as it is in Europe, where whole countries resemble a continued village; and where the commercial and manufacturing interests have spread and ramified themselves to a considerable extent. However the loss of Philadelphia may have advanced the hopes of the British nation and government, it was slightly regarded by the States and Congress. This body of virtuous sages had discerned, by deep examination of the resources of the United States, that the nation's safety was not endangered by such fleeting occurrences; they placed, under God, their confidence in the fidelity of their fellow-citizens, in the courage of their armies, in the purity and wisdom of their general-in-chief, and in the fiscal ability of the nation:* on all of which they had a right to count with certainty, dreadfully as the last failed from the imbecility of the government.

Experience too had not withheld its chastening admonition. New York had before fallen, after having been held too long, from the influence which, in a free country, the public wish will ever possess even over the stern soldier., By obedience to the impulse flowing from this cause, the main body of the American army had been risked improvidently in the bold attempt to hold that city; and with much difficulty and much loss did the commander-in-chief extricate his army from the perils in which it had been consequently involved.+

Washington, following Sir William Howe with a view to place himself in a strong position at a convenient distance, ready to seize the first fit opportunity to measure swords with his antagonist, encamped on the western side of Skippack Creek, about sixteen miles from Germantown.

Both generals now turned their attention to the river impediments; the one, to open a passage for his fleet, which, after disembarking the army, had returned to sea, destined for the Delaware;

*The Congress was composed of deputies from the several States, aud resembled more a diplomatic corps executing the will of the sovereign, than the sovereign commanding the execution of its will. It cannot excite surprise to the reflecting reader that our finances, under such auspices soon sunk.

It is natural for the inhabitants of the same country to feel for the losses and injuries of any portion of their countryinen from the operations of a common enemy. This influence is accompanied by a disposition to criminate him who may be intrusted with the direction of the means of protection, sharpened by an indisposition to retribute those who lose by not receiving that protection however strongly called for by equity. To save New York, our second, if not first town, was the wish of all; and Washington, sharing in this feeling with his fellew-citizens, seems to have indulged his inclination too far upon this occasion. After various marches and manoeuvres, and some loss, the erroneous plan was concluded by the fall of Fort Washington, with a numerous garrison, whose aid in the field could ill be spared.

the other, to impede, as long as was practicable, this much-desired junction. The American general had neglected no means within. his power to stop the advance of the fleet, by preparing to maintain the defence of the various obstructions fixed in the channel of the river. With this view, two fortresses had been erected one on Mud Island, denominated Fort Mifflin, after General Mifflin, since governor of Pennsylvania; and the other at Billingsport, on a point of land opposite to the lower line of chevaux-de-frise, of which three rows, formed of the heaviest timber, strengthened and pointed with iron, had been sunk across the channel. Billingsport was abandoned on the approach of a detachment under Colonel Stirling, sent to dislodge the American garrison; and a high bluff on the same side of the river, opposite to Mud Island, called Red Bank, was fortified, which with Fort Mifflin protected the two upper lines of chevaux-de-frise. Above, and near to these, was stationed our maritime force, consisting of row-galleys, floating batteries, fire ships, and rafts. The fortification of Red Bank consisted of an intrenchment and redoubt, called Fort Mercer, in commemoration of Brigadier-General Mercer, of Virginia, who died of his wounds received at the battle of Princeton, nobly sustaining his beloved commander in consummating the masterly movement made by him from his position in front of Lord Cornwallis at Trenton; by which single stroke was liberated nearly the whole State of New Jersey.

Officers were selected to command at these particular posts, high in the confidence of the commander-in-chief; and the naval force was committed to Commodore Hazelwood.

Great were the exertions of Sir William Howe to restore the navigation; and equally great were the efforts of Washington to hold it closed. Aware that the necessary operations to reduce the forts, Mercer and Mifflin, would call for considerable detachments from the British army, the American general continued in his position at Skippack Creek, within reach of his enemy, still encamped in the village of Germantown, patiently watching for the opportune moment to strike his meditated blow.

Cautious as Washington undoubtedly was, his caution was exceeded by his spirit of enterprise. He resembled Marcellus rather than Fabius, notwithstanding his rigid adherence to the Fabian policy during our war. Ardent and impetuous by nature, he had, nevertheless, subjected his passions to his reason; and could with facility, by his habitual self-control, repress his inclinations whenever

his judgment forbade their indulgence; the whole tenor of his military life evinces uniform and complete self-command.

Province Island, close to the Pennsylvania shore, and contiguous to Mud Island, had been possessed by General Howe, with a view to hasten the fall of Fort Mifflin.. This service, with other accompanying claims on his force, compelled him to draw rather improvidently from his main body, already weakened by his occupation of Philadelphia with a considerable detachment under Lord Cornwallis.

Understanding the condition of his foe, Washington decamped on the evening of the third of October, and, moving with secrecy and circumspection, attacked the enemy in his camp at Germantown, early in the morning of the fourth. The commencement was favorable; but, by the failure of punctual co-operation, and the brave stand of Colonel Musgrave with six companies of the fortieth regiment at Chew's house on the discomfiture of the British van, the flattering dawn was soon and sadly changed.

Washington was compelled to retire; which he effected with ease, the enemy showing no disposition to risk serious pursuit. Our loss was considerable, and unhappily augmented by the capture of the ninth Virginia regiment and its brave colonel, Matthews, who had, with a part of the sixth, led by Colonel Towles, victoriously pierced into the midst of the British army, where, gallantly contending unsupported, he was compelled to surrender.

Here, as at Brandywine, some of our corps greatly distinguished themselves. Major-General Sullivan's division, made up chiefly of the Maryland line, did honor to its general and its State; especially the brigade commanded by Conway, who led into battle on the right. Such partial efforts, however honorable to the particular troops, never can terminate in victory; this precious fruit is only to be plucked by the co-operating skill and courage of the whole body. The loss of the British in killed and wounded was nearly equal to that sustained by us, which did not exceed six hundred.*

The sudden change which we experienced, was attributed to the delay of the left column's entrance into action,t to the fog of the

Besides the ninth regiment, but few prisoners were taken. The whole amounted to 400, which, added to our killed and wounded, gave a total of 1,000.

The left column was under the order of Major-General Greene. Some attempts at that time were made to censure that officer; but they were too feeble to attract notice, when levelled at a general whose uniform conduct had already placed him high in the confidence of his chief and of the army.

morning which was uncommonly dense, and to the halt at Chew's house. These certainly were the ostensible causes of the defeat; and some of them lightly contributed to our disaster. A critical examination of the operations of that day, however, will lead all impartial inquirers to one conclusion; namely, that although the fog withheld from us the important advantage resulting to assailing troops from a clear view of the enemy's incipient measures to repel the assault; and although the halt at Chew's house had cooled the ardor which, at the beginning, success had infused into our soldiers; yet these incidents could not have produced the disastrous change in the fortune of the day.

But this turn must be ascribed to deeper causes: to the yet imperfect discipline of the American army; to the broken spirit of the troops, who, from day to day, and from month to month, had been subjected to the most trying and strength-wasting privations, through the improvidence or inability of government; to the inexperience of the tribe of generals; and to the complication of the plan of assault-a complication said to have been unavoidable.

The halt at Chew's house was taken after some deliberation, as the writer well recollects; being for that day in the suite of the commander-in-chief; with a troop of dragoons charged with duty near his person.

Many junior officers, at the head of whom were Colonel Pickering and Lieutenant Colonel Hamilton, urged with zeal the propriety of passing the house. Brigadier Knox opposed the measure with earnestness, denouncing the idea of leaving an armed force in the rear; and, being always high in the general's confidence, his opinion prevailed. A flag of truce was instantly dispatched to summon the British colonel, while appropriate bodies of troops were prepared to compel his submission. As had been suggested, the summons was disregarded by Musgrave, who persevered in his judicious defence; and Captain Smith, of the first Virginia regiment, deputy adjutant-general, bearing the flag, fell with it waving in his hands. Thirsting after military fame, and devoted to his country, he obeyed with joy the perilous order; advanced through the deadly fire pouring from the house, presuming that the sanctity of his flag

* Colonel Musgrave and the fortieth regiment received the cordial thanks of Sir William Howe, and were held up to the army as an example for imitation. Nor was the applause which was lavishly bestowed upon Musgrave, restricted to America. It resounded in Great Britain; and the successful colonel received a letter from the British monarch, expressing his sense of his meritorious conduct.

would at length be respected; vain expectation! he fell before his admiring comrades, a victim to this generous presumption.

Unfortunate* as was the issue of the battle at Germantown, it manifested the unsubdued, though broken spirit, of the American army; and taught the enemy to expect renewal of combat whenever adequacy of force or fitness of opportunity should authorize repetition of battle; it gave, too, animation to the country at large, exciting in Congress and in the people invigorated zeal in the great cause in which they were engaged.

CHAPTER VI.

Howe directs his attention to opening the Delaware.-Count Donop moves on Fort Mercer.-Lieutenant-Colonei Simms reaches the fort at Red Bank and proceeds to Mud Island.-Hessians repulsed at Red Bank.-Donop killed.-Colonel Smith of the Maryland line, succeeds to the command at Mud Island.

BоTH armies having resumed their former positions, the respective leaders, with renovated vigor, directed their views to the cardinal point of all their movements and all their conflicts.

Howe felt and understood the late bold attempt of his adversary; and, withdrawing from his position in Germantown, concentrated his force in the vicinity of Philadelphia, strengthening his camp by field-works, which in effect increased his disposable force.

He soon became convinced that the dislodgment of the American garrisons from the forts, Mifflin and Mercer, was an indispensable prerequisite to the opening of the passage of the river, where the admiral and fleet had arrived from the Chesapeake, prepared to co-operate in removing those obstructions; and immeditate measures were taken toward the accomplishment of this object.

A detachment of Hessians, led by Colonel Count Donop, crossed the Delaware from Philadelphia, and took the route for Fort Mercer. A few miles only in its van was a re-enforcement for the post of Mud Island, sent by Washington, under Lieutenant-Colonel Simms, of the sixth Virginia regiment.†

Congress voted their thanks to the general and army, expressing without reserve their approbation of the plan of battle, and of the courage exhibited on the occasion.

† Lieutenant-Colonel Simms, after passing the Delaware below Bristol, arrived, with the detachment under his command, at Moore's Town, eight miles from Cooper's Ferry, opposite Philadelphia, about ten o'clock at night. He was informed that a detachment of the enemy were crossing at that ferry; the safety of his detachment required that he should ascertain whether the enemy were