washington and his comrades in arms-第29章

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and　it　became　law；　but　at　the　same　time　came；　too；　the　war　with　France。　It　united　the　Tories；　it　divided　the　Whigs。　All　England　was　deeply　stirred。　Nearly　every　important　town　offered　to　raise　volunteer　forces　at　its　own　expense。　The　Government　soon　had　fifteen　thousand　men　recruited　at　private　cost。　Help　was　offered　so　freely　that　the　Whig；　John　Wilkes；　actually　introduced　into　Parliament　a　bill　to　prohibit　gifts　of　money　to　the　Crown　since　this　voluntary　taxation　gave　the　Crown　money　without　the　consent　of　Parliament。　The　British　patriot；　gentle　as　he　might　be　towards　America；　fumed　against　France。　This　was　no　longer　only　a　domestic　struggle　between　parties；　but　a　war　with　an　age…long　foreign　enemy。　The　populace　resented　what　they　called　the　insolence　and　the　treachery　of　France　and　the　French　ambassador　was　pelted　at　Canterbury　as　he　drove　to　the　seacoast　on　his　recall。　In　a　large　sense　the　French　alliance　was　not　an　unmixed　blessing　for　America；　since　it　confused　the　counsels　of　her　best　friends　in　England。

In　spite　of　this　it　is　probably　true　that　from　this　time　the　mass　of　the　English　people　were　against　further　attempts　to　coerce　America。　A　change　of　ministry　was　urgently　demanded。　There　was　one　leader　to　whom　the　nation　looked　in　this　grave　crisis。　The　genius　of　William　Pitt；　Earl　of　Chatham；　had　won　the　last　war　against　France　and　he　had　promoted　the　repeal　of　the　Stamp　Act。　In　America　his　name　was　held　in　reverence　so　high　that　New　York　and　Charleston　had　erected　statues　in　his　honor。　When　the　defeat　of　Burgoyne　so　shook　the　ministry　that　North　was　anxious　to　retire；　Chatham；　but　for　two　obstacles；　could　probably　have　formed　a　ministry。　One　obstacle　was　his　age；　as　the　event　proved；　he　was　near　his　end。　It　was；　however；　not　this　which　kept　him　from　office；　but　the　resolve　of　George　III。　The　King　simply　said　that　he　would　not　have　Chatham。　In　office　Chatham　would　certainly　rule　and　the　King　intended　himself　to　rule。　If　Chatham　would　come　in　a　subordinate　position；　well；　but　Chatham　should　not　lead。　The　King　declared　that　as　long　as　even　ten　men　stood　by　him　he　would　hold　out　and　he　would　lose　his　crown　rather　than　call　to　office　that　clamorous　Opposition　which　had　attacked　his　American　policy。　〃I　will　never　consent；〃　he　said　firmly；　〃to　removing　the　members　of　the　present　Cabinet　from　my　service。〃　He　asked　North：　〃Are　you　resolved　at　the　hour　of　danger　to　desert　me？〃　North　remained　in　office。　Chatham　soon　died　and；　during　four　years　still；　George　III　was　master　of　England。　Throughout　the　long　history　of　that　nation　there　is　no　crisis　in　which　one　man　took　a　heavier　and　more　disastrous　responsibility。


News　came　to　Valley　Forge　of　the　alliance　with　France　and　there　were　great　rejoicings。　We　are　told　that；　to　celebrate　the　occasion；　Washington　dined　in　public。　We　are　not　given　the　bill　of　fare　in　that　scene　of　famine；　but　by　the　springtime　tension　in　regard　to　supplies　had　been　relieved　and　we　may　hope　that　Valley　Forge　really　feasted　in　honor　of　the　great　event。　The　same　news　brought　gloom　to　the　British　in　Philadelphia；　for　it　had　the　stern　meaning　that　the　effort　and　loss　involved　in　the　capture　of　that　city　were　in　vain。　Washington　held　most　of　the　surrounding　country　so　that　supplies　must　come　chiefly　by　sea。　With　a　French　fleet　and　a　French　army　on　the　way　to　America；　the　British　realized　that　they　must　concentrate　their　defenses。　Thus　the　cheers　at　Valley　Forge　were　really　the　sign　that　the　British　must　go。

Sir　William　Howe；　having　taken　Philadelphia；　was　determined　not　to　be　the　one　who　should　give　it　up。　Feeling　was　bitter　in　England　over　the　ghastly　failure　of　Burgoyne；　and　he　had　gone　home　on　parole　to　defend　himself　from　his　seat　in　the　House　of　Commons。　There　Howe　had　a　seat　and　he；　too；　had　need　to　be　on　hand。　Lord　George　Germain　had　censured　him　for　his　course　and；　to　shield　himself；　was　clearly　resolved　to　make　scapegoats　of　others。　So；　on　May　18；　1778；　at　Philadelphia　there　was　a　farewell　to　Howe；　which　took　the　form　of　a　Mischianza；　something　approaching　the　medieval　tournament。　Knights　broke　lances　in　honor　of　fair　ladies；　there　were　arches　and　flowers　and　fancy　costumes；　and　high…flown　Latin　and　French；　all　in　praise　of　the　departing　Howe。　Obviously　the　garrison　of　Philadelphia　had　much　time　on　its　hands　and　could　count　upon；　at　least；　some　cheers　from　a　friendly　population。　It　is　remembered　still；　with　moralizings　on　the　turns　in　human　fortune；　that　Major　Andre　and　Miss　Margaret　Shippen　were　the　leaders　in　that　gay　scene；　the　one；　in　the　days　to　come；　to　be　hanged　by　Washington　as　a　spy；　because　entrapped　in　the　treason　of　Benedict　Arnold；　who　became　the　husband　of　the　other。

On　May　24；　1778；　Sir　Henry　Clinton　took　over　from　Howe　the　command　of　the　British　army　in　America　and　confronted　a　difficult　problem。　If　d'Estaing；　the　French　admiral；　should　sail　straight　for　the　Delaware　he　might　destroy　the　fleet　of　little　more　than　half　his　strength　which　lay　there；　and　might　quickly　starve　Philadelphia　into　surrender。　The　British　must　unite　their　forces　to　meet　the　peril　from　France；　and　New　York；　as　an　island；　was　the　best　point　for　a　defense；　chiefly　naval。　A　move　to　New　York　was　therefore　urgent。　It　was　by　sea　that　the　British　had　come　to　Philadelphia；　but　it　was　not　easy　to　go　away　by　sea。　There　was　not　room　in　the　transports　for　the　army　and　its　encumbrances。　Moreover；　to　embark　the　whole　force；　a　march　of　forty　miles　to　New　Castle；　on　the　lower　Delaware；　would　be　necessary　and　the　retreating　army　was　sure　to　be　harassed　on　its　way　by　Washington。　It　would　besides　hardly　be　safe　to　take　the　army　by　sea　for　the　French　fleet　might　be　strong　enough　to　capture　the　flotilla。

There　was　nothing　for　it　but；　at　whatever　risk；　to　abandon　Philadelphia　and　march　the　army　across　New　Jersey。　It　would　be　possible　to　take　by　sea　the　stores　and　the　three　thousand　Loyalists　from　Philadelphia；　some　of　whom　would　probably　be　hanged　if　they　should　be　taken。　Lord　Howe；　the　naval　commander；　did　his　part　in　a　masterly　manner。　On　the　18th　of　June　the　British　army　marched　out　of　Philadelphia　and　before　the　day　was　over　it　was　across　the　Delaware　on　the　New　Jersey　side。　That　same　day　Washington's　army；　free　from　its　long　exile　at　Valley　Forge；　occupied　the　capital。　Clinton　set　out　on　his　long　march　by　land　and　Howe　worked　his　laden　ships　down　the　difficult　river　to　its　mouth　and；　after　delay　by　winds；　put　to　sea　on　the　28th　of　June。　By　a　stroke　of　good　fortune　he　sailed　the　two　hundred　miles　to　New　York　in　two　days　and　missed　the　great　fleet　of　d'Estaing；　carrying　an　army　of　four　thousand　men。　On　the　8th　of　July　d'Estaing　anchored　at　the　mouth　of　the　Delaware。　Had　not　his　passage　been　unusually　delayed　and　Howe's　unusually　quick；　as　Washington　noted；　the　British　fleet　and　the　transports　in　the　Delaware　would　probably　have　been　taken　and　Clinton　and　his　army　would　have　shared　the　fate　of　Burgoyne。

As　it　was；　though　Howe's　fleet　was　clear　away；　Clinton's　army　had　a　bad　time　in　the　march　across　New　Jersey。　Its　baggage　train　was　no　less　than　twelve　miles　long　and；　winding　along　roads　leading　sometimes　through　forests；　was　peculiarly　vulnerable　to　flank　attack。　In　this　type　of　warfare　Washington　excelled。　He　had　fought　over　this　country　and　he　knew　it　well。　The　tragedy　of　Valley　Forge　was　past。　His　army　was　now　well　trained　and　well　supplied。　He　had　about　the　same　number　of　men　as　the　Britishperhaps　sixteen　thousandand　he　was　not　encumbered　by　a　long　baggage　train。　Thus　it　happened　that　Washington　was　across　the　Delaware　almost　as　soon　as　the　British。　He　marched　parallel　with　them　on　a　line　some　five　miles　to　the　north　and　was　able　to　forge　towards　the　head　of　their　column。　He　could　attack　their　flank　almost　when　he　liked。　Clinton　marched　with　great　difficulty。　He　found　bridges　down。　Not　only　was　Washington　behind　him　and　on　his　flank　but　General　Gates　was　in　front　marching　from　the　north　to　attack　him　when　he　should　try　to　cross　the　Raritan　River。　The　long　British　column　turned　southeastward　toward　Sandy　Hook；　so　as　to　lessen　the　menace　from　Gates。　Between　the　half　of　the　army　in　the　van　and　the　other　half　in　the　rear　was　the　baggage　train。

The　crisis　came　on　Sunday　the　28th　of　June；　a　day　of　sweltering　heat。　By　this　t