CHAPTER Germans as might desert from the British, and Howe XXXVI. now retorted by promising rewards in money to foreign1777. ers deserting the American service. Congress, as a coun tervailing measure, at Washington's earnest request relinquished a plan they had adopted of stopping a portion of the pay of the indented servants in the army as a compensation to their masters for loss of service. That compensation was left to be provided for at the public expense, and the enlisted servants were all declared freemen. Washington was still at Morristown, waiting with no little anxiety the movements of the British. The expected re-enforcements and supplies, especially tents, the want of which had kept Howe from moving, had at last arrived. Burgoyne had assumed the command in Canada; but what his intentions were Washington did not know-whether he would advance by way of Lake Champlain, or, what seemed more probable, would take shipping in the St. Lawrence, and join Howe in New York. Nor could he tell whether Howe would move up the Hudson to co-operate with Burgoyne, or whether he would attempt Philadelphia; and if so, whether by land or water. Philadelphia, however, seemed the most probable object of attack; and the more effectually to cover that city, leaving Putnam in the Highlands with a division May 28. of Eastern troops, Washington moved to a piece of strong ground at Middlebrook, about twelve miles from Prince ton. He had with him forty-three battalions, arranged in ten brigades and five divisions; but these battalions were so far from being full, that the whole amounted to only eight thousand .nen. June 13. Howe presently marched out of New Brunswick with a powerful army, designing apparently to force his way XXXVI. to Philadelphia. Washington called to his aid a large CHAPTER part of the troops in the Highlands; the Jersey militia turned out in force; Arnold, to whom had been assign. 1777. ed the command at Philadelphia, was busy with Mifflin in preparing defenses for the Delaware. It was Howe's real object not so much to penetrate to Philadelphia as to draw Washington out of his intrenchments, and to bring on a general engagement, in which, upon any thing like equal ground, the British general felt certain of victory. With that intent, he made a sudden and rapid retreat, evacuated New Brunswick even, and fell back to Amboy. The bait seemed to take: the American van, under Stirling, descended to the low grounds, and Washington moved with the main body to Quibbletown. But when Howe turned suddenly about, and attempted to gain the passes and heights on the American left, Washington, ever on the alert, fell rapidly back to the strong ground at Middlebrook. In this retrograde movement Stirling's division lost a few men and three pieces of artillery; but the American army was soon in a position in which Howe did not choose to attack it. Defeated in this attempt to bring on a general action, and having made up his mind to approach Philadelphia by water, the British commander withdrew into Staten June 30 Island, where he embarked the main body of his army, not less than sixteen thousand strong, leaving Clinton, who had lately been honored with the Order of the Bath, to hold New York with five thousand men, and, by expeditions up the Hudson and into New Jersey, to co-operate as well with Burgoyne as with the attack upon Philadelphia. Washington knew from spies, of whom he always had a number in New York, that a fleet of transports was CHAPTER fitting out there, but its destination was kept secret. XXXVI. Perhaps Howe meant to proceed up the Hudson to co 1777. operate with Burgoyne; and the probability of such a movement seemed to be increased by the arrival of news that Burgoyne was advancing up Lake Champlain. Perhaps, with the same object of aiding Burgoyne, Howe might make an attempt upon Boston, thus finding employment at home for the New England militia, and preventing any re-enforcements to Schuyler's army. Under these impressions, Washington moved slowly toward the Hudson; but when the British fleet went to sea, he retraced his steps toward the Delaware; and news ar July 30. riving that the ships had been seen off Cape May, he advanced to Germantown. Instead of entering the Delaware, the British fleet was presently seen steering to the eastward, and all calculations were thus again baffled It was thought that Howe was returning to New York, or had sailed for New England, and the army was kept ready to march at a moment's notice. Washington, in the interval, proceeded to Philadelphia, and there had an interview with Congress. At the commencement of the war, the aid of foreign officers had been thought highly desirable, especially in the departments of artillery and engineering, in which there was a great deficiency of native skill and science. It was one part of Deane's commission to engage a few officers of this description, a matter in which he had gone a good deal beyond his instructions. Beset with endless solicitations, to which the fear of giving offense, and the hope of securing influence, induced him too often to yield, he had sent out not less than fifty officers of all ranks, to whom he had made extravagant promises of promotion, which occasioned great discontent among the native officers, and no little embarrassment to Congress. XXXVL Greene, Sullivan, and Knox, in a joint letter, a few CHAPTER weeks before Washington's visit to Congress, had threatened to resign if a certain M. Du Coudray were promoted 1777. to the command of the artillery, with the rank of major general, agreeably to a contract which Deane had signed with him, in consideration of certain supplies which he had furnished. Congress, with a just sense of its dignity, voted this letter of the generals "an attempt to influence their decision, an invasion of the liberties of the people, and indicating a want of confidence in the justice of Congress," for which the writers were required to make an apology. Having consented to serve for the present as a volunteer, with a merely nominal rank, Du Coudray was drowned shortly after in crossing the Schuylkill. There was, indeed, among the American officers excessive jealousy and great heart-burnings on the subject of rank, precedence, and command, not only as to foreigners, but as to each other. Congress professed to be governed in its promotions by the complex considerations of former rank, meritorious service, and the number of troops raised by the states to which the officers respect. ively belonged. But the officers imagined, and not always without reason, that intrigue and personal favor had quite as much influence. Among the contracts made by Deane was one with Du Portail, Laumoy, La Radière, and Du Govion, four engineer officers of merit, recommended by the French court, who were now placed at the head of the engineer department, thus completing the organization of the new army. Kosciusko, whose entry into the service has been already mentioned, was appointed engineer for the northern department. The Count Pulaski, who had already gained distinc CHAPTER tion in Europe by his attempts to resist the first par XXXVI. tition of Poland, had just arrived in America, and had 1777. offered his services to Congress. The foreign officers above nained were persons of merit; but too large a proportion of those who came to seek commissions in America, whether sent by Deane, or adventurers on their own account, even some who brought high recommendations, were remarkable for noth. ing but extravagant self-conceit, and boundless demands for rank, command, and pay. Of a very different character was the Marquis De la Fayette, a youth of nineteen, belonging to one of the most illustrious families of France, who had just arrived in America, and whom Washington now met at Philadelphia for the first time. Like all other French nobles of that day, he had received a military education, and held a commission in the French army. In garrison at Metz, he had been present at an entertainment given by the governor of that city to the Duke of Gloucester, brother of the British king, and on that occasion, from the duke's lips, he first heard the story of the American rebellion. His youthful fancy was fired by the idea of this transatlantic struggle for liberty, and, though master of an ample fortune, and married to a wife whom he tenderly loved, he resolved at once to adventure in it. For that purpose he opened a communication with Deane. His intention becoming known, the French court, which still kept up the forms of neutrality, forbade him to go. But he secretly purchased a ship, which Deane loaded with military stores, and set sail at a moment when the news of the loss of New York and the retreat through the Jerseys made most foreigners de spair of the American cause. The French court sent orders to the West Indies to intercept him; but he sailed |