to the tented fields of America), directing that officer to approach close to the foe, and to seize any advantageous occurrence for his annoyance, himself following with the main body in supporting distance. The marquis was young, generous, and brave, and, like most of his brother generals, yet little versed in the art of war. It was certainly a high trust to be confided to the young and captivating foreigner, though afterward well justified by his conduct throughout the war. Nothing is more dangerous than to hang with an inferior force upon a gallant enemy, never disinclined to draw his sword, and watchful to seize every advantage within his reach. Soon after La Fayette moved, a second corps was ordered to join him; and the united body was placed under the command of Major-General Lee,* for the express purpose of bringing on battle, should the enemy still continue in his position at Monmouth Court-House. In this officer was combined long and varied experience, with a profound military genius. He held too, not only the peculiar confidence of the commander-in-chief, but that of Congress, the nation, and the army. On approaching Englishtown, a small village seven miles from the Court-House, where Sir Henry continued in his camp, he learned that the enemy, having held back the élite of his army, was determined to cover Kniphausen, who, charged with the care of the baggage, was on his march to the heights of Middletown. Here he received orders from Washington to strike at the British rear, unless "strong reasons" forbade it; at the same time advising him of his approach to support him. Continuing to ad- 1778. vance, he discovered the enemy in motion. Clinton hav- June 28th, ing perceived various bodies of troops moving on his flanks, and apprehending that the column with his baggage might be grossly insulted, if not seriously injured, wisely resolved, by a forward movement, to check further pursuit. Cornwallis, who led the van troops, advanced upon Lee. This officer, concluding that he should most effectually answer the object of Washington by drawing the enemy to him, thus inducing the foe to expend his bodily strength, while he saved that of the American army, in a day of uncommon heat, instantly began to retrograde; to take which step he was additionally induced by discerning that the corps on his flank, under Brigadier Scott, had repassed the ravine in his rear. This country abounds with defiles of a peculiar sort: the valleys are cut by small rivulets with marshy grounds, difficult to man and horse, and impracticable to artillery, except in particular spots.

* Charles Lee, second in command of the army. See Appendix.

Such was the one in Lee's rear, which Scott had passed. Persevering in his decision to join, rather than recall Scott, he continued to retire, making good his retreat without injury, and exposing his person to every danger. At this moment Washington came up, and finding his orders disobeyed, required explanation from General Lee with warmth. Unhappily Lee took offence at the manner in which he had been accosted, and replied unbecomingly, instead of entering into that full explanation, which his own honor, duty to his superior, and the good of his country, demanded. Such conduct in an inferior officer could not be brooked; and met, as it merited, marked disapprobation. As soon as Lee perceived it proper to deviate from his instructions, he certainly ought to have advised the commander-in-chief of such deviation, with the reasons which produced it. Thus acting he would probably have received commendation; and a combined attack, founded upon the full representation of the relative state of himself and the enemy, might have led to the happiest result.

This communication was neglected; and Lee was ordered into the rear, while the army moved on to battle. The action shortly after commenced; the day was remarkably sultry; and the American army considerably fatigued by its previous march.

The battle was, nevertheless, contested with peculiar keenness, and ceased in the evening as if by mutual consent. The American general determined to renew it in the morning, while Sir Henry Clinton was as determined to avoid it.*

*The enemy having united his columns on the heights of Middletown, an attempt to dislodge him would have been blind temerity. Had Sir Henry Clinton not possessed this vast advantage, the victory would have been improved; and in any other period of the retreat might have been made decisive in all probability.

General Lee, in a letter dated Englishtown, June 28th, gives the following account of the battle of Monmouth :

"What the devil brought us into this level country (the very element of the enemy), or what interest we can have (in our present circumstances) to hazard an action, somebody else must tell you, for I cannot. I was yesterday ordered (for it was against my opinion and inclination) to engage. I did, with my division, which consisted of about four thousand men. The troops, both men and officers, showed the greatest valor; the artillery did wonders; but we were outnumbered; particularly in cavalry, which was at twenty different times, on the point of turning completely our flanks. This consideration naturally obliged us to retreat; but the retreat did us, I will venture to say, great honor. It was performed with all the order and coolness which can be seen on a common field-day. Not a man or officer hastened his step, but one regiment regularly filed off from the front to the rear of the other. The thanks I received from his excellency were of a singular nature. I can demonstrate that had I not acted as I did, this army, and perhaps America, would have been ruined."

Judging from the official statements, which were published, the loss was trifling and not very unequal; but the "stubborn fact" of burying the dead, manifests a great error in the report made by Sir Henry Clinton to his government. He rated his dead and missing at one hundred and eighty-eight; whereas, we buried on the field of battle two hundred and forty-nine. Both sides claimed the victory, as is commonly the case when the issue is not decisive. Without doubt, Sir Henry Clinton obtained his object, security from further molestation, and the completion of his retreat. This, however, was effected not in the usual style of conquerors, but by decamping in the night, and hastily joining Kniphausen, who had reached the heights of Middletown, near to the place of embarkation, and secure from assault. It must be admitted, on a full view of the action, that the palm of victory clearly belonged to Washington, although it was not decisive, nor susceptible of improvement.

Having rested his army a few days in the position of Middletown, the British general embarked in the transports waiting his arrival, and soon reached New York. Washington, after paying his last respects to the dead, and tenderly providing for the wounded, moved by easy marches to the Hudson, comforting, by every means in his power, his faithful troops, and once more took his favorite position near the western shore of that river, which was always considered by him as the point of connection to the two extremes of the Union.

Major-General Lee was arrested upon sundry charges, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be suspended from his command in the army for one year. The effect of which was, that the veteran soldier who had relinquished his native country, to support a cause dear to his heart, became lost to that of his adoption, and soon after lost to himself; as the few years he survived seemed to have been passed in devotion to the sway of those human tormentors, envy and hate. The records of the court-martial manifest on their face the error of the sentence; and it is wonderful how men of honor and of sense could thus commit themselves to the censures of the independent and impartial. If General Lee had been guilty of all the charges as affirmed by their decision, his life was forfeited; and its sacrifice only could have atoned for his criminality. He ought to have been cashiered and shot: instead of which the mild sentence. of suspension, for a short time, was the punishment inflicted. The truth is, the unfortunate general was only guilty of neglect in not making timely communication of his departure from orders, subject

to his discretion, to the commander-in-chief, which constituted no part of the charges against him. This was certainly a very culpable omission; to which was afterward added personal disrespect, where the utmost respect was not only due, but enjoined by martial law, and enforced by the state of things; two armies upon the very brink of battle, himself intrusted with the direction of an important portion of one of them, for the very purpose of leading into action, to withhold the necessary explanations from his chief, and to set the example of insubordination by his mode of reply to an interrogatory, indispensably, though warmly, put to him, merited punishment. But this offence was different, far different from "disobedience to orders," or "a shameful retreat;" neither of which charges were supported by testimony; and both of which were contradicted by fact.

Soon after Sir Henry Clinton's return to New York, the first result of the alliance concluded during the preceding winter at Paris, between the United States and his most Christian majesty, announced itself in decisive operations on the part of the French monarch.

Admiral d'Estaing sailed from France in the beginning of the summer for the American coast, to co-operate with the American army; and would have arrived in time to stop Lord Howe in the Delaware, as was intended, had not his voyage been greatly retarded by the unusual continuance of contrary winds. The arrival of the fleet of our ally, though unproductive of the immediate effects expected, the destruction of the enemy's fleet in the Delaware, gave birth to new and interesting enterprises; the relation of which, not coming within the scope of this work, must necessarily be omitted. In the cursory survey taken, my single object has been, to present to the reader a lucid and connected statement of those transactions which bear in any degree upon the Southern war, either by their own relation, or by their introduction of characters, destined to act principal parts upon that theatre.

CHAPTER X.

Attempt at negotiation.-Lord North.-Lord Chatham.-The enemy's attention directed toward the South.

ALTHOUGH the surrender of Burgoyne, and Howe's declining to execute his menaced attack upon his adversary at White Marsh, did

not convince the British minister of the futility of his attempt to subjugate these States, it produced a change in the temper of the cabinet. An idle and fruitless essay was made to reconcile the revolted colonies: idle, because too late; and fruitless, because founded on the revocation of their independence. Little minds always, in difficulty, resort to cunning, miscalling it wisdom; this quality seems to have been predominant in the cabinet of Great Britain, and was alike conspicuous in its efforts to coerce, and in its proffers to conciliate.

Lord North was premier and first lord of the treasury. Heavy in mind as in body, dexterous in the management of the House of Commons, dead to all those feelings whose infusion into the mass of the people, gives comfort to the ruled and strength to the ruler; cherishing with ardor the prerogative of the king, restricting with stubbornness the rights of the people; he seems never to have discerned that the only way to make the monarch great, is to make the subject happy-in finance rather systematic, plodding, and adroit, than original, deep, and comprehensive-in Parliament decent, sensible, and laborious, with some of the glitter of wit, but with none of the effulgence and majesty of eloquence-in private life amiable and exemplary, better qualified for the enjoyments of its tranquil scenes, than to direct, in the storm of war, the helm of a brave, intelligent, powerful nation. The minister, in addition to the difficulties growing out of his own inadequacy, had to contend with obstacles inherent in the nature of the conflict, and powerful in their effect. Slavery, however dressed, is loathsome to the British palate; and the attempt to deprive America of her birthright, never could be cordially relished, although ostensibly supported. This innate abhorrence formed a current against the administration, constant though slow, puissant though calm. Nor were statesmen wanting who proclaimed, with resistless force, the danger to British liberty from American slavery. At the head of this patriot band, stood the mighty Chatham. Towering in genius, superb in eloquence, decisíve in council, bold in action, loving England first and England always, adored by the mass of the people, and dreaded by the enemies of English liberty, he unceasingly cherished the good old cause, for which Hampden fought, and Sydney bled. The premier, driven from his original purpose by events resulting from his liberticide system, had not that sublimity of mind which can renounce error with dignity and turn calamity to account, or he would ere now have closed his vain and wasting war by the