by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XI.
THE CAPTURE OF PHILADELPHIA.
During the course of the spring of 1777 a large number of loyalcolonists had volunteered their services. They had been embodied intobattalions, and when the army prepared to take the field they wereplaced in garrisons in New York and other places, thus permitting theemployment of the whole of the British force in the field. The Americanshad occupied themselves in strongly fortifying the more defensiblepositions, especially those in a mountain tract of country called theManor of Courland. This was converted into a sort of citadel, wherelarge quantities of provisions, forage, and stores of all kinds werecollected. About fifty miles from New York, up the North River, was aplace called Peekskill, which served as a port to the Manor of Courland.The country was so difficult and mountainous that General Howe shrankfrom engaging his army in it. He determined, however, to attack anddestroy Peekskill, and a party of 500 men, under the command of ColonelBird of the Fifteenth Regiment, were sent up the river in two transportsto destroy it. The garrison, consisting of 800 men, set fire to theplace and withdrew without firing a shot. The British completed thedestruction of the stores and returned to New York.
A little later 2000 men were sent on a similar expedition against thetown of Danbury, another place on the confines of Courland Manor, wheregreat stores had also been collected. They proceeded up the East Riverand landed at Camp's Point. They started on foot at ten o'clock atnight, and after a ten hours' march arrived at eight o'clock at Danbury.The enemy evacuated the place on their approach, and the English setfire to the great magazines filled with stores of all kinds.
The news of the march of the English had spread rapidly, and the enemyassembled from all quarters and posted themselves under the command ofGeneral Arnold at a town called Ridgefield, through which the Englishwould have to pass on their return. Here they threw up intrenchments. Itwas late in the afternoon when the English, fatigued with the longmarch, arrived at this spot. They did not hesitate, but when theAmericans opened fire they boldly assailed the intrenchments and carriedthem with the bayonet. They were unable to march further, and lying downso as to form an oblong square, slept till morning. All night theAmericans continued to come up in great force, and in the morning as thetroops advanced a terrible fire was opened upon them from the houses andstone walls in which the country abounded. The British had to fightevery foot of their way. General Wooster had brought up somefield-artillery on the side of the Americans. Gradually the columnfought its way forward until it arrived within half a mile of Camp'sPoint. Here two strong bodies of the enemy barred their way. The columnwas by this time greatly exhausted; the men had had no real rest forthree days and two nights, and several dropped on the road with fatigue.Brigadier General Erskine picked out 400 of those who were in the bestcondition and attacked the two bodies of the enemy with such vigor thathe put them utterly to flight, and the column, again advancing, reachedtheir destination without further molestation. Nearly 200 men, including10 officers, were killed and wounded on the part of the British; theloss of the Americans was still greater, and General Wooster and somefield officers were among the slain.
Many other skirmishes took place with varied success. The Americans atBondwick, seven miles from Brunswick, 1200 in number, were surprised androuted by Cornwallis, while on the other hand the American Colonel Meigscarried out a most dashing expedition by crossing to Long Island anddestroying a quantity of stores at a place called Sag Harbor, burning adozen brigs and sloops which lay there, taking 90 prisoners, andreturning safely across the Sound.
In June Washington with 8000 men was encamped in a strong position atMiddlebrook. General Howe, although he had 30,000 men, hesitated toattack him here. By a feigned retreat he succeeded in drawing GeneralWashington from his stronghold and inflicted a decisive defeat on 3000of his men. Washington fell back to his position in the mountains, andGeneral Howe retired altogether from Jersey and withdrew his troops toStaten Island. A dashing feat was executed at this time by ColonelBarton of the American army. Learning that General Prescott, whocommanded at Rhode Island, had his headquarters at a distance of a milefrom his troops, he crossed from the mainland in two boats, seized thegeneral in his bed, and carried him off through the British fleet. Theobject of this dashing enterprise was to obtain a general to exchangefor the American General Lee, who had been captured by the British.
General Howe, in June, again marched against Washington and again fellback without doing anything. Had he, instead of thus frittering away hisstrength, marched to the Delaware, crossed that river, and advancedagainst Philadelphia, Washington would have been forced to leave hisstronghold and either fight in the open or allow that important city tofall into the hands of the English.
General Howe now embarked his army in transports. Had he sailed up theNorth River to Albany he would have effected a junction with GeneralBurgoyne's army, which was advancing from Canada, and with the unitedforce could have marched through America from end to end as he chose.Instead of doing so he sailed down to Chesapeake Bay and theredisembarked the whole army, which had been pent up in transports fromJuly 3 to August 24. Not till September 11 did they advance in earnesttoward Philadelphia. The Americans thus had ample time to take up astrong position and fortify it. This they did on the other side ofBrandywine Creek. Under cover of a cannonade the British advanced,mastered the fort, and carried the intrenchments. General Sullivan, witha considerable force, had now arrived, accompanied by General Washingtonhimself. He took up his position a short distance from the Brandywine,his artillery well placed and his flanks covered with woods.
The following afternoon the British attacked. The Americans fought well,but the British were not to be denied, and rushing forward drove theenemy from their position into the woods in their rear. Here they made astand and were only dislodged after a desperate resistance. The greaterportion of them fled in all directions. Washington himself, with hisguns and a small force, retreated eight miles from Chester and thenmarched by Derby to Philadelphia. Here he waited three days rallying histroops, and then, having recruited his stores from the magazines,marched away.
All this time the British remained inactive on the ground they had won.In the battle the Americans lost 300 killed, 600 wounded, and 400prisoners. Several guns were also taken. The British lost 100 killed and400 wounded.
On September 20 they advanced toward Philadelphia. The American GeneralWayne had concealed himself in the woods with 1500 men, with theintention of harassing the rear of the British army. News of this havingbeen obtained, Major General Grey was dispatched at once to surprisehim; he ordered his men not to load, but to rely wholly on the bayonet.The success of the expedition was complete. General Wayne's outpost wassurprised and the British troops rushed into his encampment. Threehundred of the Americans were killed or wounded and 100 taken prisoners.The rest escaped through the woods. On the English side 1 officer waskilled and 7 privates killed and wounded.
The capture of Philadelphia was an important advantage to the British,but it could not be thoroughly utilized until the fleet could come upthe river to the town. The American Congress, which had sat atPhiladelphia until General Howe approached the town, had taken extensivemeasures for rendering the passage impracticable. Three rows ofchevaux-de-frise, composed of immense beams of timber bolted andfastened together and stuck with iron spikes, were sunk across thechannel, and these lines were protected by batteries. At these fortswere fourteen large rowboats, each carrying a heavy cannon, two floatingbatteries carrying nine guns each, and a number of fireships and rafts.
The forts commanding the chevaux-de-frise were abandoned on theapproach of the British, and Captain Hammond of the _Roebuck_succeeded, in spite of the opposition of the enemy's boats andbatteries, in making an opening through the chevaux-de-frisesufficiently wide for the fleet to pass.
Large numbers of troops having been sent away from Germantown, a placeseven miles from Philadelphia, where the main body of the British armywere posted, General Washington determined to
attempt the surprise ofthat position. For this purpose he re-enforced his army by drawing 1500troops from Peekskill and 1000 from Virginia, and at daybreak on October4, under cover of a thick fog, he made an attack on the troops posted atthe head of the village.
Half of the British force lay on one side of the village, and half onthe other, and had the attack upon the place succeeded the British armywould have been cut in two. The village was held by the FortiethRegiment, who, fighting obstinately, were driven back among the houses.The Americans were pushing forward in five heavy columns, whenLieutenant Colonel Musgrave, who commanded the Fortieth, threw himselfinto a large stone house. Here he offered a desperate resistance, and soimpeded the advance of the enemy that time was given for the rest of theBritish troops to get under arms.
General Washington ordered a whole brigade of infantry to attack thehouse and turned four guns against it. Colonel Musgrave and his menresisted desperately and held the post until Major General Grey, withthe Third Brigade, and Brigadier General Agnew, with the Fourth Brigade,came up and attacked the enemy with great spirit. The engagement was forsome time very hot. At length a part of the right wing fell upon theenemy's flank, and the Americans retired with great precipitation. Thefog was so dense that no pursuit could be attempted.
On the part of the English 600 were killed and wounded. The loss of theAmericans amounted to between 200 and 300 killed, 600 wounded, and 400taken prisoners. General Howe had on the previous night been acquaintedwith the intention of General Washington to attack the place, and had hetaken the proper measures to have received them the American army wouldhave been destroyed. He took no measures whatever, gave no warning tothe army, and suffered the camp to be taken by surprise.
After this battle the fleet and army united, cleared away thechevaux-de-frise across the Delaware, and took the forts commanding themafter some hard fighting.
The passage of the Delaware being thus opened and the watercommunication secured, the army went to their winter quarters atPhiladelphia.
Captain Wilson, and his son had taken no part in any of theseoperations, as a short time after the capture of Harold and Harvey bythe American cavalry the company had been disbanded. The men, when theyentered the service, had volunteered for a year. This time already hadbeen greatly exceeded--twenty months had passed since the battle ofBunker's Hill--and although the men were willing to continue to givetheir services so long as it appeared to them that there was a prospectof a favorable termination of the war, no such hope any longer remainedin their minds. The great army which England had sent over had donenothing toward restoring the king's authority in the colonies, and if,after a year's fighting, its outposts were still within a few miles ofNew York, how could it be expected or even hoped that it could eversubdue a country containing hundreds of thousands of square miles? Theretreat from the Delaware and the virtual handing over of New Jerseyagain to Washington was the finishing stroke which decided thevolunteers to demand their discharge, according to the terms of theirengagement. Except during the Canadian campaign they had had but littlefighting, nor in such a warfare as that which General Howe was carryingon was there much scope for their services. Many of the gentlemen whoformed the majority of the company, and who for the most part hadfriends and connections in England, sailed for that country; some hadleft wives and families on their estates when they took up arms; andmost of them, despairing of the final success of the war, had instructedtheir agents to sell these estates for any sum that they would fetch;others--among them Captain Wilson--now followed their example. It wasbut a mere tithe of the value of the property that was obtained, formoney was scarce in the colonies, and so many had sold out and gone toEngland, rather than take part on one side or the other of thefratricidal strife, that land and houses fetched but nominal prices.
Mrs. Wilson had long since gone to England, and her husband, having madearrangements for the disposal of his property, now determined to joinher. Fortunately he possessed means, irrespective of his estate inAmerica. This had come to him through his wife, and his own fortune andthe money obtained by the sale of his commission had remained investedin English securities. While determined on this course for himself, heleft it to his son to choose his own career. Harold was now nearlyeighteen, and his life of adventure and responsibility had made a man ofhim. His father would have preferred that he should have returned withhim to England, but Harold finally decided upon remaining. In war men'spassions become heated, the original cause of quarrel sinks intocomparative insignificance, and the desire for victory, thedetermination to resist, and a feeling of something like individualhatred for the enemy become predominant motives of the strife.
This was especially the case in the American war. On both sides therewere many circumstances which heightened the passions of the combatants.The loyalists in the English ranks had been ruined by the action oftheir opponents--many had been reduced from wealth to poverty, and eachman felt a deep passion of resentment at what he regarded his personalgrievance. Then, too, the persistent misrepresentations both of factsand motives on the part of the American writers and speakers added tothe irritation. The loyalists felt that there were vast numbersthroughout the colonies who agreed with them and regarded Congress as atyrannical faction rather than the expression of the general will. Inthis, no doubt, they were to some extent mistaken, for by this time thevast majority of the people had joined heart and soul in the conflict.Men's passions had become so stirred up that it was difficult for any toremain neutral; and although there were still large numbers of loyaliststhroughout the States, the vast bulk of the people had resolved that theonly issue of the contest was complete and entire separation from themother country.
Harold had now entered passionately into the struggle. He was inconstant contact with men who had been ruined by the war. He heard onlyone side of the question, and he was determined, so long as Englandcontinued the struggle, to fight on for a cause which he consideredsacred. He was unable to regard the prospects of success as hopeless; hesaw the fine army which England had collected; he had been a witness ofthe defeat of the Americans whenever they ventured to stand the shock ofthe British battalions; and in spite of the unsatisfactory nature of thefirst campaign, he could not bring himself to believe that such an armycould fail.
When the company was disbanded he decided to continue to serve as ascout, but, sharing in the general disgust in the army at the incapacityof General Howe, he determined to take ship again for Canada and takeservice under General Burgoyne, who was preparing with a well-appointedarmy to invade the States from that side.
When he communicated his determination to Peter Lambton the latter atonce agreed to accompany him.
"I've gone into this business," the hunter said, "and I mean to see itthrough. Settling down don't suit me. I aint got any friends at NewYork, and I'd be miserable just loafing about all day doing nothing. No,I'll see this business out to the end, and I'd much rather go with youthan anyone else."
Jake was of the same opinion. Accustomed all his life to obey orders andto the life on his master's plantation, he would not have known what todo if left to his own devices. Captain Wilson pointed out to him that hecould easily obtain work on the wharves of New York or as a laborer on afarm, but Jake would not listen to the proposal and was hurt at thethought that he could leave his young master's side as long as Haroldcontinued in the war.
Accordingly, the day after Captain Wilson sailed for England the threecomrades embarked in a ship for Halifax, whence another vessel took themto Quebec. They then sailed up the river to Montreal and took service asscouts in General Burgoyne's army.
For political reasons General Burgoyne had been appointed to the commandof the expedition which had been, prepared, and General Carleton,naturally offended at being passed over, at once resigned thegovernorship. His long residence in Canada, his knowledge of thecountry, of the manners of its inhabitants and the extent of itsresources, and his acquaintance with the character of the Indians,rendered him far more fit for command than
was General Burgoyne. Inmilitary knowledge and experience, too, he was his superior, and had heretained a command the fate of the expedition would probably have beenvery different.
The army under General Burgoyne consisted of 7173 men, exclusive ofartillerymen. Of these about half were Germans. The Canadians werecalled upon to furnish men sufficient to occupy the woods on thefrontier and to provide men for the completion of the fortifications atSorrel, St. John's, Chamblee, and Isle-aux-Noix, to furnish horses andcarts for carriage, and to make roads when necessary. A naval force wasto go forward with him on the lake. The Indian question had again to bedecided. Several tribes volunteered to join the British. GeneralBurgoyne hesitated, as General Carleton had done before, to accept theirservices, and only did so finally on the certainty that if he refusedtheir offers they would join the Americans. He resolved to use them aslittle as possible. He knew that their object in all wars was murder anddestruction, and although he wished to conquer the Americans, he did notdesire to exterminate them.
On June 16, 1777, General Burgoyne advanced from St. John's. The navalforce had preceded the army and opened a way for its advance. The troopswere carried in a flotilla of boats, and under the protection of thefleet passed Lake Champlain and landed at Crown Point.
Harold and his companions had joined the army a fortnight previously,and as they crossed the lake with the fleet they could not butremember their last expedition there. At Crown Point they were joinedby 1000 Indians, who marched round the lake, and at this place GeneralBurgoyne gave them a great feast and afterward made a speech to them,exhorting them to abstain from all cruelty, to avoid any ill-treatmentof unarmed combatants, and to take as prisoners all combatants whofell into their hands.
But while thus exhorting the Indians to behave with humanity andmoderation, the general took a most ill-judged step, which not onlydid the English cause great harm, but was used by the Americans withmuch effect as a proof of the cruel way in which England warredagainst the colonists. He issued a proclamation threatening to punishwith the utmost severity all who refused to attach themselves to theBritish cause, and at the same time he magnified the ferocity of theIndians; pointing out with great emphasis their eagerness to butcherthose who continued hostile to the mother country, whose intereststhey had espoused.
This proclamation was naturally construed by the Americans as a threatto deliver over to the tender mercies of the Indians to slay, scalp, anddestroy all who ventured to resist the authority of the king.
The Americans had fallen back on the approach of the British, and uponthe landing being effected, the scouts were instantly sent forward.
Among the Indians who had joined at Crown Point were the Senecas--amongthem their old friend Deer Tail.
The scouts received no particular orders and were free to regulate theirown movements. Their duty was to reconnoiter the country ahead and tobring in any information they might gather as to numbers and positionsof the enemy.
Finding that Peter and his companions were about to start, Deer Tailsaid that, instead of waiting for the feast, he would take five of hiswarriors and accompany them.
It was at Ticonderoga that the Americans had prepared to make theirfirst stand. The place lies on the western shore of the lake a few milesto the northward of the narrow inlet uniting Lake Champlain to LakeGeorge. It was to reconnoiter the fort that the party now set out. Newshad been brought that the Americans had been executing great additionalworks, and the British general was anxious to learn the nature of thesebefore he advanced.
It was certain that the enemy would on their side have sent out scoutsto ascertain the movements of the royal army, and the party proceededwith the greatest care. They marched in the usual fashion--in Indianfile; the Seneca chief led the way, followed by one of his braves; thencame Peter, Harold, and Jake; the other Senecas marched in the rear.
When they came within a few miles of the fort their progress was markedwith profound caution. Not a word was spoken, their tread was noiseless,and the greatest pains were taken to avoid stepping on a twig or driedstick. The three scouts when they left St. John's had abandoned theirboots and had taken to Indian moccasins. Several times slight murmurswere heard in the forest, and once a party of four American frontiersmenwere seen in the wood. The party halted and crouched in the bushes. TheSenecas turned toward Peter as if asking if an attack should be made,but the latter shook his head. A single shot would have been heard faraway in the woods and their further progress would have been arrested.Their object now was not to fight, but to penetrate close to theAmerican intrenchments.
When the enemy had passed on the party continued its way. As they nearedthe fort the caution observed increased. Several times they halted,while the Seneca, with one of his braves, crawled forward to see thatall was clear. At last they stood on the edge of a great clearing.Before them, just within gunshot range, stood the fort of Ticonderoga.Peter Lambton was well acquainted with it, and beyond the fact that thespace around had been cleared of all trees and the stockades andearthworks repaired, little change could be seen.
As he was gazing the Indian touched his shoulder and pointed to a highhill on the opposite side of the narrow straits. This had been clearedof trees and on the top a strong fort had been erected. Many cannon wereto be seen along its crest, the roofs of huts, and a large number ofmen. Halfway up the hill was another battery and a third, still lowerdown, to sweep the landing.
"They've been working hard," the hunter said, "and the army'll have amighty tough job before it. What do you think of that, Harold?"
"It is a very strong position," Harold said, "and will cost us atremendous number of men to take it. The fort cannot be attacked tillthat hill has been carried, for its guns completely command all thisclearing."
For some time they stood gazing at the works, standing well backamong the trees, so as to be screened from all observation. At lastHarold said:
"Look at that other hill behind. It is a good bit higher than that whichthey have fortified and must be within easy range both of it and thefort. I don't see any works there--do you?"
Peter and the Seneca chief both gazed long and earnestly at the hill andagreed that they could see no fortification there.
"It won't do to have any doubt about it," Peter said. "We must go roundand have a look at it."
"We shall have to cross the river," Harold remarked.
"Ay, cross it we must," Peter said. "That hill's got to be inspected."
They withdrew into the wood again and made a circuitous deviation tillthey came down upon the river, two miles above Ticonderoga. They couldnot reach the water itself, as a road ran along parallel with it and theforest was cleared away for some distance. A number of men could be seengoing backward and forward on the road.
Having made their observations, the scouts retired again into a thickpart of the forest and waited till nightfall.
"How are we to get across?" Harold asked Peter. "It's a good long swim,and we could not carry our muskets and ammunition across."
"Easy enough," the scout said. "Didn't you notice down by the road apile of planks? I suppose a wagon has broke down there, and the plankshave been turned out and nobody has thought anything more about 'em.We'll each take a plank, fasten our rifle and ammunition on it, and swimacross; there won't be any difficulty about that. Then, when we've seenwhat's on the top of that 'ere hill, we'll tramp round to the other endof the lake. I heard that the army was to advance half on each side, sowe'll meet 'em coming."
When it was perfectly dark they left their hiding place and crossed theclearing to the spot where Peter had seen the planks. Each took one ofthem and proceeded to the river side. Peter, Harold, and Jake divestedthemselves of some of their clothes and fastened these with their riflesand ammunition to the planks. To the Indians the question of getting wetwas one of entire indifference, and they did not even take off theirhunting shirts. Entering the water the party swam noiselessly across tothe other side, pushing their planks before them. On getting out theycarried the p
lanks for some distance, as their appearance by the water'sedge might excite a suspicion on the part of the Americans that theworks had been reconnoitered.
After hiding the planks in the bushes they made their way to Sugar Hill,as the eminence was called. The ascent was made with greatcircumspection, the Indians going on first. No signs of the enemy weremet with, and at last the party stood on the summit of the hill. It wasentirely unoccupied by the Americans.
"Well, my fine fellows," laughed the scout, "I reckon ye've been doing agrist of work, and ye might jest as well have been sitting down quietlysmoking yer pipes. What on arth possessed ye to leave this hillunguarded?"
In point of fact General St. Clair, who commanded the Americans, hadperceived that his position was commanded from this spot. He had only3000 men under him, and he considered this number too small to holdTiconderoga, Mount Independence, and Sugar Hill. The two former postscould afford no assistance to the garrison of a fort placed on SugarHill, and that place must therefore fall if attacked by the British. Onthe other hand, he hoped that, should the attention of the English notbe called to the importance of the position by the erection of worksupon it, it might be overlooked, and that General Burgoyne on hisarrival might at once attack the position which he had prepared with somuch care.
Having ascertained that the hill was unoccupied, Peter proposed at onceto continue the march. Harold suggested to him that it would be betterto wait until morning, as from their lofty position they would be ableto overlook the whole of the enemy's lines of defense and might obtaininformation of vital importance to the general. Peter saw the advantageof the suggestion. Two of the Indians were placed on watch, and the restof the party lay down to sleep. At daybreak they saw that the delay hadbeen fully justified, for they had now a view of the water whichseparated Ticonderoga from Mount Independence, and perceived that theAmericans had made a strong bridge of communication between these posts.Twenty-two piers had been sunk at equal distances, and between themboats were placed, fastened with chains to the piers. A strong bridge ofplanks connected the whole. On the Lake Champlain side of the bridge aboom, composed of great trees fastened together with double chains, hadbeen placed. Thus, not only had communication been established acrossthe stream, but an effectual barrier erected to the passage of thefleet. Fully satisfied with the result of their investigations, theparty set out on their return.
