humanity: they abstained from the pillage of private property, and even permitted the prisoners to retain what belonged to them. Congress presented Colonel Meigs with a sword, and publicly thanked him and the brave men under his command.

General Howe's plans for the opening of the campaign, appear to have been well laid, and had he been sufficiently furnished with troops, and acted Iggy. with promptitude and vigor, there was every reason to suppose that he might have been successful. But Howe was not well supplied with reinforcements, and late into the spring he remained singularly inactive. Washington, accordingly, was gradually filling up the ranks, to be able to sustain the contest. Unable, as yet, to penetrate the designs of Howe, he watched anxiously for the earliest indications, by which he might learn where the British commander intended to strike the first blow. In the present uncertainty, Washington made such disposition of his forces, as seemed best calculated to meet the emergency. Accordingly, the troops raised in the northern provinces, were stationed partly at Ticonderoga, and partly at Peekskill; those of the middle and southern provinces, as far as North Carolina, occupied New Jersey; leaving a few corps for the protection of the more western provinces.

In this manner, if General Howe moved against Philadelphia, he would find in front all the forces assembled in New Jersey, and in addition, those encamped at Peekskill, who would have descended to harass his right flank. If,

on the other hand, he took the direction of Albany, the corps at Peekskill would defend the passages in front, while his left flank might also be attacked by the troops of New Jersey, upon the banks of the Hudson. If, on the contrary, the English force in Canada were to come by sea, to join that of General Howe upon the shores. of New Jersey, the troops at Peekskill could immediately unite with those that occupied the same province, and thus compose a formidable army for the defence of Philadelphia. If, finally, the army in Canada attacked Ticonderoga, the troops at Peekskill might carry succors to those who were charged with the defence of that fortress. But as it was of great importance to preserve Philadelphia in the power of the United States, Congress ordered the formation of a camp upon the western bank of the Delaware, with the double object of receiving all the troops that arrived from the south and west, and of serving, in case of need, as a reserve. Here also were to assemble all the recruits from Pennsylvania, reinforced by several regiments of continental troops. Arnold, who was at the time in Philadelphia, was placed in command at this post.

Washington, having received a seasonable supply of twenty-four thousand muskets, just arrived from France, left Morristown, and towards the latter part of May, occupied a strong position at Middlebrook, nine miles from New Brunswick. On the 13th of June, Howe marched out of New Brunswick, ostensibly to attack Philadelphia, but in reality, if possible,

Lafayette availed himself of the honorable privilege. "The bond of indissoluble friendship-the friendship of heroes, was sealed from the first hour of their meeting to last throughout their lives, and to live in the memory of mankind forever."

In this connection, it is but right to remind the reader of other illustrious men, who came from the old world, to aid our fathers in the struggle for liberty. Kosciusko, Pulaski, De Kalb, Steuben, and others, are ever to be held in honorable remembrance.

On the 10th of July, by a bold movement, an important capture was effected, which served fully to offset the capture of Lee. General Prescott, who commanded the British troops in Rhode Island, finding himself on an island, surrounded by ships, and with a force greatly superior to what the Americans could assemble in this quarter, became extremely negligent of his guard. Earnestly desiring to retaliate the capture of General Lee, a plan was formed for surprising General Prescott in his quarters, and of bringing him off prisoner. Accordingly, Lieutenantcolonel Barton, at the head of a party of forty of the country militia, well acquainted with the places, embarked in whale-boats, and after having rowed a distance of above ten miles, and avoided with great dexterity the numerous vessels of the enemy, landed upon the western coast of Rhode Island, between Newport and Bristol Ferry. They repaired immediately, with the utmost silence and celerity, to the lodging of General Prescott. Having seized the astonished sentinels who guarded the

door, an aid-de-camp went up into the chamber of the general, and arrested him, without giving him time even to put on his clothes; and he was carried off with equal secrecy and success. This event afforded the Americans singular satisfaction. It was, however, particu larly galling to General Prescott, who not long before had been delivered by exchange from the hands of the Americans, after having been taken prisoner in Canada. In addition to this, he had lately been guilty of a petty piece of insolence, in setting a price upon the head of General Arnold, as if he had been a common outlaw and assassin, an insult which Arnold immediately retorted, by setting an inferior price upon Prescott's head. Congress publicly thanked Lieutenant-colonel Barton, and presented him with a sword. Howe, who had heretofore refused to part with Lee on any terms, was now brought to a different view of the matter, and that officer was allowed to return to his post in exchange for Prescott.

Various and contradictory accounts reached Washington of the course which the fleet of Howe had steered. At one time, it was said to be returning to the Hudson; at another, that it was entering the Delaware; and at another, that it had sailed away towards Charleston. After a great deal of delay, late in the month of August, it was ascertained that the British had entered the Chesapeake, and were landing the troops at the head of Elk River, intending thence to march directly upon Philadelphia.

1777.

At the place of debarkation, the British army was within a few days'

CH. II.]

march of Philadelphia; no great rivers were in its way; and there was no very strong position of which the Americans could take possession. On landing, General Howe issued a proclamation, promising pardon and protection to all who should submit to him; but, as the American army was at hand, the proclamation produced little effect.

Washington distinctly understood the nature of the contest in which he was engaged; and, sensible of the inferiority of his raw and undisciplined army, to the veteran troops under Sir William Howe, he wished to avoid a general engagement: but, aware of the effect which the fall of Philadelphia would produce on the minds of the mass of the people, who have no fixed principle or steady purpose, and who are incapable of just and general views, he determined to make every effort, in order to retard the progress and defeat the aim of the royal army. Accordingly, he marched to meet General Howe, who, from want of horses, many of which had perished in the voyage, and from other causes, was unable to proceed from the head of the Elk before the 3d of September. On the advance of the royal army, General Washington retreated across the Brandywine, a small stream which falls into the Delaware at Wilmington. He took post, with his main body, opposite Chad's Ford, where it was expected the British would attempt the passage; and or dered General Sullivan, with a detachment, to watch the fords above. He sent General Maxwell, with about one thousand light troops, to occupy the high ground on the other side of the

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Brandywine, to skirmish with the British, and retard them in their progress.

On the morning of the 11th of September, the British army advanced in two columns; the right, under Generål Knyphausen, marched straight to Chad's Ford; the left, under Lord Cornwallis, accompanied by the commander-in-chief, and Generals Grey, Grant, and Agnew, proceeded by a circuitous route, towards a point named the Forks, where the two branches of the Brandywine unite, with a view to turn the right of the Americans, and gain their rear. General Knyphausen's van soon found itself opposed to the light troops under General Maxwell. A smart conflict ensued. Knyphausen reinforced his advanced guard, and drove the Americans across the rivulet, to shelter themselves under their batteries on the north bank. Knyphausen ordered some artillery to be placed on the most advantageous points, and a cannonade was carried on with the American batteries on the heights beyond the ford.

Meanwhile, the left wing of the British crossed the fords above the Forks. Of this movement, Washington had early notice; but the information which he received from different quarters, through his raw and unpracticed scouts, was confused and contradictory, and consequently his operations were embarrassed. After passing the fords, Lord Cornwallis took the road to Dilworth, which led him on the American right. General Sullivan, who had been appointed to guard that quarter, occupied the heights above Birmingham church, his left extending to

the Brandywine, his artillery judiciously placed, and his right flank covered by woods. About four in the afternoon, Lord Cornwallis formed the line of battle, and began the attack: for some time the Americans sustained it with intrepidity, but at length gave way. When Washington heard the firing in that direction, he ordered General Greene, with a brigade, to support Sullivan. Greene marched four miles in forty-two minutes, but, on reaching the scene of action, he found Sullivan's division defeated, and fleeing in confusion. He covered the retreat; and, after some time, finding an advantageous position, he renewed the battle, and arrested the progress of the pursuing enemy.

Knyphausen, as soon as he heard the firing of Lord Cornwallis's division, forced the passage of Chad's Ford, attacked the troops opposite to him, and compelled them to make a precipitate and disorderly retreat. Washington, with the part of his army which he was able to keep together, retired with his artillery and baggage, to Chester, where he halted, within eight miles of the British army, till next morning, when he retreated to Philadelphia. Night, and the exhaustion of the British troops, saved the American army from pursuit.

The battle at the Brandywine was attended with severe loss, three hundred having been killed, six hundred wounded, and four hundred taken prisoners. The British loss was reported to be much less, not exceeding some six hundred killed and wounded. Lafayette, who was on duty in this

battle, was severely wounded in the leg, which laid him up for two months. Count Pulaski also displayed great bravery on the field of battle: he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and placed in command of the cavalry. An inquiry was instituted into Sullivan's conduct; but he was honorably acquitted.

On the evening after the battle, Howe sent a party to Wilmington, who seized in bed Mr. M'Kinley, governor of the State of Delaware, and took a shallop lying in the stream, loaded with the rich effects of some of the inhabitants, together with the public records of the county, and other valuable and important property.

Having allowed his army one day for repose and refreshment, General Washington recrossed the Schuylkill, and proceeded on the Lancaster road, with the intention of meeting and again fighting his enemy. Sir William Howe passed the night of the 11th of September, on the field of battle; and on the two succeeding days advanced towards Chester, and also took possession of Wilmington, to which place his sick and wounded were conveyed. On the 15th, the American army, intending to gain the left of the British, reached the Warren tavern, on the Lancaster road, twenty-three miles from Philadelphia. Intelligence being received early next morning, that Howe was approaching in two columns, Washington determined to meet and engage him in front.

Both armies prepared with alacrity for battle. The advanced parties had met, and were beginning to skirmish, when they were separated by a heavy