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diff --git a/21972-h/21972-h.htm b/21972-h/21972-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b7b26f0 --- /dev/null +++ b/21972-h/21972-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2895 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of George Washington, by Calista McCabe Courtenay. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 15%; font-weight: bold;} + + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of George Washington, by Calista McCabe Courtenay + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: George Washington + +Author: Calista McCabe Courtenay + +Release Date: June 29, 2007 [EBook #21972] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GEORGE WASHINGTON *** + + + + +Produced by Stephen Hope, Janet Blenkinship and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 446px;"> +<img src="images/imgcover.jpg" width="446" height="600" alt="cover" title="" /> +</div> + +<p><br /><br /><a name="frontis" id="frontis"></a></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 507px;"> +<img src="images/i000.jpg" width="507" height="600" alt="Washington Leaving His Home" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington Leaving His Home</span> +</div> + + <h3><i>"MAKERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY" SERIES</i></h3> + + <h1>GEORGE<br /> + WASHINGTON<br /><br /></h1> + + <h2>By CALISTA McCABE COURTENAY<br /><br /></h2> + + <h3>ILLUSTRATED BY</h3> + + <h3>A. M. TURNER</h3> + + <h4>AND</h4> + + <h3>HARRIET KAUCHER<br /><br /></h3> + + <div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;"> +<img src="images/i001.jpg" width="288" height="500" alt="George Washington" title="" /> +<span class="caption">George Washington</span> +</div> + + <p class="center"> +Copyright, 1917, by<br /> +SAM'L GABRIEL SONS & COMPANY<br /> +NEW YORK</p> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> + + +<div class='centered'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="65%" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td>PAGE</td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter I</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_5'><b>5</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Washington's Early Life—Appointed as Surveyor—First Trip into the Wilderness—Entrusted with Message to the French.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter II</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_20'><b>20</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Washington Appointed a Member of Gen. Braddock's + Staff—French and Indian War—Washington Made + Commander of Virginia Forces—Causes of the American + Revolution—Washington a Member of the First Continental + Congress.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter III</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_30'><b>30</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Beginning of the Revolution—Washington + Made Commander-in-Chief + of the Continental + Army—British Forced + to Leave Boston.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter IV</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_40'><b>40</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Declaration of Independence + Signed—Battle + of Long Island—Battle + of White Plains—Washington + Crosses the Delaware + and Surprises the + Hessians at Trenton.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter V</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_52'><b>52</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Recapture of Fort Ticonderoga + by Gen. Burgoyne—Battle + of Brandywine—Battle + of Germantown—Burgoyne's + Surrender + at Saratoga—Washington + at Valley Forge—Alliance with France.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter VI</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_62'><b>62</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Battle of Monmouth—Patriots Receive Aid from France—Recapture + of Fort at Stony Point by Gen. Anthony + Wayne—Washington at Morristown—Surrender of + Charleston, S. C., to the British—Treason of Benedict + Arnold.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter VII</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_73'><b>73</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Gen. Gates Defeated at Camden, S. C.—Battle of King's + Mountain—Washington Sends Aid to the South—Siege of + Yorktown—Surrender of Lord Cornwallis—Peace Treaty + Signed—Washington's Farewell to His Officers.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<th><span class="smcap">Chapter VIII</span></th> +<td align="right"><a href='#Page_83'><b>83</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td>Washington Retires to Mount Vernon—Inaugurated as + First President of the United States—His Reelection—His + Death at Mount Vernon.</td> +<td> </td> +</tr> + +</table></div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 406px;"> +<img src="images/i003.jpg" width="406" height="650" alt="The Washington Monument" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Washington Monument</span> +</div> + +<h2>LIST OF COLORED PLATES</h2> + + + +<div class='centered'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="65%" cellspacing="0" summary="LIST OF COLORED PLATES"> +<tr><td align='left'>Washington Leaving His Home</td><td align='right'><a href='#frontis'><b><i>Frontispiece</i></b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Washington Taking Command of the Army</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_20'><b>20</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Washington Crossing the Delaware</td><td align='right'><a href='#Delaware'><b>40</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>At Valley Forge</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_52'><b>52</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Washington Bidding Farewell to His Officers</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_73'><b>73</b></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>Washington Welcomed in New York</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_83'><b>83</b></a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> +<img src="images/i004.jpg" width="300" height="232" alt="Untitled" title="" /> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>WASHINGTON'S EARLY LIFE—APPOINTED AS SURVEYOR—FIRST TRIP INTO THE +WILDERNESS—ENTRUSTED WITH MESSAGE TO THE FRENCH—1732-1754</p></div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i005.jpg" width="550" height="320" alt="Chapter 1" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>The twenty-second day of February is a national holiday in America +because, as everybody knows, it is the anniversary of George +Washington's birthday. All loyal Americans love and honor him, the +greatest man in the history of the Republic.</p> + +<p>He was born in 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, where the Potomac +River flowed past his father's farm. The farm-house, called "Wakefield," +was burned, but the United States Government built a monument to mark +the place where it stood.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> + +<p>When "Wakefield" was destroyed, the family lived for a time in a home, +later called Mount Vernon, in Fairfax County. But the real boyhood home +of George Washington was a farm overlooking the Rappahannock River, +where his parents went when he was about eight years old. His father, +Augustine Washington, was a prosperous Virginia planter, and owned +several fine estates.</p> + +<p>His mother's name was Mary Ball. She was a beautiful and sensible woman, +and a wise, firm and loving mother. She was his father's second wife and +there were two little lads already in the home, Lawrence and Augustine, +when she came to take the place of their mother who had died. Besides +these two half-brothers, George had two sisters and three brothers. The +two older sons were sent to England to school.</p> + +<p>When George was eight years old, Lawrence returned home, having finished +his studies. A great affection at once sprang up between them. George +was a fine, manly little fellow whom any big brother could love, and he +looked up to Lawrence as a model. Before long, Lawrence went away to the +wars, serving under Admiral Vernon in the West Indies. His letters +filled George with admiration and he at once became commander-in-chief +of all the boys at school; they had parades and battles in imitation of +those Lawrence wrote about.</p> + +<p>George's father died when he was twelve years old, but, fortunately, he +had a wise and careful mother. She taught him respect and obedience to +authority; justice and courtesy to others; loyalty to God and his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> +country. He had a high temper and a spirit of command, which she taught +him to control. A few times only in his life, when greatly provoked, did +his anger get beyond bounds. He loved and honored his mother deeply and +never forgot her teachings.</p> + +<p>George and his younger brothers were educated in the country schools of +Virginia. George soon showed that he had a practical mind, caring little +for poetry and literature. He liked mathematics and wanted to know about +business and keeping accounts. He spent hours copying into a book the +exact forms of legal papers of all kinds. He was very neat and accurate +in his school work and learned the value of system and order. He never +began a thing without finishing it. He never did anything without +knowing the reason why. When he grew up, these fine principles and this +skill and accuracy, fitted him to take a great part in the history of +America.</p> + +<p>All boys in those early days knew how to handle guns and manage horses. +George was an expert rider and loved the life of the woods. Being +exceptionally tall and strong, he was the champion athlete at school. It +is said he could throw a stone farther than any man in Virginia. +Besides, he was so fair-minded that the boys always let him settle their +disputes and quarrels, knowing he would give every one a square deal. He +was the admired and trusted leader of them all.</p> + +<p>In addition to his mother's care, George soon had the loving advice and +devoted friendship of his brother Lawrence. The war was over and that +splendid young gentleman had come home, and had mar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>ried the charming +Anne Fairfax. His house, willed to him by his father, stood upon a hill +overlooking the beautiful Potomac River. To this lovely home, surrounded +by lawns and stately trees, Lawrence gave the name Mount Vernon, in +honor of the Admiral under whom he had served. George spent as much time +as possible here, where he met many persons of education and refinement.</p> + +<p>While he was still a young boy, he wrote out for himself a long list of +rules of politeness and good behavior. He had observed that older people +do not like careless children, who forget the comforts and rights of +others. As a result, he was well liked by his brother's friends. Among +them were often military and naval officers, who told him stories of war +and adventure in foreign lands. When he was fourteen, one of these +officers would have appointed him midshipman in the British navy. He was +eager to go, but his mother needed his help in the management of their +property. So he continued two years more at school, studying +mathematics, engineering and surveying.</p> + +<p>The country was then new and wild and there was much work for land +surveyors, whose business it was to measure off boundaries and describe +the positions of rivers, mountains and forests in a piece of land. +George learned to do this so well that by the time he was sixteen, he +was appointed public surveyor of his county. His chief work for the next +three years was on the vast tracts of land owned by Lord Fairfax, the +uncle of Lawrence Washington's wife. Though very young, George was a +great favorite with his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> lordship, who often took him fox hunting. +George was a bold and skillful horseman and rode well after the hounds.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i009.jpg" width="600" height="475" alt="Surveying" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Surveying</span> +</div> + + +<p>The estate of Lord Fairfax, lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock +rivers and extending to the Alleghany Mountains, had been given to his +grandfather by King Charles II. These lands had never been settled nor +surveyed. People known as squatters were now moving in and taking +possession of the best places without permission. It became necessary to +have the land surveyed, and these settlers either driven out or made to +pay for certain definite parts. Lord Fairfax knew no one who could do +this so well as George Washington, for he was strong and fair enough to +deal wisely with the rough settlers. It was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> just what George wanted to +do, and he gladly accepted the offer.</p> + +<p>In March, George set out for his first trip into the wilderness. He was +just sixteen years old, and it was his first big undertaking. George +Fairfax, Anne's brother, went with him. They crossed the mountains into +the lovely valley of the Shenandoah River. George's letters home were +full of the beauty of the country and the richness of the land. After +the first night, they found it more comfortable to sleep out under the +sky than in the poor, untidy lodgings of the settlers. They lived on +wild turkey and other game. They did their own cooking, roasting the +meat on sticks over the fire and eating it on broad, clean chips.</p> + +<p>They met a party of war-painted Indians, and for the first time George +saw an Indian war dance. He studied the Indians carefully, for he wanted +to understand their ways so that he might know how to deal with them. +All through his life, he was kind and just in his treatment of these +people.</p> + +<p>The work of surveying grants of land took them long distances among the +mountains and through the valleys. They traveled on horseback over the +woodland trails, for there were as yet no roads. Sometimes they found +the rivers so high that they crossed in canoes, their horses swimming.</p> + +<p>George returned in a month, well pleased with his adventures, and Lord +Fairfax, delighted with his success, paid him well.</p> + +<p>The cordial, friendly, free life of Virginia pleased Lord Fairfax more +than did the life in England.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> When he heard the account of the +fertility and beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, he decided to make his +home there. George laid out for him a fine farm of ten thousand acres. +The long stone farm-house, surrounded by servants' quarters, stables and +kennels, was located on a charming hillside. The place was called +"Greenway Court," and visitors always found a warm welcome, whether +Indians, woodsmen, or friends from the cities. Here George stayed when +on his surveying trips and during the hunting seasons.</p> + +<p>Until he was nineteen, George spent his time at his work, or at home +with his mother or at Mount Vernon with Lawrence. The society of his +home and friends kept him from being spoiled by the roughness of the +wilderness. He was now six feet, two inches in height, with a fresh, +out-door complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. He had attractive +manners, he was careful about his dress, and presented a pleasing +appearance. Through all his life, George Washington was a true +gentleman.</p> + +<p>He was so well paid for his work that he was able to buy several pieces +of fine land. His noble character gave him a high place among the +leading men of his colony. When he was nineteen, he was appointed one of +four military officers in the colonies, with the rank and pay of a +major, $750 a year—a considerable sum at that time.</p> + +<p>Troubles had now arisen between the French and the English about the +ownership of lands west of the Alleghany Mountains. The Indians, +regarding the lands as theirs, took part in the disturbance. To pro<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>tect +her frontiers, Virginia was divided into four districts, each under a +leader, whose duty it was to organize and drill militia. George at once +began to study military tactics and the arts of war. This was +interrupted by a trip to the West Indies with his beloved brother +Lawrence, who was ill of consumption.</p> + +<p>They had hardly arrived there when George had a severe attack of +smallpox; though he soon got well, his face was scarred for life. He +wrote home about the beauty of the island, the wonderful trees and +fruits, and his social pleasures—dinners, parties and drives. For the +first time in his life, he attended a theater. He visited the courts of +justice and the fortifications; studied the laws, the soil and the +crops, learning all that could be learned about the island. The trip +resulted in no lasting good for Lawrence, however, for he died the +following summer, beloved and honored by the colonists.</p> + +<p>George was only twenty, but Lawrence left Mount Vernon in his charge, +and the care of his wife and little daughter. The farm on the +Rappahannock had been given to George by their father. These two fine +estates, with the property he had bought for himself, made George a +large land owner when still a very young man. The care of all this +property and his military duties kept him busy.</p> + +<p>During this time, the trouble with the French had grown more serious. +The English, having settled the eastern sea-coast, claimed the lands to +the west for their settlers. The French claimed the same lands by reason +of having explored them first. The rich country lying west of the +Alleghany Mountains, between<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> the Great Lakes and the Ohio River, was +the region in question. The French were planning to hold it by a line of +forts from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and near the eastern end of +Lake Erie, they had built two forts.</p> + +<p>Governor Robert Dinwiddie of Virginia decided to send a message to the +French commandant, Saint Pierre, warning him to keep off English soil. +He needed someone brave and strong enough to travel in the winter, +through hundreds and hundreds of miles of forests and across mountains +and swift rivers; who knew how to take care of himself in the woods; who +could get along with the Indians, and meet the French officers with +courtesy and wisdom.</p> + +<p>Of all the men in Virginia, the Governor chose George Washington, only +twenty-one years old, for this dangerous and important journey!</p> + +<p>So, late in the autumn of 1753, Major Washington set out for the Ohio +River, accompanied by Christopher Gist, a brave and daring frontiersman, +and an Indian chief called Half King, as guides, together with +interpreters and a small company of trusted men. They traveled on +horseback, and took with them tents and supplies for the journey.</p> + +<p>As they proceeded, cold weather overtook them and the forests became +almost impassable from snow. Traveling was so difficult that, when they +reached the Monongahela River, they sent two men down the river in a +canoe with their baggage. These men waited for them at the fork where +the Allegheny River joins the Monongahela to form the Ohio. As soon as +Washington saw this fork, he marked it as a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> splendid location for a +fort, of which we shall learn more later.</p> + +<p>Pushing on a little farther, Washington and his men reached a little +settlement on the Ohio River, where Indian chiefs met him in council. He +told them he had a letter for the French commandant and asked for their +advice and help. Indians are very dignified and slow in their councils. +They kept Washington waiting for several days. Then three of the +greatest chiefs went with him to the French forts. These were in what is +now northwestern Pennsylvania. It was a journey of many miles through +snow and mud and took nearly a week.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i014.jpg" width="600" height="469" alt="Starting for the French Camp" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Starting for the French Camp</span> +</div> + + +<p>It was almost the middle of December before Washington delivered his +message to the French<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> commandant, Saint Pierre. He was politely +received by the French officers, with whom he discussed matters very +tactfully. It took some days to prepare the reply to the Governor of +Virginia. While they waited, the French tried, with presents and liquor, +to coax Washington's Indian friends to leave him. At this time, the +Indian tribes were in a difficult position. Both the French and the +English were trying to get their lands and each seeking to win their +alliance against the other. Washington reminded the chiefs that he had +their word of honor and so kept them with him.</p> + +<p>After receiving the French reply, the party started back home, going as +far as possible in canoes. The rivers were swollen and full of ice, +making the water-trip extremely dangerous. On Christmas Day, Washington +began his long journey home—nearly a thousand miles through almost +trackless forests. The horses became so tired that he and Christopher +Gist decided to hurry on foot, in advance of the others, to the fork of +the Ohio, leaving their horses to be brought later. They tramped several +days, camping in the forests at night. An Indian met them and offered to +show them a short cut. But he was treacherous and guided them out of +their way and tried to shoot them. They escaped, traveling as fast as +they could all night and all the next day.</p> + +<p>At nightfall they came to the Allegheny River, expecting to find it +frozen over, but it was full of floating ice and they had no way to +cross. After working a whole day, with only a small hatchet, they made a +raft. In trying to pole this across the swift current,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> Washington was +thrown into the water and was nearly drowned, but he managed to get on +the raft again and they reached an island, where they spent the night. +It was so intensely cold that Gist's hands and feet were frozen. The +next morning, they got ashore on the chunks of ice and by suppertime +were in the warm house of a trader named Frazier. In a few days, they +were rested enough to go on to Gist's home, where the Major bade his +companion good-by and went on alone on horseback, through constant snows +and bitter cold.</p> + +<p>On the sixteenth of January (1754), Major Washington delivered the +French reply to Governor Dinwiddie. He had been absent almost three +months on his perilous journey, and you can imagine that his mother and +friends were glad to see him safe at home again.</p> + +<p>The Governor and the colonists were very proud of the way Washington had +performed his errand. His wisdom in his dealings with the Indians and +the French, his firmness, his courage and daring in the face of peril, +had indeed been marked. He had not only done well what he had been sent +to do, but he had thoroughly examined the French forts and made notes of +the best places for English defenses. From that time, he was trusted +with important duties.</p> + +<p>As might have been expected, the reply from the French commandant stated +that the land belonged to French settlers and that they intended to keep +it. It was Washington's opinion that the French intended in the spring +to take possession of the whole country. The Governor of Virginia tried +to interest<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> other colonies to help fight the French. When they refused, +Virginia sent Captain Trent to raise a company of men in the western +country and to build a fort at the fork of the Ohio River, where the +city of Pittsburgh now stands.</p> + +<p>Washington, now Colonel, was ordered to raise three hundred men and +build a road to this fort for cannon and supplies. He succeeded in +getting together one hundred and fifty men, who were poorly equipped, +and without training. They built the road as far as Cumberland. Here, in +April, 1754, they met Captain Trent's men in retreat. A French force of +three hundred men had surprised them by suddenly paddling down the river +in canoes, and planting their guns before the fort, with a summons to +surrender in an hour. One young officer and fifty men could not hold out +against so many. So they surrendered and marched back over the +mountains.</p> + +<p>Every day traders and settlers came by, hurrying eastward. They said the +French had taken the place at the fork of the Ohio and were building a +strong fort. They were coaxing the Indians, with fine presents, to fight +the English. If the British were to succeed against the French, they +required a good road over which to march an army. So Colonel Washington +hurried the road building as much as possible, but at best he could make +only slow progress in such mountainous country.</p> + +<p>He received a message from the friendly chief Half King, telling him +that a French force was on its way to attack him. With a little band of +men, Washington made his way by night through the forest, in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> heavy +rain, to the camp of Half King. Indian scouts tracked the Frenchmen to a +forest near a place called Great Meadows, where, in May, Washington and +his men attacked them on one side and the Indians on the other. The +Colonel was in the thickest of the fight and, for the first time, heard +bullets whistling about his head. Ten Frenchmen were killed and +twenty-one taken prisoners. Half King sent the scalps of the dead men, +with tomahawks and strings of black wampum (small beads made of shells +and sometimes used by the Indians as money), to all his allies and asked +them to join the English.</p> + +<p>This was Washington's first skirmish and it opened the French and Indian +War that lasted seven years. Washington now encamped at Great Meadows +where he dug rude trenches, which he called Fort Necessity. Supplies of +food and ammunition were slow in reaching him. He had been reënforced +with troops from the command of Colonel Fry, who had died on the way, +and Washington was now made commander of the joint forces of about three +hundred men.</p> + +<p>The French finished their fort, which they called Duquesne (doo-cané). +Then about nine hundred French and Indians attacked Washington. The +English fought bravely, but Half King and his men deserted Washington. +Being greatly outnumbered, he was obliged to surrender.</p> + +<p>Colonel Washington led his beaten and discouraged men home, trying to +cheer them while sharing their hardships. The campaign, fought against +such odds, had not been successful, but Washington was publicly thanked +for his bravery and hard work.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> + +<p>He resigned his commission and went to look after his mother's affairs. +He soon settled at Mount Vernon and began work on his farm. His greatest +desire was to devote himself to country life, but he was needed too much +by the colony to be allowed to live as a private man.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 263px;"> +<img src="images/i019.jpg" width="263" height="300" alt="Chapter footer" title="" /> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 479px;"> +<img src="images/i020a.jpg" width="479" height="600" alt="Washington taking command of the Army" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington taking command of the Army</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>WASHINGTON APPOINTED A MEMBER OF GEN. BRADDOCK'S STAFF—FRENCH AND +INDIAN WAR—WASHINGTON MADE COMMANDER OF VIRGINIA FORCES—CAUSES OF +THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION—WASHINGTON A MEMBER OF THE FIRST +CONTINENTAL CONGRESS—1755-1775</p></div> + + + + +<p>Early in the following year (1775), England sent out General Braddock +and a thousand soldiers, trained in battle, to take Fort Duquesne and +drive the French from the Ohio Valley. Washington was appointed a member +of his staff.</p> + + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 377px;"> +<img src="images/i020b.jpg" width="377" height="400" alt="The Indians fell upon their flanks" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Indians fell upon their flanks</span> +</div> + + +<p>General Braddock was a brave and experienced soldier, but he knew +nothing of warfare in a new country, amid great forests and savage foes. +He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> knew but one way to fight, which he had learned in the orderly camps +and wide fields of Europe, and felt that nobody could defeat his +well-drilled soldiers. He thought Washington too young to give advice, +and paid no attention to what he said. He looked with contempt upon the +queerly dressed, untrained Virginia troops, whom he called "raw +recruits." Instead of being friendly and generous with the Indians, +Braddock treated them coldly and they left him.</p> + +<p>With much difficulty, the army and its supplies were brought over the +mountains and approached Fort Duquesne early in July. As they drew near +it, Braddock's men put on their scarlet uniforms and forded the river, +with bands playing and colors flying. It was the first time Washington +ever saw a regular, well-disciplined army and he enjoyed the sight, +although he wondered how their orderly ranks were going to fight among +the rocks and trees. Fearing an attack from the woods, he wanted to send +Indian scouts and Virginia rangers ahead. General Braddock admired +Washington, but could not help laughing at his fears. So he sent his +soldiers gayly forward.</p> + +<p>Suddenly, they were attacked in front! With hideous yells, the Indians +fell upon their flanks. All that General Braddock had learned of warfare +was of little use to him now in the wilderness, but he was courageous +and determined. Four horses were shot under him and he was fatally +wounded. Before he died, he praised the Virginians, like a brave and +true gentleman, and apologized to Washington for not heeding his advice. +He left to him his horse and his servant. All the staff officers were +killed but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> Washington. His splendid height and broad shoulders made him +a fine target, as he rode about the field trying to rally the men. His +horses were killed under him and his clothing was torn by bullets. An +Indian chief said, "A Power mightier than we shielded him. He cannot die +in battle!" The contest ended in a terrible defeat for the English. The +regulars were useless and frightened. The despised Virginians were brave +but too few in number to meet the enemy alone. The survivors retreated +with the wounded to Fort Cumberland (Maryland).</p> + +<p>Washington had been twice defeated, but his courage and wisdom were so +great that Virginia had made him Commander-in-Chief of her forces. His +tasks were heavy for so young a man—he was only twenty-three at that +time! He did the best he could under many difficulties and raised and +drilled a force of militia.</p> + +<p>While facing a common danger, the colonies were not united then in any +way, except under a Governor General sent out from England by the King. +Washington had no authority over troops from any other colony, nor would +officers commissioned by the King take orders from him. Naturally, all +sorts of disputes arose and finally Washington decided to go to Boston +to put all these questions before Governor General William Shirley.</p> + +<p>Two other young Virginia officers rode with him. It was midwinter. They +had hundreds of miles of mud roads to travel. They had fine horses and +were attended by mounted black servants in livery. The story of +Washington's bravery in Braddock's defeat<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> was known throughout the +country. When these three handsome young officers reached the cities +along the way, they were splendidly entertained, for every one wanted to +honor Washington. He wore fine clothes and his appearance and manners +delighted all who met him. General Shirley received him with favor and +granted his requests.</p> + +<p>Word was brought that the French and Indians were attacking the settlers +beyond the mountains. Washington hurried back to his command at +Winchester. He was anxious to have the forces and supplies necessary to +attack Fort Duquesne at once. But while the people were clamoring for +protection, Washington was unable to help them on account of the unfair +treatment of Governor Dinwiddie, and the indifference of England. His +force was too small and untrained to make an attempt against the French; +but he remained patient and cheerful and for almost two years, he stood +by the people who depended upon him. Then William Pitt became prime +minister of England (1757) and at once took an interest in the defense +of the colonies.</p> + +<p>Washington was ordered to proceed against Fort Duquesne. That French +garrison had been weakened by taking men and supplies to the +battle-front on the north, where they were being defeated by the +British. Before Washington reached the fort, the commandant set fire to +it and fled. Washington planted the British flag upon the still smoking +ruins and on the same site built Fort Pitt, which he named in honor of +the great English statesman. This is where the city of Pittsburgh now +stands.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> Thus ended the French occupation of the Ohio Valley.</p> + +<p>The many cares and hardships Washington had suffered had made him ill +and he returned to Mount Vernon, hoping that his military life was over. +He was greatly loved and honored by his soldiers and his fellow +countrymen.</p> + +<p>When Washington was twenty-seven years old, he married a charming young +widow, Mrs. Martha Custis. The wedding took place January 6, 1759.</p> + +<p>Mrs. Custis had a little girl, Martha, four years old, and a little boy, +John, who was six. Washington dearly loved these children, whom he +taught and trained with great care. He and his wife were great favorites +socially and at their home (Mount Vernon) they entertained many guests. +Here the Custis children met many of the prominent men of those days.</p> + +<p>One of these visitors was Louis Philippe, the exiled King of France. +Noticing how many letters Washington wrote, he asked him if he were not +afraid of writing something he might regret. Washington answered that he +was careful never to do or say a thing he could afterward be sorry for.</p> + +<p>Washington kept fine horses and dogs and was very fond of hunting. +Although busy with the care of his great farms and his wife's large +estate, he found time to follow the hounds. His wisdom and honesty were +so trusted that, aside from his own affairs, other people gave him +charge of theirs. He was often called upon to settle disputes, thus +preventing law-suits. He was a member of the Virginia Legislature, then +called the House of Burgesses, of which he at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span>tended every meeting and +was careful to know all about the affairs of the colony. When he first +took his seat in the Legislature, he was thanked for his military +service to the colony. He rose to reply, but could only blush and +stammer. The speaker said, "Sit down, Mr. Washington, your modesty +equals your valor!"</p> + +<p>For fifteen years, Washington led a peaceful and happy life with his +family. He was kept busy looking after his vast estates. But then again, +the country began to claim his attention. George III was King of +England. Under his rule, unjust laws were made for the colonies, which +the wise men of America knew would destroy their rights. The colonies +were not represented in the British Parliament (where the laws were +made) and so claimed that Parliament had no right to tax them. Needing +money, England laid heavy taxes on the colonies, which they would not +pay. After much trouble, all the taxes were taken off except the one on +tea. That was left to prove England's right to tax the colonies.</p> + +<p>In the autumn of 1773, several ships were sent over loaded with tea, +which was to be sold very cheaply. But the colonists refused to have tea +at any price rather than submit to "taxation without representation." +There can be no freedom in a land whose people may be taxed without +their consent. From several ports, the ships were sent back. In Boston, +a party of citizens dressed as Indians, boarded the ships at night, +December 16, and threw all the tea into the harbor. This is called the +Boston Tea Party. The same violence occurred at Annapolis, Maryland. To<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> +punish the city of Boston, Parliament passed a law that no ship should +come in or go out of her harbor. The port was closed and business +stopped.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i026.jpg" width="550" height="473" alt="The Boston Tea-Party" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Boston Tea-Party</span> +</div> + + +<p>News of this was carried to the other colonies. In Virginia, a day of +fasting and prayer was appointed. The people did not want to give up +their liberties, for which many had come to America. It seemed, on the +other hand, very dreadful to go to war with the mother country. The +colonies were independent of one another, but knew they must stand +together against the injustice of England. Meetings were held in each +colony to talk matters over, and it was decided to hold a General +Congress, made up of men selected by each colony.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>In the Virginia Convention, Washington was one of the first to say that +the colonies ought to be allowed to govern themselves, make their own +laws and decide their own taxes. He was usually very quiet in all that +he said and did, but the wrongs of Boston had so stirred him that he +made a fiery speech. He said he would raise a thousand men, pay them +himself and march at their head to the relief of Boston. He said he had +hoped there would be no break with England and he shrank from the horror +of war, but now he began to feel that it could not be avoided and if so, +no sacrifice was too great to preserve the liberties of America for the +millions who would some day call it their home.</p> + +<p>He was one of several delegates chosen to represent Virginia in the +General Congress, which was held at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, +September 5, 1774. There were fifty-two members, the ablest men of all +the colonies. Someone asked Patrick Henry who was the greatest man among +them and he said, "Colonel Washington, if you speak of solid information +and sound judgment." These men met, not as members of separate colonies, +but as Americans with one country and one cause. Each meeting was opened +with a prayer. Not often, in the whole history of the world, have men +had to decide more important and difficult questions.</p> + +<p>For almost two months, they discussed all the points in which they +believed they were wronged by England. They were careful and just in all +that they said. They wanted to keep peace. None of them wished to be +independent of England. Neither<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> were they willing to submit to +injustice and the loss of their rights and privileges. They wrote a +petition to the King and letters to the people of England and of Canada. +These papers were very fair and wise and showed the noble minds and +loyal hearts of these early great Americans. They were not rebelling, +they were simply declaring their rights. In reply, England only passed +more unjust laws. The spirit of revolt spread through the colonies. +Militia was organized; some were called "Minute Men" because they +promised to leave everything and go to war at a minute's notice. Months +passed in active preparations. Military stores were collected. The +patriots were determined to face death rather than submit longer to +British oppression.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, the British General Gage, stationed in Boston with four +thousand British soldiers, decided to surprise and take, by night, the +supplies of the militia in Concord, twenty miles away. Dr. Joseph +Warren, one of the patriots, heard of it and secretly sent Paul Revere +galloping out of Boston on a fast horse to awaken the people along the +way and carry the alarm to Concord. When the British reached Lexington +(about nine miles from Boston), they found seventy or eighty citizens +armed and waiting for them in the darkness!</p> + +<p>Early in the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, the first battle of the +great American Revolution was fought (the Battle of Lexington). The +trained soldiers of England soon scattered the handful of patriots at +Lexington and Concord, but, as the day wore on, they were joined by +other patriots, and by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> the night of April 20th, General Gage found +himself besieged in Boston by a rustic army of 16,000 men. The news of +the battle spread rapidly and spurred the colonies to instant and bitter +war. Washington said that the once happy America must be drenched in +blood, or inhabited by slaves, and that no true man could hesitate to +choose death for himself rather than slavery for his country. He was at +Mount Vernon when the sad news came, getting ready to attend the second +Congress.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i029.jpg" width="550" height="431" alt="Israel Putnam" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Israel Putnam</span> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION—WASHINGTON MADE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF +THE CONTINENTAL ARMY—BRITISH FORCED TO LEAVE BOSTON—1775-1776</p></div> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 292px;"> +<img src="images/i030.jpg" width="292" height="400" alt="A Ragged Continental" title="" /> +<span class="caption">A Ragged Continental</span> +</div> + + +<p>At the second Continental Congress, held May 10, 1775, Washington was +made chairman of committees for getting ammunition, supplies and money +for the war. His military knowledge and experience enabled him to make +rules and regulations for an army, and he advised what forts should be +garrisoned. (Troops placed in a fort for defense.) It was necessary for +Congress to take care of the army of 16,000 patriots that had hastily +gathered in the neighborhood of Boston, and to appoint a +Commander-in-Chief of all the forces of the colonies. They had to decide +as to who in all the country, could best be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> trusted with this important +and responsible position. All eyes turned to Washington. When his name +was first mentioned for this place, he, with his usual modesty, slipped +out of the room. But he was chosen Commander-in-Chief by the unanimous +(all agreeing) vote of Congress. When told of his appointment, he +accepted, though he said he did not think he was "equal to the command +he was honored with." He refused to take any pay for his services, +saying that no money, nor anything else but duty and patriotism could +tempt him to leave his home. Having one of the loveliest homes in +America, he gave up his comfort and happiness and risked all he had for +his country. Congress also appointed four major-generals—one of them +the brave old Israel Putnam—and eight brigadier-generals.</p> + +<p>There were many men in Congress at that time whose names Americans can +never forget. They did many wise things, but none was more fortunate +than this choice of a Commander-in-Chief for the Continental Army. One +of the members, John Adams, called him "the modest and virtuous, the +generous and brave George Washington."</p> + +<p>Washington's early life and training fitted him in a wonderful way for +this great and difficult post. As a young surveyor, he had learned much +about the country and how to make his way through forests and mountains. +Later, as a commander, he had learned how to fight in the woods, and all +the secrets of frontier warfare. With Braddock, he had learned that +soldiers drilled on the parade grounds and battle-fields of Europe did +not know what to do when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> hemmed in by rocks and brush and savage +enemies in a new and uncleared country. He had also learned how to value +and how to handle the independent, though rough-looking, soldiers of the +backwoods. With all this knowledge and experience, with his clear mind +and high courage, Washington was the most dangerous foe the British +could have.</p> + +<p>In June (1775), Washington, as Commander-in-Chief of the army, left +Philadelphia for Boston. There was no time to visit Mount Vernon. He +wrote to his wife, telling her to be brave and that he trusted God would +soon bring him safely home. General Philip Schuyler and General Charles +Lee and a light horse troop went with him. As they galloped along the +way, people came out of the farms and villages to see the great General. +Washington, now forty-three years old, was very splendid and dignified +in his bearing, yet always modest and quiet—a gentleman and a soldier.</p> + +<p>About twenty miles from Philadelphia, they met a messenger from Boston +riding a fleet horse and bearing dispatches to Congress. They stopped +and heard from him the news of the Battle of Bunker Hill, which had just +been fought (June 17, 1775). The British had been victorious, but not +until more than half their number had been killed and the patriots had +fired their last round of ammunition. When Washington was told how +bravely the militia had stood their ground, he said, "The liberties of +the country are safe!" He was not troubled by the triumph of the +British, because he felt sure the Americans would win when properly +armed and drilled. This<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> news made him more anxious to reach the scene +of action and he traveled on as fast as he could. He left General +Schuyler to command the patriot forces in New York.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i033.jpg" width="550" height="498" alt="The Charge at Bunker Hill" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Charge at Bunker Hill</span> +</div> + + +<p>On July second, he reached his headquarters in Cambridge, where he was +received with cheers and the thunder of cannon. The men had so little +powder that they could not give him a great salute, but they spared all +they could.</p> + +<p>The next day, July 3, 1775, Washington took command of the Continental +Army under a large elm tree, which still stands on the Cambridge Common. +The patriot army was a rather discouraging sight. The 16,000 men had +been called together without any preparation. They were farmers, +fishermen and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> shop-keepers. They had very little discipline or order +and were in need of everything—arms, ammunition, food, clothing, tents, +shoes. As yet they were not one army, but a collection of separate +companies from the different New England colonies. Each had its own +regulations, its own officers and its own interests. There were jealousy +and often misunderstanding among them. After reviewing this army, +General Washington visited the American forts strung in an irregular +semi-circle around Boston, within which the British forces were +besieged.</p> + +<p>He found the men camped in rough board shacks, or shelters made of turf +and brush, and dressed in the clothes they wore on their farms and in +the villages. Here and there was a tent. No wonder the British, in their +orderly tents and fine scarlet uniforms, thought they could soon scatter +this mixed crowd! There was but one exception. General Nathanael Greene, +of Rhode Island, had raised and drilled a body of men and brought them +to Boston under fine discipline, with good tents and clothing. His camp +showed what could be done. General Greene became one of Washington's +most faithful and lifelong friends, and was one of the greatest generals +of the Revolution.</p> + +<p>In contrast with the undisciplined, ragged Continental troops were the +trained British soldiers, commanded by experienced generals. They were +well fortified in Boston and the harbor was defended by their warships. +They felt no fear of the irregular line of posts with which the +Americans thought to hem them in.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span></p> + +<p>Washington at once began the task of organizing the army and teaching +and training the men. In this he showed skill beyond almost any other +man in history. He was beset with many difficulties, among them the +jealousy and discontent of some of the officers. There was one general, +however, who was always ready to serve in any place and put the cause +above himself. This was Israel Putnam, the brave man who was plowing in +his field when he heard of the Battle of Lexington. He left his plow in +the furrow, unhitched his horses and galloped sixty-eight miles that day +to Cambridge! He was nearly sixty years of age at the time. He was much +loved by the army for his bravery and generosity and all were glad when +"Old Put" was appointed Major-General.</p> + +<p>Washington formed the army into six brigades of six regiments each. He +wrote to Congress to appoint at once officers to help him. He wanted an +adjutant-general to train and discipline the troops; a quartermaster to +arrange for all supplies, and an officer to look after enlistments. The +men had enlisted for only a short time and numbers returned home after +this term of enlistment expired; so it was hard to keep the army up to +fighting strength. The lack of powder was also a very serious matter and +Washington sent to the southern colonies, asking for what they had in +store.</p> + +<p>He at once began to improve the defenses and strengthen the weak places. +Soon a strong line of fortifications surrounded the city. The strictest +discipline was required and Washington visited the forts every day. The +arrival of fourteen hundred<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> riflemen from Pennsylvania, Virginia and +Maryland was a great help; among these were the stalwart sharp-shooters +under Colonel Daniel Morgan, whom Washington had known in the French +war. They were six feet tall and over, and dressed in hunting shirts and +wide-brimmed hats. They had marched six hundred miles in three weeks.</p> + +<p>The winter passed in drilling the army and trying to get powder. +Washington was besieging Boston without any powder, though the British +little thought that was the reason he did not attack them! All he could +do was to cut them off from nearby supplies of food, but they sent out +warships with men who plundered the coasts of New England. The people +drove their cattle inland and fought the invaders boldly.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i036.jpg" width="600" height="241" alt="Mrs. Washington set out for Cambridge" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Mrs. Washington set out for Cambridge</span> +</div> + +<p>Knowing that he could not return home, General Washington sent for his +wife to come to Cambridge. Mrs. Washington set out on the long journey +in her carriage, drawn by four horses, and accompanied by her son and +his wife. (Her daughter had died in the meantime.) Colored servants in +scarlet and white<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> liveries rode beside the carriage. Escorts of +horsemen brought them from city to city, until they arrived in camp, +just before Christmas. It had been more than half a year since the +General had seen his family and his work was made easier by having with +him those he loved. The Craigie house in Cambridge (later the home of +the poet Longfellow), was Washington's headquarters. Here Mrs. +Washington helped him entertain officers and members of Congress. The +General was so busy that he was often obliged to leave his guests at the +table, while his own meal remained unfinished.</p> + +<p>The plundering attacks by the British upon the New England coast became +so violent that, without waiting for Congress to act, Washington had +several armed vessels fitted out. They were commanded by such brave sea +captains as John Manly and John Paul Jones and were ordered by the +General to defend the coast and capture British ships bringing supplies +from England.</p> + +<p>As the weeks passed, it grew more difficult to keep up the numbers of +the army. The men grew tired of the long and uncomfortable encampment +without any fighting. Had there been any powder, their General would +gladly have given them fighting enough! All through the war, Washington +was troubled and handicapped by these short enlistments, as he had to be +constantly training new recruits.</p> + +<p>In December, some Connecticut troops decided to go home without even +remaining for their full time. Some took their guns and ammunition. This +desertion was a bad thing for the discipline of the army,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> and sorely +distressed Washington. On their way home, these men were made to feel +what the people thought of their conduct, for no one would give them +food, and their friends would not receive them kindly when they arrived. +The day after they walked off, something happened that put new life into +the camp. A long train of wagons came lumbering and jolting into +Cambridge, with flags flying and an escort of soldiers and horsemen. +What was in the wagons?—Cannon! and thousands of guns and shot and +thirty-two tons of musket balls! Captain John Manly, of the ship +<i>Essex</i>, had captured a large British brigantine and taken her cargo of +munitions.</p> + +<p>In spite of Washington's efforts to appeal to their patriotism, the +soldiers still wanted to go home. They were sick of the discomforts of +camp. By January (1776), only ten thousand men were left, and there was +danger of the poorly defended lines being taken. But for some reason, +the British made no attack. During this disheartening time, General +Greene was a great help, with his courage and patriotism and +cheerfulness.</p> + +<p>In February, Colonel Henry Knox returned from the forts on Lake +Champlain with a long train of forty-two ox-sleds, carrying artillery +and ammunition. He had gone in midwinter after the supplies of cannon +and lead captured from the British the year before and had performed his +errand with daring and faithfulness. Then ten regiments of militia +arrived and at last, Washington and his generals thought they had men +and ammunition enough to attack the British.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p> + +<p>General Putnam had fortified a hill north of the city of Boston. Troops +were sent, on the night of March 4, to fortify Dorchester Heights, to +the south from which Boston and the harbor could be swept by guns. That +the British might not hear the noise of the wagons and pickaxes, the +patriots bombarded the city all night. The ground was deeply frozen and +the work hard. But Washington was with the men, everywhere helping and +encouraging them.</p> + +<p>When morning came, the British looked upon four forts raised as if by +the magic of an Aladdin's lamp! General Sir William Howe determined to +attack these new works. A storm of great fury arose and he waited. The +storm continued all night and all day. The patriots used this time to +strengthen their forts, and the British saw they could not hold the city +against them; so they prepared to leave, taking everything with them +that could be of use to the "rebels." They were allowed to embark upon +their ships without being fired on, to prevent their burning the city. +They sailed away to Halifax. After being besieged ten months, Boston +fell into Washington's hands without a battle! Washington was thanked by +Congress and given a gold medal in honor of the capture of Boston.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span></p> + +<p><a name="Delaware" id="Delaware"></a></p> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 510px;"> +<img src="images/i040a.jpg" width="510" height="650" alt="Washington Crossing the Delaware" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington Crossing the Delaware</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE SIGNED—BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND—BATTLE +OF WHITE PLAINS—WASHINGTON CROSSES THE DELAWARE AND SURPRISES THE +HESSIANS AT TRENTON—1776-1777</p></div> + + +<p>Let us now consider some events which had taken place elsewhere in the +country. Before Washington had been made Commander-in-Chief, Ethan +Allen, with the "Green Mountain Boys" (so-called because they came from +Vermont, the "Green Mountain State"), had surprised and taken, without a +fight, Fort Ticonderoga in eastern New York. Shortly after, Crown Point +on Lake Champlain was captured by Colonel Benedict Arnold. The capture +of these two British forts opened the way to Canada.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 238px;"> +<img src="images/i040b.jpg" width="238" height="300" alt="Liberty Bell" title="" /> +</div> + + +<p>While Washington was building up the army and besieging Boston, an +expedition against Montreal and Quebec was planned. General Richard +Montgomery, who commanded a force on Lake Champlain,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> marched up to +Montreal, which surrendered (November, 1775) without a struggle. +Benedict Arnold was sent, with about twelve hundred men from Boston, to +join Montgomery's forces in the attack on Quebec. They were to make +their way up the Kennebec River and through the dense Maine woods. +Arnold was a brave soldier and led his men through hardships and perils, +through snow and ice and over frozen mountains, until they reached +Quebec. On the last day of December, with the ground frozen and covered +with snow, the two American armies made a combined attack on the city; +but Quebec did not surrender, though the patriots fought with desperate +courage and daring. The gallant Montgomery led his men up the heights, +dashing forward with the cry, "Push on, my brave boys! Quebec is ours!" +A volley from a cannon killed him and scattered his men. The Americans +suffered terrible losses. In the death of General Montgomery, America +lost one of her bravest soldiers and truest gentlemen. He was deeply +mourned in England as well as in America.</p> + +<p>Benedict Arnold also was beaten back; his leg was shattered by a musket +ball, but he bravely fortified his position and with five hundred men +besieged Quebec. He wrote, "I am in the way of my duty and I know no +fear."</p> + +<p>As the weeks passed, the men grew weary and homesick. They suffered +untold hardships from want of food, clothing and shelter, and from the +bitter cold of the Canadian winter. Though Arnold and his men fought +bravely, Quebec did not fall into the hands of the Americans. Their +attacks<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> were repulsed by the British forces in command of the city.</p> + +<p>Shortly after the capture of Boston, Washington brought his army to New +York, as he feared the British might take that city. He sent General +Putnam to fortify New York and the Hudson River, and he followed, +gathering troops on the way. When he arrived, he fortified Brooklyn +Heights, Long Island, and put General Greene in command. He had only +about eight thousand men to garrison the forts about New York.</p> + +<p>The same troubles from short enlistments, lack of discipline and +supplies had to be met. Washington was freely giving himself to the just +and righteous cause of American freedom, and he would not be discouraged +even by want of spirit and obedience in his troops. There was another +difficulty. All over the country and especially in New York, many +persons, called Tories, were still loyal to King George III, and +Washington feared treachery from them.</p> + +<p>The British fleet, however, had not gone to New York, but up to Halifax. +General Howe and his army waited in Halifax for ships and men from +England. With their help, he expected to drive the Americans out of New +York and away from the Hudson River. England intended to crush the +colonies and hired German troops, called Hessians, in addition to her +own forces. It was now a year since the Battle of Lexington was fought +and Washington feared that the war would be a long one.</p> + +<p>He went to Philadelphia to consult with Congress. To succeed against the +British, the colonies, he knew,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> must work together in earnest for their +common liberty. The army must have regular pay and supplies, and the men +must promise to serve as long as needed. Congress established a war +office and ordered that the term of enlistment be for three years.</p> + +<p>Washington returned to New York and soon afterwards a conspiracy (plot) +among the Tories was discovered. Many arrests were made. A member of +Washington's body-guard was found to be in the plot and he was hanged. +While this was going on, the British fleet arrived in the harbor. There +were one hundred and thirty ships. The troops—30,000—were landed on +Staten Island. Washington was very uneasy with this large force before +him and he knew not how many treacherous Tories about him.</p> + +<p>For a year, the Americans had been fighting on account of unjust laws +and taxes. But England had grown still more severe and unfair, until +many began to believe that the only hope for peace and prosperity in the +colonies was in their union with one another and their separation from +England. Washington had hoped that the trouble with the mother country +might be peaceably settled. But the time had now come when he urged +Congress to declare the independence of the colonies and throw off the +British yoke. While he, in New York, was facing foes within and without, +Congress in Philadelphia was discussing this great question behind +locked doors. Anxious throngs crowded the streets waiting for the +decision.</p> + +<p>At last, on the 4th of July, 1776, the Liberty Bell in the State House +tower rang out the glad tidings that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> Congress had adopted the +Declaration of Independence! Washington was overjoyed when a messenger +brought him the word. On the evening of July 9, he had his army drawn up +to hear the Declaration read before each brigade. He said he hoped that +it would inspire each man to live and act with courage, "as became a +Christian soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his +country." The people of New York tore down a statue of King George and +melted it into bullets for the army.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i044.jpg" width="600" height="500" alt="The British fleet arrived" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The British fleet arrived</span> +</div> + +<p>There was not much time for rejoicing, however, considering that the +British ships were in New York harbor. Among them was the flagship of +Lord Richard Howe, Admiral of the British Navy and brother of General +Howe. He came with a proposal of peace<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> from England and tried to +deliver it in the form of a message addressed to "George Washington." +Washington, resenting this insult, refused to receive the message and +did not accept it until it was returned properly addressed to "General +George Washington." Congress thanked him for making the British respect +the dignity of his office.</p> + +<p>America had decided to be free at any cost, and while her cause did not +look very promising, it was too late to talk about peace. Washington +knew his forces were not strong enough to defend New York. The enemy had +its great fleet, and thousands of men already on land with thousands +more coming.</p> + +<p>Washington had brought the army up to fifteen thousand men, but +hesitated to rely on this force. He was still troubled by jealousies +among the officers and among the troops from the different colonies, +although he tried to show them that honor and success depended on +self-forgetfulness and working together for the cause. The militia could +not be counted on and could be called out only for special occasions. +Whole companies would leave at the end of their enlistment, even though +they were greatly needed. We cannot always be proud of this fighting +force, though it showed splendid courage when really in action. The men +had not learned that a brave soldier does not quit, but patiently +endures hardships. At best, Washington's army was too small to strongly +fortify any one place about New York. He had no idea where the British +would attack first, and so had spread the army out until it was a long, +weak line.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span></p> + +<p>On August 26 and 27 (1776), the enemy surrounded the fortifications at +Brooklyn on Long Island. The Americans fought with great bravery, but +were outnumbered and defeated. About two thousand were killed, wounded +or captured. Regiments had hurried to their help from points nearby and +most of the army was finally on Long Island. Fearing his whole force +would be destroyed, Washington decided to withdraw to New York, which he +did in the night, under cover of heavy rain, wind and fog. He had not +slept for two days and nights and had hardly been out of the saddle, but +he watched the men embark with all their belongings, and he himself went +in the last boat. When the British soldiers awoke in the morning, they +were amazed to find that the whole American army had disappeared!</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 259px;"> +<img src="images/i046.jpg" width="259" height="350" alt="Nathan Hale" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Nathan Hale</span> +</div> + + +<p>It was important for Washington to know what the next move of the +British would be. Captain Nathan Hale, a fine young officer, volunteered +to act as spy. He succeeded in passing through the enemy's lines and +making notes and drawings, but on his way back, he was captured by the +British. On Sept. 22, 1776, this noble patriot was hanged. His last +words, while standing on the scaffold, were, "I only regret that I have +but one life to lose for my country."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + +<p>The army in New York was in great danger of being surrounded and +captured by the British, whose gunboats bombarded all the forts. More +than half of the population of the city were Tories and several thousand +of the militia had deserted. Washington was kind of heart and did not +blame them too much, but he knew that his force was too small to hold +the city of New York; so he began to withdraw to the northern end of +Manhattan Island. The British moved upon the city and found it easy to +land, because the soldiers, left to defend the first fort they attacked, +ran off in confusion. Washington, hearing the shots, galloped into their +midst and tried to rally them, but they scattered like frightened +rabbits. Washington lost his temper, and throwing his hat on the ground, +he exclaimed, "Are these the men with whom I am to defend America?" He +would have been killed or captured by the oncoming British, if one of +his officers had not seized the bridle of his horse and dragged him +away.</p> + +<p>The main body of the American army soon assembled in a strong camp on +the rocky heights near King's Bridge, defended by Fort Washington. Here +they were attacked by the British (September, 1776), when the regular +Continental troops fought valiantly and proved victorious, wiping out +the disgrace of the retreat which put General Howe in possession of New +York. This success greatly strengthened the army.</p> + +<p>The Americans had repulsed the British at King's Bridge, but Lord Howe +sent gunboats up the Hudson River to cut off Washington from his +supplies, which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> were stored in Connecticut. Washington thought he might +be forced to surrender if he remained, so he decided to leave a garrison +at Fort Washington and take the army into camp at White Plains (New +York). A great many of his men were sick or wounded, and the hospital +arrangements were poor and insufficient. The disabled men were lying in +crowded sheds, stables and any other places of shelter that could be +found. Washington did all he could to relieve their sufferings, and in a +letter to Congress, he begged for better pay for the men and better +supplies. He also urged that a call be made for men who would enlist for +the entire term of war, however long it might be. A British officer +wrote to a friend in London: "The rebel army is so wretched! I believe +no nation ever saw such a set of tatterdemalions (ragged fellows). There +are few coats among them but are out at the elbows and in a whole +regiment, there is hardly a sound pair of breeches. How they must be +pinched by the winter! We, who are warmly clothed, feel it severely."</p> + +<p>The camp at White Plains was attacked by the British, with heavy loss on +both sides, and Washington again withdrew his men in the night and +entrenched himself at North Castle on the east side of the Hudson. The +British did not follow him, and this left Washington in doubt as to what +their next move would be. He left a part of the troops in camp, +stationed a strong force in the Highlands to defend the Hudson River, +and with the rest of his army, crossed into New Jersey, opposite Fort +Washington. From this point, he saw General Howe capture Fort<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> +Washington and, without power to prevent it, beheld his brave men +bayoneted by the cruel German soldiers. The supplies and the survivors +of the garrison—about twenty-eight hundred men—fell into the hands of +the enemy (November 16, 1776). Following this, Lord Charles Cornwallis +led six thousand British across the river and attacked Washington's +forces, obliging him to retreat across New Jersey, over the Delaware +River and into Pennsylvania.</p> + +<p>Washington had with him but three thousand soldiers, ragged and half +starved, but they loved their Commander and were ready to make any +sacrifice for him and their country. He had sent orders to General +Charles Lee to bring reinforcements from the north, but Lee was in no +hurry to obey. Lord Howe, who was anxious for peace, issued an order for +all Americans to lay down their arms and go home; for Congress to break +up, and he promised pardon for every one if the order was obeyed. A +great many were faint-hearted enough to give up, even though America had +sacrificed so much for freedom. But Washington was undaunted and +remained true to his purpose to free the colonies. He cheered his +suffering soldiers and, after securing reënforcements from the militia +of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he took his stand at a point across the +Delaware River opposite Trenton. He seized all the boats on the river +and when Lord Cornwallis marched into Trenton, there were no boats for +his troops and they could not cross the river to attack the Americans. +Leaving Hessian troops to guard Trenton, Cornwallis withdrew to wait +until ice should bridge the river for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> him. These German—or +Hessian—soldiers were hated by the Americans on account of their +cruelty and because they were fighting for pay.</p> + +<p>It was evident that the British intended to attack Philadelphia and +General Putnam was sent to defend it. Congress took fright and moved to +Baltimore. The British held New York and Washington knew the people +would lose heart if Philadelphia should also be taken.</p> + +<p>General Lee's forces at last arrived, though the General himself, +because of his carelessness and laziness, had been captured on the way. +With this reënforcement and with forces commanded by Generals Gates and +Sullivan, which had joined him, Washington intended to surprise the +garrison in Trenton. He divided his army into three detachments and +planned to cross the Delaware on Christmas night, because he knew the +German soldiers would be drinking and frolicking on that holiday. +Washington himself led about twenty-four hundred men, with artillery, to +a crossing at a point nine miles up the river. The night was dark and +stormy. It was hailing and snowing and bitter cold. The river was filled +with drifting cakes of ice, which imperiled the boats. The crossing was +extremely dangerous and it took more than ten hours to get the troops +and their guns on the other side. When he arrived, Washington found the +other two detachments had not started, so his forces alone surprised the +Hessians completely, captured Trenton and took a thousand prisoners!</p> + +<p>Messengers were dispatched to call the army from the Hudson and to +gather the New Jersey militia.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> When these forces were assembled, +Washington again crossed the icy river into Pennsylvania, but returned +and occupied Trenton a few days later. Lord Cornwallis, who had come +down in a hurry from Princeton, planned to "bag the fox in the morning." +But he found the "fox" had been too sly for him, for Washington, leaving +his camp fires burning, had quietly led his army off at dead of night, +by a rough and roundabout way, to Princeton. At sunrise (Jan. 3, 1777), +he surprised and put to flight the regiment of British which had started +out from Princeton to help Cornwallis at Trenton.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, Cornwallis awoke to find his "fox" gone and he set out for +Princeton, arriving just as the patriots had completed the destruction +of the bridge leading to the town. Washington pushed on, destroying the +bridges as he went. His men were nearly exhausted when at last they +reached camp at Morristown, where Washington established headquarters, +so he could guard the road between New York and Philadelphia, and keep +Cornwallis shut up in New Brunswick and Amboy (New Jersey).</p> + +<p>Congress thanked Washington, and great soldiers all over the world +praised him for the wonderful way in which he had led his soldiers out +of the enemy's pitfalls and turned defeat to victory. Many colonists, +who had seen no hope of success, now believed that Washington's +generalship would triumph. Congress gave him full military authority and +he issued a proclamation, ordering all who were loyal to the King to go +to the British camp and all others to take the oath of allegiance to the +United States.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 507px;"> +<img src="images/i052a.jpg" width="507" height="650" alt="At Valley Forge" title="" /> +<span class="caption">At Valley Forge</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>RECAPTURE OF FORT TICONDEROGA BY GEN. BURGOYNE—BATTLE OF +BRANDYWINE—BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN—BURGOYNE'S SURRENDER AT +SARATOGA—WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE—ALLIANCE WITH +FRANCE—1777-1778</p></div> + +<p>The fame of the American cause reached Europe and many foreign officers +came over, asking to be allowed to give their help. Among them was +Thaddeus Kosciusko, a military engineer from Warsaw (Poland). Washington +asked him, "Why do you come?" "To fight for American Independence," he +said. "What can you do?" asked General Washington. "Try me!" was the +brief reply. Washington "tried him," and he proved a valuable help +throughout the Revolution. Another who volunteered his services was +Washington's devoted friend, the young French nobleman, the Marquis de +Lafayette. Though scarcely twenty years of age, Lafayette loved human +liberty more than home and friends and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> the easy life of the French +court, and at his own expense, he fitted out a ship, loaded with +military stores, and sought to aid the Americans in their struggle. +Washington loved him for his fine spirit, charming manner and soldierly +bearing. He became a member of the Commander's family and his name is +honored by every American.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 307px;"> +<img src="images/i052b.jpg" width="307" height="400" alt="Marquis de La Fayette" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Marquis de La Fayette</span> +</div> + + +<p>The year 1777 was a very hard and trying one. Washington's forces were +too weak to fight regular battles with the British. He used every device +to make General Howe think he had a strong army, and at the same time, +tried to convince Congress that he could not act for want of men and +supplies. The British kept him guessing about what they would do next. +Would they attack Philadelphia or the fort on Lake Champlain? He did not +dare to withdraw troops from either place to strengthen the other.</p> + +<p>General John Burgoyne, one of Howe's lieutenant-generals, arrived from +England in the summer of 1777. He landed at Quebec and marched with +eight thousand men, British, Germans and Indians, to Fort Ticonderoga. +The garrison of thirty-five hundred men surrendered. Valuable stores +were taken and the presence of this new army discouraged the Americans. +But Washington only said, "We should never despair. If new difficulties +arise, we must only put forth new exertions." He could not leave his own +position, but he showed the greatest wisdom in arranging and locating +the forces in the North. He sent his valued Virginia riflemen, under +Colonel Daniel Morgan, to help fight Burgoyne's Indians.</p> + +<p>For months, Washington had watched the British<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> fleet in New York harbor +and now it put to sea with eighteen thousand men on board. Would it go +to Boston or to Philadelphia? Washington led his army toward +Philadelphia, believing this would be the British point of attack, and +soon after, the fleet appeared while Washington was camped at +Germantown, near Philadelphia. The fleet sailed away, however, without +making an attack and the summer passed in marching troops here and +there—calling them out and sending them home again. Washington had a +busy time watching Burgoyne on the Hudson and the lakes, watching Howe, +who was occupying New York and New Jersey, and guarding the coast.</p> + +<p>The fleet finally disappeared and, after a council of war, the American +officers decided to leave Philadelphia and all march north together to +attack the British forces in New York. This was such an important move +that a letter was sent to Congress asking permission. The messenger who +carried the letter was Alexander Hamilton, a mere youth, though he was +captain of artillery. He was very small but so brave that they called +him "the little lion" and Washington addressed him affectionately as "my +boy." Congress approved of the plan to attack New York and the army was +about to march, when it was reported that the British fleet was sailing +up the Chesapeake Bay. Washington's army halted near Philadelphia. The +Commander-in-Chief knew that there were people in Philadelphia who did +not favor the cause of American freedom, thinking it foolish for the +poorly equipped Continental troops to fight the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> British. To encourage +the people of Philadelphia, Washington decided to parade the army +through the city. He rode at the head with his staff. The men were +poorly clad and had no uniforms, but their guns were bright and they +carried them well. They made a brave showing and after the parade, +marched into camp on the Brandywine Creek.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i055.jpg" width="550" height="466" alt="Washington and Alexander Hamilton" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington and Alexander Hamilton</span> +</div> + + +<p>The British landed at Elkton, Maryland—about fifty miles from +Philadelphia. Washington sent troops of light horse to ride about the +country and annoy them in every way possible. One young commander, Henry +Lee, of Virginia, was so daring that they called him "Light Horse +Harry." He was another of the brave young officers whom<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> Washington +loved to have about him and who helped him overcome the difficulties +that beset him at every turn. Washington spent most of his time in the +saddle, watching the march of the British. His troops were unequal to +the enemy in every way, and though the war had lasted more than two +years, he had never dared to risk a real battle. The time had come when +he must make a stand in the open or acknowledge to the world the +weakness of his army. He had about eleven thousand men, while the +British numbered about eighteen thousand. He appealed to his soldiers to +do their best and make a firm stand in defense of their national capital +(Philadelphia). The battle of the Brandywine was fought on September 11, +1777, and the Americans were badly defeated. Following this, Congress +moved to Lancaster (Pa.) and the British, under Cornwallis, took +possession of Philadelphia, which they entered dressed in their bright +scarlet uniforms, the bands playing "God Save the King." What a contrast +to the ragged Continentals who had marched there a few weeks before!</p> + +<p>Washington did not despair. His courage and determination grew stronger +in the face of defeat and he firmly believed his fortunes would take a +turn. After resting his troops, he made a surprise attack on General +Howe at Germantown. He was in a fair way to success, when a heavy fog +came on. The Americans could not tell their own soldiers apart from the +enemy and a panic took place. But Washington, who was in the hottest of +the fight, was not discouraged even at this disaster. He had proved to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> +the world that his troops were not afraid of the British army, and his +men, in spite of their losses, were encouraged by this encounter with +trained European soldiers. The English had looked down on the American +patriots, but they were now beginning to find them worthy foes.</p> + +<p>During this time, the army in the North had been busy. General Burgoyne +had sent a force to Bennington, Vermont, to seize cattle and supplies, +but General John Stark, at the head of the New England militia, +completely routed them. He captured a quantity of guns and ammunition +and hundreds of prisoners. At the same time, west of the Hudson, another +body of British was defeated and their tents and stores taken by the +Americans.</p> + +<p>This was joyful news to Washington, and these victories served to keep +up the spirits of the patriots and also to disgust the Indians with +their British commanders. The militia, too, gained confidence, +overcoming their fears and finding they were a match for the British and +the Germans. Recruits flocked to the American camp in the North and +Burgoyne was soon surrounded. In the great battle near Saratoga (N. Y.), +he was completely defeated and surrendered to General Horatio Gates on +October 17, 1777.</p> + +<p>This splendid victory gave the Americans large quantities of military +stores, but most of all, it gave them confidence, for they had at last +beaten the British forces. The experience of actual warfare and the +example of the trained soldiers had taught them how to fight. One of +Burgoyne's officers said that when the Continental troops were drawn up +to receive the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> surrender, they stood like soldiers, though dressed as +if they had come from the farm or the shop. He was surprised to see how +straight and strong and fine they were! General Gates ordered his men +not to cheer or show any desire to humiliate their beaten foes, and this +courtesy tendered him by General Gates was reported to Parliament by +General Burgoyne when he returned to England. He was especially touched +by it because he had needlessly burned some of the beautiful homes of +the very officers who were so gracious to him. This courtesy was very +fine in Gates, but he failed in his duty to his Commander-in-Chief, and +in many ways was unreliable. He did not report the victory to +Washington, as was his duty, and paid no attention to his commands. He +did not send the troops to Philadelphia, as he was ordered, and he did +not even return the company of Virginia riflemen until it was too late.</p> + +<p>General Gates and his friends were doing all in their power to destroy +the good name and the authority of Washington. They kept back troops +Washington needed and then criticized him for not fighting a decisive +battle. But Washington endured their fault-finding in silence, for he +knew that an open battle with such a powerful foe meant certain defeat, +and patriotism so filled his heart that it left no room for selfish +ambition. He was not seeking personal glory, but independence for +America. If General Howe had attacked him, he would have fought bravely, +but he and his fellow officers knew it was unwise to attack the British. +In many skirmishes, however, his troops showed courage and +steadfastness,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> and proved they were making progress in the arts of +warfare.</p> + +<p>A few months before this, Congress had made some changes in the +quartermaster (the officer who attends to supplies) and in the +commissary (food) departments, although Washington had opposed the +changes. The result was a bad mix-up in getting supplies to the army, +and food and clothing spoiled and went to waste for want of wagons to +carry them to the camp.</p> + +<p>Winter set in, and the troops were poorly clad and worn out from +hardships. There were not enough blankets to go around, and many of the +men were obliged to sit by the camp fires all night and thus got very +little rest. Washington decided to go into winter quarters in the +village of Valley Forge, about twenty miles from Philadelphia. From +here, he could watch General Howe's movements and be ready, if +necessary, to defend Congress, which now met at York. On the march to +Valley Forge, many of the soldiers were barefooted and they left a trail +of blood on the frozen ground. To add to their suffering, someone +blundered, and they were several days without food. Washington was +blamed for going into winter quarters and not driving the enemy out of +Philadelphia. He wrote to Congress, giving a full account of how he had +been annoyed and hindered by those who should have helped him. He told +them that nearly three thousand of his men were unfit for duty because +they were almost naked, and two thousand more were sick for want of food +and shelter.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p> + + +<p>During this cruel winter of 1777-1778, many men froze and starved to +death in camp and hundreds of horses were lost. Washington, who was +always careful about other people's property, was sometimes obliged to +let his men seize food from the farmers. Congress did not stand by him. +Some of the members were jealous of his power and his influence. General +Gates was the popular hero after the victory of Saratoga, and a plot +hatched by officers and members of Congress almost succeeded in putting +him in Washington's place. Though Washington's plan had made the defeat +of General Burgoyne possible, Gates claimed all the credit. Washington +bore all this fault-finding and unfairness with patient courage. He kept +his temper and devoted himself to his suffering men, whose endurance +touched his heart. Fortunately for America, the conspiracy against +Washington failed and the only result was to make his name and fame +brighter and more widespread.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 354px;"> +<img src="images/i061.jpg" width="354" height="400" alt="Benjamin Franklin was at the French Court." title="" /> +<span class="caption">Benjamin Franklin was<br />at the French Court.</span> +</div> + +<p>While the Americans in camp at Valley Forge were so miserable, the +British, twenty miles away, were spending a gay winter in the homes of +the people of Philadelphia. Why they did not attack and destroy the +wretched patriot army was a mystery. After awhile, provisions and other +necessities were secured and the camp became more cheerful. Mrs. +Washington and the wives of some of the other officers came to join +their husbands.</p> + +<p>Baron Frederick von Steuben, a German officer, who had served in several +wars and received great honors, was sent to America by friends in Paris. +He offered to fight for the colonists without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> rank or pay. Congress +sent him to Washington, who realized that his experience would be +valuable, and who asked him to drill and discipline the troops. Steuben +was a wonderful soldier and after a few weeks under his direction, the +army learned something of real military tactics, and how to work +together like a great machine. He not only drilled them, but looked +after their comforts and won their love by his kindness.</p> + + +<p>Not all the work for freedom was done on the battle-fields and in the +camps. While Washington and his soldiers were skirmishing with the +British and while they were encamped at Valley Forge, Benjamin Franklin, +one of the foremost thinkers and statesmen of the time, was in Europe +making friends for the American cause and asking help for the struggling +colonists. The King of France made a treaty of alliance with him, which +Congress signed May 4th, 1778. Three days later, it was celebrated in +camp with thanksgiving and parades, and the news that France was to help +the American cause thrilled every patriot's heart with joy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>BATTLE OF MONMOUTH—PATRIOTS RECEIVE AID FROM FRANCE—RECAPTURE OF +FORT AT STONY POINT BY GEN. ANTHONY WAYNE—WASHINGTON AT +MORRISTOWN—SURRENDER OF CHARLESTON, S. C., TO THE BRITISH—TREASON +OF BENEDICT ARNOLD—1778-1780</p></div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> +<img src="images/i062.jpg" width="600" height="439" alt="Molly Pitcher" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Molly Pitcher</span> +</div> + +<p>General Howe had spent a pleasant winter and spring holding +Philadelphia, but he had done nothing in the way of military service. He +was now ordered home and Sir Henry Clinton took his place and was told +to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> leave the city. While Washington was in doubt as to what move +Clinton would make, messengers came from England with offers of peace +for the colonies. They offered a large bribe to General Joseph Reed, a +member of Congress. His scornful answer was, "I am not worth purchasing, +but such as I am, the King of Great Britain is not rich enough to do +it!" This was the spirit that won freedom for America.</p> + +<p>In June (1778), General Clinton withdrew his army from Philadelphia and +Washington marched his troops out of Valley Forge and followed him. Near +Monmouth, New Jersey, Washington decided to make an attack. He sent +General Charles Lee (who, by this time, had been released by the +British) with six thousand men to start the battle, while he brought up +the main division. General Lee, who never would take orders from +Washington, commanded his men to retreat. Immediately Washington heard +of this disobedience, he galloped forward, sternly ordered Lee to the +rear, and with hot words rallied the men, stopped the retreat and saved +the day. His presence and the courage he displayed ended the disorder +and put new life into the men. An officer, who saw him at the time, said +his anger was splendid and he "swore like an angel from heaven."</p> + +<p>Washington spent the night upon the field, his head pillowed on the +roots of a tree. At daybreak he arose to renew the attack, but the enemy +had learned one of his own tricks and, as Washington himself put it, +"had stolen off in the night as silent as the grave." It was at this +battle of Monmouth that Molly Pitcher became a heroine. She had been +carrying water to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> the men in action. At one gun, six men had been +killed, the last one her husband. As he fell, she seized the ramrod from +his hand and took his place. Washington was proud of her courage and +gave her the rank and pay of her husband.</p> + +<p>The love and respect in which the army held Washington were increased by +his magnificent daring and splendid generalship in this battle. Congress +thanked him "for his great good conduct." General Charles Lee, who had +always been disrespectful to Washington and who had tried his best to +harm him, was court-martialed for insubordination (disobedience) and +deprived of his command. (Charles Lee was not connected with the Lees of +Virginia.) General Lee was really a brilliant soldier, but he was ruined +by his own jealous disposition. Washington treated him and all other +enemies with the kindness of a great mind and a true heart.</p> + +<p>After the Battle of Monmouth, Clinton took up his quarters in New York +and Washington remained in New Jersey. Soon he received word that the +French King had sent a fleet of eighteen ships and four thousand +soldiers to help the colonists. The Americans were very glad of this, +thinking that the British fleet would now be destroyed; but the attack +of the French (August, 1778) was unsuccessful and they sailed away +without having done much good.</p> + +<p>We have spoken several times of the Tories who sided with the British. +When the war broke out, the patriot settlers in the Wyoming Valley, +Pennsylvania, decided they would join in the defense of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> country and +they drove all the Tories out of the Valley. Just after the Battle of +Monmouth (June 28, 1778), while all the fighting men were away, these +Tories got together seven hundred Indians and attacked the women and +children. Before Washington could send aid, the whole Valley was laid +waste. All the homes were burned. Hundreds were killed by the Indians +and many more died trying to reach places of safety. This was followed +by night attacks in different places, when sentinels were surprised and +murdered by Indians and Tories. Indeed, all through the war, the most +cruel enemies the patriots had were their Tory neighbors.</p> + +<p>To guard against such attacks, and to be ready to meet the British at +any point, Washington distributed his troops in a long line of camps and +got ready to defend the country from Boston to Philadelphia. The Hudson +River was guarded by a fortress at West Point. In order to call the +militia out, he arranged a system of signals. On a high hill overlooking +the British camp, sentries kept constant watch. If the enemy moved, +warning was to be given by firing a big gun. When the gun boomed, fires +were to be lighted on the hills within hearing. As soon as these were +seen from more distant hills, other fires were to be lighted, until +every hilltop blazed and all the countryside was roused and men warned +to hurry to their rallying places.</p> + +<p>Though General Clinton had a great army, he did not offer battle. He +carried on an annoying form of warfare by sending out small bodies of +men to distant places, to attack and destroy. In this way he plun<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>dered +and burned villages on the shores of the Chesapeake and in New England +and captured valuable stores.</p> + +<div class="figleft" style="width: 226px;"> +<img src="images/i066.jpg" width="226" height="300" alt=""Mad Anthony" Wayne" title="" /> +<span class="caption">"Mad Anthony" Wayne</span> +</div> + + +<p>While these things were happening, Washington planned to recapture the +fort at Stony Point on the Hudson, which had been taken by Sir Henry +Clinton, May 31, 1779. His plan was entrusted to General Wayne, called +"Mad Anthony" Wayne because of his dashing bravery. Wayne took a small +body of light-armed, fearless men, marched through the mountains and at +midnight on July 16, stormed the fort and captured it. This feat was so +well done that it is considered one of the great events of the war. +Congress thanked Washington for the victory and gave Wayne a medal for +his courage and success.</p> + + +<p>The swift and daring young scout, "Light Horse Harry" Lee, was with this +expedition. After it was over, he asked permission to lead an attack on +the garrison of Paulus Hook (now Jersey City), right under the guns of +New York. Washington, who always admired courageous deeds, allowed him +to make the attempt. Lee surprised the fort at night, captured a number +of prisoners and made a successful retreat while the guns from the +battleships were sounding the alarm. These two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> daring attacks increased +the confidence and spirit of the Americans and gave the British more +respect for them. Still, it was tiresome for the troops to remain month +after month in camp, wondering what the enemy would do next.</p> + +<p>Washington had more serious troubles. Congress was slow and often unwise +in its acts. The people grew tired of the war, because business was +suffering and the farms were neglected, and nothing seemed to be gained +by it. Officers resigned from the army and men deserted. Washington was +laughed at by the Tories and criticized by his friends. But he was +patient and said, "We must not despair! The game is yet in our hands; to +play it well is all we have to do."</p> + +<p>Washington's greatness is shown not only by his skill in action, but by +the patience with which he could wait. He simply would not be +discouraged. Under such trials, he became "the best among the great."</p> + +<p>The winter came and Washington took part of his army into a camp of log +huts at Morristown, New Jersey. The sad story of Valley Forge was +repeated here and the winter (1779-1780) was the coldest ever known in +the colonies.</p> + +<p>When the war broke out, there was, of course, no American money. +Congress had put out some paper money called "Continental Currency," but +it was worth so little that it took a great deal of it to buy anything. +Washington was obliged to ask the states to give the army grain and +cattle. New Jersey, where a part of the army was stationed, was very +gen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>erous and the women knitted socks and made clothes for the soldiers.</p> + +<p>The British went on surprising and killing small garrisons and +plundering the country. In December, 1779, General Clinton sailed, with +General Cornwallis and a strong army, to attack Charleston, South +Carolina. They landed at Savannah, Georgia, and marched overland. +Washington dared not go to the help of the Southern troops and leave the +Hudson unguarded against the British army from Canada, which might +descend upon it. General Benjamin Lincoln and Commander Whipple were, +therefore, left alone to defend Charleston, which they did bravely, +though it was bombarded on all sides by the British. They held out until +their guns were destroyed and their provisions gone. The people were +frightened into submission and on May 12, 1780, the city of Charleston +surrendered, and Lincoln and his army became prisoners of war. +Considering South Carolina conquered, General Clinton went back to New +York, leaving Lord Cornwallis in command, with orders to subdue North +Carolina and Virginia.</p> + +<p>After their success in the South, the British made an attempt to capture +Washington's headquarters at Morristown. The patriots of New Jersey +rallied to the help of the army and drove off the British, who withdrew, +burning houses and killing people as they went. Soon after this, the +Americans were encouraged by the arrival (July 10, 1780) of a large +French force under Count de Rochambeau (ro-sham-bo), who came to help +them.</p> + +<p>Early in the year (January, 1780), Washington<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> had had the unpleasant +duty laid upon him by Congress of rebuking General Benedict Arnold, who, +though he was very brave and fought gallantly, had been guilty of +several unwise acts. Washington greatly admired General Arnold and made +his reproof so gentle that it was almost a compliment. But being called +to account at all was more than Arnold could bear. He felt hurt, too, +that Congress had promoted others and had only blame for him. This so +enraged him that he proved false to the trust Washington had placed in +him and false to his country.</p> + +<p>After his rebuke, feeling that he had been treated unfairly, Arnold +began writing letters to Major John André, a popular young British +officer, in which he offered to betray the fortress of the Hudson. At +Arnold's own request, Washington gave him command of West Point and an +important part in a plan to attack the British with the help of the +French. Washington had gone to consult with the French commander in +Newport (R. I.), when Major André and General Arnold met. At dead of +night, September 21, 1780, they went to a house in the forest to make +arrangements for the betrayal of West Point. With letters and plans of +the fort hidden in his boots, Major André rode back alone to New York. +He was caught and searched by three young farmers, who were guarding +their cattle against the outlaws who overran the neighborhood. They +found the letters and knew he was a spy. André begged them to release +him and made them all kinds of offers if they would, but they marched +him off ten miles to the nearest fort.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 571px;"> +<img src="images/i070.jpg" width="571" height="550" alt="A Messenger came to Benedict Arnold" title="" /> +<span class="caption">A Messenger came to Benedict Arnold</span> +</div> + +<p>General Washington came back from Newport two days earlier than he was +expected. Lafayette, Count Rochambeau and Hamilton rode with him and +they planned to go at once to West Point. Arnold was living with his +family in a house several miles from the fort and Washington sent word +they would have breakfast with him. This was the very day for the fort +to be given up and the sudden return of Washington frightened Arnold. +Just before his guests arrived, a messenger brought word of André's +capture. Hastily bidding his wife good-by, he flung himself on his horse +and galloped away. After breakfast, Washington went on with Rochambeau +to the fort. No salute welcomed them. General Arnold was not there and +apparently they were not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> expected. While wondering at his absence, +Washington had no thought of treachery. Then Hamilton brought him the +dreadful news. "Whom can we trust now?" was all he said. Hamilton rode +hard after Arnold, but he escaped to the British ship which was lying in +the river.</p> + +<p>Major André endeared himself to everybody by his charming manners, +intelligence and bravery. The young officers loved him and the British +made every effort to save him, but honorably refused to give up General +Arnold in exchange for him. Washington treated André with the greatest +kindness, but justice to America required that this fine young officer +should die and he suffered the shameful death of a spy (October 2, +1780). His body was later sent to England and he was buried in +Westminster Abbey. General Arnold was made an officer in the British +army, but nobody trusted him, and the men hated his command. Twenty +years afterward (1801), he died, poor and broken-hearted, in a foreign +land. It is said that, on his death-bed, he called for his old American +uniform and asked to be allowed to die in it. "God forgive me," he +cried, "for ever putting on another!"</p> + +<p>Count Rochambeau had told a pretty story about his journey from Newport +with General Washington. One evening, as they passed through a large +town, the people came out to greet their General. Throngs of children +carrying torches crowded about him, touching his hands and calling him +"Father." He was very kind and gentle to all these people, but the +patriotism of the children pleased him most. He said<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> Great Britain +could never conquer a country whose children were taught to be loyal.</p> + +<p>Another French officer said of Washington's horses, "They are as good as +they are beautiful, and all perfectly trained. He trains them all +himself. He leaps the highest barriers and rides very fast." At one +time, early in the war, when the Virginia riflemen first came north, +some Marblehead (Mass.) fishermen laughed at their fringed hunting +shirts and a fight followed. Washington heard of it, jumped on his horse +and galloped into camp. His colored servant was going to let down some +bars for him, but he leaped over them and dashed into the midst of the +fight. He seized the two biggest riflemen and shook them, commanding +peace.</p> + +<p>Washington, as usual, was prevented, through lack of men and supplies, +from giving the British a blow. Months passed without much being done, +except dashing skirmishes now and then. The two camps watched each +other, wondering what the other would do.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 225px;"> +<img src="images/i072.jpg" width="225" height="280" alt="Chapter footer" title="" /> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 534px;"> +<img src="images/i073a.jpg" width="534" height="650" alt="Washington bidding Farewell to His Officers" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington bidding Farewell to His Officers</span> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>GENERAL GATES DEFEATED AT CAMDEN, S. C.—BATTLE OF KING'S +MOUNTAIN—WASHINGTON SENDS AID TO THE SOUTH—SIEGE OF +YORKTOWN—SURRENDER OF LORD CORNWALLIS—PEACE TREATY +SIGNED—WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL TO HIS OFFICERS—1780-1783</p></div> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 473px;"> +<img src="images/i073b.jpg" width="473" height="500" alt="Untitled" title="" /> +</div> + +<p>Though Washington did not have any encounters with the British for a +long time, the Americans were engaged in bitter fighting in the South. +Lord Cornwallis angered the people of South Carolina by hanging a number +of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> prisoners at Charleston and by the cruel raids of General Tarleton +and his dragoons, who rode about the country, slaying innocent people. +General Thomas Sumter, who was nicknamed the "Game Cock," gathered +together a few men. Those who had no guns sharpened their saws into +swords and fastened hunting knives on long poles and thus armed, these +soldiers gave the British a great deal of trouble.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, General Lincoln was still held a prisoner of war and the +people were very glad when they heard that General Gates, the hero of +Saratoga, had been sent to take command of the Southern forces of the +American army. Gates was very headstrong, however, and thought he knew +more than any one could tell him and would take no advice from officers +on the ground. He did the worst thing he could do—he rushed at once +into an open battle with Lord Cornwallis (August 16, 1780) and met with +a terrible defeat at Camden, South Carolina.</p> + +<p>Cornwallis now marched into North Carolina to subdue that State. Her +Scotch-Irish people, always brave, had declared themselves independent +of Great Britain a whole year before Congress had dared to do so. +Cornwallis found himself in a "hornets' nest." Sharp-shooters and bold +riders cut off his messengers and foraging parties. In the western part, +the mountain people gathered, who were used to Indian fighting. They +were joined by rugged men from all parts of the South. Each man was +dressed in homespun, with a deer's tail or bit of green stuck in his +hat. Each carried a long rifle, hunting knife, knapsack and blanket. At +King's Mountain (on the border<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> line between North and South Carolina), +this little army overtook and destroyed a British and Tory force under +General Ferguson. Soon after, Lord Cornwallis retreated to South +Carolina again.</p> + +<p>The victory at King's Mountain aroused all the patriotism of the +mountain folk. Francis Marion, one of the bravest soldiers of the South, +took the field with a brigade of friends and neighbors. Armed with +knives and rude swords, he, like Sumter, would surprise and capture +British posts and then gallop back to the woods, while the enemy would +be at a loss to know where he came from. The British called him the +"Swamp Fox."</p> + +<p>About this time, Colonel William Washington, a kinsman of the General, +with a few horsemen, surprised a body of Tories who had made their +headquarters in a log barn. He put the trunk of a tree on two wagon +wheels, painted it to look like a cannon, and pointed it at the barn. +Then he sent a messenger with a white flag of truce to tell them to +surrender or be blown to pieces. Their leader and one hundred and twelve +men surrendered! They felt very foolish when they saw the cannon and +were laughed at all over the State.</p> + +<p>General Gates, broken-hearted over his defeat at Camden, was trying to +gather up his scattered army. To add to his sorrow, he received word +that his only son was dead, and soon after, he was notified that +Congress had given his command to General Greene and ordered an +investigation of his defeat. These troubles were almost more than he +could bear, but his feelings were soothed by a letter from General<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +Washington, full of tender sympathy and expressions of confidence. The +letter so comforted him that he was found in his room kissing the words. +General Greene was also very considerate, and the proud heart of Gates, +who had wronged both these men, was melted, by their kindness, into +lasting love for them.</p> + +<p>General Greene found the army small and discouraged, but he soon +inspired the men with renewed hope. He had with him the famous Virginia +Rifles under General Daniel Morgan, who had served bravely at Quebec and +Saratoga. This division was attacked at Cowpens (S. C.) January 17, +1781, by Tarleton and his large force, but Morgan was so daring and +skillful that he routed the British, who lost 800 of their 1100 men.</p> + +<p>Cornwallis tried to attack General Greene, who knew his army was too +small to risk a battle; so he led Cornwallis a long chase through +forests and mountains, while his light horse troops under Harry Lee +annoyed the British like wasps that sting and fly away to return and +sting again! Greene was at last overtaken and defeated, but the effect +of the battle so crippled the British that there was nothing for them to +do but retreat to the nearest sea-coast town, where they might get aid +from their fleet. General Greene marched hard after them, turning his +defeat into a victory, and so hampering Cornwallis that he lost hope.</p> + +<p>Cornwallis now turned northward into Virginia and Greene gave up the +chase and marched into South Carolina. He, with Lee, Marion, Sumter,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> +Wade Hampton and other daring officers, fought battle after battle until +they had regained from the British most of Georgia and the Carolinas +(September, 1781).</p> + +<p>In Virginia, Lafayette and "Mad Anthony" Wayne kept annoying Cornwallis +as he marched to Portsmouth on the James River.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Washington, while giving advice and directing the campaigns in +the South, where he had sent some of his most brilliant generals, was +watching General Clinton. Ever since the Battle of Monmouth (N. J.), he +had remained in the neighborhood of New York. Though he was needed with +his army in the South, he dared not leave the Hudson unguarded. At last, +however, he planned to help the South by causing the British to recall +some of their troops. He had the French forces come and encamp near his +army, and appear to be making arrangements for laying siege to New York. +Even the soldiers thought they were going to try to take the city. +General Clinton fell into the trap and wrote to Cornwallis for all the +regiments he could spare. Troops were hurried aboard ship and set sail +for New York.</p> + +<p>Clinton found out, too late, how completely he had been deceived, for +Washington and Rochambeau slipped out of their camps and marched their +armies across New Jersey! He took his revenge by sending Benedict +Arnold, who was now a British officer, to his native State, Connecticut, +to plunder and lay waste the country and murder the garrisons. This +brutality was Arnold's last act in America, and shortly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> after, he went +to England.</p> + +<p>When the French and Continental armies reached Philadelphia, they were +received with rejoicing. Washington was entertained in the home of +Robert Morris, a patriot banker, without whose help, in raising money, +Washington could not have saved the country and who more than once had +come to the aid of the army. At this time, he loaned the government +$20,000 in gold, and at about the same time, France sent the colonists +more than a million dollars in coin.</p> + +<p>The Continental army paraded through Philadelphia (August 30, 1781), +dusty and ragged, but keeping step to the fife and drum. The next day, +the French troops marched through, jaunty in white and green uniforms, +with bands playing. Lafayette, who was in Virginia, sent word to +Washington that the British troops had landed at Yorktown (instead of +going to New York), and that Cornwallis was strongly fortified there. +The British battleships lay in the river before the town. Cornwallis +thought his only enemy was Lafayette, of whom he had little fear. +Lafayette carefully arranged his troops to cut off any retreat from +Yorktown, and waited for Washington. A powerful French fleet arrived +from France and bottled up Cornwallis in the York River. The American +and French armies marched on from Philadelphia, Washington taking time +on the way to visit Mount Vernon, which he had not seen for six years.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 354px;"> +<img src="images/i079.jpg" width="354" height="400" alt="Washington spent the first night under a mulberry tree" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington spent the first<br />night under a mulberry tree</span> +</div> + +<p>Cornwallis felt very safe and snug in Yorktown (Va.) till he saw the +French ships, and then he de<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span>cided to retreat. But every way was +blocked. The allied armies (American and French) entrenched themselves +close about the town. Washington spent the first night among his men +sleeping under a mulberry tree. On the night of October 6th (1781), the +siege of Yorktown began, Washington himself putting the match to the +first gun. A week later, two strong British redoubts (forts) were +stormed and taken, one by an American company under Colonel Hamilton and +the other by the French. The British kept up a constant bombardment of +the American lines, and Washington was often in the greatest peril. On +one occasion, an officer spoke of his danger and Washington said, "If +you think so, you are at liberty to step back." He was never afraid and +what the Indian had said of him years ago seemed indeed true.—"A mighty +Power protected him and he could not die in battle!"</p> + +<p>The Americans pounded the British fortifications to pieces. Cornwallis +looked in vain for help from New York. He was surrounded on all sides +and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> all hope of escape was gone. On the 19th of October, 1781, in order +not to sacrifice the lives of any more of his brave men, Lord Cornwallis +surrendered to General Washington. The whole country went wild with joy +over this great victory, and the Americans did not forget that the +French, with their men, money and ships, made it possible for them to +win. The troops held services of thanksgiving in camp, and Congress +named a day when all the people should thank God. When Cornwallis +surrendered, Washington treated the British with great kindness and +courtesy.</p> + +<p>The English were now having so much trouble in Europe that it was +difficult for them to carry on the war in America; but they were not +willing to make peace on terms that America would accept. Washington +thought that the only way to secure a glorious and lasting peace was to +be prepared to carry on the war. If the British should see the colonists +weak and unprepared, they would either conquer them or offer them an +inglorious peace. He, therefore, fortified his forces at Newburgh on the +Hudson, where they were joined by the French.</p> + +<p>The entire year 1782 was spent in camp. The men soon became +discontented. Congress and the States were slow, as usual, in furnishing +supplies. But Washington's patience and fair dealing kept the men loyal +to him and the country.</p> + +<p>The first articles of peace were signed in France, November 30, 1782, +but it was not until September 3, 1783, that the final treaty of peace +with England was signed at Paris.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span></p> + +<p>On April 19th (1783), just eight years after the Battle of Lexington, +Washington proclaimed to his troops that the war was over; but the +British did not leave New York until November, and then Washington and +the Governor marched in.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 439px;"> +<img src="images/i081.jpg" width="439" height="500" alt="Mrs. Betsy Ross" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Mrs. Betsy Ross</span> +</div> + +<p>On December 4, at Fraunce's Tavern, New York City, he said good-by to +the officers and men who had served and suffered so long with him; there +were tears in his eyes and theirs, as he shook their hands and bade them +farewell. A ship carried him to Annapolis, Maryland, where he +surrendered his commission to Congress. He said, "I close this last act +of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country +to the protection of Almighty God and those who have the superintendence +of them to His holy keep<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>ing." He sheathed his sword after years of +faithful and honorable service. Through good and evil fortunes, he had +always held firmly to ideals of truth, courage and patriotism, and he +retired from public life admired and loved by his countrymen. He arrived +at Mount Vernon on Christmas eve (1783).</p> + +<p>The United States now had a place among the nations of the world. She +had a flag of her own, the beautiful Stars and Stripes, created in the +dark days of the war. For a hundred and fifty years, the colonies had +used the flag of Great Britain. When the Revolution broke out, each +State and regiment had its own flag; but in 1777, Congress appointed +Washington, Robert Morris and Colonel Ross a committee to devise a flag. +They were in Philadelphia at the time, and it was in the house of Betsy +Ross (which still stands) that the first American flag was made, +consisting of thirteen red and white stripes, with a circle of thirteen +white stars on a blue field, "representing a new constellation." (A +group of fixed stars.) This flag was accepted by Congress on June 14, +the day that is now celebrated in the United States as Flag Day.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 569px;"> +<img src="images/i083a.jpg" width="569" height="650" alt="Washington Welcomed in New York" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington Welcomed in New York</span> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>WASHINGTON RETIRES TO MOUNT VERNON—INAUGURATED AS FIRST PRESIDENT +OF THE UNITED STATES—HIS REËLECTION—HIS DEATH AT MOUNT +VERNON—1783-1799</p></div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i083b.jpg" width="550" height="384" alt="The Dome of the Capitol at Washington" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Dome of the Capitol at Washington</span> +</div> + +<p>There are many things to be remembered about the Revolution. Its objects +were to gain liberty, equality and a fair chance for everybody. It was +won by the patience and courage of patriots, ill-fed, ill-clad and +ill-paid. Its armies were too weak for the glory of many great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> battles. +Years afterward, Lafayette said to Napoleon, "It was the grandest of +causes, won by the skirmishes of sentinels and outposts."</p> + +<p>Washington laid aside his sword and spent five happy years at Mount +Vernon. He was a brave soldier, but he loved best the quiet life of the +farm. He once said, "How pitiful is the ambition which desolates the +world with fire and sword for the purpose of conquest and fame, compared +to making our neighbors and fellowmen happy!"</p> + +<p>His home was filled with guests whom he loved to entertain and who were +always sure of a courteous and dignified welcome. The two little +children of Mrs. Washington's son (who had died of fever during the +war), Nelly and George, made the place merry and the General joined in +their play and enjoyed the change from camp to home life. Those who were +with him constantly say that he never spoke of himself and never +referred to any of his battles. He had done his work and done it well. +Now he left it behind him and looked forward to the joy of his home. At +the close of the war, some of his friends had wanted to make him king, +but he would not hear of it. He had fought to make America a free land, +and not for his own glory.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i085.jpg" width="550" height="377" alt="Washington spent five happy years at Mount Vernon" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington spent five happy years at Mount Vernon</span> +</div> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p><p>The thirteen States were loosely bound together in a Confederation. As +time went on, the rights of different States came into conflict. +Washington, from his fireside, watched the interests of his country. He +believed with other great Americans that only a strong central +government could keep harmony among the States. In 1787, a convention +was called<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> in Philadelphia to talk the matter over. Each State sent its +most brilliant and thoughtful men, among them, of course, being +Washington. After four months of careful consideration and labor, they +offered to the American people the glorious Constitution, upon which has +been built up the great Republic of the United States. Washington said +they had God's help in "laying the foundation for tranquillity and +happiness." The people accepted the Constitution and turned to +Washington for their first President. No one else was thought of, and he +was unanimously elected. New York was chosen for the capital.</p> + +<p>Before he left Virginia, Washington went to say farewell to his mother, +knowing he would never see her again. She was old and feeble, but happy +to see her son so useful and so honored. She always said, "He is a good +son and has done his duty as a man."</p> + +<p>As Washington journeyed to New York, people thronged the roadsides. +Bells rang and cannon roared. Soldiers and citizens escorted him from +city to city. At the lower end of New York Bay, he was received on a +splendid barge, which led a procession of boats gay with flags and +music. At the pier, he was met by the Governor of the State.</p> + +<p>On April 30, 1789, Washington took the oath of office on the open +balcony of Federal Hall, in Wall Street, in the presence of a great +multitude. Then he walked to St. Paul's church and devoutly kneeling, +prayed to God for strength and guidance.</p> + +<p>Washington had need to pray, for he was facing difficulties and problems +greater than any he had known. He was at the head of a government, such +as had never been tried before, and the eyes of the world were upon him. +The peoples of down-trodden lands looked to him for the success of +freedom. He said truly, "I walk untrodden ground," for there was no +great republic in history whose example he could follow. His heavy task +was to bring into harmony the differences of widely separate States; to +make fair laws; to create a national money; to organize the different +departments of government—in short, to make one nation out of thirteen.</p> + +<p>Washington never flinched from responsibility. He took up his new work +with methodical patience,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> and was most fortunate in having the help of +great men. The States sent their best men to Congress. John Adams was +Vice-President. The first Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson, who +had written the Declaration of Independence. General Knox was made +Secretary of War. The still youthful Alexander Hamilton was appointed +Secretary of the Treasury; the country owes much to him for its success +and prosperity, for he was the one who made the financial plans, without +which the government could not exist.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i087.jpg" width="550" height="545" alt="Federal Hall" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Federal Hall</span> +</div> + +<p>Washington's family joined him in New York, where they lived. The city +streets were dirty and dark at this time and only one was paved. Negro +slaves carried all the water for the household from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> the river, in tubs +balanced on their heads, while drinking water was sold from wagons, as +there was only one pump in the city. The President traveled about in a +cream-colored coach with pictures painted on the doors and panels. It +was drawn by cream-colored horses with white manes and tails. Sometimes +on Saturday afternoons, this coach, which was well known to all the +people, was sent to bring playmates to drive with Nelly and George.</p> + +<p>Washington drove to the first meeting of Congress in a coach drawn by +six horses, with a coachman and footman in scarlet and white liveries, +and with an escort mounted on prancing white steeds. Such style really +was not uncommon in those days and the six horses were not so much for +show as they were needed to draw the heavy carriage over the bad roads. +The fear that our country might become a monarchy had not entirely +disappeared, so Washington lived as simply as he could and avoided +everything that suggested the pomp of a king.</p> + +<p>The President and Mrs. Washington often went on foot to call on their +friends, and that the people might meet them freely, they held public +receptions on Friday evenings from eight to ten. While always reserved +and dignified, Washington was gracious and attentive to his guests. His +wife was the same sweet hostess as at Mount Vernon. At dinner, if no +chaplain was present, Washington asked the blessing himself. Sunday was +always strictly observed in the Washington household. In the morning, +the President went to church, and the rest of the day he spent quietly +with his family. In the autumn<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> after his election, he wrote the first +Proclamation setting aside a Thursday in November for Thanksgiving. From +that time to this, in November of each year, America gives thanks to God +for her liberties.</p> + +<p>At this time, Lafayette was fighting for the cause of liberty in France. +When the terrible Bastille prison in Paris was torn down at his command, +he sent its huge key to Washington, because he believed the same love of +liberty, for which Washington had fought, had also destroyed this state +dungeon of tyranny, where many good people had suffered unjustly.</p> + +<p>One of the problems Washington had to meet was the warlike attitude of +the Indians, with whom there was some border fighting. He always treated +them fairly and often entertained them. When they came, he impressed +them by a great show of elegance and style. Once a great chief and +twenty-eight warriors from Alabama came to make a treaty. The President +gave them a splendid dinner at his house. Then he showed them a full +length, oil portrait of himself. They looked at it, touched it and +looked behind it. Finding it flat, they grunted in disgust and not one +of them would allow his picture to be made! Dressed in his handsomest +clothes, the President took them, in their full dress of feathers and +paint, for a walk down Broadway, which he enjoyed as much as they.</p> + +<p>Washington liked to slip away from his cares and go fishing. He was a +good fisherman and it was said "all the fish came to his hook."</p> + +<p>The Southern States were not pleased with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> choice of New York as the +capital, as they thought it too far away; so the seat of government was +moved to Philadelphia. Washington wanted to move quietly. On a summer +morning, he and his family were all up by candle light, expecting to +steal away in their carriages, when, suddenly, a military band began to +play under their windows! The people came running from all directions. +"There, we are found out!" said the President. "Well, they must have +their way." So his party walked to the pier between rows of loving +people, and were rowed to the Jersey shore, while cannon boomed and the +multitude shouted. Six horses were needed to drag their coach over the +poor roads and the occupants of the coach were in danger of being upset.</p> + +<p>The house of Robert Morris, in Philadelphia, was taken for Washington, +who paid the rent himself. Pennsylvania built a President's Mansion, but +it was so big and fine that Washington refused to live in it, and so it +was used for the Pennsylvania University.</p> + +<p>While his furniture was coming by sea from New York, Washington had time +for a short visit to Mount Vernon, but he and his family were settled in +his new home when Congress met the first Monday in December.</p> + +<p>About this time, two political parties began to form in the United +States. The Federalists, who were led by Hamilton, wanted to make a +strong central government, which would develop the country and be +respected abroad. The Democratic-Republicans, who were led by Jefferson, +wanted the States to hold the chief power, because they were afraid a +strong<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> central government might be turned into a monarchy. Both parties +had the good of the country at heart. Jefferson's party is the +Democratic Party of the present day and the Federalists live still in +the Republican Party.</p> + +<p>Jefferson and Hamilton were bitterly opposed to each other's ideas and +disputed with their usual fighting quality. Washington quietly heard +each side and did his best to keep the two men at peace, for the country +needed both.</p> + +<p>In the spring and summer of 1791, Washington made a tour of the Southern +States. It was a trip covering eighteen hundred and seventy-five miles. +The same horses made the entire journey and kept up their spirits until +they trotted back into their stalls at home! The President returned very +happy about the condition of the country and delighted with its +confidence in the new government.</p> + +<p>The end of his term of four years drew near and Washington looked +forward to the comfort of private life. He was growing quite deaf and +had had several severe illnesses. He was tired of the load of care, and +of the strife of opposing parties. But four years were not time enough +to establish so great a government. Washington alone held the faith and +confidence of the people, and they begged him to give them four years +more. He wanted to retire, as he feared that, after another term, he +would not be able to carry out his plans for Mount Vernon; but he +finally consented.</p> + +<p>Washington's second term was filled with great difficulties. Indians +attacked the western frontiers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> and Algerian [Algeria is in northern +Africa] pirates seized American ships and imprisoned American citizens. +France and England were at war and it was difficult to keep America out +of the quarrel. These and other problems, besides disputes among public +men, kept Washington's heart weary and sore. Through it all, he said, +"There is but one straight course and that is to seek truth and pursue +it steadily." His only wish was to "lead the country to respectability, +wealth and happiness." He paid no attention to his own comfort or +desire. Though often misunderstood and ridiculed by men who did not +agree with him, he never failed to do what he thought was right. His +wisdom and justice were so great that, in all these years, the wisest +men have found little in the actions of Washington they would change. +Jefferson said of him that no motive of interest or friendship or hatred +could influence him; "he was in every sense of the word a wise, a good +and a great man."</p> + +<p>At the close of his second term, 1797, Washington insisted upon +retiring, and he counted the days until he might lay aside the cares of +office and seek his rest. He sent his Farewell Address to Congress, and +it has been said that nothing finer has ever been written than his last +great message to his countrymen.</p> + +<p>On the 4th of March, 1797, John Adams was inaugurated as the second +President of the United States. But the thought and love of the great +assembly at the inaugural ceremony were turned toward Washington, the +white-haired soldier who had led the country through war to prosperous +peace.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> The people followed him to his door, where, with tears in his +eyes, the "Father of his Country" waved farewell to them and to all +beloved citizens of the nation.</p> + +<p>In a few days, Washington was at home again upon his farm. He spent his +time riding over his plantations, looking after his crops and horses and +cattle. Often he took out his surveying instruments and spent a day +laying out his land, or he planted trees and vines about his house and +lawns. To the country folks, he was a beloved neighbor and friend. +Visitors came frequently to his home, while Nelly and George and their +young friends kept the place lively. Under the care of her Grandmother, +Nelly had grown into a beautiful and well educated young lady. Her wit +and sweetness of temper were a great joy to Washington, who loved her +dearly. She had many suitors, but delighted Washington by choosing his +favorite nephew, Lawrence Lewis, for her husband. They were married on +Washington's birthday and the General wore his old Continental uniform +of buff and blue, though he had a new and finely embroidered one that +Nelly wanted him to put on.</p> + +<p>The quiet life of Mount Vernon was broken before long. The new President +got into such trouble with France that the country was threatened with +war. Washington was asked to take his old position of Commander-in-Chief +of the army and he accepted. He organized an army, but, fortunately, +peace was made without bloodshed, and he was glad to go back to Mount +Vernon.</p> + +<p>One winter day, while riding, Washington was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> caught in a heavy storm of +rain and snow. He was used to all kinds of weather and thought nothing +of the exposure, even though he was hoarse and had a severe cold the +next day. Before morning of the third day, he was very ill and when the +doctors came, they bled him. It was the stupid practice of those days +and in a few hours Washington was so weakened as to be past hope of +recovery. He died on December 14, 1799, as bravely as he had lived. His +wife praying beside him was as brave and calm as he. He had asked that +his funeral might be a simple one, and so it was. None was there but +friends and neighbors. The casket was carried out upon the veranda that +all might see his face. Troops from Alexandria, (Va.) with solemn music +led the funeral procession. Four clergymen in white followed. The +General's favorite horse, with saddle and bridle, was led by two negro +grooms. The casket, borne by Free Masons and army officers, was followed +by his family, and by friends and neighbors. While minute guns were +fired from a warship in the river below, the procession wound along the +lovely paths of Mount Vernon to the family tomb on the hillside. Here +the body was laid to rest with religious and Masonic ceremonies.</p> + +<p>When the news reached the people that Washington was dead, the whole +country went into deepest mourning. In Europe, the sorrow was true and +sincere. The British fleets put their flags at half-mast and Napoleon +ordered crêpe put upon the banners of France. Though Washington was born +and educated in America and belongs truly to Americans, he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> was such a +friend to humanity, such a champion of liberty, that the whole world +claims him as a model.</p> + +<p>His will provided that, after the death of his wife, all his slaves +should be free and he left money for those who could not earn a living. +His able management had made Mount Vernon a great estate of nine +thousand acres. Beside this, he held forty-four other tracts of land in +nine different States, and he was one of the greatest land owners in +America. Believing that the Republic would stand secure only upon a +foundation of education, courage and conscience, he left money for a +great American University. In this, he wanted the young people to be +trained in the principles of true Americanism. He wanted the +intelligence of the country to guide its politics. It is unfortunate +that, to the present day, the university has not been founded, although +there is now every likelihood that such a National University will be +established in Washington and vast sums contributed to the fund +Washington had left for this purpose.</p> + +<p>The site of the city of Washington was selected for the Federal Capital +in 1790, and ten years later, the seat of government was moved from +Philadelphia to Washington. President Washington himself headed the body +of commissioners who chose the site and arranged for the purchase of the +land. The city was named in his honor. It is beautifully laid out with +magnificent avenues, parks, fountains and stately buildings, and is one +of the finest and most comfortable cities in the world.</p> + +<p>In the house at Mount Vernon, there was a little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> attic room, hot in +summer, bitter cold in winter. But its one window was the only one that +looked upon the tomb on the hillside, and so Mrs. Washington, after the +death of her husband, moved into this little room. Two and a half years +later, she died there and her body was laid beside that of Washington.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> +<img src="images/i096.jpg" width="550" height="353" alt="Washington's Tomb at Mount Vernon" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Washington's Tomb at Mount Vernon</span> +</div> + +<p>Years passed and the beautiful house began to fall into ruin. A new and +simple tomb was erected to Washington, but it also was neglected. +Nothing was done to restore Mount Vernon until the women of the country +bought the place. They rebuilt the walls and porches, brought back the +old furniture, planted vines about the tomb, and still keep it as +Washington would have wished, as a shrine for all to visit, where +respect can be paid to the memory of the "Father of his Country."</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's George Washington, by Calista McCabe Courtenay + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GEORGE WASHINGTON *** + +***** This file should be named 21972-h.htm or 21972-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/9/7/21972/ + +Produced by Stephen Hope, Janet Blenkinship and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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