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at some exposed point, and before pursuit | could be attempted would be miles away, or safe in the labyrinths of the swamps.

Gates continued to retreat slowly to the northward after his defeat. He had now about a thousand men with him. Virginia and Maryland made great exertions to reinforce him, but without success.

The Patriots Aroused.

numbered three thousand men. A council of war was held, and it was resolved to send forward a detachment to bring Ferguson to a stand, and to follow with the main body as quickly as possible.

Brilliant Exploits of Colonel Campbell.

Nine hundred men, mounted on swift horses, were sent forward, under Colonel Campbell. They rode for thirty-six hours, a large part of the time through a drenching rain, and dismounted but once during this period. Ferguson, alarmed and astounded at this determination to crush him, fell back to a strong position on King's mountain, near the Catawba. He was attacked there on the seventh of October by the Americans, and defeated after a hotly contested fight. Ferguson and about one hundred and fifty of his men were killed, the remainder were com

In September, Cornwallis advanced northward with the main body of his army. Upon reaching Charlotte he despatched Colonel Ferguson, one of his most trusted officers, to rally the Tories among the mountains in the interior. Cornwallis intended to advance from Charlotte by way of Salisbury and Hillsborough into Virginia, and form a junction with a force to be sent to the lower Chesapeake by Sir Henry Clinton. The success of this movement would complete the subjuga-pelled to surrender. The prisoners numtion of the south. The patriots in the country through which his army passed were very active. His expresses were captured or shot, and his plans made known to the Americans. While Ferguson was on the march, Cornwallis advanced to Salisbury.

The movement of Ferguson roused the patriots of the interior counties to arms, and they assembled rapidly, with the intention of cutting him off from the army under Cornwallis. They came from all directions, from as far as Kentucky and Tennessee. Their weapons were their rifles, to the use of which they had been trained from childhood; they had no baggage; and they moved forward as rapidly as their horses could carry them. These forces had been gathering for several days before the rumors of their march reached Colonel Ferguson. He regarded the reports with distrust at first, but upon receiving more accurate information began a rapid retreat. About the same time the various parties of the Americans effected a junction. They

bered about nine hundred and fifty, of whom about one hundred and fifty were wounded. The Americans lost twenty killed and a somewhat larger number wounded. The North Carolinians selected ten of the Tories who had earned their fate by their cruelties to the Americans, and hanged them on the spot.

The Americans then separated and returned home, after seeing their prisoners safe in the hands of the proper authorities. Their victory raised the drooping spirits of their countrymen, and encouraged them to fresh exertions to resist the British. As soon as Cornwallis heard of it, he abandoned his forward movement, and, falling back into South Carolina, took position between the Broad and Saluda rivers. He remained there until the close of the year.

Marion took advantage of the change of feeling caused by the victory of King's mountain to renew his operations on the Pedee, but Tarleton compelled him to withdraw to lis

fastness in the swamps. Sumter was more successful in the northern part of the State, and defeated a detchment sent in pursuit of him.

Tarleton then went after him in person, but was defeated and forced to retreat. Sumter was wounded in this engagement, and was compelled to withdraw from the field for several months. During this period his command, deprived of their leader, disbanded. The contest in the Carolinas degenerated into a savage civil war. The patriots and Tories fought each other wherever they met, and destroyed each other's property throughout the State. The country was thus kept in constant terror.

Upon the retreat of Cornwallis from Salisbury, Gates advanced southward as far as Charlotte. Here he was relieved of his command by General Nathaniel Greene, who had been appointed by Congress, at the urgent solicitation of Washington, to take charge of the southern department. Gates had given great disatisfaction by his failure in the south, and Congress ordered a court of inquiry to examine into his conduct. Greene was placed in charge of the entire south from Delaware to Georgia, "subject to the control of the commander-inchief." Thus Washington was given the supreme direction of the war. Greene possessed his entire confidence, and the most cordial and affectionate relations existed between them. Greene found the remnants of Gates' army in a half mutinous condition. The men were without pay, without clothing, and suffering for the necessaries of life. Reinforcements were sent him from the north, among which were Morgan's regiment of riflemen, Lee's legion

of lighthorse, and several batteries of artillery.

We must now return to the army under Washington. As the spring opened the sufferings of the troops at Morristown increased. Food was so scarce that the troops were driven to desperation. Two regiments of Connecticut troops declared their intention to abandon the army and march home, or wrest provisions from the people of the sur

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GENERAL NATHANIEL GREENE.

rounding country by force. Washington was compelled to exert all his influence and authority to restore order. It was with great difficulty that provisions were procured, and the wants of the troops supplied. The danger caused by this state of affairs was so great that Congress authorized Washington to declare martial law.

The news of these troubles in the American camp induced Knyphausen to undertake an expedition into New Jersey. He landed a

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him. A sharp fight ensued, in which Greene succeeded in checking the British advance. The New Jersey regiment, of which Caldwell was chaplain, was engaged in the battle.

The wadding of the men gave out, and Caldwell, mounting his horse, galloped to the Presbyterian church, and returned with an armful of Dr. Watts' hymn books, which he distributed among the troops, with the pious injunction, "Now put Watts into them, boys!" The militia came flocking in to the support of General Greene, and Knyphausen finding it impossible to advance farther, burned Springfield and fell back to Elizabeth

town.

Return of Lafayette.

The Americans were greatly encouraged in the spring by the return of Lafayette, who had spent the winter in France. He had been successful in his endeavors to induce the French court to send another fleet and army to the assistance of the patriots; and he now brought the good news that a new expedition was on its way to America. In July a fleet under Count de Tiernay, with an army of seven thousand men, under Count de Rochambeau, reached Newport. The Count de Rochambeau was directed by his government to place himself under the orders of General Warhington in order to avoid disputes that might arise from military etiquette. This expedition was the first division of the army to be sent to America by France.

The second division was to sail from Brest, but was unable to do so, as it was blockaded in that harbor by a British squadron. Thus the supplies of arms and clothing which were to have been sent to the American army were delayed, and the troops under Washington were unable to cooperate with the French in an attack upon New York. An English fleet had followed the French

across the Atlantic, and Clinton was anxious to secure its coöperation in an attack upon the French at Newport. He could not agree with Admiral Arbuthnot upon a plan of attack, and the English admiral contented himself with blockading the French in Newport harbor. Washington called out the militia of New England to assist in the defence of Newport in case of an attack. The French fleet was shut up in this port, and to the great disappointment of Washington, was unable to take part in any combined operation.

Some weeks later Washington, anxiousto strike a decisive blow at the enemy, invited the French commanders, De Tiernay and Rochambeau, to meet him at Hartford, to arrange a plan for an attack upon New York. The meeting was held, but it was decided to ask the coöperation of the French. admiral in the West Indies, as the fleet at: Newport was not strong enough to cope with the British fleet at New York. Until the answer of the admiral was received nothing could be done.

A Treasonable Plot.

While absent at Hartford a plot was discovered which involved the fair fame of one of the most brilliant officers of the American army. General Benedict Arnold had been disabled by the wounds he had received at Quebec and Saratoga from undertaking active service, and through the influence of Washington had been placed in command of Philadelphia after its evacuation by Clinton in 1778. There he lived in a style far beyond his means, and became involved in debts, which he was unable to pay. To raise the funds to discharge them he engaged in privateering and mercantile speculations. These were generally unsuccessful, and merely increased his difficulties. His haughty and overbearing manner involved him in a quar

rel with the authorities of Pennsylvania who accused him before Congress of abusing his official position and misusing the public funds.

He was tried by a court-martial and was sentenced to be reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. Washington performed this disagreeable task as delicately as possible, but did not lose his confidence in Arnold.

BENEDICT ARNOLD.

He knew him as an able officer, but, as his acquaintance with him was limited, was most likely ignorant of the faults of Arnold's character, which were well known to the members of Congress from Connecticut, who had no confidence in him. To them he was known to be naturally dishonest, regardless of the rights of others, and cruel and tyrannical in his dealings with those under his authority. Arnold never forgave the dis

grace inflicted upon him by the sentence of the court-martial, and cherished the determination to be revenged upon Washington for the reprimand received from him.

While in Philadelphia, Arnold had married a member of a Tory family, and was thus enabled to communicate readily with the British officers. He opened a correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton, signing himself Gustavus. He kept up this correspondence for several months, and then made himself known to the British commander.. In the meantime, at his earnest solicitation, he was appointed by Washington, in August, 1780, to the command of West Point, the strongest and most important fortress in America. He did this with the deliberate intention of betraying the post into the hands of the enemy.

The correspondence had been conducted on the part of Sir Henry Clinton by Major John André of the British army, a young man of amiable character and more than ordinary accomplishments. He wrote under the assumed name of John Anderson. He was an especial favorite of Sir Henry Clinton, and was beloved by the whole army in

which he served. Soon after the appointment of Arnold to the command of West Point, André volunteered to go up the Hudson and have an interview with him for the purpose of completing the arrangements for the betrayal of that fortress.

His offer was accepted by Clinton, and he ascended the Hudson as far as Haverstraw in the sloop of war "Vulture." He was set ashore and was met near Haverstraw on the west bank of the Hudson by General Arnold,

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