That a strong detachment of hostile troops should pass at a small distance from La Fayette's flank, and gain his rear unobserved, would seem to argue a want of vigilance on the part of that officer; but the Pennsylvania militia had been posted at a little distance on his left, and he relied on them for watching the roads in that quarter. The militia, however, had quitted their station, without informing him of their movement; and consequently his left flank, and the roads about White Marsh, remained unguarded.

About that time, Sir William Howe resigned the command of the army. So far back as the month of October, in the preceding year, he had requested to be relieved from the painful service in which he was engaged. On the 14th of April, 1778, he received his majesty's permission to resign; but at the same time he was directed, while he continued in command, to embrace every opportunity of putting an end to the war, by a due employment of the force under his orders. In the beginning of June he sailed for England, leaving the troops under the care of Sir Henry Clinton as his successor.

About the time when Sir William Howe resigned the command of the army, the British government ordered the evacuation of Philadelphia. While the British had an undisputed naval superiority, Philadelphia was, in some respects, a good military station. But Philadelphia is 100 miles up the Delaware; and as Sir William Howe had been unable to drive General Washington from the field, he had found some difficulty in subsisting his army in that city, even when the British ships had the full command of the sea, and could force their way up the great rivers; but when the empire of the ocean was about to be disputed by the French, Philadelphia became a hazardous post, on account of the difficulty and uncertainty of procuring provisions, receiving communications, or sending aid to such places as might be attacked. It was accordingly resolved to abandon that city; and as circumstances were changed, instead of returning by sea, to march the army through the Jerseys to New York, where the communication with the ocean is more easy.

The preparations required for this movement could not be so secretly made as to escape the notice of the Americans; and to be in readiness for it, was one reason of detaching the Marquis de la Fayette to Baron Hill, where he had been exposed to so much danger. General Washington called in his detachments, and pressed the state governments to hasten the march of their new levies, in order that he might be enabled to act offensively but the new levies arrived slowly; and in some instances the state legislatures were deliberating on the means of raising them at the time when they should have been in the field.

Although General Washington was satisfied of the intention of the British commander-in-chief to evacuate Philadelphia, yet it was uncertain in what way he would accomplish his purpose; but the opinion that he intended to march through the Jerseys to New York gained ground in the American camp; and in this persuasion General Washington detached General Maxwell with the Jersey brigade across the Delaware, to co-operate with General Dickinson, who was assembling the Jersey militia, in breaking down the bridges, felling trees across the roads, and impeding and harassing the British troops in their retreat; but with orders to be on his guard against a sudden attack.

General Washington summoned a council of war to deliberate on the measures to be pursued in that emergency. It was unanimously resolved not to molest the British army in passing the Delaware; but with respect to subsequent operations there was much difference of opinion in the council. General Lee, who had lately joined the army after his exchange, was decidedly against risking either a general or partial engagement. The British army he estimated at 10,000 men fit for duty, exclusive of officers, while the American army did not amount to 11,000; he was therefore of opinion that, with such an equality of

force, it would be criminal to hazard a battle. He relied much on the imposing attitude in which their late foreign alliance placed them, and maintained that nothing but a defeat of the army could now endanger their independence. Almost all the foreign officers agreed in opinion with General Lee; and among the American generals only Wayne and Cadwallader were decidedly in favor of attacking the enemy. In these circumstances, General Washington, although strongly inclined to fight, found himself constrained to act with much circumspection.

Having made all the requisite preparations, Sir Henry Clinton, early in the morning of the 18th of June, led the British army to the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill, where boats and other vessels were ready to receive them; and so judicious were the arrangements made by the admiral, that all the troops, with the baggage and artillery, were carried across the Delaware, and safely landed on the Jersey side of the river before ten in the morning. Many of the loyalists of Philadelphia accompanied the army, carrying their effects along with them. The Americans entered the city before the British rear-guard had entirely left it.

There were two roads leading from Philadelphia to New York; the one running along the western bank of the Delaware to Trenton ferry, and the other along the eastern bank to the same point. The British army had wisely crossed the river at the point where it was least exposed to molestation, and entered on the last of these two roads. In marching through a difficult and hostile country, Sir Henry Clinton prudently carried along with him a considerable quantity of baggage, and a large supply of provisions; so that the progress of the army, thus heavily incumbered, was but slow. It proceeded leisurely through Huddersfield, Mount Holly, Crosswick, and reached Allentown on the24th; having in seven days marched less than forty miles. This slow progress. made the Americans believe that Sir Henry Clinton wished to be attacked. Gen-eral Maxwell, who was posted at Mount Holly, retired on his approach; and neither he nor General Dickinson was able to give him much molestation.

As the march of the British army, till it passed Crosswick, was up the Delaware, and only at a small distance from that river, General Washington, who left Valley Forge on the day that Sir Henry Clinton evacuated Philadelphia, found it necessary to take a circuitous route, and pass the river higher up, at Coryell's ferry, where he crossed it on the 22d, and took post at Hopewell, on the high grounds in that vicinity, and remained during the 23d in that position.

From Allentown there were two roads to New York; one on the left passing through South Amboy to the North river, the other on the right leading to Sandy Hook. The first of these was somewhat shorter, but the river Raritan lay in the way, and it might be difficult and dangerous to pass it in presence of the enemy. Sir Henry Clinton, therefore, resolved to take the road to Sandy Hook, by which the Raritan would be altogether avoided.

Although a great majority in the American council of war were averse from fighting, yet General Washington was strongly inclined to attack the British army. He summoned the council of war a second time, and again submitted the subject to their consideration; but they adhered to their former opinion; and General Washington, still inclined to attack the enemy, determined to act, to a certain extent, on his own responsibility.

The Jersey militia and a brigade of continentals, under Generals Dickinson. and Maxwell, hovered on the left flank of the British army; General Cadwallader, with a continental regiment and a few militia, was in its rear, and Colonel Morgan, with his regiment 600 strong, was on its right. These detachments were ordered to harass the enemy as much as possible.

As Sir Henry Clinton proceeded on the route toward Sandy Hook, General Washington strengthened his advanced guard till it amounted to 5,000 men. General Lee, from his rank, had a claim to the command of that force; but, at first, he declined it, and the Marquis de la Fayette was appointed to that service. But General Lee, perceiving the importance of the command, solicited the appointment which he had at first declined, and was accordingly sent forward with a reinforcement, when, from seniority, the whole of the advanced guard became subject to his orders.

On the evening of the 27th, Sir Henry Clinton took a strong position on the high grounds about Freehold courthouse, in the county of Monmouth. His right was posted in a small wood; his left was covered by a thick forest and a morass; he had a wood in front, also a marsh for a considerable space toward his left; and he was within twelve miles of the high grounds at Middletown, after reaching which no attempt could be made upon him with any prospect of success. His position was unassailable; but General Washington resolved to attack his rear in the morning, as soon as it descended from the high grounds into the plain beyond them, and gave orders accordingly to General Lee, who was at English Town, three miles in the rear of the British army, and as much in advance of the main body of the Americans.

By the strong parties on his flanks and rear, the British commander was convinced that the hostile army was at hand; and, suspecting that an attempt on his baggage was intended, on the morning of the 28th he changed his order of march, and put all the baggage under the care of General Knyphausen, who commanded the van division of his army, in order that the rear division, consisting of the flower of the troops, under Earl Cornwallis, might be unencumbered, and ready to act as circumstances might require. Sir Henry Clinton remained with the rear division.

At daybreak on the morning of the 28th of June, General Knyphausen marched with the van division, having in charge the baggage, which was so abundant as to extend in a line nearly twelve miles. The rear of the army, that it might not press too much on the van, did not leave its ground till near eight in the morning. General Lee, who on the preceding evening had received orders to attack the British rear, which orders were repeated in the morning, with an assurance that the main body of the army would advance and support him, prepared to obey his instructions. Scarcely had the British rear-guard descended from the heights of Freehold into a plain three miles long and one broad, when the American van was seen advancing and descending from the heights which the British had just left. At the same time, Sir Henry Clinton perceived strong columns on his flanks. Convinced that his baggage was aimed at, he thought the best method of securing it was to make a vigorous attack on the division in his rear, and to press it so closely as to render the recall of the columns on his flanks necessary. He accordingly made the proper dispositions for attacking the enemy; while General Lee, who believed he had to do with a rear-guard only, and from whom the movements of the British were concealed by intervening woods, advanced over some narrow passes in a morass into the plain: but, instead of a rear-guard, he saw the flower of the British army drawn up to receive him. He perceived his mistake and danger, and instantly retreated, before the British were ready to attack him; sensible that, if beaten on that ground, his retreat across the morass would be difficult or impracticable, and that 'he could not be easily reinforced, he resolved to regain the rising ground, that he might receive the attack of the enemy in a more favorable position. While he was making this retrograde movement, near midday, General Washington rode forward, and, ignorant of the causes and motives of the retreat, addressed General Lee in warm terms of disapprobation. The British army advanced

rapidly upon them, and Washington ordered Lee to arrest their progress while he brought up the main body of the army to his assistance.

General Lee, who had reached the ground where he intended to fight, executed his orders with characteristic courage and skill. A sharp conflict ensued; the Americans were compelled to retreat, which they did in good order. The British advanced and attacked the second line of the Americans, which was strongly posted, and made a vigorous resistance. After some severe fighting, and several movements on each side, General Washington having brought forward the main body of the American army and occupied advantageous ground, Sir Henry Clinton withdrew his troops and took a good position near the place where the battle began, at which he remained till ten at night, when he resumed his march, carrying along with him his wounded, except such as could not be moved.

In this indecisive encounter, the Americans gained a victory. The event was celebrated with rejoicings throughout the United States, and congress returned thanks to General Washington and his army. But Sir Henry Clinton was afterward allowed to pursue his march without interruption. About the time of the battle some attempts were made on the baggage, but they were easily repelled, and all the American advanced parties were recalled.

In the battle of Freehold Court House, the loss of both armies was nearly equal, amounting to about 400 men on each side. The British lost LieutenantColonel Monckton, who was much lamented. The American army particularly regretted the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Bonner of Pennsylvania, and of Major Dickinson of Virginia. The day was exceedingly warm; and the heat and fatigue proved fatal to several soldiers in each army, who expired without a wound. General Lee, conceiving himself to have been insulted by General Washington on the field of battle, in the evening addressed to him a letter, expressed in no very respectful terms. He was, therefore, put under arrest, and tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders, and disrespect to his commander-in-chief. He was found guilty, and suspended for a year.

The sentence of the court-martial against General Lee closed the military career of that singular man, who, in the early part of the war, had been of much service to the Americans. He was bred to arms, had been a lieutenant-colonel in the British service, a colonel in the Portuguese army, and an aid-de-camp to the king of Poland, with the rank of major-general. On the breaking out of the American war he had resigned his commission in the British army, and offered his services to congress, who appointed him third in command of their forces. He had studied all the most valuable treatises on the art of war, both ancient and modern; and on military subjects his judgment was commonly correct. In the presence of the enemy he was cool and intrepid; and, notwithstanding many faults and whimsical peculiarities in his character, he was beloved both by the officers and men who served under him. His understanding was vigorous, his memory retentive, and his imagination lively. He was a classical scholar, and possessed a considerable portion of general knowledge. His temper was sour and severe; he scarcely ever laughed, and seldom smiled. He was impious and rude; a vindictive enemy, but a steady friend; extremely avaricious, but an entire stranger to deceit and dissimulation. He was at times a pleasant and instructive companion, but often capricious and disagreeable.

When the American army was encamped at White Plains, General Lee lodged in a small house near which General Washington occasionally passed when observing the dispositions of the enemy: one day, accompanied by some of his officers, he called on General Lee and dined with him; but no sooner were they gone than Lee, addressing his aid-de-camp, said: "You must look me out another place; for I shall have Washington and all his puppies contin

Lee

ually calling upon me, and they will eat me up." Next day seeing the commander-in-chief and his suit coming that way, and suspecting another visit, he ordered his servant to write on the door with chalk, "No victuals dressed here to-day." Perceiving this inscription, General Washington and his officers rode off, not a little amused at the incident, and the oddities of Lee's character. had a strong attachment to dogs, and some of these animals always accompanied him. On being informed that congress had confirmed the sentence of the courtmartial against him, pointing to a dog, he exclaimed, "O that I were that animal, that I might not call man my brother!" This singular person died in Philadelphia, in the beginning of October, 1782.

After the battle of Freehold Court House, the British army continued its march without interruption to Sandy Hook, where it embarked on the 5th of July, and on the same day landed at New York.

General Washington marched to the North river, and took a position near his old camp at White Plains.

On the 5th of July, the day on which the British army arrived at New York, the Count d'Estaing, with a French fleet, appeared on the coast of Virginia.

In the month of March, the French ambassador in London, by order of his government, notified to the British court the treaties entered into between France and America. In a few days afterward he quitted London, and, about the same time, the British ambassador left Paris. This was considered equivalent to a declaration of war; and although war was not actually declared, yet both parties diligently prepared for hostilities.

The French equipped at Toulon a fleet of twelve sail of the line and six frigates, and gave the command to Count d'Estaing, who, with a considerable number of troops on board, sailed on the 13th of April; but, meeting with contrary winds, he did not reach the coast of America till the 5th of July. He expected to find the British army in Philadelphia, and the fleet in the Delaware; and it has been supposed that if this expectation had been realized, the conse quences to Britain must have been calamitous. But it is needless to speculate on what might have ensued in circumstances which never existed. For the British fleet and army were at Sandy Hook or New York before the French fleet arrived on the coast.

Informed of the departure of the British from Pennsylvania, Admiral d'Estaing instantly sailed to the northward, and, on the evening of the 11th of July, came to anchor off New York, Admiral Lord Howe, whose fleet amounted only to six ships of the line, four of fifty guns each, and some frigates and smaller vessels, had been informed of D'Estaing's arrival on the coast some days before he appeared in sight, and had made a judicious disposition of his force for the defence of the harbor. For some time after D'Estaing came in sight, the wind was unfavorable to an attempt on the British fleet; however, on the 22d of July it veered to the eastward, the French squadron got under way, and the British expected to be immediately attacked. But, instead of proceeding toward the harbor, D'Estaing stood out to sea, and sailed as far south as the capes of the Delaware, where he altered his course and steered directly for Rhode Island, off which he appeared on the 29th of the month. There he meditated an attack, in which General Sullivan, with a detachment from General Washington's army, and reinforcements from New England, was to co-operate.

The Americans had been preparing for some time to attempt the reduction of Rhode Island; and Sullivan had been appointed to superintend and hasten the preparations. His measures did not escape the notice of Major-General Sir Robert Pigot, commander of the island, who, in order to impede his operations, had ordered two different incursions into Providence Plantation, one conducted by Colonel Campbell, and another under Major Eyre, in which a quantity of