Trying Times
“The star-spangled banner” had been raised; thirteen white stars, to
represent the thirteen States, shone upon its blue field. The patriots
must now win freedom beneath its folds or fall with honor. Many
difficulties had been overcome, but still greater ones remained to be
conquered. England was gathering all her strength together to subjugate
the so-called rebels. New troops were sent to General Howe, including
German subjects whom Great Britain had bought to use as executioners in
America. The sale of subjects as mercenaries was of common occurrence
during the heyday of the small principalities in Germany. The Princes of
Hesse-Bayreuth-Anspach, Braunschweig, and Anhalt-Zerbst were engaged in
this traffic. Hesse provided the greatest number, so that the German
mercenaries in America were generally called Hessians. In Hesse a man
who tried to get out of trouble by running away and fell into the hands
of the elector’s spies was handcuffed and gagged. Complaints by his
parents were answered by putting the father in irons and the mother in
prison. In the market-place in Cassel, English agents bought Hessian
subjects for one hundred dollars apiece. Frederick the Great said with
bitter irony: “Let the lords of the country not forget to raise the duty
on cattle also!” “No one,” relates the celebrated Seume, “was safe from
these traders in souls [the princes]. They tried all methods—persuasion,
strategem, deception. Even strangers of all kinds were attacked, locked
up, and exported.” While his subjects were being marched on board ship,
Alexander of Bayreuth-Anspach stood on the banks of the Main ready to
shoot down any one who made an attempt to escape. In this way
twenty-nine thousand Germans were sold to the English as “food for
cannon.” “The thoughtful traveller,” says an English lord, “cannot look
upon the magnificent gardens of ‘Wilhelmsberg’ at Cassel without a sigh,
for the blood money of the citizens of Cassel and other places has been
expended upon them.”
As we know, General Howe had been obliged to take refuge, with his
troops, on the ships in Boston Harbor. It was his intention to land in
another part of the country. Washington suspected that Howe had selected
New York. Therefore he had sent the second officer in command of the
American forces thither and he followed him in haste. Howe’s fleet had
in the meantime joined the new fleet, so that the enemy was greatly in
excess of the Americans in numbers. Howe landed on Long Island near New
York. His object was to take that city and from thence cut off
communications between the North and the South. A battle took place in
which the Hessians especially greatly distinguished themselves by their
bravery. They attacked the Americans with such desperation that it
seemed as though these men, so brutally torn from their homes, were
seeking death. The Americans were defeated. They were even in danger,
during the next few days, of being surrounded on the island and taken
prisoners. Therefore Washington determined under cover of night to
embark with his little army. But while he was preparing, at dusk, for
the execution of his plan and had given instructions to keep the
campfires burning, in order to deceive the enemy, no one suspected that
treason was already at work to destroy the American army. A lady of
English sympathies had sent a slave to the British to carry them word of
the movements of the Americans. Fortunately the slave fell into the
hands of Hessian soldiers who stood guard at the outpost. It availed him
nothing to declare that he had a very important message for General
Howe. The Hessians did not understand a word of the language of the
frantically gesticulating negro. They thought he might be a spy, so
bound him and took him into custody, not turning him over to
headquarters until next morning. By this time, however, his message,
which would have been worth a fortune to General Howe the night before,
had lost its importance, for the embarkation was completed and the
enemy, whom he thought he had caught securely in a trap, had
disappeared. Under the existing conditions Washington had acted for the
best, and he carried out the plan of retreat with admirable skill. He
had been on horseback for forty-eight hours—until all the army was
embarked.
Thus the nucleus of the American forces was saved, but their number was
insignificant indeed compared with the enemy’s. Many a patriot was full
of dark forebodings and Washington passed many hours and days in which
he was almost overwhelmed with fear that the good cause was doomed to
defeat. But he was firmly resolved to remain true to it, even if his
faithfulness should cost him his life.
He who has dedicated himself to the service of his country is most
faithful in its hour of need. After this battle on Long Island, a time
of deep distress began for the Americans, of which we get a clear
picture from Washington’s letters. He wrote to the president of
Congress: “Our situation is truly distressing. The check our detachments
sustained in the battle on Long Island has dispirited too great a
proportion of our troops and filled their minds with apprehension and
despair. The militia, instead of calling forth their utmost efforts to a
brave and manly opposition in order to repair our losses, are dismayed,
intractable, and impatient to return. Great numbers of them have gone
off, in some instances almost by whole regiments, by half ones, and by
companies at a time. This circumstance of itself, when fronted by a
well-appointed enemy, superior in numbers to our whole collected force,
would be sufficiently disagreeable; but when their example has infected
another part of the army and destroyed all discipline, our condition is
still more alarming. All these circumstances fully confirm the opinion I
ever entertained that no dependence could be put in a militia. I am
persuaded, and as fully convinced as I am of any one fact that has
happened, that our liberties must of necessity be greatly hazarded, if
not entirely lost, if their defence is left to any but a permanent
standing army, I mean, one to exist during the war. Obedience, order,
discipline are only possible with such an army.”
Two days later he wrote: “Our affairs have not undergone a change for
the better. The militia under various pretences, of sickness, etc., are
daily diminishing; and in a little time, I am persuaded, their number
will be very inconsiderable.” In spite of all this, he still preserved
enough calmness of soul to say a few words in defence of the faltering
one. He wrote to a friend: “Men just dragged from the tender scenes of
domestic life, unaccustomed to the din of arms, totally unacquainted
with every kind of military skill, when opposed to troops regularly
trained, disciplined, and appointed, became timid and ready to fly from
their own shadows. Besides, the sudden change in their manner of living
brings on sickness in many and impatience in all, and an unconquerable
desire of returning to their respective homes.” A few days later,
however, when he saw his best divisions giving way before a small
company of Hessians, he lost the composure which nearly always
distinguished him. He dashed in among the fleeing men, pulled his
pistols from the holsters, and aimed them at his own soldiers, crying,
“Are these the men with whom I am expected to defend my country?”
Despair seized the General. It seemed as though he sought death, for he
drew rein, while his men deserted him and the enemy was only fifty paces
distant. His adjutant seized his horse’s bridle and led him away almost
by force. The retreat was continued, Congress was kept informed of the
situation, and at last they determined to raise a new body of troops.
But the carrying out of this measure took time; men were not so quickly
to be found, and when enlisted had to have some little military
training.
The enemy, on the other hand, feeling encouraged by their late
successes, were seeking to put the finishing touch to their opponents as
quickly as possible. Other things helped to complicate the difficulties
with which the American army had to contend. There were still many
secret adherents of the British government in the United States. They
now raised their heads once more and tried, wherever they found an
opportunity, to aid the English army. Some of the States even sent
recruits to General Howe! Under such circumstances what other
alternative had the General than again to play the role of Fabius, to
avoid the enemy, and postpone the decisive moment to a more favorable
time? Many people, however, who were in sympathy with Congress, but did
not know any particulars about the existing military conditions, became
impatient with Washington’s tactics. The difficulty was, that a public
explanation of the condition of affairs would have still more depressed
the patriots and have encouraged the enemy in proportion. He was even
attacked behind his back by ambitious men who, not understanding the
situation, united for his downfall and for the purpose of transferring
his rank and authority to another. For the sake of his country he bore
even this indignity, it never entering his mind to quarrel with his
intriguing enemies. Instead, he worked indefatigably for the cause of
freedom. He carried on by far the greater part of the business at
headquarters without any help. His correspondence with Congress alone
took up a good deal of his time. The laws that were passed in Congress
had to be referred to the governments of the several States for
ratification, and the manner in which the laws were enacted made fresh
negotiations with the thirteen State governments necessary at every
juncture. We can readily see how all this complicated the work of the
commander-in-chief, and what indefatigable energy, what self-control and
patience were necessary not to lose sight of the end in view and not to
fall into faults, either of rashness or negligence! In order to judge
how comprehensive Washington’s correspondence was during the war and his
public life afterward, we have only to learn that the letters written by
his own hand and the answers to them, which were afterward carefully
collected, fill two hundred folio volumes! They are a precious bequest
to the American people. “Whoever wishes to understand the whole
greatness of the Father of our Country, the grandeur and repose of his
character, his unalterable aims and gigantic strength, must go to the
font of his letters and reports.”
These were the work of his own pen. But besides these, what a work
remained to be done! There was no end of conferences with professional
men in the most various branches of activity. His strength and his time
were in demand on all sides. It seems a marvel that a single man was
able to attend to so many things at the same time; that misjudgment did
not embitter him, and that the situation which seemed hopeless to most
people did not discourage him. New York fell into the hands of the
enemy, also Fort Washington, and the General had to withdraw his troops
still farther. Lee, who tried to join him, was taken prisoner.