washington and his comrades in arms-第15部分

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e　had　fought　skillfully　and　won　an　important　battle。

Washington　had　retired　in　good　order　and　was　still　formidable。　He　now　realized　clearly　enough　that　Philadelphia　would　fall。　Delay；　however；　would　be　nearly　as　good　as　victory。　He　saw　what　Howe　could　not　see；　that　menacing　cloud　in　the　north；　much　bigger　than　a　man's　hand；　which；　with　Howe　far　away；　should　break　in　a　final　storm　terrible　for　the　British　cause。　Meanwhile　Washington　meant　to　keep　Howe　occupied。　Rain　alone　prevented　another　battle　before　the　British　reached　the　Schuylkill　River。　On　that　river　Washington　guarded　every　ford。　But；　in　the　end；　by　skillful　maneuvering；　Howe　was　able　to　cross　and　on　the　26th　of　September　he　occupied　Philadelphia　without　resistance。　The　people　were　ordered　to　remain　quietly　in　their　houses。　Officers　were　billeted　on　the　wealthier　inhabitants。　The　fall　resounded　far　of　what　Lord　Adam　Gordon　called　a　〃great　and　noble　city；〃　〃the　first　Town　in　America；〃　〃one　of　the　Wonders　of　the　World。〃　Its　luxury　had　been　so　conspicuous　that　the　austere　John　Adams　condemned　the　〃sinful　feasts〃　in　which　he　shared。　About　it　were　fine　country　seats　surrounded　by　parklike　grounds；　with　noble　trees；　clipped　hedges；　and　beautiful　gardens。　The　British　believed　that　Pennsylvania　was　really　on　their　side。　Many　of　the　people　were　friendly　and　hundreds　now　renewed　their　oath　of　allegiance　to　the　King。　Washington　complained　that　the　people　gave　Howe　information　denied　to　him。　They　certainly　fed　Howe's　army　willingly　and　received　good　British　gold　while　Washington　had　only　paper　money　with　which　to　pay。　Over　the　proud　capital　floated　once　more　the　British　flag　and　people　who　did　not　see　very　far　said　that；　with　both　New　York　and　Philadelphia　taken；　the　rebellion　had　at　last　collapsed。

Once　in　possession　of　Philadelphia　Howe　made　his　camp　at　Germantown；　a　straggling　suburban　village；　about　seven　miles　northwest　of　the　city。　Washington's　army　lay　at　the　foot　of　some　hills　a　dozen　miles　farther　away。　Howe　had　need　to　be　wary；　for　Washington　was　the　same　〃old　fox〃　who　had　played　so　cunning　a　game　at　Trenton。　The　efforts　of　the　British　army　were　now　centered　on　clearing　the　river　Delaware　so　that　supplies　might　be　brought　up　rapidly　by　water　instead　of　being　carried　fifty　miles　overland　from　Chesapeake　Bay。　Howe　detached　some　thousands　of　men　for　this　work　and　there　was　sharp　fighting　before　the　troops　and　the　fleet　combined　had　cleared　the　river。　At　Germantown　Howe　kept　about　nine　thousand　men。　Though　he　knew　that　Washington　was　likely　to　attack　him　he　did　not　entrench　his　army　as　he　desired　the　attack　to　be　made。　It　might　well　have　succeeded。　Washington　with　eleven　thousand　men　aimed　at　a　surprise。　On　the　evening　of　the　3d　of　October　he　set　out　from　his　camp。　Four　roads　led　into　Germantown　and　all　these　the　Americans　used。　At　sunrise　on　the　fourth；　just　as　the　attack　began；　a　fog　arose　to　embarrass　both　sides。　Lying　a　little　north　of　the　village　was　the　solid　stone　house　of　Chief　Justice　Chew；　and　it　remains　famous　as　the　central　point　in　the　bitter　fight　of　that　day。　What　brought　final　failure　to　the　American　attack　was　an　accident　of　maneuvering。　Sullivan's　brigade　was　in　front　attacking　the　British　when　Greene's　came　up　for　the　same　purpose。　His　line　overlapped　Sullivan's　and　he　mistook　in　the　fog　Sullivan's　men　for　the　enemy　and　fired　on　them　from　the　rear。　A　panic　naturally　resulted　among　the　men　who　were　attacked　also　at　the　same　time　by　the　British　on　their　front。　The　disorder　spread。　British　reinforcements　arrived；　and　Washington　drew　off　his　army　in　surprising　order　considering　the　panic。　He　had　six　hundred　and　seventy…three　casualties　and　lost　besides　four　hundred　prisoners。　The　British　loss　was　five　hundred　and　thirty…seven　casualties　and　fourteen　prisoners。　The　attack　had　failed；　but　news　soon　came　which　made　the　reverse　unimportant。　Burgoyne　and　his　whole　army　had　surrendered　at　Saratoga。



CHAPTER　VI。　THE　FIRST　GREAT　BRITISH　DISASTER

John　Burgoyne；　in　a　measure　a　soldier　of　fortune；　was　the　younger　son　of　an　impoverished　baronet；　but　he　had　married　the　daughter　of　the　powerful　Earl　of　Derby　and　was　well　known　in　London　society　as　a　man　of　fashion　and　also　as　a　man　of　letters；　whose　plays　had　a　certain　vogue。　His　will；　in　which　he　describes　himself　as　a　humble　Christian；　who；　in　spite　of　many　faults；　had　never　forgotten　God；　shows　that　he　was　serious　minded。　He　sat　in　the　House　of　Commons　for　Preston　and；　though　he　used　the　language　of　a　courtier　and　spoke　of　himself　as　lying　at　the　King's　feet　to　await　his　commands；　he　was　a　Whig；　the　friend　of　Fox　and　others　whom　the　King　regarded　as　his　enemies。　One　of　his　plays　describes　the　difficulties　of　getting　the　English　to　join　the　army　of　George　III。　We　have　the　smartly　dressed　recruit　as　a　decoy　to　suggest　an　easy　life　in　the　army。　Victory　and　glory　are　so　certain　that　a　tailor　stands　with　his　feet　on　the　neck　of　the　King　of　France。　The　decks　of　captured　ships　swim　with　punch　and　are　clotted　with　gold　dust；　and　happy　soldiers　play　with　diamonds　as　if　they　were　marbles。　The　senators　of　England；　says　Burgoyne；　care　chiefly　to　make　sure　of　good　game　laws　for　their　own　pleasure。　The　worthless　son　of　one　of　them；　who　sets　out　on　the　long　drive　to　his　father's　seat　in　the　country；　spends　an　hour　in　〃yawning；　picking　his　teeth　and　damning　his　journey〃　and　when　once　on　the　way　drives　with　such　fury　that　the　route　is　marked　by　〃yelping　dogs；　broken…backed　pigs　and　dismembered　geese。〃

It　was　under　this　playwright　and　satirist；　who　had　some　skill　as　a　soldier；　that　the　British　cause　now　received　a　blow　from　which　it　never　recovered。　Burgoyne　had　taken　part　in　driving　the　Americans　from　Canada　in　1776　and　had　spent　the　following　winter　in　England　using　his　influence　to　secure　an　independent　command。　To　his　later　undoing　he　succeeded。　It　was　he；　and　not；　as　had　been　expected；　General　Carleton；　who　was　appointed　to　lead　the　expedition　of　1777　from　Canada　to　the　Hudson。　Burgoyne　was　given　instructions　so　rigid　as　to　be　an　insult　to　his　intelligence。　He　was　to　do　one　thing　and　only　one　thing；　to　press　forward　to　the　Hudson　and　meet　Howe。　At　the　same　time　Lord　George　Germain；　the　minister　responsible；　failed　to　instruct　Howe　to　advance　up　the　Hudson　to　meet　Burgoyne。　Burgoyne　had　a　genuine　belief　in　the　wisdom　of　this　strategy　but　he　had　no　power　to　vary　it；　to　meet　changing　circumstances；　and　this　was　one　chief　factor　in　his　failure。

Behold　Burgoyne　then；　on　the　17th　of　June；　embarking　on　Lake　Champlain　the　army　which；　ever　since　his　arrival　in　Canada　on　the　6th　of　May；　he　had　been　preparing　for　this　advance。　He　had　rather　more　than　seven　thousand　men；　of　whom　nearly　one…half　were　Germans　under　the　competent　General　Riedesel。　In　the　force　of　Burgoyne　we　find　the　ominous　presence　of　some　hundreds　of　Indian　allies。　They　had　been　attached　to　one　side　or　the　other　in　every　war　fought　in　those　regions　during　the　previous　one　hundred　and　fifty　years。　In　the　war　which　ended　in　1763　Montcalm　had　used　them　and　so　had　his　opponent　Amherst。　The　regiments　from　the　New　England　and　other　colonies　had　fought　in　alliance　with　the　painted　and　befeathered　savages　and　had　made　no　protest。　Now　either　times　had　changed；　or　there　was　something　in　a　civil　war　which　made　the　use　of　savages　seem　hideous。　One　thing　is　certain。　Amherst　had　held　his　savages　in　stern　restraint　and　could　say　proudly　that　they　had　not　committed　a　single　outrage。　Burgoyne　was　not　so　happy。

In　nearly　every　war　the　professional　soldier　shows　distrust；　if　not　contempt；　for　civilian　levies。　Burgoyne　had　been　in　America　before　the　day　of　Bunker　Hill　and　knew　a　great　deal　about　the　country。　He　thought　the　〃insurgents〃　good　enough　fighters　when　protected　by　trees　and　stones　and　swampy　ground。　But　he　thought；　too；　that　they　had　no　real　knowledge　of　the　science　of　war　and　could　not　fight　a　pitched　battle。　He　himself　had　not　shown　the　prevision　required　by　sound　military　knowledge。　If　the　British　were　going　to　abandon　the　advantage　of　sea　power　and　fight　where　they　could　not　fall　back　on　their　fleet；　they　needed　to　pay　special　attention　to　land　transport。　This　Burgoyne　had　not　done。　It　was　only　a　little　more　than　a　week　before　he　reached　Lake　Champlain　that　he　asked　Carleton　to　provide　the　four　hundred　horses　and　five　hundred　carts　which　he　still　needed　and　which　were　not　easily　secured　in　a　sparsely　settled　country。　Burgoyne　lingered　for　three　days　at　Crown　Point；　half　way　down　the　lake。　Then；　on　the　2d　of　July；　he　laid　siege　to　Fort　Ticonderoga。　Once　past　this　fort；　guarding　the　route　to　Lake　George；　he　could　easily　reach　the　Hudson。

In　command　at　Fort　Ticonderoga　was　General　St。　Clair；　with　about　thirty…five　hundred　men。　He　had　long　notice　of　the　siege；　for　the　expedition　of　Burgoyne　had　been　the　open　talk　of　Montreal　and　the　surrounding　country　during　many　months。　He　had　built　Fort　Independence；　on　the　east　shore　of　Lake　Champlain；　and　with　a　great　expenditure　of　labor　had　sunk　twenty…two　piers　across　the　lake　and　stretched　in　front　of　them　a　boom　to　protect　the　two　forts。　But　he　had　neglected　to　defend　Sugar　Hill　in　front　of　Fort　Ticonderoga；　and　commanding　the　American　works。　It　took　only　three　or　four　days　for　the　British　to　drag　cannon　to　the　top；　erect　a　battery　and　prepare　to　open　fire。　On　the　5th　of　July；　St。　Clair　had　to　face　a　bitter　necessity。　He　abandoned　the　untenable　forts　and　retired　southward　to　Fort　Edward　by　way　of　the　difficult　Green　Mountains。　The　British　took　one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　guns。

These　successes　led　the　British　to　think　that　within　a　few　days　they　would　be　in　Albany。　We　have　an　amusing　picture　of　the　effect　on　George　III　of　the　fall　of　Fort　Ticonderoga。　The　place　had　been　much　discussed。　It　had　been　the　first　British　fort　to　fall　to　the　Americans　when　the　Revolution　began；　and　Carleton's　failure　to　take　it　in　the　autumn　of　1776　had　been　the　cause　of　acute　heartburning　in　London。　Now；　when　the　news　of　its　fall　reached　England；　George　III　burst　into　the　Queen's　room　with　the　glad　cry；　〃I　have　beat　them；　I　have　beat　the　Americans。〃　Washington's　depression　was　not　as　great　as　the　King's　elation；　he　had　a　better　sense　of　values；　but　he　had　intended　that　the　fort　should　hold　Burgoyne；　and　its　fall　was　a　disastrous　blow。　The　Americans　showe