crisis ; but unwilling to ex pend their funds in sending troops, they urged the governor to seek means of defence within his own dominions. This, from circumstances already stated, was exceedingly difficult ; and though Stuyvesant, in this emergency, granted their demand for a representative assembly, it was too late to inspire confidence and the people declined making any sacrifices to repel a power from whom they hoped more liberal treatment. In Aug-ust, 1G64, Nichols cast anchor in iace of New Amsterdam, having landed part of his troops on Long Island. Ht. imme- OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 85 diately summoned the city to surrender, guarantying to the people *heir property the rights of citizens, their ancien* laws and usages. The governor attempted by delay and negotiation to parry the blow ; but the other declined all discus sion, and the principal inhabitants, headed by Winthrop from Connecticut, as- sembling in the town-hall, determined against offering any resistance. They drew up articles of surrender conformable to the demand of the English cifficer, which, however, Stuyvesant refused to sign till the place was actually in the enemy's hands. XII. The history of New England exhibits the extravagance indulged in by the quakers. Carrying to an undue length that religious movement which produced the Reformation, they relinquished a proper regard not only to forms and ordinances, but to reason, and, in some degree, to scripture, yielding them- selves in a great measure to the guidance of visions and inward illuminations. They constituted at this period, as already observed, the extreme of the ultra- protestant section, which thenceforth began to recede from its too forward posi- tion. Not only did no similar sects spring up, but they themselves gradually pruned away the exaggerated features of their system. They assumed even a remarkably sedate character, and retaining still their deep devotional feeling, with only a few outward peculiarities, distinguished themselves in the walks of life by practical philanthropy. In this chastened and reformed quakerism. the lead was taken by William Penn, one ol' the most illustrious characters of modern Fig. 36 — Portrait of William Penn. limes. Born to rank and distinction, son of an admiral who had attained celeb- rity under Cromwell by the conquest of Jamaica, he embraced at college his persecuted cause, and devoted himself to it throughout his whole life. Refusing to retract or compromise his views, he was expelled from his father's house, be- coming amenable to all the rigors then enforced against eccentric modes of re- ligious Torship and teaching. He indulged at first in certain extravagances ; bu* ■ cning years, combined with extensive study, and travel over a great part ' liurope, enlarged his mind, and while retaining the same devoted attachment lO what was valuable in his system, he purified it from its principal errors. His steady course of christian kindness gained for him the general esteem of the public, and ultimately led to a reconciliation with his parent, who bequeathed tc him the whole of his property. 86 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Among the tenets of this school, which Penn at all times advocated with the utmost zeal, was that of complete liberty in religious opinion and worship. It became, indeed, a leading object of his life to render himself a shield not only to his own people but to all who on this ground were exposed to suffering and per- secution. Unable as yet fully to accomplish his end in the old world, he con- ceived the plan of providing for them, in the new continent, an asylum similar to that of their pilgrim ancestors. By founding there a state open to the votaries of every faith, he might, he hoped, fulfil his benevolent purpose, and at tht same time secure for himself a degree of importance and wealth. He possessed, in virtue of his father's services, a claim on government, estimated at jCl 6,000; but after a long delay, amid the exigencies of the court, he could not withom difficulty have rendered it effective in any shape, except for one favorable cir- cumstance. He enjoyed the favor both of Charles II. and James II., and was always a welcome guest at Whitehall. This intercourse with princes whose character was so unlike his own, excited in that age a feeling of surprise which we can scarcely avoid sharing. The most injurious surmises arose — he was represented as a papist, and even a Jesuit. He seems, however, to have clearly proved, that he never concurred in any of the illegal measures of those rulers, but employed his influence almost solely with the view of obtaining protection for those numerous sufferers in whom he took so deep an interest. Had his object been money, he must have encountered many obstacles in obtaining it from the dilapidated treasury of Charles. It was much easier to get the royal assent respecting a desert region beyond the Atlantic, whence no immediate ben- efit was to be derived. His petition, being presented in June, 1680, was referred to the agents of the Duke of York and Lord Baltimore, who declared it to be un- objectionable, provided the rights of these individuals were preserved inviolate. Penn, therefore, submitted the draft of a charter, which, after being revised by Chief Justice North and the Bishop of London, was passed under the seal-royal. It granted to him the tract in America extending northward from the 40th to the 43d degree of latitude, and five degrees of longitude westward, from a boundar}' line drawn twelve miles from Newcastle on the Delaware. Nearly the same privileges were conceded as were formerly granted to Lord Baltimore. The proprietor was empowered to dispose of the lands in fee-simple, to levy taxes with consent of the freemen or their delegates, to erect courts of justice, and (what one might scarcely have expected) to raise forces for the defence of the province by sea and land. There was reserved, however, the sovereignty of the crown, and its claim to allegiance, also an appeal from the courts to the king in council, and the right of parliament to levy custom-duties. The acts passed by the assembly and the owner were to be transmitted within five years to his majesty, and if considered unconstitutional, might be disallowed. The Bishop of London stipulated for the reception of a preacher, as soon as one should bo requested by twenty of the settlers. Invested with these ample powers, Penn proceeded to give to the colony a constitution, on a very liberal footing. A council of seventy-two, elected by the body of the people, and having a third of their number renewed every year, car- ried on the executive government, in conjunction with the proprietor, who was allowed three votes. This body was divided into four committees, of plantation, trade, justice, and education. They prepared the bills and propositions .v^'hich were submitted to the general assembly, also elected by the people. They were to sit nine days only, during eight of which they were to consider tne pro- posals made by the council, and on the ninth to pronounce their decision. This system, said to have been copied chiefly from the Oceana of Harrington, was not very well fitted for practical purposes, and had not a long duration. Penn now circulated widely his proposals through Britain., France, and Ger- OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 87 many , -he oppressed and impoverished of every class being invited to this land of promise He recommended it not only to those who suffered under religious persecution, but " to industrious laborers and handicraftsmen — ingenious spirits bw in the vv^orld — younger brothers of small inheritances, instead of haging on as retainers on their elder brothers' table and charily — lastly, to men of an uni- versal spirit, who have an eye to the good of posterity." The necessary ex- pense of conveyance was stated to be — for an adult £5, a child under twelve £2, lOs., goods £2 per ton. Those who could not afford even this moderate amount, were informed that, on engaging with emigrants of property for a service of four years, not only would their passage be defrayed, but at the end of the term they would receive 50 ac/es, at 2s. quitrent. An extent of 5,000 acres was sold for jCIOO, with 50s. quitrent, commencing only in 1684. Those who preferred might pay merely a quitrent of Id. an acre, or j£20, IBs. 8d. Smaller tracts were disposed of at corresponding prices. Poor men were allowed 50 acres at ^d. per acre. These advantageous terms, the troubled state of Europe^, and the high char- acter of the proprietor, caused his proposals to be received with general favor. An influx into America took place, such as had never been equalled since the days of the first settlers. Between 1682 and 1685, there arrived ninety sail, conveying an average of eighty "passengers, in all 7,200, beside 1,000 who had landed in 1681. They had been sent under his kinsman Markham, to take pos- session of the country, and prepare the way for the larger colony. He found no difficulty in completing the purchase of an extensive tract of land from the In dians on terms satisfactory to them, yet moderate for the buyer. In October, 1682, Penn arrived with a body of 2,000 emigrants. After some time spent in surveying his new possessions, he, in the beginning of 1683, ar- ranged a meeting with the native chiefs, under the canopy of a spacious elm tree, near the present site of Philadelphia. They appeared on the day appointed, in their rude attire, and with brandished weapons, beneath the shadow of those dense woods which covered what is now a fine and cultivated plain. On learn- ing that the English approached, they deposited their arms and sat down in groups, each tribe behind its own chieftain. Penn then stepping forward in his usual plain dress and unarmed, held forth in his hand the parchment on which *Jie treaty was engrossed. In a simple speech, he announced to them those principles of equity and amity upon which he desired that all their future inter- course should be conducted. He besought them to keep this parchment during three generations. The Indians replied, in their usual solemn and figurative lan- guage, that they would live in peace with him and with his children while the sun and moon should endure. A friendly display like this is by no means unusual in the first opening of intercourse between civilized and savage nations ; but seldom indeed does it long continue unbroken, or fail even of being succeeded by an embittered enmity. Pennsylvania afforded at least one happy exception. Her founder continued with this savage people on terms not only of peace, but of in- timate union ; he visited them in their villages, he slept in their wigwams ; they welcomed him almost as a brother. Forty years afterward they said to the governor, Sir William Keith, as the highest possible compUment : " We esteem and love you as if you were William Penn himself." What was still more won- derful, the colonists, though they had to struggle with many uncongenial spirits in their own body, succeeded in maintaining good terms with the natives ; and for nearly a century, the Indian tomaiiawk was never lifted against a people who would have considered it unlawful to return the blow. His next object was to found a capital for his new settlement. He chose a site upon a neck of land between the Schuylkill and Delaware, in a situation which appeared at once agreeable and healthy, sounding in ivater, and with OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 89 convenient river communications. He gave to it the name of Philadelphia (broth- erly love), under which it has become one of the most flourishing cities in the new world. Combining the taste for neatness and regularity characteristic of his people, with a love of rural nature, he planned a town composed of parallel streets, each a hundred feet broad, crossed by others also spacious, and some in- dicating by their very names. Vine, Mulberry, Chestimt, that the verdure of the country was still to enliven them. The purchasers of 5,000 acres were to have a house in one of the two principal streets, with a garden and orchard ; those of 1,000 in the three next ; such as were under 1,000 acres in the cross streets. In 1684, fifty villages, arranged in regular squares, had sprung up, on a similar plan, though on a smaller scale. In December, 1682, Penn proceeded to Maryland, to adjust with Lord Baltimore the houndaries of their respective provinces. His lordship received him, as he had befoie received his agent Markham, with the utmost politeness ; yet the arrange- ment was found very difiicult and vexatious. The specified limit of the 40th de- gree had, in the maps of that age, been made to run across the Bay of Ches- apeake, about the latitude of Pool's Island. Thus the head of that great inlet was left within the bounds assigned to Pennsylvania, and afforded an advanta- geous outlet for her commerce. Lord Baltimore, however, caused a new and more scientific survey to be made, showing that this limit really lay considerably to the north of any part of the bay, from which the new province was thus wholly excluded. This circumstance bore heavily upon the philanthropist, whose col- ony was thus deprived of all direct maritime trade. He earnestly urged, that the space in question was a hundred times more valuable to him than to the other party, of whose territory this was only an outer tract, scarcely at all known or settled ; that the proprietor of Maryland must probably have gained by the error in settling his own boundaries with Virginia ; and that the understanding upon which the grant had been made ought to be taken into consideration. Their interests came into collision on another point. Penn had obtained a grant from the Duke of York of the whole coast of the river and bay of Delaware, southward from Newcastle to Cape Henlopen, which would in some degree have supplied his want of a seacoast. But the other party claimed all the shores of this bay also, as included within the 40th degree. Both parties, during their personal intercourse, maintained their claims with extreme pertinacity, yet with politeness ; but the correspondence which afterward ensued is tinctured with considerable bitterness, each accusing the other of forwarding his views in an unfair manner. Historians are even still much divided. Mr. Chalmers derides the claim of Penn, whom, in truth, he always mentions in the most depreciating terms ; indeed, to have been engaged in any dispute with a Baltimore, was enough in his eyes to eflface the brightest qualities that could adorn a human being. Mr. Bancroft, on the contrary, has in this particular forsaken his first love, and admits nothing to interfere with the absolute perfection of the Pennsyl- vania legislator. It became necessary to refer the question to the committee of plantation, who, in November, 1685, came to the decision that the 40th degree, in its real direction, must be the boundary, thus excluding the quaker from the Chesapeake. But while they allowed that the Maryland patent had extended indeed to the Delaware, they considered that it had been granted only in respect to such countries as were not occupied by any Christian people, while that re gion had been already colonized in considerable numbers by the Dutch and Swedes. Hence it was determined that the eastern part belonged of right to the crown, including Penn's domain, which was thereby rendered valid, and gavo him the command of that fine estuary, thus in a great measure compensating his loss on another side. In 1684, Penn was induced bv this and other affairs to return to England 90 THE PICTORIAL HISTORV leaving the administration in the hands of commissions rs ; a body who did no by any means work harmoniously. Moore, a leading proprietary officer, was accused by the assembly of corruption and other high misdemeanors ; which charge being strenuously resisted by the executive, a violent collision ensued. The proprietor, while he felt disposed to grant a liberal government to his set- tlers, was probably little prepared to make over to them the whole political pow- er, which yet they seem to have been determined to grasp. In 1686, he sent instructions to his officers to dissolve the constitution, which he had so studious- ly constructed. The assembly, however, foreseeing that the change was pro- posed with a view to the abridgment of their privileges, resolutely opposed his view?. He vher: determined to supersede the commission, and appoint a deputy governor, as more likely to support his authority. The person selected was Blackwell, who is admitted to have been no quaker, und indeed to have had nothing akin to the character. The apology made seems singular, namely, that no one of that profession could be found fit for the office, and willing to undertake it. We may rather suspect that, being a dexterous pol- itician and high advocate for power, he was expected to beat down the dem- ocratic opposition. His effiarts for this purpose were carried to an extreme. White, who, as former speaker, had been active in the persecution of Moore, h:i -ing been re-elected as delegate, was thrown into prison, and his claim under the habeas corpus act evaded. The most embittered messages passed between the governor and assembly. He contrived, however, to gain over a part of the members, and thus to carry on the government. On these proceedings being represented to him, Penn was not disposed to support them ; and he now threw almost everything into the hands of the coun- cil, on whom he conferred the power of choosing the executive officers and deputy governor : they elected Thomas Lloyd, a quaker preacher of great merit. But neither did this arrangement work well. Schisms arose among the too numerous body; and violent protests were made. The chief conflicts, which were between the old territory of Pennsylvania and the new counties on the Delaware, rose to such a height, that the proprietor was obliged reluctantly to separate the two territories ; appointing Markham governor of the latter, which ultimately formed a small state, bearing the name of that great bay. Peace did not reign among the quakers themselves. George Keith, one of the most em- inent among them as a preacher and writer, disappointed perhaps at not himself obtaining a lead in the government, proclaimed that no one of his sect could lawfully act as an executive officer or magistrate, and if he did, had no claim to any obedience. These doctrines, enforced not in the mildest terms, brought him under the cognizance of the authorities. His adherents allege that their proceedings were violent and irregidar ; that without hearing or inquiry he was proclaimed in the market-place a seditious person, and an enemy to the king and queen ; and that the ministers, with as little ceremony, denounced him as not having the fear of God before his eyes. The actual i)enalty was only a mod- erate fine, and not even enforced ; but the finding himself proscribed among his brethren, both in the colony and at home, seems to have exasperated him ; he became an enemy to the quakers, abandoned their communion, and finally ac- cepted an episcopal benefice. He was lamented by them as a mighty man fallen from the high places of Israel ; and the noise made by these feuds seriously in- jured the colony in the crisis which now arose. The Pennsylvanians, who had owed everything to James II., did not shire the general joy at his abdication in 1688. The news was unwillingly believed ; and the government, till September, 1789, was still administered in his name. This was carefully reported in New York ; while ir England, charge.*' were OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 9] 92 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY brought against the proprietor as adhering to popery, or at least strongly altached to the exiled house. William, after some hesitation, deprived him of his patent ; and in April, 1693, Benjamin Fletcher, governor of New York, assumed authority also over Pennsylvania. The assembly professed their willingness to obey, provided they were used in the usual manner, and by laws founded on letters- patent. But he intimated that they were much mistaken ; that the change had been made on account of neglects and miscarriages ; and that his majesty's mode of governing would be in direct opposition to that of Mr. Penn. It was even maintained that all the former laws had been abrogated, though a willing- ness vas expressed to re-enact the greater number. Penn. however, on reaching England, was gratified to find that the trials he encountered had not deprived him of all his friends. He acquired considerable favor with Queen Anne ; but circumstances prevented his return. Hamilton, appointed his deputy, was still troubled by internal dissensions. These were not abated by the nomination, in 1703, of Evans, in whom we see a character the most opposite to that of the proprietor himself. This othcer, young, lively, fond of frolic and revelry, and inllamed with military ardor, was utterly opposed to the quaker assembly, and treated with derision their pacific dispositions. lie began to erect forts without their permission, and endeavored, but in vain to rouje them by a false alarm of a French invasion. On having three of thoir bills presented to him, he told them, " they were very great absurdities." Tney sent home loud remonstrances, complaining also that under the new frame their liberties were greatly abridged. Penn listened unwillingly, and it was not till 1709 that this unsuitable ruler was removed. He was succeeded by Gookin, an Irish gentleman, of good age and mild manners ; yet the discontents still con- tinued. The war with Canada having broken out, he had the ungracious task of demanding a supply of j£4,000 and 150 men. It was privately intimated that the money would suffice ; but the assembly declared that they could not in con science either fight or hire others to do so ; however, they offered the queen a present of jC500. The chief objection made was to the amount ; but on this point, pleading poverty, they stood firm. An equal sum was afterward, in a similar manner, extracted from them. In 1710, Penn, having reached the age of sixty-six, sent out a solemn remon- .•jtrance on the feuds and discontent in which the settlers had so long indul[^ed Amid the satisfaction of seeing the colony free and flourishing, their disputes had been to him a source of grief, trouble, and poverty. Recapitulating the whole train of his proceedings, he appealed to them whether he had given any real cause for this conduct ; he lamented the unhappiness they were bringing on themselves, as well as the scandal they were causing in the eyes of Europe, by such incessant contention. This appeal was not unsuccessful ; and in the next year an assembly much more friendly to him was elected. It is doubtful, however, if this news ever reached him. Oppressed with embarrassments ^nd losses incurred seemingly without blame, he had entered into a treaty vvitl gov- ennncnt for transferring his territorial rights, and had agreed to accept foi ditin £12,000. A series of apoplectic shocks, however, entirely deprived him of his faculties, and disabled him from completing the bargain, so that the property re- mained in his family. The favor restored to Penn was not extended to Gookin, whom the assembly accused of arbitrary measures, and of favoring the non-quaker part of the popu lation. In 1716, he was succeeded by Sir William Keith, who, during the ill- ness of the founder, was named by the king. This governor enjoyed a much greater degree of favor than any of his predecessors, though he is accused of purchasing it by too entire an acquiescence in the demands of the assembly, and Jlowing almost the whole power to pass into their hands. Such, at least,, wa.- OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 9S the opinion of the proprietaries, wlio considered him also as neglecting their iii terest, and at the end of nine years removed him. He then attempted to raise d factious opposition, but was obliged to leave the colony. After a peaceable administration of several years by Major Gordon, Thomas, and afterward John Penn, sons of the late owner, went out in 1732 and 1734. They were received with the most cord'al welcome, though the former did not altogether preserve tiis popularity. XIII. While emigration proceeded so actively in various parts of North America, the regions south of Virginia, though of vast extent, and presenting many natural advantages, had attracted little attention. The Spaniards, as long as ihey could, jealously guarded this coast; and the bloody catastrophe of the first French settlement was long remembered with terror. Raleigh's original establishment had been formed within this range ; and its tragical results, though not connected with the situation, threw a gloom over all the recollections as- sociated with it. Yet flattering rumors were still spread ; and as the older set- tlements became crowded, detachments began to overflow into this unoccupied tract. The river Nansemond, on the immediate border of Virginia, had been very early settled ; and colonists thence found their way to the banks of the Chowan and the shores of Albemarle Sound. Much farther to the south, a body of enterprising New Englanders had purchased from the Indians a district around Cape Fear. Sir Robert Heath, in 1630, obtained a patent; but having been unable to fulfil the conditions, it was declared forfeited. The reign of Charles II. was a period of large grants ; for, having many claims upon him while he had little to give, he was ready to bestow colonial rights. On the 24th March, 1663, the whole coast, from the 36th degree of lat itude to the river San Matheo, was granted under the name of Carolina to a body of highly distinguished personages, among whom were Monk, duke of Albe- marle, Lord Clarendon, Lord Ashley Cooper afterward Earl of Shaftesbury, Lord Berkeley, and his brother Sir William, governor of Virginia. Their priv- ileges were as usual extensive, and seem to have been in a great measure copied from those granted in the case of Maryland. The present occupants could only be considered as squatters ; yet as men were much wanted, the utmost en- Fio. 39.— Squatters. couragement was given to them to remain, while others wert> invited. Political and personal immunities, more ample than were possessed by the neighboring colonies, or were satisfactory to the views of some of the proprietors, were not withheld. Berkeley, who brought additional emigrants from Virginia to Albe- 94 TTIR PICTORIAL HISTORY ma.le Sound, placed them under Dramniond, a prudent and pop.war eovemci A party of planters from Barbadoes, induced to remove to this coiigenial climate were settled on Cape Fear river, near the New Englanders, and ruled by Sii John Yeamans, one of their own number. A few shipbuilders were also obtained from the Bermudas. In 1665, the proprietors, still in high favor with Charles, obtained a new pat- ent with much larger privileges. Their territory was now, without regard to Spanish claims, extended to the Pacific, while they were empowered to cr«^ate titles and orders of Mobility. This appears to have been preparatory to the for- mation of what was intended to be a monument of human wisdoin — a constitution for the new colony. It was undertaken by Shaftesbury, the ablest statesman of the age, who employed upon it Locke, the illustrious philosopher ; and its ob- ject was to transport into the New World the varied ranks and aristocratic es- tablishments of Europe. Two orders of nobility were to be instituted, the higher of landgraves or earls, the lower of caciques or barons. The territory was to be divided into counties, each containing 480,000 acres, with one landgrave and two caciques, a number never to be increased nor diminished. There was also to be lords of manors, entitled, like the nobles, to hold courts, and exercise ju- dicial functions. 'I'hose possessing 50 acres were to be freeholders ; but the tenants held no political franchise, and could never attain any higher rank. All the estates were to sit in one chamber. The proprietary were always to con- tinue eight in number, to possess the whole judicial power, and have the su- preme direction of all the tribunals. One was to take cognizance of ceremonies and pedigrees, of fashions and sports. But it is needless to enter into further details of a constitution which never did nor could have any practical existence. It must remain a striking proof how unfit the ablest men are to legislate for a society with whose condition and circumstances they are not intimately ac- quainted. Nothing could exceed the surprise of the colonists when this elaborate sys- em was transmitted to them, with an urgent call for its immediate adoption. Albemarle, the chief settlement, could scarcely number 1,400 v)or king hands ; now then was it to furnish its landgraves, its caciques, its barons ? The pro- prietors, on a representation of this state of affairs, were obliged to own that their magnificent system could not yet be carried into full execution ; but they required its introduction so far as circumstances allowed, and its completion to be kept constantly in view. Meanwhile, a series of temporary laws were es- tablished, until the inhabitants should be ripe for the fundamental constitutions. They had formed, however, a simple code adapted to their circumstances, which they preferred to one by which the popular privileges were materially abridged ; and its abrogation for a merely provisional system would have taken away every- thing stable and permanent in their poluical position. As Miller, who acted as administrator and collector of the re>'enue, had not given them satisfac- tion, they rose in a body, imprisoned him and most of the council, seized the public funds, appointed magistrates and judges, called a parliament, and in short took into their hands all the functions of government. Culpepper, the ringleader, came to England to plead their cause, a step which certainly does not seem to indicate consciousness of guilt ; but he was arrested and brought to trial for high treason. Shaftesbury, by his eloquence and popular influence, procured his acquittal, pleading that there had been no regular government in Albemarle, 80 that these disorders could only be considered as feuds among the severa' planters. The proprietors found themselves in an embarrassing situation, unwilling lu yield to the colonists and renounce their darling constitutions, yet neither de- airous nor very able to reduce them by force. They resolved, •\iereforc, ta OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 96 send out as governor Seth Sothel, one of their own body, who had previously purchased Lord Clarendon's share, and whose territorial rights would, they hoped, command respect. According to Chalmers, the annals of delegated au- .hority include no name so infamous as that of this new administrator ; a remark which is probably too strong, for he had to deal with persons not easily pleased. It would appear, however, that his sole object was to advance his fortune, at the expense both of the colonists and of his fellow-proprietors. The former s )on practised the lesson which they had already learned. They deposed him, seized his person, and were about to send him to England to answer to the owners fur the charges brought against him. Sothel preferred to ab: ie the judgment of the assembly themselves : a circumstance which, joined to the sentence, seems to indicate that his conduct was not extremely atrocious. After finding all the ac- cusations proven, they merely banished him from the colony for a single year, and declared him incapable of ever again holding the office of governor. The proprietors, though troubled at these stretches of power, yet owning the com- plaints to be just, and having been themselves wronged, sanctioned the proceed- ings, and nominated Philip Ludwell as their representative. Mean'ime they were bestowing a more special attention to the southern col- ony. In 1670, they sent out a considerable nimiber of settlers under William Sayle, who was named governor. He died soon after, and his place was sup- plied by Sir John Yeamans, once a Barbadoes planter, who had acquired a good reputation in his command at Cape Fear. He was speedily accused, however, of sordid proceedings, in carrying on all the little trade of the colony for his own advantage. Affairs were in many respects unsatisfactory. The proprie- tors, like other similar bodies, already discovered that the colony, instead of a mine of wealth, was a constant drain ; they had expended upon it upward of jCI 8,000, without any return, but, on the contrary, had to encounter new de- mands. They were therefore not unwilling to remove Yeamans in order to make room for West, a favorite of the settlers. During his residence of eight years, he enjoyed a popularity rare among transatlantic rulers. The colony flourished ; for beside emigrants sent over by the proprietors, a considerable tide flowed in from various quarters. The poor cavaliers, considering it to have been founded upon their own principles, sought it as a place where they mighl retrieve their fortunes. A number of Dutch in New York, dissatisfied wilh theii transference to British rule, thought, it scarcely appears for what reason, thai they would be more at ease in this new settlement ; and some of their country- men from Europe were induced to follow. The revocation of the edict of Nantz, and the persecution of the protestants by Louis XIV. during his bigoterf dotage, drove out a large body of most respectable emigrants. A small party proceeded from Ireland, and another from Scotland under Lord Cardross ; bu/ the latter was unfortunate, being nearly all destroyed by the Indians. This in- flux was considered to afford an inducement for the erection of a city. One was early founded on a high ground, above Ashley River, named Charleston ; but sifterward another spot, called Oyster Point, at the junction of that stream with the ("ooper, was considered so much more eligible, that the site was changed. The choice was happy ; and it has since become the chief emporium of ihp southern states. West was succeeded, in 1682, by Moreton, and the latter, in 1686, by Colle- ton, a brother of one of the proprietors, and endowed with the rank of landgrave, lender these governors, the spirit of faction, which had in some degree slumber- ed, broke forth with extreme violence. An obstinate dispute was waged between the three counties of Berkeley, Craven, and Colleton, respecting the number of members that should be sent from each ta the assembly : that body also proposed two acts which can not be applauded, with a view to relieve the scarcity of 96 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY money. It was the purpose of the one to raise the value of the coii._ and of the other to suspend the payment of foreign debts. The first was carried, whence arose the depreciation of the Carohna currency, which afterward became ex- reme. The other was rejected by the proprietors with reprobation. This was not well brooked by the assembly, who began to contest the legality of the fun- damental constitutions, and to demand their original charter. Discontents ran so high, that the people, in 1687, elected an assembly, expressly to resist what- ever the governor should propose ; and, in 1690, they passed an act banishing him from the province. Amid this ferment, appeared Seth Sothel, the rejected of North Carolina ; and such was the influence of party, that he found no dif- ficulty in occupying the place of his unpopular predecessor, and in calling a par- liament, which sanctioned all his proceedings. The proprietors were beyond measure astonished to hear of such a person setting up against them as a leader supported by the people. They sent out the strictest orders for his immediate recall, appointing in his place Philip Ludwell, with instructions, however, to ex- amine and report as to any real grievances. The chief complaint was found to be against " the fundamental constitutions ;" and as there appeared no serious prospect of carrying into execution that famous code, it was, in 1693, finally ab rogated. Caciques, landgraves, and barons were swept away, and the labors of Shaftesbury and Locke were given to the winds. It may be observed that James II., on his usual despotic principle, had prepared a quo loarranlo against the charter ; but the proprietors, opening a treaty for its surrender, on condition of replacing the funds expended on it, spun out the alfair till that monarch be> came no longer an object of dread. These arrangements did not fully secure tranquillity ; and a new source of dissension was afibrded by the numerous body of French protestant refugees. Most of the original settlers, zealously attached to the church of England, viewed with aversion both their religious and national peculiarities, and refused to admit them to the rights of citizenship. At this treatment they were justly indignant ; and disputes rose so high, that the proprietors sent out one of their own body, John Archdale, a quaker, with full power to investigate and redress grievances. He conducted himself with great prudence, and, though he could not procure for the new comers all the desired privileges, succeeded in greatly allaying their discontent. After remaining a year, he left as his successor Jo seph Blake, who steadily pursued the same system, by which, in a few years the parlies were reconciled, and the French admitted to all the rights of citizens. Blake died in 1700, and was succeeded by Moore, who, two years after, sought to distinguish himself by the capture of the French capital of St. Augus- tine. He himself, with the main force, proceeded by sea, while Colonel Daniel, with a party of luilitia and Indians, marched by land. The latter arrived first, and took possession of the town, obliging the enemy to retreat into the castle ; but the governor considered that post so strong, as to render it necessary to send to Jamaica for more artillery. On the appearance, however, of two Spanish ships, he was seized with a panic alleged to be groundless, and precipitately raising the siege, returned by land to Carolina. This repulse was not only very mortifying, but entailed on the colony a heavy debt, which it could ill bear. In 1706, the Spaniards endeavored to retaliate, and, aided by their French allies, equipped a considerable armament. Their admiral, Le Feboure, with five sliips-of-war, forthwith summoned the capital ; but the governor, Sir Nathan- iel Johnson, who had, with great spirit, though inadequate means, prepared for defence, sent an indignant defiance. The invader, whose main land force had not yet arrived, imprudently sent on shore a small detachment, which was im- mediaii.dy attacked and cut ofl'. This success inspired such courage, that Caj^- iain lUieit, with six small vessels, sailed against the enemy, who struck with 98 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY alarm, immediately retired. Soon after, an additional armament appeared^ ar.d a bodv of troops were landed ; Init the English, flushed with victory, attacked them with such resolution, that both they and their ships were captured. After some years dPf repose, the colony was involved in all the horrors of Indian war ; the ori ludvanis. jollecled trom all sides, and advanced upon that capital ; two detachmenuH >vhich attempted to Sv^7 their progress, were surprised or ensnared, and suffered severely. Cra- ven, the governor, however, having mustered 1,200 men fit i« bear arms, suc- ceeded in stopping their progress ; upon which, having ;ullected all his strength, and receiving a reinforcement from North Carolina, h'- marched to the attack of their grand camp. The struggle was long and fiercM- — the Indians having sta- ti(med themselves in a broken and entangled spot, f^u.^'.d for their wild manoeuvres At length they were completely defeated, and sonc. .^fter driven beyond the limits of the colony. The termination of this contest was immediately followed by violent internal disturbances. The settlers had many ground.-* of complaint against the proprie- tors, who had not afforded any pecuniary aid during the late sanguinary contest At its close the assembly passed acts bes'.owing the lands whence the Indians had been expelled upon such persons as might choose to occupy them ; on the faith of which a party of 500 emigrated from Ireland. But the proprietary an- nulling this grant, caused them to be njocied, and the tract divided into baronies for their own benefit. They disallowed other laws, which the colonists were extremely desirous to obtain, and syni orders to the governor to sanction none which had not been previously submitted to themselves. They reposed their encire '-.onfidence in Trott, the ctuef-justice, who was even accused of malversa- tion in nis office ; but the complaints against him from the people, and even the goxerv'>T, were disdainfully »^|ecied This discontent, long fomenting, broke out openly on a report of ir, ^>tsion from the Havana. In this emergency the as- sembly refused to vote anv supplies , a bond of union was drawn up, and signed Oy almost all the inhabif-tnis They transmitted a proposal to Johnson that he should contiue to hold uis office in the name of the king ; but as he declined the offer. Colonel Moore was elected. The other made some attempts to compel submission, but found rus force madequate. The issue of the whole transaction, however, depended ju the view which might be taken by the crown, always disposed to favor my arrangement that might extend its prerogative. The king, oeing absent ir tianover. had left the government in the hands of a regency, kvho, on examming the case, decided that the proprietors had forfeited their <;harter, and irdered proceedings to be instituted for its dissolution. Acting certainly vMih great promptitude, as if this were already effected, they named Sir Francus Nicholson governor, under a commission from his majesty. That person h.stinguished in other stations for his active talents, had been accused of arb" rary maxims , but in Carolina he seems to have laid these aside, and rendnrnd himself extremely acceptable. He made great exertions to provide for reiis;"'J'i8 instruction, and the diffusion of education. Through an alliance with tl'- Or'icks and Cherokees, he secured the frontier, which had been considerably !in.ras3*id by Indian incursions. We may here pause to mention, that a» the end of the seventeenth and the Doginnmg of the eighteenth century, the American coast, and particularly Caro- lina, was dreadfully infested by piracy. The long war between France and Spain, aided by the vicinity of the West Indies, afforded large scope for priva- teers After the peace, they were unwilling to relinquish so lucrative an occu- patinii , and, exercising it equally on friends and foes, spread desolation overall those shores. The governors, it is said, instead of striving to suppress the dis- order, often secretly favored it, and shared in the profits. James II., in 1G87, equipped a small fleet under Sir Robert Holmes, who considerably checked the evil • but it again broke out with augmented violence, especially after the treaty of Utrecht. John Theach, called Blackboard, equally frightful in his aspect and character, became a sort of pirate-king — the idol of his followers, and the terroi 100 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY of all peaceable merchants. In 1718, George I. despatched a squadron undei VVoodes Rogers, who took the island of New Providence in the Bahamas, long a kind of outlawed capital. The pirates attempted to form another stronghold at the mouth of Cape Fear river, but were driven from it by the governor ol Carolina. Rogers was empowered, in case of submission, to offer pardon to those who should surrender, of which most availed themselves ; though some afterward resumed their vocation, and among them Theach himself, who was soon, however, defeated and killed. In the course of the five subsequent years, twenty-six suffered death for this offence. In 1729, the transactions of the proprietors were finally closed by a deed sur- rendenng all their rights into the hands of the crown. They received in return jei7 500, with jC5,000 for arrears of rent amounting to jC9,000 ; but Lord Car- teret, while resigning all political power, preferred to retain his claim to property in the soil, of which an ample portion vvas assigned to him. The colonists were gratified by the entire remission of their quit-rents. In 1694, the captain of a vessel from Madagascar, having touched at Carolina, had presented the governor with a bag of rice, which, being distributed among several farmers, throve so remarkably, that it had already become a staple of the settlement ; and the priv- ilege was now granted of exporting this article direct to any part of Europe southward of Cape Finisterre. North and South Carolina, loo, which in poin of fact had always been distinct, and their occupied parts even distant from each other, were now finally declared to be two colonies, each to have its separate governor* From this era their affairs held a pretty uniform course, diversified only as the character of the successive governors was popular or otherwise. They continued to draw numerous bodies of emigrants ; and their career, both of agriculture and commerce, was extremely prosperous. This, it is painful to ad.l, was in a great measure effected by large importations of negro slaves, which enal'ed the wealthy to cultivate plantations on an extensive scale, and without personal labor. It appears also that reproach was incurred by the harshness with which these cap- tives were treated ; and serious alarms of insurrection were entertained. To guard against this danger, they petitioned, in 1742, to be allowed to raise and maintain three independent companies ; a boon which, though refused at first, was finally granted. These colonies derived a considerable accession from the rebellion of 1745, at the close of v»hich many adherents of the vanquished cause were allowed to seek shelter in the western plantations, and induced by various circumstances to prefer the Carolinas. The discovery of indigo, as a native production, afforded, in addition to rice, another article for which a sure demand would be found in Europe. About the middle of the eighteenth century, too, when the other colonies began to have at least their best lands appropriated, this, which was still comparatively unoccupied, drew settlers from them, es- pecially from Pennsylvania. Although estates along the coast were become scarce, valuable tracts remained in the interior, to which these American emi- grants were pleased to resort. After all that had been done before 1732 for the peopling of Carolina, there remained a large district between the Savannah and the Alatamaha, claimed by Britain, yet completely uninhabited. This disadvantage was more felt from its being bordered, not only by powerful Indian tribes, but by the Spaniards in Florida and the French in Louisiana ; both having claims which, if circumstan- ces favored, they could plausibly advance. The planters were particularly anxious to have a settlement formed, that might stand like a wall between them %nd these troublesome neighbors, but were much at a loss for persons who would /oluntarily station themselves in a situation so unpleasant. Circumstancft« aros* OF THE AMERICAiN REVOLUTION. 101 in England which afTorded a prospect of supplying this want, A body of dig tinguished individuals, under the impulse of humanity, " Redress) ve searched Into the horrors of the gloomy jaiJ." General Oglethorpe, a soldier, brave, honorable, and humane, moved an m Quiry, in 1728, into the treatment and condition of persons confined in the pri» Fio. 42.— Portrait of General Oglethorpe. ons of England, and in the following year presented a report upon this subject It was found that, under the extremely bad management then prevalent, many persons imprisoned for debt or minor offences were treated most tyrannically, deprived of common comforts, and their morals farther injured by the associates with v/hom they were compelled to mingle. Many of them, even if liberated, could not have returned to the world with any prospect of comfort or advantage ; and hence it occurred that to them a residence in the new continent might form an extremely desirable change. They could not be fastidious as to the situation, and might there be formed into military colonies, as a barrier to the other states. The conversion and improvement of the Indians entered into this generous plan. It was entrusted to a body of eminent persons, who undertook to act as trustees, not entering, like former associations, into a mercantile speculation for profit, but from philanthropic motives devoting their time and contributions to the object. They were to administer the colony during twenty-one years, after which it was to revert to the crown. It was named Georgia, from the reigning monarch; and Oglethorpe, with whom the whole scheme had originated, undertook to act gratuitously as governor. A general enthusiasm prevailed throughout the na- tion ; large sums were subscribed by benevolent individuals ; and parliament, in the course of two years, voted JE36,000 for the purpose. In the end of 1732, Oglethorpe, with a party of a hundred and sixteen, sailed for the new settlement. Having touched on their way at South Carolina, his followers w ere most hospitably received ; and on their arrival, he made it his first object to conciliate the neighboring Indians, belonging to the powerful race of the Creeks. His eflRirts, guided by sincerity and discretion, were crowneO with success. He prevailed upon I'omochichi, the head of this savage confed 102 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY eracy to meei him at Savannah, accompanied by fifty other petty chiefs, called kings. This aged person, expressing his ideas as usual by outward symbols, presented to the governor the skin of a buffalo, on the inside of which the head and feathers of an eagle were painted. This indica.^d the swiftness and power of the English, and also, by its softness and warmth, the love and protection which the Indians expected from them. This chief was even induced to visi\ Britain, where he met with many attentions, and had an audience of George II., whom he presented with a bunch of eagles' feathers, saying, " These are a siyn of peace in our land, and have been carried from town to town there. We have brought them over to leave them with you, O great king, as a token of everlast- ing peace. O great king, whatever words you shall say unto me, I will faith- fully tell them to all the kings of the Creek nations." In 1734, the town of Augusta was founded on the Upper Savannah, with a view to local trade During the same year, two successive parties went out, amounting to 500 or 600, of whom 100 defrayed their own expenses. About 150 Highlanders were induced to join the colony, being well fitted for its military objects. A parly of Moravians also arrived, whose industrious habits were likely to be of great ad- vantage ; and by a report of the trustees in 1740, it appeared that 2,500 emigrants had been sent out, at an expense of j680,000. John and Charles Wesley, then only known as zealous clergymen, were prevailed upon to accept livings in the colony. Notwithstanding these promising appearances, and this most zealous support, Georgia did not prosper. The proprietors began with a series of regulations, well meant indeed, but carried to an extreme, and with little attention to existing circumstances. A complete prohibition was imposed on the introduction of rum, and even on all commercial intercourse with the West Indies. The importa- tion of negroes was forbidden ; a laudable measure, but indignantly endured by the colonists, who saw much wealth accruing to Carolina from their employment. The lands were most injudiciously granted in small lots of twenty-five acres, on condition of military service, and with that view descending only to heirs male. The settlers soon began to display those faults which, from their previous con- dition, might have been anticipated. Complaints were made against the Wes- leys for their extreme rigidness, their peculiar forms of worship, and for giving their confidence to unworthy persons, who .made false pretences of piety. Feuds rose so high that both left the colony. Whitefield, founder of the rival sect of Methodists, went out in 1740, with a particular view to establish an orphan asylum, which did not succeed ; but his zealous and eloquent, though somewhat rude address, produced a strong impression, and were supposed to effect consid- erable good. Affairs were rendered still further critical by the Spanish war, which, after long irritation and petty aggression, broke out in 1738. Oglethorpe determined to attack St. Augustine, the capital of Florida. Great preparations were made for this enterprise ; Virginia and the Carolinas furnished a regiment, as well as jG 120,000 currency ; and an Indian force undertook to assist. The governor, who was thus enabled to make an invasion with 2,000 men, reduced two succes- ive forts ; but the castle of St. Augustine itself was foimd too strongly fortified to allow a reasonable hope of reducing it unless by blockade. This he expected to accomplish by the aid of a strong fiotilla, which came to co-operate with him. It proved, however, a very discouraging service for his undisciplined warriors ; and the Indians, disgusted by an expression which escaped him, of horror at their cruelly, went off". The Highlanders, his best troops, were surprised, and a number cut to pieces ; while the militia lost courage, broke the restraints of liscipline, and deserted in great numbers. It proved impossible to prevent the •neniy from procuring a reinforcement and large supply of provisions. In skor* OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 103 matters were so adverse a state, that he had no alternative but to raise the siege, and return vith his armament seriously shattered, and his reputation im- paired. The Spaniards, in two years after, in 1742, attempted to retaliate, and Mon- teano, governor of St. Augustine, with thirty-two vessels and 3,000 men, ad- vanced to attack Frederica. Oglethorpe's force was very inadequate, and the aid from the north both scanty and very slow in arriving ; yet he acted so as completely to redeem his military character. By skilfully using all the advan- tages of his situation, he kept the enemy at bay ; then by various stratagems conveyed such an exaggerated idea both of his actual force and expected reinforce- ments, that they ultimately abardoned the enterprise, without having made one serious attack. Georgia was thus delivered from foreign dangers ; but she continued to snt fer under her internal evils. The colonists complained that absurd regulations debarred them from rendering their productions available, and kept them in pov erty. Numbers removed to South Carolina, where they were free from re straint ; and the Moravians, being called upon to take up arms contrary i^- their principles, departed for Pennsylvania. Grept efforts were made, as former ly, in Virginia, to produce silk, but for the same reasons without any suc«-,e^s. In 1752, the twenty-one years had expired ; and the trustees finding rha 'tieir well-meant endeavors had produced only misery and discontent, relinquished the charge. Georgia became a royal colony, and the people were lef' dt full liberty to use all the means, good and bad, of advancing themselves , lands were held on any tenure that best pleased them ; and a free intercourse ^--ti opened with the West Indies. Thenceforth it was on a footing with Soutt; Carolina, and advanced with equally rapid steps. XIV. The colonies, of which we have thus delineated the on^in ^nd progress, down to the close of the war in 1763 were altogether unconnected. Each had been founded on a separate basis, by distinct and even hostile clH:sses. Between neighboring communities, where no sentiment of unity reigns yealousies almost inevitably arise ; and these were aggravated by boundary lisputes and other contending claims. Some governors, particularly Nicholson, recommended the union of several of them under one head ; but these wer» inen of arbitrary tem- per, who urged this measure on the home administration is a mode of extending the power of the crown, and keeping down the increa.«iiig spirit of independence. Such communications, when they transpired, heighte* «d not a little the antipathy already felt to the proposed measure. There was, however, one object by which aJI i.ri<^ colonies were roused to a most zealous co-operation. It might bavy uewinnfl a hardship that the successive wars between Britain and France should be tansferred to their rising settle- ments beyond the Atlantic ; but the innabiiani^ by no means felt it as such, and required only permission, in order to iusi* Ott THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ol -najor. Two years after this, in 1753, when the designs of the French ii anada began to create alarm in all our colonies, he was despatched on a half diplomatic mission to the French commandant on the Ohio, and acquitted him- self with great judgment and ability, failing, indeed, in his remonstrances with M. Le Gardeur de St. Pierre, but informing himself fully of the condition of the French force, surveying with a careful eye the vast tract of country — then almost an unexplored wilderness — he had to pass through, and winning over the wihl Indian tribes to the interests of the colonies. On his return to Virginia Wash- ington became, in a small and very modest way, an author; for ne published the journal of his very interesting expedition. In the course of 1754, when it was determined to dislodge the French, without declaration of war by England, from some forts they were building on the Ohio and at the confluence of the Monongahela and Alleghany rivers, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of a provincial regiment, and sent with Colonel Fry toward the scene of action, which he had carefully examined on his former journey. Fry died in the wilds, and then Washington took the sole command. He was joined by some of the Indian tribes, whose friendship he had captivated, and was further reinforced by two independent companies of regulars ; but, instead of taking the French and their forts by surprise, he was taken by surprise himself, and was compelled to retreat to a stockade or fort at the Great Meadows, now termed Fort Necessity, where he was soon surrounded by the French, and, after a gallar resistance, compelled to capitulate. It is quite clear that he had been rash and over-haz- ardous — an inherent defect in his military conduct which he was quick in cor- recting. Being allowed the honors of war, and suffered to march without molestation into the inhabited parts of Virginia, he returned home with his little •letachment considerably reduced. The legislature of Virginia, in admiration of v>« courage displayed, passed a vote of thanks to him and the officers under his CGinmand. By this time the colonists began seriously to feel the absence of some general co-operation against this, formidable enemy. Those who stood most immediately exposed to attack, complained that upon them alone was thrown the whole burden of repelling it ; and the government at home were at length induced to recom- mend a convention of delegates being held at Albany, to concert with each other, and with the chiefs of the Six Nations, a plan of united defence. The New England states, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York, complied with the advice, and appointed deputies, who assembled in June, 1754; when the lead was taken by Benjamin Franklin, who ranked already as one of the most intelligent and distinguished citizens of America. Rising from a humble sta- tion, he had acquired a paramount influence in his own state of Pennsylvania, and been appointed postmaster general for the colonies. He soon submitted to his colleagues a very bold and important project. A general government, con- sisting of a president appointed by the crown, and of a council of representatives from the respective colonies, were to be invested with the general direction of war, peace, treaties, and transactions with the Indians. They were to have the power of imposing such taxes as might be deemed necessary for these purposes ; and their acts, if not disallowed by the king within three years, were to acquire the force of law. They might also levy troops, the commanding officers being appointed by the president, subject to the approbation of the council. For this scheme Franklin gained the approbation of all the delegates, except those from Connecticut ; but when submitted to the respective governments, it met a very diflferent fate. They all considered these powers, especially that of taxation, a.s far too great to be placed in the hands of a body over whom each had so little control. Its reception was equally unfavorable in the British cabinet, who viewed it, not without reason, as an arrangement rendering America almost en- OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 107 tirely independent. Thus the plan, recommended as it was by such high au- thority, proved wholly abortive ; though perhaps it had some small influence in paving the way for a similar union, which future emergencies induced the col- onies to form. The British ministry were, however, determined to supp^ rt their cause with the utmost vigor. Warm remonstrances were made to the court of France, which lavished in return pacific professions and even promises ; but they were directly contradicted by actions, which left no doubt of a firm determination to maintain her lofty pretensions. It was resolved, therefore, to employ force in driving the French from their present advanced position ; and in the beginning of 1755, General Braddock, with two regiments, was despatched from Ireland to co-operate with the Virginia forces in obtaining the command of the Ohio. His arrival excited enthusiastic hopes, and at Alexandria he met the governors of five colonies, assembled to concert the general plan of a campaign. Wash- ington had quitted the army on account of a regulation by which the colonial ufficers were made to rank under those of the regular army ; but, at the solicita- tion of Braddock, he consented to act as his aid-de-camp, in the character of a OF THE AMERICAV REVOLUTION. 10J> volunteer. \ et their movements were almost arrested by the failure of the Vii- ginian contractors to furnish the wagons necessary for transporting the baggage and artillery. In this emergency, Franklin, by great exertions, and by influence with the farmers of Pennsylvania, succeeded in procuring these supplies ; but before they could be transported across the rugged Allegany, a long tiuie would necessarily elapse, during which the enemy might strengthen Duquesne and reinforce the garrison. At the earnest entreaty of Washington, it was therefore determined to press forward with 1,200 well-appointed men, and that Colonel Dunbar, with the heavy artillery and baggage, should remain behind. Washing- ton, however, was dismayed to find that Braddock, though a I rave and experi- enced officer, was wedded to the forms of regular European warfare. Instead of causing his troops to push briskly across the intervening obstacles, he em- ployed them in levelling every hillock, and throwing bridges over every brook. Again, though advised to accept the offered aid of some Indians, at least for scouring the woods and guarding against surprise, he despised such auxiliaries, and treated them so coldly that they quickly dropped off. Washington being unfortunately seized with a violent illness, was unable by his utmost efforts to keep up with the army, but rejoined it on the evening of the 8th July, within fifteen miles of Fort Duquesne, against which this laborious movement was di- rected. The garrison was understood to be small, and quite inadequate to re sist the great force now brought to bear upon it ; exulting hope filled every heart ; and no one doubted to see the British flag waving next day over the bat tlements, and the enemy rooted out from all Western America. The march next morning is described as a splendid spectacle ; being made in full military array, with a majestic river on one hand, and deep woods on the other. Not an enemy appeared, and the most profound silence reigned over this wild territo- ry. They proceeded, forded the stream, and were passing a rough tract cov- ered with wood, which led direct to the fort, when suddenly a destructive fire was poured in upon the front, while another rapidly followed on the right flank. The assault was continued by an enemy who remained invisible, closely hidden behind trees and ravines. The vanguard fell back in a confusion which soon became general. Their only hope would now have been to quit their ranks, rush behind the bushes, and fight man to man with their assailants ; but Brad- dock insisted on forming them into platoons and columns, in order to make regular discharges, which struck only the trees. After some time spent in these fruitless effoits, with the hidden fire still unabated, a general flght ensued, that of the regulars being the most precipitate and shameful, while the only stand was made by the Virginian hunters. The officers in general remained on the field while there seemed any hope of rallying their troops, and, consequently, out of eighty-six engaged, sixty-three were killed or wounded ; the commander himself mortally. Of the privates, 714 fell ; the rout was complete, and the more dis- graceful, in that it was before an inferior enemy, whose number did not exceed 850, of whom only 250 were Europeans. During this disastrous day, Wash- mgton displayed an admirable courage and coolness. After the fall of so many officers, he alone remained to convey orders, and was seen galloping in every direction across the field, amid the thickest fire ; yet, by a dispensation which seemed providential, though four balls passed through his clothes, and two horses were killed under him, he escaped unhurt ; and very contrary to his wish, this melancholy disaster greatly elevated his reputation. The remnant of the army retreated precipitately into the low country, whither the French considered themselves too weak to pursue them. Meantime, a militia force of about 5,000 men was assembled at Albany, for an expedition against the important fortress of C'rown roint, on the borders of Canada. The commander was William Johnson, an Irishman, who had risen Pig. 46. — A Western Hunter in proper Cos'-ume. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Hi from the ranks, and whose uncommon bodily strength, with a rude energy of character, had enabled him to acquire a greater influence over the Indian tribes than any other British officer. Having reached the southern extremity of Lake George, and learned that the enemy were erecting an additional fort at Ticon- deroga, he resolved to push forward, hoping to reduce it before the works were completed. Intelligence, however, was soon received, which required him to stand on the defensive. Baron Dieskau, an able commander, had carried out from France a large reinforcement, and having added to them a considerable body of Indians, was advancing to attack the British settlements. He at first proceeded toward Oswego, but on learning the advance of Johnson, hastened U: direct his operations against him. The latter had fortified his camp, bat through defective information, sent forward an advanced party of 1,000 men, who at a distance of about three miles unexpectedly met the enemy, and were driven back with great loss. Dieskau then marched forward to assault the main camp, w hich he seemed to have a fair prospect of carrying ; but Johnson received him ^vith the utmost firmness, and opening a brisk fire, caused the Indians and militia *.o fall back. The French regulars maintained the contest for several hours with great vigor, and the British general was even obliged by a severe wound to leave the command to Lyman, his second. The final result however was, that the assailants were completely repulsed, with the loss of nearly 1,000 men. Dieskau himself was mortally wounded and made prisoner ; and his retreating forces, being suddenly assailed by a small detachment from New York, aban- doned their baggage and took to flight. It was thought by many, that if John- son had followed up his victory by an attack on Crovvn Point, or at least on Ticonderoga, he would have succeeded ; but he did not choose to hazard the laurels already gained. It may be mentioned also that in this busy campaign, Shirley, the governor of Massachusetts, led an expedition against Niagara ; but the difficulties of the march, and the discouragement spread by the tidings of Braddock's defeat, pre- vented his engaging in any undertaking. It would seem, indeed, that the Brit- ish forces were scattered in too many q-'arters, instead of concentrating them- selves in one united efibrt against some important position or commanding stronghold. The war which had thus for some time been covertly waged between the two r^'-iions, was, in 1756, openly declared ; and increased exertions were made on uoth sides. In a council of governors held at New York, three expeditions were planned, in which 21,000 men were to be employed. Abercromby and Lord Loudon, however, who successively went out as commander-in-chief, did not possess the requisite energy ; and discontents arose among the provincial of- ficers, from being compelled to take rank under the regulars. The French force, meantime, was united under Montcalm, an officer of high spirit ; and while the British were deliberating, he hastened against the two forts at Oswego, which, as they protected Lake Ontario, formed their principal bulwark in that quarter. On the 10th of August he began the siege of the first, which was soon evacuated by its defenders, owing to the failure of their ammunition, and he then assailed the other with such vigor, that it surrendered on the 14th, Colonel Mer- eer, the commander, having been killed in the attack. The garrison, amounting lo 1,400, became prisoners of war, while 121 pieces of cannon, with a quantity of stores, sloops, and boats, fell into his hands. In the following year, he marched against Fort William Henry, on Lake George, commenced the siege in the beginning of August, and compelled it, in six days, to surrender. The defenders stipulated to march out with the honors of war, and rejoin their coun- trymen ; but these terms were completely violated by the Indians, who barba- rously massacred a great number of them. Montcalm's friends have studiouslv 112 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY dcfc'iitled him aifaiiist any charge, even of neglect, on this dreadful occasion , but blame was attached, at the time, both to him and his officers, and there was accordingly kindled throughout the colonies a deep thirst for vengeance. Hitherto this war had been an almost continued series of disaster and dis- grace ; and in Europe similar results were seen to follow the feeble measures of the cabinet. But the spirit of the nation, being now aroused, forced into power William Pitt, perhap^s the most energetic war minister who has ever swayed the British councils. Adverse to military operations in Germany, he turned his main attention to the North American colonies, and by vigorously an- nouncing his resolution, drew forth from themselves strenuous exertions. Lord Loudon was superseded by Amherst, a more able commander ; while the most active part was assigned to Wolfe, a young officer, in whom the discerning eye of Pitt discovered a rising military genius. It being determined to strike the first blow against Louisburg, considered the centre of F'rench power in that quarter, an expedition sailed against it in May, 1757, and by the end of July chiefly through his exertions, it was compelled to surrender. This success was followed up next year by a more formidable attempt, under the same commander, against Quebec, capital of New France. On the 1 3th September, 1759, a splen- did victory, dearly purchased indeed by the death of that gallant officer, placed the city in the undisputed possession of Britain. After this triumph, France could with difficulty maintain her posts in the in- terior. In 1758, General Abercromby, with 16,000 regulars and provincials, marched against Crown Point and Ticonderoga. The first skirmish was marked by the fall of Lord Howe, a young officer of high promise, and much beloved in America. The commander, having soon after made a premature assault on the last-mentioned fort, was repulsed with considerable loss, when he raised the siege and precipitately retreated. Colonel Bradstreet, however, at the head of a detachment, captured Fort Frontignac, a post of some consequence on Lake Ontario. Meantime the Virginians, notwithstanding their most earnest wishes, had in vain attempted to renew the expedition against Fort Duquesne ; having placed under the command of Washington a. lorce barely sufficient to check the incur- sions of the French and Indians. In 1758, however, under the auspices of Pitt, General Forbes arrived with a body of troops, w'hich the provincials soon raised to 6,000 ; but, contrary to the urgent advice of the American, instead of pushing on by a track already formed, he undertook to cut a new one through forests almost impracticable. He accordingly failed to reach the scene of action till November, when the season was too late for active operations, and the provis- ions were nearly exhausted. A party under Major Grant, having rashly ad- vanced, were defeated with great loss. The situation of the army appeared very serious, when news arrived that the garrison, reduced to 500, and dis- couraged probably by the fall of Louisburg and the dangers menacing Canada, had ni'X fire to the fort, and retreated in boats down the river. The Indians, who had already abandoned their cause, readily entered into terms with the British, and tranquillity was established along the whole line of the back settlements. By th*> peace of Paris, France ceded it and all the adjacent countries. Spain was also obliged to yield Florida ; and Britain acquired a vast, compact, and flourishing empire, reaching from the arctic zone to the Gulf of Mexico. It would have been satisfactory could we have added a particular view of the progress made during this period by the colonies, in population, industry, and wealth. Their advance was certainly most rapid ; yet the details are scanty and in many cases doubtful. They were favored by a combination of circum- stances almost unprecedented. An industrious race, skilled in agriculture, were transported to a country where land to any extent could be easily obtained OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. US The abundance of the necessaries of life thus produced, removed all check to marriage and the rearing of children ; while the same circumstances invited a continual iuflux of emigrants from Europe. Hence arose a rapid increase of population, of which the modern world at least had never seen any example , doubling, it was supposed, in twenty-five or even twenty years. The commercial progress of the colonies was equally rapid, and excited a still greater interest. Their exports consisted almost exclusively of the rude productions of land ; a circumstance most grateful to the English people, since it naturally led to the desire to take their commodities in exchange. Their prog- ress in agriculture, by absorbing at once their capital and their labor, prevented them from making any attempt to manufacture goods for themselves ; while, by increasing their wealth, it induced them to prefer the fabrics of Britain to the rude home-made stuffs with which they had been at first contented. There was, however, a difficulty in finding articles, such as the rich products of the West Indies, which would obtain a place in the market of Europe. Silk and wine, the early objects of hope and pride, never succeeded ; and though, in 1731, there were exported from Virginia three hundred weight of the former, their expectations from this source proved ultimately fallacious. What they vainly sought, however, came upon them from unexpected quarters ; and we have seen how tobacco forced itself into the place of a leading export. During the present period, Virginia and Maryland became the chief sources whence all Europe was supplied. In 1744 and the two succeeding years, Britain imported 40,000,000 pounds, whereof 30,000 were re-exported. Rice also was accident- ally introduced in the manner already mentioned ; and so congenial was the swampy soil of Carolina to its culture, that nearly the whole quantity consumed in Europe was raised in that plantation. The productions of the northern col- onies being nearly the same with those of Britain, met with no demand from our merchants ; but the surplus of grain found a market in Spain and Portugal ; provisions and timber were sent to the West Indies ; and thence they obtained the mean* to pay for foreign manufactures. To New England again, the fish- eries and shipbuilding were a continual source of ever-increasing wealth. The following exhibits a view of the progressive increase of imports and exports from 1700 to 1763:— New England. . . New York Pennsylvania Virginia, and Alaryland .... Carolina Georgia 1701 1730 1 1750 1763 1 British Imports. Exports. £ 86,322 31,910 12,003 199,683 13,908 343,826 Imports. Exports. £ 208,196 64,356 48,592 150,931 64,785 536,860 Imports. £ 48,455 35,634 28,191 508,939 191,607 1,942 814,768 Exports. Imports. Exports. £ 32,656 18,547 5,220 235,738 16,973 sogjiii £ 54,701 8,740 10,582 346,823 151,739 572,585 £ 343,659 267,130 217,713 349,419 133,037 2,125 1,313,083 £ 74,815 53,988 38,228 642,294 282,366 14,469 £ 258,854 238,560 284,152 5.55,391 250,132 44,908 1,106,160 1,631,997 In 1769, a merchant, under the title of The American Traveller (4to, London, 1769), published a very detailed statement of the commerce of the colonies, on an average of the preceding three years ; and as this does not seem to be gen- erally known, we here present a summary, which may interest some clastses of readers : — 8 14 PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Massa- Rest of New Pennsyl- Viig'a he odium with which they were regarded. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. id Another important step to which the Americans were now impelled was an agreement for the non-importation of British goods. This, however, was ac- complis'jied with great diflicnhy, the people being thereby deprived of nearly all the conveniences and luxnries of life ; while the merchants, the most active op- ponents of the mother country, were threatened with ruin. The proposition, after being suggested, lay some time dormant, nor, till August, 1 768, was it fully determined upon, even in Massachusetts. Virginia next followed the example which Lord Bottetourt, the governor, vainly endeavored to prevent by dissolving „he assembly. In this measure Washington took an active part, and his con fidential letters intimate that he already contemplated a resort to arms as in evitable. Other colonies were induced to join. In the beginning of 1769, these proceedings being brought under the view of the British parliament, excited in a great majority the most decided reprobation Both houses passed a series of resolutions declaring the pretension of not being bound by the acts of the legislature " illegal, unconstitutional, and deroga- tory of the rights of the crown and parliament of Great Britain." The circular letter of the Massachusetts assembly, the assemblage and proceedings of the Boston convention, were characterized as daring insults on his majesty's author- ity, and audacious usurpations of the powers of government. In an address to the king, the lords assured him of support in maintaining the laws in Massachu- setts Bay, and prayed information respecting all persons accused of treason in the said colony, that they might be dealt with according to the act 35 Henry VIII., which directs such to be brought to England, and tried under a special commission. The resolution and address, when brought down to the Commons, encountered a warm opposition. Governor Pownall, intimately acquainted with the colonies, and actuated seemingly by patriotic motives, strongly advised min- isters to pause, and do nothing to inflame the Americans, whom he described as sincerely attached to the mother country, yet jealous in the extreme of those liberties for which their ancestors had made such sacrifices. Yet the resolution was passed by 161 to 65. At this time, however, another entire change took place in official arrange- ments, when Lord North began his long and eventful career. He possessed ex- tensive and varied knowledge, considerable eloquence, with peculiar skill in de- bate, and address in managing the house. Yet he wanted the decisive charac- ter of mind which would have fitted him for that formidable crisis he could not avoid. He was incapable of originating or of acting upon any comprehensive plan, while, on the other hand, he was easily hurried into hasty and incon- siderate measures, from the effects of which he had not skill to extricate himself. Almost every new minister had opened his career by concession to the pro- nncials ; and one of Lord North's temper was not likely to form an exception. The merchants, too, who were beginning to suffer severely by the non-importation proceedings, petitioned earnestly in favor of the colonies. The exports, which in 1768 had amounted to je2,378,000, of which Xl 32,000 was in tea, had fallen in 1769 to jC 1,634,000, the tea being only je44,000. On the 5th March, 1770, his lordship proposed to withdraw the duties recently imposed, as contrary to sound commercial principles, and tending to discourage their own manufactures. He retained only that on tea as an assertion of the Biltish right of taxation. Even George Grenville condemned this plan as inconsistent and imperfect, urging that one system or other ought to be thoroughly adopted ; while several members reprobated all concession, and insisted that the acts should be enforced with the united powers of the nation. An amendment by Governor Pownall that the tea duty also should be repealed, was negatived by 204 to 142, and the original motion carried. 124 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY This measure in a great degree tranquilized America ; though considerable materials of irritation were left. The more zealous patriots contended, that as their objection had 1 een to the principle, not the amount of the taxes, the reten- tion of any one was equivalent to a continuance of the whole. The resolution, also, respecting the conveyance of offenders to England for trial, though never in fact intended to be acted upon, excited rumors and alarms. The Massachu- 8etis> assembly advanced new and bolder claims, altogether denying the powei of parliament even to legislate ; they complained also of the laws restrainitifj their manufactures, which were doubtless impolitic, but had hitherto been quietly submitted to, and in their actual state were of very small practical injury. A new arrangement, making the salaries of the governor and judges independent of the assembly, gave rise to strong remonstrances. They declared thai no ar- rangement would satisfy them except the restoration of everything to the same footing as at the close of the late war. The removal of their body to Cambridge, and its long prorogations, heightened the discontent ; while the presence of the military was a continued source of complaint and irritation. During these parliamentary transactions, an occurrence happened in Boston, the source and centre of opposition to British authority, which greatly exaspera- ted the Americans and removed the hopes of reconciliation to a greater distance than ever. Frequent quarrels had arisen between the inhabitants and the sol- diers, who had been stationed there in the autunm of 1 768 ; but the public peace was preserved till the evening of the 5th of March, 1770, when a scuffle ensued, near the barracks, between a few soldiers and some young men of the town : the soldiers pursued the young men through the streets ; the townsmen took the alarm ; the bells of the churches were rung ; the multitude assembled at the customhouse, and insulted and threatened the sentinel stationed there. Captain Preston, the officer on duty at the time, hastened with a party to support the sentinel : he endeavored to persuade the people to disperse ; but his efforts were unavailing. The mob became more riotous than before, throwing stones and other missiles at the military. At length a soldier who had been struck fired on the multitude ; some of his comrades soon followed his example : four persons were killed, and several wounded. The crowd tied, but soon collected in another street. The drums beat to arms ; the troops were drawn out ; and the itmost agitation and confusion prevailed in the town. A meeting of the iidiabitants was held, and a deputation sent to the governor, rsquesting hun to remove the troops. He assembled the council, who were of opinion that the removal of the troops would be for the good of his majesty's service^ The troops were accordingly removed to Castle William. Captain Preston surrendered himself for trial ; and the soldiers who had been imder his command at the customhouse were taken into custody. Some days afterward, the bodies of those who had been killed in the riot, ac- companied by a great concourse of people, displaying emblematical devices cal- culated to inflame the popular mind, were carried in funeral procession through the town to the place of sepulture. The colonial newspapers gave an inflamma- tory account of the transaction, representing it as an atrocious massacre of 'he peaceable inhabitants. The trial of Captain Preston and his party was delayed till the month of October, and Samuel Adams was assigned to him by the court IS his defender. Before that time the irritation of the public mind had son.?- what abated; and Captain Preston and six of his men, were acquitted by a Boston jury. Two of the party were found guilty of manslaughter. The news of the discontirmance of the American duties reached Boston while tl.e minds of the people were much irritated by the death of their townsmen ; but in the inflamed state of the public nund the intelligence had little eflect in •oolhiiig their angry passions, or cherishing a spirit of conciliation. The ex- THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Fio. 52. — Portrait of Samuel Adams. asperation and firm resolution to resist all parliamentary taxation, which prevaiiea in Massachusetts, did not exist, in the same degree, in the other colonies; and, therefore, in them the repeal of the duties had considerable influence on the public mind. In all the provinces much inconvenience had been felt in con- Boquence of the non-importation associations, and many of the people were glad to be released from them. Accordingly, they now held those associations no longer binding, except in regard to tea : some, indeed, wished to interpret them more rigorously, and to consider them obligatory till the tax on every article was abrogated. But the general sense of the colonists was that they ceased in re- gard to every article from which the tax was removed, and that now they op- erated against tea only. Hence, during the remainder of this year and the whole of the next, the commerce of Britain with America was in a flourishing condition. In the southern and middle colonies, although the people were not entiiely satisfied with parliament, yet, for the sake of peace, they were generally in- clined to acquiesce in what it had done. The same spirit did not prevail in th» 128 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY north ; for there the colonists were indignant at the restrictions laid on then commerce by the establishment of an American board of admiralty, and the powers granted to the officers of the navy, in order to enforce the revenue laws. The zeal of these petty officers was often much greater than their prudence ; and they highly provoked the people by the vexatious activity and insolence with which they executed their commission. Lieutenant Dudington, commander of the armed vessel Gasper, stationed off Rhode Island, was remarkably active in searching for contraband goods. By this conduct, and by compelling the packets to lower their colors in passing hiin, he had become the object of much ill will. On the ev ling of the 9th of June, 1772, the Providence packet, with passengers on board, came up with colors flying, and refusing to lower them, the lieutenant fired a shot at her ; which being disregarded, he gave chase. It was near lull tide, and the packet stood closely in to the land, for the purpose of drawing the Gasper into shallow water : the design succeeded, and the schooner got fast aground about seven miles be- low Providence. The packet proceeded to the town, where the resolution was soon formed of attacking and destroying the Gasper. Accordingly, about two in the morning, a body of armed men, in several whale-boats, boarded the Gasper, which was still aground, forced the lieutenant, who was wounded in the scuffle, with his crew, ashoie, and burned the schooner and her stores. The British minihtry were incapable of deriving wisdom from experience , for, after all the mischief which had resulted from their Ainerican acts, they still indulged the passion for coloi. al legislation. Hitherto the assembly of Mas- sachusetts Bay had voted a scanty allowance to the judges and to law officers of the crown ; but about the beginning of 1772, in order to render the judges more inr'ependent, the crown granted them liberal salaries out of the American reve- nue. The measure was unseasonable ; for every act of government was looked on with distrust and jealousy by the colonists ; and in the irritable state of the public mind at that time, the grant of salaries to the judges, being viewed as the wages of subserviency, created much alarm and agitation. The inhabitants of Boston met on the 25th of October. Mr. Hutchinson was then governor, having succeeded Sir Francis Bernard in 1770 : to him they pre- sented a petition, setting forth the evil tendency of the new regulation respecting the judges, and the alarm which it had occasioned, and praying him to call an assembly. He refused : the people, therefore, appointed a committee to con- sider what was to be done in that season of danger, and to report to a subsequent meeting. The committee prepared a report more extensive than any that had hitherto been framed, comorehending the rights of the colonists as men, as cit- izens, and as Christians The inhabitants of boston met to receive the report, which was read and agreed to. It was ordered to be printed and circulated in the province, accom- panied by an exhortation to the people no longer to doze or sit in supine in- difference, while the hand of oppression was tearing the choicest fruits from the tree of liberty. When the assembly met in Jaimary, 1773, the governor imprudently expatiated on the supreme legislative authority of the king and parliament. This fanned the dying embers ; and the assembly, instead of qualifying the claims contained in the resolutions of the people of Boston, avowed them in all their extent. In their address they openly denied the right of parliament to tax or to legislate for them in any respect whatsoever; and added that, if in any late instances there had been a submission to acts of parliament, it had arisen rather from want of consideration, and a reluctance to contend with the parent state, than from a conviction of the supreme legislative authority of parliament. ii¥ THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. I3t CHAPTER II. The independijnt spirit which had so often manifested itself in the assembly and colony of Massachusetts Bay, had been gradually working its way into the Dther provinces. Since the time of the first congress, a mutual correspondence had been maintained between the leading men of the several colonies. The measures of the British ministry had tended to promote among them an approxi- mation of political sentiment, and to make them feel the importance of union and ro-operation in giving consistency and vigor to their measures. But although (he colonies were determined to resist taxation by a British parliament, yet there was not at this time among the great body of the people, nor even among their 'eaders, unless with perhaps a very few exceptions, the remotest intention of a separation from Great Britain. But an act of parliament was passed this ses- sion, wnich brought matters to a crisis, and severed the American colonies for ever Irom the British empire. The East India Company enjoyed a monopoly, and, having allowed their afl^airs to fall into disorder, they applied to parliament for relief, complaining that their embarrassments were partly owing to the American disturbances, which had lessened the demand for their tea, and left nearly 17,000,000 lbs. lying in their warehouses for want of a market ; but unhappily the ministry resolved to relieve them. For this purpose parliament empowered the company to export their tea to the colonies free from all duties payable in Britain. The ministry seem to have imagined that the company, by exporting the tea to America in iheir own ships, would be enabled to relieve their overstocked warehouses ; thai the colonial non-importation associations would be rendered ineffectual ; and that the tax of three pence on the pound would necessarily be paid in America. But the quarrel had already proceeded too far to admit of the success of such a scheme. The Americans easily foresaw, that if the tea were landed in the provinces it would be impossible to check the sale and consumption of it ; they, therefore took measures to prevent the discharging of their cargoes. In November news reached Boston that three ships, loaded with tea, on ac- count of the East India Company, were on their way to that port. The informa- tion threw the people into great commotion ; the consignees were tlrreatened, and fled for safety to Castle William. On the arrival of the tea, a meeting of the inhabitants of Boston and of the neighboring towns was held, at which it was resolved to send back the ships without permitting them to discharge their cargoes. Notice of this resolution was given to the consignees and others inter- ested in the ships ; and the meeting adjourned to aflbrd them time to return their iinswer. The captains wished to put to sea, without running the risk of losing their cargoes. But the governor, who had always recommended coercive meas- ures, found it easy to throw difficulties in the way of an amicable arrangement. The clearance from the customhouse, which was necessary to authorize the sailing of the ship?, could not be obtained; besides, the vessels could not be al- lowed to pass Caslle William without the governor's permission, which he re fu-sed to grant. The people, however, were too resolutely bent on their purpose '.o be diverted from it by such management. On the 16th of December the ad- 9 130 THE PIGTORIAJ. HISTORY jounied town meeting, after having heard an account of al the proceedings in Uie affair, dissolved itself an. id cries of " A mob, a mob I" and in the evening a (lumber of armed men, disguised like Mohawk Indians, boarded the three lea ships, and in about the space of two hours, broke open 342 chests of tea, valued at 18,000/. sterling, and discharged the contents into the sea. The work was deliberately performed, and no property but the tea injured. The determined spirit of resistance to the introduction of this artiJe was no( confined to Boston, but manifested itself in other places also, although it was noi attended with similar violence. In most instances the ships were obliged to re- turn without having discharged their cargoes. In Charlestown, after much op- position, the tea was permitted to be landed, but was immediately lodged in damp cellars, where it long remained, and was finally spoiled. Information of the destructive proceedings at I3ostou reached Britain while parliament was sitting, and was communicated to both houses by messages from the crown. The people of thit town had on so many occasions shown an inde- pendent spirit, and had resisted oppression so often, that it was determined to make them feel the weight of parliamentary vengeance. For that purpose a bill was introduced on the 1 tth of March, 1771, and received the royal assent on the 3ist of the same month, prohiliiting the lading or unlading of any goods or merchan- dise, excepting stores for his majesty's service, and provisions and fuel for the use of the inhabitants, at any place within the port of Boston, after the 1st day of June, until the king was satisfied that good order and obedience to the laws were restored, and until the East India Company and others should be indemni- fied for the loss they had sustained. Then, and not till then, might the king by proclamation open the harbor of Boston. In order to enforce obedience to the enactments of this bill, four ships-of-war were ordered to sail for the prosciibed town. General Gage, commander-in-chief in America, was appointed governoi of Massachusetts Bay, in the room of Mr. Hutchinson ; and he was authorized to grant pardons for treasons and all other crimes, and to remit forfeitures to all juch offenders as he should think fit objects of royal clemency. But the British ministry were not satisfied with shutting up the harbor of Bos- ton ; they resolved not only to punish the people for past offences, but also to prevent future misconduct. For these purposes, they determined to annul the charter of the colony, and give it a new constitution. They accordingly pro- cured an act of parliament which deprived the lower house of assembly in Mas- sachusetts Bay of the power of electing the council, and vested that privile^ ^ in the crown, authorizing the king, or the governor acting in his name, to appoi. judges, magistrateii, and sheriffs. Theact also empowered the sheriff to summon and return juries, and prohibited town meetings, unless with the consent of the governor. The charter was considered by the colonists as the compact between them and the king, and as the only bond of union between them. They admitted that if they had violated the charier they were justly liable to punishment ; but thought neither king nor parliament had any right to annul the charter. The attempt to do so, in their opinion, broke the bond of union, and set the people free from their allegiance. From that moment the parties became independent of each other, and the king could reign over the colony only as a coiuiuered province, reduced to unconditional submission. But witb these two acts the ministry were not satisfied. For the consunnna- lion of their plan, they added a third, emj)owering the governor, with the advice of the council, when any person in the discharge of his duty as an officer of revenue, or as a magistrate in the suppression of riots, or in the support of the laws of revenue, or when any person acting under the authority of a magistrate for any of those purposes, should be charged with the crime of murdei n with 4nv other capital offence while so acting, to send the person so charged to aiw 132 THE PICTORIAL HISTOtiY other colony, or to Britain, to be tried, if it should appear to the governor and h'."* council that an impartial trial could not be had in the province. Those acts did not pass without opposition. There were persons in parliament who had discernment enough to perceive the pernicious tendency of such measures ; but ihe plan of the ministry was supported by docile majorities in both houses. On the 10th of May intelligence of the port bill reached the town. Such a rigorous measure was wholly unexpected, and excited the liveliest indignation against its authors. The act was immediately printed on paper with a black border, and hawked about the streets as a bloody, cruel, and inhuman murder. The inhabitants of Boston were not long left in uncertainty and suspense with respect to the sentiments and conduct of the other provinces concerning the port bill. The rest of the colonies had opposed the introduction of the tea as firmly as they, although, from peculiar circumstances, the proceedings had not been equally vigorous at any other port. They were considered as suffering in the common cause ; and the other colonies gave them prompt assurances of co-op- eration and support. The people of the other sea-port towns of Massachusetts Bay, instead of taking advantage of the calamity of their neighbors in Boston to increase their own commerce, generously offered them the use of their wharves and warehouses for carrying on their trade. Before the 7th of June the people of Boston had received assurances of the lively vsympathy of the other colonies, and of their active co-operation in the cause of American freedom. Emboldened by such support, they determined to act with unabated vigor. The assembly met at Salem on the 7th of June ; resolved on a general congress, to meet at Philadelphia on the 1st of September ; nominated five of their members to attend it ; voted the sum of 500/. for defraying their ex- penses ; and recommended to the several towns and districts of the province to raise this sum, according to their proportion of the last provincial tax, which was readily comphed with. On being informed of these proceedings the governor dissolved the assembly. An active correspondence was now carried on between the leading men of the several provinces ; and corresponding committees were everywhere es- tablished. The cause of the inhabitants of Boston daily became more popular ; and the sentiments of the people of New England rapidly gained ground through- out the continent. There were a few persons not unfriendly to the claims of the British government ; but at town meetings their efforts were vain, as they were opposed by overwhelming majorities. Throughout the country the press was chiefly in the hands of persons friendly to the people ; and that powerful engine was actively employed in supporting the cause of the colonies, and contributed not a little to fan the growing flame. The sufl^erings occasioned by the port bill, in Boston and its vicinity, exasperated the people without either intimidating or subduing them ; they saw that it was intended either to terrify or compel them to unconditional submission ; and they determined to repel force by force. They seized every opportunity of providing themselves with muskets, and other military accoutrements. Many of them, in- deed, in conformity to the militia laws, were already in possession of firearms, and all were desirous of improving themselves in the use of them. With the musket they were familiarly acquainted from their earliest years ; and having been much exercised in hunting, were dexterous marksmen. Many iniagined that this, combined with patriotic ardor, would supply the defects of military discipline and want of military habits. A warlike spirit pervaded the provinces, and the note of preparation for battle was everywhere heard. The parties had ill calculated each other's strength ; the colonists had but a very imperfect knowledge of the '.'^rmidable power of Britain, and khe British government had OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 133 formed no just estimate of the unanimity and vigor of the colonists ; else both parties would have been much more cautious. While the people vv^ere so active in their preparations, General Gage w^as not an inattentive or idle spectator of their proceedings. Apprehensii e of resistance to his authority, he had soon after entering on his government ordered two regi- ments of infantry and a detachment of artillery to Boston. This body of troopa was gradually increased by reinforcements from Ireland, New York, Halifax, and Quebec, and was encamped on the common and narrow neck which con- nected Boston with the main land. The presence of these troops alarmed the townsmen, and greatly increased the jealousy of the country people. The Bos ton committee did everything in their power to render the situation of the mil itary disagreeable ; and privately counteracted every measure tending to pro- mote their comfort. They dissuaded the farmers and others from selling them straw, timber, boards, and every other article, except the provisions necessary for their subsistence. If j)urchases were made by the agents of government, care was taken that the articles did not reach the camp in safety : the straw was burned ; vessels with bricks were sunk ; carts with wood were overturned ; and, in one way or other, purchases were either prevented, or the commodities destroyed before they reached the camp. A guard was stationed on Boston Neck, ostensibly with a view to prevent the desertion of the soldiers ; but it was considered by the Americans as intended to cut off the communication between the town and country, and to compel the inhabitants of Boston to submit unconditionally to the acts of the British par- liament. Inflamed by rumors of this kind, the inhabitants of Worcester county assembled, and despatched messengers to Boston, to ascertain what degree of credit was due to these reports. Those messengers assured the people of the town that, if any attempt should be made to compel them to surrender their rights, several thousands of armed men were ready to march to their assistance ; and that if they should yield up their liberties, the people in the country would not consider themselves parties in their submission, nor bound by their deed. The events of almost every day tended not only to keep alive but to increase the mutual irritation. The inhabitants of Salem were invited by a hand-bill to meet on the 25th of August, in order to concert measures for opposing the late acts of parliament. On the 24th, the governor issued a proclamation prohibiting the meeting. But the proclamation was disregarded : the people assembled Troops were sent to disperse them ; but before the arrival of the troops the business was finished, and the assembly dissolved. Everything wore a portentous aspect. The people were highly exasperated j the governor was irritated and alarmed. Perhaps no human prudence could have long delayed hostilities without abandoning the British claims ; but the conduct of the governor hastened matters to a crisis. He fortified Boston Neck ; and before daybreak, on the 1st of September, sent a party of soldiers across the river Charles, and removed a quantity of provincial powder which had been ^odged in the arsenal at Charlestown, a small town opposite Boston. The news of this transaction spread rapidly through the country ; and several thousands of the inhabitants of the neighboring towns, mostly armed, soon assembled at Cam- bridge. They proceeded to the houses of several gentlemen who had been named counsellors under the late act ; and those gentlemen found i) expedient to resign their appointments, and to declare that they would not fih tny officcj under the obnoxious bills. It was with difficulty that this multitude v\as dis- suaded from marching to Boston, to demand the restoration of the powder, and to attack the troops in case of refusal. This tumultuarj' meeting gave rise to a rumor, which circulated throughom New Englard with amaziui rapidity, that the troops were firing on the town jf i34 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Boston ; i!Ui ^ jiss than twenty-four hours, between thirty and forty thousand men weic in arms, some of whom marched upward of twenty miles on their waj toward Boston before they were satisfied that the rumor was false. This cir- cumstance greatly encouraged the most daring of the popular leaders, who re- solved to keep up and cherish the public agitation by holding an assembly ot delegates from the several towns and districts of the county of Suffolk, of which Boston is the capital, to consider what course was to be pursued in the present posture of affairs. This assembly met on the 9th of September ; and after a spirited preamble, daringly resolved, " That no obedience is due from this prov- ince to the late acts, but that they be rejected as the attempts of a wicked ad- ministration to enslave America : that so long as the justices are appoir/.^d or hold their places by any other tenure than that which the charter and the laws of the province direct, they must be considered as unconstitutional officers; and, as such, no regard ought to be paid to them by the people of this country ; that it be recommended to the collectors of taxes, and all other officers who have public money in their hands, to retain the same, and not to make any payment thereof to the provincial county treasurer, until the civil government of the province be placed upon a constitutional foundation, or it shall be otherwise or- dered by the proposed provincial congress ; that the persons who have accepted seats at the council-board, by virtue of a mandamus from the king, have acted in direct violation of the duty they owe to their country : that this couiuy do recommend it to all who have so highly offended, and have not already resigned, to make public resignation on or before the 20th day of this month of September : that all refusing so to do shall, after said day, be considered as obstinate and in- corrigible enemies to this country : that the fortifications begun and carrying on at }^oston Neck give reason to apprehend some hostile intentions against that town : that the late act establishing the Roman catholic religion in Quebec is dangerous in an extreme degree to the protestant religion, and to the civil rights and liberties of America : that whereas our enemies have flattered themselves that they shall make an easy prey of this numerous and brave people, from an appre- hension that they are unacquainted with military discipline ; we therefore, for the honor and security of this county and province, advise that such persons be elected n each town, as officers in the militia, as shall be judged of sufficient capacity, and who have evinced themselves the inflexible friends of the rights of the people ; »nd that the inhabitants do use their utmost endeavors to acquaint themselves with the art of war, and do, for tliat purpose, appear under arms at least once every week." After passing these decisive resolutions, the meeting despatched copies of them to the general congress, which had met at Philadelphia on the 5th of the month, for their opinion and advice on the subject. The congress approved of the Suffolk resolutions, and resolved unanimously, " That this assembly deeply feels the sufferings of their countrymen in the xMassachusetts Bay, under the operation of the late unjust, cruel, and oppressive acts of the British parliament , that they most thoroughly approve the wisdom and fortitude with which opposi- tion to these wicked ministerial measures has hitherto been conducted ; anl they earnestly recommend to their brethren a perseverance in the same firm and temperate conduct as expressed in their resolutions ; trusting that the united ef- forts of North America in their behalf will carry such conviction to tlie British nation of the unwise, unjust, and ruinous policy of the present administration, as ([Uickly to introduce better men and wiser measures." The Suffolk resolutions openly set government at defiance ; and congress, by approving their resolutions, virtually raised the standard of rebellion, and set the colonies in hostile array against the |)arent state. Thus, step by step, the provinces were brought into a condition which a short time before they would OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 135 nave contemplated with regret. Many of the colonists, however, still fondly cherished the hope that the quarrel would be settled without an appeal to arms. Between the unwary and obstinate policy of his superiors, and the determined opjfosition of the subjects of his government. General Gage was placed in un- pleasant and difficult circumstances ; but to the committee from the county of Suffolk, which waited upon him, his language was firm and temperate. The people of New England, who had impatiently waited for the opinion of congress on the Suffolk resolutions, were much elated with the approbation of that body ; and, considering its resolutions as a pledge of support from the othef colonies, they proceeded with increased courage in the bold career on which they had entered. Georgia had not yet joined the confederation ; but twelve colonies had sent delegates to the general congress, which consisted of fifty-two members, be- side the president. All these delegates had received instructions from their respective constituents ; and some of the instructions were more moderate than others : but all of them authorized the delegates to concur in any measures which the majority thought it expedient to adopt. In the congress each col- ony had only one vote, although it had several delegates present. The congress chose Peyton Randolph as their president, and Charles Thom- son secretary. The resolution in approbation of the Suffolk meeting was the first business in which they engaged. In a subsequent resolution, passed on the 8th of October, they declared, " That if the late acts of parliament shall be attempted to be carried into execution by force, in such case all America ough". to support the inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay in their opposition : that if it be found absolutely necessary to remove the people of Boston into the country, all America ought to contribute toward recompensing them for the injury they may thereby sustain ; and that every person who shall accept, or act under any commission or authority derived from the act of parliament, changing the form of government and violating the charter, ought to be held in detestation." The congress deliberated with shut doors, and consequently none of its pro- ceedings were known, except such as it thought proper to publish ; but the pa- pers which it communicated to the world were important, and had a powerful influence on subsequent events. They published a declaration of rights to which the colonists of North America were entitled by the immutable laws of nature, the principles of the British constitution, and their several charters or compacts. As the first of these rights, they mentioned life, liberty, and property ; the power to dispose of any of which, without their consent, they had never ceded to any sovereign power whatever. Their ancestors, they said, at the time of their em- igration, were entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free and nat- ural-born subjects of the realm of England : that by their emigration they had not forfeited, surrendered, or lost any of those rights ; but that they and their descendants were entitled to all of them which their circumstances enabled them to exercise. They stated, that the foundation of English liberty, and of all free government, is a right in the people to participate in their legislative council ; that as the colonists are not, and from various causes can not be represented in the British parliament, they are entitled to a free and exclusive power of legisla- tion in their several provincial legislatures, where only their right of representation can be preserved, in all cases of taxation and internal policy, subject only to the negative of their sovereign, in such manner as had heretofore been used. They asserted their right to trial by their peers of the vicinage ; pronount^ed a standing army, kept up in time of peace in any colony, without the consent of the legislature of that colony, illegal ; and maintained that a legislative coun- cil appointed during pleasure by the crown, was unconstitutional : they also en tered into a non-importation agreement. .36 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY. At the same time they prepared an address to the people of Britain, .'n whicb they warned them that, if they supported ministers in attempting to subdue and snslave the American colonies, they would forge chains for themselves " Take care," said they, " that you do not fall into the pit preparing for us." . . . "But if you," they afterward add, " are determined that your ministers shall wantonly sport with the rights of mankind ; if neither the voice of justice, the dictates of the law% the principles of the constitution, nor the suggestions of humanity, can restrain your hands from shedding human blood in such an impious cause, we must then tell you that we will never submit to be hewers of wood and drawers of water for any ministry or nation in the world. Place us in the same situation that we were in at the close of the last war, and our former harmony will be re- stored." Congress addressed a memorial to their constituents, replete with serious and temperate argument. In this paper, they detailed the causes which had led to the unhappy differences, and labored to convince the colonists that their lib- erty would be destroyed, and the security of their persons and property annihi- lated, by submission to the claims of Great Britain. They addressed a letter to the inhabitants of Canada also, and endeavored to interest them in their cause. That they might in no respect be wanting to themselves, congress prepared a petition to the king, in which they gave a succinct statement of their grievances, implored his clemency for protection against them, and imputed all their distresses, dangers, and fears, to the destructive system of colonial administration which had been adopted since the conclusion of the last war. They expressed their belief that, as his majesty enjoyed the singular distinction of reigning over freemen, the language of freemen could not be displeasing to him " Your royal indignation," say they, " we hope will rather fall on those designing and dangerous men who daringly interpose themselves between your royal person and your faithful sub- jects, and, by abusing your majesty's authority, misrepresenting your American subjects, and prosecuting the most desperate and irritating projects of oppression, have at length compelled us, by the force of accumulated injuries, too severe to be any longer tolerated, to disturb your majesty's repose by our complaints." The addresses of congress were written with much ability, and its recom mendations were revered and obeyed as sacred laws throughout the colonies. The congress having finished their labors, and recommended the appointment ^ a similar assembly, to meet on the 10th of May next, unless a redress of ^ievances had before that time been obtained, dissolved themselves on the 26th day of October. Originally formed of heterogeneous materials, differing in manners, religious sentiments, and civil constitutions, the colonies, for a long time, had no common feelings and interests. They had even been alienated from each other by local prejudices and provincial jealousies ; but the dread of a conunon danger had gradually overcome all those principles of repulsion, and united the twelve prov- inces, from New Hampshire to South Carolina, in one compact body. They •were embarked in a common cause, and relied on each other for mutual support. By meeting in congress, the leading men in the several provinces had become personally acquainted ; and their sentiments of reciprocal respect and friendship strengthened the bonds of political union. It was not, therefore, to be expected that they would recede from their claims without a violent struggle. The province of Massachusetts Bay was the more immediate seat of the quar rel ; and the popular leaders in that colony, assured of the co-operation and sup port of th 3 other provinces, were not intimidated by the menacing attitude of the go.ernor, but persevered steadily in the execution of their purposes. The violence of the people against all wliom they considered unlriendly to American freedom was so great, that the commissioners of the customs, and aU THE BIRTH OF FREEDOM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 137 ne uflicers of government, deemetl it expedient to quit Salem, and to repair to Boston for safety ; so that all the apparatus of a customhouse was transferred Lo a port which an act of parliament had pronounced it unlawful for any vessel to enter. Having formed a council under the new act for the government of Massachu- setts Bay, General Gage, by its advice, issued writs for holding an assembly in Salem, on the 5th of October ; but was induced by subsequent events to coun- termand the elections by a second preclamation, and to suspend the meeting o( the members already returned. The colonists, considering the second procla- mation illegal, utterly disregarded it, and chose their representatives in obedi ence to the first. The assembly, to the number of ninety, met at the time and place appointed They waited a day for the governor to open the session ; but finding he did not appear, they, on the third day, resolved themselves into a provincial congress, and adjourned to Concord, a town about twenty miles distant from Boston. They chose John Hancock president ; and appointed a committee to wait on the gov- ernor with a remonstrance, in which they apologized for their meeting by rep- resenting the distressed state of the colony ; mentioned the grievous apprehen- sions of the people ; asserted that the rigor of the Boston port bill was increased by the manner of its execution ; complained of the late laws, and of the hostile preparations on Boston Neck ; and adjured him to desist immediately from the construction of a fortress there. The governor was at a loss how to act. He could not recognise the meeting at Concord as a legal assembly, and was sensible of the imprudence of increas- ing the public irritation by declining to take notice of their remonstrance. He was constrained by the pressure of circumstances to return an answer : and, in that answer he expressed his indignation at the suspicion that the lives, liberty, or property of any but avowed enemies, were in danger from English troops ; and ob- served, that notwithstanding the hostile dispositions manifested toward them, by withholding almost every necessary accommodation, they had not discovered that resentment which such unfriendly conduct was calculated to provoke. He told them that, while they complained of alterations in their charter by act of parlia- ment, they were themselves, by their present assembling, subverting that char- ter, and acting in direct violation of their own constitution : he therefore warned them of their danger, and called on them to desist from such unconstitutional proceedings. But the warnings of the governor made no impression on the provincial con- gress. On the 17th of October, that assembly adjourned to Cambridge, a town about four miles from Boston. They resolved to purchase military stores ; and to enlist a number of minute men, so named from their engaging to take the field in arms on a minute's warning. But the greater part of the members, although sufficiently zealous in the cause, had no conception of the expense attending such proceedings ; and were alarmed at the mention of the most trivial sums. They were in easy circumstances, but had little money ; living on the produce of their farms, their expenditure was trifling, and they were utter strangers to large accounts. They were prevailed on, however, at first to vote -G750 ster- ling, and afterward to add jC1,500 more, for purchasing warlike stores. By cau- tion's management, their leaders ultimately induced them to grant jC 16,000 ster- ling for the purpose of maintaining their liberties. Such was the sum with which they were to resist the power of the British empire ! They appointed a committee of safety, with authority to call out the militia when thought necessary for the defence of the inhabitants of the province ; and a committee of suppHes, to purchase ammunition, ordnance, and other military stores. They electwi Jedidiah Pribble, Artemas Ward, and Cokmel Pomeroy .38 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY who had seen some service in the late war, general officers, and appointed thorn to the chief command of the minute-men and mihtia, if they should be called into actual service. On the 27th of October, the congress adjourned to the 23d 01 November. On the approach of winter, the governor ordered temporary barracks for the troops to be erected : but he found much difficulty in the execution of his pur pose ; as, through the influence of the select-men and committees, the mechan- ics were unwilling or afraid to engage in the work, and the merchants declined to execute his orders. The mutual suspicions of the governor and people of Massachusetts Bay were now so strong that every petty incident increased the irritation. Each party made loud professions of the best intentions ; and each watched the other with a jealous eye. In a proclamation, the governor forbade the people to pay any regard to the requisitions, directions, or resolutions of the provincial congress, and denounced that body as an illegal assembly ; but the proclamation was dis- regarded, and the recommendations of congress were revered and promptly obeyed. Instead of being intimidated by the governor's proclamation, the provincial congress of Massachusetts Bay, on reassembling after their adjournment, pro ceeded with greater boldness than ever, and gave decisive evidence of their de termination to carry matters to extremities, rather than submit to the late acts of parliament. They resolved to have 12,000 men in readiness to act on any emergency, and ordered a fourth of the militia to be enlisted as miinite-men, and empowered them to choose their own officers. They despatched agents to New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, to concert measures wiili the lead- ing men in thnse provinces, and to engage them to provide their contingents for an army of 20,000 men. They resolved to bring their force into action, and to oppose General Gage whenever he should march his troops out of Boston, with their baggage, annnunitiori, and artillery ; and they applied to the ministers of religion, throughout the province, desiring their countenance and co-operation They also added Colonels Thomas and Heath to the number of generals whom they had formerly nominated. Toward the end of November the congress dis- solved itself, having appointed another to be held in the month of February. Alarmed by the proceedings in the several provinces, the ministry had issued a proclamation prohibiting the exportation of military stores from Britain. On hearing of this proclamation, the inhabitants of Rhode Island removed above forty pieces of cannon from the batteries about the harbor, for the avowed pur- pose of preventing them from falling into the hands of the king's troops, and of employing them against such persons as might attempt to infringe their liberties. About the same time, the assembly of the province passed resolutions for pur- chasi'iij inns and military stores at the public expense, and for carefully training the nulitia in military exercises. The people of New Hampshire, who had hitherto been moderate, surprised a small fort at Portsmouth, and carried off the military stores which it contained. The begiiniiiig of the year 1775 presented a gloomy prospect to England : all che provincial assemblies, except that of New York, approved of the resolutions of the general congress ; and even the assembly of New York joined in the complaints of the other provinces, although it wa.s less resolute in its opposition to the obnoxious laws. The passions of the people were everywhere roused, uid great agitation prevailed. The inhabitants were all in motion ; fornnng county meetings ; entering into associations ; recommending measures for car- rying into execution the resolutions of the general congress, and choosii.g com- mittees of inspection and observation, to take care that the public resolutiona ■hould be universally attended to, and to guard against the practices of 'hose OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 139 •elfish individuals who, for interesled purposes, might wish to elude them In the midst of all this bustle, the militia were everj'where carefully trained. Meanwhile, the privations and sufl'erings of the inhabitants of Boston were gri* vous, and their passions were highly excited ; but their resentful spirit was kept in check by the presence of the troops. Supplies of provisions were sent them from the other colonies : these, however, formed but a partial and precari- ous resource ; but the people were encouraged by the sympathy of their breth- ren, and by the thought that they were considered martyrs in the common cause Notwithstanding the portentous aspect of affairs, many of the colonists still believed that there would be no appeal to arms. Formerly their non-importa tion associations had produced the desired effect ; and they flattered themselves that similar measures would again be followed with similar results ; that the British ministry would never come to an open rupture with the best customers of their merchants and manufacturers, but would recede from their pretensions when convinced of the determined opposition of the Americans. On the other hand, the British ministry expected the colonists would yield ; and thus both parties persisted in their claims till neither could easily give way ; and in the debates on American affairs, in parliament, the partisans of the ministry spake of the colonists in the most contemptuous manner ; affirmed that they were un- disciplined, and incapable of discipline, and that their numbers would only in- crease their confusion and facilitate their defeat. Meanwhile the colonists were not idle. On the 1st of February, the provin- cial congress of Massachusetts Bay met at Cambridge, and, apprehensive of be- ing too much within the reach of General Gage, toward the middle of the month they again adjourned to Concord. They thus took decisive measures for resist- ing the obnoxious acts of parliament. They earnestly exhorted the militia in general, and the minute-men in particular, to be indefatigable in improving them ■ selves in military discipline ; they recommended the making of firearms and bayonets ; and they dissuaded the people from supplying the troops in Boston with anything necessary for military service. The committee of safety resolved to purchase powder, artillery, provisions, and other military stores, and to de- posite them partly at Worcester and partly at Concord. In this agitated posture of public affairs. General Gage conceived it to be his duty to seize the warlike stores of the colonists wherever he could find them. With this view he ordered a small detachment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Leslie, on Sunday the 26th of February, to bring off some field-pieces which he understood the provincial congress had at Salem. The party landed at Marblehead, and marched to Salem, but found no cannon there. Believing they had been removed only a short time before, the commanding officer deter- mined on pursuit. He reached a small river, on the way to Danvers, over which was a draw-bridge ; but, on his approach, some people on the other side drew it up, and alleged that, as both the bridge and road were private property, the soldiers had no right to pass that way. The party were about to use some boats, but the owners instantly scuttled them. The bridge was at length let down ; but the day was so far spent, that Colonel Leslie, deeming it inexpedient to proceed much farther, returned to Boston. This inefTectual attempt showed the designs of the governor, and gave fresh activity to the vigilance of the people The colonies were now all in commotion ; and preparations were everywhere making for the general congress, which was to assemble in the month of May. New York was the only place which discovered much backwardness in the matter ; and perhaps the timid and selfish policy of that province contributed m. less to the war, than the audacious turbulence of the people of Massachusell? Bay ; for the British ministry were encouraged by the irresolution of the people of New York to persist in their plan of coercion, from which they had been al- 140 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY mosi deterred by he firm attitude and united counsels of the other co.onies But hoping, hv the compliance of New York with their designs, to separate the middle and southern from the northern provinces, and so easily subjugate thetn all, they determined to persevere in strong measures. The active exertions, however, of the adherents of the British ministry were defeated, ev^en in New York, by the resolute conduct of their opponents ; and that province sent depu- ties to the general congress. Although some of the persons most obnoxious to the British government had withdrawn from Boston, yet many zealous Americans still remained in the town, observed every motion of General Gage with a vigilant eye, and transmitted to their friends in the country notices of his proceedings and probable intentions. The American stores at Concord had attracted the general's attention, and he determined to seize them. But, although he had been careful to conceal his in- tention, yet some intimations of it reached the ears of the colonists, who took their measures accordingly. At eleven o'clock at night, on the 18th of April, General Gage embarked 800 grenadiers and light infantry, the flower of his army, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn, on Charles river, at Boston Neck. They sailed up the river, landed at Phipp's farm, and advanced toward Con- cord. Of this movement some of the friends of the American cause got notice, just before the embarcation of the troops ; and they instantly despatched messen- gers by different routes, with the information The troops soon perceived, by the ringing of bells and firing of musketry, that notwithstanding the secrecy with which they had quitted Boston, they had been discovered, and that the alarm was fast spreading throughout the country. Between four and five o'clock, on vhe morning of the 19th of April, the detachment reached Lexington, thirteen miles from Boston. Here about seventy of the militia were assembled, and were Btanding near the road ; but their number being so small they had no intention of making any resistance to the military. Major Pitcairn, who had been sent forward with the light infantry, rode toward them, calling out, " Disperse, you rebels ! throw down your arms and disperse !" The order was not instantly obeyed : Major Pitcairn advanced a little farther, fired his pistol, and flourished tiis sword, while his men began to fire, with a shout. Several Americans fell ; the rest dispersed, but the firing on them was continued ; and, on observing this, some of the retreating colonists returned the fire. Eight Americans remained dead on the field. At the close of this rencounter, the rest of the British detachment, under Lieu- tenant Colonel Smith, came up ; and the party, without further violence, proceed- ed to Concord. On arriving at that place, they found a body of militia drawn up, who retreated across the bridge before the British light infantry. The main body of the royal troops entered the town, destroyed two pieces of cannon with their carriages, and a number of carriage-wheels ; threw 500 pounds of balls into the river and wells and broke in pieces about sixty flour-barrels. These were all the stores they found. While the main body of the troops was engaged in these operations, the light infantry kept possession of the bridge, the Americans having retired to wait for leinforcements. Reinforcements arrived ; and Mr. John Butterworth, of Concord, who commanded the Americans, ordered his men to advance ; but ignorant of what had happened at Lexington, enjoined them not to fire, unless the troops fired first. The matter did not long remain in suspense. The Americans ad- vanced ; the troops fired on them ; the Americans returned the fire ; a smart skirmish ensued, and a number of men fell on each side. The troops, having accomplished the object of their expedition, began to re- treat. But ^lood had been shed, and the aggressors were not to be allowed to OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 14J — I //Jit 's4. \ /42 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY escape witli impunity. Tlie country was alarmed ; armed men crowded in from every quarter ; and the retreating troops were assailed with an unceasing but irregular discharge of musketry. General Gage had early inlbrmation that the country was rising in arms ; ai.d, about eight in the morning, he despatched 900 men, under the command of Earl Percy, to support his first party. According to Gordon, this detachment le(' Boston with iht^ir music playing Yankee Doodle, a tune composed in derision of the inhabitants of the northern provinces ; an act which had no tendency to sub- due, bi.' which was well calculated to irritate the colonists. Earl Percy met Colonel Smith's retreating party at Lexington much exhaust- ed ; and being provided with two pieces of artillery, he was able to keep the Americans in check. The whole party rested on their arms till they took some refreshment, of which they stood much in need. But there was no time for de- lay, as the militia and minute-men were hastening in from all quarters to the scene of action. When the troops resumed their march, the attack was renew- ed ; and Earl Percy continued the retreat under an incessant and galling fire of small arms. By means of his field-pieces and musketry, however, he was able to keep the assailants at a respectful distance. The colonists were under no authority ; but ran across the fields from one place to another, taking their sta- tion at the points from which they could fire on the troops with most safety and effect. Numbers of them, becoming weary of the pursuit, retired from the con- test ; but their places were supplied by new comers, so that, although not more :han 400 or 500 of the provincials were actually engaged at any one time, yet the conflict was continued without intermission, till the troops, in a state of great exhaustion, reached Charlestown Neck, with only two or three rounds of car- tridges each, although they had thirty-six in the morning. On this memorable day, the British had 65 men killed, 180 wounded, and 28 taken prisoners. The provincials had 50 men killed, 34 wounded, and 4 missing. The appeal to amis was now made ; and the struggle about to ensue was one of the most momentous recorded in the annals of the human race ; not on ac- count of the number of combatants engaged, for neither party had at any one time above thirty or forty thousand men in the field, and often not the half of those numbers ; but because of the principles involved in it, and the consequences which it has produced. At the opening of this interesting contest, the parties seemed very unequally matched. Great Britain was the most formidable state in the world. In the preceding war she had humbled the pride of the Bourbons, and triumphed ovei every enemy ; her fleets commanded the ocean, and victory hovered over her standards. She carried on a lucrative commerce in every quarter of the globe; her flag waved in the ports of every nation ; and her merchants occupied the most distinguished place in the great mart of the world. Her resources seemed inexhaustible, and her fame encircled the earth. On the other hand, the Ameri- cans were an infan», people, only between two and three millions in number ; they were thinly scattered over a vast extent of country, from the borders of Florida on the south to the Bay of Fundy on the north, and from the Atlantic on the east to the Alleganies on the west. Till lately, the intercourse between the provinces had been slender, and respect for the parent state was their only common feeling, and the ordy l)ond of union among them. Their pursuits, man- ners, and sentiments were different. They were without armies ; they had a militia very partially acquainted with manual exercise. Having been much em- ployed in hunting, many of them were expert marksmen ; but to military tactics, to tl.^ "subordination, prompt obedience, and patient endurance of soldiers, they v»ere entire strangers. They had no ships but those which were employed in ^e peaceful puisuits of commerce. They had no exchequer, and but liltip OF THE AMERICAxN RE\0LUTU)N. 14J .noney ; and that little, having been gained by persevering industry and frugai habits, they were loth to expend. Their savings were chiefly laid out in the improvement of their farms. But, unpromising as their prospects were, the Americans determined not to ()e wanting to themselves, and took their measures with promptitude and vigor. Intelligence of the events of the 19th of April spread rapidly over the country; and the militia, from every quarter, hastened toward Boston. On the 20th, thti provincial congress chose General Ward commander in chief of the forces in Massachusetts Bay, and soon afterward named John Thomas lieutenant general Both of those officers had seen some service during the preceding war. The provincial congress, having adjourned from Concord to Watertown, re- solved that an army of 30,000 men be immediately raised, and wrote to the col- onies of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, informing them of the f vents of the 19th, and earnestly requesting them to send forward as many troops as they could spare, with provisions, arms, and military stores. The Connecticut militia marched to join their countrymen in arms, under the com- mand of Benedict Arnold and Israel Putnam — as brave a man as ever walked the earth, and who was known to his countrymen by many deeds of daring, two of which we shall here mention. Putnam's neighbors had long been annoyed by a ferocious wolf, and in one night Putnam lost seventy fine sheep and goats, and many lambs and kids were wounded. This wolf at length became such an intolerable nuisance, that Mr. Putnam entered into a combination with five of his neighbors to hunt alternately until they could destroy her. Two, by rotation, were to be constantly in pursuit. It was known, that, having lost the toes from one fool by a steel trap, she made one track shorter than the other. By this vestige, the pursuers recognised, in a light snow, the route of this pernicious animal. Having followed her to Con- iieciicut river, and found she had turned back in a direct course toward Pom- frot, thev immediately returned, and by ten o'clock the next morning the blood- hounds had driven her into a den, about three miles distant from the house of Mr. Putnam. The people soon collected with dogs, guns, straw, fire, and sul- phur, to attack the common enemy. With this apparatus, several unsuccessful efibrts were made to force her from the den. The hounds came back badly wounded and refused to return. The smoke of blazing straw had no efl^ect. Nor did the fumes of burnt brimstone, with which the cavern was filled, compel her to quit the retirement. Wearied with such fruitless attempts (which had brought the time to ten o'clock at night), .Mr. Putnam tried once more to make his dog enter, but in vain. He proposed to his negro man to go down into the caverr and shoot the wolf; the negro declined the hazardous service. Then it was, that their master, angry at the disappointment, and declaring that he was ashamed to have a coward in his family, resolved himself to destroy the fero- cious beast, lest she should escape through some unknown fissure of the rock. His neighbors strongly remonstrated against the perilous enerprise : but he Knowing that wild animals were intimidated by fire, and having provided sevtsrai strips of birch hark, the only combustible material which he could obtain, that would afford light in this deep and darksome cave, prepared for his descent. Having, accordingly, divested himself of his coat and waistcoat, and having a long rope fastened round his legs, by which he might be pulled back, at a con- certed signal, he entered head foremost, with the blazing torch in his hand. The aperture of the den, on the east side of a very high ledge of rocks, is about two feet square ; thence it descends obliquely fifteen fe<^t, then running horizontally about ten more, it ascends gradually sixteen leet toward its termina- tion. The sides of this subterraneous cavity are composed of smoolli and solid OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 145 rocks, which seem to have been divided from each other by some former earth- quake. The top and bottom are also of stone, and the entrance, in winter, be- ing covered with ice, is exceedingly slippery. It is in no place high enough for a man to raise himself upright ; nor in any part more than three feet in width Having groped his passage to the horizontal part of the den, the most terrify- ing darkness appeared in front of the dim circle of light afforded by his torch It was silent as the house of death. None but monsters of the desert had ever before explored this solitary mansion of horror. He, cautiously proceeding on- ward, came to the ascent, which he slowly mounted on his hands and knees, until he discovered the glaring eyeballs of the wolf, who was sitting at the ex- tremity of the cavern. Startled at the sight of fire, she gnashed her teeth and gave a sullen growl. As soon as he had made the necessary discovery, he kicked the rope as a signal for drawing him out. The people at the mouth of the den, who had listened with painful anxiety, hearing the growling of the wolf, and supposing their friend to be in the most imminent danger, drew him forth with such celerity, that his shirt was stripped over his head and his skin severely lacerated. After he had adjusted his clothes and loaded his gun with nine buckshot, holding a torch in one hand and the musket in the other, he de- scended the second time. When he drew nearer than before, the wolf, assu- ming a still more fierce and terrible appearance, howling, rolling her eyes, snap- ping her teeth, and dropping her head between her legs, was evidently in the attitude and on the point of springing at him. At this critical instant, he levelled and fired at her head. Stunned with the shock, and suffocated with the smoke, ne immediately found himself drawn out of the cave. But having refreshed himself, and permitted the smoke to dissipate, he went down the third time Once more he came within sight of the wolf, who appearing very passive, he applied the torch to her nose ; and perceiving her dead, he took hold of her ears, and then kicking the rope (still tied round his legs), the people above, with no small exultation, dragged them both out together. In the winter of 1757, when Col. Haviland was commandant of Fort Edward, the barracks adjoining to the northwest bastion took fire. They extended within twelve feet of the magazine, which contained three hundred barrels of powder. On its first discovery, the fire raged with great violence. The commandant en- deavored, in vain, by discharging some pieces of heavy artillery against the sup- porters of this fiight of barracks, to level them with the ground. Putnam ar- rived from the island where he was stationed, at the moment when the blaze ap- proached that end which was contiguous to the magazine. Instantly, a vigorous attempt was made to extinguish the conflagration. A way was opened by a postern gate to the river, and the soldiers were employed in bringing water ; which he, having mounted on a ladder to the eaves of the building, received and threw upon tlie flame. It continued, notwithstanding their utmost efforts, to gain upon them. He stood, enveloped in smoke, so near the sheet of fire, that a pair of thick blanket-mittens were burnt entirely off hishands — he was supplied with another pair dipped in water. Col. Haviland, fearing that he would perish in the flames, called to him to come down. But he entreated that he might be suf- fered to remain, since destruction must inevitably ensue if their exertions should be remitted. The gallant commandant, not less astonished than charmed at the coldness of his conduct, forbade any more effects to be carried out of the fori, animated the men to redoubled diligence, and exclaimed, " If we must be blown op, Ave will all go together." At last, when the barracks were seen to be trem- bhng, Putnam descended, placed himself at the interval, and continued from an incessant rotation oi replenished buckets to pour water upon the magazine. The outside planks were already consumed by the proximity of the fire, and as onlv 10 146 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY. one ihickness of timber intervened, trepidation now became general and extreme Putnam, still undaunted, covered with a cloud of cinders, and scorched wiin the intensity of the heat, maintained his position until the fire subsided, and the dan- ger was wholly over He had contended for one hour and a half with that ter- rible element. His legs, his thighs, his arms, and his face were blistered ; and when he pulled off his second pair of mittens, the skin from his hands and fin- gers followed them. It was a month before he recovered. The commandant, to whom his merits had before endeared him, could not stifle the emotions of gratitude due to the man who had been so instrumental in preserving the maga zine, the fort, and the garrison. A large body of men was soon collected before Boston ; but they were in great want of everything necessary for the equipment of an army. They had muskets, many of them old and rusty ; but were ill provided with bayonets. They had a few pieces of artillery and a few mortars, with some balls and shells ; but had only forty-one barrels of gunpowder in the public store. The battle of Lexington operated like an electrical shock throughout the provinces. On hearing of that event, even in New York, where the friends of the ministry were more numerous than in any other place, the people espoused the cause of their countrymen. They shut up the customhouse, and stopped all vessels preparing to sail to Quebec, Newfoundland, Georgia, or Boston. The colonists of New Jersey took possession of the treasury of the province, containing about je20,000, to employ it in their own defence. The inhabitants of Philadelphia followed the example of New York, and prevented the sailing of vessels to any port on the continent that acknowledged the authority or was subject to the power of Britain. In six days intelligence of the action of the 19th of April reached Baltimore, in Maryland. The people instantly seized the provincial magazine, containing about 1,500 stand of arms, and stopped all exports to the fishing islands, to such of the colonies as had declined to join the confederacy, and to the British army and navy at Boston. In Virginia a provincial congress had met in the month of March, which took measures for training the militia, and recommended to each county to raise a volunteer company for the better defence of the country. At Williamsburgh, the capital of the colony, there was a small provincial magazine, containing upward of 1,000 pounds of gunpowder. On the night of the 20th of April, Lord Dun- more, the governor, employed the captain of an armed vessel to convey the greater part of that powder on board his ship. Having got notice of the transac- tion, the citizens took the alarm, and the mayor and corporation addressed his lordship on the subject. He answered that he had removed the powder to a place of security ; and assured them that if it should be needed in order to sup- press an insurrection, he would restore it in half an hour. When news of this affair reached Hanover county, captain Patrick Henry, at the head of more than 150 volunteers, marched toward Williamsburgh, to demand restitution of the powder, and to protect the public treasury against a similar depredation. When within about fifteen miles of the capital, he was assured that the receiver-general would pay for the powder, and that the citizens would fviard the public treasury and magazine. The party then dispersed. Lord Dunmore, greatly alarmed by Henry's march, converted his palace into I. garrison, and issued a proclamation charging the people with the design of altering the established constitution. This was a new cause of exasperation ; and the people, in their county meetings, not only approved of Mr. Henry's pro- ceedings, but retorted upon the governor, attributing all the disturbances to his misconduct, and declaring that they only vindicated their rights, and opposed in novation. While the public mind was in this feverish aiate, intelligence of th» THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 147 battle of Lexington arrived in Virginia. It greatly increased the apprehensions and irritation oi' the people, and made them far more active in arming and train- ing the militia and volunteer companies than they had formerly been. In Vir- ginia, as well as in the other colonies, many were much alarmed ; but the ap- prehensions of impending danger were overpowered by feelings of indignation. In this critical posture of affairs. Lord Dunmore convened the house of bur- gesses. His intention was to procure their approbation of Lord North's concil- iatory plan ; and in his speech at the opening of the session, he employed all his address to gain his end. But, instead of complying with his recommenda- tions, the house immediately appointed a committee to inquire into the causes of the late disturbances, and to examine the state of the public magazine. For the defence of the magazine Lord Dunmore had ordered spring guns to be placed in it, without giving any public warning of the measure. Some inconsiderate young men, unapprized of their danger, attempted to furnish themselves with arms out of it ; and one of them was wounded. This circumstance occasioned a violent ferment. A multitude of people assembled, broke into the magazine, and took out many of the arms ; but some members of the house of burgesses, hav ing repaired to the spot, by their remonstrances prevailed on the people to re store them. On the 7th of June, a report was spread about Williamsburgh, that Captain Collins, of the British vessel Magdalen, was coming up the river, with about iOO men in several boats, to take possession of the town. A number of armed persons instantly assembled to defend the place and its inhabitants ; but on learn- ng that there was no occasion for their services, they quietly dispersed. The Fig. 57. — View of Yorktown. •ircumstance, however, made such an impression on the governor's mmd, that, with his lady and family, he quitted Williamsburgh, proceeded to Yorktown, "and n/^ mt on board the Fowey man of war .48 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY A tonespondence nov took place between his lordship and the council and burgesses. He accused : they recriminated. They rejected Lord North's cou ciliatory plan ; but passed the necessary bills, and entreated the governor's at- tendance to give his assent to them, and to close the session. His lordship de- clined meeting them in the capital, and they did not choose to wait upon him or board a man of war. The correspondence terminated about the middle of Jul) when the burgesses were obliged to separate, in order to attend to their private affairs ; but they appointed a convention of delegates to meet and supply their place. In August this convention met, and showed itself animated by the com- mon spirit of the country ; and before dissolving issued a declaration, setting forth the reasons of its meeting, and showing the necessity of immediately put- ting the country in a posture of defence. Having been joined by a innnber of loyal colonists and fugitive slaves. Lord Dunmore very imprudently began a system of predatory warfare. By mutual insults and injuries, the minds of both parties became much exasperated. At length the governor attempted to burn the town of Hampton ; but on the morn- ing of the 27th of October, just as he began a furious cannonade upon it, a body of riflemen from Williamsburgh, who had marched all night, entered the place, and being joined by some of their countrymen, took such an advantageous posi- tion, that, with their small arms, they compelled his lordship to retreat, with the loss of some of his men and one of his vessels. Lord Dunmore now issued a proclamation declaring the province under mar- tial law ; requiring all persons capable of bearing arms to repair to the royal standard, under the penalty of being considered traitors if they disobeyed, and promising freedom to all indented servants, negroes, and others belonging to rebels, on their joining his majesty's troops. In consequence of this proclamation, his lordship soon found himself at the head of some hundreds of fugitive negroes and others at Norfolk; but the procla- mation highly incensed the great body of the Virginians, and alienated the minds of many who had hiflert~ been friendly to the British claims. Being informed that a number of armed colonists were rapidly advancing against him. Lord Dun- more took possession of the great bridge near Norfolk ; a post of much impor- tance for protectmg his friends, and frustrating the designs of his enemies. On arriving near the bridge, the Virginians, comtnanded by Colonel Woodford, in stead of attempting to force a passage, fortified themselves at a short distance on the other side of Elizal)elh river ; and in this position the two parties faced each other for several days. The i npatient impetuosity of Lord Dunmore's temper could ill brook to be thus braved by the colonists, and he determined to dislodge them. Accordingly, early in the morning of the 8th of December, Captain Fordyce of the 14th regi- ment, at the head of a royalist detachment, left Norfolk, and reached the bridge before daybreak. He silently replaced the planks of the bridge which had been removed. The road between the bridge and the American breastwork, which was on the south of tne river, was a narrow causeway, through swampy ground ; and on the right, within musket-shot of the causeway, was a thicket, where the Americans had posted a small party. At daybreak. Captain Fordyce, at the head of his detachment, with fixed bayonets, passed the bridge, and proceeded rapidly toward the enemy. But the Americans were not unprepared : they hywever allowed the troops to advance a good way without molestation ; and when near the works poured upon them a destructive discharge of musketry, both from the entrenchment and thicket at the same time. Undismayed by this warm reception. Captain Fordyce steadily advanced : but on the second fire, he 'ell dead within a few yards of the American works. His party instantly re OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. HS treat.id, sixty-two of their party being either killed or wounded, while the Amer- icans had only one man slightly hurt. Next night Lord Dunmore quitted his post, and with his adherents sought refuge on board the shipping in the river. The Americans took possession of the town, and refused to supply the ships with provisions ; therefore, early in the morning of the 1st of January, 1776, Lord Dunmore began a furious cannon- ade on the town, and sent parties of sailors and marines ashore, who set fire to the houses nearest the water. The flames spread rapidly among the wooden buildings ; a great part of the town was consumed ; and the Aiuericans them- selves afterward destroyed the rest of it, that it might afibrd no shelter to the royal troops. Thus perished Norfolk, the most flourishing commercial town in Virginia. While these operations were going on. Lord Dunmore entertained hopes of subduing the colony by the agency of an adventurer named John Connelly, a native of Pennsylvania.' This man, having concerted measures with his lord- ship, and having received encouragement from General Gage also, communica- ted with such militia ofiicers as he thought most likely to enter into his views, promising them, in the name of his lordship, ample rewards. He engaged the Indians on the Ohio to act in concert with him ; and he was to be assisted by the garrisons of Fort Detroit and Fort Gage on the Illinois. Having collected a force on the western frontier, he was to penetrate through Virginia, and meet his lordship at Alexandria, on the Potomac, in April. But about ten days after taking leave of Lord Dunmore, Connelly was apprehended 5 his papers were seized ; the plot was fully discovered, and entirely frustrated. Lord Dunmore finding all his eflbrts inefi'ectual, and being unable to remain any longer on the coast, sailed with the force under his command to join General Howe. We shall now glance at the occurrences in the southern provinces during 1775. From the beginning of the troubles, the people of South Carolina had flattered themselves that their non-importation and non-exportation agreements would in- duce the mother country to recede from her high pretensions ; but the arrival at Charleston of a packet from London, on the 19th of April, dissipated the illusion, and gave them a glimpse of the real difficulties of their situation. In the midst of the gloomy forebodings which depressed their minds, information of the skir- mish at Lexington arrived, and filled them with grief and indignation. They felt their circumstances embarrassing and perilous. Their means were feeble, and their enemies powerful ; but they determined not to abandon themselves to despair. Next night they seized twelve hundred stand of arms, with the ac coutrements, which were in the magazine ; and afterward distributed them among the men enlisted for the public service. The provincial congress resolved that " in their distressed circumstances they would be justified before God and man in resisting force by force." They sol- emnly engaged to defend their injured country against every foe ; and to support, with their lives and fortunes, every measure which the provincial or continental councils should recommend. They resolved to raise two regiments of infantry and a regiment of rangers, and to put Charleston in a respectable stale ot de- fence. Money was wanting ; but bills of credit were issued, which, by a con- sent produced by the enthusiasm of the people, served the immediate purpose. But notwithstanding the miliiary enthusiasm of the South Carolinians, they were ill provided with ammunition ; lor never having contemplated the possibil •ty of actual war, they had made no provision for such a contingency. They now determined, however, by the promptitude and vigor of their measures, to compensate their past inactivity. There were not above 3,000 pounds ol gun- powder in the colony, and no supply could be obtained directly from Britain i:>0 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Hut rhe inhabitants of East Florida had never joined in the opposition tc British l)olicy, and therefore that province still enjoyed an unfettered commerce with the mother country. The committee of safety at Charleston, which had been appointed by the provincial congress, authorized twelve persons to sail to the coast of Florida, where they surprised a ship with twelve British soldiers on board ; took out 15,000 pounds of gunpowder, for which they gave the captain a bill of exchange ; md although pursued, escaped safely to Charleston with their prize. In that igitated state of the public mind, and while the provincial congress was sitting, Lord William Campbell, governor of the province, arrived, and was received with the usual demonstrations of joy. The congress waited upon him with an address, in which they represented the cause of their proceedings ; declared that love of innovation had no influence on their councils ; that they had been forced to associate and take up arms, with no other view than that of defending their lives, liberties, and properties ; and they entreated his excellency to assure his majesty of their loyal attachment. His lordship returned a prudent and con- ciliatory answer. The people of Georgia, who had hitherto declined a participation in the colonial policy, about this time abandoned their cautious neutrality ; espoused the cause of their countrymen ; and appointed delegates to attend the continen- tal congress. Thus the whole of the thirteen provinces were arrayed in opposi- 'ion to Britain. CHAPTER III. The British house ol commons had been dissolved in September, 1774 ; and a new parliament met on the 30th of November following. On opening the session, the king's speech related chiefly to the insubordination in the province of Massachusetts Bay, and the refractory spirit manifested in the other colonies ; and it concluded by expressing his majesty's determination to maintain the au thority of the legislature over every part of the British empire. On the 1st of February, the Earl of Chatham made another attempt toward reconciliation ; and brought in the outlines of " a provisional act for settling the troubles in America ; and for asserting the supreme legislative authority and su- perintending power of Great Britain over the colonies." But, after a keen dis cussion, the bill was rejected, without being allowed to lie upon the table. The house of commons refused to receive any petition from congress ; and the min^ istry, encouraged chiefly, it has been said, by the representations of Mr. Hutch inson, late governor of Massachusetts Bay, resolved to enforce obedience to the obnoxious acts. The plans of the cabinet, being now fully formed, soon developed themselves. Lord North, who had the management of the house of commons, moved an ad dress to the king, and a conference with the lords upon it, in order that it might be the joint address of both houses. The address thanked the king for the com- munication of the American papers ; declared that, from those papers, parlia- ment found that a rebellion actually existed within the province of Massachusetts Bay ; that the parties concerned in it had been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful combinations and engagements entered into in several of the other colonies; that parliament could never relinquish any part of tie sovereign au- thority o^er all the dominions by law vested in his majesty and the two housefe' OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 151 KiG. 58. — Statue of the Earl of Chatham. 31 parliament , that they ever have been and always will be ready to pay atten- tion and regard to any real grievances of his majesty's subjects, which shall in a dutiful and constitutional manner be laid before them ; but at the same time they beseech his majesty to take the most effectual measures to enforce due obedience to the authority of the supreme legislature ; and in the most solemn manner they assured him that, at the hazard of their lives and fortunes, they would stand by him against all rebellious attempts, in the maintenance of the just rights of his majesty and of the two houses of parliament. The address wore such a portentous aspect, that it roused all the energies of the members in opposition, and appalled some even of the staunch adherents of the ministry ; but it was carried by large majorities, and, on being presented, met with a gracious reception. Every motion in parliament tending toward conciliation was rejected ; and every petition against the coercive acts was disregarded. To one from the city of London, presented to the king on the 10th of April, his majesty replied, " It is with the utmost astonishment that I find any of my subjects capable of encour- aging the rebellious disposition which unhappily exists in my colonies in North America. Having entire confidence in the wisdom of my parliament, the great council of the nation, I will steadily pursue the measures which they have rec- ommended for the support of the constitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial rights of my kingdom." A few petitions in favor of the ministerial policy were presented ; but as it was easy to procure them from dependants and expectants, at any time, and in any cause, they made no impression on the public mind, and afforded but a feeble support to the measures of the cabinet. The administration having exhausted their legislative sagacity on America, began without delay to display their military talents against the colonists. Toward the end of April they despatched Generals Howe, Clintor., and Bur- '52 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Joyne to that country, and soon afterward ordered a number of transports to sail from Cork with reinforcements to General Gage. Near the end of May the session of parhament was closed ; and on the even- ing of the 28th of that month, (Japtain Derby, who had been despatched by the colony of Massachusetts Bay with an account of the events of the 19lh of April, to their agent in London, reached that city. Rumors of the tidings which he brought soon circulated ; but it was not till the 9th of June, when Captain Brown of the Silkey, who had sailed four days before Captain Derby, with despatches from General Gage to government, arrived in London, that the public was fully apprized of the transactions in the vicinity of Boston. For those events the pub- lic mind was in some measure prepared by what had before happened ; and con- sequently, although the news was unpleasant, yet they excited no great surprise. The ministry prepared for active operations, and ordered six regiments of infan- try to hold themselves in readiness to embark for America. The blood shed at Lexington loosened the social bond in America, and almost dissolved the fabric of society. The great mass of the people was held together by their common apprehensions and common indignation ; but in the provinces of New England, the people, for a short time, acknowledged no supreme au- thority to direct their operations. Every man considered himself his own mas- ter, and at liberty to pursue such measures as he deemed most expedient for the common welfare. Accordingly, a gentleman of the name of Ethan Allen, a militia colonel, in conjunction with some others, planned an expedition against Ticonderoga. The importance of securing the communication between Quebec and the re- fractory colonies, by the Lakes Champlain and George, had been early perceived by the Americans ; and Colonel Allen, without waiting for instructions from any constituted authority, successfully executed the project. At the head of a body of armed men he hastened toward Ticonderoga, and on his march was joined by Arnold, already raised to the rank of colonel. The commandant of Ticonderoga, without the least suspicion of his post being in danger, was somewhat remiss in the discipline of his small garrison ; and, early on the morning of the 1 0th of May, he was surprised in bed by Allen, Arnold, and a few of their followers, who had entered the fort, and made themselves masters of it without any loss. On being ordered to surrender, he asked by what authority he was recpiired to do so. Allen replied, •' I demand it in the name of the great Jehovah, and of the continental congress." The congress, however, knew nothing of the matter ; nor was its first meeting held till some hours after the transaction. The same party made themselves masters of Crown Point, situated near the southern ex- tremity of Lake Champlain, as Ticonderoga is at the north end of Lake George. They also surprised Skenesborough, and a sloop of war, the only vessel belong- ing to the royal navy on those lakes. In this way, Allen and Arnold took up- ward of 100 pieces of cannon, and some ammunition and stores; and gained possession of Lake Champlain. On the 10th of May the general congress met, when deputies from twelve colonies appeared. Georgia had not yet joined the confederacy. The congress chose Pey'.on Randolph president ; but that gentleman being obliged to return home on the 24th of the month, they placed John Hancock in the chair. On receiving information of the enterprise and success of Allen and Arnold, the congress earn-stly recommended i* to the people of New York and Albany to remove the cannon and stores of Crown Point and Ticonderoga to the south ot Lake George ; and to take an exact inventory of them, that they might be re- turned on the restoration of the former harmony between Britain and the colonies. They agreed to present a second petition to the king, similar to that of the preceding year j but, at the same time, resolved that the colonies be put in a pos OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 15;^ cure of defence. They recommended to the colonists to collect saK^etre and sulphur, and to manufacture gunpowder for the use of the united provinces They resolved to raise troops, and made every preparation for maintaining their privileges by force, if humble representations and petitions should prove unsuc- cessful. But, amid all these warlike preparations, the greater number of the deputies had no intention of separating from Britain, or of aspiring to independence. They were resolutely determined to defend their privileges, but aimed at nothing more ; although, even at this early period, a few were fully convinced that the contest must terminate either in absolute submission or complete independence. The congress address-', 1 a letter to the nppressed inhabitants of Canada, styling hemselves i\ie\v fneiuii, and countrymen. Its obvious design was to inspire the Canadians with jealousy or hatred of the British government, and to gain their good will and co-operation in the measures which they were then pursuing. On the 15th of June congress proceeded to choose, by ballot, a commander-in- chief of the provincial or continental forces, and unanimously elected George Washington to that arduous office. We have already alluded briefly to his early history, and to his early military services. These had established his char- acter as a sagacious warrior, a man of sound understanding, undaunted courage, and inflexible integrity. In addition, he enjoyed, in a high degree, the confi dence of his countrymen, and had been chosen one of the deputies to congress for his native province of Virginia. He had used neither solicitation nor influ- ence of any kind to procure the appointment ; and when the president informed him of his election, and of the request of congress that he would accept the of- fice, he stood up in his place, and addressed the president in the following terms : " Though I am truly sensible of the high honor done me by this appointment, yet I feel great distress from a consciousness that my abilities and military ex perience are not equal to the arduous trust. But, as the congress desire it, I will enter on the momentous duty, and exert every power I possess in their ser- vice, and for the support of the glorious cause. I beg they will accept my cor- dial thanks for this high testimony of their approbation." He besought congress £o remember that he thought himself unequal to the command with which they had honored him ; that he expected no emolument from it, but that he would keep an exact account of his expenses, and hoped they would reimburse him. The congress afterward chose Artemas Ward, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, and Israel Putnam, major-generals, and Horatio Gates adjutant-general. On the 22d of June they, appointed Seth Pomeroy, Richard Montgomery, David Wooster, William Heath, Joseph Spencer, John Thomas, John Sullivan, and Nathaniel Greene, brigadier-generals. While the continental congress was busily employed in taking such measures as they deemed best for the general safety, the provincial congress of Massachu- setts Bay, and the colonial troops encamped before Boston, were not without their cares and toils The American army being entirely unaccustomed to mili- tary subordination, many of the militia came to camp, stayed a few days, and then returned home. The army, which at first amounted to 20,000 men, dwin- dled down to less than a third of that number, and gave no flattering prospect of success in a protracted contest with regular troops. But some skirmishes hap- pened, on occasion of bringing off" cattle from the islands in the vicinity of Bos- ton, in which the Americans were successful ; and this encouraged them. In the end of May and beginning of June, Generals Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, with reinforcements from Britain, arrived at Boston. The British gen- eral, in common with his troops, indignant at being cooped up by a force which all despised, resolved on active operations ; but every movement which they made was watched with an attentive eye bv zealous Americans in Boston whc 34 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY found means to penetrate into every design before it was earned into execution and to transmit secret intelligence to the American headquarters. About the middle of June, it was suspected that General Gage intended to cross the river Charles, on the north side of Boston, and take possession of Breed's or Bunker's Hill, in the peninsula of Charlestown. Thai peninsula has the river Mystic, or Hedford, on the north, and the river Charles on the south, separating it from the oeninsula of Boston. It is level toward the sea ; but, nearly opposite Boston, a tonsiderable eminence runs across the peninsula, between the rivers Medford and Charles, at the bottom of which, on the banks of the last-named river, stood Charlestown, opposite Boston. On the night of the 16th of .June, upward of 1,000 Americans, under Colonel William Prescott, were ordered to proceed to this eminence, and entrench them- selves upon it. The movement was not without difficulty and danger ; for British vessels of war were lying both in the Medford and Charles, on each side of the narrow peninsula. But the provincials marched to the place in profound silence; and about midnight began their operations. They labored with such assiduity, that before the dawn of day they had thrown up a breastwork nearly across the peninsula, and constructed a small redoubt on their right Fio, 59. — Throwing up Entrenchments on Bunker's Hill. About four in the morning of the 17lh of June, the American works were OD- served by the captain of the Lively sloop of war, lying in the river Charles, who instantly began a heavy fire upon them, and was soon joined by the other ships, and by the battery on Copp's Hill at Boston. The Americans steadily continued their labors under a furious cannonade and an incessant shower of balls and bombs ; but so harmless was this fearful noise that they lost only one man in ;he course of the morning. As in this post the Americans overlooked Boston, it was thought necessary to dislodge them ; and for this purpose, .soon after mid- day a detachment of British troops, under the command of Generals Howe and Pigot, crossed the river in boats, and landed near the point of the peninsula; but on observing the formidable position of the Americans, they waited for a reinforcement, which soon arived. Meanwhile the steeples and the roofs of the houses in Boston, the eminences in the adjacent country, and the ships in the rivers were crowded with anxious spectators, agitated by different hopes and fears, according to their different attachments and interests. The main body of the American army encamped beyond Charlestown Neck, were looking on ; and Generals Clinton and Burgoyne, and other British officers of high rank, took thei/ •tation ir the battery on Copp's Hill to view the approaching conflict. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 159 ■'■^^ i^iiiymH: Fio. 60. — Encampment on Breed's HiU. While General Howe waited for his reinforcement, the Americans received an accession of strength, under Generals Warren and Pomeroy, who crossed Charlestown Neck under a brisk cannonade from the shipping in the rivers, to join their countrymen and take part in the battle. By their arrival the provin- cial force was increased to 1,500 at least. The Americans also took advantage of General Howe's halt to strengthen part of their position, by pulling down some rail-fences, forming the stakes into two parallel lines at a small distance from each other, and filling the interval with hay. The British detachment, consisting of upward of 2,000 men, advanced toward the American line. The light infantry commanded by General Howe, was on the right ; the grenadiers, under General Pigot, on the left. They began the attack by a brisk cannonade from some field-pieces and howitzers, the troops proceeding slowly, and sometimes halting, to give time to the artillery to produce some effect. On advancing, the left set fire to Charlestown, a thriving town, containing about 300 wooden houses, besides other buildings, and entirely con- sumed it. The rising flames added not a little to the grandeur and solemnity of the scene. Secure behind their entrenchments, the Americans reserved their fire, and silently waited the approach of the British, till the whites of their eyes could be discerned, when they poured upon them an incessant and well-directed dis- charge of musketry. The British returned the fire for some time, without at- tempting to advance : but the discharge from the American line was so close and so destructive, that the troops at length gave way, and fell back toward the landing-place. By the vigorous exertions of their officers, however, they were again brought to the charge : and the Americans, again reserving their fire tih the troops were very near, directed it against them with the same deadly ? im as before Many fell •- at one time General Howe for a few seconds was left loo THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Fig. 61.— Plan of Bunker hill battle. UF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 157 ilone, every officer and soldier near him having been killed or wounded. The roops gave wav a second time ; but at that critical moment Sir Henry Clio r Fig. 62. — Portrait of General Clinton, from a picture by J. Smart. arrived from Boston, and was very active in leading them back to a third and more successful attack, in which they entered the American lines with fixed bayonets. The colonists had nearly exhausted their powder, and hence their lire had slackened. Being mostly armed with old rusty muskets, and ill-provided with bayonets, they were unprepared for a close encounter, but they met the British with clubbed muskets, until overcome by numbers and destitute of am- munition, they were compelled to retreat. In passing Charlestown Neck, thev were exposed to the fire of the Glasgow sloop of war, and two floating batteries, from which they sustained their greatest loss. The British troops had suffered so severely in the engagement, that no pursuit was ordered ; and indeed a pursuit could have served no good purpose, as the main body of the American army was at a small distance beyond the Neck, and the royal troops were in no condition to encounter it. They were protected merely by the ships of war and floating batteries in the rivers Charles and Med- ford. The battle lasted about an hour, during the greater part of which time there was an incessant blaze of musketry from the American line. This was a severe battle ; and considering the numbers engaged, extremely destructive to the British ; for nearly one half of the detachment fell. Accord- ing to the return made by General Gage, they lost 1,054 men ; 226 of whom were slain on the field, and 828 wounded. Nineteen commissioned officers were killed, and seventy wounded ; among the former was Major Pitcairn whose inconsiderate conduct at Lexington had occasioned the first shedding of blood. The Americans had 139 killed, 278 wounded, and thirty-six missing; in all 453. Among the killed were several provincial officers ; but the death of Gen- eral Warren was particularly regretted by his countrymen. He was seen by a British officer, a personal acquaintance, t.? rally the Americans in their retreat : (he officer borrowed a musket, took deliberate aim, and Warren fell. In this en- gagement the Americans discovered far more courage and steadiness than coulrf 158 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY G. Ii3. — .MimuiiiL'Ui oil Huiikor'b Hill. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 159 have been expected from an ill-disciplined militia, few of whom had before seen the face of an enemy ; but their hearts were nerved by he consciousness of oeing in the right, and their arms were strengthened by ^ne desire of obtaining liberty and independence. After the engagement the British entrenched themselves on Bunker's Hill, the scene of action ; and the Americans on Prospect Hill, at a small distance in front of them. The colonists had been driven from their entrenchments ; the oyal troops had suffered severely in the battle, and neither party was forward to renew the conflict. Each fortified his post, and stood on the defensive. On the 2d of July, General Washington, accompanied by General Lee" a i id ~ several other officers of rank, arrived at Cambridge, the headquarters of the provincial army. On his journey he had everywhere been received with much respect, and escorted by companies of gentlemen, who volunteered their servi- ces on the occasion. General Washington found between fourteen and fifteen thousand men en- camped before Boston ; and he and the other generals exerted themselves in establishing more exact discipline than had been observed before. Un- der their care the colonists in arms soon acquired somewhat of the mechanism and movements, as well as the name of an army ; but still they were ill-disci- plined, and ill-armed. The Americans, who had been made prisoners at Bunker's Hill, were in- discriminately thrown into jail at Boston, and treated with little humanity. On the 11th of August, General Washington aJu THE PICTORIAL HISTORV sen 'o irepare the declaration. It was the good fortune of Mr. Jefferson to have been « \e author of the draught. Jefferson always gave Adams credit of being the ablest advocate of the measure, and Mr. Adams, it is known, was a member of every 'mportant committee while he remained in congress. " Mr. Livingston," sav? 'xis biographer, Dr. Francis, " represented with earnestness the feelings ani "merest of the people of New York ; with Roger Sherman, Benjamin Frank- lin John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, his patriotism in that consecrated as- sembly was universally acknowledged." This declaration was signed by each of the members of congress, and by it the thirteen United States of North America separated themselves for ever from the crown of Great Britain, and declared themselves an independent people. This measure entirely altered the aspect of the contest, and gave a clear and definite view of the point at issue between the contending parties. We no longer see colonists complaining- and petitioning with arms in their hands, and vigorously resisting an authority which they did not disavow ; but a people as- serting their independence, and repelling the aggressions of an inrading foe CHAPTER V. We formerly left General Howe at Halifax, and General Washington on his way to New York, where he soon arrived with his army. In that city the struggle between the friends of British domination and of American freedom had been more doubtful than in any other quarter. But by superior numbers and more daring activity, the Americans had gained the ascendency. On his arri- val in the city. General Washington endeavored to put it into a posture of de- fence : and as the British, l)y means of their Heel, had the command of the wa- ters, he attempted to obstruct the navigation of the East and North rivers, by sinking vessels in the charmels. He also raised fortifications at New York and on Long Island, and made every preparation in his power for giving the British army a vigorous reception. General Howe remained some time at Halifax ; but after the recovery of his troops from the fatigue and sickness occasioned by the blockade of Boston, he embajked, sailed to the southward, and on the 2d of July landed, without oppo- sition, on Staten Island, which lies on the coast of New Jersey, and is separa- ted from Long Island by a channel called the Narrojos. His army amounted to 9,000 men ; and his brother, Lord Howe, commander of the British fleet, who l, with a strong detachment, had advanced on ihi EXPLANATIONS, A Putnam's Camp. cLordPeicv, / . v . ^ ~. . D. British landed Aug. 22 ee Gp'n. Clinfort, , n"ntt'in. General Washington approached Prince'ni i->ward daybreak and OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 21b shortly beiore .hat time Colonel Mawhood's detachment had began to advance toward Maidenhead, by a road at a little distance from that on which the Ameri- cans were marching. The two armies unexpectedly met, and a smart engage- ment instantly ensued. At first the Americans were thrown into some confu- sion ; but General Washington, by great personal exertions, restored order, and renewed the battle. Colonel Mawhood, with a part of his force, broke through the American army, and continued his route to Maidenhead ; the remainder of his detachment, being unable to advance, retreated by different roads to New Brunswick. In this rencounter a considenhje number of men fell on each side The Americans lost General Mercer, whose death was much lamented by h.s coun- trymen. Captain Leslie, son of the Earl of Leven, was among the slain on the side of the British; and he was buried with military honors by the Americans, in testimony of respect not to himself merely, but to his family also. In this battle Colonel Monroe, who was afterward elected president of the United States, took an active part. It was immediately after the sharp conflict at the fence, between the advance guard of the American army, led by General Mercer, and the British seventeenth regiment, and the retreat of the Americans through the orchard near to Clark's house and barn, that General Mercer, while exerting himself to rally his broken troops, was brought to the ground by a blow from the butt of a musket. He was on fool at this time — the gray horse he rode at the beginning of the action hav- ing been disabled by a ball in the fore leg. The British soldiers were not at first aware of the general's rank, for the morning being cold, he wore a surtout over his uniform. So soon as they discovered that he was a general officer, they shouted that they had got the rebel general, and cried, " Call for quarters, you d — d rebel !" Mercer to the most undaunted courage united a quick and ardent temperament ; he replied with indignation to his enemies, while their bayonets were at his bosom, that he deserved not the name of rebel ; and de- termining to die as he had lived, a true and honored soldier of liberty, lounged with his sword at the nearest man. They then bayoneted him, and left him for dead. Upon the retreat of the enemy, the wounded general was conveyed to Clark's bouse, immediately adjoining the field of battle. The information that the com mander-in-chief first received of the fall of his old companion in arms of the wax of 1775, and beloved officer, was that he had expired under his numerous wounds ; and it was not until the American army was in full march for Morris- town that the chief was undeceived, and learned, to his great gratification, that Mercer, though fearfully wounded, was yet alive. Upon the first halt, at Somer- set courthouse, Washington despatched the late Major George Lewis, his nephew, and captain of the Horse Guards, with a flag and a letter to Lord Corn- wallis, requesting that every possible attention might be shown to the wounded general, and permission that young Lewis should remain with him to minister to his wants. To both requests his lordship yielded a willing assent, and ordered his staff-surgeon to attend upon General Mercer. Upon an examination of the wounds, the British surgeon remarked that, although they were many and severe, he was disposed to believe that they would not prove dangerous. Mercer, breil to the profession of an army surgeon m Europe, said to young Lewis, " Raise my right arm, George, and this gentleman will there discover the smallest of my wounds, but which will prove the most fatal. Yes, sir, that is a fellow that will very soon do my business." He languished till the twelfth, and expired in the arms of Lewis, admired and lamented by the "^hole army. During the period that he languished on the couch of suffering, he exonerated his enenues from the foul accusation which thev bore nut only in 1777, but for half a century OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 2i3 since, Viz : of their having bayoneted a general officer after he had surreudered uis sword, and become a prisoner of war — declaring that he only relinquished his sword when his arm had become powerless to wield it. He paid the hom- age of his whole heart to the person and character of the commander-in-chief, rejoiced with true soldierly pride in the triumphs of Trenton and Princeton, in both of which he had borne a conspicuous part, and offered up his fervent pray- ers for the final success of the cause of American independence. Thus lived and died Hugh Mercer, a name that will for ever be associated with momentous events in the history of the War of the Revolution. When a grateful posterity shall bid the trophied memorial rise to the martyrs who sealed with their blood the charter of an empire's liberties, there will not be wanting a monument to him whom Washington mourned as the worthy and brave General Mercer. We shall give a single anecdote of the subject of the foregoing memoir, to show the pure and high minded principles that actuated the patriots and soldiers of the days of our country's tirst trial. Virginia at first organized two regiments for the common cause. When it was determined to raise a third, there were numerous applications for commis- sions ; and, these being mostly from men of fortune and family interest, there was scarcely an application for a rank less than a field officer. During the sit- ting of the house of burgesses upon the important motion, a plain but soldierly- looking individual handed up to the speaker's chair a scrap of paper, on which was written, " Hugh Mercer will serve his adopted country and the cause of liberty in any rank or station to which he may be appointed." This, from a veteran soldier, bred in European camps, the associate of Washington in the war of 1755, and known to stand high in his confidence and esteem, was all-sufficient for a body of patriots and statesmen, such as composed the Virginia house of burgesses in the days of the revolution. The appointment of Mercer to the command of the third Virginia regiment was carried instanter. It was was while the commander-in-chief reined up his horse, upon approach- ing the spot in a ploughed field where lay the gallant Colonel Haslett mortally wounded, that he perceived some British soldiers supporting an officer, and upon inquiring his name and rank, was answered. Captain Leslie. Doctor Benjamin Rush, who formed a part of the general's suite, earnestly asked, " A son of the earl of Leven ?" to which the soldiers replied in the affirmative. The doctor .hen addressed the general-in-chief : "I beg your excellency to permit this wounded officer to be placed under my care, that I may return, in however small a degree, a part of the obligations I owe to his worthy father for the many kindnesses received at his hands while I was a student in Edinburgh." The request was immediately granted ; but, alas ! poor Leslie was soon " past all surgery." He died the same evening, after receiving every possible kindness and attention, and was buried the next day at Pluckemin, with the honors of war ; his soldiers, as they lowered his remains to the soldier's last rest, shed- ding tears over the grave of a much loved commander. The battle of Princeton, for the time it lasted and the numbers engaged, was the most fatal to our officers of any action during the whole of our revolutionary war ; the Americans losing one general, two colonels, one major, and three cap- tains, killed — while the martial prowess of our enemy shone not with more brilliant lustre in any one of their combats during their long career of arms than did the courage and discipline of the seventeenth British regiment on the third of January, 1777. Indeed, Washington himself, during the height of the con- flict, pointed out this gallant corps to his officers, exclaiming, " See how those noble fellows fight ! Ah ! gentlemen, when shall we be able to keep an army long enough together to display a discipline equal to our enemies ^" 216 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY The regrilar troops that constituted the grand army at the close of the campaign of '76, were the fragments of many regiments, worn down by constant and toil- some marches, and suffering of every sort, in the depth of winter. The fine regiment of Smallwood, composed of the dower of the Maryland youth, and which, in the June preceding, marched into Philadelphia eleven hundred strong was, on the third of January, reduced to scarcely sixty men, and commanded by a captain. In fact, the bulk of what was then called the grand army, consisted of the Pennsylvania militia and volunteers, citizen soldiers who had left their comfortable homes at the call of their country, and were enduring the rigors of a winter campaign. On the morning of the battle of Princeton, they had been eighteen hours under arms, and harassed by a long night's march. Was it then to be wondered at that they should have given way before the veteran bayonets of their fresh and well-appointed foe ? The heroic devotion of Washington was not wanting in the exigencies of this memorable day. He was aware that his hour was come to redeem the pledge he had laid on the altar of his country when first he took up arms in her cause ■ t» win her liberties or perish in the attempt. Defeat at Princeton would have amounted to the annihdation of America's last hope ; for, independent of the enemy's forces in front, Cornwallis, with the flower of the British army eight thousand strong, was already panting close on the rear. It was, indeed, the very crisis of the struggle. In the hurried and imposing events of little more than one short week, liberty endured her greatest agony. What, then, is due to the fame and memories of that sacred band, who, with the master of liberty at their head, breasted the storm at this fearful crisis of their country's destiny ? The heroic devotion of Washington on the field of Princeton is matter of history. We have often enjoyed a touching reminiscence of ihat ever-memorable event from the late Colonel Fitzgerald, who was aid to the chief, and who never re- lated the story of his general's danger and almost miraculous preservation, with- out adding to his tale the homage of a tear. The aid-de-camp had been ordered to bring up the troops from the rear of the column, when the band under General Mercer became engaged. Upon return- ing to the spot where he had left the commander-in-chief, he was no longer there, and, upon looking around, the aid discovered him endeavoring to rally the line which had been thrown into disorder by a rapid onset of the foe. Wash- ington, after several ineffectual efforts to restore the fortunes of the fight, is seen to rein up his horse, with his head to the enemy, and, in that position to become immoveable. It was a last appeal to his soldiers, and seemed to say, " Will you give up your general to the foe ?" Such an appeal was not made in vain. The discomfited Americans rally on the instant, and form into line ; the enemy halt, and dress their line ; the American chief is between the adverse posts, as though he had been placed there, a target for both. The arms of both lines are levelled. Can escape from death be possible ? Fitzgerald, horror-struck at the danger of his beloved commander, dropped the reins upon his horse's neck, and drew his hat over his face, that he might not see him die. A roar of musketry succeeds, and then a shout. It was the shout of victory. The aid-de-camp ventures to raise his eyes, and oh, glorious sight, the enemy are broken and flying, while dimly amid the glimpses of the smoke is seen the chief, " alive, unharmed, and without a wound," waving his hat, and cheering his comrades to the pursuit. Colonel Fitzgerald, celebrated as one of the finest horsemen in the American army, now dashed his rowels in his charger's flank, and, heedless of the dead and dying in his way, flew to the side of his chief, exclaiming, "Thank God! your excellency is safe," while the favorite aid, a gallant and warm-hearted son of Erin, a man of thews and sinews, and " albeit unused to the meltinif mood." gave loose to his feelings, and wept like a child for joy. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 17 Washington, ever calm amid scenes of the greatest excitement, affectionately grasped the hand of his aid and friend, and then ordered, " Away, my dear Colo- nel, and bring up the troops ; the day is our own !" Early in the morning Earl Cornwallis discovered that General Washington had decamped, and soon afterward the report of the artillery in the engagement with Colonel Mawhood near Princeton, convinced him of the direction which the American army had taken. Alarmed for the safety of the British stores at New Brunswick, he advanced rapidly toward Princeton. In the American army it had indeed been proposed to make a forced march to New Brunswick, where all the baggage of the British army was deposited ; but the complete ex- haustion of the men, who had been without rest, and almost without food for two days and nights, prevented the adoption of the measure. General Washington proceeded toward Morristown, and Lord Cornwallis pressed on his rear ; but the Americans, on crossing Millstone river, broke down the bridge at Kingston, to impede the progress of their enemies ; and there the pursuit ended. Both ar- mies were completely worn out, the one being as unable to pursue as the other was to retreat. General Washington took a position at Morristown, and Lord Cornwallis reached New Brunswick, where no small alarm had been excited by the advance of the Americans, and where every exertion had been made for the removal of the baggage, and for defending the place. General Washington fixed his headquarters at Morristown, situated among hills of difficult access, where he had a fine country in his rear, from which he could easily draw supplies, and was able to retreat across the Delaware, if need- ful. Giving his troops little repose, he overran both East and West .Jersey, spread his army over the Raritan, and penetrated into the county of Essex, where he made himself master of the coast opposite Staten Island. With a greatly inferior army, by judicious movements, he wrested from the British al- most all their conquests in the Jerseys. New Brunswick and Amboy were the only posts which remained in their hands, and even in these they were not a little harassed and straitened. The American detachments were in a state of unwearied activity, frequently surprising and cutting off" the British advanced guards, keeping them in perpetual alarm, and melting down their numbers by a desultory and indecisive warfare. General Howe had issued a proclamation, calling on the colonists to support his majesty's government, and promising them protection both in their persons and property. General Washington accompanied his successful operations with a counter-proclamation, absolving the inhabitants from their engagements to Britain, and promising them protection on their submission to congress. This was a seasonable proclamation, and produced much effect. Intimidated by the desperate aspect of American afTairs when General Washington retreated into Pennsylvania, many of the inhabitants of the Jerseys had taken advantage of General Howe's proclamation, and submitted to the British authority ; but with respect to the promised protection, they had been entirely disappointed. Instead of protection and conciliation, they had been insidted by the rude insolence of a licentious soldiery, and plundered with indiscriminate and unsparing rapacity. Their passions were exasperated ; they thirsted for vengeance, and were pre- pared for the most vindictive hostility against the British troops. Hence the soldiers could not venture out to forage, except in large parties ; and thev seldom returned without loss. Their licentious insolence and merciless rapacity lost more than their bravery gained, and inspired the people with a deadly enmity against the British govern- ment. In ancient warfare the vanquished who were unable to make their R.'scape were not unfrequently put to death on the field of battle ; at times their live* OP THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 219 were spared, when they were sold as slaves, or otherwise treated with indignity and cruelty ; but the mild genius ot' Christianity has communicated its gentle and benevolent spirit to all the relations of life, has softened even the horrid /features of war, and infused sentiments and feelings of kindness amid the din of arms. Among the civilized nations of modern Europe, prisoners-of-war are commonly treated with humanity, and principles are established on which they are exchanged. The British officers, however, considered the Americans as rebels deserving condign punishment, and not entitled to the sympathetic treat- ment commonly shown to the captive soldiers of independent nations. They seem to have thought that the Americans would never be able, or vvoidd never dare to retaliate. Hence, at first, their prisoners were, in some instances, harshly treated. To this the Americans could not submit, but remonstrated , and, on finding their remonstrances disregarded, they adopted a system of retali- ation, which occasioned much unmerited suffering to individuals, and reflected no honor on any of the contending parties. Colonel Ethan Allen, who had been defeated and made prisoner in a bold attempt against Montreal, was put in irons, and sent to England as a traitor. In retaliation. General Prescott, who had been taken at the mouth of the Sorel, was put in close confinement, for the avowed purpose of subjecting him to the same fate which Colonel Allen should suffer. Both officers and privates, prisoners to the Americans, were more rigorously confined than they would otherwise have been ; and, that they might not impute this to wanton harshness and cruelty, they were distinctly told that their own superiors only were to blame for any severe treatment they might experience. The capture of General Lee became the occasion of embittering the com- plaints on this subject, and of aggravating the sufferings of the prisuners-of-war. Before that event, something like a cartel for the exchange of prisoners had been established between Generals Howe and Washington ; but the captivity of Gen- eral Lee interrupted that arrangement. The general had been an officer in the British army ; but, having been disgusted, had resigned his comnnssion, and, at the beginning of the troubles, had offered his services to congress, which were readily accepted. General Howe affected to consider him as a deserter, and ordered him into ciose confinement. General Washington had no prisoner of equal rank, but offered six Hessian field-officers in exchange for him ; and required that, if that offer should not be accepted, General Lee should be treated according to his rank in the Ameiican army. General Howe replied that General Lee was a deserter Irom his maj- esty's service, and could not be considered as a prisoner-of-war, nor come within the conditions ol" the cartel. A fruitless discussion ensued between the com- manders-in-chief. Congress took up the matter; and resolved that General Wasliington be directed to inform General Howe, that should the proffered ex- change of six Hessian field-officers for General Lee not be accepted, and his former treatment continued, the principle of retaliation shall occasion live of the Hessian field-officers, together with Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell, or any other officers that are or shall be in possession of the Americans, equivalent in number or quality, to be detained, in order that the treatment which General r^ee shall receive may be exactly inflicted upon their persons. Congress also ord( red a copy of their resolution to be transmitted to tlie council of Massachu- setts Bay, and that they be desired to detain Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, and koe\t him in close custody till the further orders of congress ; and that a copy be also sent to the committee of congress in Philadelphia, and that they be de- siied to have the prisoners, officers and privates, lately taken, properly secured in some safe place. The honorable Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, of the 71st regiment, with about ^70 of his mcHj after a brave and obstinate defence, had been made prisoners in 220 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY the bay of Boston, while si^iling for the harbor, ignorant of the evacuation of tlie town by the British. Hitherto the colonel had been civilly treated ; but, on re- ceiving the order of congress respecting him, the council of Massachusetts Bay, instead of simply keeping him in safe custody, according to order, with a retalia- ting zeal, sent him to Concord jail, and lodged him in a dungeon, about twelve or thirteen feet square. He was locked in by double bolts, and expressly pro- hibited from entering the prison-yard on any consideration whatever. That officer naturally complained to the commander-in-chief of such treatment and General Howe addressed General Washington on the subject. The latter immediately wrote to the council of Massachusetts Bay, and said : " You will observe that exactly the same treatment is to be shown to Colonel Campbell and f regu- 222 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY lating the alloy and value of coin struck by their own authority, or by that of th« respective states, fixing the standard of weights and measures, regulating th« trade, establishing postoffices, appointing all officers of the land forces in the service of the United Stales, except regimental officers, appointing all the officers of the naval forces, and commissioning all officers whatever in the service of the United States, making rules for the government and regulation of the said land and naval forces, and directing their operations \ that congress have authority to appoint a committee to sit during their recess, to be denominated a Committee tf the States, and to consist of one delegate from each state ; that congress shall hive power to ascertain the necessary sums of money to be raised for the ser- vice of the United States, and to appropriate and apply the same, to borrow money or emit bills on the credit of the United States, to build and equip a na\y, to fix the number of land forces, and to make requisitions from each state for its quota, in proportion to the number of white inhabitants in such state ; that the consent of nine states shall be requisite to any great public measure of common interest ; that congress shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place within the United States, but the adjournment not to exceed six months ; and that they shall publish their proceedings monthly, excepting such parts relating to treaties, alliances, or military operations, as in their judg- ment require secrecy ; that the i/eas and naj/s of the delegates of each state shall, if required, be entered on the journal, and extracts granted ; that the Com- mittee of the States, or any nine of them, shall, during the recess of congress, exercise such powers as congress shall vest them with ; that Canada, if willing. »hall be admitted to all the advantages of the union ; but no other colony shall ')e admitted, unless such admission shall be agreed to by nine states ; that all bills of credit emitted, moneys borrowed, or debts contracted by congress before this confederation, shall be charges on the United States ; that every state sliall abide by the determinations of congress on all questions submitted to them by this confederation ; that the articles of it shall be inviolably observed by every state ; and that no alteration in any of the articles shall be made, unless agreed to by congress, and afterward confirmed by the legislature of every state. (ireai Seal i the United .Slates Such was the substance of this confederation or union After much discu> sion, at thirty-niite sittings, the articles were approved by congress, transmitted to the several state legislatures, and, meeting with their approbation, were ratified oy all the delegates on the 15th of November, 1777 Congress maintained an erect posture, although its affairs then wore the most gloon " aspect. It was under the provi.sions of this confederation that the s a. . rward carried on OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 223 and, considered as a first essay of legislative wisdom, it discovers a good under standing, and an extensive knowledge of the structure of society. Had peace been concluded before the settlement of this confederation, the states would probably have broken down into so many independent governments, and tho strength of the union been lost in a number of petty sovereignties CHAPTER VII. Let us now attend to the proceedings of congress. The colonies had been drawn into the war by a train of unforeseen events, and had made no preparation for a great and protracted struggle. Their finances soon failed ; and they severely felt the want of arms and military stores. About the middle of January, congress entered on the consideration of the state of the treasury, and resolved to provide funds for maintaining the war, by issuing bills, under their authority, which were to pass current, at their nominal value, in all payments and dealings throughout the states. In the difficult and embarrassing circumstances in which they were placed, it perhaps would not have been easy to have devised any better scheme for supporting the cause of the Union ; but a compulsory paper currency was certainly a pernicious expedient, destined to prove most ruinous to those who had most confidence in it, and who were most devoted to the sup- port of their country. The paper-currency of congress soon became depreciated Fio. 99. — Continental Money. This led from one mistake into another, and induced them to attempt to fix the prices of commodities ; a measure which must always prove abortive, and which introduced incalculable confusion and misery into America, involving many fam- ilies in ruin. Congress decreed a monument to the memory of General Warren, who fell ai Bunker's Hill ; and one to the memory of General Mercer, who was morlally wounded in the rencounter with Colonel Mawhood near Princeton. They were much alarmed by the langour and supineiiess which everywhere prevailed 224 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY During those convulsions in the colonies, the people of Great Britain, long accustomed to colonial complaints and quarrels, and attentive merely to theii own immediate interests, paid no due regard to the progress of the contest, or to the importance of the principles in which it originated. Large majorities in both houses of parliament supported the ministry in all their violent proceedings ; and although a small minority, including several men of distinguished talents, who trembled for the fate of British liberty if the court should succeed in estab- lishing its claims against the colonists, vigorously opposed the measures of ad- ministration, yet the great body of the people manifested a loyal zeal in favor of the war ; and the ill success of the colonists, in the campaign of 1776, gave that zeal additional energy. But, amid all the popularity of their warlike operations, the difficulties of the ministry soon began to multiply. In consequence of hostilities with the Ameri- can provinces, the British West India islands experienced a scarcity of the necessaries of life. About the time when the West Indian fleet was about to set sail, under convoy, on its homeward voyage, it was discovered that the ne- groes of Jamaica meditated an insurrection. By means of the draughts to com- plete the army in America, the military force in that island had been weakened ; and the ships-of-war were detained to assist in suppressing the negroes. By this delay, the Americans gained time for equipping their privateers. After the fleet sailed, it was dispersed by stormy weather ; and many of the ships, richly laden, fell into the hands of the American cruisers, who were permitted to sell their prizes in the ports of France, both in Europe and in the West Indies. This unfriendly conduct of France was so openly manifested, that it could no longer be winked at, and it drew forth a remonstrance from the British cabinet The remonstrance was civilly answered, and the traffic in British prizes was carried on somewhat more covertly in the French ports in Europe ; but it was evident that both France and Spain were in a state of active preparation for war. The British ministry could no longer shut their eyes against the gathering storm, and began to prepare for it. About the middle of October, 1776, they put six- teen additional ships into commission, and made every exertion to man them. On the 31st of October the parliament met, and during its session some other attempts were made for adopting conciliatory measures, but the influence of the ministry was so powerful that they were all completely defeated, and the plans of administration received the approbation and support of parliament. During the winter, which was very severe, the British troops at New Bruns- wick and Amboy were kept on constant duty, and suffered considerable priva- tions. The Americans were vigilant and active, and the British army could seldom procure provisions or forage without fighting. But although in the course of the winter the affairs of the TJnited States had begun to wear a more promis- ing aspect, yet there was still many friends of royalty in the provinces. By their open attachment to the British interest, numbers had already exposed them- selves to the vengeance of the republicans ; and others, from affection to Britain or distrust of the American cause, gave their countenance and aid to Sir William Howe. Early in the season a considerable number of these men joined the royal army, and were embodied under the direction of the commander-in-chief, with the same pay as the regular troops, besides the promise of an allotment of land at the close of the disturbances. Governor Tryon, who had been extremely active in engaging and disciplining them, was promoted to the rank of major- general of the loyal provincialists. The campaign opened on both sides by rapid predatory incursions and bold desultory attacks. At Peekskill, on the North river, about fifty miles above New York, the Americans had formed a post, at which, during the winter, they had collected a considerable quantity of provisions and camp equipage, to supply OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 22d die stations in the vicinity as occasion might require. General Washington's position was naturally strong, and during the winter he added many artificial fortifications. The most mountainous part of the district, named the Manor of Cortland, was formed into a kind of citadel, replenished with stores, and Peek- skill served as a port to it. On the 23d of March, as soon as the river was clear of ico. General Howe, who thought Peekskill of more importance than it really was, detached Colonel Bird, with about 500 men, under convoy of a frigate and some armed vessels, against that post. General McDougall, who com- manded there, had then only about 250 men in the place. He had timelv notice of Colonel Bird's approach ; and, sensible that his post was untenable, he ex- erted himself to remove the stores to the strong grounds about two miles and a half in his rear ; but before he had made much progress in the work the British appeared, when he set fire to the stores and buildings, and retreated. Colonel Bird landed, and completed the destruction of the stores which he was unable to remove. On the same day he reimbarked, and returned to New York. On the 13th of April, Lord Cornwallis and General Grant, with about 2,000 men, attempted to surprise and cut off General Lincoln, who, with 500 men. Fig. 100.— Portrait of General Lincoln. was posted at Bound Brook, seven miles from New Brunswick, and nearly suc- ceeded in their enterprise. But, by a bold and rapid movement, Lincoln, when almost surrounded, forced his way between the British columns and escaped, with the loss ot sixty men, his papers, three field-pieces, and some baggage At that early period of the campaign. Sir William Howe attempted no grand novement against the American commander-in-chief; hut he made several effort. ^ interrupt his communications, destroy his stores, and impede his operations He had received information that the Americans had collected a large quantity )»1 stores in the town of Danbury, and in other places on the borders of Connec- Licut. These he resolved to destroy ; and appointed Major-General Trvou of the iirovincials, who panted for glory in his newly-acquired character, to com- mand an expedition for that purpose ; but prudently directed Generals Agnew jnd Sir VVilliG,./ Erskine to accompany him. On the 25th of Apul, the detachment, consisting of 2,000 men, under a proper 15 226 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY naval escort, left New York, passed the sound, landed between Fairfielil and Norwalk, and, early next afternoon reached Danbury, about twenty-three miles distant. The small American force stationed there, being unable to make any effectual resistance, carried off part of the stores, and retreated from the town. General Tryon destroyed 1,800 barrels of pork and beef; 700 barrels of flour ; 200 barrels of wheat, rye, and maize; clothing for a regiment ; and 1,700 tents, which, on account of their scarcity, were very valuable to the Americans. At Danbury, the troops committed some atrocities ; and at other places destroyed 100 barrels of flour, and 100 hogsheads of rum. Having achieved these feats, on the morning of the 27th General Tryon began v> retire. His visit had been unexpected, and hitherto he had met with no re- Fio. 101.— Retreat of General Tryon. sistance ; out the alarm was now spread, and the Generals Sullivan, Wooster, and Arnold, were active in assembling the militia. General Wooster, with a small party, pursued the retreating enemy, and attacked their rear ; but this brave veteran received a mortal wound, and died, much regretted, in the seven tieth year of his age. Arnold rapidly crossed the country, and posted himself at Ridgefield, with 500 men, in front of the British detachment. A smart en- gagement ensued ; the Americans were compelled to retreat ; and the British troops, quite exhausted, spent the night on their arms at Ridgefield. On the morning of the 28th they resumed their march ; but were assailed by an irregular and destructive fire of musketry from houses and from behind stone fences. Arnold took possession of a bridge over the Sagatuck, by which it was expected the British would be obliged to pass the river ; but their guide led them to a ford three miles above the bridge, which the Americans, deeming impassable, had left unguarded. There they crossed without opposition ; but occasional skirmishing and cannonading took place till the British regained their ships. The injury done to the Americans was considerable, but it did not compensate the loss which the British sustained in the expedition ; for nearly 400 of their number were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The loss of the Americans amounted only to about a third of that of^ the British. Many of the Connecticu* militia took the field on this occasion ; but only 600 or 700 subjected themselves 10 military authority. Those who engaged actively in the contest discovered much spirit. The people of New England, by their general courage and energy m repelling such incursions, gave no enc juragement to the fre^^cnt repetition df those hostile visits. The deaw. of Gjneral Wooster waa much lamented, and OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 227 congiess decreed a monument to his memory. General Arnold's activity and courage met with the approbation of his superiors. The British troops were not permitted to carry on their sudden incursions and predatory attacks without retaliation. On the 8th of May, General Stevens, with a considerable force, attacked the British post at Piscataway, where the 42d regiment was stationed ; but, after a furious engagement, he was repulsed. A considerable quantity of grain, forage, and other necessaries, for the use of the royal army, was collected at Sag Harbor in Long Island ; where they were but slightly guarded, as the number of British cruisers in the sound seemed to secure them from all danger. Of these circumstances the American General Parsons gained information ; and, on the 23d of May, he detached Colonel Meigs, with a party of 170 men, who left Guildford in Connecticut, at one o'clock in the afternoon, crossed the sound in thirteen whale-boats, attended by three sloops : landed on the north part of the island near Southhold, at six o'clock in the evening ; carried his boats over a neck of land ; reimbarked, and crossed the bay between the north and south parts of the island, and, at twelve o'clock at night, landed within four miles of Sag Harbor. Leaving his boats under the protection of a slender guard, he advanced silently toward the place of destination, and, about two o'clock in the morning, began the attack with fixed bayonets. The alarm soon became general, and a discharge of musketry on both sides ensued ; but the Americans succeeded in burning the stores and twelve vessels. They also killed six men, took ninety prisoners, and only six of the party who guarded the place escaped. Colonel Meigs, without having a man either killed or wounded, returned with his prisoners to Guildford, where he arrived at two o'clock on the 24th ; having, in the space of twenty-five hours, traversed by sea and land no less than ninety miles. When meiuioning these achievements of desultory warfare, we may here re- late another enterprise of the same kind, although it did not happen till the 1 0th of July — the capture of General Prescott. That ofiicer was commander of Rhode Island, and had his headquarters on the west side of the island, near Narraganset bay, about a quarter of a mile from the shore, and at some distance from any body of troops. He was but slightly guarded, trusting chiefly for se- curity to the numerous cruisers, and to a guard-ship, which lay in the bay oppo- site 10 his quarters. Colonel 13arton, at the head of forty men, officers and volunteers, passed by night from Warwick Neck to Rhode Island ; and although they had a passage of ten miles by water, yet, by keeping near the land, they eluded the vigilance of the British ships-of-war and guard-boats which surrounded the island. They conducted their enterprise with such silence and address, that, about midnight, they reached the general's quarters undiscovered, secured the sentinel, surprised the general in bed, and, without giving him time to put on his clothes, hurried him on board, with one of his aides-de-camp, and conveyed him safely to Provi- dence. This event was very mortifying to General Prescott, and to the royal army j but occasioned much exultation among the Americans. Hitherto Gen- eral Howe had absolutely refused to release General Lee, but he soon agreed to exchange him for General Prescott ; and General Lee again joined the American army. Having taken notice of these desultory enterprises, we shall now turn tc the two main armies, under their respective commanders-in-chief. In the beginning of June, General Sir William Howe, having received from England his expected reinforcements and camp equipage, left New York and passed into the Jerseys, with the intention of immediately opening the campaign. He had under his command 30,000 men, well equipped and provided ; and, to resist this formidable army, General Washington, on the 9th of Jur' could 22S THE PICTORIAL HISTORY muster no more than 7,271 men fit for duty. During the winter his aimy had been extremely weak ; but, in May, congress had been able to send him some recruits. After receiving this feeble reinforcement, toward the end of the month he left his strong camp at Morristown, and, advancing toward New Brunswick, took a good position at Middlebrook, on the north side of the Raritan, about nine miles from that place. At New Brunswick General Howe assembled his army on the 12th of June ; but, judging it unadvisable to attack his adversary in the post which he had chosen, he employed every artifice to draw him into less ad- vantageous ground. For this purpose he marched from New Brunswick, in two columns, to Middlebush and Hillsborough, on the south of the Raritan, as if he meant to advance to the Delaware. Not deceived by this feint, General Wash- ington remained in his camp, and satisfied himself with harassing the British army by skirmishing parties. Perceiving that this movement did not draw General Washington from his camp, General Howe returned to New Brunswick, committing terrible devasta- tions in his march. On the 22d of June, he retreated to Amboy ; an American detachment, under General Greene, hanging upon his rear, and frequently attack- ing it. General Washington moved his army to Quibbletown, that he might still be near the British army. General Howe sent his heavy baggage and all the encumbrances of his army from Amboy to Staten Island, and ordered part of the troops to follow ; but, be- ing informed that General Washington had left his strong ground, and was ad- vancing in pursuit of him, on the evening of the 25th he recalled his troops from Staten Island ; and, on the morning of the 26th, suddenly and unexpectedly ad- vanced from Amboy with his whole army, in two columns, against the Americans, with the design of cutting off their advanced detachments, bringing General vVashington to an engagement on open ground, or of gaining possession of the passes in the highlands on his left, and so compelling him to abandon the ad- vantageous position which he had hitherto occupied. For the attainment of the object last mentioned. Earl Cornwallis, with a strong detachment, set out early on the 25th of June, and, about seven o'clock in the morning, fell in with a nu- merous body of the enemy, under Lord Stirling and General Maxwell. After a smart engagement, the Americans retreated with some loss ; and General Wash- ington, apprized of the unexpected movement of the British army, hastily re turned toward the mountains, and regained possession of these passes which il was the intention of Earl Cornwallis to seize. Finding all his endeavors to bring the Americans to a general engagement in- effectual, on the 30th of June Sir William Howe crossed to Staten Island, and, on the 5th of July, embarked his army, consisting of about 16,000 men, on board of transports, in order to sail to the southward. To gain possession of Phila- delphia was his great aim ; and, instead of attempting this by marching through the Jerseys and passing the Delaware, with an unbroken though greatly inferior army in his rear, he chose to carry his army toward the place of destination by sea, leaving General Sir Henry Clinton with a respectable force to defend New York. But although the army embarked on the 5th of July, it was the 23d of the month before the fleet, consisting of 267 sail, left Sandy Hook. The movements of General Howe greatly perplexed the American command- er-in-chief, who dreaded a junction of the forces under Generals Howe and Burgoyne ; and who could scarcely believe thai the former would sail to the southward and abandon the latter, who was advancing from Quebec, by way of the Lakes Champlain and George, toward Albany. He also received contra dictory accounts of the course which General Howe had steered ; sometimes it was said that he was returning to the North river, and sometimes that the Dela- ware was the place of his destination, which last was the true account. Bui at OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 229 230 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY i)F THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. lii .hat season Df the year southerly winds prevail on the coast ; and it was the 30th of July before the British commander reached the capes of the Delaware. His original intention was to sail up the river to Philadelphia ; but, being in- formed that the Americans had obstructed the navigation, he altered his plan, and, still steering southward, entered Chesapeake bay. On the appearance of the British armament off the Delaware, General Washington moved toward Philadelphia ; but, being told that the fleet had again put to sea, his perplexity returned, and he held himself in readiness to march with the the utmost rapidity toward the North river, if needful. But, on the 24th of August, he was relle^ed •rom his painful suspense by certain information that the British fleet had sailed up the Chesapeake bay, and that the army was landing at the head of the Elk river. At the place of debarkation, the British army was within a few days' march of Philadelphia ; no great rivers were in its way ; and there was no very strong position of which the enemy could take possession. On landing, General Howe issued a proclamation, promising pardon and protection to all who should submit to him ; but, as the American army was at hand, the proclamation produced little eflect. General Washington distinctly understood the nature of the contest in which he was engaged ; and, sensible of the inferiority of his raw and disorderly army to the veteran troops under Sir William Howe, he wished to avoid a general en- gagement ; but, aware of the effect which the fall of Philadelphia would produce on the minds of the multitude, who have no fixed principle or steady purpose, he determined to make every effort in order to retard the progress and defeat the aim of the royal army. Accordingly, he marched to meet General Howe, who, from want of horses, many of which had perished in the voyage, and from other causes, was unable to proceed from the head of the Elk before the 3d of Sep- tember. On the advance of the royal army, General Washington retreated across the Brandywine, a creek which falls into the Delaware at Wilmington. He took post, with his main body, opposite Chad's Ford, where it was expected the British would attempt the passage ; and ordered General Sullivan, with a . detachment, to watch the fords above. He sent General Maxwell, with about 1,000 light troops, to occupy the high ground on the other side of the Brandy- wine, to skirmish with the British, and retard them in their progress. On the morning of the 11th of September, the British army advanced in two columns ; the right, under General Knyphausen, marched straight to Chad's Ford ; the left, under Lord Cornwallis, accompanied by the commander-in-chief and Generals Grey, Grant, and Agnew, proceeded, by a circuitous route, toward a point named the Forks, where the two branches of the Brandywine unite, with a view to turn the right of the Americans and gain their rear. General Knyp hausen's van soon found itself opposed to the light troops under General May well. A smart conflict ensued. General Knyphausen reinforced his adTancc. guard, and drove the Americans across the rivulet, to shelter themselves unde their batteries on the north bank. General Knyphausen ordered some artiller* to be placed on the most advantageous points, and a cannonade was carried on with the American batteries on the heights beyond the ford. Meanwhile the left wing of the British crossed the fords above the Forks. Of this movement General Washington had early notice ; but the information which he received from different quarters, through his scouts, was confused and contradictory, and consequently his operations were embarrassed. After passing the fords, Lord Cornwallis took the road to Dilworth, which led him on the American right. General Sullivan, who had been appointed to guard that quar- ter, occupied the heights above Birmingham church, his left extending to the Brandywine, his artillery judiciously placed, and his right flank covered by 232 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY wtxxls. About four in the afternoon, Lord Cornwallis formed the hne of battle and began the attack ; for some time the Americans sustained it with intrepidity, but at length gave way. When General Washington heard the firing in that direction, he ordered General Greene with a brigade to support General Sulli van. General Greene marched four miles in forty-two minutes, but, on reaching the scene of action, he found General Sullivan's division defeated and fleeing in confusion. He covered the retreat ; and, after some time, finding an advanta- geous position, he renewed the battle, and arrested the progress of the pursuing enemy. General Knyphausen, as soon as he heard the firing of Lord Cornwallis's d/ vision, forced the passage of Chad's Ford, attacked the troops opposed to hin. and compelled them to make a precipitate and disorderly retreat. Genera Washington, with the part of his army wliich he was able to keep together, r. tired, with his artillery and baggage, to Chester, where he halted, within eigh miles of the British army, till next morning, when he retreated to Philadelphia Night, and the exhaustion of the British troops, saved the Americans from pur- suit. In Philadelphia the American commander-in-chief remained two days, collect- ing his scattered troops, replacing the stores lost in the battle, and making ar- rangements for his future movements. On the third day after the engagement he marched up the north side of the Schuylkill, crossed it at Sweet's Ford, and proceeded toward Lancaster. In the battle at the Brandywine the Americans suffered considerable los» having about 300 men killed, 600 wounded, and 400 taken prisoners. They also lost ten small field-pieces and a howitzer. The loss of the British was much less, not exceeding five or six hundred killed and wounded. In the battle several foreign oflicers of distinction served in the American army : among these was the celebrated Marquis de la Fayette ; he was only about twenty years of age, and, animated by a youthful and enthusiastic love of liberty, had quitted his country, a plentiful fortune, and all the endearments of polished so- ciety, to fight under the banners of the infant republic at the most gloomy period of the contest. At his own expense he purchased and fitted out a vessel to con- vey him to the American continent, and sailed, notwithstanding a prohibition of the French government, which did not then deem it expedient to throw off' the mask. This battle was his first military service in the American cause, and in it he received a wound in the leg, but did not leave the field. Some other French officers were in the battle on the same side, and also Count Pulaski, a Polish nobleman. On the 16th of the month Monsieur du Coudray, with some other French gentlemen, set out to join the army. Monsieur du Coudray was mounted on a spirited young mare, on which he rode into the flat-boat used for ferrying across he Schuylkill, and being unable to stop her, she went over the boat into the iver with her rider on her back. Monsieur du Coudray disengaged himself rom the saddle, but was drowned, notwithstanding every effort being made to save him. On the evening after the battle General Howe sent a party to Wilmington, who seized in bed Mr. McKinlay, governor of the state of Delaware, and took a shallop lying in the rivulet loaded with the rich effects of some of the inhabitants, together with the public records of the county, and other valuable and important property. General Wayne, with a detachment of 1,500 men, had taken post in the woods on the left of the British army, with the intention of harassing it on its march On the evening of the 20th of September, General Grey was despatched to sur- prise him, and successfully executed the enterprise ; killing or wounding, chieflv OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 233 i:n THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Fig. 106.— Portrait of General Wayne. •*'i'h the bayonet, about 300 men, taking nearly 100 prisoners, and making him *elf master of all their baggage. General Grey had only one captain and three privates killed, and four wounded. On the evening of the 18th, congress left Philadelphia for the second time and proceeded first to Lancaster, and afterward to Yorktown. On the afternoor of the 22d, and early on the 23d of September, Sir William Howe, contrary to the expectation of the American commander-in-chief, crossed the Schuylkill at Flatland and Gordon's Ford. The main body of his army encamped at Ger- mantown, a long village, seven miles from Philadelphia ; and, on the 26th, with a detachment of his troops he took peaceable possession of the city, where he was cordially received by the quakers and other royalists. During these move- ments, both armies were much incommoded by cold and heavy rains. On receiving information of the success of the royal army undei his brother at Brandywine, Admiral Lord Howe left the Chesapeake and steered for the Delaware, where he arrived on the 8th of October. As soon as General Howe had gained possession of Philadelphia, he began to clear the course of ths river, in order to open a free communication with the fleet. The Americans had labored assiduously to obstruct the navigation of the Del- aware ; and, for that purpose, had sunk three rows of chevaux-de-frise, formed of large beams of timber bolted together, with strong projecting iron pikes, across the channel, a little below the place where the Schuylkill falls into the Delaware. The upper and lower rows were commanded by fortifications on the banks and islands of the river, and by floating batteries. While the detachment employed in assisting to clear the course of the river weakened the royal army at Germantown, General Washington, who lay en camped at Skippach Creek on the north side of the Schuylkill, about seventeen miles from Germantown, meditated an attack upon it. Germantown consisted of one street about two miles long ; 'he line of the British encampment bisected the village almost at right angles, and had its left covered by the SchuylkilL General Washington, having been reinforced by 1,500 troops from Peekskill« and 1 000 Virginian militia, marched from Skippach Creek on the evening of OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 235 he 3d of October, and at tlavvii of day next morning attacked the roval army Atter a smart conflict he drove in tlie advanced guard, which was stationed at the head of the viihige, and, with his army divided into five columns, prosecuted the attack. ; but Lieutenant-Coh)nel Musgrave of the 40th regiment, which had been driven in, and who had been able to keep five companies of the regiment together, threw himself into a large stone house in the village, vvhich stood in front of the main column of the Americans, and there almost a half of General Washington's army was detained for a considerable time. Instead of masking the house with a sufficient force, and advancing rapidly with their main body, the Americans attacked the house, which was obstinately defended. This saved the British army ; for the critical moment was lost in fruitless attempts on the house ; the royal troops had time to get under arms, and be in readiness to resist or attack as circumstances required. General Grey came to the assistance of Colonel Musgrave ; the engagement for some time was general and warm ; at length the Americans began to give way, and efTected a retreat with all their artillery. The morning was very foggy, a circumstance which had prevented the Americans from combining and conducting their operations as they other- wise might have done, but which now favored their retreat by concealing their movements. In this engagement the British had 600 men killed or wounded ; among the slain were Brigadier-General Agnew and Colonel Bird, officers of distinguished reputation. The Americans lost an equal number in killed and woujided, be- sides 400 who were taken prisoners. General Nash, of North Carolina, was among those who were killed. After the battle General Washington returned to his encampment at Skippach Creek. But although the British army had been successful in repulsing the Americans, yet their situation was not comfortable ; nor could they easily maintain them- selves in Pennsylvania unless the navigation of the Delaware were opened, and a free communication established between the fleet and army. The upper line of chevaux-de-frise was protected by a work named Fort Mifllin, erected on a marshy island in the Delaware called Mud Island, formed by an accumulation of sand and vegetable mould near the Pennsylvania bank of the river, and by a redoubt, called Redbank, on the Jersey side. At a small distance below Mud Island, and nearly in a line with it, are two others, named Province and Hog's islands ; between these and the Pennsylvanian bank of the river was a narrow chainiel, of suflicient depth to admit ships of moderate draught of water. The reduction of Forts Mifflin and Redbank, and the opening of the Delaware, were of essential importance to the British army in the occupation of Philadelphia. In order, therefore, that he might be able more conveniently to assist in those operations, General Howe, on the 19th of October, withdrew his army from Germantown, and encamped in the vicinity of Philadelphia. He despatched Colonel Coimt Donop, a German officer, with three battalions 5f Hessian grenadiers, the regiment of Mirbach, and some light infantry, to re- duce Redbank. This detachment crossed the Delaware at Philadelphia on the eveiung of the 21st of October, and next afternoon reached the place of its des- tination. Count Donop summoned the fort to surrender ; but Colonel Christo- pher Greene, of Rhode Island, who commanded in the redoubt, answered that he would defend kis post to the last extremity. Count Donop immediately led his troops to the assault, advancing under a close fire from the fort, and from the American vessels-of-war and floating-batteries on the river; he forced an exten- ^ive and unfinished outwork, but could make no impression on the redoubt. The count was mortalh' wounded ; the second in command also was disabled ; and, alter a desperate corflict and severe loss, the assailants were compelled to re- 236 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY. treat under a fire similar to that which had met them in their advance. Colonel Donop was made prisoner, and soon died of his wounds. The disaster did not terminate here. That part of the fleet which co )perated :n the attack was equally unfortunate. The Augusta, Roebuck, Liverpool, Pearl, and Merlin, vessels-of-war, had passed through an opening in the lower line of chevaux-de-frise ; and, on the commencement of Count Donop's attack, moved up the river with the flowing tide. But the artificial obstructions had altered the course of the channel, and raised sand-banks where none existed before Hence the Augusta and MerLn grounded a little below the second row of chevaux-de-frise. At the return of the tide every exertion was made to get them ofl", but in vain. In the morning the Americans, perceiving their condition, began to fire upon them, and sent fire-ships against them. The Augusta caught fire ; and, the flames spreading rapidly, it was with the utmost difliculty that the crew were got out of her. The second lieutenant, chaplain, gunner, and some seamen, perished in the flames ; but the greater part of the crew was saved The Merlin was abandoned and destroyed. Notwithstanding these misfortunes, the operations requisite for reducing the forts on the river were carried on with great activity. Batteries were erected on the Petmsylvanian bank opposite Mud Island ; but from the difliculty of con- structing works on marshy ground, and of transporting heavy artillery through swamps, much time was consumed before they could be got ready to act with efl^ect. The British also took possession of Province Island ; and, although it was almost wholly overflowed, erected works upon it. On the L5th of November, everything was ready for a grand attack on Fort Mifflin. The Vigilant armed ship and a hulk, both mounted with heavy cannon, passed up the strait between Hog and Province islands and the Pennsylvanian bank, in order to take their station opposite the weakest part of the fort. The Isis, Somerset, Roebuck, and several frigates, sailed up the main channel, as far as the second line of chevaux-de-frise would permit them, and placed themselves in front of the work. The little garrison of Fort Mifflin, not exceeding 300 men, had greatly exerted themselves in opposing and retarding the operations of the British fleet and army against them ; and in this desperate crisis their courage did not forsake them. A terrible cannonade against Fort Mifflin was begun and carried on by the British batteries and shipping ; and was answered by the fort, by the American galleys and floating-batteries on the river, and by their works on the Jersey bank. In the course of the day, the fort was in a great measure demolished, and many of the guns dismounted. The garrison, finding their post no longer tenable, re- tired, by means of their shipping, during the night. Two days afterward, the post at Redbank was evacuated also. Lord Cornwallis marched against it ; but the garrison retreated before his arrival. The American shipping in the river, being now left unprotected, retired up the stream : part of it, by keeping close to the Jersey side, passed the batteries at Philadelphia during the night, and escaped ; the rest was set on fire, and abandoned. Even the part of it, however, which escaped at this time, was after- ward destroyed. Thus the navigation of the Delaware was opened, and a free communication established between the fleet and army ; but the defence of the river was so obstinate, that a considerable part of the campaign was wasted in clearing it. General Washington having received a reinforcement from the northern army, after the termination of the campaign in that quarter, left his strong camp at Skippach Creek, and, advancing nearer the British, occupied an advantageous position at White Marsh, fourteen miles from Philadelphia. He had a valley OF THE AMERICAN KEVOLO I'KJN. 237 and rivuiet in ftont, and his right was protected by an abaitis, or fence of tree* cut down, with their top branches pointed and turned outward. Sir William Howe thinking that General Washington, encouraged by his rein iorceinents, would hazard a battle for the recovery of the capital of Pennsylvania, or that a successful attack might be made on his position, marched from Phila delphia on the evening of the 4th of December, and next morning took post on Lliestnut Hill, m front of the right wing of the American army. During the two succeeding days, General Howe made several movements in front of the hostile encampment, and some skirmishing ensued. But General Washington remained u ithin his hues ; and Sir William Howe, deeming it unadvisable to attack him •here, and seeing no probability of being able to provoke him to engage on more oqual terms, returned with his army, on the 8th of December, to Philadelphia. At that time the two armies were nearly equal in point of numerical force, each consisting of upward of 14,000 men. Soon afterward General Washinver a morass two miles wide. This prodigious labor, in a sultry ^tason of the year, and in a close country swarming with tormenting insects, the *fmv perfoioaed with cheerfulness and untired perseverance. At length, with Fig. 111. — An American backwoodsman. 248 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY little opposition from the enemy, on the 30th of July it reached Fort Edward, which General Schuyler had quitted a short time before, and retreated to Sara- toga. General Burgoyne might have much more easily reached Fort Edward by the way of Lake George ; but he had been led up the South river in pursuit of the fleeing enemy ; and he persevered in that difficult route, lest he should discourage his troops by a retrograde movement. Fig. 112.— Lake George. At Fort Edward, General Burgoyne again found it necessary to pause ii\ nis career ; for his carriages, which in the biT""' had been made of unseascaied wood, were much broken down, and needed to be repaired. From the unavoid- able difficulties of the case, not more than one third of the draught horses con- tracted for in Canada" had arrived , and General Schuyler had been careful to re- move almost all the horses and draught cattle of the country out of his way. Boats for the navigation of the Hudson, provisions, stores, artillery, and other neces- saries for the army, were all to be brought from Fort George ; and although that place was only nine or ten nnles from Fort Edward, yet such was the con- dition of the roads, rendered nearly impassable by the great quantity of rain that had fallen, that the labor of transporting necessaries was incredible. General Burgoyne had collected about 100 oxen , but it was often necessary to employ ten or twelve of them in transporting a single boat. With his utmost exertions he had only conveyed twelve boats into the Hudson, and provisions for the army for four days in advance, on the 15th of August. In order to aid and facilitate the operations of St. Leger on the Mohawk, Gen- eral Burgoyne wished to make a rapid movement down the Hudson ; but it was not easy to procure provisions for his army. The difficulty of drawing his sup- plies from Lake George was every day to increase with the distance : and his left flank and rear were threatened by General Lincoln, who had been ordered by General Schuyler to join Colonel Warner, to collect the militia of New Eng- land, to endeavor to cut off the communication of the British army with Lake George, or even to make an attempt on Ticonderoga. In these circumstances, General Burgoyne conceived the plan of procu OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 2 IS ring a fupply for his army from a different quarter. It was well known tha the American army received live cattle from New England, which were col- lected at Bennington, twenty-four miles east from the Hudson, where a large deposite of carriages, corn, flour, and other necessaries, had been made. For this purpose he moved down the east side of the Hudson, and encamped nearly opposite Saratoga, which place the American army left on the 15th of August, and retreated to the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. He sent his van across the river by a bridge of boats ; and at the same time despatched Colonel Baume, a German officer, with 500 men, partly cavalry, two pieces of artillery, and 100 Indians, to surprise Bennington. General Stark, with the New Hampshire militia, 400 strong, happened to bo in that vicinity, on his way to join General Schuyler. He heard first of the approach of the Indians, and soon afterward was informed that they were sup- ported by a regula** force. He collected his brigade, sent expresses to the neighboring militia \o join him, and also to Colonel Warner's regiment at Man Chester. On the morning of the 14th of August, he marched against the enemy, at the head of 700 men ; and sent Colonel Gregg, with 200 men, to skirmish in their front and retard their progress. He drew up his men in order of battle : but, on coming in sight of him, Baume halted on advantageous ground ; sent an express to General Burgoyne, informing him of his situation ; and fortified him- self as well as circumstances would permit. Some small skirmishing parties of the Americans killed several Germans, and two Indian chiefs, without sustaining any loss ; and this slight success not a lit- tle elated them. In a council of war, it was resolved to attack Baume next day ; but next day it rained incessantly, and the attack could not be made, although there was some skirmishing. On the morning of the 16th, Stark, having received some reinforcements, sent detachments by the right and left of the enemy, with orders to unite in their rear, and begin the attack in that quarter. But before they met the Indians re- treated between the columns, and receiving a fire as they passed, sustained some loss. The detachments, according to orders, began the attack on the rear of the enemy, and were assisted by Stark, who instantly advanced to the charge in front. Baume made a brave defence ; the battle lasted two hours, during which he was furiously assailed on every side by an incessant discharge of musketry. He was mortally wounded ; his troops were overpowered ; a few of them es- caped into the woods and fled, pursued by the Americans ; the rest were killed or taken prisoners. Thus, without artillery, with old rusty firelocks, and with scarcely a bayonet, these militia entirely defeated 500 veterans, well armed, provided with two pieces of artillery, and defended by breastworks. After the victory, the greater part of the militia dispersed in quest of booty, and their avidity for spoil nearly proved fatal to them ; for, on receiving Baume's express. General Burgoyne ordered Colonel Brehman, who had before been sent forward to Batten hill for the purpose, to march to the assistance of his countrymen with the Brunswick grenadiers, light infantry, and chasseurs, amounting to 500 men. Colonel Brehman set out at eight in the morning of the 15th ; but the roads were rendered almost impassable by incessant rains; and, although he marched with the utmost diligence, yet it was four the next afternoon before he reached the vicinity of the place where his countrymen had been defeated. The first notice which he received of Baume's disaster was from the fugitives whom he met He easily repulsed the few militia who were in pursuit of them ; and, from the scattered state of Stark's troops, had the prospect of being able to make himself master of the stores, which were the great object of the expedition. But at that critical moment Colonel Warner's retnment of continentals arrived, and instantly engaged Brehman. The firing 250 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY reassembled the scattered militia, who joined in the battle as they came up Colonel Brehman maintained the conflict till dark ; when, abandoning his artil lery and baggage, he retreated, and, escaping under cover of night, with the shattered remnant of his detachment, regained the camp. In those engagements the Americans took four brass field-pieces, about 1 000 muskets (a most seasonable supply to the ill-armed militia), 900 swords, and lour baggage-wagons. Exclusive of Canadians and other loyalists, the loss of the royal army could not be less than 700 men in killed, wounded, and prison- ers, although General Burgoyne stated it at only about 400. The Americans admitted the loss of about 100 in killed and vvounded. This was the first check which General Burgoyne's army had met with, and it was a severe one, and had a fatal influence on the campaign. The loss of a fe^v hundred men was nothing compared with the eflects which it produced upon fhe minds of the people : it greatly elated them, and gave the militia, who had been much dispirited by the late defeats, confidence in themselves, and encour aged them to hasten to the army in great numbers, in order to consummate the work which they had begun. Before the events in the vicinity of Bennington, dejection and alarm pervaded the northern provinces ; but those events dispelled the gloom, infused spirit and vigor into the militia, and gave a new aspect to af- fairs on the Hudson. Tha failure of the attempt on Bennington had arisen from a concurrence of circumstances which could not be foreseen. The presence of Stark was purely accidental ; and the seasonable arrival of Warner saved both the stores and the disorderly militia from the hands of Brehman. But the defeat at Bennington was not the only misfortune which General Burgoyne met with : before reach- ing Crown Point he had despatched Colonel St. Leger, as already mentioned, with a detachment of regular troops, Canadians, loyalists, and Indians, by the way of Oswego, to make a diversion on the upper part of the Mohawk river, and afterward join him on his way to Albany. On the 2d of August, St. Leger approached Fort Stanvvix or Schuyler, a log fortification, situated on rising ground near the source of the Mohav/k river, and garrisoned by about 600 continentals under the command of Colonel Gansevoort. Next day he invested the place with an army of sixteen or seventeen hundred men, nearly one half of whom were Indians, and the rest British, Germans, Canadians, and loyal Americans. On being summoned to surrender, Ganse- voort answered that he would defend the place to the last. On the approach of St. Leger to Fort Schuyler, General Herkimer, who com- manded the militia of Tryon county, assembled about 700 of them and marched to the assistance of the garrison. On the forenoon of the 6th of August, a messenger from Herkimer found means to enter the fort, and gave notice that he was only eight miles distant, and intended that day to force a passage into the fort and join the garrison. Gansevoort resolved to aid the attempt by a vig- orous sally, and appointed Colonel Willet with upward of 200 men to that service. St. Leger received information of the approach of Herkimer, and placed a large body of regulars and Indians in ambush on the road by which he was to advance. Herkimer fell into the snare. The first notice which he received of the presence of an enemy was from a heavy discharge of musketry on hia troops, which was instantly followed by the war-whoop of the Indians, who at- tacked the militia with their tomahawks. Though disconcerted by the sudden- ness of the attack, many of the militia behaved with spirit, and a scene of unut- terable confusion and carnage ensued. The royal troops and the militia became so closely crowded together that they had not room to use their firearms, but pushed and pulled each other, and, using their daggers, fell |»ierced by mutua! OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 25 1 ^vounds. Some of the militia fled at the first onset, others made their escape afterward ; about 100 of them retreated to a rising ground, where they bravely defended themselves, till Sir John Johnstone, who commanded the ambuscade, found it necessary to call off his men for the defence of their own camp. In the absence of the party against Herkimer, Colonel Willet made a successful sally, killed a number of the enemy, destroyed their provisions, carried off some spoil, and returned to the fort without the loss of a man. The loss of Herkimer's party was computed to amount to 400 men ; the gen eral himself was among the slain. Many of the most active political characters in that part of the country were killed, wounded, or made prisoners ; so that St. Leger was secured from any further trouble from the militia. St. Leger again summoned the fort to surrender, but again met with a steady refusal. General Schuyler, deeming it a matter of importance to prevent the junction of St. Leger with General Burgoyne, despatched Arnold with a considerable body of regular troops to relieve Fort Schuyler. Arnold apprehended an Ameri- can of some wealth and influence, who, he believed, had been acting the part of a traitor, but promised to spare his life and fortune on condition of his going intc the British camp before Fort Schuyler, and alarming the Indians and others by magnifying the force which was marching against them. This the person un- dertook and executed. Some Indians, who were friendly to the Americans, communicated similar information, and even spread a report of the total defeat of General Burgoyne's army, founded, probably, on the disaster of the party sent against Bennington. Fort Schuyler was better constructed, and defended with more courage than St, Leger had expected ; and his light artillery made little impression on it. His Indians, who liked better to take scalps and plunder than to besiege for- tresses, became very unmanageable. The loss which they had sustained in the encounters with Herkimer and Willet deeply affected them ; they had expected to be witnesses of the triumphs of the British, and to share with them the plunder. Hard service and little reward caused bitter disappointment ; and when they heard that a strong detachment of continentals was marching against them, they resolved to seek safety in flight. St. Leger employed every argmnent and ar- tifice to detain them, but in vain ; part of them went ofl^, and all the rest threat- ened to follow if the siege were persevered in. Therefore, on the 22d of Au- gust, St. Leger raised the siege, and retreated with circumstances indicating great alarm : the tents were left standing, the artillery was abandoned, and a great part of the baggage, ammunition, and provisions, fell into the hands of the garrison, a detachment from which pursued the retreating enemy. St. Leger retired to Montreal, whence he proceeded to Ticonderoga, with the intention of joining General Burgoyne. General Arnold reached Fort Schuyler two days after the retreat of the be- siegers ; but, finding no occasion for his services, he soon returned to camp The successful defence of Fort Stanwix or Schuyler powerfully co-operated with the defeat of the royal troops at Bennington in raising the spirits and in- vigorating the activity of the Americans. The loyalists became timid ; the wa- tering began to doubt the success of the royal arms ; and the great body of the oople was convinced that nothing but steady exertion on their part was neces- sary, to ruin that army which a short time before had appeared irresistible. General Schuyler, at this critical period of the campaign, when by unwearied exertion he had brought the northern army into a respectable condition, and had the fair prospect of gaining the laurels due to his industry and talents, was super- seded, and General Gates appointed to the command of the arm^ . General Schuyler keenly felt the indignity offered him, by depriving him of the command at that critical juncture ; but he faithfully discharged his duty, till the arrival it 252 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY camp of his successor, on the 1 9th of August. The late events had greailv changed the aspect of affairs ; and General Gates found the army in a far more promising state than he had expected. The harvest was over ; and many of the militia, who had been kept at home by it, were arriving in camp, where there was now a respectable force, much encouraged by the recent success of the American arms. Soon after Genera^ Gates entered on the command of the northern army, an epistolary correspondence was opened between him and General Burgoyne, not of the most pleasant or courteous kind. On the 30th of August, the British general complained of the harsh treatment experienced by the loyalists who had been made prisoners at Bennington, and hinted at retaliation. On the 2d of September the American general answered his letter, and recriminated by ex- patiating on the horrid atrocities perpetrated by the Indians who accompanied the armies of General Burgoyne and Colonel St. Leger, and imputed them to General Burgoyne. One barbarous act committed by an Indian attached to General Burgoyne's army, although it involved only a case of individual suffer- ing, yet made a deep impression on the public mind, and roused indignation to ti(e highest pitch. Mr. Jones, an officer of the British army, had gained the affections of Miss McCrea, a lovely young lady of amiable character and spotless reputation, daughter of a gentleman attached to the royal cause, residing near Fort Edward ; and they had agreed to be married. In the course of service, the officer was removed to some distance from his bride ; and became anxious for her safety and desirous of her company. He engaged some Indians, of two different tribes, to bring her to camp, and promised a keg of rum to the person who should de- liver her safe to him. She dressed to meet her bridegroom, and accompanied her Indian conductors ; but by the way, the two chiefs, each being desirous of receiving the promised reward, disputed which of them should deliver her to her lover. The dispute rose to a quarrel ; and, according to their usual method of disposing of a disputed prisoner, one of them instantly cleft the head of the lady with his tomahawk. This simple story, tragical and affecting in it- self, contributed in no slight degree to embitter the minds of the people against those who could degrade themselves by the aid of such allies. The impulse given to the public mind by such atrocities more than counterbalanced any ad- vantages which the British derived from the assistance of the Indians. In reference to this, General Gates said : " That the savages of America should, in their warfare, mangle and scalp the unhappy prisoners who fall into their hands is neither new nor extraordinary ; but that the famous Lieutenant- General Burgoyne, in whom the fine gentleman is united with the soldier and scholar, should hire the savages of America to scalp Europeans and descendants of Europeans, nay more, that he should pay a price for each scalp so barbarously taken, is more than will be believed in Europe, until authenticated facts shall, in every gazette, confirm the truth of the horrid tale. " Miss McCrea, a young lady lovely to the sight, of virtuous character and amiable disposition, engaged to an officer of your army, was, with other women and children, taken out of a house near Fort Edward, carried into the woods, and then scalped and mangled in a most shocking manner. Two parents with their six children were all treated with the same inhumanity, while quietly re- siding in their once happy and peaceful dwelling. The miserable fate of Miss McCrea was particularly aggravated by her being dressed to meet her promised Husband ; but she met her murderer employed by you. Upward of one hundred .men, women, and children, have perished by the hands of the ruffipjis, to whom, It is asserted, you have paid the price of blood !" Although General Burgoyne, defeated in his attempt against Beuuington, and Fig. 1 3 -Murder of Miss Jane M'Crea. 264 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY disappointed in the expectation of assistance from St. Leger, was left to his own resources, yet he did not abandon the arduous enterprise in which he was en- gaged, but still flattered himself with the hope of being ble to accomplish the great object of the campaign. In order, however, to procure subsistence for liis army, he was obliged to revert to the tedious and toilsome mode of bringing supplies from Fort George ; and he prosecuted this work, with his usual ardor and persevering industry. Having by unwearied exertions collected provisions for thirty days, and constructed a bridge of boats over the Hudson, in place of the rafts which had been carried away by a flood, he crossed the river on the 13th and 14th of September, and encamped on the heights and plains of Sara- toga, twenty miles below Fort Edward and thirty-seven above Albany. General Gates, who was now joined by all the continental troops destined for the northern department, and reinforced by considerable bodies of militia, left the strong position which Schuyler had taken at the confluence of the Mohawk with the Hudson eight miles above Albany, proceeded sixteen miles up the river toward the enemy, and formed a strong camp near Stillwater. The two armies were only about twelve miles distant from each other ; but the bridges between them were broken down, the roads were bad, and the country was covered with woods ; consequently the progress of the British army, encumbered by its flue train of artillery and numerous wagons, was slow, and it was attended with some skirmishing. On the evening of the 17th, General Burgoyue encamped within four miles of the American army, and spent the next day in repairing the bridges between the two camps, which he accomplished with some loss. About mid-day, on the 1 9th of September, he put himself at the head of the right wing of his army, and advanced through the woods toward the left of the American camp ; General Frazer and Colonel Brehman, with the grenadiers and light infantry, covered his right flank ; and the Indians, loyalists, and Canadians, proceeded in front. The left wing and artillery, commanded by Generals Philips and Reidesel, pro- ceeded along the great road near the river. The nature of the ground prevented the contending armies from observing the movements of each other ; but General Gates, whose scouts were in constant activity, was soon informed of the advance of the British army. He detached Colonel Morgan, a bold and active partisan, with his riflemen, to observe the motions and impede the progress of the enemy. Morgan soon met the advan- ced parties in front of the British right wing, and drove them back. General Burgoyue supported them by a strong detachment ; and, after a severe conflict, Morgan, in his turn, was compelled to give way. But General Gates reintorced him, and the engagement became more general. The Americans attempted to turn the right flank of the British army, with the view of attacking it in the rear ; but, being opposed by Frazer and Brehman, they made a rapid movement, and commenced a furious attack on the left of the British right wing. The com- batants were reinforced ; and between three and four in the afternoon. General Arnold, with nine continental regiments and Morgan's riflemen, was closely en- gaged with the whole right wing of the British army. Both parties fought with the most determined conrage ; and the battle ended only with the day. When it became dark, the Americans withdrew to their camp ; and the royal troops lay all night on their arms on the field of battle. On hearing the firing at the beginning of the engagement. General Philips with some artillery forced his •vay through the woods, and rendered essential service. In this oattle, in which each party had nearly 3,000 men actually engaged, me British lost upward of 500 in killed and wounded, and the Americans about 400 nieii. Night separated the combatants ; each side claimed the victory, and frdch believed that with a part only of its own force it had beaten the whole o.* J UF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 253 Jio hostile army. But although neither army was defeated, it was evident who had gained the advantage ; General Burgoyne had failed in the attempt to dis- lodge the enemy, and his progress was arrested. His communication with the lakes was cut otf, and his resources were daily failing ; while the Americans had the same opportunities of gaining supplies as before, and their strength was still increasing by the arrival of fresh troops. In such circumstances, to figh* without a decisive victory was to the British nearly equivalent to a defeat ; and to fight without being beaten was to the Americans productive of many of the consequences of victory. Accordingly, the news of the battle was received with joy and exultaflon throughout the United States, and the ruin of the invading army was confidently anticipated. The militia were encouraged to take the field, and assist in con summating the work so auspiciously begun. At that time the army under the command of General Gates did not much exceed 7,000 men ; but it was soon considerably increased. On the day after the engagement, information was received in the American camp, which still farther raised the spirits and confirmed the confidence of the troops. General Lincoln, who had been sent to collect the militia of New Eng- land, had assembled a considerable body of them at Manchester, whence he marched to Pawlet, a small village on a rivulet of the same name, which falls into Wood creek. From that place, he detached three parties, consisting of about 500 men each ; one, under Colonel Brown, proceeded to the north end of Lake George, chiefly with the intention of relieving a number of prisoners con- fined there, but with orders to carry his ofTensive operations as far as prudence would permit ; one, under Colonel Johnson, marched against Mount Indepen- dence ; and a third, under Colonel Woodbury, was sent to Skenesborough, to cover, if needful, the retreat of the two others. With the remainder of his troops Lincoln set out to join General Gates, and reached the camp, with about 2,000 men, before the end of September. Colonel Brown proceeded with such secrecy and address, that, at dawn of day on the 18th of September, he arrived at the north end of Lake George, and completely surprised the outposts between the landing-place and Ticonderoga. Almost in an mstant, and with scarcely any loss, he made himself master of Sugar Hill, or Mount Defiance, Mount Hope, an armed sloop, several gun-boats, and 200 boats which had been employed in transporting provisions for the army. He relieved 100 American prisoners, and took nearly 300 of the enemy. He made an attempt on Ticonderoga, but tailed. Johnson also was unsuccessful against Mount Independence. The party after- ward sailed up Lake George in the boats which they had taken, attacked Dia- mond Island, which General Burgoyne had fortified and made the deposite of all the stores collected at the south end of the lake, but were repulsed. They then burned the vessels which they had taken, and returned to their former sta- tion Tiie success of this party in the early part of their expedition was soon proclaimed througliout New England, where it was rumored that the forts were taken ; and tlie militia were invited to join their countrymen in arms and ensure the ruin of the invaders. Immediately after the battle at Stillwater, General Burgoyne took a posiuon almost within cannon-shot of the American camp, fortified his right, extended his left along the hills, and encamped two European regiments and a corps of provincials on the low ground on the bank of the river where he placed his hos- pital. He used every endeavor to communicate information of his situation to Generals Howe and Clinton, and requested and expected assistance from them ; but those officers had no suspicion of his danger, and were not able to afford him any effectual aid. On the 21st, he received a letter from General Clinton in- 256 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY forming him of the meditated attack on Forts Clinton and Montgomerj' ; but thai attack, though successful, availed him nothing. The two armies lay in front of each other, each fortifying its camp. General Burgoyne's provisions w^ere daily diminishing ; and the events of the campaign .so little answered the expectation of his savage allies, that, notwithstanding every entreaty and remonstrance, they abandoned him at that critical period of the campaign. After the battle of Stillwater, the safety of the British army lay only in retreat It was unable to advance ; to fall back on the lakes and return to Canada, al- though difficult, was not then impossible. But every hour lessened the proba- bility of victory, and rendered retreat more impracticable. General Burgoyne, however, could not at once dismiss all the splendid visions of conquest and glory which had so long dazzled his imagination ; and he flattered himself with the hope of a powerful co-operation on the side of New York, which had not been concerted, and was not to happen. Under those delusions he lingered in his strong camp from the 20th of September till the 7th of October. During that interval, daily skirmishes happened, which accustomed the raw troops of Amer- ica to the face of an enemy. General Gates, sensible that delay was in his favor, meditated no immediate attack on the hostile camp ; but diligently took measures to prevent the escape of the royal army from the toils in which it was entangled. General Burgoyne's difficulties were great and daily increasing. His army was reduced to 5,000 regular troops ; his provisions were almost exhausted, and his men put on short allowance ; his horses were perishing for want of forage ; he was so environed by the enemy that he could procure no fresh supplies, and he had received no recent intelligence from Sir Henry Clinton. He could not long remain in the position which he then occupied, and he was not ignorant of the difficulty and danger of a retreat. In these circumstances he resolved to try the fortune of another battle ; as a victory would enable him either to advance, or to retreat with safety. Accordingly, on the 7th of October, he led out 1,500 men, well provided with artillery, and, accompanied by Generals Philips, Reidesel, and Frazer, marched against the enemy, leaving his camp on the high grounds under the care of Gen- erals Hamilton and Specht, and the redoubts and posts adjacent to the river under General Gell. General Burgoyne's detachment had scarcely formed within about half a mile of the enemy's entrenchments, when its left, where the grenadiers were posted, was furiously assailed. The Germans, who were on the right of the grenadiers, were also soon engaged. Three regiments, undei General Arnold, proceeded to attack the right of the British detachment in front, while another division endeavored to turn its flank and gain its rear. In order to frustrate this intention, General Frazer, with the light infantry and part of the 24th regiment, was ordered to cover the right ; but, while he was making a movement for that purpose, the left was overpowered and gave way. To save it from destruction, Frazer hastened to its assistance ; but met with an American corps of riflemen, which briskly attacked him, and he was mortally wounded in the conflict. The whole royal detachment now gave way ; and, with the loss of most of its artillery, retreated to the camp. The Americans closely pursued, and, under a tremendous fire of grape-shot and musketry, fiercely assaulted the works throughout their whole extent. Arnold, who conducted the assault, urged on his men ; but was ultimately repulsed by the British under the immediate orders of General Burgoyne, after having had his horse shot under him, and be- ing wounded in the same leg which had been injured at Quebec. The left of the American detachment, under Colonel Brooks, was more suci^essful. It turned the right of the royal encampment, stormed the works of the German re- OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 257 r — !7 I 25" THE PICTORIAL HISTORY serve, uf.der Colonel Breliman, who was killed, and his troops retreated, with the loss of all their artillery and camp equipage ; while Brooks maintained the ground which he had gained. Darkness, as on the 19th ot September, put an end to the bloody conflict; and the Americans lay aW niglu on their arms, about half a mile from the lines, with the intention of renewing the assault in the morning. The advantage which they had gained was great. Without any considerable . oss, they had killed many of the enemy, made upward of 200 prisoners, among whom were several officers of distinction, taken nine pieces of brass artillery, all the baggage and camp equipage of a German brigade, obtained a large supply of ammunition, of which they stood much in need, and had entered the royal lines, and gained a position which threatened their rear. About midnight. General Lincoln with his division marched from the American camp to relieve the troops who had been engaged, and to occupy the ground which they had won. General Burgoyne's situation was now critical and distressing. Since he harl come fairly into contact with the enemy, ho had met with an obstinacy of re- sistance and a vigor of attack wholly unexpected. In the late encounters, the Americans had shown themselves a match for the best veteran troops, and capable of improving any advantage which they might obtain. Sensible, there- fore, of the danger of encountering the events of next day on the ground which he then occupied, General Burgoyne resolved on a total change of position. Ac- cordingly, in the course of the night, in a silent and orderly manner, and with- out any interruption from the enemy, he moved his camp to the hills, extending his right up the river. The entire change of front extricated him from the im- mediate danger with which he was threatened, and induced the Americans to make new dispositions. On the 8th, General Burgoyne made some attempts to provoke General Gates to attack him in the strong position which he had taken : but those attempts were ineffectual ; for General Gates, fully aware of his own advantages and of the difficulties to which his adversary was reduced, declined an immediate at- tack ; but was active in taking every precaution to prevent the escape of the royal army. He posted 1,400 men on the heights opposite the ford of Saratoga, and sent strong detachments to guard the fords higher up the river. The 8th of October was spent in skirmishing and cannonading. About sun- set, the body of General Frazer, who had been mortally wounded on the prece- ding day, was, agreeably to his own desire, carried up the hill, to be interred in the great redoubt, attended only by the officers who had lived in his family. Generals Burgoyne, Philips, and Reidesel, in testimony of respect and affection for their late brave companion in arms, joined the mournful procession, which necessarily passed in view of both armies. The incessant cannonade, the steady attitude and unfaltering voice of the chaplain, and the firm demeanor of the company during the funeral service, though occasionally covered with the earth torn up by the shot from the hostile batteries ploughing the ground around them, the mute expression of feeling pictured on every countenance, and the in- creasing gloom of the evening, all contributed to give an affecting solemnity to the obsequies. General Gates afterward declared, that if he had been apprized of what what was going on, he would at least have silenced his batteries, and allowed the la5t offices of humanity to be performed without disturbance, or even have ordeied minute guns to be fired in honor of ihe deceased general. General Burgoyne being informed that an American column was advancing witn the intention of gaining his right tlank, resolved immediately to retreat to Saratoga, about ten miles up the river. He began his march about nine in the evenmg of the 8th, leaving behind him several boats loaded with orovisions and baggage, and his hospital, containing about 300 sick and wounded men. toward OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 259 I 260 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY '^\^<^irhis^\l\^ OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 261 whom General Gates behaved with his usual humanity ; but the roads were so bad, and the heavy rains so incessant, that it was the evening of next day be- fore the army, much fatigued, reached Saratoga ; and it was not till the forenoon of the 10th that the rear passed the fords of Fishkill creek a little farther north. On arriving at the ground which he intended to occupy, General Burgoyne found a party of the enemy already in possession of it ; but on his approach they th- treated, and joined their countrymen on the east of the river Fig. 117. — Field of Saratoga. The rain, which continued during the whole of the 9th, and greatly retarded the march of the royal army, kept the Americans in their camp ; but it had no sooner ceased, than General Gates set out in pursuit of the retreating enemy. As the roads, however, were extremely bad, and the bridges broken down by the British, it was some time before he overtook them. From his camp above Fishkill creek. General Burgoyne sent forward a com pany of artificers, escorted by a regular regiment, some riflemen, and a body o. provincials, to repair the roads and bridges leading to Fort Edward, to enable the army to pursue its march to that place. This party had not long left the camp, when the Americans appeared on the heights below Fishkill creek ; and made dispositions as if intending to force a passage and attack the royal army. Gen- eral Burgoyne, therefore, recalled the regular troops escorting the artificers ; and the provincial corps, under whose protection the workmen were left, being at- tacked by a small party of the enemy, who had gained the front of the royal army, fled on the first fire, and consequently the artificers were obliged to re- turn to camp, without having performed any part of the task to which they were appointed. As the roads could not be repaired, the baggage and artillery of the army could not proceed. The Americans not only guarded the ford of Saratoga, but lined the whole eastern bank of tJie river. Parties of them were advanced between the British army and Fort Edward ; and they had also thrown up entrenchments, provided with artillery, on the high grounds between Fort Edward and Fort George The detachments on the eastern bank so much annoyed the British boats in the fiver, that General Burgoyne was obliged to land his provisions, and carry them to camp, up a steep hill, under a galling fire from the enemy. The British general was now in a most distressing situation. He had crossed the Hudson in the confident hope of victory and triumph, and in the expectation of a powerful co-operation from the lower parts of the river, if needful. On the 21st of September, after the battle of the 19th had in some measure made nin: ''62 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY sensible of his difficulties, he received a messenger from Sir Henry Clinton, who infirmed him of the intended attack on Forts Clinton and Montgomery That messenger he immediately sent back with a letter, informing Sir Henry Clinton of his ability and determination to maintain the ground which he then occupied till the r2th of October, and requesting assistance. He had sent other messengers, by different routes, with the same information, but had heard noth- ing further from New York. The attack on Forts Clinton and Montgomery, wfiich had been delayed till the arrival of reinforcements from Europe, liad been successfully made. The voyage of those reinforcements was tedious ; h\it they arrived at New York in the end of September, and Sir Henry Clinto" tvithout delay embarked 3,000 men in vessels of different descriptions, and, convoyed by some ships-of-wai under Commodore Hotham, sailed up the Hudson. Forts Clintoi. and Montgomery, against which the expedition was directed, were situated on high ground of difficult access, on the western bank of the river, about fifty miles above New York. Tliey were separated by a rivulet^ which, flowing from the hills, empties itself into the Hudson. Under cover of the guns, a boom was stretched across the river from bank to bank, and strength- ened by an immense iron chain in front, as well as supported by chevaux-de- frise sunk behind it. Above this strong barrier, a frigate and galleys were moored, so as to be able to direct a heavy fire against any vessels that might attempt to force a passage This seemed to present an insuperable obstacle in the way of the British ship -ing toward x\lbany. Fort Independence stood four or five miles below, on a high point of land, on the opposite side of the river. Fort Constitution was six miles above the boom, on an island near the eastern bank : Peekskill, the headquarters of the officer who commanded on the Hudson, from Kingsbridge to Albany, was just below Fort Independence, on the same side. General Putnam then held that command, and had about 2,000 men under him. On the 5th of October, Sir Henry Clinton landed at Verplanck's Point, a lit- tle below Peekskill, on the same side of the river. General Putnam, appre- uending that the enemy intended to attack Fort Independence, and to march vhrough the highlands on the east of the river toward Albany, retired to the heights in his rear ; and. entertaining no suspicion of the real point of attack, neglected to strengthen the garrisons of the forts on the western bank. The British fleet moved higher up the river, in order to conceal what was passing at the place where the troops had landed : and, on the evening of the day on which he had arrived at Verplanck's Point, Sir Henry Clinton embarked upward of 2,000 of his men, leaving the rest to guard that post. Early next morning he landed at Stony Point, on the west side of the river, and immediately began his march over the mountains toward the forts. The roads were difficult and the enterprise perilous ; for a small body of men, properly posted, might not only have arrested his progress but repulsed him with much loss. He, however reached the vicinity of the forts before he was discovered ; there he fell in with a patrole, who immediately retreated, and gave warning of the approaching danger. Between four and five on the afternoon of the 6th of October, the British ap- peared before the forts, which they summoned to surrender ; and, on receiving a refusal, instantly advanced under a heavy fire to the assault. Both forts, gar- risoned by about 600 men, were attacked at the same time. Fort Montgomery, by Colonel Campbell at the head of 900 men ; and Fort Clinton, the stronger of the two posts, by Sir Henry Clinton with 1,200. Fort Montgomery was soon taken ; but Colonel Campbell fell in the attack. Most of the garrison, fa vored by the darkness and by their knowledge of the passes, made their escape OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 263 264 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY At Fort Clinton the resistance was more obstinate ; but that fort also was storm ed, and a considerable number of the garrison killed or made prisoners. General Putnam had no suspicion of the real point of attack till he hoard th: firing, when he despaiched 500 men to the assistance of the garrisons ; but the forts were taken before they arrived, and consequently they returned to camp In storming the forts, the British had about 150 men killed or wounded. Be- sides Colonel Campbell, Captain Stewart, Major Sill, and Count Grabousky, a Polish nobleman who served as a volunteer in the royal army, were among the slain. The Americans lost 300 men, in killed and wounded, and prisoners. The American vessels-of-war in the river, being unable to escape, were burn- ed by their crews, in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of the British, who removed the boom and chain, and opened the navigation of the river. Fort Independence was evacuated ; and Fort Constitution, where the nav^igation was obstructed by a boom and chain, was also abandoned, without any attempt to defend it. The British proceeded up the river, destroying every- thing in their power. They advanced to Esopus, which they laid in ashes ; but proceeded no farther. In this expedition, they took or destroyed a large quantity of American stores. General Putnam retreated up the river ; informed General Gates that he was unable to arrest the progress of the enemy, and advised him to prepare for the worst. But although his rear was threatened. General Gates was eager in im- proving the advantages he had gained over the British army, which was now reduced to the most distressing circumstances. General Burgoyne, having been defeated in his intention of repairing the road to Fort Edward, called a council of war, which adopted the desperate resolution of abandoning their baggage, artillery, and stores ; and with their arms only, and such provisions as they could carry on their backs, marching in the night to Fort Edward, crossing the river at the ford there, or at one a little above it, and for- cing their way to Fort George. The distance was only about thirty miles ; but the scouts who had been sent out to examine the route, reported that the two fords were all already guarded by strong detachments provided with artil'ery, so that the resolution which had been taken could not be executed. Ir, xitse hope- less circumstances. General Burgoyne again summoned his council of war, and, by the unanimous advice of the members, opened a correspondence with Gen- eral Gates, on the 1.3th of October ; and, on the 16th terms of capitulation were agreed on, by which it was stipulated that the troops under General Burgoyne should next day march out of their camp, with the honors of war, and the artil- lery of the entrenchments, and pile their arms at the verge of the river ; that a free passage should be granted them to Great Britain, on condition of not ser- ving in North America during the war, unless exchanged ; and that they should embark at Boston. To these a number of articles of less importance were added, relating to the property of the officers, Canadians, and loyalists, the march of the troops through New England, and other similar points. On the 17th, the British army piled their arms agreeably to the capitulation. When the 13rit.ish army left Ticonderoga it consisted of about 1 0,000 men exclusive of Indians ; but, by the casualties of war, and by desertion, it was re- duced to about 6,000 at the time of the surrender. It contained six members of parliament. General Gates had then under his command upward of 9,000 con- tinentals and 4,000 militia. On this occasion the x\mericans gained a remarka- bly tine train of brass artillery, amounting to forty pieces of different descrip- tions, and all the arms and baggage of the troops. Such was the fate of that army which had excited high expectations in Britain, and which, at first, spread alarm and dismay throughout the United Stales of America. In conseouence of the capitulatio * ".t Saratoga, the British were unaJale to re OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 265 lain possession of the forts on the lakes. They therefore destroyed the works of Ticunderoga and its dependancies, threw the heavy artillery into the lake, and retreated to Isle aux Noix and St. John's. The great error of General Burgoyne arose from his too ardent desire not to disappoint public expectation, and his unwillingness to renounce the fond hope of victory, conquest, and renown. These induced him to linger on the Hudson till retreat became impracticable. The American troops who subdued liim, es- pecially the militia, were irritated by some marauding parties of the English, who pillaged so much that the general found it necessary to threaten the culprits with the utmost severity of military law. The convention at Saratoga ought to have induced the British cabinet to aban don the contest, on the best terms that could be obtained ; for there was little probability of subjugating a people who had been able to maintain such a pro tracted struggle, and who, in the course of the campaign, had not only given em ployment to a powerful army, under Generals Sir William Howe and Sir Henry Clinton, but had also compelled another army, consisting at first of 10,000 ex- cellent troops, commanded by active and enterprising officers, to lay down their arms. This success elevated the spirits of the friends of congress, and increased their number. At first, the British government had not a few who were friendly to it from principle, and many more who did not oppose it frotn prudence. The measures of the British ministry and the conduct of their agents daily diminish- ed the number of the first of these ; and every success of the troops of congress encouraged some of the second to abandon their cautious policy, and espouse the cause of their countrymen. The surrender of the army under General Burgoyne at Saratoga was an event of great importance in the history of the war, and produced momentous conse- quences both in America and in Europe. It elevated the spirits of the republicans, inspired them with confidence in themselves, gave a new impulse to their exer- tions in the cause of independence, and taught the British troops to respect an enemy whom before they had too much despised. The consequences of this event were not less important in Europe. The ministry and people of Great Britain had entertained the most confident expec- tations of the complete success of the northern army ; and the easy conquest of Ticonderoga, with its dependancies, confirmed all their fond anticipations. Therefore, when they heard that General Burgoyne's army was not only de- feated, but compelled to lay down its arms, they were struck with astonishment and dismay. The great powers on the continent of Europe had been attentive observers of the struggle between Great Britain and her colonies, and to those powers the Americans had early applied for assistance. But the strength of Britain was gigan- tic ; and to provoke her vengeance by aiding her rebellious subjects was a dan- ger not rashly to be encountered. Although the continental cabinets, especially that of Versailles, had not discouraged the applications of the Americans, yet they had not given them any open countenance or avowed aid. They had, in- deed, afforded the provinces clandestine marks of good-will, but still preserved the semblance of neutrality. The obstinate struggle, however, which the Amer- icans had maintained, and their success at Saratoga, put an end to this wary and hesitating policy. It was now evident that the resistance of the colonies was not merely an ebullition of popular fury, likely soon to subside or to oe easily overcome, but that it was a steady and organized plan, conducted with respecta- ble ability, and likely to be crowned with ultimate success. The court of France began to throw off" the mask. It became less reserved in its communicatioas with the American agents, gave them a public reception, and at length entered into a treaty of alliance with them. J66 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY The British parliament met on the 20th of November, and the usual addres ses in answer to the royal speech were moved, but they were not carried with- out opposition. In the house of lords, the celebrated earl of Chatham, then sinking under the infirmities of age and disease, proposed an amendment, by in- troducing a clause recommending to his majesty an immediate cessation of hos- tilities, and the commencement of a treaty of conciliation, " to restore peace and liberty to America, strength and happiness to England, security and permanent prosperity to both countries." In his speech he animadverted with much se- verity on the employment of the savages as auxiliaries in the war, although their aid had not been disdained under his own administration. That singular and successful man gave a striking example of the limited views and short- sighted policy even of illustrious statesmen. He believed that the prosperity of Britain depended on her American colonies, and that the loss of them would be followed by her ruin. But, in reality, the separation of those colonies from the mother-country, considered simply in itself, neither tarnished her glory nor impaired her strength. The earl of Chatham's amendment, like every other proposal of concession and conciliation, was lost ; and all the measures of the cabinet were carried by great majorities. But the ministry did not long, in un- mixed triumph, enjoy their parliamentary victories. The news of General Bur- goyne's surrender arrived, and filled them with mortification and dismay. A deep gloom overspread the country : the formidable nature of the resistance in America to ministerial measures was demonstrated ; and the movements in the ports of France rendered the interference of that country no longer doubtful, al- though her professions were still pacific. The war began to assume a more portentous aspect ; and the British ministry, unable to execute their original purpose, lowered their tone and showed an incli- nation to treat with the colonies, on any terms which did not imply their entire independence and complete separation from the British empire. In order to ter- minate the quarrel with America before the actual commencement of hostilities with France, Lord North introduced two bills into the house of commons : the first declared that parliament would impose no tax or duty whatever, payable within any of the colonies of North America, except only such duties as it might be expedient to impose for the purposes of commerce, the net produce of which should always be paid and applied to and for the use of the colonies in which the same shall be respectively levied, in like manner as other duties collected under the authority of their respective legislatures are ordinarily paid and applied ; tho second authorized the appointment of commissioners by the crown, with power to ireat with either the constituted authorities or with individuals in America ; but that no stipulation entered into should have any effect till approved in parlia- ment. It empowered the commissioners, however, to proclaim a cessation of hostilities in any of the colonies ; to suspend the operation of the non-intei course act ; also to suspend, during the continuance of the act, so much of all or any of the acts of parliament which have passed since the 10th day of Febru- ary, 1 763, as relates to the colonies ; to grant pardons to any number or descrip- tion of persons ; and to appoint a governor in any colony in which his majesty had heretofore exercised the power of making such appointment. The dura- tion of the act was limited to the 1st day of June, 1779. These bills passed both houses of parliament ; and as, about the time of their introduction, ministry received information of the conclusion of the treaty be tween France and the colonies, they sent off copies of them to America, even before they had gone through the usual formalities, in order to counteract the ef- fects which the news of the French alliance might produce. Early in March, the earl of Carlisle, George Johnstone, and William Eden, Esquires, were ap- pointed cTimissioners for carrying the acts into execution; and the celebrated OF 'JHE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 26" Dr. Adam Ferguson, then professor of moral philosophy in the university of Ed- inburgh, was nominated their secretary. The commissioners sailed without de- lay for America. But the present measure, like every other concession in the course of this desperate contest, came too late. What was now ofl'ered would at one time have been hailed in America with acclamations of joy, and secured the grateful affection of the colonists. But circumstances were now changed. The minds of the people were completely alienated from tlie parent state, and theii spirits exasperated by the events of the war. Independence had been declared ; victory had emblazoned the standards of congress ; and a treaty of alliance with France had been concluded. On the 16th of December, the preliminaries of a treaty between France and America were agreed on ; and the treaty itself was signed at Paris on the 6th of February, 1778 — an event of which the British ministry got information iu little more than forty-eight hours after the signatures were affixed. The prin- cipal articles of the treaty were, that if Britain, in consequence of the alliance, should commence hostilities against France, the two countries should mutually assist each other ; that the independence of America should be effectually main- tained ; that if any part of North America, still possessing allegiance to the crown of Britain, should be reduced by the colonies, it should belong to the Uni- ted States ; that if France should conquer any of the British West India islands, they should be deemed its property ; that the contracting parties should not lay down their arms till the independence of America was formally acknowledged ; and that neither of them should conclude a peace without the consent of the other. Lord North's conciliatory bills reached America before the news of the French treaty, and the American legislature referred the bills to a committee of their number, which, after an acute and severe examination, gave in a report well calculated to counteract the effects which it was apprehended the bills would produce on the minds of the timid and wavering. They reported as their opin- ion, that it was the aim of those bills to create divisions in the states ; and " that they were the sequel of that insidious plan, which, from the days of the stamp act down to the present time, hath involved this country in contention and bloodshed ; and that, as in other cases, so in this, although circumstances may at times force them to recede from their unjustifiable claims, there can be no doubt but they will, as heretofore, upon the first favorable occasion, again dis- play that lust of domination which hath rent in twain the mighty empire of Brit- ain." They further reported it as their opinion, that any men, or body of men, who should presume to make any separate or partial convention or agreement with commissioners under the crown of Great Britain, should be considered and treated as open and avowed enemies of the United States. The coiumittee furthei gave it as their opinion, that the United States could not hold any con- ference with the British commissioners, unless Britain first withdrew her fleets ind armies, or in positive and express terms acknowledged the independence of me states. While these things were going on, Mr. Silas Deane arrived from Paris, with the important and gratifying information that treaties of alliance and commerce had been concluded between France and the United States. This intelligence diffused a lively joy throughout America ; and was received by the people as the harbinger of their independence. The alliance had been long expected ; and the delays tlirown in the way of its accomplishment had excited many uneasy apprehensions. But these were now dissipated ; and, to the fond imagination* of the people, all the prospects of the United States appeared gilded with th© cheering beams of prosperity. On the 29th day of the preceding October, John Hancock, one of the first ««« THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Fig. 119.— Portrait of Silas Deane. agents in the revolutionary movements, after having filled the president s chair in congress for nearly two years and a half, requested leave of absence on ac- count of ill health. He had been chosen to succeed Peyton Randolph; and had discharged the duties of president with great ability. Henry Laurens, of South Carolina, was chosen to succeed him in the chair. The British army in Philadelphia spent the winter in gayety and reveliy, in- t Fio. 120 —Philadelphia in 1776. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 2()9 (uniig at once iheir own respectability and the cause which they were employed to support. They disgusted the sober inhabitants by their irregularities, and provoked them by their insolence ; so that many who had hailed their arrival witli cordial gratulations, fell a lively satisfaction when the hour of their depar- ture came. General Washington quitted White Marsh, crossed the Schuylkill at S weed's Ford, and, on the 19th ot' December, took a strong position at Valley Forge, about twenty-six miles from Philadelphia. Had he retired during the winter to the shelter of a large town, he must have gone to a great distance from the British army, and lel't an extensive tract of country open to their foraging parties ; or had he cantoned his men in the adjacent villages, his army might have been beaten in detail and gradually destroyed. But at Valley Forge he was suffi- ciently near Philadel})hia to check the foraging parties of the enemy, and his army was so niucli concentrated as to secure it from any sudden and desultory attack. At Valley Forge the Aiiicricaii coiniiiainler-iii-chicf lodged his army in huts lormed of iugs, wiiiKu- ;iitt'rsiicfs filled vuiti inu.l. w liieli euii«tiiuted very dc Fio. 121.— Village of Log-Huts. coptable habitations to men long unaccustomed to the conveniences of life. But, though sheltered from the storm by their rude dwellings, the sufferings of the army from want of provisions and clothing were incredible. The winter was severe, and many of the men were without stockings or shoes, and almost nakene design of that movement was to afford protection to the state legislature of Gfc">rgia, which was to assemble at Augusta on the 1st of May. At that time the river was in full flood, and overflowed the marshes on its margin. The rivulets were swollen, and the swamps inundated ; and therefore it was believed that a small military force would be able to defend the country against an invading enemy. Accordingly, for the protection of the lower dis riots, General Lincoln left only 200 continentals, under Colonel Mcintosh, wh. OF THE AMERICAN RE VOLUTION, 297 298 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY nad been exchanged, and 800 militia ; the whole commanded by General Moid trie, who had distinguished himself by his brave defence of Sullivan's island in the year 1776. It was expected that if an invasion of the lower parts of South Carolina should be attempted in Lincoln's absence, the militia would promptly take the field in defence of the country. Instead of marching up the river, and encountermg General Lincoln in the interior, General Prevost considered an irruption into South Carolina the best means for recalling that officer from the enterprise in which he was engaged. Accordingly, on the 29th of April, when Lincoln was far advanced on his way to Augusta, General Prevost, with 2,500 troops and a considerable number of Indian allies, suddenly passed the river pear Perrysburg. Colonel M'Intosh, who was stationed there with a small detachment, retreated to General Moultrie at Black Swamp. General Prevost advanced rapidly into the country ; and Moultrie was obliged to retire hastily before him, destroying the bridges in his rear. The militia who were in the field showed no courage, and could not be prevailed on to defend the passes with any degree of bravery. The militia of the state did not appear in arms as had been expected ; and Moultrie experienced an alarming diminution of his strength, by the desertion of many of those under his command. Immediately after the passage of the river by the British, an express was sent to Lincoln, then nearly opposite Augusta, informing him of the event. He con- sidered Prevost's movement as a feint to recall him from the upper parts of the river, and determined to prosecute his plan, and compel the British general to return for the defence of the capital of Georgia. Meanwhile he despatched 300 light troops, under Colonel Harris, to Moultrie's assistance ; and crossing the river at Augusta, he marched down on the south side toward the town of Sa- vannah. General Prevost's original plan was merely to make a temporary incursion into South Carolina, chiefly for the purpose of inducing Lincoln to retrace his steps, and return to the lower parts of the river. But meeting with a feebler resistance than he had anticipated, and encouraged by the flattering representa- tions received from the loyalists of the good will of the people in general to the royal cause, and of the defenceless state of Charleston, his views began to en- large, and at length he came to the resolution of making an attempt on the capi- tal of South Carolina. He resumed his march. The plundering and devasta- tion of his troops, and of his Indian allies, spread terror and desolation around him. Moultrie, with his handful of continentals, and his militia, retreated before the enemy, giving them little interruption, farther than breaking down the bridges on the road. Express on express was now despatched to General Lincoln to inform him of the alarming posture of affairs in South Carolina. That officer had crossed the Savannah at Augusta, and, notwithstanding the progress of the British army, resolved to proceed down the south side of the river, because ..hat road was al- most as near to Charleston as any other, and because, by showing his army in Georgia, he hoped to rouse the courage of the intimidated inhabitants. Mean- while all was activity and alarm in Charleston. That city, as already mention- ed, is situated on a point of land between the rivers Ashley and Cooper, wherts they terminate in a bay of the ocean. Toward the sea the place had been for- tified, and works erected on the islands in the bay to defend the entrance. An attack by land had not been anticipated ; and on that side the city was entirely open. But in the present alarming crisis the inhabitants began to fortify the city on the land side, and prosecuted the work with vigor and unremitting assi- duity. All hands were employed on the work ; the slave and his master labored together. Lines of defence were drawn from the Ashley to the Cooper ; artil OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. -i^J'j lery was planted on them ; and they were llanked by armed galleys stationed in the rivers. General Moultrie, with his feeble force, entered the tow u ; the 300 men detached by Lincoln arrived ; Governor Rutledge, who had taken post with the militia at Orangeburgh high up the north branch of the Edisto, as a central station whence he could most easily afford assistance to any place that might be threatened, hastened to the point of danger ; and Pulaski's legion came in. All these troops entered the city nearly at the same time ; and, together with the fortifications recently constructed, put it in a condition very different from that in which it had been only a few days before. On the evening of the 10th of May, about the time when the several American detachments entered Charleston, General Prevost with his army arrived at Ash- ley ferry. Next morning he passed the river, marched down the neck between he Ashley and Cooper, and took a position just without the reach of the guns m the fortifications. The remainder of the day was spent in slight skirmishes. On the r2th General Prevost summoned the town to surrender ; and Governor Rutledge, deeming it of much importance to gain time, the day was occupied in negotiation. On the part of the town a proposal was made for the neutrality of South Carolina during the war, leaving its ultimate fate to be determined by the treaty of peace ; but after several messages and explanations, this proposal was entirely rejected by General Prevost, who told the garrison that, being in arms, diey must surrender themselves prisoners-of-war. This closed the negotiation, and both parties seemed to prepare for an appeal to arms. But next morning ihe garrison was agreeably surprised to lind that the British army had retreated during the night, and recrossed Ashley ferry. On surveying tlie American works. General Prevost perceived that, although they were unfinished, yet it was too hazardous in his circumstances to assault them ; for the garrison was more numerous than his army. There was no time for delay, as he knew Lin- coln was rapidly advancing against him ; therefore he came to the prudent reso- lution of immediately retreating. General Prevost did not return to Savannah by the direct road, as he had ad vanced ; for in Charleston there was a numerous garrison in his rear, and Lin- coln was near at hand with his army. Therefore, after passing Ashley ferry, he turned to the left and proceeded to the coast, which, abounding with islands, and being intersected by arms of the sea all the way to the mouth of the Savan- nah, afforded him the easiest and safest method of returning with all his baggage to Georgia. He first passed into the island of St. .lames, and then into that of St. John, where he took post till the arrival of a supply of provisions, which he had for some time expected from New York. By hasty marches General Lincoln had arrived at Dorchester, not far from Charleston, before General Prevost left Ashley ferry ; and when the British trooi)s proceeded to the coast, Lincoln followed and encamped near them, both armies being about thirty miles from Charleston. St. John's island, of which General Prevost took possession, is separated from the main land by a narrow iidet called Stone river ; and the commumcation be- tween the continent and the island is kept up by a ftrry. On the continent, at this terry, the British general established a post ; partly for the security of the ibland. and partly for the protection of his foragers. For the defence of the post three redoubts were constructed, and joined together by lines of communi- cation. For some time 1,500 men were stationed at the post luuler Colonel l*revost ; and the communication with the island was maintained by a bridge, formed by the numerous schooners, sloops, and smaller vessels which attended the army. So long as the whole of General Prevost's force lay on St. John's island, readv to support hi'« detachment at Stono ferry, General Lincoln made no attemp 300 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY against that post. But the British general set out on his leturn to Georgia .ransporting a large part of his troops, by means of the shipping, from ;shind tc island along the coast. Colonel Prevost, also, with part of the garrison cf Stono ferry, was ordered to Savannah ; and he left the remainder, amounting o about 700 men, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Maitland. A number of troops still remained on St. John's island, but almost all the boats were removed and consequently the communication between the island and the mair. land was noi r.'iarly so open as before. General Lincoln plainly perceived that it was the intention of the British general to evacuate that part of the country without delay ; and he resolved noi to allow the troops to depart unmolested. He determined to attack the post ai Stono ferry ; and in order to prevent it from being reinforced by the troops oi. the island. General Moultrie, who commanded in Charleston, was to pass over to St. James's island with a number of militia, and engage the attention of tlie force on St. John's island, while a real attack was made on the post at the ferry. On the 20th of June, before seven in the morning. General Lincoln, with about 1,200 men, advanced to the attack. His right wing was composed of the militia of South and North Carolina, and his continental soldiers formed the left, to encounter the Scottish highlanders, reckoned the best troops in the British service. Colonel Alaitland's advanced guards were stationed a good way in front of his works, and a smart firing between them and the Americans gave him the first warning of the approach of the enemy. He instantly put his gar- rison under arms, and sent out two companies of highlanders from his right, un- der Captain Campbell, to ascertain the force of the assailants. The highland- ers had proceeded only a quarter of a mile when they met the continental troops of the American army. A fierce conflict ensued ; and the highlanders persisted in the combat till all their oflicers were either killed or wounded. Of the two companies, eleven men only returned to the garrison. The wliole American line now advanced within 300 yards of the works, and a general engagement with cannon and musketry began, and was maintained with much courage and steadiness on both sides. At length a regiment of Hessians on the British \el\ gave way, and the Americans were on the point of entering the works ; but, by a rapid movement of the remainder of the 71st regiment, their progress was checked : and as General Moultrie, from want of boats, had been unable to exe- cute in due time his part of the enterprise. General Lincoln, apprehensive of he arrival of reinforcements to the British from the island, drew off his men, and retired in good order, carrying his wounded along with him. The battle .asted upward of an hour. The British had three officers and twenty-three pri- vates killed, and ten officers and ninety-three privates wounded. The Ameri- cans lost five officers who died of their wounds, and thirty-five privates who were killed on the field of battle, besides nineteen officers and 120 privates wounded. Three days after the battle the British troops evacuated the post at Stono ferry, and also the island of St. John, passing along the coast from island to isl- land, till they reached Beaufort in the island of Port Royal, where General Prevost left a garrison under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Maitland. The heat, which in the southern provinces as effectually puts a stop to mili- tary operations during sunnner as the cold of the north in winter, was now be- come loo intense for active service. The care of the officers, in both armies, was employed in preserving their men from the fevers of the season, and keep- ing them in a condition for service next campaign, which was expected to open ^n October. The American militia dispersed, leaving General Lincoln with about 800 men, whom he marched to Shelden, not far from Beaufort. 'Die alarm for the safety of the southern states was so great, that General OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 301 Fig. 129— Hired Hessians. Washington, we/jk as his army was, weakened it still farther by sending a de tachment, consiu'ing of Bland's regiment of cavalry, and the remnant of tha lately under Baylor, but now commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Washington, with some nf.w levies, to reinforce General Lincoln. The irruption of General Prevost into South Carolina did no credit to the British army, nor did it in any degree serve the royal cause, although it occa- uioned great loss to the inhabitants of the province. The British army marked its course by plunder and devastation. It spread over the country to a consid- erat)le extent : small parties entered every house ; seized the plate, money, jewels, and personal ornaments of the people ; and often destroyed what they could not carry away. The slaves, allured by the hope of freedom, repaired to the royal army ; and, in order to ingratiate themselves with their new friends, disclosed where their masters had concealed their most valuable effects. Many of those slaves were afterward shipped off and sold in the West Indies. Some hundreds of them died of the camp fever ; and numbers of them, overtaken by disease, and afraid to return to their masters, perished miserably in the woods. It has been calculated that South Carolina lost four thousand slaves. The rap- ine and devastation were great ; and many of the inhabitants, in order to save themselves from those ravages, made professions of attachment to the royal cause ; while the means which induced theiu to make a show of loyalty aliena- *ed all their affections from their former rulers. While the avents now related were passing in the south, several desidtory op erations, the object of which was devastation and plunder, rather than conquest, »verp; projected by the British in the middle and southern states. Admiral Gambler, who had succeeded Lord Howe in the conuuand of the leet on the American station, was recalled ; and, in the month of April, Sir George Collier succeeded him. Between Sir George and Sir Henry Clinton, » olan was concerted for interrupting the commerce of the Chesapeake, and de- stroying the magazines on its shores. For those purposes, the commander-in- chief detached 1,800 men under General Matthews ; and the transports in which ihey sailed were convoyed by the admiral himself. The fleet sailed from Saridy Hook en the 5th of May, and entered the capes of Virginia on the 8th. The l(\wer part of Virginia is so intersected by deep creeks and rivers, as to affcrd thnse who have the command of the waters an easy [)assage from one place to another, and to give them a decided advantage over those who are destitute of «Mch frici i ies of comnnuiication. Fui. 130.— Southern Slaves. OF TKE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 303 The fleet anchored in Hampton Road, a large basin of water formed dv the confluence of the rivers James, Nansemond, and EUzabeth. On the morning of the 10th it entered Elizabeth river ; and the weak American detachment in that quarter, wholly unable to resist such a formidable force, saved itself by flight. The British troops landed without opposition. General Matthews es- Isblished his headquarters at Portsmouth, whence he sent small parties to Nor- f»>lk, Gu?port, Kemp's landing, and Sufll>lk ; where they took and carried off' or destroyed a large quantity of naval and military stores, and a number of ships, <5ome of them richly laden. The loss to the public and to individuals was great Having accomplished the object of the expedition. General Matthews returned to New York before the end of the month. At the opening of the campaign of 1779, the British army at New York and Rhode Island, including the detachment under General Matthews, amounted to upward of si.xteen thousand men, assisted by a powerful fleet. The complete command of the ocean and of the navigable rivers enabled the royal army to make sudden attacks on distant parts of the country, and to keep the Americans in perpetual alarm, as they knew not at what point they were to be assailed. In numerical force the northern army of congress was nearly equal to that under Sir Henry Clinton. Upward of seven thousand men were stationed at Middle- brook, under the immediate command of General Washington ; the rest of the army was posted in the highlands on the Hudson, under General M'Dougall, and on the east side of the river, under General Putnam. On the part of the Americans the plan of the campaign was necessarily de- fensive ; for they had no probability of making any successful attack on the British army at New York or Rhode Island. That army interrupted the com- munication by sea, and by the lower parts of the Hudson, between the middle and northern states. To preserve that communication as far down the Hudson as possible, was a matter of much importance to the Americans ; and to guard the passes of the highlands, and command the communication between New York and Albany, was always an object of anxious attention to General Wash- ington. Witir a view to secure those points, the Americans began to construct fortifications on Stony point, a rocky and commanding eminence on the west bank of the river, about sixty miles above New York, andon Verplanck's point, a flat peninsula projecting a good way into the river on the opposite side. The fort at the last place, named La Fayette, was in a state of greater forwardness than the works on Stony point. Before the return of General Matthews from his incursion into Virginia, Sir Henry Clinton had planned an attack upon those places, and the troops were embarked for that purpose. On the return of Matthews, his detachment, with out being permitted to land, was joined to the expedition ; and on the 30th of May the whole armament, convoyed by Sir George Collier and accompanied by the commander-in-chief, sailed up the North river. Next morning the largest division of the trooos. under General Vaughan, landed on the east bank, seven miles below Fort La Fayette ; the remainder, accompanied by Sir Henry Clin- ton, continued their course up the river, and landed on the west side, three miles below Stonv ooint. The position of the Americans at Stony point was strong, but the works weie unfinished ; and the feeble garrison, after setting fire to a blockhouse on the top of the eminence, abandoned the place. The British took possession of it in the afternoon, and, in the cou-se of the night, with great labor, dragged some heavy cannon and mortars to the top of the hill. At five next morning a battery was ready to open on Fort La Fayette. The distance across the river was about a thousand yards ; and during the day the fire from the connnanding summit of Stony po'nt, and from the armed vessels and gun-boats in the river, made a sery 304 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY sible impression on the works of Fort La Fayette. During the following night two galleys passed up the river, and anchored above the fort, so as to pi event the escape of the garrison by water. General Vaughan, having made a long circuit, completely invested the place by land. Therefore the garrison, unable to maintain the post against such a superior force, and finding themselves en- closed on every side, surrendered the place, and became prisoners of war. Sir Henry Clinton gave immediate directions for completing the fortifications of both posts, and putting them in a strong state of defence. General Washington obtained early notice of preparations at New York for this expedition ; and, suspecting that it was intended either against his own army at Middlebrook or the passes in the highlands, he put his troops in mo- lion, and ordered General Putnam to be ready to make a rapid movement up the river. He strengthened the garrison of West Point, an important post on the Hudson, some miles above Verplanck's;and took a strong position, with his army, in Smith's close, so as to secure West Point on that side. But Sir Henry (Dlinton, perceiving that no further progress could be made up the river, and be- ing informed that Staten Island was threatened in his absence, after garrisoning the posts which he had taken, returned with his fleet and army to New York. The states of New England were the most populous in the Union. With them the quarrel originated ; and they had given congress an active and zealous support The activity and courage which they had displayed at the commence- ment of the struggle had hitherto, in a great measure, saved that part of the country from being made the theatre of war. But now Sir Henry Clinton de- termined to ravage the coast of Connecticut ; partly with the view of drawing General Washington from his strong position in the highlands to protect the towns near the shore, and partly in order to punish the inhabitants for their ac- tive hostility to the British government. For those purposes 2,600 men, under the command of Tryon, formerly governor of the province of New York, but now a major-general in the British army, convoyed by Sir George Collier with several vessels of war, sailed from Throg's Neck in the sound, on the "ith of July, and next morning reached the vicinity of New Haven, the capital of Connec- ticut. On the appearance of the armament, the militia assembled with alacrity and in considerable numbers. But the troops effected a landing several miles be- low the town ; and, notwithstanding a continued opposition, made themselves masters of it, and took or destroyed all the artillery, ammunition, public stores, and the vessels in the harbor, but, in a great measure, spared private property. Next day they reimbarked, and sailed along the coast to the village of Fair- field. The alarm was now widely spread ; the militia assembled in greater numbers ; and the opposition to the troops was more obstinate than at New Ha- ven. But they forced their way into Fairfield ; and General Tryon, determined if possible to ruin those whom he was unable to subdue, not only destroyed all the public property, but laid the flourishing village in ashes, and treated many unarmed persons with severity. Such conduct disgraced the British arms, and injured the cause which it was intended to serve. At all times war is a fearful scourge, and ought to be carried on with as much humanity as is consistent with the attainment of the main object in view. To intrust a military force to the orders of an infuriated zealot can seldom serve any good purpose. The opposition increased as the troops advanced; and the towns of Norwalk and Greenfield, at which they successively landed, shared the same unhappy fate with Fairfield. An attack on New London, a noted place of resort for the privateers which preyed on the British trade, was the ultimate object of the ex- pedition ; but, as the resistance still increased, a formidable opposition was ihere anticipated, and it was therefore thought advisable to procure a reinforce- OF THE AxMERICAN REVOLUTION. 305 ment of men and a supply oi provisions, before attempting that place. For this purpose the fleet returned to Huntingdon bay, in Long Island ; and Sir Georae Collier repaired to Throg's Neck, to consult, with the commander-in-chief of the army concerning their subsequent, operations. I'he ravages committed on the towns of the coast of Connecticut excited complaints and mnrmuriiigs among the people, because they were left unpro- tected, and exposed to the ruthless depredations of the enemy. But General Washington's army was too feeble at once to defend the passes in the highlands and afford protection to the coast. In order, therefore, to quiet the murmuring of the people, and to withdraw the British troops from Connecticut, he was powerfully induced to undertake some enterprise on the Hudson ; and the posts at King's ferry seemed the most eligible point for striking an effective blow. General Washington procured good information concerning the state of those posts ; and in person took a view of Stony point, the main object of attack. From all the information which he obtained, as well as from his own observation, he was convinced that there was little probability of success against that fort but by surprise. The attempt was hazardous ; for Stony point is a commanding hill, projecting far into the Hudson, which washes three fourths of its base. The remaining fourth is in a great measure covered by a deep marsh, commencing near the river on the upper side, and continuing till it joins it below the fort. The marsh was passable only at one place ; but at its junction with the river there is a sandy beach, which may be passed at ebb tide. The fort stood on the summit of the hill, and was well provided with artillery. Several breast- works and strong batteries were raised in front of the principal fortification, and there were two rows of abatis about half-way down the hill. The fort was gar- risoned by a'oout 600 men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson ; and several ves- sels of war were stationed in the river, so as to conirDand the o^round at the foot 'W the hill. »^«. 131. — A'^ashington <.i Stony Point. A* midduy, on the 15th o/ July, the detachment appointed to surprise the fort ma-rched froui Sandy beach, fourtc.en miles distance from Stony point, under the command of Genenl Wayne. The road was mountainous, rugged, and diffi- cult ; the heat was intense ; and it was eight in the evening before the van of the party reached Spring Heels, a mile and a half from the fort. There the de- tachment halted and formed, while General Wayne and some of his officers proceeded to tak»; a view of the works. At half-past el jven the party, in two columns, advanced tOM^ard the garrison. One hundred and fifty volunteers, ui» 20 306 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY der Colonel Fleury and Major Povey, formed the van of the right ; 100 vi_v^. teers, led by Major Stewart, composed the van of the left. Both advanced wmi unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets, and each was preceded by a forlorn hope of twenty men, conducted by Lieutenants Gibbon and Knox, to remove the abattisand other obstructions, and to open a passage for the columns which fol- lowed close in their rear. Having taken care to secure every person on the route who could give information of their approach, the columns reached the marsh undiscovered. In crossing it, unexpected difficulties occurred ; and it was twenty minutes past twelve when the attack commenced. A tremendous discharge of musketry and grapeshot immediately opened on the assailants ; but both columns impetuously rushed forward with fixed bayonets, and without firing a shot soon got complete possession of the fort. This was a brilliant exploit ; and the assailants gained nobler and more per manent laurels by their humanity than their bravery ; for although the place was taken by storm, and the American troops were greatly exasperated by the mer- ciless ravages and wanton devastations committed on the coast of Connecticut yet not one individual of the garrison suffered after resistance ceased. Of the garrison twenty men were killed in the conflict, including one captain ; and sev- enty-four wounded, among whom were six officers. The Americans had sixty- three men killed, including two officers ; but their wounded did not exceed forty Of the twenty men in Lieutenant Gibbon's forlorn hope, seventeen were either killed or wounded. The prisoners amounted to 543, and among them were one lieutenant-colonel, four captains, and twenty subaltern officers. The military stores in the fort were considerable. An attack on Fort La Fayette also was a part of the plan ; and two brigades under General M'Dougall, were ordered to proceed toward it, and to be in readi ness to attack it as soon as they should be informed of General Wayne's suc- cess against Stony point. But M'Dougall was not forward in time ; and the garrison of Fort La Fayette, where Colonel Webster commanded, had time to prepare for resistance. Wayne turned the artillery of Stony point against the British ships, and compelled them to drop down the river beyond the reach of his guns. He also fired on Verplanck's point ; but so great was the distance that his shot made little impression on the works. The critical moment for as- saulting Fort La Fayette having been lost, the plan of operation against it wa? changed. M'Dougall's detachment was intrusted to General Howe, and he was provided with some battering cannon, to make a breach in the fortifications but, before he was ready to act against the place, he found it expedient to re treat. Immediately after the conference with Sir George Collier, Sir Henry Clintor was informed of the surprise of Stony point, and of the danger of Fort La Fay ette. He instantly abandoned his design against New London and the coast of Connecticut; recalled his transports and troops from the soimd ; moved his army to Dobb's ferry ; despatched General Stirling up the river with a body of troops in transports to the assistance of Colonel Webster ; and soon followed in person with a larger force, in the expectation that General Washington would be induced to leave his strong position, and hazard a battle for the possession of Stony point. But the failure of the design against Fort La Fayette rendered the possession of Stony point a matter of no great importance ; because the works on Verplanck's point efl!ectually prevented the communication by King's ferry between the states on the east and west of the Hudson ; and the command of that ferry constituted the chief value of the forts on Stony point and Ver- planck's NecK, as, when it was closed, the intercourse with the eastern states could be kept up only by a very circuitous route. Stony point, it was thought, could not be retained without a garrison of 1,500 men , a force General Wash OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 307 ington could not spare from his li.tle army, which was not more than 9,000 strong. Besides, as the British had the entire command of the river, they had fortified Stony point only on the hind side ; but, if the Americans had kept pos- session of the post, it would have been as necessary to fortify it toward the river as toward the land. Therefore General Washington deemed it expedient to evacuate the place, after having to a certain extent demolished the works. On his arrival, Sir Henry Clinton again took possession of Stony point ; or- dered the fortifications to be repaired ; stationed a strong garrison in the fort, under Brigadier-General Stirling ; and, finding that General Washington could not be drawn from his strong position in the highlands, he again sailed down the river. Scarcely had Sir George Collier, who had accompanied the commander-in- chief on this expedition, returned to New York, when he was informed that a fleet of armed vessels, with transports and troops, had sailed froin Boston to at- tack a post which General M'Lean was establishing at Penobscot, in the eastern part of the province of Massachusetts Bay. He immediately got ready for sea that part of the naval force which was at New York, and on the 3d of August sailed to relieve the garrison of Penobscot. In the mouth of June, General M'Lean, who commanded the royal troops in Nova Scotia, arrived in the bay of Penobscot with nearly 700 men, in order to establish a post, which might at once be a means of checking the incursions of the Americans into Nova Scotia, and of supplying the royal yards at Halifax with ship limber, which abounded in that part of the country. This establish- ment alarmed the government of Massachusetts Bay, which resolved to dislodge M'Lean, and, with great promptitude, equipped a fleet and raised troops for that purpose. The fleet, which consisted of fifteen vessels-of-war, carrying from thirty-two to twelve guns each, with transports, was commanded by Commodore Saltonstall ; the array, amounting to between three and four thousand militia, was under the orders of General Lovell. General M'Lean chose for his post a peninsula on the east side of Penobscot bay, which is about seven leagues wide and seventeen deep, terminating at the point where the river Penobscot flows into it. M'Lean's station was nine miles from the bottom of the bay. As that part of the country was then an unbroken forest, he cleared away the wood on the peninsula, and began to construct a fort, in which he was assisted and protected by the crews of three sloops -of- war which had escorted him thither. M'Lean heard of the expedition against him on the 21st of July, when he had made little progress in the erection of his fort. On the 25th the American fleet appeared in the bay ; but, owing to the opposi- tion of the British sloops-of-war, and to the bold and rugged nature of the shore, the troops did not effect a landing till the 28th. This interval M'Lean improved with such laborious diligence that his fortifications were in a state of consider- able forwardness. Lovell erected a battery within 750 yards of the works : for nearly a fortnight a brisk cannonade was kept up, and preparations were made to assault the fort. But, on the 13th of August, Lovell was informed that Sir George Collier, with a su|)erior naval force, had entered the bay ; therefore in the night he silently embarked his troops and cannon, unperceived by the gar- rison, which was every moment in expectation of being assaulted. On the approach of the British fleet, the Americans, after some show of prep- aration for resistance, betook themselves to flight. A general pursuit and unre- sisted destruction ensued. The Warren, a fine new frigate of thirty-two guns, and fourteen other vessels of inferior force, were either blown up or taken. The transports fled in confusion ; and, after having landed the troops in a wild and uncultivated part of the country, were burnt. The men, destitute of provisions and other re?.essaries, had to explore their way for more than 100 miles through 30b THE PICTORIAL HISTORY an uninhabited and pathless wilderness, and many of them perished before reach- ing the settled country. After this successful exploit Sir George Collier re- turned to New York, where he resigned the command of the fleet to Admiral Arbuthnot, who had arrived from England with some ships-of-war, and with provisions, stores, and reinforcements for the army. On descending the river, after replacing the garrison of Stony point, Sir Henry Clinton encamped above Harlem, with his upper posts at Kingsbridge. General Washington remained in his strong position in the highlands, but fre- quently detached numerous parlies on both sides of the river, in order to check the British foragers, and to restrain the intercourse with the loyalists. Major Lee, who commanded one of those parties, planned a bold and hazardous enter- prise against the British post at Powles' Hook on the Jersey bank of the river, opposite the town of New York. That post was strongly fortified and of diffi- cult access, and therefore the garrison thought themselves secure. But Major Lee determined to make an attempt on the place ; and chose the morning of the 20th of August for his enterprise, when part of the garrison was absent on a for- aging excursion. Advancing silently at the head of 300 men, the sentinel at the gate mistook his party for that which had marched out the preceding day, and allowed them to pass unchallenged ; and, almost in an instant, they seized the block-house and two redoubts before the alarm was given. Major Sutherland, commandant of the post, with sixty Hessians, entered a redoubt, and began a brisk fire on the assailants. This gave an extensive notice of the attack ; and the firing of guns in New York, and by the shipping in the roads, proved that the alarm was widely spread. In order, therefore, not to hazard the loss of his party, Major Lee retreated, with the loss of two men killed and three wounded, carrying along with him about 150 prisoners. Notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers which he had to encounter, he eflfected his retreat. It was not his de- sign to keep possession of the place ; but to carry off the garrison, reflect credit on the American arms, and encourage a spirit of enterprise in the army. The western frontier of the United States was near the dwellitigs of a num- ber of Indian tribes ; and these six nations, the Mohawks, Cayugas, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, Onondagas, and Senecas, distinguished by their confederacy, policy, and bravery, possessed the extensive and fertile country lying between the vicinity of Albany and Lake Erie. From their long intercourse with Europeans, those nations had acquired a relish for some of the comforts of civilized life, and entertained more eidarged views than most of the North American tribes of the advantages of private property. Their populous villages contained some com- fortable houses, and their fertile fields and rich orchards yielded an abundant supply of maize and fruit. To gain the friendship of these confederated nations, and of the other Indian tribes on the frontier of the United States, had, from the beginning of the war, been an object of attention both to the British government and to congress. But former habits, together with rum, presents, and promises from the agents at the British posts on the lakes, secured to the royal cause the support of the greater part of the Six Nations ; while a few, chiefly the Oneidas, espoused the inter- ests of America. Many of the loyalists who had been obliged to flee from the United States took refuge among the Indians, and at once increased their strength and whetted their ferocity. Even the savages were ashamed of their ruthless cruelly ; and Indian chiefs have been heard to declare that they never would permit white men to accompany them in their military expeditions, because of the horrible enormities which they perpetrated. Of the murderous cruelty of the savage whites we have a striking instance in the infamous conduct of Butler at Wyo- ming, during the preceding campaign. In that lamentable catastrophe the Six OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 305) 310 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY Nations had taien an active part, and they were meditating frej.. hostilities Their bloody incursions excited a strong sensation throughout the United States, and produced the resolution to lead an overwhelming force into their territory ana to destroy their settlements. The largest division of the army employed on that service assembled at Wy oming on a chief branch of the Susquehannah. Another division which had wintered on the Mohawk, marched under the orders of General Clinton, and joined the main body at the confluence of the two great sources of the Susque hannah. On the 22d of August the united force, amounting to nearly 5,000 men, under the command of General Sullivan, proceeded up the Cayuga, or western branch of the last-named river, which led directly into the Indian coun- try. The preparations for this expedition did not escape the notice of those against whom it was directed, and the Indians seem fully to have penetrated Sullivan's plan of operation. Formidable as his force was, they determined to meet him, and try the fortune of a battle. They were about 1,000 strong, com- manded by the two Butlers, Guy Johnson, M' Donald, and Brandt. They chose their ground with judgment, and fortified their camp at some distance above Chemung, and a mile in front of Newtown. There Sullivan attacked them ; and, after a short but spirited resistance, they retreated with precipitation. The Americans had thirty men killed or wounded ; the Indians left only eleven dead bodies on the field ; but they were so discour- aged by this defeat, that they abandoned their villages and fields to the unresist- ed ravages of the victor, who laid waste their towns and orchards, so that they might have no inducement again to settle so near the states. The members of civilized society too faithfully imitated the savage enemy whom they assailed, in all the enormities of barbarous warfare. This expedition gave little satisfaction to any of the parties concerned in planning or executing it, and Sullivan resigned his commission, and retired from the public service. In the course of the summer, the Indians on the southern frontier were also severely chastised ; but although unable to resist the force sent against them, they made some sanguinary incursions into the provinces. We have already seen that Admiral Count d'Estaing, after repairing his ships at Boston, sailed to the West Indies ; whither he was followed by Admiral By- ron with the British fleet, having on board a detachment of the army at New York, under General Grant. The French took the islands of Dominica, St. Vincent, and Grenada, and spread a general alarm throughout the West Indies The British made themselves masters of St. Lucie ; but this did not compensate for the loss of the islands already named. The season of the hurricanes ap- proached ; and D'Estaing, after an engagement with the British fleet, sailed toward the coast of North America. Although General Prevost had been obliged to retire from Charleston, and to abandon the upper parts of Georgia ; yet so long as he kept possession of the town of Savannah, and maintained a post at Beaufort, South Carolina was much exposed to hostile incursions. Thereforn Governor Rutledge and General Lin- coln earnestly pressed D'Estaing to repair to the Savannah, hoping by his aid to drive the British from Georgia. Plombard, the French consul at Charleston, joined in these solicitations. In compliance with their importunity, D'Estaing sailed from Cape Francois, in St. Domingo ; and with twenty-two sail of the line, and a number of smaller vessels, having 6,000 soldiers on board, appeared oflT the Savannah, where he captured the Experiment, a fifty-gun ship, and some other British vessels. General Lincoln, with about 1,000 men, marched to Zubly's ferry on the Sa- vannah, but found more difficulty than he had anticipated in crossing the river and us marshes. On the evening of the 13th of September, however, he -each- Fio. 133.— Portrait of Brandt 312 THE P1CT0RIA.L HISTORY ed the >50iitht -n bank, and encamped on the heights of Ebenezer, twenty-three miles from the town of Savannah. There he was joined by Colonel M'Intosh, with his detachment, from Augusta. Pulaski's legion also arrived in camp. On the same day that Lincoln passed Zubly's ferry, D'Estaing landed 3,000 men at Beaulieu ; and on the 16th of September the combined armies united their strength before the town of Savannah. That place was the headquarters of General Prevost, who commanded the British troops in the southern provinces. Apprehending no immediate danger, he had weakened his garrison by establish- ing some distant outposts in Georgia, and by leaving Colonel Maitland with a strong detachment at Beaufort, in the island of Port Ro/al in South Carolina ; but on the appearance of the French tieet, he immediately called in all his out- posts ; and before the French landed, or the Americans crossed the river, all the British detachments in Georgia had assembled at the town of Savannah, and amounted to nearly 2,000 men. Even before the arrival of Lincoln, D'Estaing had summoned the place to surrender. But although General Prevost had exerted himself with great ac- tivity in strengthening the defences of the place from the moment that he heard of the appearance of the French fleet on the coast, yet his works were incom- plete, and he was desirous of gaining time. He requested a suspension of hos tilities for twenty-four hours, which was granted him. In that critical interval, Colonel Maitland, by extraordinary efforts, arrived with the garrison of Beaufort and entered the town. Encouraged by this accession of strength, General Pre vost now informed Count d'Estaing that he was resolved to defend the place to the last extremity. The coiribined armies determined to besiege the town, and made the necessary preparations for that purpose. Several days were spent in bringing up heavy artillery and stores from the fleet ; and on the 23d of Septem ber, the besieging army broke ground before the town. By the 1st of October they had advanced within 300 yards of the British works. Several batteries, mounting thirty-three pieces of heavy cannon and nine mortars, had for several days played incessantly on the garrison ; and a floating battery of sixteen guns had also opened upon it from the river. But this cannonade made little impres- sion on the works. The situation of D'Estaing became extremely unpleasant. More time had al ready been spent in the siege than he had allotted for the expulsion of the Brit ish troops from that province. The French West India islands were exposed to danger in his absence ; the tempestuous season of the year was setting in ; a superior British fleet might come against him ; and his officers strongly re- monstrated against remaining longer in the Savannah. By continuing their regular approaches for a few days more, the besiegers would probably have made themselves masters of the place ; but these few days D'Estaing could not spare. No alternative remained but to raise the siege, or storm the place. The last of these the French commander resolved to attempt. For that purpose, on the morning of the 9th of October, a heavy cannonade and bombardment opened on the town. Three thousand French, and 1,500 Americans, led by D'Estaing and Lincoln, advanced in three columns to the assault. A well-directed and destructive fire from the batteries opened upon them ; but they resolutely ad- vanced, broke through the abatis, crossed the ditch, and mounted the parapet. The French and Americans, with emulous valor, each planted a standard on a redoubt ; but fell in great numbers in endeavoring to force their way into the works. While the assailants were vigorously opposed in front, the batteries galled their flanks. Count Pulaski, at the head of 200 horsemen, galloped be- tween the batteries toward the town, with the intension of charging <.he garrison in the rear ; but he fell mortally wounded, and his squadron was )»rok?jv. Th« OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 31o ?igor of the assailants began to abate ; and, after a desperate conflict of lifty minutes, they were driven from the works, and sounded a retreat. In this unsuccessful attack the French lost 700 men in killed and wounded, among the latter was Count d'Estaing himself; and the Americans 240. As the garrison, consisting of more than 2,000 men, fought for the most part under cover, their loss was comparatively small. Both the French and Americans displayed much courage and steadiness in the attack ; and, although unsuccessful, yet, instead of mutual accusations and reproaches, iheir respect for each othci was increased. After this repulse no hope of taking the town remained ; and Coimt d'Estaing having removed his heavy artillery, both armies left their ground on the evening of the 18lh of October. D'Estaing marched only two miles that evening, and remained in the same encampment next day, in order to cove' General Lincoln's retreat, and secure him from a pursuit by the garrison. The Americans re- crossed the Savannah at Zubly's ferry, and took a position in South Carolina. The militia returned home. The French, with all their artillery, ammunition, and baggage, embarked without delay ; but scarcely were they on board when a violent storm arose, which so completely dispersed the fleet, that, of seven ships which the admiral ordered to Hampton Road in Chesapeake bay, one only was able to reach that place. From the arrival of the French to assist in the siege of Savannah, the Ameri- cans had anticipated the most brilliant results ; and the discomfiture of the com- bined forces at that place spread a deep gloom over the southern provinces, where the cause of independence seemed more desperate than at any former period of the war. Their paper money became more depreciated ; the hopes of the loyalists revived ; and many exiles returned to take possession of their estates ; but ihey were soon obliged again to abandon their property, and to seek refuge among strangers. Oa being informed by Lincoln of his circumstances, congress desired General Washington to order the North Carolina troops, and any other detachments he could spare from the northern army, to the aid of the southern provinces. At the same time they assured the inhabitants of South Carolina and Georgia of their watchful attention ; and recommended to those states the filling up of their continental regiments, and a due regard to their militia while on actual service. During the siege of Savannah, an ingenious enterprise of partisan warfare was executed bv Colonel White of the Georgia line. Before the arrival of the French fleet in the Savannah, a British captain, with HI men, had taken post near the river Ogeeche, twenty-five miles from Savannah. At the same place were five British vessels, four of which were armed, the largest with fourteen guns, the least with four : and the vessels were manned with forty sailors. Late at night, on the 30lh of September, White, who had only six volunteers, inclu- ding his own servant, kindled a number of fires in different places, so as to ex- hibit the appearance of a considerable encampment, practised several other cor- responding artifices, and then summoned the captain instantly to surrender. That ofiicer, believing that he was about to be attacked by a superior force, and that nothing but immediate submission could save him and his men from destruc- tion, made no defence. The stratagem was carried on with so much address, that the prisoners, amounting to 141, were secured, and conducted to the Ameri- can post at Sunbury, twenty-five miles distant. The failure of the attack on Savannah, with the departure of the French fleet from the coast of America, presented a gloomy prospect, and was the forerun- ner of many calamities to the southern states. By their courage and vigor Uie northern provinces had repelled the attacks of the enemy, and discouraged fu- ture attempts against them. But, although the brave defence cf Sullivan's isJ 314 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 315 and, in 1776, had long concealed the fact, it was now discovered that the south- ern colonists possessed neither the strength nor vigor of their brethren in the north. The rapid conquest of Georgia, the easy march of Prevost to the very gates of Charleston, and the timid behavior of many of the colonists, who were more inclined to save themselves by submission than to assert the independence of their country by force of arms, all pointed out the southern states as the most vulnerable part of the Union, and invited an attack in that quarter. In the north the campaigns of 1778 and 1779 had produced no important results ; and, therefore, the late transactions in Georgia and South Carolina more readily drew the attention of the British connr.ander-in-chief to those states. Savannah, the chief town of Georgia, was in the hands of the British troops, and had been successfully defended against a combined attack of the French and Americans; and, therefore. Sir Henry Clinton resolved to gain possession of Charleston also, the capital of South Carolina, which would give him the com- mand of all the southern parts of the Union. Having made the necessary prep arations, he sailed from New York on the 26th of December, under convoy of Admiral Arbuthuot, but did not arrive at Savannah till the end of January. The voyage was tempestuous : some of the transports and victuallers were lost, oth- ers shattered, and a few taken by the American cruisers. iMost of the cavalry and draught horses perished. One of the transports, which had been separated from the fleet, was brought into Charleston on the '23d of January ; and the prisoners gave the first certain notice of the destination of the expedition. i\.s soon as it was known that an armament was fitting out at New \ork. many suspected that the southern states were to be assailed ; and such was the unhappy posture of American affairs at that time, that no sanguine expectations of a successful resistance could be reasonably entertained. The magazines of the Union were everywhere almost empty ; and congress had neither money nor credit to replenish them. The army at Morristown, under the immediate orders of General Washington, was threatened with destruction by want of provisions , and, consequently, could neither act with vigor in the north, nor send reinforce- ments to the south. General Lincoln, though aware of his danger, was not in a condition to meet it. On raising the siege of Savannah, he had sent the troops of Virginia to Augusta ; those of South Carolina were stationed partly at Sheldon, opposite Port Royal, between thirty and forty miles north from Savannah, and partly in Fort Moultrie, whicli had been allowed to fall into decay ; those of North Caro- lina were with General Lincoln at Cliarleston. All those detachments formed but a feeble force, and to increase it was not easy ; for the colonial paper money was in a state of great depreciation — -the militia, worn out by a harassing service, were reluctant again to repair to the standards of their country. The patriotism of many of the colonists had evaporated ; they contemplated nothing but the hard- ships and dangers of the contest, and recoiled from the protracted struggle. In these discouraging circumstances, congress recommended it to the people of South Carolina to arm their slaves ; a measure from which they were gener- ally averse ; and, although they had been willing to comply with the recom- mendation, arms could not have been procured. Congress ordered the conti- nental troops of North Carolina and Virginia to march to Charleston ; and four American frigates, two French ships-v-'f-war, the one mounting twenty-six and the other eighteen guns, with the mariv e force of South Carolina under Commo- dore Whipple, were directed to co-operate in the defence of the town. No mora aid could be expected ; yet, even in these unpromising circumstances, a full house of assembly resolved to defend Charleston to the last extremity. Although Sir Henry Clinton had embarked at New York on the 26th of De- ''ember, 1 779, yet, as his voyage had been stormy and tedious, and as some 315 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 317 nine had been necessarily spent at Savannah, it was the 11th of February, 1780, before he landed on St. John's island, thirty miles south from Charleston. Had he even then marched rapidly upon the town, he would probably have entered it without much opposition; but, mindful of his repulse in 1776, his progress was marked by a wary circumspection. He proceeded by the islands of St. John and St. James, while part of his fleet advanced to blockade the harbor. He sent for a reinforcement from New York, ordered General Prevost to join him with 1,100 men from Savannah, and neglected nothing that could ensure success. Meanwhile Governor Rutledge, with such of his council as he could conveni- ently consult, was invested with a dictatorial authority, and empowered to do everything necessary for the public good, except taking away the life of a citi zen without legal trial. The assembly, after delegating to the governor this power till ten days after its next session, dissolved itself. Governor Rutledge and General Lincoln were indefatigable in improving the ame which the slow progress of the royal army afforded them. Six hundred slaves were employed in constructing or repairing the fortifications of the town ; vigorous though not very successful measures were taken to bring the militia into the field ; and all the small detachuients of regular troops were assembled in the capital. The works which had been begun on Charleston Neck, when General Prevost threatened the place, were resumed. A chain of redoubts, lines, and batteries, was formed between the Cooper and Ashley. In front of «ach flank the works were covered by swamps extending from the rivers ; these opposite swamps were connected by a canal ; between the canal and the works were two strong rows of abatis, and a ditch double picketed, with deep holes at short distances, to break the columns in case of an assault. Toward the water, works were thrown up at every place where a landing was practicable. The vessels intended to defend the bar of the harbor having been found insufficient Tor that purpose, their guns were taken out and planted on the ramparts, and the seamen were stationed at the batteries. One of the ships, which was not dis- mantled, was p'aced in the river Cooper, to assist the batteries ; and several vessels were sunk at the mouth of the channel, to prevent the entrance of the royal navy. General Lincoln hoped that, if the town could be for a while de- fended, such reinforcements would arrive from the north as, together with the militia of the state, would compel Sir Henry Clinton to raise the siege. As the regular troops in the town did not exceed 1,400, a council of war found that the garrison was too weak to spare detachments to obstruct the progress of the royal army. Only a small party of cavalry and some light troops were ordered to hover on its left flank and observe its motions. While those preparations for defence were going on in Charleston, the Brit- ish army was cautiously but steadily advancing toward the town. As he pro- ceeded, Sir Henry Clinton erected forts and formed magazines a< nroper sta- tions, and was careful to secure his communications with those forts and with the sea. All the horses of the British army had perished in the tedious and stormy voyage from New York to Savannah ; but, on landing in South Carolina, Sir Henry Clinton procured others to mount his dragoons, whom he formed into a light corps, under the comuiand of Lieutenant-Colonel Tarleton. That officer was extremely active in covering the left wing of the army, and in dispersing the militia. In one of his excursions he fell in with Lieutenant-Colonel Wash- ington, who commanded the remnant of Baylor's regiment, and who beat hira back with loss. On the 20th of March the British fleet under Admiral Arbuthnot, consisting of one ship of fifty guns, two of forty-four each, four of thirty-two each, and an armed vessel, passed the bar in front of Rebellion roai and anchored in Five- Fathom hole. The American naval force, under Commodore Whinole. retreated 318 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 319 first lo Sullivan's island, and afterward to Charleston, where, as already men« tioned, the ships were dismantled and the crews employed on the works. On the 9th of April Admiral Arbuthnot, taking advantage of a strong southerly wind and a flowing tide, passed Fort Moultrie, and anchored just without reach of the guns of Charleston. The fort kept up a heavy fire on the fleet while passing, which d d some damage to the ships, and killed or wounded twenty-seven men. On the 29th of March, the British army reached Ashley river, and crossed it ten miles above the town without opposition ; the garrison being too weak to dispute the passage. Having brought over his artillery, baggage, and stores, Sir Henry Clinton marched down Charleston Neck ; and, on the night of the 1st of 'Vpril, broke ground at the distance of 8,000 yards from the American works. The fortifications of Charleston were constructed under the direction of Mr. 'i34 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 335 MUice from them, I made the pi/ /ate signal of reconnaissance, which I had given to each captain before I sailed from Groix : one half of the answer only was re- turned. In this position both sides lay to till daylight, when the ships proved to be the Alliance and the Pallas. " On the morning of that day, the 23d, the brig from Holland not being in sight, we chased a briganline that appeared laying to, to windward. About noon, we saw and chased a large ship that appeared coming round Flamborough Head, from the northward, and at the same time I manned and armed one of the pilot- boats to send in pursuit of the brigantine, which now appeared to be the vessel that I had forced ashore. Soon after this, a fleet of forty-one sail appeared oflT Flamborough Head, bearing north-northeast. This induced me to abandon the single ship, which had then anchored in Burlington bay ; I also called back the pilot-boat, and hoisted a signal for a general chase. When the fleet discovered us bearing down, all the merchant-ships crowded sail toward the shore. The *wo ships-of-war that protected the fleet at the same time steered from the land, and made the disposition for battle. In approaching the enemy, I crowded ev- ery possible sail, and made the signal for the line of battle, to which the Alliance showed no attention. Earnest as I was for the action, I could not reach the commodore's ship until seven in the evening, being then within pistol-shot, when he hailed the Bon Homme Richard. We answered him by firing a whole broadside. " The battle being thus begun, was continued with unremitting fury. Every method was practised on both sides to gain an advantage, and rake each other ; and I must confess that the enemy's ship, being much more manageable than the Bon Homme Richard, gained thereby several times an advantageous situa- tion, in spite of my best endeavors to prevent it. As I had to deal with an enemy oi greatly superior force, 1 was under the necessity of closing with him, Ui prevent the advantage which he had over me in point of manoeuvre. It was my intention to lay the Bon Homme Richard athwart the enemy's bow ; but as that operation required great dexterity in the management of both sails and helm, and some of our braces beii'.g shot away, it did not exactly succeed to my wish. The enemy's bowsprit, however, came over the Bon Homme Richard's poop, by the mizzenmast, and I made both ships fast together in that situation, which by the action of the wind on the enemy's sails, forced her stern close to the Bon Htvmme Richard's bow, so lliat tlie ships lay square alongside of each other, the yards being all entangled, and the cannon of each ship touching the opponents. When this position took place it was eight o'clock, previous to which the Bon Homme Richard had received sundry eighteen-pound shots below the water, and leaked very much. iMy battery of twelve-pounders, on which I had placed my chief dependance, being commanded by Lieutenant Dale and Colonel Wei- bert, and manned principally with American seamen and French volunteers, was entirely silenced and abandoned. As to the six old eighteen-pounders that formed the battery of the lower gun-deck, they did no service whatever, except firing eight shots in all. Two out of three of them burst at the first fire, and killed almost all the men wlio were stationed to manage them. Before this time, too. Colonel de Chamillard, who commanded a party of twenty soldiers on the poop, had abandoned that station, after having lost some of his men. I had now only two pieces of cannon (nine-pounders) on the quarter-deck, that were not silenced, and not one of the heavier cannon was fired during the rest of the action. The purser, M. Mease, who commanded the guns on the quarter-deck, being dangerously wounded in the head, I was obliged to fill his place, and with great difficulty rallied a ievf men and shifted over one of the lee quarter-deck guns, 80 that we afterward played three pieces of nine-pounders upon the enemy The tops alone seconded the fire of this little battery, and held out bravelv du- 336 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ring the whole of the action, especially the maintop, where Lieutenant commanded. I directed the fire of one of the three cannon against the mainmast, with double-headed shot, while the other two were exceedingly well served wit^ grape and canister-shot, to silence the enemy's musketry and clear her decks, which was at last effected. The enemy were, as I have since understood, or. the instant of calling for quarter, when the cowardice or treachery of three of my under-officers induced them to call to the enemy. The English commodore asked me if I demanded quarter, and I having answered him in the most deie>-- mined negative, they renewed the battle with double fury. They were unable to stand the deck ; but the fire of their cannon, especially the lower battery, which was entirely formed of ten-pounders, was incessant ; both ships were set on fire in various places, and the scene was dreadful beyond the reach of lan- guage. To account for the timidity of my three under-oflicers — I mean the gunner, the carpenter, and the master-at-arms — I must observe, that the first two were slightly wounded, and, as the ship had received various shots under water, and one of the pumps being shot away, the carpenter expressed his fears that ht- would sink, and the other two concluded that she was sinking, which occa- sioned the gunner to run aft on the poop, wuhout my knowledge, to strike the colors. Fortunately for me, a cannon-ball had done that before, by carrying away the ensign-staff; he was therefore reduced to the necessity of sinking, as e supposed, or of calling for quarter, and he preferred the latter. " All this time the Bon Homme Richard had sustained the action alone, and the enemy, though much superior in force, would have been very glad to have got clear, as appears by their own acknowledgments, and by their having let go an anchor the instant that I laid them on board, by which means they would have escaped, had I not made them well fast to the Bon Homme Richard. " At last, at half past nine o'clock, the Alliance appeared, and I now thought the battle at an end ; but, to my utter astonishment, he discharged a broadside full into the stern of the Bon Homme Richard. We called to him for God's sake to forbear firing into the Bon Homme Richard ; yet they passed along the off side of the ship, and continued firing. There was no possibility of his mis- taking the enemy's ship for the Bon Homme Richard, there being the most es- sential difference in their appearance and construction. Besides, it was then full moonlight, and the sides of the Bon Homme Richard were all black, while the sides of the prize were all yellow. Yet, for the greater security, I showed the signal of our reconnaissance, by putting out three lanterns, one at the head, another at the stern, and the third in the middle, in a horizontal line. Every tongue cried that he was firing into the wrong ship, but nothing availed ; he passed round, firing into the Bon Homme Richard's head, stern, and broadside, and by one of his volleys killed several of my best men, and mortally wounded h, good officer on the forecastle. My situation was really deplorable ; the Bon Homme Richard received various shots under water from the Alliance ; the leak gained on the pumps., and the fire increased much on board both ships. Some officers persuaded me to strike, of whose courage and good sense I entertain a high opinion. My treacherous master-at-arms let loose all my prisoners with- out my knowledge, and my prospects became gloomy indeed. I would not, however, give up the point. The enemy's mainmast began to shake, their firing decreased fast, ours rather increased, and the British colors were struck at half an hour past ten o'clock. " This prize proved to be the British ship-of-war the Serapis, a new ship ot 44 guns, built on the most approved construction, with two complete batteries, one of them of eighteen-pounders, and commanded by the brave Commodore Richard Pearson. I had yet two enemies to encounter, far more formidable than the Britons : I mean fire and water. The Serapis was attacked only by ciF THE AME^ivJAN REVOLUTION. 337 #M :43. — Medal presentea to i m*^»ki»- i'i 338 THE PIC rORIAL HISTORV the first, but the Bon Homme Richard was assailed by both , there was five feei water in the hold, and though it was moderate from the explosion of so much gunpowder, yet the three pumps that remained could with difficulty only keep the water from gaining. The fire broke out in various parts of the ship, in spite of all the water that could be thrown in to quench it, and at length broke out as low as the powder-magazine, and within a few inches of the powder. In that dilemma, I took out the powder upon deck, ready to be thrown overboard at the last extremity, and it was ten o'clock the next day, the 24th, before the fire was entirely extinguished. With respect to the situation of the Bon Homme Rich ard, the rudder was cut entirely ofl^, the stern-frame and transoms were almost entirely cut away, and the timbers by the lower-deck, especially from the main- mast toward the stern, being greatly decayed with age, were mangled beyond my power of description ; and a person must have been an eyewitness to form a just idea of the tremendous scene of carnage, wreck, and ruin, which every- where appeared. Humanity can not but recoil from the prospect of such fin- ished horror, and lament that war should be capable of producing such fatal consequences. " After the carpenters, as well as Captain Cottineau and other men of sense, had well examined and surveyed the ship (which was not finished before five in the evening), I found every person to be convinced that it was impossible to keep the Bon Homme Richard afloat so as to reach a port, if the wind should increase, it being then only a very moderate breeze. I had but little time to re move my wounded, which now became unavoidable, and which was effected in the course of the night and next morning. I was determined to keep the Bon Homme Richard afloat, and, if possible, to bring her into port. For that pur- pose, the first lieutenant of the Pallas continued on board with a party of men to attend the pumps, with boats in waiting ready to take them on board in case the water should gain on them too fast. The wind augmented in the night, and the next day, the 25th, so that it was impossible to prevent the good old ship from sinking. They did not abandon her till after nine o'clock ; the water was then up to the lower deck, and a little after ten I saw, with inexpressible grief, the last glimpse of the Bon Homme Richard. No lives were lost with the ship, but it was impossible to save the stores of any sort whatever. I lost even the best part of my clothes, books, and papers ; and several of my officers lost all their clothes and effects. " Having thus endeavored to give a clear and simple relation of the circum- stances and events that have attended the little armament under my command, I shall freely submit my conduct therein to the censure of my superiors and the impartial public. I beg leave, however, to observe, that the force put under my command was far from being well composed ; and as the great majority of the actors in it have appeared bent on the pursuit of interest only, I am exceedingly sorry that they and I have been at all concerned. " Captain Cottineau engaged the Countess of Scarborough, and took her, after an hour's action, while the Bon Homme Richard engaged the Serapis. The Countess of Scarborough is an armed ship of 20 six-pounders, and was com- manded by a king's officer. In the action, the Alliance, as I am informed, fired into the Pallas and killed some men. If it should be asked why the convoy wa^* suffered to escape, I must answer that I was myself m no condition to pursue, and that none of the rest showed any inclination ; not even Mr. Ricot, who had held off at a distance to windward during the whole action, and withheld by force tno oilot-boat with my lieutenant and fifteen men. The Alliance, too, wa» in a state to pursue the fleet, not having had a single man wounded, or a single shot fired at her from the Serapis, and only three that did execution from the Countesh of Scarborough, at such a distance that one stuck in the side, and the other two OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 33y just touched, and then dropped into the water. The Alliance killed one man only on board the Serapis. As Captain de Cottineau charged himself with man- ning and securing the prisoners of the Countess of Scarborough, I think the escape of the Baltic fleet can not so well be charged to his account. " I should have mentioned, that the mainmast and mizzen-topmast of the Serapis fell overboard soon after the captain had come on board the Bon Homme Richard." This brave action struck terror into the hearts of the enemies of American liberty, and contributed not a little to establish for her hardy tars a reputation for naval bravery, so well maintained afterward by a Perrv, Decatur, and Hull. CHAPTER XI. While the transactions we have related were going on in the southern stales, Home interesting events happened in the more northern parts of the Union, where General Washington was beset by pressing and formidable difficulties. The finances of Congress were in a most depressed condition, and the urgenv wants of the army were but ill supplied. The evils of short enlistment, though distinctly understood and strongly felt, could not be remedied ; and the places of those men who were leaving the army, on the expiration of their stipulated term of service, could not easily be filled up. Besides, the troops were in danger of perishing by cold and famine. During the preceding year. General Greene and Colonel Wadsworth had been at the head of the quartermaster and commissary departments; and notwithstanding their utmost exertions, the wants of the army had been ill supplied. After being put into winter quarters, it was in great danger of being dissolved by want of provisions, or of perishing through famine. The colonial paper money was in a state of great and increasing de- preciation ; and in order to check the alarming evil, Congress, which, like other popular assemblies, had in it no small share of ignorance and self-sufficiency, resolved to diminish the circulation and keep up the value of their paper cur- rency by withholding the necessary supplies from the public agents. This foolish resolution threatened the ruin of the army. Nobody was willing to make contracts with the public, and some of those entered into were not fulfilled. Congress, jealous of the public agents, because ignorant of what was really necessary, repeatedly changed the form of its engagements with them ; and at length, by its fluctuating policy, real wants, and imprudent parsimony, brought matters to such extremities, that General Washington was compelled to require the several counties of the state of Nevv Jersey to furnish his army with certain quantities of provisions within six days, in order to prevent them from being taken by force. Although the province was much exhausted, yet the people instantly complied with the requisition, and furnished a temporary supply to the army. Soon after Sir Henry Clinton sailed on his expedition against Charleston, toward the end of the year 1779, a frost of unexampled intensity began. The Hudson, East river, and all the waters round New York, were so completely frozen, that an army, with its artillery and wagons, might have crossed them in all directions with perfect safety. New York lost all the advantages of its insu- lar situation, and became e'^s'ly accessible on every side. This citv wi? fort* 310 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY fied by ihe British but, on account of its insular situation, several parts, being considered of difficult access, were left undefended. By the strength of the ice, however, every point became exposed ; and in that unforeseen emergency, General Knyphausen, who commanded in the city with a garrison of 10,000 men, took every prudent precaution for his own defence, and fortified every vul- nerable part ; but the inefficiency of the American army was his best security. General Washington easily perceived the advantages which the extraordinary frost gave him ; but, from the destitute state of his army, he was unaMe to avail himself of them, and was obliged to see an opportunity pass away which was probably never to return. The army under his immediate command was infe- rior in number to the garrison of New York ; it was also ill clad, scantily sup- plied with provisions, and in no condition to undertake offensive operations. The British had a post on Staten Island ; and, as the ice opened a free com- munication between the island and the Jersey coast. General Washington, not- withstanding the enfeebled condition of his army, resolved to attack the garrison, and appointed Lord Stirling to conduct the enterprise. The night of the 14th of January was chosen for the attempt ; but though the Americans used every precaution, yet the officer commanding on Staten Island discovered their inten- tion, and took effectual measures to defeat it. The attack was repulsed, but little loss was sustained on either side. The extreme cold occasioned much suff'ering in New York, by want of pro visions and fuel ; for, as the communication by water was entirely stopped, the usual supplies were cut off". The demand for fuel in particular was so pressing that it was found expedient to break up some old transports, and to pull dowi some uninhabited wooden houses, for the purpose of procuring that necessary article. As the British paid in ready money for provisions or firewood carried within the lines, many of the country people, tempted by the precious metals, so rare among them, tried to supply the garrison. The endeavors of the British to encourage and protect this intercourse, and the exertions of the Americans to prevent it, brought on a sort of partisan warfare, in which the former most frequently had the advantage. In one of the most important of these rencoun- ters, a captain and fourteen men of a Massachusetts regiment were killed on the spot, seventeen were wounded, and ninety, with Colonel Thompson, the officer who commanded the party, were made prisoners. Congress found itself placed in very difficult circumstances. It always con- tained a number of men of talents, and manifested no small share of vigor and activity. Many of the members were skilful in the management of their private affairs, and, having been successful in the world, thought themselves competent to direct the most important national concerns, although unacquainted with the principles of finance, legislation, or war. In pecuniary matters they were dila- tory, and never anticipated trying emergencies, or made provision for probable events, till they were overtaken by some urgent necessity. Hence they were frequently deliberating about levying troops and supplying the army when the troops ought to have been in the field, and the army fully equipped for active service. This often placed the commander-in-chief in the most tr^^ing and perilous circumstances. Congress had solemnly resolved not to exceed $200,000,000 in conti- nental bills of credit. In November, 1779, the whole of that sum was issued, and expended also. The demand on the states to replenish the treasury by taxes had not been fully complied with ; and, even although it had been com- pletely answered, would not have furnished a sum adequate to the expenses of government. Instead of maturely considering and digesting a plan, adhering to it, and improving it by experience. Congress often changed its measures ; and, even in the midst of those distresses which had brough. the army to the verge Ol" THE AMhiaCAN KEVOIAITION. d4J ci dissolution, was busy in devising new and untried expedients for supporting It. As the treasury was empty, and money could not be raised, Congress, on the 25th of February, resolved to call on the several states for their pnpor tion of provisions and forage for the maintenance of the army during the ensuing campaign, but specified no time within which these were to be collected, and consequently the states were in no haste in the matter. In order to encourage and facilitate compliance with this requisition, it was further resolved that any state which should have taken the necessary measures for furnishing its quota, and given notice thereof to Congress, should be authorized to prohibit any con- tinental quartermaster or commissary from purchasing within its limits. Every man who had a practical knowledge of the subject easily perceived the defective nature and dangerous tendency of this arrangement. It was an attempt to carry on the war rather by separate provincial efforts than bv a com- bination of national strength ; and if the army received from any state where it was acting the appointed quantity of necessaries, it had no right, though starving, to purchase what it stood in need of. Besides, the carriage of provisions from distant parts was troublesome, expensive, and sometimes impracticable. The troops were ill clothed, their pay was in arrear, and that of the officers, owing to the great depreciation of the paper currency, was wholly unequal to their decent maintenance. These multiplied privations and sufferings soured the temper of the men ; and it required all the influence of their revered com- mander to prevent many of the officers from resigning their commissions. The long continuance of wan', and hardship produced relaxation of discipline, which at length manifested itself in open mutiny. On the 25th of May, two regiments belonging to Connecticut paraded under arms, with the avowed intention of returning home, or of obtaining subsistence at the point of the bayonet. The rest of the soldiers, though they did not join in the mutiny, showed little dispo- sition to suppress it. At length the two regiments were brought back to their duty ; but much murmuring and many complaints were heard. While the army v/as in such want, the inhabitants of Jersey, where most of the troops were sta- tioned, were unav(udably harassed by frequent requisitions, which excited con- siderable discontent. Reports of the mutinous state of the American army, and of the dissatisfaction of the people o'" Jersey, probably much exaggerated, were carried to General Knyphausen, 'vho, believing the American soldiers ready to desert their stand- ards, and the Inhabitants of Jersey willing to abandon the Union, on the 6th of June, paFsed from Staten Island to Elizabethtown in Jersey, with 5,000 men That rnovment was intended to encourage the mutinous disposition of the American troops, and to fan the flame of discontent among the inhabitants of the province. Early next morning, he marched into the country toward Springfield by the way of Connecticut Farms, a flourishing plantation, so named because the cultivators had come from Connecticut. But even before reaching that place, which was only five or six miles from Elizabethtown, the British per- ceived that the reports which they had received concerning the discontent of the Americans were incorrect ; for, on the first alarm, the militia assembled with great alacrity, and, aided by some small parties of regular troops, annoyed the British by an irregular but galling fire of musketry, wherever the nature of the ground presented a favorable opportunity : and although those parties were nowhere strong enough to make a stand, yet they gave plain indications of the tem- per and resolution which were to be encountered in advancing into the country. At Connecticut Farms the British detachment halted. The settlers were known to be zealous in the American cause, and, therefore, with a base spirit of revenge, the British, among whom was General Tryon, laid the flourishing •tillage, with the church and minister's house, in ashes. Here occurred one jf M2 iHL PICTORIAL HISTORY those aft'ect'dg incidents which, being somewhat out of the ordinary ourse o: the miseries of war, make a deep impression on the public mind. Mr. Cald- well, minister of the place, had withdrawn toward Springfield, but had left his wife and family behind, believing them to be in no danger. The British ad- vanced to the industrious and peaceful village. Mrs. Caldwell, trusting to her sex for safety, and unsuspicious of harm, was sitting in her house with her children around her, when a soldier came up, levelled his musket at the window, and shot her dead on the spot in the midst of her terrified infants. On the in- tercession of a friend, the dead body was permitted to be removed before the house was set on fire. This atrocious deed excited general horror and detestation ; but Tryon was present, and his conduct on other occasions was not free from acts of brutal and bloodthirsty ferocity. After destroying the Connecticut Farms, Knyphausen advanced toward Spring- field, where the Jersey brigade under General Maxwell, and a large body of mi- itia, had taken an advantageous position, and seemed resolved to defend it. General Knyphausen, however, had met with a reception so different from what he expected, that, without making any attempt on the American post, he with- drew during the night to Elizabethtown. On being informed of the invasion of New Jersey, General Washington put his army in motion, early on the morning of the day in which Knyphauseh marched from Elizabethtown, and proceeded to the Short hills behind Spring- field, while the British were in the vicinity of that place. Feeble as his army was, he made the necessary dispositions for fighting ; but the unexpected re- treat of Knyphausen rendered a battle unnecessary. The British were followed by an American detachment, which attacked their rear-guard next morning, but was repulsed. Instead of returning to New York, General Knyphausen lin- gered in the vicinity of Elizabethtown and on Staten Island ; and Genei^l Washington, too weak to hazard an engagement, except on advantageous ground, remained on the hills near Springfield to watch the movements of the British army. At that time, the army under the immediate orders of General Washington did not exceed 4,000 effective men. On the 18th of June Sir Henry Clinton returned from South Carolina, with about 4,000 men ; and, after receiving this reinforcement, the British force in New York and its dependancies amounted to 12,000 effective and regular troops, most of whom could be brought into the field for any particular service ; as be- sides them the British commander had about 4,000 militia and refugees for gar- rison duty. The British army was so powerful that the Americans could only follow a wary policy, occupying strong ground, presenting a bold front, and con- cealing their weakness as far as possible Sir Henry Clinton embarked troops, and awakened the fears of General W'ashington lest he should sail up the Hudson and attack the posts in the high- lands. Those posts had always been objects of much solicitude to the Ameri- can commander, and he was extremely jealous of any attack upon them. In or- der to be in readiness to resist any such attack, he left General Greene at Springfield, with 700 continentals, the Jersey militia, and some cavalry, and proceeded toward Pompton with the main body of the army. Sir Henry Clinton, after having perplexed the Americans by his movements, early on the morning of the 23d of June, rapidly advanced in full force from Elizabethtown toward Springfield. General Greene hastily assembled hi.s scattered detachments, and apprized General Washington of the march of the royal army, who instantly returned to support Greene's division. The British marched in two columns ; one on the main road leading to Springfield, and the ather on the Vauxhall road. General Greene scarcely had time to collect hit UF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIOxN. J4?» troof i at Springfield, and to make the necessary dispositions, when the royal army appeared before the town, and a cannonade immediately began. A forda- ble rivulet, with bridges corresponding to the different roads, runs in front of the place. Greene had stationed parties to guard the bridges, and they obstinately disputed the passage ; but after a smart conflict they were overpowered, and compelled to retreat. Greene then fell back, and took post on a range of hills, where he expected to be again attacked. But the British instead of attempting to pursue their advantage, contented themselves with setting fire to the village, and laying the greater part of it in ashes. Discouraged by the obstinate resist- ance they liad receive(l, they immediately retreated to Elizabethtown, pursued with the utmost animosity by the militia, who were provoked at the burning of Springfield. They arrived at Elizabethtown about sunset ; and, continuing their march to Elizabeth point, began at midnight to pass over to Staten Island. Be- fore six next morning they had entirely evacuated the Jerseys, and removed the bridge of boats which communicated with Staten Island. In the skirmish at Springfield the Americans had about twenty men killed, and sixty wounded. The British suffered a corresponding loss. Sir Henry Clinton's object in this expedition seems to have been to destroy the American magazines in that part of the country. But the obstinate resistance which he met with at Springfield deterred him from advancing into a district abounding in difficult passes, where every strong position would be vigorously defended. He seems also to have been checked by the apprehension of a fleet and army from France. General Washington was informed of Sir Henry Clinton's march soon after the British left Elizabethtown ; but though he hastily returned, the skirmish at Springfield was over before he reached the vicinity of that place. After Sir Henry Clinton left the Jerseys, General Washington planned an en terprise against a British post at Bergen point, on the Hudson, opposite New York, garrisoned by seventy loyalists. It was intended to reduce the post, and also to carry off a number of cattle on Bergen Neck, from which the garrison of New York occasionally received supplies of fresh provisions. General Wayne was appointed to conduct the enterprise. With a respectable force he marched against the post, which consisted of a blockhouse covered by an abattis and palisade. General Wayne pointed his artillery against the blockhouse, but his field-pieces made no impression on the logs. Galled by the fire from the loop-holes, some of his men rushed impetuously through the abattis and at- tempted to storm the blockhouse, but they were repulsed with considerable loss. Though, however, the Americans failed in their attempt against the post, they succeeded in driving off most of the cattle. On the commencement of hostilities in Europe, the Marquis de la Fayette, who had so early and so zealously embarked in the cause of America, returned home in order to offer his services to his king, still, however, retaining his rank in the army of congress. His ardor in behalf of the Americans remained una- bated, and he exerted all his influence with the court of Versailles to gain its effectual support to the United States : his efforts were successful, and the king of France resolved vigorously to assist the Americans both by sea and land. Having gained this important point, and perceiving that there was no need for his military services in Europe, he obtained leave from his sovereign to return to America and join his former companions in arms. He landed at Boston toward the end of April ; and, in his way to congress, called at the headquarters of General Washington, and informed him of the powerful succor which might soon be expected from France. He met with a most cordial reception both frona congress and the commander-in-chief, on account of his high rank, tried friend- ship, and distinguished services. 344 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY The assistance expected from their powerful ally was very encoura^'in^ . the Americans, but called for corresponding exertions on their part. Tlie com- mander-in-chief found himself in the most perplexing circumstances : his army was feeble, and he could form no plan for the campaign till he knew what forcea were to be put under his orders. His troops, both officers and privates, were ill clothed, and needed to be decently apparelled before they could be led into the field to co-operate with soldiers in respectable uniforms. In order to supply these defects, and to get his army in a state of due preparation before the arrival of the European auxiliaries. General Washington made the most pressing appli- cations to congress, and to the several state legislatures. Congress resolved and recommended ; but the states were dilatory, and their tardy proceedings ill accorded with the exigencies of the case, or with the expectations of those who best understood the aflairs of the Union. Even on the 4th of July, the com- mander-in-chief had the mortification to find that few new levies had arrived in camp, and some of the states had not even taken the trouble to inform him of the number of men they intended to furnish. In the month of June the state of Massachusetts had resolved to send a rein- forcement, but no part of it had yet arrived. About the same time a voluntary subscription was entered into in Philadelphia, for the purpose of providing boun- ties to recruits to fill up the Pennsylvania line ; and the president or vice-presi- dent in council was empowered, if circumstances required it, to put the state under martial law. A bank also was established for the purpose of supplying the army with provisions ; and a number of gentlemen engaged to support it to the amount of 189,000/. sterling, according to the sums affixed to their several names. The ladies of Philadelphia were ambitious of sharing the honors of patriotism with their fathers, husbands, and brothers ; and a number of them visited every house in the city, in order to collect a sum of money to be pre sented to the army, in testimony of their esteem and approbation. The money was expended on cloth for shirts, which the ladies made. In the midst of this bustle and preparation, the expected succors from France, consisting of a fleet of eight ships of the line, with frigates and other vessels under the Chevalier de Ternay, having about 6,000 troops on board under the Count de Rochambeau, arrived at Rhode Island on the evening of the 10th of July ; and, in a few days afterward, the Marquis de la Fayette arrived at New- port from the American headquarters, to confer with his countrymen. At the time of the arrival of the French in Rhode Island, Admiral Arbuthnot had only four sail of the line at New York ; but, in a few days. Admiral Graves arrived from England with six sail of the line, which gave the British a decided superiority to the hostile squadron ; and, therefore. Sir Henry Clinton without delay prepared for active operations. He embarked about 8,000 men, and sail- ed with the fleet to Huntington bay in Long Island, with the intention of pro- ceeding against the French at Newport. The militia of Massachusetts and Connecticut were ordered to join their new allies in Rhode Island, and the com bined army there thought itself able to give the British a good reception. As the garrison of New York was weakened by the sailing of the armament under the British commander-in-chief, General Washington, having received considerable reinforcements, suddenly crossed the North river, and advanced toward New York ; that movement brought Sir Henry Clinton back to defend '.he place ; and, consequently, the American commander proceeded no farther in his meditated enterprise. The want of money and of all necessaries t.till continued in the American camp ; and the discontent of the troops graduaily increased. The men, mdeed, bore incredible hardships and privations with unexampled fortitude and patience ; but the army was in a state of constant fluctuation ; it was composed, in a great Washington and Lafayettk. ii OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Sib measure, of militia harassed by perpetual service, and obliged to neglect the cultivation of their farms and their private interests, in order to obey the calls o public duty, and of soldiers on short enlistments, who never acquired the military spirit and habits. In consequence of an appointment. General Washington tind suite set out u a conference with Count Rochambeau and Admiral Ternay, and, on '.> '. V^st « Fig. 144. — Count de Ro(hambeau. September, met them at Hartford in Connecticut, where thwy spent a few days tttgether, and conversed about a plan for the next campaign. The season was now far advanced : no action of importance had been achieved on the Hudson by either party, and the campaign in that quart* t seemed about to close without anything remarkable, when both armies were «uddenly roused, and the public mind both in Europe and America much agitated, by the execu- tion of Major Andre. In the early part of August, when General Washington meditated an attack on New York, he proposed that General Arnold should have a command in the enterprise. That Arnold declined ; alleging that his lameness disqualified him for field duty. General Washington knew him to be a iiclfisli man ; but, having no suspicion of his infidelity to the American cause, for which he had professed so much zeal and made so many exertions, appointed him at his own desire, to the command of West Point and its dependancies, a most important post on the Hudson. Of the highland posts on that river General Washington was extremely jealous, and exerted himself to prevent the British from establishing a commu nication between Canada and New York by the lakes Champlain and George and the river Hudson. West Point was considered a principal key of that com municatioK , and, by the appointment to the command of it, Arnold was put into a place of high trust and confidence. But that oflicer, impetuous and desperate rather than cool and intrepid, and governed more by the violence of his passions than the dictates of his under- standing, had secretly determined to abandon and betray the American cause , and entered into negotiations with the British commander-in-chief for that pur- pose. The surrender of West Point, he was well aware, would gratify his new MP THE PICTORIAL HlS'luRY OF THE AMERICAN KEVOLUTION. 34V friends ; and he wished to inflict a deadly wound on his old associates, whom he hated the more because he intended to betray them. Ambitious and selfish, fond of ostentation and magnificence, his expenditure had exceeded his income ; and, in order to supply his exiravagance, he had engaged in trade and privateer- ing. His speculations proved unsuccessful ; his funds were exhausted ; and his creditors became clamorous. About the month of July, 1779, he presented heavy accounts against the public, but the commissioners rejected about one half of his demands ; he appealed to congress ; but a committee of that body reported that the commissioners had allowed him more than he had any right to demand or expect. Irritated and inflamed by this treatment, embarrassed in his circumstances, and encumbered with an expensive family, he resolved to rais a fortune on the ruins of his character, and to commit the foulest treason in orj to gratify at once his ambition and revenge. In the course of the year 1779, Major Andre, adjutant-general of the Britisb Fig. 146. — Major Andrfe. army, a young officer of distinguished talents and acquirements, had entered into a correspondence with Mrs. Arnold, on pretence of supplying her with millinery goods ; that correspondence ripened into treason on the part of Arnold. After his nomination to the command of West Point, the Vulture sloop-of-war was stationed by Sir Henry Clinton in the North river, at such a distance from the American works as to excite no suspicion, but near enough to facilitate the cor- respondence which was carrying on. Before that time there had been a written ccrrespondcnce, through other channels, between Arnold and Andre, under the assumed names of Gustavus and Anderson. In order to bring the negotiation to a speedy close, Arnold wished Sir Henry Clinton to send a confidential ])er- son to hold a conference with him ; unhappily the amiable and accomplished Andre was selected for the consummation of a work in which he was already too muuii implicated. On the night of the 21st of September, a boat sent by Arnold carried Aiidr^ from the Vulture, and landed him on the bank of the river, where he met Arnold without the American posts. The day was about to dawn before the negotiation wqs finished ; and Andre was told that it was necessary he should remain con- MS THE PICTORIAL HISTORY cealed till next night ; for that purpose he was conducted within the American lines, contrary to his previous stipulation and intention, and without his knowi edge. He spent the day with Arnold. Next night the boatmen refused to carrv him back to the Vulture, because she had shifted her ground in order to be be- yond the reach of a cannon which had been mounted to annoy her , and he was obliged to attempt an escape by land. He now changed his uniform, which he had hitherto worn under a surtout, for a common coat ; and having procured a horse, was, under the name of John Anderson, furnished with a passport by Arnold to go to the lines at White Plains, or lower if he thought proper, as he was on public business. Thus equipped, Andre set out alone, and proceeded on his journey toward New York. He passed the American guards and posts on the road without suspicion ; but .\rnold had a scouting party, chiefly militia, scouring the country between the outposts of the two armies. As Andre prosecuted his journey next day, and flattered himself that all danger was past, a man suddenly sprang from a covert and seized his horse's bridle. Surprised by the unexpected onset, the major lost his presence of mind ; mistaking the man for a British partisan, in- stead of presenting his passport, he declared himself a British othcer, and asked permission to proceed : but two other militia-men coming up at the moment, the party refused to let him go, though he offered them the most tempting rewards. They conducted him to Colonel Jamieson, the ofllcer commanding the scouting party, before whom he appeared as .John Anderson ; choosing rather to encoun- ter every hazard, than, by a disclosure of his real character, to involve Arnold in jeopardy before he had warninij to provide for his safety. Andre had been disconcerted, and his presence of mind had forsaken him on his sudden and unexpected seizure ; but, more alive to Arnold's danger than his own, he discovered his ingenuity in procuring Jamieson's permission to give that officer notice of his apprehension. Even before that time Jamieson had entertained suspicions of Arnold's fidelity ; and although those suspicions must now have been strengthened or confirmed, yet he permitted a note to be sent to Arnold, giving him notice of John Anderson's detention. Several papers were found in one of .Major Andre's boots, all in Arnold's hand- writing, which contained an exact account of the state v( West Point and its depend- ancies, with remarks on the works, an estimate of tVie number of men ordinarily on duty in the place, and a copy of the state of matters which had l)een laid before a council of war by the American commander-in-chief on the 6th of the month. All those papers Jamieson enclosed under cover to General Washington, with a letter from the prisoner, in which he avowed himself to be Major John Andre, adjutant-general of the British army, related the manner of his apprehension, and endeavored to vindicate himself from the imputation of being a spy. General Washington was then returning from his conference with the French commanders at Hartford ; and Jamieson's messenger missed him by taking a different road from that in which the general was travelling. Arnold received the notice of Anderson's detention some hours before General Washington arrived at West Point, and immediately consulted his safety by hastening on board the Vulture sloop-of-war, which lay in the river some miles below Verpbmk's point. On opening the packet from Jamieson at West Point, General Washington discoved Arnold's treason, and took prompt and effectual measures for the secu- ritv of the post, ordering to it two brigades from the nearest division of the main army After allowing time for the notice of his detention to reach Arnold, Major An- dr^ laid aside all disguise, and avowed who he was. His behavior was frank and ingenuous ; and he seemed anxious for nothing but the vindication of his character Irom the imputations which the circumstances of his apprehension ap The Flight of Arnold. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 34U Fig. 147. — Benedict Arnold, the Traitor. peared to cast upon him. General Washington appointed a board of officers, OT which Greene was president, and La Fayette, Steuben, and others^ were mem- bers, to inouire into the case of Major Andre, and to report in what character he was to be considered, and what punishment he deserved. Even during the short time that Andre was in the power of the Americans, and notwithstanding the unhappy circumstances in wliich he was placed, his behavior and talents made a highly favorable impression on their minds ; and when brought before •he board, the members behaved toward him with the utmost respect and delicacy, and told him not to answer any questions that might embarrass his feelings But in that crisis of his fate, Andre magnanimously disregarded everything but his honor. He gave a candid recital of circumstances, concealing nothing that regarded himself; but making no disclosures to inculpate others. He acknowl- edged everything that was reckoned essential to his condemnation, and the ■^Dard of general officers to whom his case was referred, without calling any «vitnes^es, considered merely that he had been within their lines in disguise, and reported that in their opinion Major Andre was a spy, and ought to suffer death. The sentence was ordered to be carried into execution on the day after it was declared. The apprehension of Major Andre excited a lively sensation in the British army, which felt a strong interest in his fate ; for he was dear to all his com- panions in arms, and especially to the commander-in-chief, who immediately, by a flag of truce, opened a correspondence with General Washington, and urged every consideration of justice, policy, and humanity, in favor of Andre. Find- ing his letters ineffectual, he despatched General Robertson to confer with Gen- eral Washington on the subject, or with any officer whom he might appoint. He was met by General Greene : but no mitigation of the doom could be pro- cured. On the day before his execution. Major Andre wrote an affecting letter to General Washington, requesting to be put to death like a soldier, and not as a malefactor ; but the board of general officers, to whom everything respecting him was referred, did not grant his request. The 2d of October closed the tragical scene : on that day the major was led out and hanged, supporting his high character to the last moment. He stiffered amid the admiration and regrets even of the American officers ; while his death was deeply lamented in the Brivish army. He was a young man of an amiable character, engaging man- oero, and fine talents and acquirements. By a striking comb^ ition of circum- J50 ' THE PICTORIAL HISTORY stances, he was led to an end of '.vhich he was wholly unworthy. Sir Henry Clinton made every effort to save him, but the Americans were inexorable. Even Arnold had the effrontery to write to General Washington on the occa- sion, attesting such facts as he believed favorable to Andre. But what reliance could be placed on the testimony of a mar capable of such foul treason ? He also threatened the general, and reminded him that many of the inhabitants of South Carolina had rendered themselves liable to military execution. Arnold endeavored to vindicate his conduct by pleading hostility to the alli- ance with France ; and he attempted to induce others to imitate his example ; but no plea can justify his attempt to employ the power committed to him for the ruin of those who had trusted him ; some of whom, perhaps, had been encour- aged by his example and excitement to take up arms against the British author- ity. The name of Arnold must go down to posterity loaded wdth all the infamy of a traitor : and it were for the honor of human nature, and the common ad- vantage of nations, if all governments would unite in manifesting their detesta- tion of such villanies. After the melancholy event now related, no military transactions of much im- portance were carried on in the north during the remainder of the campaign. On the 21st of November, indeed. Major Talmadge performed a brilliant exploit of desultory warfai-e. Being informed that the British had a large magazine of forage at Coram, on Long Island, protected by a small garrison at Fort St. George on South Haven in its vicinity, he crossed the sound where it Avas upward of 20 miles broad; and, with neai'ly 100 men, surprised the fort; made the garrison, upward of 50 in number, prisoners; burnt the magazines at Coram; and, escaping the British cruisers, recrossed the sound without losing a man. On the other hand, Major Carleton, at the head of a thousand men, Europeans, Indians, and loyalists, made a sudden irruption into the northern parts of the state of New York, took the forts Anne and George, and made the garrisons pris- oners At the same time. Sir John Johnston, at the head of a body of a similar description, appeared on the Mohawk. Several smart skirmishes were fought. But both of those parties were obliged to retire, laying waste the country through which they passed. On the approach of winter both armies went into winter quarters. General Washington stationed the Pennsylvania line near Morristown ; the Jersey line, about Pompton, on the confines of New York and New Jersey ; the troops of New England, in West Point and its vicinity, on both sides of the North river ; and the troops of New York remained at Albany, whither they had been sent to oppose the invasion of Carleton and Johnston. Toward the close of the year, an agreement for an exchange of prisoners was entered into between General Philips and General Lincoln. The former had been an American prisoner since the convention of Saratoga, and the latter in the power of the British since the surrender of Charleston. Hitherto congress had shown no forwardness to enter into arrangements for a general exchange of pris- oners. That body was aware of the great expense of recruiting the British army from Europe ; and of the slender accession of strength which, owing to short enlistments, their own military force would derive from a release of pris- oners. They considered a general exchange unfavorable to their cause ; but many of their regular troops had fallen into the hands of the British, by the capit- ulation of Charleston, and the defeat of Gates at Camden. The complaints of the prisoners and of their friends were loud ; and congress agreed to a general ex- change : but the convention troops of Saratoga were detained prisoners till the •^nd of the war. Let us now return to the southern states. After the battle of Camden, Corn- wallis was unable to follow up the victory with his usual activity. His little irrav OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 351 iras diminished by the sword and by disease. He had not brought with him from Chaileston the stores necessary for an immediate pursuit of the enemy; and he did not deem it expedient to leave South Carolina till he had suppressed that spirit of resistance to his authority which had extensively manifested itself in the province. In order to consummate, as he thought, the subjugation of the sjate, he resorted to measures of ^reat severity. He seemed to forget that many of the inhabitants had been received as prisoners-of-war on parole ; that, with- out their consent, their parole had been discharged ; and that, merely by a proc- lamation, they had been declared British subjects, instead of prisoners-of-war. In a few days after the battle of Camden, when Cornwallis thought the coun- try was lying prostrate at his feet, he addressed the following letter to the com- mandant of the British garrison at Ninety-Six : " I have given orders that all the inhabitants of tbis province who have subscribed, and taken part in the re- volt, should be punished with the utmost rigor ; and also those who will not -urn out, that they may be imprisoned, and their whole property taken from them or destroyed. I have also ordered that compensation should be made out of these estates to the persons who have been injured or oppressed by them. I have ordered, in the most positive manner, that every militiaman who has borne arms with us, and afterward joined the enemy, shall be immediately hanged. I desire you will take the most vigorous measures to punish the rebels in the dis- trict you command, and that you obey, in the strictest manner, the directions I have given in this letter relative to the inhabitants of the country." Similar orders were given to the commanders of other posts. In any circumstances, such orders given to officers, often possessing little knowledge, and as little prudence or humanity, could not fail to produce calami- tous effects. In the case under consideration, where all the worst passions of the heart were irritated and inflamed, the consequences were lamentable. The orders were executed in the spirit in which they were given. Numbers of per- sons were put to death : many were imprisoned, and their property was destroy- ed or confiscated. The country was covered with blood and desolation, rancoi and grief. Women and children were turned out of doors, and often slaughtered, and their houses and substance consumed. The prisoners on parole thought ihey had a clear right to take arms ; for from their parole they had been released by the proclamation of the 20lh of June, which, indeed, called them to the duty of subjects, a condition to which they had never consented ; and therefore they reckoned that they had as good a right to resume their arms as the British commander had to enjoin their allegiance. The case of those who had taken British protections, in the full persuasion thai they were to be allowed to live peaceably on their estates, but who, on findiuo that they must fight on one side or other, had repaired to the standards of their country, was equally hard. Deception and violence were practised against both. So long as the struggle appeared doubtful, the colonists met with fair promises and kind treatment ; but at the moment when resistance seemed hopeless, and obedience necessary, they were addressed in the tone of authority, heard stern commands and bloody threatenings, and received harsh usage. Hence the province, which for some time presented the stillness of peace, again put on the ruthless aspect of war. A number of persons of much respectability remained prisoners-of-war in Charleston, since the capitulation of that town ; but, after the battle of Camden, Cornwallis ordered them to be carried out of the province. Accordingly, early in the morning of the 27th of August, some of the principal citizens of Charles- ton were taken out of bed, put on board a guard-ship, and soon afterward trans- ported to St, Augustine. They remonstrated with Lieutenant-Colonel Balfour 352 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY the commandant of Charleston, but experienced only the insolence of authority from that officer. While Cornwallis endeavored, by severe measures, to break the spirits of the people, and to establish the royal authority in South Carolina, he did not lose sight of his ulterior projects. He sent emissaries into North Carolina to excite the loyalists there, and to assure them of the speedy march of the British army into that province. On the 8th of September he left Camden, and toward the end of the month arrived at Charlotte town, in North Carolina ; of which place he took possession after a slight resistance from some volunteer cavalry under Colonel Davie. Though symptoms of opposition manifested themselves at Charlotte, yet he advanced toward Salisbury, and ordered his militia to cross the Yadkin. But Cornwallis was suddenly arrested in his victorious career by an unexpected disaster. He made every exertion to i Jy the well-affected inhabitants of the country, and to form them into a British militia. For that purpose he employed Major Ferguson, of the 71st regiment, an officer of much merit, with a small detachment, in the district of Ninety-Six, to train the loyal- ists, and to attach them to his own party. From the operations of that officer he expected the most important services. Ferguson executed his commission with activity and zeal ; collected a large number of loyalists, and committed great depredations on the friends of indepen- dence in the back settlements. When about to return to the main army in tri- umph, he was detained by one of those incidents which occasionally occur in war, and influence the course of events and the destiny of nations. A Colonel' Clarke of Georgia, who had fled from that province on its reduction by Camp- bell in 1779, had retired to the north waid ; and, having collected a number of followers in the Carolinas, he returned to his native province, at the head of about 700 men ; and, while Cornwallis was marching from Camden to Charlotte town, attacked the British post at Augusta. Lieutenant-Colonel Brown, who commanded at that place with a garrison of about 150 provincials, aided by some friendly Indians, finding the town untenable, retired toward an eminence on the banks of the Savannah, named Garden Hill. But the enemy occupied it before his arrival : by bringing his artillery, however, to bear upon them, after a des- perate conflict, he succeeded in dislodging them and in gaining possession of the hill, but with the loss of his cannon. There Clarke besieged him, till in- formed of the near approach of a British detachment from Ninety-Six, under Colonel Cruger. He then retreated, abandoning the cannon which he had ta- ken; and, though pursued, effected his escape. Notice was instantly sent to Ferguson of Clarke's retreat, and of his route ; and high hopes of intercepting him were entertained For that purpose Ferguson remained longer in those parts, and approached nearer the mountains, than he would otherwise have done. As he had collected about 1 ,500 men, he had no apprehension of any force as- sembling in that quarter able to embarrass him. Meanwhile the depredations committed by Ferguson exasperated many of the inhabitants of the country, some of whom, fleeing across the Allegany mountains gave their western brethren an alarming account of the evils with which they were threatened. Those men, living in the full enjoyment of that independence Tor which the Atlantic states were struggling, resolved to keep the war at a dis- tance from their settlements. The hardy mountaineers of the western parts of Virginia and North Carolina assembled under Colonels Campbell, Shelby. Cleveland, and Sevier. Other parties, under their several leaders, hastened to join them. They were all mounted, and unencumbered with baggage. Each man had his blanket, knapsack, and rifle ; and set out in quest of Ferguson, equipped in the same manner as when they hunted the wild beasts of the forest. At jiight the earth afforded them a bed, and the heavens a covering ; the flowing 3i»4 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY stream quenched their thirst ; their guns, their knapsacks, or a few cattle driven in their rear, supplied them with food. Their numbers made them formidahle, and the rapidity of their movements rendered it difficult to escape them. They amounted to nearly 3,000 men. On hearing of their approach, Ferguson began to retreat toward Charlotte, and sent messengers to Cornwallis to apprize him of his danger. But the mes- sengers were iniercepted ; and the earl remained ignorant of the perilous situ- ation of his detachment. In the A'icinity of Gilbert town, the Americans, ap- prehensive of Ferguson's escape, selected 1,000 of their best riflemen, mounted them on their fleetest horses, and sent them in pursuit. Their rapid movements rendered his retreat impracticable ; and Ferguson, sensible that he would inevi- tably 1)6 overtaken, chose his ground on King's mountain, on the confines of North and South Carolina, and waited the attack. On the 7th of October the Americans came up with him. Campbell had the command ; but his authority was merely nominal, for there was little military order or subordination in the attack. They agreed to divide their forces, in order to assail Ferguson from different quarters ; and the divisions were led on by Colonels Cleveland, Shelby, Sevier, and Williams. Cleveland, who conduct- ed the party which began the attack, addressed his men as follows : — " My brave fellows ! we have beaten the tories, and we can beat them. When engaged, you are not to wait for the word of command from me. I will show you by my example how to fight ; I can undertake no more. Every man must consider himself an officer, and act on his own judgment. Though repulsed, do not run off; return, and renew the combat. If any of you are afraid, you have not only leave to withdraw, but are requested to do so." Cleveland instantly began the attack ; but was soon compelled to retire before the bayonet. But Ferguson had no time to continue the pursuit : for Shelby came forward from an unexpected quarter, and poured in a destructive fire, Ferguson again resorted to the bayonet, and was again successful. Bui at that moment, Campbell's division advanced on another side, and a new battle began. Campbell, like his comrades, was obliged to retreat. But Cleveland had now rallied his division, and advanced anew to the combat. The royalists wheeled, and met this returning assailant. In this way there was an unremitting succes- sion of attacks for about fifty minutes. Ferguson obstinately defended himself, and repulsed every assailant ; but at last he fell mortally wounded ; and the second in command, seeing the contest hopeless, surrendered. Ferguson and 150 of his men lay dead on the field ; as many were wounded ; nearly 700 laid down their arms ; and upward of 400 escaped. Among the prisoners the num- ber of regular British soldiers did not amount to 100. The Americans lost about twenty men, who were killed on the field, and they had many wounded, fhey took 1,500 stand of arms. Major Ferguson's position was good ; but the hill abounded with wood, and afforded the Americans, who were all riflemen, an opportunity of fighting in their own way, and of firing from behind trees. The Americans hanged ten of their prisoners on the spot, pleading the guilt or the individuals who suffered, and the example of the British, who had execu- ted a greater number of Americans. Those rude warriors, whose enterprise was the spontaneous impulse of their patriotism or revenge, who acknowledged no superior authority, and who were guided by no superior counsels, having achieved their victory and attained their object, dispersed and returned home Most of the prisoners were soon after released. The ruin of Ferguson's detachment, from which so much had been expected, was a severe blow to Cornwallis : it disconcerted his plans, and prevented his progress northward. On the 14th of October, as soon after obtaining certain nformal.'on of the fall of Major Ferguson as the array could be put in motion, he l)V THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 35^ Fig. 149. — Death of Ferguson. left Charlotte, where Ferguson was to have met him, and began his reireai toward South Carolina. In that retrograde movement the army suffered severely ; for several days it rained incessantly ; the roads were almost impassable ; the soldiers had no tents, and at night encamped in the woods in an unhealthy climate. The army was ill supplied with provisions : sometimes the men had beef, but no bread ; at other times bread, but no beef. Once they subsisted during five days on Indian corn collected as it stood in the fields. Five ears were the daily allowance of two men ; and it seemed as if the hand of Provi- dence was about to requite them for the murderous barbarities they had in- flicted on inoffensive women and children In these trying circumstances, the American loyalists who had joined the royal standard were of great service ; but their services were ill requited, and several of them, disgusted by the abusive language, and even blows, which they received from some of the officers, left the army for ever. At length the troops passed the Catawba, and on the 29th of October reached Wynnesborough, an intermediate station between Camden and Ninety Six. During those movements of the British army, the Americans were not idle. Defeated, but not subdued, they were active in preparing to renew the struggle. After the defeat and dispersion of his army at Camden, General Gates fled to Charlotte, eighty miles from the field of battle. There he halted, to collect the straggling fugitives, and to endeavor, from the wreck of his discomfited army, to form a force with which he might check or impede the advancing foe. He was soon joined by Generals Smallwood and Gist, and about 150 dispirited oflicer» and soldiers. Most of the militia who escaped returned home ; and Genera; Caswell was ordered to assemble those of the neighboring counties. Majoi Anderson, of the third Maryland regiment, who had collected a number of fugi- tives not far from the field of battle, proceeded toward Charlotte by easy marches* in order to give stragglers time to join him. But as Charlotte was utterly inde JVI THE PICTORIAL HISTORY lensible, and as no barrier lay between it and the enemy, General Ga^es retreattj to Salisbury , and sent Colonel Williams, accompanied by another officer, on the road leading to Cainden, to gain information of the movements of Cornwallis, and to direct such stragglers as he met to hasten to Salisbury. From Salis- bury General Gates, proceeded to Hillsborough, where he intended to assemble an army with which he might contend for the southern provinces. At Hillsborough every exertion was made to collect and organize a military force ; and ere long General Gates was again at the head of 1,400 men. Even befoie the royal army entered North Carolina, that state had called out the sec- ond division of its militia, under Generals Davidson and Sumner ; and hey were joined by the volunteer cavalry under Colonel Davie. When Cornwallis entered Charlotte, General Gates ordered General Small- wood to take post at the fords of the Yadkin, in order to dispute the passage of the river ; and Morgan, who had often distinguished himself by his courage and activity, and who had joined the southern army with the rank of brigadier- general, was employed with a light corps to harass the enemy. When Cornwallis retreated, General Gates advanced to Charlotte ; he sta- tioned General Smallwood farther down the Catawba on the road to Camden, and ordered General Morgan to some distance in his front. Such was the po- sition of the troops when General Gates was superseded in the command of the southern army. On the 5th of October, congress passed a resolution, requiring the command- er-in-chief to order a court of inquiry into the conduct of Major-General Gates, as commander of the southern army ; and to appoint another officer to that com- mand till such inquiry should be made. The order of congress to inquire into the conduct of General Gates was dissatisfactory to the best American officers • it was afterward dispensed with, and Gates restored to a command in the army. Meanwhile, General Washington recommended Major-General Greene to congress, as a person qualified to command the southern army. Nathaniel Greene, a native of Rhode Island, was brought up among the quakers, but was cast out of their society when he joined the army. He was in camp when General Washington took the command before Boston ; and, by his activity, in- trepidity, anl good conduct, gained the confidence of the commander-in-chief m a high degre e, who recommended him as an officer in whose ability, fortitude, and integrity, he could trust. Writing on the subject to Mr. Matthews, a dele- gate of South Carolina, he said : " I think I am giving you a general ; but what can a general do without men, without arms, without clothes, without stores, without provisions ?" Greene did not discredit the recommendation of his superior, nor disappoint the hopes of his country. In his progress south- ward, he visited the governors and legislatures of the states through which he passed ; but in some parts of the country found the people so hostile, that ne was not without apprehensions of personal danger. On the 2d of December. General Greene arrived at Charlotte, and informed General Gates of his commission. That was the first official notice which General Gates received of his removal from the command of the southern army. Ne.\t day Gates resigned the command of the army with becoming dignity and patriotism, and Greene behaved toward him witn the most polite attention. In a few hours after General Greene entered on his command, he received the report of one of Morgan's foraging parties, not far from Camden. The party advanced to the vicinity of tne British posts at Clermont, which was viewed by Colonel Washington, who siw that it was too strong to be taken by small arms and cavalry, the only weapons and force present ; he therefore had recourse to stratagem. Having made an imposing show of part of his men, and having placed the trunk of a pine-tree in such a situation as, at a distance, to have the OF THE AMERICAN Kh. v'OLUTION. 357 appearance of a cannon, he summoned the post to surrender, and it )rielded without firing a shot. The militia-Colonel Rugely and 112 men whom he had collected in the place were made prisoners. This event elated General Greene's army, and was considered by them as a good omen of success under their new leader. General Greene's situation was embarrassing : his army was feeble, consist- ing, on the 8th of December, of 2,029 infantry, of whom 1,482 were in camp and 547 in detachments ; 821 were continentals, and 1,208 were militia. Be- sides these there were 90 cavalry, 60 artillerymen, and 128 continentals on extra service, constituting in all a force of 2,307 men. In North Carolina there were many loyalists, and hostilities were carried on between them and their republican neighbors with the most rancorous animosity. They pursued, plundered, and massacred each other with the ruthless fury of beasts of prey ; and, even without the presence of contending armies, threatened, by their mutual violence, to render the province a scene of carnage and devasta- tion. The country was thinly inhabited, and abounded in woods and swamps. The cultivated parts were laid waste by hostile factions, and no magazines for the army were provided. The troops were almost naked, and General Greene was obliged to procure subsistence for them day by day : yet, in these circum- stances, he was expected instantly to drive the British from the southern prov- inces. He was sensible that everything depended on public opinion, and felt the difficulty of at once preserving the good will and promoting the interests of the people. He was well aware that by rushing into precipitate measures he might gain their momentary approbation, but would ruin their cause. After ma- turely considering all circumstances, he resolved to divide his forces and cann- on a desultory warfare. In order to repress some irregularities which had been practised in the army, he was obliged to have recourse to severity, and succeeded in establishing more exact discipline than had been formerly enforced. At a very early period of his command he received a letter from Cornwallis, complaining of the treat'^ ment of the prisoners taken at King's mountain, and stating that he had found himself obliged to make some retaliation. General Greene replied that he was too much a stranger to the transaction at King's mountain to reply fully on that point ; but alleged that the excesses at that place must have been committed by volunteers independent of the army, and that what had been done there was only in imitation of the example set by Cornwallis himself. He also com- plained of the transportation of the inhabitants of Charleston to St. Augustine, as a violation of the articles of capitulation. This epistolary correspondence was soon succeeded by more active opera- tions. General Greene found that he could not long remain at Charlotte, for the country between that place and Camden, having been traversed by the contend- ing armies, was quite exhausted. In order, therefore, to procure subsistence for his troops, as well as to distract and harass the enemy, the American general though full aware of the danger of such a measure, felt himself constrained to divide his little army. General Morgan had been invested with the command of the light troops by General Gates ; and General Greene placed him at the head of one of the di- visions of his army, consisting of nearly 400 infantry under Lieutenant-Colonel Howard, 170 Virginia riflemen under Major Triplett, and 80 light dragoons un- der Lieutenant-Colonel Washington. With this small force Morgan was sent to the south of the Catawba to observe the British at Wynnesborough and Cam- den, and to shift for himself, but was directed to risk as little as possible. On the 25th of December he took a position toward the western frontier of South Carolina, not far from the confluence of the Pacolet and Broad rivers, and about 358 THE PICTORIAJ. HISTORY fifty miles northwest from Wynnesborough. With the other division of his army General Greene left Charlotte on the 20th of the same month ; and, on the 29th, arrived at Hick's corner, on the east side of the Pedee, opposite the Cheraw hills, about seventy miles northeast from Wynnesborough, where he remained some time. He marched to that place in the hope of finding more plentiful subsistence for his troops ; but his difficulties in that respect were not much di- minished, for the country was almost laid waste by the cruel feuds of the hos- tile factions. General Morgan did not long remain inactive. On the 27th of December he detached Colonel Washington with his dragoons a-^d 200 militia, who next day marched forty miles, surprised a body of loyalists at Ninety-Six, killed or wounded 150 of them, and took forty prisoners, without sustaining any loss. At that time Morgan was joined by Major M'Dowal with 200 North Carolina, and by Colonel Pickens with 70 South Carolina militia. The British were assailed not only with the force under Greene and Morgan, but were also obliged to watch other adversaries not less active and enterpri- sing. Sumpter had been defeated by Tarleton on the 18th of August, and his followers dispersed : but that daring and indefatigable partisan did not long remain quiet. He was soon again at the head of a considerable band, and had frequent skirmishes with his adversaries. Always changing his position about Enoree, Broad, and Tiger rivers, he infested the British posts in that quarter. On the 12th of November he was attacked at Broad river by Major Wemyss ; but repulsed the party, and made the major prisoner. On the 20th of the same month he was attacked by Colonel Tarleton at Black Stocks near Tiger river : the encounter was sharp and obstinate ; Tarleton was repulsed with loss ; but Sumpter was wounded in the battle, and, being unfitted for active service, his followers dispersed. Sumpter showed much humanity to his prisoners. Al- though Major Wemyss had deliberately hanged Mr. Cusack in Cheraw district, and although he had in his pocket a list of several houses burnt by his orders, yet he met with every indulgence. At Black Stocks the wounded were kindly treated by the Americans, who, although irritated by the sanguinary excesses committed on non-combatants by their cruel opponents, were yet too noble and magnanimous to retaliate. Other partisan chiefs arose, and among them General Marion held a distin- guished place. That gentleman had commanded a regiment in Charleston at the time of the siege ; but having received a wound which fractured his leg, and being incapable of discharging the active duties of his office, he withdrew from the town. He was created a brigadier-general by Governor Rutledge. On the advance of General Gates, having procured a band of followers, he penetrated to the Santee, harassed the British detachments, and discouraged the loyalists. After the defeat of the Americans at Camden, he rescued a party of continental prisoners who were under a British guard. So ill was he provided with arms, that he was obliged to forge the saws of the sawmills into rude swords for his horsemen ; and so scanty was his ammunition, that at times he engaged when he had not three cartridges to each of his party. He secured himself from pur- suit in the recesses of the forest, and in deep swamps. In order to discourage his followers. Major Wemyss burned many houses on the Pedee, Lynch's creek, and Black river, on pretence that their proprietors were followers of Marion : but that severe policy only strengthened the hands of the daring leader ; for despair and revenge made these ruined citizens cleave to his standard. He became so troublesome that Tarleton was sent againsi him, but was unable to bring him to action, Cornwallis impatiently waited the arrival of reinforcements. After the vie- U)ry at Camden, when he was flushed with the sanguine hope, not only of over OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 359 riiiining North Carolina, but of invading Virginia, General Leslie was detached from New York to the southward with a considerable body of troops, and, ac- cording to orders, landed in Virginia, expecting to meet the southern army in that state. On finding himself unable to accomplish his lofty schemes, and obliged to fall back into South Carolina, Cornwallis ordered General Leslie to reimbark and sail for Charleston. He arrived there on the ] 3th of December, and on the 19th began his march with 1,500 men to join Corn- wallis, who resolved to begin offensive operations immediately on the arrival of his reinforcements ; but, in the meantime, alarmed by the movements of Mor- gan for the safety of the British post at Ninety-Six, he detached Lieutenant- Colonel Tarleton with the light and legion infantry, the fusileers or 7th regi- ment, the first battalion of the 71st regiment, 350 cavalry, two field-pieces, and an adequate number of the royal artillery, in all about 1,100 men, with orders to strike a blow at Morgan, and drive him out of the province. As Tarleton'.s force was known to be superior to that under Morgan, no doubt whatever was entertained of the precipitate flight or total discomfiture of the Americans. Meanwhile Cornwalli-s left Wynnesborough, and proceeded toward the north- west, between the Broad and Catawba rivers. General Leslie, who had halted at Camden, in order to conceal from the Americans as long as possible the road which the British army was to take, was now ordered to advance up the Ca- tawba and join the main body on its march. By this route Cornwallis hoped to intercept Morgan if he should escape Tarleton, or perhaps to get between Gen- eral Greene and Virginia, and compel him to fight before the arrival of his ex- pected reinforcements. The British generals, encumbered with baggage and military stores, marching through bad roads, and a country intersected by rivu- lets which were often swollen by the rains, advanced but slowly. Colonel Tarle- ton, howevei, with his light troops, proceeded with great celerity, and overtook Morgan, probably sooner than was expected. On the 14th of January, 1781, General Morgan was informed of the move- ments of the British army, and got notice of the march of Tarleton and of the force under his command. Sensible of his danger, he began to retreat, and crossed the Pacolet, the passage of which he was inclined to dispute ; but, on being told that Tarleton had forded the river six miles above him, he made a pre- cipitate retreat; and at ten at night, on the 16th of January, the British took possession of the ground which the Americans had left a few hours before. Although his troops were much fatigued by several days' hard marching through a difficult country, yet, determined that the enemy should not escape, Tarleton resumed the pursuit at three next morning, leaving his baggage behind under a guard, with orders not to move till break of day. Morgan, though re- treating, was not inclined to flee. By great exertions he might have crossed Broad river, or reached a hilly tract of country before he could have been over- taken. He was inferior to Tarleton in the number of his troops, but more so in their (piality ; as a considerable part of his force consisted of militia, and the British cavalry were three times more numerous than the American. But Mor- gan, who had great confidence both in himself and in his men, was apprehensive of being overtaken before he could pass Broad river, and he chose rather to fight voluntarily than to be forced to a battle. Therefore, having been joined by some militia under Colonel Pickens, he halted at a place called the Cow-Pens, about three miles from the line of separation between North and South Carolina. Be- fore daylight, on the morning of the 17th of January, he was informed of the near approach of Colonel Tarleton, and instantly prepared to receive him. I he ground on which General Morgan halted had no great advantages ; but his dispositions were judicious. On rising ground, in an open wood, he drew ap his continental troops and Triplett's corps, amounting together to nearly 500 36a THE PICTORIAL HISTORY men, under Lieutenant-Colonel Howard. Colonel Washington, with his cavalry' was posted in their rear, behind the eminence, ready to act as occasion mighl require. At a small distance, in front of his continentals, was a line of militia under Colonel Pickens and Major M'Dowell : and 150 yards in front of Pickens was stationed a battalion of North Carolina and Georgia volunteers under Major Cunningham, with orders to give one discharge on the approaching enemy, and then to retreat and join the militia. Pickens was directed, when he could no longer keep his ground, to fall back, with a retreating fire, and form on the right of the continentals. Scarcely were those dispositions made when the British van appeared. Col- onel Tarleton, who had l)een informed by two prisoners of Morgan's position and strength, instantly formed his troops. The light and legion infantry, and the 7th regiment, and a captain with tifty dragoons on each flank, constituted fiis first line ; the first battalion of the 71st regiment and the rest of the cavalry composed the reserve. Formerly Tarleton had succeeded by sudden and im- petuous assaults ; and, entertaining no doubt of speedy and complete victory on the present occasion, he led on his men to the attack with characteristic ardor, even before his troops were well formed. The British rushed forward impetu- ously, shouting and firing as they advanced. The American volunteers, after a single discharge, retreated to the militia under Pickens. The British advanced rapidly, and furiously attacked the militia, who soon gave way, and sought shel- ter in the rear of the continentals. Tarleton eagerly pressed on : but the con- tinentals, undismayed by the retreat of the militia, received him firmly, and an obstinate conflict ensued. Tarleton ordered up his reserve ; and the continental line was shaken by the violence of the onset. Morgan ordered his men to re- treat to the summit of the eminence, and was instantly obeyed. The British, whose ranks were somewhat thinned, exhausted by the previous march and by the struggle in which they had been engaged, and believing the victory won., pursued in some disorder ; but, on reaching the top of the hill, Howard ordered his men to wheel and face the enemy : they instantly obeyed, and met the pur- suing foe with a well-directed and deadly fire. This unexpected and destruc- tive volley threw the British into some confusion, which Howard observing, ordered his men to charge them with the bayonet. Their obedience was as prompt as before ; and the British line was soon broken. About the same mo- ment, Washington routed the cavalry on the British right, who had pursued the fleeing militia, and were cutting them down on the left and even in the rear of the continentals. Ordering his men not to fire a pistol, Washington charged the British cavalry sword in hand. The conflict was sharp, but not of long duration. The British were driven from the ground with considerable loss, and closely pursued. Howard and Washington pressed the advantage which they had gained : many of the militia rallied, and joined in the battle. In a few minutes after the British had been pursuing the enemy, without a doubt of victory, the fortune of the day entirely changed : their artillery-men were killed, their can- non taken, and the greater part of the infantry compelled to lay down their arms. Tarleton with about forty horse, made a furious charge on Washington's cavalry , but the battle was irrecoverably lost, and he was reluctantly obliged to retreat. Upward of 200 of his cavalry, who had not been engaged, fled through the woods with the utmost precipitation, bearing away with them such of the oificers as endeavored to oppose their flight. The only part of the infantry which es- caped, was the detachment left to guard the baggage, which they destroyed when informed of the defeat, and, mounting the wagon and spare horses, hastily retreated to the army. The cavalry arrived in camp in two divisions : one in the evening, with the tidings of their disastrous discomfiture, and the other, un der Tarleton himself, appeared next morning. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 36 Iti this battle the British had ten commissioned officers and upward of 100 privates killed. More than 500 were made prisoners, nearly 200 of whom, in- :duding 29 commissioned officers, were wounded. Two pieces of artillery, two standards, 800 muskets, 35 baggage- wagons, and about 100 horses, fell into the hands of the Americans, whose loss amounted only to twelve men killed, and sixty wounded. The British force under Tarleton has been commonly estimated at 1,100 men, and the American army, as stated by General Morgan, in his of- ficial report to General Greene, written two days after the battle, at only 800. Formerly Tarleton had been successful by the celerity of his movements, and by the impetuosity of his sudden and unexpected attacks, chiefly on raw troops. But at the Cow-Pens he was opposed to an officer as daring as himself, and who was prepared to receive him at the head of a band of veterans. Seldom has a battle in which the number of combatants was so small produced such im- portant consequences ; for the loss of the light infantry not only considerably diminished the force, but also crippled the movements of Cornwallis during the campaign. Cornwallis was at Turkey creek, twenty-five miles from the Cow-Pens, con- fident of the success of his detachment, or at least without the slightest appre- hension of its defeat. He was between Green and Morgan ; and it was a mat- ter of much importance to prevent their junction, and to overthrow the one of them while he could receive no support from the other. For that purpose he had marched up Broad river, and instructed General Leslie to proceed on the banks of the Catawba, in order to keep the Americans in a state of uncertainty concerning the route which he intended to pursue ; but the unex;.fccted defeat of his detachment was an occurrence equally mortifying and perplexing, and nothing remained but to endeavor to compensate the disaster by the rapidity of his movements and the decision of his conduct. He was as near the fords of the Catawba as Morgan ; and flattered himself •-hat, elated with victory and encumbered with prisoners and baggage, that officer might yet be overtaken before he could pass those fords. Accordingly, on the 18th of January he formed a junction with General Leslie, and on the 19ih be- gan his remarkable pursuit of Morgan. In order the more certainly to accom- plish his end, at Ram.sour's Mills he destroyed the whole of his superfluous baggage. He set the example by considerably diminishing the quantity of his own, and was readily imitated by his officers, although some of them suff"ered much less by the measure. He retained no wagons, except those loaded with hospital stores and ammunition, and four empty ones for the accommodation of the sick and wounded. But notwithstanding all his privations and exertions, he ultimately missed his aim ; for General Morgan displayed as much prudence and activity after his victory as bravery in gaining it. Fully aware of his dan- ger, he left behind him, under a flag of truce, such of the wounded as could not be moved, with surgeons to attend them ; and, scarcely giving his men time to breathe, he sent off" his prisoners, under an escort of militia, and followed with his regular troops and cavalry, bringing up the rear in person. He crossed Broad river at the upper fords, hastened to the Catawba, which he reached on ♦he evening of the 28fh, and safely passed it with his prisoners and troops next day ; his rear having gained the northern bank only about two hours before the van of the British army appeared on the opposite side. Much rain had fallen on the mountains a short time before, and it rained in- cessantly during the night. The river rose, and in the morning was impassable. It was two days before the inundation subsided ; and, in that interval, Morgan sent off his prisoners toward Charlotteville in Virginia, under an escort of mili- tia, and they were soon beyond the reach of pursuit. The Americans regarded the swelling of the river with pious gratitude, as an interuosition of Heaven in 36'-2 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY their behalf, and looked forward witli increased confidence to the daj of ultimaie success. General Morgan called for the assistance of the neighboring militia, and pre- pared to dispute the passage of the river ; but, on the 31st of January, while h« lay at Sherwood's ford. General Greene unexpectedly appeared in camp, and took on himself the command. Toward the end of December, General Greene, as already mentioned, took a position at Hick's creek, on the east side of the Pedee ; and had in camp 1,100 continental and state troops fit for service. On the 12th of January he was joined by Colonel Lee's partisan legion, which ar- rived from the north, and consisted of 100 well-mounted horsemen, and 120 in- fantry. This reinforcement was next day despatched on a secret expedition ; and, in order to divert the attention of the enemy from the movements of the le- gion, Major Anderson, with a small detachment^ was sent down the Pedee. On the night of the 24th, Lee surprised Georgetown, and killed some of the gar- rison ; but the greater part fled into the fort, which Lee was not in a condition to besiege. On hearing of Morgan's victory and danger, General Greene's great aim was to effect the junction of his two divisions. Accordingly he called in his detach- ments ; and, leaving the division at Hick's creek, under the command of Gen- eral Huger and Colonel Otho Holland Williams, and accompanied only by one aid-de-camp and two or three mounted militia-men, he set out to meet Morgan, in the persuasion that on the spot he could better direct the movements of the troops than by any written instructif)ns. On his journey he was informed that Cornwallis was in rapid pursuit of Morgan ; lie therefore despatclied instructions to Huger and Williams to march as fast as possible in order to join Morgan's division at Charlotte or Salisbury, as circumstances might permit. After a ride of 150 miles, Greene arrived in Morgan's camp on the 31st. On the evening of the 31st of January, the river had subsided, but the fords were all guarded. Cornwallis, however, resolved to attempt the passage; and, in order to perplex the Americans, made a show of intending to cross at differ- ent points. Colonel Webster with one division of the army, was sent to Seattle's ford to cannonade the enemy on the opposite bank, and make a feint of attempt- ing to force the passage ; but the real attempt was to be made at a [)rivate ford near M'Cowan's. For that purpose the division of the army under the immedi- ate orders of Cornwallis, left their ground at one in the morning of the 1st of February, and arrived at the ford toward dawn of day. The fires on the oppo- site bank showed the British commander that the ford, though a private one, was not neglected. General Davidson, with 300 militia, had been sent on the preceding evening to guard it ; and was directed by General Greene to post his men close by the side of the river ; he, however, stationed only a small party on the bank, while the rest were encamped at some distance. Although Cornwallis perceived that he would meet with opposition, yet he determined to force the passage. The river was about 500 yards wide, three feet deep, and the stream rapid. The light infantry of the guards, under Colonel Hall, accompanied by a guide, first entered the ford : they were followed by the grenadiers, who were succeeded by the battalions ; the men inoving ia platoons, in order to support each other against the rapidity of the current. When near the miildle of the river, they were challenged by an American sentinel, who. receiving no answer, after challenging thrice, gave the alarm by firing his mus- ket. The party on the bank instantly turned out, and began to fire in the line of the ford. On the first discharge the guide fled, and Colonel Hall, ignorant of the direction of the ford, led his men straight across the river. This carried the column considerably above the termination of the ford, and consequently ti>ok them out of the line of the American fire, which, in the darkness of th« OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 363 morning, was kept up in the direction of the ford, and fell diagonally on the rear of the grenadiers. As soon as Davidson perceived the direction of the British column, he led his men to the point where it was about to land. But, before he arrived, the light infantry had overcome all difficulties, and vvere ascending the bank and formiuij. While passing the river, in obedience to orders, they reserved their tire, and, on gaining the bank, soon put the militia to flight. Davidson was the last to retreat, and, on mounting his horse to retire, he received a mortal wound. The defeat of Davidson opened the passage of the river. All the American parties retreated, and on the same day the rest of the British army crossed at Beattie's ford. Tarleton, with the cavalry and the 23d regiment, was sent in pursuit of the militia ; and being informed on his march that the neighboring militia were assembling at Tarrant's tavern, about ten miles distant, he hastened with the cavalry to that place. About 500 militia were assembled, and seemed not unprepared to receive him. He attacked them, and soon defeated and dis- persed them with considerable slaughter, and the British army received no fur- ther trouble from the militia till it passed the Yadkin. General Greene now retreated and marched so rapidly that he passed the Yadkin at the trading ford on the night between the 2d and 3d of February, partly by fording and partly by means of boats and flats. So closely was he pursued that the British van was often in sight of the American rear ; and a sharp conflict happened not far from the ford, between a body of American riflemen and the advanced guard of the British army, when the latter obtained possession of a few wagons. General Greene secured all the boats on the south side : and here it again happened as at the Catawba ; the river suddenly rose, by reason of the preceding rains, and the British were unable to pass. This second escape by the swelling of the waters was interpreted by the Americans as a visible interposition of Heaven in their behalf, and inspired them with a lofty enthusiasm in that cause which seemed to be the peculiar care of Omnipotence. The river being unfordable, and still continuing to rise, all the boats being removed, and the weather appearing unsettled, Cornwallis resolved to march up the south bank of the Yadkin about twenty-five miles up to the shallow fords near its source, which are commonly passable. General Greene, released from the immediate pressure of his pursuers, continued his march northward, and on the 7th of February joined his division under Huger and Williams near Guilford courthouse. Thus Cornwallis missed his first aim, which was, to recover the prisoners, to retaliate the blow which Morgan had given at the Cow-Pens, to pre- vent the junction of the two divisions of the American army, and to overwhelm one or both of them. General Greene's army was inferior to the force under Cornwallis ; and therefore the British general deemed it important to get between Virginia and General Greene, and to compel him to fight before he was strengthened by his expected reinforcements. Accordingly, although his army was without tents, and, like the Americans, obliged to subsist on what it could hastily procure in a rapid march, he resolved not to abandon the pursuit of the enemy. General Greene's infantry amounted to 2,000 men, and he had between 200 and 300 cavalry ; but his equipments were greatly inferior to those of the Brit- ish. He believed Cornwallis to have upward of 2,500 men, and he therefore determined to avoid a battle if possible. His aim was to retire into Virginia , that of Cornwallis was to prevent the execution of that movement, and to fight che Americans without delay. The river Dan, the largest and most southern branch of the Roanoke, separ- ates North Carolina from Virginia : and the British general was mformed thai i64 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY the lower fords of that river were impassable in winter ; that the ferries were distant from each other ; and that no sufficient number of boats or flats could be collected at any one ferry to transport the American arniy in a convenient time. He reasonably concluded that if he could prevent General Greene from passing the upper fords, he might overtake and overwhelm him before he could cross at the lower ferries. Dix's ferry, about fifty miles from Guildford courthouse, was in the direct road to Virginia ; but the British were as near it as the Americans, and it waa impossible to bring up boats from the lower ferries against the rapid current of the river to transport the Americans before the arrival of the British. That route, therefore, was abandoned as impracticable. But there are two other fer- ries, Boyd's and "■'wins, only four miles distant from each other, considerably farther down the i ver, and about seventy miles from Guildford courthouse. The Americans were nearest those ferries by about twenty-five miles, the whole distance between the two armies ; and consequently, in that direction, they had by so much the start of their pursuing enemies. Besides, all the boats at Dix's and the intermediate ferries could easily be conducted down the stream to Boyd's and Irwin's. An officer, therefore, with a few men, was instantly despatched to perform that service. In order to cover his retreat, and to check the pursuing enemy, General Greene formed a light corps out of Lee's legion, Howard's infantry, Washing- ton's cavalry, and some Virginia riflemen under Major Campbell, amounting to 700 men, the flower of the southern army. As General Morgan was severely indisposed, the command of these light troops was given to Colonel Otho Hol- land Williams. Having refreshed his troops, and made the necessary arrangements, on the morning of the 10th of February, General Greene left Guildford courthouse on nis march toward the Dan ; and was pursued by Cornwallis, who had been de- tained by the long circuit which he was obliged to make in order to pass the Yadkin. The retreat and pursuit were equally rapid ; but the boldness and activity of the American light troops compelled the British to march compactly and with caution ; for on one occasion Colonel Lee charged the advanced cav- alry of the British army suddenly and furiously, killed a number, and made some prisoners. General Greene's precautions and preparations for passing the Dan were successful ; and on the 14th of February, he crossed that river at Boyd's and Irwin's ferries, with his army, baggage, and stores. Although his light troops had marched forty miles that day, yet the last of them had scarcely reached the northern bank, when the advanced guard of the British army ap- peared on the other side of the river. The escape of General Greene into Virginia, without a battle, and without any loss, except a few wagons at the Yadkin, was a severe disappointment to Cornwallis. The pursuit was at an end, and the Americans safe ; for the river was deep, all the boats were removed from the south side, and the American army was posted on the opposite bank ; General Greene's prudence and activity having accomplished what was deemed impracticable. In this retreat and pursuit of more than 200 miles, both armies endured exces- sive fatigue and hardships. Want of tents, bad roads, heavy rains, swollen riv- ulets, and scarcity of provisions, were privations and sufferings common to each. The men were often thoroughly wetted, without any means of drying them- selves till the moisture was evaporated by the heat of their bodies. The in- clement season of the year aggravated their sufferings. But under these trials the British soldiers had great advantages, for they were provided with shoes, and comfortably clothed. But the Americans were in rags, and many of them barefooted : the blood flowing from the gashes in their naked feet marked theii OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 365 hne of march. Yet both armies bore all with patient fortitude and without a rtiuraiur. The Americans did not lose a single sentinel by desertion. Cornwallis entirely failed in his attempts against General Greene ; but he was consoled by the reflection that he had completely driven the enemy out of North Carolina, and that now there was nothing to hinder the loyal inhabitants from openly espousing his cause and reinforcing his army. By easy marches he fell back to Hillsborough, where, on the 20th of the month, he erected tho royal standard, and called on the people to join his army, and assist him in re storing order and constitutional government in the country. Originally in North Carolina, the loyalists were more numerous than in any of the other colonies ; but unsuccessful insurrections had considerably cooled their zeal and diminished their ninubers. Some had left the province, and joined the royal army in South Carolina ; and many, rendered cautious by experience, resolved to watch the course of events, and not rashly to expose their lives and fortunes in a doubtful and hazardous cause. Considerable numbers, however, determined to encounter every risk, and made preparations for repairing to the royal standard. But those proceedings were soon checked ; for General Greene, aware of the inclinations of many of the people, on the 18th sent Lee's legion across the Dan, into North Carolina, to watch the royal army, counteract the proclamation, and intimidate the loyalists ; and, being reinforced by 600 Vir- ginia militia, under General Stevens, on the 21st and 22d of February he re- passed the river with his whole army, and advanced toward the British encamp- ment. In order to perplex and harass Cornwallis, and to discourage the loyal- ists, he sent forward his light troops to hover round the British quarters ; while, with his main body, he proceeded slowly, by the route most favorable for form- ing a junction with some North Carolina and Virginia militia who were return- ing from a war with the Chcrokees. With the force then under his command, he had no intention of hazarding a general action ; but he knew that his pres ence in the province would overawe the loyalists, and encouraged the friends of congress. Cornwallis was indefatigable in exciting to arms the adherents of royal gov- ernment. In one day he imbodied seven independent companies ; and consid- erable numbers were assembling in order to join his army. Colonel Tarleton, with part of the legion, was detached over the Haw river, to protect and conduct to camp a body of loyalists who had agreed to meet at O'Neil's plantation. Gen- eral Pickens and Colonel Lee got notice of Tarleton's movements and design, and concerted measures for attacking him and frustrating his intentions. Lee, with his cavalry, was to fall upon Tarleton ; while Pickens, with his militia, was to disperse the loyalists. On the evening of the 25th the loyalists were paraded in a lane leading to O'Neil's house, when Lee entered it with his cavalry. At first he mistook them for Pickens's militia, who, he imagined, had reached the place before him. They were equally in error with respect to him. They mistook his cavalry for Tarleton's. Lee, however, on ob- serving the red rag on their hat, the badge of loyalty, soon became sensible of their real character ; but he resolved to pass on toward Tarleton, leaving the to- ries to Pickens. That officer with his militia soon came up : a firing between him and the loyalists immediately began ; and Lee, perceiving that Tarleton, who was within a mile, would be alarmed, and could not now be surprised, in- stantly wheeled and fell upon the astonished loyalists, who, as he was cutting them down, exclaimed that they were the king's best friends. On hearing the firing, Tarleton, who was refreshing his men about a mile from the bloody scene, instantly mounted, recrossed the Haw, and hastened to Hillsborough. Ho met some loyalists on their way to camp, and, mistaking diem for provincial militia, put them to the sabre. Thus these unfortunate per 366 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY sons were massacred equally by those whom they came to assist and those whom they meant to oppose. General Greene recrossing the Dan, and the massacre of Colonel Pyle's corps, disconcerted the measures of Cornwallis, aud so completely intimidated the loyal inhabitants that few of them afterward re- paired to the royal standard. The country about Hillsborough, having been traversed by both armies, was nearly exhausted ; and it was obvious that the royal army could not long remain at that place. Although Cornwallis, in his proclamation, had allowed forty days to the loyal inhabitants to come in, yet, on the 27th of February, only six days after issuing the proclamation, he found it expedient to decamp from Hillsborough. He passed the Haw, a branch of Cape Fear river, and took a position on Alla- manee creek, in order to procure provisions for his troops, and to protect the numerous loyal inhabitants residing between the Haw and Deep river. As Cornwallis retreated, General Greene advanced, passed the northerm branch of the Haw, and encamped between Troublesome creek and Ready Fork. He assumed a confident air, although he did not yet feel himself strong enough to hazard a battle ; and, in order to avoid a surprise, he changed his ground every night, without disclosing to any person beforehand the new position which he intended to take. In his difficult and critical movement to check an enemy whom he durst not encounter, and to maintain positions favorable to a junction with his expected reinforcements. General Greene was greatly assisted by an active light infanty and a daring body of cavalry, who penetrated the country in every direction, and so overawed the loyalists that Cornwallis found it difficult to procure information on which he could rely. After several movements the American light troops and some militia took post on the branches of Reedy Fork, while General Greene, with his main body, lay at some distance toward Guilford courthouse. Early in the morning of the 6th of March, Cornwallis, under cover of a thick fog, passed the Allamanee, and marched toward Reedy Fork to beat up the quarters of the light troops, and to bring General Greene to a battle if a favorable opportunity presented itself. A sharp encounter ensued, and some loss was sustained on each side. The Ameri- cans retreated, but no important advantage was gained over them. General Greene fell back to the iron-works on Troublesome creek, and Cornwallis re- turned to his station near the quaker's meetinghouse at the forks of Deep river. At length General Greene received all the reinforcements which he expected j therefore he again advanced, and took a position near Guilford courthouse, within about ten miles of the British encampment. On the 13lh of March his army amounted to 4,261 men, including 180 cavalry, under Colonels Washington and Lee. The continental infantry amounted to 1,490. The rest of the army consisted of the Virginia militia, commanded by General Stevens ; and of the North Carolina militia, under Generals Butler and Eaton. Hitherto General Greene had studiously avoided a battle ; but having received all his reinforce m^nts, he now resolved to risk a general engagement. His movements indica ted his intention ; and Cornwallis readily embraced the proffered opportunity of a battle. Accordingly, on the evening of the 14th of March, he sent off his baggage under a proper escort to Bell's mills, on Deep river, and early next morning put his army in motion toward Guilford courthouse. General Greene, who was meditating an attack on the British, had his men prepared for action, when the firing of his advanced parties gave him notice of he approach of the English army. About three miles in front of the Ameri- can encampment, the van of the royal troops, consisting of the cavalry, the light infantry of the guards, and the yagers, under Colonel Tarleton, fell in with the American advanced guard, consisting of Lee's legion, with some riflemen under L^ampbell and Lynch. A severe conflict ensued, and was obstinately maintained OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 3fr; i>n both sides till the appearance of the 23c[ regiment to support Taileton made Lee hastily retreat. During this skirmish General Greene put his army in order of battle, about a mile from Guildford courthouse. The whole country presented the appearance of a vast wilderness covered wiih tall trees and a thick under- wood, interspersed with a few cleared fields. General Greene drew up his army in three lines on a large hill, surrounded by other woody eminences : his first line, composed entirely of the militia of North Carolina, and amounting to 1,060 men, exclusive of officers, under Generals Butler and Eaton, was advanta- geously posted on the edge of the wood, behind a strong rail fence, with an exten- sive open field in front of their centre, through which ran the great road to Salis- bury ; on it, in the centre of the line, were place two field-pieces. The second line, consisting of the two brigades of Virginia militia, amounting to 1,123 men under Generals Stevens and Lawson, was drawn up in the wood, about 300 yards be- hind the first, and on both sides of the great road to Salisbury. The third line, posted about 300 yards behind the second, consisted of the Virginia regular troops under General Huger, on the right, and the Maryland brigade under Colonel Williams on the left: this line was drawn up obliquely, with its left di- verging from the second line, and partly in open ground. Washington, with his cavalry and some riflemen, formed a corps of observation on the right flank ; and Lee's legion, with a body of riflemen under Campbell and Preston, covered the left. The baggage was sent off to the iron-works on Troublesome creek, where the army was ordered to rendezvous in case of defeat. After the rencounter between Lee and Tarleton, Cornwallis continued his march toward the American army ; and as soon as the head of the column ap- peared in sight, it was met by a cannonade from the two six-pounders stationed on the road. The British returned the fire. Cornwallis instantly made his dis- positions for the attack. The 71st regiment, and the regiment of Bosc, led by General Leslie, supported by the first battalion of the guards under Colonel Norton, formed his right wing. The 23d and 33d regiment^, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Webster, supported by the grenadiers and second battalion of the guards under General O'Hara, formed the left. The light infantry of the guards, and the yagers, with the cavalry, formed a corps of observation ; the artillery was in the centre. The British army amounted to upward of 2,000 men. The dispositions having been made, the line was ordered to advance, and it moved forward. When the British were at the distance of 140 yards, the American first line began to fire ; but, although most advantageously posted, many of them, without even firing their loaded muskets or being fired upon, threw down their arms, ran into the woods, and made the best of their way to their respective homes. Few, even of those who remained, gave more than o second discharge ; but, on receiving the fire of the British, they fled precipi- tately, in spite of the eflbrls of their officers to rally them, and sought refuge behind the second line. The British steadily advanced, but experienced more resistance from the Virginia militia than they had done from those of North Carolina. The Virginians maintained the conflict till Stevens, perceiving their inability any longer to withstand the shock, ordered a retreat. That officer, though wounded, did not leave the field. The British suffered considerably in their conflict with the American second line ; but, nevertheless, they advanced uteadily against the continentals under Huger and Williams. The British line was unavoidably a good deal broken by the different degrees of resistance it had experienced at different points, by impediments arising from the thickness of the woods and the inequalities of the ground, and by being extended to the right and left in order to present a front equal to that of the enemy : the whole, however moved on, and the second battalion of the guards, under Colonel Stuart, first reached the open ground on which the greater part of the continentals were 368 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY drawn up ; and, impatient to signalize themselves, impetuously rushed on the second Maryland regiment, which, instead of tirmly meeting the charge, tied in confusion. The guards eagerly pursued them, and took two six-pounders which had been abandoned ; but they were arrested in their progress by a destructive fire from the first Maryland regiment, which threw them into some confusion: at that critical moment Washington's cavalry made a furious charge upon them, and were followed by the first Maryland regiment with fixed bayonets. The guards were completely broken, with much slaughter, and the two field-pieces were retaken ; but, the British advancing both on the right and left, the Ameri- cans in their turn were compelled to retreat, and the two six-pounders were again retaken. These two field-pieces had been lost by the British at Saratoga; they were recovered by Cornwallis at the battle of Camden, were retaken by Morgan at the Cow-Pens, and after changing masters several times on the field of Guildford courthouse, ultimately on that day remained in possession of the British. After a hard-fought battle of nearly two hours, the royal army pre- vailed ; and General Greene was obliged with reluctance to direct a retre-'*.!, which was performed with regularity and good order. After the engagement had ceased on the left and centre of the British line, a firing was still heard on the right, where General Leslie commanded ; it was occasioned by some riflemen, who, availing themselves of the woody nature of the ground, kept up a distant and irregular discharge. Tarleton was sent to dis- perse them, which he accomplished, after receiving a slight wound. The 23d and 71st regiments were sent in pursuit; but, when the British general was fully informed of the circumstances of the day, and of the severe loss which he had sustained, he recalled them. General Greene continued his retreat to Reedy Fork, three miles from the field of battle. After passing the stream he drew up his men, and halted for some time to collect the stragglers, and then retired to Speedwell's iron-works on Troublesome creek, ten miles from Guild- ford courthouse, which was the appointed place of assembling the army in case of discomfiture. This was one of the severest battles in the course of the war. In every en- gagement where General Greene commanded, many of the Americans fought obstinately, and in this action, the Virginia militia fought bravely ; and vStevens's brigade did not retreat till that officer, who had received a ball in his thigh, see- ing his men about to be charged with the bayonet, and sensible that they could not stand such a mode of attack, both from their state of discipline and their want of that weapon, ordered a retreat. A considerable number of the continentals were new levies ; and although much inferior to veteran troops, yet in geneial •hey displayed a good deal of firmness, and part of the American army manifested much bravery. General Greene lost four field-pieces, which were the whole of his artillery, and two wagons. About 300 of the continentals, and 100 of the Virginia militia, were killed or wounded. Among the former was Major Ander- son of the Maryland line, much lamented by his countrymen ; among the latter was General Huger, besides General Stevens. Of the North Carolina militia six were killed and three wounded, and 552 were missing. Of the Virginia militia 294 were missing. Few of the missing wre made prisoners ; they re- turned home, and never rejoined the army ; so that General Greene sustained a great diminution of wumbers. The British lost several valuable officers, and more than a third of the troops engaged in the battle fell. According to the official returns, the loss of the British amounted to 532, of whom 93 were killed on the field, 413 were wound- ed, and 2b were missing. After the battle, the field presented an afflicting spectacle : it was strewed, n> a considerable extent, with the dead and wounded. The victors collected ilio OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 369 wcKinded as soon as, in all the circumstances of the case, they were able ; birt could afford them no adequate assistance, for they were without tents, and there were no houses near to shelter the sufferers. Besides, the troops had marched ?i\ eral miles in the morning, had no provisions for themselves on that day, and ( onsequently could give nothing to their bleeding companions. The succeeding night was extremely dark, and wet, and the piercing shrieks of the dying falling on the ear amid the deep gloom, and under torrents of rain, penetrated every Reeling heart with anguish : but, though melting with compassion, they were un- able to afford even the shadow of relief. Ere morning death rescued many of the miserable sufferers from their pangs. Cornwallis, however, had gained no permanent advantage. His army, which was weak before, was much diminished. He made every possible exertion, and employed all the means at his disposal to the best advantage. After an obstinate conflict, he had dislodged the enemv from an advantageous position, and driven him from the field ; but his embarrassments were not relieved. So far from be- ing able to follow up his victory and pursue General Greene, he was obliged to faH back, although the motives which led to the battle of Guildford courthouse were little Aveakened. The British army was so much diminished, and the diffi- culty of finding subsistence in that part of the country was so great, that on the third day after the battle he began a retreat, leaving a number of the wounded, who could not properly be removed, at the quaker's meetinghouse, under the protection of a flag of truce. The battle of Guildford courthouse may be con- sidered as the first step in a series of movements which terminated in the over- brow of the British power in America. CHAPTER XH. instead of returning to South Carolina, Cornwallis retired to Cross creek, on a branch of Cape Fear river, where there was a friendly settlement of Scottish highianders, and afterward to Wilmington, about 100 miles lower on the same river. Before his departure from Wynnesborough in pursuit of Morgan and Greene, Coriiwallis had directed Colonel Balfour, the commandant of Charles- ton, to send a sufficient force by sea, to take possession of Wilmington in North Carolina, situated near the mouth of Cape Fear river. Balfour intrusted the execHtion of this enterprise to Major Craig, who, about the end of January, en- tered the place after a slight resistance. He carefully fortified himself, and made his post respectable. For the convenience of his sick and wounded, and for procuring subsistence to his army. Cornwallis by easy marches proceeded toward Cross creek, in th& hope that there the troops would be plentifully supplied, and the sick and wound- ed receive that comfortable accommodation and those refreshments of which they stood greatly in need. He arrived at Cross creek about the beginning of A.pril, where he had to encounter new disappointments. Forage for four days could not be procured within twenty miles ; and the communication by water with Wilmington was found impracticable ; for the river is narrow, the banks m many places are high, and the inhabitants of a considerable part of the interve- 24 370 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ning country were extremely hostile. In all these circumstances, Cornwallis was ohliged to proceed toward Wilmington, the vicinity of which place he reached on the 7th of April. There, for a while, we shall leave him, and at- tend to the operations of General Greene. When General Greene took his position at the iron-works on Troublesonie creek, after the battle of Guildford courthouse, he expected that Cornwallis would follow up his advantage, and attack him without delay. He therefore prepared again to fight. His army, indeed, was much diminished ; but he had lost more in numbers than in effective strength. The militia, many of whom had returned home, had shown themselves very inefficient in the field. As soon as he received certain information that, instead of pursuing, Cornwallis was re- treating, he resolved to follow him, and advanced accordingly. On arriving at the quakers' meetinghouse, he found the wounded British and American officers and soldiers who had been left behind ; but he had no means of making any adequate provision for them. In that distressing case. General Greene addressed a letter to the quakers in the vicinity, in which he told them that he had been brought up in their persuasion, and that now they had an opportunity of 'exercising their humanity, without distinction of parties, both to the wounded British and Americans, who without their friendly aid must perish. His appeal was not disregarded ; for the quakers immediately furnished the requisite supplies for the hospital. General Greene, who was now in his turn the pursuer, followed Cornwallis so closely, that skirmishes occasionally happened between his advanced par ties and the rear-guard of the British army : but no conflict of importance en- sued. On the morning of the 28th of March he arrived at Ramsay's mills, on Deep river, a strong post, which the British had evacuated a few hours before, crossing the river by a bridge erected for the purpose. There General Greener paused, and meditated on his future movements. His army had for some time past suffered much from heavy rains, deep roads, and scarcity of provisions. On reaching Ramsay's mills, his men were starving with hunger. The troops were much exhausted, and stood in need of repose and refreshment. Besides, in thai critical state of the campaign, he found himself reduced to a handful of conti- nentals. Most of the North Carolina militia had left the army. The Virginia militia had been called out for six weeks only ; that period was nearly expired and the place of those who were about to return home was not yet filled up by those who were to succeed them. Small as his army was, he found great diffi- culty in procuring subsistence for it. Cornwallis had fairly the start of the Americans, and was advancing to a place where he would find more plentiful supplies, and easily communicate with the sea ; so that General Greene was sensible that with the force then under his command he could make no impression on him. He resolved, therefore, in- stead of following his opponent, to proceed to South Carolina. That step, he thought, would oblige Cornwallis either to follow him or to abandon his posts in the up}\er parts of the southern states. If he followed him, North Carolina would be relieved, and enabled to raise its quota of men for the continental ser- vice ; but if he remained in that stale, or proceeded to the northward, it was likely that the greater part of the British posts in South Carolina and Georgia would be reduced, and that those states would be restored to the Union. But he entertained little apprehension of Cornwallis being able, with the force then under his command, to make any permanent impression on the powerful state if Virginia. On the departure of the miliiia. General Greene's armv was reduced to the regular troops of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, amounting to about 1,700 men, includmg cavalry and artillery ; and the British army, under the immedi OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 371 ate command of Cornwallis, was still less numerous, not exceeding l,iOO men. So small was the force with which Great Britain and the United States were eagerly contending for an extensive and valuable tract of country. Having refreshed his troops, and collected provisions for a few days. General Greene moved from Ramsay's mills, on Deep river, on the 5th of April, toward Camden ; and on the morning of the 20th of the same month encamped at Log town, in .sight of the British works at that place. Cornwallis had not been without apprehensions of General Greene's proceed ing to South Carolina, and had despatched several messengers to Lord Rawdon, who commanded at Camden, to prepare him for such an event ; but not one of these messengers reached the place of his destination. Soon aft(:r his arrival at Wilmington, Cornwallis received certain information that General Greene had actually made the apprehended movement; and it threw him into much perplex- ity. He was alarmed for the safety of Rawdon ; but, though desirous of assist- ing him, he was convinced that the Americans were already so far advanced that it was impossible for him to arrive at Camden in time to succor Rawdon, if he should need succor. His lordship's fate and that of his garrison would prob- ably be decided long before he could reach them ; and if General Greene should be successful at Camden, he, by attempting to relieve it, might be hemmed in between the great rivers, and exposed to the most imminent hazard. On the other hand, if Rawdon should defeat General Greene, there would be no need of his assistance. A movement so perilous in the execution, and promising so little in the result, was abandoned, and Rawdon left to his own resources. An uncommonly active campaign was now about to open in South Carolina and Georgia. The importance of the prize, the talents of the generals, the courage and sufferings of the soldiers, and the accumulated miseries of the inhabitants , all contributed to give the struggle for those states a degree of interest seldon» felt in military transactions in which such small armies are engaged Fig. 150. — Lord Rawdon. VVheii C(^rnwallis entered North Carolina, the command of South Carolina ifid Georgia was committed to Lord Rawdon ; and, for the secuiity of the Brit- ish power in those provinces, a line of posts was continued from Charleston, by the way of Camden and Ninety-Six, to Augusta in Georgia. Camden was the most important point in the line, and there Rawdon had taken post with a garrison of about 900 men. On the day before he left Ramsay's mills. General Greene sent Colonel Lee with his legion to join General Marion, and surprise an intermediate post, which, like other stations of the kind, was but slightly for- tif ed, and garrisoned by a few regulars, and such of the militia of the country »g ittached themselves to the British interest. 372 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY General Marion on the northeast, and General Sumpter on the south\veis parts of South Carv'^lina, each at the head of a small party of mounted follovvers had maintained a bold but ineffectual warfare ; and from their feeble and des'jl- tory efforts no serious apprehensions were entertained : but after the arrival of General Greene in South Carolina, they proved useful auxiliaries and trouble- some enemies. Lee joined Marion; and, on the 15th of April, they unexpectedly presented themselves before Fort Watson, a British post on the Santee. It was an Indian mound, rising 30 or 40 feet above the level of the plain. Neither the garrison nor the assailants had artillery; but in a few days the Americans constructed a work on an unusual plan, which overlooked the fort, and from the top of which the riflemen fired with such unerring aim that not a man of the garrison could show himself without certain destruction. On the 23d, the garrison, consisting of 114 men, capitulated. General Greene hoped to arrive at Camden before Rawdon got notice of his march ; but the inhabitants of the territories through which he passed were disaffected to the revolutionary cause ; and he was obliged to forage v/ith the same precautions as if he had been in an enemy's country ; consequently his progress was slower than he had expected ; Rawdon had received early infor- mation of his advance, and was ready to receive him when he appeared before Camden on the 20th of April. Camden was a village situated on a plain, covered on the south by the Wa- teree, a river which higher up is called the Catawba ; and below, after its con- fluence with the Congaree from the south, assumes the name of the Santee. On the east of it flowed a rivulet called Pinetree creek; on the north and west sides it was defended by a strong chain of redoubts, six in number, extend- ing from the river to the creek. General Greene, whose force at that time amounted only to about 1,200 men, felt himself unable either to storm or com- pletely to invest the place. He encamped before it to wait for the arrival of the militia whom he expected, and to be in readiness to improve any favorable op- portunity that might occur ; but he had not been long in that position when he was informed that Colonel Watson was marching up the Santee to join Raw- don. General Greene was sensible that, if that reinforcement arrived safely in Camden, he would be unable to maintain his ground before the place. He re- solved to intercept Watson ; which could be accomplished only by movements too rapid for the presence of baggage and artillery. In order to rid himself of these incumbrances, he sent them under the care of Colonel Carrington and some North Carolina militia to Lynch's creek, nearly 20 miles north from Camden, and moved his camp to the east of that place on the road to Charleston. But Watson, having been interrupted by Marion and Lee, did not arrive so soon as was expected ; and Greene found it diflficult to procure provisions for his men in his new position. On the 24th he sent an order to Carrmgton to join him with Lhe baggage and artillery at Hobkerk's hill, an eminence rather more than a mile north from Camden on the road to the Waxhaws. On the same day he marched his army to that place ; where the left of his encampment was covered by a swamp, and the hill, as well as the ground between it and Camden, abounded with trees and underwood. At that time a drummer deserted from General Greene, and informed Rawdon of the absence of his militia, artillery, and baggage. That officer immediately resolved to seize the favorable opportunity, and to attack the American general while destitute of artillery, and unsupported by the militia, or by Marion and Lee. Accordingly, on the morning of the 25th, at the head of about 900 men, he marched from Camden to attack General Greene's camp ; and, by making a circuit, and keeping close tc the edge of the swamp, under cover of the woods OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 373 he gained the left flank of the Americans, where the hill was most accessible, undiscovered. While the Americans were cooking their provisions, and Gen- eral Greene at breakfast, the alarm was given by the outposis firing on the Brit- ish van. At that critical moment the militia and the cannon arrived, and Gen- eral Greene soon had his army in order of battle. The Virginia brigade, under General Huger, was on the right ; the Maryland brigade, under Colonel Wil- liams, was on the left ; and the artillery in the centre. The North Carolina militia, under Colonel Reade, formed a second line ; Captain Kirk wood, with the light infantry, was placed in front, to support the advanced parties, and tc retard the progress of the British troops. So confident was General Greene of victory that he ordered Lieutenant-Colonel Washington, with his cavalry, to turn the right flank of the British, and to charge them in the rear. Meanwhile the American advanced parties and Kirkwood's infantry, after a brisk fire, were driven in ; and Rawdon advanced steadily to attack the main body of the American army. The 63d regiment, supported by the volunteers of Ireland, formed his right ; the king's American regiment, supported by Cap- tain Robertson's corps, composed his left ; the New York volunteers were in the centre. The North Carolina volunteers and cavalry were in the rear, and formed a reserve. After viewing the British army, and observing the narrow front which it pre- sented, General Greene, sanguine in his hopes of success, ordered the second Maryland regiment to attack its right flank, a part of the Virginia troops to assail its left, and the rest of the Virginia and Maryland continentals to march down the hill and oppose it in front. Thus the British army was to be assailed in front, on both flanks, and in the rear. Rawdon, perceiving General Greene's intention, quickly extended his front, by bringing the Irish volunteers forward into the line. The firing became very close, and though the American column which desceiided the. hill was supported by a destructive discharge of grape-shot from the artillery, yet that part of the continentals was soon broken by the British troops, and fell back in confusion. Their officers were unable to rally them. The British gained the summit of the hill ; and General Greene, surprised and mortified at the sudden and unexpected reverse, and apprehensive of the utter discomfiture and ruin of his army, ordered such of his continentals as were still unbroken, and his militia, who had not been engaged, to retreat. Washington, who had gained the rear of the British army, and made a number of prisoners, seeing the infantry driven from the field, paroled some wounded officers and retired, carrying with him about fifty prison- ers, among whom were the royal surgeons. In the confusion the American cannon were run down the hill, and concealed from the British among some bushes ; but, in his retreat, Washington observed and drew them off. The pursuit was continued nearly three miles, but was ul- timately checked by a furious charge made by Washington, with a body of cavalry. The retreat from the field was conducted in good order ; and the .Americans carried off all their baggage, artillery, and some prisoners. They halted for the night at Saunder's creek, four miles from Hobkerk's hill ; and next day proceeded to Rugely's mills, twelve miles from Camden. After the en- gagement the British returned to Camden. Hobkerk's hill was a hard-fought battle ; and, considering the numbers en- gaged, each party suffered considerable loss. The Americans had nearly 300 men killed, wounded, or missing ; and among them were some valuable officers. In killed, wounded, and missing, the loss of the British amounted to 258, out of about 900 who were on the field. The battle of Hobkerk's hill, like that of Guildford courthouse, was of no permanent advantage to the British. For Rawdon was in no conditi'^T to follow 37 J THE PICTORIAL HISTORY up the advantage which he had gained: General Greene retreated no farthei than Rugely's mills ; and the presence of his army, together with the activity and courage of his followers, fomented the spirit of disaffection to the British authority which had manifested itself in many parts of the southern provinces, and kept Rawdon in a very uneasy and critical situation. Knowing that the British troops could not long remain in Camden without receiving fresh supplies from Charleston or the country, General Greene sent a reinforcement to Marion on the road to Nelson's ferry ; and on the 3d of May he passed the Wateree with the remainder of his army, and from time to time took such positions as would most effectually prevent the garrison of Camden from receiving any sup- plies. Colonel Watson, as has been already mentioned, was marching with upward of 400 men to reinforce Rawdon. Marion and Lee having obtained information of his route, resolved to obstruct his progress, and took post so judiciously at the fords, that Watson was obliged to alter his course. He marched down the north side of the Santee, crossed it near its mouth, with incredible labor advanced up its southern bank, recrossed it above the encampment of Marion and Lee, but a little below the confluence of its two great branches the Congaree and Wateree, and arrived safely at Camden with his detachment on the 7th of May. This reinforcement gave Rawdon a decided superiority, and he resolved in- stantly to avail himself of it. Accordingly, next night he marched against Gen- eral Greene, with the intention of attacking him in his camp ; but that officer, apprized of the reinforcement, and aware that ii would immediately be employed against him, left the ground which he had lately occupied, passed the V^ateree retired to a greater distance from Camden, and took a strong position beriind Saunder's creek. Rawdon followed him, and drove in his outposts ; but, after attentively viewing his camp at all points, he was convinced that it could not be forced without a loss which he was in no condition to sustain ; therefore he re- turned to Camden. Rawdon's situation had now become extremely critical. Marion and Lee were exerting themselves with much activity and success against the chain of British posts, and the communications were every day becoming more difficult. It was necessary to diminish the number of posts, and to confine them within a narrower range. Accordingly, on the 10th of May, the British general burned the jail, mills, some private houses, part of his own stores, evacuated Camden, and retired, by Nelson's ferry, to the south of Santee, leaving behind him about thirty of his own sick and wounded, and as many Americans who had fallen into his hands in the battle of Hobkerk's hill. After the evacuation of Camden, several of the British posts fell in rapid suc- cession. On the 11th the garrison of Orangeburgh, consisting of seventy militia and twelve regulars, yielded to Sumpter. Marion and Lee, after taking Fort Watson, crossed the Santee and marched against Fort Motte, situated on the south side of the Congaree, a little above its confluence with the Wateree ; they invested it on the 8th of May, and carried on their approaches so vigorously, that, after a brave defence, the garrison, consisting of sixty-five men, capitulated on the r2th. Georgetown, a post on the Black river, was reduced by a detach- ment of Marion's corps ; and, on the 15th, Fort Grandby, a post at Friday's ferry, on the south side of the Congaree, thirty miles above Fort Motte, gar- risoned by 350 men, chiefly militia, surrendered to Lee. The presence of General Greene's army, the activity and success of his ad- herents, and the retreat of Rawdon, made the smothered disaffection of the in- habitants burst into a flame ; and the greater part of the province openly revolted from the British authority. In that critical emergency, Rawdon re'reated to Monk's corner, a position which enabled him to cover those districts from which OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 373 Charleston drew its more immediate supplies. General Greene, having suc- ceeded in reducing so many of the British posts, and in forcing Rawdon to re- tire to Monk's corner, instead of following his lordship, turned his attention toward the western parts o( the province, and to the upper posts in Georgia. He ordered Colonel Pickens to assemble the militia of Ninety-Six ; and, on the day after the surrender of Fort Grandby, sent Lee to join him. On the reduction of Georgia and South Carolina by the British in 1780, many of the most determined friends of congress in the upper parts of those states re- created across the mountains or fled into North Carolina ; but the greater num- ber, despairing of the popular cause, submitted to the conquerors, flattering them- selves with the hope of being allowed to live in peace and in the secure enjoy- ment of their property. But when these men, accustomed to live on their lands in a state of rude independence, found themselves treated with overbearing in- solence, plundered with unsparing rapacity, and compelled to take up arms against their countrymen, all their former predilections returned, and a spirit of bitter hostility to the royal authority was engendered. When the British army, leaving only feeble garrisons behind, marched to the northward in the career of victory and conquest, this spirit soon manifested it- self. Colonel Clarke with some adherents marched against the British garrison at Augusta But Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger, who commanded at Ninety-Six, proceeded to the relief of Colonel Brown, the commandant of Augusta. Clarke was obliged to flee, and that premature insurrection was suppressed. Such of Clarke's adherents as fell into the hands of Colonel Brown were treated with the utmost rigor. But the spirit of opposition to the royal authority, though damped, was not extinguished : armed parties, commonly acting without any concert, daily multiplied, and disturbed the peace of the British garrisons. Cap« tain M'Koy, with a few daring adventurers, infested the banks of the Savannah, and took some boats going up the river with supplies to Augusta : he defeated a party sent against him by Colonel Brown ; but, though joined by Colonel Harden and his band, he was afterward defeated by Brown, and his followers for a while dispersed. These desultory encounters were now succeeded by more regular and steady operations. Colonel Clarke, with indefatigable zeal, had again returned to his native province ; and a number of militia, under General Pickens, assembled in the vicinity of Augusta. On the fall of Fort Granby, Colonel Lee without delay marched toward Pickens's camp, and in four days effected a junction with him. Their first attempt was against Fort Golphin or Dreadnought, at Silver bluff", on the Carolina side of the river Savannah, which was garrisoned by seventy men : on the 1st of May it surrendered to a detachment of Lee's legion under Captain Rudolph. Pickens and Lee now turned their united arms against Fort Cornwallis at Augusta : they carried on their approaches against the place with skill and activity ; but Colonel Brown made a most obstinate defence. In he course of the siege several batteries were raised which overlooked the for , and two of them were within thirty yards of the parapet ; from these the American rifle- men fired with such deadly aim, that every man who showed himself was in- stantly shot. The garrison almost buried themselves under ground ; but tbeir valor was unavailing, and on the 5th of June they, to the lumiber of 300 men, nirrendered by capitulation. The Americans had about forty men killed or wuunded in the course of the siege. The British officers at Augusta, by their severities, had rendered themselves singularly obnoxious to the inhabitants of the surrounding country ; and after the surrender, Lieutenant-Colonel Grierson was shot dead by an unknown marksman, vho escaped detection, although 100 guineas of reward were ofl^ered for ;,he -176 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY discovery of the murderer. It was with difficuhy that Colonel Brown was saved from a similar fate: he had lately hanged thirteen American prisoners, and delivered up some to the Indians, who put them to death with all those tortures which Indian ingenuity has devised, and which savage ferocity only can inflict. To save him from the veng« ance of the enraged colonists, his conquer- ors escorted him safely to Savannah. At Silver Blufl", Mrs. M'Koy obtained permission to speak with him, and addressed him in the following manner . — " Colonel Brown, in the late day of your prosperity I visited your camp, and on my knees begged the life of my son ; but you were deaf to my supplications. You hanged him, though only a beardless youth, before my face. These eyes have seen him scalped by the savages under your immediate command, and for no better reason than because his name was M'Koy. As you are now a pris- oner to the leaders of my country, for the present I lay aside all thoughts of revenge ; but when you resume your sword, I will go 500 miles to demand sat- isfaction at the point of it for the murder of my son." If Brown was a man of any sensibility, he must have felt acutely at this singular insult. While those operations were going on in Georgia, General Greene with his main army marched against the British post at Ninety-Six, in South Carolina. Ninety-Six (so named because it is ninety-six miles from the town of Kecowct. in the territory of the Cherokees), at the time when it came into the possession of the British troops in 1780, like other villages on the frontiers of the colonies, was surrounded by a palisade to defend it against any sudden irruption of the In- dians. But the British garrison had added some new works, the most important of which was on the right of the village, and, from its form, was called The Star. It consisted of sixteen salient and re-entering angles, with a dry ditch and abatis. On the left of the place was a valley through which flowed a rivulet that supplied the village with water ; on the one side the valley was conmianded by the prison, which was converted into a blockhouse, and on the other by a stockade fort in whicb a blockhouse had been erected. The garrison cons'sted of 550 men, 350 of whom were regulars, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger. There were only three pieces of artillery in the place. When Lord Rawdon found himself under the necessity of evacuating Camden and of retiring to Monk's Corner, he was fully sensible of the danger to which the post of Ninety-Six was exposed. He sent several messengers with instruc- aons to Colonel Cruger to abandon the post, retire to Augusta, unite his force to that of Colonel Brown, and afterward act according to his own discretion. Lest his messengers should be intercepted, he desired Colonel Balfour, com- mandant of Charleston, to transmit similar instructions. But the disafl^ection of the province to the British interest had now become so strong, and the roads leading to Ninety-Six were so effectually guarded, that not one of those messen- gers reached that place : hence Colonel Cruger remained without instructions, and in complete ignorance of the state of the British army in the province. His being left in ignorance he felt as an ominous circumstance : he was well aware of the hostility of the people, and not without apprehensions of a visi. from the American army. In these circumstances he made every preparation for defending his post with vigor : officers and men diligently labored on the works, and })y their united exertions a bank, of earth, parapet high, was thrown up round the town, and strengthened by an abatis ; blockhouses were erected, traverses made covered, communications constructed, and the garrison prepared for a vigorous defence. On the 22d of May, after the works were finished, the American army under General Greene, consisting of nearly 1,000 men, appeared, and encamped in a wood within cannon-shot of the place. In the course of the ensuing night, Gen- eral Greene erected two works within seventy paces of the fortifications ; hv yjt" THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 377 about eleven next forenoon a party, supported by a brisk cannonade from the three pieces of artillery which had been mounted on the Star, and by a close dis- charge of musketry from the parapet, sallied out, killed such of the Americans as fell in their way, demolished their works, and carried off their intrenchino tools. General Greene put his army in motion to support his men in the trenches ; but so expeditiously was the enterprise performed, that the sallying party returned within the works with little loss. On the night of the 2.3d, General Greene again broke ground, but at the mor« cautious distance of 400 yards. Though interrupted by frequent sallies, yet the Americans labored so indefatigably that their second parallel was finished bj the 3d of .June. On that day they summoned the garrison ; but, on being an swered that Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger would defend his post to the last extrem ity, they carried on their approaches with unabated vigor. The batteries of th. second parallel were opened, and a heavy cross-fire enfiladed several of the work.':. They pushed on a sap against the Star, and advanced their batteries, one of which, constructed of gabions, was erected within thirty-five yards of the abatis, and raised forty feet high, so as to overlook the works of the garrison. Rifiemen, posted on the top of it, did considerable execution ; and their fire proved so destructive to the men who worked the artillery on the Star, that the guns were abandoned during the day, and used only in the night. Augusta, as already mentioned, capitulated on the 5th of June ; and while Colonel Brown was sent off under an escort to Savannah, Colonel Lee, with the rest of his prisoners, about 300 in number, proceeded to join General Greene at Ninety-Six. He arrived there on the 8th of June ; and, in the hope of making some impression on the garrison by the appearance of the prisoners, marched them in full view of the British works in all the parade of military triumph. Strengthened by this reinforcement, General Greene, who hitherto had carried on his approaches against the Star solely, commenced operations, under the di- rection of Colonel Lee, against the works on the left of the town also, which commanded the water. The approaches were made with vigor, and the defence conducted with skill and persevering valor. But the siege was carried on in such a manner, that every effort of the besieged must soon have been overpow- ered, and the garrison compelled to surrender. From this mortification they were saved by the approach of Ravvdon. The smallness of the force under his command, and the disaffection of the province, had compelled him for some time to remain near Charleston for the security of that important post ; but on the 3d of June he received a seasonable reinforcement from Britain, consisting of the 3d, 19th, and 30th regiments, a detachment from the guards, and a considerable number of recruits, the whole under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Gould This accession to his strength enabled him once more to overrun the province. On the 7th of June, Rawdon left Charleston with part of the reinforcements, and, being joined by the troops at Monk's Corner, marched to the relief of Nine- ty-Six at the head of about 2,000 men. In their rapid progress over the whole extent of South Carolina, through a wild country, and under the beams of a scorching sun, the sufferings of his troops were severe ; but they advanced with celerity to the assistance of their brave companions in arms. On the 11th of June, General Greene received notice of Rawdon's march, and immediately sent orders to Sumpter to assemble his militia, keep in front of the British army, and make every effort to retard its progress. To enable him the more effec-'> ally to accomplish this purpose, all the cavalry were detached to his assistan— j.. But Rawdon passed Sumpter a little below the junction of the Saluda and Broad rivers, and that officer was never able to regain his front. Meanwhile the siege was vigorously pressed, in order to force a capitulation before the arrival of Rawdon : but the courage and obstinacy of the garrison 3,1? ^HE PICTORIAL HISTORY wt * «S(jviJi\ to the accivity of the assailants. Sallies were occasionally made, and *iv^.ry aitJ^ck was met with intrepidity. The garrison was hard pressed, and towaiu the oloss of the siege afflicted by want of water ; for every person who, duri^<^- the day, ventured to approach the rivulet, was instantly shot ; and the only resource in order to procure a scanty supply was to send naked negroes to the stream during the night, when their bodies could not be distinguished from the trees around them. On the side of the Star, the besiegers had formed their third parallel, and carried a mine and two trenches within a few feet of the ditch. Having no heavy cannon, they mounted their field-pieces on batteries which o\erlooked tho fort at the distance of only 140 yards ; and riflemen were stationed du an eleva ted place for the protection of the workmen, so that not a man could show him- self on the works with impunity. The garrison was nearly reduced to extremi- ties, and in a few days must have been under the necessity of surrendering. But General Greene knew that Rawdon was fast approaching with a superior force, and that, unless he succeeded against the place, he must soon retreat. Unwilling to abandon a prize almost within his grasp, he, on the 18th of June, made a furious assault on the place, and was supported by a heavy cannon- ade from the batteries, and a close discharge of musketry from the lines. On the left of the village the assailants were successful, and made a lodgement in the works ; but on the right, after a desperate conflict of nearly an hour, Gen- eral Greene found it necessary to call off his men, who retreated before a fierce sally of the besieged. He now sent off" his heavy baggage, and next day re- treated. On the 20th he crossed the Saluda, and encamped on Little river. During the siege he lost 155 men : the garrison had eighty-five killed or wounded. On the morning of the 21st, Rawdon arrived at Ninety-Six, and in the even- ing of the same day set out in pursuit of General Greene ; but his indefatigable adversary, having sent off" his sick and wounded, retreated before him on the road to Charlotte, in Virginia, dismantling the corn-mills by the way, in order to render the subsistence of his pursuers more difficult. Rawdon advanced to the Enoree, when, despairing of overtaking the Americans, he returned to Nine- ty-Six. General Greene's retreat ceased with the pursuit. Rawdon found it necessary to evacuate Ninety-Six, and contract his posts ; and, after remain- ing only two days at Ninety-Six, began his march to the Congaree, with 800 infantry and 600 cavalry, expecting to be there joined by a strong reinforce- ment, which had been ordered from Charleston. That reinforcement had not set out so early as was intended, and the letter informing Rawdon of the delay had been intercepted. The British commander probably believed that General Greene was driven out of South Carolina ; but that officer had only retreated behind Broad river ; and no sooner did he hear of the divisions of the British forces, than he returned toward the Congaree. Soon after Rawdon's arrival on the last-named river, one of his foraging parties was surprised by Lee's legion within a mile of the Brit- ish camp, and about forty cavalry made prisoners. The appearance of the American light troops in that part of the country convinced his lordship that Gen- eral Greene was not far off*. He retreated toward Orangeburgh, where he ar- rived in safety after some interruption from the American light troops, and where he was joined by the expected reinforcements from Charleston, under Lieuten- ant-Colonel Stuart. That reinforcement Marion endeavored to interruj)'., but failed in his main purpose, and gained only a few wagons. On the Congaree General Greene was joined by Marion and Sumpter with 1,000 men; and on the 11th of July marched toward Orangeburgh, with the i»tentiorj of attacking the British army in its camp: but on arriving there nexl OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 379 day, found it so stroncrly posted that he did not venture to make any attempt upon it. W hile there, General Greene was informed that Ninety-Six was evacuated, and that Lieutenant-Colonel Cruger was on his march to Orangeburgh ; but the river, which for thirty miles was passable at no point except that commanded hy Rawdon's position, presented an insuperable barrier to any attempt on Cru- ger. General Greene, therefore retreated over the Congaree, and marched to the high hills of Santee. In order, however, to alarm Rawdon for his lower posts, he, on the 13th, when leaving the vicinity of Orangeburgh, detached Sumpter, Marion, and Lee, toward Monk's Corner and Dorchester. Those offi- cers proceeded by different routes, took a number of wagons with provisions and baggage, and some prisoners ; but, after hard fighting, the main body of the British effected their retreat. The weather now became extremely warm ; and in that climate the intense heat of summer as effectually stops military operations as the rigor of winter in higher latitudes. In that interval of inaction, Rawdon availed himself of leave of absence, obtained some time before on account of ill health, and embarked for Europe. On his departure, the command of the troops at Orangeburgh de- Tolved on Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart. General Greene reached the high hills of Santee on the 16th of July, and re- mained there till the 22d of August. For six months his army had been inces- santly employed in marching and fighting ; and though he had gained no victo- ry, and had been repulsed with slaughter from one siege, yet he had not only kept the field, but had compelled the British to abandon all their posts in the interior parts of the country. The activity, prudence, courage, and perseverance, of General Greene had been of incalculable value to the cause in which he was engaged. After the retreat of General Greene, Colonel Stuart proceeded with the Brit ish army to the Congaree, and encamped near its confluence with the Wateree. General Greene, while reposing on the high hills of Santee, was reinforced by a brigade of continental troops from North Carolina, so that his army amounted to 2,500 men. He was still eagerly intent on his purpose of wresting the south- ern provinces from the hands of the British ; and accordingly, on the 22d of August, as soon as the intense heat began to abate, he left the hills of Santee, and proceeded toward Colonel Stuart's encampment. In a straight line, the two armies were only fifteen miles from each other ; but two large rivers intervened, which could not be easily passed without a circuit of seventy miles. Colonel Stuart felt himself in security, and his parties spread widely over the country in order to collect provisions. Marion and Washington were detached to check them, and several smart skirmishes ensued. On leaving the high hills of Santee, General Greene marched up the Wateree to the vicinity of Camden, where he crossed the river, and proceeded to Friday's ferry on the Congaree, where he was joined by General Pickens and his mili- tia, and the state troops of South Carolina, commanded by Colonel Henderson. On, the approach of the American army. Colonel Stuart retired about forty miles, and took a position at Eutaw springs, sixty miles north from Charleston, where he was reinforced by a detachment which had escorted a convoy of provisions to that place. General Greene followed him, by easy marches, in order to give -Marion time to join him. On the 7th of September, about seven miles from Eu- taw springs, that officer, with his detachment, arrived in camp ; and it was re- solved to attack the British army next day. At four in the m>rning of the 8th of September, the American army advanced toward the British encampment in the following order : the South and North Carolina militia, commanded by Generals Pickens and Marion, formed the first line ; the second was composed cf continental troops ; the North Carolina brig- 380 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ade, under General Suoiner, was on the right ; that of Virginia, commaride i by Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, was in the centre; and that of Maryland, ujJer Colonel Williams, was on the left. The legion of Lee covered the right flank, and the state troops of South Carolina, under Colonel Henderson, covered the left ; Washington's cavalry and Kirkwood's infantry formed the reserve. Two three-pounders were attached to the first line, and two six-pounders to the sec- ond. The legion and state troops marched in front, with orders to fall back on the fianks when the British line was formed. At six in the morning, two deserters from the American army entered the British camp, and informed Colonel Stuart of General Greene's approach ; but little credit was given to their report. At that time a British party was out in quest of vegetables, on the road by which the Americans were sdvancing. About four miles from the camp at Eutaw, that party was attacked by the Americat van, and driven in with loss. Their return convinced Colonel Stuart of the ap- proach of the Americans, and the British army was soon drawn up obliquely across the road on the height near the Eutaw springs. Major Marjoribanks, with the flank battalion, was on the right of the road, his right being covered by a rivulet, while his left was covered by a high, thick hedge. Two pieces of artillery, supported by a party of infantry, occupied the road ; the rest of the British line extended in an oblique direction on the left of the road. The firing began between two and three miles from the British camp. The British light parties were driven in on their main body ; and the first line of the Americans attacked with great impetuosity. The militia displayed an unusual degree of firmness, but were obliged slowly to give way. The North Carolina troops advanced to support them with much intrepidity. Colonels Williams and Campbell were ordered to charge with the bayonet ; and part of the British troops, unable to withstand the shock, gave way and fled ; but the veterans, who had been inured to hard service, met the advancing bayonet with the same weapon. For a short time the conflicting ranks were intermingled, and the offi- cers fought hand to hand. At that critical moment, Lee, who had turned the left flank of the British, charged them in the rear. They were broken and driven off the field, and their artillery fell into the hands of the Americans, who eagerly pressed on their retreating adversaries. At that juncture, the British commander ordered Major Sheridan, with a de- tachment, to take post in a large three-story brick house, which was in the rear of the army on the right, while another occupied an adjoining palisaded garden, and some close shrubbery ground. The Americans made the most desperate efforts to dislodge them from their posts ; but every attack was unsuccessful. Four pieces of artillery were brought to bear on the house, but made no impres- sion on its solid walls. A close and destructive fire was kept up from the doors and windows of the house, as well as from the strong adjoining ground. Almost all the artillerymen were killed or wounded ; and the caimon had been pushed 80 near the house that they could not be brought off, but were left behind. Colonel Washington attempted to turn the right flank of the British, and charge them in the rear ; but his horse was shot under him, and he was wounded and made prisoner. After every attempt to dislodge the British from their strong position had failed. General Greene drew off his men ; and, collecting his wounded, retired with his prisoners to the groimd which he had left in the morning, there being no water nearer to refresh his fainting troops. This obstinate and sanguinary conflict lasted almost four liours. We may estimate each of the armies at between 2,000 and 3,000 men ; and, in propor- tion to the number of combatants, the loss on both sides was great. The Ameri- cans lost 555 in killed, wounded, and missing, of whom 137 were left dead on the field ; 60 commissioned officers were among the sufferers, of whom 17 were OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 38^ killed on the spot, and four mortally wounded. Among the slain was Lieuten- ant-Colonel Campbell, of Virginia, whose death was particularly regretted. The British lost 693 men ; of whom 85 were killed, 351 wounded, and 257 missing ; 3 commissioned officers were killed, 16 wounded, and 10 missing. Each party claimed the victory : the Americans, because they had driven the British from their first position ; and the British, because the Americans had been obliged to retire from the field. In the early part of the battle. Genera Greene had decidedly the advantage ; but the British commander ultimately kept his ground. The British remained on the field on the night after the battle ; but next after- noon destroyed part of their stores, and began to retreat toward Monk's Corner leaving about seventy of their wounded at Eutaw, who afterward fell into tho hands of the Americans. About fourteen miles from the field of battle. Colonel Stuart was met by a reinforcement under Major M' Arthur marching from Charleston to his assistance. Thus strengthened, he proceeded to Monk's Corner. General Greene marched to his former encampment on the high hills of Santee. Both parties had suffered so much at the battle of Eutaw springs, that neither was in a condition to undertake offensive operations ; indeed, the battle of Eu- taw was the last engagement of importance in the southern provinces. A num- ber of rencounters happened : but none of them were of much consequence. The British soon retreated to the quarterhouse on Charleston Neck, and con- fined their operations to the defence of the posts in that vicinity. The interior of the country which had lately been under their dominion, was abandoned, and iheir chief aim was the security of Charleston, the capital of South Carolina. In the southern provinces the campaign of 1781 was uncommonly active. The exertions and sufferings of the army were great ; but the troops were not the only suff^erers ; the inhabitants were exposed to many calamities. The success of Colonel Campbell at Savannah laid Georaia and the Carolinas open to all the horrors which attend the movements of conflicting armies, and the rage of civil dissensions, for two years. In those provinces the inhabitants were nearly divided between the British and American interests, and, under the names of lories and whigs, exercised a savage hostility against each other, threatening the entire depopulation of the country. Besides, each of the contending armies, claiming the provinces as its own, showed no mercy to those who, in the fluctuations of war, abandoned its cause or opposed its pretensions. In the vicinity of Camden, General Greene in one day hanged eight deserters from the American army ; and the British officers commanding in South Carolina were by no means slow in similar acts of sanguinary vengeance. Numbers were put to death as deserters and traitors at the different British posts. One of those executions, that of Colonel Haynes, happened at Charleston, on the 4th of August, whiie Lord Rawdon was in that town preparing to sail for Europe, and threatened to produce the most sanguinary consequences. Colonel Haynes had served in the American militia dur.ng the stage of Charleston ; but after the capitulation of that place, and the expulsion of the American army from the province, he was, by several concurring circumstances, constrained, with much reluctance, to subscribe a declaration of allegiance to the British government, being assured that his services against his countrv would not be required. He was allowed to return to his family ; but, in viola- tion of the special condition on which he had signed the declaration, he was soon called on to take up arms against his countrymen, and was at length threat- ened with close confinement in case of further refusal. Colonel Haynes con- «ide] ed this brea ch of contrac. on the part of the British, and their inability' tc 382 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY afford him the protection promised in reward of his allegiance, as absolving hn# from the obligations into which he had entered ; and accordingly he returned to the American standard. In the month of July he was taken prisoner, confined in a loathsome dungeon, and, by the arbitrary mandate of Lord Rawdon and Colonel Balfour, without trial, hanged at Charleston. He behaved with much firmness and dignity, and his fate awakened a strong sensation. General Greene, with his army, was then at the high hills of Santee ; and, as a considerable part of the province was wrested from the hands of the British, he was extremely indignant on the occasion, and demanded of the royal com- manders their reasons for this execution. He received a letter from Colonel Bal- four, acknowledging that it was the result of a joint order from Lord Rawdon and himself, but in obedience to the most express directions of Cornwallis, to put to death those who should be found in arms after having been, at their own request, received as subjects since the capitulation of Charleston and the clear conquest of the province in 1780. The irritation in General Greene's army on the occa-. sion was great ; and the officers petitioned him to retaliate the execution of Colonel Haynes. Accordingly, General Greene soon afterward issued a procla mation, threatening to make British officers the objects of retaliatory vengeance. By the execution of Colonel Haynes the British gained no advantage what- ev^er. It excited a lively sympathy for the sufferer, and indignation against hia enemies. If meant as a retaliation for the execution of Major Andre, it was without dignity. Its justice was questionable ; and it received no countenance from sound policy. It seems to have proceeded rather from the petty irritatioQ of disappointed ambition, than from the cool dictates of enlightened justice or political wisdom. In the end of November, General Greene with a detachment of his army sud- denly appeared before the British post at Dorchester ; and, after some skirmish- ing, the British garrison retired to the vicinity of Charleston. General Greene posted his troops on both sides of the river Ashley ; completely covered the country from the Cooper to the Edisto ; and confined the British to Charleston Neck and the neighboring islands. In Georgia, the British force was concen- trated at Savannah. Thus, in the course of the campaign, all the interior parts of those provinces were wrested from the British government, and restored to the American Union. In that service General Greene was greatly assisted by a small, but active, indefatigable, and daring body of cavalry. During this campaign, an expedition was conducted by General Pickens against the Cherokees, who had been instigated by the British, by promises of rewards for scalps, &c., to take up the hatchet against the Americans. The savages were vanquished, and compelled to sue for peace. CHAPTER XIII. Hanng brought the active campaign of 1781 in the southern states to a close, we shall now return to the northward, glance at the general condition of Ameri- can affairs in the early part of the year, and then attend to the military opera- tions on the Hudson and in Virginia. Congress had called for an army of 37,000 men, to be in camp on the 1st of January Tlie resolution, as usual, was too late ; but, even although it had been promulgated in due time, it is not likely that so large a force could have oeen brought into the field. The deficiencies and delays on the part of th« OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Snh several states exceeded all reasonable anticipation. At no time during this ac- tive and interesting campaign did the regular force, drawn from Pennsylvania to Georgia inclusive, amount to 3,000 men. So late as the month of April, the states from New Jersey to New Hampshire inclusive had furnished only 5,000 infantry ; but this force was slowly and gradually increased : till, in the month of May, including cavalry and artillery, which never exceeded 1,000 men, it presented a total of about 7,000, of whom upward of 4,000 might have been re- lied on in active service. A considerable part of this small force arrived in camp too late to acquire, during the campaign, that discipline which is essential to military success. Inadequate as this army was for asserting the independence of the country, the prospect of being unable to support it was still more alarming. The men were in rags : clothing had long been expected from Europe, but had not yet arrived, and the disappointment was severely felt. The magazines were ill supplied ; the troops were often almost starring ; and the army ready to be dissolved for want of food. The arsenals were nearly empty. Instead of having the requisites of a well-appointed army, everything was deficient ; and there was little prospect of being belter provided, for money was as scarce as food and military stores. Congress had resolved to issue no more bills on the credit of the Union ; and the care of supplying the army was devolved upon the several states, according to a rule established by that body. Even when the states had collected the specified provisions, the quartermaster- general had no funds to pay for the transportation of them to the army, to accom- plish which, military impressment was resorted to, in a most offensive degree. Congress was surrounded with difficulties : the several states were callous and dilatory ; and American affairs wore an aspect of debility and decay. To deepen the general gloom, there were portentous rumors of preparations for savage warfare along the whole extent of the western frontier : and of an invasion on the side of Canada. In the midst of financial difficulties, and appre- hensions of attack both from foreign and domestic enemies, a new and alarming danger appeared, in a quarter where it was little expected, and which threatened to consummate the ruin of American independence. The privations and suffer- ings of the troops had been uncommonly great. To the usual hardships of a military life were added nakedness and hunger, under that rigor of climate which whets the appetite, and renders clothing absolutely necessary. By the depre- ciation of the paper currency their pay was little more than nominal, and it was many months in arrear. Besides those evils, which were common to the whole army, the troops ol Pennsylvania imagined that they labored under peculiar grievances. Their offi- cers had engaged them for three years, or during the war. On the expiratior of three years, the soldiers thought themselves entitled to a discharge : the offi- cers alleged, that they were engaged for the war. The large bounties given to those who were not bound by previous enlistment heightened the discontent of the soldiers, and made them more zealous in asserting what they thought their right. In the first transports of their patriotism they had readily enlisted ; but men will not long willingly submit to immediate and unprofitable hardships, in the prospect of distant and contingent rewards. TJie discontents engendered by the causes now mentioned had for some time been increasing ; and, on the 1st of January, 1781, broke out into open and al- most universal mutiny of the tro'^ s of Pennsylvania. On a signal given, the greater part of the non-commiseioned officers and privates paraded under arms, declaring the'- intention of marching to the seat of congress, to obtain a redress of grievanf*os, or to abandon the service. The officers made every exertion t« bring th<' m back to their duty, but in vain : in the attempt a captain was killed, ii\d several other persons wounded. General Wayne interposed ; but, on cocu 384 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ing his pistols at some of the most audacious of the mutineers, several bayonets were at his breast, the men exclaiming : " We respect you, we love you ; but you are a dead man if you fire ! Do not mistake us : we are not going to the enemy ; on the contrary, were they to come out, you should see us fight under you with as much resolution and alacrity as ever ; but we wish a redress of grievances, and will no longer be amused." Such of the Pennsylvania troops as had at first taken no part in the disturbance were prevailed on to join the mutineers ; and the whole, amounting to 1,300 men, with six field-pieces, marched from Morris- town, under temporary officers of their own election. General Washington's headquarters were then at New Windsor, on the North river. Next day General Wayne and Colonels Butter and Stewart, officers who in a high degree enjoyed the confidence and affection of the troops, followed the mutineers ; but, though civilly received, they could not succeed in adjusting the differences, or in restoring subordination. On the third day the mutineers re- sumed their march, and in the morning arrived at Princeton. Congress and the Pennsylvania government, as well as General Washington, were much alarmed by this mutiny ; fearing the example might be contagious, and lead to the disso- lution of the feeble American army. Therefore a committee of congress, with the governor and some members of the executive council*of Pennsylvania, set out from Philadelphia for the purpose of allaying this dangerous commotion. Sir Henry Clinton, who heard of the mutiny on the morning of the 3d, was equally active in endeavoring to turn it to the advantage of his government. He ordered a large corps to be in readiness to march on a moment's notice ; and sent two American spies by way of Amboy, and two by way of Elizabethtown, as agents from himself to treat with the mutineers. But two of the persons em- ployed were actually spies on himself, and soon disclosed his proposals to the American authorities. The two real spies, on reaching Princeton, were seized by the mutineers, and afterward delivered up to General Wayne, by whom they were tried and executed on the 10th. At first the mutineers declined leaving Princeton ; but, finding their demands wou-ld be substantially complied with, they marched to Trenton on the 9th, and before the 15th the matter was so far settled that the committee of congress left Trenton and returned to Philadelphia. All who had enlisted for three years, or during the war, were to be discharged ; and in cases where the terms of enlist- ment could not be produced, the oath of the soldier was to be received as evi- dence on the point. They were to receive immediate certificates for the depre- ciation on their pay, and their arrears were to be settled as soon as circumstan- ces would admit. On those terms about one half of the Pennsylvania troops obtained their discharge. The success of the Pennsylvania troops, in exacting from their country by violence what had been denied to the claims of equity, produced a similar spirit of insubordination in another division of the army. On the night of the 20th of January, about 160 of the Jersey brigade, which was quartered at Pompton, com- plaining of grievances similar to those of the Pennsylvania line, and hoping for equal success, rose in arms, and marched to Chatham, with the view of prevail- ing on some of their comrades stationed there to join ihem. Their number was not formidable ; and General Washington, knowing that he might depend on the fidelity of the greater part of his troops, detached General Robert Howe against the mutineers, with orders to force them to uu^ "«nditional submission, and to ex- ecute some of the most turbulent of them on the spot. The.*e orders were promptly obeyed, and two of the ringleaders were put to death. Sir Henry Clinton, as in the case of the Pennsylvanians, endeavo. -d to take advantage of the mutiny of the Jersey brigade. He sent emissaries to negotiate with them, and detached General Robertson with 3,000 men to Stalen Island, OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 385 to be in readiness to support them, if they shouki accede to his proposals ; but the mutiny was so speedily crushed that his emissaries had no time to a.ct. These commotions among the soldiers awakened congress to a sense of its danger, and rendered it more attentive in soothing the army than it had hitherto been. It raised about three months' pay in specie ; and even that small sum was gratefully received by the troops, who considered it a token that the civil authorities were not entirely regardless of their sufferings or indifferent to their comfort. But, in attempting to escape one danger, congress felt itself exposed to another scarcely less alarming. The means used to sooth the army irritated the people. The troops were scantily supplied ; and yet the inhabitants mur- mured at the contributions levied upon them. Hitherto the United States had been held together by a very slender bond. The powers of congress were limited ; and it was not to be expected that thir- teen independent states, each jealous of its liberty, power, and property, would promptly, harmoniously, and vigorously, combine their strength during a protract- ed, expensive, and bloody straggle. But though every man of discernment was sensible of the propriety of increasing the powers of congress, and consequently of leaving less in the hands of the state legislatures, yet the several states, hav- ing once been in possession of power, felt no inclination to relinquish any part of their authority, how incompetent soever they might be to the advantageous exercise of it : thus the concentration of a due degree of power in the hands of congress was a measure which could not be easily accomplished. The war had continued much longer than the Americans had originally anti- cipated ; and the natural resources of the country were so much exhausted, that it became apparent the war could not be carried on without a foreign loan ; and France was the only country to which congress could look for pecuniary aid. Accordingly, Lieutenant-Colonel Laurens was employed on this mission ; and, besides endeavoring to negotiate a loan, was instructed to press on the French monarch the advantage of maintaining a naval superiority in the American seas. While the energies of America were thus paralysed by the financial dif- ficulties of congress, the mutinous spirit of part of the army, and the apathy of several of the states, the British interest in the provinces seemed in a prosperous condition. General Greene maintained a doubtful and hazardous struggle against Cornwallis on the northern frontier of North Carolina. A British de- tachment from New York made a deep impression on Virginia, where the resist- ance was neither so prompt nor so vigorous as had been expected from the strength ol that state and the unanimity of its citizens. The untoward condition of American affairs could not be concealed from the British ministry, who flattered themselves that they would soon compel General Washington and his feeble army to take refuge in the states of New England, and that they would reduce all the provinces south of the Hudson to submission to the British crown. But exertions on the one side, and reverses on the other, which neither had anticipated, were soon to change the relative state of the con' tending parties. The business of the executive had hitherto been conducted by committees of congress. This system was at length superseded by a minister of foreign affairs, a superintendent of finance, a secretary of war, and a secretary of the navy. Such was the tardy progress of congress, that the year was far spent before this improvement could be completed. From the relative position and strength of the hostile armies on the Hudson, neither could hope to gain any decisive advantage. The force under the Ameri- can commander-in-chief was entirely inadequate to attack New York ; and Sii Henry Clinton had no prospect of being able to force the strong posts of General Washington in the highlands. Neither party could do more than carry on a 25 386 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY petty and desultory warfare. Hitherto the Americans had received no direci aid from the French army. Ever since its arrival, the fleet of that nation had been blockaded at Newport ; and the land forces remained in a position to co- operate with the fleet for mutual defence. About the middle of January, the British fleet was overtaken by a storm off" the east end of L'^ng Island, and sustained so much loss and damage as to give the French fleet a temporary superiority on the coast. Destouches, the French admiral, was prevailed on to seize that opportunity of sending a small force tti the Chesapeake bay to act against Arnold, who was then pillaging Virc-inia ; bu> that force returned to Newport, without accomplishing anything except takinj the Romulus, a fifty-gun ship, on her way from Charleston to Chesapeake bay General Washington, unwilling to relinquish che attempt against Arnold, repair- ed to Newport; and, on the 6th of March, had a conference with the French commanders, at which it was agreed that the whole fleet should immediately sail to the Chesapeake, with a detachment of troops on board ; but, owing to un- foreseen circumstances, it was the evening of the 8th before the fleet left the harbor. Meanwhile due notice of the expedition was sent to the American officers commanding in Virginia, and instructions to co-operate with their allies. From this enterprise General Washington entertained sanguine expectations of being able to apprehend Arnold ; and directed the Marquis de la Fayette to grant him no terms which would save him from the consequences of his crimes. How- ever, the delay in the sailing of the fleet frustrated the design of the American commander-in-chief. Admiral Arbuthnot, having repaired his damages, pursued, and on the 1 6tb OTertook the French fleet, off the capes of Virginia. An indecisive engagement ensued, in which each party claimed the victory ; but the object of the Frencb expedition was defeated, and the fleet returned to Newport. The British began their hostile operations against America in the provinces of New England ; but there they met with such a stubborn resistance as soon in- duced them to abandon that part of the country, and to direct their attacks against (nore vulnerable points. New York had been less hostile to the parent state : and there they effected a lodgement, with the view of separating the middle from the northern colonies. From that station the war had been carried on with doubtful success. In 1776, an attempt against Charleston was gallantly re- pulsed ; and for some years the southern states enjoyed the reward of the brave defence of Fort Moultrie. In 1780, however, the British arms were more suc- cessful in that quarter, and when, toward the close of the campaign, and in the early part of 1781, it was believed that Cornwallis had subdued Georgia and the Carolinas, measures were concerted for invading Virginia also, which had hith- erto escaped the scourge of war. By means of Chesapeake bay and the great rivers which fall into it, that state is particularly open to incursory depredations by a power which has an undis- puted naval superiority. Chesapeake bay is a remarkable gulf or inland sea Its entrance, between Capes Henry and Charles, is twelve miles wide. At first it runs straight into the land, but afterward turns northward, and extends in that direction upward of 150 miles. It is generally about nine fathoms deep, and varies in breadth from five to upward of twenty miles. Its shores are indented with bays and projecting points ; and the James, York, Rappahannock, Poto- mac, and Susquehannah, large and navigable rivers, besides a number of smaller streams, pour their waters into it. The same causes which so much exposed the state to invasion by means of a superior naval force, prevent the speedy ■concentration of a large body of militia at any one point. Toward the end of October, 1780. General Leslie entered Chesapeake bay OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 38- landed at Porismouth, and began to fortify himself there with auout 3,000 men But, on experiencing unexpected and increasing difficuUies in the Carolinas, Cornwallis directed that officer with his detachment to proceed to Charleston. The invasion of Virginia, however, though interrupted, was not relinquished. Sir Henry Clinton resolved to prosecute the war with vigor in that quarter ; and in the end of the year sent the notorious General Arnold, with 1,600 men, to Chesapeake bay. That officer sailed up James' river, and on the 4th of Janu- ary, 1781, landed at Westover, 140 miles from the capes, and twenty-five below Richmond, the capital of the state, which stands on the north side of the river at the falls or rapids. Major-General Baron Steuben, who commanded in that part of Virgini'* Fig. 151. — Baron Steuben. .bought the expedition was intended against Petersburgh, situated on the Appo- mattox, which falls into James river a little above Westover. At that place a considerable quantity of stores had been collected for the use of the southern army ; and those stores the baron caused his feeble body of raw troops, scarcely amounting to 300 men, to remove to a place of greater security. At Westover, Arnold landed with the greater part of his troops, and marched directly toward Richmond. A few regulars who were in that vicinity, and some militia, were ordered to impede his progress ; but their weak efforts were ineffectual. Meanwhile, Steuben made every exertion to remove the stores from Richmond, carrying them partly across the river, and partly to West Ham at the head of the rapids. Oi\ the day after landing at Westover, Arnold entered Richmond, with little opposition. There he halted with 500 men, and sent Lieutenant-Colonel Simcoe forward with other 500 to West Ham, where he burned and destroyed a valuable foundry, a boring mill, a powder magazine, and a considerable quantity of mili- tary stores. Colonel Simcoe returned to Richmond, where the public property, as well as a large quantity of rum and salt belonging to individuals, were do- slroyed. After completing the work of destruction ai Richmond, Arnold return- ^d. 'o Westover on the 7th ; ar3, after some skirmishing, reimbarked on the 10th. 588 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY sailed down he river, destroying on his way the stores at Smithfleld anfl Mackay's mills, and on the 20th arrived at Portsmouth, where he manifested an intention of establishing a permanent post. In this expedition Arnold, while he destroyed a large quantity of military stores and other valuable property of dif- ferent kinds, stated his loss at only seven men killed and twenty-three wounded. Baron Steuben b^ing in no condition to attack Arnold at Portsmouth, was careful to station his> ^roops at the most convenient passes leading from that place into the countrv, in order to aflbrd the inhabitants all the protection in his power. It was while Arnold lay at Portsmouth, that General Washington form- ed the plan of apprehending him, which failed through the backwardness of the French to engage in it. As Arnold's force was not sufficient to make any deep and permanent im- pression on the powerful state of Virginia, the British commander-in-chief re- solved to increase it ; and for that purpose, about the middle of March, sent General Philips with 2,000 chosen men from New York to Chesapeake bay General Philips arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th ; and, being the superior offi- cer, took the command of the army in Virginia. After employing some time in completing the fortifications of Portsmouth, General Philips began offensive operations, with a force much superior to what congress could oppose to him in that part of the country. On the 18th of April he embarked 2,500 men on board his smaller vessels, and sailed up James river in order to destroy everything that had escaped the ravages of Arnold. He landed at Burrel's ferry, and marched to Williamsburgh, the former seat of gov- ernment in Virginia. A small body of militia assembled there retreated on his approach, and he entered the place without opposition. He sent parties through all the lower district of that narrow tract of land, which lies between James and York rivers, who destroyed all public stores and property which fell in their way. He then reimbarked, sailed up the river to City point, where he landed on the afternoon of the 24th, and next day marched to Petersburgh, where he destroyed an immense quantity of tobacco and other property, together with the vessels lying in the river. Baron Steuben was unable to make any effectual resistance to this rutliles? work of devastation. The regular troops of the state had been sent to reinforce General Greene, and the militia then in the field did not much exceed 2,000. Even although the whole of that number could have been collected at any one point, yet with that kind of force no enterprise of importance could be underta- ken. To have hazarded a battle with the militia against regular troops would only have been to ensure defeat, the loss of arms, and the consequent discour- agement of the country. Steuben had the mortification to see the state laid waste, without being able to relieve it ; and after some slight skirmishing he re- treated toward Richmond. Arnold was detached to Osborne's, a small village on the south side of James river, fifteen miles below Richmond ; while General Philips marched to Ches- terfield courthouse, which had been appointed the place of rendezvous for the new levies of Virginia, where he destroyed the barracks and some public stores which had not been removed. About half way between Osborne's and Rich- mond, a few small armed vessels which had been collected to co-operate with the French against Portsmouth, after a slight resistance, were scuttled and set on fire by their crews, who joined the militia and fled. On the 30th of April, Generals Philips and Arnold reunited their forces neai Osborne's and marched against Manchester, a small town on the south bank of James river, opposite Richmond, where, as usual, they set fire to the warehouses And consumed the tobacco and other property. At that critical and disastrous period in the history of Virginia, the Marquis BRTTISn WARFAUK. OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 385 de la Fayette arrived from the northward to take the command of the military force in that state. This young nobleman had early espoused the cause of America with all the enthusiasm of an ardent and generous mind, and had mani- lested such a lively zeal for the interests of the Union ag tecured to him the en- .ire confidence both of the American commander-in-chief and of congress. When .he attempt was meditated against Arnold at Portsmouth, he was appointed to command the troops to be employed in the enterprise ; but on the abandonment of the expedition by the naval force of France he returned from Annapolis in Maryland, where he had arrived, and proceeded to the head of Elk river, at which place he received orders to take the command of the troops in Virginia. When the Marquis de la Fayette marched to the southward on the meditated enterprise against Arnold, the troops which he carried along with him were drawn chiefly from the northern states ; and, as it was believed the expedition would be of short duration, they were ill provided for a southern campaign, and had imbibed strong prejudices against the climate. When they understood that the duty would be more permanent than had been at first expected, numbers of them deserted. But, appealing to their honor, the marquis at length succeeded in in- spiring his troops with the resolution of braving every danger and enduring every privation in the cause of their country. In order to encourage them, that young nobleman, as careless of fortune as he was ambitious of fame, borrowed money on his own personal credit from the merchants of Baltimore to purchase shoes, linen, and other necessaries, for his detachment ; and the ladies of that city, with patriotic zeal, took charge of immediately making the summer clothes of the troops. The marquis arrived at Richmond with his detachment on the evening before General Philips entered Manchester ; and, instead of attempting to pass the river in the face of that officer, the British general marched back to Bermuda Hundreds, a point of land formed by the junction of James river and the Appomattox, destroying much valuable property on his way. Embarking his army, he sailed down the river as far as Hog's island, where the van of his fleet arrived on the 5th day of May. On the return of the British down the river, the marquis sent small parties to follow them and watch their motions, while he established his headquarters be- hind the river Chicahoininy, at some distance from Richmond. On the 7th of May, General Philips received a letter from Cornwallis, informing him of his lordship's march into Virginia, and mentioning Petersburgh as the place at which he expected to meet the British troops in that province. General Philips immediately returned up the river, landed one division at Brandon, while another proceeded to City point ; and on the 9th, those two divisions met at Petersburgh, where their arrival was so unexpected that they took prisoners some of La Fayette's ofiicers, who had been sent to that place for the purpose of collecting boats to convey his troops across the river. Meanwhile Genera! Philips was seized with fever, and was so ill on reaching Petersburgh as to be unable to give orders. The progress of his disease was. rapid, and he died four days after ward, when the command of the troops devolvt \ on Arnold. We formerly left Cornwallis at Wilmington, iJi North Carolina, on the 7th of April. There he remained eighteen days, in order to refresh his exhausted troops ; and having resolved, after much deliberation, to proceed northward, on the 25th of the month he set out on his march into Virginia, a distance of 300 miles. In his progress, he met with little opposition. Colonel Tarleton, with 180 cavalry and 60 mounted infantry, preceded the army, and easily dispersed any bodies of militia that were assembling to interrupt it. On the 20th of May Cornwallis reached Petersburgh, and took the command of the British troops in Virgiriia. He felt his force decidedly superior to that opposed to him, and ex- H90 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY ulted in the prospect of success. Undervaluing the talents and resources of the Marquis de la Fayette, his young opponent, he incautiously wrote to Europe, in a letter which was intercepted, " The boy can not escape me." On being informed that General Philips, in returning up the river, had landed at Brandon on the southern bank, and that Cornwallis was marching northward, the marquis perceived that a junction of their forces was intended; and suspect, ing that Petersburgh was the appointed place of meeting, he endeavored to an ticipate them in the occupation of that town. But the march of General Philips was so rapid that he entered it before him, and frustrated his design. The marquis, with his little army, consisting of 1,000 continentals, 2,000 militia, and 60 dragoons, took a position at Richmond and exerted himself in removing the military stores to places of greater security. On the 24th of May, Cornwallis left Petersburgh, crossed James river at Westover, thirty miles below La Fayette's encampment, and, being joined by a reinforcement from New York, marched at the head of upward of 4,000 veterans toward Richmond. But the marquis evacuated that town on the 27th, and re- tired toward the back country ; inclining his march toward the north, so that he might easily form a junction with General Wayne, who was hastening to rein- force him with 800 men of the Pennsylvania line. Cornwallis eagerly pursued his retreating foe as far as the upper part of Hanover county ; but, finding it im- possible to overtake the marquis, or to prevent his junction with General Wayne, he at length altered the course of his march, and turned his attention to more attainable objects. In his progress he destroyed much public property. That of individuals also was plundered or consumed, under pretext of cutting the sinews of war ; so that Virginia, which had long escaped hostile ravages, now experienced its full share of the public calamity. Cornwallis took the horses from the stables of private gentlemen, formed an efficient cavalry, and mounted many of his infantry ; so that he could move considerable detachments with uncommon rapidity. Being thus provided with the means of rapid marches, he planned an expedi- tion against Charlotteville, where the general assembly of Virginia was then sitting, deliberating on the means necessary for the prosecution of the war. The assembly had been sittmg at Richmond, but, on the approach of the British army, had retired to Charlotteville, which stands on the bank of the Rivanna, high up the river. At that place there were some military stores ; but the Brit- ish prisoners were removed from it and conducted toward Pennsylvania. The force under Tarleton, in the expedition against Charlotteville, consisted of 180 cavalry and seventy mounted infantry of the 23d regiment. At first the second battalion of the 71st regiment was ordered to accompany him, but the officers of that regiment presented a memorial to Cornwallis, representing their unwillingness to serve under that officer, who had commanded at the Cow-Pens, where the first battalion of their regiment were made prisoners. They were therefore attached to Simcoe's corps, and the 23d regiment appointed to accom- pany Tarleton, who on that occasion displayed his usual activity, and advanced so rapidly toward the place of destination, that it was by mere accident that the inhabitants of Charlotteville heard of his approach before he entered the town, and that all the members of the assembly of Virginia were not made prisoners. But Mr. Janiette, a private gentleman, observing Tarleton's march, suspecting his design, mounted a fleet horse, and, by following a short and unfrequented road, reached the town two hours before tiie British cavalry entered it. The greater part of the legislative assembly escaped and re-assembled at Staunton, beyond the Blue Ridge ; only seven of them were made prisoners. Tarleton destroyed all the public stores at Charlotteville ; and sent Captain M'Leod, with a troop of horse, to Mr. Jefferson's mansion three miles farther, in order to ap- OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 39, preherul that gentleman and some other individuals who were understood to be there, but with instructions to commit no depredations. Mr. Jefferson and his friends made their escape ; but M'Leod punctually obeyed his orders : and. after remaining eighteen hours in the house, left it and all it contained uninjured ; conduct which was very rare, especially in Virginia. Colonel Tarleton having executed his commission at Charlotteville, hastened down the Rivanna to co-operate with Colonel Simcoe, who had been sent with a detachment of 500 men, chiefly infantry, in order to surprise Baron Steuben, who was then at Point of Fork, formed by the confluence of the Rivanna and Flu- vanna, the two great branches which constitute James river. He had upward of 500 raw troops and a considerable quantity of stores under his protection ; and waited for the militia to the south of James river, who had been directed to as- semble at Point of Fork. Colonel Simcoe's progress had not been so rapid as that of Tarleton ; but so skilfully had he conducted his march, that though Steuben had heard of Tarle- ton's expedition against Charlotteville, yet he had received no notice of Simcoe's approach to his own encampment ; but, as a measure of precaution, he left Point of Fork and took a position on the south side of the Fluvanna, securing all the boats on the southern bank. Colonel Simcoe's detachment unexpectedly ap- peared ; and the baron, mistaking it for the van of the British army, retreated precipitately during the night, leaving behind him part of the stores, vvhich were next day destroyed by Colonel Simcoe. The baron did not halt till he was thirty miles from Point of Fork. In Virginia the British had committed fearful devastations, and had destroyed much valuable property ; but Cornwallis, though at the head of a superior army, had gained no important advantage over his opponent. He had pushed the Marquis de la Fayette across the Rappahannock, but was unable to prevent his junction with General Wayne, which was accomplished at Rackoon ford on the 7th of June. The marquis immediately repassed the Rappahannock, and ad- vanced toward the British army. In the course of those movements Cornwallis had got completely between the marquis and the stores of the state, which were deposited at different places, but principally at Albemarle old courthouse high up th(( Fluvanna, on the south side of the river. Those stores were an object of importance to both armies ; and, early in June, the British commander, after having dispensed with the ser- vices of Arnold, and allowed him to return to New York, directed his march to Albemarle courthouse. The marquis was anxious to preserve his magazines ; and, while the British army was more than a day's march from Albemarle courthouse, by a rapid and unexpected movement he suddenly appeared in its vicinity. The British general easily penetrated his design ; and, being between him and his magazines, took a position near the road, so that he could attack him with ad- vantage if he attempted to advance. During the night, however, the marquis discovered and cleared a nearer but long disused road, and passed the British army unobserved ; and. in the morning. Cornwallis, with surprise and mortifica- tion, saw his adversary strongly posted between him and the stores. Perceiving that the Americans could not be attacked unless under great dis- advantages, and believing their force greater than it really was, Cornwallis abandoned his enterprise and began a retrograde movement, and, in two night marches, fell back upward of fifty miles. On the 17th of June he entered Rich- mond, but left it on the 20th, and continued his route to Williarasburgh, where (he main body of his army arrived on the 25th. The American army followed him at a cautious distance. On the 19th the marquis was joined by Steuben with his detachment, which increased the Ameri- can army to 4,000 men ; of whom 2,000 were regulars. ',ait only 1,500 wer« 31)2 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY disciplined troops. That of Cornwallis appears to have been somewhAt more numerous, and consisted entirely of veterans : it was also provided with a well mounted body of cavalry, which had spread terror and devastation over the coun try, and greatly intimidated the militia. Though the marquis kept about twenty miles behind the main body of the British army, yet his light parties hung on its rear, and skirmishes occasionally ensued. A sharp encounter happened near Williamsburgh between the advanced guard of the Americans, under Colonel Butler, and the rear guard of the British under Colonel Simcoe, in which both suffered considerable loss. Part of the British army marched to Colonel Simcoe's assistance, and the Americans were obliged to retreat. Although the marquis encouraged skirmishes and partial conflicts, yet, distrusting his new 1. vies and militia, he cautiously avoided a general battle. While the British amy remained at Williamsburgh, the Ameri- cans occupied a strong encampment twenty miles from that place. During the various movements of the troops in Virginia, property to a great amount, both public and private, was destroyed. Among other articles 2,000 hogsheads of tobacco were burned ; individuals suffered severely, and the re- sources of the state were considerably impaired. While the army traversed the country, carrying devastation in its train, ships-of-war sailed up the rivers, pil- laged the farms, received fugitive negroes, and. in some instances, laid the houses in ashes. Early in the spring a British frigate went up the Potomac to General Washington's mansion at Mount Vernon, and demanded from the stew- ard a quantity of provisions, which was granted in order to save the property. This compliance, however, was not satisfactory to the American commander-in- chief, who declared that it would have been more agreeable to him to have left the enemy to take what they pleased by force, even at the risk of burning his house and property. Though the militia showed no alacrity in taking the field, and though less re- sistance was made to the royal arms in Virginia than had been exi)ected from such a powerful state, yet very little inclination manifested itself among the peo- ple to support the British cause. Some loyalists in a remote part of the province were easily reduced to unconditional submission by General Morgan, whom ill health had obliged to quit the army; but who, on this occasion, put himself at 'he head of a few mounted riflemen to subdue the insurgents. We will here introduce the adventure of Charles Morgan, commonly called Charlie by his comrades Charlie was a shrewd private of the Jersey brigade a good soldier, and had attracted the notice of the Marquis de la Fayette. In the course of the movements on James river, the marquis was anxious to procure exact information of the force under Cornwallis, and, if possible, to penetrate his lordship's designs ; he considered Charlie as a proper agent for the accomplish- ment of his purposes, and proposed to him to enter the British camp in the char- acter of a deserter, but in reality as a spy. Charlie tuulertook the perilous en- terprise, merely stipulating that, if he were detected, the marquis should cause it to be inserted in the Jersey newspapers, that he was acting under the orders of his commanding oflicer. The pretended deserter entered the British lines and was conducted into the presence of (Jornwallis. On being questioned by that nobleman concerning his motive's for desertion, he replied, " that he had been with the American army from the beginning of the war, and that wliile under General Washington lie was sat'.sfied ; but that now they had put them under a Frenchman, he did nol like it, and therefore had deserted." Charlie was received without suspicion was punctual in discharging his duty as a soldier, and carefully observed every- thing that passed. One day while on duty with his comrades, Cornwallis, wno was in close conversation with some of his officers, called hin? and asked. " How OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 393 long will it take the marquis to cross James river ?" " Three hours, my lord, was the answer. " Three hours !" exclaimed his lordship, " will it not take three days ?" " No, my lord," said Charlie ; " the marquis has so many boats, each boat will carry so many men ; and if your lordship will take the trouble of calculating, you will find he can cross in three hours." Turning to his officers, the earl said, in the hearing of the American, " The scheme will not do." Charlie was now resolved to abandon his new friends : and for that purpose plied his comrades with grog till they were all in high spirits with the liquor. He then began to complain of the wants in the British camp, extolled the plen- tiful provision enjoyed by the Americans, and concluded by proposing to them to desert : they agreed to accompany him, and left it to him to manage the sen- tinels. To the first he offered, in a very friendly manner, a draught of rum from his canteen ; but, while the soldier was drinking, Charlie seized his arms, and then proposed to him to desert with them, which he did through necessity The second sentinel was served in the same way ; and Charlie hastened to the American camp at the head of seven British deserters. On presenting himself before his employer, the marquis exclaimed, " Ah, Charlie ! have you got back ?" " Yes, sir," was the answer, •' and have brought seven more with me." The marquis offered him money, but he declined accepting it, and only desired to have his gun again : the marquis then proposed to raise him to the rank of a corporal or serjeant, but Charlie's reply was, " I will not have any promotion ; I have abilities for a common soldier, and have a good character : should I be promoted, my abilities may not answer, and I may lose my character." He, however, generously requested for his fellow-soldiers, who were not so well supplied with stockings, shoes, and clothing as himself, the marquis's interference to procure a supply of their wants. For some time after entering Virginia, Cornwallis entertained the most flat- tering hopes of success. He was at the head of an army, which no force in that province was able to resist ; and he felt no doubt of succeeding against the Marquis de la Fayette. But that young officer eluded his most active exertions, frustrated some of his schemes, and now hung upon him with an army, which, though still inferior, was nevertheless formidable, and daily increasing in strength. But new disappointments and more mortifying events awaited this active noble- man. While at Williamsburgh he received a requisition from Sir Henry Clin- ton for part of the troops under his command : the commander-in-chief having discovered that an attack was meditated on New York, thought his garrison in- sufficient for the defence of that place, and wished part of the troops in Virginia to be sent to his assistance. Cornwallis prepared to comply with Sir Henry Clinton's requisition ; and, believing that with the remaining troops he would be unable to maintain himself at Williamsburgh, he resolved to pass James river and retire to Portsmouth. On the 30th of June he apprized the commander-in chief of his resolution. On the 4t,h of July the army marched from Williamsburgh, and encamped on the bank of James river, so as to cover a ford leading into the island of James- town. On the 5th and 6th, the baggage and some of the troops passed the ford ; but the main body of the army kept its ground. On the morning of the 5th of July, the Marquis de la Fayette left his encamp- ment, crossed the Chickahominy, pushed his light troops near the British posi- tion and advanced with the continentals to make an attempt on the British rear, after their main body had passed the river. On the afternoon of the 6th, the marquis was told that the main body of the British army had crossed the ford, and that a rear guard only remained behind ; an opinion which the British gen- eral artfully encouraged by the judicious manner in which he posted his troops General Wayne, imagining that he had to fight a rear ;juard or ly, advance** 304 THE PICTORUL HISTORY boldly against the enemy ; but in a short time he unexpectedly found himself in presence of the British army drawn up to receive him. Instant retreat he con- sidered impracticable, and thought the boldest course the most safe. With 800 men he made a brisk attack ; and for some minutes the conflict was sharp and bloody. But La Fayette, discovering the mistake, ordered a retreat, which was made with precipitation, leaving two pieces of cannon in the hands of the Brit- ish. The Americans retired behind a morass ; and, it being nearly dark, Corn- wallis, suspecting an ambuscade, ordered no pursuit. In this encounter, the Americans had 118 men, including ten officers, killed, wounded, or taken pris- oners. The loss of the British was not so great, amounting to five officers, and about seventy privates. In the course of the night the British passed into the island ; whence soon afterward they proceeded to Portsmouth. The troops required by the commander-in-chief were embarked ; but, before they sailed, despatches arrived from New York countermanding the order. At the same time, the commander-in-chief deprecated the thought of abandoning the Chesapeake, stating, that as soon as the season for military operations in that quarter returned, he would probably send thither all the disposable troops under his command, and recommending the establishment of a defensive post for the reception of ships-of-the-line, either at York, on the river of that name, or at Point Comfort in Hampton Road. Cornwallis accordingly ordered Point Com- fort and York to be surveyed by engineers and officers of the navy, from whose report it appeared that works constructed on old Point Comfort could neither de- fend the entrance into Hampton Road, nor afTord protection to ships lying there ; and as it was admitted that Portsmouth was not a station of the description re- quired, Cornwallis thought his instructions left him no alternative but to fortify York and Gloucester, as the only points capable of affording the requisite pro- tection to ships-of-the-line. Measures were accordingly taken for seizing and fortifying those places, and for evacuating Portsmouth. Part of the army pro- ceeded, in boats and transports, up the Chesapeake and York river, and, on the 1st of August, took possession of Yorktown and Gloucester Point, the former on the south, the latter on the north side of the river. The evacuation of Ports mouth was completed ; and on the 22d the British force in Virginia concentra- ted at York and Gloucester. Here we shall leave Cornwallis and his. army dili- gently fortifying themselves, and for a while turn our attention to the northward. In the early part of the year the affairs of congress wore a gloomy and alarm- ing aspect : the finances were exhausted, the troops mutinous, the army much diminished in numbers, and the soldiers who remained with the standards of their country, were in a state of entire destitution. The necessity of a foreign loan and of European auxiliaries was obvious ; and an early application for both had been made to France. But, how well disposed soever that power was to grant the desired assistance, compliance was no easy matter : for the treasury had enough to do in answering the national demands necessarily made on it, and was little able to supply foreign wants. As a signal proof of friendship, how- ever, the French monarch gave his allies a donation of six millions of livres, and promised to support them with a strong naval and military armament. Early in May, the Count de Barras, who had been appointed to the command of the French fleet on the American coast, arrived at Boston, accompanied by the Viscount de Rochambeau, commander of the land forces. An interview between General Washington and the French commanders was immediately appointed to be held at Wethersfield, on the 21st ; but some movements of the British fleet made De Barras repair to Newport, while the two generals met at the appointed place, and agreed on a plan of the campaign. It was resolved to unite the French and American armies on the Hudson, and to commence vigor- ous operations against New York. The regular army at that station was esti- ^F THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 395 mated at only 4,500 men ; and though Sir Henry Clinton might be able to rein- force it with 5,000 or 6,000 militia, yet it was believed he could not maintain the post, without recalling a considerable part of his troops from the southward, and enfeebling the operations of the British in that quarter ; in which case it was resolved to make a vigorous attack on the point which presented the best prospect of success. General Washington immediately required the states of New England to have 5,000 militia in readiness to march, wherever they might be called for ; and sent an account of the conference at Wethersfield to congress. His despatch was intercepted in the Jerseys, and carried to Sir Henry Clinton ; who, alarmed by the plan which it disclosed, made the requisition, already mentioned, of part of the troops under Cornwallis, and took diligent precautions for maintaining his post against the meditated attack. Meanwhile the several states of the Union were extremely dilatory in furnish- ing their contingents of troops, and it was found difficult to procure subsistence for the small number of men already in the field In consequence of this dilatory spirit, when the troops left their winter quar- ters in the month of June, and encamped at Peekskill, the army under Washing- ton did not amount to 5,000 men. This force was so much inferior to what had been contemplated when the plan of operations was agreed on at Wethersfield, that it became doubtful whether it would be expedient to adhere to that plan. But the deficiency of the American force was in some measure compensated by the arrival at Boston of a reinforcement of 1,500 men to the army under Rocham- beau. The hope of terminating the war in the course of the campaign, encouraged the states to make some exertions. Small as was their military force, it was difficult to find subsistence for the troops ; and, even after the army had taken the field, there was reason to apprehend that it would be obliged to abandon the objects of the campaign for want of provisions. In that critical juncture of American affairs, when the government was without money and without credit, the finances of the Union were intrusted to Mr. Robert Morris, a member of con- gress for Pennsylvania, a man of capital, and of much sagacity and mercantile enterprise. He extensively pledged his personal credit for articles of the first necessity to the army ; and, by an honorable fulfilment of his engagements, did much to restore public credit and confidence. It was owing mainly to his ex- ertions that the active and decisive operations of the campaign were not greatly impeded or entirely defeated, by want of subsistence to the army, and of the means of transporting military stores. In this way, and by a liberal and judicious application of his own resources an individual afforded the supplies which government was unable to furnish. The French troops marched from Newport and Boston toward the Hudson. Both in quarters and on the route their behavior was exemplary, and gained the respect and good-will of the inhabitants. Toward the end of June, General Washington put his array in motion ; and, learning that a royal detachment had passed into the Jerseys, he formed a plan to surprise the British posts on the north end of York island ; but it did not succeed ; and General Lincoln, who commanded the Americans, being attacked by a strong British party, a sharp confiict ensued. General Washington marched with his main body to support his detachment, but on his advance the British retired into their works at Kings- bridge. Having failed in his design of surprising the British posts, General Washing- ton withdrew to Valentine's hill, and afterward to Dobb's ferry. While en- camped there, on the 6th of July, the van of the long-expected French reinforce meiits was seen winding down the neighboring heights. The arrival of thosj 396 THE PICTORIAL HISTUR'i triendly strangers elevated the minds of the Americans, who received them with sincere congratulations. General Washington labored, by personal attentions. 10 conciliate the good-will of his allies, and used all the means in his power to prevent those mutual jealousies and irritations which frequently prevail between troops of different nations serving in the same army. An attack on New York was still meditated, and every exertion made to prepare for its execution ; bui with the determination, if it should prove impracticable, vigorously to prosecute some more attainable object. On the evening of the 21st of July, the greater part of the American and pan if the French troops left their encampment ; and, marching rapidly during the (light, appeared in order of battle before the British works at Kingsbridge, at four next morning. Generals Washington and Rochambeau, with the general offi- cers and engineers, viewed the British lines, in their whole extent, from right to left, and the same was again done next morning. But, on the afternoon of the 23d, they returned to their former encampment, without having made any attempt on the British works. At that time the new levies arrived slowly in the American camp ; and many of those who were sent were unfit for active service. The several states dis- covered much oackwardness in complying with the requisitions of congress, so that there was reason to apprehend that the number of troops necessary for be- sieging New York could not be procured. This made General Washington turn his thoughts more seriously to the southward than he had hitherto done ; but all his movements confirmed Sir Henry Clinton in the belief that an attack on New York was in contemplation. As the British commander-in-chief, how- ever, at that time received about 3,000 troops from Europe, he thought himself able to defend his post, without withdrawing any part of the force from Virginia Therefore he countermanded the requisition which he had before sent to Corn- wallis for part of the troops under his command. The troops were embarked before the arrival of the counter order ; and of their embarcation the Marquis de la Fayette sent notice to General Washington. On the reception of new in- structions, however, as formerly mentioned, they were relanded, and remained in Virginia. No great operation could be undertaken against the British armies, so long as their navy had the undisputed command of the coast, and of the great naviga- ble rivers. The Americans had accordingly made an earnest application to the court of France for such a fleet as might be capable of keeping in check the British navy in those seas, and of affording effectual assistance to the land forces. That application was not unsuccessful ; and, toward the middle of August, the agreeable information was received of the approach of a powerful French fleet to the American coast. Early in March, the Count de Grasse sailed from Brest with twenty-five ships-of-the-line, five of which were destined for the East, and twenty for the West Indies. After an indecisive encounter, in the straits of St. Lucie, with Sir Samuel Hood, whom Sir George Rodney, the British admiral in the West Indies, had detached to intercept him. Count de Grasse formed a junction with the ships of his sovereign on that station, and had a fleet superior to that of the British in the West Indies. De G:asse gave the Americans notice that he would visit their coast in the month of August, and take his station in Chesa- peake bay ; but that his continuance there could only be of short duration. Thi» despatch at once determined General Washington's resolution with respect to the main point of attack ; and, as it was necessary that the projected operation should be accomplished within a very limited time, prompt decision and inde- fatigable exertion were indispensable. Though it was now finally resolved that Virginia should be the graed scene of action, yet it was prudent to conceal to (M^ THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. d^Jl itit last moment this deter/iination from Sir Henry Clinton, and still to maintain •he appearance of threatening New York. The defence of the strong posts on the Hudson or North river was intrusted to General Heath, who vt'as instructed to protect the adjacent country as far as he was able ; and for that purpose a respectable force was put under his com- mand. Every preparation of which circumstances admitted was made to facili- tate the march to the southward. General Washington was to take the com- mand of the expedition, and to employ in it all the French troops, and i strong iotachment of the American army. On the 19th of August, a considerable corps was ordered to cross the Hudson at Dobb's ferry, and to take a position between Springfield and Chatham, where they were directed to cover some bakehouses, which it was rumored were to b» immediately constructed in the vicinity of those places, in order to encouiage the belief that there the troops intended to establish a permanent post. On the 20th and 21st the main body of the Americans passed the river at King's ferry : but the French made a longer circuit, and did not complete the passage till the 25th. Desirous of concealing his object as long as possible, General Washing- ton continued his march some time in such a direct'on as still to keep up the appearance of threatening New York. When concealment was no longer prac- ticable, he marched southward with the utmost celerity. His movements had been of such a doubtful nature, that Sir Henry Clinton, it is said, was not con- vinced of his real destination till he crossed the Delaware. Great exertions had been made to procure funds for putting the army in mo- tion ; but, after exhausting every other resource. General Washington was obliged to have recourse to Count Rochambeau for a supply of cash, which ho received. On the 30th of August, at three in the afternoon, the combined American and French armies entered Philadelphia, where they were received with ringing of bells, firing of guns, bonfires, illuminations at night, and every demonstration of joy. Meanwhile, Count de Grasse, with 3,000 troops on board, sailed from Cape Fran(,uis with a valuable fleet of merchantmen, which he conducted out of danger, and then steered for Chesapeake bay with twenty-eight sail-of-the- line and several frigates. Toward the end of August he cast anchor just within the capes extending across from Cape Henry to the middle ground. There an officer from the Marquis de la Fayette waited on the count, and gave him full information concerning the posture of affairs in Virginia, and the intended plan :)f operatitMis against the British army in that state. Cornwallis was diligently fortifying himself at York and Gloucester; the Marquis de la Fayette was in a position on James river to prevent his escape into North Carolina, and the combined army was hastening southward to attack, him. In order to co-operate against Cornwallis, De Grasse detached four ships- of-the-line and some frigates to block up the entrance of York river, and to carry the land forces which he had brought with him, under the Marquis de St. Simon, to La Fayette's camp. The rest of his fleet remained at the entrance of the bay. Sir George Rodney, who commanded the British fleet in the West Indies,, was not ignorant that the count intended to sail for America ; but, knowing that the merchant vessels which he convoyed from Cape Fran9ois were loaded with valuable cargoes, the British admiral believed that he would send the greater part of his fleet along with them to Europe, and would visit the American coast with a small squadron only. Accordingly, Sir George Rodney detached Six Samuel Hood with fourteen sail-of-the-line to America, as a sufficient force to counteract the operations of the French in that quarter. Admiral Hood reached the capes of Virginia on the 25th of August, a few days before De Grasse er 598 THE PICTORIAL HISTORY tered the bay , and, finding no enemy tliere, sailed for Sandy Hook, wbp.re h« arrived on the 28th of August. Admiral Graves, who had succeeded Admiral Arbuthnot in the command of the British fleet on the American station, was then lying at New York with seven sail-of-the-line ; but two of his ships had been damaged in a cruise near Boston, and were under repair. At the same time that Admiral Hood gave in- formation of the expected arrival of De Grasse on the American coast, notice was received of the sailing of De Barras with his fleet from Newport. Admiral Graves, therefore, without waiting for his two ships which were under repair, put to sea on the 31st of August, with nineteen sail-of-the-line, and steered to the southward. On reaching the capes of the Chesapeake early on the morning of the 5th of September, he discovered the French fleet, consisting of twenty-four ships-of- the-line, lying at anchor in the entrance of the bay. Neither admiral had any previous knowledge of the vicinity of the other till the fleets were actually seen. The British stretched into the bay : and soon as Count de Grasse ascertained their hostile character, he ordered his ships to slip their cables, form the line as they could come up, without regard to their specified stations, and put to sea. The British fleet entering the bay, and the French leaving it, they were neces- sarily sailing in diflTerent directions ; but Admiral Graves put his ships on the same tack with the French ; and, about four in the afternoon, a battle began be- tween the van and centre of the fleets, which continued till night. Both sustained considerable damage. The fleets continued in sight of each other for five days ; but De Grasse's object was not to fight unless to cover Chesapeake bay ; and Admiral Graves, owing to the inferiority of his force and the crippled state of several of his ships, was unable to compel him to renew the engage- ment. On the 10th, Count de Grasse bore away for the Chesapeake, and anchored within the capes next day, when he had the satisfaction to find that Admiral de Barras, with his fleet from Newport, and fourteen transports laden with heavy artillery and other military stores for carrying on a siege, had safely arrived du- ring his absence. That ofl[icer sailed from Newport on the 25th of August, and, making a long circuit to avoid the British, entered the bay while the contending fleets were at sea. Admiral Graves followed the French fleet to the Chesa- peake ; but, on arriving there, he found the entrance guarded by a force with which he was unable to contend. He then sailed for New York, and left Count de Grasse in the undisputed possession of the bay. While these naval operations were going on, the land forces were not less ac- tively employed in the prosecution of their respective purposes. The immedi- ate aim of the one party was to overwhelm Cornwallis and his army at York- town, that of the other to rescue him from their grasp. As soon as Sir Henry Clinton was convinced of General Washington's intention of proceeding to the southward, with a view to bring him back, he employed Arnold, with a sufficient naval and military force, on an expedition against New London. Arnold passed from Long Island, and on the forenoon of the 6th of September landed his troops on both sides of the harbor ; those on the New London side being under his own immediate orders, and those on the Groton side commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Eyre. As the works at New London were very imperfect, no vigorous resistance was there made, and the place was taken possession of with little loss. But Fort Griswolde, on the Groton side, was in a more finish«'d state, and the small garrison made a desperate defence. The British entered the fort al ihe point of the bayonet ; when, though opposition ceased, a murderous carnage ensued. Few Americans had fallen when the British entered the works, bu* eighty-five were killed, sixty wounded, most of them mortally, and the remaio Benkdict Arnold at the Burning of New London. OF THE AxMERICAN REVOLUTION. 399 (ler, seventy in number, were made prisoners. The loss of the British a as con- siderable. A great quantity of valuable property was destroyed, and the town much injured. The loss sustained by the Americans at New London was great ; but thai predatory incursion had no effect in diverting General Washington from his pur- pose, or in retarding his march southward. From Philadelphia the allied ar- mies pursued their route, partly to the head of Elk river, which falls into the northern extremity of Chesapeake bay, and partly to Baltimore, at which places they embarked on board of transports furnished by the French fleet, and the last division of them landed at Williamsburgh on the 25th of September. Generals Washington and Rochambeau, and their attendants, proceeded to the same place by land, and reached it ten days before the troops. Virginia had suffered ex- tremely in the course of the campaign : the inhabitants were clamorous for the appearance of the commander-in-chief in his native state, and hailed his arrival with acclamations of joy. Generals Washington and Rochambeau immediately repaired on board De Grasse's ship, in order to concert a joint plan of operations against Cornwallis. De Grasse, convinced that every exertion would be made to relieve his lordship, and being told that Admiral Digby had arrived at New York with a reinforce- ment of six ships-of-the-line, expected to be attacked by a force little inferior to his own ; and deeming the station which he then occupied unfavorable to a na- val engagement, he was strongly inclined to leave the bay, and to meet the en- emy in the open sea. General Washington, fully aware of all the casualties which might occur to prevent his return, and to defeat the previous arrange- ments, used every argument to dissuade the French admiral from his purpose, and prevailed with him to remain in the bay. As Count de Grasse could continue only a short time on that station, every exertion was made to proceed against Cornwallis at Yorktown, a small village on the southern bank of the river York, in which ships-of-the-line can ride in perfect safety. A long peninsular tract of land, only eight miles broad, lies be- tween James and York rivers. Opposite Yorktown is Gloucester point, which projects considerably into the river, the breadth of which at that place does not exceed a mile. Cornwallis had taken possession of both these places, and dili- gently fortified them. The communication between them was commanded by his batteries, and by some ships-of-war which lay in the river under cover of hip guns. The main body of his army was encamped near Yorktown, beyond some outer redoubts and fieldworks calculated to retard the approach of an en- emy. Colonel Tarleton, with 600 or 700 men, occupied Gloucester point. The combined army, amounting to upward of 11,000 men, exclusive of the Virginia militia, was assembled in the vicinity of Williamsburgh ; and on the morning of the 28th of September marched by different routes toward Yorktown. .•\bout midday the heads of the columns reached the ground assigned them ; and, after driving in the outposts and some cavalry, encamped for the night. The next day was employed in viewing the British works, and in arranging the plan of attack. At the same time that the combined army encamped before Yorktown, the FVench fleet anchored at the mouth of the river, and completely prevented the British from escaping by water, as well as from receiving supplies or rein- forcements in that way. The legion of Lauzun and a brigade of militia, amount- ing to upward of 4,000 men, commanded by the French General de Choise, were sent across the river to watch Gloucester point, and to enclose the British on that side. On the 30th Yorktown was invested. The French troops formed the left wing of the combined army, extending from the river above the town to a morass »n front of it : the Americans composed the right wing, and occupied the ground Mm OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 40i between the morass and the river below the town. Till the 6th of October the besieging army was assiduously employed in disembarking its heavy artil- lery and military stores, and in conveying tliem to camp from the landing place in James river, a distance of six miles. On the night of the 6th the first parallel was begun, 600 yards from the Brit- ish works. The night was dark, rainy, and well adapted for such a service ; and in the course of it the besiegers did not lose a man. Their operations seem not to have been suspected by the besieged till daylight disclosed them in the morning, when the trenches were so far advanced as in a good measure to cover the workmen from the fire of the garrison. By the afternoon of the 9th, the bat- teries were completed, notwithstanding the most strenuous opposition from the besieged, and immediately opened on the town. From that time an incessant cannonade was kept up ; and the continual discharge of shot and shells from twenty-four and eighteen-pounders, and ten-inch mortars, damaged the unfinished works on the left of the town, silenced the guns mounted on them, and occasioned a considerable loss of men. Some of the shot and shells from the batteries passed over the town, reached the shipping in the harbor, and set on fire the Charon of forty-four guns, and three large transports, which were entirely con- sumed. In this action Alexander Hamilton distinijuished himself. Fig. 153. — Monument of Hamilton. On the night of the 11th, the besiegers, laboring with indefatigable persever ance, began their second parallel, 300 yards nearer the British works than the first ; and the three succeeding days were assiduously employed m completing 26 iO'Z THE PICTORIAL HlS'l'OKT ^^s^ll>:m'''"^^'#- ■ OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 403 u. During that interval the fire of the garrison was more destructive than at any other period of the siege. The men in the trenches were particularly an- noyed by two redoubts toward the left of the British works, and about 200 yards Ml front of them. Of these it was necessary to gain possession ; and on the 14tb preparations were made to carry them both by storm. In order to avail himseii of the spirit of emulation which existed between the troops of the two nations, and to avoid any cause of jealousy to either, the attack of the one redoubt was committed to the French, and that of the other to the Americans. The latter were commanded by the Marquis de la Fayette, and the former by the Baron de V iominel. On the evening of the 14th, as soon as it was dark, the parties marched to the assault with unloaded arms. The redoubt which the Americans attacked was defended by a major, some inferior officers, and forty-five privates. The as- sailants advanced with such rapidity, without returning a shot to the heavy fire with which they were received, that in a lew minutes they were in possession of the work, having had eight men killed, and twenty-eight wounded, in the at- tack. Eight British privates were killed ; the major, a captain, an ensign, and seventeen privates, were made prisoners. The rest escaped. Although the Americans were highly exasperated by the recent massacre of their countrymen in Fort Griswolde by Arnold's detachment, yet not a man of the British was in- jured after resistance ceased. Retaliation had been talked of, but was not ex- ercised. The French party advanced with equal courage and rapidity, and were suc- cessful ; but as the fortification which they attacked was occupied by a greater force, the defence was more vigorous, and the loss of the assailants more se- vere. There were 120 men in the redoubt ; of whom eighteen were killed, and forty-two taken prisoners : the rest made their escape. The French lost nearly 100 men killed or wounded. During the night these two redoubts were inclu- ded in the second parallel ; and, in the course of next day, some howitzers were placed on them, which in the afternoon opened on the besieged. Cornwallis and his garrison had done all that brave men could do to defend their post. But the industry of the besiegers was persevering, and their ap- proaches rapid. The condition of the British was becoming desperate. In every quarter their works were torn to pieces by the fire of the assailants. The batteries already playing upon them had nearly silenced all their guns ; and the second parallel was about to open on them, which in a few hours would render the place untenable. Owing to the weakness of his garrison, occasioned by sickness and the fire of the besiegers, Cornwallis could not spare large sallying parties ; but in the present distressing crisis, he resolved to make every effort to impede the prog- ress of the enemy, and to preserve his post to the last extremity. For this pur- pose, a little before daybreak on the morning of the 16th of October, about 350 men, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Abercrotnbie, sallied out against two batteries, which seemed in the greatest state of f(»rwardness. They at- tacked with great impetuosity, killed or wounded a considerable number of the French troops who had charge of the works, spiked eleven guns, and returned with little loss. This exploit was of no permanent advantage to the garrison ■ for the guns, having been hastily spiked, were soon again rendered fit for service. About four in the afternoon several batteries of the second parallel opened on tiie garrison, and it was obvious that, in the course of next day, all the batteries of that parallel, mounting a most formidable artillery, would be ready to play on the town. The shattered works of the garrison were in no condition to sustain such a tremendous fire. In the whole front which was attacked the British could no THE PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 403 show a single gun, and their shells were nearly exhausted. In this extremity, Cornwallis formed the desperate resolution of crossing the river during the night, with his efTective (m^ ^ and attempting to escape to the northward. His plan was, lo leave behind his sick, baggage, and all incumbrances ; to attack De Choise, who commanded on the Gloucester side, with his whole force ; to mount his own infai try, partly with the hostile cavalry, which he had no doubt of seizing, und partly with such horses as he might tind by the way ; to hasten toward the fords of the great rivers in the upper country, and then, turning northward, to pass through Maryland, Peimsylvania, and the Jerseys, and join the army at New York. The plan was hazardous, and presented little prospect of success ; but in the forlorn circumstances of the garrison, anything that offered a glimpse of hope was reckoned preferable to the humiliation of an immediate surrender. In prosecution of this perilous enterprise, the light infantry, most of the guards, and a part of the 23d regiment, embarked in boats, passed the river, and landed at Gloucester point before midnight. A storm then arose, which rendered the return of the boats and the transportation of the rest of the troops equally im- practicable. In that divided state of the British forces, the morning of the 17th of October dawned, when the batteries of the combined armies opened on the garrison at Yorktown. As the attempt to escape was entirely defeated by the storm, the troops that had been carried to Gloucester point were brought back in the course of the forenoon, without much loss, though the passage was ex- posed to the artillery of the besiegers. The British works were in ruins ; the garrison was weakened by disease and death, and exhausted by incessant fatigue. Every ray of hope was extinguished. It would have been madness any longer to attempt to defend the post, and to expose the brave garrison to the danger of an assault, which would soon have been made on the place. At ten in the forenoon of the 17th, Cornwallis sent out a flag of truce, with a letter to General Washington, proposing a cessation of hostilities for twenty-four hours, in order to give time to adjust terms for the surrender of the forts at York- town and Gloucester point. To this letter the A.merican general immediately returned an answer, expressing his ardent desire to spare the further effusion of blood, and his readiness to listen to such terms as were admissible ; but that he could not consent to lose time in fruitless negotiations, and desired that, previous to the meeting of commissioners, his lordship's proposals should be transmitted in writing, for which purpose a suspension of hostilities for two hours should be granted. The terms offered by Cornwallis, although not all deemed admissible, were such as induced the opinion that no great difficulty would occur in adjust- ing the conditions of capitulation ; and the suspension of hostilities was contin- ued through the night. Meanwhile, in order to avoid the delay of useless dis- cussion. General Washington drew up and transmitted to Cornwallis such arti- cles as he was willing to grant, informing his lordship that, if he approved ot them, commissioners might be immediatelv appointed to reduce them to form. Accordingly, Viscjunt Noailles and Lieutenant-Colonel Laurens, whose father was then a prisoner in the tower of London, on the 18th met Colonel Dunda? and Major Ross of the British army at Moore's house, in the rear of the first parallel. They prepared a rough draught, but were unable definitely to arrange the tewns of capitulation. The draught was to be submitted to Cornwallis : but Gereral Washington, resolved to admit of no delay, directed the articles to be transcribed ; and, on the morning of the 19th, sent them to his lordship, with a letter expressing his expectation that they would be signed by eleven, and that the garrison would march out at two in the afternoon. Finding that no better terms could be obtained, Cornwallis, on the 19th of October, surrendered the posts of Yorktown ard Gloucester point to the combined armies of America and France, on condition thi'. his troops should receive the same honors of war OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 40? .« -ad hous*- 128 APPENDIX. shall, in like manner, choose the president. But in choosing the president ht vote shall be taken by states, the representation from each stale having one vote ; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the choice of the president, the person having the greatest number of votes of the electors, shall be the vice-president. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the senate shall choose from them, by ballot, the vice-president.]* 4. The congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes ; which day shall be the same throughout the United States. 5. No person, except a natural-born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president : neither shall any person be eligible to that office, who shall not have attained to the age of thirty- five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States. 6. In case of the removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall de- volve on the vice-president, and the congress may, by law, provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the president and vice-presi- dent, declaring what officer shall then act as president, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a president shall be elected. 7. The president shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them. 8. Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following oath or affirmation : 9. " I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States." Section 2. — 1. The president shall be commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States ; he may require the opinion, in wri- ting, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any sub- ject relating to the duties of their respective offices ; and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, e.xcept in cases of impeachment. 2. He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the senators pres- ent concur : and he shall nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the supreme court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appoint- ments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law. But the congress may, by law, vest the appointment of such inferior offi- cers as they think proper, in the president alone, in the courts of law, or in the neads of departments. 3. The president shall have power to fill up all vacan- cies that may happen during the recess of the senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session. Section 3. — 1. He shall, from time to time, give to congress information of ihe state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient : he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both houses or either of them, and, in case of disagreement between ihem, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper ; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers ; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed ; and shall tommission all the officers of the United States. * Tkis clause was annulled by the 12th article under amendments. APPENDIX. 429 ISection 4. — ]. The president, vice-president, and all civil officers of the Uni ;ed States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction oC. treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. ARTICLE III. Section 1.— 1. The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme court, and in such inferior courts as the congress may, from time l(? time, ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts shall hold their offices during good behavior ; and shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office. Section 2. — 1. The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity, arising under this constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, <>r which shall be made, under their authority : to all cases affecting ambassa- dors, other public ministers, and consuls ; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction ; to controversies to which the United States shall be a party ; to controversies between two or more states ; between a state and citizens of an- other state ; between citizens of different states ; between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states ; and between a state, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects. 2. In all cases af- fecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, and those in which a state shall be a party, the supreme court shall have original jurisdiction. In all the other cases before mentioned, the supreme court shall have appellate juris- diction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regula- tions, as the congress shall make. 3. The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury, and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crime shall have been committed ; but when not committed within any state, the trial shall be at such place or places as the congress may by law have directed. Section 3. — 1. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levy- ing war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and com- fort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court. 2. The con- gress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason ; but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted. ARTICLE IV. Section 1. — 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the congress may, by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings, shall be proved, and the effect thereof. Section 2. — 1. The citizens in each state shall be entitled to all privileges and •'mmunities of citizens in the several states. 2. A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall, on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime. 3. No person held to service or labor in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor ; but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. Section 3. — 1. New states may be admitted by the congress into this union ; but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state, nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as iiO APPENDIX. of the congress. 2. The congress shall have power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property be- longing to the United States ; and nothing in this constitution shall be so con- strued as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state. Section 4. — 1. The United States shall guaranty to every state in this union, a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against inva sion ; and, on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legis lature can not be convensd), against domestic violence. ARTICLE V. 1. The congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it neces- sary, shall propose amendments to this constitution ; or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention foi proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the congress ; provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner aflect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article ; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of it^ equal suffrage in the senate. ARTICLE VI. 1. All debts contracted, and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this constiti' tion, as under the confederation. 2. This constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land ; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby ; anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstand- ing. 3. The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this constitution ; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. ARTICLE VII. 1. The ratification of the conventions of nine states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this constitution between the states so ratifying the same. Done in convention, by the unanimous consent of the states present, the sev- enteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hun- dred and eighty-seven, and of the independence of the United States of Amer icw, the twelfth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our nan »• GEORGE WASHINGTON, President, and Deput} from Virgirna New Hampshire. Roger Sherman. John Lang don, New Yiork. Nicholas Gilman. Alexander Hamilto** Massachusetts. ^g,^ Jersey Nathaniel Gorham, William Livingstow RuFUs King. David Bearly. Connecticut. William Paterson Wm. Samuel Johnson, Jonathan Dayton APPENDIX 43! Pennsyhama. Danl of St. Th. Jenifer, Benjamin Franklin, Daniel Carroll. Thomas Mifklin, Virginia. Robert Morris, John Blair, George Clymer, James Madison, Jr Thomas Fitzsimons, JSlorth Carolina. Jared Ingersoll, William Blount, James Wilson, Richard Dobbs Spaight. Governeur Morris. Hugh Williamson. Delaware. South Carolina. George Read, John Rutledge, Gunning Bedford, Jr., Charles C. Pincknet, John Dickinson, Charles Pinckney. Richard Bassett, Pierce Butler. Jacob Broom. Georgia. Maryland. William Few, James M'Henrv, Abraham Baldwin, Attest, WILLIAM JACKSON, Sec [Congress, at their first session under the constitution, held in the city of New York, in 1789, proposed to the legislatures of the several states, twelve amendments, ten of which only were adopted. They are the first ten of the following amendments ; and they were ratified by three fourths, the constitutional number of the states, on the 15th of December, 1791. The 11th amendment was proposed at the first session of the third congress, and was declared in a message from the president of the United States to both houses of congress, da- tad the 8th of January, 1798, to have been adopted by the constitutional numbar of states. The 12th amendment, which was proposed at the first session of the eighth congress, was adopted by the constitutional number of states in the year 1804, according to a public notice by the secretary of siate, dated the 25th of September, 18U4.] amendments To the constitution of the United States, ratified according to the provisions of the fifth article of the foregoing constitution. Art. 1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; or abridging tlie freedom of speech, or of the press ; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. Art. 2. A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free Slate, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Art. 3. No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house with- out the consent of the owner ; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be pre- scribed by law. Art. 4. The right of the people to be secured in their persons, houses, pa- - pers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be vio- lated ; and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the per- sons or things to be seized. Art. 5. No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise inki- muus crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual ser- vice, in time of war or public danger ; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in ieooardy of life or limb ; nor shall be com- pelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived 432 APPENDIX. of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law ; nor shall privaie prop erty be taken for public use, without just compensation. Art. 6. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusa- tion ; to be confronted with the witnesses against him ; to have compulsory pro- cess for obtaining witnesses in his favor ; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence. Art. 7. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall ex ceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved ; and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. Art. 8. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Art. 9. The enumerations in the constitution of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. Art. 10. The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. Art. II. The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another state, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign state. Art. 12. — 1. The electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for president and vice-president, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves ; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as president, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as vice-president ; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as president, and of all persons voted for as vice president, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president of the senate ; the president of the senate shall, in the presence of the senate and house of rep- resentatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted ; the person having the greatest number of votes for president, shall be the president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed : and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest num- bers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as president, the house of representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the president. But, in choosing the president, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation Irom each state having one vote ; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the house of representatives shall not choose a president whenever the choice shall devolve "'pon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the vice-president shall act as president, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the president. 2. The person having the greatest number of votes as vice-president, shall be .he vice-president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed ; and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the senate shall choose the vice-president ; a quorum for the pur- pose shall consist of two thirds of the whole number of senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. 3. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president, shall be eligible to that of vice-president of the United States. APPENDIX. 433 Akt. XIII. — 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly couvictod, f-hall exist within the United States, or anyplace subject to tlieir jurisdiction. 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legis- lation. Art. XIV. — 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United Stales, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of tlie United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or properly, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction tlie equal protection of the laws. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for president and vice-president of the United States, representatives in congress, the executive and judicial offices of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the pro- portion which the number of such male citi.zens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state. 3. No person shall be a senator or representative in congress, or elector of president and vice-president, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath as a member of congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member ot any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insur- rection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in supjiressing insurrection or rebellion, sliull not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation in- curred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or eman(;ipatiou ot any slave ; but all such debts, obliga- tions, and claims shall be held illegal and void. 6. The congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. AuT. XV. — 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state, on account ot race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 2. The congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate Iciiislation. ^^ '.^- v"^ ,^\» , N C ^ -/. -' '■■>, - ■S"' .r 'c^ ,^^ ■''c^: .V ^•- "^^ .N-^^ ^S' -. .^^^• Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: i;.P 199? BKKEEPER PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES. 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