CHAPTER XXXI.

THE WAR OF THE REVOLUTION-CONTINUED.

Discouragements.-Effects of Howe's Proclamation.-Affairs on Lake Champlain.-Heroism of Arnold.-Carleton retires to Canada.-Capture of Lee.-Troops from the Northern Army.-Battle of Trenton.-Battle of Princeton.-Death of Mercer.-Washington retires to Morristown.Cornwallis in his Lines at Brunswick.—Encouragements.—Putnam at Princeton. Ill-treatment of American Prisoners; their Exchange under Negotiation.-Appointment of General Officers.-Muhlenburg.Wayne. Conway.-Medical Department.-The Navy.—Marauding Expeditions. Peekskill.-Danbury.-Death of Wooster.-Retaliation at Sag Harbor.-Efforts to recruit the Army.-Schuyler and Gates.-The National Flag.

XXXI.

As the news of this retreat went abroad, the friends of the CHAP. cause were discouraged. What remained of the army was fast wasting away; their enlistments were about to ex- 1776. pire, and the militia, especially that of New Jersey, refused to take the field in behalf of a ruined enterprise. Many thought the States could not maintain their independence; but there were a few who, confident in the justice of their cause, were firm and undaunted. Among these was Washington. In a conversation with General Mercer he remarked: "That even if driven beyond the Alleghanies, he would stand to the last for the liberties of his country."

Howe felt certain the game was his own; he had only to bide his time. He sent forth another proclamation, in

CHAP. which he called upon all insurgents to disband, and Con

XXXI. gress to lay down their usurped authority; and offered

1776. pardon to all who should accept the terms within sixty days. Many persons, most of whom were wealthy, complied. Among these were two of the delegates from Pennsylvania to the late Continental Congress, and the president of the New Jersey Convention which had sanctioned the Declaration of Independence, and others who had taken an active part in favor of the Revolution. For ten days after the proclamation was issued, from two to three hundred came every day to take the required oath.

Dec. 12.

The movements of the enemy, and the effect produced by the proclamation, caused great excitement in Philadelphia. Putnam, who had been sent to command there, advised that, during this season of peril, Congress should hold its sessions elsewhere, and it adjourned to meet again at Baltimore.

At this time a reinforcement of seven regiments was on its way from Canada. We now return to the forces on Lake Champlain, where we left Schuyler and Gates in a sort of joint command.

The army driven out of Canada, broken, diseased, and dispirited, rested first at Crown Point, and then at Ticonderoga. During his retreat, Sullivan wisely secured or destroyed all the boats on Lake Champlain. Its shores were an unbroken wilderness; thus the British were unable to follow up their pursuit by land or by water.

Sir Guy Carleton, flushed with victory, and full of ardor, determined to overcome all obstacles and push his victory to the utmost. He would obtain the command of the Lakes Champlain and George, and by that means subdue northern New York, and then proceed to take possession of Albany, where he hoped to take up his winter-quarters. From that point, he hoped, by means of the Hudson, to co-operate with the Howes at New York, to cut off the communication between New England and

HEROISM OF ARNOLD.

389

XXXI.

the States west and south. This he believed would bring CHAP. the contest to a speedy close, and secure to himself a share of the honors of the victory. He exerted himself with so 1776. much energy and success, that at the end of three months he had a well-equipped fleet. The frames of five large vessels, that had been brought from England, were put together at St. John's on the Sorel. These, with twenty smaller craft, and some armed boats, which had been dragged up the rapids of that river, were now launched upon the lake.

The Americans were not idle. General Gates authorized Arnold, who was somewhat of a seaman, to fit out and command a flotilla. Arnold threw himself into the enterprise with all the energy of his nature, and soon was master of a force, in vessels and men, nearly half as large as that of Carleton. He moved his little fleet across a narrow strait between Valcour Island and the mainland, in such a position that the whole force of the enemy could not be made to bear upon him at one time; there he awaited the contest. As Carleton, with a favorable wind, swept briskly up the lake, he passed the island behind which Arnold's flotilla lay snugly anchored, before he observed it. The wind was such that the larger ships could not beat up the strait, but the smaller vessels advanced, and a desperate encounter ensued, which was continued until evening came on. Then Carleton arranged his squadron so as to intercept Arnold's escape, and awaited the morning; when, if his larger vessels could be made to bear, he felt certain of the prize. The night proved dark and cloudy; favored by this circumstance, Arnold slipped by the enemy, and at daylight was some miles on his way to Crown Point. But as most of his vessels were in bad condition, they could make but little headway; only six reached that place in safety, two were sunk, and the others were overtaken by Carleton a few miles from the Point,

Oct.

6.

ΧΧΧΙ.

CHAP. where one was captured with the crew. Arnold fought desperately, until his galley, the Congress, was cut to 1776. pieces, and one-third of her crew killed. Determined that his flag should not be struck, he ordered his vessels to be grounded and set on fire. When this was done, he, with his men, leaped out and waded to the shore, and by welldirected rifle-shots kept the enemy at bay till the vessels were consumed, and with them the still waving flag; then giving a triumphant cheer, they moved off through the woods to Crown Point, where they found the remnant of the fleet. They stayed only to destroy the houses and the stores at the fort, and then embarked for Ticonderoga. Before the enemy arrived, Gates, who commanded at that post, had so strengthened his position that Carleton decided not to attack it, but to retire to Canada, and postpone his wintering in Albany to some future day.

As the forts on the Lakes were safe for the present, General Schuyler detached the seven regiments, of which we have spoken, to the relief of Washington. When Lee learned that three of these regiments were at Peekskill, he ordered them to join him at Morristown. The remaining four, under General Gates, were passing through northern New Jersey toward Trenton.

Gates was detained by a severe snow-storm, and uncertain as to the exact position of the army, he sent forward Major Wilkinson with a letter to Washington, stating his position, and asking what route he should take to the camp. Wilkinson learned that Washington had crossed the Delaware; and as General Lee, the second in command, was at Morristown, he made his way thither. Just at this time, Lee with a small guard was quartered, for the night, at a tavern at Baskenridge, three miles from his army, which was left under the command of Sullivan. Here he was joined by Wilkinson, on the morning of the Dec. thirteenth of December. Lee took his breakfast in a leisurely manner, discussed the news, and had just finished

13.

CAPTURE OF LEE.

391

XXXI.

a letter to General Gates, when, much to his surprise, the CHAP. house was surrounded by a party of British dragoons. He had not dreamed that an enemy was near, and his guards 1776. were off duty. But a Tory of the neighborhood had learned the evening before where he intended to lodge and breakfast, and had, during the night, ridden eighteen miles to Brunswick, to inform the enemy, and to pilot them to the spot. For a few moments all was confusion. The dragoons were calling for the General, and the General was calling for the guards, who were scattered in all directions. "The scene was soon closed. General Lee, without a hat, clad in a blanket-coat and slippers, was mounted on a horse that stood at the door, and borne off in triumph to the British army at Brunswick."

Had Lee, by some fortunate accident, succeeded in retrieving the fortunes of the army, unsuccessful under Washington, it is probable that the wishes of the people might have turned toward him as commander-in-chief. For men are too apt to judge of those who live in the same age with themselves, merely by their success; and too often they yield to what is self-confident and assuming, the honor and respect due to sober judgment and high moral principles.

Under these circumstances, Lee's success would have proved most unfortunate for the country, for he had neither the judgment nor the principle necessary to guide it safely through the approaching crisis.

After the capture of Lee, the troops under Sullivan moved on at once to join the Commander-in-chief. General Gates, who had left his regiments at Morristown, reached the camp on the same day. As Washington had now a force of about six thousand men fit for service, he was anxious to strike a blow, that should revive the courage of the army and the people, before the disbandment of those troops, whose terms of enlistments were about to