washington and his comrades in arms-第14章

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On　the　22d　of　August　Howe　ferried　fifteen　thousand　men　across　the　Narrows　to　Long　Island；　in　order　to　attack　the　position　on　Brooklyn　Heights　from　the　rear。　Before　him　lay　wooded　hills　across　which　led　three　roads　converging　at　Brooklyn　Heights　beyond　the　hills。　On　the　east　a　fourth　road　led　round　the　hills。　In　the　dark　of　the　night　of　the　26th　of　August　Howe　set　his　army　in　motion　on　all　these　roads；　in　order　by　daybreak　to　come　to　close　quarters　with　the　Americans　and　drive　them　back　to　the　Heights。　The　movement　succeeded　perfectly。　The　British　made　terrible　use　of　the　bayonet。　By　the　evening　of　the　twenty…seventh　the　Americans；　who　fought　well　against　overwhelming　odds；　had　lost　nearly　two　thousand　men　in　casualties　and　prisoners；　six　field　pieces；　and　twenty…six　heavy　guns。　The　two　chief　commanders；　Sullivan　and　Stirling；　were　among　the　prisoners；　and　what　was　left　of　the　army　had　been　driven　back　to　Brooklyn　Heights。　Howe's　critics　said　that　had　he　pressed　the　attack　further　he　could　have　made　certain　the　capture　of　the　whole　American　force　on　Long　Island。

Criticism　of　what　might　have　been　is　easy　and　usually　futile。　It　might　be　said　of　Washington；　too；　that　he　should　not　have　kept　an　army　so　far　in　front　of　his　lines　behind　Brooklyn　Heights　facing　a　superior　enemy；　and　with；　for　a　part　of　it；　retreat　possible　only　by　a　single　causeway　across　a　marsh　three　miles　long。　When　he　realized；　on　the　28th　of　August；　what　Howe　had　achieved；　he　increased　the　defenders　of　Brooklyn　Heights　to　ten　thousand　men；　more　than　half　his　army。　This　was　another　cardinal　error。　British　ships　were　near　and　but　for　unfavorable　winds　might　have　sailed　up　to　Brooklyn。　Washington　hoped　and　prayed　that　Howe　would　try　to　carry　Brooklyn　Heights　by　assault。　Then　there　would　have　been　at　least　slaughter　on　the　scale　of　Bunker　Hill。　But　Howe　had　learned　caution。　He　made　no　reckless　attack；　and　soon　Washington　found　that　he　must　move　away　or　face　the　danger　of　losing　every　man　on　Long　Island。

On　the　night　of　the　29th　of　August　there　was　clear　moonlight；　with　fog　towards　daybreak。　A　British　army　of　twenty…five　thousand　men　was　only　some　six　hundred　yards　from　the　American　lines。　A　few　miles　from　the　shore　lay　at　anchor　a　great　British　fleet　with；　it　is　to　be　presumed；　its　patrols　on　the　alert。　Yet；　during　that　night；　ten　thousand　American　troops　were　marched　down　to　boats　on　the　strand　at　Brooklyn　and；　with　all　their　stores；　were　carried　across　a　mile　of　water　to　New　York。　There　must　have　been　the　splash　of　oars　and　the　grating　of　keels；　orders　given　in　tones　above　a　whisper；　the　complex　sounds　of　moving　bodies　of　men。　It　was　all　done　under　the　eye　of　Washington。　We　can　picture　that　tall　figure　moving　about　on　the　strand　at　Brooklyn；　which　he　was　the　last　to　leave。　Not　a　sound　disturbed　the　slumbers　of　the　British。　An　army　in　retreat　does　not　easily　defend　itself。　Boats　from　the　British　fleet　might　have　brought　panic　to　the　Americans　in　the　darkness　and　the　British　army　should　at　least　have　known　that　they　were　gone。　By　seven　in　the　morning　the　ten　thousand　American　soldiers　were　for　the　time　safe　in　New　York；　and　we　may　suppose　that　the　two　Howes　were　asking　eager　questions　and　wondering　how　it　had　all　happened。

Washington　had　shown　that　he　knew　when　and　how　to　retire。　Long　Island　was　his　first　battle　and　he　had　lost。　Now　retreat　was　his　first　great　tactical　achievement。　He　could　not　stay　in　New　York　and　so　sent　at　once　the　chief　part　of　the　army；　withdrawn　from　Brooklyn；　to　the　line　of　the　Harlem　River　at　the　north　end　of　the　island。　He　realized　that　his　shore　batteries　could　not　keep　the　British　fleet　from　sailing　up　both　the　East　and　the　Hudson　Rivers　and　from　landing　a　force　on　Manhattan　Island　almost　where　it　liked。　Then　the　city　of　New　York　would　be　surrounded　by　a　hostile　fleet　and　a　hostile　army。　The　Howes　could　have　performed　this　maneuver　as　soon　as　they　had　a　favorable　wind。　There　was；　we　know；　great　confusion　in　New　York；　and　Washington　tells　us　how　his　heart　was　torn　by　the　distress　of　the　inhabitants。　The　British　gave　him　plenty　of　time　to　make　plans；　and　for　a　reason。　We　have　seen　that　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　ar