washington and his comrades in arms-第15章

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ame。　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　gorge；　easily　defended。　Here　Washington　had　erected　fortifications　which　made　it　at　least　difficult　for　a　British　force　to　pass　up　the　river。　Moreover　in　the　highlands　of　northern　New　Jersey；　with　headquarters　at　Morristown；　General　Sullivan；　recently　exchanged；　and　General　Gates　now　had　Lee's　army　and　also　the　remnants　of　the　force　driven　from　Canada。　But　in　retreating　across　New　Jersey　Washington　had　been　forsaken　by　thousands　of　men；　beguiled　in　part　by　the　Tory　population；　discouraged　by　defeat；　and　in　many　cases　with　the　right　to　go　home；　since　their　term　of　service　had　expired。　All　that　remained　of　Washington's　army　after　the　forces　of　Sullivan　and　Gates　joined　him　across　the　Delaware　in　Pennsylvania；　was　about　four　thousand　men。

Howe　was　determined　to　have　Philadelphia　as　well　as　New　York　and　could　place　some　reliance　on　Tory　help　in　Pennsylvania。　He　had　pursued　Washington　to　the　Delaware　and　would　have　pushed　on　across　that　river　had　not　his　alert　foe　taken　care　that　all　the　boats　should　be　on　the　wrong　shore。　As　it　was；　Howe　occupied　the　left　bank　of　the　Delaware　with　his　chief　post　at　Trenton。　If　he　made　sure　of　New　Jersey　he　could　go　on　to　Philadelphia　when　the　river　was　frozen　over　or　indeed　when　he　liked。　Even　the　Congress　had　fled　to　Baltimore。　There　were　British　successes　in　other　quarters。　Early　in　December　Lord　Howe　took　the　fleet　to　Newport。　Soon　he　controlled　the　whole　of　Rhode　Island　and　checked　the　American　privateers　who　had　made　it　their　base。　The　brothers　issued　proclamations　offering　protection　to　all　who　should　within　sixty　days　return　to　their　British　allegiance　and　many　people　of　high　standing　in　New　York　and　New　Jersey　accepted　the　offer。　Howe　wrote　home　to　England　the　glad　news　of　victory。　Philadelphia　would　probably　fall　before　spring　and　it　looked　as　if　the　war　was　really　over。

In　this　darkest　hour　Washington　struck　a　blow　which　changed　the　whole　situation。　We　associate　with　him　the　thought　of　calm　deliberation。　Now；　however；　was　he　to　show　his　strongest　quality　as　a　general　to　be　audacity。　At　the　Battle　of　the　Marne；　in　1914；　the　French　General　Foch　sent　the　despatch：　〃My　center　is　giving　way；　my　right　is　retreating；　the　situation　is　excellent：　I　am　attacking。〃　Washington's　position　seemed　as　nearly　hopeless　and　he；　too；　had　need　of　some　striking　action。　A　campaign　marked　by　his　own　blundering　and　by　the　treachery　of　a　trusted　general　had　ended　in　seeming　ruin。　Pennsylvania　at　his　back　and　New　Jersey　before　him　across　the　Delaware　were　less　than　half　loyal　to　the　American　cause　and　probably　willing　to　accept　peace　on　almost　any　terms。　Never　was　a　general　in　a　position　where　greater　risks　must　be　taken　for　salvation。　As　Washington　pondered　what　was　going　on　among　the　British　across　the　Delaware；　a　bold　plan　outlined　itself　in　his　mind。　Howe；　he　knew；　had　gone　to　New　York　to　celebrate　a　triumphant　Christmas。　His　absence　from　the　front　was　certain　to　involve　slackness。　It　was　Germans　who　held　the　line　of　the　Delaware；　some　thirteen　hundred　of　them　under　Colonel　Rahl　at　Trenton；　two