washington and his comrades in arms-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Lord　Howe　was　not　only　an　admiral　to　make　war　but　also　an　envoy　to　make　peace。　The　British　victory　on　Long　Island　might；　he　thought；　make　Congress　more　willing　to　negotiate。　So　now　he　sent　to　Philadelphia　the　captured　American　General　Sullivan；　with　the　request　that　some　members　of　Congress　might　confer　privately　on　the　prospects　for　peace。

Howe　probably　did　not　realize　that　the　Americans　had　the　British　quality　of　becoming　more　resolute　by　temporary　reverses。　By　this　time；　too；　suspicion　of　every　movement　on　the　part　of　Great　Britain　had　become　a　mania。　Every　one　in　Congress　seems　to　have　thought　that　Howe　was　planning　treachery。　John　Adams；　excepted　by　name　from　British　offers　of　pardon；　called　Sullivan　a　〃decoy　duck〃　and；　as　he　confessed；　laughed；　scolded；　and　grieved　at　any　negotiation。　The　wish　to　talk　privately　with　members　of　Congress　was　called　an　insulting　way　of　avoiding　recognition　of　that　body。　In　spite　of　this；　even　the　stalwart　Adams　and　the　suave　Franklin　were　willing　to　be　members　of　a　committee　which　went　to　meet　Lord　Howe。　With　great　sorrow　Howe　now　realized　that　he　had　no　power　to　grant　what　Congress　insisted　upon；　the　recognition　of　independence；　as　a　preliminary　to　negotiation。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　war。

On　the　15th　of　September　the　British　struck　the　blow　too　long　delayed　had　war　been　their　only　interest。　New　York　had　to　sit　nearly　helpless　while　great　men…of…war　passed　up　both　the　Hudson　and　the　East　River　with　guns　sweeping　the　shores　of　Manhattan　Island。　At　the　same　time　General　Howe　sent　over　in　boats　from　Long　Island　to　the　landing　at　Kip's　Bay；　near　the　line　of　the　present　Thirty…fourth　Street；　an　army　to　cut　off　the　city　from　the　northern　part　of　the　island。　Washington　marched　in　person　with　two　New　England　regiments　to　dispute　the　landing　and　give　him　time　for　evacuation。　To　his　rage　panic　seized　his　men　and　they　turned　and　fled；　leaving　him　almost　alone　not　a　hundred　yards　from　the　enemy。　A　stray　shot　at　that　moment　might　have　influenced　greatly　modern　history；　for；　as　events　were　soon　to　show；　Washington　was　the　mainstay　of　the　American　cause。　He　too　had　to　get　away　and　Howe's　force　landed　easily　enough。　Meanwhile；　on　the　west　shore　of　the　island；　there　was　an　animated　scene。　The　roads　were　crowded　with　refugees　fleeing　northward　from　New　York。　These　civilians　Howe　had　no　reason　to　stop；　but　there　marched；　too；　out　of　New　York　four　thousand　men；　under　Israel　Putnam；　who　got　safely　away　northward。　Only　leisurely　did　Howe　extend　his　line　across　the　island　so　as　to　cut　off　the　city。　The　story；　not　more　trustworthy　than　many　other　legends　of　war；　is　that　Mrs。　Murray；　living　in　a　country　house　near　what　now　is　Murray　Hill；　invited　the　General　to　luncheon；　and　that　to　enjoy　this　pleasure　he　ordered　a　halt　for　his　whole　force。　Generals　sometimes　do　foolish　things　but　it　is　not　easy　to　call　up　a　picture　of　Howe；　in　the　midst　of　a　busy　movement　of　troops；　receiving　the　lady's　invitation；　accepting　it；　and　ordering　the　whole　army　to　halt　while　he　lingered　over　the　luncheon　table。　There　is　no　doubt　that　his　mind　was　still　divided　between　making　war　and　making　peace。　Probably　Putnam　had　already　got　away　his　men；　and　there　was　no　purpose　in　stopping　the　refugees　in　that　flight　from　New　York　which　so　aroused　the　pity　of　Washington。　As　it　was　Howe　took　sixty…seven　guns。　By　accident；　or；　it　is　said；　by　design　of　the　Americans　themselves；　New　York　soon　took　fire　and　one…third　of　the　little　city　was　burned。

After　the　fall　of　New　York　there　followed　a　complex　campaign。　The　resourceful　Washington　was　now；　during　his　first　days　of　active　warfare；　pitting　himself　against　one　of　the　most　experienced　of　British　generals。　Fleet　and　army　were　acting　together。　The　aim　of　Howe　was　to　get　control　of　the　Hudson　and　to　meet　half　way　the　advance　from　Canada　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain　which　Carleton　was　leading。　On　the　12th　of　October；　when　autumn　winds　were　already　making　the　nights　cold；　Howe　moved。　He　did　not　attack　Washington　who　lay　in　strength　at　the　Harlem。　That　would　have　been　to　play　Washington's　game。　Instead　he　put　the　part　of　his　army　still　on　Long　Island　in　ships　which　then　sailed　through　the　dangerous　currents　of　Hell　Gate　and　landed　at　Throg's　Neck；　a　peninsula　on　the　sound　across　from　Long　Island。　Washington　parried　this　movement　by　so　guarding　the　narrow　neck　of　the　peninsula　leading　to　the　mainland　that　the　cautious　Howe　shrank　from　a　frontal　attack　across　a　marsh。　After　a　delay　of　six　days；　he　again　embarked　his　army；　landed　a　few　miles　above　Throg's　Neck　in　the　hope　of　cutting　off　Washington　from　retreat　northward；　only　to　find　Washington　still　north　of　him　at　White　Plains。　A　sharp　skirmish　followed　in　which　Howe　lost　over　two　hundred　men　and　Washington　only　one　hundred　and　forty。　Washington；　masterly　in　retreat；　then　withdrew　still　farther　north　among　hills　difficult　of　attack。

Howe　had　a　plan　which　made　a　direct　attack　on　Washington　unnecessary。　He　turned　southward　and　occupied　the　east　shore　of　the　Hudson　River。　On　the　16th　of　November　took　place　the　worst　disaster　which　had　yet　befallen　American　arms。　Fort　Washington；　lying　just　south　of　the　Harlem；　was　the　only　point　still　held　on　Manhattan　Island　by　the　Americans。　In　modern　war　it　has　become　clear　that　fortresses　supposedly　strong　may　be　only　traps　for　their　defenders。　Fort　Washington　stood　on　the　east　bank　of　the　Hudson　opposite　Fort　Lee；　on　the　west　bank。　These　forts　could　not　fulfil　the　purpose　for　which　they　were　intended；　of　stopping　British　ships。　Washington　saw　that　the　two　forts　should　be　abandoned。　But　the　civilians　in　Congress；　who；　it　must　be　remembered；　named　the　generals　and　had　final　authority　in　directing　the　war；　were　reluctant　to　accept　the　loss　involved　in　abandoning　the　forts　and　gave　orders　that　every　effort　should　be　made　to　hold　them。　Greene；　on　the　whole　Washington's　best　general；　was　in　command　of　the　two　positions　and　was　left　to　use　his　own　judgment。　On　the　15th　of　November；　by　a　sudden　and　rapid　march　across　the　island；　Howe　appeared　before　Fort　Washington　and　summoned　it　to　surrender　on　pain　of　the　rigors　of　war；　which　meant　putting　the　garrison　to　the　sword　should　he　have　to　take　the　place　by　storm。　The　answer　was　a　defiance；　and　on　the　next　day　Howe　attacked　in　overwhelming　force。　There　was　severe　fighting。　The　casualties　of　the　British　were　nearly　five　hundred；　but　they　took　the　huge　fort　with　its　three　thousand　defenders　and　a　great　quantity　of　munitions　of　war。　Howe's　threat　was　not　carried　out。　There　was　no　massacre。

Across　the　river　at　Fort　Lee　the　helpless　Washington　watched　this　great　disaster。　He　had　need　still　to　look　out；　for　Fort　Lee　was　itself　doomed。　On　the　nineteenth　Lord　Cornwallis　with　five　thousand　men　crossed　the　river　five　miles　above　Fort　Lee。　General　Greene　barely　escaped　with　the　two　thousand　men　in　the　fort；　leaving　behind　one　hundred　and　forty　cannon；　stores；　tools；　and　even　the　men's　blankets。　On　the　twentieth　the　British　flag　was　floating　over　Fort　Lee　and　Washington's　whole　force　was　in　rapid　flight　across　New　Jersey；　hardly　pausing　until　it　had　been　ferried　over　the　Delaware　River　into　Pennsylvania。

Treachery；　now　linked　to　military　disaster；　made　Washington's　position　terrible。　Charles　Lee；　Horatio　Gates；　and　Richard　Montgomery　were　three　important　officers　of　the　regular　British　army　who　fought　on　the　American　side。　Montgomery　had　been　killed　at　Quebec；　the　defects　of　Gates　were　not　yet　conspicuous；　and　Lee　was　next　to　Washington　the　most　trusted　American　general。　The　names　Washington　and　Lee　of　the　twin　forts　on　opposite　sides　of　the　Hudson　show　how　the　two　generals　stood　in　the　public　mind。　While　disaster　was　overtaking　Washington；　Lee　had　seven　thousand　men　at　North　Castle　on　the　east　bank　of　the　Hudson；　a　few　miles　above　Fort　Washington；　blocking　Howe's　advance　farther　up　the　river。　On　the　day　after　the　fall　of　Fort　Washington；　Lee　received　positive　orders　to　cross　the　Hudson　at　once。　Three　days　later　Fort　Lee　fell；　and　Washington　repeated　the　order。　Lee　did　not　budge。　He　was　safe　where　he　was　and　could　cross　the　river　and　get　away　into　New　Jersey　when　he　liked。　He　seems　deliberately　to　have　left　Washington　to　face　complete　disaster　and　thus　prove　his　incompetence；　then；　as　the　undefeated　general；　he　could　take　the　chief　command。　There　is　no　evidence　that　he　had　intrigued　with　Howe；　but　he　thought　that　he　could　be　the　peacemaker　between　Great　Britain　and　America；　with　untold　possibilities　of　ambition　in　that　role。　He　wrote　of　Washington　at　this　time；　to　his　friend　Gates；　as　weak　and　〃most　damnably　deficient。〃　Nemesis；　however；　overtook　him。　In　the　end　he　had　to　retreat　across　the　Hudson　to　northern　New　Jersey。　Here　many　of　the　people　were　Tories。　Lee　fell　into　a　trap；　was　captured　in　bed　at　a　tavern　by　a　hard…riding　party　of　British　cavalry；　and　carried　off　a　prisoner；　obliged　to　bestride　a　horse　in　night　gown　and　slippers。　Not　always　does　fate　appear　so　just　in　her　strokes。

In　December；　though　the　position　of　Washington　was　very　bad；　all　was　not　lost。　The　chief　aim　of　Howe　was　to　secure　the　line　of　the　Hudson　and　this　he　had　not　achieved。　At　Stony　Point；　which　lies　up　the　Hudson　about　fifty　miles　from　New　York；　the　river　narrows　and　passes　through　what　is　almost　a　mountain