DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE SIGNED--BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND--BATTLE
OF WHITE PLAINS--WASHINGTON CROSSES THE DELAWARE AND SURPRISES THE
HESSIANS AT TRENTON--1776-1777
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.
[Illustration: The Liberty Bell]
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, 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.
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."
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 were repulsed by the British forces in command of the city.
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.
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.
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.
He went to Philadelphia to consult with Congress. To succeed against the
British, the colonies, he knew, 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.
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.
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.
At last, on the 4th of July, 1776, the Liberty Bell in the State House
tower rang out the glad tidings that 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.
[Illustration: The British fleet arrived]
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 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.
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.
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.
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!
[Illustration: Nathan Hale]
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."
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.
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.
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 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."
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
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.
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 him. These German--or
Hessian--soldiers were hated by the Americans on account of their
cruelty and because they were fighting for pay.
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.
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!
Messengers were dispatched to call the army from the Hudson and to
gather the New Jersey militia. 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.
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).
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.