washington and his comrades in arms-第16节

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lonies　back　in　their　former　relation　and　to　give　them　secure　guarantees　of　future　liberty。　Any　one　who　saw　the　fleet　put　out　from　New　York　Harbor　must　have　been　impressed　with　the　might　of　Britain。　No　less　than　two　hundred　and　twenty…nine　ships　set　their　sails　and　covered　the　sea　for　miles。　When　they　had　disappeared　out　of　sight　of　the　New　Jersey　shore　their　goal　was　still　unknown。　At　sea　they　might　turn　in　any　direction。　Washington's　uncertainty　was　partly　relieved　on　the　30th　of　July　when　the　fleet　appeared　at　the　entrance　of　Delaware　Bay；　with　Philadelphia　some　hundred　miles　away　across　the　bay　and　up　the　Delaware　River。　After　hovering　about　the　Cape　for　a　day　the　fleet　again　put　to　sea；　and　Washington；　who　had　marched　his　army　so　as　to　be　near　Philadelphia；　thought　the　whole　movement　a　feint　and　knew　not　where　the　fleet　would　next　appear。　He　was　preparing　to　march　to　New　York　to　menace　General　Clinton；　who　had　there　seven　thousand　men　able　to　help　Burgoyne　when　he　heard　good　news。　On　the　22d　of　August　he　knew　that　Howe　had　really　gone　southward　and　was　in　Chesapeake　Bay。　Boston　was　now　certainly　safe。　On　the　25th　of　August；　after　three　stormy　weeks　at　sea；　Howe　arrived　at　Elkton；　at　the　head　of　Chesapeake　Bay；　and　there　landed　his　army。　It　was　Philadelphia　fifty　miles　away　that　he　intended　to　have。　Washington　wrote　gleefully　〃Now　let　all　New　England　turn　out　and　crush　Burgoyne。〃　Before　the　end　of　September　he　was　writing　that　he　was　certain　of　complete　disaster　to　Burgoyne。

Howe　had；　in　truth；　made　a　ruinous　mistake。　Had　the　date　been　May　instead　of　August　he　might　still　have　saved　Burgoyne。　But　at　the　end　of　August；　when　the　net　was　closing　on　Burgoyne；　Howe　was　three　hundred　miles　away。　His　disregard　of　time　and　distance　had　been　magnificent。　In　July　he　had　sailed　to　the　mouth　of　the　Delaware；　with　Philadelphia　near；　but　he　had　then　sailed　away　again；　and　why？　Because　the　passage　of　his　ships　up　the　river　to　the　city　was　blocked　by　obstructions　commanded　by　bristling　forts。　The　naval　officers　said　truly　that　the　fleet　could　not　get　up　the　river。　But　Howe　might　have　landed　his　army　at　the　head　of　Delaware　Bay。　It　is　a　dozen　miles　across　the　narrow　peninsula　from　the　head　of　Delaware　Bay　to　that　of　Chesapeake　Bay。　Since　Howe　had　decided　to　attack　from　the　head　of　Chesapeake　Bay　there　was　little　to　prevent　him　from　landing　his　army　on　the　Delaware　side　of　the　peninsula　and　marching　across　it。　By　sea　it　is　a　voyage　of　three　hundred　miles　round　a　peninsula　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　long　to　get　from　one　of　these　points　to　the　other；　by　land　only　a　dozen　miles　away。　Howe　made　the　sea　voyage　and　spent　on　it　three　weeks　when　a　march　of　a　day　would　have　saved　this　time　and　kept　his　fleet　three　hundred　miles　by　sea　nearer　to　New　York　and　aid　for　Burgoyne。

Howe's　mistakes　only　have　their　place　in　the　procession　to　inevitable　disaster。　Once　in　the　thick　of　fighting　he　showed　himself　formidable。　When　he　had　landed　at　Elkton　he　was　fifty　miles　southwest　of　Philadelphia　and　between　him　and　that　place　was　Washington　with　his　army。　Washington　was　determined　to　delay　Howe　in　every　possible　way。　To　get　to　Philadelphia　Howe　had　to　cross　the　Brandywine　River。　Time　was　nothing　to　him。　He　landed　at　Elkton　on　the　25th　of　August。　Not　until　the　l0th　of　September　was　he　prepared　to　attack　Washington　barring　his　way　at　Chadd's　Ford。　Washington　was　in　a　strong　position　on　a　front　of　two　miles　on　the　river。　At　his　left；　below　Chadd's　Ford；　the　Brandywine　is　a　torrent　flowing　between　high　cliffs。　There　the　British　would　find　no　passage。　On　his　right　was　a　forest。　Washington　had　chosen　his　position　with　his　usual　skill。　Entrenchments　protected　his　front　and　batteries　would　sweep　down　an　advancing　enemy。　He　had　probably　not　more　than　eleven　thousand　men　in　the　fight　and　it　is　doubtful　whether　Howe　brought　up　a　greater　number　so　that　the　armies　were　not　unevenly　matched。　At　daybreak　on　the　eleventh　the　British　army　broke　camp　at　the　village　of　Kenneth　Square；　four　miles　from　Chadd's　Ford；　and；　under　General　Knyphausen；　marched　straight　to　make　a　frontal　attack　on　Washington's　position。

In　the　battle　which　followed　Washington　was　beaten　by　the　superior　tactics　of　his　enemy。　Not　all　of　the　British　army　was　there　in　the　attack　at　Chadd's　Ford。　A　column　under　Cornwallis　had　filed　off　by　a　road　to　the　left　and　was　making　a　long　and　rapid　march。　The　plan　was　to　cross　the　Brandywine　some　ten　miles　above　where　Washington　was　posted　and　to　attack　him　in　the　rear。　By　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Cornwallis　had　forced　the　two　branches　of　the　upper　Brandywine　and　was　marching　on　Dilworth　at　the　right　rear　of　the　American　army。　Only　then　did　Washington　become　aware　of　his　danger。　His　first　impulse　was　to　advance　across　Chadd's　Ford　to　try　to　overwhelm　Knyphausen　and　thus　to　get　between　Howe　and　the　fleet　at　Elkton。　This　might；　however；　have　brought　disaster　and　he　soon　decided　to　retire。　His　movement　was　ably　carried　out。　Both　sides　suffered　in　the　woodland　fighting　but　that　night　the　British　army　encamped　in　Washington's　position　at　Chadd's　Ford；　and　Howe　had　fought　skillfully　and　won　an　important　battle。

Washington　had　retired　in　good　order　and　was　still　formidable。　He　now　realized　clearly　enough　that　Philadelphia　would　fall。　Delay；　however；　would　be　nearly　as　good　as　victory。　He　saw　what　Howe　could　not　see；　that　menacing　cloud　in　the　north；　much　bigger　than　a　man's　hand；　which；　with　Howe　far　away；　should　break　in　a　final　storm　terrible　for　the　British　cause。　Meanwhile　Washington　meant　to　keep　Howe　occupied。　Rain　alone　prevented　another　battle　before　the　British　reached　the　Schuylkill　River。　On　that　river　Washington　guarded　every　ford。　But；　in　the　end；　by　skillful　maneuvering；　Howe　was　able　to　cross　and　on　the　26th　of　September　he　occupied　Philadelphia　without　resistance。　The　people　were　ordered　to　remain　quietly　in　their　houses。　Officers　were　billeted　on　the　wealthier　inhabitants。　The　fall　resounded　far　of　what　Lord　Adam　Gordon　called　a　〃great　and　noble　city；〃　〃the　first　Town　in　America；〃　〃one　of　the　Wonders　of　the　World。〃　Its　luxury　had　been　so　conspicuous　that　the　austere　John　Adams　condemned　the　〃sinful　feasts〃　in　which　he　shared。　About　it　were　fine　country　seats　surrounded　by　parklike　grounds；　with　noble　trees；　clipped　hedges；　and　beautiful　gardens。　The　British　believed　that　Pennsylvania　was　really　on　their　side。　Many　of　the　people　were　friendly　and　hundreds　now　renewed　their　oath　of　allegiance　to　the　King。　Washington　complained　that　the　people　gave　Howe　information　denied　to　him。　They　certainly　fed　Howe's　army　willingly　and　received　good　British　gold　while　Washington　had　only　paper　money　with　which　to　pay。　Over　the　proud　capital　floated　once　more　the　British　flag　and　people　who　did　not　see　very　far　said　that；　with　both　New　York　and　Philadelphia　taken；　the　rebellion　had　at　last　collapsed。

Once　in　possession　of　Philadelphia　Howe　made　his　camp　at　Germantown；　a　straggling　suburban　village；　about　seven　miles　northwest　of　the　city。　Washington's　army　lay　at　the　foot　of　some　hills　a　dozen　miles　farther　away。　Howe　had　need　to　be　wary；　for　Washington　was　the　same　〃old　fox〃　who　had　played　so　cunning　a　game　at　Trenton。　The　efforts　of　the　British　army　were　now　centered　on　clearing　the　river　Delaware　so　that　supplies　might　be　brought　up　rapidly　by　water　instead　of　being　carried　fifty　miles　overland　from　Chesapeake　Bay。　Howe　detached　some　thousands　of　men　for　this　work　and　there　was　sharp　fighting　before　the　troops　and　the　fleet　combined　had　cleared　the　river。　At　Germantown　Howe　kept　about　nine　thousand　men。　Though　he　knew　that　Washington　was　likely　to　attack　him　he　did　not　entrench　his　army　as　he　desired　the　attack　to　be　made。　It　might　well　have　succeeded。　Washington　with　eleven　thousand　men　aimed　at　a　surprise。　On　the　evening　of　the　3d　of　October　he　set　out　from　his　camp。　Four　roads　led　into　Germantown　and　all　these　the　Americans　used。　At　sunrise　on　the　fourth；　just　as　the　attack　began；　a　fog　arose　to　embarrass　both　sides。　Lying　a　little　north　of　the　village　was　the　solid　stone　house　of　Chief　Justice　Chew；　and　it　remains　famous　as　the　central　point　in　the　bitter　fight　of　that　day。　What　brought　final　failure　to　the　American　attack　was　an　accident　of　maneuvering。　Sullivan's　brigade　was　in　front　attacking　the　British　when　Greene's　came　up　for　the　same　purpose。　His　line　overlapped　Sullivan's　and　he　mistook　in　the　fog　Sullivan's　men　for　the　enemy　and　fired　on　them　from　the　rear。　A　panic　naturally　resulted　among　the　men　who　were　attacked　also　at　the　same　time　by　the　British　on　their　front。　The　disorder　spread。　British　reinforcements　arrived；　and　Washington　drew　off　his　army　in　surprising　order　considering　the　panic。　He　had　six　hundred　and　seventy…three　casualties　and　lost　besides　four　hundred　prisoners。　The　British　loss　was　five　hundred　and　thirty…seven　casualties　and　fourteen　prisoners。　The　attack　had　failed；　but　news　soon　came　which　made　the　reverse　unimportant。　Burgoyne　and　his　whole　army　had　surrendered　at　Saratoga。



CHAPTER　VI。　THE　FIRST　GREAT　BRITISH　DISASTER

John　Burgoyne；　in　a　measure　a　soldier　of　fortune；　was　the　younger　son　of　an　impoverished　baronet；　but　he　had　married　the　daughter　of　the　powerful　Earl　of　Derby　and　was　well　known　in　London　society　as　a　m