Resource Center OLLibrary
|
132 |
|
night had ended the battle, Clinton stole away,
under cover of darkness, and embarked at Sandy Hook for 
New
York. Washington crossed the Hudson, and took post at White
Plains, where be remained till late in the autumn, when he
cantoned his troops around New York, with his headquarters at
Middlebrook, in New Jersey.
33. Lee was ordered
forward, with a strong force, to engage the enemy at Monmouth.
When Washington came up, he encountered the whole division in full
retreat. Greatly exasperated, the commander-in-chief sharply
reprimanded Lee, and ordered the retreat to be checked, and the
troops to be brought into action, which soon became
general.1 The loss of the Americans, in killed and
wounded and those disabled by the extreme heat, was two hundred;
that of Clinton, three hundred, and on his march more than fifteen
hundred, chiefly Hessians, deserted from his standard. Baron
Steuben, a Prussian officer who had recently been appointed
inspector-general of the patriot forces, took an active part in
this battle. Steuben was an excellent disciplinarian, and
introduced into the American armies a uniform system of
tactics.
34. About this time Kaskaskia,
Vincennes, and other settlements north of the Ohio, fell into
the hands of a party of Virginians. Early in July a deed of
shocking barbarity was perpetrated in the secluded and lovely
Valley of Wyoming, in Pennsylvania. The infamous Colonel
John Butler, at the head of more than a thousand Tories and
Indians, made a descent into the valley, and desolated the
settlements with fire and sword, sparing neither age nor sex. In
November, Cherry Valley, in New York, suffered a similar
visitation.
35. The French fleet and
army,2 sent to assist the United States, appeared
off the Delaware, July 6, under Count D'Estaing, just in
time to miss Admiral Howe, who, with an inferior fleet, had taken
refuge in New York harbor, where the heavier vessels of the French
could not follow him.
36. D'Estaing then sailed for
Newport, to coöperate with General Sullivan, in an
attempt to drive the British from the Island of Rhode
Island.3 While D'Estaing was waiting for the arrival of
the American army, Admira. Howe, having been reënforced, left
New York for the relief of Newport. The very day that the army
under Sullivan, aided by Lafayette
1 For his conduct on this occasion, and for addressing two disrespectful letters to Washington, Lee was brought to trial, and sentenced to be suspended from command for one year. After the expiration of his sentence, he was dismissed from the service for writing an insolent letter to Congress. He died just before the close of the war.
2 The fleet consisted of twelve ships of the line and four frigates; the army numbered four thousand troops. See p. 130, ¶ 31. 3 See p. 122,¶ 6.
QUESTIONS. -- What of Clinton after the battle? of Washington? 33. Give some further particulars of this battle. What is said of Baron Steuben? 34. What is said of the settlements north of the Ohio? Of the attack upon the Valley of Wyoming? Upon Cherry Valley? 35. When and where did the French fleet and army arrive? Under what commander? Where had the English fleet taken refuge? 36. Give an account of the attempt to drive the British from the Island of Rhode Island.
|
|
133 |
and Greene, was ready to lay siege to Newport, D'Estaing
descried the British fleet, and went out to give battle. A storm,
however, prevented the engagement, and so damaged the French fleet
that D'Estaing sailed to Boston for repairs. Sullivan was forced
to retire. The English pursued, and, August 29, attacked the
Americans, but were repulsed, with great slaughter. Sullivan
continued his retreat, and reached the main land. After D'Estaing
had completed his repairs in Boston, he sailed to the West Indies,
to operate against the English possessions there, and a British
squadron followed to defend them.
37. Hostilities were now conducted
by the British in a more revengeful spirit. Sir Charles Grey was
sent on a ravaging expedition against New Bedford,
Fairhaven, and Martha's Vineyard. Another
expedition, sent along the coast of New Jersey, burned Egg
Harbor. A body of dragoons, under Colonel Baylor, was
surprised, and cut to pieces without mercy; the same fate befell
the infantry of Pulaski's legion.
38. The autumn of this year finds
the position of the opposing armies but little changed from
that of two years before. Washington, at White Plains, is watching
Clinton in New York. But the British, in New York, are now on the
defensive. New Jersey and Philadelphia have been lost and won.
Newport is in the possession of the enemy, but they have lost the
settlements north of the Ohio. America, moreover, has become
inured to war, and gained the support of France, whose example, in
recognizing the new nation, was soon followed by other European
states.
III. FROM THE
INVASION OF GEORGIA TO
THE CLOSE OF THE
WAR. -- THE
WAR CHIEFLY IN THE
SOUTH. -- 1. Events of 1778, continued.
-- Towards the close of 1778, the south began to be the
principal theatre of the war, and Georgia, the weakest of
the Southern States, was the first to be attacked. Late in
December, Colonel Campbell, with thirty-five hundred troops, sent
from New York by General Clinton, landed near Savannah.
They found not more than twelve hundred men, under General Robert
Howe, to oppose them. These were surprised, and completely routed,
and the town fell into the hands of the English, December 29.
2. Events of 1779. -- The year 1779 is
distinguished for nothing very decisive in the war of the
Revolution. A few days after the fall of Savannah, General Prevost
arrived with royal troops from Florida, and took command of the
British forces. He soon completed the subjugation of Georgia, in
spite
QUESTIONS. -- After completing his repairs in Boston, where did D'Estaing sail, and for what purpose? 37. How did the British now conduct hostilities? What towns suffered from ravaging expeditions? What of Baylor's dragoons and Pulaski's legion? 38. Compare the state of affairs in the autumn of 1778 with that of two years before. 1. When did the south begin to be the principal theatre of the war? What state was first attacked? Give an account of the fall of Savannah. 2. What is said of the year 1779? Of the subjugation of Georgia?
12
|
134 |
|
of
the efforts of General Lincoln, commander of the southern
department. The principal stand made by the Americans was at
Drier Creek, where, March 3, they were surprised and
defeated with great loss.
Sunbury was the first place that yielded
to Prevost, who then sent Colonel Campbell, with a body of men, to
excite a rising of the loyalists in the interior, and to take
Augusta. Seven hundred Tories, while marching towards this place,
were attacked by militia, under Colonel Pickens of South Carolina;
their leader was slain, and a large number were taken prisoners,
five of whom were hanged for treason. Lincoln, in order to arrest
the progress of Campbell, despatched about two thousand men, under
General Ashe, who was surprised at Brier Creek, by Prevost. Of the
Americans who escaped, less than five hundred ever
reassembled.
3. Prevost next marched upon
Charleston, South Carolina. Lincoln, as soon as he could
recover from the disaster at Brier Creek, hastened to Its relief,
and Prevost retreated. The Americans pursued, and overtaking the
enemy at Stone Ferry, June 20, engaged them, and were
repulsed with considerable loss. The British, however, suffered
severely, and continued their retreat, the main body returning to
Georgia.
4. In September, D'Estaing suddenly
appeared, with a large fleet, before Savannah, and prepared
to coöperate with Lincoln for the recovery of the town. After
a siege of more than two weeks, a disastrous assault was made by
the combined forces, October 9, after which D'Estaing, himself
wounded, in haste to return to the West Indies, where he had been
cruising against the British, proposed to raise the siege. Lincoln
was compelled to acquiesce, and retired to Charleston.
The allies lost more than one thousand
men, while the loss of the British was not a hundred. The gallant
Count Pulaski was mortally wounded.
5. In the mean time, in the north,
Clinton had attempted nothing but to hold New York, and to send
out a few plundering expeditions, while Washington could do but
little more than to watch him.
6. In February, Tryon, with a
large force, proceeded from Kings bridge, into Connecticut,
as far as Greenwich, where he plundered the inhabitants and
destroyed their salt works. General Putnam, happening to be in the
vicinity, hastily collected a small number of men, whom he
employed at firing upon the enemy, with a couple of field-pieces,
from the high ground near the meeting-house, till a detachment
charged upon him. Ordering his men to make good their retreat, he
himself put spurs to his
QUESTIONS. -- What is said of the defeat at Brier Creek? -- Give a more particular account of the English in Georgia. 3. Where did Prevost next march? How was Charleston relieved? Give an account of the affair at Stone Ferry. What did the British next do? 4. Give an account of the attempt to recover Savannah. 5. What of Clinton and Washington in the mean time? 6. Give an account of Tryon's expedition in Connecticut, and Putnam's escape.
|
|
135 |
horse, plunged down the precipice near the church, and escaped, uninjured by the many balls which were fired at him. In July, another predatory
excursion was led by Tryon, against the maritime parts of
Connecticut, during which New Haven was plundered, and Fairfield
and Norwalk were reduced to ashes. An expedition against
Virginia, in May, plundered Portsmouth, Norfolk, and all
the neighboring country.
7. On the night of July 16, General
Anthony Wayne surprised and captured the British stronghold at
Stony Point.
This post and Verplanck's Point, nearly
opposite, had been recently taken from the Americans, and greatly
strengthened by the British. Washington, however, determined to
attempt its reduction. The enterprise was committed to General
Wayne, who accomplished a march of fourteen miles over mountains,
through deep morasses and difficult defiles, and at midnight
reached the walls of the fort, in two columns, ready for the
attack. The garrison opened a tremendous fire of musketry, but the
Americans, pressing on, cleared their way with the bayonet, scaled
the fort, and the two columns met in the centre of the works. The
English lost six hundred men, most of whom were taken prisoners.
The Americans lost one hundred. By Washington's orders the cannon
and stores were removed, and the works destroyed. The British
afterwards occupied the post. About a month after the storming of
Stony Point, Major Henry Lee surprised and captured a British
garrison at Paulus Hook (now Jersey City).
QUESTIONS. -- What other places in Connecticut were plundered or burned by Tryon? What of a plundering expedition in Virginia? 7. When and by whom was Stony Point captured? Give the particulars of its capture. What of the British garrison at Paulus Hook?
|
136 |
|
8. About the
middle of August these successes were followed by a disaster. A
fleet of nineteen armed vessels
and twenty-four transports sailed from Boston, to capture a
British post at Castine, on the Penobscot, in Maine. While
the Americans were investing the fort, a British fleet arrived,
and either captured or destroyed the whole flotilla. Most of the
men escaped, and made their way back through the
woods.
9. In the summer of this year General
Sullivan, with five thousand men, was sent to chastise the
Indians (all the Six Nations but the Oneidas), who had
joined with the Tories and English.1 Sullivan
penetrated as far as the Genesee, burned their villages, cut down
their orchards, destroyed their fields of corn, and left their
country a waste.
10. On the sea,2 this year,
American and French cruisers were inflicting great injury on
English commerce. One of the most desperate naval combats on
record was fought by the dauntless commander John Paul
Jones, in which he captured, September 23, in sight of the
British coast, two English frigates convoying a fleet of
merchantmen..
Jones had three ships. Himself in the
Bon Homme Richard, of forty-two guns, engaged the
Serapis, of forty-four guns. The ships coming in contact,
Jones lashed them together, and the battle raged with frightful
slaughter for more than two hours. During the combat, which was in
the night, both ships were on fire several times. At length the
Serapis surrendered; the Richard sunk in the morning. Another of
Jones's ships captured the consort of the
Serapis.
11. This year the war was carried
on under circumstances of great discouragement. The United States
bad hoped much from the French alliance, yet D'Estaing had
accomplished but little. The Americans found still greater
discouragement in the condition of their finances, and the daily
depreciation of their bills of credit,3 called
continental money.
During the summer of 1779, Spain
joined France in hostility to England. America derived some
encouragement from this new party to the war. It was throwing one
more obstacle in the way of her enemy.
12. In order to strengthen New York, which
Clinton feared.
1 See p. ¶ 34. 2 See p. 130, ¶ 29..
3 The first issue of these bills by Congress was in June, 1775. and then to the amount of two millions. By the year 1780, the amount in circulation was two hundred millions, and the depreciation fifty or sixty for one. The principal reason for this was the general want of confidence that the bills would ever be redeemed. In after years the depreciation was several hundreds for one. With such a currency it was impossible to carry on a war with energy.
QUESTIONS. -- 8. Give an account of the disaster which followed these successes. 9. Give an account of Sullivan's expedition against the Indians. 10. What of American and French cruisers? What naval victory by John Paul Jones? -- Give a mom particular account of this naval combat. 11. What is said of the French alliance? Of American Finances? -- What nation joined France in hostility to England? Effect? 12. What did Clinton first do?
|
|
137 |
might be attacked by D'Estaing,
Newport1 and the posts on the Hudson were evacuated.
After the repulse of the French and American forces at Savannah,
and the departure of D'Estaing2 from the coast of
America, the British commander-in-chief, leaving the Hessian
general, Baron Knyphausen, at New York, sailed south, December 25,
with seven thousand troops, and the fleet of Admiral
Arbuthnot.
13. Events of 1780. -- The war was now
carried into the Carolinas. On May 12, Charleston was
forced 
to
surrender to the combined attack of the British army and
navy.
General Lincoln had charge of the defences of
the city, in the rear of which Clinton began to erect batteries,
early in April, and Arbuthnot, having succeeded in passing Fort
Moultrie,3 anchored his fleet within gunshot of the
Americans. On the 14th, two regiments of provincials, stationed at
Monk's Corner, to keep open communication with the country,
were surprised and totally routed by British cavalry, under
Colonel Tarleton. Charleston was now at the mercy of the
besiegers, but not till after a fierce bombardment did Lincoln
surrender. Six thousand prisoners fell into the hands of the
enemy. About two hundred and fifty were killed and wounded on each
side.
14. Measures were
immediately adopted for establishing the royal authority
throughout South Carolina, and British garrisons were stationed in
various parts of the state. Clinton then sailed for New York, with
a large body of his troops, leaving Cornwallis in command of the
forces in the south.
On the fall of Charleston, Clinton sent
expeditions into the interior, one of which, led by Colonel
Tarleton, pursued a body of American troops under Colonel Buford,
and overtook them near Waxhaw Creek, not far from the northern
boundary of the state. More than three hundred of the Americans
were killed, wounded, and captured. A few
escaped.
South Carolina was restive under the
yoke, and bands of patriots, under Marion, Sumter, Pickens, and
other daring leaders, were ever ready to pounce upon exposed
parties of British and Tories.
1 See p. 122, ¶ 6. 2 See p. 134, ¶ 3. See p. 118, ¶ 18.
QUESTIONS. -- What did Clinton do after the repulse of the French and Americans at Savannah? 13. Where was the war carried in 1780? When was Charleston forced to surrender? -- Give an account of the affair at Monk's Corner, and a more particular account of the attack upon Charleston. 14. What measures were immediately adopted? Where did Clinton go? Who was ]oft in command of the British forces In the south? -- What is said of expeditions sent into the Interior, and of the affair near Waxhaw Creek? -- What of bands of patriots and their leaders in South Carolina?
12*
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
© 1999, 2000, 2001 for NEGenWeb Project by Ted & Carole Miller