SUPPLIES FROM FRANCE.

355

Before the opening of the campaign, Washington's whole force had been reduced to fifteen hundred men. Early in the year, however, fifteen hundred of the new troops would have been upon their march from Massachusetts; but the general court could not supply them with arms. This perplexity was of but a short continuance. A vessel arrived at Portsmouth, from France, with 11,987 stand of arms, 1000 barrels of powder, 11,000 gun-flints, and other munitions of war. Congress had been under a similar embarrassment with the Massachusetts general court, as to the procuring of supplies for Washington's army; but they obtained similar relief by the arrival of 10,000 stand of arms in another part of the United States.

Before the royal army took the field for the ensuing campaign, two enterprises were resolved upon for the destruction of the American stores, deposited at Peekskill, on the North River, and at Danbury, in Connecticut. For this purpose, a detachment of five hundred men, under Colonel Bird, was convoyed up the Hudson to Peekskill, by the Brune frigate. General McDougall, who commanded the post, having a weak garrison, fired the principal store-houses, and retreated to a pass through the highlands, three miles distant. Bird destroyed the greater part of the stores, and re-embarked on the same day.

In April, Governor Tryon, with a detachment of two thousand men, passed through the Sound, under a naval convoy; and landing between Fairfield and Norwalk, advanced to Danbury, on the afternoon of the 26th, the American troops having retired with a part of the stores and provisions. The enemy, on their arrival, began burning and destroying the remainder, together with eighteen houses and their contents.

On the approach of the British armament, the country was alarmed: and, early the next morning, General Sullivan, with about five hundred men, pursued the enemy, who had twenty-three miles to march. He was joined by Generals Arnold and Wooster, with about two hundred militia; and when the royal troops quitted Danbury on the 27th, the Americans marched after them. General Wooster was mortally wounded; and the Americans lost about twenty killed and forty wounded. Governor Tryon lost about four hundred men in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

On the 13th of April, General Cornwallis surprised the post at Roundbrook, and General Lincoln, who commanded the American force there, narrowly escaped capture, with the loss of sixty killed,

wounded, and prisoners.

The British destroyed the stores and evacuated the place. This was retaliated by a similar inroad on Sagg Harbour, made by Colonel Meigs, who destroyed a large amount of shipping, and captured ninety prisoners, without the loss of a man. On the 10th of July, Colonel Barton surprised and captured General Prescott, at his quarters in Rhode Island, which was then held by the British. Prescott was soon after exchanged for General Charles Lee.

While these desultory operations were going on, Washington was actively raising and organizing troops. Levies, however, went on very slowly, through the discouraging state of the cause and the rigour of the season; so that, at the opening of the campaign, he had not mustered quite eight thousand men. These, however, were in an improved state of discipline, bearing somewhat the aspect and character of a regular army; and during the winter months, he had strongly intrenched them in a position covering the route to Philadelphia. Howe considered it inexpedient to open the campaign till the middle of June. He then assumed a position in front of the American army, which he maintained six days; but, after having carefully reconnoitred their camp, considered it too strong for attack,

BATTLE OF BRANDYWINE.

857

and fell back to his original station. His next manœuvre was to commence an apparently precipitate retreat, by which Washington was so far deceived, that he engaged in a hasty pursuit, when the royal troops, as soon as the enemy were close upon them, wheeled round and made a brisk attack. Lord Cornwallis pursued a detachment under Lord Stirling to a considerable distance; but the American general, on seeing his error, exerted such activity in withdrawing his detachments, that they regained their intrenched position without very serious loss.

The British commander, having thus failed in his attempts to bring the Americans to action, conceived it impossible, in their face, to attempt the passage of so broad a river as the Delaware. There appeared no alternative but to embark his army, and, by a great circuit, land them at the head of the Chesapeake. The British force embarked on the 5th July, and did not reach its destination till the 24th August, when it was landed without opposition.

Washington had been carefully watching its movements, and recruiting his own force, which he had raised to fourteen thousandnot the most numerous, but the most efficient of any he had hitherto commanded. He determined, therefore, to risk a battle in defence of Philadelphia, though conscious that its issue must be very doubtful; but otherwise the expectations of the country would be disappointed, and a discouragement ensue worse than defeat. The only considerable river on the route was the Brandywine, along whose high banks he drew up his army, erecting batteries and intrenchments for the defence of the principal fords. Howe's advance to this point was obstructed only by skirmishes with his advanced guard; yet he did not reach it till the 11th September. Determining then upon an attack, he made his arrangements with skill and judgment. Knyphausen, with the Hessians, attacked the American front, driving them across the river, with apparently vigorous attempts to follow, yet avoiding any actual advance. Meantime, a strong division under Cornwallis, accompanied by Howe himself, made a circuit of seventeen miles to pass by the upper fords. Washington had received some intimation of this movement, but, distracted by opposite reports, did not sufficiently provide against it. Cornwallis reached the right of the American army before it had time to form, and, by a vigorous attack, he completely broke and drove them before him. Knyphausen, as soon as he heard this firing, pushed forward with his whole force, when the American centre, already

alarmed by the disaster of its right, gave way at every point. Afte... some vain attempts by Greene to cover the retreat, the whole army retreated, losing nine hundred killed and wounded, and four hundred prisoners.

The American general soon re-assembled his defeated army, and though slowly retreating, did not give up all hopes of saving Philadelphia. He was even about again to engage the enemy, when a violent storm, continued during a whole day and night, prevented the conflict and rendered his ammunition useless. Still it was only by skilful manœuvres that his opponent succeeded in entering the capital, and obliging him to retreat beyond it. Congress, who had returned thither, removed first to Lancaster and then to Yorktown.

Thus established in Philadelphia, Howe pushed forward the main body of his force to Germantown. A large part, however, was employed in reducing a chain of forts and batteries, which the Americans had erected on the Lower Delaware, interrupting the direct communication with the sea, where Admiral Lord Howe, after landing the troops at the head of the Chesapeake, had brought round the fleet. Washington, having received some reinforcements, determined to take advantage of this divided state of the army by a sudden attack on the portion stationed at Germantown. At seven o'clock in the evening of the 3d October, his troops advanced in four divisions, and, having marched fourteen miles, at daybreak took the British completely by surprise. For some time he carried all before him; but he was arrested by a large stone building, the residence of Mr. Chew, obstinately defended by six companies, by which he was

delayed, having stopped to reduce it. On the opposing force being fully drawn forth, he was obliged to retire with the loss of upwards of a thousand in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Notwithstanding this unfortunate issue, a favourable impression of his resources was conveyed by his resuming the offensive so soon after the defeat at Brandywine.

The British troops were now employed in reducing the defences of the Delaware. In attacking the fort of Red Bank, a detachment under Count Donop, a gallant German officer, was repulsed with the loss of about four hundred men, and the commander mortally wounded. It was afterwards relinquished on the approach of a superior force; but November had nearly closed before the passage for the fleet was completely cleared. Howe then, on the 4th December, marched out with the view of again bringing the American general to battle. The latter, having received four thousand additional troops from the north, had taken up a position at Whitemarsh, about fourteen miles from Philadelphia, which he considered so strong that his letters express a desire of being there attacked; but the English general, upon a careful survey, declined the engagement, and, after some days' skirmishing, fell back upon the capital. The attention of Washington was then anxiously directed to the choice of winter.