DISSOLUTION OF THE COMBINED ARMIES.--DISCONTENTS IN THE ARMY.
Washington would have followed up the reduction of Yorktown by a
combined operation against Charleston, and addressed a letter to the
Count de Grasse on the subject, but the count alleged in reply that
the orders of his court, ulterior projects, and his engagements with
the Spaniards, rendered it impossible to remain the necessary time for
the operation.
The prosecution of the Southern war, therefore, upon the broad scale
which Washington had contemplated, had to be relinquished; for,
without shipping and a convoy, the troops and everything necessary for
a siege would have to be transported by land with immense trouble,
expense and delay; while the enemy, by means of their fleets, could
reinforce or withdraw the garrison at pleasure. Under these
circumstances, Washington had to content himself, for the present,
with detaching two thousand Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia
Continental troops, under General St. Clair, for the support of
General Greene, trusting that, with this aid, he would be able to
command the interior of South Carolina, and confine the enemy to the
town of Charleston.
A dissolution of the combined forces now took place. The Marquis St.
Simon embarked his troops on the last of October, and the Count de
Grasse made sail on the 4th of November, taking with him two beautiful
horses which Washington had presented to him in token of cordial
regard. Lafayette, seeing there was no probability of further active
service in the present year, resolved to return to France on a visit
to his family, and, with Washington's approbation, set out for
Philadelphia to obtain leave of absence from Congress.
The British prisoners were marched to Winchester in Virginia, and
Frederickstown in Maryland, and Lord Cornwallis and his principal
officers sailed for New York on parole. The main part of the American
army embarked for the Head of Elk, and returned northward under the
command of General Lincoln, to be cantoned for the winter in the
Jerseys and on the Hudson, so as to be ready for operations against
New York, or elsewhere, in the next year's campaign. The French army
were to remain for the winter in Virginia, and the Count de Rochambeau
established his head-quarters at Williamsburg.
Having attended in person to the distribution of ordnance and stores,
the departure of prisoners, and the embarkation of the troops under
Lincoln, Washington left Yorktown on the 5th of November, and arrived
the same day at Eltham, the seat of his friend Colonel Bassett. He
arrived just in time to receive the last breath of John Parke Custis,
the son of Mrs. Washington. The deceased had been an object of
Washington's care from childhood, and had been cherished by him with
paternal affection. Formed under his guidance and instructions, he had
been fitted to take a part in the public concerns of his country, and
had acquitted himself with credit as a member of the Virginia
Legislature. He was but twenty-eight years old at the time of his
death, and left a widow and four young children. It was an unexpected
event, and the dying scene was rendered peculiarly affecting from the
presence of the mother and wife of the deceased. As a consolation to
Mrs. Washington in her bereavement, Washington adopted the two
youngest children of the deceased, a boy and girl, who thenceforth
formed a part of his immediate family.
From Eltham, Washington proceeded to Mount Vernon; but public cares
gave him little leisure to attend to his private concerns. We have
seen how repeatedly his steady mind had been exercised in the darkest
times of the revolutionary struggle, in buoying up the public heart
when sinking into despondency. He had now an opposite task to perform,
to guard against an overweening confidence inspired by the recent
triumph. In a letter to General Greene, he writes: "I shall remain but
a few days here, and shall proceed to Philadelphia, when I shall
attempt to stimulate Congress to the best improvement of our late
success, by taking the most vigorous and effectual measures to be
ready for an early and decisive campaign the next year. My greatest
fear is, that Congress, viewing this stroke in too important a point
of light, may think our work too nearly closed, and will fall into a
state of languor and relaxation."
Towards the end of November, Washington was in Philadelphia, where
Congress received him with distinguished honors. He lost no time in
enforcing the policy respecting the ensuing campaign, which he had set
forth in his letter to General Greene. His views were met by the
military committee of Congress, with which he was in frequent
consultation, and by the secretaries of war, finance, and public
affairs, who attended their conferences. Under his impulse and
personal supervision, the military arrangements for 1782 were made
with unusual despatch. On the 10th of December resolutions were passed
in Congress for requisitions of men and money from the several States;
and Washington backed those requisitions by letters to the respective
governors, urging prompt compliance. The persuasion that peace was at
hand was, however, too prevalent for the public to be roused to new
sacrifices and toils to maintain what was considered the mere shadow
of a war. The States were slow in furnishing a small part of their
respective quotas of troops, and still slower in answering to the
requisitions for money. After remaining four months in Philadelphia,
Washington set out in March to rejoin the army at Newburg on the
Hudson.
In a recent letter to General Greene, Washington had expressed himself
strongly on the subject of retaliation. "Of all laws it is the most
difficult to execute, where you have not the transgressor himself in
your possession. Humanity will ever interfere, and plead strongly
against the sacrifice of an innocent person for the guilt of another."
His judgment and feelings were soon put to the proof in this respect.
A New York refugee, by the name of Philip White, had been captured by
the Jersey people, and killed in attempting to escape. His partisans
in New York determined on a signal revenge. Captain Joseph Huddy, who
had been captured when bravely defending a blockhouse in Monmouth
County, was now drawn forth from prison, conducted into the Jerseys by
a party of refugees, headed by a Captain Lippencott, and hanged on the
heights of Middletown. The neighboring country cried out for
retaliation. Washington submitted the matter to a board of general and
field-officers. It was unanimously determined that the offender should
be demanded for execution, and, if not given up, that retaliation
should be exercised on a British prisoner of equal rank. Washington
accordingly sent proofs to Sir Henry Clinton of what he stigmatized as
a murder, and demanded that the officer who commanded the execution of
Captain Huddy should be given up. Sir Henry declined a compliance, but
stated that he had ordered a strict inquiry into the circumstances of
Captain Huddy's death, and would bring the perpetrators of it to
immediate trial.
Washington about the same time received the copy of a resolution of
Congress approving of his firm and judicious conduct, and promising to
support him "in his fixed purpose of exemplary retaliation." He
accordingly ordered a selection to be made by lot, for the above
purpose, from among the British officers, prisoners at Lancaster, in
Pennsylvania. The lot fell upon Captain Charles Asgill, of the guards,
a youth only nineteen years of age, of an amiable character, and only
son and heir of Sir Charles Asgill, a wealthy baronet. The youth bore
his lot with firmness, but his fellow prisoners were incensed at Sir
Henry Clinton for exposing him to such a fate by refusing to deliver
up the culprit. One of their number, a son of the Earl of Ludlow,
solicited permission from Washington to proceed to New York and lay
the case before Sir Guy Carleton, who had succeeded in command to Sir
Henry Clinton. The matter remained for some time in suspense.
Lippencott was at length tried by a court-martial, but acquitted, it
appearing that he had acted under the verbal orders of Governor
Franklin, president of the Board of Associated Loyalists. The British
commander reprobated the death of Captain Huddy, and broke up the
board.
These circumstances changed in some degree the ground upon which
Washington was proceeding. He laid the whole matter before Congress,
admitted Captain Asgill on parole at Morristown, and subsequently
intimated to the secretary of war his private opinion in favor of his
release, with permission to go to his friends in Europe. In the
meantime Lady Asgill, the mother of the youth, had written a pathetic
letter to the Count de Vergennes, the French minister of State,
imploring his intercession in behalf of her son. The letter was shown
to the king and queen, and by their direction the count wrote to
Washington, soliciting the liberation of Asgill. Washington referred
to Congress the communication from the count, and urged a favorable
decision. To his great relief, he received their directions to set
Captain Asgill at liberty.
The solicitude felt by Washington on account of the universal
relaxation of the sinews of war, was not allayed by reports of pacific
speeches, and motions made in the British parliament, which might be
delusive. "Even if the nation and parliament," said he, "are really in
earnest to obtain peace with America, it will, undoubtedly, be wisdom
in us to meet them with great caution and circumspection, and by all
means to keep our arms firm in our hands; and instead of relaxing one
iota in our exertions, rather to spring forward with redoubled vigor,
that we may take the advantage of every favorable opportunity, until
our wishes are fully obtained. No nation ever yet suffered in treaty
by preparing, even in the moment of negotiation, most vigorously for
the field."
Sir Guy Carleton arrived in New York early in May to take the place of
Sir Henry Clinton, who had solicited his recall. In a letter dated May
7th, Sir Guy informed Washington of his being joined with Admiral
Digby in the commission of peace; he transmitted at the same time
printed copies of the proceedings in the House of Commons on the 4th
of March, respecting an address to the king in favor of peace; and of
a bill reported in consequence thereof, authorizing the king to
conclude a peace or truce with the revolted provinces of North
America. As this bill, however, had not passed into a law when Sir Guy
left England, it presented no basis for a negotiation; and was only
cited by him to show the pacific disposition of the British nation,
with which he professed the most zealous concurrence. Still, though
multiplied circumstances gradually persuaded Washington of a real
disposition on the part of Great Britain to terminate the war, he did
not think fit to relax his preparations for hostilities.
On the 2d of August, Sir Guy Carleton and Admiral Digby wrote a joint
letter to Washington, informing him that they were acquainted, by
authority, that negotiations for a general peace had already been
commenced at Paris, and that the independence of the United States
would be proposed in the first instance by the British commissioner,
instead of being made a condition of a general treaty. Even yet,
Washington was wary. No offers had been made on the part of Great
Britain for a general cessation of hostilities, and, although the
British commanders were in a manner tied down by the resolves of the
House of Commons, to a defensive war, only in the United States, they
might be at liberty to transport part of their force to the West
Indies, to act against the French possessions in that quarter. With
these considerations he wrote to the Count de Rochambeau, then at
Baltimore, advising him, for the good of the common cause, to march
his troops to the banks of the Hudson, and form a junction with the
American army. The junction took place about the middle of September.
The French army crossed the Hudson at King's Ferry to Verplanck's
Point, where the American forces were paraded under arms to welcome
them.
[Great discontents prevailed at this time in the army, both among
officers and men. The army was almost destitute, and there were days
when the troops were absolutely in want of provisions. The pay of the
officers, too, was greatly in arrear; many doubted whether they would
ever receive the half-pay decreed to them by Congress for a term of
years after the war, and fears began to be expressed that, in the
event of peace, they would all be disbanded with their claims
unliquidated and themselves cast upon the community penniless, and
unfitted, by long military habitudes for the gainful pursuits of
peace.]
[The army went into winter-quarters at Newburg, and in the leisure and
idleness of a winter camp, the discontents among the officers had time
to ferment. The arrearages of pay became a topic of constant and angry
comment, and a memorial was addressed to Congress representing the
hardships of the case, and proposing that a specific sum should be
granted them for the money actually due, and as a commutation for
half-pay. The memorial gave rise to prolonged discussions, and the
winter passed without any definite measures on the subject. Meanwhile
anonymous papers of a dangerous and incendiary character began to be
circulated in the camp, and meetings were summoned having in view
ulterior measures of redress. This Washington anticipated by summoning
a meeting of the officers in his own name, which he addressed in a
forcible and feeling manner, dwelling upon their services, the good
intentions of Congress, and urging them in the most eloquent terms to
turn a deaf ear to the specious arguments of those who were attempting
"to open the flood-gates of civil discord, and deluge our rising
empire in blood." His earnest appeal was of effect; resolutions were
passed, declaring that no circumstances of distress or danger should
induce them to sully the reputation and glory acquired at the price of
their blood and eight years' faithful services. Washington now urged
the subject upon the attention of Congress, and a resolution was
concurred in commuting the half-pay into a sum equal to five years'
whole pay.]