FRIENDS OF THE CAUSE IN EUROPE ENCOURAGED. 411 XXXII. Ten years 1777. her statesmen. From the day on which Canada was wrested CHAP. from her, France had ardently hoped that her proud rival might in turn lose her own American colonies. before the commencement of hostilities, Choiseul, the enlightened statesman and prime minister of Louis XV., sent. an agent through the colonies, to ascertain the feelings of the people. That agent was Baron De Kalb, the sam who afterward so nobly served the cause in the American army. He was indefatigable in "collecting pamphlets, newspapers, and sermons," which he sent to his employer. Choiseul gathered from them the proofs that the British king and ministry, by their blindness and injustice, were fast alienating the good will of their colonists; and he hoped by offering them, without restriction, the commerce of France, to alienate them more and more. Thus the minds of the French people and government were prepared to afford aid, but not under the present aspect of affairs. Early in the spring, intelligence reached Europe, that the American army, which was supposed to be broken beyond recovery, had suddenly rallied, boldly attacked, and driven the invaders out of New Jersey. It was scarcely thought possible. How could a handful of illdisciplined, ill-armed yeomanry, so destitute of clothes that some of them froze to death while on duty, and others stained the snow with the blood that flowed from their naked feet, meet and defeat a regular army? Surely, men who would thus cheerfully suffer, deserved independence! A thrill of enthusiasm was excited in their favor. They were regarded as a nation of heroes, and Washington, because of his prudence and skill, was extolled as the American Fabius. With the connivance of the government, American privateers were secretly fitted out, and even permitted to sell their prizes in French ports, in spite of the protests XXXII. CHAP. of the British ambassador. The government itself secretly sent arms and military stores for the American army. 1777. This was done by means of a fictitious trading-house, known as "Hortales and Company." These supplies were to be paid for in tobacco, sent by the way of the West Indies. Soon after the battle of Lexington, secret negotiations on the subject had been entered upon in London by Beaumarchais, an agent of the French court, and Arthur Lee, who for some years had resided in that city as a barrister. The latter was a brother of Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, for which colony he had acted as agent in England. The Secret Committee of Congress, in the mean time, sent Silas Deane to Paris, as an agent to obtain supplies. Though Deane appeared in that city simply as a merchant, he became an object of suspicion, and was closely watched by British spies. Beaumarchais now made arrangements with him to send three ships laden with military stores to the United States. Unfortunately two of these ships were captured by British cruisers; the third, however, arrived opportunely to furnish some of the regiApril. ments recently enlisted at Morristown. Three months after the Declaration of Independence, Doctor Franklin was sent to join Deane in France, and thither, Lee was also directed to repair. To these commissioners Congress delegated authority to make a treaty of alliance with the French court. They were admitted to private interviews by Vergennes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and encouraged, but the government was not yet prepared to make an open declaration of its true senti ments. The British ministry, by means of spies, obtained information of some of these proceedings. They immediately issued letters of marque and reprisal against the Americans, while Parliament cheerfully voted supplies Feb. and men to prosecute the war. HOWE'S MOVEMENTS-NEWS FROM THE NORTH. 413 XXXII As the spring advanced, the enemy's movements were CHAP watched with anxious interest. That he might observe them to better advantage, Washington, on the twenty- 1777. eighth of May, removed his camp to the heights of Middlebrook, a strong and central position. Early in June, Sir May. William Howe, who had received large reinforcements, and supplies of tents and camp equipage, established his head-quarters at Brunswick, about ten miles distant. He commenced a series of manoeuvres, and made a feint movement toward Philadelphia, in the hope of drawing Washington from the heights into the open plain, where British discipline might prevail; the latter was too cautious to be thus entrapped, and Howe, foiled in his attempt, retraced his steps to Brunswick. Presently he evacuated that place, and hastened with all speed toward Amboy. Washington sent an advance party in pursuit, but suspecting this move was also a feint, he followed slowly with the main body. The suspicion was just; Howe suddenly wheeled, and by a rapid movement endeavored to turn the Americans' left, in order to gain the passes and heights in their rear, but Washington saw his object in time to gain his stronghold. Unable to bring on an engagement, Howe in a few days withdrew his forces. to Staten Island. Just before this time, important news had been received from the North. Burgoyne, who had succeeded Sir Guy Carleton, was about to advance by way of Lake Champlain, while a detachment under General St. Leger and Sir John Johnson, was to make its way by Oswego to the Mohawk river. On the very day that the British left New Jersey, further intelligence came from St. Clair that the enemy's fleet was actually approaching Ticonderoga, where he was in command. The force under Burgoyne was not precisely known; it was, however, thought to be small, but in truth he had a finely equipped army of nearly ten thousand men, four June 20. |