USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 3 > Part 15
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militia, under Major Sheidon. These, however, rendered very essential aids.
In this crisis of American affairs, a proclamation was issued by Lord Howe and General Howe, commanding all persons as- senibled in arms against his Majesty's government, to disband and return to their homes ; and all civil officers to desist from their treasonable practices, and relinquish their usurped authori- ty. A full pardon was also offered to every person, who would within sixty days, appear before certain civil or military officers of the crown, and claim the benefit of that proclama- tion; and, at the same time, testify his obedience to the laws, by subscribing a declaration of his submission to the royal au- thority. Copies of this proclamation were dispersed through- out the country ; after which numbers flocked in daily, for the purpose of making their peace, and obtaining protection. The contrast between the splendid appearance of the advancing army, and that made by the retiring army, covered with rags, and destitute of almost every necessary, contributed in no small degree to the opinion, that the contest was drawing near to a close.
Undismayed by the dangers which surrounded him, Wash- ington did not relax his exertions, nor did he despair of the public safety. He caused the baggage and stores of the army to be removed to the right bank of the Delaware, and the sick to be sent to Philadelphia. Finding that Lord Cornwallis still continued at Brunswick, he, on the fifth of December, de- tached twelve hundred men to Princeton, to reinforce Lord Stirling, in the hope, that by appearing to advance upon the ene- my, he might not only delay his progress, but in some measure cover the country, and reanimate the dispirited. About the same time, fifteen hundred Philadelphians volunteered in de- fence of their country, and proceeded to Trenton. Congress ordered a battalion of Germans, lately levied, to proceed to the same place. On receiving the reinforcements, amounting to two thousand men, Washington set out to return to Princeton, but before reaching that place, he learned that Lord Cornwallis
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was marching by different routes, so as to get in his rear ; he was therefore obliged to fall back to the Delaware, which river he crossed on the eighth, and took post on its right bank. " The enemy reached Trentou almost as soon as the Ameri- cans had left it. They made some attempts to cross the river, but were prevented mostly from a want of boats.
While on his march through New-Jersey, General Lee very indiscreetly quartered under a slight guard, in a house about three miles from his army. Information being given to Colo- nel Harcourt, at that time detached with a body of cavalry for the purpose of gaining intelligence of his movements, he im- mediately formed the design of seizing him. By a rapid march, this officer, at the head of his cavalry, reached the house where the general was, very early in the morning, and took him pri- soner, and bore him away to the British army, where he was for some time treated as a deserter.
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This was considered a serious loss, and for a time made a very serious impression on the public. General Lee was a man of talents, had considerable experience in military matters, and was very popular, owing in some measure to his success at Charleston in South Carolina.
General Sullivan, on whom the command of that division of the army devolved, after the capture of General Lee, marched directly to Phillipsburgh, and after crossing the Delaware, soon joined Washington. By the junction of these forces, on the twentieth of December, the American army amounted to seven thousand effective men. On the same day General Gates ar- rived, with a part of the northern army.
Lord Cornwallis, having been unable to procure boats for the transportation of his army over the Delaware, appeared to have determined to close the campaign, and retire into winter quarters. He cantoned four thousand of his men on the left bank of the Delaware, at Trenton, Bordentown, the White Horse, and Burlington, while the residue of his army he distri- buted from that river to the Hackensack. He stationed detach- ments at Princeton, Brunswick, and Elizabethtown.
The object of General Howe, in having his army distributed
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over so large an extent of country, seems to have been to inti- midate the inhabitants, and impede the recruiting service. To counteract his object in these respects, Washington ordered three regiments, who were marching from Peekskill, in the state of New- York, to join him, to balt at Morristown in New-Jer- sey, and unite with eight hundred militia, who had assembled at that place, under Colonel Ford. He sent General Maxwell to take the command of these forces, and gave him orders to watch the enemy, and harass him whenever he could, and to give intelligence of his movements.
The present aspect of the American affairs was very gloomy. The army, except a few regiments from New-York, Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, and Virginia, affording an effective force of about fifteen hundred men, would dissolve in a few days. New- Jersey was mostly overrun, and occupied by the enemy. The militia of Pennsylvania had not turned out with cheerfulness as had been expected.
Moved by divers considerations, Washington, on seeing the dispersed situation of the British army, formed the daring plan of attacking all their posts on the left bank of the Delaware at the same time.
Most of his continentals were posted above Trenton, from Yardly's up to Coryell's ferry. General Irvine, with a detach- ment of militia, occupied the space from Yardly's to a ferry op- posite Bordentown, and General Cadwallader, with a body of Pennsylvania militia, was encamped still lower down the river.
The plan was to cross the Delaware in the night, at M. Kon- key's ferry, about nine miles above Trenton-march down in two divisions, the one taking the river road and the other the Pennington road, both of which led into the town, the one . at the west end and the other towards the north. This part of the plan was to be executed by Washington in person, at the head of two thousand four hundred continentals. General Irvine was to cross at the Trenton ferry, and secure the bridge at the lower end of the town, so as to prevent the escape of any part of the enemy on that side. General Cadwallader
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was to cross over at Bristol, and carry the post at Burlington. The night of December twenty-fifth was chosen for putting the plan into operation. The cold was so severe, and the loose ice descended in such abundance, that the troops were not transported, and the line of march taken up before four o'clock in the morning. As the distance to Trenton, both by the river and the Pennington road, is nearly the same, it was supposed that each divison would reach its place of destination about the same time, and, therefore, orders were given to attack at the first moment of arrival.
Washington accompanied the division which took the upper road, and reached the out-post precisely at eight o'clock in the morning. He immediately drove it in, and in three mi- nutes 'the fire from the division, which had taken the lower road, was heard. The Americans advanced with so much ra- pidity that the enemy could not stand. Colonel Rawle, a very gallant officer, who commanded in Trenton, paraded his men, in order to oppose the Americans. In the very commencement of the action he was mortally wounded, and his troops in appar- ent confusion, attempted to file off from the right, and gain the Princeton road. Perceiving this, Washington threw a de- tachment in their front, which intercepted them. Finding themselves surrounded, they laid down their arms and sur- rendered.
Unfortunately the ice had prevented General Irvine from executing that part of the plan assigned to him. "A part of the enemy, about five hundred men, stationed in the lower end of the town, escaped to Bordentown. The same cause prevented General Cadwallader from attacking the post at Burlington. With much difficulty he had got over a part of his infantry, and he even returned with these.
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Though the plan was only executed in part, it was attended with the happiest consequences. One thousand of the enemy were made prisoners,one thousand stand of arms, and six field pieces, were taken. The loss of the enemy did not exceed twenty, while that of the Americans consisted of two privat „killed, and two frozen to death.
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Washington immediately repassed the Delaware with his prisoners, and resumed his former position. Nothing could surpass the astonishment of the enemy at this unexpected at- tack.
Lord Cornwallis, who had gone to the city of New-York, which was then the head-quarters of the British army in Amer- ica, returned to New-Jersey with large reinforcements, for the 'purpose of regaining the ground he had lost.
Meanwhile, Count Donop, who had commanded the troops below Trenton, on hearing of the disaster that had befallen Colonel Rawle, retreated to Princeton, and joined General Leslie.
The next day General Cadwallader effected a passage over the Delaware. About the same time, General Mifflin joined General Irvine with fifteen hundred militia. These forces also passed over the Delaware into New-Jersey.
General Heath, who was stationed at Peekskill, on the Hud- son, was ordered to march with the main body of the New England militia into New-Jersey, and approach the enemy's cantonements on that side. General Maxwell was directed to harass them. On the thirtieth, Washington recrossed again in- to New-Jersey, and took post at Trenton.
January 1, 1777 .- The enemy were now collected in force at Princeton, under Lord Cornwallis. Generals Mifflin and Cadwallader arriving with three thousand six hundred militia, the whole American army now amounted to five thousand men.
On the second, the enemy advanced upon them, when some skirmishes ensued. Washington finding it unsafe to risk an action with forces so superior, retired across the Assumpinck creek, which runs through the town, behind which he drew up his army. The enemy, as all the passes across the creek were guarded, and as the day was far spent, halted and encamped for the night. Fires were kindled by both arinies.
The situation of the American army was again extremely critical ; the passage of the Delaware could not be easily effect- ed, in consequence of the floating ice ; a total defeat would.
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evidently follow, should be continue where he then was ; he . therefore adopted the plan of marching by a circuitous. route, along the left flank of the enemy, into their rear at Princeton, where he judged they could not be very strong. A council of war being called, and the plan approved of, preparations were instantly-made to carry it into execution. The baggage, as soon as it was dark, was sent to Burlington ; and about one o'clock, after renewing their fires, and leaving their guards at all the passes, the army decamped and proceeded through Allens- town to Princeton. About sun rise they fell in with two regi- ments of the enemy, who were on their march to join Lord Cornwallis, when a very severe conflict ensued, in which the Americans prevailed. One regiment of the enemy forced its way through, and continued its march, the other retreated to Brunswick. In this affair General Mercer was killed, and nearly one hundred men; the enemy had about one hundred slain, and nearly three hundred were made prisoners. Colo- nels Haslett and Potter, and Captains Neal and Fleming, and five other officers, were also killed on the American side.
On the appearance of daylight, Lord Cornwallis, on discov- ering that the American army had decamped, broke up his camp, and returned with all possible dispatch to Princeton. Washington, after seizing the enemy's stores at Princeton, retired to Pluckemin, where he halted for some days. Lord Cornwallis continued his retreat to Brunswick.
The sufferings of the American army had been so great, from the severity of the season, and the want of necessary cloth- ing, and the very active service in which they had been engag- ed, that Washington deemed it proper to retire to Morristown, and put his men into winter quarters.
The bold and well executed attacks made on the enemy at Trenton and Princeton, had great influence, and may be said to have changed the fate of the war. -
Philadelphia was saved, New-Jersey was recovered, and pub- lic spirit roused. The recruiting service became more active, and an army was soon formed, which, although not able in all VOL. III. 21
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cases to cope with the enemy's superior forces, kept them at bay, and prevented them from overrunning the country.
We have already remarked, that the American army under General Sullivan, after being driven out of Canada, took post at Crown Point, where General Gates assumed the command. The . war in the north had changed its object and character. Instead of conquest, it became necessary to defend the country. The possession of Lakes Champlain and, George by the enemy, which might lead to the acquisition of Albany, and all the upper parts of the Hudson and its branches, thereby opening a free commu- nication between the northen British army, and that in New- York, and enabling them to co-operate with each other, while it would, in a great measure, sever and disconnect the eastern and middle states, was as much to be deprecated on the one side, as it was wished on the other.
The command of this department had been intrusted to General Schuyler, a man of talents, who possessed great influ- ence in the country. General Gates had been named to the command of the army of Canada, and after having reached Ticonderoga, he still claimed the command of the army, though it was no longer in Canada, and was in the department of General Schuyler, a senior officer, who had rendered very emi- nent services in that station, and who, if placed under Gen- eral Gates, must have felt it impossible to continue in the army. On the representation of this circumstance to Congress, it was declared not to be their intention to place. Gates over Schuyler, and it was recommended to these officers, to endeavour to co- operate harmoniously.
Considerable fears were entertained of their ability, with the forces under their command, to maintain their ground against the enemy, flushed with victory. Fortunately the command of Like Champlain was still in the hands of the Americans. Aware that the enemy were about constructing a fleet at St. Johns ; in order to obtain the mastery, it was determined to augment the American naval force, in order to maintain the ascendency.
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General Schuyler used all the means in his power to accom- -
plish this object. But he found it impossible to obtain, in suffi- cient quantities, equal to his wishes, either cannon, the necessary materials for ships, or workmen to build them. In consequence of these difficulties, the fleet which the Americans equipped un- der his superintendance, amounted to only fifteen small vessels, the largest of which carried only twelve guns, of six and four pounds each.
General Arnold was appointed to command this little fleet. He sailed towards the north end of the lake, to watch the move- ments of the enemy.
The small-pox made great ravages in the army about this time. In July, the Generals Schuyler and Gates evacuated Crown Point, and concentrated their forces at Ticonderoga. This measure had, in some degree, become necessary, although it was in general condemned by those at a distance.
With almost incredible exertions, General Carleton construct- ed a powerful fleet, the materials for which he caused to be transported some distance over land. His soldiers dragged up the rapids of St. Therese and St. Johns, thirty long boats, a number of large flat boats, a gondola, weighing thirty tons, with upwards of four hundred batteaus. These immense works were completed in little more than three months, and Arnold beheld on the lakes, in the beginning of October, a fleet, con- sisting of the ship Inflexible, carrying eighteen twelve-poun- ders; one schooner, mounting fourteen, and another twelve six-pounders ; a flat bottomed radeau, carrying six twenty-four pounders, and twelves, besides howitzers ; and a gondola, car- rying seven nine-pounders. Twenty smaller vessels, under the denomination of gun-boats, carried brass field pieces, from nine to twenty-four-pounders, or were armed with howitzers. Some large boats were furnished in the same manner, and about an equal number of large boats acted as tenders. This formidable fleet, manned by seven hundred chosen seamen, on board of which was General Carleton himself. was conducted by Captain Priugle. It proceeded immediately in quest of Arnold, who
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was soon found advantageously posted between the island of Valiccour and the western main.
Notwithstanding the great disparity of force, a warm action ensued on the fourth of October. An unfavourable wind kept the Inflexible, and some others of the largest vessels belonging to the enemy, at too great a distance to take part in the action. This fortunate circumstance enabled Arnold to keep up the en- gagement for several hours. Towards night Captain Pringle, the English commodore, thought it advisable to discontinue the action for the present, and the whole fleet was anchored in a line, as near that of the Americans as'it could be brought, for the purpose of preventing its escape. In this engagement the best schooner belonging to the American fleet was burnt, and a gondola sunk.
- Finding it impossible to renew the action the next day, Gene- ral Arnold made his escape in the night, in the hope of reach- ing Ticonderoga, where he might be sheltered under the guns of that fort. The wind being favourable, he was the next morn- entirely out of sight. An immediate pursuit, however, was made, and about noon he was overtaken and brought to action, a few miles north of Crown Point. He kept up a very warm engagement for about two hours, in the course of which those vessels that were most ahead pushed on, and made their escape. Two galleys and five gondolas, which remained, made a stout resistance. One of them, named the Washington, at length struck, and was taken. Unable longer to maintain the action, and determined not to fall into the hands of the enemy, General Arnold caused the remaining vessels to be run on shore in such a manner as to land the crews in safety ; after which he ordered them to be blown up.
This defeat did not dispirit the Americans, nor lessen the re- putation of General Arnold.
Lake Champlain was now mostly recovered by the British, but their great object was to reduce Crown Point and Ticon- deroga, in order that they might advance to Albany, and effect a junction with part of the British army at New-York.
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General Carleton proceeded to Crown Point, which was abandoned by the few Americans who had been left there, and landed his army. Some of his vessels advanced within sight of Ticonderoga ; but, fortunately for the Americans, the wind, on the fourteenth of October, at which time Carleton was about to sail, came about to the southward, and blew fresh from that quarter for eight days, which made it impracticable for the fleet to proceed up the lake.
The combined forces of Schuyler and Gates were about ten thousand men. Detachments and reconnoitering parties ad- vanced on both sides of the lake, within a small distance of the American lines. It was expected that the British general me- ditated an assault ; but the apparent strength of the works, the difficulties that would attend a regular approach, the lateness of the season, and the nearness of winter, seem to have deterred him from such attempt. -
At the end of about one month, General Carleton re-embark- ed his forces, and returned to Canada. The same day Gene- rals Schuyler and Gates dismissed the militia, and all military enterprises hereabouts were terminated for that year.
This retrograde movement on the part of General Carleton, relieved very much the apprehensions of the Americans in this quarter, and enabled General Gates to march with a large de- tachment of the northern army, to the banks of the Delaware, to the aid of Washington, who had been compelled to retire to the right bank of that river.
An expedition against Rhode Island was planned by the Bri- tish. The land forces employed in this service amounted to about three thousand men, and were commanded by Sir Henry Clinton, and. the fleet employed was under Sir Peter Parker. They sailed from New-York about the last of November, and without much opposition, took possession of the island on which Newport, the capital of the state stands, and gave, for a short time, a very serious alarm to the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts.
This unexpected invasion occasioned a diversion of the mili- tia of New England for some time, who had assembled in con-
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siderable force, to reinforce the army under Washiington. In- dependent of this diversion, the British derived permanent ad- vantages, and the Americans sustained lasting injuries from the possession of this fine town and harbour. In addition to this, Commodore Hopkins, with most of his squadron, and several privateers, were found in Providence river, where they were 'closely blockaded.
During these military transactions many events occurred, which, though of minor importance, are too interesting to re- main unnoticed.
The part which might be taken in the present contest, by the numerous tribes of Indians, inhabiting the immense regions west and south of the United States, was a matter of real in- terest to the contending powers, and apprehensions were early' entertained that they would engage on the side of the British. Sir John Johnson, son of Sir Wm. Johnson, inherited the great influence of his father over the Agoneaseah, and other tribes residing about the lakes, and from what could be learned, it was evident he was engaged in exerting that influence, in order to arm them against the Americans. This excited no inconsider- able alarm in the states of New-York and Pennsylvania, whose frontiers were exposed to the inroads of those tribes, in case 1
they should take up the tommahawk. The alarms in the southern states of Indian hostilities were also considerable.
Very early exertions were made to counteract the machina- tions of the enemy, and to secure the neutrality of the Indian tribes. So early as the month of July, 1775, commissioners were appointed to hold a conference with the Agoneaseah, and those about the lakes.
A treaty was negociated with the Agoneaseah, or Six Nations, in which they agreed to observe a strict neutrality, between the contending parties. General Schuyler was one of the commis- sioners who attended on the part of Congress. And as this gentleman possessed an hereditary influence over them, it was fondly hoped that they would faithfully observe the neutrality, but this hope was soon dissipated.
In the south, a plan had been formed by Lord Dunmore, to
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induce the Cherokees and Creeks, and other tribes, to take up arms and co-operate with the loyalists in the back settlements.
In pursuance of this plan, the Creeks commenced hostilities ; but as the promised succours did not arrive in season, they were induced, by an apprehension that their country might be. laid waste by the Americans, to conclude a peace.
The operations of the Cherokees, who had lifted the hatchet about the same time. were of longer continuance and more extensive. They made frequent and sudden inroads into the country, which they devastated in their usual manner, murder- ing and scalping indiscriminately, the mother with her infant, as well as those capable of bearing arms. These inroads be- . gan about the time the enemy attacked Fort Moultrie, but the depredators did not go long unpunished. Several regiments of continentals were ordered on to the frontiers, and such of the inhabitants as were capable of bearing arms, were assembled, who, in conjunction with the troops sent to their assistance, marched into the Cherokee country, which they soon laid waste. In this distress the Cherokees sued for peace, which was readily granted to them.
The peculiar nature of the war-a war between a sovereign and those, who, in its commencement, still professed themselves to be his subjects, gave birth to several things not usual be- tween independent states. Among these, the most interesting, was that of the treatment of prisoners.
Gen. Gage, who had been appointed governor of Massachu- setts a little prior to the commencement of hostilities, had receiv- ed in that station all the irritations of which his mind was suscep- tible-irritations, which, as too frequently happen, seem to have been retained by him in his character of commander-in-chief of the British forces in America, and to have had no inconsiderable share of influence over his conduct. He considered the Ameri- cans as rebels, and treated them as if the great national resist- ance they were now making on principle, was only the act of a few daring individuals, rising against laws of unquestionable obligation, who would soon be quelled and punished for their disobedience to legitimate authority. In this spirit so well cal-
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