XXXVI. seven pieces of heavy artillery, and a large quantity of CHAPTER provisions and ammunition. Before their departure, they burned every house within their reach-a piece of malice 1777 ascribed to Tryon and his Tories. The capture of a whole British army, lately the object of so much terror, produced, especially in New England, an exultation proportionate to the recent alarm. The military reputation of Gates, elevated to a very high pitch, rivaled even the fame of Washington, dimmed as it was by the loss of Philadelphia, which, meanwhile, had fallen into the enemy's hands. The youthful Wilkinson, who had acted during the campaign as deputy adjutant general of the American army, and whose "Memoirs" contain the best account of its movements, being sent to Congress with news of the surrender, was henceforth honored with a brevet commission as brigadier general; which, however, he speedily resigned, when he found a remonstrance against this irregular advancement sent to Congress by forty-seven colonels of the line. The investigation into Schuyler's conduct resulted, a year afterward, in his acquittal with the highest honor. He insisted, however, on resigning his commission, though strongly urged by Congress to retain it. But he did not relinquish the service of his country, in which he continued as active as ever, being presently chosen a nember of Congress. CHAPTER CHAPTEP XXXVII. LOSS OF PHILADELPHIA. WINTER QUARTERS AT VAL WE left Washington at Philadelphia, still uncertain XXXVII. as to the destination of Howe's fleet and army. The 1777. transports had been seen standing to the southward, and it began to be imagined that Charleston was their object. Authentic intelligence was at length received that Aug. 22. the British ships had entered the Chesapeake, which, indeed, had been Howe's intention from the beginning. The accounts he had received of the obstructions in the Delaware had induced him to select the head of Chesapeake Bay as the point whence Philadelphia might be easiest approached. He hoped, too, perhaps, to be aided by a Tory insurrection among the numerous disaffected in that region. Howe's appearance in the Chesapeake alarmed Virginia. The militia was called out, and Thomas Nelson, a wealthy planter, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was placed at their head. After considerable delays by contrary winds, Howe landed at the head of Elk, the northeasternmost branch Aug 27. of Chesapeake Bay, whence he issued a declaration, offering pardon to those who had been active in the rebellion, if they would now submit, and security and protection to all who remained peaceably at home. A few days after, as soon as his stores and baggage could be landed, he commenced his march in two col- CHAPTEX umns for Philadelphia, distant about sixty miles. XXXVII. Having given courage to the partisans of Congress, 1777 and inspired the disaffected with respect, by marching Sept. 3. his army through Philadelphia, Washington concentrated his forces at Wilmington, there to await the approach of the enemy, under circumstances, however, in several respects, much less favorable than those which enabled the northern army so successfully to repel the cotemporaneous advance of Burgoyne. Here was no rough, impracticable country to delay the enemy's march; nor any difficulty to be encountered by Howe in obtaining or transporting supplies. Here was no New England to pour in militia, and to surround the enemy with an overwhelming force. The same zeal was not felt in Pennsylvania; a large part of the Quakers, a wealthy and influential class, were disaffected, or, at best, neutral; while the German population cared little for the war, except how to escape its burdens. The Pennsylvania militia, as organized by a recent act of Assembly, counted thirty thousand men; but the largest number at any one time which the loudest calls could bring into the field did not exceed three thousand. These militia were commanded by Armstrong, who had resigned his Continental commission, but who now exerted himself for the defense of the state. Delaware, also, had many disaffected; but a corps of her militia took the field under Cæsar Rodney. The Jersey militia turned out under General Philemon Dickinson; but a part of them were soon recalled, and stationed at Elizabethtown and Amboy, in consequence of a movement by Sir Henry Clinton, who retorted the late attack on Staten Island by invading New Jersey with Sept 12 two thousand troops, penetrating the country in various directions, and driving off the cattle. CHAPTER With all these re-enforcements, Washington was stil. inferior to the enemy even in numbers. He had about 1777. fifteen thousand men; but the sick, as usual, were very numerous, and his effective force did not exceed eleven thousand. The militia of Maryland and Virginia called to assist him had not yet arrived. After some maneuvering and several skirinishes, WashSept. 11. ington retired behind the Brandywine, a small stream every where fordable. While one column of the British army, under Kniphausen, approached Chadd's Ford, and threatened the Americans in front, another column, led by Cornwallis, made a great circuit to the left, crossed the Brandywine higher up, and attempted to gain the American rear. Sullivan, who commanded the American right, marched with three divisions to intercept Cornwallis. But, deceived by false information, and delayed by contradictory reports, he was late in coming up, and before his line was well formed it was attacked by the enemy. The extreme right, the last to reach the ground, soon began to give way. Their flank thus exposed, the battalions continued to break off by the right, till presently the whole line retreated in confusion. Greene, who commanded the reserve, brought up his division, checked the advance of the enemy, and covered the retreat. While the main force of the Americans was thus drawn off, Kniphausen advanced with his column on Chadd's Ford, which Wayne bravely defended with Lincoln's division. But, informed of Sullivan's retreat, and quite unable to cope with half the British army, he too fell back, and yielded up the ford. The American army retired to Chester, and the next day to Philadelphia, and thence to Germantown. The behavior of the troops had been by no means uniform. Several of the older regi ments had stood their ground with the greatest intrepidi once. XXXVII. ty, while others of the newer levies had given way at CHAPTER The British loss in killed and wounded was about six hundred. That of the Americans was greater; but, 1777 as no returns were ever made, it was never accurately ascertained. Congress and the Board of War had adopted the policy of ordering an inquiry into the conduct of every officer who failed of success. It was but a few weeks before that Schuyler, and all the generals of the northern army, had been recalled; Sullivan's recent miscarriage at Staten Island had also been referred to a court of inquiry. The present defeat was laid at his door, and an attempt was made to suspend him from command till the inquiry into his conduct already ordered could take place; but, on Washington's representation that his services in the field could not be spared, this attempt was abandoned. The inquiry resulted afterward in an honorable acquittal. The first of Sullivan's brigades to give way was one of Maryland troops, commanded by Deborre, a lately promoted foreign officer. Though wounded in his efforts to rally the men, Deborre was recalled from the army, and subjected to a court of inquiry; whereupon he threw up his commission, declaring that if the Americans would run, it was very hard to hold him responsible for it. Pulaski, who served in this action as a volunteer, did such good service in collecting the scattered troops and covering the retreat, that Congress, in compliance with the recommendation of Washington, gave him the rank of brigadier general, and the command of the horse. The evening after the battle, a British party entered Sept 12 Wilmington, made M'Kinley, the president of the state, a prisoner, and seized a vessel, on board of which were the public records and money, and much private prop erty. George Read, a delegate in Congress, and, at the |