washington and his comrades in arms-第22章

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now　had　most　promise；　for　at　last　Howe　had　instructed　Clinton；　left　in　command　at　New　York；　to　move；　and　Clinton　was　making　rapid　progress　up　the　Hudson。　On　the　7th　of　October　Burgoyne　attacked　again　at　Stillwater。　This　time　he　was　decisively　defeated；　a　result　due　to　the　amazing　energy　in　attack　of　Benedict　Arnold；　who　had　been　stripped　of　his　command　by　an　intrigue。　Gates　would　not　even　speak　to　him　and　his　lingering　in　the　American　camp　was　unwelcome。　Yet　as　a　volunteer　Arnold　charged　the　British　line　madly　and　broke　it。　Burgoyne's　best　general；　Fraser；　was　killed　in　the　fight。　Burgoyne　retired　to　Saratoga　and　there　at　last　faced　the　prospects　of　getting　back　to　Fort　Edward　and　to　Canada。　It　may　be　that　he　could　have　cut　his　way　through；　but　this　is　doubtful。　Without　risk　of　destruction　he　could　not　move　in　any　direction。　His　enemies　now　outnumbered　him　nearly　four　to　one。　His　camp　was　swept　by　the　American　guns　and　his　men　were　under　arms　night　and　day。　American　sharpshooters　stationed　themselves　at　daybreak　in　trees　about　the　British　camp　and　any　one　who　appeared　in　the　open　risked　his　life。　If　a　cap　was　held　up　in　view　instantly　two　or　three　balls　would　pass　through　it。　His　horses　were　killed　by　rifle　shots。　Burgoyne　had　little　food　for　his　men　and　none　for　his　horses。　His　Indians　had　long　since　gone　off　in　dudgeon。　Many　of　his　Canadian　French　slipped　off　homeward　and　so　did　the　Loyalists。　The　German　troops　were　naturally　dispirited。　A　British　officer　tells　of　the　deadly　homesickness　of　these　poor　men。　They　would　gather　in　groups　of　two　dozen　or　so　and　mourn　that　they　would　never　again　see　their　native　land。　They　died；　a　score　at　a　time；　of　no　other　disease　than　sickness　for　their　homes。　They　could　have　no　pride　in　trying　to　save　a　lost　cause。　Burgoyne　was　surrounded　and；　on　the　17th　of　October；　he　was　obliged　to　surrender。

Gates　proposed　to　Burgoyne　hard　termssurrender　with　no　honors　of　war。　The　British　were　to　lay　down　their　arms　in　their　encampments　and　to　march　out　without　weapons　of　any　kind。　Burgoyne　declared　that；　rather　than　accept　such　terms；　he　would　fight　still　and　take　no　quarter。　A　shadow　was　falling　on　the　path　of　Gates。　The　term　of　service　of　some　of　his　men　had　expired。　The　New　Englanders　were　determined　to　stay　and　see　the　end　of　Burgoyne　but　a　good　many　of　the　New　York　troops　went　off。　Sickness；　too；　was　increasing。　Above　all　General　Clinton　was　advancing　up　the　Hudson。　British　ships　could　come　up　freely　as　far　as　Albany　and　in　a　few　days　Clinton　might　make　a　formidable　advance。　Gates；　a　timid　man；　was　in　a　hurry。　He　therefore　agreed　that　the　British　should　march　from　their　camp　with　the　honors　of　war；　that　the　troops　should　be　taken　to　New　England；　and　from　there　to　England。　They　must　not　serve　again　in　North　America　during　the　war　but　there　was　nothing　in　the　terms　to　prevent　their　serving　in　Europe　and　relieving　British　regiments　for　service　in　America。　Gates　had　the　courtesy　to　keep　his　army　where　it　could　not　see　the　laying　down　of　arms　by　Burgoyne's　force。　About　five　thousand　men；　of　whom　sixteen　hundred　were　Germans　and　only　three　thousand　five　hundred　fit　for　duty；　surrendered　to　sixteen　thousand　Americans。　Burgoyne　gave　offense　to　German　officers　by　saying　in　his　report　that　he　might　have　held　out　longer　had　all　his　troops　been　British。　This　is　probably　true　but　the　British　met　with　only　a　just　Nemesis　for　using　soldiers　who　had　no　call　of　duty　to　serve。

The　army　set　out　on　its　long　march　of　two　hundred　miles　to　Boston。　The　late　autumn　weather　was　cold；　the　army　was　badly　clothed　and　fed；　and　the　discomfort　of　the　weary　route　was　increased　by　the　bitter　antagonism　of　the　inhabitants。　They　respected　the　regular　British　soldier　but　at　the　Germans　they　shouted　insults　and　the　Loyalists　they　despised　as　traitors。　The　camp　at　the　journey's　end　was　on　the　ground　at　Cambridge　where　two　years　earlier　Washington　had　trained　his　first　army。　Every　day　Burgoyne　expected　to　embark。　There　was　delay　and；　at　last；　he　knew　the　reason。　Congress　repudiated　the　terms　granted　by　Gates。　A　tangled　dispute　followed。　Washington　probably　had　no　sympathy　with　the　quibbling　of　Congress。　But　he　had　no　desire　to　see　this　army　return　to　Europe　and　release　there　an　army　to　serve　in　America。　Burgoyne's　force　was　never　sent　to　England。　For　nearly　a　year　it　lay　at　Boston。　Then　it　was　marched　to　Virginia。　The　men　suffered　great　hardships　and　the　numbers　fell　by　desertion　and　escape。　When　peace　came　in　1783　there　was　no　army　to　take　back　to　England；　Burgoyne's　soldiers　had　been　merged　into　the　American　people。　It　may　well　be；　indeed；　that　descendants　of　his　beaten　men　have　played　an　important　part　in　building　up　the　United　States。　The　irony　of　history　is　unconquerable。



CHAPTER　VII。　WASHINGTON　AND　HIS　COMRADES　AT　VALLEY　FORGE

Washington　had　met　defeat　in　every　considerable　battle　at　which　he　was　personally　present。　His　first　appearance　in　military　history；　in　the　Ohio　campaign　against　the　French；　twenty…two　years　before　the　Revolution；　was　marked　by　a　defeat；　the　surrender　of　Fort　Necessity。　Again　in　the　next　year；　when　he　fought　to　relieve　the　disaster　to　Braddock's　army；　defeat　was　his　portion。　Defeat　had　pursued　him　in　the　battles　of　the　Revolution　before　New　York；　at　the　Brandywine；　at　Germantown。　The　campaign　against　Canada；　which　he　himself　planned；　had　failed。　He　had　lost　New　York　and　Philadelphia。　But；　like　William　III　of　England；　who　in　his　long　struggle　with　France　hardly　won　a　battle　and　yet　forced　Louis　XIV　to　accept　his　terms　of　peace；　Washington；　by　suddenness　in　reprisal；　by　skill　in　resource　when　his　plans　seemed　to　have　been　shattered；　grew　on　the　hard　rock　of　defeat　the　flower　of　victory。

There　was　never　a　time　when　Washington　was　not　trusted　by　men　of　real　military　insight　or　by　the　masses　of　the　people。　But　a　general　who　does　not　win　victories　in　the　field　is　open　to　attack。　By　the　winter　of　1777　when　Washington；　with　his　army　reduced　and　needy；　was　at　Valley　Forge　keeping　watch　on　Howe　in　Philadelphia；　John　Adams　and　others　were　talking　of　the　sin　of　idolatry　in　the　worship　of　Washington；　of　its　flavor　of　the　accursed　spirit　of　monarchy；　and　of　the　punishment　which　〃the　God　of　Heaven　and　Earth〃　must　inflict　for　such　perversity。　Adams　was　all　against　a　Fabian　policy　and　wanted　to　settle　issues　forever　by　a　short　and　strenuous　war。　The　idol；　it　was　being　whispered；　proved　after　all　to　have　feet　of　clay。　One　general；　and　only　one；　had　to　his　credit　a　really　great　victoryGates；　to　whom　Burgoyne　had　surrendered　at　Saratoga；　and　there　was　a　movement　to　replace　Washington　by　this　laureled　victor。

General　Conway；　an　Irish　soldier　of　fortune；　was　one　of　the　most　troublesome　in　this　plot。　He　had　served　in　the　campaign　about　Philadelphia　but　had　been　blocked　in　his　extravagant　demands　for　promotion；　so　he　turned　for　redress　to　Gates；　the　star　in　the　north。　A　malignant　campaign　followed　in　detraction　of　Washington。　He　had；　it　was　said；　worn　out　his　men　by　useless　marches；　with　an　army　three　times　as　numerous　as　that　of　Howe；　he　had　gained　no　victory；　there　was　high　fighting　quality　in　the　American　army　if　properly　led；　but　Washington　despised　the　militia；　a　Gates　or　a　Lee　or　a　Conway　would　save　the　cause　as　Washington　could　not；　and　so　on。　〃Heaven　has　determined　to　save　your　country　or　a　weak　general　and　bad　counsellors　would　have　ruined　it〃；　so　wrote　Conway　to　Gates　and　Gates　allowed　the　letter　to　be　seen。　The　words　were　reported　to　Washington；　who　at　once；　in　high　dudgeon；　called　Conway　to　account。　An　explosion　followed。　Gates　both　denied　that　he　had　received　a　letter　with　the　passage　in　question；　and；　at　the　same　time；　charged　that　there　had　been　tampering　with　his　private　correspondence。　He　could　not　have　it　both　ways。　Conway　was　merely　impudent　in　reply　to　Washington；　but　Gates　laid　the　whole　matter　before　Congress。　Washington　wrote　to　Gates；　in　reply　to　his　denials；　ironical　references　to　〃rich　treasures　of　knowledge　and　experience〃　〃guarded　with　penurious　reserve〃　by　Conway　from　his　leaders　but　revealed　to　Gates。　There　was　no　irony　in　Washington's　reference　to　malignant　detraction　and　mean　intrigue。　At　the　same　time　he　said　to　Gates：　〃My　temper　leads　me　to　peace　and　harmony　with　all　men；〃　and　he　deplor